Lessons from Chicago

One of the reasons I love running, particularly marathon running, is because it allows me to have a different experience every time I step to the start line. I didn’t have my best performance in Chicago yesterday but I learned a lot in the race.  The conditions for marathon running were not ideal, but am not going to blame the weather for my results. After all, the conditions in Traverse City were very similar to those in Chicago yesterday and I still managed to put together a very solid run. To be honest, I knew that my body was not the same as it was last May. My mind, probably, was also a bit weaker. I ran a very solid first half yesterday. I felt strong and thought I had enough to run a good time. But I began to slow down after the 30k mark. I noticed that I was slowing down and that every mile was more and more difficult to run under a 7:30 minute pace. I ran the worst last 5 k partial since Zurich in 2009.

Yes, running in the heat definitely affected my performance. But the reality is that the majority of my tempo and long runs for this marathon were slower than in my previous training cycle. My time yesterday is not a coincidence. It reflects how I trained during the summer. I think the main problem is that I didn’t rest enough after running in Traverse City. The reality is that my body needed a longer break after qualifying for Boston.  The main lesson from yesterday's race is that I need to fully recover in between my marathons if I want to run solid races every time I step to the line. In addition, I learned  that my heart is bigger than what I thought it was. The last few miles of yesterday’s race were a real struggle, but I battled and finish the race in good spirits. Two years ago, I just gave up and started walking when my legs cramped up. Yesterday, I kept pushing thinking that it was the end of a very productive 18 months of training. I slowed down, but I kept fighting. This confirms that I am a different runner and that a breakthrough performance is around the corner.  

I am not going to lie, after I finish the Chicago marathon yesterday, I questioned myself whether I am cut out to be a marathon runner several times. I was a mixed bag of emotions, to say the least. I lacked a spark in the last 2-3 miles of the marathon and I was not happy with that. But the answer to that question is: YES, I am cut out to be a marathon runner. I love marathon running because I can take my mind and body to places I have never imagined I could. Every marathon is different and I never know how my body and mind are going to respond that day. I love it because I enjoy travelling to different cities and countries, and meeting fellow runners from all over the world. I love it because my training allows me to disconnect myself from the world for a several minutes every day. It allows me to challenge myself day in and day out.  I am not going to stop here. Rather, I am going to make a few adjustments to my training plan and seek advice from more experienced runners. I believe that am on the brink of running an outstanding marathon and a less than ideal race is not going to stop me from doing that. I am going to recover fully from Chicago and I am going to come back stronger than ever.  Believe me, if I can run a 3:22 in a deadly hot weather, I can run a sub 3:10 marathon in ideal conditions!

More thoughts to come soon!

Relaxed before Chicago

Well, my dreams of running the 26+ miles of the Chicago marathon in a cool weather have vanished!  The forecast suggests that, once again, I will have to run a marathon in a less than ideal weather. But I remain confident about my chances of running a good race in chicago. I will try to run with the 3:10 group as many miles as possible. I think the conditions will be very similar to those in Traverse City and my experience in that race might be very valuable this time. I ran a very conservative first half and my time reflected that in the end. I do not regret my strategy because I qualified to Boston, but I think I can be a little bit more aggresive this time. I need to be more aggresive!

The Chicago marathon will mark the end of a very long training period. I just hope my legs can go 26 more miles without any problem. I am mentally prepared for the race. I will try to update the blog from Chicago.  I am eating well and drinking fluids like crazy. I will need them on Sunday!

Loose as a goose

The days leading to any big race are intense. There is nothing one can do to improve his/her overall shape, but these days are a great opportunity to prepare mentally for the big challenge that lies ahead.  These days, I find myself gaining confidence by the hour. Yet I know that a 26 mile race cannot define my progression in the past 18 months. Running is a fundamental part of my life since 25 years ago. But I never took running seriously until after I failed in the 2008 Chicago Marathon. I trained a lot for that race but I my workouts lacked intensity as they did before. No surprise, my legs felt fine until mile 21. But they couldn't finish the race strong. I went to Chicago with the idea of runninf a sub 4 hour marathon and, once again, I failed. The struggle of the last 4-5 miles changed my running life substantially. I understood that liking running was not enough to complete 26 miles in style. I understood that I needed to change my training and my mentality if I wanted to be more than an average runner. Two years later, I am a completely different runner. Indeed I am not a marathon runner anymore, I am Boston Qualifier. Those are two very different things. Two years after my collapse in China Town, I am thinking about running a sub 3:15 marathon. I trained hard and the weather forecest is decent. As long as humidity does not show up, I am going to be fine. I will try to go fast but I also want to enjoy the course and the crowd.

I did a very good workout today. I can easily go from 8 min/mile to 7 min/mile and that gives me confidence. I also had a massage this afternoon. The therapist didn't find anything bad in my legs so am good to go. I am off tomorrow. It's now time to eat potatoes and steak... pure protein!  Good night!

Marathon Week

It’s marathon week!  So it is time to relax and enjoy the last few days of another training cycle. I find myself envisioning my own future and reflecting on all the training that I have done in the past 5 months. I watched “Spirit of the Marathon” yesterday morning. Paula Radcliff (one of my favorite runners) accurately says in the movie that anything can happen when one runs 26+ miles. Hopefully, good things will happen in Chicago this Sunday. I have trained hard and am ready to run my best marathon. But, no matter what happens in Chicago, I will still be thankful for the opportunity to be running after 25 years. I still remember the day that I went out and ran for the first time. It was in June, 1986. That day, I never imagined that I was going to be here ready to run my 13^th marathon.  I need to be thankful to all the people that have made this ride much more enjoyable. Having qualified for Boston back in May gives me luxury to be more aggressive and chase faster times in Chicago.  The plan is to improve my previous PR. I will be aggressive but careful. I will let the pacers do their job until mile 18-19. I will tag behind the pacers and run a relaxed pace for as many miles as possible.  I know that faster marathons are always run with negative splits so I need to save energy in order to run fast in the last 6 miles.

My training has been good in the past 2 weeks.  My legs feel fresh and my endurance is very good. The marathon pace runs have been good and that boosts my confidence about running a good race. I ran 4.75 miles today. Tomorrow morning am doing 7 miles (2 easy, 3 marathon pace, 2 easy). I have scheduled a massage for tomorrow afternoon. Wednesday will be a rest day and I will do some short intervals on Th.  Friday is off. The day before the marathon am doing 2 miles in Chicago.  

Thanks for reading!

My speed...

I have been uncertain about my speed for a long time. I thought my times were worse than those I was running before the Traverse City Marathon. So yesterday I compared my workouts and found out that am not very far from where I was 2 weeks before my last marathon.  For instance, the 13-mile marathon pace run of last Saturday was only 72 seconds slower than my run in early May. However, this time I ran in a more challenging course with very slow surface. Yesterday, I did a 12-mile run and I was almost 4 minutes faster than in the same run back in May. This means that am not as slow as I thought. Indeed, I think I can get faster if I recover well and my nutrition and hydration are good before 10-10-10. After all, I run marathons because I love running and not because am a professional. So am going to have fun on 10-10-10. It is going to be cool in Chicago, this could help my performance and I need to be extremely careful in the next few days. I am going to go for it, but am also going to enjoy it.  More updates soon…

11 days til 10/10/10

I will run in Chicago in less than 2 weeks.  It has been a difficult summer but I managed to put together a very solid training. My endurance is very good. I am not sure what my real speed is... hot and humid weather prevents me from having a clear idea of my speed.  The weather forecast for 10/10/10 is great.  I have been dreaming about running in a cool and dry weather for a long time. Well, it looks like I will be running in great conditions... finally!  So am going to run a smart race. The success or failure in this marathon is conditional on my race strategy. I need to run at a constant pace for 18-19 miles and am going to do that. I will use my last marathon pace runs to determine the pace am going to try. My guess is that I have enough gas in the tank to run a 7:15 pace for 19 miles. I need to be extremely careful with my pace because 'the line' between success or failure when one runs at that pace is very thin. I feel good and am going to enjoy.  I have trained with discipline and drive. The long distance training is done. It's time to adjust the final details.  I will try to update this blog more frequently between now and marathon day... A break in training gives me more time to do other things!
Cheers.

3 1/2 weeks til 10/10/10

Ok, it is almost time to start packing for Chicago!  The training this time has not been very smooth but I still believe in my chances of running a good marathon on 10/10/10.  I endured an incredibly hot and summer weather, a cold, and some other minor injuries.  There is very little I can do from now until 10/10/10 to imporve my shape.  I can, however, be smart enought as to minimize my chances of getting injured and/or sick.  I have been training intensely for almost 18 months.  I look forward to taking some days off after Chicago and recover 100% to start my preparation toward Boston.

My training has been solid.  If I remain injury free and the weather is nice, I will go fast.  The main objective of this season was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I did it already.  My main objective in Chicago is to go as fast as possible and to enjoy as much as possible. When you train to run a BQ time, you tend to forget why you love running so much. The stress and intensiy associated with the training schedule do not allow you to enjoy and to be thankful for the many pleasures that running brings into your life. You become a prisioner of the clock. Running in Boston in one of the best accomplishments in your running life but it cannot be the last one. 

I planned my season to run a BQ time in Chicago. But my training went so well that I qualified for Boston 5 months before. So I had to adjust my goals and training. I had to regroup and gain the pleasure for running again.  I also had to recover from a very demanding training regime and a very difficult race in Traverse City.  I don't have to run a specific time in Chicago, I just want to run fast.  I want to get to mile 19 feeling strong. In my experience, the ability to pace yourself well in the first 9-10 miles of the marathon is what separates an average from a good marathon runner. It is that (and, of course, a good training regime) what gives you the energy to be phically and mentally able to run strong in the last 7-8 miles of the race. This is what drives my training now. I think I have trained to do this in Chicago.

I have had 2 weeks of solid training.  Last Saturday, I went to Winona Lake where I ran a half marathon. I felt strong all the way. The race lacked organization but I still managed to put together a very solid run that will certainly help in 3 weeks. I did the last long tempo session yesterday. A 2x3 mile + 30 easy minutes. My legs felt ok, not completely fresh but this is normal after doing a hard session on Saturday.

I have 2 easy runs on Th and Fr and a monstruos 21 miler on Sat with the 3 final miles @ marathon pace.  I will try to enjoy it!

Cheers!