Here's a breakdown of the current running paces. This week the mileage is pushed up to 34 with a long run of 15 on Saturday.
| speed workout | tempo workout | long run | |
|---|---|---|---|
| mileage | 5 | 7 | 15 |
| minutes/mile | 7:30 | 8:30 | 9:30 |
| heart rate | 160-170 | 150-160 | 135-145 |
| % of max HR | 86 - 92% | 81 - 86% | 73 - 78% |
Labels: Austin Marathon, long run, running pace, training
and then there's the shape YOU ARE IN. This is pointed out to you by others you're running, cycling or swimming with. For those that train in a group, this may be an everyday occurrence, but for those of us that are self-coached, this only happens in races or maybe some other gathering. The some other gathering was the Austin Marathon/Half Marathon Kickoff Event on Saturday. I woke up and drove down to Runtex and did a kickoff run with Francie Larrieu Smith and Austin's own Olympic Hopefuls: Cassie Henkeil, Lance Parker, Chris Kimbrough and UT Assistant Coach Steve Sisson. Granted, these were very fast people but they barely broke a sweat as I maxed my heart rate. At least it didn't happen until the second half of the run. I would've been fine if I didn't have the hills and which took my heart to the max at the 7:30/7:45 per mile pace. The heart rate wouldn't come down so I was forced to slow down the last ten minutes.
Even at 7:30 a.m., the heat and humidity were brutal. I sweat a puddle sitting there listening to the Runtex and Rogue reps talk about the upcoming Distance Challenge and the Austin Marathon. It was a good thing Accelerade was there with coolers full of the lemonade flavored drink. By the way, this was a new flavor in the powder form. Very nice. Not too sweet and it should be a favorite on the course. We were also treated to some free breakfast tacos from Taco Deli. I had never seen liquid potatoes but they were good. A few organizations had booths so it made for a small expo of sorts.
Next year may be the year that I enlist a coach or group to help me. Rogue sounds like a great program and one that would get me to the next level but it'll have to wait until next year. This year I'll be self-coached. And really self-coached is no longer self-coached in the sense of the word as it applied 30 years ago. I mean with so much information in books, on the Web and form others that help out, I'm really not self-coached as I am without a formal relationship with a coach or group. And I wonder if I'd run faster or better with a coach. I know I'd run faster if I ran with faster people. Anyway, it's something to ponder for the next year.
Labels: Accelerade, Austin Marathon, Rogue, Runtex
I'm watching eBay auctions on a Friday night, sipping on a Miller Lite, and can't believe the price the 8/9 speed Shimano brake/shifters are going for. I would expect cratchless, near perfect pieces to fetch close to $100, but $90 for a pair that the owner said don't work and are missing some cosmetic plastic sounds like too much.
I've been debating whether to build another bike...this time a road bike from scratch. I've decided to modify Salsa Verde (tri bike) during a few months of the year into a road bike. So it'll be cheaper to buy a good set of bars and brake/shifters than a whole new bike.
Heading out tomorrow morning to the marathon season kickoff. I shouldn't be thinking about marathon training until I get my next two triathlons done with but I can't help it. I've really enjoyed my runs lately and my head is constantly debating whether to do another full marathon or stick with the half. Pride and enthusiasm have me doing it while logic says no way. I'm sure the battle will continue until I register. As of this evening, pride and enthusiasm are winning.
Labels: Austin Marathon, eBay, Runtex, shifters
Before the race I got a chance to work on some articles for GoodHealth.com that increased my interest in the race but after last year's disasterous full marathon, I wasn't too psyched for this one. I wasn't running the full 26.2 miles and only going 13.1, but I couldn't get the motivation going. I hadn't really trained, running less than 15 miles per week and cycling most of the time on the trainer or lifting weights. My weight was up and I had lost quite a bit of aerobic fitness since October. I had only one goal at this point and that was to have fun. Actually, I had another goal and that was to run with Sydney and Da Fish. Da Fish got the flu the week before the race so he bowed out at the last minute.
The Expo proved to be enjoyable, except for the long line to pick up the packet. Last year they had good deals on running wearables and this year was true as well. I haven't been a big fan of my current running tights so I picked up another pair, a new top and something to cover the ears. Cha Ching! $100 left on the table.
Pre-event meals and prep went like clockwork. I rose without an alarm at 2:04 a.m. to drink my Boost drink. I had everything else ready and was out the door and over to Sydney's at 5:00 a.m. Her husband dropped us off as close as he could in the 30-degree cold, dark downtown morning. Drop off post-race clothing, a banner for work, and it was off for the ritual to empty the bladder.
By the time we got to the bridge for the start we were way in the back of the 12,000 racers. I spotted and 4:45 pace sign and made my way towards it. Like sardines packed in a can, we finally got compressed enough that there was no more forward movement. This seemed like a good seeding. It might have been a little slow but I felt we could always move forward. About that time the fireworks went off. It was a little unusual to see them in the morning, in the light. It was a nice touch though. It could've been disasterous if a breeze had been out of the north and had carried the smoke into the running crowd.
For the most part the race went, I won't say according to plan, as there wasn't a plan, but it went as I wished for. The first couple of miles were slow, the next eight were at a constant pace and the last two were fast. No issues with water, the one gel I swallowed, or clothing. The new tights were great, as was the rest of the stuff. I did at the last minute decide to wear the pair of Brooks, although they put big, fat blisters on my feet the last eight-mile run I ran with them. That last run must've broken them in a bit because they were great during the race. Come to think of it, the Asics did the same thing on a 20-mile run and then were my fave shoes from then on. I guess for me, the only way to break them in is to take them on a long run, no matter how many miles they were walked in.
There were more hills in this race and the downhills hurt worse than the uphills. Even today, I have some Tiger Balm on the quads. As the half marathoners split at the ten-mile mark with the full marathoners, I felt a great relief that I wasn't with the 26.2-mile group. The thoughts of the back pain, the quad and calf pain were ever present which then transferred into elation for having not to repeat that ordeal.
For some reason the heart rate monitor had a rough time getting started. Every time I brought the thing to my chest to change the time to heart beats, my other watch was hit on the lap button. This screwed up my first few splits. Eventually, I gave up and looked at the overall time, along with some good splits. Nah, the race was more for having a good time and not worrying about PRs or good splits. High fives with the kids, saying hi to the people that came out to cheer, yelling at the bands...that's what this race was about.
Sydney was like a clock. 10:34, 10:31, 10:44 for all of the middle miles. I asked her as we approached the capitol whether she wanted to speed up or slow down. She said the pace was good at 10:xx. Right after that moment, it seemed the pace picked up or people were slowing down. Mile 12 clocked in at 8:46. Yes, Sydney had picked up the pace and then some. As we approached Congress for the home stretch, people were lined up along the route. The first marathoners were coming in on the left. We were on the right. Sydney picked it up and started sprinting full speed towards the finish. I was right on her heels. We crossed the line and picked up our medals, a bottle of water and a bottle of Powerade. Great weather, great race organization, a great expo, great volunteers, great people to cheer and the list goes on and on. This race is my new favorite running race.
Post race I chilled with Da Fish and his brother at the lake. Some of the Runner's World folks were in town, so we all grabbed burgers and beer on the deck of the lake. What a way to chill after the race. I had no problem downing fries and onion rings after running 13.1 miles.
tags: running, marathon, race report,
Labels: Austin Marathon, race report, running
The Oroweat Health and Fitness Expo for the ATT Austin Marathon opens today. Packet pickup, chip testing and all the booths to check out with new, cool stuff. But before the expo opens at 3:00 p.m., it's pho soup time for lunch. Ever since last year before the marathon when I had the flu, eating pho soup the Friday before the race makes everything right. It balances the body into it's ying/yang, acid/alkaline way.
Labels: ATT, Austin Marathon, expo, Oroweat, pho soup
We just got through posting the ATT Austin Marathon course overview last night to GoodHealth.com. It should be a pretty cool tool for folks running Sunday. I mean you have the course map and elevation and the course intertainment page but the interactive slide show gives you a bird's eye view of the course. You can see the rollers coming, feel the descents and how fast they'll be on Sunday. Maybe faster if there's ice but it doesn't look like it'll be a repeat of last year. The latest forecast has mid-forties for race day.
This wraps up the pre-race articles I've been working on. The next GH article will be post race and cover what the medical folks experienced race day. Seton is the medical sponsor for the race.
Labels: ATT, Austin Marathon, course, Seton, slide show
This is where I write about my attempts to rearrange my body's atoms to compete in triathlon events in Central Texas. From nutrition to wrenching the bikes, it's all still a learning experience.
| Race | Distance | Date |
| 13.1 Miles | Jan. | |
| 26.2 Miles | Feb. | |
| Surfside Beach Marathon | 26.2 Miles | Feb. 9 |
| Capital 10,000 | 10K | Mar. 30 |
| CapTex Tri | Olympic Tri | May |
| Austin Triathlon | Olympic Tri | Sept. 1 |
| Longhorn | Half Ironman Tri | Oct. 5 |
| San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon | 13.1 Miles | Nov. 16 |
"Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind."
--da Vinci