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.


.

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.  




.

Race Report: Carmel Marathon 2013

ORN:  26.2 miles, 4:29:49, R/W--several, 10:18/mile

Quick Summary:  Boy, can I put a race day in a bottle??  Seldom do all things, many broader than running, come together in a single day.  I got under 4:30 again when I was merely shooting for 4:40, had four (count 'em, four) marvelous conversations and did so with clarity and friendship.  It was a treat. 

Gory Details:  

The Carmel Marathon on April 20, 2013 had numerous levels of interest.  Primarily it was the first race day after coming as it did only  after the tragedies at the finish line of the Boston Marathon five days earlier. As a result, the race had a unique mood, both sober and defiant.  I certainly felt that way.  While the arrest of one of the perpetrators the night before provided some closure, it still made for a very different marathon day.  

All race week I thought about how to honor those who suffered so much.  One way was how I dressed.  While I usually wear my Marathon Maniac shirt in long races, I decided this day it was best to go all black, as you can see above.  The race organizers also passed out small blue and yellow ribbons. 

In addition, I found a placard on line, which I laminated and put on the back of my shirt.

As did lots and lots of other folks, I discovered as we gathered.  

And so we got to the starting grid and I shot this video. 





As we neared the 7:30am start time, it was fascinating to see the somber mood turn to one of defiance, saying we would not let others take away our freedom.  

To the race itself...it was cold at the start, about 34F.  So, when the gun went off, I decided to just run easily for a while, just to get loose.  Miles one and two were in about 10 minutes each.  

We made a turn just past mile 2 and I saw a guy with a Maniac jacket shuffling along and I pulled up alongside to say hello.  Lo and behold, who was that guy but Larry Macon.  Larry, as you may know holds the World Record for the most marathons run in a single year, as he ran 157 in 2012.  One of those was the Circular Logic Marathon, for which I'm the Race Director. While many greeted Larry as they passed by, I realized this was a wonderful and unique opportunity.  So I slowed to Larry's pace and ran all of miles 3 and 4 with him.  He is a very engaging guy and this was the first of my substantial conversations of the day.  We talked at great length about his story of running in Boston five days earlier.


We covered other conversational territory as well, though.  Larry asked me a lot about my running, why I was an RD, how I organized the CLM.  We talked about amazing running experiences and how we viewed the growth and possible future development of the sport.  What an engaging guy.  And what a privilege to spend that quality time with him. 

Just past the mile 4 marker, Larry urged me to carry on, so I bid him farewell and did so.  But the mere 25 minutes with him was inspiring and encouraging.  

I opened up the pace in mile 5, going through it in 9:15.  It was not until mile 6 that I settled into my rhythm for the day, shifting into my usual run walk pattern.  I held a 4/1 from mile 6 through mile 15.  Most of those miles were at  9:50-10:05, which was very fine with me. I had stashed a banana at mile 13 earlier in the morning and that tasted really good.  Plus, it's always good for a laugh from fellow runners when I reach under a bush and pull out the  yellow fruit.  

My thought pre-race was to shift to a 5/1 run/walk at mile 15, which I did.  Interestingly, though, this shift did not result in faster per mile splits.  From 15 through 23, my average pace was still just on either side of 10:00/mile. I clearly was running more slowly during the run shifts, but I only realized this after the race. 

Around mile 17, I fell in for a while with this gentleman who had also run Boston earlier in the week.  He told me much of his story near Boylston Street.  He also had a Nebraska cap on...I queried that and learned we shared our native state. 

I carried on, enjoying a nice wheat roll handout around mile 18 from Great Harvest Bread.  My second banana got the requisite laugh at mile 19 from runners and spectators.  After the long west portion of the course, we made a left turn with 10K to go.  

I began to do mental calculations at this point.  My universal pace chart had been showing me I was gaining on my projected end time.  I guessed at this point I would come home in about 4:33, which pleased me.  We ran into and around a park and by the mile 23 post, it looked like I might have a shot at 4:30.  Hmmmmm.  Do I go for it?  Even though I had come into the day quite happy to simply go under 4:30?  Do I lock into a run to the finish?

Darn right I do.

I leaned into the pace at this point (using the term "lean" very loosely, you understand, as if a 4:30 marathoner can ever "lean" into anything!!).   The situation required me to run the last 3.2 miles in 30 minutes...this seemed doable on this day, even at the end of a marathon.  I turned off my timer and ran continuously the final stretch.  Knowing the course after running it last year, I relished the right turn onto Main Street.  Down a small hill, up an incline, through the arts district and another right turn.  Half a mile to go, my watch was just past 4:25.  I had to focus and keep hustling.

Leaning a little more, I made the final right turn for the final 200 m downhill to the finish line.  I knew it would be close and didn't want to miss it for lack of effort.  Later, my Garmin told me that last half mile was at an 8:43 pace...well worth it. 




I made it.  My watch said 4:29:51...I was thrilled to later learn my chip time was two seconds quicker.  A negative split by over 4 minutes.  The last 10K of the race 4:55 faster than the first 10K.  Marathon #37 in the books.  

My wind came back quickly and none other than the famous Dave Mari was hanging around the finish line to take this photo for me.

And then I shot this video with my thoughts on the race immediately after finishing.  

The race was awesome.  But the day wasn't finished.  Some long-time friends had recently relocated to Carmel and we worked out a lunch after the race about 2 miles north of the finish line.  We met at 1pm and sat and talked past 3pm.  They are doing some remarkably innovative work in community development in the developing world, a topic of great interest to me.  Is there much better than a long conversation with good friends on subjects that matter??  

Then, upon getting home, I had an hour-long race-plus-life debrief by phone with my nephew, running buddy and good friend John.  And THAT conversation was followed by another long talk with my sister.  Terrific people all.  

Yeah, I'd like to put April 20, 2013 in a bottle.  But I can't...so this collection of photos and thoughts will have to do.  Which is why I blog.  It takes longer than post on social media but lasts longer.  

Next up??  The Wisconsin Marathon on May 4.  I have a race plan based much on the experience in Carmel.  Will it work??  Stay tuned.

Persevere.  And take time for good conversations while you do.  


.

Race Report: Circular Logic Marathon 2013

Summary

The second running of the Circular Logic Marathon on March 23, 2013 would have to be classified as a success.  It's fascinating for me to be a Race Director rather than a runner!! We had our full target of 103 individuals and 23 marathon relay teams begin the race.  95 individuals finished the marathon as did all 23 relay teams.   We got a beautiful day in the midst of a bad stretch of weather.  We covered our costs.   Feedback on race day and since has been overwhelmingly positive.  The result is we seem to have found a way to hold a simple, low cost marathon which runners enjoy.

The Gory Details

On a long, cold, grind-it-out, twenty-mile training run in January 2011, the idea first hatched in my brain for an early-spring marathon in Indiana which would be simple, low-cost, runner-centered and fun to run. With the backing of our local club, the Wabash River Runners Club, this germ of an idea evolved into the CLM and we put on our first race in March, 2012. Our original intent was largely one of curiosity, to see if anyone would show up for such a race. Amazingly, they did, more than I even dreamed. So, we tried to improve things this year. I worked through the summer and fall to make the course a little more runnable and getting USATF Certification of the 1.000 mile loop plus our 385 yard extension we run on lap one.

We opened registration at 7am, November 1 and had a third of our field of 105 runners filled by 9pm that evening. We filled the field on December 5, at which point folks began joining our waiting list. People had to drop out due to dissertations, injuries, travel, pregnancies and 2nd cousins' surprise weddings. This opened up slots and, ultimately, everyone who wanted to run the race ran the race with our last two additions getting in the Tuesday of race week.

I took Friday off from work and worked like crazy all day to get set. We had a real improvement by doing advance check in at our local running store on Friday night. About a fourth of the field checked in then and that helped the cause.

Race Day, March 23, 2013, dawned cold but with neither the bitter wind we had the day before nor the heavy snow we had the day after. Our early volunteers were on site by 6:15am. The remaining runners checked in, emerged from the warmth of their cars just before 9:00am and assembled at the start line. We had just enough time for the obligatory Marathon Maniac photo. As MM #1228 myself, I was thrilled to have such a large proportion of fellow Maniacs in the field.




Once again, we had a participant perform the national anthem...this year two young relay team runners from Chicago on the trumpet and saxaphone. That was a treat. We also have photographic proof here of my proper anthem etiquette.

Precisely at 9:00am, we started the race.  As the Race Director, this is an amazing moment when all the hard work of preparation culminates in the word "Go".  

Early in the race, I shot this short video of the NE corner of the course, the key improvement over the 2012 race and the spot we had to carefully measure to make the loop exactly 1.000 mile. You can see the cones which ensure this. Sorry my camera conked out 23 seconds into this!



As some of you know, a unique aspect of CLM is our litter free water stop.  A loop race lets you do this.  We posted this short instruction video beforehand on how to prepare and mark bottles.  



And our runners did this marvelously!!!  In the 45 minutes before the start, the tables gradually filled with a wonderful menagerie of water bottles of all shapes and sizes.  We had some extras for those who might have forgotten but didn't need many.  

Each runner had his/her own slot marked on the water tables lined up by bib number.  We printed their name and hometown as well...part of trying to make the race more personal.  

In some respects, organizing a race is a bit like building a clock...you do all the work ahead of time and then start it and let it go.  If you've done a good job, all the parts move the way they are supposed to and things just "click".  

And, for the most part, things really did click.  The mood of our runners was wonderful.  With all of us spending the entire race on a single loop in a single city park, people got to know each other better.  Each runner had a second bib to put on his/her back with name and home town.  This added to the personal nature of the day.  

One treat was our relay teams.  For example, Mark Acher, an officer in our club and a USATF coach, organized three teams of middle school kids from a local Junior High.  They ran one mile at a time, with most kids getting three laps in for the day.  Their teams finished with total times of 4:01, 4:13 and 4:29.  The kids and their parents formed a wonderful cheering section for everyone.  It was cool to have these kids running, shoulder to shoulder, with fast runners, old runners and middle-aged sloggers.  It captured much of what the running community is all about.  I hope it was a memorable introduction to running for the kids.  

Other relay teams set up "shop" along the course, with blankets and chairs and this justs helped the entire atmosphere.  The team arrangement was also moving, as this was the first race experience for members of several teams.  

We have over 600 race photos posted here, free for anyone to save and use as you wish.  I have a small handful of my own pix here. They capture much about the day.

And we did have a race!!  Jake Gillette won the race, leading every lap and finishing in 2:42:23.  His wife, Laura Gillette, led the women's division all day to finish in 3:09:26--she also finished third overall! (complete race results here)

I first met Laura and Jake four weeks prior to CLM when I ran the Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon at their alma mater, Goshen College, where they were both track standouts.  They both won that race in February, a 204 lap event, in which Jake lapped me over 90 times and Laura 70 times!!  They are a delightful couple.  They also now have two young children; Laura gave birth to their second child just seven months before CLM.  Her performance so soon after delivering a baby is truly an astounding athletic accomplishment.  And, note to self:  If I ever coach a youth track team, I want their kids on my side!! 

Many other friends and acquaintances were part of the day...too many to mention here.  I was very happy to see Pascal Radley, below.  He was ran the first CLM, then broke his ankle last November.  CLM was his first race post injury...we were honored he could make it back and thrilled he finished pain free! 

Was everything perfect on the day?  Hardly.  Our electronic lap counting had too many glitches on it.  While we resolved them for this year's event, it did not go the way we wanted it to go.  I'm already in the process of working that out for next year-it needs to be smooth.  There are further improvements we can make on our water table.  We could use a DJ or better sound system for the start and for music during the race. I have a list of things going already.  

Yet, the race went well.  The tweaks we made over the summer to our course layout worked...they added a bit of speed and removed the worst hairpin turn from the 2012 event.  Having two bibs seemed a treat.  Folks really liked their own water bottles and, wow, did that clean up well post race!!  

And we had one other tweak!!  Five runners in NW Indiana asked if they could save some gas and run a "Virtual" Circular Logic Marathon!!  I agreed and we gave it a go...they paid a small fee, got a T shirt and a medal and agreed to run 26.2 miles in a loop on the weekend we had the race!

The five of them finished and had fun.  It was quite a hoot.   

So, we will continue the event.  Next year's Circular Logic Marathon will be on Saturday, March 29, 2014.  We'll open registration on November 1, 2012 at noon Eastern.  At this point, I'm also thinking we'll be able to expand the field just a bit...details to follow on our web site.  Will we also have a virtual race??  Let me know if you are interested.  

Mega thanks to our many volunteers, especially Mike Taylor who helped me in a gazillion ways pre-race and blew out his vocal cords cheering people on race day, and Travis Butts who took on the huge job of recruiting for and managing our water table.  The WRRC officers were real troopers and tolerated my geeky approach to this unusual race with amusement and humor.  And my wife is the best of all...she is of amazing support and encouragement.  

Thanks to all our runners in 2013.  You are awesome.  I'm touched by the kind words you've posted on marathonguide.com.  We were honored with your presence.  To those of you thinking of running in the future, I hope this description is helpful-we'd love to have you if this race fits your style and calendar.  

So persevere.  Even if going in circles.  

.