Gearing up for the BMO Vancouver Marathon

The aftermath of the Chuckanut 50 was dealing with bouts our soreness, stiffness, walking backwards down stairs, and hobbling around with sore knees, quads, and calfs. The Stick was of no use to me in the days just after the race, and I did not feel much better until about last Wednesday. I took my first run on Friday evening, a 10km trail run in the shed, and a longer 18km run in the shed/bog on Sunday.

Even a week later, I still have a deep bruise on the top of my left foot, that is making running a bit more painful. The rest of the body feels great. I have had my last two runs in my NB 110s minimal transition shoes, trying to build up strength in my feet and lower legs. Needless to say, I am a bit slower as I have changed my gait and footstrike on the ground, to a forefoot to midsole fall, moving entirely away from a heelstrike. I hope that the speed comes back. I feel that I am still recovering from the effort of the 50k.

Now it is time to get some more miles in my legs before a taper for the marathon. Based on my half time from Feb, a 3:01 is doable, but I think I am not there yet. I will add a few minutes to that. Running 6 hours has given me a huge amount of confidence, knowing that I hit the wall at about 4:40-4:50 or the Chuckanut 50k. That is very encouraging. Very excited about the marathon, and the next ultra, whatever that might be.

Chuckanut 50: the short report

Last Saturday I finished my first ultramarathon, the Chuckanut 50. Never in my life have I run as long, as far, or climbed as much. It was truly and experience that I will never forget. Three days on, I am still ripped up, sore, can only descend down stairs backwards, and have trouble generally walking. I have a detailed report in the works, however, it is taking me longer to finish as it is chok-full of all the finer points of the race.

Stay tuned.

50km run before the 50km race

This last Sunday, I tackled my first 50km run. In training. Some people, and often many running training programs do not subscribe to running the full distance of an event before the actual event. The Running Room will develop training programs to take people to 20 miles or so in order to complete a marathon. If you ask me, those last 6.2 miles, or about 10km or so, can be about the toughest ten kilometers to get through. It is there where you begin to lose focus, develop in your mind and actualize self doubts, and let your body do what it wants to, rather than overpower your instincts with you mind, and stay disciplined through the pain.

So last Sunday at 5:00 am, I wolfed down some oatmeal and out the door to meet Sean at 5:30 down the road. We determined a figure 8 loop that took us through the Shed, up to the Alex Fraser Bridge, back down to Highway 10, into the shed, and over again. 2 loops. 4 gels, 5 bottles of water, 1 clif bar, 1 pack of Clif bloks, and a roll of toilet paper that I managed to dispose of in the first 4 kms. Par for the course, really.

What struck me on this run was that I was fine over the course of 4 hours, but with 4 kms left to go and 4:45 into the run, my steps became labored. My concentration waned. My energy diminished, and I had trouble believing that I could finish out the run.

This is all very important to the race coming up on St. Patrick's day. I know what 50 kms in my legs feels like. I know it will be really hard. I know that I have enough food to propel me through this run. I know all of this because although I have not done the course, I have been in the dark place of self doubt. I have felt what it is like to want to stop, but need to continue to push on. I have developed the confidence in myself to know how hard I need to push myself. When the event is for real, and the timer is running, something in me clicks. I have endless strength and determination, unlike on a training run.

The Chuckanut 50 is next week. I will be by Sean's side and we will be running it together. It will be a great bonding experience for the both of us, and I am going to be proud to finish with him. It will be tough, but it will only make me tougher. I know what to expect my body will do next week on the run. I just have to prepare it to behave the way I want it to. Showing up prepared, stoked, nourished, and ready to go is my goal now.

The 2012 First Half Half Marathon or How to prepare to race and earn a personal best

Today I burned a match. In my book of matches, today was the day where I decided to use the override button on my brain and push myself to crack the elusive 1 hour 30 mark for a half marathon.


A brief history of my half marathon race results (just to bring you up to speed)


I started running half marathons in 2004, at the First Half Half Marathon presented by the Pacific Road Runners of Vancouver. For that run, I was a newbie to distance running. I trained to run each mile, walk for 20 seconds. That was fine, and I remember completing it and feeling good, setting myself with a benchmark of 1 hour 42. This would be the result that I would have for about 3 years, in and around 1hour 42 and change. Until 2008. In 08, I would post up a time of 1:37:12, surprising myself with that result, 5 minutes faster than the previous 3 years. 2009 would have me shave only a minute off of my time, 1:36:10. I remember feeling like I left it all out there, but did not make much progress from the previous year.

In 2010, the Olympics were in Vancouver, so my beloved PRR First Half would be cancelled due to security restrictions and venue usage. So instead, I signed up for the Historic Half in Fort Langley, and managed to tap out a 1:30:08, again surprising myself and setting a serious personal best cutting 6 whole minutes off of my time. This was amazing--I was stunned and felt great. I think the Olympic spirit charged me up to put out that PB, and the downhill into Fort Langley along 88th did not hurt me in picking up some speed to the finish.

For 2011 I was recovering from shoulder surgery. I returned to the First Half, and was disappointed to post a 1:31:25, albeit with a metal plate in my shoulder, 6 months after my bike crash. I remember feeling poorly after the race last year, that I had given so much to come up short on what might be considered an easier course than the Fort Langley Climb-a-thon of 2010. Which brings me to this year, 2012.

How to prepare for a personal best result


This year my approach has been different. I have many more long runs in my legs earlier, and the long runs are up to 39kms in prep for the Chuckanut 50. The endurance is in my legs from the long distance, but my speed work has been limited to some short 8 and 10km races called the Fraser Valley Trail Series. No intervals, just trail races. Speed work is necessary in order to go fast and stay fast, and I have not put any time into intervals. Over the last few days, Sean's and my regular runs have been keeping us going through the week, with the races/long runs on the weekends.

So, in order to post up a PB like I did today, going from a 1:42:10 to a 1:27:30 in 8 years, just shy of 15 minutes, here is what I did, Cole's notes form:

• Experience and knowing the course is a given
• I have managed to lose 13 lbs since Christmas, managing my sleep and diet--no/less beer, no sweets, smaller portions
• Drinking lots of water over the last few days
• Getting to sleep around 10pm nightly 
• Taking time to rest when I feel like I need it, not pushing myself to train when I am pooped
• Eating a big bowl of pasta the night before the race 
• Keeping my legs moving throughout the week, even at lower intensities
• Taking 4 Sportlegs casules, oatmeal as breakfast, 1 gel before, 2 gels during the race
• Using The Stick and compression socks and tights to aid in recovery. I ran in compression socks today.
• Hitting the overide switch in my brain when things get really hard and tough--a brain function that cyclocross has allowed me develop. I managed to do this a number of times today
• Develop a plan--time goals, pace goals, a ballpark time goal or time goal range. I called these my soft goal, and my hard goals. Today I had this. It helped.

Today I shot for a 1:25:00. I fell short. I feel great about the result. The funny thing is, I started running this half marathon in 2004, dreaming of running it faster. There have been many hard years that have left me dehydrated, sore for days, injured, in the fetal position clutching my stomach, running to the bathroom multiple times, feeling shattered.

Data from the First Half Half Marathon 2012

I feel like I have achieved my dream of running it faster. But now, where do I go? How much faster do I want to go? I ran a 4:09km pace. I did not think this possible a few weeks ago, let alone a few years ago. It is 5 seconds faster than my race last weekend at Derby Reach. That is impressive to me. Mike Murphy ran a      1 hour 13 and change today, good enough for 16th place overall. Today was hard, but now later in the day, I feel pretty good, a testament to my fitness perhaps. Do I look at achieving a 1 hour 25 for real next year? Or 1 hour 23? Right now I am content with my form and result. As I get older, I seem to be getting faster. Or more stubborn.

Today, the weather was wet, warm at 8 degrees, and overcast. Conditions were perfect for running, and I was overdressed with tights, and undershirt, long sleeve, light tights, gloves and a toque. I ditched the toque and gloves, and wished I could have taken off my shirt. The race went well, I slipped with my time a bit coming through the mile markers, but was only a few seconds. I was not too concerned when I did the math to see that I was only 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, down on my time checks, knowing that I was staying within reach of my hard goal. My pace fluctuated greatly over the course, all within about 20 or 30 seconds per km, as I would look down at my watch and see my pace per km displayed before me 3:53, 4:02, 4:09, 4:19, 4:26, 4:15. The day mostly went like that. I had to keep telling my legs to "Move dammit", concentrating on form and consistency. I think that was one of my goals for the day--to be consistent from start to finish. Coming through each mile marker was tough, thinking after each one "I have how many more miles to do?" I knew that if I could get to the halfway point by my time goal, I would be in good shape to set up for a PB. 

KM Time Checks:

5km           = 20:36

10km         = 41:26

Halfway     = 44:04

15km         = 1:02:56

20kms       = 1:24:10

21.1km     = 1:27.30

By the numbers, I ran an negative split half marathon, running the second half faster by nearly 40 seconds. I have not done that before. Aren't people supposed to slow down as the race goes on? For now, I am content.

After the race, the relief of finishing was immense. Crossing the line, I tried to catch my breath, closed my eyes and attempted to keep standing upright without hitting the pavement. I walked over to the Powerade and Powerbar tables to down some shots of goodness to help begin the recovery. At the bag collection, I changed into my dry, comfortable clothes, but had trouble getting my shoes off for the cramps in all parts of my legs: toes, feet, ankles, calfs, hamstrings, quads. I had trouble taking off my race clothes and shoes, and had to walk in circles to keep my muscles from becoming guitar strings. I suspect that the hard effort is the reason that I feel so shattered this evening. Tomorrow and the next day will be awesome days to recover, rest, replenish and recharge. 

Fraser Valley Trail Series #1 Crescent Park XC Resolution Run

How to not prepare for a trail race on New Years Day: Jam back 15 meatballs, a bunch of super delicious bacon wrapped pineapple, each some chips, have 7 beer, then start dinner at 10pm that consists of a striploin steak, potatoes, salad, and scallops and prawns. Go to sleep at 2 a.m.

Middle of the night meat sweats, can't sleep.

Wake at 8, jam down a small amount of oatmeal. Arrive at the race. Warm-up for a too few 15 minutes of light running. Then try to run your fastest 8km. I tried, got off to a good start, running in 4th, but then 2km in, my left leg started to give me fits. I slowed, lost my pace, and started to suffer in pain. The engine was fine, I run hard and get my HR up and keep it there just fine, but my leg. Oh! My leg! Ankle. Calf! I needed a better warm-up. I needed to build my run up to speed, rather than start super fast and expect to maintain. I needed a better warmup.

This year I was slower than last year, a year that I suffered but still made it in 34:15. This year: 35:30. Mediocre. I thought I could jam back a 32 minute race for sure. Anything less would have been awesome. But this New Years Day, my left leg did not want to cooperate. I feel like I willed myself across the line. All of my runs in December felt great compared to this one. Chalk NYD race up to a bad one.

I have 3 weeks to get my stuff together and prepare properly. Campbell Valley Footrace is next. That one is 10km of flooded out trails, a really hard race.

Here is the plan for 2012:

Jan 1.           Resolution Run, Crescent Park XC 8km
Jan 22.         Campbell Valley Stomp XC 10km
Feb. 5          Houston Trail Footace XC 10km
Feb. 13        First Half Half Marathon, Vancouver 21.1km
Feb. 26        Aldergrove Mud Run, 8km
Mar. 10       Dirty Duo, North Vancouver 25km
Mar. 17       Chuckanut 50, Fairhaven, WA. 50km
Mar 25        Dirty Feet Trail Half Marathon, Kamloops 21.1
May 6         Vancouver Marathon, 42.2km

I have two and a half weeks to get better for the next one. Two long runs over the next two Sunday's, shooting for 25 and 28 kms for each go. And the ultra training begins.....