Eat Drink Run Woman

“T” is for “Thank God! My last long run is done.”
“A” is for “Amen! My last long run is done.”
“P” is for “PHEW! My last long run is done.”
“E” is for “Egads! That was one helluva run!”
“R” if for “Rejoice! My last long run is done.”

Put ’em all together and what do they spell?

“TAPER TAPER TAPER — Save me from this hell!”

Alright, so I’m jumping the gun. After all, this post is about LAST week, and my taper doesn’t start until this week. But I’m just so thrilled to finally be there. Besides, I said I’d try to make this post more entertaining than the last one.

Even though this was a killer week, I feel remarkably refreshed. I started off with a bang with my stellar performance in the Kirkland Half Marathon, and just finished with a satisfying, albeit tough, 22-miler. My elation over seeing my half marathon time translating into a sub 4-hour full was short-lived, however, after boasting about it on the Runner’s World forum. A few of the more experienced marathoners were quick to say McMillan typically isn’t accurate unless you’re putting in at least 70 miles per week. Although my mileage has been high, it’s not at that level.

But after reading their comments, did I pout? Did I stress? Did I start second-guessing myself? DUH! Of COURSE I did. 40+ years of low self esteem doesn’t just disappear overnight, ya know. But fortunately I took it as “constructive” criticism and came up with a game plan that hopefully will allow me to go back in three weeks and proudly (and maturely) claim, “NEENER, NEENER, NEENER. I TOLD you I could do it, you dummy-dorks.”

Since it’s close to show time I wanted to use this week to test my race strategy: how to fuel during the race, what to wear, how to pace myself. Although I know it will be difficult to do, the key will be to start off conservatively, saving my energy for the second half. The average pace for a 4-hour marathon is 9:10 min/mile. My goal is to run the first 9 miles slower than that (9:20), then pick it up to a 9:05-9:10 pace through mile 20. Assuming I’m feeling good then I’ll really pick things up for the last 10K. As long as I can average an 8:55 min/mile over 6.2 miles, I’ll have a sub 4-hour marathon (my BQ time is 4:00:59, but I wanted to provide a bit of a cushion).

For my fueling strategy, I’ll stick with my tried & true ClifShots (and perhaps a packet of ShotBlocks). I’ll carry those on my fuel belt, but will rely on the water and electrolyte drink (Heed) provided at the fueling stops. I’ve even tested out the Heed to make sure I can stomach it. (It works great, although neither I nor my darling can say the name without invoking the Scottish dad, played by Mike Meyers, talking about his youngest son in “So I Married an Axe Murderer:”

“Look at the size of that boy’s heed. I’m not kidding, it’s like an orange on a toothpick. That’s a huge noggin. That’s a virtual planetoid. Has it’s own weather system. HEED! MOVE!”

Anyhoo.

Of course, the MOST important decision is what to wear. My zebra skirt served me well in my first two marathons, but since I’ve lost a few pounds I’m concerned I’ll look like a plumber halfway through the course (although if it serves to distract the other runners, perhaps that’s not such a bad thing). My other running skirts don’t have long enough compression shorts underneath; although I’m thinner I still get chub rub. So I think I’ll simply wear my new Sugoi lightweight shorts. They’re quite long (they hit about 4″ above my knees), so I won’t get to show off my highly toned thighs. But they do have several pockets, which is a definite plus. I’m still debating what shirt to wear; I’m thinking I might make up a singlet with my name on it so everyone can cheer me on. But if I’m to do that I better get a move on so I can test it during a training run.

As for my vow to eat a more healthy diet and eliminate alcohol, well, this week I would have earned a D. A high school friend of my darling’s was in town, so we were quite the social butterflies — barbecue on Tuesday, pub dinner on Thursday and a Mariner’s game last night. Try as I might, I couldn’t stay away from the french fries (which proved to be a BAD decision. More on that later).

Okay, on to the recap (I certainly have been Chatty Cathy today, haven’t I? Must be the heatstroke):

Sunday: Did I happen to mention I ran a race? And did REALLY well?

Monday: Arm routine at the gym.

Tuesday: Yoga; unlike last week, this week was a struggle (although I guess that’s an indication she once again picked something I needed). We did a bunch of moon salutations, which requires a lot of back bending and time on your knees. The guy next to me is TOTALLY into yoga (and makes each move seem so easy), so I think I messed with his zen moments each time I started giggling when I struggled to get into position.

Because we had the barbecue that evening, I switched my BUAL™ workout to Thursday and instead did a 12-mile general aerobic run. Our friends who held the barbecue live near the trail for the Mt. Si Relay, so I decided to run the portion up to Rattlesnake Lake and back. My darling was going to join me, but he had to finish up a couple of projects so I started without him. Since I was still a bit creaky from the half I took things really slow, although my pace did quicken once the rain started pelting me. My darling caught up with me as I was heading back down; by then I was totally drenched and he was a welcome sight. I averaged a 9:22 pace for the 12.5 mile run.

Wednesday: rest day from running, but given this was a killer week I decided to take a break from the gym as well.

Thursday: another break from the gym, but ran a 10-mile BUAL™ with 4 x 1200m sprints (averaging a 7:36 min/mile pace for the sprints; 8:52 overall). I considered bagging the pub since I knew I’d be tempted to imbibe, but eventually succumbed (I just can’t turn down those Brouwer’s fries with chipotle mayo).

Friday: morning gym routine with an easy 6-mile recovery run in the afternoon (average pace: 8:58). During that evening’s Mariner’s game, my good intentions were once again dashed. As we made our way to our seats we perused our dinner options; although Safeco Field has its share of typical stadium fare, there are also a lot of more gourmet food choices. But of course what immediately caught my eye (and my olfactory nerves) were the garlic fries. After we settled in my darling set off to procure some food. Fortunately he wasn’t able to locate the garlic fry vendor, and instead came back with a Thai chicken curry dish (which, given the coconut milk, was probably just as caloric as the fries). However, our friends DID manage to find the garlic fries and ended up sharing several with us. Holy Moley! I think we’ll be safe from vampires for days on end.

Saturday: Wouldn’t you know it — the day I’m scheduled for the longest run of my training we have record high temperatures. I toyed with postponing until tomorrow, but figured it would be good practice to train in the heat. Even though I’m praying to the running gods we’ll have decent weather, it could be 80+ come race day. (Last year it was in the low 80s one week before the race, but then it turned cold and rainy).

I loaded up on provisions — three bottles of Heed, three ClifShots and one packet of ShotBlocks — and headed out. As planned, I started out slowly, picking up the pace just slightly every 4 miles. Sweat started pouring down my face from the get-go, so I took in some fluid/gels every half hour or so.

While I knew eating garlic fries the day before a long run was not a good idea, it had a different effect than anticipated (I thought I’d be urping up garlic the entire way). Just as I was listening to Steve Runner warn against eating too much fat the day before a race during his podcast on marathon fueling (fatty foods don’t go through your system as quickly, increasing the likelihood of potty breaks during your run), I was overcome with the urge to go — NOW! Fortunately a public restroom was a short distance away. I arrived only to see a “closed” sign, but was grateful to see a couple of port-o-potties nearby. They were relatively clean, although incredibly hot.

The sun really started beating down past the halfway point, so I started taking in fluids every 20-25 minutes. I also planned on stopping at my gym (which would be just before the 18-mile mark) to rest and cool off. I was within a couple of miles from the gym when I started getting light-headed, but was able to make it intact. As I headed in the door the front desk clerk immediately handed me a cold bottle of water; it was manna from Heaven!

After a 10-minute break I headed back out for the remaining 4.25 miles. I stopped once more to finish my Heed with 1.5 miles to go. My goal was to finish in 3 hours, 30 minutes, and I was really close. However, I didn’t want to push it as my light-headedness had returned. Knowing I’d need a bit of a pick-me-up at the end, I had programmed in Helen after Steve’s podcast. She serenaded me to to mile 22, which I finished in 3 hours, 28 minutes, 58 seconds (9:30 average pace). Although my car was still a half mile away, I decided to walk it out.

Here’s keeping my fingers crossed we have cooler weather June 8!