OK, here I go. I’ll be leaving on Friday morning. The Chicago Marathon is on Sunday, October 22 at 8 AM. My bib number is 4936. I plan on starting and completing it, but not much more. No finishing time is planned, but I think I’ll complete between 4:15 to 4:45 which is quite slow for me. I plan on running with Kevin and enjoying the day. Hopefully the weather will be OK. Remember that Chicago is known as the windy city. In any case, I’ll return on Monday.
At 7 we ran 7 on the Town Lake trail. Chris, Bob, Ed, Kevin and I ran together. A few others ran too, but as soon as we started they were way ahead of us. We ran quite slowly. Chris and I chatted most of the time, and then he stopped to stretch at mile 6 and I finished with Kevin. At this time, I think Kevin and I might run the Chicago Marathon together. He’s hurt, and I’m hurt, so we’re a perfect pair – ha ha ha. Nothing fast, slow and steady – just getting it done.
Last weekend I was in Buffalo visiting my father so I ran 10 miles long run in and around Orchard Park NY. It was sunny and cool. Very nice running weather. I had previously done this same route about a year ago so it wasn’t a new one. I bought a bottle of water at mile 3 and carried and drank it the rest of the way. I took it real easy and completed it in about 1:37 which is fine. My thigh muscle was tight and bothering me throughout, but I tried to ignore it. Afterwards it was trobbing like a headache. It didn’t make me feel good about what is physically happening to me so close to the Chicago marathon. My plan is now to just (1) start the race, and (2) complete it. I don’t even have a goal of running the whole thing, and I definitely am not concerned with my time – whoa no way. However, when I get done I’ll be disappointed because my time will be so bad. Oh well, I’ve got to accept my role in life as a has-been – at least for the moment. P.S. No heartrate monitor.
Update Here is the route I ran:
Well we (Matthew and I) got up around 6 am today. We left the house at 6:45 AM, but traffic was a bit heavy going into the race so I finally got at the Rogue tent at 7:10. By that time the crowd had already left to do their two mile warm-up. So leaving Matthew at the tent, I followed them about 1/4 mile behind. It was hot and humid and by the time I was back I was all sweat. I introduced him to a few friends and we chatted waiting for the start. The race started at 8 AM and I left Matthew shortly afterwards. We had agreed that I would finish and then do my cool down back to him. I finished in 54:44 chip time (8:49/M). Then I returned to Matthew and he finished at 1:13:07 chip time (11:46/M). Afterwards we had water and a banana, and headed home satisfied considering the weather. I really tried to run smoothly. However, before the start my heart rate was higher than normal (around mid-90s). So my heart rate was high throughout which doesn’t bode well for Chicago marathon. Clearly my training this summer has been less than adequate for me and my fitness. Oh well.
I bought a new pair of Nike Air Structure Triax tonight before class. Along with them I bought Matthew his own ChampionChip in case he runs the IBM Uptown 10K on Sunday. For class we had to run the Marshes (read this as “run hills”). Why is it that after all this training I’m feeling weaker and weaker? OK, it was hot out, but still I was huffing and puffing just doing one set. All I can do it blame it on aging. BTW, the muscle in the back of my left thigh was “whispering” to me and telling me that it was tight tonight. So there’s another thing to wonder about. Left ankle muscle, and now left back thigh muscle. Sheesh.
I just spent $27.75 and signed up for the IBM Uptown Classic 10K race next weekend. It’s the first race of the Austin Distance Challenge, but I’m not going to be competing in the Challenge this year because Chicago Marathon conflicts with the next race. This will be the first time in two years that I’ve not done it.
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!
I skipped my running class tonight. I’m trying to heal my ankle.
I had to run 6 miles today, but could only make about 1.5. My left ankle has flaired up again. There is tightness and a burning sensation on the muscle on the right. This is just great. I’m a few days in front of the longest run (22-24 miles) on Saturday and I’m out of commission. This whole summer has been so tough on me.
I don’t plan on doing another summer training program. It’s just too tough on me. Summers should be a break from formal running, and should be recuperation from the fall running season. I’ve learned my lesson.
