Keep Streaking?

Run Streak Day 35!

Now I need to make some decisions. Is this helping? Is it healthy? Can I keep it up? Should I streak through the taper? What bout after my next race? So many questions.

The Run Streak thing has been a really great experience so far, feel like I'm getting a lot out of it. The routine, the discipline, the dependability, and the miles. It's quickly become part of my day, something I look forward too whether I'm doing 20 outside or 2 on the treadmill. It has become that cliche "Me Time". My times are coming down, I've avoided the normal rash of training woes, turned ankles, tweaked hamstrings, so overall it has seemed to be a positive.

But when is it too much of a good thing? All the books talk about the importance of rest days, especially for the over 50 crowd. Am I streaking towards the cliff?

This is what the last 35 days looks like:

December 4th: 5.2 Miles 48:00  9:14/Mile
December 5th: 3.1 Miles 26:53  8:40/Mile
December 6th: 4.0 Miles 36:30  9:08/Mile
December 7th: 15.01 Miles 2:45:24 11:01/Mile
December 8th:  3.1 Miles 26:50  8:39/Mile
December 9th: 5.0 Miles  45:11  9:02/Mile
December 10th: 3.1 Miles  26:46  8:38/Mile
December 11th: 6.3 Miles  58:00  9:12/Mile
December 12th: 3.1 Miles  27:48  8:58/Mile
December 13th: 4.0 Miles  35:20  8:50/Mile
December 14th: 16.07 Miles 2:50:21 10:36/Mile
December 15th: 3.1 Miles  27:34  8:54/Mile
December 16th: 5.0 Miles  46:15  9:15/Mile
December 17th: 3.1 Miles  27:26  8:51/Mile
December 18th: 6.2 Miles  55:10  8:54/Mile

December 19th: 3.1 Miles 26:53  8:4/0Mile

December 20th: 4.0 Miles 34:44  8:41/Mile

December 21st: 20 Miles 3:44:14 11:12/Mile

December 22nd: 3.1 Miles 27:00  8:43/Mile

December 23rd: 4.0 Miles 43:21  8:35/Mile

December 24th: 2.4 Miles 20:20  8:28/Mile

December25th: 8.0 Miles 1:13:14 9:09/Mile

December 26th: 1.66 Miles 14:30 8:32/Mile

December 27th: 3.0 Miles 26:00  8:39/Mile

December 28th: 16.2 Miles 2:43:31 10:05/Mile

December 29th: 3.1 Miles 25:50 8:20/Mile

December 30th: 4 Miles 35:04 8:46/Mile

December 31st: 2.92 Miles 27:08 9:17/Mile (+12 mile bike)

January 1st: 8.0 Miles 1:12:11 9:00/Mile

January 2nd: 3.1 Miles 26:30  8:31/Mile

January 3rd: 6.22 Miles 58:39  9:26/Mile

January 4th: 18.22 Miles 3:14:54 10:42/Mile

January 5th: 2.0 Miles 16:44  8:22/Mile

January 6th: 5.0 Miles 43:30  8:42/Mile

January 7th: 3.1 Miles 26:54  8:41/Mile

My next race is 5 weeks out, I've got 2 more long runs and then I'm supposed to taper. So I have these questions running around in my head. 

To Recap:

1) How long to keep the streak going?

2) Can I streak through taper?

3) Can I continue the streak post A1A Marathon?

4) Why am I doing this anyway?

HELP!

Streaking Away From 50!

No, not that kind of streaking.

Run streak! For the first time, I'm trying out the whole run streak thing. Taking my normal 4 day a week training runs, and adding 5k's on the off days. It's been much different then I expected. I went in thinking that it would be too much for my old legs, and that I'd wear out quickly. So far it's been quite the opposite. My legs feel stronger, and my training times have held up, if not even improved.

Who'd have thought.

December 4th: 5.2 Miles 48:00  9:14/Mile
December 5th: 3.1 Miles 26:53  8:40/Mile
December 6th: 4.0 Miles 36:30  9:08/Mile
December 7th: 15.01 Miles 2:45:24 11:01/Mile
December 8th:  3.1 Miles 26:50  8:39/Mile
December 9th: 5.0 Miles  45:11  9:02/Mile
December 10th: 3.1 Miles  26:46  8:38/Mile
December 11th: 6.3 Miles  58:00  9:12/Mile
December 12th: 3.1 Miles  27:48  8:58/Mile
December 13th: 4.0 Miles  35:20  8:50/Mile
December 14th: 16.07 Miles 2:50:21 10:36/Mile
December 15th: 3.1 Miles  27:34  8:54/Mile
December 16th: 5.0 Miles  46:15  9:15/Mile
December 17th: 3.1 Miles  27:26  8:51/Mile
December 18th: 6.2 Miles  55:10  8:54/Mile

15 Days so far, with a 15 mile and 16 mile long run included. I'm pretty happy with the 10:36 splits for 16, better then the11:01 splits a week earlier for 15. I'm really happy with the 10K yesterday. 6.2 miles with sub 9 splits. My best time at that distance since I tore up my ankle last year.

Overall it feels like the daily running regimen is helping me with stamina, it's helping with consistency, and so far there's been no negative side effects that I can see. No soreness, not too tired, and my knees and ankles are holding up.

But wait there's more! I've finally added a little strength training into the mix. 2 to 3 days, before the 5K's I'll do upper body and core. So I feel stinger, it's helping with my weight, and I get to feel like a total fool picking up 35lb dumbbells next to the guys at the gym pressing 90 each. Whatever.

Not sure yet how long I want this experiment to last, want to go for 20 in my next long run Sunday, and that may require a rest day or two.

TGIF!

Marc

15 After 50

Does turning 50 make any real difference? Is there a sudden physical change that leaves you unable to keep putting one foot in front of the other?

Probably not. But that's the thinking that I've got associated with the new decade in front of my age. "50" seems old, even in my own head.

I was born in the 60's,the sandwich generation. The product of an era that thought 21 was old. Anyone over 30 was from another age, a generation gap that was a point of pride. "We" did things that were cool. "They" did things that were establishment. We never wanted to grow up, never wanted to be mature. Live hard and leave a good looking....

Oddly enough, all that shit lives on, in how I see myself, how I see my generation, and how I view my place in the world.

I want to feel young, I want to continue to feel active, to feel vibrant, to feel relevant. And for some insane reason, I've chosen running as a way of doing that.

So i've been running over the last 4 years, I've gotten 3 marathons in and countless miles of training, so by all evidence, I've got this. I can get my ass in shape for the next race I want to run. 50 is no different then 49.

But I still had to prove it to myself, and today was the day to do it.

And I got in my longest run of my 50's. 15 miles After 50!

It was an amazing day in Santa Monica, it was cool and crisp, and getting out there at 6:30 meant that the sun was just peaking over the horizon. I got the see the whole stretch of Santa Monica to Venice almost by myself, most of it before 8AM.

I got to find a pace appropriate for my age :) pretty much 11 minute miles for training is where I live now. I got to prove to myself that I can still do this, and I got to get home and rested before football starts at 10AM.

All in all a pretty good effort for an old man on a Sunday. An affirmation that my perceptions of myself as "Old" aren't necessarily reality. I can still move, and can still contribute, I can still get out there and do a little damage.

To be continued...

Running Away From 50 and into 2015!

It's December 1st, and I've already got a plan for next year...

So here's the plan. Three marathons in one year. And yes, that's the year 2015.

Publix A1A Marathon in Fort Lauderdale February 15th
SLO Marathon in San Luis Obispo April 26th
The San Francisco Marathon July July 26th

Each of these races has a special significance to me, and I'm running them all for different personal reasons.

1st Up!

Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon
a1amarathon.com

Why I'm Running: Crazy as it sounds, my wife has put up with me for 25 years. So to celebrate, we're  joining the crazy folks who offer the Run For Fun Cruises (runforfuncruise.com) and going away for a 7 day cruise. To kick it off, I'm running the A1A Marathon, and then hopefully collapsing at the all-you-can-eat buffet on board the ship and eating myself into a coma.

More about the trip: So excited to be getting away. We'll be running the Full before we board, and we'll be running as a group shorter 5K and 10K's at the ships stops. We'll get to meet some great new people, get away from the world for a while, and we'll be celebrating 25 years of marriage together. Pretty sure the odds were against us getting to 25 days, so it's a pretty big deal.

Next!!!

San Luis Obispo Marathon
SLO Marathon!

Why I'm running: I was honored to be asked to be a race ambassador last year, a job at which I'm not very good at. But nonetheless, I wanted to do it. Unfortunately my body didn't cooperate last year, and although I wanted to be up there with the team, I couldn't run and even ran into work scheduling issues and missed the entire event.  This year will be different!

This year they've asked me back, and I'm going to make it! I'm going to tweet, post, blog, and share with anyone who'll listen, asking them to get up to the event and run with me. I'm going to train within my limits and avoid injury.

More about the trip: Short drive from LA to SLO, but it's a beautiful location. I'm going to be in the best shape of my life, I'm going to have 6 months of prep and a full under my belt. AND I'M GOING TO PR.

And Then!

The San Francisco Marathon
thesfmarathon.com

Why I'm Running: Mostly because I'm stupid. I ran it this year. And all I can say is I finished. Had to walk, was over 5 hours, my worst time ever, and it HURT.

More about the trip: I won't be defeated so easily. I'm going back, and I'm going to run smarter, run faster, and finish under 5 hours. Plus I get to see Stephanie Berger, and that's never a bad thing.

I'll add a few Half Marathons and shorter races in along the way, but for now, this is my year coming up!

BRING ON 2015

The Right Side of 50!

Well I made it. To 50 that is. Also made it to The San Francisco Marathon in July, and I'm finally running again.

Overall it's been a crazy couple of months. My boss quit at work, and I got moved up to run the division. So that happened, and my time demands changed pretty quickly. Murad, Inc is a fabulous place to work, not just because you get access to the best skin care products. Because Dr. Murad really believes that you can change how you look and feel, and he want to help you. That attitude filters through everything we do, and I get to love my job.

I've been in the background for a while now, both at my last posting, and in my first 6 months or so at Murad. So it's taking a little bit of adjustment to start driving again. What is the vision for the entire organization? How does my division fit into that? What do I have to do strategically to make that happen?And then how do I execute? A little more complicated then what edits to make on the next script.

Very proud to be the EVP at Murad, and hope I can deliver what they need to achieve their goals.

But like I said, now it's time to start running again.

Back to training, a few weeks no into the typical 4 month program. Distances are building, and at least on the shorter runs, times are getting better.

I'll find time to talk a bit about The SF Marathon. Then, more on when and where I'm running my next races later...

Love,

Marc

15 And Counting

It's part of the aging process that I've decided I'm the least fond of. Injuries seem to come more frequently then I can recover from them. Sprained ankles, pulled hamstring, T-Band, groin, back, neck, you think about it too long and it may give  up on me. BUT, I'm not giving up on me.

Working back up to marathon distance for the SF Marathon (www.thesfmarathon.com, +The San Francisco Marathon) is proving a little more of a challenge then I expected.

The starting out slow part wasn't so bad. 6, 7, 8 , 9, 10 miles came pretty east. even getting to 12 was ok. My first 13.1 training run wasn't easy, and I've had 4 or 5 failed attempts at 15 since then. Too hot, too tired, too stressed at work. I've gone out for 15 for the last month and not gotten there. I keep wanting to blame the aging thing, the injury thing, the rehab thing. But there's a bigger issue here, and maybe I need to acknowledge that I'm not running in a vacuum.

And that's the lesson here for me. Running and life are not two separate worlds. They feel like they are, running feels like that place I can go where nothing else counts and I'm out on my own. But it's not. And it in the real world, the last month has been a real challenge. Family health issues, transitions at work, no sleep, added stress. Leaving your troubles behind on a run is a lot easier then it sounds.

So it feels good to have gotten through 15 yesterday, and it's a mirror of what I have to do with the rest of the issues I'm dealing with. I went out slow, 12+ minute splits to start. Got my legs under me, got warmed up, and worked through a plan in my head to finish the run. I was able to break the problem down into digestible pieces, and then take it one split at a time. The longer into the run, the more confident I got, and the greater my ability to press the pace without risking failure. All the same shit I have to do with the rest of my life. Start out slow, evaluate the problem, work out a plan, and then take it one step at a time. The further in I get, the easier it is to see the end, and the more aggressive I can be.

By the time I got to the pier I was half way and I knew I could get to the finish. Even the hills at the end, the toughest part of the run, weren't an issue because I knew I was on track and close to conclusion.

So for me, it was more then a 15 mile run, it was a lesson in perseverance, it was a reminder that I can't ignore what's going on in one part of my life and expect no consequences in the others. It was an accomplishment after a few failures, and it was a great day at the beach.

15 in the books, 16 on deck.

Zero For My Last Four!

One of the greatest things about running is goals. I get to set goals, I get to work a plan, see progress, and literally reach the finish line. It helps me focus. It helps me forget. It helps me far beyond the actual race.

If I can get through a 20 mile training run, I can handle a long day. If I can drag my ass out of bed for a 5:00AM workout, it's no problem getting to a 6AM flight. When I see myself accomplishing a goal, finishing a race, setting a new PR, it encourages me at work, with my family, in the community, to achieve there as well.

That's a stark contrast to the last 6 months. I've missed the start of the last four events I signed up to run, and it's a streak I'm no really thrilled with.

New Years Run: Missed it with a tear in two ligaments in my ankle.

LA Marathon 2014: Missed it. Only back to training a few weeks, no way to tackle 26.2

Hollywood Half: Death in the family, last second trip to SoFL for the services.

SLO Marathon: Work schedule conflicts. Shooting schedule couldn't me changed to accommodate my race. Horrible, I know.

It's by no means a life threatening situation, but it is a little bit of a confidence shaking one. I'm asking myself questions I thought I'd answered. Can I do this? Am I strong enough? Do I have the commitment in me? Am I looking for excuses? And of course it's on me to answer them. I'm seeing the impact at home, at work, feeling less motivated, shorter tempered, and slower to react. I can do something about that too.

Here's my answer:

www.thesfmarathon.com

I'm back to training, signed up for the SF Marathon July 27th.

I can break the bad streak, I can get myself back in shape, and I can get ready for SF. I've started building up my miles, pushing to 12-14 on the Long Slow Distance Runs on Sundays, making time for shorter training runs during the week. I'm following a plan, getting stronger, and working to a goal.

For me, that's another one of the great things about running. You can almost always start over. You can pick yourself up, turn yourself around, and get moving in the right direction again. And if I can do it here, I can apply those seam lessons everywhere else.

So I'm back, and I'm doing this, and I'm loving it.

See you in San Francisco July 27th!