Redemption: 2013 Hamilton Road2Hope Marathon

mul21 wrote:Be a man, take a shot of whiskey with some honey in it, and quit yer whining! 

Seriously, a little whiskey or scotch warmed just a little with some honey in it does work wonders for loosening up crap in your chest.  I know you abstain from alcohol while training, but I think you might be surprised at how well this works.  My GF didn't believe me until she tried it last fall and felt like a million bucks the next day.

Actually, I hadn't abstained from drinking for the first three weeks or so of my program.  It is just recently that I have given it up for the training cycle.  Although, I don't normally drink that often, so it is not that big of a deal for me.  Maybe I'll try the whiskey thing.  I do like whiskey

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Notice any affects of the iron yet?  I can usually tell a day or so after I start back as it will lift my energy level that much.  Of course, I know that I am used to what the feeling is, so I can tell.  Hope you get rid of that cough - an early night just might do the trick!

 I just started using it this week and since I have been sick, I am not sure how much it has helped.  Hopefully next week will be better and I will be able to take notice more.  Thanks!!

07.27.13 -

8 miles fartlek...My favorite type of training run this morning...the fartlek.  I woke up this morning feeling the best that I have all week.  I still have the cough, but for the first time this week, I did not have to hack up a lung when I woke up.  8 miles the length of this morning's fartlek.  I started out with a good warm up mile at an 8:30 pace.  From there the fun began for another 6 miles.  Then I finished with a nice cool down mile at an 8:20 pace.  Overall, I completed 8.36 miles at a 7:45 pace.  I love how fartleks break up the monotony that is the training run.  It's a fun way to get in some speed work and still cover some distance.

On a side note, it was 61 degrees at 6:30 when I started this morning.  A little over an hour later when I finished, the temperature dropped to 55.  It's kinda weird, but I guess I won't complain...18 miles tomorrow...

I got my hotel rooms booked for November today.  I am flying into Buffalo on Friday and staying up into Ontario near the start/finish line on Friday and Saturday.  Then on Sunday, sometime after the race, I will head back to Buffalo and stay near the airport for my flight on Monday morning.  One last thing to book and that is the rental car.  I'll get that booked within the next month or so.  No rush on that.

07.28.13 -

18 miles...Pretty much a carbon copy of yesterdays weather, as we had a fall like weekend.  53 degrees at the start of my run with overcast skies and winds out of the north/northwest at 10-15 mph.  The wind actually worked out well, because it was mostly in my face or a cross wind that kept my core temp cool.  I got the luxury to run with a couple of running friends this morning.  They are a married couple that is actually running Hamilton with me.  The husband is using my training schedule, so he did the 18 with me.  The wife is on a little different schedule and she only had 10 miles to do, so she ran the first 5 miles with us before she turned around and headed back.  Running the first 5 with her, we averaged 8:30 per mile.  Which in hindsight, really helped us in the end.  Us guys, then continued on our way.  We GUed up at the halfway point and headed on our way back home.  With about 3 1/2 miles to go, I started to feel my right calf tighten up.  Nothing to major, just a little bit of tightness, so I didn't let it faze me too much.  I was just happy that we got lucky with our timing at all of the intersection and didn't have to stop.  We ended up completing 18.40 miles at an8:11 average pace.  So we did a good job of cutting down the 8:30 pace after 5 miles.  A nice low average heart rate of 134 for the run and I can tell that my lungs/wind is really there.  I just need to get my legs used to the pounding.  That will come with training.  I mean I did just complete Week 5 of 19...Step back week next week, before I have my first 20 miler.

Total for the week - 42.5 miles

Good job capitalizing on the conditions and the situation. Your comment about the intersections was interesting to me. On my run today, I crossed 3 roads (twice each) in 12 miles. I did have to slow down at one of them to time the crossing with what little traffic there was!

I hear you on the weather, it was amazing for July!

I'm with you on the effort of the runs, no problem aerobically, but getting the legs used to the pounding again has been the only issue for me.

Michael Enright wrote:Good job capitalizing on the conditions and the situation. Your comment about the intersections was interesting to me. On my run today, I crossed 3 roads (twice each) in 12 miles. I did have to slow down at one of them to time the crossing with what little traffic there was!

Thanks...I have a 2 mile run on city streets before I get to the bike trail.  But even the bike trail cuts across quite a few streets.  It was amazing that I only had to stop at one intersection along the whole out and back.

mul21 wrote:I hear you on the weather, it was amazing for July!

I'm with you on the effort of the runs, no problem aerobically, but getting the legs used to the pounding again has been the only issue for me.

The legs will come...that is why we train

07.29.13 - 

Cross-training...Hit up the gym for some weight training before heading to the park for our softball league championship game.  Unfortunately for the third year in a row we have come up just short and finished second...again.  With softball complete, my Mondays will now turn into recovery runs.

My first double of the cycle starts tomorrow morning...4 miles in the morning and 5 in the evening.

Sounds like training is going well Nick.

I see you booked your hotel...where are you staying?  I'm in Best Western.

I also noticed you have a couple friends running with you.  Should be fun.  What times are they aiming for?  Will you be able to run the race together?

Glad to see training is going well...sorry about the softball.

nkrichards wrote:Sounds like training is going well Nick.

I see you booked your hotel...where are you staying?  I'm in Best Western.

I also noticed you have a couple friends running with you.  Should be fun.  What times are they aiming for?  Will you be able to run the race together?

Glad to see training is going well...sorry about the softball.

I am staying where I stayed last year in Grimsby, On.  It is about 2 1/2 miles south of the finish line.  Seemed to work well, so I didn't change. 

The woman running with is looking to run 3:45:00ish and the guy Should be able to run with me for the first 15 or so miles.  I would expect him to run a 3:15:000 or so.

With the revision to the course by taking out the loop at the lake, it should make for a faster course, IMO.

07.30.13 -

4 miles...The first of two runs today is complete.  A nice and easy 4 miles this morning, as I kept reminding myself that the pace needs to be slower.  It's more about putting in the time than worrying about pace.  I got in 4.26 miles at an 8:07 pace.  Another 5 miles scheduled for after work.

I just looked at my schedule and realized that I have 49 miles on the docket for this week.  Is it really a step back week if you run the highest weekly mileage of the training cycle?   

My answer is sure, because most of these miles are easy miles, meaning not a lot of effort and just time on the legs.  Plus, my longest run is only 12 miles.

Nice 18 the other day.  I am going to try something similar with a slower start this upcoming weekend and then see if that keeps me more fresh for the back half of the run.

Chris M wrote:Nice 18 the other day.  I am going to try something similar with a slower start this upcoming weekend and then see if that keeps me more fresh for the back half of the run.

Thanks!!  I didn't really plan it out that way, but it worked out in the end.  Once I get a couple 20s under my belt this cycle, I think that a consistent pace in the 7:50s will be pretty easy. 

Good luck with your long runs...Things will come together for you.  I know it!!

07.30.13 -

5 miles...Run number two of the day after my 4 miles this morning.  Nothing like the first double of a cycle to let you that you are in training   Took it even easier than this morning, as I don't want to tax the legs.  It was humid, but cool this evening.  So I worked up a good sweat over the 5 miles.  I ended up completing 5.30 miles at an 8.10 pace.  Mid-week kind of long run tomorrow, then another double on Thursday. YAY!!!

So, it looks as though I will get to add some training at elevation next week.  I will be in Denver next Monday through Thursday for work.  I think that I have a plan set up to get in my training runs.  I am staying in the Business Center of downtown and am only about 4 blocks from the Cherry Creek Trail.  I have been told that it is a great trail to run along, so I am excited.  

I have ran in Colorado a couple of times, but each of those experiences were Fort Collins.  This is my first time running in Denver.  I believe that they are relatively the same from an elevation standpoint (5,000-5,200 feet above sea level).  It is definitely a far stretch from the 1,000-1,200 feet that I normally run at.

I like taking my heart rate monitor with me, to see how the elevation affects me.  The first time that I ran in Fort Collins, I did not notice that much of a rise in my average heart rate.  But, the second time I was in Fort Collins I did notice a spike in my average heart rate.  I think it had a lot to do with me having a higher fitness level the first time compared to the second.  If anything, this time will be a good test to gauge what my fitness level currently is at.

Have fun in Denver! Well, as much fun as you can have while working, anyway.

Getting HR data will be interesting. The different elevation ought to make for a neat little spike. Also, it's going to be a LOT less humid than what you're used to. Enjoy the glory of the dry summers of the West, but don't forget to hydrate!

I've run on the Cherry Creek Trail - nice place to run - please say hello to the homeless people under the bridges for me!

I live at 130 feet above sea level, so noticed the difference at least a little, but not that much.

Denver's a great town (though it is absurdly difficult to get downtown from the airport) - Enjoy!

07.31.13 -

8 miles...Ended the month of July with an 8 miler.  I didn't want to push things too hard with my second double of the week scheduled for tomorrow.  So I just put the work in...Completed 8.52 miles at a 7:58 pace.  It will be interesting to see how I respond tomorrow morning.

08.01.13 -

4 miles...The first run of my second double of the week.  My legs reacted surprising well this morning.  I was afraid that I would be sluggish, but found it to be the opposite.  I found my self having to dial it down quite a few times.  Maybe all of the really easy running this week actually let my legs rest up a bit.  We'll see, though, as I have another run after work.  I completed 4.28 miles at a 7:55 pace.

18 summertime miles with a HR of 134 and close to an 8 minute mile pace is very impressive!!!  I quit wearing the HR monitor but I know these hot runs beat me down pretty well.  Your training is kicking it!

Nicely done, Nick! Those recovery runs seem to be really paying off for you. Keep it up!

John Kilpatrick wrote:18 summertime miles with a HR of 134 and close to an 8 minute mile pace is very impressive!!!  I quit wearing the HR monitor but I know these hot runs beat me down pretty well.  Your training is kicking it!

Thanks!!  I still got some lbs. to come off too.  Hoping to fly this fall