Friday, September 27, 2013

Race preview: Lost Loop 50K

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Gordonville, Texas

WHEN?

Saturday, Sept. 28

WHY?
Lost Loop 50K

NO REALLY, WHY?

I could use a trail race to get my head right for the Javelina Jundred, and even though the two courses probably could not be any more dissimilar, it sure won't hurt to go pick up my feet for a few hours.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
There are 37 entrants for the 50K. A few more than that are driving up all the way up there just to run 12K.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
It's looking pretty gross. The good news is that it should be mostly cloudy to overcast, but it'll still be plenty warm (going from low 70s to low 80s) and quite humid. Storms are on their way; it looks like they won't show up until mid-afternoon but the threat should provide plenty of incentive for everyone to keep moving.

HOW DO WE WIN?

I've given up making predictions on trail races given that my last several have been grossly optimistic. If I make it through without falling down and I can get around OK on Sunday, I'll consider that a big win.

Race review: Queen City Marathon

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
As you might have guessed by how long it has taken me to post this report, it did not go well. I was on track for 3:05 throughout the first half but blew up on the way home, struggling to a 3:18:34 finish.

DID YOU WIN?
As I said before the race, the sole reason for this trip was to lower my Boston qualifying time. I didn't do that, so the trip was a failure. I had a lot of feedback afterward disputing this, but when you have a very specific goal and you come nowhere near accomplishing it, there's really no other way to categorize it. There's no "next time" in this case. Anyway, I was 34th of 666 finishers, 31st of 376 men, 7th of 46 in my age group, 4th American and 2nd Texan.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?

Honestly, I have blacked out most memories of this event, it was that forgettable. The splits below tell the story. I remember thinking at the halfway point that it was going to be extremely difficult to maintain that pace. I had built a small cushion but by the 18K mark I was already starting to give a little bit of time back with each passing kilometer. I tried to relax by reminding myself that 3:05 was the goal but any PR (under 3:09:42) would still qualify as a success.

I would start the second half of the figure-8-ish course with a little bit of a tailwind, but it hardly did me any good. And the combination of coming back into the wind and tired legs slowed me nearly to a halt. At about mile 21, a runner passed me and, noting my North Texas Runners shirt, shared that he was from Austin. Oh great, I thought, not only am I not the only Texan to come all this way, I can't even cling to the claim of being the fastest.

WHAT ELSE?
I spent a lot of time after the race trying to dissect it and figure out what went wrong. Did I log too many miles in training? Did I not run enough miles? Did I walk too much the couple days before the race? Did travel throw me off? Did I not get enough carbs? Was I dehydrated? Did I not get enough sleep? Was the course too flat (73 feet of total climbing)? Any and none of these could be at fault. I think most of all I just focused too much on running in the heat and not enough on doing more work at race pace. I had a couple of race-pace long runs during the summer but they were not long enough and the last one of note was too many weeks before the race. And let's face it, racing a marathon is hard. I don't mind running marathons, but running them as hard as I can is probably my least favorite thing to do.

SPLITS?
6:56
7:01
6:55
6:52
6:58
7:01
7:00
6:55
6:52
7:03
7:05
7:07
7:24
7:09
7:15
7:21
7:26
7:41
7:51
7:49
8:14
9:05
9:14
9:35
8:55
8:50
8:37 pace last .1 (the Garmin cut the corners quite generously)

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
This race brought about the welcome return of the actual goodie bag: free samples of granola bars and Advil were among the items tossed into the drawstring bag. The long-sleeve shirt pays homage to the local Canadian Football League team, and the medal reminds you that the number 26.2 has little meaning elsewhere in the world:



WHAT'S NEXT?
Lost Loop 50K, tomorrow.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Race preview: Queen City Marathon

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (the city that rhymes with fun)

WHEN?Sunday, Sept. 8

WHY?
Queen City Marathon

NO REALLY, WHY?
I was pretty pleased with myself after ducking under
 my Boston qualifying time by 18 seconds in Houston this January, but between then and now it became clear that 2014 was not likely to be a good year for squeakers. When the mood shifted in late April from rescue to recovery and a client contacted me to write her a last-minute BQ plan (she made it by 35 seconds at Santa Rosa last month -- maybe not enough, but we'll see), I rushed to figure out my own backup plan. I considered Sioux Falls, Skagit Flats, Lehigh Valley and a couple others, but given the unpredictability of finding a temperate location in summer and knowing how I melt when it gets too warm, I went as cold as I could find.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
As with many marathons around this time, interest in QCM was high and the race sold out long ago. The circumstances of all these record fields have to make many of these race directors uncomfortable, but hopefully they are taking the opportunity to put on the best races they can (although QCM is a little different; they've announced a sellout the last 4 years and probably would've gotten there anyway). I believe there are 800 folks signed up for this race.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
Good now, but at risk of changing. It's going to be hot up there this week -- close to 90 -- but there's a cold front coming. The problem is, it was originally supposed to come through on Wednesday. Then the updated forecast had it cooler on Thursday... then Friday... and now it's not expected to cool off until Saturday. The current consensus for race morning is low to mid-50s with a chance of a thunderstorm -- acceptable, but very iffy and not as good as previous guesses has been. My biggest concern had been that the wind would stay down -- and it seems like it will be reasonable -- but if I go up there and it's hot, I'm gonna be pissed.

HOW DO WE WIN?

No pressure, but if I don't go up there and set a new PR, the entire trip will be recorded as a waste, unless my BQ-:18 is miraculously good enough. No offense to Canadians or the folks putting on the event -- who have a tremendous sense of humor by the way -- but this race would never have been on my radar if not for the bombing. If I lower my time and I still don't get accepted for Boston, well, there's not a whole lot I can do about that. I'm feeling confident. It will have been 8 weeks since I pinned on a bib, the longest stretch in more than 3 years, but my taper has finally helped my nagging Achilles issue subside. I'd like to break 3:05.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Race review: GMM-MIBM Daily Double

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
I ran 2 marathons in 2 states in 1 day (mostly). They were vastly different affairs, but the principal goal of the trip was achieved. I knocked out Grandfather Mountain Marathon in 3:33:31, then dawdled and staggered my way to a 5:22:42 "effort" at the Make It By Midnight Marathon.

DID YOU WIN?
I managed to snag 3rd place (out of 28) in my age group at GMM so I did in fact come home with a trophy! I was 36th of 381 overall and 33rd of 277 men. MIBM was less competitive, so even with a personal worst I was 22nd of 52 overall and 13th of 23 men (no age groups).

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?

The voyage started Thursday with a little over 11 hours in the car to Nashville. A short run and another 6 hours of driving -- with all kinds of white-knuckle twists and turns going over the Appalachians -- got me to Boone late Friday afternoon, with just enough time to walk the mile or so from the hotel to packet pickup.

The weather on race morning was tremendous: thick fog, low 60s, with the humidity cut by a light wind. Shortly before we lined up on the Appalachian State University track to begin, a couple of runners got married on the football field. We've all heard of engagements at the finish line, but a wedding at the start line? That's some serious business. (I saw them finishing together so if they made it together to that point, they're set for life.)

After a lap and a half on the track, we filed out of the stadium and through the edge of campus. I stayed relaxed through the downhill opening section and paid no mind to the folks running past me. As we turned off the main drag and started to head up the mountain, I could feel the increased effort in my chest and legs. I welcomed the chance to walk through the second aid station at mile 5 and take my first gel. I kept this pattern for the rest of the race; the short breaks gave me just the little bit of recovery I needed to get through the next few miles.

With the uphills came downhills, at least through the first half of the race. I found the drop just before mile 8 to be the most harrowing, ending at a very sharp left turn with the added difficulty of a pickup truck approaching from the right (thank you to the volunteer who caught the driver's attention). At this point I was still under an 8-minute average pace, far below the 10-minute pace I had budgeted.

Somewhere along the way I ran alongside a woman who advised me to look out for the gravel hill at mile 15 and not even bother trying to run it. I still had in mind that I'd be doing plenty of uphill walking in the second half so that seemed about right to me. I hopped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway around mile 11 and enjoyed 3 tame miles to the next aid station. I passed the halfway point in 1:43.

After that next turn came the gravel section I was warned about. I took a little extra time walking out of the aid station, feeling all the little rocks under my thin-soled Merrells. When the hill wasn't there, I started jogging carefully until I found it, a mile later. She wasn't kidding; it was a steep climb on loose, wet gravel. But it was only three-tenths of a mile, and by the top I was ready to run again.

It was a steady uphill the rest of the way, but with a few downhill bursts as well. I knew I'd be easily under 4 hours, but as the miles ticked off I realized that 3:50 was in the bag... and then 3:45... and 3:40. I pushed aside the idea of keeping energy in the tank for the night race and went for the best time I could. The climb up to the stadium hosting the Grandfather Mountain Games, a Scottish Highlands festival, provided one last brief challenge before I raced around the track to some generous applause.

I walked back to get something to eat and collect my bag. I needed to get on the road but I didn't want to leave behind an award in case I had won, so I headed back to the finish-line tent, passing the ethnic dancers and the men in kilts throwing telephone poles, to see that indeed, my name was written on the awards sheet. I tried to make the case that I would like my award now, please, so I could get going, but there was confusion about whether the top 3 or 5 overall would be pulled out of the age groups and it would be better if I just waited.

Fortunately the delay didn't last longer than I had budgeted anyway, so by the time I caught the shuttle bus back to another shuttle van back to the stadium, I wasn't really behind what I had scheduled. But when I got to the hotel 6 hours later, I realized I only had time to slap on a fresh application of Aquaphor, change clothes and head out. I wanted to start Make It By Midnight at 7; I started at 7:13, and when it came to trying to finish by midnight, those few minutes made the difference.

As with the morning race, we caught a tremendous break with the weather, possibly even more so. Normally it would be in the mid-90s with a heat index well over 100, but clouds held the temperature down 15 degrees. Nevertheless, I was already soaked just a few minutes into the run.

I went with the same plan of walking to take my gels and running the rest of the way, and that seemed to be working for a while. The course was more or less a short flat section followed by a short, steep uphill and downhill, repeated many times. I had to stop after the first of 4 6.55-mile loops to tie my shoes tighter, but otherwise I felt pretty good. At the end of the second loop, I took an extra walk up the last big hill, and on the third loop, I mixed in a few more uphill walks, less out of choice than necessity. The tank was running low, but I wasn't totally empty... yet.

As I finished the third loop, I had 92 minutes remaining before midnight. Normally that would be way, way more time than I would need, but these circumstances were different. I was worn out from a very long day and I knew I would only be slowing further. And, there really was nothing on the line: no age group awards, and what do I care about a plastic tiara? I considered that I had 8 weeks until a much more important race and decided to get an early start on recovery by just walking the last lap entirely. If I had started at 7 and had those extra 13 minutes, then sure, I would've gone for it.

Of course, by walking instead of running I was prompted to realize how very much my feet hurt. I loosened my shoelaces but that didn't help much. In hindsight, the adage "if it hurts to run and it hurts to walk, then run" comes to mind, but I'm not sure I had anything left to run if I had wanted to. I sat for a minute at the mid-loop aid station but my rest was truncated when the volunteer slapped an unwelcome wet washcloth on my neck (I wisely kept my mouth shut rather than risk disqualification for saying what I was thinking). The last mile was not terribly unlike the last steps of the guys you've seen crawling to the finish at Kona. Needless to say, I was never happier that a race was over.

Alas, the weekend wasn't officially over until I got in the car on Sunday and drove about 14 1/2 hours to get home. That was about as tough as the day before.

WHAT ELSE?
I hung out for a while afterward and chatted with the MIBM race director. He's a nice guy and so it greatly pains me to say this, but the only reasons to run this race are (A) you're local and up for a challenge, or (B) you're doing something ridiculous like I was. The weather, the hills... I'm not going to complain about these things because they're evident to everyone going into the race and I can't stand when people gripe about things like that. But the visuals are poor -- it's a gated neighborhood but with average houses -- and the streets are pretty beat up (not to mention fairly well-trafficked in places, so you're dodging cars well into the evening). A few residents came out to their curbs to cheer, but not many. And with folks coming and going all afternoon -- the course opens at 3 p.m. and several people were packed up and gone before 9 -- there's little start- or finish-line socializing. Like I said, there might be some appeal, but it's limited.

On the other hand, Grandfather Mountain is full of scenery with thick woods and numerous waterfalls all the way up. The track start and finish (on different tracks) is unique. The aid stations are pretty sparse through the first half, which wasn't a problem this time but could cause trouble on a warm day. The biggest issue, though, is with the published course profile. Compare their version to my Garmin:



Mine doesn't look quite so tough, eh? Well, my eagle eyes did not catch the X-axis of the GMM profile, which includes only selected points of the course and is not to scale. It's still a difficult course, sure, with about 2,900 feet of ascent, but most of it is much more gradual than you would be led to believe. (Blue Ridge, by comparison, has only 25% more gain, but its three long, steep climbs keep that race in a category by itself as far as road marathons go.)

SPLITS?
Grandfather Mountain:
7:22
7:20
7:36
8:11
8:43
8:00
8:43
6:40
8:43
8:44
8:17
6:51
7:43
7:59
8:00
9:29
10:30
8:53
8:52
8:26
8:19
7:59
8:47
8:06
8:57
7:47 pace last .82 (excessive Garmin trim on all the twists and turns)

Make It By Midnight:
7:37
7:25
7:48
7:53
8:32
8:27
10:14
8:47
9:08
8:59
9:36
9:42
11:16
11:26
10:47
12:29
12:11
11:28
11:53
13:05
17:55
17:32
18:25
20:47
19:14
21:57
21:33 pace last .38

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
GMM gives you a shirt. The medal is small and kind of threw me a bit since the shirt says "46th running" and the medal says "45th anniversary", which are both true. The awards are simple but elegant acrylic trophies:



MIBM throws a little more in the bag, adding a water bottle and flashlight to the shirt, just in case you showed up totally unprepared. If you make it by midnight, you get a tiara; if you don't, it's an unmarked plastic pumpkin. I really like the medal:





WHAT'S NEXT?
Queen City Marathon, Sept. 8.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Race preview: GMM-MIBM Daily Double

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Boone, North Carolina and Macon, Georgia

WHEN?
Saturday, July 13


WHY?
Grandfather Mountain Marathon and Make It By Midnight Marathon

NO REALLY, WHY?
The Year of Stupid marches on with this little endeavor. Some months ago I started looking for ways to cross off more states on my long, long road to running a marathon or ultra in all 50. The easiest way to do this is with a Saturday marathon in one state and a Sunday one in a neighboring state, but why go easy? I'll run Grandfather Mountain in the morning, hit the road for the 6-or-so-hour drive to Georgia -- pretty much another marathon in itself -- and run Make It By Midnight in the evening.


WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Grandfather Mountain hit an announced sellout of 500 runners (though the website only lists 471 names). Make It By Midnight also sold out with 175 total entrants, 84 in the marathon and 91 in the half. Two other Marathon Maniacs beside myself are running both.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
The morning race should be quite pleasant, relatively speaking: 60-70 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds, but humid. Obviously not perfect but for a July race, this Texan will be chilly when the gun goes off. The night race is closer to what I've run in a time or two recently: temps in the 80s with choking humidity that will make it feel 10 degrees warmer.

HOW DO WE WIN?

We win by finishing, no question. If I were only doing Grandfather Mountain, it would be a tough day. That race starts at about 3300 feet and ends nearly 1000 feet higher, with plenty of ups and a few downs in between. I expect it will be the second hardest marathon I've done behind Blue Ridge, and so I won't be surprised at all if I'm pushing 4:30 to finish (obviously I won't be going all-out, either). The moment I finish, I'll be in a panic trying to catch the shuttle back to the start so I can get on the road to Macon. The race there starts whenever each runner decides, as the goal as to finish at or just before midnight. It's a hilly 4-loop course through a gated neighborhood. I'd like to start at 7 just to give myself way more time than I ought to need -- and before this, I'd also like to be checked in to the hotel where I'll be spending the night. So there's little room for error. Stupid, indeed.

Race review: Liberty 10K

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
I surprised myself and came within 4 seconds of a PR, finishing in 40:36. On an age-graded scale considering all distances, this comes in as my 5th best race.

DID YOU WIN?
I came in 15th place out of 324 runners overall, finished 15th of 152 men and was 3rd of 20 in my age group (only 6 seconds out of 2nd).

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?

As I said before the race, I was less focused on running well than on seeing some other friends who were running. The Saturday before, I had tried doing some faster running with one of my clubs; I got through about a mile and a half and my heart was about to explode. So with low expectations, I just set off running until I couldn't take any more.

The 5K and 10K started together, with my group reaching a turnaround about two-thirds of a mile in. I counted about 25 folks in front of me, most of them looking like the high school cross country types who usually rule this race. I was still in passing mode after starting a little bit off the line, and a few cheers from friends going the other direction spurred me on.

The runners in front of me started spreading out, but every so often I approached another one who'd gone out too fast and reeled him in. This kept my eyes off my watch, which was a good thing since it would have told me that I, too, was slowing. I caught a peek at mile 3 and so I made it a point to keep checking until the 5K mark, which I passed in 20:01. At that point I knew my goal of a sub-43 was in hand.

Heading back up the trail around the 5-mile mark, I heard someone closing behind me. He passed me, I passed someone else, and so on the rest of the way. I didn't have a whole lot of kick in me but I wasn't totally dead at the finish either, so I was satisfied with my execution.

WHAT ELSE?
My friends are going to get tired of hearing me bring it up, but training in the heat is clearly doing great things for me. As a beginning runner I did all I could to stay out of the extreme heat. I would get up ridiculously early to get my long runs finished before the sun came up. But the last couple years, I've opted just to take the bull by the horns, diving into acclimatizing runs and getting used to the weather. Last year I ran a 15K PR at Too Hot to Handle, starting a pretty awesome string of races all the way through to the Houston Marathon. With a very important race (Queen City Marathon) just 9 weeks away, hopefully that kind of history will repeat this year.

SPLITS?
6:14
6:21
6:44
6:34
6:34
6:37
6:18 pace last .25

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
You get a shirt. If you finish in the top 3 of your age group, you get a medal:


WHAT'S NEXT?
Daily Double: Grandfather Mountain Marathon and Make It By Midnight Marathon, July 13.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Race preview: Liberty 10K

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
The Colony, Texas

WHEN?
Thursday, July 4


WHY?
Liberty 10K

NO REALLY, WHY?
A bunch of friends are running, I needed a race to add to the calendar, and it was super cheap ($17.50 with a Groupon). All excellent reasons.


WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Close to 1,000 folks will run the 5K and 10K, with a couple hundred more in the former than the latter.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
It should be a pretty nice morning, in the low 70s with reasonable humidity. Around here that's dang near as good as it's gonna get for July 4.

HOW DO WE WIN?

This race was somewhat of a late addition to the schedule and as such, I've done very little to prepare for it, given that my more important races are still to come. I'll be hanging out with the above-mentioned friends after the race, so I've decided to leave the car at home and run to the race, the post-race gathering, and back home. That puts the 10K in the middle of a 21-ish-mile training run. Combined with my utter lack of speedwork, I have a hard time seeing myself cracking 43 minutes. That may still be good enough for an age-group award, but that would be purely accidental.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Race review: Texas Threesome

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
I ran a 3:26:24 marathon on Saturday and a 4:01:18 on Sunday, but did not start Monday's race because of a couple large blisters on my right foot that would have made 1 mile quite painful, let alone 26.2.

DID YOU WIN?
This is a tough one to categorize. Technically, I did win Saturday's race, beating 28 other entrants. And I was 2nd of 26 on Sunday (1st male). But the fields were largely noncompetitive (on Saturday, I lapped some folks 4 times on an 8 1/2-loop course), and beyond that, my entire goal for the weekend was to finish my first triple. So though it may seem like I'm beating myself up in spite of a couple of good runs -- I took almost 30 minutes off my previous back-to-back marathon best -- I'd have to say no, I didn't win.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?

It took about 5 seconds to get to the front of the pack on Saturday. We ran the partial loop first, out and back, and at the turnaround about eight-tenths of a mile out I already had a pretty good cushion. So I forgot about everyone else for a while and just ran.

A little over half the loop was on smooth asphalt or sidewalk, but the south side of the lake gave us heavily cracked, uneven asphalt that tested my ankles as much as running on singletrack would. By the fifth time around, I was concerned that my ankles wouldn't make it through one day, let alone three. On the next loop, a pebble got under my foot somehow. If I were locked into a tight race or deeply concerned about my time, I might've just pushed through, but since I figured I had plenty of time, I stopped at the end of the loop to fix my shoe. I asked the volunteer how far ahead I was, expecting to hear something like 20 minutes. "Six minutes," she said.

A 6-minute lead with 6 miles to go and a warm, humid morning were both uncomfortable, so I got back to work. I figured the guy behind me was catching up, since pretty much everyone in my peer group manages races better than I do, but after another loop, he was now 7 minutes back. With that, I finally eased up and started thinking about Sunday.

I had a couple blisters on my right foot, but they weren't bothering me so I hoped a little extra Aquaphor would keep them from getting worse the next day. The guy who finished 2nd on Saturday wasn't running Sunday, so I was even less concerned about being chased. I was much slower right off the bat, but I was still running all alone out in front so once again I focused on just staying in control.

Nearing the end of the third loop, I looked back to see if anyone was behind me. The female winner from the day before was about 3 minutes back, but looking much stronger than I was. By the same place on the course a lap later, she'd cut the deficit in half. And by the time we got around there again, she was in front.

At that point the cumulative effect of the two days was setting in. The hot spot under my right heel was the greatest concern, but my tank was low generally. For the last 10 miles I'd walk a tenth and then run the rest of the mile, until I got to the last mile, when I was really out of gas. I really wanted to get in under 4 hours, but it just wasn't there.

I went home and repeated my routine from the day before, resting and eating as much as I could. The blisters from Saturday were worse, but the heel issue was still the biggest deal. I just hoped that staying off my feet would be all I needed.

But when I got dressed Monday morning, put my shoes on and started walking around, I couldn't take a step with my right foot without wincing. The inside edge of the ball of my big toe was bothering me as well, so it was just impossible to come up with a stride I could manage. I threw together a few sock combinations but nothing helped. It was time to go, and I couldn't go. I went back to bed.

WHAT ELSE?
Somehow I'd managed to get through many long runs in traditional running shoes with only minor blister issues, but after running almost entirely in Altras and Merrells for much of the last year, going back to Mizunos was something my feet couldn't handle. I've rarely been a brand loyalist and have generally been able to wear any shoe, but the wide toe boxes of Altra and Merrell might now be something I just can't give up, especially for long runs.

These are very low-key races, practically unheard of by anyone outside the inner circle of very frequent marathoners who run them. Let's not kid ourselves, they basically exist for people to run up their stats, either to move up in Marathon Maniacs rank (as I was attempting) or just add to the lifetime tally. That doesn't mean they're to be avoided, but there's little use in running just one day if you're not going to run all three. As I said, the course is quite rough on the lower legs; those folks who mosey along at 7-hour pace might be onto something.

SPLITS?
(Saturday/Sunday)
7:07/7:49
7:06/7:53
7:23/8:11
7:36/8:26
7:33/8:35
7:34/8:41
7:30/8:32
7:33/8:24
7:38/8:22
7:32/8:31
7:45/8:22
7:37/8:42
7:49/8:48
7:36/9:03
7:31/9:16
7:44/9:07
7:57/9:39
7:55/9:29
7:59/9:29
8:04/9:55
8:38/10:06
7:57/9:53
8:07/10:12
8:32/10:23
8:41/10:17
8:54/12:09
8:29/9:08 pace last .37/.34

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
You get a goodie bag with a T-shirt and a few trinkets for entering. The medals are of the spinning variety but the reverse side carries only a generic "we support the Boston Marathon" message from the manufacturer (I assume this is temporary). The male and female winners get trophies:



WHAT'S NEXT?
Liberty 10K, July 4.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Race preview: Texas Threesome

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Dallas, Texas

WHEN?
Saturday, May 25 through Monday, May 27


WHY?
Texas Threesome (specifically, the MS Marathon, Jim's Goose Chase Marathon and Bachman Memorial Day Marathon)

NO REALLY, WHY?
The Year of Stupid reaches a new high (or low) with 3 marathons in 3 days. Sure, it's a thinly-veiled effort to move up a notch in the Marathon Maniacs hierarchy, but if we're going to get into gimmicks, I'd rather be about this and not some electric zombie color run.


WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Last year 15 folks ran on Saturday, 27 on Sunday and 21 on Monday. All but 1 of Saturday's field ran all 3 days. Laps around Bachman Lake starting at 5 a.m. doesn't jazz a whole lot of people, I guess.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
I expect pretty oppressive conditions with temperatures and humidity both in the 70s.

HOW DO WE WIN?

With very small fields of mid-packers and slower -- the average finish time last year was north of 5:40 -- I'll be up there in the standings, which really won't matter for anything because I don't think there are awards. The first goal, of course, is to still be healthy come next Tuesday. After that I'd like to be under 12 cumulative hours, and ultimately under 4:00 each day. I'm hoping that getting a chunk of miles in before the sun comes up will work in my favor.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Race review: Possum Kingdom Trail Run

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
My race was nothing to write home about, but I successfully completed a 2nd straight 52-mile Saturday by crossing the imaginary line in 11:48:55.

DID YOU WIN?
No, once again you'd have to linger on the results for a bit to find me: 13th of 22 overall, 11th of 17 men. My pre-race prediction of 10 hours will rank as one of my most ridiculous wild guesses ever.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?

My plan for the race was the same as it's been for all my other trail races: Go out fast and get as many miles in as possible before it warms up and I get worn down and have to muddle through to the end (maybe I should come up with a new plan). The first loop went along just swimmingly: the sand didn't seem too deep, the rocks weren't too pokey, the climbs were all completely manageable. There were only two stone-steps areas that slowed me to a walk. When I got back around to the start/finish line safely under 3 hours, amid some pretty strong runners, I felt great about how the day was going. A couple 3:30 loops and I'd be ecstatic!

Well, that didn't last (I knew it wouldn't). Somewhere along the second loop the sun came out and sucked all the life out of me. I'd been continuing to take in calories like I wanted, but my inattention to my water and salt levels was catching up to me. At each aid station I would cram in handfuls of potato chips and wash them down with a few extra gulps of water. I didn't feel much pain -- certainly no effects from the double marathon of a week earlier -- but my heart and lungs were being taxed too easily. After a 4-hour loops, I quit thinking about a finish time.

The last time around was nothing more than a mental struggle to keep moving forward. I wasn't going to quit -- I was way too far along to even think about that -- but making myself run, even a little bit, was tough. Every little rock on the trail was an excuse to walk that section, lest I trip and fall on my face. At the La Villa aid station, the volunteers told me I was in 11th place and there were only 3 people behind me because everyone else dropped. This turned out not to be true, but it was a good motivator to keep pushing (hmm, maybe that's what they had in mind). At the last aid station, I was struggling and took a seat for a few minutes. It was only 2.4 miles to the finish, but I was going to be safely under 12 hours and at that point that was good enough for me. After a few minutes of cold towels on my head and neck, I shuffled off to the finish.

WHAT ELSE?
The trail yielded several great views of the lake. On the first loop and part of the second, I made sure to look off to the side whenever I came to a clearing. But after a while, I lost the patience to look at how far I'd climbed (even though it wasn't that far). The hot sun is an evil, evil thing.

SPLITS?
1st 17.35 miles: 2:46:00 (9:34 pace)
2nd 17.35 miles: 4:03:00 (14:00 pace; 6:49:00/11:47 total)
3rd 17.35 miles: 4:59:55 (17:17 pace; 11:48:55/13:37 total)

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
I signed up too late to get a shirt, but I'm sure it's just as high-quality as the one from the other Endurance Buzz Adventures race I've done, Isle du Bois. The finisher award is the same as IdB, too:



WHAT'S NEXT?
Texas Threesome, May 25-27.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Race preview: Possum Kingdom Trail Run

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Graford, Texas

WHEN?
Saturday, April 27


WHY?
Possum Kingdom Trail Run (in my case, the 52-mile event)

NO REALLY, WHY?
The Year of Stupid rolls on with 52-mile runs on back-to-back Saturdays. This is not a race I'm going to win, but I figure that everything I do will make me stronger for when something comes down the line that means more to me.


WHO ELSE IS GOING?
There are 25 people signed up to run 3 17.35-mile loops. The 55K has 52 entrants and the 20K has 123.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
It'll be a warm one, starting in the low 60s and finishing near 80. I presume there will be plenty of shade, or it will be a very long day.

HOW DO WE WIN?

I can still feel the double marathon in my legs a little bit, but my effort is much lower on trails anyway so it shouldn't make much of a difference. The first goal, as always, is to finish without getting hurt. Beyond that, if I can get through this in 10 hours I will be very, very pleased.

Race review: Blue Ridge Marathon

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
I survived America's Toughest (Double) Road Marathon, moseying along with a small group in 4:45 before working my butt off to run the official race in 4:56:52.

DID YOU WIN?
No, but I didn't plan to, either. The results won't show the asterisk indicating I ran the double, so my 260th-place finish (out of 429) will look pretty out of place compared to my other results. I was 195th of 286 men and 34th of 42 in my age group (at least 2 of the guys behind me were doublers as well).

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?

The incredible events in Watertown, Mass., on Friday night let me get a very rare few hours of pre-race sleep -- an effort that was wasted when the alarm went off at 1:30 a.m. to direct me to downtown Roanoke. I chatted with a few of the other 15 or so folks running the unofficial marathon and found a variety of resumes: One had just run Boston, a couple had done Western States, others had never gone past 26.2 miles or 50K.

We headed out at 2:30 at an easy, non-competitive pace, generously walking the uphills and coming back down at whatever speed was comfortable (I ran the downhills pretty seriously since restraint would probably wreck my quads and make a long day even longer). I took in the views where I could and noted that Roanoke looked a lot bigger than what I expected.

After mile 20 or so, the group started to break up a bit. I was in between folks, not far behind the 4 or 5 leading the way. I was hoping I might have some extra time between races to tend to my feet and take in some more calories, but about a mile from the finish we stopped to let everyone catch up so that we could run it in as a group. With 20 minutes until the official race start, I only had time to move my bag from someone's car to the bag drop, take a potty break, and line up to go again.

I felt pretty good heading out the second time, but when we got to the first climb I found that my threshold for walk breaks had weakened substantially. Another doubler passed me and I commented that mile 28 was a lot tougher than mile 2. Knowing the course, though, made the climbs a lot easier to manage. I tried to just keep marching and enjoying the view from the mountains.

My goal for the official race was to finish in about the same time as the unofficial race, and through 15 miles or so I was pretty close to that target. Climbing up Peakwood, though, that pretty much went out the window, and I ignored the watch until about 4 miles remained and I realized I needed to keep moving purposefully to come in under 5 hours. I kept the walk breaks to a minimum, which was easier to do with all the hills behind me, but didn't feel completely safe until I was into the final mile. My wife was waiting for me about 50 yards from the finish, handing my daughter to me over the railing for the last dash to the line.

WHAT ELSE?
Running 52.4 road miles up and down mountains is hard work, but it's made much easier with the kind of support we had, especially for the first go-round. One of the runners' wives served as a mobile aid station captain, driving her SUV to various points on the course and meeting us with water, Gatorade, pretzels and so on. A couple residents put tables out in front of their houses with veggie broth, cookies and other items, and a car met us at mile 20 with donuts. That just floored me.

I ditched my gloves early in the official race and then later wished I had them back. Virginia's mountains are tiny compared to the Western U.S. but there's still a noticeable drop in temperature and increase in wind once you get on top of them. I had packed another, cooler shirt to change into for the second 26.2 but was stymied by having to repin my bib. That worked out to my advantage.

SPLITS?
8:59
9:56
12:42
10:59
9:39
14:30
14:00
10:26
8:43
11:30
11:33
12:46
14:27
9:15
9:22
12:06
12:47
15:45
13:08
9:30
10:45
11:17
11:26
11:37
10:44
9:51 pace last .94

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
You get a shirt. The "expo", which was just a few tables set up in a small room, had a few giveaway items such as zippered bags and gels. The medal is a good one, though I wish the sponsor name were the size of the race name and vice versa:




WHAT'S NEXT?
Possum Kingdom Trail Run (52M), Saturday.

Monday, April 15, 2013

On Boston

I'm not worried about the runners. There aren't a lot of emotionally weak folks lining up to run marathons, and certainly not to run them fast enough to get to Boston. One after another, tweets rolled in from runners vowing not just to persevere but to focus their energies and redouble their efforts. If you're driven by competition with others, you'd better get your ass in gear.

What worries me are the spectators, the volunteers, the sponsors... all the people who involve themselves peripherally with running and make events happen. And I worry about the runners' families and friends, whose encouragement allows the sport to flourish. Will today drive these people away, or give them pause, or soften their support for this lifestyle with which so many of us primarily identify ourselves?

No one runs alone. There's a partner at home watching the kids, or a stranger cheering from the sidewalk, or a finish-line worker handing out medals, or a police officer blocking traffic at an intersection, or a chiropractor with his name on the back of a race T-shirt. There are fifty million people in this country who run, but so many more who make running happen.

My message to them is this: We need you, now more than ever. Please do not be afraid. The cowards can't touch the runners; don't let them get you either. We will continue to run; we need you to continue to make running happen.

Race preview: Blue Ridge Marathon

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Roanoke, Va.

WHEN?
Saturday, April 20


WHY?
Blue Ridge Marathon... or more specifically, the Official Unofficial Double Blue Ridge Marathon (a small group of runners, myself included, will gather at the start at 2:30 a.m. to run the course before the actual race begins at 7:35)

NO REALLY, WHY?
It's a side trip on a family vacation and will let me cross Virginia off my 50 states list, something I couldn't get done at Old Dominion last year. As a bonus, running the 26.2-mile warm-up lets me claim a considerable discount on the registration fee. Score!


WHO ELSE IS GOING?
The marathon had about 300 finishers last year. It looks like I'll have a dozen or so of them joining me for the warm-up.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
The weather should be pretty fantastic with a morning low of 45 and an afternoon high of 62. There's a chance of a thunderstorm late on Friday; hopefully it won't be any later than that.

HOW DO WE WIN?

Running a marathon makes it tough to run another marathon immediately afterward. It doesn't help that each marathon has 3,600-plus feet of elevation gain, the reason Blue Ridge is called the toughest road marathon in the country. I'm planning on another race the following weekend so my level of success will be determined by whether I enter the 52-mile trail race, the paved trail marathon, or neither.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Race review: Fairview Half Marathon

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
Best race ever. No, really, I ran my best race ever, taking down my PR in my 19th half marathon by 1 second to 1:29:12.

DID YOU WIN?
I was 2nd of 574 overall, 2nd of 211 men and 1st of 29 in my age group. This was my first half marathon age group win since I won the 2010 Boo Run outright. I lamented on Twitter before the race that I'd need an other-worldly effort just to place in the top 3, based on a view of who had registered. A couple guys ran with their wives or paced slower pace groups, but indeed, the guys in M35-39 placed 2-3-4-6 overall.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?

I started the race way, way too fast. At one point I heard someone behind me, perhaps Paul, note aloud that he needed to rein it in. I thought that would be a good idea too, but no, there I was in the lead. The eventual winner passed me before the Mile 1 marker, but no one else would the entire way. I knew I was running too fast (6:10 first mile?!) but I didn't feel based on my breathing that I was really taxing myself, so I went with it. I was through 5K in 19:33, only 11 seconds off my PR at that distance -- only in this case I still had 10 miles to go.

Mile 4 headed south, into the wind, and my pace slowed to around where it should have been anyway. Then it was back to the north, and faster once again. I passed 10K in 40:15, 15 seconds below the one good 10K I've ever run. At each turn I'd try to get a peek at how far back the next guy was. It seemed he was always close enough that if he were gaining on me, he'd be by me in no time.

At the aid station at 6.4, I got some encouragement from my Frisco Running Club friends -- well, it was more like all the way down the street, in Hamlin's case. I couldn't falter within view of these guys, now could I? The next runner was 23 seconds back as I crossed the timing mat.

The wind started to hold me up again as I turned back for home, but I was still easily ahead of schedule. I was through 15K in 1:01:35, more than a minute faster than my best for that distance. Mentally I went back and forth between thinking about a PR and thinking about the guy behind me, but both thoughts told me the same thing: Keep running hard.

Turning back onto Greenville at mile 11.5, the headwind hit with its hardest force yet. It was only half a mile to the next turn, but that stretch felt like an eternity. I was running as hard as I could just to keep moving forward. Getting off of that road was a cause for celebration. I closed in on the last out-and-back section of the course and saw the winner go cruising by. As I rounded the turnaround cone, I started counting the gap behind me. Thirteen seconds later, I crossed paths with the next runner. My 26-second edge could still be overcome, so I sped up once again.

On the last street to the finish, I saw no one behind me and relaxed just a little. When the finish-line clock came into view, it said 1:29-something. I had forgotten all about my time, and when I crossed the line and stopped my watch at 1:29:14, 1 second slower than my PR, I was a little ticked; good thing we went by the chip and not my watch.

WHAT ELSE?
The course is unlike most others in this part of the world -- it's by no means in the middle of nowhere, but it is country. Look, houses with actual front yards! The setting is peaceful without feeling lonely, pretty ideal for folks who just like to run.

This was a rare race that sold out but still felt like it could have been much bigger. It was probably a wise move not to overreach with an inaugural event, but I would expect the field size to grow next year, depending on the consent of the local authorities.

SPLITS?
6:10
6:22
6:18
6:52
6:34
6:39
6:29
6:48
7:09
7:04
6:54
7:14
6:57
6:46 pace last .26

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
The race packet included a stylish grey tech shirt, a few inserts for local running-related businesses (mine included) and, rather brilliantly, a couple of samples of anti-perspirant and Emergen-C, the latter of which I consumed immediately after the race (you know what long, hard runs do to your immune system). The finisher's medal is bold and heavy in the Active Joe tradition, and age-group winners get a pint glass indicating such:






WHAT'S NEXT?
Double Blue Ridge Marathon, Apr. 20.