Salt Lake City Marathon Recap

Well marathon #24 is complete.  I didn't run as fast as I wanted due to a couple factors:
1. After my last long run of 23+ miles I came down with a cold and even though I am recovered my nose was running the entire race.
2. The race was at around 4500 feet which is lower altitude than where I live but the elevation map was a bit misleading.  It was very hilly for the first 15 miles and that took the kick out of my legs.  Usually my strongest miles are from 5 - 19 in a marathon I burned out a bit on the hills and my pace slowed substantially.

Overall it is a nice marathon but here are the pros and cons of the race itself:

Pros
1. Nice course in that it goes throughout the city so you see all different parts
2. Lots of well stocked water stations
3. Nice finish in that you can see it from a long way off (I like being able to kick it up at the end when I can see the finish line).
4. Easy to get to in that you can fly in, stay at the sponsor hotel and walk to the expo and take a bus to the start line.  The hotel was only a few blocks from the finish.
5. Nice tech race shirt and medal


Cons
1. The beer at the finish line was Miller Lite (that is just wrong!).
2. They appeared a bit disorganized as far as confirming your entry with the active.com website.  I had to e-mail them to get my confirmation number.
3. They didn't have much food at the finish.  This is a huge half marathon race also so maybe they got most of it before us marathoners finished.


That is about it, now I start training for a couple 10k races I will be running in May.

The Slowest Race I've Ever Run

Everyone always writes blog posts about the fastest races they have done when everything has worked out well and they got a PR.  I decided to do a 180 and go over the slowest marathon I have ever done.  That race is the 2009 Boulder Marathon, here is the website: http://bouldermarathon.com/

A few notes about this race:
- I was getting back into marathons at this point and won a free entry to this race.  I decided to run the marathon (rather than the half) because I figured it was a good training run.

- I had no clue what the course or elevation was like because this is what they have as far as a description:
"For decades, runners and walkers in Boulder County have enjoyed the beautiful scenery found on the Boulder backroads. With views of rolling farmland to the east and the majestic rocky mountains to the west, running on the Boulder backroads is always a memorable experience. For the serious athlete, the backroads are the perfect running surface – fast to run on, yet forgiving on the body – much less pounding than pavement. "   
If you look on the website there is no course or elevation map.  The course changes slightly each year but the elevation map looks like a roller coaster because you have over 10 hills that go up and down at least 100+ feet.  Add in that the majority of this is on dirt and gravel roads and it is very hard on your feet and legs.  You also have to consider that dirt roads get rutted from prolonged use so you have to constantly watch out so you don't twist your ankle.  To top it off the start and finish is a third mile through an uneven grass field.

- The race that year started at 9 A.M. in early September.  In Colorado September is still summer so it was in the upper 80's, dry and windy that day.  In the years since then they have made the start earlier and and pushed it later in the year (this year it happens in October).

You combine all those factors and my lack of training and you end up with what I did that day: a 5:40 marathon.  By the end I was just pushing to finish because that is all I cared about.  It was so hot and dry that they were handing out full bottles of water to people at aid stations and telling us to take them with us.  They ran out of emergency vehicles to pick up people who were dropping that they ended up using pick up trucks to pick up runners who needed aid.  At one point I encountered a woman who was so disoriented that she asked for some of my water even though she had on a water bottle belt with a few full bottles!  I didn't feel normal for about a week after that and decided I wasn't going to come in that unprepared again.

I did go back the following year and ran the 1/2 marathon and then the full marathon in 2012 (and was an hour faster).  I wanted to prove to myself that I could run a better race when I was in condition for it.  This is still one of the tougher races to do, it's hard on your legs and feet and there is a reason they don't have an elevation map on the website.

So what is your slowest race?
 
 

Marathon #24 race week

6 more days until the Salt Lake City Marathon so I am in tapering mode.

In the last week these are a few things I do:
- My motto for this week is to take it easy as far as workouts.  I'll still run and lift most days leading up to Saturday but I'm not doing heavy weights, legs or sprinting.
- Anytime I can I'm wearing compression socks this week.
- Look at the course map several times and figure out my strategy for when to push the pace.  I look at the elevation map so I know where the hills are because I don't want to burn out on them.  This race isn't very hilly so it's not as big of a deal.
- Figure out how I'm getting to the start area.  This race starts in one area, finishes in another so I have to figure out how I'm getting to or from one of them. 
- Keep looking at the weather in Salt Lake City, it looks like it might get up into the 70's that day and very little chance of rain.
- Each day this week I eat an extra amount of complex carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and I will probably have whole wheat pasta once this week.
- Drink more fluids this week and mix in another electrolyte each day.
- Figure out where I am eating the night before the race.  Usually the hotel I'm staying at has a runner's pasta bar or something.
- Schedule at least one appointment with my chiropractor this week to get adjusted.
- Try and get more sleep this week, I never get enough but a nap this afternoon is a good idea (plus it's snowing here!).

I feel pretty good heading into this race, I had some really good long runs in training so we will see what happens Saturday.

A Time for Reflection

I was driving this morning on a road that I haven't been on in at least 15 years.  When I was growing up and in college I drove this road numerous times, it was the route I used to go to college or to drop off my sister or brothers at school.  My family doesn't live near here anymore with the exception of my oldest brother who lives 20 some miles south but I'm not here to see him.  My life now is 1,000 miles away in Colorado but I have been pulled back for something that I don't really want to attend. 

Last week I got an e-mail on Monday (April 1st if you can believe it) that one of my college roommates, fraternity brother, fellow football player and most importantly my friend had died in his sleep while on vacation in Florida with his family.  I'm not sure I am past the shock from this even now.  Steve was always there, every wedding, every event whether it was important or not, he was there with a smile and his deep, raspy voice greeting everyone within earshot.  I'm at the age where this is too young to happen to people I grew up with and know.  Steve has a son in grade school, a wife, his parents and siblings living close by, everyone Steve met was most likely a friend within minutes of talking with him.  This is too soon to happen, he has so many more things to do.  He is supposed to see his son grow up, coach him playing football and wrestling and teach him what it takes to be a man.  It's not being the stereotypical jock but realizing it's okay to express sympathy, empathy and be emotional and do things with your heart, like Steve did, the same heart that gave out on him. 

We got notice of the service so I booked my flight and car and that is why I was driving on this road to attend something I didn't want to go to today.

Tapering Thoughts

19 days until Marathon #24

I'm feeling pretty good today considering how many miles I logged last week.  I capped it off yesterday by going for a 23 mile run, this wouldn't have been bad except it was pretty windy in spots and it is dry out so it was very dusty.  I am paying the price today because I have a runny nose and dry throat from all the dust.

This is the time that I start tapering back on what I am doing so that when I get to the starting line I am ready to go and don't have dead legs. 

A few of the things I do (or don't do):
- I quit using the stair or step machines for any cardio at the gym
- I will lift legs this week but lightly and then not again until after the race
- My longest runs the next two weeks will be 13 miles or so
- I lift a bit lighter the next few weeks, there is no reason to do heavy dead lifts at this point.
- I will still continue to run every day and lift weights on 6 days a week but the intensity get's dialed back a bit.
- The last week my motto is to relax and get lazy if I can.  Nobody every benefited from training hard the week of a marathon.
- I start checking the weather where I am running (in this case it is Salt Lake City) so I can plan what I am bringing with me to run in.  I have to be prepared for the best and worst case scenario weather wise.
- I cut out eating any cheese or dairy products two weeks before a race.  I find I just feel better doing this for some reason.
- I make sure all my travel is set and I know where I am going the week of the race (I don't like to be scrambling the last minute).
- The week of the race if I am home and can I go to the chiropractor a couple times to get adjusted.  Most likely I don't really need to get adjusted (I go around once a month or if I am having any issues) but will do it anyway.
- The week of the race at some point I will take a bath in epsom salts.  Someone told me about this years ago so I tried it.  For me it makes the soreness and all the little aches and pains go away.
 - The day before the race I pick up my bib and go through the expo but I want to be done walking around by 1.  I learned the hard way (in New Orleans) that the day before a race is not the day to be a tourist no matter where you are.
- I always bring compression socks with me to wear the the night before the race and for the plane ride to get back home.  They really do help with recovery.
- The week of the race I will be eating more complex carbs each day.  Carbo loading the night before a race doesn't help me but the week leading up to it does.

That is all I can think of right now, does anyone else have a routine for tapering and preparing for a race?

Training by Intuition - riding the peaks and valleys

Due to the number of races I do I am always in a state of recovering from the last race or preparing for the next one.  Right now I am preparing for the next marathon  (Salt Lake City on 4/19).  Each week is different as far as training and there are high and low points, sometimes both in the same week.  Last week was a good example, I had a bad and good day.  I log my workouts on Daily Mile (Chris B.) so this is what I had for a bad and then a good day:

4/20: 4 mi It was a struggle today: Step machine warm up, lift legs, deadlift, core, easy run.
I woke up sore and debated in my head on which gym to lift at before deciding on one that has an Olympic lifting area with rubber weights.  This gym is always humid so I was sweating more than usual the whole time.  I did get done with my workout and run but wasn't feeling great the whole time. 


4/22:  Long looping run 22 mi

I started out in the dark because we are supposed to get rain or snow this morning. It was in the 20's the whole run, some wind in spots but overall not bad weather. I did various loops in order to have access to water along the way so the map of my route looks like I am lost. It's amazing what a difference a couple packets of GU along the way make because I was planning on doing 20 but I tacked a few more miles on.

A map of my route:

When I think back on the last week I try to think of why one day was tough even though it was a short workout while the longer one turned out great? I can't come up with a reason why because it isn't like I did anything that much different on the day before nutritionally or working out.  In fact on 4/22 I felt kind of tired and a bit sore in the morning before I got started. Once I got going the miles just flew by, it was cold enough that the trails I ran on had barely any people on them and very few cyclists.  I call these effortless workouts (some call it the runner's high but I can get them lifting weights too), you know you did something but it didn't seem hard even though it was.  I can't logically explain why these happen or how but I'm glad it did because that is what makes running fun.

Have you had an effortless workout or runners high in the last week?

Nutrition and running

I have been running consistently for at least 20 years now and yet I still learn new things all the time.  I'm a firm believer that nutrition plays a key role for improving as a runner and staying injury free.  My nutrition plan is a bit different than many runners and it is shaped by being a former bodybuilder and that I still left weights.  I am not suggesting that anybody follows my plan because it is a bit different than most.

- I eat relatively clean most of the time and eat the same things many days (it's easier to shop and plan meals)
- Every meal needs protein and carbs
- I don't drink milk
- My staples: egg whites, oatmeal, granola, chicken, turkey, fish, rice, potatoes (sweet and regular), quinoa, whole wheat tortillas, salad and lots of veggies, bananas and certain fruits
- My snacks are nut mixes or Late July chips
- I try and eat red meat once a week (usually buffalo or some form of lean meat).
- I always have some protein powder each day (lately it has been MHP Paleo Protein)
- I take a variety of supplements and believe they really do help.
- I don't really concern myself with weighing myself.  I run every day and have a hard time keeping my weight and strength up these days.
- After I run a marathon my food reward is a piece of carrot cake ( I don't like chocolate so to me this is splurging).
- I drink beer but usually only 1-2 on the weekend.
- One of my new favorite products is Beyond Meat.  My wife is vegetarian so I am trying to get more plant based protein if I can.

Now some of these are different from what most people do so I should explain.  I used to be approximately 30-40 pounds heavier than I am now.  The last time I weighed myself I was almost 40 pounds less than what I weighed as a senior in high school. I was a lineman in football so I had to be big and strong but as I got older I just didn't want or need to be that big.  

Many of the people I know who have started running can't understand why they aren't losing weight.  Most of the time it is because they are eating substantially more.  Some don't even realize it while others rationalize that they ran x miles so they can eat anything. 

So what do other people think about nutrition in relation to running?