The Best Laid Plans of Rodents or Runners - John

This week, the classic poem from ninth grade “To a Mouse” comes to mind: “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men Gang aft agley”.

I was intending to run three to four days this week plus a long run over the weekend with my friend Jimmy. However, I woke up Monday morning quite sore and tired from the half marathon of the weekend. I was quite discouraged until I recalled that I sometimes needed two days off after long runs when the distance spanned into the teens.

So, Monday and Tuesday were a wash. I woke up Wednesday ready to go. However, the weather was quite difficult. I have found after my gastric bypass the worst weather for me is cold rain (around 30ish degrees). My discouragement mounted, as I recalled how the cold rain really wrecked me last year at the Boston Marathon, and it really took close to 12 weeks to recover fully from that ordeal. As the weather worsened all day, my mood soured and was topped off with needing to attend the wake of my friend and occasional running partner, Jimmy’s father-in-law. I just crossed Wednesday off.

I woke up Thursday quite fresh and with a better attitude. The weather was excellent, and I decided to give myself a Valentine present. I laced up my shoes, gathered my iPod, and headed out for a relaxed 10-mile run. Friday ended up nice as well, so I took Molly out on our regular route.

Jimmy called me and was ready to take a longer run. I was hoping I could talk him into 14 on Sunday, but we settled for 10 on Saturday. On Sunday, he was using his car to pace our friend Mike for his 13-mile run. Mike is also running Boston; however, our training plans and speed are too diverse to train together.

Although I did not stick to the plan, I was able to get a decent amount of mileage “in the bank.” This week’s experience is making me consider the possibility of adding a mid -week 10 miler every other week for the rest of this month.

Medical Advice - Sheila Partridge, MD, Medical Director, Center for Weight Loss Surgery

I think John Tiso's advice is excellent. One should experiment with products and find out what works well during the training process. "Carbo loading" will only lead to dumping for a gastric bypass patient or fatigue shortly thereafter. The real focus should be on remaining hydrated with electrolyte replacement and paying attention to the post-race recovery meal to replete energy stores. At the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Center for Weight Loss Surgery, we have a registered dietitian, Sue Miller, who is both a runner herself and a dietitian for gastric bypass surgery patients. She can provide helpful advice for gastric bypass patients training for marathons.

Half at the Hamptons - John

Yesterday, I ran the inaugural running of the “Half at the Hamptons” half marathon in Hampton Beach, NH. I was using it as a training run. This was the longest distance I have run since last year’s Boston Marathon. I ran it slightly slower than MP (marathon pace), but I ran it at a regular and even pace. I ran a few of the miles with a lady who lives around the block from me who I met through the Tuesday Night Good Times series (www.goodtimesrun.com). She asked me how Molly was, since she sees me running with her all the time. It was her brother’s first half.

Other than that, I was able to get four days of running in last week. In my last post, I mentioned that my wife had school so I took my long run on Saturday instead of Sunday. On Sunday, I woke up feeling fresh, so I did a little speed work in my driveway while the kids played outside. We then went over to volunteer at a race (www.super5k.com) and we did finish line water.

I’m looking forward to a good week this week and getting out running at least three days, aside from a long one. I am a little sore from yesterday, but I feel like I am heading in the right direction.

My Body Doth Protest! – Heidi

This Sunday marks the end of a grueling week and it has taken its toll on me. I rarely get sick so I never really know what to do with myself when I am under the weather. This past workweek was challenging with non-stop days and too many late nights. We also had lots of family appointments (dentist, doctor, tennis, basketball, school dance) and social obligations (neighborhood progressive dinner). All of my runs needed to be squeezed in whenever there was a quick break. For example, Monday night found me running on a treadmill in the Shipley Center at the Hospital while waiting for an operating room to open up. Tuesday became my rest day, as there were no free hours in the day. I thought it was more important to vote than to run! Wednesday’s run was one of the best of the week despite running in the wet snow as I really felt the need to clear my head and organize my thoughts. I usually run with my neighbor on Wednesday but she was sick. I love company but needed that alone time this week to just unwind and turn my brain off for 45 minutes.

Yesterday’s run was the long one and the only one that was pre-planned and “protected” in the schedule. I left my husband and son sound asleep and drove into downtown Wellesley to meet three other women from the Suburban Striders. They had all had wild weeks as well. Teresa was sipping a coke as she had just returned from a business trip to Spain and hadn’t adjusted to East Coast time. Carol had been up until midnight packing for her family’s flight to Morocco (where her husband is from) and was taking off at 2:00 pm. Stephanie was trying to find/organize her family’s ski equipment for an upcoming trip. We were all happy to see one another, catch up and be on the road where the craziness of the week would take a back seat for the next two hours.

While Teresa and Stephanie have both run Boston, neither are running this April but were still game to meet early Saturday morning for a run instead of staying under the covers at home. We started in downtown Wellesley and our path took us through Needham, Dover and Natick before getting back to our start. The total for the morning was 13.8 miles. I felt ok during the run but certainly didn’t have the energy that I had experienced last week. I kept swigging my lemonade Gatorade to quiet a dry, nagging cough. I felt really happy to see the traffic light in Wellesley that signaled the end of our workout. When I got home, there wasn’t much time to rest as we were hosting eight neighbors for soup and salad and I was completely unprepared. My husband and I finished everything up right before our guests arrived and had a great evening enjoying this neighborhood tradition. We did decide to skip the dessert course because we were having a tough time staying awake!

This morning, I got up to clean up the mess we’d left from the night before but realized I was feeling flu-ish. I made it through breakfast, but then called my neighbor to cancel our planned morning run, as it was all I could do at that point to keep my head off the placemat. As much as all of the marathon training programs tell you to listen to your body and take time off when you are sick, it definitely is frustrating to be slowed down! Today has certainly not been a very productive day but I’m hoping that this day of rest will get me back into the swing of things.

Response to Blog Comment from Bobbi – John

Congratulations on both your weight loss surgery and taking on the 26.2. Obviously, I can’t give you any medical advice…However, I can share my experience. “Carbing up” for runners is considered a little bit of a myth by now. The principal of carbo-loading is no longer widely accepted. Most nutritionists recommend a normal balanced diet for everyone – including marathoners AND those post-weight loss surgery.

However, I assume you mean fueling during your run. Being close to seven years post surgery, I no longer have capacity issues that prevent me from consuming enough liquids. What I can share is some insight on how I fuel during runs.

I have tried a variety of products. I have “experimented” with a large number of bars, gels and drinks. My favorite is POW (plain old water). Aside from that, I found as long as I use it during a long run, Gatorade seems to work fine for me. I also drink some before and after vigorous workouts. I have also tried quite a few products for fueling. The two I seem to like are GU (the original energy gel) and “Sports Beans”. Sports beans are electrolyte-enhanced Jelly Beans. These seem to work since I can grab one at a time slowly. I also use a capsule-based product called “endurolytes”, which is an electrolyte replacement capsule. You also want to be careful with some of the commercial products as some of them contain caffeine, which may have undesirable effects.

I would suggest you experiment with some various products and find what works for you and carry it with you in your race. You might want to also see what sports drink is on the course for your marathon. For instance, when I ran the Disney Marathon, they had Power Aide, which I find I cannot tolerate at all.

Finally, I would suggest that you don’t significantly vary your diet before race time since this may result in undesirable digestive side effects.

So I would say, as post-weight loss surgery patients, we are more sensitive to digestive issues related to refueling products as well as caffeine. So, bottom line, I would suggest trying a few different things and testing them all before your race. A good place to obtain different products and samples is at another marathon in your area, the number pickup usually has an expo where vendors of this stuff offer samples as well as opportunities to purchase products at a reduced cost. These expos are usually open to the general public even if you are not participating in that race.

Good luck with your training and your race. If you have any more specific questions, you can e-mail me at johnt@jtiso.com.

Experiencing “It” – John

This was a hectic but good week. I was able to run four out of the five days this week, and then topped it off with an 11.5 mile run on Saturday. I haven’t done a 25+ mile week since last fall. I was also able to get the kids away from the video games two times for one mile walks with Molly.

My friend Steve dropped his daughter off and his dog, a Golden Retriever. She has been playing with Molly since they were puppies, so when I left to run I did not get that, “you are not bringing me” look from her, as she was engrossed with her furry playmate in our yard.

I had an excellent run. After about six miles into the run I turned off the iPod and “It” happened. “It”, as I refer to it, is a pleasant mental state I experience occasionally on a long run. “It” is a spiritual experience that for me lies somewhere between the “Runner’s High” and a meditative state. My running goes on “autopilot” and I start to see images of experiences of the past, some positive and some negative. The positive serve an obvious purpose. The negative ones help me to remember the past, what I have overcome and what I have gotten through in my life along with the roads traveled (literally and figuratively).

Initially, I started to remember a few pleasant images from my childhood. The scene then changed. I was running the New York City Marathon and at mile 21, I all of a sudden felt like I was struck by lighting. Each muscle in my body was in revolt. Each step was a bundle of tightness and pain. I believe I was experiencing dehydration due to the fact I was unable to consume enough liquids due to the gastric bypass surgery. This extreme pain caused me to recall what I consider my “first marathon”. I remembered my first walk after gastric bypass surgery. Although I was on enough pain medication to sedate a rhino, it hurt just to breathe. My 458-pound body hurt worse than I had ever experienced in my life. My 16-inch incision and my insides were sewn and stapled like a child’s art project. However, I was determined to get out of my chair and walk. Each footfall to the street sign was agonizing. I was out of breath within 10 feet. I then continued the 20 or so yards to the sign, feeling like I was descending into the circles of the underworld. I made it to the sign and touched it then headed back. There was no crowd, no water stops and no finish line medals. However, to me it was a truly challenging and memorable experience. This memory helped me summon the strength to the New York finish line in Central Park.

As this memory faded, another very powerful image came to me. It was my first Boston, the 108th. The temperature was recorded near record of 88 degrees. However, I had trained very hard and was a confident (although slow) and experienced marathoner at this point. I remember people half my size dropping from the heat. I never felt so strong running this distance. I remember the strength and power I felt as a cruised along. I remember passing Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and drawing strength from that first “marathon” experience. I continued on my way to Boylston Street for my marathon personal best. I remember shaking my fist in victory as I crossed the finish line and I was overcome with emotion.

After that point a variety of different images and reflections came and went along with the miles. Some were positive and some were not. Then, my mind just cleared. All thoughts melted away with the rhythm of the pavement. This went on for some time until, splash! My foot hit one of the many puddles from the melting snow and my concentration was broken.
I have not run this distance alone in months. It gave me the chance to reflect on both the experience of the day and my life. The notion that you must travel the roads you have been on to get to where you are came to mind. That thought then brought me to Confucius’ proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. After that, I said a silent prayer of thanks for where I have been, how fortunate I am and for the serenity this run has given me. I also asked for guidance in the roads ahead, both of life and asphalt that I will travel. I know I will need it. I clicked my iPod back on as I realized home was near.

They’re Getting Longer – Heidi

I had a great long run this morning. Having company for all but 2.8 miles of the 15 miles was the highlight! The gorgeous, 40-degree day was another big plus. The run was quite a contrast to last weekend’s long run of 13 miles in the cold and snow. My neighbor, Susan, was kind enough to do close to seven miles of that run with me and fortunately I had some new music on my iPod shuffle to get me through the second half.

Preparing my “gear” last night for the first time since last year was a sign of getting into the bigger mileage. I filled my fuel belt bottles with Gatorade, which has become my long run beverage of choice. I filled half with the lemonade flavor, which Martha introduced me to last year. My other flavor was “Fierce Grape”, chosen because it was on sale at the supermarket! The taste was ok but it’s a little scary to drink something that blue as an adult.

I ran with three other women this morning who are fellow members of the Suburban Striders Running Club (www.suburbanstriders.com). This threesome is inspirational given that I am training for a second marathon and hoping to improve my time from last year. Hilda has run four marathons and improved her time with each event. Sharon has completed nine marathons and is also training for Boston. Carol is the fleet-footed one of our group but doesn’t mind slowing down for a long training run. She is also training for Boston having qualified for her number last year and finishing the 111th in 3:30! We talk the entire way sharing training regimens and comparing mileage but also converse about kids, travel and of course, the Patriots!

While my quads and calves are a bit tight having done my longest run to date, I’m encouraged to have enjoyed and survived fifteen miles today. Last year at this time my long run was 12 miles, so I have stepped up the distance a bit. I’m just doing one long run a week, however, most of my running companions today were doing a mid-week long run too. There are always new challenges one can set with the sport of running.