rootsrunner

Mohican update

2009-06-21T11:45:00.008-04:00

A few notes from Saturday afternoon/evening:

- Reported weather at the start was wet, warm, and humid. Andrea and I drove down for the afternoon. Temps rose into the 80s with little cloud cover throughout the afternoon. Driving into town along Rt 3, the hot, open road was Badwater-esque with heat beating down on the shadeless pavement.

- First stop, Grist Mill (mile 37) at 2:30 PM. I was surprised by the number of runners still at this juncture but happy to see Courtney and Silent Bob. I suggested a dip in the creek near the mill to lower body temperature. While they had been at it for some 9-plus hours at this point, I had been at Mo' all of five minutes. It was warm enough for me to happily get in the creek, too.

- 50-mile runners endured the brunt of the heat with their final 13 miles on open roads. The uphill road stretch along Rt 3 with the sun beating down, in my view, was nothing like the trails of Mohican State Park. We drove past most of the finishers 10-12 hour range and many were near heat casualty. Men's winner 8:27 with women's winner two minutes behind. My quick glance at the finisher sheet showed about 10 runners under 10 hours in the fifty-mile.

- News from the runners was that there were a multiple turns poorly marked or ground marking washed away by the overnight storm. I heard second-hand reports of the 100 mile leaders all off course at one point or another, particularly on the purple loop.

- At the Fire Tower (mile 60) at 3:30 PM, I was surprized that none had come through yet. Bradley Mongold, Jay Smithberger (2008 winner), and Mark Tanaka all came through within a minute of each other. The heat was apparent as they were off the 2008 pace by over an hour, arriving at 3:55 PM. Fourth place Wyatt Hornsby was about 25 minutes back at 4:20 PM.

- We hiked the purple loop and although it was wet, the mud was not bad. I heard reports that the Green and Red loops were very muddy and slow.

- At the Covered Bridge (M63), the four top women were within minutes of each other: Ellen (last name unknown), Terri Lemke, Jenny Chow, and Michelle Bischel.

- At Grist Mill (M75), we had heard that Smithberger and Mongold both dropped. Tanaka was first at 7:05 PM, followed by Matt Arrow and Wyatt Hornby about 30 minutes behind. Wyatt took all of 1 minute here and looked in super shape.

- Tanaka was first thru Bridal Staging (M83). We didn't stick around to see how far back the other two were.

- Back at Grist Mill (M75), the top three women were all in the aid station at the same time. They departed in this order: Ellen (last name unknown), Terri Lemke, Jenny Chow.

We left for home around 10 PM. I wish I were around to see more of the race and particularly the mid and back-of-pack runners. Witnessing 100-mile finishers, particularly the final ones prior to 30-hour cutoff, is quite a sight to see.

The only other info I heard is Hornsby won in 19:5x. Congrats, Wyatt!

Looking forward to hearing more about the results. I wonder how many days it will take this year to post.

MMT photo album

2009-05-28T06:40:00.003-04:00

The details of my MMT race are forthcoming in the next post.

In the meantime, click on the photo below for my entire MMT album.

Edinburg Gap aid station (mile 75) after completing Short Mountain section. Footcare and refuel with Andrea's help. (Photo by Aaron Schwartzbard.)

MMT pre-race

2009-05-20T11:01:00.014-04:00

A long story for a long run. The report of my second, and lengthiest, 100-miler is broken into two parts: The pre-race and the race itself.

The inspiration for running Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 came from a handful of locals in the NEO Trail Club. After my pacer experiences at the 2006 and 2007 MMTs, never did I think it would be me lining up in Front Royal to tackle this rock-laden 100 mile challenge. After a 2008 of mostly road-running and marathoning, I decided that 2009 would be the year for my second 100-miler.

Once I found out my name was drawn in the MMT lottery I gleaned as much info as I could from locals Jim Harris, Bob Combs, and David Peterman -- NEO Trail members with a collective 11 MMT finishes -- on how approach this race. If nothing else, I learned not to start too fast and that taking an extra 30 minutes to reach Camp Roosevelt could save hours later in the race.

Training: Physically, I came into this race vastly under-trained; much less so than for my first 100 miler at the 2007 Mohican 100. Year 2008 was one primarily of road-running culminating in my first sub-three hour marathon last October. Since then, I had not run farther than 20 miles until March 1st of this year. My longest training runs in prep for MMT were 50 km, done 4 times in March and April, culminating with an eight-plus hour effort at the Chocolate Bunny (a night run on the MMT course in April.)

The last time I ran longer than 50 km was a 100 km road run in May 2008 and prior to that was the 2007 Mohican Trail 100 Mile in June 2007. My ability to go the long ultra distance was an uncertainty.

With a lack of training volume and over-distance long runs, I convinced myself that a strong mental game would pull me through. I maintained that my knowledge of sports-nutrition, staying injury-free, and recalling my past MMT pacer experience would carry me to the MMT finish line. Though I arrived on race day undertrained, I felt strong. I have heard that it is better to be 10% undertrained than 1% overtrained. My training status for this event would test that theory.

Gear and Nutrition: Through my training buds, I learned that the longest section and potentially the hottest section of the MMT course is the part from Habron Gap (mile 25) to Camp Roosevelt (mile 34.) With a large climb occurring at the same time the sun rising high, I knew that a two-bottle waistpack (~40 fluid ounces) might not be enough to sustain the 9.5 miles to Camp Roosevelt. I modified one of my backpacks to fit a 2.5 liter (80 fluid oz.) bladder, which I ended up using. In all, I had three hydration systems ready to go: a single bottle waistbelt, a double bottle waistbelt, and the backpack with bladder.

Nutrition-wise, I planned to fuel primarily with liquids and gels and fill-in with solid foods found at the aid stations. In my drop bags and with my crew I placed HEED powder (primary carb-replacement beverage) and CLIP2 and AMINO packages (protein-replacement beverages). I started out with a full gel flask with a plan to replace a full flask every 25 miles. During each hour of the race my basic nutrition plan was to consume one 20-ounce bottle of fuel and the equivalent of one gel each hour, grazing with aid station fare as needed.

Electrolyte-wise, I started out with Succeed! capsules with a plan to consume one per hour for the first 12 hours and reassess my needs after that.

Goal: Based on prior years' pacing runs at MMT, I estimated I might finish somewhere in the 28-30 hour range. Since the MMT course had changed over the recent years, I reviewed the splits from the 2005 race (a course identical to this year) and charted my probable aid station arrival times for 28 and 30 hours.

Crew: I was blessed with a great crew. Andrea the wonderful would follow me around all day and the pacer team of Courtney and Brandon would drive from Ohio on Saturday to join her later in the day.

Aid station spreadsheet: I put together all the details of my plan on this spreadsheet as a guide for my crew. This sheet became my tentative plan for fueling, drop bag contents, and aid station tasks. My crew was prepared to resupply my needs and keep going down the trail.

Pre-race disposition: Though I felt mentally prepared, my lack of training volume weighed in the back of my mind. In the days prior to the race I slept poorly, tossing, turning, and waking frequently.

I spent the final pre-race days with too much time to think about the daunting task of MMT's 101.8 miles. Looking back, I brought about my own restlessness as I had considered MMT to be my greatest ultrarunning challenge.

After arriving at the Ranch on Friday to check-in, receive the race briefing, and take in the pre-race meal and camaraderie, Andrea and I turned in early. A final night of tossing and turning preceeded a 3:15 AM wake-up that came much too quickly. I suited up and met Dave at 4:00 AM to drive to the start.

A view of Buzzard's Rock from the Skyline Ranch Resort, which is the first climb of MMT 100

Next post: Part Two, The race

MMT done!

2009-05-19T10:39:00.008-04:00

While a full report will have to wait until Andrea and I reach our vacation destination, the short version is that we endured the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 and finished in 27 hours, 41 minutes.

Check back here soon as there are plenty of photos and a long story to share.

Special thanks to my outstanding crew (Andrea) and pacers (Brandon and Courtney) for keeping me awake and going throughout the often rainy and stormy night.

The MMT experience lived up to its billing: Massanutten Rocks!

Massanutten preview

2009-05-13T23:04:00.003-04:00

The occasion of the 15th annual Massanutten Trails 100 is reason enough for me to awake this dormant blog. While I'm undertrained physically, I plan to rely on a strong mental game to carry me along the 101.8 miles of MMT.

It's late and I'm ready to go. I have a plan for a 30 hour finish.

Live webcast here.

Link to my 2007 MMT pacer experience.

Happy trails!

New 24 Hour Ultra in Cleveland

2009-03-18T10:22:00.002-04:00

Northcoast 24 website

I've been listening in to the discussion/coordination for this event. The organizers are ready to announce that the Northcoast 24 Hour Endurance Run has come to fruition. The course is roughly 0.91 mile paved loop around Edgewater State Park in Cleveland on the shore of Lake Erie.

When I lived in Lakewood, Edgewater Park loop was a regular route -- I've looped the paved path there dozens of times. The path is certainly flat and the downtown vista a delight. The key variable to this event is the weather. The bottom loop (proposed course) is exposed to winds with little barrier to inclement weather.

In the U.S., there seems to be a lack of a quality 24 hour ultra events to help determine the national team. I wonder if the Northcoast 24 could fit that bill, attracting top tier ultra distance runners to Cleveland. That would be cool and I look forward to October 3 to witness.

Participate? The last (and only) time I ran a timed event was only half this duration. Pondering.

WRTR news

2009-02-05T17:24:00.004-05:00

The Western Reserve Trail Running organization launched a new website design this week. Included in the new site is the 2009 race calendar, consisting of ten NE Ohio trail races, and the rules for WRTR race series participation and points scoring.

New this year is the monthly WRTR newsletter. Click here to view the February edition. If you like what you see, please sign up to receive each month in your inbox.

NE Ohio trail running is already off to a great start in 2009 with the success of the Winter Buckeye Trail on January 18.

The next race in the WRTR series is the Green Jewel 50k on March 21. This run is a shortened version of last year's 100km course that connected the entire distance of the Cleveland Metropark's Emerald Necklace. Click here for a report of my 2008 Green Jewel experience.

The April events, the Fools 50k/25k and the Mohican 50k are both filling quickly. I anticipate the Fools Run to sell-out a full field of 200 runners in the next couple weeks. If you are thinking of running in either of these events, now is the time to register.

The Buckeye Trail 50k opened registration this week and earlier than ever before. The popular summer ultra classic is limited to 175 runners and is sure to sell out fast. This year there is an online registration and volunteer service requirement.

The new WRTR website features photos of local runners, races and trails. If you haven't done so, don't forget to check it out!

WS 100 Synchroblog Project

2009-01-15T08:19:00.007-05:00

Anyone who knows American ultrarunning knows about the Western States Endurance Run, arguably the most well-known 100 mile race in the world. After the 2008 race was cancelled due to forest fires, this year marks the 36th year of the event that crosses the Sierra Nevada mountains along the Western States trail starting at Squaw Valley and finishing in Auburn, CA.

Though I've never seen the event firsthand, I got a tiny taste of the WSER while in California in December '07 when I attended the 2008 lottery and ran a few miles on the trail.

I just read the blog entries of five runner/writers, grouped in a unique project titled the "Western States Synchroblog Project." These bloggers aim to post simultaneous blog entries in the months leading to this year's race. One synchroblogger is iRunFar's Bryon Powell, who describes the project:

"Sprung from the mind of creative genius Craig Thornley is the Western States 100 synchroblog, a series of five Western States 100 simultaneous blog posts leading up to the 2009 race. For this first post, I join the following four bloggers in making a suggestion, plea, or request directly to the Western States Board."

The all-star synchroblog lineup:

Bryon Powell pleas for accountability and transparency in the operation of the WSER.
Craig Thornley ponders WSER's requirement for mandatory “volunteer” hours.
Andy Jones-Wilkins suggests ten course changes to the WSER course.
Sean Meissner offers a suggestion on WSER's special entry considerations.
Scott Dunlap interviews WSER board member John Trent on the function of the Board of Trustees.

Interesting commentary, to say the least. If you are a fan of the Western States Endurance Run, it's operations, or in the larger ultrarunning community, this initial synchroblog is a great read.

2008 race links, results & reports

2008-12-31T23:50:00.001-05:00

The roads were good to me in year 2008.

11/23 - Fall Classic HM (1:23:38) PR

10/26 - Marine Corps Marathon (2:58:16) PR

10/18 - Green Lakewood 5k (17:44) PR

9/27 - Akron Marathon (3:30 pacer)

9/20 - YUT-C 25k (2:04) 1st OA

9/7 - Buckeye Half (1:35 pacer)

8/30 - Northcoast Challenge 5 mile (30:36) PR

8/16 - Gift of Life 10 km (40:20)

7/12 - Grandfather Mountain Marathon (3:39)

7/10 - The Bear 5 Mile Run (43:12)

5/25 - Mad City Marathon (3:49:57)

5/3 - Green Jewel 100km (11:26)

4/21 - Boston Marathon (3:06:54)

4/12 - Run for your life 5k (18:30) PR

4/6 - Fools FA 25km (3:05)

3/30 - ING Georgia Marathon (3:24:16)

3/9 - Shamrock 15k (DNS)

2/16 - Chili Bowl 5k (19:19)

1/26 - Winter Buckeye 50k (5:10)

1/5 - TSI's Fattest Butt 50k (4:52)

Fools 50k and 25k Trail Run - April 5, 2009

2008-12-12T12:21:00.002-05:00

The date is set.

I'm teaming up with the folks at Western Reserve Trail Running, as well as the Vertical Runner, to bring another trail race to the Cuyahoga Valley on April 5. The April Fools fun run of the past two years is slated to become a full-fledged trail race in 2009. For more information, go to the website:

http://fools50k.org

If you have any questions, let me know.

The MMT lottery

2008-12-09T12:02:00.007-05:00

... is determined by the closing of today's Dow Jones Industrial Average index. There are 333 entrants for 180 available spots -- roughly a 54% chance of making it in on the initial drawing.

The three least significant digits of the DOW determine the starting number of the lottery draw. If the market closes up, the draw counts upwards. If closes down for the day, then the draw counts downwards. How the lottery works.

My randomly assigned number is 101. Therefore I am hoping for the DJIA to close upwards with a lottery number of 100, downwards with a 102, or somewhere counted within the first 180 entrants from the lottery starting number.

At the noon hour, the DOW is listed at 8869.58, and down -64.60 for the day. If this were today's closing numbers, the lottery number would be 958, counting downwards, and I'm likely not selected for the field.

If you're wondering what MMT is, it's the abbreviation for the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 mile, held late May in Virginia. You might remember my 2007 experience as crew/pacer.

Good luck to those in today's drawing!

UPDATE: The DOW number was 8,691.33, closing down today. If that's the number, it appears I'm in.

Report: Fall Classic HM

2008-11-23T20:44:00.008-05:00

Cleveland Fall Classic Half Marathon
11.23.08

Coming off a PR in the marathon 4 weeks ago, I planned to end the racing season and shut it down for the year. After a week off, I ran a couple tempo miles and found that I had some speed left over and my T-pace actually picked up some. I decided to race one more. I few factors helped me decide:

- Andrea was targeting this race (I'd be there anyway)
- It was the only race in the Cleveland West Road Runners race series that I had not previously done (going for the career CWRRC race "slam," including the Spring Classic, Rocky River 5 Mile, Mohican Trail 100, Bay Days, and now the Fall Classic)
- I had not raced the half marathon distance since September 2005 (with a soft PR 1:26)

So I thought why not run one more race. Based on the tempo runs of the last two weeks, I had a stretch goal of sub-1:23 (sub 6:20 pace) to possibly earn the lottery by-pass for NYCM.

Training: Since the marathon and the easy post-race week, I've run about 40 miles per week with one 3-4 mile tempo run. Tempo run four days ago was 6:08/6:11/6:08, so I felt fairly confident about a PR effort today.

This past week has been unseasonably cold and snowy like a January winter. It was 14F when we drove up to the race and barely 24F at the start. I was still thinking of wearing shorts, but decided on tights, l/s tech shirt, hat and gloves. The choice of attire worked out well.

This race usually has good attendance - I had heard post-race there were about 800 runners combined in the HM and 5k. After a 25 minute easy warm-up, I shed the extra layers and head to the start. I only got in a few easy strides. Then the start:

1- 5:36
2- 6:51 (average of miles 1 & 2 = 6:14)

Mile one kind of surprised me but I did not feel like I was going that fast (better than 5k pace) and mile two confirmed that the first marker was off. I settled in.

3- 6:17
4- 6:16

The course is a flat double loop consisting mainly of a three-mile stretch of metropark road. An out-and back performed twice with two small side-loops included. Most of the road was clear of snow but the two side-loops had some perilously slippery ice where we had to slow down to avoid falling.

By the first turnaround at three miles, I worked myself up to 9th position and was immediately swept up by a pack of four runners and landed in 13th. I wondered if I started out too fast.

5- 6:11
6- 6:12
7- 6:33 (icy loop and dodging 5k runners)

The seventh mile the course was congested a bit as we caught some of the 5k runners and also had to dance on some ice through the side-loop on the metropark path. I survive the first half, still on pace for 1:23, and wonder if I bit off too much.

8- 6:20
9- 6:27 (icy loop)
10- 6:37

I'm not sure if the tenth mile was marked right. I was still feeling okay as I passed ten in 1:03:21 which bettered my 10 mile PR. I did the quick math and figured I needed to push it to get the 19:40 final 5k to hit my goal. A couple guys passed me and I was in 14th position, or so.

11- 6:36
12- 6:25
13- 6:37 (icy loop)
0.1- 0:38

Watch time: 1:23:38

Considering the cold temps and icy turns, I can't complain. I just PR'd by nearly 2.5 minutes and finished 15th OA (I think) and 3rd AG. If the conditions were better, who knows?

I went to the car to grab the camera and jogged a mile cool-down to finish with Andrea, who had a good race too. Here are a few photos from the day:

Frigid 14F when we arrived for race registration.

During cool-down. Most of the race was on metropark road like this one.

Andrea approaching the finish on one of the icy loops. You can't really see it, but the footing was treacherous in a few spots.

Thanks for reading.

One more mile challenge

2008-11-20T14:03:00.005-05:00

The One More Mile Challenge is simple in concept: Starting on November 1st run one mile and each successive day add one more mile to the distance of the daily run.

Now on day 20, five of the original nine competitors remain in the challenge. After today's twenty, tomorrow comes twenty-one, and so on...

Runners who've successfully completed day 21 will have logged 231 miles total, 126 for the most recent seven days. Incredible!

Click here for the rules. Click the photo above for the most recent update.

(Credit Mike Keller for organizing this charitable event.)

A runner's life cycle?

2008-11-18T20:04:00.002-05:00

From Greg Crowther's "The five stages of PRs:"

1. You set PRs because, by definition, your first race at each distance is a personal record.

2. You frequently set PRs by large amounts because you're still growing and maturing, and/or because you started training relatively recently, and/or because you're in the middle of a successful weight-loss program, and/or because you're now training much more sensibly than ever before.

3. You set PRs less frequently and by smaller amounts, and you find these modest improvements disappointing because you've become accustomed to stage #2.

4. As PRs continue to become more elusive, you learn to savor each new one.

5. You are now too old, too injured, and/or too unfit to set PRs. To compensate, you either invent new categories of achievement (such as "seasonal bests" and "age-group PRs"), try events that you've never done before (and thus return to stage #1), or stop racing altogether.

Ultracentric 24 hour

2008-11-15T19:48:00.006-05:00

Scott Jurek states on his blog that he's taking a shot at the 24 hour run today at the Ultracentric Experience in Texas. Could Mark Godale's American Record (162 miles) be in jeapordy?

I look forward to hearing how it goes.

Photos: Inland Trail Marathon

2008-11-04T08:46:00.008-05:00

Mile one of the Inland Trail Marathon

Runners enjoyed favorable fall weather, sunny and clear 40s with light breeze, at the Inland Trail Marathon on Sunday in Elyria, OH. Andrea enjoyed the half marathon as a training run. The day was my turn to cheer and spectate, as well as get in a few easy miles and take pictures. This diabolically straight course -- an out-and-back on a straight bike path for 12.5 miles, with a half mile on road -- produced fast times. I witnessed a few PRs out there.

Click here for link to my album from the day. Photos at following intervals: one mile mark of the marathon and 5k, mile 8.5 of half marathon, and mile 21.5 of the marathon.

Per MarathonGuide.com front page report:

John Paull, 44, the runner-up in 2006 and third place finisher in 2007, won the 2008 Inland Trail Marathon when he crossed the finish line in 2:53:35. Eric Hanscel, 31, finished second in 2:58:17. Andrew Brosius, 30, was third in 2:58:35. Theresa Walton, 38, was the first female to finish in 3:29:37. Cam Grahl, 34, was the runner-up in 3:30:56. Kristin Kachnowski, 37, was third in 3:35:38.

Congrats, JP.

The Inland Trail was built on an old railroad bed in Lorain county

Race report: Marine Corps Marathon

2008-10-29T10:00:00.013-04:00

Marine Corps Marathon
Arlington, VA and Washington, DC.
October 26, 2008

An excellent day.

Excuse me if I'm still a little shocked, but part of me still does not believe the result. The conditions could not have better. From the very first Marine private I met Friday at the expo to the hundreds of servicemen and women that lined the course to work the water stations and finish line, the MCM is a race that lived up to its billing as "The People's Race." As expected from the military, every detail was tended to and lined up dress right, dress. Save for the sparse spacing of water stations after mile 20, I have no complaints with the race course. Though with over 20,000 runners, I imagine that those in the mid to back-of-pack experienced more crowding, especially on the narrower streets. I appreciated that all mile markers were accurate. All-in-all and with help from friends, everything on this day fell right into place for me.

Weather: A rain front spoiled our Saturday touristing, but the weather broke Saturday night to provide a brilliantly sunny race morning. Temperature near 50F greeted us for the 8 AM race time that barely reached 60F by 11 AM. I never felt too cold or too warm for the duration.

Training season: Starting eighteen weeks ago in early June, I aimed for 50-60 miles each week on 6-7 single runs. I ended up averaging 54 miles/week, excluding a tapered final two weeks. Except for one quality run per week, all other runs were done at "easy" pace, averaging 8:00-8:45 pace on roads and 10 minute miles on trails. The initial five weeks of training was spent building mileage to several 60 mile weeks. After the base-build, I used 4-5 week training phases to periodize the season. Using then-recent race results to set VDOT training paces, my VDOT increased from 52 in June, to 54 in September and 55 in October. In September and October the quality workouts focused on threshold pace (T-pace, as per Daniels VDOT). Twelve days and eight days before the marathon, I included a couple shorter and faster interval (I-pace) workouts -- 4x 1200m and a 5k race -- for final sharpening.

Expectations: Up until last week I thought 3:00-3:02 was doable. The 5k PR I set last Saturday provided added confidence. Heading to Washington, DC, I clearly aimed for sub-3, but was not sure by how much. I didn't wear a pace band, but I did write down a few splits on my bib. I had the 5 mile splits for my A and B goals (2:59 and 3:03) on my bib. Along the way, I'd keep track of my standing every five miles.

Pre-race: I had great help to prepare. We have Cleveland friends in DC that hosted us, one of which talked me through a detailed map reconnaissance of the course. I was ready for the two hills and the bridge. My girlfriend Andrea, familiar with DC from school, was an excellent navigator and guide around the city. She knew where to go and I appreciate her getting us through the expo on Friday in order to relax on Saturday morning. After sleeping in best I could, I ran three miles easy and a few strides to loosen up. The rest of Saturday would be spent walking and stretching.

Sunday morning I topped off my fuel tanks with with a bowl of oatmeal and small coffee, finishing breakfast by 5:45 AM and ready to depart by six or so. The metro train dropped us off at the Pentagon station, a walk which seemed more than a mile to the staging area. After final porto-john use, stretching, and bag check-in, I was left with 10 minutes to gun. The highway to the start line was longer than expected, adding another 800m or so before reaching the starting area marked by pace signs. Andrea and I jogged a little. It wasn't until this moment that the pomp and circumstance hit me. Military parade music blasted from the speakers and Andrea noticed my step. "You've marched to this before," she asked.

Uh huh. The stage was set to run with the Marines. Having served a few years in the Army Airborne, when the race announced "one minute" I thought about one final equipment check before the green light signaled, "Go."

The race: The gun sounded and I crossed the line 19 seconds later. The first mile was crowded and there were a few slow folks in the first 800m who should not have been. Otherwise, I get a clean start up the left side. Miles one and two climb hills in Rosslyn. Carrying my own small water bottle, I fumble the cap and end up abandoning the my handheld water earlier than expected. I sip a couple times and toss. I remove my throwaway shirt by mile 2 and crest the hill in relaxed but deliberate pace. The third mile down Spout Run was fast but comfortable and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself on target by the fourth mile. Here I start talking with a young Marine who was a newly commissioned officer and graduate of the Naval Academy. We exchange a few military stories and he keeps griping about having to report for field duty at 0300 Monday morning. Oh, to be young and spry.

Crossing Key Bridge (mile 4) I take my first S-cap and I'm enjoying this start. Miles 4-6 follow the north bank of the Potomac below Georgetown. Here I pass Army Captain Castro, a blind runner, led by his guide Lieutenant Colonel Dummar. I know of them from the article of their Air Force Marathon as shared on the ultra list. Castro was injured on a combat mission. He runs, led by Dummar and a shoestring. I figure they took the 7:50 AM start and I get a thumbs-up when I call them by name.

I discovered that my befriended Marine had some serious talent when he stated that he ran his last PFT 3-mile run in 16 minutes. Running in his first marathon, he helped to occupy my time with marathon questions to me. I offer my best sage advice, "if it feels like you're holding back, you're doing it right," and "twenty miles is the halfway point."

The remaining substantial climb came in mile seven up to the Georgetown Reservoir before a generally downhill grade in miles eight and nine. The crowds in Georgetown were large and loud.

I reach ten miles in 1:08 and about thirty seconds ahead of sub-three hour pace. Perfect.

Andrea and Meredith met me with a water bottle near the eleven mile mark. I take my first gel and settle into a pack with my marine friend as we headed south along the Potomac and towards Hains Point. With less specators around, I welcomed the pack of runners in what I assume was an informal three-hour pace group. Miles 11-13 we draft behind a group of about 20 runners with about 50 total in our vicinity. The pace felt comfy and I knew the drafting was conserving energy. A water station at the south tip of Hains Point near mile 13 broke up the pack. The marine and I find ourselves cruising and now leading the pack. We continue to talk some and work together to mile 15.

Andrea waited for me at mile 15.5 with another water bottle. Looking at the splits I figure I surged some with a 6:31 split in mile 16. The marine was no longer with me and I didn't look back. The course now headed into the wind as I ran out of others to draft behind. The combination of gel #2 and the enthusiastic crowds around the Lincoln Memorial livened me up. I felt energized turning onto the National Mall heading east towards the capital. I caught a bunch of runners in miles 17-19. I knew today was my day when seeing 6:38 and 6:39 splits in miles 17 and 18. Mentally I was backing off but my legs were still moving.

I reach the Capital Building and wham I find out it was wind that aided my recent pace. Suddenly there were less runners in my vicinity and I felt alone. Passing the Smithsonian heading west through the mall and towards the bridge, I face a slight wind with mile 20 and the 14th Street Bridge looming ahead. I take S-cap #3 as I leave the mall. Andrea meets me one final time near the mile 20 marker in front of the Holocaust Museum.

Reaching mile 20 in 2:15 and about 110 seconds ahead of sub-3, I gave some thought to my outcome. Last year's final 10k in Grand Rapids came in about 43 minutes. Today was definitely my day, now it was a matter of by how much. My mind turned to some of my faster training friends and I gave thought to what they would do here in my shoes. It was time to close the deal. Knowing that I could hold 7 minute pace and still break three hours gave me a boost.

I was advised that the bridge (miles 20-22) is a long stretch without water, so I was happy to have a bottle. I consumed gel #3 by the 21st mile. I don't remember anyone passing me since the half. The field is sparse now, but I hang with the only runners around -- a loose pack of 2-3 runners to help break wind across the bridge. Mostly now I was on my own.

The splits were slowing to 6:50s but I still feel strong. I rely on my go-to mantra, "today is my day," and I know if I hold on I will make it. Sub-three is the motivation. The crowds liven me up in Crystal City, but its tall buildings create a wind tunnel. We endured an upwind 23rd mile to be rewarded with a downwind mile 24. I was ready for water at mile 23 and was a bit grumpy having to wait for the next water near mile 24. I choke down half of my last gel and cup of water. My breathing was now increased and I found it more difficult to consume fluids. The remainder of course is lonely highway around Pentagon and along highway 110. The lone runner to pass me in the final 3 miles was a female Marathon Maniac. She impressively pulled away from me in the final two miles yet drew me closer towards the finish.

I cross mile 26 still grinding and thinking 2:57:xx and all that is left is the final hill. This famous incline is really steep for about 75 meters, changing to a gentle incline for the final 100 meters and towards the Marine Corps War Memorial. I sense the crowds are large but all I can see is the finish. The clock reads 2:58 and change.

Mission accomplished. I cross the line, amazed, surpassing my goal with a personal record that bettered last year's Grand Rapids marathon time by 5 minutes and 50 seconds.

Final time: 2:58:16

Overall place: 134/18,302
Gender place: 125/11,142
Age group: 20/1,996

Andrea was there waiting for me. She was a huge help and sharing my race with her was the best feeling of all. I never saw the marine lieutenant after mile 15, but I was happy to see him cross the line exactly at three hours and only two minutes behind me. After waiting for a massage, we head into Rosslyn to reunite with others who ran the race.

Race nutrition: I carried four gels and three S-caps (electrolytes.) My basic plan was similar to past marathons: Consume water at every chance and avoid the provided energy drink. Take an S-cap at 30 minutes, then every hour after. Run on my stored glycogen until the first GU gel at 75 minutes, then every 30 minutes to the end. If extra sugar is needed at the end, take the provided Powerade in the final 4-5 miles. The nutrition went as generally planned. I happily report that I successfully maintained sufficient energy and electrolytes levels to reach the finish.

Conclusion: The conditions were ideal with the Marines providing a well-supported race course, adequate competition, and the scenery of the District of Columbia to help motivate me along. Part of me wishes I were not in such a hurry in order to enjoy DC's buildings, monuments, and sights a little more.

I feel lucky to have had great race-day weather and for all the details to fall into place. I exceeded my goals and am very grateful that I had the opportunity to show it. The marathon is cruel in that sometimes weather or other conditions hinder an optimal performance. Not on this day.

I hope to recap the details of my training season in a future post. A few days removed from the race, I am happy. This summer's training season peaked at just the right time that resulted in two huge PRs in the span of the last eight days.

Now, it's time for some rest and recovery from road racing. The trails are calling my name.

Thanks for reading.

Splits

MCM splits

2008-10-28T10:11:00.001-04:00

Mile splits, for the numbers peeps:

1- 7:16
2- 7:09 (Up Lee Hwy; shed throwaway shirt)
3- 6:31 (Down Sprout Run)
4- 6:41 (Cross Key Bridge; take first S-cap)
5- 6:44
6- 6:44
7- 7:02 (Climb to Georgetown Reservoir)
8- 6:47
9- 6:39 (Leaving G-town, descend to river)
10- 6:34
11- 6:43 (Gel #1 at 73 minutes)
12- 6:44 (S-cap #2 at 82 minutes)
13- 6:49
14- 6:48
15- 6:42
16- 6:31 (Around the Lincoln Memorial; Gel #2)
17- 6:39 (mile 17+18 along north side of National Mall)
18- 6:38 (heading towards Capital Bldg)
19- 6:51 (whoa, turn west into wind; S-cap #3)
20- 6:55 (uh oh, bridge looming ahead, am I slowing down?)
21- 6:50 (first half of 14th St Bridge; Gel #3)
22- 6:56 (second half bridge and into Crystal City)
23- 6:50
24- 6:55 (Half of gel #4)
25- 6:52
26- 6:53 (final 0.2, 1:36)

Finish - 2:58:16 (6:48 pace)
Half splits - 1:29:06/1:29:10

5 mile increments:

5 miles- 34:20 (6:52 pace - right on 3 hour marathon)
10- 1:08:06 (6:46 pace - 33 seconds ahead of sub-3)
15- 1:41:51 (6:47 - 67 seconds ahead of sub-3)
20- 2:15:25 (6:46 - 1 minute, 53 seconds ahead of sub-3)

2:58:16!

2008-10-27T08:51:00.004-04:00

Race turned out as a great day to run: Brilliant sunshine and 50s throughout.

Andrea and I did a lot of walking yesterday post race. A massage and stretching helped to keep most of the soreness away and all-in-all I am not feeling too wasted today. We are doing some visiting in DC before a 6.5 hour drive home, so I'll post a more detailed report later. In the meantime, here are some splits. The website initially posted gun time splits and now it is corrected. My gun time/chip time differential was 19 seconds.

1st half: 1:29:06
2nd half: 1:29:10
Chip time: 2:58:16 (6:48)

5k splits:
21:17
21:13
21:10
20:49
20:46
20:44
21:30
21:19
9:32 (last 2k)

Overall: 134/18273
Age group: 20/1993

More reporting to come.

Running with the Marines

2008-10-24T08:35:00.017-04:00

The Marine Corps War Memorial sits atop a hill near the finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon. The monument is but one of many to see along my 26.2 mile tour of Washington, DC on Sunday. Though I will try to run as fast as possible, I won't resist the chance for reflection. I'll think about the servicemen and women who have sacrificed so that I am able to enjoy the freedoms offered to me as an American. Having served 9+ years on active duty, I'll think about those who have come before and after me.

See you at the finish line. My number is #22863.

One year ago

2008-10-22T09:22:00.002-04:00

Link to my October 2007 archives.

Having the blog is such a useful tool in race preparation. This year, reflecting back to last year is helping ease the mind that I can do it again.

Local 5k report

2008-10-20T10:52:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning Andrea and I headed to my old neighborhood for the Green Lakewood 5k, a first year race offered by ClevelandPlaysRacing.com and HMA promotions. Nature's Bin provided the goodies. The proceeds go to enhance public recycling programs in Lakewood.

One week out from goal marathon, the race was a last hard workout before final tapering.

The conditions couldn't have been any better:

- A completely flat and familiar course in my neighborhood. I've raced it before.
- Clear and sunny 44F at 8:00 AM.
- Arrived early enough for thorough warm-up and strides.
- I'm in week 15 of a 16 week marathon training cycle and my fitness is peaking now.
- Cash prizes drew a stronger field than normal for a new race. I have not seen official results yet, but I estimate 80-90 finishers, 100 tops. Despite the small field, I had a local training friend to pace off and chase.

After a 3.5 mile warm-up, 5x 100m strides, and 1x 2min at goal race pace, I was 10 minutes before gun. Stretch, sip water, and get to line in time. Tara G., a strong local runner who I no longer keep up with, has PRs in the range of 17:40 and 2:53 for 5k and marathon. I haven't run close to her in a race in a few years. On this day and based on recent workouts I aimed for 5:50 pace, which would better my 18:30 PR, and hoping to finish 18:10-18:15.

The course is a flat route on a familiar course from Lakewood Park. I've run dozens of times along these streets and felt like on home turf.

The race starts and I find myself in 8-10th place through the first 800m and find myself in 7th at the mile. I kept 15-20 yd contact with T, kept it relaxed, and avoided looking at my watch until I hear the timer calling time: 5:31, 5:32, 5:34...

Mile one at 5:40 and was just holding what I got. After 1.6 miles, the course is a full 1.2 mile straightaway stretch. I caught Tara at mile two in 5:41 and asked her to pull me. Survived the straightaway and turn into park. With 500m to go the leg turnover was still there. Tara was right behind and I could hear her breathing. Approaching mile 3 and still turning over! Sub-18 was now in my view and focused on that. Breathing was maxed, but I had some in reserve. Didn't look at my watch at the 3 mile mark and just ran. Clock comes into view: 17:33, 34, 35...

Short version: Scored a huge PR by 45 seconds. Splits: 5:40/5:41/5:47/0:36 =

17:44. (6th OA)

Tara said that if there were 200 more meters she would have caught me (she wins women's race easily.)

I can't believe this result. I've run a 5k like this, one week out from marathon, in each of past 4 training cycles. I feel the course was legit. I am planning on peaking next week and this result provides a huge boost in confidence for my goals.

The conditions for racing were ideal on this day. Running is so much fun when the pieces fall into place. Both Andrea and I win AG awards and to share that makes it much sweeter.

Thanks for reading.

Akron marathon pacer report

2008-10-01T10:19:00.002-04:00

This year was my fifth year pacing the Akron Road Runner Marathon. This well-organized race, which features full and half marathons, a two-person relay and five-person Ekiden relay, has become a great community affair. In its sixth year, the city of Akron has embraced the event and in my mind, it falls a close second to the Flying Pig as Ohio's best marathon event.

Also included on this day was the USATF Women's 8k Championship which no participants were able to view since that race started 30 minutes after the marathon. Sara Slattery beat Katie McGregor for the title.

After working 10 hours at the expo at two booths, I missed the pasta dinner. In part honor to DanQ (who was among the KR contingent here) and part out of convenience, I fueled up with dinner at Skyline Chili which was nearby the hotel. After the normal pace team meeting, it was off to sleep before an early wake up before the 7 AM start.

In past years, I was assigned the 3:40 group and this year I moved up to 3:30 (8:01 pace.) The pre-race weather report indicated high humidity and 55F at the start. Not exactly ideal for racing, but not entirely bad.

The race has grown in size and I had trouble getting to the start early enough to talk to the 3:30 hopefuls. So I just lined up and answered a few questions from the runners, rather than give a short talk like I normally do.

The race started on time and I noticed right away that there were many more runners than in past years. My 3:30 group was at least 35-40 runners. And my first mile was SLOW in 8:25. Oops. At least that's better than 25 seconds too fast. No one in the group seemed to panic and by mile 3 we were back on pace. Perhaps the first mile marker was off.

With no wind, the humidity was stifling. I was concerned because this hilly course is already difficult enough and 90% humidity would certainly take its toll later on. Luckily a breeze picked up after about an hour to make the air feel a little better.

The first relay exchange point came at 10k and boy was it crowded! And the water station was placed too close to the relay exchange, which further complicated traffic congestion. In future years, I think they'll have to have water stations on both sides of the road because it was dicey trying to get a water cup.

The course tours Firestone Park in miles 6-8 and after the 15k relay exchange point enters the University of Akron. Miles 9-11 are mostly downhill as we return to downtown and decend to the Towpath Trail. As usual, the pace picks up significantly down this hill. Miles 11-15 are along the scenic Cuyahoga River on the dirt Towpath. We hit the half on time in 1:44:50 and I could tell that some runners were in over their head with miles at 7:55-8:00. This is normal.

After the Towpath, the course passes the 25k relay exchange point and enters the teeth of the course with three gradual uphill miles from 16-19 along Sand Run Parkway. Marathoner attrition is normal in this section but on this day my group was larger than past years. I still had 15+ runners after reaching the top of the hill.

As is common in marathon pacing (at this race), most runners who are capable of the pace go ahead after mile 20 and those who are not fall off the pace. I still had 6-8 runners with me through mile 21, but the steep hill prior to Stan Hywet gardens (mile 22) took out most of those still hanging on. Three runners remained with me.

The beauty of the Akron course is that if you can hold it together to the end, miles 24 and 25 are a gradual downhill along Market St. One can naturally pick up the pace without added effort. In an effort to keep those last couple runners with me, I lost about 45 seconds to the pace by mile 24, but easily made up the time on Market St with a couple 7:45 miles which felt comfy.

The Akron finish is great fun as the final 100 yards are in Canal Park baseball field. You enter the stadium in center field and run across the field to the finish line. Crossing the line in 3:29:57, I was happy to be done and hung around until the 3:40 pacer finished. My runner of the day award goes to a 58-year old woman in my running club who ran with me through 18 miles. She finished in 3:33, PR'd, and won her age group. All this as a training run for Richmond in November!

All-in-all, another successful year for the Akron marathon, although if their numbers keep growing they'll have to do something about adding water stations. I'm not sure the Towpath section is wide enough to support additional runners.

Road marathon #24 in the books and now less than 4 weeks to go to goal marathon. Recovery seems okay and I look forward to some final sharpening workouts before I tackle my own marathon PR.

Report: YUT-C 25k

2008-09-24T13:53:00.003-04:00

Note: This report is a copy-and-paste version of a more generic account for another audience. Kudos to all the local NE Ohioans and Vertical Runners who ran. ~Lloyd

Last weekend I raced the Youngstown Ultra Trail - Classic (YUT-C) 25k race. The 4th annual 50k, hosted by the NEO Trail Club, added a new 25k version this year.

Having run the 50k race two years ago I was familiar with the beauty and rockiness of the trails of the urban Mill Creek Park. The course is multi-loop around the lakes of MCP with about 80% trails and 20% paved surface.

I've been running lots of roads lately and quality speed workouts for a fall marathon, but have made sure to get in one weekly trail run over the summer. My mileage is high enough where I was confident I could run a "marathon pace" effort for 2+ hours, albeit on some slightly rugged trail. One of my friends was aiming for a 50k finish in 4:20-4:30 range, so I figured I could try to keep up with him and the front pack of 50k runners. I recognized a couple names entered in the 50k that held sub-4:20 credentials in the trail 50k. Based on my knowledge of this trail I made a tentative goal of 2 hours 10 minutes.

Sporting a new pair of Montrail Wildwoods (with about 50 miles on them), a short 1 mile warm-up, and instructions from the RD, we were off. For the first time ever, unlike any other ultra race for me, I was in the front pack. Normally in races like this I am trying to settle into an easy ultra pace. Not on this day.

I led a loose pack of 4 runners through the first 20 minutes, including a past winner of Mohican 100 who finished Badwater earlier this year. My best trail 50k is 4:3x, so racing trails at the front was a new experience to me and frankly, very exciting and fun.

YUT-C doesn't tout a lot of elevation change, but there are a few climbs and decents. The eventual 50k winner took the lead when I walked the first steep up on the climb over the log. I didn't recognize him, but when he asked me "are there mile markers on this course?" I admit to thinking he was a newby and would come back to the field later on.

The course is figure-eight shaped with one main aid station (Covered Bridge) that I passed through 3 times (50k runners 5 times.) Loops spaced evenly about 4 miles apart, I arrive to the covered bridge for the first time in 33 minutes. Carrying a 10 oz handheld bottle, I had been sipping throughout and only needed to fill the bottle and return to running. On this day I took in nothing but water on this mild mid-60s day on shaded trails.

The second section is a flatter loop that included a mile of road surface. This section we would repeat again so I knew that some tempo running, perhaps closer to half marathon pace, was going to happen. I found that the Wildwoods feel good on roads, too.

I caught up to the leader around 45 minutes into race and we started chatting. I found out the guy was running a legitimate pace as he was a past winner of the Groundhog 50k in 3:57. He also mentioned he drove all night from eastern PA to get to the race only minutes before the start.

We finished the second and third loops in about 32 minutes each, leaving only about 3.75 miles to the finish. Since fast dude did not carry a water bottle and I did, I was in-and-out of the aid stations faster and took the lead for the final stretch to my finish. With about a mile to go, the 50k leader catches me and pulls me along to the finish.

Somewhat cheesily, I sprint ahead with about 1/4 mile to go in order to finish ahead in 2 hours 4 minutes. Fast 50k guy was only 10 seconds behind, maintining the pace for the entire 50k, and smashed the course record in 4 hours 10 minutes.

I ended up finishing first in the 25k. With about 60 runners in the 50k and 20 runners entered in the 25k, no doubt the best runners were in the 50k. I figure that the top 4 in the 50k would have beaten me over the shorter course. But on this day it was fun to enjoy the view from the front of the pack.

I enjoyed the rest of the day spectating at the finish line. Youngstown's Mill Creek Park is a hidden little gem that is easy to miss from the freeway. NEO Trail Club does a great job providing a quality race with the easy-going feel of a fat ass event.

Race photos available over here.

Check in

2008-09-04T13:41:00.002-04:00

It's been a month since a post. I am here.

There's running to write about. I've run a couple races and added a couple to the calendar. Check the sidebar.

Marathon is 7.5 weeks away. Mileage is there, averaging 50+ for the last 12 weeks. A weekly speed workout in each of the last 4 weeks.

YUT-C is on September 20th. They've added a 25k to go with the 50k trail run. NEO Trail club does a great job organizing.

I look forward to the fall running season. Witnessing a peak performance by a fellow runner is sometimes as satisfying as achieving my own.

I am here.