Watt's Running

Well for some unknown reason I was totally messed up this morning. I woke at the right time, but for some strange reason I got stuck in my head that the run began at 7 AM and I had plenty of time. What I forgot about was that the run really started at 6:30 AM and I only realized it as I pulled into the parking lot at about 6:40 AM. Sheesh. Well just then as I was getting out of my car a large gaggle of runners passed the parking lot so I quickly start running with them (never having gone to the start to get the route map). However at Congress they turn left whereas I had planned to continue straight until Rio Grande and then head north. In addition I was having tight ankle problems so alone I continued on northward. However as time went on I finally realized that those runners were indeed my group and they were running the first 20 miles of the marathon whereas the night before I checked the maps and was running the last 20 miles of the marathon. Double Sheesh. At that time I realized that I was going to be all alone and with no water stops. It really ticks me off that this running group doesn’t publish their plans ahead of time with clear maps weeks before the actual runs. We pay big bucks to take this class and I’m very disappointed in their lack of planning WRT maps. As the miles clicked by I got to the campus and like a brainless drone I forgot to turn at Dean Keeton and dropped about a mile off my route. Triple Sheesh. Oh, and I also forgot to start my timer until I got to Rio Grande and started heading north so my final time was way off. However when I finished I was so brain-dead to have forgotten that and felt that I had done a good time. Quadruple Sheesh. Afterwards I mapped what I actually ran and it totaled 19.1 miles. Was it a good run? Well other than the tight ankle that finally loosened up at about mile 5-7 my answer is yes it was (except for Rogue’s and my sheeshes – is that a word?).

In class this week I did OK, but as I was warming up for the first 3 miles the muscle at the front of my right ankle was extra tight. Generally when this happens I can either run through it or if I stop for water it’s OK when I start up afterwards. Well this week that worked, but the next day the muscle on the back of my right ankle was sore and swollen. Naturally I still went for my morning 4-mile run thinking that it would just work itself out, but it bothered me the rest of the day. I gimped around at work all day in my clunky heavy shoes – ouch. That night I “rice”ed it: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. I also took two Aleve pills to help with the inflammation. The next day, Thursday, should have been a 12-miler, but I decide to rest and take that day off. I was feeling better on Friday so I planned a 12-mile out-and-back route down Metric and out Parmer. I took it slow and easy, and did fine. So on the Saturday 20-mile long run I again took it easy (this means slow to me). I timed myself on the Trail mile 9->10: 8:44 (too fast), mile 0->1: 9:16 (a little slow), and mile 1->2: 9:13 (ditto). I didn’t care how long this would take me. I just wanted to complete it. Unfortunately I didn’t read the instructions as I ran and instead of skirting Mt. Bonnell, I ran up it again (I did it two weeks ago w/ my coach). Sheesh!. Nevertheless I made it to the turn around at Balcones/Mt Barker albeit through this circuitous route both out and up, and back and down. At the stop I had my Chocolate Clif Shot and water. Heading back I stopped at the MoPac water stop and had a Mocha Clif Shot with caffeine. Continuing I again timed myself on the Trail mile 2->1: 8:52 (approx.), mile 1->0: 8:43, mile 10->9: 8:55. I was feeling pretty good and completed strong. Afterwards I had very little muscle fatigue this time, but I had done a much slower pace most of the time. I completed 20.8 miles [0.8 over Mt Bonnell!] in 3:25:51, or 9:54 per miles (note: this includes all the water stops and stopping to select my next podcast). Afterwards I did my stretches, and bought a yummy chocolate milk on the way home. Consider how the week had gone I felt a medium level of satisfaction about how the long run went today.

Weather was OK: humid, cloudy, and 60 degrees F. I had to complete 20 miles as the advanced distance today. I ran by myself with my iPod talking in my ear. I tried to run easy as best I could. Over the run I ate three chocolate-chip cookies and one Clif-Shot as fuel. Nevertheless by the end my legs became fatigued and weak. Afterwards my legs were so tight that they felt like they were cramping. I made sure to stretch back at Rogue. I finished in 3:04:37 or 9:14 minutes/mile. So I did OK, but I’m really worried that I won’t be able to maintain 9 minutes/mile for the whole distance. This muscle fatigue is something that I’ve had before and I have been unable to solve it in the past. Is it something that I’m doing during the run (for ex, bad fueling, or trying too hard], or is there something I should be doing in preparation for it [for ex, strength training aka weights, or massages]. All I can say is that during the first three years of running I don’t remember this problem, but for the last ones it’s been a constant companion and caused me to “retire” from this distance. What am I to do, what am I to do? I’m worried.

I had to run 12 miles on Thursday as my mid week long run. So I followed my previous week’s route down Metric to 183, then left on the frontage road for a mile, and return. The weather was better this week – not as humid. Half way I had a Clif Shot and some water. I tried to keep it easy as I have been told, but over time I found it harder and harder. My leg muscles were tight. Again I felt weak. I timed myself. I finished in 1:54:56 or about 9:35 minutes/mile which is not my marathon goal pace of 9:10. So I felt it was again a crappy mid week long run. What am I to do? My self-answer… I’ll just keep going, and I’ll see how I do this weekend for the 20-miler.

We headed out on Saturday. The weather was great – low 50s and soon to be sunny. Beforehand I saw my coach and asked if this one was to be long and slow. He correctly me rightly and said it should be long and easy. I stood corrected, and I agreed. So after we took off I followed a pair of runners who kept a constant, but decent pace (I interpreted this as easy, but maybe it was too fast). After about 4 miles I thought they were going too fast so let them drift off ahead of me. While going down Lake Austin Blvd a group of four guys split around me and two ran on the left and other two on the right – this was unusual. They were much faster. A second later my coach was running next to me. He had been running with them and now they just gracefully zoomed ahead. Now remember I felt that I had been going too fast, and was starting to slow down. So when he appeared I continued my faster pace. I felt I was holding him back. He said no that he wanted to run with me. Unfortunately I felt like a student with the teacher staring over me watching my every move. This continued down Scenic. At a water stop I noticed that some of the other runners who stopped at the same time or just a few minutes later were typically ahead of me – that is, I was going too fast. However, the next section is to run to the top of Mt Bonnell. And again my coach is right beside me and I just don’t want to disappoint him. I mention that I might need to walk the hill. He mentioned that the hill is too steep and a runner has to break stride to even climb it. I agree. Just before the start of it a much faster runner named Jimmy starts taking smack with my coach and off they go up the hill. I breathed a sigh of relief because I could finally run on my own at my own pace. On the way up I walked a bit, but ran most of it. As a crested the top, there my coach was again waiting for me, and again I felt that I had to push it yet I could barely breathe. We reached the turn around, and came back down Mt Bonnell and headed down Pecos. I was looking ahead to a hill on Pecos and knew that I was done – fully cooked, and had to walk the hill. I felt terrible. I knew my coach could just float up it, but he was kind and we walked it together. Finally on the downside I finally asked my to leave me. I needed to run on my own at my own pace with my own thoughts – and I was feeling down because I just had walked. On he went and caught up with Jimmy. I saw him at the next water stop, but this time he headed out with Jimmy. I ran the rest of the way on my own listening to my iPod blasting in my ear. I kept up a slower but constant pace. When I got to the last mile I noticed that if I continued to press I could finish 18 minutes early. This would mean that I had run it with a 9 minutes/mile pace – my marathon goal. At the end my watch read 2:42:59. Close enough – 9:03. I feel bad about what happened with my coach. There have been many times that I thought it would be great to have my coach run with us. My only thought is that having him there was great, but I think a short (mile or two) run together would be great, but for me it was too long and too much pressure.
Update: Each person should presents their own perspective. See what my coach said.