Overcoming Failure

I've mentioned this before but I feel as if I can never say it enough:

Nothing new on race day.

How you train prepares you for how you race. Now, it's not necessarily just with performance either. If you plan on wearing a new shirt or shorts during a race, it's probably a good idea to train with them a few times. After all, what if there is some strange stitching that leaves a nice red mark on you when you use them? Best find that out during a six-mile training run versus a 10K.

On the weekend, I had something new. It wasn't by choice of course but it was mostly a new experience. I had a total Garmin fail.

My trusty Garmin was not up for the Long Beach Half Marathon on Sunday. It was there in body but not in spirit. The lights were on but nobody was home.

I scrambled. I worried. I fretted.

I thought before the race that I would try to rack up as many miles in the 8-minute range as possible. I would try to get up some strong early miles and then see where I was at midway or close to 10, and then gauge how much distance I had left and see if I could crank it up some in order to ensure the best time possible.

All that strategy fell into a crumpled mess somewhere on the 710 Freeway.

Garmin was fine for the first two miles. I had a strong first mile, at 8:20, but Mile 2 was slower than I'd wanted. At 9:10, I tried to slow it down but slowed it down too much. Still, my average time was somewhere in the 8-minute range, which is what I wanted.

According to Garmin, Mile 3 took me 16 minutes to run.

Fail.

Now, I was able to trust in myself and my training and my ability to maintain a strong pace and that helped get me to a good time.

But it goes to show that the only thing that will get you to the finish line is you. Technology will fail you. This isn't the first time it's failed me during a race. In each of my two marathons, my phone died somewhere around Mile 20. Not sure if my iPod would have died as well but that thing stopped working properly years ago. So, my well-thought-out playlist for each marathon was not all the way effective then.

There was a time when Garmins and iPods and heart-rate monitors were not an essential part of running. They are tools we use because they help us, because they provide information or support or both. Ultimately though your body determines your pace. Your mind and your will and your determination keep you going, not your music player.

Now, I happened to have my Polar heart rate monitor with me. That is a tool that I wholeheartedly believe in and have faith in, but that too has let me down. Still, it came through with flying colors on Sunday. I had originally intended to use it for the heart-rate information only but used the watch function instead. So I got lucky, not only that I wore it but that it decided to be an active participant in the race.

So I do believe I was lucky because of that. I am not sure if I would have been able to hold it together mentally without Polar's reassurance that things were indeed going well.

Since I run with a group on Sundays, my long runs are commonly ran without the aid of music. That's helped me. However, I usually have my Garmin with me. I care about my time and my pace and all those cool statistics. Perhaps if I were interested in only my distance then the other things might not matter as much and then I might not rely so much on the Garmin. But I think that leaving it at home every now and then won't be a bad thing.

After all, it abandoned me in my time of need. And if it wasn't reliable once, what's to say that it will be reliable for my next race?

Weighing Down, Splits and Other 22-Mile Tidbits

Here are some things that did not make Monday's 22-mile recap

Heavy Load

Once I got to 22 miles, I had a choice to make - either push on through to about 22.4 in order to get home quicker or walk. At 22.08, I stopped to walk. I thought the walk would take me less time than it did, but I walked... well, at first I walked and then I hobbled and I think by the time I got home I was shuffling. Dragging, perhaps.

Anyway, somewhere along on my hobble, I tried to lighten my load. I took off my fuel belt, Garmin, hat and heart-rate monitor strap. After a few moments, I realized something. Those things were heavy.

Maybe it was just me being fatigued and exhausted, and it just felt heavier. But I really do think it was extra weight. I'm wondering if I can cut some of it down.

The thing that felt the heaviest was my hat. I might have to ditch the LB hat and go with something else, something lighter. I really don't want to do that but the hat was drenched. It was dripping with sweat for a long part of the run. I mean, literally dripping, like if you had poured water on it and the drops were just falling off the bill.

I have a couple of weeks to find an adequate replacement for the hat if that's what I choose to do. Right now, the prospect of running with a heavy hat doesn't seem like the greatest but we'll see how the hat feels to me in the coming weeks.

As for the rest of the equipment, the fuel belt is a vital part of my race and ain't going nowhere; the heart-rate strap.... well, I may give that its own blog post. The Garmin is also an important tool.

Cold Came, Vanished

One of the strangest things that happened after my run was the sudden emergence of a cold. Now, it hasn't been the hottest summer - at least not yet - but the weather has been in the mid-80s (about 30 degrees Celsius for my Canadian readers ;] ). Anyway, I haven't had a cold or anything resembling a cold for months. But within 20-30 minutes of me finishing my run, I was all but holding a box of tissues. I had the onset of a cold. It lasted all day.

I'd hoped that a good night's sleep would take care of it but it lingered. I was still using the tissues for most of Monday. Then, all of the sudden, it went away. I don't know when that happened but it's gone. It was the strangest thing. I didn't do too much research into it but I would suspect that my body was quite weakened after my run and I was suddenly susceptible to things such as colds. I guess I'm lucky it wasn't a fever or anything too bad.

Splits

I was not concerned with speed (or in this case, the lack of speed) but the Garmin keeps track of my splits for me. Here are the splits. I was all over the place apparently. I do like that my fastest mile was Mile 18, and my second-fastest was Mile 22.

M1 - 10:54; M2 - 10:22; M3 - 10:54; M4 - 10:16; M5 - 10:09; M6 - 10:17; M7 - 11:11; M8 - 10:55; M9 - 10:44; M10 - 10:27; M11 - 10:59; M12 - 10:50; M13 - 10:35; M14 - 10:37; M15 - 10:48; M16 - 11:04; M17 - 10:42; M18 - 9:57; M19 - 10:44; M20 - 11:29; M21 - 11:31; M22 - 10:05.

Pushing Through

I know a lot of runners talk mess about the treadmill, the so-called "Dreadmill." That's fine. I understand the hatred that arises when considering a run on the 'mill. But there are some times when having run on the treadmill makes for a great training tool.

There are moments in races when you just have to get some miles in. Maybe you are running at a fast pace or maybe you are wasted, fatigued, exhausted. And during these miles, all you want to do is to get the miles done.

When you run on the treadmill, that's all you can do - get the miles done. You can't really concern yourself with scenery or trying to maintain a pace on the 'mill. You control the pace so unless you push the buttons to make it go faster or slower, you don't have to worry about staying at the same pace. And you are on the treadmill and aren't going anywhere. The scenery remains unchanged.

You're a bit like a mouse running on a wheel.

That's how I felt at about Mile 19. Thinking "Oh, I'm only three miles away" was of no consolation to me. I just needed to get the miles in and get them over with. I needed to be a mouse on a wheel. I just needed to forget about everything and put one foot in front of the other, and that's what I did. I recovered both physically and, most importantly mentally, and was able to kick into gear for the last mile.

So instead of focusing on my Garmin and thinking things like "Why does this thing not move any faster???" or "Oh my God this sucks, I just want to be done" I was able to just plow through that mileage.

The treadmill helps me get through miles like that. And I know that I will have a few miles like that in San Francisco.

Picture

I snapped a picture of myself after the run, mostly so you could see the type of weather that accompanied me along my route.

 

I tried several times but this is the best shot I got. Ain't great but oh well. I'd just run 22 miles so you'll have to forgive me.

I might have some more to say about this run but I may not. Fo rnow, that's all I've got.

Technology don't fail me now

Just got back from a 2.15 mile run. It was the first run since Friday's eight-mile run and I felt good. it felt good to get back out there. Physically everything went well.

But my downfall I believe will be technology. And today was a good illustration of that.

I run with lots of bells and whistles. Aside from the actual act of running and everything that goes with it, I've got plenty to keep me busy during a typical run. Here's a breakdown:

* iPod Part 1 of 2: I'm nothing without my iPod. I need music to run. I tell people all the time that without my iPod I'd still weigh 300 pounds.

* Headphones, Part 2 of 2: I worry about them sometimes. They slip off my ear, or they give out on me.

* Watch, Part 1 of 2: My watch goes around my left wrist and measures my heart rate, time and calories burned, though it only shows either the heart rate or time, not both. It goes with...

* Heart Rate Strap, Part 2 of 2: This attaches around my torso, and the actual part that measures the heart rate sits right underneath my sternum. I lovingly refer to it as my "man-bra" although it supports nothing. (here's a link to a picture of some guys wearing one)

* Garmin: I love it but I'm still trying to figure it out. I try not to look at it too often but it's difficult. The pace is quite intriguing.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going off to battle or something with the amount of gear I have on. Nevermind sunglasses if I need them, the Vaseline to prevent injury, etc. I've got plenty to keep me busy.

Now, lately my heart rate monitor has been irritating me. Not sure why but for the last few months I need to put the strap on about 30 minutes before a run in order for it to register a heart rate from the start of the run. I noticed that during soccer season as I wear it during every game I officiate. It's usually not a problem - I put it on, make sure it's secure and forget about it. I really don't feel it when I run, and I ran the Mud Run and the 10K while wearing it.

But when it fails you, it can throw off an entire run. This morning, for instance, I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for my run. I put the strap on before I did anything else, and by the time I was out on the street in front of my house warming up for my run, with iPod set to AC/DC, Garmin registering the GPS and my vaseline-lubed nips ready to go, my watch kept flashing "00" at me. No heart rate.

Oh well. I left without it. Now, I'd only wanted to run a couple of miles so I didn't want to linger. Had I been running intervals or something longer than two miles, I may have waited. As it was, though, I was irritated and didn't want to give it any more time and/or attention.

I ran for about a half mile before trying again. It finally kicked on and measured my heart rate. I felt more in a groove once that was on, since I got used to running with it and glancing at in order to help me maintain my pace and rhythm. Now with my Garmin, though, I have something else that will help me with my pace.

The run went well and I had no problems with my watch, the strap (sometimes it slips down because it's too loose but not today), the Garmin, the iPod or the headphones (the right one slipped off the ear a few times but nothing big). No, the biggest problem I had with my run today was, in fact, a physical one. My nipple is complaining again.

I guess I can't win for trying.

No run

I had wanted to test out my brand-spankin' new Garmin on Thursday. I had a two-mile run slated for the day and wanted to run outdoors. But the day dragged on and before I knew it I'd missed my chance to run in the morning.

I had thought about running before my game but ended up not having enough time to do so. I probably didn't run two miles but I was particularly active during the game, running around the field and everything, so I felt good about my physical activity for the day. Had I been scheduled to run more than three miles, I probably wouldn't have but two miles is relatively light, considering the other amounts I'll have to put in later during this training portion of my half-marathon.

After the match, I sat in horrible traffic en route to my other assignment; I picked up some referee assignments at a local university as I'm officiating some intramural co-ed games; basically a league for grad students studying to be doctors and dentists and pursuing other such careers.

All told I officiated over four games on Thursday with no true run. While I feel good about having put in some work, I feel like I wasted a chance to test out my new toy. Oh well. Perhaps Saturday I will try it out. After all, I've got a two-mile run scheduled for Saturday. And if that weren't enough, I've got a six-miler scheduled for Sunday, so my using the Garmin is a question of when, not if.

Special delivery

Guess what I got in the mail on Wednesday?


I'll give you a hint: It starts with G- and ends in -armin.

And it helps measure pace, distance and time.