Junk Miles

Suffering Through the Lean Times

My marathon photos have been posted, and I can only embed here the one I purchased, but you’ll get a better laugh if you view the entire sequence of photos from various points in the race. Let’s just say they illustrate well my race report. Still, they would be better suited for the Pisa Marathon than the California International Marathon.

Maybe the best part is that this year the photographers didn’t capture the finish time in the frame.

199 Mile Month

That’s what my 20-miler yesterday brought me to. Probably the most I’ve ever run in a month. Why didn’t I go for 200? Because that would be craaazy.

The Other Kind of Minimalist Shoe

Count me as one of those runners who scoff at the recommended “500 mile” life for shoes. I’ve always believed – as I’m sure many of you do – that rule of thumb sells a lot of running shoes.

However, I may be moderating my views somewhat after my Asics Gel Evolution 5s hit the 800-mile mark this Sunday. They’re still super-comfortable and feel great while running, but I finally took a look at the soles and saw this:

Yikes! It’s a good thing they’re well-cushioned, because evidently the cushion was the only thing between my heel and the road. But fear not, my Gel Evolutions 6s arrived today.

Marathon Bound

Well, I took the plunge and registered for the California International Marathon on December 4, the day after my 53rd birthday.

I went back and forth several dozen times about the decision, but ultimately I figured if you’re in any sort of condition to run a marathon, you ought to do it, because you never know if you’ll have another opportunity.

I’ve avoided creating a race schedule all year for fear of jinxing myself, but now I’m set, registered and ready for:

* September 11 – Buffalo Stampede 10-miler

* October 2 – Urban Cow Half Marathon

* November 20 – Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay

No pressure, no time goals. Just comfortable running the way I’ve been training for months now.

Judgment Day

I last wrote about my own running in late June. Adding mileage only when I could complete my long runs at sub-10 pace, I had a 155-mile July. Now I’ve reached the point where I need to make a decision about the direction of my running… and I’m unsure which way to go.

Yesterday I ran an 18-miler. It was my longest run since my last marathon in December 2006. It took me 3:10, but with an 8-minute negative split. I was tired at the end, but relatively strong, and I have no muscle pain or lingering effects of any kind.

There’s no question in my mind that, should I choose to do so, I could run a decent marathon in the next few months. But why?

In previous years, I was jacked up to run another marathon because I felt a BQ was within reach. Not any more. Even at my best, I’m guaranteed to have my worst marathon.

There would be the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment of completing a marathon a year after my heart attack – especially after lesser injuries kept me out of it for almost five years. But I’m already satisfied. I’ve come much further than I realistically thought possible last year.

So here’s the dilemma: Do I continue with my high mileage weeks and line up a marathon to run, or should I just give myself a high-five and scale back in order to run half-marathons from now on?

I’m ready for advice in either direction, so how about, dear readers? Marathon or no?

Flame On!

This is my fifth morning in Chicago, and I’ve just finished my fourth run. It’s been great – if you don’t count the getting out there at 5:30 a.m. to beat the heat.

On Sunday I was chugging along and sweating at a normal rate, when I decided to stop at a water fountain. As I did so, my body burst into torrents of sweat the way the Human Torch bursts into flames. It was like someone had suddenly dumped a bucket of warm sweat on me. (There’s a mental image for you.)

I felt fine, but I must have looked like I was melting. I drank my water and continued my run without incident.

I’ve occasionally had this happen before when I’ve completed a hot run. Maybe it’s menopause.

SacTown 10-Miler Race Report

Ran the inaugural SacTown 10-Miler this morning. It was in the mid-40s and windy at the start, which was unfortunate because despite calling us to line up at 8 a.m., the race didn’t begin until 8:25.

The start/finish line was directly in front of the Capitol, and the route was mostly an out-and-back through downtown Sacramento. Actually, it was two out-and-backs, since the route had us recrossing the starting line prior to mile 2.

Nonetheless, the course was flat and fast, the volunteers helpful, and the sparse crowd enthusiastic. There were 529 participants.

I had only one double-digit training run to prepare for this race (actually, my only double-digit run in 18 months) and covered the distance at a 10:16 pace. So my goal was to finish sub-100. The organizers had special T-shirts for anyone who finished sub-80 or better.

After covering the first mile in 10:03, I knew I would either have an easy time of the remaining 9 miles, or crash and burn for starting too fast. Fortunately, it was the former. I finished in 1:35:13, with a two-minute negative split and an 8:57 final mile. That was good enough for 301st of 529, and 23/30 in the 50-54 age group.

The finish line spread consisted of Oreos, bananas and Corn Thins, which, if you’ve never had them, are like rice cakes made of corn. I ate them anyway.

I’m extremely happy with my performance, but it also signals the end of my “BQ or Bust” blog category, which must be designated “bust.” I’m highly unlikely to return to my former speed, and the new qualifying times make it moot even if I do. My training exploits will now appear sporadically under the title “Junk Miles,” since I’ve determined that from now on all my miles are junk miles.

All in all, an encouraging day and since I met my time goal, I’ll increase my Sunday long run to 12 miles.