Race Report: Back On My Feet Marathon

ORN: Sept 21, 2013: 26.2 miles, 4:08:55, 9:31/mile, R/W 5/1 (mostly)

Summary:    I took my first shot ever at a sub four hour marathon and ended up with a PR of 4:08:55 at the Back on my Feet 42K Relay and Marathon on September 21. I learned a ton about what effort will be required if I am to ever get sub 4 and had an enjoyable race on a perfect autumn day.  

NOTE:  This is the first in the series of three blog posts on 8 amazing days of running.  Here's the report of the second marathon and the half marathon.

Gory Details:

As Dwight Eisenhower famously said during WWII, "Plans are nothing.  Planning is everything."  This became evident as I got into the meat of this year's marathoning schedule, which I outlined a few weeks ago.

My first marathon of the fall was to be on Saturday, September 28.  But, about 10 days before that, we got the wonderful news that our youngest son, just back in the USA after a 9 month Army tour in Afghanistan, would be arriving at the Indy airport at 10:15am on Saturday, September 28!!  First things first, we'll be in Indy to welcome him home, as I didn't want to be on a marathon course as he landed!

I was fine with that; in fact that's why I had three marathons scheduled, knowing something could come up.  But then, a pleasant surprise.  A friend casually mentioned to me a loop marathon in Indy on Sunday, September 21.  I checked it out, and decided, on the Thursday before, to enter.  When I started running marathons in 2006, I marveled when I heard of people deciding to run a marathon on just a few days notice.  How can you do that??  Well, I guess you can and I did!

The weather looked favorable, so I decided to make this race my first shot at a sub four hour marathon.  I already had the plan in place, had done the training and it was only a week sooner than the race I had intended to try to go sub 4.  So, the plan fell in place quickly.  Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.

The 9am start in downtown Indy made logistics easy for me.  I "slept in" till 5:30am, enjoying a hot bowl of oatmeal at home while reading the sad news on the Sunday sports page of my Boilermaker football team being pummeled by Wisconsin the day before.

The 60 minute drive was easy, though parking was difficult.  It turned out, in addition to our marathon, there was a large charity 5K plus a sprint triathlon going on in the same area at the same time, with all three courses bumping up against each other.  Good thing the Colts were out of town.   It was a beautiful day, sunny, no wind and temps in the 50s.  One of the sponsors was the famous Mexican bread conglomerate with it's mascot, Osito Blanco.  How often do you get to run with a white bear in a chef's hat?   And they even gave me a single digit bib!!!! 

The race was a 12 lap marathon (2.18 miles per lap) in a large park area in downtown Indianapolis.  Most of the participants in the race were 2, 3 and 4 person relay teams but they also had a solo runner division.  I stashed my water and bananas just past the start/finish line, we lined up and off we went, pretty much on time. 

I executed the plan I described earlier; running the first 2 miles, then shifting to a 5/1 run/walk, seeking to run 8:30/mile pace when I did run.  I planned to drink 10oz of water with Nuun every two laps and grab a banana to eat every other time past the start/finish line.  The first 8 of the 12 laps went well and quickly.  The weather was perfect, I felt good and it was a matter of knocking out the miles.  At the halfway point, after 6 laps, I was at 1:57:14 and, since I went to Purdue, I know that is underneath a 4 hour full marathon pace.  

On the 9th lap, about mile 18 or so, I started to feel the race...not unexpected to feel it at 18.  I managed to keep my per mile pace at the required 9:04 level but it clearly took more work.  I had to really concentrate to keep the legs turning over properly.  At the end of lap 9, I was still on a 4 hour pace.  Lap 10 was more of the same and I finished it 23 seconds under a sub 4 pace.  

The 11th lap was tough, though.  Around mile 22, it just got tougher and tougher to keep the legs turning over at the necessary rate, despite my best efforts.  I had no pain but the energy was slipping away.  I gave away nearly 3 minutes to the sub 4 pace on this penultimate lap.  

As I headed out for the final lap, the legs just got heavier.  I did the physical assessment and the mental math (see the Purdue reference above), and it was clear I was not going to make up those lost 3 minutes on the final trip around.  It was also clear to me that if I merely kept moving reasonably, staying vertical, I would had a marathon PR in the bag.  So, I conceded the obvious and decided to enjoy the last trip around.  I wanted to express my appreciation to the several volunteers who had cheered me all day.  I also wanted to be present to absorb the last 2+ miles.  

I came around to the start/finish line, had nice encouragement from the many relay runners who were astounded someone would do this solo and hit the finish line just under 4:09.  A PR in hand on a beautiful day in the autumn in the Midwest.  It also turned out I was second in the solo division, so won a nice prize, a free night at the new high rise Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.  Sweet.   

The marathon is a wonderful yet exacting taskmaster...it teaches you much and gives no quarter.  On reflection, I realized I hurt my chances for a sub 4 by going out too quickly.  Even though this was my 41st marathon, I still get amped up on race day, especially when the weather is perfect and the atmosphere encouraging. Gotta remember that, dude.

I also wonder about my run/walk ratio and plan.  Pushing to a 8:30 run pace may be a bit much.  I am truly thinking about idling back to a pace of 9:00/mile even, walking briefly through water stops and trying to make a go of the sub four that way.  The next serious shot will be on November 2, again in downtown Indy, at the Monumental Marathon.  I will ponder this a good bit between now and then.

In the meantime, I have a 4:08 in hand.  This means I ran a marathon faster at age 59 than I did at age 27, my prior PR of 4:16.  That makes me smile and makes me grateful for the gift of health over many years.

Thanks for your support.  Persevere.

.

Race Report: Blueberry Stomp 15K, Labor Day, 2013

ORN: 1:22:04, 8:50/mile, R/W 5/1, 131 of 312 overall, 14/21 Men 55-59

Quick Summary:

The Blueberry Stomp 15K on September 2, 2013 is a fun race and, this year, proved a very valuable lab for me to experiment with pacing plans for my fall marathons.  The pacing worked, though the race also confirmed that carrying this pace through 26.2 will be a challenge.

Gory Details:

Why a 15K race in the middle of a stream of fall marathons and ultras?  Some necessary background follows as I go public with the plan brewing in my head (and legs) since spring.

I was utterly surprised by running under 4:30 in last April's Carmel Marathon when I only intended to go 4:40.  This altered my plans for the Wisconsin Marathon two weeks later where I ran a 4:17 to my further shock.  I started asking myself then "Just how fast could I run a marathon?"  These two marathons really rocked my expectations of just what I might do with the marathon.  As a result, I investigated several ways of projecting VO2max. Each said a sub four hour marathon was within my reach.  So, I've been working on a plan all summer.

The first step was to test some short distance racing.  In June, I ran 2 mile and 10K races on the same morning at the Hog Jog, with both times besting the targets I needed to project to a sub 4 marathon, even on a hot, muggy morning.  Next, I had to keep the miles up during the summer, which I've managed to do, culminating in a trail marathon on August 24.

The third domino in this prep was this Labor Day 15K.  Being a card-carrying nerd/running geek, I had worked out a specific pace plan for my run/walk method to carry me to a sub 4 marathon.  I've even laminated the mile splits for this pattern.  I carry this card in a pocket in my running shorts and thus, at any mile during a marathon, I can have a feel for my projected finish time.




The method I've concocted calls for running the first two miles continuously at 9:00 minutes each.  At the two mile post, I take my first walk break and then fall into a pattern of running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute for the remainder of the marathon, running continuously at the end if I feel like I can.  To keep the 9:00/mile aggregate pace, I need the 5 minute run segments to proceed at an 8:30/mile pace.  For miles 19 to 26, I give myself an extra 30 seconds per mile.(Trust me, I'm an engineer, I do numbers and these numbers all work.) If I hit all these perfectly, I will finish a marathon at 3:59:54.    So, the Blueberry Stomp 15K was a dress rehearsal...can I run this pattern for 9.3 miles on a warm day on legs which ran a tough,  hilly trail marathon 9 days previous??  This race was perfectly positioned as the decent test.

I've run the Blueberry Stomp 15K twice before...it's about 90 minutes from my house and has a very scenic route with some modest, rolling hills.  I knew the race-day drill, where to park, how to get there, so that all helped.  I couldn't find anyone else interested in getting up before dawn on Labor Day morning, so drove by myself and got to the site in plenty of time.

Check in was super easy and I even caught the local high school girls soccer team posing for a photo before they ran together.

The gun went off pretty close to the 9:00am stated time after a very moving story of a cancer survivor who ran with us.  My focus was almost entirely on the pace throughout, though I did manage some nice conversations, one brief song-fest of the old standard "You Gotta Have Heart" and my usual jokes with bystanders about the quality of their morning coffee.   The hills on the course are modest and added welcome variety to the flatness of most of my training runs.  The weather was in the low 70s and, while some felt it was low humidity, it felt muggy to me.

But the pacing plan seemed to work.  My mile splits were as follows:

1. 8:32
2. 8:41
3. 9:15
4. 9:09
5. 8:32
6. 8:54
7. 9:07
8. 8:39
9. 8:26
10. Last 0.3 miles at 8:19/mile pace

My official finish time was 1:22:04, an 8:50/mile pace overall.  

I did the 5/1 run walk from mile 2 to the end.  I like doing that.  It breaks things up and my legs seem to thank me each time.  I used my HR monitor today as well and my overall HR was 138 bpm, creeping up to the mid 140s over the last 2 miles, which I ran too quickly. Yet, the HR usually dropped about 20bpm by the end of each 1 minute walk segment...so I didn't strain the ticker.  At the finish line, I felt fine...not winded at all, no bending onto my knees, was able to chat with other runners of my pace who really didn't feel like talking.  

So, what do we conclude from this experiment?  I think there are three points.

• Yes, I can carry this plan on legs 9 days removed from a tough trail marathon.  But I need to hold back a bit...I got caught up a bit at times and will need to leave more gas in the tank.  
• It will be tough to carry this pattern for 18 miles and then only give up 30 seconds per mile for another 8 miles.  Today, around mile 8 or so, I could feel fatigue setting in. 
• Weather will be key.  No surprise with this conclusion but I will need a cool day to pull this off.  If it's over 60F, I don't think it will happen.  Maybe 4:10 but not sub 4. 

Experiments are good.  Especially for geeks.  

So, looking ahead, I am registered for three marathons this fall...I'm hoping one of them has weather that proves helpful.  On Saturday, September 28 I'll run the inaugural Mill Race Marathon in Columbus, Indiana.  November 2 has the Monumental Marathon in downtown Indianapolis.  A week later, November 9, has me running the Veteran's Marathon in scenic Columbia City, Indiana once again.  Each course is quite flat and provides an opportunity for a fast race.  Can I get sub 4 though???  I'll watch the forecast leading in to each race and will determine the expectation for each event.  But, we will give it a go.




Persevere.

.

Race Report: North Country Trail Marathon 2013

ORN:  26.2 miles on trail; 5:23:47, R/W 5/1 (mostly), 12:22/mile

Quick Summary:  The North Country Trail Run on August 24 was a tough run on a trail that was simultaneously beautiful, diverse, hilly, unforgiving and full of roots.   I was thrilled to finish this year's race 18 minutes quicker than I did last year.  I did not enjoy tripping and falling 3 times vs only twice a year ago.

The Gory Details:

I signed up for this race over a year ago, before I had even run it the first time.  That's kind of an odd way to set up a race but, hey, I did it.  And having last year's experience done ( here's my 2012 race report ), I knew the drill.

I decided to camp out again and had a great time doing so.  That's my red car and small tent on the left of this photo.

The owners of this small open area near the start/finish line were most hospitable.  Not only did we all camp for free but they also made a pasta dinner for all of us!  And, when they asked for a group photo, we complied.  Imagine having this many overnight guests in your back yard??!!

I slept well, very well, on a cool night, even having the obligatory dream I overslept and missed the start of the race.  The alarm at 4:45am let me know it was only a dream, though, and I quickly left the camp site and drove to the race start.  It was nice to have a full 2 hours at the start area to fix oatmeal, listen to Mac Powell and others, and take my time to get all the gear lined up for the day.  I also enjoy watching the race site come to life as the sun rises and people appear. 

We assembled in the grid for the race and even got a few Marathon Maniacs together for a photo.  In the red shirt, on the left, is Pascal Radley, a running pal who is a regular at the Circular Logic Marathon, for which I'm the RD....and RD's are grateful for regulars!!  Pascal and I ended up running quite a bit of the race together. 

Just before the start, given we were in northern Michigan, we sang both "O Canada" and "The Star Spangled Banner", with true patriot love.  And we were off, right on time.  

The run through the north Michigan woods was wonderful.  The trail was single track and it was tough to pass other runners.  It took about 30 minutes to shake out the field into similar paced runners which then let me settle into a couple of conga lines snaking through the forest at a comfortable pace.  While a few players came and went, I spent the better part of miles 2 through 14 with three young bearded guys from Grand Rapids.  They had trained together for this, their first marathon and it was obviously enjoyable for them to be together.  I feel like I got to know them and their families just by listening to their steady chatter.  

The aid stations for this race were terrific.  The organizers took the feedback they got last year and had each station well-positioned on side roads with good access allowing plenty of water and munchies.  It was a treat to have a couple of handfuls of fresh Michigan blueberries at each of the seven aid stations.  The volunteers were so helpful and just plain fun.  

Around mile 15 or so, the conga lines broke up and we were all pretty much on our own the rest of the way.  The last 10 miles of the course were clearly the most challenging.  The course over these final miles was either up or down...no flats at all as we climbed up and down one ridge after another.  So, up and down we went, knocking off the miles.  

There was one fly in the trail racing ointment for me in this race, though...trips and falls.  A year ago, I had a number of stumbles and twice hit the dirt.  This year, in a "PR" I didn't want to set, I went down three times, during miles 9, 14 and 20, besides having several near-falls, so prevalent and sneaky were the roots on the path.  

I felt like Charlie Brown taking a line drive back through the mound when I hit the deck, water bottles, sunglasses and running rhythm flying in every direction.  I was fortunate to land in some soft places each time I went down but that didn't have to be the case...in several places I could have just as easily crashed into a tree or stump or some less forgiving object.  I also personally saw five other runners fall during the race and heard of others going down.  One lady turned an ankle, had to walk for three miles before recovering enough to run again.  In a way, this is a risk in any trail run, I understand.  But this course seemed more trip-likely than any other I've run.  After the third time down, I acknowledged I just don't like getting knocked to the ground and it will have bearing in future race selections for me.  

The course ended with a thrill, as just before mile 25, we made a long, sandy claw to the top of a ridge to a spectacular vista looking over the Michigan forest.  It was awesome...I wish we'd been able to "turn off the clock" and enjoy this view.  

But, it's a race, so down we plunged to the end area.  While we had to run past the finish line and do another 3/4 mile loop in the woods to make the distance come out to 26.2, the race did end and I felt fine at the end.  

I was thrilled to see my final time at 5:23:47.  Despite the hills and falls, it was 18 minutes faster than my effort on the same course a year earlier.  Marathon #40 was done.  

Shortly after the race, I grabbed a photo op with my three bearded friends from GR...enough to make me think about losing my razor but any beard I would grow now would be quite white...guess I'll keep shaving.  

All in all, a good trip to get a late-summer marathon in the books.  And it is a good set up for the fall racing schedule.  At this point I have a 15K race on Labor Day, marathons on Sept 28, Nov 2 and Nov 9, a 30 mile trail race on October 12 and the HUFF 50K on the Saturday after Christmas.  Looking forward to it all. 

Persevere.  Even when you fall. 

. 

Race Report: Firecracker 6, 2013

ORN:  6.0 miles, 47:48, 7:58/mile

The July 4 Firecracker 6 is in its 5th year as an Independence Day tradition in downtown Indy.  I've not run it before but, almost a year ago, I got a flyer offering an early-bird special to register for a mere $12.  I'd almost forgotten about it but remembered it a couple weeks ago and realized a 6 mile run would be good speed work right about now.  

I got up early and sailed through packet pick up, as I was there at 6:30am for the 8:00am start.  Even got a short line for the porta pots...both places had very long lines later.  I got to go back to my car for a 20 minute cat nap and queued up with 900 or so others to run. 

I tried a new food plan, just for this shorter race.  From the time I woke up until the start of the race, I had only one small sip of water and ate only one banana on the drive down.  That's it.  Didn't take any fluids during the race either.  Just wanted to see what it felt like.  In a short race, even on a humid morning, it was just fine.  Won't do this for a marathon but it added a data point. 

The objective for this race was simple.  I  wanted to see  if I could sustain an 8:30 pace comfortably, as my plan for fall marathons is really looking at a 5/1 R/W sequence with the run segments at an 8:30 pace.  While humid, the temps were only in the upper 60s at the start.  

Well, the mile splits turned out to be all better than the 8:30 I had targeted.  They came in at 8:18, :05, :11, :04, 7:56, 7:15.  Amazing.  I didn't really breathe hard  until the burst over the last quarter mile.  It felt very comfortable...I was breathing MUCH easier than runners around me.  I'm thrilled with the downward trend in these mile splits.  Negative splits are fun, steadily dropping splits are even better. It's very nice to be under 8 minutes per mile over this distance.  

I also resurrected my HR strap, which seems to have a mind of its own about working.  It worked today...Avg HR in each mile:   119, 130, 141, 145, 149, 153.   My max HR should be 144...so this squares.  I was out of breath at the finish line...consistent with the elevated HR at the end.  

The results were surprisingly encouraging.  Amazingly, I placed 3rd of 20 men aged 55-59.  That's just hilarious.  I was 144 of 810 over all....had lots and lots of walkers and new runners, so my placement proportion is better than usual.  Equally funny...I looked at where my time today would have placed me a year from now in the 60-64 division...would have been 5th of 13!!!  Far worse!!!  The only guys running in their 60s are real serious runners!!!!!

Most races have a funny story, too, and this was no exception.  Being the Fourth of July, there was a patriotic theme.  As expected, we had the National Anthem right before the start and it was sung this year by Miss Oklahoma.  Now, why Miss Oklahoma would be in the capital of Indiana, I have no idea...maybe her second cousin twice removed was on the race committee??  Anyway, she did a nice job, complete in her pretty dress, tiara, silver sash and high heels.  Well, just past mile 3, there was a water stop and who should be there handing out cups of water but Miss Oklahoma herself!!  Still in her pretty dress, tiara, silver sash and high heels!!  I complimented her on her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner then it hit me to sing to her the famous theme song from the musical "Oklahoma", as I bellowed out "where the wind comes sweeping down the plain."  Oh my...she did get the joke.  

So, it was a nice 4th of July for me.  Some speed work and, better, a continuing confirmation of the plans for fall marathons.  

Persevere.  

.

Race Report: Hog Jog 2013

ORN:  2 mile Race:  14:59
           10K Race:     50:38  (8:10/mile)

The annual Hog Jog yesterday was everything it always is...a fun gathering in the small town of Flora, Indiana.  It's a summer fixture in our local running calendar and is very well attended.

The race has two events, a 2 mile run at 7:30 and the long-standing 10K at 8:15.  I emailed the RD ahead of time and he said since I signed up for the 10K it was fine if I ran the 2 mile and just kept my own time.  This was helpful, in that I wanted to do a reality check over both distances.  I'll share more later this summer why this check was key.  The checkpoints, though were 15:02 for 2 miles and 51:09 for 10K.

In the starting grid for the 2 mile race, I had a wonderful surprise.  A friend of many years, with whom I worked closely in a previous job, was in the grid.  It was terrific to see Stan...neither of us realized the other was running.  As both of us are engineers, we each do numbers instinctively.  Wanting to run together, Stan asked first: "What time are you shooting for?"  Turned out my 15 minute target was his as well and we were both happy to run together.  

And run together we did.   The 7:30 pace felt quick...I seldom run that quickly, much less for 2 full miles.  But the target was the target and I do numbers and I was running with Stan who also does numbers and....well, you get it...we kept going side by side.

The race went fine...shoot, 2 miles doesn't take long.  We ran together and hit the finish line at 14:59.  Target time achieved.  And, what was funny, Stan won a medal for winning his age group.  Funny, in that we are in the same age group.  He said later he'd split the medal with me!!

Since Stan was nursing a problematic IT Band, he opted out of the 10K race.  But we walked and cooled off between races, enjoying the conversation.  I switched to a dry shirt, put the timing chip on my left shoe (note:  why always the left shoe?  Do you have a favorite foot to put your chip on?  Mine is always left...but why?) wished Stan well and headed for the 10K grid.  There, I saw a couple of other friends (this is a local race, mind you) and then the gun went off.

A friend of mine described this race course as "one big country block plus some" meaning it was basically a one-mile square...and she's right. I needed to hold an 8:14 pace to hit my target.  Miles 1 and 2 were each at 8:03.  Like the 2 mile race, this is unusual territory for me.  Mile 3 was 8:17, a bit more realistic.  We turned the corner of the block, ran downwind of an eponymous hog farm and pivoted through downtown Bringhurst, Indiana.  Mile 4 was 8:18, followed by mile 5 at 8:15 but, by then, we were back in Flora.  We made the loop past the grain elevator, turned left and headed home.  Mile 6 was better at 8:07 and then the sprint to the end.  I hit the mat at 50:38.  Not only beating my target by 31 seconds but setting a new current-era PR by 12 seconds for 10K.

A pleasant surprise at the finish was Stan and his wife Beth waiting for me.  They stuck around for an hour just to talk some more...what a friend!!  We went for a nice walk as I cooled off and launched into more substantive conversation.  How cool is that??

We ambled back to their car and I bid these good friends good bye.  I then walked over to pick up the promised free pork burger served up to all runners.  Fresh, hot and man was it delicious!

I then wandered over to the posted results and discovered I had placed second in my age group out of the ten of us in the 55-59 year old division.  So, I stuck around a while longer and got this award.  Don't you love the pig head??  It's a great momento!!

















So, the summer goes on.  Two checkpoints clicked...more to come.  Stay tuned.

And do persevere.


.

Race Report: Sunburst Marathon 2013

ORN:  26.2 miles, 4:26:58, 10:11/mile, R/W 4/1 (mostly)

The Sunburst Marathon on June 1, 2013 was a surprising and enjoyable run.  I've run this one race more than any other, having participated in 7 of the past 8 years with 5 half marathons and now 2 full marathons.  I've written much here about the strong emotional connection this race has for me, with my Dad having played football at Notre Dame and the race finishing at the 50 yard line of Notre Dame Stadium.  It means alot to me, more than I can fully describe. In fact, given that I'm writing this report on Fathers Day, it makes me remember Dad even more.  But rather than try to capture all of that, I'll just describe a fascinating marathon that worked out far better than I imagined it would.

I drove up the night before and stayed with one of my nephews who now works at Notre Dame.  Then, it was up early and downtown for the 6:00am start time which is well designed...South Bend, Indiana is often hot and muggy on the first weekend after Memorial Day each year.  We got a break for this race, however, as the humidity was less severe than often and the early start put temps in the low 60s to start.  We began in a very, very light drizzle which also helped to keep things cool    I used my recently-developed strategy of running the first two miles as a gentle warm up and got through them each in just under 10 minutes each.  I then took my first walk break of the day, shifting to my usual run 4 minutes/walk 1 minute pattern.

I had decided to be quite content with a 4:40 marathon on this day.  The weather was warm and I simply wanted to enjoy the workout, be coherent to enjoy the end of the race and not be consumed with hitting time marks.  By mile 5, I was well under that pace though, so I kept holding back.  At mile 10, though, I was still feeling very comfortable and was on a pace for a 4:35 finish.  Hmmmmm, I said, I wonder what this holds?  Up we went on "Mount South Bend" (the one steep hill on the course at mile 11), and then headed on the long out and back section from mile 11 to 24.

It was a wonderful treat to get a banana at the mile 12 aid station...how many times have I  mentioned here how much I like bananas during a race??  The girl scouts handing them out at this station must have wondered why the yellow fruit caused an old guy to sing, but sing I did.  This flat section of the race let me find a comfortable pace groove.  I hit the halfway point at 2:13:32 and by mile 16, I was on track for a 4:33 finish.  We then hit the turnaround, got another banana at mile 17, crossed back over the river and headed for the stadium, still 8 miles distant.  I had a brief encounter with a balky left calf muscle which tightened up on me on the river bridge.  I stopped to stretch it for 30 seconds or so and began fluidizing better and it quieted down the rest of the way.

The miles kept clicking by just a little over 10 minutes each.  By mile 20, I was on a 4:31 pace and I realized that if I could hold it together, I could go sub 4:30, since my Universal Pace Chart padded the last 7 miles with 30 extra seconds each.   The girl scouts gave my my third banana at mile 22 and it was game on.

The challenge on this marathon course comes just before and after the mile 24 marker.  A long hill not so steep as it is just at a tough point in the race challenges marathoners.  Fortunately, I knew it was there, kept some gas in the tank, didn't worry about walking part of it and cracked jokes with the spectators all the way up.

The mile 24 checkpoint confirmed what I had thought...I was now set for a 4:29 finish.  I got to the top of the hill past this marker, turned off my beeper and ran continuously the rest of the way.

Except for once.  Running east on Napoleon Street, south of the Notre Dame campus, we crossed Notre Dame Avenue.  I paused in the exact center of Notre Dame Avenue, as the street's center line gives a striking view of famous Golden Dome of Notre Dame.  Dad described many times to us his first trip up Notre Dame Avenue as a new student in 1933 and his first in-person glimpse of the landmark.  It was a great connection.   As I pause, a helpful volunteer at that intersection, thinking I was injured or cramping, tried to encourage me.  I assured him I was fine, briefly told him the story and showed him the back of my shirt, having a photo of my Dad in action for the Fighting Irish, along with his name.  The volunteer "got it", very quickly.  "Your Dad was Gene Ely?" he said.  I seldom hear anyone use his name anymore and it sounded wonderful to my ears.  I grinned.  "Yes, sir, my Dad is Gene Ely!"  It was great so say out loud.  It was a fantastic moment.

From that point, I was on cloud nine.  I opened up the pace, nothing to hold back, my spirits soaring, feeling wonderful with under a mile to go.  I made the left turn towards campus and kept motoring on, steadily picking up the pace.  Crossing Angela Street onto campus, the Stadium looming on the left, people walking back to their cars from the half marathon, 10K and 5K races, cheering on the remaining marathoners; it's a terrific atmosphere.  We ran along the stadium to its north end and dashed down the tunnel and onto the turf of ND stadium for the last dash through the end zone to the 50 yard line.  Later, I noted mile 26 was my fastest  individual mile of the day at 8:59 and the last 385 yards were at an 8:22 pace.  Across the finish line officially at 4:26:58, it was a negative split by 4 seconds.  Marathon #39 was done.

Post-race on the ND field is a terrific experience.   Stretching on the south goal post made me laugh.  I noted two other guys walk up to stretch at the same time...I asked them if they, like I, really needed to stretch or were also thinking it would be cool to watch football games this fall and say "Hey, I stretched on that very goal post!"  All of us allowed both things were true.  Runners are basically honest people.

How is it happening that I've now gone sub 4:30 in 4 of my last 5 marathons when I had come to believe it was an impossible goal?  I'll ponder that this summer and perhaps share more of the thinking as we go.  More goals are evolving.

Thanks for listening.  Persevere.


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Race Report: Wisconsin Marathon 2013

ORN:  26.2 miles, 4:17:04, R/W 4/1 (mostly), 9:49/mile, new marathon PR

Quick Summary:

It all came together.  A new mental paradigm on a flat course on a cool day led to breaking my personal best from 2006 by almost 4 minutes in the Wisconsin Marathon on May 4, 2013.  It really has blown me away.  So here's the whole story.  

Gory Details:

The Plan

This race was fascinating in that it marked a conscious departure from my marathon strategies of the past couple of years.  The new trajectory flowed from three recent observations...allow me to summarize. 

While I ran the Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon in February, I had a nice long conversation with fellow Marathon Maniac Mark "Mad Dog" Janowsky.  Among the topics was "how do you get these heart rate monitor chest straps to work?"  I have had one for my Garmin for a couple of years but quit using it, as it had such inconsistent signals.  "One word" said Mark "Gel". Indeed.  He pointed me to Spectra 360 Electrode Gel which I found on Amazon and got a big honkin tube for less than $5 delivered. And, bingo, it made the necessary skin connection so I can now monitor my heart rate.  

But how to use the newly available HR data?  The second observation came during the Carmel Marathon two weeks before this race, the first time I've ever used the HR monitor during a marathon.  I was astounded at how low my HR was, averaging only 118 bpm for the entire marathon and seldom getting even near 130.  This was well below any "training zone" by the HR calculations I could find...I wasn't pushing my heart very much at all.  Could I go faster? 

These two dots led to direct conversations with my nephew John and work associate Mike, both very accomplished runners.  I told them the info and  they both said, bluntly, "Joe, you can run faster than you think you can."  And they both pointed out that the slow miles I ran early at Carmel (jogging early, then two miles talking with Larry Macon) let me just get warmed up to subsequently run harder.  

These three dots formed a line of thought leading to a single question: could I run a 4:20 marathon?  I had run a 4:21:01 marathon in Portland in 2006 but had resigned myself to believe I'd never get below 4:20 again.  Yet, with this new  thinking in mind, I plugged the numbers into my pace chart and a reasonable plan emerged which blew away that assumption.  

First, jog the first two miles without walking at a 10:00/mile pace.  Slow.  Hit the mile 2 marker with 20:00 on my watch. This is essentially a warm up.   Second, take my first walk break then, pivoting to a run 4 minute, walk 1 minute pattern.  Do the run segments at pace of 8:50 to 9:00/mile.  Third, hold this for as long as possible.  Fourth, if the energy was there, run the last mile or two.  

I tried this plan during a 12 mile training on the Saturday between the Carmel and Wisconsin Marathons.  It worked well.  My HR never got above 130 and it seemed doable.  So, that was the plan.  But could it work only two weeks after a 4:29:49 marathon?  I didn't know but figured I could only benefit from trying.  

The Race

I've never been in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  It's a 3 to 5 hour drive from my house, depending on Chicago traffic.  Amazingly for a Friday afternoon rush hour, I sailed through the Windy City with little delay.  I had mapped out where I wanted to stash bananas (more on that later), so first drove to the south end of the course, left one at mile 19, then drove the course to downtown Kenosha, leaving another package at mile 14.  It was a beautiful marathon course, going up and down the Lake Michigan coastline.  Between the beaches, lake views and gracious lake villas of folks with a lot more money than I can imagine, it was a very pleasant visual event.  And flat.  

I picked up my packet and then decided to explore the start/finish area.  It turned out to be about 7-8 blocks from the stated parking area.  I saw some activity and stumbled upon race volunteers from the local Kiwanis club cooking up some supper. 

Being friendly Wisconsinites, they chatted easily and offered me a bratwurst fresh off the grill!!  They had plenty (all cooked to text the heat for grilling the free brats for all finishers the next day, they assured me), so my carbo loading for this marathon was a nice, big, juicy sausage on a bun!!  I asked my new friends about parking on race day.  They smiled, pointed to a much closer spot yet told me I'd need to be there by 5am.  I smiled back, said thank you, and headed to the motel to get some sleep.

Up at 4:30am, I headed back downtown to snag that parking spot and the local advice was perfect.  I could relax, eat my now-customary race morning meal of oatmeal, turkey/cheese sandwich, banana and a Diet Coke.  I watched the sky slowly and colorfully change over Lake Michigan until sunup just before 6am.  Did you ever see a race porta pottie with such a view as this?? 



Activity picked up as the 7am start time neared.  The temperature was in the low 40s with no rain...perfect for a marathon.  I got ready and walked the short distance to the start line with my camera, when  fellow Maniac, Andrea (on the far right here), spotted my shirt, grabbed her friends and said let's take a photo!  Cheeseheads and maniacs all getting set to run.  Makes sense, actually.  



Even more cheeseheads lined up...the organizers had a special starting corral at the front of the pack reserved for anyone who wore something to do with cheese.  





Over 4,000 marathoners and half marathoners lined up and off we went, right on time. Execute the strategy.  

Part 1 was the first two miles.  I tried really, really hard to jog slowly the first two miles.  I went through mile 1 in 9:52 and did the second mile in 9:30.  Not slow enough.  But, you keep learning.  

Part 2 of the plan was the most significant.  I took my first walk break just past the mile 2 marker, reoriented my brain and prepared to execute the plan.  To my pleasant surprise, I found it fairly easy to run at the prescribed 8:45+ pace for four minutes.  The one minute walk got my HR back down below 90 and then it was lather, rinse, repeat.  At the five mile mark, I was 28 seconds ahead of my prescribed target time.  

About that time, I came alongside Andrea, the fellow Maniac who initiated the photo op above.  She too was going to do a 4/1, asked if she could fall in with my timer for a while and did.  Andrea and I had a great talk about racing but broader issues as well...we both agreed that while we enjoyed running, our lives were much larger than marathons.  The course got a bit crowded from miles 6-9, as the the full field bunched together in both directions as we headed for the north turnaround point.  

Around mile 8.5, Andrea encouraged me to carry on, as the pace was just a bit  quick for her.  The pattern continued, yet at mile ten I was about 19 seconds behind my projected 4:20 pace.  Not a problem but the the traffic did slow things a bit.  

Miles 11-13 had my only real low point in this race.  It's interesting in that my mile splits remained consistent here in the 9:45 to 9:55 range.  Yet, I sensed some fatigue in my legs and wondered just how much deep into the race I could hold the 4/1@8:50 strategy.  Remarkably, though, as we left the south edge of Kenosha, a "second wind" arrived.  I grabbed the banana at mile 14 and optimism returned.  Back into rhythm and I was only 50 seconds behind my prescribed pace at mile 15.  

The course continued south and we were approaching the turnaround where I had stashed the other banana.  As we neared though, a surprise lurked.  I discovered I had misread the course map the night before and my banana was on a road parallel to but about a quarter mile away from the road we were using!!  I could actually see the exact spot where that tasty yellow fruit was hidden but it would have been nearly 3/4 of a mile for me to run and get it...I was not willing to give up a shot at 4:20 for that!  OK, Joe, time to reorient.  I decided to take on some Gatorade (something I never do) to get some sugars for the rest of the trip.  Yet, for a guy who likes to plan things carefully, this was a problem.

We made the turn around and headed back to downtown Kenosha with a bit of a wind now quartering into our faces off the lake.  The Mile 20 checkpoint had me still 50 seconds behind my target pace which was a real encouragement.  My universal pace chart has an extra 30 seconds per mile built into the last seven miles.  My miles were still clipping along in the 9:45 range, I was easily holding the run segments at 8:45ish, the legs still had spring in them and I knew if I could hold it, I'd go under 4:20 for a PR.  I was passing people and not being passed.  I also had the weird realization I was way older than anyone else I was running with at that point.  

At Mile 23, I began to think about when I'd shift to a run-only plan.  I hit the Mile 24 mark 30 seconds ahead of my target pace and decided to take one more walk break around mile 24.3.  After that last breather, I turned off the beeper and focused on finishing strong.  Mile 25 came through at 9:22, my second fastest of the day.  I could see the final area and locked in, gradually accelerating.  A right turn, 7 blocks to go on a sunny day by Lake Michigan with people I didn't know clapping for me...sweet.  The Mile 26 marker appeared and with it the fastest mile of the day at 9:04.  One more right turn and there was the finish line...a hard sprint to the end and, amazingly, marathon #38 was over in 4:17:04.

Post Race

I felt terrific.  I took about a minute bent over to catch my breath and then slowly walked through the finish area, smiling ear-to-ear, amazed, stunned, thrilled and generally trying to soak in what just happened.  The atmosphere in the area was terrific, as the organizers had a big tent set up with music and food on a beautiful spring day.   You can grasp a sense  in this short video I shot.  










I walked back to my car (still close, local advice is always a plus) grabbed my phone and camera to make some calls.  My wife was astounded to hear from me so quickly...she knew it must be good news.  Back near the finish line again, I saw Andrea soon after she finished, along with a buddy of hers with whom I had also ran for a while.



It was just good.  You can't put it in a bottle but it would sure be nice if you could.  

And there was one really funny thing.  

When I crossed the finish line, while bent over catching my breath, not even having received my medal yet, I noticed the band playing for the crowd was doing a great cover of a famous Allman Brothers song.  I stood up, still panting a bit, and quipped to a race volunteer "You know, I actually saw the Allman Brothers play that song in concert in the spring of 1972!"  He was too young to recognize the reference and perhaps thought I was hallucinating anyway.  But, no, it was true, I did see the band play some 41 years ago.  

About 45 minutes later, after I had wrapped up chatting with folks and consuming my free post-race bratwurst, I was heading back to my car.  The band had finished their gig and were packing their instruments.  I walked over and told two of the guys how much I enjoyed their Allman Brothers cover.  They appreciated that and then I mentioned I had seen them play the same song in concert in 1972.  Their guitarist stopped, peered in at me and said "Whoa...that means you and I are the same age."  I guess so...and he continued "And you just ran a marathon?"   Yeah...I guess we all make our choices, eh?? 

Stepping back a bit

On a few days reflection, I'm still blown away by this race. I truly never dreamed I'd ever get under 4:20 again.  It was only the alignment of the elements I mentioned above which laid out a plan.  Then it took the rare confluence of a good plan with cool weather and a flat course, a rare but wonderful treat.

For the record, this is the second fastest marathon I've ever run.  It was 26 seconds quicker than my first marathon ever in Bloemfontein, South Africa on August 2, 1980.  We had one child at the time; I vividly remember my very pregnant wife waiting with him at the finish line that morning to watch me struggle home.  My lifetime best came five months later on January 31, 1981 in Maseru, Lesotho when I went 4:16:14.  I was 27 years old, had a toddler and an infant and astounded I had actually run 2 marathons.  

On May 2, 2004, I began running again.  A job change eliminated a daily 70 minute commute and I determined to use that time to run again.  Racing restarted with a simple, 29:45 5K on Labor Day, 2004 and the rest, as they say, is history.  (Will I try to break that 4:16:14 record?  You bet...likely to take a shot next fall when the weather cools again. )

Thus, on May 4, 2013, nine years, forty pounds, thirty-five marathons and over 100 races after a re-beginning of running, I ran at age 59 faster than I had run at age 27.  That little guy who was at the finish of my first marathon has done two tours of duty in Iraq, just finished nursing school and has three kids himself.  That lovely lady in the denim maternity dress waiting patiently for me at the 1980 race still laughs at my jokes and means the world to me.  

She has truly persevered.  And it's for that I'm most fully grateful.  




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