Recovery

Reflecting back from the Akron marathon, I have good memories and I am happy I was able to beat 3:30 in such a difficult course. I read that there were some problems in the first water stops. Maybe the race has grown too big. There were a lot of relay runners and some times they interfered with the marathon runners, when they are running “out of pace” (if, for example, a slow runner follows a fast runner in a relay team, or the other way around). I did not mind it, but I think the race has reached its maximum capacity by now.

After the marathon I took an ice bath and this helped recovery quite a bit. I became a believer of ice baths when I tried one last year and saw the results. I don’t do it often. Only when it is absolutely necessary, for example after a hard marathon. Some people fill the bath tab with water and ice and then get in. Ouch! I get in first, then run cold water until it covers my legs, and then dump in the ice. It more gentle this way.


On Sunday we went to visit our daughter in Toledo. We had signed up for the "Susan G. Komen Northwest Ohio Race for the Cure" 5K. Since wife Liz is still recovering from injury, daughter Lea is not running, and I was hurting from the marathon, we decided to take it easy and run at the slower runner's pace, which is Lea.

The first mile was at 10 minutes. Liz and I could continue at this pace (or even speed up to 9 min/mile), but Lea could not, so the next miles were at 10:30 and the last mile at 11 minutes. We crossed the line by holding our hands up. The crowds apparently liked it and were cheering us up.

So, at 32:30, this might be the slowest 5K in record for me (for a while :)) but it was fun though doing it as a family and finishing together. There were about 20,000 runners and walkers. The crowd support and entertainment was amazing. There were bands and songs in every corner. This is definitely an “ipod is not necessary” race. We will do this again.

The next day I woke up with very little pain, so recovery was surprisingly quick this time. I ran every day (short distances, slow pace) and went to my fitness classes on Tuesday and Thursday. By Thursday there was no sign of pain/discomfort in my legs. Our training group is planning a long run tomorrow, and I will join them.

My next race is in next week and it is the Towpath marathon. I have a special connection to this race. I will talk about it in the next blog.

Greece 2008

If I have been “missing in action” for the past 4 weeks it is because I was in Greece, enjoying a 2 week vacation… (and I was busy before and after)

<- Group shot from our July 28 run, courtesy of Nick B. I am the 3rd from the right.

The week after the Buckeye 50K was mostly recovery week. I went for short runs (1-3 miles) on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday I was feeling better and did 5 miles, and 8 miles on Thursday. I joined the VR group on Saturday for a 12 mile run. Here is a group picture taken by Nick B.

We left for Greece on Thursday July 31. We took Delta to NY and then switched planes for a direct flight to Athens. The flight was uneventful (everything was OK). We stayed in Athens for 3 days and on Sunday we flew to Santorini, a popular Greek island. We stayed in Santorini for a week (with my family and our 3 older nieces), enjoying the sea, sun and good food. We then returned (by boat) to Athens and stayed for 4 more days. We returned back to the USA on Thursday August 14.

<- Santorini (also known as Thira) is a very popular Greek island, famous for its volcano and beautiful scenery. We stayed in Perissa in the south end (green mark). Shown here is my running route along a stretch of 2 miles by the beach that I did almost every day (4 miles back and forth).

While I was in Greece, I ran every day (except for one) but shorter runs, from 3 to 5 miles. In Santorini there was a long stretch by the beach from our house to the end of town. This was 2 miles. I would usually run it once back and forth (4 miles) early in the morning (around sunrise). One time I ran it twice (8 miles) and one time I took side roads for an extra mile. The weather in Santorini was beautiful, sunny with not a single cloud in the sky. Temperatures were in the 70s (hotter in the sun) with a nice breeze. Definitely ideal vacation weather. In addition to running we did a bit of hiking (two times, several hours each time), enjoying the beautiful scenery and taking plenty of stereo pictures (I returned with 42 rolls of film).

In Athens I found a loop, starting from our house, up to Acropolis and down by Thesion. Then back to the bottom of the street near Acropolis, and back. (You can "play" my route by going ito this link: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/6540217) This was a total of 3 miles. Athens is a big city with narrow streets and lots of traffic, but this route was on pedestrian only streets so I did not have to deal with traffic. Overall, it was a fine family vacation.

<- My running loop in Athens (click to enlarge). Starting from our apartment, by Acropolis, I headed to the left through Thesion, ending with a small loop by a park and back, running in front of Acropolis, followed by a small loop (right) by Plaka and then back home. An enjoyable route.

I was afraid I had lost some running fitness, definitely speed (I had not run fast for weeks now, due to the 50K training) and possibly some endurance since I did not do any long runs in Greece. So I decided to join the VR group last Saturday for a 15 mile training run, even though I had signed up for the “Perfect 10 miler” race on Sunday. I figured that a long run was more important for me than a good race.

For the 15 mile run we did this popular route: From Peninsula to Boston Store via the Towpath, then up Boston Mills Road (difficult uphills) then on the Bike and Hike trail, all the way to the road connecting to the Carriage Trail, then back to the Towpath and from there to Boston and finally to Peninsula. A total of 15.6 miles. At first I was afraid that the group was too slow for me, but I hooked up with two new guys, both faster than me and had a good run. My mile splits: 9:04 8:37 8:34 8:30 8:20 7:56 7:53 7:52 7:48 7:49 8:21 8:23 8:29 8:26 8:28 8:06. This run gave me the confidence that I needed. I have not lost any endurance, thanks to my daily runs in Greece.

Week 25 – Training Report

S: The week started with the 3rd Buckeye Trail training run. Started slow from Columbia road but picked up the pace and actually lead the group in the Boson-Pine Lane section. Maybe it was the greasy dinner the night before, or the new trail shoes… I’ll never know.
M: Drove to Chicago to pick up passport. 2.5 easy mi. with Lea in the evening.
T: Fitness but skipped running
W: Aborted trail run because I was tired and had the wrong shoes. Snowville to BT, to Columbia and back, 6 mi.
T: Interesting day: At noon I went for 6 miles, Columbia rd and back, all road. It was hot (80F & sun) and went fast. In the afternoon after fitness class I decided to run home. The trails were wet and started raining around 7 pm. Fell down (first trail fall for a long time!) Got soaked (totally soaked). But for some perverted reason, I enjoyed the run! Walked up Snowville home.
F: 1 mi with Liz at noon. She is getting back!
S: 6 am with group 6 miles, then 1 mi with the 7 am group and the home. Took a shower, got dressed, got the family up and we went for the Brecksville Bees 5K run (see report).

Total for the week: 46 miles, 166 lbs

Week 24 – Training Report

The week started with the 2nd Buckeye Trail training run. My legs were tired from the Jim Klett 6mi race the day before. Unlike last week, I could not finish the run… very slow and walking. Felt really tired. After the trail run, I took an ice bath again. Not sure if it helped. Felt tired for the rest of the week.

S: 2nd Trail Group Run, Snowville to Boston for the group (Columbia to Snowville extra for me) 15 mi.
M: Yoga & water running
T: 2 mi in the morning, run to the RC for fitness (BT trail, 8 mi) in the afternoon, tired!
W: Trail run (Columbia to Snowville via the Trail), 6 mi
T: Run to RC via BT (8 mi) & Fitness – still tired
F: Rest
S: 6 am with group 7 fast miles, then 8 mi on Tow, slower

Total for the week: 53 miles, 166 lbs

Week 23 – Training Report

The week started with the first Buckeye Trail training run. My legs were tired from the Hudson 4mi race the day before, but I still managed to run a fairly strong training run. After the trail run, I took an ice bath. Not sure if it helped. My quads continued to hurt. I should have taken the ice bath after the Hudson race.

On Monday, Liz and I took a Yoga class. This involved a lot of stretching, especially in my hips. After the Yoga class, I played basketball with Tony and his friends. Now, I love basketball and I played all my life regularly until about 2002. Then running took over. I would like to get back but I have to do it slowly, or I have problem with my Achilles tendon. Result of the yoga & basketball: My hips and legs (bottom) were hurting for the rest of the week!

S: 1st Trail Group Run, Snowville & back, 12 mi
M: Yoga & basketball.
T: Fitness & running back slow (3 mi). Hurting!
W: 3 mi in the morning, Liz sees doctor Shah, 6 mi trail.
T: Fitness & 7 mi trail run back home
F: Rest, Liz starts Physical Therapy
S: Jim Klett 10K race.



Another highlight this week: The Garmin 405, which I had ordered for Liz in February, arrived this week. I played with it for a while and overall I am very pleased with it. I am thinking of getting the back model with the heart monitor for myself. Basically, I am getting the same information as my 205 but it looks much sleeker and it can be used as a regular watch (shows the time in “sleep mode” with satellites turned off).

Total for the week: 43 miles, 167 lbs

Week 22 – Training Report

<- My new routine, running from the Brecksville RC home via the Buckeye trail. I start running up on Brecksville Rd until Prakway Rd and I get into the trail there. I end up in Snowville Rd and I run (or walk when I am tired) up home (1.3 mi) from there. It is an enjoyable run, about 6 miles in trails.

S: Towpath 9 mi with Liz. She gets injured..
M: On my way to running trails, last dry day but Lea stopped me and did 3 each miles with her..
T: 2 mi with Lea
W: Run at noon around EH, full 8.2 mi. Then with Liz slowly in the afternoon.
T: RC and Buckeye trail in return. Trails were muddy. Time a lot slower.
F: Rest
S: Hudson run for the parks 4 mi. report to follow.

Total for the week: 36 miles, 166 lbs

Week 21 – Training Report

<- Carriage Trail (loop) picked from Towpath Trail

One week after the marathon. Logged a lot of miles! The highlight of the week is my new system of running back from the Rec Center via the Buckeye trail. I leave Brecksville Road running up. Then at the Parkway drive I enter the trail, go down, then continue on the Buckeye trail until Snowville and then run uphill home.

S: Towpath Carriage Trail with Liz, 5.2 mi.
M: Memorial Day. Ran alone from Columbia to Boston via the Buckeye Trail & back, 6 mi.
T: Fitness and back via Buckeye Trail, 8 mi, The trail is in beautiful & dry condition.
W: w/Liz Snowville down, buckeye trail, and back via Columbia, 6 mi, fun!
T: Same as Tuesday. I ran ALL the uphills! I really enjoy these trail runs.
F: Slow 2 mi with Lea.
S: Trail running 6:30 with Cindy’s group. Started at Boston and did the winter Falls part first and then the Pine lane part. It rained the night before and the trails were muddy, so they were not fun. I collapsed in the way back and started walking. Felt really hard and was eating all day long. Total of 13.5 mi.

Total for the week: 49 miles, 165 lbs

Week 19 – Training Report

Last week I started the Detox diet. I fasted on Tuesday and I had lost 5 lbs by Saturday. I will continue to eat sensibly, but now I have to focus on my Marathon next Week.

S: 8.5 mi in the morning, then Monster House 3D Movie (part of the 3D Weekend), then 6.5 mi. Columbia road loop w/Liz (slower pace)
M: 5 mi, around EH
T: Fast today. 10 good miles and fitness! OSPS meeting at night.
W. Woke up 161 lbs! 2 mi w/Lea at noon, 4 mi w/Liz in the evening.
T: Nice strong run, loop: Snowville down to towpath, Boston, Riverview, Columbia and back home. Total 9.5 mi.
F: 1 mi w/Liz
S: Last long run before my marathon next week. I did 12.7 miles in 1:41. My mile splits: 8:30 8:00 8:38 8:10 7:58 8:03 8:07 7:35 7:44 7:32 7:27 7:46 7:58. Average pace was 7:57, which should be my marathon pace if I am going to do 3:30.

Totals for the week: 58 miles, 164 lbs

Weeks 17 & 18 – Training Report

<---- The 8 mile route around my neighborhood. By mistake I did one loop twice, so the total for this run was 8.5 miles.

This is a report for the last two weeks.

S: 6.2 mi w/Dan at Towpath
M: Eating a lot, tired, only 2 mi.
T: Today I reached the peak of my weight… Ran to the RC and came back via the Buckeye Trail. See posting “What a day”. I did not eat anything after I came back and my weight decline is starting here.
W: 10 mi w/Dan in Bike & Hike trail (BHT), tired and thirsty
T, F: Rest
S: Hermes 10 miler (see report)

Totals for the week: 33 miles, 167 lbs


S: W/Liz & Lea in Towpath, then home alone up Snowville, 8.5 mi.
M: Start Detox Diet, run around EH, 4.3 mi
T: Around EH, 7.1 mi.
W: W/Dan, BHT, nice 8.7 mi at 8:11 average pace
T: Around EH, 4 mi
F: Rest (busy!)
S: 3D Weekend!

Totals for the week: 53 miles, 169 lbs

Week 16 – Training Report

The beautiful weather continues…. for the entire week. Temperatures went up to 70s. A bit too hot to run in the middle of the day…

<--- Nice route around the Rec Center in Brecksville... Start from the RC (marked) then up Brecksville Road (21), turn left on Parkway, then down through the trail, more trail, goes around, ends in 82 and from there run back to RC.

S: 6 mi slow w/Liz, Columbia and back
M: 4 mi around EH
T: 3 mi around EH, then fitness
W: With Dan tempo run at the Bike & Hike trail. We started with an easy 2 mi. for warm up. Then fast 4 miles and then easy 2 miles, total 8. My mile splits: 8:59, 8:48 (warm up). 7:18, 7:30, 7:06, 6:56 (fast part), 7:38, 9:04 (cool down). It was fun.
T: Total 8 miles as follows: 1 at lunch, 5 around RC (see route here), 2 inside RC, followed by fitness.
F: 3 mi at lunch. It was hot and I was feeling really bad in the afternoon, a combination of muscle pain from yesterday’s fitness and the hot run.

S: Aided long run with Vertical Runner group. Started at 6:30am. From Peninsula to Boston and then up on Boston Mills road. I was feeling quite weak until our first aided stop in the entry of the Bike & Hike trail. My mile splits for the first 5 miles: 8:44, 8:16, 8:32, 8:40, 8:37 (that includes several large hills). At the 1st aid station I ate a power bar and felt much-much better, as shown by my mile splits at the B&H trail: 7:46, 8:03, 7:54, 7:46, 7:59.


<--- Vertical Runner aided run. Start from Peninsula (Lock 29) then you can see how we turned right to go to the Bike & Hike trail, then from there connect to Carriage Trail (windy), then to Station Road and back via the Towpath.

Around mile 10 we entered the Carriage Trail. My pace slowed at the trail and fell behind the leading group: 8:17, 8:43, 8:28. After we exited from the trail, we turned right on the Towpath, to the Station Road where we had another aided stop and I had an energy gel. From there, we were only 3 left, ran back in the Towpath, through the Red Lock, Boston and back to Peninsula. My mile splits in the last miles: 8:42, 8:30, 8:34, 8:49, 9:00, 9:08, 8:45, 8:39. These are the times that really matter, when I am tired.

Overall, we covered 20.75 miles in 2:55, average pace 8:28. My goal was to keep the average pace under 8:30 and I achieved it. Considering that this route had hills and trails, I hope in the upcoming marathon to be able to average 8 minute miles for 26 miles. Not easy but I will try it!

Totals for the week: 53 miles, 169 lbs

Week 13 – Training Report

The highlight of this week was going to Washington DC for Spring break!


<-- Here is something you don't see very often: A map/running route of Washington DC!

S: 4 mi around EH
M: Rest
T: 6 mi before leaving for Washington DC. We drove with Tony and arrived at DC in the evening.
W: 7 mi along on DC, sunny. Found a nice path to the monument area. In the afternoon we walked with Tony for 3 hours and took picture. In the evening with walked (all of us) to Georgetown.
T: 7 mi along, cloudy. Liz was done in the afternoon so we went for a walk to enjoy the Cherry Blooming. In the evening we drove to Virginia and met with Margaret and her family and went out for dinner.
F: 6 mi w/Liz around the monuments, taking pictures. We left around noon.

Even though I was planning to eat carefully (I usually lose weight during trips) we were at the Club level and breakfast and snacks were free. I cannot resist free food! So I might have gained a pound this week!

S: Because tomorrow (Sunday) there is an aided 20 mile run planned, participation in this run was rather small. The parking lot was closed (for some unknown reason). The group decided to run in trails but Dan and I ran at the Towapth. It was below freezing and the towpath was not muddy. The running surface was good. We did 12.3 miles going south and back, rather fast (time: 1:40:29, average pace: 8:09). Mile splits: 8:58, 8:12, 7:57, 8:03, 8:10, 8:14, 8:07, 8:00, 8:08, 8:05, 7:50, 7:42, 8:35.

Totals for the week: 43 miles, 171 lbs

Week 9 - Training Report

By all means, this was a terrible week, running-wise! Not only did I run very little (no running from Monday to Friday) but also ate a lot and gained a couple of pounds!

The week started OK with a slow (9:30 min/mile) 7 mile slow run with my wife (Snowville to Columbia and back, with a little bit in Echo Hills) on Sunday. Monday, a busy day, only one mile up and down the street. And that was it until Saturday!

We had a lot of snow this week. It was snowing on Tuesday so not only I did not run, I also did not go for Fitness. On Wednesday I was busy finishing the (stereo club) newsletter. I did go to see two 3d movies (see my 3d blog: http://drt3d.blogspot.com/) I was going to run on Thursday but I took a nap and woke up late :). I was also going to run on Friday but I drove to Toledo to pick up Lea and when I came back it had snowed and the roads were bad.

So, here we are on Saturday, fresh, and out of shape! The early group met at 6:30 for just 2.5 miles around the snow-covered local streets. The regular group started at 7:00 (time moved ½ hour earlier). We went from Lock 29 to Akron Peninsula Rd, right on Bolanz, then to Ira, Oak Hill, Everett, River Road and back to Lock 29. Dan wanted to add a few more miles but the pace was fast for me and I was getting tired so I settled for 12 miles, or a total of 14.5 for the day at 2:04 (8:30 pace). My mile splits: 9:38, 9:28, 9:26, 8:39, 8:24, 8:09, 8:17, 8:24, 8:15, 8:16, 8:28, 7:59, 8:53, 8:13, 7:29

Total for the week = 23 miles, average weight = 169 lbs

My mileage has been going down and weight has been going up. I am getting a bit nervous regarding the Shamrock 15K race next week. Should I run lots of miles this week, or take it easy?

Week 8 - Training Report

Well, one week I did not keep a good record and now I cannot remember exactly what I did this week! I am improvising below....

• S: Attempted a short run around the neighborhood and hit the wall after 4 miles. Ended up walking a bit.
• M: Rest. Monday is always a busy day for me. I have a lot of packing & shipping to do, plus I have to get ready for Greek school.
• T: I think this day I went for another trail/photo run. Took Snowville downhill to the buckeye trail, took pictures with my Horseman 3D camera, then back home through Columbia.
• W: Not sure what I did... possibly a 5 mile run in the neighborhood.
• T: I am drawing a blank this day too.
• F: Rest. I had a dental appointment & oral surgery. It was not too bad, but the dentist did not want me to run the next day.
• S: AMA (Against Medical Advice) I joined the “Vertical Runner” group. I skipped the 6:30 group, so I started with the 7:30 group. We did the reverse "Shamrock" route. This was 12.2 miles at a fast pace, about 8 min/mile. The route is tough with lots of hills. For the rest of the day I was exhausted and it showed up the next day too!

Total for the week = 27 miles – Average weight 168 lbs

Week 7 - Training Report

• S: After my unplanned longer run last Saturday, I started the week with a rest day!
• M: It was cold (15F) and this is the first time I put a face mask. I ran 6 miles in Columbia road and back. Roads were covered with snow. A bit dangerous, but not much traffic.
• T: 5 miles around the neighborhood. No watch. Fitness class was cancelled because of predicted bad weather (freezing rain) that never really came in full force.
• W: 4 miles with Liz around the neighborhood.
• T: Beautiful sunny 30F day. I decided to run in the afternnon with two cameras (RBT S1 and Yashica with 25mm lenses). I took the reverse route, Snowville to Buckeye Trail (were I shot at least two rolls) and out to Columbia road and from there up and home. Skipped fitness because of Tony’s practice.
• F: Rest
• S: Joined the “Vertical Runner” group. This time I decided to join the 6:30 am group because I enjoyed the run last week. We ran 6 miles. Then I joined the 7:30 group for 12 miles. In this group I met Melissa, who I had “met” in the joy_of_running email discussion list. Melissa wanted to do 20 miles in preparation of her upcoming marathon. So, after completing my 18 miles (12 for her) we went for 8 more. I think we did about 7 miles, one of which was walking. I counted 25 miles for this run. Somehow my Garmin stopped two times so I don't have the exact mileage, but it does not matter. Here are my splits with the first group: 9:07 8:32 8:28 8:18 8:35 9:02. Splits with the 2nd group: 9:04 8:04 8:11 8:16, My Garmin was off for 3 miles at this point. The final miles were in the 11-12 min/mile slow pace. It was a good run and I did not feel particularly tired for the rest of the day. I even attempted a run the next day but I had to abort it. I guess I need more rest!
  
  Total for the week = 45 miles – Average weight 168 lbs (my “diet” broke down again!)

Week 6 - Training Report

• S: Started the week with a slow neighborhood run with Liz, 5.4 miles.
• M: Start w/Liz one mile, then Columbia and back, 6.8 mi.
• T: Same, 6.9 mi. No fitness. Club meeting instead.
• W: No running (too tired). Ate pizza, etc. all day long, not good!
• T: Columbia, Riverview, Snowville loop. 5.1 mi but challenging hill.
• F: Rest
• S: Joined “Vertical Runner” group. Originally, I was going to run with the 7:30 am group for 12 miles. But the kitty woke me up at 6 am so I decided to join the 6:30 am group. I did 5 miles with the first group and them 11 miles or so with the 2nd group. Normally, I would be done at this point, but I made a new friend, Mark, in this 2nd group. Mark wanted to run 5 more (slower) miles at the towpath. I decided to join him. This brought my mileage to an unplanned 21 miles! I forgot my Garmin watch so I don’t know the mile splits but some miles were as fast as 8min/mile or faster, while towards the end we had slowed to 9:30 min/mile. Overall, it was a very nice run!
  
  Total for the week = 45 miles – Average weight 166 lbs

Week 5 - Training report

• S: I started the week with a rest day, after my 50K Buckeye winter trail. Surprisingly, I felt very good and ready to resume running right away.
• M: 7m run, following my new favorite route: Snowville to Columbia, to the Buckeye trail to Snowville and then back home. While I was 0.5 mi into the run, I decided to go back home and get my RBT S1 stereo camera. It was a nice cold day with some sun. This is the first time I took the stereo camera on a trail run by myself. Average page 10:10.
• T: 5 mi around Echo Hill. Fitness w/Steve in the evening.
• W: I went with Liz (my wife) for a 4 mile neighborhood run, that she calls the “Comrades” because it is hilly. It was cold, 15F and windy and I was frozen. I did not enjoy the run but Liz did. Our pace was 9:28, slow for me, fast for her.
• T: 5K run at the rec center (indoors track), followed by fitness (w/Steve) class.
• F: Rest
• S: I joined the "Vertical Runner" group for a 10 mile run. It was rather hard route, from Peninsula to Boston via the frozen/slippery Towpath, then up Hinnes road, to the Bike & Trail and then down Boston Mills road and back to Peninsula via Riverview road (this might be shorter than the towpath but it is hillier). My mile splits for this run: 9:28 8:47 8:54 8:56 8:25 7:51 7:57 8:04 8:28 7:42. Started slow, but then picked up the pace. Considering the monster hills, this was a rather fast pace. I was tired and hungry for the rest of the day.

This week I made another attempt to diet and stopped eating sugar, which includes chocolate and hot cocoa (ouch!) So far so good.

Total for the week = 29 miles – Average weight 167 lbs