ICP (not intracranial pressure)/ holidays/ end of year 2

Welcome resolutionists for the next 2 weeks, give or take

Holiday commercial

To cross off the list of "Things I never want to experience again" (hello, Requiem for a Dream viewing), I ran next to some guy who:

1) prayed to the machine

2) hit various parts of it

3) jumped/ skipped every couple of minutes

4) shouted/ cursed around to everyone in the vicinity

5) either forgot to take something or was on something

Then, he galloped off the treadmill after an hour (because subconsciously he thought he could outlast me, wrong). It made sense when I saw what was on his sweatshirt.

Insane Clown Posse fan aka a Juggalo.

What's that, you ask? Here's a sample (NSFW). SNL spoofed this but in my mind how do you even spoof something that already is a spoof of the human race?

Then I have to wonder, why are you at a gym if you are high?

Rollin on 20s

(map of run)

(mile marker 8)

An impromptu Class of 2010 reunion happened as Sean and Knapp ran 12 and Kevin and myself ran 20.

What I learned:

Chinese food, 6.5 hrs of sleep, and Guinness = not as fresh as my first 20.

post-run meal of J's Deli Pilgrim sub + Yoo-Hoo hits the spot.

Last 30 days, 200 miles. No wonder why I am more tired than usual at work.

GPS watch with HR monitor:

-if I run fast, my HR increases

-randomly had a HR of 185 @ mile 17.5

38 Days till Miami Marathon!

What's in the Ear Buds

With the recent jump in to the 21st century by myself, I figured I would try podcasts again as recommended by my fellow runners. I gave Adam Carolla, NPR, and Marathon Talk (episode 85 features Bart Yasso) a try.

good idea: running speed workouts.

great idea: Yasso 800s aka 10 X 800.

meta idea: Doing Yasso 800s with Bart Yasso on the iPod.

bad idea: running after eating a dinner featuring salmon.

All in all a good experiment but I may still be partial to my run playlist. Plus, I got to stick with what I've been doing for most of my training.

Training Notes

I read about a recent race in Vegas that got crappy reviews and I'm glad Knapp chose this one.

Click to check out the reviews.

Running half a long run with people is so in. Saturday's 20 miler was split into an 8 with the Cumberland crew and 12 solo. The last 1/3 was spent around race pace.

Michael Scott was in search of the next golf course for business meetings. Chili's and an awesome blossom?

No sir, it's long runs. Long runs have been where I've been conducting business.

Stats geeks who may read this (fantasy baseball cough), I share your love of numbers now that I wear my HR monitor strap to and from runs.

While driving: 60s for my HR

post run: 70s

need to conduct more activities with said HR monitor/bra strap.

Training update

My marathon training has been very lack luster so far this year.  It started off strong, I put in 5 or 6 straight weeks of yasso workouts before training started then kicked off the training by putting an aggressive schedule together (compared to my previous years) and I was off.  I felt good minus the usual shin splints I get in the beginning of training every time.  Clocked in my first 2 10 mile runs at 7:39 and 7:37 pace respectively and I was feeling good.  Then I got busy, missed a run or two and got “sick”, not sick like oh I can’t do anything sick but just like eh I’m kinda run down, I don’t have much energy sick.  My pace for a 7 mile run last week was down to 8:08 and I had to really work hard for it, the legs weren’t there.  This Saturday I ran what I sought out to be 12 mile run, but it turned into a 7 miler at 8:10 pace then the gym cause yet again my legs weren’t there.

Greg, always concerned for my well being decided that it wasn’t safe for me to run at night (not much choice since its dark when I wake up and when I get home) like I’d been doing, even though I had a reflective vest that makes me look like a crossing guard, so he bought me some new gear.  This sweet Saucony jacket and matching hat.  The jacket is good stuff, comfortable, reflectors all around and even comes with a LED light that can blink or just be on with visibility up to 100 yards.  The hat is made out of some sweet material that keeps your head super warm, but doesn’t bottle up the sweat like the beanie I was using.  So I’m hoping this new gear (look good, feel good, feel good, run good) plus going to bed earlier every day will jumpstart what I’m looking at as Phase 2 of the marathon training: Get down to business.

Random thoughts from training thus far:

- The lights have been on at the track near me for soccer practices and football which made the yasso’s kinda cool running under the lights.  Well that season must be over because last week’s yasso was run in pitch darkness.  There were 3 other people running, all of whom I couldn’t see until they were about 2 feet away from me.  Running in the complete darkness is odd, its tough to pace yourself cause you cant really see how fast your going, but its oddly peaceful.

- I want to break the elusive 3:30 barrier this year, since I’ve never even broken 3:36 it shall be interesting

- 52 days till we fly down to Miami, insaneeeeeeeeee

- Tried to get Jrad and his girl in on the half marathon, no dice

- It’d be awesome to run a marathon in the fall so we can train in the summer when the weather is nice and the sun is actually up when we get home from work.  Why do they schedule all of these in the beginning of the year.  Chicago next time anyone?

- I’m very impressed with the RI crew’s training so far, already up to 19 miles, Sri and Nikki up to 10, well done everyone!

19 miles, 4 strong, and the 6 million dollar man

Four runners (Sri, Nikki, Knapp, myself) took on 48 miles AND several feet of Subway subs with a trip to Seabra Supermarket. Like the Commodores sang, it's Easy like Sunday Morning.

The 19 miler, 2 more than the 17 miler last weekend, was today's challenge. I also rolled out for the very first time the Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS watch, (thanks rents) on my left wrist and a back up watch on my right wrist because there's no way I am starting over on a 19 miler due to technical difficulties. With iPod in tow, I felt like the 6 Million Dollar Man minus the sweet sound effects. At the very least, a runner from the future (if it was the 1960s).

I pulled pacing duty earlier in the week for Knapp so Knapp and I ran the first 9 together at a good clip around 9:45, then the last 10 went from 9:30 to running the last four miles around 8:30 with a finishing 8:19 19th mile. Why? Wind of KOB's 16 miler at 9:20 pace, wanting to hit the proverbial and physical wall to get a feel for it before the race, high fives from Sri and Nikki on the second leg of my run, and just great weather.

I couldn't intentionally slow my pace (this is in no way a front-handed Dean Karnazes self congratulatory pat on the back) so I guess in the words of Ice Cube, today was a good day. And that is how I squeeze in multiple cultural references in one entry.

17

(mile 2 of my 17-er)
Salt clinging to my head and arms, legs sore, ice cold shower in the winter, optimism in my head. It can only mean one thing: I just finished a long run.

I decided to hit it old school with Wu-Tang Clan blaring out of my Walkman of the 21st century and actually running out there in the streets. Thanks to the holiday/ Black Friday, the streets were pretty empty as I easy paced it around town.

That is, until I found out (TMI) that my bowels still have a 2 hour maximum. So I had to retreat to the ol' gym and treadmill the last 7, 3 at 10 minute pace and the last 4 at race pace.

For me, the hardest part of these insta-longest runs of my life is the mental aspect. For a while, I've plateaued as far as my mileage so I really haven't had to pump myself unless it was before a race. Now, I have to watch inspirational videos, amp myself up, and keep thinking :gulp: positively. You have to right after crossing that threshold because no one is there to make sure you run that XX-miler. I become more humbled mile by mile at people who have run a marathon because they are some combination of talented, have tremendous heart, or are positive to the point the glass isn't half full or half empty but all the way full.

Cell phone on the run:

pros: pictures

cons: telemarketers

P.S.

With ice packs on my legs, I realize how ridiculous the first version of Running Tang was, with ice on my knees after each 3 mile run.

P.P.S.

After my long run, what should I appear in my mailbox but an early Christmas present, Garmin 405 with bra-like HR monitor. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Training

5k Results:

Norwell Turkey Trot

Kevin O'Brien 22:24.1, 2nd in age group

Andrew Knapp 22:46, 3rd in age group (PR)

Nikki Hilliard 30:53.8

Sri Vallabhaneni 31:39.7

Dallas Running Club 5k

John Tang 25:14, 2nd in age group (PR)

Lisa Tang 28:27, 3rd in age group

Sunday:

Not too much to report on training, just trying to fit training in with my life/work. Sunday's 16 has been bumped to Tuesday since working the weekend meant I'd have to wake up at 5 if I wanted to. 3rd shifts and no sleep = Tuesday.

Doing the math in my head, if I follow the plan, I'd run 16 Tuesday, 17 Sunday, and for the week be at 50+. Keep in mind, 45 is the most I've done in a 7-day span and these two long runs will be insta-longest runs in my life. What do I have to do? Shut off my brain and trust my legs (then bury them in ice).

Also, Lunaracer+'s, like all Nikes, look amazing. As far as the feel so far, my feet may be too wide for em.

Tuesday:

East Bay Bike Path 16, the good, the bad, and the ....ok?

The Bad News:

East Bay Bike Path is closed until APRIL 2012. So I had to make due and run around East Providence/ Providence.

Bikers can't read signs; they are supposed to walk their bikes across the bridge that connects India Point to East Bay (oh yeah, I crossed that bridge).

I can go 2 hours before I need a bathroom break.

The Good News:

12 miles in and I had to drive to my gym for said bathroom break. What should happen next?

Rain.

16 miles, new longest run and it feels great.

Encouraging honking from a female makes the rolling hills of the official Scenic Route Veterans Memorial Parkway easier.

Knapp was right; Gu gummies midway helped (even if it was a placebo effect). Time to stock up this weekend.

The ... OK/Usual News:

The last 4 miles were on the treadmill so it wasn't a continuous 16 (if it was, I would have needlessly lost a pair of good shorts and underpants).

A triathlete looking guy (does that make most of us uni-athletes?) ran around with low T-Rex hands.

Spumoni ice cream and lack of quality of sleep due to a Breaking Bad marathon is not a solid plan pre-long run.

Ridiculousness

Check out this sweet interactive exhibit at the NYC Marathon, I wonder how we could do against Ryan Hall for 60 feet...
http://gizmodo.com/5859048/giant-video-wall-lets-you-get-smoked-by-a-marathoner