The KodaFit Blog

I did my second half marathon 2 weekends ago.  It was a beautiful course, and I knocked 9 minutes off my time from the previous attempt.  I did however reaffirm something which irked me in the first race.

I think with the half distance races, it’s a short enough distance that the course can be walked in 4 to 5 hours.  In both races, I’ve noticed a number of people, specifically older ladies with bodies that might not be in perfect marathon shape, who walk the course.  Let me first say that I have the utmost admiration for these ladies for trying to do this and I’m sure they complete it.  Good on ya Ladies!!

So I feel a little bad bringing this up, but I think it needs to be said…

If you’re planning on walking a half marathon, and you’re positioning yourself at the start…  The little sign which says 7 or 8 is for the people who are going to run at an average pace of 7 to 8 minutes per mile, not those that are going to take 7 or 8 hours!!

I usually place myself towards the back of the pack.  I like people in front of me to keep me slow for the first few miles until I can get warmed up, but invariably, 30 yards past the start line I come upon the wall of ladies.  Usually they’ve positioned themselves in a row, 5 or 6 ladies across and there’s not enough space between them to run through, and with what it left on the side of the roads, it creates a huge bottleneck.  And they always seem completely oblivious to everyone around them.  Usually with a bottle in one hand, and a walking stick in the other, toddling along talking about how great it is to be doing a half marathon…

So for anyone reading this, who likes to walk half marathons.  At the start, find the back of the pack and that’s were you want to be starting from!!

read comments (0)

There really wasn’t too much more to this race than I included in my preliminary report here.

I actually typed a whole bunch in on the expo, and then deleted it at some point, by mistake - DOH!!  Probably best since the rest of the report got really long and wordy.

The short version is. Expo great, packet pickup smooth, and my kids did a feet shirt for me - kinda like my hand shirt for the St. George Marathon last year.

Saturday started really early, especially since I was up till almost 1am obsessing over my stuff. I think my alarm went off at 3:30am. To freakin’ early if you ask me. Shower, BodyGlide, band-aids - which brings up a funny story. Speaking about your nipples chaffing would seem to be embarrassing, but if you’re a runner, it’s really not a big deal. I’m fine up to 6 or 7 miles, or if I’m wearing a compression shirt, but after that I have problems. To counteract those problems, on long races I put those little round band-aids on, and the problem is solved. Unfortunately, my kids have come to know those band-aids as nipple band-aids, and have no problem pointing them out on strangers as they walk by. “Hey Look Dad! That ladies has a nipple band-aid on her face!”. And of course being kids, they do it in a nice LOUD VOICE as well.

Ran a little late getting my pre-race drink together, but then hitched a ride with a neighbor up to Ogden and then caught a bus up to the start. The ride wasn’t bad, except they had the route closed off already, so we had to take an alternate route, and the lead bus took a wrong turn, which 4 or 5 following buses followed, and we ended up having to execute and 53 point turn at the dead end road we ended up at.

The start was chilly. Hit the porta potties a few times. Hung out by the fires, sucking down Gu and chatting nervously.

Right before the start I sucked down a 5 hour energy, which has worked well before the run section of the last couple of tri’s I’ve done and got ready to go.

Most of my long runs have been with a neighbor of mine. It was his first race and he was a little nervous, but here we are, right before the cannon went off…

Miles 1 - 3 were rough. They usually are if I’m not warmed up. I help about a 9:30 pace which was a little off where I wanted to be. The plan was a 9:10 pace, giving me my 4 hour goal.

Mile 4 was when the 5 hour energy decided to kick in. It has a lot of stuff in it, but has a fairly good portion of caffeine as well. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee. Mile 4 came, and I needed to go. Now unlike St. George in the rain, it was a beautiful day, and there weren’t runners ducking off the road every 5 minutes to relieve themselves. Fortunately as I got to the porta-loos at mile 5, someone came out, and in I dashed.

Phew!! With that out the way I figured I was ready for a good race. Bladder empty, legs warm, feeling good, let’s get this show on the road. Until mile 8 when I had to go again, and then mile 11 and 12. All that aside, I hit half way feeling good and posting a 2:05 split. NICE MIKE!! The thing I like about Ogden is that miles 18 through 23 or so are downhill. Not too steep, but perfect to let gravity help you out. Last year at the half I was averaging 8:30 minute miles down the canyon - and I was barely able to run a sub 10 mile for any length of time back then. This was going to be a good race.

Mile 14 has the only real hill of the race, and it really isn’t that bad. All the same though, my legs decided to walk. I still had the canyon to make up time, so I figured I’d save my legs, but they weren’t feeling good.

Stopped to pee at mile 15 again, and tried to get as much liquid and gu in as a good in the next couple of miles. I came into the race low on hydration anyway, and I figured the bathroom breaks weren’t helping either.

Got to the top of the canyon feeling pretty crappy, but excited to drop into the cool canyon and just let the legs go.

The thing is, when you hit the canyon in the half marathon, it’s not even 8am yet, and so most of the canyon is in shade. Your legs are also still fresh and it’s a beautiful run.

I hit the canyon, and in a word… SUCKAGE!!

It did not feel good at all. I was barely able to keep a 9:30 pace, it hurt and I could see my 4 hour goal slipping away.

People started passing me, and I stopped a few times to try stretching as well as a walk break or two.

I think I bonked officially around mile 20. The legs felt like lead, and I just wanted to quit. To make matter worse, my MP3 player, which I had turned on around mile 5 to help me focus, ran out of battery power. NOOOOOOOOOO! I pulled out my cell phone to let me wife know I was going to be significantly later than I had told her I would be, but couldn’t get a signal, and somehow the battery had been drained as well. In hind sight, I’m wondering if I was abducted by aliens and had all kinds of tests run on me or something… It felt that bad. She didn’t pick up, so after walking for a half mile and being passed by everyone - even the old guy with the flowing beard, who was jogging along at a very leisurely pace, I sucked it up, and tried to run again.

The next few miles consisted of walking and painful running. When I ran, it was fairly quickly, so my pace stayed around 12 minutes a mile, but it still hurt.

The family were waiting at about mile 23 and a half. I broke into a run when I saw them - gotta try and impress, but it was too late! And I think the look on my face gave it away.

Surprisingly in the this picture though, my grimace almost looks like a smile. My mind at this point is going “Just ask them to drive you home from here!”. Actually scratch the exclamation point, since even that thought kind of trailed away, as I got tired thinking it.

You may notice my young Lily off to the right of the picture too - she’s in a light blue top. Not even so much as a glance! She’d found a friend, whose father is equally as nuts as her, and was having a grand old time playing tag.

There’s quite a bit going on in the next picture… I turned to go, and my wife yelled “Keep going! You’re doing great Mike!! By the time it registered, all I heard was “…Mike!” So I turned to see what they wanted, meanwhile, they were getting ready to go.

That’s my youngest brother and Kynan in on the left. My brother and his newish wife are the first extended family to come cheer me on - Which meant a lot!! Thanks Guys. They came to the indoor tri back in February too, but my lil bro did that along side, me, so it was different. They did however may me some signs, which now hang proudly in my cubicle at work. Sadly I missed the second sign, due to my complete lack of focus at this point.

First Sign Don’t Stop… Keep Going…

Second Sign That’s what she said!

If you’re a fan of the office, you’ll understand - if not, that wasn’t meant to offend anyone!!

Also for the newbies amongst my readership…

Yellow bandanna - keeps the sweat out of the eyes, and gave my family something to look for. Last year they saw the back of my head as I ran by.
Big, fat watch - That’s my Garmin - tracks speed, distance, time, heart-rate, elevation, even serves cold drinks during the race - OK, just kidding on that last bit, but it’s an amazing and invaluable tool!
Strap on my left thigh - Had IT Band problems last year before the half marathon, and it felt like it might act up again in the week before the race. This strap helps alleviate the friction, which causes the pain.
Black socks - these are actually compression sleeves. They help control the pain and swelling associated with Shin Splint’s. I probably didn’t need to wear them, but I’ve been training with them, and didn’t want to change up too much on race day.
Blue ankle strap - That’s my timing chip. You cross lines at the start, finish and during the race, and if you check my previous report, you can see the results you get - pretty cool technology!!

The final stretch went OK. Seeing the fam kinda gave me a boost, and I alternated running 0.2 of a mile and then walking 0.1. The last half mile is along a street. It’s open and exposed, but you can hear the finish line. Knowing it was only a half mile to go, I broke into a run. About half way down I saw a quarter mile to go sign - YES!!! Almost there… I sped it up a little… Come on finish line. But it seemed to take forever.

That was when I passed the 1/4 mile to go sign - WHAT??!? It seems all my pee stops had added a quarter mile onto my Distance, and mentally I was ready to see the 1/4 mile sign when I passed the 1/2 mile to go sign. The mind plays evil tricks on you.

Still I had enough to keep going, and crossed the finish line in 4:36 and some change.

The best part about the finish line, is that a co-worker had volunteered to staff the finish line for the time surrounding my finish, and I got my medal and a huge hug and congrats from her - Not sure how or why she would have wanted to hug a stinky and sweaty shell of a man, but I was EXTREMELY GRATEFUL!!

Kind of felt like some Blue Bunny ice-cream like I did after St. George, but Blue Bunny aren’t a sponsor of this race [BLUE BUNNY PROMOTIONS GUY - If you’re reading this, I would highly recommend sponsoring Ogden, if only for the fact that I’m intending to try and do it every year, and I would really like ice-cream at the finish!!]

Grabbed an orange, some Jamba Juice (Drank it too fast and got a head-freeze - nice and cold, but OWWWWW!!!

Some Great Harvest Bread - the Cinnamon and Raison kind and then went to find my neighbor. He finished strong, just a minute or two after me. Did great for his first marathon, and to make me feel even worse, two days later he was jumping around playing softball, and had already signed up for #2 next weekend. He’s a ROCKSTAR!!

2 days later I still couldn’t walk down stairs.

Wow, for not much to say, I’ve waffled on far to long! Great race, despite the feelings of death on my part. Great supporters, great weather, and all over a great day. I just won’t be downing a 5 hour energy before my next race!

read comments (1)

Well, it’s been about 5 days since the marathon, and I can almost walk completely normally.

It was an interesting race.  The first half went well, then second half went not as well.  I’m not upset with my result, but considering I was hoping for a sub 4 hour time, 4:36 was a bit of a let down.  Needless to say I learned a lot!!!

I’m going to post a full report soon, but until then…

Individual Results are here

Photographs are here

And I also have an initial race report here

It would appear that my times were pretty consistent within my division. Despite feeling worse, my photo’s look better than they did for the half marathon last year and I’m planning a whole post on RaceVine.com - a new site I was introduced to this week.

And in case you were wondering… The yellow bandanna…

I’ve started running with something on my head over the past 6 months. Initially it was a rather tacky, yet cheap white headband from Wally World - I’m assuming I looked like some funky throw-back to the late seventies! Then I got a running hat for the BAM Triathlon - Don’t feel entirely right wearing it, since I haven’t done BAM yet, but I really, really like it.

I would have worn the BAM hat, but it’s not very distinct - I mean it’s a nice hat, but it’s Navy Blue and Red - not really eye catching… I needed something eye catching, because last year after waiting in the crowds with 4 rather rambunctious kids, my wife was able to catch the back of my head as I ran by her. So I opted for the bright yellow bandanna.

It helped, I think! What also helped is that she was on the route, she had help from some extended family members, and by the time I got to them, I knew my time was shot, so I got to pause for a hug and exchange some pleasantries - which may have included… Something about needing a ride to the finish line!

Stay tuned… More race report and more photos to come - as well as some additional photos from RAGE!

read comments (3)

This years season has snuck up on me.  I’ve known it was coming all along, but the last month or 2, have gone by and my training has slipped a little.

I setup a rather agressive training schedule at the beginning of the year for the Ogden Marathon.  I think it was likely too agressive.  My base was kind of where it needed to be, but then I got sick for 2 or 3 weeks, and by the time I kicked it, I’d missed a couple of weeks and was too far behind to catch up.  According to that schedule, I should have done a twenty miler this past weekend.  According to the schedule I used last year, it should have been 17.  I had planned on running 15, but I procrastinated, and then had a large BLT prior to heading out on the run.  A donut I can run with, apparently not so with actual food.

The run wasn’t all bad.  My legs weren’t feeling right, so instead of running steadily, I kind of did intervals.  The good news to come out of last nights run, was that my speed is significantly improved from where it was a year ago, and while I’m not where I need to be, I’m motivated to get there.

I’m not sure if I’ll be breaking 4 hours in Ogden like I had planned, but I’m pretty sure I’ll do OK.  My training plan is set for this week, and included some 3 bikes rides - hills, speed and distance; 2 swims - speed and distance, and 3 runs; probably speed, hills and then distance on Saturday.  I think if I can break through 15 miles this coming weekend - hopefully 17 or 18, then things should be OK. But in order to do that, no excuses, no slacking off, and I need to do it right - fueling, hydration and all of that.

Less than 5 weeks till Rage, so I need to really get my biking up to snuff as well.  Hopefully biking and running combined will help me increase my overall fitness, without putting me in the injury bin…

read comments (1)

Hopefully this was worth the wait… This is my official Race Report for the St George Marathon, held Saturday, October 4th, 2008. It’s pretty long, but just know that it could have been a lot longer too!!

First a brief synopsis of the week before…

Monday - sick as a dog, a combination of a nasty cold and food poisoning.
Tuesday - better, but still not 100%. Took the day off work to recover. Tried to rehydrate.
Wednesday - feeling much better, skipped any workouts, kept trying to rehydrate.
Thursday - drove down to St. George. Not good for hydration and had Wendy’s for Dinner.

Friday

1.5 mile run/walk with the kids in a jogging stroller.
Got my number and relaxed the rest of the day.
Drove the course, and grew a little concerned - It’s a long freakin’ way!
Home made Taco’s courtesy of my sister-in-law.
Freaked out about 9pm, realizing all I still had to do and how little time was left.
Finally started to pee clear (Yes - I think I may be hydrated!)
Got my stuff all laid out, and set a couple of alarms.
Had the wife and kids write on my shirt.
Tried to get to sleep, despite an interesting show on Discovery about the Giant Squid.
Fell asleep about 11pm

Saturday

I woke up at 1:30am. My alarm wasn’t supposed to go off until 2:30.
Gave up trying to go back to sleep at about 2am and went and hopped in the shower.
On exiting said shower I applied nipple bandaids (I was paranoid about forgetting these) and liberally - and I mean really liberally applied BodyGlide to all the possible parts of my body which could experience any kind of friction.
I also had a shot of Pepto Bismol. My stomach has been iffy of late, and the last thing I wanted was a race marred with frequent bathroom stops. I was also worried since the morning #2 was somewhat less than impressive.
Heart Rate monitor, compression shorts, shirt, short, socks, shin sleeves, shoes, ITB Strap, Garmin, Wristband and a Sweat Shirt.
Loaded my Nathan fuel belt with 7 packs of Gu, 20 oz of Accelerade and 10oz of Gatorade with Hornet Juice.
MP3 player and 2 packs of Gu in the back pocket and a trip to the van to get my sunglasses.
The weather was really warm, so I didn’t grab my track pants, kissed the wife and went to the lobby to wait for Kay (My co-worker and running buddy)

We got to the bus loading at 3:50am. Being there before 4am meant entry into some cool drawings and a fast pass to the post race massage.

After quite a long ride, we arrived at the start. They were just starting the bonfires and it was cooler and very windy. I grabbed a cup of Gatorade and we headed up to the furthest fire. Shortly thereafter, we felt moisture, and hoped it was from the water truck spraying down the brush. No such luck. By 5am, it was coming down pretty hard. We joked about hiding out in the porta potties, since they still smelt OK, and were no doubt far warmer than anywhere else. I took a trip at about 5:30, and can confirm that they were indeed warmer. I also had great success with the second #2 of the morning - That was quite a load off my mind, and other things!!

6:00 - It’s still raining and blowing hard. Tons of people are arriving. I could have slept in, but at least I get the fast pass for the massage! I had my first Gu of the day.

6:30 - Everyone appears to be here. I’m cold and wet. I grab another Gu, and start loading up my fuel belt. 800mg of Ibuprofen, and 12oz of Gatorade with Hornet Juice. Nature calls, and due to lines at the Portables, some 15 people deep, I join my fellow runners in the woods.

6:45 - Apparently the gun went off, or maybe someone said “GO!!” We start to hear the announcer sending off various groups. We bid farewell to a gentleman from South Carolina (Chris I believe) who was trying to qualify for Boston, and Kay and I walk from the fires to the road. A minute later, we’re back at the fires. I strip down to my running gear, put the MP3 player on, and try to stay warm.

6:50 - We wonder down to the start, leap frogging the fires. Brrrrrrrrr!

6:55 - I toss my bag of clothes over a gate with all the other bags, cross the starting mats, and hit my Garmin. As xt4 would say, “Time to pick it up and set it down!” YES!!!!!

Within a half mile, I was making good progress, although slowed a little by having to pass people (The price to pay for a little extra warmth by the fire.) People were heading off the course left and right to pee. I was worried about my left foot, but due to the fact that they entire thing was numb from the cold, I couldn’t tell if it was bugging me.

I lost Kay shortly thereafter. It was pretty crowded. I would have started on my nutrition plan, but I was holding my sunglasses (ever the optimist) and I wasn’t thirsty or fatigued in the least. For the first few miles, I was well under 10 minute miles. I was hoping to be at 9:10 to hit 4 hours, but I didn’t want to go out too strong and end up dying before I hit the finish line. I’ll post a list of all my mile times and that kind of thing at the end.

The first major milestone was the town of Veyo at the 7 mile mark. It had a nice downhill leading into the town and gave some great views of the biggest climb on the course. The climb was a 7% grade over a half mile or so. Nothing I thought I couldn’t handle. I slowed a little on the hill, but kept a steady pace the whole way up. Perhaps the hardest thing wasn’t the hill, but the 3 or 4 miles or ever so slight uphill thereafter. During this I had finally put my glasses on - there wasn’t any sun, but it was light enough to see with them on, and it helped keep the rain out of my eyes. I had a little Gu, a little Accelerade, and turned on the music as well. I was considering doing the race without any music, but with the scenery limited to gray clouds, I felt a little extra boost would do me well.

I hit half-way feeling pretty good, although with the cold and the rain, the kidneys were working overtime.  I joined the mass of runners heading off to the side of the road, and enjoyed both some basic relief, and a bit of a break from running.  I also took a brief inventory of where I was and how I was feeling.  Physically I felt great, although from time to time I had a twinge of pain in my left foot.  My ITB Strap seemed to be doing its job, as were my shin sleeves, and as far as nutrition went, although I hadn’t taken much in, I was feeling good.

I left the rest stop, and decided it might not be a good idea to take an endurolyte tablet.  The plan had been to take one every 2 miles, and I was on mile 13, with a full compliment of the pills still in my front pocket.  They’re basically just capsules filled with salt and other necessary minerals.  When they hit your stomach they disolve, I would suspect from the liguid in your stomach, since apparently the rain had caused this to happen in my pocket.  I found 1 that was still reasonably intact, although significantly larger than normal and downed it - Ugh!!!

The picture below was just after half way.  Most of the climbing (what little there was) was behind me, and I was on the downhill part of the course and my marathon journey - Aside from the goofy look on my face, I think I looked how I felt, fast and strong.

The next 6 miles went fairly well. We started descending into Snow Canyon, which is incredibly scenic on a sunny day. The spectators became more frequent, and the field started to thin out even more. At one point some guy with a loud speaker attached to his truck was yelling encouragement… “Get a move on. I didn’t get up before dawn on a Saturday to watch you walk past me. Move It!! I could be eating cheerios now!” As interesting as it was to get yelled at, I’m grateful he made the effort - he kept my mind off the running for a couple of hundred yards or so.

Mile 20 and I entered the zone of running further than I ever have before in my life. About this time we descend down and under a bridge, and then up the other side. Most around me started walking, but I felt myself almost accelerate up the hill. It’s funny, you’d think that a hill would be killer at this distance, but it was pretty much the same as running on a flat. Maybe it’s all mental…

Mile 23 and 24, and we started entering the City of St. George. I was expecting to see my wife and kids somewhere along the route, but wasn’t exactly sure where they would be. I kept my eyes peeled and tried to stay close to the sides. There were spectators all along the sides of the route. Every so often a couple of kids would be standing with their hands out - I tried to high five as many as I could. I get a buzz from the kids, and I hope it adds to their experience as well.

Right before mile 25, I thought I’d grab a drink from an aid station. I was holding my glasses at this point, so getting at my bottles was a little tricky. I grabbed a cup of Gatorade, and proceeded to inadvertantly splash it all over my face and then swallow it wrong as well. I spent the next half mile choking, while still trying to see my wife and kids. Then I say them!! Big old sign with little balloons and pin-wheels. “Our Dad can kick your Dad’s Butt!!” I high fived my daughters, waved to my sons who were ‘fishing’ in the gutter and blew my wife a kiss and a big “Thanks! I love you!!”. I turned the corner and hit the 1 mile to go marker.

At this point my legs turned to lead. I don’t know what it was but it could have been my thinking that I only had 1 mile to go. According to my Garmin I sped up a little as well. I’m not sure if I hit the wall, or if it was just fatigue from running that far. I suspect it wasn’t the proverbial wall, since I could still keep going, and it didn’t take too much from me mentally, it just hurt. “Go Mr. Hands” yelled someone. I gave them a thumbs up and put my head down. “I trained for this, I trained for this….” I felt like the little engine that could. The finish line came into view, along with thousands of screaming spectators, a ton a National Guardsmen and the line - that glorious line.

It hurt, but I finished strong, stopping as I crossed and waiting for the medal to be put around my neck. I felt hot, light headed and completely spent, but I also felt incredible. I just ran a marathon!!! I walked through the Blue Bunny cooling spray - not that it made a difference, and got an awful craving for ice cream. Minutes later I had secured a Blue Bunny King Cone, or something like that and an Ice Cream Sandwich. BLUE BUNNY ROCKS!!!!

I spent a few minutes just standing and eating and breathing… Then I went and got my finisher photo and joined the Fast Pass line for a massage. This was the only bad part of the day… I was freezing, my clothes were missing, and it took me more than 90 minutes to get to the front of the line, only to find out that the regular line was taking 45 minutes. I finally got on a table, and had a nice young lady rub my legs down. I think it helped, and the best part was the 3 or 4 warm blankets that were piled on top of me while I lay there.

With that out the way I went and rummaged around for my bag - it was one of the bags that had lost it’s label in the rain, but I found it pretty quickly. I walked a couple of blocks, met up with my wife and began a couple of days of winding down.

My final time was 4h:13m:24s

More detailed results can be found here, and my photo’s are all here.

read comments (6)

Stayed tuned for my full report of the St. George Marathon…  My home computer somehow got shut down over the weekend, making typing it out now, somewhat more of an effort than I would like.

In a nutshell though…  In the midst of cold, rain and a wicked headwind, I finished my first marathon on Saturday.  I’m not sure if I hit the wall at any point, but I do recall the thought of, “I trained for this, I trained for this” keeping me going over the last mile.

I finished in 4 hours, 13 minutes and a couple of seconds in change.  I feel pretty good about it.  My speed was fairly consistent.  I managed to stay running the whole time, and I felt like I had nothing else to give once I got across the finish line.

 Overall I’d score the entire event a success!  Watch for my full race report in the next couple of days! 

read comments (3)

I have a question for some of the marathon experts out there… Those like ShirleyPerly, Speedo Steve and others that have gone before.

I was looking through the documentation for my race on Saturday, and they had a comment about USATF rules including no CD Players, Video recorders or anything that might help the athlete.

I was planning on running with a small MP3 player, I generally keep it relatively quiet, and just like the ambient noise it provides. I was also planning on taking my cell phone so I could snap a couple of pics along the way for the blog.

If you have run races like this in the past, how strict are they on enforcing these rules? I mean I’m not going to place in any division, nor come even moderately close, and I’m not even considering using the cell to call anyone, it’s just a small and handy camera, plus it may help me find relatives ones I get done.

Anyone have any advice? Should I, shouldn’t I?

I was also planning on wearing my fuel belt - just because I don’t like the gel they have on the course, and I want to be able to rehydrate for the first of the race, without having to worry about the crowds at the aid stations.

read comments (2)

I got a bit of the lazy again this weekend. I’ve been using my foot as a bit of an excuse, and even though I’m mid-taper and just a week away from the marathon, I was supposed to run both Saturday and Sunday, 5 and 6 miles respectively.

First my leg… When I did my 20 mile run about 2 or 3 weeks back, with a couple of hundred yards to go, I got a bit of pain on the outside of my left heel. I still haven’t found out what it it, but I’m pretty sure I can rule out stress fracture, it’s on the side, so it’s not Achilles tendinitis, which seems to be plaguing a few fellow bloggers.

I suspect that it may be linked to my shoes. I got two pair last time I purchased show, some Brooks Defyance which I got just for training, and some Addidas SuperNova’s. I got a larger size in the Supernova’s and since they were more comfortable, they were to be my marathon shoes. One nice feature of those shoes, is that the heel portion of the sole is separate from the rest of the sole. I suspect that may be part of the problem, since the break is right where the pain is, and the pain seems worse after I run in those shoes. Anyway, so I’m going to wear the Defyance for the marathon.

The plan was to wake up early on Sunday and get 8 miles in before Church, but I stayed up late Saturday, and didn’t end up waking up until 8 - Ooops!

So last night, I finally got motivated and headed out. My training runs to this point have all averaged about 10 minutes per mile. I was hoping to keep the pace under 10 for the entire 8 miles. Have I mentioned how much I’ve enjoyed running lately? I walked a little and started running, it felt good. I had to slow to cross a road, but hit my first mile in 8:45. Nice!! I slowed a little, but still tried to keep the pressure on. Mile 2 - 9:28, more like it!, Mile 3 - 9:36, hopefully I didn’t go out too fast. Mile 4 included a nice uphill for the first part, and downhill for the second. 9:05 - SWEET!!!

The plan was an out and back 4 mile course. I hit 4 miles as I got to the gate of the Shorelands Preserve. Shorelands is a fresh water waterland, on the borders of the great Salt Lake. A local conservation group has acquired the land, and done a fantastic job of making it accessible, including more than a mile of wooden walkway across the marsh. I really wanted to run the loop, and figured that my wimping out of Saturday’s run meant I could justify it. Miles 5 and 6 were spent on the walkway and the path leading back out the the reserve, including a meaty hill. 9:06, not bad and then 8:42 (What the $#&@?) Mike, you magnificent bastard!!

Mile 7 - mostly uphill and 8:49. WOW!! Mile 8 - 8:39 and feeling amazing. Technically I should have stopped, but didn’t have the urge to at all. Mile 9 - 8:21 - Maybe my GPS is broken, except I do seem to be going fast. Mile 10 included some slowing to avoid a dog, a couple of groups on bikes and crossing the road. With half a mile to go, I figured I could burn whatever I had left, and put the pedal down. My legs felt great, mentally I was in it, and aside from my chest feeling like it was about to explode, everything was looking good. I was hoping to have an average pace close to 9:10, which is what I’ll need to hit 4 hours at the marathon next week. After running the last half mile at around 7:20 pace (I don’t even do that for speed work at the track!!), I hit 10 miles and stopped! Final mile - 7:52 - HOLY COW MAN!!!

Overall, I covered 10 miles in 1 hour and 28 minutes. Average pace 8:50. YES!!!! I walked home, feeling a little fatigued, but in consideration of the run I had just done, not bad at all. Sat down and had a good hearty meal, rounded up the kids and got them to bed, did 30 minutes of Yoga with the wife, and then watched some TV, before calling it a night.

This morning - no residual pain at all, not even when I walked down stairs. My foot is a little tender but not as much as in the past. I’m taking today off, will likely do 3 easy mile tomorrow. A mile Wednesday and 1 or 2 easy miles on Friday.

Saturday morning I plan on crossing the threshold into the ranks of those who have completed a marathon - YES!!!!

read comments (2)

… the fact the I spent last night in the ER with my 2 year old son, who bit through his lip while jumping off the couch,

and in spite of the fact the I have a nasty little scab on my inner thigh, due to some chaffing on Saturday’s long run,

and a few other things that went awry this weekend…

I have a pretty sweet life!!

Saturday was my longest run ever in my entire life!  20 miles!!!  It was also my last big run before the St. George marathon.  And interestingly enough, training has warped my brain to the point, that I consider next weekends scheduled 15 mile run, relatively short.

I took a different route Saturday, not that my usual route isn’t good, but I wanted a change of scenery.  I got to run on some brand new asphalt on a stretch of road, not yet open to traffic.  From there I headed down to the Salt Lake Shorelands Reserve.  It’s a great place, and they have installed a loop of wooden walkways out on the marshes that is a little over 1 mile long.  As I ran out amongst the reeds and bulrushes, watched a harrier swoop to my right and saw little birds flitter in all directions, I realized that I’m a pretty blessed guy!

When I got done, I put my legs up for 20 minutes, then I tried the ice bath thing (Probably should have gotten more ice) for another 20.  My quads are a little hammered, although feeling better today (Monday) than yesterday, but other than that I feel great.

Some additional pluses from my run.  I did a negative split.  First and Second halves where exactly the same, except I took a 5 minute break in the second to visit the bathroom, and let the wife know I was still going.  I made all that time up, mostly in the last 3 miles.  Average page was almost dead on a 10 minute mile, and my last mile was done at 8:28.  Again, not fast for some, but based on my history, that’s kicking some serious butt.

Nuttition was perfect as well.  I think I have my formula down for long distance running - at least for now.

• Breakfast - Carnation Instant Breakfast (Chocolate or Vanilla)
• Endurolytes - 1 every 2 miles or 20 minutes
• Gu - 1 15 minutes before and then 1 every 4 miles or 40 minutes.
• Accelerade with the endurolytes (ughhh!  But it works really well), and water with the gu!

Overall, just a great weekend to be alive in Northern Utah - Oh, and I just got notification that I am officially a member of the Desert Sharks Triathlon Club!!!  It just doesn’t get any better than this! (I should add that my place of business is closed down today, due to a water leak )

read comments (5)

It was a good weekend.  It began with me taking the wife and kids to the park on Friday morning.  I walked around with the youngest three, while my wife rode laps on her bike.  She hasn’t been on her bike in almost 2 years, and I think she did remarkably well.  She wasn’t lightening fast by any means, but she kept the pace good and steady.

Saturday morning, I undertook an 18 mile run as part of my final preparations for the St. George marathon.  I have never run more than 15, so it was a big step.  My night time gym buddy offered to ride along next to me, earning himself numerous sarcastic comments from other runners, but I’m glad he came.

My plan was to try and get my nutrition plan worked out.  My goal was to do 3 x 6 mile loops.  Gu at the start and every 3 miles. 1 Endurolyte capsule every 2 miles, and then 40 oz of fluid every 6 miles - 20oz water and 20oz Accelerade.

I started a little late, but was grateful for the buddy, since I would likely have laid in a little longer had he not been waiting.  I ended up making the first loop into an 8 mile loop, and it went well.  I missed my Gu’s at 6 and 9, and wasn’t drinking as much as I wanted to, negating the need to stop at the car after the first loop.  The second loop went well, although by mile 10 I was feeling some stiffness in my knees and my stomach started to feel a little iffy.  Got my 12 mile and 15 mile Gu’s in, and continued with the endurolytes.  I finished the second loop at about 16 miles, and skipped the drink refill again.  I was still going strong, but ready to be done.  The last 2 miles went well, although having someone alongside helped immensely.  Normally when I see the end, my brain starts shutting things down, but pride prevailed, and I finished the last 250 yds at under 7 minute mile pace.  The entire run took a minute less than 3 hours, for an average of just under 10 minute miles.  Not stopping for refills meant that I ran the entire distance continuously and it felt good.

I feel like I am ready for St. George.  I’m excited for the downhill, since that will help me increase the pace a little, andrace day adrenaline is going to help a great deal as well.  I also tried some recovery techniques from the months issue of Runners World and the definitely seemed to help out a great deal.

The only negative from the run, was that I arrived home, and my stomach promptly declared war.  I need to find a way of determining if it was the endurolytes, the stress of running that distance, or if I picked out some kind of stomach bug and it wasn’t related at all.

read comments (4)