Tuesday, October 25, 2011

On the Bubble

At this point in the season, I've started to produce some decent workouts and feel like a different runner. I've also managed to get one rest day completely off of running during the week, but this is usually not planned, as I feel too tired to start my day off at 5am, get a run in, head to school to teach all day, then attend class all night. So the past few Tuesday's have been a "rest" day, as I only juggle two things around throughout my day, instead of three things. Although, I am still able to get in around 115 plus miles a week in 6 days, so I feel pretty strong.

The workouts are also going very well. On my easy days I feel like a slug, especially in the early morning darkness that starts each day. Just as the sun rises over the Sandia's, my pace increases and I start to feel energized by the coming of a new day. The soreness also dissipates from the body as I finish an easy 10 miler nearly every morning. I guess you could say I am a boring runner, but I feel completely happy getting in the miles needed to produce a fast marathon. I start to think about the most random things while running in the darkness. Most of the time it's about getting to the Trials, and getting to toe the line ready to run the race of my life. I know I only have 2 more chances to get there this year, but I would much rather prefer to make it 1 chance. And that 1 chance will be in Indianapolis.

At this point in my running career, I feel that I should be in Houston, running the US Olympic Marathon Trials, and be 100% ready to race. And just as most of my qualifying attempts in life; from qualifying for CIF prelims in high school, to getting the "B" standard in college to compete at the NAIA Nationals, to being one of the last runners to qualify for the USA Track and Field Championships, my sole goal was just to make it to Nationals. So, if I am forced to run a full marathon one month before the Trials to qualify, I will be the same runner I've been since high school... Just trying to make it into the big meet, and not in contention of doing well there. Although, things could change in the next 2 weeks...

I have an opportunity to control my own destiny by hitting the US Olympic Trials "A" standard on November 5th in Indianapolis for the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon. If I can hit the time there, then I will not have to worry about running a full marathon to qualify, which I feel completely positive I can do, but don't wish to do one month before the trials. I would like to save a good marathon effort for the trials, and actually do very well there.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

(Week 14) A new Path

So, outside of running, I've been leading my kids on some field trips and have been allowed to take over the classroom with more liberty. It's been a great experience, and allows me to venture away from running, which is very hard to do. When I'm in the classroom I think about running, when I'm running I think about lessons, so its a good trade off for now. I still feel pretty strong running hard and being at school and class all day, so this is a good sign in my opinion.

This week, I was very sore from the race. I decided to change the training up a little, so that it was geared towards running a fast half marathon in a months time. These next few weeks were suppose to be focused on peaking for the marathon and getting in some marathon specific workouts, but I need to shave 46 seconds off a 13 mile race... So I've kept things relatively simple. Some track workouts, and maintain the tempo runs and long run workouts with enough time in between workout days. This week of course is just a recovery week, and a time to watch the Chicago Marathon without having to worry about being there to gruel it out!

I ran easy all week and threw in a staple long run workout in on Saturday morning. A 22 miler with 4x1 mile at tempo effort with 1 minute rest, then 10 miles easy, and another 4x1 mile at tempo effort with 400m rest. I only got the first set of splits as my watch died, and they were (5:21, 5:14, 5:20, 5:20). It was a great workout and really put some crap back into my legs, which is just wanted I needed, but not what I wanted. I've also been obsessed with running 1:05 or fast, so that's all I've been thinking about, and all I've been trying not to think about (yeah, try to wrap that around your head...).

Week 14

Mon - am. 10 miles easy
Tue - am. 10 miles easy
Wed - am. 12 miles easy
Thur - am. 8 miles easy / pm. 12 miles easy
Fri - am. 10 miles easy w/3x strides / pm. 10 miles easy
Sat - am. 22 mile Long Run w/4x1 mile at tempo, 10 miles easy, 4x1 mile at tempo
Sun - am. 12.5 miles easy

Total: 106.5 miles

(Week 13) Re-Thinking the Trials... and San Jose 1/2 Marathon

Well, one of the fastest half marathon's of the year was at the end of this week. I should have been a little more serious about the last few weeks, but I was just excited to get out to California to race on a flat and fast course at sea level. I decided to take Monday off, as I usually do, and complete a pretty good workout on Wednesday, leaving the rest of the week for recovery leading up to the race.

Wednesday's workout was 2 sets of 3 miles easy - 3 miles at tempo. This was done at the river and some math was needed to figure out how we were going to get a warm up in from the house and complete this thing with enough time to get back home without overdoing the mileage. Well, the splits were (5:35, 5:17, 5:12) then the easy 3 miles and the other tempo was in (5:18, 5:18, 5:10). The first one was done in total darkness and it felt very weird trying to tempo without any idea of what was going on around us. Chris, Kris, Pat and I did this together, so we at least had each other (no homo!). Then the rest of the week was easy miles leading up the race that Kris and I went to.

I flew out to San Jose a few hours before Kris, and got a ride to our shady hotel, which was about 2 miles north of the starting line. Kris got a rental car and arrived a few hours later to pick me up so we could head over to the Expo and get our bibs. Once we arrived at the Expo and received out bibs, we had a chance to check out our comp! I thought, that since these Rock and Roll races bailed out on brining "elite" guys out to race and putting them up in hotels, and only paying 3 deep, that not many guys were competing. Boy was I wrong. Meb was here along with a whole slew of guys were racing! This was a good thing for me, since I figured these guys were going for the Olympic Trials Standard of 1:05:00. I could just hang on to the pack and go for a PR and a ticket to the Trials! So that got me pumped up.

We went out to dinner after my old roommate Robby Nelson came down to hangout with us from San Francisco. My parents also made the trip out to San Jose, so it was a great evening. I had to hit up the Old Spaghetti Factory, as well as the rest of the people racing in the half marathon. We also got a glimpse of Meb at one of the booths eating with his agent, whose also his brother. He was also sporting his new sponsored kicks - Skecters!

Once race morning came, the three of us (Robby, Kris and I) did a little shake out run and got ready to head down to the race. We got lost getting there, of course, but once we did we searched around for the elite VIP area, and posted our gear there. One funny thing happened when I was in line about to use one of the VIP porta-potties... Meb's brother/agent was in front of me, then decided to leave the line, at that moment I saw someone leave a porta-potty, so I approached it, but was called back by the brother/agent of Meb saying he was in line holding a spot for Meb... I just laughed on the inside and watched as Meb walked on by. I guess Olympians have special privileges. I wasn't bothered by it at all, as I thought it was funny, but I decided to turn the awkward situation around and introduce myself to Meb's bother, whose name was Howie. He was a nice dude, and after I told him who I was, he thought he heard of me before and also recognized me from last night at the restaurant. Either way, it was a neat little story I had.

So, one the race started I went out too fast and ended up leading my little pack of guys looking to qualify for the trials. Meb and a few other idiots went out hard, as Meb would be the overall winner. Most of the guys that went out with him died. I on the other hand ran like a fool! Out first mile was hit in 4:48, and the guy next to me, also named Jesse, asked if that was the first mile. I said, "yup", and he stated that he only wanted to run 4:55's and that, that last mile was okay for some "time in the bank". I agreed and decided to run with this guy and hit my goal. I could sense a gaggle of guys behind me, but didn't want to look back. Out next mile was hit in 4:59... much better. The pace was good now and I took water whenever I could. Once we crossed the 3 mile line I clocked off a 4:59 and heard about 20 other guys click off their watch splits. At that moment, I felt a strong clip on my foot as I got tripped up almost making contact with the San Jose pavement! I took a few awful stomps to the ground to regain balance so I didn't have to eat pavement and composed myself. Once that happened I took a fucking 180 look at who the hell did that and found out it was a guy I knew from college training with Meb in Mammoth. I don't think he got the message as he continued to draft off of me. I felt like hanging back and tucking into the pack after the 3 mile mark, but after the trip up, I had a stupid urge to "run away" from the traffic of guys all bunch up together. The 4 mile spilt was hit in 4:56, as well as mile 5. I got a small clip on the bottom of my shoes 2 more times by the same guy, and decided I had enough of this shit. I moved away from the pack to let some other dingleberry lead. And right at that moment, I had a feeling that I was leading for 6 miles and thought that these guys were going to hit their mark because of how stupid I was to lead them through on pace. Well, no one really took over, so I stayed right next to the other Jesse as we hit mile 6 in 4:54, then 4:57 and a 4:54. I started to fade after that, which forced someone else to lead and I attempted to hang on... It didn't work. I kept fading, and fading as I saw the group leave me to qualify for the Olympic Trials. I ended up in 11th place with a time of 1:05:46. 46 seconds from the standard, and it was all in the last 4 miles.

That group ended up hitting 1:04:42 - 1:04:52 with 6 new guys qualifying for the Trials, including the guy who tripped me, and the other Jesse. And, to cap the story off with a heart-warming-dream-come-true, the guy who tripped me proposed to his girlfriend at the finish line... How perfect!

Well, from that race I was expected to gear up for the New York City Marathon. I would have about 5 weeks to peak, but after coming soo close, I've decided to chase another qualifying time in the half marathon, and if need be, run a marathon in December. I've picked the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in November, and the California International Marathon in December. I think it's a better decision than running New York City, so here goes another 8 weeks of marathon training. Marathon season is here, and has been extended!!!

Week 13

Mon - Off Day
Tue - am. 10 miles easy
Wed - am. (3 miles easy 3 mile tempo)x2 total: 14 miles / pm. 6 miles easy
Thur - am. 10 miles easy
Fri - am 10 miles easy / pm. 5 miles easy w/3x strides
Sat - am. 4 miles easy, travel to San Jose / pm. 4 miles easy w/4x strides
Sun - San Jose Half Marathon, splits (4:48, 4:58, 4:59, 4:56, 4:56, 4:54, 4:57, 4:54, 5:03, 5:11, 5:05, 5:21, ?:??) 1:05:46. 4 mile cool down. total: 20 miles

Total: 83 miles

Week 12

It's been a long time since I've updated this thing, but training is still going very strong and I've decided to compile the past few weeks into separate postings. This week is as follows with only 1 workout, on Thursday and a long run on Sunday.

Thursday's workout was done at 5:30am as usual, and on the bosque paved river path. It was a simple 4x2 mile with 2 minute rest jog. The splits were (5:26, 5:19), (5:17, 5:23), (5:15, 5:11), (5:19, 5:19). I felt really good and didn't want to push the last set too much. It's nice running at this time because when we head south on the river, we run past the Hispanic Culture Center and a Chile Roasting facility, which the aroma makes the air smell like chile heaven!

Sunday's run was just a 24 1/2 mile run from Nature Center to Corrales and back. I also got the time to Ice after the run once I got home. This week was designed to be a recovery week from the race, but it turned out to be a big mileage week for me, totally 131 miles. After looking back on it, I may have over did it, since the following week was a very important 1/2 marathon in San Jose, Ca.. Nevertheless, it was a good week and will only help me in the long run.

Mon - am. 8 miles easy / pm. 8 miles easy
Tue - am. 10 miles easy
Wed - am. 10 miles easy / pm. 10 miles easy w/2x hill strides, 2x strides
Thur - am. 4x2 miles total:12.5 miles / pm. 8 miles easy
Fri - am. 10 miles easy / pm. 10 miles easy w/5x strides
Sat - am. 12 miles easy / pm. 8 miles easy
Sun - am. 24.5 mile Long Run

Total: 131