Denouement

Mon, Aug 19, 2013

Mon, 19 Aug 2013 06:00:00

8.11k warm up at 5:13 pace, got up to 75% by the end of that, then hill repeats (10 x 12 sec) at Chinese U, then 7.95k cool down at 5:02 pace (something wrong with hr monitor, last k showed hr under 90 bpm).

Sat, Aug 17, 2013

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 06:00:00

I met Ali and two guys. We chatted about the workout. it is 18 x 1.5k with 1.5 min rest between. the hr targets were 70-74% for first 6, 74-78 for second 6 and 78-82 for last six. This is Ali's workout for the marathon and I was along to help. She was not wearing hr band, but had paces she thought were right. I talked to her about them and I think I slowed down her targets, so that the first 6 were supposed to be no faster than 4:45, the second six abt 4:30, the third 6 4:10-4:20. From the first 6, I knew that these paces were not right for me to hit the desired hr zones, but the workout was more for Ali, and I think she is in better shape. Paces/ ave hr were 4:54 (132), 4:56 (147), 4:54 (141), 4:56 (141), 4:47 (141), 4:55 (135), 4:36 (148), 4:23 (154), 4:33 (154), 4:34 (152), 4:33 (153), 4:34 (155), 4:19 (160), 4:17 (163), 4:10 (164), 4:16 (164), 4:09 (164), 4:10 (168). I was toast by the last one, hr was creeping above 90% by the end of these fast reps, and not dropping enough with the 90 sec rest, as can be shown by the 168 ave on the last one. I stuck with Ali, except the last one I fell a bit behind, perhaps 3 seconds. She was much less labored in the last 6 set than me. I am not sure that she was below 82% but she wasn't where I was, that much was plain.

Wed, Aug 14, 2013

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 06:00:00

Slow 8.8k warm up, 5:20 ave pace, about the wussiest T8 imaginable. Found a 12% grade hill in Chinese U and did 7 x 12 sec hill sprints, ave 3:40 up, then just over 5k back to Fo Tan, also about 5:20 pace.

Tue, Aug 13, 2013

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 06:00:00

6am start (29-30C, 70-75% humidity), first 5k was 26:03/123 ave hr, then 19:24 for 4k/135 ave hr, then started medium-hard tempo for 5k. Started at 4:20-4:25 pace, then creeped it up to 4:00 or faster by the end, ave 154 hr, but got up to 92% by the end (20:43), last 1k in 5:53 pace. 15.01k total

Mon, Aug 12, 2013

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 06:00:00

I woke up at 5:30am because Paul and Ben and Mickie were getting home from Nepal around 6am, and I waited around for them. I finally checked the airport website at 7:20 and their flight was delayed so I left for my run. Did 15.01k at 5:00 ave pace. I felt good, though the heat and humidity are draining.

PM core workout

Sat, Aug 10, 2013

Sat, 10 Aug 2013 06:00:00

felt good, considering the weather, got out 2 hours earlier than yesterday, so that is progress. Started at 7:15am. Ran the back side of Ma On Shan loop to the "chilled" water fountain and back, 11k each way. Splits and hr were: 24:55 (139), 25:51 (149), 24:54 (147), 24:57 (144), 10:27 (153). Took an ANS gu at 11k, and tried to buy a pocari at 16k but the machine was out, so bought a drink that ended up having tea in it so threw it away after a sip. Felt crummy in last 2k, the heat was getting to me, and the worst part was dragging my delirious butt from the MTR to my flat. Despite downing a pocari at the end of the run, I almost fainted/hyperventilating the last minute of MTR ride

Fri, Aug 09, 2013

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 06:00:00

Got home 2:30am, asleep by 3:15am, very swollen because I have lost my compression socks in the US, not sure if I could run in the morning but woke up with the swelling much reduced woke up at 8:40 am but didn't get out the door to run until 9:35. Miserable little run around Kowloon Tsai, did the hill repeats (6 x 12 seconds) but hands were swollen and I did them more as strides with an attempt at good form

Wed, Aug 07, 2013

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 06:00:00

Warmed up 6.26k (5:05 pace/128bpm), did 17 fast bits but then had to go to the bathroom. I was trying to keep the rest at a good clip, I told myself it was more like a tempo run with gear changes, so fast bits averaged 4:06 pace and slow 4:49, then I took a bathroom break, and since I took a break I made myself do 6 more reps, which averaged 3:38 for the fast and 5:18 for the slow.

It was my dad's birthday so I ran out to the Carls Jr where he hangs out in the mornings. Apparently his dad used to hang out at Burger King. Maybe I will hang out at Taco Bell when I get old :/

Started the exodus home.

Tue, Aug 06, 2013

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 06:00:00

4:50 ave pace, hrm seems wacky again, ran with all american and past teammate Courtney Pugmire Meldrum . Very nice to catch up with her--she looks just the same and you couldn't tell it had been 15 years since we last talked. core workout

US miles 4

Mon, Aug 05, 2013

Mon, 05 Aug 2013 06:00:00

5:08 ave pace, 135 ave hr, went to Knotts Berry Farm with JJ and my niece. It was really fun but tiring.

Sat, Aug 03, 2013

Sat, 03 Aug 2013 06:00:00

Ran with friends, no hrm, 5:07 ave pace, core workout in the PM

US miles 8

Fri, Aug 02, 2013

Fri, 02 Aug 2013 06:00:00

hrm seemed to not be working, indicates 98 ave hr, but 5:17 overall pace

Thu, Aug 01, 2013

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 06:00:00

5:30 pace for wu then did a mini workout-- 30 sec on/ 30 sec off x 10. about 3:50 pace on ave for fast parts, 5:13 ave pace for cd (133 hr), core workout--first since marathon, then did a pilates type pole dancing class with my sister which kicked my butt in the evening

Wed, Jul 31, 2013

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 06:00:00

5:26 ave pace, felt better than yesterday because it was a morning run.

Tue, Jul 30, 2013

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 06:00:00

Went to Magic Mountain yesterday so I waited until evening to run today. It felt really yucky. I do not like evening runs. So I ran shorter today and will run a bit longer tomorrow to get overall mileage right. 8:48 ave pace, 133 ave bpm

Mon, Jul 29, 2013

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 06:00:00

8:30 pace. Legs feel sore. Ran uphill then downhill in Corona CA. Also feel fat :( Too much rich American food. Too little self control.

Sat, Jul 27, 2013

Sat, 27 Jul 2013 06:00:00

19 miles bike ride with Josse and MacK. I was done by about 11 miles but unfortunately we had quiate a ways to get back to the car. Averaged 5:19/mile. I was on a mountain bike but the ladies were on a road bike. I was in flappy running shorts. Bad call.

Fri, Jul 26, 2013

Fri, 26 Jul 2013 06:00:00

55 min pool run with Josse. Quite sore.

Wed, Jul 24, 2013

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 06:00:00

I decided to do this race because Josse was and my coach said the half or the full would be better than the 10k since I am trying to build my mileage at this early phase of training. So I came in mostly altitude adjusted (have been here since July 1^st) and a bit chubby and out of shape, as all my runs have attested (trying to hang on as the ladies chat, etc). I wondered what it would feel like to be running a marathon knowing that it is my tenth marathon and virtually guaranteed to be my slowest (prior slowest was Ogden marathon 2008 at 3:02). I hoped it would still be a positive experience and more “fun” even though I am undertrained, because I hoped to be able to run with Josse and Mack and Aubrey (the last ended up not being able to come) for much of the race.

I rode up with Josse and her mom to Ericka’s house the night before (thanks Ericka again—nice pad!). I took my ambien at 8:02pm and set my alarm for 3pm but we didn’t tuck in until 9:45pm or so, so my speech got slower and sentence construction got more and more difficult before bedtime :D Woke up 5 til 3am, felt pretty chipper, but by the time we had got half way up the canyon in the bus I was feeling tired. It felt so weird going into a marathon with little expectations and preparation (longest run was two 17.5 milers). So I kept pinching myself. No good success in the port a pots but I wasn’t worried. It was just going to be a fast long run so no prob making pit stops along the way. I saw and chatted with Allie who seemed excited and ready to go, and she helped lather me in glide (on my back only I should clarify, I could reach everything else).

I have never run a marathon with a hr monitor or a hr plan, so here’s the plan. My coach says that the ideal marathon racing level is about 85% hr for the middle of the race, with some creeping at the end. Considering my condition and preparation, he advised 75% hr for first 5-6k then 80-82% for most of the race, with the option to creep up at the end. Josse said she was on board to follow my watch and Mack said she would follow suit. Mack’s brother also was with us and in a similar condition. So we all started about 3-4 rows from the start of this very small marathon (500-600 people?) Here’s how the race went:

Mile	Pace	HR	HR %	Note
1	7:04	155	84%	My hr started high (false readings—not sweaty enough) then calmed down toward the first mile mark
2	6:42	139	75%	Hr now on track, Josse, Mack, Mack's brother and I are all running together. I rip off my tshirt Josse gave me after 1.2 miles because the temps were comfortable
3	6:40	135	73%
4	6:55	150	81%
5	7:08	157	85%	Already flattening it seems--I thought this mile was supposed to be downhill?
6	7:35	154	83%	The uphill starts
7	8:14	157	85%	A girl passes us as we go uphill, I think to myself, "that skinny girl is a gazelle and the laws of gravity do not apply to her"
8	7:44	153	83%
9	6:44	147	79%	after the 8th mile, the 2 mile long hill ends and we see a group of four ladies in front of us and a guy spectator tells Mack Josse and I that we are ladies 8, 9 and 10. We know we are running conservatively and we will pass these ladies, just not sure when. They are just ahead of us at the 9 mile mark, which is close to the 1/2 marathon start, and Josse grabs a water bottle conveniently left by someone else (a new sealed one) and she shares with us.
10	7:11	152	82%	In this miles we do a 1/4 mile out and back bit which allows us to see the front ladies (except #1 Allie who is already gone, gone gone). There is a purple lady and a pink lady quite a bit ahead of the rest of us. We make a move on the 4 lady pack during the turn around and the gazelle and another chick respond.
11	6:50	152	82%	By this mile, I pull away from Josse and Mack a bit with two ladies. I take a first gu in this mile. We chat and get to know each other a bit. She is very nice and admits she loves the uphills. Our conversation makes the next couple of miles go by well, but I am troubled because gazelle's breathing is much more relaxed than mine.
12	6:54	150	81%
13	6:58	149	81%
14	6:51	151	82%
15	7:20	155	84%	Somewhere between mile 11 and 15 I stop for a not so fast potty break, probably adds 45-60 sec then I make up some of it with a surge, I guess it might be here b/c of the elevation and the split, Josse, Mac, 1-2 other girls and some guys pass. Some take a couple of miles to catch
16	6:55	158	85%	I catch up with Josse who is running with Cam somewhere around the 16 mile mark, and take a noncaffeinated strawberry gel provided by the race right before the 16 mile mark.
17	7:05	156	84%	Cam counsels Josse and I to be patient, that there is a lot of race left. Josse and I both agree, but I still feel compelled to break away after running with them for a bit. It was pretty irrational because in assessing everything, my HR was too high, I was close to the distance of my longest run and still had 9 miles to go, my quads felt sore from all the downhill and my left knee hurt. There were no girls ahead in sight, still I felt like I should push, so I did, thinking, "I will crash but ok"
18	7:21	160	86%	Mile 17 and 18 on Wasath feels uphill but the course elevation shows a slight downhill. My pace is maintaining but hr rising. I respond by paying less attention to my HR
19	6:56	160	86%	When I turn onto Foothills I am in 5th place (Allie, purple girl, pink girl and gazelle), but I can see pink girl. I am sore but think, "ram in the thicket". She is great motivation and I slowly reel her in. I am also running scared of Josse behind, fearing my agressiveness will increase my pain and bonk magnitude in the last few miles.
20	7:07	161	87%	Pass pink girl somewhere around 20. I think I can see gazelle but she is way ahead. My shoe comes untied and I need to go potty again, so I run with an untied shoe for about half a mile.
21	8:06	161	87%	Port a pot stop and tying shoe at the same time, not super fast, about 3-5 guys pass me back but no girls
22	6:37	156	84%	Sweet downhill, mile 2 of the 10k. I am thinking, "I feel good, lets hope this lasts for a couple more miles".
23	7:03	161	87%	This mile has some downhill and the uphill to south temple. I try to close the gap with gazelle, but not really on the uphill. The uphill is about 300-500m and I just relax up the hill, I didn't want to get in oxygen debt. Then I push it again when I turn the corner and head down south temple. She is 1.5 blocks ahead
24	6:47	159	86%	She is 1 block ahead
25	6:37	160	86%	I get within 75 or so meters but have a moment of doubt "Who would know I was in striking distance if I wimp out now and don't try?" But I be brave and remember the ram in the thicket Sasha-stat (99% of all people who come into sight after being out of sight toward the end of the marathon are yours for the taking). So I surge some more.
26	6:54	168	91%	At about 25.2 I pass gazelle, and she says good job, a good sign, but right after we turn onto the last dreaded long uphill stretch. Perhaps 1-2% elevation gain for perhaps 800m, and my eyesight is not good enough to see if the end of the race is at the end of the stretch or if there were turns. I told myself to act as if this stretch were the end. Then I tell myself that gazelle is good at uphills and to surge with good hill form (learned from uphill sprints!) and if she is surging I am too and hopefully that will break any spirit left in her. So for this half mile stretch I surge about three times, then have to turn a corner.
0.34	6:34 pace	168	91%	I know where I am finally and have to turn one more time then kick the best I can to the finish.

At the race food area someone asks if I was the third girl, and I said yes, and he said, “You are the gazelle! You finished so strong!” Wow, cool that the nickname I gave skinny hill-girl was applied to me. Then when I picked up my bag, the guys there asked, “were you the third girl? You are the gazelle! You have some girls hatin’ you! You passed them.” That was cool.

I am so happy with this race. It is funny to have my worst performance in a race also be my best. My overall time is the worst of all marathons, but I had no drop off in pace at all, so I ran it with the best effort distribution. Over 24 hours later, I am also happy that I could feel pleased with a slower performance. I may never be at my A game again, with Phd school starting in under two months, and I would still like to find joy and participate in races. I am kind of a competitive person so I wasn’t sure if I could find pride in a slow time. But I do, and that makes me happy :D I feel like an old woman today but I feel like I have more roads to run, more races to run, more running buddies to make and to learn from.

Tue, Jul 23, 2013

Tue, 23 Jul 2013 06:00:00

Small easy run, 8:45 ave pace, 133 ave bpm

Mon, Jul 22, 2013

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 06:00:00

8:51 pace, slow through Cedar Hills, mini taper before marathon

Sat, Jul 20, 2013

Sat, 20 Jul 2013 06:00:00

8:11 pace, ran with Josse, Mack, Aubrey and Amber through good old SF riverbottoms

35 us miles

Fri, Jul 19, 2013

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 06:00:00

8:26/mile, 135 ave pace