Marathon's Loose Ends

As noted, the Pasadena Marathon was cancelled due to the poor air quality caused by fires on three sides of Pasadena. The dearth of blog posts in the final six weeks leading up to the marathon stemmed from nagging injuries that kept me from following the training regimen through that period.

The most debilitating of the injuries were the pains in my calves. The first occurrence of pain came on a day we were suppose to run three 1-mile repeats. My legs were spent from a CrossFit workout a day or two before, in which we did a large number of med-ball cleans mixed in with push-ups. Laurence and I worked through that one side by side, and we both felt the effects of the squats. My silliness came in trying to run the mile repeats with tired legs. I got through the first two of them well enough: somewhere around 6:20 or 6:30 per mile. But three-quarters of the way into the third mile I felt a pain in the calf and walked the rest of the way in.

After that day, I went through a series of weeks in which one calf or the other would stop me from running anything faster than a seven- or eight-minute mile. This put a serious dent in my mid-tempo training, and speed work was completely out of the question. On one Friday in particular, I tried to run six miles but was able to make it through only 1.5 of the six miles before my calves stopped me. But here is an amazing trick: that Friday night, I got a agonizingly painful calf massage from Beth. Thanks to the massage, I was able to run twelve miles (of 17 scheduled) on the very next day!

During the six weeks, I trained when able, including running the Long Beach Half Marathon with Jeff and Jim and putting in a 20-mile training run three weeks before the marathon. I did some of these runs with pains in my calves and some with pain in my right foot. The foot pain was so sharp (and new to me) that I visited my podiatrist (Dr. Mark Kidon) to rule out any fractures. He diagnosed me with peroneal tendinitis and recommended rest and massage to treat.

Taht worked well enough, and on marathon day I felt just well-enough patched up that I believe I could have completed the 26.2 miles in about 3:45:00. And though my knees, calves, and feet would have been in pain afterwards, I am pretty sure I would not have suffered any permanent damage.

I recently received notice from the organizers of the marathon that they secured a date to run a rescheduled Pasadena Marathon on March 22. I have not yet decided whether or not to run the marathon on this new date, but I am leaning against it. Training for too many other athletic events lies between now and then: Mount Wilson Trail Race, CrossFit Games, Masters National Weightlifting, Caltech Soccer Club.... and marathon training is all-consuming and fairly specialized. If I do not run the full marathon, I will probably run the half marathon. I feel I can run that distance well enough without too much change in my training routine.

Originally posted at http://www.michaelkeating.com/weblog/2008/12/marathons-loose-ends.html

Originally posted at Marathon's Loose Ends

Marathon Day -- Event Cancelled

The Pasadena Marathon got cancelled because of smoke from wildfires to the southeast and northwest.

I may list later the ways in which this sucks, but I will start with this one: the official web site, one hour after cancellation, does not show that the event was cancelled. They instead relied on Email to let participants know about it. It took over an hour for some of us to receive this message.

I am going back to bed now.

Originally posted at Marathon Day -- Event Cancelled

Marathon Week 14, Day 6

The dreadful ache in my thighs, residual from Tuesday's Good Medicine workout, is steadily making its way out, but Thursday's 1-mile repeats left me with an injury in my soleus that will take a few more days to heal. Because of this, I did not run with the dozen people putting in 15 miles today.

I am not sure how good it was for my mental health, but I showed up this morning anyway to act as support crew for today's runners. It got me just close enough to the action that I really missed running with them!

Everyone looked so strong through the first six miles. After that 6-mile checkpoint, I separated from the course to avoid driving to the Rose Bowl (UCLA home game against Fresno State) and moved to the ten-mile mark. Everyone was still doing well when they got to me, but some of them, perhaps forgetting that they had been running for over an hour and a half, expressed concerned over fatigue setting in. But I am happy to report that they all finished the route in excellent form. I have got to get better soon so I can join them again.

One especially fun part of the morning: a lot of people from outside of our world are starting to run the route in preparation for the marathon. Our crew look at least as strong as any of them.

Also... Ted and Juanita rocked the course today!

Originally posted at Marathon Week 14, Day 6

Marathon Start Time Posted

Maybe this has been on the marathon's web site all along, but I just found the following at http://www.pasadenamarathon.org/forms/FAQrev.pdf:

Q: What time do the various race-day events start?
A: Bike Tour, 6:00 a.m.
  Marathon & Half Marathon, 6:30 a.m.
  5K & Fun Run/Walk, 6:50 a.m.

I like the fact that our marathoners and half-marathoners will get to start together.

Originally posted at Marathon Start Time Posted

Marathon Week 14, Day 5

It is supposed to be a CrossFit/Bootcamp day, but my legs are in as much pain as they were yesterday. So my workout: take the whippets on a walk. The small hills at the top of Lake Ave. were a significant challenge. :-(

Originally posted at Marathon Week 14, Day 5

Marathon Week 14, Day 4

Despite the fatigue still firmly in my quads, I met Jeff, Jim, and Ted this morning at the middle school to run four one-mile repeats. The stiff legs definitely held me back. Here are my times:

1. 6:33
2. 6:29
3. Did not finish
4. Did not even start

With about 300 meters left in my third mile, I started to feel pain in my right hamstring and calf. I tried to handle it by slowing down and adjusting my stride, but when that did not work, I thought it safest to walk the rest of the way. I am glad I stopped; I now have a sharp pain in my soleus and an ache in my hamstring. Time now for a few days of unscheduled rest.

I hear that Tommie is also injured, possibly in his Achilles tendon.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 14, Day 4

Marathon Week 14, Day 3

This is a Rest Day, and I am glad; those med-ball cleans from yesterday have my thighs extremely sore. I went for a couple of miles' hike this evening in the hope of loosening them up. Maybe it helped, but they are still in bad shape.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 14, Day 3

Marathon Week 14, Day 2

Today's "Good Medicine" CrossFit workout at the academy loosened up all the stiffness in my hip from yesterday. Just the wall squats we did for warm-up worked wonders!

The assignment: complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 20 minutes of

• 10 Med Ball Cleans (M-20lbs, W-16lbs)
• 10 Push-ups

Lawrence and I, working side by side, completed 17 rounds together. The mark we set at 0600 would hold up for most of the day--until Tom B. caught us, and then some crazy guy named Steve E. knocked out 20 of them! Full Results

I knew by round 7 that my legs were going to be sore from this one. And for the rest of the day, my quads have been wead from the workout. I wonder whether Lawrence feels the same way. Tomorrow is, I am thankful, a rest day.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 14, Day 2

Marathon Week 14, Day 1

I stayed up late Sunday night and slept in a little this morning. When I got up and headed  out to warm up for my 5-mile mid-tempo run, I did not feel quite right--a little bit of stiffness in my left hip. And when I saw how much more traffic is on the streets at 6:40am compared to 6:00am, I decided to pack it in without the miles. 

Originally posted at Marathon Week 14, Day 1

Marathon Week 13, Day 7

Liz Goodman Logelin Memorial 5k

A coworker and friend of a close friend of mine went through "life and death. all in a 27-hour period." 

Originally posted at Marathon Week 13, Day 7

Marathon Week 13, Day 5

Speed Work: After 10-20 minutes of warm-up, run 800m six times with a maximum of two minutes of recovery between runs.

I met Hope and John at Arcadia High School's track for this one. The football team must have been playing away tonight. Results:

1. 2?57
2. 2:57
3. 2:58
4. 2:56
5. 2:58
6. 2:57

Had it not been for the nice rubberized track, these times would have mostly gone over 3:00 because yesterday's Fight Gone Bad still has me pretty tired.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 13, Day 5

Marathon Week 13, Day 4

Team-9--which meets, of course, at 0900 hours--let me join them at the Academy for today's CrossFit WOD: Fight Gone Bad. This was my third or fourth time at this workout, and I topped my earlier score of 269, posting a 282. Box jumps, as always, were my strong suit; I jumped 40, 40, and 33 in each round. My rowing dropped off each time, going 15, 13, and finally 9.

Good news for me: my other stations held at 15 nearly every round. (On my second set push-presses, I hit only 13.)

Originally posted at Marathon Week 13, Day 4

Marathon Week 13, Day 3

I stayed awake too late after Tuesday night O-lift at the Academy, so I did not join my usual early-morning group for today's scheduled six-mile mid-tempo run, which is the first time we have run this far at mid-tempo pace. Instead, I took advantage of the fact that today's workout of the day (WOD) at the Academy is a 5-k run and joined the 1830 crew for that.

My modification: when I was done with the 5-k, I turned around and ran another 5-k. I completed the double in 43:55, a pace of 7:05 per mile. My target pace was 7:10 per mile, so I did OK except for one thing: I plan to drop my marathon goal from 3:20:00 to 3:15:00. The mid-tempo pace for that finish is an even 7:00 per mile, which I did not hit. :-(

Originally posted at Marathon Week 13, Day 3

Marathon Week 13, Day 1

A half marathon, 800m repeats, and now today’s MetCon-taxing WOD at the Academy. I am so ready for tomorrow’s rest day!

That is not to say I did not have fun though! If you look at the results for the day, you will notice that a lot of the regular names are missing from the "Standard" heading. Too many of them ached too much from a September 11 Murph session at the Academy.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 13, Day 1

Marathon Week 12, Day 7

Today’s schedule had four 800-m repeats with two minutes of rest in between, and thanks to a rubberized track with no potholes (at Caltech), I was able to complete all of them on time (faster than 3:03 apiece) despite having run a half marathon distance yesterday. Good thing: only after I finished my last run did the "gym is closing" call come.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 12, Day 7

Marathon Week 12, Day 6

Today we had another half marathon, again a marathon pace (7:37 per mile). I considered this the biggest test so far of the training because if I did not feel better this time than I did two weeks ago, the, the actual marathon would be nearly impossible to complete on schedule.

Ten or twelve of us met in front of PCC to run the official Half Marathon route that will be used in November. About half of us shaved off a south-reaching stretch to make it their preferred ten-mile route. We sent Kary and Nadir off to support us at miles six and ten (thank you both for that!), and then headed out. Some notes about the run:

• The one-mile stretch up Marengo from Glenarm is not nearly as much of a climb as I dreaded.
• The one-block climb on Green Street going from St. John to Orange Grove is as much of a climb as anticipated. (But it is nothing compared to Catra’s climbs).
• At the Rose Bowl, we blended in with a 5-K run in progress. It was kind of fun after running over eight miles to be able to keep up with people on their three-mile runs.
• If you do not carry a copy of the route map, you had better memorize it well before heading out. We had one person visit the Langham Hotel (formerly the Ritz-Carlton), another take a tour of the Pasadena Civic Center (City Hall, the county courthouse, and other government offices), and a third who missed out on our jaunt through the 'hood at mile 10.5.

I was able to finish in 1:35:45, four minutes ahead of my targeted time at marathon pace. The good news for me about this one (as compared with the run two weeks ago) is that I could have continued for a couple of more miles this time. I was nowhere near being able to do that two weeks ago.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 12, Day 6

Marathon Week 12, Day 4

Ran five mid-tempo miles in the local area. Target time was 35:00 (7:00 per mile), and I hit that successfully by almost a minute.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 12, Day 4

Marathon Week 12, Day 3

Today was Deadlift Day at the Academy. Make seven single attempts at deadlift, with the goal of setting a PR by the final lift. I worked my way up to 310 pounds by the last one. This is not a PR, but it protected a sore glute from further injury.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 12, Day 3

Marathon Week 12, Day 2

Five of us came to the middle school track for 1-mile repeats at 0600. Carrie, Jeff, Jim, Tommie, and I took a couple of warm-up laps in the dark, and by the time we completed our stretching and other loosening up, it was light enough that the pot holes were not going to break our ankles.

Tommie and I set out quickly on our first mile and held the pace well enough to finish in 6:03. We were, of course, happy to put together such a finish except for one thing: we are required to better that time on our second run (on three minutes’ rest), or pack it up and leave. Careful pacing — as well as some tooth-gritting — got us through the second mile at an even 6:00, so we earned our reward: one more mile.

The third one, again on three minutes of rest, came much too quickly for our legs, and though we held the 6-minute-mile pace for the first two laps, the third lap did us in, and we finished in 6:09.

It was a good tiring morning, and I believe all five of us outdid our performances of a few weeks ago. And best of all, I get to do a CrossFit workout on Wednesday! I wonder if it will look as painful as today’s “Something Like Daniel”.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 12, Day 2

Marathon Week 11, Day 6

I have had a cold coming on since about Tuesday, and it is well upon me now. I ditched Wednesday's double-5Ks out of concern for what that kind of output could do to my currently taxed immune system, but I felt confident enough to run 10 miles today on a course Jeff put together at "marthon +30" pace (8:07 per mile).

At that pace, I should have completed the ten miles in 1:21:10. My actual time was 1:18:02, which is a pace of 7:48 per mile (marathon +11). This relieves me quite a bit, as I felt I could hold this pace for some time. So given that the marathon is still two months away, I am looking good... as long as I can shake this cold, which has gotten into quite a drippy stage. My biggest hope in the short term is that I not develop any infection that would need antibiotics.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 11, Day 6

Marathon Week 11, Day 2

A high-speed workout at the Academy this morning woke the whole Team 0600 early-morning crew. Details of the workout, together with results, on the Academy's blog.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 11, Day 2

Marathon Week 11, Day 1

Today's schedule called for a 1-2-1 tempo run: One mile at an "easy tempo" pace, two miles at "mid-tempo" and one final mile at the easy pace again.

My goal for the two-mile mid-tempo portion was to maintain a pace of 7:10 per mile, which would have me finishing that segment in 14:20. I used an out-and-back course that has a moderate climb in the last quarter mile of the "out" leg and completed the first mile in 6:40, which is obviously way faster than I was supposed to go. I think it was fear of the uphill portion that got me to push so hard.

On the "back" part, I settled down a bit, which brought me to the end of the mid-tempo part at the 13:26 mark.

I felt some slight joint pain left over from Saturday's half marathon, and my leg muscles definitely had some fatigue, but I am pretty happy with the recovery over the past 48 hours. Let's see what 0600 CrossFit at the Academy has in store for Tuesday!

Originally posted at Marathon Week 11, Day 1

Marathon Week 10, Day 7

I did not take today as a complete rest day; I did a Credit Card workout and registered for the Pasadena Marathon. It is $10 cheaper today than it will be tomorrow.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 10, Day 7

Marathon Week 10, Day 6

This was our biggest test so far. Run a half-marathon distance (13.1 miles) at our targeted marathon paces. About 20 of us met at Kersting Ct. this morning at 7:00am to run the course that Murray plotted for us. The devilish thing about the route was the hundreds of feet of elevation gain from 1.3 miles in until the five-mile mark. Nadir volunteered to carry our supplies to the high point of our run, and each one of us was relieved finally to see him, crunching out his sit-ups, when we crested the last hill on the way to him.

My target was 7:37 per mile, which gave me a goal of completion in 1:40:00. I fell behind my pace on some of the uphill stints, but the long descent down El Molino Ave. let me make up all of it. I even got far enough ahead of pace that I was able to finish on schedule despite a seeming wall that we had to climb 11.5 miles in.

A scary sign: Kary was our second helper, and she was stationed at the 10-mile point. I knew she was going to be there, I was looking for her, and no crowds were around... but I would have missed her if she had not yelled out to me as I zipped by. Fatigue, of course, was the main factor, but I am going to blame this one on the fact that I did not wear contact lenses for the run.

Final result: I finished in 1:38:00, two minutes ahead of schedule. While I am so happy with that result, I know I could not have kept it up any longer than these 13.1 miles. On marathon day, in two and a half months, I will have to do what I did today... and then do it all over again right away. I tell myself that I can trust the training because I could not have come anywhere close to today's performance two and a half months ago.

Note on upcoming training: Next week seems to be a lighter week, perhaps as a follow-up to this more intense week of running. Our mid-tempo day is only four miles long, and only two of those miles are faster than "easy tempo" pace. And I can't believe I am saying this, but... Saturday's long-tempo run is "only" ten miles. (And we do get to run it at marathon-pace +30 seconds.)

…but there is a double-5K stuck in there for Wednesday.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 10, Day 6

Marathon Week 10, Day 5

Speed Work. 800m X 6, max two minutes of recovery between each. Target time: 3:03 apiece. There were about eight of us at the middle school at 6:00am for this one.

1. 2:57
2. 2:56
3. 2:59
4. 2:58
5. 2:59
6. 2:57

Compare with Week 2, Day 2. The times this go-round were comparable, but there was not nearly the level of anguish coming in.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 10, Day 5

Marathon Week 10, Day 4

CrossFit "Broomstick Mile":

• 400m Run
• 25 Each of: Back Squat, Front Squat, Overhead Squat
• 400m Run
• 25 Each of: Shoulder Press, Push Press, Push Jerk
• 400m Run
• 25 Each of: Snatch Pull, Power Snatch, Squat Snatch
• 400m Run

...while carrying one of the following: PVC pipe, 15-lb barbell, 30-lb barbell, or 45-lb barbell.

Completed in 28:57 with the 45-pounder.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 10, Day 4

Marathon Week 10, Day 2

Five miles at mid-tempo pace (7:10 per mile for me). Jeff, Jim, Ted and I met at 6:00am for this one.

Target time for completion... 35:50.

Actual time... 35:01 on a course Murray has used a couple of times. All of us were a minute or two behind schedule coming to the top of the uphill portion (about 2.75 miles in), but most of us made that up on the two miles of descent back to our starting point.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 10, Day 2

Marathon Week 7, Day 7 - Recovery From Injury

The reason for the lack of posts over the last week and a half: on Tuesday (Week 6, Day 2) following the 5k/5k run that went so well for Tommie and me, I strained a muscle in the back of my left leg, possibly the distal end of the semitendinosus. After nearly two weeks of rest, icing, and massage, during which time I was able to continue with CrossFit and O-lift workouts, I gave my legs their first running test today in a 1-3-1 workout of one mile at "easy" pace, three miles at "mid tempo" and one final mile at the easy pace again. Jeff planned a course for us that went from the middle school, around Arcadia County Park, and back to the middle school.

My targeted time for the mid-tempo part was 21:30. I was able to complete it in about 20:50, and my legs felt well enough for that entire section. In a surprise, some spots in my leg started to twinge on the final mile of easy-pace running. Patient stretching at the finish line and icing at home have the legs feeling pretty good right now, so I think I will try the 10 X 400m speed work coming up on Wednesday.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 7, Day 7 - Recovery From Injury

Marathon Week 6, Day 1

Even though I have not posted any information lately, training is going forward at full pace. (I might use that as one of the reasons I did not post during Week 5.) One significant point from last week: on Wednesday, July 23, I ran my fastest 5k in the past 27 years, covering the 3.1 miles in 19:19.

As Tommie notes, our assignment today was to our "best" 5k, rest for half of the time it took to complete the 5k, and then run a second 5k! This is the first of three times that this workout will come up on our training schedule, and I was wondering from the start exactly what it would feel like.we ran our first 5k in under 20 minutes (at 19:58) and then set out, after ten minutes of rest, on our second 5k. I found out right away what this “Speed Work, Speed Work” was going to improve for me: leg strength. I felt like I was lugging a couple of tree stumps along Foothill Boulevard for the first mile of the second 5k. I believe this is where Tommie and I lost most of our 30 seconds on the second run, with miles 2, 3, and 3.1 about as fast as they were the first time through. Second 5k for me: 20:25, which might not have happened without Tommie right there the whole way. Funny note from the run: Tommie’s watch did not start at 00:00:00 on the first run, so he did not know right away that it was his fastest 5k ever. His fatigue in completing the run probably had him baffled while he was thinking he took over 23 minutes. It was nice to see his reaction when he found out he knocked almost a half minute off of his PR time from last week. The Juggernaut rocks!

Originally posted at Marathon Week 6, Day 1

Marathon Week 4, Day 7

Jeff, Ted, Trish, and I met at the Middle School for the 2-3-1 run that Jeff describes. I ran the 3-mile "Short Tempo" part in a detour-adjusted 20:45, which is a pace of 6:55 per mile and right on my target.

The detour was caused by my not wearing contact lenses for this run. Boy-o-boy, those street signs can be tough to read! Good thing I had Trish so close by to catch my missed turns.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 4, Day 7

Marathon Week 4, Day 6

Yesterday, Day 5, was an "Off" day, and then today a group of almost a dozen of us met at the Rose Bowl to train. We were to run 5 km, which is one 3.1-mile lap around the facility (including part of the Brookside Golf Course) at our choice of paces: either our Marathon Paces (7:37 per mile for me) or we could each try to set a personal record (PR) at the distance.

I did not set a PR at the distance, but I did run the loop in 20:27, which is a pace of 6:36 per mile. The toughest part was the first three-quarters of a mile, which was a slight uphill stretch fresh out of the blocks. That is a rude way to wake up at 7:00am.

Amy and I both wrapped up our training for the day by joining the group at the Academy for the CrossFit total. That is where I got to PR... in Back Squat and Shoulder Press.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 4, Day 6

Marathon Week 4, Day 4

I was part of the Jeff-Jim-Ted-Tommie group running sprints at the middle school this morning and had a fun time with everyone, including the part where we had to run 200m... twelve times. My times (all in seconds) were as follows:

1. 37
2. 37
3. 37
4. 36
5. 36
6. 36
7. 36
8. 37
9. 37
10. 37
11. 37
12. 35

Each one-minute rest between sprints went by faster than the one before; I hope it was a local phenomenon and that we did not warp the fabric of space-time for everyone. We really would have preferred for the one minute rest sections to have been the same every time.

The fastest 200m of this morning's session went to Ted, who flew through his last half lap of the track in 33 seconds!

Rest day tomorrow: I hope it lasts for a "normal" 24 hours.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 4, Day 4

Marathon Week 4, Day 3

I made a rare visit to the Team 1700 workout this afternoon, and I have one thing to say about that: It is hot when the sun is out! I have to get back together with my heliophobic Team 0600 friends soon. We did the posted Workout of the Day, which was 5-5-5-5-5 deadlifts. My loads for the sets of five were as follows:

1. 225 lbs.
2. 255 lbs.
3. 255 lbs.
4. 265 lbs.
5. 275 lbs.

Now I am off to care for my sore piriformis ... and prepare for a dozen 200m sprints in the morning.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 4, Day 3

Marathon Week 4, Day 2

Monday was the official "Off" day, and today we jumped back in with five miles of running at a mid-tempo pace. For me, that is 7:10 per mile, which should have brought me to the five-mile point at 35:50. I got to it in 34:36, which puts me at just over 6:55 per mile.

For the first quarter mile, I had doubts that I would be able to keep pace, but as I approached the half-mile point the rhythm felt more maintainable. I did not experience any burning like what I felt on Week 2, Day 5 at the 3.5-mile point. Maybe this is the payoff of training, or it could be fresh legs after yesterday's rest day.

If I keep running faster than my prescribed pace for two more weeks, I will consider dropping my target marathon time from 3:20:00 to 3:15:00. But I agree with juggernaut's plan not to switch too soon.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 4, Day 2

Marathon Week 3, Day 7

Today was supposed to be a CrossFit/Bootcamp training day, but I spent most of it recovering from Saturday's Adventure Race. If I had woken up early enough, I could have joined a group digging a trench at Ryan's house.

Oh well.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 3, Day 7

Marathon Week 3, Day 6

I joined Ryan, Kate, and Lauren as part of TCA #2 – Chaos Theory for the 6th Annual Scout Adventure Challenge in the Santa Monica Mountains today.

The marathon training schedule called for an 8-mile run at "Marathon Pace + 45 Seconds", but we instead completed, by my estimate, about twelve miles of hiking and running (with food and water on our backs) and over fifteen miles of mountain biking on a variety of roads and trails.

Highlights:

• Working for so many hours with my team. They were so generous in putting up with my repeated stories about Lilian Jegou's bike crash into a tree.
• The other teams from the Academy. It is fun to be part of such a large group of inspired racers.
• The support crew. Kellie, Vanessa, and Lisa made our base camp the place to be.
• Seeing a beautiful rattlesnake cross our hiking path. It looked like an Arizona black rattlesnake, but I am not sure we have those here in California.
• Hearing "Ughh!" as I approached a curve on mountain bike. When I slowed and came around, all I could see was an upended bike on the trail ahead of me but no corresponding rider. I found my teammate just off the side of the trail as the rest of the team came up carefully from behind. After the fallen rider got up, climbed back on bike, and tore further along as if nothing happened, the rest of us watched even more carefully for obstructions in the trail.
• The Radioactive Ratz! That group finished an hour ahead of any other of our four teams!

I confess that leading up to the event I had some ambivalence about participating. Once the event got rolling though, I was immediately happy that I got to play.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 3, Day 6

Marathon Week 3, Day 5

Fridays at Team CrossFit Academy are turing into Happy Hour (or Pick-Your-Poison) days. When the line this morning was too long for buying an iPhone, I joined the 9:00am crew and picked "Christine", which is three rounds of the following:

• Row 500 meters
• 12 Deadlifts at 3/4 bodyweight
• 21 box jumps

My time: 10:59.

Saturday's workout is suppose to be an 8-mile run at 8:22 per mile. Instead of that run, however, I will join Ryan, Kate, and Lauren for the Scout Adventure Race. [Insert appropriate smack-talk here against the other teams.]

Originally posted at Marathon Week 3, Day 5

Marathon Week 3, Day 4

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Originally posted at Marathon Week 3, Day 4

Marathon Week 3, Day 3

I was part of the Santa Anita / Grandview group this morning using a 3-mile loop — with considerable hills — for the 2-3-1 tempo run that Jagarnaut describes. The loop takes us down to the two-mile marker as warm-up, and then we hit our short-tempo pace for one full loop of three miles, finishing that leg back at the 2-mile marker. A final one-mile cool-down returns us to the starting point near Grandview and Santa Anita. My target for the three miles was to maintain 6:55 per mile, which should have sent me around in 20:45. But what I lost on the uphill stretches, I could not make up on the downhill. I finished in 21:34, a pace of 7:11 per mile. With the climbs included in this run, maybe I accomplished the spirit of the short-tempo run despite not keeping pace.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 3, Day 3

Marathon Week 3, Day 2

"Super Helen". That is what many of us are calling this morning's 6:00am CrossFit workout. Complete the following (for time, of course):

• 12 pull-ups
• 21 kettle-bell swings (1.5 pood)
• Run 400 meters
• 36 pull-ups
• 63 kettle-bell swings (1.5 pood)
• Run 1200 meters
• 12 pull-ups
• 21 kettle-bell swings (1.5 pood)
• Run 400 meters

Finished in 22 minutes plus change. Half of us did the workout in the order listed, and the other half started at the bottom and worked up (which is the order in which Helen is usually done). The standard Helen workout is demonstrated in this wmv video and in this mov video (67MB apiece) from CrossFit's "exercises" web page.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 3, Day 2

Marathon Week 3, Day 1

We started this week with Speed Training, and I met a large group at the middle school for 400m repeats (ten of them) on the track. With this being only the third speed session, and only the start of the third week of training, the rate at which improvement comes amazes me. Simply to compare the splits listed below to those from two weeks ago, does not tell the whole story. Yes, today's times are about one or two seconds faster than the earlier one, but the fun part is that I am not nearly as wiped out now even though they were faster and there were ten of them this week (as opposed to eight).

So here are the results (targeted maximum per lap was 1:30):

• 1:22
• 1:24
• 1:23
• 1:23
• 1:23
• 1:23
• 1:22
• 1:23
• 1:22
• 1:19

The last one was nowhere near Tommie's 1:13!

Originally posted at Marathon Week 3, Day 1

Marathon Week 2, Day 6

I had no problem adding a minute over yesterday's pace to each mile of today's run. Murry put together a scenic 6-mile route through Sierra Madre and brought enough maps of it that all different paces made it through without a single wrong turn. Eric offered an alternative left-turn-only route to the NASCAR fans in the group, and only one of them went astray.

My target was 8:22 per mile, which should have brought me back to Kersting Court in 50:12. One part of the trip threw a wrench into the timing for me and everone else, however: in the middle of the fifth mile, there is a long climb up Michillinda Avenue. Nearly all of us anticipated the drop-off in pace that Michillinda would force upon us, so we sped up in the mile before the climb. But none of us fell significantly off of our "Marathon +45" targets on that rise, so we all completed the six miles below our hoped-for times. My finish: 49:46 (8:18 per mile).

Next up: Rest! (Sunday is an "Off" day.) Back to the track for 400m repeats (ten of them) on Monday.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 2, Day 6

Marathon Week 2, Day 5

Five Miles at Mid-Tempo Pace

I saved a half gallon of gas and got an extra hour of sleep by staying in Pasadena for my five-mile mid-tempo run this morning (rather than meeting the 6:00am group at the Middle School).

Following a Pasadena route (why doesn’t it let me print for free?!!), I set out to maintain a 7:10 per-mile pace, which should have had me finishing at the 35:50 mark. There are some elevation changes in the route, but despite these, I was able to hold the 7:10 pace pretty closely both on the uphill portions and on the level parts. On top of that, I allowed myself to open up a little on the downhill stretches, which brought my finish time down to 34:07.

Notes from the run:

• The start challenged me. Heading to my starting point, I was nowhere near feeling like I had the energy to do this one today, but I went through with it anyway, taking about 400m to dial in my pace. About a half mile in, I felt much better. The 800m repeats earlier in the week did not make this first half-mile easy, they did help convince me I could put in nine more of them to finish the run.
• About 3.5 miles in, my quads started getting a little too warm, but that cleared up by Mile 4.
• So far in the training, I have hit all of my target times, but I am not about to change my marathon goal of 3:20:00 yet! Reassess sometime after Week 6, not after Week 2.

Congratulations to all of the CrossFit/Bootcamp racers today in the Bleksmith 5K!

On schedule for Saturday: A 6-mile group run from Kersting Court at 8:22 per mile. It will be interesting to add more than a minute over today's pace to each mile of the run.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 2, Day 5

Marathon Week 2, Day 4

Days 3 and 7 this week are "Off" days, and this "3-On / 1-Off" schedule seems to suit me. I feel reasonably recovered after yesterday's Off time.

This morning at the Academy, we had about fifteen people for the 6:00am class, and Eric designed the workout in "Happy Hour" or "Pick Your Poison" style in which each of us chose one of 20 Standard workouts. The poison I chose was the naughty one named Nancy: Five reps for time of {Run 400m / 95-lb overhead squat X 15}.

I had never done this one before, and I had been looking for an opportunity to try it out. So when Eric announce the morning’s format, I made a mental beeline for Nancy.

Result: 17 minutes plus change. (I think it was 17:16, but it was all I could do to write it down; once I had it on the board, I tasked those brain cells to life-support duties.) I think each of the five rounds finished between 3:30 and 3:45 – much less of a late-round drop-off than I feared. Was this related to the speed work we have been doing on the track? Perhaps.

For a video of two guys completing Nancy much faster than I did, see either WMV format or MOV format. But be warned: each of those videos is over 50MB.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 2, Day 4

Marathon Week 2, Day 2

Well, there they were waiting for us: nasty 800m repeats – six of them, with two minutes of recovery time between runs. My target time was 3:03 for each of them, and I kept all of my runs below that, but I know I did not have many (any?) more of them left in me when I finished.

The first three went pretty well, but after that third one, I did not feel nearly as recovered at the "Go" signal as I did following the first two. Coming in to finish the fourth one, I knew Number 5 was going to be the one most likely to fall behind pace – even more likely than Number 6, as I knew I did not have to leave anything in the tank after the final one. So this is what I remember writing down for my times:

1. 2:56
2. 2:57
3. 2:55
4. 2:58
5. 3:00
6. 3:00

Tomorrow is a much-needed day off. The next trip to the track will come on Monday: Ten runs of 400m each. Maybe I will keep my anxiety level down until Saturday or Sunday.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 2, Day 2

Marathon Week 2, Day 1

Tommie showed up for CrossFit at the Academy this morning, so he and I pushed each other through rounds of the following:

• Small-Block Loop
• 20 Dumbell Snatches (Right)
• 20 Dumbell Snatches (Left)
• 40 Sit-Ups
• 40 Jumping Pull-Ups

Tommie, Jack, and I completed four rounds apiece in the time Ryan allotted us. Time to get ready for Tuesday's 800m repeats.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 2, Day 1

Marathon Week 1, Day 7

After yesterday's Off day, we wrapped up the first week of marathon training with a 6-mile run on an out-and-back course that Eric planned for us. Trish, Eric, and I stuck together on the outbound leg, keeping close to our assigned 7:25-per-mile pace, and then on the uphill return Trish and I put a little bit of distance between ourselves and Eric. The two of us stuck together to the very end, and then Eric pulled in soon after.

I felt well enough on the run, but it certainly was a workout to get it done on time. I am glad that today's "Long Tempo" pace is 12 seconds per mile faster than the pace I am supposed to run in the marathon because I know I could not have maintained today's pace for much more than our six miles. I look forward to the improvement that should come with the training program.

Regarding the 800m repeats that we have coming up on Tuesday: I keep reminding myself that we get two whole minutes of recovery time between the runs! That is about all that settles my nerves as we lead up to it.

I think we all missed Tommie at this week's training and look forward to his joining us now that Derringer is settled in. Congratulations to him!

Originally posted at Marathon Week 1, Day 7

Marathon Week 1, Day 5

Training for today was the Friday night CrossFit workout at the Academy, which took me 33:41 to complete (nowhere close to Eric's 29:49). Lots of people got to struggle through this one today, and Vanessa recorded everyone's performances.

Saturday is a Rest Day.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 1, Day 5

Marathon Week 1, Day 4 - New and Improved

I joined the runners at the middle school this evening to put in proper work on my speed set. The correct target time for 400m was 1:30. My splits:

1. 1:25
2. 1:21
3. 1:25
4. 1:24
5. 1:25
6. 1:24
7. 1:24
8. 1:23

That was much more of a workout!

I think I am going to have to do all of the speed work at the track. Two problems with doing sprints at the academy:

• Corners – The "track" there is primarily a run around the block, and the corners cannot be taken at full speed.
• Elevation changes – Not being a perfect 400m, the start and end points are always at different elevations from each other. The track is, of course, devoid of all elevation changes, so I cannot blame variations in performance on that.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 1, Day 4 - New and Improved

Marathon Week 1, Day 4

After taking Wednesday as an Off-Day, I met Amy this morning at the Academy for speed work.

8 X 400m with 90 seconds of recovery between each (Target time was 1:44 each. But see Note #2 below.)

1. 1:40
2. 1:38
3. 1:40
4. 1:39
5. 1:37
6. 1:40
7. 1:37
8. 1:37

Consistent, yes, and ahead of the targeted time. The mid-tempo and long-temp runs are the ones on which I will likely feel growing pains.

Note 1: Amy was just as consistent in hitting her marks this morning.

Note 2: I was still using the chart-reading instructions handed out last Saturday, not the revised instructions posted to the TaskForceRouge Yahoo!Groups site. By the new instructions, I should have run my 400m repeats at 1:30 apiece. Had I done that, it would have been a much more taxing workout. The big question for myself: Should I take a do-over? I just might; otherwise I am falling behind.

Originally posted at Marathon Week 1, Day 4

CrossFit Marathon Training

Today in marathon training is supposed to be a rest day and tomorrow a CrossFit/Bootcamp day, but I switched the two and joined the 6:00am “Derringer” workout. We had a BIG crowd today!

Good news: I did not get sent home after I kicked Donna in the head. That’s a crime just to kick her, but I am even more guilty after all of Eric’s warnings to make space. Man, do I owe her a dinner!
Better news: I finished ahead of Tommie’s time from last night! It is not that I am competitive; I just have to counter his competitive urges.
Bad news (for me): Tommie used 35-lb dumbbells where I used only 30-pounders, so he gets the prize. Good job, T!

Originally posted at CrossFit Marathon Training

Day 1: Figure Out Pace

I know how to set a good pace for myself for any race up to 10km, but today's training called for one mile at an easy pace (9:29 per mile), three miles at medium pace (8:09 per mile), and one final mile at the easy pace. If I want to live through the marathon -- not to mention the marathon training -- I am going to have to learn to pace myself better. I ran my "easy" miles at about an 8:15 pace and the medium ones at about 7:45 apiece. I hope to get better at this without buying a really neat watch.

My route:

Originally posted at Day 1: Figure Out Pace

Pasadena Marathon

Get this straight... I do not want to run the 2008 Pasadena Marathon.

But I have a problem: peer pressure from Ryan and Hope ... and a detailed, sensible, well-thought-out five-month training schedule put together by Eric and Jeff have me almost convinced that I will run it. Week #1 of the training schedule starts today, so I will be off on a five-mile run in about an hour.

Twenty-seven people showed up at the initial meeting Saturday morning, and many others who will run could not be there. We each received a packet from Eric and Jeff with targeted training times. With the packet, I have to select a marathon time for which to aim. So... here it is (with full willingness to change this target as I see fit)...

Targeted marathon finish: 3:20:00.

I believe that to be realistically achievable, but we will see.

Originally posted at Pasadena Marathon