Typically my coach posts my workouts on TP about a week out but a few weeks ago, I noticed she posted 2 weeks of workouts with the last one on March 1st. I look at the second week and it said, “recovery week”. GREAT I’m thinking until I scroll to Sunday March 1st.
“13.1 mile TEMPO run” was the title. I did a double take and said, WHAT?! I showed my wife and some friends of ours. Are you kidding me, I thought this was my recovery week?
Now, I feel a little silly or crazy telling people I haven’t run 13.1 miles before CONSIDERING I AM training for an Ironman. I know, it seems a little backwards but given my size and knee issues, I’ve never been a fan of running. My extent of running has always been sideline to sideline or down the basketball court to which many of my buddies would even argue that point. All along, the strategy with my coach has been walk / run the marathon of IM and limit the number of miles on my knee during training in order to get me to the starting line. With that said, I realize how we got to this point though. Most run workouts thus far have been based on time (e.g. 1.5 hr. endurance run, etc.). After thinking this through, most people can run 9-10 miles during that time. I on the other hand, can not. Oh well, I need to do it. I’m not worried about all the so called “Rules of Thumb” re. exceeding 10% blah blah blah. I trust my coach and she and I both know as slow as I run, I’m not going to injure anything. HA!
THE LEAD UP
Since I had a few weeks to think about it, I get mentally ready. Those friends of ours are doing a half marathon in College Station on the same day that I’m scheduled to do mine. So, l look into the event and it sounds like a nice race so begin looking for cut off times, etc. and couldn’t find anything but did discover the late registration fee was $100. Wow, a bit steep I’m thinking so look at the weather. Cold and rainy and my son also had a baseball game that same day at 1 PM. The race begins at 7:30 AM and 1.5 hrs. away. I don’t think so. I’ll just run through my neighborhood and at my own pace instead but I’m ready.
As we’ve been trying to do since my IM training, we went to Mass on Saturday evening then got home and prepared dinner. I eat a good clean meal the night before, brown rice with quinoa and garlic, asparagus and salmon. I know, it’s just a 13.1 mile run but I’m also practicing my race week fueling options. The morning was misty, cool and windy but not cold to me at 55 degrees. I look at the weather in College Station and it’s a cold 39 and rain. Wow, I’m glad I decided against spending that $100. We get up and start getting ready. For those with young kids, you can relate. Getting out the door isn’t easy. There’s breakfast, getting dressed then getting the BOB double stroller ready with snacks, etc. I forgot to mention, my wife Jen also wants to run with me not just for her enjoyment of running but also to support me. OK, we’re ready and we’re off. Well, not so fast, “it’s cold, I’m getting wet” as the boys already start chirping. I put both their legs in a garbage bag, jacket over them and pull the canopy all the way down. OK tough it out I tell my 4 year old and soon to be 3 year old. HA! By the way, Jen pushes the stroller since she’s a faster runner than I am. That’s my equalizer. LOL. Just as my 5 min walk warm up is done, the boys are too cold. It’s not worth them getting sick so they turn around and wish me luck.
The Run
I start off my usual pace, slow and believe it or not decide to go even SLOWER. I need a “negative split” right? I mean that’s what I’ve read about and I’ve never gone this far was all I could think so just pace yourself. I hit the first mile then mile 2 and the mist turns to rain but I feel pretty good. Normally I would start my run / walk strategy about now. You know, walk the aid stations after each mile or so but I decided to just go with it. I’m looking around and normally there are quite a few people out running at any given time but so far I’ve only seen one. Hmm, he’s obviously training for something too I’m thinking. Thinking about anything other than how much longer I have to go. I’m approaching 4 miles and see Jen driving toward me. She rolls the window down asking if I want a new shirt or my cycling rain jacket because by now I’m soaked. I tell her no thanks because I feel too good to stop. She circles back as I keep running. I tweeted that I felt like a boxer being followed by his entourage in a car behind him. Luckily, she also brings my First Endurance EFS Pro cucumber water hydration mix. Remember, that was loaded in the stroller. Ahh, what a great support crew I have as the boys are also in the back saying, “GO DADDY” and “you’re getting wet”. I then ask her to put another bottle out for me in front of the house and I’ll pick it up on my next loop. I continue on and instead she catches me again but this time with the iPod shuffle and ear buds. Nice, how lucky am I? I continue on starting another loop and a little over 6 miles by now and STILL running. I’ve never run this far before without stopping to walk but I’m DOING IT! I feel good. I notice myself smiling and wonder if it’s that runner’s high you hear about? Actually I just think it’s the fact that I’m running in the cold rain looking at those driving by looking at me in my mind shaking their head probably wondering…what in the world is he doing? I look at my watch and it hits 8. All I can think about is the IMTX run course. It’s a 3 loop run so a little less than 9 miles each loop. I want to run to 9 miles or one IMTX loop before stopping. Finally, I reach that goal so decided to walk a bit. Now with the not so good weather we’ve had lately, I’ve done more running on the treadmill so also practice walking faster. My normal walk is more like a glide I guess as Jen always comments how slow I walk. I just tell her that’s my strut but I digress. Well, I tried to keep my walk pace up once I started walking. I could feel my right hip and of course my knees starting to get sore. It was a bit odd to me though. I found that when I was walking, I walked with an obvious limp more than when I was running so I started running again winding my way down cul-de-sacs in order to get my miles in before starting back on main loop. I realize how much I love this cool rain because this has helped me during my run keeping my body temperature and HR down. I know this won’t be the case come May, at least not in Texas but I’m enjoying it now. I’m soaked but since I do have extra body insulation, I’m fairly warm. Everything is going about as expected as I splash through puddles in my Hoka Cliftons and then suddenly a sharp pain on my lower right side. What in the world is that? My appendix? Things were going too well so I initially think the worse. I slow down to rub…whew. Not my appendix but rather just a blister from my shorts. I’m not sure why it took me so long to feel it or maybe my sweat finally reached that area but it definitely stung but I push on. I’m on the home stretch mixing in some 1 minute walks then I decide I need to finish strong when suddenly in the distance I can see Jen running toward me. Mimi and Grandpa Eugene came out to see Talon’s baseball game that had since been cancelled while I was running so they stayed with the boys so she could check on me. Now I’m not really sure why or rather I know why but I was caught off guard because I got a little emotional when I saw her running toward me. She has never run 13.1 either and I knew she wanted to run with me but sacrificed when turning back with the boys almost 3 hours ago. Also, I was going to do it. I was about to run my first unofficial half marathon. I ran 9 miles without stopping when this time last year, I hadn’t been released to run by the doctors outside of my weekly PT sessions. Last April, I couldn’t run a quarter mile before stopping to walk and now I ran 9 and about to finish 13.1. She reaches me with her thumbs up saying, “You’re doing awesome” to which I could only nod my head for the lump in my throat kept me from speaking. I think she knew it too because she got quiet and just kept jogging next to me at my pace. WE ran until my Garmin read 13.11 and then stopped to walk the quarter mile home. She says, “You did it. You just ran a half marathon.” It was still hard to talk and I get teary eyed reliving the moment. She was right…I DID IT! WE did it because I couldn’t have done it without my support crew.
Post Run
I was tired but excited. My mom and the boys were excited too. I had my post workout Aftershock chocolate milk protein drink then a nice hot shower to recover but enjoyed the rest of the day with the family grilling after the rain stopped then lighting the fire pit helping the boys make their s’mores after dinner. I couldn’t wait to upload my data so my coach could see. She sent me an email also congratulating me and as I told her…”I know it was slow but it was huge for me especially mentally. I defeated some demons so was very excited. I know weather conditions won’t be the same come May but this breakthrough will stay with me.”
