Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Race

Officially, the race was on, but I had heard way too many people tell me that one of the most common mistakes for novice runners was to start off too fast. This apparently was no problem for Jen, who looked back for a second at the start then disappeared into the crowd. I, however, started jogging slowly up the Vegas Strip. For the first four miles almost everybody was passing me. I passed walkers, but no one else. I was concentrating on breathing; looking at other runners; looking at the resorts and casinos along the route; just taking it all in. In about 15 minutes I was at Paris and the Bellagio and caught part of the dancing waters show.  At about this point, the race leaders started passing us on the other side of the Strip heading toward the finish line. First the marathon leader, then the ½ marathon wheelchair leaders passed us in a blink. All of us who were just starting our race cheered them on.
A few minutes later, I ran past the “Run Thru Wedding Ceremony” at the volcano at the Mirage. I was still going at a very leisurely pace, holding on to my sweatshirt, letting people pass me; waiting to hand it off to one of the coaches at mile four. The course continued to be very congested. My intention was to wait until I got some elbow room before I started my race pace. I passed Circus Circus. Melissa and I spent the night there more than 12 years ago on our way to Los Angeles. It was our first time in Vegas. I’ll always remember Circus Circus.
At the Stratosphere, I handed off my sweatshirt to a coach and checked my time. I had run four miles and was on an 11:30 pace. That was really slow – even for me. I decided that I couldn’t wait for traffic to clear, so I began pushing my pace. Passing the Stratosphere we left behind the excitement of the Strip, where there were many distractions. The next five miles wound through the dimly lit streets of North Las Vegas. We did pass a couple band stages, but there were few people cheering.
However, it was in this section that I saw my favorite sign of the day – “Most boring parade EVER.” I might have felt the same way standing on the sidewalk. For moments along this part of the race, the only noise I heard was the thumping of sneakers on the asphalt and the breathing of the runners beside me. But from my perspective as a runner, the rhythm of the race energized me.
At this point I was passing more people than were passing me and I felt pretty good. I was moving faster now, but still was averaging 11 minutes per mile. I wanted to go faster, but was still afraid to burn out too early. Around mile eight a woman with a racing number that suggested she’d started a couple of corrals behind me passed me going at a pretty good clip – slightly faster than me. She looked like a runner. I had found my rabbit. I locked in on her and started chasing. The course was still pretty crowded and it was hard to keep up with her – not because of her pace, but because we were both weaving around slower runners. At times, I’d get blocked in, have to move laterally across the wave of runners to find another opening and then race to catch up with her again.
I only played this game for about a mile. I was close on her heels when she stopped at the water station around mile nine. That was disappointing. I grabbed a cup of water and kept going. I was in a running rhythm now did my best to stay with it. I began to imagine that she was now chasing me.
Before I knew it, I was passing mile 10. Many people had told me about mile 10. They said that once you make it to mile 10, you’re fine, you know you can make it. Thinking about this I smiled and looked at my time. I was now running under a 10 minute mile. Very few people were passing me at this point. I was feeling pretty good.
Then she passed me again. My rabbit had caught up with me again. This time she had another dog on her heels. I locked in behind them and began the last 2.5 miles down the Strip. My rabbit now seemed faster than before. It may have been because she got faster or because I was getting more tired. Either way it was hard to keep up with her. I kept her in my sights until about mile 12. I had been building speed throughout the race, but I had finally reached my limit. I couldn’t go faster. It didn’t help that for half a mile I had heard fans along the course saying there was one more mile to go. Now with a mile to go for real I eased up just a bit so that I could still finish strong.
That last mile seemed to last forever. I could see Mandalay Bay for a long time. Then, what I thought was the finish line was only a banner directing runners into the final couple turns into the parking lot which would lead to the actual finish line. Just before I turned off the street, I heard, “Jimmy!!” My friends Dieu and Lori-Beth were up against the fence cheering me on. I raised my hands, let out a whoop and headed for the finish. The final few yards were more crowded than ever as we funneled to the finish line. But I remembered another piece of advice from the coaches and raised my arms at the finish. I did it! Half marathon complete; 13.1 miles – Check!

Some statistics:
I finished in 2:17:25; 11,851st out of about 38,000 entrants and 33,200 finishers in the half marathon. I also finished 1,133 out of 2,173 in my division (men 40-44). Middle of the pack on both counts, but for my first attempt, I’m extremely satisfied.
The stat I’m most proud of is this: Based on the splits taken by the race organizers from the chip attached to my sneaker I ran the first 3.1 miles at an 11:37 pace; the next 3.1 miles at a 10:45 pace; the next 3.8 miles at a 10:01 pace; and the final 3.1 miles at a 9:40 pace! Even though, I started off especially slowly, I got faster throughout the entire race and finished strong.

I started this journey four months ago with the intention to honor Melissa, raise some money, and increase my fitness level. Mission accomplished. I’ve really enjoyed the training and the running. I hope to continue it.

Pre-race Prep

Luckily, the race was Sunday evening, so I was able to get a good night’s sleep and had a lot of time to kill before starting race prep. I joined friend and fellow half marthoner, Jen, her dad and two close friends, Dieu and Lori-Beth for brunch at Paris and filled up once again – four large meals in a 24-hour span. This was my last planned meal before running, but once I left the buffet, I was thinking that maybe I had over done it. The walk back to Mandalay Bay was about a mile, so that got the digestion going. I returned to the room with the intention of resting, maybe even napping, but I was full of nervous energy and ended up puttering around until it was time to get dressed.
The first order of business was to prepare my race singlet: race bib with my participant number pinned to the front – Check; my name and Melissa’s code name in large, colorful, block letters stuck to the back – Check; third draft of mini bib honoring Melissa pinned to the back – Check.

Our team met in the lobby at 4:00 for a team picture and pep talk.

The plan was to wait in the warm lobby until it was time to line up for the race, but I couldn’t do that. The party was outside. I wanted to get a lay of the land, take in the atmosphere and watch the Cheap Trick concert playing outside the hotel. It was cold out there. I was glad I’d brought a sweat shirt to shed at the start line. Without it I would be shivering. I recoiled my fingers inside my sleeves and started looking for the stage. I could hear Cheap Trick, but there were speakers everywhere, so I couldn’t tell where they were. I walked toward the start line, where I found two tigers on watch – only in Vegas, right?

I eventually found Cheap Trick and rocked out with them until it was time to line up for the race.

I joined fellow teammates in corral 17 waiting for the 5:30 start. We counted down the start and off they went! Corral 1 took off down the strip. Those of us in Corral 17 didn’t budge. But after a few more count downs we started inching our way forward, counting down the groups in front of us. By this time my heart was starting to pump a little faster. The sun was down; the lights were bright; the band was playing; I was shoulder to shoulder with other runners in a sea of people slowly moving toward the start line.
Twenty minutes later, we got our own countdown. I shed my sweatshirt and the race was on!

Success!!

What a thrill to have run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas ½ Marathon for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America! The whole weekend was great and was capped off Sunday night, December 4th, when I joined 44,000 others for the race under the bright, shining lights of the Las Vegas Strip. The short story is: I finished with my personal best time in a half marathon – J it was my first – and loved the whole experience. The long story is. . .
Vegas has its own, unique energy, always, but this weekend was different – not only for me but for the city. Waiting in line at the airport for a shuttle to Mandalay Bay I noticed a sign that said,  “Plan ahead. Expect delays Sunday, December 4th. Road closures. . .”
“Crap!” I thought, “of all weekends. . . what’s going on?”
Then I finished reading the sign.
They were going to close the roads for me! – and 44,000 others.
Everywhere I went I found runners or people talking about the race. The local news even featured the race-time weather forecasts. It was a perfect atmosphere to mentally prep for the race. It seemed that everybody was there for the race. And as a participant, I felt a sense of pride, nervousness, and excitement that kept building throughout the weekend. But I arrived Friday night, so it would be a long wait for the gun to go off Sunday night at 5:30.
Saturday morning our DC Team Challenge scheduled a fun run to warm up the legs and work out the butterflies. We ran ¾ of a mile in 40 degree weather to the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, took some pictures, and ran back to the hotel.

At the sign we ran into some of the 10, 000 participants in the morning’s Great Santa Run  – about a dozen runners in identical Santa suits.

I thought I might have time to rest a little that day, but I didn’t stop moving until after 9PM. After the run, I went in search of food and found brunch and a dining companion in the form of a fellow runner who was about to dine alone, too. From there I went to the race expo to pick up my packet and walk through the gauntlet of displays of all the race sponsors. That was more tiring and took more time than I anticipated. I was really hungry when I returned to Mandalay Bay. Never mind that I had just eaten brunch four hours before and would be eating at the pre-race pasta dinner in about three. I found a huge plate of baked ziti and took it back to my room where I found a big fruit plate my family had sent me. It was yummy, so I had to eat some of that, too. Before I knew it, it was time to time to head to the “Inspirational Past Dinner.”
The dinner is a tradition for CCFA. All 2,000 participants from Team Challenge chapters around the country are invited to attend. Aside from carb loading, it’s an opportunity to recognize accomplishments during the fund raising campaign and pump up morale for the race. The inspiration started right away. To get to the ballroom, participants walked down the long hallway lined with the coaches and mentors from the 40+ chapters who were clapping, cheering, and congratulating participants for getting this far. A local high school cheerleading squad also cheered us on down the hallway. The hallway was packed, festive and LOUD! I couldn’t help but smile, return high fives, and get pumped up.
Incidentally, at the same time, two doors down from the pasta dinner there was some press event for the premiere of “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil” opening that night. As we rowdy Team Challenge participants made our way down the hallway as a slow-moving human river, security would part the “waters” to allow VIPs to enter their own ballroom. This link has some pictures of the event and some of the celebrities there. I didn’t see any of those people, but I did see Allison Janney! That was exciting!
Once inside the ballroom, I loaded up on pasta again – making it the third full meal I’d had in a span of 7 hours – uuufff!
The speakers at the dinner included: Mike McCready, Pearl Jam guitarist, Crohn’s patient and fellow half marathon participant; a very well-spoken, 10-year-old, UC patient, who bravely told us about her disease and what this event and CCFA meant to her; and the director of CCFA who thanked us, recognized outstanding fundraising achievements, and highlighted some key areas where the money we raised would go. It was a great way to end the day.
And it did, indeed end my day. Because after a day of running around, I was tired and wanted to make sure I was well rested for the race the following day. I went back to my room and got into bed.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Melissa on my mind

I've spent the last couple days here in L.A. thinking about Melissa. Of course, I'm out here on my way to the 1/2 marathon I'm running in her memory. It's been a very gratifying four months of training and raising funds for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. I am honored to have been able to raise more than $5,000 that will go toward research that aims to cure these diseases and to programs that support children and adults suffering from them. As long as I knew Melissa, she would say that she wanted  to help make sure that others wouldn't have to go through the pain and anxiety ulcerative colitis caused in her life. She donated to CCFA when she was alive and through the donations of all of her friends and family, she is donating after she has gone.

Melissa's memory is with me every day. Just about everything in our house bears the stamp of a shared memory with melis. Even the things that are indisputably mine and not Melissa's bear the stamp. The set of Warner Brothers character drinking glasses that Carlos, Gina, and I collected when we were kids, sit in the kitchen cabinet and were used more often that the Macadoo's glasses she collected. The pictures I took in the high mountains of Peru and framed in what Melissa thought were terrible color choices for matting have hung on our walls for years. They remind me of the compromises one makes -- we made -- when we intertwined our lives.

These couple examples of things that are indisputably mine and not Melissa's are by far the exception. After 11 years together, just about everything has a story that involves Melissa and me. The "Regulator" was a wedding gift. We tried out the chimes when we first got it, but decided we wanted our time pieces to be silent in the house. It has had a prominent place in all the places we've lived. The martini glasses remind me of the trip to Ireland and our tour of the Waterford Crystal factory. We watched one of the glass blowing artists etch his initials on the base of each glass. The list goes on and on.

Here in L.A., the week before the race, I'm feeling added nostalgia. Maybe it's because these aren't my regular routes anymore. This is still a place we used to be together; where we started our life together. When we left to go back home to Virginia, there was no cancer; no death. Since Melissa died I have been creating new memories in a world without her. I haven't had much time here to make memories post Melissa. Everything is still as it was.

Yesterday I walked down the steep steps at the end of Knob Hill in Redondo Beach and looked at the volleyball court where I used to play. Melissa would ride her bike 12 miles to meet me there. After we were done playing, I'd carry her bike up the stairs and she'd carry the chair I'd brought for her to sit on. I've run past Martha's 22nd Street Grill four times. It's a breakfast place half a block from the sand in Hermosa Beach. It was one of our favorite places to take our visitors. It was part of the standard Bealanoza visitor's package. The package also included a sunset bonfire at Dockwiler Beach. I've driven by there a couple times, too, this week. I look down at the fire pits and think about how much Melissa wanted our visitors to have that experience when visiting us. Visitor prep always included a trip to Ralphs for a bundle of wood, hot dogs, hershey bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers.
 

Two days ago I walked around LMU's campus, where we lived for a couple years. I walked out to the bluff to take in the million dollar view we once had from our apartment. The same walk we took together the last time we came back to L.A. to visit. El Pollo Inka, LAX, our old condo. . . the list goes on and on.

I've done the physical training, but I feel as if in these couple of days I'm filling up my tank of emotional strength that I'll need for the race. At times during training I've used Melissa's image as a motivational tool. When I get tired or feel myself slouching or looking down, I lift my shoulders, look out in front of me and picture Melissa riding her bike, looking back, smiling and encouraging me to keep going. That image always makes me smile and gives me an extra push. Being here has helped to strengthen some of those memories that give the image life. There is no doubt in my mind I'll need that image on Sunday.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Extreme Tapering

Part of a good long distance training program is tapering your workouts toward the end of training to allow your body to rest and recover so it will be ready for the ultimate test. Due to my leg injury I took tapering to an extreme. Since November 11, when I ran 6 miles, I have run a total of six times and 13 miles -- most of that this week. The sharp pain in my glute and foot and the soreness in my quad and calf and shin kept me from doing more.

Other than walking about a mile form the bus to my office every day and jogging up the Rosslyn Metro escalators about twice a week I did no training for an entire week. On November 19 I started easing back into it. I ran one mile, then three days later I ran another mile. I definitely needed the rest, but I was begining to feel that I would get too rusty or stiff if I didn't do more.

This past week I've stepped it up. Thanksgiving morning I ran two miles before heading to Lake Anna for the Bealafeld feast. Then Sunday evening I ran with Team Challenge at Haines Point. The workout was scheduled for one hour, but I just ran one lap -- 3 miles -- and stopped at half an hour. My goal this week has been to stay limber and not push myself. I'll save the pushing for race day.

I left DC early to squeeze in three days in Los Angeles before the Vegas race weekend. I've thoroughly enjoyed the last couple days here in L.A. I've spent some time with friends, soaked in SoCal living and had two fantastic runs. The last two nights I've headed down to the strand -- the running, biking, walking path along the sand that runs from Manahattan Beach to Redondo Beach, passing through Hermosa Beach in between. I ran two short 3 mile runs from 3rd Street in Manhattan Beach to the Hermosa Beach pier and back past 3rd Street to the Manhattan Beach pier. I was treated to two beautiful sunsets on my runs, too.


Hermosa Beach, 11/30


Manhattan Beach 12/1

I love Southern California.

I'm feeling better, but still anxious about the race. Aside from all the other pains I've described above, my  right ankle is constantly sore. I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to run the whole race without doing any permanent damage to my body.

Saturday, November 19th
running time in minutes: 9:48
total distance: 1.1 miles
mile pace: 9:11

Thursday, November 24th
running time in minutes: 20:52
total distance: 2.2 miles
mile pace: 9:37

Sunday, November 27th
running time in minutes: 31:22
total distance: 3.2 miles
mile pace: 9:46

Wednesday, November 30th
running time in minutes: 30:47
total distance: 3.0 miles
mile pace: 10:07

Thursday, December 1st
running time in minutes: 30:04
total distance: 3.0 miles
mile pace: 10:01

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Three weeks away from race

In the past two weeks I've run another 23 miles, but the nagging pain in my right leg is getting harder to ignore. After the long run in the freezing rain I've only managed to run twice each week.

One of my runs was Saturday, 11/5. I got up early to meet the team at Fletcher's Boathouse on the Potomac River in Georgetown at 8am. I got there a little late and found no other Team Challenge runners there. I figured they had already started running, so I warmed up and got on the trail. I'd been looking forward to this run since it is right under GU and along the river. I got a thrill looking up at alma mater as I approached the Key Bridge from the north and then ran along the riverfront to the Kennedy Center before heading back up to Fletcher's.

It was a great day for running. The sun was shining and it was a bit chilly. The weather was nice enough to draw some people out, but cold enough to keep the trails from over-crowding. The course I chose heading south was a good challenge, too. I started close to the high point above Fletcher's Boathouse and turned around at the Kennedy Center right along the water. That meant that I was running up hill most of the way back. I like it that way. It's a way to maintain the challenge throughout the whole run.

When I got back to my car after a one-hour run I checked my email to see if there was a clue as to why I hadn't seen any of my Team Challenge Teammates and found out that earlier in the week, the training session had been moved to the Custis trail in Arlington. Oh well!

The morning wasn't a total loss. I drove into Georgetown and had breakfast at Booeymongers -- a GU student favorite. I hadn't eaten there in years and I drank in all the atmosphere while I ate my breakfast.

Two days later I recorded another first, I ran in the morning, then went into work. I hadn't tried this before because it's usually too dark to run before 6am, which I need to do, since I have a 1:45 minute commute into work. But, we had just fallen back into standard time, and it was now a bit brighter earlier in the morning. I ran the two short laps in my neighborhood while I waited for the sun to rise before taking the big lap down to the elementary school and construction site at the perimeter of the neighborhood -- 5.2 miles in total.

The time was on my mind. I kept thinking about what I would have to do when I got back to the house and wondered if I'd be able to catch the 7:35 bus or have to wait until the 8 o'clock bus. Even though I was distracted, I ran a pretty good pace 9:32/mile.

However, since I was in a hurry, I did not ice down nor rest after the run. I got home, stretched a little, took a shower, ate breakfast and ran out the door to catch my bus (8am). It may have been the lack of icing and rest, but more likely just the accumulation of wear and tear on my body over these last few weeks. My usual soreness after running continued to intensify through my bus ride and the mile-long walk to work and throughout the day. The dull pain in my ankle turned into sharp pains in my glute and the top of my foot. I was almost limping for the next couple of days, but definitely in some pain.

Because of the pain, I skipped the Wednesday workout. By Friday I was feeling better and working from home, so I decided to run 6.2 miles. After this run the pain came back more intensely. So much so, that it was hard to sleep Friday night.. I couldn't find a comfortable position and moving from one position to another was painful. The most comfortable position was standing up and staying still. Of course, it's hard to sleep that way.

By Sunday the pain had subsided some. I got up out of bed without wincing, but still I decided to skip the evening run with the team. It was to have been the longest run yet -- 2 hours. At the current pace I've built up to, I would have run about 12 miles -- just 1.1 miles short of a half marathon. But I feel good about being able to complete that distance right now as long as I'm healthy, so I think taking a few more days off is in order.

Wednesday, November 2nd
running time in minutes: 45:25
total distance: 5.2 miles
mile pace: 8:44

Saturday, November 5th
running time in minutes: 59:56
total distance: 6.4 miles
mile pace: 9:19

Monday, November 7th
running time in minutes: 49:37
total distance: 5.2 miles
mile pace: 9:32

Friday, November 11th
running time in minutes: 1:01:58
total distance: 6.2 miles
mile pace: 9:57

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Building Endurance

My training accomplishments last week include: my first treadmill run, running more than 20 miles in a week, reaching 100 total training miles, and running more than 10 miles in one day. Even though I only ran three times in 11 days, for the first time since I started running, a half marathon doesn't feel intimidating.

This was a very physically demanding week. On Saturday, 10/23 I climbed on the treadmill ready to run for the scheduled 1:40 minutes. Running on a treadmill is very different from running on the road. The most obvious difference is that the road is moving underneath your feet! I realized quickly that I wasn't in control of the pace like I have been. Since I had recently increased my pace so much, I was looking forward to the treadmill -- an opportunity to push my pace a little more.


Boy, was I wrong! I fumbled around for a 1/2 mile warm up that took me almost 9 minutes. Once I figured out the machine I started again, but I couldn't find my stride. My feet were moving much too fast for the speed I had set. By the time I figured this out I was huffing and puffing. I had the foresight to get some water before I started, but not the brains to find a water bottle instead of a plastic cup. I struggled to keep up a pace that I thought I should be able to handle and had a hard time getting the water to my mouth without spilling it. I walked at least two of the 8.5 miles and finished at a very slow pace. To top it off I learned about embarrassing running problem #7.

The bright side was that I learned another lesson for the road -- don't give up. About halfway through I thought about stopping. I rationalized that I had already gotten a much tougher workout than I would have had outside, but I didn't stop. I adjusted my strategy; took more walk breaks; and ran the allotted time. I'll remember this on race day and use it if I need to.

I didn't realize until days later that during this run I reached 100 training miles! nice

I rested Monday and Tuesday and ran in my neighborhood on Wednesday morning. I felt refreshed and ran five sub 10-minute miles. The run felt pretty easy compared to the treadmill run.

Saturday was another day for firsts. My first run in sub 40 degree weather; my first run in the rain; and my first time running more than 10 miles! nice

I joined the team in Crystal City for our planned hour and fifty minute run, but not before checking my email three times the night before and once right before I left the house at 7:15 a.m. The forecast was for temperatures in the 30s and rain that would turn to snow and I was looking for an excuse to skip it. But no emails came in, so I ignored the snow on the cars in my neighborhood and headed into Crystal City.

Right now the only running equipment I own is a pair of running shoes with 100 miles on them and a dry-fit team shirt. I almost bought reflectors and lights for night running until I realized that I could wrap my headlamp from Home Depot around my wrist and clip the tail light from my bike on the back of my shorts. The spectacle amazes the neighborhood kids.

I don't own: non cotton running socks; running pants; synthetic hat or beanie; impermeable gloves; utility belt for small water bottles, phone, keys, etc.; a rain coat. I dressed for the cold weather, though. I wore track pants on top of my shorts, a cotton t-shirt under a long-sleeved shirt under my team shirt, and my "rain coat." I've always called it my rain coat, but Melissa would always correct me, "It's a wind breaker." And she was always right. This jacket has never repelled more than a light mist.

The seven other crazy (I mean dedicated) people who showed up for the run were inside the Crystal City Mall, staying dry and warming up when I arrived at 8 a.m. I noticed that everyone else had running pants -- tights, essentially. We mapped out a run that would take us south along the Mount Vernon Trail along the Potomac River, past the airport and into Alexandria, turn around at Orinoco Park, then past our starting point far enough to be able to complete an hour and fifty minutes. We did our final stretching and chatted a bit more. I made a last-minute decision to shed the track pants when one of the coaches suggested I might want to have some dry clothes for after the run. Smart idea. So, I walked out of the mall and into the rain with my wool beanie tight on my head, my wind breaker zipped up with hood up, winter gloves holding on to a water bottle in my left hand and a plastic zip up baggie in my right hand containing my cell phone and iPod, which doubles as my timer, and my bare knees.

The wind would be at our backs for the first 3 3/4 miles down to the first turn-around, but there was no avoiding the light rain coming down. It would eventually soak through all of my shirts, my socks, my beanie, my gloves, everything. It's a  good thing, too. I think the soaking prevented embarrassing running problem #7 from staining my shirts. The next time I'll wear my dry-fit shirt as the first layer.

Predictably, there were few other people on the path. On a nice day, Mount Vernon Trail would be packed with runners, bikers, and walkers. On this day, the only dodging I had to to was to avoid puddles and worms on the path. Yes. I was avoiding worms.

For the first 4 miles or so, I ran with a teammate and a couple coaches. First with the teammate, then later on, two coaches met us along the way. One stayed with my teammate and the other ran with me, pushing my pace.

It was cold out there. My legs turned pink before I turned around into the wind, but really, I didn't mind that much. Once I got out into the rain I was wet and gonna stay that way. Heading north into the wind I decided to pick up the pace and left the others behind -- slowly. I was able to push for a while, but then had to slow down. I couldn't find all the mile markers, so I don't have mile by mile splits, however, I know that I maintained a pretty steady pace over the long haul and finished a bit slower than 10 minute miles.

Since I was running for time, I had no idea how long I'd run. It wasn't until I got home and mapped my run that I realized I had run 10.5 miles. Fantastic! I was definitely tired, but not exhausted and not hurt. That is progress.

Sunday, October 23rd - treadmill run
running time in minutes: 1:39:02
total distance: 8.5 miles
mile pace: 11:39

Wednesday, October 26th
running time in minutes: 48:06
total distance: 5.2 miles
mile pace: 9:15

Saturday, October 29th - sub 40 degrees, raining
running time in minutes: 1:47:10
total distance: 10.5 miles
mile pace: 10:12

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Pace

I was able to run four times in the past nine days. I feel pretty good about that. I'm getting stronger, but at the same time the nagging achilles and foot pain in my right foot keep me in check. Last week, my left achilles started hurting. The pain was sharp enough that one day I stopped a run short. Overall, though, I continue to make progress.

Just recently on this blog I wrote that I wasn't worried about pace, but as I feel stronger and notice improvements, I've been measuring pace. One week ago I ran five miles in 55 minutes. That's more than 10.5 minutes per mile. I remember running laps in high school and I believe that was my pace. I don't want to run 10 minute miles. I want to run faster.

When I went out Thursday for another five miles, I had my eye on bettering 10:35. I knocked 15 seconds of my first half mile and was below 9:30 at the mile mark. But at about a mile and a half my left achilles lit up with some sharp pain that I tried to suppress by adjusting my stride. It worked for a while, but I had to stop after just three miles. I kept my pace under 10 minutes, but I was disappointed that I didn't finish the entire distance I had intended to run. I iced down and took a couple days off.

On Sunday I ran in the Acumen Race for a Cause 8K in Alexandria with some of my Team Challenge teammates.This race felt more official than the Four Seasons 5K I ran last month. I got my first racing bib (#1391) and timing chip and we ran on some major roads instead of a trail. I'm not knocking the Four Seasons race. As a matter of fact, I liked it and hope to run it again. I'm just emphasizing that this event felt different.

The start was wide open, no bottle neck to worry about, but still slow as there were almost 700 runners lined up to start. I listened to some last minute advice from one of the coaches who told us not to expend a lot of energy at the start weaving in and out of traffic. I didn't. I hung back and waited for the traffic to thin out. For the first mile I may have passed a few people, but more passed me. I was okay with that in general, but was a bit disappointed that it had taken me 10:37 to get there. I looked around for a rabbit to follow and focused on a woman that was just passing me. I stayed behind her, pushing my own pace, until about the halfway point.

At the halfway point, which was at the bottom of a long hill (follow this link to see the race course), I picked up my pace considerably and left my rabbit behind. As I started running up the hill I was passing everybody. Only a handful of people passed me from there to the end. I went from dog to rabbit when I felt someone pull in behind me at the time I kicked up the pace at the turn around. Fortunately, the sun was behind us so whenever I saw her pony tail shadow sneak up to my heels, I would speed up. It turned out I had a rabbit behind me after all.

I've discovered I like running up hill. It's a bit easier on the legs (impact-wise) and it's a great challenge. I kept up my pace up the long hill and beyond. As the mile markers passed -- 3 then 4 -- I realized I was on a personal record pace and began to fear I'd sped up way too early. My breathing was beginning to get shallower and my legs were starting to fatigue. I didn't slow down at the end, but I didn't have the reserve of energy that I had hoped to have for a sprint to the finish.

However, I finished in 45:19, which translates to a 9:08 minutes per mile pace! That shocked me. I had no idea I was running that fast (a relative measure). I've noticed in the past that I haven't been able to shave off very much time when running on my own even when I practice speed intervals. My rabbits in this race must have made a difference.

Check out the race results. Scroll past the 382 female finishers to the list of male finishers and keep on scrolling to 190. That's me.

The race by the numbers:
I finished 298 out of 683 runners; 190 out of 301 men; and 25 out of 38 in my age group.

I'm proud of those results, but more proud of my mile by mile pace.

mile 1: 10:37
mile 2:   9:11
mile 3:   8:42
mile 4:   8:53
mile 5:   7:56

The last mile is really only .98 miles, but even if I had run the extra 2 hundredths of mile more, it would have been my fastest mile. I'm very pleased.

Two days later I ran 4.2 miles at a 9:28 pace. It's good to feel and see improvement.

Tuesday, October 11th
running time in minutes: 55:01
total distance: 5.2 miles
mile pace: 10:35

Thursday, October 14th
running time in minutes: 30:09
total distance: 3.1 miles
mile pace: 9:40

Sunday, October 16th  - Acumen Race for a Cause
running time in minutes: 45:19
total distance: 4.98 miles
mile pace: 9:08

Tuesday, October 18th
running time in minutes: 39:24
total distance: 4.2 miles
mile pace: 9:28

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Finishing strong

Sunday evening I had my longest sustained run, yet! The training team was back at East Potomac Park for a 1 hour run. The loop we take around the golf course is about 3.2 miles around so I knew I would not make it around twice in 1 hour, that would mean I would have to average 9.5 minute miles, which I haven't done yet. Instead I set my sites on finishing strong.

Two loops around East Potomac Park Golf Course

My last two runs I had started off too fast and lost some energy toward the end. I don't like that feeling. I have been pacing myself to finish strong on most other runs, even if finishing strong is just a relative term. I like saving something for the end. The day after the second of those two runs, I read chapter 28 of Born to Run. In that chapter the author lays out the sicentific basis for the title of his book. He includes the story of one researcher who went into the Kalahari Desert and was taken on a persistence hunt by a group of Bushmen. You'll have to read the book to get the details, but, essentially, a persistence hunt means you run your prey to death. When you start a persistence hunt, you never know whether you'll be running for two hours or six; whether you'll need to run for your life from another predator; or whether you'll need to carry an injured fellow home; so you pace yourself and you always leave some fuel in your tank.

I think this is a great lesson to take to training. I took that approach on Sunday.

I jogged along behind two fellow team members for most of the first lap. They were my rabbits. Initially, I had started slower, but after they got ahead of me, I thought I would use them for some motivation. Luckily, their pace was still comfortable for me, so I stayed about 20 yards behind them. Toward the end of the second lap, I caught up and chatted for the next 3/4 of a lap or so, before I picked up the pace.

I've noticed that when I run slower or get more tired, I plod. I hear my feet hitting the road. I feel the shock in my heels and legs. When I concentrate, straighten my back, put the front of my foot down first, and kick back with some strength, I glide. At least that's how it feels in my head. I don't know how it looks. I'm getting better at it, but it's hard to sustain that form for more than a few strides at a time.

I used this technique intermittently for the last mile and a three quarters or so (after jogging slowly for 48 minutes) and pulled away from my teammate. I finished the second lap a good 5 minutes ahead of him and he complimented me and commented that I "took off" on the back stretch.

Now, training is not a race. And the race won't be a race for me. That is, I'm not trying to beat anybody else. I only mention my teammate as a point of comparison from my intial pace to my finishing pace. I'm just trying to increase stamina, strength, distance, pace. . . I want to finish the 1/2 marathon and finish it strong. It felt good to be able to do that at this shorter distance.


Sunday, October 9th
running time in minutes: 1:08:22
total distance: 6.5 miles

Monday, October 10, 2011

A hair faster than my walk pace

Running resumed the day after a very busy September 29th honoring and remembering Melissa with family and friends. Two days later I was to run for an hour and a half with the training team and I knew I didn't want to do that  after not having run for a whole week. So, after dropping my aunt and uncle off at the airport I ran 5K before dinner. You know, training would be so much easier if I took more days off from work. . .

I ran continuously (no walking) and finished in just over 30 minutes. That's progress. Just one month ago I couldn't have done that -- mentally or physically.

On Saturday, we were told to run out 40-45 minutes out then turn around. I did just that. I ran for 42 minutes (my longest sustained run to date), then decided it was time to turn around. As soon as I broke my pace to ease around, my legs felt like rubber bands. They had been propeling me forward, and had forgotten how to stand still or change direction. I took that as a sign and decided to walk the next three minutes. After that bit of rest, I felt I needed a challenge so for the next 21 minutes I alternated between running at my usually slow pace and a bit of speed work, which tuckered me out again, forcing me to walk 3 minutes. I ran the last 17.5 minutes, taking the last 11.5 at an accelerated pace.

In the end I ran 8.2 miles. My new record! nice

During the week I ran about 4 miles twice in my neighborhood. The first time I took a two minute walk break when my right calk started to burn and I started to limp a little. I was able to pick up the run again  and finish strong. Funny thing is, though, two days later I ran the same distance again and instead of walking for two minutes, I sped up for one minute in the middle and I only gained one minute! How is that possible?? I think my run pace is a hair faster than my walk pace. . . hmmmm . .


Friday, September 30th
running time in minutes: 30:18
total distance: 3.1 miles

Saturday, October 1st
run-walk pattern in minutes:
42 run - 3 walk - 6r - 1 speed -
8r - 1s - 5r - 3w - 6r - 11:35 faster pace
total time: 1:26:35
total distance: 8.2 miles

Tuesday, October 4th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
15:30 - 2 - 24
total distance: 4.2 miles

Thursday, October 6th
running time in minutes: 40:29
total distance: 4.2 miles

Monday, October 3, 2011

a lot of activity last week, but little training. . .

After reaching my new mileage record for a week (17), I slowed down to attend to more important matters. Mom was in town; it was the last week my aunt and uncle would be with me before heading back to Peru; and I was coordinating last minute details for the events planned to remember Melissa on the one-year anniversary of her death.
Having very little time at home at the beginning of the week, I made the conscious decision ahead of time to pay attention to the people in my house rather than to take off running as soon as I got home. It was a wise move. Even though I was extremely tired and it was just about dark when I got home, I didn’t have to feel guilty about not going out for a run. I’d already made the decision not to run. J
Instead, Tia Ani, Tio Walter, and I introduced Mom to “wine time” – a glass of wine, some cheese, and a beautiful sunset off my back porch. Why would I want to run instead? That was Monday and Wednesday. Tuesday, we went to Coastal Flats for a bon voyage dinner. I introduced all three of my guests to one of Melissa’s favorite foods – ozzie rolls. Yum!
Thursday was a special day I’d been planning for months. I wasn’t sure what to expect emotionally, but I knew I wanted to do something constructive to take my mind off all the negative thoughts that can creep in one’s head on such anniversaries. It would mark the day I would stop counting the time since Melissa died in days and months and begin counting in years. Years. It’s hard to imagine what it will be like to look back 18 years from now to reflect on Melissa’s life and all the time without her. But that day will come just as this unimaginable day came. And on this day – the day Melissa would have turned 37 – we honored her memory and celebrated her life.
The day began at the memorial garden on the campus of George Mason University where we planted a tree in her memory. The event was everything I wanted it to be and more. The fact that they’d agreed to plant the tree on this date and allow Melissa’s family and friends to be there was already enough for me. But in addition, Melissa’s colleagues had a beautiful memorial hand-out for everyone in attendance; allowed us to pick the place the tree would be planted; and gave us time to treasure the moment.
About 30 people gathered around the site as the digging equipment began its work. When we approached the hole to scatter her ashes, the sun broke through the clouds and the drizzle stopped for the duration of the ceremony. Her mom and others commented that it was a sign that Melissa was there with us – a beautiful sentiment. One of her colleagues said a few words, remembering Melissa’s kindness, caring and impact on those at GMU. Then I spoke, recalling our move to Fairfax and equating it to a homecoming for Melissa after having been away for so long. I thanked GMU for giving us this place for years to come. We lingered for some time, took pictures, chatted with friends and family, and then headed off to Stonelea Farms to honor Melissa’s wishes.
In her final days, as we planned her final arrangements, Melissa told me that she wanted to have her ashes scattered over Miley’s grave. Miley, the horse she had grown to love and for whom she mourned only weeks before her own diagnosis. In spite of the muddy pasture, this event also surpassed my expectations. Lucia welcomed us to her Farm with muck boots and kind words about Melissa. She had a helmet marking Miley’s grave site, which we used to guide our scattering. Most every one of the 20 people gathered took turns strewing Melissa’s ashes over Miley. Mom read a poem and we were done.
Both of these events definitely had somber overtones and evoked strong feelings of loss, but they were also marked by fond memories of old and creation of new memories for the future. By joining together in Melissa’s name, we honored her life and reinforced her inerasable mark on ours.
The evening event at Coyote Grille – a fund raiser for Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America – was a perfect end to the day. Melissa’s friends and family filled up the outdoor dining area for a couple hours in happy celebration. Claire sang beautifully. And folks opened up their pocket books to purchase raffle tickets whose proceeds went directly to CCFA. When I started planning this event with Jen, I had no idea what it would take to pull it off. Jen almost single handedly pulled it off. From the flyers she created, to the donations she solicited from businesses, to the table decorations, to the door prizes, to the raffle tickets, to the box to put the raffle tickets in. Everything. She planned everything. I forwarded emails to get people in the door. I had no idea all the work that had to be done and am very grateful I partnered with Jen to do it.
At the end of the day I felt good about what I and others had done. We took a day that could have been melancholy and lonely into a day of memories and celebration.
Training got back on schedule on Friday.

Monday, September 26, 2011

I kept running

What would you do the day after you ran your first organized 5K?

I ran 10K. It wasn't the brightest move. But a week later I believe I'm better off for it.

Since the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon in Vegas will be on a Sunday evening, some of the Team Challenge training runs are scheduled for Sunday evenings as well. Last week our run was scheduled for West Potomac Park - two laps around Haines Point. Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate traffic tie-ups on in-bound I-66 on a late Sunday afternoon, so my 32 mile drive took me almost an hour. As I arrived at the meeting point, I saw the team about 50 yards ahead. They had just started the run. Instead of stretching, taking my time to warm up, and taking it easy after the previous day's run, I did a couple lunges, quad stretches, and windmills and took off after the pack.

In my defense, I had been stretching throughout the day because I was still a little stiff from the 5K. I probably didn't need a full stretch routine, but I certainly should not have tried to catch up with the lead pack. I had no illusions of being able to keep up with them, but since we were all going to run the same distance, I knew if I took frequent walking breaks like I had in previous training sessions I'd probably end up 15 or 30 minutes behind the others. I took off after them. After only about 100 yards of a faster-than-usual pace, I realized they were going to continue to pull away so I greeted a couple of the walkers I did catch up to and slowed down a bit.

Still, I wasn't going to take as many walking breaks, so I ran the first 15 minutes before taking a brief walking break. I really pushed myself and consequently ran through some pain -- my calves, my ankle, my thighs were yelling at me. I ran the first lap clockwise around Haines Point following the traffic flow. When I reached my car, I turned around and ran counterclockwise so that the traffic would be in front of me and so that I could run by everyone else on the team who was there that day before the running was done. As I started the second lap, I was thinking I should stop running and pay attention to the pain signals my body was giving me, but I pressed on. Eventually, my knee started yelling at me and I was trying to remember what the guest speaker had told us the previous week about avoiding injury. "What is that injury that begins with just a mild nagging knee pain? Crap!"

I kept running.

About a mile into the second lap I passed the lead pack (or we passed each other), waved, and smiled, and said a few words. My lungs were okay, but my body was hurting. It was time for my third walking break, the last one before I would push to the finish. When I started running again I was concentrating on trying to minimize the hurt to my body and remembered the advice from El Caballo Blanco, one of the main protagonists in Born to Run -- "light, easy, smooth." If I straightened out my back and concentrated on "light, easy, smooth" and tried to just sweep my feet across the earth, I could ease the pain a little and didn't feel the pounding of the asphalt, but I was too tired to keep that up for more than a few strides at a time. So I just kept practicing it as much as I could.

I normally like to finish strong, but I hadn't saved anything in the tank on this run. I was slowing down in the last 1/4 mile when I saw that Jen had come back around to meet me and guide me back to the start/finish. Cool. That's what a team is for, right?

My body hurt for three days. I took an ice pack to work Monday morning and strapped it to my leg all morning, moving it from one sore or aching place to another until it melted. I also skipped my Monday run to recuperate. I wish I had more time to write about my other three runs this past week. I'll just give the cliff notes.

On Wednesday I went back to the National Mall to run with Team Challenge. It was a drizzly day, so only two walkers and one other runner showed up. I ran 3.2 miles. Well, "ran" is an overstatement. It's hard to keep moving on the Mall because you have to cross busy streets so many times. None-the-less, I finished strong -- running the last 1/2 mile at my fastest pace. afterward the four of us went out for drinks.

Friday I ran an easy mile to keep my legs moving.

Saturday I mapped a 3 mile course in my neighborhood and ran two laps. I felt good. This course is a bit hilly. About 50 minutes into my 1:05 run and at the bottom of the last big hill I began to pick up the pace little by little, continuously until the end. I only took one walking break between two half hour running stints. I felt good afterwards.

Sunday, September 18th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
15-2-15-3
15-3-11:30-:30
total distance: 6.4 miles

Wednesday, September 21st
run-walk pattern in minutes:
6 - 0:30 - 4 - 0:30
6 - 2 - 5 - :30
4 - :30 - :30 - :30
5
total distance: 3.2 miles

Friday, September 23rd
running time in minutes: 10:00
total distance: 1 mile

Saturday, September 24th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
32:30-2:30-30:41
total distance: 6.2 miles

Sunday, September 18, 2011

5K at the Four Seasons Hotel

I almost stayed in bed when my alarm sounded at 6 o'clock Saturday morning. I hadn't preregistered to the Sprint Four the Cure 5K. I hadn't even promised to meet Jen there. Why should I drive all the way into Georgetown to register early, stand around for a while, then run a 5K? I can just sleep another hour or so and run my own 5K here in the neighborhood. I hit the snooze bar and hoped for the best.

But I couldn't go back to sleep. After a few minutes, I threw myself out of bed, got dressed, fed Sesame, grabbed a banana and started the 40 minute drive into town.

The Four Seasons Hotel is on Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of Georgetown and just a few steps from the C&O canal. The event was to raise money for cancer research at the Washington Hospital Center and had attracted a lot of people on this chilly morning. After a few minutes of stretching, the race organizers gathered us at the starting line and started the race right on time.

The pack took off down the street for about 50 yards -- where we would turn right onto the tow path -- and came to a standstill, then a slow walk as we reached the bottleneck at the turn. For the next half mile we jogged along, no more than two-wide heading to the Key Bridge on the narrow path along the scenic canal that sits between K and M Streets.

Just before the Key Bridge we crossed over to the south side of the canal, where the path was much wider and each runner could get into his or her own pace. It was a beautiful morning to run and we had great views of the Potomac River below us and GU above us. After the turnaround point Jen and I were still at a comfortable pace chatting. When we passed the 2 mile mark, I realized I still had plenty of energy and the path was a bit less congested, so we picked up the pace. I feel I was holding Jen back, anyway. In our training runs so far, she has been running with the leaders while I've been doing my run-walk by myself.

Each couple hundred yards or so we continued to pick up the pace until we reached the final turn off the tow path. We sprinted the final 50 yards up the steep city street away from the canal and to the finish line.

Nice!

Aside for the short walk at the bottle neck when we began the race. I ran the whole way and felt good. To top it off the Four Seasons Hotel had a great spread for runners to refuel -- scrambled eggs, omelets, milk, juice, yogurt, fruit, bagels, muffins, pb&j, danish and coffee. I think I like this run.



Saturday, September 17th
running time: 33:20
total distance: 3.11 miles

Melissa day from morning until night

September 29th will be a Melissa day from morning until night. I confirmed plans with George Mason University to plant a tree in memory of Melissa next to the duck pond on campus. It's scheduled for 10 am that day. I am am very grateful to the university for their willingness to honor Melissa in this way. It's a great tribute to Melissa's 14+ years in Student Affairs and her life here in Fairfax/Annandale.

Also, My friends Jen and Brian and I met with the manager at Coyote Grille and Cantina in Fairfax and pitched a fundraiser for CCFA to include a raffle, the talents of Claire Gilbride, and some good food and drink in one of our favorite places. He liked the idea and we're on for Thursday, September 29th. The details are still being worked out.

This day has been marked in my head for the past year. One year without Melissa was so terribly hard to contemplate a year ago. Now that it's here, I know it will be a hard day, but I'm glad that family and friends will be gathered together and celebrating Melissa's life.

Low mileage week

This past week I rested a little extra and diverted my attention to planning a couple events to honor Melissa on September 29th. On that day we'll celebrate her birthday and commemorate one year since her passing.

This blog entry - the training; next blog entry - the planning.

There is a 1-mile loop near my house that I've been using for my weekday runs. With my run-walk patterns, I've been doing 2 laps in about 23 minutes and 3 laps in about 35 minutes. Slow pace, but for now I'm concentrating more on time spent on the road and endurance rather than distance or pace. That'll come later.

On Monday I set out for 35 minute run and planned to run five repetitions of 6 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking. After the fourth repetition and coming around for the third lap, I decided to pick up the pace to see how far my 35 minutes could get me. I finished strong and got an extra 1/4 mile in (3.36 miles instead of 3.17 miles - don't check my math!). Of course, my calves and thighs felt the extra work and were tight most of the week. This felt more like good "workout" tight, rather than the "hurt" tight and pain I continue to have in my ankle. I decided to take Wednesday off as well as Tuesday and Thursday.

On Friday, I didn't want to take the whole week off, but in anticipation of a 5K Saturday morning, I also didn't want to run too hard, so after work, I ran one mile of sustained running. Actually, I stopped just short of a mile by mistake and walked the rest of the way, but it felt good.

Monday, September 12th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
6-1-6-1
6-1-6-1-6-1
total distance: 3.4 miles

Friday, September 16th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
8:45-2
total distance: 1 mile

Monday, September 12, 2011

Broke the 5-mile barrier

On Saturday, I ran on the Capital Crescent Trail starting in Bethesda. It was my longest run yet in miles and time. The beautiful September weather brought out a bunch of people. There were at least two other teams in training there along with individual runners and bikers. There were families, teenagers, seniors and every age in between. It was quite motivational to be out there with so many people dedicated to exercise and -- in some cases -- a cause.

Saturday, September 10th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
8-2-8-2-8-3-turn around
8-2-8-2-10

total distance: 5.5 miles

Along the trail I chatted with the Endurance Manager, who works for CCFA. He kindly expressed his condolences about Melissa's passing and I asked him about the research being done right now. There are two good notes in that last sentence. First, I'm still searching for a way to contribute; to find a way to have Melissa's journey impact the lives of others in a meaningful way. Telling a little more of her story is a way to do that and learning more about what is being done will help me eventually focus on something to do. Second, I was talking while running! nice

As a matter of fact, I saved enough gas in the tank that for the last 10 minutes I was going at my fastest pace of the run and talking to Jen and one of the coaches. I felt good enough that I ran the last 200 yards or so. I mean really ran, rather than jogged at my usual 10:30-11:15 minute miles.

It was a good run.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Viva Las Vegas

I kicked off my fund raising campaign this week and am amazed at the support I've received. In five short days my and Melissa's people contributed $2,000 -- 80% of my initial goal. Amazing! I will be increasing my goal soon -- after I give it some thought.

In addition to the cash coming in, I've also been moved by the kind words of love and support and the stories some have shared. I learned that someone was touched by one of his students who has Crohn's, another person told me of her cousin's battle with the disease. I learned a friend was diagnosed with Crohn's ten years ago. I thank each of these people for sharing with me. I'll be thinking about them, too, as I train and run.

I also heard from a friend who has run the race in Las Vegas before. I'm getting excited thinking about it. The first time I saw Las Vegas was with Melissa in 1999. It was on our first cross-country trip -- two weeks after we started dating. We could see the lights of the strip from miles away as we descended from the heights of Hoover Dam. This was at the end of a day that began in Alamosa, Colorado at 3:00 am and ended 900 miles, 21 hours, 8 points of interest, and five states later.

Melissa and I were perfectly suited for driving trips. I like to drive in the daylight and Melissa liked to drive at night. Consequently, we were able to drive practically non-stop for an entire day. Along the way, We stopped at Durango, Mesa Verde, Four Corners, and the Grand Canyon. We also drove through the painted desert and monument valley and drove over Hoover Dam. Now we were looking down at Las Vegas. To punctuate this very busy travel day I could think of nothing other than to play "Viva Las Vegas" over and over again as Melissa drove closer and closer to the bright lights in the desert.

Even the most perfectly suited driving partners have their limits. Melissa reached hers about the fourth time I hit repeat on the disc player. She needed my help finding a gas station with a bathroom and then a hotel for the night. I couldn't very well help her when I was belting out my best Elvis. Even though Ms. Cranky Pants showed her face this night, time was good to this memory. We always smiled retelling it. And I'll be thinking about it when the gun goes off December 4th.

Now, my training week. It was a good one. I stayed in the neighborhood.

Monday, September 5th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
5-1-5-1-5-1
5-1-5-1-4-2
total distance: 3.2 miles

Wednesday, September 7th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
6-1-6-1
6-1-6-1-5:40-1:20
total distance: 3.2 miles

Friday, September 9th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
6-1-6-1-6-3
total distance: 2.1 miles

I'm feeling pretty good. My right leg is still sore/stiff, but mostly when I sit for a long time. The road feels good, Whenever I feel myself pounding the pavement too hard, I'm able to change my stride to land softer. Tomorrow I join Team Challenge for a run in Bethesda.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Weekend at the lake

I spent the long holiday weekend at Lake Anna with Melissa's parents at a mini reunion: four grandparents (Melissa's parents and good friends), six parents (Melissa's sister, two cousins, and their spouses), six grandchildren (two kids per couple), and me.

We arrived Friday night and spent a couple hours catching up and previewing the weekend activities. The grandparents had planned a treasure hunt, bon fire, boating excursions, and plenty of time on the dock. Sitting in the house Melissa loved, with the people Melissa loved was hard. This group is my family. They've always treated me as such and I'll always think of them that way. But the connection between them and me is Melissa. There was no ignoring the fact that she was missing.

I was definitely gonna need moments of alone time in between the fun times. My first opportunity was a Saturday morning run. I headed out as everyone was thinking about breakfast or getting their coffee. I stretched on the lawn then hit the road. I hadn't mapped out my run, so I decided to go out 15 minutes and come back. The roads along the lake are quite hilly, so it was a good work out.

run-walk pattern in minutes:
5-1-5-1
5-1-5-1-6-2
total distance: 3 miles

It seemed that I was heading up hill every time I came up to a walk segment. I looked around hoping that nobody was watching me and thinking that I couldn't make it up a hill. Luckily, there weren't too many people out. I saw a few cars and one walker. Nobody was paying attention to me.

I skipped the run on Sunday and instead did "active recovery" as prescribed in the training schedule. I swam around the pontoon boat a couple times and played monster to the kids' raft. Good times.

I sure wish Melissa could have been with us. She would have loved it.


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Running on the National Mall

8/31/2011
Wednesday after work I joined Team Challenge coaches and a few other runners on the National Mall. It was a beautiful Summer evening. On our 3.25 mile run from 7th Street to the Lincoln Memorial and back, we passed softball games, kickball games, touch football games, frisbee throwers, other runners, and tourists. Feeling especially charged with the atmosphere around me, confident about being on relatively flat ground, and wanting to keep up with my teammates, I pushed it early and struggled down the home stretch.

run-walk pattern in minutes:
5-1-12-1-6-1
1.5-0.5-5-2

But I survived and was still able to walk three blocks to the fundraising clinic and six blocks back to my car. Now, the fundraising clinic was on the rooftop deck of a building at just south of the Mall. While we listened to some tips on fundraising, we watched the sun set over the Washington Monument and had a perfect view of the Capitol.. Beautiful evening.

2 easy miles

8/30/2011
Tuesdays on the training schedule are supposed to be easy runs, so I strapped on my new Saucony's and ran an easy 2 miles in my neighborhood.

run-walk pattern in minutes:
5-1-5-1
5-1-4-2

They felt good.

Monday, September 5, 2011

New shoes

Hurricane Irene was bearing down on the east coast on August 27th when I drove to Quincy Park in Arlington, VA to join my new teammates on Team Challenge for the first work-out for our 1/2 marathon training. For the first time in weeks I woke up and I didn't hurt. My shoulder wasn't achy (volleyball injury) and most importantly, my right leg wasn't tight and achy. Since my failed experiment I have been a bit hobbled. I decided to stop running on July 22nd, after three weeks of training, but I couldn't stay off the sand volleyball courts, so five weeks later, I was not as far along in recovery as I had hoped. I thought I would show up to the training session, meet everybody and make some excuse.

But, happily, I felt better than I had in weeks. After the introductions and some lessons in stretching, I laced up my 5-year-old Sketchers and took off running with the pack. As I mentioned in my last post, I've put the barefoot running on hold for now, but since the shoe clinic was scheduled for after the run, The Sketchers would have to do. We left Quincy Park and joined the Custis Trail at North Quincy Street.

Even though I felt pretty good, I didn't want to hurt myself, so I decided to run-walk until I felt better for more than just one morning. I ran-walked for 40 minutes in this pattern:

5-2-5-1-5-2 turn around
5-2-5-1-5-2

We finished the post-run stretching before Irene's rains started and headed to Potomac River Running for bagels and the shoe clinic. It was nice to be there as part of Team Challenge. The mentors and coaches had some people lined up to talk to us about running shoes and measure our feet. I got on their fancy equipment and ran on their treadmill and found out that I have normal arches, a near-perfect center of gravity, and don't pronate. They suggested neutral shoes. I chose the Saucony, headed out into the rains, looking forward to my next run.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Failed experiment

When I've run before I've always gotten shin splints which made me stop. So in the past couple years when I heard people talk about barefoot running and minimalist shoes, I was intrigued. The idea behind the movement is that the advancement in running shoe technology has allowed us to rely too much on the cushioning on the sole. We run heal to toe. We get injured. We get cushier shoe. But if we don't correct the stride, the injuries will return. We were not meant to run in shoes nor strike with our heals, the movement says. Just take your shoes off and run a few strides and you'll notice that you naturally strike on your forefoot or midsole. To avoid injuries, we should run barefoot or in minimalist shoes. I bought into that. I still think the concept is sound, but it set me up to get injured before I started any serious training for the half marathon.

I'm not totally soured on barefoot running, but here is what I learned:

1) I am not a runner and I don't know what I'm doing.
2) Stretching before and after running is very important.
3) Icing down after running is even more important.
4) I probably hadn't recovered fully from my sprained ankle in February when I started running in July.
5) When barefoot running programs tell you to increase running distances by no more than 20% a week, follow the advise. I was so excited about getting into running shape that I went from running .2 miles in bare feet to running a mile in Vibram fivefinger shoes within three weeks. I probably should have advanced to no more than .6 miles in three weeks. I was impatient.
6) Minimalist shoe may be a good training aid, but the pavement is hard on the feet. It's not a good idea to run long distances on pavement without support.
If you don't know what you're doing get some help. I joined Team Challenge on August 20th and hope to slowly get back to running shape.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

I am not a runner

The first thing that should be clear to anyone reading this blog is that I am not a runner. In 1998 I ran the Pritchard 5K to support my student staff at Virginia Tech. I had not run an organized race before then and haven't run one since. For a short while after moving to L.A. I ran along the beach with a couple friends, but that didn't last too long. I repeat. I am not a runner.

But when my friend, Jen, presented me with the "wacky idea"to run in the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon to benefit Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, I knew I had to run.

The idea came at the right time.

My wife Melissa lived with ulcerative colitis (UC) for 28 years until she died on her 36th birthday -- September 29, 2010. Eleven months earlier she had been diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile ducts), a rare complication of UC. Years of disease progression may have lead to Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis that might have lead to the cancer. I say "may" because these things are hard to diagnose retrospectively.

Jen's email came about eight months after Melissa passed away and a couple weeks after my doctor told me that I had slightly elevated cholesterol levels - and I mean slightly. He even told me that it was nothing to worry about. But shortly after Melissa was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma I read a book that really opened my eyes about the role that diet, stress, and exercise play in promoting or inhibiting cancer growth.  Anti-Cancer: A new way of life changed the way I eat. I now eat very little red meat and saturated fats; dramatically decreased the amount of sugar I eat; and began looking for natural anti-inflammatory foods to add to my diet. I thought I was doing a good job. Hearing that I had elevated cholesterol lead me to one conclussion -- I'm not getting enough exercise. That and I'm probably carrying more stress than I'm used to.

Training to run a 1/2 marathon made sense to me. I need to get more exercise. And running for CCFA in memory of Melissa would allow me to direct some of my energy toward something good and meaningful.

I didn't wait too long to accept the challenge. I committed to running the race.

In future posts I'll write about my initial missteps as I began to run again (did I mention I'm not a runner?) and my training to get me to Las Vegas on December 4, 2011.