wednesday weigh in / Last 20 Miles

     There really isn't much for me to say about the week other than I did really well with what and how much I ate.  So I am just going to skip right to the weigh in for the week.   

9/24/14 official weigh in

180 lbs

Change: -1 lbs

Total loss from heaviest: 137 lbs

Current BMI: 28.2 (overweight)

Change: -.1

     Today was a little bittersweet for me as I had my last 20 mile long run for my marathon training.  The weather was the absolute best I could ever ask for.  Clear blue skies, mid 50's for temps and little to no wind all morning so I think God was treating me for all my hard work I have put into my training.  

     Last night when I put together my route for today, I really wanted to challenge myself a little and get as much out of this run as I could.  I designed my route to give me as many hills and elevation changes as I could make.  I ended up hitting 4 highway overpasses and a few roads with some rolling hills.  The other thing I planned out was my nutrition and hydration plan.  The final map for the marathon came out yesterday and has the location of all the hydration stations listed on it.  I have been eating a Clif Shot Block and drinking water at 2 mile intervals.  The hydration stations are not at even intervals so I need some advice.  I spoke with my buddy Thomas who has a couple marathons under his belt and with his advice I decided to keep my nutrition plan the same, but I changed my hydration to match where the fluid stations will be during the race.  I also got a new piece of equipment that I now plan to use for the race.  I was hearing good things about the Flip Belt and it definitely lived up to it.  It is basically a infinity belt that you step into and slide on like a pair of pants.  It is made of a stretchy material that is sewn into a hollow tube with slits for you to slide all sorts of things into it.  Once you fill the belt with whatever you need to carry, you just flip the belt so the slits are now on the inside which keeps everything from falling out.  I had my phone, two packs of Clif Shot Blocks, two granola bars and a pack of gum.  Everything stayed right where I put it, I hardly noticed it the entire run and it was very easy to access what I needed once I got use to it.  Below is a picture I grabbed from their website to give you an idea of how it fits.  If you wanna check it out click here  Flipbelt.com 

     As far as the run goes, well just like the other two, it was long.  I think the first mile was a little suspect as far as what my pace shows, but I am sure it's right I was feeling pretty good at the begining.  As the run progressed I was feeling really good, and obviously my pace shows it.  I wanted to stay around 9:45-9:55 per mile, but as you can see from my pace chart I was actully sticking to the low 9:40s to high 9:30s.

     I ran into an issue at mile 12 with my right foot.  I was starting to climb one of the overpasses and I started getting pain in the ball of my foot.  It wasn't to bad but I had to slow down a little bit and eventually the pain went away until I hit the top of the next overpass on mile 14.  The pain was probably a 4 or 5 out of 10 and was right on the ball of my foot behind my big toe again.  I almost slowed to a walk, but I changed the way my foot was landing and kind of scrunched up my toes to take the pressure off the ball of the foot and that seemed to help.  Once I got back on level ground and got another couple miles, the pain seemed to be gone.  As I continued on for the last few miles, my pace slowly increased and I gave myself the my signature little push for the last mile. 

      As I write this my foot is still aching and slightly hurts when I walk around normal, which comes at a bad time because I have an event at work tomorrow and will mostly be on my feet working a 12 hour shift.  I plan on wearing my super cushy shoes to try and give my foot the best chance mend itself.  If I had to compare it to something I would say it feels like I pulled a muscle or something.

 

Marathon Training Week 8 Recap

     

      This was a very busy week for me, and the fact that I was able to get in 30 of the 37 miles I was planning to run this week isn't to shabby.  Traveling to Nashville for work was fun, and seeing all the new product really got me pumped for another year.  

     We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland hotel and convention center where the show was being held.  The Gaylord is a gigantic facility and you have to do a lot of walking to get where you need to go.  I am not exaggerating when I say it is at least a solid mile from one end to the other.  I was lucky enough to get a room very close to the convention center and right where I wanted to be to get out for my morning runs.  I was quite proud of myself that I stuck to my guns and got both of my runs in, when I could of said I am to tired from all this walking.  To be honest though I never really got tired, not like I did when I was here for the show in 2007.  I was a lot heavier then and if I had to guess I was right around the 300 pound mark. 

     Monday night the show began with everyone gathering to hear what is coming for 2015, followed up with a welcome reception.  The next day was filled with a 6 mile run, ten hours of seminars and product reviews followed up with the my group heading to a local steak house for dinner. 

     The Next morning I was up again for my 12 mile long run, followed by another 10 hour day at the convention.   One of the highlights from today was getting to meet Willie G Davidson, the Godfather of the Modern Harley-Davidson.  His visions helped shape the company and the styling of the modern motorcycle movement.

     We then decided to head to downtown Nashville to check all the cool night life.  Nashville has some really cool bars and music clubs that always have some really good talent.  We had a horrible dinner experience at what was suppose to be a local favorite.  Bad service, cold food and the inability to cook blackened salmon in a timely manner was not what were looking for.  After our lack luster meal we headed to a local favorite, Wild Horse Saloon, for a few drinks.  After some time there we headed to Coyote Ugly to see what was going on.  It was busier that I thought it would be for a Wednesday night, I think a lot of that had to do with all the people in town for the convention, because I recognized a lot of them.  We called it a night around eleven because we all had an early day tomorrow.   I was done with all of my stuff at the show so I was planning on heading back in the morning.

     All in all it was a great trip and a great ride on the bike.  I wanted to share with you all a couple pictures.  The one from Coyote Ugly was when I was there in 2007.  The other was this year outside of the Wild Horse Saloon.  I look at photos like these and smile when I think about who I have become, but I also think why the hell did I think that was ok for so long.  It really doesn't matter, keep looking forward at where I'm going and not where I've been.

 

 

Sunday:

     I really had a lot to do today to get ready for my trip and to make matters worse I really wasn't into this run at all.  I had 8 miles on the schedule, but while I was out I just couldn't get into a groove and nothing seemed to be going right.  I had been having some chaffing issues and I forgot to use my Body Glide which made things worse and my pace was atrocious.  I wanted to be in the low 9:30s, that didn't happen, and my mile splits were all over the place.  I got to mile three and couldn't take it any more so I turned around destined to only do 6 this day.  After my run, I also had to mow the lawn, wash the bike, wash the dishes and pack the bike for my 8 hour ride down to Nashville.  At the end of the day, missing those last two miles actually helped me with time to finish everything else I needed to get done.  

Monday:

     Today was my rest day from running, but I was traveling to Nashville for the Harley-Davidson dealer show.  I road my bike down which was fine but to stay in a mostly fixed position for almost 8 hours I can't say it was really a good rest day for my body.  However I did have perfect weather for the ride and was nice to put some miles on the bike.  

Tuesday:

     I was up at 5am to get my 6 miles in and holy shit it was super humid even that early with the sun not even up yet.  I had pre planned my route using google maps, but once I got out and started running everything quickly changed.  One of the roads was really an entrance to the Opryland and was closed off.  I decided to take the long way round a local mall and headed toward the road that leads to the running path.  Turns out that road was really a private drive with a large iron gate.  I stopped and looked at the map on my phone, with this new information I quickly realized that there was no direct route to get to the bike path and so running in circles it is.  After retracing my steps a few times I ended up getting in my 6 miles and realized I would have to rethink my run for Wednesday.
   
      After my run I got ready and headed down to breakfast around 8am.  From that point on I was on my feet walking the show floor or from one seminar to another till after 6pm.  So far the show has been great and the food has been plentiful, but I am feeling pretty good about how I have handled my eating.

Wednesday:

     Last night we went out for dinner following a long day at the convention and I was able to get back to my room around 9:30ish to relax.  I attempted to map out my long run which turned out to be another flop.  I had to get a little creative on the fly and retrace my steps to get in all 12 miles.  It was just slightly cooler this morning but man that humidity was brutal.  I headed out around the hotel campus first before heading to run around the mall parking lot.  I then took the long way around to the main road which headed down hill to a nice loop around the local campgrounds.  I was 3/4s of the way around the large loop when I started to realize I wasn't even close to 12 miles.  I ran up and down a couple of side streets and then headed back towards the mall.  I pretty much followed the same route back which when I reached the starting point I had about a half mile left to get in.  I cruised past my hotel entrance and then doubled back till my gps watch struck 12 miles.

     When I got back to the room every article of clothing I was wearing was just soaked with sweat.  I hoped in the shower, got dressed and headed down for breakfast.  I was so dehydrated from the run I drank almost an entire pitcher of water by myself.  I had another full day of walking the show floor and attending seminars.  Despite all that my legs didn't feel all that bad.

Thursday:
     My rest day would have been a little more relaxing if I didn't have 500 plus miles to ride my motorcycle home.  The weather was very cooperative for my entire ride.  I strolled into town around 3:15 and proceeded to unpack my stuff.  I ended up crashing on the couch waiting for Mandy to come home from work.  I was out like a light almost immediately. 

Friday:

     Today was my scheduled tempo pace run and I would love to say yes I got it in,  but that wasn't the case.  I made the conscience decision to pass on the run and take a true rest day following that long ride yesterday.

Saturday:

     It was nice to finally run where the humidity wasn't so high, it made the low 70s feel a lot cooler.  6 miles at easy pace was my scheduled run and I found it a little tough to actually keep from going faster.  The extra day of rest really helped my body recover from all the time I spent on my feet.  The run was pretty routine and uneventful except when I was close to my turnaround on my out and back route.  I saw a pair of eyes glowing on each side of the road and as I got closer I realized they belonged to a couple of raccoons that decided to come out and say hi.  They waited till I was right next to them before they turned tail and ran back into the corn fields.  I kept my pace steady and right where I wanted it till mile 6 when I turned up the heat a little bit for a strong finish.  When I got back I did my stretches and 2 sets of 15 push ups. 

Week 9 begins now

* For quick access to my entire Marathon training journal click the "Marathon Journal" tab just below the Running In The Fat Lane header

Marathon Training - Week 1 Recap

    

     I sit here looking back on my first week of marathon training feeling satisfied with how it went but also knowing I got a long way to go.  Basically what lies below is a quick little synopsis of how each day went and how I felt.    

Sunday:

     Day one is in the books and it felt pretty darn good.  I had 4 miles with 2 at race pace so I hit miles one and four at a easy pace and picked it up on the middle two.  I kind of like that set up; it gives me a chance to stretch my legs and get into a rhythm.  My average for the day was a 9:24 pace and I was able keep my pace pretty steady for each mile.  All in all it made for a perfect start to the week.

 

Monday:

     Yep a day off already, but this is how my plan is set up so I will take it when I can get it.

Tuesday:

     Today was an easy pace run and I felt like I struggled to keep my pace steady throughout the run, but when I got back and saw how my miles landed I guess I didn't do to bad.  I wanted to stay at the fast side of my pace allowance, which was 9:45, and other than getting a little fast on mile two I did just that.  I love these early morning runs just as the sun comes up.  It is still a little to dark for my when I head out so I use a head lamp and a red flashing butt lamp for safety, it is so peaceful out.  I hate having to crawl out of bed in the mornings and it is very easy to just skip it, but I always feel so much better after I am done.

Wednesday:

      My long run went very well today.  I tried out my new Camelbak Marathoner vest, and to say I was in love by mile one would be an understatement.  I will be posting a full review of it later, but I will say this; it made my run a lot more enjoyable from start to finish.  Without having all that extra weight hanging on my hips I felt like my running form stayed solid throughout my entire run.  I still don't know at what mile markers the marathon will have their aid stations set so I decided I would refuel every two miles with my Clif Shot Bloks and hydrate at those points as well.  Do to the heat factor I also hydrated a couple of other times during my run, just for a safety factor.  My goal was to try and not go out to fast and try to maintain a steady pace from mile to mile.   My pace was a little faster than I had scheduled for myself, but I was feeling good and I managed to keep my pace pretty steady throughout.  I only had two miles that dropped off a little bit more that the others, while my first and last two miles were my fastest, which makes me feel real good about where I am at.

Thursday:
Ahhhhhhhhhh a much needed rest day.  Legs are a little tired today, but all and all I still feel pretty good.

Friday:

I got up this morning and the last thing I really wanted to do was go for a run, but I need to be committed to this so I crawled out of bed and did it.  Turns out it was all worth it.  Last week I hit by accident my fastest mile ever without the aid of a long steep down hill.  Today I was just starting mile 2 and I was feeling really good so I decided to give this mile a go at my mile record.  I finished mile 2 with a 7:55 and was extremely happy with that.  I am sure I could have pushed harder but I still had 2 miles left to go and my goal isn't the fastest mile its the marathon.  Other than my work in mile two I did pretty well keeping my pace fairly consistent.

Saturday:

     Wow today was a tough one!  I woke up exhausted for some reason and my legs just felt like jello.  I got ready anyway and headed out the door.  If you look at my times for all three miles you probably wouldn't think this was so tough for me, but it sure was.  I will say I did find my groove pretty early and my legs started to open up a little after a half mile or so.  Today was just slightly more humid than the last couple of days, so take that and add a sunrise run on a bike path surrounded by trees and you have a perfect combo for the bugs to be out.  I hate to say it but I probably got 1/3 of my required protein for the day while on this one.  I maintained good pace and even though I was tired and didn't want to do it, I got out there and plowed through it.

Week two begins now!

* For quick access to my entire Marathon training journal click the "Marathon Journal" tab just below the Running In The Fat Lane header

And Here We Go!

     In the words of the Joker played by the late Heath Ledger "And here we go!"  Marathon training has begun.  I can't say how excited I am to start this journey, but I think its a little fitting that I use a quote from the Joker because you have to be a little crazy to pay a fee to run twenty six miles three hundred eighty five yards just for the fun of it.

  

     I am feeling pretty darn good with where I am at right now.  I have had three solid weeks of running with little to no knee pain, I feel like my form is good and I was able to build back a nice base to build off of.  This past week, even though I wasn't running any super long distances, I was able to follow my training plan exactly.  It feels like I have the combination correct, but I won't know for sure until I really start piling on the miles.  I still have to work on keeping my pace as even as possible, I seem to have trouble keeping a steady pace through out each mile.  I always seem to have to make adjustments to keep my pace in check. I also have to remember not to run a faster pace just because I feel good and can.  I have set those paces for a reason and the last thing I want to do is sabotage myself or injure myself because I was greedy and thought its no big deal to run faster on an easy pace day.

     I did pick up a couple of things from runners warehouse this week that should help out.  Where I live, I am surrounded by a lot of farm land so when I am out on my long runs there won't be a lot of places to stop and rehydrate.  I love my  Amphipod Runlite 3 hydration belt, but in the dog days of summer it just doesn't carry enough fluid without me having to refill it.  I don't really want to swing back by the house, because then I will feel like just calling it a day.  I want to be able to just head out and when I arrive back at the house I am done!  So I picked up the Camelbak  Marathoner hydration pak.  I haven't given it a try yet so I don't have a "review" for it, but it holds a whopping 70 oz of fluid and has plenty of pockets for my nutrition and iphone.  It fits pretty darn well on me, but we will see how it all plays out this week on my 10 mile run on Wednesday.

     The other item I picked up was a case of orange flavored Clif Shot Bloks for my during race nutrition.  I am not a big fan of Gu and other gels and when I was at Ragnar we received a few of the shot bloks in various flavors to try.  I ended up really like the orange flavored ones vs. any of the others so that has been my go to item for my fuel.  I first used them in my last half marathon and I seemed to be able to consume them easily on the run with no GI issues.

     That's all for now, I will check back in a couple of days for Wednesday Weigh In.  Bye for now!