Winning the heat Lotto in Houston

We are keenly anticipating morning temperatures in the 60's after a simply brutal August with an average temperature of 90.4 Fahrenheit, a new record. And it wasn’t even close. According to an article in the Houston Chronicle the probability of such a significant deviation from the historical average in any given year is 1 in 10,000. We basically won the heat Lotto.

Finished up week 13 (of 18) of the Hal Higdon Intermediate II marathon training program. Twenty miles today at average pace of about 9:20, not bad.  Saturday's 10-mile pace run at 8:35 was one of the best runs I've had in a couple of years! For once it was not absolutely stifling out there, and my running partner and I did not linger too long at each of the water spots.  This was the second of three 50-mile weeks on the program.  One more long week - and two not so long ones - and it is taper time!! The plantar fasciitis on the left foot is still present but under control; stretching, icing and the occasional Airrosti treatment (another coming up on Tuesday) is keeping it at bay. 

I am not officially taking a break from my ‘150 or bust’ weight-loss program, but running this many miles per week is making it difficult to reduce calories to the point of additional weight-loss.  I am basically stuck at just over 160 lbs,  not likely to make much progress on losing the last 10 lbs. until after the marathon.  Body fat percentage down to around 15% so at least I’m not regressing.

Airrosti treatment for plantar fasciitis

Had my first 1-hour long session of Airrosti treatment yesterday.  In addition to some diagnostics - I already knew what the issue was so the doc pretty much just confirmed it - it consisted of a very intensive massaging/manipulation of the fascia on the bottom of the foot and also the left calf. Extremely painful in both instances. I was given a small 'stress relief' squeeze ball to hold and I practically poked holes in that thing. 

The good thing about Airrosti treatment?  You do not have to cut down or quit running or whatever type of exercise you are doing.  So I went out and ran mile repeats at Rice:  on a very hot afternoon (around 90F) knocked off 4 miles at 6:48, 6:50, 6:51 and 6:42.  Heart rate in the 150's for each of them, the last two occasionally into the 160's.  On a 1-mile time trial I ought be able to get pretty close to 6:20 or so, need to do that one of these days or enter a 5-K.  Will definitely do that as soon as the worst of the heat is behind us!

By this morning the foot is definitely much improved. Considerably less pain upon waking up and taking that dreaded first step. Considering the stress I put on it last night with the track workout, that is pretty remarkable.  I have to do a few stretches and some icing every day, will go back for a second treatment next Monday. 

Weigh-in Wednesday:  Down to 161lbs this morning.  Total loss since April now 14 lbs, 11 to go to 150.  Considering the heavy mileage weeks ahead - several around 50 miles per week - I probably won't quite make it to 150 by Oct 9.  If I can be at around 155 lining up at the start of the race that morning, it will be fine.   

Week 9 is in the books

Exactly half way there with Hal Higdon's Intermediate II marathon training program, in preparation for the Oct 9 Mohawk-Hudson Marathon.  So far so good:  on Saturday the 9 mile pace run went pretty well, and despite awful conditions I managed an 8:35 minute/mile average pace.  The first 5 miles ended up being just over 8:20 average due to running with a much faster group of runners, Mark Coleman's KatyFit ATP runners.  I will run with them again next Saturday, but will try to keep the mile pace a little more consistent. 

Today's 'long' run was only 12 miles but it was hardly easy.  Our small group of 4 runners took off at just after 0630A and by then it was already in the 80's, with - of course - high humidity.  Fortunately the route was quite shady and we had a sag wagon with cold drinks, grapes, bananas and pretzels every 2 miles.  One worrying note: my left heel is starting to act up with more pronounced plantar fasciitis symptoms.  More icing and stretching ahead and I will be making an appointment with a podiatrist on Monday

The last few days have been rough on the 'diet' front:  too many fun calories, several restaurant meals and a few too many temptations around the house including some really nice peanut butter cookies.  I'm thinking my next weigh-in may not be the best; will really have to suck it up on Monday and Tuesday to mitigate the damage. 

Weigh in Tuesday

Body fat percentage is slowly coming down, now at 18% (approximately), which is definitely an improvement on the 25% or so in April.  Quite a way to go to single digits but the long 45-minute walks with Daisy, running 30+ miles per week and working out for almost an hour 3 X per week - not to mention the calorie counting - are having the desired effect. Weight today is no different than last week, still 163.  Hitting a bit of a plateau but some of it is residual water retention from last Sunday's 17 miler. For some weird reason I 'gain' about 4 pounds after any very long run, especially when it is hot.  Just the body's mechanism to protect the bruised/injured muscle cells, I suppose. It takes me a good 4 days or so to get back to normal. 

We are now just about halfway into the 16-week Hal Higdon 'Intermediate II' marathon training schedule.  8 weeks done, 8 to go.  The heavy hauling is right up ahead.  A 9 mile pace run on Saturday followed by a relatively easy 12 miler on Sunday.  From then on I will have to complete 4 more very long runs (one of 19 miles and three 20-mile runs) and three 12-mile long runs, as well as five fairly long mid-week runs (10 miles) and several 9 to 10 mile pace runs on Saturdays.

So far, the best thing has been no serious injuries.  Still some nagging issues with plantar fasciitis in my left foot but keeping it under control with icing.  The worst thing?  Definitely the heat!  It has been relentless.  This evening's mile repeats at Rice will be run with temperatures in the low to mid 90's.

Another great boon has been the support of running friends in our Happy Runners group.  There is no way I would have been able to do some of the long runs without some company and a sag station every couple of miles or so with cold drinks, snacks and a smile!  Thank you!!

Eat your prunes

There appears to be credible scientific evidence out there - such as studies done by Dr. Bahram Arjmandi at Florida State University  - that consuming 100g (4 to 5) of dried plums (aka prunes) is a pretty good habit and it has nothing to do with staying regular.  Dried plums are rich in protective anti-oxidants, they contain soluble fiber and regular consumption is associated with improved bone density.  Very important especially for post-menopausal women. Some other foods which Dr. Arjmandi promotes are watermelon (it improves circulation) and flax seeds (reduces plaque formation) as well as dried apple (improved good cholesterol levels).  I'm on the prunes already, watermelon to follow.

Running still going pretty well, although last Saturday's 8 mile 'pace' run was a bit of a struggle in the heat. I took frequent short breaks, hydrated well and took some Cliff Shot gels, and somehow or other managed to eke out about 6 miles close to or under my goal marathon pace which is 8:35.  Sunday's long run of 16 miles turned into a steamy slog here in the Bayou City.  The first few miles (having started off at just after 6A) were not too bad, but from mile 9 onwards it was tough all the way.  In the end I averaged just over 10 minutes to the mile which is not bad, considering the hot, muggy conditions.

It was fun running with several Strider buddies and having a sag wagon with cold fluids, snacks, orange slices and so on, waiting every 2 miles.  Our little Happy Runner group is really jacked!

Friday weigh-in & marathon training update

Still steadily dropping some weight; down to 163, total of 12 lbs since April.  Additional long (45 minutes) walks with Daisy seem to be doing the trick.  The idea with the walking - at a pace of about 15 minutes per mile - is to increase fat loss without putting too much stress on the leg muscles, bones & joints.  Of course I could also increase my weekly running mileage but the risk of injury goes up exponentially, and intensive aerobic exercise like running tends to burn a lower percentage of fat. Running consumes a much higher overall number of calories per time unit, than walking.  So ergo, if you run for 30 minutes versus 30 minutes of walking, running is by far the most effective weight loss tool.  Up to the point where injuries start being a factor.

Have now completed 6 weeks of the Hal Higdon Intermediate II training program.  So far so good. Long runs still very slow but there's only so much you can do under these extreme temperatures. I try to keep my heart rate under 140bpm on the regular training runs, and close to 150 or so on the Saturday pace runs.  Completed last Saturday's 7-mile pace run at the planned 8:35 pace overall, even though the last couple of miles or so were considerably slower. Struggled mightily with an 8 mile mid-week run on Wednesday morning; seemed to run out of gas after 6 miles. Pretty dreadful.
 
Coming up?  An 8 mile pace run this Saturday and then a 16 miler on Sunday. At least on Sunday I will be with some other Strider running buddies!

Five down, thirteen to go

That would be weeks in the training program for the October 9 2011 Mohawk Hudson Marathon.  At almost one third into the training cycle, there's some reason for optimism, but not too much.  I really struggled to complete today's 14-mile run - and my average pace dropped from around 10 minutes/mile (first few miles) all the way to 10:30 average overall, with the last 4 miles at a snail's pace of over 11 minutes each.  Clearly it was not just because of my poor conditioning or lack of training to date.  To put it mildy, running conditions were hugely unfavorable with the temperature at about 78F when I set off just after 0630A - and humidity at 91% - and heating up quickly to about 85F by 0930A.

Apparently there is now some scientific evidence that running when it is very hot like this is akin to speed training or hill work, it makes you stronger.  Duh!  

Even so, with 'just' 13 weeks left before the marathon, I am really starting to doubt whether a 3:45 time is a realistic goal.  Right now I can't even hold an 8:35 pace for 6 miles, never mind 10, 15 or 26.2...

On the positive side, I have 5 weeks of pretty sold training in the bag, without any major mishaps, illnesses or injuries.  Left heel still presenting plantar fasciitis symptoms, but not getting worse. Yet.  Will have to do more stretching and foam rolling.

Weigh-in Wednesday

Despite some pretty significant mileage run last Saturday and Sunday combined (19 miles), with some other exercise mixed in, the scale did not budge this week. No surprise there.  A couple too many pasta dishes on the menu, an abundance of faux hot dogs and hamburgers over the July 4th holiday weekend, not to mention some cookies and St. Arnold's Weedwacker beer.  So I think I was lucky to get away with a 'status quo' instead of going into the wrong direction, this week.

To counteract any 'last minute' diet shenanigans as I approach the 160 pound mark, I'm having a registered dietitian give me weekly feedback in the way of a 'food record review'.  The additional accountability will definitely help keep me on the straight and narrow and I'm sure I will learn a thing or two about tweaking my diet to best effect, in the run up to the Oct 9 marathon in Albany.

Running still going well although I have not quite shaken off the nagging plantar fasciitis in the left foot.  Not bothering me too much (with regular icing) but will have to re-up on stretching and foam rolling to prevent a flare-up.

Week #4 of the training program included a 6 mile pace run on Saturday; I managed an average pace of 8:40, heart rate around 150 and slightly over, another extremely hot & humid morning.  Sunday's 13-miler was quite a slog too, and I had to slow down to an average pace of 10:40 to keep my heart rate at around 130bpm.  Yesterday's mile repeats at Rice University track was done with the outside temperature at 95F, but I eked out 3 miles of 7:52, 7:50 and 7:35 nonetheless.  Again, heart rate mostly around 150 to 155, and over 160 on the last lap of the third mile.  


Recap:

Week 1: -1
Week 2: -1
Week 3: -3
Week 4:  0
Week 5: -1
Week 6: -1
Week 7:  0

Week 8: -1

Week 9: -1

Week 10: -1
Week 11: 0

Starting weight: 175
Current weight: 165

Loss to date: 10 lbs.

150 or Bust: 79 days down, 94 to go.

Wednesday Weigh in

It was not by much, but my Tanita scale (the only place where I'm still 54!) settled at 165 this morning, so I am 'officially' 10 pounds down from 175, over the course of just about 10 weeks.  The next goal post is of course 160, where I've been a couple of times over the last few years.  At the rate we're going, it won't be until the end of July or early August, but that's ok.  It would not be possible or even sensible to try to speed up the weight loss process in the middle of a marathon training program.  It is tough enough already to maintain the daily calorie intake at 1800.

Recap:

Week 1: -1
Week 2: -1
Week 3: -3
Week 4:  0
Week 5: -1
Week 6: -1
Week 7:  0

Week 8: -1

Week 9: -1

Week 10: -1

Starting weight: 175
Current weight: 165

Loss to date: 10 lbs.

150 or Bust: 72 days down, 101 to go.

Running is going as well as can be expected in the Texas heat.  Completed first 3 weeks of 18-week Hal Higdon program, no hiccups so far.  Doing the longer runs at < 140 HR which translates into some pretty slow miles at times, but I have learned that lesson the hard way.  'Race' your regular runs and you've got nothing left for speed work or tempo runs, not to mention increasing the risk of injury or even becoming over trained.  Struggled a bit to maintain my pace during last Saturday's 6 mile pace run; ended up at 8:38 instead of the planned 8:35 pace.  No big deal this early on.  Yesterday's mile repeats at Rice University track were much more encouraging.  The first two were at about 7:42 and 7:35 respectively (botched the timing on the last one; it was slower).  It was around 94F so I was quite happy with the outcome.  Carrying quite a few less pounds around the middle is starting to make a difference!

Weigh-in Wednesday

Completed first week of 18-week Hal Higdon Intermediate II marathon training program.  26 miles total, with Sunday's 10-miler - started a little late so it got too hot - by far the toughest workout.  Still waffling a bit on target pace; will likely try for 3:45 which would put the marathon pace at 8:34.  I think.  

I will be modifying the program just slightly by doing the Tuesday and Thursday runs as mile repeats and tempo runs respectively.  Starting with 3 and increasing up to 5 or so total mile repeats on the track on Tuesdays at a heart rate of around 155.  The Thursday run will be at tempo pace with the heart rate around 150 or so, depending upon what our group leader Steve has up his sleeve.

I did my first 'Body Pump' barbell workout last night at Rice Rec Center.  Light weight, lots of repetition, great fun. It will probably get more challenging as I increase the weight.  There were only 4 of us, so it was practically like having a personal trainer!

Weight is down to 167.
 
Week 1: -1
Week 2: -1
Week 3: -3
Week 4:  0
Week 5: -1
Week 6: -1
Week 7:  0

Week 8: -1

Starting weight: 175
Current weight: 167

Ten pound loss is within sight!

150 or Bust: 58 days down, 115 to go.