Becoming a marathoner: The fatigue factor

It's been some time since last being able to write something down.  Real life, work, kids, training, makes it a bit hard at times to get something down on the blog.

I've still having fun on my marathon journey, but the true reality of what I am taking on is setting in.  I've gone from a short course triathlete to single focus on running the marathon.  What does that mean?  Well, instead of running a few days a week, broken up by swimming and cycling, and all sorts of 'brick' workouts I'm now training 6 days a week.  I used to train 5 days a week.  Now I train 6 days a week with at least 5 of those being run days.  The miles are adding up, and the workouts are getting longer.  The mental and physical fatigue is starting to settle in. 

The problem is I still have a LONG way to go.  My long run to date is 14 miles.  Just a wee bit short of the prize of 26.2.  Interestingly I'm finding myself excited by the new long run distances I'm putting in.  I guess it is always fun to push past a previous best, so I really do look forward to pushing an extra mile further than my last longest run.  This coming weekend will be 15 miles, and will include a hill that I pretty much don't like to even ride up on the bike, let alone run up it!  I used to ride up that hill and look at the runners saying "dang, sure glad I'm climbing this on the bike instead of running"  Ha Ha, look who's running up in now......

While I generally get Saturday as a cross training day (bike trainer in the living room usually), the week day runs are starting to become much more of a challenge.  What used to be an easy 3 miles before or after work, is now getting to the point of 6-8 mile runs during the week.  While it isn't too difficult to get out at lunch for 3-4 miles, it is a bit more when you need to get out for 6-7 miles multiple times a week.  Even more so when the day calls for 7 miles 'easy'.  Easy pace for me isn't very fast at all.

I laugh inside when I say that, especially when I think back to my previous post about 'comparison', but when I now think of as a slow/easy run is a pace I used to work hard at to achieve.  So I guess that helps put things into perspective, but it doesn't get away from the fact that it is starting to be a rather significant time needed for my weekday runs.  Fortunately I have a flexible enough schedule that I can put in more time on Fridays and essentially make up for taking off 30 minutes early from work earlier in the week.

But recently I've noticed the fatigue factor creeping in.  I'm tiered.  My body is getting tiered.  I'm sure this is all part of the adaption process, and both mentally and physically getting used to the mileage, but I'm tiered.  My Achilles is starting to act up again, and mentally I'm losing my edge and enthusiasm for all this running.  It might be easier if I just wanted to complete the marathon, but that isn't my goal.  I want to race the marathon.  I want to the best time I can, and take on this challenge with a full effort.  So with that in mind, I've got to pay the price along the way I guess.

I'm sure this is something that many if not most all people go through on this journey.  I started this process back in November, it is now end of February.  Essentially I am a little over half way through this marathon journey.  Earlier in the year I thought this would be a great "jumping off point" into my first half Ironman Triathlon.  Now I think that when the marathon is done, I'll go back and enjoy a few short course tri races and call it a season.  As of now, I don't have the energy or desire to push on harder and longer after this.  It will be interesting to re read this in June and see how I feel.

Tomorrow is my rest day.  Get to bed early and get ready to lace 'em up again on Wed!

Becoming a marathoner: Overcoming injury

So I've decided to take on my biggest challenge yet.

Overcoming injury on the path to my first marathon

This is one that I'm confident that I will be able to achieve, yet still not fully convinced.  As I finished the Rock n Roll half marathon last year I was already thinking about running my first full marathon.  At the conclusion of that race I thought to myself..... well.... that was lap 1!  Granted I won't be running a full marathon at the pace I ran the half, but I still couldn't imaging going back out and doing it all over again at that point.

With that said, I knew way back then that I needed to put in some serious work to pull this one off.  So shortly after finishing the RnR half in 2013, I started up running again.  Very quickly I injured myself.  My Achilles started aching a little, and very quickly went from a dull pain to something rather serious.  I spent about 8 weeks not being able to run at all.  The pain would mostly go away, and I would try to run again, and instantly it would be back as strong as ever.

I was pretty much ready to give up when I ran into a friend of mine at the local Tri Club Aquathon.  He happens to be a triathlon/running coach.  When I talked with him he agreed to help me out.  First step was to get healthy again.

After a lot of stretching, self massage for my calves, and foam roller work, I started to feel a bit better.  Carefully we started off with easy 10 minutes of running max.  Gradually we got back up to running a mile, then two, then three.  Difficult to say the least for someone who just ran his fastest half marathon, and was used to hard interval triathlon training.

But with help, I learned to take not just one, but several steps backward before moving forward.

Since then, I have grown so much as a person and as a runner.  I've reached new levels of fitness and beaten times I never thought possible.  I've now run my first 15k race at a pace I never would have though sustainable for even a 5k race.  Shortly after I ran almost that same pace for a half marathon besting my previous personal record by several minutes, and on a harder course.

So now I cross over into the "official 18 week marathon window".  I'm actually 2 weeks in, and the level of the challenge ahead of me is becoming rather apparent.  Last weeks long run was my previous longest distance.  13 miles of just running, and I know I obviously am going to be going up a lot before I get to June and my first marathon.

As of now, 2 weeks into my training window, I'm still optimistic and eager. 
We shall see where this journey takes me and how I feel along the way.


I still have to find a way to reach this goal while taking care of work, family, kids, etc.

Becoming a runner

Becoming a runner

I've thought a lot about this question.  When do I consider myself a runner?  After reading this post on Mile-Posts  Comparision-is-the-thief-of-joy, it really helped pull things into focus for me.

This all started a few weeks back after completing my first 15k race.  I'd never run the distance before, but it was a great test race leading up to the Carlsbad half marathon I was training for.

My mentor gave me what I thought was a pretty aggressive pace and time goal.  I was a bit nervous about trying to hold that pace, but when it was all said and done, not only did I achieve that pace, but I beat it!

I was pretty ecstatic at the time.  After all, I had just run a new distance, and set a PR for both my 10k and obviously the 15k.  I'd never run that fast and for that long before, the feeling was awesome.

So here is what got me going down this inner though process.  After getting home from the race (and showering and changing as my wife won't get near me till I do) I sat around eating my breakfast and started to share my story with my wife.  I told her how happy I was that not only did I meet the goal, but I beat it!  Then these words came out of my mouth.  "Not too bad for someone who isn't a real runner".

She looked at me with that look she usually gives me when I try to explain why I like to run distance races, or why I'm training for a marathon, or why I want to race an full Ironman etc.....  It was the look of "what are you talking about?"  I kept going on for a bit longer, and then she said, "what do you mean you are not a runner?"  I tried to explain, that even though I do race, and I am running, I'm not a true runner.  She looked at me and said, you are a true runner.  You just ran over 100 miles this past month, ran a 15K race at a 7:42 average... you are a runner.  "Why do you think you are not a runner?"  My response was something along the lines of, "I don't know, I'm not like those really fast people that run these things".  And there in was the rub.  I'm just comparing myself to the achievements of others.

I had to stop, let that one sink in for a while, but it wasn't until I read the post about "Comparison is the thief of joy" that it all came together for me.

So here is my point.  I do agree that I am now a runner.  But when did I become one, and what classifies me as a "runner"?

I always like this old saying.  

Q. When does a jogger become a runner?  

A. After they sign up for their first race.

Well OK, then did I become a runner after my first 5K?  That one is a little harder because my first 5K was actually the back half of my first sprint triathlon.  I didn't take the couch to 5K approach, I took the couch to sprint triathlon path instead.  Always looking for the challenge I guess.  

But very quickly I got used to the distance, and I thought, well maybe after my first 10K.  Well, once again I ran my first 10K, but it was at the back end of my first Olympic distance triathlon.  See, I'm not really a runner yet am I?  At least not a pure runner.  I'm one of those darn triathletes!  Why be really good at one sport when you can be average at three, right?

So did I become a runner after my first half marathon?  After all, I didn't really train for it, (If my wife see me type this she would be rolling her eyes right now) I just kind of ran it after being dared to run it with some friends that had signed up. I ran a 2:08:49 for my first half marathon.

Did I become a runner after my second half marathon, when I ran a 1:47:47 the following year?  How about when I ran my 3rd at a 1:44:29?  Not only did I set a new PR for the half marathon, this last time I actually trained for it.  So now am I a runner?

Sadly I started the comparison thing again.  I'm not really a runner until I do a full marathon I started to think to myself.  My friends are doing full marathons, ultra marathons, or half and full ironman races!  They are runners I thought to myself, I'm just not there yet.  I am training for my first full marathon by the way.  Rock n Roll Marathon - San Diego this June.

Then fortunately I cam across the blog post I referenced above and it put everything into focus for me.  

I am a runner! 

I get joy out of just running.  I like being out there, feeling the road beneath my feet, the sun on my face.  Watching the sun come up on during the early morning run, or watching it go down on my late afternoon runs.  I like clicking off the miles and enjoying the scenery along the way.  I like pushing the twins in the Bob while watching my son ride his bike up ahead of me.  I love the feeling after the run is over and I get to EAT.

That is what being a runner is about now.  Not just checking off the time and distance goals.  Not just trying every day to get faster, and do more.  I've come to realize that constantly comparing myself to the achievements of others is not doing me a lot of good.  Yes, it can be motivating, but it can also be limiting and defeating too.

I know running is a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  And that is a good thing, but I think for many of us (clearly myself included!) we get too caught up in comparing ourselves to others.  In so we can be robbing ourselves of the pure joy of what we are out there to do.  For me, that is to be healthy, and beat MY last time.  Yes, I want to beat others on the course, but I'm really going to try my best to focus on MY time and being the best Me/runner that I can be.

So as I get ready to go out for my afternoon run, I'm just going to enjoy the miles and the sunset....

Just Write It....... time to get started:

After lots of "thinking about it" and trying to create the perfect first post, and perfect blog site, I've taken the advice of a blogger I've followed for a while and decided to "just write it".

So here it goes.....

I thought about why I wanted to write a blog, and came up with any number of reasons.  None of them were cohesive thoughts or strategies, just things I thought were interesting along my journey into fitness, running, and endurance sports.  I started off cycling, then went to triathlon, and now running.

In the long run I kept coming back to one thing.  I am happier and healthier today because I "just did it".  I got off my rear and started getting back into shape. The experience has changed my life, and continues to be a driving force for me.  So when I think about what I would really like to accomplish with a blog is the ability to inspire even one other person to get started.  To take the initial steps that lead to a path of health and happiness.  If I can help even one person get motivated and start exercising, or one person to keep going after getting frustrated, then in my mind I will have met the goal of creating this blog.

So without getting to philosophical at this point, I will end with a link to the post that inspired me on www.mile-posts.com.

http://www.mile-posts.com/2009/03/firsts.html

I've enjoyed reading her posts, and have used them as motivation to keep me going at times.  Hopefully someday I can return the favor to someone new.

So there! 
It's done.
My first post.