sidebar | life and training 4.25 – 5.1

Officially one week post-marathon (how in the hell?) and finally had time to really evaluate all the emotions and physical aftermaths around race day. Overall impression of marathon #3? Inspiring. Awesome. Painful. Rejuvenating. Enlivening.

After Chicago I wanted nothing more than to hole up and never run again. That race was so outside of my expectations for such a hyped event that still several months later I have no interest in trying again. Too many people, too much noise. With my already heightened day-to-day anxiety levels, the boisterous environment served only to overstimulate rather than motivate. Perhaps it’s an oddball characteristic of mine (seems to be, since near everyone else adores those massive races) but the intimacy of Big Sur is far more my scene than any of the majors.

Though I was glad for a couple days of recuperation after Big Sur, the itch to move and specifically to run returned far more quickly than before. After the initial soreness subsided I was mentally ready to get back to a new normal of exercise. After a couple days off, I began with slow and easy elliptical spins, reincorporated some upper body strength, and eventually on Friday tried a 30 minute heart rate run to survey my body and its feelings towards running.

The Big Sur Experience

I spoke of the preparation leading up to race day, but here is a breakdown of the day itself. I won’t bore you with mile-by-mile essays, but try to give you a grasp of what went on internally and externally during my 4 hour 20 minute escapade. I also posted a 30-second reel on Instagram with highlights from the day.

We set alarms for 2:15 and, while readying our snacks and our kits for the race, turned on the “Lucky Penny” episode of How I Met Your Mother. I’ve watched this before all three marathons: if you’re unfamiliar, Barney runs the NYC Marathon in this episode and gets trapped on a train because his legs don’t work afterwards. Funny as shit.

Stocked up and ready, we rolled over to our bus area around 3:30 to queue up for loading. Masses of cold, exhausted folks huddled beneath throwaway layers in the dark, nibbling bananas and granola bars and speaking hushedly. A shiver of thrill ran through the collective, a nervous energy, but mostly people were subdued and sleepy while hopping from foot to foot trying to stay warm.

The volunteers ushered us on board and, with our peanut butter bagels in hand, J and I rode humming “Rosa Parks” up the one hour stretch to Big Sur Station. Once we exited the city, everyone got real silent and the view outside darkened into invisible oblivion. I remembered this ride from my journey in 2019. I respect those drivers. We knew when the bus hit Hurricane Point and started climbing. I peered out the windshield and buses ahead were elevated as the road climbed and climbed. The bus slowed and steered from left to right, navigating the bends in the asphalt. My ears popped. The familiar knot of motion sickness twisted in my gut, but loosened once we crested the hill and began a careful roll downhill.

Corralled

The hour plus at the starting village passed quickly and blurrily. We found porta potties and a coffee tent, and camped on the ground in the 40-some morning sipping our drinks and nibbling on snacks. J couldn’t stomach much, and nerves this time opened unknown cavities in my stomach so I could fit more food than I figured I would. I chose a GU Wild Blueberry Stroopwafel an hour before the start.

The announces started ushering the corral groups in place, and eventually seemed to give up as every group began prancing over to the start line unbidden. The wait was freezing, and prolonged. I stripped off my Salvation Army throwaways and tossed them to the side of the road, as prompted, and slid from foot to foot trying to keep my legs from numbing. Everyone struggled similarly.

After the A corral unloaded, the rest of the groups followed in short succession. The walk to the start line was brief and uncomfortable. When I started running, my legs felt detached and wobbly. The first mile or so is downhill, so my awareness was keen regarding the cold clenching my leg muscles. Thankfully, things loosened up after 10 minutes or so.

26.2 Miles of Glory

I’ll stick to the highlights here. I didn’t stop for photographs, really, but trust me when I say the entirety of the race is a panorama worth viewing.

For a time I ran encased in redwoods, only a sliver of the lightening sky visible. Eventually, the road opens into the hills and valleys and by then the sun fully wrapped the earth. Life is pretty quiet mostly, birdsong and the pitter-patter of running feet. We passed a field of cows munching on grass and I think on the top of that climb was my first bout with the wind.

And guys, that wind. It was fierce, piercingly cold, wraps into the lungs and bursts out in short coughs. I didn’t experience the wind in 2019 but I’ve heard many a tale of its rage. Cold wind is my least favorite running condition. Thankfully, most of the spurts were brief, but intense nonetheless.

It’s The Climb

At mile 9 I saw the nemesis: Hurricane Point. 2 miles from bottom to top, an average 5-5.5% grade (I’ve seen both) and camber so severe your body leans sideways.

I paced Hurricane Point very conservatively. I ran in the 9s prior to that and my splits clocked at 10:xx and 11:xx for the 2 miles. Keeping your energy in check is so important in this segment, since you’re not even halfway through the race once you reach the mound and the hills become more frequent after the half marathon mark.

But guys, the views. Stellar. The Pacific’s whitecaps bodyslam the rock fixtures far below. Fog tumbled over the cliffs, bringing an extra chill within the droplets. Look up, the gray-blue sky spreads endlessly over the horizon. Look down, the restless sea. I ran the whole thing, and still am proud of doing so.

At mile 12, the hill falls into a mile-long descent towards Bixby Bridge. Around the half mile mark I heard the grand piano, the benchmark of the race, its tunes streaming in all directions. The calming music pulls some of the lingering pain from the ascent from my legs and I let myself relax into a rhythm. The land levels out at the bridge and we underwent a slight upward trot over the bridge.

13 Miles of Hills

The intense undulations of the course don’t really start until the latter miles. It seems to be climb after climb until the end. I think hillier courses are more my forte since certain muscles get a break on the uphills, and others on the downhills. Around mile 15 the downhills were more murderous than the ups – I was actually fairly grateful when I hit a hill. My lungs weren’t, though. Not at all.

I dwindled into my chasm around mile 18. I’ve spoken to this mindset before. I go blank, still observing but trying to ignore my physical discomfort. I started counting down the miles to my next gel as a distraction. At mile 23 I grabbed a famous Big Sur strawberry and, walking for a minute, munched, grinning, like it was my first experience with the fruit. Such a relief from my saccharine gels.

Mile 25 marks the final hill, and lord, is it a steep one. My stride turned to a shuffle and I tried to not face upwards and become discouraged by how far I had to run to reach the top. People blew through their lips, panted, sighed. No one enjoyed this stretch. Many walked. Once the hill ended, though, the final countdown began.

Finisher…*Wink*

At the mile 26 marker, the tears began. Well, not really full-fledged tears. I was too dehydrated for that. But a hiccup crept up my throat more than once. I covered my mouth with my gloved fingers. Disbelief is always the first reaction to knowing I’m a pinch away from finishing a marathon. The final few sentences of an epic novel.

I trotted down the chute and forgot about the stiffness in my legs and the muscle knot cramping up my right hip (that started around mile 8.) I spread my arms wide in an airplane gesture and, the joy warming my whole being, smiled the widest smile for the camera. Spectators viewed my name on my bib and shouted out “Go Kellie!” and the announcer spoke his congratulations as I officially stepped over the timing mat.

4:20:25. 9:56/mile. A solid hour stripped from my first attempt at the course.

I dilly dallied around the finisher village after changing out my shirt and grabbing the post-race snack swag. J finished a bit later and we shared some wine before slowly tottering to the bus and returning to the hotel. We enjoyed a late lunch and basically passed out intermittently starting at 6:30. Totally normal for people who just ran 26.2 miles, I’d say.

That’s the long and short of it. I’m keeping workout intensity fairly low over the next couple weeks to evaluate my soft spots, though I do plan to reestablish a routine of heavier lifting again. As I cycle back into a 5-6x per week strength split, I’ll spend the extra time I used before for running to lots of stability and core work. My right hip is still a big weakness of mine and, in order to improve that chain of command, I need to get those muscles firing properly.

Otherwise? I feel good. I’m happy. That’s the big takeaway here.

Would you ever run a marathon, if you haven’t already?

Look for vacation photos in next week’s sidebar! I ate A LOT of good shit and visited some cool spots I think would be worthy of a mention.

What I’m Up To This Week

Testing…The easiest stir fried mushrooms, a sweet frozen cocktail, a big picnic-style sandwich, a Cinco de Mayo-themed dessert, and a quick weeknight bowl situation!

Performing…Self care. I need to get myself out of the mind trap that I have to earn acts of self care. Just little sessions during a day, like going out for coffee, enjoying a small pre-breakfast treat, or doing at-home face masks, make a big impact on my sense of being.

Drinking…MJA Vineyards wines. We visited the tasting room on Tuesday and it was such a treat. The guys were stellar and friendly and the owner sat with us for a bit to talk. We also bought a bag of his Kona coffee beans (his first vocation was roasting) to take home and enjoy. Dinner and wine pairings? Don’t mind if I do.

Eating…Trader Joe’s “These Sprinkles Walk Into a Sandwich Cookie.” I mentioned them last week and I am continuing to munch on them each morning post-workout. They’re just so damn good, people. Perfect dunkers in a cup of coffee.

Wanting…To start swimming again. It’s been so long since I’ve hit the pool that I might be a bit embarrassed, and summer season is about here so the gremlin children will be cut loose at certain hours, but the relaxing activity seems like something I should add back in my routine and I’m finally getting the urge to go.

A Few Things I’m Digging

Bottle protectors…Whenever we visit California we’re sure to patron some wineries. These inflatable bottle holders are stellar for shielding the wares from damage rolling about on the plane and don’t take up much space at all. You do need something to inflate them with, so keep that in mind!

Mini foam roller…This travel-sized roller has come in handy a lot for post Big Sur recovery on the go. It’s inexpensive and dense enough to access the trigger points in my legs, but small and light so unobtrusive in a bag.

Protein bars…Tried out the Barebells protein bars and love them! My favorite so far is the cookies n’ cream flavor. No chalky texture or protein powder taste. Trader Joe’s carries them if you’re less inclined to order online. They may be a nice alternative if I’m in a pinch and run out of my One standbys.

Bread…Sourdough bread is my new jam. Maybe I should try again with a starter sometime. I love TJ’s sourdough boulle and Whole Foods’ loaves as well. I’d imagine that anything from a true bakery is pretty dope too.

Greek food…Anything Greek right now appeals to me and I’ve been eating as much of that flavor variety as I can while in Chicago. Need a Greek fix at home? This Greek Salmon and Kale Orzo Caesar Salad is a fun and fresh interpretation!

Week in Training

Monday, 4.25: 25 minutes gentle yoga

Obviously no formal workouts today but started my morning with some easy movements to get the blood flowing. Everything hurt, but I’d imagine it’ll loosen up in the coming days without any running or difficult workouts on my agenda.

Tuesday, 4.26: 1.55 mile walk (25 minutes) + 25 minutes gentle yoga

Legs are quite improved today so I enjoyed our last morning in Monterey with a short morning stroll, followed by a stop at Tidal Coffee for cappuccinos. CBD, stretching, and moving around seems to be helping my legs get back to normal more quickly. Probably all the sleep and food, too! I’m in no hurry to start running but its useful to see that I seemed to have avoided injury and things are stitching up in a timely manner.

Wednesday, 4.27: 40 minute elliptical

Easy easy spin on the hotel machine (which kinda blows to be honest) trying to keep my heartrate in a range that’s typical of a light effort for me. Felt good to get some semblance of exercise in! Followed with a 10 minute stretch. My legs are definitely starting to feel better, though my right hip is still very tight and my calves haven’t loosened up just yet.

Thursday, 4.28: 35 minute elliptical + 35 minute back & biceps

Easy spin and a short upper body session. Makes me feel more like myself, especially before we’re about to plop on a plane for 4 hours en route to Chicago.

Strength:

• 3 x 12 bicep curl 20#
• 3 x 10 row 40#
• 3 x 10 wide curl 20#
• 3 x 10 reverse fly 25#
• 3 x 10 zottman curl 15#
• 3 x 10 press out 25#
• 3 x 20 weighted bird dog 10# SS 10 roll ups 10#
• 3 x 20 knee to elbow
• :30 plank rocks/:30 shoulder taps

Friday, 4.29: 2.45 miles, 12:15 pace + 43 minute shoulders & triceps

Test run today to evaluate the legs and body. Performed a heart rate based session so tried to keep myself under 152 bpm – averaged 150. SO hard. Overall felt really good, but a bit tired and my calves and knees were more tight than usual. Good to know so I can focus on those areas in upcoming gym sessions.

Strength:

• 3 x 10 OH press 20#
• 3 x 10 triceps extension 40#
• 3 x 10 bench press 25#
• 3 x 10 side raise 20#
• 3 x 10 press down 27.5#
• 1 x 12/2 x 10 face pull 32.5/37.5#
• 3 x 10 narrow press 25#
• 3 x 10 kickback 15#
• 3 x 20 toe tap 15#
• 3 x :30 tippy toe wall sits

Saturday, 4.30: 30 minute elliptical + 55 minute legs

Easy spin before a solid lower body session. Focused on single-leg work, calves, and hips.

Strength:

• 3 x 12 ea. single leg calf raise 60#
• 3 x 10 ea. single leg deadlift 60#
• 3 x 10 squat to toe raise 90#
• 3 x 10 ea. single leg hip thrust 35#
• 3 x 15 ea. lunge matrix 30#
• 3 x 12 ea. donkey kick 25#
• 3 x 15 ea. elevated donkey kick
• 3 x 12 ea. oblique bend 35#
• 3 x 10 ea. side leg raise
• 3 x :30 chair holds
• :45 boat hold

Sunday, 5.1: 4.06 mile treadmill walk (1 hour)

Total running mileage: 2.45