Better Weather, Slower Pace and Energy Gels

What a difference cool dry trade winds makes. Along with a slower pace and two energy gels, I finished feeling pretty good; not really tired at all. I did my 17.47 miler in 3:28.39. Although the sun was out and it was getting pretty hot by 7:30 which was about my 2 hr 30 min mark (started at 5:00 AM), the air was not very humid making it a lot easier to run. I slowed down my pace throughout the run to conserve energy, and it helped towards the end climbing the hill.


I tried two of the energy gels I had purchased earlier a Gu Orange Burst Energy Gel with caffeine and later a PowerBar Raspberry Cream Gel without caffeine. Both went down easily and sat well in my tummy. Made sure I drank water after each. Now I have to figure how to squeeze the gel out without getting all over my fingers. Guess I don’t have to get the very last drop out of the package. Nothing like running with sticky fingers. As for the flavors, I preferred the orange to the raspberry cream. I still have lemon, chocolate, strawberry banana, and green apple to try. As for the caffeine, I couldn't tell the difference with or without it. Perhaps I was too involved in running to feel anything or the caffeine’s effect was too subtle. I’m sure the extra calories the gels provided helped though.


Again Kay made a smoothie for my breakfast. Actually, she had two glasses waiting for me. I inhaled the first one as soon as I walked in the kitchen and saved the second for after my shower. We had lunch again at Burger King only because we got a free Whopper when we bought a value meal with a coupon that was going to expiring soon. Whoa, that's 2 burgers in a row.

Yellow Morning

Before running this morning I checked AIRNow to find out what the air quality was like outside; it was too dark see. Honolulu was listed as an “Yellow 75” which I thought was okay since it was only 25 points above “Green.”



AirNow is a federal, state and locally maintained website providing air quality forecasts as well as real-time conditions. I’m not too sure how accurate the system is though. The forecast for today was supposed to be "green” but the air sure looks bad this afternoon, and the current status is “Yellow 79.” I guess that’s a problem with running too early in the morning. You can’t see air quality.

I have been getting some good advice from Ed, my marathon mentor. He recently recommended trying energy gels that I can drink instead of the bars which must be chewed. I got several different flavors from a sports store and will try a couple Saturday.

16 Miles and 10 More to Go

Wow, yesterday’s 16 miler was my worst by far. I was dragging like an old hound dog coming up the hill to finish in 3:13.08.

After thinking about it, I am sure it was a case of overestimating and underestimating conditions. I had been running well during the last two weeks so I decided to increase my pace for the long run which was a big mistake. I was over confident and should have kept to my slower pace strategy. Also, I did not realize how the heat and humidity would adversely affect my outing. By the time I reached my 10 mile mark I was soaked with sweat and just about out of gas. I walked a while to catch my breath and drank more water. Luckily, I found another park rec facility next to the running path and filled my water bottle. Although I drank a lot of water, it was not enough for the hot weather. It reminded me of the Chicago Marathon in 2007 when temperatures reached into the high 80s. The race was called off before most runners finished. Over 300 runners were taken from the course by ambulance with heat-related conditions. I have got to keep an eye on what Mother Nature up to and be better prepared.

To help replenish lost calories, I celebrated with a large fruit smoothie that Kay made me after showering and a Burger King Whopper for lunch later. It was the first hamburger I have had in over 3 years. It really hit the spot.


You can see what happened after all the food since Kay couldn't resist capturing me unaware.

Mock Orange

It must be mock orange season. There is a fragrant variety here that is often planted along the sidewalk. When I pass the sweet smelling white blossoms early in the morning, I get a little charge and have to smile. What a way to start the day.

So far, this week has been:
Sun…rest
Mon…4 miler
Tue…rest
Wed…8 miler
Thu…4 miler
I will rest tomorrow in preparation for another long 16 miler on Saturday.

I have to figure out how to get more water during my long runs. My 16.9 fl oz water bottle is just not enough. Carrying two bottles is a bit cumbersome. I can carry two bottles for a couple of miles and then stash one along the route I plan to return. Problem is what if someone walks a dog and makes a pit stop where my bottle is. This is unlikely since it is really early and there are not many dog walker out yet. The other option is to stop at my favorite park rec facility and fill up. It is, however, out of the way. I will try the second option first; otherwise, I would have both hands full on my last mile up the steep Waimano Home Road. Granted two almost empty water bottles do not weigh much but…

Saved by TP

Did my 15.53 miles in 2:59.30. I should explain that this overall time includes an unscheduled pit stop. It was early in my run. There is nothing like looking for a bathroom in the dark at about 5:30 AM. Luckily I knew where to go, and it is a good thing I was carrying some TP. The remainder of the run went very well. I had a piece of Clif bar at my 1 hour distance and another at the 2 hour mark with no problems. I found, however, I really did not have an appetite to eat anything and had to force myself. I guess it is another thing I have to learn to do.

I noticed a lot more runners out this morning. There were several in groups of 6 or more which I am assuming are running clubs also preparing for the marathon. Bet there will be even more tomorrow, Sunday.

Well, I am off to a buffet luncheon at Makino Chaya to celebrate Kay’s mother’s 80th birthday. It will be a good chance to load up on some calories. At 100 calories per mile, I have about 1500 to consume.

A Clear Sunrise

One of the neat things about running in the mornings is watching the sun rise. There were no clouds over the Koolau Mountains just a crescent moon.



It was a short 4 mile run morning. It follows a 4 miler on Monday and 7 miler yesterday. Saturday will be a real test; it is my 15 miler. I am expecting to be on the road for about 3 hours. I will be experimenting again eating a Clif bar and drinking water however this time earlier in the run.

Hope the weather is not as humid as last weekend when we had Kona (leeward or southwestern) winds. I guess it is like the folks in Chicago complaining about getting those hot and humid Gulf weather in the summer or in LA when the Santa Ana winds heat things up. Wonder what they call it in New Mexico?

10 Mile Saturday

It is Saturday so it must be another long day. I did 10.70 miles this morning in 2:04.16.

I tried eating small amounts of a Clif Bar while walking and running. I made sure to drink water to down it afterwards. To my surprise, I had no problem. As a precaution, however, I did carry some TP.

I have been working on slowing my pace for the first part of the race in order to conserve energy for the more difficult second half. I find myself having to check Garmin often to make sure I maintained my pace. I have to practice running slower which will be especially difficult during race day. There will be lots of adrenalin flowing and other faster runners tempting me to run too fast at the beginning. I have been warned running too fast at the start is a common mistake for first time marathoners.

Still Going Strong and Wondering

Well, another 6 miler for my midweek run. It has been very hot and humid these past few days. Luckily, I have avoided the high temperatures by running early in the mornings but not the humidity. Guess I should not complain since most of the mainland is starting to cool off.

I tried running while listening to music but found it distracting. Guess I like to focus on the run and let my mind wander. In fact, this morning I was wondering how normal working folks ever find the time to train for a marathon. Granted, they would not be on the road as long as I am. Still, it requires several hours a week. I can barely keep it up and I am retired. You have got to admire all those runners who squeeze training into their busy daily lives.

Here’s my long weekend running schedule leading up to marathon day:

Date.....Miles
Oct
10............10
17............15
24...........16
31............12
Nov
07............18
14............14
21............20
28...........12
Dec
05.............8
13.............Marathon

I also have some pretty long midweek runs to go along with it.

Back to Last Month

Again the alarm beeped at 4:30 AM, I was up and out the door a little after 5:00. Since I was feeling pretty good, decided to extend my planned 9 mile run to 12. Ended up running 12.48 miles in 2:19.09 which is where I was about a month ago. According to my journal on September 5, I ran 12.36 miles in 2:18.48. It looks like I am a month behind my original plan but I should be able to make it up. This morning I tried running at a 10 min 30 sec per mile pace. I kept to that pace until the last mile and a half which is all uphill.

By the way, it is a little difficult to see my pace display on Garmin early in the morning when it is still dark. I could use the backlight feature but I have been conserving my battery consumption. The well spaced street lamps are okay but there are no lights on the bike path.

Plan to start eating small portions of energy bars during my next long run. I will be trying a variety of flavors to determine which one agrees best with my tummy. Hope all goes well on the trail. Just in case, I know the locations of two park bathrooms along my route. Hmm, maybe I should bring some TP too.