So, I am having a casual little get-together at my casa tomorrow night, for whoever would like to come. Yes, it's my birthday and I would like to be around cool peeps - so stop by if you're free. If not, I will see you all at the run on Saturday!

I didn't have everyone's email, so here's a link to the e-vite:

http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/stacy.tucker@bakerbotts.com/thingamagig

Running the Line

I had decided to run Sunday's half marathon in San Antonio at the last minute, just last Tuesday. At first, it looked like it might turn into a field trip with some of my friends from Team Spiridon. That disintegrated quickly, which was for the best - the mileage was too soon for most of the runners.

I even suspected it was too soon for me. I knew I could cover the distance, but I also knew I wouldn't just run it easy. I wanted to break two hours. Lately, I've been passing significant landmarks - finally breaking under 55 minutes (and under 9:00 miles) in the 10K, and under 25 minutes (and under 8:00 miles) in the 5K. It was time to bust two hours open.

Running a 1:59:59 would require averaging 9:10 per mile, just 12 seconds slower than what I was able to maintain to get my 10K time four weeks ago. Last year, I ran my personal best 2:04:03 in San Antonio, just three weeks after the Chicago Marathon, and still feeling the soreness from running through 12 miles of my quadriceps cramping. Weeks after that, I averaged 9:08's for ten miles in San Antonio. I hadn't run a half marathon since San Antonio a year ago, and I hadn't run over 10K at any real pace since the marathon in February.

It was going to be interesting, and I knew it.

All through the week, it was on my mind, and I felt good about it. I decided I would break it up - I'd run the first three miles at 9:10's. I could do that for three miles, for sure. And if I did that, I could certainly keep it up for three more miles. At six, we'd see, but I really felt like I could hammer it out, just try to hold pace through the ninth mile. Then, I figured I'd make a choice, and I thought it would be that I could either hold pace, or even turn it up for three miles. I anticipated still feeling good for that last mile. I began to think of being in the 1:58-1:59 range.

I stayed with Gabby, my coach and good friend, and her husband Nick. Melissa and Kurt, marathon group friends from the past, were staying there, too. We had a nice pasta dinner, talked a bit, and people headed off to bed by 10:00 or so. With everyone else in their rooms, I pinned my number on my shirt, laid everything out for the morning, set one alarm for 5:00am, and a different one for 5:15, then laid down and watched an episode of "30 Rock" on my iPod. Mmm... Tina Fey.

I woke up just a few times. Once, at a little after 11:00, when Carmen shot me a text encouraging me to just pretend a large dog, or an angry Viking with a sword was chasing me. I laughed, and went back to sleep. Another time to go to the restroom. The last time, I reached to my phone to check the time, and it read, "4:59".

The human body is an amazing thing.

There was a text message, too. Another friend had texted me at 4:15am, wishing me luck. I felt good, the nearness of my friends in the next room now joined by her presence.

The ritual - breakfast immediately, two packets of instant oatmeal. Dress. Look through the race packet. Mostly paper, ads for races in San Antonio, the medium tshirt I got because they had run out of my size, and a 4 oz. packet of Mahatma Brown Rice. I was uncertain how to use the 4 oz. packet of Mahatma Brown Rice to my advantage in a half marathon, but I felt I'd know when the time came.

Melissa and Kurt left, and I left just as Gabby and Nick were getting up. They were running the 5K. Gabby's a bad ass - she ran the half last year in a little over 1:30, but she's also five months pregnant, so she was doing the 5K "Fitness Run," which is sort of like Lance Armstrong on a Big Wheel, or making Desmond Tutu secretary of your neighborhood association.

On the drive over, I'm anxious as hell. My stomach hurts with it. Some coach.

I pay $10 to park at the Alamodome, near the finish, bringing this half marathon adventure up to $80, but I'm OK with that, because I doubt I'll do it when it becomes the Rock 'n Roll Marathon next year.

It's about a ten minute walk to the start line at the Alamo. It's 6:45, but I like not being concerned and an hour early for once. Despite my reputation for being late, I'm never late to races. I talk to a woman just coming here from Colorado and Alaska. She's running the half. It puts me a little at ease.

We round a corner to the start area, and wish each other luck. I don't see anyone I know. I know there are friends there, but I'd had the sense we weren't in these adventures together anymore. I have no ill will about that. I deserve some of it, some of it is a matter of circumstance. It's sad, but it's been that kind of year.

And it seems right, almost, to be here alone. So many times this year, usually when I had had a bit to drink, I wanted to go out to the marathon's start line on the Congress Avenue bridge, late at night, toe the line, close my eyes, and push away. I wanted to run the marathon, alone, to be again in a place where there was only one goal, and one way to reach it, and nothing else could matter. Nothing I'd done, nothing anyone else had done, nothing anyone thought or said of me, the people come, the people gone, none of it would matter. I just needed that time, running the lines, watching them slide under my feet.

So, here, in San Antonio, I was finally alone at the start line, ready to make my escape, if only for a couple of hours.

I get up as close as I can to the 4:00 marathon pace group, thinking I might use them to help pace myself to the two hour half.

The sound is not very good, but still, I have to say, for a more conservative city with a strong military presence, Austin is far more respectful duing the national anthem. Here, and most places I've been, even with bad sound, the recognition sweeps back across the crown quickly, followed by near complete silence. In San Antonio, on this Veteran's Day, it was reduced to muffled background music.

We hear cannons go off. I guess that's us. The crowd shuffles forward, and by the time I fall in, I'm with the 4:15 pace group, which is OK. It's gonna be a long morning, plenty of time to catch up.

At the start line, they're playing "Stars and Stripes Forever." Rrrright... It is Veteran's Day, but this is really doing nothing for me.

I feel good. My legs are still not fresh from the hard workout Wednesday night, but they're good enough. The warmth and humidity is a concern - I already feel like it's taking a little more breathing to get the same energy output. But I'm there, and I feel solid, I have a plan, and I'm enjoying the energy of the beginning of a true distance race again.

I feel like I'm trying to fine-tune my pace, trying to gauge it by my breathing. I pass the knee-high mile one sign at 9:11. Again, the human body is an amazing thing.

Mile two comes at 9:08. I still feel like I'm breathing and working just a little too hard at this pace, and I know from experience it could be an issue. But I don't want there to be any questions today, so I stick at the pace.

The knee-high mile markers go invisible for the next couple of miles, which worries me a bit. I've still been trying to adjust to the pace, and I like to keep tabs on it.

The races in San Antonio have been funny to me. The generally sparse crowds were better this year, but coming from an unusually active and fit place like Austin, San Antonio has a different vibe. The races are a little more... quaint.

Apparently to prove this point, a motorcycle cop came cruising straight up the middle of the pack today. Usually, they'll come up the sides, using their loudspeaker or even siren to budge runners over as necessary. But, no, this guy just motored right through us. Who knows, maybe he wasn't even working the race, and didn't know about it - "They're everywhere... they're mostly skinny, all sweaty... Oh my God, he's got a Gu! Officer sticky! Repeat, officer sticky!"

This is what goes on in my brain, pretty much all the time, but especially when running. This is either a good reason or a bad one for me to run.

At mile four or so, my brain's working away, I'm still trying to find a sweet spot with my breathing, and I get a call. In my head.

"Yeah, this is Doug, down in left hamstring."

"Oh. Hey. What's up?"

"You know, just expanding and contracting... same old, same old."

"Ah, great, yeah, thanks for that. Ever hear from the guys down in the calves?"

"No, man, those guys are freaks. Between you and me and the glutes, I think they're not all that bright, really."

"Hm. Right. So, listen, I'm kinda busy right now, so like, uh... what the hell do you want?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to let you know... I'm looking at this work order, and it says we're running a half marathon again?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Huh. Yeah, man, that's just not something we're into right now, so I'm gonna have to go ahead and send some pain signals now, and maybe, you know, just tighten it up some."

"Well, that's great man. I don't suppose I can change your OW! What the f*ck, dude?"

"Yeah, there ya go."

"Thanks, Doug, I'm hanging up now. Go f*ck yourself, OK?"

"Right back at you, as-"

Click.

Fine. I've ignored it before. It's been worse. Big freakin' deal.

Somewhere in about the fourth mile, the 4:15 pace group passes us. I'm still a bit lost on my time, but I know they are running far over their pace.

We turn a corner, and the guys in front of me are saying something about the hill. I hadn't really noticed, and I'm once again glad to be from Austin.

I finally get a mile marker at mile five, and I have 27:19 on the watch - I averaged 9:06 for the last three miles.

Somewhere here, we dipped into downtown proper again, and for a brief moment, there's a flashback to Chicago, only with about 42,000 less runners, and tens of thousands less spectators. Still, I'm impressed that there's decent crowds in a couple of corners. They're a little quiet in parts, but they're San Antonio people, some of the loudest and most excited fans in the NBA. They're easily encouraged, and they respond.

The crowd gives me a short boost, but I'm struggling a bit. For some reason, I've been feeling flushed for a couple of miles, a little overheated. I've never felt this way quite this early, but I still have those three mile goals in my head, and I'm, getting through six. I start to get thoughts about what I'll do after that, though.

9:18 through mile six. I keep moving, but I can't deny what I knew to be the case earlier - the pace was slightly too fast today. My legs are burning up quick, and things are hurting earlier and a bit more than they should. Now, I think I've never wanted to quit a race so badly.

Despite a hard effort to just hold pace, I slip to a 9:26 through mile seven. A little boost, maybe from the energy gel, and I get through mile eight in 9:18. I'm still thinking I just need to get to mile nine, then... I don't know... maybe I'd miraculously feel better?

Then I just slam into what I would call a wall, if I didn't know it couldn't have been "the wall" that runners speak of. Let's go with a solid, unyielding barrier. I stop, something I haven't had to do in a half marathon in a long time. I'm a little dizzy. My chest has been achy and tired for a while, now.

I walk for about a minute or two, then try to get running again. It's fits and starts for a few minutes. Mile nine takes me 10:36. I'm tired and hurting enough that I don't really feel like taking my gel, but I do.

I'n genuinely hurting, and I had pushed myself pretty long and deep into discomfort, but I realize I had lost touch with the way I felt in the marathons and half marathons before. It's been a while, and I wonder if I'm mentally as strong as I was back in February, or last year.

But I'm very conscious that I have a group of people that I'm responsible for, that I've been pushing. If I quit, what would that do to my credibility, or their belief in what I'm trying to get some of them to understand about themselves? So, I absolutely have to keep moving.

I pick up a little bit with some gradual downhills, on the return trip along the out-and-back - 9:45 for the tenth mile.

Now I have three miles left. I know I can't do much better than ten minute miles, and that isn't going to get me there in under two hours. Tens would probably not even get me close enough to beating my personal record, and though I keep trying to push the pace back up, my body won't respond completely. 10:47 for the eleventh mile.

Mandy's friend Shauna passes me and says hi. She was running it alone, too. I think she had wanted to meet up at the start and run together, but she was likely to run a good deal faster than even my 9:10 pace. As it turns out, I might have done better running with her. She looks strong and relatively pain-free, though she had a tough day in the humidity, too.

The calves have been making themselves heard anytime I try to pick up the pace, threatening to cramp. I thought about Wednesday night's hill workout, the "Figger Eights", the abomination that I had concocted and put everyone through. I curse my coach silently, but, you know, I'm right there.

It's amazing, how you can have two miles left, and how much you can still want to quit. I mean, you often sort of want to quit, but I mean seriously thinking, "I've gotta stop". I try to think of it as a two-mile time trial, that grueling test of mental toughness. That doesn't help very much. I still want to stop. I still know I can't. I keep thinking about Team Spiridon, and about our motto - "I will be proof." I don't want people to see that motto walking, beaten.

I keep going. I pick up to 10:36 through mile 12.

The last mile. A girl on a curb, half a mile out, not able to finish, an ambulance on the way.

Three hundred meters to the turn towards the Alamodome, and I'm having to break it up, I'm running from one street sign to the next, 30-40 feet at a time. People line the last two hundred meters to the dome, and they're cheering, and I try to pick it up a bit. The calves try to cramp, so I'm lurching a bit to run faster.

The finish is great - down the loading ramp, and it opens up into the dome. I'm trying to get a sprint, and I speed up, but there's just nothing left.

Through the finish, and I'm just trying to stay up. I get my medal, and some friends are at the finish. Shauna's there, too.

Shauna hangs out with me. I lay down for a bit, then we get some food and multiple Alamo beers. We take pictures, talk, hang out there for about an hour, say our goodbyes, and I'm driving back to Austin.

11:47 for the last mile and a tenth, 2:07:24 overall. Two hours still taunts me, and the personal record stands. I'm OK with it, though.

I hadn't pushed myself that hard over a larger distance for a long time. I feel like it was one of my hardest races ever, which at first I chalk up to the immediacy of it, and to me being a little out of touch with it all.

But I realize that I pushed myself harder, for longer, than I ever really had, even though I didn't have much of a result to show for it. Some of that is weather - I've been spoiled, with every race 10 miles or longer for the last two years being in the 40's, or colder.

But, this is why we need to run races, to develop and maintain that edge, that familiarity with our ability to handle pain and adversity. I also know that we still still have 14 weeks of training before the marathon. We're in a phase where we're building strength and serious mileage, and we'll be doing more work on running at pace. I also now have a sense of the adjustments I need to make, in my training, and in my mental makeup, if I'm going to have better days.

I also really appreciate the role you guys played in getting me through the race. Sure, it was partially about avoiding shame and hypocrisy, but I also thought about all the times you're going to be faced with similar difficulties, and similar choices, and all the times you'll choose to keep running. Again, that's why we do this. When you hit those points, and you think you're about to make a choice you might not be happy with later, remember that you owe me a few.

Off to the races...

Well, not on foot really... but races none the less! As some of you may know, I will be competing in the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship next week down in Galveston Bay. A few people have asked me for more information on the race, so I thought I would post some links here. I will be competing as a part of a three woman crew against 41 other all-women teams from all over the United States, along with a few international teams from Canada, South Africa, and the B.V.I.'s. The Rolex event will be really snazzy - I heard some gossip that Rolex is bringing in new furniture for the Houston Yacht Club during the event, because what was there didn't meet their standards. And the HYC is already a really really nice facility. I was there for the District Circuit Regatta this past weekend and had a chance to check out the local scene.

Here is general information on the race: http://www.riwkc.com/

The competition for this event will be stiff, including America's Cup Veterans, and cross-training Olympian teams. Here's a preview of some of the rockstars whose dirty air we will probably be eating: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2007/riwkcpreview1.asp

Daily race results will be posted here: http://www.riwkc.com/index.php?pageID=3

To find out how we are doing in the standing each day look for out boat, "Dea Latis" - she will be listed as bow number 34/ sail number 984. Our skipper's name is Renee Ruais. "Dea Latis" is the Irish Goddess of Water and Beer, my skipper figured her an ideal patron to watch over our water-loving, beer-loving sail addiction.

And there will also be a daily photo gallery: http://www.riwkc.com/index.php?pageID=73 On top of the daily races, there are cocktail parties every evening, including some sort of hay ride and a private party at the Nasa space center. So instead of Run, Drink, Repeat, I will be taking a week to Sail, Drink, Repeat. I will miss you all though! Best of luck to everyone on your runs while I am gone!

Happy Halloween!

So, sadly, this ad apparently caused a lot of controversy, which I think is pretty stupid, really... I think the ad is funny and non-offensive.



And no, they didn't find some random hot actress to be in it. That's Suzy Favor-Hamilton, three-time Olympian, multiple US record holder, and the top-ranked U.S. female runner from 1989-2002. And tough? This, from her website:

She was leading with 100m to go in the Sydney Olympic final when she collapsed, only to get up and finish 12th. After originally being diagnosed with dehydration symptoms, it was later discovered that Suzy had been running with a broken ischium bone.

I think clearly, she could kick Jason's ass, or at least outrun it. Thoughts?

Aids Walk Sunday

My friend Katryn's parents both died of AIDS in the 80s. I know this isn't a run, but it is a good cause, and I will be out there on Sunday to support her and ASA. Here is a letter from her.

Twenty years ago, we saw tapered stonewash jeans, the marriage of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

It was also, however, a momentous year in the AIDS movement. In 1987: Ronald Regan first publicly acknowledged the AIDS virus, the public blood supply began routine testing, condom ads first emerged on television, AIDS Services of Austin first opened its doors due to the increasing prevalence of HIV in Central Texas, the first AIDS Walk Austin was held to memorialize and to raise much-needed funds, and my father was diagnosed with and died of AIDS.

Today, some things have changed. Well over a million people are living in this country with HIV. It’s a public health crisis unlike any we’ve seen before. We can’t change the history of this epidemic, but we can do our part to be community heroes and to affect our future and that of our children.

I ask you to consider supporting me in my AIDS Walk campaign this year. You can contribute online or come out to the Walk next Sunday and support the cause in person.

Thank you so much for your support. With a little commitment and a lot of passion, WE CAN BE HEROES.

Katryn

View my interview on Fox 7 about the 20th Anniversary AIDS Walk Austin.

Contribute to my AIDS Walk Fundraising Campaign.

This Is Why You Don't Stop Short

Not that any of us are in danger of this situation, but it just goes to show you - you gotta stay aware of what's happening around you, and of course, "it ain't over 'til it's over..."

Town Lake After Work Today?

Is anyone interested in running on the Town Lake Trail a little after 6:00 pm tonight? I'm planning on putting in at least 4 miles, and wouldn't mind company. If you're intrested give me a hollar-back and we can figure out where to meet.

Smelly Question

Serious but embarrassing question: Does anyone know of a good antiperspirant/deodorant for runners? Preferably tailored to the female runner?

Degree has been my go-to brand for the past 10+ years, but since I've started running higher mileages- it just hasn't been cutting it. I've tried a few other brands, but they all pretty much suck as well.

Thoughts... ladies? Buellar?

Thanks in advance! ;o)

Komen 5k in November

Freescale (where I work) is hosting a team for the Komen Race in November. They are offering a 50% discount to the first 600 people to sign up on their team. They invite employees, family and friends to join the team so I am extending this out to the running family.

Let me know if you are interested. I will forward the discount code to you along with my work number so they can track which employee you "belong" to. FSL usually offers up a shirt as well, which they encourage people to wear on race day, although that is not a requirement.

As far as packet pickup for this goes, the FSL team coordinator will pickup all of the race bibs and will distribute them to the employees. If you want yours mailed to you by Komen, you are free to do that as well. We usually get the bibs on the Friday before the race so I can meet everyone on Saturday morning for the "normal" Saturday run and hand out the bibs/shirts/etc.

Michele

Just say no

All love to Adidas and ASICS, but Nike ads, man... they just get to you. This one's a little odd, and hard to follow, but we all know the conversation.

This is not recommended.

Announcements!

Wow, there's lots of important stuff happening.

As she announced on the Team Spiridon site yesterday, Michelle Streetman is with child. Congratulations, Michelle and Paul! Paul will apparently have to run enough for both of you - he was planning on training for the half marathon, so I guess now he has to run the full.

Joey Reyes is also about to have a kid - ETA is Sunday morning, I think. I meant to give him a shout-out a week ago for being called into service by the Army (Army, am I right, Joey? I know you people are touchy about getting the branch wrong) to help with people that might have gotten displaced by Hurricane Dean. You already did your time in Iraq, and you're still there when you're needed - we appreciate that.

I do have to say that for a chopper pilot, you seem to have a horrible time finding things when you're on the ground...

Some of us have been watching a good friend (and her husband) go through a lot to have and keep a kid. I don't want to be too out of line, but for her sake, I want to say that even when it's a surprise, I know better now what a lucky, fortunate thing it is. So really, congratulations to you guys.

Finally, Upstart Carmen is having a party this Saturday night, and we're all invited.



Saturday, 9:00pm
1708 East Sixth
parking at 1707 East Sixth
Carmen's cell is 775-6650

More Keepon

God, I love this little guy...

Saturday Run?

nataliedee.com

Dr. Spears - Sports Performance International

OK, Rob suggested Dr. Spears to me yesterday, so I called and they were able to fit me in the same day. All the good things Rob has heard about Dr. Spears are confirmed; he is awesome. If anyone needs an orthopedist for any reason, this is the guy. It doesn't hurt that his office is really beautiful!! Unfortunately, the doctor's orders are that I cannot run again until my abductor muscle is healed. I have three weeks of PT scheduled and hopefully I'll be able to catch back up with y'all then. I'll think of y'all every Tuesday when the physical therapist is torturing me! Until we meet again, happy trails!!

Any suggestions?

I am thinking of seeing an orthopedist for my hip issue. Does anyone have a good suggestion for a particular orthopedist? Or, on the flip side, does anyone know of an orthopedist I should avoid?

Heat? Hills? Hydration?

So the past two weekends, I've been exploring an area of my neighborhood that's new to me, and while it's very pretty and lends itself to fantasies of jogging through the Tuscan countryside or cantering along cliffs in the Mediterranean somewhere, it's frankly been kicking my butt. It's very hilly in sections and it hasn't helped that I've been getting started close to midday when it's been very hot and humid. I seem to do okay at the beginning, but especially this past weekend at the 1.75-2 mile marks, I started to get overheated. I found myself wishing that I had water with me, or my cell phone and the number of a good taxi service... and I let myself walk the rest of the mile and half home, since I really did not have the option of any help getting back, and I figured it was better to take it easy than risk passing out on the side of a pretty deserted black top road. I felt like a wimp though... (especially after one of my friends in the neighborhood saw me walking home - oh no, the peer pressure!) and that left me wondering, how hard should we be pushing ourselves in the heat? What's wimping out and what's pushing too much? Is there a certain sort of strategy for running/recovery that we should apply to particularly hilly areas? Also, how should one plan one's water consumption? When it's cooler, and I'm going a lesser distance, I seem to be fine without taking any along...but now that I'm trying to go a little further and we seemed to have finally reached summer temperatures...I seem to be wanting that water. What's the best way to take it with you? I stopped by REI on Sunday and checked out their various options, but I just couldn't decide what would work well. I didn't want to shell out the $30-40 dollars on an awkward piece that didn't work. I was wondering if anyone had any good experiences with any particular product?

Yes, I know. Again with all the questions...

okay, i'll start this off...

i haven't been running at all due to my ankle, (which is getting better; hopefully this week!) instead i've translated the time i would spend running 5 miles into time swimming laps, plus amanda and i have hit the gym for abs, eliptical, gossip, and yoga. i hope i'm not too far behind!

i'll try running tomorrow with everybody and then maybe ease into 1-2 mile jogs to test the waters, plus keep up my swimming for endurance. that sound okay?

if anyone's looking for someone to run/swim with, i'd love to get together! i swim in the mid-mornings and can run most nights or weekends.

so obviously i'm not getting any better at running, but i'm seeing an improvement in my swimming so i'm thinking about checking out at least one triathlon soon...

what's everybody else doing?

A Helpful Guide!

Thanks, J-La, and to www.marriedtothesea.com for finding this valuable information and bringing it to our attention. There's a lesson here to be learned - don't question science. Shut up and run, then shut up and drink.

I ran a very hilly six at just about that pace last night. Clearly, I could have had 36 beers.

I think the converse of this is also true, that five bong hits or four glasses of gin of any size at all will translate into a one-hour 10K. I've been made obsolete...

All that and a bag of Pirate Booty?

I came across this site yesterday. It has running. It has pirates. It has a Steve Prefontaine legacy. What more could a girl ask for? Did I mention pirates and a quasi-excuse to track your mileage?

Apparently Nike's revisiting of the original Pirate's 2,000 mile club shirt was the inspiration for this little online collective. I have to say, I tend to agree with the founder's premise that it seems a little hokey that anyone could buy and wear one of these shirts without actually putting in the miles.

Why?

Because everybody knows that putting in the miles and the redistribution of maritime wealth is what is really important ... well, that, and maybe beer.

Saturday morning run?

I plan on running 5-6 tomorrow morning... anyone down for some of that? Maybe some swimming afterwards?

Spiridon Mascot?

OK, I don't want to obscure Mango's quest for swimming buddies (see post below), and this has nothing to do with anything, but, um, I think it's really cool...

swimming buddies?

rob banished me to "no impact" for a while until my ankle heals up, so looks like i'll be swimming a lot to try and not get behind.

anybody interested in meeting me at big stacy pool on live oak around 10am several mornings coming up? it'd be way more fun if we're not doing it alone!!

anybody? bueller...bueller...

Use this Space!

OK, everyone currently with Team Spiridon should have gotten an invite enabling them to post on this page.

It's a free space, as you can definitely see from previous posts, but I do hope you'll use it to communicate with each other about, you know, running. Want to make sure you get your butt up Saturday morning to run? Put a post up, see if anyone else is interested in meeting you to run.

Yes, running takes discipline, and you have to take responsibility for getting your runs in, but it's really nice to have someone out there to help you.

I'll start off - I plan to run five to six miles on Saturday morning. I could put together a route that would allow for a shorter three mile segment, if anyone's interested... drop a comment, if so.

Trail run Saturday morning

A few of us are planning to do a short run on the Barton Creek Greenbelt tomorrow morning.

We'll meet at 7am at the Barton Skyway access to the Greenbelt. Here's a map for the taco-deficient.

Be warned - this is just a lark, an experimental run. It's been so long since I've been down there, I'm not sure of the distances. I plan to run down to Barton Springs, where we can get water, then back, perhaps adding some distance on the other side. I'm looking for us to run for about 40 minutes - the trail is a good deal of extra work from running on the road, but it's excellent training, and just fun.

Let me know if you have any questions...

Congrats to our half marathoners!

Amy and Chuck kicked some hilly butt up in San Francisco Sunday. Chuck finished his first half marathon in a very nice 2:16, and Amy set a substantial new PR, knocking five or six minutes off of her previous best with a 2:19.

Predictions: Chuck runs the 3M half marathon in January in 2:07, Amy runs it in under 2:10.

For the rest of us, keep running - focus on getting 3-4 runs a week in, even if it's only 3-4 miles at a time (4-5 would be even better).

Those of you that are not confident of your ability to run any distance right now, I think I might set up some Monday runs to work specifically with you. Anyone is welcome to come to any of the runs, and I can tailor the workout to your more specific needs.

In September, we start training in earnest, so be deciding on what your goals are!

Saturday run?

OK, so who all is up for a short run Saturday morning?

I know Eve is, but then, she's also the only one that showed up Wednesday to do speedwork on the track in the rain. So, don't be trippin' when she's outrunning all of us.

If no one else is interested, then I'm inclined to take a week off and sleep in...

San Francisco Race Plan

Amy, Chuck, Rick - I distilled down some stuff I had written before that you might find helpful. Some of these things may seem silly, or like overkill. But hey, you’ve spent a lot of time and energy in some nasty Texas (or Colorado) heat, all so you can go to San Francisco and run over 13 miles. You've gotten your body to this point - going into this week and this race under-prepared and ill-thought-through should be out of the question. Now, it's all about taking responsibility for your performance on Sunday.

Preparing this week:

Get familiar with the course
This is critical. You've all seen how much better runs go in familiar territory. The course is your canvas for the day - get to know it. Go to the race website and print out several copies of the map. Put one in your car, one on your desk at work, one on the nightstand, or on the fridge.

Drive the course. Hard to do, since this is in another city, but you need to not be on your feet too much Saturday anyway, so if you have a car, drive the course. I even tend to stop at the bottom of hills, get out, and walk or jog up them, so I know in my head what it feels like. When you near the top, think about how it's going to be to beat it and not let it wear you down.

Break the course into manageable chunks of two to three miles each. Getting through each chunk will be an accomplishment, and it’s easier than going at all 13 miles at once. After driving the course, pick up one of those maps every now and then, and every now and then, run the race in your head (at high speed - please don't sit at work staring at a map for three hours). Run chunks of it in your head. Feel the rhythm of the stretches that will require more effort, and the ones where you'll be able to recover. I promise you this will be a huge benefit to you.

Plan to chow. Part of knowing the course is knowing when you'll take your nutrition. What I do is work backwards - I want my last Gu 3 miles out from the finish, and I want them every 30-40 minutes. Water stops are at every even-numbered mile. So, I know I'll Gu at miles 10 and 6. Figure out how many you'll need, and go buy them now - RunTex sells out of everything but "Your Nephew's Dirty Diaper" flavored gel before races. You can also get gels at bike shops, REI, and Academy. You also need to know how you're going to carry what you need to carry.

Have your outfit ready. Now.

You've all run in a variety of conditions. You’re fortunate running in the realtively stable weather of San Fran. Go to Weather Underground and check out the detailed Sunday forecast. Right now, we’re looking at 57 degrees, with 91% humidity, at 5:00 am. It may sound chilly, but it’s ideal - don’t dress too warm. If you want, take a long sleeve shirt you can ditch quickly. Find those pieces, lay them out now.

You should know by now what you like. Now is also not the time to try new shorts, socks, jogbras, or some shirts. That's a recipe for unforeseen chafing and discomfort.

In case of rain, have something disposable, or a trash bag with holes for the arms and head. It's nice to be dry while standing around at the start line, then you can rip it off when you get moving.

Got Bodyglide? Bandaids? You can get them at the expo, but try to minimize all that shopping atnd running around. Have them now.

Flying:
Take your shoes in your carry-on. I’ve heard from plenty of people who arrived, but their bags didn’t. I also know a few people who forgot their shoes, and none of them are idiots. It happens. you’re less likely to forget if you have them in your carry-on.

If you’re carrying gels, remember the on-board fluid limits. I seem to remember that I was lucky to have smuggled my Gu on the plane to Chicago... Huh, huh... Gu smuggler...

Thursday and Friday:
Hydrate. Get a couple of liters of water in you a day, depending on your size. Use some ElectroMix or something similar - available at Central Market, Whole Foods, RunTex, or bike shops.

Friday night:
This is actually your best night to get your carbs. Have a reasonable-sized plate of pasta, not too late in the evening. And get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Saturday:
Stay off your feet. This is not the time for a hike, lawn work, walking at the race expo for four hours like I did in Chicago trying to decide if I should buy and wear new clothes for the marathon when I know not to do that (I didn't). See a movie, drive the course.

Eat dinner early. The race is at 5:30am (you people are idiots). I’d try to start eating dinner by 5:00 or 5:30, and be done by 7:00. Why? Because you want to be able to sleep, and you want the food to digest, so that it'll be usable in the race, but yet not filling up your lower intestines demanding immediate release at mile five. Having to pee is fairly common, but you do not want to have to go #2, losing time while your legs cramp up in a nasty porta-potty. And if you try to hold it, your core will tighten up, expending more energy and messing with your mechanics.

At the expo, don’t screw around too much, but do try to talk to whoever is leading your pace group. Check the expo schedule for when they’ll be on-site. You want to know how they’re approaching the pacing - are they accounting for variations in the course, or trying to run a flat pace?

Don't drink too late - Water or anything else. You want to be able to sleep without getting up constantly through the night.

Get everything together Saturday night, not in the morning:

• Pin your bib to your shirt or shorts. If you are slightly OCD like some coaches you and I know, this could take you half an hour to get it perfectly straight. It has to be straight. It has to be straight. It has to... you get the idea.
• Put your gels, electrolyte capsules, whatever you're taking on the course, in whatever you're taking them in.
• Pack your drop bag with your pre and post-race stuff.
• Make sure you have what you need for breakfast.
  

Figure out your morning schedule - work it backwards.

The race is at 5:30 am. Me, I’d want to be on-site at 4:45. There’s nothing wrong with 4:30. 5:00 am is right-out. God, really, you people are crazy...

Calculate how long you need to get to the race, subtract that back from 4:45. Maybe it'll take you 15 minutes to get there, so you need to leave your place at 4:30. Jesus.

You want to use the restroom (#2) before you leave. Give yourself time (because you never know) - so, on the pot by 4:15.

You need to allow at least an hour for your breakfast to digest, so you need to be eating at 3:15.

So, set your five different alarms for 3:15, and eat immediately.

Set multiple alarms. Get a friend to call you. Leave nothing to chance.

Race Day
Race morning:
Get the hell up! No snooze button. This is when being nervous is a good thing, because it'll wake you up.

Eat first, and have a glass of water, and coffee, if you need it. You want carbs - a bagel with some cream cheese, or some oatmeal. Presumably, you've figured out by now what works for you...

If you've done things right, you have an hour to check the weather, put on your laid-out clothes, make sure your bib number really is straight, and relax. And, of course, poop.

At the race:
DO NOT BE LATE. Period. Non-neogtiable, no excuses. You need to park, pick up your chip, drop your bag, not be overly frazzled, and be ready a good 40-45 minutes before the start. With so many runners, it often takes a while to get staged properly for the start.

Don't guzzle water. If you've hydrated well, and had some when you got up, you'll be fine with what you get on the course. Drink too much, and you'll have to pee.

Still, hit the porta-potty about 30 minutes before the race.

A warm-up wouldn't kill you. Start at about 4:50. Running through the basic drills will help loosen you up, and then running for 10-15 minutes at a slow, easy pace will get you warm. It’s a long race, and some people look at their first miles as your warm-up, but why waste those miles feeling tight, crappy and slow?

Be in place at the start line by 5:20. Find your friends. Then... relax. Soak up this moment. Look around at all the people that are about to do something pretty cool. You're one of them. You're probably also better trained and better prepared than most.

Running the race...
I’ve talked to Amy about pace. If you have questions about yours, email me. Try to run the first mile 10-20 seconds slower

Run your own race. Ignore people passing you. Some won't finish, you'll pass some of them back up if you're smart, and hey, everyone but one person is going to have at least one faster person out there. Run your own race.

Use the pace groups as a guide. The pace group leaders are not robots, and neither are you. Just use the pace groups as very general reference points. Don’t press yourself too hard to keep up with the group, and don’t pass them up too early in the race. You can just stay with them, or keep them in sight. When you run your first mile a little slower, just focus on keeping your group in sight.

Drink water. If it's cool out, cold water doesn't always seem appealing, but you need it. People get dehydrated in cooler races because they're cold and don't drink as much water as they usually would. Take it, drink it.

Run the crown of the road. If the roads have a lot of camber, run the center stripe.

Do what you have to do, as soon as possible. Gotta pee? Pee. The first mile or two of the course will be lined with people facing bushes. Might be gross and unseemly, but you're there to run a race. Got a rock in your shoe? Get it out right then. It’s worth the time.

Be patient. If you're running with someone, and you get separated, be prepared to be alone for a while. DO NOT try to speed up to catch them. If you do decide to catch them, give yourself a long time to do it. Decide you'll get to them near the finish. It may be worth it to wait for each other early on in the race - it’s a judgment call.

You're going to have rough spots, unless you're a freak and/or you're running waaaaayyy too slow. When you have a rough spot, focus on your form - keep your head up, shoulders back. You may be tired, but slumping makes things worse. You get less air, and it will turn your stride into a shuffle. Think about all the time and effort and will you've spent training. You've had tough runs, and gotten through them. Get through it now. Don't trade away a few minutes, or even an hour, of pain for regret that'll last until you get a chance to run again.

Break the race into manageable chunks. Don't bite off 13.1 miles, run two or three miles at a time. Think about these chunks when you familiarize yourself with the course.

If it’s windy, use the crowd to draft. Tuck in behind a group of runners, or even if the wind is from the side, get on the leeward side. Even one runner can cut the wind from you (just make sure they’re not breaking the wind! HA! Anyway. Seriously, don’t do more work than you have to – be smart.

Help out your fellow runners. You’re going to see people having a hard time – give them a word of encouragement. It’ll help you feel better, and it comes back to you.

Thank the cops and course support. They’re up at an absurd hour so you can do this. Say “thanks” to volunteers, wave at the officers.

The Big Finish.

At mile 9 or 10, I think you can start reassessing your pace. If you’ve held pace well, and feel like you have a lot more left in the tank, here's where you can decide whether to turn it up or not. If you do increase pace, do it gradually. Don't go from 11:30 per mile to 11:00 unless you are darned sure you can hold that for 3 miles. The best plan is to try to pick up 5-10 seconds in the next couple of miles, with the option to crank it up a little more in the last mile or two.

In the last mile, feel it. Regardless of what's happened so far, it's going to be over soon. That last mile is all yours, and you are in control of how you end the race. Think of the finish line, and the crowds cheering, and your friends and family that'll be there, proud of what you've accomplished. Start picking out people a reasonable distance ahead of you, and reel them in, one by one, all the way to the finish.

Run all the way through the finish. Do not let up at all until you've crossed both finish mats. Steve Jones, former record holder in the full, and I think the half-marathon, said, “If I’m still satanding at the end of a race, hit me with a board, because I didn’t run hard enough.”

Final thoughts...

Reflect this week on how hard you’ve trained, and how far you come. Think about why you started doing this in the first place, and think about how that may have changed – what drives you now?

A prominent local coach says about the marathon, and I think it holds true for the half, as well, that whether it’s the first time you cross the finish line, or the fiftieth, you won’t be the same person that started the race. This is not a cold experiment or demonstration. It’s about choices and sacrifice. There will be points in this race where you will be faced with choices. I’m hurting, do I lower the pace? Do I push the pace? Do I walk on this hill? Do I stop? Is this important enough to me to hurt just a little more?

Some of those choices are strategic, tests of your maturity and intellect. But the important ones, the meaningful ones, are tests of your courage and your will. That’s what makes this sport so great – when you line up at the start on any given day, you are putting yourself in a situation to be faced with those choices, and you get to decide who you are, and who you are going to be, on that given day.

You guys that are going have trained on your own, and should be entirely proud of that, regardless of what happens Sunday. I have seen you all persevere and push yourselves. you’ve embraced the ethic that “the will to perform is nothing without the will to prepare.” Now, turn that same will to this race, and make the choices, and be who you want to be.

If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to talk, email or call me.

Good luck!

Cops and Joggers 5K Recap, Edited

Dullest title ever.

Anyway, thanks, and kudos to those who got up early and came out to the Cops and Joggers 5K - Mandy, Paul and Michelle.

I got a Myspace message from Mandy as I was getting ready Saturday morning, asking why she was up at 5:45am on a Saturday morning to run with me in a thunderstorm to support cops...

As if that wasn't bad enough, Mandy got put to work. We got there at about 6:35, and there was a good turnout, tons of people, but all standing in a long line. The race director had run into problems, and wasn't there with the bib bumbers and some other materials. Tons of people were waiting just to pick up their packets, so we jumped in and got things moving. I'm certain it has to be some sort of record for Mandy, being surrounded by the police for that long and not getting arrested. With her help, we got people their packets, and were moving people through registration quickly by the time the numbers arrived.

The race was great, and the course was fast, with the long stretch up Lavaca well-placed in the middle of the race. Mandy and Paul finished well, and Michelle ran non-stop, I believe, on her first run in months.

I don't have final numbers, but we far exceeded last year's 180 runners early last week - when I signed up on Friday afternoon, I was 242. I'm hoping that we hit 300.

Winter's here!

Sort of. The forecast for tomorrow's Cops & Joggers 5K: 71 degrees! But, there's also likely to be rain. But, running in the rain is great fun, and it kind of mitigates the humidity.

If you haven't registered yet, I'd suggest going to RunTex Riverside today and registering in person - it's the only way to get the $20 registration fee, rather than the $25 at the race tomorrow...

Links added

OK, there is now a list of links on the left, under the listing of posts. Right now, it's just RunTex's home page, and an event calendar on Google, but it'll grow...

have you signed up yet?

OK, come on, check out how cool the t-shirt design is:

Some of us will like to imagine that the silhouette is Lt. Dangle.

Anyway, ya gotta register. Do it. Do it.

Identity Crisis!

OK, so the die is cast, and planning for the next step in our evolution has begun. Hmm... "Evolution"... no, too generic. Sorry. Anyway, I'm planning to turn us into a full-fledged training program. As much as "Team In Exile" is fun and apropos, it's limiting. So, we need a name.

Criteria and thoughts:

• It needs to embody our central philosophy of running (no, not the drinking part), which, roughly stated, is that we're using sports like running and biking as opportunities to explore, challenge, and expand our limits. I briefly settled on the word "mettle", which is defined as "heart: the courage to carry on", or "inner strength, spirit and courage." I already think a possible tagline is, "Prove yourself." Anyway, I just don't think the word "mettle" has the right sound.
• It's gotta have the right sound. I'd like a single word that we could combine with "Athletic Training" or "Training" or something. It ought to be good for cheering at races. It should look good in print, too, for logos.
• No animals, nothing too macho, nothing that is so elite performance-based that it will scare off beginner runners.
• No names of bizarre sexual positions, Mango.

So. Whatcha got?

let us talk of many things

OK, oysters, listen up:

1. Make sure you saw Chuck's instructions for Saturday's run. It's 14 miles, though ten of it is on the Town Lake H&B, so you can easily run shorter distances - Mandy and Amanda, I suggest we shoot for 10.

2. Today, 6:30pm, Whole Foods on Lamar, in front of the door by the gelato counter. We've slacked on our drills and speedwork, so I'm taking us back to simple straights and curves down at the Austin High Track.

3. Please sign up for the Cops and Joggers 5K. They're really trying to make this a great event - it's chip timed, and the first 25 or maybe even 50 finishers of each gender get caps. They also have about eight volunteers at the moment, and they need 30.

4. Mandy and I are on for the Prude Ranch Half Marathon, on August 5. I'm pasting in the email from the race director. They also have a 5K and 10K out there, so think about that (ERIN).

That is all. For now... BWAHAHAHAHA!

Email from Barbara Kennedy, Prude Ranch Half Marathon Race Director:

Hello, from Round Rock! Yes, believe it or not, I live in Round Rock but direct the race in Fort Davis. That is because I sit on the Board of the Davis Mountains Fitness and Training Camp, a non-profit adult running/cycling/swimming camp that takes place every August at the Prude Ranch. The Prude Ranch Races serve as a sort of "kick-off" for camp week, though the two events are separate entities.So, in answer to your questions:

1. Which of the local hotels would be closest to Prude Ranch?
The area is quite small, so any hotel in the town of Fort Davis will be very close to the Ranch/race site, about six miles away. If you Google Fort Davis, they have a pretty nice web page with lots of hotel links. If nothing is available any more, you can try the city of Alpine, an easy 30 mile drive, though that will probably not be necessary. You might also try calling the Prude Ranch itself as they normally have rooms for Saturday night. The Indian Lodge at the State Park is less than a mile from the Prude Ranch and is a wonderful place to stay. Check them out, though I believe they are already booked.

2. I know you're out there in the mountains, but what's the elevation like for the half marathon course, in terms of hills? Is there a course map somewhere?

I am sorry that I do not have an elevation map of the course. Here is a link for an elevation map of the Scenic Loop, a small portion of which is the 1/2 Marathon route. On the link, the Scenic Loop map is at the very bottom of the web page. http://www.nmts.org/rides/bigBendRoundup.htm

The Prude Ranch (race start and finish) is at about mile 6 on the map with the turnaround just past the mile 12 point. I know this map does not show much so let me try to describe the race route. It is an out and back which starts at about 4,900 feet elevation and begins with some relatively gently rolling hills for a slow but steady climb. The hills get steeper and rise up fairly sharply for the last quarter mile or so before the turnaround point, which is at an elevation of about 5,600 feet. Once you turn around you enjoy a fast downhill and the reverse of the trip up. It is a quiet road with beautiful views, really nice. Many call this area around Fort Davis the best kept secret in Texas.

3. How many runners do you usually get in the half marathon?
This is a small race, due to the remoteness of the location. We typically have between 60 and 100 participants in all, with about 1/4 of the participants racing the Half Marathon distance (15-25 Half M'ers). This is an old-fashioned race with no chip timing, just a clock and self-reporting.

I hope I have answered your questions. I do hope you come out and try the race. Many past participants have commented on the great atmosphere of the race, the incredible beauty of the course, and the friendliness of the competition.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Looking forward to welcoming you and your friends to the Races!

"Je vous aurais bien aide, mais je ne vous aime pas."

OK, so Saturday is Bastille Day, and I ran across this article. I say we dedicate our Saturday morning run to la révolution and President Sarkozy. I also suggest we all learn some basic French phrases.

It also reminds me that, as Mayor Wynn told me, "France is never the answer."

uhh... huh, huh..."titular"

ok, so apparently, the title problem is global. if you want to enter a title for your post, try hovering the cursor at the top left corner of the Title field box, until the cursor changes from the arrow to a text insertion line.

here's more detail for all you other geeks.

This Week's Above and Beyond

Just wanted to give mad runner props out to Those Who Went Above and Beyond in the last week:

• Chuck and Amy kicked butt Saturday morning on the 12 miler, on a course with some significant hills, and, briefly, in a fairly steady downpour. They're totally ready for San Francisco.
• Amanda was in that state where all the cuts come together, Connecticut. Saturday, she ran eight miles on her own in that strange land, and apologized for not going 12. Incidentally, I think we all need to watch out for Connect-i-Cut. Something's going on up there: Amanda spent a week there, Mandy's boyfriend Paul was up there, and Amy's there this week. Something is afoot. Hopefully, Michael Bay is not involved.
• Not Mandy's Boyfriend Paul Streetman Paul ran 36 miles last week. Then he made the mistake of being several minutes early to Saturday's run, and only ran six. Still, good job.
• Uhhh... Mandy and I. Sort of. Last night, we were meeting at Whole Foods to run four or five miles. We didn't feel up to it, and just wanted to go drink beer. So, we ran our first bar slam (let's not call it a pub run), hitting the Tiniest Bar in Texas (very cool), Shoal Creek Saloon (nice patio with fans), Little Woodrow's (pretty non-fratty on a Monday night, and cheap Texas beers), Halcyon (where I purchased a beer, a bag of Miss Vickie's jalapeno chips, a chocolate chip cookie, and a pack of expensive cigarettes), Club 115 to meet up with Erin and John, then back to Tiniest Bar. We'll have to do this again, but with everyone, maybe to celebrate after our half marathons.

See you people Saturday morning. If you need to run less distance, still try to come on out.

Saturday Fourteener

Ok, so this is what we are thinking. Meet at 7am at the Rock. Do the whole town lake 10 mile loop. Then do a 4 mile loop out lake austin blvd and back to the rock.

This should be a fun and scenic run. People can do as much or as little of it as they like. Do the 10 and call it good, or do 7 of the loop whatever. It's up to you and how you feel.

There's water on town lake. I think it's good to carry water as well. I don't see a need to set water out on the 4 mile loop. So we (Rob) won't. Please see Rob's previous post on nutrition and hydration.

Here's a link to the 4 mile loop:

Lake Austin

OK, first of all, i have to say that Blogger stinks. Yes, it's free, but it's also incredibly buggy. Friday, it wouldn't put new posts up because it was archiving them incorrectly. Today, it won't let me assign a title to this post. Just had to vent.

Let's call it, "The Way Ahead".

Chuck and Amy are near their July 29 date with the San Francisco Half-Marathon. It'll be Chuck's first, Amy's third. I have 14 on the calendar for us this Saturday.

Chuck has planned a run that will go ten on the Hike and Bike trail and finish with four on the road. And a smoothie.

For those of you who did not run the 12, and/or have not been keeping up with at least 1/2 to 2/3 of your other weekly runs, it's probably a good idea to run eight or ten.

I don't know if anyone's still planning on the August 5 half marathon in Fort Davis. I haven't checked on whether we'd be able to get rooms out there or not - apparently, that could be an issue. If people still want to go, and anyone could do some checking on accomodations for Saturday night, that would be great.

nutrition notes for Saturday's run

some reminders on preparation for our long run tomorrow:

• hydrate today - drink at least a couple of liters of water, and if possible, supplement your electrolytes with Electromix or a similar product (available at Whole Foods, Central Market, RunTex, Jack and Adam's, and elsewhere)
• eat well, but early - this is not an extreme distance, but you need good fuel. have some pasta. stay away from anything too greasy that might jack with your stomach in the morning. and eat early - be done before 8pm, if possible, so that your dinner will have time to digest and, you know, clear out...
• eat breakfast - have something with an emphasis on carbs for breakfast, but nothing too heavy. have a little oatmeal, a bagel with some cream cheese, whatever, but try to eat an hour before you leave the house - again, for the whole clearing-out thing.
• bring during-run fuel - people's needs vary, but think about the fact that you burn about 100 calories for every mile, at almost any speed. you're likely to burn through your light breakfast pretty quickly. the bigger you are, the higher your caloric needs generally are. this is a thing to figure out over time and experience, finding the line where you aren't just shoving down calories, but maintaining a smooth energy level. once you've crashed, it's a little too late. i'd suggest taking some gu (or whatever) at about 6 or 7 miles, and another at 9 or 10.

you can get energy gel at RunTex, REI, Academy, or most bike shops. a lot of people like Hammer Gel, because it focuses on different sorts of sugar. however, the taste makes me want to hurt somebody... anybody. i stick with Gu, in vanilla, "chocolate outrage", or "espresso love".

i'll bring an assortment of gels tomorrow morning that i have for some reason that i don't like, or don't think i like.

Moonpies.....

Anybody going to the Moonpie track meet tonight?

Moonpie link

Beer.....

This should be stored in the Team in Exile archives. Read it, learn it, love it.

http://www.trainright.com/articles.asp?uid=2486&p=2481

Saturday's long run: Big 12 Loop

yeah, it needs a better name. we'll see what turns up. i imagine there might be some colorful suggestions when we're going uphill on Exposition... here's a map of the route as it stands right now, subject to change.

i need to plan our water stops for Saturday morning, so i need to know who all is planning to come out to run. and, if you're not up to 12 miles, let me know where you're at, mileage-wise, and there'll be alternate routes available.

as for the route, all the hilliness is pretty much in the first four miles, except for the long uphill on North Loop in mile seven. i'm trying to keep us off of sidewalks and on softer streets with less traffic. Amy and Chuck, i know you like the softer Hike and Bike Trail, but you're about to run a half marathon on pavement, so i think it's to your benefit to be prepared for that. run your shorter runs on the trail - that's 2/3 of your mileage right now, anyway. your long run the weekend before the race can also be on the trail.

so. holla.

Anyone up for a run tonight? (Monday)

OK, I was a slacker all last week and did nothing but work.

I really intended to run with the group Sat at 7am but my flight got in after 1am...ugh.

Long story short, little sleep, monster headache, no way I was up for running :(

I did run 8 yesterday, felt much better afterward.

SO...I can do anytime today after 5pm. I'm up for 5 or 10 miles or marshes or whatever.

Pre-July 4th Pub Crawl (or drinkfest)?

So... Wednesday is a day off for most of us. Is anyone up for a pub crawl/drunkfest on Tuesday starting later (9:00ish) in the evening?

I still have to withstand a hour of torture with Ron & Leilani beforehand but Paul and I can catch up with everyone if they wish to start earlier.

So, we will belatedly celebrate Jen's birthday and do a little early partying for mine. And, yes, we can call it an early evening for those that are crazy enough to want to run the next morning at 7am.

The door is wide open for suggestions on where to start/end/whatever...

double digits

congrats to amanda, who ran 10 miles for the first time Saturday, and to Mandy, who hadn't done it since she was a Tough Cookie or an Angry Biscuit or something, several years ago.

so, the Congress loop is a little shy of 5, but i'm not going to quibble about the three or four tenths of a mile. they got that walking to and from their cars.

besides, this coming Saturday, we'll be going 12. details to come.

Cops and Joggers 5K

A race i've been eagerly waiting for and wanting us all to do is the Cops and Joggers 5K on Saturday, July 21. It's put on by the very nice folks at CLEAT, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, and it benefits the Peace Officer Memorial Foundation.

Why this one?

• A good, challenging, but fair course through downtown (see map below). It starts on 15th, heads west to San Jacinto. you get the steep hill to 11th, but then a long, fast nine-block downhill-to-flat run to 2nd Street, where you turn right onto another flat stretch to Lavaca. We're all familiar with heading north on Lavaca, but once turning east on MLK, you get another fast, long downhill back to 15th. You revisit the hill on San Jacinto before turning into the Capitol grounds for the finish.
• Cool t-shirts. Somehow, these guys keep coming up with great, fun logos, and this year, they're on lighter-weight shirts.
• Cheap! $20 entry fee ($25 on race day)
• Saving and growing a good race - there's a lot of competition for race events in Austin. Apparently, this year is make-or-break for this race. If it doesn't get enough entries, it'll be it's last.
• The flip side of it being a small race right now - less crowding, and a shot at placing in your age group.

These guys have worked really hard to make this a great event. I'd love for Team In Exile to show up, run it, and help it survive. If you can't or don't want to run it, please consider volunteering for it.

For Amy and Chuck, who will be running the San Fran half the next weekend, I think running it competitively but not 100% is a great way to get your edge for the race next weekend. Either run a few warm-up miles, and a couple after to get your mileage in (you want 6-9 that day), or get your 6-9 in on Sunday, and have Monday be your rest day.

Paul's Bike

Paul,

Just wanted to thank you for loaning me your bike on Saturday, but really, it was rude for you to change the position of the seat! Thanks again!

Freedom is just another word.....

for nothing left to lose.

Ok, who's running the Freedom 5000 on the 4th? anybody? could be fun.
also the bat run on the 13th looks cool. anybody?

bueller? bueller? bueller?

Great Compromise 10Five Map Revised

i just rode the route, and made some revisions.

please see the updated route map.

the Great Compromise 10-miler

ok, so some people are not such huge fans of running on the street, for valid reasons like surface cushioning and, um, being wusses. others of us, me, for example, like running on streets because, well, we're superior or something. it's not for me to say.

so, saturday's long run will be a compromise - five on the trail, followed by five on the road. we'll run the trail miles first, which should get the joints loosened and lubricated to be better prepared for running on asphalt. plus, it's really tough to go from the street to the trail - the difference in efficiency becomes really obvious, and annoying, at the end of a run.

for anyone not ready to go 10 miles, you can run either half with us - if you want to just run the road portion, you need to be at our starting point at about 7:45, and wait for us to come around.

we're meeting at 7am at The Rock, near the water coolers under the Mopac bridge, right by the lovely Roberta Crenshaw Pedestrian Walkway. we'll run the Mopac-Congress loop, which is about 4.6-4.7 miles, then we'll come back across the walkway and onto Stratford. there'll be a short, pretty challengingly-hilly stretch, then we'll be running up throuh my old stomping grounds in Rollingwood, and right by the house i lived in as a teenager. if you're very (un)fortunate, i'll tell you stories of my childhood, which was, you know, typical. summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. in the spring we'd make meat helmets. but i digress (and plagiarize).

here's a map

i'll have water out at about mile two of the road course, and mile four is right by the water fountains at Barton Springs.

oh, and from now on, there's a two-minute time limit on water breaks. we're dawdling too much. no more dawdling.

Wednesday's plan

sorry to let things slide this week - i just started a new job (more contract work), and things have been a little hectic. so, i'm pushing back the time a bit for those that can make it.

let's meet tonight at 6:30, at the parking lot of Bicycle Sport Shop on South Lamar, just south of Barton Springs Road. we'll get a warmup, run a full Marsh, and a cool down, for a total of between four and five miles.

hey i would like to run 4 miles or so today and i am down for marshes on wednesday....can't wait to run on saturday....i did run 7 miles by myself all running no walking on saturday......so who wants to run around 5:30 or 6 tonight?

World Wide Half Marathon....

This looks awesome:

http://www.worldwidehalf.com/cgi-bin/wwhalf/home

We should form a team and do the half. It's free. Would be a fun thing to do.

Does anybody listen to his podcasts?
Good stuff.

http://steverunner.com/

what to do, what to do...

ok, i was thinking we need to get our mojo back... we've been putting in the miles, but slacking a bit the last few weeks on our speedwork and hillwork. so, i was thinking about doing the Marshes this Wednesday.

on the other hand, Mandy is, i believe, without obligations for once, so we could do a pub run, instead... i know paul is out of town, sadly. but this won't be our last pub run, unless, like, we all get hit by the same bus or something.

so, who would be down for a pub run this wednesday? it would only be 3-4 miles, and 3-4 bars...

I did it

I got to jump today - best thing ever! can't wait to jump again.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jenklang/30thBirthday02

here are some pics

Saturday - the Northern Seven

ok, something different for this Saturday's long run. we're running the northernmost seven miles of the Austin Marathon course. if i seem to be having some sort of violent flashback, just run around me.

we're meeting at 7:30am
we'll meet in the parking lot at the corner of North Loop and Burnet Road.
here's a map of the course

i plan for us to have water every couple of miles, but bring a few bucks, just in case. you shouldn't need extra nutrition during the run, but you'll want some soon after.

the course is pretty flat, and should be fun and easy on a bike. if you need a shorter run, let me know.

if you didn't run 10 last weekend, don't sweat it. just come out and run the seven. everyone is still well on track for their goals at this point.

word up

any details on the run tomorrow?

24 hrs on a treadmill.....

Anybody been watching this today? Karno is going for the World Record of running on a treadmill for 24 hrs.

http://www.accelerade.com/endurance-run/

Needs to run more than 153 miles or something crazy like that.

Was thinking since Paul is churning out such fast miles on the treadmill maybe he could go for it?

What do you think Paul?

hey guys i have been bad on my running and haven't ran in 2 days...i walked a mile yesturday only bc chris and i got into an arrgument and i was locked out while he got ice cream.....i feel like i'm in AA....my name is amanda and i'm a slacker.....really want to run today anyone up for 5:30? going to see the Weary Boys tonight at Threadgills so gotta run early.....would like to run 5miles.

That was a good 10 miles

Well in Rob's absense, I still figured I'd run so...

Started at Whole Foods and ran most of the pub run from last week and then added on a loop around Town Lake.

Ended up a total of 10 miles with no repeating any of the course. I ran the first 7 miles or so but then ran/walked the rest.

It was really great weather Wednesday evening, not to hot or humid, and along the lake I kept getting these blasts of really cool air.

Anyone else run Wednesday?

no wednesday run

hey, everyone -

i have an interview thing from 1-5 this afternoon, and it's way up in the Northern Territories, just shy of the Hideous Cedar Park. so, i'm not certain of my ability to get back down south in time for our run, and i might very well need a large mind-altering drink afterwards.

so, you're on your own today. please, don't cry for me, Marge and Tina. we'll always have Saturday...

charles not in charge

ok, chuck will be out of town. we'll come up with an alternate plan, possibly a trail run on the greenbelt...

charles in charge

ok, this week, we're taking it a little easy after our last two weeks of mountain-climbing, running 10 miles (well, a little under 9.8 - they measured going around the Hyatt?!) and then you know, keeping it weird. i know i need a rest - running backwards for a mile seems to have made my legs very unhappy with me.

so, we'll do a run on some hills Wednesday, then on Saturday, i was thinking we'd meet at the Waterloo Ice House down on Slaughter Lane and Escarpment, run six, then eat there. Chuckles is supposed to be drawing up an easy run for us.

that's the plan at the moment... stretch, hydrate, stay healthy!

keep austin weird

thanks, rob, for dragging my lazy ass out to the 5k saturday! i'm really impressed you guys all did it after running 10 miles in the morning. y'all rock!

Where is the start of Saturday's morning run?

Chuck says meet at "the rock" on town lake but Rob's schedule says Whole Foods?

Which is it?

And if it's "the rock", where is this?

on the DL for 3 weeks

just got back from the doctor. she thinks it is just a sprain and that i should have taken 2 months off. soooo that means at least 3 more weeks of no running. i will come out on saturday and ride with michelle while the rest you suckers are running though :-) see you then!

Keep Exile Weird...

ok so Saturday is almost here. what's the plan gang?

who's on for the 10 mile or 5 mile run on Saturday? we're going to meet at the Rock on town lake lake @ 7:30am. (we're NOT meeting @ WF)

plan about two hours for this run. hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. bring food. a gel or pbj or whatever floats your boat. carry it with you on the run. eat it at the halfway point.
we'll have a water stop at each halfway point of each 5 mile loop.

when I do this run I like to start on the North side and head East, cross Congress, and then get water at the RT 1st st water. Then back up to Mopac, have water there and then continue.

then we need to make a plan to meet up for the run that night. any ideas? location? time?

should be a fun weekend. I hope it rains!!

chuck d

pub run test run!

ok, so i was plotting a course for today's run. i decided to make it a five-miler, since we're not doing hill or speed work, but just an easy, mostly flat (no one believes me anymore when i say that, do they?) run. so, i was careful to think of where we could get water along the way, and i discovered that i had essentially plotted a pretty good pub run.

what's a pub run? pretty easy. you run, stopping at bars along the way. it's more fun than it sounds, and not as difficult as it sounds.

for those of you that have been on pub runs with another group, ours won't be the same dysfunctional, potentially dangerous, alcoholism-celebrating, cluster-frak of an event.

anyway, we need to find a date that will work for people. i know mandy is out on tuesdays and thursdays... anyway, comment here, letting us know what works for you.

morning run....

well I did it, finally dragged my butt out of bed EARLY this morning and went for a run. it was awesome! humid, but not brutally hot like it was yesterday when I ran at 1pm.
feel great now and glad to have my run for the day done.

saw another guy out running that was moving along so effortlessly, he was fit and fast. I hope to be him some day.

looking forward to this saturday. should be a blast. don't forget to hydrate well this week. and I'd recommend bringing some fuel for the run. a gel or whatever works for you. take it at the halfway point.

I saw on the schedule to meet at whole foods? why not just meet under mopac? then after the run we can go up to Daily Juice and get our smoothies on. they're the best.

run to live, live to run....

team in exile, nationwide, m.f.

so, the list of names of members to our site grows. i thought i'd throw out some introductions and welcomes, here -

my friend shahnaz out in los angeles has run a marathon, ran the (huntington beach?) half recently, and is training for the Disneyland half in September (which a couple of us are considering doing), which she plans to run in under two hours. i would suggest you refrain from discussing your (or my) drug use here, as she and her husband are DEA, and my friends and i worked hard to teach her to say "ON THE FLOOR, MOTHERF*CKER!" without giggling.

also out in cali is a friend of Amy's, Rick.

there's the bad-ass Karinne, who i've allowed in the group even though she is significantly faster than me, in the hopes that it'll score me a free iced chai at her coffeeshop, Clementine.

there's Jill, who i reconnected with at my somethingeth high school reunion this weekend. she's training for a half marathon. no, she doesn't have any stories, and i would deny them all, anyway.

so, our little empire of pain seeks to expand. i'm also hoping that some of those inactive names down there will start showing up for runs, too, before they completely forget how (remember, guys, you always want to alternate left and right feet when running).

finally, i just want to say, thanks to you guys that have been coming out and running (or at least expressing an interest in getting off your ass and doing so). at the reunion this weekend, when people asked what i was doing, it was good to be able to identify myself with the running, and the coaching, and the people i do it with. you guys kick ass, even when you're whining...

that sucked

see above.

On the 10 day (at least) DL

Ok.. the dr's office called yesterday and offered an appt for 10:00 this morning versus my original appt of July 3rd, so I snapped it up. Bottom line, pinched nerve along my heel which is what is causing my foot to fall asleep. Dr's orders of no running for at least 10 days (my next appt). Sorry, Rob. I forgot to get a signed excuse from him. He gave me a cortisone shot in the nerve and has prescribed a "nerve regenerating" med which insurance has already rejected. Apparently I completely skipped their "step=up" therapy list and went straight to the top. *&^% HMOs.

So for tomorrow, I'm thinking about taking the new bike out for a spin and act as run support. Not sure I will make it the entire 8 miles of hills but we shall see.

why?

one of our runners said:

so I am thinking I am needing some sort of motivation to actually run on Saturdays. I know I can always go back to sleep when I am done, but it really is the only day I get to sleep in, and even now, I have a hard time getting up an hour before going to work.

watcha got?

Well, believe me, I wouldn't be getting up to run if people weren't counting on me to be there. I'd run later in the day, despite the heat, because I'm just stupid that way. But I would also run the risk of not running at all.

I think you have to figure out what you want from running. If you just want the social aspect, then sleep in, and just come out on Wednesdays. You can run 3-4 miles on your own for simple conditioning anytime.

But, if you decide you want to be a better runner, or you want to set and meet a goal, you have to get to the point where you embrace the difficulty. You might eventually find that you like things about getting up early and running, but let's face it, getting up is always going to suck for most of us.

But the twisted thing is, that's why we run, because it's difficult. Why a spoon and not an axe? Because, you twit, it'll hurt more (let's see you name THAT movie, Rowdy). Winning and getting good times and personal records don't give as much lasting pride as knowing you accomplished something in spite of it really sucking for you. It's a constant test, a very real way to find and expose your strength. You don't get that unless it's difficult.

Now, there's obviously no need to go crazy with it. So, in this case, I'm putting this weekend's run at 7:30, not the 6 or 6:30 that most running groups would be starting at. But there's just not another good way to do it, unless we do it at night, or at midday and just commit to people, you know, dying and what-not.

Yes, this is a bunch of rah-rah, but it's true, and I think it has to be true for someone to commit to training and getting anything out of it. You have to turn the corner of seeing the value in dragging your tired butt out to run a hard workout after a long day at work. You have to see that there's personal glory in getting up at the a**-crack of dawn to go run farther than most people ever will. Anything else I or anyone else provides you for motivation will eventually fail, unless you're doing it for a cause. Even then, for people that do athletic events to support causes, it's the difficulty of the event, or at least of getting off the couch and participating, that makes the event a good and meaningful medium for that support.

It doesn't always come right away. It took me awhile to get completely committed, and it ebbs and flows. But many of us have, whether we all realize it or not, already made this running thing a lifestyle. It gets easier, partially out of habit, but mostly from coming to understand the real value of it.

I say try to stick with it. When your mileage hits certain point, I think it will all hit you. If not, maybe running just isn't the right challenge to motivate you. But I hope it is.

The First Kiss... OF DEATH!

OK, so this Saturday is the much-promised expedition up Mount Bonnell. Details:

• 7:30am start - BE ON TIME!
• Meet in the parking lot at Randalls' on Lake Austin Blvd.
• eight mile run for those who have been doing long runs
• shorter routes available
• go here for map

Don't be scared of this run. It is hilly, but you should be running this at an easy pace. Long runs are not about speed - more on this below.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

HYDRATE! If you're exercising in this increasing heat, you need to be doing this on a daily basis, anyway, but by Thursday, make sure you're getting at least a couple of liters of water a day. I will have water on the course for us.

ELECTROLYTES! People focus so much on dehydration that they neglect their body's other needs. No, not those needs, I'm talking about nutrition. Hyponatremia, a salt deficiency, drops a lot of runners, some of them permanently. I suggest that you go to Whole Foods or Central Market and get some ElectroMix or a similar product - they're powders you add to your water that provide additional electrolytes. In the couple of days before a long run, I'll add them to the water I'm pounding back, so that I've got a good level of them in me before the run even starts.

There are also some ways to get electrolytes in you during the run - check out the NYT article I posted a couple of days ago.

EAT! I don't care how big or small you are, or if you're trying to lose weight - if you're asking your body to carry you eight miles or more, your fuel needs go to a different level. Everyone's different about what they like to eat the morning of a run, but carbs are the constant: bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter; oatmeal; toast; CLIF bars. Whatever works for you. Unless you know you're cool with it, I'd stay away from cereal, lest you end up like Ron Burgundy... "So... hot... milk was a bad choice..."

DON'T EAT! I don't think there's a need at eight miles for energy gels. If you were going farther, you'd want to start taking them as early as eight miles, but unless you're my 6'10", 310 pound friend Tom, eating well the night before and that morning should hold you for eight miles. If you really want to, bring a very small snack - fruit rollups, gummi bears, a clif bar, whatever.

POOP! Finally, I recommend eating early the night before, and getting up an hour before you have to leave your home Saturday morning, and eating immediately. There are some porta-potties along the way, but that's a horrible way to spend any part of your run.

OK, I may think of some other stuff, but that's it for now. This is going to be a great run, and one you'll be proud of. Don't wuss out.

time trials and mount bonnell = week from hell!

yo.

so, this week, big fun. wednesday, we meet up at 5:30 at Whole Foods. we'll run down to Austin High, run drills, then run either a two-mile time trial, or another track workout, depending on where you are with your running, and your goals.

for those of us training for a half marathon, the time trial is going to give us a better baseline to figure out your ideal paces over various distances. i'll explain how that works later. all you need to know now is that you'll be cranking out two miles on the track, as fast as you can. trust me, it sucks, but it's kind of cool. i've found that it's one way that runners really learn to push their boundaries.

then Saturday, we're doing eight miles again, but this time, we're tackling Mount Bonnell. if you're not up to eight miles, we'll have shorter options that will run some nice parts of the same route. Paul is talking some smack about climbing the stairs to the top of the mount after running up the road to it. we'll check back in with him when he gets there.

i haven't heard from some of you guys in a while - give me a shout.

two interesting articles

on electrolyte tablets - something we need to start thinking about:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/31/fashion/31Physical.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

and this one, about the changes in marathon training methodologies. please ignore the galloway run-walk crap.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/31/fashion/31FITNESS.html

our goals

first off, make sure you see the post on this Saturday's run, below...

OK, so goals...

i think several of us have planned to run the Prude Ranch Half Marathon in Fort Davis, Texas, on August 5th. it's the only half marathon around until october or november, it's only $20, and we can carpool/caravan out to it.

at this point, running the mileage we've been running, many of you are on course for the half, which is about nine weeks away. some of you want to keep increasing your long run mileage every week. maybe you can do it and get away with it. but, you would absolutely be setting yourself up for an increased risk of injury, and burnout. you think you can't or won't burnout? trust me, it happens. the vast majority of people simply need recovery, even total breaks, for their physical and mental well-being.

we're taking the macrocycle approach - we build mileage slowly and carefully for two weeks, then take a relatively easy recovery week. it works, it keeps you focused, it helps keep you from getting burned out.

we all know running takes discipline, but having and exercising the discipline to get out and run and push yourself is only half the story - it is just as important to be disciplined about controlling your progress, being smart, and being patient. you have to be disciplined about your recovery days after a long run or a hard quality workout. just because you can push yourself the next day doesn't mean it's a good idea. in fact, it's a fairly bad idea.

you haven't paid for a six, ten, or 24-week program, here, that is trying to get you to and dump you off at a goal. i want you all to gain and maintain your running fitness. i want it to be a sustainable way of life for all of us.

so, if you haven't been running with us on a regular basis, every run is going to have options for you to run shorter, as needed. don't sit out just because we've already hit eight miles. if you've been running the mileage, stick with it, and make sure you're running at least two to three other days in the week. once again, being able to do nothing all week but the long run, or the quality workout and the long run, don't prove much except for a lack of discipline. even if you only get a couple of 30 minute runs in during the week, it makes a difference.

and don't any of you dare think you're not going to be challenged. next week, you'll do some hard speedwork on Wednesday, then run eight again on Saturday, but it's going to include a little jaunt up Mount Bonnell. the week after that will be more speedwork, then ten miles. be afraid (but show up - you'll get through it).

alright, that's all the lecturing for now.