Learn | Make | Fix | Run

Picture from my first post-marathon recovery run. Google, Hangar One, and NASA Ames from the San Francisco Bay Trail. After my first marathon ( Cascade Express Marathon ) on September 11, 2022, I had a case of the marathon blues. For those of you who may have never heard that term, it’s exactly like it sounds. It’s a sadness some runners feel after a marathon or any other race. Some runners get it when they accomplish their goal, which sounds counterintuitive; since you’d think they would be happy. Others get it when they don’t achieve their goal. I fell in the latter group. The only goal I completed was finishing the race. However, I wasn’t happy with the results. I was extremely sore. I injured myself when I should have been recovering. I couldn’t run. It was a pretty terrible experience. Following that experience, I vowed to do iliotibial band syndrome exercises, which I did for about a month. I also promised to do bodyweight core exercises, which I did do. I pledged to foam roll, w...

The Mountains 2 Beach Marathon was a success. I gave it my best effort and am happy with the result. It was a vast improvement from my first marathon in September 2022. Below, I share what worked during this training cycle, what lessons I have learned, and the questions I have for the future. What Worked Increasing My Weekly Training Volume The Hal Higdon Advanced Marathon 1 plan started with about 30 miles per week of work and peaked at 58 miles per week. I had four weeks with 50 or more miles. The additional time on my feet helped me reach the finish line more easily than the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan, which peaked at 35 miles. I had two training personal records (PR) this cycle—most miles in a month and most in a week. Slowing Down After the race, I questioned whether I should have run my long runs slightly faster. I ran my easy and long runs in zone 2, and my recovery runs in zone 1. However, after thinking it through, I realize I staved off injury by keeping it slow, and I need to ...

In response to last week’s post, “ Are Podcasts Slowing Me Down or Do I Just Need the Rest? ”, I ran two easy runs without a podcast or music and a long run with music. In my very unscientific experiment, I found my average heart rate closer to the Z2/Z3 border in all three runs. However, I question if the higher heart rate is related to not listening to a podcast. Most likely, my body was less tired this week. I was consciously trying to run with a higher heart rate. A better experiment would be listening to a podcast on a long run when trying to run a higher heart rate. I am out of long runs during this training block, so I will need to look at this again in the future. It's marathon prep week. I’ve been trying to figure out all the logistics for the 6:00 a.m. start. I am supposed to report to the shuttle area at 3:30 a.m. That leaves a lot of time before the race. My long run breakfast routine is a cup of coffee and a buttered bagel about 45 minut...

Recently I was asked to look at an Apple TV remote that was no longer responding. My technical troubleshooting instincts immediately kicked in. I wondered if the device had power and if it was connected. The remote doesn’t have a battery door, and I could see how someone who only uses an Apple TV occasionally could overlook checking to see if the remote was charged. The remote was not charged, and it was an easy fix. I wrote this post for two reasons. I wanted to educate those who occasionally use Apple TV remotes (or Apple’s newer wireless keyboards and mice) that your remote/wireless device most likely charges with a lightning cable plugged into a power source. I also wanted to remind everyone that checking for power and whether the other wires are connected is a good place to start when troubleshooting an issue. As a bonus, if you have an Apple TV and want to check your remote’s battery status, on your Apple TV, go to Settings -> Remotes and Devices -> Remote. On the following...

Am I listening to my body? Is listening to podcasts slowing me down? These questions come to mind when I think about my week of running. I started the week with a five mile (8 km) recovery run, followed by two hard runs, a four mile (6 km) marathon pace run and a set of six hill intervals. I ended the week with an eight mile (12 km) base run, twelve mile (19 km) long run, and a five mile recovery run. All three of these runs felt slow to me. I stayed below the prescribed heart rate intensity of Z2 for the base run and long run and Z1 for the recovery run. I felt I could have run each of these sessions faster, and I had left some heart rate on the table. I chalked up the slow base run to the preceding two hard workouts. I tried to increase my cadence, but my body wasn’t complying. I thought it was best to listen to my body, but I wonder if I had listened to music instead if I would have run faster. On my long run, in the rain, I did not want to be forced to run/walk when my heart rate p...

My assumption was correct; the coolant system was full of air - it needed to burp. After I returned from my trip, I had time to look at the car more thoroughly. I wasn’t rushed, so I remembered to open the bleed screw and was able to pour in another gallon of coolant. The engine was not overheating, and the heater was blowing hot air. It looks like it is all fixed. Since then, I had the cooling system professionally flushed and filled. Although I could do it myself, I did not want to deal with the waste from flushing the system. The car is making some squeaks when I make turns; I need to look at the bushings for the steering system. I still need to fix my gas gauge too. However, for now, this is a good place to be. Sometimes, we need to take a break or step away to come back and tackle an issue. That’s what happened here. Has something like this happened to you before? If so, please share below in the comments.

This week, I begin my taper for the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon, which is on May 21. I plan to share six things I learned about running this week as I update you on last week’s training. When Recovering From an Injury, Your Pace Will Not Be the Same I must keep reminding myself to pay attention to the heart rate metrics and stop worrying about hitting the same paces I ran before my injury. I had almost 500 miles (800 km) in the training bank before my foot injury, and I already ran a 20-mile (32 km) long run. The pace will return soon, and it’s best not to risk injury trying to resume my previous pace too quickly. Heat Slows Your Pace I knew that heat slows your pace, but I needed to be reminded. I re-learned this before I left for Vegas. Last Tuesday, I had my first speedwork session since my injury, and the weather was 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) at the start of my workout. My first exposure to heat this season, coupled with th...