A fine day at Grandma's : My perspective(LONG)
Nimbus Couzin
Back from a fine outing at Grandma's..
The weather was nice and cool the day before, with a heavy
fog at two in the afternoon, limiting visibility to about a
hundred feet. Quite chilly in fact. I was pleased. After a
long walk (two and a half miles each way) to pick up my marathon
packet, and then back up a HUGE hill, I noticed that I had
somehow strained my left calf. It actually hurt. I was kind
of bummed out, as I'd thought this would be an easy day,
substituting a walk for a 25 minute run that was called for
in my training plan . . but not so bad that it'd keep me
from running.
Stayed up a little later than planned, watching the NBA finals,
interrupted regularly by coverage of OJ Simpson's white Ranger
sitting in his driveway, and commentary on the palatial residences
of Brentwood California. Knicks won. Bummer. I went up to my room
with one minute left in the game; I drank a lot of water while
sitting watching tv at least. Read my complimentary issue of
Running Times, ate half a loaf of yummy bread, and went to bed
at eleven, six and a half hours before my scheduled wake up call.
Staying at the University dorms was nice. Even had a fridge in
my room. The veggie sushi Cindy made for us to eat the day before
had been excellent. Coffee was waiting us marathoners in the lobby
as I got ready to board the bus at six AM. But stepping outside,
wearing a light jacket, I realized the weather had changed; it
was warm! Not good for runners, but a fine day for spectators.
After a half hour bus ride, and a few conversations joined in and
overheard, we made it to the starting line. I drank three glasses
of water, used the bathroom, tried to get some vasaline and/or
sunscreen at the med table, but they were all out of both (bad
planning on my part, but the med table really should have at least
had vasaline as prerace supplies - very cheap). But I found a
runner who had some and made my way to the start line.
I plopped myself down at the 3:10 pace marker. My blue hair had
attracted some stares, but gotten surprisingly few comments. I
was pretty tired, as I'm usually sound asleep at eight o clock,
but not today. I felt just ok. Not really all that good. My calf
still hurt a little bit, but I hoped it'd get better when I
started to run. Sitting. Relaxing. Watching some pretty mighty
looking people. But I began to notice a lot of not so mighty
looking people walking further ahead, towards the area marked
for 3:00 finishing time, or even 2:50 or 2:40. I thought " these
people aren't going to run a 2:50." I was right. I stood, and
began to overhear people talking about running a 4:30! Well,
I had wanted to stay in my proper place, but I also wanted to
run a good time, so I moved bit forward. Conversations of " I'd
be really happy with a 3:30." So I moved a bit forward, up to
around the 2:40 mark, and heard people talking about 3:00 and
3:10, and decided that was the right place to start.
The starting gun went off, and I crossed the starting line at
0:25... twenty five seconds is a great start, so I was pleased.
The pack was tight, but not so tight, and I got to mile one
at 7:25. Right on the money for my seven minute pace. I got to
mile two at 14:05 and said "shit," audibly. People may have though
t I was upset at my slow speed, but actually I was upset at doing
a 6:40 mile, something I'd vowed not to do, that is, start out
too fast. I consciously slowed my pace and got to mile three at 21:03
From there, the pack had thinned a bit, the leaders were a mile ahead,
and I was in cruise.
The course really does have gentle rolling hills. The temperature
was warm, in the sixties. An official start temp of 61, but the
sun made it feel hotter, and word is is that it got up to 70 during
the run. I had feared the hills, but they didn't bother me. Having
run with my heart rate monitor the previous week helped me a lot.
I realized how my heart rate picked up going up the hill and how
it dropped going down, so I made a conscious effort to ease up
considerably on the uphills, and to push it on the down sections.
Again, the hills were pretty nice; very long and very gradual .
The miles dropped like flies. I drank at every water stop, which
came every three miles or so. I drank both water and excel at
every stop except one, at which I missed the excel as I got
to the side for a passing ambulance! Hopefully nobody hurt too
badly. I had thought about stopping for a bathroom stop (bush
stop) as early as mile three, but was so happy with my pace that
I just figured I'd wait. As the miles passed, I stayed withing
ten seconds of my desired time, dropping to about ten seconds
behind for the mile after the water stops, and making it up by
the time the next water stop rolled around. For the water stops,
I kept jogging, but very slowly, at maybe half speed. Seven miles
- whoops - six miles was at 42:00, and 10K at 42:43.
There was a lot of friendly conversation. Nothing deep. Jokes about
the heat, or the shadows which occasionally appeared on the left
side of the two lane highway we followed, or about something funny
we'd experienced at our last marathon. One guy, definitely not
conserving energy kept yelling loudly about anything that popped
into his mind. "Alright everybody, push it up that hill!"
'yeah, right, I thought, burn out, not me.' A couple of guys in
their thirties were having a casual conversation as they maintained
their seven minute pace. They were speaking as if they were
sitting at a baseball game, or a bar, not winded, not straining,
very natural. They actually pulled out ahead of me, gradually.
I was surprised to maintain my pace, and feel so strong as miles
10, 11, 12 and 13 rolled by. Time went fast. I found myself
running side by side with a strong female runner, she also
keeping the same seven minute pace. For about six or seven miles
we stayed within ten or fifteen feet of each other, sometimes
she leading, sometimes me, sometimes neither. Perhaps it kept
us honest in our pacing. There were a couple of other women
nearby as well. We talked a bit around mile 16 or 17, after
remaining silent for many miles. Unfortunately, she dropped
back about a mile later. Mile 17 rolled by and I looked at my
watch : 1:59:00 ... on my pace to the second! Pretty amazing.
I think I commented some nearby runners about my amazement.
People were starting to wear down here, but this was the height
of my strength. I felt really good during this 18th mile. I
kept my pace, and began passing people. Some people began to
walk, though I guess a couple people were walking at mile 13
and 16. Some spectator yelled out "you're on a 6:50 pace"
as we crossed on of the mile markers. I looked at the person
next to me and shook my head together with him. Nah, we're
on a 7:00 pace, right on the money. In the 19th mile, fatigue
started to hit. My legs both got tight, and I started to worry
a bit, but pushed on. I got to mile 19 ten seconds behind my
pace and remembered that I had a nice cushion waiting for me
at mile 20. If I could hold my pace I could run eight minute
miles the rest of the way. "three ten, three ten," went through
my mind a few times.
I got to mile 20 forty seconds off pace, but still feeling ok.
I knew I had it now. I pushed a little harder, but not too
hard, too close to burn out now. I decided a bathroom stop wasn't
needed, and I didn't want to waste the minute, in case it was
a crucial one. I slowed a bit, but kept my times in the low
sevens. I was passing an awful lot of people now, despite having
slowed my pace. One runner came up on me, and asked if I had
been watching tv last night at the university. I had to think
for a moment, and then I responded affirmatively. He asked what
time I was shooting for, and I told him 3:10. He said "no
problem, you look strong.. you'll get there in 3:05." I told
him my legs were tight, so I'd have to let him go ahead, which
he did eventually. He must have put on the burners, because
I saw him later and he ended up speeding to a 3:02. It was nice
to have had the encouraging words at this point in the race.
I did feel strong, but the tight legs kept me from getting
complacent. I kept passing people, unlike previous marathons,
where I was the one being passed.
The "big hill" at mile 22 wasn't bad at all, only a
medium hill, certainly bigger than the rest of the course's hills,
but not scary at all. I was happy when i saw it coming up, as
I knew that if that was the hill people had talked about, it
wasn't going to do me in. We were in duluth now, my legs were
tight, but I kept going. Now I started forgetting about my
pace and just workin with how much time I had left before
my 3:10 goal. It looked good. I remember 19 minutes left for
the last 2.2 miles, and figured I could do it. But it was
tough. I think I had a little over 11 minutes for the
last 1.2, and it just dragged on forever. I kept my form,
looked straight ahead, used my arms, ran strong. But the
course kept turning and turning. Finally the finish line
was in sight, and my watch was at 3:06. I knew I had it.
3:08:13 was the last time I saw above me as I raised my
arms and shouted a victory yell... success.
See you in boston!
Afterthoughts:
-Grandma's was a fun race!
-They should have had more water stops. Some people really suffered,
and were yelling for water that just wasn't there during those three
mile gaps.
-The heat was rough; seventy is warm for a marathon, and a lot of
people afterwards said they'd had bad days.
-The hills weren't bad at all; there was very little wind, but
an occasional cool breeze off the lake did feel great.
-Running along the lake was certainly beautiful ..
-I got a free massage afterwards, and it really felt good (but I wish
it hadn't ended)..
-Thanks to Benji Durden, and his marathon training plan in last
year's Runners World. It seems to be working..
-I'd recommend the university dorms. A bit pricey ($38 for two, after
tax), but a great atmosphere, a refrigerator, and transportation..
-The crowd support was small, but great. A lot of people once you
hit the city (around mile 20), and groups of maybe 50-100 people
scattered every mile or two earlier in the course. Some music,
but after running LA in march, I think everywhere else will feel
like not enough music. I had blue hair, so I got many compliments
on the "cool hair," plus some excited little kids pointing it out
to their parents. I told some beer drinkers at mile 22, who were
sittin on their front lawn that their beer looked good. They offered
me some, but I had to refuse.
-I think the hot weather training I did in Indiana for the past
couple weeks (long runs of 1.5-2.5 hours in 85-95 degree heat)
helped me out with the 70 degree weather here. No problems.
-I'll be back next year!
Nimbus Couzin
I just posted about my successful running at Grandma's ,
and thought I'd say a few words about training programs..
A few others have contributed their schedules, and i really
enjoy reading them, looking for similarities or differences
between their programs and mine. I've been following Benji
Durden's program from last years RW, which is a 15 week
plan (actually 14 I think, but he calls it 15).
I must again say a thanks to him. While I was in Boulder,
getting in a week of running, hiking, backpacking and biking
(road and mtb!), at high altitude, I had the honor of meeting
him down at the local track. It was the highlight of my trip
even though we only talked for a minute. I was there warming
up for some speed work, and he was coaching a half miler,
and he joked that the distance was a challenge for him. Pretty
inspiring to be following a training program and then run
into the guy who wrote it.
Anyway, It calls for one long run a week, with times increasing
from 2 hours at the beginning, to 3 hours a few weeks before the
marathon (3weeks before), and then tapering off (long runs
going down to 2.5 hours, then 2 hours the week before). He also
recommends a 1.5 hour run four days before the marathon for
carbo depletion. All the last week of running is done at easy
pace.
In addition to the weekly long run, he advocates one day per
week of tempo running, and one day per week of repeats/hill work.
The hill work is done for seven weeks, then the repeats are
done for the last seven weeks.
So basically, one long day, and two speed days , per week.
The rest is easy runs, which are optional, and can be swapped
for cross training. But he does emphasize that you get enough
rest on those days.
Following this, I ramped up from 30 miles per week, to mileages
in the fifties, usually taking one or two days off per week, and
towards the end, making my easy runs a little longer, up to 6.5
miles. My 800 meter repeats got faster and faster every week.
I was quite happy and surprised.
Results:
- I've only been running for ten months! Previously, I'd done
a fair amount of biking, hiking, basketball, and weight lifting.
- I struggled to a 4:00 last october in Chicago, on two months of
limited training.
- I also struggled to a 3:44 in LA in March; I had trained pretty hard
following durden's plan over the winter, but ended up with some
minor quad tendonitis six weeks before the marathon, and took off
most of the month preceding it. So the poor time didn't surprise
me. I had only run 37 miles in the month before the marathon, and
the LA course seemed pretty hilly to me.
- Finally, after 12 weeks of good training following LA, I got a 3:08
last weekend at Grandma's, and felt very strong doing it.
Now I get three weeks off, then get ready for chicago. I plan to do
a fair amount of biking this summer, almost all at an easy pace.
(well, when you get off road, I can't resist flying down those
trails.) My goal for Chicago will be a sub-three marathon.
Future Modifications:
I think I'll mess with some more marathon pace running, as I did
none of that and it seems to be recommended (the 10 mile runs
at marathon pace).
Also, I may follow some of RW's advice on tempo runs near the marathon
pace . A little faster, and a little slower. It's discussed in the
current RW in the context of lowering one's lactic acid threshold.
I may do a bit more sprint work to try to improve my speed at shorter
distances... Plus I need to run my first 10K sometime!
Comments, criticisms, questions, welcomed....
Andrew Crook
>
I really enjoyed your report. A couple of comments/questions:
>Stayed up a little later than planned, watching the NBA finals,
>interrupted regularly by coverage of OJ Simpson's white Ranger
>sitting in his driveway, and commentary on the palatial residences
>of Brentwood California. Knicks won. Bummer. I went up to my room
Do you think there was an O.J. effect on some of the competitors?
CNN interviewed a Doctor on Friday night, who said that the OJ saga
would give an adrenalin rush to many viewers which would make them tired in
the morning. He recomended that viewers ``engage in only LIGHT exercise
the next morning'' !!!!
>
>
You mentioned that the heartrate monitor had helped you in your training.
Did you wear it during the race? In my first (and only) marathon I felt
that it really helped as a governor in the first half as I kept my heartrate
at about 90-95% of threshold.
Steven J. Pachuta
>
>I just posted about my successful running at Grandma's ,
>and thought I'd say a few words about training programs..
>
First, thanks for the great post on Grandma's. Some questions: how far was
your longest training run, and at what pace did you run it? How fast did you
do your 800 m repeats?
Steve P. (Purdue Chemistry Ph.D. '86--do you do hill training up Happy Hollow Hill?)
Nimbus Couzin
1. About OJ's effects on the runners the next day.
I'd guess little or none. Most people were ready to get to bed
anyway..but who knows?? I think more people were affected by
the aggravation of missing so much of the basketball game.
(one knicks fan in the dorm tv room was about to explode).
2. Whether I used a heart rate monitor..
Nope.. didn't use it for the marathon itself. Just remembered
how my heart rate changed on hills and tried to apply that.
I may have used it, but decided that if i got sick of it or
somethin halfway through, I'd end up carrying it (the strap)
because it isn't something you can just pitch, and didn't want
to take that chance. Plus I didn't even know what rate to aim
for (I haven't used it that much). But I think I will use it
more and more for my training. Apparently the pros use them
a lot now. I just need to start accumulating info on how to
use them (what rates to aim for in my different workouts)..
Did you say you were at 90-95 % max? That seems very high
for a marathon. I'd guess more like 85-90 % .. Doesn't
one want to aim for just below their anaerobic threshold?
Seems like 95 would certainly be beyond that..
see ya
nimbus
.
Thomas Carr
2. Whether I used a heart rate monitor..
Nope.. didn't use it for the marathon itself. Just remembered
how my heart rate changed on hills and tried to apply that.
I may have used it, but decided that if i got sick of it or
somethin halfway through, I'd end up carrying it (the strap)
because it isn't something you can just pitch, and didn't want
to take that chance. Plus I didn't even know what rate to aim
for (I haven't used it that much). But I think I will use it
more and more for my training. Apparently the pros use them
a lot now. I just need to start accumulating info on how to
use them (what rates to aim for in my different workouts)..
I attended a seminar at Boston whose panel consisted of Olympic athletes.
They were Grete Waitz, John Trautman, John Gregorek and one other women
whose name escapes me at the moment. Grete said she used the HRM but
mostly to keep easy days easy; she definitely thought they were a useful
tool. None of the other three used them and it didn't seem that they were
all that eager too either. This is just a sample of 4 though; take it or
leave it.
Tom
--
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*Thomas W. Carr -* 44888 *
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Andrew Crook
>
> for a marathon. I'd guess more like 85-90 % .. Doesn't
> one want to aim for just below their anaerobic threshold?
> Seems like 95 would certainly be beyond that..
>
resting HR was 40. 90-95% of threshold gave me a range of
157-163.5. So I tried to keep it around 160, which was very
difficult in the first few miles as I wanted to go much harder.
I also had a friend at 18 miles, who I threw the strap to.
The monitor is not much help after that, since there's little
use in holding back after 18. Cheers, Andrew.
Nimbus Couzin
>
>First, thanks for the great post on Grandma's. Some questions: how far was
>your longest training run, and at what pace did you run it? How fast did you
>do your 800 m repeats?
>
>Steve P. (Purdue Chemistry Ph.D. '86--do you do hill training up Happy Hollow Hill?)
OK.. let me see..
1. My longest training run was 22 miles. I don't have my log with me though,
so i can't check how many long ones I did. I probably did five or six in
the 20-22 mile range. They were all approx 8:30 pace. My marathon pace
ended up at 7:11 (7:00 for the first 19 miles), so it is possible to run
a marathon considerably faster than your long run pace. I also did a few
runs in the upper teen range as i ramped up and tapered.
2. 800 repeats... much improvement. When I first started these training for
LA, my times were all in the 3:00 to 3:10 range. For my Grandma's training
they kept dropping, first to where the fastest were in the upper 2:50s and
the slower in the lower 3:00s, then to where they were all in the 2:50s,
then to where the first couple were upper 2:40s and the rest in the 2:50s,
and finally to where I got down to the first being 2:36 or 2:39, then some
in the 2:40s, and maybe a couple around 2:50 or 2:52. The improvement happene
d so quickly that I'm still surprised. I know you're supposed to keep them
all about the same speed, so maybe I should slow down a bit on my first one,
but often, I get three or four or five in the middle within a second or two
of each other. Also I try to speed up a couple seconds on my last two. Also,
i've been trying to go easy in the first lap, and really push it in the
second. I read some coach saying he/she always tells his/her sprinters to
do that, so you'll have something left at the end of a race.
Durden's plan calls for 5-9 repeats depending on the week (I think). Most
of my sessions had between 6 and 8. I do one lap recovery (400m).
3. Yes. Happy Hollow hill is my hill of choice! Any runner or biker at Purdue
knows about this hill, as it is mighty! I did hill trainin for LA, but none
for Grandma's. This is because I was still coming off my quad tendonitis
strain and was trying to stay away from hills. I suspect I'll need to do
so more hills though this summer, and plan to incorporate them, though
maybe not happy hollow..
see ya
nimbus
Tom Carminati
ca...@nls7.ppd.nrl.navy.mil (Thomas Carr) wrote:
> In article <17...@dirac.physics.purdue.edu> nim...@bohr.physics.purdue.edu (Nimbus Couzin) writes:
>
> 2. Whether I used a heart rate monitor..
>
> Nope.. didn't use it for the marathon itself.[...]
> Plus I didn't even know what rate to aim
> for (I haven't used it that much). But I think I will use it
> more and more for my training. Apparently the pros use them
> a lot now. I just need to start accumulating info on how to
> use them (what rates to aim for in my different workouts)..
>
> I attended a seminar at Boston whose panel consisted of Olympic athletes.
> They were Grete Waitz, John Trautman, John Gregorek and one other women
> whose name escapes me at the moment. Grete said she used the HRM but
> mostly to keep easy days easy; she definitely thought they were a useful
> tool. None of the other three used them and it didn't seem that they were
> all that eager too either. This is just a sample of 4 though; take it or
> leave it.
>
If you watch the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon you'll see Mark Allen wearing a
HRM for the bike and the swim legs. As others battle it out on the bike,
Mark regulates his effort using the HRM. This is definitely an endurance
event. He knows how much to expend, using the HRM, and comes on strong in
the run as the others fade.
I use my HRM mostly for speedwork/hard training efforts. I've tried it a
few times in races. For "important" races, however, I haven't worn it.
I'm worried about it distracting me or popping off. I haven't used it on
easy days. Going easy isn't a big problem for me.
I plan to wear it more in races, especially those I use as a "fitness test"
that lead up to goal races. I'd like to correlate HR's during races to
speedwork.
A friend used his HRM to successfully regulate his effort in a 10K this
weekend. The mile markers were hard to see. The field was small, so most
runners tended to run alone. Running at a constant HR, instead of worrying
about mile splits or pace relative to other runners, let him run at a
consistent pace. (By the way, he finished second overall.)
Tom Carminati
U S WEST Technologies
t...@advtech.uswest.com