showing some progress

This week has been one of concrete progress. I'm finding that completing the 10K race without stopping has had a HUGE psychological impact. I'm no longer afraid of pushing myself. Yes, the pain and discomfort are always there, but mentally I know I can do more. My long distance is up to 18.5 K with 20+K slated for this weekend. I'm now experimenting with different walk/run intervals at the 6K to 12K levels.

My times are improving and I weighed myself this morning to find I'm down 10 lbs from my initial starting weight. My clothes are feeling looser. Maybe all this pain is worth it :). I'm sure the weight loss is in great part to the increase in running frequency and distance, but I've also been religious about recording my food intake on a daily basis since early January. I know this has also had a significant effect on what I've been eating.

I'm finding I'm becoming more concerned about injury and sickness. There is a very fine balance between pushing myself to the limit and being stupid. So I'm trying to keep my increases gradual and listen to what my body is telling me. Mostly it's "geez, I'm sore".

I must admit that I'm extremely pleased at my accomplishments so far. As I approach the half-way mark of my marathon preparation, I can now see some tangible results in my fitness level, my weight and my general sense of well-being. The challenge will now be to keep increasing distance and not get injured or lose momentum through some other issue.

Michael

Jan. 14 race pics

Here are the pics from my recent run.




In case you're having difficulty finding me,
I'm wearing the red toque :).











Here we are warming up before the start.













At the finish line. What a feeling of accomplishment!!
















Thanks Coach.

My first race

The body is an incredible machine. Last week I was ready to quit after a disastrous 16K run/walk I wasn't able to finish. Six days later I completed 1 7K run/walk with gas left in the tank. When I had totalled my weekly distance I found I had completed just under 50K in that six-day period. Quite a feat, considering I was ready to quit a week earlier.

And last Sunday my coach had registered me for a 10K race. This is something I would never have undertaken, but he had paid the fee and I was obligated to do it (well morally obligated anyway). So Sunday morning I met him and we drove to the race site. I was quite apprehensive about being able to finish, let alone participate actively.

He had brought along a racing buddy for me and when the race started, it became obvious I was holding her back. So at the one kilometre mark I set her free and she moved forward. The group dynamic of the race kept me going and I discovered that I had run halfway without stopping.

I kept my legs moving and my eyes on a woman about 100 yeards ahead of me. I decided that if she wan't going to stop, I wasn't either. And as we approached the 8K mark I decided I would pass her before the race ended. At 9K I closed the gap and caught up with her as we approached the finish line. My competitive streak gave way and we ran to the finish line together. What a rush!! I ran my first 10K race without stopping and I bested my time by 30 seconds.

And now we're into the Winter doldrums. The weather has turned cold with lots of snow. Running outodoors is less pleasant. It will be a challenge to keep my mileage up but I'm more than ever committed to achieiving my goal.

Michael

The honeymoon is over.

After "going public" last week with my goal to run the 2007 Ottawa Marathon on May 27th, 2007, I basked in the euphoria of the moment. I had been training since Nov.1, had continually increased my distance and slowly improved my time, with some discomfort but no major issues. This whole thing was going to be no problem.

That is, until I went out for next long run, 16K (10+ miles) on Thursday of last week. After a strong start, I began to have a difficult time. A steep hill about two-thirds of the way was the killer. For the first time since starting this initiative, I wasn't able to finish, walking for a couple of kilometers at the end and taking a short cut home, ending at 15K.

I was emotionally and physically spent, I was in pain, I was devastated. I sent off a quick email to my coach, looking for some compassion. I received a curt reply: "This is what marathoners go through once a week. You did 15K. Great job!"

Unbeliveably, within 24 hours I was feeling normal. I even did 45 minutes on the exercise bike the next evening. What an amazing machine the body is. And yesterday I did 17K, in some discomfort but I finished the distance and, once again, lived to talk about it. I've now completed 50K in the last 6 days.

One of the things I need to do is lose about 20 lbs to help me increase my stamina and speed. To that end I've started recording my food intake. What a revelation that is. The amazing thing is that I'm already changing my eating habits and discovering my problem times and areas, just by writing this on paper.

I'm running my first 10K race this weekend and am quite apprenhesive about it.

Until next week.

2007 Marathon Diary

The Ottawa Marathon is scheduled for May 27th, 2007. I've set a goal to complete the 26 miles, 385 yards distance in 4 1/2 hours. This is my fourth attempt at running a marathon. My previous three attempts have all ended at the midway mark, for a number of different reasons.

I started my training on Nov. 1 and have been running 3-4 times a week, complementing this with a twice-weekly weight program. I have recruited a coach in Wendall Hughes (no relation). Wendall is a personal fitness trainer and friend. Check his web site at www.phytness.ca.

I am up to a weekly distance of 35 Km. The longest distance I've run so far is 16Km, or just over 10 miles. I'm still cheating by using a walk/run option. I am up to a 9 minute run with a one minute rest period in between.

I'll be reporting back weekly to update this blog and keep you posted on my progress.

Michael