2010 Thanksgiving week recap – Kinect Fever, Disneyland and a day with Jeff Galloway

Kinect For Life!

Kinect fever has taken over our XBox time (usually spent playing RockBand and Halo Reach of recent months). Kinect is an add on for the XBox which the hubby and I are both finding to be an excellent and FUN resource for some intense cross-training.

I’ll start out by disclosing we had difficulty just moving in general due whole body muscle soreness for 3 days after buying it. We unintentionally played various games for more than 3 hours the first day we bought it. Every game requires getting your butt off the couch. Your body is the controller – you are completely hands free of any devices. It was nice to take a little hiatus from running last week (only a 10-miler and a 7 miler early in the week) and concentrate on other aspects of training elements I’ve been meaning to add to my weekly schedule. I guess maybe I should have introduced them at a slower rate as opposed to all at once. I am still laughing about how sore I was. I had to use the handrails on our staircases for support, going up and down. I ran 10 miles that next day no problem. But try to get me to stand from a sitting position, raise my arms overhead or walk up and down stairs and I was completely useless. Specificity of training in full effect!

Kinect Sports is a blast. Want to play Beach Volleyball? Be ready to get low to dig that ball barreling towards you and then pop back up so you’re ready to jump high towards the net and spike it back over after your doubles partner gives you a great set. How about Boxing? After 30 minutes, my husband was sweating so much that he was flinging sweat everywhere. Just for kicks, he wore his Garmin to track his HR over the weekend. It reached as high as 180 BPMs at times. Ready for Track & Field? Better run in place quickly with high knees if you want to win the sprint. Coordinate jumping in place with sprinting for the hurdles and the long jump.

Not really into the sports games? Try out Kinect Adventures. This is software that comes with the Kinect system. Two of these games wear me out very quickly because they require jumping, ducking/squatting and sliding side to side to avoid obstacles, steer your raft zipping down a fast moving river and other fun activities – all the while maintaining complete control of your movements through isometric contractions and balancing. It is a lot of short explosive work that my endurance-trained muscles are not trained for (yet).

The one Kinect ‘game’ (I have a hard time referring to these as games for some reason) I absolutely had to have was the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout. There are so many different features to this program. The highlights for me so far are a) being able to choose and personalize workouts, and b) choosing which trainer you want to guide you through the workout. A Challenge menu option allows you to earn extra points by competing in challenges, just like you see on the show. The more points you earn, the more activities you unlock. There is no room for form errors when you’re working out with a trainer. They ‘see’ everything. The Kinect sensor is constantly analyzing your body positioning and movements in 3D. Get it right, or get a good talking to by your trainer. Think you can avoid the weekly weigh-in? I know I’m not looking forward to mine this week. Shouldn’t we get a pass on holiday weeks? Or at least a “you gained less than 3 pounds this Thanksgiving” reward? I’ve only scratched the surface with this program and I am really looking forward to a continuous butt-kicking and fitness reality check by both Bob and Jillian for months to come.

Thanksgiving at Disneyland

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year. Four years ago, my husband and I decided to start our own tradition of spending Thanksgiving day and the dreaded Black Friday in a ‘real world’ escape in Disneyland and CA Adventure in Anaheim. We look forward to it every year. Although this time is one of the resort’s busiest of the season (people are always so surprised to hear that when I tell them), the park itself is transformed into a holiday wonderland that overshadows the crowds.  Starting just before Halloween, the Haunted Mansion is completely redecorated and designed with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” theme.

We found out earlier this year when we were at Disneyworld in Florida that this is not done at the Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom park (what we know as Disneyland in CA) because of the number of first-time and/or ‘once in a lifetime’ guests that visit each year. Apparently, there have been complaints in the past from guests that they wanted to see the traditional Haunted Mansion. I think I would probably feel the same way, especially if I had saved up and flown down there from another country (which is very common).

We had the most delicious Thanksgiving feast for dinner at the Hilton where we were staying. A fresh, gourmet-style buffet and free champagne. The Apricot-glazed hand-carved ham was unbelievable. Need I say more?

Thanksgiving Dinner for 3

Make no mistake, cooking for 3 is no less work than cooking for 10. We (I) cook our traditional Turkey Day dinner on the Saturday following the actual holiday. Spending 1.5 days at the parks can be over-stimulating and tiring with the amount of walking and standing that goes along with it. It’s nice to be home, relax, cook (not always the most relaxing part of my day) and most importantly, eat!

I even managed to squeeze in a 68 minute whole-body circuit training session on the BL Kinect game between getting the turkey in the oven and making twice-baked mashed potatoes and stuffing from scratch. Unfortunately, my shower had to wait until later in the afternoon, but I was working up a good sweat in that kitchen anyway!  My sis-in-law joined us in the evening. She was staying overnight with us in preparation for the ‘big day’ with Jeff Galloway on Sunday. As a brand new runner, the nerves were kicking in for her in anticipation of how the next day’s events would unfold.

A Day with Jeff Galloway

Jeff is an extraordinary person. He is engaging, passionate, kind, supportive and an encyclopedia of the sport of running. As I am the Program Director for the brand new Ventura County Galloway Training Program chapter, Jeff wanted to help bring more visibility to our program and since he was going to be in Southern California the weekend before our big Kick Off meeting, we worked together to organize a free group run with Jeff early Sunday morning, followed by a 3-hr running school and finally a Meet & Greet/Book signing.

Fun run group with Jeff (far left in black)

Essentially, I was fortunate enough to spend 6.5 hours with a legend whom I have had so much respect for since my introduction to long distance running. With few people coming to Foot Pursuit (the running specialty store where I am basing this new program out of) after the Running School ended, a group of 4 of us (2 store employees who have been an integral part of helping spread the word, my sister-in-law and I) talked running, families, shoes, inserts…. you name it. I didn’t want it to end. I floated all the way home on Cloud 9. I get to be a part of this. I am a part of it. Me. I’m using the same passion I developed for running using Jeff’s training methods and paying it forward. If I can inspire and instill a passion for running in just a tiny fraction of the number of lives that Jeff has touched (and will continue to do so) with his training programs, I will consider my chapter a success!

Running School with Jeff at Foot Pursuit Run Shop

As a side note, early in the morning before the group runners arrived, we briefly talked about his running days with Steve Prefontaine back in the day on the tail end of a conversation we were having about the heel strike, midfoot/forefoot strike topic that is so hot within the running community recently. Of course, he’s seen this debate come up time and time again over the years. Jeff is among those who believe you should land on the part of your foot that is natural for you. His belief is that forcing your foot into an unnatural position strains muscles unnecessarily and sets you up for injury.  He mentioned an old picture he had of him and Steve running together. I just happened to have it with me since the National Program Director trainer included it in my Program Director manual. So, I take it out and as the hubby and I are looking at it with him, Jeff immediately points to Pre’s foot which is in full on heel strike position in his landing phase. I almost broke out laughing. Pre was a heel striker. A big-time heel striker.

I know there are plenty of current-day elites who are heel-strikers, but in a time when there seems to be so much talk about the importance of lower heel-toe ratio and minimalist shoes, concentrating on landing more on your mid or forefoot for optimal performance, etc., I was reminded yesterday about what is truly important in running and that is coming back to fundamentals. What feels natural? What feels good? Lighter, flatter shoes won’t make you a faster or a more efficient runner if they are impeding or do not lend themselves well to your natural gait. The only way you’ll know what’s right for you is through trial-and-error. Yep, that can get damn expensive, especially when your favorite shoe gets discontinued every other year. But if it means avoiding injuries and interruptions to your training schedules and racing goals, I think it’s money well spent. This is your passion, your hobby, and it plays a big role in your day-to-day life. And you my friends, are worth every penny.

2010 Calabasas Classic BFF Fun Run

Meet D and Bridget (on the right) Our BFFs for almost 7 years. None of the people you see in this picture were runners when we met. D and John were roommates in Encino back in 2002, living the So Cal bachelor life. Then I moved in with the boys (D referred to our living situation as "Three's Company" in his Best Man speech at our wedding). D met Bridget several months later at work and the 4 of us spent quite a bit of time together over the next couple of years.  In 2005, Bridget was accepted to law school in Minnesota (YAY!), and it was with great sadness that we watched our friends move 2,000 miles away (Booooooooooo) just before their wedding day (YAY!) in July of that same year.

We started a tradition of seeing each other at least 2 twice a year, and for the past 5 years, we haven't missed a visit yet! Since John, D and Bridget all have their birthdays within 10 days of each other (Nov 21 - Dec 1), we always get together in Nov to celebrate.

This is how we celebrated last year (after an 8 mile run around the Mississippi earlier in the day). The other couple is B's lil sis (another new runner this year!) and soon to be brother-in-law. Good times at the News Room in Minneapolis!

Never in a million years would I have guessed that the 4 of us would become runners together. I certainly can't speak for them, but I blame myself for getting them into this. John started running about a year after I started back up (early 2008 for him). I think D may have started close to that same time as well. Bridget was a bit more resistant. In fact, I recall a statement she made one trip when she and I went out for a walk together back in 2008 I think it was.  "I hate running. I don't know how you guys do it. I'll never run."  Ah-hem. It only took her about 6-8 months to catch the same running bug the rest of caught. As of today, we have all run half-marathons, and John, D and I have run in at least one marathon. I'm working on B for the 2012 LA Marathon. ;-)

Normally, John and I fly out to St Paul in Nov and D&B spend Spring Break with us. This year, however, we invited them to come out for the Calabasas Classic. This is a local race, relatively small (used to be a lot smaller) with a record-breaking 2,500 participants this year. The proceeds benefit The Talbert Foundation which provides financial support to local families dealing with catastrophic illnesses. The 10K was renamed this year in memory of a young boy who lost his battle earlier this year. This event is also a Green Event, collecting old cell phones, PDAs and shoes. There are also many individual families to choose from in terms of fundraising efforts. A great course for a great cause in a great community. We see a celebrity or 2 every now and then as well.

I participated in this event in 2007 (my "return to running" year), 2008, skipped 2009 because the hubby and I were training for the D-World Marathon and it coincided with a long run weekend, and this year, 2010.  I don't know how many other races offer this but at the Calabasas Classic, you can run both the 5K and the 10K races. The 5K starts at 8 and the 10K starts at 9. How awesome is that? And of course we  all ran both! Why?  Because we can!

The course itself is very hilly. I live in this city. It is a bear to find flat ground in stretches longer than a mile it seems. You're either going up or you're going down. That's pretty much it. Great for hill training, terrible for my IT bands. Thank goodness for my treadmill and local flat beach paths! Here is the elevation situation for this race course.

Link to Garmin data and course map

We were in a bit of a heat wave the weekend of the race (race day was Nov 14) with temps hovering in the low 80's. The sun was out early and even at the start of the 5K, I think it was at least 70F. Since I was still in the early stages of recovering from the Santa Barbara Marathon I ran the previous weekend, my only intention for this race was to relax and enjoy myself on a very familiar course with 3 of the people I love most in this world. Bridget and I had decided to run together and let the boys do whatever they wanted. We all use the Galloway run/walk/run method and ran the 5K close enough together that we were able to line up side-by-side in the final stretch and cross the finish line at the exact same time, all fists in the air!  I'd love to show you the picture, but of course, another runner snuck in front of us. None of the photographers at the end caught a clear pic of us, but I have the visual in my head, and that's enough for me.

It was SO nice not to be totally pre-occupied with my Garmin, wondering if I was running too hard or too fast, pressuring myself to perform better and better. I didn't care. I just wanted to run with my husband and my friends. Another great experience under our belts together and 2 medals each!

Next up for this foursome is Grandma's Marathon in June 2011. B will be kicking the Half Marathon course's butt while the boys and I are tearing up the Marathon course. My goal? Beat the boys!!!!  ;-)

Join The Daily Mile Turkey Challenge

Dailymile is all about support...now let's reach outside of our community circle and give the St.Judes kids some much needed support! Join us for the First dailymile Feed The Turkey Virtual 5k! Check it out http://www.dailymile.com/turkey_trot


On Thanksgiving day, run a 5k - anywhere! We'll pick a few lucky winners to hand out prizes. Everyone will win a "I earned my turkey!" printable participation certificate. If you want to be competitive, join the official challenge on Dailymile.


You do not have to be a member of the Dailymile community to sign up but I highly encourage everyone to join! It is an endless source of support and encouragement for active people.


Please join the cause and help us spread the word!!!


Gobble Gobble!!!

Is it safe to run with a cold?

I started this blog back at the end of August when I came down a terrible flu that literally had me in bed 3 days before a big race. I was not able to run at all that week and I was tremendously fearful I would have to post my first DNF. I’d put more hard work into my training in the prior 10 weeks than I ever had, setting goal after goal. Achieving finishing times, maintaining faster paces and running hills I had not considered possible before. Mile repeats, 2-mile repeats, tempo distance runs, speed drills - you name it, it’s likely to have been on my training schedule.  With the flu season already upon us, I wanted to finish this post and share my findings in an effort to keep all of us healthy as we begin preparing for our Spring races.

With a strong desire to set myself up to run the best race I was capable of running under those unexpected conditions, I did some deeper dives into research on running/exercise intensity, and found some interesting results. Yes, regular exercise strengthens your immune system in general, but did you know that intense exercise suppresses your immune systems for hours after you stop? Intense exercise changes various hormone concentrations in your body, resulting in some immune system suppression, most of which returns to normal in under 24 hours – however, some suppression of immune system function can last up to 3 days!

General guidelines suggest if your symptoms are above your neck, it is okay to maintain a moderate pace/distance schedule, but no intense workouts.  For most of us, “intense” exercise is either 90 min or more in length and/or exceeds 80-85% of your max heart rate. Moderate exercise is generally about 65-75% of your max and/or 60 minutes in duration at a maximum.

Many cold medications contain decongestants that work by reducing blood flow (and thus swelling) in your nasal passages. The side effect is dehydration. Fluids thin secretions and can soothe sore throats. Dehydration can worsen your symptoms, so be sure to drink more fluids than you do when you are healthy! By avoiding dehydration, you are more likely to experience milder symptoms and recover quicker.

Wondering if you should be taking the recommended 3-day rest and recovery period?

1. Consider your symptoms first. General aches, runny noses, sniffles and sneezing are not show-stoppers, but consider reducing your volume and intensity for at least a few days or you risk worsening your symptoms and severity of your cold, including developing bronchitis or even pneumonia. The jury is out on sore throats – so why risk it? Take a few days off.
2. Assess your level of energy. If you’re on the fence about whether to run or not, warm up for a few minutes and go for a light jog. If you’re feeling exhausted or unusually tired after a mile, listen to your body. It’s not ready for that energy demand. Make as many healing resources available to your body as possible (internal and external) and include lots of rest.
3. Got a fever over 99⁰ F, chills, a sinus infection or a hacking cough? Show stoppers indeed. No question about it.

Here’s to a healthy fall and winter training season!

Sorbothane Ultra Orthotic Arch Insoles - First Impressions

UPDATED: Final Review Available Here.


With a history of chronic IT band issues, I am always on the lookout for exercises, stretches, shoes and insoles that may be of some help to me. I recently posted a blog about IT band pain I developed after several weeks of using a different type of insole manufactured by Sorbothane. I made the switch based on claims of superior foot-strike protection and cushioning. In response, I received an email from the President of Sorbothane requesting a second chance using an Rx Sorbo branded insole. I graciously accepted the offer and now have a little over 12 miles in the medium arch insole. The 2nd pair I'll be trying out are geared for high arches (which is very appropriate for my foot). In addition to the 2 pairs of insoles, I was also sent a brochure with product descriptions for several other types of Sorbothane insoles and an enclosed letter from the President stating these new insoles would give me the support I needed.

I am using the exact same shoe for the duration of the testing period and will not be interchanging the insoles. These shoes have less than 80 miles on them so they are well broken in and in great condition. The plan is to run 30 miles using each insert so I expect, given my current training schedule, to be in a good position to provide a fair and balanced review of these products around the first weekend of December. I have also started a brief list of questions I would like the President to have an opportunity to review and respond to as well.

The Promise

The arch is made of graphite (this is a pic of the medium arch Ultra Orthotic). More pics from my camera are below. I have to admit, $46 suggested retail was a little bit of a sticker shock. This would increase the amount of money I spend on shoes every year by 50% if the life of these insoles is limited to the life of a shoe, but that is something to address after a full test drive and review.

http://www.rxsorbo.com/sorbothane-ultra-orthotic-arch-12

The Look

This is a close up of the medium arch insole. Rubbery on top with visible padding in the forefoot and heel. The red piece on the back is where the graphite support is positioned. I can literally make a knocking sound on it with my knuckles. However, the forefoot and heel remain soft and flexible.

Close up on the medium arch graphite support.

Side view of medium arch, top and bottom are side by side.

This picture is a side view of my tried-and-true Road Runner Sports performance insole (back of the pic) compared to the new medium arch Rx Sorbo with graphite. It's interesting to me to note the difference between the location of the arch in the insole itself. The highest point of the arch support in the RRS insole is closer to the forefoot (red vs orange). They are essentially designed opposite of each other. Where the RRS insole is flat, the Rx Sorbo is curved. Hmmmmm......

Meet the graphite insole for high arches. It was a bit of a challenge for me to recognize that these are the same exact insoles, but for different arch types. The packaging was not the same at all and honestly, the catalog included with the insoles was confusing. More on that with the pending review.

Top view does not show the same padding at the forefoot as the medium arch insole. The graphite piece on the bottom is very stiff (while still allowing for some flexibility at the forefoot and heel cup). I can knock a little louder on this one as the graphite piece is much more solid than noted in the medium arch insole.

Side view showing the contour and height of arch in the insole.

 Here is a side-view comparing the Rx Sorbo for high arches with the RRS performance insole that is also marketed for high arches. Big notable differences here. Again, the Sorbo is shaped in almost complete opposition to the RRS brand. While the Sorbo is arched from the forefoot back to the heel cup, the RRS brand is flat, with the exception of the forefoot which is actually starting to curl up. The heel of the RRS brand has plastic wrapped around the outside of it while both Rx Sorbo's are soft around the heel.

I wanted to show this view in order to point out another visible difference between the medium and high arch insoles.  Where you see the pen marking is the end of the thickest part of the heel/arch support (these points are slightly raised on the insoles themselves but could not be made visible using the camera alone).

Lastly, this is a rear-view of the Rx Sorbo's. Medium arch on the left, high arch on the right. The heel appears much thicker in this picture than it is. The heel is cupped so you are not adding more height than you would relative to other insoles (at least those that I have tried).

As I stated above, I currently have a little more 12 miles on the medium arch insoles. I wore them on a short 3-mile recovery run last Thursday and then again this past Sunday at the Calabasas Classic where I ran both the 5K and 10K on a very hilly course with hubby and our BFFs who flew in for the weekend from St Paul, MN. I was pleasantly surprised with how little residual soreness I was feeling in my quads on Thursday's run (last week was my first recovery week following the Santa Barbara Marathon) relative to the first recovery run 48 hours before. I recognize that an additional 48 hours of recovery time is significant, especially in the early stages of recovery, but could it be that that the Sorbothane insole contributed to such a huge reduction in quad soreness via superior shock absorbency?  The next question that came to mind was regarding recovery. Could these types of insoles speed recovery in terms of reducing the impact of recovery runs? Of course, not a single person would be able to make claims such as these. This would require a carefully designed study with at least 100 distance runners and my grad school days are over so I'll count myself out here. :-)

I was impressed Sunday after the races. First with myself because I ran them with relative ease - which is what I planned on since it was too soon after the marathon to go all out. Second, I'm surprised at the lack of IT band, knee and hip pain. I was actually expecting to feel tired and over-trained given the course hills but I can honestly say I had ZERO pain in any of those areas. I did have some slight lower back pain but having run a hilly marathon and then a 15K of nothing but hills within an 8-day period and only 2 short recovery runs in between, I think it's reasonable to expect that.

First impressions?  Thumbs up.

2010 Santa Barbara Marathon Lessons Learned

"Take all my vicious words 
And turn them into something good 
Take all my preconceptions 
And let the truth be understood……

Courage is when you're afraid, 
But you keep on moving anyway…."

‘Courage’ - Orianthi (feat. Lacey) – heard on the Nano at the base of the biggest climb of the day in mile 23. Perfect timing after beating myself up mentally for the previous 8 miles.

What an intense experience this marathon was for me. The race recap itself is in a separate blog. Mentally, this race exhausted me more than any other has affected me in the past. In fact, I would go so far as to say I was in a state of depression for a couple of days following it. While I did break 5 hours (my “what I’ll be happy with” goal) and achieved a PR by 38 minutes, I thought I could finish in 4:50 – and planned on it. In the days that followed, rather than focus on what I was able to accomplish, I was immersed in feelings of failure due to factors I consider to have been under my complete control, and chose to ignore- many of which were against my better judgment. The following 4 points are those I consider to be the most critical over-arching mistakes and thus lessons I learned from Marathon #2.

Lack of Self Confidence

Despite writing up an analysis of a hilly half marathon I ran in March of this year and a local 5.5 mile hilly loop I run with relative frequency, I let this course intimidate me. I decided to use a different pacing strategy (Maclin – terrain adjusted pacing) during the race that I did not practice with during training. I convinced myself it didn’t matter because the overall pace would be the same, so what difference would it make if one mile is run in 10:30 and another in 12:00 with each mile different from the last for the most part? Logistically, slowing down on the ascents would presumably require the same power output as a faster pace on flat terrain or descents thus, at least in my mind, my physical effort would not be affected by this different pacing strategy.

Most of my long distance training involves running negative splits and while I was able to maintain a steady pace for the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon, there is a HUGE difference between 13.1 miles and 26.2 miles. Not to mention, I have only have about 6 runs under my belt that exceed 20 miles, and those have all happened within the last 12 months. I have more years of experience running 13-15 miles than I do 20-26 miles. I would have been smarter to run the first half (deemed the slower half by the race organizers) at an easier pace and save the kick for the end just like I do in my training. I wavered from this knowing the steepest hill was late in the course (in mile 23) and I feared my 4:50 goal would slip away if I was too tired to tackle that hill at the pace I needed to, and wouldn’t have enough left in me to make up the time in the final 2.5 miles, all of which was mostly a steep descent.

Despite relying on what I thought was the best pacing strategy, I still didn’t follow it on race day! This is VERY unusual for me. My average pace over the first 12 miles was 19 sec/mile faster than the Maclin plan. The worst of it was between miles 5 -10 where my average pace was 23 to 51 seconds faster per mile for that entire 5 mile stretch. And I wasn’t even at the halfway point! Oh, did I mention miles 5-8.5 was a 150ft ascent? No wonder my calves and feet were aching so early on!!!

HR in red; Pace in blue; Elevation in green

The over-thinking and over-anticipation of the course (before and during the race) was not conducive to having a healthy and strong mindset. The best plan would have been sticking to what I know best works for me in terms of pacing, hills or no hills.

Fueling During the Race

I started developing GI pain during long runs about a year ago that went away when I switched from a combo of Gu/Cytomax (after 2 years of consistent use) to Sports Beans/Accelerade. Since the switch, I researched and learned more about the absorption of carbs during long runs, and as a result of my findings, I had been wondering if I was using the Gu and Cytomax too close together. This could cause a slowing of carbohydrate digestion and a build-up of undigested sugar in the intestines. The result of which is GI distress: nausea, diarrhea, cramping. Read more about maximizing carb absorption here!

Despite a known history of GI problems with Gu, I convinced myself I would be fine using Gu gel and Gu electrolyte brew (offered on the course) as long as I drank water with the Gu gel and only drank the electrolyte brew by itself.  I know Gatorade products cause me intense GI cramping – I cannot consume them during a long run or for several hours afterwards without suffering from severe cramps. It is clear that I have a sensitive GI tract and I need to stay true to my current fuel choices. Race day is not the day to test old theories or try new sources of fuel!

Making fear-based decisions during the race spontaneously

My fear of missing the 4:50 goal time negatively impacted performance and was probably the biggest mental contributor to post-race feelings of failure. Even though I internally acknowledged I was running too fast for the first part of the race, the amount of pressure I was putting on myself to exceed the “break 5 hours” goal drove to me to create unnecessary barriers.

I ignored biological signs of distress and squashed every bit of instinct I had. The chief fear-based decision I made was not using the porty-potty at the first sign of GI cramping. I know that feeling yet I allowed myself to think the pain would go away on it’s own; that I could “think my out”.  The fact that a lone porta-potty appeared out of nowhere TWICE in the 5 miles in which I experienced the greatest discomfort (miles 16-20) and yet I still avoided stopping is a big tell. Fear mixed with a lot of stubbornness. (I’m an Aquarius, what can I say? Rebel is my middle name!) The average amount of time I lost in each mile between 16-20 was 18.5 sec/mile – and that includes the first bathroom break I finally gave in to at 19.5 miles. The discomfort was so intense just past mile 17 that I wanted to quit, but I still didn’t want to stop for a bio-break? Are you kidding me? What was I thinking? Oh ya – 4:50 or FAIL.

The physical distress (running too fast in the first half + 5 miles of intense GI pain) combined with a rapidly decaying mental state was a tough hurdle to get over. I’m so thankful I let go of trying to control my 2^nd bout of GI pain and took the time to use the porta-potty at 21.5 miles. I lost about a minute and a half with that 2^nd stop, but the physical relief rolled into a mental relief. It was the best decision I could have at that point because the big hill was yet to come. Had I not gotten to this spot before then, I may not have come in under 5 hours at all.

Incomplete hill training

One of the basic fundamentals of exercise physiology is a term known as Specificity of training.  “…. if you focus your training on a specific part of your sport, improvements will be seen in that part and that part only.” This concept applies to both the activity itself and the intensity of the training. I did not address or take into account the effect of downhill segments (especially steep and/or elongated descents) beforehand even though I know how damaging downhill running is to the quads and the negative impact it has on leg strength. Since I run most of my weekday runs on our treadmill, I do a lot of hill work, but TM hills only flatten out, there is no actual descent work being done.

When you are running downhill, your quads are eccentrically contracting to control the force of gravity pulling you downhill. During an eccentric contraction, the muscle fibers are being stretched as they are contracting (contraction creates force) which also causes tiny fiber tearing! Some research suggests that more fast-twitch fibers are recruited during eccentric contractions relative to concentric contractions. Concentric contractions are the shortening of muscle fibers during muscle contraction such as what happens to your biceps when performing a bicep curl. Using this same example, when you bring the weight back down to it’s starting position (during a bicep curl), your biceps are lengthening but still contracting to control the force of gravity.

As fast-twitch fibers are geared more for explosive and powerful movements and can only use glucose as fuel, the finding that more fast-twitch fibers are recruited during eccentric contractions coincides with findings of a decrease in strength and power in the quads with downhill running because these fiber types get fatigued quickly. Concentric contractions and movements requiring less power and more endurance recruit primarily slow-twitch fibers which can use fat and glucose as fuel. Read more about muscle fiber types here!

The lack of downhill training on my part definitely contributed to an inability to keep my pace up, in addition to the GI issues. As seen in the Garmin data below, it is clear that my cardiovascular fitness was not a limiting factor in this race. My average HR of 135 (73% of HRmax) over the course of the race, only increasing with the burst of power in the last 1.3 miles. It is obvious to me I need to work on leg strength and include eccentric work. By including eccentric leg work, I’ll  be improving my ability to generate more power (fast-twitch fiber recruitment) which will also positively affect uphill and speed as well.

HR in red; Pace in blue; Elevation in green

In Summary

1. Avoid doing anything different on race day. This includes any new fuel sources, gear, shoes and clothes that you have not run with, especially if you have not tried them out on a long training run.
2. Maintain a healthy mental state by staying confident in your race day plan and listening to your body.
3. Respect downhill training as much as your uphill training. Check out this article for suggested drills.

Between a 38 minute PR and coming in under 5 hours despite these challenges is a victory for me, and I am coming around on it. The lessons I learned here are big and I’m actually glad I was presented with them in Marathon #2, very early on in my Marathon career.

In closing, none of it really matters….  “I’m only doing this so I can post a picture on Facebook”. LOL! I’m just kidding of course, but this is one funny shirt from One More Mile Running Apparel!

Next marathon: Watch out 2011 San Diego Rock-n-Roll Marathon. I'm coming for you!

2010 Santa Barbara Int. Marathon Race Recap

We had a beautiful 70-mile drive up to Santa Barbara the night before the race, watching the sun set into the Pacific Ocean as we drove along the coast, eventually finding our way to the Expo at Santa Barbara City College which was less than a mile from our hotel. We walked into the Life Fitness Center at Santa Barbara City College where the Expo was being held, (just behind La Playa Stadium where the Finish line would await us the next day) picked up our race packets, goodie bags and shirts, and left to check into the hotel. After having spent over 90 minutes in Friday night "get the heck out of LA" weekend getaway traffic, we were tired and hungry. It was past 6 o'clock and I just wanted to get some food in me so I could try to get some sleep.

There was going to be limited parking on race day, and with both races starting at 6:30am in different locations, I'd be dropping off the hubby at the Half start and driving back to SBCC where I could catch a bus to the Marathon start. There was no parking at the Marathon start what-so-ever and we were strongly encouraged to be parked at ready to board the buses by 4am.  There was no easy or efficient way for us to meet the parking and drop-off criteria without having a non-runner with us. Suggestion for the race organizers: Please consider offering buses to both Starting lines from the same parking area, especially when all runners are finishing at the same location!  There were buses from the Finish back to the high school where the Half Marathoners parked before walking to their Start, but it made no sense for John to drop me off at 4am, then drive out to the Half marathon parking location (a 15 minute drive), run a half marathon, find a bus to catch back to the car, drive all the way back to the hotel (who knows what that would have been like with all the street closures and detours), shower, pack up the car, check out of the hotel (no late check-out), get back to the Finish, park, and then wait for me in the Stadium. Our plan was for me to drop John off early at the Half Marathon drop-off spot, drive myself to the Finish to park the car, and then catch the bus to the Marathon start (a high school in nearby Goleta). John could then have time to take the car back to hotel, shower, change, check-out and be back in time to see me cross the Finish line.

The Expo seemed pretty good. To be honest, we zipped through so fast I can't tell you how many vendors there were, but it wasn't sparse. I didn't need new gear at that point, I needed food and a bed!  We checked into the hotel. Our room was right on Cabrillo Street in Santa Barbara (runs parallel to the ocean), with a balcony overlooking the harbor. It was a gorgeous night so we decided to walk the 1/2 mile or so down to the local El Torito for some carbs and protein.  Without going into a lot of detail, let's just say this was a terrible decision. This huge restaurant with empty tables everywhere was severely understaffed. We waited "about 5 minutes" for a table for more like 45 minutes. We didn't have a lot of options as most restaurants were busy and/or not serving the kind of food you want to be eating the night before a big race. Neither one of us had eaten very much between lunch and dinner (not to mention it was approaching 8pm!!) so by the time we were finally seated, we ordered our food at the first sight of a waiter. The food was horrendous, the service was terrible - and the worst part about all it is the staff was working their tails off. They were literally running from one end of the restaurant to the other, trying to keep up with orders, but it was obvious they were in a no-win situation. I tried to be sympathetic, but my stress level was feeding off of their stress level, it was too late to be eating like this, and I just wanted to leave.  After we waited for "just a minute" for our check for over 10 minutes, we were finally free to go. Ugh. At least we had a nice walk back to our room.

By now, it's 9pm. We laid out all our gear and fuel so we would be ready to go on time. I decided to use a different pacing strategy given all the hills and had purchased a recommended Maclin pacing bracelet (terrain-adjusted pacing) for an "even effort" which meant I had to keep a close eye on my pace as it would be changing just about every mile. In general, this meant slower paces for moderate to steep grades, faster paces for level and downhill sections. I would still be using my 4:1 run/walk intervals. By 10:30pm, John is knocked out but I'm still struggling to fall asleep. I think I finally dozed off around 11, but was waking up on and off over the next several hours. I think the most solid sleep I got was between 2:15am and 3am. Good thing I had a decent night's sleep on Thursday.


 After a pre-race snack of coffee, water and a banana with peanut butter, we're off to the half marathon start at 3:50am. The freeway exit is easy to find, but the street we have to drive on is very dark with few street lights and no signs for the event. We finally see some cones in the middle of the road as we approach the high school. I'm trying to figure out where the drop-off location is, but there is a very young man trying to force us into the Parking area. We tell him we're just here for a drop-off. I pulled ahead slightly, but there are still no signs for where runner drop-off is. I am already starting to freak out about getting back to the Marathon parking/Finish area on time. The only safe place we can see to drop off John is behind a CHP car pulled off to the side of the road. John later told me he could not find ANY staff or volunteer member who could point him in the direction of the Start line (which we knew was about a 1-mile walk from the parking/drop off spot), so he found the course and started walking alone in the darkest hours of the dawn in the direction he thought he should be going. It would be another 45 minutes before he saw another runner. Acceptable? No!

I made it back to the city college to park and catch the bus at 4:30. There is a lot of activity here, but the parking locations were not well marked. A whole group of cars (me included) went to one of the many parking areas around the college but were all turned back and directed to another parking location down the street. Can I just park my freaking car please? I finally get myself parked and just follow other runners as they are walking out the parking structure because I'm not 100% sure where the buses are going to pick us up. Luckily, there is a line for the bus forming just outside the parking structure. I'm in line just after 4:30, but after 10 minutes of waiting, only 1 bus load of runners had been picked up. I'm not worried about missing the last bus because as I turn back and look behind me, there are at least 200 people behind me and more runners are pouring out of the parking areas. I was pretty sure there were somewhere between 1,000 - 1,500 marathon participants for this event. So much for "the last bus will load at 4:50am".

Start line.  6:50am

After loading a bus at 4:45am, we are dropped off down the street from the high school in pitch black conditions. There are a few volunteers directing us up the road to the Start. As I walk onto the school grounds and into the parking lot, I see the Start line, a huge spotlight and maybe 150 other runners milling around, but other than that, the place looks pretty dead. With more than 75 minutes to go until start time I decided to seek out a bathroom early. I found a volunteer who told me the bathrooms were in the gym just down the stairs from where we were standing. Ah-ha! Here were the other runners! The gym was open and lots of folks were chatting/staying warm in the building itself. High energy music was coming through the speaker system and the bright lights were definitely helping keep my spirits up. Around 6:10, I decided to have a Gu. It had been more than 2.5 hours now since my first pre-race snack and I knew I needed something else before the gun.  I head outside where the temps have dropped by at least 5-7 degrees F since we arrived. It's cold but I can still feel the humidity. At 6:15, an announcement is made that the start is going to be delayed until 6:45. This brings some moderate groaning from the crowd. Not wanting to go back and sit in the gym again, I walked around campus a little to try to keep warm but I'm getting too cold and head back into the gym. At 6:40, another announcement comes through that we are now delayed until 7am. More groaning. Finally, around 6:50, most of us are at the Start and ready to go. It's still pretty dark and there are no street lights on this back road we're starting out on.

At the 7am gun, there is just barely enough light to see the road and I'm instantly glad the start had been delayed for 30 minutes. I took this snapshot from Google maps because it was too dark to get a pic from my phone. This is in the first mile of the course, as we're exiting the high school parking lot. Yay for starting off downhill, booo for no street lights! The first right we will take is at the far right of bottom of the screen shot which begins the Goleta loop.

One of my first observations was that mile-markers seemed to be off.  My Garmin read 0.91 miles at Mile Marker 1 and stayed ahead of subsequent mile markers for about the next 13 or 14 miles. The Goleta loop was nice. It was very quiet. The first 3 miles were pretty much all downhill with a couple of short, mild hills. The pace felt fast to me for a long run, but I was staying loose and letting gravity do as much of the work as possible, keeping the faith with the Maclin pacing strategy.  After a short hill at mile 4, we descend towards Mile Marker 5 where a 4-mile ascent awaits our arrival. The hills are not feeling as difficult as I thought they would, and I'm surprised at how easily I'm able to maintain my pace. In fact, I was staying ahead by about 15 sec/mile, hitting each mile 1.5-2 minutes ahead of schedule and my heart rate was steady at about 140, even between miles 4 and 9. Maybe I'd be able to hit my "4:45 stretch goal" after all!

After 9 miles in the Goleta loop, we're back at the high school where we started. Instead of making that same right turn as we had at 1.5 miles, we continue East towards the Half Marathon start near Tucker's Grove Park. Miles 10-12 are relatively flat, but I am acutely aware of my already-aching calves. I was carrying 16 oz of water with me, along with 6 shot blocks and one packet of Gu. I had a couple of shot blocks around mile 8 and at least 4-6 oz of Gu Electrolyte Brew that was being passed out at some of the water stations by mile 12, but I was getting worried I wasn't taking in enough calories and the biggest ascents were still to come. I grabbed a couple of Gu's from a volunteer near the halfway point. I immediately have one with some water and put one away for use before the bear climb in mile 23. After a small ascent at mile 14 which coincided with more burning in my calves than expected, I decided to down a small packet of salt I was carrying with me. The last thing I want is to cramp in the last few miles and not be able to make it to the Finish. It's the first time I've consumed salt during a race - ever.  The descents are not feeling as forgiving as I wanted them to. My legs are tired, my feet are already hurting - it's too early to feel this way! My right and left brain play tug-o-war in my head and I'm starting to go down an emotional path that is going to do me more harm than good. Enough!!   I press on.

It was just before mile 16 that I started have some GI discomfort. Although I used Gu almost exclusively for the first couple of years of my long distance training career, I have not used it in a while...usually consuming sports beans and Accelerade (neither of which I brought with me this time). I'm feeling like I need to find a porta-potty, but we're on a paved trail now and there isn't much around. I see and pass 1 lone porta-potty (I'll be fine. Get over it. You don't want to miss your goal time, do you?).  Miles 17 and 18 pass.  My guts are cramping (I have a fleeting thought of quitting!!!!) but I manage to convince myself I can push through to the end. Another lone porta-potty appears on my left but there are 2 people in line. Another excuse I can use not to stop. The pain has affected my pace and I'm falling behind my pacing schedule. Everything feels too fast. The trail empties out into a neighborhood. Residents are out in full force to show their support. I'm beaming and thanking people for coming out. One couple is playing guitar in their front yard for us! Awesome! As quickly as these good vibrations come in, they're gone, and I can't ignore this GI pain anymore.  I step off the course and find a place in a wooded area off of the road (not in the neighborhood!) to take care of business. This little adventure has cost me quite a bit of time, not just in the mile that I had to step off the course, but for 3 or 4 miles beforehand too.

I'm feeling much better as I jump back onto the course in the middle of an ascent just before mile 20. Not a mile later, the GI cramping is back and now I'm thinking 'oh great, I've opened the floodgates'. The pain comes and goes in waves, but I'm not taking any chances this time. I spot a porta-potty just as we start a descent after mile 21 and there's no one in line! Yippee!!  Now I can concentrate on that big hill coming up! You can see here how the cramping affected my pace (in blue) after mile 15, and then the stops at about 19.5 and 21.5 miles.

As nice as it is to be going downhill, my right ankle is killing me and my quads are burning. I take some deep breaths, shake out my hands and arms, and try to stay loose. I'm not trusting the mileage on my Garmin or the mile markers anymore because I have no idea which one is closer to being correct at the this point. All I know is that big hill is coming, and then it's all downhill to the Finish. As I approach the base of The Hill in mile 23, a fantastic and fun 10 or 12 person band is blaring music for us and they look like they're having a blast. Dancing, smiling, waving when they can. I flash everyone the biggest smile I can muster up and begin the toughest climb of the day. This is another Google maps screen shot. We came down Las Positas (from the left of the perspective of the street level shot) and made a left turn into the ascent. This grade went on for a little more than half a mile. Amazingly, I managed to finish this mile in 13:06.

The last 2 miles of this course was everything and nothing like I expected all at the same time. Going into the race, I couldn't wait for this final descent, because in my mind, it would be nothing in terms of physical work relative to what I had already run. When we got to the top of this hill, volunteers, staff and supporters were out in full force - "It's all downhill from here", "Keep going, keep going", "The hard part is over". It was amazing. I can't think of a better way to start this last segment.  I'd like to say this is where I got my 2nd wind, but I'm pretty sure it was at least the 3rd or 4th! The view was incredible. We were running straight towards the ocean and the water was glistening in the sun. Oh ya, the sun is out now! Woo hoo!!! In the final mile and a half, we're running parallel with the ocean. There is a little headwind picking up, but it is of no consequence now. More spectators and volunteers are lined up along Shoreline Dr. I know I'm close, but I'm not sure exactly how close because I'm still not trusting the mile markers or my Garmin. I am SO tired. My right ankle is really barking at me from all those right turns and banked streets and the pain is radiating up the outside of my lower leg. I want to walk (and cry), but I just really want to freaking finish already and I know I am going to be cutting the 5-hour mark very close if I don't keep going.

This shot is right around Mile 25 and just up beyond the curve in the road you see there was an AWESOME woman who saw me slow to walk and was telling me how close I was to the finish. Almost pleading with me to keep running. I mean, I looked up, and I could literally see the Finish line banner peering over the top of La Playa Stadium at SBCC where I knew the hubby would be waiting for me. I thanked her profusely (as best I could). It was just the extra push I needed.

I ran mile 26 in 10:28! Thank you descents! What I didn't know was that we would be running the last part of the course on the city college track itself. I can't remember the last time I was on a real track. I definitely have never been a runner actually running or racing on a track!

This is what we saw as we approached the stadium.The stadium is the space in front of and to the right of the palm tree base.

We came into the stadium at one end of the track (see bottom portion of pic) and ran in a counterclockwise direction. The Finish was halfway down the straightaway in front of the bleachers.  As soon as I entered the stadium, there are people lined up and cheering for us, but I am barely paying attention to anything but the cumulative time on my Garmin. Something on those sidelines caught my eye because just as I'm about to hit the track itself, I see John standing against the course ropes. I instantly let out a little gasp because I am so surprised and relieved to see him. I almost start crying but this race is not over for me yet! I grabbed his hand as a I ran by and gave it a good squeeze. The funniest thought went through my head as my feet hit the track. "Now I can call myself a runner". What?!? LOL!  I'm immediately distracted when the announcer's voice comes booming over the loudspeaker.  "IF YOU CAN HEAR MY VOICE, YOU CAN FINISH THIS MARATHON IN UNDER 5 HOURS BUT YOU HAVE TO PICK IT UP". I thought I already was picking it up, but apparently I had a little more to give. With every ounce of strength and power I had left, I dug in and pushed as hard and as fast as I possibly could. I hear the announcement again as I'm rounding the track and I'm shocked that I am managing to run even faster. I throw my arms up in the air and tear through the finish line doing 10 miles per hour! I almost ran right past the volunteers trying to put a medal on me!!!

Here are the official stats:

Chip Time – 4:57:46

Half Marathon – 2:21:17

20 Mile – 3:40:23 (+1:19:06)

Finish – 4:57:46 (+1:17:22)

Pace 11:22 min/mile

SexPl – 328/445

Overall Place – 796/998

Hungry for more data? http://connect.garmin.com/activity/55751816

My primary goal for this race was breaking 5 hours since I ran my first marathon (albeit slightly injured) on 1/10/10 in 5:36 at Disneyworld (very flat course). That's what my "I'll be happy with" goal was.  My 'real' goal was 4:50. I do think I was capable of achieving that goal but I allowed several factors to negatively impact my performance here, almost all of which was under my complete control. Lessons learned is coming next and I've got 4 major points to hit on.

For those interested in the Half Marathon, my husband loved it (even with the not-so-ideal beginning to his race). The Half Marathon course is essentially the 2nd half of the Marathon course, so yes, you do still get to tackle that big hill at the end.

Lastly, a huge thank you to all the staff, volunteers and spectators who truly made this a great race. The outpouring of support was incredible and being able to finish on the track was an unexpected treat!