Weekly Training

One of the things the Roadrunners program strongly urges is training during the week. They are very good about providing detailed information by stage of running, when, and how much to do. (It does get a bit puzzling as it keeps changing!).

I think I can tell on the long runs who is not doing or only partially doing the training. Illness is one thing; but, I think, especially for beginners, you need to be committed and TRULY committed (perhaps to a mental hospital after for even starting ...).

With a new work schedule and some other obligations, it has been a bit of a struggle finding time; but, I have found a general time slot: pre-dawn, as in waking up (more or less) at 04:00. One thing at that time is the sidewalks and roads are much less crowded for some reason.

So, I ran Sunday and Monday ... and am a bit happy as my electronic conscience Garmin 305 says I was fairly consistent with a run of 2.55 miles (with some hillwork) in 30:24 on Sunday and 2.55 miles (with some hillwork) in 30:42 on Monday!

Now, with the course basically set I think it will be a bit more energizing as I can start to picture places. I am glad it will pass the Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of the Angels and may be La Placita as it goes through El Pueblo de Los Angeles. It will go past my old office building in Century City (oh, joy) and more.

This could be fun ...

Night Run

Last night, I did something different for the scheduled Los Angeles Marathon training run; I ran at night. Running in the dark was nothing new since I have been doing most pre-dawn. I did it for two reasons: one easy one of wanting an extra hour of sleep in the morning and one not so easy ... there was yet another fatal shooting in my neighborhood Tuesday night at about the same time as I headed out Thursday night.

My neighborhood in Santa Monica has seen a lot of violence in the 10 years I have lived there. Teens and young men being killed, four being very, very close (as in within a block). I have basically become accustomed to vigil candles and stunned teenagers. It is not pleasant obviously. Murders are not.

So, I decided to run because I needed to and also because I wanted to. I wanted to show that the vermin who cause this mayhem and tragedy can not rule the streets.

Off I went past the basically and eerily deserted Virginia Avenue Park. Normally there would be basketball games and such; but, not Thursday night. It was noticeable how many police cars were patrolling the area.

I headed down the side streets, trusting my Garmin electronic conscience to keep me on pace or close to it. I then headed south to Ocean Park Avenue and a niceish commercial area, even with a lot of empty offices. I ran down a sidestreet and towards Santa Monica Airport.

While running past I noticed the business jets, including a Gulfstream G-IV which costs well in excess of $20 million.

It was just a strange run. I felt a bit sluggish, perhaps because it has been a hard week on many fronts. Still, it felt good to be on the Night Run.

They're Watching Me ...

Today was another pre-dawn mid-week run. It was another clear, star-filled, well relatively, sky as the wind was actually blowing a tad.



I brought out my Garmin GPS unit and decided to try to run to now run to pace goal as I learn more of the ins and outs of it. After having it locate satellites (rather nifty feeling knowing the thing on my wrist finds satellites!), I started off determined to add the new tool to the training. This proved a tad frustrating, especially in the dark.



I set off on what felt like the pace I wanted; but, the unit would say too fast, too slow ... and then there were traffic lights, etc. It got a frustrating trying to adjust to speed and I found it a lot less enjoyable to run with "watch the clock" joining "watch for bad drivers" and "watch for fallen tree limbs" as goals. I just wanted to get the McCourt soap opera out of my mind!



Finishing was a bit disappointing as the unit said I was 30 seconds too fast per mile; so, I slowed down and then halted for a traffic light ... Soon, I was way OVER the goal. In the end it was a run of 45:12 for 3.39 miles of aerobic running.



I am just placing my faith in this system as the aerobic concept and not stretching prior to starting is so foreign to sprinting. The Roadrunners sent an article about how humans are actually designed for long-distance running; but, modern surfaces and shoes (oh, oh) lead to problems.



Still, I hope I will become more accustomed to the unit and running with it and make the training better. Anything that helps me finish the marathon ...

Running in the Windy City

This morning was another pre-dawn run, this time in the windy city of .... Santa Monica. It was actually pretty fun running through the streets as there were so many branches, signs, fences, and other items knocked over, blown off course, etc. that it made for an excellent urban obstacle course!

Luckily, I did not suffer any falls or damage, which is why it remained so fun!

I am starting to like this running stuff ... a lot. It really is helping me with a lot of other things and helping me deal with other things.

It's Not Always Fun

It has been a fair bit of physical effort to get ready to even prepare to train for the Los Angeles Marathon. It has helped me get in much better shape and honestly, even allowing for some injuries and pain, I have had fun.

Today, though, was a reminder it may not always be fun. The news reported three runners had died during the Detroit Marathon. An older runner fell and died from a skull fracture and two younger runners also died while running. What terrible news for their families and friends.

I guess it is a reminder that the training is done for a reason and it does take work to give each runner the best chance to succeed, finish, and even live. It is going to be a physical and mental challenge. Godwilling, I will pass it.

Running in the Rain

Running in the rain, just running in the rain ... what a glorious feeling ...

This morning was the fun I had been anticipating ... running in the rain. It seems this is the largest October storm to hit Southern California in 45 years; so, I did the obvious ... I ran!

It was 45 minutes of running up and down the Pico Neighborhood with some little hills to boot. There were some massive ponds, er puddles, to cross/wade through along the way in the dark.

Still, it was so much fun. I was not completely inundated; but, I was definitely damp afterwards.

It was quite a different bit of marathon training; but, it all counts (I hope). Still, somehow this running through water did not quite match up to the opening of Chariots of Fire with the nice beach!

Wednesday ...

Let's see. It will likely be raining. I will be waking up at about 4 a.m. It will be totally dark obviously. I will be going around non-scenic areas.

Yet, somehow I look forward to it! Running at it's finest. 45 minutes of Go Time!

Week 5: Three-Peat?

This week's long run marked the end of the cut-back week, going back to the same distance as Week 1, three miles. A measly three miles! Was this a dreaded Three-peat? Actually, it feels nice to think that three miles is now essentially nothing; it is definitely different from April! I am running and training during the week which helps.

Still, it was kind of a lackluster run. The weather was somewhat overcast; the turnout was lower (because it was a short run?), and despite the science and reasoning behind it, the slower pace is not the most energizing. So, I decided to pay a bit more attention to the scenery. It really is a plethora of sights with marijuana "clinics," luxury hotels, a Jewish school, vendors, homeless people, tourists, the ocean, pigeon flocks and on and on all filling my "viewfinder." (Of course, there are also groups of the Roadrunners' "archenemies," the L.A. Leggers!)

The 31 runners in the Magnificent 7/Lucky 7 Group were soon back at the start and stretching. I had barely even broken a sweat! Still, the banana and Gatorade were welcome.

It was also the first LA Roadrunners Charity Day where some of the official marathon charities sought runners to help them gain funds through pledges. There were 10; some of the more ambitious even started before you entered the hall (a man in a gorilla costume offering information for an outdoors education group). There were charities for animals, a cancer run, south L.A. youth (A Place Called Home), the American Cancer Society, YWCA, etc.

I spoke with a few, including the youth one. The cancer run is on a Sunday, which is a problem, due to church commitments. The American Cancer Society seemed promising; but, they seek a $1,500 commitment! For someone who works with nonprofits who also need money ....

I also visited with Think Cure, the official charity of my beloved Los Angeles Dodgers and seeker of funding to fight cancer. They were nice. It was also nice to get in a raffle for Game 5 NLDS tickets; the only issue being with L.A. up 2-0 in best of five series against St. Louis, I do NOT want a Game 5 to happen!

Anyways, I gathered some information; but, I have not decided anything yet. It was soon time to head back to Santa Monica.

It was only three miles; but, hopefully, it is three miles closer to finishing the Los Angeles Marathon March 21.

If anyone does want to help a charity through this run, please contact me!

I Miss Running

This week is cut-back week at the Roadrunners training program. This means less running during the week, just two days versus the normal three as well as less time during the sessions. It has felt so strange not running!

This morning was actually different as I went out on the streets, well sidewalks, before dawn. No park. No grass. No sun. Still, it felt good, especially as it was the faster-paced part of the training.

It feels odd actually reducing my running, especially since the goal is to run further; but, the leaders have the experience. If feeling odd for a week heps me to complete the Los Angeles Marathon, then ...

Still, I missed running the other day. It has been such a positive and such a release valve to help with everything else. It is so important that I got up this morning at 4 a.m. to run!

I Want To Run

It was an interesting run today; I felt so sluggish yet my times around were actually too fast and I had to slow down to follow the training guide.

Perhaps it was the weather, which was so nice? Perhaps it was having survived the tsunami alert following the American Samoa earthquake? (The effects in Santa Monica were minimal to say the least). Perhaps it was just I am getting accustomed to this non-sprinting-style more and more and despite it feeling slow ... it really is not! I barely even broke a sweat which was really amazing.

Oddly enough, the "song in my head" for today was U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name." The song opens with "I want to run ..." Hmmm. It is a song that talks about continuing on despite struggles; somehow it seemed appropriate.

Hopefully, come March 21, I will feel a bit sharper for the Los Angeles Marathon and the running will be more energetic; but, if today was a sluggish result, I could accept it!

Week 2: Running Four Miles is Fun!

Well, they say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Perhaps a marathon begins with getting proper shoes? With that in mind, I went to a running store and was fitted. They were quite helpful, despite my lack of knowledge on distance gear. They watched my gait and even they said, "Sprinter." Oops. Anyways, I am not equipped with some Brooks shoes that I will be breaking in and using next week.

Saturday marked the start of the second week of training with the LA Roadrunners. Because of a slightly tender and bruised knee and also not sleeping much the past week, both due partly to the festival at my parish, I decided to stay with Group 8 (a.k.a. GR8 Pace as it has been dubbed or for me, the Eighth Army). It was quite overcast; but, it is still nice to see the waves as you head off from the start. I quite quickly felt very comfortable at the pace (target 11:00 per mile) and my knee fears disappeared.

I just had a really nice, relaxing time running. The group leaders are so friendly and funny. Soon, some of the stresses in my life were at least temporarily relieved and I was cruising. The group only had to do a bit further than last week (4 miles vs. 3.77 actual); so, it did not seem daunting running to just south of the Santa Monica Pier.

Soon enough, it was back to the rally point and some stretching. I felt like I could have gone much further for the second week in a row, which was a good sign. The group ran a 11:05 pace which is a shade faster than last week and apparently works for the pace leaders.

Afterwards, I spoke with the pace leaders and asked some questions. They all said I definitely can be in the run-only groups (yeah!) and should give Group 7 and may be even Group 6 a try.

I felt so relaxed and at peace out there, as well as happy with progress since May. It turned out the four-mile run was the easiest part of the weekend, vs. the endurance contest that is the parish festival. I am hoping the running continues to yield that sense of calm and may be even happiness and achievement.

Meanwhile, I think I have my theme song. It will get some trials ... It will not be the old standby metal or hard rock. I guess may be it is kind of a good song for change and needing to change.

When You're Born to Run ....

As I woke up this morning, I turned the radio dial and locked in on an "oldie," Steve Winwood's "Back in the High Life Again." Even though it is quite mellow, I have always liked it and the lyrics struck a chord with me this time with talk of life going on too fast, doors that had closed, and eyes no longer watching.

Now that I am on a proper marathon, training regimen, I am trying to really improve. The Roadrunners' Group 8 pace leaders sent a nice email and I realized I am apparently classed at "Intermediate" level (based on days off they said to have and comparing it to the schedule. Yeah!

So, it was off to Clover Park for another day of training the Roadrunners way. I set out and tried to really focus on not being a sprinter ... running flatter and with shorter strides. A funny thing happened .... my first lap was fast, very fast. I was flying and actually had to in aviation-speak derate the thrust to follow the training manual for my remaining time on the run. It was a beautiful morning and for some reason despite some various pains, it felt like all systems were GO!

Wednesday had also been a solid day as well. Despite some physical and mental exertions the last few days, somehow my body got the idea it would like to run and run well.

Anyways, it felt great! Despite being "work" and exerting, it just felt so nice to be out there and giving it a go despite everything else at the moment. In fact I completed the assigned 30 minutes and had a little bit of a lap to complete and saw a nice, inviting open straightaway free of walkers, dogs, bicyclists, etc. and ... got off a very nice and fun all out sprint to finish the session. It was just such a welcome and needed rush.

Meanwhile, I am starting to look for a theme song. I tend to pick songs for things, especially retreat talks and sports. So, I would mark sprinting days with "Danger Zone" and intramural hockey ("non-contact" ...) was "Lunatic Fringe." I need one for this whole increasingly interesting journey. Gone are the days of playing "Back in Black," "Black Celebration," "Paint It Black," "Hell's Bells," etc.; I have an idea and will test it out Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, I am still working to adjust as Steve Winwood says, "When you're born to run, it's so hard to just slow down."

Adjustment Time

Today, I have been looking at the training manual the Roadrunners program provides to the participants. It is quite detailed on everything from the coaches to stretching to hints on the actual day, to obviously the training schedule for every day of all 27 weeks. It is broken into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Interestingly I actually am to reduce my weekday training at the start! I have been running sessions of 45 minutes (or more) each three days a week, some days of walking/other exercise, and then a longer run on Saturdays at the Santa Monica College track. Now, the first week has two off days, the first run is a slower 30 minutes, etc. The longer weekly runs scale up from three miles (last week), to four, five and then six miles and then it cuts back to three, which surprised me. I would have thought you just keep adding distance each week. Even more shocking was maintaining the pace alongside someone the entire way; I had been finishing with a good old fashioned sprint while running on my own.

I also received some very helpful information after the first long run from a pace leader. I had been talking about which group to be in and she asked about my running background. When she found out I shared a similar background, namely high school track, she mentioned that in marathon running the old mantras of stride long and run on the balls of your feet are gone! The goal is shorter strides and flatter steps. For a sprinter-mentality, this is really a shock; for my sprinter thighs, it is definitely new!

This has me again thinking beyond the marathon and about life. Sometimes may be we need to think beyond our prior experiences. Sometimes may be we have to realize others are smarter, or in my case most people are smarter, than ourselves, particularly on certain subjects new to us. With the situations in my life right now, this is starting to become more obvious.

I have sprinter instincts. I think of running on a 1/4 mile track of dirt, mud or synthetic material. I think of running on that track in terms of fractions of it (like a 220 ... 1/8 of a mile), a whole trip (a 440), or multiple trips ... my beloved 880, the mile or two mile. I think in terms of start lines, baton passing lanes, cut-in points for laps, attack angles if I need to make up ground on a relay leg, starts, blocks, listening for the gun, strong kicks for the end, and the other parts of being a track runner.

My mindset for a sprint is power and speed. Start fast and hard. I used to try and "get in the mood" before a race. In the morning I would get up early and watch the opening scene of "Top Gun," with the F-14 Tomcats along with A-7s and A-6s (sorry, too much defense aviation background) being launched by catapults off an aircraft carrier. Power. Speed. Go. After school or on the bus to a meet, I used music listening to heavy metal or rock songs and always finishing with "Danger Zone," also from "Top Gun." If it was a short distance, I would focus on that end point. For a longer run, I focused on moving from straightaways to turns and back to the straightaways. For the relays it was a focus on making sure I was literally IN THE ZONE (the passing area) and focusing on the STICK!

Now, I need to adjust my mindset. I now need to think of a flexible, different, not always flat course. The whole distance perspective is different. Water breaks? Nutrition? Constant pacing for the entire way? Running alongside someone deliberately? This is really new to me. No balls of the feet? No power strides? This is going to take a bit of practice!

Still, I believe I can still do this and make the necessary adjustments. Hopefully, I can also do this with life in general; I need to.

But, while there is obviously a need for change in my mindset and approach, may be, just may be, come March 21, when I see that Los Angeles Marathon finish line in view, may be just then ... I can go back to running on the balls of my feet, feeling the power strides, and like the old Servite days FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED!

Week 1: Where do I belong?

Well, this morning was the first Saturday of training.

It was initially a bit like being a freshman the first day of high school. There were the upperclassmen who knew everything and were veterans and then the sophomore-types and then the people like me who were totally new. After completing registration and getting a nice battleship-grey shirt, it was a bit of hurry-up and wait; but, still it was interesting seeing the incredible variety of people in the school hall. There was a real Marine Corps-type cadence/chant given by Leroy (?), which got me going ... ah, this is like the Servite days!

A key question is what pace group to be in, at least for the week. I frankly had no bloody idea, besides avoiding the semi-Kenyan-section (a.k.a. the really fast runners). One man was a bit discouraging when he said I should go to the run/power walk group, and not even the fastest of those! On the other hand, I had run a relatively decent time in a 5k in August (my first 5k).

I decided to go for it and stay in an all-running group, Group 8 (or in Chad Johnson-speak; Grupo Ocho). Once the registrations had been completed, the leaders introduced themselves and spoke a bit about the process and were very encouraging. They also gave the happy news that the marathon will end in Santa Monica! The groups (runners, run/walkers, and walkers) all headed out to the Strand and soon with surprisingly basically no stretching (Servite coaches would have been in shock), we started.

It was a decent day to run, a bit overcast. There were people on the Strand paths and other groups as well. There was also the still striking images of poverty (homeless people, some mentally-ill people), urban issues (litter, empty stores, graffiti), and affluence (the luxury hotels). I got into a decent rhythm fairly quickly and felt pretty good (it was only supposed to be 3 miles; but, a few months ago, this would not be really viable).

Group 8 made a semi-organized turnaround away from the Pier end and headed back towards Venice. The group's pace leaders were fun and energetic, which helped. (I must say the walking groups seemed to be having the best time!) It was a large group of 74 runners and some began to falter and/or tire; but, we made it back and stretched more than at the start, which apparently is the norm for distance running (Note to self: Stop thinking like a sprinter/middle distance runner!). Then it was back to the school for bananas and water and a bit of a sense of "Hey, I can do this." I also spoke with a pace leader about some group questions. We found out they had missed the turn and we actually did 3.7 miles (the horror!); but, at a good clip. Not a bad run and actually less than I had been doing Saturdays; but, it is nicer with people, the ocean view, ...

So, I am not sure if this is the group for me. I may try a faster group (the pace leader said Group 7 or may be Group 6). I definitely think I can do the running and not have to go for power walk/run.

On the way home, I began to think about the morning and the marathon. May be this is more than just trying to get into shape or trying to do a crazy physical challenge. May be it is going to be a journey for me far beyond just miles. I started thinking about how in so many other parts of my life right now I am trying to figure out, "Where do I belong?"

Why Am I Doing This?

Tomorrow, I start my first official training session with the Los Angeles Roadrunners http://www.laroadrunners.com/ which I hope leads me to completing my first marathon in just 27 weeks, the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon!

Why am I doing this? I am not sure there really is a specific reason.

Inspiration? I know a few people who have run marathons and they seem to be still inspired by the challenge.

Exercise? I definitely hope to be in better physical shape, and may be even mental shape, after the first one. I have had a few pains while just doing conditioning since April; but, I already am seeing positive results.

May be it is because I enjoy running? In high school, I ran for the Servite track team and ran a huge variety of races: the 110 and 220 sprints, the 440 (1/4 mile) challenge, the awesome and mighty 880, the long-haul 1-mile and 2-miles and then the 4 x 110 and 4 x 440 relays with the legendary "STICK!" calls. Something about running just has always made me excited, even if my previous longest run was 5.8 miles around Anaheim and Fullerton in Hell Week.

Challenge? It has been a difficult 2009 for me for many, many reasons. The goal of preparing for, running in, and completing a marathon has become a bright spot.

Some other reason? The last few months have been diffiult and made me reflect on life. I am thinking of my all-time favorite movie, "Chariots of Fire" and the quote by Eric Liddell on running: "I believe that God made me for a purpose ... , but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure."

I hope that is why, ultimately, I run.