I finally feel like I'm turning a corner as a result of spending the last 6 weeks experimenting with a modified program, footwear, diet/nutrition, and core training. I've built a good base putting out some promising baselines to improve on and I'm eager to advance to the next phase. And what exactly is involved in the next phase? Well, other than the 6 weeks worth of workouts that I've pre-planned, anything is fair game. For the most part, training's been half science and half art so I have every intention of going with the flow instead of what's on paper. Here's some things I learned over the past 6 weeks that have put me on stable ground.
On a modified program. While it's important to establish baselines and set prescribed paces as target goals for each workout, I also realize the importance of training and racing by feel. One day I could be strapped to a heart rate monitor, a foot pod to monitor my cadence, and the GPS on my watch to track my pace. And on another day, I just lace up and go without being a slave to numbers or technology. That's what I meant by half science and half art. On a typical week, I'll do 3 key run workouts with very specific goals and 2 days of cross-training which are mainly done at easy/conversational pace with no goals in mind, to recover physically and mentally from hard workouts.
Having a workout template instead of a schedule has really allowed me the flexibility to switch things up on a moment's notice while still keeping the key workouts in tact. Take last week for example. Instead of doing my planned strength training session (which I haven't been doing for the last 2 weeks), I skipped out and ran up Tantalus with a couple of training partners. Not only was it my first time up on foot, it was the first time in nearly 10 years that I've added a 4th day of running to my schedule. And you know what? It was one of the best run workouts I've ever done. Running 5 miles at a constant incline was the perfect substitute for lower-body strengthening. Oh and finishing our run well into the darkness put my senses on full tilt and added a whole 'nother dimension to the mind-body connection. Needless to say, this workout has quickly become one of my favorites and will be added to my weekly routine.
On footwear. After much success with my New Balance Minimus trail shoe these past few months, I was determined to keep training/racing with them throughout marathon training. But, after a few black toes and giant blisters after my long runs, I just had to let 'em go. Fortunately I found the Inov-8 Road X-Lite 155 to be the perfect replacement and have trained/raced sans black toes and giant blisters since then.
On diet/nutrition. When I came home from my 2 week vacation in the Philippines, I weighed in at 147 lbs. That's a good 12 pounds over my 135 lb. race weight! Needless to say, I panicked and went straight to Costco and grabbed a bunch of salad trays and 5-pound bags of frozen fruits and vegetables. The extra weight dropped off quickly alright, but so did my energy levels. Classic case of too much, too fast.
I have a pretty ambitious goal of dropping down to 130 lbs. and getting into the single-digit body fat % territory so I really have my work cut out for me. Don't let my size fool, I love to eat, so this by far will be the most challenging part of marathon training. The plan is to eat healthy most of the time, substituting rice/pasta with fruits/vegetables (unless I'm carbo loading), and controlling portions according to my caloric expenditure needs. Yesterday I weighed in at 137 lbs. with 13% body fat, so with 9 weeks to go I'm confident I'll be able to hit my target weight and body fat % at a healthy rate (1-2lbs. loss per week).
On core training. I've been following track star Lolo Jones' fast abs workout and I really feel like it's made a huge difference in my core strength and endurance. And not just when it comes to running, I even feel like my posture, and yes, even my walk has improved because of a stronger core. I've pretty much done away with any kind of resistance training with the exception of pumping out a few push-ups post swim to balance out the pulling movement. And the only lower-body strength training I get is my weekly run up Tantalus. Didn't really plan it this way but with the results I've been getting going without a full-body resistance training sesh once a week, I may just stick to this twice-a-week routine instead.
Anyway, week 6 was capped off by this past Sunday's ING Direct 25k run out in Kailua and I'm pretty pleased with my results. Here's a little recap of what went down...
This 15.5 mile run was race #3 of the marathon readiness series and was held in familiar territory. The run took us from Kailua Beach Park, through Lanikai, out to the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, then back to where we started. Even with a 5:30am start, I knew this course would heat up real fast being that we were on the east coast of the island and had front row seats of the sunrise. So other than trying to hold a 7:00/mi. pace, my other concern was keeping my core temp down. Out of the gate, the front pack lead the charge at an insanely fast 6:30/mi pace and fortunately, I didn't bite. I've been down that road one too many times to know better so I hung back and warmed up to my own pace. After I got my rhythm in check, I leapfrogged
from one pack to the next as I made my way to the most difficult part of the course– the giant hill inside the Marine Corps Base. This is where running up Tantalus earlier in the week paid off. Just having the mental and physical knowledge that I climbed a longer and more difficult hill just days before gave me the edge to forge ahead and catch up to another pack in front of me.
But just as I was ready to celebrate at the top of the hill, my excitement quickly came to a screeching halt. This is where looking at the course map would've helped. The hill wasn't quite over just yet. It continued on for another quarter mile, downhill at first, but guess what? We get to turn right back around and go uphill on that same road. Not that it was an extremely difficult section, but just the mental ambush itself, the element of surprise, dampened some of my spirit. But with 5 miles to go, there was no time to sulk. With the help of gravity, I spun my legs down the long descend and pulled a few seconds ahead of the pack behind me. As I made the turn and hit the flat section, I had a little extra spring in my step so I tried to surge, just as an older runner runs right by me and takes the lead. Convincingly too. By the time I caught up to him, we were coming out of the base and were less than 5k 'til we hit home. I surged for a good mile to reclaim the lead before slowing down to take in nutrition at the final aid station. I knew this stop would make me lose my lead but my body was begging for a gel so that pretty much took priority. Sure enough, the older runner takes the lead again and I quickly latch on to keep up. It was a head-to-head battle for about a half mile before a third runner joins our pack. It was fellow Ironheart Racing teammate Shawn who'd been swapping leads with me earlier in the race.
At this point we were pushing each other to hold a 6:40ish pace, even though effort-wise it felt like a 6:00/mi. pace. There were a couple of lead swaps but for the most part, we tried to stay at a consistent pace before running on pure adrenaline after hitting mile marker 15. With just half a mile to go, I was desperately looking for my one and final "gear" a.k.a. finishing kick but I think I left it out on the course somewhere. It just wasn't there. As we rounded the corner on the final turn, I remained in the middle of our pack with the older runner just a few seconds ahead and Shawn clipping at my heels. Yup, you guessed it, we both got schooled by the older runner! Just another humbling reminder that old guys rule.
Here's the final arithmetic–
Official time: 1:45:37 (PR, by default)
Average pace: 6:48/mi.
2nd AG/14th OA
So as you can see, despite the fact that I was fed a spoonful of humble pie by an older competitor, I was a happy camper. Not only did I keep my core temp in check and came well under my 7:00/mi. goal, I got to take a place on the podium and take home some hardware. The thing that I'm most stoked about though, is managing my pace and energy reserves well. I think the reason I had no strong finishing kick is because I left it all out there meaning that when I crossed the finish line, I had nothing left in the tank, which personally, is one of the most satisfying feelings.
On a modified program. While it's important to establish baselines and set prescribed paces as target goals for each workout, I also realize the importance of training and racing by feel. One day I could be strapped to a heart rate monitor, a foot pod to monitor my cadence, and the GPS on my watch to track my pace. And on another day, I just lace up and go without being a slave to numbers or technology. That's what I meant by half science and half art. On a typical week, I'll do 3 key run workouts with very specific goals and 2 days of cross-training which are mainly done at easy/conversational pace with no goals in mind, to recover physically and mentally from hard workouts.
Having a workout template instead of a schedule has really allowed me the flexibility to switch things up on a moment's notice while still keeping the key workouts in tact. Take last week for example. Instead of doing my planned strength training session (which I haven't been doing for the last 2 weeks), I skipped out and ran up Tantalus with a couple of training partners. Not only was it my first time up on foot, it was the first time in nearly 10 years that I've added a 4th day of running to my schedule. And you know what? It was one of the best run workouts I've ever done. Running 5 miles at a constant incline was the perfect substitute for lower-body strengthening. Oh and finishing our run well into the darkness put my senses on full tilt and added a whole 'nother dimension to the mind-body connection. Needless to say, this workout has quickly become one of my favorites and will be added to my weekly routine.
On footwear. After much success with my New Balance Minimus trail shoe these past few months, I was determined to keep training/racing with them throughout marathon training. But, after a few black toes and giant blisters after my long runs, I just had to let 'em go. Fortunately I found the Inov-8 Road X-Lite 155 to be the perfect replacement and have trained/raced sans black toes and giant blisters since then.
On diet/nutrition. When I came home from my 2 week vacation in the Philippines, I weighed in at 147 lbs. That's a good 12 pounds over my 135 lb. race weight! Needless to say, I panicked and went straight to Costco and grabbed a bunch of salad trays and 5-pound bags of frozen fruits and vegetables. The extra weight dropped off quickly alright, but so did my energy levels. Classic case of too much, too fast.
I have a pretty ambitious goal of dropping down to 130 lbs. and getting into the single-digit body fat % territory so I really have my work cut out for me. Don't let my size fool, I love to eat, so this by far will be the most challenging part of marathon training. The plan is to eat healthy most of the time, substituting rice/pasta with fruits/vegetables (unless I'm carbo loading), and controlling portions according to my caloric expenditure needs. Yesterday I weighed in at 137 lbs. with 13% body fat, so with 9 weeks to go I'm confident I'll be able to hit my target weight and body fat % at a healthy rate (1-2lbs. loss per week).
On core training. I've been following track star Lolo Jones' fast abs workout and I really feel like it's made a huge difference in my core strength and endurance. And not just when it comes to running, I even feel like my posture, and yes, even my walk has improved because of a stronger core. I've pretty much done away with any kind of resistance training with the exception of pumping out a few push-ups post swim to balance out the pulling movement. And the only lower-body strength training I get is my weekly run up Tantalus. Didn't really plan it this way but with the results I've been getting going without a full-body resistance training sesh once a week, I may just stick to this twice-a-week routine instead.
Anyway, week 6 was capped off by this past Sunday's ING Direct 25k run out in Kailua and I'm pretty pleased with my results. Here's a little recap of what went down...
This 15.5 mile run was race #3 of the marathon readiness series and was held in familiar territory. The run took us from Kailua Beach Park, through Lanikai, out to the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, then back to where we started. Even with a 5:30am start, I knew this course would heat up real fast being that we were on the east coast of the island and had front row seats of the sunrise. So other than trying to hold a 7:00/mi. pace, my other concern was keeping my core temp down. Out of the gate, the front pack lead the charge at an insanely fast 6:30/mi pace and fortunately, I didn't bite. I've been down that road one too many times to know better so I hung back and warmed up to my own pace. After I got my rhythm in check, I leapfrogged
from one pack to the next as I made my way to the most difficult part of the course– the giant hill inside the Marine Corps Base. This is where running up Tantalus earlier in the week paid off. Just having the mental and physical knowledge that I climbed a longer and more difficult hill just days before gave me the edge to forge ahead and catch up to another pack in front of me.
But just as I was ready to celebrate at the top of the hill, my excitement quickly came to a screeching halt. This is where looking at the course map would've helped. The hill wasn't quite over just yet. It continued on for another quarter mile, downhill at first, but guess what? We get to turn right back around and go uphill on that same road. Not that it was an extremely difficult section, but just the mental ambush itself, the element of surprise, dampened some of my spirit. But with 5 miles to go, there was no time to sulk. With the help of gravity, I spun my legs down the long descend and pulled a few seconds ahead of the pack behind me. As I made the turn and hit the flat section, I had a little extra spring in my step so I tried to surge, just as an older runner runs right by me and takes the lead. Convincingly too. By the time I caught up to him, we were coming out of the base and were less than 5k 'til we hit home. I surged for a good mile to reclaim the lead before slowing down to take in nutrition at the final aid station. I knew this stop would make me lose my lead but my body was begging for a gel so that pretty much took priority. Sure enough, the older runner takes the lead again and I quickly latch on to keep up. It was a head-to-head battle for about a half mile before a third runner joins our pack. It was fellow Ironheart Racing teammate Shawn who'd been swapping leads with me earlier in the race.
At this point we were pushing each other to hold a 6:40ish pace, even though effort-wise it felt like a 6:00/mi. pace. There were a couple of lead swaps but for the most part, we tried to stay at a consistent pace before running on pure adrenaline after hitting mile marker 15. With just half a mile to go, I was desperately looking for my one and final "gear" a.k.a. finishing kick but I think I left it out on the course somewhere. It just wasn't there. As we rounded the corner on the final turn, I remained in the middle of our pack with the older runner just a few seconds ahead and Shawn clipping at my heels. Yup, you guessed it, we both got schooled by the older runner! Just another humbling reminder that old guys rule.
Here's the final arithmetic–
Official time: 1:45:37 (PR, by default)
Average pace: 6:48/mi.
2nd AG/14th OA
So as you can see, despite the fact that I was fed a spoonful of humble pie by an older competitor, I was a happy camper. Not only did I keep my core temp in check and came well under my 7:00/mi. goal, I got to take a place on the podium and take home some hardware. The thing that I'm most stoked about though, is managing my pace and energy reserves well. I think the reason I had no strong finishing kick is because I left it all out there meaning that when I crossed the finish line, I had nothing left in the tank, which personally, is one of the most satisfying feelings.
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