Reflections on Sub-3

I've had more than a week now to reflect on running a sub 3 hour marathon. I've given thought to what went well during this training cycle. Why was I able to relatively comfortably accomplish something that had always seemed so far out of my reach? Can I repeat this? Can I share something to help someone else break this barrier?

Yes, You Can
I shared this picture on my Facebook timeline, and it got a lot of attention. I may have some blog readers who aren't also Facebook friends, so I'll share this here, too. I've told my weight loss story on this blog through multiple posts, but this collage shows it in one place.

From 240 lbs to 2:XX Marathon

There is over 6 years from the left to the right. Those middle three pictures are the same pair of jeans. I can't believe I was bulging out of those jeans!

It takes support. It takes patience. It takes discipline. It takes, well, just plain old bull-headedness. But, yes, you can. You can accomplish your goals, even if they seem out of reach right now.

Celebrate, Then Move On
I have to warn others and remind myself not to get the post race injury. Yeah, I got this weird injury right after my last marathon PR. See, last time I set a marathon PR, I tore my rotator-cuff while patting myself on the back. (That's a feeble attempt at humor. I did not really tear my rotator-cuff. I just got lazy and injured.) It took me over a year to get back into form after my last marathon PR. I'm not making that mistake again.

This time, I celebrated for a week. I ran less than 30 miles last week. I ate at least 3 cheeseburgers. I ate tons of peanut m&ms. I ate Krispy Kreme donuts. I ate so much ice cream. Dessert. Cheese Fries. Steak. I even drank coke a few times. All. Week. Long. Whatever I wanted. I enjoyed it, but I'm finished celebrating. I'm running hard and watching what I eat, and I started that on Sunday.

Avoiding Injury
I really think that the key to this success was that I stayed injury free. When you don't miss a workout due to injury or illness, you can really get a lot out of your body. That's the key to having breakthrough performances. You have to stay injury free during your training.

How did I stay injury free? I really don't know the answer to that one, but I have some ideas. I have a page about my shoes. Over the past year, I have been alternating shoes. I have 3-5 different pairs of shoes that I use during a week. Each pair has different characteristics. So, my feet and legs are not subjected to the same repetitive stresses day in and day out. Read about my road shoes on My Shoe Closet above.

Other than shoe variety and abiding by the basic hard-easy principle, I don't know any other secrets.

Speed Up
For about 3 months prior to starting this marathon training cycle, I focused on running a fast 5k. It was really fun. I love running 78 or 79 second 400s. I love running 36 second 200s. I love combo workouts. I kept my mileage high for me, between 70 and 80 miles per week. But I never ran more than 15 miles at a time, I did doubles often, and I did intervals sometimes twice per week. I felt faster than ever when I began this marathon training cycle. Sure, I lacked the confidence that I could maintain the pace for 26.2 miles, but I felt fast.

During the marathon cycle, I built up my mileage. I peaked at 90 miles for a couple of weeks. I didn't run any 400s or 200s. I worked hard on long runs and tempo runs. One thing I did this time that I have neglected in previous training cycles; I did my strides. I did strides once or twice per week. I had always omitted those in previous training cycles. But doing strides reminded me that even though I'm running high mileage and slogging out long runs and long tempo runs, I can still turn my legs over quickly. Strides will be a staple in my running from now on.

Because of that speed, my tempo runs felt really easy. I mean, really easy. I found myself dropping the pace to about 6:15 or 6:20 per mile during tempo runs just because 6:30 felt too easy. I only had one bad tempo workout. I nailed all the others and they all felt a little too easy.

Now that I'm done with the marathon, I'm going back to working on my speed. Running fast is fun. I ran some 76-79 second 400s today and it was a joy.

Diet
My diet wasn't perfect. It was far from it. I cheated a lot. And, I have an abnormally large appetite, even for a runner. However, my diet was cleaner for this training cycle than it ever has been. I've switched to a flexitarian diet that just makes me feel better. It also forces me to find foods that I wouldn't eat otherwise. It forces me to eat more vegetables and to find non-soy sources of protein. I really believe that reducing the amount of meat in my diet has made me faster, but I can't prove it.

Basically, my flexitarian diet works like this. Never eat meat more than once per day. Have at least 3 completely meatless days per week. When you eat meat, eat only lean meat. This means no sausages, bacon, and very little (only 96/4 when I eat it) ground beef. And the last rule is... Fish, if it isn't fried or covered in fatty sauce, is a vegetable. I have been surprised by how easy and palatable this change has been.

That's it. Hopefully something in this will help you or me.

8 Mile

Today's schedule called for speed work. The travel yesterday and the difficult workouts over the weekend just drained me. When I woke up this morning, a speed workout was the farthest thing from my mind. I did set the alarm, but it just wasn't enough sleep, so I turned it right back off and slept another hour.

But, all day long I wished I had run. So, when the work day ended, I changed quickly and hit the road. I decided to postpone the speed work until Thursday when Lanier will be able to join me. Speed work is better when you have someone to complain to during the rest.

I was going to run 8, but it just felt so good to be running, so I ran 9. I may have run 12 or 13, but Mark was waiting to meet me for dinner. I didn't want to keep him waiting. I hit the first mile in 7:34 because I was trying to get to the cross walks while I still had the walk sign. So the first mile had some fartleks built in. That didn't feel so bad, so I decided I'd push a little on this run. This was one of those runs that I grinned the whole way. I was just happy to be running. I love to run.

1. 7:34
2. 8:14 (traffic)
   
3. 7:58 (traffic)
   
4. 7:38
5. 7:31
6. 7:14
7. 7:23 (traffic!!!)
8. 6:35
9. 8:13 (cool down)
   

Running Rewards

It's really hard for to imagine how that running could could be more rewarding to me than it has over the past few weeks, or even the past couple of days. Yesterday, I did a very challenging speed workout. The start time was an obscene 4:15 AM because of my schedule that day. I didn't ask for or expect it, but my usual speed workout partners showed up and pushed me for that workout. I may not have begun or survived it alone. I've felt better ever since knowing that I did that workout.

Then, today's run was just great. I ran a cool, rainy, wet, awesome, historical, Washington, DC 10 (OK, 11) miler. I almost didn't go because I just didn't want to. But once I started, I didn't really want to stop! I ran an easy, leisurely 8:30 - 9:00 pace until the last 3 miles which averaged 7:35. It was a great day for a run. I was soaked to the bone when I got back to my room.

Along the way I met a congressional staffer who is training for an adventure race in a few weeks. We ran about 4 miles or so together and he gave me a unique perspective on business in Washington, DC. After chatting with him, I'm nowhere near as discouraged with our government as I was before our chat. Running definitely rewarded me for going out the door and bearing the first mile this morning. I saw things I wouldn't have seen without running and met people I wouldn't have met without running and learned things I wouldn't have known without running. Below is the route I ran.

Tempo

I met my good friend and Mount Cheaha training partner, Matt, this morning at 5:30 for a tempo run. He's the only one I could talk into running that crazy race with me. I think he's as excited as I am about the race! We met for a warmup jog over to the Athens High 1.5 mile track. On the way over, we complained the whole way. Neither of us wanted to get up! I'm still not 100% from this week's stomach bug. He's battling a head cold. Neither of us slept well. Oh we had some excuses! But we met up and ran anyway.

What a run!!!!!

We planned to do 6 miles tempo. I felt as invigorated after that run as I remember feeling after a run. We both went from complaining on the warmup to rejoicing over the run on the cool down. That's why I run!

Oh yeah, 7:09, 7:03, 6:56, 6:56, 6:49, and 6:33 and still had something left! If I had maintained that pace for another 0.2, that would have been close to a 10k PR for me! That helps, too! :)

Thanks for the push this morning, Matt.

Why do I run?

I had more than one friend tell me that visible bruising is not something to just run through, so it's been a week since I ran. I missed it! I was planning to do a long run today, but I decided to go easy today and take advantage of tomorrow's glorious forecast to do an afternoon long run.

It's been a tough week with stress, sick kids, travel, concern for others well-being, lack of sleep, etc. I've just been totally overloaded. Well, last night, I had a long Bible study which set my mind at ease. Then I got some very good sleep.

Then, today I ran. No iPod, no buddy (though I did invite Matt, but he couldn't make it), no nothing. Just me. It was completely therapeutic! I'm sure I smiled the whole time!!! The previous week just melted away. As I hit mile 5, I noticed how easy the miles were for my body. I noticed how great it felt just to be out there. I never before thought 7 miles could feel so good!

I think I finally have some insight into why I run now. When I finish hard workouts, I'm rewarded with the accomplishment of overcoming that voice telling me to slow down and stop. When I don't finish hard workouts, I love the challenge to do better next time. When I race I enjoy the camaraderie of other runners and the challenge of beating my goal time. When I do easy workouts, I'm rewarded with the joy that running CAN be easy. There was a time (not very long ago!) when there was no such thing as an easy run! I am renewed. I am refreshed.

That's why I run.

Attempted Long Run

So I decided that I would attempt a long run this morning. It was beyond ugly. If I ever wanted to know what my body is capable of after back to back nights of 4-ish hours of sleep, I found that limit today. Sunday, travel and work hindered my bed time. Last night, I just couldn't fall asleep and then didn't sleep well when I did doze off.

I really needed to hit the road no later than 4:00 AM this morning to have a chance at completing my 16 miler. But I just couldn't force myself up any earlier than 4:00 AM, so I didn't hit the road until 4:30. Then, I knew that I wouldn't finish the 16, but I sure didn't feel good enough to have a chance for a decent speed workout. So I slogged out 10 miles. I wanted to do at least 12. Man, I hit a wall at like 8. I was up 3 lbs. this morning from Friday. Ewww. Chubby! My knees felt every ounce of those lbs. I bruised my left knee playing tennis last week, (The truth is that I fell, but if anyone asks, I dove.) and it was terribly sore this morning, and still is. Nothing major, I expected it to hurt. Splits, ugly as they are, are below.

1. 7:48
2. 8:23
3. 8:28
4. 7:39
5. 7:32
6. 7:36
7. 8:20
8. 7:45
9. 8:09
10. 8:41

Today was one of those days that I ask myself the question that everyone else asks of me. "Why am I doing this?" That was painful, disappointing, and ugly. But the important thing is that I ran 10 miles farther than I would have run just a short year ago.

Hilly and high altitude

First, results from last weekend's race are available at http://northalabamarunner.blogspot.com/. Age groups and overall results are available. I was 2nd in my age group and 14th overall.

Today's workout was GREAT. It just felt awesome! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get through today's workout. The last time I was at this altitude, I ran one 7:30 mile and thought I would die.

Today, not so. I ran 10 of the hilliest and most beautiful miles I've ever run! See the image below.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was considering quitting this thing. My knee was killing me. I was willing to concede that I had bitten off more than I could chew. The next time I get discouraged, I need to read this post to try to remember how I felt today! After chugging up one of the many hills today, I turned around to come down. A complete stranger running in the opposite direction reaches out and high fives me! That was cool.

Enough rambling.

Today's workout called for 10 miles with 8 minutes of uphill time. I probably had more like 40 minutes of uphill time. Even better. Average pace was a smidge over 7:40.

1. 7:26
2. 7:32
3. 7:59
4. 8:27 (The hills and altitude start to show their teeth!)
5. 7:56
6. 7:30 (I start to show my teeth back!)
7. 7:32
8. 7:50
9. 7:31 (How about that for a 9th mile?)
10. 7:55

Did I mention that today's workout just felt great?

Day off

Today was a day off. I'm trying to figure out when to get in the long run this week. Probably sometime tomorrow, but tomorrow's schedule is very tight. I wanted to run it today, but my legs were trashed from yesterday's speed work and racquetball.

I'm still getting the "why" question. I still don't have a good answer. My wife says it's because I've lost my mind. I say it's because I truly enjoy running and to prove that I can finish something this big.

Day Off

Today was a planned, much needed and enjoyed day off from exercise. I'll be back at it tomorrow in the AM.

A question has come up a few times over the past couple of weeks. Why? Why would anyone run a marathon? What motivates someone to train to run 26.2 miles? Hmmm. I'm going to have to think about this one. Other than the fact that I've truly begun to enjoy running to the point that I look forward to each week's long run, I don't have a good answer. Maybe that's good enough. For now.