SA_Alexander

SAN ANTONIO TRAINING BLOGS

Helen Alexander Kratz
Age: 46 & 3/4
Race: Half Marathon- anything under 95 minutes and I'll try to be happy

Blog 1: The Ramablings of an ex-marathoner
Blog 2: Light at the End of the Tunnel
Blog 3: The Blog Blahs
Blog 4: Best Laid Plans
Blog 5: Fingers and toes crossed!
Blog 6: Final blog

For many of you Helen needs no introduction. She has been a fixture on the St. Louis running scene since she arrived here via Bloomington, IL via New Zealand. That's right...she's a Kiwi and they always seem to be fast. As you'll read in her blogs she was once a super fast stud but her knees have not been kind to her in recent years. She's still pretty darn fast though, even though she won't admit it!

Final blog

12.8.09

It's now 3 weeks since the race and I should be recovered, but I've managed to catch this nasty head and throat cold again, in fact, it never really left. Back on the antibiotics for another round. As Ben has said, it was hot and humid, not my idea of running weather and I never perform well in humidity. Needless to say, I didn't run my sub 1:35, I was 2 minutes over in fact. The only consolation to that, was, that even if I had run a Master's PR for me (sub 1:28) which was never going to happen, I STILL would have finished 2nd in my age group. The leading 45-49 yr old woman ran an amazing 1:27, in hot, nasty conditions and finished 12th woman overall. It was a fun time, unfortunately, we caught a flight out later in the day, so weren't able to hang around and see anyone other than Julie and Bryan finish the marathon. I think I would race down there again, but not unless it was January of February and I could be a little surer of not having another humid race, but overall it was well organized with good post race eats and a decent race shirt.

Fingers and toes crossed!

11.9.09 (1 week out)

Less than a week to go now, until the race. The forecast (I 've just looked) is supposed to be in the mid to upper 60's with a 30% chance of rain. Sounds pretty good for running, but chances are it'll change before the weekend. Definitely shorts and singlet weather, which has been the case here for the past few days and it has been great.

This last week's training has been rather spasmodic, I still have a nasty cough and sinus drainage which is messing with my sleep schedule and the knee is good some days and bugging me on others, which actually is about par for the course for me.

I've cut back the mileage, not too drastically, as it would be at zero otherwise and have a massage scheduled for Wednesday.

I'm not as well trained as I hoped I would be, but I plan to try to dig deep on Sunday to make up the difference. Fingers and toes crossed for feeling good come race day.

Best Laid Plans:

11.3.09 (10 days out)

This has been a sorry week, health wise for me. I read Dave's blog and I wonder how on earth he does it, day after day. week after week (and at his advanced age!!)

Monday (10/26/09) was the beginning of it all. I managed to dislocate my l kneecap at work and finally after deciding that I didn't want the elderly client's wife, whose house I was at, to drive me to the ER, I managed to reduce it back into place and a bit of icing and my old knee brace back on and I managed my usual 7 mile run at BRR that night. The sore throat was a little worse than the day before, but not too bad YET.

Tuesday, I manage a 6 mile loop from home, the knee is still braced and puffy, but not a bother when I run actually, just when I stop. Nose is running, have a nagging cough which is starting to be a bit productive.

Wednesday, I usually go to FP at night, but I opted to run a bit earlier in the light and shorter, just a 4 miler, this cough is really starting to take hold.

Thursday, a call into my MD for antibiotics for the green stuff I'm coughing up and no run today.

Friday, no run, my head feels weird I'm so clogged up.

Saturday, I say to Brian, that I'm going out to see if I can run at all on Sunday, or whether I should just bag the half and volunteer. I head out for an "easy " 3 miler around TGP,. I've never seen so much water covering the fields and the Magnolia side is completely covered in water today, even the road. I arrive home wondering how on earth I am going to run another 10 miles tomorrow about a minute/mile faster . There's no way.

Sunday, SLTC 1/2 marathon day dawns, beautiful clear, cool morning, ideal for running.

Surprisingly, I don't feel too horrible and manage a respectable 1:37, good enough for 1st in my age and first Master's, but only because Debbie Kerber was 3rd overall and sooooo far ahead. Carol Wright was right behind me too, not too shabby at 50, I hope I'm still running that fast! I'm encouraged by this and am talking to a friend after the race and mention that all I have to do in 2 weeks time is take about 3-4 minutes off that time. A complete stranger is eavesdropping and asks how I intend to do that. I reply " I'm going to run faster"

Hopefully this is true!

Monday (11/2/09) I'm planning the 4 mile loop at BRR, but feel pretty good, so do the usual 7 mile course and feel OK. I'm a bit stiff and sore later, after sitting at The Mack with young Matt, Craig, Chris B who just did NY yesterday with a new 3 min. PR and Brian, but nothing too awful. Still have a runny nose and a cough, but it is better and the knee is manageable. Fingers crossed, hopefully the body will hold together for another 2 weeks

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The Blog Blahs

10.25.09 (3 wweks out)

I've got the blog blahs, it kind of goes with the running blahs. The past two weeks have been hectic and I'm behind in my blog updates.
Last weekend was more about volunteering than running . I was planning to race the 5km on Saturday evening at The New Amsterdam Tavern at T.G.Park, but my legs were not completely happy with me standing around earlier that morning at Forest Park, helping out at the 2nd Wind Lung Run. The Track Club has helped out for about 5 years now and I usually end up on the results or timing somehow. It does put running into perspective, when you see people out walking with masks and oxygen tanks, struggling just to get air, pretty inspiring to use the lungs we have to their best advantage. My race was a little disappointing, I didn't dip under the 20 minute mark for 5 km, but I felt Ok about that.

The next morning saw both Brian and myself , out on street corners in downtown St Louis, volunteering at the 10km Go St Louis Halloween Run. It was great to see so many BRR folks, especially as they seemed to be concentrated at the front of the race! Later that day, my legs did not thank me for standing around in the cold for several hours, as I eventually finished my second loop of Forest Park , for my weekly long run, a 12 miler. I got it done and it wasn't pretty.

Last week was more of the usual running routine for me, but I started the week off tired, never a good idea.
Monday was the 7 mile loop at BRR , which I dragged my tired body through. Tuesday, a shorter 6 mile "recovery" run and Wednesday, my loop of Forest Park, which I decided had better be at a tempo pace, as I had had a couple of down days.
The consequences of that were that the next 2 days were rest days, as I was just sick and tired of being tired.
Yesterday (10/24) I managed my longest run in about 4 or 5 years, 16 miles and felt pretty good for the entire thing, so things are looking up again. Now if I could just get rid of this runny nose and scratchy throat.

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Light at the End of the Tunnel:

10.12.09

10-6-08 Had an awful day at work today, busy as heck and stressful, so made myself destress by heading out the door as soon as I got home at around 6pm for a "whatever" 4 miler around. TGP. I would have preferred a glass of wine, but I did feel better when I was done. Running has been a great pressure relief valve over the years and it still works pretty well.
10-7-08 Wednesday's are a social run day, the Pace Series is done for the year and we are back to our 6 mile loop of the Park(Forest) on Wednesdays' at 6.15. Pretty good crowd tonight and great running weather. Looking forward to the beer afterwards and snacks. All the BRR crowd are training here tonight and we see them on the way in along Lindell. The dark nights are starting and Daylight Saving is almost done, Bummer, gotta love these temps though. Felt pretty decent tonight.
10-8-09 Rain. I can live without a run today. (yes, I'm a wimp)
10-9-09 I'm dreading the run today, it's dreary, rainy and blah and I have to try to do a long run by myself after work, as I have a 2 day class this weekend that is scheduled to run 9-7 both days and I know for certain that I won't do one after that! I head out in the late afternoon, no rain to be seen and amazingly I feel better and better as I click out the miles around 7:58 pace or so. I am doing a 2 loop course of Compton Water tower and TGP, for a total of 12 miles and am planning to stop at home to grab a Gu and water halfway, but end up having to pee, so I must have hydrated well! Later I mention to Brian, that this is the best I have felt for several years on a longer run, but I am trying not get my hopes up too much, as I have run pretty poorly for a while now.
10-10-09 Man, do I suck on a motorcycle. Fortunately everyone else in my class is also pretty bad and I am not the one to drop the bike today. That Harley I had in mind for next year, may have to wait until I feel like I can handle a bike like that. I wonder how my legs will feel tomorrow after all afternoon straddling the bike?
10-11-09 I have just enough time to get a quick 6 miles in before class today, I am surprised by how light my legs feel all things considered. That is 2 decent runs in a row for me and I am starting to feel a bit like a runner again.
10-12-09 Tonight's the test. Can I make it 3 good runs in a row? I have my doubts, as the last 2 runs were after a day off and I ran yesterday. I tell myself that I will make allowances for that but have my fingers crossed. It is a 7 miler at BRR at South City and the plan is for a tempo run at around 7.05 to 7.15 pace (fast for me right now) There is a small group running about the pace I need, and I manage to hold pace for around 5 1/2 miles and struggle a bit at the end, but not too bad. I am starting to believe that my Doctor may have finally figured out why I have felt so fatigued and slow for the past couple of years. He started me on a high dose B12 supplement about 2 1/2 weeks ago, after the blood work came back low. I haven't managed 3 decent runs in a week for about 2 years and I just did 3 in 4 days! Add to that multiple little injuries here and there and I was pretty sorry for myself. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel. The test will be the 5 km race on Saturday, then I'll be a believer. (I need more proof) Last weeks total was 35 miles, so I'm finally getting a little bit of base under me. My body can't handle much more than 45 miles max, or I break down, so I just need to gradually add miles over the next 2 weeks, while not overtraining before the race which is only 4 weeks away. (fingers crossed)

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The Ramblings of an ex-marathoner:

10.08.09 (6 weeks out)

DISCLAIMER these are the ramblings of an ex-marathoner with bad knees who can no longer produce the miles or times that will make her happy, but will serve to burn off the excess calories consumed from ice cream, chocolate and alcholic beverages. Ben Rosario takes absolutely no responsibility for the seemingly random training plan of this racing team member, as I refuse to train to any kind of sensible manner, but just as my body will let me, the weather and the mood strike me.

9-26-09 rolled out of bed to head to Lebanon, Il to run the McKendree University 1/2 marathon as a training run with waterstops. Brian set off, but was lonely running by himself, so we (me and Bill) joined him at about mile 4 and ran the rest of the way at a comfortable pace. Not many people at this race, gorgeous running weather, nice rolling hills, mile markers and water at every mile. Shoe came untied. You'd think after 25 yrs of doing this I could tie them right. Longest training run for me since Jackson Mississippi 1/2 on Jan 3rd and ran about the same time there. Pleasantly surprised to finish strong over the last 3 miles (the ibuprofen consumed pre-run may have been a factor)
9-27-09 think I was hit by a truck yesterday. Fortunately the training today consists of tailgating prior to watching the Rams get pounded by the Packers at the Dome.
9-28-09 AM 6 mile easy recovery run before work - a loop from home around the Compton Water Tower, back along Grand Ave to Tower Grove Park (TGP) and a loop of that and home. PM 7 mile run at BRR south city store at 6pm, but tired and had dead legs for the last few miles
9-29-09 Yay day off
9/30/09 6 mile loop,( moderate pace, work the hills) of Forest Park in the evening and then watched my husband collect 1st place trophy for the Track Club Pace Series (yum free beer and pizza)
10/1/09 Holy Moly, October is here and my maximum mileage to date is 35! Actually most miles in a week since my last knee surgery, 3 yrs ago. Easy 4 mile loop of TGP and had to ice my left knee afterwards.
10-2-09 Rest day
10-3-09 Early run At Creve Coeur Lake with the Track Club group at 7am. 1st run of the season in tights (see picture) and my longest run since the Berryman Trail Marathon in 2003. I don't count this as a marathon, because I stopped at least 2x at various aid stations to chat, eat salted potatos, gummy worms, M&M's and drink gatorade for more than 10 minutes each time. Has my vote for best aid stations at a race (I may have mistaken the bowl of Ibuprofen for M&M's and that was how I finished that run, as my knees swelled up like pumpkins after that race) Did a total of 14 miles. Felt pretty crappy today, disappointed after last weeks easier longer run, but I do love these 2XU tights.
10-4-09 Hit by that same truck again, managed a 4 mile recovery run around TGP with Brian in the pm and tons of bugs out
10-5-09 7 miler at BRR south city store, tempo run at around 7.15 pace, surprisingly OK, usual nagging aches and pains. Bugs galore.

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