What Happened to My Saturday Starbucks' Mornings?

I recall years ago when living in San Diego my Saturday mornings would start off with a visit to Starbucks. I'd go with a tall coffee of the day and treat myself to a coffee cake or a bagel or whatever fancied me that morning. Then I'd plopped my ass down and read the SD Union Tribune or New York Times while I inhaled my breakfast treat and sipped on coffee. Those were some wonderful mornings. I use to tell myself, 'this is the life.' 

Yet, somewhere along the way in 2000, Saturday Starbucks' Mornings became having a cup of joe at home and putting on the running shoes for the scheduled Saturday long run . It's been that way for the past 8 years. And it's all because of my desire to run and compete in Marathons. 

This past Saturday (4/4/09), Wendy and I hit the pavement for the longest run of our 18-week training plan: 20 miles. That's just six miles less than a full marathon. That's 10 miles one way and 10 miles back. That's about 3-plus hours of running on a Saturday morning. I'll admit, I can think of million other things I'd rather do on a Saturday morning than put in 20 miles However, I do realize that there is nothing comparable to knowing that you completed your longest training run alive. 

All the Starbucks coffee and coffee cakes cannot replace the sense of achievement and relief one has after logging 20. In some ways for me, it's a far greater challenge than the marathon itself. During the 20 miler there's no fan support for motivation. There's no aid station at every mile. And at the end, there's no medal awaiting you. Instead, it's another training run with a longer stretch of pavement up ahead. 

Miraculously I finished. Thanks to Wendy's pre-planning, we positioned one of our vehicles at the halfway point to stop for gatorade and gu. The course started in Newport Beach and went through Huntington Beach and into Seal Beach. It was all along the coastline where we had varying things to see to help keep our mind preoccupied. The first 10 miles went at a relatively good pace. We averaged at 9:37 per mile and made stop here and there for water. We reached the halfway point to replenish ourselves and dispose of the layered clothing we had on that was now drenched because of the California sun. After a few self-motivation talks, we turned around to our original destination. While I'm not a fan of an out and back course, this one seemed relatively good. A few rolling hills to challenge us. Plus we had plenty of bathrooms and faucets to choose from in the event we needed to stop. 

Besides hitting the wall at mile 17 to walk a bit and clear the eyes of the sweat dripping into them, I was very pleased with our performance. Never once did Wendy and I break away from each other. When she needed to slow down, I did too. When I needed to stop and crawl, she turned and watched. In all, it was a satisfying and (pain free) run. Thankfully it's over with and it serves as a reminder that the the upcoming 26.2 is doable. 

Keep chugging along, and don't forget to stop for an Oreo cookie or two. 

jt

Pain in Calf leads to a wonderful discovery - Chiropractor and Massages

I've been training for the Bug Sur Marathon in April and dare I admit this, I was enjoying the training. During the long runs on Saturday - usually 6 or more miles - I would find myself setting the pace for Wendy and me. Our average times would range between 8 and 8:30 minute miles. It was a sign that I if commit to the training on a daily basis and not let past marathon failures creep back into my head, I can actually keep up with the gf on a run. It really made me believe in miracles. 

Following about a month's worth of training, seeing the "love handles" slightly disappear and gaining confidence, I jumped on the treadmill for my scheduled miles. You know you're in the runner's zone when 4 miles is no big deal. I set the pace for about an 8:49 per mile, with a few hill intervals. I'm going along, listening to the tunes on the Ipod when all of a sudden I feel a sharp pain in my right calf. It was brutal. I could barely push down on my right foot. I paused the treadmill to stretch the calf a bit, with hopes it just needed some extra tlc. I remember looking over at Wendy going, 'what just happened!?!"  I think she mouthed the words, "wimp, run it out!" 

After doing a few different stretches, I hoped back onto the treadmill, fingers crossed that this pain would go away. A few seconds back into the run, the pain became extremely worse which put a quick end my night.   The days that followed included icing down the calf, warming the calf, stretching the calf and trying to saw off my calf. Nothing worked. Eventually Wendy said, you should sent up an appointment with my chiropractor, he's really good and can help you.  

After not doing any running for two weeks, with hopes that the pain would just go away, I took her advice.  I immediately set up an appointment with Dr. Chris at O'Hanna Chiropractic Services in HB. Within minutes Dr. Chris noticed a few concerns with my alignment that may have been causing the pain. One being my right leg was a bit shorter than my left, causing me to put undue stress on my right side.  And lastly, my lower back needed some readjustment because he sensed a nerve from the lower back down through the calf was rubbing against the muscle tissues, possible causing a tear. Within a few minutes of having various parts of my body go "snap," "crackle" and "pop," the discomfort went away. Then came the best part, Dr. Chris said, I'm recommending you get massages on a weekly basis. The dude has a nice set up in his building. Downstairs they do chiropractic work, while upstairs are the massage experts. I don't recall every getting a massage, and I wonder why I waited so long!?!? I've learned that 10 years-plus of running does some harm to your body. Thankfully, the rub downs "revi" the body, mind and soul. 

I've gone to see Dr. Chris and the massage specialist, her name is Nancy, once a week for almost two weeks now. I haven't done too much running without feeling pain, but I did venture on a long run with Wendy. The goal was 18 miles, but unfortunately I could only last up to 11 until the pain in the calf limited my trek. In the past, I'd be down and out and overly frustrated with the pain. But today, I just look at it as an opportunity to call my friends at O'Hana Chiropractic Service for much needed body work. 

Keep chugging along, and don't forget to stop for an Oreo or two. 

jt

Let's Try This Again

It's been nearly four months since I last wrote. I'll chalk it up to a lack of creativity and reader interest. But nonetheless, I'm back at it one more time. 

I figure the best way to get it going again is with a brief recap. Deep breath and here goes:

Wendy and I adopted another doxie to be pals with Beans. Her name is Frankie and she's adorable. She too is quite unique like our double dapple Beans, in that Frankie's an Isabella Pieball. Thankfully the two of them get along very well, although we think our three cats are not too fond of having two dogs around the apartment. 

The job continues to go very well. During the months of July, August and September, I visited Vegas, San Diego, and then made a trip to Hong Kong and India. Hong Kong was great and I look forward to making the trip again. India on the other hand was both an interesting and humbling experience. While I'm glad I made the trek out there, I have nooooooo desire to go back. As my dad would say, not my cup of tea. 

In between those trips, I trained for and competed the Disneyland Half Marathon. I finished with a time of 2:02, while my better half crossed the line at 1:47.56.  What a shock, huh? Now its time to get ready for the Huntington Beach Half Marathon in February 2009. Mark my words: I will beat her this time, or at least tie her. Time will only tell. 

Outside of the dog, trips, and running, the rest is same ole thang. I did celebrate my 33rd birthday and got the best present ever - coffee maker with an automatic grinder and program capabilities. 

So there you have it.  

Ah, The Smell of Wet Grass

Certain aromas always have a tendency to trigger the mind to different thoughts and feelings. Could be good or bad emotions, but nonetheless they make the mind and heart travel to a different place.

During this morning's run, the smell of Wet Grass took me back nearly 15 years, to my days of running cross country for the high school track and field team at Monsignor McClancy High School. Wet grass was synonymous with the start of the season which was always cross country, held from September through November.  I being a distance runner would be one of 30 runners or so on the team competing in meets at Van Courtlandt Park in Bronx, NY.  

The cross country course at Van Courtlandt Park varied from 2.5 miles to 3.1 miles, beginning with a vast stretch of....you guessed it....wet grass. At least a half-mile into the race, we'd make our way into the back roads featuring hill after hill. Sadly, no wet grass :(  Typically the races would be 100-plus runners deep.  So getting out of the box onto that path of wet grass was critical to your success. Our coaches would encourage us to elbow our competition, sometimes even trip them. These tips served crucial, especially if you would get caught in the middle of the pack and needed to create space for yourself. An elbow here and there made it difficult for runners to keep their balance while running on the wet grass. Plus it was always fun to hit people. 

Eventually the smell of wet grass during today's 3-mile morning run had me wandered to the first few months of my freshman year. Being a track and field athlete during your freshman year is very humbling. You get the hand-me downs in regards to the running shirts and tanks. And there was only one van to squeeze all of us runners into for a meet. Wasn't a bad thing en route to a meet, but we never looked forward to our return trip home. In addition, weekend meets were dedicated to the jv and varsity teams. Freshman teams would have weekday meets, typically at 4 or 5 p.m. as the sun set and the cool night descended upon us. If you were slow like me, your goal was to get to the finish line before the sun disappeared or you're all alone in the back trails. Being in any type of back trails by yourself at night is bad, but in the Bronx, you're screwed. 

I couldn't recall any of my freshman times during today's, but I do know that I finished each race and enjoyed the competition. Little did I know back then, I'd still be out here putting one foot in front of the other and have the chance to reminisce of my so-called glory days thanks to the smell of wet grass. 

~jt

Playing Catch UP

Key thing to training for a marathon is to stick to the training plan. Unless you have a serious injury, there are very few excuses to miss out on a run.  Due to a crazy work week, which included working from 8:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning on a film shoot, I immediately fell behind on the first week of training. Years before I would have just let the training go, and tell myself that it's no big deal. But this time is different. That's in large part to my goal of running a 1:45 half marathon and having Wendy as my running partner. She's not one to let things get in the way of her runs.  As a matter of fact, not much gets in her way. This is the same woman who ran the Boston Marathon in 3:45 with a blood cot. And today while I handled some errands including getting a new car battery, taking Wendy's car for a smog check and going on a walk with Beans, Wendy cleaned and cleaned and cleaned the apartment. Once she was done, she hoped right onto the treadmill.  That's what they call dedication. No wonder she kicks my butt every time. But we'll get to that later. 

Wednesday's speed workout was a no go, so we picked things up on Thursday through Saturday. Each of those days called for 3 miles. It's not far, but sometimes when you're on the treadmill, it seems like an eternity. To help get through these past few runs on the mill, I threw in some variety. On Thursday I challenged myself by adding the speed every five minutes, eventually getting to a sub 9 minute mile. For Friday and Saturday, I went with the approach of starting fast at a 10 minute mile, then picking up the speedometer to a sub 8 minute mile. The main goal here was to maintain that sub 8 minute mile for the last mile and a half. Surprisingly I did and its step in the right direction. 

Week one comes to a close tomorrow. A five mile run awaits me at the finish. 

~jt

Let The Training Begin

Today marked the official start of my training for the Disneyland Half Marathon, which is scheduled for August 31. For the next 16 weeks (yes you read that correctly) I will adhere to a training program that has me running 6 days out of the week up until the 13.1 mile foot race. In the past for marathon and half-marathon training, I have followed Hal Higdon's running plans. The training consists of logging anywhere from 20-30 miles a week of both distance and speed work.

This morning's workout called for a 3 mile run. Piece of cake! I prefer to get my runs done first thing in the morning. Therefore, I don't have the run hanging over my head all day, plus its a great way to start a weekday. The alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. and I was up immediately. Per my routine, I get the coffee brewing and throw on my running gear. For some odd reason, I like to have a cup of coffee before I head out. I think over time I've convinced myself that the coffee wakes me up and provides a burst of energy to get things going. In addition, it gives me those few extra minutes to get into the right mindset. Some people can just lace up the shoes and go run. I on the other hand need to mentally prepare myself with what I want to accomplish during the run. On this occasion it was pretty easy, get my 3 miles done at a 10 minute pace or less. 

I grabbed my headphones and Ipod, and headed to the apartment's fitness center. Wendy had planned to join me, but she didn't have the best night of rest, so she opted to get her 3 miles completed after work (which she did). Fortunately I was the first at the fitness center, because only two treadmills are available.  Following a bit of stretching the hammys and quads, I punched in the info for the treadmill and headed off. Lately, I have learned that running on a treadmill is beneficial to my knees despite being boring . Thankfully the tunes on my Ipod distracted me from the confinement of a mill. 

Since I had not run in the past few days, I started off slow - 10:49 minute pace. Eventually five minutes into the run I sped up the pace, getting it to 10 minutes a mile. Overall I felt real good. Just concentrated on my form, making sure my arms did the swinging, thus alleviating any pressure on my legs. It's something I learned in reading Chapter 1 of the book "Chi Running." Can't wait to get to Chapter 2. Probably won't happen anytime soon, since I can remember where I put the book during my relocation to SoCal. 

With day one of training complete, comes day two. Speed work is on the horizon. Slated to do 5 x 400 meter runs at 5k pace. What that means, I have no clue, but I am sure that I will improvise. 

"If you ain't first, your last."

jt

Beans Sure Does Like His Hot Dogs

DLR
For several months now, Wendy and I have been putting our dog Beans through training. Our decision was two-fold. First, we were getting frustrated with his "cujo" like behavior when on the leash towards other dogs and people. Secondly, we feared him as a liability due to his aggressive nature. Not that we felt he would do anything bad, but we didn't want to take that chance.

We called upon Tom at Paw Lite to help us grapple with Beans' inappropriate behavior. Instantly we began to see results. Partially because Tom was able to break down Beans' fear and nervousness around people and other dogs. The other factor had to do with Beans' love for hot dogs. Tom encouraged us to work with Beans on a daily basis and use hot dogs as that special treat when he behaved well and responded to our commands of: 'sit,' 'down,' and 'leave it.' The use of hot dogs came in handy during our training sessions, and when we met new people or took him to our family. The hot dog, chopped into a little pieces, became our saving grace.

When we made the trip to Central California, we took the beast to expose him to the wine country. As Wendy and I packed the doggie bag, we made sure we had plenty of treats for the weekend. And when I mean plenty, I'm talking about 5 whole hot dogs cut into tiny, tiny pieces.

On Saturday night, Wendy, me and the Sosas went out to dinner. Prior to leaving, we fed Beans his meal and left him with the television remote control. We returned from a delightful dinner to a dog who looked like a stuffed turkey. He lifted his head at us when we walked in with a subdued expression. Keep in mind, anytime we come back from work or being out, Beans is awfully excited to see us. This evening was completely different. A few steps further into the hotel room we noticed a snack bag on the ground empty. Immediately we realized holy cow, Beans just ate FIVE hot dogs. And it showed! Poor guy moved around slowly when I took him out to go poop and then again in the next morning. Needless to see, the end result of those potty breaks was not pretty. Shockingly, I had to do the clean up for the better part that weekend.

While Beans didn't have a taste for hot dogs for a few days, his appetite for raw wiener has come back full circle and we are back to using it during training sessions.