Three Points of Attack and Training Journal

Runners are such complicated beasts.  We are all different, with many (often conflicting) priorities, motivations and goals.  One of the challenges of coaching (and in my professional life, mentoring or managing) is figuring out how different people respond to problems or challenges, and utilizing that to help them succeed.  Some need carrots, others a big stick, and some a bit of both.

But the most difficult task is often trying to figure out what motivates yourself, and how to harness that and turn it to your advantage.

And I am probably more frustratingly complicated than your average runner.  I don't necessarily run for the love of it - if I had to quit running tomorrow, I wouldn't be heartbroken.  Sometimes it can be hard, and sometimes I really don't like it very much (like yesterday).  But at the same time it can also be euphorically uplifting and inspiring.  I've had runs which have been ethereal, attaining almost spiritual levels of detachment.  I've been privileged to run into many blood red sunrises and sunsets of breathtaking beauty, enjoyed runs lit by huge hunter's moons, and been lucky to have shared many of those runs with some great friends.

So yeah, on second thoughts I would be heartbroken if I had to give that up.

But how do I harness that?  Once you strip away all my complex layers, you're left with one prime motivational factor that I can use, and it is this:  I need and thrive on a challenge.

That's what it's always come down to for me - the exploration of the unknown, the mystery of how far I could push myself in search of a goal.  That is why I started running marathons. That is why I started running ultras, and why I completed two 100 milers.

It is also the reason my motivation to run ultras vanished once that goal was met and the mystery was gone.  I had proven it to myself.  Case closed.  Time to move on.

So to practicalities - sometimes it's good to have a bad race, because it pushes you to prove something to yourself all over.  That's where I am right now - pretty damn mad with myself, and glad I have another marathon in 4 weeks time to redeem myself.

Yes, it's irrational - I still think I made the right choice yesterday.  It was certainly not a PR day, and I had nothing to prove by enduring a sufferfest.  And 1:46 is a respectable enough half marathon time.  But sometimes irrationality is good.  It makes me want to do something about it, and it usurps my natural laziness.

I've been pondering on this all day, and I have come up with three basic areas on which I need to focus.


1. Leg strength.  This is something I definitely need to work on.  My legs are lacking in mileage and endurance.  They got fatigued far too easily on Sunday,  even allowing for the conditions.  Last year I did a lot of cross training using aerobic weights and cycling, and I need to start doing that again.  It makes all the difference to my running.  It also builds confidence, which I thrive on as a runner.  I also need to be more consistent about my midweek runs. Last year, much of my success at White Rock was based on 2 back-to-back midweek runs done at (what turned out to be) marathon goal pace (7:20/mile) - 10 miles on Tuesday, then 8 miles on Wednesday, pushing it on tired legs.

2. Nutrition.  I had thought that one of the benefits of working at home would be that I would be able to devote more time to meal preparation, but it's often had the opposite effect.  I have tended to just work through my lunch, or just grab something easy (and not that good for me).  I need to pay more attention to how I'm fueling the tank.  To run at my best, I need to drop at least 5lbs, and put back some of the muscle I'd built up last year.  Better nutrition will help me get there.

3. Accountability.  Challenge provides motivation, which in turn provides the discipline needed to train consistently, which provides the performance increase which feeds that motivation.  And so the monster grows.  Last year, I added accountability in the form of an online training journal in this blog.  Maybe I need to start that up again (see below).

I think if I can harness each of these three points, I have a great opportunity to run a great race in College Station.  Here's a jumpstart on that training journal.

It's week 1 of 4 for the BCS marathon.


Sunday November 13th
7:30am - ran the San Antonio half marathon in 1:46

pm - 30 minutes of yoga after the boys were asleep


Monday November 14th
7am - 4 hilly miles around my neighborhood (31:47 - 7:57 pace).  Warm and humid, legs felt stiff and sore - did the first mile in 7:20, and got slower the further I went.  Thinking it's time I started pushing some of these runs on tired legs.

Lunchtime - 15 minute abs workout

pm - 30 minute Bob workout 1.  Circuits.  OMG, I haven't done this in months - can't believe how out of shape I am.  Sweated (and whined) like a dog, and you can bet I'm going to be sore tomorrow.  Feel pretty awesome and pumped right now though!!!


Tuesday November 15th
5am - 7 miles (58:41 - 8:23 pace).  73F and humid.  Are we in November or August?  I was looking forward to running in some cleansing rain this morning, instead I got warm and humid.  Legs tired, unable to maintain the pace below 8 minute miles.  Got some work to do, and looking forward to the cooler weather tomorrow.

Lunchtime -  30 minutes of circuits.  Worked up a good sweat

pm - 20 minutes of spinning on the trainer after the boys went to bed


Wednesday November 16th
5:30am - 7 miles (57:05 - 8:10 pace).  59F.  OMG, I am so sore.  My abs are sore, my quads are screaming, my hamstrings are tight, and I could barely get my legs out of bed this morning.  That means that all those weights and core workouts I've been doing are having an effect.  The effect this morning was that this was a really painful run.  Thank you to James for taking it easy on me :-)

Midday - 20 minute strength workout.  Just to ensure I am completely unable to walk tomorrow.


Thursday November 17th
4:30am - 6.6 miles (56:55 - 8:36 pace).  55F and windy.  Met Clea for our usual easy-paced Thursday morning run.  Leg soreness a bit better today, nice run.

Half a Job Bob

With the Undertaker.  An interesting metaphor for my race

Well today was the San Antonio Rock and Roll marathon, and I made the last minute decision to switch to the half.  I think it was the smart choice based on the weather, my level of conditioning, and my current levels of motivation.  This was backed up by having dinner last night with several friends, better runners than me, all of whom had also made the same decision to drop to the half.

And when I woke up this morning and saw the visible layer of moisture in the air, literally blocking out the Tower of the Americas, I knew it was going to be a sucky day.  And so it proved.

I started off running 7:20s, and within a mile I was soaked.  It wasn't particularly warm, but the humidity was like a suffocating blanket.  The first few miles were all mid-7s, other than one where I made a bathroom stop, but I never felt good, and never found a rhythm.  It was hard grind, and one of those days where the miles just seemed to drag by sooooo slowly.  I eventually crossed the finish line in 1:46 (8:06 average) and was happy to be done.  Not a great time, but not bad either.  I was still running 8:10s-8:20s at the end, but the last few miles felt like I was running in wet cement - my legs were heavy, and my heart just wasn't in it.

Gavin with a Mexican wrestler mask from El Mercado market

I can quite honestly say I had a horrible run - I hated every moment and couldn't wait to finish.  I suspect if I had continued and run the full distance I could have finished somewhere in the 3:40s or 3:50s, but I completely lacked the motivation to run another 13 miles.

It made me feel a bit better to hear the same sentiment echoed by everybody else I know who ran today.

Mostly this is my fault, since I just haven't put in the training necessary to run the kind of race I would like.  But it also throws up an interesting mirror of last year, where I had a sucky race at Frankenthon, signed up for a "revenge race", and managed to turn it around in 5 weeks for White Rock.

The missing ingredient in both Frankenthon and San Antonio was motivation.

It just so happens that I have 4 weeks until the BCS marathon.  And if I want to turn it around, I have my work cut out.

I know exactly what I need to do, but the question is can I find that motivation I need to make Aggieland my revenge race?

Paying Off Debts

Got back from San Diego late last night.  Had a good few days in California, including a great night out at Anthology - a kicking supper club with live music.  Only slightly annoyed that I missed Marc Cohn by one night.  His "Walking in Memphis" is one of my all-time favorite songs.

So up this weekend is the San Antonio marathon, and the theme seems to be about paying off old debts.  Like the one I owe to the weather gods for my "perfect day" at White Rock last year.  And I suspect I'm going to pay through the nose, because forecasts for Sunday look to be low 70s at the start, warming up to the upper-80s with 100% humidity.

The marathon organizers have even put up a page on their website about warm weather running.  They will be handing out salt at the start line, and it will be available on the course along with "spray stations" to cool runners down.  Not good news for someone who loves to run in the cold weather like myself.

So yeah, think I'm going to take it real easy for this one, and just enjoy a 26.2 mile stroll through old San Antone.

First Haircut, No Teeth, and How Not to Train for a Marathon

Daddy, what have you done to me!!!!

I took young Dylan to get sheared this past weekend - his first real haircut (in other words, the first one that was not administered by me).  Fair play to him, the boy did well - he sat on my lap, didn't get his ears cut off, didn't cry, and was held in place by the promise of a sucker if he kept reasonably still. 

I think he likes it - I have caught him admiring himself in the mirror a few times since the weekend.

On top of that, his older brother is now shy both his front teeth.  Oh yes, it's that classic once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take truly embarrassing pictures that I will gleefully pull out the first time he brings a girlfriend home.

Right now he is blissfully ignorant of that fact, and is just happy the tooth fairy paid him a visit.

On the running front, the San Antonio Rock and Roll marathon is this coming weekend, and I am happily tipping my nose and blowing a raspberry at it - never have I been so unprepared.  Looking for ideas for a speed advantage, I am down to shaving before the race and cutting my fingernails. 

And that's not going to help much, because long runs have been almost non-existent.  I have barely run in the last few weeks, my throat feels like somebody's playing the violin on it with razorblades, my knee has been cursing me out for months, I've been working long hours and late nights for weeks, and tomorrow I'm headed off to San Diego on a business trip for the rest of the week.

Though on the plus side,  I did watch George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" over the weekend.  Figured it would prepare me for the last few miles.

Yes, overall preparation has been excellent.

I ran San Antonio a few years ago - the first year it was part of the "Rock and Roll" franchise.  I'm not really a big fan of the super commercialized races ("Occupy San Antonio marathon" anyone?), though I did enjoy the race and got what was then a huge PR.  I mostly remember shaking my head at people who bought finishers shirts before the race and then had the gall to wear them at the start line.  I also remember that when you finished, you were herded through the "marathon souvenir shop" before you could get out of the finisher's chute.

It's a wonder they haven't figured out a way to charge your credit card at each water stop!!!

Not to worry, I plan on using my tried and true marathon approach - rocking on up, going out way too fast, crashing hard somewhere mid-race, limping across the finish line while grimacing and cramping in both legs, and then being rolled home.

Consider it my protest statement.  Power to the people - especially the lazy ones like me.