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Marathon a Month
Becomes Journey of Self Discovery
Armies of Austin-area runners
are well into training for the Freescale Marathon, set for Feb 13, 2005.
Training for a, marathon is a lot of work, and running one a big
accomplishment. But over the past year, Austin’s Kami Kouzekanani has
run not one, but 12 marathons—one every month.
 Kouzekanani
set off on his marathon journey on October 5 of 2003, when he completed
the Portland Marathon in Oregon.
“That
was the only one where I struggled physically,” said Kouzekanani, 48.
The idea took
shape gradually.
“I
went to Portland with the idea of running a 3:30 to qualify for Boston.
But I ran 3:59. And I had already signed up for New York, where I got in
through the lottery, so I decided to run that too”
“I
had been thinking about doing a marathon a month for several years,” he
said. “So I just did it. My father, who is deceased, had a saying. He
said: ‘Enjoy chewing while you still have teeth.’ So I decided to do
this thing while I still could.”
Kouzekanani treated the New York Marathon as a running tour of New York
City. “That was my slowest of them all,” he said. It was quite warm. I
ran four hours.” Overall, on his 12 marathons, he averaged around 3:40
per marathon.
“I was always
comfortable at 3:40,” said Kouzekanani, who has a marathon personal best
of 3:19, set at Motorola in 2000.
His marathon
odyssey continued with Dallas White Rock Marathon on December 14, 2003;
Houston HP Marathon on January 18; Motorola, February 15; Shamrock
Marathon on March 20; Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, April 25; Buffalo
Marathon May 30; Grandma’s Marathon (Duluth Minnesota) June 19; Deseret
Morning News Marathon (Salt Lake City), July 24; Quebec City Marathon,
August 29, and Omaha Marathon, on September 26.
In Omaha, he ran
the fastest of the 12— a 3:35:05. “It was a tough marathon- very hilly,”
said Kouzekanani.
Never
one for fads or trends, Kouzekanani takes no exotic gels or energy
boosters during his marathons, but always brings a roll of lifesavers
with him, and starts on the pack after mile eight. The night before each
marathon, his pre-race dinner consists of exactly two slices of pizza, a
few chocolate chip cookies, some Pringles chips, and plenty of water.
His pre-race breakfast is an extra-large Snickers bar an hour before the
start, along with an Ibuprofen tablet.
During the week,
his diet consists simply of “lots of fruits and vegetables.” In 1979, as
a graduate student at the University of California in Davis, CA, he
developed an ulcer, and his weight dropped from 170 to 147, which he has
stayed at ever since.
Originally from
Iran, Kouzekanani immigrated to the United States in 1975 to attend
college at Oklahoma State University and became a U.S. citizen in 1996.
For the past five
years in Austin, Kouzekanani, who now holds a doctoral degree in
statistical methodology, maintained a fulltime research appointment,
working for the University of Texas on a diabetes education project,
analyzing facts and figures.
“I’ve
been running for 25 years now. I guess you could say I’m a little
obsessive compulsive about it,” he said.
Just
for kicks, Kouzekanani went to Columbus, Ohio two weeks ago and ran the
Columbus Marathon, making it a baker’s dozen. It was the fastest of the
bunch. He ran 3:28 and ended up qualifying for Boston after all.
“I had signed to
run Columbus 20 years ago, but never made it. So I wanted to take care
of some unfinished business,” he said.
His training for
the marathon was quite simple. During the past 12-13 years, Kouzekanani
has averaged 50-55 miles a week. He doesn’t do track, weights or
anything else. He just runs.
“I
was basically taking one day off after each marathon,” he said. “My
longest run in between marathons was 14 miles. So one thing I liked was
I didn’t have to do long runs. The marathons served as those.”
In his 28
marathons, he has not had any major injuries.
For people
considering running 12 Marathons in a year, Kouzekanani says, “You
should build a base for it. Don’t try to race them, just run them. I’ve
been running distance for a long time, and for me, it was a journey of
self-discovery. I know myself better now. I feel I have achieved
something which I will enjoy for the rest of my life.”
Couch Potato to Ironman in Three Years
 On
October 16, Patrick Evoe competed in the Ironman World
Championships in Kona, HI., along with 11 other Austin area triathletes:
Chris McCambridge, Stephan Schwarze, Alisa Gartner, William
Johnson, Tom West, Colleen Ryan, Lynne Smith, Josh Lee, Sabine Bildstein,
Chann McRae and Tim Terwey.
But unlike the
others who have been training for many years, Evoe, 27, has made the
quantum leap from couch potato to elite triathlete in the short space of
three years.
Evoe,
a graduate of the University of Michigan, came to Austin in 2,000 after
landing a job at Applied Materials.
A year after
moving to Austin, he began to wonder ‘what else is there?’ “You go to
work, you come home, eat dinner, go to sleep, and then repeat. I was
searching for a hobby,” he said.
Luckily for him, he discovered a group at work that would run at lunch.
With nothing to lose, Evoe decided to join them.
“When
I first started I could barely run a mile and a half. At five foot
eight, I weighed 188.”
The exercise soon
began to pay off. Evoe’s weight dropped, and he began to get quite fit.
Eventually, Evoe’s running friends convinced him to buy a bike and begin
training for a triathlon. He began talking a swimming class at the YMCA
as well.
“I tend to aim
high,” said Evoe. “For the first triathlon, I choose the half-Ironman
distance- a 1.2 mile swim, 56
mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. the Buffalo
Springs Half Ironman in Lubbock.
When he started
training, he was very average. But Evoe, who now weighs 145, sought out
more serious competitors to train with. Over time, he began to get
stronger. In 2002, he began placing in his age group in triathlons,
grabbing second place in the 25-29 division at the Tall-Texan Half-Ironman.
As 2003
approached, Evoe set his sites on a full Ironman, and with that in mind
began training for the Motorola Marathon. Again he trained with faster
runners. At Motorola 2003, his first marathon, he ran three hours flat,
a significant accomplishment.
His first full
Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) followed that
summer— the Lake Placid Ironman in July of 2003.
“I
went in just trying to finish,” said Evoe. “I ended running a 3:24
marathon to wrap it up, placing 10th in my age group in 10:24
and qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships.
But five or six
weeks before Hawaii, just as Evoe was beginning his taper for the big
one, he was struck by a car while on a training ride on a small two-lane
road in Pflugerville.
“There were no
actual bone breaks, but I was pretty banged up,” he said. “I couldn’t
run for a couple weeks, my knees were too swollen. When I was finally
able to run, I decided to go to Hawaii anyway, but with lowered
expectations.”
Evoe learned some
hard lessons in Hawaii. On the bike course he was unable to get his
“special needs” bag, which contained vital energy food like power bars
GU, and other goodies. It hit him on the run— the fatigue, the
accumulated miles all dropped on him in the marathon.
“I
had to improvise”’ he said. “I ended up gutting it out, and finished in
a 10:39.”
“I came out of
that one learning how to plan better. And I learned to respect the
course and the distance. If you don’t respect it and plan for it that’s
when the distance will get you.”
In 2004, Evoe felt
he had some unfinished business in Hawaii. So this year he set his
sights on Idaho Coeur D'Alene Ironman in June as a qualifier.
“I
had an amazing race there, taking first place in my age group, and
second place amateur,” he said.
Evoe’s improvement was very apparent. He closed with a 3:12 marathon
(the ninth fastest run of 1,800 people), lowering his Ironman time to
9:34.
“In the Ironman,
it all comes down to the run, and that’s my strongest event,” he said.
“You have to run tired, fatigued, and through pain.”
In
training, Evoe always does his long runs of 20-23 miles after a Saturday
ride of 100 plus miles to simulate the kind of fatigue he’ll experience
during an Ironman. During full Ironman buildup, he trains 25 hours a
week, putting in up to nine miles a week in the pool and Barton Springs,
and over 250 miles of cycling. He’ll get in 50-60 miles a week of
running as well.
“The triathlon has
opened up a lot of doors for me, not only in sports, but socially. Sure,
it takes a lot of dedication. But when all is said and done, when you
cross that white finish line on Alii drive in Kona, you realize how it’s
all worth it.”
Note:
Evoe finished in 10:55:01 this year, placing 439th out of 1728
competitors.
Tips
from the Top: Key Workouts Signal Race Readiness
You may be able to sneak through a
5KI, but there are no shortcuts in a 10K. Here are a few tips form top
area runners in what they do two weeks out from a big 10K race.
Many runners have a
key workout they use to monitor their fitness and give themselves
feedback on how they’re going to fare for an upcoming 10K. It can be
anything from repeat 1000s to a neighborhood loop that you run for time.
The purpose of a key workout is to give you a benchmark for a realistic
race goal, and hopefully, to give you the confidence to achieve it.
My
own personal favorite “key” workout for the 10K is a four-mile time
trial. I choose four miles because I feel that if I can hit four miles
in the 10K race at a good clip, I can hang on for the final two. For me,
four miles is the turning point in a 10K. So if I were hoping to run in
the 39-40 minute range for 10,000 meters, I’d run the four-mile time
trial in under 26 minutes- around a 6:22 per mile pace.
“For
me, a key workout a few weeks before a 10K would be 6 times a mile at
about 20-30 sec below target pace,” said Olympic trials marathon runner
Lori Stich-Zimmerman. “I’d throw in an 80-second recovery between each
mile. When I’m fit, I can run that workout at 5:20 per mile pace. I know
that if I can pull that off, I’m on target for a good race.”
“I
like to do 12 x 400 meters in 72-73 second with a 200-meter jog in
between,” said 2003 IBM 10K champ Jodi Hawkins. “If I can do that, I
know I’m ready to go. I hit 73 per lap last week, and I did 72 a piece
last year, but that was with a bigger recovery. I usually take a short
rest- only 200 meters. My recovery gets longer later in the season- that
way I can do faster 400s.”
“What
I’ve been doing lately is a hilly loop around my house,” said Richard
Mendez, a top masters runner. “I time myself to see how fast I can do
it. I never do that loop easy, and it’s a very hilly loop. That makes me
stronger. If I can run that particular loop in 27:30, I know I’m target
for a 36 minute 10K.”
 “Before
the 2002 Statesman Capitol 10,000, I ran 10 miles really hard around
Town Lake— a tempo run at 5:20 mile pace, said Gilbert Tuhabonye, (left)
who went on to win that race. “If I can hold that pace on the trail, I
know that I can run six miles at five minute per mile pace or better. A
week before the 10K, I do eight 1,000 repeats between 2:45- 2:50. That
tells me that I’m fit. For most people I’d recommend a four-mile run
right at 10K pace. That way, you know whether you need to work on speed
or strength. If you can hold your goal 10K race pace, you know you’re
ready. It’s a great measuring tool.”
Pass
the Salt Please
The late summer months have
been the most humid and difficult training of the year for Austin
runners, which means a much greater stress on the body during running.
That means lots of sweating, for one thing.
It’s
been well-documented that runners become more “efficient” at sweating as
they train in the heat. That is, the body learns to sweat freely for
cooling purposes, but does not lose as many electrolytes as an untrained
person might.
Still, there are
many factors that affect sweat rate and content. It’s long been debated
how much sodium an athlete should take in, and how much is normal to
sweat out during exercise.
What’s been
determined is that individuals differ. A study for the Gatorade Sports
Science Institute indicates that some people are “salty sweaters, losing
far more sodium than others during exercise like running and cycling.
And they tend to experience muscle cramping much more often than others.
“We found that
crampers tend to have high sweat rates and/or high sweat sodium
concentrations,” E. Randy Eichner, M.D.,
wrote in a study for Gatorade.
“We showed that crampers lose more sweat sodium and dehydrate more than
non-crampers. It seems likely that the three-fold cause of whole-body
muscle cramping is salt depletion, dehydration, and muscle fatigue.”
The study revealed that lean fit athletes who
tended to avoid salt, had more heat and cramping problems.
“Some athletes can lose
staggering amounts of salt,” says Eichner. Linebackers putting in
two-a-day workouts were measured at a 17 gram loss, and Eichner measured
up to 25 gram losses in those football players prone to heat cramping.
Runners, like tennis players, lose about 15 grams of salt in an hour of
running.
A recent report from the Institute of
Medicine recommended that healthy adults consume about 3.8 grams of salt
a day, but not more than 5.8 grams. However, the report advises athletes
to consume much more.
While concentrated doses like salt tablets
are not advised, runners and other athletes exercising in the heat
should not be afraid to liberally salt their food, and should favor
sports drinks (that contain sodium) over water.
“If you find that you cake with salt, or that
sweat that stings your eyes, or that you heat cramp or get dizzy when
you first stand up in the morning, you may need more salt,” says Eichner.
Does Stretching
Really Benefit Your Running?
 Go
to any race anywhere, or to the Town Lake Hike and Bike trails and
you’ll see numerous runners bending and twisting in any number of
positions, trying to make themselves more limber. Why? Because they’ve
been taught that stretching is good, and that it helps prevent injuries.
Certainly there is
nothing wrong with being flexible per se. But does it do anything for
running? Some pretty good authorities say, no, not really.
Four-time New York
and Boston marathon champ Bill Rodgers, speaking at a running clinic,
told how he once went out for a run with 1984 Olympic Marathon Gold
medalist Carlos Lopes. Before they started, Rodgers asked Lopes if he
stretched before running. Lopes said, yes, bent about halfway down
towards his toes, and took off running.
But don’t take it
from a 2:07 marathoner—look at some scientific studies. In the May/June
issue of Running & Fit News, an article by Stephen M. Perle on
stretching points out that despite many systematic reviews of the
effectiveness of stretching, not one has found that stretching prevents
injuries, and in some cases may actually cause them. For one thing, he
says, stretching is performed in a way that is very different from how
muscles are actually used.
And in a June 21st
article in U.S. News and World report,
Emily Sohn writes, “researchers from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention found only six studies designed to isolate the
effects of stretching, and none showed a link between stretching more
and getting hurt less.” She goes on to quote exercise physiologist Stacy
Ingraham of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities: “more-pliable
muscles might cause more injuries than they prevent, especially if you
stretch before you exercise.”
Perle suggests
that the tightness runners develop in their muscles may actually be to
their advantage. He cites a study that found that distance runners with
tight calves and hamstrings are actually more efficient runners. “During
certain phases of the running stride, these muscles will absorb some of
the energy of the body’s movement, like a rubber band stretching. Then,
some of this absorbed energy can be given back,” says Perle, “like a
rubber band snapping back. The more energy absorbed, the less wasted.”
This
has a net effect of saving energy and improving running economy. In
essence, inflexibility allows the muscles to function as better levers.
“Flexiblity,” Perle says, “may not translate to better running times.”
Perle does say
that stretching may be of use in recovering from some injuries, but
makes it clear that it won’t help prevent them.
Most experts recommend warm-ups that involve running-type drills, or
slow jogging, rather than stretching. Bottom line- there are still
plenty of stretching proponents, but there are two sides to the story.
By all means, stretch if you like the feeling, but it’s not likely to
improve your running or prevent injuries.
Former RunTex Stars
Jessica and Adam Dailey
Build On Athen’s Excitement
Want to know what it’s going
to be like for the Olympic marathon runners in Athens this August? Might
try going for a 26 mile run at 6:00 p.m. in Austin one of these
100-degree days. So says Adam Dailey, who relocated from Austin to
Athens with his wife Jessica earlier this year to form a business called
Ludus Sports (from the Latin ludus, meaning games).
Together, the Daileys, both elite runners with MBAs, are doing tours
specifically for runners and track fans. Once in Athens, they quickly
got to work and put up a Web site-
www.trackandfieldtours.com. Currently, they’re organizing corporate
hospitality packages for businesses that want to have a presence in
Athens, and working with high-profile athletes and everyday track fans.
“Jessica and I both ran in the 2000 U.S. Olympic
Trials, said Dailey, who won the 2003 Statesman Capital 10,000. “Having
the Olympics return to their birthplace is something special to us, and
that is why we jumped on the opportunity to move here and see the city
transform in the months leading up the Olympics.”
Like many, Dailey has
had doubts about the readiness of the site. Denna Kastor, perhaps
America’s best hope in the marathon, contacted Dailey about coming over
and running the course as a preview in April, but he told her it just
was about 80% unfinished and not in a run-ready state yet.
The marathon course, under construction for months, was far
from complete as recently as early May. However, in a phone conversation
on Sunday, Dailey said they’ve really come a along way, and the course
and the Olympic village are looking pretty good.
Last week, Dailey went on several different runs,
eventually covering most of the marathon course, and reports that it’s
really looking great, though certainly quite challenging.
“Initially, there we’re a lot of strikes and contractor
problems—that sort of thing,” he said. “But they’ve gotten the whole
thing looking great with landscaping and everything.”
The marathon course, which is basically the same as one used
for the Athens Marathon last November, is not going to produce any
Olympic records.
Not only is the point-to-point course challenging, but the
women’s on August 22nd and the men’s marathon, on August 29th,
the final event of the Olympic Games, are set for 6:00 p.m. And
according to Dailey, although Athens may have some ocean breezes,
temperatures of 100 degrees are not altogether unlikely on a late August
afternoon.
The race begins in the celebrated town of Marathon, where
legendary Greek runner Phiddipides began his 26-mile run to Athens to
announce “victory” before collapsing to his death.
The first eight miles,
passing by the historic Tomb of the Marathon Warriors at six miles, and
through beach city Nea Makr are relatively flat, says Dailey
“Rarely is there
sidewalk for spectators to view marathoners zooming by, although this is
a detail that construction workers are scrambling to ratify before the
gun goes off in August,” he said.
The course hugs the
coastline for the next 11-12 miles, passing through cities such as
Rafina and ascending long and gradual hills, where the downhills come
much less frequently than the uphills.
In fact, the course continues to climb until 20
miles. And then, finally, respite. The last 10K are a gradual downhill,
as runners begin to enter the city of Athens. Here is where the Olympic
Marathon is going to be won or lost.
“I think it would be difficult to maintain a
sub-five minute pace (2:10 marathon) here,” said Dailey. “It’s going to
be so hot, and the course so challenging, I don’t see anyone making a
move before 20 miles,” he said.
No matter how the
marathon turns out, Dailey says the excitement is building. “I’m really
confident that the games are going to be extremely special,” he said,
“It’s going to be incredibly exciting.”
Drink Up,
You’ll Need It
I was pleasantly surprised to get in 12
miles Sunday morning without the thermometer exploding.
I drank a
sports drink before heading out the door, and made three water stops
during my 12-miler, but chances are good I’m going to have to pay even
more attention to hydration in the coming weeks.
People
typically view sports drinks as simple glucose replacement, or as an aid
for racing, but the reality is they play a much more important role than
that—specifically in maintaining the body’s electrolyte balance.
Runners in
ultra events are often weighed at various checkpoints to detect fluid
loss. In the Western States 100 Miler, for example, competitors losing
10 percent of their body weight will be pulled from the race. This is a
prudent move on the part of race organizers, as fluid loss between 10
and 20 percent can be life threatening.
While this
is unlikely to happen during a regular workout around Town Lake, keep in
mind that we do live in one of the hottest parts of the country, and
need to pay special attention to fluid loss while running. As the heat
builds while exercising, runners using heart monitors may notice an
increase in heart rate by about seven beats per minute for every one
percent of body weight lost to dehydration. And runners may lose up to
32 ounces of fluid through sweating in an hour of running.
Obviously,
fluid loss means decreased performance, but that’s the least of your
worries. Although the body is a precision machine, designed to regulate
temperature and fluid balance, it can be thrown into a dangerous
imbalance. Drinking too much water for example, can dilute the
electrolyte balance, and cause a dangerous condition known as
hyponatremia.
However,
this can be easily avoided by drinking sports drinks during and after
workouts lasting an hour or longer. The best sports drinks contain
sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. For runners finding
that they tend to experience muscle cramps, make sure to choose a drink
that is no more than about seven percent glucose (for better absorption)
and make sure the drink includes calcium and magnesium. These two
minerals work together in the action of contracting muscles.
The
American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 5-12 ounces of
fluid every 15-20 minutes of exercise, and replacing each pound of lost
fluid with 16 ounces of your favorite sports drink upon completion of
running. While this may seem challenging, it’s certainly feasible.
Four-time Boston and New York Marathon champ Bill Rodgers is known to go
out and stash drinks along his running route the night before a workout.
If you’re running alone, don’t be a hero and try to work
through symptoms like nausea, cramps or chills. Stop running, find a
drink, and make a phone call to get a ride home. There’s always
tomorrow.
RunTex's Dugan
On the Move
 If you stop by RunTex La
Frontera, you just might meet one of the fastest guys in town.
Austin transplant Chris Dugan grew up in hilly Pennsylvania, and won an
athletic scholarship to North Carolina State. As a Wolfpack runner,
Dugan made All-American several times, focusing on the middle distances.
Somewhat of a prodigy, he clocked an 8:38 for the steeplechase as a
freshman, and was ranked fifth in the world for 19 and under runners at
the time. While at North Carolina, he ran some pretty impressive times:
he lowered his steeple mark to 8:34, ran a swift 3,000 (7:58), and set a
personal best of 3:46 in the 1,500. Sticking to the middle distance has
enabled Dugan to maintain his focus.
“I specialized in the steeple,” said
Dugan. “It got me in to a lot of big meets, like the Adidas Classic and
the Penn Relays.”
Dugan graduated in 2002 with a degree
in business and finance, and faced the tough decision of whether to
pursue running, career or both.
“Because I got sick a few
times in my senior year, I didn’t run that well, and I had some
questions about how I would continue my future in running. I was looking
at career options at that point- maybe banking,” he said
But no one was really hiring right
then, so Dugan worked as a substitute teacher in North Carolina, while
continuing to train.
In February 2003, he went
to the U.S. Cross Country nationals in Houston, and finished 11th
out of about 50-60 runners. “They were basically the top middle distance
guys in the country,” said Dugan, “so I knew I was in pretty good
shape.”
Shortly after, Dugan developed foot
pain, and was diagnosed with a metatarsal stress fracture. When that
healed, a stress fracture in the other foot curtailed training for
another few months.
But an old friend, coach Jason
Vigilante of the University of Texas called, and advised Dugan to head
for Austin. He moved here last August, was hired by RunTex in
September, and got back into training in late October.
Working with Vigilante,
Dugan is now running around 70 miles a week. He’s doing a lot of tempo
runs—running five minute pace for four miles at a time.
“I don’t have the speed I
need yet,” he said.
But things have been
looking up.
In early April, 24-year old
Dugan won the steeplechase at a meet at Texas A & M in 9:10, a time he
hopes to improve on.
“I’d like to go to the
Olympic trials in the steeplechase- maybe make the final,” he said. The
trials are on Jyly 15, in Sadcramento, CA., and Dugan has until July 1
to qualify. It takes an 8:36 to make the A standard, and an 8:40 for the
B.
“I’ll be running a meet in
Stanford, and maybe another in May and June,” he said. “Ultimately, I’d
like to get my steeple time down in the low eight-minute range. My
career in business can wait for a while. I want to take advantage of my
running speed right now. I don’t want to pass up the opportunity.”
Lori-Stich-Zimmerman's
2:38:44 Olympic Re-cap
I wanted to drop a note to thank
you all for your support and encouragement in getting ready for and
running the Olympic Trials this weekend. I felt so supported and
motivated going in… To the extent that I ran the best race of my life
so far, I owe you all a debt of gratitude!! Several of you asked me to
let you know how it went this weekend; others have asked for splits, a
recap, etc., so here we go...
Executive
summary:
More Details
We were blessed by
near-perfect conditions: 40 degrees at the start, with light winds. I
was able to position myself behind and between Deena Kastor and Colleen
DeReuck (the top 2 runners in the field) and stuck there like glue for
the entire first mile on that crowded track – fortunately, they started
with a conservative 5:48, so I didn't have to choose between staying in
that position and running the right pace. The next mile out on the road
was 5:29; even with the slight downhill in that mile, that was a bit
faster than I knew I could maintain, so I backed off and settled in to
5:50s / just over 6-minute pace (varying according to the topography)
for the next 16 miles or so, running alone for most of the race.
After the mile on the track and one mile leading
over to Forest Park, the remainder of the course consisted of 3 and a
half loops around the park – great for spectators, and I was fortunate
enough to have (in my admittedly biased opinion) the absolute best
support crew there: more than 30 friends and family showed up to help
keep me motivated, and they were incredible in running around and
popping up all over the course, wearing bright red Support Crew T-shirts
that were the envy of other spectators, who kept asking where they could
buy shirts like that. J I
think Paul ran about 20 miles himself, sprinting back and forth and
showing up about a dozen times per lap!! He armed several people with
boxes of Hot Tamale candies to shake as noise makers and motivation (I
had given up candy since the first of the year), and Floyd Watson had
armed some of the Austin folks with cowbells. Dave & Barb Minier from
Michigan had made a poster – and everyone's sheer excitement was
contagious and uplifting!!
I felt really good for an astonishingly long time,
mostly just amazed by how relaxed I felt at sub-6-minute pace, and by
the fact that I was starting to hear people call out my place, which was
in the top 20! Between miles 10 and 16 I started picking people off,
moving up to 12th place. I was working on reeling in #11,
who seemed to be coming back to me around mile 18, when we went through
the mile with a 6:26 split. I realized that I had been lulled into
slowing down without realizing it, so I came back with a 5:59 19th
mile, but fell to 6:16 for the 20th mile. At that point
several things happened: we hit the windy part of the course,
completing our 3rd loop around the park. I got passed, which
was demoralizing. And (probably just getting lightheaded, as sometimes
happens during a marathon) I started not thinking so clearly: passing
the 21-mile mark at 2:05, I freaked out when I did the math for having
10k-to-go instead of 5 miles to go, suddenly thinking there was no way I
could even break 2:40, with 6.2 more miles… It took about half a mile
before I calmed down, realizing that I only had 5 miles to go and was
exactly on pace to break 2:37. But by then I had tensed up and gotten
frustrated and a little demoralized… and I think I also got a little
complacent: I was thrilled just to be in the running for a top-20
finish, so I started feeling satisfied with that. My miles had trailed
off to 6:20's-plus, and I couldn't get myself to dig down enough to pick
it back up to 6-minute pace. I let two more people pass me in the last
2 miles. But I was still thrilled to cross the finish line in 2:38:44,
finishing 15th.
So… I was 104 seconds off of what I would have
considered a perfect day – but I'm definitely ecstatic about
setting another PR (by more than 4 minutes) and finishing in the top 15
– both of which not long ago I would have considered impossible for
little old me. I decided to go to the awards ceremony, where they call
up the top 20 finishers; it was awe-inspiring to be up there with so
many of the "greats" in my sport, and I felt a certain satisfaction
realizing that I was the only amateur in the entire lineup.
J
Surprisingly, I'm not in nearly as much pain as
usual post-marathon: my calves are tight, but my quads are fine – I can
sit & stand with no hands!
J
(The runners among you know exactly what I mean; for the non-runners –
just trust me, it's unusual.) Mentally, I'm going back and forth
between (a) being thrilled & ecstatic at having finally broken that 2:40
barrier – and (b) some healthy self-criticism / greed, as I look back
with frustration, wondering whether I could have maintained pace for
just 5 more miles to finish under 2:37, or a few places higher. It's
always easy afterward to reflect on the would've, should've, could'ves,
but the fact is that I didn't. Perhaps I need to do some more mental
work to develop a little more hunger in a situation like that, and to
stay focused during those late miles when the mind tends to wander… All
in all, it's probably a good thing to leave the table a little hungry,
believing that there is more room for improvement. I'm recalling
sayings like, "a person's reach should exceed their grasp – or what's a
heaven for?" or, "The stars exist that we might know how high our
dreams can soar." Food for thought – later. For now, I'm busy basking
in the afterglow, and I'm still a little bit uncomprehending that I ran
a time that I would have thought impossible just a few months ago.
Thanks
to all of you for the kind words, the prayers, cards, the calls, the
flowers, the positive mental waves, and the unswerving support and
encouragement – especially from those of you who trained with me and/or
were there to share in the excitement in person; seeing you there buoyed
my spirits and kept my legs light when the going got tough. Regardless
of whether you were there physically on Saturday morning, you were all
there in spirit. It was a memorable journey to get here, all the more
satisfying because I got to share it with such amazing, awe-inspiring
people.
Capitol 10,000 and Texas Round-up 10K
Post Marathon Re-building
Week one • Week two •
Week three • Week four
There’s always a bit of a letdown after finishing a big race like the
Motorola Marathon. Not immediately after, like at the finish line, but
in the weeks that follow. After months of training, a goal has been
reached. All of the focus, commitment and motivation pointing you
towards finishing the marathon is gone, so it’s natural to feel a bit
empty.
But the great thing about the Austin running scene is there’s always
something new to gear up for. The trick now is to choose a goal that
allows you to recover from the 26.2-mile race on a realistic timeline.
Using the aerobic base you’ve built for the marathon, you should be able
to gradually reintroduce speedwork and prepare for the two huge 10K
races in the next two months—Austin American Statesman Capitol 10,000 on
March 28, and the Texas Round-up 10K on April 17.
The first order is to spend a few weeks of easy running. Avoid any
taxing workouts. Although you may have recovered from the initial
soreness following last week’s race, studies have shown that deep-down
muscle cell damage may be present up to 30 days after a marathon. Also,
consider getting a massage by a knowledgeable sports therapist. Massage
is known to speed muscle recovery.
As soon as you select the new race date, it’s easy to get motivated
again. For one thing, a 10K is so much shorter than a marathon that it
seems easy. And by shifting training gears, you inject some new energy
into your running.
Experienced runners should have no problem adding some intensity to
their training week by March 1, and that still leaves four weeks to get
some speed back in the old legs for the Cap 10. The best approach is to
get reacquainted with fast running gradually. There are two
considerations at this point. You have a high fitness level, but little
speed due to the recent marathon effort, and further, your legs are
still vulnerable to post-marathon injury. The long 20- mile Sunday runs
you were doing to prepare for the marathon can be replaced with more
moderate 10-14 mile runs. That should leave your legs somewhat fresher
than marathon training did.
Hal Higdon, author of Marathoning A-Z and Run Fast, offers the following
schedule for rebuilding post-marathon speed in one month. His recipe
calls for two different workouts in addition to your regular easy runs
and long run.
Week one: Tuesday- Try running repeat
400s at 5K pace, but do only four of them. Thursday: run three one mile
repeats, but no faster than your marathon pace.
Week two: Tuesday- Up the 400 repeats to
six at 5K pace. Thursday- three times one mile at 10K pace.
Week Three: Tuesday- eight times 400
meters 5K pace. Thursday- three times one mile at 5K pace.
Week four: Tuesday- Three times 800
meters at 5K pace. Thursday- three miles easy, Friday- rest. Saturday-
two miles easy. Sunday- Race.
Note: This schedule is for advanced runners. Intermediate runners should
cut out the Tuesday workout but still do the same Thursday schedule.
Folks running both the Capitol 10K and the Texas Round-up can easily
continue the routine through April 17 for the second 10K.
As an added feature, runners can try to improve their 10K time in the
second race. By April, the marathon’s effect on your body will be long
gone, and you can add a third workout to the week- a 30-40 minute
“tempo” run on Saturdays, done at about 20 seconds per mile slower than
your 10K pace.
Notice the progression in distance, speed, volume and intensity is
gradual over the eight- week period. That allows runners to recover and
progress as they build back for the spring 10Ks.
Starting
2004 On the Right Foot
Many people will start off the new year with great
resolutions for their health and fitness for 2004. And for many, that
means beginning a running program. Unlike many fitness programs, those
who begin running are likely to continue. The reasons are obvious:
There’s no trip to the gym involved, no cost besides shoes and shorts,
and perhaps the best benefit of all- you get the most caloric bang for
your exercise buck. You can burn 400 calories in only half an hour of
running- or roughly 100 calories per mile.
Before beginning a running program,
most adults 35 and older should get a physical. Barring any immediate
concerns like high blood pressure or heart problems, your doctor will
probably give you a full endorsement.
 RunTex
offers numerous running
programs for beginners and advanced athletes alike. Beginning
runners should start by mixing walking and running together, covering
two-to three miles at a time. After a month or so of this, begin
gradually increasing the amount of running to the point where you can
run non-stop. At first, it will seem like a major endurance feat, but as
the weeks pass by, you’ll find that your body adapts and improves,
allowing you to run with far less effort than when you began.
The beauty of running is
that for most novices, these modest fitness gains come so quickly, and
are such positive self-esteem boosters, that they are more than happy to
keep their new program going. It’s important not to reach too high or
strive for too much. At this point, most beginners settle in to around
15-20 miles a week.
“I tell my beginners that
they should always finish a workout or run feeling like they could have
done more,” said Former Longhorn track man Donnie O’Neal, who now
coaches runners for RunTex. “No pain, no gain, is not the way to start.
Many novices try to hang with the more experienced runners, and get very
sore initially. This may keep them from continuing. First-timers should
seek out a training group, and tag along at a pace that does not hurt.”
“Beginners who don’t put
too much pressure on themselves seem to have an easier time staying with
it,” writes running expert Jeff Galloway in his best selling Galloway’s
Book on Running. “If you simply walk/jog every other day, you’ll find
yourself gently swept along in a pattern of relaxation and good feeling.
Your workout starts to become a special time for you.”
Beginning runners can stay
motivated the same way experienced runners do: by setting goals,
training with others, and keeping a running log.
In the short space of a
year or two, many novice runners will realize that they have found a
lifelong exercise pursuit, and they may even move to the next level-
competition.
“If kept under control,
the competitive push can be a great motivator,” says Galloway,
“stimulating you to train well and to push yourself further than you
might have otherwise.”
Many of those who continue
training and racing become bona fide athletes—true competitors for whom
training and racing are important aspects of their lives. But even the
“athlete” stage of running is not the end. Ultimately, those who keep on
going become simply “runners”—combining all of the elements of fitness,
competition training and social life.
“As a runner you
experience the enjoyment of each stage and retain the best of each of
them,” writes Galloway. “Having consolidated all of these stages, you
enjoy the creative and positive aspects of each and let them enrich your
running life.”
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When
it comes to sports, Julie Luft considers herself a jack-of-all-trades,
but master of none. One could argue the point. As a student at the
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, she was one of the top soccer
players in the country. Later, doing graduate work in Utah, she became
an expert skier, working as a coach at Snowbird.