Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX (Page 139)

Samantha I have been feeling a bit the same as I have been worrying about the marathon. Not so much that my runs haven't been good but this is the first time I've done a marathon where I don't feel like I specifically trained for it. As far as my running goes it's been pretty good lately but it doesn't seem like I have done enough. I am hoping all the other training especially the work on the bike carries over and helps me out. I have 3 more weeks left and I am hoping I have a good long run today. I think you will put together another good run this weekend so you will feel more confident going into your HM next weekend.

Yeah, maybe that's part of it too- I'm having this feeling that I haven't done enough.  I think it just feels weird not to be "worrying" about having to swim bike AND run, and as a result, I just feel like I'm not doing enough.  Because even in terms of total hours per week, it just seems a lot less (well, it IS), since I'm not adding in the swim and bike hours like I was before... also my motivation was lessened too after my last triathlon, although I did manage to still go out for most of my planned runs (minus the hamstring issue of course)...  

And now I'm also seeing that it's supposed to rain tomorrow.  It shows scattered, so hopefully it lets up enough so I can go for my run!!!  I won't be running in cold rain.

Samantha,  I checked your logs and it looks to me like you have set yourself up pretty well for the HM.  I wouldn't sweat it too much.  It looks like you have done all the work to get ready.  I think it perfectly fine to have a little apprehension about a race, especially if it is your "A" race.  I am used to having so me nerves about many of my races but they mostly come not more than a day before the race and almost always on race morning.

I am not sure you needed to to do anything other than what you have done to get ready for the race.  Just relax your mind a little bit knowing that everything is all done and slow yourself down a little bit this week.  Make sure you don't relax your legs to much.  Get a few easy runs in and maybe a moderate distance (5-6 miles) early in the week and then keep it nice and short  the rest of the week.

Samantha I hope the weather holds out for you and you are able to get that run in today. I hear you on the cold weather. I got up to take my daughter to work before my run yesterday and it was 34 degrees! When I started my run it was 44 degrees and I really didn't want to run. I kept thinking about the distance I had to get in instead of just running. After 4 or 5 miles I really started to get into it and it wound up being a great run. I got in 17 miles, the weather was beautiful and I wound up running all over the neighborhood. Hopefully you get good weather and have a great run today.

I am now the proud owner of a pair Newton Running shoes.  I bought the Distance model because it had a very nice ride and what seemed like the right amount of drop to place me in a good mid-foot strike fairly quickly.  I have been practicing the mid-foot strike for a couple of weeks getting ready for the new shoes so when I put them on I would adapt a little faster.

I ran 2.8 miles yesterday morning using the Newtons and the felt quite good.  They seemed to have the ride that I'd imagined when I was trying them in the store, so I wasn't disappointed there.  I was trying to pay veryu close attention to listening to how I ran in them but it was so windy yesterday that I was able to hear only about .25 miles at all.  Of course I was paying attention to how I was landing on the impact points too.  It seemed that I was already in a pretty good position to develop the mid-foot position as I felt like my feet were striking nearly perfectly.  I will have to continue this assessment in upcoming runs to make sure I wasn't imagining something too.  Overall the shoes seemed to be a very nice  shoe and I can imagine myself enjoying them and the added mileage they are supposed to allow too.

I also purchased a pair of Brooks Green Silence racing shoes for $45 because they had a buy 1 get one 50% off sale.  I haven't run in them but the store fitting and trial felt amazing.  They are a very light weight shoe and had a very nice ride there too.  They store owner used this same shoe to run Boston earlier in the year and loved them, hopefully I will have the same experience.  I will only use them for Tempo runs and races (probably only running races ) because they aren't really something that seems like I could get into them very quickly.

Junkies, notice how Dirk ran 2.8 miles in his Newtons...why is that?

Ok, sorry.  I thought it would be self-evident, but that's not the case unless you know what Newton running shoes are all about.  That brand was founded on the idea that our bodies were meant to run on our feet, in which case the toes and heel are at the same height in relation to each other.  So these shoes are close to being flat across the sole from front to rear.  I think they have a few millimeters of 'drop' (heel higher than toes).

Many people prefer this style shoe.  But this is a dramatic difference from the shoes most of us are used to and beginning a running program in these shoes requires some time for your body to adapt.  If not done gradually it can lead to lower leg injuries (calf, achilles).

So Dirk is doing the wise thing in phasing them in gradually.

I was wondering about the 2.8 as well.  I know it's wise to phase these type of shoes in slowly (or while making any change to your stride) but why 2.8 miles?  If I ran 2.8 in flat shoes right now, I'd probably be at the ART guy with tendons dangling from my heels!

Of course, Dirk covers 2.8 in about the time I'd be through a mile, so maybe it's that simple...

I doubt that 2.8 is specifically important.  It's just that it's a fraction of a normal training run for him.  It's quite likely that in your case with 'tender' achilles tendons that it's not the right time for you to even try something like Newtons, but if you did the distance should be a lot shorter!

If you are feeling hardy then 2.8 is short.

Because he's a wuss?

haha...Just kidding above. 

So I'm actually back.  We are married, gone on the honeymoon, the back deck is almost complete, the house is clean, the leaves are being kept up with and work is steady.

Time to get back to a regular training schedule for this fall.  My lovely wife and I bought eachother bikes for our wedding present (she hasn't got hers yet because she's traveling for work), but I am a proud new owner of a mountain bike.  I have been only about 4 or 5 times now...and it's kicking my butt, seriously.  I pretty much crash or fall over during every ride.  But it's so much fun!

Forgive me for not reading the 40 or so pages that I have missed.  I'm sure you are all just killing it!

Jonathan for me it goes something like this:

Next 3 weeks focus on final preparations for the NYC marathon, Nov 4.

Oct to Dec focus on improving my swimming with focus on proper technique, rest and recovery from marathon Nov - Dec

Dec start Jorge's 16 week cycling program. Focus on building bike strength with the program. Continue to work on my swimming.

2013 Jan start Ironman Wisconsin training. I already have the high level plan broken out to take me from Jan up until Sept. Just need to decide on what races I will do next year leading up to IMWI. I have a few in mind already.

Jonathan, I can't tell what mtn bike you have.  What's the make/model?

Marathon!?  Man...that's so awesome.  I'm psyched for you.  And then Ironman?  You're my new hero.

I started up my run-every-day program this week.  Hopefully continue it thru Christmas.  We'll see how we do.  My legs are junk after biking this weekend.  I have charlie-horses everywhere!

Jonathan, that's the goofiest picture ever of you, and that's saying something!

As for me, I started Jorge's biking program last week, and I'm back to building up my running since Matt is scaring the hell out of me with his race times.  I have no races planned until a March HM, but I'm planning to do the indoor bike computrainer TT in Nashua this winter.

I'm also trying to figure out how to make Dirk's Boston Marathon experience as good as it can be.

Kevin, thanks for thinking of me.  My dog is hanging in there but not really doing all that great.  The expected lifespan of a dog with B cell lymphoma is 4-6 weeks, but he has made it much longer than that.  His breathing is really a struggle sometimes, especially in the middle of the night.  We don't think that he's in pain at this point so we continue to just try to keep him comfortable.  He's been eating like a king- chicken, steak, vegetables- anything to keep him strong!

This weekend I am planning to do the "Hilly Hundred" bike ride.  It sounded like a great idea when I signed up for it a few months ago.  Now I'm getting nervous!  If you don't hear from me again after this weekend, I may have died trying to make it up a hill. 

Haha...thank you.  If you're not going to run fast, at least have fun doing it!!!

I am totally in on this Boston Marathon experience.  I personally think he should take a few days off after to stay up here.