Training for my 2nd Boston marathon (and my 7th full marathon to date), has officially come to an end. Ive trained and prepared the best I can what with little time Ive had. In total, I trained for 10 and half weeks in the rain and sun, racking up appx 250 miles in the process. This is about hundred miles less than I put into last years training for the same race. I hope it’s enough.

Every time I train for one of these things, I always seem to be hit by at least one over-use type of injury. Last year it was a plantar facsciitis , the year before that, it was persistent calf cramps and hamstring issues. This year it’s metatarsalgia ( ball of the foot pain). Probably brought on by old age ( arthritis) and over-pronation. How much this will impact me at Boston remains to be seen, but if yesterday’s 10 mile walk is any indication, I’m not feeling very confident. I can tolerate a lot of physical pain, but I don’t feel like limping my way through a marathon. I’m going to try to stay off my feet as much as possible between now and next week. Hopefully this will make a difference.

As far as my lungs go, they’ve held out surprisingly well during the actual workouts, but not so good afterwords. Even after some of the shorter walks (5-8 miles) I find myself getting tighter and more short of breath than in previous years. And after the really long walks ( 10+ miles), I’m experiencing more and more full blown flares (the whole delayed symptom onset pnenomina thingy). Fortunately, these mini exacerbations resolved on their own which allowed me to complete my training.

The big concern now is, how bad will I flare up after the race? That’s assuming of course, that I’m luck enough to actually finish the race given my foot problems. To try and stave off a potentially serious flare-up following the race, I’m going to prophylactically bolus myself with a one time dose of 40mg prednisone the morning of the race. Timing is going to be critical here, because if I take the drug too early in the morning, it could make me really nauseated, if I take it too late, it won’t have time to kick in. This is the first time Ive ever increased my pred during a race, so I have no idea what the effects will be. Hopefully it will keep me out of the slammer.

for this many miles
⇩

in the blazing California

and I used this

6-8 times

After I finished the walk, I did this……..

AND THEN THIS
⇩

Intense exercise actually causes microtrauma, or tiny tears in muscle fibers. This muscle damage not only stimulates muscle cell activity and helps repair the damage and strengthen the muscles ( muscle hypertrophy), but it is also linked with delayed onset muscle pain and soreness (DOMS) , which occurs between 24 and 72 hours after exercise.

By taking an ice bath after a long walk or run, it’s believed that you slow down this metabolic process, which in turn, reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. It helps release lactic acid and soothes aching muscles.

Then, with rewarming, the increased blood flow speeds circulation, and in turn, improves the healing process. Although there is no current protocol regarding the ideal time and temperature for cold immersion routines, most athletes or trainers who use them recommend a water temperature between 12 to 15 degrees Celsius and immersion times of 5 to 10 and sometimes up to 20 minutes.

Ice baths are not for the feint hearted. It helps to be a gluten for punishment like I am. If you do try this, make sure you ease in to the water gradually. After the initial shock it actually feels good!

Well, weeks 1 and 2, (January 1st-8th) I was in the hospital(on a ventilator). Week 3, I was too wiped out from said hospitalization to do any exercise. Week 4, I actually managed to pull off a 10 mile walk. Weeks 5&6 , (January 27th- February 4th) I was in the hospital again. Week 7, I was still recovering that hospitalization. Which brings us to week #8.

Week #8 ( Feb 13th) I did a 17.7 km ( appx 11 miles) training walk. This is the longest walk Ive done since my half marathon race back in October. I was able to get a couple shorter walks in earlier in the week, but it’s a huge leap going from 4 miles to 11 miles! Considering I’d only been out of the hospital for 9 days, I think this first long walk was a success. I did experience some pretty nasty abdominal cramps, but that was totally my fault. The combination of prednisone, energy gels, too much sweating and not hydrating properly, was just too much for my system and well……let’s just say, thank god there was an open restroom out there in the middle of nowhere.
I completed the walk in 2:55 min ( 16min/mile pace), which is just about right for an LSD walk. My lungs fared much better than I thought they would. During that walk I only used my inhaler about 6 times. I started wheezing a little at the end, but it quickly reversed after a couple of neb treatments. I kept the racewalking to a minimum, not so much because of my breathing, but most because my legs were sore from being bed bound a week earlier and I just couldn’t get a good rhythm going .

This was the same day the Maverick Surfing competition was going on (about 25 miles south), but even here in San Francisco, the waves were crashing pretty high near Golden Gate.

Week #9Trying to play catch up with my training, while also trying to dodge the bad weather has been a real challenge. So, on Feb 17th, just 5 days after doing the 11 mile walk, I did a 23km (14.5 mile) walk. I know it’s crazy to do two long walks back to back like that, but I really needed to get another long walk in before the next rain storm hit the region. In just a 7 day period, I clocked something like 38 miles. Way too much, but I had to take advantage of the dry days when they came. Needless to say, I’m pretty sore from last weeks walks. My lung are paying for it too, as I haven’t quite healed after spending half a month in the slammer. I pre and post medicated with neb treatments and used the inhaler about 8 times during this walk. At the time , I was only on 15mg of pred, vs 30 mg during the previous walk.

Week#10 Starts this Saturday with a series of really long walks LSD walks, which I refer to as my “REALLY LONG WALKS”. They are the 16, 18 and 20 mile( 32km) walks, and are the most important training walks in building the endurance and fortitude required to complete a full marathon. These long walks are basically mini-marathons in themselves, complete with all the not-so-pleasant after effects you can expect when doing a real marathon i.e. muscle cramps, blisters on blisters, joint and body aches, dehydration side effects and in my case, potentially severe respiratory problems.

In addition to the long endurance walks, Ive also been doing three 5 mile tempo walks per week. With most of those I try to incorporate at least a little racewalking.

Ah…. the crazy things we put our bodies through in the name of fun!

Now, I’m not going to say it was easy, cuz it wasn’t. In fact, it was one of the most difficult training walks Ive done in a long time. My lungs got tight right off that bat, and by the time I got to the 6 mile mark, I was hitting on my inhaler every 5 to 10 minutes (12 puffs in all). Did I mention that a bunch of thunderstorms erupted and it poured down freezing rain almost the entire 2 hours and 43 minutes that it took me to finish the walk? ( shame on you weather man) Yup, I was soaked to the bone and wheezing like a punctured set of bagpipes, but I pushed on, and man… did I feel alive!

Note to myself: I will definitely need to take a couple neb treatments during Boston and also during my longer training walks, because the inhalers just don’t cut it when I’m over exerting myself.

Overall, my basic walking routine really hasn’t changed that much, I’m still out there walking at least 3 days a week when my lungs are behaving, and I try to hit the gym up at least once a week. I think the reason I was lagging behind in 2009, was that I was incarcerated 3 times (exacerbations and hospitalizations can really put a damper on things). That, plus I only completed 3 training cycles for the year, instead of the usual 4. One was for a full marathon ( Boston) and the other two for half marathons (ET midnight and San Rock&Roll). Those training cycles can really pile on the extra miles. Training for a full marathon for example, can easily add an additional 300 miles to the count.

I hate to admit it, but my lungs are finally starting to impact my ability to exercise and to walk long distances. It used to be that I would get 10-15 days of decent breathing in between flare-ups, even when I was training for marathons. Now it seems that every walk or gym workout that I do leaves me severely short of breath… sometimes for days. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep this up.

Having said that, my goal for 2010 remains unchanged. I want to complete one more full marathon ( hopefully Boston) and Id also like to pass the 5,000 mile mark with my walking. After that, I’m definitely going to slow down.

And speaking of mileage; My legs, feet and lungs aren’t the only things that are suffering from wear and tear…. Check out my shoes!

In 2009, I went through 3 pairs of these Asics Hyperspeed 2s racing flats. Weighing only 158 grams (without the insoles) and with a low profile heel, they make excellent racewalking shoes. Unfortunately, since they’re made for speed and not distance, they wear out really fast. It’s also hard to find them now, since they’re not making them anymore.

[The Asics Hyperspeed 3 racing flat]

For 2010 I’m going to try out the replacement model (the Hyperspeed 3) They’re pretty much the same shoe, though the new ones don’t seem to cup my heel as well.

I can’t tell you how long Ive searched for a sleeveless jersey or jacket with pockets, that I could wear on cold days or long training walks and races without over-heating. As a marathon walker with major health issues, I also have to carry tons of stuff with me, but I hate wearing those bulky packs around my waste.

Well, I think I finally found the perfect solution. It’s called the “Thermal Velocity Vest” made by Specialized (the Bike people). This vest/jacket has pretty much everything I want in a cold weather training top. It has a large zippered pocket on the rear, and a sleek breast pocket on the front. But, what makes this vest special, is that it’s made of a breathable material to keep you cool, and at the same time , fits like a wet suit to keep your core body temp warm. And because it’s a vest, your arms can move freely, which is really important when you’re fitness walking or racewalking . I think it will work out nicely for training on those cold days or for walking a course like the Boston marathon, where the temperatures and winds can fluctuate so dramatically .

A little pricey as far as vests go, but I think worth it. If I’m breathing OK this morning, I’m gonna try it out.

Anyways, not my best finish time, nor my worst. I was 15 minutes slower than my fastest time ever , but a whopping 52 minutes Faster than my slowest time ever, so I’m very pleased. A 14:24 pace is kinda slow for me in a half marathon distance, but I think that was because I was afraid to push myself too hard. I guess I should have went all out, cuz I got sick after anyway.

I don’t have anymore half marathons scheduled at this time, but if I did, I’m pretty confident now, that I could still finish one in under 3 hours. I know my finish times seem really slow by running or racewalking standards, but considering that I’m working with lungs that are about 130 years old, I think I’m pretty fast. This might sound silly, but if there was a way to age grade my race results based on lung age, Id be one of the fastest runner/walkers in the world!

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By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/race-results/feed/ 0 http://breathinstephen.com/solana-beach-racewalking-clinic/ http://breathinstephen.com/solana-beach-racewalking-clinic/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:20:30 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=8645

Pretty nice place for an early morning racewalking jaunt..eh?

Solana Beach, California;

The advanced clinic was awesome as I knew it would be. Dave always puts on a hell of a class and is one of the funniest guys you’ll ever meet. I don’t think Ive never been in the company of so many World Class racewalkers at one time. 3 time Olympian, Philip Dunn, was there along with a host of other National and International champions. Also attending the clinic was an up and coming young collegiate racewalker by the name of Jose Moncado . His coach is Chris Rael. Man o Man, can this kid walk fast! More like flying actually…

And speaking of Chris Rael, I finally got to meet him. Chris is the creator of Racewalk Planet TV. Ive been watching his racewalking videos for years (this is one of my favorites, though his son is actually the one who filmed it.). An accomplished racewalker and coach in his own right, Chris produces all kinds of racewalking media, including racewalking videos and podcasts. He wanted to interview me for one of his upcoming podcasts, but I had to skip out early on Sunday and missed the opportunity. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to hook up with him again.

Did I mention that I suck at racewalking? I don’t know what happened. I looked horrible on the video analysis. I was slow, clunky and actually looked worst than I did 2 years ago at the last clinic. I didn’t have that nice smooth roll- through that the good racewalkers usually have. My form was really off. I had what they call “soft knees”, meaning that my landing leg was bending prematurely through my stride. Ok for runners, but a violation for racewalkers. Despite my lackluster performance though, I’m very grateful I got to take part in the clinic. I’m humbled and learned a lot. As Dave pointed out , that’s why you attend clinics ….to get better! And really, how many people get the opportunity to have their racewalking skills analyzed and critiqued by Olympians and National Champions?

Another thing Dave told me, which made a lot of sense, is that training to “regular walk” too many marathons (which Ive obviously been doing the past 2 years), can actually make you a slower racewalker . When you train to walk a marathon you spend a lot of time doing fat- burning, long slower training walks to build your endurance(what they call LSD’s). You gain endurance , but you loose the fast twitch muscle response that you need to be a good racewalker over the shorter distances. He recommended doing more speed drills, making my feet more “active” in all phases of my stride, and stretching out my calves out so that I land on my heel better.

(here’s a shot of me where my form actually looks pretty good)

Anyways, now that I know what I’m doing wrong, I can work on making it better. Still, the biggest problem I face in trying to become proficient in a sport like this, is that I simply don’t have the lung capacity . You can practice on your technique till the cows come home, but if you don’t have good lungs , you really can’t put the whole thing together and you certainly can’t compete in races. For me though, it’s never been about competition. It’s about doing and learning as much as you can for something you have a passion for. If you’re going to walk for fitness, why not learn about the mechanics and science behind it. Why not hang out with people who love the sport as much as you do. I know I’ll never be great at racewalking, but I get out there anyway, because it makes me feel good about myself.

Advanced Clinic , Class of 2009
>

Had to get Philip’s and Dave’s sponsor in the shot

For those who attended the clinic, it was an honor to meet you all. Here’s a link to some of the photos I took. Sorry, I have a slow camera and wasn’t able catch everyone in full-stride.

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• 
  Racewalk Planet Radio Interview
• 
  Laying low, but staying busy
• 
  Tiburon Racewalking Clinic

By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/solana-beach-racewalking-clinic/feed/ 4 http://breathinstephen.com/another-write-up/ http://breathinstephen.com/another-write-up/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:14:10 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=8069
(Click on cover to read article)

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  Boston still follows me
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  Closing the loop on Asthma--Sally Wenzel

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]]> http://breathinstephen.com/another-write-up/feed/ 1 http://breathinstephen.com/getting-slower-and-fatter/ http://breathinstephen.com/getting-slower-and-fatter/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:20:59 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=7594

For the past few months Ive been timing some my longer tempo walks (walking at race pace) and the results are pretty much what I feared…..I’m getting slower! In just 3 years Ive slowed almost 40 minutes in the half marathon distance. In 2006 for example, I PRd (personal record) the SF half marathon with a finish time of 2:52. Earlier this year in Rome, Italy it took me 3 hrs 28 minutes to cover the same exact distance. In both of these races, I was breathing well and felt that I was walking as fast as I could. So whats going on here?

Is it because I’m getting older? Am I not as physically fit? Is my lung function having an impact on my speed? Is it because I’m unable to racewalk as much?. Could it be the shoes Ive been wearing?
It’s probably all of the above, but it’s very discouraging because I’m training harder, but getting slower.

And if slowing down isn’t bad enough, my weight is way up. Ive gained 5 lbs in just 3 months. Today I weighed in at 151 lbs! That’s the most Ive weighed in 2 years. My normal weight is about 144lbs , so Ive really ballooned up. Gaining 5 or 6 pounds may not sound like a big deal, but for every pound I gain, it makes it that much harder for me to breath.

Unlike my slower walking speeds, I take full responsibility for the weight gain. Some of it is probably due to all the steroids, but the bulk of it is from all the sugar and fat Ive been eating lately. I’m definitely giving up the Hot Tamales and the Jelly Bellies!

The slow walking thing on the other hand, is going to be a tougher nut to crack. I think one of the things that’s contributing to my slowness , is that Ive lost the “race” mentality that I had when I first took up this sport. Ive become lazy on the course…. a casual leisure type walker if you will. After all, I’m not a runner and will never be fast enough to win a prize or take home a trophy, so there’s really no incentive for me to push myself hard…right? In fact the opposite is true. I do marathons because I love the challenge. I deliberately walk a little slower than I’m capable of, because subconsciously there’s always that fear ( and justifiably so), that if I push too hard, that I will burn my lungs out and not be able to finish the race at all. There’s a delicate balance I have to maintain of walking fast enough where I don’t bore myself to death, and not walking so fast that I throw myself into respiratory failure. It’s much more difficult than one would think. Let’s face it, walking or running 13 or 26 miles is difficult for everyone, even if you’re totally healthy. Ive just got to get a little bit of that competitive spirit back and not be so concerned about my breathing, but at the same time, not go crazy either. Just a little extra umphh on my part would probably make a heck of a difference in my finish times.

In addition to a mental tune -up, I’m also gonna start using my Garmin Forerunner again during my longer training walks. I think the instant feedback you get from these devices, forces you to keep your speed up.

It will be interesting to see how the slower and fatter me , does next weekend at the Rock&Roll half marathon.

You might like these posts as well:

• 
  Race results
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By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/getting-slower-and-fatter/feed/ 6 http://breathinstephen.com/rock-roll-training-complete/ http://breathinstephen.com/rock-roll-training-complete/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:45:47 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=7748 My training for the San Jose Rock&Roll half marathon is complete. Now all I have to do is stay healthy enough to do the actual race. I will remain in rest and recovery mode until race day.

In training for this race, I did (22) 5-mile tempo walks, (1) 8-mile LSD, (3) 10 milers ( two LSDs and one at race pace) and (1) 12 mile LSD. In total, I only spent 7 weeks preparing for this one (which is a record for me), and I didn’t do any gym workouts or cross training of any kind. All I did was walk. I hope it’s enough.

This is both an exciting and important race for me for several reasons. Firstly , because this will be the first half marathon Ive attempted in two years (excluding the 2008 ET midnight marathon which I never count) and I have no idea on how well I’m going to perform. Generally I can push myself a little harder during a half marathon, because I don’t have to worry about stretching my lung power out for 7 or 8 hours, like I would in a full marathon.

Secondly, though Ive heard a lot of good things about this race promoter, I’ve never actually done any of the Rock &Roll marathons. They’re supposed to have tons of live bands performing along the course. How cool is that?

Last but not least, a lot of my friends, from all over the country, including Ms Lizzy, will be doing this race. It’s always nice to have the support of your friends and fellow walker/runners at a fun event like this.

My goal for this race, as with every race I do, is simply to finish it… AND… without making myself sick. Because of my declining lung function I’m not going to able to racewalk very much, so I’m thinking that I’ll probably finish in the 3:15-3:30 range. Pretty slow I know, but considering everything, I think it’s respectable. Of course, if I finish faster, I’ll be bragging out it for sure.

So, everyone cross your fingers for me…..that my lungs behave for the next 13 days.

My motto for this race…

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]]> http://breathinstephen.com/rock-roll-training-complete/feed/ 14 http://breathinstephen.com/happy-to-be-training-again/ http://breathinstephen.com/happy-to-be-training-again/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:18:29 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=6809 I’M TRAINING FOR A MARATHON ….well actually a half marathon, but it’s so nice to hear those words again. Hard to believe it’s been almost 5 months since Ive done any serious distance walking . To be honest with you, since the Boston marathon back in April, I’ve been in such a rut with all my breathing problems, I wasn’t really sure if Id ever be able to do another race. The fact is, my lung function has declined to an all time low and my endurance level totally sucks . But setting aside my physical limitations and the training obstacles I’ll probably face, mentally, I feel more than ready to take on the challenge of a half marathon again.

For the next 5 weekends , if breathing well enough, I’ll be doing a series of long slow training walks beginning with an 8 miler this Saturday and culminating with a 12 miler sometime towards the end of Sept. In between the LSDs, I’m gonna try to increase the number of 5- mile baseline walks I do to 4 times a week. I hope to also do at least one 10 mile tempo walk sometime before the race. The race itself, happens on Oct 4th at the San Jose Rock&Roll half marathon

Theres no doubt that my disease is catching up with me, as I’m finding it harder and harder to maintain a non-racewalking pace any faster than 15 min/mile over the longer distances, but as long as there are walker friendly events out there that have at least a 3.5 hour time limit for the half marathon and 7.5 for the full marathon, you can pretty much bet I’ll be there doing what I do.

(This is what walking 4,000 miles will do to your leg muscles!)

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]]> http://breathinstephen.com/happy-to-be-training-again/feed/ 2 http://breathinstephen.com/mike-and-roxlyn-slacking-off-again/ http://breathinstephen.com/mike-and-roxlyn-slacking-off-again/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:57:11 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=5492 Check out Roxylns report about the Slacker half marathon/relay/4m run in Colorado. Boy, those mountains sure look beautiful don’t they?

What blows me away, is that this race STARTS at an elevation of 10,600 ft….thats 2 miles up! These two never cease to amaze me.

(Mike and Roxlyn as they prepare their rigs)
(to climb this mountain!)

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]]> http://breathinstephen.com/mike-and-roxlyn-slacking-off-again/feed/ 0 http://breathinstephen.com/some-down-time/ http://breathinstephen.com/some-down-time/#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 14:24:58 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=3898 To say I’m worn out by the frantic pace of these last 3 months, would be an understatement. Going from the highest highs to the lowest lows, and everything in between, I’m flat out exhausted! I need a couple weeks of doing nothing overly physical , so that I can recharge my batteries and start all over again.

After last months flare-up, my lung function is gradually returning to baseline, but all those outdoor allergies have been kicking my butt. Ive even considered going back on Xolair. It didn’t do much for my asthma, but I think it helped with my allergy problem.

Of course, I’ve still been doing my 5 mile bridge walks 3x week. Nothing could stop me from doing those, it’s the only chance I get to racewalk, but that’s about it, as far as exercise goes. Ive been occupying most of my time, catching up with my blog reading, doing things around the house, and dealing with various media requests regarding my participation in the marathon. Earlier this week I gave an interview to a person who wants to write about me in her next motivational book.

This Saturday I’ll be out at the Al Zampa Memorial bridge in Crockett, Calif, to celebrate a friend and fitness walkers 1000th crossing of that bridge. That day will also mark my 800th crossing of the same bridge. I’ll write more about it next week!

Next race for me is the San Francisco Marathon ( 1/2 marathon–2nd half) . Finally, a world class event I don’t have to fly to

Have nice weekend all!

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]]> http://breathinstephen.com/some-down-time/feed/ 1