Week X1

Week X1
31.43 Miles

I ran 8 miles after work with some friends from work. I like that there are so many people devoted to their health where I work. It always makes it easier to do the right things when other people are participating with you. We ran Gallup and I felt strong.

The next two runs at home were pretty miserable. The humidity has been out of control for the last month and I'm finding it as much of a battle as running in the sun midday. I ran hard nonetheless and finished the runs strong. Watching "Without Limits" one of the Prefontaine movies helped for motivation, so I'm thankful for that.

I met the wife and her running partner for the 13 miler after a 12 hr shift at Gallup Park. I got a couple of friends from work to run some of it with us. Shelly, who is running the Chicago marathon a week earlier than mine, and Rob, the leader of the run club at work. I felt honored to run with him for his longest run ever and watch him finish strong. I felt pretty tired the first 8 miles, but after my friends left me, something inside me turned on and I got negative splits the rest of the way. I felt strong and encouraged. Despite all of the bonking on these long runs, I believe that when the weather cools, I will be ready and motivated.

This is the part of the training that no one likes. This is the gruel. These are hard miles in bad weather conditions. I could run in the rain and snow for hours without issue, but bring out the sun and it's disgusting heat and I get weak.

Next week isn't going to be fun. High humidity predicted again and I have an 18 miler scheduled with RunDetroit on Sunday.

PS: The pic above was chosen because it scares me.




Sing.
Migrate.

Week X

Week X
29.2 miles logged

The week started out strong. I like to get the 8 mile run out of the way to create as much separation as I can between it and the long run. I ran a light 9:46 pace for the 8 miler due to the desire to keep my joints intact for the long run. My right side of my hip on the medial side has a feeling of joint erosion lately and I suspect I have tendonitis from speed work and so many trail runs so fast. I was introduced to running trails less than 6 months ago and I think the hills and surfaces have punished me a bit. Don't care, not gonna stop. I love them too much.

Next run was again after my work shift in the morning. I ran the 4.3 mile loop in the trails with Nick, one of my new running partners. I've found so many great running partners in the last 6 months and it has really taken some of the edge off of the milage. The run was great and fast for me in the trails. 9:13/mile is a bit faster than I usually set out to run them, but it wasn't difficult.

Then the long run. Bonked again. Started at 7 am thinking I would escape the heat, which I am increasingly convinced I am intolerant of. I missed the sun, but I got 98% humidity. Brian and I couldn't even see any part of the sky. Mile 9 came and I was out of water and losing fluid too fast. I got behind my demand for fluids and the life ran out of me. I struggled with breathing, cramping, and started having panic attacks and needed to close my eyes and listen to my breaths to keep moving. We reached water, but the damage was done. I was afraid of my first ever DNF. That would have been lame, so I fought through and finished the miles. I had to catch my breath a lot and went through a lot of water. I left my long run discouraged again, but glad to have been mentally tested. These are the things I believe make a good runner. Running is so much mental and i need to get my butt kicked sometimes to learn to get pissed and try something new and overcome. I took off my last 4 mile run of the week to get my bearings and rest. It took me two days to feel normal again. I cramped for a full day on and off and had a weird hormone thing going on that made me emotional. I didn't cry though, I'm a man. I feel good now.

Next week is a swapped step down week, as we signed up for an 18 mile training run with RunDetroit the following week. I am determined to go into that one angry and find a better way. The long run will be 13 miles. I have secured Nick, my wife, and her running partner Tracy to meet me in Ann Arbor after my shift and put the 13 behind us.

The above picture is of my colossal calf cramp.



Sing.
Migrate.

Week IX- Half Way There. I Will Be Fierce

Week IX
29 Miles

This was a step down week. Nothing eventful happened. I ran the seven miler in Ann Arbor on the flat paved path and ran the little ones at home.

Which brought me to the long run. Bonking on the last 15 and the last 14 had been wreaking havoc on my mind. I was scared of this half marathon. When I think about it, it seems ridiculous because I have stomped out half marathons before. I chose to go at dawn when I got out of work. I took a gamble here. I work twelve hour midnight nursing shifts. I decided to run a half marathon after a twelve hour shift and having been up for 22 hours.

I tricked Justin, my short distance training partner, into running it with me the night before by convincing him that this regular solo training run was a sanctioned half marathon that I would be covering the cost of. I know, I'm a jerk.

We ran the miles and I felt great. I ran fast and strong. I even asked him if he had four more miles in him to do the next weeks seventeen miler instead. He didn't have that much in the tank, but I was proud of him for muscling out a half marathon without notice and running a distance he has only run once before.

It was a great moral boost running the last half mile at a 6:30 pace. I just need to run early. Never, ever, ever again in the sun. Ever.

Ever.






Sing.
Migrate.

Week VIII

Week VIII
30.5 Miles

This was a difficult week for me. It started out with the trails in Ann Arbor for seven miles, which bring me hills. I felt a little torn up in the right hip/hamstring area after. This isn't a new pain, I've been dealing with it for months, but not on this level. It's become a distraction to my success, so I try to ignore it. I don't think it's serious, so I'm gonna train through it and hope it doesn't cripple me.

Isn't that sad? I'm willing to risk being crippled for one accomplishment. Truth is, this race means everything to me. It means I can overcome anything. I've lost a lot in the last five years. I've lost my best friend/brother to suicide. I've lost some fortitude of faith. I've lost that burning will to put the world beneath my feet. I need this. I'm throwing all of me into this. I'm going to run this race for Will and the pain he has left in me. I'm going to run out all of my energy to be angry. I don't want to be angry anymore. Instead, I want to hold my head to the sky and shout in exhausted victory.

I did the two four milers at home. Nothing to write home about. I just ran.

The 15 miler in Traverse City was a different story. We got off to a late start and ended up running almost mid-day. I got to mile 10 before the run became a battle. I knew I was getting tired and depleted and there was nothing I could do right. I drank the water and ate the fuel. But I bonked again. I don't know whats wrong with me in the heat, but it is my Kryptonite. I should probably see a Dr. about heat intolerance, but who has the time for that. I slept all winter with the window open mind you.

I bent over a lot and dropped my sweat onto the pavement and I finished the run. I ran the 15 miles. It wasn't pretty, but nothing I try to do is. I fought hard and refused to give up. That is the positive I'll take from the run. I will not give up before collapse.


Sing.
Migrate.

Week VII

Week VII
30.53

This was a milestone week for me. This was the week that marathon training got real. All of the weeks prior, I knew I had already been prepared to put behind me. Not that miles are ever truly easy, but I knew I wouldn't really be tested much. This was to be the week I put in more miles on average than I have since last summer and the week I ran further than a half marathon.

I wanted to get the moderate distance run out of the way so I did the seven miler first in the trails. I didn't even get lost. I was proud of that. I moved on to the two four milers, one at home and the other a 5.5 miler in the trails. Anything outside of the trails have become a bit boring for me.

I ran the final run, the long run today. I won't run the long ones in places that I've already run and found to be boring, so I found a rail trail in West Bloomfield and ran the fourteen miler there. I didn't plan well for this one. I found out last minute that I had to run it the next day due to scheduling conflicts, and alone as well. I didn't eat a good dinner the night before and could not drag myself out of bed early in the morning. I ended up doing the very thing I said I would not do again. I set off to run midday at 2PM. The sun was on top of me without tree cover. I filled my water bottle with Nuun, but ran out quickly and had to refill four times throughout the run do to the loss of sweat. I ate a salted watermelon Gu which severely wrecked my stomach and I had to stop twice at the porta-john to "Rectify" the situation (see what I just did)? The Gu also tasted terrible. After the issues resolved, I got a much needed boost after two Gu's and one Sportbean pack.

The sun hid a bit behind some clouds for a few miles and I got a little break form the big hot star and eased into my normal pace. My legs felt pretty good and I knew I was hydrated properly. I was concerned and convinced that I hadn't taken in enough calories, specifically carbohydrates, but I fought on anyway. The rail trail was a boring out and back, much less interesting than the website made it out to be, but that is America. No one tells the truth. The ground beneath me was crushed stone and easy on the joints which added a little upside to an otherwise forgettable run. Finished the run with a 9:35/mile pace and quickly retreated to pizza at home.

All in all, this "Nature preserve" enlightened me to the very aggressive geese, who have protruding tongues, a few chipmunks, and a really fast snake which presented itself only when I was about to step on it, sending me into a wild man dance to get away.

It was a tough weak that marks the start of all of the tough weeks. I promise I will not make the midday run mistake again.

My take home, because if you aren't learning you're dead...runners need fuel. Do not run without properly adding energy stores.


Sing.
Migrate.