We went for another leisurely bike ride, this time around the neighborhood. It was in the 50s but felt much colder--there was a strong northerly Canadian wind that made us wish we were wearing gloves.

Total: 11.8mi Bike Ride

[Backdated on 05/02/2007]

We drove to Carnation for a bike ride along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. We previously went there for a 22-mile marathon training session in March. The nice thing about this trail is that there aren't many people on it and we could ride our bikes with the dogs unleashed. We headed north from Carnation towards Duvall. This part of the trail, as compared to the heading south from Carnation, is less forested with better views of the surrounding farm fields and the Cascades. The disadvantage is that it's closer to Route 203 and traffic noise (the trail crosses 203 at one point which is a very dangerous intersection with cars going at 50+mph).

The weather was beautiful and we took our time cruising by farms with cows, wetlands, and the Snoqualmie River.

Total: 10mi Bike Ride

[Backdated on 04/24/2007]

A Test of Strength and Will

Map created by GPSVisualizer.com

Tracks: 111th Boston Marathon - April 16, 2007

The weather turned out fine...there was plenty of rain and a wailing wind the night before, but by the time the race started it was only drizzling with occasional gusts, and by the time I got to Boston the sun almost came out. I was in the 4th corral (out of ~22) where most of the runners qualified at around the same time as I did: over 3 hours, but under 3:10. I talked to a couple of guys and they said their goal was to break 3 but with the weather they weren't sure anymore. I thought the same for a while, and because I only got 3 1/2 hours of sleep on top of a red-eye flight the night before, I didn't know what would happen.

In the end, I believe that both weren't a factor in my inability to finish under 3 hours. I think my concerns about not running enough long runs were valid. I was running at an almost perfect 2:58 pace until about the 22nd mile when I started to slow down. However, I didn't crush as badly as in the Vancouver Marathon and was able to get a personal best. I think the additional training, not stopping once along the route even when getting a drink (took a drink every 5 miles and 2 gel packs at mile 10 & 17), and better pacing helped. The problem once again wasn't my cardiovascular state but pain in my legs and overall weakness in my body. Those are definite indicators of my body not being used to long runs.

The course itself was quite challenging with a number of rolling hills including the infamous "Heartbreak Hill" at mile 21 (~80 foot elevation gain) which caused considerable pain in my quadriceps. Of the five marathons I've done so far, this was the hardest course.

So... I'm disappointed that I didn't go under 3 hours because of all my preperation for this race and I thought I could do it (up to about mile 22). The big takeaway is that I have to do more long runs; the stuff in the middle is not as important. On the positive side I beat my PR, didn't stop once, and got through the last two miles OK (those 15 minutes were up there on the list of the most physically painfull moments of my life).

I'll be switching over to cycling shortly until the fall when I'll run another marathon (one I haven't done before--Portland perhaps), and of course I will try to break 3 hours again. Never give up!

Total: 111th Boston Marathon; (3:04:08; 7:02 pace; 1186/12567 male; 1248/20640 overall)

P.S. I unfortunately didn't get a chance to see any of the elite athletes such as Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya, Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia, or Uli Steidl of Shoreline who got 12th place!

Things are looking up already :-). This is the Monday morning forecast for Boston:

Monday: A steady, heavy rain in the morning. Showers continuing in the afternoon. High near 45F. Winds ESE at 20 to 30 mph.

------------------------


And here is an article from the Boston Globe:

Marathoners: Ready, set, shiver
Authorities brace for weather, mobilize medical help

By Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff | April 14, 2007

With a nasty brew of heavy rain, cold, and headwinds forecast for Monday, authorities are scrambling to mitigate the misery of 23,000 runners in what could rank among the worst conditions in the history of the Boston Marathon.

More than 1,200 medical personnel will line the 26.2-mile course, waiting to treat runners for hypothermia or injuries. School buses will be converted to emergency shelters, and communities along the route are considering using public buildings as heated sanctuaries for shivering dropouts.

"It's extremely disappointing," race director Dave McGillivray said of the forecast, which called for heavy rain and easterly winds as high as 20 miles per hour.
...

Today was my last real run; I only have a short 2-miler on Sunday. My achillees tendon is still hurting, but I'm optimistic that it'll be fine by Monday.

I give myself a 25% chance of finishing under 3:00, a 25% chance of dropping out, and a 50% chance of finishing over 3:00. :-)

Total: 4.00mi Run

I've decided not to buy a new pair of shoes for the marathon. There's not enough time to break them in. Secondly and more importantly, I feel very comfortable in the ones I have. Like I said before, the only problem might be a lot of joint pain during the marathon but I think I'd have that even with new shoes that provide a little more padding. Incidentally, my achilles tendon, the one I injured last year, was hurting a lot today. I iced it and I'm back on naproxen sodium which I'll take for the next few days. I'm supposed to do a short tempo run tomorrow but I might take the day off.

Total: 3.20mi Run

We drove to Elliot Bay and ran around Myrtle Edwards park and then headed towards the marina. This is a familiar run and I've done it many times before when I used to live in Belltown. Here's a map of an almost identical run I did a year and a half ago.

Actually we didn't both run. My girlfriend was on the bike and was my pacer of sorts. It was very windy and I had trouble running as fast as I wanted to, but it was still a good run; the longest run in fact before the big race less than a week away.

Total: 8.00mi Run; (7:15 pace)

[Backdated on 04/10/2007]

A loop and a half around Seward Park. It was very crowded for Easter Sunday; maybe there was an egg hunt somewhere.

Total: 3.75mi Run

[Backdated on 04/10/2007]

Spring is definitely here!

Total: 10k (6.2mi) Run

Rode to work today. I outputed my GPS data onto a topographic map. I've done so previously but I've never noticed that there were sewer lines under Lake Washington??? There's also a big reservoir on Beacon Hill.

Total: 15.0mi Bike Ride

[Backdated on 04/05/2007]

A slow and short run today. I almost wasn't going to go, but it was good to get the heart rate up a bit. I remember reading that endurance starts to decrease after 24 hours of not exercising...

Total: 3.58mi Run

Last night I was thinking that I should do a 20 or 22 mile run today but then I looked at the chart in the Complete Book of Running and it showed a 10k race for both the intermediate and advanced schedules; I also read the Boston Marathon training guide. Both emphasize decreasing overall mileage in the last two to three weeks. So I opted for a 10k (I couldn't find a race; just ran fast). Based on my results last weekend and today, I think my cardiovascular condition is OK, but I'm still worried that my joints will start hurting after 18 or 20 miles and I'll slow down like I did at the NYC Marathon last November. That's why I'm thinking about getting new shoes. I've worn the ones I have--a pair of Mizuno Wave Alchemy 6--since before the last marathon I think. So I've probably ran 350+ miles in them, which is more than what's traditionally recommended, but I'm comfortable in the ones I have because they're very well worn in. The question is whether they're suitable for longer distances when cushioning can play a factor. I know there is a school of thought that preaches running barefoot; on the other hand, dogs have cushioned soles and it seems to work pretty well for them :-). I'll think this one over... Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Total: 10k Run; (40:00; 6:27 pace; 715 cal.; 148 lb.)

We "got out of dodge" this weekend and headed for the ocean--Ocean Shores, WA, specifically. I've never been there and it's usually only a two and a half hour drive from Seattle but it took us three and a half because of rush-hour traffic Friday afternoon.

The town itself is not very exciting. Our overall verdict is that we like the Oregon coast (the area around Newport in particular) much more. It's prettier and there is much more to do. If you plan to stay in town that is. Otherwise the Washington coast is just as good, if not better. I've been camping previously near Olympic National Park right on the coast and the scenery was amazing.

The weather was cold and windy the whole weekend. It was mostly sunny Saturday afternoon and that's when I went for a run right on the beach. Heading south was fine, but coming back was extremely difficult because there was a northerly 25mph+ wind. My face was half frozen by the time I got back to the car. Today was actually worse because it was cloudy and we even got hit by hail!

I'll post some pictures in the future. I took some using my 35mm SLR and the film is not yet finished.

Total: 4.81mi + 2.0mi Run

BTW, I'm posting my updated monthly total mileage. Perhaps I've been running too much (highest mileage so far). I hope I haven't peaked too early!