Running a Full Marathon - Getting Started
I’ve done two half marathons and many 5K runs. I turned 40 this year and decided I would run a full marathon. My first goal was to figure out what I wanted my goal to be. I decided my goal is to run all 26.2 miles…in the shortest possible time without me having to stop running. 
Next, I had to find a training plan.
I searched online and visited several running stores around town. I found that each running store had a running program. The running programs offered by the running stores varied in price from $125 to $250+. I talked to a few folks about the programs and they were happy with the programs. The programs are led by experienced runners who either work at the store or are somehow associated with the store. One of the programs separates runners by their finish time goal (each group is a different color). I suppose you could go from one color to the next depending on how one is actually performing. The programs also provided water during the run and snacks afterwards. I decided against the running store programs due to the fact that the locations were not convenient for me.
The Internet had more choices than I could imagine. Plans ranged from the participant walking/running the marathon to programs where the participant is running 6/7 days a week and peaking at over 80 miles a week. The challenge was to find a plan in the middle (at least for me)…and that I felt was sustainable. I am married with kids and a full time job. Just from a time perspective (not to mention physically), I cannot do a 6/7 day-a-week program.
I went with a plan that has me running 4 days a week and cross-training/resting the other 3 days. The plan is working out well for me. The plan has one long run (weekend) and 3 runs varying in length during the week. The plan has cycles where the runs get longer over time.
Given my schedule/life, I have to plan my runs…some days I run very early in the morning…others I run in the evening. I’ve only missed a couple of training days. I just recently ran 14 miles…I ran them faster than I ran my first half marathon…so far, so good.
I have encountered several challenges in my training: making sure I stick to my schedule, not ignoring my family because I have to run, eating right, hydrating correctly, and taking care of injuries to name a few. So far I’ve been able to overcome the challenges.
My biggest finding on training programs is that it’s important to consider your goals (go beyond the run). With that in mind, every individual should find the right training program to meet their goals. I went with a program that I believe allows me to balance running with the rest of my life.
Over the next few weeks I will post my experiences and share what worked and what could work better. I look forward to sharing my experiences and hearing from other runners.
Happy Running.
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Second Running
I enjoyed my first half last year (R&R San Antonio). I finished under my 2 hour goal (1:58). This past weekend I ran the second annual San Antonio R&R half marathon and I truly enjoyed it. My time this year was 1:48…my goal was to finish in under 1:50.
I managed to stay injury free during my training this year…unlike last year. During my training last year I suffered from ITBS and had to visit a sports medicine doctor who educated me in strength training (in addition to stopping my training for 2 weeks). His simple suggestion of strengthening my quads and hamstrings stuck with me (mainly because I attribute that advice to my recovery). I incorporated targeted quad and hamstring strength training in addition to core body and stretching exercises in preparing for this years half marathon.
This second half marathon had its own complications, though. I was constantly comparing my training with last years training — it was hard not to have higher expectations. The race itself had the same complications but I was reassured because I had an injury free prep. As I was running, though, I kept wondering how I was doing compared to last year. I have to admit that I thought I had a good game plan before the race but got distracted…I almost missed my goal.
It all started well. I arrived at the start line on time. I managed to start with other similar paced runners, which helped a great deal because I did not have to fight traffic. But that also proved to be a distraction. Soon after starting, I saw this “pace” guy with “1:52″ on the back of his shirt. I kept pace with him through mile 6 and then realized he was going a bit too fast for me which was a bit discouraging given my finish time goal.
You may be wondering why I didn’t look at my watch or if I even had a watch. Yes, I had a watch and yes, I started it right when I crossed the start line. Part of me didn’t want to face the possibility of disappointment and then trying to overcompensate and totally miss my goal…it’s funny how your mind plays a crucial role when you run…lesson I thought I had learned from after last year.
Anyways…I felt really good around mile ten (where the half and full split). I had a good pace and regained some confidence as I started passing other runners up. My goal at this point was to pass more folks up than passed me…childish I know…not to mention potentially dangerous if I ran out of gas at mile 12 trying to pass folks. As I said, I didn’t have a good game plan…I was making it up as I went. Lucky for me I realized this and throttled back a bit…just a bit…and finished strong. 
This years half marathon was a totally different experience than last year. I felt a lot more aware of everything. I enjoyed the training, the time before the race, the race itself, and the post race. I saw the top male and female full marathon runners finish. I even managed to help a couple of other runners in training and preparation for the race. I was a lot more relaxed at the start line.
In short, I remembered and applied most of what I learned from last year…emphasis on most. Last year I preached sticking with your game plan…before the race I thought I had a game plan which was to run as fast as comfortably possible but I almost let that slip.
This year, my advice to any returning runners is the same as last year with one addition, beware of distractions. I think everything was so new last year that I missed all those distractions and didn’t even know it.
Cheers and happy running!
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A small 5K is good for the Heart
I ran a 5K for charity this weekend as part of the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bells Run. It was the first annual race here in San Antonio. It was held inside the campus of the University of the Incarnate Word. The event was relatively small with about 350 participants.
To my surprise, I ended up with a first place medal in my age division (30-39 Male)! I entered the event because I wanted to help an organization who helps those with arthritis such as my aunt who has been severely crippled by arthritis and, recently, a 7 year old cousin who was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and Macrophage Activation Syndrome. My 7 yr old cousin is undergoing a pretty intense treatment. I have a 7 year old daughter, who thankfully is healthy, and I can imagine what it is like as a parent to be going through that.
It was a pleasure trying to raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation and the run itself was just icing on the cake. To be honest, I had not trained consistently since the half marathon on Nov 16. That’s an understatement…I think I ran a grand total of 4 times after the half and before this 5K. 
But I really wanted to do well because I had many supporters and, of course, I thought of my 7 year old cousin and aunt. That motivation turned out to be what I needed and, mercifully, my body was still in decent shape from my half marathon training.
My only goal was to run as hard as I could all the way. I ended up almost making myself sick at the end. I don’t recommend my approach to anyone. In my previous posts I’ve preached that you should listen to your body. This weekend my body was yelling at me to go, go, go…so I did. I was prepared to slow down during the race but I never felt I had to. It was a good day for me to run.
I was very happy (and surprised) to end up in first place for my division. But most of all I was happy to raise money for a good cause. I will be giving my medal to my 7 year old cousin, who I love dearly. She has a great smile that lights up a room and warms my heart.
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
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What I Learned on My First Half Marathon
Definitely have fun the day of the race
Enjoy the day, the race, the finish, and the celebration afterwards.
Chose a training program you feel comfortable with
There are many training programs (I found). Some have you starting to run 20+ miles a week the first week. I think the authors of those training programs assume you have a certain running base. Regardless, be careful and listen to your body.
Don’t try to run through pain during your training program
I had to stop training for three weeks during my 15 week training program. You know your body better than anyone. It is one thing to be sore and have a slow start on a run, but you will know when something isn’t right…and (here’s the key), when it’s getting worse. Do some research on the web, visit exercise web forums like seat365.com, and consult a sports medicine doctor if necessary for professional advice. Don’t sacrifice your body for one race.
Be realistic about your finish time and stick with your plan
Don’t get me wrong, I had a time goal in mind but I was realistic about my estimated time. If you follow a training program and keep track of your time and distance you should be able to estimate your race day pace. I kept a steady pace, picked up the pace a bit at every 3 or 4 mile mark and ended up with negative splits. When I was done I felt like I gave it my all on that day – I literally could not have run another mile after crossing the finish line. Whatever training program you are on, learn to read your body and pay attention to how far you can push yourself.
Don’t take a bunch of stuff the day of the race
I saw many runners with bags full of stuff. The marathon I ran had trucks that shuttled your belongings from the start location to the finish location. I don’t know if other “smaller” half/full marathons would do the same. Consider what you will do with the stuff you take to the start line. Take what you feel comfortable running with. If need be, have someone drop you off at the start line and pick you up at the finish line or take a shuttle.
Respect the local neighborhoods.
I saw impatient/anxious runners going to the restroom behind trees in the front yards of businesses and homes even though there were portable restrooms about ¼ mile away. Maybe they couldn’t wait…maybe they didn’t know restrooms were there….regardless, manners people! Make sure you to go to the restroom before you leave your house and before you start your race (like mom/dad used to tell you before a long trip).
If it’s a huge marathon (like the one I attended), plan on delays getting to the start line.
30,000 runners were estimated for the race I ran. I figured I was ok waking up at 5AM and leaving the house at 6 AM for a 7:45 AM gun time considering I live 20 minutes from the shuttle location. Wrong. I didn’t get to the start line until 8:15 AM due to traffic delays. A combination of out of towners and construction made for severe delays.
Know the local weather.
Example: November in San Antonio is interesting…it can be 35 degrees at 7 AM and 70 degrees at noon. While that may not be the case in most places, dress in layers if it’s cold at start time. It’s easier to wear “disposable” clothing that will help you keep warm early but that you can easily toss and not have to carry for miles. I saw several runners wearing black lawn trash bags with sleeves and a neck cutout. I took advice from an ex cross country runner: when it’s cold, cover your extremities – head, ears, hands, feet. I bought a cheap beanie that covered my ears and a cheap pair of mittens - I tossed both of those items during the race.
Don’t do anything out of the ordinary on race day.
On race day, don’t take items that you didn’t use during training. I saw many runners with ipods on arm holders, iphones on arm holders, fanny packs, water holsters, GPS watches, heart rate monitors, and camel backs. Some looked comfortable but many were fidgeting and had to stop to adjust their gear. I can only assume that it was the first time they were running with those items or that they always have to stop to adjust their gear. Personally, I don’t like having to stop because of gear issues. I guess the short of it is this: “does the gear help you more than it hurts you?”
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Half Marathon…check!
Today was the big day…I completed my first half marathon (San Antonio Rock and Roll) in under 2 hours (barely…I came in at 1:58). That was my personal time goal — under 2 hours.
My day started at 5 AM…ugh. I confirmed the weather forcast: 35 degrees. I wanted to eat something before the race, make sure I didn’t forget anything, and get to the start line on time. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad. With all the constuction and out of towners, traffic was a mess. As I’m desperately trying to drive to the park and ride to catch a shuttle to the start line, I realized that there was no way I was going to start in my corral (5) for the 7:30 AM gun time (which turned out to be 7:44).
I made it to the shuttle pickup point at 6:45 AM and stood in line to catch a shuttle until 7:20 AM. The shuttle dropped us off about half a mile from the actual starting point. As I’m walking to the start line I have the need to go to the restroom and apparently so do others. Some folks start getting panicky and head to the trees…in front of people’s houses and businesses! I’m a rookie but I figured there would be port-o-potties near the startline. I realize that when you have to go you have to go but I’m afraid that these anxious runners gave runners a bad rep. Sure enough…when we arrived at the start line there were about 100 port-o-potties side by side. I did, however, wish I had gone by a tree when I made it to the portables…woah…the smell was tough to take!
I had heard there were 30K runners…but I was not prepared to see that many runners all at once. I ended up starting with corral 17 since corral 5 had start about 20 minutes prior. I battled my way through all the runners and it was (literally) shoulder to shoulder in some areas. I tried to be polite and not trip or get tripped.
My times were slower than I thought they would be based on my training but I felt like I spent most of my time slowing down and weaving around folks. I found the best place to be was way on the left…figured that was good since I always pass on the left. The other benefit to that was the spectators. I was pleasantly surprised to see as many spectators as there were out there. A lot of kids holding their hands up for high-fives. I tried to give them all a high five and I had a great time doing it.
I crossed the finish line 1 hour 58 minutes after I started. It was both happy and sad…happy I finished…sad it was over. I took my finisher’s medal (nice, btw), grabbed some food/drinks, stretched, caught a shuttle back to my car and drove to church. I met up with my wife and kids, sat at church and thanked God for all that I have.
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10 Miler Part Deux
I ran my second ten miler yesterday. I started off “knowing” how long I had to go based on the last run. I thought about starting very slow/easy so I wouldn’t feel like I was “trudging” at the end. I decided I should start off with my easy pace and try not to go any slower. At mile 4 I was feeling pretty good and picked up my pace just a bit. At mile 8 I was very happy to be feeling better than I did the week before. And on my last lap, I didn’t feel like I was trudging. My final time after 10.5 miles was just at the 1:30 mark…same as last time…BUT, I felt a lot stronger at the end and I think I could have kept going but I didn’t want to over do it. I’ll save that for next week — I’m supposed to run 12 miles.
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My First 10 Miler!
For the first time ever I ran 10+ miles (10.4 to be exact). I wasn’t really timing myself…I was afraid that I’d get caught up over time and over do it too early so I chose not to look at my watch. Instead, I looked at my watch before I started and then again when I finished. To my surprise I finished right at the 1 hr 30 min mark.
I started off knowing I was going to run 10+ miles so I went slower than usual. Up until now I have never run more than 6 miles. Even when I run 6 miles I don’t drink water until I’m done running (I know…I should). In this case I knew I had to drink something. I stopped to drink water at mile 4 and mile 8. I walked while I drank water for about a minute or a minute and a half each time — I didn’t want to look at my watch.
I didn’t start going faster until after mile 5. After mile 8 I felt my legs getting heavy…something I hadn’t encountered before. I was hoping that my knee pain which I wrote in my “ITBS” post didn’t return — it did not. I had been wondering how it would feel to run that far…now I know. I wasn’t in any pain so I kept going. I knew I wasn’t trudging but wow…it sure felt like it.
This morning I could feel my legs. I felt like I just started running after not having run in years. The training schedule I’m following has me doing intervals tomorrow…we’ll see how I feel. I feel a lot better now. I actually considered going on a short 1 or 2 mile easy run to get the blood flowing but daddy duty calls…I’m at home watching the kids while my wife is working.
I have another 10 miler this next weekend. I’m not sure if knowing what I know now I’ll be more or less anxious to start. Part of me says “hey, you did it once…you can do it again.” Another part of me says “last time wasn’t a walk in the park…hopefully you can do it again.” I’ll let you know next week.
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I’mmmmm Baaaaack
Yes, you read right…I’m back. I just read my last post…wow…what a downer man. My perspective has been changed dramatically during the past few weeks. I have not been able to post any updates. My dad had open heart surgery (quadruple bypass)…that was a shock to everyone. He’s not a man that is out of shape or anything. In fact if you saw him, you would be surprised to know he’s 74 because he gets up every day and goes and does yard work to supplement his social security. I recently found out my niece (who is 7 years old) has what appears to be HLH (a blood disease similar to leukemea). And today my mother-in-law ended up in the ER after a racing heart/pulse and high blood pressure.
Needless to say, my schedule has been crazy. The only thing that’s kept me from going crazy has been my runs and my training schedule. I run to relax and let off some of my stress. I’m also running with a greater sense of self and truly feel blessed to be able to run…I plan on running for as long as I can.
In any case…you may have wondered what happened to me. I did go see a knee doctor (a sport’s medicine orthopedic surgeon specializing in knees). He recommended an MRI (which I had done). The MRI did not show any tears or any damage to my knee or the outside part of my knee.
While the doctor could not pinpoint a diagnosis, he did tend to agree with my physical therapist friend based on my symptoms. His recommendation was for me to strengthen my quads and hamstrings to provide greater support and stability to my knee and my entire leg. He suggested I not run initially and focus on strengthing my quads and hamstrings for a week or two then gradually introduce runs with rest and more strengthening in between.
He did say to call him if the strengthening did not seem to help the pain. It’s been 6 weeks since I saw him and I have yet to call him. I have been doing my strength exercises religously and have been taking rests after long runs and after interval training.
I’m looking forward to the half and I am focusing on maintaining strenght and health. In my case the MRI did not show any tears or damage to my knee and my strength training program was doctor recommended. I would advice anyone with a similar condition to first rule out any serious damage to the knee before taking up strength training.
Good luck to all…I’ll write some more about my experiences during recovery and continue to post updates on my training and progress.
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ITBS? :-(
I had to stop running…it was not easy making that decision. I had never had a pain like that before, the outside of my knee started hurting around 4.5 miles and within a half mile it was really hurting. I stopped my run (which was going to be 6 miles) at about the 5 mile mark. I cooled down and sretched and the pain continued…on the outside part of my right knee but it wasn’t a throbbing pain or anything. This pain was unlike anything I’ve felt before. Imagine having crutches because you can’t put weight on one foot. You’d have to hold your foot up in the air by bending your leg at the knee to use the crutches and move. That’s the position where the outside part of my knee HURT…a lot…”weird” I said. Bummed, I went home hoping the pain would stop.
That was a Saturday. I decided to rest Sunday and Monday…completely…no running nothing. Sunday, my knee was a little sore and Monday I felt no pain at all. Come Tuesday my spirits were high and I decided to do a short 4 mile, easy run. To my dismay I started feeling the same pain at about mile 3. Again I stopped early.
I was (still am) bummed. I consulted a friend who is a physical trainer and she said (without thinking twice), “it’s your IT band.” My what? IT Band is short for Iliotibial band. You can read more about it at the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome. My symptoms are just as described.
I have an appt to see a doc on July 29th for a “formal” diagnosis and (hopefully) a recovery plan so that I can continue to train for this half marathon. I’d like to get a professional opinion and advice to counter my initial feeling of wanting to run through the pain. This event is still 4 months away and I don’t want to make it worse by trying to run through the pain.
I’ll post an update to this blog after my doc’s visit and let everyone know if my friend was right and hopefully some tips on recovery. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I have to say, I considered NOT setting up a doc’s appt for fear of what I would hear. I’m still nervous about it but I’d rather know now while it’s early enough to (hopefully) be able to do something about it. I’ve been running for years and I don’t want to stop any time soon. As important as this half marathon is for me, I don’t want to sacrafice many more years of running for a single run. I’ll keep you posted.
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New Post 7/11/2008 (07:52:55)
A few months ago I received a heart rate monitor for my birthday. I had been wanting a heart rate monitor but never felt I needed one and always “put it off.” I’ve been using my HR monitor for training purposes.
The concept behind the heart rate monitor is to track the “intensity” of your work as measured by hour HR. The particular HR monitor I have is made by Timex and uses a chest strap. There are a couple of basic tests that you go through to calibrate your heart rate monitor. One of the tests, for example, has you do step ups for 30 seconds (or a minute…can’t remember at the moment). At the end of the time period, you note your hear rate then plug your HR into a forumula provided by the manual to compute your maximum heart rate. There are two such tests. After doing both tests, you take the average of your max HR and use that to program your watch.
Based on your max HR, the watch computes 5 HR “zones.” Each zone is a range of heart beats per minute based on your max HR. Zone 1, for example, could be 91-108, Zone 2 109-125, etc. You can choose to train within a given HR zone (i.e. your goal is to maintain a HR within the given range during your run/workout). The watch will chime when you are “out of your zone” so that you don’t have to keep looking at it.
The HR monitor works in conjuction with the stop watch and timer. It starts keeping a record of your HR as soon as you press “start” on the chrono setting and records your avg HR every time you lap. When you press stop, you get the following results: peak HR, min HR, avg HR, calories used, avg HR per lap, time in zone (based on what zone you chose…but you don’t have to choose one), and recovery (a measure of your change in HR after you stop running within 1 or 2 minutes…a higher number, according to the manual, means a higher level of fitness).
You can use this information to compute the workout intensity using a formula called FIT (frequency x intensity x time). So for example, if you work out 3 days a week and spend 20 minutes each time in zone 3 you get 3 * 3 * 20 = 180 points for the week. The manual states that if you work out such that you can acrue 700 points in a given week, for example, you should be able to bike for 100 miles in a day. The manual lists totals for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, marathon, etc. I am not going to try to do jumping jacks instead of running for my trianing. But it would be interesting to see if you could actually complete a half marathon by simply following the HR formula regardless of the type of event.
All in all a pretty nifty gadget. My experience with it has been good but I honestly don’t know whether I should follow the target HR points for a week or total milage in orderr to be able to complete the HR. Seeing as how this is my first marathon, I’m going with mileage but tracking my HR points to see if the two match up (i.e. given my training am I going to accrue a certain number of points in a given week to complete the half-marathon). I’ll keep this blog posted.
All in all, though, I’m trying to keep it fun and not get too caught up in the “numbers.” Afterall, I’m not out to break any records or anything…I want to have fun and so far I’m enjoying my runs and I find pleasure in knowing what I can and how far I can push my self (not to mention the quiet time). The watch just brings out the geek in me. 
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