Back Tomorrow...Out Cold Tonight

Hi, you've reached Ryan's blog.  I'm not here right now because I ran the LA Marathon today and I'm in a lot of pain and extremely tired.

If you return tomorrow, I promise I'll post a full race report about everything that happened today.

Short version: I was still sick apparently.  I finished in 5:11, walking the majority of the final 17 miles.  I thought I'd finish between 3:42-3:55.  But despite the pain and disappointment, I will look back on this experience quite fondly because of all the support from my friends, family and random strangers throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

That's what I'll write about tomorrow.  Right now, it's all about an ice bath, Advil PM and a good night's sleep. I hope.

247 days and counting.

Calmness Pervades

I've spent so much time counting down to the Ironman that the LA Marathon snuck up on me.  Even with counting down every single day starting the beginning of the November. How'd that happen?

No matter, I'm glad it did.  As a result both of looking ahead to November 2010 and my current sickness, I find myself incredibly calm hours before the marathon.  I just returned from dinner with my friends from as far back as elementary school.  It was a pre-race carb-loading meal at Bucca di Beppo. (A small note on that: Do not go there when you want a quiet evening of conversation and reflection.  Bedlam!  Not good for a sore throat.)  Even my friends were surprised at how mellow I was at the meal.  I blame the meds.  I've been taking Sudafed nasal decongestant throughout the day, and was lucky enough to catch two naps in between meals.  More like I needed two naps due to the fatigue.  Even now, I feel a little spacey.

I'm tired.  If there wasn't a marathon to be run tomorrow, I'd probably take the day off from training.  No matter, especially after seeing those amazing children and teens last night at the Starlight Charity event.

I know I can finish the marathon tomorrow.  I've put in the training.  I've done the hill climbs.  I've ran in the rain and the mud.  I've run 14 miles before the start of a 10k race .

No matter how I feel when I wake up tomorrow, I am ready.

Ready for the pain.  The fatigue.  The crowds.  The elation.  The beauty of the city and support of its inhabitants.

I'm ready for all of it.

I'm ready to check off a lifelong goal -- to complete a marathon -- off my proverbial "Bucket List."  I never thought I'd see this day because of my asthma, IT band tightness, flat feet and bad back.  But here I am, ready to compete.  Ready to run. Ready to do my best.

And no matter what, it will be a personal best marathon time!  (Though, to be honest, I'm shooting for 3:45-3:55 as my goal timeframe.)

Ready.

And now, ready to sleep.

When I write tomorrow, I will have completed my first marathon.  That's pretty damn cool.

1 day and counting, part of the journey towards 248 days and counting.

A Healthy Dose of Perspective

Y'all are probably as sick of hearing about me being sick as I am writing about it. Don't worry, I'm shutting my mouth...err... banning my fingers from typing anything to that effect.

Here's why. I had the true pleasure of attending a charity gala tonight with Stephanie and a few work colleagues on behalf of the Starlight Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping kids in hospitals with severe health issues.  The company I work for is a very proud sponsor of Starlight, donating NintendoWii Fun Centers to hospitals for kids to enjoy DVD and video games entertainment when they are confined to their rooms or beds.

After being reminded throughout the evening about the good work Starlight does, a head cold two days before a marathon means nothing by comparison.  I have functional legs.  I am grateful for that.  My organs work.  I am grateful for that.  My health issues are not life threatening.  I am grateful for that.

Normally, I'd say the highlight of any evening would be meeting Mr. T, which happened tonight along with my pal and colleague John (pictured).  For the record, Mr. T couldn't have been more gracious, considering I goaded him into his trademark phrases when I told him "You ain't so bad!"

What a dream come true for a life-long A-Team and Rocky fan!

But that really wasn't the highlight.  And I'm somewhat surprised to even admit that.  The real highlight came in the form of hearing a love-affair story of two kids in Starlight who met through their teen connect program, Starbright World.  Both kids had little to hold onto in terms of dealing with the difficulties of their situations.  Until they met each other. And befriended each other. Supported each other. Nurtured and nursed each other.  And ultimately began dating.  Now, a few years later, they got engaged.  Today.  Before the Starlight event.  It was such a touching story and moment.

Even before the gala I was planning to run on Sunday, no matter how I feel.  But now, I'm running not just for myself, but for the idea that so many other people -- kids especially -- suffer every day with so much more and have dreams even bigger than my own.  And my dreams are big!  I owe it to them to fulfill my own dreams because I have a healthy body and mind that allows me to do so.  No excuses.  I am grateful for everything I have in my life, everything around me, and grateful to even have the opportunity to run this marathon come Sunday.

I'm a very lucky guy.

249 days and counting.

Not What I Expected

I am still not feeling well.  My throat is improving but still sore -- though sipping bitter ginger tea the past 24 hours has definitely helped.  I'm fatigued and my neck is still tight despite Abby's magical hands.  I'm coughing junk up from my lungs. But, I was able to log a hassle-free-but-sweaty one-hour spin on my bike trainer this morning. No pain, no problems.

The LA Marathon is in three days.

At this point, I have no idea what to expect.

I thought I'd be better by now. I figured my health, nutrition, training, mental outlook and all the factors that go into effective race preparation would help me.  Instead, I'm exhausted.

Maybe I can get that magical good night's sleep tonight that will put me over the edge towards a final recovery.  After a yoga/stretching session that I'm about to begin shortly within the comfort of my bedroom, I will take a hot bath and immediately go to sleep.  With the help of some melatonin and possibly head cold medicine.  At least that's the plan.

I wish I had something more positive or upbeat to discuss. The truth is, I'm nervous.  Quiet.  Tired.  Pensive.  Shifty. This isn't how things are supposed to go days before my first marathon.

I'm still planning to run the race.  But now I'm also planning to bring my cell phone in case I can't continue on the route for some reason.  I hope to erase the need by Sunday.

Right now, I don't know what to expect.

I can only hope for the best.

250 days and counting.

PS: For those of you who are running the LA Marathon with me, I enjoyed this Los Angeles Times article about whether it's truly faster to drive the marathon route in rush-hour traffic or run it during the marathon.  It's funny and sad because it's true.  There are some good running tips embedded throughout the piece as well.  Enjoy!

T-Minus 4 Days and Nervous

My recovery from the GDC "nerd flu" is literally becoming a race against time. Coach Gerardo was hoping I'd be better by today.  He thought two days would be sufficient for a full recovery if I rested and hydrated enough.  We're headed into the fourth day and while my body is adjusting back to the beginnings of normalcy, I'm just not feeling great yet.  Despite my massage therapist Abby's best efforts, I'd put my condition as an 8 on a scale of 10.  My neck isn't as sore as last night and I've gained some mobility, but my throat is still scratchy and raw.  Worse yet, I've started coughing up phlegm.  Nasty stuff too, of the fluorescent and mocha-colored variety.

All of this is starting to get me worried.  I've got four more days to be 100% healthy and ready for my first marathon.  If what is now a head cold seeps into my chest, I'm all but finished for the marathon before it starts.

Not all of today's news was poor. In fact, I was being able to run without any side effects for 45 minutes.  My lone workout called for an hour staying within heart-rate zone 1, which was no problem -- even running up to 6 mph for five minutes without approaching 140 bpm.  (I had to cut short the workout due to a busy day at work.) That's definitely a good sign, so much so that by the end of the workout I didn't really need to shower before changing since I hadn't broken a major sweat.

Tomorrow, I'm spinning for an hour and 15 minutes and then doing an hour of yoga in the evening.  That's the plan. At this point though, I've learned that plans don't necessarily matter.  It's what you do and how you act when reality presents itself to you, ready or not.

251 days and counting.

Achey Breaky Body

From the neck down, I'm starting to feel better. I broke my fever in the wee hours of the morning -- no, I didn't feel the earthquake -- and my foot has been pain-free for two days now. From the neck up, I'm a mess.  My neck and shoulder muscles are tight to the point that I can't look past 90 degrees on either side.  My throat feels like it's embedded with glass shards that tear at anything approaching solid food.  I know because I couldn't take soup anymore today (after two pints from Canter's and one large serving from Dupar's) and ventured out for a Subway sandwich and later on, a burger.  Caloric intake temporarily overtook sensibility.

I spoke with Coach Gerardo late this evening to get a sense of my chances for the LA Marathon.  He still thinks this sort of thing is very normal and explained why.  Apparently when the taper phase occurs shortly before an important race, the body is tricked into thinking that it's OK to shut down and repair itself.  Therefore, your immune system is more susceptible to illness.  Further, pre-race illness is a symptom of the beginning phases of over-training.  Those factors, coupled with my trip to San Francisco and attending a convention contributed to my downfall.

It makes so much sense, but that doesn't make this any less frustrating. I've worked too hard to come this far and be denied a kick-ass marathon.  Won't.  Happen. Period.

One positive indication of my recovery came via an hour of yoga from home using a DVD that Stephanie loaned.  Yesterday, I didn't have an ounce of energy to even move around the house.  Today was different.  Better.  Progress.  Once again, solitary yoga turned out to be so much more productive than a group session.  I was able to focus on purely nasal breathing the entire time, along with focusing exclusively on form and not what others in the class were doing and how they looked by comparison.  Despite my kvetching about my neck, all other body parts seem to be getting back to normal.  That is encouraging.  And with my massage tomorrow with Abby, I'm hopeful she can push me over the top.

We'll see how tomorrow goes.  For now, it's time to get some more rest.  Apparently 12 hours and an hour nap today weren't enough.

252 days and counting.

A Tale of Two Selves

In the sport of triathlon, mental outlook is almost everything. Thanks to a long-time friend and colleague, I was reminded of that this morning -- on Twitter, of all places.

My friend Patrick, responding to my "woe is me!" tweet about being sick before the marathon, replied, "@ryanps74, the @theiornmadman makes this a positive."

Sometimes the most powerful of motivations comes in the simplest of messages.  Not even a full 140 characters!  Though I find it amusing that both people mentioned in the tweet are one person.  How can that be?  It's such an image to me: my normal "ryanps74" self laying on the couch, ill and down for the count, while my alter-ego, "theironmadman" is being summoned to overcome and persevere.  A tug-of-war between two selves.  One dogged and downtrodden, the other energetic and excited.  One defeated, the other indefatigable.

Four months ago, there was only one "me."  Now, apparently there are two.  And perhaps, like a superhero, I can try to summon "theironmadman" not just when competing in a triathlon, but in other aspects of my life.  It honestly had never occurred to me prior to Patrick's tweet.

When I started my Ironman journey, I knew I'd become a better athlete, but I never considered I'd morph into a different person.  It's interesting that others can see the makings of a transformation on the outside while I failed to recognize it occurring from within.

Thank you, Patrick.

Now, I'll shut down for the night.

I've got a fever to beat back.

253 days and counting.

7 Days til the Marathon and I'm Sick!

I've heard of this phenomenon and was hoping it wouldn't happen to me.  Coach Gerardo told me recently that coming down with an illness in the days leading to a big race typically happens about two weeks in advance.  And it's perfectly normal. Surprise!  I'm sick.  And a giant blitzkrieg at that.

But instead of a fortnight, I've got seven days to rest, hydrate and make sure I don't lose my physical or mental edge before the LA Marathon.

Crap.

The achey body, sore throat, watery, itchy eyes and hot-to-the-touch skin all struck at once -- about five hours after an otherwise uneventful trail run at Chesebero Park around 9 this morning.  In fact, I did very well on the 30-minute tempo portion, clocking sub-8:00 miles and never exceeding an 8:15 pace.  That said, my plantar fasciitis is acting up on the arch of my left foot, to the point where I could barely walk the rest of the day.

I'm definitely getting worried.  I feel like I'm starting to fall apart.  I suppose it was bound to happen after pushing myself so hard the past few months. Or after a few days of shaking hands with all types of folks at the video games conference. (I even used Purell an ungodly amount of times, what gives!?) But one week before the race? Really?

(Fortunately, all this happened before our afternoon of engagement ring shopping, which went really well!  More details another time when I know she's not reading over my shoulder.)

As Stephanie can tell you though (or my parents), I'm a bit dramatic when I don't feel well.  In fact, can you feel Steph's eye-roll?  Perhaps it's because I'm so used to being in good health that it accentuates my pathetic-ness when those rare moments occur.  Maybe it's because I watched too much Ferris Bueller's Day Off and identified more with Cameron growing up.  Either way, thank goodness for Steph tonight.  She's taking good care of me with Canter's matzah ball soup, lots of herbal tea and cold medicine.  I'm a lucky dude.

To be safe tomorrow, I'm taking the day off work.  I need to rest and sleep as much as possible to beat this with enough time to resume my training pre-race.  It literally is a race against time, and I hope my body is up for the task.

Come on, Ry.  Don't fail me now.

And Ferris, wherever you are, don't even think of calling me.  I so will NOT pick up.

"When Ryan was in Egypt's land...LET MY RYAN GO!!!"

254 days and counting.

A Cycling Reunion

Proving that real men wear pink, my colleague and cycling mentor, Frank, returned to road cycling today.  As some of you may remember, Frank has been inactive on the bike since New Year's Eve, thanks to yours truly. Though he hasn't ridden outdoors more than a couple times in three months, I can declare with certainty that Frank didn't miss a pedal stroke today.  We rode from the Starbucks at Agoura Road and Lindero Canyon Road to the top of Portrero Road in Newbury Park and back, along with some diversions.  Total ride time was three hours, which equated to 1,186 calories burned.  According to my Garmin watch, we climbed grades up to 17% and Frank handled it all, even beating a much sleeker-looking and powerful cyclist on the lengthy downhill just past Sylvester Stallone's place atop Hidden Valley.

I was impressed.  Granted, Frank has been training in our workplace gym, using the recumbent bike and torturing himself with the intensity meter cranked up to 18 out of 20 on hill climbs for up to six-minute intervals.  I've tried that, and I can barely handle 1-2 minutes.  Since I made a Stallone reference before, I'll say now that when it comes to cycling, Frank is not human.  He is like a piece of iron.

Enough bro-love.  Seriously.

After our bike ride, I visited my grandmother at the Jewish Home for the Aging.  I expected to find her in her room, watching TV quietly.  She wasn't there though. Instead, I found her and 12 of her friends in the dining hall... wait for it... watching Inglorious Bastards for the "movie of the week."

Seriously.

I guess it doesn't matter how old you are, killing Nazis never stops being appealing.

My day of training continued later in the afternoon with a threshold-pace swim of 2,600 yards at the recently refurbished Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks public pool.  While I may be able to knock out a 100-yard sprint in about 1:55, it seems my T-pace for longer intervals (300, 400 yards) is about 2:02-2:03.  The latter mirrors what I swam last week during the Desert Tri event.  I know I originally indicated a 2:14 pace, but when I re-calculated at the suggestion of a fellow racer, I discovered that I swam the 500 meters at a 2:03 pace.  Now things make more sense.  The good news is that I maintained that pace even after the three-hour bike ride, a hearty lunch and a couple-hour break.  Though, to even things out I am trying new techniques in the water such as dragging my fingertips more to relax and enter the water later in my stroke.  I'm also trying to make my kicking more fluid, capturing the same motion when I use the Zoomers.  It's a little overwhelming right now but I bet I'll get the hang of it come Ironman time.  If there's anything I've learned from this experience is that progress happens every day, it's just that sometimes it can't be seen or felt.

My day didn't stop at the pool.  Nope, not by a longshot. I quickly showered at the pool and motored to Triathlon Lab in Santa Monica, where I tried out some tri-bikes.  I'm looking at the Felt B2 and the Cervelo P3.  Not sure which bike I'll get yet, but I at least know the 52" in both can fit me well.  They're both gorgeous bikes, each offering carbon frames with top-of-the-line componentry and decent wheelsets.  I'm leaning towards the Felt so far, so if you have any feedback I'd love to hear it.

Finally, my long day concluded rather unexpectedly but for the better.  I was planning for a quiet night home alone with laundry, paying bills and video games.  Instead, my buddy TJ and I met for dinner and a movie. More bro-mance.  We saw Green Zone, the new Matt Damon flick about WMDs and the Iraq insurgency. I'd rate it about a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10.  Fairly predictable plot but decent action and acting.  Not a particularly memorable movie, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I can't believe how long and busy today ended being.  And I enjoyed every minute of it.  Now I need to power down and grab some rest before doing it all again tomorrow.  After a two-hour trail run at 9 a.m. (which will feel like 8), Stephanie and I are going engagement ring shopping.  I'm excited!

From bro-mance to romance.  This weekend has it all!

Seriously.

255 days and counting.

Home Again

TGIF Today that stands for Thank G-d It's Finished!  My convention is over.  Well, actually the show continues through tomorrow.  I wanted to get back early so I could continue my pre-marathon training.  Is that wrong?  I don't think so.  The panels were a success, I had time to attend a few sessions and bring back knowledge to the team, and even played a few games.  My favorite part of the conference was getting some hands-on time with the new PlayStation Move device.  The Move will probably get a bad rap because critics will likely say it's three years too late compared to the Nintendo Wii.  I say whatever.  It's cool!  It's fun to use and will bring PlayStation families closer together to enjoy more wide-ranging and accessible games.  Like ping-pong, for example.  The Move wand really makes you feel like you're holding a paddle, complete with very authentic response when it comes to grip and the resulting spin you can put on the ball.  I can't wait to challenge Stephanie with it!  She and I will probably get as competitive as when we play Wii Bowling.

The conference feels like a distant memory at the moment though.  I'm tucked into bed at Stephanie's place, ready to cram in some sleep before waking up early to resume my training featuring a three-hour bike ride with my cycling mentor, Frank.  He's finally healthy enough to ride after I contributed to his shoulder injury.  (I still feel awful about that!)  We're doing the old standby ride, Calabasas to Newbury Park via Portrero Road.  I'm eager to spend time with Frank on the road once again.  Hopefully he'll see some improvement in my riding.

After the way I ate in San Francisco though, I doubt it.  Man, I fell off the nutrition wagon for a couple days!  Buffalo burgers? Check.  Milkshakes?  With beer in them?  Yup, courtesy of the Burger Bar in Union Square.  Crispy tacos and fried Chinese food?  Been there, ate that.  Seconds?  Yes, please!

Ya know what?  I don't regret it one bit.  Ironman training needs to take a back seat to life every once in a while, and when it comes to good food and good company, it's as good an excuse as any.

I return from San Francisco amped up to resume my training.  The conference almost served as a mini vacation, shuffling up the routine a bit.  As much as I found it annoying by the trip's end, I'm sitting here relaxed and happy realizing it was probably the best thing for me after several weeks of intense workouts.

Granted, I ran two out of the three days I was at the conference.  But the scenery switched things up just enough, as did the conference schedule, to bring some freshness back into the daily monotony.  I needed that.

Which is good, since I have eight more months of this!  Not to mention a marathon in 10 days.  We'll be talking more about that in the coming days, I'm sure.

For now, good night!

256 days and counting.