jokach's marathon training blog

The best thing about keeping a blog, and keeping a good training log is being able to go back and look at how far you've come. I took some time this morning, since i'm tapering and have NOTHING else to do right now, to go back and reflect on the highs and lows of my winter training so far .. with one week left until the first marathon of the spring, I think there is a ton of value in looking back ...

So 13 weeks ago I set out on a 14 week training plan .. that was just before Christmas-time (wow, thats amazing).. it didn't appear to be a good sign for what was to come in the weeks to come because we got snow the Saturday before I started the training, not to mention I started the training on the first day of winter. Things were uneventful as I started building the mileage until the frigid temperatures around new years (3 degree wind chill). Seemed like that was the start of the real cold weather as I page through my running log .. but I kept pushing despite the weather ..

I fought some insomnia for the first part of January until the end of January if I recall properly. I don't think it had a huge impact on my training, but it might have. Thankfully it went away on its own.. (its funny how that happens, it just comes appears, then goes away)

Towards the end of January, I got in my first 20-miler of the season, and it was a good one (in long run terms). The miles started adding up at this point .. it always seems that way once you start doing 20's on a weekly basis. Much did I know at that point, both the weather and my training was going to turn sour for the next couple weeks .. including the absolute coldest long run of the season at the end of January (zero wind chill) and then running in a blizzard and bonking out on my long run the next week. The following week then, we got yet another major snowstorm which limited my training ... I was starting to struggle by this point.

All these events caused me to take a good hard look at myself and dig down to find some motivation. I really do think this was the turning point of my training this time around. I recall really struggling to get up in the morning, and struggling to push myself because there were a 100 reasons NOT to get out and train, most were weather related (tired of the cold, the snow, etc). It was important to overcome this road block because this was the same point that I fell apart 3 years ago when training for the Ocean Drive marathon.. I WAS NOT going to let that happen again ...

By taking the "no excuses" attitude towards training, I was able to kick it up a notch .. and despite a pretty decent wipe-out which left me pretty bloody a week later, my new attitude towards training showed through because I continued to run 10 more miles on a ripped up knee .. no excuses, right? (btw, that knee has healed up pretty good now).

All of that hard work started to pay off a few weeks later when the weather started to not be too bad. The snow started to melt and although it could still be classified as cold outside .. it was NOTHING like back in January and February.

That about brings me to where I am now .. in the taper .. The weather has been spectacular over the last few days although its not expected to last into next weekend. I'm trying not to obsess over the long range forecast, but I can't seem to take my mind off of it .. I get a little envious of others who are blogging or tweeting about their long runs, I miss my miles, but know that I need the rest. I looked back at my terrible race last year (lehigh valley health network marathon) and realized that I didn't taper enough and ended up going out tired. I just never seemed to let go of the miles. I'm following the same taper plan as I did for Baltimore and for Philly .. so I think i'll be better off since I had good races both times when using that method.

So what now? Well, its rest time and in that rest time, its time to start thinking about the post-Ocean Drive marathon training and start planning for the Flying Pig which is just a few shorts weeks off. I'm not getting too into it yet, because its one marathon at a time, but its still in my head.

Just reading through this post, I enjoyed taking a stroll through the last 3 months of my training .. after reading through it, I've convinced myself that I should have no fear that I can get through the marathon next weekend .. I really have come a long way.

This is about the time that I post my marathon tapering tips, but you can easily click the link to get them since they generally stay the same. I realized this week that I guess i'm not like other marathoners based on some comments and reading i've done because I only do a two week taper instead of a three week taper, and I don't necessarily take it easy the first week of that taper either, I just cut back the miles. I know for me that cutting down the miles and the intensity at the same time tends to kill my motivation, so keeping the intensity up and kicking it up a notch while cutting back the distances the first week is critical to me (although I miss the miles).

Now the second week of the taper, which i'm entering now, is really a relax week where I actually get to sleep in a little each morning (if insomnia doesn't get me) and do some real shorter runs as I start to wind the pace down as well. Its just a matter now of getting out and staying loose and reflecting back on the training and what I struggled through (i'll post a summary tomorrow). The real reason that I only do a two week taper is because I do multiple marathons, so a full 3 week traditional taper, then one week of recovery is almost a month off from actual serious running .. I always figured a two week taper with one being real easy and then a shortened recovery week after the marathon gets me ready for the next one. I've gotten criticism on how I do it, but it works for me, to each their own...

So i'm looking ahead at the weather for next weekends Ocean Drive marathon on Sunday, and as it looks right now, we're looking at a 45* start with a 53* mid-day temperature and winds out of the south, yes, out of the south which means we're looking at a tail wind instead of that awful head wind. The best part is no rain or snow or frigid cold is forecast as of now, so thats a good thing. I haven't thought much about what I'm going to wear yet, its usually a last minute call with this race depending on the weather, but I see shorts, one short sleeve wicking shirt underneath and a long sleeve over that... Unless the weather changes drastically, that should be plenty. Maybe gloves?? Maybe a hat?? not sure .. but i'm thinking no.

The struggle with next weekend will be not tiring myself out from the fun since we're actually heading down on Friday and spending the entire day on Saturday as well as Sunday for the race. We're staying at the Montego Bay resort which has an indoor waterpark and pool and all and its right on the boardwalk. Which brings me to my next thought, according to this article I read online, the boardwalk reconstruction in Wildwood is going to wrap up the weekend of the race (Palm Sunday) and the race goes right through that section which is currently torn up still in the picture. I hope it gets done in time and doesn't fall behind schedule .. last year we had to divert from the boardwalk for the other section they were rebuilding, I hate to do it again (because you can't see the ocean from the streets like you can on the boarwalk)..

I finally broke down and ordered a new 2gen ipod shuffle .. but I don't know when its going to arrive. I bought it on Ebay for $35, but didn't realize it was coming from China .. so it may or may not ever get here (and if it does, when???) Worst case is that I can probably get through with the ole' standby if needed..

Lastly, I put on a new pair of dress pants I bought the other day for work and I got seriously depressed .. how is it that I can be running 65+ miles for so many weeks and still have that awful 'inner-tube' of fat around my stomach? They look horrible because they were snug and the fat was just sticking out! Otherwise i'm skinny as can be, except for around my stomach ... UGH! I think I have to find a good nutritionist because I just do horrible eating when I really look at it ... its amazing that I can run so well and train and stay dedicated, but then eat like crap. Maybe if I clean up my diet it will help my running if I really get serious .. I think I got the motivation seeing myself in those pants.

Well, off to find SOMETHING to do since i'm not tired, sore, dehydrated from a long run today .. I miss my miles ...

Its terrible when you don't have time to blog .. maybe i'm spending too much time on Twitter (its addicting)... I would have thought I would have more time to do what I wanted while I start my taper for the Ocean Drive marathon, but its just not working that way so far, but I still have over another week to go ...

The weather has been amazing for mid-March in the northeast, with temperatures during the day in the 60's but morning temperatures still in the 30's. I consider myself "training for the weather" right now .. I've done the miles and the hard workouts and all, but am dedicated to going out in shorts and just 2 layers on top in the mornings to prepare for the marathon. Every year its always cold for this race .. regardless of what the daytime temperature will be because you always get that ocean breeze, which makes it cold. This is my way of preparing for it I guess.

I never really taper the way I should though .. I find myself doing some extra miles just because I can't let go of running, especially now that the weather is better. It might also be because once I cut the miles, I can't eat whatever I want (tons of breakfast cereal) .. not sure. So far the taper is going good, i'm getting some rest, but i'm missing the miles. I'm feeling tuned and running subconsciously, which is really my goal. Being able to knock of 10-12 miles without making an effort is quite a goal for this early in the year. I took a look back to 2007 when I ran the Ocean Drive marathon last time (and did terrible) and was somehow proud of myself for getting a 20 miler and a 22 miler in as my max runs .. I know that was about ALL I was getting in at that time because I just wasn't getting the runs in during the week like I should have. This time I guarantee it will be better.

Its funny but i'm already checking the weather for next weekend ... can you tell i'm nervous? Its only been 3 months since my last marathon, and this is number 14 for me, so you think i'd know better.

I'm still hoping to be selected in the lottery for the New York City marathon this year .. supposedly the lottery is happening on April 7th, so we'll hope to hear something around then so we can finish out the fall season. Other than that, my schedule looks pretty well set .. a challenging year, but I'm up for it.

Today marked my last long run prior to the Ocean Drive marathon in just 2 short weeks.. meaning that its time for, yes, we all know ... the taper. I know I never really taper the way that I should (because of doing multiple marathons), but it does mark the point when I need to reduce my miles somewhat so I can rest up ...

I found that I got in just over 22 miles today, actually logging 22.15 miles based on what the course layout told me (but who's really measuring, right?) I figured it would be a challenge to get any mileage in at all today with the warm, but rainy conditions, but I seriously underestimated the wind .. it wasn't until I checked the forecast just prior to heading out that I noticed the forecast of 25-35 mph winds from the E-NE, which is the direction I was heading. I figured it wouldn't be too bad, its warm out, right?

Well, I found that once I got wet from the rain after 2 miles or so, it was quite cold when the sustained wind was blowing, and even colder when they decided to gust to 40-45mph at some points. I actually had to dodge a piece of lawn furniture that was slowly making its way down a road I was running on .. I saw the green plastic chair down the road from me, but it was right at a point when a gust came up, and did it fly... WOW, I'm glad i was paying attention. You never know what you see when you're out for a run.

Maybe this is somehow a reality check for how ready I am for the Ocean Drive marathon .. I know there is always a head-wind, so you really have to get used of running into the wind. And I think I definitely passed the test. There were points when I actually felt myself getting blown over from it .. I did manage to finish the run in 3 hours and 21 minutes, which is about on target for my pace time for the race .. so I do think i'm ready.

Tomorrow officially wraps it up though .. my last killer hill workout (probably in the rain again). The worst part is we lose an hour of sleep tonight (which I really do need) due to the start of Daylight Saving Time, so that won't help anything.

Could be worse, it could be cold and snowy, right?

I really don't have a lot of time to write tonight but I can't help but comment on the weather ... just checked the 10 day outlook, we're talking 50's, mornings in the upper 30's, I can no longer complain. I knocked out 12 miles this morning before work in fairly comfortable temperatures, but still found there were some pockets of cool air. Maybe my picture here is a little too optimistic for the time of year, but it sure feels good and I know i'll find something else to complain about now.

So the coming weekend is offering rain from the reports i've seen so far, but after running in a blizzard and in freezing cold temperatures, I think I can handle some rain and temps possibly in the 50's.

In other highlights .. I also signed up for the LVRR 2010 Emmaus 4-Mile Classic on April 11th, I placed in this race last year and consider myself in better shape this year, so i'm hoping to do better. It'll throw off my hill training for the Flying Pig marathon, but its local, so I figured i'd get in now..

I also got tipped off to a June 13th marathon thats almost in my backyard that i'm considering signing up for. I'm not sure if its a loop, or point to point, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of info available about it, but it would be a welcome addition to the marathon schedule for the spring. I was looking for a June or August marathon, and didn't want to do Gods Country .. so this might be a nice one to do, i have to look at it more though..

So lastly, I got featured on the Runners Spotlight on Lehigh Valley Running Scene (thanks Jill) this week, be sure to check out my spotlight, plus Jills website (its got a lot of great stuff on it for all running levels and isn't just specific to the Lehigh Valley). I was also asked to share my thoughts on integrating speedwork into your marathon training for Melinda Heely (a fellow marathoner). Read the full article here on her website.

Thats all I have time for, larger update this weekend as we head into taper week for the Ocean Drive marathon in just over 2 weeks ... I'm just ecstatic that spring is finally here..