I was guilt ridden about skipping the Saturday run after The Olathe Marathon was canceled, so I decided to go for a run Monday night. After all, it was warm out and all the snow had melted. I crossed 119th Street on Switzer heading towards the Indian Creek Trail. There is a steep hill along side a tall flagstone retaining wall. Snow melt was seeping out of the retaining wall, flooding the sidewalk with a stream of water.

Just past the end of the retaining wall there is a slimy patch of algae covering the sidewalk. The algae is like ice. When I stepped on it both feet shot out from under me and I did a very fast seat drop, you know, like you do on trampoline, except I did it on concrete. Luckily, I was wearing my CamelBak FlashFlo Lumbar Pack and fell far enough back that it acted like a cushion between my tailbone and the sidewalk. Unfortunately, I planted both hands to catch myself and broke my left wrist in the process. I sat there in the icy stream of water for a second slightly stunning by the jarring landing. My first concern was my tailbone and my back. It took a few minutes before I realized that the bigger problem was my wrist.

I'm now sporting a lovely blue cast that goes up my arm a little past the middle of my forearm. The good news is that the break is minor and the doctor said I can still run in the rescheduled Olathe half-marathon Saturday and The Oklahoma City Marathon in four weeks. The cast will be removed just a couple of days after the marathon. I'm sure they will be holding their noses as they cut it off <grin>.

Hey, I guess I have something in common with Lance Armstrong this month!

I almost didn't run with The Runners Edge today since I only had an 8-mile run scheduled and today's run was on the other side of town.  It was only at the last minute that I decided to go, and I'm glad I did. 

Everybody seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. Pre-race excitement filled the air, that and general relief that spring is finally here. This is an exciting time of year for many runners because this is the start of the spring race season.  Most of the gang I run with were doing the last 20-mile run on the Oklahoma City Marathon training schedule.  That included DaShaun, Julie, Christie, and Mark, to name a few.  Dan and Becky, also training for Oklahoma City, were running 24-miles today because they are crazy  (Dan's has been running a ton of miles every week). 

Not everyone is doing Oklahoma City.  Christie is getting ready for the Big Sur Marathon.  I saw Leslie at the Gary Gribble store after the run, and she and Carl are running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington, D.C.  A lot of people are running the Olathe half or full marathon next week, as I am. 

Lisa, the 11:20 pace group leader who injured an abdominal muscle in a fall, is doing much  better.  Before the fall Lisa had been running over 40 miles a week, but has not been able to run more than a 5-mile run for weeks.  Today she was cautiously trying a longer run.  I hope it went well.  Her doctor says she should be able to run in Oklahoma City.

On my return trip I met Chris and Kelly, two women training for the Olathe Half Marathon. This will be Chris' first half marathon.  She started running after joining the board of The Pumpkin Run, a memorial run for Jared and Jayne Coones, a mother and son who died a year apart from breast cancel and leukemia. Kelly is studying to become a nurse practitioner and Olathe will be her second half marathon, Lincoln was her first.

I'm happy to report that my shin splints seem to be healed, with nothing remaining but a little tenderness.  I ran slowly out to the 4-mile turn-around, then tested my planned race pace, about 11:00/mile, on the return leg.  Coach Valdez encouraged those running in the Olathe Marathon to run with one of the pace groups.  Eladio organized the pace groups following his

marathon pacing strategy.  I looked at the available pace groups after the run and have decided to run with 4:50 pace group.  I will be happy just to finish my first marathon, but I would like to do it in under 5 hours.  Based on how my two 20-mile runs went I think I could finish in 4:40, but Olathe is just a warm-up for Oklahoma City, so I don't want to push it.  I'll try to finish in 4:50 next week, and if that goes well I can try for a 4:40 in Oklahoma City.  That could just be a novice pipe dream though.

There are two weeks left until my first marathon, and all indications are that my remaining runs will be uncomfortable. The first five months of my training were just too easy, and God has a sense of humor, so I get to finish out my training with shin splints.  Actually, I can only blame myself for my shin splints after pushing too hard on my two 20-mile training runs.

Coach Valdez  put it this way:

Fortunately it's only shin splints -- they hurt, but it's nothing serious. I just have to work through the discomfort, and I've talked to lots of runners dealing with more pain than this. My doctor prescribed anti-inflammatories.  She gave me a once-a-day pill, as well as Voltaren Gel to rub directly on my shins before I run.  In additional I'm icing for 15-minutes twice a day.

Yesterday I had my last long run before the race.  I ran 12-miles around the Olathe Half-marathon route.  I was very uncomfortable the first five or six miles, but then the pain subsided and I was able to run normally.  That bodes well for the marathon. 

Eladio went on to say the following:

I took Eladio's advice to heart - instead of running the 11:36 and 11:39 pace of my last two 20-mile runs, I ran a leisurely 12:55, due partly to extra walks in the first 6-miles when my shins were hurting most.

For weeks Dan, Becky and Lisa have been talking up the benefits of an ice bath after a long run.  I just couldn't bring myself to try one -- until now.  Given the condition of my legs I decided to give it a try, and I have to say it was not as bad as I thought it would be.  Just fill the tub half full of tepid water, so it almost covers your thighs, pour in a couple bags of ice, and then soak for about 10-minutes.  After a hot shower I felt great!  Well, sort of.

Something has changed, fundamentally changed, that made it possible to run 20-miles in the time that I did today at the Runner's Edge Saturday run.  Looking at running logs from my first ½ marathon in 2005 shows that my speed remained flat throughout my training.  Contrast that with this year and there is something remarkable, to me anyway, as my distance increased, so did my speed.

Breaking my endurance barrier – that's the only way I can describe it – means being less timid about running. I used to be afraid of not being able to finish long runs, so I held back, running a safe, slow speed.  Now, I've learned that if I push hard up a hill, or run hard to catch-up with someone, I can recover while running.  Breaking my endurance barrier means gaining the confidence to do these things, as well having the physical stamina to do them.

It was after my two hardest runs, the Topeka half and my 16-mile run a week later, that I noticed the change.  That is when I started adding hill workouts.  For the first time that I can remember I was able to dig-in and cruise up hills.  The hills on my route aren't monstrous, but they are long steady grades--enough to be a challenge. I was also able to add “hard miles” to my workout where I run faster than usual. 

Shaking my “fear of fatigue” also gives me a more relaxed running style.  I've gone from what can best be described as a rigid shuffle to, well..., actual running.  My legs are looser and my arms swing more freely. I'm still a bit tight in the shoulders, but my form is evolving. I'm now free to experiment with stride length, rate of turnover, and amount of spring.  Oh yeah, spring, I never had any of that before .

Today's 20-mile run was more-or-less routine. There was some drama when Lisa, the pace leader, had to slow down and fall behind when an injury to her abdominal muscle, from a fall two weeks ago, started to bother her.  By then, somewhere around mile 13, there were only four of us left, and there was a lot of debate about what to do.  In the end, Dan lent Lisa his cell phone and, at Lisa's insistence, we went on. 

Dan and his wife, Becky, were the one's promoting Gu Roctane and Succeed S!caps last week.  I gave both a try this week and I did pretty well.  Dan has done 11 marathons.  Becky is training for her first.  I learned that they got married at the Chicago Marathon last October, the day before.  Becky was the race horse today on our return leg.  She kept lowering the pace under 10:00/mile.  I noticed several times we were running a 9:40 pace.  That eventually caught up with me.  I was really huffing and puffing the last few miles.  Our elapsed time was 4:29, after deciding what to do about Lisa, waiting for port-a-potties, and what not, but our time in motion was only 3:53:46.  That's an average moving pace of 11:39, including walks.

Dan and Becky were a real source of inspiration coming back.  I said several times that I was going to drop off to run at a slower pace, but they refused to let that happen on my first 20-mile run.  They cheered me on and kept encouraging me.  I really appreciate what they did.

Here is how my speed improved over the last couple of months as my distance increased:

Distance / Time in Motion / Minutes per Mile:

12.10 miles / 2:28:04 / 12:14

13.34 miles / 2:41:14 / 12:05 (Topeka half)

16.26 miles / 3:29:43 / 12:53 (snow/ice)

18.25 miles / 3:31:26 / 11:35

20.05 miles / 3:53:46 / 11:39

Basically, I've shaved about 30 – 40 seconds/mile off my average pace, while increasing my distance.  I've got to be happy with that.  I would like to see if I can improve on that a little more on my final 20-mile training run in two weeks.

What I really like about The Runners Edge Saturday runs are the people.  I meet so many interesting people and have some great conversations.  I assumed that I would just be keeping to myself today, since I was running with a new pace group, but that wasn't the case.  I met several people, and spent all of the last five miles talking to one individual in particular.

The conversation with my new acquaintance began with the usual small talk.  She has run the Oklahoma City Marathon, and five others, and is considering running the Abilene, KS marathon. As we talked, I learned that she has a painful, chronic medical condition that has required multiple surgeries. And yet, here she is, pushing through a 10-mile workout, and planning her seventh marathon!  I asked if this kind of training helped her condition, and it didn't sound like her doctors were very happy about her running.  She just likes to run.

The strength and determination of the people I meet on my runs amazes me, like Julie, the woman I met on my 8-mile run, who completed an IronMan and is training for another, and now this woman today. I can't help but be inspired and humbled. Each time I hesitate to run on a frigid night, or feel like giving up, like I was tempted to do on my 16-mile run, I draw from inspirational stories like these to keep going.

My new friend and I went on talking about kids, work, nutrition and training, how running makes us feel, and the next thing I knew we were within sight of the finish line.  That is how it goes when you get caught up in a good conversation.  Coach Valdez is always reminding us that we should be running slow enough to get out six words without taking a breath.  I certainly did that today.

Despite all my gabbing, my “time in motion” was 1:54:31, covering a distance of 9.96 miles, at an average pace of 11:29. I started out with the 11:40 pace group, but when we caught up with the 11:20 pace group at the 2-mile aid station I decided to switch groups. I've been working on lengthening my stride since the Topeka Half-marathon, and have come to the conclusion that a little faster pace feels more natural.

Next week - 18-miles.

Today was my longest run ever, 16-miles.  The last 4 miles were tough—there was some walking going on .  I had begun to believe I could be ready for the Olathe Marathon, March 29.  Now, I’m not so sure.  Perhaps I’m better off just sticking with Oklahoma City, April 26.

When I awoke this morning there was half an inch of snow that fell overnight.  That answered the question of whether I would try to continue working on my stride today.  The safety announcement from Coach Veldez was “shorten your stride,” because the roads were very slick.

Today is the first day of The Runner’s Edge Spring Program, so we separated into pace groups then each group took time for introductions.  I’m sticking with the 11:40/mile pace group.  I think I could handle the 11:20 group, but I’m just trying to survive, not win my age group, besides, I’ve started to get to know the people in our group.

Frenchy and Christie are the co-leaders of the 11:40 group, but since our group is small we didn’t have to divide up (there is some ordinance requiring the group size to be under 20).  Let’s test my memory: there was a woman named Melanie that signed up for the Oklahoma City ½ marathon, Colleen just finished her first marathon last December in Dallas, hmmm, maybe I should have listened better!  Frenchy is signed up for the Oklahoma City Marathon.  Christie is going to run in the Big Sur Marathon.  Jan is still undecided. There is another woman in the group whose last name is also Mitchell (Rachael?) who I believe is doing OKC, and there were a couple more who haven’t sign-up for anything yet.

Coach was not kidding about slick streets!  As we headed out into the 10-degree air there were some very slick spots.  Luckily nobody fell.  We took it very slow.  I was totally shocked when I looked at my watch after 3-miles and 45-minutes had gone by!  At that point I seriously considered not doing 16-miles today.

Everyone remaining in my pace group when we got to the 4-mile aid station turned back.  I pressed on alone.  The next five miles went well.  I guessed right on layering and was really quite comfortable, only my face was cold.  I also guessed right on hydration.  At each aid station, located at all the even mile markers, I drank two 5-ounce cups of Gatorade (probably about 4 ounces each).  I weighed myself before I left, and again when I got back.  I only lost ½ pound in water weight.

Just as happened in the Topeka half-marathon last week, I began to fade at mile 10.  By the time I got to mile-12 it was a real struggle to keep running.  My legs were so tired, and my feet were getting sore.  I just wanted to be done.  I wanted to quit, but knew I would regret it later.   I just shuffled ahead, resting a little longer at the aid stations.

My time was bad, as expected.  Looking at my “Moving Time,” 3:29:43, my average pace was 12:53/mile.  Total elapsed time was 3:46:50.  You do the math.  It’s awful.

They say that “liars figure, and figures lie.”  You certainly would get the completely wrong impression by comparing the figures from last Saturday's 12-mile training run, which seemed so easy at the time, and today's half-marathon in Topeka.

Last Week's Training Run

Miles: 12

Time: 2:39:00

Pace: 13:08

Elevation Gain (ft): +2,127/-2,143

Today's Half Marathon

Miles: 13.1

Time: 2:41:07 (PR since my even more dismal 2005 ½ marathon was 2:47:55)

Pace: 12:17

Elevation Gain (ft): +2,645/-2,585

Today's stats looks good by comparison, but that could not be further from the truth.  I crashed and burned at the 9-mile mark.  The Topeka to Auburn ½ marathon is an uphill course punctuated by four huge changes in elevation.  The elevation graph looks like a Tour de France mountain stage. 

DaShaun and I tried to start out slowly, but with other runners passing us like we were standing still it was hard to sick to the plan.  We settled into our 11:30 pace 1 ½ miles into the course, just in time to start the first big climb.  By the time we reach the crest, 2 ½ miles later, I already knew that I was in trouble.  When we were on the second big ascent, around mile five, DaShaun could see I was fading.  DaShaun was feeling good, so he ran on ahead (finishing around 2:30:00, I believe).

I decided to switch into survival mode, walking the hills and running the descents. Well, it wasn't actually a choice <grin>.  Also, I started walking briefly every mile, like I do in training, except that every mile soon deteriorated to every ½ mile. My legs were like rubber.   I had nothing left when I got to the mile-10 aid station at the troth just before the last big climb.  I walked more than I ran the last three miles.   I was extremely happy to see the finish line.

I should be upset about bonking on both my half-marathons, but since I didn't train for a course with monster hills, I can't beat myself up about it too bad.  There will be other half-marathons between now and Oklahoma City (on flatter courses) to provide a better measure of how I'm doing.

I completed a 6-mile, out-and-back training run along Indian Creek Trail tonight in total solitude.  The streetlights and moonlight cast stark shadows in the woods that line the trail.  The light glistened on the creek as I listened to the water splashing and gurgling along side me.  Highway noises tried to drown out the sound of the creek when I got into Corporate Woods, but the scenic, tree-lined trail overcame that sonic intrusion, protecting the sense of serenity that had enveloped me during my run. 

Tonight’s run almost didn’t happen.  I was supposed to do it yesterday, but Monday I did my 3-mile run very late because I was helping my daughters with homework.  That made it hard to get up at 5:00 AM yesterday for boot camp.  I had the perfect opportunity to run while the girls were at piano lessons after work yesterday, but my Garmin battery was low and I didn’t have a 6-mile route planned out.  Once the Garmin was recharged and homework was done last night I had lost my motivation, as was also the case this morning.

It was after nine before I got out the door tonight, but it was still a good run for me: 01:10:14 elapsed time, a pace of 11:41/mile.  Considering I walked briefly at 2, 3, and 4-miles, plus a couple of times in the last two miles, my actual pace was much faster, closer to 10:30/mi.  The graph shows a dozen dips below 10:00.  I drank a FRS low cal Peach Mango drink after supper.  Perhaps that perked me up .

Tomorrow I have a 5-mile training run, and Saturday is my big 10-mile run.  The outcome of my long run, combined with the long-range weather forecast, will determine if I go through with my plans to run the Topeka half marathon, January 17.