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

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

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

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.