Blog of a Middle Aged Athlete

The last few weeks have been tough for me.  You see, ever since my first marathon on February 15th, 2009, I have been obsessed with running marathons.  Actually, not just running marathons, but running fast enough to qualify for the infamous Boston Marathon.  As friends and regular readers know, that feat was accomplished on February 27, 2010 on my seventh marathon.  So now I’m wondering what my purpose in life is now?  (I know, that is a little dramatic, but hang with me, OK?).

After much thought, and a little post-BQing depression, I have decided I want to help people with their marathon training.  I want to help someone who thought the concept of running 26.2 miles was crazy and turn them into a motivated running machine.  (Disclaimer:  I am not currently a running coach, although I am currently signed up to take the RRCA training this summer).  To start this process, I thought I would share some of things I have learned about marathon training.  So, in the coming weeks, I will discuss what I have learned about the following.  Some of what I discuss are quotes or pieces of advice from some friends, others are things I have read or researched, and some are just things I’ve learned from experience.

Here is an initial topic list:

• There Are No Shortcuts In A Marathon
• Find Yourself A Running Group…NOW!
• Running Early in the Morning is Great!
• Inch by Inch, Anything is a Cinch
• 10% Rule - Learn It, Live It, Love It
• Injuries Are Not Fun
• Foam Rollers Are Your Friend
• You Have No Idea What You Are Capable Of Until You Try
• Reality Is Not What You Think It Is
• Never Try Anything New In A Race
• Develop A Strategy and Stick To It
• No Two Runners Train the Same
• Eating
• In-Race Fueling
• Shoes
• Dressing for and Training in the Heat
• Dressing for and Training in the Cold
• Emotions and Performance - Why Crying Makes It Tough to Run
• Why a Marathon is 5 Times as Difficult as a Half Marathon
• Sometimes, We Just Have Bad Days
• How Temperature Effects Performance
• Training and Sleep
• Tapering
• VO2 max, Lactate Threshold, and Other Technical Terms
• Friction Is Not Your Friend
• The Joy of Running
• The Pros and Cons of Large Races
• The Pros and Cons of Small Races
• Fact of Life - Runner’s Wave, Cyclists Don’t
• Socks - What is Important, What is Not
• Online Tools to Help You Improve
• The Purpose of Race Reports
• The Training is More Difficult than the Race

Stay tuned for my input on these subjects.  If you have any other topics you’d like me to discuss, please let me know!

I have a dilemma.  When I signed up for the San Francisco marathon a few weeks back, I just wanted to have a race to run that would keep me motivated over the summer.  I really didn’t have any great expectations for it, other than to hopefully set a new PR.  Then, once the fall marathon season kicked in, I would focus on qualifying for Boston.

Last night, while chatting with a member of my running group, it hit me.  Why not try to qualify in San Francisco?  Sure it is hilly.  Sure my training times have suffered in the intense Texas heat.  But why shouldn’t I at least try?

I’m afraid to fail.  There, I said it.   I’m afraid that I will tell everyone that I will try to qualify in San Francisco, then have to come back with excuses as to why it didn’t happen.  I am afraid that if I don’t succeed the first time, it will continue to haunt me and affect future attempts.  I am afraid that in my attempt, I will stumble across the finish line, many minutes or hours slower than my previous races, due to my aggressive race strategy.

Or…will attempting to qualify for Boston next month help me with future races?  If I try and fail, will it motivate me more (anybody that knows me knows that answer)? I will most certainly be smarter with regard to race strategy after this race, so what could attempting to hurt. Pride? Confidence? Physical injury?

A common rule of thumb is to slow your pace about 1 minute a mile during the summer.  Using my last long run on Saturday as a barometer, I ran 18 miles at a 8:38 pace.  If in the cool San Francisco mornings, I am able to reduce that pace by 1 minute, that would put me at a 7:38 pace.  So let’s do the math.  26.2 miles x 7:38 pace = 3:20:00.  My BQ time - 3:20:59.  So your telling me there’s a chance!

Oh, let’s give it a try and we’ll see what happens!

Although I haven’t actually signed up for it yet, it looks like the San Francisco Marathon is going to be my next event.  Now, how in the heck to you train for a marathon during the hot months of a Texas summer?  As the temperatures have increased during the last few weeks, my runs have been tough.  Really tough.  After my 10 mile long run this weekend, I told my wife it felt like a 20 miler.  My energy was sapped and I was having trouble finishing.

Surely, others have done this, so I let my fingers do the walking and scoured the internet.  Below are the tips I found.

 1.  Hydrate like crazy.  Seems like 4-8 oz. every 15 minutes is the recommended amount.  During my neighborhood runs, where there are no water stops along the routes, I will probably start running with a water bottle.  I don’t like to wear a belt or anything, so I will probably just carry one with me.  Alternatively, I will stash a little cooler on my porch with fluids so I can stop by and replenish.

2.  Wear light colored clothing, and avoid cotton.  I try to do this as much as possible.  Maybe I’ll grab a few more white shirts, or run without a shirt at all.  Obviously sunscreen is a must.

3.  Eat salty foods.  Mmmmmm.  I love pretzels.

4.  Run very early, or very late.  Early morning runs are cooler, but usually more humid.  Late runs are warmer, but less humid.  Pick your poison!  Once school is out and mornings aren’t spent rushing the kiddos out the door, the early morning run will be much easier to do.

5.  Slow down!  This is the tough one for me.  I know what pace I trained at during the late winter and early spring, so I want to keep getting faster.  I need to get it through my thick skull that I am going to run slower.

Every article I read mentioned that the body gets used to the heat in about 2 weeks.  I’m still waiting!