I am feeling better about this marathon in terms of my ability to meet my goal. Just to bolster my vague sense I took a look at my total training miles. Note – I am going for a sub 5 hour marathon just as I was last year but last year I came in at a disappointing 5:25.

2005 – 196.5
2006 to date – 251.5

I still have long runs of 15 miles, 20 miles and another 15 miles as well as track workouts and shorter runs to go. Total left to go on the training program is about 82 miles plus interval work so my total miles in training on race day will be over 300. That’s more like it! The Amazing Hip’s parrot predictor is at 4:49 right now so that is another thumbs up.

I had a good track workout tonight running fast 800s with a rest interval in between. These were supposed to be Yasso 800s with a marathon goal time of 4:50 (so that’s run 800 meters in 4:50 followed by a slower run for 4:50) but it didn’t really work out that way due to the way the Garmin works. I really shouldn’t be such a slave to that thing but I am – so there. What I ended up doing was running this:

Lap          Distance         Time           Pace
1 -             .61 miles     4:50           7:58
2 -             .55 miles     4:50           8:44  (grr-pacing is bad;change method)
3 -             .50           4:20           8:41
4 -             .50           4:18           8:36 (grr-rest too long;change method)
5 -             .50           4:14           8:28 (rest 2 min instead of 4:50)
6 -             .50           4:21           8:43 (rest 2 min)
7 -             .50           4:17           8:35

Then it was almost dark so I stopped which means I missed 1 of my intervals. But I did the ones I did kind of fast.

So what does that mean? Who knows, but I feel pretty good! Tomorrow I swim.

quick update –
I just looked at my log files and saw that someone found my blog searching for “mom forced me to wear dresses and get my nails done”. Well gosh – I’m so sorry and I hope you weren’t too seriously traumatized!

Bliss might be a bit of an exaggeration but my 20 mile run wasn’t too bad, except for the Gu – but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Things I did right this time:

1). Drank gallons of water for 2 days. I still had a concern about hydration because it was about 105 degrees on Friday and I had to run errands which meant that I sweated buckets. It is hard to offset a bucket of sweat with a bottle of water or 6 but I tried.

2). Started out easy.. I finally managed to go out at an easy pace

3). Ran 5 miles, walked 2 minutes. That really did seem to help overall.

4). Started out early. Okay – not as early as I had wanted to but if I had I just wouldn’t be me, now would I (raise your hand if a terrible joke just popped into your head).

5). Didn’t give in – I almost tossed the whole thing at 18 miles because I was sick of running but I didn’t. I didn’t feel that bad so I made myself keep going. I ended up home at 19.5 miles but that’s pretty close.

Gu – I took 3 packs of Gu with me, 2 chocolate, 1 orange. The flavor is okay with Gu. That isn’t the problem. It’s the texture. I have to pep talk myself into swallowing by chanting “It’s just like chocolate pudding!” But it isn’t and I gag every time. The orange isn’t as thick but I still have problems with it.

To answer your questions:
1). I poked the blister with a pin to drain it and flatten it out. It brought immediate relief.
2). Yes, it was worth it because….

I’m feeling pretty boring right now (that’s a euphemism for ‘hung over’) so I’ll just conclude by saying that what doesn’t kill us really does make us stronger and this run wasn’t too bad.

Elevation and splits:

When last I wrote I had spent the day (Wednesday) traipsing through airports and the city of Pasadena in a pair of MFMs (moderate FMs and if you don’t know what FM stands for please don’t ask me – go ask your Mom) getting sore feet. Thursday I hit the road slightly late in the morning (pattern alert!) for an 8 mile run. It was harder than I thought it should be but not too bad. I didn’t bonk at the end so that was an improvement. I couldn’t quite keep the pace I wanted but it was okay.

I forgot to reset the Garmin after my track workout on Tuesday so the splits are a little odd but here they are:

Miles 1-4 in 42:38 (10:38/mi) [oops! I reset the Garmin at the turn-around point]
Mile 5 – 10:25
Mile 6 – 11:18
Mile 7 – 11:38
Mile 8 – 11:14

So that was predictable. I went out a little fast and couldn’t hold my pace. Of course it was about 95 degrees out by the time I started heading back and that didn’t help one bit.

The best part was the view I got when I took off my shoes and got a glimpse of pinky toe:

Nice! So I poked it with a pin, put on flip flops and went about my day. Later that afternoon it looked like this:

I can hear you all now – “EWWWWWWWWWW!!! Thanks for sharing!”

Sorry! 🙂

So I poked several holes in it, soaked it alcohol, left flip flops on all day and today I went swimming. I had to wear fins for back stroke and that smashed my blister but good so now it’s flat and impotent.

Tomorrow I’m putting 20 miles on that baby. If it flares up and kills me I’ll have to take the advice I have been giving to Jeanne in all caps over the last couple of weeks and just give it a rest.

I AM HOPING FOR A GOOD RUN!!! Oh please let me have a good run. It was 106 here today so I’m going out at 5:30 AM. Stay tuned……

We had a power outtage yesterday that lasted just long enough to force us to reset all of the clocks. This included the alarm clock next to my bed. I set it last night at around 10 and then set the alarm to go off at 5AM. I was very careful to make sure it was 5AM and not 5PM because I really, really wanted to go swimming at 5:30.

Imagine my dismay when I woke up at 5:50. ###@!!&@ How did THAT happen? It happened because I set the clock to 10 AM at 10 PM. grrrrr… So, instead of going swimming I ended up getting my exercise wandering all over Pasadena (where I flew for a 2 hour meeting) in these:

And now I have to put 8 miles on my poor barking dogs tomorrow morning.

The things we do for vanity.

Henry Rollins crafts a letter to Ann Coulter – priceless

ps – I went swimming today! Yeah me!

My run today would be right at the top of that list. After what I went through today I wish I could be happy joining NAAFA and then the FatAss cheer squad and just let myself go. It would just be so much easier and isn’t cheering more fun than running?

The discouraging part is that I thought I was ready. I thought I was hydrated. I thought it would be fine. I wasn’t and the run wasn’t and now I’m pissed. I said I would run 18 good miles and what I did was run 13 good miles and 4 herky-jerky, stop and go, awful miles* and when it was all over I felt like crap.

I ate a good dinner last night. I thought I was well hydrated, too. I meant to take off at 5:00 AM because it has gotten hot again but I didn’t leave the house until about 6:15. I took 3 packs of Gu and 2, 1 Tablespoon baggies of Gookinaide Hydrolyte and I my watter bottle with its little hand harness.

Things were fine for a while – I felt fine and my pace was good (~ 10:20 per mile). When I got to the first park with a potty at about 6 miles and had no need for it I started to worry. I decided it was time for Gu so I gagged down a Tri-Berry and very nearly hurl-tilized the local trailside flora right on the spot – ugh. Note to self – never take that stuff again!

I was drinking lots of water and it was still not too hot and the trail was shaded so I motored on. At some point I stopped at a fountain and mixed a batch of hydrolyte and drank it and then filled the bottle again. I was drinking lots of fluid. On I went to the 10 mile mark because I had already planned to stop at the high school, 2 miles from home and snag my daughter’s car to drive home.

The way back was okay until I’d gone about 13 miles. I had to stop at a Jamba Juice to get water and use the bathroom (which I still didn’t really need, much to my dismay and surprise) and seriously considered buying a Jamba but decided to eat the Orange Outrage Gu (tossing the other Tri-berry in the trash) and drink hydrolyte and water.

Getting from there to the high school was a non-stop test of will. I refused to walk so I would stop dead in my tracks, let my heart rate slow down and then start running again.

When all was said and done I felt like poop on toast. My whole day was shot after that. It was enough to make me seriously question running a marathon but I paid $75 for the privilage and I don’t want to DNS so I’m in it for the long haul. Ha ha – get it? Long haul!!

What I am most discouraged about is that my new plan (see post below) calls for 2 20 mile runs. I can hardly stand the thought. I can only hope that it’s really true that was doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and next weekend will be better.

Lessons Re-learned
1). Hydration takes days – don’t think you can slam water for 20 hours before the run and have it be enough.
2). Tri-Berry Gu is disgusting.
3). Gu in general is both disgusting and magical. Don’t skimp, just get the right flavor
4). If you think you need to leave at 5 to beat the heat then do it
5). Don’t plan a course that involves stopping and getting a ride. If you are going 18 miles it is 9 out from home and 9 back, the same way.
6). I am built for comfort, not for speed or for distance.

*or 4. The Garmin says 17.25 miles but Motion Based says 18.2. Who knows?

When last we spoke I was issuing a loud cry for discipline. There was talk of spankings and leather and it was getting a little hot in here. I love it when you talk to me like that.

I’d like to thank all of you for your helpful suggestions. The funny thing is, I’ve always had a plan. I’ve had a calendar and a goal – I just lost my running groove thing in the midst of my youngest child’s high school graduation.

Yesterday she turned 18, headed for Berkeley to get a tattoo (no kidding!) and when she got back discovered that her Mom had arrange a surprise party. The really surprising part is that the guests were the same group of girls she went to Berkeley with. Clever, eh? She never suspected a thing!

Of course the party was awash in potato chips and tortilla chips and guacamole and s’mores and I ate copious quantities of all of them. I enjoyed every second knowing that I was carbing up for an 18 mile run tomorrow. I should also mention that early yesterday morning I did a run to the track and a track workout so I seem to be all better. I ate well today if you ignore the fact that I had 2 handfuls of potato chips for lunch but I did have some grapes, too so all was not lost. I didn’t go swimming because I stayed up too late partying but THAT’S IT! I mean it. I’ve attended more parties in the last week than I’ve attended in the previous year, maybe the previous 2 years. Unlike some of you I have no intention of going to parties for Father’s Day or July 4 or anything else. I’m going straight again – really.

Tonight I am plumping up my cells with water, ate an excellent dinner of rainbow tortellini, bread and Cesar salad and am fully ready to hit the road early tomorrow for 18 good solid miles at a pretty good clip as I am transitioning to the FIRST program I turned David on to. I’m all for a plan that requires only 3 days of running a week since that seems to be about what I can handle. Also, I’m anxious to get back in the water and get on my bike. On July 15 I will be participating in the ‘Soup Chicken’ triathlon, to be described at a later date.

Shot Blok review:

They are yummy but too bulky to carry. They come 6 to a packet and are not individually wrapped. 3 Bloks equals 1 pack of Gu but takes up about twice as much space. It takes longer to consume them and requires chewing. Conclusion: I liked them but I find them impractical for long runs. I tried the cranberry flavor.

The Plan:

Here is the plan I need you to help me stick to. I am modifying the standard track workout to Yasso 800s.

 

Week   Tuesday      Thursday                   Saturday      Dates 
Speed        Tempo                       Long
1     8x400 mtrs    3 miles                     10 miles
2     4x1200m       5 miles                     12 miles
3     6x800m        7 miles                     13 miles
4     3x1600m       3 miles                     10 miles
5    10x400m        5 miles                     14 miles
6     5x1200m       5 miles                     15 miles
7     7x800m        8 miles                     17 miles
8     3x1600m      10 miles                     13 miles
9     12x400m       3 miles                     18 miles
---------------   Start Program
10    4 Yassos      5 miles                     15 miles 11-Jun 17-Jun *
11    6 Yassos      8 miles                     20 miles 18-Jun 24-Jun
12    8 Yassos      5 miles                     15 miles 25-Jun  1-Jul
13   10 Yassos      5 miles                     20 miles 2-Jul   8-Jul
14    7 Yassos      4 miles       soup chicken triathlon 9-Jul  15-Jul **
15     3x1600m      8 miles                     10 miles 16-Jul 22-Jun
16 30 min easy w 5x60s  20 min easy w 3 or 4 pickups     23-Jul 29-Jul
Sunday    Marathon

* Tomorrow is supposed to be 15 miles but I did that 2 weeks ago so I’ll do 18, instead. I did 6 miles on Tuesday and 5 miles running + 2 on track Thursday (so I didn’t quite start the plan but you get the idea).
**The week of the soup chicken triathlon is supposed to be a 15 mile run. We’ll see.

Am I crazy to switch plans at this point? I don’t think so. My overall mileage is about the same and I did some hill work already but no track work. I will have to include hill work in the tempo runs because I need those hills! I’m going for it! The funny thing about this plan is that they talk about a 3 week taper. Do you see a 3 week taper in there? I don’t. Running 15 miles on Saturday hardly seems like it counts as the beginning of a taper. That’s why I figured the tri would be okay.

In any case, I’ve got my groove back and I feel good!

When last I wrote my running was going all to hell because of non-stop parties. THE PLAN was to get back to it on Monday and quit messing about. Monday morning I pulled on my running clothes and then belted my fleece bathrobe over them because it was chilly in the house. Then I opened my work email and one darn thing lead to another. At 5 I headed out the door to take the dog for a walk, fully intending on running 6 miles after I brought her back but OH NO! I remembered I had yet another party to go to. Another run tossed, another party attended.

I hate horribly at this party. They had fancy potato chips, something I never buy. They had guacamole and as if that wasn’t enough to crowd the interior of my arteries with buttery soft piles of goo, they had s’mores. S’mores, people! Have I ever revealed that marshmallows are one of my worst guilty indulgences? Well they are and when coupled with chocolate and graham crackers it’s good-bye fitness, hello fatty-kins.

Tuesday I took no chances, bolting out the door at 7:30 (an hour and a half later than I had intended to but what can you do when you stay up late eating sugar, fat and salt?) for a nice 6 mile run. My pace was good and the whiner within was reasonably quiet.

Tuesday I had book group. My kids refer to it as ‘wine group’ so I don’t supposed I have to tell you where that went. I ate cheese and crackers and chocolate and chips with mango salsa. Excellent program, non?

I am a desperate woman. This training solo stuff is hard enough without the self sabotage. I’m counting on you RBFers to help me stay the course. If you look at my foot p0rn comments the non-runners are clapping and saying “good for you – pedicures come first!” Well thanks but no – not when you are training for a marathon. So Runners – BEAT ME UP! Help me get back on course.

Tomorrow it’s 8 miles and Saturday I’m doing 18 and then I’m going to try to switch over to the ‘No Junk Miles’ program which I have alluded to but not yet revealed to anyone but David. So here it is. With a little help I hope to start following it for the 2nd half of my training. Oh wait – I’m way past that….. see? I need help, people!!

PS – thanks for all of the compliments. It was really sweet to read them.

Are these the feet of a runner? No, my friends… no they are not. They are the feet of a woman who tossed her run in favor of getting a pedicure and a manicure so she could look fabulous for a party. But I’m getting ahead of myself so let me tell you about my exhausting graduation weekend and where it lead.

Thursday night I had one last opportunity to put together what is known as a memory board for my kid. The memory board is a collage of photos to highlight the graduate’s life. This was my 3rd such board and although I had been collecting pictures for the last 2 years I managed to put off actually creating this masterpiece until about 10 PM of the very last possible night. It took me until 2:30 AM and because I had to both work and finish pulling together my part of the all night grad party on Friday I got about 4 hours of sleep. Good going!

Friday I got up early, prepped for a meeting, had a pre-meeting phone call. Had the teleconference and the BAM! It was off to the races. I went to school, finished getting my area (Crafts) ready, ran around some more and then came home to get ready for graduation. It was windy and freezing cold during the ceremony but I HAD to wear the same sun dress I wore to both of the older kid’s graduations and so I sat their shivering to death while 390 kids got their diplomas. The end result was this:

A young scholar and her proud Mama

For our next mother daughter act we headed to the All Night party where I intended to train others to manage the crafts area and then go home and sleep SEVERAL hours before coming back in the morning to clean up – but no. Business was brisk, the venue was a hit and I stayed until about 1:30, went home, crashed, got up at 3:15 and returned to finish out the night and then clean up. Got home at 7:30 and went to bed until about 1:30.

I had every intention of getting up and running 10 miles but I was so shot. I lolly gagged around the house and then started trying on outfits to figure out what to wear to the very swanky party a friend’s Dad gave to honor his graduating daughter and 10 of her friends. Once I figured out what to wear I decided that I MUST get my nails done and so with a heart heavy with guilt I headed to the nail salon instead of the trail. Oh sigh….

The party was fabulous though and darling – is always better to look good than to feel good, right? I hobnobbed and ate and drank and danced until about midnight and finally decided that as much as I wanted to stay and dance some more it was time to come home and get some sleep. Today I had to get up early enough to make it to a brunch a friend gave in celebration of the end of the school year. After brunch I came home and went back to bed, of course so no run today.

I guess that whole ‘miles to go before I sleep ‘ thing just doesn’t work for me. I needed sleep so I got some and now I have a lot of miles to make up. Why I’m up writing a blog entry now is a bit of a mystery but I guess I just didn’t want to get behind on anything else. Tomorrow I’m going to run some ‘junk’ miles just to get my legs going again and then Tuesday I’m going to start the ‘No Junk Miles’ plan I wrote about. Training is good and clearly I need discipline or I just turn in to a party animal.

Really people – take it from me. Those early years full of chubby cheeked goodness and harrowing days of endless crying jags whoosh right by. The next thing you know your baby is graduating from high school. She may even graduate from a school that has a long standing tradition of putting on an all night sober graduation party and if you are like me you will be right in there making things happen and then keeping your eye on them all night. And then you get to clean up the mess in the morning as your little darling falls into a sleep deprived coma – a luxury you have to postpone for a couple more hours.

And thus it has come to pass that I am functioning on 4 hours of sleep Thursday night followed by 2 hours of sleep Friday night. I’m exhausted but thrilled. No wait – I’m exhausted and teetering on the brink of depression as my nest empties. No wait – I’m just tired, really tired. For today THE PLAN is to get some sleep and then run 10 miles and then go to another crazy party.

Drink in every second of the halcyon days of early childhood because before you know it your kids will have you up all night tripping the light fantastic. The only thing that changes is your ability to endure sleep deprivation. It fades away. G’night.