New Video!!!

Wanted to write a bit about my training lately. Ran 13 miles last weekend and ran 8 this morning. I am ready for this thing. I am probably going to sign up for the 3:45 pace team, which will be a challenge, but I think I can pull it off.

Here is the latest training video. I think you will enjoy it.

Let the taper begin

I embarked on my longest long-run this past Saturday. This was supposed to be the real killer, the run that would be the hardest to complete. I actually finished it relatively well. I only planned on doing 20 miles, but nearing the end of my trail, there were sandbags due to flooding blocking the last mile. I was forced to take a detour, and after it was all said and done, ended up being a 21 mile run. Don't get me wrong, the last couple miles were tough, but I was able to avoid stopping altogether during the run. To me, that was the big accomplishment. I finished the run in 3:13, which gives me hope that I can possibly finish the marathon in 3:45. Time will tell.

Banco Popular Half Marathon - Can I get an umbrella???

What a mess.

I signed up for the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon weeks ago for the sole reason that my marathon training called for a 14 mile run, hence it fit in the schedule perfect. I should have known that when it started raining on Friday for packet pickup that was a bad sign. The good part about the packet pickup was it was totally indoors. My wife and I took the kids along and they had a good time. As you know the Chicagoland area received a tremendous amount of rain that Friday and Saturday...

Sunday morning I was up early and still contemplating whether I should go through with it. My biggest fear was running the risk of injury and jeopardizing my marathon in October. As I looked outside the rain seemed to have stopped. I thought "it might clear up after all". I then packed up all my things and headed to the train station. Needless to say, the rain resumed shortly thereafter.

Once I got to the gear check-in and dropped my bag off, I had 15 minutes until the race started. There were so many people there, I struggled to weave my way into the starting pack. Unfortunately, I found myself in the middle of the 2:30-finishing time pace section. This was unbelievably frustrating. I spent the first 8 miles, swerving between people until I could get some room to move.

Once I got some room and checked the timing, I knew I wouldn't be putting in a PR at this race. I was OK with that, since I knew the big race was next month anyway. I finished at 1:50, which was pretty good considering the weather and my starting position. No new blisters per se, but a couple new layers on some existing ones. Nothing major.

What an experience. I will say that the food they give you at the finish line was MUCH appreciated. That was the best tasting apple I have ever had. And they had chocolate chip cookies!!

Now the real challenge: a 20 mile run this Saturday. That will truly be a mental and physical challenge.

18 mile run

This one was a challenge from the start. Alex had an early soccer game that Saturday morning so I got up at 5AM and hit the street at 5:15. I couldn't run the trail I usually use for long runs since it was still pitch black outside. I decided to run in my neighborhood instead. It turned out alright, since I live in a pretty big subdivision and across the street was another subdivision. It really helps to have a long route so the scenery isn't the same. I actually ran it without stopping, which I was pretty proud of. The time was nothing to write home about (2:55), but long runs aren't about speed anyway, right? I actually felt like I could go a little longer, which was a good feeling.

Next post I will write about my Banco Popular Half Marathon experience.

17 miler

Well, after my previous two long runs went less than expected, I didn't know what to expect last Saturday. My training schedule called for 17 and I was bound and determined to get all 17 miles in. And surprisingly enough, it went really well. I think it helped that I had plenty of new music in my MP3 player. I also used for the first time Jelly Belly energy beans. I saw these at the Jelly Belly factory in Pleasant Prairie, WI, and I figured I would try them. I like them much better than the GU packets! Long story short, I ran solo and only stopped three times, none of which were fatigue or muscle related. I finished the run at 2:34, and was excited with my performance. I was really sore for the next two days, but when Tuesday rolled around, I did a 5 miler with no problem.

Next up, 18 miles on 9/6. Only problem is that I have previous commitments for both Saturday morning and Sunday morning. So I may be running 18 miles in the mid-day heat. Not something I am looking forward to, but I will have to make it work.

I also just signed up for the Banco Popular Half Marathon. Since my training called for 14 miles that week anyway, I figured why not.

15 Miles

I survived the 13.1 miles of the Chicago Distance Classic with only a few minor injuries (blisters on four toes - one of which a blood blister). So to prepare for my 15 mile run I stopped by Running for Kicks for some new shoes and some GU packs. I have never had these packets before, but was told they were necessary for marathon training. Picked up about a dozen of these and was ready for my long run.

The run on Saturday went really well actually. I was running solo, so I anticipated wanting to stop about half way through or maybe mile 12, but I kept going until about mile 13.5. My legs were killing me. So I walked for about a minute, then finished the rest of the run. I took two GU packs: one I took 15 minutes before my run, and the other about 1:15 into the run. Neither flavor tasted good, but the Strawberry was better than Orange.

When I got back home, two of the blisters had popped. But that is not a bad thing. These were the kinds of blisters you get from impact, not from rubbing against something. I remember getting blisters on my heel when I played football in highschool, and those were much more painful. The blisters I had on my toes were ugly, but didn't hurt.

Now I am faced with the decision if I should run the Banco Popular Half Marathon on Sept 14. The only reason I would run it would be that it coincides perfectly with my training schedule (my schedule shows 14 miles for the long run that week). Plus it is a lot more fun running in that atmosphere than running solo. We will see. I have a couple weeks to decide.

Chicago Distance Classic

Nothing like waking up at 4:00AM to run 13 miles! It was a long day, but a great day nonetheless. Got to the Team World Vision tent a little after 5:40AM to stretch and take some group pictures. Then it was off to the starting line. All I can say is it was pure adrenaline. Other people have said the hardest part is waiting to start. And I couldn't agree more. I had decided to shoot for 1:45 as a finish time, but we were several hundred people behind that pace leader. So I actually ran with the 1:50 pace leader for about 10 miles. I was feeling really good so I started passing some people (either that or they were getting tired). By the time I saw mile marker 13 I gave it my all. I finished up at 1:46:40 which I was pretty proud with. This qualified me to start the Chicago Marathon in Corral D (a slightly earlier start than the majority of runners).

But it gets better! The course was incorrectly certified, and was actually LONGER than 13.1 miles. So after the recalculation, I was in Corral C!! I was pretty excited about that.

How sore was I? Was I able to walk after the race? The rest of the day I was moving pretty slowly. The next day my legs were still a little sore. But I was running again on Tuesday and felt pretty good. I have blisters on 4 of my toes, but I can deal with that.

What's next for my training? I have 15 miles to run Saturday morning (without anyone cheering me on or handing me Gatorade). And Alex has his first soccer game at 11:30 that day. Wish me luck!!

Another training video!

You will like this one. This video shows how I spend my cross-training days. Enjoy!!

11 Miles

Last week I ran 10 miles in the heat and high humidity and really struggled. This week I ran early in the morning and dodged most of the rain drops and was able to run 11 miles in 1:32. A lot of this was due to the fact that I ran with someone this week. It really keeps you on pace and makes the time go by faster.

Also picked up a new MP3 player for the upcoming LONG runs as the Chicago marathon gets closer. It is a 2GB SANSA and it was only $30 at Amazon! That is an awesome price for the player.

Long Run

The plan was to run 10 miles on Saturday morning at 6:30AM. No humidity, not too hot, perfect running conditions. Well it was raining cats and dogs at 6:30, so by the time I was able to run it was 2:00PM, about 85 degrees and HUMID! A 20 oz bottle of gatorade and 90 minutes later, I had finished my 10 mile run. Definitely not at my normal pace due to the weather. Legs were sore Sunday and today, but I should be in good shape to put in 5 miles on Tuesday.

Nutrition

I am probably the last person to write about nutrition. Dessert with every meal, right??? Well, that philosophy probably doesn't help when training to run 26.2 miles. So I am trying to eat better (key word trying). At the very least we don't keep Little Debbies or Hostess Snacks in the house anymore. I did read somewhere that drinking a protein shake after running helps to minimize recovery time and also helps build muscle mass. I recently bought some Myoplex protein shakes and have been taking those after each run. I have yet to feel sore the next morning following a run, so it looks like they are helping. I am sure they will really help out once the 10+ mile runs start coming up later this month.

Thanks to all who donated. If you haven't done so yet, you can click on the right side of this blog on the little applet called FirstGiving. This will take you to my fundraising page. Or you can go there directly at: http://www.firstgiving.com/johnreidelbach.

I am working on a couple of ideas for more 'training videos'. Stay tuned.

New Video!!

Couple of updates. First, went on the weekly long run on 6/21. Was only supposed to be 6 miles but we stretched it to 8. I can still move my legs, so I think it was successful. Ran at an 8 minute mile pace, and felt pretty good.

Also, I posted a video of my training team. You can check it out at YouTube. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/v/UFZo_oSwRPo

I hope to post a few more as the race gets closer.

Please visit my sponsorship page at http://www.firstgiving/johnreidelbach to make a donation or to see my progress.

First post!

Hey! My first blog post! I have some exciting plans for this blog as I prepare for the Chicago Marathon. I am working on a YouTube video or two which you will like. So stay tuned!