Bayshore Marathon Part 2

The temperature was in the high 50's and the sky was mostly overcast. It was ideal weather for a marathon. Yet, I was a bit cold for most of the race. I wore shorts, a short sleeved running shirt, running underpants, running socks, a running cap, and my running shoes. Basically, I wore no cotton; only moisture-wicking synthetic materials. However, there was a slight breeze coming off Lake Michigan. That breeze kept me slightly chilled.

In addition to the clothes, I wore a Spibelt in which I put my Shot Bloks and a cell phone. When I do a long run, I wear a water belt. I have worn both together. I decided against the water belt since there was going to be water tables every 1.5 miles. When the race started, I discovered that the water belt stabilized the Spibelt. The Spibelt was bouncing like crazy. I couldn't run 26.2 miles with that bouncing around, not mention what sort of chaffing it might cause. I took the cell phone out and shoved it in the pocket in my shorts. That did the trick.

I also wore a Road ID on one wrist and a Garmin on my other. I had the heart rate monitor around my chest. Finally, I had bandages over my nipples. Early in my running endeavors, I discovered that I get sore nipples when running. The shirt rubbing against them does bad things. I found little circular bandages at Walmart that are perfect for this. I know I am not the only runner with this problem. My wife said she saw a man come across the finish line with a blood stained shirt. It was obvious that the blood was coming from his nipples. On the other hand, I had no problem in that area at all.

After the marathon began, I resolved not to look at my pace (which my Garmin gives me). In fact, I only looked at my distance in order to determine how close I was to a water station. Everything went smoothly. The first mile came and went quickly. The second mile went by just a fast. It was interesting to look at all the different people. I like seeing what they are wearing. I like to observe their running form. I like to read their shirts. It's just a lot of fun to be out there with a bunch of people undertaking the same task, most of whom are competing with no one except themselves.

After the third mile, I began to feel something. It's a feeling I have had on runs before; particularly my longer runs. I thought I learned how to prevent this. The feeling was a slightly annoying pressure in my bladder. I tried to tell myself that it was just my imagination. Maybe I was hyper-sensitive. There was probably like a half ounce in there and that would be hardly worth stopping to pee.

There were porta-potties at every water station. Some runners couldn't wait or didn't want to stand in line. You would see them run off into the woods. There was one girl who was so desperate that she ran into the woods, but not out of view. She squatted, pulled her shorts down, and everyone who passed by could see her. I didn't do that. I passed the potties at mile 4.5. I decided to stop at 6, but it was occupied with at least 2 people in line. I continued even though the pressure had mounted with each mile.

By now, each step was jostling my bladder. It was unbearable. I refused to run some unknown distance off the road in order to find some place to pee. The potties at 7.5 miles had a line as well, so I kept going. Now, I was thinking that I needed to run off at the next patch of woods I found. There were none. It was a residential area. On our left were homes. On the right was the bay with beaches and docks. There was a 10 to 20 foot drop off from the road down to the beach. There were several wooden stairs along the way so that people could get to their beach. Suddenly, I noticed a porta-potty on the first landing of a set of stairs going down to the beach. Over the stairs was a sign that said, "Private Beach. No Trespassing."

I ignored the sign and bounded down to the potty. It wasn't locked, and it wasn't occupied. I peed for over a minute. Yes, I did time it.

The race seemed so much better after my pit stop. I forgot to mention that even though I had to pee, I took water at every water station. I still needed to keep hydrated even if my bladder was full.

Having relieved myself, I was better able to focus on keeping an even pace and better able to observe the other runners. I learned a lot about myself on that course...

To be continued.

Living Fit Is My #1 Job!

Bayshore Marathon Part 1

I will need to report this in parts as I am quite busy with the shortened week here due to Memorial Day. Memorial Day itself reminds me of the great sacrifice of so many for the country. What I did last Saturday is nothing compared to what is done by the brave men and women in the Armed Forces who put their lives in harm's way for their country.

The Marathon, pt. 1
Friday, I did not run at all. The kids had field day in Bay City (about 70 miles from home.) After we picked them up there, we headed to Traverse City on the other side of the state. It took about 2 hours to get there. After a little confusion with the map, we found the registration. It was well organized and not too crowded. I received a nice running shirt and running socks, my bib, and my timing chip.

Then we went out to eat. I had a chicken salad. That was my last solid food until after the race. I learned early on that if I run longer distances with solid food in my stomach, my stomach rebels. IN addition, I drank a lot of water and some Gatorade all day to make sure I would be well-hydrated for the race. After dinner, we drove to my in-law's house outside of Gaylord.

It's an hour drive from Traverse City to Gaylord. The race started at 7 AM. I wanted to get their earlier enough so that I would not be stressed trying to get there on time. That meant that we needed to leave at 5 AM. I planned to get up at 4 AM. Yikes!

When we arrived at my in-laws, I laid all my clothes out, attached my timing chip to my shoes, and headed to bed at about 9:30 PM. The next morning, I didn't roll out of bed until 4:30 AM. Oops. Before I put my clothes on, I lubed up with Body Glide. I put it on any part that might get chaffed. I even put it between my toes , as well as other cracks and crevices. We rolled out at 5:15 AM. My wife drove while my in-laws watched the kids. We arrived in plenty of time which was good, because I still had some solid waste to evacuate from my body. There were lines for the porta-potties, but I didn't need to wait too long.

About 5 minutes before the start, they played the National Anthem. How sad that so few know the words. I headed towards the back because I didn't want to feel demoralized by having tons of people passing me. The website now says that there were 1384 finishers. The race was capped at 1700 entrants. Anyhow, there was a crowd. Soon a cheer went up from the crowd as the race started. I couldn't believe that I was beginning my first marathon. I was choked up. I started to get emotional, but quickly pulled things together. I had a long way to go, and I couldn't waste energy on that sort of thing. I regained my composure and excitedly continued down the 26.2 mile path.

Soon, I would discover that it was nothing like I expected...

To be continued.

4:38:04

26.2 miles
4 hours 38 minutes 4 seconds
10:37 minutes/mile
1067th out of 1375
703rd out of 825 men
142nd out 161 men ages 40-44
1st half rank 1210 @ 2:18:50
2nd half rank 915 @ 2:19:14
More information to come.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Living Fit Is My #1 Job!

20 hours

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 228.5 lbs.
Morning Run: 3 miles @ 9:17 easy run week
Afternoon Run: 2 miles intervals with daughter
Strength Training: None

Weekly run total: 18 miles

Last Week's Total: 45 miles
This morning's weight: Forgot to weigh myself

Training done, only the big event to go. I am excited, nervous, and a bit scared.

47 hours

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Afternoon Run: 5 miles @ 9:42 easy run week
Strength Training: Legs & Shoulders

Weekly run total: 13 miles

Last Week's Total: 45 miles
This morning's weight: 228.5 lbs.

I will start running the marathon in 47 hours. The awards ceremony will be at 11:00 AM. That puts a smile on my face since I will not be finished until closer to 12. I hope to post my last pre-marathon update tomorrow morning. Then, I probably will not get a chance to give a post-race update until Tuesday.

M-2

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Morning Cardio: Bike on Indoor Trainer for 30 min @ 92 RPM
Afternoon Run: 3 miles @ 11:48 with daughter
Strength Training: Chest and Biceps

Weekly run total: 8 miles

Last Week's Total: 45 miles
This morning's weight: 231.5 lbs.

M-3

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 229.5 lbs.
Afternoon Run: 5 miles @ 9:55 easy runs this week
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 5 miles

Last Week's Total: 45 miles
This morning's weight: 231.5 lbs.

Week 116 & M-4

Last Week's Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Today's Weight: 29.5 lbs. (-2.0)
Total Lost: 150.5 lbs.

Fat Ratio:
Lean Mass:
Fat Mass:
Waist:
I forgot to take those measurements this morning.

I hoped to be lighter by now, but I will take what I got. I am just focused on the Marathon this Saturday. Everything else is a blur. So far, I am worried about finishing the race...not really, but then again really. I am even more concerned about injuring myself or getting sick so that I cannot run in the race.

In fact, I got a terrible headache yesterday afternoon. I slept most of the day and all night. I still feel like it might come back. I am not sure if it's allergies, not enough sleep, anxiety, a bug, or some combination thereof.

I can hardly believe I am going to do this. I think about what things were like before 2007. I did nothing that could be considered exercise. I ate candy and sweet baked goods every day. I was miserable and disgusted. I was a medical disaster waiting to happen. Since then I started exercising and eating healthy. In a relatively short time, I lost a lot of weight, became active, and have a much more positive outlook. I have run a 10 mile race, a sprint triathlon, and a half-marathon. I have given three talks about my journey of fitness. I have learned a lot of valuable lessons on this bumpy road. I have many more to learn. I expect to learn a few over 26.2 miles I will be running.

Looking at where I have been and where I am, I am humbled. It seems like something that happens to other people. It sounds like something that other people accomplish. I am in sort of a surreal haze this week. All I can do is thank God.

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Run: none
Strength Training: none
Day off

Weekly run total: 0 miles

Last Week's Total: 45 miles
This morning's weight: 229.5 lbs.
Yesterday was a rest day.

This is my full blown taper week. No hard runs. No long runs except the big one of course. I plan to run about 20 miles: 5 miles each day Mon-Thurs, rest on Friday, complete a marathon on Saturday.

"Good captains are not made on still waters." I couldn't track down the source for this one, but I heard it somewhere.

Living Fit Is My #1 Job!

M-5

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Morning Run: 3 miles @ 9:32
Afternoon Run: 4 miles @ 11:14 with daughter
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 45 miles

Last Week's Total: 57 miles
This morning's weight: 231.5 lbs.

M-6

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 229.5 lbs.
Morning Run: 10 miles @ 9:56
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 38 miles

Last Week's Total: 57 miles
This morning's weight: 231.5 lbs.

M-7

Yikes! Only a week away. Actually, I can't wait to get it done and over. This marathon is consuming my life.

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 228 lbs.
Morning Run: 5 miles @ 9:54
Afternoon Run: 2 miles @ 8:36
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 28 miles

Last Week's Total: 57 miles
This morning's weight: 229.5 lbs.

M-8

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 230.5 lbs.
Morning Run: 4.5 miles Intervals
Afternoon Run: 2.5 miles @ 9:07
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 21 miles

Last Week's Total: 57 miles
This morning's weight: 228 lbs.

M-9

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 230.5 lbs.
Morning Run: 4 miles @ 9:19
Afternoon Run: 3 miles @ 11::21 with daughter
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 14 miles

Last Week's Total: 57 miles
This morning's weight: 230.5 lbs.

M-10

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Morning Run: 3 miles @ 8:55
Afternoon Run: 4 miles @ 9:14
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 7 miles

Last Week's Total: 57 miles
This morning's weight: 230.5 lbs.

Week 115 & M-11

The End Is in Sight!

Last Week's Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Today's Weight: 231.5 lbs. (+/-0)
Total Lost: 148.5 lbs.

Fat Ratio: 19.0% (+/-0)
Lean Mass: 187.5 184.7 lbs. (+/-0)
Fat Mass: 44 lbs. (+/-0)
Waist: 43.0 inches (+/-0)

What can I say. I thought for sure I would have a loss, but instead I was 5.5 lbs. heavier this morning than yesterday. I can't explain it. It just is.

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 226 lbs.
Run: none
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 0 miles

Last Week's Total: 57 miles
This morning's weight: 231.5 lbs.
Yesterday was a rest day.

This week I begin to taper down my running before the race. The idea is that I have already put in all the training needed to complete the marathon. Now, I need to cut back this week just enough to keep my cardio fitness and my endurance up while giving my body a chance to rest up. Next week, I will cut way back so that my body will very well rested and itching to get out there and run 26.2 miles.

"Rome wasn't built in a day." - John Heywood

Living Fit Is My #1 Job!

M-12

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 226 lbs.
Morning Run: 6 miles @ 9:47 cold and rainy
Afternoon Run: 3 miles @ 11:19 with daughter
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 57 miles

Last Week's Total: 53 miles
This morning's weight: 226 lbs.

M-13

Two Weeks to go!

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: Unknown-No Scale
Morning Run: 12 miles @ 10:20
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 48 miles

Last Week's Total: 53 miles
This morning's weight: 226 lbs.

M-14

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: Unknown-No Scale
Morning Run: 6 miles @ 9:52
Afternoon Run: 3 miles @ 9:27
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 36 miles

Last Week's Total: 53 miles
This morning's weight: Unknown-No Scale

M-15

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: Unknown-No Scale
Morning Run: 6 miles @ 9:48
Afternoon Run: 3 miles @ 9:19
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 27 miles

Last Week's Total: 53 miles
This morning's weight: Unknown-No Scale

M-16

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 229 lbs.
Morning Run: 6 miles @ 9:49
Afternoon Run: 3 miles @ 9:18
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 18 miles

Last Week's Total: 53 miles
This morning's weight: Unknown-No Scale

M-17

Catching up on the week. I was at a conference Tuesday-Friday without time or access to the internet.

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 231.5 lbs.
Run: 3 miles @ 9:27
Run: 6 miles @ 9:38
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 9 miles

Last Week's Total: 53 miles
This morning's weight: 229 lbs.

Week 114 & M-18

Last Week's Weight: 228 lbs.
Today's Weight: 231.5 lbs. (+3.5)
Total Lost: 148.5 lbs.

Fat Ratio: 19.0% (+/-0)
Lean Mass: 187.5 184.7 lbs. (+2.8)
Fat Mass: 44 lbs. (+0.7)
Waist: 43.0 inches (+/-0)

I'm not upset about the weight. It's been in flux all week. I just need to stay the course.

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 229 lbs.
Run: none
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 0 miles

Last Week's Total: 53 miles
This morning's weight: 231.5 lbs.
Yesterday was a rest day.

M-19

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 229 lbs.
Run: 3 miles @ 11:09 pace with daughter evening
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 53 miles

Last Week's Total: 42.3 miles
This morning's weight: 229 lbs.

M-20

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 230.5 lbs.
Run: 20 miles @ 11:16 pace, morning
Strength Training: none

Weekly run total: 50 miles

Last Week's Total: 42.3 miles
This morning's weight: 229 lbs.

I was going to split the running 14 & 6, but as I was running the 14, I imagined how I would be obsessed with needing to go run again and how psychologically difficult it would be. Since I was feeling pretty good, I decided to do the whole thing at once. It was tough, but it gave me a chance to rehearse some of the mental tricks I was planning to use to help me get through the last 8 miles of the marathon. I addition, it gave me a lot of confidence that I will actually be able to do the entire 26.2 miles. I was definitely whipped when I finished, but I was able to function after a little nap and my legs feel fine.

M-21

Yesterday's Training:
Weight: 229 lbs.
Run: 3 miles intervals with daughter, morning
Strength Training: Back & Tricpes 45 min.

Weekly run total: 30 miles

Last Week's Total: 42.3 miles
This morning's weight: 230.5 lbs.

I felt strange running so little yesterday, like I have been sloughing off.