Watt's Running

This 20, 22 or 24 mile long run has become famous, or maybe better said infamous. I planned to complete 22 miles. This is the last long run before tapering. When I woke up it was about 80 degress and the relative humdity was 90%. This was not good. Originally this run was from the RunTex store at Gateway Plaza to another RunTex store downtown on Riverside. Then it was only about 12-15 miles. However, over the years it’s morph’ed into one of the most difficult long runs. The reason is that now after completing about 16 miles it heads into the south Austin hills. These are not especially big hills, but by that time you’re beat and the hills just make it impossible (at least for me that is). One time in the past it was raining which made me walk (this was several years ago) and another my ankle started to hurt so I cut it short (this was last January). So today was no different. At mile 16 I started to walk the hills. I had nothing left in my muscles. I could barely move my legs because they were so stiff and full of cr*p. I finally arrived at the mile 18 water stop and had to make a decision, go left for 20 or right for 22 or 24. I sat on the curb near the water stop for a minute and thought. Finally I decided to go left – do only 20 and back down from my plan. For a while after that I slogged away running and finally when I got back on the Town Lake trail I had no more juice. I was kaput. I walked the last mile back to RunTex. I was so out of it or depressed I never stopped my watch or heartrate monitor when I got to RunTex. Also luckily there was a nice runner named Debbie who gave me a ride back to my car at RunTex Gateway. Thanks Debbie!

Beware all you runners and understand that a half-marathon is a “run in the park’ compared to the beast known as the marathon. Although it’s twice the distance it’s ten times the effort requiring unbelievable physical and mental fortitude and just pure guts to complete. I’m still amazed that I’ve been fortunate enough to complete three in my lifetime. And Chicago is the next one on October 22. Wish me luck, I’ll need it…
P.S. The ankle held up OK today and wasn’t a nuisance, but there was so much else going on that it might have been drowned out by the sheer physical implosion that was my running today.

Today we were to run 12 miles with each mile being faster that the previous. This is nothing new, I’ve done it many times before. We were to start at our 10K pace plus 2 minutes and 15 seconds which for me now is starting at 10:30/M. Then each mile is to be 15 seconds faster until the last three miles should be: two at 10K pace, and the last one as fast as you can run. Well when I walked out of the house to drive to the start the temperature was hot (about 78 degrees) and very humid. Not good running weather. It was even sprinkling then raining as I drove out of the development and down MoPac. However that all stopped by the time I got there. Nevertheless it was still humid. The first mile was too slow at 11:05 and the next few were too fast at 9:45. By the time I got to the halfway point I was beat and my heart rate shows it. The heat and humidity had gotten to me. So I just decided to run the last half ignoring my pace. Even that was still hard. Halfway back I stopped once for water and a stop light or two, and to walk the last hill. I completed the 12 miles in 1:58:32 or about 9:50/M.

Mile	Expected	Actual	Slow/Fast
1	10:30	11:05	too slow
2	10:15	9:34	too fast
3	10:00	9:35	too fast
4	9:45	9:17	too fast
5	9:30	8:59	too fast
6	9:15	9:22	too slow
7	9:00	10:10	too slow
8	8:45	9:11	too slow
9	8:30	9:20	too slow
10	8:15	9:45	too slow
11	8:15	9:46	too slow
12	FAST	10:12	too slow

This is not very good, but I don’t care and at least I completed it. Afterwards a few of us went to Deep Eddy Pool (a first for me) to cool down in the water and talk, which was nice.

This is a recovery week, so we only had to do 10 miles. I started with Ed B., but soon he sped ahead and I let him go. Something inside me pushed me to catch him which I did at the 3.5 mile water stop. He was with a faster group but I kept up with them to the 7 mile water stop. Then on the trail shortly afterwards I went ahead of them, got a bit lost, they turned another way, but finally I made it back to RunTex in 1:37:35 (9:45/M) within a few minutes of the bigger group. Ed felt he ran faster than that and I agree, so maybe the distance was longer. Nevertheless Ed felt that this was the group for him. I don’t know if it’s the group for me since I’m trying not to push so hard. He wants to do a 3:45 at Chicago. I just want to finish it. You see in the heartrate chart below where I was slow to start (<140beats/min) and then sped up to (low to mid 140s) to be with the group.

Well I had to again wake up at 4 AM (sheesh!). I got dressed, ate breakfast and drove downtown. We started at 5 AM to beat the heat. Running in the dark is fun, and there were plenty of street lights to see. It was a smaller group than normal because of the holiday weekend and people out of town. I ran with Ed B. and Kevin. Heading south we climbed gradually from about 450 feet above sea level to about 850 over the 10 miles outbound leg, then returning it was down hill and easier. What was nice to see is that my heartrate was lower (mostly under 140/min), but then again I completed the 20 miles in 3:28:30 or about 10:30/M. That’s not very fast, but then again this is LSD running – long-slow-distance. Overall I feel OK after this distance, although I iced my left ankle afterwards.

I woke at 4 AM. We started at 5 AM from Barton Springs pool. I tried to run slow and steady keeping my heart rate down. We ran to the top of Mount Bonnell and then over to the back side, then again on the return. I completed about 17 miles in 3:10 – quite slow – 11:10/M (this includes water stops). I finished at about 8:20 AM. Afterwards I was tired, and sore. I felt my ankle some of the time. I didn’t really run with anyone. At the end I walked a bit – exhaustion had set in, but I did keep my heart rate down. I put an ice pack on my ankle before driving home. I had to get home to give Kathy the car so I didn’t go in the pool or stay for the potluck. And why do I do this? I’m starting to wonder. Oh wait, because it’s good for me. Yeah, right.

I forgot to turn off the HR recorder until I got home.

Today was a trail run. This is a recovery week so the run was only 60 minutes. We ran the Barton Creek Greenbelt starting at Spyglass Hill. There were so many people on the trail that several times we had to walk. We ran out and back about 2.5 miles. On the way back I got separated from the group and lost my way. The next thing I noticed was a few of the runners running torward me which meant I was running the wrong way. Whoa! So I turned around and got reoriented and finished the run OK. Afterwards we all stopped at Tacodeli for a few eggs and bacon breakfast soft tacos. In addition I downed three Cokes which tasted so good. The conversation was good and I talked to Ed and John, then Dan and Larry. Unfortunately I left my wallet when I was talking to Dan and Larry. Luckily Dan picked it up for me and later in the afternoon we met and I got it back. I really appreciate having good running friends like him. Thanks so much Dan.

Well I did it. We were starting an hour earlier. I went to bed at 9 PM and woke at 3:30 AM before my alarm and laid there until 3:55 when I got up. We started at 5 AM. I finished 18 miles in 3:07:25 or about 10:25/M. I didn’t push it and tried to do it easy and consist. My heartrate was in the 140s most of the time which is good. Afterwards I was one big ball of sweat. I must have drunk 1 gallon of soda or water.

So I’m thinking for Chicago marathon that I’m just going to enjoy myself. No PRs, not fast, just a very long run with 40,000 of my running buddies.

The LAB long run where LAB means laboratory was today. It’s a 3.5 mile loop. There were cones every 1/2 mile. We were to run the first loop as warmup, and the next three at MGP, then end with 2 miles of recovery. We started at 6AM. Here are my 1/2 mile splits. At MGP, I should have run 4:15/M. Instead I completed 14 miles in 2:07.02 or 9:04/M which is about right, however, I’m not ready to run 26 miles at that rate since I had to walk a bit at mile 13, and I was exhausted after 14 miles. I mostly walked the two mile recovery.

Dist	Time	Dist	Time
0.5*	4:52.97	1.0*	4:45.72
1.5*	4:34.19	2.0*	4:38.76
2.5*	4:35.09	3.0*	4:23.66
3.5*	4:36.07	4.0	4:16.52
4.5	4:24.39	5.0	4:13.11
5.5	4:17.50	6.0	4:18.50
6.5	4:05.89	7.0	4:23.46
7.5	4:14.00	8.0	4:23.76
8.5	4:12.40	9.0	4:19.64
9.5	4:23.57	10.0	4:11.89
10.5	4:46.49	11.0	4:16.86
11.5	4:32.25	12.0	4:27.55
12.5	4:33.34	13.0	**
13.5	11.26.00	14.0	4:48.53

* warmup
** walked some & also missed cone

Here is my heartrate. I had been running about 30 minutes before I turned it on (oops). It shows that I was maxed out throughout. Then at mile 13 I had to walk, the first big dip. After a few minutes I began running again to the finish. After finishing, the next big dip, I ran about 1/2 mile of the recovery and then walked the rest, the final big dip. As I was walking I turned the monitor off. I wish I could run at this pace or better with a lower heartrate.Although my fatigue was my major focus, my ankle was still present yet not a big concern. Afterwards I put an ice pack on it and wrapped it with an Ace bandage. It’s hanging in there as another nuisance, but something I try to ignore if I can.

Tomorrow is the LAB long run. This means that I’ve got to run 2 miles warm up and 14 miles at MGP. The question is what is my MGP. I’m always trying for 8:30/M, but I think tomorrow I’ll just have to see how it goes. With the heat I assume I’ll not make 8:30M probably more like 9/M. At that latter rate I’ll complete Chicago in just under 4 hours. I’ll keep you posted.

We did the standard Town Lake 10 mile run today. I ran with Ed Burgess, Kevin, Todd, and Jim. Good company and good talk. We started off real slowly. Near the end Ed sped up and I had troubles keeping up with him. But I pushed ahead and finished. You can see the speed up in my heart rate. You can also see the three water stops at 2 miles, 5 miles and 7 miles (those are the dips). I definitely felt better than the day before, but I was still exhausted by the end. I guzzled down a quart of Gatorade Rain and then some water. Oh yeah, my ankle was OK today. I barely felt it. Afterward I went to Barton Springs, paid my $3 for parking and stood in the cool water for about 20 minutes. I think it helped my recovery.