October mish mash

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Just nothing worth blogging about. However, here is a mish mash for October including a race report and October workout totals.

•  I need to mourn the loss of my dream time for the Big Sur Half Marathon. Not that it couldn't still happen, but it isn't as likely as I had hoped. Why let go now? Because I don't want to be disappointed in my actual time. I DO expect to have a great PR (providing my knee holds out) and I want to fully celebrate that. I will have to leave the dream time to next year.

• It sucks losing fitness. My long runs have been going great. I'm able to hold a better pace for the full run than I did last year. I'm still slow by other comparisons, but faster than I was last year -- in the long runs. However, yesterday's 10k was even SLOWWWERRR than my 10k in the Mermaids ???? I've lost that much fitness? I didn't feel bad but it seems I may have a cold. Was that it? I certainly couldn't get much air. Very bummed about that 10k (race report follows)

• Am going to have to do something different than boot camp. As I start to train again, the schedule just doesn't work no matter how much I fit the pieces together. I have stuff at home, but I won't use it. So, gotta find a gym. 24 Hour Fitness, Club One, Right Stuff?

• Got out and rode with my new power meter -- avg. power 94 while completely zone 3 or less. Don't suck as much as I thought I did when I tested it to see if it worked (that was a max 34!)

• Started reading Training for Endurance by Dr. Philip Maffetone -- If he's good enough for Mark Allen and Dave Scott (and by extension Chrissie Wellington), then he's good enough for me!

 Marsh Madness 10K Race Report (No pictures as the camera was goofy)

The course is a relatively flat paved/trail course along the Palo Alto marsh lands. The weather was perfect. I was well rested and while not feeling GREAT, I was feeling OK. Usual early, lite breakfast and then off to the site. I was really hoping to get a finally 10K PR and had worked out what my average speed needed to be -- I wasn't trying to crush my old PR, just improve by 20-30 seconds. I also wanted to stick with my fueling plan for the half marathon -- GU electrolytes and Carbo Pro to drink and GU gel at 40 minutes into the race.

Used my inhaler 20 minutes before race start (some times I forget and suffer at mile 2) I did static and dynamic stretches to warm up. Did a few striders. Got my heart rate up a tad. I lined up in the middle, towards the back. I wanted to hold it down for the fist mile until I was really warmed up. So far so good.

Gun went off, we started off slowly for the first mile. Passed a few walkers, but sticking to plan. Some how, I picked up the pace WAY too early in mile 1. When I hit the second mile, I couldn't hold the pace. At the first water station, I walked while drinking my GU Brew/Carbo Pro mix. By the fourth mile, my knee started to bother me. At this point, I walked so that I could eat the gel and drink some more mix. I was huffing and puffing so I slowed down to my planned half marathon pace. This worked for a little while and then even that seemed too tough to hold. Miles 4 and 5 I had significant walks. When I ran, my stomach sloshed. After mile 5, I picked up again. I was determined to hurry up and get this over with.

Is it because I'm losing fitness? Is it that I went out too fast too early? Is it that I'm coming down with a cold? On the one hand, very frustrating on the other, my long runs have been great (or at least for me). Definitely need to rethink the fueling.... gel is ok, but will need to stick with aide station water I think.

7th out of 13.... hmmm. middle of the group. last year, I'd have been last/almost last.
10K: 1:14:20 (more than 7 minutes over my PR)

October totals (look at the running volume!!! BIG for me ;-)