2011 Baystate Marathon Race Recap

What a day and what a race!

Last Sunday, I completed the 2011 Baystate Marathon in 3 hours and 14 minutes, 87th overall, which well exceeded my goal of coming in under 3 hours and 20 minutes.  With my finish time, the near perfect race-day conditions, and (for the most part) even pacing, this marathon will not be forgotten.

Lauren and I jumped in the car around 6:15 AM, stopped at Starbucks to get a coffee and bagel, and began our hour-long drive to Lowell.   Once we arrived, I left my bag at the bag pick-up station, and meandered up to the starting line.  As I walked up looking for the 3:20 pacer (a race volunteer who runs the marathon at a pace of 3 hours and 20 minutes so less experienced runners can follow as opposed to worrying about their own pace), I saw that the 3:00, 3:10, and 3:15 pacers were at the front of the race pack.   Normally, they are much more spread out amongst the throngs of runners.  The race was noticeably smaller this year because the Boston Marathon changed the date of their deadline to qualify.  This year, the Baystate marathon occurred after the Boston Marathon qualifying deadline.  Needless to say, I found a spot about 10 yards away from runners who would be finishing this race much sooner than me.  No need to be anywhere near them and risk the chance of going out too fast.  After the national anthem and a moment of silence, a gun shot pierced through the air, and we were off!

The first three or so miles went through the busier part of Lowell.  I had plenty of room to run (not often the case during the beginning of a marathon) and there were plenty of people to speak with as I was running.  I chatted with a guy from Baltimore who had run some similar races as me in that area in the past, as well as a couple of other runners who didn't seem very interested in small talk.  Oh well.

The first three miles passed by at 7:27 (7 minutes, 27 seconds per mile), 7:20, and 7:02.  I knew that I needed to slow down or I would hit the wall by mile 12.  We passed our first bridge, and started the first of two 9 mile loops along the river.  The next two miles were the only section of the race where the course is not flat.  This first pass through the hills had no effect on my pace, at 7:20 and 7:15.

View along the course

The halfway point of this loop is a 150 yard bridge that has a separated walking path made of some sort of metal.  As I began to run over the bridge along with 40 or so other people, the walkway had a noticeable bounce to it, almost like you were jumping on a trampoline.  If the runners had a similar cadence running across the bridge, I could easily see a few of them getting some air from the bounce of the bridge.  Needless to say, it was a good laugh, and a good distraction from running for a few minutes.  At this point, I was still on a roll, with my mileage splits at 7:17, 7:10, 7:17, and 7:11.

After my first hour of running, I was still running at a pace that was faster than I planned, but I made the decision to try to hold this pace until mile 13, and then at that point I'd reconsider my strategy.  I had already had one of my four running Gu's (100 calories of carbohydrates in toothpaste form), and I had been alternating drinking gatorade and water at the water stops (which were every two miles on the course).

The next miles coming up to mile 13 came in at 7:12, 7:15, 7:07, and 7:13.  Wow, this was great! I still felt relaxed and the pace was still easy, considering I'd already completed half of the race.  I passed the 13.1 mile line (the official halfway point of the marathon) just over 1 hour and 35 minutes.  Keeping the same pace for the rest of the race, I could qualify for Boston.  Oh, the thoughts of grandeur one has while running a marathon....

The first few miles of the second loop required a little more focus, and were a little more challenging than the first loop because of the increased headwind.  While the cool air felt great, the wind in my face was something I'd rather not have to run through.  Still, I maintained the pace at 7:18, 7:07, and 7:20.

Merrimack River

As I bounced over the bridge again, I did so running with far fewer people than the first time around.  For the past few miles, there was a group of four or five runners that I ran with.  We were not exactly running together, but all of us would slowly pass each other (or be passed) depending upon how we felt at that particular moment.  While it was good to have the goal of keeping with this group, the constant passing and dropping was becoming annoying.  At this point, I needed to focus more on my pace, breathing, and body, and less on these guys trying to race.  And besides, the racing part of the marathon doesn't come until mile 20, and we were only at mile 17.  So, I made a deal with myself that I'd continue my pace for the next two miles and hang around with these guys.  If they were still around at mile 20 and I was still annoyed, then I would do something about it then.  The next miles come through at 7:18, 7:19, 7:18, and 7:16.

So that takes us to mile 20.  This is the infamous part of the marathon that makes or breaks you. The guys I had been running with were no longer to be seen.  They must have hit the "wall."  I still felt relatively comfortable keeping the pace, which is a huge accomplishment in and of itself.   I've always seemed to fall apart at this point in my previous marathons.  Now, I still felt like I had a chance to do something special.  Six miles is the length of my regular run at home, so I rationalized that this is just an easy 50 minute run that I do 2 to 3 times a week, so I should have no problems from here on out.  Marathon runners have also been known to hallucinate during this part of the run....

Perfect running weather

I passed mile 21 at 7:22, and it started to get more difficult.  My legs felt heavy, my heart rate was up much higher, and there was no one around to cheer us runners on.  There were a few runners about 75 yards in front of me, and I didn't hear anyone behind me.  So, I made it a goal to track those two guys down over the next five miles.  At this point, I'm worrying less about my pace, and more on catching up with the guys ahead.  I attempt to psych myself up and make it personal. Mile 22 comes at 7:28.

So far, I hadn't made up too much ground on the two guys in front of me, however, I hadn't lost any ground either.  Knowing that I had about a half hour left of running, I figure it's now or never, and I tried to pick up my pace a little bit more.  Guess what happened?  Here is where I hit the wall.  I ran for about a quarter of a mile at a quicker pace (or at least what I thought was quicker) before my hamstring started to get tight.  I immediately slowed down to avoid cramping up (and ruining any chance of running a good time), and then my body just hit a slump.  All of the energy I thought I had was nowhere to be found.  I sucked down my last running Gu, and walked through the water stop to make sure I drank an entire Gatorade in hopes of giving me one last extended jolt.  Miles 23 and 24 proved to be the hardest part of the race for me, and I completed them in 8:00 and 8:23, respectively.

With two miles to go, I pondered why I put myself through this misery.  Then I think about all of my friends who helped support Easter Seals on my behalf while running this race, and I finally get the jolt that I needed.  I didn't care how much this hurt, I had 2.25 miles left, and I was going to finish it as fast as I can.  I shortened my stride, and focused on how "easy" it is to turn my legs over. I thought of short, quick steps... chop, chop, chop.  My legs felt as heavy as roman cathedral pillars, but I was moving them as quickly as I could.  I passed mile 25 at 8:00 on the dot, and now I had a mile and change to go.

Mile 26 proved to be the most eventful mile of the entire race.  After the first quarter of a mile, both of my hamstrings attempted to shut me down.  I stopped for 5 - 10 seconds to gather myself and to prevent two massive cramps.  As I passed more and more spectators, the cheers and motivation become louder and louder, and I picked it up again.  My last mile consisted of many small races and accomplishments.  I told myself to sprint to the car 100 yards ahead of me, then sprint to the fire hydrant, and so on. I started to hear the announcer on his microphone at the end of the race, and I decided this is where I needed to go for an all-out sprint. 

I finished mile 26 in 8:15.  Everyone in the crowd is cheering, and as I continued to sprint to the finish line, I saw Lauren on the sidewalk cheering me on.  I picked up my pace, and within 10 seconds, boom, my hamstring cramped up, and brought me to a halt.  Damn!  I can see the finish line!  I quickly hopped along for a few steps, then one of the guys who I was running with runs right by me. Hell no.  I forgot about the cramp, sprinted by the guy, and finally finished my race in 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 25 seconds.

Running a marathon hurts during and after

What a race! I grabbed a bunch of waters, someone puts a medal on me, and I found Lauren waiting for me at the end of the runner's shoot.  A few medical volunteers came up to me to ask me if I needed any help (did I look that bad?), and I declined their offer and opted to sit down on a bench near by.  The next 25 minutes hurt almost as much as the last 6 miles, but the pain is the best that I've felt in quite some time.  The best medicine for this pain was the thought that I had raised a tremendous amount of money for Easter Seals, had a great race, and that I got to sit on the couch for the rest of the afternoon!

Thanks again to everyone who donated to Easter Seals on behalf of this race.  I really appreciate the support, and I had a great time sharing my training experiences with you.  And I also have to thank my wife, Lauren, for the continued support and motivation.  There were plenty of nights that I didn't want to run or blog, but she always helped remind me why I was doing this. 


If it's in the cards for you, I hope to see you out here with me lining up for another marathon soon! 

Twas the Night Before Baystate...

After 3+ months of training, the big day is less than a day away. I was able to squeeze in a couple of easy 5k runs yesterday and today just to keep loose and get the jitters out. After some light stretching and a 20 minute walk this evening, I'm as ready as I'm going to be for the race tomorrow.

As humor would have it, things remained interesting up until the last minute. Lauren and I drove up to Lowell this morning to pick up my number and visit the marathon expo. As we were waiting at a stop light near the finish line of the marathon, we noticed that there were a lot of people running on the side of the street.....wearing race numbers. Oh &#$@, I thought. Did I just miss my race? I could have swore it was on the 16th. After a moment of slight panic, we realized it was a 5k or some other race that was taking place. Once we parked and entered the expo, our assumption was confirmed, and I was good to go. Needless to say, today's blog post would have been...interesting...if I had to explain that I missed the race.

I wanted to take a moment again to thank everyone who has followed me these past few months and to everyone who has helped me support Easter Seals. Training for this marathon and raising awareness about this organization has been a great experience, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Pros and Cons

As I begin to re-define what it means to taper for a marathon (three runs in the last 10 days), I still feel like I'm in pretty good shape to have a successful race next weekend.  In general, a successful race would entail not having to walk or stop because of cramps, and running under an 8:00 minute per mile pace.  Looking back on the last two plus months of training, it's easy to see what went well (pros) and not so well (cons) with my training program.

Pros:
1.  Long Runs - Of the 12 weeks of my training program, 6 weeks have included runs longer than 17 miles.  I'm not sure I could say the same for any of the other marathons I've run.  Taking into consideration that one of the long runs was a race, I feel confident and prepared that I will finish the 26 miles next week.

2.  Injury free - No problems with my lower back, hamstrings, calves, Achilles tendons, or feet during the entire training program (knock on wood).  Not having to worry about an injury resurfacing during the race is a plus. However, I'm pretty sure my lack of injuries was also a result of.....

Cons:
1.  Lack of tempo and medium long runs - Tempo runs (fast-paced runs of 5 - 10 miles) and medium long runs (easy paced runs of 10 - 13 miles).  Simply put, tempo runs make you run marathons faster, and medium long runs make running marathons.  And more simply put, I rarely ran either.  For the medium long runs I did complete, they tended to hover around 10 - 11 miles, opposed to 12 - 13 miles.  The one positive is that these runs can take a toll on the body and a training program that incorporates these runs usually do not allow for as much rest following as a long run does.  Running these type of runs back to back, or within a couple of days of each other can easily cause injuries.  Plus, these runs can increase your weekly mileage by 25 - 40%.  High mileage is another big red flag for injuries.

2.  Consistency - As I'm sure almost everyone can relate to, sometimes life gets in the way and can prohibit running 5 or 6 days a week.  This definitely proved to be the case for me in the past three months.  Although I'm not too upset with the average number of miles I was able to run throughout the past three months (approx 35 miles), these miles were usually run within three to four day increments (normally from Friday to Monday).

With all of this in mind, I'm still looking forward to a fun race, and hoping for a great result.  And regardless of what happens, I'm looking forward to sharing my race day experiences with everyone.

Nighttime Running

Squeezed in eight miles tonight after a low mileage week last week.  Now that we live out in the sticks, additional tools and gadgets are necessary for a successful and safe run during the evening hours.  As you can see, I was both successful and safe.  And yes, it's OK to comment.

Running in California

Yesterday, Lauren and I arrived home from a week-long vacation in California.  We spent three days in San Francisco, and the remaining days exploring wine country.  Not only was it a great vacation, but it proved to be conducive to marathon training.  I was able to run on six of the seven days, three of which will never be forgotten.  Lauren and I ran twice in Napa Valley and once in Golden Gate park in San Francisco, and the scenery was nothing short of beautiful for both.

Any attempt to describe these runs would severely short-change both of these places.  Instead, our slideshow from the trip (running and non-running pics) sums up the scenery pretty well.

Last Run before Vacation

Snuck in a quick six-mile run before our trip out to San Francisco tomorrow morning. We will be enjoying some hills, some wine, and some runs during the next seven days!

Nahant 30K race recap

After running a few easy runs during the week, I figured it would be a good idea to put in a good hard effort on Sunday. My first thought was to find a local running club in the area so I can attempt to keep up with more of the seasoned runners.   After a few google searches for local running clubs,  I stumbled upon the Nahant 30K (or 18.5 mile) race, which happened to be this morning.  After getting the go-ahead from Lauren, I spent the rest of Saturday mentally preparing myself for my first long-distance race in five months.

As a quick aside, last night Lauren and I watched the movie 127 Hours. This is about the story of Aaron Ralston, a hiker who in 2003 was trapped in a canyon in Utah for six days when a boulder pinned his arm against the canyon wall. After five days of trying to free his arm, he came to the conclusion that the only way he was going to save his life was to break and amputate his arm to free himself from the canyon. If anyone ever needs any motivation to do anything, then I would highly recommend watching this film. It definitely fulfilled my objective of mentally preparing myself for the race.

On my hour plus ride to Nahant, I had my usual pre-race meal of an English muffin with peanut butter and a big thermos of coffee. It's not exactly a bowl of Wheaties, but my stomach seems to handle it fine during a race. Within 15 minutes of the start of the race, I jogged for a couple of minutes to loosen up my legs.  After drinking a bottle of water, I was ready as I was going to be this morning to run for 2 plus hours.

After a nice word by the race director in remembrance of 9/11, the gun went off, and so was I. There were approximately 300 people in the race, which made it easy to navigate through the first quarter mile of slower runners who like to sprint out of the gates (I've been guilty of this on more than one occasion, and made it a point to hold back for the first few miles).

Since I have not raced this distance is some time, I had no idea at what pace I should be running at. My first two miles clocked in at 7:14 and 7:13 minutes per mile. If only the rest of the race were this easy, I thought to myself. Halfway through the third mile, we came to the end of Nahant Beach, which meant two things: the end of the nice breeze off of the ocean, and the beginning of 12 miles of rolling hills. Needless to say, this was not a nice surprise. However, the next five miles went by with no difficulties, and I was able to keep my pace between 7:09 and 7:29 min/mile.

As the miles past, the cool morning at 9:00 AM had turned into a hot, bright, and sunny day by 10:30, and my legs began to get heavier and heavier. More hills meant more short, choppy steps up the hills, and then long strides leaning forwards on the downhills letting my weight and gravity do most of the work. Any time I lost going up the hills I more than made up on the down hill. Still, my pace was undeterred, keeping under a 7:30 min/mile pace.

Miles 15 through 18 were difficult, but somewhat manageable. The uphills took longer, and the downhills were not nearly as fast as they were at the beginning of the race. The last mile and half of the race was along the beach bike path. While the views of the beach couldn't have been better, I quickly noticed how cruel the ending of the race was. Being able to see the finish line with more than a mile to go made it seem like the race was never going to end. I managed to stick it out, and finished the race in 2:16:16. All in all, I was happy with the race, and I'm looking forward to the remaining six weeks of my training program.

Let's Go!

Hokies!

Today is the kick-off to the Virginia Tech football season. My morning started off with watching a bunch of Hokie football videos on YouTube to properly prepare for today's game against Appalachian State (don't worry, I don't know who they are either). I got so pumped up, I ran out of the house and ran a quick 10 miles. So, in honor of the season's start, today's blog recap will be captured in Hokie YouTube clips.

This was the pace I ran today's 10 mile run:



I'm planning on running the marathon at this pace:



This is what the town of Lowell will be like when I'm getting ready to cross the finish line:



GO HOKIES!

How to Not Train for a Marathon

by Tom O'Reilly

(If there was a forward, it would also be by Tom O'Reilly).

The last few weeks have been less than optimal when it comes to training for anything, much less a marathon. Five runs in 13 days probably won't cut it. So, instead of focusing on the terrible, let's focus on the positive.  I completed my first 20 mile run last Saturday, and raced home Hurricane Irene in the process. I'm happy to report back that I won (although Irene proved revengeful by knocking out our power for the last three days).

While completing the run was an accomplishment, the run itself wasn't exactly memorable. I ran my usual long run route, and added an extra three miles at the beginning. And although my pace slowed considerably throughout the run, I finished with no issues or injuries.

With August close to being complete, I'm looking forward to a successful start in September. I'm planning on increasing my mileage this week, and I may even have the opportunity to break the 50-mile barrier. That would be a great start to the month, and should provide the boost I need to run well in October.

I hope everyone was able to stay safe and dry and these past few days, and the amount of yard work needed to be done this weekend is minimal.

The treadmill lies!

After warming up for eight to ten minutes, I do what any normal treadmill runner does.  I turn it up.  I crank up the speed to 8.0, push the elevation grade to 2%, and I see how long I can hold on for.  I'm pleased.  I'm able to hold on for awhile.  30 minutes to be exact.  The tempo portion of my run ends at 9.3 and 3.5%, respectively.  It leave my legs tight, my sides in a slight cramp, but feeling great because as a result of the impressive workout.  I cool-down for 15 minutes to loosen up, all the while celebrating that I must have knocked out at least 7.5 or 8 miles with that blistering pace, and that I've got an exciting blog entry to share.  I mean, running that fast for that long, I should have been able to easily knock out 7.5 miles, right?

Wrong.  After 55 minutes, it takes me 5 minutes longer, and close to twice the effort, to run the same distance of my regular easy run (6.3 miles).  Why is it so, treadmill?  Running on the treadmill is supposed to be easier than running outside because of the assistance it provides with your leg turnover (the movement of the treadmill assists your legs propel you forward after each step).  This, in turn, should be able to provide the runner with extra speed, and theoretically, enable him/ her to run farther distance than normal in the same amount of time.  However, this by no means seems to be the case.

I could spend the time researching and uncovering the mystery as to why the treadmill leaves me broken hearted (or why it is lying...).  Or, it can motivate me to train outside more, and only train on a treadmill when it is the last option.  The latter sounds like the more appealing and right thing to do.  So with that, I'll have to buck up with the heat and humidity of Dallas for my remaining training runs until Friday.  And regardless of how fast or slow I go, I won't be shocked with the distance I've ran once I'm finished.

R&R

I’m not sure how it happened, but I’ve topped off a bad week of training with two strong training runs.  Last week, I was in Dallas, Texas for work, and due to the heat (good reason), my work schedule (bad reason), and laziness (horrible reason), I only managed to fit in one workout between Monday and Friday.  To boot, that workout was on a treadmill.
  
On Saturday morning, Lauren and I headed down the Cape for a day at the beach and a little R&R.  However, in our case, R&R more aptly stood for Run and Relaxation.  When we arrived into Orleans, we parked near the Cape Cod Rail Trail for a run before we hit the beach.  Without any specific plan, we decided to lace up and hit the trail to see what happens. 

To both of our surprises, our runs went very well.  Including our easy warm-up, Lauren and I ran for 2.5 miles before she turned around to cap off a 5 mile run.  At that time, I figured I’d run another 2.5 miles, and then turnaround to finish up with 10 miles for the day.   I ran miles 2.5 to 5.0 at about a 7:30 – 8:00 minute / mile pace.  Once I turned around, I picked it up and ran the next two miles at about a 7:15 – 7:30 minute / mile pace.  I had not run this fast for this long in a while, and it started to show around mile 7.5.  And this is where the Cape Cod Rail Trail saved the day.  In order to keep my tempo going through the end of the run, and not kill myself in the process, I ran at a tempo pace every other tenth of a mile.  I was able to do this because the trail had distance markings on trail every 10th of a mile.  I was able to finish the run right around 80 minutes, and then we set off to start the second of our two R’s.




Next comes Sunday morning.  After a great workout and a full day in the sun, Lauren and I sleep in until 9:00 AM or so (ok, maybe it was just me who slept in THAT late).  After a few cups of coffee, the standard English muffin with PB&J breakfast, and knocking out a few expense reports for work (always fun), I lace up and head out the door for my run.  I was very nervous.  My last long run was as successful as Tim Pawlenty’s Presidential campaign.  I ran 10 miles pretty hard yesterday, which would mean my legs would be tired today.  I hadn’t run on the road at all during the week, which could result in pulling a muscle because of running too much at one time.  Everything was lined up for another disaster of a run, and not only was I nervous that I could wind up walking home the last six miles, but I’d continue my O-fer streak of good long runs.  And there was always that far and away chance of missing my 8:00 PM flight to Dallas (but thanks to American Airlines, they gave me enough time to run an ultra marathon with their second 2+ hour delay in as many weeks.  And yes, that’s bitterness you’re reading).

I don’t know if it was the fact that I knew a bunch of friends running the Falmouth Road Race (Cara B., J D., and Stevie Mo) or Cape Ann Half Marathon (Steve C.).  I’m not sure if it was finally heeding the sage advice of Jim Wadsworth and Lauren by bringing some Gu's with me. It may or may not have been due to recently reading Born to Run.  And I don’t know if it was the overcast afternoon that kept the sun and heat at bay... but I do know that I finally completed a long run without any issues.  And it was awesome!

The plan was to run the same 18 mile route I had already done twice during this training program.  I told myself I would get the better of this route before I moved on to a new long run route.  The first eight miles went well.  About 6 miles (or 50 minutes) into the run, I had my first Gu (strawberry banana is the flavor of choice in the O’Reilly household), which provided an immediate source of energy.  I coasted for the next two miles, arriving at the convenience store in just over 65 minutes (8.25 miles).



Realizing that I was tight on time, and still a little unsure how the next 10 miles were going to turn out, I used the restroom, sucked back some water from the sink (stop judging…), purchased a 12 oz. Gatorade, and headed out on my way back home.  Still somewhat full from the Gu I had 15 minutes ago, I decided to hold off on having the Gatorade until I felt I needed it.  Miles 9, 10, and 11 went by smoothly, and glimmers of hope began to flicker through my pessimistic thoughts of the remaining miles.  Miles 12, 13, and 14 turned into “only 4 miles left…, only 3 miles left…” and so on.  And soon enough, I completed 18 miles in 2 hours and 33 minutes.  My legs felt well (as best they could after running for 2.5 hours), and I was happy and immediately motivated to start my next long run.  I had just run 28 miles in 30 hours, and salvaged what could have been a horrendous training week.



The goals for this week are to run three times in Dallas, and to run my first 20 mile long run for the training program.  If I am able to accomplish these goals, I should be able to run 50 miles this week, and be on my way to a successful Bay State.

Which option would you choose?

A:  Go for a five-mile run on a hotel treadmill.

B:  Go for a six-mile run at 11:00 PM when it's 95 degrees outside.

Can you guess which option I chose?  Tomorrow's high in Dallas, TX is supposed to reach 107 degrees, which means I'll be seeing much more of the treadmill in my near future.

Long Run, Longer Walk

On Saturday, I left for my second long run of my marathon training program.  I left my house with the grand thoughts of running 20 miles.  I left my house envisioning running 30 miles within the next two days.  I left thinking that after this weekend, I'll finally be back in the saddle and on my way to a 3 hour and 10 minute marathon time.

When I finally made it home on Saturday, all of my previous thoughts were just that. Thoughts, and nowhere near reality. 

The frustrating part about Saturday's run is that the first half of the run went surprisingly well.  My plan for my 20-miler would be to run my previous 17 mile route, and then add my regular 3- mile lap at the end of the run to get to the magical 20. 

The first part of the run went from Norfolk to Medfield, which is a little over eight miles.  This is the first part because I usually stop in Medfield to buy a Gatorade, and it is the turnaround point back to my house.  I started out slow for the first three miles to loosen up.  With the music blaring, and the temperature bearable, I sped up a little bit to an 8:00 – 8:15 minutes / mile pace.  I arrived in Medfield just under 70 minutes, and felt very confident about the rest of my run. 

I purchased a 20 or 24 oz. lemon-lime Gatorade, chugged half of it, and then took an extra few minutes to change the playlist on my Ipod, fix my belt, and focus on the second part of my run.  Then I’m off again. 

The first two minutes seem slow, but I assure myself that I’ll pick it up in a little bit.  After finishing mile nine, my legs are still unresponsive, and I felt very full from the Gatorade I just demolished.  I figured I’d sweat it out in the next few minutes, so I charged onward.  After five more minutes of struggling to maintain an easy tempo, I decided to start walking for a little bit.  I rationalize that there is no reason to push it when I still have at least 7.5 miles to go (only 17.5 miles if I decided not to run the last 3-mile lap).

During my walk, fatigue starts to set in, and I sensed that the rest of this run is not going to be as fun and easy as the first hour.  I walk a little more than a half mile, and then I start to run again.  My pace now has dropped considerably and hovers around 9:00 minutes / mile.  After another hour and a half of this long run / longer walk, I arrive home walking the last 3 of the remaining 8 miles.  The second half of the run lasted 35 minutes longer than the first half.  Sheepishly, I even cheated my normal route and cut out a half mile of my run and finish the day run / walking 16.5 miles just under 2 hours and 38 minutes. 
 
So, what went wrong?  Could it have been the cocktail and glass of wine I had the night before?  Could it have been the fact that I had not run in the prior two days?  Did I have too much Gatorade at one time during my run?  Did I attempt to bite off more than I can chew with another long run without running 13- or 15-mile runs first?  Or perhaps it’s because I didn’t bring anything to eat on the run.  I’m sure the answer is some combination of all of the above.    

On the bright side, I was on my feet for 2 hours and 38 minutes, which is training in and of itself.  I did finish (please note I’m using a very loose interpretation of the word) a 16.5 mile run.  I did manage to make it out of the house today to run my regular 6.3 mile run, and I made it back home in one piece.  And I did complete my third week of training.

Up next, I’ll be working on the fourth week of my training plan, and I’ll do most of the training in Dallas, Texas (I’m in Dallas for work through Friday).  My focus this week is to get my “legs” in gear and start turning my running thoughts into reality. 

Question

Really busy week this week.  I squeezed in a 76 minute run in some great weather.  Now, I'll knock back some dinner, and then its back to work.

With that being said, does anyone have any secrets or success stories of ensuring they get their workouts in while managing a busy schedule?  If so, I'd love to hear them.

Some Early Warning Signs

Shockingly, I was not able to squeeze in any runs on my trip to Montreal this weekend.  I did, however, manage to get in another six miles today.  I took it easy on today's run, and knocked it back at a 7:55 minute / mile pace.  I'd like to believe I took it easy because I've got a longer run coming up tomorrow.  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I was still shaking away some cobwebs from the past three days.  Nonetheless, today's run is in the books, and tomorrow's run is being planned for now.

There were a few instances during today's run that left me with some concerns.  My left hamstring "warned" me a few times that if I kept up the pace I was running at, it would cramp up without any additional notice.  This warning usually comes in the guise of a very small cramp or twinge in my hamstring, and when this happens, I slow down immediately.  When my hamstring has locked up during a run, it has been one of the worst pains I've ever experienced, and it wiped out any hopes that I had of running a good race.

My hamstrings have locked up two of the three times I've run the Boston marathon, and both times it made me seriously question why I would ever run again.  In both instances, one leg would cramp up and require me to hop over to the side of the road to get not trampled by the rest of the racers.  I'd lean over to rub the back of my leg in hopes of trying to loosen up the muscle.  Then as soon as I leaned over, my other hamstring would cramp up and pain would engulf my entire body.  Now I'm standing there, not moving, fighting off tears, and getting jeered by some semi-drunk Boston College students watching the marathon because I'm not running.  After five to six minutes of not moving, I'd start this ridiculous walk / hop hybrid of running in fear that any other running form would result in my hamstrings locking up again.

So what can I do to prevent this from happening again?  There is really only one answer, and that is to stretch.  I need to start stretching more after all of my runs, and I need to do it for longer than two minutes.  If anyone has any recommendations on stretching exercises that work for you, I'd love to hear them.  I'll be trying some different exercises over the next couple of weeks and hope that I'll find a few that work well for me.

Tomorrow I have a nine mile general aerobic run.  Hopefully I can keep it in the 8:00 - 8:10 minute / mile pace, and without my legs giving me any "warnings".  And if there are, I'll promise you that I'll slow down, and that you'll be the first to know.

Quick Training Update

Monday - I woke up Monday morning, and my ankles looked like those of an eight month pregnant woman.  Probably not the best start to the day.  I laced up with the hopes that I'd be fine after warming up.  I was wrong.  This turned out to be an unbelievably difficult run for such a short distance.  My legs felt like they were hungover from Sunday's long run, and responded in a similar fashion.  Imagine running with 20 lb. weights on your ankles for almost an hour and you'll get the idea.  My 9:36 minutes per mile pace was a new one for me.   

Tuesday - Not sure why I went for a run today considering yesterday's travesty, however, I'm glad I did.  I ran a new route and it turned out to be a little longer than I anticipated.  I kept a little over an 8:00 minute / mile pace and for the most part, the run felt comfortable.  And after running past a pack (or flock?) of five or six turkeys,  I was reminded how far removed Lauren and I now live from the metro area.

Wednesday - I guess I might as well keep the consecutive running-day streak going.  I grabbed my iPod, laced up, and went out for what I thought were going to be a few easy miles.  I would up knocking out six miles at a 7:42 min / mile pace, which was a result of hustling for the last two miles.  A Britney Spears song may or may not have been what caused me to pick up the pace (this last sentence pains me as well).

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the last three days, and I'm starting to feel a little like a runner again (emphasis on starting).  This was the first week of my formal 12-week marathon training program, and for the most part, I've stuck with it.  For those who are interested, I'm following Pete Pfitzinger's 12-week training plan at 55 miles or less a week from Advanced Marathoning.  There are also marathon plans for 70 miles or less a week, and greater than 70 miles a week, both of which are next to impossible for me for many reasons.

Unfortunately, I already have some concerns about finishing my long run this Sunday.  Two of my college buddies, John von and Jeremy, are flying into Boston early Friday morning, and the three of us are heading up to Montreal along with some others,  for John Von's bachelor party.  I'm planning on taking Saturday off from running, so no worries there.  However, after a weekend of hanging out with the French for 36 hours and two five-hour car rides within three days, running 13 miles may not be at the top of my want-to-do list when I come home on Sunday.  Ahhh, the French...

First Long Run Complete!

Today's run went surprisingly well from start to finish.  I woke up at 5:30 this morning, had some coffee and answered some emails.  I checked the weather and the high for the day was only 80, so I purposely took my time before I left for my run.  Knowing that my productivity would plummet after running for 2+ hours, I figured I'd attempt to get as much done as possible within the next couple of hours while I was still capable.

I headed out the door at 8:15, and had a really easy pace going for the first eight miles.  There are no running trails in Norfolk, MA (or at least that I'm aware of), so most of my running is done on the street.  There are a lot of windy roads, however, and I was fortunate enough to only have to deal with people driving to church, and no speed demons.

  

I ran to Medfield and at my halfway point, I stopped in to a convenience store to buy some gatorade.  As I'm walking through the store, I receive a few quizzical looks.  I assume that this is resulting more from the fact that I look like I've just been sprayed down by a firehouse, and less of the fact that I have the whitest legs known to man.  I knock back the gatorade and I'm off for the second half of the run.  I'm running approx 8:30 minutes a mile, and aside from the wet clothes, I feel fine.  At mile 10, I run into my first and only issue of the run, and luckily it wasn't anything physical.  I had kept my debit card, a GU, and my iPod in the pouch of my running belt, and some water / sweat got into my iPod and caused it to stop working.  Fantastic.  (Somewhere, Chris Crook is reading this and laughing hysterically).

At 13 miles, I had an unexpected, but much welcomed, visitor.  Lauren was heading home from the gym and decided to see where I was.  Once she spotted me, she pulled over to the side of the road, and I jogged over to her.  After some chit chat, I "borrowed" what was left of the water she had, and went back at it.  It was a welcomed visit because this is where my run started to get difficult.

I was waiting for this to happen, and was happy that the tough part of the run started right at the two hour mark.  Yesterday's run was tough because it was hot.  Today, this part of the run was tough because my legs had had enough.  Completely different ballgame.  Anyway, I try to keep the same pace (8:45 - 9:00 minutes / mile) for the last three to four miles, and did so with moderate success.  I muscle through the last couple of miles, and finish my 18 mile run in 2 hours and 37 minutes.  Not bad.

The biggest success today wasn't the time or the distance of the run, but more so that I actually finished my first long run, and I did so in one piece.  The long runs should only get easier from here (emphasis on should).  And don't worry, I'll keep you posted on how they turn out...

Glory Days

Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture a little of the glory of, well time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister but boring stories of glory days  

 -Bruce Springsteen

This morning's run is / was a testament to the amount of work I have to do to get back to where I was as a runner a few years ago.  I got up early this morning to beat the heat (it's supposed to be 95 degrees in New England today!), and knocked out nine miles in 73 minutes.  The time isn't that bad, however, the effort required to finish those miles and the fact it required a two hour nap to recover from is a little ridiculous (I know, I've got it tough).  Taking into consideration that I've only run twice this week, there's no reason for me have to sleep after running for an hour and 15 minutes.

Patrick Ewing once told me I sweat a lot.

At the same time, I know I shouldn't even consider trying to run the amount or at the pace I used to run in the past.  On average, I've run one to two times a week for the past year, and usually never running for more than 45 minutes.  I haven't followed any sort of training program or diet, and it's obnoxious to think that I would be able to pick up where I left off.


So, what am I going to do to get back to running at a 7:00 / mile pace?  The obvious answer is to run more.  And in order for me to do so, I'm going to have to start waking up really early in the morning to do so.  This is something that I know I'm going to struggle with.  I can get up at 5:00 AM if I know I've got something to do or some place to go for work, however, any other reason usually involves hitting the snooze button the minute my alarm goes off, and then waking up at 6:15 - 6:30 and cursing myself for sleeping in.


Does anyone have this problem?  And does anyone have any solutions?  If so, I'm all ears.

My training is heating up

And only in the literal sense.  Today I was planning on running my first long run, which was supposed to be a nice, easy run to cap off what I would consider to be a successful first week back in the saddle of marathon training.  Instead, today's long run turned into a run / walk mess, and required a marathon effort just to finish 13 miles.

Of course all of this could have been easily prevented.  Instead of getting up at 7:00 and hitting the road at 8:00 AM to start my run, I decided to enjoy a long Sunday morning reading and drinking coffee.  Not really paying attention to the time, next thing I know it's 1:00 PM.  What the heck, I'll just go run now I tell myself.  It's ONLY 85 degrees and I'm ONLY planning on running for 2 hours.  After heeding Lauren's advice to wear sunscreen, I lather up in SPF 2000 (it's fun being Irish), grab my iPod and sunglasses, and hit the road.

After running approximately 25 miles in the past five days, I somewhat convince myself that I should be able to finish close to 15 miles in 2 hours, just like the old days.  Silly me.  After the first 20 minutes, I realize that this will not be the case.  Now it feels like 95 degrees.

I take the first hour slow, running between 8:30 and 9:00/miles.  At the hour mark, I'm a little over 6.5 miles, so I decide turn around and start the second half of my workout.  And here's where it became ugly.  After one mile on the return leg, the heat started really getting to me, and I started my first of four walking "intervals" (calling these intervals makes this sound and read like a legitimate workout).  I walk by Medway Garden Center, and decide to see if I can get some water from one of their hoses.  The supervisor countered with a ice cold bottle of water, and after a few thank yous, I was back on my way.  While the water was great, the benefits turned out to be short lived.  I wound up finishing my last 4+ miles running one mile, and walking a half a mile, until I was finished.

Luckily, the 13 miles only took 2 hours and ten minutes (ughhh).  I could have and probably should have, walked the last five miles of my workout, but last thing I wanted was for my sunscreen to sweat off, and top off my workout with a sunburn.  I'm not sure anyone would really call this a long run, but for the sake of my training calendar, I am going to.   Going forward, I will be running in the mornings or evenings.  And I will be bringing water and food with me on any run longer than an hour and a half.

Other than today, I'm pretty happy with the week.  For those of you interested in follow my runs in more detail, you can click on the specific workout to the right of post section and it'll take you to a page with a ton of stats and a map of my run.  If you run and enjoy documenting your runs/times/etc., I recommend checking out RunningAhead.com.  After using it for a day, I find it much easier to use than other similar sites, such as mapmyrun.com or garminconnect.com.

Here we go again!

For those of you who know me, I'm at it again.  This will be eighth marathon, and the second time I will be blogging about my marathon training progress.  On October 16, 2011, I will be toeing the starting line in Lowell, MA attempting to complete 26.2 miles in a somewhat timely fashion. 

Why am I blogging about another marathon, and why am I running the Bay State marathon again?  Both great questions.  I signed up for the Bay State marathon in order to raise money for and awareness of Easter Seals of Massachusetts.  As some of you may know (and hopefully everyone will know much better in the next few months), Easter Seals provides services to ensure that children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play.  I have been volunteering with our chapter for the last few months, and the more I participate with our chapter and it's participants, the more I realize the opportunity we have to make a positive impact for individuals and families who receive services from Easter Seals.

Am I running the Bay State Marathon because it is known as being one of fastest and easiest marathons in the United States?  Am I running it because Bay State is the only fall marathon in Massachusetts?  Is it because it's a great opportunity to run a state marathon while fundraising for a state charity?  Or am I running Bay State because this is the only marathon (that I know of) that Lauren will be able to ride along on her bike for most of my run?  Yes, yes, yes, and a resounding yes are my answers.

Bear with me while I get the blog up and running (get it?) and make it a little easier on the eyes.  I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences training and volunteering with you.  Thanks for reading.