Quick Update

Not too much going on here. I had my second appointment at the physical therapist yesterday. Things may be getting slightly better with the strained muscle. It's kind of hard to tell. It's definitely not getting worse, so that's a good thing. I'll be going out for 6 miles or so tonight after work. Probably run it right around an 8 minute pace or so.

Keep the song requests coming in.

Since I don't have too much to say today (first time for everything?), I'll give you some quotes I have come across lately:

From the blog "Got Lactate" - http://www.gotlactate.blogspot.com/
As it has in so many ways, running has taught me another life lesson: that by loosening one's grip on something one desperately covets, one may have a far better chance of actually obtaining it.

I think you could apply this to more than running. Feel free to check out the post "Changing Colors, Changing Goals" on that blog. It's a good post about a man's quest to run a 3:20 marathon when he turned 40. Ron off-handedly made the comment on his 30th birthday. He'll be running Chicago on October 12th also.

Other quotes:
The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed. - Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind.
Jerome Drayton

Get going. Get up and walk if you have to, but finish the damned race.
Ron Hill to Jerome Drayton during the 1970 Boston Marathon

We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon. Emil Zatopek

And here's a trailer of the movie "Spirit of the Marathon." It comes out on DVD next week. I was able to see the movie at the theater last year. It's a documentary about the 2005 Chicago marathon that follows a handful of runners of different ability levels. Try to check it out if you can.

How's Your Gastrocnemius?

I had to move the Bill Gillis/Shouting and Pointing song over to the right margin. I may periodically put a few other past or potential songs on the marathon playlist back in the player at the top of the posts over the next couple weeks. For now you can still get your dose of "A Little Bit of Faith" on the imeem player.
***
I went to the doctor yesterday. Here's Dr. Garelic's diagnosis on my knee issue. I have a strained gastrocnemius muscle. It basically the part of the calf muscle that starts behind the knee. Here's a picture of the muscle in relation to the lower leg:


I can still run, but he advised me to take 600-800mg of Ibuprofen one hour before running. He also told me to get some physical therapy three days a week for each of the two weeks before the marathon. I was lucky enough to get into Athletico this morning for my first appointment.
My physical therapist there stretched me out and did some analysis on my legs. He then came up with a stretching program to help me try to get the muscle back in good condition. I am also to ice the area after any physical activity, including walking around for an hour.

I am happy with the results and am glad I decided to go get it checked out. I ran yesterday in the early evening after taking a few advils. It did seem to help lessen the pain a little bit, but I could still feel it here and there. I didn't run into any stoplights yesterday, so I was able to keep my legs moving the whole time. That was one of the issues the past week. Any time I'd have to stop, getting started again was really painful. After the legs got pumping for a minute or two, they would feel a little better, but they'd get progressively worse after each stop and start.

Here are the numbers from yesterday:
10 miles total - 2 mile warm up jog
4x1600m @ followed by an untimed 800m
the four 1600 meter times: 6:34, 6:43, 6:43, 6:31
a couple miles at an easy pace to finish out the run.

I'll most likely be running early in the morning tomorrow. I think I am going to push the pace in the middle miles of th 12 mile run. I'd like to put up several consistent 7:40s. I guess while I am talking about pace now I can loosely unveil the goals for October 12th. Here they are:

Best case scenario which would include feeling healthy, good cool running weather, and feeling good that day:
3h:20m or a 7:40 pace
It's a little aggressive and I will make the call that day if I will actually shoot for it. It may be a case where I hang around the 3:20 group for the first 10 miles or so and make the call at that point. Or maybe lag back in the 7:45 range and make a move in the second half if I feel up for it. The downside to that strategy is that if I run a 7:45 for the first half, I'd have to average a 7:35 for miles 13.2 through 26.2. I don't think planning for a negative split at that pace is the best idea I have had. The last 3-6 miles can be brutal. I have run a few sub 8's for the last 5K in the past, so it's possible, but still very tough.

More likely reachable goal:
3:23-3:25 or a pace in the range of 7:45 to 7:50
I think this is possible and would fit in with my natural improvement in times over the years - minus the scorcher last year, of course. I think I have trained pretty hard and very well this season and my level of fitness can support a pace in that range over 26.2 miles. I have been pretty happy with my times throughout training. I do have the minor issue in my leg right now, but I don't anticipate it giving me problems by then. Positive thinking can work wonders.

Last resort goal:
3:29:59
It's still an 8:00 pace per mile, but I have to crack the 3:30 mark. And this year is my best chance to do it yet. I will finish the race no matter what happens - if had to walk on one leg with the other leg that fell off in one hand for a few miles, I'd do that. If I finished last year, I can finish any marathon.

With that being said, no matter what happens on October 12th, the amazing things that we've done here and for FSMA will make this marathon one of greatest successes of my life. I appreciate all of your continued support and can't thank each and every one of you enough. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Enjoy

Above is one of the suggested songs.

Nine Runs Remaining

Sorry there haven' t been any posts for the last few days. I have been busy sifting through these suggested songs for the marathon. Actually that's not true. yasoo800 just made the first two requests. Come on loyal readers, I need some music.

yasso800, you'll be happy to know that "A Little Bit of Faith" was on the last 20 mile run playlist. I am trying to figure out a way to post some songs on here. Pictures and videos are not a problem, but I am having a hard time with songs. Hopefully I can figure it out soon so the musical stylings of William Gillis and Shouting and Pointing can be shared with the world.

So, I got in an 8 miler yesterday. I ran the first half at an 8:00 pace and the second half at 7:47. I only went 9 miles today instead of ten because my knee is giving me some issues. I turned around at 4.5 miles because I hit a stoplight. It has really been bothering me when I stop in the midst of a run to grab some water or get stopped by a stoplight. So instead of waiting at the stoplight at McCormick and Howard (which is a long one), I turned around. I ran the 9 miles pretty evenly - 8:01 in the front half and an 8:03 in the second half.

I did run into my buddy Bill again, so I slowed down for about a third of a mile on the way home. I most likely would have come in under 8 in the second half if I didn't run with bill for those couple minutes. Bill did offer me some advice about my troublesome knee and running in general. Bill has to be in his fifties and could be in his sixties. Here was his advice: "The trick is not to think about it. The less you think about it, the less you'll notice it. And the less you think about all the miles you are running, the better off you are. "
***
After reading some more about the pain I'm having in my knee, I think it's actually inflammation in the hamstring tendons where they insert into the knee. My pain is in the back of the knee and as far as I can tell, there's no swelling. So, I think I am going to try to get into a doctor sometime in the next week to see if there's something I can do to help calm this thing down a bit before the marathon.
***
The title of the post is correct. Two more runs this week, four next week and three the week of the marathon. The longest run left will be this weekend at 12 miles. Over the next few weeks as there will be less running to talk about, I'll try to recap the previous six marathons and give people an idea of what to expect with this one.

Talk to you soon.

The Toughest Part is Over

The last 20 miler is now in the books, wrapping up a tough 54 mile week. I ended up running 5 days in the week and four consecutive days, which is more than I like to do. When this week is in the books every training session, there's definitely a feeling of happiness and accomplishment as you finally feel like you are over the hump. You know there's just a couple weeks left before the marathon and the beating the your body has endured over the previous 13 weeks is now complete. Over the last three weeks, mileage is cut considerably and the minor injuries that have mounted up will hopefully heal in time for the big one.

I ran the first half at about an 8:12 pace and the second half just under an 8:00 pace. It was a warm morning and pretty humid, so I feel good about my time. The hammy felt pretty good, while the knee still felt a little sore at times.
I am beginning to think my knee pain may be caused by my shoes. I have worn the Brooks Adrenaline 6 is the past but finally ran out of miles on those earlier this year. I went to the Adrenaline 8's prior to the start of training. My oldest pair, which I had to wear on Tuesday of this week, now has 305 miles on them. I think they are officially done. I used to be able to get closer to 500 miles in the Adrenaline 6's. Now I am wondering if the second pair is almost done and may be contributing to my knee pain. They now have just 220 miles on them. I ran in the freshest pair today (now with 63 miles on them) and they felt much better. I only have 78 miles left before the marathon, but that would put pair number 2 at 298 miles. So, as of 5 minutes ago, I am thinking about buying one more pair. Although it may have to be my last pair if these bastards are only going to last 250 miles. I may have to move on to a different show in the future. It's not something I would consider doing three weeks away from the marathon though.

The old Ipod took a turn for the worse last night when I tried to update a new playlist. So, I added the playlist onto Tiffany's Ipod this morning and away we went. I am not sure what I am going to do for the marathon just yet. I'll try to swap out the battery in the newer Ipod and see if that gets me anywhere. The last resort is to use Tiffany's Ipod, but as I told her earlier today, I am not sure that's the best idea. I seem to be breaking them lately with pretty good regularity.

Here's what the upcoming week looks like:
Tuesday: 10 Miles @ 8:00
Wednesday: 8 Miles @ 8:00
-I may not pay too much attention to pace on the early week runs-
Friday: 9 Miles, 4 x 1600m @ 6:34 w/800m jogs in between
Sunday: 12 miles @ 8:00 pace, although I may crank it up a little bit
39 miles for the week

***
In other news, the Cubs are in the playoffs, the Bears appear to be in for a long season and the US won the Ryder Cup. Try not to get too excited.

Music, Please

I'm just about complete with the toughest training week of the year and my Ipod is still on the fritz. The uncooked rice bath didn't help. Rather than go into what else I have tried since then, I will tell you that I have ordered a new battery. I'm hoping that replacing the battery currently in my Ipod will do the trick, but I'm getting pretty close to giving up on this beast.

Luckily, the brick is still functioning, although not without a few hiccups. I have had to reset it a few times over the past few days during my runs. I think the 4th generation Ipods hard drives are much more unstable and the constant jostling it endures while running causes it to lock up with regularity. The improved 5th generation Ipod was seemingly fixed to nullify that issue. Maybe they can work on waterproofing the next one.

Anyway, for the past few years, I have opened up the playlist for the marathon to my friends and family. I am doing the same thing this year. Here's how it works:

I take suggestions of songs from you. These songs can either be songs you really like, songs that inspire you, songs you workout or run to, songs that pump you up or any song you think would be a good song to run to. I will then check out the song and if I feel it can be one of the 50 or so songs that end up being on the marathon playlist, I will send you a CD of about 20 songs that were on the October 12th playlist. If I don't use your song, don't be offended. The marathon playlist is like a puzzle that has to be put together. Sometimes good songs don't fit and many songs get tossed out. I should also add that "Run" or Running" in the song's title is not a prerequisite. So "Born to Run" (Springsteen) and "Running Down a Dream" (Petty) are fine songs, but they will never make the playlist.

Here are just some past examples of suggested songs:
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
SexyBack- JTimberlake
The Fly, Yahweh - U2
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
The Stubborn Horse - Mahjongg
Go Cubs Go - Steve Goodman
On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
Look up to the Sky - The Indians
Porch - Pearl Jam
Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones


Some were used and some were not. Send your requests to me at paulkapellas@hotmail.com or post the in the comments below any post over the next couple weeks. I am hoping to have the playlist finalized by October 10th.

Here's a link to an Irish drinking song that Eddie Vedder recently turned into a song about the Cubs. It's catchy and makes you want to pick up a mug of beer and drink with Ed as he rambles through the verses while you wait for a couple chances to yell "Yeah" with him. If you haven't heard it a million times yet, prepare yourself. It will be around for as long as the Cubs are in the playoffs.

http://hirejimessian.com/wp-content/media/Someday%20We%27ll%20Go%20All%20The%20Way%20(quality).mp3

***

Thursday's run was seven miles. I ran the first half at an 8:00 minute pace. Somewhere in the second half of the run, I bumped into the older gentleman that I see on the path pretty regularly. He stopped me and asked if I was runnning the marathon. I ended up covering a couple miles with Bill and shot the breeze about running and the neighborhood. Bill is a really nice guy and is a vetrean of running some of the many races in the Chicago area. So, Bill's pace was probably about 9:00/mile, but it wasn't the worst thing as my hammy and knee were still bothering me.

Yesterday's run was supposed to be 11 miles with 6 miles at a 7:04 pace. I changed it up a little bit. I ran a couple warm up miles and pounded out three at a 7:02 pace. I backed off the next mile and picked up the pace for the next two miles. I ran those two at a 7:05. I took it easy for mile 9 and then ran a 7:13 10th mile. I closed out the 11 mile run with an easy mile.

The right hamstring became less of a problem as the week went on. It's still an issue, but I think it will be fine as I start tapering. The right knee didn't seem to get better or worse, I guess that's not all bad. I can definitely feel it when I run...sometimes more than others. It's more a a nagging pain than a shooting or sharp pain. I am hoping the reduction in miles that starts next week will give it the necessary recovery time.

The last 20 miler is tomorrow. Wish me the best and hope that my right leg comes out of it no worse for the wear.

What Made Milwaukee Famous

Beer, for one. The Brewers choking in September is soon to be next on the list. I am going to the Cubs-Brewers game tonight to see if the Cubs can cut the magic number down to 2. "What Made Milwaukee Famous" is actually the name of a pretty good, not very well known band. Check them out if you like indie-ish music.

***
Here what's going on in the peak week of training. There's some good news and some bad news. More bad than good really. The ole' tight right hamstring from the half marathon on Sunday is much worse now than it was during the race. The rest of the legs have mostly usual soreness, although my right knee it a little more sore than usual. Also, my blister issue from the half took a slight turn for the worse. On Monday, I woke up and the two blisters that I had popped the night before were fine. Unfortunately I didn't notice that there was one under the toenail of the second toe on my right foot. In my past experiences, that basically means that nail doesn't have a chance. Through the years, I have lost several toenails because of running. I didn't have any issues with the second toe until the marathon last year because my feet were wet. And now it pops up again because of the aquathon.

So, I popped it to relieve the pressure. Last night, I cut the nail down as far as possible. When it doesn't hurt at all, you know there's not much life left in it. Maybe I'll put up a picture of it in a couple days. Between the hammy, the knee, and the toe, this is all good stuff just in time for the 54 mile peak week.

So, I altered the running schedule this week to fit in the Cubs game and try to lessen the pounding on the legs. I ran 10 last night at just over an 8:00 pace. I was able to get through a slightly unpleasant, not as fast 6 miles this morning. The good news was that the shoes from the half were finally dry so I could wear them this morning, altough they certainly smelled better on Saturday.

That leaves me with 38 miles remaining for the week. I still have 20 down for Sunday and 11 (tempo) down for Friday. That leaves me with 7 for Thursday night. I'll probably do Friday's run in the afternoon/evening as well. Then Sunday's 20 miler will act as a dress rehearsal for the marathon. I will eat a similar dinner to the one I will eat on October 11th, wake up at the same time, eat the same food I plan to eat on the morning of October 12th, consume the same gels, and probably wear the same clothes including my race shoes that currently have just 43 miles on them.

I really don't want to miss any mileage this week and am hoping that not running again until tomorrow evening (and only running 7 miles) will help. We'll see though. October 12th is much more important than any run this week, so there's kind of a delicate balance of staying healthy and getting miles in.

In other news, my Ipod is sitting in a bowl of rice trying to dry out. Don't ask me, I read it somewhere that it helps dry out Ipods that have water issues. Keep your fingers crossed. Right now I am using the old brick that I updated yesterday. Here's what this relic looks like:


***
Thanks for the comments and video after the "Aquathon" post. As far as my nipples, I could have gone Sampras on you.


Here are few other pics, courtesy of marathonfoto.com from the half: