14 posts tagged “running”

(Disclaimer: I've said it before and I've said it again - I do not consider myself a "real runner," so if my finishing times are laughable to you - please move on, there's nothing to see here.) 

Today I am gloriously sore.  

This past Sunday was the culmination of several months of training; I finally completed the Grand Rapids Half-Marathon in 2 hours and 2 minutes.  

In truth, although my official goal was to try and finish in 2 hours or less, I've had the sinking feeling all along that I wasn't going to make it.  While training, although my longest long run peaked at 15 miles, it was essentially just plodding along at a 10:30 to 10:45 pace.  When I did my last "fast" long run at 10 miles two Sundays ago, the pace was at most just a little over 9:30.  And while I was able to sustain a 9:00 pace consistently for 4 miles or so, I just knew I wasn't going to be able to hold 9:09 for two straight hours.  

With that in mind, I dejectedly but unofficially reduced my "realistic" target time to somewhere in between 2:05 and 2:10.  Imagine my surprise at coming in 3 minutes faster and just 2 minutes over 2 hours.  

The race started out as planned, with me doing the first few miles at 9:45 and slowly increasing my pace by 15 seconds for every mile after the 4th or 5th.  Sound strategy (or so it seemed), as I did not want to come out too fast and "hit the wall" at around mile 10.  

Now I've heard about the "adrenaline" effect of running in a big race, but never having felt it before (despite the few 5- and 10ks that I've run to date), I didn't know if it was a myth or just something that "true" runners experience.  Imagine my surprise then when, upon reaching mile 9 with my pace at a healthy 9:15, I realized that I wasn't even close to getting tired.  Stealing a look at my trusty Garmin 305, I realized that I "only" needed to run the remaining 4 miles or so in 34 minutes to reach the magic 2 hour mark.  I decided to give it a go and run the rest of the race as fast as i could.    

On reviewing my splits, it seems that I finished the last 4 miles or so at a roughly 8:48 pace, which means that I could have completed a 5k in 27:20 - just 11 seconds shy of my PR - at the end of my Half-Marathon!  This is frankly something I didn't think I was capable of, and it makes me wonder if I shouldn't have started out a little faster and tried a little harder... although, as my battered legs can attest, I'm not quite sure I had any more effort left to exert. 

To be honest, this was not nearly as dramatic as it could have been.  There was none of that "pain is only temporary, but glory lasts forever" crap going through my mind, just a simple "Wow, I am really doing this, let's see how long I can keep it up" sentiment.  

I suppose that's what the "runner's high" that I keep hearing about really is - a sense of well-being that makes you go beyond your preconceived limits.  Unfortunately for me, it doesn't seem like those limits were meant to be crossed, hence the current inflammation of every piece of connective tissue from my toes to my butt, which shows no signs of abating at all soon.  Owwww.  

Still, what this makes me realize is that what once seemed like a pipe dream - that is, eventually running a full 26.2, may actually be doable.   For now I'll just have to subsist on a steady stream of Ibuprofen and wait for the pain to pass.  

I haven't committed to anything yet, but I'm already browsing for a full marathon in the spring.  Mayhap one will look interesting enough (and fit into my schedule) to join.  Target time: 4 hours.  Realistically around 4:15, but we'll see.  

Ever the supportive wife, Gianina bought me a "13.1" magnet to stick on my car a few weeks ago, which we finally got to put on.  I hope to be able to put a "26.2" on there soon. 

This year i finished The Greatest 5K Ever in 29:09. 

I realize that this year's finish is 5 seconds slower than last year, which marked my "breaking" of the artificial 30-minute barrier.  However i do have an excuse in that i ran while pushing Adrian along in a stroller.

Running in the "stroller division," i mistakenly thought that i would have a chance at placing... unfortunately i finished fifth out of six, and the only one i beat was a lady just lazily walked through with a Maclaren.  Argh!  At least when i try to manually look for my overall place it looks like i'm in the vicinity of 170/296.  I guess i'll just have to take comfort in the fact that i still outran almost half of the field while "handicapped."  I must admit that i did feel a twinge of schadenfreude whenever i overtook someone. 

Anyway, i wasn't really looking to PR, but rather just to gauge my level of readiness for the upcoming half-marathon in two weeks.  I guess i'm somewhat fit now, as breaking 30 minutes didn't bring me as close to death's door as it did last year.  I still most likely won't reach the magical 2-hour mark, but i will try my darndest to get as close as i can. 

So a few weeks ago i "sidegraded" from a Nokia N95 8GB to an iPhone 3GS (i can't really call it an upgrade because the camera downgrade to 3MP sans flash is *almost* intolerable).  Although i've almost completely made the transition over to this "convergence" device, one issue that i definitely had to figure out was how to go out on a run with it.  Previously i had used a neoprene armband with my Nokia (which was a good running companion because of its compact size, FM radio, and ability to play mp3 files), so i simply assumed that there would be a similar product for the iPhone. 

(Running with a phone is not a minor point for me.  Although i do take long runs with some regularity now, i am still fearful of a time when i could "hit the wall" right in the middle and get stranded 6 miles from home, twist my ankle, or get bitten by a rabid squirrel.) 

There are actually at least 3 reputable companies that manufacture armbands compatible for the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2nd Gen (which are about the same size).  Unfortunately their products all fit the phone pretty snugly, and since mine is always wrapped in an InCase Protective Cover, there is no way for me to put it in without the inconvenience of removing the aforementioned first and putting it back when done, which can be a royal pain given the rubberized texture. 

After some research, i finally decided to get an  Armpocket Sport 20.  Details such as the material it's made of, dimensions, yada-yada can be found on their website; what's important to me is that i can take my phone in and out without too much hassle and still be able to use the touch screen without being needlessly encumbered. 

It's a little thick, but not heavy, and with ample space to carry whatever little odds and ends i need when going out on a long run (i.e. gu, cash, and a key). 

It was an "anniversary" run for me as last year's Mitchell's Run Thru Rockford was my first time participating in an organized footrace.  At least i'm doing something right despite my recent disappointment with the Reeds Lake 10k, as i finished five minutes faster than last year.  At this rate, i'll finish next year's run at around 22 minutes, and in 2013 i should be able to break all records - not to mention some laws of nature - by finishing it in just 2. 

It's nice to see my age grade inching ever upwards.  Maybe in few more months i can break into 50% and be able to call myself "average." 

This is also the year that we welcomed my cousin Teena to the club.  I think this was her first organized footrace, and it seems that she's already eyeing a few more in the months to come. 

Another thing i did yesterday was finally commit to running the Grand Rapids Half-Marathon in October.  I've been hemming and hawing about it for the past few months but finally ponied up the $63 registration fee.  I have serious doubts about being able to complete it in 2 hours, but there's no harm in trying.  Another race that i'm mildly interested in is the Every Stride 10k, which appears to be the Michigan site for the Nike Human Race.  While the cynic in me believes that the event is only a thinly-veiled marketing ploy to sell Nike products, the wannabe-runner side is at least a little bit intrigued. 

 

This is disappointing. 

Considering that my last 10k was at least 3 months ago, i expected at least some improvement.  Granted, i may have been asking too much to shave a full minute off my PR, but to actually come in SLOWER by 25 seconds... yeesh.  At least i can still do it under 60 minutes. 

Since the moment i crossed the finish line i've been coming up with excuses, which i will decline to mention here (i am trying to teach my son not to whine, and the best way to teach is by example).  The bottom line is that i wasn't able to reach my goal and i have to train a little harder (with a focus on speed) for the next race.  More hills!  More lactate threshold workouts!  More tempo runs!  Fartlek! 

One thing i wonder about is whether or not this signifies that i'm past the n00b phase.  I've been running consistently for almost a solid year now (sporadically for around 2 years) and apparently am not deriving any more benefit from the bara-bara (anything goes) approach to running.  I absolutely refuse to believe that this is my personal plateau; while i'll never qualify for Boston, i do hope to to 26.2 at 9:00 at some point in the future.  Let's see if a few months of planned workouts helps.  I've got a few more races (albeit 5Ks) for the season, and hope to hit my peak with the Grand Rapids Half Marathon in October. 

In the past year i've become quite fond of running.  I like the challenge of trying to beat my PR, the time alone to collect my thoughts, and - every once in a while - the endorphin rush of the "runner's high."  I was actually looking forward to increasing my mileage in the Philippines and possibly even racing one or two 5Ks during our three week vacation. 

But then reality came up, slapped me in the face, gave me a suplex, and kicked me while i was down. 

Upon awakening at 6 in the morning on that fateful first day, i checked the weather: eighty-seven degrees fahrenheit with 60% humidity.  The run started out as planned (i.e. joints and muscles in good working order), but within five minutes i was sweating bullets.  Although i didn't need to walk at any point, it felt like i dragged myself for the entire TWO MILES that i ran. 

And the hills!  I don't think there was ever a stretch of flat ground where we lived.  It's something i've never noticed before which becomes painfully obvious after a little while.  I guess that's why the place is named "Hillsborough."  Serves me right for training mostly on flat ground.

I suspect my problem was mostly the weather.  In the past six months i've acclimated to running in the cold, West Michigan climate.  Even with temperatures routinely below fifty fahrenheit in the week prior to our departure, i was regularly finishing easy four-milers with just one layer of clothing.  In fact i was running in shorts and a t-shirt at mid-fifties (to those who know me well, this is in fact a HUGE deal for me, as once the ambient temperature hits fifty degrees i already go out in longjohns).   Being a person who prefers warm weather, i thought it would be a simple matter to just transplant my routine to the Philippines.  Big mistake. 

Subsequent runs were not much better.  At least after a few days i found that i could still complete a sub-30-minute 5K (albeit with much difficulty) and finish a 4-miler. But my dreams of running a 5K in the short time i was there went down in flames. 

From a techincal standpoint i wonder what i should have done better.  For one, i realized that i need to incorporate more hill training into my runs.  For another, i guess i need to adjust my fluid intake based on ambient conditions.  I know should be obvious from the get-go to any random fool... but of course i am an exceptional fool. 

At least GPS tracking works.  Here's the run that i did for my 4-miler:

This was in Muntinlupa City, which is just south of Manila.  For a better view:

Since we're zooming out, it's interesting to see how far that is from where i usually run:

(DISCLAIMER: Although i run for sport and pleasure, i do not consider myself a "runner."  I realize that my times and speeds are laughable for some; the observations and analyses herein are made for my own benefit and for whoever may be interested/entertained.)

Normally on my regular runs i just listen to podcasts - TWiT and Engadget being my two favorites.  However, a recent issue of Runner's World referenced a study wherein music improved runners' performances.  So, on a whim, i decided to make my own "running mix" to help with the 10k. 

I decided to go for a range of 140-180 beats per minute (bpm), which i felt roughly corresponded with my strike rate.  Of course i didn't want to exhaust myself too quickly, so i started slow at 140 and built up to 174 at the end.  Not wanting to spend any money, i just raided my hard drive for old mp3 files and used an online beat counter to determine suitability.  Interestingly, out of the hundreds of songs i have stored, less than twenty were usable.  I eventually ended up with 16 songs with a total time of 58:20:

*Tuloy Pa Rin Ako - Side A Band	140
Mr. Jones - Counting Crows	142
Lump - Presidents of the United States of America	142
*Prinsesa - Teeth	145
DOA - Foo Fighters	145
Roll to Me - Del Amitri	150
Run-Around - Blues Traveler	151
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms	152
Animals – Nickelback	154
Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins	157
The Middle - Jimmy Eat World	162
All My Life - Foo Fighters	168
Take on Me - a-ha	168
Basket Case - Green Day	170
Vasoline - Stone Temple Pilots	172
Footloose - Kenny Loggins	174

* OPM or "Original Pilipino Music." 


(I of course was going more for rhythm than "inspirational value," which is why "Eye of the Tiger" (110bpm) and "We are the Champions" (65bpm) did not make the cut.  I did toy around with putting "Livin' La Vida Loca" (178bpm) at the end, but arrogantly thought that i wouldn't need it.  Pfft, shows how much i know!) 

One important observation is that i only really start "hitting my stride" when "Animals" starts blaring out (at 30:58).  Somehow the opening riff seems to suck all the weariness out of my body and makes me feel like the start of the race all over again.  From there, the tempo just keeps picking up, helping me ignore the beginning soreness in my legs and control all my huffing and puffing.  This corresponds to how my splits played out: by the end of mile 3, my pace had dropped down to around 9:54, but at the end of mile 4 it went back up to 9:36.  By the beginning of mile 6 ("Basket Case"), i had already overtaken 5 people (who seemed like they were beginning to slow down - maybe they were listening to Air Supply?) and was coasting along at roughly between 9:10 and 9:20.  I admit that near the end my legs were almost dead - but Kenny Loggins just wouldn't let me quit! 

Does that imply that i should have started with a more upbeat tempo?  I guess i could have finished faster if i did, but i could also have "hit the wall" early and just crawled to the finish. 

When i finally throw my hat over the fence for that half-marathon, i think i'll have to drop some money and come up with a 2-hour mix.  At that point i think i'll need to start at 150bpm though, as my target time of 2 hours requires a 9:09 pace. 

Someone who's not interested in trying to figure out bpms for himself could just go to a website like this one.  There's a ton of resources available on the internet for running music. 

So today i finished my first 10k, the aptly-named Hudsonville Eagle 10k.

Recently there seems to have been a series of "smash-and-grab" GPS thefts in our area (i.e. a friend in Ada and in our apartment complex on the southeast side), so we decided to take steps to minimize our chances of being victimized.  Obviously, the best way to do this would be to simply NOT LEAVE THE GPS UNIT IN THE CAR, but Gianina has always worried that the imprint left by the suction cup on the windshield would be an invitation to thieves to break into the car anyway. 

After much research, i decided to purchase the Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad (try to say that three times fast) for use with our Garmin c340.  It's a fairly inexpensive thing that you can put on your dashboard and attach the suction mount to.  The underside is rough enough to stick to the dashboard of our 2007 Honda CR-V and it's got a decent enough heft that it doesn't fall off when i accelerate (at least it hasn't yet). 

Of course, like i said - the best way would be to just take the unit with you when you leave the car.   

Adrian seems to be developing into a picky eater, preferring his own limited menu to what his parents eat.  We're trying our best to sway him from the dark side but sometimes it feels like a losing battle.  So in an attempt to "consolidate" the food on our table, we combined his Organic Elmo Tomato Soup with some Wolfgang Puck Tomato Soup:

I don't claim to be a hardcore runner, but the winter is just cramping my style.  Since the start of December, my mileage has already taken a precipitous drop:

It's the snow that gets to me.  I don't mind the cold; i just run in three layers (Gianina even got me a mask for when it gets face-numbing).  I don't mind the early sunsets either; i picked up a little headlamp from amazon.com that keeps me visible for (i hope) hundreds of feet.  The ice isn't too bad; i just tread lightly for a few feet and then i'm off again.  No, it's the snow. 

I hate the way my feet sink in through six inches of not-quite-frozen snow, and i hate pulling my feet back out with my shoes and socks all moist and clammy.  Then i have to slosh my way through the next few miles wondering how soon it'll be before i catch frostbite and my toes fall off.  I've tried to run outside a couple of times in the past few weeks, and it's almost been torture. 

I guess i'm being wimpy about this.  After all, REAL runners run outside through rain or sleet or snow, but like i said - i don't claim to be a hardcore runner. 

I wonder if there's special shoes or socks to help me run outside, but i think all the running footwear is geared towards "wicking" the moisture away from your feet.  And - for a sport that's supposed to be relatively cheap - i've already spent enough money on gear that i hate to throw any more away for it. 

I'm trying hard to get my mileage up to finish a decent 10k in the spring and a half-marathon this fall.  Unfortunately, until the snow lets up, it's the treadmill for me.