NYE Midnight Madness 3 Mile Run

Race: NYE Midnight Madness 3 Mile Run
Official Time: 19:50
Gun Time:

Comments:

2007 Sydney Marathon

Race: Blackmore's Sydney Running Festival Marathon
Official Time: 3:36:59

The second marathon effort this year turned out to be a world of difference from my first disastrous venture back in January. Instead of pushing myself for a specific time I concentrated on building strength for the race. The result was a much stronger effort than I had any reason to expect.

My final time was 3:37 (chip time later proved to be just under that bar), well below the 4 hour race I was expecting and positively obliterating my horrible 4:20 from January.

I started out a lot faster than I expected pulling in a 1:44:40 half. That put me dead on for a 3:30 marathon and I made a bit of an attempt at it but the long, long inclines on the second half of the course got me and my reverse split blossomed to a 1:52:18. There just wasn't anything left in the tank at the very end.

All told I averaged an 8:11/mile pace across the whole course - a 7:54/mile for the first half and a 8:32/mile on the second. Much better than last time.

I got up at 4:30 a.m. mostly to have enough time to run into the walls in the dark while getting ready. My friend Dave - who I am staying with here in Sydney - was kind enough to drive me to the race. We got there at about 5:30 a.m. which was when the bulk of folks started to show up.

I joined the throng of folks heading to the staging area at Bradfield Park at Milson's Point on the north side of Sydney Harbor. The race area was literally underneath the bridge which as either intimidating or awe-inspiring depending on how chilly you were.

Cause it was chilly - about 50 degrees. There were scattered clouds as well. But, again, this was nowhere near as brutal as the 29 degrees of the previous race and, by the end of the run, the sun was shining and things had warmed up to almost 65 degrees. Perfect marathon weather, really.

While pre-race estimates were hopelessly optimistic there was a pretty good showing for the effort. All told, 19,000 people took part in all four events and there were almost 1,400 of us in the marathon itself. A good number but not so much it made things kind of crazy.

I had my cheap chullo on which enabled my running partner on Team ZGeek, Gabe, to find me. We waited as the half-marathon started and made the last minute preparations. I had a big bowl of porridge before heading out of the house and downed a PowerBar twenty minutes before the race.

Some guy with a camera cornered me for an interview - due to the chullo I suppose. "What do you have to do to win something like this?" he asked. "Win?" I responded. "This ain't about winning, it's about survival."

Run the Bridge

Things were very very positive at the starting line, the mood in the queue for the start was downright upbeat. Due to the relatively limited number of runners it was a self-seeding event.

The start was up a pretty severe incline out of the little park and up to the bridge road surface. So when the fired the starting gun the crush of folks heading out was kind of a pain. But we barreled up onto the road and, by the time we passed through the toll-booths there was plenty of room to run.

Now part of the attraction of this race was being able to run over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and I want to tell you - it was every bit as awesome as I was hoping. It's a grand and magnificent structure and I put myself right in lane 4 down the middle. I tried to keep my pace under control but it really was tough given the spectacle of the thing.

A helicopter with a photographer was hovering overhead and, when I got to about halfway over the bridge he brought it down to roadway level. The guy was less than 10 meters off to my right dead even with me and I could feel the whoosh of the blades in the air. Pretty awesome but I kept expecting the sniper shot to ring out...

Needless to say I headed down the bridge at a good clip heading onto Macquarie Road into the beautiful public spaces of Sydney. The southern rim of the harbor is dotted with parks, museums and such and the course now wound its way through these.

The route up to Macquarie Point was downright picturesque and the mood was still very light for the runners. This was the first time the course backed around on itself and we got passed by the front-runners heading the other direction. We all applauded them as the zipped by.

I had put myself at the 4:00 pace section but, by now, I had pushed past the 3:45 group and was trying to settle into my rhythm for the race. I knew I was going faster than probably advisable but my goal was not to think about the speed itself but my physical condition – no heavy breathing or sweating at this point, just a smooth easy run.

Heading into the city again the road started throwing little hills at us. Nothing severe yet but I knew the real ones were lurking a few blocks over. We went through Darlinghurst section and brushed by the Kings Cross. There were a few all-day pubs on the route and folks cheered for us as we went past. It was really good-natured and that was a nice surprise.

At one point we passed a guy who was completely wasted on the sidewalk. He was younger and had passed out or fallen down on the sidewalk and was so frickin drunk he didn’t have enough co-ordination to get up. Not much pity for him on my part – I was going to have my own problems soon enough – but the medical staff following us stopped to help him.

The Blue Line

The race then got into its first real long stretch – Anzac Parade – an here we picked up the Blue Line I had looked forward to running for so long. It was still very bright and clear in spots and I stuck right to it when I could. But not everyone else did. Which I found pretty odd…

The line was painted for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and, as such, indicates the direct course for the race. Stay on the line and you are assured running exactly 26.2 miles (or 42.195 kilometers). When it cuts down the middle of the street, it is for a reason.

Yet folks mostly kept to the side of the street rather than use the whole roadway we had been afforded. It might seem like a little bit extra and not worth concerning ones self over but for a race this long you don’t want to run any further than absolutely necessary.

So my mantra became “trust the blue line” and, by the end of the thing I was damn glad I did.

Things got bucolic again as we had our detour into Centennial Park. This was a large circuit that was a nice change from the regular roads that marked the rest of the course. It was halfway through the park I started to do a solid assessment of my race.

I had gotten past the “danger zone” that laid me low eight months ago. I’d gotten a full third of the course finished and my ass wasn’t in agony. Although I knew I had come out on the first miles a bit quick, I had not ever really pushed myself unreasonably. I was feeling hydrated and with plenty in the tank.

And the real test was the bathroom. This was a brutal ordeal in January but, this time, it was routine. Get in, get done, get back on the course. No horrible feeling of dread for getting back into the race. A very good sign indeed. So I got back out on the regular roads in a positive mindset.

The Halfway Point

The race then headed down a few roads a bit of a way and then reversed itself. The second of these was the halfway point. I pushed to it and saw that I had an incredibly good time and the very real possibility of a sub 3:30 race. I knew it was a longshot and I didn’t start pushing myself for it but I did try and keep my pace even.

Back up Anzac Parade I kept to the blue line and really got into the workman part of the race. The enthusiasm is gone, things have thinned considerably and there is a serious amount of mileage left to go. The weather, I must stay, had taken a turn for the gorgeous. The clouds had pulled off and the sun was bright and pleasant – not too hot.

I had made a decision to run the race without my music but a chance encounter with an early Madonna song had left an unwanted tune in my mind for the days prior to the race. So in my pre-race preparations I made it a point to play a catchy and good song to pull me through - UB40's "Rat in Mi Kitchen." That mantra-like chorus really helped out on this long stretch of the course.

We then got back into the city proper and the first roller-coaster section got started – narrow streets with severe ups and downs. None of these was brutally long just persistent. I tried to shorten my stride and keep my pace constant on the uphills and then stretch things out to take advantage of the downhills. The shade of the buildings was almost chilly though and this was the only part of the course where there was any wind to speak of.

Despite the problems, it was pretty cool running through the streets of downtown Sydney.

At this point the race started its long westward leg that I knew was going to be trouble and it certainly delivered in that respect. We had to go up on one of the flyovers that circled the Darling Harbor to leave the city proper and move over to the next inlet. This was an unpleasant incline and then the road had an irksome superelevation.

Instead of leveling out, it then dropped onto Glebe Island section near the fish marked and delivered another series of up and down neighborhood streets. I was able to keep to my strategy but things were clearly a lot harder than they were just twenty minutes ago.

Go West Not-So-Young Man

The mighty Anzac Bridge was blessedly not on the menu today. As inspiring as the Sydney Harbor Bridge was to start the race, doing this bad boy at this time would have been simply hellish. That’s a long long long long incline to get up… twice.

The Old Glebe Island Bridge, by contrast, was pretty much at street level. But even it had an incline that my legs weren’t keen on. I was really feeling the miles by this point but still felt I had a decent amount left in me and I really wanted to nail the 3:30 time. The City West Link saw the end of that.

This final long stretch led out on one of the main highway connectors for the center of Sydney to the suburbs. It’s a multi-lane road built for relatively fast speeds. That means long inclines and turns. And it was that long rise to the turn around point that kicked my ass. It just kept going on and on and on and drained out what reserves I had left.

At about the 32 kilometer mark I got the ass pains like back in January. The difference was that I knew I could endure them for a 10k but it meant that nailing the 5 min kilometer pace was a slim possibility. I crested the hill at Norton Street and made the u-turn with a hope of making up the pace on the downhill and gave it as much of an effort as I could. The trusty blue line was there to help out as well.

But it was pretty much over for me at this point. My hasty start was coming home to roost and, instead of any kind of strategy it had become a battle of attrition. The 3:30 went out the window (although beating 3:40 was still possible) and hanging in for the final few kilometers was all I could hope for. While I gritted my teeth and got down to the painful final few miles, folks with better race strategies started passing me with regularity.

The somewhat irksome hills around the Old Glebe Island Bridge and the Sydney Fish Market were brutal torture now. On each and every hill the hamstrings and shins were dying on the way up and the quads and calves were seriously unhappy on the way down.

I was very very glad Dave and I drove the route because I had a mental idea of what terrain was left rather than the unfeeling terror of looking for the next kilometer sign. This was particularly good on the Darling Harbor Flyover since I knew the route back onto the city streets and around the rocks was going to be a lot easier.

The run around the shore of The Rocks was some of the most beautiful of the course but, lord knows, it was lost on me. A few folks were pulling up with leg cramps and doing everything they could to get done. I passed one guy being attended my medics with oxygen and a saline solution. The best I could do was commiserate and get on with my own agony.

The Finish Line

Finally I passed under the massive span of the bridge and saw the Sydney Opera House across Circular Quay. Just more than a kilometer to go.

As much as I would have liked to pour it on for a strong finish I really didn’t have anything left. So I kept what pace I could and tried to look happy for the race photographers snapping shots.

Turning the last corner presented one final indignity of the course, a sort of wheelchair ramp built up the opera house steps for us. A final incline to get to the finish line. I took the stabby feeling in the calves and then finished the race with a modicum of élan. I was beat and had left everything I had out on the course but I had actually run the race making it an incredible improvement over my first – an achievement even more important that the better time.

Afterward I downed a ton of water and gels and talked a bit with some of the folks I met on the course. It was very warm and pleasant – a reward for the months of crappy weather in Lima. There was a long long walk up a hill to the Marathon recovery area and all of us were ambling slow and painfully up it.

I turned in my chip begging it to have a good time (it let me down by a minute but I’ve forgiven it) and then picked up the ass-ugly finisher shirt that I’ve never been more proud of. I had to then go back down the hill to the reunion area and meet Dave. I lay barefoot on the grass and basked in the sun. Despite the agony, it was blissful.

Dave showed up and I put on my flip-flops and we then set out up the hill to The Australian Hotel & Pub where the rest of Team ZGeek were meeting. The journey took awhile since it was a rather difficult walk up a series of steps and walkways and I made it a point on the section by the marathon course to yell for every person still finishing up their race.

At the pub we all reveled in our victories and I allowed myself the rarest of treats – a beer. Five years ago I sought out this pub to try the renowned Burragorang Bock from Scharers Little Brewery in Picton which they serve on draft. That pint of beer tasted as wonderful and glorious as I remember it did when I first tried it in 2002. And I allowed myself to enjoy it to the fullest.

Conditions:

Start: 7:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Weather: partly cloudy/sunny
Temperature: 50 degrees
Humidity: 63 percent
Wind: 6 mph
Location: Sydney, Australia
Shoes: Asics Trance VI

Training Run

Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: And that's all she wrote. A final run before the madness begins. Only half-an-hour and I felt perky enough to barrel up some of the hills at a decent pace but kept the effort below the sweat-or-labored-breathing level. So I feel pretty good about this weekend. I've got strength in my legs and no injuries to speak of. Anxiety and excitement levels are peaking but that's to be expected, no?

Training Run

Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: A very easy run across the suburbs of Sydney. Fewer hills that on the coast route although less visually spectacular, that's for sure. A bright clear day. A bit chilly but that made it about perfect for a morning run. One thing that has become clear having access to decent weather data - my temperature estimates for the past few months have been woefully warm. It was damn cold in Lima this winter. A nice enjoyable run, altogether. I'm hoping things continue without any complications over these last few days.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 17

Time: 105 minutes
Distance: 18 kilometers

Comments: I knew this week was going to be a mess and it sure as heck lived up to my concerns. I cranked out a nice run in the sweltering horror of Arizona early but things went to hell in a handbasket after that. First off, I lost a full day to crossing the International Date Line not to mention the 19-plus hour travel time. Jet lag then ensued and, as happened last time, my sinuses finally rebelled and delivered a nice big infection. So I spent the first few days stumbling around in a daze, unable to talk cause my voice disappeared trying to get on a decent sleep schedule. Heading out for a training run really didn't seem that wise a move. All that said, I pretty much saw it coming and I deliberately set my travel to Sydney more than a week prior to the race in order to have time to recover. I have been feeling better and the run today wasn't too bad. With luck, I'll be good to go in seven days. This week is just a bunch of half-hour runs when I can squeeze them in to stay sharp for the effort. The plus side here is the view when I run can be its own inspiration. Training-wise, though, I think I am as ready as I will be at this point. My last long run felt good strength-wise but not so hot on the respiratory side. That said, the sinus infection has eased off quite a bit (the cough is still hanging around though) and I think I'll be good on that score come raceday. So now it's just nerves and jitters to contend with.

Training Run

Time: 60 minutes
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: My first run since landing in Australia. While the weather here has been freaking gorgeous, the metabolism has been less than ready for any stress at all. Thus I've been chomping at the bit in between bouts of feeling like crap. But I strapped the shoes on and got out the door this morning at long last. There is still a decent amount of crap rattling around my sinuses and that was not pleasant and, in case you were unaware, Sydney boasts a surplus of hills. I got down to the coast pretty easily and then followed the running track for the bulk of the run. The water here is a gorgeous blue - quite the contrast from the murky grey of Lima. Biggest obstacle? Remembering to stay to the left and not the right. I feel pretty good overall. The strength is clearly there but I gotta eat right this week to ensure the tank is full for the final effort.

Training Run

Distance: 8 kilometers
Time: 45 minutes

Comments: A more difficult effort than I expected. But that's probably due to my physical condition not training. Woke up abnormally early and it seems I'm fighting a little bit of a sinus infection. I can't say I feel <i>sick</i> but I'm certainly not feeling 100 percent either. So I got out the door resolving to do an hour but cutting it back if it got to be too much of a strain. About two miles in I decided not to take any chances and went for the shorter route. My legs felt strong though and, despite the heat, I felt pretty good with my pace the whole way.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 16

Time: 4 hours
Distance: 40 kilometers (25 miles)

Comments: A busted training week due to travel back from Peru. I wanted to get in a few miles more but I didn't feel pushing any single workout was worth it. It's taper-time, the last thing I want right now is a race-killing injury. The change in climate - from Lima's bone chilling humidity to Arizona's scorching dryness - has been pretty brutal but I hope it's a good transition for more temperate conditions in Australia. If I can avoid illness due to the curve balls I'm throwing at my metabolism, I should be fine. I'm feeling strong in my legs and I'm trying to keep the carbohydrates up in my diet. And, of course, trying not to freak out too much about the race itself...Injury update: There has been stiffness in my lower legs but not much more than that. The new shoes seem to be working quite well and, I assume, the lack of hills in the runs is taking stress off the calves some.

Between the scheduled cutback and the mid-week journey to down under it will be nigh-impossible to have a consistent week of running. But, that should be OK given this is the serious cutback week. My main concern is spacing my runs well so I stay fresh and there isn't a long layoff of work. By now, I'm pretty much convinced that the complete absence of workouts in anticipation of the January marathon was a key factor to my abysmal performance. So I'm trying to be on the pavement at least every other day and pounding down the carbohydrates when I'm not.The biggest problem will be the 19 hours en transit. That's a lot of time to be on my ass.

Long Run

Distance: 20 kilometers
Time: 2 hours minutes

Comments: A pretty solid long run after a broken week of training. I was very apprehensive about this one in the wake of the slog of a run earlier in the week but it actually went pretty well. I ran this one with my sister, doing a five-mile loop near her house in south Chandler. We got up early and out the door just after 6 a.m. The sun was just coming up when we started and a decent part of the route was in shade. So the gettin going wasn't too bad. The second loop was tougher. It was warmer - verging on hot - and the sun was relentless. That’s a big change from the winter-in-Lima conditions I'm used to. But I hydrated well and kept the gels going. I wore my ""race"" outfit which has a lot of black on it. The last few miles I did shirtless due to the amount of sweating. I knew I needed to hydrate after the run but  I was shocked when I pounded down a 32-oz bottle of Gatorade like nothing.

Training Run

Distance: 10 kilometers
Time: 60 minutes

Comments: The trip back to the US was brutal and any hope of a short run on Thursday went out the window pretty quick. I got next to no sleep on the plane and ate miserably after touching down.I put off sleep as late as I could but still hit the bed with some daylight left. I ended up with more than 11 hours of sleep but still woke a bit groggy.So I laced on the new shoes and hit the road right after 6 a.m. Even that early, the contrast weatherwise between Arizona and Peru was enormous. It was less humid but you'd never know it due to the swealter. Getting going I was mighty mighty sluggish.And, although I fell into the usual pace I could tell it was a harder effort than normal. I was sweating pretty good by mile two and that usually never was an issue during my Peru runs.

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: Well, given the miles I put in over the last two weeks I gave myself two days off following this weekend's long run. I didn't have the truck-hit-me feeling that has sometimes followed my big miles, though. So, this being my last Peru run for the year I got down to the beach and cranked out an hour run over to Playa Herraduras. I purposefully put in a slightly faster pace on this one and didn't have too much problems. I did feel a bit... unwilling at the start, I must admit. But got through it pretty well and had a nice clip going there at the end.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 15

Time: 7 hours
Distance: 72 kilometers (45 miles)

Comments: Not quite sure how the mileage stayed the same but my time was reduced but I'm not sweating it either. The amount of time I was on my feet for the week and the long run is all that matters. And I was on them quite a bit.After a shortened week in mid-August due to travel and the earthquake, I've been cranking out the miles and it all came to a head today. It was the big push before the end and I was doubtful if I could do it.I started sore and tired this week following the 20-miler a week ago and things didn't get much merrier as the days dragged on. I was really worried if today's long run was a realistic possibility but it turned out OK after all.I feel strong enough to do the marathon although I have no real clue of what time to expect. That, though, is perfectly fine.

Injury update: The achilles tendons, the lower calves and my right butt cheek all gave me moments of concern

It's taper time, my friends and a wonderful time it is. The last two weeks have been damned tough. A lot of miles and a lot of wear on the legs. While I still need to get a decent amount of running in I'm not going to feel guilty about skipping a run or two due to travel or tiredness. This week will be a few weekday runs of no more than one hour and a 12-miler or so on Sunday. I'm shooting for about 70 to 75 percent of last week's total and that should get me in the ballpark. Mainly, I'm gonna be busy wrapping up things here in Peru and then getting ready to head to Australia.

Training Run

Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Distance: 34 kilometers

Comments: A long tough run but, to be honest, not nearly as bad as I had feared. But that certainly isn't to say it was easy. Given the long run last week and the sheer number of miles over the past two weeks, I was pretty apprehensive over if I was courting disaster with this run. But I started slow and did what I could to avoid hills and didn't listen to the voice in my head saying cut it short and take it easy.I certainly didn't set any pace records, that's for sure. I deliberately kept myself from looking at my watch until a certain point and was shocked to see I had almost gone the entire time I slated for the effort.I am going to cut back severely this week. Maybe even give myself two days rest after this.

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: And somehow I made it through the week. I thought for sure the forces of evil would conspire to bring my training efforts to a halt but I got through the regular runs in relatively good shape.Today, though, was nothing fancy. Started slow, stayed slow. Dissociated as much as humanly possible. I just gritted my teeth and got it done with. Now, I rest and take on the last big bad boy before the taper.

Training Run

Time: 55 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: This is clearly survival week. I'm getting out there and getting the miles in but they are not very pretty. And the aftermath is brutal. A three-hour nap yesterday. So I hit the beach today with no intention of any type of major pace and eschewing all hills and hard surfaces. Just jog the bastard. That said, I actually had enough 'umph' to crank out a halfway decent pace for most of the thing.Tomorrow is a 45 minute effort then a day off and the Sunday long run of doom. I think I can do it but, as I said to start the week, if I have to cash it in, I should still be OK to start the taper.

Training Run

Time: 65 min
Distance: 12 kilometers

Comments: Still feeling the miles. Went out slow and stayed that way. Planned on an hour and a half but decided to cut it short after 65 minutes for safety's sake. It isn't that I feel weak or unconditioned, it's just I can feel the miles adding up on me. There isn't a lot of pep in the step and the workouts are serious work at this point. On the plus side, I feel like I <i>can</i> finish these workouts if I gutted it out but I haven't had any injury problems and keeping it that way is still my priority.

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: Well, yesterday turned into a real recovery day. I felt shelacked the whole day. Truck-impact bad. So I headed out with a bit of trepidation this morning. I felt better upon waking but I wasn't going to let that lull me into a false sense of security. That said, the run started slow but got into gear pretty well. By halfway I was going along at a pretty good clip and even reeled in a Peruvian that blew by me and cut every corner of the route. Lord that irks me.I planned a full hour but cut it short when it became apparent the pace I ran was a LOT faster than a recovery run. I'll pick up the difference later in the week if I can.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 14

Time: 7 hours 15 min
Distance: 72 kilometers (45 miles)

Comments: Loooong tough miles. I knew I had to put in the distance this week after the abbreviated effort the week prior and the impending race. The result was an exhaustive effort during a high-pressure period work wise. Needless to say, I'm sleeping VERY hard. The soreness and tired feeling has been constant all week but it never reached a point of pain or injury. So I kept steadily at it through the long-run. Lot of strange obstacles though, a Peruvian chased me down and tried to beat me up and twice I was attacked by dogs. In the case of the former I just walked away from the idiot in the latter, I was able to scare them off by throwing rocks. In any case, I'm ready to get out of this country for awhile.

Injury update: I am very very sore but nothing of the level of ""injury."" I felt the ominous stiffness in a few of the usual places once or twice in all the miles I, put in but never any twinge

One month till raceday... oohhhh, I can almost <i>taste</i> it now. But this week is the tough slog before the taper. I put in a ton of miles last week and I need to do that and <i>just a little bit more</i> this week.The goal this week is to pretty much do exactly the same as last week but add a bit more than a mile to the long run on Sunday - tack on fifteen minutes to be exact. The biggest difference in the approach is I feel completely ready to bail on the plan at the first hint of pain. I've gotten my one big run in, a second is cream, not a necessity.Because, as much as I am focused on the Sept. 23 race date, I have to keep my long-term goal in mind as well.

Long Run

Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Distance: 32 kilometers

Comments: A brutal effort that really tested my ability to keep going. There wasn't anything very fancy about the effort, it was a matter of gritting my teeth and holding on to the finish. It wasn't that the run was particularly bad - in fact, I felt relatively strong and in control most of the way - but it was a lot of miles on top of a big mileage week.During the run I got passed a few times by other runners. I had to keep myself in control and maintain my pace. It was particularly difficult with one about an hour in - but I knew if I went out too hard at that point, I would suffer later. This, I think, is the key to this marathon - run my race and don't be swept up in it all. This, is good pre-race effort

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: Just a little recovery run to cap off the week and get ready for the long run on Sunday. I've been trying to add these 'fourth day' runs in my weekly schedule for awhile now but with spotty success. I need the endurance levels it requires, not the extra miles.This was a nice little effort. Started slow got into a rhythm and kept up the low-level of intensity the whole way. Consistency is more important than brute strength at this point and this is the kind of run that you hone it.

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: Feeling rather achy now. It's been a challenge to pour on all these miles after the forced layoff but there doesn't seem to be any real negative effects from it.Got out late again and put in an workmanlike effort. The hills were tougher than I expected but I steeled myself, concentrated on the pace and cranked them out. As tough as all this has been, it's a good sign I am strong enough to get through these last few weeks and then the race itself. A huge portion of success is having what it takes to hang in when things get right tough and this is where you find out how to do that.

Training Run

Time: 90 min
Distance: 15 kilometers

Comments: Well, I certainly felt the effects of the run yesterday when I woke up. And, getting onto the beach I knew I was a bit on the achy side.And while it got a bit better as I settled into the run, I never really felt like there was a ton in the tank. I never felt tired enough to give in but I certainly wasn't perky about the effort either.Despite that, I found myself holding a pretty strong pace for the last third of the run, so much so I overshot my 'finish line' and had to make up the extra time making my way up the big hill home (which I usually walk).

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: After almost a week off and my last run not being anything to brag about I simply wanted to put in the miles today. So I figured the one hour loop to Playa Herraduras and back would be perfect. As often happens after a layoff like this, I felt very strong heading out and had to hold in my pace. As I mentioned in the start-up, I have not eaten well at all this week and I'm pretty sure the carb levels are minimal. So I did start to feel the tank getting low on the back half but I had not gone out so crazy on the front half there was nothing left. In all, not a bad run. Nothing spectacular but a solid workmanlike effort. Just like I was hoping for. Conditions: Hour: 11:30 a.m.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 13

Time: 75 min
Distance: 13.5 kilometers (8 miles)

Comments: Well, the start of this week is proving to be just as crazy as the end of last week. But I'm going to get on the stick for my regular Tuesday start and try to put in the miles I would have done if I had kept to the plan. That means a bit more than two weeks ago and a bit less than next week which will feature the 20-miler.Of course if I get any aching or resistance from the legs in any degree, I fully am ready to sack it in and avoid doing something stupid again.My diet over the past several days has been atrocious and my sleep patterns have been disrupted at best and nonexistent at worst. I'm hoping to get over the hump by Wednesday and settle back into a bit of routine.

Fitness Run

Time: 15 min
Distance: 3.5 kilometers

Comments: Well, that was not the run I was hoping for. I got out late (deadline day) but felt really good. I took off at a hot pace but, before long, the legs decided they weren't up for the fun.I got a twing in my outer left quad, a zing in my right achilles tendon and an owie in the left knee. I also just didn't have enough in the tank to pull it out the whole hour I wanted. So, rather than do something stupid, I threw in the towel before I got to the hills. I can't say it was a bad run, just not what I was wanting. And, since this is a pull-back week anyway, there is no need to sacrifice my body for an unnecessary training run.

Training Log

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: Feeling very strong. Had a tough day of it yesterday. Tired and sore. Took it easy and got a good feel of how my legs were before heading out this morning. But, despite some lingering soreness, I had energy and I had power to spare. I made it a point to keep the run at a recovery pace despite the urge to crank out a good one. I'll play around a bit tomorrow if the feeling continues. Headed down to the Herradura beach again. The hills weren't too much of a difficulty but I'll probably avoid them tomorrow as a precaution.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 12

Time: 6 hours
Distance: 60 kilometers (37 miles)

Comments: A big long week that took a hell of a lot out of me but never proved to be too much for me to handle. A real victory that I'm hoping to build on over this last third of the training. I decided to split the runs into four weekday efforts and one big long run as to better assess my injury status each day. But the main issues seemed to ease off this week. I'm not sure if that's progress or better self delusion but I certainly tried to take advantage of it while I could. The runs went well and, although my diet was not the best, I had good energy most of the week. I really felt the fatigue afterwards though. The afternoon naps are getting to be necessary and commonplace.

Injury update: Surprisingly little action on this front. The ankle/shin of the right leg was achy to start the week but no real issues later. The achilles tendon much the same. The Tibialius Posterior on the right leg con

I'm a bit tired from the super-long run to cap off last week but not in a negative sense. Afternoon naps are now a training necessity, that's for sure.But I don't want to overdo it here on the last push of big miles like I think I did last December. So it's probably a good thing I have a work trip planned this week that will force me to cut back on my mileage.So I'll try and get in two good regular-week runs and one 'long run' of a sane distance. Then I'll have a two-week push to the 20-mile mark to cap off the big miles and get on with the taper.

Long Run

Time: 3 hours
Distance: 29 kilometers

Comments: A big long steady effort. I knew it would be a challenge and I did a bit to prepare but this one was a serious test of the will to complete. I got out a bit earlier than I hoped, which was good, and started very slow. Rather than run down the wasteland toward San Martin, I decided to do the run to Herradura beach twice instead. I'm leery of the hills but I need to get them in for the race itself.I had pretty good legs the whole way and was able to keep decent form. My iPod batteries konked out at halfway so I did the second half sin musica. Which was probably for the best, I really tried to concentrate on form and proper stride.It was an effort that took about all I had to give but not one that I felt beaten up and

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers

Comments: I woke up feeling pretty ass-like today. A bit of a headache but sinus-like, not hangover-like. Since this is a shorter day I decided to gird myself and make a go of it.So I got out and got warmed up and started slow. I didn't eat super well yesterday so I didn't feel particularly strong. But, before I knew it, I was zipping along at a pretty strong pace and feeling pretty good about it. And, even more surprisingly, it didn't really fade.In the end it was a very good run and I felt better for having done it afterward. I'm a bit worried about Sunday's long effort, though.

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: Well, I felt better this morning heading out. Been busy so that's kept me from freaking out a bit too much over the situation with my lower right leg.So got down to the beach and got on with the running. Good solid workmanlike effort. Not a super-powerful effort or a injury-riddled crapfest, just putting one foot in front of the other for the full 60 minutes.I'll try and crank out a half-hour effort tomorra and then gird myself for the long run on Sunday.

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: A strange run. Felt strong and ready for it but these nagging injuries/anxiety really are throwing me off my game. I've got an interview tomorrow morning so I juggled the schedule around a bit. That meant bumping up the mileage today in case everything gets crazy later in the week. And, since I was going to put in a full mile I took it down to the waterfront.The idea being the dirt surface will be nicer to the oddness in the ankles. Despite that, there was a stretch a third of the way in that was not pleasant at all. But it eased up and the second half of the run went pretty much ache-free.I'm hoping the mid-week rest day does a bit of magic.

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: Slow and easy. Felt strong, great form and a boatload of anxiety over my ankle.The idea is to go slow this week, building up mileage while monitoring my lower legs and put in the big run on Sunday if all goes well. On the one hand, this was a great run from a physical condition standpoint. On the other hand I'm now officially freaking out over my right ankle/shin thing.It's kinda like when you catch that first mosquito on ya and then, after that, you think they are everywhere. AUGH!

Marathon Training Summary: Week 11

Time: 2 hours 40 min
Distance: 29 kilometers (18 miles)

Comments: This was supposed to be a building week with a ten percent push on last week's effort. Instead it turned out to be a pull-back week with me coming in at about 56 percent of Week 7's total.But, unlike the dog days of June, I'm not upset over this. A bit anxious, but not upset. Well, not yet, anyways.

And now we are less than two months with a solid four weeks of work left to get to the 20-mile long run monster. Part of the reason I pulled back last week was trying to avoid the push I felt obligated to do last time at this point. I'm now convinced that hard-headed insistence on completing the two 20-milers was where my plans went most awry.So I'm babying my ankle/shin with ice, ibuprofen and prayer. I'm trying to get three stretching sessions in each day and I'm doing my damndest to stay off my feet as much as possible.My nerves, though, are a bit on edge. Need to work on that.The plan this week is to start slow and proceed in that spirit throughout the week. My original schedule called for last week to have along run of 16 miles and a pull back this week. I've bumped up the long run to the 17-miles and will try to push that effort through into next week if I can.

Injury update: I've really noticed the lower leg ache during runs and, after the effort on Thursday, there was a noticeable bruise-type pain right above the shin. That led to icing and two days off.But I woke up today feeling dragged out and tired. Headache as well. That's the classic symptoms of overtraining right there, buddy. So I popped a couple of ibuprofin and slapped the ice on the ankle and made, that the plan for the day.

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: I first intended to put in a half-hour run but decided to go for the 45 minute effort I originally penciled in the training schedule. The logic being that I'll run the half-hour tomorrow if I feel good but I can now give myself two solid rest days if i need to.The run was plagued by a sore right ankle (see below) but in terms of strength and form it went very well. I can tell I am getting into my race shape at last. I just hope I can fend off injury long enough to get to the starting line.

Training Run

Time: 70 min
Distance: 13 kilometers

Comments: Didn't eat really well last night and had noticeably less in the tank than normal. Felt pretty strong but my legs are clearly worn down a bit from all the miles.So it turned into a workman-like effort. Which is good in the sense that I'm not having to grit my teeth and try and hold it together for the duration of the run like I was a month ago. It's more of a 'keep focused and keep moving forward' kind of thing. And that's good experience for the race.

Training Run

Time: 45 minutes
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: I was very sore yesterday and a bit stiff this morning but got out and got to it with surprising ease this morning. This was a really good strong run where I actually kind of had to hold myself back at a couple of points because i want to recover completely from Sunday's big effort and have a consistency this whole week.The one thing that is clear is I am much stronger than I was just a few weeks ago. There is power in my stride and very little of the sloppiness my runs in May and June were marked by.With this run I've totaled 122 miles for July. That's more than double the 56 miles I put in for May and almost six times the 22 miles I did in June.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 10

Time: 5 hours
Distance: 51 kilometers (32.7 miles)

Comments: A LOT of miles this week. My first time to top the 30 mile mark since last year. Although I was shooting to get regularly in the 50 miles per week range for the January marathon, I don't really plan to get this much above the 40 mile per week mark.But this week went very well. I was pretty responsive the whole way. Had a tough day, moved my extra off day to recover and came back blazin.

I also went to the grocery store and stocked up on munchies. Things are at the point that the calorie intake has to increase significantly.Overall, I feel good and I believe the rest of the training is doable. The ""parrot"" predictor is putting me at just more than a 4 hour marathon which, given my conservative estimates on mileage and pace, should put me right below that mark - my best hope for this race.

Injury update: There hasn't been any pain this week substantial enough, to call off a run or eve

A friend of mine has started marathon training using the format set by Jeff Galloway. I've given Galloway's main book Marathon: You can do it! a gander before and, I have to admit, I wasn't impressed.It's very typical of books written for novice runners in that it seems to feel the need to water down the instruction with some type of narrative, in this case a  group of runners and their progress through training for a marathon.The intent, I assume, is to create a personal connection for the new runner to help them over the psychological hump. This seems somewhat an outdated concept to me since today you have tons of very active message boards and fo

Long Run

Time: 2 hours 30 min
Distance: 25 kilometers

Comments: Now we are getting into the long runs worthy of the name. I was working all week to prepare for this bad boy and even had the pre-run insomina get me up at 3 a.m. this morning. All the carbs and stuffing my face since Wednesday really made a difference. I had what I needed to get out there and do it so the run became a battle about what I could endure.Things started off brisk and strong. I put the hills in on the front end, knowing I'd be suffering at the end. I kept a very strong pace through the first half and felt pretty confident going into Part II. Things got a bit hairy just before the 2 hour mark. My legs made me well aware of the fact this was more miles than I'd done since January. But I packed the pain into

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: A wet, chilly, miserable day. And, of course, as hard as it was to get out the door, the run was just as rewarding. I felt very strong the whole way, unlike the last effort, and focused on form pretty much throughout. I moved this run back a day because I was irritable and cranky all day yesterday. I think part of the problem was that I was overtired. I slept a solid ten hours last night and felt a lot more refreshed this morning.An interesting little achievement today - I broke 100 miles for this month. I should have done this in May but it's nice to be back on track at long last.

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: Well, one thing is for sure, I've passed the point where skipping a meal is an option. My life got a bit crazy yesterday and this morning and I just grabbed what I could. As a result, today was a long haul indeed.My legs felt strong and I didn't lose all my form but I simply didn't have anything in the tank. It was a very unpleasant run but good to have done. That third-fourth of the race feels a lot the same.

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: A bit chilly and dour this morning. Add to that I'm a bit creaky following my balls-out run on Sunday and it was a bit of a tough start.Got into pretty quick though and kept a steady, if not spectacular, pace the whole way. No crazy bursts or pushing things... just smooth and even.So nothing special, overall, just a solid start-the-week run, and that's good enough for me.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 9

Time: 3 hours 5 min
Distance: 46 kilometers

Comments: A good solid week of work, cashing in on the long miles of the past fortnight.A noticeable drop in mileage but still substantially more this week than before I got down to it at the start of July. At this rate, I'll tally more than 100 miles for the month... almost twice my miles in may and a good five times what I did in June.While I feel very good at the moment, I am well aware that's a recipe for injury so I really need to get back onto the idea of running times and ignoring the distance. The harder I push myself on these individual runs, the more likely I'm gonna pull up lame at some point.Injury update: A lot of sore muscles but no real pain centers popping up. This tightness in the inside lower calf of the left side is damn persistent, though.

Long Run

Time: 80 min
Distance: 16.5 kilometers

Comments: The plan was to put in a 10-miler or so which, given my recent long-run pace, would be right at about an hour and a half. So I downloaded podrunner for this week and headed out. Now I should have known what was going to happen when I heard Steveboy gushing over how great the mix was but I just brushed it off and got ready for the solid but not-too-crazy 159 BPM of this week's mix, ""Bravo Papa Mike."" Umm... mistake.This mix was in-fucking-credible. As awesome as advertised and then some. It got me by the throat from the start of the run didn't let up a whit throughout. The run I thought was going to be a short week respite turned into an expedition to find my lactic threshold.Add to that a group of Peruvian marines tailing me on the route and a marathon being run here in Miraflores that I crossed over twice and it turned a routi,ne long run into an adren

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: A very nice little run, thank you very much.Instead of the planned 4 miles or so I just put int the regular half-hour. I'm being extra cautious this week and my left knee was feeling a bit achy all yesterday.Started cold and very slow but got into it very quick. By the halfway mark I was having to rein it in a bit, which is a nice change.

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 9 kilometers

Comments: Up to my butt in busy these days and got out the door way late. But got out there and cranked out a good one.I did the stretching thing hoping to loosen up the left calf but to little avail. Despite that I got started strong, dropped into a brisk pace and held it the whole way. I may have even gotten up to the 3/4 race pace I'd like to be at in a month, but I'm not sure.

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: Very much a recovery run. More like a jog than anything, to be honest.Yesterday was pretty tough. I woke feeling like a bus had hit me and was out of it all day. Then, last night, I didn't sleep worth a damn. All signs of overtraining. So the need to cut back this weeks is pretty clear. In fact, I considered skipping this run but I decided it's prolly best to keep on the schedule but reduce the distance and intensity of the runs.All that said, it was a pretty good effort. Felt strong, no major issues and, overall, wound up rather invigorated by it.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 8

Time: 4 hours 20 min
Distance: 46 kilometers

Comments: Veerah veerah tahrd. Veerah tahrd indeed.After two weeks of intense training my body is feeling the toll of the miles. That's 56 miles or so over 14 days. The most I have done since the massive runs in December of last year that did me in. And lordy my bod is feeling it. Got a two-and-a-half hour nap in this afternoon quite by accident. I meant to rest a bit and get off my feet and POW - before I knew it - I was out.Given the lack of progress the prior month this has been a welcome relief but, at the same time, putting this much mileage on all at once is rather perilous. So I'm actually needing to be more wary of injury than when I was fighting off the litany of aches and pains.Injury update: Surprisingly, very little. Just a huge amount of exhaustion and the threat of a nice little bout with DOMS.

Long Run

Time: 2 hours 5 min
Distance: 22 kilometers

Comments: This one was tough. I knew when I got up that I wasn't in peak shape for it but I laced them on and got out the door before I could talk myself out of it. There wasn't any injury keeping me from doing it (see below) but I knew I was tired and the workload of the last two weeks has taken it's toll. But, this is what the long runs are for - training yourself to push through being tired and wanting to give up. This is my battlefield now. I know how to handle this bastard.Anyhow, the run went relatively well. I took it down to Chorillos first which gave me a few hills and pavement work. Then, after getting all the way to Playa Herradura, I turned around and ran the length of the seafront to just about M,agdalena del Mar. Then ret

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 9 kilometers

Comments: Another very good run. Got into a groove and rode it the whole freaking way. Awesome.Started slowly and got into a rhythm pretty fast. Felt completely in control and with plenty in the tank. So I put it at a solid pace - maybe 3/4 race pace - and rode it as long as I could. Which turned out to be the whole run.What seems clear is that I'm starting to cash the strength building checks I was writing over the past few weeks. It doesn't mean I'm over the hump but, if I focus on maintaining the progress, this race could become a reality.

Conditions:

Hour: 9:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Warm-up: 1 km run/stretching
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 60 degrees
Humidity: 85 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Miraflores, Peru
Shoes: Brooks Trance
Con Musica

Injury upda,te: Had a twinge in th

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: This was easily the best run I have had this year. I felt in control and solid the whole way. Skipped dinner last night so I didn't have the tank I wanted but that's just being picky.Had a ton of things to take care of today so I got out pretty late. Walked down to the beach and got going very very slow. But it built up a lot faster than I expected and I was trucking along pretty well after just ten minutes or so. Since I was in the groove I just hung with it.Since I wasn't flopping all over the place I was able to focus on pacing, posture and footfall. Really concentrate on the details of the run rather than just try and hold it all together. That was a very nice feeling.Put it on the sand for a bit, a little weird but not too bad. Kept to the dirt and the few hills I have to run but the terrain seems to be working out for me.

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: Started pretty late today since I got busy doing actual paying work this morning. That's OK since it meant I was more warmed up before getting into the run.Since I put in a big week and a serious long run last week and I'm planning to replicate that effort over the next seven days I made this a half-hour recovery run. Although I did put it in on the cement surface of the malencon. I figure I need to get some hard-top work in over the course of all this.So it was a casual run. No crazy pace or struggle or nada. Almost a jog, really. And it felt pretty good the whole way.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 7

Time: 4 hours 15 min
Distance: 43 kilometers

Comments: It has been more than a complete calendar month of underachieving for me. Five solid weeks of unfinished workouts and training schedules.So it was nice for the legs to cooperate enough to get in my first solid week of work since the week prior to kicking off formal 'training.' Three decent mid-week runs and one honking long one to cap it off. The concern, obviously, is that I might be pushing too hard given the slackitude of the previous weeks. Doubling my time and distance from last week to this is not the most advisable procedure. And while my pre-training schedule was better than what the last few weeks indicate, this is still a substantial increase from those numbers as well.This week calls for more of the same and then, the week after, I cut back a bit. Getting through this week was critical to make the marathon even a possibility, getting through the next two weeks will ,tell how realistic that h

Long Run

Time: 2 hours
Distance: 20 kilometers

Comments: The first real long run of my training and the first solid week of training since I got this thing going.I hit the road pretty early. The week has been taking its toll. I'm sleeping hard as a rock. I got out early knowing it would be a long long haul for this one. The weather was ideal, a bit chilly and overcast with an intermittent mist. Completely miserable for normal people, in other words.Knowing I wanted to stay on the dirt I headed westerly, up the beach. After getting out of Miraflores it turned into an apocalyptic hellscape out of Mad Max or something. Rubble, burning refuse and shredded plastic bags flapping in the breeze. But it was dirt so my legs were happy and I stuck with it.I got all the way to San Martin, where the main road heads back into the city and turned around. It was a bit shy of the one-hour mark so I made it all the way back to the starting point but ,had to tack on another 2

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: Finally a very good run. Went out pretty late but got into the groove pretty fast. The iPod was working for me and, before I knew it, I was trucking along pretty good. I stretched a bit before leaving the house but, since this was a relatively short run, I kind of went into  it cold. Despite that, there was nary a peep from the trouble spots and I was able to just fucking run! Been awhile since I've done that. Early December, really.So I got to the last few minutes and cranked up the pace. The last minute was a full bore 'stride to the finish' pace. One hundred percent balls out and damn it felt great.

Conditions:
Hour: 10:30 a.m.
Surface: dirt
Warm-up,:none
Weather:

Training Run

Time: 60 min
Distance: 10 kilometers

Comments: Made myself get out there at a halfway decent hour and put the effort in. Did the long walk down to the beach and got down to it.I felt a bit flagged after Tuesday's run so I erred on the side of caution and took yesterday off. Seemed to work since today turned into a really solid run. I felt much more in control of the thing than I have for pretty much any run I've done since getting back into this. Stuck to the dirt and tried to keep my pace consistent. Got blown by the wayside by some dude just before the halfway point. Had to restrain the urge to kick it up a notch and keep him in my sites. GAAAAHHHH!!! This is killin' me!

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: Got out on the road a bit later than I wanted. A bit of laziness, a bit of anxiety, a bit of god knows what.Took the extended walk down to the beachfront and ran the whole session there on the dirt surfaces. It seemed to help in that the 'stabby' feeling in the knee never showed up. But it was still  a long way from an injury-free run (see below).Kept it overslow and plodding. Tried to keep the stress off my knees and ankles as much as possible. Focused on posture but not very successfully. 

Marathon Training Summary: Week 6

Time: 120 min
Distance: 21 kilometers

Comments: A disaster of a week but better than last week only by the slightest. I got in one training run and a long run for the first time since the initial week of training. I'm really getting concerned about this race. I know this is race I'm only running to finish but this is not an auspicious start to training. I need miles. Lots of them. And I'm not getting them in.I'm hoping I can actually get a full week's of runs in for next week. If so, there is a hope in hell I can salvage this thing. But, the bottom line is that next week is week 12. Cut the taper off and that means I have two months to get up to 20-mile long run shape. That's cutting it DAMNED close.Injury update: OK. This right leg horseshit seems to be associated with the running on hard surfaces. It only took 50 yards or so on concrete today for the stabby feeling in the side of the knee to say ""Howdy!"" And t,he malencon I typically do my

Long Run

Time: 75 min
Distance: 13 kilometers

Comments: God what a frickin frustrating week! What a frickin frustrating training! I held off running since Wednesday. Partly to see if a bit more rest would help the leg, partly due to out and out depression.This morning I was determined to get out there and get a full fucking hour in no matter what. If it would mean injuring myself and giving up on the race, so be it. I'm just too pissed off to play around with this shit anymore.So I stretched a bit and gave myself a bit of extra time by starting at the beach level. Got going and tried to keep a slow pace, regular footfalls and good posture. Crank it out. Nothing fancy, just me and the pain, one on one.But it wasn't as bad as I expected. My leg mostly cooperated and it turned into a question of conditioning. Which I'm woefully weak on at the moment - but that's not the same as regular pain. I ain't got a problem pushing myself to collapse on this front.I a

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: And so, a week since my last run, I finally got a workout in. Sickness, deadlines and just flat-out depression have conspired to keep me off the pavement but I wasn't going to let it go one more day. But getting out the door was a trick. It's cold, and wet, and miserable in Lima. I procrastinated rather well most of the morning before getting through the doorway. Of course, once I got into the run it proved one of the things I've long observed about crappy days like this - they are perfect for running. There is something about pushing through the mist in your face and reaching the point you actually break a sweat that is satisfying in a way no other workout is. The run itself was pretty systematic. I just hit an easy pace and dr

Marathon Training Summary: Week 5

Time: 75 min
Distance: 13 kilometers

Comments: A disaster of a week. I struggled through the knee pain and return to mileage as well as I could and even felt I had gotten my caloritic intake back in the range I need to have it for the effort......then the wheels fell off.I knew I was tired Wednesday night and I thought it was a good 'been workin' out' kind of tired. Nope. It turned out to be a for-the-next-three-days-your-ass-is-mine flu kind of tired. Here in Peru it's called the grippe and it sucks to the extreme.I hit the bed Wednesday night and began a run of sleeping 20 hours a day and not being worth squat the four I was actually awake. Didn't leave the house again until last night, for God's sake!Anyhow. I felt much better this morning and considered putting in a run. But I figured an extra day off won't hurt me as much as a relapse to the agony of last week. Thus, here I am again... another wee,k closer to the race and still

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: A cool to cold morning that made it difficult to get out the door. Put things off relatively late and, as a result, had to contend with the irritations of Lima morning traffic. Grrr. But out the door I got and to the malencon with me. The mid-week long session was on tap so I got out there and headed to the far end of the sidewalk and then came back. While things weren't as overtly sloppy as yesterday, I wasn't setting any records for good-looking form either.But got through it and felt pretty good after.

Conditions:

Hour: 9:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Warm-up:none
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 59 degrees
Humidity: 86 percent
Wind: breezy
Location: Miraflores, Peru
Shoes: Brooks Trance
Con Musica

Injury update: Again, this ache on the side of my, right knee is hanging ar

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers
Comments: A pretty good run. It wasn't as misty and miserable which made the outlook better, at least.The worries about the knee had me doing a pretty solid warm-up and stretch beforehand. If nothing else, I've tightened up considerably in my layoff.Started slow and, sure enough the outside of the right knee started feeling achy. It didn't get to the threshold of real pain though so I slowed my stride, focused on my form and ran with it. By the end of the run it had eased considerably (unlike Sunday when it kept growing in intensity).The run itself felt pretty good. I had the tank and the conditioning for the thing but it was sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Dissociative running at it's ugliest. Yet, despite not being the prettiest thing to behold, it was a very satisfying effort.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 4

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: Well, it's been a bit uneven over the past few weeks for the training regimen. I took the backup pair of shoes with me but they ended up getting more work on the cobblestones of Cusco than on the pavement for any type of training. That said, I did a TON of walking and a fair bit of climbing as well. Here is a picture of my rather tired feet after I had climbed up Machu Picchu - the mountain, not the ruin itself (which is there right above my left shoe in the picture).The next day I scrambled to the top of Putukusi, the little peak there above my right shoe in the picture. It's at 2,600 meters and Machu Picchu mountain is significantly higher than that but I don't know the actual elevation.I did have every intent of going on

Long Run

Time: 80 min
Distance: 14 kilometers

Comments: After two weeks off I figure I just might as well go out and get the big boy in and see how much pain it would cause me. Although I wasn't 'training' per se, I stayed pretty active over the last 14 days and did a ton of up and down work among various ruins. And the 10,000 feet plus above sea level probably didn't do any harm to my hemoglobin either.So, as a result, I felt conditioned but lacking a bit strength-wise. Whenever the run got iffy I just slowed the pace down a bit. Overall a good effort and a satisfying long run to my old route around to Playa La Herradura and a quick visit to La Bruja. Gonna get a big plate of chifa in me and crash this afternoon.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 3

Off to Cusco.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 2

Off to Cusco.

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: The weather was downright dreary today; chilly, foggy, misty, grey and dank. Oddly, it was just miserable enough to be perfect for running. Yesterday was clearly a better day weather-wise but so much harder for running. Odd that.Anyhow, got out a bit late but the run turned out pretty solid. I decided to turn in an additional 15 minutes given that I've got such a strange week ahead. It's not super likely I'll get any quality miles in when I'm up at 10,000 feet so at least I'll have a semi-solid week of work under my belt before heading off.As for now, it's time for SANCOCHADO!

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.1 kilometers

Comments: Oh my I did not want to go do this one this morning. It's been chilly, I'm feeling tired and the excuses were mounting as the morning grew on. So I finally just put on the shoes an snuck out before I could procrastinate more.And it was cold getting started and my body did not want to get in the groove. It was one of those you are working uphill the whole way even though it's a straight-level track.Got through it tho. And feel better for it.

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers

Comments: Really didn't want to get going this morning but got myself out the door and things went better than I expected. I was afraid it  was going to be damned cold but it just turned out to be nippy. Did my warmup/stretching paying particular attention to the left quads. Started VERY slow and built momentum as I went along. By the halfway point I was chugging along pretty good and felt pretty strong.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 1

Total Distance: 24.1 km (15 mi)
Total Time: 2 hr 15 min

Comments: And that's one week of training. With the new shoes my litany of aches seems to have eased off but, on the other hand, my overall degree of exhaustion has come to the fore. I'm taking two-hour daily naps and sleeping ten hours a night. Partly that is due to the cold snap that has struck here but, obviously, my body is trying to recuperate from the exertion as well.Overall, though, the mileage has felt pretty good and within my ability. Slow and steady is the key here. Slow and steady.Injury update: As I said, the various and sundry problems pretty much evaporated when I laced up the new shoes. That said, the two pains that did emerge have me a mite concerned - the achilles tendon on the right and quad at the knee on the left.

Training Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: The best intentions didn't come to fruition today but it turned into a good run nonetheless. An absolutely dour, misty and cold day. Miserable and perfect for running. Got out and down to the beach pretty quick this time and then got into the run. It actually felt pretty good going out and I decided to try and put in a full hour.After getting past the beachfront in Chorillos I turned around because I didn't want to take on the big hill that follows. Instead I set my sights on the guy who passed me a few minutes before going the other direction. He had a good half mile on me and a good pace himself so it took me quite a ways to reel him in. At that point, I realized I had been going at a pace in my race range, and decided to give in a

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers

Comments: Got up and got busy with work today so it was a bit later than normal when I got on the road. Traffic had gotten pretty bad so my warm-up jog was broken up by waiting at intersections.The run itself was very solid. Didn't start off weak but didn't come breaking out of the blocks either. Kept it steady and, on the second half, gave it a bit more of a tempo than normal. While I am recording mileage I need to note that it's not that accurate. Last year I discovered my measurements were somewhat underestimated and, for right now, I'm doing a glorified guesstimation. So no pace numbers and no breakdowns - just gauging pace by the feel of my legs.

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.1 kilometers

Comments: A tough one to get started on. I got warmed up and stretched and then, when I started running for real, it was at a very slow pace. I wasn't sore or tired, just... slow.But running at the speed my body is telling me is the watchword of this training so I just kept with it. I warmed up over the course of the run and was at a very quick clip over the last five minutes or so. These slow-start runs are something I'm going to concentrate on in training over the next few months since that's going to be my race strategy. Slow as molasses on the first half - enjoy the trot over that big bridge - and then getting down to running on the second half.I think my sluggishness is part due to the new shoes, which sometimes can feel 'spongy' to run in until they get broke in good and proper as well as bad diet. Didn't eat well yesterday, but that will be rectified today with my favorite

Training Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers

Comments: My first day of marathon training! Despite the auspicious occasion, my schedule kept the effort pretty low-key.Got out pretty early and stretched well. Over the two-day rest I didn't run or stretch (but did more walking than I intended). So the warm-up was kind of creaky.The run started unpleasant but smoothed out nicely by the ten-minute mark. I even got an up-tempo pace to finish it off, a nice coda to the effort. But the slow hills of the malencon were noticeable to my effort today. I clearly need more in the tank.

Week Wrapup

Total Distance: 24.3 km (15 mi)
Total Time: 2 hr 15 min

Comments: And so ends the introduction. Two weeks had been barely enough time to prepare myself for the oncoming period of training but I think I'm ready. With my mid-week exhaustion and the litany of little aches it's pretty clear I am going to have to be very careful heading into this. I've got a new pair of shoes on the way as part of that and I plan to confer with the guru this weekend to finalize the plan.Injury update: Well, the hip issue seems to be stabilized but still there. But now I'm a bundle of nerves over this metatarsal pain in the foot. What seems clear is that the stretching/warmup is going to become a fixture of the workouts and I need to be icing as well. I also plan to start doing more upper-body work as well."

Fitness Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8 kilometers

Comments: Had a bit of debate in my head this morning. After dragging ass earlier this week and the number of little pains that have appeared in the interim, it would possibly be advisable to take a day off before the long run today. I finally laced up and went out with the thinking that 1) I feel pretty good today and 2) the two days off after this run will do me quite a bit of good. I got on the pavement pretty late and, given the soreness in my foot, I decided to head down to the beach to run. Not on the beach itself, which is very rocky here, but on the dirt siding most of the way. While not perfect, it's less brutal than the concrete sidewalk of the malencon. But it was a tough one the whole way. I really had, to push myself to get t

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers

Comments: I guess the training has taken more out of me than I expected. My tiredness the other day didn't ease up. I took a two hour nap and did another marathon sleep that night.When I felt dragging again yesterday morning I thought it would be wiser to skip the run and lay low. Didn't go out or anything. Just tried to stay off my feet and sleep as much as possible.As a result I felt better this morning but still not at my peak. I got on the road pretty early and it wasn't too tough getting out the door.The muscles were unenthusiastic about the warmup but it didn't take long into the run for things to click. I didn't eat very well yesterday so it was clear that I didn't have much in the tank but, despite that, I felt pretty good for most of the run.

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers

Comments: Feeling the miles now. Today was a tough one to get the shoes on and get out the door. I slept a good solid 10 hours again last night and that follows up on a 2-hour nap yesterday afternoon. Skipped dinner which, in retrospect, is really a dumb move. Woke up tired and irritable.But got out the door and started eventually. Deliberately set out slow but, despite all the obstacles, found myself getting into a solid run before I realized it.At the end of the thing I wasn't feeling chipper or energized but certainly satisfied for putting in a solid workout.

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.25 kilometers

Comments: A solid one. Not very fancy but not really meant to be. It was a bit chillier heading out so I put on the long sleeve shirt for the first time. Did the usual warmup but added a few hip stretches to try and loosen up the stiffness in the right hip that has been bugging me.Good steady pace the whole way. Never very fast but felt strong and consistent. Had to take a bathroom break tho. That pot of coffee in the a.m. may become an issue.

Week Wrapup

Total Distance: 28.6 km (18 mi)
Total Time: 2 hr 45 min

Comments: This was the test week. I decided halfway through that the Sydney Marathon was a realistic possibility and quickly altered the more laid back running schedule for something closer to a training workout. Which didn't mean more intensity in the individual runs - which I still did by time and figured out the mileage later - but in the number of runs. I put in three straight days of workouts and a proto-long run at the end.Overall, I feel it went well. My new pre-run warmup workouts seem to be addressing the litany of aches that were giving me anxiety although this hip thing remains a bit of a concern.I downloaded an excel spreadsheet running schedule tool from this website and have been very impressed by how it works. I plug in the data and it spits it

Fitness Run

Time: 45 min
Distance: 8.1 kilometers

Comments: Good solid run. Ate a lot yesterday and got a ton of sleep as well.  So I was ready to get up and get out there and get it done.Technically, this was my 'long' run of the week but I approached it like most of my other runs so far - by time. I figured 45 minutes would not be too far a push for my weary frame and far enough to cap my first solid week of work.It was very sunny out and a great day for running. I got into the groove pretty early and just rode it the whole way. It's just awesome when a run goes this well so I let myself enjoy it.

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5 kilometers

Comments: Got up a bit early and headed down to the malencon with the ocean mist enveloping the city. It's a good time to run and the nicest part of these grey days. Did my warm up run - which is almost one kilometer, exactly - and then the full gamut of my stretching. I can tell I'm a bit tired from running every day again so I focused on upping my footfalls. Trying to take shorter quicker steps the whole way.Worked pretty well although I lost my concentration once or twice and just started plain running. At the end I felt tired but workout tired not exhaustion tired.

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.1 kilometers

Comments: Not as exhilarating a run as yesterday, but understandably so since it is my first back-to-back day of workouts. I did the usual warm-up jog and then stretching and got down to it but it was work the whole way.Not necessarily hard work, in the sense of struggling to get it done, but more like keep-putting-the-next-foot-in-front-of-the-other kind of work. I never hit that <i>let's run!</i> point that came over me yesterday. Because as juiced as I was about signing up for the Sydney Marathon yesterday, the fact is I have four months of hard work in front of me.Went the other direction into Barranco for the first time since I have been back. Fewer runners and pedestrians but almost no traffic whatsoever as well.

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: 5.5 kilometers

Comments: Wow. Wonderful run. Felt like I could go another half-hour easy. The stretching/orthopedic seem to be doing their job but I remain wary. Got up early and had a powerbar about half an hour before the thing. I did the walk/warm up run to the malencon then a full stretching regimen. So when I really got started I felt very in control. I wanted to bolt out of the blocks but I reined it in and kept in control the whole way. That worked well since I felt strong the entire route.I also started tracking the distance as well since it looks like I've got a target race. But more on that in a bit...

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: A good tough run. But I should probably step back and set things up a bit.After resolving to follow through with my constant vows to implement a stretching regimen, I went into it with gusto this weekend (the threat of a nagging injury is one hell of a motivator for these things).I did three stretching routines each day this weekend concentrating on the hips. Before running today I did some light stretching, a bit of a pre-run walk and then an easy run up to the malencon itself - maybe three or four minutes.Then I went through the entire stretching routine before the run itself. (I also made it a point to make sure I had my heel insert in as well) The result was zero hip pain (YAY!) but a persistent nagging stiffness in the right calf (BOO!).Overall, it seems to have worked and if it helps as, a preventive measure

Week Wrapup

Total Distance: unk
Total Time: 1.5 hours

Comments: After the unpleasantness with the hip yesterday I again opted for a two-day layoff this weekend. While three half-hour sessions a week is a drop in the bucket from the miles I was putting in the second half of last year, it's just too iffy right now to take a chance on doing much more.I went walking a bit this morning and while the hip was no big problem there is a decided tightness in my right calf that has persisted long after the achy muscle soreness has ebbed off. It makes sense that a problem there is an antecedent to this thing with the hip. A review of the blog shows this could be the case for the ongoing hip struggles that beset me in December and up to the time of the marathon.I also discovered that I have been running without my orthopedic heel insert

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: Got going early today and decided to hit the road even though it was a touch closer to rush hour than I like. Luckily, I got to the malencon before things got too bad. Since the Wednesday run, my calves have still been sore but less so. On the other hand there was a very troubling development at about the 5 minute mark. My ass started to hurt.Well, not my whole ass, it was my right butt cheek, to be exact. And it was a very familiar hurt. That ""low thrumming ache that followed the gluteus maximus around the hip that preceded the four hours of torture on Jan. 14. I decided to stick with it since this was a relatively

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: I was rather stiff getting going today. My tippy-toe effort on Monday left me with a heaping helping of lactic acid in my calves and they weren't happy about the situation. So it took a bit to convince them to get into the full range of motion heading out.But things loosened up pretty quickly. The major upside of the stiffness was that it kept me from starting at too fast a pace, something I think I have been doing since getting going again. Today was a bit of an effort most of the way. I had to work at it rather than just hop on for the ride like the days before. That said, I didn't have to struggle to finish like last week either.

Fitness Run

Time: 30 min
Distance: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: Going out today I resolved to keep things under control and to focus on technique. Shorter strides and proper footfalls. I started getting antsy about ten minutes in and fell into a ball-heel footstrike to accommodate it. The idea was to force myself into the proper form prescribed in
The Competitive Runner's Handbook. Drive off the back foot, Drive Up with the knees and Drive Down with the arms. About ten minutes after that I got that fun little stabby feeling in both calves. Not and injury kind of pain but a ""Hello! Remember us?"" kind of pain you get for laying off working out a long period of time.The last five minutes of the run (I went 30 minutes instead of 20 like last week) were pretty tough but in a good way. A real effort to keep in control and focused that felt very good both during and after

Week Wrapup

Total Distance: unk
Total Time: 40 minutes

Comments: It was a bit sunny today so I decided to take a bit of a walk. I'm still kinda sore but I figured a bit of meandering about the city might help a bit. And it would be a chance to use the new camera as well.So I got down to the beachfront here in Miraflores and there is a race going on. Now that's just cruel, people. Seeing the folks make their way on by, I wanted to hop in and do my thing. At the very least I got that urge to go look up the next race I could find and enter it. But, fact is, I'm still quite a long way from entering any event whatsoever. What I need to be doing is getting my training legs back underneath me.So then I get back home and am bebopping around on the internet and, happen to find

Fitness Run

Time: 20 min
Distance: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: Twas a bit sore yesterday and into the morn. To be expected since it is beyond obvious that I have completely and totally de-trained. So, given that, the run went pretty well. I made it a point to extend my warm-up walk past the main traffic points this time tho. Unless it's an early a.m. effort, it's not worth fighting the combis and taxis.I'm not going for distance but seem to have a problem slowing down to an easy run. Particularly with the music. I just want to crank things up to my old pace. Gonna have to put the kibosh on that and focus on technique for now.Doing my reading on coming back from injury it looks like I'll need a good six weeks of this low-level running. Dunno if I ,can handle that. We shall see

Fitness Run

Time: 20 min
Distance: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: As good a start as I could hope. Which isn't saying too much. Started off with excitement, led quickly to sober reality and mostly consisted of hanging in there to finish.I did the usual run up the malencon. Not too many tourists and nonsense so it was not too bad. Getting over there was a pain. Forgot how horrid traffic in Lima is. But got through it. Felt good for making the effort. We'll see what happens next.

Recovery Run

Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: It has been two weeks since my last run and a good three since the race. Work fun has allied with the desire to get over the severe pain the marathon left me in but it has come time to get back on the road.

The jaunt today was completely low-key. No watch. No pace. Just a mile and a half to see how I felt. The up side - I felt pretty good. I could actually just go an run without all the crippling agony holding me back again.

The worst part of my soreness was a jarring agony in my upper quads at my hips whenever I took a step. That's completely gone now.

On the down side - the psoas situation on my left leg is clearly still lurking around.

Regardless, it was nice to get a bit of a run in again. I'l see about adding to that over the next few days.

Recovery Run

Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: unk
Pace: unk

Comments: The first time back on the pavement since the marathon. Needless to say this was an exploratory effort.

I was understandably achy from the get go and I headed out gingerly as a result. I found if I rolled my step forward and kept from landing on my heel, it relieved a lot of the pounding.

But it was touch and go for more than half-a-mile and then I had enough of it and decided to try and just run despite the soreness. Interesting discovery, I now have the ability to tell the pain to "piss off."

William Wallace at the end of Braveheart...? Pussy.

What was frustrating was feeling like I wanted to just run. I wanted to just hit a stride and get it going. But, even though the strength was there to do it the soreness of my hips wasn't going to let it happen.

Anyhow, I put in close to a mile and a half and that was it. I thought about timing it but decided against it. No need to push my limits right now.

One interesting thing. My watch still had my marathon time on it. Hitting "Reset" and setting it back to zero really felt like I was putting the disappointment of the race behind me and I was starting the effort to do it better in the next one.