It's almost time for CLE

When did Cleveland people begin referring to Cleveland exclusively as CLE? And how many of those folks actually use Cleveland Hopkins International Airport?

I've wondered that for a long time.

Anywho, it's almost time for marathon number three. May 19th. I have thirty-one miles to run before I find myself at the start line. Less than two weeks. No more double-digit training runs.

I am nervous as all get-out.

Training has gone well. Er, well, running has gone well. I haven't done any cross-training or real speed work since week three or four (oops?). BUT! I have felt so very good running--namely my 17-miler down in Georgia in week 8 and my second 20-miler around P-burg and Maumee a little more than two weeks ago. Joe has finally sold me on the slow-and-steady shorter recovery runs, and a week ago I PRed in 13.1. Dare I say that the Magic 8-Ball should tell me "Outlook good"?

No, I can't. I recently told you about my superstitious attitude. Although I firmly believe that Murphy's Law is a bunch of pessimist nonsense, there are things that could go wrong. Fortunately, I feel confident in myself; it's the weather that concerns me. We've had a couple of unusually warm days over the past week. On one of those days, my run went really well. On the other, I wasn't feeling it at all. That said, Mother Nature might be playing a big role in my performance on the 19th. As the time nears, I don't know that I will bother trying to prepare myself by looking at the weather forecast. I think I mentioned in my Glass City half recap that meteorologists are ass-clowns and cannot be trusted.

Beyond the weather, I'd be lying to say I'm not nervous about reaching my goals for this marathon. Before my first marathon last year, someone told me that I need to have a main goal and a back-up goal. I've really kicked it up a couple of notches insofar as my expectations for that main goal this time around. The nerves stem from that--how badly I want to achieve it, and thinking about the psychological battle that will begin if I realize mid-race that it's not going to happen. I should be able to persevere, but still, I want it. And since there is definitely a possibility that it won't happen, my stomach is already in knots.

I've got less than two weeks to get over it. Thirty-one miles. Then, it's marathon number three.

Awesome 20 miles: Good omen or jinx?

I have an outfit for my alma mater's important athletic events. I must wash my hands immediately prior to leaving work each day. My current pair of running shoes needs to be the pair sitting closest to the closet wall.

Superstitious? Or suffering from a litte OCD?

Whatever my condition is, I'm pumped about and scared due to my final pre-CLE 20-miler. Of the three times that I've run 20 miles, this was my best. I failed to run one while training for Glass City last year; Joe and Rob got me through my first while training for Columbus last September, then I did one a few weeks ago. Yesterday, I ran 20 miles more than 15 seconds per mile faster than the other two times that I ran that distance. And I felt awesome during and after the run. Of note: my hamstring, which tends to be really annoying in the days immediately following a long run in excess of 13 miles, feels fine.

I should only be happy, right? Probably. BUT, some things didn't go right:

1.) I didn't eat prior to the run.
2.) I only fueled once--at mile 7.5-ish.
3.) After a pit-stop at home to pick up Joe for my last 2.4, I stiffened up and slowed to 9:00+ per mile.

On one hand, I feel stupid. I didn't treat my body properly, and I worry that in the coming days, I am going to pay for it. On the other hand, I feel that even with those disadvantages, which I did unto myself, I kicked some ass. Back to the other hand, I may have spent myself and my body's vengeful wrath is waiting to sneak up and wreak havoc on me.

I think I'm going to be cautiously optimistic as I taper toward CLE. The Glass City Half will be a real test for me this coming Sunday--will I run hard and go for a PR? Or will I take it easy and run for the fun of it?

Training to Improve

After running 20 miles a couple of days ago, I had an epiphany. I think that my running is actually improving.

Last week was rough. I had a lot of nasal-to-throat drainage on Wednesday, and by the end of the work day on Thursday I was full-blown sick. Joe pushed me through 5 miles that evening, but my illness trumped everything Friday morning when I had to cut 5 miles down to 2.5. With reluctance I chose to rest on Saturday and Sunday, despite needing to run 10 and 20 miles respectively, in an effort to get well. Also, I needed to make sure that Joe's surprise 30th birthday party was a blast.

It wasn't for naught! By Sunday evening, in spite of the guilt of not running all weekend, I felt healthy. AND all of the birthday festivities were awesome. We got a good night of sleep on Sunday, I slept in on Monday, and then went out to run that 20-miler. I had been so good about doing all of my long runs since training for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon started that I didn't want to let one sick weekend ruin my streak, which I imagine would subsequently also ruin my confidence in training and my ability to perform on May 19th.

Back to the point, I think that my running is actually improving. I already said that, right?

What was this aforementioned epiphany exactly? What am I doing better now than before? And why did I notice any of it?

I run comfortably.
While training for my first two marathons last year, I generally tried to run hard in every training run as if I was some badass, experienced runner. I ran for the enjoyment of looking at my splits on Garmin Connect. I relished in finishing training runs in goal race time.

I was not and am not a badass, experienced runner. I was disappointed in myself for not running negative splits for an entire long run. I felt like all of the work I had done was for nothing if I ran 30 to 45 seconds slower per mile than my race goal pace.

Lately, I've been running at a pace that feels good. I am honest with myself about how much I can tolerate. I find a pace at which I know I can run faster, and I choose to maintain it or even slow down. Instead of doing what I can, I'm happy simply knowing that I can.

I endure in discomfort.
I suck at golf. I always like the idea of going to play, and I am usually in good spirits until my second stroke. At best I triple bogie hole after hole. I turn into a sourpuss and although I never quit, I become huffy and puffy and as a result, I play worse and worse. Eventually, I start just claiming stroke limit on each hole so that I don't need to play it out.

I've never had such a meltdown while running, but I've definitely done some mental "getting to know myself" under crappy conditions. Last summer was blazing hot and humid, which resulted in running shorter distances  than I should have, rather than slowing down or even walking now and then. While training for my first two marathons, I only ran one of my two planned 20-milers because it was just too hard. Wind kicks up toward the end of a run? Meh, I'll just call it quits.

No more of that. I am training with a purpose; I have goals, and I'm less likely to achieve if I don't do what I know I need to do. No more quitting, no more complaining, and no more excuses.

I finish strong.
I used to train hard from start to finish. No warm-up, just straight into race pace. It was fine on shorter runs of 5 or 7 miles, but it was a challenge to maintain week after week on long runs. The last few miles always showed the same thing: slower and slower splits, struggling to even finish training runs. Oh, you want to "race" to the end of the driveway? You have fun with that. I'll just stay back here all slow because I can't run any faster.

I mentioned earlier that I'm consciously saving my energy when I know that it's there. All of that running comfortably pays off when for the last half or even full mile, I can kick it up a notch to finish faster than race goal pace. I can "win" those sprints around the corner to the driveway. Well, less and less since Joe is getting faster and faster. Even for him, it's due to training smarter. This shouldn't be exclusive to training, either; even in a race, don't you prefer to finish looking strong for the camera? I feel a lot better saving it for the end.

Improvements aren't just measured by PRs and medals. I've been thinking a lot about the way that I feel during and after training runs. Even if I don't beat that pesky 3:53 in Cleveland on May 19th, I know that I am now a better runner than I used to be.

This is your brain on the long run.

It always starts the same: Am I really going to run ## miles?

The long training run is the ultimate head game of running. During a marathon, the reason for the long training run, there is a myriad of distractions. It's during those runs of 17 to 20 miles in preparation for the marathon during which I've really gotten to know myself.

Do I even know where I'm going?

The first mile is the toughest battle. I think about where my route will take me; I've even been known to spend that time figuring out my route, since I'm not big on planning my routes and prefer to just wing it. If I know where I'm going, I try to think happy thoughts about how at certain landmarks, I will only have x miles to go. But then I think about how far away I still am from Second Street and Mulberry, the bathroom at Side Cut, and that dead opossum that's been decaying on the curb for a week. Shit. This might suck.

This has nothing to do with anything.
I just need her sweater.

After a mile, I subconsciously transition from logistics to stress. What do I need to to when I get home? I can't believe I left the house without making the bed. When was the last time that I changed the Brita filter? I hope that my hair isn't too unruly after showering. How are we going to have time do watch Parks and Rec tonight?

Suddenly I've run a significant fraction of my run and I don't care about anything. Just in time for a gel! Ever wonder how the deer talk to each other? What kind of animal left that nugget of poo on the towpath? Why everyone driving past you gawks? How that rodent ended up split in half in the middle of the road and why there is a steak knife next to it? If breathing in the chemical odor surrounding that manufacturing building weekly is going to result in a genetic defect? Of course you have.

I'm too fast to acknowledge a peon like you.
Also, I'm in bad movies.

Here and there, I wish that I had a pocket of rocks to launch at cars that unnecessarily drive far to close to me. On really trying days, I might throw a couple of expletives or hand gestures at ass-wipes behind the wheel. On the other hand, some motorists are so considerate that I yell to them, "Thaaaaanks!" as if they care and can hear me. When I begin to approach another runner or walker, my brain races about how to greet. Morning! Hi! Keep it up! Oh, you look like you're not having a good day. I'm still going to say "hi." Oh, you want to stare at the ground and ignore me? It's like that, is it? And then I feel salty.

This sandwich goes to church on Sunday. I don't.

And before I know it, I've got three miles to go. A 5K? Piece of cake. I think about how fast I'll be able to get it done. Then, it happens: Fooooooooooooood. What am I gonna eat? I wonder if Joe wants to get some Chipotle. Mmmm, a Spicy Chicken Sangweech from Chick-fil-a sounds awesome. Balls! It's Sunday. I think about how many calories I will have burned at the end of the run and rejoice in the fact that it has likely been more than I usually eat in a day, which surely means that I should eat twice as much as what I'd eat on a non-long run day.

Then, there it is! The driveway. The long run is over.

I just ran ## miles. Awesome.

17 Miles in the Low Country

My 17-miler took me past this:

And this:

And this:

On the morning of my cousin's wedding, I managed to squeeze in an awesome 17-miler. Before setting out, I doubted that I'd make it the entire 17 miles. I was up late the night before shucking oysters (which I learned that I do like roasted) and drinking bubbly and beer, then I needed to be so fresh and so clean and at the spa  ready to be beautified at 10:00AM. I woke up around 5:30AM, Joe got up just after 6:00, and we were running shortly before 6:30. He stuck with me for the first 10 miles, which helped so much namely because I really needed motivation to get started. It's always easier when you're with a buddy, especially on long runs.

We were at the Ford Plantation near Savannah, Georgia. Prior to arriving on Friday, I attempted to map out my run, but I couldn't seem to find enough road to make up anything interesting. We learned upon arrival that the cart path on the golf course is accessible to runners, there is a 2+ mile levee/dike/dyke/slave-built bridge connecting each end of the plantation, and that there are 13 miles of road. With some creativity, dodging of horse apples, and swinging through a few holes of the golf course a couple of times, 17.03 miles were complete. At a good training pace, might I add! 8:51 per mile.

And then, I got hair-sprayed, airbrushed, and fake eyelashes.

Oh yeah, and I drank champagne all day.

Long Runs: Great Success

It's the middle of training week 8 for CLE. Things are looking good; I've been reaching my planned weekly mileage, long runs have been solid, and I'm feeling improvements. Unfortunately, I haven't done any speedwork since Yassos a few of weeks ago. I can only blame myself for that--because I haven't designated speedwork days on my Excel document of this training plan, I've failed to think of doing it. I could do that now, but...

Anywho, I had a super-duper accomplishment two weekends ago. I arrived in Atlanta at 11:30PM on that Friday night, got to our accommodations around 1:00AM, and was awake until 3:00AM, listening to drunk groomsmen singing outside of our room. I woke up around 7:00AM, wide awake, and found my way to the resort's fitness center for a treadmill run. My scheduled long run was 10 miles, but I only anticipated running 7. Well, really, I anticipated doing 3 or 4, but I told myself that I would not step off of that treadmill until I hit at least 7. The last time I ran on a treadmill, nearly one year ago, I barely made it 4 miles. It was so boring. Despite my sleep shortage, the stars must have been aligned just right on the night prior, because I banged out 10 treadmill miles.

And I could have run more.

I felt like a million bucks for the rest of the day, and I attribute it to accomplishing more on that treadmill than I expected. It also helped me to feel less guilt about all of the wine, miniature crab cakes, steak, and salmon that I consumed later in the day.

This past Sunday was my longest run yet at 16 miles. On Saturday night, I had a couple of double IPAs, lots of very cheesy bread, and ribs. I was clearly not thinking about the condition in which I'd find myself the next morning. Those two beers knocked me out, so I was asleep, according to Joe, by 9:00PM. I don't know if it was going to bed so early or the champion-combination dinner I had, but I ran my entire 16-miler feeling pretty good about myself. The first 10-ish were with Joe and Rob, then I trekked solo around Perrysburg for my last 6. Here are my splits, those positive in bold:

9:04, 8:56, 8:49, 8:56, 8:46, 9:08, 9:34, 9:06, 8:58, 8:41, 8:39, 8:37, 8:35, 8:32, 8:43, 8:22, 0:17 (.03)
Total time: 2:21:44
Total miles: 16.03

I'm happy with those splits, especially for my longest run yet in training. I fueled with a couple of Clif Shots, the first I think in mile 5 and the second around mile 11.5, which I think I planned perfectly. I did struggle a little bit in miles 6 and 7, but I think it was just getting myself going again after taking a water and fuel break. Those Clif Shots are definitely where it's at.

This weekend is going to be a real challenge. I am in a wedding, so I'm not sure if my long run is going to happen on Sunday morning. I'm thinking about doing it on Saturday morning before all of the pre-wedding beautification treatments begin at 10:00AM. If I am going to do that, I'll need to be up and running by 7:00AM. That'll mean that I need to behave on Friday night at the rehearsal dinner. Here's hoping that I can continue to maintain awesomeness from the previous two long runs...