by Ken | Jan 18, 2011 | Running Around
Tuesday morning after the 2011 P.F. Chang’s Phoenix Marathon: I’ve just lanced beneath the second toenail on my right foot which resulted in instant relief while shooting a stream of liquid 3 feet across the floor. (Yes, I cleaned it up). The sore toe and a sore right calf appear to be the only lasting pain from this recent episode of self imposed torture. I was able to manage a PR by bettering my 2009 San Diego Marathon by 40 minutes.
My training with the group this past 6 months or so could actually be entitled, “Chasing Jenn & Rob.” More often than not I found myself, the group leader, in pursuit, trying to keep up! Well that, along with Rob’s continual pep talks about qualifying for Boston obviously helped. Realistically I have never considered myself as having a shot at Boston until I realized that if I shaved 30 seconds off of each mile on Sunday I would have made the 4 hour Boston qualifying time.
I got a cold the week before the race and was still hacking phlegm on race day. I also developed a negative attitude late in the training cycle, “I want to sleep in on Saturday for a changeitis.” I did manage to miss a few Saturday runs thanks to working late on Friday night but my trainer/therapist/coach/pain-in-the-you-know-what/loving spouse usually provided the necessary spark to get me up for the training runs.
Still alive; thanks Joan!
I’d been thinking a lot about race day nutrition and on Sunday here is what I did. Before leaving the house I ate a huge bowl of oatmeal with berries and banana and drank a cup of coffee. On the way to park my car I ate a Triple Threat Energy Power Bar and drank water. At the race site I drank one bottle of Cytomax and ate a plain bagel along with more water. I think this was all good. During the race we stopped at 16 of the 18 water stops along the way and instead of just drinking water like I usually do, I drank mostly Cytomax. I read that sports drinks work better during a race when they are not diluted with water and I believe this actually helped me on Sunday though some may argue this point, especially those who hate the taste of Cytomax!
One thing that did not work. I tried to eat another Power Bar somewhere around mile 8 or 10 and about croaked. It lodged about halfway down and caused me a lot of distress. I was hobbling along hoping for a water stop to appear when Rob suggested that I drink what I was wearing on my belt. Duh, the body/mind disconnect rears it’s head.
The volunteers, bands and spectators were fantastic, their encouragement was invaluable. My favorite comment came from an elderly gentleman as myself and another mature runner were passing. “Yeah for old guys!”
by Ken | Sep 26, 2009 | Running Around
Sadly I won’t be running the streets of Music City. It’s been recommended that I take some time off from running, 2 months specifically! My recurrent plantar fasciitis is driving me crazy. PT helps but each time I go out for more than 5 miles the pain returns. Those who have experienced this condition will know what I mean; with each step your brain receives that pain message from down below. It’s especially noticeable when one first gets out of bed in the morning and hobbles to the coffee pot. I walked down to the Country Music Hall of Fame yesterday but ran out of time and did not take the tour. I limped back to the hotel and thought about swimming but never made it. I don’t have any races planned but maybe I can learn from this experience…….to be continued. Ken
by Ken | Sep 16, 2009 | Running Around
If you happen to find yourself in downtown Spokane, Washington on an early fall morning and you’ve got an hour or two for a run; consider yourself lucky. Make your way down to the river, take a look at spectacular Spokane Falls and then start running. The Centennial Trail runs along the river in both directions, with a separate bike lane and gorgeous views you’ll soon forget about that sore knee, arch or whatever might be ailing you at the time. Site of the 1974 World’s Fair, Spokane with a population of 200,000+ is a great running city. I’m told the Centennial Trail runs all the way to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho but I’ll save that for another trip. On the way back from your run make sure you visit Riverfront Park and take a look at the running sculptures.
After your shower you must go to the Satellite Diner, on the corner of Stevens and Sprague for a huge veggie omelet, which includes a side of potatoes with peppers and onions, toast and hummus. I was a little surprised by the breakfast hummus but I guess they figure if you’re going to eat a veggie omelet you’ll probably like hummus. The Satellite is where the locals all gather, everyone knows everyone else and the service is fantastic. Go back to your hotel and get ready for your day or even better, take a nap.
Peace,
Ken
by Ken | Sep 9, 2009 | Running Around
The Disneyland Half-Marathon was conquered by our contingent of runners from Arizona. From what I hear, everyone had a great race and enjoyed themselves immensely. No serious reports of injury but lots of fun, congrats!
by Ken | Aug 17, 2009 | Running Around
This just in from Pat and Jolene!
We’re planning a recreation bike ride for Sunday August 23rd at 8 a.m.
from Tempe Town Lake Marina. See map below for location. If you see or know
of new members that might be interested, please forward this to them.
Somewhere around the half way mark we’ll stop for a “snack.”
All welcome for fun and conversation. Let me know if we should expect you.
Pat & Jolene Quinn
by Ken | Aug 8, 2009 | Running Around
Many of you may know about Rec Path but for those who don’t I highly recommend this site for planning your runs. When arriving in a new location (or from home) I’ll locate my hotel on Google Earth and with “satellite” view look for green space, trails, rivers or any place that might offer a great run. Then I’ll pull up Rec Path and map my run with this easy to use tool. It calculates your distance as you plot the run and if you make a mistake you can easily remove the last points you may have placed in error. You can also view and plot your Rec Path runs in “satellite” view if you desire. Want to start over just click the erase tool and begin again. From my experience the distances I plot using Rec Path are pretty close to the totals on my Forerunner 205.
Ken
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