... that running has finally made me lose my mind. Since I've started running these distances I've been mildly surprised at the changes in the kinds of foods I find myself craving. Mostly, the surprise has been kept so modest because my thoughts have tended to be along the lines of, "Mmmm... pasta!" It hardly seems surprising that while running a lot my body would start demanding just straight up carbs. A little bit more surprising has been my relative desire for red meat seems to have gone down, but I think that might just be the direct result of a sort of "crowding out" effect from my increased pasta/bread/pizza consumption.
But last week delivered a total shock. Thursday the students/post-docs in my research group have a mini-tradition of going out together and getting lunch, and last week we went to a mixed Asian restaurant (Cravings). Anyway, the person across the table from me got a tofu dish, and I couldn't help but think to myself, "Hmm...that looks... strangely appetizing." I even went so far as to ask for a little taste, and found that it was, frankly, not that bad.
So, I ask, what is happening to me? Clearly something is going wrong...
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Monday: A beautiful day, so another out-of-the-gym "cross-training" session... a 3 mile jog and 5 sets of the Krannert steps.
Tuesday: An easy 5 mile run.
Wednesday: 7 miles, nothing too interesting.
Thursday: 5 fairly relaxed miles
And Friday, of course, was my day off...
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A few weeks ago I started talking about how I was really starting to feel the wear on my legs from running so much, and as I'm writing this (the day after my 20-miler) I have to say that I still feel much the same way. I think I'm starting to suspect that these very long distances (which I am considering everything since that 17 miler) aren't really about building up cardiovascular fitness for the marathon so much as just training the body to stand up to the grinding wear and tear of running for just hours on end. Well, I guess I'm finally getting my wish in terms of adding some small amounts of pain into the exercise routine, right?
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Saturday: 5 miles at pace
Sunday: A rather horrible day, weather wise: cold, rainy, and with high winds. So, my weekend running buddy and I decided to put off the long run until tomorrow. Instead, just a 5 mile run on the treadmill
Monday: 20 miles! Or, as I like to think of it, the double double-digit run. I was one hurting dude after this (and I've mostly been loafing off since finishing the run, not very successfully mustering the energy to focus on work... I think now I understand why doing a long run on a weekday, even if you wake up early to get most of it in before the work day starts, is not the best idea), but I still feel pretty good about myself for finishing the run. Also, "Chocolate Outrage" GU energy gel is maybe one of the best things on the planet.
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Current estimate of my odds of completing a marathon on May 1st: Well, after successfully getting through the 20 miler today, I think I'm ready to bump this up to 95%, which is as high as it was ever going to get (I mean, you can never predict injuries and other such surprises, right?). So, unless something disastrous happens and I need to make a massive downward revision of these odds before the race, I think this will be the last appearance of the "odds estimator" section of the weekly write-up.
March 29, 2010
March 23, 2010
Week 12 - West Coast Edition
This week the running got pushed to the back burner a little bit while I was at that conference in Oregon (which, by the way, was fantastic). Unfortunately, the only time I could really find to run was early in the morning, and since I had to catch a 7:10 bus to get to get to the conference on time, that meant waking up at 5:00 on mornings I decided to run so I could get the exercise in, shower, eat breakfast, and still make it on time. You might not be surprised to hear, then, that I'm very excited about catching up on sleep this week!
Still, running turns out to be a great way to get to see and familiarize yourself with a new city, and Portland sure is a pretty one. I think I had just about perfect weather all week -- 50 to 60 and sunny just about every day -- and Spring was just coming around so the cherry blossom trees were just starting to bloom.
And, as I said above, the conference itself was pretty excellent. It was a bit of a mental drain to sit through these rapid-fire 12 to 36 minute talks all day (8:00 - 5:45, with an hour break for lunch), but most of the talks were really quite interesting and at least a few of them gave me some ideas for references to look up now that I'm back in Illinois.
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Monday: Today's cross-training was (drum roll...) walking back from the convention center (about 2 miles) while carrying an overstuffed laptop bag. Not too impressive, I know.
Tuesday: 5 pre-dawn miles along the East and West banks of the downtown section of the Willamette river.
Wednesday: Another 5 pre-dawn miles, this time with more homeless people along the route.
Thursday: Yet another 5 pre-dawn miles... fewer homeless people, more early-morning bicycle commuters.
And Friday, of course, was my day off...
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So, a short comment here (since I really need to get back to work), but the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful, beautiful area. Or at least the small sliver that I saw, anyway. Also, call me crazy, but as I was flying over it, Montana sure made a convincing case as a place to visit and hike around in. Never thought I would have said that...
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Saturday: A beautiful ~5 mile hike in the Columbia River Gorge, and then a 6 mile run along the river downtown (a definite improvement from running the route before it was light out!)
Sunday: I woke up too sore from hiking to do a morning run before my flight (worth it, though -- I definitely miss having mountains around!), so an extra day off today
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One-word trip summary: Awesome
Current estimate of my odds of completing a marathon on May 1st: 90% At this point I think I'm just mechanically inching that number higher each week, without really thinking about it
Still, running turns out to be a great way to get to see and familiarize yourself with a new city, and Portland sure is a pretty one. I think I had just about perfect weather all week -- 50 to 60 and sunny just about every day -- and Spring was just coming around so the cherry blossom trees were just starting to bloom.
And, as I said above, the conference itself was pretty excellent. It was a bit of a mental drain to sit through these rapid-fire 12 to 36 minute talks all day (8:00 - 5:45, with an hour break for lunch), but most of the talks were really quite interesting and at least a few of them gave me some ideas for references to look up now that I'm back in Illinois.
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Monday: Today's cross-training was (drum roll...) walking back from the convention center (about 2 miles) while carrying an overstuffed laptop bag. Not too impressive, I know.
Tuesday: 5 pre-dawn miles along the East and West banks of the downtown section of the Willamette river.
Wednesday: Another 5 pre-dawn miles, this time with more homeless people along the route.
Thursday: Yet another 5 pre-dawn miles... fewer homeless people, more early-morning bicycle commuters.
And Friday, of course, was my day off...
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So, a short comment here (since I really need to get back to work), but the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful, beautiful area. Or at least the small sliver that I saw, anyway. Also, call me crazy, but as I was flying over it, Montana sure made a convincing case as a place to visit and hike around in. Never thought I would have said that...
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Saturday: A beautiful ~5 mile hike in the Columbia River Gorge, and then a 6 mile run along the river downtown (a definite improvement from running the route before it was light out!)
Sunday: I woke up too sore from hiking to do a morning run before my flight (worth it, though -- I definitely miss having mountains around!), so an extra day off today
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One-word trip summary: Awesome
Current estimate of my odds of completing a marathon on May 1st: 90% At this point I think I'm just mechanically inching that number higher each week, without really thinking about it
March 12, 2010
Week 11 - In which I feel a little ground down
Well, I'm heading off to that conference in Portland, OR early Sunday, so not only will next week's running (and blog-posting) schedule be a little bit up in the air, but this week had to be shuffled around just a touch as well...Next week was supposed to be a light, rest-and-recovery week anyway, but this week's scheduled 18-miler doesn't seem like something I should skip, and since Sunday morning isn't really an option (I have no desire, particularly, to start running at 3:00 in the morning), I've pushed it back to Saturday and juggled the rest of the week a bit.
I have to say, though, that between the 17-miler last Sunday, the extra-enthusiastic stair-running on Monday (see below), and the rest of the exercises this week, this was really the first time that I feel like my body is just barely recovering in time for the next long run. My muscles are still feeling just a little tired, my knees and ankles are feeling just a tiny bit fussy, and all of that sort of thing. I'm still sure I'll be able to finish the 18 miles tomorrow, but I think I'm going to be grateful for the week of relative rest after that...
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Monday: It was a beautiful day outside on Monday, and I couldn't bear to do my cross-training at the gym. Unfortunately, since my bike was stolen (some time ago -- last Labor Day) the only outdoor cross-training I could think of was to run stairs. So, (10 x the Krannert steps) was what ended up happening. Something of a painful decision, I might add...
Tuesday: 5 x 1200 meters. Rough
Wednesday: 8 fast miles miles.
A shuffled-schedule day of rest on Thursday
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Of course, in addition to the week of relative rest that I'll be looking forward to, I'm also very excited about going to this conference. I think my talk still needs a bit of polishing, but since I'm not actually giving the talk until next Friday I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to make little refinements during the week. So, now the only thing left is for me to finish this infernal problem set I've been working on for the last few days... Unfortunately, it was scheduled to be due while I'll be away, so I have to finish it up tonight or early tomorrow and hand it in before I head out. Well, only one problem left on it, so hopefully it won't take too too much longer.
Alright, I'm not sure what the blog-updating plan is going to be over the next week. Regular posting will resume on the 28th. Until then...
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Friday: 7 miles - 6 on the treadmill and 1 mile of an extra-loopy run from the gym to my apartment.
Saturday: 18 miles tomorrow is the plan. In the rain. Is it strange that, even a bit sore and tired as I am, and with the threat of relatively nasty weather, I'm still kind of looking forward to the run?
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Part of the country soon to be checked off on my "to visit" list: Pacific Northwest.
Current estimate of my odds of completing a marathon on May 1st: 88%... that number is starting to creep pretty high, isn't it?
I have to say, though, that between the 17-miler last Sunday, the extra-enthusiastic stair-running on Monday (see below), and the rest of the exercises this week, this was really the first time that I feel like my body is just barely recovering in time for the next long run. My muscles are still feeling just a little tired, my knees and ankles are feeling just a tiny bit fussy, and all of that sort of thing. I'm still sure I'll be able to finish the 18 miles tomorrow, but I think I'm going to be grateful for the week of relative rest after that...
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Monday: It was a beautiful day outside on Monday, and I couldn't bear to do my cross-training at the gym. Unfortunately, since my bike was stolen (some time ago -- last Labor Day) the only outdoor cross-training I could think of was to run stairs. So, (10 x the Krannert steps) was what ended up happening. Something of a painful decision, I might add...
Tuesday: 5 x 1200 meters. Rough
Wednesday: 8 fast miles miles.
A shuffled-schedule day of rest on Thursday
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Of course, in addition to the week of relative rest that I'll be looking forward to, I'm also very excited about going to this conference. I think my talk still needs a bit of polishing, but since I'm not actually giving the talk until next Friday I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to make little refinements during the week. So, now the only thing left is for me to finish this infernal problem set I've been working on for the last few days... Unfortunately, it was scheduled to be due while I'll be away, so I have to finish it up tonight or early tomorrow and hand it in before I head out. Well, only one problem left on it, so hopefully it won't take too too much longer.
Alright, I'm not sure what the blog-updating plan is going to be over the next week. Regular posting will resume on the 28th. Until then...
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Friday: 7 miles - 6 on the treadmill and 1 mile of an extra-loopy run from the gym to my apartment.
Saturday: 18 miles tomorrow is the plan. In the rain. Is it strange that, even a bit sore and tired as I am, and with the threat of relatively nasty weather, I'm still kind of looking forward to the run?
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Part of the country soon to be checked off on my "to visit" list: Pacific Northwest.
Current estimate of my odds of completing a marathon on May 1st: 88%... that number is starting to creep pretty high, isn't it?
March 7, 2010
Week 10 - In which...wait a second, I'm over halfway throught this training program?!
Right, so, towards the end of this week I emailed a list of the remaining Sunday "long run" mileages to my running partner, and in staring at that list I realized that between now and May 1st there really aren't all that many weeks left. On the one hand, I do feel like I've increased my endurance tremendously -- I'm actually a bit proud of how much more in shape I feel compared to a few months ago. But then I consider that the 17-miler today just about wiped me out, and I still have to increase that distance by over 50%?! In just 8 weeks (two of which are just the taper weeks leading up to the race)? Kind of a terrifying thought.
In other news, this week I once again let down the Coach, although not quite as badly as over the last few weeks. Thursday I came down with a cold. On its own that wouldn't have been that bad, but between that and an especially busy time at work for me lately I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep lately. So, on Saturday (the first really beautiful day we've had in a while - sunny and over 50!) I started out planning to run 8 miles, but after just 3-3.5 miles I felt terrible, turned around, and just headed home. Not so proud of that one, but objectively I think it was the right choice.
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Monday: 30 minute on the stationary bike, followed by 20 minute son the elliptical. Kind of boring.
Tuesday: 5 x 1000 meters. Compared to Monday, quite fun.
Wednesday: 8 miles.
Thursday: 4 quick miles, bracketed by a mile to warm up and a mile to cool down
And a restful (albeit work-filled) Friday
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So, you know what I had forgotten how much I dislike doing? Making PowerPoint presentations. I mean, it takes all of ten seconds to sketch out on a piece of paper what you want to put on a given slide, but then between formatting everything, inputting the equations, fussing with converting graphics between one program and another, getting all of the plots and figures in order, etc. suddenly it's an hour and a half later and the slide still isn't finished. Definitely a major contributor to the general lack of fun in my life this week.
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Saturday: Just 4 miles, which I felt a bit bad about...but at least the weather was nice enough to run outside
Sunday: 17 miles, partly in the rain. I felt kind of hard-core.
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Current estimate of my odds of completing a marathon on May 1st: Another off day in the mix, but overall improvement, so.... 87%
In other news, this week I once again let down the Coach, although not quite as badly as over the last few weeks. Thursday I came down with a cold. On its own that wouldn't have been that bad, but between that and an especially busy time at work for me lately I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep lately. So, on Saturday (the first really beautiful day we've had in a while - sunny and over 50!) I started out planning to run 8 miles, but after just 3-3.5 miles I felt terrible, turned around, and just headed home. Not so proud of that one, but objectively I think it was the right choice.
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Monday: 30 minute on the stationary bike, followed by 20 minute son the elliptical. Kind of boring.
Tuesday: 5 x 1000 meters. Compared to Monday, quite fun.
Wednesday: 8 miles.
Thursday: 4 quick miles, bracketed by a mile to warm up and a mile to cool down
And a restful (albeit work-filled) Friday
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So, you know what I had forgotten how much I dislike doing? Making PowerPoint presentations. I mean, it takes all of ten seconds to sketch out on a piece of paper what you want to put on a given slide, but then between formatting everything, inputting the equations, fussing with converting graphics between one program and another, getting all of the plots and figures in order, etc. suddenly it's an hour and a half later and the slide still isn't finished. Definitely a major contributor to the general lack of fun in my life this week.
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Saturday: Just 4 miles, which I felt a bit bad about...but at least the weather was nice enough to run outside
Sunday: 17 miles, partly in the rain. I felt kind of hard-core.
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Current estimate of my odds of completing a marathon on May 1st: Another off day in the mix, but overall improvement, so.... 87%
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