Been building towards New York all summer. Marathon training was gangbusters up through
August where I was ticking off 70mi weeks and hammering track workouts. A
probable PR in the making. During a twenty miler at month's end, sudden tendinitis in my foot put an end to all of that. Couldn't walk without a
pathetic limp for days, and had to take a couple weeks off. No trails, no
running. Outlook was kind of like this:
Bill Paxton's training goes to hell (nsfw)
After two plus down-weeks in September I regrouped and
charted a new plan of attack. The decision was to bike and swim like some
fitness obsessed freak so I could lay wood to at least a handful of slackers
that show up for the race less prepared than myself. I would taunt them without
mercy and dance a jig to their
misfortune.
Staring at several pair of shoes that had seen no action, and only six weeks out from a marathon I needed an airplane to get to, the situation called for DEFCON 1 emergency measures. This included cutting all empty calories to balance the loss of a weekly ~4,000 net calorie burn. Out were nachos, chocolate, desserts, donuts and pastries (maybe the hardest to deny), and.. wait for it…, wait..for..it, …..beer. God help me. Outside of DEFCON 1, I would consider such deprivation to be some hocus pocus clean living non-gluten-eating load of bullshit. But the cold logic of numbers do not lie, so what needed to be done was done.
Staring at several pair of shoes that had seen no action, and only six weeks out from a marathon I needed an airplane to get to, the situation called for DEFCON 1 emergency measures. This included cutting all empty calories to balance the loss of a weekly ~4,000 net calorie burn. Out were nachos, chocolate, desserts, donuts and pastries (maybe the hardest to deny), and.. wait for it…, wait..for..it, …..beer. God help me. Outside of DEFCON 1, I would consider such deprivation to be some hocus pocus clean living non-gluten-eating load of bullshit. But the cold logic of numbers do not lie, so what needed to be done was done.
Well folks - let me tell you this - biking and swimming will
whip a fellow into shape, especially when training am/pm doubles or stacking
brick workouts. The foot is now rested and can handle moderate mileage (I cut
away part of the sidewall of my shoes and lace them less tightly). Got in my
last few long runs without problem and the body is keenly aware that a cold
beer awaits in Central Park South on an approaching cold November morning. It
will be the Lord of Beers. Three-and-a-half weeks into Operation Bill Paxton Is A Whiny Sack of Shit, and my outlook for New York has brightened
to this:
NYC Training Log
If Burgess Meredith were a Bike
NYC Training Log| Aug | wk16 | 70mi |
| Aug | wk17 | 61 |
| Aug | wk18 | 70 |
| Aug | wk19 | 71 |
| Sep | wk20 | 12 |
| Sep | wk21 | 10 |
| Sep | wk22 | 15 |
| Sep | wk23 | 21 |
| Sep | wk24 | 36 |
| Oct | wk25 | 41 |
| Oct | wk26 | 50 |
| Oct | wk27 | 0 |
| Oct | wk28 | 0 |
| Nov | wk29 | |
| NYC |
View New York City Marathon - Five Boroughs New York in a larger map
I don't know man, I can understand cutting out the semi-edible plasticine crap, but beer was my main carbo loading fuel in the evenings before chicago..
ReplyDeleteI do believe that nachos are under-rated as a power food but obviously not as important as a good beer. I think your fine run in the Windy City is a testament to this. Aside from the calorie dodge, depriving myself of a daily recovery beer has had the unintended effect of making me super motivated. 'I've given up beer for this! Screwing around will not be tolerated! There will be a return on this investment so help me...'
ReplyDeleteI like your priorities. I also like your hiking trails, some of which I just traipsed for the first time. Not running--my pants weren't on fire.
ReplyDeleteI like your writing - straightforward and vivid like good writing is - and the nicely timed little audio-visual accents.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to try that pants on fire thing.
As long as you beat Apollo Antoine Ohno (sp?) I'll be happy...
ReplyDeleteMurr, I'm glad you found the trail write ups/maps helpful. Looks like you were visiting during our fantastic week of snow.
ReplyDeleteBubba, thank you for the kind words. Great stories are fun to share with others, no?
Nick, I will crush Apolo in New York. Fitting that a Rocky fan like myself has a legit opportunity to thrash a world champion named Apolo. 'ADRIENNE!!' If I see him at the finish I will politely remind him that he owes me a beer for getting beat.