Chasing 900

It's been a rough week. Last Friday the wife was laid off from her job of seven-years. I bailed on my long run because I didn't want to leave her alone. Still got six in later that morning but my head wasn't in it.

Of course it was the day before where I signed up for two half marathons trying to save a few bucks, I want to do the races but am annoyed with the timing. But I am doing the Polar Dash 14 miler -- for 2014 -- and the F3 Half Marathon, both in January.

This week I've gotten some workouts in, hit boot camp three days, ran 3.5 on Tuesday, another 3.5 on Thursday morning and then a quick five Thursday night. I should have gotten a couple extra in both mornings but it was really cold -- wind chills in the teens -- and I couldn't do it. The Thursday night run was the beginner's running group, since nobody else wanted to run five with the 10K group I did and these guys were quick. They all beat me back and I averaged a 10:40 pace.

Tomorrow is 13 with the group, where I'll pass 800 miles for 2013. Along with the upcoming Turkey Trifecta I am not going to try and pass 900 miles for 2013, which will tripe my mileage from 2012. I'll have to average about 20 miles till the end of the year, it may be a little tough but I think I can do it.

I'm troubled

Signed up for two half marathons in January. In Chicago. Yeah, I'm a little crazy. Polar Dash 14-miler and the F3 Half Marathon here I come.

I'll admit that I like running in the cold more than the heat and that if it's in the teens during these races there's a certain amount of bragging rights. "Oh, you ran a half marathon on May, cool. I ran one in below zero wind chills!"

Yeah, I'm sick and troubled.

Runs this week have been fine. Planning 13 tomorrow, which should be interesting since we did a lot of lunges and squats in boot camp this morning. I need to recommit to boot camp and eating clean. I would like to drop another 20-pounds and while I love running but it's the weight training that really makes that happen. Through all the mileage I put in during marathon training my weight pretty much stayed the same. That's mostly because I was hungry all the time.

I also need to break in the new pair of Boost, hit 300-miles on the red pair this week so I know there's only so many more miles left in them before I start getting some aches and pains.

Work is getting in the way of my running problem

Not exactly, but work is getting in the way of my blogging.

I did get some miles in last week, five on Tuesday, four on Saturday and seven on Sunday. Had some personal matter pop up that kept me off the roads. Boot camp on Friday and Saturday last week kicked my ass, my upper body was really sore for the run to boot camp Saturday. And then that workout kicked my ass so bad I got a ride home.

The seven I got in Sunday were rough. Legs and upper body were sore from the previous workouts but the time wasn't awful.

Did the same seven miles on Tuesday morning though and cut almost two minutes off my time. Was feeling sluggish for the first half of the run but managed to flip the switch.

Boot camp on Wednesday and Friday. Will get four or five in Thursday morning and a couple more in with the beginner's that evening. Will hopefully get 13 in this weekend, that's the plan at least.

Signed up for all parts of the Turkey Trifecta. Should be a fun week.

Getting back into it

11/24 am: 3 miles: 34 minutes: 11:14 pace
11/24 pm: 2 miles: 27:09: 13:30 pace
11/26: 9.1 miles: 1:49:17: 12:01 pace

Work has been busy and keeping my from blogging. I'm starting to try and ramp things up again. The Thursday morning run was pretty easy, though we had a brief spell of winter weather last week and the runs were cool.

Thursday evening was week two of the beginning runner's program. I has three runners this time and they seemed to do pretty well.

Saturday's nine miler was up at Skokie Lagoons with a couple of fellow ERC members. I was a bit sore after but was fine the next day.

Skipped boot camp Monday morning, feeling worn out, but am planning six miles tomorrow, probably three on Thursday and then going to do the four mile run to and from boot camp Saturday. I'll also do boot camp Wednesday and Friday.

Catching up

My third pair, these are pretty bright.

10/19: 3.6 miles: 42:23:11:33
10/22: 5.1 miles: 57:23: 11:15 pace

Feels good getting back out there and getting some miles in. I'm trying to take it easy and avoid the temptation for a long run but that may change on Saturday, might head up to Skokie Lagoons and get at least eight in, maybe more.

I am a man without a training plan right now. The next big race is the Schaumburg Half Marathon on Nov. 30. Between now and then I should get a 10 and maybe even a 12 miler in. I'm thinking this week might be the 10-miler and try to get the other one in Nov. 9 or Nov. 16.

I should start breaking in my new pair of shoes. Yes, I bought my third pair of Adidas Boost earlier this month at Road Runner. They were on sale for $40 off and I couldn't pass them up. I' at 265 miles on my current pair and will most likely need the new pair before the end of November.

The other thing I'm doing the next few weeks is volunteering as a group leader for a beginner's running program in downtown Evanston. That was my first run after marathon. I was doing run two minutes, walk one minute for 20 minutes with the group. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with this group, do the 5K group or something else.

I'm enjoying it, I'm glad I can help other people find some fun in running.

What's next?

My buddy Rob took this awesome photo
just before mile two.

Five days since the marathon and I'm feeling pretty recovered. I'm going to start running again but will ramp up the miles slowly.

I did run a little bit Thursday night. CARA and the Evanston Running Club are starting a beginner's running program and I volunteered to be a group leader. I was doing the level two beginner's, we did two minutes of running and one minute of walking for 20 minutes. I was feeling pretty good with that. I have a four mile run planned for Saturday morning and will get some miles in next week to prepare for my next half.

I have also signed up for two of the three races I plan to end the year with. I am doing the Lincolnwood 10K on Nov. 24 and the Schaumburg Half Marathon on Nov. 30. I also plan to do the Evanston Turkey Trot 5K on Nov. 28. That will round out my 2013 racing year. I'm looking at a couple of half's in January but haven't signed up yet.

With five days since the marathon and a little perspective behind me I am happy to have done to Chicago Marathon and finished. Yes, I had some problems but the most important thing is that I finished. The 24-hours after the marathon I was saying there's no way I will do another full, well, I'm not going to rule it out.

10/13: Bank of America Chicago Marathon recap

Before the marathon.

26.2 miles: 5:44:46: 14:?? pace

I finished a marathon on Sunday, it wasn't pretty but I finished. I need to focus on the positive that I finished and am uninjured but the race did not go like I wanted it to. 

The long training runs weren't easy but I got through them, sometimes kicking and screaming, but I always finished. Even the 20-miler where my ankle was bugging me went fine and I was more or less on pace for what the majority of my long runs had been.

The first 16 miles of the marathon more or less went as I planned, I was a little slower than I wanted to be, 12 minute pace, but then at miles 17 everything went wrong. Both of my calves starting cramping, I would run a little but and then they would fire and cramp up and I would have to walk. This was more or less than last nine miles. I tried stretching out to no avail and I was feeling pretty miserable.

After the marathon.

During a couple of the long training runs I had some minor calf cramping but nothing like what I experienced Sunday. I was drinking water and gatorade and eating the bananas from mile 20 on but nothing seemed to help.

One of my training buddies caught up with me around mile 24 and gave me some salt tablets that helped. I saw another training partner at 24 who gave me a great pep talk that got me through the finish.

The Chicago Marathon is quite the experience, the crowd support was tremendous and I enjoyed the first 16 miles quite a bit. I need to get my head around the fact that I finished and stop dwelling on the problems. At the very least I get to focus on a few days off from running the let my body recover.