24 Hour Race Around the Lake

So it's official - - I am registered and running in next Friday's 24 Hour Race Around the Lake.

I've been thinking about running this race for about a month now and have decided I have the stamina and endurance to do this. I will be doing the 12 hour ultra marathon beginning at 7pm and have 12 hours to run around Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, MA as many times as my body can endure. It is a 3.16 mile loop, well lit, and paved - ideal conditions for a first ultra. Proceeds go to the Rabb Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston.

I want to keep pushing myself, shun complacency, and see what I can achieve if I put forth enough effort. My goal is to complete 16 loops in under 12 hours for a total distance run of 50.56 miles.

So it is on. 50.56 miles in 12 hours. I can do this.

Some Thoughts

A radical double post from me.
I want to take a minute to comment on some of the posts that I've been reading here and catching up on after my hiatus.

@Tom: you put in the grittiest performance of the year in VCM. You warriored that thing to the end. It was a brutal run this year, and I ate a bunch and still had issues. I know I've declared a hiatus but something clicked in me this week -- I need to run VCM, again. I need to master the training. I know I can finish a marathon, maybe not quickly, but I can cover 26.2 in a (somewhat) respectable time. The time comes from the training, and marathoning, now, for me, is about mastering the training and that's what I need to try again and submit myself to.

@David: you are a force of nature. I admire & envy your drive. Crewing for you would be cool -- but do you think could find a closer ultra? the keys are kind of far away, and it could get expensive. But send me the details, and we'll see if it's doable.

@Noel: it's all about the flow, I've been saying that for two years. It's not corny, it's true. You need to habituate yourself to the training and embrace its ups and downs. It's time to put the pedal to the medal on the Timberman... crash training time baby!

@Red: where are you? let's go for a ride ;).

@Steve: good luck training for Schroon 1/2. I'd be happy to do a training run with you if you want, but it will take some coordination, August is full. I considered Schroon with you guys for a bit but it's not going to work out this year. Some time in the future.

Weston 5 Miler

So, here it is the Torn Ligament Blog... left alone with the blog and his miles and a bunch of slacker training partners who are offering zero support and seemingly the same number of miles.... Sorry David, I'm back, and will participate again here, we need to.

Well, I'm back after a long hiatus in which I basically got really good at drinking beer and working my tail off on miserable projects with miserable clients and partners.
I got in one run during my vacation, three weeks ago, a mellow 3.3 miles. I signed up for the Weston 5 Miler months ago, and thought it was next week until they thankfully sent me an email reminder Wednesday. So, I bucked up and did the race in a rather moderate 42 minutes (gun time). It was about what I expected after my layoff, 8:30s, and didn't hurt too bad. I uncorked a scorcher between 2-3 (7:26 by my estimation) but starting at the back of the pack and running a really slow first mile it went for naught and hurt me at the end.

Anyway, I needed something to kick my butt back into gear and this hopefully did it. I'm running Falmouth in a few weeks, but I need some help: I'm getting in by raising funds for Falmouth Military Support Group. Phat and Torn have kindly donated to my cause, and I'd be stoked if I could get you other Distance Trainers to pony up some cash by 7/30/10 -- you can donate online here: Firstgiving. Thanks guys.

Week 8

Started off Week 8 training with a 7 mile run this evening. About a 1/2 mile into it I had to use the restroom and without any promising opportunities just ended up holding it the entire run. On top of that, I had eaten an early supper of scallops, spanish rice and broccoli - mistake. Should have waited until I returned to eat, like I do after I return from evening TKD class. Left calf is also still sore. So not a great run, but it's done. 1:06:42.

First Ultra

Today is my off-day, and time for some brief introspection. My little grasshopper and I tested yesterday for our high green belts and it went well. Sparring, breaking, Taeguk poomses, everything. The journey to eventually attain our black belts has given me the mental strength and confidence to embark on a quest to achieve some audacious goals - and do the work to achieve them.

My next goal is to run a 50 mile ultramarathon. I will do it, and see the race to its end.

My committed race schedule the next 6 months is as follows:

08/7 Beach to Beacon 10k
09/25 Niantic Bay 1/2 marathon
10/3 Maine Marathon
11/7 New York Marathon
01/30 Miami Marathon
04/26 London Marathon (subject to lottery)

SO I will run a 50 miler early summer 2011. If I do not get into London I am leaning towards the Keys 100 in 05/11 (the 50 mile event)from Mile Marker 51 in Marathon, FL and finish in Key West. Proceeds go to the Richard J. Fox Foundation to fight prostate cancer. (Second option is the North Face Endurance Challenge next June from Washington D.C. to McLean, VA.)

Would anyone be interested in the shared experience of an ultra? Or possibly being part of my support crew?

Final run of Week 7

Just a quick 4.3 loop but my left calf is still twinging with some discomfort. Between Wed, Thu and today did 33.3 combined miles. Time for a break.

Tomorrow is TKD testing so no run, taking Sun off, and probably Monday too. While I am following the Higdon Intermediate II plan in terms of when to scale up/back I am actually exceeding the weekly milage, but then again I did that with the Novice I plan as well.

Will hit Week 8 training hard again come Tues and hope that my calf has enough time to heal.

Week 7 long run

With my upcoming testing for Taekwondo this Sat and today's magnificent weather I decided to do my long run 16 this morning.

Had 2 english muffins with hummus spread on top, 2 cups of coffee and a GU before I left the house. Did my first 8 in 1:14, had another GU, and felt good until mile 14 - then experienced my worst running bonk since miile 25 of Sugarloaf. Agony. That stretch is in the sun and I was so dehydrated I couldn't muster up any saliva. I should have taken a gatorade, one GU at mile 8 just wasn't enough. Must have taken me 22 min do the final 2 miles.

Drank about 20 oz of milk flavored with Hershey's strawberry syrup and several glasses of H2O and I feel fine. 29 miles in two days is a good chunk of running.

Going to the TKD breaking class tonight! Excited to crack some lumber.

The Solo Blogger

Torn Ligaments gets major props for keeping his d*ck up and being the solo blogger since the VT City Marathon posts of June 3. Hang tough, dude. I registered for the Adirondack 1/2 again this year, and IF I can get off my behind will start training for it any...day...now. Posts to come.

13 in the rain

Week 7 training began today with a 13 miler in the wet. I missed yesterday's run but moving forward will do 13 every Wednesday until the week prior to the race. 13 is a good distance and will continue to challenge myself for time on these runs.

I started slowly (38:50) for the first 4.33 and pushed harder on the second loop (36.20) and finished the third lap in 36:15 for a total time of 1:51:25. I was distracted on the first loop, haven't been sleeping well of late and wrestling with the idea of starting a business so more than once I caught myself just cruising on autopilot and had to refocus. The rain and cooler temps were a welcome change from the oppressive heat and humidity of last week.

I have been bothered lately with a dull ache in my left calf that runs along the side of my lower leg, knee to ankle. It's not painful, just nagging. Not sure exactly what it is, perhaps a light strain/pull. Running through it.

16.4

Complete change of heart - with the weekend rain we are expecting, I decided to crank out my Week 6 long run (16 mi) this morning. It was still warm and the route was shady for the most part but the stretches of sun were tough. I felt fine up until about mile 10 then the thirst kicked in - mental toughness can overcome a lot but when a man is thirsty, that is another story. Final time 2:29:09. Map my run said it was 16.4.

A hilly 13

Missed Taekwondo last night and was scheduled to do 7 today but decided to do a longer run. It was down to a brisk 94 on the back deck, downright chilly compared to the past few days, but once I got going it was still hot. Under the shade it felt great but this run has long stretches of sun and I baked. Time 1:57:58. Tomorrow is rest and I need it - 28 miles the past three days in Death Valley-like conditions and I'm ready to fill the jacuzzi up with buckets of ice and just chill like a polar bear.

Eight miles

Got in my Wednesday run in 1;10:34, and it was *only* 100 on my back deck. Actual temp was probably 90, a good 4 to 5 degrees cooler than yesterday. Humidity was also lower which makes all the difference in the world.

I was 7:54 after mile 1 and 34:45 at the half way point. Another 8:45 avg min mile run. TKD tonight.

Week 6 begins..

111 degrees. That was the reading on my back deck this morning at 9am. A liberal amount of sunscreen, a chocolate GU, and a 12 oz bottle of G2 and out I went.

Did 7 miles in the heat. Felt good actually, muscles loose. The worst part is the stinging sweat that I can't seem to keep out of my eyes. I should get a sun visor. 1:02:53 is about 5 min slower than usual but still just under 9:00 min/mi.

60 laps

So this weekend the Torn Ligament family went to CT to celebrate the 4th. On Sat morning both Mrs. TL and I did a run I used to do in high school - a 4.3 loop around Pinewood Lake, where they filmed Revolutionary Road with Kate Winslet/Leo DiCaprio. Ironically, it is the same distance as the loop I do here in Kittery. It was a slower pace than I'm used to but nice to run with her. It has very big hills and I'd steam up them and then wait for her, but so nice that we can talk a bit and that we can share the joy of running together.

After we finished, I went next door to my old H.S. and ran 1 mile on the brand new rubberized track (a far cry from the gravel and dust I ran on 20+ yrs ago) and did it in 6:57, :06 slower than the 1 mile split time from my last two 5k's.

Sunday morning was my long run - and I was so impressed with the new track I decided to do 15 miles (60 laps) on it. Took me 2:12:57, so basically the consistent 8:45 time as my other long runs. Repetitive, yes, but I did enjoy it. I caught some collegiate running the other day after the World Cup on ESPN - from Oregon I believe, some sort of national championship race. They were doing the 10,000m and that got my juices flowing to barrel around a track, something I have not done in decades. Mrs. TL joined me for a bit, as she did 3 mi but we did not run together but she's getting faster - about 11:00 min mile - and then stretched in the shade and went back to my parents.

When I was done I walked a lap and then did the entire football field worth of suicides. Slow going, but I made a point of touching the yard lines every time. Goal to 10 yd line, back to Goal, then to 20 yd, etc. It is another psychological booster come marathon day - I can harken back to the July 4th morning in the ridiculous heat when after running 15 miles on my old H.S. track I did a full series of suicides. I was alone, and could have just walked back to my parent's home, but did it anyway.

I'm convinced that mental resilience, the willingness to push just that little bit harder when I'm running on empty, is what will get me to break 3:30 come October.

July 1st

2010 is half over and I am pleased with the progress I have made since Jan 1st.

Though I still have a long way to go before I reach my ultimate goals, I am patient, keeping things in perspective, and taking it step by step.

Today I ran 8.66 in 1:14:09, or 8:45 min/mile. In Jan I was running 10:30 min/miles for that distance. That is moving the ball in the right direction.

My hamstrings felt like they could support the Zakim bridge the first 3 miles or so this a.m. until they finally loosened up. That seems to be the case the morning after Taekwondo. Though my pace wasn't blazing I ran a good 2nd loop and look forward to my long run this Sunday morning in CT.