2010 Manhattan Half Race Report - An Unexpected PR

Since I set my marathon PR in sprint 09, I have taken it really easy running-wise. I did the 09 NYC marathon but with bare minimum training (no > 40mi wks, one > 20mi run). Suffice it to say, I lost my motivation to run. So I allowed myself to take off so I can spend more evenings with my wife and do the P90X strength and conditioning program, a 90-day exercise and diet commitment which ended just after Christmas.

An eight month emphasis on enjoying life outside of running really helped to whet my appetite to get back into it. I redirected my focus back to run training when the decade turned. This started with Tabata intervals on the bike and eventually up the Manhattan Bridge 2-3x/wk to get my cardio back. Also did 5x mile intervals to get a feeling for the pacing six days before the race. And that was about it running-wise to help me prepare for the race. Below are my mileage totals since the 09 NYC marathon.
November: 61.95 incl. 09 NYC marathon


December: 39.20


You can see why I wasn't expecting too much heading into the 2010 Manhattan Half because of the minimal running. I was curious, however, to test the P90X conditioning I endured. So I decided to push myself to get as close to the 7:00min/mi pace. My pace chart for the race went as follows:

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Speed	Avg HR
1	0:06:58	1.01	6:56	162
2	0:06:55	1.01	6:52	172
3	0:06:48	1.01	6:46	171
4	0:07:05	1.01	7:00	172
5	0:07:02	1	7:02	173
6	0:06:52	1	6:53	170
7	0:07:00	1	7:01	170
8	0:07:03	1.01	6:58	172
9	0:06:47	1.01	6:45	171
10	0:07:14	1.02	7:05	173
11	0:07:08	0.99	7:14	175
12	0:06:57	1	6:55	174
13	0:07:03	1	7:03	178
14	0:00:47	0.13	6:18	180
Summary	1:31:46	13.18	6:57	172

I was surprised that I was doing sub 7's the first 3 miles, and going gradually faster at that. I finished the first loop with the mile marker reading 42:00. That was good because I knew I had some leeway having started in the back of the blue corral. I felt pretty decent so I thought I could push slightly harder in the second loop. So I did. But my effort wasn't translating to faster mile splits. Bummer. I'd have to push even harder. I drew into the thousands of P90X push-ups I did by using my upper body to power me up Cat Hill, Harlem Hill and the west side rolling hills. I think it worked. The mile 12 marker read 1:24:13. Lost about 13s, but it's now GO time. My goal for every race is to do a sub 6:15 final mile. This one didn't even come close - 7:03.

My official time was 1:31:41 (6:59 min/mi), a PR by about half a minute on a much tougher course. I was definitely ecstatic about my first sub-7 pace half for the first race of the year after months of taking it easy!

Breaking down the race effort, I think that P90X did a lot to help me stay conditioned. The three weeks of Tabata intervals helped me to get my cardio back QUICK, which is why I absolutely love Tabata workouts. The mile intervals helped me to feel the pacing. If there's anything that can be improved upon, it's the last 2-3 miles. In the past, I had a better ability to pick it up. Yesterday, it annoyed me to get passed by so many. Ugh. But I know that will be fixed as I up my mileage.

I'm hoping this is a good omen for my 2010 season. I'm definitely much more excited about running again hope to set more PR's.

P90X - A Runner's Experience (Part 1)

In September, I decided to do the P90X program to support a couple of friends who wanted a third person to help hold them accountable for the staying with the regimen. I had never attempted a workout program for a simple reason: I do NOT like following a scheduled regimen. I also can not emphasize enough my dislike for home exercise videos and I was also in the second half of my NYC marathon training. But because these friends are near and dear to me, I decided to jump in.

Going into the program, I already considered myself pretty fit. Ever since I can remember, I could never sit still. I was an avid skateboarder, played basketball endlessly in high school and college, lifted weights to gain mass, mountain biked, etc. Before getting married, my fiancee introduced me to triathlons and distance races quickly became an addiction. After moving to New York, I've been only road races since I do not want to swim in any bodies of water here. My proudest accomplishment so far has been to qualify for the Boston Marathon in May 2009 at the NJ marathon at 3:14. The P90X program was something completely new and different for me so I thought why not try. It can only help to do other workouts instead of just run run running.


The P90X Program
If you want in depth info about the program, you can it from the official website. Otherwise, here's a brief summary from the home page.

"P90X® is a revolutionary system of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts, designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days. You'll also receive a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options, a detailed fitness guide, a calendar to track your progress, online peer support, and much more. Your personal trainer, Tony Horton, will keep you engaged every step of the way, and you won't believe your results!"

01 Chest & Back
Targeted strength and definition workout emphasizes two classic upper-body exercises.

02 Plyometrics
Explosive jumping cardio routine proven to dramatically improve athletic performance.

03 Shoulders & Arms
Potent combination of pressing, curling, and fly movements, that will leave you stronger.

04 Yoga X
Combines strength, balance, flexibility, and breath work to enhance your physique and calm your mind.

05 Legs & Back
Get ready to squat, lunge, and pull for a total-body workout like no other.

06 Kenpo X
Intense cardiovascular workout with punching and kicking for endurance, balance, and coordination.

07 X Stretch
Achieve a higher level of athleticism over a longer period of time, plus prevent injuries and avoid plateaus.

08 Core Synergistics
Build and support multiple muscle groups to build and support the core while conditioning your body.

09 Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
Target both large and small upper body muscles to push you to the brink.

10 Back & Biceps
Flex those powerful biceps and focus on toning and tightening these showcase arm muscles.

11 Cardio X
Low-impact cardio routine that is a fun fat-burning workout that will leave you feeling lean and mean.

12 Ab Ripper X
Sculpt the six-pack abs of your dreams and benefit your health and physical performance.

The supporting materials consist of three different exercise schedules (P90X Classic, Lean, or Double for those that want to do two-a-days) and a nutrition plan. Both are essential for a successful results. We followed the P90X classic schedule, which looked like this:

In addition to the workout discs, I ordered the pull-up bar and extra resistance bands to add to an existing set of dumbbells. Of the pull-up bar, bands and dumbbells, I highly recommend the pull-up bar and some dumbbells. Note that a door frame is needed for the pull-up bar.

Workouts were done in my apartment or at my buddy's place in NJ when I happened to be there. My apartment is about 350sf so space was obviously tight. Luckily the workouts don't require too much space. About 40sf should do.


Getting Started
We started the program on September 29, 2009, with the fit test which consisted of max effort pull-ups, push-ups, vertical jump, flexibility measurement, and so forth. We were fully aware that the program date would encompass the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. This meant that we would have to refrain from "festive eating."

The start date was on a Tuesday to coincide with my rest Mondays for NYC marathon training. I needed to make sure I had the luxury of at least one recovery day so my body did not get beat up too badly.


Pre P90X Numbers
The following sets of numbers are my basic numbers, physical measurements and my physical performance test before the program. The weight is up a couple of pounds because of a "celebratory" pre-start dinner consisting of lots of roast duck, noodles at our favorite Chinatown restaurant and eat-until-we-get-sick dessert at Viniero's. The body fat % was taken from this type of Tanita scale. I usually took my measurements in the evening to try to keep things consistent.

Basic numbers

Measurements

Initial Fit Test Results

Not bad, but not great either. I'm sure a long run earlier that day affected my numbers, especially the vertical leap. I wasn't too concerned about my cardiac condition numbers since I found it difficult to get my heart rate up with the P90X heart rate maximizer exercise. I usually get my heart rate (way) up during interval workouts on hills, Tabata repeats or other length intervals.

Now we get to the part that most people care about - results. I'll break this down per workout disc. We started with disc 1 (chest and back) the day after the fit test. We didn't realize what a mistake that was because we did not give ourselves a chance for recovery from the fit test.

I always tried to do more than I did the previous week with each workout. For the most part, I think I was successful.

Disc 1 - Chest and Back
One of my favorite discs. Absolutely killed me the first day I did it. As a matter of fact, I had to rely on a chair for pull-ups for second sets on the first day.



The numbers indicate that I definitely gained a lot of strength for both muscle groups. Of note, I could only do 25 and 8 military push-ups over two sets. My last workout, the numbers were 35 and 42. The over-hand close grip pull-ups were 6 and 12 with chair in week 1. In week 11, the numbers were 15 and 15.

I think the results speak loudest when you look at the overall rep totals. In the first workout, I did a total of 58 pull-ups (counting chair assistance) and 217 total push-ups. In the last workout, I did a total of 61 pull-ups (no chairs!) and 417 push-ups.

For runners and endurance athletes, I think push-ups are a must for building core strength and that final kick when you're using a lot of upper body to get you to the finish line.

Disc 2 - Plyometrics
This was a disc I did not enjoy. I did it only because it was on the program. It's a decent workout, but I much prefer doing hill repeats. I think the only thing I liked about this video was the jump knee tuck exercise. It was the only workout that I felt got my heart rate going. Except for my mental note that I usually did about 47 jump knee tucks per workout, I do not have any other numbers.

As much as I disliked the workout, I still think it's essential for building quickness and leg strength for runners.

Disc 3 - Shoulders & Arms
This workout consisted of shoulder presses and multiple varieties of curls. I had never worked on my arms so much. You'll notice that some of the "Notes" blocks in the image have "green", "purple", or "red." I used bands the last three times I did this because we shared weights. Bands provide some of the toughest resistance at the far end of it's elasticity and can be a great alternative to weights.

Disc 4 - Yoga
I had experienced yoga once prior to P90X and I was not a fan. By the third time I did the P90X yoga workout however, I became a fan. I finally understand why yogies consider yoga a great workout. Furthermore, I think it helped me to develop core strength and definitely flexibility, both of which are tantamount attributes for running. Moving forward, I'll be incorporating yoga more into my workout schedule. One other benefit I enjoyed doing yoga was the sense of escape during the routine; very similar to the escape I feel when I'm out for a run.

No measurements for this one except the flexibility measurement at the end of the program.

Disc 5 - Legs & Back This is the one strength workout that was included every week of the program. My guess is because Tony Horton, as he proclaims in the workouts, loves pull-ups. A better guess might be that back and leg muscles are large muscles that help us keep a better posture, saving us from later back pain, and well developed large muscles produce more testosterone to spur muscle growth for other workouts.

I did not enjoy doing the leg workouts, but they're necessary for runners. Various lunges and squats develop stronger legs make a better runner. At least that's what I'm told. Looking at the bottom tallies, my total pull-ups in week 1 was 89. I remember thinking then, "Wow. I've never done so many in my life." In week 12, I was able to do 145. I should also disclose that I was super motivated for every last workout, making final week numbers sometimes look out of place.

Disc 6 - Kenpo
If there is a disc I would love to throw away, it's this one. It just was not enough for me. Consequently, I found myself bored even though I tried to make sure I moved firmly and aggressively. No measurements necessary. Just 57 minutes or so of punching, kicking and stretching. The one saving grace for me was that I tried to focus on my core every time I did this workout. I also carried 2.5lb weights sometimes to make it more intense.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 2 of review coming in the next couple of days....

Only 10 more days of P90X!

It's not the workouts that have tired me. I've enjoyed fighting for every pull-up. It's the foods I've had to avoid. (Read: carbs!!) I don't think I'll go back to my old ways of eating and running everything off like I did when marathon training. I'm enjoying fueling up with "clean" energy. I just miss the freedom of having desserts and snacks whenever I want.

As far as the workouts are concerned, I think I've seen most of the physical transformation happen in the second half of the 3mo commitment. Not sure, but will be sure to break it down when I'm completely done with the program. It will also be interesting to compare fit test numbers before and after the program.

On the running front, I've effectively shut it down the rest of this decade. Might go for a couple of other easy miles in Central Park, but I'm just waiting for the year to be over before I start training for Boston.

P90X - Day 60

Actually just finished Day 61. Nevertheless, haven't written about my progress in a while due to the usual reasons - work, work, and finally a vacation.

Took my 60 day progress pics yesterday. I think visual progress has been fairly minimal. It could be because I broke my P90X diet in Lanai (how can anyone turn down two complimentary surprise desserts from a Four Seasons resort??), but I think it's really because I was lean starting the process anyhow. Here are some of my measurements, and no, I don't think I'll post any photos:

• Gained nearly 2" on my pecs, but I think most of that is from a wider back since that what I've seen in the photos. Definitely able to crank out much more push-ups and pull-ups now.
• Lost nearly a couple of inches on my abs. Surprising considering these photos were taken post Thanksgiving, and I took a day off from the P90X diet as well.
• Legs shrank a little, probably because I drastically cut down my mileage post NYC marathon.
  
• Day 1 legs and back workout, did 89 various grip pull ups. Day 60, did 133 pull ups.
  
• Day 1 chest & back, did 214 various position push ups. Day 56, did 334 push ups.
  
• Start weight: 137.4 Current weight: 134.2 - my weight fluctuates between 133 to about 136 instead of 134 - 137. I think I actually have more muscle mass now.

29 days remaining in the program. I broke my diet while I was in Hawaii, but I'm back on it. I'm quite proud that I had not touched dessert for over 1.5 mo's before that. I can survive without it for another 30 or so days.



On another note, I bought my first pair of Newton running shoes today. I figure it's the best time to try out new shoes since it's the off season. Will be posting about it in upcoming days after I've broken them in.

October Mileage

The following is my mileage for the final month of the NYC marathon training. As I mentioned in my previous post, lack of mileage reared its head around mile 5. But I didn't mind it one bit given the extra time I had.


What's not included in the calendar are the P90X workouts that went on 6 days/week, which I continue to believe helped me in the race and recovery.

With my racing season over, I'm looking forward to doing some relaxing and miles with some old buddies in Hawaii as they train for the Honolulu Marathon.

2010 NYC Marathon Race Report - Going Through the Motions

The 2010 NYC Marathon was my 3rd official NYC Marathon. I say 3rd because I ran it as a bandit most of the way through from in 2005. And of all three official races, I'd have to rank this as number three and least eventful. But more on that later. My experience for yesterday's race went something like this...

Pre-race
4:30am - Wake up, get dressed. Pack all my race day weapons which consisted of 5 roctane gels, a small bottle of water with lots of added table salt. For breakfast at Fort Wadsworth, a Clif builder bar and pineapple flavored Vita-coco.
5:00am - Left my apt to knock on neighbor's door who also ran the race. Other neighbor comes home with about 15 others in their Halloween garb.
5:30am - Our bus departs for Staten Island.
5:50am - 9:10am - Got to Fort Wadsworth early enough that neighbor and I claimed a semi dry spot in a tent.
9:15am - 10:20am - Waited with hundreds of increasingly frustrated runners who couldn't get into the starting corral for the wave. Not good energy usage IMO, so I tried to stay calm as others around me threatened to push the fence and screamed at officials. I ended up starting with wave 2 when I should've been with wave 1.

The Race
10:27am - I cross the starting line and I'm off! Love the adrenaline of a marathon start, especially in NY. Unfortunately, it wasn't completely there for me. But that helped since mile 1 is ALWAYS supposed to be slow. Covered the uphill on Verrazzano Bridge in 8:28.

Miles 1-4 - I knew to take it easy, but man, I felt like it was too easy because of the traffic. A lot of weaving. I think most people were running 8+ min/mile while I was trying to maintain 7:30's. Some guy along mile 3 blew his nose in front of me, and for some reason, the snot flew up and chunks of it landed on my forehead. Most disgusting marathon moment for sure.

Miles 5-10 - Somewhere around mile five, I started to feel the weight of my legs. From past experience, I realized then that the race was going to be longer than I thought and that I'd have to battle to the finish. I expected a fade at the finish and adjusted my time goal from 3:20 to 3:30. BTW, I've ALWAYS loved running through Ft. Greene and Lafayette Ave's even more so that 1st Ave. in Manhattan. Loud, proud spectators and the lively live gospel music by the African-American church at the latter part of the stretch is so awesome it makes me want to walk so I could enjoy more of the atmosphere. But I ended up averaging about 7:40's in this stretch because of the crowd.

Miles 11 - 15 - This is the part of the race that I know nothing about in terms of location. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Long Island City and a part of Queens. Still enjoyable running through a different part of the city though. I admonished a couple of able looking runners who were walking, and they started to pick up the pace. Legs definitely felt heavy going over the Queensboro Bridge, covering the span in 8:08.

Miles 16 - 20 - Exiting the Queensboro Bridge made me fall initially fell in love with the race. It's the closest I'll ever experience to playing the Super Bowl. Stadium atmosphere of spectators. The rush provides an energy boost for a couple of miles. Miles 17 and 18 were 7:13 and 7:28 respectively. I thought of trying for a sub 7 mile but decided it wasn't worth the effort. I didn't want to pay later. The latter part of this block of miles, I just wanted to keep my legs moving, particularly over the orange carpeted bridge. There were portions where I wanted to slow down and walk heading up to the Bronx, but my wife put this



on the back of my shirt. I couldn't be seen walking with that on my back :-P

Miles 21-25 - Time to gut it out. I was sick of the gel's and the gatorade so I took in only water these last miles. Just kept telling myself to keep my legs moving and not to walk. From the Bronx, all I could think of was getting to Central Park and facing that uphill mile. It wasn't as hard as I thought. I moved as my fast my heavy legs allowed me, which were threatening to cramp everytime I sped up just a little. That uphill mile was 9:07! Slow, but I didn't walk. Also cramped up a couple of times once in CP, but slowing down a little more alleviated it.

Mile 25 - finish - As I crossed the mile 25 marker, my watch read 3:19:57. A quick calculation told me I needed to maintain an 8 min pace the rest of the way. "Piece of cake," I thought. It wasn't, but thankfully the downhill to 5th ave and the crowds along CP South helped. Once I got into the park, with 100m to go, I saw that I had 30s to spare. I was going to make 3:30. Official finish time was 3:29:55.

Rest of the story
It always amazes me that the moment that I stop running after 26.2 miles or so, everything hurts. I wish the adrenaline boost from the last 1/4 mile would last a little longer. It never does. The painful walk to the exit seemed to take forever, but I needed to keep my legs moving so I wouldn't stiffen up badly. And for whatever reason, I felt like shedding happy tears of accomplishment along this walk. I was just so grateful to have finished. Unlike my previous races where I was motivated by a time goal, it was more of a battle to keep my legs moving.

So why is this my least favorite of the three that I've done? Like I said, It felt uneventful. I ran the mileage and hoped to experience the race. Didn't quite happen. My heart wasn't there. I still had fun and appreciate everything about the event. However, I may need to take a step back and volunteer or spectate next year to readjust my perspective.

The P90X Effect
The other factor I've been wondering about going into this marathon was the P90X program I started about 35 days ago. Looking back, I think the P90X program helped me to get stronger for running, particularly improvements to my core and flexibility. I also think it helped me to pull off a respectable time. Ultimately, I believe it was my lack of mileage that probably slowed me down. My heart rate averaged 166 - a few beats lower than my marathon PR average. Good cardio but uncooperative legs. What I've appreciated more about the P90X program though, is that I think it has helped me to recover a lot faster. It has only been a day, but I had no problems going down stairs and can pretty much function normally. I'm glad that the marathon is over so I can focus just on P90X from now until end of this year.

Links
Garmin Mileage splits
P90X Program

Pre-marathon Thoughts

Not sure what to expect tomorrow. Here's why...

Detriments:

• Insufficient mileage training (no 40+ mi wks)
• One 20+ mi run
  
• Started speed workouts about 5 wks from race, and not much of it

Positives:

• P90X workouts alongside marathon training have made me stronger and more flexible
  
• Diet regimen from P90X program made me fuel better (ie no sugary desserts...for 32 days and counting!)
• Less mileage might be good for my legs after all

My best estimate tomorrow is about a 3:30. My main goal is to have fun, then run fast. We'll see how it goes.

Off to bed for a 3 hr nap.