Practice To Suffer So Racing Becomes Easy

Lunch: ~2 miles easy

PM:  ~4 miles easy

PM: .5 miles - Had to pick up truck at car wash down the street, otherwise would have been a day off

AM:  4 miles @ 7:45 pace at time I'll be racing on Sat.  Temps and weather look to be fantastic for the Monumental!  Leaving at 4 am to drive the 5 hours down to Indy tonight. 

AM:  2 miles starting just a little slower than marathon pace, finishing around 1/2 marathon pace.  We left at 3 am to avoid a 2-3 hour delay through Chicago rush hour.  I managed to get about 5 hours of sleep, but got a little cat nap in at the hotel and maybe a couple hours of sleep in the car. 

At the expo I walked up to a compression sock vendor thinking I might get an extra pair to wear around school.  The salesman was Alberto Salazar!  I don't believe the expo advertised his appearance, but he was selling the socks just blending in with the crowd.  I got a picture with him and I'll be sure to get it posted asap! 

Something kind of funny (at least my wife thought it was funny) happened on the way back from the expo.  I was walking along looking at the course map and ran square into one of those traffic poles that come out of the ground, the short ones used to close off streets, it happened to be at a height that is very unfortunate if you're a man.  I was down and out for a few minutes, but managed to pull myself together  and should be fine to race tomorrow.  It's been a long time since I've felt that kind of pain!

Quick race re-cap - on pace for 23 miles, victim of calf cramping miles 23-26.  Manged a 1/2 marathon PR of 51sec and a marathon PR of 9:38, plus it's a true "non-aided" PR! I also was able to beat a handful of elite runners and finished as the 3rd non-elite finisher.  Missed my goal of breaking 2:40, but not a big deal as I was probably stretching my goal for that time with my current fitness.  Fast course and temps in the 40's, winds between 6-12 mph out of the SE that led to a tough finish straight into the wind.  Excited to be in Chicago now.  Going to eat a bunch of Chicago's famous Lou Malnati's pizza and relax in the hotel pool.  Taking Jameson to the Shedd Aquarium tomorrow.  Body is doing surprisingly well, much better than my previous 2 marathons!  Thanks to all the bloggers for motivating me on the training the past few months! I have no doubt the blog made a big difference in my commitment to train and race hard!

To fully do this race report justice I think I need to shed some background on where I’ve come from to run 2:41.  Feel free to skip the sentimental stuff and scroll down to the 5^th paragraph for the race report.   

When I started this journey I was a sturdy 225 lbs at 5’11” and had no intention of ever running a marathon let alone a ½ marathon.  I wasn’t always this heavy as I was 155 lbs in college when I was running for Hamline University.  Much of my weight gain was increased muscle mass as I did lift weights 2-3 times a week for about 9 years, but I did almost no cardio and can honestly say I was carrying way too much fat weight to be considered “healthy” by my standards.   My resting heart rate was 68 bpm.  Since my transformation I’ve lost ~60 lbs and dropped my resting heart rate to 48 bpm!  I’m also improved my self confidence, concentration, and overall outlook on the meaning of life - all for the better.

The transformation occurred because of several reasons.  #1 I found God, it just so happened God was looking for me.  Not that I didn’t pray or attend church, I just never got anything out of it until I became a teacher at St. Joe’s.  God has a calling for each one of us and we’ll come to a point where he keeps calling and we can either choose to listen or ignore.   Since becoming an educator I’ve learned to be a great teacher you have to be a great listener.   I had finally starting listening to God!  #2 I started volunteering more of my time to others.  I choose to volunteer as an assistant coach for our 4^th-8^th grade CC team even though at the time it felt kind of like a burden and I wasn’t interested because my wife and I just had a son and I was in my first year of teaching.  Also, none of the coaching positions at St. Joe’s are offered any compensation.   The head coach needed help and so I made the sacrifice to give back some of the running knowledge I learned in college.  I started running 2-3 miles about 2 times a week with the runners to keep a close eye on my young 4^th-6^th grade runners.  It wasn’t so bad, but I certainly was not enjoying the running.  The running part hurt and it felt like a waste of my time, but it felt great to see the transformation of those young athletes!   After CC my 8^th graders approached me with the idea of starting a Track team at St. Joe’s.  I thought to myself No Way! , that would require way too much of a time commitment and track isn’t like CC.  You’ve got to arrange meet line ups and coordinate coaches for all the events, plus the amount of athletes is twice that of CC!  I was only in my 1^st year of teaching and didn’t think I could handle one more thing.  Nonetheless, I choose to cave and start the team with no pay and what I thought at the time to be zero incentive!   Why was I doing this to myself?   I didn’t want to do it, but I felt a higher calling.  I was giving myself away to God’s will rather than following my own selfish desires and best off all it was just happening naturally.  #3 I signed up for Fort’s inaugural ½ marathon and thus formal training began in June of last year.  My first marathon was a 3:07 using Runner’s world Ultimate Intermediate Marathon plan  http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--6946-3-3X5X7-4,00.html  It was good enough for a Boston qualifying time in 2012.  I was really happy with the process and the race, so I signed up for my 2^nd marathon in Duluth, MN.  In June of this year I ran Grandma’s using Runner’s World Ultimate Advanced Marathon plan http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--6946-4-3X5X7-4,00.html and I finished in a time of 2:50:49 with a 20 mph wind to my back almost the entire way!

After Grandma’s I took a day off and slowly built my mileage to 90-115 miles per week that led to my current Monumental Marathon PR or 2:41:12.  All of my training since September has been under the guidance of Tom Swartz “Tinman”, Fast Running Blog, and The Run Zone, which have all been indispensable, so THANK YOU to all!!!

Okay, moving forward to the report.  We left Fort around 3 am to avoid Chicago rush hour and to ensure a sleeping 2 year old!  We arrived just North of Indianapolis around 8 am Eastern Time and pulled off at a secluded exit for me to do my 2 mile tempo run at exactly 8 am (race start time).  Got back on the road checked into the hotel, the hotel was right on monument circle ~ 2.6 miles into the start of the race and about ½ a mile from the start/finish.  I later learned this would be a perfect throw away spot and my wife was able to let me know my position since the ½ marathoners and elites had different color bibs!  This was also only about 2 blocks from the last mile of the course, so it was really convenient for my wife and son since they were able to hang out in the hotel most of the race.  We spent the rest of the day at the expo and relaxing at the hotel.  We had a nice dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, which happened to be our 1^st date 9 years ago!  Got to bed by 9:30 and woke up by 6:00.  Grabbed some coffee and a bagel and went back to the hotel to rest.  Dressed in compression shorts, compression socks, singlet, arm warmers, ear band, 1 thin pair of Under Amour gloves, 1 pair of cheap stretch gloves, sunglasses, a fuel belt that held some shot blocks for right before the start, 2 Hammer electrolytes, and 4 Accelerade gels for out on the course.  I wasn’t going to count on course fuel, I figured better over prepared than under prepared.  With about 15 minutes I jogged down to the start.  Temps were high 30’s with winds out of the South, so temps were chilly, but not terrible.  I did about 5 light striders and jumped in about two rows back from the leaders.  Finally, I was going to get the chance to validate the training and put away all the nervous energy I had built up over my taper week.  I was out to a fast 5:48 start, but it felt comfortable, so I wasn’t too concerned.  The 2^nd mile I slowed down to 6:06, chatted to a guy running the full who was going for 2:37 pace and ran with him for about a mile.  I tossed my throw away t-shirt to my wife as we passed the 2.6 mile mark.  My wife let me know I was in 15^th, later I learned I was actually in 18^th at that point.   We split a 5:57 3^rd mile and so I backed off a little as the other guy kept on that pace.  I’ll later see him around mile 19.  The pace was feeling a little tough, probably due to the fast start.  The 4^th mile was 6:04 – perfect!  Mile 5 was slow as I made a conscious effort to relax a little more.  I had 3 guys with me running the ½ marathon, so I tucked in with them and we came through a 6:21 for mile 5.  Mile 6 I made a conscious effort to pick up the pace and I think I had a slight downhill that resulted in a 5:52 as I continued to draft off the 3 ½ marathon guys.  Mile 7 is where the ½ guys split off and the full ventures north down some scenic streets. I split a 6:02 for mile 7.  After mile 7 the competition became very sparse.    At this point I was on 6:04 pace with some swings in pace, but feeling very reasonable.  I took my first gel back at 40 and every 40 minutes thereafter.  I split a 6:09 for mile 8 and wasn’t noticing too much fatigue, but that would change with the next mile.  I had someone in front of me to chase probably about 12 seconds ahead?   Mile 9 I caught the runner ahead of me and I split a 6:07.  At this point I was nervous about my pace because I was exerting a lot more energy than I would have expected for being slightly slower than my 6:04 goal pace, but I was fully committed to breaking a 2:40 bust if I must.  We split a 6:08 for mile 10 and this where we got a nice little downhill, so I picked up the pace to get back on 6:04.  My buddy from Chicago’s dropped back.  Mile 11 and 12 where 6:00 & 6:01 pace – this pace was hard to sustain alone.  As we turned into the East I noticed the wind was really hard!  I was feeling it and I slowed back down to 6:08 for mile 13 and 1:19:31 for 13.1 with no one in sight to chase at this point I was getting down a little mentally.  My ½ time was about a minute faster than I’ve ever run, but I’ve been told people usually run well with a fast 1^st half and a slightly slower 2^nd half.  The guy from Chicago was back now and he pulled up next to me, we would run like that miles 14 through 21.5.  He helped me through the rolling hills splitting 6:00, 6:02, 6:03, 6:22 (long mile mark), 5:49 (short mark) for miles 14,15,16,17,18.  I was feeling much better running alongside another runner, which made the pace much easier to handle.   I had just tackled what I thought would be the toughest part of the course with some of best running.  I later learned the last 6 into the wind would be the toughest miles.   Mile 19 I missed the spit, but mile 20 was 12:17 and I figured I was close to even splits, maybe 6 - 0’s for both.  Mile 19 I passed the runner who was shooting for 2:37 I ran with in the 2^nd mile.  His words, “I picked the wrong shoes today.”  Mile 21 6:08 going into a strong wind and now I had lost my only competition.  I came through mile 22 in 6:23, but I figured if I didn’t drop too many more 6:20’s I could still break 2:40.  The wind was really harsh to run against the last 4 miles of a marathon.  Up until this point I had zero cramping or any indication cramping was on the way.  I had been taking water or Gatorade at every station and I was pumping the gels every 40min, so why did cramping come on?  Possibly not enough electrolytes, running into the wind required a stronger plant and push, or it could have been a stretch in fitness to run 6:04 pace.  It wasn’t really until 3-4 weeks ago that I started the marathon specific Big Workouts.  I didn’t see mile 23, but 24 was a 13:04.  I didn’t bother looking at this split for I knew I was off pace and didn’t want to get discouraged.  My left ankle had locked up and cramping was preventing plantar and dorsal flexion, which in turn put more strain on my right side.  So at mile 25 I had cramping in my right calf and left calf/ankle.  The breathing wasn’t labored, but each time I tried to pick up the pace my cramping would get worse.  At this point I was desperate to keep it going and I noticed I had one gel left!  Did I forget to take one?  Later I remembered I grabbed an extra gel in case I dropped one.  Being distracted by another runner passing me I tore open the gel it sprayed all over me, covering my face, chest, and thighs – nice!    I was passed by 1 more runner in mile 25; my split was a 6:38 (my slowest split).  Mile 26 I got a little boost from the crowd and some Rocky Theme music and I finished the race out kicking 1 runner and immediately after I had both calves completely lock up, so someone had to help me walk for a short while before they loosened up.  My last mile was a 6:19 and the .2 was 1:12.  Not a bad finish, but not what I would consider my best.  I was happy to finish in the top 20 and I have no doubt I gave it everything I could.  The PR came off of 4.5 months of training and I feel I’ve got a massive amount of room for improvement in the marathon.  It’s exciting to be posting 10-15 minute PR’s 4 marathons in now.  I’m hoping to continue this trend as my next goal at Boston will be to break 2:30!

Now that I’ve had a few days to compile this report and reflect on the race.  I really think my limiting factors were not enough Big Workouts specific to the marathon.  I also think the workouts weren’t Big enough to justify much faster than 6:10 pace.  For instance, I ran 8 miles on 100 mile a week legs in a 6:10 tempo pace in similar wind conditions about 3-4 weeks before the marathon.  It was a fantastic workout for my fitness level and experience, but I believe these late training cycle BIG marathon tempo’s need be more like 12-15 miles of total MP to maximize running potential in the marathon.  The other thing that I could try next time is taking an electrolyte pill; I completely forgot I had them in my fuel belt!  The drop of 10 more lbs from 165 to 155 would make a big difference on my lower body as well.  All 3 of these factors may have prevented some if not all of the cramping I experienced. 

Looking forward to a little down time and then the Berby Derby 10K on Thanksgiving.  After that it’s another slow build up to high mileage and a primary focus on Boston with maybe 1 race a month for Jan, Feb, and March.  

Me with a forced and exhausted smile in the warming tent

The family in the tent, as usual Jameson tries to dodge a picture

Jameson at the end of the race, pretty much sums it up!

PM:  1.5 miles in the rain around the neighborhood - no watch.  Feeling snappy, but the legs are sore!!

 Here's an interesting article about the 100 Up running drill and minimalist running:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/running-christopher-mcdougall.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&em&exprod=myyahoo

PM:  3 miles around neighborhood, calves still are at 50% recovery.  Everything else felt pretty good.  Did 100 Up Drill, Lunge Matrix, Cannonball Cooldown

AM:  6 miles easy pace no watch on Star School.  In the past 7 days I've only run 2 times, which is quite a bit of time off for me.  I enjoyed my time with a little bow hunting. 

PM:  6.10 miles around town and Fort Middle School Track.  Did 8x100m 5K-3K effort on the straights with easy running on the turns for a 6:02 mile.  Avg run pace 7:01, pumped out a nice ab routine as well.

PM:  5.31 easy miles main street loop 7:04/avg pace.

PM:  6.42 miles w/15x1:00 min fast/1:00 easy running at Dorothy Carnes East Park.  It was nice to get out to the park.  It's going to be covered with snow soon!  Found just enough light to get my workout in before it got too dark to see.  Ran these over the undulating terrain running completely by feel.  I wanted a good effort, but nothing too hard.  The plan was 5K effort for the first 10, and 3K effort the last 5.  However the hills made those paces much slower, but I believe the effort was correct.  I didn't get the watch on the first one, but here are the rest 5:58m/p(7:31r/p), 6:53(7:29), 5:51,(7:07), 5:59,(8:00), 5:42,(7:45), 5:27,(6:45), 5:32,(7:40), 6:07,(7:59), 5:12,(6:51), 5:41,(7:17), 5:44,(7:18), 5:48, (8:05), 5:51,(7:21), 5:37,(7:47)

 All in all a nice little workout on grass with lower mileage, so the body should feel reasonable tomorrow.  

PM:  8.3 miles Creamery loop no watch.  Turned it into a gradual progression run with the last .5 mile at 10K effort

PM:  Took off Saturday for deer gun opener - good thing I did because I shot 5 bucks for my hunting party!  Ran 10 miles easy with an intentional slow start and picked up the pace down to 6:30 miles for the last 2-3 - Avg 7:28 pace for the run

PM:  11.43 miles with 12x1:00 @ 5K effort/1:00 easy jogging.  The body isn't really ready for serious training again.  My tendons hurt, motivation is really low, and I'm looking for excuses not to run.  All good signs that I need a solid rebuild with a period of low maintenance mileage.

PM:  3 miles very very easy, achillies tendon is tight and sore.  Planning to do very small amounts of running with cross training for next 5 days then starting over with a very slow buildup toward Boston.  I figure I've got plenty of time to work the kinks out and recharge the batteries.  I'm actually looking forward to some time away from serious running.  I've got some serious hunting planned the rest of the week!

PM:  50 minute pool run w/20x1:00 hard/30sec easy + 2 minutes with no belt

I'm visiting the PT on Friday morning before I head up north for round 2 of deer hunting.  Hopefully, my achillies tendonitis will heal quickly, but I'm actually kind of enjoying the break for the moment considering it will be hard to train at deer camp over the rest of the week.  Plus I'm enjoying the extra family time!  I also made an appointment with sport med. to evaluate my annoying runner's knee next Tuesday!  I figure I might as well make sure everything is evaluated before I head into my Boston build-up.

Lunch:  3 miles very very very easy on the treadmill while watching the Packers beat the lions!

Did my 1st day of strength/power training.  Went well, but I can tell I lost a lot over the past 4-6 months.

PM:  3 very very easy miles on the treadmill + Lifts

PM:  4 miles very very easy - No watch main street loop

PM:  5.5 very easy miles w/Jen and Jameson main street loop

I met with sports med today and they took some measurements using a tape and a level to determine that my tibia in my right leg is about 1.5 cm shorter leaving my right leg slightly shorter than my left.  So I'll be trying a .5 cm heel lift to move me back to the acceptable 1 cm difference.  Hopefully, this will help clear up all the aches I've had on right side!

In the meantime I'm using this down time to loose some weight.  It was too hard with the caloric needs of high intensity/high volume training.  I'm also using this time to build my power back up with weight training.

PM:  1.65 on the treadmill.  Took it easy on the achillies tonight by running slow and short.  Did some extra cross training on the eliptical.  + Lifts