Looking for a few Good Souls

The assessment is pretty bad:

• Patellar Tendon Tear and Partially Detached Patella (June 2013)
• IT Band Rupture (July 2014)
• Broken Fingernail (March 2015)
• Achilles Tendon Rupture (May 2015)

Weight gain:

• 100 lbs. over ideal weight

Pant size:

• comfortable: 48
• when wearing vests that cover your gut: 44

Goal:

• lose 1 lb. a week until the week of Sept 25 (my 50th birthday). 

Looking for:

• a few good souls for moral support as I start my recovery.

... and it begins

Looks like I haven't figured out how to kick this running habit!

Pictures from yesterday's half

from my 13.48 mile run yesterday

PR in a dress

As human beings,
our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world
but in being able to remake ourselves.

-Mahatma Gandhi

The World-Record Perth 5-mile Kilt-Run is over. We got to spend some great time with our family in Kingston.  The race was better organized this year and a lot more fun, (although we missed the sheep shearing from last year).  The run was tough again.  I don't know whether it was the later start of 6:30 pm (all my races are usually in the early morning) or because it was a summer-run just after the solstice and the full sunlight and heat, or maybe something else, but it was tough.

Kieran Day won the race with a time of 27:50.  I was a close 697th with a time of 51:35 (1727 finishers).  Kieran had ate, finished 4 interviews, showered, and received his award by the time I finished.  This is his third year in a row as winner.  Now that is a guy who knows how to run in a dress!

No alcohol for this race - no alcohol for 1 week before this race.  Of course I drank alcohol right after!  Hydration and electrolytes were well managed, I ate small meals and added a little extra carbohydrates for the last few.  I was well rested.  I trained well, and kept a good attitude for the race.  But it was still tough!

I felt much better for the first 35 minutes of this run.  I kept to a good 10:18 minutes/mile pace, setting myself up for (I thought) negative splits at the end, and then at a the 40 minute mark about 3 3/4 miles into the 5 miles I started to fade.  I felt like I was cooking on a grill.  At the 40 minute mark my heart rate was 160 BPM (92% of Maximal HR).  I was breathing easy, smiling at the pipers, the harp, and flute players.  I started to slow down, more to give my heart a break than because I felt my muscles were tired.  I was doing good, but my body was fighting the heat.  Definitely all the extra weight I was carrying.

One high-light was that for the last 400 yards I managed a sprint that brought my split pace down to 7:50 minutes per mile.  For others that's not a sprint that's a pace, but for me it was a sprint.  At one point near the finish line I had accelerated to 5:18 minutes/mile.  (My finishing HR was 174 - 100% maximal HR.)

In brief, I improved in every area in this race, even if only slightly.  A minute and 17 seconds improvement should count for something.  I didn't keep to my running strategy entirely and this will be addressed later.

	2011	2012
Time	52:52	51:35 (PR!)
Avg Pace	10:34 min/mi (6:34 min/km)	10:20 min/mi (6:25 min/km)
Best Pace	6:35 min/mi (4:05 min/km)	5:18 min/mi (3:18 min/km)
Avg HR	150 bpm	153 bpm
Max HR	168 bpm	174 bpm

Here's the start, I'm the blue-shirted guy in the middle of the road from 0:46 to 0:51 - slow and lumbering 11:15 pace out from the start.  (It took almost 5 minutes to get all the runners out of the gate!)

Perth Kilt Run 2012 - The Start from Bastou on Vimeo.

pre-race

1. setup garmin with variable splits and times - check! 
2. setup display with lap pace, average pace, hr - check!
3. eat a small breakfast at 8 am - check!
4. go to the washroom 5 times - check!
5. make about 1/2 gallon (2 litres) of lime gatorade - check!
6. get my running kit and wool kilt packed into my running bag - check!
7. eat a small symbolic lunch
8. go to washroom 8 times
9. drive to Perth from Kingston
10. signup for the world record run at 3 pm
11. go to washroom 12 times
12. walk in the runners march to the start line
13. KICK ASS!

My Strategy

Reviewing last year’s race: 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96397343 

Split	Distance	Avg Pace	Avg HR	Max HR	Calories
1	1	9:28	148	160	118
2	1	10:14	148	155	120
3	1	10:36	150	157	120
4	1	11:10	152	155	119
5	1	11:24	151	168	111
Summary	5	10:34	150	168	588

Positive splits! Definitely would be an improvement to run this backwards. Look at these impossible HR numbers too! There are a few things I should note:

1. I had a sprint time trial the day earlier in Kingston (Limestone Mile) 
2. I ate greasy fish and chips before this race 
3. I might have drank a beer before this race 
4. It was very dusty and hot on race day 
5. Bib timing with a gun start (I hate Bib timing with gun starts)
6. I had to wear a kilt 

Recently, I ran the 3 miles at 9:47 … downhill/uphill/corners/turns. I need to be confident that this type of speed is possible over 5 miles. This race will have nearly the same elevation differences as the runs I have been running this past month. About 120 feet from low to high.


So my strategy is

1. From 0 mi to 1.75 mi it’s uphill about 60 feet. I’ll set myself the target of 10:34 (last year’s pace). This will keep me from racing with the bulls at the start, and give me a sufficient warm-up (landmark would be the second last corner when leaving town – where the fire trucks were spraying runners last year.)
2. From 1.75 mi to 2.4 mi it’s downhill about 67 feet. I’ll set myself the target pace of 9:47. It’s a short distance and it will give me a chance to interval a bit. (landmark – the end of the parking lot where the golf course starts.)
3. From 2.4 mi to 3.0 mi it’s bumpy uphill about 37 feet. I’ll set myself the target pace of 10:00. The idea is to slow down, take a breather (landmark – deep in the golf course about 5 minutes in.) 
4. From 3.0 mi to 3.5 mi it’s time to crank up the pace running downhill again at 9:47. (the last turn by the river on the golf course)
5. From 3.5 mi to about 4.8 mi it’s time to keep below 10:00 as best I can (just before the final turn home)
6. Sprint my ass off. 

Calculating this out: 10:30 (1.75 mi) + 9:45 (0.65 mi) + 10:00 (0.6 mi) + 9:45 (0.5 mi) + 10:00 (1.5 mi) + Sprint = 50:35 -> 10:07 pace.  At the 3.5 mile mark, I’ll make the decision as to how well I feel (there will be gravel and dust and only two water stops. They are saying that it will be humid and 83 degrees). If I feel awesome I will kick it up and run the last 1.5 miles as fast as I can, not being afraid to stop and take a breather, look ugly, look stupid. The idea is to pull out as much as I can from myself. I know that I can bring this pace down to under the 9:30 mark if this is the case.

There are a few things I should note:

1. No sprint time trial the day earlier 
2. No fish and chips before the run 
3. No beer before the run 
4. Bandanna ready to pull up over my mouth if I need to for the dust on the golf course trail
5. Bib timing with a gun start (maintain a calm attitude at this one) 
6. I have to wear a kilt (become a skirt chaser - nothing I can do about this)

Summary

Last year's race time: 52:52

This year's target: 50:35


.

Email received this week

PERTH KILT RUN KILT WAR 2012 IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR Andrew Opala Bib #:  1360 YOU WILL WANT TO READ THIS The Crystal Palace on-the-Tay is located in the town centre, across from the Town Hall. If all else fails follow the river. Race Details: Kilt & Bibs must be picked up between 10-4pm on race day At the Crystal Palace on-the Tay (Across from Town Hall) You cannot pick-up someone else’s bib because everyone will need to sign the World Guinness Book of Record. This will be a lengthy process. We have 2000 Kilted runners this year, (yippee! Another world record slam!) so please come early! BIB INSTRUCTION Andrew Opala Bib #: 1360 PRINT YOUR BIB# & BRING IT WITH YOU (YOU WILL NEED YOUR BIB # TO GET YOUR KILT/BIB) BIBS MUST BE worn ON THE FRONT (TIMING SYSTEM CANNOT READ THROUGH YOU) Gathering of the Clans 6:00pm Crystal Palace on the Tay Across from Town Hall (Except Warrior Division who are meeting at Fiddleheads Restaurant at 6 pm) ------             “Runners March On” 6:15pm Sharp (Crystal Palace) LET THE KILT WAR BEGIN Perth Kilt Run – 5 Miler:  6:30pm PLEASE SEE AFTERNOON EVENTS SCHEDULE on the Blog YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THE WORLD RECORD HAGGIS TOSS, MEDIEVAL ENCAMPMENT AND MORE If you have not already donated to our chosen charity, the MS Society of Canada, we encourage you to do so by clicking below! Make a difference in the lives of persons living with multiple sclerosis.

Freeze Your Thorns Off 5K Race Report

a.k.a. Game of Thorns
a.k.a. how to run with an ingrown and broken toe nail
a.k.a. This is where the running turns around baby!

I've kept to my running schedule since my bull-shitake run two weeks ago.  And it's been basically consistent crappiness interspersed with bought of sheer loserdom.  So I needed a run to turn it all around.  And this one was it baby!

Today's run was a complex 2.9 mile warm up, 3.2 mile virtual race, plus 1 mile stagger home.  Did I mention I operated on my toe last night at 4 in the morning?  My toe cracked on my run yesterday, and I pulled out the broken piece, but there was a piece left in and it began to grind into the fat cheeky part of my big toe while I was sleeping.  And at 4 am I couldn't take the pain and dug the rest of the nail out.  Taped the toe up with gauze, rubber bands and put two tight socks on the foot and went for the run.

The pain made me run in a funny way.  And when I uploaded my track from the Garmin I discovered the thorny problem.

Here's the interactive route if you want to take a look:


I think if I could figure out which way the "s" and "z" go I could open up a GEO-Writing business.

Here's the summary:

precipitation	freezing rain and blowing snow
temp	feels like -4°C (16 °F)
winds	gusting to 54km/h (34 m/h)
distance	5.1 k (3.2 mi)
time	37:29.5
HR	126 bpm

Thanks for another wonderfully directed race Adam!

BULL-SHITAKE!

what a universally crappy run last night

- no Energy (I felt at mile 1.5 like I felt at mile 13 of the half last summer)
- no Desire (I was thinking of stopping and breathing)
- no Visualization (my mental image leaving the house was of me leaving the house)
- bad Music (Juice Newton was in my friggin playlist!  I don't listen to Juice Newton!)
- poor Equipment management (shoes clogged with mud, earphone falling out of ears, draw strings all knotted together)
- Hydration problems (dry mouth, drinking all the time, peeing all the time)
- poor eating cycle (ate about 1 hour before running - 3 bowls of vegetable soup)

from the coach:

Sorry about the run.  

Peel back the layers and figure out what was going on, 

you are a master at that now! :)

I give up.

Today I run again ... I MUST BE STOPPED!

... gears are turning ... things will be analyzed!

RE-JECTED!

I hit the wall on an Interval run!

6°F light flurries, feels like 1°F (-14°C feels like -22°C).  Winds from the southwest at 4 m/h (6 k/h).

Alpaca socks, two track pants, cotton turtle neck, t-shirt, thermal sweatshirt, windbreaker, mittens, toque.

I came back hyperventilating, dizzy and WALKING!

Food Calories:   1993

Carb:                  51%20% (corrected after Shawn and Ewa's comments)

Protein:               29%

Fat:                     20%51% (ibid)

Net Calories: 1993 – 2000 (for day) – 603 (for running) = - 610

Secret Santa Presents

from Adam:

and a signed cover from Guy Kawasaki:

I'm not sure what Guy wrote.  My wife was kind enough for stating "Andrew, Resisting you is futile! - Guy Kawasaki 12/21/11"  but I think it says "Andress, Klaraty cju is butane! - Colkard 12/21/11" ... from the Vulcan impotence curse.

My first run this year!

I'm hoping to lose some bad-weight (mostly fat) this year and put on some good-weight (mostly muscle) - so we've planned out a running schedule to do so.  Matched with good food choices, I'm hoping to bring the weight down in the next 20 weeks by at least 20 lbs.

Yesterday's Workouts:

RUN: 

4 miles @ base + 4x30 sec hill sprints (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/138502616)

Split	Distance	Avg Pace	Avg HR	Max HR	Calories
1	2.04	11:49	128	154	223
2	0.06	8:26	115	138	6
3	0.07	13:40	134	140	7
4	0.06	8:36	123	139	5
5	0.07	13:40	136	142	7
6	0.06	8:57	132	144	5
7	0.07	14:55	137	149	7
8	0.05	9:09	124	137	5
9	0.06	13:29	137	141	6
10	2.05	12:12	124	137	214
Summary	4.58	11:57	127	154	485

It wasn't really base pace for me because it was freezing cold!  It was 15°F light flurries, feels like 1°F (-9°C feels like -17°C).  Winds were from the north at 15 m/h (24 k/h).  My only defense was Alpaca socks, two track pants, cotton turtle neck, thermal sweatshirt, windbreaker, mittens, and toque.

WEIGHTS: 

2x15 Hammers/Triceps extensions/Shoulder Press/Push Press/Lat Pull-downs/Planks/Shoulder taps

FOOD:

Calories:             1424

Carb:                  54%

Protein:               26%

Fat:                     20%

Net Calories: 1424 – 2000 (for day) – 485 (for running) – 62 (for weights) = - 1123

Things to improve for today: drop the fat, increase the protein, add some more good calories, increase the lb-age on the weights slightly for tomorrow.

I hope you have all started the New Year on a positive note.  To quote EMZ: You've friggin GOT THIS!

I win a prize!

Almost immediately after my race on Saturday, I received an email from the director, Michael Brennan, of Road Warrior Running.  I had won something!  But what?  and why?

The Road Warrior Running program keeps track of your stats (only if you sign-up), gives you a rating based on a few of your last races, then gives you points for surpassing your rating in your next race (if the race is a Road Warrior sanctioned race).

So apparently, my rating was 31:06 (a 5k-equivalent at race time) and my 28:30 finish meant I beat my rating by 2:36.  Which was the highest "beat" in all the Road Warriors taking part in this race.  I improved quite a bit in this run.  So much so that my coach has painfully increased my paces across the board - ouch!

So what did I win?

I had a choice of a tote bag or a technical hat.  So I went with the hat.

But I am unworthy.  I knocked out some very good runners from winning stuff.  Runners that improved nearly as much as I did.  It was a bit of a fluke for me, as I'm not good enough to gain points in this.  I only run about 9 races a year and not all of them are Road Warrior ones.  I'm no ware in the standings ... one guy runs a race every weekend and had 170-ish points.  I've got 12!

Anyway, my wife was way more happy when she discovered the voice mail on our home phone as well.

* * *

Here's some race photos from the event photographer ... there were a bunch ... I picked the ones that looked flattering.  In all photos - very good news - absolutely no heel strike!

Burlington Santa Suit 5k Race Report

Ho!  Ho!  Ho!

Everything went according to plan.

Gun time: 29:51
Garmin time: 28:34
Chip time: 28:30

The visualization really helped.  I had run this race in my mind about 12 times before I actually ran it.  Here's how it was tracked on the Garmin:

Waypoint	Target	Actual
1	I am waiting for my execution on the gallows; after the start gun, run with the crowd to waypoint 2, this is traffic avoidance and avoiding being traffic; keep they pace crisp and on target; enjoy (you're in a friggin Santa run!)	enjoying the moment I am blessed and loved
2	check the watch at this portion a few more times than usual, don't worry about banking time or speeding up too much, a little over target pace is ok at this point, see if you can pick off a runner or a pair of runners that seem to be running the same pace as you; you're doing great!  Isn't this fun?	looked down at the watch and the crowd was really really bad at the start - 10:19 pace at this point ... start to run wide of the pylons and start passing the slow runners
3	start counting the people you can pick off on this hill; yell the number out as you do (if you want).  Don't worry.  It's not you.  It's the "Jerry Rice" inside of you!	still not very thinned out, but starting to be ... passed at least 18 people here, was passed by 5 very fluid runners
4	take it wide and avoid the crowd	wide
5	It's all downhill from here baby!  Pick up the pace, and get the heart beating, shake out some of the cob webs.  This is a warm-up for the finishing sprint.  Feel the power in your legs, the long, confident stride, the way the body works together to drive	Checked the watch here and I was 9:17.  Began several series of long stride floating sprints to catch several people in this part of the race.  Brought my pace to 9:11 at the end of this part.
6	Good, you're warmed up for the finishing sprint, keep your eye on the pace, you should be on target now; more on target - even better.  Visually check your shoe laces, how's the Santa Suit pieces, what can you fix to make sure your sprint has nothing to take your mind off of being awesome.  Keep an eye on your pace, relax, take some good centering breathes.  Feel the body cleaning out the muscles of waste and refilling them with fuel.	Check - check - check pace is still 9:11 at the turn
7	I can see the final turn to the finish, the runners are very scattered here, there's probably about 800 runners ahead of me at this point - I'm going to start passing more runners here.  My body will respond.	looked down to the end of the race ... people yelling to us you can make it ... found a lot of desire and some energy
8	I've built up a lot of momentum - but man! I've got so much energy - I lean forward and run on my toes, my muscles tight and powering like the Olympic 100-meter-race.  My feet tap out a continuous acceleration.	HOLY SH*T I'm running even faster!  Watch is reading avg pace 9:08!
9	28:59	28:30

Here's the official race line from sportstats.ca.  RD and volunteers did a great job, but if they want more people next year they have to fix the signup process a bit: far too many long line-ups and chaos with washrooms.  Everything in one building coming off of one hallway.  You actually had to read your bib number off of a wall in the busy hallway, then go and line-up in the proper row for your bib number.  Better design next time - line up by the first letter of your name like last year.

Santa Suit Race Strategy

Thankfully the planned route hasn't changed from last year (last years run is here).  Here's the strategy I was thinking of:

Waypoint	Comment	Target
1	4000 Santas line up for a fun run; to waypoint 2 there are booms, cameras, lots of happy energetic people, children, dogs	I am waiting for my execution on the gallows; after the start gun, run with the crowd to waypoint 2, this is traffic avoidance and avoiding being traffic; keep they pace crisp and on target; enjoy (you're in a friggin Santa run!)
2	the road levels off to a pancake until waypoint 3, some people will be dropping back and slowing down after the euphoria of the run under the cameras	check the watch at this portion a few more times than usual, don't worry about banking time or speeding up too much, a little over target pace is ok at this point, see if you can pick off a runner or a pair of runners that seem to be running the same pace as you; you're doing great!  Isn't this fun?
3	the big hill begins until waypoint 5, people will be dropping to the sides here and walking a bit where necessary - the climb is only 45 feet	start counting the people you can pick off on this hill; yell the number out as you do (if you want).  Don't worry.  It's not you.  It's the "Jerry Rice" inside of you!
4	Water table and half way point	take it wide and avoid the crowd
5	Top of the course, with a good downhill portion until the next waypoint	It's all downhill from here baby!  Pick up the pace, and get the heart beating, shake out some of the cob webs.  This is a warm-up for the finishing sprint.  Feel the power in your legs, the long, confident stride, the way the body works together to drive
6	pancake	Good, you're warmed up for the finishing sprint, keep your eye on the pace, you should be on target now; more on target - even better.  Visually check your shoe laces, how's the Santa Suit pieces, what can you fix to make sure your sprint has nothing to take your mind off of being awesome.  Keep an eye on your pace, relax, take some good centering breathes.  Feel the body cleaning out the muscles of waste and refilling them with fuel.
7	downhill home stretch	I can see the final turn to the finish, the runners are very scattered here, there's probably about 800 runners ahead of me at this point - I'm going to start passing more runners here.  My body will respond.
8	10 heart beats away	I've built up a lot of momentum - but man! I've got so much energy - I lean forward and run on my toes, my muscles tight and powering like the Olympic 100-meter-race.  My feet tap out a continuous acceleration.
9	The finish	28:59

I'm looking at running to an overall average pace of 5:48/km (9:16/mi) by the time I'm between waypoints 5 and 6.  Waypoint 6 to 7 is run-up circle checklist stuff.  Waypoint 7 and on is take-off.

* * *

Race starts tomorrow at 9 am.  The RD says there are still some walk-up registration places available.  Here's the race info page: Running Room.

Visualization

When things get tough.  You either grow or you grow a tumor.

What can be said for people that artificially make things tough for themselves?  Why would someone run outside on the icy roads in bone-chilling rain or in death-inducing heat with salt and dust baking into your sun-burned skin?  Why do we run?

On Monday I had one of the more difficult runs I can remember: 6 miles easy with hill sprints, and then 2x20 second drills.  The distance was doable.  That's a normal run for me on a weekday.  The hill sprints are awesome.  I can pull my inner "Jerry Rice" out on demand.  The drills at the end are refreshing.  I love the looks I get from the kids walking their dogs, or the retirees looking through their bedroom windows as I do karaokes or skipping for distance.  No it wasn't even the chilling freezing rain, the fact that I had a painful wind blowing into my face for a good 45 minutes of the run, or the fact that I was drenched through to my toes and fingers.

It was difficult because I began to doubt.

I began to tell myself that running faster is hard.  That there is a barrier of PAIN that waits for me when I want to improve.  That I can't achieve this goal that I am seeking.  That I haven't trained well.  I haven't eaten well.  I haven't had the right mental attitude.  I left my front door on Monday's run, thinking the enemy was outside; that the enemy was the world; that the enemy was the elements.

No.  The enemy was me.

* * *

I'm a practicing Roman Catholic.  I pray for many reasons and in many forms and styles.  But I never pray for running.  I never use the tools that have gotten me this far and apply it to running.  I never pray for the runners, the race organizers, the volunteers.  I never pray for my wife and family because they have helped me to be a runner.  I have been simply animistic to this point in time.  I have simply let my body worship at the Church of running with no spiritual commentary.  If I have added anything, it is a bit of intellectual flowering in collecting numbers and setting target.

It may be too late for this race on Saturday, but I vow before all of you to find a technique that is suitable for me, which will help me visualize and be totally present in my running.  I've approached my running as if I was a lab rat in an experiment.

Help me out.  What do you do to visualize your running?  How do you spiritualize your running?  What books do you read?  How do you prepare for running?  How do you prepare for racing?

Bye Bye Mo

Our team (of three gentlemen) raised $2080 for prostate cancer this last month, or at least that's what Peter told me this morning.  I can't log into the prostate cancer web page myself.  I think I'm back to my old wannabe self after the shave, but we'll see if the aerodynamics will have improved for my run tonight.

* * *

Progress Overview

I made a little info graphic to show the progress I've been making in my 5ks.  My hope is that I can alter the trend that happened over this long summer and drastically increase my speed in a moderate way.  Similar to last years increase over the same time period and season (from my birthday to the Santa Suit Run).

My coach has my training pace in this last period as 5:57 min/k (9:31 min/mi).  Does that mean I should be able to do a 29:45?  Simply phone it in?  Running is hard.  I thought it would start getting easier, but it hasn't.  One thing I have noticed in myself is that when I want to bite off that big-ass goal, I have a lot more courage and consistency than when I start doubting myself.  

I think I'm going to spend the next 9 days, before this 5k, on visualizing that 28:59 and preparing myself for the wave of doubt I get once those muscles begin to ache.  Did I say that?  I mean once those muscles begin to feel alive and burn with awesome power and DRIVING FORCE!

Have a good one today runners!  As always I'm still a wannabe! :)