Monthly Archives: October 2017

life

Last week, I traveled to Virginia and spent a few days with my brother and his six-week old baby.  Then I came home, and H went on a business trip.  He’s getting back tonight.  No anxiety.  No panic.  OK, there was a moment when we were socked in in fog on a Bombadier heading to DC from Richmond and the flight was going on and on longer than the pilot had said it would and I feared a repeat of the tri-cities incident.  But, it was fine.  Honestly, I feel like I used to feel before this panic problem started, more or less.  I can’t understand why a three-day business trip used to induce panic and why it doesn’t now.  But I’m just trying to embrace the feeling of having my life back  and not worry the tides will turn again.

Running is going well.  I hit 34 miles a couple weeks ago, and ran 25 miles the week I was on vacation.  My hip has been a little sore, and my feet continue to hurt, but overall, I feel good.  I didn’t end up doing the half marathon I’d planned a few weeks ago due to various logistical reasons.  there are no more flat half marathons this year, so I’m considering doing a hilly one the weekend after next.  Weather permitting, I’ll do it.  (No half marathons in pouring rain.)

And life goes on.  Loving my kids, working, what else is there?

Jordan Hasay: 2:20

Today was a great day for American marathoning.  To be honest, I don’t care that much for Rupp.  I’ve been cheering for Jordan Hasay, however, since she was a freshman in high school and won Foot Lockers.  Today she ran the fastest time run by an American woman in the Chicago Marathon – 2:20:57.  So awesome!  She came in third, a great showing at her age.  Tirunesh Dibaba came in first off a murderous paced first half.  She is one of my other favorite marathoners.  (Too bad she’s not American.)

Image result for jordan hasay chicago marathon

Running speed is a funny thing.  The range of speed of runners – let’s just say women – is mind-boggling.  Consider the marathon.

  • Chicago Marathon course cut-off: 6:30 / 14:52 mpm
  • Average women’s time: 4:42 / 10:45 mpm
  • Boston Qualifying Time, W35-39: 3:40 / 8:23 mpm
  • New York Marathon Qualifying Time: 3:15 / 7:25 mpm
  • Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 2:45 / 6:17 mpm
  • Top 3 at Rio 2016: 2:24 / 5:29 mpm
  • World Record: 2:15 / 5:10 mpm

The slowest marathoners are going SO slowly compared to say a 4-hour marathoner, who is barely moving compared to a New York Marathon qualifier, who’s jogging compared to an Olympic Trials qualifier, who is in turn radically slower than an Olympic medalist.  What I love about running is that there is room for all of us. In a major marathoner, you have people running from 5 mpm to 15 mpm.  How cool is that?  What is even greater is that people at all speeds appear to get great satisfaction from just finishing and or achieving a personal best.

a week in running

  • M: 400 m swim, 2:03 / 100yd
  • T: Rest
  • W: 7.4 mi run @ 9:26 mpm
  • R: 4.0 mi run @ 10:33 mpm
  • F: 5.8 mi run @ 9:25 mpm
  • S: 4.0 mi run @ 10:34 mpm
  • S: 9.0 mi run @ 9:08 mpm

I took it easy Monday, with a swim to give my joints a rest after the half marathon.  Wednesday, I did an endurance run at long run level of effort, though all my neighborhood runs are slower due to the hills.  Thursday and Saturday were easy neighborhood runs.  I did a couple up-temp sections during my Friday run, and a long run on Sunday.  For some reason, Sunday’s long run just felt, well, long.  I was tired the rest of the day.  The deteriorating weather conditions are not helping my runspiration.  Basically, rain makes me want to hibernate.  I haven’t had a run yet where it rained on me the whole time, but I’ve definitely experienced intermittent rain.

I also did 135 push-ups, and I’m on track for about 4900 for the year.  I’m nearly caught up with my objective of 5000 for 2017.  I think doing push-ups has been really good for me, and I’m planning to set a new push-up goal for 2018.  I can’t decide how ambitious to be.

Next weekend, I’m planning to attempt the Fall City Half Marathon, though I haven’t signed up yet, and I reserve the right to back out if the weather’s looking particularly nasty.  If I do run, my racing plan is as follows:

  • Miles 1-5: 8:30 – 8:40 pace
  • Miles 6-9: 8:20 – 8:30 pace
  • Miles 10-11: 8:10 – 8:20 pace
  • Miles 12-13: 8:00 – 8:10 pace

My goals are:

  • A goal – Break 1:50
  • B goal – New PR (under 1:51:04)
  • C goal – Run first 5 miles at better than 8:40 pace

Achieving C should be physically easy, but I always struggle at starting fast in a half marathon.  It just feels like a bad idea.  So, I’m trying to tell myself it doesn’t matter if I have to walk the last 3 miles as long as I start on-pace and go for it.

Hanson’s race equivalency calculator gives me a projected time of 1:47:42 based on my 12K time from last December, and I’ve done a lot of running since then.  My recent 7K time projects a 1:41:02 half marathon; I’m 99% certain I can’t acheive that (and will not be setting out at a pace to try).  Extrapolation is always dangerous, I suppose.