Day 8

I was off to the park early this morning for a short walk (6.25). Ya know, it's dark out there at 6:45! But off I went and was soon up to my usual 4.5 mph. Then a satellite gave me some false info and the next time I looked at my GPS unit, I was showing 5.2 mph. I'm good ... but not that good. So I had to give up on the GPS and I used the clock. 13.28 minute per mile average for an 83 minute walk. Not bad, but I have been faster.

Weight 201.2 (Darn! It was the cookies...) BFI 24.3 BP 108/58 Pulse 68

Portland Weather

weather.com - Six to Ten Day Events Page
The extended version...sure hope it comes true. 68 degrees and partly cloudy. It can't be much better than that.

Day 11

Another day in the park. It started with my trip to the VW dealer for scheduled service. I dropped the car off at 7:30 and headed across the downtown maze on my way to Bidwell. This is always fun, as I get to see so many different houses, mostly old, on my way to the entrance on 4th Street. Once inside the park I was able to maintain a good pace. I noted that after about 4 miles, I was really feeling strong and although my pace was at 4.6 mph, I was sure that I could maintain it. On my way back to the VW dealer, I detoured down around Morning Thunder restaurant and decided that this restaurant must have been the source of the great aroma of sausage and eggs that I noted a few weeks ago. Before going much further, I stopped and put on my “Groucho Marx” glasses, complete with mustache and cigar. (I am not supposed to be seen in public while racewalking and this way I can protect my family from any embarrassment.)

Sure enough, I did a full 8 miles at 4.6 mph and feel pretty confident about the marathon. No walking tomorrow as it is irrigation day, but I think a walk on Thursday and Friday will be in order.

Weight 198.4 BFI 24 BP 106/57 Pulse 70

Day 14

I started the day with an 8:30 AM visit to the soccer fields where I watched Karlee play. She had a good game, making 3 runs down the sidelines and then passing the ball off. She also got in on a close goal attempt. After the game was over, I headed to the park and another day of walking; short but sweet enough. I got in 5.75 miles and kept a 4.4 mph average. I had worn my warm-up pants to the game and then decided not to hassle with taking them off before walking. That was a mistake, as I felt hindered by the pants. Of course, starting my walk at a later hour was also a distraction for me.

Just a note…the people who walk and run later in the morning are a cold bunch. I received replies to my greetings about 20% of the time. What’s their problem?

Weight 199.4 BFI 23.9 BP 114/60 Pulse 67

Day 16 - Revisited

I am back at home after my 6 mile walk. I did the walk in 1:20, or a 4.5 mph average. And I got a chance to see what had caused the closure of the park path the other day. A very large oak was down and a crew had sawn it into manageable lengths. This oak was at least 4’ across at the stump; maybe 5’. As you walk through this park, you can’t help but think of the possible consequences of a tree falling and I often play scenarios in my mind where I hear the snap of a branch and I break into a run for safety.

Almost forgot...Weight 198.4 BFI 23.7 BP 107/64 and Pulse 60

Day 16

The days are slipping away. A little over two weeks before the marathon now and I am probably as ready as I can be. I will continue to get in some practice walks, fast and slow, but no more long walks. A 10 or 12 mile walk will be the limit.

And I need to get in a walk this morning, as I had a ice cream last night and somehow I must pay for that. 6 miles at a fast 4.5 mph pace should take care of the deficit.

Day 18

I just came back from another walk in the park. This was 6.25 mile walk and I did it in 1:19 minutes. A solid 4.7 mph pace. After our 21+ mile extravaganza on Saturday, it was tempting to think I might be able to go 3 days without walking, but I talked some sense into myself and drove to the park. 2 days off was enough.

The only hitch in the walk was when I came to the 3 mile spot and found a city employee barring the path and telling us all to exit the park or turn around. I couldn’t tell what the problem was…it was something just a little ways ahead of the barrier. And I didn’t feel like questioning the man; I will find out what it was in the paper tomorrow.

Day 21

This day turned out better than expected, as we were able to exceed our goal of 21 miles...and quite easily. I had come to Susanville for this last long walk before the marathon because I wanted to get in some high altitude training along with the distance training. We walked up and back (twice) on the Biz Johnson Trail and that gave us 18.7 miles, so we turned around and headed back up the mountain one more time. We didn't go far, just far enough to give ourselves a 21.5 mile walk at a 3.9 mph pace. We both felt that we could have gone another 5 miles easily.

So it seems that the marathon is within reach now...if we can do 21.5 miles, we can certainly do 26.2!

I didn't get a chance to weight myself immediately after the walk, but this morning I weigh 198.

Day 22 - Revisited

I'm back and I did get up to some serious speed (serious for me). I did 5.25 miles at a 4.9 pace. That's 12.25 minute per mile and I was sweating for this one, despite the early hour.

Tomorrow I will be in Susanville just long enough for a high mileage walk on the Biz Johnson Trail. We hope to get in 21 miles and that will be the end the long walks needed for training. For the next few weeks we can concentrate on short and fast walks...and no walks at all for the last 4 or 5 days. Hurray!

After the walk, I stopped at Cal Java for hot cup of antioxidants and steamed milk.

Weight 198.4 (Must have been the ice cream!) BP 118/66 Pulse 51

Day 22

The countdown continues...Today I will do a fast walk, trying to get in 6 miles at a 4.8 or 4.9 mph pace. Short walks, medium and long walks, they all add up for improved fitness for the marathon. I did the first marathon at a 14.389 minute per mile pace and I'm hoping to better that. If I can keep up a 4.5 mph pace I will be at 13.3 minutes per mile and could finish the marathon in 5.82 hours.

On another note...I lost the toe nail on my right big toe. It doesn't hurt at all, even when I walked yesterday, so I don't expect it to bother me during the marathon. But, it is ugly! There is lots of dark blood under the skin, somewhat like a blood blister, from the injury I did to it.

Long Day

I started out early, heading to the park at 6 and began my walking at 6:30. It went well and I put in about 2 1/2 hours at a 4.7 mph pace. Then I headed back home so that I could get showered and then drive up to Red Bluff to meet, Jill, the twins and Donna. Donna, a friend of Bill and Jill's, as well as ourselves, had her left knee replaced 3 weeks ago and she had asked Jill to drive her to see the surgeon for a checkup.

Is that cool or what? A brand new surgical steel knee and she walked out of the hospital the day after the surgery. She walks up and down the stairs at her home; and she will have the right knee replaced after the left one is well healed.

Well, since they were going to be so close by, I met them for lunch and we found a little Mexican restaurant that was just the right place for the twins to enjoy themselves...(We were the only customers)

My weight today, before the Chili Relleno, was 196.4.

Catalina

Catalina
This is one marathon that I dream of doing someday. Catalina has lots of good memories for me and to walk this marathon would be a real treat. From what I've read, it's more of a trail run than a conventional marathon, with 23 miles of the course off pavement. Hey! I can do trails!

Day 25

The walk went well. I got in 8.7 miles and I did it in 109 minutes. (12.53 minutes per mile) My intention was to do a relaxed walk and I started off at a 4.6 mph pace, using a racewalking gait. At the end of 3 miles, I looked at my Garmin unit and I was up to 4.8 mph. I tried to slow down a few more times, but the racewalking steps soon had me back to a steady 4.8 mph. It's definitely a more comfortable way to walk, although my children would prefer that I keep my identity a secret while racewalking.

Weight 196.8 BFI 23.4 BP 119/72 Pulse 59

Day 26

The walk went better than expected. I did the 6.25 mile circuit in 77 minutes. That's a 12.3 minute per mile average. The first 2 1/2 miles went by and and I was at 4.9 mph and then I felt what seemed to be a shin splint, so I slowed down and kept the pace at 4.7 mph for awhile. That seemed to do the trick as when I looked at my GPS unit around the 3 1/2 mile marker, I was back up to 4.9 mph and kept it there for the duration.

It's odd, but every time I start my walks, it takes a few miles before my muscles get into the rhythm I need to maintain a steady pace. And I have also found that it's true...I can't walk and do something else at the same time. If I try to find a kleenex in my pack, my feet get all confused and suddenly I'm slowing down!

Barriers

This morning I have a walk in the park planned and it should go well. It’s just a fast 6 mile walk and those are fairly easy to do now. One hour and 20 minutes is now the normal time for that distance. When did I become faster? The funny thing about the training is how the perspective changes. A walk of one time around the park was once a challenge and now it’s a short walk. I walk 3 times around the park for my challenges now and even that is becoming easier. For awhile, I saw the 13.1 mile (half marathon) distance as a barrier to overcome. Now it’s a routine distance and quite easy to do. The only challenge I see in the immediate future is a 21 mile walk on the Biz Johnson Trail. After that, the marathon distance of 26.2 miles will be a snap! As I stated earlier, marathons are easy to do if you simply separate them into do-able portions of time and distance. I am using 6 miles, the distance around the park, as my do-able. Four of those equals 24 miles and the remaining 2+ miles will be easy, just a third of a 6 mile portion.

Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon

Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
Except for the misspelled "Bizz", (It's "Biz") this is a great description of the event and the area. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't plan on this one for next year? It has a 7 hour time limit and that's certainly do-able for a good walker. But...I would hate to miss Portland and this year they are on the same weekend. If they were only a week apart, I would go for it! A week is long enough between marathons for recovery.

Data

Here are some old records of mine…

Bidwell Classic ½ Marathon in 2001 - 3:04:17
Portland Marathon in 2001 - I finished 57th in my age group, the 60-64 group. Overall, 6:17:23:50, 10K time was 1:28:10, half marathon time was 3:05:28 and 20-mile time was 4:49:17
Bidwell Classic ½ Marathon in 2002 - 2:48:25

Well, I may not be up to the pace of 2002…but I’m gaining on it!

Today is a day off and tomorrow will be a short and fast walk.

Day 29

14 miles was the goal and I made it easily. I kept up a 4.4 mph pace for the entire time and I noted that I did the 13.1 mile 1/2 marathon in exactly 3 hours. So if I use my skills for higher math and throw in some calculus and trig, just for fun...I see that I would have done a full marathon in 6 hours if I were able to maintain that pace. I did the first marathon (2001) in 6:17, so I feel good about my time.

I did note that today was a particularly unfriendly day in the park. I gave everyone my usual "Good morning" and received about a 40% rate of return. What does that mean?


Weight 198.2 BFI 23.7 BP 118/62 Pulse 69

Day 29

My plan for the day is to do a long distance walk in the park. Normally, the long walk is a Saturday event, but this Saturday is the first soccer home game of the season for Meghan and we want to see that. I will try for a fast 14 mile walk and that should keep me fit and on a good pace for training. Next weekend, I will make a quick trip to Susanville on Friday night, do 20 or 21 miles on Saturday morning and return that evening. And that will be the last long walk before the marathon! I’m really looking forward to getting that behind me.

Day 30

Oh, oh...30 days to go. The days are slipping by pretty fast now and this is when you start to wonder if you have trained hard enough. Of course you have, but still you wonder?

This morning I did an 8.5 mile walk at an average speed of 4.7 mph. That figures out to be a little over 11.18 minutes per mile. Once I got started and really into the 4.7 pace, it was hard to slow down!

Weight 200 BFI 24.2 (200 #'s - how did that happen?)

Day 32

A good walking day for me...Once around the park (6.25) in 1:19. That would be a 12.64 minute per mile average or about 4.5 mph. But I could have done better. What slowed me down was finding an old lottery ticket in my pack. Pretty soon I was daydreaming about the money I might have won and that was when the speed dropped!

Weight 198.8 BFI 23.7 BP 117/62 Pulse 55

Blocked

Today is the "official" Labor Day holiday and I am blocked from going to Chico and Bidwell Park...unless I take the long way around the anticipated traffic jam on Highway 32. This is the day for parties on the river as thousands of college age men and women take inner tubes, rafts and lots of alcohol out onto the Sacramento River. The main entry for this excursion is just off the highway in Hamilton City and the law enforcement agencies will have a gauntlet of check-points for the party people to pass. That makes for a tough day for everyone...

So I will pass on the ride into town for today and make up for it tomorrow.

Day 33

The long walk day...and I did 18.75 miles. And I was able to see my pedometer and my GPS unit agree on that number. Also, I kept the pace at 4.2 mph for the entire time; making that a 14:24 minute per mile pace. Yes, I was supposed to do a long walk and do it slow...but I just can't do it when I'm walking alone. My timers become my obsession and I keep trying to set records of any sort. My plan is to make one more trip to Susanville before the marathon and get in a 21 mile walk on the Biz Johnson trail. That's a 9 mile round trip, so 2 round trips and the walk to and from the college parking lot would give us more than 21 miles.

Overall, I'm tired of course, but I felt that I could have done one more circuit of the park. (I had done 3) I was in better shape than earlier in the week and hydrated as well.

Weight 199 BFI 23.8 BP 101/53 Pulse 75 - See how the BP goes down when you feel better?

Recovering

I decided to do a one mile event this morning, as I'm still not at 100%. I had done a measured mile once before, in 2002, The Fleet Feet Capitol Mile. This race is up and back on the Capitol Mall in Sacramanto. It's also a judged racewalk and that was my undoing back then. I decided to do a practice walk of 5 miles before going down to the event. During that practice, I had done a 10 minute mile and so I felt tired, but confident. The race was a disaster as I failed to make an 11 minute mile and ended up dead last. Why? I was dumb enough to think that I had enough in me for two races, one real and one practice.

This mornings one mile event took all of 10.50 minutes, so I was getting a good cardiac exercise.

Weight 201.8 (Mostly water) BFI 24.3 BP 124/67 Pulse 56

I wonder if the elevated BP is because of the additional water I have been drinking this morning?

Suffering

The cramps I suffered yesterday have me worried. Jill thinks it may have been lack of hydration and that could have been caused by the meat I ate on Wednesday night. She has a good point. The steak had been marinated and that was the probably the source for all of the additional salt. Since I haven’t used (added) salt in my diet for close to 20 years or more, I seem to be more sensitive to its addition.

So I’m drinking water this morning and I will have a banana (potassium) and some more Schweppes Quinine drink before I go for a short and fast walk. I will do a 5 mile walk in as fast a time as I can. Hopefully, that will allow for my heart to get a good workout and won’t tax my calves too much; they’re still tender.

Day 37

Day 37

This was a tough one! I was hoping to get in a full 13 miles but it was not to be. I started out OK, although I wasn’t feeling all that good. I had overdosed on red meat last night and that is something I’m not used to anymore. I did the first 6.5 miles in 1:30 (13.84) and I headed out for one more circuit. For some reason, I just didn’t feel “right”. It was right about 11 miles when I felt a cramp in both calves! I can understand having a cramp in one, but both? I gave it up right then and headed for the car. 11.85 miles. 166 minutes.

Weight 198  BFI 23.7  BP 107/59  Pulse 68