Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Marathon Training Week 4 Recap: Searching for an Oasis!

I'm really thirsty...not too much farther...is it?

Week Four of my marathon training ended with a Long Run (9 miles), and that distance, coupled with the heat and humidity of a Florida Summer, caused me to really start planning out my long runs from temperature, nutritional, and hydration standpoints.

For temperature, I have chosen to start my Long Runs in the dark (this nine miler began at around 5:30am); and even though the sun will rise before the run is done, my philosophy is that my body will be heating up as Florida heats up. In addition, a few people (like me) run their sprinklers before sunrise, so I can always grab a handful of water to splash on my forehead...or, if it's already hot, I can return to childhood and run right through them!

For nutrition, I typically eat a CLIF Bar about a half hour before I head out, so my initial energy is taken care of. Beyond that, at mile three, I start taking some energy supplements (my choice right now are the Power Bar Energy Gel Blasts) and continue to do so every few miles.

That brings me to water, the element I know my body gets rid of the fastest on my runs, thus making it the most important element to replace. But here's the challenge...after researching that a body needs four ounces of water every mile (approximately), coupled with knowing that my hydration belt carries 32 ounces of water (enough for eight miles...well, nine, because I drink enough before the run for the first couple of miles), I knew that I needed to scout out watering holes on my nine miler to prepare for the longer runs coming up.

Oh, the easy (and somewhat boring) thing to do is to plan my Long Runs around running back by my house every five to eight miles, refilling my water each time I stop by. To be honest, though, I really like going somewhere on my Long Runs. I like leaving the neighborhood and heading out on an adventure of sorts...so that's what I do. Thus, on last week's run - for which I knew I had enough water - I went out on a mission, a quest to search for places where I can replenish my stores.

There is something fundamentally primal about searching for water...although, to burst my own bubble, at worst, there are a couple of convenience stores and a McDonald's that could have ultimately served my purpose. But I decided to take a route with which I was somewhat but not fully familiar. I knew there was a sports (soccer/lacrosse) field about three miles from my house, but I wasn't sure whether it had any water fountains. After checking it out, I discovered that there was no water to be found...but, as a side note, it does have a portalet, which might come in handy someday.

But when running around the field, I noticed a paved path going through the woods to what looked to be more sports fields, which I never knew were even there (my daughter's a swimmer, so I know where the pools are). Coming out of the woods revealed to me a baseball complex with four fields and a center building...with public restrooms and water fountains!!! This oasis is about three miles from my house, and it will serve a definite purpose as my runs began to stretch out even farther. In fact, on Week 6's Long Run of 11 miles, I will be searching for yet another watering hole even farther away from home. I know there's a high school not too much farther up the road, so if I can get to its track and football field, I know I'll have found that next oasis!

Here's the training recap for last week, as well as this week's already-in-progress plan...

Marathon Training - Week Four (July 22 - July 28)
Monday - 5.18 Mile Run (10:35 Pace)
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Wednesday - 4.13 Mile Run (10:09 Pace)
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 9.2 Mile Run (Training Pace of 11:49)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Easy 2/2 Run/Walk Intervals (2.94 Miles)

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 23.48 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 81.09


Marathon Training - Week Five (July 29 - August 4)
Monday - 4.17 Mile Run (10:18 Pace) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - 5.08 Mile Run (10:33 Pace) - COMPLETE
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 4 Mile Run
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run

Have a great week, make sure you drink enough water, and until next time, enjoy your journey...


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

One Year on the Pavement


On July 23, 2012, with my wife Michelle's encouragement to "just go out there and run," I started running again after a twenty-six-year break.
 
I woke up at around 5:15am on that hot and humid Monday morning, threw on a pair of gym shorts (not running shorts), a white cotton tee shirt (sweat retaining - not a running shirt), golf socks (not sweat resistant), and what I thought was a decent pair of sneakers I had purchased at an outlet mall (I was wrong). After drinking about twelve ounces of water, I walked out my front door at around 5:30. I had neither Garmin nor running app to track my pace or mileage...and I had no clear-cut plan but to "just go out there and run." 
 
I guess the plan at that time was really about running for weight loss. You see, while I had lost about thirty pounds over the first six months of the year, my dieting had gotten me to a weight loss plateau, which is a dangerous place for a habitual dieter. But rather than repeating past behavior and accepting life at an obese 245 pounds, which would have ultimately taken me back to 275, the guy in this picture was ready for a real change.
 
Late June 2012 - Just a few weeks before the First Run
 
So after a few stretches that I had recalled from my athletic past, I walked to my mailbox and just started running. Immediately, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to keep this up for very long...my breathing was almost instantaneously labored, my fat was uncomfortably bouncing to and fro, and there were varying levels of pain shooting through my body.

I thought to myself, "okay...keep pushing...just make it to Jack and Tina's house, and then you can walk." And I did...so I did. Only later, when checking on MapQuest, did I find out that they were just over a quarter mile up the street.

After reaching Jack and Tina's, I decided that I was going to walk until I felt good enough to run again. Well, when I reached Eric and Bet's house, I figured I would turn around and start running back home. It turns out that they were about a half mile more up the way, so I had gone a total of three quarters of a mile.

I can't recall how long I ran the next time, but I am certain it wasn't another quarter mile. In fact, to the best of my knowledge and memory, I don't know how many run/walk intervals it took to get me through that three-quarter-mile stretch...but I believe that the walking was about equal to the running. At least that's what I tell myself.

That's pretty much how my first month of run/walking went. I ran/walked the same route five days a week for a month, and each time I tried to run a little more than I had the last time...no matter what. I iced my knees and left foot after every run. I took Aleve at least twice a day. I sweat like crazy even for hours following my showers. At times I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep this up. And at others I just wanted to quit.

But I didn't.

I just kept running.

And on a fateful day about a month later, I started running at my mailbox, right past Jack and Tina's, all the way to Eric and Bet's, and then all the way back home. A mile and a half...without stopping!

Over the course of the next eleven months, I worked through two programs on my phone ("Couch to 5K" and "5K to 10K"), ran the entire distances without walking through eight road races (four 5Ks, a 6K, a Five Miler, a 10K, and a 15K), burned over 114,000 calories, and logged over 775 miles on the pavement.

And I found this guy along the way...

Late June 2013 - What a difference a year makes
I'm now lost without my Garmin (pun intended), my shorts and shirts have names like moisture-management Mizunos or dry tech Asics, my running shoes are custom fit at the Jacksonville Running Company, my visor shades my eyes from the sun while absorbing my sweat, my DryMax socks minimize my blister risk levels, and my water (and gels) come with me on something I call a hydration belt.

So I guess this guy's a runner...
 
Hey...is that guy wearing a Garmin?

Speaking of which, here is the marathon training recap from last week, as well as this week's plan...a nine miler on the docket for Friday!

Marathon Training - Week Three (July 15 - July 21)
Monday - 4.10 Mile Run (10:30 Pace)
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Wednesday - 5.15 Mile Run (10:35 Pace)
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 3.12 Mile Run (9:19 Pace)*
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run of  2.60 Miles

Total Miles on the Pavement - 17.06 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 57.61

*Fastest pace for any run to this point!


Marathon Training - Week Four (July 22 - July 28)
Monday - 5.18 Mile Run (10:35 Pace) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - 4.13 Mile Run (10:09 Pace) - COMPLETE
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 9 Mile Run (Target training pace of 12:00)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run

So year number two on the pavement is underway.

I'm just going to keep running.


Until next time, enjoy your journey...



Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Marathon Training - Week Two - Did I Just Swim that Seven-Mile Run?

Before I get into this post, I will throw out there that I know, fully understand, and compassionately acknowledge that it is incredibly hot and humid around the entire country right now. That said, if I make mention of the fact that running in Florida in the Summer can be a ridiculously hot (and/or humid) endeavor, you don't need to send me the "it's as hot here as it is in Florida" message...I know it is, and I'm sorry you're going through it.

I actually had a conversation with a business colleague / runner from the Midwest the other day, and he let me know that I must be crazy to run in and to deal with this type of heat all Summer, every Summer. While I didn't argue against my own propensity for being a bit nutty, I did point out that once November rolls around and we get that first "cool" (well, cooler) morning, it's typically pretty nice running weather here for about five months...not too brisk (although we do have freezes in North Florida), not too hot (well, most of the time anyway).

But that certainly isn't the case right now, in the midst of the third week of my marathon training schedule. This time of year in Florida, as a runner, you pretty much have three options...

  1. Run before the sun rises or as it is rising...temp is a little bit lower in the pre-dawn dark (mid 70s), but the humidity is higher (90% to 95%)
  2. Run as the sun is setting...temp is higher than morning (low 80s), but the humidity is lower (70% to 80%)
  3. Run in the sun...and melt. (This choice is not recommended)
I actually go with the first option. While the humidity is ridiculously high, having the temperatures in the 70s (at least at the start of the run) seems less uncomfortable than having temperatures in the 80s. Either way, it's uncomfortable...but for me the early run gets the nod over the late one.

Which brings me to last week's really earlier-than-the-normal-6:00am run. On Friday of Week Two, I had a seven-mile run on the docket, and knowing that I was going to run at a "training" pace of 12:00 per mile, I knew that I'd be looking at about an hour and a half on the pavement. Thus, in order to minimize the heat, I got up at 4:50, drank a good amount of water, ate a CLIF bar, filled up my hydration belt, and got on the road by 5:30.

At around 7:00am - and 7.10 running miles later - I walked back in my front door and looked (and felt) like I had just gone for a seven-mile swim rather than run. My clothes were soaked, my body was drenched, my fingers were pruned, and what I needed more than anything was a towel...well, and a shower.

But here's the deal. It felt pretty damned satisfying to walk in that door knowing that I had battled not only the run but also the weather that's not really all that conducive to running. It felt good to go to bed and get up early for no other reason than to pound the pavement, to train for a marathon. It felt good knowing that this was the first of many longer runs that I will be undertaking in the heat of this Florida Summer (and Fall). In short, it felt good to be, well, a runner.

Here's the recap of the entire second week, as well as where I am and where I'm heading with the third...

Marathon Training - Week Two (July 8 - July 14)
Monday - 5.10 Mile Run (10:54 Pace)
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Wednesday - 4.12 Mile Run (10:33 Pace)
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 7.10 Mile Run (12:01 Pace)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run of  2.77 Miles

Total Miles on the Pavement - 21.06 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 40.55


Marathon Training - Week Three (July 15 - July 21)
Monday - 4.10 Mile Run (10:30 Pace) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - 5.15 Mile Run (10:35 Pace) - COMPLETE
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 3 Mile Run
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run


So this week is a little lighter than last, but that only means that Week Four will be all the more interesting. We'll get into that in next week's post, though.

Until then, enjoy your journey...



Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Counting Mailboxes



When I stepped back on the road last July 23rd, I began with a 1.5-mile running "course" that took me from my house to a turnaround point three quarters of a mile up the road and then back to my house. From an logistics standpoint, easy peasy; but from an execution standpoint, it felt like an ultra marathon for my then-245-pound body.

I started with run/walking, and each time it was my goal to run a little more and walk a little less than I had the previous time out; and it soon became apparent that counting mailboxes was the best way to keep track of whether I was making progress...an imperfect science, yes, as not all mailboxes are the same distance from each other...but it was a system that helped me to progress initially. At first it was, "Okay Pete...run for five mailboxes, and then walk for five." And the next time, it would be something like, "Okay Pete...run for six...and then walk for four." And so forth.

And this went on for a little over a month, at which point, with great elation, I actually ran the entire 1.5 miles without walking at all! In retrospect, that was a huge accomplishment...and the mailboxes certainly played an important part.

After this initial success, I went back to run/walk intervals with the technologically-advanced Couch to 5K app on my phone...which took over for the mailboxes and told me when to walk and when to run. But a funny thing happened along the way...those mailboxes actually remained part of my routine, and they served and continue to serve as a faithful group of friends who were and are there to greet me on my final homestretch. In fact, to this day - yes, even this very morning - when I'm returning home from a run and passing my old turnaround point, I know that I have eighteen mailboxes, eighteen supportive friends, to run past before I get to my "Cool Down" walk...and I typically pass by a couple of extra for good measure (because twenty sounds so much better than eighteen!).

And each time I count those oh-so-familiar mailboxes, I am thankful for how far my journey has taken me...and I'm excited for where it is taking me in the coming year.


Speaking of which, here is summary of my first week of marathon training (completed last week), as well as where I am in Week Two...

Marathon Training - Week One (July 1 - July 7)

Monday - 5.00 Mile Run (11:14 Pace)
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Wednesday - 4.11 Mile Run (10:36 Pace)
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 5.60 Mile Run (11:42 Pace)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run of 2.64 Miles

Total Distance on the Pavement - 19.49 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)


Marathon Training - Week Two (July 8 - July 14)

Monday - 5.10 Mile Run (10:54 Pace) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - 4.12 Mile Run (10:33 Pace) - COMPLETE
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 7 Mile Run (Goal - Training Pace between 11:30 and 12:00)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run


This is the week that I need to really start working on my training pace for the long runs, and ideally this pace should be about two minutes slower than my anticipated full marathon pace, which I'm hoping will be about 10:00 per mile by the time January rolls around.

But maybe I'll kick it up and go a little quicker when I pass those eighteen mailboxes...


Until next time, enjoy your journey...






Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Marathon Training is Underway!

In my first blog post back in January, rather than leading you to believe that I was going to be recapping my "Couch to Marathon" journey for you, I let the cat out of the bag immediately and confessed that you were joining my journey in the middle of the action...or, in literary terms, in media res. Over the last six months, if you've been one of my dedicated readers, you've read about my adventures as a former competitive athlete, a smoker, an overeating obese individual, a person arriving at a crossroads, a dieter, a runner, a road race competitor, a husband, a father, and so on. To this very moment, however, I don't think I've really shared anything about a marathon...which at the end of the day pretty much flies in the face of the title at the top of this web page.

Well, all of that is about to change, as this week marks the first week of training for my first full marathon, which I will be undertaking at Walt Disney World on January 12, 2014! As this will be my first 26.2-mile trek, I am embarking on a 29-week training plan (28 before and then a cool down week following the event) that is actually a hybrid of a Jeff Galloway and a Hal Higdon schedule. If I were planning to run/walk the marathon, I would probably stick with Galloway for the entire time; but since I'm planning to run the entire distance, as well as all the training distances, I decided to employ some Higdon training when I get to Week 11.

Before I give you the Week 1 schedule, however, let me first tell you about my "official" July weigh in, which was positive...

Weight - 182.0 Pounds

Total Loss in June - 4.8 Pounds

Total Loss since January 2012 - 93.6 Pounds!


And here are last week's workout results, as well as the Week One Marathon Training Schedule...


June 24 - June 30

Monday - 4.00 Mile Run (10:31 Pace)
Tuesday - 4.30 Mile Run (10:39 Pace)
Wednesday - 3.00 Mile Run (9:53 Pace)
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 5.10 Mile Run (11:16 Pace)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run of 2.77 Miles

Total Distance on the Pavement - 21.86 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)


Marathon Training - Week One (July 1 - July 7)

Monday - 5.00 Mile Run (11:14 Pace) - COMPLETED
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETED
Wednesday - 4.11 Mile Run (10:36 Pace) - COMPLETED
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 5.5 Mile Run
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run

So I am off and running (yes...the pun is intended) with my marathon training, and I am actually very excited about the next 27.5 weeks leading up to the Disney marathon. I know that some of the training will be difficult, but I also know in my heart that the hill is worth climbing!

I guess it goes without saying, then, that I am enjoying and will be continuing to enjoy my journey.

Until next time, be sure to enjoy yours...