A Battle Won, War's Begun

Posts have been slow the past few weeks as i've been taking a mental and physical break following the half marathon a few weeks ago. My time has been consumed by video games, some runs ranging from 5-10 miles, a few nights out, and some days that go by with me realizing i didn't do much of anything at all(especially run). But this was all done in the wake satisfaction from a successful race.

Despite a short and very interrupted nights sleep, i awoke on race day feeling pretty loose and energetic after a week's taper. All of the racers under the roof went through their normal pre-race routines of fueling, limbering up, and finding ways to deny and distract any troublesome nerves from creeping up. My body felt cold all morning, even after a warm shower and 2 mile warm up, but after a few laughs over Ant's failed nip guard, and the crowded start and rush of the first mile, i found myself warming up and concentrating only on finding and maintaining what i planned to be my race pace(and how to pass the bloody racers who were wearing headphones and thus not heeding my polite requests for them to move out of my way.) The pack slowly spread itself out and i spent the rest of the 13.1 miles trying to catch all runners i could see in sight while making sure i didn't stray off race pace and wear myself out. I finished very strong the last 1.5 miles and ran a few minutes faster than i was hoping, which made me very happy considering my low expectations after relatively limited training.

I was motivated to now crush a marathon and run a huge PR in the Spring! Bring it on world!

....2 weeks later i've since sobered up from those feelings and now find myself faced with trying to find the motvation again to run a fast race, decide on an actual schedule with increased mileage, and will myself to lonsesomely follow it in the cold, dark, winter. While Max is off parading around in New Zealand somewhere, i'm hoping to continue to share and find motivation and encouragement with Ant. Today's run was a relaxed and easy 11 with Dan and Carissa on the W&OD after a poor nights sleep hanging out with my Navy friend in town. Tomorrow is a lift and a run either at night or on a treadmill depending on how i'm feeling.

-Kyle

P.S. I need new music

The Machinist

I did a small workout yesterday in the fleeting light that remained after I'd gotten off work (half hour early, mind you) at 4:30. I decided on a 1 min on/off fartleik to get a little turn over in my legs before the race Saturday. The course rolled, so it was nice to get a little speed combined with the ups and downs of the hills -- seeing as how I've logged all of my workouts (2) on a track so far. The result was a satisfying effort that has me about 75% ready for Saturday's race. I'll take it.

As I fell into the final 1 minute fast interval, The Machinist by Conditions came on my iPod shuffle. The shot of adrenaline coursed through me like a flood. My form was perfect, my speed, the fastest of the workout. That song is definitely going to be a staple for the upcoming training block leading up to Boston. I've already shared some of the lyrics, so no need to revisit them, but they get me amped.

As I sat in the dark parking lot getting a quick stretch, I could see visions of being fit. Logging cold, lonely miles over the winter-- just me and my trusty iPod shuffle. Traveling to Boston, and laying down the best marathon of my "career." Time to make dreams become reality.

Love, Running, and Other Drugs.....

This past weekend was meant to be a time in which i did nothing more than sleep, slog a few miles, eat and sleep some more. After a tiresome past 3 weekends it was time for me to rest my weary head before i start to get back to respectable mileage after a hard 13.1 mile effort next weekend. As it turned out, i WAS able to at least make it through friday night/saturday morning according to plan, getting a solid 8.5 hours of sleep and waking up to go run an easy 30 minutes. But my plan soon derailed when a few hours later i found myself in an underground bar, hidden from the sunlight, and competing with some friends at a charity cornhole tournament serving 5$ pitchers. While my performance was respectable, I was not able to take home the prize as my rivals schwee and bj were a game away from doing.

By the time i got home i was fairly drunk and plopped down in bed debating whether i wanted to cook up something for dinner or give in to the shroud of drowziness enclosing the outsides of my eyes. But then Max called and once again, a few hours later, i find myself straying away from the plan, drinking some buds and wine before treking out to the bars to meet up with a few friends. After some dancing and drinking, i closed out the night crashing at my buddies place, regretfully getting wrapped up in the beautiful Anne Hathaway's 'Love, Sex, and other Drugs' before going to sleep at 5:30am.

3 hours later, Max and I awoke and upon returning to my place decided (still slighty intoxicated i might add) to go for a 10 miler. So we donned some running shorts and found a trail to glide along on for roughly 11 miles. I actually felt really good and it was probably Max's longest run so far in this Marathon "training" cycle(Just in time for the race 1 week away....)! Needless to say by the time i was entering the hangover stage, with 3 hours of sleep and 11 miles under my belt by 11:00 am, i was reduced to a hurting sack of flesh and bones.

But i did come out of the night with a dream. A dream to build up mileage the next few months, run a spring marathon, and maybe finally take some time to live like a starving artist and train with Maxuela for a while. It's still a ways away from becoming a reality, but it's good to have something to look forward to.

Vanilla Twilight

Yesterday was my final "long run" before the half. I realized that running with my iPod shuffle is the perfect companion to heartache. Vanilla Twilight became my new favorite song.

In other news, I am the most pathetic human being in existence.

Progress

I went to the track for my second (!) workout for my half marathon next weekend. The goal was to get a little bit closer to my projected "race" pace, which I am setting at around 6:45. The workout was 2x3 mile at goal pace with a 800 jog in between. I ended up falling into a comfortable yet taxing 6:30 pace, and kept it for the extent of the workout. I was satisfied, and here's why:

Although next weekend's half marathon will be far from stellar, that is not the goal. The goal is to run a PR at Boston in April. The new training plan that I am going to follow (Hansons-Brooks) is very heavy on marathon pace workouts. my marathon pace for Boston will be somewhere around 6:40-6:45. So if I am already able to comfortably run workouts at 6:30 pace, that means I'm in good enough shape to jump into this marathon training plan -- which is significantly lower in overall mileage than I've run previously. The greater focus will be on getting my body to run the pace. The volume component will still be there, just not to the same degree.

Shh. Don't tell anyone, but I'm getting motivated...

Catharsis

Eight days remain until THE Richmond Half Marathon. Which I am racing -- or at least running, to some degree. Am I ready? No. Do I care? No. The jury is still out on whether or not I will actually do a final "long run" this weekend. My life is fairly unpredictable these days, so I'm kind of just rolling with the punches (of which there are many).

In spite of all of the negativity, I had a very nice run yesterday evening. I've really been enjoying running with my new iPod shuffle, and I would like to relay a short anecdote from yesterday's 6 miler: As I was running to a mix of Circa Survive and Conditions, the acoustic version of Conditons' Keeping Pace with Planes began playing. This song is a good bit slower in tempo than the other songs on the mix, so it was nice to -- keep pace -- with. The lyrics to this song have always been very meaningful to me, since it was my go-to song as I struggled through an injury-laden lead up to my first ever Boston Marathon in 2008.

The combination of the haunting acoustic guitar, relaxed pace, and lyrical genius left me coursing with adrenaline. Never before have I understood Max's ability to run with one song on repeat for miles on end. Yesterday, I found a song that I could run a 100 mile ultra with. A precursor to Boston Marathon training 2012?

I also found a slogan for said race's training (also stemming from a Conditions song):

Instead of taking action, why don't you begin routine?
And instead of being tired, why don't you become machine?

"Workout" #2 this morning. Scheduled for 2x3 mile @ 6:45 pace. Let's rock and roll.

Ant