26/2: 2008 New York City Marathon Training Journal

New blog: The Next Challenge

Sharing my latest training efforts with the world has always been a great motivational tool for me -- and it keeps me very focused on the event that I'm training for.  But seeing how I'm always working toward "the next challenge", I felt it's time I stopped creating new blog for every training goal...and instead just have one place to chronicle whatever new challenge I'm obsessing about at the moment.

So to all of you who continue to support my athletic endeavors -- please join me at blog.keijiro.com

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

- Langston Hughes

---

Today I withdrew my entry to the NYC Marathon...but I'm not ready to quit on my marathon dream just yet.  For the remainder of the year I'll be focusing 100% on recovery & rehabilitation, and hopefully resume regular running comes January.  My goal for the new year: San Diego Rock n' Roll in May, and New York in November.

Long walk back

  Different pair of orthotics and arch-support tape: two things that renewed my hope for the marathon -- if only for a brief moment

In a last ditch effort to get myself back on the road, I went to see a physical therapist this week to with the intention of discussing cortisone injection.  I've always been hesitant about a use of powerful pain-killer, but with everything I've put myself through for the past 4 months I wasn't about to give up without weighing all of my options.

Well not surprisingly, the PT told me he would rather not give me cortisone unless absolutely necessary...and instead focused his attention on my biomechanic which he felt was off despite my custom-made orthotics.  Looking at my left foot, he noticed that my current orthotics didn't have enough arch support.  So he taped up the arch, gave me a pair of disposable orthotics to try, then had me run on a treadmill...and what do you know, there was absolutely no pain in my left glute or IT band!  The test run lasted only 5 minute, but I was feeling optimistic...maybe I can run in New York after all. 

Of course, the real test would have to come on asphalt....so yesterday I visited my PT again to get a fresh tape on my arch, then went out for the usual 5-mile run along Los Gatos Creek Trail.  For the first mile everything felt great -- I didn't feel any discomfort whatsoever, and I was just full of energy from my forced time-off.  But soon after things just began to crumble.  First I began to develop a pain in my left arch...and it became so unbearable that I had to stop.  As it turned out, the arch-support tape had peeled off half way and was causing painful blister. 

For a brief moment I thought about just stopping my run and walking back to avoid potentially aggravating my glute injury.  But seeing how I was feeling no pain, I decided to just completely peel off the tape and  keep on running...and then it happened.  I felt a sharp pain in the lateral and backside of my left knee -- the exact pain I experienced 10 years ago that prevented me from completing a marathon I was training for.  The moment I felt that pain, I knew my hope of running this year's New York Marathon has all but vanished.

Unable to run another step, I spent the next 40 minutes walking back to my car...which felt like an eternity.  With the daylight saving time closing to an end, the sky quickly fell into darkness...and the temperature rapidly began to fall.  Needless to say I was completely demoralized -- and I hope I'll never have to experience such miserable walk again.

Major setback

"Coping (or Not) With Injuries in Training for Marathon" (NY Times)

I was hoping that with the extra rest day I took yesterday, I would be feeling fresh for today's scheduled 18-miler...but instead I was forced to cut the run short by 10 miles due to nagging pain in my left glutes (and eventually the IT band).

This was incredibly disappointing because it was one of the most important runs in my training...and now I'm wondering if I even have any chance of finishing the marathon in just 4 weeks.  The only thing I can hope for now is that I can complete the 18-miler next weekend, and just give up on the 20-miler.  In the mean time, I'm planning on taking it a very easy this coming week -- with very little runs and absolutely no glute strengthening workouts. 

I'm in a tough position because on one hand I know I need to strengthen my glutes (especially my left) if I want to prevent my IT band from tightening up late in the long runs.  But on the other hand the strengthening exercises are doing more damage than good at this point, because my body is clearly unable to handle the stress from both the exercises AND the training runs.

Day off

I was originally planning running 18 miles this morning, but due to an unseasonal rain (ok, more like a drizzle) I decided to post-pone it 'til tomorrow.  I don't usually like going off schedule, but with all the stress I've been putting on my body lately a day off is probably a good thing.

In the mean time I'll just relax and enjoy the latest issue of the Runner's World...which is filled with NYC Marathon related content.  Here's a section of a great course map found in the magazine:

Quick pace

Getting ready to break-in fresh pair of Kayano for the race

With the marathon now only 5 weeks away, there are two things I need to lock down soon: the pre-run/race meal and my marathon pace.

First, the meal -- I'm still trying to figure out what's the best thing to eat before the long runs, and when.  I usually just have a powerbar and/or trail bar beforehand, but this morning I woke up really hungry so I decided to have an egg-white omelette and whole grain bagel two hours before the run...and the hearty meal really helped keep my energy level high.  The thing is though, on the race day I'd probably have to leave the hotel 4-5 hours before the gun goes off...so I'd need some food that I can take with me to the starting area.  Maybe a powerbar and a bagle would be enough if I eat a hearty meal the night before.

Then there's the pacing -- which hasn't been very consistent on my weekend runs.  Early on I was averaging about 9:30-9:40 pace...then it shot up to over 10 min when I started incorporating walking breaks.  What has been consistent though is that I've been forcing myself to run really slow in an attempt to preserve maximum energy.  But ever since I started wearing stability tights last week, I've been feeling some extra spring in my steps -- so today I decided to let go of the brakes and just let my natural running rhythm dictate my pace.  The result: a 9:22 pace -- 34 seconds off the pace of my previous run with just 5 bpm increase in my avg heart rate.  Granted today's run was 6 miles shorter, but now I'm thinking of trying out a quicker pace during the big 18-miler next weekend.

• Time: 1:34:17
• Avg speed: 9:22 mi pace
• Avg heart rate: 163 bpm
• Calories burned: 1177 cal

Hitting the limit

CW-X Ventilator Tights -- my new favorite running gear

Of all the workouts I've endured in the past, I think yesterday's run was one of the most painful ever. As soon as I started running I noticed that my left glute was pretty sore -- which was probably from the deep tissue massage the night before and/or residual fatigue from the strengthening workout earlier in the week.  The smart thing to do would've been to just turn back around right then and postpone the run til the next day...but instead I kept on going and endured a sore butt the entire way. 

Of course, with my glute being sore my left IT band began cramping up around 12 mile mark, and after that so did my hamstring and calf (talk about chain reaction).  By the 14th mile my entire left leg had stiffened up so much that I almost tripped over myself a few times...and my other left wasn't feel much better either.  To top if all off I felt like I was running on empty near the end despite consuming a PowerGel every 45 min.  Clearly I didn't fuel myself enough before the run.

The only thing positive out of all this is that I managed to cut 24 seconds off of my mile pace from the last long run...while still taking the same about of walking breaks (1 min every mile).  This was quite surprising considering how weak I was feeling -- which leads me to believe that the stability tights I just got did indeed live up to its hype.

• Distance: 16.03 mi
• Time: 2:39:08
• Avg speed: 9:56 mi pace
• Avg heart rate: 158 bpm
• Calories burned: 1862 cal

Glutes

I've been noticing that my left IT band gets really tight during the final few miles of my long runs...which worries me because it was the IT injury that forced me to pull out of my first marathon attempt 10 years ago.  So when I visited the sports clinic yesterday, I was expecting to get a lot of massage work on the outer thigh...but instead my doctor focused mostly on my left glutes which I was told was very tight & weak.  He explained to me that when your glutes gets fatigued, the load gets transferred to the IT bands -- which is why I'm experiencing IT pain at the end of long runs.

So starting today I'll be doing glutes strengthening workouts 3 times a week in addition to the core workouts I'm already doing.  And to combat the IT pain I also just bought a compression wrap and a pair of stability tights -- which I'll be trying out soon.

Therapeutic training

In my continuing effort to avoid race-threatening injuries, I recently purchased two therapeutic training tools: TP Therapy Total Body Package and a Wobble Board.

The Total Body Package from Trigger Point is a set of massage ball and rollers that provides myofascial release.  They help you maintain flexibility & elasticity in your muscles, and also prevent scar tissues build-up from hard workouts.  I used to use more traditional foam rollers for these purposes...but these tools are far more effective (and painful) on tight/fatigued muscles.  Plus they're also more portable compared to the foam rollers, which means I can take them with me to New York and use them before/after the race.  I'm hoping they will help keep my soleus and IT band in check so I won't come down with shin splints or ITBS.

Wobble Board is much more simple tool -- but nonetheless a very effective strengthening tools.  It's basically just a circular board with a half-dome at bottom, and by learning to balance on it you strengthen your lower legs.  I think this will really help with my shin problems...although I need to make sure I don't use it too much  in the beginning because it does place quite a bit of stress on your legs.  I felt quite a bit of strain in my lower calves yesterday, and I think that may have been partly caused by the residual fatigue from using the board two days earlier.

Here's to hoping for 7 more injury-free weeks...

Half-marathon +1

Amphipod Hydration Belt -- with so many attachment options, I wish I could carry them all with me

With my tight training schedule, every long run counts...but today's was especially important because I broke through the half-way point for the first time.  14.05 miles; a half-marathon plus an extra mile.

To make sure I didn't run out of fuel like 2 weeks ago, I had a solid meal before the run (about 600 calories) and had a PowerGel every 45 min.  The extra glycogen definitely helped maintain my energy level...although I think I'll experiment with non-caffeinated gels next time because I noticed my heart rate being a little high.

I also tried taking shorter walking breaks today compared to the last time -- about a minute every mile.  These short breaks worked much better because they were much less disruptive to my running rhythm...but were still long enough for me to comfortably consume water & gels as needed.  Unfortunately though, I still ended up with a very slow overall pace...and I was hurting just as bad at the end of the run as I did when I weren't taking regular walking breaks.  Maybe next time I'll just take a brief walking break every two miles or so, to simulate water stops on the actual race day.

• Distance: 14.05 mi
• Time: 2:25:01
• Avg speed: 10:20 mi pace
• Avg heart rate: 158 bpm
• Calories burned: 1655 cal