A Passion for Running

I’ve always known Regina is considered a windy place. From their website:

The major question mark in Regina – at this time of year or ANY time of year – is the wind. It can be calm, but chances are you will be facing some wind at some point during the race.

So, I’ve been prepared for some wind – hoping it will at least not be gusting on race day.

But now, I’m seeing something unexpected – it’s getting hot in Regina. Today, the high is supposed to be 34C/93F. And the hot weather is supposed to continue till at least Monday – as far as the five day forecast can predict.

So that leaves six days for it to cool off.

Please cool off Regina. Please!

Apparently, I am supposed to try and avoid getting hurt or killed in accidents for the next 10 days…

Yesterday, God bless her, Lori was trying her hand at a new Thai dish (it turned out great!) when, suddenly, I heard a yelp from the kithen. I looked up to see a grease fire had ignited in her wok. YIKES!

I bolted toward the kitchen in what may have been my most intense few seconds of speedwork ever and smothered the fire (three foot flames!) with a lid. No harm was done.

Today, in the last three minutes of my easy, 45 minute run, I stubbed my toe and fell down onto the pavement while crossing a sidewalk curb. I really jarred my back but I think it is alright.

Nine days of, I imagine, increasing insanity to come.

The taper officially started on Monday. Instructions from coach for this week are to run 60 to 75% of last week’s volume, at easy paces but with MP sections within each run. I began the week with a 60 minute run on Monday, followed by 50 minutes yesterday.

Strange things started happening on the drive home from work yesterday. I found myself taping my fingers, air-drumming and singing the whole way home. I had energy. I was HYPER! Only two days into the taper and my energy level has returned – and then some.

Suddenly, it hit me – I’d made it! I’d made it through the dedicated, hard work of training for the Regina marathon. Now, it’s all about healing and getting/staying healthy for race day.

It feels so good and motivating to not be tired!

Yesterday I remarked how I thought today’s run would not set any records. I thought that because, well, I’m tired from all the miles I’ve been logging and didn’t think I’d have anything in the tank for today’s run.

Apparently, I was wrong…

Distance: 21.52 miles
Time: 2:49:19
Pace: 7:52 minutes per mile
Average HR: 159 (targeting 150 to 160)
Weather: Perfect (cool with very little wind)

Not only does this long run blow away all long runs previous but it also felt GREAT the entire way.

Look out Regina! I’m officially tapering!!!
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Edit: Adding some details

First 9 miles = 7:57 min/mile
Next 9 miles = 7:43 min/mile
Last 3.5 miles = 8:02 min/mile (intentionally slowed down here)

My resting heart rate has hit an all-time low. My 40 year-old ticker now has a resting rate of 37 beats per minute. My previous low was 42. Prior to 2000 – the year I started marathoning – my RHR was about 70.

What’s funny about this is that, if I were admitted unconscious to a hospital, there would be a good chance I’d be mis-diagnosed with Bradycardia. As such, I’ve warned my wife that if the occasion were to arise, she should tell them ASAP that I am a runner. What a strange thing to have to prepare your spouse for, huh?
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I’m about to have a big plate of pasta in anticipation of today’s long, 20 mile run – my last run before the taper!

Sometimes, trying to figure out if you’re peaking at the right time can be a little nerve racking. We marathoners (you know who you are) are strange that way – always wondering if we’ve done everything right, and if we will be at our best on race day.

A bit – ok, a lot – of paranoia can go along with this. For example…

August was full of breakthroughs. The three biggest ones happened on this hard run, this long run, and this easy run. Pretty much my entire running history was re-defined on those three days.

And yet, in the last week, I had a slightly disappointing long run and have noticed my heart rates – especially on easy runs – climbing a little higher. I was freaking out a bit. Was I losing fitness? Did I peak too early? Was I over-training?

And then I remembered something – I’m tired. I’m supposed to be tired. And guess what? Heart rates climb and paces slow when you’re tired…

DUH. Will somebody please give me a smack upside the head?

Today’s Easy Run

Time: 94:20 (target was 95:00)
Distance: 11.72 miles
Pace: 8:02
Avg HR: 155 (target was 145 to 155)

I’ve got one run left – a 20 miler – and then I begin the taper. I’m not expecting tomorrow’s run to be a record setting day. On the contrary – I expect it will kick my ass and I’ll be ecstatic to just get the damn thing done.

But, that run will add to my gas tank for September 9th. And it will all be worth it.

I finished my last “hard” run today. Ask me how happy I am about that. REALLY HAPPY! Those suckers have gotten TOUGH!

Prior to Red Deer Marathon, most of my “hard” runs were 60 minutes long. The goal with those was to warm up (roughly 10 – 15 minutes), run at 170bpm for up to 40 minutes, and then cool down for the last few minutes.

As I’ve progressed along the Regina plan, the hard workouts (at least two each week) have become much more focused. They’ve also gotten longer and more difficult.

-the first progression was to reduce target heart rate to 165 but extend the overall workout to 90 minutes.
-the second progression was to run 70 of the 90 minutes @ 170bmp – 85% of my max heart rate.
-the final progression was to run the 70 minutes @ 175bpm – 88% of max heart rate.

The second progression was very difficult and, as you can imagine, the final progression has been really challenging. I had a heckuva time with them and, I’ll honestly say I haven’t been 100% successful maintaining 175bpm for the entire 70 minutes.

And that’s ok since Andrew’s instructions said “if ready” and, I interpreted this to mean, “If you can’t go 70 minutes @ 175, reduce to 170bpm or shorten the time running” (the latter option being less desirable than the former).

Today, I came close, managing 59 minutes at 175bpm. Truthfully, I’m a bit pissed at myself for not pushing for those last 11 minutes. Why? Because it was the first 1/2 of the run that was tough – demoralizing actually – not the second half. My left calf was giving me all kinds of trouble in the first 40 minutes of that run so I chose to turn around earlier than initially planned.

I could have turned around again to sneak in those 11 minutes but, when I got home I decided it was probably just as well to pack it in thinking my calf was complaining for a reason and those 11 minutes would not benefit me all that much.

Still, it would have been a terrific mental victory to finish the whole damn thing. Oh well, I’ve had plenty of other victories this past few months … I think I’ll save the next one for race day.

Details

Time: 79:57 (target was 90 minutes)
Distance: 2.42 mile warmup + 8.045 miles “hard” (10.47 total)
Pace: 21 minute warmup @ 8:40 min/mile + 58:57 @ 7:20 min/mile (7:38 min/mile overall)
Avg HR: 172 during the “hard” section

Two more days of training left before the taper – one easy, 95 minute run + one long, three hour run.

What a windy run today. Oy.

Time: 1:19
Distance: 9.35 miles
Pace: 8:26 per mile
Avg HR: 154

So tired. Six days to the taper.

So, I was talking whining about how tired I’ve been lately to Adeel. He responded with the following comment (which I love):

You should be feeling pretty tired right now if the race is four weeks away. A lot of people seem to think that the hardest part about running a marathon is gutting out the last 10k, and that all you have to do is get tough in that last 10k.

They’re wrong. It’s in the month before tapering when you crawl out the door to run when you’re already exhausted that your race is made. You’re making your race right now.

He could not have said it better.

It was warmer today than last Monday. It was also extremely windy – lots of gusts to contend with.

But, more than that, I knew it was going to be a hard run due to what my heart was doing. Despite starting out nice and slow and gradually, my heart rate climbed very quickly. Way too quickly. Hello again, Mr. Fatigue.

Pace, I knew early on, was slower than last week. And, by the two hour mark, my heart rate was climbing above target (150 to 160) at a slow pace.

The run was extremely difficult but it got done.

We endure pain in training so that the pain is less on race day. Or, at least, so we have experience handling pain on race day!

Time: 2:44:30
Distance: 19.4 miles
Pace: 8:28 min/mile
Average Heart Rate: 159

Seven days including one last long run and I begin the taper.