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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