Week 14 and 15 of 16: Food, pictures, marathon memories and boring stats ...

26.2 miles in Chicago on Oct. 12 ... check out the Bank of America Chicago Marathon by clicking here.

One more thing on fueling the runner ...

I put this first so that you can pause the video. If anyone has any ideas on how to get these Runners World vids from launching on their own, leave your ideas on the comment section below.

Treats


I like that I can have candy corn!

Fundraising update!

Wow! From just under $1,600 to $1,800 in one week! Thank you to those who contributed to helping me build a home through Gawad Kalinga for a family in the Philippines. And remember, this is not just one house, but helping to build part of a larger community with the aim of its residents becoming self-sustaining.

Here are some photos of the SoCal GK Village:

More can be seen by visiting http://gkdavao.multiply.com/photos/album/1/SoCal_Heros_Run_Socal_GKVillage to see the reason I, and the other GK Heroes, run, and the fruit of your contributions. And more on Gawad Kalinga can be found at www.gawadkalinga.org.
Here are a few more ways to learn about GK and what we do ...
HERO'S RUN 2008: LOVE the Poor
Lead Others ... be Voices to Empower the Poor
www.ancopusa.org/herosrun
www.gkherosrunlongbeach.multiply.com
Looking for more info? Want to join the cause?
E-mail: gk777herosrun@gmail.com

There is still time to donate! If 20 of you can contribute $25 each, that will put us at the $2,300 goal to build that home. If we go over, great! That will help get the fund started for another home.

To donate online:
Go to the Active.com fundraising Web page at http://www.active.com/donate/gklongbeach2008/alanllavore The good thing about donating online on the secure server is that your account, and GK's account are credited right away, and Active.com e-mails you a receipt with the federal tax ID number for your records.

To donate by check:
Leave me a note at alan.llavore@gmail.com, and I'll send you the form with all the info ... some of you may have gotten a copy on the blog update e-mail.

Thanks in advance for all you do for the poor!

And, here's a song by the David Crowder Band, called "Remedy." It's a reminder to me that, as a follower of Jesus Christ, have to put my faith into action. I can talk all the cool and intellectual theology I want, but if it never gets off the sermon notes page, if it never gets beyond the pulpit, if it never leaves the Bible study or the church, all I've done is expended air. And it's more than just telling people about Jesus ... it's also doing for others what He would do ...

"Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?"

James 3:14-17, The Message paraphrase Bible by Eugene Patterson

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."

Augustine

Article:  Charity running drives team racing

Tue Sep 23, 2008    

By Elliott Denman / Special to Universal Sports

The loneliness aspect of long-distance running has never been as false as it is today. To many thousands of dedicated runners around the world, their sport has become the ultimate team game.

With the question, "Who are you running for?" being asked more frequently than ever, it’s the charity runners who are the driving force and the major impetus behind the big movement to team racing and training.

To many fans, team sports are only those where balls, pucks and other objects are passed between teammates. But, as runners everywhere now attest, that notion is simply outdated. ... 

A total field of over 45,000 is expected to run the 31st annual Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12, and at least 15 percent of them will represent charities, reports Marianne Caponi, the event’s director of marketing and communications.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

Boring stats time!

I went back over the training log out of curiosity. Turns out I've logged the most miles ever this training cycle, which was fairly short as they go .. well, for me, anyway. For 3 months and one week, here are the numbers:

June 23-30: 42M
July 1-30: 155M
Aug. 1-31: 196M
Sept.1- 27: 168 (plus 10M on Sept. 29, for 178M)

Total mileage not including Oct. 1-12: 571M

RnR 2008 buildup Jan.-May: 433M (RnR PR = 4:06:38)
RnR 2007 buildup Jan.-May, includes PF Chang's Half and LA Marathon: 572M (RnR PR = 4:09:33)

Marathon story

My first marathon was the 1999 Suzuki San Diego Rock n' Roll. My Dad paid my entry fee as a Christmas present the year before, and the deal was that he would be out on Barnett Avenue, which runs very near the U.S. Postal Service building where he worked and is at about mile 25 on the current marathon course. Only, he never got a chance to cheer me on -- I had pulled a calf muscle at mile 16 and had to walk the rest of the way, and he had to get back to work (we planned that I would pass by during his lunch break).

My Dad passed away from liver cancer in June 2003, and I didn't get to run RnR again -- or any marathon for that matter -- until 2005 (I did RnR run it in 2000), which was my first marathon after his death. So when I made the turn onto Barnett that year -- after fighting off some pretty massive cramps in my quads (kinda neat: I could see the muscles moving when I wasn't) -- and saw the post office, I almost lost it emotionally, wishing he was out on the curb watching me pass. I forgot about the cramps and just dug in for the finish ... it ended up being, at that point, my fastest marathon at 4:36 (that's minus the bathroom break at mile 10.5 :-) ... official time was 4:40:42).
For Father's Day and his birthday, I left my race bib at his grave site, a sort of "thank you" -- not only for him getting me into my first marathon, but for all he continues to be for me. And it's something I've done for every San Diego RnR Marathon since ...

Marathon history

1999 San Diego Suzuki Rock n' Roll 6:25:58
2000 San Diego Suzuki Rock n' Roll 4:47:27
2002 Los Angeles Marathon 5:26:37
2005 San Diego Rock n' Roll 4:40:42
2006 Los Angeles Marathon 4:49:26
2007 Los Angeles Marathon 4:33:38
2007 San Diego Rock n' Roll 4:09:33
2008 San Diego Rock n' Roll 4:06:38

Half marathon history

2000 La Jolla Half 2:09:31
2000 Long Beach Half 2:00:31 (can't find the official results online, going off memory)
2002 San Diego Half Marathon (Carlsbad) 2:11:54
2003 Southern California Marathon (Irvine) 2:10:xx (can't find the official results online, but it was a slow race)
2006 Long Beach International City Bank Half Marathon 1:56:59
2007 P.F. Chang's Rock n' Roll Half Marathon 1:56:54
2007 Long Beach International City Bank Half Marathon 1:53:27

Training this past week and this coming week ... and I'm getting antsy ...

Week 14 recap
Monday: easy 10 miles ... yep, easy 10
Tuesday and Friday: WAS to be weight training at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center at Cal State San Bernardino (I'm gonna work -- again -- to get there this week ... plus I need to renew my membership for the coming year). I worked late on Tuesday and Friday, I just figured, no worries, it's the miles that count now.
Wednesday: 8-mile tempo run (2 miles warm-up; 6 miles at 10K pace just to stretch out the legs and remember what it's like to go that fast) Honestly, I felt really sluggish at the beginning, and felt (phantom) pain in the knees. Plus, it was hot, even at 6 p.m. But, overall, still within the average time for that particular workout. And, the average heart rate was lower this time around.
Thursday: 8 miles easy -- yes, really easy
Saturday: An easy 14 miles, with the last three at my planned marathon pace, just to remember what it's supposed to feel like. Actually, it was 13 miles ... which gave me a total of 40 for the week ... cut it short because the object of longer runs until Oct. 12 is just to stay loose and maintain fitness.
Sunday: rest day, with core exercises

Week 15
Monday: easy 10 miles ... yep, easy 10
Tuesday and Friday: OK, I should really get there this week, especially to renew my membership for the year ... plus some time on the rowing machine and some core stuff; likely no more weights until after I get back from Chicago.
Wednesday: LAST 8-mile tempo run (2 miles warm-up; 6 miles at 10K pace just to stretch out the legs and remember what it's like to go that fast)
Thursday: 8 miles easy
Saturday: An easy 10 miles in Long Beach with the GK Heroes. All of them will run in the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon and Half Marathon, which also is on Oct. 12
Sunday: rest day, with core exercises ... start packing for Chicago!!!

Weeks 12 and 13: 'Dude, what's for dinner?' and taper quirks

(If you hear noise, again, it's the video below ... just scroll down and hit pause until you are ready to watch it ... sorry, Runner's World likes that auto play version.)

First, a huge thanks to all who contributed in the last week ... we're now at $1,575.00 ... just $725.00 short of the $2,300.00 goal that will build a home for a family in the the Philippines! Awesome job, and I thank the Lord for you, and everyone, who has given to the cause to help Gawad Kalinga make a lasting difference in the lives of the poor in the Philippines.

So that means we're in the homestretch ... we're just passing the 24-mile marker and the 40 kilometer marker is just around the corner ... the finish line is near ... and after such a long journey it's a welcome sight. This is the big push, the finishing kick, the final sprint ... if at least 29 people can contribute at least $25.00 each (figure that's a week of going without a venti mocha frappaccino or a large Jamba Juice drink or a Jumbo Jack combo meal, if you go daily), we will reach that goal. I'm hoping that we'll get there before Oct. 12, the day of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

To give, click go to the online giving page at Active.com by clicking here. To give by check, please contact me at alan.llavore@gmail.com.

Thanks in advance!

'Dude, what's for dinner?'

So today (Sunday) as the day was winding down at church, the conversation turned to food. I guess the topic came up when, in the lobby where the youth and young adults were hanging out, I saw a McDonald's large French fry container and a few Jamba Juice cups. They all know I'm a runner and currently training for the BOA Chicago Marathon, we ended up talking about fast food. In general, we talked of how we avoided Mickey D's, though the yogurt fruit parfait is OK to get. The BBQ chicken sandwich at Carl's Jr. got good marks, and so did Chipotle and Qdoba, two Mexican restaurants. Which is all making me hungry right now ...

Anyway, you might be thinking what long distance runners who are not elite (or pro) level, but very serious about the sport and work hard to do as well as they can, have in the pantry and 'fridge. Many are good about watching what they eat, and strive to eat as healthy and balanced as they can.

Then there are runners like me. Not that I totally tank on a healthy diet, but because it's just me (and Taylor, my guitar) at home, I have to hit that really fine line of healthy, good runner's fuel, and quick and easy to prepare. ... and easy to clean up after. It's really too fine a line that I often miss than hit.

But, overall, I do hit the basics: 60- to 70-percent of what I eat has to be carbohydrates because carbs are fuel for endurance athletes. No high protein diets here, despite all the stuff that you hear and see on TV and all the diet fads that you see on the best seller lists. For endurance athletes, low carb diets short us on the energy we need to train AND get through a typical day. As with anything, there are good carbs and bad carbs ... whole grain bread is a good carb ... beer (made from fermented grain) is a bad carb ... fresh (and even frozen) fruits are good carbs ... fruit-flavored gummy bears (in excess) are bad carbs ... Get the idea?

So I'll get the majority of my carbs from whole grain breads, rice and pasta, as well as fruits such as watermelon and cantaloupe (my favorites), whole grain cereal (raisin bran rocks!) and oatmeal with honey drizzled over the top (on cold mornings or evenings) ... if I go fast food, like after a workout that goes too late for me to cook (then clean up after), I make sure it's a place such as Pick Up Stix or Panda Express (Chinese) or San Sei (Japanese) mostly because they give you rice in pretty big quantities ... and San Sei has an awesome teriyaki salmon dinner with grilled veggies and two salads for under $10 ... or even Baja Fresh for a grilled veggie burrito or a mango chicken chipotle salad ... not the best alternative compared to cooking at home, but the best at, say, 8:30-9 p.m. on any given night.

So that leaves 40 to 30 percent of the diet ... of the remainder, I'll go 30 to 20 percent protein (grilled or baked chicken, grilled fish, or grilled steak) and no more than 10 percent fat (nothing special there, since most processed food has fat) ... interesting thing about fat is that it, too, is energy. If you remember high school biology, you might remember learning about the great whales who feed all spring and summer, then rely on their blubber (fat stores) for energy as they migrate. But too much fat, especially in inactive people (those who don't exercise for at least 30 minutes continuously at least three times a week) is a serious health hazard. Consistent exercise helps you burn that off to healthier levels.

A typical day for me would go like this: coffee and cereal (or Pop Tarts) for breakfast; a sandwich and kettle cooked potato chips (Poore Brothers are the best!) for lunch; fruit from home (watermelon and cantaloupe) and rice and baked chicken or grilled steak for dinner ... or if I'm lazy (and didn't go fast food), cereal or oatmeal. Of course, I hydrate throughout the day, drinking as much as 2 liters or more of water, and usually a 20 oz. bottle of Gatorade.

One convenient package for me has been a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole oat bread or whole wheat bread. It's a great blend of carbs (bread and jelly), protein (peanut butter) and fat (peanut butter), especially after a long run or hard workout.

To keep me sane, though, I do allow myself treats along the way ... like last week, I had a small bag of orange slice candy (and a co-worker "made" me have some peanut M&Ms ... and week before, some Twizzlers ...yes, ow, ow, twist my arm to make me eat that stuff ... ). Since October is very close, candy corn will make its way to my desk. And a Carl's Jr. western bacon cheese burger (with fries and onion rings) is another indulgence I'll enjoy once in a while.

For an easy to understand article on fueling (sensibly), and for just good tips on eating well, click on this Running Times article. For a really cool cookbook (and a way to help two funds, The Ryan Shay Memorial Fund, named for the marathoner who died during the 2007 Olympic Trials Marathon, and the Jenny Crain "Make It Happen" Fund, for Jenny Crain, who was badly injured when struck by a car while training) check out "The Runner's Cookbook" by clicking here.

Also, check out the following video of the women from the Brooks-Hanson's marathon team during their preparation for the women's Olympic Marathon Trials in April. Note: I would not try the Red Bull-Gatorade mix ... just the thought makes my stomach seize with all that sugar.

Tapering down (a summary of last week's training and the coming week)

Tapering is both a welcome time in the training cycle as well as a difficult time.

It's welcome because you know, after 12 to 13 weeks (or 18 to 19 weeks in some cases) that training is winding down and the really hard stuff is over. Race day is just weeks away. Now it's a chance for the body to absorb the training, for little injuries to heal, for soreness to go away and to get as fresh as possible when you get to the start line.

It's difficult because race day is near, you have no really long runs on the schedule and your mind starts playing tricks on you. I tend to get a little antsy, and I also get "phantom" pains -- like, my foot would start hurting for no apparent reason, or my hip flexors will seem a little too tight and sore. There is really nothing wrong with me physically, but it's just something that has happened before the last few marathons.

The other mind game that goes on are periods of self-doubt, such as "Did I train well enough?" "Did I have enough long runs?" "Did I do enough speed work and tempo runs?" "Did I stop weight training too soon (or too late)?" Thankfully, I've kept a training log the last three years, and that keeps me from panicking.

So the training now is just to stay loose, to maintain fitness and not go stale, and just to stay sane by giving me something to do. Nothing I do now will add to my fitness for Chicago, but a lot I might do could take away from it ... so it's time to just be smart ... and stick to the plan that I drew up months ago that I know has worked for the last three marathons I've done.

Last week's training

Monday: 10 miles easy ... and an awesome nearly full moon that rose over the mountains as I turned a corner into the last mile of the workout. Kinda neat how God does that. ...

Tuesday: It was to be a weights in the gym day, but I skipped it (only the second time this season) and did about 30 minutes of core exercises at home. My abs were a little sore for the next two days after that.

Wednesday: 8-mile tempo run with 4 miles run at 7:45/mile. That seemed easy, which means a) I'm ready for Chicago and b) I need to be careful not to over-do it.

Thursday: 8 miles easy ... just concentrating on staying relaxed.

Friday: Again, was to be a weights in the gym day, but I decided to save the legs (and energy) and re-do Tuesday's core routine in advance of the last 18-miler at 6 a.m. Saturday.

Saturday: A really relaxed 18-miler with the GK Heros, where I took a mile or two to push. It was at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, just down Victory Boulevard and not too far from where I used to live in Burbank. I kept mostly to the horse paths because of the soft dirt trails, but it was challenging because of having to dodge the, uh, horsey land mines along the way. The support along the route (along Crystal Springs and onto Zoo Drive) and the post-workout food from the GK volunteers was awesome!

Sunday: No run, but some core exercises for about about 20 minutes.

This week

Monday: easy 10 miles

Tuesday: Weight training at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center at Cal State San Bernardino (I'm gonna work to get there this week ... plus I need to renew my membership for the coming year).

Wednesday: 8-10 mile tempo run (2 miles warm-up; 6 or 8 miles at 10K pace just to stretch out the legs and remember what it's like to go that fast)

Thursday: 8 miles easy

Friday: Weight training at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center at Cal State San Bernardino (classes at Cal State San Bernardino start on Thursday, so hopefully Friday won't be too crowded ... or I'll try to go in the early afternoon, workload permitting)

Saturday: An easy 14 miles, with the last three at my planned marathon pace, just to remember what it's supposed to feel like.

Sunday: rest day, with core exercises