Maui Marathon - Ready to go

Starts in less than 20 hours, 5AM tomorrow...
Targeted time : 3:50, for a 8:45min/mile pace, and a potential PR (my best is just below 4h).
But...
I promised myself to not force it (too much) and not hurt myself (too much) and keep extraordinary focus on my form (just have to do it).
Well, at least, there is a plan.

I realized it has been a while since my last marathon , Honolulu 2015. 3 years ! 

Time flies. Certainly injuries did not help, still.

What is weird now, is that I am running faster than before.

Like the good wine, get's better with age....

Now it is time to see if this training block was better ... I was up running 33 hours in September, between 5 and 8 hours a week.

I chosen to train on time this time, instead of mileage, as I focused mostly on trails, and pacing is definitively way slower. That should still cover some sort of 30-50 miles per week, which is pretty decent for a marathon training block, I believe.

The weather is not cooperating - although lack of sun will be very helpful in the last hour of the race, when usually it gets really hot and everyone overheat. With a bit of luck, we should get overcast and run in between the rainfall - the ideal scenario.

Running to transcend

Training looking good. Knee pain is mostly gone and under control over the longest runs.
The last one, 3 loops of the Makawao forest, add up to almost 4 hours. Which is awful close from the peak of the marathon training in one month.
Weekly hours add up to 7-8 hours a week, around 40-45 miles.
This is start to sound like serious running.

Trail, 

Last time I ran 3 laps of the forest trail, I was actually pretty slower - almost 30 minutes slower, really. And I still remember it being quite painful.
Add to that, I did a test run 5k, pretty intense. Less than 22 minutes, actually a PR.  this help to run the numbers through equivalence table and measure progress as well as anticipate pace for the marathon.
My aerobic pace went down to a 8:30min/mile, which should be my running marathon pace, i.e. 30s faster than last one and could bring a 25min cut in racing time.
Likely, I will keep it easier than that, I have other plans for this marathon, but that certainly means that will be more comfortable to be under 4 hours this time.
Anyway, the main point is : all the numbers looks pretty good so far.

Aid station,

The nice thing about the Makawao loops is to be able to stop by the car and make a pit-stop every 75 minutes. Coconut water, salt crackers and dried mango slices. I used to go for coconut water as electrolyte drink during the run, but it ends up to be too sugary for the long long runs. Plus, it is lacking sodium, and I blame it for post run headache - maybe electrolyte imbalance. Following Chris Hauth advice, eat solid and drink water  - avoid high sugary sport drinks or - coconut water.

And trees. Because why not.

I usually run without music or talk, but today I was feeling on catching up on some podcasts.

Has been a while there was not a good one on running crazies. Well, 3100 miles. Hard to beat. And suicidal running Japanese monks. Cannot wait this comes to Netflix.

http://www.richroll.com/podcast/sanjay-rawal-389/

A new comer in my list of podcasts, Micheal Gervais on finding mastery. Goggins is always a killer speaker.

https://findingmastery.net/david-goggins/

I can't get enough of the trail nation crew. Funny and spot-on, they make me dream of hundred milers. This one pretty cool, maybe a bit atypical.

http://trailrunnernation.com/2018/09/brad-kerns-get-over-yourself/

I don't go to Sam Harris every week, but when the subject catches my eye, I definitively make a stop. That one gave me an amazing dive into the world politics and pitfalls that are facing our civilization. Worrisome but enlightening.

https://samharris.org/podcasts/133-globalism-brink/

Getting Better

2 months since the last post ... Could do better.
But, on the running front, things did not get worst, then they certainly got better,
as I am steadily increasing the volume to a decent 30 miles/week.
More important, my last recurrent pain, inside of the right knee is kept in check.
Still there, but not aggravating.
Little less than 2 months before the Maui marathon, things are looking good.
Or, not that bad.

Poli Poli Green Tunnel

Poli Poli over the clouds. 2:50 run.

Piilani Highway Green and Blue

Piilani Highway - 18 miles run.

Dr Maffetone method, strict zone 2 policy seems to be working. My zone 2 pace went up from 11min-mile to 9min-mile and on some reference runs, like one loop Makawao Forest I could see a average heart rate down of 20 beats for the same time between 2018 and 2015.
Same speed, lower effort, after few months of training.
This is encouraging.

I defined some new goals for this marathon in October. Definitely not trying to make a PR, I do not set time expectations. I am shooting for perfect running form from start to finish, controlled heart rate - around threshold - aerobic, and no injury after the fact.
I see that one as a stepping stone for future adventures.

I am curious to know if I will be able to pace myself on D-Day.

Goutified ?

Something really weird happened the four days after the marathon.
As I was getting ready to run again, let's jog again, few days later, an excruciating pain rose from my left foot.
My first hypothesis was directed on a wrong move, maybe in my sleep, and some post trauma (a marathon can be considered as a minor trauma for the body) joint pain, maybe a tendinitis.
After few days of limping, it seems that Gout, or Gouty Arthritis might be the actual problem.

Ugly and swollen.

Gout likes to hit around the Big Toe - "metatarsophalangeal joint" - Mostly because those joints are the lowest point of your body and furthest from your pumping heart. Cold, i.e. lower body temperature would ease the crystallization of uric acid.

Mostly men in their forties or fifties (I am not feeling younger right now), might be some heredity factor, main factors being poor alimentation (not my case) or dehydration and joint fatigue. 

Running a marathon under the Hawaiian sun is well known to cause high dehydration, it is frequent to lose more than 4 or 5 pounds of (mostly) water during a long effort like this one.

Well, the symptoms matches and the cure too :

Magic remedy

 

Unsurprisingly the mother of all remedies works pretty well in this case - as my symptoms are overall pretty light, even if this is almost impossible to lay over my foot.

Apple Cider Vinegar alkalize the PH of the body and help dissolve the tiny crystals formed in the joints. Add a couple of cold water buckets and anti inflammatory cream, and it seems we are on the good path of healing.

I the mean time, I can't walk, can't run, can't surf, can't kite, can't sail.

As always, I can swim. 

Well, at the pace I am getting hurt nowadays, I am gonna be such a good swimmer eventually.

Sub 4 Hours. This time, I did it.

But it was close. Closer than I wished ;)

Not bad.

128th in my category, in the top 10%.
1033th overall, for 21544 runners, in the top 5% overall.

There was tons of people. And fireworks. And even more people.

As for the race... It started a little slow because of so many people did not pick their right place on the starting line, and that makes quite a congestion. The first 15 minutes are spent doubling people and slaloming. The was simple : stick to 9 min pace all along. Nothing crazy. 

That means 4 hours pace.

A long long run..

Based on my stamina and Daniel's tables, I should be handle 3:30 and below 8 min pace.. Well, Those numbers are just b***.. wrong ;)

I was hoping to not have to push myself too hard. Steady pace all along.

After two hours, all was going perfect. It was still dark and relatively cold (in Hawaii's terms). I was holding the pace like breeze, in Zone 3. I was cruising. Legs were becoming a little "heavy" but nothing to be really worried about.

Then I realized I was one minute short at 20 miles. 20 Miles should have been 3:00. 

I was at 3:01. No way I was gonna miss my first sub-4 by one minute.

I decided to accelerate to 8:30 pace.

Thing is, usually, the last hour is hard. pretty hard.
Now I made it worst. Far worst.
The sun rises. The heat comes. Your legs are actually really heavy now. Then you have to make THE effort. That's fine, I signed for it.

The story as an Hear Rate log

At 3:05, my heart rate went over 165, my lactate threshold.
That's a problem. You can suffer. But there is so much you can really take on. When you go over your threshold, your time is counted. The effort is not sustainable. This is a bio-mechanical thing. Next time... Train harder, you will sustain better pace with less effort.

On my last marathon, I started to suffer way too early, around 2:30. I hit the wall at 3:30. And went into my darkest hours for the last 34 minutes. Good to know, I have usually one hour left at threshold effort on a marathon pace.

Well, of course I realized pretty fast that this last hour will be hard. 

Plenty of hard.

Here comes 24 miles. Pace falls down to 10:00. I am running in place. For the first time, lots of runner are doubling me. 2 Miles to go. I am hitting the wall ? Again ?

Wake up call. 2 Miles. 16 Minutes. In training I do that without even sweating. In my sleep.

Grind the teeh, Jump the heart to explosion (180 bpm), move those arms, move those knees. (Later on, Molly told me I looked like a Robot - or a human stick - 100% rigid), force my way through.

Don't trust the clock.
I was not first on the starting line ;)

Well, this time it worked.

Overall my preparation was way better than last time. A little short, 12 weeks instead of 16, but no injuries or sickness. Less running,  3-4x a week (only !). Looks like the speed and hills work did pay at the end. Legs ended up really stiff - and the calves are still locked one day after, but no cramps and no meltdown, which is a huge improvement over last time.

Worth the suffering ?
Ain't I pretty with my medal ?

Now it is time to enjoy a bit of non running.

Good news, Winter is here and usually the surf is good.

On Maui, there is really no bad season anyway.

Surf's up, PR's down.

Isn't it Christmas ?

Ready ? Set?

You cannot deny some modern beauty in Waikiki. Especially at the 31st floor.

Still, this is way to many people for me to handle.

On the top of the world

I don't  expect less people on the starting line tomorrow. This marathon is big. Thousands of runners, likely. 10000 ?

In any case, I am ready. The gear is laid down and ready for our early start at 5am.

From the glide stick to the last minute Granola,
I am loaded.

To be there on time, with a warmup,  the clock gonna run around 4am.
4am ?
Gosh, I am hurting already.

2 Days 10 Hours 33 Min 03 Seconds

Feeling nervous.



This is weird.
This is my 3nd marathon, and the feeling is like it was the first.
Maybe we never get used to it.

Long Long Long runs... (4)

If this one did not kill me, it certainly made me waaaay stronger.
21 Miles.
4:30.
It was the last (long long) one before the marathon in 3 weeks.
Now, we just have to pray it was enough.(the training).

Surreal.

Fog's coming

Just magnificent

Notice the ray if light

On the top of world

Observatory

Sliding sands

Not your typical yard

Not your typical long run.

But as for the landscapes, it was totally worth it.

Don't you think ?

Long Long Long runs... (3)

Another great run in Poli Poli.

Started to be a quick and easy 2h - and ended to be a nightmarish 3:30.

Well, I should pick my route better :)

Mamane Trail

Haleakala Ridge

The road that bring you to the summit.
Maybe another time.

Way to much elevation for this "easy" long run.
I gave up there.

Clouds on their way.
You can see the sea down below

Path cuts the trees.

It was hard, but this park is really amazing.
Beautiful trails, and almost no one.
Nature at this best.
I'll be back.

Long Long Long runs... (2)

Did my first long run in the Haleakala National Park.

Pictures talks better.

Started grim. Wet and cold.

Surreal trail in the clouds

More like stairs, you can see hundreds of feet below.

Once at the bottom, visibility was getting barely better

Deeper in the crater, sun is appearing

Alien plants

Rainbow island, rainbow crater.

It is just beautiful

A little closer to the moon

On the moon

Pu'u o Maui

Big picture at 7000 ft

I guess... now, I have to go back ?

Next time, I can climb that and hit the summit.
That would add 3000 ft elevation.

Some blue sky, and heat.

Some NeNe's looking for food.

Way back, now it is sunny

The path I could not see.
I have now to climb it.

The valley, under the mid-day sun.

It was long, it was hard.
There wasn't so many people around, and overall, it was an amazing run.
I promised myself to be back pretty soon.
Definitively worth the drive.