Pronouncing The Death of NJM: Sidelined by the Flu

So maybe taunting the marathon gods with a pseudonym for an imaginary illness at the start of race week wasn't the smartest move. I suspect that some supernatural being noticed my sarcasm and decided to unleash vengeance on me. Within 24 hours after publishing my last post, I was humbled and humiliated by a real viral infection: A superbug that has left me with fever, chills, malaise and exhaustion for the past two days. I've lost my appetite, I've lost weight, and almost fainted on the subway coming home from work last night. And in case you are still wondering, running has been out of the question since just walking down the block to the grocery store and back feels like a marathon in and of itself. Sad, I know.

As I've been spending a lot of time in bed the past few days, holding on to a pipe dream that I'll recover in time to run the marathon this weekend, I've been thinking about how it came to be that I've been transformed overnight from a healthy and active marathon runner to a giant puddle of glob stuck in the fetal position underneath two layers of heavy blankets unable to move. It'd be easy to blame this latest travesty on a stroke of bad luck. After all, everyone gets sick (just like everyone poops) at one time or another, right? But what if I told you I voluntarily got up at 4am on Sunday to volunteer at the More Half Marathon which required me to stand in the cold and rain for 4 hours while handing out cups of water and Gatorade? What if I told you that after some lunch that same day, I was so inspired by all the women runners braving the terrible weather for 13.1 miles that I ran the same distance in a constant drizzle as a tribute to the ladies? (BTW, someone commented on FB that running 13.1 in 1:33 that day after handing out water for 4 hrs wasn't enough of a tribute. I needed to run for 2:20. Seriously?)

Yeah, I realize in retrospect what a dumb decision that was. I forgot that I have the innate immunity of a SCID baby and I get sick easy, early, and often (and not the kind of sick that can be used to describe Lebron James on the basketball court either!) The funniest thing was that I was just talking to my mom Sunday night and telling her how proud I was that I haven't been sick in 4 or 5 months. Boy, was I way off the mark.

So there you have it. Although I doubted I'd be ever seeing the light of day again after hunkering in bed for 3 days, I am actually feeling a little better today, at least enough to let you all know that I'm still alive. As for my prospects for the New Jersey Marathon...sigh...I think it's safe to say that it is beyond resuscitation at this point. Besides, is there any reason for me to hurt and struggle just to complete another 26.2? I'll just be risking further damage to my body to try for a goal that is no longer attainable. So as much as it saddens, disappoints and pains me to say...

Time of (NJ Marathon) Death - 12:18PM. (Actually, Ms.V did the honors for me last night on twitter, but I'm re-creating it here just in case no one else heard...)

The wake will take place on Sunday, May 2nd. Details of funeral arrangements will be distributed to interested party members at a later date.

R.I.P. my friend.

NJM Training Update

Given that I'm five weeks into this training cycle and about to run my first official race of 2010 this coming weekend, I thought it'd be appropriate to assess and analyze how my training for the New Jersey Marathon has been progressing so far. For the purposes of this discussion, it might be helpful to refer to the training plan as it was originally designed. (see here)

For those who like things short and sweet, I'll give you the pictorial version:

For those who prefer a longer and more detailed explanation, I decided to bring things up in terms of the workouts I deem most important in terms of marathon preparation. In all the previous marathons I've run, I can almost always predict my successes and failures on the road based on the progress (or lack thereof) I've made on these specific workouts. Although the number and variety of these sessions have increased over the years, I think the general goal of optimizing aerobic fitness and improving running economy while incorporating speed, strength, and endurance have remained pretty much the same. Here then is how I've done on my key workouts:

Long Runs - 17 Miles & Up
Scheduled - 2; Completed - 3
Assessment: Since it's early (5 weeks in, 11 more to go), all my long runs thus far have been 18 miles or less. I inadvertently did one more than I was supposed to last week when I a ran a few more miles with a very fun friend (TK of pigtailsflying - read her report of our exploits), albeit at a slower pace for me. Overall, I think I'm doing okay in this department although I have a little trouble maintaining a steady pace in the cold and windy conditions I've been doing these in. I'm experimenting with fueling as I run these to get a sense of how to get the most "bang for the buck" in the later miles. (I want to find ways to avoid the energy-sag in miles 20-22 if I can). Going forward, I realize I need to practice LSDs on long stretches of flats because I think I tend to lose focus when there aren't uphills and downhills to break up the monotony (one of the pitfalls of doing most long runs in Central Park). As I have multiple 20-milers scheduled in next several weeks, I still have ample opportunity to work on this part of the mental game.

Tempo Runs (6M@6:30; 4M@6:25; 5M@6:25)
Scheduled - 3; Completed - 3
Assessment: Since I've been running tempos since my first marathon, I approach these sessions almost like visiting an old friend. Although they can be exhausting, especially when you blast off at the beginning and run the first mile at interval pace like I tend to do, I feel familiar and comfortable with these workouts. I love the feeling of being in the tempo zone where you're running much faster than you are accustomed to but not too fast that you feel you're about to keel over at any second. The trick is to sustain that effort for as long as possible before your mind starts to get bored or panic that the end is still too far away. Going forward, I know I have a bad habit of starting too quick, sagging in middle, and sprinting to make my time in the last mile. And this is sometime I hope to work on in the next few sessions

Speed Intervals (4x800's; 5x800's; 4x1M)
Scheduled - 3; Completed - 2
Assessment: This year, I'm trying to take emphasis off mile repeats, which I've been accustomed to for a long time and focus more on running 800s which I only discovered last fall. It is ironic then that I failed in my only mile repeat session of this training cycle session so far. In retrospect, I knew I wasn't ready to do that particular workout because I was coming off a double long double speedwork session a couple of days prior and sub-6 pace was a bit aggressive for so early in this training cycle. The two 800s sessions however were less of a struggle for me. I have been doing these on the treadmill exclusively because there really isn't any track close by to where I live. Maybe I will measure out a piece of road so I can run these outdoors in the future but for now, I like being able to set a specific pace and not have to check my watch for my split times while I'm running. Going forward, I want to get my comfortable running at 800 pace as I increase the number of sets gradually to 8.

Marathon Paced (6M@6:52)
Scheduled - 1; Completed - 2
Assessment: Again, because it's still early, MP runs have been few and far between. I ran a scheduled one in the second week of training and an unscheduled one in the fourth week when I mistakenly ran a progressive eight miler as a marathon paced six mile run. Since the objective here is to get the body familiar with moving at marathon pace, I think it's important to avoid fluctuations in speed for these as you're running. I have a tendency to run these 5-10 secs/mi faster than I should, which kind of defeats the purpose. Going forward, I must concentrate on maintain a narrower window in my pace and slowing down to a more suitable speed for these workouts.

Hill Workouts (4xHill, 5xHill)
Scheduled - 2; Completed - 1
Assessment: So these for me are completely new. I completely sucked it up for the first workout because I set my inclines way too high (at 6 and 7%) for a beginning getting started in treadmill hill training. The second workout went a lot better as I set my inclines at 4 and 5% which is about the grading of Harlem Hill and a little more. I was able to finish five sets without feeling completely exhausted. Although I am running a flat marathon, I'm hoping these workouts will help me build some leg strength and execute a good sprint in the later miles when I'll be doubting myself and fighting fatigue.

Easy/Recovery Runs
Assessement: I've been fairly successful keeping these low intensity workouts at the appropriate intensity and heart rate zone. Sometimes I get antsy that I'm dragging a bit and running paces that are so slow for me (7:40-8 min/mi) but I try to remember the overall purpose for these runs is for muscle building and repairing. Keeping my eyes on heart rate and not pace as I'm running has proven quite beneficial. Also, I should avoid thinking about what my average pace was for most of my runs at this point last year.

Final Analysis:

Overall, I think I'm pretty satisfied with how things have been going so far. I haven't as yet missed a scheduled run, my weekly mileage is always a few miles more than what I planned and I'm definitely running more than I was at this point last year when I was training for Boston (despite it being about 5 degrees colder on average than last year!) I'm slightly anxious that I don't have any objective measure of my progress so far since I haven't as yet run any races, but this will change later this weekend after the Cherry Tree Ten Miler in Prospect Park. One thing I do note though is that my legs feel stronger and healthier than they've been in a very long time. No twinges, no pain, no feelings of instability even on my speedier workouts (Knocking on wood right now!). That's a very good sign heading into the bulk of the training plan where there will be more miles, more long runs, and more hills, tempos, and intervals to tackle. I'm cautiously optimistic to see what the spring may bring!

Now, if only the sunnier weather and warmer temperatures can get here sooner rather than later...that would be most fabulous!

NJM Training Plan Revealed!

First of all, thanks everyone for all the positive comments and feedback you've given me in the last series of post. Your support and encouragement was really appreciated. I hesitate sometimes to discuss my hospital experiences here because most of the time it has nothing to do with running and it can be a bit mundane to everyone else but me, so it's nice to know when other runners can appreciate and benefit from some of the patient stories I encounter in my professional life.

Okay, now on to the good stuff...

After many hours of investigation (into training plans), interrogation (with coaches/experts) and deliberation (watching reruns of Glee?), I think I'm closed to finalizing a training schedule for the New Jersey Marathon on May 2nd. Now for those marathon newbies who think this should be as simple as looking at a website or opening up a book and copying down some numbers, let me assure you that this process was more extensive and time-consuming than any research paper I've ever written! Not only did I have to figure out such details as total mileage, mileage per week, training paces, tune up races, long run distances, marathon simulations, but to do so in the context of a consistent sixteen week buildup with adequate recovery to avoid injury and burnout while making every effort to "overcome inertia" by incorporating new techniques, drills and workouts into the plan and somehow fit it all within the framework of my professional duties as a full-time clinician was extremely exhausting and challenging. There were many moments while I was preparing this that I almost wish I didn't know as much about marathon training as I do. For some reason, deciding on a training plan for my first marathon was so much easier and less time consuming than it is for my tenth. I guess "ignorance is bliss" applies as much to running as it does in everyday life!

Before I unleash the glory of the training schedule for you all to behold (or criticize if it's not to your liking) let me point out a few important differences between this training plan and those I've used for past marathons:

1. Less mileage, more speed - One of the overall themes I'm adopting for this training plan is reducing slightly the quantity of miles while incrementally increasing the quality and speed of the runs. My number #1 pet peeve from last year's training was running too many miles at too slow a pace, especially on my long runs. Perhaps as a consequence, I was not able to keep up with many of my scheduled speedwork sessions. This time around I'm going to try running slightly less total mileage (average ~45 miles/week) in hopes of being adequately recovered to optimize my speed and endurance training.

2. Fewer 20 miler long runs, more marathon pace practice - There will be one fewer scheduled long run (four 20 milers) as compared to the fall, but there will be marathon paced runs galore, ranging from 2 to 14 miles this time around.

3. More hill workouts, more Yasso 800s - Something that will be entire new to me is this idea of hill sprints and workouts. I've never done them before but according to almost all the books I've read, this is the best, safest and most effective way to build running strength. As for the Yasso 800s, last year, I dabbled in them for one or two sessions. This year, they will be become a stable in my speedwork routine. I will start with 4x800s and build up to 8 by the peak of training. They will replace my mile repeats which I used to do religiously. I'm hoping this extra strength will come in handy when I'm busting for the line and I've got either two people or two seconds to beat.

4. Pace variety and heart rate zones - Since I've got so many workouts packed into such a finite space and time, I need to be focused to make sure I'm doing each run at the specified pace. To make myself accountable, I'm going to list the objectives and goals for each day's run on dailymile in terms of purpose, pace, and heart rate and perform a self-assessment on each of these goals at the end of every run. This will ensure that I plan ahead and have a clear idea of what that run should do for me in the context of marathon training even before I lace up the shoes. For someone who has a tendency to push every run hard every time out, this is an important step for me.

Okay, so without further ado, here is my training plan for the 2010 New Jersey Marathon.

Of course, I reserve the right to make changes based on convenience, work, weather, and whatever I deem fit, but for the most part, it is a done deal. What do you think? Do you like? Do you not like? Leave me comments and feedback and let me know. Like I said before, I plan to post a detail assessment on my workouts on the dailymile (which I've already begun to do for the past weekend's workouts) so if you want to follow me there (profile name: Running Laminator), please do. I'm going to do more of a generalized training update for my blog every once in a while to keep the rest of your guys in the loop. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Let the training (and the fun) begin!