| Author |
Topic: PF Chang January 2007 |
kestrou
Cool Runner |
 posted Dec-21-2006 10:35 PM
   
Just found this thread (and read it all from beginning to end, boy are my eyes tired!  ) - and I'll see you all in 3 1/2 weeks!
Have done quite a few marathons recently:
Quad Cities 24 Sep: 3:42 - bonked at mile 24
Chicago 22 Oct: 3:22 - bonked at mile 26 (not kidding about that! )
JFK50 18 Nov: 8:55 - no bonk in 50.2 miles!
Tore my right calf muscle at mile 35 in that ultra, but am healed now and hitting my runs pretty hard - should be under 3:20 at Phoenix (fingers crossed) - and running 50+ mpw now.
Erin - I grew up around Louisville - in a suburb on the southwest side called "Lively Shively" - I assume you've heard of it?!
kestrou
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eryn23
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-22-2006 12:26 PM
kestrou~ Of course I know Lively Shively! I've always lived in the Highlands but right now I actually live in PRP...just down Dixie Highway from Shively. It's an interesting place, to say the least... Sounds like you are all set on your training! Welcome to our thread!How is everyone else's training going? Mine is okay but has suffered a little bit...I still always get in my two long runs every week but getting in my shorter runs has been difficult, some of them have just not been happening. The long runs are going great though, speed has even improved a little bit without me really even trying. Tomorrow is the last 20 miler, then taper! We should really try to arrange something to all meet up at least just to meet each other at the expo or something! It might be a little more difficult for me just because I'll be on the TNT schedule with all my peoples but...we have to try to work something out! Hope everyone is doing well!
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mcsolar99
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-22-2006 02:00 PM
great to see more runners.last hard week for me. i hit 80.5 last week, but only one speed workout. this week i'll have two speed workouts and then a tough 23 miler. the plan is 18 easy then the last 5 at race pace... i love that workout! hoping for 81-82 for the week. looking forward to the taper.... thanks for the heads-up on the corrals spinach. i got into the front corral and i'll see you there. it'll help not to have to avoid traffic during that first sub-7 mile... every ounce of energy is important. best wishes to everyone running long during this holiday weekend; and best wishes through your upcoming tapers. ------------------
mcsolar99
workouts
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frankie71
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-22-2006 02:09 PM
Well its official. I was on the fence as to wether I was going to run the half or not and now work has decided my decision for me. I have to work that weekend and I cant find anybody to trade weekends with me. Im not heart broken but it wouldve been fun. Seeing as how I work about 3 blocks from the Phoenix Civic Plaza were the expo is held, I would be interested in meeting up with you folks given the opportunity. Ill keep checking in to see whats been decided as a meet up day, time and place. That just reminded me of a couple of things, how the heck am I going to get to work on Sunday morning. I'll have to take a little bit different route to get into my building. That and hey ill be down here Sunday morning so I can watch the start of the full and the half marathon as they are just a few blocks west of where I work, Right On!! Hope training is going well for you all! Eryn If TNT has the pasta dinner at the Hyatt like they did this year, its a real nice place. Plus I do believe some of the out of state teams stayed there too. It was a really cool expercience for me! Itll get you heart and emotions going. ------------------
Frankie better it is to dare mighty things...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat"
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tommy14277
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-23-2006 06:09 AM
Originally, this week was to be my last 20+. Just feel it is too far out so I'll wait another week. Ran a 14 yesterday. Wanted to see if I could run near my projected MP (whatever that is) and ended up 15 sec. per mile faster & didn't feel like I pushed it too hard. Since I will be entering un-charted waters, I just really don't know what to expect.mcsolar - Can't even imagine 80+ mpw. Even w/ my longest run @ 23, my weekly total was 38. So I am assuming this will be a major PR attempt for you? Eryn - That would be nice to meet some of the others. Logistically it may be a little tough putting something together. The only thing I know for sure is that I'll be down @ the expo from about noon - ? on Sat. Let me know if you think of something. Good luck everyone on the last few weeks. If any of you out of towners need any help with anything, let me know. BTW it rained pretty much all of yesterday. [This message has been edited by tommy14277 (edited Dec-23-2006).]
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kestrou
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-23-2006 12:17 PM
Question on the course - I've looked at the elevation map - and it looks (for all practical purposes) flat as a pancake. I calculated out the incline from mile 1 to 12 as about 0.25% - with 7 to 12 (the steepest part) as about 0.42% - so I'm thinking I'm not "scared" of the inclines in that first part.Can the RNR-AZ veterans confirm?! Also, if anybody wants to get together for dinner or anything, I'm pretty much at loose ends - flying in Saturday morning, and flying out Sunday afternoon. I've been to Phoenix before, but don't know the city well. But with the name/address of a restaurant I'm sure I can get there. My last long run, 20 miler, is tomorrow - weather looks like crap, so it'll likely be on the dreadmill.. sigh... Everybody keep rocking! kestrou kestrou [This message has been edited by kestrou (edited Dec-23-2006).]
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rhoon phast
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-23-2006 12:45 PM
Hi All,My schedule when I get there is not entirely my own, but I'd be happy to meet if I can. I'm scheduled to run my last long run on Dec. 26. It will be a progression long run, though unless it warms up I won't bother timing it because that would be somewhat depressing... I don't seem to be able to keep my pace up in these conditions. Not sure if it is all the clothes or just something about the cold. I'm due to run 11 miles today, and it is -17 outside...whew! That's chilly. Especially if the wind decides to blow. I've been thinking about the Antarctic Marathon. Not likely I'll be able to afford to run it, but it was won a couple weeks back in 5:08. I think I could actually win it! There must be a reason I don't know about why it would be run that slow. Perhaps 40 mph headwinds...maybe King Salmon is enough of a geographic challenge anyway... ------------------
Troy Running resume My running log
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kestrou
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-23-2006 02:14 PM
rhoon phast - you sure make me look like a wimp for running on the treadmill! kestrou
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rhoon phast
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-24-2006 02:46 AM
Today's run was bewildering. The past few attempts to put in some faster work have been slower than similar efforts up to about two weeks ago. Between poor footing and increasingly cold weather, it seemed like it might be just the conditions, so I was assuming that when it warmed up I would get out and shake a fast one out of my system. It definitely hasn't warmed up. As I write this, the local temperature has dropped to -22. Fahrenheit. It was -17 when I started looking at the thermometer this morning, and I'd already put in a lot of miles this week, so today wasn't intended to be anything other than miles. Additive value miles. Being the season, we opened a few presents with the kids, read a bit, had lunch, and I finally got out the door around 3 pm. It had warmed up to -4, practically tropical. The legs wanted to move out a bit, and yesterday was a pretty easy run, so I figured marathon pace should be okay. Perhaps a bit ambitious since my last tempo run effort had ended up being marathon pace in similar temperatures, but I figured I'd just roll along and see how it went. Well, it was really weird. I had a feeling at two miles that I ought to make it into a shorter run, just wasn't feeling great. Stomach felt a bit queasy, legs wanted to go but weren't real happy at MP, and definitely didn't have anything faster in them. I talked myself into slowing down and going the full 11, but every time I slowed down I'd soon catch myself cranking it up again until I wasn't comfortable and had to slow down. By the last four miles, I started feeling like walking. Without any definable reason. I walked during my hydration stops on my long run Thursday, but not because I needed to. More as a potential race scenario since I can't drink out of cups on the run. But this time, I just struggled to talk myself into running. I wasn't breathing in my telltale one-two rythm that notifies me I'm on the ragged edge. My legs weren't in pain, didn't really have anything to say. Just...nothing. But I kept finding myself thinking about walking. I talked myself home, wondering what was going on. I thought perhaps I had overdone it these past couple of weeks. I had been alternating high and low mileage weeks in October and November, and was trying in December to have a pretty steady ramp-up to my taper. I couldn't really remember what that had added up to so far, so I thought perhaps I had just overtrained. My plans to take one day off tomorrow started to morph into a plan to take two days off and then re-evaluate. I definitely needed to do something, because something wasn't right. When I got back in the house and checked my running log, I hadn't really been putting in so many miles that overtraining was a pattern that jumped out. Mileage weeks in the 30s, 40s, and 50s the past three weeks, well within range of what I had been doing the past three months, but in an incremental rather than alternating fashion this time. Hmmm. My wife suggested perhaps I'm getting sick...I haven't been sick all fall. But then I started noticing...my son is sounding sick. I spent some time in the darkroom with him tonight, and he's definitely sick. What's more, I'b sdarding do nodiss I hab a tickow id by droad, an by dose is stuffy. I'b nod sure what by training plan is now, bud I don' tink I'll be gedding any miles in domorrow...or de nex day. Better now dan in a cubble weeks. Habby running. I'b going to sid in de sauna. ------------------
Troy Running resume My running log
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spinach
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-24-2006 02:41 PM
Kestrou, I don't remember any problems with any inclines from when I ran it a couple years ago. As I recall the course was virtually flat. Probably not as flat as Fargo was, but I don't think anything is as flat as Fargo.I got in my ninth straight 19+ mile sunday today, one more next week and then I will start taking it easy for the marathon. Unfortunately I don't feel I am in good enough shape to challenge three hours as I was unable to do as much miles during the week as I had hoped. But we will see how loading up on the long runs will serve as a training method for the marathon. Have a happy holiday season everyone, we'll see you in three weeks.
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MyUserProfile
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kestrou
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-24-2006 05:41 PM
Thanks for the confirmation, spinach. If you wanna "take it easy" and pace me to a 3:20, that sounds good to me! Felt so good at 20 miles today that I ended up doing 21 - figured it couldn't hurt since I'm still three weeks out. Supposedly I'm tapering now, but using the Pfitz 12/55 plan and it doesn't look too "tapery" for at least another week! kestrou
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rhoon phast
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-26-2006 10:23 PM
I dutifully took my two days off as penance for feeling ill/tired. I also dutifully downed about 7000 calories a day for those two days...after all I'd hate for the cooks to feel unappreciated when they go to such lengths. I trust they didn't get offended, because I certainly did my part. I was also downing NSAIDs and antihistamines for those two days, and then decided I was going to go ahead and go for my scheduled long run today and hope for the best. Yesterday was actually a bit of a test. It warmed up to -4 and snowed. Normally at those temperatures you get little wimpy flakes. Not this time. These were huge, more like 30 degree snowflakes. I love running when it is snowing (provided it is not blowing...) and had a moment of mourning before putting that aside and turning to the buffet table. Okay, it was a brief moment. Anybody who's suffered through the descriptions of my recent long runs will probably already remember that I have been bemoaning the traction out here lately. The addition of new snow, only about an inch, had me concerned a bit. Not enough to plow, but that was the problem last time. It was supposed to warm up today to around 10 degrees, so I was hoping to kick some of the cold weather issues. I waited until it had warmed up to almost 0 before starting. I left off my overmitts and the facemask, though I did have them along, and left off two of the upper body layers, one short and on long sleeved, that I had been wearing in the -10 or colder range, but kept all the same layers on my legs. I decided that I wanted my legs a bit warmer than they had been. As an extra precaution, I smeared vaseline over my face where a facemask wouldn't be providing any protection (since I wouldn't be wearing it). At the start, I quickly warmed up in the sun, and was running the first 5.5 miles with my jacket unzipped and hood off, and just a running cap and earmuffs on. I assumed I was experiencing the warming that was forecast, and was trotting along determined to enjoy this, the last dreadfully (can you enjoy something dreadful?) long run of this training plan. I found that the feared traction was a non-issue. The snow that had fallen was so light it was almost imaginary. Well, it was visible, and extremely beautiful, but as far as traction, it was more like running through an inch of that stage mist they produce with dry ice. I eventually decided that the car tracks were actually better traction, but not by much. And speaking of the snow and the scenery, one of the great things about cold temperatures is that the frost doesn't evaporate. Since I was running during sunlight hours, with new snow and frost that hadn't melted, the bushes along the road were coated in white. Since the sun angle is low all day at this time of year, the sun was shining through the branches wherever the road had alders alongside. Finally, something to love about alders. You might have to be from Alaska to understand that comment... Anyway, about 5.5 miles out, the road turned, the vegetation thinned, and all of a sudden I was cold. It felt as though a breeze, less than 5 mph, was blowing, mostly from ahead. Funny at these temperatures how a tiny movement of air can change your outlook on life...all of a sudden my hands were cold, my chin was frozen, and the rest of my head was pretty chilly too. Up with the zipper, up with the hood. Hmmm. I wish I hadn't stuffed those overmitts in my backpack...don't want to take it off right now... I kept running on alternately pulling my fingers and thumbs into the palm of the gloves and then putting them back out to freeze. Eventually, in some more vegetated areas after the road turned, I warmed up a bit, but I was looking forward to running the other direction. Eventually made the turn, still consciously trying to keep my pace easy. After two days off, I kept hearing my little racer in my head trying to get me to speed up. The last couple miles before the turnaround, I had to remind myself that I needed to just maintain a steady pace and save the heroics for the fast finish, since this was to be my last progression long run. I was getting cold enough at times that it was tempting to speed up just to warm up. Well, the turn didn't immediately make a huge difference, but it was definitely warmer running the other direction. The wind was generally at my back, but again it was very minor. I ran on and then started noticing my shin was bothering me again... I don't know what shin splints start out as, so I don't know yet whether to worry about that. But my shin muscles have been getting very tired these past few long/hard runs. I stopped to stretch them and they felt better immediately. Just before it was time to crank down the pace and start the speedy finish kick of 6+ miles, I stopped and stretched them again, just for good measure. Didn't have any more problems with them, but I intend to actually do some strength work on those shin muscles during the taper. Just a bit of a concern. I started speeding up and instantly felt warm and comfortable for the first time in nearly 10 miles. My hands were warm again and I flirted briefly with the idea of running without earmuffs. Then I turned the same corner where I had previously been warm and then cold...and the same thing happened. Amazing what a slight change in wind direction can do. And amazing what significant temperature variation you can get in little pockets of land when it is really cold. I knew instantly that the forecast temperature of 10 was never going to arrive today. And I also knew that my decision to run without the facemask was folly, but I wasn't going to dig it out now. I hauled out a balaclava which at least protected my cheeks and chin, and ran on trying to maintain the rythm and gradually push the pace down. The miles clicking by felt a bit too fast, but I was still breathing two in, two out, and decided to just go with it. I kept thinking to myself that it was too fast, then speeding up slightly. When I reached the 3 mile point, I was mostly breathing in a one in, two out rythm and really laboring. I still kept going, just determined to see this through. Along about here, I started to wonder why I really wanted to run a fast (well, for me...) marathon anyway. This really wasn't the most fun I'd ever had, in fact it was pretty miserable. Two miles out, I decided as long as it hurt this bad I may as well make it hurt more...and sped up again. I kept trying to imagine my pace increasing, but was really having a hard time imagining it at this point. But with 0.3 miles left I really took off. The last mile I sounded like somebody having an asthma attack, which I may have been. My son has asthma and perhaps I have a touch of it myself. And the last half mile I was in a one in, one out rythm, which really hurt. I pushed on the last bit and nearly collapsed outside my garage. In the last mile I had looked down at my legs a couple times and thought that although it felt like I was running fast, they didn't look like they were going that fast...I wonder what I looked like to the people I passed. Who were all in their comfortable cars. The fast finish started with 9:08 pace and ended at 8:03 pace. I was glad to find I had run that fast, as it felt so terrible I deserved some sort of a reward like the knowledge that I had beat my intended race pace by a minute at the finish. The temperature was -3 when I got in the house, which took a little while as I had trouble with simple tasks like untieing my shoelaces. So now where does that leave me? As usual, I have no clue. Taking two days off before a long run is almost like a mini-taper, but being sick is not. But I'm as ready as I'm going to get. I'll try to incorporate two marathon pace runs each week between now and the race just to get a feel for the pace. And I'll hope the temperature in Phoenix is uncomfortably cold...for everyone else, that is. Because there's a lot I don't know, but one thing I do know is I can run in cold weather. Now a haboob...that I'm not ready for... ------------------
Troy Running resume My running log
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kestrou
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 08:09 AM
Thread's been quiet a couple days - everybody have taper jitters? kestrou
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rhoon phast
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 01:11 PM
I certainly have taper jitters...because my one day reprieve when I ran that last long run was the only run this week. Felt a bit of a cold Saturday night, felt it hanging around Sunday and Monday, woke up Tuesday and felt fine. Went for the run. Wednesday woke up feeling rather horrid, a state that persisted all day, woke up this morning feeling worse. Nose feels like it has been packed with cotton balls, throat hurts, brain has been removed and replaced with gauze. But on the bright side I should only have a day or two of this left. I'm going to have to be careful not to try to make up 'lost' ground after I get back at it, as it's too close for that to do any good. Off to take some Nyquil...------------------
Troy Running resume My running log
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kestrou
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 01:44 PM
Sorry to hear that Rhoon Phast!I'm not in that bad of shape, but my nose is a little runny - which is typical at the "T minus three week" point for me. Yup, pre-race jitters... This is marathon/ultra-marathon number... ummm... 8 or 9 - and I still get'em. Achy, tired, mentally convinced that training wasn't sufficient (even though I almost never miss a workout on my schedule). But I've crossed the finish line every time! Come on people - time to start putting your game faces on!!! kestrou
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mcsolar99
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 02:07 PM
kestrou: i second spinach on the flat course. small gradual inclines, but no real hills. here's the course video:http://pointers.audiovideoweb.com/stcasx/ca20win15070/PF+Changs+Full-HI.wmv/play.asx rhoon: stay relaxed and get healthy. nothing to make-up now, so just recover from your cold and stay sharp. spinach: sorry to hear about training, but race day can always be a surprise. my 23 miler with fast finish was much harder than the one i ran in october, and slower, so i may have a challenge in phoenix too. not taper jittery yet, but feeling fresher this week as my recovery days are only 3 miles rather than 8. got some lovely cold and rainy weather in tucson today, so out for a smiling 16 miles with 8 at MP. only a few hard workouts left... time to work hard on the mental imagery. today i'll be running the last 16 miles of the course in my head. ------------------
mcsolar99
workouts
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rhoon phast
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 02:32 PM
mcsolar,I love the course preview video. It plays terrible on our slow internet service, but still pretty helpful. Thanks, Troy ------------------
Troy Running resume My running log
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rhoon phast
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 02:55 PM
Okay...found the dial-up version and that works better at least until mile 13...sort of a melt-down at that point...------------------
Troy Running resume My running log
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kestrou
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 04:52 PM
Thanks for the video link - just watched it twice and it looks pretty flat and boring (I'm mostly a trail runner ). I'm sure with the bands every mile it'll be more interesting, though!kestrou
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rhoon phast
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 06:26 PM
Does look boring...but very flat and fast. Flat is good, and for interesting I'm planning to run the Sedona marathon the following month. That looks beautiful, but very hilly, high elevation, and slow. Training run, but should be beautiful.------------------
Troy Running resume My running log
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spinach
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 10:44 PM
I remember the first half of the course was pretty boring when I ran it two years ago. Not much crowd support and nothing all that interesting to see. However I grew up in Scottsdale and went to Scottsdale High School and had run most of the second half of the course back when I was in high school. So that made it interesting, I even went past an old girlfriend's home. Going through the downtown Scottsdale arts district was just about the only part of the course that would have been interesting without my personal background.One problem that I noticed was with the bands. I had a fairly good time, 3:11, but not that good but still about half the bands hadn't started to play by the time I passed them. I was looking forward to the bands to help me along, a new goal to get to every mile, but they really were a disappointment. However the groups of cheerleaders on the course were really great. I hope they will be back this year. See you all in a couple weeks. Send cloudy thoughts for the morning of the 14th.
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MyUserProfile
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eryn23
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2006 11:55 PM
Yeah, I watched the video a couple weeks ago and also thought that the course seemed pretty boring!!! Hopefully, it will still be a fun time though. As much as I hate hills sometimes(we have LOTS of them here), it would be nice to have at least a couple good hills thrown in there.I don't think that any of us should be nervous!! Everyone has trained really well and is going to have a GREAT marathon! And now we are all(I think) in taper mode so we should be feeling good, freshened up and relaxed! I thought I would feel more nervous than I do with this being my first but actually, I don't feel nervous at all! However, that may change once we get to AZ. I'm sure the jitters will come eventually!
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kestrou
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-29-2006 11:00 AM
Yo spinach - you posted, but didn't take me up on my offer to pace me to a 3:20?! Giving you a hard time there buddy!Just so I'm recognizable, here's a picture of me at the JFK50 - I'll be wearing the same yellow "Kennekuk Road Runners" singlet - and the same happy grin!  kestrou
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spinach
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-29-2006 11:38 AM
kestrou, I'll be glad to try to pace you under 3:20. My intention is to run a nice steady 6:45 pace for the race [I may not be in shape to do that but it is my intention]. Feel free to join along. If we are successful at this pace you will be safely under 3:20. My last long run will be Sunday. It will probably be 19 again but may be a bit longer if I need a couple more to get to a nice significant number for the year then I will begin a bit of a taper.
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tommy14277
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-30-2006 06:10 AM
Once read somewhere, in reference to a point about three weeks out from running a marathon... "The hay is already in the barn, all you have to do now is stack it."Just got my last long (23) in yesterday. Looking back at my log with calculator in hand and wish I had put a little, well, maybe a LOT more "hay in the barn" for my first attempt @ 26.2. Over a 18 week period, my log says I have averaged 3.44 days running per week at an average of 28 miles.  My longest week will be at 42 (this week) miles. Think my only saving grace, at this point, is having logged 4 runs at 20 mile or longer in the last 8 weeks. As far as having taper madness, don't think I have ever experienced it since I have never run a marathon. Really not sure and very undecided how what to do from here on out. For me, I really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to post here. Many of you have said things that have been most helpful to me.If I haven't already done so, want to say thanks!
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