Inaugural Pasadena Marathon Redux

Leading up to this race, my coworkers have all been sick and I don't know why they were allowed to come into work and infect everyone else! Send them home! It's also Spring time so my allergies were acting up. I don't like running races while sick or feeling under the weather. There are a couple of things that I tried new in this race. I have been training to run for 30 minutes and taking 1 minute walking breaks. I followed that plan for the first 20 miles of the race. I never really know what to expect for the last 10k. But to better implement that plan, I carried my own drink, which lasted me for the majority of the race. The size of the marathon field was just right. There was absolutely no crowding at the aid stations. I easily ran through since I had my own drink. It was nice that some of the stations had GU. I really need to continue to rehab my right leg so I can do more long runs. It hasn't felt this good for a long time. But I still can't push as hard as I want on the uphills, but it is a lot more manageable now.

During this race it was cold, somewhat windy at times, and raining for a good portion of the race. I wasn't able to park as early as I had hoped. I then was not able to hit the port-a-potties before the start. I just hopped into the starting area and hoped for the best. As is the norm, I started off with an aggressive pace. For me that would be a sub 4 (3:50) pace. I did not hold that for very long. I ended up getting to the halfway point a little past the 2hr mark. The mile markers were off, therefore I am not listing the splits. It's times like this that I kind of wish that I'd owned a Garmin. It was really nice to run through areas that I've trained on in the past. It's much easier when you know what to expect. Just right before the 19th mile marker, I stopped for a much needed potty break.

One thing that I've noticed wrong with the logistics for this race is the parking. I was able to cut through the back way and enter the parking structure at Hill and Del Mar. But everyone was being directed to the other parking structure on Bonnie. It was a shame that there was only a handful of cars parked where I was, when the place can hold thousands of cars. This undoubtedly caused a lot of people to be late for the start of the race. But this is the race's first year, I'm sure it'll get better in each subsequent year.

The course felt easier than it looked on paper. It was hilly, but not terribly bad. I finished in 4:21:25. A new PR, which is nothing spectacular, but good enough to beat Oprah's marathon time back when she was "skinny" Oprah. She's one of the reason why there's lots of recreational marathoners these days. I swear Oprah can get anybody to do anything. Anyways, I went for a steak afterwards. Surprise surprise! While I was eating my steak, my left pectoral muscle was cramping for what some unknown reason. The waitress came by and asked if I was alright when she saw me massaging my chest. If I could read her mind, she probably thought I was having a heart attack! :D To be honest, I did not really enjoy the steak... *gasp*! But it's true. I haven't been really enjoying red meat as of late. These days I crave seafood more than anything. Seafood, pho, and ramen.

Well that's 3 marathons down. At least 9 more to go for 2009. I seem to be getting better which each race and at this rate, I should go sub 4 by the middle of this year! But somehow I wouldn't bet money on that! :D

What's wrong with me?

Since the time that I've decided to take running more seriously, I'm finally beginning to make some progress. The first 4 years or so I've done really bad result-wise, but I've learned the most about my body.

• My lower back used to give me serious problems. So I've been working on my core a lot more diligently and it has paid off. It still bothers me a little, but nowhere near how it was in the past.
• My right hip is a mess. I cannot power through when it starts to hurt. If I back off on the pace, some times it'll go away. Running hills has been helping somewhat.
  
• I've discovered that I do not enjoy running flat courses. I like the course to have uphills and downhills. My legs become retarded when I hit flat areas. I tend to slow down and have a hard time concentrating. I think it's a mental thing.
  
• I need more endurance. I seldom run past 12 miles on my long runs mostly because I'm afraid of re-injurying my IT band. I hope to be able to work my way up to at least 20 miles. When I'm racing my paces should be in the 7:30 - 7:45 range. Instead I run in the 8:30 - 8:45 range to compensate for the lack of endurance.

Okay, I have a lot to work on in 2010... if I survive 2009. Either I will break the bank, my legs, my will, or all of the above. No, I will not be an ultra-marathoner in 2009. I need to feel comfortable with the marathon first before I tackle anything longer.

The Pasadena marathon is coming up soon! I can hardly contain the excitement! I need to come up with a strategy soon.

Malibu Creek 25k

Super Butt and Thigh Workout/Hike-a-thon 25k recap...

So I signed up for this race because I knew a bunch of the people running it and I wanted to train for the hills that will be in the Pasadena marathon. This race was pretty brutal. It was definitely overkill and not what I had in mind for my hill training. The only other trail experience I've had was the Cheseboro half marathon in Agoura Hills. That was a cake walk compared to this race. I practice on pretty steep hills in my neighborhood, but nothing would have prepared me for miles and miles and miles of climbing. The first half of the "race" was almost pure hiking for me. Then the second half was a quad-thrashing downhill romp to the finish line.

I was able to hang with my faster friends at the very beginning stages. But once we hit the first big climb, I could not keep up. I also fumbled and dropped my shot bloks which I paid for later in the race. We even got to cross a creek... that made me feel like a real trail runner. You could tell that a good majority of the people did not enjoy it. I have no problem getting my shoes or feet wet while running. That's probably because I like running in the rain.

The next 10k was the hiking portion for me. When it wasn't too steep, I ran as much as I could handle. I had to hold off because my left Achilles was bothering me. I really had no choice. If I continue to push harder, I was running the risk of hurting my Achilles even further. So backing off and swallowing my pride was the smart thing to do. I was trying to be patient and waiting for the downhill portion. I also realized that if I want to keep doing trail runs, I need to invest in a handheld bottle. Time to stop being cheap and using regular water bottles. Friends have bought me 2 fuel belts but I do not like wearing them. If anyone wants them, let me know.

The next 5k or so was the sometimes scary downhill portion. I'm a pretty good downhill road runner, but trail running is very different. I could not get a rhythm due to uneven terrain. The quads were screaming before I could cover all of the 5k. Again I had to back off near the end because I needed to keep myself injury free so I can complete my long term goal of running at least 1 marathon a month for this year.

Next came a somewhat technical portion... lots of rock and puddle hopping for me. A frog even croaked at me when I ran by. That was cool. I felt like I was travelling through some place exotic. I was pretty much running solo at this point.

About 2 miles from the finish line I was starving and wishing I had stopped and picked up my shot bloks that I dropped early in the race. I also saw a lady riding a horse and was entertaining thoughts on how to get a ride to the finish line. People started passing me, but I didn't really care. Mentally I was done. I hate it when that happens. Mind pretty much said we're out of water... no shot bloks... we're walking. It wasn't until someone on a bike told me that it was just a dip and a left turn to the finish line that I started to think about trotting. Then I cross paths with my friends going back out for another loop. I was so glad that I was done and not going out for loop number 2! I finished in 3:05:21 according to my watch, but somehow they missed me crossing the finish line and put me down as unknown runner #2 at 3:06:22. That was weird because I wasn't moving very fast at that point. Also it did not take me a minute to cross the starting line. I had hoped to finish in under 3 hrs but that was close enough for me.

Temptations

Resistance is futile. But I must resist the temptation to sign up for yet another race. Indeed it is a very good race, the Great Race of Agoura Hills. But it will be 6 days after the Pasadena marathon and a week before the Carlsbad 5000 x 5. I better be smart about this and pass this race for this year or else I'll run out of money and run the risk of hurting my Achilles or another piece of anatomy. My left Achilles more specifically has been tender and feeling weird lately. I've cut back on the running and I'm hoping that I have enough "stuff" to get through the upcoming Malibu Creek 25k. It's only about 15.6 miles, but that distance can become a bear when you show up with some gimpy wheels.

Is anyone else running the LA marathon? I'm hoping to get some revenge at this old course. I thought I would never get this chance when they changed the course 2 years ago but lo and behold they bring it back! I have clocked my 3 slowest marathons on this particular course. Granted I was dealing with injuries due to my stupidity each time, but I still would like to run a decent race through the streets of LA. I'm hoping the weather will be favorable and to run it around 4:30. I will need to save enough in the tank for the San Diego Rock n' Roll marathon the following weekend! These are the two marathons that I would like to keep running until I finish the other race that we call "life"! This year will be my 6th LA marathon and my 7th SD RnR. Somehow I think it's going to be super hot at both of these races this year. I hope to be ready, but first I must exercise some level of restraint and not sign up for anymore races! :D

2009 Race Schedule

My upcoming races for 2009:
03/08/09 - Malibu Trail Run 25k
03/22/09 - Pasadena Marathon
04/05/09 - Carlsbad 5000 x 5
04/18/09 - Salt Lake City Marathon
04/26/09 - La Jolla Half
05/02/09 - Palos Verdes Half
05/25/09 - Laguna Hills Memorial Half or LA
05/31/09 - San Diego Rock n' Roll
06/27/09 - Seattle
07/26/09 - San Francisco (maybe)
08/16/09 - AFC Half
08/22/09 - Mesa Falls (maybe)
09/06/09 - Disneyland Half
09/13/09 - Erie, PA (maybe)
10/11/09 - Long Beach (maybe)
11/01/09 - New York
12/06/09 - Las Vegas

Look for me if you're going to be at any of these races. I have a few races marked as maybe because I'll have to make sure that I have the money to pay for the race/travel, good enough legs to complete the race, and that the race does not interfere with work. The race that I'm most looking forward to is the New York marathon. I really want to meet some of those elite runners and it'll be my first time running a major marathon.

New Challenge

After surviving the back to back weekends on marathoning, I've decided to run at least 1 marathon per month for the rest of 2009. I'll have to be smarter with my training and not hurt myself like I normally do. Below will be the marathons that I plan to run. I'll be running a bunch of half marathons here and there in between. I know that immediately after the Surf City marathon, I sort of vowed never to run back to back weekends. But when the pain wore off, boy did my mind change rapidly! Now I'm pretty certain that I'll have no problem running both the LA and San Diego RnR marathons. I suppose I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy.

Why do I run? I run for the sake of those less fortunate in the world... www.worldvision.org/team

01/25/09 - Carlsbad 4:59:49
02/01/09 - Surf City 4:37:59
03/22/09 - Pasadena
04/18/09 - Salt Lake City
05/25/09 - Los Angeles
05/31/09 - San Diego Rock n' Roll
06/27/09 - Seattle
07/26/09 - San Francisco
08/22/09 - Mesa Falls
09/13/09 - Erie
10/11/09 - Long Beach
11/01/09 - New York
12/06/09 - Las Vegas

What in the world was I thinking?

What in the world was I thinking when I signed up for back to back marathon weekends? Despite what people say, I'm not a real Marathon Maniac. When I cross the finish line, I usually start thinking about the next marathon that I'd want to run. This Sunday, I was completely wiped out. All I could think of was "get me out of here!" The day did not start off well for me. At the RW forum FE on Saturday, I was already feeling the malaise that you feel when a cold is coming on. On race day, I woke up with a sore throat. I pounded the fluids and the throat felt better.

I went back to my old pre-race routine where I drink Campbell soup for breakfast. The hot soup made me feel better. I got ready and arrived at the parking lot a little before 5. I was actually trying to get into the free parking beach lot, but it was closed at both ends. So I ended up parking in the closest lot for $5. I took a little nap in my truck before going to the Hyatt to take care of business in their 5 star restroom. While I was waiting in the starting area, my church friends that were running the 5k found me. We wished each other well and the race was soon underway.

Miles 0 - 6:
Before I ran a single step, I was already expecting the worst. But I kept reminding myself to go BIG or go home. What is the point of showing up if you're not going to perform. The gun goes off and I quickly bumped into an older gentlemen that I've ran with in numerous other races. I was staying behind the 4:20 pacers. But after the 2nd mile I pulled ahead of them and stayed between the 4:10 and 4:20 pace groups. Next I ran into Ingrid while running with another guy that I was chatting with about running a smart race. But right at the mile 3 turn, I just decided to throw caution to the wind and stretched the legs out a little. I don't mind it during the long runs, but I was tired of running 9:30+ paces during a race. I knew from my screwed up training, that I did not have the stamina to hold any decent pace for more than 15 miles. But I just had to do it to feel good about running again. So I sped up for the next 3 miles until I came barreling down on the 4:10 pace group. That's when I went back to running 9:30 - 9:40 pace where I ended up leapfrogging this one girl whose shirt says to follow her to the bar. Sure, why not. I talked to her every time we passed each other.
1 - 9:43
2 - 9:33
3 - 9:30
4 - 9:08
5 - 8:41
6 - 8:25

Miles 7 - 12:
My goodness, it was hard to run my slow pace when the course reconnected with the fast half marathoners. I was trying to stay out of their way. I felt like Simba running in the gorge trying to not get trampled by those Wildebeests. When we got back on the PCH, I found it really tough to run on the flat road with the wind blowing in my face. Littlestinker(Lori) passes me and says hi between miles 10 and 11. She sees me again when she was coming back from the turnaround. I was glad to make the turnaround to have the wind behind me for a change.
7 - 9:45
8 - 9:13
9 - 9:38
10 - 9:14
11 - 9:36
12 - 9:50

Miles 13 - 18:
I saw Chic runner(Danica) somewhere near mile 13. I sped up to ask her how she was doing and I don't think she was happy with her pace. At that point I was still feeling ok, but I kind of wished that I was doing the half marathon instead. Some guy shouts, "Pony Express, I'm catching up to you!" I couldn't tell who. I started to fade really fast when we made the turn onto the bike path which was pretty much my limit. After that I was running on fumes. I saw Johnkitt running strong in the opposite direction. As well as Sam in his 3:30 pace group.
13 - 9:46
14 - 9:15
15 - 10:09
16 - 9:58
17 - 10:33
18 - 10:39

Miles 19 - 24:
Took a potty break after reaching mile 19. Somewhere near mile 21 my right quad near the knee was giving me problems. I felt it tightening up. So I slowed it down some more and increased my walking breaks to 2mins. I saw Charlie around mile 23. He was trying to get my attention, but my mind was elsewhere. He asked me how I was doing and I told him that I'm hurtin'. He tells me to just run relaxed. Seeing him improved my mood.
19 - 12:43
20 - 10:55
21 - 12:47
22, 23 - 27:46
24 - 12:56

The finish:
As I made the final turn onto PCH, a lady runner nearly shoves me into the aid station table. Perhaps she was dying of thirst. But most likely I cut the corner a little tight and she didn't see my skinny butt coming through. I found it hard to run near the gutter... the little roped section for the full marathoners. At this point, I didn't want to run anymore. I walked quite a bit since I was among the half marathon walkers. I knew it was going to be over soon no matter what I do. But I figured that I should run it in if I still have something left, so I stretched out my legs a little in the final stretch. I heard a shout of "Pony Express" right as I crossed the line. I was too zoned out to turn around to see who.
25 - 12:32
26 - 13:38
26.2 - 1:53
Finish - 4:37.59

I didn't think I had a sub 5 in me this day let alone a PR. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but it's not going to happen until this year is over... until I exorcise the maniac in me. At first all I wanted to do was go home and crash. But I changed my mind and went to BJ's afterwards with Spandex, Ryan, Cat, and Ingrid. I'm glad I did. I was lightheaded after the race and I think I really needed to eat something. Also the beers hit the spot even though what I really wanted was an Irish coffee. I skipped the beer flavored water garden at the finish line. "Healthy" beers need to be outlawed.