Back to Basics

I got out on the road today. 50 minutes, end to end. This included warm up and cool down walks, as well as three stretch breaks. I took it gingerly, expecting to reprise some of the aches and pain from last week's Adirondack 1/2 Marathon. I finished today with a tweak in my left knee, otherwise I felt fair. The slow-n-steady approach gets credit, I am certain.

The ADK 1/2 ended up being a fine time. For a bunch of reasons -- some reasonable, some not, nearly all mental -- I ran little in preparation. I wanted to back out, but having made a commitment to Mrs. FA and some other folks, off we went.

Given the lack of training, I planned a walk/run strategy: run the first six miles, and then walk/run alternate miles. This way I could finish in 2:30 and not hurt myself.

I stuck more or less to the plan, and ran more or less at my intended pace. At mile 11, I stopped to wait for Mrs. FA so we could run the last two miles and finish together, which we did in 2:43.

There's a New York Road Runners 5 miler on Halloween, and I want to run between 9 and 9:30 minute miles. I am going to train for this alone, for myself. My recent lack of motivation re: the ADK 1/2 stemmed mainly from a promise I made to run it. There are already too many obligations in life. If I run, I have to run because I want to, obliged to no one.

It is a beatiful day in NYC, and the Park is full of runners and tourist and folks walking dogs. I ran the route that I ran over and over and over when I started running more than two years ago. I even wore the heart monitor strap, which gave me some interesting bio-feedback. I haven't used it in a long time. There's a stiff headwind along part of my route - the first crisp breeze of the Fall season. Looking forward to more of it.

Later. fellas.

Official Results

Finished 207th out of 431 runners.

First half split, 1:03:27

Finish, 2:15:04

10:21 pace

ADK 1/2 Marathon

So I'll say that the ADK 1/2 went mostly as I planned it. I am very pleased with the experience, and would do it again.

I had this plan for the race: Stay at a steady 10 minute pace for the first seven miles to keep some gas in the tank for the last six, which are mainly uphill, with some flats and downs, and then run the hills as I find them. Pre-select my lines, and stay in them. (I observed the course again by car last night, before picking up my bib. I selected lines along the course that looked flat, not tilted to one side.) Take shot blocks (margarita flavored, thanks for the good steer from VTR) for miles two, four , six, and eight. Grab water at every station.

The first 5 miles or so run along Schroon Lake, one to the prettiest big lakes in the ADKs, in my view. I hit the halfway point at 1:03:27, which was right on plan, and I was psyched.

It was a gorgeous day, cold at the start and crystal clear with a beautiful blue sky. I hit mile markers seven through 10 at 10 minute intervals. But something about how I was shortening my stride on the hills was causing some bad IT band pain on the right side. I took two hills walking with long strides, which made the bands feel better. I still hit mile 11 a little past around 1:53, which was not far off my plan.

The roof sort of caved in just past mile 11. I suddenly had bad pain in my groin on the left side, and my right IT bands were getting worse. I was having trouble lifting my legs. I fell into a run/stagger for the last mile, perking up a little with the Japanese drumming at mile 13, and again when I saw the girls about 40 yards before the finish line. I must have been grimacing; there was a lot of encouragement being shouted at me by strangers in those last 40 yards. I crossed the finish in 2:15:04, ground to a halt and almost fell over. Someone handed me a gatorade, steered me towards a chair and took the chip off my sneaker. I sat there for a good 10 minutes, a little dazed, before I limped off to find Mrs. FA.

Walking around the post-race festivities was difficult and painful. I got a banana and a brownie and four bottles of water and sat in the lake for about 20 minutes, and had a massage, which was nice but not as helpful as the Alleve I swallowed in the car.

The good surely outweighed the bad. It was something, really something. It was a very friendly race on a beautiful course. I saw people I know. I am proud of the Adirondacks and of myself. And now I am going to spend some time away from running.

Talk with you later, fellas.

Winding Down

Ran from my apartment to Columbus Circle last night, then took the subway home. The run was 26:26. It is warm in NYC, mildly humid. I really stank up the train. Que sera, sera.

10 Miler

Well, 9.4 miles anyway, according to MapMyRun. I started at Columbus Circle and headed onto the Park Drive with traffic, counter-clockwise. After about 3.5 miles I approached my apartment and took a pit stop for water, the bathroom, and to drop off my cap, into which I was sweating heavily as it prevented my body from ventilating. I got back out on the Park Drive after about 10 minutes and had a rough 4 miles, slowing to a crawl at some points just to keep moving. But the last two miles were inspired. I found a guy running just a short distance ahead and stayed with him from the Met back to the Great Hill, where I turned for home. It was a real grind of a workout -- start to finish, with pit stop and crawling, nearly two hours end-to-end. Nipples are raw. (Agricola, I picked up some BodyGlide for the race.) I'm feeling fairly well worn this morning but pretty confident about next Sunday.

Given the flat course for the first eight miles, I am aiming to maintain a steady 10 minute mile pace for that distance to keep some gas in the tank for the long climbs and sharp drops in the last 5 miles.

I am planning to run 35 to 45 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday this week, then sit tight for the race. More later.

Don't Run After Pizza

I had two slices of pizza tonight around 5:30. When I got out for my run at about 7:45, I started out hard and the agida quickly shut me down. I thought I was gonna die. SUCKING wind. So I slowed to a walk for a few blocks and started up again at a more moderate pace and headed out towards the resevoir and looped it. I was back at the apartment in about 31 minutes, which is not bad. When I hit the resevoir track I felt that I needed a pacer, so fell in behind a couple out having a social run, chatting away, and stayed with them until about 3/4ers 'round, then pulled ahead and that was that. Heading to the shower now. 10 mile run in the plan for Saturday.

8 Mile Run

I got out for eight miles today. Mrs. FA drove me 8 miles from the house and dropped me off. It was a very pretty run, on a plateau high above the lake, with wonderful views for most of the first five miles. I had to walk up the four brutal hills, but I completed the course in a shade longer than 80 minutes, so maintained, on average, my comfortable race pace. I was happy about that.

One downer, as I crossed in front of my neighbor's yard, a wasp hopped out of the grass and stung me, right through my sock. I used profanity. It was an inauspicious end to an otherwise encouraging run.

Less than two weeks to the big race. I'm feeling particularly fit. Since last Sunday, I've biked 26 miles, run 18 miles, rowed steadily for three hours, and mowed the lawn. Hoo-ah.

Peace, fellas.

Two New Runs, and Some Rowing

Had a GREAT run in Central Park on Wednesday and a so-so run on the Crown Point Peninsula on Friday evening. So-so, mainly I think b/c I'd had two cups of coffee and two beers and nothing else to drink all day, and felt the dehydration as I ran, in the sun to boot. I had some unexpected cross training this afternoon, rowing around Lake Eaton fishing with my cousin for about 3 hours. The upper body feels comfrotably fatigued. Planning to act like a slug tomorrow with a long run in the pipeline for Labor Day.

Plugging Away

Gents. So the ADK 1/2 is just over two weeks away. I've been plugging away at my weekday training runs, and started feeling some of the work pay off in the last week. The longer weekend runs have been uneven and therefore not encouraging. I am aiming to go for 10 this weekend (Labor Day) and am strongly considering an out and back on the last five miles of the race course. (VTR, that would mean I park where we started out on the bikes last weekend, run the last five miles of the course backwards, then turn around and run the last five miles again, just as I'll experience them during the race.) I feel very calm about the race, though I'm not confident of a steady, consistent performance. My goals are to 1) finish; 2) finish without hurting myself; 3) stay in motion the whole distance; 4) experience the ADKs in a new way. The last is not insignificant, I am looking forward to participating in an ADK event.

I had a beaut of a run in the Park on Monday evening. The weather was dynamite, clear temps in the 70s and breezy. LOTS of runners were out there, soaking it up.

And THANK YOU to VTR for driving through the Valley to join me for a reconnoiter of the ADK half marathon course. The full course would make this marathon a significant accomplishment for any runner, I think. There were hills after hills in the first 1/2, and I was sucking wind on the bike after the first few. The second half of the course (the 1/2 marathon portion) is flat for the first 8 miles, then mildly hilly. It runs right along the lake for about the first six miles, too. It is doable, I think, and VTRs positive attitude and learned recommendations were super encouraging.

Running tonight and Friday before the long weekend run. Will update again then.

Peace, fellas.

Losing Count

I haven't been counting runs, as is my habit. But I had a good Central Park Reservoir run this week, on a very hot and humid Tuesday evening. Didn't think I could sweat so much. I broke down and did the unthinkable, removing my shirt and running in the park, topless. I pity my fellow runners who had to watch, but I was considerably more comfortable.

I brought my sneakers ro Lexington, KY for a Wednesday/Thursday business trip, aiming to run Thursday morning. Alas, I drank too much bourbon Wednesday night and slept in Thursday. I only roused myself to shower and dress in time for a breakfast meeting. It was super humid there, too.

Aiming for a 7 miler today in the Champlain Valley. Will post.

Peace, fellas.

Humidity is a Bee-atch

So here's what I've been doing:

Mrs. FA and I got down to Bermuda last Sunday for a few days alone. We got out for a run on Tuesday morning. The humidity was impressive, so we didn't go far. Spend the rest of the day kayaking and snorkeling and so redeemed the short run. We spend three very active days down there eating fish and drinking dark rum, so it was a worthwhile getaway and overall healthy interlude, but for the rum.

Friday, I ran the hilly uptown loop of the Park on another humid day in NYC.

Today in the steaming Champlain Valley I set out from church and planned to run to the lake, a distance of about 6 miles. I stopped around mile 4.5 with painful blisters in my heels. I was wearing very low cut socks, and the tops of my shoes wore down the skin on my lower achilles. I stopped, took off the shoes, walked the mile to the house, found a better pair of socks, and finished the run. When I arrived, I probably spent 45 minutes sitting still in the lake, cooling down. It is about 89 degrees up here, and humid.

Happy to hear of Agricola's solid time at Falmouth.

Peace, fellas.

Runs 3, and 3 1/2

I got out on Monday night and ran pretty hard for 30 minutes. I ran the top loop of the park, backwards, 2x. So that's down 110th Street to the Pool, up the road behind the Pool, across the 102nd Street transverse, uptown against traffic, down the Great Hill, and then again. I wanted to run hills, so I ran hills.

I got out tonight with a similar route in mind and was having a good, relaxed run when a heavy storm rolled right over me. The rain didn't bother me much but I became afraid of getting fried by lightning, which was quite close. So I let the weather chase me indoors, and I live to run again. Good while it lasted, I ran for around 21 minutes.

Peace, fellas.

Run No 3, Riverside

I headed out this morning with a goal to stay in enthusiastic motion for one hour. I ran up from the apartment to Riverside Park and down along the Hudson until 52nd Street, where I started to poop out. So I headed up to 8th Ave and grabbed a gatorade and the subway home. Total time in motion, 45 minutes .

It's hot and sunny today and there are lots of people out running and cycling, laying in the sun, walking dogs. I saw some of the set-up in Riverside Park for tomorrow's NYC Triathalon, the swim is in the Hudson R. Last year it was plagued with jellyfish, so I'm wondering what this year's story will be. The tide must have been up this morning. I hit the river around 100th Street and could smell salt water.

The ADK 1/2 Marathon is within two months from now, on September 20, and while this was only my third training run (training only began in earnest last Tuesday), I'm not anxious about it, and a little excited.

Peace, fellas.

Half Marathon Training - The Beginning

Gents, so I registered for the Adirondack 1/2 Marathon, then told the world about it via Facebook and Twitter, a sort of crossing-the-Rubicon thing. So the running starts again.

Run 1: Friday, July 3, three miles, from my in-laws home to the entrance to their subdivision and back again. Some walking. First run in more than 6 weeks. Not easy. Didn't measure the time.

Run 2: Saturday, July 4, Mrs. FA and I power-walked the same route. This was more about spending time together, alone, out of the house. Mrs. FA introduced me to "plank position," side and front, to strengthen my core. In this position, you make your body stiff as a plank, touching ground with your toes and elbows. She's been doing this with great results for about 8 months. I did it the one time on Friday, post-run, and can still feel it this morning. Aiming to make it part of my routine.

The 1/2 is on September 20, so I have a decent amount of time and I'm looking forward to a summer of running and other activities in preparation. Will post progress here.

Peace, fellas.

Big Plans

I have not run since the almost-back-to-back races last week, but am better for the time off and looking forward to getting back on the road. I'll be in SF next week and will hit my usual route along the Bay. I am thinking VERY carefully about making a run at the Adirondack 1/2 Marathon in September. So the strategy would be, start training after Scout Camp in late June, run a shorter race around mid-way, in August, and then focus hard on the 1/2. Maybe. I'll certainly run either the 5k or 10k option, so if anyone wants to make a weekend in the ADKs, let us know. The race is not far from our place.

Leaf Peeper Half Marathon

It's really nice when a race coincides with a marathon training schedule, and the Leaf Peeper fit in perfectly for me. I had a 13 mile run on the schedule, and what better way to get it done than surrounded by cheering crowds, other runners, and water stations.

My plan was to use this race to test the whole concept of pacing myself early so I don't crash and burn at the end of my marathon. My pace was going to be 8 minute/miles, and my goal was a 1:45 time. I wanted to see what a consistent 8:00 pace felt like.

I ended up running with a couple of women from town who had a similar goal. We went out at about a 7:45 pace and held that for about 8 miles. It was faster than we wanted, but we all felt good and not stressed, so we kept it up. After mile 8, though, I was feeling antsy. I had seen a couple of friends ahead of me at the turnaround (this was an out and back course), and I wanted to push it and try to reel them in. When I checked my watch at the end of the 8th mile and saw an 8:11 pace, I knew it was time to take off, which I did with my fellow pace-setters' blessings. I ran at a consistent 7:30-ish pace for the final 5 miles and felt strong, knowing that this was the type of push I was "saving" myself for during the first half. In the end, I came in at 1:41:27, which was huge. I confirmed the strategy I want to use during the marathon, I beat my target, and I felt like I could do even better next time around.

In terms of the distance, I really enjoyed the half marathon. It's satisfying, but not as grueling (training or race-wise) as a marathon. It's fast, but not ungodly fast like a 5 or 10K. I'd highly recommend this distance for anyone looking for a new experience out on the roads.

Later boys.