Ten miles of dusty trail...

I've been a bit out of the loop this week, since I've been traveling for work. The good news is that the weather and terrain of Northern California are highly conducive to outdoor training, so I've been able to stick to my training schedule... for the most part.

This past week's runs have been pretty standard stuff; general base-phase jaunts of between 4 and 6 miles. Very pleasant and not too taxing. The only run of note during the past week was my 10 mile effort last Sunday (7.19.09). Here's what it looked like:




Funny what heat can do to a man's brain.
______________________
Time: 1: 18' 46"
Pace: 7:47 min/ mile
Distance: 10.11 miles
______________________

For this run, I went around Spring Lake, then on up into Annadale State Park... and when I say "up into Annadale" I do mean UP. This was the most significant hill work I've done yet. For those who aren't familiar with Annadale, I should explain that it's a fantastically beautiful and surprisingly rugged state preserve on the east side of suburban Santa Rosa, CA. I used to spend a lot of time up there when I lived in the North Bay and I still find it hard to believe that there could be anything so wild that close to SR's eastern edge. It's a haven for local hikers and mountain bikers, though I now understand why I've never seen too many runners on the trail. Oy! Annadale offers a range of trail types; from wide, even bridle paths, to terrifying single-tracks riddled with ankle-turning stones and sunbathing reptiles. A genuine, arid Northern California summer landscape.

The ascent was an object lesson in the value of willpower. Willpower and proper hydration. After a long, hot, dusty climb along a ridge-line, I treated myself to a brief swim in the murky waters of Lake Ilsanjo, followed by a punishing singletrack descent. This trail is serious mountain goat material; scenic but nerve wracking.
(Thanks to www.parks.sonoma.net/ for the photo of the Lake!)

All things considered, a joyous workout! Running in such a beautiful spot helps me remember to keep my head up and my eyes open, regardless of how painful a run might be. When I watch my fellow runners I all too often see them withdrawn into themselves. The internal struggle of the run seems to consume all of their attention, blocking out their surroundings. But this is counter-productive, since extending one's attention beyond the discomfort of the moment can be a wellspring of inspiration.

Obviously, this principle applies to life in general. It seems to me that 90% of intelligence consists of just being awake to (and curious about) the world around us.

So let's run and live with our eyes open.

Forward!

The LA Marathon

Had a couple of great runs this weekend; both in Central Park. The weather has finally turned in NYC and it looks like we're going to have a proper summertime, after all. It was warm, partly cloudy and slightly breezy; ideal weather for a run under the foliage with 20,000 or so of my closest friends. (Yes, Central Park does get crowded, but we're all one big happy family.)

Saturday, July 11

distance: 5.21 miles

time: 37:12

pace: 7:08/ mile

Sunday, July 12

distance: 6.04

time: 45:39

pace: 7:33/ mile

It's amazing what a positive effect taking a day off can have on your pace! I took Friday off and it seems to have helped me out on Saturday. Of course, on Sunday I'm back to my usual pace. Grr. Anyway, it's interesting to consider that the main difference between Saturday's 7:08 mile and Sunday's 7:33 mile was fatigue. It could also be temperature, I suppose, but I'm certain it's not the minimal difference in mileage; though as a general rule the higher the mileage, the slower the per mile pace. This stands to reason, since in most cases your body will endure a faster pace for a shorter duration.

Speaking of which, I had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles recently for business. As luck would have it, I was in town for the running of the Los Angeles Marathon. Not only was I "in town", but the race happened to begin more or less under hotel window. So, being an eager marathoner-in-training, I dutifully got up early and made my way, cup of coffee in hand, to the edge of the crowd of spectators for the 7:20 AM start. (For some reason my cell phone only takes pictures that have a dreamy "gauze over the lens" look.)

The start of the race was exhilarating, as might be expected. The sound of 17,307 pairs of feet charging off down the tarmac was accompanied by the rhythmic din of Taiko Dojo drumming; the drummers having set directly adjacent to my beloved Holiday Inn. It was all very stirring.

Now, fast forward six hours...

The finish for the LA Marathon is more or less in exactly the same spot as the start. So, as I made my way back from a long morning in the Convention Hall, I once again crossed the marathon route. To my surprise, runners were still passing in throngs.... but these runners had already completed 26 miles of their 26.2 mile odyssey. And let me tell you: while the start of a marathon may be an inspiration, the finish of a marathon is a cautionary tale! There were blood, sweat and tears. There were blisters. There was sheer determination. Perhaps, it was inspiring in a different way. My hat is off to every single individual who crossed that finish line in Downtown LA.

Witnessing that race reinforced my determination to be as prepared as possible for NYC.

If you're interested in reading the official account of the proceedings, there's a nice press release here.

By the way, the gentleman who won the LA Marathon this year, Wesley Korir, completed the race with a time of 2:08:24. This is not only an amazing time.

It's an mind-blowing, ridiculous, practically-impossible time. But he managed it...

Forward!

Keeping it interesting...

Good run today....

Planned on doing five miles and ended closer to six. Believe it or not, it's getting easier. And more fun. There is so much joy in movement! When everything's working and your feet feel light, everything is right with the world.

I suppose the runner's high is real.

I'm pleased with my increased pace. There's a gadget at the right side of the page that shows the details of my last five runs. It may seem overly self-conscious to track these things, but keeping an eye on your pace per mile, as well as time and distance, is a marvelous motivator.

And by the way, New York City is stunning in the summertime. This evening is as perfect for running as you can imagine; temperature in the low 60's, clear sunshine and a steady breeze from the northwest. I ran along the East River, past the old guys with their fishing rods and the kids on skateboards. If you've never been to NYC, it's difficult to imagine the diversity of scenery we enjoy in such a small area.

The route that I've come to think of as the "East River South" can be run as a 4, 5 or 6 mile loop. It begins at my apartment and goes directly east (past the projects, the police station and a series of not-so-scenic autobody shops) to the East River. Crossing over the FDR Drive, I turn south and run along the recreation area... which is really just a few synthetic turf baseball fields and a lot of construction equipment. But we're getting there. Someday this will be a fantastic park.... maybe one day we'll even rival the West Side. ("When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way...") Eventually, I end up running past the massive tourist trap that is South Street Seaport. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I like South Street. The boats are cool.

But this brings me to a running challenge I wasn't expecting - finding good routes and keeping it interesting! In preparation for my 16 week training program, I've been setting down a base of between 19 and 31 miles per week. Nothing too crazy. But it does require four or five days per week in running shoes, logging between 4 and 10 miles per outing. I've quickly learned that mustering that extra motivation required to get out the door for my daily run (especially in poor weather) can be difficult. But having an interesting route helps.

Fortunately, NYC is not short of good scenery or interesting loops that keep the runner's brain engaged. In addition to my old standby (detailed above), I've been exploring to find runs that don't require dodging cars or ingesting too much exhaust. I've come up with a few favorites, some of which I'll share with you in subsequent posts. The best (the VERY best) runs I've found are in Central Park, the Crown Jewel of New York City! The map above is the one I originally used to figure out my earliest four, five and six mile routes. (Thanks to the NYC Flyers for the map.)

More details to come....

Welcome to my training blog!

Hello hello!

First of all: welcome and thank you for your interest in my quixotic quest to complete the 2009 NYC Marathon. I am glad to have you along for this journey.

Now, a confession: I have never run a marathon.

I've been running non-competitively since I was about eighteen, but never before have I had the desire to train for such a race. Actually, it's always seemed like a fairly bizarre thing to do. Especially considering the fact that the poor soul who completed the first "Marathon" promptly dropped dead once he reached his destination. Don't believe me? Well, I read it on Wikipedia, so it must be true! (Did you know the Greeks defeated the Persians at the battle of Marathon? Well, neither did I; but hopefully I won't croak when I cross the finish line. I'm certain the New York City Road Runners frown on that sort of thing.)

Truth be told, I'm a confirmed skeptic of the whole phenomenon of "extreme sports". (That would better be written in caps with multiple exclamation points: EXTREME SPORTS!!) Something about the whole fad strikes me as symptomatic of a culture in decline. Ancient Rome, anyone? That said, endurance running has certainly gotten its hooks into me. No doubt about it.

Apparently, I'm not alone. What are to make of the fact that the number of individuals who complete marathons each year has increased steadily since the turn of the century; from 299,000 finishers nationally in 2000 to 382,000 in 2005? (Source: The Marathon Method by Tom Holland, citing www.marathonguide.com) Is it some sort of gender-neutral, yet fundamentally macho addiction to endorphins? Is it bragging rights? Or could it be that so many people have found that endurance running offers a profound form of moving meditation; an opportunity to celebrate what the human body was built to do.

In this blog I will be giving some information about the specifics of the training schedule that I will be following, but hopefully not so much detail as to bore you, Dear Reader. For those of you who wish to follow along at home, I will be using the "Intermediate Marathon Plan" from the aforementioned The Marathon Method by Tom Holland; an enormously encouraging and accessible primmer on the art of the 16 week marathon training program.

Of course, these introductory remarks would be incomplete if I did not acknowledge the deeper reason that I will be running the NYC Marathon. If you have found this page, then you probably already know that I will be running as a member of the Multiple Myleoma Research Foundation Team. The MMRF is the largest private foundation dedicated to finding a cure for multiple myeloma. My mother, Anne Linford, was diagnosed with MM in 2000 and passed away in 2004.

I do this run for her.

With every step of every run I carry her in my heart. With every kilometer I log toward this goal, I also celebrate my Uncle Bob. I hope, in some small way, to help in the struggle against MM...

...and may we all be mindful that every moment in a healthy body is a blessing and a celebration.

If you'd like to make a donation for the run, here's the link:
http://www.active.com/donate/2009NYCMarathon/TeamLinford

Thanks again for joining me on this journey.

Forward!