Things Fall Apart

I was riding high after the Club Challenge Ten Mile. I trained through the race, running approximately 90 miles in the seven days leading up to the race weekend. Although I didn't feel sharp or fast on race, I managed to run 54:23 on a hilly, windy course on a windy day. After a couple of easy 60:00 runs in the days following the race, I began increasing my mileage and running lengthy, challenging tempo workouts. Everything seemed to be progressing well.

On the Tuesday before the National Half Marathon, I developed tendon issues in my left leg, and my legs, in general, felt extremely flat and unresponsive; I had overtrained and crossed the "red line" into dangerous territory. Despite reducing my mileage (slightly) in the days before the National, my body was overly fatigued on race day. I was far off my goal time, but I was pleased that I managed to run as fast as I did under these circumstances.

After the race, I was jazzed, ready to heal and begin the final push, this time more cautiously, for the Pittsburgh Marathon. By Tuesday, my legs were recovering, and I comfortably logged 14.25 miles for the day, including several 30-second surges. I had planned to run easy on Wednesday because we were going to the Ben Folds concert in the evening, and I had little time after work. Throughout the day, I developed a nasty cold, with splitting headaches and joint pain. I felt terrible on the run. As the evening progressed, my condition deteriorated. I didn't run on Thursday, hoping a day off would shorten the duration of the cold. Perhaps it will, but, as of Saturday morning, I am still suffering from one of the worst colds I've experienced.

I ran paltry 47:30 yesterday at a fairly light pace. I haven't had an intense workout since the race last Saturday. I'm not sure when I'll be able to manage a workout again, and I may have to forgo or significantly shorten my long run tomorrow.

I am uncertain as to how this will impact my marathon. Perhaps the forced rest will allow me to take full advantage of the fitness I've built over the past several months. That would be the best scenario. Currently, I've scrapped all of my plans for the coming week, and I intend to train day-to-day to avoid additional injuries, burn out, and sickness. My only definite plan is to run the Annapolis Striders' Cherry Blossom 10 Mile as part of a marathon-paced, 13-mile tempo run on April 11. This is an essential workout.

After encountering these problems and running a disappointing race last Saturday, I began to question my training and approach to the season. Surely, if I had run 70 to 75 miles a week, instead of building to the high-80s and low-90s, my fitness would have improved from this past fall and I'd be primed for PRs throughout the spring season. However, I am happy that I challenged myself with higher mileage, double sessions, and longer tempos and long runs. I've found the red line. Now, I have to adjust my training, giving my body time to adapt and strengthen, and slowly build to 90-mile weeks, therefore establishing a higher level of fitness conquering the territory immediately beyond my current "red line."

The National Half Marathon

Since I haven't updated my blog in two weeks, I could spend considerable time detailing my training and the lead up to the National Half Marathon. However, I am not going delve into the nitty gritty of the past two weeks. Essentially, I was riding high after the Club Challenge. It took me several days to recover, but, after two days a few days of maintenance runs, I began increasing the mileage and attacking tempo runs. The period from February 28, race day, through March 15 may have been the best 16 days of training I've ever had. My workouts included 8x1600 @ LT pace, 4x2K at critical velocity pace, a 21.5 mile run, and an 18-miler with 5x1600 at LT pace, averaging 5:25. Unfortunately, I paid for it on race day.

I had tendon issues on the Monday, March 15, at the end of my run. On Tuesday, the problem was still present and my legs felt completely trashed. I preceded to run a mere 1.75 miles and got my pre-scheduled massage. On Wednesday, both problems continued. I found myself with a Catch 22. If I drop the mileage drastically, I would most likely allow my body to both heal and recover. However, this approach would, in the words of Coach Swags, most likely put my body "to sleep." In other words, a significant drop in mileage would leave my legs feeling flat and unresponsive. I attempted to carefully tread a middle ground, keeping my mileage near my planned daily totals but at an easier pace and a lighter mid-week workout. I was hopeful that this would be the remedy I desperately needed if I was to run a personal record on Saturday.

Alas, I toed the line of the National Half Marathon feeling only slightly less tired and flat than I did earlier in the week. Despite my unresponsive legs, I did not adjust my race plan; from the gun, I chased my goal of a sub-1:11:00, approximately 5:25 per mile. Ultimately, this stubbornness and failure to adapt cost me significant time. Although I did not get my splits due to my failure to start my watch, I am nearly certain that I went through 10K on pace. A series of hills in the critical middle miles broke me physically. After crossing the 10-mile mark in 54:30ish, I finished with about an 18:00 5K in 1:12:38.

Disregarding context, this would appear an awful race, 1:40 slower than my goal. But context is everything. I felt terrible from the gun after a physically and mentally challenging week yet managed to average 5:33 per mile on a fairly hilly course. I've managed to find the proverbial silver lining, and, undoubtedly, this race has prepared, both physically and psychologically, for the challenges that lay ahead in the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Furthermore, my greatest disappointment is not my final time, but my failure to adapt to race conditions. This is another positive outcome of the race: I must be more cognizant of my circumstances and adjust accordingly.

My plan is take the next week and recover. I hope to run about 80 miles this week, and I will probably run cruise intervals at goal marathon pace instead of my usual lactate threshold or goal half marathon pace. If I recover fully by the week's end, I will begin my final phase of marathon preparation on Sunday the 28th.

Mileage Totals:

February 28 - March 6: 76.75 miles
March 7 - March 13: 88.5 miles
March 14 - March 20: 74.5 miles

February Recap

For the past few weeks, I've been experiencing a lack of motivation to update my blog. This is quite unfortunate because it has been an exciting three and I should documented these experiences and successes as they occurred.

Last month, I entered new territory in terms of mileage, logging 315.25 miles in 28 days, averaging 11.26 miles per day and 78.8 miles per week. For a 10-day period between February 17 and the 26th,I hit 89+ miles for any seven consecutive days of running, cresting 93 miles for one block - the most miles I've run in a seven-day period. Throughout, I felt indefatigable.

On Sunday February 28, I toed the line of the RRCA Maryland Club Challenge 10 Mile, my first race of the year. After my 10 day streak of (personal) record mileage, I ran a mere 25:00 on Saturday to rest for the race. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, I feared that my overload of mileage would spell disaster for the race, which was a team competition with my team, Falls Road Running Store, vying for first place against the strong Howard County Striders, who took the men's title last year. My fears were raced after the gun went off, when, 200-meters into the race, I turned to a teammate and said, "Today will be a good day." It was indeed.

The leader was running near 5:00 per mile pace from the gun, which caused the foolhardy chase pack to disintegrate within the first few miles. This course is challenging, offering few flat, straight stretches were one can recover. It undulates for mile after mile, making it exceedingly difficult to establish and sustain a smooth rhythm. Thus, having gone out at a much more modest pace, I was primed to overtake the victims of Columbia's hills.

I crossed a mile 5 in 26:20, a mere 9 seconds off my 5 mile personal best, though most veterans of this race are dubious of the mile markers' accuracy. Around this point, I had settled into 4th place and was utterly alone in the wind to pursue the distant 3rd place HC Strider. Despite the hills and the multiple 90-degree turns, I felt strong and, at times, smooth. However, despite my best efforts, I could not make up ground on 3rd place person.

As I neared mile 7, I heard footsteps quickly gaining on me. I knew from the cadence that I was in trouble, for I could not muster the strength to join that pace for long. However, I was delighted when I turn found my pursuer to be a teammate, with whom I occasionally train. Although I could only stay with him for a mere mile before he sped away from me, his encouragement broke my malaise and compelled me to run a much quicker last 5K than I would have otherwise.

I was thrilled with my time and place, considering this race was a rust-buster - my first competition since Philly in November. Going into the race, I knew a sub-54:00 was out of the question, and I feared that I might finish in 55:00+, slower than my ten-mile split in my November half marathon. Thus, I was determined to run close to or better than my 54:20 (approximately) split at Philadelphia. I managed to do just that. More importantly, many of team members had remarkable races, with eleven guys breaking 58:00, good enouch for a decisive victory over Howard County. The women's team also took first place with several excellent performances. After years of running sole and traveling to races alone, it was great to compete as a part of team.

Since the race, I've been recovering slowly. I logged 83.25 miles in the last seven days, including a 21.5-mile long run, my longest to date, and a solid tempo session of 8x1600 @ threshold pace, averaging 5:29. For the next nine days, I intend to log high mileage, complete a few long tempo sessions, and mentally prepare for the National Half Marathon on March 20.

More to come, I promise...

I haven't posted lately because I've been preoccupied with running. Later today or tomorrow, I'll provide an overview of the last two weeks. My mileage has increased significantly, hitting 93+ miles in a 7-day period. I've never run this volume before. My body is handling the mileage very well, but it has left me "drained" and uninspired. I spend my evenings comatose, and I turn in early for solid 8-9 hours of sleep, thus leaving precious little time for other activities.

Dustin v. The Treadmill: Round 2

Road conditions and a cancelled road race (5K) forced me to tango with the treadmill for another workout, more intense than the tempo workout I completed on Wednesday. I ran 2x10:00+ at lactate threshold pace (5:33/mile pace for the first interval, 5:30/mile for the second) and 2x1 mile at critical velocity pace (5:21/mile). The workout went very well. Again, I found the treadmill to be accommodating and comfortable, after struggling with effort-based workouts on undulating terrain of Mt. Washington and Pikesville for the last several weeks.

I was hoping for a "rust buster" this weekend, even if it would only be a low-key 5K. The race I planned to run, Pittsburgh's Cupid Chase 5K, has been postponed until February 27. Thus, my first race will be the Club Challenge Ten Mile on February 28. With the exception of national and world class marathoners, one would not toe the line of an important race without beforehand running a tune-up race. I must have faith in my training and make the most of the two weeks remaining, though any workouts before the race will only provide a psychological, not a physical, benefit at the Club Challenge.

THE WEEK: February 7 - 13
Sunday: 17 mile long run - 2:12:00 in the aftermath of the blizzard on a hilly course
Monday: 8.5 miles AM, 3.25 miles PM - 11.75
Tuesday: 8.1 miles
Wednesday: 9 miles, including 2x15:00+ at lactate threshold AM; 4.25 miles PM
Thursday: 9 miles AM; 4.5 miles PM
Friday: 4.5 miles - recovery run
Saturday: 10.6 miles - 2x10:00 @ lactate threshold, 2x1 mile @ critical velocity
Total: 79 miles

As I write, a second blizzard is hammering the already crippled city of Baltimore. The city's streets are closed to civilian traffic; only emergency vehicles and the National Guard have access to the roads. I ran through the first blizzard, accumulating at least 21 miles - a recovery run and a hilly long run - in the 48-hour period surrounding the storm. Yesterday, however, I broke down and decided it was time to utilize my apartment complex's fitness room, which houses two treadmills.

I began my treadmill odyssey with great trepidation, with a bad treadmill experience from December still fresh in my mind. Interestingly, the run went smoothly; I ran 8.1 miles in 57:00 at my maintenance run pace.

Despite this physical and psychological victory, I could not shake my anxiety about completing a tempo workout on treadmill; running an easy pace for an hour is substantively different than running half marathon for the first time on a treadmill. Accordingly, I approached this workout as I would any other daunting challenge; I prepared mentally and sought to best my opponent (the treadmill and my self-doubting mind) by relentlessly pursuing my goal.

The mental preparation worked nicely, and the results served as a tremendous and much need confidence boost. I ran 2 x 15:00 at project lactate threshold pace, and completed the workout relatively effortlessly, running the entire 6 miles, which includes both LT intervals as well as the recovery run, in 34:11, 5:41 per mile. I averaged about 5:34 pace for the first 15:00 workbout, though this includes the awkward 20 seconds of getting the treadmill up to speed. I haven't done the math for the second interval, but I am certain I averaged around 5:31 pace, since 10:00 of the workbout was at 5:30 pace or quicker (5:27 for the last 2:00 or so). I probably spent 31:00 at lactate threshold pace. A fine workout for this time of year, considering my longest LT workout will be 2 x 20:00.

In other running news, I am reading sections of Roger Robinson's "Running in Literature: A Guide for Scholars, Readers, Runners, Joggers, and Dreamers". Books like this have sparked my interest in the history of distance running. As a historian by training and an educator/interpreter by trade, I feel especially drawn to and equipped for studying the history of this sport. I am hoping to use this Robinson's book to identify other literary and historical works about distance running, particularly those that explore post-WWII era (1948 - present). Given the voluminous work on other sports, I think American distance running needs more historians, scholars who seek to uncover, analyze, inform, and entertain, giving historical voice and a meta-narrative for the "lonely breed". I think I will continue my study with Kenny Moore's "Best Efforts: Stories of Great Runners and Great Races". If you have other suggestions, please drop a note.

Recap from the snowcap of Mt. Wash

"He trained harder and harder. IN the winter, when the snow always covered the track, he added a jersey inside his tracksuit, put a woollen cap on his head, heavy boots on his feet, and ran in the woods....he reasoned, if his body got used to this it would feel wonderfully free when set loose in a race with nice light spiked shoes on a nice cinder track. It did; his feet were light and rejoicing. His whole body was rejoicing."
- Norman Harris describing Emil Zatopek's winter training in The Lonely Breed

"What the hell is that?" Cassidy pointed out the window.
"That my boy is snow. White stuff that falls from God. It won't hurt you actually..." [Denton replied]
John L. Parker, Jr. Once a Runner

As evident in the photograph, a snow storm of historic proportions dropped nearly 30 inches of snow on Baltimore. Aside from starting my "down week" two days early, my running continued as planned. My body is extremely tired from the double sessions that I began last week. I was hoping it would be a smooth transition, but it hasn't been; I am confident that a 75 mile week on single sessions would have felt easier. However, as I explained in my last post, double sessions are necessary, and adapting to this new stimulus ultimately will propel to a new level of fitness, if I proceed cautiously and adjust my training accordingly. Since I was extremely fatigued on Friday afternoon, I decided to forgo my second workout of the week.

When I realized the storm would preclude me from accumulating a solid 10 to 12 miles of running on Saturday, I decided to begin my down week a few days early. First, I checked my running log and discovered that I had run 232.25 miles over the previous 21 days, which works out to an average of 11+ miles a day and 77+ for the seven day periods. Since I had planned to take Monday off entirely, I nearly convinced myself to take off Saturday instead; however, my conscience would not allow this respite, and I completed a 35:00 run in the aftermath of the blizzard to complete a 74.5 mile week. Since I my down week will actually be a seven days period spanning the end of last week and the beginning of next week, it will appear bizarre on a neat calendar. A closer look, however, will reveal that it is well placed. Furthermore, my body doesn't know that its recovery period is not confined to a Sunday through Saturday block.

I met with Ben today for a long run, which was supposed to be about 2 hours, or approximately 17 miles. At the end of the run, I probably covered close to 17 miles, but I had run for at least 2:12. The roads were atrocious and the course was extremely hilly. It was easily the most difficult long run I've completed since I began training again last May, not including, of course, long runs that incorporated tempo runs. While I cruised along Roland Avenue surrounded by wrecked and abandoned vehicles, mountains of snow, and fallen trees, I thought about the passage (above) describing Zatopek's winter training. I could have rationalized a shorter run, or simply broken the two hours into two sessions. Thus, I was happy that I opted for the full length (and then some) long run that I had planned when the snow storm was just a rumor.

The Week: January 31 through February 6
Sunday: 17.25 mile long run - 2:00:00 on hilly terrain
Monday: 8+ miles - 57:00
Tuesday: 4 miles AM; 10 miles PM - 66:00 plus 6x25-second striders
Wednesday: 11.25 miles - 20:00 tempo, averaging 5:38/mile (disastrous)
Thursday: 6.25 miles - easy/recovery run
Friday: 4.25 miles AM; 9.25 miles PM, including 6x25-second striders
Saturday - 4 miles easy/recovery - snow storm!
Total: 74.5