The Return is finally here

But the virtues we get by first exercising them, as also happens in the case of the arts as well. For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them, e.g., men become builders by building and lyreplayers by playing the lyre; so too we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.

-Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

I entered law school; unconquerable. I worked full-time, helped my parents out and commuted 120 miles 4 days a week all the while reading the law books at night and maintaining a relationship. When reality set in after a year and half the grind was too much. I had to stop. Physically and mentally I was a wreck. The day came and I admitted this battle was lost but swore to keep fighting.

I am set to start my law degree in the fall 2012. I have worked very hard to prepare for this return after a less than graceful break. It is exciting to actually have a support system that understands the grind and is committed to being there for the long haul. I never gave my family and close friends enough credit for all they do for me. All of them continuously surprise me. Friends I see every few months are always stepping up when I need them. Family members whom I have little in common with trust me enough to ask questions about getting healthy and turning things around. Heck my first 50 mile attempt even included T-shirts with my mug on the front.  

I was a much different person a few years ago. There was eternal preparation but never any action. It was a combination of circumstance and gut instinct that kept me from pulling the trigger on a few things. Something inside always said, "this is not right...this is not you." I felt like a third person was living my life and the real me was off on vacation. It was a profoundly depressing realization. Not wanting to be part of your own life and being content with others choosing for you sucks. The result: stress, poor health, pessimism and a perennial chip on my shoulder.

What changed? acting rather than preparing.

My life and attitude did a 180. I started smiling more and being 40-50 lbs lighter with better overall health helps a lot with the attitude. Believe it or not I am happy to deal with aches and pains from moving too much rather than from moving too little. 

It is not easy to get out of your shell and "do." It is scary and often times you will be met with criticism and even cynicism from those you love the most. DO NOT LET THEM STOP YOU. When others make choices for you; life stops and dying starts. My change in attitude has had a ripple effect. I discovered that positive people have stuck around and the negative people faded into the background. They don't do this on purpose; we just see the world differently. My core group of friends, the ones who were there at my bottom, remain the same. The major difference is that acquaintances are now people I meet through fitness rather than tequila shots. 

It is going to be difficult and stressful but beautiful. Beautiful because I worked very hard to get back and I am doing it for the right reason: me. I am no longer only achieving for others. Riding pine is over and up at the plate I am not going to look at a called strike three. 

If you do not believe, they never will.

2012 OC Marathon Race Report

Introduction

Over the last few months my training has been more consistent and I have focused a lot more on recovery. A week ago I quit on a hill repeat workout and my total distance that day was 1.1 miles. The soreness in my calf made it ludicrous to attempt to complete the workout. The tweaks I was feeling dictated my race strategy for this one, aka Billy Badass. I decided to run hard with good form and hope I did not burn out to badly in the end and just see what happens. 

Equipment

Garmin 910XT (setting only on the time – no other windows b/c i did not want to scare myself with the pacing)

Headsweats Visor

Oakley Zero Glasses

Pearl Izumi Sun Sleeves

iPod Shuffle (Current Fav Song: “We are Young” by FUN)

Asics Shorts (picked these b/c they have extra storage for the gels – and they matched my grey attire)

Green Layer Tech Tee (Altra Zero Drop/PRSFit Racing Team) – yes…grey…It’s the only place I try to match

Drymax HyperThin Socks

Altra Instinct (Review)

Gels – Hammer (easy to consume and can take w/ little or no water), GU (Vanilla Bean)/ Clif Shots (Citrus) – these were back up Gels - carried them b/c they have caffeine, I expected to bonk b/c of my race strategy thus I expected them to come in handy

Electrolytes – Gatorade/ H2O at Aid Stations / Salt Stick Caps

GARMIN DATA LINK

Race Start

This race is a point to point race with an early start time for the marathoners (5:30 AM). The field was also small, 1,825 finishers, which made setting a good pace from the start easy since you were not rubbing elbows for the first few miles. I arrived at the finish line at 3:45 AM in order to drop off my car and then be shuttled to the start line. I was probably a tad early but I wanted to make sure that I did not end up on a late shuttle and that I gave myself enough time to use the bathroom and loosen up before the effort. 

Miles 1 - 13.1

I ran with the 3:45 pace group for the first 4 miles. I knew I was not going to be able to hold that pace but I figured that I would “bank” time and hope. Disclosure: I made beginners “mistake” and wore new shoes on race day. This was a conscious decision and I do not regret it. I know that every list of do not do’s says “nothing new on race day.” I have been running in Altra Running shoes for months and I trust in their products (Instinct Review) so I was not worried about the performance or feel of the shoes.

All that being said the only thing I forgot to account is lacing. On the trails I prefer very loosely fitting shoes and on the road I tighten them up. Most runners make no distinction for the terrain but I am weird therefore I do. I stopped 3 or 4 times in the first 8 miles to readjust. The final stop I saw the 4:00 pace group running by as I fiddled with my laces. I panicked slightly and decided to just go trail mode on my laces. I loosened them up for the last time and ran that pace group down. The timing for that little chase could not have been more perfect. There was a gradual downhill that let me catch and pass while not exerting too much effort. By the half mary mark I recovered my place in the field right around the 3:50 pace just ahead of the 3:55 pacers. 

Miles 13.1 – 25 

The second half of this marathon was a gradual realization I could hold on rather than burn out. Since the running illness got me I tend not to run 8-ish pace after the 12 mile mark. You can imagine my surprise that the miles kept ticking and the pace alerts kept telling me otherwise. I did not feel overexertion and I kept my form relatively quiet with legs tired but turning over.

Mile 20 the garmin shows I was slightly under 3 hours. If I had it in me to run a 10k in under an hour I would break 4. At this point I decided to go for it. All day I had been exchanging position with another runner. I will call her IW (IronWoman) because she had Ironman gear on. Due to the rolling course I caught her on slight downhill stretches and then she would pull away on slight up hills. The furthest she got away from me was about 300 yards. I settled into a rhythm matching her pace after we left the Santa Ana River bike trail around mile 21. I arrived at the mile 23 water station and saw she had stopped and was hydrating. I felt good and decided to try and just get some time on her so blew by. I did not have a chance to turn and peek when I felt her off my right shoulder. I could feel her drafting off me then subsequently I would draft off her when she pulled ahead. IW and I kept changing places in the last few miles and were passing runners as we went. For those familiar with cycling we were pretty much running an echelon. I would move ahead and she got off my shoulder slightly to a side. Whenever I dropped the pace she would pick it up and I would draft of her shoulder. We must have passed a few dozen runners during this stretch.

Mile 25 - 26.2

How well was the echelon/drafting working? Mile 24 - 8:50, mile 25 - 8:27, mile 26 - 8:16, .2 - 6:17 pace. When I made the left turn off the street into the fairgrounds I accelerated. She picked it right up and was not giving me a thing. I gave a second burst and broke free from IW and passed another male runner with about 40 yards to go. IW and I had worked so hard together and against each other to run people down I thought it would be weak sauce not to give it 110%. All of a sudden the guy I just passed suddenly passed me back with 30 yards to go. I heard the announcer saying something to the effect of now we have a race. He was maybe a yard ahead of me I went into chase mode and just left it all out there. I got up to a 5:03 pace and beat him by about 30 feet. 

Right when I finished I turned around to cheer for him and congratulate him on the effort. He smiled at me saying “that was fun” and gave a high five. I thanked him for the boost at the end and he gave me a bro hug. A sweaty gross one but I am not leaving a runner hanging especially not after the effort we just threw down. I also found IW and thanked her for the pick up at mile 24. I let her know I was chasing her for a while. She said she knew since we were changing places all day and thanked me for pushing her along. I let her know I appreciated pace setting. (IW actually beat me by 00:00:03 because of the difference with the gun time-she earned it for sure)

Conclusion

15 Minute PR with an Official Time of 3:50:03. Those Garmin's sure are accurate.

Overall: 372 / 1848
Male: 285 / 1140
M 25-29: 32/129
Time: 3:50:03

PR’s and The Importance of Rest

The month of April was my best racing month ever. I shaved almost an hour off my Los Angeles Marathon Time 4:56:28 (2011) vs. 4:05:19 (2012) and two hours off my 50 mile PR 11:37:53 (Rock’n River) vs. 9:31:46 (AR50). I got my Western States qualifier and finally felt like I raced rather than just surviving the distances. Lately, I have been feeling the effects of sleeplessness and stress. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions regarding work, family and potentially a return to school. Knowing that I am stressed out I decided to look back at my “best” month to find clues that would help me get back on track.

Considering I raced a marathon and a 50 miler; April was very low mileage. I logged 128 miles for the month. Throughout the training log for April the pattern that emerged was my conscious effort to rest and recover. By no means did I lag during the month or not put out the effort. My training dictated recovery runs and focused workouts to stay strong rather that just adding more miles to the total. Coach Jeff gave set up a tough schedule to assure I maintained peak fitness for my races but not overbearing to the point of burn out. Having a coach that is cognizant of the athlete and the person was vital for April being so successful.

So how do I apply this to my life outside of training? Simple answer: I need to sleep on time and take care of business. There is plenty of data focusing on the importance of sleep for performance and general health. Here are some links:

Running Times: Owner's Manual: Sleep Your Way to a PR The importance of sleep

WebMD: Sleep Like an Olympian

Competitor – (video) Recovery and The Importance of Sleep 

Many of us newer to the running scene and even the veterans will get carried away by unexpected results and immediately set new loftier goals. I often forget that training is meant to make my body stronger and healthier not simply to become a PR machine. This battle to stay in the present is something I fight with all the time. I want to recall and live by my past success and push forward to the next race, but the fact is I live and train now. It is a hard pill to swallow to know that every training run is not going to be a PR, every week is not going to be more miles…there will be bad days. Now that the rest is slipping away I find myself struggling to keep my same enthusiasm and getting out the door is hard again. So what to do? Focus on recovering and remember that training is training and racing is racing. Leave PRs for race day and get out the door, because in both life and training getting out the door is a victory. 

SoCal Ragnar Relay 2012

A “Ragnar” race is a 200 mile relay race that teams of 12 or 6 (ultra) cover over two days. The relay is meant to have all runners regardless of ability participate in an endurance event that not only tests your legs but also highlights the incredible sense of community that runners have with one another. The teams are released in waves so faster teams start later and hopefully most teams finish around the same time. Team vans are decorated, there are some very suspect costume choices but everyone is excited and having a blast.

Runner #5

I have never participated in a relay race and most of my races are of the solo variety with the exception of ultra marathons where I may have a crew. I am relatively new to ultras so having a crew has been my saving grace on many occasions. When I do not want to take another step they provide not only physical but emotional support in the inevitable dark moments; without them I would have been toast.

This race shares a similar dynamic crew/support and a runner with the exception that we all rotate and shift our roles. In addition to cheering your runner there are over 500 other teams doing the same so it quickly becomes a love fest all the way around. You cheer for others and they cheer for you.

The course was from Huntington Beach, out to Corona and Lake Elsinore then through the 78 to Carlsbad and down to Coronado. Looking at my 3 legs I figured it would be good training and just a pleasant experience, but it ended up being so much more. Well here is the break down…my only goal for the event was not to get passed and to be the best crew/teammate I could be for the runners and other participants around me. So here it is.

Essential Equipment

Shorts: NorthFace Cardiac (used in Calico 30k (Report) and LA26.2 / Patagonia Long Haulers – my std short nowadays, it is short but the 80s retro style works for me.

Jacket: NF Better than Naked Jacket (used on second leg at night, perfect to not overheat and block the mist) / NF Torpedo (between legs to stay warm)

Headlamp: Black Diamond Sprinter – the race requires a red blinker light so this light was perfect

Hydration: Ultimate Direction Handhelds (Review)

Accessories: Garmin 310XT (battery life ensured I could capture every leg and keep splits), Headsweats Visor, Oakley Radar Glasses, Pearl Izumi Sun Sleeves/Moeben Arm Warmers – when it gets hot soak them and reduce that core temp, when cold they cut the wind and let you keep light yet warm.

Leg #1 – 2.59 miles – 9:56 avg pace

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/170457454

This was a short 2.5 leg and the stop lights killed me. I met the team 10 minutes before I had to start running up the hill. There were a few false summits so I would commit some energy only to find that I had to keep climbing. I felt really good on the downhill and was able to keep my legs turning despite having expended a little too much on the uphill.

I caught a few runners on the way up and almost got caught myself, beating the pursuer by 150/200 yards. I felt weird repeating my mantra… “catch the tutu, catch the tutu” but at Ragnar I guess that is normal.

a lot of teams were counting how many people they passed, i.e. "kills" or "roadkills" we simply ran to have fun, passed and got passed but loved every minute of it

Leg #2 – 5.81 Miles – 7:43 avg pace

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/170457457

I felt like a wimp before this leg. It started at 1:46 AM; I was exhausted and really not in the mood to run. My body wanted to shut down. This is when I realized how much crewing/supporting was taking out of me. Supporting other runners was mentally taxing and around 10 pm I just focused on napping in the van and hydrating. It felt so much easier to run than it did to support because making sure your runner is good you quickly forget to take care of yourself. Literally 20 minutes before I was supposed to run I was scrambling to get motivated, I threw down some NOS (energy drink) and a snickers bar from an AM/PM…I could just not get out of the funk. When I saw John 20 yards from the exchange after trekking through the night it was all the motivation I needed. It was pretty much a wake up slap to know the team is counting on you and everyone was cranking out amazing efforts given the conditions I had no right to complain. (note: I still complained a little, mea culpa)

This leg was a blessing, a nice downhill run in the dark. I could not see too far ahead of me so instead of running on the side of the road I ventured towards the middle until I saw a car coming then I would head back to the side. The first few minutes I felt weak and just not in sync, my body did not want to push out the miles at that hour. At mile 2-ish I saw the team van pass honking and cheering and it was an adrenaline rush. I was 20 yards behind another runner and just blazed right past them. I then focused on catching the next blinking red light…next thing I knew I cranked out a 23 min 5k and at the end avg 7:43 pace with a best pace of 5:03.

Runner 6 – Hill – 2.51 miles – 11:59 avg pace

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/170457465

In the car prior to my leg Anh agreed to let me pace her up the hill at the start of her leg. The hill was not only intimidating because of its length, 2.5 miles, but also at night you just never know when it would end. At the exchange I gave her the slap bracelet and we both took off into the night. This was my favorite part of the race hands down. 

I told her that we would break down the hill into manageable sections. My concern was that sitting in the car for a while then attempting to get too much out of our sore legs would blow out the calves and make running tougher that it had to be. We worked up the hill together. In the first 25% of the hill we were passed by a few eager runners and it took a lot of humility to pause and hike sections when the van was passing by, but it paid dividends. We passed all those runners about 75% up the hill and still had energy to spare. At the top we actually asked a volunteer if we had already finished the hill since Anh still had a huge smile and was still able to run while others were barely walking.

Leg #3 – 7.48 miles – 8:44 avg pace

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/170457475

At the start of this leg I saw someone at the exchange wearing Hoka’s (big moon shoes) and said hi and asked how she liked them. When she turned to talk to me and I recognized her from Daily Mile it was Diana (link). So cool to meet up with someone who I only “know” virtually. This report is getting long so I will be brief. I decided to lay it down on this one and do whatever I had left in the tank. I overheated a little and was soaking myself with cold water quite a bit. The van was a huge help on this one, they would leap frog me every few miles and I would just pour water over myself, it was heaven. I never got passed and caught a few runners on the uphill and even gave another runner most of the salt caps I had since he was cramping.

Finish

In summary we drank beer (thank you Stone Brewery) and I made a new friends. This report would be way too long if I went into all the details so I limited it to the legs I ran. But Charlie, Nicolette, Jerry, John, Anh are amazing individuals. Second leg, Jerry set the tone and ran with the setting sun in Lake Elsinore. John’s second leg really just set me up and inspired me to perform way above what I thought I could and Anh just crushed hills and smiled the whole way. Charlie’s third leg was brutal when he faced some false summits and an uphill finish. Nicolette on her third leg worked cramps and finished strong running along the beach.  The other van (6 per van) were just as inspiring dealing with temps in the high 90s through Corona and finishing up in Coronado smiling and happy. I really hope that I get invited back to participate with this group in the future. They are a balanced bunch that smiles a lot and stays happy and that’s really what it’s all about. 

Team Picture after 200+ miles