Since the New Year ...

I forgot to mention a few things in the previous post: 

First, I forgot mention several previous GRC teammates cheered me on while I was completing Marine Corps Marathon and thank you for that.  

Second, I ran 220 miles for October, ran 114 miles in November as mostly I was recovering after MCM, and ran 151 miles in December.  

Third,  over the year of 2013, I logged 2202 miles in total, which is 42.3 miles per week.  

Fourth, in 2013 I ran two marathons well under BQ standard and one personal record in 5-miler.

So now let’s talk about something I did in the beginning of 2014.  I usually run a race on New Year’s Day, but not this year.  The first day of 2014 was also the first day of December on the lunar calendar, which is a holy-day for Buddhist.  I ran an easy 4 miles before I headed out of door with my parent to Hsi Lai Temple for the New Year’s Day ceremony and the vegan buffet afterward of course.  Nothing too important to talk about in the following several days, just few more consistent running as I was gearing back to regular training for Boston training.

The polar vortex arrived to Maryland on January 6 ~ 7 and drove temperature down single digits.  That was the reason my flight was delay till 01:30 on January 8th and I didn't get to my door step till 03:00 and as soon as I open my front door, I saw two table size holes on my ceiling – pipes busted.  What a nightmare! I jumped right into the cleaning and didn't get to bed till much later.  Since I was in sunny California for two weeks, my body wasn't fit for that North Pole temperature, ultimately I got chill, and developed to bronchitis hours later, that was enough to put me on the bench for seven days.   

  

Time comes and went, things get straight out and fixed up.  My house slowly back into order and my lung recovered enough to allow me do my first run on January 14 for 43m’12s’ 5.8 miles, then 8.2 miles for an hour on next day, then 9.2 miles for 1h’4m’ on the 16th, easy 4.5 miles on 17th, and 13.6 miles long on Saturday.  I ran five days I a row and felt generally well, but I still took Sunday off as precaution. 

The following week, I logged 44 miles with five runs, three of them were on treadmill due to snowstorms outdoor.

Week of January 27, I logged 49 miles with six runs and only ran once indoor.  Notably mention for Thursday morning workout with Dojo on Hais Point.  Alan planned for a 5 miles tempo run at plan marathon pace.  I got to work early and changed into multiple layers of clothing to shield the cold.  I met up everyone at the underpass, then we were off at 07:10, and I ran 34m’45s’ for five miles; that’s 6m’57s’ per mile. It was not exactly the marathon pace that I want, but I didn’t sweat by it; since it was very early in the training and I was just recovery from bronchitis.  I took Friday off and totaled 155 miles for January.  Saturday morning, I did a pre-race shake out run before Chinese New Year’s celebration lunch with Amy and her family.  Sunday morning, I completed in the hilly Country Road Run Five Miles and finished with a time of 32m’02s’, and then did a long warm down with few guys.

Week of February 3, I logged 31 miles with a terrible disaster happened in the midweek.  I was generally sore after Country Road, but I didn’t back down and I push harder.  Monday, I ran an easy six miles with 200 sit-ups and an hour yoga (focused on lower back and cord).  Tuesday, lower back and shoulder were sore, I ran 6x800 meter repeat at 2m’55 pace with 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups afterward.  Wednesday, tried to run easy for 6.5 miles, but couldn’t slow down my hungry legs, and did 200 sit-ups afterward.  On Thursday morning, my lower back were notably sore and was a 6-mile tempo run with Dojo on Hais Point.  I got to my office early and quickly I stroll down toward the underpass to meet everyone.  I got there and felt somewhat relax on the lower back area, but that must be the cold outdoor temperature made me feel least pain.  7:10 rolled by and we were off, we planned to run two loops of Hais Point.  

Most everyone knows, you will either run into or away from wind whichever direction you run in HP.  February 6 was a blister windy cold day and I was push hard by clocking 6m’39, 6m’50, 7m’02, and 6m’49 for the first four-mile.  At the end of fourth, I can see couple guys just about few hundred ahead of me, I decided to dig deeper to catch up with them before mile sixth.  I clocked 6m’47 for mile fifth and by mile 5.5 or so, I felt by right lumbar spine are tight up, but I ignored it and push further.  I clocked the sixth mile with a time a 6m’44 and caught before the corner. 

But I was in pain then and didn't get better.  The lumbar spine muscle was so tight up that prevent me function normally.  I took three days off and felt slightly better, but still have trouble to walk normally, running was unthinkable.  Finally, Amy dragged me out for a massage and has a conversation with Louise Kelley - a running buddy and PT.  Louise told me to start something very simple by soak in Epson salt bath nightly for a week.  That massage and soak done the magic, I felt fine a week later.  My first run back was on February 16 for 7.8 miles in 54m’33s’.  Everything back to square one, well, sort of; you lost some level of fitness when you not training for ten days.  But your body has a memory and it rebounded fast; however, I tried being extra careful.

Week of February 17, I logged 55 miles comfortably.  I ran 9.4 miles on Monday; ran 6.3 miles on Tuesday, 8.3 miles on Wednesday, and felt confidence to do a workout on Thursday.  Dojo was doing a 8-mile tempo run at marathon pace, but I modified to run it at marathon pace plus 15s’ pace; that’s 6m’55s’ per mile.  I ran 6m'42.49s', 6m'48.31s', 6m'53.94s', 6m'54.90s', 6m'50.99s', 6m'50.74s', 6m'56.32s', and 6m'49.83s'; averaged 6m’51s’ per mile.  That wasn’t too bad.   Friday was traditional off day.  Saturday was a shakeout 4 miles jog and I ran the RRCA Ten Miles Challenge in marathon effort pace with a time of 1h’04m’39s’.

Week of February 24, I logged another 55 miles.  I ran 5 miles easy on Monday, 8 miles at moderate pace on Tuesday, and 7 miles at easy to moderate pace on Wednesday.  Thursday was prescribed 9 miles tempo.  I ran the same loop three times and I clocked 20m'14.08s’, 20m'27.71s', and 20m'05.9s’; averaged 6m’45.3s’ – PMP!  Took Friday off, ran 22.2 miles on this route in 2h’47m’27s’, and off again on Sunday.  I finished 144 miles for the month of February.

Week of March 3 started with another snow storm and I logged 46 miles.  I ran moderate fast for 5.3 miles on Tuesday and easy 7.4 miles on Wednesday.  Thursday was calling for a 10-mile tempo run at plan marathon pace and I ran 6m'59.29s', 6m'51.17s', 6m'57.53s', 6m'51.38s', 6m'47.19s', 6m'51.53s', 6m'49.52s', 6m'43.91s', 6m'44.98s', and 6m'30.50s'.  That was 6m’48.7s’ per mile.  Friday was off day, ran 15.2 miles long on Saturday, and easy 4.5 miles on local ball field on Sunday afternoon.

Week of March 10, I logged 55 miles.  I ran 4.8 miles on Monday.   Tuesday was 4x1.5 mile interval repeat at half marathon pace with 2m’ recover, and I ran 9m’43.13, 9m’33.12, 9m’42.82, and 9m’24.28; that was averaging 6m’24 per mile.  I totaled to 9.4 miles for the day with few miles of warm up and down.  Wednesday was an easy 5.4 miles during lunch hour and felt more like walking dead.  Thursday was 11 miles tempo run at plan marathon pace and I ran 6m'42.06s', 6m'49.95, 7m'17.05s', 6m'54.37, 6m'56.50s', 7m'06.79, 6m'51.38s', 6m'54.16, 7m'03.21s', 6m'46.46, and 6m'43.40s’; that averaged 6m’55.03 per mile.  Friday was the well deserve off day, ran 19.7 miles on Saturday on this loop, and Sunday was too sore to move a step.

Week of March 17, I logged 48 miles.  I was still a bit sore on Monday and only ran an easy 30 minutes.  Tuesday was a 3 x 2 miles interval repeat at half marathon pace with two minutes recover and I ran 12m’49.63, 12m’43.67, and 12m’56.87; that was averaged 6m’25.03 per mile.  Ran 6.5 miles easily on Wednesday and no tempo run on Thursday since I was gearing up for a marathon simulator on Sunday with Dojo, I ran 7.9 miles comfortably instead.  Friday was another day off, Saturday morning as an easy 4.3 miles shake out run, and Sunday was the 26.22 kilometer (rounded at 16 miles) marathon simulator on Hais Point.  We got to HP around 8, after few light stretches, and we were off.  I ran 6m'52.12, 6m'53.01, 6m'48.77, 6m'47.36, 6m'40.96, 6m'40.64, 6m'59.91, 7m'08.15, 6m'43.98, 6m'39.66, 6m'58.40, 6m'53.06, 6m'39.88, 6m'38.80, 6m'41.04, and 6m'29.63; that was 6m’47.21 per mile.  I couldn’t complain anything, due to the fact that was one heck of windy day and how awful my season started.

Week of March 24, I logged 65 miles – heaviest of the year; ran an easy 7.2 miles on Monday, hold a pretty clip in rain and light snow on Tuesday for 9 miles, and ran easy to moderate pace on Wednesday for 9 miles.  Thursday was a 2 x 3 miles tempo run at half marathon effort pace and I ran 19m’40.7 and 19m’31.67, averaged 6m’32 per mile. Friday was day off and Saturday is the last-longest-long run before Boston.  I ganged up with Alan, Jeff, and Miguel stroll on the route for 2h’50m’27s’.  I planned to take Sunday off and volunteer in Piece of Cake 10K, but I changed my mind at the last minute.  I put on my trainer and ran with raincoat.  I was obviously tire after that 22 miles hill run and finished PoC 10K in 42m’28, averaged 6m’51 per mile – current marathon personal record pace.  Not bad at all! Taper began, sort off…

Week of March 31, I logged 41 miles.  Monday morning was tough for me to roll out of bed, legs were heavy, left heel and lower back were sore, but not stiff.  It was a great day to be off from running and totaled 235 miles for March.  After a day of doing nothing, it was a call for a 4 x 2 miles repeat at half marathon pace with 2 minutes break.  I ran 12m’58.39 (headwind), 12m’50.16 (tailwind), 13m’02.43 (headwind), and 12m’44.45 (tailwind), averaged 6m’26.9 per mile.  I tried to run easy on Wednesday, but still ran 5 miles within 33m’24.  No tempo run on Thursday due to upcoming Cherry Blossom Ten Mile on Sunday, but Alan suggested us to run a few quick pick-ups during an eight miles run and I done that.  Friday was off and Saturday morning was an easy 4 miles shakeup run before I headed downtown for my package. 

Sunday was race day for CUCB 10.  I was carpooling with Mark and we got into the district around 06:00.  We sat in the car for a little while before we stroll down the starting for few warm up and used Porta John half dozen times before horn goes off.  Right before the horn goes off, Chris Pruitt (2:29 in 2013 Marine Corps Marathon) asked me the battle plan.  I said, there’s no battle, just a simple good a marathon effort pace tempo workout.  Time rolled by, horn was blast, and everyone rushed forward.  I follow big pack of runners and at first mile mark, I clocked 6m’06, that was 10-miler PR pace. Part of me wanted to hold this pace and PR; but I decided cut back and stick to my plan.  

I cross half way at 31m’24 and ran toward my regular workout garden – Hais Point.  As I mention before, you will run into wind one way or another when you running in Hains Point.  That was exactly what happens, wind was blowing me to the tip of peninsula, and then wind changed the direction as we loop around toward the finish.  Wind picked up and I tried to hold the same effort.  Eventually, I see pink 1200m, 800m, and 400m marks paint on the road, I press it, and cross the line with a time of 1h’03m’21; that averaged 6m’20 per mile, in which equal to 2h’57m’50s’ marathon finished by conversation.  The 1.6 mile warm down after the race was more like dead march than actual running.

Week of April 7 is not finish yet, but I already logged about 28 miles.  I took Monday off due to sore and stiff left heel and iced a lot.  Alan ordered us to do six to eight miles of hill repeats on Tuesday.  I didn’t join Dojo in the morning, but I did that solo during lunch hour loop Normanstone Drive.  That loop was not easy and I ran it four times for total of 10 miles.  Ideally, I should run easy on Wednesday, but I didn’t.  I got hang up with work and tried to squeeze my run before afternoon yoga; therefore, I picked up my pace unintentionally and logged 8 miles in 55m’01s’.  Yesterday was the LAST fast tempo run before marathon and it was 9 x 1 mile at 10K pace.  I had no leg for that and no one in our group did.  Everyone modified the workout based on their own body and I changed mine to 6 x 1 mile at half marathon effort pace.  I ran 6m’21.8, 6m’20.74, 6m’19.08, 6m’25, 6m’23.09, and 6m’30.14, averaged 6m’23.31 per mile.  I got in 9.5 miles for the day.  Today is my off day and is ten days till Boston.