Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf

Gone With The Wind

Plan: 8 miles easy

As Marthastew would say....HOLY MERDE!! The wind was frickin' insane tonight!! I literally had to push through it as it was a physical obstacle trying to prevent me from moving forward. I kept telling myself "make yourself small...make yourself small" so I could cut into it like a thin piece of paper, but as hard as I tried, that clever strategy of mine just didn't really work all that well. :rolleyes:;) Periodically, the wind would smile on me and give me a break by taking a momentary breather, but when it did, I would have to catch my body from going head over heels due to the "lean" I was employing. Yikes! All I could think of was how I would die a slow death if the wind happens to be like this for the point to point course of Boston. :eek:

Soooo....the run itself is not one to remember. I didn't feel the love, and my legs didn't feel the joy. There's been a lot of stress at work, so I'll write this one off as that. And perhaps my legs are still feeling a bit of fatigue from Sunday's run...and maybe the cumulative effect of 20+ weeks training. It's funny, though - as tired as my legs were, for the most part I was able to keep my body relaxed and and the legs stayed relatively strong. Pace was a little fast for the first 3 miles (7:44, 7:41, 7:52)...much more in line for the next 3 miles (8:23, 8:10, 8:45)....then a bit of a see saw for the final few (7:46, 8:11, 5:03 (7:53)). Wind and hills definitely helped shape the slower miles. Oh, and the sun was gloriously shining throughout, so that's something positive worth noting.

Followed up this session with love to the upper body and abs. Whoop, whoop!!

Actual: 8.64 miles in 1:09:39 for an average pace of 8:03 min/mile

The Thousand Decibel Session

Plan: 4 miles easy, 3 miles @ MP, 2 miles @ HMP, 1 mile at 10k

For soooo many reasons, I just couldn't stomach doing this on the streets with the continuing saga of cold and wind tonight, and I'm so glad I didn't. For me, a session on the treadmill can reset my buttons and exorcize all demons that may have slipped in the back door when I wasn't looking....and tonight's session did just that. Last night's 8 miles were yucky and uncomfortable and actually had me not looking forward to tonight's 12 miles (which just about NEVER happens to me!)....but within 2 miles into it tonight, I was a changed woman.

Things I loved about this session:
I loved...
...the warmth of the room...
...the absence of eye burning wind...
...the lack of layers of clothing...
...the lovely steady rhythm of the MP...
...the ease of the transition into and comfort with HMP...
...the delightful slight discomfort of 10k pace...
...the inspiringly awesome moves I busted to Godsmack's cover of Rocky Mountain Way...
...the sweat that was rolling off my body...
...and, the strength of my legs...in particular, the strength of my thighs.

With the treadmill set at 1%, I did the MP @ 7:47 min/mile....HMP @ 7:25 min/mile...10k @ 6:55 min/mile.....and I added a 2 mile cool down to bring me back to earth.

Actual: 12 miles total - 4 miles easy, 3 miles @ MP, 2 miles @ HMP, 1 mile @ 10k, 2 miles easy at the paces noted above

No Stray Objects Were Flung During This Session :):D

Plan: 8 miles easy

Well.....I had a very dear friend from out of town here on holiday so out the window went the planned 8 miles easy, but in its place was a quick and dirty session in the pool near where he was staying. Because my friend will be doing his first ever triathlon this summer, he asked me to assist him with his stroke technique since he's really never had proper training. In a word, he has much to work on. Wow. In typical male fashion, he's dragging his legs, his hips are too low, and he's trying to muscle his way through the water with upper body. This syndrome seems to be rampant in many males - I assume it's some sort of compensation thingy going on. We worked for about 30 minutes on different aspect of this mess, and I do think we made much progress....and I really didn't mind swapping out my planned easy session for this shorter aquatic one - you know, a friend in need, and all that.

Any way...tomorrow's session will be a quasi dress rehearsal for the big day. I've got my orders, and I'm sticking to them come hell or high-water !!!

Actual: 30 minutes in the pool

Please note: coach was aware of an alteration to today's plan

Dress Rehearsal

Plan: 14 miles at 7:45 min/mile

Coach was very specific about the terms of today's run, from the pace he specified (a bit faster than MP due to inefficiencies on the course) to clothing and food consumption leading up to this session - this was to simulate everything race day. So.....in my pursuit to deliver best I could on that order, here is my report...

I was supposed to have put down 8 miles easy the day before to tire the legs for today's run, but as mentioned yesterday, I had a dear friend in from out of town who needed a little attention so I made the decision to tire these legs out in other ways so I would not be giving myself an unfair advantage for this 14 mile run. What other ways did I tire these legs out, you ask? Well, a bit of pool time plus the two of us explored old haunts neither of us had explored in a long time. Yesterday was pretty much go-go-go all day long....but it was fun and worth sacrificing the structured run for a of bit of creative sightseeing that definitely achieved the fatigue goal. A little distraction and variety can be good for the soul. Whoop whoop! :)

Food...well...dinner last night may not have totally mimicked the actual meal I'll be eating the night before the race, but it was what it was, and that was a hamburger and fries. :rolleyes: Breakfast this morning was my usual Honey Nut Cheerios with whole milk, a banana and a glass of orange juice with ice. Weight this morning is down to 107 pounds. I'd like to rock it to the start line at 108, so I'm pretty much on target with my taper coming. About 15 minutes before I got this session going I downed 3 shot bloks, cranked Seether on my iPod and got a little jiggy with it to get me in the right mindset, then set sail at the approximate time my wave will be ushered on, 10:20/30ish am. Oh, and I wore my uber fast (at least in my mind they are fast) racing gear - race day runners, best tights, top, jacket, hat, gloves, and even undergarments. Game face was on.

I was supposed to try and pick a route that resembles Boston and I did the best I could. I felt the most important element of the route should be some beefy hills at or after the halfway point coupled with decent downhills. It worked out that the toughest uphills were miles 7 and 8, and the craziest downhill was mile 9. I carried a bottle of water (could't really stash bottles along the course) and had 3 more bloks in my pocket....both of which (the water and bloks) were consumed on the fly, thus there were no interruptions on this run.

I'm not going to elaborate much more other than to say that I felt fine throughout this run. I started too fast, but sincerely tried to ease it in and be disciplined. My out of town friend made an astute observation when we were chatting about my issue with going out too fast that made perfect sense. He said that it probably stems from me being a sprinter in my swimming days. Brilliant!! Wow. He may struggle a bit with swimming (oh, did I mention he slaps his hand when it enters the water? can't remember if it was his right or left...), but he's pretty observant and keen about certain things.

Splits:
7:27, 7:35, 7:35, 7:37, 7:38, 7:42, 7:35
7:50, 7:39, 7:35, 7:42, 7:38, 7:41, 7:38
Actual: 14 miles in 1:47:00 for an average pace of 7:38 min/mile...followed by a cool down of 1.17 miles in 10:10.35 for an average pace of 8:40 min/mile

Kurt Godel wrote: »

^Great running Dory! And a very astute observation from your friend- this guy comments on your pace, has no kick, and hand slaps the water? I like him already...;)

Thanks Kurt!

And yes...my friend...you would love him! He's class in every respect - I think I've known him forever. He's pretty understated, though, so not everyone (including himself) fully appreciates how amazing he is...but a pure joy to be around. Nice to have friends like that. Oh...but regarding that pesky hand slap issue....having difficulty correcting that one. Maybe interested can chime in with a drill or perhaps a Youtube video I can pass along to him.

griffin100 wrote: »

If he hasn't seen it already you should put your friend onto swimsmooth.com. There are also good drills on http://www.feelforthewater.com for most swimming issues.

Thanks Griffin! I'll pass this on to him and If he worries his pretty little head with this I'll let you know.

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Sh!t, I gave some darn good taper advice over on the jogging forum and got the head eaten off me for it, may as well try it on someone with a sunny disposition:)

Do you feel wrecked now from all the hard work? Still a fair bit more to go Dory, three weeks of lessening distance, but the intensity doesn't drop... keep your head up high and look back over your log, some really great training put in there over the last few months. You've got all the ingredients in place for a great marathon omelette, these three weeks are about adding the spices... don't take your eye off the pot now, (feeling sorry for yourself), there's still a fair amount of work to do. Keep that doubt etc. for the night before the race (good decent adrenaline), it'll all be forgotten once you show us that 3:2x finishing time (finger lingered over the 1 button before meandering right...;))

Aw Kurt, thanks. But the pity party is not because I feel wrecked (because I don't)...it's more the emotional let down of knowing the end of something is near. No worries regarding taking my eye off of the pot (because I won't)...and there are no doubts in this mind (except that bit about your finger lingering over the 1 button :eek: ). It's all good....just a low point today drenched in deep thought.....a fleeting feeling, that's all. I will embrace the quality sessions yet to come and add those spices with zest and zeal. Thanks for perking me up!

Taper, Day One. :eek:

Plan: off

Off?? Whah???? Nothing?? Zip? Zilch? Nada?? This sort of freaked me out today.....but then I was gently and lovingly descended on by a few of my friends here who reminded me of a few crucial details and...oh, snap!....I am so over the pity party that was boring me to tears. It's history baby. Nothing but sun-shiney days, star chasing and out-of-my-skin excitement for the next 3 weeks. Plus, it didn't hurt my much needed attitude adjustment that there was a Boston race packet waiting for me in the mailbox when I arrived home tonight. Good stuff.

Any way....was supposed to have been a physio evening, but I binned that tonight. Didn't feel like it, besides I need to wean him off me and my money. However, that left me looking at an entire evening of nothingness, a concept that is quite hard for this gal to stomach....so, a little downward facing dog action followed by a few warrior IIs and one spectacular plow into a shoulder stand was whipped out of my back pocket. In other words, 40 minutes of yoga was my evening filler....followed by a side order of 400 sit-ups done in a variety of ways. House kitties, Butler and Norris, were in rare form hogging sharing my yoga mat with me....and to my delight, they both busted a few really awesomely limber moves that totally put my flexibility to shame. :D

Actual: 40 minutes of yoga followed by ab work

interested wrote: »

A lot of runners could benefit from cross training with some swimming from time to time to improve core strength.

Good luck with Boston !

Hey.....it's the smart-arsed legend himself!! And while I have your attention....i have this friend who slap his hand on the water at entry. Any suggestions? :)

Oryx wrote: »

Dory, one of us has a dirty mind. I really dont think its me, because I was thinking of russian twists, planks, getups, supermans and all kinds of other stuff. Heaven knows what kind of thing you were thinking of. A superman of another sort, maybe!

Let's see....moderator of sex and sexuality and speaks fluently of russian twists, getups and supermans. Right, so.... ;)

interested wrote: »

Just read that now. I was wondering why he had a runner coaching him how to swim ? but hey ... as you put it ... a friend in need and all.


A 'smart arse' definitely ... a legend ? hardly, but then you were probably being smart

Darling, it's like being born Catholic - once a swimmer always a swimmer. Which reminds me, how is your running going?? You haven't ignored it completely have you? Great enhancement to your endurance, running and all. Rhythm, cadence, breathing....for long periods at a time....will certainly benefit you while in the water. Let me know if you need a running coach - I'll have a little time on my hands in a few weeks. Perhaps we can build you up to DCM shape. Heck, I'll even take care of the entry fee for you AND be more than delighted to pace you there. A friend in need and all.... :D

Oryx wrote: »

I also mod paranormal, but I aint fraid of no ghost! Situps are the missionary position of fitness. Plenty of better ways to do it.

I know who you were thinking of btw.

But have you ever tried it on a bouncy medicine ball?

(And you know who i was thinking of?? Really?? Shhhhh.... )

Oryx wrote: »

Course. Im psychic. And there could be only one...

Ugh bouncy medicine balls bring back horrid memories I wont share. :cool:

And i've got one about a stairwell....but we can swap those kinds of stories after a few pints in October. :D

BennyMul wrote: »

only catching up now (a lot of reading:D)
you are truly set for it , just enjoy your taper

Thanks, um, BM!! :D (just seems so wrong to call you BM...)

Mainlining Me Some Endorphins....

Plan: 2 miles easy, 3 x 3 miles @ MP w/5 min recovery, 2 miles easy

This is basically how my day went:
Hopped out of bed around 5:30ish feeling tired and with a dry, scratchy throat. Showered, popped two Ibuprofen then headed to work. Consumed my usual breakfast, poured me a big glass of orange juice (with ice) and became concerned about the sniffling I was doing. Tossed back some vitamins, drank a kiwi-strawberry Emergen-C drink, followed by hot tea, followed by a day of trying to stuff my face because we all know we are supposed to feed a cold. When I started sneezing, well, all reasonableness and patience went out the window and I knew for my own sanity (and for the sake of Boston) I had to take some drastic measures in the form of antibiotics. (kids, do not try this at home!!!) But....I am like a Jewish mother - if one serving is sufficient, two is better. Suffice it to say, my enthusiasm for healing thyself got me a torn up tummy by late afternoon. And because of this torn up tummy, and because I had taken antibiotics, and because Boston is right around the corner, my very astute/observant/hand-slapping dear friend coerced gently convinced me to do this session indoors. And so there you go...

But the session was brilliant! Loved it! You know, I actually get a lot of quality out of treadmill sessions, and this was one of those high quality sessions for me. Pertinent details as follows:

All MP miles at a setting of 7:42 min/mile.
Incline @ 1% for miles 1, 4 and 7.
Incline @ 2% for miles 2, 5 and 8.
Incline @ 3% for miles 3, 6 and 9.

I know all about pace equivalents based on the incline so I am fully aware that the equivalent paces at 2% and 3% are not 7:42, but there are no pace equivalents on those Boston hills, therefore I deduced that if I kept the same cadence then I was not straying from the plan. Makes sense, right? :) All went very well. The first set of 3 miles was the hardest - just adjusting the body and legs to the pace is a pain in the patootie. Second set of three miles was beautiful, hypnotic, lovely, and drug-like. Third set was also quite wonderful, and I convinced myself during this final set that if I had an IV in place to hydrate and feed me energy then I could run forever. Seriously. :rolleyes: The very last mile of this very last set was really the only mile that took quite a bit of effort, but I wasn't uncomfortable with it. I kept hearing coach's voice in my head telling me to acclimate the body....and that's exactly how I approached this session. Whoop whoop! Oh, and it appears I've made a dent in the cold that was trying to ruin my life - it seems almost a distant memory at this moment. Tummy is still cussing me, but that's small potatoes compared to what might have been.

Actual: 14 miles - 2 miles easy, 3 x 3 miles at 7:42 min/mile w/varying inclines and 5 min recovery, 2 miles easy

tunney wrote: »

I've always found that about 80% of people get sick during a proper taper. My coach once told me its almost expected. So I always try to minimise the impact - Vit C, Zinc and echinacea. Disinfectant hand gel carried around. Only feed and touch face with left hand and everything/one with the right. Avoid kids.

Obviously feck all use to you now Get well soon.

You had me right up until the part about left hand, right hand...which is a bit too complicated for the gal who has to think about which hand she writes with to determine which direction right is and which direction left is (never EVER get me to give you directions on the fly while in a car!!)....which makes me revisit my original idea of copious amounts of irresponsibly administered prophylactic drugs to keep the body in happy marathon homeostatis taper mode.

Tunney, your timing sucks (your feck all use to you now thing...), however if ever there was a boardsie who knows his way around vomit and the creeping crud it's you. Appreciate the assistance. You really should consider starting a new thread on these sorts of issues with your intimate and very valuable knowledge in all things bodily function. You could be our very own Dr. Oz. Just need a snappy log name. :)

The Session Is In The Legs

Plan: 6 miles easy

It was a gorgeous evening and I was feeling slightly guilty about a few things - upping my food intake the past two days due to fighting a cold, and doing last night's session on the treadmill. Ugh. Guilt is a horrible thing when you are supposed to be doing an easy session.

Anyhoo....

I set sail into the 42 degree evening with tunes locked into my ears. I typically avoid listening to music when I am doing a proper run, but I didn't feel like doing this alone so I brought an assortment of metal crooners with me to add a scosche of dynamics to the equation. I don't know if it was the thumping beat, the treadie guilt, or a bit of both...but I did this easy session a smidge north of easy. Whoopsie! The legs could definitely feel last night's session in them, but the cadence and rhythm of the stride felt pretty good and I managed to keep the body relaxed and arms doing their thing. It was glorious running into the sunshine, something that has been nonexistent for way too long, and even more glorious teasing my mind with thoughts of warmer weather and the promise of fewer layers of clothing to come. <sigh> Oh, and the hills were no bother.

Actual: 6.62 miles in 53:08.8 for an average pace of 8.01 min/mile