I finally feel like I have my running legs back. They’ve been missing since mid September. They showed up for about half of the Long Beach Marathon before cramping up. I gave them a break of a few weeks afterward. That break probably helped me return to normal, even if when I got back to running I felt out of shape.

Last week has been different. I’m on a new training plan for the Holiday Half Marathon in 5 weeks and the Carlsbad Half Marathon in 11 weeks. I’d like to be in PR shape for Carlsbad.

To do that, I’ve hired an online running coach (Marc Pelerin). In the past, I’ve used generic plans from ActiveTrainer for the LA Marathon and for the Pasadena half marathon. For my first half marathon (Long Beach), I used a generic training plan made by a friend. I think I did okay, but felt really discouraged after Long Beach. Whatever I did on my own did not work. I’m not sure I’ll sign up for a spring marathon just yet. I’d like to do LA again, but I wonder what’s going to happen given that Frank McCourt, soon-to-be former owner of the Dodgers, is entertaining offers from buyers. The LA Marathon isn’t perfect, but I loved the Stadium to the Sea course. At least McCourt didn’t mess up everything.

I stuck to the training plan Marc sent me and did a little bit of strength training today and Tuesday. I ran 25.3 miles. I feel good, but know adjusting to the end of daylight saving time and fertilizer season in my neighborhood will be a minor challenge.

Seriously, fertilizer season in fall and early winter sucks. I can try to make myself get up in the morning to run, but the smell will still be there. At least I don’t have to deal with the cold.

***

Also, congrats to those who ran the NYC Marathon including Gene of PostBourgie infamy Kai/Idiot Runner, Charlotte, Theodora, and Scott who finished in 2:46:07. Wow. He’s crazy fast and he has fun out there.

Oh, as for the elites UCLA alumnus Meb Keflezighi ran a 2:09:13 PR despite having to stop and vomit. Talk about overcoming obstacles.

On days like today, I miss being in a bicoastal relationship and the monthly trips to NY. Cheering in Harlem last year was so much fun, even if my fingers got numb and I nearly lost my voice.

7.5: the total number of miles I’ve run since the Long Beach Marathon on October 9th. Yeah, I know that’s pitiful.

Following the marathon, I took the recommended 2-3 days off. I was pretty sore, but don’t think it was as bad as post-LA Marathon soreness. Still, I took the elevator down a flight of stairs to avoid stairs and sitting hurt. I also started limping due to the bum hamstring prompting co-workers and students to ask what happened. I just shrugged it off. After a couple of days, the soreness subsided and I began to walk normally again.

On Wednesday, I took off for vacation to New York. I’m usually pretty active during my vacations or work trips. I packed my running shoes, clothes and Garmin in hopes of getting in some miles in Central Park like I did last year. However, that was easy since Sean lived in Harlem and the park was a little over a mile away. This time, we stayed at his parents’ in Long Island and I wasn’t motivated to run in the suburbs. All I did was take a short walk around the block. On Sunday, we drove in to Manhattan so Sean could play a game with his former football team. During the game, I ran along the Hudson River for 3.5 miles. It was a good run, free of hamstring pain or cramping. Before the marathon, the hamstring pain kicked in 15-20 minutes in to an easy run.

I returned from NY on the evening of the 16th. The next few days I kept making up excuses not to run. I was tired. I needed to stay at work late to complete reports. It was dark when I got home from work. I was still a little worried about the hamstring.

Mainly? I was just lazy. And a little burned out despite the injury-induced super taper.

My body told me it did not want to run a few “easy” miles. Rather it wanted to lay in bed and keep reading Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot.

I considered showing up for the La Puente Main Street Run on Sunday the 23rd. Late in the week, I nixed the idea. I’d be wasting $30 trying to run a 10K on a hilly course and being reminded that I’m out of shape. I did go to La Puente that morning, but rather than run I had brunch with my family at a Mexican restaurant. Machaca was a better idea than a 10K.

Earlier this week, I made more excuses and put more 0s on my training log. Yesterday, I finally went out for a run. I’ve only taken a 10 day break before, and that was because I had thrown out my back. It was a tough run. I tried to keep the pace easy, but it still felt hard and I took short water breaks at the playground. As I finished up, I was glad I hadn’t done the 10K. I’m not sure I would have been able to run it without walking the water stops (at least).

I’m upset with how my fitness level has dropped off so dramatically in less than 6 weeks. I can only blame myself and hope that with smarter training I’ll get back to where I was or even surpass it.

I have a few races coming up. I’ll likely run the local YMCA’s Turkey Trot (10K) on Sunday November 20th. The course is pretty easy and my sister wants to run it too. Last year, she pushed me to a PR and also won herself a turkey. On December 11th, I’ll be running the Holiday Half Marathon in Pomona. I signed up at the LA Marathon expo in March. I took advantage of the temporary $30 deal offered to runners who had already signed up for Long Beach. I couldn’t resist the price. This week, I added the Carlsbad Half Marathon on January 22nd to my calendar thanks to some peer pressure. [This is a whole other post.]

While I enjoy running, I don’t enter races for fun. I’d like to improve my current PRs in the half and 10K distance. I know it’s doable, I just need to quit slacking off.

I can’t bank time in a marathon. This wasn’t my strategy, but after LB, I know it’s even more important to start off slow and resist going out too fast. Banking time worked for me in Pasadena, but that was a half and the first third of the race was downhill.

I was running my long runs a little too fast for my goal marathon pace. This was probably why I was stopping a lot. These extra 10-15 minutes were usually spent on water breaks, necessary bathroom stops and waiting at traffic lights. I can’t avoid those, but I shouldn’t have to stop and catch my breath for a moment.

My tempo runs were way too short. They didn’t go over 7 miles. Not enough for a marathon, especially if I want to go under 4:10.

I’m much more comfortable when I’m familiar with a course. I know some people enjoy destination races. I have no experience there, but do know that the familiarity of the LA Marathon course gave me a big boost. I ran the final 10 miles as part of a 20-mile long run. I knew what the hills around miles 18 and 20 were like and the ease of running downhill on San Vicente in the final 5 miles. Likewise, I was familiar with the beginning of the LB course since I did the half marathon last year. That might have helped me to start off confidently. The wheels came off when I was at Long Beach State, an unfamiliar area. I won’t be able to preview every course, but I’m sure I can find a race report out there or someone with advice on how to strategically run the race.

My Garmin is great during training, but less useful during a race. First, I didn’t realize I was going out too fast because when I checked my pace I was within the easy and comfortable 9:15-9:30 pace. However, I now know it was running ~9 minute miles thanks to the D-Tag (timing chip placed on your shoe). Second, my Garmin was a little off from the mile markers. Hearing the mile beep go off about a tenth of a mile before the mile marker is enough to mess with your head, especially during the later miles. Third, I didn’t have issues with rain for LB, but I know that my watch has been wonky since getting soaked in the LA Marathon. Last, even on a full charge, the battery won’t last for a nearly 5 hour marathon.

Last, I’m not a photogenic runner. At all. Yikes.

It wasn’t a good day out there in Long Beach, but considering how I’d been feeling in the last few weeks it wasn’t a surprise. All things considered, it wasn’t that bad.

THE GOOD

I finished. Sean found me in the last 0.2 miles and ran in with me. I know he had a tough half marathon, but he still gave me a little boost at the end.

I had a strong start. In hindsight, it might have been too strong. Still, the pace didn’t feel uncomfortable or too fast. I was going by my Garmin, and according to that I did the first 10K closer to 9:20 pace. I slowed down after mile 10, but was still running <10 minute miles. Edited: Those splits up there are off. Official results a few days later showed the 10k split was actually 6 miles, 9:17 pace. That was 10 seconds/mile faster than my goal pace. I hit the half at 2:04:14, a 9:37 pace from miles 6-7. I slowed down a little, but not too much. The 18 and 24 mile splits are accurate.

I ran with Sean for about the first 3 miles or so. Then I lost him.

While it was hot and sunny, the weather didn’t affect me much. I was well hydrated and fueled.

My hamstring didn’t start acting up until a few hours in to the race. I’ll chalk this up to adrenaline, ibuprofen and las ánimas de mi tía Macaria (or: my parents’ and grandparents’ prayers and happy thoughts from friends). In the last few weeks my hamstring has started hurting after about 20 minutes. Two hours is definitely an improvement.

I don’t think I made the hamstring injury any worse.

Despite barely breaking in my replacement pair of Brooks Adrenaline shoes – they had less than 10 miles on them – they didn’t give me any problems.

None of the negative side effects that come with distance running reared their very ugly head (e.g. bloody ankles, lost toenails, chafing that makes you scream out in pain in the shower, emergency bathroom stops, or worse, not making it to the bathroom in time).

I didn’t cry despite feeling pretty upset each time I saw a pace group pass me by or the cramping made me say words I can’t use in the presence of pre-school toys. Sure, I wallowed in self pity, but I didn’t want to let my sister down and begin bawling on the course.

I really liked the medal. I think it’s my favorite, probably because it was so tough to earn.

We had a few logistical issues last year, but none this year. We avoided the traffic on the 710 by exiting at PCH and driving the few miles to the parking structure. We barely had to wait at the port-a-potties. We checked one bag. Sean says he had no issues picking it up, unlike last year’s baggage check confusion. Getting back to the parking structures was easier too without a single pedestrian bridge over the finisher’s chute.

On course support at the aid stations, medical tents and from spectators was great. All the water stations were well-stocked with great volunteers. I stopped by the medical tents a few times to get sprayed with Kool N’ Fit, it helped. I saw many more spectators this year. I’m sure the great [non-running] weather had something to do with that. My favorite spectator was the one handing out pumpkin bread around mile 24.

Post-race meal: Father’s Office burger, sweet potato fries and beer.

THE BAD

I didn’t get my personal best. I’ve raced each of the following distances twice: 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. This is the only time I regressed. Majorly. I shouldn’t feel so bad. The marathon is a whole other beast.

My hamstring started cramping and from mile 15 on I had to take walk breaks. They were initially short but got progressively longer as you can see from my splits above. By the time I finished, I was walking the majority of the way and running 3-5 minutes at a time.

THE UGLY

My overall time, 4:54:28. When it became painfully clear that I wouldn’t be setting a PR, I decided I just wanted to finish in less than 5 hours and did the minimum to get me there.

My sock and capri pants tan line. I wore a hat, so my face was protected during the race. However, after I finished and was relaxing at Shoreline Village I took it off and got a little sunburnt. Summer may be over, but I’m more tanned now than I was in the summer.

Mile 15-finish. If you look at my splits, it looks like I was running two different races. The first half wasn’t bad. I was on pace to make my original B goal (<4:16). Even after I started taking walk breaks at mile 15, I was still comfortably within reach of a personal best at mile 18. As I neared mile 20, I tried to motivate myself to finish strong. I slowly ran miles 20 and 21. From there on I ran about 3-5 minutes and just walked it in.

I just spoke to my dad. He, my mom and grandparents will be getting ready for Mass and in church during the first few hours of the marathon. Hopefully this will supplement all their prayers. I need them.

You can see how I do and if those prayers make a difference by tracking me. Sean is running the half. His bib number is 6119.

***

My friend Adriana (poorlittletumbleweed) will be running the Chicago Marathon. I met her years ago through blogging shortly after she ran the Chicago Marathon the first time to raise money for AIDS research (I think). This time she’s running for a hospital.

Of course, I can’t be in Chicago to cheer her on, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make some signs.

¡Suerte, Adriana! Hope you get a nice tailwind and some cooler than predicted temperatures.