Blog of a Middle Aged Athlete

“Run like you can.”  Those were the words my brother emailed me few days before the 2012 Houston Marathon.  He knows me too well.  He knows that I will try to talk myself into not running as well as I could.  After all, I just ran the White Rock Marathon in Dallas 6 weeks earlier in 3:18, which was a 2 minute PR for me, how much better could I expect to do?  Add to this the fact that I had some sort of unusual headache (migrane?) on Friday night, and had been popping a few Tylenol on Saturday to control further episodes, I really had no clue what experiences Sunday morning would hold for me.

My goals for this race were simple:  to set a new PR and if possible, qualify for Boston, which suddenly became more difficult when the BAA changed the qualifying standards in 2011.  Now I would need a 3:15:00, a time that seemed a bit out of reach for me.  As I walked to the convention center alone that morning, I whispered to myself (really!) “Let yourself succeed.”  In other words, “Get out of your own way dummy!”  I’m not sure where that sentence came from, but once I got it out, I felt ready to go.

I met up with Sean in the chaos that is the convention center.  We walked to the start without stopping at any of the porta potties.  No problem I said to myself, I saw some in the starting corrals, I’ll go there.  One problem, the lines were long, and I could sense the corrals getting crowded.  After my Dallas experience, I wanted to make sure I was up near the front so I wouldn’t get caught up in some of the slower runners.  So, I decided to forgo the bathroom break, and told myself if I really needed to go I would use the porta potties on the course.

The race started and off we went.  The crowd moved pretty smoothly through the first few miles, and after a slower first mile, I settled into my groove.  My plan was the usual, get through the first 10 miles, then start pressing it and see how it goes.  With temps in the mid-40s, I was wearing 3 short sleeve shirts and a pair of gloves.  I tossed the first shirt about 2 miles in, and the second a few miles later.  I was getting in a groove and feeling great.  I had started just behind the 3:20 pace group, but I passed them at mile 6 and remember thinking “that’s the last I’ll see of them!”

Mile 1: 7:53
Mile 2: 7:32
Mile 3: 7:26
Mile 4: 7:35
Mile 5: 7:22
Mile 6: 7:18

The first time I ran Houston, I remember loving the crowd support.  For the second time, they did not disappoint.  Just past the half marathon turnoff around mile 10 a priest was spraying water on the runners.   The course traced the outer boundaries of Rice University for a few miles, then into an absolutely beautiful neighborhood with (oak) trees lining the streets.  Very cool.

Mile 7: 7:22
Mile 8: 7:15
Mile 9: 7:22
Mile 10: 7:22
Mile 11: 7:10
Mile 12: 7:17

I stuck to my usual strategy of taking an energy gel every 4 miles through 12, then about 1 every 3 miles until mile 20.  I was properly fueled!  While running through the Galleria area (roughly miles 16-17) I looked at my watch and realized I was on pace to easily go sub-3:15.  Keep in mind my previous two Boston Qualifying times were by 23 and 46 seconds, so easily beating 3:15 to me meant by more than 1 minute.  At this point I started attempting to figure out if 3:10 (my NY qualifying time) was possible.  Accurate math at this point was not an option, so I just told myself to give it a whirl and press the pace even more.  “Run like you can.”

Mile 13: 7:20
Mile 14: 7:14
Mile 15: 7:21
Mile 16: 7:17
Mile 17: 7:04

One detail I have left out of the story thus far is that my wife Kim was 8.5 months pregnant.  She really wanted me to run the race (or just didn’t want to tell me not to!) and was convinced we weren’t in danger of having the baby before or during the race.  Fortunately, my neighbor Terri was going to be at the race watching her husband Sean run the race, so I created a plan.  If something happened and I needed to get back to Austin immediately, Kim would call Terri and she would (hopefully) find me on the course and tell me to stop running and get home.

I turned the corner at mile 18 and saw Terri (and another friend Carter).  They were screaming “Go Joe! You look great!”  (yea, but how’s my running?)  Relieved that she didn’t say I had to stop, I continued to press the pace.  At mile 20 were the infamous belly dancers (you have to see them to understand).  I was beginning to pass people pretty consistently, and at this point I knew my negative split strategy had paid off.  Although I have negative split a majority of my marathons, never was I so far ahead of my race pace.  What a great feeling to know that I had my BQ in the bag by mile 22.  I had no fear that I would crash and burn.  I was going to do it!!!

Mile 18: 7:05
Mile 19: 7:03
Mile 20: 7:06
Mile 21: 7:09
Mile 22: 7:04

The last few miles were a bit of a blur (aren’t they always?).  The course meanders through a park and what few hills are on the course are here.  Although I still felt great and holding my pace pretty well, I was having trouble going any faster.  The final little hill before hitting downtown was just a minor speedbump, and I was nearing the home stretch.  I tried to speed up when I saw the convention center near the finish line, but my legs just wouldn’t go any faster.  About a half mile from the finish, I see a sign sticking out on the left that reads “Go Ship” and I waved at CM and Cristi as they yelled their support.  One final turn and I saw Terri and Carter screaming something about “Boston.”  I raised my fist in the air (I don’t know why I do this) and cross the finish line in 3:11 and change.  A 7 minute PR and a BQ for 2013!

Mile 23: 6:53 (where did that come from?)
Mile 24: 7:02
Mile 25: 7:10
Mile 26: 6:57
.2 and Garmin bonus: 2:33

Without trying to sound conceited, I am incredibly proud of this race.  It marks my 3rd marathon in 12 weeks, and my 2nd PR in 6 weeks.  It means I can run the Austin marathon with my Shipmate friends and not worry too much about having to achieve a qualifying time.  I can simply enjoy it!

Post Script:

What the father in me was thinking…

In hindsight, perhaps running a marathon this close to the birth of my 3rd daughter was a selfish thing to do.  You see, Olivia was born less than 45 hours after I finished the race.  What if I would have missed the birth?  What if my father or brother had to drive Kim to the hospital and be there while the doctor delivered the baby.  Fortunately I made it back in plenty of time, but that was definitely too close for comfort.

What the runner in me was thinking…

I better run quickly so I can get home in case Kim goes into labor.  This may be the last marathon that I will be able to properly train for a while.  I know Terri will be out on the course, and there is a chance she will stop me and tell me I need to drive home ASAP.  However, if I run fast enough, the wind noise will block out her words out and prevent me from my first DNF ever.

In preparing for the Dallas White Rock Marathon, I ran a 20 mile run two weeks before the race.  About 7 miles into that run, I had to remove my sweat-drenched shirt and squish through the remaining 13 miles as if it were summer.  200 miles north and 2 weeks later, my shirt was soaked, but for a different reason.  Race day weather:  43 degrees and rain.  I had two goals for this race.  First, to set a new PR (previous PR was 3:20 at CIM last year).  Second, to break 3:15 and qualify for Boston in 2013.  I wasn’t sure either was possible, but I definitely had to try.

I was pretty happy when I received my bib and found out I was in corral “A-2″, which meant I would be starting near the front.  Unfortunately, not everybody plays by the rules, and when I started looking around, I noticed there were people in A-2 that should have been back 5-10 corrals.  I don’t get it.  Why would a race put so much effort into creating tiers, printing and assigning bibs with the correct corral, then not police the corrals?  Seems like a waste of time to me.

The rain subsided for a few minutes while the Star Spangled Banner was sung.  I removed the garbage bag I was wearing just before the gun went off.  Needless to say, the start was pretty slow.  This was the first marathon I have run in a while that also had a half marathon event, which typically means a few inexperienced runners.  I struggled through the first 2-3 miles, dodging slower runners (and even a walker).  I don’t own a rain jacket (and I’m too cheap to buy one), so I was wearing 5 shirts, including a long-sleeved shirt.  The top 3 shirts were disposable, so I removed my top shirt at mile 2, and the second shirt at mile 4.  Then it started raining.

Mile 1:  8:06

Mile 2: 7:51

Mile 3: 7:28

Mile 4: 7:44

Mile 5: 7:23

I have been lucky enough not to run much in the rain, so I was not sure how it would affect me.  For the next 4 miles or so, the course would rise up a slight incline - hardly enough to even notice.  I was trying not to look at my watch and just run by feel.  The few times I decided to sneak a peak, I noticed I was running around 7:45 or so, and I was fine with that.  At mile 9, the half marathoners split off, and the course opened up nicely.

Mile 6: 7:41

Mile 7: 7:47

Mile 8: 7:40

Mile 9: 7:45

I usually try to break out the race into 3 segments:  the first 10 miles, the second 10, and the final 6.2.  Once the half marathoners split off, I ran much more relaxed and was able to pick up the pace again.  This is also the segment the course winds through some pretty awesome neighborhoods (huge estate homes) and around White Rock Lake.  I was glad to see spectators braving the elements to watch their friends and family run.  Although I didn’t have anyone there that I knew, I would still slap a few high-fives from the kids and thank the folks that were encouraging us.  There are many things that bug me about large races, but almost always, the crowds make up for it.  Dallas was no exception.

Mile 10: 7:24

Mile 11: 7:29

Mile 12: 7:25

Mile 13: 7:24

Mile 14: 7:28

Mile 15: 7:24

Mile 16: 7:29

Around mile 16, I started feeling a few twinges in my left hamstring and both of my calves.  I walked for about 5-7 seconds through a water stop around here and noticed significant tightness that made starting up again difficult.  I told myself I would not walk through any water stops from here forward.  I should also mention that during races I take 1 energy gel every 4 miles.  However, when I began to feel my legs tightening up, I rapid fired 3 in about 4 miles.  Fortunately, I have a stomach of steel and felt no adverse effect.

Mile 17: 7:26

Mile 18: 7:30

Mile 19: 7:28

Mile 20: 7:28

Crossing the 20 mile mark, I noticed I was passing people pretty easily.  I also noticed the sign marking the “Dolly Parton Hills” that would greet me for the next 1.5 miles or so.  I remember running the first hill and thinking that wasn’t so bad.  Then I noticed the course switched back and I looked up.  Oh, there’s the tough one.   With increasing tight calves, I put my head down and just focused on putting one foot in front of the other.  As my brother in law says, “Running is easy, left, right, left, right, repeat.”

Mile 21: 7:30

Mile 22: 7:46

Mile 23: 7:35

With the hills behind me, I peaked at my watch and knew if I could just keep it together for the last 4 miles, I would have a new PR.  My energy level was pretty good (no wall here!) but man, my calves were screaming!!!  I definitely did not feel I was running with my normal stride, but I was still passing folks, and I started thinking about how cold I was and how warm the finishing area (inside) would be.

Mile 24: 7:12

Mile 25: 7:28

Mile 26: 7:02

0.2 and Garmin Bonus: 2:38

Total time:  3:18:35 - A new PR!!!

Much like the California International Marathon last December, this race gave me a ton of confidence that I can qualify for Boston again.  Also, it is good to know that all those miserable, hot runs in the summer (and a good part of the fall) were worth it and the speed would come back with cooler temperatures.  Despite the weather, the crowds and the pain, I really did like this course.  I would have no problem running it again.

*****************************************************************************

I was debating whether or not to complain in my race report.  Instead, I decided to vent in a “post script.”  Since this is published in a public blog, I thought it might provide benefits to the running community in the future.

P.S.  I am starting to think they should start requiring participants to take tests and get a license before being able to participate in races as large as this one.  Before I go on, I LOVE the fact that anyone can run a race.  I believe that every human alive should try it at least once.  I love the fact that elites, experienced runners and first times can run the same race and enjoy it in very different ways.  That said, I wanted to give the newer folks to our sport a few tips:

1. If you have to spit, please look to the side/behind you to be sure no one will be hit with your projectile.
2. If you remove a piece of clothing, please toss it to the side of the road, or even better, drop it at the next water stop.  Do not just leave it in the middle of the street.  Races often recycle discarded clothing to the less fortunate.
3. Be aware of people around you.  If you would like to move to the left, look to the left first.  The same applies if you would like to move to the right.
4. When approaching a water stop, be aware that everyone goes to the first few volunteers.   The volunteers in the back are usually lonely and would welcome your business.
5. Running the tangents is a smart thing.  Cutting someone off to run the tangent is rude and dangerous.

Race Directors, a few things for you as well.

1. Police the corrals.  It is no fun to pass walkers in the first mile.  You went through a lot of effort to create a smooth start.  It sucks that it all goes to waste at the most important moment, when people enter the corrals.
2. Keep the location of the water and gatorade the same at each water stop (water in the front, gatorade in the rear, or vice versa).
3. If you have plain cups and gatorade cups, use the plain for water and the gatorade for gatorade.
4. Have water or gatorade for the runners at the finish line.

Austin’s summers are usually hot…real hot, but 2011 was one for the ages.  I believe the final count was 85 days above 100 degrees.  Crazy!  As I usually do, I registered for Frankenthon, which takes place in October, providing me with sufficient motivation to run through the summer.

The weather the morning of the race was warm, with temps in the upper 60s and humidity somewhere around 90.  I knew this was not going to be a fast race, but I also was determined to run a smart race.   If you remember, my previous marathon was a disaster, and I refused to let that happen again.

I wish I could provide a ton of detail about this run, but to be honest, there isn’t much to say.  I managed to run the race with even (or even a little bit negative) splits.  I ran my fastest race (3:30) in 3 Frankenthon attempts.  I managed to beat an 11 year old girl who was running her first marathon (amazing!).  I loved the volunteers, especially the Shipmates.  And because the other fast runners were smart and sat this race out, I managed a 9th place finish overall and was 1st in my age group!  Woo hoo!

I do enjoy this race, and will probably run it again next year.  It provides the motivation I need to suffer through another Texas summer, and I would highly recommend it to anyone that isn’t afraid of a small race.

I deserved the outcome of this race.  I had it coming.  I was feeling pretty darn good about myself after both CIM and Boston.  Then came South Dakota.

Deadwood is a little town about 1 hour from Rapid City, SD (don’t worry, I didn’t know where that was either).  This area’s claim to fame is the town of Sturgis, which apparently holds one of the largest biker rallys in the U.S., and Mount Rushmore.  It really is beautiful country, but not exactly optimal marathon territory if time is important (Isn’t it always?).

The weather leading up to the race was looking pretty good.  In fact, when we landed on Saturday, the low that morning was in the mid-40s.  Exactly what we were looking for in a June marathon.  Unfortunately, the race was being held on Sunday.

When we woke up on Sunday, the temperature was around 60, which usually is not terrible, but this was at 5:30am and the race didn’t start until 8:00am.  I was concerned until we arrived at the start line.  Due to the shade and the altitude, it felt at least 5-10 degrees cooler here.  Did I say altitude?  The race started at about 5400 feet, climbed to 6200, then descended into Deadwood at about 4800 feet.  Seemed like the perfect recipe for my negative split running strategy.

I was running this race with my neighbor Sean and brother in law Chris.  Sean and I have run several marathons together, including Boston, but this would be my first with Chris, who unfortunately had not run a marathon in 4 years.

The first mile of the race was a pretty good downhill on the road before we turned onto the Mickelson Trail.  The Trail was a nice crushed rock trail that long ago was cut through the hills to accommodate a railroad line.  It was quite nice to run among the trees and fields that lined the course.  Around mile 3 we started the slow, gradual climb that would not end until mile 13.  The three of us ran together with the mindset that we would take it a little slower due to the altitude.

Mile 1 7:47
Mile 2 7:30
Mile 3 8:15
Mile 4 8:00
Mile 5 8:31
Mile 6 8:09
Mile 7 8:15

Everything seemed to be going according to plan.  I wasn’t terribly concerned about my pace, but I was struggling a bit with my breathing.  I was coughing every few minutes, but no big deal.  I figured I just needed to wash down GU #2 with some fluid to get the tickle out of my throat.  Shortly after mile 8, Sean picked up the pace a bit, but Chris and I hung back and hoped the top of the hill would come soon.

Mile 8 8:14
Mile 9 8:25
Mile 10 8:19
Mile 11 8:45
Mile 12 8:54
Mile 13 8 47

Around the halfway point, the course definitely got better, and that’s a good thing, because the sun had been beating down on us for almost 2 hours, and it was getting hot.  I could tell I was struggling, but was hoping that the downhill and lower altitudes would bring me some much needed energy.  I sped up my consumption of GUs to one per water stop.  Just passed the half marathon start, the course turned downhill and Chris and I picked up the pace.

Mile 14 8:50
Mile 15 7:45
Mile 16 8:07
Mile 17 7:46
Mile 18 7:56

Not feeling great at this point, Chris sped up (or did I slow down?).  I was trying to hold it together, but the downhill portion of the course took a pause and some uphill came back for a visit.  I was struggling, and during the 20th mile I decided to do something I haven’t done since South Bend exactly 1 year ago…I took a walk break.

Mile 19 8:18
Mile 20 9:36

The rest of the miles were kind of a blur.  I told myself I would take a 1 minute walk break each mile, but that quickly changed to every half a mile, and despite the downhill, my times slowed considerably.  I was in full “crash and burn” mode now, just trying to survive and hang on with some respectability left.  I had many thoughts running through my head, so I thought I would document them at the approximate point in the race they occurred.

Mile 21 8:45
Mile 22 8:46

“I hate red Powerade, why isn’t isn’t it cold?”
“I have never quit a race before, and I’ll be damned if this is the first.”

Mile 23 9:19

“Why am I doing this”
“Marathon’s suck”
“Did someone just pass me near the end of the race?  That does not happen to me!”

Mile 24 8:52

“Thank you to the nice half marathon walker that said I look good…but you are a liar!”
“Darn, passed by another and I can’t even attempt to keep up.”

Mile 25 10:23

“I hope I never set foot in South Dakota again.”

Mile 26 9:51

“Damn, did that chick just pass me?”

.2 + Garmin Bonus 4:16

“Thank you kind sir for asking me 4 times after I finished if I am OK.  This is as good as I’ve felt in hours.”

Final time:  3:46:16, a personal worst.  I was somewhat comforted by the fact that I was 9th out of 38 in my age group and 31st overall out of 396.

The fact that it took me 11 days to get this race report produced should tell you how much fun I had at this race.  This one hurt in every way.  I have struggled to get back up and running, and when I did I did not feel too good.  I am not scheduled for another marathon until October, and I think that is good.  I need to erase this one from my memory before I toe the line at another race.

Boston Marathon - April 18th, 2011

The Road to Boston is Not Easy

Difficult Road #1

Soon after I ran my first marathon in February of 2009, I decided I wanted to qualify and run the Boston Marathon.  At the time, the goal of running a 3:20 marathon to qualify for the race seemed distant.  I had just run a marathon in 3:43.  But there was something about being a Boston qualifier that intrigued me.  So I started learning, training, and racing.  12 months and 2 weeks later, I ran a 3:20:37 in Ft. Worth.  I had qualified.

Difficult Road #2

Kim and I left Austin at 9:35 am on Saturday on our way to JFK where we would transfer to another plane and arrive in Boston around 5:30 pm.  Just in time for dinner!  However, as our departure time from JFK neared, our flight was delayed 3 times, pushing the departure time from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.  Since we had a few hours to wait, we decided to go grab a beer.  About 5 minutes into my beer, I checked my phone to see if there had been any updates.  Of course there had…our flight had been cancelled.  I will leave out all the gory details, but we ended up leaving JFK at 2:40 AM, and arrived in Boston at 3:45 AM, checking into the hotel at 4:15 AM.  Given that a marathoner’s best sleep is usually 2 nights before a race, this was not a good sign.  We fell asleep immediately, and woke up around 9am to hit the expo and get on with our day.

Race Day

Instead of taking the buses provided by the BAA to Hopkinton for the start, it was recommended by some Boston veterans to take some special club buses for $30.  It was well worth it.  Instead of school buses, we were on “coaches” (think Greyhound), complete with bathrooms.  Although there was a constant line for the toilet for most of our time on the bus (we were a bunch of runners after all), it still beat waiting in the porta-potty lines in the cool, windy morning.

The start line was a ¾ mile walk from the bus drop off point at the high school.  Sean L. and I walked down a two lane road, both sides blocked off by fences.  To me it was a weird feeling, almost like we were going to battle.  All those months thinking about this moment, and finally we were here!  We found our corral without a problem, and while waiting for the start we were entertained by other runners that did not have the bathroom accommodations we did.  The choreography between the security/police and the runners could not have been scripted better in a movie.  That’s Entertainment!  After 20 or so minutes, we were off.

I had been asked the week leading up to the race if I was going to “run” Boston or “race” it.  This was an important distinction.  Running the race meant not worrying about my time and just enjoying the “victory lap” I was taking for all that hard work.  Racing meant really focusing on what I was doing, hitting my splits and really pushing my body to the limit.  I decided to try to do both.

Sean and I both wanted to start the race slow, since everyone in the world has told us that the speed up front could cause us pain at the end if we were not careful.  The course drops steeply during these first 4 miles, and I made it a point not to check my Garmin until we were several miles in.  The crowds in Hopkinton were great, but nothing like what we would see in the miles ahead.   Sean and I were having fun giving high fives to the kids on the sides of the road, although I will say I was a little jealous.  You see, Sean was wearing a bright yellow shirt with “Run Tex” written across the front, while I had my finisher’s shirt from my 1st marathon in Austin in 2009.  By easily a 20-1 ratio, Sean received may more “Way to go Tex” and “Run Tex” cheers than I received “Austin” cheers.  (Note to self:  Buy a Run Tex shirt for your next Boston.)

Mile 1: 7:54

Mile 2: 7:35

Mile 3: 7:36

Mile 4: 7:38

Mile 5: 7:47

Miles 6 through 10 brought us through the towns of Framingham and Natick.  Sean had to duck into one of the porta-potties around here, and I was afraid I was going to be running this thing alone.  I slowed just a little hoping he would catch up, which he did after a mile or two.  The course was pretty flat here, and I was just trying to take it easy and enjoy the run.

Mile 6: 7:45

Mile 7: 7:46

Mile 8: 7:58

Mile 9: 7:55

Mile 10: 7:56

Mile 11: 7:52

Mile 12: 7:47

There are a few landmarks people familiar with this race will tell you about.  The train station in Framingham, Heartbreak Hill, and the girls of Wellesley College.  Wellesley is a women’s university located around mile 13.  This had been described to me as the loudest part of the course, and the ladies did not disappoint.  As the marathoners run  through what can best be described as a scream tunnel, the students hold up signs that say things like “Kiss me, I showered today” or “Kiss me, I’m sweaty.”  It is quite a scene.  I could tell you if I participated in the tradition and kissed one of the students, but I don’t want a call from a divorce attorney.

I was feeling pretty good here, although I was struggling with whether to toss my baseball style hat or not.  The temps were still pleasant in the mid-50’s, but there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was beating down on our heads.  I would take my hat off for a few minutes to cool myself down, then put it on again once I was tired of the sun.  This on again-off again hat maneuver continued through the rest of the race.

Mile 13: 7:54

Mile 14: 7:38

Mile 15: 7:42

I have made an observation during the marathons I have run.  It is common for people to chat during the first 16 miles or so of a race, but the chatter usually stops somewhere during miles 16-18 as fatigue sets in and the well known “wall” nears.  This is very true in Boston.  Mile 16 brought us our first substantial uphill, and mile 18 brought us to the town of Newton…and the infamous Newton hills.  At this point, I was still feeling pretty good.

Depending on who you talk to, the Newton hills are either the most difficult of any ever run, or little more than speed bumps.  I was hoping the hilly routes we train on in Austin prepared me adequately for the hills.  I am happy to say I was prepared!

Mile 16: 7:35
Mile 17: 7:52
Mile 18: 7:46

Somewhere around here, I lost Sean.  I knew he wasn’t feeling great, and I was disappointed he was having difficulties.  Fortunately for me, I felt like my pace was steady and my energy was still with me (thanks to the 5 GUs I had taken up to this point), so I kept on plugging.

Mile 19: 7:46
Mile 20: 7:58

Heartbreak Hill greeted us at mile 20.5 , and although this was my slowest mile of the race, I also knew that is was (literally) all downhill after it.  When I crested the hill, I knew the rest of the race was going to be good for me.  Yes, I was tired, and yes, my legs were hurting a bit, but the crowds had grown substantially and I was fired up!

Mile 21: 8:02

Up to this point, I felt like I had been pretty much running with the crowd.  I hadn’t passed many people, nor had I been passed.  However, after the hills, I kicked it in and started passing people…a bunch of people!  Usually at the end of races, I will pick a runner up ahead and try to catch them.  But here, I didn’t focus on anybody, I just ran.  This will sound a bit conceited, but I was honestly surprised at the number of people that were slowing down, and how many people I was passing.  My legs were definitely burning, but I knew the end was near.

The students at Boston College were awesome, and I veered to the right side of the street to feed off of there energy!  One guy was so fired up, he almost knocked me over with his energetic high five.  The decibel level was amazing here, and I am surprised BC is not mentioned in the same breath as Wellesley College, as they were definitely loud and fired up!

Mile 22: 7:21
Mile 23: 7:33
Mile 24: 7:22

The last two miles were kind of a blur.  Kim had made it out to the 40k mark, but I almost missed her as I was on the other side of the street.  I wish I had been able to see her sooner so I could have at least given her a good, sweaty hug.

My nose had been running for most of the race, and at mile 25 I felt it running again.  I grabbed my shirt to wipe my nose, and was surprised when it was covered in blood.  I had a bloody nose!  Fortunately, it wasn’t a major one, and I did my best to make sure my face was clean for the photographers that would be snapping photos during the home stretch.

That final turn onto Boylston is something that is hard to describe, but I will try.  The finish line seemed distant, but at least we could see it.  Loud crowds line the street, and eventually bleachers line both sides.  I felt like I was running in a stadium.  I welled up with pride, and tears, as I pumped my fist into the air.  My body was ready for the race to be over, but I didn’t want it to end.  My quads were jello, and I felt like I was running in sand as I was struggling to maintain speed.  I gave it all I had, and crossed the finish line in 3:23:56.

Mile 25: 7:23
Mile 26: 7:32
.2 + Garmin Bonus: 3:03

So many people have asked me about this race since Monday, April 18th.  Without a doubt, it was the best running experience I have ever had.  Due to new registration procedures, even though I have qualified again for 2012, there is no guarantee I will be able to run it again.  That would be sad, but at the same time, I’m not sure this experience could be beat.

You never forget your first time, right?Epilogue

Although running is an individual sport, I definitely did not train for or run Boston alone.  My running group, The Ship of Fools, has helped me train harder than I ever would have on my own (Way to coach Al!).  You guys are awesome, and I am so glad I stumbled upon you a few years ago.

My co-workers at BancVue also provided a ton of motivation, intentional or not.  The fact that many of them were receiving the email updates from the race was always in the back of my mind.  Every time I crossed a timing mat I thought of them.

To my neighborhood running buddies, Mike and Sean.  Mike, you started me on this journey with the 3M half marathon in 2007, leading up to the Austin Marathon in 2009.  Thanks for thinking I was capable of doing either.  Sean, the thought of you stranded in front of my house in the morning has forced me out of bed countless times.  I hope you find your cramp cure soon.  You work too hard to have that crap happen to you!

Lastly, my wife Kim puts up with more running BS than any person should.  Training for a marathon is time consuming, and she puts up with it every time.  She is woken up every time my stupid alarm sounds at an ungodly hour on a Saturday (or Tuesday or Thursday).  She wakes me up when I fall asleep on the couch at 8:00pm on a Thursday (or Tuesday or Wednesday) from exhaustion to make sure I make it into bed.  She makes sure I am sufficiently carbo-loaded, and is always asking for menu requests come race week.  You are the greatest!

The California International Marathon is known as “The Fastest Course in the West,” largely due to its point to point course that has a finish line elevation a few hundred feet below the start line elevation and the areas cool temperatures.  About 20 members and friends of “The Ship” decided they were going to make the trip out to Sacramento to test out the course, and I decided to go along.

The weather forecast leading up to the race was looking a little dicey.  When I arrived in Sacramento on Saturday, it was cloudy and rain was threatening.  By early evening, the rain was coming down pretty hard, and the forecast for race morning showed a 50% chance of rain.  Having just run my first “shirtless” marathon in October due to high temperatures and humidity, it looked like the chance of rain was going to force me to run this one with a cap to keep the rain out of my eyes.

This was my first real point to point race.  The race provided buses to take the runners from Sacramento to the city of Folsom to start the race.  The first thing that struck me about the bus ride was how long it took to get there.  I guess 26 miles is a long way.

Unlike most marathons, this race did not have a half marathon associated with it, which was nice because it meant it wasn’t going to be too crowded.  I was able to easily walk up towards the front and settled in right behind the 3:20 pace group.  My goal for this race was to re-qualify for Boston to prove to myself that my qualifier at Cowtown was not a fluke.  I had run two marathons since then, and hadn’t come close to my 3:20 qualifying time.  A BQ here would put my mind at ease.  I decided I would use the exact same strategy that worked in Ft. Worth.  I broke the race into 3 segments – 1st 10 miles, 2nd 10 miles, and the final 6.2.  I wanted to try to run the first 10 in 1 hour 17 minutes, the second 10 in 1:15, and just run like hell for the final 6.2.
The start went off without any issue.  It was about 50 degrees with pretty high humidity.  I wasn’t overly concerned about the weather, so most of the clothes I brought with me to the start ended up in the bag to be delivered to us at the finish.  I began with 2 short sleeve tech shirts, shorts, a cheap pair of gloves and the aforementioned hat.  I settled into a good pace, but was surprised to see how quickly the 3:20 pace group moved ahead of me.

After a few miles, I disposed of my top shirt and gloves.  I noticed I was sweating pretty good already, and was a little concerned that the humidity might be a factor.  I tried to keep positive thoughts, but truthfully, I didn’t feel very confident.  This part of the course had some gentle, rolling hills, and I was doing my best to try not to go out too fast.  There weren’t many spectators at this point, but at this point the runners didn’t need support.  There would be plenty of need for support later (this is a marathon after all!).

I had looked at the map and elevation chart before the race, but I hadn’t actually seen the course.  I was told by somebody before the race that “the course was not flat,” and that became very clear around mile 6 or so.  The rollers were becoming more frequent, but they were nothing compared to some of the hills we train on in Austin.  The sun was higher in the sky and I looked up and didn’t see a single cloud.  So much for the rain.

Mile 1: 7:39
Mile 2: 7:37
Mile 3: 7:28
Mile 4: 7:37
Mile 5: 7:41
Mile 6: 7:39
Mile 7: 7:37
Mile 8: 7:48
Mile 9: 7:44
Mile 10: 7:28

The crowds were becoming more frequent, and I was really having a good time.  I forgot to check my time at the 10 mile mark, but my trusty Garmin watch showed that my per mile pace was dead on.  Around mile 11 or so, a fellow runner saw the Austin Marathon shirt I was wearing, and told me he was from San Antonio.  We chatted for a few miles, which was a nice diversion.  I was feeling OK at this point, but I still wouldn’t say I was feeling confident.  I have felt “the wall” enough to know that it can strike anytime.

As usually happens during a marathon, the conversation amongst the runners seems to stop around mile 16, and this one was no different.  The guy from San Antonio had moved on ahead of me (but I had him in my sights) and I just kind of lost myself in my ipod playlist.  The hills were mostly behind me now, so it was just a matter of finishing strong.  Although I try not to worry too much about each mile split, I noticed I was slowing just a bit around mile 19.  My running insecurities reared their ugly heads, and started to doubt myself.  There was a good group of spectators at mile 20, and I knew I had just finished the second segment of the race on pace.

Mile 11: 7:34
Mile 12: 7:40
Mile 13: 7:36
Mile 14: 7:32
Mile 15: 7:43
Mile 16: 7:43
Mile 17: 7:35
Mile 18: 7:47
Mile 19: 7:53
Mile 20: 7:44

They call the 20 mile point the real halfway mark, and this was definitely true here.  Although I usually never take a GU after mile 20, I took my 6th GU of the race around mile 21.  It was probably more psychological, but it seemed to help.  I have mentioned that I have never run a marathon without tearing up at some point during the race, and this one was no different.  My daughter selected Michael Jackson’s song “Man in the Mirror” as her contribution to my playlist, and when I heard the first few notes, I lost it.  Fortunately it was short lived and I pressed on.

I can usually tell how well I’m doing in a race by how many people I pass versus how many pass me, and I liked my ratio.  I knew I was close to my second qualifier, and I wanted to make sure I gave it my best shot.  The course at this point was flat, and I could tell we were entering the downtown area.  Trying to look like I was in no pain was a bit of an effort, but I think I pulled it off.  There were 2 left turns before the finish, and just before the second one, a lady in a stroller tried to cross right in front of me.  I had to dodge the stroller (I wish I could have hurdled it) and made the final turn.  I saw the clock and the finish line, and knew I had pulled it off.

Mile 21: 7:26
Mile 22: 7:33
Mile 23: 7:32
Mile 24: 7:29
Mile 25: 7:25
Mile 26: 7:21
.2 + Garmin Bonus: 2:25

Final Time: 3:20:14

Post race celebration involved a burger and a few beers with the Shipmates that ran the race, then a ride to South San Francisco, where I would spend the rest of the night celebrating with a few more beers and some awesome Thai food.  I am planning on running a few half marathons before ramping up the training again for the next marathon…BOSTON!

Since my qualifying run at the Cowtown Marathon on Feb 27, I have only run one marathon.  The Sunburst Marathon in South Bend, IN at the beginning of June was a tough race for me.  Warm temps, high humidity, lack of serious training and no real reason to qualify resulted in a painful 3:40 race.
Training during the summer was tough, especially without a race on the schedule.  So I was excited when I finally signed up for Frankenthon, a marathon located in Cedar Park, TX that I really enjoyed running last year.  The summer heat finally let up in late September, and the last few weeks of training were actually fun!  However, I made a major mistake.  I started looking ahead at the weather forecast 10 days before the race.  The initial forecast was for low 60s and possible rain.  Could be worse, right?  Each day I fired up weather.com and the forecast never improved.  In fact, the temps started inching up.  By Friday, the forecast was 70 degrees and 92% humidity with the possibility of rain and/or thunderstorms.  Uh oh.

I made the decision when locking up my car to not wear a shirt for this race.  With the humidity, I knew I would be sweating like crazy and wearing a sweat soaked shirt for 26.2 miles is not fun (I’ve done it before!)  I really didn’t have a strategy or a goal for this race.  When I first signed up, a 3:30 seemed like a realistic yet aggressive goal given the summer training.  However, with the weather the way it was, I just wanted to run the race well and not crash and burn as I had the previous two warm weather races.  Curt, a member of my running group that I had run many long runs with, was trying to BQ with a 3:30, so I had told him I would run with him and hopefully we can both get there.
Strategically, I broke the race into 3 parts – the first 10 miles, the second 10 miles, and the final 6.  This had worked for me at Cowtown, so I thought I’d stick with it here.  We started out nice and easy.  The sky seemed to want to rain, and a few times I actually felt a little drizzle, but it was barely noticeable and it didn’t last long.  I made it a point to drink plenty of water, and started hitting the GU’s at mile 4 (it’s never too early, right?).  After the first loop of the 3 loop race, things seemed to be going pretty well.  Curt and I merged with Art and Sean from “The Ship” and the 4 of us ran together through the second lap.

I have said this before, and I will say it again.  Running a marathon is difficult.  When we finished the second lap (17 miles) I was not sure or confident how the final lap would go.  We had run the race conservative up to this point, and would need to pick it up in the final lap in order to get to 3:30.  We picked it up a little, with the thought that once we hit mile 20 we would hit the reserves and really pick it up.  I will admit, much of this was me just talking and encouraging Curt.  I wasn’t feeling great (although better than other warmer races), but I didn’t feel terrible either.  This was going to be interesting.
Art had dropped back around mile 18, and Sean started really picking it up around mile 19.  When we hit mile 20, I told Curt we need to go and I picked up the pace.  I could still see Sean ahead of me, so I kind of used him to “pull” me through the next few miles.  Unfortunately, he suffered from leg cramps around mile 21 and had to slow down.  I caught up to another shipmate around mile 22 and at this point realized I still had something left in the tank.  Around Mile 23 I felt my energy stores fading.  I pulled out all the motivational stops and used my sister for motivation (she had just finished up Chemo) and by mile 24 I hit the infamous “Wall.”  For those unfamiliar with the wall, it is a very unique and odd feeling.  Imagine giving every ounce of energy you have, but your legs just won’t move very fast.  That is where I was.  Fortunately, much of mile was downhill.  Unfortunately, we had to go up that same hill to the finish.
About 1 mile from the finish, I looked up and realized I wasn’t far behind Russell, another member of “The Ship” and a certified stud.  I’m not sure how I was this close to him, but I was going to use him to get me to the finish.  I never did catch up to him, but I’m pretty sure I made him run faster.  I crossed the finish in a respectable 3:33:00, and like last year, snuck in through the back door and was given a trophy for 3rd place in my age group.  Curt finished just behind me in an awesome 3:36, 6 shy of his goal, but a 20-something minute PR.  There is not a doubt in my mind that given better weather, he would have qualified.
This race was a blast, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an smaller October race.  Sure, the weather in Texas this time of year can go either way.  But Frank (race director) and the volunteers are awesome!  The race is very “low maintenance” (easy parking, easy for spectators, etc) from a runner’s perspective, and I look forward to doing it again.

Much to talk about.  No time to say it.

I will communicate soon.  Sorry for the short post.

I just uploaded another episode of my podcast, where I interview my daughter, Elizabeth, after she ran a kid’s triathlon.  Also included in this podcast are the recordings I took during the 2010 Sunburst Hall of Fame to Notre Dame marathon.  Enjoy!

As many of you know, after my last marathon in Fort Worth, I had decided to ease up on the training a bit.  I had still been running long on the weekends, including a couple of 30k trail races, but my weekly mileage was in the 30-33 mile range.  Good for keeping fit, but not exactly marathon training miles.

About a month ago, my friend, neighbor and running partner Sean (see his report here) mentioned he was given a pass for the weekend (from his wife), and thought it would be fun to go run a marathon somewhere.  It took me all of about 2 seconds to agree to run one with him, and we decided on the Sunburst Marathon in South Bend, IN.  We chose this race for a few reasons.  First, it was on a weekend that we both had free of any conflicts (anniversaries, father’s day, summer trips, etc.).  Second, we could easily get a direct flight into Chicago from Austin, and make the quick drive to South Bend from there.  Lastly, we thought spending a night in Chicago post-race would be a perfect way to celebrate the finish.

The flight up to Chicago went without a hitch.  After an unbelievable lunch at a local Italian restaurant with my grandfather, Sean and I were on the road to South Bend.  Traffic was a bit of a challenge at times, but we rolled into the hotel at about 5pm.  We quickly walked to the College Football Hall of Fame, where we picked up our race packets and shirts. After dropping the stuff at the hotel, we walked over to the minor league ballpark, where they were having “Carbs at the Cove,” a special pasta dinner for the racers.  Surprising to this Italian, the ballpark pasta was pretty good.  We stayed for about five innings before walking back to the hotel to call it a night.  After all, the race started at 6am, which with the time change was 5am to us.

We had been watching the weather all week.  When I checked on Monday, the early morning temperature was going to be in the upper 50s.  Pretty nice for June.  However, the closer we got to race day, the warmer that morning temperature going.  Also, it looked like the humidity was going to spike from 70% pre-dawn to 90% at race time.  Uh oh!  Time to change race strategy!

Knowing that the weather was less than optimal (officially on wunderground.com, 6am temp-65 degrees, humidity 93%), we decided to take it easy during the first half of the race, then see how things felt.  Because I hadn’t been in true marathon training mode for a few months, I just wanted to be sure I enjoyed myself and finished strong.

The course began in downtown South Bend, then meandered through a few little neighborhoods before following the St. Joseph river south.  Although there were a few hills on this course, I thought overall it was pretty flat.  It was clear after the first few miles that I was losing a lot of water, and made sure to stop at every water stop, which for the most part seemed to be about every mile or so.  I was running at a very comfortable pace, resisting the urge to go fast at the start.

Mile 1: 8:27

Mile 2: 8:16

Mile 3: 8:07

Mile 4: 8:19

Mile 5: 8:17

Mile 6: 8:14

Mile 7: 8:17

Mile 8: 8:18

Mile 9: 8:17

Mile 10: 8:08

We had managed through the first 10 miles, and I really didn’t feel that bad.  Sure, it looked like I had taken a shower with my running clothes on, but I was feeling pretty good and wasn’t having a difficult time keeping an even pace.  I was starting to think about race strategy.  I knew I wanted to negative split, but had not decided when I would try to pick up the pace.  I guess in the back of my mind, I would see how I felt at mile 16, and maybe push it a little then.

Mile 11: 8:12

Mile 12: 8:17

Mile 13: 8:03

Mile 14: 8:14

Mile 15: 8:12

Mile 16: 8:11

It was at this point that Sean decided to pick up the pace a little bit.  I was still holding my pace pretty well, but it seemed a lot harder than it should have.  I decided to let him go, but try to keep him in my sights.  Perhaps if I could finish strong, perhaps I could catch him at the end…

Mile 17: 8:10

Mile 18: 8:08

Mile 19: 8:18

The heat and humidity were finally getting to me when I approached mile 20.  It was around here when I decided to start walking through the water stops.  I was definitely starting to hit the wall, but I was still able to run between the water stops pretty well, so instead of counting down the miles, I just tried to make it to the next water stop.

Mile 20: 8:36

Mile 21: 8:22

Mile 22: 8:22

I was starting to really crash here, but managed to hang on.  I was passed by a woman being paced by her husband.  I could only guess she was trying to run a BQ at 3:40.  I let her go, but found two guys ahead of me and decided they were my competition.  I would pass them while I was running, but they would pass me through the water stops.

Mile 23: 8:36

Mile 24: 8:53

Mile 25: 9:22

As we hit mile 25, I kept looking for the Notre Dame football stadium.   Once I saw it in the distance, I knew I was close.  I passed a bag piper playing the ND fight song, and crowds were beginning to line the course (finally!).

Mile 26: 8:43

As we turned the corner to run through the tunnel leading into the stadium, I began to pass one of my competitors.  I tapped him on the back and waved my arm.  “Come on!” I said to him, urging him to finish strong.

.2 + Garmin Bonus:  approx 4 min (I forgot to hit stop on the watch!)

My final time was 3:40:57.  Far from a PR or a BQ, and about 10 minutes from what I thought I was capable of for this race.  However, I am not too disappointed with the time given the conditions.

The marathon is a tough distance.  How I felt emotionally and physically during this race were all over the board.   There is always the adrenaline rush at the start, the early, fun and pain free miles during the first portion of the race, and the struggle at some point during the last few miles.  There is always a thought that I could have run it better, and yet while I was out there, I felt like I did the best I could.  It is an amazing distance, and I am looking forward to my next one in October.