Rock n' Roll San Diego Race Report

One of the biggest obstacles athletes face is that they want to make improvements right now. I try to gently explain that there are incremental steps that have to be taken in the pursuit of a goal, and bypassing the laws of athletic improvement will result in injury, over-training, and/or disappointment. It is unrealistic, for example, to break 40 minutes in a 10k in a matter of a few months if you are consistently running 43 minutes. A more physiologically reasonable approach is dropping time in smaller chunks. Adaptations have to occur through training and racing, and this process cannot be rushed. But, most athletes are impatient, and they are disillusioned when they don’t reach milestones in a set time period.

When I started exclusively running two years ago, my half marathon PR was 1:19.48. My goal, obviously, was to get faster. And, slowly but surely I did. I ran 1:19.20, 1:19.02, 1:18.28, 1:18.42, 1:18.22, and 1:18.28 between February, 2011 and April, 2013. That is 6 half marathons within a 60 second window! A sub-1:18 performance loomed, but I just could not get there. A combination of the rib injury, course choice and other unmeasurable factors kept me in that very tight range. I knew under the right circumstances, though, I would pop off a race that would get me through that elusive barrier. At times I was frustrated, but evidently my body just wasn’t ready to make the jump to the next level.

Running 37:13 at the Bolder Boulder 10k was the perfect set-up for another assault on the sub-1:18 half marathon 6 days later at Rock n’ Roll San Diego. I calculated, based on that time, I could take the half marathon out in 36:30 for the first 10k. It sounds ambitious to run the first 10k of a half marathon 45 seconds faster than an open 10k, but the Bolder Boulder is a point to point race unlike any other. Most point to point courses are designed with a net downhill to give runners a chance to hit a fast time; the Bolder Boulder course, on the other hand, was created by a sadistic SOB who devised a route with a net uphill. Add to that the altitude, and you have yourself a very tough, slow 10k.

The new Rock n’ Roll San Diego course was built on the premise of using a net downhill course to increase the possibility of attaining a fast time. The first 11 miles of this point to point course were flat to rolling. The last 2 miles were screaming fast with a nice descent to the finish. Indeed, this course was so well planned the male winner ran the third fastest half marathon ever! Mother Nature can make or break any race, and on Sunday she provided extraordinary conditions with cool temperatures, overcast skies, and very light wind.

Despite feeling sluggish during my warm up (I couldn’t even hit 6 minute pace on my strides), when the gun fired, I felt surprisingly light on my feet. I ran through the first mile in a comfortable 5:48 and sure enough, I went through 10k in exactly 36:30. I ran strong over the next few miles and took advantage of the fast ending by running the last 5k in 17:56, my fastest 5k of the race. When I hit the line in 1:16.45, I was thrilled that I finally broke through an elusive barrier. It made the frustration of getting so close so many times go away in instant, and of course, I immediately started calculations on how to get under 1:16.

Pre-race with Bob Babbitt and the rest of the Elvi

I  always feel like the lessons I learn from being an athlete are directly applicable to my role as a coach and adviser. Now that the racing season is underway, there will be times when I get a call from a despondent athlete who missed a goal. I can assure them, through the experience of personal accomplishments coming on the heels of adversity, that they are on the right track and that the improvements will come through consistently working hard, racing smart, believing in themselves, and not giving up.

Take a Deep Breath

I was diagnosed with asthma 22 years ago; that means I have had a very long time to deal with breathing problems. When I crashed on my bike in 2009 and sustained numerous rib injuries, my breathing issues became worse because asthma is characterized by difficulty exhaling, while rib injuries affect the ability to inhale. I was a complete breathing catastrophe. I couldn’t effectively breathe in or out. I was only able to take short, shallow breaths from my chest, under-utilizing my diaphragm, the major muscle used for breathing leading to a constant feeling of discomfort. Since my surgery in August, I have been able to “relearn” how to breathe properly. It sounds crazy; learning how to do something that is primarily involuntary, but my rib cage, diaphragm, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus had to be retrained. These muscles, like other muscles in the body, can get stronger. Eventually I was able to breathe from my belly rather than my chest. What a revelation! Now, I no longer feel like a pack a day smoker while running uphill and I am running times during workouts that I have not achieved since before my accident.

Due to my own breathing problems, I have become attuned to the way people are breathing and I have seen that it is almost the norm for people to chest breathe rather than breathe from their belly. This is a distinct disadvantage for athletes. I know we have all experienced shallow breathing, whether in a race or at the end of a hard workout. Learning how to control your breathing will enable you to go faster and harder. We put together this series of exercises to help you learn to breathe properly. Practice it. It will pay off.

First, here is a very cool video showing the action of the diaphragm and the rib cage.

 

And, here are our exercises.

 

 

 Thanks to Roman Mica of EverymanTri for filming, Brandon Del Campo for being a great sport, and Robin Galaskewicz for helping us put together the exercises.

Colorado Half Marathon race report

Experience plays a huge role when it comes to racing. Take yesterday’s race, the Colorado Half Marathon, for example. Just before Mark dropped off my friend Jimmy and me at the bus that would transport us to the start, I asked Jimmy if he had any toilet paper; you know, just in case. He did not. I supplied him with some tissues and grabbed some for myself. As the bus jostled along to the starting area, I was anxiously anticipating using the facilities. When we finally pulled into the designated area, there was a bank of Porta Potties with hundreds of people lingering around them. For some reason, though, all of the bathrooms were open. The reason, you ask? They forgot to stock them with toilet paper! Jimmy and I did the happy dance and moseyed into the empty bathrooms. If 20 years of racing has taught me anything, it is always bring toilet paper on a run. Just as we emerged from our respective loos, dozens of rolls of toilet paper were delivered and the unhappy lingerers bee lined to the bathrooms.

The Colorado half marathon is a beautiful course that starts a few miles up Poudre Canyon and runs down to Old Town Ft. Collins. With a 6:30 am start time, and a 5 am bus loading time, we decided to spend the night in Ft. Collins with our friend Jimmy. Jimmy and I go WAY back. I’m talking all the way back to my first Hawaii Ironman in 1996. He even had pictures to remind me of the good ‘ole days. It was quite nostalgic to see the fashions, hair dos and younger faces of our close knit group who attended that year.

Laugh all you want! This is me the morning of IM Hawaii in 1996.

But, I digress. I thoroughly enjoyed the race itself. After the LA marathon, some rib issues flared up and needed some aggressive treatment. I looked to this race as a barometer of my progress in the continued healing of my ribs and also hoped to score a fast time on the mostly downhill course.

This race was a success on both fronts. I had zero rib pain and I ran only 3 seconds slower than my PR which I set at sea level in October. My ultimate goal was to dip under 1:18, which I missed by 25 seconds, but I am still pleased with how the day turned out. I ran a consistent race, and because everything felt good and the scenery was stunning, the miles ticked by quickly. I was thrilled to win and was only beat by two men.

Half marathons are interestingly uncomfortable races. I know for myself, I run almost at 10k pace for over double the distance. I realize this means I should probably run a faster 10k, but somehow I just don’t have any extra speed for the shorter distance. Unlike a marathon, where muscle fatigue often derails the pace, a half marathon requires concentration and the ability to push through the mental fatigue and respiratory discomfort. By this I mean, unless you really go rogue and start a half marathon way beyond your means, generally your muscles will not give out (unless you are untrained, which is another post entirely). It is the running at such a hard pace for so long that becomes mentally taxing and the worry of blowing up is ever-present. In addition, breathing becomes rapid or shallow from breathing so hard for so long. Half marathons are unique – they are just long enough to hurt but not long enough to hurt too much. Mental training for a half is just as important as the physical training. A major key to half marathon success: teaching yourself not to succumb to the voice in your head that yells “SLOW DOWN” when the pace starts to feel hard.

How to Make Lemonade

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. I hate that saying. In fact, I hate most cheery adages and motivational gobbledygook. No doubt, there have been some inspirational people that have said some inspirational things, so I can appreciate the occasional message of encouragement. But, in general, I feel bombarded by these types of quotes. Do they really stimulate action? I know for myself, that when the going gets tough, I get going (oops, did I just drop a cheery adage?); I don’t sit on Twitter or Facebook and look for quotes that will get me off the couch.

This is all at the forefront of my mind because of a recent change in my life. Since pre-school I have been involved in the world of academics. For many decades I was a student, and then, I became a researcher. Academia is controlled by publications and grants. You need both to survive. Things move reallyreallyfast, and then they move r e a l l y, r e a l l y, s l o w. There is the excitement of being a part of cutting edge research and going to meetings where ingenious ideas are born. It was all I knew. All of this ended for me last month when my grant finished and my funding source was gone. Nine years at the University of Colorado and then nothing. Ouch.

I knew the impending end was coming for about 6 months so I started looking for a new position in my field of statistics. But, do you know how hard it is to find a part-time telecommuting job? And, after being in academia for so long, my qualifications did not even fit into the realm of private industry anyway. I realized I was going to have to figure out how to put my skills to use in a way that was not readily apparent.

Fortunately, I have had experience “reinventing” myself. All of my years as an athlete taught me a lot of lessons that are applicable to life outside of sports. I started out my athletic career as a swimmer. It was my identity for so many years that chlorine became my scent of choice over any fancy perfume. When I graduated college, I muddled around without any athletic goals and I felt aimless. I turned to triathlon and I obtained a new identity. I even had an ID card from USAT to prove it. Again, my life was wrapped up in my new sport and I embraced it wholeheartedly. I never imagined a day when I wouldn’t be a triathlete anymore. A freak accident in 2009 ended my triathlon days; the injuries I sustained made riding a bike impossible (and to this day, I still am not able to ride). I mourned for a little while and wondered what the heck I was going to do to sustain my competitive spirit. I parlayed my love for running into yet another new identity. I even got an ID card from USATF to prove it. I started running competitively.

Every time I had to move from one situation to the next, there was a period of frustration, sadness and readjustment. But, ultimately, I found satisfaction, success and fun.

This brings me back to my job situation. Having gone through the process of reinventing myself athletically, I knew I had the tools to do it professionally. A fluke conversation with a friend who is a doctoral candidate at CU, and who I had helped with some statistical issues, suggested I look into dissertation consulting. Who knew that was such a burgeoning field? What a surprise! I spruced up my resume and sent a few out. Lo and behold, I landed myself a part-time telecommuting position. Good-bye academia. Hello consulting.

The process of reinventing oneself is no easy task. Here are some things I have found helpful:

• Take action quickly. When a situation occurs that is prompting a reinvention (eg. loss of a job) allow yourself a fixed amount of time to be depressed, angry, irritable, bitchy because inactivity breeds more inactivity.
• Figure out your talents and then think about how to apply them in a new way.
• Talk to anyone and everyone. You never know who has a life-changing idea or fantastic connections.
• Don’t be afraid of change. Yes, change can be scary. Kick its ass.
• Look at new opportunities as a chance to meet new people, do new things and have more fun.
• Making changes take time and a lot of effort. Be prepared for both.

LA Marathon: Race Recap

The streets of Los Angeles are infamous for the constant hustle and bustle.  LA traffic hardly knows a quiet time, with impatient drivers honking the moment a light turns green and others scurrying across an intersection making a left turn even though the light just turned red. Imagine then, the solitude of these very roads, closed to vehicular traffic in the moments before 26,000 people embarked on a 26.2 mile journey from Dodger Stadium heading west to Santa Monica. I got to experience an LA unknown and unavailable to most people yesterday during the LA marathon, an empty LA, vacant of cars and people.

My LA adventure transpired due to the unique format for the professional runners: an Equalizer. With the Equalizer, the women are given a pre-determined head start, hence the empty roads, and the men chase them down with the first across the line declared the winner. I am no stranger to the Equalizer; the Life Time Fitness triathlon in Minneapolis utilized this system to create excitement among the competitors and spectators. It was a marquee event upon which an invite was coveted. There was bonus money for the top 5 across the line, unlike the LA marathon which has a bonus solely for the winner. With only one person reaping the spoils, the men’s and women’s fields in LA are generally tiny, which is probably how I was able to obtain a start in such an esteemed field.

There are many advantages to acquiring a spot in the elite field. The race organizers take care of the runners, ensuring that they have the best race possible. There is no need to fight the throngs at the expo to pick up race packets. All of that is given to the athletes after a private race meeting. Speaking of the meeting, the quote of the day had to be this: "Whoever finishes first, please look jubilant when you cross the line and whatever you do, DO NOT, hit the stop button on your watch." The hospitality suite is always stocked with food. And then, there is my favorite part, the water bottle tables for special needs and the requisite tradition of decorating the bottles. In this particular race, the tables were situated every 4 miles. Yes, that is something to look forward to during a long day.

My bottles, adorned for the big day.

The women's field ready to go.

Only seven women toed the line yesterday, one of whom was my training partner, Colleen De Reuck. We planned to run together until such time we couldn’t. Even though she had doubts about her fitness, I knew I would be the one to fold; after all, her years and years of marathon prowess were no match for my relative naiveté. Her company made this cross-town travail much easier, though. The other 5 women pulled away moments after the gun went off, 18:38 before the rest of the LA marathon field. The two of us ran through the lonely streets of downtown LA, with only the occasional spectator imploring us to catch the women in front. Um, if we could catch them we wouldn’t have been dropped in the first place!

Big smiles before the big race...

Once we made our way out of downtown, the streets started to fill with spectators and the occasional proselytizer, making the route seem less forlorn. At mile 16, the lead group of men whizzed by at a dizzying speed. Colleen started to pick up the pace, and I knew it was just a little too much. I told her to continue on without me, I did not want to ruin her race.

...no longer smiling

The last 9 miles were a mental battle. With no runners to keep me company, I felt very alone. My legs were starting to tire from the incredibly hilly first 10k (holy crap, whoever designed the new course must never have run a marathon), and I had to constantly fight the voice in my head that kept saying slow down. I made my way through the tail end of the course, shivering from the cold and enduring pain in my feet from the pounding. As I ran down the finish chute, I could see myself on the Jumbotron. I looked horrible, my arms and legs flailing all over the place. My form had deteriorated miles before, so much so that a spectator shouted out for me to lift my knees (which I really don’t do when I am fresh).

Even though I slowed noticeably toward the end, I held it together enough to finish only a minute slower than my PR, which was run on a much easier course. I placed 6th overall in a time of 2:44.48.

I am not hobbled too badly and hope to recover quickly. The weather is only getting better, and Diesel the Dog will be anxious to get some exercise.

Are you flexible?

Are you flexible? I don’t mean in the bendy, Cirque de Soleil sort of way. I refer to flexible with your training. As an age group swimmer, my coach was about as flexible as titanium. If any of us had to miss a workout, to take the SAT, for example, his face would turn red and the vein in his forehead would get all big and scary. His rigidity stayed with me decades after I left his tutelage and rendered me a slave to whatever workout I had on my schedule. 

Being beholden to a schedule can be a difficult proposition. On the one hand, having a plan makes training more effective. On the other hand, life frequently gets in the way of training and a lack of flexibility makes dealing with unalterable situations even more frustrating. Shuffling around workouts is often necessary and a missed workout is commonly unavoidable. A younger me would fret endlessly about missed or altered workouts. I would go into a guilt spiral, certain that my goals would vanish into thin air. Yes, my tyrannical swim coach instilled a phenomenal work ethic, but with that came some serious baggage. 

Then, the other day, I had a realization. One of the benefits of being a “mature” (ok, old) athlete is that I have learned how to be more flexible with my training. Don’t laugh. It’s true. I had three instances in the past week that forced me to make changes to my pre-set workout plan on the fly to prove my point.

The first situation occurred last Friday. A hill run was foiled by snow so we decided to run a tempo session on a flatter section of road we thought would be clear. During our warm-up, we realized that there was too much ice so we decided to delay the workout until the next day. Normally I am not a fan of doing a hard run on Saturday as it deadens my legs for my Sunday long run (which in this case was a 20 miler). But, ultimately I decided to do the hill run on Saturday and suck it up for the long run. Luckily, it all turned out ok.

Then, a few days later, when I was driving to the gym for my normal Tuesday morning run session the weather intervened again. The snow came earlier than foretasted and I could see that the ground was starting to ice up. I had to make a decision. Outside or treadmill? I am no fan of the treadmill, but I made the switch and moved my workout indoors. Safety first. As I started my session, I realized that the workout I intended to do was not treadmill friendly so I altered the plan and changed it to something that was more tolerable. Whoa. I made two flexible decisions in one hour. I think that absolves me of being flexible for at least the rest of the week.

Flexibility in training takes on many forms. It may be a matter of deciding that a 20 minute run is better than nothing at all; picking just one of the two proscribed workouts on a busy day. Sometimes it is realizing that if you cut the warm up and warm down short you will have just enough time to get in the intervals. Some days it may mean missing training altogether.

Learning to be flexible does not equate to weakness. On the contrary, a flexible athlete will be happier and better adjusted.

Racing With a Purpose

The Surf City half marathon was my slowest half in almost two years. Given that my injury is better and my training more consistent, I was disappointed that I was unable to have the breakthrough race I was looking for. Then something very interesting happened. My run workouts after the race took a leap forward. Even though I did not achieve a PR, I made noticeable gains in fitness (without the soreness that accompanies a PR effort) that will serve me well for the LA marathon next month.

Most of us race only 6-12 times each year. That is quite low in comparison to the amount of training that we do. It is no wonder, then, that we want to PR at every race, even if at the outset the race was designated as a lower level race in importance. Every race has a purpose, but not every race deserves a full scale taper and gut-busting effort. When planning a race schedule, it is imperative to understand which races are the “A” races and will receive the royal treatment and which races serve a supporting role in pursuit of that perfect “A” race.

Lower importance races can serve many functions in both running and triathlon. Here are 5 things that a race can provide besides a PR.

1.    A chance to experiment with nutrition. What works in training does not always pan out during a race. A half Ironman prior to an Ironman is a perfect opportunity to try out something nutritionally that has worked in training but has never been implemented in a race.

2.    Work on pacing strategies. Usually go out conservatively? Maybe try a race where you go out a little harder and see if you can hold on to it. Usually go out like a bat out of Hell and then crawl to the finish? Start a little easier in your next race and try to finish stronger.

3.     Use shorter races to dial in pace or wattage for something longer. A 10k is a good marker for a half marathon and a half marathon is a good marker for a marathon. Training for an Ironman? A half Ironman is good place to practice pace and watts for the big day. If it feels too hard during the short race then you can bet it is much too hard for the longer distance.

4.    Just for fun. Sometimes a destination race is just that – all about the destination.

5.    In lieu of a workout. Running races, time trials and swim meets are excellent substitutes for a regularly scheduled training session. A race that is used a training session keeps you in the racing mode, allows you to go harder than you would during training and helps you boost your fitness and confidence going into the “A” race.

On Saturday I am running a 10 miler. This race fulfills 3 of the 5 parameters mentioned above. I am going to work on pacing – I would like to negative split. I am using this shorter race to dial in my pace for the upcoming LA marathon. And, the race will substitute for the longer tempo workout I usually do at the end of the week.

Now, that being said, this race will be a PR, but only because I have never raced over this distance. How convenient!

Determining a specific function for a race is something new for me. As a professional triathlete, I felt like I needed to be on my game every single time I toed the line. I put pressure on myself to perform at the highest level at every race, and I raced HARD all season. This is mindset that led to plenty of wins, but it also led to plenty of unmitigated disasters. I have learned that all races have a purpose, and that purpose cannot always be an all out effort. Define what that objective is prior to race day and race accordingly.