Archive for October, 2008

Since this week is so stark as far as running, I don’t have a lot to chat about, so I’ll take this time to mention the cool emails we Steamtowners have been getting from the Race Director.  He’s quite a funny guy, so it’s a pleasure whenever one of these hits my inbox.

I might have mentioned this in a comment but not on a regular post that we’ve been warned (and this is actually not a joke) not to pee on Forest City High School.  Last year a couple ladies were found doing this, despite the huge number of porta-potties around the start line.  I was pretty impressed that they could pee on a school (I don’t think they were on the roof) though I shouldn’t be surprised since my standing-up experiment does allow for horizontal aiming.  Btw, I neglected to mention that the second time I tried this method (while on our road trip out west) I wasn’t half as successful, so I won’t be using it again in future.

Another interesting thing is we’ve been alerted that Bill and Hillary Clinton will be in Scranton on race day for a baptism.  My thoughts never even came close to, “Oh cool, the Clintons” which I would have under ordinary circumstances.  Instead my only thoughts were, “They better keep their damn motorcade away from our race!!”  Visions of Secret Service Men tackling the crazy-eyed runner who just rolled over the hood of their car on an unstoppable mission…

As far as taper goes, I’m actually doing great with the running less aspect of it.  I never wanted a break during the cycle, but I’ve got no problem being slothlike this week and don’t feel antsy to get out there like so many people do.  Of course, it’s only Monday, so that might change.

Ah, let’s talk about what’s going on for everybody else!!  This last weekend marked the beginning of the multi race reports rolling in on the Marathon Training Forum – marathon season is now in full swing.   A couple ladies I’ve been virtually training with these past months in the Women’s BQ thread raced St. George on Saturday.  The weather was horrible with rain and headwinds the whole time.

Their reports brought tears to my eyes because these gals pushed to the very end, they were not about to back off, even though it became harder and harder as it went, one even ending up in the med tent after crossing the finish.  Their BQs proved elusive, but only for the environmental conditions.  Both came within minutes of their goal and there is no question that, had it been a normal weather day, both would have succeeded.  HikerGirl and Wendy, you have my complete, unabashed respect for the effort you put into your races.  I only hope I complete mine with as much strength and mental fortitude that you gals put forth.

Beyond my gals, there are a handful of other reports to read and rejoice or commiserate with from all sorts of runners, zoomy to mid-pack and beyond.  But the one constant is that there’s no telling what’ll happen on raceday.  No matter what kind of speed you own, you can do what you can to prepare yourself, but ultimately, there are good or bad days, it’s simply not up to us.  I find this hugely comforting (when it doesn’t terrify me…control freak that I am), since it’s a universal truth and somehow that takes the onus off.

Happy running to you, friends, and have a great week.  I’ll try to come up with something worth posting in the next couple days, but without a long run or an interval session, I’m a bit of a yawn.  Perhaps there’ll be some morsels of major freaking out (that’s always good for a post) but I’m hoping for some peace of mind these next few days.  Yeah, right.

Yesterday it came to my attention that my backup marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon, is filling up pretty quickly and I will have to decide before Steamtown if I should sign up or not.  I have no interest in doing the race this year, 6 weeks after my marathon debut, but it’s my Plan B in case Steamtown is a bust.  Here’s the question though…what exactly constitutes a bust?

Before my DNF of the Distance Run, I would have said it was not hitting my preferred goal time of 3:45, but I’ve since gained some perspective on it, so a 4:00 would be fine and fab for my first, if that’s what I end up with.  Over 4:00 however, I’d want to redeem myself in Philly.

I just wish Philly didn’t cost $125 because given a choice, I really don’t want to run a marathon 6 weeks after my first unless I have to.  I could go for the Half (only $100!) but I believe you can only upgrade to the Full as long as there’s room left.  I did the Half last year and I’m not dying to do it again and besides, I signed up for a sweet Half in the Spring, the Lehigh Valley Half, so I can wait till then for a new Half PR.

Decisions, decisions…

Now I’d like to address something I’ve brought up before and we’ve actually discussed, thanks to you, my fine blog commenting friends.  Yesterday I was advised by a forum friend that I should be conservative and instead of going for 3:45, should shoot for sub-4:00, simply because it’s my first marathon.

If you’ve read this blog for a while, you would know that this rankles me to the bone.  Why do people who have a difficult first marathon (or second or third or fourth) assume you will too?  As if we were all cut from the same cloth.  We’re not.

Lower expectations do not motivate me – that’s not what I consider fun.  I can appreciate that some folks enjoy entering races as training runs or like to race conservatively or to test the waters on a distance before going all out their second time, but that’s not me.  I race to race.  That’s how I get my jollies.

Nevertheless, as strong a person as I am in many ways, hearing these doubts about my first marathon leads me to doubt myself all over again.  Suddenly I’m poring over my logs, wondering if I was fooling myself the whole cycle (maybe I didn’t do the work I thought I had, maybe my mileage wasn’t up to snuff, did I miss some runs I don’t remember missing??) but no, it’s all there.  I’ve no reason to feel down about it, I just need to clear my head of all the lingering negative fuzz.

Back on March 18th, I wrote in a blog post, “…we got our tickets then went next door to the huge Asian market that recently opened where, at Lara’s advice, I bought some White Rabbits, yummy Asian candy that I can only hope are not laced with battery acid or antifreeze or whatever the Chinese are exporting in food these days.”

So how lovely to read on CNN Health yesterday, in an article about melamine tainted milk from China, the very last paragraph, “The FDA also recommends that U.S. consumers not eat White Rabbit Creamy Candy, which in China has been found to contain unacceptable levels of melamine. The candy’s maker, Guanshengyuan, has recalled its exports of White Rabbit Cream Candy.”

You know, this would be simply hilarious if it wasn’t for a small niggle in my blood test results from last week.  Seems my kidney function is a tad off and I have to go back for another test in a couple weeks.  I’m sure it’s not connected, probably just something left from the dehydration incident, but I did eat two or 3 bags of those White Rabbits since March, and melamine affects the kidneys, so it’s freaky-deaky, if nothing else.

Back to running…

Today was a  scheduled 8miles w/3×1600 @ 5K race pace w 2min. rest intervals.  Since I wanted to use the park markings instead of my Garmin, I went for 3xmile, my favorite (cough, cough) interval distance.  Honestly, I’m pretty good with shorter intervals, I can find the fun in it, but miles?  No fun to be had there, just looking for the end from about 1/4 mile in.  I can’t help it, I hate ‘em.

As you remember, I’ve been basing my intervals off a 3:40 marathon goal’s corresponding McMillan calculated 5K, so 7:15s.  Even though I’ve downgraded to a 3:45 marathon goal since my hell race, I figure I should keep the same workout goals since I’ve been doing them all along and hitting my paces well.

So was it any surprise that I berated myself when the first interval came out to 7:23?  Thank god the next one was right on target, 7:15, but oh my…the last one?  Horrible, terrible, must quit running forever with a shameful embarrassment of an interval, 7:29.  Average for the interval set: 7:22.

I wasn’t surprised the intervals were all over the place, this was the first time I used the 1/4 mile park markers instead of relying on Garmin feedback, and I’m sure I’ll get better the more I do it, but this was not the collection of 7:15s I was seeking.

The whole way home my confidence was shot, I was thinking how I’ve been deluding myself this whole time, I suck, blah blah, loser, blah, I’ll be lucky to crack 4:00, etc.  Then I realized two things:

1. A mile is longer than 1600m, so my 7:23, 7:25, 7:29 miles actually come out to 7:20, 7:12, 7:26 1600s, which averages 7:19.  Better!  Still…not quite what Pete Pfitzinger told me to do. But wait, what does our friend McMillan say?

2.  McMillan says that 1600s for a 3:40 marathon should be between 7:13 and 7:29.  Hey! Mine were 7:20, 7:12 and 7:26.  I CAN LIVE!!  No shameful runner death for me today.  I’m right where I need to be.  McMillan’s the man!

So life is back to normal after my death trudge home (could I be any more dramatic over a few lousy seconds?).  Now it’s time to ponder the fact that I ate candy containing the same substance as the cheap table top I’m typing on.  Neat.