Ready for the 2011 TC Marathon; long runs complete, injury free, and I have a full tank of blood

The Twin Cities Marathon starts at 8:00 AM this Sunday and I’m in the best shape ever. This is the first time I’ve completed my marathon training injury free. I think my success is mainly due to consistency during training. I never missed a long run during the week and during the most critical time of my training I got in most of my short runs. During the last few weeks of my training my life got really busy, so I didn’t do all the short runs I planned but I made sure I got in all my long runs. By being consistent with my training, I never got into a situation where I had to play catch up and push myself too hard.

Back in early June I officially started my marathon training with a 10 mile long run. At the time I could comfortably run 10 miles, but 14 miles was very difficult and painful. Since then each week I would add one mile to my long run, except for one week I reserved as a “rest week”, where I didn’t add a mile. (I’ve recently read from a marathon trainer to expect at least one long run with poor performance – it just happens).

Starting with my 18 mile run I started a routine that seems to work pretty well. For my long runs I run with a water belt holding four 6 oz water bottles. Before drinking water I run to my turnaround point and then back to a point where I have about 8 miles left to run. At that point I have my first water break where I walk while slowly drinking water. Then I take three other walking water breaks about every 2 miles. Between the walking water breaks I run at a pretty good pace to keep my average pace near 9:30 (I’m not a fast runner so that is a pretty fast long run pace for me.)

I was going to run 22 miles last week, but I tried running during the afternoon and the heat really got to me. After running 19 miles I stopped into a public restroom where I could douse my head with cool water. I spent too much time cooling off and my legs got all stiffened up.

I don’t think the walking water breaks give me much physical rest, but they help me a lot mentally. Rather than focusing on finishing the run, I just focus on getting to the next walking water break point. I find I can push myself a little harder to get to that next reward. Many marathoners walk through water breaks when racing, so my training method is not unusual.

There is famous Olympian marathon runner, Jeff Galloway, who teaches a run/walk method for marathon training and racing. He claims this is a way to marathon run injury free until you are 100 years old. Some runners have completed a marathon race well under 3 hours using his run/walk method, so one can still finish a marathon with an exceptional time using his method.

After my last walking water break, I hit the lap reset on my Garmin Forerunner 305 at the 2 mile remaining point and start my final push. Out of my last 7 long runs, I’ve been able to complete the last two miles with a pace less than 9 minutes-per-mile. For my 23 mile long run I finished the last two miles with a pace of 8:40. I typically finish my long runs with an average pace of about 9:30, which does not include bathroom stops to poop.

I’ve been having some problems with runner’s trots. There was one long run where I had to stop 4 times. Fortunately there are a number of Porta Potties a long the way that I have found over the years. One problem is I have been starting my long runs very early in the morning, typically around 4:30 am. That’s just not optimum timing with my intestinal track, which doesn’t usually wake up until about 6 or 7 am.

I have made some improvements by changing my diet, which is usually super high in fiber. I won’t go to an unhealthy low fiber diet, which seems to partially defeat the purpose of running, but a day before making a long run I do cut out any super high fiber items like beans or double-fiber bread. I also try not to eat any greasy foods the day before. This week before the marathon race I’ve really been watching my diet. I got to be careful though; I don’t want to be running constipated either. One thing is for sure, if you are having troubles with constipation, try long distance running. Gravity is the most natural way to get things moving.

This is the first marathon I will be running with a full tank of blood. I was anemic for my 4 previous marathons. A physical I had before my first marathon in 2006 showed I was slightly anemic. Unknowingly the anemia was probably the first sign of my cancer, but unfortunately my physician at the time didn’t follow up on it. In 2007 I ran the TC marathon and finished with my best chip time yet of 4:06. I think I could have finish less than 4 hours but the temperatures that day were at record levels. Then in 2008 I ran Grandma’s marathon a couple of months after completing chemotherapy, and then the TC marathon that fall. I was very anemic for those races. It took about a year after chemo for my blood to return to normal levels. I can see and notice the difference.

When I now run my heart rate stays at a much lower rate even for faster speeds. When I ran my last 23 mile run my heart rate stayed at about 148 bpm up to the 21 mile point at an average pace of 9:33. For the last two miles I picked up my pace to 8:40 and my heart rate average 161 bpm during that time. For Grandma’s marathon in 2008 my heart rate was averaging around 160 to 165 bpm even though my average pace was around 10:03. That’s a huge difference from now and then. Whether or not I finish less than 4 hours will not be determined by my cardio systems, but rather by my legs. Oh, and my head too.

For the previous 3 TC marathons I ran, I let adrenalin take over and started out at a pace that was way too fast. Then at about mile 19 to 21 I would run out of gas. At about mile 20 there is a relatively steep climb up the Mississippi River valley up to Summit Ave. In past years I have seen many marathoners collapse somewhere along this climb, and many others walking. I’ve never been able to finish strong at this marathon because of poor pacing. This year I plan to run alongside the 4:00 hour pacer, a very experienced marathon runner that helps runners set a good pace and provides motivation on the way.

We’ll see what happens, but this year I am determined to take on the notorious Summit Ave climb and finish under 4 hours.