Training news and weekend recap

Wednesday: I went out for a run today in the cold rain and got about 150 meters when my knee started hurting again.  So that's that.  I'll try again on Friday and see if I can do at least 5k without pain, and if so, will do the 10k race on Sunday as planned.

Instead of running, I did a squat/lunge session.  Yay.

Friday:  it's raining out, and cold (hey, this is Canada).  A brief run may or may not happen today.  My chiropractor did something to my right knee (ie the one now affected by IT band pains), and that seems to have relieved some pressure.

Still planning to run the 10k in Humboldt on Sunday.

Recap: Intrepid Dezine Half Marathon

Intrepid Dezine Half Marathon
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Distance: 21K (Half Marathon)
Time: 2:06:40
Pace: 9:36
Best Split: 8:17
10k: 54:59 (PR)
Rank: 1511/3127
Post race meal: Chocolate milk, sun chips, banana, half whole wheat bagel.


Comments: Another rainy race.  We started at six minutes after 7am--the delay was owed to a vehicle that stalled on the course.  All-in-all, I found it easier to run in Winnipeg than in Saskatoon, and was headed to a new personal record when near disaster struck about 3/4 of the way through.  Thanks to a build up of lactic acid, my quads and hamstrings really suffered, making it difficult to run. Ultimately the IT band on my right left became an issue.  I had banked enough time early on that I still consider my time (2:06) respectable given the circumstances.  The course started at the University of Manitoba and wound up Pembina into a residential section.  Runners were met along the route by a lot of locals with signs--a few even wanted to slap us five as we ran by.

The aid stations were more numerous and more useful than was the case at the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon.  Water and Gatorade were available, as were soaked sponges; at one point, volunteers were handing out sticks with Vaseline (for chaffing).  I used the aid stations primarily as a walk break--the theory being that my legs would hold up better.  Alas, my theory was wrong, as lactic acid flowed in.

I stayed hydrated by drinking water with GU Brew.  I fueled with Salted Caramel GU (3 packs total- take once before the race, and twice during). All-in-all, I never felt tired.

We crossed the finish line on a running track in a stadium.  Although I didn't sprint, I did greatly pick up the pace at the end, and crossed at 2:06:40.

I've certainly never hurt so much after a race.  Part of the reason for this (and for the one week delay between this post and my previous post) is that I've been under the weather.  First with a cold, then with gastroenteritis (which followed immediately after my previous race).  Clearly, when you're just getting over an illness, you're not necessarily going do your best.   However, sometimes you find out who you are when you keep running after realizing that there won't be a PR.

Recap: Bridge City Boogie 8

Another strange 10k race experience. Although the morning seemed like it might provide warmth and sunshine, it delivered neither (for very long, least). At the gun it was raining a bit and chilly (remember, this is Saskatchewan) and eerily similar to the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon back in April. 

This time I had calf trouble--as opposed to knee trouble--and ended up finishing in 57:01.  That said, it was a pretty fun run overall, and it was a terrific course.  One day I will conquer the 10k.

Next up is the Intrepid Dezine Half Marathon at the Manitoba Marathon in Winnipeg next week.

National Running Day... Sort of.

It's National Running Day in the US today, and although this does not appear to be gaining any traction in Saskatchewan, I'm going to run 10k this evening.

My recovery from SI joint dysfunction is going well.  I'm comfortable running 10k without any pain--probably not a bad thing since I'm 1.5 weeks from a half marathon. I intend to do 10k this evening, then another 5k tomorrow.

This Sunday is the Bridge City Boogie in Saskatoon.  I'm running the 10k event--if I were 100% healthy, or close to it, I'd run the 5k and try to get a PR.  Should be a fun race!

Long Run Saturday and the war on Cheezies

Few things in your running life are as satisfying as a nice long run on a beautiful late Spring day.  On Saturday I ran with the Saskatoon Road Runners over at Brainsport.  We did 10k along Spadina Crescent, and the temp never got above 25c.

This was only my second 10k run since my ill-fated half marathon in April.  The it band issues were a non factor, and the SI joint pains were similarly a non issue. This is good news as I've got a 10k race in 7 days, and another half marathon in 14 days.

But yes, since my running totals have slid my weight has gone up about 10lbs.  Yes, some of this is new muscle weight  from squats and lunges, and some of it is new weight from my muscles adapting to my hips being realigned, and indeed some of it may be from inflammation.  But lets not kid ourselves... some of this weight is from eating Cheezies.  Cheezies are Canada's answer to Cheetohs.  Cheezies contain trans fat and are in no way healthy.  So why am I eating these things?   Because they are highly addictive.  So yes, I have suspended all cheezie-eating activities.

My other recent food addiction has been the pineapple freeze smoothie from Booster Juice.  Luckily this is a healthy obsession.

An example of being a diabetic runner

I don’t spent enough time talking about what it is to be a runner who is a diabetic.  Truth be told, this is because it doesn’t affect me nearly as much you’d think.  I wake up, take a pill, eat breakfast and go about my life the same way you go about yours. 

Well today I was acutely reminded of my status as a diabetic.  You see, I’ve decided to drop a few pounds; and of course, I’ve gone a little overboard in the past 2 days (having lost over 2 pounds).  So naturally, when I got halfway through my 10k run today, I had no energy left.  Joy.  Here’s what happened.

When I started my run at 12:30pm, it was 17c and cloudy.  Unbeknownst to me, the calorie deficit that I created had left my muscles with precious little glycogen in reserve.  The only significant amount of glycogen in my body had come from the 500ml of Gatorade that I drank before my run.  When I started my run (in Sutherland, a neighborhood in Saskatoon), I felt like it was probably going to be an off day, but that happens, doesn’t it?

I didn’t bring my headphones with me because I think that music is distracting me from paying attention to work I’m doing when I’m out running.  Yes, I said work.  I don’t like the distraction a phone and headphones makes.  Did you see Meb fiddling with Runtastic during the Boston Marathon?  Even better, does Meb ever drop his phone during a race?  No… because he probably doesn’t bring it with him. (*yes, believe it or not, I’ve dropped my phone twice during races).

Saskatchewan has such unbelievably flat terrain, you could probably see for hundreds of kilometers were it not for tractors, barns, and the occasional Tim Horton’s obscuring the horizon.  There’s a 500 meter bike path that runs along Circle Drive in Sutherland, with one end near 108^th Street East.  I do a few out and backs here and quickly realize that I have no speed today.  Yes, the 10lbs of ankle weight I ran with yesterday have made today’s run a bit harder since some of my muscles are still a tad bit sore.

The bridge over Circle Drive is half bridge and half overpass, but my first word to describe it is bridge.  Interesting.  Once over the bridge, I proceed to run along 108^th for a bit and then enter the University of Saskatchewan campus and run along Research Drive.  Right as I reach the 4k mark, I begin to feel my energy rapidly diminishing.  Suddenly my muscles have mutinied and are actively betraying me, and my body comes to a halt at the 4.4k mark.   I have two loonies and a quarter with me, which isn’t enough to buy much on a college campus, so I forgo the campus’s Tim Hortons in favor of running a direct route back to the apartment, which is (of course) 5k away.  Naturally no one, no matter how messed up they are, is going to end a run at 9.4k unless they absolutely have to. 

It is then that I realize that I’m carrying the glucose tablets.  I chew the first, and nothing happens.  I try to run, but don’t get far before my body grinds to inaction. I then take the remaining three tablets, and within a minute I am in possession of genuine energy.  I’m also in a precarious position.  My blood sugar is certainly very low, and if I don’t get my blood sugar up, I am in big trouble.  My options: walk home and hope I arrive quickly enough.  Run home and burn more energy, but arrive sooner.

Ultimately, I decide to run home at a 10:30/mile pace.  Fast enough that I’ll get home twice at quick as walking, slow enough that I’m not burning crazy amounts of energy. And so I set off, soaked in sweat, and ran along Research Drive towards 108^th Street East.  When I walk into the apartment I’m seeing stars, the middle of my vision is almost black.  I immediately start drinking Gatorade and make a bowl of oatmeal with whey protein.  Crisis averted.  But seriously.

As dismaying as it is to come back from a run with hypoglycemia, I got some insight into what it’s like to actually run out of energy on a run… you know, what it is to hit the wall.  And rest assured that it sucks.  It sucks badly, in fact.  But a few glucose tablets gave me the energy to run for another 30-something minutes.   In a strange way, I look forward to hitting the actual marathon wall at the Queen City Marathon in September.  It’ll be an experience.

Race Updates!

Another beautiful day in Saskatoon.  In light of my recent 5k performances, I'm going to upgrade to the 10k at the StarPhoenix Bridge City Boogie 8 race on June 8th.  To be perfectly honest, I've reached a temporary ceiling running 5000 meters, so if I want to do significantly better, I need to train differently (and I'm not going to see those results by June 8th).  That said, I feel like I could potentially get a PR at the 10k event--this would be only my third 10k race, and I seemed to have a lot going against me in the previous two attempts at that distance (in both cases: SI Joint pain, lack of sleep; and in one case, having raced the previous day in a different city).
And this all segues perfectly into my next announcement.  I am now registered for the Lace up for Diabetes Saskatoon 2014 5k race in late August.  I fully intend to actually do specific training for this race. Including improving my anaerobic running, the muscular strength in my calves and losing some weight.  Interestingly, I've got my first marathon two weeks later.  Fun.
One last item I want to mention.  If you haven't tried oatmeal with protein, you definitely should.  I tried it for breakfast just to get a sense of what it tastes like--after all, oatmeal is a terrific way to start the day, and protein promotes a feeling of fullness.