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My bib number is 1709
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Last 20 mile run today - the hay is in the barn
Completed the last 20 mile run today without injury - the most important thing. "The hay is in the barn" as they say. Total time was 3:10:54 for a 9:32 pace.
First 5 mile loop: 48:32 for a 9:42 pace
Second 5 mile loop: 48:07 for a 9:37 pace
Third 5 mile loop: 47:50 for a 9:34 pace
Fourth 5 mile loop: 46:23 for a 9:17 pace
As usual I negative split every loop. One nice thing about running these loops is that even if the loop mileage isn't exactly right (I'm getting it from mapmyrun), certainly the delta time between loops is as accurate as it could be since it's the identical loop every time.
First 5 mile loop: 48:32 for a 9:42 pace
Second 5 mile loop: 48:07 for a 9:37 pace
Third 5 mile loop: 47:50 for a 9:34 pace
Fourth 5 mile loop: 46:23 for a 9:17 pace
As usual I negative split every loop. One nice thing about running these loops is that even if the loop mileage isn't exactly right (I'm getting it from mapmyrun), certainly the delta time between loops is as accurate as it could be since it's the identical loop every time.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Last 10 mile pace run
The last Saturday 10 mile pace run this morning:
1st 5 mile loop: 44:43 for an 8:57 pace
2nd 5 mile loop: 42:25 for an 8:29 pace
As perspective on how far I've come, I did the whole thing in 1:27:08 running comfortably, less than a minute slower than I ran the Lazy Lobster 10 miler in June (1:26:40) running as hard as I could.
Tomorrow is the last 20 mile training run... then a 3 week taper to Disney!
1st 5 mile loop: 44:43 for an 8:57 pace
2nd 5 mile loop: 42:25 for an 8:29 pace
As perspective on how far I've come, I did the whole thing in 1:27:08 running comfortably, less than a minute slower than I ran the Lazy Lobster 10 miler in June (1:26:40) running as hard as I could.
Tomorrow is the last 20 mile training run... then a 3 week taper to Disney!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
10 mile midweek run
Ran the 10 mile midweek run this morning in the rain. Fortunately it wasn't too cold - in the low 40s.
1st 5 mile loop: 48:08 for a 9:38 pace
2nd 5 mile loop: 45:56 for a 9:11 pace
1st 5 mile loop: 48:08 for a 9:38 pace
2nd 5 mile loop: 45:56 for a 9:11 pace
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Last Week of Peak Mileage Coming Up - 50 miles
Finished a 34 mile week with a 12 mile run today:
1st 5 mile loop: 48:23 for a 9:41 pace
2nd 5 mile loop: 45:59 for a 9:12 pace
2 mile loop: 18:03 for a 9:02 mile pace
Coming up: The last peak mileage week ending with the last 20 mile training run next Sunday. Then it's taper time and the Marathon...
1st 5 mile loop: 48:23 for a 9:41 pace
2nd 5 mile loop: 45:59 for a 9:12 pace
2 mile loop: 18:03 for a 9:02 mile pace
Coming up: The last peak mileage week ending with the last 20 mile training run next Sunday. Then it's taper time and the Marathon...
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Disney Marathon Info
So runDisney came out with some information today including the corral breakdowns and assignments. Here are the corral breakdowns:
(I couldn't find a way to completely get rid of the pdf control panel at the bottom!)
I got bib number 1709 with my 1:50 half-marathon submission, which puts me (barely) into corral E. There will only be 1708 runners ahead of me so the crowding shouldn't be bad.
Looking at the past races, the 2013 race had 17591 runners, the 2014 race had 13316 runners and this year has 12334 (judging by the bib numbers). All three races sold-out, so I'm curious why Disney has cut the numbers back. Maybe they recognize too much crowding on the course.
UPDATE: The posters on the Disney Marathon blog pointed out that this doesn't include the Goofy and Dopey runners (the former running the half and the full marathons, the latter running the 5k, 10k, half and full), which brings the total running up to somewhere around 26,000.
(I couldn't find a way to completely get rid of the pdf control panel at the bottom!)
I got bib number 1709 with my 1:50 half-marathon submission, which puts me (barely) into corral E. There will only be 1708 runners ahead of me so the crowding shouldn't be bad.
Looking at the past races, the 2013 race had 17591 runners, the 2014 race had 13316 runners and this year has 12334 (judging by the bib numbers). All three races sold-out, so I'm curious why Disney has cut the numbers back. Maybe they recognize too much crowding on the course.
UPDATE: The posters on the Disney Marathon blog pointed out that this doesn't include the Goofy and Dopey runners (the former running the half and the full marathons, the latter running the 5k, 10k, half and full), which brings the total running up to somewhere around 26,000.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
The Best Part of My Training Week
What's the best part of the training week?
After a 20 mile Sunday morning run, heading to Brothers Restaurant with Tricia for a Western omelette with cheese, hash browns, rye toast, a side of sausage links and chocolate milk. It's the one time during the week I let it go.
After a 20 mile Sunday morning run, heading to Brothers Restaurant with Tricia for a Western omelette with cheese, hash browns, rye toast, a side of sausage links and chocolate milk. It's the one time during the week I let it go.
Second 20 Mile Run - One More To Go
This morning I finished the second 50 mile week with a 20 mile training run. I ran it in 3:07:02, using my usual 5 mile loop route 4 times with the following splits:
1st 5 Mile Loop: 48:35 for a 9:43 mile pace.
2nd 5 Mile Loop: 46:36 for a 9:19 mile pace.
3rd 5 Mile Loop: 46:12 for a 9:14 mile pace.
4th 5 Mile Loop: 45:40 for a 9:08 mile pace.
The overall pace was 9:21 per mile, and if I could hold that pace for the last 10k of a marathon, I'd finish in 4:05:11. Not too far from my 4 hour marathon goal even running at training pace.
I'm happy to see that I negative split every loop. I also ran the whole thing 11 minutes faster than the 20 mile run two weeks ago. A caveat here is that I did the 10 mile run on Friday (supposed to be a rest day) rather than the scheduled Saturday because heavy rain was forecast for Saturday (and that turned out to be a good decision). So I had a day of rest between the 10 miler and the 20 miler today against no days rest between them two weeks ago.
Coming up is another shorter mileage week (34 miles with a 12 mile run next Sunday) followed by the last of the high mileage training weeks. Almost there! The goal now is to finish the high mileage training without injury...
1st 5 Mile Loop: 48:35 for a 9:43 mile pace.
2nd 5 Mile Loop: 46:36 for a 9:19 mile pace.
3rd 5 Mile Loop: 46:12 for a 9:14 mile pace.
4th 5 Mile Loop: 45:40 for a 9:08 mile pace.
The overall pace was 9:21 per mile, and if I could hold that pace for the last 10k of a marathon, I'd finish in 4:05:11. Not too far from my 4 hour marathon goal even running at training pace.
I'm happy to see that I negative split every loop. I also ran the whole thing 11 minutes faster than the 20 mile run two weeks ago. A caveat here is that I did the 10 mile run on Friday (supposed to be a rest day) rather than the scheduled Saturday because heavy rain was forecast for Saturday (and that turned out to be a good decision). So I had a day of rest between the 10 miler and the 20 miler today against no days rest between them two weeks ago.
Coming up is another shorter mileage week (34 miles with a 12 mile run next Sunday) followed by the last of the high mileage training weeks. Almost there! The goal now is to finish the high mileage training without injury...
Sunday, November 30, 2014
12 mile training run
This morning on the schedule was a 12 mile training run, at training rather than race pace. I completed the 12 miles in 1:54:16 for an overall pace of 9:31 per mile.
I did two 5 mile loops followed by a 2 mile loop. The pacing breakdown was:
First 5 mile loop: 48:43 for a pace of 9:45 per mile
Second 5 mile loop: 47:42 for a pace of 9:32 per mile
2 mile loop: 17:51 for a pace of 8:55 per mile
As usual I tried to keep the last loop no faster than the previous loops, but the psychology of being on the last loop got the better of me.
Coming this week: 50 miles of running culminating in a 10 mile pace run on Saturday and my second 20 mile training run on Sunday.
I did two 5 mile loops followed by a 2 mile loop. The pacing breakdown was:
First 5 mile loop: 48:43 for a pace of 9:45 per mile
Second 5 mile loop: 47:42 for a pace of 9:32 per mile
2 mile loop: 17:51 for a pace of 8:55 per mile
As usual I tried to keep the last loop no faster than the previous loops, but the psychology of being on the last loop got the better of me.
Coming this week: 50 miles of running culminating in a 10 mile pace run on Saturday and my second 20 mile training run on Sunday.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
6 mile Pace Run and Race Pacing
This morning on the schedule was a 6 mile pace run. The idea with the pace runs is to perform the run at the pace at which you expect to run the marathon. Not the fastest possible pace you could run 6 miles, nor the deliberately slow pace of the long training runs, but the pace you expect to achieve on the actual day of the race.
Not having run a marathon before, I'm in uncharted territory as far as setting the race pace. The standard advice for your first marathon is just to run it to finish, but I'm not sure that is such great advice. I think it is wise to have a specific pace in mind. I know that on race day I'll be very keyed up, and without a specific pace in mind I'll inevitably try to run it too fast. And if the pace I set is a "just finish it" pace - which I think would be 10 minute miles for me, since I did 20 miles quite comfortably last Sunday at a little better than 10 minute miles - I will have a very hard time holding it there with all the excitement and knowing I could likely go faster. And again I would be in danger of trying to run it too fast.
I think it is important that I find a pace that I believe I can run comfortably but is also fast enough that the temptation to push it won't be too bad. Then I think I should be able to discipline myself to hold that pace an no faster, and to back off if I exceed it.
What is that pace? Clearly 8 minute miles is too fast and 10 minute miles is too slow. This morning on the 6 mile pace run I consciously took it up a notch from my normal slow training pace, but also made sure I kept it below a 10k pace, aiming for a good cruising pace I thought I could keep up more or less indefinitely. I ran the first 3 miles in 26:40 at an 8:52 pace and the second 3 miles in 25:28 at an 8:30 pace for a 52:08 total. It's amazing what a warmup does as I consciously tried to keep the second 3 miles easy but I ran it more than a minute faster. I'm also discovering I'm running significantly faster than I was a few months ago at the same "feel" pace. I ran an 8:38 pace at the half marathon in Salem in September but felt like I was working much harder - even over the first half of the race - than I was this morning, which seemed like a stroll in the park.
I've still got some time to settle on the race pace, but it's starting to look like a 9 minute mile pace is not unreasonable, with an 8:30 mile being the "danger pace" I should stay below (like going into the red on your RPM readout in the car). A 9 minute mile pace would get me to a sub 4 hour marathon, so that might be a reasonable goal. We'll see how things go next week when I have another 50 mile week ending in a 20 miler next Sunday.
Not having run a marathon before, I'm in uncharted territory as far as setting the race pace. The standard advice for your first marathon is just to run it to finish, but I'm not sure that is such great advice. I think it is wise to have a specific pace in mind. I know that on race day I'll be very keyed up, and without a specific pace in mind I'll inevitably try to run it too fast. And if the pace I set is a "just finish it" pace - which I think would be 10 minute miles for me, since I did 20 miles quite comfortably last Sunday at a little better than 10 minute miles - I will have a very hard time holding it there with all the excitement and knowing I could likely go faster. And again I would be in danger of trying to run it too fast.
I think it is important that I find a pace that I believe I can run comfortably but is also fast enough that the temptation to push it won't be too bad. Then I think I should be able to discipline myself to hold that pace an no faster, and to back off if I exceed it.
What is that pace? Clearly 8 minute miles is too fast and 10 minute miles is too slow. This morning on the 6 mile pace run I consciously took it up a notch from my normal slow training pace, but also made sure I kept it below a 10k pace, aiming for a good cruising pace I thought I could keep up more or less indefinitely. I ran the first 3 miles in 26:40 at an 8:52 pace and the second 3 miles in 25:28 at an 8:30 pace for a 52:08 total. It's amazing what a warmup does as I consciously tried to keep the second 3 miles easy but I ran it more than a minute faster. I'm also discovering I'm running significantly faster than I was a few months ago at the same "feel" pace. I ran an 8:38 pace at the half marathon in Salem in September but felt like I was working much harder - even over the first half of the race - than I was this morning, which seemed like a stroll in the park.
I've still got some time to settle on the race pace, but it's starting to look like a 9 minute mile pace is not unreasonable, with an 8:30 mile being the "danger pace" I should stay below (like going into the red on your RPM readout in the car). A 9 minute mile pace would get me to a sub 4 hour marathon, so that might be a reasonable goal. We'll see how things go next week when I have another 50 mile week ending in a 20 miler next Sunday.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Peak Mileage Milestone - 20 miles
So this morning I ran the first of the 20 mile training runs, 3 of which are on the Hal Higdon plan I am following. 2 more to go. 20 miles is the longest distance run on the plan.
I ran the 20 miles in 3:18:28, a bit less than a 10 minute mile pace. The route I use is a 5 mile loop, which allows me to stay relatively close to home and put a water bottle on the front porch. I don't like to carry things when I run, and the bottle on the porch allows me to take a water stop every 5 miles without the hassle of toting a bottle. I also take a gu gel energy pack off the porch every loop.
Last Sunday I was visiting in Endwell and ran the 19 mile run called for by the plan. Rather than mapping out a flat course in Endicott and driving down there for it, I foolishly mapped one starting from the Weis plaza down the hill on Hooper road. This course is a lot hillier than my normal route in Danvers (although I did my best to minimize the hills). As I probably should have expected, it was a little too much and in the 19th mile I tweaked my left calf (the same injury I experienced in August after the Rockport Half Marathon) going up the final hill on Hooper Road along ME High School. Fortunately I had the good sense to shut it down when I first felt the pain in my calf and limped in the final quarter mile to the car. This past week I rode the recumbent bike at work on Tuesday and Wednesday rather than the training runs. I tried out the calf on Thursday in a 5 mile run and finished it with no pain. Same thing again for the 10 mile run yesterday.
I changed the 5 mile Danvers loop I've been running to make it as flat as possible to minimize the chance of injury. Compared to what I ran in Endwell, it is very flat with only a few gentle grades. Today's 20 miles felt noticeably easier than the 19 miles in Endwell last week, and - the most important thing - I finished it without injury, although I am pretty sore.
One interesting thing is that I ran the first three 5 mile loops in a fairly consistent 10 minute mile pace. The last loop I ran in 47:27 for a 9:30 mile pace, although I did not try to increase the pace and in fact made a conscious effort to stay slow to avoid injury. Maybe it's the knowledge that I was in the homestretch that led to an unconscious uptick in pace. In any case it was nice to know I had that in the tank after 15 miles.
I ran the 20 miles in 3:18:28, a bit less than a 10 minute mile pace. The route I use is a 5 mile loop, which allows me to stay relatively close to home and put a water bottle on the front porch. I don't like to carry things when I run, and the bottle on the porch allows me to take a water stop every 5 miles without the hassle of toting a bottle. I also take a gu gel energy pack off the porch every loop.
Last Sunday I was visiting in Endwell and ran the 19 mile run called for by the plan. Rather than mapping out a flat course in Endicott and driving down there for it, I foolishly mapped one starting from the Weis plaza down the hill on Hooper road. This course is a lot hillier than my normal route in Danvers (although I did my best to minimize the hills). As I probably should have expected, it was a little too much and in the 19th mile I tweaked my left calf (the same injury I experienced in August after the Rockport Half Marathon) going up the final hill on Hooper Road along ME High School. Fortunately I had the good sense to shut it down when I first felt the pain in my calf and limped in the final quarter mile to the car. This past week I rode the recumbent bike at work on Tuesday and Wednesday rather than the training runs. I tried out the calf on Thursday in a 5 mile run and finished it with no pain. Same thing again for the 10 mile run yesterday.
I changed the 5 mile Danvers loop I've been running to make it as flat as possible to minimize the chance of injury. Compared to what I ran in Endwell, it is very flat with only a few gentle grades. Today's 20 miles felt noticeably easier than the 19 miles in Endwell last week, and - the most important thing - I finished it without injury, although I am pretty sore.
One interesting thing is that I ran the first three 5 mile loops in a fairly consistent 10 minute mile pace. The last loop I ran in 47:27 for a 9:30 mile pace, although I did not try to increase the pace and in fact made a conscious effort to stay slow to avoid injury. Maybe it's the knowledge that I was in the homestretch that led to an unconscious uptick in pace. In any case it was nice to know I had that in the tank after 15 miles.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Air Force Association Veterans 10k and 5k
The Hal Higdon Marathon training plan for this week has a day of rest on Saturday and a Half Marathon race on Sunday. Not being interested in running another half marathon race at this point, I substituted a 10k race today and I'll do an easy 10 miler tomorrow morning.
There is a nice 10k event this weekend in Bedford, the Air Force Association Veterans Fun Run that starts and finishes at the VA facility in Bedford. It's a fund raiser for the AFA so I thought it would be a worthy event in which to participate. I was happy to hear that Ellen was willing to join me running the 5k, so I picked her up at school Friday afternoon (Tricia was gracious enough to bring her back this afternoon). Here are Ellen and me prior to the start:
I thought I would "represent" the Marine Corps at the race so I wore my hat. There were a lot of people running in Air Force gear (naturally) and a few in Army wear. There were one or two others sporting the Eagle, Globe and Anchor of the USMC. Here are the flags set up at the finish line...
My goal at the North Andover 10k in July was to break 50 minutes. I almost reached it in that race, running a 50:19. This time, 15 pounds lighter, I would be disappointed if I wasn't able to improve that time enough to get under 50. The race time temperature was in the high 30's, which didn't bode too well as I don't seem to be a good cold weather runner. The course isn't easy either, consisting mostly of rolling hills. But I ran the first mile in 8:28, which was a good sign as I have generally been in the 9:30 range for the first mile or two. I ran the first 5k in 25 minutes and change, which put me within striking distance of 50 minutes. About the 4th mile I really settled in and was able to increase my pace, finishing in 49:07 for an average pace of 7:55 per mile. I was happy to see that I negative split the second 5k in something less than 24 minutes, and got under an 8 minute average pace for the first time. Ellen did a 28:28 for the 5k, not her best but then she had a chest cold and ran anyway.
Here is Ellen finishing the 5k...
And here I am finishing the 10k...
Friday, October 31, 2014
Weight Milestone
After the Wicked Half Marathon on Sept. 20, and a month of my weight hanging around the mid 180s, I decided to make the extra effort to lose weight in the runup to the Disney Marathon. I was weighing myself once a week, but decided to eliminate the weigh-ins until Halloween. The psychology is that the regular weigh-ins can be demotivating if you aren't losing the weight you think you should be... just do the best you can and see what happens.
I became more strict on the diet, eliminating the Coke altogether, the cereal and bread, and more or less going low-carb and eating more fruit. Weighing myself this morning, I came in at 179.5, which is about a 5 to 6 pound loss from where I was at the Wicked Half Marathon. It's the first time I have been below 180 pounds perhaps since my 20's. At least I can't remember the last time I was less than 180. My original goal was to be 180 or less for the marathon, but I'm amending that now to 175 or less. Obviously, it's getting increasingly difficult to take weight off as I close in on my natural limit.
The next event on the schedule is the Air Force Association 10k in Bedford on Nov. 8. I'll have Ellen back with me running the associated 5k.
Here is my weight diary since last Spring. Back in March I accidentally deleted the email that contained the January and February entries.
Date Weight
1/10 223.0
[Jan-Feb missing]
3/3 212.5
3/10 212.5
3/17 212.0
3/24 209.5
3/31 210.5
4/7 208.5
4/14 207.5
4/28 204.0
5/5 204.0
5/12 200.0
5/28 200.5
6/2 199.0
6/9 196.5
6/16 197.0
6/23 194.0
6/30 195.5
7/7 193.0
7/14 191.0
7/21 189.5
7/28 189.5
8/4 189.5
8/11 188.0
8/18 186.5
8/25 188.0
9/1 186.0
9/8 185.5
9/15 184.5
10/31 179.5
I became more strict on the diet, eliminating the Coke altogether, the cereal and bread, and more or less going low-carb and eating more fruit. Weighing myself this morning, I came in at 179.5, which is about a 5 to 6 pound loss from where I was at the Wicked Half Marathon. It's the first time I have been below 180 pounds perhaps since my 20's. At least I can't remember the last time I was less than 180. My original goal was to be 180 or less for the marathon, but I'm amending that now to 175 or less. Obviously, it's getting increasingly difficult to take weight off as I close in on my natural limit.
The next event on the schedule is the Air Force Association 10k in Bedford on Nov. 8. I'll have Ellen back with me running the associated 5k.
Here is my weight diary since last Spring. Back in March I accidentally deleted the email that contained the January and February entries.
Date Weight
1/10 223.0
[Jan-Feb missing]
3/3 212.5
3/10 212.5
3/17 212.0
3/24 209.5
3/31 210.5
4/7 208.5
4/14 207.5
4/28 204.0
5/5 204.0
5/12 200.0
5/28 200.5
6/2 199.0
6/9 196.5
6/16 197.0
6/23 194.0
6/30 195.5
7/7 193.0
7/14 191.0
7/21 189.5
7/28 189.5
8/4 189.5
8/11 188.0
8/18 186.5
8/25 188.0
9/1 186.0
9/8 185.5
9/15 184.5
10/31 179.5
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Training Plan
Here is the training plan I'll be using:
It is the Hal Higdon Intermediate 2 plan, which I settled on after some internet research. The Higdon plans seem to be very popular out there, and feature different plans for different levels of runners. Everything I've been doing from January till now has been by way of losing weight and banking mileage to prepare for the three month marathon training. I've been running 30+ miles per week since the start of the summer and between 10 and 13 miles on my Sunday runs since July, so I think I'm in a good place. Also, for the last 3 months, I've been mimicking the form of the training (long Sunday run, cross training on Monday, short runs Tuesday and Thursday, longer run Wednesday and "pacy" run on Saturday.)
A few things I've modified a bit. On the Tuesday and Thursday short runs, I'm doing them Marine Corps style with stations. A 3/4 mile lap around the park followed by (in my back yard) a set of pushups, crunches and dumbbell bent over rows. Do that 3 times, and finish it off with a run around the neighborhood to get me to somewhere in the 3 to 4 mile range. During the soccer refereeing season (September and October) I'm refereeing on Saturdays, which I'm counting as a Saturday pace run (and, believe me, refereeing 3 U14 soccer games back to back - if you run hard like I do - is like running a good 10k race). That all ends in November when the really big mileage kicks in.
The Disney Marathon is January 11, and if you back that out, you find out that I am in week 4 right now. I'm jumping into it there, this being the first week that I am trying to follow it as strictly as I can.
The cross-training I do is weight lifting with relatively light weights (all upper body work) and a lot of reps, plus core work. I do that both Monday and Friday, although I sometimes miss Friday. So if you count the station training on Tuesday and Thursday, I'm doing upper body work of some sort Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Another thing I'm changing is I'm not running a Half Marathon in week 9 (the Sunday of November 9). Instead, I'm running the Air Force Association Fun Run in Bedford, MA (a 10K) on Saturday the 8th. I'll probably run an easy 10 miler or the like on Sunday. Other than that, I'm going to attempt to abide by the schedule as strictly as I can.
It is the Hal Higdon Intermediate 2 plan, which I settled on after some internet research. The Higdon plans seem to be very popular out there, and feature different plans for different levels of runners. Everything I've been doing from January till now has been by way of losing weight and banking mileage to prepare for the three month marathon training. I've been running 30+ miles per week since the start of the summer and between 10 and 13 miles on my Sunday runs since July, so I think I'm in a good place. Also, for the last 3 months, I've been mimicking the form of the training (long Sunday run, cross training on Monday, short runs Tuesday and Thursday, longer run Wednesday and "pacy" run on Saturday.)
A few things I've modified a bit. On the Tuesday and Thursday short runs, I'm doing them Marine Corps style with stations. A 3/4 mile lap around the park followed by (in my back yard) a set of pushups, crunches and dumbbell bent over rows. Do that 3 times, and finish it off with a run around the neighborhood to get me to somewhere in the 3 to 4 mile range. During the soccer refereeing season (September and October) I'm refereeing on Saturdays, which I'm counting as a Saturday pace run (and, believe me, refereeing 3 U14 soccer games back to back - if you run hard like I do - is like running a good 10k race). That all ends in November when the really big mileage kicks in.
The Disney Marathon is January 11, and if you back that out, you find out that I am in week 4 right now. I'm jumping into it there, this being the first week that I am trying to follow it as strictly as I can.
The cross-training I do is weight lifting with relatively light weights (all upper body work) and a lot of reps, plus core work. I do that both Monday and Friday, although I sometimes miss Friday. So if you count the station training on Tuesday and Thursday, I'm doing upper body work of some sort Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Another thing I'm changing is I'm not running a Half Marathon in week 9 (the Sunday of November 9). Instead, I'm running the Air Force Association Fun Run in Bedford, MA (a 10K) on Saturday the 8th. I'll probably run an easy 10 miler or the like on Sunday. Other than that, I'm going to attempt to abide by the schedule as strictly as I can.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Wicked Half Marathon
Well what I learned today is that I don't seem to be a cold weather runner.
It was 37 degrees when we left the house at 5:30 AM for Salem (race start at 7:00 AM). Other than the cold, it was a beautiful day and a beautiful course. The race start is at the Salem Willows park right off Salem Harbor. Here is what the harbor looked like as dawn broke:
Aware of my traditional slow starts, I did a 3/4 mile warmup as well as the usual stretching. Nonetheless, I only managed a 9:30 mile pace for the first two miles and didn't break a 9 minute mile until the fifth mile, when my pace dropped by nearly a minute per mile. It wasn't until I got up the first serious hill in that fifth mile that I felt truly warmed up. Finally around mile 6 I settled into a steady race pace.
The rest of the race felt pretty good but as planned I didn't push it as hard as I had the Triple Threat Half Marathon in August. Especially since the very slow start put paid to any hopes of a half marathon PR. I cruised in the last few miles and, unlike the Triple Threat Half Marathon, I was not thrashed on finishing the race. Here I am finishing up:
I ended up running a 1:53:17 at an 8:38 pace, about 3 minutes slower than my time at the Triple Threat Half Marathon. Naturally part of me was hoping for better given the easier course than the run in Rockport and the cooler temperatures, but it turns out the cooler temperatures worked against me, making my start even slower than usual. (And as usual, I spent miles 4 and beyond passing people). Also the missed training in August and my recent illness didn't help. The slow start doesn't concern me much because it's not going to matter in a 26.2 mile race at Disney, and neither will it likely be 37 degrees at race time in Florida.
Where to from here? I'm done with racing until Disney, except for maybe the odd 5k for kicks. I didn't lose as much weight since early August as I hoped (only a couple of pounds). 186 is still a lot of weight for a runner - only 4 lbs short of the Clydesdale division - and I definitely feel "big" when I run, in the sense that I know I'm really working hard to run at race pace (compared to when I was younger and weighed 160 lbs and felt like I was gliding along). Obviously those youthful days and certainly 160 lbs isn't going to happen again, but I still think I have something like 15 lbs I can take off, and I'm convinced I will feel much different running with a weight in the low 170s than 186. And I think I can take if off if I get truly religious about avoiding carbohydrates and cheating with Coke. That's the whole point of this exercise in any case - to motivate me to take off as much weight as I can.
The true marathon training is going to begin as well, as I've been planning to follow a three month training plan from Hal Higdon that I'll talk about in a forthcoming post. Up to now I've been building a base from which to start this training.
It was 37 degrees when we left the house at 5:30 AM for Salem (race start at 7:00 AM). Other than the cold, it was a beautiful day and a beautiful course. The race start is at the Salem Willows park right off Salem Harbor. Here is what the harbor looked like as dawn broke:
Aware of my traditional slow starts, I did a 3/4 mile warmup as well as the usual stretching. Nonetheless, I only managed a 9:30 mile pace for the first two miles and didn't break a 9 minute mile until the fifth mile, when my pace dropped by nearly a minute per mile. It wasn't until I got up the first serious hill in that fifth mile that I felt truly warmed up. Finally around mile 6 I settled into a steady race pace.
The rest of the race felt pretty good but as planned I didn't push it as hard as I had the Triple Threat Half Marathon in August. Especially since the very slow start put paid to any hopes of a half marathon PR. I cruised in the last few miles and, unlike the Triple Threat Half Marathon, I was not thrashed on finishing the race. Here I am finishing up:
I ended up running a 1:53:17 at an 8:38 pace, about 3 minutes slower than my time at the Triple Threat Half Marathon. Naturally part of me was hoping for better given the easier course than the run in Rockport and the cooler temperatures, but it turns out the cooler temperatures worked against me, making my start even slower than usual. (And as usual, I spent miles 4 and beyond passing people). Also the missed training in August and my recent illness didn't help. The slow start doesn't concern me much because it's not going to matter in a 26.2 mile race at Disney, and neither will it likely be 37 degrees at race time in Florida.
Where to from here? I'm done with racing until Disney, except for maybe the odd 5k for kicks. I didn't lose as much weight since early August as I hoped (only a couple of pounds). 186 is still a lot of weight for a runner - only 4 lbs short of the Clydesdale division - and I definitely feel "big" when I run, in the sense that I know I'm really working hard to run at race pace (compared to when I was younger and weighed 160 lbs and felt like I was gliding along). Obviously those youthful days and certainly 160 lbs isn't going to happen again, but I still think I have something like 15 lbs I can take off, and I'm convinced I will feel much different running with a weight in the low 170s than 186. And I think I can take if off if I get truly religious about avoiding carbohydrates and cheating with Coke. That's the whole point of this exercise in any case - to motivate me to take off as much weight as I can.
The true marathon training is going to begin as well, as I've been planning to follow a three month training plan from Hal Higdon that I'll talk about in a forthcoming post. Up to now I've been building a base from which to start this training.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wicked Half-Marathon Pregame
The Wicked Half-Marathon in Salem is this Saturday morning. The weather looks good but cool, in the high 40's. Shortly after the Triple Threat Half-Marathon in early August, I had high hopes for this race, but fortune put some roadblocks in my path. These included a few injuries in August and, the last few weeks, a nagging cold that isn't bad but won't seem to go away. The injuries impacted my training in August and the cold, while it hasn't slowed my training down or prevented me from running the half marathon, does make it much harder to control my eating. I'm just not interested in being hungry while miserable from a cold. Worse, a Coke in the afternoon makes me feel a lot better and is difficult to resist. The bottom line of all that is I haven't lost all the weight I hoped in preparation for the race. My pre-race weigh-in this morning was 186.5, a three pound loss since the Triple Threat race and a lot less than I hoped, but I suppose I should be grateful that I am still losing, if more slowly.
In any event, I'm not going to push it as hard as the last race, the August injuries having taught me a lesson. But the course is easier and it won't be as warm, so we will see what happens. It's an interesting course as well, through historic downtown Salem and out through the upscale neighborhoods on Marblehead Neck.
In any event, I'm not going to push it as hard as the last race, the August injuries having taught me a lesson. But the course is easier and it won't be as warm, so we will see what happens. It's an interesting course as well, through historic downtown Salem and out through the upscale neighborhoods on Marblehead Neck.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Dodging A Bullet
So I planned to only blog concerning the major events leading up to the Marathon, but some sports fans have indicated they want more content. I'm more than willing to write more posts... who doesn't like to write about his favorite person?
Had a bit of a scare in August. The week after the Triple Threat Half Marathon, I pulled a calf muscle while running an ordinary training run and ended up taking a week off. During that week off, my left knee started to hurt in an ominous way that was reminiscent of how it felt before I had surgery on it seven years ago. Probably this was all the result of pushing it too hard at the Trip Threat Half Marathon. The week after that, I began starting some mild training again, but the knee didn't seem to be improving much. Naturally I got depressed thinking I might have done serious damage to the knee and blown the Disney Marathon.
I set up an appointment with Dr. O'Holleran, who did my two knee surgeries, and it turned out the knee is structurally sound and I only had a mild strain. By this point, I'm back to full training and did 11 miles last Sunday on my long run of the week.
The lack of training for those couple of weeks, and some inconsistent commitment to restraining my eating, probably killed my hope of weighing 180 lbs by the Wicked Half Marathon on Sept 20. I weighed 186 at my last Monday weigh-in, which is a 3 lb loss since August 4, but I'd need to lose 6 lbs in two weeks, which isn't going to happen.
In any case, I learned my lesson, and I'm going to take it easy and cruise the Wicked Half Marathon.
Had a bit of a scare in August. The week after the Triple Threat Half Marathon, I pulled a calf muscle while running an ordinary training run and ended up taking a week off. During that week off, my left knee started to hurt in an ominous way that was reminiscent of how it felt before I had surgery on it seven years ago. Probably this was all the result of pushing it too hard at the Trip Threat Half Marathon. The week after that, I began starting some mild training again, but the knee didn't seem to be improving much. Naturally I got depressed thinking I might have done serious damage to the knee and blown the Disney Marathon.
I set up an appointment with Dr. O'Holleran, who did my two knee surgeries, and it turned out the knee is structurally sound and I only had a mild strain. By this point, I'm back to full training and did 11 miles last Sunday on my long run of the week.
The lack of training for those couple of weeks, and some inconsistent commitment to restraining my eating, probably killed my hope of weighing 180 lbs by the Wicked Half Marathon on Sept 20. I weighed 186 at my last Monday weigh-in, which is a 3 lb loss since August 4, but I'd need to lose 6 lbs in two weeks, which isn't going to happen.
In any case, I learned my lesson, and I'm going to take it easy and cruise the Wicked Half Marathon.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Triple Threat Pictures
Pictures from the Triple Threat Half Marathon. Ellen running in style and me trying to hold it together across the finish line.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Triple Threat Half Marathon
The next waypoint on the Disney Marathon trail was the Triple Threat Half Marathon on August 3 in Rockport, MA. I looked at my pace times for the 10 miler (8:40) and the 10k (8:06) and figured I could run somewhere in between those speeds, hopefully closer to the 10k pace. I weighed 197 for the 10 miler, 194 for the 10k and was 189 going in to the half-marathon. My training included runs of 13 miles, 14 miles and then 13 miles again on my long Sunday runs after the 4th of July race. I set myself a goal of a 1:50 finish, which would involve an 8:23 pace. Yet again, Ellen was with me running the 5k. (The "Triple Threat" includes a one mile race, a 5k and a half-marathon, some runners competing in all three races.)
Ellen almost matched her PR, coming in just over 26 minutes at 26:03. The half marathon course turned out to be harder than I expected. The website indicated a few rolling hills, but the course was really nothing but rolling hills, including a few steep ones. Furthermore, it was an out and back course, with the first half involving a net decrease in elevation. I noticed this going out and had a feeling of foreboding for the trip back. Coming back I calculated I was on an 8:15 pace at the 8 mile mark (I find doing pace calculation arithmetic a good way to occupy my mind during a race), which seemed good but I knew I was facing some hills on the way in. Also at the 8 mile mark, an attractive young woman running next to me chatted me up for awhile (more on that later).
I started to have visions of glory, given my history of negative splitting my races, but the course had different ideas. The hills over the last 3 miles killed me, especially a quarter mile long steep one in the last mile. Halfway up it, my thighs were completely burned out, my heart was about to burst, and I was moving no faster than the old man on the Carol Burnett show (Mrs. Wiggins!) I never walk in my races, but there is always a first time, and I walked up the last half of the hill. That break rejuvenated me enough to run in the last half mile at a decent pace, but the race thrashed me much more than either the 10 miler or the 10k did. I could barely walk to the water and the fresh fruit at the finish line and was moving with a noticeable gimp in any case. Along the way I ran into the young woman who chatted with me at mile 8 and, male pride being what it is, I wiped the grimace off my face, stood up straight, and pretended I wasn't in scorching pain. Fortunately she only talked to me briefly and I could go back to my scowl and hobble.
In the end, I wasn't far off the 8:23 pace, finishing in 1:50:24 at an 8:25 pace. That improves my 8:40 Disney corral pace from the Lazy Lobster. The torture of those last miles did what they were supposed to do, and re-energized my motivation to lose a good chunk of weight before running my next race, the Wicked Half Marathon in Salem on Sept. 20. Assuming I can get down to around 180 lbs by then (a challenge, but I have lost weight at that rate in periods over the last few months and I still have a spare tire), I would then be 14 lbs lighter than when I ran the 10k on the Fourth of July. Could I hold that 8:06 10k pace for the half-marathon? That would get me to about a 1:46 half-marathon. So there is the goal for the Wicked Half Marathon: 1:46.
Ellen almost matched her PR, coming in just over 26 minutes at 26:03. The half marathon course turned out to be harder than I expected. The website indicated a few rolling hills, but the course was really nothing but rolling hills, including a few steep ones. Furthermore, it was an out and back course, with the first half involving a net decrease in elevation. I noticed this going out and had a feeling of foreboding for the trip back. Coming back I calculated I was on an 8:15 pace at the 8 mile mark (I find doing pace calculation arithmetic a good way to occupy my mind during a race), which seemed good but I knew I was facing some hills on the way in. Also at the 8 mile mark, an attractive young woman running next to me chatted me up for awhile (more on that later).
I started to have visions of glory, given my history of negative splitting my races, but the course had different ideas. The hills over the last 3 miles killed me, especially a quarter mile long steep one in the last mile. Halfway up it, my thighs were completely burned out, my heart was about to burst, and I was moving no faster than the old man on the Carol Burnett show (Mrs. Wiggins!) I never walk in my races, but there is always a first time, and I walked up the last half of the hill. That break rejuvenated me enough to run in the last half mile at a decent pace, but the race thrashed me much more than either the 10 miler or the 10k did. I could barely walk to the water and the fresh fruit at the finish line and was moving with a noticeable gimp in any case. Along the way I ran into the young woman who chatted with me at mile 8 and, male pride being what it is, I wiped the grimace off my face, stood up straight, and pretended I wasn't in scorching pain. Fortunately she only talked to me briefly and I could go back to my scowl and hobble.
In the end, I wasn't far off the 8:23 pace, finishing in 1:50:24 at an 8:25 pace. That improves my 8:40 Disney corral pace from the Lazy Lobster. The torture of those last miles did what they were supposed to do, and re-energized my motivation to lose a good chunk of weight before running my next race, the Wicked Half Marathon in Salem on Sept. 20. Assuming I can get down to around 180 lbs by then (a challenge, but I have lost weight at that rate in periods over the last few months and I still have a spare tire), I would then be 14 lbs lighter than when I ran the 10k on the Fourth of July. Could I hold that 8:06 10k pace for the half-marathon? That would get me to about a 1:46 half-marathon. So there is the goal for the Wicked Half Marathon: 1:46.
North Andover 4th of July 10k
Next up, the 10k on the 4th of July in North Andover, MA. This was mostly for fun and was the first time I had trained over-distance for a 10k (I never used to run more than five or possibly six miles at a time). And, again, I had Ellen with me running the companion race (a 5k). Given that I had run an 8:40 pace for the 10 miler a few weeks before, and I had lost some more weight in the meantime, I was hoping I could break 50 minutes on the 10k, which would involve an approximately 8 minute mile pace.
I came close to my pace goal, but ended up running a 50:19 at an 8:06 pace. Ellen ran a PR for the 5k at 25:59. The 10k wasn't an easy course, featuring some serious hills, including a good climb towards the end. As usual for me - and as happened on the 10 miler - I started the race slowly and spent the race passing people, negative splitting the second half of the race. I know I'm losing some time starting so slowly, but even when I put in a good warmup (I warmed up a half mile for this race and then a lot of stretching) I never start quickly. This was true going all the way back to my teenage running days.
In any case, I was already a long way from the behemoth who ran a 10:24 pace for the 5 miler in 2012.
I came close to my pace goal, but ended up running a 50:19 at an 8:06 pace. Ellen ran a PR for the 5k at 25:59. The 10k wasn't an easy course, featuring some serious hills, including a good climb towards the end. As usual for me - and as happened on the 10 miler - I started the race slowly and spent the race passing people, negative splitting the second half of the race. I know I'm losing some time starting so slowly, but even when I put in a good warmup (I warmed up a half mile for this race and then a lot of stretching) I never start quickly. This was true going all the way back to my teenage running days.
In any case, I was already a long way from the behemoth who ran a 10:24 pace for the 5 miler in 2012.
Lazy Lobster 10 miler
The first real challenge I laid for myself was the Lazy Lobster 10 miler to be run on the South Shore on June 15. The Disney Marathon involves something like 15,000 runners who are released in stages; each stage is known as a "corral" (the images of cattle this encourages is appropriate given the herding that goes on with getting 15,000 people started in a race). Your corral placement is determined by a pacing time you submit to Disney. The faster times are placed in the first corrals and the further back you go the slower the pace. The idea is to group runners with similar pace so there isn't too much passing and jockeying for position going on in the initial stages of the race. When you get to the last corrals you are getting to the runners who are running in costume and will likely be walking large parts of the race. If you plan on running the entire race, it's a placement you'd like to avoid as you will find yourself trying to fight your way through crowds to find space.
Disney accepts pacing for the Marathon from races of 10 miles or longer. I wanted to run a 10 miler relatively early in my training to have something on record in case I got injured later and missed a pacing race. Thus the Lazy Lobster. An added benefit was that Ellen came along to run the associated 5 mile race.
This being the first serious race I had run in years, along with the fact that I had never run 10 miles competitively (my previous longest was 10k), I had no idea how things would go. I was hopeful as I had managed to break through the 200 lb weight barrier that I had long found insurmountable and weighed in at 197 for the race. I attributed the weight loss breakthrough to the combination of disciplined eating, increased running, and also weight lifting I was doing on the off-running days. This was the first time I had tried an "all-court press" like this in an effort to lose weight. The key for me is the prize at the end of the line, the Disney Marathon, which provides the motivation to forego the junk I want to eat. The motivation is not only positive, but negative as well: I've committed to the Marathon and paid for it, and those 26.2 miles are waiting for me whether I lose weight or not. Hauling 200 lbs, 190 lbs or even 185 lbs around for the marathon is a prospect that fills me with enough dread to push the food aside.
It turned out I ran the 10 miles in 1:26:40 for a mile pace of 8:40. Good enough to get me out of the back of the line at the Disney Marathon. Ellen ran a 44:41 for the 5 miler.
Disney accepts pacing for the Marathon from races of 10 miles or longer. I wanted to run a 10 miler relatively early in my training to have something on record in case I got injured later and missed a pacing race. Thus the Lazy Lobster. An added benefit was that Ellen came along to run the associated 5 mile race.
This being the first serious race I had run in years, along with the fact that I had never run 10 miles competitively (my previous longest was 10k), I had no idea how things would go. I was hopeful as I had managed to break through the 200 lb weight barrier that I had long found insurmountable and weighed in at 197 for the race. I attributed the weight loss breakthrough to the combination of disciplined eating, increased running, and also weight lifting I was doing on the off-running days. This was the first time I had tried an "all-court press" like this in an effort to lose weight. The key for me is the prize at the end of the line, the Disney Marathon, which provides the motivation to forego the junk I want to eat. The motivation is not only positive, but negative as well: I've committed to the Marathon and paid for it, and those 26.2 miles are waiting for me whether I lose weight or not. Hauling 200 lbs, 190 lbs or even 185 lbs around for the marathon is a prospect that fills me with enough dread to push the food aside.
It turned out I ran the 10 miles in 1:26:40 for a mile pace of 8:40. Good enough to get me out of the back of the line at the Disney Marathon. Ellen ran a 44:41 for the 5 miler.
The First Race - 5k
The family of Colleen Ritzer, a Danvers High School teacher slain in the Fall of 2013 by a student, organized a 5k race to benefit the scholarship established in Colleen's name. Along with many other Danvers residents, I signed up for the 5k, my first race since the 5 miler in June 2012.
The race was preceded by a moving tribute to Colleen by the Ritzer family. I managed to finish the race in good form...
The race was preceded by a moving tribute to Colleen by the Ritzer family. I managed to finish the race in good form...
Genesis
The origin of my run Disney adventure goes back to June 2012. 49 years old, and weighing at the time 200+ pounds (I had been 200 or better for many years), I was signed up to run a 5 mile road race here in Danvers. I have been running consistently since my high school years, generally no great distance and typically 10-15 miles per week in 3 or 4 mile chunks. This was for general health purposes and I didn't consider myself a "runner", although I occasionally ran a 5k, the last time back in 2008.
I can't remember why I signed up for the 5 miler, but I did, and began to regret it the day of the race when the temperatures soared past 90 degrees. With a sick feeling in my stomach I noticed that virtually everyone else waiting at the start line was a skinny running type. Apparently everyone else of my size/shape had the good sense to bail out given the weather conditions. Not quite everyone, as there was one other "plus-size" runner in the back with me, waiting with the same wan expression I had. In the event, the race turned out to be just as dreadful as I expected, with me trundling along well behind most of the runners and forced to walk up the first big hill we came to. As the race went along I waved off the volunteers who shouted out mileage and split times - they were only embarrassing me, as were the volunteers who stayed out there to cheer me along well after most of the runners had gone by, clapping for the fat guy who should be applauded just for getting his lazy ass off the couch. This was grossly unfair to them, of course, people who were volunteering their time so the race could happen and who were genuinely trying to be supportive. It was also unfair to the fat guys who really should be applauded for getting off the couch. The thing is, I am a naturally thin type who once ran 18 minute 5k's and only got in this condition through neglect and lack of self-discipline. I deserved jeers more than applause. In any case, I managed to finally waddle across the finish line, completing the five miles in 52 minutes at an average pace of 10:24 minutes per mile. The experience was so humiliating that I vowed to never again run a competitive race unless I became a lot smaller. And I didn't, returning to my 10-12 miles a week and cheesesteak subs.
Fast forward to January 2014. I had a tooth pulled in October 2013 followed a day later by arthroscopic knee surgery which, combined with the deteriorating weather, demotivated me from restarting my running program after the surgery (which is possible to do after a few weeks with an arthroscopic surgery). Then the holidays rolled around and I found myself weighing an all time high of 223 lbs in early January. Now a few days short of 51 years old, I noticed the little aches and pains I had long had getting worse, and found myself accumulating some new ones as well. I figured the additional weight could not be helping any of this.
It occurred to me that I was at a decision point: If I didn't do something to change this situation, I would soon be at a point where my physical life would be primarily concerned with managing the aches and pains and adjusting my lifestyle to accommodate them. In other words, I would be old. But I wasn't sure I had the motivation to really do something about it, as I did like my cheesesteak subs and 20 oz. Cokes. I had made some somewhat successful attempts in the last decade to lose weight, but I had never gotten under 200 lbs and the losses were (as they almost always are for everyone) temporary. I've never really been successful at losing weight for losing weight's sake.
It was at this moment that Tricia mentioned that a woman at her morning "boot camp" class had run the Disney Marathon and that you could check out the race online. So I visited the run Disney website and was immediately enchanted. I've always liked Disney World and the race looked like an absolute blast. An idea formed in my head: The next Disney Marathon was a year away. That event could be the carrot motivating me to do something about my dreadful physical situation and, if not turn back the clock, at least avoid spinning it forward a few years, which was what I was doing.
A nice idea but there were some questions that needed realistic answers: Could my body, especially my knees, handle the necessary training? Certainly not in my present condition. It quickly became clear the order in which things would have to happen: I'd have to lose weight first, then begin the real marathon training. Even with the loss of weight, there was no assurance my knees would stand up to the punishment. The Disney Marathon registration did not open until late April (and, I discovered, quickly sells out), giving me four months to discover how serious I was about actually doing this. That would be judged by how much weight I could lose between now and then and, in April, an increase in running mileage to judge the effect on my knees (and anything else!)
In the event, I managed to go from 223 lbs in early January to 210 lbs on March 31. I did not follow a formal program but used common sense: I first cut out all the obviously bad things I was eating. No more Coke, no more ice cream or cake, try to limit eating between meals as much as possible. Then I cut back the portion sizes I was eating and ate more fruit and fewer potato chips.
Then, in April, as planned I began to increase my running mileage, getting to about 25 miles/week by the end of April, by which time I had also dropped to 204 lbs. Surprisingly, I discovered that my knees felt better the more I ran. Some other middle aged runners told me they were not surprised. The additional running strengthened the muscles around the knee as well as kept the joints lubricated.
This was evidence enough for me to commit to the 2015 Disney Marathon, which I did at the end of April.
I can't remember why I signed up for the 5 miler, but I did, and began to regret it the day of the race when the temperatures soared past 90 degrees. With a sick feeling in my stomach I noticed that virtually everyone else waiting at the start line was a skinny running type. Apparently everyone else of my size/shape had the good sense to bail out given the weather conditions. Not quite everyone, as there was one other "plus-size" runner in the back with me, waiting with the same wan expression I had. In the event, the race turned out to be just as dreadful as I expected, with me trundling along well behind most of the runners and forced to walk up the first big hill we came to. As the race went along I waved off the volunteers who shouted out mileage and split times - they were only embarrassing me, as were the volunteers who stayed out there to cheer me along well after most of the runners had gone by, clapping for the fat guy who should be applauded just for getting his lazy ass off the couch. This was grossly unfair to them, of course, people who were volunteering their time so the race could happen and who were genuinely trying to be supportive. It was also unfair to the fat guys who really should be applauded for getting off the couch. The thing is, I am a naturally thin type who once ran 18 minute 5k's and only got in this condition through neglect and lack of self-discipline. I deserved jeers more than applause. In any case, I managed to finally waddle across the finish line, completing the five miles in 52 minutes at an average pace of 10:24 minutes per mile. The experience was so humiliating that I vowed to never again run a competitive race unless I became a lot smaller. And I didn't, returning to my 10-12 miles a week and cheesesteak subs.
Fast forward to January 2014. I had a tooth pulled in October 2013 followed a day later by arthroscopic knee surgery which, combined with the deteriorating weather, demotivated me from restarting my running program after the surgery (which is possible to do after a few weeks with an arthroscopic surgery). Then the holidays rolled around and I found myself weighing an all time high of 223 lbs in early January. Now a few days short of 51 years old, I noticed the little aches and pains I had long had getting worse, and found myself accumulating some new ones as well. I figured the additional weight could not be helping any of this.
It occurred to me that I was at a decision point: If I didn't do something to change this situation, I would soon be at a point where my physical life would be primarily concerned with managing the aches and pains and adjusting my lifestyle to accommodate them. In other words, I would be old. But I wasn't sure I had the motivation to really do something about it, as I did like my cheesesteak subs and 20 oz. Cokes. I had made some somewhat successful attempts in the last decade to lose weight, but I had never gotten under 200 lbs and the losses were (as they almost always are for everyone) temporary. I've never really been successful at losing weight for losing weight's sake.
It was at this moment that Tricia mentioned that a woman at her morning "boot camp" class had run the Disney Marathon and that you could check out the race online. So I visited the run Disney website and was immediately enchanted. I've always liked Disney World and the race looked like an absolute blast. An idea formed in my head: The next Disney Marathon was a year away. That event could be the carrot motivating me to do something about my dreadful physical situation and, if not turn back the clock, at least avoid spinning it forward a few years, which was what I was doing.
A nice idea but there were some questions that needed realistic answers: Could my body, especially my knees, handle the necessary training? Certainly not in my present condition. It quickly became clear the order in which things would have to happen: I'd have to lose weight first, then begin the real marathon training. Even with the loss of weight, there was no assurance my knees would stand up to the punishment. The Disney Marathon registration did not open until late April (and, I discovered, quickly sells out), giving me four months to discover how serious I was about actually doing this. That would be judged by how much weight I could lose between now and then and, in April, an increase in running mileage to judge the effect on my knees (and anything else!)
In the event, I managed to go from 223 lbs in early January to 210 lbs on March 31. I did not follow a formal program but used common sense: I first cut out all the obviously bad things I was eating. No more Coke, no more ice cream or cake, try to limit eating between meals as much as possible. Then I cut back the portion sizes I was eating and ate more fruit and fewer potato chips.
Then, in April, as planned I began to increase my running mileage, getting to about 25 miles/week by the end of April, by which time I had also dropped to 204 lbs. Surprisingly, I discovered that my knees felt better the more I ran. Some other middle aged runners told me they were not surprised. The additional running strengthened the muscles around the knee as well as kept the joints lubricated.
This was evidence enough for me to commit to the 2015 Disney Marathon, which I did at the end of April.
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