The Gazelle on the Treadmill Next to Me
Running is a mind game. You can go from feeling great to feeling down - all within the same run.
That happened to me this week. I normally go to the gym before work during my in-office days. It’s quiet, not busy, and a good environment for me to run. The majority of my training is done on the treadmill at work. I don’t see it as a “dreadmill”. Weirdly, I find it relaxing. A good opportunity to run in a controlled environment, at the exact pace I want, while listening to podcast or music.
This week, I went to the gym as usual, and began a knee-rehab run. 5.2-5.7 MPH on the treadmill, 0% incline, aiming for 60-75 minutes depending on how I feel. I use these runs as an opportunity to maintain my endurance, but not worry about speed. Speed/interval runs seem to be the biggest source of pain for my knee, so running at a comfortable Zone 2 pace seems productive toward my recovery.
For the first 30 minutes or so, I felt great. Breathing easy, heart rate right where it should be. It was a little more labored than I hoped for, but I’m coming off a little cold so I’m chalking it up to that. I was deep in a good podcast, when someone jumped on the treadmill next to me.
All good - that’s obviously normal at a communal gym. He started going and I wasn’t thinking much of it. My headphones were drowning out the pounding of our feet, so I was hardly able to notice him - until about 5 minutes later.
I slowly started hearing louder footsteps through my headphones. The treadmill was wining more than usual - the motor was working harder and harder to push the belt underneath his feet. I looked over, and the guy was cooking. His face looked calm, and his body was gliding. His knees were driving high, and his kick was noticeable. Finally, I glanced at the speed on his treadmill. 10.3 MPH. 5:49/mile pace. WTF.
I’ve seen people max out a treadmill - I’ve even tried hitting that pace as an all out sprint. But this guy, I mean gazelle, wasn’t stopping. He kept going - for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. It kept going on an on. I was totally amazed. I finished my 70ish minute run, wiped down the treadmill, and proceeded to do some light strength work in a corner of the gym. Once I finished about 10 minutes later, he was still at it!
When I run races, I will run around folks that are at roughly the same pace as me. That makes sense - the faster runners are not near me. So, I don’t often get to see someone who is absolutely lightning. When I see people all-out sprint on the treadmill, they normally will go for a 1 minute, 2 minutes max, and often at a slower speed. The gazelle was blowing my mind.
I do watch professional runners run on YouTube, and know that people are capable of running this speed. But there was something unique about witnessing it and running next to it. Truthfully, it made my run go from satisfying to disappointing. I was reminded of my injury, and how it’s taken a toll on my training and speed. I was reminded that even in peak form, I’m nowhere near that sort of skill. It reminded my how far I have to go to get to my sub 3 hour goal.
Though the gazelle reminded me of my setbacks and shortcomings as a runner, I’m reminded by a pretty pervasive mantra in the running world - “Run your own race.” It’s hard for me not to look at the faster, fitter, more talented runners out there without feeling down on myself. But, if I compare myself to the runner (well really, non-runner) I was just a few years ago, I can see significant progress. If I compare myself to the runner in high school PE, I’m pretty astonished. I’m going to try to remember that progress as I continue rehabbing my knee and training toward the sub 3 marathon in December.
I talk to a lot of folks who sound interested in running, but are not doing it because they can’t run fast, or far, or long. They may not enjoy it because of the running itself, but also because they fall short of what they perceive as “good.”
Running to me has evolved from a chore my PE teacher would make me and friends do to a beloved activity I get to do. It’s hard - it sucks at times (maybe most of the time). But there’s reward there. It might be delayed gratification. But I’m convinced everyone can reap a reward for themselves through running. The gazelles will keep “gazelling.” But it doesn’t mean we can’t run next to them.
Recap - Surf City Half
Well, that was a little dicey.
I ran the Surf City Half Marathon this past weekend in Huntington Beach, CA. I mentioned in my previous post that I was excited about this race - running with friends and a good flat course was going to be a lot of fun, and an opportunity to PR.
But my continued runner’s knee issues morphed my excitement into anxiety. I knew going into the race that a PR was likely out of the question. But a few days before, I wasn’t sure I’d even make it to the start line. My knee wasn’t letting up. I’ve been putting my 2,025 miles in 2025 goal on the back burner, and focusing on strength training to rehab my knee. I was doing a pretty aggressive quad exercise during the week, specifically eccentric loading which I don’t have too much experience with. It was a good workout, but left my quads super sore, and unexpectedly, more pain in the knee.
I’ve been doing basic quad strengthening work for a few weeks now as a part of self-guided rehab. Most of those exercises were with lighter weights and with concentric loading (quad raises, etc.). Switching up the exercises was probably smart for long term rehab, but probably not smart the week before the race.
The soreness had me a little panicked about the race. Though I knew a PR would be difficult, I still wanted to show up, run as hard as I responsibly could, and finish. But the knee was really bothering me. I didn’t want to sit around and hope rest will help me heal, so I started really increasing the recovery efforts - muscle scraping, massage gunning, even foam rolling a little (which I hate). It was difficult to know if it was helping at all, but I just kept working the areas around my knee in hopes of some relief.
That got me to the start line on race day. The recovery efforts helped, but was far from a cure. I think it was a little (some might say very) risky for me to try running, but I had to shift my mindset and allow myself to quit if necessary.
Miles 1-5 were pretty hellish, physically and mentally. The knee was flaring up almost immediately. It was hard to focus on anything else - the fun vibes, beach scenery, the perfect foggy running weather. The Surf City half was an out/back course on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), with a small detour around mile 4. So it was super easy for me to just step off the course, and walk back along the beach if I needed to. I really didn’t want to do that though.
As I was having an internal debate with myself about whether or not it was smart to continue running, I kept thinking to myself - “Is it actually too painful to run right now, or are you just fearful of more pain that may come?”
Though it was painful to run, I started to admit to myself that it wasn’t too painful. So, I decided to keep running through the pain while still allowing myself to quit when the pain was more prohibitive. I know, this might be stupid. It’s probably smarter to foreshadow more pain, and quit while you’re ahead. But I wanted to try running a little longer.
A cool thing happened after mile 5 though - the pain started to ease up. I felt a warmness in my knee, which at first I thought was a bad sign. But then it continued to ease up. I was able to access a little bit more speed - not 100%, but I could pick up the pace. It felt a little like running before the knee hurt, which was remarkable. I was stoked to have pain-free strides for the first time in a while. I missed that.
As I started picking up the pace, I realized my fitness has definitely declined a little with this injury. I guess that’s expected. My heart rate was redlining for almost the entire second half of the race. I felt like an old car starting again after being stuck in the snow for weeks. I pulled back around mile 10/11 - a little because the knee was working harder than it has in a while, but also because my fitness couldn’t carry me at the pace I wanted. I actually felt good about that though. It had been a while since I was able to even attempt that kind of effort.
My time was 1:45:45. Not a PR. More than 15 min from where I want my half marathon time to be this year. But I finished - and I finished in better shape than I thought.
Since Sunday, my knee has been pretty sore. I went two days without running, but was able to get a 1 hour run in today at a Zone 2 effort. I’d say I’m glad I took the risk of running Surf City, and hope I can start reaping some good training rewards soon.
Surf City Half - Reality Check
Those who identify as a runner, myself included, tend to be pretty narrow-minded about their sport. We’re not gym rats, health gurus, or weight lifters. We’re definitely not - and don’t want to be associated with - cyclists, swimmers, or boxers (that might just be me…). We’re runners. We run. That’s it. Miles, miles, and more miles.
That can change though. When it does, it’s more often than not because of something out of our control… like an injury.
I’m a runner, but have found myself not running much. My goal of 2,025 miles in 2025 is starting to seem unachievable, and it’s only January. My knee has been killing me. I can’t do my typical back-to-back days of running, or push the pace, or weirdly even sit down without being uncomfortable. Counterintuitively, I can occasionally get a medium/long run in (8-10 miles) at an easy/moderate pace without much pain. But then hours later, my knee just gives up and I can go days without running at all.
I’ve had knee issues running before, but I think this is the worst it’s been. It’s forcing me to rethink how I structure my week. I’m no longer running - instead I’m forced to “exercise.” I’m doing strength work, stretching, plyometrics, and other things that I avoided like the plague (which I guess says a lot about why I’m injured). Even then, it’s hard to develop a consistent routine with knee rehab because I keep trying to get back to running, only to have another setback.
I probably should have started Physical Therapy earlier. The problem is that all the PTs with a running speciality are booked out for months. So I’m resorting to YouTube for some basic exercises and protocols that other runners have used when dealing with similar pain. I think overall it works, but it’s not the quick fix I was hoping for.
To top it all off, I have a race that I’ve been looking forward to this coming weekend. The Surf City Half Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA will be my first race since the SV Turkey Trot 10k, and my first half marathon since the Monterey Half in November. My friends and I signed up for the race months ago, and I was really hoping to go for a PR attempt. Now, I’m hoping to just get through it.
Of course, it’s hard for me to let go of a goal even if I’m injured, so I still have in my head that I’m going to attempt a PR. But realistically, that might be unwise. If I’m able to do it, it might set me back even longer…. but maybe it’s worth it? I don’t know.
That being said, I’m still excited about the race this weekend. I love races. I love getting my bib from the race expo, laying out my kit meticulously, carb loading, waking up earlier than I need to, fueling pre-race, and setting off. There’s nothing quite like it, and I’m taking Surf City as an opportunity to participate in a sport I really enjoy. If that means no PR, limping across the finish line, even getting a DNF, it’s all worth it.
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1/18 Progress Report
Sub 3 Hour Marathon @ CIM: December 7, 2025
Status: Yellow
Notes: I have enough time to rehab and get back to serious training… I think
2,025 Miles in 2025
Status: Red
Notes: Seeing my “average daily miles needed” climb as I rehab my knee is daunting. We’ll see how long the knee issues last and if I can start clocking some serious mileage soon.
Runner’s Mise En Place
“Mise En Place” is a French term common among chefs. Generally, it means “putting in place” or gathering and prepping ingredients before cooking begins. This might include washing, chopping, thawing, organizing and arranging all the ingredients in a recipe before throwing anything into a pot. It keeps the chef on task, the kitchen organized, and allows less chaos to occur during the cooking process.
For myself, I’ve implemented what I call a “runner’s mise en place.” Basically, it’s a ritual I follow before runs to fuel me and get into the right headspace. I’m almost always a morning runner, so my mise en place often starts the night before. It looks something like this:
Night before run:
Double check my alarm for 5:00AM, sometimes 5:30AM
Get my running kit together (clothes, headphones, shoes, Flipbelt, etc.)
Make sure my running water bottles are clean or in the dishwasher
Morning of the run:
Wake up with my alarm
Drink a few large gulps of water
Bathroom
Prep pre-run nutrition:
Banana
1 Tums (for heartburn I sometimes get during runs)
Prep Water Bottles:
Nuun Electrolyte in a water bottle
Protein/Collagen shake in a shaker bottle
Occasionally add another water bottle of just water (typically for long runs if I’m tired of the electrolyte taste after the run)
Eat the pre-run nutrition (sometimes at home, sometimes on the drive over to the run)
Run
What I’m really trying to say is - there’s a lot of prep I do before a run.
This week though, on a couple occasions, I’ve felt like a prepared chef with washed, chopped, and organized ingredients, only to find out the stove doesn’t work.
On Wednesday, Jan 8, I came off a solid 8 mile treadmill run and overall felt decent. My pace was probably a 4/10 effort, which felt great as I continue to manage my knee pain. After the run, though, the knee started to get progressively sore. It’s a common symptom of runner’s knee to feel discomfort when sitting, and since I work a desk job, the pain was escalating throughout the day.
I didn’t think too much of it though - I figured by Thursday morning I’d be good to go again for another mid-level run. I woke up, went through the morning ritual, ate all my food, and started the run. About 0.25 miles in, my knee felt “chunky.” Not full on pain yet, but it didn’t feel smart to push through. It’s the most frustrating thing for me to prep mentally and nutritionally for a run, only to call it quits immediately after starting.
When I’m dealing with an injury, I tend to be a little overly optimistic. My knee often feels okay when I wake up, but I’ll start to notice any pain/discomfort as soon as I start running. So, I typically go through my entire runner’s mise en place routine thinking I’ll be able to get a solid run in, but find out as soon as I enter a jog that it’s not in the cards. I’ve eaten the caffeinated energy bar, swallowed a capsule full of salt, dissolved a Nuun electrolyte tab, and mixed my protein shake - all for nothing.
I hate being injured, and I know I probably need to take more breaks between runs. Some might say I should stop running all together for a few weeks. I’m not there yet though. I’ve had good runs even with the knee issues when I’ve rested adequately, and I just need to dial in the recovery. I’m still feeling optimistic about the Surf City half coming up in a few weeks. Even if I can’t attempt a PR, I’m optimistic that I can at least treat the race like a good long run. Crossing fingers.
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On a separate note, I’m going to start tracking the progress of my two 2025 goals in each blog post. Obviously we’re still early, but I’m curious how my progress reports will evolve in the the year. For now, I’ll label each goal as Red (off track), Yellow (too early to tell or unsure), Green (on track) :
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1/9 Progress Report
Sub 3 Hour Marathon @ CIM: December 7, 2025
Status: Yellow
Notes: With the injury and my slower paces, it’s hard to tell if I’m on track.
2,025 Miles in 2025
Status: Yellow
Notes: I’ve been on track with just under 50 miles completed this year so far, but keeping this at yellow with the knee.
47 Weeks - Setback
There’s one unfortunate thing about starting my 48 week training block and this blog now - I’m injured.
Well, not super injured. I have runner's knee - a common overuse injury that comes from too much running without the leg strength to back it up. In hindsight, running the Chicago Marathon in October, then diving into the Monterey Half Marathon in early November, followed by the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving (each of which I set a personal record) probably was not kind to my knee.
It hasn’t prevented me from running - maybe it should be. I can still run at an easy pace - initially at 11-12 min per mile, but now slowly getting back into the 8:30-9 min paces.
I’m not just running to be stubborn (though that’s definitely part of it, since I hate not running). I actually have 2 running-related goals for 2025:
Running a sub-3 hour marathon at CIM on Dec 7 -
Sub-3 hours is about 6:51 min/mile pace
Running 2,025 miles in 2025
That averages to a little more than 5.5 miles per day (38.5 miles per week)
I like these two goals for this year because they compliment each other. Getting to sub-3 requires more mileage. Having a goal like sub-3 will motivate me to run more. Feels like the perfect combination.
So starting off the year not running would put me back quite a bit on my 2,025 miles goal. Luckily, running at a slower pace has a lot of benefits, and I’m hoping it will actually aid in my runner’s knee recovery.
Last week, I was able to hit 42.92 miles. That’s pretty high mileage for me, even during a heavy training week in 2024.. It’s intimidating to think that this will have to be the standard each week for 52 weeks this year to get to 2,025.
Last year, I was just shy of 1,500 total miles total. I was only about 25 miles short, but the runner’s knee sidelined me toward the end of December. 1,500 miles is about 28-29 miles per week, so I’m going to need to increase my weekly mileage by close to 33%... yikes.
On Feb 2 (just under 4 weeks from now), I have a Half Marathon on books in Huntington Beach (Surf City). I’m hoping the knee will be fully good to go by then, but it’s still feeling questionable. We’ll see how January goes, and if I can attempt my personal best time (Sub 1 hour 35 minutes) for the half. I’d love to go for a PR, but I’m also prepared to run it easy if my knee isn’t 100% back. I need to remember that the North Star this year is sub-3 and 2,025. Everything else will just support those goals. Crossing fingers though that the knee pain continues to ease up.
48 Weeks
It all begins with an idea.
It’s 2025, and my goal is to run a sub-3 hour marathon at the California International Marathon (CIM) on December 7. That gives me 48 weeks.
With this blog, I plan to document my roughly 1 year training block (Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 7, 2025) to get to sub-3 hours at CIM. I hope that this will be helpful to anyone interested in running - new runners, experienced folks, running lovers and running haters.
Most marathon training plans are limited to about 12-16 weeks, not 48. But for me, diving into a 16 week block feels too intimidating. I want to give myself ample time to train my body and mind, and relieve any pressure that comes from a highly structured short-term plan. Don’t get me wrong - this year is going to be very structured. There’s going to be a lot of running, a lot of strength work, and a lot of mental training. It’s just going to be a gradual build. Time won’t be the enemy, but it’s the gift I’m giving myself to take a real crack at breaking the sub-3 barrier.
Sub-3 is a goal I never imagined I’d have. It feels scary and overwhelming. Truthfully, it feels impossible. But a few years ago, completing a marathon felt impossible. Running one mile around my neighborhood was torture, let alone 26.2. So it might be time to chase another impossible goal.
Back during COVID, sheltering in place left me pretty stagnant. It was time for my body to move more, and running was a pretty accessible way to do it.
That was the end of 2021, and since then, I haven’t looked back. In mid-2022, I signed up for my first half marathon (SF Half) and surprised myself by actually finishing it without walking in 2 hours 18 minutes and 22 seconds. That was the first of 19 races that I’ve completed since beginning my running journey. I’ve done:
2 - 5ks
4 - 10ks
1 - 15k
7 - Half Marathons
3 - Marathons
2 - 3ks
I love running all distances - each one requires a unique set of skills and paces. But, in my head, the holy grail is the Marathon. I never thought I could even attempt running 26.2 miles. 26.2 miles is a pretty long car ride honestly. I’m still surprised that I was able to run that distance 3 times. The marathons I’ve completed are:
Eugene Marathon - Eugene, OR - April 20, 2023 - 4 hours 13 minutes 47 seconds
Marine Corp Marathon - Washington DC - October 29, 2023 - 4 hours 29 minutes 24 seconds
Chicago Marathon - Chicago, IL - October 13, 2024 - 3 hours, 30 minutes, 35 seconds
But I feel that I’m entering a new stage in running. I’ll always consider myself a “growing runner”, but I have a bunch of races under my belt and a few thousand miles on my feet. I enjoy chasing meaty goals, and I am extremely motivated to become a better runner. So breaking the 3 hour marathon barrier is a goal that checks a lot of boxes.
It’s rare for me to set an audacious goal that I genuinely feel uncertain about. Hitting 3:30:35 at Chicago in October 2024 was audacious, and it took a significant portion of my time and mindshare to pull off, but I did have confidence I could do it. Sub-3 is a different beast. I’m trying to shave off 30+ minutes off of my already elusive time, and I’m giving myself 48 weeks to do it. Let’s see how this goes.