Twelve Miles, Tapering

We ran in the Stillwater dome today - I prefer to do long or longish runs there, rather than any of the other indoor tracks, because I can run around the corners in either direction.  I do change direction after each mile.  This run went OK, but not quite as well as hoped.  After about halfway my speed gradually went down, even though it seemed as though I was working just as hard.  I believe that I went into the run somewhat dehydrated, and if so, that would account for the less-than-stellar performance.

Oatmeal beneath, and frozen pineapple
beneath that, thawing out.  Strawberries
were thawed overnight.  Mostly organic.

Nevertheless the overall pace was 10:09, quite a bit faster than I expect to run the upcoming marathon.  I took 5 or 6 ounces of water every two miles, and Clif Shot gels with caffeine at miles 4 & 8.

Whining:  The right hip flexors started to complain after about mile 8, but not too badly.  This happens sometimes, and never prevents me from finishing a marathon.  I wonder if that’s related to hydration as well.  Bottom line: Be plenty well hydrated going into any marathon!

Splits:  9:49, 10:06, 9:48, 9:55, 10:01, 10:13, 10:05, 10:14, 10:09, 10:20, 10:26, 10:40, total 2:01:47, pace 10:09.  It’ll do.

National Public Radio

Saturday, February 9, 2013:

A photographer from National Public Radio followed us around today, starting with our Myeloma Support Group meeting at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis park and ending up at the Maplewood Community Center where we three ran for about 30 minutes.  The local photographer, Ariana Lindquist, spent that 30 minutes getting action shots, and then took some additional pictures after the run.

I’m told that NPR will air the story about myeloma, Pomalyst, and my running, by medical reporter Richard Knox, sometime in the morning of February 18.  I suppose a few of the photos will appear on NPR’s web site at about that time.

Today’s run was fine - no whining, plenty of speed, though I wasn't able to time the three miles.

Pomalidomide (Pomalyst) Approved by FDA

Five years ago two different therapies had failed to stop my myeloma's upward climb, and finally a PET scan showed holes in my bones. This was Stage I disease, and time for a treatment that would actually work for me! I went on a trial of CC-4047 (later pomalidomide, now Pomalyst) with dexamethasone, then eventually Pomalyst alone. It brought my numbers down quickly, and now my myeloma remains stable, with an M-spike of about 1.1 mg/dL. More-recent PET scans and X-rays have not found holes in my bones.

My family and I have enjoyed five free years, with a high quality of life. During that time I have been privileged to run 43 marathons in 34 different states which, added to previous marathons, comes to 70 marathons in 50 different states. Just last December, when I was 71, we finished that 50-state odyssey in Hawaii.

For those five years I have taken a little red pomalidomide pill every night, and have escaped the disabling injuries that myeloma can cause, but without the severe side effects and frequent clinic visits of regular chemotherapy. In fact, side effects have been minimal. It has been a miracle for me - I've literally been free to travel and free to run. I do take very good care of myself, with the best food we can find and plenty of exercise and sleep, but those few milligrams of pomalidomide most certainly have been the key. Now that pomalidomide is approved by the FDA, it has the potential to do for thousands more patients and families what it has done for us.

Pomalidomide is evidence that research, innovation, and new technology are making a big difference to those of us with myeloma. Add the recent approval of Kyprolis and Velcade sub-cutaneous, plus more drugs in active studies and on the way to studies, and we have reason for a lot of hope. Dr. Durie of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) counted 700 different abstracts related to myeloma research at the recent conference of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Myeloma is certainly not yet a chronic disease for most of us, but we are heading that way.

Here is the FDA announcement, titled FDA approves Pomalyst for advanced multiple myeloma.

Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece! - Dalai Lama

Treadmill

I’m not a fan of the treadmill, preferring a track whenever possible, but this day I had an extra hour to wait for a blood test result at Stillwater Medical, and the nearest Silver Sneakers location had treadmills, the Training Room at OSI in Stillwater.  Forty minutes and four miles, at an assortment of speeds roughly approximating my run/walk.  It’s a little warm in there, but otherwise no problems.

Whining: None.

18 Miles

This was the long run in preparation for our upcoming Cape Cod marathon.  We three went to the Stillwater Bubble at 6:30 am, and ran for three hours plus.  For a while I ran with friend Jim, and several other runners that I knew came and went while we were there, but mostly I ran by myself because I was doing my run/walk, this time with a ratio of about 3 or 4 to 1.  It’s very awkward for someone else to follow that unless they have trained for it.  It’s the only way that I can finish a marathon, though, and it’s helping me stay injury-free.  It works for me.

Splits:  19:46 (2 mi), 10:00, 9:51, 9:58, 9:58, 10:02, 10:19, 10:24, 10:36, 10:13, 20:26 (2 mi), 10:08, 10:09, 10:04, 10:00, 10:20, total 3:02:10, average pace 10:07.  If this pace could be continued for another 8.2 miles, the resulting marathon time would be just under 4:26, very near Boston qualifying time.  That’s also a half hour faster than any marathon I've run in the past two or three years, so it means that this training run was faster than marathon pace.  Huh.  I wonder what might happen if I went for it and tried to run this pace in Cape Cod.  

I believe that my calves would cramp up in the last miles.  They have a habit of doing that, ever since I took dexamethasone (DEX) as one of my myeloma treatments.  DEX takes away muscle mass, and I suppose that’s one reason that I get cramps.  Also, though, I didn't bring salt tablets with me today because I wasn't worried about hyponatremia on a cool run (45 degrees) of only 18 miles.  I forgot that the primary reason for the salt tablets is to ward off cramps.  Duh.  Maybe I’ll shoot for something intermediate in Cape Cod, like 4:50.  We’ll see - weather may be a factor.

Today I got the first twinge of a calf cramp in the last quarter of the final lap.  Great timing!  I got more cramps after the run was over, but nothing serious.  After the run and a nice breakfast, I went out and shoveled snow for two and a half more hours, and then several other heretofore uncatalogued muscles made their presence known by cramping up, including something in the upper thighs, plus the forearms, plus my hands.  And now, of course, I’m very very tired, as if I really did run a marathon.  Every large muscle is sore, and several of the small ones too.  That’s a good thing - that’s what training is about, and it actually feels good. Maybe a nap this afternoon?

I took water every two miles, about five ounces each time, and a Clif Shot gel (mocha, with caffeine) four times.  Alas, no salt except the small amount offered by the gel.

Whining:  The right knee with patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) complained a little while walking, though not while running, between miles 3 and 7 or so, but then decided to shut up and go with the program.  No other sign of any injury.

It’s a masterpiece!  Oyeah. 

Last Run in North St Paul

The Community Center is closing at the end of March.  We purchased a 30-day pass early in January, because we really like the track there, but since our Silver Sneakers will now get us into other places that have good tracks too, we won’t be buying any more monthly passes for the N. St. Paul Community Center.  Too bad.  I hope that the city will reverse the decision and keep the Community Center open, though it doesn't sound likely.

I had a nice high-energy run/walk today, just four miles, running about three paces for every one walked (actually about 180 to 60), by distance probably a ratio of four or five to one.  I know that “real” runners don’t take the walk breaks, but I sure do find it less tiring for the same speed, and I seem to get fewer injuries.  For now, working toward another marathon, I’ll be doing the run/walk all of the time.

Whining: None.

Splits:  9:44, 9:23, 9:11, 9:06, total 37:25, average pace 9:21.

New Brooks Launch Shoes

Thursday, January 31, 2013:

I expected to be tired today after twelve miles on Tuesday, but I felt just fine.  Better than fine, this run felt wonderful.  I did a run/walk, with a ratio of about 3 to 1, aiming for an overall pace of about 10 minutes per mile and achieving a little better than that.

I have run every one of my 70 marathons in Brooks shoes.  First the Burn, and then when they stopped making the Burn I searched around for a while, trying the Glycerine, Ghost, and Summon, and finally liking the Launch when Brooks eventually brought those out.  Like the Burn it’s a lightweight trainer, moderately cushioned, and I use it for everything - short training runs up to a marathon race.  I broke in a new pair of the Launch today. This is my eighth pair, and I ran through 20 pairs of the Burn before the Launch.

Whining: None.

Splits: 10:10, 9:33, 9:32, 9:32, 9:35, 9:29, total 57:52, average pace 9:39.