Woodsy

A Knee Story

Hello 2010!  And hello blog that I am hoping to revive this year.  I miss the creative outlet.  Some of my posts may be short, uninteresting, and/or triathlon-related but that's the only way I will keep it rolling.  I have some goals and stuff for the New Year, some races, lots of training. But rather than blow my blog wad right away, I'll start out with A Knee Story.

I can't remember exactly when the pain started, but sometime after I resumed training post IMCDA.  6 months ago.  After taking some time off running, I started Graston therapy and limited my running to ~20 min at a time on soft surfaces.  As of November I was still having issues, so on the recommendation of my dr I went in for ultrasound imaging of my patellar tendons.  Honestly I didn't expect this to show anything. They would tell me to rub some dirt on it and go home.  Probably RICE, which I had already been doing.  Oh and my favorite, "quit running" (doc it hurts when I do this...).  Instead he called me an "interesting case".  Never good to be interesting.

 
What is wrong with this picture?  I'm not a doctor, but I see something! 

This is a lengthwise shot of my right knee.  On the bottom far left we have my kneecap.  The bright white striated parts of the tendon are normal but the slightly darker area in the middle is not.  The "rock" in the middle is a "rock", or calcium deposit.  That's what first caught my attention but I'm told this isn't necessarily a problem.  The darker area is degenerative, so that is actually the "messed-up" tissue for lack of a better description.  There could be some partial tearing.  Sometimes the rock goes away, sometimes it doesn't but either way it's fine.  Some people just live with a pebble in their tendons and it's cool.  Seems odd, but OK.  A pet rock.

The colored area is blood flow.  In the live version of this shot, it was pulsing.  Pretty cool.  I was joking with someone that it looked like doppler radar until I read in the doctor's report  "doppler imaging".  Who knew?!  All in all, it was good to see what was going on.  Now I know that the diagnosis is correct, and I know that it's not all in my head!  And the "messed-up" area even corresponds to where it actually hurts- what a coincidence.

After reviewing the images, my doctor's recommendation was prolotherapy.  This would involve injections of a dextrose solution to irritate the area and thus stimulate healing.  Due to holidays and other technical difficulties, a month passed between the time I got the images and when I was actually able to talk to the naturopath regarding injections.  At that point I had been off running for 5 weeks and also seeing a PT, so I'm continuing down that path first before poking with a needle.  If my tendon is actually healing now, it's going to be pissed off if I poke it with a needle.

The PT introduced me to my new best friend, the foam roller.  Actually I knew this guy before, but we had to get re-acquainted.  Yesterday after 6 weeks off running, I did 2 minutes running/ 2 minutes walking 3 times on the treadmill!  But that's all I get for now.  More stretching and foam rolling and strengthening, through next week.

A Knee Story.  I'm thankful that the radiologist's office staff didn't laugh at me for asking for my ultrasound images.  They transfer them all to DVD for you, but I'm thinking this is usually done for baby images :) 

Runner's note

Here I am cheating by using a Facebook note for my blog.  But time is limited these days as I'm on the friggin' trainer every spare moment, you understand.

 

1. Number of marathons you have run: 

12 +  1 Ironman

2. Where was your first HALF marathon?
The Duke City half marathon in Albuquerque, NM 1998.  I never had a desire to do the full marathon there, but the half is flat and fast.  Albuquerque lacks oxygen though at 5300ft.  It would seriously kick my butt if I were to go back and run it now.

3. Favorite HALF Marathon course:
The Helvetia Half in Hillsboro, OR.  Can't beat the burgers and beer at the end.

4. Most memorable race:
I did a race in elementary school that was one big loop around the school campus.  It was probably an 800, but that is a long way for short legs.  I started fast, too fast, and remember being totally amazed that I was pulling out ahead and was surely going to win.  In the last 100m, a girl started gaining on me and I ran as hard as I could to hold her off, but by the finish my legs were past the point of failure, just dead weight.  She did end up beating me, but I gave it all I had and that's the first time I realized how much running could hurt.  I could barely stand up.

5. HALF Marathon PR?
1:33 for the Girlfriend's Half in Vancouver last fall.  My posted time was 1:30:19 but the course was short.  I think I can break 1:30 someday (for 13.1 miles).

6. Ever run in a costume?
I was the Nesquick bunny at the Portland marathon last fall.  I ran the 3-mile Kid's run and was absolutely drenched in sweat.  Had to drink warm chocolate milk afterward to demonstrate the power of Nesquik as a recovery beverage.  Then I walked the Mayor's 10k walk.  Sick the next day- go figure.

   
Rock on runners!

7. The only running shoes for me:
Any kind that fit my ridiculously narrow feet.  I've had good luck with Brooks, New Balance and Mizuno.  Asics and Nike don't work for me.  I really want to try the tri-specific running shoes and go sockless for a shorter race.

8. Ever injured?
Plantar fasciitis in 2005.  Of course I kept running on it, and ended up having to stop running cold turkey for ~4 months.  That was really hard.  After trying everything to make it better, I found a dr who told me my left glute was weak, which causes my knee to turn inward, which causes my arch to collapse and thus the pain in my foot.  Who knew?  After some Graston and strength work I was able to run again and it bothers me only occasionally now.  I still go in for Graston 1x per month because it's sooo much fun :P

9. Hot or cold weather runner?
Cold.

10. Morning or evening runs?
Evening now that I'm a night owl.

11. What is your motivation?
Running is like meditation, very therapeutic.  And I like the challenge of getting faster.

12. Ever DNF?
DFL?  Yes.  Oh wait, DNF...no.

13.Race I'd like to forget:
New York marathon 2005.  Was feeling like a rock star and started way too fast, hitting the wall about mile 18- horrible.  Haven't made that mistake since.  That whole race was a unique experience.  My first time peeing off a bridge.  Sarah's first marathon!

14. Favorite post race nosh:
A latte right after, and pizza later.  I remember walking for what seemed like miles for Chicago-style pizza after my first marathon, Chicago 1999.  Wasn't walking so well.

15. Galloway or Higdon?
Used a Higdon plan for my first marathon and at least one other.  Now it's Coach's plan.

16. Flat course or hills:
Hills Hills Hills.

17. Back, Middle, or Front of the pack?
Middle to front.

18. Run alone or with a partner.
Lately alone due to my wacky work schedule, but I like both.  Alone or with company, for various reasons.

19. Ever win your age group?
Yes. Never won a race straight out though, that would be cool.

21. Funniest T-shirt spotted on another runner during a marathon:
Wow.  Don't know.  I just saw a guy with a personal ad on the back of his shirt at the Phoenix RnR, something to the effect of "must enjoy endurance activities".

22. One part of your body that has never seen body glide:
Don't use it for running.

23. Best part of running:
You must eat a lot.

24. If I didn't run I_______________.
might have a life.  No, actually I would do more swimming and biking but wouldn't be the same.

25. I can't run without______________________.
water, unless it's like 30 minutes or less.

26. Ever lose a toenail?
Yep.  Big, middle and little.

27. Gatorade or Cytomax?

I can do either but prefer it watered-down.

28. Favorite gel flavor?
Hammer gel espresso. 

29. How many days after a marathon/triathlon do you usually start running again?
Usually 2-3.  Cycling the next day or even the same day seems to speed recovery, along with the dreaded ice bath.

30. I run, therefore I ________________________.
eat.

31. Pre-race routines? (night before or morning of)
Fairly light dinner the night before.  Oatmeal/banana/cottage cheese or protein powder, coffee in the morning.

32. How often do you cry during a marathon/triathlon?
I don't like to as it interferes with breathing, but it happens.  Cried around mile 24 of my first marathon when I realized I was going to finish.  About the same point during the Austin marathon when I was about to qualify for Boston.  Pretty much miles 19-26 of the NYC marathon when I bonked hard.  And in the Ironman because my stomach was not cooperating and I was pissed off.

33. What was your worst/least favorite marathon?
Favorite: That's a tough call.  Probably my first marathon, Chicago, as far as the whole experience.  Favorite course is the Twin Cities marathon.  Least favorite: CIM course.  All the rest have been good.

34. What is your typical night before the marathon/triathlon meal?
Really not that picky- usually pasta /rice and chicken/fish.  Usually limited fiber and zero alcohol but I've done a glass of wine the night before.  Depends on the goal :)

35. Would you run a marathon/triathlon again?
I'm signed up for a little race called Ironman Coeur d'Alene in June- yay!  Big Sur is at the top of my list for future marathons.

Just running

Ever get the feeling you should simplify your workouts?  Easier said than done as a triathlete.  I took off on my run last night with all of the following items on my person:

1. iPod
2. Garmin HR monitor strap
3. Garmin watch
4. Fuel belt
5. Water bottle filled with water and Emergen-C
6. Emergency stash of gel-like chewy things in case I decided to tack on a few extra miles (i.e. get lost).  Not that I was expecting this on a 6 mile loop from work, but you never know.
7.  Sunglasses!  What the..isn't this Portland in Feb? 
8.  Hat
9.  Car key.  Had to grab a lot of this from my car on the way out.  Car, aka "mobile locker room".
10.  Badge to get back into work
11. Two pagers
12. Skipped the Blackberry since the route was pretty short and familiar, but normally I'd take that too.

Running is supposed to be a simple sport!  Just shoes, clothes, and the open road.  What happened?

Due to my odd work schedule I'm doing most training on my own now, so #1 iPod is my current training partner.  Suppose I could do without #2-3 if I wasn't such a nerd!  #4-8 are mandatory.  #9 was just poor planning.  #10-11 are a couple of the many joys for working triathletes.  Gotta fund the bike habit somehow.  One of these days I'll post a packing list for long rides on the bike- that will blow your mind! 

Ironically, this is my "unloading" week.  My intervals on the bike are 3 minutes instead of 6!  That's pretty much the only difference as far as I can tell.  Next week I'm off to winter training camp in Montana.  Yes that's where the hard-core, or geographically challenged, do their winter training.  Hawaii or Palm Springs?!  Never!  :)

Rocking the marathon and making the doughnuts

First of all, congratulations to Tom and Sarah on rocking through the marathon in Phoenix last weekend!  Both fell a bit short of their BQ goals but still made < 4 hrs and toughed it out until the very end.  It was pretty warm and dry for us Oregonians.  Not so hot temperature-wise but with the sun out it felt warm for running.  

After the runners left around 6 am, I ate breakfast and wandered across the street to linger at Starbucks for a while.  I could get used to being a spectator.   At around 9:30 I met Tom at mile 13 and started to run with him.  I thought it might be helpful to play "rabbit" and run a little ahead at goal pace.  And I have plenty of experience playing a rabbit.  We kept the 3:30 pace group in sight for a while, and every few minutes I'd look over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't pulling away as we were starting to gradually slow down.  Then somewhere past mile 16 I turned around and Tom was gone- oops.  Suppose dropping your runner is generally not helpful, but I knew I would see him sometime after stopping at mile 18 to catch Sarah.  When Sarah came by she was a bit behind the 3:50 pace group, which I thought wasn't a good sign as she'd planned to stay ahead of them longer.  As we started running she said she was doing OK, but around mile 20 started to fade.  I carried her baggie of thermolytes and managed to drop the capsules on the ground twice, both times retrieving them within the requisite 5 seconds and before someone stepped on them.  Hey- I was juggling the baggie along with the HHR (URC) keys, credit card, my Blackberry that I used to SOS text Coach Mark, and a water bottle that I carried so I wouldn't take water from a race I didn't pay for.  I took some water anyway after I eventually ran out- like I said it was warm!  Oh, I know they make those fancy belts now to hold all this kind of stuff but I forgot mine in Portland.  Duh.

Finally, the finish line.  Made a beeline for Einstein's bagels as Tom and Sarah did the finisher's thing that includes food, water, medals, photos and drop bag pick-up.  We met over at Yogurtini as I had talked it up after my ride.  Still good!  Turns out they do have a smaller size container.  Somehow I missed that the day before :)  That evening, Mexican food including a killer margarita for Sarah.  Then Dairy Queen for all, including me.  I have placed no training dietary restrictions on ice cream mind you. 

Back at the ranch in Oregon: today we got the news that Intel is closing a few factories including Fab 20 in Oregon and D2 in Santa Clara.  I work at AFO (Aloha Factory Operations) which is a really good place to be.  Imagine computer chips as doughnuts.  We basically take doughnuts from other fabs in Oregon and Arizona and put on the icing and sprinkles.  Because doughnuts don't work without icing and sprinkles.  We try not to drop the doughnuts on the floor because a LOT of money has gone into making them by the time they get to us.  And there's no 5-second rule.

 

Behold the finished product.  The sprinkles are usually more uniform.

During hard times at Intel it's usually safer to have a job close to the doughnuts.  My position is only two degrees of separation away.  Although you never know.

Are you giving me that eyes-glazed-over look that I always get when I describe my job to others?

Rockin' on to a BQ

Good luck to Tom and Sarah tomorrow in their quest for Boston qualifying times here in Phoenix!  That's 3:30 for TWL, 3:50 for SST.  I'm excited to provide some encouraging words as I run a few miles with them (miles 13-25).  Hopefully I don't get smacked!  I'm watching Sarah here prepare her nutrition flask and start the stewing and fretting process.  There's not quite as much to stew and fret about before a marathon as compared to a triathlon, but she's doing well.  Caffiene on a relatively warm race day, yes or no?  Number is too big, must be folded.  Eat if hungry right before the start of the race?  How best to secure the roctane (aka ROCK-tane) gel to the running shorts?  Pin or pocket?  Bring water for the finish line area? 

Tom and Sarah "reflecting" on their pre-race dinner (har har) in front of the Japanese resaturant. 

Here I'm reflecting on the ugliest rental car known to man, an HHR.  Color is the only thing it's got going on.

Tomorrow may be a little on the warm side but hopefully the wind will stay calm until they get through the west-to-east portion of the course.  I rode the IMAZ bike course today (just 1 loop, not 3 :) and holy crap that was some wind on the way out.  I can't imagine having to turn around and do it two more times!  It was a tough ride but the rental bike worked out well, and it was nice to feel some heat for a change.  I am having some serious Albuquerque flashbacks here!

Enjoyed a little frozen yogurt after my ride!

Ha- check the size of that bucket!  I did ride 50 miles after all :)  You may think it's size is due to some distortion from my Blackberry camera but no, it actually was that big.  But not full- get as much as you want and just pay by the ounce.  Oh, "Yogurtini" is great though.  Several kinds of yogurt and all kinds of stuff to put on top.  Maybe the marathon runners will crave this after the race?  We'll see.

Off to finish my spectator strategery.  Hope to report some good news tomorrow!

Race photo

I finally have a decent race finisher's photo- woohoo!  I don't have my head thrown back, or one hand hitting my watch, or sneaking in behind some random dude.  The only oddity is that I'm crossing the men's finish line, but you would not have known if I hadn't told you.

CIM marathon race report

Marathon #10: The California International Marathon yesterday in Sacramento.  This was definitely a PR course and I did run a PR of 3:09:40, 14/ 355 AG.  My previous PR was 3:18:45 at the Flying Pig. 

What makes it "international"?  Besides that California seems like a whole other country.  Do we run through Lichtenstein?  It's always fun to take the bus out to the start of a point to point marathon. Driving...driving... driving...gives you time to really think about that distance.  We got up at 3:30 PST, which was not as bad as 2:30 EST for the Goofy challenge in Florida- that was brutal.   Typical breakfast, coffee of course, some massage roller action, and headed downstairs to catch the bus.  Gary discovered late the night before that his bib didn't show the bus ticket even though he bought it, so he was a little stressed about getting turned away.  Guess they figure if you're up at 5am, standing in line wearing warm-ups to board a bus and travel 26.2 miles out of town, you might be a marathon runner and probably bought a ticket too.  They didn't even check.

Out at the start line they had a slew of porta-potties (score 1), free Starbucks coffee (score 2+), and a photo opportunity (score 3).

 
Gary is pumped.  The fog was doing strange things to my camera, it's not actually snowing.

  
Woodsy is cold but also pumped.
 

The gun fires and we're off.  I was pretty close to the front and only took 15 sec to cross the start line.  Plan was to run 7:30 pace through the first few miles.  First mile was slow due to the crowd, 7:38.  After that I tried to focus on taking it easy but there was more downhill than up.  Mile 2 =7:19 (ok), mile 3 =6:58 (oh s***), mile 4=7:06 (still too fast), mile 5=7:12 and I give up.  I'm taking it easy going up, relaxing going down, and it's net downhill so we're just going with it. 

The course was truly unremarkable, but it was foggy so maybe on a clear day it is scenic?  Even the finish in front of the capitol is pretty lame, you see it all of 10 seconds after making the final turn.  That reminds me, for a spectacular fall race that finishes with a long run up to the capitol, try the Twin Cities marathon in Minneapolis/St Paul.  That is just a beautiful course. 

Back to CIM, I took my second gel around mile 8 and immediately felt better.  That got me worried about running out of fuel since I seemed to be burning through it pretty fast.  Picked up a GU at the half and took it around mile 15 I think.  Still had some shot blocks but key learning on those?  Not so good for cold races as they change from a gel consistency to more sticky/gummy bear-ish.  I don't want to expend that much energy on chewing.  Sarah had mentioned a pretty big hill at mile 11, noticeable on the elevation profile as well, so after I got over that one I knew the remainder was reasonably flat to downhill.  I saw Gary around mile 16 who claimed he was dying.  But that's his pacing strategy; not "dying" necessarily, but to start fast and hang on as long as possible.  He still finished in 3:35 and BQ'd, so not a bad day for his return to marathons! 

The middle of the marathon, miles 12-18 are the hardest for me mentally.  Starting to question my fitness and did I start out too fast and OMG I'm tired already, and so on.  At mile 18 I start to think that mile 20 is not that far away and THEN it's just a 10k.  JUST a 10k.  I know what miles 20-26 are going to feel like and have pretty high confidence that I can just gut it out at the same pace unless something goes totally awry (like my stomach at IMC for example).  Noticed at mile 22 that I was gaining on the 3:10 pace group sign and that was good motivation.  I thought if I break 3:10, I won't have to do this marathon-PR thing for a while because it would be a looong road to break 3hrs and probably not feasible while training for 2 other sports.  At mile 23 some guy starting yelling "IT'S A 5K!!  ANYONE CAN DO A 5K".  Most found it pretty funny even in present condition- at least no one tried to tackle and kick his ass.  About the same time I caught up with the 3:10 group and managed to pass them.  Then I missed a turn and finished with the men- ha!  There were two separate finish lines, the women's was the first turn and I knew this from reading the race instructions but it came up really fast and the people around me happened to be men.  So I was just going with the flow in automatic mode.  By the time I realized I was on the wrong side I would've had to turn around and back track and there was NO WAY in hell I was going to do that 10 seconds from a finish line, men's or women's.  The woman who took my chip off said "hey, you're a woman" and I said something like "is that OK?" (again, marathon brain-fade) and she just laughed.  I reassured myself that they would figure it out and certainly I wasn't the only one who would make that mistake.

Then I missed my flight home due to a bus that never came.  I got on a later flight and that gave me time to EAT.  Completely mowed down a burger and fries in minutes flat!  Must have looked like I hadn't eaten in days, some guy a few tables away kept looking at me (in amazement?).  I should've been wearing my medal as explanation.  After freezing at the bus stop for almost an hour my eggnog latte wasn't sticking with me anymore.  Just a tad hungry.

The only bummer about this trip was that I didn't get to see anyone else from Portland and hear their stories after the finish.  Congrats to Mark B., Bert, Jerry, Julie, Rocket Shoes and his wife.  Looking forward to the race reports and party next weekend where tales may be told.  Gary flew back to Portland with a guy who ran 2:23!!  Click to see my toe carnage if you'd like (it's gross I warned you).  One I like to call "Marathons are Fun".  Usually don't have a lot of trouble with blisters, but it's time for new shoes.  And maybe a new toenail.  Losing the pinky isn't a big deal as you can hardly see it anyway.  Couple years ago I lost my big toenail and that's a little disconcerting.  Especially to the person doing your pedicure..."um, just go ahead and paint a square where my toenail should be- thanks!". 

I'm also looking forward to supporting Tom and Sarah at the Rock 'n Roll marathon in Phoenix on Jan 18th.  As long as "support" doesn't require anything but standing on the sidelines holding up a beer.  I did pick up a cowbell this weekend too, so I should be all set.

No banana

Since my quest for bananas and cottage cheese through the streets of downtown Sacramento this morning, I've been doing a whole lotta nothing.  Chillin' at the Holiday Inn.  I found one market yesterday that literally had ONE decent-looking banana.  I'm not too terribly picky about bananas either.  That one got eaten after my run last night, so I had to seek out another one.  Found another market with very green bananas.  No good.  I was walking back through the mall next door, about to give up when I saw...Jamba Juice?  Would they sell me one unprocessed banana?  Yes!!  Very exciting.  Although the Holiday Inn here is quite nice, there is no mini bar for those little bottles of liquor (you know the ones that "help me sleep") or cottage cheese.  There is a "dummy" mini bar with doors that don't open - seriously, I'm not the only one who tried.  It's just teaser furniture I guess.

I brought my new torture device to Sac with me: the TP massage quad roller.  Didn't know how that would "fly" at airport security, and turns out they did question me about it.  Rest assured that tall blonde female terrorists wielding massage rollers WILL get questioned by the TSA.  "Do you have a weight in your bag?".  I paused for a confused second and then explained OH no, it's a roller.  And it really hurts a lot when used properly!  That might have been the wrong thing to say.  But they let me go.  When I got to Sac I had about a half hour to wait for the bus, so I back inside to Starbucks and ordered a latte (not a PWCM- that's for tomorrow afternoon).  I went back outside, walked back down to the bus stop and sat on the bench.  Oops, no latte.  Walked all the way back inside and luckily it was still there!  Apparently I am saving all physical AND mental energy for this race.

Speaking of torture, last night I took my first ice bath since IMC and it was a doozy.  The water came out of the tap kinda warm so I went a little overboard with the ice (4 large plastic sacks full).  DAMN.  Got to exercise my expanded vocabulary, also in prep for miles 22-26 tomorrow.  Oh and in case you were wondering, and I'm sure you are concerned, my cottage cheese is chilling in the ice bucket.  Because bad cottage cheese may not be the best marathon breakfast choice.

On track

My training for CIM is going pretty well, knock on wood.  The immediate goal is not to get sick before the race, as colds killed my long runs before Flying Pig last spring.  I'm chasing my wine and beer with emergen-C, when I do drink.  Hey, it's still the "off-season" even though I'm signed up for this marathon. 

This is where I did my track workout this morning.  Scenery is a good distraction.

Duniway track.  Almost makes you want to come out and do threshold intervals with me, doesn't it?

I usually waste the gas to drive down to Duniway because...well, see above.  Not too crowded on a Thursday morning either.  SInce this is my "unloading" week, my workout was 4x1200 at 6:30+/- goal pace.  Don't know, I'm still feeling pretty "loaded".  But I was able go "-" and even recovered a few lost seconds on the last one turning up the volume on my iPod ("Shattered" by O.A.R. - LOVE it).

And since the workout went so well, AND since I promised to swim today too, I rewarded myself with the first eggnog latte of the season.  Don't worry, they are every bit as delicious as last year.  Figure there has got to be some quality egg protein in there, and "reduced fat" must cut out at least 50 calories right?  Maybe I should run the numbers.  But then again, ignorance is bliss...as is the eggnog latte.

Dam the 10K!

Last Saturday I did the Best Dam Run 10K down in Estacada.  Note that I haven't done a 10K race in over 2 YEARS.  Halfway through this one I realized I really don't know how to race a 10k.  Do you a) push to the point of failure and stagger to the finish line?  or b) attempt to pace yourself?  When my legs started to feel heavy around mile three, my strategy changed from a to b.  The "damn" part of this run came when a hill suddenly appeared around mile 5.  Not a welcome sight after 4 miles of downhill, and not a small hill either.  In the end I did PR by about a minute with 42:18, good for 1st AG and 4th OA F.  And my previous PR was also on a downhill course so it is a pretty fair comparison.  As an interesting note, Wendy Terres was the 1st place female running a 5:43 pace, over a minute per mile faster than me!  I didn't know who she was, but heard someone asking her before the race "how did the Olympic trials go?".  Haha.  The good news is that she is 39, and the second place woman also kicked my butt at age 40.  I'm sure I'll be that fast in 5 or 6 years. 

 
Nice distracting view of the Clackamas river.  Did it work?  Not really.

Congratulations to Francisco for winning the 1st Annual Lafayette Fun Run 5K over the weekend, Jerry for his performance at the Bellingham Bay marathon and Tom for winning the 1st Annual RA 5K!  There were no witnesses to this however. 

Also best of luck to Eileen and Mark B at the Portland Marathon this weekend!  Look to me for your refueling needs post-race :)  Speaking of, I am looking for an assistant on Sunday morning.  It doesn't pay much, but you'll get all the chocolate milk you can drink.

New Job

Not really, although I was thinking along those lines as work spilled into my weekend over the last couple days.  After a poorly-planned travel schedule to Minnesota (I skipped two nights of sleep going and coming).  Bad.  I have another blog post coming for that trip with pictures, but for now I wanted to post that I just got a JOB next Sunday at the Portland marathon.  I can't reveal the details, but I will be in costume and let's just say I have experience in this area.  I may also be handing out something that you might like to consume post-race.  It's not beer, I'm sorry.  You'll have to come get some to find out, and have your picture taken with me at the same time. 

Hog-wild in Cin city

You might want to grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable.  This turned into a rather long-winded "tail" with a plethora of not-that-funny puns.  You've been warned.  It was just too easy.

The pigs have flown.  What a day!  Our Oregon contingent of 7 completed the Flying Pig marathon in Cincinnati on Sunday.  Sadly, we were missing one piglet.  Sarah had to have eye surgery on Thursday and was unable to make the trip.  Apparently running marathons is not recommended for healing a re-attached retina (are you sure doc?).  Charlie has already generated a list of animal-marathons for her to consider next, i.e. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Flying Pigs..

Rain and windy conditions on Saturday made us feel right at home, but the weather broke and turned into an absolutely perfect day on Sunday.  Temperature was 37 at the 6:30am start, though it didn't really feel that cold.  I weaved my way up through the pig pen to situate myself between the 3:10 and 3:20 pace groups, very close to the start line.  Then the announcer tells us that the race start will be delayed by 15 minutes due to a structure fire on the course.  Not a big deal.  But he continued to boost his popularity by announcing that the race would be diverted around the fire so the course would be slightly longer.  But not much longer.  "Not much" when you're already running 26.2 is definitely too much!  Especially for those people trying to qualify for Boston.  The detour was well-marked and not a problem though it did add about 0.2 miles.  Believe our times will eventually be adjusted down according to our recorded average pace, for a distance of 26.2 miles, so that's a bonus!

I was not very confident going into this race for a couple *good* reasons.  My training was derailed by a minor head cold right before my last two long runs that I thought were pretty critical.  As a result my long runs consisted of a 20-miler on March 29th, a painful 17 miler on April 5th and an even worse 18-miler on the 13th.  Then my cold revisited for a couple days during taper week adding insult to injury.  Taper week training: 6 on Tues (OK), 4 on Wed (ouch) and 2 on Saturday that actually felt good.  2!  So I had 2 good miles to build a marathon on.  Get excited!  Second reason: the course was tougher than expected.  Tom and I drove it on Saturday and well...the profile on the website does not do it justice.  Besides the "big hill" from mile 6 to 9, there was just a lot of rolling going on throughout.  Some gradual climbs, some short steep climbs.  A "nice" variety.  Not so nice for a PR, especially considering I stopped hill workouts back in oh...February.  Not that I haven't been running hills since, but could have had more focus.

The first few miles were not nearly as congested as I expected.  The herd thinned out pretty quickly, running on nice wide streets downtown.  The end of mile 1 was on a bridge.  At the start line I was in front of the 3:20 pace group but right then I heard a bunch of chatter and there they were, immediately behind me.  My first mile was 7:45.  Yes it was partially uphill, but I decided at that point my original goal of 7:30 might be a bit aggressive today for reasons mentioned above.  New game-day strategy was to run conservatively and stick close to the 3:20 group over the big hills.  Pick up the pace at mile 9 if I was feeling good.

Francisco and Gary ran by me just before mile 3.  A few words were exchanged.  Not fighting words, mind you.  Apparently Gary ran right beside me for a minute or two, trying to figure out if it was me, but I had my blinders on and didn't even notice!  That's FOCUS I tell you.  Now we're getting it started on a long, fairly gradually uphill.  Flattens out for a while, then at mile 6 you hit the two stair-step climbs to a scenic overlook.  I'm thinking the grade on those might be comparable to St John's bridge for those who've done Portland.  After looping around the overlook there is a more gradual climb up to mile 9.  I felt really good at that point; like I ran exactly the right pace to get 'er done without burning too much energy.  Nice downhill for a mile or so, and when it flattened out again that's when I started to get worried.  Felt more fatigue in my legs than I'm used to at mile 11 of a marathon.  Hmm...

Still hanging with 3:20 group at the half but having serious doubts about sticking it out.  Luckily the 3:20 pace group leader was pretty entertaining, cracking jokes and calling out to the spectators, so that was distracting at least.  The crowd support is AWESOME for this race, as noted in Runner's World magazine.  They also had aid stations every mile and plenty of port-o-potties for those who needed them.  I still remember waiting in line for one the first year I did Boston.  Kind of kills your race time, standing in line.

Apologies for the epic report here...fast-forward to mile 20+.  Thank god it's mostly downhill at this point.  Pulled away from 3:20 group a few times to implement the "speed up after the hills" part of my plan but every time I did, eventually the group appeared right next to me again with their friggin' sign and balloons.  Decided that I would not be disappointed with a 3:20 since that was still a PR BUT 3:19 would be even better because...well, it's like saying $1.99 vs $2.00.  Just sounds different!  There was a nasty little hill at mile 25+ just to kick you while you're down, and a fast downhill to the end.  Gave it everything I had to kick it across the Finish Swine (didn't make that up, that's what it's called) even though it appeared 3:19 would elude me.  Ouch- that finishing photo should be SWEET.  With a 3:20:39 chip time my "adjusted" time should be 3:19ish.  More delayed gratification onto my PR- I'll take it!  Thank you very much!

Interesting note: Andy Martin of Bend, OR won the men's race ONE WEEK after winning Big Sur in California.  He and Jerry are exchanging tips apparently; congrats to our own animal Jerry who ran a PR of 3:03 at the Pig one week after running 3:15 at Big Sur!  Here is the link to results.  All of us had a great time regardless of what the clock or chip says!  Must say this race RULES.  Highly recommend it.  I ended up third in my age group which was a nice surprise.  And was given the first place award since 1st and 2nd were in the top 5 overall females, so they got their own awards!  Oh and there was tons of pink stuff at the expo.  Not a selling point for the guys I suppose.

The post-race celebration dinner was at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse.  Recommended by Maggie's Uncle Jerry and the late Bob Hope.  Where we enjoyed...well, pig.  It was fun to meet Maggie's family- extremely nice folks.  That's shocking I know!

Oregon crew and Maggie's family after the post-race pig out.  Note the medal with no person, between the people with no medals.  If I had Photoshop skills, Sarah would be in this picture.

The next two pictures were not my idea believe it or not.

Saying hello to "Pigasus" on the waterfront

Awarding him an honorary marathon medal

"Pigasus" is Maggie's running buddy now too.  Francisco you've been replaced!

Time to stop drinking and call it a day

Taper week

I wish this was going into a giant cooler of beer.

Alas, no.  Went into the bathtub after my run yesterday.  To clarify: first some water went in, then ice, and then finally I got in.  What we won't do for this sport.  I will be making my best effort to put forth very little effort this week.  Pacing the floor in recovery mode until the PIG: T minus 6 days and counting.

What did you do last weekend?

Bonnie completed her first mountain bike race at Horning's Hustle, and has already signed up for the full Cross Crusade series come fall ;)

Lindsay completed her first half marathon (and longest run EVER) at Race for the Roses.  Congratulations!  She's gearing up for a Half-Iron triathlon in August, after Short Course Worlds in June.

Sorella teammates Sarah and Libby survived the Willamette Stage Race, a battle against the elements and some aimless guy on a mountain bike.  Hopefully Kristin won't mind me referencing her blog for the full story.  Have you visited your pain cave recently?

Also in the "my friends are nuts" category, Tom did the De Ronde Van Oeste Portlandia ride on Saturday followed by the Race for the Roses half marathon on Sunday.  He's hoping they can make De Ronde a bit more challenging next year, maybe throw in a ride out to Bald Peak for a double double.

And last but certainly not last, I know *really* fast people: Speedshot teammate Josh took 2nd place in the Beaver Freezer triathlon and Jeff had a speedy time @ Race for the Roses.  I "catch" them at Tues night track workouts...or don't.

I personally took 2 naps this weekend, each over 2 hours in length.

When pigs fly

When will pigs fly, you ask?  Exactly 1 month from today in Cincinnati.  Woodsy and 6 other piglets from the greater Portland area will be running this marathon on May 4th.  Why? 

a) the medals are cool

b) the paraphernalia is pink.  yes those are pink pig socks.

c) the course is fast.  Tom and Sarah are pessimists but I think it's pretty fast.

d) bacon at the aid stations.  mmm...bacon

e) it's in OHIO!  Enough said.

This marathon brought to you by my diabolical friend Lisa, who also brought you Pike's Peak Marathon 2005 and Crater Lake Marathon 2006.  Still contributing to our delinquency.  Watch Sarah, Tom and Maggie qualify for Boston.  See Woodsy set a PR.  See Jerry Pump 'n Run.  And Francisco just might beat his 4 hour goal!

Mudded bliss

 
Happy shoes after 20 miles in Forest Park this morning

My legs may be less than happy tomorrow, but a long run in Forest Park?  Priceless.  Training doesn't get much better than this.

ow ow ow

Shamrock me.  I did the 8k race downtown last Sunday.  Who knew a 33-minute 23-second race could be so painful?  This is why I don't do short races: I find it difficult to pace myself and it hurts a lot, both during and after and ESPECIALLY two days after.  What's sore?  How about what is NOT sore??!!!  I putzed around the track for a while at tonight's group workout and earned tomorrow off as a result; coach's orders. 

But because I hardly know what to do with myself on a day without a workout, I will be doing a short easy swim in the evening to keep myself occupied.  What DO normal people do in the evenings after work?  Cook dinner?  Watch TV?  Play with their Wii?  OK, so I might take a detour to the hot tub and screw the pool altogether.  Dare to slack.

Running in Circles

Ever feel like you're chasing your tail?  Happening way too much here lately.  If I had half that wasted energy back for my run last night, maybe it wouldn't have sucked quite so much.

You may remember I got my laptop "refreshed" at work a couple weeks ago, twice.  Another painful process but I will spare you those details.  The new computer actually works, but in the confusion I only received one power cord.  Hang with me here, I'm trying to explain succinctly.  Engineers supporting the fab need two laptop power cords but they not only work at their desk but most everywhere else including but not limited to the fab, cafeteria, car, Starbucks, and bed.  To name the most common.  So after a flurry of 16 (yes one-six, I counted) emails over two weeks, one of which suggested I get yet another NEW LAPTOP, I am back to where I started.  Trying my initial request again.  *sigh*.  That's the way things work in The Corporation.  Nothing is easy.  If it is easy, you've probably screwed up!  Another example: it took 5 calls and 3 open tickets with the IT TAC (tech assistance center) over an entire week to get a new program working on my PC.  That is because when you call the TAC you are now forced to choose an option, there no bail-out option to "stay on the line and wait for a customer service rep to assist you".  There is no more customer service, which became apparent pretty quickly.  After going down the wrong path a few times I finally got someone who told me the right choices for my program were option 1, option 5 and option 8.  Option 8?!  My attention span is just not that long.  I've completely tuned out by option 4.

Pedaling in circles...an update.  My new bike has new pedals.  Hooray!  Which of course are not compatible with the old-school pedals and cleats on my old bike.   Bah!  So what to do?  Get new shoes of course!  That is always the default.  OK, so I got some tri shoes on order, then started thinking that those old bike pedals are just a big wrench in the whole machine.  If I got NEW pedals for my OLD bike, then all compatibility issues would be resolved.  Net result is one new bike, two new pairs of pedals and one new pair of shoes.  Going forward my new Fuji shall be referred to as the Aloha CF2 Money Pit, or CF2MP.  Because it ain't over yet.

For my 10-mile run tonight, I think I'll do a loop or two.  The next few days are all about recovery for the Jack Frost time trial on Sunday which is, of course, a out-and-back.  BE THERE or be warm and dry at home.

Heavy Medal

Quick update from the Land of a Million Magical Dreams, minus hills and espresso shops.  Sarah, Jerry and I finished the Walt Disney World marathon yesterday and have been officially declared "Goofy" for successfully completing the Donald Duck half marathon on Saturday and the Mickey Mouse full marathon on Sunday.  AND we received a third medal just for being idiot..I MEAN Goofy!! 

Here the G-funk crew attempts to blind the photographer.  That is some serious bling!

Race day conditions were pretty reasonable.  High temperature was 70 degrees with 90% humidity (ugh) but the sun stayed hidden in overcast skies.  Only one altercation with a Disney character on the course today, this time between Jerry and a Power Ranger.  One thing we've learned about Jerry this weekend, that guy is always in the fray.  He and I ran together unknowingly for about 5 miles- he followed me for a couple miles at the start, then I slipped in behind him for another couple of miles after a water stop and I'm hoping the photographer at ~ mile 3 captured me lurking behind him.  Sarah's brother joined her for a couple miles at 20.

Other dreams that came true yesterday- we got to the co-pilot the monorail!

Evidential proof

Super excited to help drive the monorail!

Our post-race celebratory dinner was at Artist Point where we critiqued fine cuisine of the Pacific Northwest!  No joke.  Not that we had discriminating taste last night.  Every time the waiter came to pick up our clean plates he exclaimed "good job"!  They had an extensive wine list consisting of Oregon and Washington wines.  Score!  Also a good dessert selection which was another very important consideration in choosing the restaurant.  And I have another dessert confession to make...we spiked our blood sugar with an afternoon snack of cookies and a Mickey Mouse-shaped chocolate-dipped rice krispy treat I'd been eying since we arrived.  Who knew that mouse-shaped treats could be so delicious!  Stay tuned for "brownie testimonials" in future posts.  You know that runners only run to eat, right?

Coincidentally we met several Oregonians over the weekend, and apparently one of them brought the weather because it rained here yesterday!  And you guys had a dry Sunday ride in Portland.  Go figure.  Today we bid farewell to this tropical locale but not until after a workout and visit to Kona Coffee in the Polynesian resort down the street.  Our purpose is twofold: put an end to my espresso withdrawal and eat our marathon calorie expenditure in jelly donuts.

Can you feel the magic?

Huh huh?  Can you?  Because we are currently immersed in it here at Walt Disney World.  2008 also happens to be the Year of a Million Dreams, when all your wildest dreams big and small may come true!!  As long as you dream of running 39.3 miles this weekend.  Beyond that, Mickey can't make any promises. 

Quick update from the Goofy challengers:  we've successfully completed the Donald Duck Half-Marathon in fine form and only had to take out one Disney character.  And that was afterward at the "character breakfast" when Stitch attempted to maul Jerry.  Where's the camera when you need it?  Instead we got this happy photo

Post-Donald, showing off the hardware.  Just wait until you see us tomorrow night, posing as rap stars!

Come to think of it, we've already had some dreams come true during this trip.  Sarah got to experience riding the monorail through the Disney contemporary A-frame hotel.  Alanna passed the guy wearing a green tutu during the race.  And Jerry has travel companions that think about food as much as he does.  Dining options are limited but we're certainly not starving!  We had a great dinner with Sarah's brother and friends last night.

So far we've only experienced mild dementia.  But looking forward to official Goofiness around 10am tomorrow- that's 7am to you Portland people.  This morning we were up at 2:30 EST (which is probably before some of you went to bed), boarded the monorail by 3:45 and were running by 6:00.  Pre-butt crack of dawn, kids.  Speaking of, they're everywhere!  Is this like a children's theme park or something?

Now we're trying to fall asleep and the fireworks just started outside.  He he.

DNF vs. DFL

Which is worse?  That is the question.  I considered this during 'cross season but managed to come up empty-handed on both counts.  Lisa did achieve her very first, long-awaited DFL finish!  She may have been DFL but she kicked boo-tay on the jumps.

Lisa in full cowboy getup.  Wish I'd heard some of the responses when she went "looking for her gun" after the race, lost on the jump.

Photo credits to Lisa's pal Dan, who took a collection of awesome pics throughout the season.  I have racked up TWO DFL finishes in my athletic career so there is yet another level to aspire to, my friends.  I have not DNF'd a race yet but odds are it will happen someday.  Let's hope it's not IMC. 

My first DFL...(insert chimes and cloud-machine effects here).  It was exactly one week after the Twin Cities marathon.  My legs were toast.  I headed out to an X-DOG event called Rumble at the Ranch with several running buddies.  For those not familiar with their events, the actual distance is only approximate (+/- a mile or so) and typically involves a lot of drinking before, during and after.  This was only a 5-mile trail run, but since I was still "recovering" my plan was to watch and take pictures.  Whatever.  Once I got there, the lure of the slippery, sloppy un-runnable trail was too much and I really wanted to do the race.  So I took off running in my full length lined windpants, all I had at the time (this becomes important later).  Promptly fell behind, way behind, and hijinks ensued.  Lots of scrambling up steep, muddy hills using hands and feet, quickly sliding down the other side on my butt.  Actually windpants were still a good idea at this point.  Try to run with 5 lbs of mud stuck to each shoe after sinking in ankle-deep.  Go ahead, try it!  Then there was a RIVER crossing.  No, not a creek.  A creek does not come up to mid-thigh.  This is wear the pants became a problem.  After getting completely soaked they were pretty heavy and the fun wasn't over.  Eventually I took a wrong turn and got LOST.  I remembered the race director Kevin saying something about coming out to look for stragglers, but when?  Help!  You can just picture how pathetic I look at this point; muddy, wet and disoriented.  To make an entirely-too-long story shorter, I survived to cross the finish line probably at least 20-30 min after the second-to-last finisher.  Holy crap was that embarrassing.  My friends are looking at me like WTH?  My only saving grace was that everyone was good and drunk already, they had some time, so didn't pay too much attention to me. 

Whew.  My 2nd DFL story will have to wait for another day.  That was enough humiliation for one post.  Anyway, the moral of this story is...I've forgotten.  Evidenced by the fact I am doing the Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World on January 12-13, which is a half-marathon on Saturday followed by a full marathon on Sunday.  Not one week later, the VERY NEXT DAY.  My justification is that this event is on my "to-do" list and I have two willing, and goofy, partners to experience it with.  Though I'm not convinced that traveling across the country to run back to back long-distance races is going to be a good experience.  Jerry is the instigator (I see people nodding ah yes, that makes sense) and Sarah and I are the suckers.  The lure of the bling is just too much: not one, not two, but THREE medals for the challengers.  Time to put on the mouse ears and get serious about training! 

Peaceful, easy feeling

I am feeling truly inspired so forgive me for falling off the deep end in this post.  This morning I had the most amazing run with the Portland marathon training clinic.  This was my last run of the year leading the 3:30 pace group.  And if I haven't led my ducklings too far astray, they will reach their goal at the marathon here in 2 weeks.  Let me tell you, these people are pumped and ready to go.  Usually the chatter dies down around mile 12 or so, but not today.  Wendy, Bill, Grant and Tram- best of luck in the marathon!  My friend and colleague Bill will be attempting to go sub-3 hours.  Smokin'! 

Our route was from Fit Right Vancouver, out-and-back along Lacamas Lake for a total of 16 miles.  The air was cool and crisp, leaves were falling on the trail allowing glimpses of the lake through the trees.  The term that comes to mind when I think about trail running in the fall is "heavenly".  Last year I took some forced time off of running to allow my foot to heal so missed this season entirely.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder, without a doubt.  When I run trails by myself, it's totally meditative.  I'll often find myself "coming to" after 10-15 minutes of running to realize my body has been moving forward while my mind has been elsewhere.  Not thinking about Ironman training, work, or people who piss me off...just completely gone.  I don't think I've ever experienced this level of "zen" in a yoga studio.  When my gps says "Satellite Reception Lost" I'm thinking this is true, in more ways than one.

There are a couple tricks to making this happen.  Most importantly you have to be in shape and running the pace you have trained for.   And it probably helps that I've been running pretty much my whole life.  Seems totally natural and I know how to fall into a good rhythm.  And you have to be alone.  Not that I don't enjoy running with others, most times I prefer it, but it has to be just you and the trail.  Don't even think about inviting your friend iPod either.  I enjoy running with tunes as much as the next person but not when I want to tune out. 

In some mysterious way woods have never seemed to me to be static things.  In physical terms, I move through them; yet in metaphysical ones, they seem to move through me.  ~John Fowles

You may be right. I may be crazy.

And now I'm committed.

Registration:	2008 Subaru Ironman Canada On-Site Entry
Purchase Date:	09/12/07
Team:	Alanna Woods
Category:	On-Site Registration
Event Date:	08/24/08
Name:	Alanna Woods

PLUS I registered for the PIG today.

I've done 9 marathons and 3 ultras to date and here is my somewhat short list of must-do's:

Big Sur
Goofy's Race and a Half challenge, Walt Disney World
Grandma's
Rock 'n' Roll Arizona
The Great Wall
Nike Women's marathon, San Fran
Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc (check this one out!)

Will the madness ever end?  Not any time soon, evidently.