Filles de Fer

The February 2008 issue of Runner’s World is out, and there’s a feature article on the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Check it out. I picked it up for some plane reading on the way back from Cleveland, mostly because I saw that on the cover.

I also found a new goal. Inspired by Tony Reed (there’s an article about him), I’m going to aim for 50 marathons by my 50th birthday. Seems like a pretty reasonable goal – I’ve already done one, so that averages out to two per year plus one more. Life-altering injury aside? I think I can make this.

Once upon a time, way back in September, I did a little analysis of a 1/2 IM training plan I’ve been looking at. It’s a 20-week plan, and while I originally intended to start it this fall, that didn’t exactly happen. I ran, I swam, and I got a little bit better on the bike, but I pretty much forgot about ze plan.

Enter a New Year’s Resolution of sorts: start this plan in January of 2008 (specifically, start it on the first Monday of ‘08, since I’m weird and would rather start on a Monday than a Tuesday), and work onward and upward from there.

Some things have changed since this fall: I got a bike, it got too snowy/icy to run outside, and post-Christmas, I’ll have a wetsuit (yeah, it’s not really a surprise gift). Some things need to change before I start a more focused training program: I’ve been a bit lax with my daily water intake, I could be eating a bit healthier, and I really ought to get more sleep.

The first 20 weeks of 2008 will be intense, but I’m definitely looking forward to it. Serious Runner, are you joining me on this plan?

I just uploaded some of my recent run data from Nike+ and I’ve been looking over the graphs to see if there are any patterns. All of the runs have been between 2-3 miles (I’m still working on building cold-weather mileage. More serious distance will be logged indoors, on the track.), and at temperatures below freezing, but I’ve run at different times of day. I’ve discovered the following about my cold-weather runs:

• So far, my fastest average pace happened at 6:25am. I ran around my neighborhood, up to the park, and zigzagged back through the neighborhood.
• My slowest run was at 10:17am. I ran through Wrigleyville, and got stopped at a lot of intersections. This might be why my average pace was about 15 seconds slower than most runs.
• My most consistent run (in terms of pace) occurred at 9:12pm. I ran a different Wrigleyville route (more side streets than the 10:17am run).
• Hydration is still a problem for me. I haven’t been able to locate any functional water fountains, which is sad. I’ve been wearing gloves on these runs, and I’m clumsy anyhow, so carrying a water bottle is out of the question. Do I opt for a hydration belt? Is it that big of a deal? Am I even going to run more than 3 miles outside in this cold?

The newest issue of Triathlete magazine has a great article about cycling gear for beginners (it’s on p164 of the November 2007 issue, in case you care to read it). Was it coincidence that I picked up this magazine while I was on my little cycle-spree at Performance? Let’s take a look at Tech Support’s recommendations, and see how I’m doing…

Safety

Helmet – I’ve got one. It’s not fancy, it wasn’t expensive, but it fits and it’s functional. Could I buy a better helmet? Sure. That’s for later, when I haven’t just bought a new bike.
Glasses – Negator. I really need a pair. I like Cap’s Nike glasses, but that’s another purchase that’s being set aside for next payday.
Lights – I don’t have these yet, but I won’t be doing any night riding anytime soon. The goal right now is to get comfortable on the bike, and that will be happening during daylight hours.

Fitting

Lucky for me, I know some kids who really love bikes, and who know what to look for in terms of fit. While I was practicing clipping in and out of my new pedals, Foss made some adjustments and the bike is a great fit. Ideally, I’ll get some narrower handlebars soon – I’m only 5 feet tall, so even the women-specific bars are a little wide for my short arms. I’m also looking into getting a shorter stem, but with narrower handlebars, the current stem height is just fine. I think I’ll know what I need after a few rides.

Clipless pedals and shoes

Pedals – Got ‘em. My pedals are Forte Carve MTB. Mountain bike pedals, but that makes sense given the shoes I got. They’re multi-release pedals, and I’m pretty comfortable clipping in and out of them so far. Sure, they’re not pink, but style points come later
Shoes – I bought these along with my pedals/cleats. I’m kind of in love with my new cycling shoes. They’re Pearl Izumi Vagabond M4 women’s shoes. Technically, they’re mountain bike shoes, but I chose them because the thicker tread makes them easier to walk in (with the cleats on) than the other shoes I tried on. I really like that cycling shoes come in European sizes – these ones are a perfect fit.

Gloves, socks, jersey and shorts

Gloves – I went girly and got pink gloves. Pink bike, pink gloves…I’m sure a pink jersey is going to happen eventually! The gloves are by Pearl Izumi, and they’re comfy.
Socks – Have them. SmartWool is my favorite. When I was buying my most recent pair of running shoes, I let the sales girl at Running Away convert me from New Balance to Mizuno, and from regular cotton socks (which get super gross after a long run!) to SmartWool.
Jersey – I don’t have a jersey yet. I really love the women’s designs by Twin Six, though.
Shorts – Check. I think they look totally silly, but I have the paneled cycling shorts with the funny little padding in the butt. Pearl Izumi again, because I seem to be in love with them.

Flat-repair kit

I don’t have tools yet, and I don’t know how to fix anything. This is what happens when you’re a newbie and your cycling coach is just lucky enough never to have blown a tire. Guess what I’m going to learn ASAP?

Lubricant and cleaners

What’s the point of having a pretty pink bike if it’s dirty? I should probably get a small kit, but the nice thing about getting my bike at Performance is that they will do the following for free, for as long as I own my bike: adjust and lube the brakes, gears, and drive train, adjust the bottom bracket, headset, and hubs, and true the wheels.

Floor pump

I don’t have one, but Cap does. I’ll probably get my own pump eventually, but for now I’ll just borrow his.

Water bottle cages and bottles

I have these! Hydration is a huuuuge priority of mine. Mine are standard terralite cages, but I had to fight the urge to spend 60 bucks on carbon fiber cages to shave precious seconds off my times (joooooooooke).

Cycling computer

I don’t have one yet, but I’ll probably pick one up this winter. The plan is to log lots of hours on the trainers while having extended tournaments of Madden, Mortal Kombat, and NBA Jam.

Triathlon-specific gear

Cycling
I opted for a road bike over a tri bike for two very simple reasons: (1) it’s my first bike, and it’s much easier to justify spending the couple-hundred dollar price difference on accessories rather than on tri-specific features, and (2) the only tri bikes I could find in the bike shops I went to were way too big for me.
I might get aerobars eventually, and if I really get addicted to triathlons, I might splurge on a tri bike, but for now, a road bike is just fine.
Swimming
I’m browsing around for wetsuits now. I’m not sure whether I want a tri suit or a standard wetsuit, but I’m sure the folks at Running Away will be able to offer up advice on the matter.

I’ll need better goggles eventually, but since my swim workouts are currently taking place in the pool at my school’s fitness center, I’ll wait to upgrade those until I start swimming in Lake Michigan.

One piece of equipment that I am lacking? A swim cap. I broke the one I’d been using, and I haven’t replaced it yet.
Running
I love my Mizuno Wave Rider 10s. Favorite. Running shoes. Ever. I was super-loyal to New Balance for years, but I’m definitely a Mizuno convert now.

I bought a pair of shorts at the Chicago Marathon expo, and I can’t recall which brand they are, but they’re phenomenal at moisture-wicking.

It’s getting colder out, and I’ll be layering soon. I used to own a few pairs of running tights, but I can’t seem to find them. Leggings from Gap work just as well, though.

I’ll admit that I usually wear a plain t-shirt instead of a moisture-wicking shirt. I own a few dri-fit shirts, but they’re just not as comfortable. I’ll gladly take suggestions if anyone knows of moisture-wicking shirts which are even remotely as soft as an American Apparel tee.

I am totally enamored of the Nike+ system. It’s really a great motivational tool – I love tracking my mileage and comparing runs. I’m not naturally gifted at determining things like how far I’ve gone, my pace, or even how long I’ve been running. That makes me a huge fan of the fact that I can just press the center button during a run and find out all of those details.

Ian Buchanan (who wrote the article) sums up my feelings about all of these recent purchases quite well: “While it costs a little money to get set up right, it will pay off as you enjoy riding your bike more and will thus ride more often. Isn’t that what it is all about in the first place?” You are correct, sir. If I’m going to do 70.3 in about 9 months, this equipment is going to get a lot of use.

My first offical post! Get excited ppl! haha 

So yesterday on my bike ride–which was quite splendid by the way–made me realize why I absolutely love Chicago. 

1) Chicago works out!  There’s always so many ppl doing some kind of physical activity on the lake shore trail.  It’s kinda nice not to be the only one running out on the street and getting gawked at.

2) The scenery is beautiful…you have the beach and the lake and can enjoy the waves rolling in.  It is also very pretty when the sun rises.  Then w/ the turn of the head you can watch the cars go by and admire all the buildings.

3)  All different sorts of ppl: ~oriental woman jamming out to whatever she was listening to while riding her bike (made me wonder what she was listening to cuz I wanted to jam out like her!), girl running w/ white fuzzy ear muffs (I soo what a pair!), man sitting out on the steps by the beach talking to a seagull, and the seagull was staring directly back at him w/ his head slightly cocked to one side…it was if he understood what the man was tellling him (it was pretty precious if I might add), some kids makin a skateboardin video (trying to be like Tony Hawk I suppose), woman running w/ no movement of the arms whatsoever…made me wonder if there was a new style of running I was unaware of,  old couple running together (it was so adorable and cute…I want to be like them…more power to them esp at their age!), emo kid playing basketball, oh and how could I forget the OH! so cute guys!  (I’ll have their babies anyday! haha), and the list could go on!

4) Water fountains (Bonus!!!)

5) bike tune up shop - how cool is that?  I’ve never seen one of those before!

Besides for biking, I ran 10 miles today.  And boy was I tired after that run.  It was great running weather, that’s for sure.  I love this time of year for running…it’s just cold enough you don’t sweat like crazy, and ur legs are cold, sometimes even numb and for me I can run farther and not feel the pain (even though that could be a dangerous thing).  I also LOVE my running shoes. Those rootbeer/chocolate/latte asics are awesome!  I seriously want to go and buy the whole stock of them!  It’s goin to be quite sad when they have to retire.  But there will be others!  So will the sidewalks and such be clear of snow in the winter?  I’m thinking if they are…outside is the place for me! There is no way I can run 10 miles on a treadmill…10 min maybe haha.

 Oh btw bike riding reminds me of something…but I’ll keep my post PG haha

The 2007 Chicago Marathon, as I remember it.

11:06pm, Saturday night I think I’m being amusing by “carb-loading” on Chicago Fire birthday cake. My friends take it away from me, which is probably a good idea.

5:03am, Race Day morning I wake up, fumble around for my running clothes and bib number, and get dressed. I remember everything I need for the morning except for sunscreen. I also eat half of a banana. Not the best race-day breakfast, but I just wasn’t feeling it, and I didn’t want to be sick to my stomach during the race from forcing food down.

6:08am I arrive at the Addison Red Line stop. I meet some other runners, and we talk about the times we’re aiming for. At this point, I’m still hoping for a BQ.

7:21am The line for the portas in Grant Park. I’m standing behind a group of ladies in their seventies, all of whom are marathon veterans. They’ve done Chicago, Boston, NYC, and they’ve been running since before I was born. Incredible.

The starting line I’m in the open start. I haven’t run a marathon before, so I’m not lucky enough to start in any of the seeded corrals. The pace group I want to run with (3:30 - wishful thinking, but it’ll give me some leeway to stop at aid stations and still make a BQ) is several start corrals ahead of me. I’m going to have to weave my way through a lot of people to get up to that group.

Mile 1 I am easily amused, and the red carpet on the bridge makes me happy.

Aid station #1 Despite my complete distaste for race-day Gatorade (it’s super-concentrated, and I like my Gatorade diluted), I down a cup of it at the first aid station. It’s supposed to be a hot day, after all. I grab a water to wash it down. So far, so good.

Miles 2-6 I wish I had my iPod. I love Chicago, but I see this view all the time on the way to work. I’m feeling slow, and I’m not sure if it’s the humidity, the herd of runners around me, or my mind playing tricks.

10K mark I see the 3:40 pace leader. Apparently I am not going as slowly as I thought, although I’ve got some serious catching up to do if I want to meet the 3:30 group.

Mile 7 It finally occurs to me that it’s hot outside. Until this point, I have really not noticed. I slow down. I don’t want to burn out early.

Somewhere between miles 7 & 8 I love Wrigleyville. There’s a spectator with an Ohio State flag. I yell “O-H!” and he yells back “I-O!” and I run faster for about a quarter mile.

Aid station #4 I start to see people around me walking. Weird. That’s early, no?

Somewhere in Boys Town I get spritzed with water by a drag queen dressed all in animal prints.  Leopard, zebra, tiger, you name it. It’s awesome, but that outfit has to be hot!

Mile 9 This is the mile during which I usually hit my “zone.” My zone is nowhere to be seen, and I am moderately annoyed. I break Personal Race Rule #1 (smile throughout the entire race, in case anyone is taking your photo).

Aid station #5 I pull off the course near the portas and stretch against a wall. Still haven’t hit my zone, but I’m not sore. I’m not sure why I’m stretching.

Mile 11 My pace is dropping. I notice some runners with 3:50 pace tags on their backs.

Mile 13.1 - halfway point I’m hot, I’m thirsty, and my morale is slightly crushed as I notice the time on the clock. I did my 1/2 marathon in May in 2:03:44, and I was expecting to cross the halfway mark long before that point in this race. The phrase “If you can’t take the heat…” floats into my mind, and I try to push through and run faster.

Mile 14 It’s hot. I start run-walking for about a quarter mile, and then tell myself to run at least to the next aid station.

Aid station #8 Ice. Glorious ice. I grab a handful, put some on my neck, and stuff the rest down my shirt. It melts almost immediately.

Somewhere in Little Italy I wish I had the presence of mind to look around. I’ve never been to Little Italy, but I’m not really able to pay much attention to things now.

PowerBar gel station I hate gels. I really hate gels. I feel sorry for the kid handing out the latte ones, though, because he keeps yelling out “Nobody wants my gel! I am so rejected!” I take a double latte gel, choke it down, and guzzle some water. I vow never again to take a gel just because I feel bad for the volunteer kid.

About 35 yards past the PowerBar gel station A little kid hands me a blue Jolly Rancher. It makes everything feel right in the world. Double latte gel taste: gone.

30K mark I realize at this point that I am on Ashland. I’ve lived in Chicago since July, but it just now occurs to me (thanks to the heat and the weird directions my mind is going) that this is the same Ashland that is near my house, but south. I feel brilliant. I miss my iPod, and start to think about songs that might be playing if I had it.

Mile 20 I scratch my leg. It’s covered in salt. This is something I’ve never experienced before, and it’s a little bit creepy. I’m actually glad there’s Gatorade around.

Aid station #11 I stop for a potty break, and I’m convinced that I’m hallucinating, because I hear someone say “The race is over.” That can’t be true!

35K mark At this point, I’m alternating running and walking. I can’t help it. It’s too hot. I see the dude with the Ohio State flag and run for a solid 50 yards, yelling “O-H!” and feeling pretty insane.

Mile 22 A police officer tells me that the race is canceled and I need to stop running right away. I am a law-abiding citizen, and I have loads of respect for police officers, but I opt at this moment to yell and run. If I’m not stopping myself from running this race, nobody else is! I run from the cops, and giggle a little bit as I do so.

International Mile I see a guy in a Blanco jersey. I’m feeling a smidge delirious here, and the Fire won on Saturday, so I yell “Blancoooooo!” and do his famous goal-scoring gesture. The dude in the jersey looks at me like I’m insane, then starts cheering. Go Fire!

Aid station #13 I skip the fluids and break Personal Race Rule #2 (get something to drink at every aid station). There’s no good reason to do this, because I’m really, really hot. I just don’t want to wait for the volunteers to fill up the cups, and I’m pretty sure there’s another aid station coming up soon.

Aid Station #14 The second aid station I skip. Again, a poor decision. I just don’t want to bother. There’s not much farther to go, and there’s water at the end. And beer! I’m running for my beer now.

Mile 25 I tell myself that I am going to run the entire last 1.2 miles. A police officer tells me otherwise. I walk past the policeman, then I run as soon as he’s out of sight. Then I walk some more. Man, it’s hot. 

Mile 26 I hear someone say “Nice kick, red shorts!” I run harder.

The finish line I dive over the line, making a superhero motion. I can’t wait to see the photo of that. Sadly, the photo snapped just after that, so there’s no photographic evidence of my sweet dive.

The finish area I am handed a bagel by a volunteer. I tell him that I love him, but that I don’t want that bagel right now. I take a mylar blanket and tie it around my neck like a superhero cape. I am very pleased with myself, until people behind me start stepping on it. Oops. I make my way towards the fountain, and wonder how I’m going to find my friends.

Buckingham Fountain I can’t find the letter A in the runner reunite area. I walk a full circle and realize that it was just to the left of where I started.  The bonus to this is that I keep walking instead of sitting down. I find the lady from Sprint who is offering free phone calls for athletes and spectators. I leave my roommate a voicemail that says “Roommate, where is my beer?” and hang up. I see Cap about 20 feet away and decide that jumping on his back is the best way to get his attention. Probably not, but it worked. The roommate meets up with us, and we head off to get beers. The post-race beer is incredible, and I am a happy kid.

3:19pm The roommate and I go to Jamba Juice. The 16-ounce pomegranate paradise smoothie with immunity boost and whey protein makes me smile.

6:51pm I’m finally home, showered, and in dry clothes. Unfortunately, I am shivering. Despite this, my skin is hot to the touch, and my body temp is super high. Time to ice. And eat chicken parmesan and watch “Snakes on a Plane,” because that is entirely necessary.

10:38pm Still really hot. I have a bag of ice on my head, ice behind my neck, and I’ve been drinking grape Gatorade mixed with ice water for about 4 hours now. I go to bed with the fan on, a glass of water next to me, and ice nearby.

I am wicked grateful to the following people (not an all-inclusive list):

• La Roommate & Cap, for biking all over the city to find me, and for nursing me back to health
• the race organizers and volunteers, for doing their damndest (despite what the critics say) to keep us hydrated and safe
• my family, who wasn’t in Chicago but who signed up for email and phone alerts to track my splits
• the spectators, especially those with the giant Ohio State flags who yelled “I-O!” back when I yelled “O-H!”
• my coworkers, who tracked down my bib # on the race results page just to make sure I finished

I just found my stats on the race results page:

Chip time: 4:54:01 Clock time: 4:58:42 Pace: 11:12

Overall placement: 12,546^th Gender placement: 4,338^th Division (F20-24) placement: 556^th

Not a BQ, but I can’t really complain. I finished, and I can say that I was a part of the first Chicago Marathon closed due to adverse conditions!

The 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. My first marathon, and it was bittersweet. I have never had such mixed feelings about a race. I feel like a failure for not finishing with a Boston-qualifying time, but I feel like a success for finishing at all. I’m stubborn and wouldn’t go to the medical tent post-race, but I spent the evening being nursed back to health from hyperthermia (I had a great nurse, too). I thought I had trained well, but there were times when I felt more like I was participating in a death march than a marathon. I ran faster when I saw the cheering spectators, but I slowed to a grueling walk when the sirens became a constant soundtrack and I saw runner after runner drop to the ground. I ran from the police. My post-race beer was the best beer I’ve had in my life, even if it was probably a bad idea under the circumstances.

In case you didn’t know, the race was closed early. The 88 degree temperature was the highest in the marathon’s history, and it was brutal. Only 24,933 of the 35,867 runners  finished the race. So far, one runner is dead and over 350 are in the hospital. I’ve heard from others that there wasn’t enough water. I got at least one Gatorade and one water at every aid station (except for the two that I skipped - not the smartest idea), but I can’t imagine how it must have been for the runners who didn’t get any. I really want to thank all or the random spectators who turned on their garden hoses or handed out their own bottled water - that was amazing, and you are wonderful people!

Some people are throwing blame at the race organizers for inadequate preparation or something along those lines. I’m not going to do that. We [the runners] all knew about the heat, and we took a risk by running that race. There were several points at which I could have dropped out of the race, but I’m stubborn, and I kept going. I’m just going to put it out there that some of us are less risk-averse than others, and I’m definitely not going to lay blame on anyone for Sunday.

The official press release (from the Chicago Marathon website) regarding the contingency plan/race closure:

October 7, 2007

Attention Participants and Spectators:Due to the rising heat index and higher than expected temperatures, LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski and Medical Director Dr. George Chiampas, in cooperation with city officials, have implemented a contingency plan, as a precautionary measure, to effectively close the Marathon course at the halfway point. Runners who have not reached the halfway point by approximately 11:30 a.m. will be diverted back to Grant Park via Halsted and Jackson. Jackson will be closed to automobile traffic and the participants will be provided with additional support along this route. Participants who crossed the halfway point prior to the shut-down will continue to be fully supported along the standard course to the finish line. Participants are asked to take advantage of medical personnel, cooling buses, runner drop out buses, water, Gatorade and other means of support en route back to Grant Park.

The elites who rocked this race in just over 2 hours? Superheroes. Me? I just pretend to be one with my mylar blanket-cape.

Full write-up of this race coming soon.

I’m way more competitive with myself than I am with others. I don’t care if I cross the finish line dead last if I break a PR, and I’m usually pretty oblivious to everyone else in the race (unless they’re really noticeable, like the dude in the tangerine speedo in this year’s Flying Pig). I’m pretty sure this is common to a large number of runners/triathletes.

I’ll still check out race results, though. On some level, I like to see how I compare to others in my age group, and I use it as another category of self-evaluation: between this race and last race, do I rank better among my peers? In the Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon this May, I placed 106^th out of the 351 women in my age group. I’m hoping that I’ll do at least as well (on a relative scale, as there will be a LOT more runners) this Sunday, and it would rock my SmartWool running socks off if I did better. I’m not sure how many people are in my age group, but last year there were 1837 in the F 20-24 division.

I’m trying very hard not to psych myself out for this race. My 20-miler initially made me feel really awesome about myself, but now I’m worried that I won’t live up to it during the actual race. There are some serious differences between that run and the real deal:

• the distance - 6.1 miles longer
• the lack of iPod - it’s against the rules, and I don’t want to chance it
• the route (although that shouldn’t matter too much, given that I just made a lot of random turns during my 20)
• the hydration setup - I’ll be dependent on aid stations rather than that oh-so-convenient water fountain at Welles Park that I stopped at about 50 times during the first 6 miles
• the 45,000 other people sharing the road with me

Time to start thinking happy thoughts!