Marathon Training Thread

[Eddie]

Got signed up to run Ogden again yesterday morning.

Then went out this morning and pulled my calf muscle again.

It's almost like clockwork. I can't do one without the other. I think I was just getting a little excited about going into training with a good base built up by February - I'll have to relax a little now and see if I can still run the local turkeyleg 5K with my wife.

[Pheidippides]

Got signed up to run Ogden again yesterday morning.

Then went out this morning and pulled my calf muscle again.

It's almost like clockwork. I can't do one without the other. I think I was just getting a little excited about going into training with a good base built up by February - I'll have to relax a little now and see if I can still run the local turkeyleg 5K with my wife.

Have you tried calf compression sleeves? I am finding them to be great in keeping my calves strong, especially since I pulled mine earlier this year.

[Borg]

Got signed up to run Ogden again yesterday morning.

Then went out this morning and pulled my calf muscle again.

It's almost like clockwork. I can't do one without the other. I think I was just getting a little excited about going into training with a good base built up by February - I'll have to relax a little now and see if I can still run the local turkeyleg 5K with my wife.

Isn't the Ogden Marathon in September? Is it already up for registration? I hear that sells out quickly.

[Eddie]

Have you tried calf compression sleeves? I am finding them to be great in keeping my calves strong, especially since I pulled mine earlier this year.

Yes - I have.

And I need to use them more consistently, to be honest. That would probably make a big difference.

Last year when I pulled my soleus as I was just beginning my training schedule, I started wearing a compression sleeve and wore it every time I ran right up to and including the marathon. In fact, I have two, so I wore one on each leg on race day.

After the race when I started running again I went without - thinking that my calf was relatively strong after having just gone through the marathon training - and that if I cut back my running and in essence started over without the sleeve I may be able to continue strengthening it.

So I've run without the sleeve since mid May. I trained for and ran the triathlon without it. I took a short break from running and just got started again about 3 weeks ago. I haven't been running much distance - just 3-4 miles twice a week and 5-6 once a week.

This morning I was exactly 1 mile in when the familiar twinge came. I pulled up quick and walked home, but it is pretty tight and sore right now.

I'm sure it will be OK. And I'm guessing that I should be OK to start slowly and going easy within a week or two. But I'll be back to wearing a sleeve full-time again...at least initially. I may alternate and take it off for one of my shorter runs each week.

Maybe its silly - but I want my muscle to build enough strength and stability that this quits being an issue. And I keep thinking I've got to do some running without the sleeve to get there.

[Eddie]

Isn't the Ogden Marathon in September? Is it already up for registration? I hear that sells out quickly.

Registration opened yesterday.

Two years ago registration opened in October and I signed up the first week of January. It was full about a week after that.

Last year registration opened in October and I signed up a week later. It was full within about 2 weeks of opening.

This year when it opened I decided I better jump in quick.

The race is May 19.

[Borg]

Registration opened yesterday.

Two years ago registration opened in October and I signed up the first week of January. It was full about a week after that.

Last year registration opened in October and I signed up a week later. It was full within about 2 weeks of opening.

This year when it opened I decided I better jump in quick.

The race is May 19.

Yup. Checked it out on the website..and, I've got a real dilemma. My BYU foreign business trip is from April 27-May 12. So..I essentially get back to the good ole US of A the Saturday prior to the marathon. Which means the week ramping up to the race...I will be fighting off nerves of doing my first marathon, PLUS fighting off jet lag!!!

Would you recommend NOT trying a your first marathon after coming home from a two week trip? I will try to run while I'm out, and maintain my Hal Higdon's approach...but, I'm sure it would be not nearly as rigorous as if I was training at home.

The jet lag has me concerned mostly. I am actually going to try and run in some half marathon or 10k if I can find one. Would be some pretty nifty shwag coming back with a half marathon from Paris or something.

[Eddie]

Yup. Checked it out on the website..and, I've got a real dilemma. My BYU foreign business trip is from April 27-May 12. So..I essentially get back to the good ole US of A the Saturday prior to the marathon. Which means the week ramping up to the race...I will be fighting off nerves of doing my first marathon, PLUS fighting off jet lag!!!

Would you recommend NOT trying a your first marathon after coming home from a two week trip? I will try to run while I'm out, and maintain my Hal Higdon's approach...but, I'm sure it would be not nearly as rigorous as if I was training at home.

The jet lag has me concerned mostly. I am actually going to try and run in some half marathon or 10k if I can find one. Would be some pretty nifty shwag coming back with a half marathon from Paris or something.

I'd say that is entirely up to you. There are pros and cons no matter what you do.

Remember - the three weeks before the race is when you do your taper. So you will be cutting back. Last year the week before the race I only ran twice - once was 3 miles the other was maybe 2. Then I took a short walk one day. So coming back the week before the race you should be able to get plenty of rest prior to race day. No sure how long the jetlag will be an issue.

If this is your first - I'm not sure how rigorous you need to be in your training. You'll want to make sure you get in the miles - but if all you do is get in your miles you should be fine. And that also leaves room for improvement if you decide to run another.

On the other hand - if you want to be sure to be able to focus on your training and not have to worry about cutting out a training day here or there while away from home...it might be better to wait. There are a bunch of marathons in Sept/Oct.

While you are concerned about fighting nerves, it might be a nice distraction to have a lot of other things going on leading up to the race - those last 3 weeks seemed to drag on forever for me the first time.

You know yourself best. I wouldn't say that your best bet is doing it or waiting - I think either could work depending on how you react to things, how full your itinerary is while away, etc.

[ERCougar]

Registration opened yesterday.

Two years ago registration opened in October and I signed up the first week of January. It was full about a week after that.

Last year registration opened in October and I signed up a week later. It was full within about 2 weeks of opening.

This year when it opened I decided I better jump in quick.

The race is May 19.

This thing was already sold out last week. The downside to being listed in RW top 10, I guess.

Anyway, you can still get in on a VIP registration. Normally I wouldn't consider paying the $300, but it sounds like a pretty cool way to run a marathon, it's mostly tax-deductible, and I can justify it by just taking it out of our charity/donation budget for the year--money spent either way, right?

Here's my hesitation--I've never really consistently trained through the winter. As I've thought about it though, my main complaint with marathon training is that it takes over your life, and in the winter, there aren't many other activities that I can do, so maybe winter marathon training is ideal for me. The problem is, I hate the treadmill and refuse to run on one. I'll run outside down to about 20 degrees if it's not windy/snowing. I don't really have to start until mid January and the longest run I have to do in Fevruary is 10 miles, so I'm thinking I could pull this off. Eddie--were you able to train for this outside (you're in Utah, right?)?

[Solon]

This thing was already sold out last week. The downside to being listed in RW top 10, I guess.

Anyway, you can still get in on a VIP registration. Normally I wouldn't consider paying the $300, but it sounds like a pretty cool way to run a marathon, it's mostly tax-deductible, and I can justify it by just taking it out of our charity/donation budget for the year--money spent either way, right?

Here's my hesitation--I've never really consistently trained through the winter. As I've thought about it though, my main complaint with marathon training is that it takes over your life, and in the winter, there aren't many other activities that I can do, so maybe winter marathon training is ideal for me. The problem is, I hate the treadmill and refuse to run on one. I'll run outside down to about 20 degrees if it's not windy/snowing. I don't really have to start until mid January and the longest run I have to do in Fevruary is 10 miles, so I'm thinking I could pull this off. Eddie--were you able to train for this outside (you're in Utah, right?)?

I ran the Ogden marathon in 2004 and they must have really gotten their act together because I found it pretty much forgettable. It was pretty cold that morning (it ended up raining/hailing during the race) but there was only one fire to keep us warm while we waited to start. The course was windy and narrow. I had to dodge cars more than once as they merged onto the canyon road. There wasn't any food/gu and they ran out of gatorade early on.

I'm thinking about running this on May 19. http://hufftobluffmarathon.com/ I figure if Blanding can decide to stage a marathon, I've got to see how that goes.

[Eddie]

Eddie--were you able to train for this outside (you're in Utah, right?)?

I'm in Davis County, and last year I did all of my training outside. I don't mind running in the cold or the snow - to be honest in some ways I kind of enjoy it. I've got a couple of pair of long running pants I use, and I'll put on a cap, gloves, a long sleeve tech shirt under a fleece sweatshirt or light nylon jacket if it is snowing.

I remember a couple of days being a real pain if I went on a main road due to the snow and plows throwing stuff onto the sidewalks and not wanting to run the edge of the road when it is slick for the cars outside. It is a little cool at the beginning of the run, but it does't take long to warm up.

I think it helps that I don't get into the "serious" training until mid or end of February. I mean, I'm putting in miles, running some hilly routes some days, etc. But when it is really cold and/or snowy and wet I don't worry about doing speed work, hills, etc. On the bad days I just get out and cover the distance - not worrying about my pace or anything. There is still plenty of time in March/April/May to work on that stuff - at least for me there is.

I have to admit - the VIP route has some appeal. The rest of us ride school buses and are dropped off at the starting line more than an hour before start time. The VIP folks ride the touring buses, arrive closer to start time, and the buses hang out until maybe 15 minutes before the start (or it seemed like it) with the VIP runners mostly hanging out on the buses as a warm place to sit.

I ran the Ogden marathon in 2004 and they must have really gotten their act together because I found it pretty much forgettable. It was pretty cold that morning (it ended up raining/hailing during the race) but there was only one fire to keep us warm while we waited to start. The course was windy and narrow. I had to dodge cars more than once as they merged onto the canyon road. There wasn't any food/gu and they ran out of gatorade early on.

I'm thinking about running this on May 19. http://hufftobluffmarathon.com/ I figure if Blanding can decide to stage a marathon, I've got to see how that goes.

It sounds like they've come a long way. All the Gatorade and gu at the beginning that you could want. Plenty along the route as well. More than a dozen fires, though I got smart last year and took a thin closed cell foam mat to lie on while waiting for the start. I wore enough warm clothing that I didn't worry about getting near a fire. I also took a gym bag to put my mat and clothing in rather than relying on the small runners bag.

It is a cool start - and would NOT be a fun run in the rain. I thought they did a good job of keeping cars out of the way for the most part - though they only close half of the road around Pineview and down Ogden canyon.

All that said - the first aid station was rough last year. I skipped it as they couldn't get the water/gatorade out quick enough and people were stopped and waiting for them to fill cups. I was pretty irritated, but that was the only hiccup the whole race - from what I saw.

[ERCougar]

I'm in Davis County, and last year I did all of my training outside. I don't mind running in the cold or the snow - to be honest in some ways I kind of enjoy it. I've got a couple of pair of long running pants I use, and I'll put on a cap, gloves, a long sleeve tech shirt under a fleece sweatshirt or light nylon jacket if it is snowing.

I remember a couple of days being a real pain if I went on a main road due to the snow and plows throwing stuff onto the sidewalks and not wanting to run the edge of the road when it is slick for the cars outside. It is a little cool at the beginning of the run, but it does't take long to warm up.

I think it helps that I don't get into the "serious" training until mid or end of February. I mean, I'm putting in miles, running some hilly routes some days, etc. But when it is really cold and/or snowy and wet I don't worry about doing speed work, hills, etc. On the bad days I just get out and cover the distance - not worrying about my pace or anything. There is still plenty of time in March/April/May to work on that stuff - at least for me there is.

I have to admit - the VIP route has some appeal. The rest of us ride school buses and are dropped off at the starting line more than an hour before start time. The VIP folks ride the touring buses, arrive closer to start time, and the buses hang out until maybe 15 minutes before the start (or it seemed like it) with the VIP runners mostly hanging out on the buses as a warm place to sit.

Yeah, I don't mind running in the cold either, except that I just haven't done it consistently because I usually just play basketball in the winters. But this doesn't ever really happen consistently either, so I just end up gaining weight and getting out of shape.

My PA that I work with yesterday told me that she hasn't missed a day of running in years--so maybe I just need to toughen up. Really, I have everything to run in really cold weather except a facemask--and this is really what prevents me from running in wind or below 20. I think if I could find something for my face, I'd really enjoy cold-weather runs. And the idea of a long run without worrying about getting up at 4 am so I don't have to deal with heat is sort of appealing.

Thanks for all the training schedule info and the inspiration! See you in Ogden! Well, probably not--hopefully, we don't have to mix with the commoners.

As for Blanding, Solon...Lord, no.

[PaloAltoCougar]

...Really, I have everything to run in really cold weather except a facemask--and this is really what prevents me from running in wind or below 20. I think if I could find something for my face, I'd really enjoy cold-weather runs. ....

I ran 6 miles this morning in (by my standards) very cold weather--40 degrees. I noticed when I finished I was wheezier than usual. Nothing bad, just a bit "noisier." In the past, I'd use an inhaler before and, if necessary, after a run to reduce or eliminate wheeziness. But I don't like the elevated heart rate and the jitteriness that accompanies its use. I overmedicated before a 10K last year and my HR was in the 160s, a tad high for a geezer I figure my running max is around 174.

So.... Does a face mask help warm the air a bit, thus reducing the wheeziness? I'd like not to use the inhaler unless my medical advisers suggest I should.

Oh, and a gratuitous shout out to my daughter who ran the NYC Marathon yesterday. All five of the PAC women have completed half marathons or longer this year, impressive when one considers none of them were running as recently as a couple years ago.

[Borg]

The Ogden Marathon sold out in ten days!

So..Plan 'B'.

....I signed up and committed for my first marathon next year! The Salt Lake Marathon....here I go!!!!

[ERCougar]

I ran 6 miles this morning in (by my standards) very cold weather--40 degrees. I noticed when I finished I was wheezier than usual. Nothing bad, just a bit "noisier." In the past, I'd use an inhaler before and, if necessary, after a run to reduce or eliminate wheeziness. But I don't like the elevated heart rate and the jitteriness that accompanies its use. I overmedicated before a 10K last year and my HR was in the 160s, a tad high for a geezer I figure my running max is around 174.

So.... Does a face mask help warm the air a bit, thus reducing the wheeziness? I'd like not to use the inhaler unless my medical advisers suggest I should.

Oh, and a gratuitous shout out to my daughter who ran the NYC Marathon yesterday. All five of the PAC women have completed half marathons or longer this year, impressive when one considers none of them were running as recently as a couple years ago.

I've never run with a face mask, so I don't know, but I've skied with one and it certainly helps. I've heard people that have cold-induced bronchospasm/asthma (which is sort of what you're describing) who say that it helps. They also claim that there is an acclimatization aspect to things--it goes away the more you do it

[Eddie]

The Ogden Marathon sold out in ten days!

So..Plan 'B'.

....I signed up and committed for my first marathon next year! The Salt Lake Marathon....here I go!!!!

Actually - I think it sold out in 3. All but the VIP stuff, at least.

A month ago I wasn't going to do Ogden again. I was going to sign up for something else. But I just couldn't help it.

I really want to run St. George - and will put in for the draw. But I wanted to make sure that I got in somewhere in case I didn't draw out. So...Ogden here I come.