Spirit of the marathon...are you back??

Just after my 50 miles ultra  my body recovered pretty well. I was just sore for a couple of days and 3 days after I was biking and doing elliptical and 5 days after I was already running again. My legs are still a little tired and even though I am not sore at all I can tell because they feel very heavy when I am running, it is like if I were carrying a rock in each one. I have been trying to do some tempo run to loosen then up. Anyway the recovery has been really good and I am very happy because my body has been a very good partner and I have been  taking care of him as best as I can.

I try to eat healthy most of the time, I take my supplements and I do at home the exercises the physical therapist recommended me to strengthen my hip.

A very strong cold put me down for some days and I was not able to run for almost 1 week which was not in my plans since I need to keep up training for the NYC marathon. The cold doesn't want to leave me yet but at least I can now run!

Speaking about the marathon, I haven't been very excited about it this year. I am not sure why but during the last week  while everyone else seemed to be getting into marathon mood I didn't and I started to feel a little apathetic about it.

I was speaking with a fellow runner and  co-worker the other day and when I mentioned it he said that I was feeling that way because for me now 26 miles is just a training run and to be honest I was also thinking the same. I think that my little baby for the year was my 50 miller and I never thought about the marathon until now. I dedicated all my efforts to the 50 miller and now that I have reached my goal I was not feeling anything special about running 26 miles. I can't believe that just a year ago I was not even sure I could finish the marathon!!!

Last night I was speaking with my friend John and told him that I was not excited about the marathon and he said something like " how come? it is the NYC marathon!!!" but that wasn't enough to convince me :(

This morning I ran the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff,  a 5 miles race that kickoff marathon week. I was really tired because I went to bed very late and I also had too much sangria and food with friends but I decided to still run it and just take it easy....a " fun run" as runners call races when they know they won't perform well!!! The day before I ran 6 miles in the same course and I  did it very slow, legs were still feeling heavy and I jut did a shameful 10 minutes miles!!! almost a turtle and so I was not expected today to do anything better.

Incredibly and even though I took the first 2 miles very easy I was able to  ran an average of 8:40 minutes, which is far from my best time but still good considering the circumstances :).  

When I was running I met a lot of friends and coaches around the course that were cheering the runners ..."Go Claudia" " Well done CHICA" "Looking good!!"  it was  so nice hearing my name and the cheers!!! and that was exactly what I needed to remember what the NYC marathon is about...thousands of people cheering you on while you pass by, screaming your name and why not admiring you in some way.

I think my Marathon Spirit is back!!!

50 Miles, done!!!

It took me a while to write this report may be  because I was busy last week and tired but also because writing about this really make me realize that it is over. A friend asked me the other day if I was happy because I finally finished my training and I think she was expected an affirmative answer but I said "NO".  I feel happy and excited for accomplishing my goal but at the same time I feel a little sad because something that was an important part of my life for 4 months is over.  Of course I can start training for something else even may be another 50 miller but it won't be the same, it won't be the first time and the feeling of the unknown won't be there again. Everyone keeps asking me " And now what?, what will you do next?, 100 miles?" to be honest I don't know yet but I do know that I loved the experience and that if my body collaborates there will be more ultras for me!!!

There has been a lot of questions during the last week,  questions about the ultra, the road, the food I ate, if I stop to go to restroom, if I was bored etc, etc, etc. hopefully I will be able to let you know everything about it in this post, if not...just ask!!!

I arrived to Rochester the day before the race and drove around 30 miles from there to Canandaigua. Once there I decided to drive  the last 15 miles of the course to get an idea of how much energy I should need at the end. I had read  about the hills  and needed to check it out to see them by myself. I was not "disappointed" those were some serious hills and they were not even the worst in the course!!! I have to admit that I was a little scared afterwards, Central Part didn't prepare me for those type of hills and most of my long runs were actually pretty flat.

At 6PM I went to the start line inside the College to pick up my bid and jersey and meet up with some of the runners. Everyone  was speaking about the same....the "hills".  I started to mingle with some people just to realize that I was one of the most inexperience from all of them. Even though for many people this was their first ultra most of them were also experienced runners with a  lot of marathons and years on the road. I spoke with some runners that had never run an official 50 miles but had run 50 miles many times and some of them even had run 100 miles ultra and for a moment I thought " OMG, what was I thinking? these people will sweep the floor with me".  I went back to my motel because I wanted to have an early dinner and try to go to bed as soon as possible since the night before I woke up at 4 AM for my flight.  

I had to buy some cooked pasta in the local supermarket, no whole wheat, not a good sauce....NOT MY TRADITIONAL HOMEMADE PASTA!!  Well, I have my traditions and I like to eat homemade most before an important race :( .  

I couldn't sleep very well, I woke up every hour because I was afraid to miss the alarm and arrive late !! LOL Finally at 4 AM I started to get ready....yes at 4AM!!!  the race started at 7 and my motel was literally 3 minutes drive from the starting line but I wanted to be very awake, take a shower, my breakfast and be there early enough. Canandaigua isn't Manhattan and finding a place to buy coffee at 5 AM it is just...not happening!!!  I had to buy everything I wanted the night before including my  coffee!! the room wasn't nice or big or comfortable but at least it did have a microwave!!! nothing better that a reheated coffee from the day before :((.  I was going to find out later that there was coffee at the starting line!! : p

When I arrived  to pick up my chip it was actually very funny because it was huge!!! I am used to the D-Tag from the NYRR but the chip here was an ankle brazalete. Have you seen in the movies when someone is under home arrest and the policy make them to wear that thing in their ankle to monitory that they don't live their house...well...that is it!!! LOL

Everyone was warming up, chatting with their families and friends and agreeing in last minute plans for the day. I felt a little lonely and I think everyone else was with someone. I can't completely confirm I was the only one alone but may be one of a few, I think most of the runners had families or friends  following them on the road and others seemed to know each other from previous races. Anyway, during the race many of these people cheer me on too!! they were really nice and even though they didn't know me they were asking me from their cars all the time if I was ok or if I needed something. This is called "crew",  you have someone following you not just to cheer you on but also to carry liquids and food for you and sometimes  even running part of the race with the runner. I saw many people running some miles with their friends, boyfriends or girlfriends  and carrying food and liquids for them. I,  in the other hand.  just counted with the aid stations and of course no pacer. I found out later that actually the winner had someone with him all the time, following him in a car and providing him the food and liquids and running the last 10 miles with him to push his pace....it does really sound a little advantageous, we should all run alone and just using whatever the race provides.

It was a little chilly but I could still wear my shorts and singlet because the forecast for the rest of the day was between 50 to 60. I decided to just wear a long sleeves jersey that I could leave in one of the aid stations after a couple of miles.   Almost 7 AM and we all start walking  to the start line.

Miles 1 to 10

An ultra is different to a city marathon in many ways and the start  line is one of the major differences. There are no waves or positions!! you can either start in the front of the pack or at the end and nobody will tell you anything.  The race director gave us some last minute instructions  and wished us good luck, meanwhile I was telling myself  " ok, this is it, you are going to be running 50 miles, you might run for 11 or 12 hours but Claudia you must do it, you have a long way in front of you but  you are ready and you have to do it, once you give the first step you won't stop until you are done and that will be in 11 hours!!! you have no time to be bored, sore, tired or sleepy....you must run because you can do it"

Runners, go!!! OMG...I am doing this!!! It is difficult to describe the feelings during the first minutes to someone who is not a runner, it is a mix of happiness, fear, emotion.  You have been training for a long time and now it is time to make good use of all that. It is the final test and you don't want to fail.

I started running very slow and I mean....VERY SLOW....I was the last one in the pack...yes the last one!!! I am not exaggerating I was literally the last person of the group!! Everyone started running very fast and I was not ready for that.  Every single piece of advice, tips, etc I read about ultras said that you are supposed to start slow because the first mistake people does in ultras is to start fast and that you don't win an ultra in the first 20 miles...that you need to pace yourself...and well that was my strategy but I started wondering what the others were doing.  Were they very fast and that pace was "slow" for them?? it was absolutely not slow for me. Anyway I stick to my plan and kept running my own pace.  After 3 miles I was still the last one...mmm....I started to be concerned and wondering whether I was running too slow or the others were running too fast...I looked at my Garming and I was in my pace...that was the pace I practiced and I needed to stick to it. It was too early to start running faster because I didn't want to use all my energies just in the first 20 miles..." Keep it easy and steady, you are running as planned...they will get tired and you will pass then later" I kept repeating this to myself in an attempt to hold back my pace and anxiety but I was a little worry, I didn't want to be the last one!!!

At mile 5 I decided to change my strategy, because I was afraid that even though  the others slow down since they have started so much faster than me I could not catch up with them. I wasn't sure about other people fitness so I didn't want to risk to be the last one!! no way I was going to be the last one!!!

I took a couple of minutes to think what I was going to do and how I will past people without getting myself exhausted. Here is exactly what I was thinking at that moment, and believe me...I am writing exactly as I was thinking:

• I will focus in the first person in front of me and I won't think about anything else until I pass him/her
• I am not going to spring to pass them because then I will be tired
• Since the course is very hilly and most people will walk the hills I will wait until the person starts walking a hill and that is when I will run a little faster until I catch up with them which also means that I need to run part of the hill but most probably just for a little while
• Once I catch up, if I need to walk I will do it really fast and I will start running again as soon as we past  the worst part of the hill
• On the down hills...I will sprint as hell!!!!!!!!!!! I know we are not supposed to sprint that much in downhills as that mashes your cuads but luckily I practiced it during a speed work I did a couple of weeks ago where I sprinted downhills for more than 1 hour so the feeling wasn't unknown for me
•  I should use the aid stations in my favor some runners were carrying a hydratation backpack and it takes longer to refill them, that could also be a good moment to past them...I was using a hand bottle and they are easy to refill. I won't stop for a long there...I will grab some food and walk out immediately
• Once you pass someone, for no meaning let them to pass you again!!!! watch your back!!!
  

The strategy was set and I just needed to put it in practice!!! You might think I am a little crazy, which it might be truth but I am very organized and I like strategies and plans !!! so I can't be different while running!!

Jim, he did it in 9:52:56

In the next couple of miles I started passing people, my strategy was working and I was still in my planned average pace.  After passing  may be 4 or 5 people I met Jim.  I looked at him for some minutes trying to figured out his strategy and how I could pass him when I noticed that he was doing a run/walk strategy not only on hills but every XX minutes. I waited until he was in his walking to approach him. We started to talk and kept running together for some miles. He told me he has been running for 47 years and at first I thought I misunderstood him, he looked young so how he could have been running for 47 years...no way...I was going to find out later that he was actually 67 years old!! His wife was following him in a car and taking pictures. Jim has run many ultras and other races and his pace goal was similar to mine. We stayed together for some miles, it was nice to run with someone with that much experience and heard what he has to say. Before I noticed it we were in the aid station around mile 10  and where I needed to go to the restroom. I am just mentioning it because there were only 2 restroom in the course, once at mile 10 and the other at mile 31, it is so much easy for men!!! they were just using the trees beside the road!!!! The restroom was a little far from the aid station and as always....there were a line!! Damn, I missed a couple of minutes there and by the time I went back to the road Jim was gone...I never saw him again until the end. He did a good race and kept the pace he wanted which was very similar to mine and that is why we never met again until the end.

Miles 10 to 26.6

I was feeling good but there was still a long way to go....it was not time to celebrate anything yet.  During these miles there were also some huge hills including the feared Bopple Hill around mile 16!!

As soon as I left the aid station I started to pass people again. I was feeling really good and I figured out that it was then or never. By the time I arrived to Bopple  Hill I have passed already several runners and I was now running with a pack of 5 or 6 men. They seemed to be strong and while I was chatting with them I was thinking how could I leave them behind. Bopple hill is really a tremendous hill:

Bottom of Bopple Hill

 

• • Distance: 1 mile
• Average Gradient: 11%
• Maximum Gradient: 22%
• Ascent: 560 Feet 

 

We all started to walk this hill and I noticed they were not walking really fast and that was my moment!! It was time to use my hiking experience!!! In general I am not a fast walker but this was not a regular walk it was more like hiking and I am good at that!! By the time I was in the middle of the hill I have left behind all the guys except one, this one was strong and he was not slowing down but before we arrived to the top he was history!!!  I have conquered Bopple Hill and left behind  at least 6 more people!!! Time to recover the lost time!!! 

After the hill there was a long down hill and I was feeling so good that I ran very fast and passed some more people. There was this guy about 0.3 miles in front of me I wanted to catch up but his pace was steady and for a couple of miles I was just behind him. I was obsessed with the idea of passing him :)  and I even thought not to stop in the next aid stations just to gain some minutes :) OH god...yes I am that competitive :) but then I noticed he was wearing a backpack!! alleluia!! " I will have time to catch up with him while he refills it!!!  " In the next aid station I finally catch up with him and we both left the aid station  at the same moment. 

We started to chat and  ran together for 3 miles. What the odds to meet someone  who works just 2 blocks from my office!!! hahahaha and is also an accountant!!! I told him that I was following him for the last couple of miles trying to pass him and  about my strategy...he laughed and said " well, I am having a hard time keeping up with you so you can go any time I won't pass you, my goal is to finish in 12 hours!!! but you GO...I will see you in Manhattan!!"  That was the last time I saw him, in Canandaigua ;-)

The following miles were lonely, they were rolling hills and I couldn't see anyone in front of me but there was someone behind me, it was one of the guys I passed before. He was behind me for many miles, I couldn't stop turning all the time to check how far he was....by mile 26.6 mile my Garmin's battery died...just 5 hours into the race....damn...that really killed me.

Miles 26.6 to 45

A marathon is down and my goal now is getting to the next aid station, from now on I am counting from aid station to aid station. Just 5 miles at the time, that was the goal. My legs started to feel a little tired and so I incorporated a little walking....I did 1 minute walk every 20 minutes run for the next 5 miles. There were a couple of big hills and the rest were rolling hills...no flat around :(. 

I had never run more than 31 miles before so I wanted to arrive to the aid station at mile 31 feeling strong  and I did it!! By the time I arrived there I was cheerful and strong!! I ate some oreos, chips, potatoes, and went to the restroom....damn again the stupid restroom cost me a position...the guy running behind me arrived to the aid station while I was in the restroom and he was now running beside me...I was really upset with the stupid restroom!! and I repeat...it is so easy for men!!!

This guy, Don,  started to talk to me and since we were having a similar pace we decided to run together. He was also an experienced runner, he was in his early 40ish and have already run this race 3 times plus many other ultras including a 100 miller. He was having some issues with his foot and needed to do some walking time to time and as I am very stupid I waited for him a couple of time when he needed to walk.

Again a couple of major hills....I turned and asked Don " How many more hills? I thought we should have some flat now!!" he laughed and said..." really I don't remember well but I think there are still a couple of big hills".  The next miles were tough but I knew I could do it. I never had doubts about doing it!! Never!! 

Suddenly a mark on the road "TO GO 15"  OMG!! just 15 miles!!! 15 doesn't sound that bad!! I could do it!! how many times I have run 15 miles!!! "come on Claudia!!! you can do it!!"

At this point we started passing people again and finally something we have been waiting for the last 8 hours " TO GO 10" !!!  holly molly I am almost there!! 

I know that 10 miles is a lot but when you have run 40 miles 10 is nothing!!!  I knew I could do it!! I was feeling strong and I knew at that point that I was going to finish and in a better time than my goal. I asked Don the time and we started to calculate how fast we should run to make it before 10 hours.  He said we could do it and I also believed it!!!  After mile 10 the countdown marks started to appear every mile....TO GO 9, TO GO 8.....You can't imagine how happy I was every  time I saw a mark!!

I just kept telling myself..." You can do it!! you are almost done!! yeah!! you have this, you have this!!!"

Around mile 42 I felt something in my right cuad, it was not a cramp yet but seems that soon I will get one!!! I couldn't allow this to happen....I was not going to have a cramp now...no way...but what to do??!!! I decided that the best option was to walk for a minute or two, take an extra electrolyte and a GU. I told Don I needed to walk a minute because I was afraid to get a cramp....and here is why I said before I am stupid....he did not wait for me!! 

I know, it is a competition but I  did wait for him when he needed to walk :( and not one but a couple of times.

At the beginning I felt very stupid but then I was proud of myself. If finish 5 minutes earlier means that I have to forget what be a good person means, then I prefer to be the last one. One thing is compete and have a strategy and try to pass people in good faith  but when you forget about loyalty, respect and fair play it is a very different thing. In any case, everyone is free to decide what make you sleep better at night and I slept very well that night.

The last 5 miles!!!

TO GO 5!! OMG...I am almost there!!  I can still see Don...he is around 1/2 mile in front of me and seems that he is running faster now.  Thanks God my leg feels much better, no signal of any cramp and I am still running...TO GO 4!! just 4 miles to my goal!!! and again I am passing people!!! I have to admit that the feeling of passing people at a race is sooooooo good!!  and not to mention when those people are fit young guys!!! you feel powerful!! I am running and they are walking!!! I said ..."hi, are you ok?"  they said "yes, just tired, we can't run anymore".

While running I kept singing my song. I have this song that is like a hymn for me since I was 12 years old, it is in Spanish but may be in another post I will traslate it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7XF_In5LrE

  

TO GO 3!!! Gosh!! just 3  miles...just 30 minutes and all will be history!! Along the road cars honk, other casual runners cheers us on and I feel proud. I want to scream " I have just run 47 miles!!! 47!!!"

TO GO 2!!! I want to cry, I am happy very happy!!! I am trying to run as fast as I can but my legs are tired.

TO GO 1!!! Just 1 mile!!! 20 blocks!! Lord I am doing this!!! I took my phone from my pocket to check my time 9:55 hours.....well I am not making this before 10 hours, there are no way I can run 1 mile in less than 5 minutes, not now and not even  if I were rested so I decided just to enjoy the last 1 mile...I looked around trying to keep everything in my memory, I looked at the blue sky and I Thanks God for helping me to accomplish  my dream with a beautiful day. 

Before I even noticed it I was in the College again, in the same path where we started 10 hour before and I knew I did it....I stopped for a moment, it was not the finish line

...it was before it, just before turning to the finish line...in a path between bushes. 

I was alone and I needed to recollect myself...it was just 10 seconds but I needed to be alone before crossing that line because after crossing it I will be a different person. I needed a time with my old me.

I can see now the finish line, I can see the watch and other runners around but not a single familiar face...nobody to hug me or tell me congratulations....I ran as fast as I could...I didn't want the watch to pass 10:05....when I crossed the finish line it was 10:05:35 and  everyone started clapping!! 

I was not expecting that....I was so happy, excited, touched, even ashamed for all those people clapping at me...runners, spectators, everyone....it was my moment and I felt special.

Just 2 days!!

And the day has arrived!! In just 2 days I will be finally running my FIRST ultramarathon. I can't  even believe this moment has arrived. Just 4 months ago I wasn't sure I could go through such tough training and now I am just steps away from my " graduation".

The training wasn't  as physically tough as I thought at the beginning, I really enjoyed it and the only cont I can mentioning is that it is very time consuming!! let you very little space for a personal life after working and training. It is something that definitely I could never do during my busy season at work. I don't have a 9 to 5 job so this was a luxury that I am not sure when I will be able to repeat but there will be always challenges that can be done even with a demanding job.

The most difficult part is not  physical but mental, it is more determination than speed, motivation than strong legs, persistence than ability. It is all about believe in yourself and what you are capable of and have the determination to stick to your decisions and pursuing your goals. I think our attitude and commitment to train  is just a reflection of how we are in  life. When I decide something I go for, I never quit, I work hard to get what I want and I try to do it with a smile and not complaining......there are not space for doubts or fear in my life as there are not space for them in my running... I believe in myself and I trust in my determination to fight for what I want to accomplish but of course this doesn't  always ensure a success but the success for me is to fight until the end and never quit. I don't know what will happen on Saturday but I am very happy with what I have accomplished, just be able to complete the training and  20+ miles long runs every weekend for more than 6 weeks is something I could have never imagined!!

Enough about this, there will be time for this  bla bla bla  after the race!!! I will have time to write about my feelings while resting my legs!!

This week training has been very light since you are not supposed to run hard the week before your race, it is more about loosing your legs and really liberate tension while waiting for the big day. Nothing you can do now will make you faster or give your more endurance. 

On Monday I went for a 4 miles run and I felt really good!! I was planning to just do a relaxed slow run but I found myself running faster than my marathon pace. My legs just wanted to go!! I think they are so ready for the race that they can't wait!! While running I visualized the race...I thought about crossing the the finish line and it was so so so so real that I cried!!!! ! silly right? well that is a proof of  how hard I concentrate when I train, I block everything else.

People keep asking me if I am nervous...and to be honest I am not.  I am excited about the race!! I can't wait to be there running. I have thought about it many times, I have planned everything even though you can't really  know what will happen and most probably your plans will be screwed up  but anyway that help me. I have thought about all the possibilities...be tired and not able to run  or that I might even feel so great that I will do a better time that what I have planned, or that, or this, or everything!!

I think I am just missing a decision tree!!  hahahaha Whatever it is..I am not nervous, actually I feel strangely calm...... I should call this "overconfidence"!!!

 

My only concerns at this point are:

1- my outfit : I wanted run in my shorts and singlet, the one I  used for all my long runs but it is going to be very cold 45F with a hight of 55F so I am not sure what to wear now :(   

2- my Friday night dinner!!!:  I need my homemade food and my hotel room doesn't have stove and  I don't like the idea of eating in a restaurant the night before the race...you know...traditions a runner have!!!  I wonder if I can carry my a tupperware with my pasta in the plane :)) I do have a microwave in the room :)

I am flying to Rochester on Friday morning and from there I will drive to Canandaigua and I am planning to drive the last 20 miles of the race to see what to expect.  I will also go to a social event to meet some of the runners. My motel is just 0.5 miles from the start line so the commute in the morning will be very easy...I need to be there at 6 AM to  warm up a little and start running at 7AM. 

This is my last post before the race......wish me luck!!!!

ps. I am starting to have a cold :( but I won't let it take the control!! I will just need to run with more tissues on my pocket!!! 

Details about the Ultra

Where: Canandaigua, NY - 1 loop around the beautiful lake

Start time: 7AM

Course:  road loop around the most beautiful Finger Lake in Western New York. Scenic roads, wineries and peak fall foliage. Several major climbs including locally famous Bopple Hill.  

Total participants: 92 

Female runners: just 22

Youngest runner: 27 years old

Oldest runner: 67 years old 

Bib number: Lucky 121 !!

Elevation Chart

 I WILL DO IT, I WILL DO IT....OH YEAH...I WILL DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Running and weight

I have struggled with my weight my whole life, I have been on diets since I remember but I have never been slim or skinny :( .

I gain weight even just drinking water...my body has never been very gentle with me and in the past when I didn't watch what I was eating I used to gain weight...a lot of weight.  The last time I didn't watch my diet for some months...I ended up with 40 pounds more than my actual weight...yes you read well... Just 6 years ago  I was 40 pounds bigger. After dieting I lost those pounds but I needed to leave in a constant diet to keep my weight....until I started running 2 years ago.

I haven't really lost  much weight but I don't do diet anymore...yes I take care of  what I eat because I need to make sure I eat enough nutrients to keep my body healthy and with energy to run but I am not just eating tomatoes and apples all day!!

At the beginning I  thought that I would lose weight with all of this marathon training but I was obviously mistaken.

I really have a love/hate relationship with the scale. I decided not to weigh myself everyday anymore because it was causing too many highs and lows which is unhealthy. Going up or down  3 pounds on any given week means nothing when you are training,  so long as it's not 3 pounds up and then 3 more pounds up, etc.

I looked online and weight gain weight is very common when you are training, here are some reasons why people gain weight while training:

1. You are building muscle, which is denser than fat: this is always a good thing!! who doesn't love muscles!

2. Your body is learning to store carbohydrates as fuel (glycogen) for your long runs. Those glycogen stores will add more weight. Your body also requires additional water to break down and store the glycogen, so that will also add extra weight.

3. You are maybe increasing your calorie intake without knowing it. I am pretty damn hungry everyday!!!

4. You may be drinking too many calories through sports drinks.

My weight haven't had a big fluctuation since training but although I haven't lose considerable weight my body has changed a lot, my clothes fit better,  people do tell me all the time that I look slender, and  I  feel like I am the most "fit" I've ever been. I think I have gained some muscles and that is why my weight it is almost the same. If I reduce my calories intake a little I might lose a couple of pounds more but training is tough enough to make it more difficult cutting on the food....I am happy to where my body is going, it might be a slow process but I am starting to see the results and I feel and look much better than 20 years ago.

I feel  I can dare any girl in their 20ish to keep up with me!!

I love eating and it feels so good to eat ice-cream without feeling guilty :)

A little under the weather but still strong!!

Last week I reduced my miles a lot and ran only 20 miles for the week!! that is 18 miles shorter than my schedule because I missed 2 days but I am not worried about it. I've been a little sick, got an infection and  I am taking antibiotics.  I managed to get my runs done on Tuesday and Wednesday but Thursday I started to feel bad and couldn't run the 8 miles I was supposed to do. Just on Saturday I was able to run again and I did 10 miles.  At the beginning I was afraid, being so close to the race make you feel unsecured and after not running for just 2 days and being a like weak for the infection I though I could have lost fitness...crazy!! how come you lose it in just 2 days of not running!! LOL 

May be the fact that the previous Saturday I had a very bad running didn't help and I was really paranoid about it. This is part of the "tapering effect" you think you are loosing fitness, gaining weight, your legs feels heavy...it is all mental!!! may be the only part that it is truth is that you are a little heavy :) because you are eating a lot and not burning that many calories!! ( post to follow about this!!!)

Finally when I went for my run I felt really good!!! LOL  and when I was done with my 10 miles I wanted to keep going, it felt very short but as I am tapering it couldn't be wise to run more. You are not supposed to run more than 8/10 miles in a single run a week before your race because it could take longer to your body to repair any damaged tissues.

I met my friend Sid during my run, he used to be my coach last year in Team for Kids and  is an amazing runner. He is 71 years old!! and yes he can run much faster than me and he holds many US records in different age groups. He told me that it is normal that I got sick because I have put my body under an extreme training and tough it is "broken" and my immune system is weak but since I am very fit I should recover soon with the tapering. 

Today I feel much better but I decided not to run....less is better in this moment and I need to understand that 10 miles less won't make a difference now. Also,  after my run on Saturday I felt much confident about my shape. I will take the antibiotics for a couple of days more and discontinue then by Wednesday as I don't want to run with them in my system, hopefully all the pain will be gone by then or at least it will be very mild and let me run without problems :)...oh yes...the eternal optimistic :)

This week it will be really difficult, I have a lot of work and I also need to relax and rest...mmm...how to accomplish all?!?!?  I  still need to decide my running schedule for this week, I will only do some short runs, no more than 3/4 miles but need to decide if I will take 2 days or 1 day off before the race and if I want to run consecutive days or no. I am flying to Rochester on Friday morning.

I am ready, are you ready???

The art of Tapering

Just less than a week  !! I can't believe it is so close. During the last 2 weeks I have been tapering and so do many of my friends who are running the Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10...so cool!! too bad my ultra is on 10/09/10 :(

Tapering is nice as you slow down a little and give your body a chance to rest before the big day but at the same time you are worry  about loosing fitness.  Since I have now many readers that are not runners I will try to explain you what "tapering" means. But to do so I could  first  like to to explain that most of the training programs has 3 phases:

1. The base phase which develops endurance, the foundation of any distance-running plan. You can't just start training for a marathon or half if you have never run more than a block in your life!! You need to build some millage before getting serious about the training. There are different types of base depending the distance you are planning to train for. Once you are comfortable running some minimal miles you can move to the next phase.
2. Phase two which depending on your goal it would  add speed by introducing tempo runs and long repeats or distance by increasing your long runs. If you are training for a long distance race as a marathon you will start adding miles every week until you reach a "peak". After your peak you body will be ready for the race but since you have pushed and pushed it is recommended to give it a rest to get your optimal performance....and here is where the next phase starts.
3. Tapering. This phase generally starts 21 days before your race date and  means you run less and rest more. It is time to chill and let your body to recover. Muscles might have tissue damage that need to be repaired before the race. You need to eat proteins to help you muscles recover but also carbohydrates to replenish the energy you have used during your training. Your tank is empty and it is time to refill it!! Also during tapering you can pamper yourself with massages and hot bubble baths that will help your body to recover and relax....you see...training hard it is not that bad!!

I have been tapering for the last 2 weeks and will continuous in this way until race day. All the hard work is done and now it is time to recover and minimize accumulated fatigue. For some people, the idea of backing off on their training just before the big race is really disturbing because everyone is afraid to lose fitness and fail on race day.  The truth is that  in those last few weeks it's the rest more than the work that makes you strong. And you don't lose fitness in 3 weeks of tapering. In fact, studies show that your aerobic capacity doesn't change at all. But don't think you won't be doing anything!!! it is just that you slow down a little but you still need to go out and run!! in general you will be cutting your millage approximately 10% to 20% the first week, somewhere between 30% to 50% the second week and just do a couple of easy runs the last week.

Nevertheless, you need to understand that when you have been training hard for 3 or 4 months running almost everyday and pushing your body more and more it is tough just to slow down one day to the other. It is more psychological than physical actually. Not to mention that sometime you gain some weight during tapering because your metabolism is the same and you are hungry all the time.  You can't do diet because you need the nutrients to recover but you are running less and therefore you are burning less calories!! Coaches tell you that you shouldn't worry because you will lose these pounds during the race...my own experience tells me that in my case it is not truth!!! I know I will end up with a couple of pounds more after the  race  and I will need to do some diet afterwards. I think this theory only work for men and  skinny women :(

Welcome EisnerAmper to my Blog!!!

Have you ever wondered how it feels to be famous and have people recognizing you?? 

Well, I have experienced a little of that during the last week. Since an email was sent to all my co workers inviting them to follow my training and my blog I have became a little popular in the office. Many people I don't know recognize me in the elevator and wish me good luck, I have received many emails from other runners, thriatlonists, and even people who have never run but would like to start.

Everyone has been really supportive and even though most of them think I am crazy for running 50 miles :) they all wish me good luck and ask me to keep them posted on the race.

I went to one of the partners office and he said " I am reading your blog, how are your cuads feeling?"  LOL.... 

In between all the emails I got there was one that really toughed me. Since I don't know if she wants to be recognized I won't say her name and I have deleted her personal training/ races information but I really wanted to share some paragraphs with you  because even though I am being recognized for my training and blog I am not the the only one in the office who is "challenging the body". Also I have asked her to write a post for my blog telling us about her training, lets hope she accepts!!

Reading about your upcoming challenge was really nice and refreshing. I am a runner myself and can totally relate to everything you are going about pushing limits, determination, dedication, and persistence. All those words mean so much to me and to people who push themselves to achieve more, as you said “something not many people can do".

I always try to do my best, always  have my own personal goal to do the best time possible, to be placed, feel accomplished.As you say, there is nothing better than doing something you love while hearing people screaming and cheering you on. It’s all about the energy and the atmosphere of different races which make me to like it even more and pushes me harder and harder each year and at each event.

I could love to hear about other people challenges and share them in my blog...so DO TELL ME your story!!There is not small challenge ...you don't have to compare yourself with others just with yourself.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog, I will take all the good wishes with me next Saturday!!