Less than 20 days until the race!
I've been reducing my mileage over the past week, and I'll continue to do so until the marathon. I suddenly have a little extra time in the evenings and on weekends. Despite the fact I've been running so much I've been enjoying a great amount of energy. I really believe that I'm far more alert, energetic and have better stamina when I'm training. Now if only I had the energy to keep it up through the winter...
Today I confirmed our flights and hotel arrangements. I called for some restaurant recommendations in Chicago, and we'll take a look online to preview menus. I looked into a massage for us on Sunday afternoon (I've done this for my past 2 marathons, and it is really nice to indulge in a massage after 26+ miles). Now that the bulk of the training is over I feel like I can start planning the rest of our trip.
I've been taking a periodic peek at Chicago's weather - it's been in the 60's and 70's... a far cry from our record-high 90's here in Denver. I hope to look forward to lower temperatures and lower altitude!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
My Top 5
As I look forward to the marathon I've also gone back and I've ranked the most memorable races I've run:
5) 1999 Bolder Boulder (10k) - My first organized race. I finished in 58:19 - under my 1 hour goal. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. It was my first of many Bolder Boulder races.
4) 2007 Air Life 5k - The shortest race I've ever ran and a good warm up for the Bolder Boulder the next weekend, but I enjoyed the "small town" feel. I'll always remember the Kids Fun Run afterward - Ripley's first race (albeit about 1/4 mile) that she won a ribbon for as we crossed the finish line together.
3) 2008 Denver 1/2 Marathon and 2009 Denver Marathon (tie) - My first long distance race and my second marathon. The 1/2 inspired me to run my first marathon 8 months later. The marathon was HOT and it was a battle, but how could I not list a marathon in the top 5?
2) 2009 Colorado Marathon - My first marathon, a lifelong goal accomplished. Had no idea what to expect and it hurt to walk for 3 days. A small but scenic race down Poudre Canyon and finishing in Old Town Fort Collins. No stage fright here... only 1,000 marathon runners and maybe that many spectators (total).
1) 2009 Bolder Boulder - This race is my favorite... what can compete with running into a packed Folsom Field in one of the most beautiful towns in America? This one - my 8th - was special as it was my 10k PR (52 minutes). I ran it 3 weeks after the Colorado Marathon and wish I could have felt a bit stronger, but I've never been as prepared to run this early season race.
5) 1999 Bolder Boulder (10k) - My first organized race. I finished in 58:19 - under my 1 hour goal. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. It was my first of many Bolder Boulder races.
4) 2007 Air Life 5k - The shortest race I've ever ran and a good warm up for the Bolder Boulder the next weekend, but I enjoyed the "small town" feel. I'll always remember the Kids Fun Run afterward - Ripley's first race (albeit about 1/4 mile) that she won a ribbon for as we crossed the finish line together.
3) 2008 Denver 1/2 Marathon and 2009 Denver Marathon (tie) - My first long distance race and my second marathon. The 1/2 inspired me to run my first marathon 8 months later. The marathon was HOT and it was a battle, but how could I not list a marathon in the top 5?
2) 2009 Colorado Marathon - My first marathon, a lifelong goal accomplished. Had no idea what to expect and it hurt to walk for 3 days. A small but scenic race down Poudre Canyon and finishing in Old Town Fort Collins. No stage fright here... only 1,000 marathon runners and maybe that many spectators (total).
1) 2009 Bolder Boulder - This race is my favorite... what can compete with running into a packed Folsom Field in one of the most beautiful towns in America? This one - my 8th - was special as it was my 10k PR (52 minutes). I ran it 3 weeks after the Colorado Marathon and wish I could have felt a bit stronger, but I've never been as prepared to run this early season race.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Change of Plans
If you have been following the news over the past week, you have likely heard about the bad forest fire that has been burning just west of Boulder. Almost 170 homes have been destroyed, making it the most destructive wildfire in Colorado ever. To make matters worse, a second fire ignited yesterday west of Loveland (which is northeast of Boulder).
Unfortunately the fire continues to burn and the start/finish line for the Boulder Marathon has been turned into a tent city and staging area for the 1,000+ firefighters working on the fires. The entire Boulder Reservoir is closed to the public, and the race has been postponed. The earliest possible date that the race could happen is the weekend of October 3 - one week before the Chicago Marathon. I'd really like to run Boulder (I'd be running the 1/2), but I'm going to have to decide if running a 1/2 marathon a week before my marathon is such a good idea (I'm scheduled to run 8, so an easy 13 may not be that bad).
I hope things improve for the thousands of people living in the fire areas. For now, I'll be running 14 miles this weekend somewhere in Littleton, and hopefully I'll get a chance to run the Boulder 1/2 sometime this fall.
Unfortunately the fire continues to burn and the start/finish line for the Boulder Marathon has been turned into a tent city and staging area for the 1,000+ firefighters working on the fires. The entire Boulder Reservoir is closed to the public, and the race has been postponed. The earliest possible date that the race could happen is the weekend of October 3 - one week before the Chicago Marathon. I'd really like to run Boulder (I'd be running the 1/2), but I'm going to have to decide if running a 1/2 marathon a week before my marathon is such a good idea (I'm scheduled to run 8, so an easy 13 may not be that bad).
I hope things improve for the thousands of people living in the fire areas. For now, I'll be running 14 miles this weekend somewhere in Littleton, and hopefully I'll get a chance to run the Boulder 1/2 sometime this fall.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
20 Miles Done!
I woke up at 3:15 Thursday morning and ran just over 20 miles. This was the "long" run before the race - exactly one month away.
I realized why tapering is so important - I ran 20 miles just 5 days after running 18. My muscles were still a bit tired and sore from the previous run and I could tell by about the 8 mile mark that I didn't have the same energy I did a few days earlier. That said, I finished 20 in about 3 1/2 hours, which is slower than my marathon pace but the goal was to get the distance and not necessarily the time.
One of the things I like to do on long runs is pay close attention to my energy level and energy consumption. I've found that after about 75 minutes I need to start taking a gel supplement about every 45 minutes. I'll stay well hydrated (once you feel thirsty it's too late) and supplement water with a sports drink like Powerade. Staying ahead of the energy curve is critical in a race as nothing feels worse than running out of juice. I've also picked a gel I like - GU vanilla tastes good and doesn't make me feel bad (I've tried some that do not necessarily agree with my stomach). I'll be taking several to Chicago.
What's next? I've got 3 runs scheduled this week and I'm running the Boulder 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.
I realized why tapering is so important - I ran 20 miles just 5 days after running 18. My muscles were still a bit tired and sore from the previous run and I could tell by about the 8 mile mark that I didn't have the same energy I did a few days earlier. That said, I finished 20 in about 3 1/2 hours, which is slower than my marathon pace but the goal was to get the distance and not necessarily the time.
One of the things I like to do on long runs is pay close attention to my energy level and energy consumption. I've found that after about 75 minutes I need to start taking a gel supplement about every 45 minutes. I'll stay well hydrated (once you feel thirsty it's too late) and supplement water with a sports drink like Powerade. Staying ahead of the energy curve is critical in a race as nothing feels worse than running out of juice. I've also picked a gel I like - GU vanilla tastes good and doesn't make me feel bad (I've tried some that do not necessarily agree with my stomach). I'll be taking several to Chicago.
What's next? I've got 3 runs scheduled this week and I'm running the Boulder 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Recovery
I ran my 18 mile run on Saturday - the second longest training run I'll do before the marathon. It takes me a couple of days to prepare for a run like that - everything from eating to planning my schedule to fit it in (it's a 3 hour deal).
The post-run recovery ritual is as important as what I do before and during the run because I need to help my body recover from the beating it takes over a 3 hour fitness session. Some important things to do as soon as you are done:
* Hydrate - I grab a sports drink with electrolytes and an ice water.
* Shower and change - Gets me to a better temperature, and a change of clothes feel good.
* Stretch - Amazing how muscles tighten up so quickly!
* Massage - I don't splurge with a real massage, but I'll rub some cooling cream on sore muscles.
* Eat - Replenish the fuel I've burned (I burned over 2,600 calories on Saturday!).
I've read that an ice bath is great and a hot tub is bad (heat will actually cause swollen muscles to swell even more). I've never done that... it doesn't sound too appealing.
I've got my final "long" run scheduled for Thursday morning - 20 miles. After that, tapering begins (finally!). The next long run I'll have will be on the streets of Chicago!
On that note, my trip preparations are coming together, and I'll be sharing more information on pre-race routines, nutrition and some of our plans for the trip (we'll have 4 non-race days there). Stay tuned.
The post-run recovery ritual is as important as what I do before and during the run because I need to help my body recover from the beating it takes over a 3 hour fitness session. Some important things to do as soon as you are done:
* Hydrate - I grab a sports drink with electrolytes and an ice water.
* Shower and change - Gets me to a better temperature, and a change of clothes feel good.
* Stretch - Amazing how muscles tighten up so quickly!
* Massage - I don't splurge with a real massage, but I'll rub some cooling cream on sore muscles.
* Eat - Replenish the fuel I've burned (I burned over 2,600 calories on Saturday!).
I've read that an ice bath is great and a hot tub is bad (heat will actually cause swollen muscles to swell even more). I've never done that... it doesn't sound too appealing.
I've got my final "long" run scheduled for Thursday morning - 20 miles. After that, tapering begins (finally!). The next long run I'll have will be on the streets of Chicago!
On that note, my trip preparations are coming together, and I'll be sharing more information on pre-race routines, nutrition and some of our plans for the trip (we'll have 4 non-race days there). Stay tuned.
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