So I actually woke up at 5:50 AM this morning, sat in bed for about 20 minutes and then came to the realization that one of several things must happen for me to actually get up early:
1.) It has to be work-related (i.e. I will get fired or not paid if I don’t get up)
2.) It has to be vacation related (i.e. I will miss my flight/train if I don’t get up)
3.) There must be fewer than 2 obstacles between bed and my activity (i.e. shower, dressing, walking to said activity exceeds this limit by one)
4.) The sun has to be expected to be up within 45 minutes.
This morning, none of those criteria were met. Running is the opposite of work-related and I wasn’t flying off to Maui to run a race on the beach, so that nixed 1 and 2. The sun wasn’t supposed to rise until about 7 AM, so number 4 was out. Number 3 was close. All I had to do was get dressed and go outside either to the gym or just on the streets of lovely Baltimore. I would classify that as 2 obstacles. The third, of course, is the fact tat Baltimore is a terrible city to run in. There are not that many places close to downtown to run through.
In other words, I’ll be going to the gym tonight after work. This is going to be more difficult than I anticipated. Maybe I’ll get up tomorrow morning. I know it’d be better if I got up in the morning, I wish there was some way to translate that knowledge the night before to my brain at 6 AM.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Baltimore Running Festival Race Report and Reflections
So, after many weeks of running and trying to get to a point in my endurance where I could run 3.1 miles in a respectable pace, I have reached two conclusions:
1.) I have reached said point in my running
2.) I need to move on to the next level of running longer, faster and smarter
Annie and I went to the Health and Fitness Expo on Friday night after work, where I got three running shirts (two short sleeved for $10 each and one ¾ length sleeved for $15) and a pair of running shorts. However, by the time we walked back from the stadium, it was almost 9 and I hadn’t eaten yet. So I ate some leftover pasta, a bowl of cereal and a big cinnamon bun with the last of my milk (trying to get rid of it before we left the next day). Needless to say my stomach was not too happy with that and I had to take some serious Pepto Bismol before going to bed. It didn’t keep me up throughout the night, but it wasn’t what I should have eaten the night before a race, even if it was just a 5K.
Saturday morning I woke up and got dressed. It was cold out, but I didn’t want to wear my long sleeve shirt. I was bent on wearing my awesome Run to Cooperstown 5K shirt that I had waited two months to get. So I threw my long sleeve in my bag just in case. After going to Starbucks to get Annie some coffee to wake up (it was just after 7 AM), we walked down to the festival, which was between M&T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards. We got a great front row spot for the beginning of the marathon, which was set to begin at 8:00. It was awesome to see all the people who were running, from the elites down to the 5 hour plus pacers. I can’t wait to get to that point where I can run a marathon!
After the marathon started, I left Annie and did a quick warm up of some jogging and stretching so I was somewhat loose and hot for the beginning. There were almost 1800 people running the 5K, which was by far the biggest race I’ve run in to date. I crossed the starting line slowly and I think Annie got a really good picture of me (I haven’t looked at them yet…probably do that tonight) before heading off. I forgot to start my watch at the starting line, so I started it about a minute late. The first mile was uphill most of the way, so I kept it nice and slow because I remember burning myself out running up a hill at the Run to Cooperstown back in July. The first part of the race went through a sketchy part of Baltimore and more than one homeless person was cheering the runners on, which I thought showed a surprisingly good side of Baltimore. Not good as in “in Baltimore our homeless population serves as a built in cheering section” but that noone was being rude or interfering. I don’t know, maybe that’s insensitive but poverty is a big part of Baltimore city, unfortunately, so I liked that the course didn’t just stay in the “prettier” neighborhoods. One guy was out cheering and yelling, “Keep going! Run! It makes you happy!” which I thought was funny and awesome at the same time. When you think about it, that statement is completely true if you’re crazy enough to run for the hell of it.
Anyway, the course turned 180 degrees and headed back downtown towards Camden Yards, and was mostly downhill. We ran down Eutaw Street and then through Camden Yards (very cool), along the spine of what used to be Eutaw Street to the finish line in front of M&T Bank stadium. I was running fine the entire way and only got tired as I reached Camden Yards. I made sure to remember to keep my head up as I crossed the finish line for the photos. My watch said I finished in 25:52, however with the extra minute, I was hoping that I broke 27 minutes…my chip time was EXACTLY 27:00.
I’m not sure how I feel about that time. On the one hand, I cut another 17 seconds off my old PR from the Bay Café, which was a faster course anyway. If I had run Saturday’s race on the Bay Café course, I would have had a better time, I think. However, it was not as good as I would have liked, nor as good as I think I am capable of. I was really hoping to get into the 26-minute range. This is where my desire to run smarter comes into the picture.
Physically, I think I can someday get down below a 7 minute mile with the proper training and time and dedication. However, to get there will require becoming a more intelligent and ambitious runner. Throughout the race on Saturday, I was overly concerned about feeling tired and exhausted before the end. Then when the end came, I wasn’t able to push as hard as I wanted, and lost precious seconds. As soon as I stopped running, I felt fine and actually was ready to keep running, which is a bad way to race. I should have been totally spent at mile 3.1. To successfully run future races of longer distances will require better mental preparation and a better understanding of my pacing. The former can be done by simply analyzing the course ahead of time using Map My Run and other tools to get a handle on elevation, surroundings, etc. The latter can be helped with the use of a Garmin or other device to better monitor my pacing.
So, Baltimore was really a lot of fun and while I didn’t run as well as I could have, I think there are some valuable lessons to be learned. I’m going to run at least one race in November, probably two, and will really seek to run smarter in both events.
On another note, I think I am going to begin not only running in the morning, but also outside as well. I know I’ve said this about 56 times and have done it like never, but running outside is so much better than doing it on a treadmill. Moreover, doing it in the morning gives you the street to yourself and makes it a quieter run. As the weather gets colder, I’ll have to probably run outside a few days a week and then do the treadmill the rest of the time. But it’s something that I think has to be done to start the long training process for the National Half Marathon in March. Plus it’ll free up my evenings as well.
In conclusion, Baltimore was awesome and, if it doesn’t interfere with the wedding next year, I will be running the full 26.2 miles by then. In the meantime, my first Baltimore Running Festival experience has given me lots to work on in my running an racing techniques.
1.) I have reached said point in my running
2.) I need to move on to the next level of running longer, faster and smarter
Annie and I went to the Health and Fitness Expo on Friday night after work, where I got three running shirts (two short sleeved for $10 each and one ¾ length sleeved for $15) and a pair of running shorts. However, by the time we walked back from the stadium, it was almost 9 and I hadn’t eaten yet. So I ate some leftover pasta, a bowl of cereal and a big cinnamon bun with the last of my milk (trying to get rid of it before we left the next day). Needless to say my stomach was not too happy with that and I had to take some serious Pepto Bismol before going to bed. It didn’t keep me up throughout the night, but it wasn’t what I should have eaten the night before a race, even if it was just a 5K.
Saturday morning I woke up and got dressed. It was cold out, but I didn’t want to wear my long sleeve shirt. I was bent on wearing my awesome Run to Cooperstown 5K shirt that I had waited two months to get. So I threw my long sleeve in my bag just in case. After going to Starbucks to get Annie some coffee to wake up (it was just after 7 AM), we walked down to the festival, which was between M&T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards. We got a great front row spot for the beginning of the marathon, which was set to begin at 8:00. It was awesome to see all the people who were running, from the elites down to the 5 hour plus pacers. I can’t wait to get to that point where I can run a marathon!
After the marathon started, I left Annie and did a quick warm up of some jogging and stretching so I was somewhat loose and hot for the beginning. There were almost 1800 people running the 5K, which was by far the biggest race I’ve run in to date. I crossed the starting line slowly and I think Annie got a really good picture of me (I haven’t looked at them yet…probably do that tonight) before heading off. I forgot to start my watch at the starting line, so I started it about a minute late. The first mile was uphill most of the way, so I kept it nice and slow because I remember burning myself out running up a hill at the Run to Cooperstown back in July. The first part of the race went through a sketchy part of Baltimore and more than one homeless person was cheering the runners on, which I thought showed a surprisingly good side of Baltimore. Not good as in “in Baltimore our homeless population serves as a built in cheering section” but that noone was being rude or interfering. I don’t know, maybe that’s insensitive but poverty is a big part of Baltimore city, unfortunately, so I liked that the course didn’t just stay in the “prettier” neighborhoods. One guy was out cheering and yelling, “Keep going! Run! It makes you happy!” which I thought was funny and awesome at the same time. When you think about it, that statement is completely true if you’re crazy enough to run for the hell of it.
Anyway, the course turned 180 degrees and headed back downtown towards Camden Yards, and was mostly downhill. We ran down Eutaw Street and then through Camden Yards (very cool), along the spine of what used to be Eutaw Street to the finish line in front of M&T Bank stadium. I was running fine the entire way and only got tired as I reached Camden Yards. I made sure to remember to keep my head up as I crossed the finish line for the photos. My watch said I finished in 25:52, however with the extra minute, I was hoping that I broke 27 minutes…my chip time was EXACTLY 27:00.
I’m not sure how I feel about that time. On the one hand, I cut another 17 seconds off my old PR from the Bay Café, which was a faster course anyway. If I had run Saturday’s race on the Bay Café course, I would have had a better time, I think. However, it was not as good as I would have liked, nor as good as I think I am capable of. I was really hoping to get into the 26-minute range. This is where my desire to run smarter comes into the picture.
Physically, I think I can someday get down below a 7 minute mile with the proper training and time and dedication. However, to get there will require becoming a more intelligent and ambitious runner. Throughout the race on Saturday, I was overly concerned about feeling tired and exhausted before the end. Then when the end came, I wasn’t able to push as hard as I wanted, and lost precious seconds. As soon as I stopped running, I felt fine and actually was ready to keep running, which is a bad way to race. I should have been totally spent at mile 3.1. To successfully run future races of longer distances will require better mental preparation and a better understanding of my pacing. The former can be done by simply analyzing the course ahead of time using Map My Run and other tools to get a handle on elevation, surroundings, etc. The latter can be helped with the use of a Garmin or other device to better monitor my pacing.
So, Baltimore was really a lot of fun and while I didn’t run as well as I could have, I think there are some valuable lessons to be learned. I’m going to run at least one race in November, probably two, and will really seek to run smarter in both events.
On another note, I think I am going to begin not only running in the morning, but also outside as well. I know I’ve said this about 56 times and have done it like never, but running outside is so much better than doing it on a treadmill. Moreover, doing it in the morning gives you the street to yourself and makes it a quieter run. As the weather gets colder, I’ll have to probably run outside a few days a week and then do the treadmill the rest of the time. But it’s something that I think has to be done to start the long training process for the National Half Marathon in March. Plus it’ll free up my evenings as well.
In conclusion, Baltimore was awesome and, if it doesn’t interfere with the wedding next year, I will be running the full 26.2 miles by then. In the meantime, my first Baltimore Running Festival experience has given me lots to work on in my running an racing techniques.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Race Report Coming Soon!
I just got back to my apartment from my weekend in Cincinnati. We were supposed to get back much earlier, but due to accidents on the way to the Dayton airport, we missed our flight at 1 PM today and had to take a flight at 6 instead. So here I am, back late and unpacking. I'll post a race report as soon as I can dig out from the piles of work at the office tomorrow.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Festival Eve
So here we are, finally less than a day away from the beginning of the running portion of the Baltimore Running Festival. Really that’s the entire Festival and the Health and Fitness Expo is just tacked on to get more money from non-runners. Nonetheless, Annie and I will be going over to the Expo after work today to do some serious shopping for shorts, shirts, socks, etc. I’m taking about $70 in cash to blow on running gear, which I am really excited about because I’ve been holding off on buying any new running stuff for about 2 months now. Technical T-Shirt for $10? Don’t mind if I do!
I’m feeling good about my race tomorrow. Yes, I know it’s just 3.1 miles but I’ve been looking forward to this 3.1 miles all summer. It’s been one of my long term goals since I started running as a hobby back in June and even so despite the shortness of the race, the fact that I have kept to a training regimen that has not only kept me in good enough shape to complete 3.1 miles, but has allowed me to modestly improve both my distance and speed. Running in the festival tomorrow is a major milepost (running pun alert! God I am so clever!) on my path towards the National Half Marathon in March. Of course there will be other races between tomorrow and March 29, 2008, but the Running Festival was the first really big goal I set back in June. I knew that I didn’t want to push myself from being a non-runner to being a half marathoner in 4 months. I wanted to take my time and make my first 13.1 miles really rewarding. I’d rather struggle to complete 3.1 miles in July ( see my race report for the Run to Cooperstown 5K) than struggle to complete 13.1 in March.
I have a good feeling about my time tomorrow. I’ve been running solidly in the low 9 minutes per mile range for a couple weeks now and my body doesn’t feel tired, nor have I had any serious injuries beyond some aches and pains to deal with since the blisters and arch pain back in August. My super awesome new Brooks Adrenaline GTS shoes have helped keep me in the game. I’m taking today off to fully rest my legs, which were still sore yesterday from walking down 34 flights of stairs and then running. Today they feel good and should be 100% by tomorrow. I’m not doing anything tonight except for going to the Expo and then maybe going to a dinner party (they’re serving pasta, so at least I’ll get some good fuel for the furnace!).
There is a group of people from my office who are running the 5K tomorrow as well, so part of my goal is to finish in front of most of them if at all possible (I think I could compete in just about anything). They’re meeting at the office around 7:30 to head over to the Festival, so Annie and I will meet up with them as well since the office is on the way to M&T Bank Stadium. She’ll be my official photographer so hopefully I’ll have lots of pictures to add to my online album after the weekend.
Other than that, I’m just going to prepare for the race and enjoy the experience.
On another note, there is a great Op-Ed in today’s New York Times written by an Olympic Marathon champion about the conditions at Chicago last weekend. I agree with his points about amateur runners learning to listen to their bodies in those conditions, but also the possible steps that could be taken at future events where heat and humidity become the main factors on the course. Check it out.
After the race tomorrow, Annie and I are going to hang out for a bit at the Festival but then we have a 4 PM flight to Cincinnati to spend a long weekend doing some wedding planning. As a result, don’t look for a full race report until Monday at the earliest. However, Tuesday evening is probably more realistic since we don’t get back until Tuesday afternoon.
I’m feeling good about my race tomorrow. Yes, I know it’s just 3.1 miles but I’ve been looking forward to this 3.1 miles all summer. It’s been one of my long term goals since I started running as a hobby back in June and even so despite the shortness of the race, the fact that I have kept to a training regimen that has not only kept me in good enough shape to complete 3.1 miles, but has allowed me to modestly improve both my distance and speed. Running in the festival tomorrow is a major milepost (running pun alert! God I am so clever!) on my path towards the National Half Marathon in March. Of course there will be other races between tomorrow and March 29, 2008, but the Running Festival was the first really big goal I set back in June. I knew that I didn’t want to push myself from being a non-runner to being a half marathoner in 4 months. I wanted to take my time and make my first 13.1 miles really rewarding. I’d rather struggle to complete 3.1 miles in July ( see my race report for the Run to Cooperstown 5K) than struggle to complete 13.1 in March.
I have a good feeling about my time tomorrow. I’ve been running solidly in the low 9 minutes per mile range for a couple weeks now and my body doesn’t feel tired, nor have I had any serious injuries beyond some aches and pains to deal with since the blisters and arch pain back in August. My super awesome new Brooks Adrenaline GTS shoes have helped keep me in the game. I’m taking today off to fully rest my legs, which were still sore yesterday from walking down 34 flights of stairs and then running. Today they feel good and should be 100% by tomorrow. I’m not doing anything tonight except for going to the Expo and then maybe going to a dinner party (they’re serving pasta, so at least I’ll get some good fuel for the furnace!).
There is a group of people from my office who are running the 5K tomorrow as well, so part of my goal is to finish in front of most of them if at all possible (I think I could compete in just about anything). They’re meeting at the office around 7:30 to head over to the Festival, so Annie and I will meet up with them as well since the office is on the way to M&T Bank Stadium. She’ll be my official photographer so hopefully I’ll have lots of pictures to add to my online album after the weekend.
Other than that, I’m just going to prepare for the race and enjoy the experience.
On another note, there is a great Op-Ed in today’s New York Times written by an Olympic Marathon champion about the conditions at Chicago last weekend. I agree with his points about amateur runners learning to listen to their bodies in those conditions, but also the possible steps that could be taken at future events where heat and humidity become the main factors on the course. Check it out.
After the race tomorrow, Annie and I are going to hang out for a bit at the Festival but then we have a 4 PM flight to Cincinnati to spend a long weekend doing some wedding planning. As a result, don’t look for a full race report until Monday at the earliest. However, Tuesday evening is probably more realistic since we don’t get back until Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Final Set of Runs
Monday night I went to the gym and did my 4.25 miles at around 6.2 mph, which is a nice little improvement in speed. I wasn’t exhausted afterwards, either, which is good news for the race on Saturday. I think that if I keep my legs fresh, I can push it on Saturday and really improve my time. To that end, I am doing a tempo run this evening and then will see what Thursday offers. Annie and I are going out to Bel Air on Thursday evening so if I want to hit the gym, I may have to get up early and do it before work. I think that would be the best option, mainly because I want to use Friday as a shortened taper period to rest my legs and ensure they’re fresh for the race but I also don’t want to take two days off from running beforehand.
While I have yet to run a race that is long enough and demanding enough to merit a true “taper” period, I have come to the realization that one should not really need to taper in preparation for a 5K. I know that many experts who have run like 4500 marathons say otherwise, but I think they’re not completely correct. More to the point, I think that for older runners or less fit runners, etc, they’re right. However, for 25 year olds with a decent level of fitness, I don’t think tapering for a 5K is needed. In fact, I would argue that it can actually hurt your chances of running your best. If you’re already running 3-4 miles, or more, several times a week, running 3.1 miles at race pace should not be so taxing as to necessitate anything beyond taking the day before off and maybe the day after for good measure.
Anyway, I want to take Friday off to rest the legs for Saturday, which means finding some time to run tomorrow, either before work or after we get back from our errands. Looks like an early day tomorrow.
I didn’t go to the gym yesterday for several reasons. First of all, we had a fire drill yesterday afternoon and the entire building was evacuated. For those of you not familiar with downtown Baltimore, the building I work in is 34 stories tall and I work on Floor 21. Not too bad, but going down 21 flights of stairs gives your legs a punishing without you knowing it. However, I could have gone running without any problems, really. But the drill put me further behind during a day when I was already running 2 hours late. So I decided to nix the gym in favor of staying at work later to get some more stuff done. As a result, I must go running tonight.
While I have yet to run a race that is long enough and demanding enough to merit a true “taper” period, I have come to the realization that one should not really need to taper in preparation for a 5K. I know that many experts who have run like 4500 marathons say otherwise, but I think they’re not completely correct. More to the point, I think that for older runners or less fit runners, etc, they’re right. However, for 25 year olds with a decent level of fitness, I don’t think tapering for a 5K is needed. In fact, I would argue that it can actually hurt your chances of running your best. If you’re already running 3-4 miles, or more, several times a week, running 3.1 miles at race pace should not be so taxing as to necessitate anything beyond taking the day before off and maybe the day after for good measure.
Anyway, I want to take Friday off to rest the legs for Saturday, which means finding some time to run tomorrow, either before work or after we get back from our errands. Looks like an early day tomorrow.
I didn’t go to the gym yesterday for several reasons. First of all, we had a fire drill yesterday afternoon and the entire building was evacuated. For those of you not familiar with downtown Baltimore, the building I work in is 34 stories tall and I work on Floor 21. Not too bad, but going down 21 flights of stairs gives your legs a punishing without you knowing it. However, I could have gone running without any problems, really. But the drill put me further behind during a day when I was already running 2 hours late. So I decided to nix the gym in favor of staying at work later to get some more stuff done. As a result, I must go running tonight.
Monday, October 8, 2007
I Gotta Race Comin Up!
Another weekend has come and gone and with it, my time away from the office. Even though I was here on Saturday for about three hours, I managed to take an entire day (Sunday) away from work, which was nice. This weekend coming up we’re flying to Cincinnati to do some wedding planning and generally to get out of Baltimore for a few days. It’ll be nice to have a long weekend away from work.
On a super awesome note, my Run to Cooperstown 5K technical t-shirt finally arrived on Saturday! After two and a half months of waiting and hounding the PR company, I finally got it. It looks totally awesome and I’ll be wearing it on Saturday for
Anyway, this weekend I really didn’t feel compelled to run that much. For some reason that escapes me right now, Friday night after work I decided to skip the gym. Then Saturday I was at work for part of the afternoon and then Annie and I went out for drinks that night, which of course led to no time for running. Sunday I did get some miles in, although I did not do my long run. Annie wants to start running, so I gave her some tips for starting slow (the walk/run combination) and by the time she was running, I had yet to start, which meant that I wouldn’t be able to do the 8 miles that I would have liked. So instead of did 4.25 (I am increasing my mileage this week) and was happy with that. I wasn’t too tired by the end and I ran the entire length at 6.0 mph or faster. The progress is slow, but it is noticeable, which is encouraging. With continued training, I hope I can drop some more time off my splits and increase the mileage as the end of the year approaches. I have about 5 months to train for the National Half (with other shorter races between now and then) so I’m looking forward to running a fast first half.
Sunday was also the Chicago Marathon. I’m sure most people have by now heard about the heat and humidity and how hundreds were affected by it and one runner died from it. Another runner died at the Army Ten Miler down in Arlington on Sunday, but they haven’t said if it was heat related or not. Certainly running a marathon in 88 degree heat with matching humidity is trouble. I think it was probably a good idea that they closed the course early after about 4 hours. I think that had I been within a few miles of the finish when that happened, however, I would have kept going and finished, albeit at a slower pace.
And while I haven’t really heard anyone saying that the organizers were to blame for letting the marathon go on that long, or anything like that, I think this brings up a good point about personal limits and where race organization policy intersect. Of the 45,000 runners who registered for the marathon, roughly 9,000 stayed home because it was too hot. I think that was probably the safest bet for those people. They probably assessed the weather, the distance, their own level of fitness, and their desire to run in such a miserable day, and said, “Eh, I can run it next year.” Chances are that the weather next year will be much more seasonable (this was the hottest marathon on record in Chicago by 4 degrees!) and thus safer. However, for at least 0.85% of the runners who ran in spite of the heat, it was a bad decision. It’s tough to tell if they over-exerted themselves, failed to follow a hydration plan, or simply weren’t in good enough shape to run a marathon in any conditions other than the most ideal (cloudy, mid 60’s sounds ideal to me personally). Or maybe a combination of those or something else entirely. Regardless, in choosing to run, they put themselves in danger. One man chose to risk his life and lost. With so many people running and completing marathons and half marathons (not to mention the ultras) each year, it’s easy to see that for the most part, running is a very safe sport. It’s also easy to see how some people who shouldn’t’ be running a marathon, feel and believe they can.
On one level, I firmly believe that the final decision to do most things such as to run a marathon, reside with the individual. In the end, you’re the one who has to train for months, run hundreds of miles, pay the entry fee, and finally actually run the race. You are the one who has to go through the trouble and pain and everything else involved in preparing and then running a marathon. Only you get to say that you did it, too. It’s only logical that the responsibility for running the race safely rests with you. People can advise you not to run due to the weather, but at the end it all, you step up to the starting line or you stay home.
Yet, race organizers tend to take a more caring approach (as well they should). Very few races will not have medical teams and water stations and volunteers along the course to help struggling runners. Very few will say, “Hey, you should have known better than to try this race. Now regain consciousness, and get up off the road before you trip someone else (which would also not be our fault.)” No, many races want every racer to complete the course, obviously. And the more runners who take part, the more popular a race might become in the future, which means more entries and more funds to help make the race better. However, where do race organizers draw the line between making a race accessible to anyone who wants to run it, and protecting runners from themselves and potentially killing themselves on the course?
The use of qualifying times at some races like the Boston Marathon could be one method of doing this. However, that creates the problem of keeping physically qualified runners (runners who could complete a marathon, but not within the given time parameters) out of too many races. Moving the marathon season to later in October might be another option, however then the problem is cramming so many races into a few weekends. Of course many marathons in hot climates (Houston, Disney, etc) hold their races in the winter. Maybe moving some of the big races like Chicago or Philadelphia or Baltimore to the spring would work to space out the calendar a little more?
I don’t know what a good solution would be. People will always want to run the big marathons; it’s part of the attraction of the races themselves. However, people who shouldn’t be running for one reason or another will always step onto the course and put their lives at risk unnecessarily. Perhaps in that way, running a marathon is not all that different from other risky sports.
For a more academic and articulate explanation of why smart people do seemingly stupid things (and often die as a result), I would heartily recommend Laurence Gonzalez’s, Deep Survival: Wo Lives, Who Dies, and Why. I’m just about 4 chapters into it right now, but I just got through the section that describes how people can have irrefutable evidence that the danger level of whatever activity they are about to undertake is abnormally high, and yet still go and do it and die. He gives real examples to back up his findings. One is an example of a river rafter who saw that the river was too high from snowmelt and rainfall and did not go down the river. As he and his friends sat in camp on the bank of the raging river, he saw trees with 18 inch trunks being tossed in the water like toothpicks. He also knew that the flow of the river was more than 4 times what it should be. As they sat there, they saw two groups come down the river. Later they’d find out that both expeditions had been flipped and one person from each group (both experienced guides with years of experience on that very river!) had drowned.
It’s an awesome read and helps to really analyze your own decision making, even if it’s just during your everyday training.
On a super awesome note, my Run to Cooperstown 5K technical t-shirt finally arrived on Saturday! After two and a half months of waiting and hounding the PR company, I finally got it. It looks totally awesome and I’ll be wearing it on Saturday for
Anyway, this weekend I really didn’t feel compelled to run that much. For some reason that escapes me right now, Friday night after work I decided to skip the gym. Then Saturday I was at work for part of the afternoon and then Annie and I went out for drinks that night, which of course led to no time for running. Sunday I did get some miles in, although I did not do my long run. Annie wants to start running, so I gave her some tips for starting slow (the walk/run combination) and by the time she was running, I had yet to start, which meant that I wouldn’t be able to do the 8 miles that I would have liked. So instead of did 4.25 (I am increasing my mileage this week) and was happy with that. I wasn’t too tired by the end and I ran the entire length at 6.0 mph or faster. The progress is slow, but it is noticeable, which is encouraging. With continued training, I hope I can drop some more time off my splits and increase the mileage as the end of the year approaches. I have about 5 months to train for the National Half (with other shorter races between now and then) so I’m looking forward to running a fast first half.
Sunday was also the Chicago Marathon. I’m sure most people have by now heard about the heat and humidity and how hundreds were affected by it and one runner died from it. Another runner died at the Army Ten Miler down in Arlington on Sunday, but they haven’t said if it was heat related or not. Certainly running a marathon in 88 degree heat with matching humidity is trouble. I think it was probably a good idea that they closed the course early after about 4 hours. I think that had I been within a few miles of the finish when that happened, however, I would have kept going and finished, albeit at a slower pace.
And while I haven’t really heard anyone saying that the organizers were to blame for letting the marathon go on that long, or anything like that, I think this brings up a good point about personal limits and where race organization policy intersect. Of the 45,000 runners who registered for the marathon, roughly 9,000 stayed home because it was too hot. I think that was probably the safest bet for those people. They probably assessed the weather, the distance, their own level of fitness, and their desire to run in such a miserable day, and said, “Eh, I can run it next year.” Chances are that the weather next year will be much more seasonable (this was the hottest marathon on record in Chicago by 4 degrees!) and thus safer. However, for at least 0.85% of the runners who ran in spite of the heat, it was a bad decision. It’s tough to tell if they over-exerted themselves, failed to follow a hydration plan, or simply weren’t in good enough shape to run a marathon in any conditions other than the most ideal (cloudy, mid 60’s sounds ideal to me personally). Or maybe a combination of those or something else entirely. Regardless, in choosing to run, they put themselves in danger. One man chose to risk his life and lost. With so many people running and completing marathons and half marathons (not to mention the ultras) each year, it’s easy to see that for the most part, running is a very safe sport. It’s also easy to see how some people who shouldn’t’ be running a marathon, feel and believe they can.
On one level, I firmly believe that the final decision to do most things such as to run a marathon, reside with the individual. In the end, you’re the one who has to train for months, run hundreds of miles, pay the entry fee, and finally actually run the race. You are the one who has to go through the trouble and pain and everything else involved in preparing and then running a marathon. Only you get to say that you did it, too. It’s only logical that the responsibility for running the race safely rests with you. People can advise you not to run due to the weather, but at the end it all, you step up to the starting line or you stay home.
Yet, race organizers tend to take a more caring approach (as well they should). Very few races will not have medical teams and water stations and volunteers along the course to help struggling runners. Very few will say, “Hey, you should have known better than to try this race. Now regain consciousness, and get up off the road before you trip someone else (which would also not be our fault.)” No, many races want every racer to complete the course, obviously. And the more runners who take part, the more popular a race might become in the future, which means more entries and more funds to help make the race better. However, where do race organizers draw the line between making a race accessible to anyone who wants to run it, and protecting runners from themselves and potentially killing themselves on the course?
The use of qualifying times at some races like the Boston Marathon could be one method of doing this. However, that creates the problem of keeping physically qualified runners (runners who could complete a marathon, but not within the given time parameters) out of too many races. Moving the marathon season to later in October might be another option, however then the problem is cramming so many races into a few weekends. Of course many marathons in hot climates (Houston, Disney, etc) hold their races in the winter. Maybe moving some of the big races like Chicago or Philadelphia or Baltimore to the spring would work to space out the calendar a little more?
I don’t know what a good solution would be. People will always want to run the big marathons; it’s part of the attraction of the races themselves. However, people who shouldn’t be running for one reason or another will always step onto the course and put their lives at risk unnecessarily. Perhaps in that way, running a marathon is not all that different from other risky sports.
For a more academic and articulate explanation of why smart people do seemingly stupid things (and often die as a result), I would heartily recommend Laurence Gonzalez’s, Deep Survival: Wo Lives, Who Dies, and Why. I’m just about 4 chapters into it right now, but I just got through the section that describes how people can have irrefutable evidence that the danger level of whatever activity they are about to undertake is abnormally high, and yet still go and do it and die. He gives real examples to back up his findings. One is an example of a river rafter who saw that the river was too high from snowmelt and rainfall and did not go down the river. As he and his friends sat in camp on the bank of the raging river, he saw trees with 18 inch trunks being tossed in the water like toothpicks. He also knew that the flow of the river was more than 4 times what it should be. As they sat there, they saw two groups come down the river. Later they’d find out that both expeditions had been flipped and one person from each group (both experienced guides with years of experience on that very river!) had drowned.
It’s an awesome read and helps to really analyze your own decision making, even if it’s just during your everyday training.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Tempo Runs
It’s after 5 PM, which means my workday is technically over. Thankfully, while I have tons to be done during this month, I’m staying afloat for now, which is a change from the last quarter-end period, when I let things simmer on the backburner until they were due immediately all at once. Not good. This time around, I’m prepared and I’ve been busting my ass to get everything done. It doesn’t help that I’ve picked up several more responsibilities which are taxing my time. However, it makes the day fly by so I’m not complaining. Besides, it’ll all be (hopefully) worth it when my annual review comes around in three months. The more I do now, the more I can ask for when the question of a raise comes along.
Anyway, this week I have also made an effort to get back into a running/exercise routine. The Running Festival is but 8 days away now. I just got an e-mail telling me so to prove my widget countdown correct. I’m so excited, and I hope that I can really turn in a great PR. I’m also very excited about the Health and Fitness Expo taking place before the race. I am going to take about $75 and get some totally sweet technical shirts and shorts and socks and other stuff. It’ll be awesome because if there’s one thing I like more than an enjoyable hobby, it’s all the kit (that’s British for equipment) that comes along with it.
So, back on topic. I went to the gym on Tuesday night after taking a nice power nap once I got home. Of course, it being Tuesday, the gym was packed and all the treadmills taken. I turned right around and walked back to my building and ran my 4 miles in the workout room there, which is a nice backup place. Unfortunately, the treadmill there sucks. It’s noisy and when you run on it, it sounds like you’re banging a 2X4 against a thick plastic sheet. I had my headphones on, but I can imagine how annoying that was to the other girl working out. Unfortunately, I can’t fix that. So, the run was fine and I felt great afterwards.
Yesterday I tried running a tempo run at the gym. So far as I can tell, a tempo run is nothing more than a run at a “moderately uncomfortable” pace. The Smart Coach tool at Runner’s World’s website is very helpful in finding that pace for you, so I used that as a barometer to gauge how fast I wanted to run. Since this was my first attempt, I ran one mile at a 10:30 min/mile pace and then bumped it up to 9:30 min/mile for another 3 miles. I think I got it about 60% right. I ran faster for a farther distance than I ever have, and by the end I was getting tired. And I by about the second mile I was moderately uncomfortable, but not terribly so. When I stopped, I felt like if I had to, I could have kept going for a while. I’m not sure if that’s the goal with these runs or not. It felt good though and I felt great afterwards, which is always the sign of a helpful run.
And today my legs aren’t tired, but I have some mild soreness, another sign that I was working hard enough to merit some muscle building. So I will run another one next week and see what happens. I still need to figure out how and where to do speedwork around here. So far as I can tell, there isn’t a high school track around here and I’m not about to drive somewhere to do sprints. I’ll think of something.
So, tonight is an off night. I might go to the gym and do some cross training in the form of a spinning class. But maybe not. I have 30 minutes to get there so I may not be able to sign up. We’ll see.
Anyway, this week I have also made an effort to get back into a running/exercise routine. The Running Festival is but 8 days away now. I just got an e-mail telling me so to prove my widget countdown correct. I’m so excited, and I hope that I can really turn in a great PR. I’m also very excited about the Health and Fitness Expo taking place before the race. I am going to take about $75 and get some totally sweet technical shirts and shorts and socks and other stuff. It’ll be awesome because if there’s one thing I like more than an enjoyable hobby, it’s all the kit (that’s British for equipment) that comes along with it.
So, back on topic. I went to the gym on Tuesday night after taking a nice power nap once I got home. Of course, it being Tuesday, the gym was packed and all the treadmills taken. I turned right around and walked back to my building and ran my 4 miles in the workout room there, which is a nice backup place. Unfortunately, the treadmill there sucks. It’s noisy and when you run on it, it sounds like you’re banging a 2X4 against a thick plastic sheet. I had my headphones on, but I can imagine how annoying that was to the other girl working out. Unfortunately, I can’t fix that. So, the run was fine and I felt great afterwards.
Yesterday I tried running a tempo run at the gym. So far as I can tell, a tempo run is nothing more than a run at a “moderately uncomfortable” pace. The Smart Coach tool at Runner’s World’s website is very helpful in finding that pace for you, so I used that as a barometer to gauge how fast I wanted to run. Since this was my first attempt, I ran one mile at a 10:30 min/mile pace and then bumped it up to 9:30 min/mile for another 3 miles. I think I got it about 60% right. I ran faster for a farther distance than I ever have, and by the end I was getting tired. And I by about the second mile I was moderately uncomfortable, but not terribly so. When I stopped, I felt like if I had to, I could have kept going for a while. I’m not sure if that’s the goal with these runs or not. It felt good though and I felt great afterwards, which is always the sign of a helpful run.
And today my legs aren’t tired, but I have some mild soreness, another sign that I was working hard enough to merit some muscle building. So I will run another one next week and see what happens. I still need to figure out how and where to do speedwork around here. So far as I can tell, there isn’t a high school track around here and I’m not about to drive somewhere to do sprints. I’ll think of something.
So, tonight is an off night. I might go to the gym and do some cross training in the form of a spinning class. But maybe not. I have 30 minutes to get there so I may not be able to sign up. We’ll see.
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