Marathon Meal and Training Plan
Day 134.
Morning weight = 168 / post 5 mile run 167.5
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-21-2013
Today’s Activities:
Monday, 10-21-2014
Day 134. Marathon Meal and Training Plan.
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Day 133. Marathon Meal and Training Plan.
Marathon Meal and Training Plan
Day 133.
Morning weight = 168
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-20-2013
Today’s Activities:
Sunday, 10-20-2014
Day 128. Parents are the Best
Parents are the Best
Celebrating a day with my parents and wife. Dinner and a movie. Parents are the best and I’m fortunate to still have them both in my life. As they get older, it’s even more apparent how much they have influenced my life.
From my pop. I have the same temperament. If our lives were bumper stickers, it would read “no problem.”
From my mom. I have the same “don’t stop” attitude. We’d both rather keel over and faint before we gave up.
Happy birthday Pop!
Morning weight = 169.5
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-15-2013
- 6pm (Meal 3) — Johnny Rockets Boca Burger Classic. Don’t forget … they have bottomless fries. Our server was in the Halloween mood.
Meal 3 — 6pm
- 10pm (Meal 4 – Not shown on MyFitnessPal numbers). Why? I only ate a little. This was for my parents birthday snack.
Meal 4 – 10pm
Today’s Activities:
- Celebrated my pop’s birthday. Dinner, movie, and high-end pastries. He is constantly saying he isn’t a cake guy, but every birthday we attend, I see him eating cake. My pop is the most laid back and honorable person. Filled with integrity. Quick to forgive and slow to anger. God bless you pop!
- We watched a press screening of Escape Plan. Sly and Arnold. One of these is my favorite actor. Here’s a clue … it’s the one that denied using steroids. Escape Plan … two big thumbs up.
Tuesday, 10-15-2013
Day 127. My Longest Run
My Longest Run
Coming off my personal best for a 10K at a 7:47 pace, I was feeling pretty good going into today. RunKeeper only has me going 15 miles, but nobody says I can’t add additional miles. What’s an extra mile amongst friends, right?
So after loading up on Herbalife24 and a banana, off I go.
Helpful tips for your longest run?
- Eat a high carb to protein ratio meal before you leave. A 12-1 carb to protein ratio is an excellent choice. Sorry, no Taco Bell or Egg McMuffins.
- Eat that pre-run meal at least 30-60 minutes before you leave.
- Don’t drink too much during your run. You’ll find yourself feeling like a washing machine and without all the gory details, you might see what you just drank.
- Listen to your body and then listen to your will. Now, I say this with a little hesitation. If you’re an Olympic athlete and the difference between gold and silver is hundredths of a second, listen to your will. But, for the 99.9% of us that will never step on a podium with our national anthem blaring as our theme song, don’t harm yourself. Walking is still moving. Or you can think of it as walking is just slower running.
Morning weight = 169.5. Post run weight 168.
I don’t really understand this … I’ve run 5 miles and lost 2-3 pounds. After 16 miles, I lost a total of 1.5 pounds. Don’t misunderstand … I’m not on a weight loss program. I am on a fitness and endurance program. But, I still like to think certain aspects of calories burned for weight loss are still constant. After burning nearly 2,100 calories, I would expect to see a 4 pound weight loss. (500 calorie deficit typically equals a pound). Let’s just say my scale was broken that day and it all washes out in the end.
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-14-2013
Today’s Activities:
- Wow. I ain’t going to lie. My longest run of 16 miles felt like the longest time I’ve ever been on my feet. I used all the tricks in the book — after the first 10K, reset my brain to say “just do another 10K” I tried telling myself to just keep shuffling my feet and that isn’t even going to tire me. Tried many things, but that was not easy.
- Got to the point where I actually had to walk or I was going to die (insert the little girl’s voice from Despicable Me). You’ll notice at mile 15, that’s where I stopped by my local Chinese restaurant and asked for a cup of water. If I’m being accurate, it sounded more like, “water … water”
- What did I learn? It’s okay to walk before you go into full shutdown mode. I came pretty close today at mile 13. My will was strong, but my body was saying my will is just plain stupid. Also, don’t drink too much during long runs. Swigs and swishes are recommended. I’m trying to hide this disgusting fact, but I threw up on 2nd Street. At least I did it in the plants and being that our town is so progressively organic, they’d probably approve and the city council would give me the keys to the city for thinking outside the box.
RunKeeper 16-mile steady
Day 126. Doing Nothing Doesn’t Mean Doing Nothing
Doing Nothing Doesn’t Mean Doing Nothing
Sunday is definitely one of the best days of week. I’m surprised nobody has coined the phrase TGIS … Katy Perry, you sang gospel songs before. I hear a follow-up to your smash hit.
Even though I don’t have a scheduled training run on the books, that doesn’t give me an excuse to do nothing. In fact, doing nothing doesn’t mean doing nothing. Let me explain.
Just because you are in training and training schedules say “rest day”, this doesn’t give you a green light to do nothing. For me, it’s serving at church if it’s a Sunday. On my “rest days” of Tuesday and Thursday, that can mean doing a light workout with my good friends Tony Horton or Shaun T. THort or Shaun … we’re on a nickname basis now. Shoot, I’ve paid them enough through Beach Body DVDs, I should be on their speed dial.
So, today’s day of rest means a day of service. Ask yourself daily, what can you do to bless somebody else today? And it’s not only scientifically proven, but more importantly, supported by the Bible, you will reap what you sow.
Morning weight = 170.5
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-13-2013
- 6:50pm (Meal 3) — What goes best with a gourmet pizza? Some argue beer, but I’ll leave that to those Oktobrewfest participants last night. Fries are a great compliment to pizza and better yet, Burger King had a “don’t ask, don’t tell” deal going on. I just hit the drive-thru, asked for fries, and drove off. How cool is that! These new fries … not so good. I miss the old fries already, but that’s why they offer a sample.
Meal 3 — 7pm
Today’s Activities:
- Break, considering I have a 16 miles run tomorrow. Want to start my week off with a bang and couldn’t think of a better way other than this. They say the most successful people in their particular industries always do the difficult tasks first. That will be my longest distance I’ve ever run so today, I eat well, enjoy the people around me, and enjoy the blessing of rest.
Sunday, 10-13-2013
Day 125. Oktobrewfest
Oktobrewfest
Oktobrewfest Runners
Race day. Or more appropriately, race night. 6pm start. RunKeeper has me on a scheduled 4 mile plus strides which basically is 4 miles slow, 20 seconds fast, 2 minutes slow and repeat for about 6 total miles. This matches perfectly with tonight’s Oktobrewfest 10K. I stay on track with my training runs and actually get a medal just for participating. I feel like those 7 year old “black belts” who continue to advance in martial arts, but when you watch them, it looks like they couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag, but they sure do have a loud Kiya! I’m getting a medal for doing what I should be doing is all I’m saying.
Oktobrewfest Results
Let’s compare yesterday’s results and put the start steady and finish strong theory to the test. The great thing about running is that your time is your time. There’s really no grey area. Sure you can have bad weather and “off-days”, but for the most part, all things being equal, your times are your times. So after months of start steady and finish strong, let’s see the numbers:
Mile Splits
The proof is in the numbers. Even though I ran about a mile more, each mile was done with more purpose. I had a goal of finishing in the top of my age group and ended up 8/23. Overall, 51/343. Very happy with the results and reinforces known beliefs.
Applying discipline over time will produce results. Just be mindful of where you devote your discipline. As a result of all the early, cold, and sniffle-inducing mornings, I am reaping the benefits.
Morning weight = 169.5. No post-race weight taken.
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-12-2013
- 4:30pm (Meal 2.1 – Pre Race Nutrition) — It’s important to get proper nutrition at least an hour before a run. And since tonight, I was going to go full stride, definitely need some fuel. 2 scoops of Herbalife24 Prepare, 2 scoops of Herbalife24 Prolong, 2 scoops of Herbalife Niteworks, and a banana. I’m ready! Let’s go!
Pre-race nutrition
Today’s Activities:
- Oktobrewfest 10K race. Start was in the north side of town. My typical runs never go this direction because I didn’t know what was there. Not only did I have personal bests for this distance, averaging 7:55 per mile, I discovered 2 lakes and at least 3 miles of trail. I’ll be coming out here again.
RunKeeper 10-12-2013 / Oktobrewfest Results
Saturday, 10-12-2013
Day 124. Start Out Steady and Finish Strong
Start Out Steady and Finish Strong
I’m not just days into my marathon training runs, not even weeks. I’m now many, many months into this training plan and here is what I’ve learned.
You obviously cannot run 26.2 miles every other day to prepare for 26.2 miles. Even running half-marathons of 13.1 miles per week as you get started could ultimately get you prematurely burned out and possibly injured. So, what happens when you see a scheduled training run of anything less than 8 miles?
These are the times you can improve your stamina and prepare for the longer distances. Start out steady and finish strong. Steady for me right now is around the 9-minute mile pace and each mile I do my best to shave seconds off per mile. Finish strong can mean you shave off nearly 1 minute per mile from your first.
Give your body a chance to get into “the groove” — the point where you don’t even realize you are running. A Forest Gumplike-state. If you come out of the gates too fast, you’ll definitely know you’re in for a battle, especially if you have another 10 miles or worse, 25 more miles to go. I’ve done both. When I first starting training, my machismo was in control and I wanted to run so fast. Now, with a little experience and my machismo in check, I’ve learned that a steady start is key to a strong finish.
Not only does this build the needed stamina for those long runs of 10-plus miles, but it also helps build speed and that all-elusive “kick” we hear so much about as we approach the finish line instead of that painful grimace so many of us wear as we break the tape.
I’ll put this to the test tomorrow for a 10K race.
Morning weight = 172. Post run = 169.5
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-11-2013
- 3:10pm (Meal 2.1) — Corn Pops Cereal, Blue Diamond Almond Milk, and 2 scoops of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. There’s no reason why you can’t add your favorite protein powders to your favorite cereals to boost the nutritional value and the protein content. It doesn’t even change the flavor, well maybe a little, but the benefit of the added protein far outweighs any change of flavor. Just make you to add all the dry ingredients first, mix with your spoon, and then add your milk, soy milk, or almond milk. If you do it the other way around, you’ll be staring down at a bowl of cereal gu.
Meal 2.1 — 3:10pm
Today’s Activities:
- Today is a 5 mile easy run. RunKeeper basically says take it easy and there’s no need to push the pace. They do recommend running on soft surfaces and terrain similar to the event.
- I start out slow and steadily “push the pace” but nothing too much. What I have learned … start out steady and finish strong. This will prepare you for long runs.
RunKeeper 5 mile easy run
Friday, 10-11-2013
Day 123. The New CPK
Regular visit to the mall. Been noticing CPK, California Pizza Kitchen for those outside of California, has had the brown butcher paper up. Almost like Extreme Makeover Stuff … waiting for Ty to yell, “Move that bus!”
Well, today, my wife and I moved that bus and gave it a try. The new look CPK. First and foremost, you should know that they make a great pita and hummus appetizer. Since we already knew that, we didn’t get it. We came for their namesake. The pizza! It is brick-ovened goodness. The crust has a slight salty first bite and a subtle sweet linger. They cook it just right every single time, unlike some of those chain stores that just put their pizzas on a rack and let a conveyor belt cook your pizza.
What? The new look CPK also involves no brick oven. My first thought. How do you build your brand on your pizza. The word “pizza” is actually in your restaurant name. Decades of people enjoying a particular style of pizza and you change the particular way you make it.
We actually asked, “What happened?” and there are times when the servers should just lie to you. If I ask, was that a roach, the server should just say, “that was probably some cracked pepper that fell on the ground.” If I ask, “why did you change the way you make your pizza” you should never hear back because it was cheaper to make the pizzas in a gas oven like everyone else. Huh? It could also be cheaper for me not to leave a tip like everyone else. That tip thing … it’s just a hypothetical to get my point across. Don’t send the tip police after me. I’m a faithful 20-plus-percenter, good or bad service.
So the verdict … we didn’t eat the pita and hummus. We ate a gas fired oven that I could get at Papa Murphys and make myself. CPK is CP-KO’d. Down for the knock-out CPK and until you wake up and take your heads out of the gas oven, you’ll be down for the count.
Morning weight = 170.5
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-10-2013
2:15pm (Meal 2.1) — Katy Perry Kettle Corn Pop Chips. Not my first time trying these, but maybe my last time. I made the mistake of buying the huge Costco bag and if you are anything like me, seeing food in large quantities like that is the quickest way to get sick of something.
Meal 2.1 — 2:15pm
6pm (Meal 3) — California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). See above. No really, see above. And, you’ll notice I didn’t take time to talk about the Chinese Chicken Salad (sans chicken). Let’s just say I can’t be too negative in the same post.
Meal 3 — 6pm
Today’s Activities:
No scheduled run. We did watch a press release of A Fifth Estate, the WikiLeaks story. Let’s just say if you want to have a memorable first date, take your date to the new CPK and watch Wikileaks to end the night. It will make you that much more interesting because both of those options set the bar very low. Oops, there I go being sneakily negative. Sorry Mom!
Thursday, 10-10-2013
Day 122. Running in the Wind
Running in the Wind
What’s a runners best friend? One could argue it’s their earbuds. Possibly even a water bottle for longer runs. Even a running partner.
Well, I say it’s the wind at your back. I’m not sure if the non-running world understands the significance of a tailwind. Professional running events even put an asterix and label a run “wind aided.” I’m sure you’ve seen those hilarious videos of weather anchors fighting hurricane winds. The bottom line … tailwind good, headwind bad.
3 Strategies for Running in the Wind:
- Go With It. The tailwind. Just like a golfer, check the wind direction. If you aren’t particularly feeling strong that day, plan your running route accordingly. Make it a point that the majority of your miles are down with the wind at your back. You’ll actually shed a noticeable amount of time off your per mile average.
- Don’t Battle It. The headwind. See the above reasoning and plan your route. If you happen to live in an area that is mostly flat, increase the intensity of your training by running into the wind.
- Pay Attention. Knowing your training route is important. For long runs, if you do not have the option to change your course, tell yourself not to fight it and accept the fact your per minute mile won’t be record shattering. When you have the wind at your back, you will make up lost seconds.
Today was one of those days. With a scheduled 7-mile run, I wasn’t feeling too strong, but also wanted to get a fast per mile pace. I changed my route to get that asterix “wind aided” tag and after 7-miles and a 8:28 average pace, the plan worked.
Morning weight = 172
Today’s Meals:
Wednesday, 10-09-2013
Day 121. Break In New Running Shoes
Break In New Shoes
I bought a new pair of running shoes Saturday afternoon. After my scheduled 15-mile run, it just felt right to buy a new pair of running shoes. My New Balance have an estimated 400 miles. I’ve clocked in about 400 on my Brooks Pure Cadence. For a runner, a trip to the local shoe shop is like Christmas, especially with all the shoe color combinations. I remember in the 80s, we had white on white, black on white, and grey on dark grey. Made it easy to decide.
When you decide to break in new running shoes, it is important to keep your distances reasonable. Say you have a half-marathon on Sunday. You bought your new shoes on Friday. Take it from me, this isn’t the time to take your new shoes for a spin. Before you put 400 miles on your new shoes, you have to start by putting the first 5. This isn’t a huge secret — whether running shoes or a pair of dress shoes, you know better than trying to over push.
Fleet Feet versus Sports Authority
Where you buy your shoes is just as important as to what shoes you buy. Based on what I’ve experienced, go to the people with the experience. You’ll see the difference when you go to a running store like Fleet Feet in California or a sporting goods shop like Sports Authority or Big 5. A general rule of thumb … if there are shotguns on the adjacent shelves, go to a specialist. Every single person working at a running store is a runner also. This makes a significant difference in the level of care they take to fit you rather than sell you a new shoe.
I walked into Fleet Feet with my Brooks. Here’s what I need. Something for both trail and road. Before I take 5 steps into the store, at least 3 professionals ask if they can help. Will to the rescue. I originally wanted an upgrade to my New Balance, however they didn’t have those in stock any longer. My second request is something colorful. Will points to the third row, middle. A pair of neon blue, splash orange Adidas that just came in. Will said Adidas spent years developing this new technology that can help with the areas I’m stressing.
I have pain in my outter right knee and my left arch. These Adidas have a new technology to secure the arches and during stride, the sole actually forces the foot to roll in the appropriate direction to prevent injury. I don’t just try them on — at Fleet Feet they encourage you to go for a run outside the store. Within 1 1/2 blocks, I can feel the difference.
These shoes fit nicely and on each stride, I feel like I’m landing much softer. Keep in mind when I tried these on and took them for a test drive I already ran 15-miles so being light on my feet wasn’t an option. That’s ultimately why I decided to go with these Adidas. And oh yeah, they were so colorful.
Morning weight = 170.5
Today’s Meals:
MyFitnessPal 10-08-2013
When Did I Eat:
- 8:15am (Meal 1) — Herbalife Protein Smoothie.
- 11:40am (Meal 2) — More leftovers. That Daisy Fuentes needs to revise her portions. I don’t know how much longer I can eat picadillo. The good news — tons of protein and low in calorie and sugar.
Meal 2 — 11:40am
- 2pm (Meal 1.1) — Katy Perry Kettle Corn Pop Chips. They aren’t fried, so I can eat as much as I want, right? Not quite, but these are quite good.
Meal 2.1 — 2pm
- 6:10pm (Meal 3) — Chinese food galore. Started the meal with an egg drop soup and Herbalife supplements. I continue to take items targeting my specific needs, especially calcium and joint support to name a few.
Meal 3 — 6:10pm
Today’s Activities:
- Rest day. Tomorrow RunKeeper training 7 mile slow and fast run.
Tuesday, 10-08-2013