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John’s AZ Rock ‘n Roll Marathon Report
John (2330) PRs in AZ Because He Sticks With the Beach Runners’ Program
On Sunday I ran the Arizona Rock-N-Roll Marathon in Phoenix (and Scottsdale and Tempe). My time was a PR, which is comforting since it was only my second marathon.
I learned a few critical lessons leading up to the marathon. First, avoiding injury. Two weeks prior to the marathon, while running with my usual Beach Runners’ group, I started feeling shin splints in my left leg. As it did not go away after a mile or so, I stopped. I stretched my leg for about a minute, and then I walked for a minute. I then ran slowly for about 1 1/2 miles, alternating between the concrete and sand (and checking my footprints in the sand to see if my foot-strike looked good, per the Chi Running book). I then met up with coach Steve — who was resting at his mid-way running point — to discuss the issue. I resumed my slow running, focusing on my form, and my leg was feeling better. I did not resume my normal pace until I turned around with some of my usual running buddies who were heading back. I finished my run without any shin splints, and only missed less than 2 miles of running versus the rest of the group. Big deal.
Second lesson: more fuel to avoid bonking. On a couple of my long runs leading up to the marathon, I simply ran out of gas. My body felt reasonably well, judging from my recovery time post run. I had only been eating about 1 gel pack per 45 mins to 1 hour. So for the marathon, I decided to eat a gel pack (100 calories each) every 1/2 hour.
The marathon itself provided a third lesson: you can’t prepare for everything (at least until you’ve done a lot more than 2 marathons). The day of the marathon was the coldest day on record in the Phoenix area in 16 years!!! Phoenix weather this time of year is supposed to be like Southern California’s: pleasantly in the high 40s or low 50s in the morning. But the race started at 29 degrees. Brrrr!!!!! I knew enough to bring extra shirts and other clothing that I could toss away as the race proceeded. Once I warmed up, however, I really did not need any extra clothing. But many of the runners were only comfortable with much more clothing. With this weather, unless a runner had been used to running in sub-freezing temperatures, you really didn’t know for sure what you needed until you did it. Fortunately for me, I guessed correctly.
I had run the Long Beach marathon in October at 4:42:27 relatively comfortably, so I figured I could go at least 4:30:00 in this one. But I decided not to have any sort of printed time pacing on my wrist (unlike the L.B. marathon). Instead, I ran at what I felt was a comfortable pace, with my trusty Garmin to tell me my current heart rate to check that I was not stressing myself.
The Garmin also told me what my average pace was, but that led to my fourth lesson: technology might fail you. About 1/2 way through the race, the Garmin lost connection with satellites for a few miles. It reconnected for another few miles, but in the last 6 miles it received nothing. So much for keeping tabs on your average pace. (Although this marathon had timers every 1 mile.)
As the marathon progressed, I used the first lesson about avoiding injury. At some points in the middle of the run, I felt some extra pain and stress in my right foot. During those times, I eased up a little bit on my pace, and focused on my running form including breathing “into” the injured area. This always worked, since my foot would feel better after a couple of minutes. And I had no significant foot pain in the last several miles of the race. I had prepared mentally to walk or stop and stretch if easing up on the pace only resulted in the same or increasing pain, like I had on my weekend run 2 weeks ago. Fortunately, my body responded without those measures.
At the 20-mile mark, I employed a fifth lesson from Beach Runners: go for a negative split. I felt reasonably well at that time, so I took my metronome and increased the tempo from 88 to 90, and leaned a little more to increase the speed. At the 24-mile mark, I still felt okay so I increased the tempo to 92 and ran like I wanted to have nothing left at the finish line. (Leading up to Sunday, I had run at 88 or 90 in my long runs, and at 94 on my weekday “tempo” or “interval” runs, so a 92 was not new to me.)
I finished the race at 4:21:31, with an overall pace of 9:59 min/mile. Between the data provided by time chip and my Garmin (resetting the “lap time” at various times as I passed distance markers), this is how my race broke down by intervals:
First 6.2 miles (10K): overall time of 1:03:03; interval pace of 10:10/mi
6.2 mi to 13.1 mi: overall time of 2:12:53; interval pace of 10:07/mi
13.1 mi to 20 mi: overall time of 3:22:51; interval pace of 10:09/mi
20 mi to 25 mi: overall time of 4:10:26; interval pace of 9:31/mi
25 mi to finish: overall time of 4:21:31; interval pace of 9:14/mi
As I crossed the finish line, I felt tired, but I didn’t have all that much pain, other than a dull pain in my gut (aka my “chi”) and, strangely enough, some pins-and-needles in my arms. Immediately after I stopped, however, I didn’t notice anything in my gut or arms. Instead, I felt T-I-R-E-D and I had P-A-I-N all over in my legs. No joint pain or shin splints or the like however; just muscular pain as if I had just run 26.2 miles. Curiously, my butt felt okay post race. “Butt” once I got to my parents’ car for the ride to their house, as soon as I sat down, the P-A-I-N in my butt felt worse than in my legs.
Post-race, I employed a sixth lesson: have lots of fuel. (At least this works for me.) After the Long Beach marathon, I didn’t eat much and after about 15 minutes I was incredibly woozy. I had to lie on my back or stomach for a couple of hours until I felt good to walk around for a cab ride home. This time, my wife Laura had ready for me a protein shake, electrolyte drink (Ultima), peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, and bananas for me to scarf down. So, even with feeling tired and pain, at least I avoided the woozy feelings this time.
I sit here today, 2 days post marathon; I’m feeling pretty good. Like I might go out for a short, easy run on Thursday (like I did after the Long Beach marathon). No way I’m going to be out of commission for a couple of weeks or more like a lot of marathoners.
Here’s to ChiRunning® and to the Beach Runners!
John
RunCast 16 – My First UltraMarathon
The ultramarathon was 50K which works out to about 32 miles. It was all on trails and as a chirunner/trailrunner, I was in 7th heaven. I love running on dirt, rocks, leaves, pine needles…God’s surfaces.
It was very hilly and parts were technical so it is a difficult 32 miles. Much harder than a road marathon.
Watch the video to see how I did.
The race was very well organized and certainly the best food I’ve ever had at the rest stations. I highly recommend doing a race with this race company.
Enjoy the video. Its kind of long just like the run was. Pay attention to what Chuck Wilson, experienced ultramarathoner tells me in the middle of the race that enables me to finish the race strong.
Click here if you have a PC and are having the normal XP problems
Happy New Years
ps I fly off to warmer temperatures (Thailand) for a month Thursday. Take care Beach Runners. I’ll write something from the land of a thousand smiling faces.
Jesus Crushes His PR at the Las Vegas Marathon – Race Report
Beach Runners Jesus and John after the Las Vegas Marathon
What an experience it was last weekend at the Las Vegas Marathon. Who would have thought I was going to PR in a city that is known for partying. We flew in on Friday December 8th and met up with some friends. It was definitely a test of will right from the beginning. I could only sit there and watch as my friends partied and drank all night, calling me “boring” and a “party pooper”.
I knew I had to focus on what I had gone out there to do. I didn’t want my training gone to waste on one night. I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do because this was going to be my 3rd marathon this year and my legs were feeling a bit fatigued. I modified my training after the Long Beach Marathon by alternating between long runs with medium short runs usually 8-10 miles every other week instead of doing only long runs and also limited speed work to only once a week. What a difference it made the week before the marathon. I felt a new spring in my step and felt better than I had in months.
When I showed up to the marathon I decided that I was going to shoot for a Boston qualifying time based on how I was feeling and the quality of my workouts that week. I knew I had my work cut out for me because I would have to clock in at 3:10 in order to qualify. As soon as the race started, I immediately tried to get on a 7:15 minute mile pace but encountered very strong head winds for an extended period of time and fell off pace. Halfway through the marathon I knew that my chances were going to be slim because I was already about 4 minutes off pace for a 3:10. I kept pushing trying not to let up and finally came through the chutes clocking in at 3:19 crushing my previous PR of 3:47.
I learned a valuable lesson with this marathon as far as training is concerned. Before the Las Vegas Marathon I was running all my long runs at or above race pace and running all my weekday workouts hard. I felt that if I didn’t push hard during training I wasn’t going to get faster, not knowing that I was only hurting myself. I modified my training immediately following the Long Beach Marathon to include only one hard tempo run during the week, including easier runs during the week as well and finally alternating between slow long runs with slow medium distance runs every other weekend.
I felt my body was better able to recover from the long runs by using this method of alternating long with medium distance runs every other weekend. I definitely feel I went into the race with fresher legs than I did at the Long Beach Marathon and it showed during the final push.
The moral of the story is, that you should cut down on the hard workouts to once a week, cut down the pace of your long distance runs to at LEAST 1 minute per mile slower than expected race pace and finally listen to your body by resting when you’re feeling over trained and fatigued. As Steve says, you won’t loose your fitness if you take a week off. This is the philosophy I used for this marathon and it worked great for me. I hope it can help other people realize that sometimes training a little slower can actually make you faster on race day.
Jesus – Beach Runners’ Mentor and SoCalRunnning.com Member
Larry’s Honolulu Marathon Race Report
And, believe me, no one more than I is surprised. I trained for and finished the Long Beach half-marathon in October, and the farthest I’ve run since then is 11 miles so I started out at 5 a.m. this morning looking forward to having a good time stopping off at Denny’s for a Grand Slam breakfast if the mood so struck me.
At mile 13, I was feelin’ good so I kept going. At mile 17, I still felt pretty good other than needing to make some “adjustments”; at mile 20, it struck me as being ridiculous to stop so, at that point, I just kept going and before I knew it, I crossed the finish line!
Did I PR (personal record)? No, but for anyone hoping to do so, the Honolulu Marathon is definitely not the ticket.
Having now completed two marathons, my “expert” opinion tells me Honolulu is a slow one –from the course to the temperature to the participants but, ultimately, I had a good time, I’m still alive to talk about it and, hello, I’m in Hawaii!
Thanks to anyone and everyone who motivates and inspires me on a daily basis by being who you are on the way to becoming whom you hope to be!
My friend, Becky, arrived today, and we now have thoughts of doing a Hawaiian themed Christmas on her Internet radio show Friday night, the 22nd of December. I’ll keep you posted.
With much love, maholo,
Larry – Beach Runners’ Sergeant at Arms & SoCalRunning.com Member
Of Miracle Tickets and Turkey Trots
Steve, Conner, Emily, Colin and Micki put in a team effort
The last 24 hours have been incredible. It really goes back about 36 hours with the Beach Runners’ Tuesday night run. We had a beautiful evening for a 50-minute run along the beach followed by a nice yoga session led by Gary. Buono’s restaurant supplied us with all the food we could eat. 20 people showed up.
While I was running with Maria and Anna I told them what a big Rolling Stones fan I was and that I was looking for a ticket to their concert, Wednesday night. Maria just happened to know of a potential ticket for me. I was looking for that “miracle ticket” and it happened.
The next afternoon Maria called me with a two free tickets. I invited Paul, met her friend Bez and we were off to a fantastic Stones concert. Paul and I finished off the evening with a stop at a local Echo Park taco truck. It was the best al pastor burrito I have had in a long time. The perfect pre-race meal, not!
This morning I woke up and drove up to La Canada for their annual Run for the Hungry 5k. This was the third year I have participated in it. It was also a chance to test how my back’s recovery is coming. When I got there I ran into many Pasadena Tri Club members and ended up running with Micki, Emily and Colin pushing Conner. Our goal was running a conservative sub 30-minute 5K. We smoked that time with a 27:30. It was a new feeling for me, running slower than usual yet I was just happy to be running. The last two years I have finished in the top 4 in my age group. This year I was Thankful not walking at all. It shows how your perspective can quickly change.
We had a great time, earned our bird today and celebrated with breakfast together. If you aren’t out there volunteering to help feed the hungry, at least start your day off with a Turkey Trot that benefits some charity. Join the SoCalRunning.com crew next year as we will feature a few local Turkey Trots and keep running.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel Certified ChiRunning®/ChiWalking® instructor
Bruce, “Reese” and Steve warm-up at the Run For THe Hungry 5k before Saturday’s 80-mile ride to Solana Beach
Gislene Goes From Non-Runner to Marathoner with the Help of the Beach Runners Marathon and Half Marthon Training Program in 17 Weeks
Steve,
Thank you, for your support to this journey! I’ve learn a lot about myself and I will carry this experience throughout my life!
The next morning:
My journey to the finish line started when I joined the Beach Runners group in June, three weeks after the rest of the group started training. My first Saturday, I met the group and our coach that were going to support me through the next 17 weeks ahead. My first question was to our coach, Steve was, “Is it too late to join the group? I have never run before in my life.” His reply, “It is never too late. Today we are running 1h10 minutes. After 35 minutes, turn around and come back. Just do what you can, and have fun!” I knew right there, that this was the right group for me.
The next 3 weeks were really hard and I almost gave up. I felt terrible pain in my knees, and after every long run, I spent an hour icing them and walking funny. When I told others about it, the reply was that maybe I had knee problems and should get a scan. So I gave my self a deadline. I would try for 3 more weeks and if they didn’t get better, I would have to give up.
The next week, I tried working all the techniques taught by our coach, including breathing, posture, and stepping. His technique is called “ChiRunning.” I added vitamins (Triplex) to my diet and a new pair of shoes, and something really amazing happened… I never had a knee pain again. Not even during the Marathon.
Today is my first day after the Marathon, and as I play back all the stages I went through to reach that finishing line, it gives me chills. Many fears and insecurities go through your mind throughout the program. But you learn to deal with every fear, and at the end of the day you learn to overcome them in your own time.
My actual running time to reach that finishing line was long. I was doing pretty well when I reached mile 20, but after that, I couldn’t run anymore. I was exhausted . I started to walk… slowly. Those last 6.2 miles took me 2h 23 minutes, but, I made it to the end. When I finally saw the end (7hours in the race), 99% of the runners had already completed the race. But, then I saw the Beach Runners group cheering for me, and I switched from walking to running with my last drop of energy until I reached the finish line.
I did it ! So can you!
Gislene
RunCast 13 – Run to the Top of Mt Baldy
Dion in our running group made this kick ass videoblog of his run to the top of Mt. Baldy in Los Angeles. 8 miles. 4000 feet of elevation gain. One of the hardest runs in the United States.
We’d love more contributions.
Make anything for us, poems, articles, and especially cool videos like this one.
Dion you rock!
www.socalrunning.com
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Gary’s Mt. Baldy Race Report
(L-R) Larry, Anja, Dion and Tonya, Beach Runner Mentors, prepare to be de-virginized by the Devil’s Backbone trail
So I had high hopes of keeping up with uber athlete and fellow ChiRunning coach Steve Mackel on the 41st running of The Race to The Top of Mt. Baldy.
It was a lovely day. Hot. A guy at the top even pointed out how hot it is was compared to previous years. Global Warming perhaps?
After a restless sleep the night before I drove up early and was one of the first in the parking lots. Immediately two Beach Runners, Mina and Doug, parked next to me. I love that about joining a running group, it sure is nice to meet new running friends.
I registered. Then sat in my car listening to SAMONAS music. Most of you don’t know this, but I am an educational therapist. I work with dyslexics and other students with reading and/or learning difficulties. SAMONAS is the world’s best music for improving listening and communication abilities. My writing skills drastically accelerated after stimulating my inner harmonies with this amazing technology. So I sat gratefully, visualizing a good race, while listening to soothing flute and guitar.
So after this moment with prayer and music. I was ready. Then other Beach Runners started appearing…Dion, Larry, Tonye, Angie, Bert, Steve (with coconut juice of course).
And the race began. Within one mile I couldn’t keep up with Steve. Maybe I could. I don’t know. Or maybe I didn’t feel like it.
Actually, I did what I tell all my ChiRunning students to do…
listen to your body. I knew it was a hard race, and I began my pace. There is such a tendency to run with the fast pack at the beginning of a race then burn yourself out. This happens to marathoner after marathoner at a race like the Long Beach Marathon or Los Angeles Marathon.
So I settled into a good uphill pace FOR ME. And did what I usually do on runs, took in the scenery, stroke up conversations with people, tuned inward into my breathing, felt grateful for my health, thought of Rex, my grandfather, and tried to kill any ANTS.
ANTS are automatic negative thoughts. You know them. “I didn’t train hard enough”. “It’s my beer belly slowing me down.” “I should have got more sleep.” “I’ll never be as fast as Steve.” “Damn, this race is hard.” “What was I thinking of running up a mountain. “These kinds of thoughts can ruin your race if not your life. And I have listened to them, and unfortunately, believed them far too much in my life. Not anymore. The ANTS are losing. There is a new sheriff in town. Positivity and Gratitude.
So I settled in and tried to run the course well. I can honestly say I ran the race the best I could. I had to walk certain sections. But I ran hard on the short downhill section, and passed as many as I could on the final hill to the top, pacing about 10 people behind me.
I saw views of the desert, Los Angeles basin, wild flowers, and found new sections of my lungs I didn’t think I had.
At the top I saw Steve who urged me to run it in.
My time: 1hr 51 minutes. 6 minutes slower than last year. Strange because I thought I ran the race very well. And I am certainly faster than last year.
Steve, is right, I do need to develop a “race gear”. He has it. This other super competitive strong running gear. I started to get it on the track this year. But overall, its funny, I don’t like to be in this gear that much.
Certainly if you want to smash your previous running times, Steve is your man to listen to. I’ve got to get him to share his race secrets with you folks.
Look for an interview in the future.
On that mountain that day, Steve left early with his bag of trash to recieve a medal. He finished second in a very competitive age group (40-44) and 17th overall. I am very proud of his results and when you see him be sure to congratulate him, he so deserves it.
So I sat up there on that Mountain that day waiting for the rest of the Beach Runners. Bert, Eric, Loren, Doug, Mena, Angie, Dion, Tonye, and Larry. I ran them in congratulating them all taking photos giving hugs. And told myself I would wait for every last Beach Runner to get to the top.
And we walked down together listening to Larry sang show tunes and it all came to me about lucky I am. To have my health to do one of the five hardest races in the United States, and to do it with friends, and even better, \for someone shy and self centered like me, to play a role in inspiring and motivating others to get to the top of a mountain.
Thanks and congratulations to all the all the Beach Runners who believed in themselves to take the crazy chance to run to the top of mountain that day. I’m so proud of everyone of you. That was a hard race and you did it.
And I hope you found something up there in the clouds also. Something that you can keep with you for years to come.
Run with Joy,
Gary
Steve takes 2nd Place in His AG at Mt Baldy.
Steve displays his silver medal in AG in the Ski Lodge after the Run To the Top of Mt Baldy
My only fear is that a run like yesterday’s run comes only once in a lifetime. Then deep inside I know that there will be others, just the bar is set so high now.
I talk about it all the time, the experience of being in the flow, letting go, becoming one with moment and I experienced it in a new way yesterday. My run was a meditation, which aligned my mind, body and spirit and the results were more than a new PR, a new found freedom. I have to thank Coach Ilg and Wholistic Fitness® for showing me the path to get here.
Run-To-The-Top of Mt Baldy is circled on my calendar every year as long as I live in Southern California. It is a test and a beautiful way to spend a Monday morning. This was an “A” race for me. I knew what it takes but I didn’t know if I was up to the test. I thought I may had over trained last week leading up to the race. How hard would I go? I went medium hard, saving something for the last mile. I kept everything in check. I was breathing easier than most of the other runners. I was relaxed and (in)joying my run. I was passing people and I was keeping it quick and lite.
The last section of this race is straight uphill and I have been passed every year so far. Once I hit that section I made a decision, go hard and don’t be passed. Most of it was too steep to run. I walked almost the entire last section yet no one passed me. I saw the finish banner and started running again. I crossed the line in 1:22:08. I also knew that a 1:22:08 was probably good enough for a podium spot in my Age Group (AG). I hung out and waited for my friends to make it up to the 10,000+ ft mark. They all finished strong. I wanted to be at the lodge for the awards, just in case. I grabbed a trash bag and started the 4-mile hike back to the lodge.
The results came in and I took 2nd in my AG and 17th overall. I also took 10 minutes off last year’s PR. I was hoping to beat it just a couple of minutes, not over a minute a mile. It is hard to describe my feelings yesterday. For the first time in a long time I really surprised myself. And, I owe this victory to the ChiRunning® method. Since becoming a certified ChiRunning® instructor I have PR’d in every race I have raced in. I have been on the podium twice this year and my body feels better than ever. ChiRunning® works. I beat much faster runners because they don’t know the ChiRunning® hill techniques. I ran with my metronome set at 89 BPM. I focused on my posture and efficiency, knowing that I needed a great first 4 miles and a great last mile. I was thankful every step of the way. I listened, visualized, sang, prayed and focused, I tripped three times on the way up but you don’t fall that far when the road is that steep. How about a ChiRunning® lesson now?
Thank all of you for wishing me well before this race. I carried those thoughts with me and they helped power me. I look forward to being back out on the road with you. See you soon and RACE FOCUSED. Steve Mackel
Beach Runners’ Doug, Mina, Gary, Anja and Dion celebrate on the summit (L-R)
RunCast8 – The Big Sur Marathon
I won’t even reveal my time on this Marathon.
Okay maybe I will…..
My time…
I had damn good time is what I had. Just see the photos and you’ll see.
Again, click here for those PC users having problems. Imagine that.
Gary
Founder – Coach Steve
Running Shoe Store of the Month – Jan/Feb 2017
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