7/28/2009 - SF Marathon 2009: 2:50.06

Saturday night, the night before the race I went to bed at around 8:30pm. I had been going to bed around 8:45-9:30pm that entire week, and had been getting up around 5:30-6am. Thank god the Tour de France was on TV in the mornings, otherwise I would have had nothing to do that early in the morning. Saturday morning, the day before the race, I got up at 5:30 and went to the Campo track. I ran one mile easy, followed by some dynamic stretches, followed by about 250 meters as fast as I could, followed by 1 mile easy. You may ask why I would do such a thing the day before the race. Studies have shown that a short burst at well over VO2 max 24 hours before a race can help your body store substantially more glycogen. Not only that, it got the blood flowing, and woke me up early in the morning, which made it that much easier to fall asleep that night. Being that it was only a minute and a half sprint, I wasn't worried at all about it affecting me negatively for the race.

I spent most of Saturday setting everything out for the next day. I clipped/shaved down any parts of my body that I thought might chafe during the race. I shaved by legs, and applied a kinesthetic tape over my right knee which had been causing problems in the previous few weeks. I ate alot of carbs throughout the day, but stopped eating at about 6pm, just to give everything a chance to digest. I put my bib on my jersey, set out what I was going to wear for the race, and for the morning when I was warming up. I put out my breakfast, and my gels for the race. I basically set everything out so that in the morning I would have as little to do as possible.

Sunday morning, I woke up at 3:30. I applied bandaids over my nipples and applied bodyglide to prevent chafing. I ate a light breakfast, which was a banana and a high sugar, high carbohydrate energy bar. I drove to SF, and I got there around 4:15am. My heat started at 5:30am, so I had plenty of time to warmup. I ran 1 mile really easy, probably around 9 minute pace. I did a dynamic warmup, and then ran/walked another mile or so. I then went to the bathroom and cleared out my stomach. This is something that every runner worries about. There is no worse feeling that not being able to go to the bathroom before a long race. I was able to, which definately calmed me down. At this time, I met my Mom, brother, and a close family friend who had come to watch the race. It was around 5:15, and I was surprisingly calm. I debated whether or not to wear my arm warmers, but it was pretty cold, so I decided to wear them. I was planning on pulling them down somewhere in the middle of the race, but I ended up wearing them throughout the race so that was a good decision.

I started the race with the 3 hour pace group, and ran the first mile in 6:46. This was a little faster than I had originally planned, but I felt comfortable so I went with it. The next mile was 6:52, and the following was 6:45. After that I missed a couple mile markers, but I could feel myself picking up the pace. I got to the Golden Gate Bridge at mile 5, and I felt extremely comfortable. The wind really picked up on the bridge, so I tried to run closely behind the people around me. Unfortunately, at this point of the race, the runners were pretty diluted. Running with a pack in windy conditions can decrease effort by 3-5%. Carried over a few miles, this can add up to over a minute. I tried to follow the runners in front of me, and let them fight the wind, but this idea failed because they were all just a little bit too slow. I decided to just go for it, and took off by myself. I was surprised how fast the race was going, and once I got to the end of the bridge, I couldn't believe that I was only 3 miles to half way. The night before I had written on my hand where the hills were along the course, so I had a good idea of what to expect as I was running it. I knew that there was a huge downhill after the bridge, so I began to pick up the pace.

At half way, my time was 1:27.12 which was a 6:40 pace. This was about 5-10 seconds per mile under what I had originally planned. The 2nd half of the SF Marathon is substantially easier than the first half. The course is almost all downhill on the 2nd half except for one 2 mile hill from mile 14.5-16.5. Based on how I felt at half way, and my time, I knew that I had a chance to post a really fast time. At mile 15, my family was waiting for me, and seeing them was a boost of energy. My brother and friend ran about 200 meters alongside me at mile 15, and it was just what I needed at that time. At mile 20, I was at 2:12.01, and had dropped my average overall pace to 6:37. I was feeling really good at this point, and was starting to shift to a more anaerobic effort. I began to calculate in my head what I needed to do to break 2:50, and I knew that it was going to be really close. I took my last gel pack at mile 21. Miles 21-24 were probably the worst miles of my race. If anywhere in the race, this is where I missed the opportunity to make up some time. At mile 24, I knew that I was going to need to average about 6 minute miles the rest of the way to break 2:50. I pretty began to sprint and I got a boost of energy from somwhere. I ran mile 24 in 6:06, and mile 25 in 6:11. The last 1.2 miles were pretty much an all out sprint, and although I don't know how fast I was going, I would guess around 5:45 pace. As nice as it was to finish strong, at the same time it almost made me think that I should have gone faster earlier. As I was sprinting down the home stretch, I could see the clock and I knew I just missed breaking 2:50. I finished with a time of 2:50.06, but was not dissapointed at all. That time was much faster than anything I had planned on running before the race, and I was so proud of my accomplishment. I finished with an average of 6:30 per mile.

My Dad ran the 5k race, and coincidentally, finished his race at almost the same time I finished mine. Both races finish in the same location, and it was cool to see him almost immediately after I crossed the finish line. As soon as I stopped running, my calves cramped up and turned into rocks. I probably shouldn't have come to an immediate stop right after the race, but I didn't really care at that point. I had accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. There is no better feeling that seeing your hard work pay off. The pain that I was feeling in my calves, and the rest of my body was just a reinforcement to myself that I had just accomplished a tremendous physical effort. Before the race, I had basically convinced myself that this was probably going to be my fastest marathon ever. I just did not see myself putting in another trianing cycle as serious as this one. However, once I crossed the finish line, I knew I had more in me, and although I am going to take a few weeks off, I will eventually start putting some more miles into my shoes. Last year I missed qualifying for Boston by about 4 minutes, and it was my motivation for this years race. This year, I have that picture stuck in my head of the clock going from 2:49.59 to 2:50.00 before I could cross the finish line. My goal last year was to drop 4 minutes, and I dropped almost 25. My goal now is only to drop another 7 seconds.

It is weird to think that after spending my entire life as a swimmer, I might be a better runner than I ever was a swimmer. I have only been running for 2 years, and have ran a total of only 4 races in my life. The biggest thing about running these races for me is not just the time, or the accomplishment. It is the feeling of pushing myself to the absolute physical limit. It is about finding what my mind and body are capable of. It is about getting to that point where every part of my body is telling me to stop, and then going even faster. After reaching such physical limits, it makes everything else in life seem easy. One of my favorite athletes of all time, Steve Prefontaine, once said: "A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more."

Writing down my thoughts in this blog throughout my training has really helped me. It has forced me to be accountable, and has helped me track the good and bad parts of my training. I know that years from now, reading over these logs will be a huge motivating factor for me in whatever I am doing at the time. I hope that those of you that have been following my blog have found some inspiration as well.

7/23/2009 - Getting nervous!!

I ran my last hard run before the marathon today. It actually wasn't really hard. It was 4 miles at tempo pace. I didn't take a watch with me, so I don't really know how fast it was, but I just ran a comfortable pace that I felt was something I could hold for a marathon distance. Yesterday I ran 3 miles easy on a track. On Tuesday, I ran 5.5 miles at tempo.

I am definately starting to feel more and more rested. The biggest difference I notice is after I stop running. Usually when I finish a run, I can feel the lactic acid in my legs, and my legs feel heavy and worn out. Today after I finished, I felt like I had just warmed up. 2 more days of rest should really allow me to be fully rested for the race. My calves were a little tight today and yesterday. I don't know what that is from, but it is something I haven't really felt in a while. Generally, tightness gets better as the muscle warms up, so I don't think it should be an issue during the race. I would be more worried if it got worse the longer I ran.

My plan for the race is to run the first 3 or so miles at 7:00 mins/mile. After that I want to drop it down to 6:45 per mile, and hold that as long as I can. There is a pretty tough 2 mile hill at mile 14.5. If I can hold 6:45 through mile 18, I would be happy. I think at that point, there will be a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. Getting to mile 18-20 and having some energy left in the tank is the goal. I don't want to be dead at mile 18, but I also don't want to go too slow, and feel like I need to sprint to the finish to get a decent time. 6:45s consistently to mile 18 will put me in a good place. I can continue to hold 6:45s until the end, and even slow down a little, and still finish under 3 hours. If I am really feeling good, I can kick it up a notch and really go for a good time. I just need to not go out too fast. That has always been a problem of mine, even in swimming. Gaining a minute on the first 4 miles means nothing if it means losing 5 minutes on the last 4 miles.

I have dropped down to about 141 pounds for this race. I have been slowly dropping weight over the last few months, without letting it affect my training. Last year, I was at about 153 on race day. 12 pounds is alot of weight when carrying it for 26.2 miles. I will carry two gel packs with me. Also, at water stations 3 and 8, they hand out gel packs. I plan on taking gels at miles 7.5, 12, 17, and 21. I will probably skip the first water station, and hit up every one after that. The weather appears to be perfect, nice and cold haha. This is probably the only time in my life where I will refer to a forecast of 55 degrees and cloudy as perfect, but it really is perfect for race conditions.

The last thing is to have fun and not put too much stress on myself. I need to remind myself that nobody is forcing me to do this, and that this is something I have chosen to do. I am doing this as a recreation and as a hobby, and those are supposed to be things people enjoy. It is not like a swimming race where if I miss my turn or start the race is ruined. I have 3 hours of running to do. I will probably make mistakes along the way, but as long as I stay focused, listen to my body, and have fun, I know I will do well.

Tomorrow is the packet pick up. I will get my race bib and goodie bag. I will post again on Saturday and give an update. I will also give details on the race for those of you who want to come watch on Saturday.

7/19/2009 - One more week!!

I can't believe one week from today is race day! I am excited/nervous, but ready to go. I had a pretty good week, and really started to feel rested. One more week of taper and I will be good to go. I ran 41 miles this week, and felt stronger as the week went on. Yesterday I had an awesome track workout. My knee has been getting better which is a good sign. It was a little sore today, but that was expected after yesterdays workout. This week will be easy and should give it some good time to heal. I am not worried at all about how it will feel on race day.

On tuesday I ran 9 miles. It was an okay run, nothing special about it. Friday morning was a 7 mile tempo run. Again, nothing amazing about it, but it was solid. Saturday was my track workout, which was 7 miles with all the warmup and warmdown. I ran 4x800s, and was faster than I have ever been. I ran 2:37, 2:36, 2:35, 2:34. If you look at what I have been running, you will see that that wa sa dramatic improvement. I really felt like I had my legs back and wasn't running on jello legs like I had been in the past. The best part for me was that I was able to be fast from the beginning. It didn't take me forever to warm up like previous track workouts.

This morning, I ran my 13 mile run. I ran it in 1:30.35 which isnt bad at all considering that I ran my track workout yesterday afternoon. Usually I do the 13 mile runs on Tuesdays after taking Monday off so to run 1:30 was good. I would like to run the first half of my marathon at around 1:30 or under.

Overall, this week was pretty good. I am starting to feel more and more rested with every day that goes by.

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 9 mile medium long run
Wednesday - 5 mile track workout, 3x800s: 1)2:47, 2)2:45, 3) 2:43
Thursday - rest
Friday - 7 mile tempo run
Saturday - 7 mile track workout, 4x800s: 1) 2:37, 2) 2:36, 3) 2:35, 4)2:34
Sunday - 13 mile long run, 1:30.35

This week will include rest, stretching, and easy runs, with 2 tempo runs. I plan on running an easy mile with some dynamic stretches tomorrow. Tuesday, I will do a 6 mile tempo run. Wednesday will be an easy 4 miles, probably on a track. Thursday will be a 4 mile tempo run. Friday will be about 3 miles, easy and probably on a track. Saturday morning, at about 24 hours before I start the race on Sunday, I will run an easy 2 miles consisting of a dynamic warmup, 1-2 mins really fast (probably a sprint 4-600 meters), followed by a mile of warmdown. Then just rest up until the race!!

I will do a few more posts this week before the race on Sunday. I will talk about how I plan on running the race, and what my goals are. I'm going to go pick up my packet on Friday at the Expo. The Expo is always a fun event- It just gets you in that running mood, and ready to go!

7/12/09 - 2 weeks till race day

This week was supposed to be my last hard week of training before taper. However, I decided to reduce the mileage a little bit this week as well. My right knee started hurting more than usual in the middle of the week, and I did not want to risk an injury at this point. I dropped the mileage down to 42 this week, and will probably do about 40 next week, and finish with about 20 in the last week before race day.

Tuesday was my medium long run and was the best run of the week for me. I ran it in 1:29.16. For those of you who have been following my blog, you know that I've been between 1:29 high and 1:33 the last month or two, so to drop it down to 1:29 low was really good. Especially two days after an 18 miler.

Thursday was an 8 mile tempo run, and was good until the last mile or so. I sorta died at the end but thats okay. It just reassures the fact that I deserve taper. I was planning on doing an easy 4 or 5 on friday, but my knee hurt and I was exhausted so I took the day off.

On Saturday, I did a track workout, which was 5 x 800s. My times werent too impressive, but I wasn't going all out but was rather focusing on easy speed. My times were: 1) 2:52, 2) 2:51, 3) 2:45, 4) 2:43, 5) 2:44. I am going to try to do 3 or 4 800s this week sometime before the track workout next Saturday, probably wednesday. Today was an easy 15 miler. My knee was really hurting for the first 7 or 8 miles, but then went away. I am hoping that as I decrease my mileage, the pain will slowly dissapear and that with the adrenaline and excitement of the race, I won't even feel it during the actual race.

This week overall was 42 miles:
Monday - rest
Tuesday - 13 mile medium long run (1:29.16)
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - 8 mile tempo run
Friday - rest
Saturday - 6 miles overall (5x800s: 1) 2:52, 2) 2:51, 3) 2:45, 4) 2:43, 5) 2:44)
Sunday - 15 mile easy long run

7/5/09 - Last week of before taper

This week is going to be my last week of real training, and then I begin to rest up for the marathon!! I can't believe how fast time has flied. It seemed like only yesterday that the marathon was "months away." Its now exactly 3 weeks away, and with a 2 week taper, I have one week of hard training left. At the same time, my body feels about ready for taper. My legs feel dead and heavy all the time. My quads and butt have been really sore, and I can't wait to run with "fresh" legs.

Yesterday I ran the Moraga 4th of July run. It was a 5 mile run, and like the 10k a few weeks ago, I just treated it like a speed workout. I went 28.23 or something like that, which is averaging 5:38 per mile. I paced it terribly and ran the first mile in 5:18, which I paid for at the end of the race. It was a fun race though and although it would be interesting to see what I could do if I was rested, it was good speed work for the marathon. I finished in 6th behind a bunch of campo cross country runners. The results are here: http://www.campotrack.com/july4PAGES/july4results5mile2009page.html

Tuesday, I ran my 13 mile medium long run. I ran a 1:34 or so which wasn't bad considering that I ran 23 miles 2 days before. I also ran it in the middle of the day and it was really hot out. When I run, I usually rub this stuff called body glide on certain parts of my body. It looks like a deodorant stick, but it basically prevents chafing. I rub it on my toes, along the seams of my shorts, my inner thighs, my armpits, my nipples.. and basically anywhere where there is friction and where there can be chafing. I forgot to apply it for this run, and even worse I ran with my shirt off. The combination of heat, lots of sweat, and friction was bad news, and my armpits were raw and slightly bloody at the end of the run. I didn't really notice till afterwards, but it burned in the shower... oops!

Today was my long run. I ran 18 and it was painful. My bum was really sore, and my legs felt like i had weights strapped around them. I am going to need to take tomorrow off and recover if I want to do anything productive this week. The good news is that I only have a few more hard runs before I begin to back off of the mileage. My legs hurt even as I sit here right now... but its sort of a good pain. I wore my HR monitor for the run and was surprised how low my HR was. My average heart rate was 136, and the highest was 164. The run was 18 miles and took me 2 hours, 18 minutes, 56 seconds.

This week was a total of 53 miles
Monday - rest
Tuesday - 13 mile medium long run
Wednesday - 5 miles on treadmill
Thursday - 8 mile tempo run
Friday - 1 mile easy/ race warmup
Saturday - 8 miles total (5 mile race: 28.35 time)
Sunday - 18 mile run (2:18.56)

6/28/09 - HIGHs and LOWs

Every training program for any sport has its highs and its lows. Some days you feel good, and some days you feel awful. Its easy to push yourself when you feel good, but what makes a true champion is the ability to do the same when you don't feel good. Some days you are just tired, sore, feeling under the weather, feeling weak.. or just not feeling "it." It could come from any variety of reasons, such as rest, food, sleep, training. Obviously, there is a line between a bad day that you need to train through, and a day where you just need to take a break. If you are sick, injured, overtraining, etc., you need to give yourself a break... and sometimes that takes more discipline than training through it.

On Saturday, I had a bad day... and i gave up. I got frustrated and annoyed and just stopped. Afterwords, I felt terrible and I made up for it on Sunday. It was my speed workout day. I had planned on running 5 x 1 mile repeats. I don't know what it was but I just couldnt get going. I ran 2 miles warmup, but I still didn't feel warmed up. On the first mile, I ran a 5:50. Not bad, but it didn't feel right. It was too hard for a 5:50. On the second one I pushed myself as hard as I could and ran a 5:59. I was pissed, and I stopped and left the track. I should have just allowed myself to cool off and get through the workout. In reality, the times are out of my hands. All I can control is the effort I put in. I went to the gym because at least I could get some core work in, if my legs werent feeling up to par.

Anyways, I didn't warm down which was a mistake. So at night, I ran one mile easy just to get ready for today. I was planning on making up for it on Sunday. I ran a 23 mile run this morning. I had planned on running 20-21, but I added a few miles to it. It was really tough, and my legs are dead right now.

On tuesday, i did my 13 mile medium long run. I ran it in 1:31. Not as fast as last week, but I was happy with it because I ran it in the middle of the day and it was ridiculously hot.

Overall, the week wasn't bad. I am starting to feel more and more fatigued, and just walking around and up and down stairs is more difficult. However, another 2 weeks of good training, and I start to rest up for race day!! I totaled 55 miles this week.

Monday - 5 mile fartlek run
Tuesday - 13 mile medium long run (1:31.10)
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - 8 mile tempo run
Friday - rest
Saturday - 6 miles total + core
Sunday - 23 mile long run

6/22/09 - Stadium to Stadium 10K

On Saturday, I ran my first 10K race ever. I ran it in 35:45 which is an average of 5:45 per mile. I finished in 5th overall out of over 1000 participants. I treated the race as basically a Saturday speed workout, and I didn't really rest for the race. I think if I had rested and focused more on the race, I could have been a minute or two faster. The focus right now is the marathon, and maybe I will specifically train for a 10K later. The race starts at AT&T Park, the SF Giants stadium, and finishes at the 49ers Stadium. It was a pretty cool race and was very well organized. A 10K is 6.2 miles, and the course was pretty flat. There was one hill around mile 3, but other than that it was basically a straight shot. Being in 10K shape is definately different than being in Marathon shape. I didn't have that "kick" at the end, and it was sortof frustrating. One guy passed me with a half mile to go, and I just couldn't kick it into that next gear. However, I felt like I could hold the pace I was holding for another few miles. If I was training for a 10K, I would probably be running 10-15 less miles per week but with more speed oriented training. Overall, I was really glad that I ran the race. The results are here: http://buzzwordproductions.com/results/Stadium/OVER-5.HTM

Even though it was only a 10K, it was really good to just get in that race mentality. It was a dress rehearsal in a way. Just setting everything out the night before, and planning what I eat the morning of race day, and how I organize and warm up before the race was good practice. I ran about 2 miles before the race, with about 3/4 of a mile to a mile of it at race pace. I also did a good dynamic warmup. I didn't really warm down afterwards the way that I should have but I just got caught up in the race hahaha.

The rest of the week wasn't bad, considering that I was focusing on the race all week. On Monday, I was so sore from the 21 mile run the day before that I took the day off. I was planning on getting 4-5 miles in, but I had to take the day off.

Tuesday, I did my 13 mile run, and I ran it in 1:29.55. I was really pumped about that because I had been trying to run that run under an hour and half for a few weeks now, and I had been 1:31 and 1:32 the last 2 weeks.

Overall, this week I ran 50 miles. It was a little bit of a recovery week, at least in terms of mileage. Next week I plan on having another tough week, and I plan on running 20+ again on Sunday. 5 weeks till race day!! Considering that the last week and half will be mostly taper and resting, its getting close!

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 13 mile medium long run, 1:29.55
Wednesday - 4 mile run
Thursday - 7 mile tempo run
Friday - 1 mile, race day warm up
Saturday - 10K race: 35:45. Total 9 miles w/ warm up/down
Sunday - 16 mile long run

6/14/09 - 3 hour run

I did a 3 hour run today. It was 21 miles, which tells you that my pace wasn't exactly fast, but it wasn't supposed to be. I felt really strong during the last few miles, and I could probably run another 5.2 if I felt like it. It is comforting to know that finishing a marathon at this point is not really an issue. There is a big difference between running a marathon and racing a marathon. Last year, I was training to run a marathon. Right now, I am training to race a marathon, and today's run was a good reinforcement of how good of shape I am in.

Tuesday's medium long run wasn't bad. It was a little slower than last week, which was surprising because I thought I was going faster. I wanted to run it under 1:30, but I finished in 1:32.55. I ran it in 1:31.30 last week. My average heart rate was 146. Thursday was the tempo run. It wasn't quite as fast as last thursday, but it was still a good run.

I took Friday off this week. I usually run an easy 5 miles or so on Fridays, but I just needed a break. Just walking around was painful, and my legs felt really weak. I knew that Saturday and Sunday were going to be big days for my training, so I decided to take the well needed day off. It paid off because I had a really good last two days of training this week.

On Saturday, I did my track workout for the week and it was 8x800's. It was my best track workout so far, and my times were awesome. I was really happy with how it went, and the track workouts seem to be getting faster every week. My times were 1)2:51, 2) 2:49, 3)2:48, 4)2:45, 5)2:46, 6)2:47, 7)2:47, 8)2:38. Next saturday I am running a 10k race in San Francisco. It is called the Stadium to Stadium 10k. I have never ran a 10k race before so it will be interesting to see what I can go. It will basically function as my speed workout for the week.

Overall, this was another good week. It finished much better than it started out. I will probably run tomorrow even though I usually take Mondays off. I will take Friday off instead to rest up for the race on Saturday. The week finished at a total of 56 miles.

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 13 miles (1:32.55, Max HR: 170, Avg HR: 144) + weights
Wednesday - Easy 5 mile run
Thursday - 8 mile tempo run
Friday - rest
Saturday - 9 mile track workout, 8x800s (1)2:51, 2) 2:49, 3)2:48, 4)2:45, 5)2:46, 6)2:47, 7)2:47, 8)2:38)+ core
Sunday - 21 mile long run

6/7/09 - Need for Speed

I titled this weeks blog need for speed because I had some really good fast runs this week. My tempo run wasn't really tempo haha, it was more of an 8 mile sprint. I was just feeling good, and I basically went all out for 8 miles. I dont know how fast it was but I would guess mid 6's.

My track workout on Saturday was awesome. Comparing my times on the mile repeats to 2 weeks ago is like night and day. I dropped so much time overall and on the last one. To be fair, I did only run an easy 5 miles on the previous day, so I may have been a little more rested than last time. Still, I had that "easy speed" feeling, which is a sign of being in good shape. I did 4 x 1 mile, with a half mile easy in between. My times were 1)5:45, 2) 5:50, 3) 5:44, 4) 5:30. I dunno what happened on the second one, but it was good to get out and go fast from the beginning. Next week is 800s again, and the week after that I will either to 5 x 1 mile, or I might do a 10k race.

Today was the long run, and I only ran 15 miles. I was hoping to get 18-20 in, but my legs were just giving out towards the end. It definately is not ideal to go back to back on the track workout and long run, but I don't really have a choice because of my schedule. I guess I could go the long run first, but I think that would be even worse. Typically though, I do the long run in the morning... so maybe doing it in the afternoon, particularly as it becomes warmer, will give me an extra half days rest. Monday is usually an off day or easy day so that actually may not be a bad idea.

Overall, I was pretty happy with the week. The mileage dropped a little, but the quality of the runs were much better. Took an ice bath after the long run today, and the legs feel good.

Total this week: 53 miles
Monday - rest
Tuesday - 13 mile medium long run (1 hour, 31 mins. Avg HR: 144, Max HR:172) + core
Wednesday - easy 4 miles on treadmill + weights
Thursday - 8 mile tempo run
Friday - Easy 5 mile run + plyometrics
Saturday - 8 miles total (4 x 1 mile: 1)5:45, 2) 5:50, 3) 5:44, 4) 5:30)
Sunday - 15 mile long run

5/31/09 - Less than 2 months!

Less than two months to the marathon!! I had a really good week this week... almost too good. I almost feel like I am not hurting enough. For example, today, I feel like I should be more sore after a 17 mile run than I actually am. I guess thats a good thing... Actually, alot of it is probably the effects of tapering off of weights. After months of running while doing heavy weights in the gym, coming off the weights has made it alot easier. Sort of like taking off the dragsuit for a swimming analogy. Todays long run was pretty easy. I went out rather slow, and finished the last few miles pretty quick. I didn't have any gadgets with me so I dunno how fast I was actually going, but the last 2 miles were not easy. I wish I went for another 3 miles or so though. I just got bored and wrapped it up. Hopefully next week I can get in a 20 miler. That would be a huge confidence boost.

Yesterday I did my track workout. It was 6 x 800s with 400m easy in between. My splits were really good when compared to last time I did the 800s. It was sortof scary how consistent I was in dropping time throughout the workout. I was just going as hard as I could, and was dropping a second each time. Next time though, I want to be more consistent. Focus on getting a better warmup and being fast from the beginning. The last one probably wont be as fast, but thats okay... after all, I am training for a marathon. Next week's track workout will be mile repeats, and the week after I will do 800s again. Either 7 or 8 of them. I would like to be under 2:50 for all of them.

6x800s: 1) 2:59, 2) 2:51, 3) 2:50, 4) 2:49, 5) 2:48, 6) 2:42

Total this week was: 55 miles
Monday - 3 mile run + abs
Tuesday - 12 mile medium long run
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - 7 mile tempo run + weights/core
Friday - Easy 9 mile run
Saturday - 7 mile track workout
Sunday -17 mile long run

5/25/09 - Warming Up

I forgot to write a blog entry yesterday, so I am writing this on Monday morning. This week was good and bad. My tempo run on Thursday was bad. It ended up only being 4 miles, and I just couldn't get going. I don't even think I was at tempo, my shins were hurting, and I was exhausted for some reason. It is frustrating because it seems like every time I try to start a run out fast, I hit a wall after a few miles. I have the endurance, but it takes me forever to warmup. Sometimes I feel like I can run 4 miles at the end of a 8 mile run faster than a 4 mile run.

The rest of the week was good. I ran 18 yesterday for my long run. Felt really good, although my right knee was hurting a little afterwards. Ive been icing since, and hopefully that will go away. Today is a rest day so, it should be better by tomorrow.

Saturday was the track workout. I ran 3 x 1 mile repeats. It ended up being 7 miles total with all the warmup and warmdown. This was actually a really good workout, and I was way faster than the 800s last week, so it is a good sign. I ran the first one in 6:01, second one in 5:58, and third one in 5:49. Next week will be the 800s again, and the week after will be 4 mile repeats, Hopefully all under 5:50, with the last one around 5:40

I guess this would be a good blog to talk about warming up. I usually never talk about warming up, and I don't include the mileage that I run in my warmups, except for track workouts. If I am running first thing in the morning, I usually warmup more. If it is in the afternoon, I do a little less because I am not as tight. Generally I jog about a half mile, just to get the blood pumping. Then I do a dynamic warmup. I never do static stretching before a run, always after or on rest days. The dynamic warmup includes leg swings (forward and side to side), running with high knees, butt kicks, skipping, shuffling side to side, some lunges, some bodyweight squats, and basically other movements that exaggerate a running motion. It takes about 15 minutes all together, and helps me alot. Before the long runs, particularly morning long runs, I use my foam roller a bit, and another piece of equipment I have called "the stick." Both of these also warm the legs up, and get the blood flowing.

Overall, this week was 55 miles. Pretty good except for the tempo run, which will become more and more important the closer I get to the race.

Monday- rest day
Tuesday - 13 mile medium long run + plyometrics
Wednesday - 4 miles on treadmill and abs
Thursday - 4 mile tempo run + weights
Friday - 9 mile run easy run
Saturday - 7 mile track workout: 3x 1 mile: 1) 6:01, 2) 5:58, 3) 5:47)
Sunday - 18 mile long run

5/17/09 - SUMMER!

There may be no better feeling than the feeling you get at the moment you finish your last day of school, and it is summer vacation. It makes no difference whether is elementary school of law school... Its summer break, and i just finished my first year of law school!!

This post is going to be rather long and in depth, so fasten your seatbelt. This week I entered the second "phase" of my training (as nerdy as that sounds). My plan thus far was to get to the point where I could comfortably run about 40 miles a week. I also wanted to build some general strength in my posterior chain. Now I am shifting focus to less "garbage" mileage and more specific and purposeful workouts. My weekly plan will basically consist of 4 main workouts.

1) The long run: This will probably be every Sunday, and will be between 15-22 miles, depending on how long the other runs are. The purpose of this run isn't to simulate the first 15-22 miles of my marathon, but rather to just get used to the feeling of running for 2-3 hours without stopping. The pace will probably be a little slower, between 7:30-8 mins/mile
2) The track workout: There are two track workouts that I will be doing, probably alternating every week. The first one is a pretty standard marathon training workout called Yasso's 800s. Basically you run 800m hard, followed by 400m easy, and repeat. 800m is 2 laps around a standard track. The idea is that you should be able to run your goal marathon pace for 10x800s. In other words, if you want to run a 2 hour 50 minute marathon, you should be able to run 2 minutes 50 seconds for 10x800s. This week I did 4x800s, and I will work my way up to 10. The second track workout is just mile repeats, working my way up to about 5 or so, with a half mile easy in between each. The focus on these is to just get comfortable running at a faster pace. I have the endurance, but it will take some effort now to convert that into speed, and easy speed.
3) The medium long run: This run will probably be about 12-13 miles, and will be at a faster pace than the long run. Probably about 7:15-7:30 per mile.
4) The tempo run: This run will be between 5-9 miles. The idea of the tempo run is to run at the pace that you plan on running the marathon at. During the last few weeks, especially during taper, almost all my runs will be at tempo. The idea is to really tune into that pace that you want to hold for 26 miles, and know what it feels like to run that pace. A 3 hour marathon for example is 6:52 pace.

I will also basically stop all weighted upper body workouts, and hopefully lose some weight there. I am only going to do body weight upper body exerices, which pretty much limits me to pushups, pullups, and inverted rows. Instead, I will be doing alot more core work, and plyometrics. My main core exercises are front and side plank, and derivatives of plank exercises. I can hold the front plank position for 5 minutes, and would like to get up to 8 or so.

Plyometrics, at least for running, basically involves working on getting the most out of each step. It involves alot of jumping, and explosive movements. For example, single leg jumps, double leg jumps, box jumps, jump lunges, bounding, etc. Basically, if you can get one extra cm out of every step with no change in effort, over 26 miles, that will make a huge difference.

So, the weekly plan will look something like this, averaging high 50s in mileage:
Monday: rest day, or easy 3 or so miles; maybe some core/plyometrics
Tuesday: Medium long run: 12-13 miles
Wednesday: easy 4-5 miles, core/plyometrics
Thursday: Tempo run: 5-9 miles
Friday: Track workout: 5-10 miles
Saturday: easy 4-5 miles, core/plyometrics
Sunday: long run: 15-22 miles

Okay, well this week was a very good week in training. I did my first track workout on friday, and it was really good. I love running on a track for 2 reasons: 1)Running on a track after months of running on paved roads is like sleeping on a bed after sleeping on the ground. The track is so cushiony, its like running on clouds. 2) Coming from a swimming background, I am all about times. I like knowing my pace and speed at any given moment. With a track, it is always consistent and always exact. Sure you can use the treadmill pace things, and footpods, and gps watches, but they are often inaccurate. I only did 4x800s this week, but I didn't want to start off with too much. I did my long run this morning and ran 20 miles! Woohoo! a little sore, but it actually wasn't that bad.

Overall, this week I ran 54 miles
Monday: 4 mile run + core
Tueday: 9 mile run
Wednesday: 3 miles on treadmill + core
Thursday: 13 miles + weights
Friday: 5 mile track workout: 4x800s: Times were: 1) 3:05, 2) 3:03, 3) 2:59, 4) 2:49
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 20 mile long run

5/10/09 - Mother's Day

I feel really weird writing this entry because I didn't run today. Every other entry so far has been on a Sunday after a run. I had a final today though so I spent the morning studying, then took the final, and am now going to dinner for Mother's Day. I made up for it by running 17 miles yesterday. I took an ice bath after the run yesterday and it is amazing how much it helped my recovery. I was miserable during the ice bath, but I have not been sore at all today. Usually after a long run like that, I am hurting pretty bad the next day. Then again, I didn't go to the gym that much this week, so that may have something to do with it. I was only able to go to the gym on tuesday, as I was pretty busy with finals. I only have one more final to go though, and then SUMMER!

43 miles total:
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 9 mile run
Wednesday - 9 miles on treadmill + weights
Thursday - 4 miles + plyometrics/core
Friday -4 miles (terrible run, didn't warm up well, shins started hurting so bad)
Saturday - 17 mile run
Sunday - nothing

5/3/09 - Finals

I had the first final of my second semester of law school yesterday. Finals continue for the next week and a half. My priority right now is definately school, but hopefully I am still able to get in some good training. I did my long this week on thursday because 1) I knew I was going to be busy with finals after that and 2) I knew it was going to start raining on friday. I ran 13 miles on thursday, but I went out way too fast and died around mile 8. I got a "second wind" around mile 11 and was able to finish strong, but miles 8-11 were pretty rough.

I ran 9 today on the treadmill and I felt really good. I ran the second to last mile in 6:40 and the last mile in 6:00. That is according to the treadmill speed guage though, and who knows how accurate those things are. Either way, I am pretty happy with the week.

I can't wait for it to be summer so that I can really focus on my training. Over the past few months I have been able to find a way to squeeze in 30-45 miles and 3 weight sessions a week. However it has been extremely challenging with my busy schedule and commuting to the city everyday. It will be nice to have more time to focus on my runs this summer. I think I will get alot more out of each run when I am able to properly prepare myself for them rather than fitting them into an already busy schedule. I will be doing less of an internship in the city this summer, but it will definately be less of a time commitment than the first year of law school.

This week also sortof marked my transition from more heavy lifting to more running oriented stuff. I am starting to do less squats and deadlifts, and more core work and plyometrics. I will taper away from the weights slowly until about a month out from the race. During the last month, I will only be doing bodyweight exercises. I will, however, be adding speed work on the track instead.

Overall, I got in 42 miles this week, with my best run of the week probably being the 9 on the treadmill today.

Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 9 mile run + weights
Weds - nothing
Thursday - 13 mile run
Friday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights/core
Saturday - 6 miles on treadmill + plyometrics/core
Sunday - 9 miles on treadmill + abs

4/26/09 - Staying Injury Free

Running injuries tend to generally be overuse injuries rather than acute or sudden injuries. Any muscle imbalance or poor technique, even if very small, can cause an injury after miles and miles of repetitious movement. Many running injuries (such as iliotibial band syndrome that I dealt with last fall) are a result of quad dominance. This is where the quad muscles overpower the hamstrings and glutes in the running motion. The quad muscles become stronger as the runner becomes more dependant on them. The glutes and hamstrings become weaker, leading to a muscle imbalance. This is what happened to me. The muscle imbalance led to increased tension on my iliotibial band, which resulted in severe swelling, and pain.

After several meetings with a physical therapist last December, she explained that this was the problem. Having come from a swimming background (another quad dominant sport), I realized how weak my glutes actually were. Over the past few months, I have been focusing on strengthening my posterior chain (the core muscles of your backside such as the glutes, the hamstrings, the lower back, etc.) It has helped tremendously in my ability to stay injury free. I have been sore in areas that I had never been sore in before, and have made huge leaps in the amount of weight that I can lift in those particular exercises. The main exercises that I have been doing are squats, deadlifts, good mornings, clam shells, and lots of work with exercise bands. I have also been using a foam roller consistently and stretching much more often.

I usually lift hardest on Saturdays and do my long runs on Sundays. As a result, my glutes and hamstrings are pretty sore on Sundays and I can actually feel them working when I run. I did front squats yesterday for the first time rather than back squats, and as a result, my buns were on fire today towards the end of the long run. However, it feels good to know that what I am doing in the gym is actually making a difference in my running. So often, people in the gym are lifting for physical appearance. To have a functionale purpose for exercises in the gym, and to feel them paying off is a great feeling. I got up to 46 miles this week without any signs of injury. I am confident that I owe it to my focus on fixing my muscle imbalance.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 9 miles + weights
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 11 miles
Friday - 8 miles + weights
Saturday 3 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday - 15 mile long run

4/19/09 - New Shoes

So I got new running shoes this week. First time I have ever gone with Saucony as the brand, but so far I like them. Getting new running shoes is like a big mystery because you never know whether they are good or not until it is too late. It takes me about 30-40 miles in the shoes to know if they are the right shoes for me.

I have always had problems with my right knee. My right leg tends to bow outward a little more than my left, and if I don't have the right shoes, it can easily lead to injuries. Earlier this year, around Nov/Dec, I wore the Asics Gel Evolution 4. They led to alot of pain in my right knee/side and I experienced serious Iliotibial band syndrome problems. I was forced to go to physical therapy for a few weeks and got some deep tissue massage and reconstructive work to break down the scar tissue I had developed. After looking at my feet, my physical therapist recommended the brooks addiction 8. The shoes were great and I experienced almost no problems, but after having put in close t0 400 miles on them, it was definately time for some new ones.

I was thinking about getting the exact same pair of brooks again, but the only problem with the shoes were that they were kindof heavy. I tried on a few pairs and really liked the feel of the Saucony ProGrid Omni 7 Ultimates. They are about an ounce lighter than the Brooks, but new shoes are generally lighter because they dont carry any dust/dirt.

I didn't want to put in too many miles too quickly on the new shoes, so I did my long run on Thursday, because I knew I would be getting the shoes on Friday. I still finished at 42 miles this week, and felt really good.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Wednesday - 4 miles on treadmill
Thursday - 12 miles
Friday - 5 miles + weights
Saturday - 9 miles
Sunday - 3 miles on treadmill + weight in morning, 4 miles in afternoon

4/12/09 - Nature's Call

I ran 13 miles today for my long run, and it was a miracle that I made it home without having to go the bathroom. Around mile 6 nature called and there was no bathroom anywhere. I was seriously contemplating making a trip to the bushes, but I somehow forced myself not to think about it and I made it home. Other than that it was a good run. It was 13 miles, and I ran it pretty much as fast as I could. I just wanted to see what I could do, and I was relatively pleased. I ran it in 1:32 mid, which is just over 7 minute miles. If I was to hold that pace for the entire marathon, it would be about 3:07. I think with another few months training and a good taper that is definately possible. Im pretty happy about how my training is going right now.

My left knee is still bothering me, and it hurts when I stretch it and walk up stairs. I am pretty sure it is from doing squats, because it doesn't hurt at all when I run. I don't want an injury, but I am not too worried about it right now. It is more annoying than painful. Overall, I ran 40 miles again this week, and it seems to get easier every week.

40 mile week
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 8 miles on treadmill + weights
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 8 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 6 miles on treadmill + abs
Saturday - 5 miles
Sunday - 13 miles + weights

4/5/09 - Finally a good "long run"

Probably the best training week of my life. 42 total miles, including an 18 mile long run. The long run took 2 hours and 15 minutes, which is about 7:30 pace. The long run really built my confidence and I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm headed. I ran my long run on Saturday this week rather than Sunday because I only ran 4 miles on Friday, so I wanted to take advantage of being a little rested. I usually do the long run on Sunday, but since I lift weights on Saturday, my legs are usually pretty sore. I flip flopped this week and definately noticed a difference. My left knee was sore all week, but I never felt it when I ran. I only felt it walking around, going up stairs, and in the weight room. Im pretty sure its from doing squats, so unless I feel it when I am running, I'm not going to worry about it. I got pretty sunburned yesterday. It was alot hotter than I expected, and being out there for almost 2 and a half hours without sunscreen was probably a mistake. I ran two miles today, and my calves felt like they were ripping. I guess that is expected though. Tomorrow is a rest day and then hopefully another 40+ mile week!

This week - 42 miles:
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 9 miles + weights
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 9 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 4 miles fast
Saturday - 18 miles @ 7:30 pace
Sunday - 2 miles on treadmill + weights

3/29/09 - 40 Miles!

Finally ran 40 miles this week! Not to mention all but 4 miles was on a treadmill. This was my best week of training so far, and I am feeling pretty happy with where I am at right now. My plan from here is to run 40 miles a week consistently, and keep doing the same weight lifting program until I finish school in mid May. Then I'll add a few miles per week, and start doing more speed work for the last 6-7 weeks of training before I start taper. The idea is basically to build a strong base, to the point where running 40 miles a week is easy. This will allow me to get in the tempo training that I need without risking injury or getting too sore.

The weight training program I have been following for the last few months is below. It is basically geared around building general strength. This has helped me lose some body fat, and I have definately gotten stronger. Once I finish school and start doing more race specific training, I will do less weights and more plyometrics and running related exercises. I lift weights 3 times a week, usually tues/thurs/sunday. I alternate between the A/B workouts, so that one week is A/B/A, and the next week is B/A/B. I do some additional ab and core exercises, but for the most part, the workouts below are all I do in the gym. I put the amount of weight/number of reps that I currently can perform in parentheses. I will update this again in a few months, and hopefully the numbers will be higher.

A)
Squats: 5 sets x 5 reps (175 lbs)
Overhead press: 5 sets x 5 reps (70 lbs)
Deadlift: 2 set x 5 reps (185 lbs)
Pullups/chinups(alternate): 3 sets to failure (set 1 max: 16/18)
Abs: 3x 12 reverse crunch

B)
Squats: 5 sets x 5 reps (175lbs)
Bench Press: 5 sets x 5 reps (140lbs)
Inverted Rows: 3 sets to failure (set 1 max: 28)
Pushups: 3 sets to failure (set 1 max: 60)
Plank: Hold for 3 minutes

40 Mile Weekly Total:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 8 mile run + weights(A)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 8 mile run + weights (B)
Friday: 8 mile run
Saturday: 4 mile treadmill run + weights (A)
Sunday: 12 mile run

3/22/09 - Spring Breakdown

The title of this weeks blog is spring breakdown because 1) I was on spring break, and 2) My body really felt broken down this week. I don't know what it was, but I just didn't have that extra umph that I usually have. Maybe the change in the schedule messed me up. Whatever it was, this week was rough. On tuesday, I ran a 9 mile run, and it was both mentally and physically painful. The last 2-3 miles felt like the last 2-3 miles of a 13 mile run. Usually 9 miles is the perfect distance to where I can kick it into another gear at the end and finish the last few miles strong, but this was not the case on this day. Thursday again was 9 miles, and this was the best run of the week. Friday was a painful 4 miles on the treadmill, and I swear I almost stopped about 5 times between 1-2 miles. I just had no energy. I took yesterday off, and ran 9 miles on the treadmill today. Todays run was mentally pretty challenging. It wasn't quite that bad, but overall I was pretty dissapointed with the week. I was hoping that since I was on spring break and had all this extra time, I could put in a good week, and it turned out to be the opposite. The good news is that it is almost April, and the days are getting longer and warmer. Less than two months until I am done with finals! Then the real training begins...

34 total miles this week
Monday - rest
Tuesday - 9 miles
Wednesday - 3 miles + weights
Thursday - 9 miles
Friday - 4 miles + weights
Saturday - rest
Sunday - 9 miles + weights

3/15/09 - March Madness

The title of this weeks blog is "march madness" because a) its march, and b) I was just watching the ncaa march madness selection show while doing my sunday run at the gym. St. Mary's got robbed!! 26-6 record, and 4 of those losses were without their star player. Anyone that follows college basketball knows why I am upset, and anyone that doesn't follow college basketball probably doesn't care, so I won't dwell on it too much. The first sporting event I ever went to was a St. Mary's basketball game, and I have always been a huge fan of their basketball team though so I am dissapointed. Although I must say, it is pretty cool to hear all the ESPN analysts and hosts talk so much about this little school from Moraga.

Anyways, this week was rough to say the least. The 13 mile run last sunday wasn't so bad while I was doing it, but I definately felt it throughout the first part of the week. Tuesday's run was painful, and I think the transition from so much treadmill running to suddenly a 13 mile long run was a mistake. Nevertheless, I was able to get in 34 miles this past week. I have spring break this coming week so I should have more time to run. If nothing else, I have no excuse not to spend some extra time stretching.

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 8 miles (4outdoors/4 treadmill + weights)
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - 8 miles treadmill + weights
Friday - 5 miles
Saturday - 5 miles treadmill + weights
Sunday - 8 miles treadmill + abs

3/8/09 - Sunny Sunday!

It finally feels like spring! The sun is out and I got a good 13 miler in today. Running outdoors vs. running on the treadmill is a totally different ballgame. There are so many other variables to deal with: random hills, wind, other people in the way, heat, sun in your eyes, cars, crossing the street, gravel... The biggest difference however is the pavement. Treadmills are rather shock absorbant. After running on mostly treadmills for a few weeks, I was not used to the pounding and impact on the knees that I was exposed to today. It was a good reminder that I can't do all my training on the treadmill! Many marathon training programs actually recommend that you do your long runs on trails to prevent the effects of constant pounding on pavement. I may hit the trails once I start putting in more mileage this summer, but then again... none of the 26.2 miles is going to be on a treadmill or on a trail, so might as well get used to it.

For my long today, I wore my heart rate monitor. I usually dont like wearing it unless I am actually using it to train, but I was interested as to what my heart rate would be. This was because on Friday I had a doctors appointment. The nurse was getting my resting heart rate and she looks at me and says:"umm... are you like a runner or something?" Little did she know that was a huge complement. She said that she got my HR at 44bmp, and usually that means you are some sort of endurance athlete. I told her I was :). But anyways, my average heart race for the run was 139, and my highest heart rate was 154, which was probably on one of the hills.

This was my highest weekly total so far, at 38. Pretty close to the 40 miles a week that I have been hoping to get to. If I go a little slower on friday, I can add 2 miles there and keep everything else the same. That would be a reasonable routine that I should be able to follow for another few weeks. Either way, tomorrow will be a well deserved rest day!

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 8 miles on treadmill+ weights
Weds - rest
Thurs - 8 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 4 miles fast (about 6:30 pace)
Saturday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday - 13 miles (took 1 hour 43 mins, which is 7:55 pace)

3/1/09 - Bad News/Good News...

The title of this weeks blog might imply that there is more to this blog than there actually is... since both bad or good news would mean that there is some "news" in the first place. There isn't... really. But the "bad news" is that it rained pretty much all week again, and worse, it rained againnn on sunday... which as you know is my excuse to not get a good long run in. However, the "good news" is that I actually am kindof starting to like running on the treadmill! In fact, I don't really mind it at all anymore. Not to mention, since I am at the gym it is easier to do abs or lift weights afterwords.

On tuesday I ran 5 miles, then drove to the gym and lifted, which was awkward because I was like sweating in the car on the way to the gym. Gross. I guess I could run to the gym, but then I would have to run back after I lifted which I don't like doing.

Anyways, this week was really good after starting out slow. 36 miles for the week. Yaay, and considering that I did 31 miles in 4 days, thats pretty good. I felt really good today even towards the end of the 9 miles, and no injuries so far (knock on wood).

If you scroll down you will see that I did 9 miles on a treadmill twice this week. You might be thinking "last week you said that you could only do 8 miles max on a treadmill" (or maybe I am just flattering myself thinking that people actually read this blog let alone notice things like this). But anyways, I realized that after the 60 minute max on the treadmill, it can go for another 5 minutes which is like a cooldown period. However, you don't have to cool down, so technically the treadmill has a 65 minute max. Which allows me to get in 9 miles before it turns off. I then stop and restart it before I warm down.

Watching the news today while running on the treadmill, the weather lady said that it's gonna be another rainy week. Hopefully I can put in another good week like this one!

Monday - rest day
Tuesday - 5 miles + weights
Wednesday - rest day
Thursday - 9 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 8 miles on treadmill + abs
Saturday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday - 9 miles on treadmill + abs

2/22/09 - Oscar Sunday

Today is oscar sunday.. not that im a big movie person, I actually am not, but its kindof like the superbowl. Even if you're not a sports fan, everyone ends up watching the superbowl. Im actually watching the oscars it right now as I write this. This week was pretty good, and I was actually able to run on the road a little which was nice. Today rained tho and I had to run on the treadmill again... bleh. I havent been able to do a good long run for a couple weeks because every sunday it rains. I guess theoretically I can do a long run on a treadmill, but I just don't have the patience to run 13 miles on a treadmill.

Today I ran 8 miles on the treadmill which was pretty hard. The treadmills at 24hour fitness automatically stop after an hour. Either that or I don't know how to fix the settings, but from what I have been able to tell, the maximum they let you go is one hour. I suppose I could stop after an hour and start it again right away, but that just kills my momentum, and ya.... bad excuse i know. But anyways, it actually is kinda good in a way because it forces me to get in as many miles as I can in 60 mins. Today I ran 8 miles in the 60 minutes, which is 8 miles per hour, or 7:30 mile pace... according to the treadmill (who knows how accurate that thing is), but either way it was hard.

34 miles this week. Again, considering that the long run was only 8 miles, I am pretty happy.

Monday - 5 mile run on treadmill + weights
Tuesday - 4 mile run
Weds - nothing
Thursday - 9 mile run (really good run, I was hurting at like mile 2, and somehow got myself to push through the rest of the run, very mentally challenging run but the mental part is half of what makes a marathon hard!)
Friday - 4 miles on treadmill + weights
Saturday - 4 mile run
Sunday - 8 miles on treadmill + weights

2/15/09 - Rain Rain Go Away

This week was pretty good considering everything. I only ran 28 miles, but considering that it was all on a treadmill, I was pretty happy. I hate running on treadmills, but it rained the whole week.

But since I was at the gym running on the treadmill, that meant that I did alot of weight training as well. I just can't go to a gym and only do cardio... i have to lift something heavy while i'm there, so I ended up doing some good weight training and abs this week after I ran. But also, I felt very strong this week. Probably due to last week's low mileage, or maybe i'm just getting in better shape, but i just felt good this week. When I stopped running, it was because I was bored, not because I couldn't go any further. Thats the bad thing about treadmills... they are mentally challenging because you know that you can get off at any time. Where as when you are 4 miles from home, you don't have a choice but to run 4 more miles.

Tomorrow is Monday which is usually a rest day, but I don't have school because of president's day, and since today wasnt a long run like usual, I will probably get a few miles in tomorrow. But rain is in the forecast pretty much all week this week. If i can get over 30 miles for the week again, and have another good weight training week, I will be happy. I still have a ways to go till I am doing a comfortable 40 miles a week, including 13+ mile long runs, but I am building my base, and I can feel my legs getting stronger... plus its still only february.

Heres how this week looked: 28 miles total
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 7 miles on treadmill + weights
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Saturday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday - 6 miles on treadmill + abs

2/8/09 - Garbage..

This week was garbage.. first off I had this weird pain in my lower right calf from mon-weds ish.. it felt like hard and stiff.. i think it was just a build up of scar tissue from the day before, but it hurt to walk let alone run, so that set me back a little. Then, it rained alot this week, which is always bad news because I hate running on treadmills. Friday, I did a good treadmill workout, but overall in terms of mileage, this week wasn't good. Today, I had to stop on the treadmill cuz my shins started acting up, which hasnt happened in months... not a good sign. I made up for it by lifting a little more, but still, 20 miles a week is not gonna cut it

Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 3 miles on treadmill, weight
Wednesday - 4 mile run in morning cuz my morning class was cancelled
Thursday - nothing
Friday - 5.5 on treadmill finishing with hard sprints w/ max incline, weights
Saturday - 5 mile run, ez pace
Sunday - 2 miles on treadmill.. just wasn't feeling it, weights

2/1/09 - Weekly Recap

So this is my first running related blog entry, and I suppose it is fitting because I just did my longest training run ever. I ran 16.5 miles, and boy am I paying the price. My glutes are really sore even as I sit here right now, and everything I do seems to be in slow motion. It feels good though, and all the aches and pains are soreness, not injury related, which is a positive sign. I averaged an 8:55 pace, which isn't exactly great, but I was going for distance today, not speed (not to mention there were some intense hills). I am just trying to increase my total mileage before trying to get faster. I want to get the point where I am running about 40 miles a week, before I worry about speed or heart rate at all. Granted my shorter runs will be faster, but I am not going to worry too much about my pace. This is a time to listen to my body and make sure that I don't increase speed or distance too quickly. Last thing I need is an overuse injury over 6 months away... that would be foolish.

It is a little scary to think that I ran 16.5 at 8:55 and it was pretty rough, when my goal is to run 26.2 at a 7:15 pace. But then again I have a long way to go.

This past week was okay as far as training. Mondays and Wednesdays I generally have class all day, so those have become my default rest days until the days become longer and its not dark at 6, or until I suck it up and start doing some running in the morning.

Heres how the past week went:
Mon - Nothing
Tues - 9 miles starting slow, but finished the last 3ish miles probably around 8 min pace
Wed- Nothing
Thurs- No running, but did weight training for about an hour
Fri- 4 miles, and weights again
Sat- 4 miles, with some plyometric work
Sun- 16.5

This puts me at 33.5 for this past week. Not bad for right now. I want to get up to where I am doing 40 miles a week comfortably. But I don't plan on doing such long runs every sunday, so I will have to add some mileage during the week. Thurs/Fri will probably have to be where its at for now.

The best part about doing a LONG Sunday morning run is that I can eat anything for the rest of the day, and I can go tomorrow without running, without feeling guilty. Cya next week!

2/1/09 - A little background on me and this blog

February 1, 2009

Welcome to my marathon training blog! If you are at this site, you probably already know a little about me, but just for some background...

My name is Payam Saljoughian and I am a first year law student at Golden Gate University. All my life, I have been involved with swimming. I swam in college, where I was the team captain of the UC Santa Cruz Men's Swim Team. I was the head coach of a recreation swim team at the Moraga Tennis and Swim Club. I have been involved with swimming websites and was at the Olympic Trials as media last summer. Most recently, I swim on and off with the Orinda Aquatics Masters team.

However, after graduating from college, swimming took a back seat, and I looked to pursue some other athletic goals of mine. I always said that i wanted to run a marathon, but it always was more of something that I said rather than something that I did. Last summer, in between college and law school, I decided that I was going to train for a marathon. I took the summer off, and gave my self a well needed break between school and school and was determined to finish my first marathon. I trained all summer, and finished the San Francisco Marathon in 3:14.56. I was extremely happy with my time, seeing that it was not only my first marathon but my first running race of any distance. As excited as I was about my time, I was also a little disappointed because I missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by less that 4 minutes. For my age group, a time of 3:10.59 qualifies for the prestigious Boston Marathon.

And that is where this blog begins (hence the title). My goal is to run a 3:10.59 or faster at the San Francisco Marathon on July 26, 2009 and qualify for the Boston Marathon. You may say that a 4 minute drop is not much, and you may be right, but qualifying for Boston is my current goal. Eventually, I would like to get under 3 hours, but being that I am spending this year doing one of the most academically challenging things you can do, time is also scarce these days. And anyways, running a 3:10 marathon is no walk in the park!!

There are 2 main reasons that I decided to start this blog. First, I plan on running the marathon for a cause. I do not know what charity or organization I will be running for quite yet, but when I make that decision, I will be asking for people to support the charity that I have selected. I feel that in asking for donations, it is only appropriate for people to be able to join me on my journey as well. Second, training for a marathon, like training for any athletic event requires discipline, organization, and hard work. Having a place to log my training will give me the confidence that I need, when I am able to look back on how hard I have worked towards my goal.

One of my favorite things about running is seeing all the familiar faces as I run around town. People constantly wave and give me encouragement, and I see people that I otherwise would never see. Unfortunately, I am usually trying to keep a certain pace, or run a specific distance without stopping, and I am unable to stop and chat. This blog will be a place where people that have seen me on the streets can give me encouraging and supporting messages on my way to SF, and hopefully Boston!

I plan on updating this blog once a week, probably every Sunday afternoon. I generally do my long runs on Sunday, so I figure it will be a good time for me to comment on my week of training, and that last long run. I will also do blogs here and there about anything else that is somewhat related such as nutrition, weight training, swimming, and even school and social stuff. However, I plan on keeping it specific to the purpose of the blog which is my Marathon goal.