Running Recon

Running with a Dog

2023-01-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

Before we start, know a couple of things. I've run with a dog. One. She, Coya, is pretty awesome but hardly represents all dogs. And secondly, this post is not is not intended to be a "you should" diatribe. I can't stand those. Instead, it's simply a record of my experience from which you - and your dog! - might benefit.

Before I get started, why might you want to run with a dog in the first place? Here are a couple of reasons I've come up with:

If you have a dog that occasionally gets the zoomies, a run is a great way to spend that pent up energy.
Running together will, in my experience, create a tighter bond between you and your pup.
Running with a dog can provide additional security. I have to think this would be a huge benefit to females, who unfortunately have to contend with hazards most men don't. Small dogs can bark enough to deter predators, while larger ones can present physical obstacles.
You'll never need to clip your dog's nails!

With all that said, here are some of my thoughts and tips.

1. Best breed. At least annually you'll see various publications put out their list of "best dogs to run with." Not one of them will include mutts, which is a shame for many reasons. You may be missing out if you don't consider a mixed breed. Coya is a smattering of Siberian husky, American Staffordshire terrier, Pitbull terrier, and a few other breeds, and she's a great runner that effortlessly goes with me on 5 milers.

I know I said this isn't a "you should" post, but allow me to briefly stray and say you should check with your local shelters and rescues when searching for a dog! If you happen to be in middle Tennessee I highly recommend RARE, the Rural Animal Rescue Effort, Of course, this is where we got Coya, and we've had the best experience with Trisha, Lois, and the rest of their team. They truly care about what they're doing and to this day we keep in contact and board Coya with them when going out of town.

2. Walk before you run. I see a lot of people out running with their dogs that mean well but are painful to watch. If your dog is pulling on that leash or doesn't align with you, you risk either tripping and falling or getting hit by a car. At a minimum, I believe a dog should first be loose-leash or off-leash trained and controllable on a walk. Yes, this is a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. We've had the good fortune to work with Matt at Allegiant Canine, who's provided the training and guidance that readied Coya for the run.

3. Equipment. Here are a couple of things that have worked well for me and Coya after some trial and error. First, when running she's wearing a Sprenger prong collar. Some may consider this harsh, but it's ideal because it alerts her to the slightest change of direction without having to pull one bit. And if we encounter a dangerous situation - teenage drivers, anyone? - pulling on it lets her know immediately what I need her to do.

I do not recommend a fixed-length leash or one of those gimmicky "hands free" leashes that you wrap around your waist. I've tried both and after bumping into each other a couple times decided to give a retractable one a shot. This Tug tangle-free version has been ideal. In its unlocked position, which is the case 99.9% of the time, it allows me to swing my arms without pulling on her neck. I also can motion it slightly left or right to inform her where to to go. This setup allows Coya to comfortably lead out a few feet in front of me and I only have to lock it taut when absolutely necessary.

The last thing Coya wears is this reflective vest whenever we run around dawn. Enough said.

4. Navigating the run. This might sound odd, but whenever possible I avoid running with Coya on sidewalks. We run on the left side of the road with her up and to my left a bit. Sidewalks I find to be bad for me (too many variations and obstacles), and running on the road prevents Coya from getting on the wrong side of a mailbox, trash can, or light post. No tangling!

Intersections. This is a hotly debated topic among runners in general. I think it's best to have a plan for intersections and stick to it. Mine is that when I approach an intersection with cars I physically turn my back to them. This tells the drivers I have no intention of walking out in front of them and eliminates indecision for everyone.

Finally, when introducing your pup to running I suggest starting out with short distances and running the same route every time. Even better, begin by running the same route you might walk them on. Familiarity and routine can help reduce confusion, and incrementally increasing distance can help you figure out what's enough vs what's too much.

5. Miscellaneous. This is sort of a catch all category of other things to consider.

Does your dog actually want to run? When Coya and I first started out she was eager to always run. But now every once in a while she'll either avert her eyes or curl up in her bed when I'm getting ready to head out. On those days I'll hand her off to mom for a more leisurely walk.
Do you actually want to run with your dog? The answer doesn't have to always be yes. Keep in mind it's ok to want to run just for yourself.
Allow your dog to be a dog. Running past a creek? They may want to take a dip! And they're definitely going to want to stop and take care of business somewhere along the way. Pay attention to their needs and always bring along a poop bag!

Now, get out there and have some fun! No doubt this will be one of those posts I add to over time. If you have other observations or suggestions, please leave them in the comments!

Nashville Water Stops and Bathrooms

2016-09-02T12:16:00.001-07:00

A quick note about the Nashville Runners' Resource map that I created a couple of years ago. I"m hoping that posting it here will make it a little easier to find through a Google search.

For the uninitiated, this is a map that displays locations of bathrooms and water fountains around the Nashville area. I added as many places as I knew about and then the rest was crowd sourced from the local running community after I posted it on social media.

If you know of any places that aren't already on the map, please feel free to add them. It's open for all to share and use.

Lessons Learned - Maximizing Recovery

2013-11-04T18:05:00.003-08:00

Something I've discovered since I started running marathons is that I learn something new either during the training cycle or from the race itself. Each one presents challenges I have to figure out how to overcome, and over time I've built up a mental dossier of things that work well for me. Why did I cramp at mile 19 and how can I prevent it from happening again the next race? What can I eat that won't make my stomach queasy? How often should I drink water? The list goes on and on.

This last time around while training for Chicago I was running more than ever. Most weeks Will and I were turning in 65+ miles, and a couple topped out in the low 70s. It was a slow ramp up that allowed my body to adapt to the new demands being placed on it, but still it was very taxing. Although I wasn't in any real pain, I was continuously sore and fatigued. Just part of the deal, I told myself. You're supposed to feel like this!

One day I happened to come across a site called RunnersConnect that I initially thought sold coaching services and training plans. After spending a few minutes poking around, however, I found a number of informative articles about training, nutrition and injury prevention. I wondered if they had anything about training recovery and eventually came across this article, What Runners Can Learn From Bodybuilders. I found it to be an extremely informative post that both explained what takes place in our bodies after a hard workout, and what could be done to promote quicker recovery.

I won't go into much depth about the article because I really think you should read it. That said, the author, Jeff Gaudette, offered two pieces of advice that basically revolve around the repairing of muscle fibers (anabolism) and delaying the break down of muscle tissue (catabolism). So, how can we do this like a bodybuilder does?

To promote anabolism Jeff advocated consuming whey protein in the form of a protein powder drink as soon as you wake up in the morning. I tried this for a few weeks and, honestly, didn't think it did a lot for me. I'm sure in the overall scheme of things it was helping my muscles, but I didn't experience any drastic changes in the way I felt. Further, I run first thing in the mornings, and putting this into my stomach didn't really agree with me. So, given these two things and the expense of the product he recommended, I came to the conclusion it wasn't worth continuing.

While the whey protein came up short, Jeff's other advice on how to conquer catabolism I found to be invaluable. He suggested consuming casein, a slow-digesting protein chock full o' amino acids, just before bedtime each night. The point of this he says is to feed your body with muscle building goodness and prolong the cannibalization process that would otherwise occur while you're sleeping and fasting. Whatever voodoo magic is taking place overnight, I can say with enthusiasm that this stuff really works! The mornings after I started doing this I woke up feeling significantly more recovered than I was before. I didn't creak near as much getting out of bed, and I was able to better execute each day's workout.

Incidentally, I feel it warrants comment that whey and casein protein should be considered only one aspect of your overall nutrition plan. If you're not eating right in the first place I suspect these supplements won't do a lot for you. So, minimize your alcohol and sweets and stock up on fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. It'll do your body good.

So, will this work for you? If you decide to try it I'd be interested in your feedback. The product Jeff specifically recommends is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein. Apparently, it's what you want because it has a high concentration of protein isolate, and that's what makes it more effective. You can mix it with milk or water, and comes in a quite a few flavors. The chocolate supreme is what I got, which was great because it also satisfied my chocoholic tendencies. Sweet!

Chicago Marathon Race Report

2013-10-14T16:53:00.004-07:00

After a year off from racing I targeted this year's Chicago Marathon as my next Boston qualifying event. As luck would have it, shortly after moving to Tennessee I met another guy, Will, who was also going and we began training together. Wanting to get a jump on the 18-week, 55-70 mile per week Pfitzinger plan, we began training on May 5th, adding a full 6 weeks to the schedule. It didn't take long to realize my new training partner - who was shooting for a sub-3 hour marathon - was going to either break me or make me a better athlete.

Over the course of the relatively mild summer months we picked up company here and there. Chris Getman joined us early on, and Andy Johnson, Chris Blaylock, Josh Bolin and David Gibson made the occasional appearance. But over the long haul it was Jonathan Thatcher that trained with us regularly. Between his dry British humor and Will's cerebral wit we never had a dull run. I can't tell you how thankful I am to have met all these guys, because let me tell you, if you don't have some good people around you 18 weeks can feel like 18 months. It's a grind that goes much easier with good company

Pre-Race

I flew up to Chicago on Friday night, which initially I thought I'd regret because of the cost. Hotel rooms don't come cheap, especially around marathon time inside The Loop. But in the end I was very happy I got there early and didn't have to worry about making the trip on Saturday. That, and I was also excited to reunite with my good friends Tim and Amanda, who'd flow up earlier in the day themselves.

Saturday morning the three of us got up and walked a couple miles across town to meet at Fleet Feet for a shake out run with Bart Yasso. A couple of hundred others did the same, and we all took a slow jog across town to run along the Lakefront Trail. It was a beautiful morning with great views across the bay, but if I were a native I'd probably avoid it on the weekends because of tourists like us that couldn't help but stop and take photos.

After the run we had a leisurely breakfast and then headed back to the hotel and got cleaned up. Will got into town shortly after noon and we took the shuttle over to the expo. It was at this point it became clear that we were getting what we paid for, which was a lot. Everything about the expo, from the transportation to the packet pick up was seamless and well organized. This experience would extend to the race itself, where everything - and I do mean everything - went off without a hitch. If something went wrong with this race neither I nor anyone I was with knew anything about it.

We wrapped up the day by going out to Pizano's on Adams Street downtown. If every race has its glitch, this was ours. In a really bad way. Knowing there would be hordes of runners looking for a last-minute carb fix on Saturday night, we made plans to get to the restaurant at 5pm. When we arrived we were told it would be about a 20-30 minute wait for a table. Fine by us, and when it actually took until 5:45 to be seated we didn't mind.

We each promptly placed our order and were told by our waiter it could take 20-30 minutes. Again, no big deal. Before we knew it, though, it was 7:15 and our patience was wearing thin. I called over the manager and asked why we'd been kept waiting for an hour and a half. She apologized, saying it was like this every year on marathon weekend. What? How could they allow this to happen every year? Anyway, she assured us our orders were currently cooking and that she'd knock 25% off the bill. So, we hunkered down.

Long story short, another half hour passed and we still hadn't received our food. Again we called over the manager, who insisted we should stay and that she would comp our entire meal. The food came about five minutes later, at which point we wolfed it down, tipped our waiter and then got out of there. Free food is not worth the stress and tension we experienced that night, so I'd advise you try elsewhere if you're looking for pasta the night before the race.

Race Day

Despite the events the evening before, I got a good night's sleep and woke up at 4:30. Following through on my by-the-book carb loading I downed a couple packets of oatmeal I brought along and was ready to head out on time at 6:15. Will and I headed downstairs where we ran across Tim and Amanda acting as photogs for the dozens of runners hanging around in the lobby. Since they were scheduled to start 30 minutes later than us, they stayed behind a bit longer.

Will and I walked down to Grant Park, cleared security, which consisted of bib checks and cursory exams of our clear plastic gear bags, and made our way to the gear check. Will, who was wound like a top, was more than ready to get into race mode, so we wished each other luck and parted ways. I stopped by the port-o-lets and then high-tailed it to corral B, managing to walk through the gate at exactly 7:20 when it was supposed to close. Everyone around me was talkative and in good spirits, and a few minutes before the start excess clothing started flying from left to right over the fence where volunteers were waiting to collect it for charitable organizations.

Unlike other large races I've been to where corrals are released every X minutes, this one just let everyone in wave 1 trickle out onto the course. It was immediately evident that the organizers had done a good job of positioning runners according to ability, as there was no need to weave around slower participants. The only people I questioned being so close to the front were one guy who was juggling three balls and another that was dribbling two basketballs. I mean, c'mon! Now you're just mocking how hard it is to run a marathon! ;)

Quite honestly, almost the entire race was a blur. There were so many people along the course cheering that it made everything go by very quickly. Even though it winds through 29 different neighborhoods, with few exceptions could I tell you where I ran. Ones that do stand out, however, included The Loop where people were 5-6 deep on the sidewalks, Chinatown, Lincoln Park, and Little Italy. It was truly amazing that there was maybe only one section of less than a mile where it got somewhat quite. Otherwise it was a huge street party the entire way.

For me personally I felt great and my confidence was soaring. I started out trailing the 3:25 pace group the first 5-6 miles and then slowly pulled ahead because I felt so good. Through 19 miles I did exactly what I wanted to do, which was to hit splits between 7:35-7:45/mile. In the middle of my 20th mile, though, I began to feel twinges in my left hamstring that I knew signaled cramping. As if on cue, it started to charlie horse right as I came upon a first aid station. I hobbled over to it and pleaded for the volunteer for give me some salt. She casually walked to the other side of the tent while I had a mini freak out. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, but she thought I was there seeking serious medical attention. Of course, it probably only took a few seconds, but she finally gave me what looked like an S! cap and a large cup of water. I downed it and jumped back on the course. The cramp passed and I was able to make up for some lost time, but still I sacrificed 25 seconds.

The next few miles were text book again - 7:40, 7:32 and 7:36. I had great energy and even entertained thoughts of finishing a couple of minutes under my goal. But then at mile 25 my other hamstring started to cramp without warning. I stopped and tried desperately to stretch it out, but it wasn't loosening. Someone asked if I was ok, and when I replied I needed some salt she pointed across the street at another first aid tent. Again I did a controlled stagger and pleaded with the aid worker that was on duty. She gave me another pill but had no water, so I had to slowly jog to the next aid stop. I'm sure it had more to do with stopping for a minute than taking a salt pill, but whatever the case my cramp relaxed again and I was able to push on.

Miles 25-26 I lost another minute combined. Still, I thought I had a chance and tried to pick up the pace. All of a sudden I saw a sign that said 800m to go. I glanced down at my watch and saw that it registered somewhere around 3 hours 22 minutes. Holy crap! I only have 3 minutes to run 800m minutes at the end of a marathon! I started running with everything I had left, being escorted the entire way by a woman who was doing the same thing while panting like Monica Seles. I kept waiting for my legs to cramp again, but they didn't. I was able to push all the way to the finish, running a 6:55/mile over that distance. I crossed the line and stopped my watch. 3:25:04 it read.

I wasn't sure what my (un)official time was until after I'd cleared the finish chute and collected my bag at the gear check. I stopped by the information booth, where the volunteer informed me my time was 3:25:03. Yes, I missed qualifying for Boston by 3 seconds. :p

Post Race

Despite missing my goal I still feel pretty good about my race. It's a 2-minute PR, and if it hadn't been for the cramping I'm pretty sure I could have finished around 3:23. That alone is enough to give me confidence I can succeed next time around.

Major kudos to those that went with me and did great things at Chicago.

. Will, who broke three hours with an outstanding 2:59:25.

.. Allison, who passed me near the end and finished in 3:23:25.

... Jenny, who I ran with briefly run up until I cramped the second time. She killed it with a 3:24:48.
.... David, who ran in memory of his brother, Daniel, and in the process blew away his previous best with a 3:26:43.

.... Amanda, who not only had a great time of 3:54:36, but also had a great race experience.

..... And last but not least, Tim, who finished his first marathon in 5:27:06. Above all others he impressed me with his dedication and transformation into a marathoner. You talk about determination, this guy's got it in spades.

Intel: Running with music?

2013-09-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

Q: What do you think about running with music?

A: Like most things, my opinion on this has evolved over the years. When I first started running regularly back in 2007 I went to great lengths to have something to listen to while I ran. I had a 1st generation iPod Nano, an arm band, and an assortment of different headphones that were quite a production to assemble and strap on to myself. I would also spend a considerable amount of time preparing playlists and searching for just the right music to take along (check out PodRunner for free, downloadable BPM tracks). It was quite an ordeal, but it served me well.

At some point - maybe when I started running more often with others - I stopped listening to music while I ran. Over time I came to realize that being inside my own head wasn't such a bad thing, and I went a long time without giving it a second thought. Well, that's not entirely true. I'd see other people out running with their ear buds plugged in and judge them a tiny bit. Don't they realize how much about the running experience they're giving up by tuning out, I thought? And don't they realize how unsafe it is to block out the sounds of cars, cyclists, and unleashed dogs? No, I'm not proud of myself, but it's the truth.

For years I rarely listened to music while I ran. Exceptions were made a couple of times per year. Sometimes I'd do it when I had no choice but to run inside on a treadmill, while other times I'd do it as an experiment. That's right, I'd sometimes pull out all the things and take them for a trial run, to see if anything had changed. It hadn't. I didn't hate it, but the next day I felt no compulsion to do it again.

Enter marathon training, summer of 2013. This is where the loop closes and I start occasionally listening to music on my runs. Going into the training cycle I knew there would be a lot of long, solitary runs to get through. Yes, I've had the good fortune to train with a number of people, but the reality is when you're ramping up the mileage it's inevitable you'll find yourself alone in the dark for two hours on a Wednesday morning.

Once I made my decision I did some research. Most importantly, I wanted some headphones that 1) allowed me to hear outside noises, 2) wouldn't fall out of my sweaty ears, and 3) sound half way decent. I found all that in the yurbuds Inspire Pro and haven't regretted my decision to get them for one second. They live up to the hype, fo sho. I also knew I wanted an MP3 player that didn't make me feel like my blood pressure was being taken while I ran. I chose the iPod Shuffle, which clips onto my waist band and allows me to easily change tracks or the volume. It, too, has been a solid performer.

So, where does all of this leave me now? Well, for starters I think listening to music on a run is a personal decision. One that needs to be carefully considered, especially for safety reasons. If you can remain alert in your environment and listen to music at the same time, go for it. That said, I do think there are some other things that should be considered if you decide to flip the switch around other people.

1. Use headphones or at the very least make sure those you're with don't mind listening along. I've run with people that played music through their phone without headphones, oblivious to the fact that others might not want to listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd or Miley Cyrus. If you're all on the same page, great. Otherwise, don't be a DJ.

2. If you're using headphones - even if it's on a closed race course - you should keep the volume to a reasonable level. It can be very distracting and irritating to someone passing by or being passed. Further, you should know where your fellow runners are, so as not to step in front of them. I can't count many times I've been cut off because someone listening to music didn't realize I was there.

What do you think? Listen to music or the voice in your head? Can you think of other supporting arguments for either side of the issue? And have I missed any other caveats for when people elect to run with music? Sound off in the comments.

This post is one in series that addresses comments and questions I routinely hear from both new and non-runners. This series - posts will be tagged with the "Intel" label - is not intended to delve deep into running subjects, but simply to provide informative, concise responses that sometimes entertain. I am not an anatomy professor, particularly accomplished runner or legend of the sport. I'm just a guy that runs often, races frequently and enjoys sharing what he's learned. You can contribute topics by emailing me using the link on my Google+ Profile or by posting in the comments below.

Franklin Half Marathon Report

2013-06-22T12:58:00.001-07:00

I took part in the inaugural Franklin Half Marathon this morning, which was put on by Run Franklin and Start 2 Finish Event Management. There's a movement going on with the participants to rename this one the Hot and Hilly Half, which would be fitting. The first half of the race there were a lot of rolling hills and climbing, and the second half when things flattened out a bit the heat got cranked up. Definitely not a PR race, and one of the tougher ones I've completed. That said, it was a beautiful course that started in downtown historic Leiper's Fork, and I could see myself training on in it the future. Maybe when the leaves are turning.

For me this was always going to be a training run. This week's schedule called for 16 miles with 8 at marathon pace. I ran a little before the start of the race to get some of it taken care of up front, and then intended to execute a 5/8 plan. The first 5 miles, which were supposed to be easy, were difficult to keep under control. The aforementioned hills made settling in to a groove near impossible, and overall I went faster than I'd planned.

The remaining 8 miles didn't go much better. I accelerated at the split and tried to find the right pace, but the first 2 miles contained about 200' of climbing. Even though I didn't think it was all that steep, my legs were sapped. The peak was welcome, but the 1-mile descent into the valley that normally would have been great was a quad punisher. Once I finally got into the valley though, I managed to grind out a couple of miles right on target.

Realizing I was on the edge of overheating I changed up the run to a 5/5/3, and coasted in the last few miles. To be honest, I was really shocked to turn in this time today. I didn't pay much attention to my overall pace, and wouldn't have been surprised had I come in 10 minutes slower.

I really enjoyed getting to run with Josh, and was very impressed with how well Michelle managed her race. When I last saw her at the 5-mile mark it was clear she was struggling with the heat. So, when I saw her finishing only a few minutes after me I was amazed. She must've done something right to hold it together so well the rest of the race.

Mega kudos to the event organizers. There were a couple of snags, which are to be expected with any inaugural race, but overall they put on a solid event and got the important things right. Would I race it in the future? Not likely, but I'd definitely consider running it again. :)

Intel: How Many Miles is The Boston Marathon?

2013-04-15T05:15:00.001-07:00

Q: How many miles are there in The Boston Marathon?

A: The Boston Marathon is 26.2 miles long. In fact, all "marathons" are 26.2 miles. That 5K being held at your local high school this weekend? Not a marathon. No, it's a 5K, which is 3.1 miles. Oh, and "marathons" are not to be confused with ultra marathons, which are races at distances longer than 26.2 miles. Confused? Here's a chart for your reference.

5K	3.1 Miles
10 K	6.2 Miles
15 K	9.3 Miles
Half Marathon	13.1 Miles
Marathon	26.2 Miles
Ultra Marathons	> 26.2 Miles

Now, if you ask a runner this question on the third Monday in April you may get an impatient, snarky response. That's because on this day - the day The Boston Marathon is held every year - it's our Super Bowl. Our World Cup. Our Whatever-The-Heck-Is-Your-Sport's-Biggest-Event. And we're likely irritable because our big thing doesn't get as much respect as yours'. It's not even on television. We have to watch it on the Internet. So, when you ask what we consider to be a trivial question about how long it is, it reminds us how niche our sport is in the greater scheme of things. And we kind of wish everyone realized just how big of a deal it is.

Intel: I Don't Want To Slow You Down

2013-03-22T09:15:00.004-07:00

. Hey, do you want to go for a run sometime?
.. Ah...no, thanks. You're fast and I don't want to slow you down.

This might be one of the more frustrating conversations I have with new runners. They're just starting out, think that running is all about how fast or how far one goes, and completely lose sight of the fact that it can be a fun, social activity.

I think one of the main reasons people don't stick with running is because they isolate themselves and think of it as a solitary endeavor. This is unfortunate, because running is one of those sports best shared, where accountability can make or break your sticktoitiveness. Don't feel like getting out of bed for your run? Odds are you will if you know someone else is standing around waiting for you.

This is not to say that you have to run with others all the time. Me personally, I run alone most weekdays and meet up with a group on the weekend. Some of my workouts are best completed alone so I can focus, while others, like longer runs, are far more enjoyable shared.

Here are a couple of points that will hopefully change your mind about running with others.

Number 1: If a person you perceive to be a seasoned runner asks you to join them, odds are they already know you're not at their skill or endurance level. They're asking because they want to spend time with you and help you enjoy something they're passionate about. They know you may need to run slower, and they're also aware you might need to - *gasp* - stop and walk for a bit. It's ok. It really is. They wouldn't ask you if they didn't want to do this.

Number 2: You're not as slow as you think you are. Yes, you. You the walker, wogger or jogger. There are tons of people out there that you're very compatible with when it comes to speed and distance. In fact, the vast majority of runners are probably not as fast as you think they are. That person you think is too good for you to run with might fall into the same category as you.

Keep these things in mind the next time someone asks you to go running with them. It's ok if you've tried running with others and just prefer to go it alone. But don't dismiss an offer for company out of hand just because you think you're too slow. That's just selling yourself short and possibly depriving yourself of the one thing that makes running something you love.

This post is one in series that addresses comments and questions I routinely hear from both new and non-runners. This series - posts will be tagged with the "Intel" label - is not intended to delve deep into running subjects, but simply to provide informative, concise responses that sometimes entertain. I am not an anatomy professor, particularly accomplished runner or legend of the sport. I'm just a guy that runs often, races frequently and enjoys sharing what he's learned. You can contribute topics by emailing me using the link on my Google+ Profile or by posting in the comments below.

Intel: How Should I Breathe When I Run?

2013-03-14T19:19:00.002-07:00

Q: How should I breathe when I run?

A: Someone once told me about a friend that told her when running she should only breathe in and out of her nose. "It'll help you get that runner's high," she said.

Whoa! Stop! Don't do that! Whoa!

Ok, now that we've established that you should not do that, here's my take. Just breathe. Open your mouth and let as much oxygen as your body demands be inhaled. Do not constrict your breathing in any way. In, out, repeat.

If you're a relatively new runner your breathing will most likely be labored. That's because your aerobic capacity needs to be trained as much as your legs. Don't be discouraged. It will become less work the more you run.

You will no doubt hear from others that the proper way to breathe is to inhale deeply all the way down to your stomach. Or you may be advised to inhale X breaths for every X steps you take. Again, don't stress over this. These methods certainly work for some, but I don't recommend you get hung up on it.

Keeping this simple, my advice to new runners is to try keep your breathing manageable. You should be able to carry out a conversation. If you're panting so hard you can't, slow down. In time you may want to run faster. When that day comes it will be time to reassess. Until then, slow down and just enjoy the run.

This post is one in series that addresses comments and questions I routinely hear from both new and non-runners. This series - posts will be tagged with the "Intel" label - is not intended to delve deep into running subjects, but simply to provide informative, concise responses that sometimes entertain. I am not an anatomy professor, particularly accomplished runner or legend of the sport. I'm just a guy that runs often, races frequently and enjoys sharing what he's learned. You can contribute topics by emailing me using the link on my Google+ Profile or by posting in the comments below.

Intel: What Brand of Shoes Do You Recommend?

2013-03-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

Q: What brand of shoes do you recommend?

A: Oh my. If only you knew what a loaded question this is.

Here's the thing. It's not about the brand of shoes. Do some manufacturers make better quality shoes than others? Yes. But what's more important than how a shoe looks or holds up over time should be secondary considerations to finding a pair that's right for you. So, what's that mean and how do you do this?

First, here's what you shouldn't do. Do not walk into a shoe retailer and let them tell you what shoe you need. Chances are they're going to throw around words like pronate, supinate, cushioning and support. They may look at the soles of your current shoes to inspect tread wear, and they might even have you get up on a treadmill to watch you run. For decades these were commonly accepted methods for fitting people with running shoes. Problem is, there's little science to support the notion that how you run should determine what type of shoe you wear. You can thank the shoe companies for this, since most of their marketing and sales pitches are designed to get you to buy their products. Go figure.

So, what should you do? In my humble opinion, you'll need to become your own test subject. And it's going to take some time and patience. And you're going to have to take lots of notes. It's not enough to try on a pair of shoes in the store, walk (or run) around in them for 5-10 minutes and deem them "the ones." Sure, you might get lucky, but chances are you're going to need to run in them for at least 3-4 full-length workouts to get a true picture. But how can you do this when the retailer won't offer exchanges after you leave the store? Well, some (few) brick and mortar stores do provide this service. You'll need to ask this up front, and if they don't I'd take your business elsewhere. Is it an inconvenience? Yes. But your health is worth the investment.

Another option I strongly recommend is to order shoes online. You'll have to set aside your want for instant gratification, but I know of two sites that each accept returns for exchanges and refunds. Running Warehouse will do so for up to 90 days, and Road Runner Sports 60 days. I've shopped with them both extensively and can't say enough good things. They ship quickly, price their inventory competitively and have great customer service. The only drawback I can think of is the day or two it takes for them to show up on your doorstep. But when they do it's like Christmas!

As I said up front, this really is a loaded question. I've only touched on the overall approach I feel is best. I haven't even mentioned the laundry list of criteria that can affect how a shoe interacts with your foot. Things like stack height, medial post, arch height, mid sole, overlays, and lacing systems are just some of the attributes that can make or break a shoe for you. With an open mind and thoughtful experimentation you should, over time, be able to find the combination of factors that works best for you.

This post is one in series that addresses comments and questions I routinely hear from both new and non-runners. This series - posts will be tagged with the "Intel" label - is not intended to delve deep into running subjects, but simply to provide informative, concise responses that sometimes entertain. I am not an anatomy professor, particularly accomplished runner or legend of the sport. I'm just a guy that runs often, races frequently and enjoys sharing what he's learned. You can contribute topics by emailing me using the link on my Google+ Profile or by posting in the comments below.

Intel: How Much Do I Run Every Day?

2013-03-05T09:03:00.001-08:00

This post is the first in series that addresses comments and questions I routinely hear from both new and non-runners. This series - posts will be tagged with the "Intel" label - is not intended to delve deep into running subjects, but simply to provide informative, concise responses that sometimes entertain. I am not an anatomy professor, particularly accomplished runner or legend of the sport. I'm just a guy that runs often, races frequently and enjoys sharing what he's learned. You can contribute topics by emailing me using the link on my Google+ Profile or by posting in the comments below.

Q: How much do I run every day?

A: I think the general perception of new and non-runners is that people who run cover the same amount of distance every time they head out the door. This is a fair assumption, considering that's exactly what I did when I was first starting out. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I'd get home from work and run one of a couple of routes, each of which was about 3-4 miles. There are plenty of runners that take this approach for years and have great success with it. However, people like me that regularly complete half marathons and marathons tend to run varying distances.

I recently completed a training cycle that prepared me for a marathon. I typically ran six days per week, and daily distances varied from as low as 5 miles all the way up to 20 miles. Here's a sample week towards the end of the cycle.

Monday - 5 Miles
Tuesday - 6 Miles
Wednesday - 5 Miles
Thursday - 7 Miles
Friday - Rest Day
Saturday - 10 Miles
Sunday - 20 Miles

There's a lot more to it than running different distances every day, like intensity and type of approach, but I'll cover those types of questions separately. Just know there's no right or wrong response to this question. The answer largely depends on your goals, the time you want to invest in running and how much you love the sport.

One last thing. If you're interested in seeing how much I actually run on a daily basis, check out my profile on dailymile. I post my workouts there just about every day, as do thousands of others.

Mississippi River Marathon Report

2013-02-10T18:46:00.002-08:00

After two seasons of marathon training I decided last spring I would give myself a break this year and do only shorter distances. That was before I heard about the Mississippi River Marathon though, and not long after I changed my mind. Not only that, but I convinced my friend, Amanda, that she should do it with me. Starting in Arkansas, crossing the river on an impressive suspension bridge that had recently been completed, and finishing in Mississippi sounded too good to pass up. And that it was the inaugural event made it all the more appealing. There's just something about being one of the first to do something that I like.

After 18 weeks of training and a 6-hour drive over from Prattville, Tim, Amanda, the littlest president and I found ourselves in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, also known as "The Most Southern Place on Earth"^[1]I was impressed with the vastness of the peanut crops in southern Georgia when I went to the Snickers Marathon in Albany a couple of years ago, but the enormity of cotton, rice, soybeans and sugar fields in this region dwarfed those in comparison. I could go off on a tangent here about the culture and community, but it's a topic better suited for another time. So, off to the start of the race!

My only concern about this event was that it was the inaugural. Often it takes a race director a few times to get things right, so I was prepared to give them some slack up front. The months leading up to the event gave me a good feeling, though. Their social media presence was good, they were quick to fix an issue I noticed with my registration, and were very communicative about everything logistical. So, it came to me as no surprise that things were well organized when arrived at the finish line to be bussed to the start. One line of the school buses was for marathoners and the other for half marathoners.

Greenville Bridge (Credit: Loadtest)

It took about 30-40 minutes to reach the starting line on the northwest corner of Lake Chicot in Arkansas. Along the way we got our first views of the bridge through foggy windows and a beautiful pink-orange sun coming up over the horizon. We also got the rundown on the Little Rock Marathon from a fellow runner who could only have been a Chamber of Commerce operative. He spent a good 10 minutes telling us about the race, the legendary belt buckle and how well organized it was. Food for thought!

Anyway, it was a cold morning in the mid-30s and I wasn't looking forward to disembarking. Fortunately, the organizers had thought of that, too. Waiting for us were two large bonfires that were quickly surrounded. With more than 45 minutes until the start of the race they were lifesavers. About 15 minutes before we were to begin we (I) stuffed our gear bag with extra clothes, dropped it off and walked over to the start line. After some brief announcements and the Star Spangled Banner we were off at precisely 8am.

The first six miles along Lakeshore Drive were fantastic. Amanda and I found our pace, enjoyed running along the lake and made small talk with some of the runners around us. We came up behind a man by the name of Robert Bishton, who was wearing a straw cowboy hat and 100 Marathon Club tank top. At one point in our conversation he stated that he "had no life," but I couldn't have disagreed with him more. He told us he had run over 200 marathons (Those seeking membership in the 50 or 100 States Marathon clubs might be interested to know they can count this one as either Arkansas or Mississippi, not both), starting when he was 54 years old. And in the past two years alone he'd run 42 of them! When I asked him what race he'd traveled the farthest for, he mentioned one in Australia. But he also volunteered that in two weeks he would be running in the Antarctic Marathon! Talk about inspiring!

After turning left onto Highway 82 we slowly pulled away from Cowboy and began our run into a steady head wind coming out of the east. At times it was discouraging how much extra effort it took to maintain pace, but we found ways to cope. Around miles 8-10 we were entertained by a crop duster that dipped and dived over and over again, scaring Amanda as it flew just above the ground. A few miles after that we rounded the corner and finally saw the bridge. I'd expected to see it off in the distance as we ran south, but it wasn't until we were upon it that it came into view and presented the only hill on the entire course. Almost 2.5 miles from end to end, it felt like the gradual incline went on much longer than the descent down the other side. Still, it didn't seem all that bad to me. Another moment of levity came as we crested the top and came across a dead fish lying in our path. How does something like that get all the way up here, we wondered? We're over 100' above the river!

Almost immediately after we got off the bridge we were surprised by Tim and Lincoln cheering for us alongside the road! They were holding some great signs and Tim was ready to take anything off our hands. Unfortunately, we weren't prepared to break stride and kept on motorin' on. Less than half to go!

I thought once we started heading north the wind would be a non-factor, but it felt like it kept hitting us in the face. All totaled I'd say at least 10 miles were more challenging than they otherwise would have been without it. Still, as one gentleman we spoke to later put it, it's always something. There's no such thing as a perfect race. Except at the Chickamauga Battlefield on Veteran's Day weekend, of course. ;)

The mental part of the race really kicked in around mile 17. Amanda was hurting a little earlier than expected, and I was preoccupied with preventing cramping and pushing the wall back. Fortunately, we were able to work together to make it to the finish line. I pulled her along for some stretches, and when the money was on the line the last couple of miles she dug down, picked up the pace and forced me to do the same. If it weren't for her I probably would have coasted in at the same pace we'd held all along. Instead, we finished strong and somehow managed to smile for Tim as we approached the finish line.

Overall I'm pretty happy with this race. I could have taken my training and fitness more seriously, and I felt the effects of that in the second half. However, I did accomplish my main goals, which were to stay with Amanda the entire time, have fun and fuel well enough that I wouldn't bonk. That last one was a big deal to me, as I've had problems with hitting the wall in previous races and wanted to overcome it at this one. I did overcompensate some and experienced some discomfort on this attempt, so I hope to adapt and learn more at races in the future.

One last thing about this race that I was really pleased with was pacing. I'll spare you the mile splits, but suffice to say they were very steady throughout. We finished the first half in 1:56:13 and the second in 1:56:07. That was my strategy going in, and I don't know as we could have executed it much better.

Would I recommend this marathon to others? Absolutely. It was well organized and worth the travel and expenses. That said, I'm not sure I'd go back and do it again. The best part was spending it with Team McQueen, and I'd rather convince them to attend a different race in the future and make some new memories.

Chickamauga Battlefield Half Marathon Race Report

2012-11-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

In the days leading up to a race I will often ask my friends if they're planning on running or racing. In my mind there's absolutely nothing wrong with participating in an event, "running" it at a comfortable pace, and enjoying the overall experience. I've done this a number of times myself, and have never once regretted it. Conversely, I think there's also a time to test our limits and see what we're made of. To train for 14, 16 or 18 weeks, and then "race" with everything we've got to see if we're 1 second faster than the last time we attempted that same distance. But after running the the Chickamauga Battlefield Half Marathon this past weekend I came to realize there's a third option I had never really considered before.

Competing.

Heading to the park on Saturday morning I had every intention of racing. I'd trained to do the same at the Montgomery Half Marathon back in early October, but the heat and humidity that day was oppressive. I threw in the towel a quarter of the way into the race and instead ran it with friends, having a great time in the process. So, with another month of training under my belt, fresh legs and ideal conditions, I knew the stars had aligned for an all-out effort. I was confident I could finish under 1:35, and hopeful I might sniff 1:32.

Having run this race and this course a number of times, I have a pretty good feel for its challenges. It's not exactly difficult, but it's not easy, either. Knowing I needed to restrain myself the first half so I could finish strong the second, I decided to aim for 7:15/mi through mile 5. I didn't execute this perfectly, but the pace felt very comfortable and I was pleased with where I settled in. A couple of seconds wasn't a big deal considering the very subtle, gradual descent.

7:09 (+30'), 7:06 (+5'), 7:08 (-14'), 7:04 (-17'), 7:05 (-48')

On the course, surrounded by awesome.

Starting at about the 5.5-mile mark there's a 2.5-mile section where runners climb about 50'. It rolls a bit, but no, it's not a huge obstacle. Still, I knew maintaining my pace coming up Jays Mill Rd, turning left onto Alexander Bridge and then right up Viniard Alexander Rd would be a challenge. I beared down a tiny bit, and stayed steady at 7:09/mi for the entire stretch.

It was around this point I noticed I wasn't just racing against myself. I started taking inventory of the other runners around me, trying to figure out which ones might be in my age group. One guy I'd been running with most of the race started slowly pulling away from me, but he looked to be in his early 30s. No big deal. Then I passed another half marathoner that had a good 10 years on me, which gave me a small boost of confidence. Finally, I locked in on a guy wearing green that wasn't too far ahead. He looked to be around my age, and later I learned his name was Scott. I decided I'd try to hang on to him as long as possible.

We came out of the woods, turned left onto Lafayette Rd, and then right onto Glenn-Viniard. During this next, 9th mile - where we passed my favorite monument, Wilder Tower - we climbed another 35' and I began to feel the fatigue. Just a little farther until we pass Bloody Pond and then break out into the wide-open Brotherton Field, I thought.

After turning right onto Dyer Rd and cresting the last short, steep hill, I took the opportunity on the descent to compose myself and prepare for the final miles. Entering the woods again at the 11.5-mile mark Scott was still in front of me. I knew I didn't have much time left, and set to work closing the gap between us. It took about a mile to catch up with him, and once I did I sat on his right shoulder for about 15-20 seconds. I began to wonder if he was fading or if I was being played. Was he waiting for me to expend what energy I had left? Should I keep him in front of me and then try to pass him at the very end?

Hanging on until the very end. Barely.

Finally, I surged past him and tried to pull away. I immediately felt a combination of paranoia, adrenaline and exhaustion. How much longer could I keep this up? Were those his footsteps I was hearing behind me, or was I imagining it? I gave it everything I had left, fully expecting he'd overtake me at any time. I turned right, ran past the medical center, and then made the turn back onto Barnhardt Circle. Looking back on my splits now I see I did the last half mile at about a 6:45/mi pace, but at the time it felt like I was running in slow motion.

Coming down the final stretch I had a brief moment of clarity where I heard the announcer call out my name. And I heard my friends cheering me on, as well. Then, I crossed the line and saw the time on the clock: 1:33:45. I had no idea how well I really did against men 40-44, but was pretty happy I held on to beat Scott at the end.

After collecting myself I had the pleasure of watching Amanda (big PR!), Duane and Hilary finish. I refueled on the Chickamauga hallmark, banana pudding, and soaked up the sunshine and festivities. While waiting for James and Kaitlin to finish the marathon, Kate and I went over to the awards tent and studied the posted results. Here's how I fared:

Gun time: 1:33:45
Chip time: 1:33:43
Overall place: 14th
Men 40-44: 1st
Overall pace: 7:10/mi

Even though I won my division I feel I should give proper credit to 41-year-old Paul Horton, who finished 3rd overall with a time of 1:23:57. He would have been the winner of our age group, except he was awarded the winner of the Masters Division instead. I also want to express my appreciation to Scott Williams, who unwittingly pushed me to compete. He was very gracious at the awards ceremony, and without him I may not have found that extra gear.

All in all it was another outstanding experience at the Chickamauga Battlefield. I fully expect to be back again next year.

Past, Present and Future

2012-09-19T18:20:00.001-07:00

Inspired by my friend Amanda and her bliggity blogging ways, I thought I should check in here and post an update of sorts. Maybe even do it more than once. Since it's been a while I figured I'd throw out a quick entry about what I've been up to recently, what I'm currently doing and what's ahead.

Past

FIBArk Finish Line

Early this summer after the Country Music Marathon I replaced training with running, giving my legs a much deserved rest. I'm not sure I could go cold turkey like Geoff Roes advocates, but in the month of June my weekly mileage dipped into the teens and 20s. And I was taking not just one but sometimes even two days off per week.

Despite dialing things back, I still managed to fit in two races. The first one was the FIBArk 10k Trail Race in Salida, CO. I was almost 20 minutes slower than my typical road race time, but it was an absolute blast. There was a tough climb of 800' at high altitude over the first four miles; however, the reward of twists and turns on single-track trails made me feel like a kid again. Thumbs up for sure, and I really enjoyed having Kate there to support and encourage me. It was a great way to kick off our vacation in Crested Butte.

The second race was the Franklin Classic 10k in Franklin, TN. It was a hot mess out there with the oppressive humidity, but it, too, was a lot of fun. The best part of that one was crossing the finish line with Amanda, who took mercy on me at the end and let me catch up to her.

Franklin Classic 10k on Labor Day

Outside of racing I was thrilled to get in some Running Recon. All summer long I learned more and more about the routes in and around Franklin, TN, which has become a second home of sorts. Just the other day I did a medium-long run on the Stone River Greenway in Nashville, which I found to be really nice.

There was also the aforementioned trip to Colorado, where over the course of the week I checked out various trails and dirt roads. As I'd expected, running at 7800' was much different than the 350' I'm used to. Paces I'd normally associate with a zone 2 run saw my heart rate soaring into the 170s.

Finally, I had the opportunity to run up in Ithaca, NY when I took my daughter there for her college orientation. That may have been my favorite "running" experience all summer, as the weather was fantastic and they had some great rails-to-trails routes (1,2) to run. If I could find a way to summer there and winter in the south I'd give it serious consideration.

Present

These days you'll find me training in Alabama on the weekdays and Tennessee on most weekends. I've been loosely following Hal Higdon's Advanced Half Marathon Training Guide in preparation for the Montgomery Half coming up on October 6th. By loosely I mean that I glance at it on Mondays and just try to get close to what's on the schedule the rest of the week. My biggest deviations have been substituting my own speed workouts in place of his intervals and adding a few miles to each week's long run. I'm not sure if it'll work to my benefit yet, but time will tell. If I had to guess though, I'd say I'm not positioned to PR any races early in the season. No matter, I'll do the best I can and live with the consequences. At present I'm enjoying myself and don't intend to mess with that.

Future

So, in addition to the Montgomery Half that's coming up in a couple of weeks I'm also signed up to once again run the Chickamauga Battlefield Half Marathon over Veteran's Day weekend. As usual, I'm really excited to go to The Battlefield and "run through history." I had a pretty good half there last year (It was a training run where I cruised the first 4 then raced the last 9) and am looking to improve on my time. I think how well I do at Montgomery will determine how I train for it in the month leading up.

Beyond these two races I haven't decided on any others. I said I was going to take the year off from marathons, but recently noticed an inaugural race over in Greenville, MS that intrigued me. The Mississippi River Marathon, being held on February 9th, will start in Arkansas and end in Mississippi. And, of course, it crosses the Mississippi River. How cool is that? I definitely wouldn't race it, but it sounds too good to pass up. My long runs are already in the 15-16-17 range, so it wouldn't be a stretch to improvise some and make a good time of it.

I imagine I'll run a few more half marathons over the course of the fall and winter months, but haven't settled on anything yet. Hilary and Amanda are both after me to sign up for the Louisiana Half, but I'm not sold on it. I may also try to run in some of the Tennessee State Parks Running Tour, which is a series with events held at parks around the state. Others that I'll probably look for a race around Thanksgiving while I'm up in NH visiting family, but haven't done any searching yet.

Country Music Marathon Race Report

2012-04-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post of my dailymile entry about the CMM. Mostly for continuity's sake, though I've added a couple more thoughts at the end.

-------------------------------

Pre-Race Goodness!

An awesome race experience with Amanda M. Her second marathon, this one she was not-so-secretly attempting to finish under 4 hours. We knew going in the hills and expected heat might prevent that, but gave it a shot anyway.

Some of the highlights for me, besides having a great friend to run it with, were passing by and actually recognizing some places that hold meaning for me, like Union Station, the Frist Museum, Honky Tonk, Belmont University and PM. Also, the crowd support was excellent -- especially the first half. I was really impressed with the number of people lining the streets cheering us on, and there were tons of kids offering up high fives! I have to say, however, that the coolest thing that happened on the course was when we came across some nuns. There were about a dozen in their habits cheering on runners, and when I ran up to them asking for holy high fives they all really got into it! A final highlight was, of course, coming across Tim M. and Lincoln. It came at just the right time and gave us a lift for the next couple of miles.

Still Smiling at 16!

Starting out in corral 10, we did a great job of not locking in on pace, but on effort instead. Overall we maintained a 9-min/mi pace, but it fluctuated +/- 10-15 seconds each way due to the crowd and hills. At no point did I think we were going too fast or too slow, and a blessing in disguise came around mile 10 (?) when Amanda's Garmin memory first filled up and then died shortly after. She kept looking at her wrist out of habit, but was relegated to trusting me instead. We cruised uneventfully until about mile 20 when fatigue started to become a factor. I thought we both might fade in the later miles, especially when at mile 24 I hit the wall and started cramping in my legs at the same time. But Amanda done good when she beared down and began pulling away from me. I saw her glance back a couple of times, but she smartly ran her own race at the end and finished strong. I couldn't be prouder of her PR 3:57 finish time, which is a huge achievement considering the suboptimal conditions.

Overall I thought this was a pretty good race. I don't think I'll ever seek out another Rock 'n' Roll event, but given the number of people participating they did well. There was a timely start, good bands, plenty of aid stations and a decent finisher's chute. If you're looking for the party experience with thousands upon thousands of other runners, this race is for you.

-------------------------------

Updates:

After 5 or 6 miles Amanda's water bottle was empty and I started looking for water pitchers at aid stations to fill it up. Seeing one ahead I said to her, "take your top off!" She had no idea what I was talking about and said, "what?!?!" So, of course, I just repeated myself. But louder! "Take off your top! Take off your top!" When it finally became clear to her we weren't on Bourbon Street, she took the lid off her bottle and we got her topped off faster than a Nascar team.
Notable runners included Elvi (there were a couple of Elvis out there), a Chinese dragon, a soldier running (?) in full gear in honor of a fallen comrade, women in tutus, two guys in tuxedos, and a couple "getting married."

Mississippi 50 Race Report

2012-03-12T20:02:00.003-07:00

There are a lot of first timers signed up for the 50 miler. I'm sorry say that many of you will not finish it tomorrow. -- Dennis Bisnette, Race Director

Back in July of last year I had the pleasure of dinner with Mark (bamarunner) while he was in town on business. At some point the conversation turned to ultras, and before I knew it he'd put a bug in my ear about making the Mississippi 50 my first. It's an easy course, he said. You can even switch distances mid-race if you feel like it. It seemed like a good idea at the time, so I paid the suggestion forward to my friend, Dorothy. For some reason she took me seriously and signed up, and at that point my fate was sealed.

At no point did I consider doing the reasonable thing and attempting the 50k distance. That's "only" five miles more than a marathon, right? In my mind I already knew I could do a 50k, so the only choice was to sign up for the 50m. As has become a pattern of mine, I underestimated what I was getting myself into and was too overconfident. I neglected to consider how much of a factor running on trails would be, and that five miles was a hell of a long way after you've already done 26.2.

-----

Late Friday morning Dorothy rolled into town, we moved all her stuff into my car and then headed towards Laurel, MS. It had been a few months since we'd seen each other, so there was plenty to catch up on and she had me laughing most of the way. There were many quotable moments, but my favorite was when I asked if she was hungry and she replied, "my stomach is like a swallowing crocodile!"

After checking into our hotel and getting settled we headed over to the race HQ for packet pickup and the pasta dinner. I knew Mark was going to be there doing the 50k, but when he called asking for directions he said "we." I shouldn't have been surprised when he showed up with his partner in crime, Doug (SweetDaddyD), who was also tackling his first ultra the next day. He was smarter than me though, opting for the 50k.

L-R: Dorothy, Me, Bamarunner and SweetDaddyD!

Unlike your typical road race, there was no expo. Without fanfare we just picked up our race packets and fell into line for the standard meal of spaghetti, rolls, and salad with cookies and brownies for dessert. While the four of us chatted the race director went over everything we'd need to know for the next day and took a few questions. In all I think we were there for an hour before we headed back to our rooms for the night. I somehow managed to get a decent night's sleep despite a late, unexpected distress call from my daughter and heavy rains that pounded the rooftop.

-----

Up at 4:00 and out the door by 4:45, we made it to the race with about 45 minutes to spare. We checked in at the officials tent, got our dry bags loaded up and staged (Thanks, Hil!), and after a last-minute bathroom stop went over to the start line. We ran into Mark and Doug again, and a few minutes later were off into the twilight with an unceremonious start.

Although the weather conditions were almost ideal (50°/84%), it quickly became apparent the heavy rains from the night before were going to be a factor. The word of the day was mud, and it got tossed around like a baseball at spring training. It was around every turn and had the consistency of margarine. When you planted your foot not only would it slide and you'd have to steady yourself, but it clung to your shoes. Every time I exited one of the muddy stretches my feet felt like I was ready to sleep with the fishes. There were also a number of creek crossings, some of which came up to the middle of my thigh. They weren't as technically challenging and were good for rinsing off the mud from the exterior of my shoes. Unfortunately, that luxury was typically short lived with more muddy sections awaiting.

The first time I went around the big, 12.5 mile loop it a blast. We started around the middle of the pack and everyone was chatty. We struck up a conversation with a woman named Wendy the first couple of miles, and also talked at length with another guy who was a beer distributor. After Dorothy and I cleared the first aid station at mile 6 I became impatient with the pace. I didn't feel like I was running that fast, but kept pulling away from her. Finally, she told me to go ahead and I stupidly did. A rookie mistake, this turned out to be a huge regret. In hindsight I should have stayed with her, measured my pace and stuck to my original plan of running together. Instead, I let my natural pace lead me around the rest of the loop. I hopped, skipped and jumped around obstacles and felt like a little kid at the playground. Too bad the rest of the race didn't go the same way.

The second time around the big loop started out well. A few minutes before I arrived at the start/finish area the 20K race had started, so I got to fly past some of the walkers. I was still having fun until I again ran into the mud, which was now even worse having had over 250 people trample through it. It was becoming more difficult to skirt the edges, as the pits had grown in both length and width. Still, I kept pushing on and felt strong until about mile 23. At that point, however, my splits started to slow some. I finished the second loop and completed 25 miles in 4 hours flat. I was a little surprised when I saw that number on the clock at the check-in station.

When I started the big loop for the third time I was dreading the mud I knew awaited me. Sure enough, it was somehow worse than the second time. There was no getting around it, and every step was getting more and more painful on my quads, who weren't used to all the extra time my feet were contacting the ground. In a road race on solid footing my foot touches the ground for a fraction of a second, but in the mud I had to plant and then fight my shoes as they slid around underneath me for an extra second or two. It all was starting to add up and take its toll. It's hard saying what my splits were when you figure in the time I stopped at aid stations to eat, drink and collect myself, but the Garmin data suggests my last moving miles were in the 13- to 14-minute/mile range.

L-R: Bamarunner, me and SweetDaddyD

By the time I hit mile 35 or 36 my feet were screaming and my quads failing. I was having difficulty lifting my shoes up to clear small obstacles along the path, and my legs started buckling underneath me when I planted. I reached the end of my third loop, stopped at the check-in station and tried to process what was happening to me. I asked myself if there was any way I could run another 12.5 miles. Would the next two trips around the small loop be any different than the big loop? I hadn't seen them yet, so I had no way of knowing. Could my feet take any more of running on insoles caked with mud? I've experienced a hazy state of mind for a few minutes after completing a marathon, but at this moment the fog showed no sign of lifting. I remember the sensation of my teeth tingling. What the heck does that mean? I hoped Dorothy would come around the corner and make my decision for me, but she didn't. Slowly I turned around and told the race director that I was done. He asked if I was sure, and after I confirmed it he handed me a 50k finishers medal and an Amphipod water bottle. 37.5 miles and done.

Shoes, socks and inserts. They actually
felt "clean" compared to most of the day.

Right after I threw in the towel I turned around and noticed Doug and Mark cross the finish line to end their race. We talked for a few, and about 25 minutes later Dorothy completed her third loop looking strong. I confirmed that I'd dropped and encouraged her to keep going. She disappeared into the woods while the three of us talked some more and got our photo taken. After the guys left I went to the car and spent at least 30 minutes changing out my muddy shoes. It was a painstaking task, and what I found in my shoes - which were relatively clean - was so unbelievable that I had to snap a picture. Now that I've read a few others' race reports I see I wasn't the only one with that brilliant idea.

50m. Tough. As. Nails.

Dorothy completed her fourth loop, but this time when she passed the start/finish area she didn't look so hot. I transitioned to support crew mode and got her some Gatorade from the car, trying to be supportive. My encouragement wasn't really needed though. "I may have to walk the rest of the way," she said, and it was understood from the look on her face that the course wasn't going to win. At the 10:08 mark she rounded the last bend in the road and slowly walked up to the finish line. As she waited to receive her belt "buggle" she reminded me of a victorious, yet weary prize fighter standing over her defeated opponent.

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As I already mentioned, one of my regrets for this race was not staying with Dorothy and managing my pace better. Although the rolling course and abundant mud certainly taxed my legs, I wonder if I could have squeezed out the last 12 miles with a disciplined partner and a smarter approach.

"It hurts to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." -- Ann Trason

A second regret that ate away at me a couple of days after the race was my decision to drop. I knew going into the race it was going to be mentally taxing and painful, but I wasn't prepared for the degree. Hindsight is 20/20, and thinking back on that moment at the check-in station I wondered if I truly was done for the day. Could I have kept going? Did I sell myself short? There's nothing I can do about it now, so the only thing to do is learn from the experience and apply those lessons next time. Yes. Next time.

Things I was happy with included my fueling. I didn't experiment with eating real foods prior to the race, and threw caution to the wind when the time came. I ate pretzels, chips, M&Ms, gummi bears, Saltines with peanut butter and bananas, and never had GI issues. I made sure to consume just a little at each aid station so as not to overdo it, and that seemed to work for me. Another thing that turned out well was taking Hammer gels. I'd never tried them before, but they didn't give me any trouble, either. Even better, at no point did I feel like I'd hit the wall. I had decent energy throughout.

Hydration wasn't a problem for me, either. Most of the time I stuck to water, and I popped an S!Cap every hour or so. And when I got tired of water I'd let the aid station volunteers (Awesome!) fill my bottle with Heed. Between these two tactics I was able to fend off the sensations of impending cramping I felt in my hamstrings every once in a while.

Finally, for a couple of months leading up to the race I fretted about what shoes I should wear. I tested out a pair of Adidas adiZero XT 3 (admitted Adidas fan boy here) back in January, but ended up returning them. I then tried some Brooks PureGrit that were designed with input from Scott Jurek. I didn't fall in love with them immediately (35 miles total), but race day was fast approaching and I decided to at least put them in my bag. When faced with the decision to use them or some old Brooks Adrenaline ASR hybrid shoes I figured they were the best option for the conditions. They ended up performing well for me, offering adequate lateral traction under the conditions and I came away relatively unscathed. I'll continue putting them to the test on future runs to see how well they perform on dry trails.

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As we ate our dinner Friday night I shook my head defiantly when Dennis said many of us wouldn't finish the next day. As it so happened, he knew what he was talking about. Of the 114 people that started the 50 mile race the next morning, 36 didn't complete the entire distance. And I was one of them. It may take me a couple of years to get back to the De Soto National Forest, but I fully expect to redeem myself one day. Maybe next time there won't be quite so much mud.

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Postscript. Though you won't find the same amenities as you would a road race, the MS50 delivered in every way. I was thoroughly impressed with the course, volunteers and how well organized and executed everything was. Kudos to the race director and everyone that made it all happen behind the scenes. Carl Touchstone must have been quite the man to have a race like this held in his honor.

Callaway Gardens Half Marathon Race Report

2012-02-03T05:20:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I paid my first visit to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA, and ran in the "Fitness Series" half marathon held within the 13,000 acre resort community. Since I've been slightly (barely) more focused on preparing for an upcoming ultra marathon, I was pleased when my friend Janie accepted my offer to pace her.

Warm Up

Amanda the Stowaway

I headed over Saturday afternoon and along the way picked up a hitchhiker in Opelika. The McQueens caught up with me at Starbucks, and before I knew it Amanda and I were on our way while Tim and Lincoln continued on listening to the soothing sounds of NPR. We took the scenic route to the expo (No, I wasn't lost. I still had gas.), picked up our race packets and then scouted most of the course until we stumbled upon the hotel. Off to an interesting, but good start!

After checking in and coordinating plans through a text messaging blitz our entire group met up in the hotel lobby for drinks. Shortly after that we all made our way to the Carriage and Horses Restaurant for dinner. I'd researched restaurants a few days before, and had a hunch it would be a better option than Three Lil Pigs BBQ or the Whistling Pig Cafe. Fortunately, it was a hit. The food and service were good, and the entertainment was out of this world. The two-man band that took requests wasn't too bad, either. ;)

The Crew!

We all met up at the huge tent by the starting line on Sunday morning and took some photos for posterity. I looked around for fellow dailymiler, Skip, as I knew he was there for his first half marathon, but couldn't find him anywhere in the small crowd. Janie and I then went out for a warm-up run, last-minute bathroom breaks and stopped by the car to drop off extra clothing. As we made our way to the starting line a man approached me with his hand outstretched. Seeing the confused look on my face, Skip re-introduced himself! I didn't recognize him because he'd lost so much weight!

Race

The race began promptly at 8am (contrary to what I read on an Active.com review) and the course took us past Robin Lake on our right. The pace was a little quicker than what I wanted in the early miles, but considering the gentle descent we were still doing just fine.

Normally, this is where I'd dissect my race. But since it was Janie's and I was just along for the ride, I'll comment only on the event itself.

The Course: I thought it was great. Even though everything was dormant it was still pretty, and I really liked the elevation. The hills we encountered from miles 5 thru 8 were challenging, though not insurmountable. There were a couple of tight turns that made things interesting, but overall it was a good course.
Aid Stations: While there were plenty, I was surprised to find that volunteers at them were not handing drinks to the participants. Instead, they just had cups of water and Gatorade sitting on the tables and you had to find what you were looking for. It wasn't an issue for me since I wasn't racing, but I could see where someone serious about their time would be peeved. Once I figured out what was going on I told Janie to continue on and started grabbing a cup of water for each of us.

Another thing about the aid stations I didn't like was the placement of a couple of them. At least two were on tight turns that created bottlenecks. At one of them I accidentally stepped in front of someone after picking up cups. I hate being that guy.
Finish Line: It seemed like the only normal thing going on at the finish line was the announcer calling out finisher's names. After Janie and I crossed we stood just beyond the timing mats trying to collect ourselves. All of a sudden I heard a young man asking us for our timing bracelets. Most races have the volunteers take them off for you, and for good reason. Even though I wasn't the mess I usually am after a race, I still had a difficult time removing them first from my leg and then hers'.

About 10-15 minutes later I realized we didn't have our finishers' medals. I looked around and noticed that nobody else did, either. We made our way back to the finish and a single woman was there handing them out as quickly as she could. It was kind of comical.
Awards Ceremony: I've never seen an awards ceremony begin early before, but that's exactly what they did. A few of us had gone back to the hotel to quickly shower up and change, and even though we returned a few minutes before 11am, they'd already started.

Also strange was that they didn't give out awards to overall winners or masters/senior-masters groups. Everything was strictly by age group.

Cool Down

Post-Race Glow!

Afterwards we all gathered inside the tent, trying to recover. Skip finished just a minute after Janie and me, and I really enjoyed hearing about how his first half marathon went. It was also great seeing his wife, Susan, and their three daughters, and thrilling to hear that Erin had won the 5k earlier!

As the rest of our "crew" filed into the tent it was fun hearing about their races. It turned out that Barbara won her age group and Amanda took second in hers! A great day all around!

So, what was the outcome of Janie's race? Well, she kicked ass. All the hard work she put in training the weeks leading up paid off with a PR, 3rd place overall female finish and she won her age group!

Goal Achieved!

I've had the opportunity to pace people at a few races now, and whenever I offer I'm amused at the surprised looks I get. I guess it's difficult to understand why anyone would "give up" their race to help someone else? Thing is, I think there are few things better than helping someone achieve their goals. If I'd run my own race I wouldn't have this shared experience with Janie. I wouldn't have been there in the early miles to chat and see how effortlessly they went by for her. I would have missed seeing how she dealt with all the challenges the course threw at her. And witnessing her dig deep the last couple of miles and finish strong never would have happened. Racing for myself is fun, challenging and sometimes rewarding, but it can pale in comparison to seeing someone else realize their goals.

Edit: Roxy's comment below made me realize that in my haste to wrap this report up I neglected to make clear how much I enjoyed the event. The few shortcomings I outlined above didn't detract from a great experience overall, and I'd recommend this race to anyone looking for a challenging, fun half marathon.

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For another perspective on this race check out this great review by Scott Sarisky. And as soon as Amanda gets around to posting her report I'll add a link to it --> here!

Rocket City Marathon Race Report

2011-12-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend I ran in my target race for this season, the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL. Heading into it with a PR of 3:32:10, my goal was to qualify for Boston with a time of 3:15:00, the new standard for the 40-44 male age group. I knew I had little to no chance of accomplishing that, but I'll get to that later.

Preparation

After following Hal Higdon's Advanced-II training schedule for previous marathons, this time I decided to try Pete Pfitzinger's 55 miles per week, 18-week schedule. Even though I felt adequately prepared for my other races, I wanted to change things up this cycle to see if I really was getting the most out of my training. In the end I'm not sure I felt any better on race day than I did previous ones, but that might be because I've grown more accustom to the training load. Anyway, I did prefer Pete's approach much more than Hal's, and if you're looking for an excellent comparison of the two look no further than Greg Strosaker's Marathon Training Plan Throwdown – Higdon versus Pfitzinger.

Applying Lessons Learned

In my previous attempts to qualify for Boston I ran into dehydration roadblocks. In my first marathon I had severe cramping starting at mile 19. I thought it was because I hadn't hydrated enough, so for my second race I focused on taking in more water and Gatorade. While that event went better than the first, I still cramped in the later miles and had to slow down a lot to keep my legs from seizing up. Frustrated, I researched the problem extensively and found it may have been more attributable to electrolyte depletion. As someone who sweats profusely during a race, my body was losing the nutrients needed to tell the water I was drinking where to go. With this knowledge I started experimenting with Succeed S!Caps, hoping they were the panacea.

Trying New Things

A few weeks into my training I visited PT Solutions and took a VO2max test. I did so to learn more about my fitness level and because I wanted to properly tailor my workouts, which were prescribed in relation to my maximal heart rate or heart rate reserve. I came away from it with a wealth of new information, some of which I wasn't prepared to receive. The good news was that I was in great shape and now had solid data to base my workouts on. The bad news was that science said my heart wasn't efficient enough to achieve my goal. I have to admit, reading those words planted a seed of doubt in my mind that I've never had to deal with before. Still, I persevered and executed my workouts the best I could. Although my VO2max could be increased through proper training, it was too late to do so this cycle.

Day Before The Race

Amanda, Dick Beardsley and Me

I drove up to Huntsville Friday afternoon, checked into my hotel and then walked across the street to join a running group for tour of the downtown historical sights. As I approached the host hotel I looked up to see Amanda aiming her camera at me. We were chatting for a few minutes when I noticed a man come out of the building that looked familiar. Someone I knew was supposed to be at the event. Under the guise of looking for the running group, I approached and then asked if he was who I thought he was. It turned out I was right and he was Dick Beardsley! He was very accommodating and friendly, and spent a few minutes talking with me and Amanda. We even got Amanda's husband, Tim, to snap a photo of us before he headed out for his run. Very cool!

After the stop-and-go historical tour I did a couple extra miles with striders and then cleaned up for the pasta dinner. The meal was typical and I enjoyed the company of James C., his wife, Penny, and Keith K. The best part of the evening however, was the guest speaker - Dick Beardsley, of course. :) He began with a 10-minute highlight video of the 1982 "Duel In The Sun" Boston Marathon, and then delivered a moving talk about how he got into running, the many obstacles he's overcome and what he's up to now with the Dick Beardsley Foundation. Since he was signing autographs after, I walked back to my room, retrieved my copy of the book Duel In The Sun, and then got in line. It turned out out I was the last person of the night, so I had the privilege of talking with him for about 15-20 minutes while he packed up for the night. It was a great experience and I was grateful he signed my book with a quote from his speech I found particularly inspirational:

"When you wake in the morning have a smile on your face, enthusiasm in your voice, joy in your heart and faith in your soul."

Race Day

Pre-Race Posterity Photo

One of the reasons I chose this race was because it's held in December and would be cooler than a November event. Well, the temperature was near perfect, but a stiff head wind was expected to be a challenge once we began the trip north at the turn. I wasn't looking forward to this, but lacking the superpowers necessary to change the weather accepted it as part of the deal.

After a brief warm-up just prior to the start I found Barbara, Amanda, James and Kaitlin in the crowd and wished them good luck. I then made my way towards the front, shed a layer I realized wasn't necessary and handed it off to my super awesome good friend/cheerleader/motivator/believer/attendant, Hilary. WOOT! Finally, I sidled up to the 3:15 pace group.

The first 16 miles of the race went very well. Adrenaline got me through the first couple of uncomfortable miles, but after that I loosened up and everything felt great. The Nike Pace Team leader, David O'Keefe, seemed to settle and surge some, but overall he did a great job of keeping us at an average 7:23/mile pace. I preserved my energy by talking very little and focusing on form, and made sure to hydrate and take my S! Caps on schedule.

It was near the 17-mile mark that I started to run out of steam. I wasn't cramping this time, but it became harder to maintain pace and I slowly watched the group pull away from me. Was it miles 15 and 16, the first ones running into the wind? Or could it have been the barely perceptible 1% climb over that same distance? I doubt it. In the end I think science prevailed and my heart just couldn't keep up with the demands. To paraphrase something Quinn Millington of PT Solutions once told me, heart rate increases over distance due to a decrease in fluid levels. Even though we take in fluids, it's difficult to maintain that base as we're racing. As fluid levels drop the heart pumps faster because there's is less blood to pump. And unfortunately, our hearts can sustain these demands for only so long. For me it appears I found that threshold just a tiny bit short of 26.2 miles.

The rest of the race was challenging, but at least I wasn't cramping like I did in previous marathons. I did get charlie horses twice in my hamstrings, but each time was able to quickly stretch them out and push on. My spirits were lifted a couple of times when I encountered Duane, Tim and Hilary on the course cheering me on, and goal bargaining kept me moving towards the finish. Do any of you do this? Once I realized I wouldn't make 3:15 I used last year's qualifying time of 3:20 as my carrot. Next I aimed for my future 45-49 age group time of 3:25. Finally, I resorted to shooting for a sub-3:30 and a PR. When it was all said and done, I finished in 3:27:09, which was good enough for 136/1150 overall and 29/146 in my age group.

After I crossed the finish line I was shepherded down the chute, given a space blanket, finishers cap and medal, and then taken inside by Hilary. In my post-race stupor she guided me to the food and then was kind enough to run to my car and retrieve a bottle of Nesquik. While she was gone I steadied myself against the wall, trying to force down some food. A woman to my right was near a cooler of water bottles, so I asked if she'd pass me one. She did, but by that point my hands were full and I just stared at it trying to figure out how to open it. Bending down and setting some things on the floor was out of the question, as were any other logistics requiring brain power. Lucky for me, a race volunteer had been watching me gaze at the bottle from across the room and rushed over to save the day. Small victories!

The worst part of the day began about 20 minutes after I finished. As I was sitting in the banquet room trying to refuel I got the dehydration shakes. I wasn't cold, but was trembling uncontrollably and got sick at one point. If I hadn't gone through the same thing after previous races I'd have sought medical attention. As it was, I kept forcing myself to drink more water until I finally stabilized about 45 minutes later. It amazes me that this occurred considering how careful I was about taking in water during the race. At many aid stations I was even taking in two cups of water.

Crisis averted, I showered up and joined Amanda, Tim, Duane, James and Kaitlin for a post-race celebration at Sam & Greg's Pizzeria downtown. Not only did we have a great time rehashing the day's events, but the pizza was great, too. I recommend you check them out if you're looking for a quaint, local alternative to the pizza chains.

Race Review

I thought this race was extremely well executed and would recommend it to anyone that hasn't tried it yet.

Highlights:

Packet pick-up was efficient and the expo, though small, was adequate.
The pasta dinner was decent, consisting of the usual fare.
The guest speaker was outstanding.
The start of the race was well organized and took place on time.
Aid stations were spaced perfectly. Except in the late miles, where they seemed to be farther apart. Oh, wait. Yeah, I guess I was running a lot slower by that point. :p
Crowd support was good for a small race of 1500 registered runners.
The charcoal grey race shirt for men is pretty nice and I like the finishers' hat, too.
The finishers' medal is attractive.
The volunteer support was well coordinated and abundant.
The post-race food and facilities were excellent.

Lowlights:

Apparently, the white version of the race shirt for women is a little too thin and transparent for their liking.
The course itself isn't all that scenic. It ran mostly through neighborhoods, and there was a 4-mile stretch along Baily Cove Rd that many didn't care for.

Aftermath

I said going into this race that it would probably be my last marathon for a while. The long training schedules I've been following the past year and half have have worn on me, and I'm ready to move on to other things. I plan on putting in roughly the same amount of miles, but with less structure. I'll probably be sacrificing faster race times, but I really don't care. On the horizon are a couple of half marathons, and in March I'm going to attempt my first 50-miler. At the 26-mile mark yesterday the thought of that was absurd, but already it's starting to sound like a good idea again.

Run Happy!

Marathon Training Begins. Again.

2011-08-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

This week marks the first of my 18-week training plan for the Rocket City Marathon on December 10th, and I wanted to jot down a few things for posterity and future reflection.

Training Plan

After some failed attempts at qualifying for Boston last year I've decided to stray from my Hal Higdon comfort zone and, at the urging of other, faster runners, give Pete Pfitzinger at try. No, I don't feel like Hal let me down - his Advanced II plan was challenging and took my fitness to a level I'd never seen before. But after a couple of cycles it became routine and I felt like I'd plateaued.

Last weekend I spent a considerable amount of time reviewing Advanced Marathoning, soaking in Pfitzy's philosophies, figuring paces and preparing my calendar. I really llike the rounded approach to training the book covers. It wasn't just a collection of training plans, but addressed in depth the elements of training, nutrition and hydration, and balancing training and recovery. It's that last part - balancing training and recovery - that I feel sets his plan apart from Hal's. I'm used to running 6-7 days per week, but that won't be the case under Pfitz. Each week includes two rest or cross-training days, and my expectation is to do one of each depending on how I'm feeling.

Without going into too much depth, here are a couple of things I've taken notice of:

Unlike Hal Higdon's plans, there are no training days dedicated solely to intervals or hills. Instead, speed work is integrated into general aerobic runs in the form of 100m strides or longer intervals within VO2max runs. I like this very much.
There's a time to push the limits and a time to recover. Sure, Hal did this too, but it feels more pronounced in this plan. The book stresses the importance of the hard/easy principle - one or more hard days followed by one or more easy days.
Each type of run in under Pfitz' plan is discussed in precise relationship to pace or heart rate. Currently I'm trying to execute each workout according to pace; however, I hope to switch over to heart rate once I get my VO2max tested at PT Solutions in Montgomery. I'm just waiting on the machine to return from Atlanta.

Injury Challenges

There are both good and bad developments on this front. The strained adductor I struggled with last training cycle is almost 100% healed. I can feel it a little on some hard weight training days, but diligent stretching has done wonders. Another minor issue I recently dealt with that seems to have faded away is some discomfort in my left knee. It never really bothered me while running, but there was a noticeable pain when I tried to stretch my hamstring. This, too, has subsided over the past few weeks.

What's ugly is what I believe to be plantar fasciitis of my right foot. I'm not exactly sure what brought it on, but I have a lot of discomfort in my arch just forward of my heel. Mostly it aches throughout the day, but every so often when I least expect it there's a searing flash of pain that's enough to make me stop whatever it is I'm doing and grit my teeth. I've been trying everything under the sun to help it along, but so far no luck. Icing, footwear with more support, rolling it on an iced bottle, wearing a night splint to keep it stretched out, icing, Ibuprofen and, of course, more icing are part of my routine now. What's that you say? Oh, yes, I've tried that, too. The only thing I haven't done is see an actual doctor. A podiatrist friend said I could run through the injury, assuming what I had was PF. I've choosen to believe him. Everything I've read says this will be with me 6-8 months, so I figure my only choice is to manage it as best I can.

Equipment

The only major change in equipment this training cycle is footwear. Last year this time I was running in nothing but minimalist shoes, like the Saucony Kinvara and Saucony Fastwitch. I don't know what, if any, affect they had on my foot issue, but right now they're on the shelf along with some new Newton Gravity trainers in favor of shoes with more support. I've been running in some old favorites, Adidas AdiZero Mana, and recently added the Mizuno Elixir 6 performance stability trainers to the rotation. The latter, with ample arch support, seem to be helping so far.

Nutrition

My downfall at previous marathons was leg cramping. It was so severe I could barely walk, let alone run. I tried to combat it with better hydration, but sucking down Gatorade at aid stations just prolonged the cramping a little and disagreed with my stomach. Since then I've done some research and believe my problem to be insufficient electrolyte replacement, primarily in the form of sodium. I'm a heavy sweater, and without it my body doesn't know what to do with all the water in my stomach. Enter Succeed S! Caps, which I've been using with good results the past few months and look forward to testing over the coming weeks.

So, that's it for now. With any luck I'll complete this training cycle without incident and lasso the elusive BQ I've been trying to catch. That said, at present I'm thinking this may be my only marathon this season. If I don't qualify for Boston I may shelve the pursuit until the next age bracket. Marathon training consumes too much of my life and I want the flexibility to enter more half marathons and maybe even take on an ultra. Everything's up in the air right now, though.

Run For The Heroes - Run Across Georgia Report

2011-06-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

This past Memorial Day weekend I joined a seven other runners and three of the best support crew members a relay team could ask for in the Run For The Heroes - Run Across Georgia. Together we made our way from Columbus to Savannah, pushing our physical and mental limits in the name of raising awareness and funds for the House of Heroes.

After most races of significance I'll post an after report talking about the event itself, how I fared and lessons I took away from it. But this wasn't most races. Unlike others, I was able to post my progress along the way on dailymile (legs:1/2/3/4/5/6) and get feedback from family and friends. By the time it was over I felt like I'd worn out my welcome, and figured there was no point in rehashing it all over again in my blog. So, instead of doing that I'm going to attempt to recall some of the highlights instead.

Eat like a Kenyan, Run like a Kenyan?

Race weekend began for me late Friday afternoon when I got to Columbus. Andy and his wife, Kellye, invited me to stay the night at their house, so I took them up on the offer. I arrived around 5:30 and after unpacking a couple of things Andy and I drove over to our team captain Dorothy's house for dinner. A native of Kenya, Dorothy had offered to cook us a meal of ugali, curried beef stew and cabbage. When it was ready she instructed us to wash our hands, a motherly nudge which sounded a little odd coming from someone I didn't know very well. A few minutes later the reason became apparent - we were expected to eat with our hands like a Kenyan! Famished, I happily dug in and made short work of the meal and even went back for seconds. It was excellent, and secretly I hoped it would make me run like a Kenyan over the weekend.

The Miracle Runners

The alarm went off at 4am Saturday after a fitful night of little sleep. We got to the race start line at the National Infantry Museum at 5:15am and I was introduced to Mike and Ashley, teammates I had yet to meet. There was a lot of commotion and a last-minute briefing to attend to, so we didn't get to talk. There was a short prayer, an incredible a capella rendition of The Star Spangled Banner by the husband of a racer, and lots of photos taken. Before I knew it it was 6am and time for the race to begin. Andy, our leg # 1 racer, was visibly nervous as he toed the line, and within a few minutes he and runners from eight other teams took off. The hunt was on to catch seven other teams that had departed earlier at 4am!

This is the point of the report where it gets tricky. If I attempted to recount the next 34 hours 25 minutes of our race this would be the longest post in history. There's just too much, so here are some of the things that stand out in my memory.

Me and Mike Buteau

I had the good fortune to finally meet Mike Buteau in person, a guy I knew through dailymile. I easily recognized him at transition # 3 from his picture and introduced myself. He proved to be every bit the engaging personality and crazy fast runner I'd expected, and it was great seeing him throughout and after the race. I hope we're able to run into each other again in the future.

The hills in west Georgia were long, relentless and humbling. I think our # 4 racer, Chelsea, drew the worst legs, but everyone got a taste of them. Looking back at my GPS data I see they ranged in grade from 2% to 4%. That might not sound like much until you realize each one seemed to be a half mile to a mile long, and they kept coming one after another.

At the Red Hill Baptist Church we had our first opportunity to sit and talk with another team. We met Hannah, Stephanie and Beth from the Sweaty Sistas and got to know each other while swatting away the gnats. Speaking of which, they, like the hills, were relentless. The only place to escape them was under a curtain that had been sprayed with DEET.

Transition # 15 at Elko Boggin was where I fell in love with a lab retriever. She was the friendliest, most gentle dog I've ever come across. She came when called, ate up the attention and appeared to have a perpetual smile on her face. If it weren't for the collar around her neck I might have coaxed her into the van.

Me at the end of leg # 5

My most challenging and rewarding leg was # 5 from the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in Collins to the United House of Prayer in Bellville. After unsuccessfully attempting to locate a bathroom I had to hustle to the transition point because Chelsea was within sight. She handed off to me and I saw the runner from Team Sua Sponte in the distance, maybe a half mile ahead of me. It didn't take but a few steps before I experienced a sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen. It hurt so much I winced and was afraid I'd have to stop and walk. I slowed my pace to about a 9-min/mile and breathed in as deeply as I could, hoping it would go away. I did this over and over the first mile and a half, watching the other runner pad his lead. Eventually the sharp pain was replaced with an ache and I was able to speed up. I hadn't had the opportunity to chase anyone down on the other legs, so I knew I needed to take advantage. I slowly reeled him in over the next few miles and finally passed him at the 5-mile mark. After a quick fist bump of respect I pulled away and put a few minutes between us over the last couple of miles. I later learned from one of his teammates that not only was he an Army Ranger, but one of their best. And if you're wondering, Sua Sponte is the Ranger motto. It means "Of Their Own Accord" in Latin.

I had just finished my final leg at the Chevron in Poole and was standing by the van trying to cool down. An older model car pulled up and a woman got out. She approached me and Ashley and asked if we were running for the House of Heroes. I was still in a bit of a fog, but replied that, yes, we were. She then handed me a $10 bill and thanked me for what we were doing. I quickly asked her name, and she said it was Sharlene. She went on to tell us that her brother-in-law was a disabled veteran and that he and her sister had been helped by the organization. For this encounter to occur at the end of my last run really reinforced what we were there for. I frequently thought of the vets we were helping throughout the race, but seeing Sharlene look me in the eye and express her gratitude like that resonated with me.

The morning after the race Tim and I got a chance to sit and have coffee with John Teeples and his wife, Melissa. Not only did he run the entire 260 miles across Georgia, but he's the organizer of the race and champion for the House of Heroes. It was a pleasure to speak with him and hear about trek across the state. I was taken by how gentle a man he was. Or maybe he was just really, really tired.

To wrap this up I'd like to say I truly enjoyed getting to know all of my teammates and our support crew. Even though I was the outsider of the group I never felt like one. I started writing things about each of them that stood out, but quickly realized I would be adding a couple of pages to this post. Instead I'll just say I was impressed with each and every one of them. Going into this thing you know you're going to run the gamut of emotions, but witnessing it happen and how pure exhaustion reveals true character was something to behold. Were there trying moments? Sure, but I don't believe for a minute anyone forgot why we were there and how much we depended on one another. It was a privilege to be included in this group, and I'm grateful I had the opportunity.

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One last thing. If you ever decide to participate in a long-distance relay race like this here are a couple of tips.

Bring along The Stick. If you don't own one, get one. It helps squeeze out the lactic acid buildup in your muscles and speeds recovery. I recommend the 20" Marathon Stick for runners.
If it's expected to be hot (or even not) make sure you have a way to replace electrolyte loss. I'm a fan of Succeed! S! Caps, and members of my team appreciated them.
Again, if it's hot you absolutely must have sponges soaked in freezing water on hand to pass out every mile.
I brought a towel for each leg of my race, which wasn't necessary. Everyone gets so gross that it doesn't take long for a few towels to be shared over and over again.
If you're going to use water coolers that don't have screw-on tops, make sure the driver knows about them. :)
Yes, bring more than one pair of shoes and socks. And at least a couple of extra shirts/singlets to change into.
Car chargers with multiple USB ports are good for powering multiple phones at once.

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And here are a couple of more photos from the race. I'll post others as they become available.

Andy handing off to Tim

Ashley

Joanne

Tim

Sports Watch Idea

2011-05-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

You just finished your race and are exhausted. Staggering to the refreshments table, you grab a bottle of water and a banana in hopes they will speed along your quest to become coherent again. About the time the time your world stops spinning, a friend approaches and asks how you did. You glance down at your watch and realize - dang! - you forgot to press the stop button!

Yes, this is me at the
end of my first half mary.

It was your first half marathon. You trained for weeks, had a great race and are now anxiously waiting for the photos to be posted. The notification e-mail finally hits your inbox and you click through to see yourself in that moment of glory - the finish line photo. You scan the tiny, thumbnail images, see the one with the banner stretched over your head and click to enlarge it. The image that pops up on your screen is a huge disappointment, as you realize your photo was snapped at the precise moment you looked down to turn off your watch. Welcome to the club, we'll have you fitted for a jacket.

As I crossed the finish line timing mat at the Jubilee CityFest 8k yesterday an idea popped in my head that sports watch manufacturers might consider: an automatic stop feature. Though I'm no electronics engineer, it doesn't seem it would be difficult to integrate this into their products if they worked with chip timing system manufacturers. These systems basically consist of a passive chip you wear and a device that activates it. The piece that activates the chip, which is usually a mat you run over at the finish line, does so by emitting a radio frequency. If the watch could detect this signal it could be used to stop the timer, right?

Some chip system makers put
their transponders in arches or towers.

It sounds simple in theory, but I realize some kinks would need to be worked out. For instance, what about devices scattered about the course to record timing splits? Obviously, they would have to operate on a different frequency, so as not to prematurely stop the watch. But even this presents an opportunity! What if your watch could record accurate, certified splits instead of relying on inexact GPS coordinates?

What do you think? Am I off my rocker or have I come up with the next big thing in sports watch technology? I have to think a bigger brain has already thought of the idea. Can you think of other ways to achieve this or expand on the idea? Sound off in the comments.

Run For The Heroes - Run Across Georgia

2011-05-15T04:35:00.000-07:00

A few months ago when my friend Andy asked if I'd be interested in joining a relay team for a run across Georgia I jumped at the chance. I didn't know anything about it, other than it started in Columbus and ended in Savannah, but a long-distance event like this was something I'd been wanting to do. A few clicks later I'd learned more about the race and the nonprofit organization we'd be raising funds for, House of Heroes.

Starting at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 28th, our team, the Miracle Runners, will be running some 260 miles in the Run For The Heroes - Run Across Georgia. Joined by our support team we will be racing around the clock, hoping to beat the 40-hour cutoff time and 15 other teams (total: 9 military, 7 civilian).

I've had a few people ask me how this relay works, so here are the details. Each of us will run 6 relay segments in a sequential rotating order. The length of each segment ranges anywhere from 3 to 8 miles, and we'll all put in a minimum of 30 miles apiece. If someone gets hurt and has to drop out all other runners are moved up a slot and absorb that person's miles over the remainder of the race.

Now, to the important stuff. Why are we racing? The answer is to promote and raise funds for the House of Heroes. It's a charitable organization that assists disabled veterans and their spouses by performing household repairs, maintenance and improvements and no cost to them. They do everything from painting and cleaning to installing access ramps and repairing basic appliances. Considering the service these vets have given to our country, I'd say what we're doing is a very small way of showing our appreciation.

So, the eight of us are are doing our part, but what about you? What can you do to show your appreciation for those that have sacrificed for your freedom? All we ask is that you make a donation to the House of Heroes. You can do so in the name of our team by one of the following methods:

1. Make a donation online. Click the button below to be taken to PayPal where you can make a secure contribution. In the memo section please note our team name, Miracle Runners, so that accurate records of donations can be kept.

2. Print and mail in a donation form. There's no place for it on the form, but again, please note our team name somewhere on the page.

With the important stuff out of the way, on to the fun stuff. Want to see the Miracle Runners in action? There are a couple of ways you can follow us as we make our way from the National Infantry Museum in Columbus to Emmett Park in Savannah. You can track us online by visiting this page where the map below will be constantly updated with our progress. You can also view the map separately in your browser by clicking on this link, or even on your mobile device with this one.

Another way to track our progress is to join us on Facebook. We'll be posting updates and photos along the way!

We're looking forward to this challenge and hope that you'll take an interest of your own. Thanks for your support, no matter what form it comes in!

Your Miracle Runners are:

- Dorothy Cheruiyot, Captain
- Ashley Arnold
- Chelsea Buttram
- Joanne English
- Timmy English
- Mike Gerber
- Andy Sparks
- Drew Trachy

If you have any questions for the team please post them in the comments or on our Facebook page. We'll respond as quickly as possible.

Jesse Owens Memorial Park

2011-04-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Ever since I became a more serious runner (all things relative, people) I've taken an interest in the sport and our community as a whole. I'll never be one to spout significant names, dates and times off the cuff, but I do enjoy learning about the history of running and the present day ongoings. The legend of Phidippides, Steve Prefontaine in Munich, the Duel in the Sun, the Wanamaker Mile - these are some of the things I've studied up on that provide a foundation for what I do, as well as inspiration to do more. So, when on a recent road trip I had the opportunity to visit the Jesse Owens Memorial Park in Oakville, AL, I knew I had to make time.

Plaque at the base of
the replica 1936 Olympic
torch. Click to enlarge.

Before going I did some homework by reading over the museum's web site. Chock full of information, I found it to be an excellent resource. Like most people, I knew Jesse Owens was one of our country's greatest Olympians. I was also aware he had won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics and consequently embarrassed Adolph Hiltler. But but beyond this I was pretty ignorant. After only a few minutes on the site I found out about his humble upbringing and how blessed he was to survive the first six years of his life. I also learned how dominant an athlete he was in college. With so much information available online I resolved to find something during my visit that could only be obtained by going there.

I turned into the park and drove past the small visitor's center up a long drive to the museum. As I approached the doors I was disappointed to see it was closed. Though the posted hours suggested it should have been open a couple of hours by then, the lights were out and the doors were locked. I figured I would at least make the best of things and look around the exterior, but before I could get around the corner a car pulled up and a woman got out. She welcomed me to the museum and then proceeded to open it up just for me. Tony, I quickly learned, was a helpful and friendly tour guide extraordinaire, answering any question I could put to her and volunteering information not readily or otherwise available through the displays.

Replica Owens' family home.

After she turned on all the lights I was invited in and able to walk around the museum. The first thing I found that surprised me was that Jesse seemed to reach his athletic stride early in life. He was still in high school in 1933 when he tied the world record for the 100-yard dash in 9.4 seconds. Two years later at Ohio State University the Buckeye Bullet, as he was known, accomplished the exact same feat at the Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I wondered if he ran faster in the Olympics, but learned that distance wasn't raced internationally. Instead, he competed in the 100-meter sprint, making it difficult to draw comparisons.

As I continued my tour I took in some of the displays which contained various memorabilia. There were replicas of the Adidas track shoes and outfit he wore at the Olympics, as well as donated items, such as daily programs and pins. I noted there weren't any of the medals he earned on display, and asked Tony if I'd missed them. "No," she said. "They were stolen. Turned up missing in 1962." How disappointing.

Long Jump Pit

After watching a couple of short films I asked Tony if I could exit through the side doors to the attractions outside. Rather than turn me loose she unlocked the doors and proceeded to show me around, offering up tidbits of information you can only obtain in person. She took me out to the replica of the Owens' home, which I could hardly believe housed 12 people. We also went by the long jump pit (she'd never seen anyone jump farther than 16') and the replica Olympic torch, which is lit only on special occasions. The final stop was the centerpiece of the park, an inspirational bronze statue that portrays Jesse breaking through the Olympic rings. A symbolic and fitting representation of the many barriers he broke during his lifetime.

Jesse Owens Bronze Statue

Before I left Tony imparted one last item of knowledge that surprised me a bit. This memorial park and museum, located in the small town where he lived until just the age of nine, is the only one of its kind. That there isn't a similar tribute in Cleveland, where in high school he got his track and field start and tied two world records, seems strange. And that there is no learning center at Ohio State University, where he won a record eight individual NCAA championships and broke three world records, I find baffling. So, if you want to see for yourself why Jesse Owens was and is one of the greatest athletes of all time, you're going to have to travel Alabama. It's worth the trip and I recommend it.

Centerpoint Half Marathon Recap

2011-03-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the kids I coach at the local YMCA, and how they'd formed the relay team "Drew's Crew" to enter into the Centerpoint Half Marathon. Well, today was the day I got to run it alongside them, and they surpassed all my expectations.

Before I get to the relay I want to quickly touch on the race itself. As I've come to expect from races directed by Karen Barnard, it went off without a hitch. Everything from packet pick-up to the awards ceremony was well organized, and I didn't hear a complaint from a single participant. The start was timely, the water stops were well run and the course was well-marked and seemingly accurate. My compliments to Centerpoint Fellowship Church, the Prattville YMCA and all the volunteers that came together to make this happen.

"Drew's Crew" - Check Out Those T-Shirts!!!

The Setup

Now, let me state up front I was hoping The Crew could break 1:50. This was based on times turned in at recent 5k races in town, all of which fell into the 25-27 minute range. Knowing it was going to be a little warm and humid (It averaged 62°, 89%), I figured this was a goal within their reach. Anything beyond that would be icing on the cake.

Leg 1 - Madison B. (2.95 miles, 7:43/mi average pace)

Leg 1 - Madison

The oldest of The Crew, Madison took the first leg with me and set the bar extremely high for the others. We managed to keep the adrenaline in check the first mile and completed it in a solid 7:57. The second mile started out with a trip down and up the Greystone Gully, a short but steep hill by the post office. I thought this might slow her down some, but I was wrong. She attacked it, cruised over the top and kept on going strong. We wound up through Jasmine and finished mile two in 7:41. She started to wear down on her last mile, but your wouldn't know it by the 7:27 pace she turned in. An outstanding leg all around!

Leg 2 - Lauren C. (3.00 miles, 8:17/mi average pace)

Leg 2 - Lauren

Lauren must have sensed how fast Madison was running, because she picked up right where she left off. We took off around the corner and she, too, attacked the same hill Madison had decimated a few minutes earlier. She stayed with me stride for stride all the way to the top, and then we cruised for a minute to catch our breath. Mile one for her was a blazing 7:42 pace! We continued down Silver Hills Drive and around Silver Creek Circle, where our pace started to even out a little. The sun was rising and it was warming up quick, but that didn't stop her from finishing the second mile in 8:21. With the heat and the hills starting to take their toll, Lauren demonstrated a lot of mental toughness her last mile. When I reminded her that she could do anything for 8 minutes she responded with "that's what my mother always says!" Well, it must be true, because she persevered and kept her team well ahead of the goal with an 8:48 final mile.

Leg 3 - Matt O. (2.93 miles, 8:16/mi average pace)

Leg 3 - Matt

Lauren handed off the baton to Matt and we started his leg running past the start/finish line and a lot of crowd support. It was immediately clear to me that he was feeling strong, and he proved that with an 8:13 first mile. We chatted quite a bit at first, but by the midpoint of his leg we had to tackle the Greystone Gully and things got a little quieter. He pushed up it like it wasn't even there and finished mile two in 8:10! The last mile had a slight, uphill grade to it, and Matt did a great job maintaining focus. He informed me at about his 2.5-mile mark that he wouldn't be able to kick at the end, but I knew better. As we turned onto High Point Ridge there was a short downhill section that gave him just enough of a breather for a sprint to our last relay station. Final mile, 8:25.

Leg 4 - Mackenzie B. (4.07 miles, 8:23/mi average pace)

Leg 4 - Mackenzie

Entrusted by her team to tackle the longest leg of the race, Mackenzie delivered the goods. She was determined to catch the fire fighter relay team ahead of us, and that goal pushed her through to an 8:03 first mile. Just like her teammates, she did a great job climbing the steep side of the Greystone Gully and barely skipped a beat after we crested it. Mile 2, 8:24. By this point it had warmed up to 65° and 91% humidity, and that made for a really tough third mile. We rounded Silver Creek Circle and she finished it in 8:45. For her fourth and final mile was almost a straight shot to the finish. Just as I expected, the cheers of her awaiting teammates provided that extra bit of energy to dig deep and post an 8:18 negative split!

The Finish

Does It Get Any Better Than This?

At the corner of Autumn Road and Tara Drive Drew's Crew came together to run the last third of a mile to the finish line. Watching the four of them laugh, cheer each other on and finish the relay as a team was the highlight of my day, and I couldn't be prouder of their effort. They all ran great individual races, pulled for each other in a way I've only seen swimmers do, and didn't lose sight of what they were there for - to have fun. In the end they ran almost 5 minutes faster than I'd expected, finishing in 1:45:50 (unofficial). Not surprisingly, this earned them first place in the youth relay division!

Honorable Mentions

Caleb's First Half Mary!

As if I this race wasn't already exciting enough, there were some other performances by my ~~swimmers~~ runners that I have to mention. First and foremost, Caleb M. ran and completed his first half marathon. I'm not sure what his finishing time was, but it's beside the point. A 13-year-old completing a half mary because he wants to is very impressive in my book. Way to go, Caleb!

Another shout out goes to Harrison A., who took second place for his age division in the 5k! Woot!

And Savannah M. and Madison C. both looked great in the one-mile event! Nice job, girls!

Thank You

Finally, I want to thank all the parents and coaches that made this relay possible. I really appreciate the all the support they've give both to me and their kids. If it weren't for them none of this could have happened.

Edit: A huge thanks also to all the volunteers along the course that generously shared thousands of photos they took. All of their action shots and many more can be found here.

Snickers Marathon Recap

2011-03-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

"This circumstance is simply a fact and must
be accepted or dealt with as it exists."
-- Unknown

Today I tackled my second marathon. Like the first, the intent was to qualify for Boston. And like the first, I didn't.

The days leading up to the race I felt physically ok. I tapered as I was supposed to and was feeling rested. I drove to Albany, GA, and after hitting the expo and checking into my hotel I found a nearby neighborhood for an easy 2-miler to wake things up. Instead it was like a bad dream. The pain in my adductor, which has been with me for months now in one form or another, was pronounced. It screamed at me the first mile and groaned the second. I tried not to get too concerned about it.

Mentally I was about 50/50. Personal issues throughout the week weighed on my mind. I had a difficult time concentrating no matter the task, up to and including the race. Aside from that though, I was confident I'd trained as best I could and confident in my plan. After going out a little too fast and experiencing servere cramps at my first marathon I decided to scale back my 3:15 goal and stick with the 3:20 pacer, Chris from Sara's Pacers.

I got maybe 3-4 hours sleep the night before the race and arrived about an hour before the start. I ran into Duane, and we did a very short jog to loosen up. The cannon blast was fast approaching, so I met up with Chris the pacer and then used the few minutes remaining to wish Duane and Kym well. I was also able to meet Sarita and talk to her very briefly before we got started.

The race itself? Well, it went pretty much according to plan at first. I was determined not to get dehydrated this time, so I made extra certain to hit every water stop. I drank water at most and sometimes took a chance on the Gatorade. I was not going to experience the same cramps that forced me to walk six miles at Chickamauga. The predictable side effect of this was feeling bloated and having to push through occasional stomach cramps. If that's the price, I figured, I can deal with that.

The first half went very well. The adductor was even behaving itself. Our first two miles were a little faster than the 7:45/mi. pace Chris committed us to before the race, but not enough to bother me. By mile 3 we settled into the 7:38/mi. groove and everyone was chatty. I ran a lot of the miles with Catie from Nashville and Duncan from Albany, and things were looking pretty good. As a group we hit the 13.1 mark in exact 1:40:01, which was about as perfect as you could hope for.

At the 14-mile mark I noticed that running all of a sudden felt like work. Still, I stayed with the group and continued to hydrate and suck down PowerBar Gels. At mile 16, however, I felt the familiar twinge of an oncoming cramp in my foot. I was still feeling hydrated (no cotton mouth) so I decided to pull back temporarily in hopes it would pass. It did, and I hung on about 100m behind the pack for another couple miles. By mile 18 the twinges were coming back, this time in my hamstrings. They were my downfall at Chickamauga and I cursed under my breath. I slowed more, finished off my gel and drank as much as I could at the aide stations. How could this be happening again? I'm hydrated and have been replenishing electrolytes!

The rest of the race I focused on not stopping to walk. That's all I wanted to do. I knew 3:20 was gone, and decided to make the best of it. I slowed when I felt a twinge and picked it back up again when it subsided. I had to stop for 5-10 seconds a couple of times to stretch some, but managed to run the rest of the way in.

Duane was waiting for me at the finish and kindly guided me towards water and food. I downed a bottle of water, a banana and a Snickers Marathon bar. I was hurting much more than I did at Chick, and couldn't wait to leave. It took a few tries to get into my car because of cramping, but finally I was on my way. About halfway back to my hotel though I had to pull over, get out and stand. Everything was locking up on me. Even worse, I started shivering uncontrollably, a sign of dehydration. WTF? I guzzled another bottle of water and a liter of Gatorade. It took about 15 minutes for the rigor to let up.

What to say about this race? Well, the average temp was 59° and humidity 94%. Maybe that was my demise? I really don't know at this point. I'll reflect on it over the next few days and see if I can come up with something more helpful to learn from.

Friends have told me to revel in my marathon and be proud of my race. I guess I'm happy with a 13-minute PR, but honestly I don't care right now one way or the other. It just wasn't much fun. And the BQ? Don't care about that either. Maybe one day I'll make another go of it, but it's moved way down on my list of priorities. Right now I'm looking forward to running for me for me instead of following a training plan. Structure be damned. I just want to have some fun again.