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Buckeye Trail 50k - Event record list (1994-2011)

2011-08-15T15:55:00.009-04:00

Link to PDF file

In 2011, Beth Woodward reset her own course record by a margin of 9+ minutes. In four attempts, Woodward owns four wins and four of the five fastest BT50k in 18-year event history. Shanna Ailes (#6 all-time) and Connie Gardner (#10) round out a trio of women to add their name to the Top 15 list. Kam Lee notched his eighth BT50k win with a performance ranked #14 all-time. Terri Lemke (5:41:37) broke the women’s 50-59 age record, topping Shannon Fisher’s 6:01 in ‘09. Carson Heiner sets 60+ age record, bettering Daniel Bellinger's 6:25 in '09.

MEN:
Course record - Kam Lee, 3:55:00 (2007)
19 and under - Heath Harris, 4:57:00 (2007)
Age 20-29 - Mark Godale, 3:56:36* (1999)
Age 30-39 - Kam Lee, 3:55:00 (2007)
Age 40-49 - Kam Lee, 3:59:51 (2009)
Age 50-59 - Jeff Ubersax, 4:41:23 (2008)
60 and over - Carson Heiner, 6:11:13 (2011)

* denotes old course (pre-2004) which included the two mile segment up to Rt 21 in Brecksville

WOMEN:
Course record - Beth Woodward, 4:22:48 (2011)
19 and under - no record
Age 20-29 - Allison Had, 4:39:00 (2005)
Age 30-39 - Beth Woodward, 4:22:48 (2011)
Age 40-49 - Connie Gardner, 4:44:00 (2007)
Age 50-59 - Terri Lemke, 5:41:37 (2011)
60 and over - Libby Wolf, 9:37:05 (2010)

Top 15 all-time BT50K (1994-2011)

WOMEN:
1. Beth Woodward, 4:22:48 (2011)
2. Beth Woodward, 4:32:12 (2010)
3. Beth Woodward, 4:37:15 (2008)
4. Allison Had, 4:39:00 (2005)
5. Beth Woodward, 4:42:27 (2009)
6. Shanna Ailes, 4:43:06 (2011)
7. Connie Gardner, 4:44:00 (2007)
8. Shanna Ailes, 4:49:45 (2010)
9. Jenn Dick, 4:51:20 (2005)
10. Connie Gardner, 4:56:22 (2011)
11. Karen Kelly, 4:59:34 (2009)
12. Connie Gardner, 5:00:00 (2006)
13. Connie Gardner, 5:00:35 (2001)
14. Elizabeth Hansen, 5:01:37 (2008)
15. Emily Gorka, 5:04:00 (2005)

MEN:
1. Kam Lee, 3:55:00 (2007)
2. Mark Godale, 3:56:36 (1999)
3. Mike Seymour, 3:56:58 (2009)
4. Mark Godale, 3:57:00 (2007)
5. Kam Lee, 3:59:51 (2009)
6. Kam Lee, 4:01:00 (2005)
7. Kam Lee, 4:03:53 (2010)
8. Shaun Pope, 4:04:30 (2010)
9. Kip Brady, 4:05:00 (2007)
10. Mark Godale, 4:05:10 (2009)
11. Mark Godale, 4:07:48 (1998)
12. Kam Lee, 4:10:16 (2008)
13. Damon Blackford, 4:10:45 (2009)
14. Kam Lee, 4:10:54 (2011)
15. Mark Godale, 4:11:59 (2010)

For complete BT50k finisher database, visit Realendurance.com:
http://realendurance.com/AllTimeList.php?a=C560

2011 results:
http://www.chaneyevents.com/results/2011bt50koverall.txt

Report: 2010 Glass City Marathon

2010-04-30T07:52:00.009-04:00

(Statue of Sy Mah at the entrance of Olander Park, Sylvania, Ohio, where miles 16-17 of the Glass City Marathon passes by.)

Five years ago upon crossing the finish line of the Flying Pig Marathon, in a personal best Boston-qualifying time of 3:09, the first words uttered were, "I never have to run that fast ever again." It took numerous tries and shortfalls before I captured that elusive first BQ. Never again, heh. Fast-forward a few years - 3:09 became 3:08 and a couple years later became 3:04 in Fall 2007 before cracking sub-3 the following year.

Training cycle: My wife Andrea and I originally targeted Boston this year but plans changed as we decided to use our vacation time elsewhere. Glass City, only six days later and within a two hour drive, fit the schedule nicely as an alternative. We decided early on to build a bigger base than in previous seasons. I had not raced a marathon in nearly 18 months but a half marathon breakthrough last fall (1:21) provided the motive to take another shot at a marathon PR. For the four month period December to March I accumulated an average of 265 miles per month, a rough average of 63 miles per week for that period (an increase of about 5-6 weekly miles.) Everyday easy training paces did not change much but the speed of my quality work did. I capped off the season with a period of threshold-pace runs approaching 6:10 per mile pace. Given a decent day, I felt ready to take a shot at 2:55.

New course: We arrived early enough on Saturday to check out the new marathon course. The attraction to Glass City was for a flat, fast course and the new venue did not disappoint. The course changes scenery about every 4-5 miles to and fro from neighborhood roads to the smooth, flat surface of the University Bike Trail and back again. We recognized the toughest section might be the open road between miles 9-14 where winds would certainly come into play. The new course started and finished on the campus of the University of Toledo, ending at the 50-yard line of the Glass Bowl football field.

Weather tweaking: Andrea had to talk me off the ledge a few times last week. I wanted the result I sought after and thought poor weather would derail the season. After checking the weather 11,293 times during the week with forecasts for heavy rain and wind, we got lucky to catch decent marathon conditions with temps starting in the upper 50s and staying there throughout. A steady wind helped in the first half and hindered on the return trip. An overnight rain provided an eerie fog throughout the race. Slightly humid, but not horrible. Looking back, I wasted entirely too much energy thinking about weather.

After an early and low-key dinner, Andrea and I spent a little time reflecting on high and low points of our past marathons. We sought inspiration by reading the race report of our friend Voodoo Joe's PR in the wet and wild conditions at the Surf City Marathon. Following Joe's lead, we had no excuses to be timid no matter what the conditions were to be. After a morning meal and rituals, we arrived on site with about 75 minutes to go and plenty of time. The new venue was a little unorganized which resulted in extra walking to find the bag drop but in hindsight the extra walking helped to loosen up. With 15 minutes to go, I jogged for five minutes, allowing 10 minutes for final stretching and preparations. I had already said good luck to Andrea.

Pace plan: I scribbled the five-mile splits (5, 10, 15, 20 & 23) for a 2:55 and 2:58 on my bib.

Nutrition and hydration plan: Sip water at every chance, one S-cap (electrolytes) at 0:30, 1:30, and 2:30 into the race, and an energy gel at miles 9, 14, 19, and 23. I carried a water bottle at the start which I held for the first four miles to avoid the water stations. It felt humid from the get-go so I ended up taking the S-cap a little early, at 20 minutes in and every hour thereafter. Though I didn't plan on it, I consumed an energy gel ten minutes prior to the start because I felt hungry.

Miles 1-4: 6:44, 6:28, 6:50, 6:48
My usual marathon strategy is to run the initial mile easily before settling into race pace but having warmed-up I aimed to pace not far off my goal 6:35-6:40 per mile from the get-go. With about 1,500 half-marathoners in the race, it felt like runners were flying all-around and passing us left-and-right. Beth W. (winner of the Fools 50k) and Shanna (a local training partner) were in my vicinity at the 1.5 mile point when a cyclist (with sign) started following the lead women. Miles 1-4 were through nice neighborhoods. Mile 2 split appeared quick but I knew from the prior day's recon that the measurement was short. Wasn't worried.

Miles 5-8: 6:37, 6:34, 6:32, 6:35
We turned onto the University Bike Trail for the next stretch heading west. The women grabbed water and I moved ahead and never looked back. The path was perfect surface: Flat, smooth, and somewhat shielded from the wind. And desolate. Flounder gave me a tip to focus on "smooth and efficient" and that's the cue I focused on for much of this race. When the half-marathoners split away near the 6 mile mark, very few targets remained to chase. Smooth and efficient was feeling good though I felt I was right on the threshold of "holding back." My pace freshened and I went with it.

Miles 9-14: 6:30, 6:31 , 6:30, 6:31, 6:37, 6:32
The bike path ended and I see one runner up ahead as we move to the stretch of country roads. Gel #1 consumed at mile 9 and I reel in and pass the only runner in sight just prior to mile 10. I'm already ahead of 2:55 pace at this point but didn't think I was banking time. Fog lingered in the air to limit visibility and I wondered about the wind direction. Passing the eleventh mile at the far west end of the course, after a couple right hand turns I got my answer. Miles 12-14 were due east and facing the wind but my pace was steady. The half came (1:26:25) with one minute banked to my 2:55 goal. All the while I ran alone with no one around. Though spectators were sparse, a group of locals (members of the Akron Marathon committee who recognized me) offered their cheers. It was nice to see them every few miles as they were following a friend aiming for 3:10. I missed grabbing water at M14 to wash down the gel but did so at M16.

Miles 15-19: 6:44, 6:33, 6:48, 6:34, 6:39
I survived the first stretch of open roads and miles 15-16 turned into another nice neighborhood where we escape the wind. Still running alone. When the mile 15 timer called out I was on 2:52 pace I started to dream a little, "was this my day?" The seventeenth mile entered Olander Park, site of the old US Championships for 24-hours where Mark Godale set the still-standing U.S. road record for 24-hours. In 1999, Godale ran 162 miles, only to place second to Yiannis Kouros of Greece who ran 167 miles. I know Mark from the local running club. When I mentioned the new course passes through Olander Park he said had he been in this Glass City race he would have been temped to skip that part. Heh. Exiting the park I pass mile 17 and surprised to see a slower split of 6:48 but happy to see two runners ahead by about 60-100 seconds. Miles 18-19 were the absolute worst section of the course on Syvania Avenue - dead into the wind and under construction. Only one lane of bumpy road was open and cars whizzed by, sometimes inches away at 40+ mph. I focused on staying small into the wind and on "smooth and efficient" to catch my first runner in nearly 10 miles. While I was happy with splits 18-19 (6:34, 6:39) I was not aware at the time that might have taken some of the wind out of my sails.

Miles 20-23: 6:55, 6:58, 6:55, 6:47
Finally, we turn away from the wind and into Wildwood Park for miles 20-21. Scenic through the trees I pass twenty miles (2:12:30) with my then-slowest mile of the day. My feet started to hurt and legs suddenly heavier. I wasn't falling apart but no longer was I feeling smooth and efficient. The course curved along windy paths of Wildwood and half-marathon walkers started to appear. A spectator told me I was tenth place. Mile 21 came even slower and the course returned to the University Bike Trail for the long, straight homeward stretch. I wondered if I was falling apart but kept my head in the game one mile at a time. Half-marathon walkers were becoming more frequent now and finally a runner comes into view passing the mile 22 mark. I wanted someone to work with but guy started walking when I caught him. No help. Another runner appeared and he too started walking. As I pass into 8th place, the guy picks it back up and drafts off me for about 800m before dropping off. Though it was no help with the wind, at least he helped to push me when the race started to get tough.

Miles 24-26: 6:54, 6:46, 6:44 (Last 0.2) 1:23
I hadn't imploded yet but the pace certainly slowed. I had the mile 23 split written on my bib - I had lost the one minute of banked time and yet I was still right there. With no other runners ahead, thoughts of a 2:56-2:57 finish entered the mind but I focused only on the next mile. At this juncture what can be done except to run the straightest line possible, relax, and focus? I thought about Voodoo Joe and what he would do. Passing mile 24 my watch showed 2:40 - just under 15 minutes to get it done and I knew it would be close. I had some tough workouts recently and recalled that I could endure for next 2.2 miles in a similar fashion. Still no one to chase except walkers. And with fog still filling the air, there were no visual cues as to how close the university was. Finally, the bike path ended leaving the final 3/4 mile lap around campus. Thankfully, with 800m to go came a gradual decline that propelled my stride. Passing mile 26 in 2:53:35 energized me and entering the stadium I saw 14 ticks of the clock and 60 yards separating me from my goal.

2:54:58 (old PR 2:58:16, Marine Corps '08 )
Splits: 1:26:25/1:28:33
8th Overall, 1st 35-39 AG

Andrea set a personal best as well, crossing the line in a terrific negative-split 3:37. Beth and Shanna finished 1-2 for the women in 3:01 and 3:03.

It's a wonder how marathons unfold. Though Glass City was my 27th marathon and I had the confidence on this day, I remain amazed how the mix of strategy, conditions, patience, and execution all factor into the result. I describe the marathon as dull excitement. Compared to shorter races, the marathon race takes so long to crescendo. When it does, the runner is in one of three conditions: Too slow, too fast, or right on the edge of racing threshold. In any case, it takes a lot of invested time to get to that crescendo - for most, about 3-5 months of training and roughly two hours of the marathon race before finding out. On this day I was there on the edge of my threshold and fortunate enough to just hold on to finish. Thankfully the worst of the weather held off and I had a chance to find out for myself.

For an idea of the foggy conditions, as well as a few photos, go here. Enter bib #163

Preview: 2010 Fools Trail Run

2010-03-10T20:57:00.002-05:00

Article below published in the March 2010 WRTR newsletter.

With registration reaching full capacity late last week, the field is set for the 2010 Fools Trail Run. The second year race will be held on March 28 starting and finishing at Pine Hollow in the Cuyahoga Valley.

Remembering last year, clear skies and a brilliant sun produced a memorable day for NE Ohio trailrunning. The race became an instant hit with 192 Fools, including 67 in the 50k, conquering the trails of the CVNP's Virginia Kendall park. Had the event been held one day later on Monday, runners would have faced a snowy, muddy mess.

After rave reviews from last year, no course changes are expected for this year's race. The route remains a diverse 25-km (15.7 miles) loop of the Kendall Lake area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park comprised of the Cross Country, Lake, Ledges, Boston Run, Haskell Run, Pine Grove, and Salt Run Trails. The 50-km runners repeat the entire 25-km circuit.

Plan to get dirty. Seasonal average temperatures, ranging between a low of 30F and high of 55F, combined with muddy, wet conditions are expected on this course that features little to no pavement. (Estimated at 99.9% pavement-free.)

Starting and finishing from Pine Hollow, the 25-km route follows a color-coded course that offers a variety of surfaces. Runners will contend with grass meadows, pine groves, and some rocks combined with a descent into and climb out of the valley. Course highlights include the grassy terrain of the Little Meadow and Cross Country Trails, the rocks in and around the Ledges Trail, and the pines of the Boston Run and Pine Grove Trails before returning to Kendall Lake to tackle the Salt Run.

Out-of-town guests will not want to miss the Ledges Overlook vista near the 10 mile mark at the southern end of the Ledges Trail. After a view across the valley, runners experience a dramatic shift in scenery with a stair decent into the greenery of the Pine Grove.

Near the Pine Hollow finish line, the landscape provides a natural amphitheater to gather and watch the action. Spectators are treated to a special viewing area of the 20-km mark where the course passes the sledding hill within view of the finish. The last trail the Fools face is the often muddy Salt Run. This final 5-km stretch includes a descent to the valley floor followed by a two-mile climb up and out of the valley. I look forward to greeting each finisher as they cross the line.

Defending champions and course-record holders Mike Ryan of Strongsville (4:36) and Beth Woodward of Orrville (4:56) lead the 50k field. Several others are capable of pushing the pace even faster though wet weather might neutralize any assault on the course records. Sixty-percent of the field are comprised by runners registered in the 25k.

Generous sponsorship by The North Face and the Vertical Runner provided the race apparel and prizes, featuring the North Face's latest "Single-Track" shoes to each of the winners of the 50k & 25k races. Finishers will enjoy hot soup provided by Chili's.

Lyceum series: Ultrarunner Pam Reed, two-time winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon and author of The Extra Mile, is speaking at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association's Lyceum Series on Friday, March 26. Reed is signed-up to compete in the 2010 Fools 50k and is scheduled to join us for a meet-and-greet session at the Vertical Runner during the Saturday afternoon packet pick-up.

Lloyd Thomas, Race Director

Green Jewel tomorrow

2010-03-05T13:36:00.008-05:00

Saturday marks the third running of the Green Jewel, a 50-km road run connecting the westside paths of the Cleveland Metroparks. The run starts near the mouth of the Rocky River on Lake Erie and follows the river south and west connecting the Rocky River, Mill Stream, and Brecksville Reservations.

I was there for the inaugural running in 2008, when the event was 100-km and continued east through Bedford and South Chagrin Reservations before heading along Chagrin River Road to complete the "Emerald Necklace" with a finish in North Chagrin. Sore muscles lingered from running the Boston Marathon twelve days prior, yet my search for the Green Jewel was a memorable one.

Last year in 2009 the course was shortened to 50-km with a finish in Brecksville. I ran conservatively as part of training for the MMT100.

This year the course stays the same. The mostly docile paved route shows it's teeth after about 21 miles of gentle grade. Miles 23-27 offer the steepest climbs through North Royalton and Broadview Heights before a gradual downhill finish.

The weather outlook is not bad compared to the recent weeks but will be cold at the 7:00 a.m. start with a forecast of 20F and reaching into the low-30s by noon. It might take a couple extra miles to warm-up.

With course knowledge, I've identified a few road crossings for checkpoints:

- Bagley Rd (13.5 miles)
- Pearl Rd (17.0)
- West 130th (21.0)
- Ridge Rd (24.0)
- Broadview Rd (26.9)

I have no idea what I'm capable of but after last year's run in 4:14, perhaps a sub 4-hour is possible? Just in case, I've calculated the splits at the above checkpoints for a 7.5 minute pace.

We'll see what happens.

Yearly goals

2010-03-04T22:20:00.004-05:00

What is a personal blog without a "yearly goal" post?

Here are a few running related goals I'll shoot for this year:

- 12 months x 250 miles

- 2:55 or better marathon (April or May)

- Return to Laurel Ultra (June) and improve time from 2006

- Continue to improve at races of shorter distances 5k to 10 miles, events yet to be determined

I'm taking college courses in preparation to start a Physical Therapist Assisting program this fall. I hope I can get the marathon mark so that I don't have to chase it once school commences.

No idea what I'll strive for this fall, yet.

Heart rate zones for for runners

2010-03-04T11:23:00.002-05:00

Here is a nifty calculator from Runningforfitness.com to help determine heart rate zones, given the inputs of Maximum HR and Resting HR.

Happy 2010

2010-01-01T21:53:00.005-05:00

New Year's Day view from our Pacific Beach vacation spot

If you're still following this dormant blog, I apologize. I've been absent from telling the tales about my 2009. Finishing the MMT, getting married, and returning to school to pursue a degree in Physical Therapist Assisting headline the top stories of my year.

In the meantime and since this is a running-related blog, I've added links to my current run log in the sidebar. Check it out if you're curious about my day-to-day running.

Happy New Year!

2009 race links, results & reports

2009-12-30T21:04:00.002-05:00

Massanutten highlighted my 2009:

12/5 - URINEO FA 50 Mile (9:51)

11/26 - Homerun 4 Homeless 4 Mile (23:51) PR

11/1 - Inland Trail HM (1:21:53) PR

10/3 - Nature's Bin 5k (17:37) PR

9/26 Akron Marathon (3:30 pacer)

9/19 YUT-C Trail 25k (2:04)

9/13 Buckeye Half (1:30 pacer)

9/5 - Northcoast Challenge 5M (30:39)

8/8 Walker, MN Bay Days 5k (18:21)

7/4 - Bay Days 5 Mile (29:57) PR

5/31 - Concord 5k (18:14)

5/16 - Massanutten 100 (27:41)

4/5 - Fools 50k and 25k Trail Run

3/21 - Green Jewel 50k (4:14)

URINEO FA report

2009-12-08T08:37:00.018-05:00

At the start of last year's URINEO FA, the results of the Massanutten lottery were already in. I was amongst a group of NEO Trail Club members with a spot secured in the 2009 MMT. I joined the others for two URINEO loops that day.

Fast forward to this year. This run preceded the MMT lottery yet it was business as usual for NEO Trail Club. Bob Combs, Jim Harris, Dave Peterman and Brian Musick were among the gang aiming for another MMT, as well as continuing their legacy as perennial finishers of the URINEO FA.

URINEO (pronounced any way you like) stands for Ultra Runners In NorthEast Ohio and is a fat ass fun run held on the trails of Youngstown's Mill Creek Park. Now in the fourth edition, only a handful of NEO Trail Club members have finished the entire 50 miles. I started the day with the idea to add my name to this list of esteemed runners.

BIG BEAR EXTINCT?

Technical data about the URINEO/YUT-C courses:

Those familiar with the YUT-C 50k know the 7.5 mile upper loop. It's the main trail loop at MCP. For URINEO the start/finish is at the Lily Pond, situated about two-tenths of a mile from the main loop. Therefore, running the main loop from the Lily Pond nets 7.9 miles per loop. 50k runners need four loops to complete the distance.

Fifty milers need six loops of 8.33 miles to make the full distance. Big Bear is a trail section no longer used at YUT-C. In the original days of the YUT-C 50k, the course utilized the Big Bear section. Adding Big Bear to the 7.9 mile loop creates a perfect eight and one-third miles from the Lily Pond, thus the fifty miles of URINEO requires six full loops. Big Bear included.

MONKEYING AROUND

The "Monkey Hills" section of trail at MCP features a half-mile cut in the side of a hill with the characteristic of little to no flat spots. Uphill, downhill, or sidehill for nearly the entire way. Hearsay is that Mike Dobies came up with the idea for a Monkey Hills Marathon by repeating this section. Initial measurement of the Monkey Hills was 0.45 mile, or 29 full out-back laps to net the marathon distance. Rough estimates placed the elevation gain near ten thousand feet.

Come URINEO day, Dobies bailed but Slim Jim, the Musick brothers, and Dan K. bought in to the Monkey Hills marathon. I was mildly interested but kept to my task. I expected it would be fun to witness the monkey business.

LATE START

I wasn't taking the 5 a.m. start like many of the others. That requires a 3 a.m. wake-up call which is too early for me for a "fun run." But I knew by starting at 7 a.m. I risked being the last one out on the course as very few runners aim for the full distance. This year, I was the lone one. I brought enough fuel and fluids for a day-long run. I started with optimism.

About 15 runners started together at 7 a.m. in the dark. I wore a headlamp but never used. The sun rose and along with the regulars, I was reintroduced to a couple runners I met earlier in the year. It was a pleasure to reunite with Todd Hanks, who ran with me during my pacing duties at the Buckeye Half, and hear that he went on to PR and BQ at the Towpath Marathon. Feel-good stories. Also nearby was Gavin White, who ran part of the way with me during YUT-C this year. Both Todd and Alex finished their first ultra-distance runs on this day. Congrats to them.

Loop one finished in a leisurely 88 minutes. After a short pit-stop at the car, I depart on loop two at 8:32 a.m. The day was cold - high 20s at the start with temperatures barely reaching mid-30s during the day. Brilliant sun and clear skies provided agreeable conditions for an ultra-run.

In the spirit of the Monkey Marathon, I decided to skip Big Bear on loops 1-2 and put in its place a repeat of the Monkey Hills. The math aligned well, trading roughly 0.4 for 0.45 miles. I caught up with Slim on this section as he was already on nearing his 20th monkey lap. I didn't quite know how tough this Monkey Marathon would be but I understood the monumental task better when Jim stated he was on 7.5 hour marathon pace. Incredible. I pulled Jim along to a 14 minute mile through my Monkey Hill repeat, which he stated was his fastest lap of the day to that point. Brian and Jeff Musick, along with Dan K., monkeyed around to lesser degrees.

I left Jim and finished loop two (16.67 miles) around 10:10 a.m., or about 3:10 into the run. In my mind I kept the goal of sub 10 hours, which broke down to 3:20 per two laps. On pace, for now.

At the start of loop three, I sacrificed a few minutes for a warm restroom at the Riverside Gardens up above the Log Cabin. After a short pit-stop, I returned on course and caught back up with Bob C. and Kim B. After a short chat I went ahead. While Bob was on his final lap, I was only on my third and not even half done for my day.

For those unfamiliar with Mill Creek Park, the trails offer a degree of rock-laden difficulty that the closer-to-home Cuyahoga Valley does not. Running in MCP requires more attention to the trail to avoid an ankle-twist or face plant. In my opinion, the rocky footing is the reason why the times are slower at YUT-C than at the summer BT50k.

I finish loop three at 11:49 a.m. but minus Big Bear, which leaves me still short of 25 miles. While refueling at the car, witnessing Todd H. finish up his debut ultra-run was way cool.

I head out on loop four alone until reaching Jim at the Monkey Hills. Last time around he mentioned going for the 50k - some 33 laps or so. When I arrived this time around, I joined him for his lap 29. Though he looked whipped, we worked together to get his Monkey Marathon done. He was done alright as he called it a day at that point, finishing in 7 hours, 40 minutes. I've never seen Jim so worked over as on this day. He can thank Dobies for that.

WHY ULTRA RUN?

The day shaped up terrifically. The dry trail, coupled with relatively benign conditions made it easy to stay out there. For me, fat ass events like this make it easy to come and go as I please. One loop or six loops, it's all good for all involved. No pressure of a race to perform at a certain level.

On this day with cooperating weather and trail, approaching the end of loop four (33.33 miles) I start doing the math. Coming in the parking lot at 1:34 p.m., all the others were in full post-run party mode (except Slim who was still worked over). I think I surprised them all when I said I was heading out for a fifth loop.

I've been on a long run hiatus since MMT - completing only two 20+ milers since May. One was pacing the Akron Marathon and the other the Bills' 50k four weeks ago. I'm not entirely sure why I run as I do, but witnessing the many locals tackle the ultra distance runs this fall in places like Oil Creek, Run with Scissors, JFK, and Mt. Masochist helped elevate my attitude. I wanted some of that. Ultrarunning certainly isn't rocket science but there comes that time when the legs become heavy and the stride shorter. So true is the ultrarunning saying that at some point it does not get any worse. I felt that.

Adding my name to the list of 50 mile finishers provided strong motivation. I admit that a sub-10 hour finish sounded sweet too. I pushed on.

Heading out on loop five at 1:37 p.m. allowed 3 hours, 23 minutes to beat my goal. Since no monkeys remained, I opted to conclude the final two loops with Big Bear instead of Monkeys. Kimba was still moving along - the two of us the last ones out there.

Finishing loop five at 3:12 p.m., I get a hand from Slim refilling my water bottles and quickly turned-around and started the last 8.33 mile loop at 3:15 p.m. and 105 minutes to get to my 50 mile finish goal. The gang let me know that they're taking off for the day but left me with a finishers award bottle o' brew.

Though I was fueling well throughout the day, I hit my lowest point in the initial mile of loop six. I ended up walking all the way to the Mill Creek Furnace and wolfed down an extra energy bar (actually, it was the product CLIF Roks) before returning to my shuffle.

Breaking ten hours kept me focused and while running the sixth loop on the same course was somewhat mind-numbing, my thoughts returned the last time I ran this far at MMT.

The credit for my MMT knowledge and experience goes to the loyal members of the NEO Trail, all part of my inspiration for my URINEO run. I consider it an honor to add my name to the list of Ultra Runners In NorthEast Ohio who have ran 50 miles in Mill Creek Park.

I figure the Big Bear routing, rather than the Monkey Hill repeat, to be the faster path. If only marginally. When I finished at 4:51 p.m. (9 hours, 51 minutes total) only two cars remained. Kimba finished her 50k and waited for me. I'm not exactly sure what attracts NEO Trail runners to MMT, but Kimba too stated that she entered the lottery. Good job, Kimba.

RESULTS

"Slim" Jim Harris - first finisher of the Monkey Hills Marathon

Report: Inland Trail Half Marathon

2009-11-04T21:06:00.004-05:00

Finishing MMT in May was my Superbowl for the year. I didn't make other plans to race long, marathon or otherwise, for the rest of the year. I took a pass at a fall marathon/ultra effort and decided to save it for Boston 2010. Over the summer, I maintained a loose training plan but trained often with locals and raced a couple times in September and early October. While my two September races returned dull results, a 17:37 five-km on October 3 provided confidence to take a big swing at the half-marathon. A distance I have less experience with.

Witnessing many friends run terrific fall marathons, including my sweetheart Andrea, provided my motivation and inspiration to take a shot at another PR. Having run a 1:23:38 last November, the peripheral goal of earning a lottery bypass to the NYC Marathon (for my age, sub-1:23) guided my training. I ran couple long tempo workouts in the final weeks, culminating 11 days out with a 4x 2 mile effort at T-pace that gave me confidence.

The Inland Trail is an old railroad bed converted to a 10' wide paved path through Lorain country. The marathon course is certified out-and-back 13.1 miles. The half marathoners started at the far-end turn-around in Kipton at about the same time the marathoners started at the finish line in Elyria. Lorain county is generally flat and there is no dirt on this trail. This course is a flat bike path and a rhythm-runner's delight.

Before the race I made a game plan to run the necessary 6:20 pace, which nets a perfect 1:22:58. I focused on three numbers:

19-flat at three miles,
31:30 at five miles, and
63-flat at ten miles which would leave 20 minutes for the final 5-km.

Andrea drove Angie and I out the start line with plenty of time. With 40 minutes to gun, we ran together for an easy two mile warm-up. I added a few gentle strides at perceived race-pace and prepared for the start. In years past, 1:23 might have won this race. At the start, seeing the local super-fast olympic trials qualifier Fred K. in the race, which took my mind off racing others and staying focused on my goals. (He finished in 1:09.) Except for the lack of competition to pull me along, the conditions were ideal with temps in the low-40s and overcast skies.

The first mile of the race is a short loop and after the initial quarter-mile I found my spot in fourth position. I passed mile one too fast in 6:05 and eased off, finding my way in the next two with 6:26 & 6:14. I passed three miles in 18:45 and fifteen seconds in the bank.

Since the course is so flat and straight through the countryside, there's not much to report on the scenery. Most of the leaves are down now. The leaves that remained were at its brilliant peak color. The course was scenic, lonely, and perfect for a time-trial.

Since us half-marathoners started exactly at the turn-around point for the marathon race, our HM mile markers were placed a perfect 0.1 mile after those of the marathoners. Since I don't wear a GPS device (stopwatch only), this situation provided me with an additional reference point to gauge my pace. I would get feedback at the 0.9 and 1.0 of every mile. I used the situation to my advantage.

The next two miles come and go in 6:23 & 6:12, passing mile five in 31:21. I concentrated on even breathing and start thinking mile-by-mile. In this section of the course we run through the college town of Oberlin.

As it turned out, we started about 20 minutes after the marathoners. By mile six I started passing the outbound marathoners and without trying my effort surged. Miles 6, 7, & 8 went by in 6:08, 6:15, & 6:06. I knew I was having a good day but wondered if I was biting off more than I could chew. Five miles remained. Seeing Andrea between miles 7 and 8 gave me a lift.

Throughout the race so far, I could see the 2nd and 3rd place runners about 400 meters ahead. I wasn't gaining ground but they gave me something to look at. Never did I look back. My attention turned to the 10-mile split. Miles 9-10 pass by in 6:18 & 6:16, which put me at 1:02:34 with 5-km to go. I did the mental calculation and knowing I had nearly 20.5 minutes gave me a boost. I dug in and went for it.

Mile 11: 6:10
Mile 12: 6:03

In my last big tempo workout (11 days prior) I saved a little kick, running 6:02 and 2:55 for my final mile and 800. Now I reached back and delivered a similar feeling kick, fueled by opportunity to crush my PR. My math might have been fuzzy, but I aimed my effort towards the possibility of sub-1:22 and perhaps a closer to 1:21. It felt amazing to have a little left in the tank in the final stretch.

As it turned out, something with the course markings were off. Mile 13 was 6:22 and the last 0.1 in 56 seconds. I cross the line in fourth place 1:21:53 yet wondered why the splits in the final 1.1 miles were so off. I was flying! The last 5-km covered in 19:18.

Regardless of all that, I can't complain with the final result which was a PR by 1 minute and 45 seconds along with a guaranteed entry to NYCM. After thinking about it all and checking the course certification document, I figure the total distance was accurate and that the mile markers were inconsistent.

After watching the rest of the half marathoners and some of the marathoners (two of my co-workers/friends, Kyle B. and Vince R., finished 1-2 in the marathon), Andrea and I arrived home in time to watch the NBC broadcast of the NYC Marathon. The combination of watching Meb win and running my own personal best on the same day has me pumped to get back to the marathon!

Thanks for reading.

RESULTS

Between miles 7-8 of the Inland Trail Half Marathon

Northcoast 24 hour is underway

2009-10-03T16:44:00.002-04:00

The Northcoast 24 Hour Endurance Run, held at Cleveland's Edgewater State Park on October 3-4, 2009, started this morning amidst overcast skies and cool 55F temperatures. So far, the rain has held off.

I took a set of photos during the 10 a.m. hour this morning. Click here to view the entire photo album.

Near real-time results are available at the webcast:

http://www.northcoast24.org/webcast.html

Mark Godale, U.S. record holder in the road 24-hour (162 miles)

Scott Jurek and Akos Konya

Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Jeff Burke, represents the the five military branches

Ohio's Vol-Staters Rita Barnes and Dan Fox, with Jerry Brandt trailing

Wisconsin's Mike Henze (147 miles at FANS in June)

81-year-old Leo Lightner from nearby Rocky River, Ohio

I'm heading back out tonight to check out the overnight action.

2009 Buckeye Trail 50K results

2009-07-19T15:10:00.003-04:00

Mild temperatures and a loaded field produced outstanding finisher times at the 15th annual Summer BT50K held on July 18, 2009.

First-timer Mike Seymour of Akron raced up front with Mark Godale and Kam Lee, pulling away and never relinquishing the lead after the mile 20 Boston Store aid station.

Beth Woodward ran amongst the top 15 overall and led wire-to-wire in winning the women's race for the second consecutive year.

154 runners finished the 50K which was two shy of the event record set in 2008.

Preliminary results posted here.

Mohican update

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

A few notes from Saturday afternoon/evening:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MMT photo album

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

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

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

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

MMT pre-race

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next post: Part Two, The race

MMT done!

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

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

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

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

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

Massanutten preview

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

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

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

Live webcast here.

Link to my 2007 MMT pacer experience.

Happy trails!

New 24 Hour Ultra in Cleveland

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

Northcoast 24 website

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

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

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

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

WRTR news

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WS 100 Synchroblog Project

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

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

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

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

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

The all-star synchroblog lineup:

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

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

2008 race links, results & reports

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

The roads were good to me in year 2008.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3/9 - Shamrock 15k (DNS)

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

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

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

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

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

The date is set.

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

http://fools50k.org

If you have any questions, let me know.

The MMT lottery

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good luck to those in today's drawing!

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

Report: Fall Classic HM

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

Cleveland Fall Classic Half Marathon
11.23.08

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3- 6:17
4- 6:16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch time: 1:23:38

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

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

Frigid 14F when we arrived for race registration.

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

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

Thanks for reading.

One more mile challenge

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

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

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

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

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

(Credit Mike Keller for organizing this charitable event.)

A runner's life cycle?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ultracentric 24 hour

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

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

I look forward to hearing how it goes.

Photos: Inland Trail Marathon

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

Mile one of the Inland Trail Marathon

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

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

Per MarathonGuide.com front page report:

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

Congrats, JP.

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

Race report: Marine Corps Marathon

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

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

An excellent day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final time: 2:58:16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading.

Splits

MCM splits

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

Mile splits, for the numbers peeps:

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

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

5 mile increments:

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

2:58:16!

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

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

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

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

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

Overall: 134/18273
Age group: 20/1993

More reporting to come.

Running with the Marines

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

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

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

One year ago

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

Link to my October 2007 archives.

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

Local 5k report

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

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

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

The conditions couldn't have been any better:

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

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

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

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

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

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

17:44. (6th OA)

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

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

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

Thanks for reading.

Akron marathon pacer report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Report: YUT-C 25k

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Race photos available over here.

Check in

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

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

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

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

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

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

I am here.

Burning River aftermath

2008-08-04T00:12:00.003-04:00

The second annual Burning River 100 is now over. Congratulations to all the finishers and thanks to the volunteers and race supporters.

The weather was less extreme than last year with daytime highs near 80F and overnight lows in the low 60s. The results showed: Of 138 starters, 89 runners completed the 101.2 mile run (65% finish rate.)

Once again this year, both the men's and women's champions are local northeast Ohioans: Tim Clement (17:40) from Solon and Connie Gardner (18:21) of Medina.

As for my day, I feel extremely grateful for the help of 25+ volunteers who offered up part of their Saturday to work at the Station Road Bridge aid station (mile 33 and 39.) In our second year, I felt better prepared to care for the needs of the runners and crew members. Thank you to volunteer members of the Second Sole Running Group, Cleveland West Road Runners, and to those associated with the Vertical Runner store who helped to make our aid station a success.

Station Road officially closed at 4:45 PM. After cleaning up and returning supplies to the finish line, I high-tailed it to Pine Hollow (mile 75) for the chance to run with a race participant. Chris Petit of Pittsburgh, second place at the Laurel Ultra and whom I know as a fellow pacer at the Akron Marathon, was attempting his first 100 mile race. I ran with Chris for his final 26 miles and had the pleasure of witnessing a remarkable ultrarunning performance. After nightfall, Chris ran steadily and finished in 20 hours, 15 minutes and 4th overall place. Congrats Chris!

After a brief nap, we returned to the finish to watch the final hour and the awards ceremnony. Witnessing the determination of the 20 year-old who finished just before the 30 hour limit at 29:57 made the entire weekend.

Thank you all who made this year's Burning River 100 a success!

Burning River weekend

2008-08-01T11:15:00.006-04:00

Click image for webcast

It's time to head out for the weekend.

The Burning River 100 mile endurance race starts at 5:00 AM at Squires Castle in North Chagrin Reservation.

Runners descend upon the Cuyahoga and must endure sun-exposed Towpath Trail near the Cuyahoga River between miles 30-39.

The Cuyahoga River was dubbed the "Burning River" when it caught fire in late 1960's due to industrial pollution. With the heat and humidity of an Ohio August, the Burning River is sure to live up to it's name.

You can meet the runners and keep track of their progress on the webcast. Also available: Aid station details, course guide, video footage of the course, and link to local weather.

It's not too late to volunteer. Come on out.

Ledges Overlook. Mile 71 of the Burning River 100 mile endurance run.

Record trend continues at the Buckeye Trail 50 km

2008-07-29T14:52:00.004-04:00

Report by Lloyd Thomas

Fourteen years ago, Joe Jurczyk introduced the first Buckeye Trail 50 km as a low-key birthday fun run. Twelve runners participated in that inaugural event. According to Jurczyk, the main reason for the run was to “introduce runners to some of the local trails that we have here in the Cuyahoga Valley.”

Back then, runners would simply sign their name and time on a clipboard after finishing. The summer 50k continued this way for the first 10 years under Jurczyk and the race grew to a modest number of 50 runners.

In 2004 Vince Rucci, co-owner of the Vertical Runner trail running store, took the helm of the event and has grown the fun-run into a highly competitive and popular trail race. In each of the five years under Rucci’s direction, the number of participants and finishers has increased – from 50 participants in 2003 to a record 185 starters this year.

Part of the reason for its growing popularity is Rucci’s grass-roots efforts in the community. In addition to race directing and promotion, Rucci leads group familiarization runs on the course in preparation for the race. “The Buckeye Trail 50 km is a popular first-time ultra,” says Rucci. “After the spring marathon season, it’s fun to switch it up from road running and get dirty on the trails.”

The 15th Buckeye Trail 50 km was held July 19, starting from the Oak Grove picnic area of the Cleveland Metroparks Brecksville Reservation. The course is an out-and-back on the Buckeye Trail, Ohio’s Millennium Legacy designated trail. The Buckeye Trail is a 1,400-mile trail that circumnavigates the state, although it’s not all developed. The 50 km course covers a 16-mile section that stretches north-to-south between the Cleveland Metroparks and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The trail wanders through the forest and traverses the valley several times throughout the race. The Cuyahoga Valley is only a 300-foot river valley, but its roots, rocks and mud gives this trail its character. The terrain is hilly enough and the trail, save the road crossings, is a beautiful and mostly single-track path. Running in the valley, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine being only minutes away from downtown Cleveland.

For the second consecutive year, registration reached capacity and closed by mid-June. This year there were 185 starters and 156 finishers – both new event records.

Also for the second straight year, a course record was broken along with several age-group records. Despite humid conditions and temperatures climbing well into the 80s, the lack of rain preceding the race provided a dry, fast trail conducive for speed. The trail’s typical mud was avoided on this day.

Kam Lee finished first with a time of 4:10:16, claiming his sixth win in seven years. Damon Blackford placed second, setting a new master’s age record with his time of 4:19:10.

Beth Woodward had never run an ultra or trail race and started showing up to Rucci’s group runs last month. In her very first ultra and trail race, Woodward placed first among women and third overall. Her time of 4:37:15 set a new women’s course record that shaved two minutes off Allison Had’s 2005 effort.

Jeff Ubersax placed fourth and reset his own Grand Master’s record in 4:41:23. Denise Flores broke the women’s Grand Master’s record in 6:26:45.

Elizabeth Hansen improved upon her 2007 Buckeye Trail debut, placing second in 5:01:37. Dawn Malone, 2007 Burning River 100 champion, placed third in 5:30:19.

Steve Godale finished sixth and became the event’s only 15-time finisher. The oldest finisher of the day was 79-year old Leo Lightner, who came in with a time of 9:14:35 and a smile on his face. Leo aspires to run this year’s JFK 50 Mile at age 80.

If there was a different vibe at this year’s Buckeye Trail race, it was because some participants were running the 50 km as a last “training run” for the Burning River 100 mile, to be held only two weeks later on August 2. Rucci and Jurczyk have teamed up to form a seven-race Western Reserve Trail Running Series in northeast Ohio, including the BT50K and BR100.

For more information on the Western Reserve Trail Running series, visit www.wrtr.org.

Thanks to race sponsors Merrell, Vertical Runner, and to chef Bill Bailey for the post-race grub. Also thanks to the local park systems that permit the race to take place: The Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Full results (156 finishers)

Western Reserve Trail Running series

2008-07-27T18:58:00.002-04:00

List of eight races included in the 2008 Western Reserve Trail Running series:

January 26: Winter Buckeye Trail Marathon and 50km
May 3: Green Jewel 50 and 100km
July 12: Muddy Paws 5 and 10 mile
July 19: Summer Buckeye Trail 50km
August 2-3: Burning River 100 Mile
September 20: YUT-C 50km
October 12: Towpath Marathon
October 26: Running with Scissors 60km and Double Marathon

Another BT50K in the books

2008-07-20T18:12:00.006-04:00

It was record day at the Buckeye Trail 50K with 185 runners starting 156 finishing.

Link to 2008 BT50K results

Though temperatures were warmer than last year, the lack of rain this past week provided a dry and fast trail. Stellar running performances were recorded, including a women's course record and M40-49 and M50-59 age-group records.

Results are unofficial. If you have a question or clarification with the results, send inquiries to me at: runwithlloyd@gmail.com

Special thanks to race sponsors Merrell, Vertical Runner, and Chef Bill Bailey and his Pure Fuel. Also to our wonderful park systems: The Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. And not least of all, the volunteers.

Click below for a few albums from today. My apologies if your photo is not there - I admit to some technical difficulties from the trail.

Pre-race and start

On the trail

Finish line and post-race

Chef Bill's grub

Congratulations to all!

Report: Grandfather Mountain races

2008-07-16T23:08:00.006-04:00

This past weekend I ran in two races in the highlands of Western North Carolina: The Bear 5 Mile Uphill Run, held on Thursday night and the Grandfather Mountain Marathon, held on Saturday morning.

Although the main attraction was the Scottish Highland Games on Grandfather Mountain, these two running races and the 100km cycling event comprised the "King/Queen of the Mountain" competition. Our friend Denine rocked all three events.

Andrea and I were guests of a local running buddy and his family at their summer vacation cabin near Boone. For several years, he had raved about the challenging highland races and the beauty of this part of Appalachia. This year was our turn to see for ourselves.

Training: With a goal marathon still 15 weeks away, I have been building up a mileage base over the past two months. Prior to this weekend, I finished 6 weeks of 50+ miles per week of easy running without speedwork. This weekend was a treat to add some hills to the mix.

The Bear 5 mile Uphill Run:
"The Bear" is the better attended event which starts in Linville and rises over 1,500' to finish atop the mile-high Grandfather Mountain at 5,200'. The race starts at 7pm on Thursday with about 800 entrants. The quality of field was obvious with many competitive local HS and college runners. The top runners earn the coveted "Bear" coffee mug.

Grandfather Mountain with McRae Meadows, home of the Highland Games, in the foreground.

My buddy, who I am a little faster than, ran 42 minutes last year so I thought 40 minutes was a good goal. I should be able to run my "easy pace" up the hill, right?

I admit to a little trepidation before the start -- we don't have mountains like this in NE Ohio. To me, the nervousness felt similar prior to my first parachute jump in the Army. Andrea mentioned it felt like we were being walked to the guillotine. I warmed-up for 2.5 miles and lined up in the second row from the start.

The gun sounded and it was uphill right away. I immediately noticed that there was no chatter and only heavy breathing by all. The pack was tight and after 5 minutes of climbing I looked at my HR monitor to see 186, only a beat or two shy of my most recent recorded max. I was toast. I reach mile 1 (7:42) and know I was out way too fast. What else was there to do but keep on?

I backed off and continued the climb on a shaded forest dirt road. I knew I was in for a tussle when I was out of breath and reached mile 2 (8:25). The third mile flattened out a bit as we ran through the campground and track for the Highland Games. We were greeted by kilted clansmen and bagpipes as we circled the track.

Leaving the track was a steep uphill through the grass to reach the road surface and was still running (slowly) to arrive at mile 3 (8:27). By now I knew sub-40 minutes was unlikely as I was in serious oxygen debt.

We confronted the first set of switchbacks in mile 4 (10:04) -- this is where I gave in. I walked. Several times. I caught my breath and did the ultra run-walk but kept moving upwards.

With one mile to go, another set of switchbacks came into view. Nearly everyone around me -- myself included -- said, "oh shit" as we could fully see the remaining climb to the peak of Grandfather Mountain. It was now that I wish I did not take this race so seriously -- I could not get enough oxygen into my lungs.

Traversing the final turns, the cheers grew louder and helped speed the pace. The final 400 meters was one final steep uphill similar to a Tour de France hill climb with a run through large crowds on both sides of the road. The clouds thickened as I reached the the summit mile 5 (8:33) and it felt like we ran into the sky. I crested the peak, entering the finishing chute at 43:11, 94th of 819 finishers, and was surprised to receive a coveted "Bear" coffee mug. Sweet!

The top male finished 31:50 and top female 38:44.

Though I had no speedwork under my belt, it was painfully clear that I was in no shape to race here. This Ohioan is out of his league when it comes to mountain-climbing, and it showed. I wish I would have not taken it so seriously and brought my camera. Those steep switchbacks are hard to describe in words.

The good news is that there was no lingering effect or muscle soreness -- only temporary cardiovascular punishment. Upon finishing, it was a quick recovery as I regained by breath. The clouds rolled in to obscure our mountain top view but we enjoyed the mile-high bridge before returning down on the shuttle van.

Looking down at the switchbacks in the final mile.

Grandfather Mountain Marathon:
I took the marathon a little less serious and brought along the camera. The goal was to get in a good long run without causing too much muscle soreness. I had heard that a decent time is about 30 minutes slower than "flat" marathon, so I targeted 3:30-3:35, or about 8:00 per mile pace.

The Grandfather Mountain Marathon is a course that is never flat -- always going up or down, but mostly up. Here is the elevation profile recorded from a garmin device:

The race started on the track of Appalachian State University in Boone.

With Denine, our Queen of the Mountain.

And we're off!

I made the mistake of drinking too much coffee in the morning and I had to pee before even leaving the track. It worked out well since I was now at the back of the field of 400 runners. This helped me to take it out slow and talk to some of the other runners in the early miles. The first two miles are the easiest of the race -- a slight downhill stretch through the city of Boone before heading into the hills.

Mile 2: 16:59

The hills hit me right away and I knew this would be a long day, but I intended to take in the scenery:

Mile 3

Mile 4 - Up the hill

Mile 5 - going up

Mile 6 - Christmas tree farm

Miles 6 through 10 climbed a winding road that delivered us on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, NC. Miles 11-13 were a glorious downhill stretch on the Parkway with tremendous views. Without changing effort, I recorded my fastest mile of the day in the 11th mile (7:17) and neared the half on pace for 3:40.

Mile 13: 1:48:18 (no marker for 13.1)

Mile 12 - On the Blue Ridge Parkway with Grandfather Mountain in the distance.

Mile 13 - View from the Blue Ridge Pkwy

Mile 14 - Grandfather Mountain in the background. The finish line is on the other side

The second half of the race is mostly uphill and miles 16-17 follow a dirt road.

Mile 16 with Grandfather looming in the distance

Mile 17 - Steep uphill dirt road

Mile 18 - Still going up

Mile 20: 2:47:37

I took less pictures in miles 18-24 and concentrated on the task of climbing this mountain. These were some of the best miles of the day. Due to my conservative start, I got into a good groove and started picking off runners ahead. Without really speeding up, I estimate passing about 25-30 runners in the final ten miles.

These last eight miles were on State Hwy 221, a winding road which was not closed to traffic. Not only did we have to negotiate the mountain climb, there was some car dodging on the blind corners, too.

On this warm and clear day, the mostly tree-lined course protected us from the sun. The aid stations were spaced a little farther apart than optimal, every 2-3 miles, so I did make a point to walk through each station to ensure consumption of 6-10 fluid ounces at each. Nutrition-wise, I stuck with water only, Succeed! capsules (3 total) at 0:45, 1:45, and 2:45, and a Gu gel (3 total) at 1:15, 2:00, and 2:45.

The 24th mile provided a steep, but short, downhill pitch before the diabolical final two miles uphill to the finish at McRae Meadows. We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway for the last time and entered the stadium and a lap around the track to the cheers of the crowds at the Highland Games.

Final time: 3:39:09
42nd place of 351 finishers

Grandfather Mountain was the most difficult road marathon course I've run. We hung around to watch all the finishers until the 6 hour cutoff. With such a small field, magnificent course, and the Highland Games as a backdrop, the post-race camaraderie and stories were highly animated.

I will cherish my time in the highlands of North Carolina. Thanks for reading.

McRae Meadows - Home of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

Queens of the Mountain: Denine, Annette, Jane

On the road

2008-07-09T08:14:00.002-04:00

I'm taking off for a long weekend to Western NC. Stay tuned for a report of the Grandfather Mountain adventure.

The weeks ahead are sure to busy. With the Buckeye Trail 50k on July 19 and the Burning River 100 on August 2, Northeast Ohio's ultrarunning community is sure to be fully energized.

I am heading up the Station Road Bridge aid station (miles 33 and 39) once again at the Burning River race. I am seeking volunteers for a few hours between the hours of 7:30 am and 5:00 pm. Let me know if you'll be available. Volunteers receive a Burning River T-shirt and I'll need to know your size.

To the mountains!

Running log scripts

2008-07-03T12:25:00.004-04:00

Though I'm not happy with changing websites again, I think I've found the site that fits my needs. I've abandoned Running2Win and am now logging my miles on the Running Ahead website. I now have two months data from May and June.

I'm posting here to test the automatic scripts provided by Running Ahead:

I'm curious to know more about run log methodology. How do you log your miles?

Hill climbing, part 2

2008-06-27T16:31:00.003-04:00

Elevation for The Bear 5 Mile Run:

Starting at elevation 3,640 feet and finishing atop Grandfather Mountain at 5,181 feet, The Bear gains 1,541 feet in five miles.

The race is on Thursday, July 10. Along with the Grandfather Mountain Marathon, The Bear is part of the local Scottish Highland Games.

I'm starting to get excited about this challenge. I've been told that The Bear is the bigger draw of the weekend.

Hill climbing

2008-06-24T23:31:00.008-04:00

Tonight's run: 10 miles easy on hills, in the valley, with the Tuesday night group, in about 85 minutes. The Rocky River Reservation is a river valley no more than 80 feet deep on the west side of Cleveland's inner ring suburbs. Our route scaled as many of those 80 foot climbs as possible.

Big hills are hard to come by in my part of town. A worthy hill course requires a thirty to forty minute drive to either Hinckley or the Cuyahoga Valley. Rolling and hilly road courses are part of our formula for marathon training, but our local routes rarely tout more than 200 feet of elevation change. Snowville Road in Brecksville changes approximately 450 feet in 2.75 miles. Those are the exceptions. On most days, I run a relatively flat road course from my front door.

In two weeks I tackle Grandfather Mountain in Western North Carolina.

With a starting elevation of 3,333 feet, low point of 3,160 feet and finishing at 4,279 atop Grandfather Mountain, this flat-lander expects to be vertically challenged.

Mohican update

2008-06-22T18:56:00.004-04:00

I didn't arrive down at Mo' until late Saturday, but here is my brief report:

It was a relatively cooler year, with the normal Ohio humidity and a late afternoon thunderstorm which was heavy at times. I witnessed the top 10 runners come through Grist Mill aid station (mile 75), including locals Wyatt, Connie, Vince, and Dawn.

The men's winner was Jay Smithberger in 17:55 and Connie Gardner in 19:22. Gardner earned her third Mohican win while bettering her previous women's 40-49 course record from 2007.

In the 100 mile, 127 runners started and about 70 (not sure) finished. There was a concurrent 50 mile race that I have no stats on.

Five runners went sub-20 hours. Nearly twenty runners went sub-24 hours.

Some local results that I remember off-the-top of my head (sorry if I excluded your name.)

Wyatt Hornsby 19:22 (4th overall)
Connie Gardner 19:22 (5th, 1st woman)
Vince Rucci 20:46 (6th)
Dawn Malone 22:20 (2nd woman)

Steve Godale 25:50-ish
Dave Peterman 26:20-ish

Fred Davis - finished 10th Mohican.

Congrats to all - I look forward to the race reports.

Trail shoes

2008-06-20T13:22:00.002-04:00

A list of the types of trail shoes I've used over the last four years:

Montrail Hardrock
Keen somethings (Ochoa?)
Teva X-1
Montrail Continental Divide

I ran the majority of my trail races, including all distances 50 miles and over, in Montrails. Though heavier shoes, the protective uppers and rugged outsoles found in trail shoes has worked well in the longer distance when I'm apt to bang my tired legs and feet on rocks and roots. I won't argue that.

That all said, last night I headed out to the Pine Lane trailhead for a run after work. All I had were my road running shoes and I have to say that it was not that bad. The trail was neither dry or overly muddy and I was surprised to find how okay trail running in road shoes was.

This revelation won't cause a complete conversion. I realize that on muddier, rockier, and slicker trails that the traction and protection of trail shoes is necessary to navigate on terra firma. I like to hammer downhill when trail running -- my Brooks road shoes don't offer the kind of support or protection that I've come to appreciate from trail shoes.

This summer I don't have any major trail races on the schedule. Perhaps now is the time to experiment with using both road and trail shoes. My next big trail ambition is the Massanutten Trails 100 in 2009. While I don't expect to wear road shoes at MMT, I don't have a clear idea on what I will wear.

I look forward to hitting the trails more often to find out.

Say what?

2008-06-17T10:36:00.009-04:00

What's to say? I feel like I don't have much to say on the blog. Having decided to pass on a summer ultramarathon, June is somewhat less thrilling than in years past. It is my hope that my running will pick up to the point that there is more to talk about soon. I can't argue with the idea of more running and less talking.

Speaking of thrilling, I found myself in the unusual position parked in front of the television over the weekend. Though I haven't played recently, championship golf remains in my blood and witnessing the weekend play at the U.S. Open captured my attention. If you did not watch Monday's superlative playoff, it was a must-see, instant-classic for all golf fans. Tiger's fairway bunker shot on #15 topped by Rocco's birdie putt couldn't have been scripted any more dramatically. If you are a golf fan and did not catch the playoff, I wholly recommend catching a replay.

Running-wise, I have been able to string together a few weeks of consistent base mileage. Listed below is my weekly mileage since the Green Jewel on May 3:

15 (Recovery week, May 4-10)
43
45
54
54
53

So far, all the running has been at easy pace with no quality. My last run of any pace faster than easy was the Boston Marathon on April 21. Of the last 30 days, I've logged 27 runs. Most of which were in the range of 7-8 milers.

Where am I going with this? Having no races on the near-term schedule, and skipping the June ultra, I've found myself starting a new training cycle. My body is rehabilitating from the Spring race season and I'm enjoying some carefree training with no quality workouts or racing efforts. And it feels so good; I feel stronger with each day of easy-pace running.

Looking forward to the cycle ahead, I anticipate designing a plan to tackle the Marine Corps Marathon on October 26. The race is about 19 weeks away. I plan to continue the base building phase for another 4 weeks until the end of July. I'd like to see some weeks of 60+ miles. The idea then is to introduce some elements of quality starting in August. Included in the plan is to run the hills of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon on July 12. After recovering from that effort, I will assess my condition and map out a couple quality phases.

Good luck to this weekend's racer at the Mohican Trail 100. I won't make it down this year for the pre-race fest on Friday night, nor for the start of the race, but I do plan to catch the action by late Saturday night to watch the finish.

Mohican splits

2008-06-09T10:56:00.011-04:00

Mohican is near and the excitement builds...

I finally got around to compiling my splits from last year's Mohican Trail 100.

I thought the old race website provided the splits. I remember viewing the data to help with my own Mohican planning. I looked around the new website and could not find the splits. Anyhow, I found my old notes and put together the list to share here. I added a couple notes below.

(I am having technical difficulties displaying my table here - please click the link below to view)

Table: Aid station arrival times, 2007 Mohican Trail 100

Notes:
Based on my then-recent race results and reviewing past Mohican performances, I aimed for a sub-22 hour finish. I also had an idea for a 20-hour finish, but kept that thought to myself. Having never run 100 before, I had no real idea how the day would unfold. I thought somewhere in the range of a 10 hour first half and 12 hour second half.

Then the race started. The table shows I maintained a sub-19 hour pace through 60 miles and held sub-20 hour pace until 83 miles. I ran faster and ahead of schedule all through the day. I missed my first pacer at the Fire Tower (mile 60) because I was there one whole hour ahead of schedule.

Finishing the scenic blue loop (mile 42) I caught up with Michael Hayden and 6th place, the highest position I would get in the race. Not far past the Bridal Staging Area (mile 45), I hit my low point in the race with a bout of stomach distress. This section until Rock Point (mile 52) was my lowest point in the race. Around mile 47, a train of good runners came flying past me including Bob Pokorny, Connie Gardner, Doug Cassiday, and Jay Smithberger.

After that, I saw only three other runners for the entire way. I passed Steve Core. near mile 54 and Jay S. at Hickory Ridge (mile 68.) Jerry Brandt caught me on the approach to Hickory Ridge and finished strong in an amazing sub-20 hours. I saw no other competitors in the last 32 miles.

When I planned my race, I studied the past splits and found that most of the runners in my ability range had run the last 20 miles at Mohican in 5 hours or less. In 2006, I watched Kim Martin run the last 10 miles in about 1:50. That was a goal of mine, but my quads wanted no part. My pace slowed considerably after nightfall and I had beat my quads too much in the early miles to allow myself to run in the late stage of the race. I walked more than planned and finished the last 20 miles in 5:20, with a final time of 21:16 and ninth place overall.

Weather conditions were warm, but not as bad as 2006. We caught a break with having a dry and fast trail. Hardly any mud.

Where I'm at

2008-06-05T09:37:00.007-04:00

I'm not sure if I'll get all the thoughts out in the this one post, but here's a few on where I'm at right now:

Running: I've decided to skip the Laurel Highlands Ultra. All year I've pointed to this race and I wanted to return to Ohiopyle to improve upon my initial Laurel race in 2006. I have the miles under me, but at this point my heart is not into it. Surely, I could finish and likely do okay. But I am looking ahead and the recovery needed from Laurel might set me back for what's to come next.

What a distinct contrast to where I was last year. This time last year I was entering taper phase for the Mohican Trail 100. I was focused and hungry for the challenge. Same with two years ago when facing the Laurel Ultra. Not so this year. I am just not at a same place.

When I started this blog, I had a by-line that read, "dreaming of running farther than ever before." As I progressed up with the the ultra distances -- from 50k, to 50 miles, to 70 miles, then 100 miles -- I took a delibrate approach, allowing two whole years before taking the 100 mile plunge. Each new and longer distance fueled my desire.

I just have not had the same hunger as I did last year. I recognize this. As a runner and coach, I understand that it is okay to change or readjust the goals. And I have. So far, my 2008 has been a good one, with three ultras and three marathons under the belt. I cannot complain this year with a 5k PR and a #2 all-time marathon best performance in Boston.

I have decided, however, on the next ultramarathon goal: Massanutten. It's 49 weeks away and a certain challenge. I have something now to fuel my desire once again. For sure, I'll need more visits to the the mountains in the year to come. I won't know until December, but I hope to gain entry into the race.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, I am going to focus on the Marine Corps Marathon as the goal race. In the interim, I look forward to a fun summer getaway weekend and tackling the Grandfather Mountain Marathon in North Carolina. With plenty of time before MCM, I look forward to rebuilding my base and starting a new training cycle. With a late October date for MCM, I have plenty of time to build up a big base. It will be August before adding quality to my running program.

Training: In case you had not heard, I started a coaching business this year it is starting to grow. I decided to try making my passion and profession intersect and give the running business a shot.

Part of my days are now training with, advising, and coaching distance runners. I am enjoying the time listening to runners and helping construct a plan for runners to achieve their goals. I'm also working with a local gym to start a runner's program at their location. There is a limited number of clients I can take on in one season, but I don't think I have reached that level yet. There is room for more. I have a bare-bones website established for more information. If you or anyone you know is interested in a running coach, email to me.

I wrote an article titled, "The best five minutes." If you're so inclined, let me know what you think. I have a few more articles in the works and I'm continuing to further developing my written lesson plans. I am indeed excited about this upcoming season.

Races: I am looking forward to our summer trail races. I intend to be more involved with the local trail races in the Western Reserve Trail Running series by helping more with the summer Buckeye Trail 50k and the Burning River 100. I'm heading up the Station Road Bridge aid station again for the Burning River on August 2. Similar to last year, we'll have a group run that preceed volunteer shifts. If you are in the area and wish to help for a couple hours, let me know.

In the big picture, these are good times. I am healthy and have a training goals on the calendar. The prospect of helping others with a running program, pursuing my own personal bests, and now seeing Massanutten come into view, are all reasons for a rekindled desire.

Mohican: Some people have asked me about my race last year. I still haven't written a report, but I ought to start some momentum towards doing so. I'm going to dig up my spreadsheet tool that I used to help plan for my Mohican race and make a post soon. There's two weeks to go. Go Mohican runners!

No frills FA

2008-06-03T09:43:00.003-04:00

Kendall Lake in the CVNP

On Sunday, I joined members of the NEO Trail Club for the No Frills, Just Hills FA.

A timed event with a six hour limit, the course followed 2 mile trail loop around the Virginia Kendall area of the Cuyahoga Valley NP. The idea was to offer a fun and simple fat ass style run to help prepare runners for the upcoming ultramarathon season.

Eleven runners started, with the top dog logging 15 loops. Several runners used the FA as a training run for local ultras such as Laurel Highlands 70, Mohican Trail 50 and 100, or the Burning River 100.

Sharing trail time is always a great way to catch up with the regulars. On this bright and sunny day I ran 10 loops (20 miles total) with Slim, who is preparing for the new Grindstone 100 in Virginia. Spend enough trail time with Slim and the topic is sure to turn to Massanutten. And it did.

I enjoyed the format. Passing the car on each loop allowed for a simple aid situation. No need to carry much allowing for more running and funning.

Here's a few shots from the day:

The "Sound of Music Hill" in the background. Site of the Pine Hollow (mile 75) aid station of the Burning River 100.

Descending the Sound of Music Hill

On the run with Slim

Mad City pace report

2008-05-30T10:35:00.007-04:00

The patio at the UW Student Union overlooking Lake Mendota

We arrived in Madison on Friday night and started the weekend on campus. Andrea, who spent some her youth in Madison, took me on a run from the University Student Union along the lakeside path and towards Picnic Point. After the run, we met with the huge contingent of runners from the online community of Kickrunners at the student union for beer and dinner. Meeting fine people would continue throughout our Memorial Day weekend. I can't possibly mention all the good folk by name, but I enjoyed getting to "know" better and meet the faces of people I only knew previously in cyberspace.

Although school was technically out, the union was packed with hundreds of people just hanging out on a Friday night. From looking around, it appears that students, faculty, and locals all congregated and celebrated together. With a view of Lake Mendota and a pitcher of Bell's Two Hearted Ale to enjoy, it didn't take long for me to endear the Mad City.

Saturday morning came too early and I arrived at the expo for my morning shift at the pace team booth. The Mad City Marathon was my eighth time as pace leader and the first time running 3:50 and also my first time running Madison. Working the booth and meeting runners is always an enjoyable part of pacer duties. Excitement overflowed from all the well-tapered and anxious runners. I'll admit it, I'm a running geek and all the pre-race running talk is a lot of fun for me.

After wrapping up my shift, I finally got to formally meet Mindi. Mindi was the leader of last summer and fall's "marathon trainer's thread" at Coolrunning. She led us throughout the summer and to our fall races. Our paths crossed briefly at the Grand Rapids Marathon where we both ran excellent races, but I missed out on meeting her on that great day. I was disappointed that we never got to talk in person and the chance to meet Mindi was part of the reason I chose to run this race. After the expo, Mindi took me on an easy 5 mile run from the expo and along Lake Monona. We turned around near the Monona Terrace and in viewing this lake I imagined the wonderful scene during the Ironman Wisconsin race in September. Mindi played tour guide and host to Andrea and I and took us to lunch downtown where we ordered takeout and sat on the steps of the state capitol. Mindi was apprehensive about running a marathon as a fun-run for the first time, but I knew she was in for a treat. I watched her as she paced well, stayed within my sight for the first half of the race and then she disappeared ahead and finished comfortably in 3:46. Thank you Mindi for hosting us!

I was a little bit worried about my pacing duties since had never run 3:50 before, but overall I performed well. A good performance does not always happen, but this one turned into a good race. My task for the day was to run 8:47 per mile, a comfortable pace for me which is slightly slower than my normal easy long run pace.

My one snafu for the day was forgetting my pace band. Another pacer suggested to me to set my watch to "interval" mode to beep every 8:47. This method worked wonderfully and better than a pace band. I don't know why I never used this feature before as my watch signaled to me each and every mile how far off overall pace I was. I simply looked at my watch after the beep to know how my variance and better yet, no computing in my head.

As marathon pacer, the only big mistake one can make is to start too fast. Since the first mile starts atop the hill near the capitol building, pacing the first mile would be a challenge. I informed my group before the start to prepare for a fast first mile and we did, hitting the first mile about 20 seconds fast. We corrected in mile two with a 9:00 minute mile and we maintained a nearly perfect 8:47 pace for the first 7 miles.

I started with a group of about 35-40 runners. As most marathons do, the early miles feel easy and relaxed if not a little anxious. Most of my marathon pacer gigs follow a similar script: A good number of runners follow me through ten miles. About half of that number through eighteen miles and the group thins out after twenty miles. Anyone who is running strong after this point usually goes ahead to finish well. I don't expect anyone to actually stay with me throughout the entire run. That is an unrealistic expectation.

Miles 7-9 were through gorgeous neighborhood. I think the neighborhood was called Maple Bluff. We passed a country club and gorgeous lakefront homes on the north side of Lake Mendota where a local runner pointed out the Governor's mansion. The course ran downhill during the eighth and ninth miles where we banked about 30 seconds to our pace. I would maintain this 30 second advantage throughout the race until after mile 20.

Returning towards downtown, I was aware of a couple hills near the 10 mile mark. The Gorham Street hill was steep but short and the group had no problems.

Leading the 3:50 pace group on Gorham Street near the 11 mile mark

Running on Friday night turned out to be a blessing. Nearing the halfway point of the marathon, we passed through the university campus and along the same bike path were Andrea and I ran on Friday. Some familiarity helped ease my mind as we passed the half marathon in 1:54:30.

Although the weather forecast called for rain, the front avoided us and all we had to deal with was a brisk wind. I imagined if this was my goal race that I would have not enjoyed racing in this wind. We continued to meander through campus and past Camp Randall stadium. Near the 17th mile, there was a brief uphill stretch along Monroe Street that turned into a grinder of a hill. I could see my group being tested. Approaching the arboretum, the pace group dwindled and now I was down to about a half dozen of the original 3:50 runners.

Miles 19-21 run through the university's arboretum. A scenic park that encircles Lake Wingra, the route followed a similar path as the Mad City 100k race. I am considering entering that race next year and I imagined what that experience could be like.

Throughout the race, there was one runner who paced with me that kept looking back at me. Donna, a first-time marathoner, executed a smart race and it was so adorable that she did not want to leave me. Leaving the arboretum near the 21 mile marker, I could tell that she was holding back to stay with me. At this point, I could tell she would finish strong and I encouraged her to run her own race to the finish. She lost me and finished over two minutes ahead.

The final miles circled city neighborhoods and the crowds increased. By mile 22, I slowed the pace down just enough to get closer to a 3:50 finish. Now running alone, I dragged along as many runners as possible to finish with me under 3:50.

All the race I anticipated the rainstorm, but it did not materialize. I approached the finish line to a nice ovation from the Kickrunners and reuniting with Andrea, who waited for me after her half marathon race.

All smiles with first-time marathoner Donna and her son.

My Mad City run finished in 3:47:57 and Wisconsin became my ninth different state and twenty-second marathon overall. After greeting finishers for the next 30 minutes, we cleaned up and enjoyed a post-race party at the Great Dane.

The Mad City Marathon was a well-organized, medium size marathon that I would suggest to anyone. I enjoyed the college atmosphere and would not miss out on some time on the lake at the union.

Cleveland recap

2008-05-19T14:52:00.004-04:00

Random thoughts from yesterday's Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K:

- Crummy weather. It rained steadily for the hour prior to gun and continued through the first 10k. The good news is that overheating was not a problem. Temps stayed in the 50s through the race. Though the rain dried up and the sun came out for the second half, the wind howled and competitors had to face the prevailing headwind from miles 19-24.

- The course changes were not a huge impact, but I favored the old the route through Ohio City, the West Side Market and over the Lorain Bridge and near Progressive Field (new name for Jacobs Field.) To make this course better, they need to do something about those miles along Lake Erie in the late stage of the race (mile 19-24.) They are always into the wind and I imagine that more people would run Cleveland if not for the course.

- I ran the first 11 miles with a training buddy on his 3:20 pace, then hopped on the bike to watch the race at mile 19. On the way out to mile 19, I spotted Bill Rodgers out for a warm-up on a desolate road along the Marginal. I rode along and chatted with him for a few moments before continuing on. I met him a couple times before, at the Akron Marathon expo and in Boston at his store. Meeting Bill is no novelty anymore, but still cool. I imagine there is no end to runners approaching him at road races.

- Armed with a backpack full of small water bottles, I spectated and cheered down on MLK Blvd near mile 19. I enjoyed being there this weekend and I have missed the Cleveland weekend over the past two years. Next year I will miss, as I plan to participate in MMT.

- My bud fought tough to the end and finished 3:20:5x, with a 1 minute positive split and an eight minute PR. Congrats, Ken!

All in all, not a bad way to watch the Cleveland Marathon. I'm not sure about the owners/organizers of this race, but something is missing from the management aspect. The Cleveland Marathon is not keeping up with the high standards of the Akron and Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons. I'm not sure what the solution is, but it appears there is a missing element of community outreach and sponsorship that the other Ohio marathons have better grasped. It shows.

Congrats to all on a less than ideal day to race.

Hessler Street

2008-05-16T08:04:00.004-04:00

Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band at the 2004 Hessler Street Fair

The Cleveland Marathon is not the only party in town this weekend. Down at Cleveland's University Circle (near the 17th mile of the marathon course), the Hessler Street Fair is set for a fun weekend celebration of music and arts.

Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band headlines the Sunday afternoon show, with local bands Mifune and Jim Miller preceeding. If I had to guess, I imagine Carlos will play from 5:00 - 6:00 PM. After the marathon morning, I plan to get outside to enjoy the party. Carlos plays a longer set Friday night from 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM at the Barking Spider Tavern.

Cleveland Marathon - Course changes

2008-05-13T21:46:00.003-04:00

This weekend marks the 31st annual Cleveland Rite Aid Marathon.

My first and only Cleveland Marathon was in 2004 during the first year of the "new" course that stays entirely within the Cleveland city limits. I returned in 2005 as a part of the Second Sole Running Group pace team, running the second half of the 3:30 group. I've missed the Cleveland marathon weekend for the past two years because the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 mile falls on the same weekend. I am torn between the two events because the MMT 100 is an incredible event and I'll miss the training opportunity in the scenic Shenandoah region of Virginia. Peterman is attempting again this year and I will miss the rocky trails of Massanutten. Good luck, Dave, and the rest of the MMT'ers.

According to the Cleveland marathon website, the map shows a few changes to this year's course. I'm not sure if the marathon organizers made a course announcement. Since some of the course changes are significant, I have added my observations below:

Mile 1: The very first course change is early on and I hope this does not startle the unaware veterans. The races starts (and finishes) at the same downtown location near the Galleria Mall on St. Clair Ave near East 13th. In the first half mile and before the very first turn, the course heads east for a couple extra blocks before turning north on East 23rd and returning to the previous marathon route along Lakeside Ave. Previously, the course turned on E17 or E18 (I am unsure.) This change adds about 0.6 miles to the course at the start. The mile one marker will be in an unfamiliar spot.

Mile 2: The course routes to the north and around Cleveland Browns Stadium, rather than south of the stadium.

Miles 7-12 are completely different from last year, but familiar to the "old" Bay Village course prior to 2004. Instead of returning to downtown on the shoreway, at mile 7 the runners continue on Lake Ave. to Detroit Ave. From there, the course shoots east along Detroit Ave for the next 5 miles -- from W75th and crossing into downtown over the Detroit-Superior Bridge. This way is similar to the "old" Cleveland Marathon when the course was an out-and-back to Bay Village. This year, runners will miss the route through Ohio City, West Side Market, Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, Jacobs Field, and Playhouse Square. Once downtown, this year's course intersects Public Square and follows Superior until East 30th and returns to last year's route, heading east on Chester in the middle of the 13th mile.

Miles 13-21 are similar to last year, heading east and through University Circle, MLK drive and Rockefeller Park, and to the shore of Lake Erie.

Parts of miles 21-24 differ than in the past. In the 21st mile near E55th Street, the course follows North Marginal Road instead of the usual South Marginal. Runners will follow the long westward stretch on North Marginal past Burke Lakefront Airport, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Browns Stadium before scaling the dreaded "hill" in the 24th mile. From here, the course returns to the normal loop of Warehouse district and downtown Cleveland in the final two miles of the race.

The 26th mile differs only because the course heads east for a few additional blocks, finally turning off Lakeside Ave at E20th Street. Runners who are unaware will not enjoy the the additional eastward heading mileage. A usual criticism of the Cleveland marathon course is the winding final two miles around downtown. The change to the 26th mile is sure to bring out more grumbling from runners.

Per the map, those are the changes to this year's Cleveland Marathon course. I hope no one is surprised on race day. Good luck Cleveland Marathoners!

Recovery

2008-05-08T06:41:00.003-04:00

There's no doubt about it, I have some recovering to do after Boston and the Green Jewel. The good news is that nothing is injured and so far I have identified muscle soreness only as a lingering effect.

Though I have rebounded quickly from long ultra runs in the past, I will stress the importance of listening to the body and to determine my recovery needs based on merit, rather than what I have accomplished in the past.

While I've employed active recovery methods by walking, cycling, swimming, and massage, it's important for me to reflect back and to understand that I am not Superman. The body can and will recover, if I let it. And there are methods to help speed the recovery along.

On my first short recovery run yesterday, I felt the lingering muscle soreness in the leg muscles. Nearing the end of the three mile run, the soreness subsided and the running gait felt normal. I will continue to monitor the soreness.

Key to my recovery has been the use of "active recovery" techniques. Starting immediately after the Boston Marathon, I used walking and self-massage (insert testimonial for the "The Stick" massage product) to help speed recovery. Since the Green Jewel, I have cycled each day to promote blood flow to the sore muscles to help accelerate the healing process.

Doubts - I sometimes get them. To help with uncertainty, I go back to my running log at a similar point in time in the past. After a long ultra race I ask, what was the first week like? How much or little did I run?

After the Presque Isle 12 hour run, this is the week of training I found in my log book:

Sunday: rest
Monday: swim 800 yds
Tuesday: cycle 30 minutes
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: Run 3 miles
Friday: cycle 30 minutes
Saturday: run 6 miles

The following week I was able to increase and return to a running volume in preparation for the next goal event in the following month.

Reviewing the log book has become a useful exercise when doubt is cast in my mind. Seeing what has worked in the past offers a glimpse at the solution. As my body gets older and feels more beat up after multiple races, I intend to implement all the tools available to me -- by resting, active recovery, and by reviewing what has worked well in the past.

Let me not forget the forgiving trail surface. Time to get dirty!

Report: Green Jewel 100k

2008-05-05T11:50:00.015-04:00

A long report for a long run.

Around Cleveland, there's a distinction that divides the region between east and west. Each side of the city lives and plays on their side with little commingling across town. As an Ohio transplant, I've discovered that a Cleveland way of life is to recognize this distinction and for residents to proudly claim their status as an "eastsider" or "westsider."

Though the region holds a geographical divide, uniting Cleveland and Northeast Ohio are it's fabulous and accessible park systems. For a metro area, Cleveland enjoys an vast amount of protected parkland. Between the Cleveland Metroparks system and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, no neighborhood is farther than five minutes or five miles from a park.

Connecting the parks are a system of paths and roads that form Cleveland's "Emerald Necklace," a route that bridges the divide between east and west. When I heard news of the new Green Jewel ultra I relished the chance to celebrate our parks with the challenge of running the entire length of the Emerald Necklace. Since my home is couple miles from the start, how could I resist?

After a solid race at Boston only twelve days ago, I was unsure of my condition to complete the distance. I have my sights set on Laurel Highlands Ultra in six weeks. The Green Jewel became a no-pressure chance to test my gear, nutrition, and to accumulate a great amount of time on feet. Mentally, I wrapped my mind around the notion of running 62 miles on pavement by allowing myself permission to drop out at anytime during the run. I took comfort in the option to stop after 50 kilometers (31 miles.)

Early Saturday morning, twelve ultrarunners embarked on the Green Jewel ultra -- a 100 kilometer run presented by Western Reserve Trail Running and the Vertical Runner store. Starting at the mouth of the Rocky River in Lakewood, the course follows the path of the Emerald Necklace and finishes in the North Chagrin Reservation on the east side.

In the back of my head, I estimated the run would take ten to eleven hours. I did my best to check my competitive instinct and to take time to enjoy all the scenery. Spring is finally here as evidenced by budding trees and the parkway's greenery. I planned to share the day with friends by snapping photos and sending text messages along the way.

Goals for the day:
1. Don't break anything
2. Accumulate time on feet
3. Complete a run of Cleveland's Emerald Necklace

The forecast called for morning rain with temps in the 60s most of the day. I prepped a bag of gear with a change of clothes and a few of my preferred foods and beverages. A bike companion would accompany me during the middle miles and provide aid to me if needed.

The run started in darkness at 5:00 AM. Being from the west side, I was intimately familiar with the first 15 miles in the Rocky River Reservation -- a path I've run many times. I carried a single bottle waist-pack, a rain jacket, and enough powdered ULTRA beverage to refill my bottle six times. With the aid stations spaced every five miles on a paved path, traveling light was an option. Though there was no necessity to carry anything at all, this day was a good day to test the gear required for more rugged ultra races.

With such a small field, I took the time in the first few miles to chat with each participant. I discovered that about half the runners intended to run 50k and six or seven would attempt the 100k. After the first aid station at five miles, the runners spread out and I found myself running with a familiar friend -- Dave -- who crewed for me at Laurel two years ago. Some of my most memorable time with Dave are my experiences as pacer and crew for Dave at the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 in each of the last two years.

I didn't load up on carbohydrates and liquids very well prior to this run. Instead of taking multiple days to load up, I tried stuffing myself full all in the last 24 hours. I felt bloated in the early miles and found myself stopping to water the trees a lot. If I were racing, I'd be frustrated the frequent stops. Thankfully, it was early morning in the dark with no one around.

The 60 degree temperature felt comfortable but the forecast rain loomed large in the dark clouds. Having completed the entire length of the Rocky River Reservation, rain sprinkles started by 7:30 AM as we passed the fifteen mile mark and started through the Mill Stream Run Reservation in the cities of Berea and Strongsville.

The first twenty miles of this course are relatively flat and very runnable. Normally in trail ultrarunning, the hills or rugged terrain dictates when to run or walk. In road ultras, the strategy is less obvious. Employing a run to walk ratio is a normal strategy, but on this day I played it by ear. Recalling my only other experience with a road ultra at the Presque Isle 12 hour, I remember using a 25/5 (minutes) run to walk strategy. I planned to walk at some point, but ran freely for the first few hours without much walking.

Near mile 20, I stopped to use the restroom and Dave continued on. Leaving the Mill Stream Run, I approached the first real hill and the highest portion of the county as we approached mile 24 and the Ridge Road aid station. The rainfall was steady but not uncomfortable. At this point, Courtney, my bike companion found me and accompanied me for the next few hours. Having her along for conversation lifted my spirits and the miles started clicking by with less thought of the daunting second half of the Green Jewel course.

The next 6 miles departed from the paved path and followed the Valley Parkway -- a rolling road through North Royalton that connects to the Brecksville Reservation and the mid-way point of the course. We arrive at 50k in 5:07 and I mentioned to my companion that I was not sure that I wanted to run the entire 100k. Like good a crew person she ignored me.

The Brecksville Reservation sits on the west side of the Cuyahoga Valley and borders the National Park. After a two mile descent to the valley floor, I stopped to grab a sugar-free Red Bull from my Sherpa. While drinking, I took my first extended walk break for about ten minutes until reaching Station Road Bridge and the Cuyahoga River.

The next three miles were on the Towpath Trail that runs adjacent to the river that divides the region between east and west. The walk break and caffeine revived my senses enabling me to return to a decent running pace. The east side of the Emerald Necklace was less familiar to this westsider. After crossing the Cuyahoga River valley, the real test of the Green Jewel was just beginning with the hills of Bedford and Solon looming ahead.

I am grateful for the companionship of my bike companion on this rainy day. Before parting ways at the Alexander Road aid station (mile 37) I changed out of soggy shoes, socks, and clothes and felt ready to continue for the final 25 miles alone. The addition of headphones provided a musical companion to motivate me along the eastward azimuth.

Now passing the noon hour, based on the forecast I expected the clouds to clear up some. I left Alexander Road with no second layer or rain jacket. I don't know what I was thinking, but it's been nearly a year since I had done a longer ultra run. My training is rusty. I had forgotten how the body's core temperature drops in the later miles of a long ultra run. Now without crew, I was on my own wearing only a sleeveless shirt. Perhaps I was still thinking like a marathoner and that 55F, even in rain, was a hot day. Soon I would learn my lesson for the day.

The twelve miles from 37 to 49 are rolling terrain through the Bedford and South Chagrin Reservations; a stark contrast to the flat miles of the west side. Climbing through Bedford nearing mile 40, I resigned myself to more walking and less running. I dismissed any time goals and intended to enjoy the day more by taking more photos and making a few phone calls. Steady rain continued and my fresh set of clothes were now soaked. Since the aid station volunteers were leap-frogging, I would not see my drop bag again until after mile 50. I pressed forward the best I could, now walking more often, finally reaching the top of the hill in Solon at the Harper Road aid station and mile 49. The time was now 1:45 PM and about 8:45 into the run. The rain finally stopped.

In my experience, every run has that magical sensation when knowing that finishing is no longer a question. I arrived at this moment with 13 miles to go. Although the pavement was taking it's toll on my sore quads and feet, two downhill miles from 49-51 energized me. The rain had stopped, my second wind appeared, and all was wonderful my world. I did some calculating and figured if I could average ten minute miles that I could finish in a respectable time under 11 hours.

At mile 51 the paved path ends at Chagrin River Road. The next 10 miles head north on River Road towards the finish at North Chagrin Reservation. Dodging occasional high-speed traffic while balancing on tired legs added to the challenge. I looked forward to snapping photos of scenic farms and homes along the the Chagrin River valley.

Out of nowhere came a downpour. There was no escaping the drenching rain. The only was to stay warm was to continue running. My second wind disappeared soon after I found it but at this point I was not going to be denied. I arrived at the Polo Grounds aid station (mile 53), but my drop bag was with the other volunteer. This was the last planned aid station that left nine miles to the finish. Now at 9:30 into the run, I held the motivation to finish strong and under 11 hours. I head back out into the rain with the goal to secure the treasured Green Jewel.

When I thought rain could get no worse, I witness fast-moving dark clouds above. I push ahead. By mile 55, I am caught directly in a rain squall. The torrential rain was so heavy and drenching that I ducked under a stand of trees to call for help. My poor phone became water logged and I'm still wondering if I caused damage to it. My core temperature dropped further as I questioned my sanity and I yearned for a rain jacket. There was no choice to stay warm other than to keep running in the downpour. At this moment I felt a connection to Forrest Gump. Running in sideways rain, an incredibly nice couple pulled along side to ask if I wanted a ride. As tempting as it was, I left them perplexed when I said, "No, I'm just out for a run."

Vince the race director pulls up to me by mile 57. Although the rain continued, changing into dry clothes felt great, if only to head back into the rain. What a difference a second layer makes as I instantly felt warmer and comfortable to run. I learned a valuable lesson to always carry an extra layer in marginal conditions, especially in the latter miles.

Ready for this journey to end, I continued along River road through the towns of Moreland Hills and Gates Mills. Finally reaching the North Chagrin Reservation, the final 1.5 miles rejoined the paved metropark path and up the hill to the finish near the picnic area.

Wouldn't you know it, but the clouds break up and the sun shines brightly at the finish. The treasure hunt ended and the Green Jewel found in 11 hours 26 minutes.

Dan, the first place runner, was motivated by a five o'clock plane flight to Europe. At the start, Dan stated that he had to finish in 10.5 hours in order to make the flight. Amazingly he did so. I can only imagine the leg stiffness Dan endured on his flight. Dave also finished ahead, but not without excitement of his own. He missed the final turn to the park and was found headed towards Pennsylvania before being redirecting back on course.

At this time, the final results are not published. I did hear that everyone finished at least 50k and that 6 runners completed the 100k. I am grateful to have celebrated the Cleveland Metroparks by covering on foot the distance of the Emerald Necklace. Though the story of the day was the dreary and rainy day, I will not forget our region's real treasure -- having a great park system so close to a great city.

Special thanks to the folks from Pure Fuel for providing the delicious energy bars at the aid stations.

Click here for my photo album of the day.

Green Jewel photos

2008-05-04T10:41:00.002-04:00

Click here, or any of the photos below for a few snapshots from yesterday's Green Jewel 100k.

Early start before daybreak

The all-purpose trail that connects the parks is known as the "Emerald Necklace"

On the road near mile 28

With ultrarunner and bike companion Courtney and Race Director (and aid station volunteer) Vince

Seeking the Green Jewel

2008-05-01T12:47:00.004-04:00

The Green Jewel is a new ultramarathon in Northeast Ohio presented by Joe Jurczyk (founding race director of the Buckeye Trail 50k and Burning River 100 mile endurance runs) and Vince Rucci (owner, Vertical Runner and current Buckeye Trail 50k race director.)

The Green Jewel run joins the BT50k and BR100, among others, in the new Western Reserve Trail Running series here in NE Ohio.

This 100 km road ultra appeals to me because the course follows the path of the "Emerald Necklace," showcasing our region's park systems. The route is comprised of the multi-purpose paved paths (70%) of the Cleveland Metroparks system, country roads (25%), and a short segment of towpath trail (5%) within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Green Jewel course connects the following parks:

- Rocky River Reservation
- Mill Stream Run Reservation
- Brecksville Reservation
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Bedford Reservation
- South Chagrin Reservation
- North Chagrin Reservation

Though I'd rather run on dirt trails, the opportunity to run the Emerald Necklace fits well with the training build for Laurel Highlands. Since I'm not crewing at Massanutten this year, I'll use this run as an aided training run. The field was limited to 50 runners, but I'll be surprised if the event reached capacity. I admit that ultra running on pavement does not appeal as does the trails. My training objective for this run is to test nutrition and accumulate a really long time on feet. With rain and thunderstorms in the forecast, the raingear will face the test, too.

The 100k and 50k runs start Saturday morning at 5:00 am in Lakewood near the mouth of the Rocky River at the Scenic Park marina. Runners opting for 50k finish at the Oak Grove Picnic Area in the Brecksville Reservation. 100k runners continue east
across the Cuyahoga Valley and north through Bedford, Solon, and Hunting Valley. The last 10 miles follow Chagrin River Road before ending at Forest Picnic Area in Mayfield Village township.

Aid stations (distances):

Start Scenic Park Marina, Lakewood
Lorain Rd. (4.9 miles - parking lot)
Rocky River Nature Center (10.0 miles - parking lot)
Wallace Lake (15.0 miles - parking lot)
The Chalet (19.1 - parking lot or driveway)
Ridge Rd. (24.5 - parking lot)
Oak Grove (31.9 - shelter) – 50K Finish
Alexander Rd.(37.8 - parking lot)
Egbert Picnic Area (42.6 - parking lot)
Harper Rd.(49.2 -parking lot/shelter)
Polo Field (53.1 - parking lot on River Rd.)
Finish Forest Picnic Area, Mayfield Village (62.4 - parking lot)

For those in the area, you're welcome to ride or run along with me for any part. I'm estimating running between 9.5 and 11 hours, depending on conditions. Stopping after 50k will be awfully tempting, too. I estimate passing Wallace Lake (mile 15) by 7:15am and arrive at Oak Grove (50km) around 9:30 am. For reference, a 10-hour finish is 9:37 per mile pace.

I'll carry the cell phone, so contact me if wish to get in touch along the way.

The final course instructions are very helpful and are available by clicking here.

The course map is super cool when it's not messed up. The site provides map and satellite views, but right now the image shows the course running across Lake Erie! I certainly hope that's not the case come Saturday.

Second try at the 112th Boston Marathon

2008-04-26T09:51:00.007-04:00

"Boston is the best, most strategic, most exciting course in the world, because of the way it builds momentum. I don't think you get that on a flat course. It's so emotional." ~Bill Rodgers

I wouldn't understand what Bill meant until racing the Boston Marathon myself. In my second Boston try I came to race and discovered the emotions involved. I got going -- perhaps a little too fast -- and endured a slight blowup. The cheers from the immense Boston crowds helped move me along and hang on for a good time.

To sum up the story in one fell swoop seems an impossible task. The entire weekend was a celebration of runners and running. Combining 25,000 enthusiastic competitors, their supporting friends and families, the U.S. Women's Olympic Trials, great weather and the famed marathon course was a recipe for a wonderful weekend. I shared my time in Boston with friends from my local running club as well as my companion Andrea, a first-time Boston Marathon participant.

Part of the challenge of training for Boston is facing NE Ohio's winter and the early April date. Though I enjoy running outside in the elements, training was a little light during this cycle. The frigid Cleveland winter hampered a few key workouts in the months of February and March. Starting on New Year's Day, I followed a self-styled 15 week plan loosely based on Jack Daniels Running Formula with progressive phases and one weekly quality workout and long run, averaging 48 miles per week for the 12 weeks preceding a 10 day taper. Different from last fall's training season, was the absence of cycling or swimming. I did neither this winter, diminishing my aerobic base. With running in snow and frigid weather I managed to hit the quality workouts as scheduled, culminating with a solid phase of threshold pace workouts in the 6:20-6:25 pace range. I missed the one longer tune-up race (15k) on my schedule, so I had only two 5k races as indicators of my fitness. A 5k PR of 18:30, nine days prior to Boston, provided a bit of needed confidence since I was clueless of what this race could bring.

Though I have a bit of marathon racing experience under my belt (21 total: 11 raced, 6 as pace leader, and 4 as training runs), I've discovered that each race has it's own set of challenges in execution. In Boston, my challenge was getting to the start, the huge field, and the dramatically hilly course. I'm not used to either as my best marathons have come from within a small field race and with less elevation change.

My work schedule didn't allow much time for me to think about the race in the weeks leading up to the race, but as soon as I arrived in Boston I was able to recall my 2006 Boston experience. I had then read the book "26 Miles to Boston" and many of the details of the course immediately came back to me. In my first Boston, I heeded the advice of others to take it easy and avoid the pitfall of going out to fast. I ran conservatively, scoring a 3:16, but left Boston knowing that I wanted another shot at a faster time. Since then, I've further improved my marathon PR twice in 2007 with a 3:08 (Flying Pig) and 3:04 (Grand Rapids), so I had an idea that I could finish Boston somewhere in the 3:05-3:10 range. Scoring a PR was my stretch goal.

I arrived in Hopkinton a little later than I wanted to because our hotel shuttle could not get all the way to the Athlete's Village. After fighting race-day traffic, our shuttle dropped us off at 8:45am and we hoofed it nearly a mile to the village. I didn't bother going in. Rather, I found a bench in front of the school to change my shoes, apply anti-chafe lubricant, and use the massage stick one last time before starting the procession to the corrals with about 25 minutes to gun.

Pre-race in Hopkinton is a sight to behold. Thousands of runners of all shapes, sizes, and outfits fill the narrow street where the race starts. I walked by a fella wearing a full Yankee pinstripes uniform and imagined that he would have no dull moments during his race. I crammed my way into corral #3 with five minutes to spare and immediately found Rob. We chatted for the remaining minutes and parted ways soon after gun.

Nutrition-wise, I followed the basic plan that has worked for me in past marathons: Water at every chance, a Succeed capsule (electrolytes) at 0:30, 1:30, and 2:30 into race, a gel at 75 minutes and every 35-40 minutes thereafter, and allowing myself gatorade in the final 30 minutes of the race. Also, I carry a 16 ounce water bottle at the start in order to avoid traffic in the first few water stations. Out of the norm, I found myself a little hungry as I headed to the start. I learned recently, but had never tried, that it's okay to take a gel in the window 0-15 minutes before the race. I decided to eat a gel with 10 minutes to go. It seemed to do the trick to curb my hunger with no adverse effect.

The weather forecast called for partly cloudy and high 50s throughout, but minutes before gun the skies parted and the sun shined brightly. Compared to recent years, complaining about the weather is nitpicking, but the temperature was a bit warm for my liking and we experienced a slight headwind throughout that grated on my nerves. All-in-all the weather was not bad, but not completely ideal either.

The race started and it took about 70 seconds to cross the starting line. My goal for the day was around 7:00/mile pace. The corral seeding system seemed to work as I only dodged traffic through M1 (7:15) before finding adequate space to run.

Knowing the first few miles go downhill, I didn't panic when M2 (6:48 ) and M3 (6:47) came a little faster than expected. The effort felt easy like marathon-pace should in the early miles. When M4 (6:44) arrived, I finally forced myself to back off. I sipped water from my bottle and finally emptied and dropped it as I approached a better paced M5 (7:03).

The prevailing wind throughout the race was from the the SE and just as much crosswind as headwind. I did my best to draft throughout, finding myself wanting to sit off the left shoulder of any runner ahead running my pace.

My pace leveled out through Ashland and Framingham as M6 (6:50), M7 (6:51), M8 (6:54), M9 (6:52), M10 (6:58 ) all came smoothly. I knew I was banking time, arriving ten miles in 69-flat. I began to believe that today was my day to do something great, but in the back of my mind I wonder if I was falling into the trap of the famed course. I remember the tips from PacerChris to run the first half by effort rather than by pace and used that thought to comfort my evolving situation. Eventually I would have to confront the hills.

Gel #1 consumed and a slight uphill slowed down M11 (7:01) but I was surprised to see M12 (6:40) before reaching the scream tunnel of Wellesley. Although tempting, I was chicken to get too close to the right side, running straight down the middle of the road and away from runners stopping to collect a kiss. I admit it looked fun over there.

As advertised, the rush of Wellesley resulted in a pace surge, arriving into a town full of screaming spectators in M13 (6:46) and the Half (1:30:10) a full 80 seconds ahead of plan. Never did I think about sub-3 hours on this day, but I began to believe that a PR could fall. How cool would that be to PR at Boston. Newton lurked and I pressed on.

M14 (6:50) and M15 (6:59) were the calm before the storm. I was certain that my legs began to feel heavier, but what is one to do at this point? I took gel #2 on the decent into Newton Lower Falls M16 (6:50), maintaining the mental thought of "even effort" in the climb to the I-95 overpass and towards crowds of Woodland and M17 (7:19).

Making the right-hand turn near the fire station onto Comm Ave, the carnival atmosphere was merely in my periphery as the next hill loomed ahead. All of a sudden I found myself working harder than desired and begging for the next mile marker. Thoughts of survival continued with me each and every mile to the finish.

The crowds in Newton did not disappoint. I passed the two hour mark M18 (7:19) and the team of Dick and Rick Hoyt a little earlier than I did in '06. I got close enough to offer a personal "way to go, Team Hoyt," as I passed by.

With evenly paced 5k splits through 25k in the 21:20-21:30 range, Newton came to collect it's toll on my slowing pace M19 (7:07). In my mind, I'm just trying to survive each mile arriving M20 (7:29) in 2:19:19 and still with hope of a 3:03-3:04 result. The boisterous crowds at BC pull me up Heartbreak Hill M21 (7:55). Somewhere in Newton remember finally catching and passing the Japanese man dressed as Minnie Mouse.

This year I remember not to charge down the backside of Heartbreak, although I couldn't if I tried. I was tiring, accepted that there was to be no final kick and settled for survival mode. Coming through the haunted mile (the quiet stretch between the cemetery and the T tracks) M22 (7:22) I did the calculation of finishing in 8 minute miles and rationalized the slower pace. With a toasted mind and big goals slipping away, I held on to the hope of beating 3:08.

The course continues on a downhill pitch into Cleveland Circle M23 (7:32) and like in '06, I feel a cramping twinge in one hamstring. Not again, I thought, but I ran gingerly and grabbed the next Gatorade I could to provide the last bit of electrolytes and carbs to carry me to the finish.

I couldn't find friends spectating and/or volunteering at the 23.5 mile water station in Coolidge Corners because by this point it was so loud and thick with crazy cheering fans. Their presence kept me on track when all I wished for was the next mile. Our hotel was on Beacon St. near M24 (7:49) and running the final 2 miles Saturday afternoon helped ease my mind I knew the finish was near. Passing Kenmore and seeing the game still in progress at Fenway Park, I survive Citgo hill near M25 (7:53) and all that was left was to post the final time. Reaching the "one mile to go" marker with 7:35 to break 3:07 gave me the motivation to finish strong.

While watching the Olympic Trials, I met for the first time two of my virtual training buddies from Kickrunners.com. One is an up-and-coming runner from Nebraska named Tonya. The other is the high mileage phenom, Mike from Wisconsin. Approaching the Mass Ave underpass, I hear screams of "Go Nebraska" and was wondered if Tonya had caught me. I kept looking over my shoulder expecting see her but it was another Nebraskan. In the final two turns onto Hereford and Boyleston streets, I'm amazed at how many runners surrounded me. I charge down Boyleston aiming for the 3:06-something and arrive M26 (7:34) & Last 0.2 (1:30) and under the arches of the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Finish: 3:06:54
Place: 1945/21,963

It wasn't a pretty, but I survive to post my second best marathon result of all time. I stood under the arches for the next 15 minutes looking for friends to finish nearby - a difficult task with the hundreds of finishers in each minute. I had no clue that Mike, Tonya, and I finished within one minute of each other. How cool would that have been to share the finish line moment of the Boston Marathon with training buddies?

To me, part of the thrill of racing comes from how to deal with the variances of race execution. In the marathon endeavor, I continue to discover that each race provides different opportunities. In Boston this year, I did not plan to press on the gas like I did in the first half. Could I have run faster had I run a slower first half? Maybe, maybe not. I won't ever know, but I walk away from this race satisfied with the effort.

We capped off this wonderful Boston weekend with a visit to Bill Rodgers Running Company on Tuesday afternoon. I asked Mr. Rodgers about the strategy for racing Boston. He mentioned a pressed pace and enduring the hills. He also recommended a lot of downhill running in training. Airing on the TV in the store was the replay of the elite race, with the women nearing Cleveland Circle and Cheriuyot cresting Heartbreak Hill. We grabbed a seat on the bench and like true running geeks we hung out and watched the incredible finishes of the women running stride-for-stride and Cheriuyot dominating in his record fourth win.

What a place for running.

Thanks for reading.

Back home

2008-04-23T00:44:00.005-04:00

I'm home and it's late, but I can sum up the Boston weekend in one word: Wonderful.

Spending the special weekend with wonderful friends was the main thing. Having the opportunity to watch the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials then run in the most famous marathon in the world was an incredible experience.

Racing-wise, I confirmed any doubt I had about the difficulty of the Boston Marathon. It's a tactical course that will magnify any small pace miscalculation. Start the first half too slow and lose precious time to the clock. Go too fast in the first half and the Newton hills, albeit not very big as far as hills go, will magnify any early mistakes. In my first Boston in '06 I took the conservative approach, starting slow and finishing evenly. This time, I pressed on the gas early and suffered a slight blowup in the late miles.

I'll hold the details for a race report, but below are some splits to show how I went out a little too fast with an overall goal of 7:00 per mile pace. After the descent and climb out of Lower Newton Falls from mile 15.5 to 16.5, my legs became heavy. I did not have a flying finish similar to last year in Grand Rapids or at the Flying Pig. As a result of my early exuberance, I begged for the appearance of each and every mile marker to the finish. The last 10k wasn't pretty, but I held on for a course best and a time ranked #2 out of 21 lifetime marathons (11 raced, 6 as pace leader, and 4 as training run.)

Checkpoint: 5k split, (per mile pace), cumulative time

5k: 21:31 (6:56)
10k: 21:23 (6:54) 42:54
15k: 21:21 (6:53) 1:04:15
20k: 21:22 (6:54) 1:25:37
25k: 21:20 (6:53) 1:46:57
30k: 22:23 (7:13) 2:09:20
35k: 23:23 (7:33) 2:32:43
40k: 23:54 (7:43) 2:56:37

1st half: 1:30:10 (6:53)
2nd half: 1:36:44 (7:23)
20 miles: 2:19:19 (6:58)
Last 10k: 47:35 (7:40)

Finish: 3:06:54 (7:08)

Patriot's Day is Monday

2008-04-18T23:46:00.002-04:00

No, not the 18-1 Patriots.

I mention Patriot's Day because it's a state holiday in Massachusetts and Maine to commemorate the Revolutionary War. Patriot's Day is also the day of the Boston Marathon. This year marks the 112th year of the oldest and arguably the most famous marathon in the world.

This is my second attempt at Boston and I hardly feel ready. The winter storms of February and March left me less than satisfied with this training season. A blizzard struck on the weekend of my main tune-up race, leaving me merely with two 5k races as my fitness indicator. Not exactly reliable for a marathon race. Without a clear indicator, I am not quite sure of my capability but plan to give it a good race.

This year's Boston Marathon is special in that America's best women marathoners will compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team on Sunday the day prior to Patriot's Day. I imagine watching the trials will provide an inspirational boost come Monday morning for us in the citizen's race.

I'll be there, bib number 3375. Click the B.A.A. website for race day tracking. Enter in my bib number to check out how I'm doing. Race starts at 10AM on Monday, April 21.

The last time I was in Boston, I spent the weekend with my brother who lives in Tokyo. I enjoyed it so much that I left knowing that I wanted to experience the Boston Marathon all over again. The opportunity is now and I will cherish this trip.

Distance running coach

2008-04-15T23:18:00.010-04:00

Over the past few years, I've had fun helping my local friends train for marathons and ultramarathons. We've learned the ins and outs of a good marathon season from local coaches as well as the from the schedules of popular author-coaches such as Daniels, Durden, Higdon, and Pfitzinger. I've enjoyed the discoveries of training alongside my friends, putting myself through the same training schedules that I created for the group, and executing a smart race strategy. Somewhere along the way it was suggested to me to get a coaching certification. So I did.

I recently completed the requirements to be listed as a certified distance running coach by the Road Runners Club of America.

To find a RRCA-certified running coach in your area, click this link. Coaches are listed by state.

RRCA running coaches are tasked to follow a Coaching Code of Ethics.

Are any readers of this blog working as a running coach? If so, I'm interested as to what capacity and audience.

Is anyone interested in a running coach? This is your chance to hire me for cheap. ;)

Week of April 6-12

2008-04-12T20:25:00.004-04:00

Sun: 16 miles easy on trails at the April Fool's FA. (results)
Mon: 5 easy (7:54) Cooled down with 4x strides.
Tue: 11 miles, with 3mi @ I-pace. (4x 1200m intervals (5:45); with 400m recovery jog.)
Wed: 3 easy
Thur: 7.5 miles easy (8:09)
Fri: rest
Sat: 9.5 total, with 5k race (18:30, 17 second PR)

1200m splits: 4:20/4:21/4:19/4:16

52 miles on 6 runs.

One week to go to Boston. Mileage might seem high for a taper week, but I'm not fretting. The trail miles at the FA run were all easy, enjoying the trail and taking a few photos along the way.

The highlights of the week were the two sharpening workouts at interval pace. I've had success with racing a 5k on the weekend prior to a marathon. To prepare, Tuesday's workout was a planned 6x 800m that turned out better than I could have expected. A local speedster who was doing 1600s, so I joined in and turned my session to 4x 1200m. Running the first 3 laps with Tara, I surprised myself when I turned in average 5:45 pace for the workout.

Since my best 5k to date is 6:06/mile pace, my confidence was high heading into today's Run for your life 5k in Berea at the fairgrounds. Sub-6:00 was the first goal, but I thought 5:55 pace was possible. The other fast woman in our track group, Dee, was in the race. I arrived later than I wanted, but I got an adequate warm-up and a few strides in before the gun.

A short 5k race report:

38F, overcast and breezy at 9am start. Actually rained and hailed a bit in the minute before gun, but overall not entirely bad race conditions. Wore shorts and singlet.

I went out too fast!

I had confidence coming into this race, but bit off a lot more than I can chew. Mile 1 (5:36), which was 20 seconds faster than my goal pace for the day.

I was within the top 15 and tucked in a pack. Dee was nearby through miles 1 and 2. Though I never looked back, I knew she was there. Only 4 minutes into the second mile I was already in oxygen debt and feeling the hurt. Now in the top 10, I snuck briefly into 6th place for a bit. Dee finally passes me at the mile 2 marker (5:58/11:33). We both figured the first mile was short, but the second mile evened it out.

By now I was begging for the end and did the quick math that I could still break sub-6:00 pace with a 6:25 mile. I pushed on. I was nearly cooked, but did all I could to relax and still push. This course was nice because it was a loop with no out-and-back or 180 degree turns. I survived Mile 3 (6:16), turned the final corner and on to the last straight. The clock ahead turned 18:00 and I watched Dee finish, winning her race in 18:12 and a slight PR for her. She separated from me by 18 seconds in the final 1.1 miles.

I cross the line barely breaking the sub 6:00/pace. I imagine if I were 10 seconds slower in mile one that I could possibly been faster, but I'll take it.

Splits: 5:36 (short), 5:58 (long), 6:16, 0:40
Final time: 18:30 (PR, previously 18:47)
Place: 9/230

This marathon season was weird in that my only two tune-up races were 5k road races. The VDOT improved, as expected, as I ran 19:19 on February 16th. Last October, I ran 18:50-something one week before a good Grand Rapids marathon. This year, I'm 20 seconds faster in the 5k. Who knows what could happen in Boston.

Green Jewel preview

2008-04-11T06:32:00.006-04:00

Entry forms now available for the Green Jewel 100k & 50k fun run. It's a new event brought to us by Joe Jurczyk (RD, Burning River 100) and Vince Rucci (Owner, Vertical Runner.)

The idea is to run the entire distance of the "Emerald Necklace" of the Cleveland Metroparks system. Mostly on paved paths and roads, there is great potential for a speedy 50km or 100km time.

With the start but three miles from my house, I couldn't resist. I registered, but will reserve my goals until after Boston. I also imagine having the option to stop after 50km will be difficult to pass by.

If you're interested, sign up soon. The field is limited to 50 runners.

Lakewood to Squire's Castle
Find more Runs in Lakewood, Ohio

Fun run photos

2008-04-07T22:36:00.002-04:00

Click here for link to my fun run photo album.

Cross Country trail towards Little Meadow

Ledges trail

Cross Country trail

Salt Run trail

Salt Run

More Salt Run

Boston Run trail

Fun run results

2008-04-07T00:43:00.008-04:00

Finish times from the April Fool's FA fun run
April 6, 2008
40 runners at the 7:05am start

Congratulations to all!

50km +
Jerry Williamson
Frank Dwyer

50km
4:55 Jim Harris
4:55 Vince Rucci
5:11 Paul Romanic
6:13 Jerry Williamson
6:22 Jason Bour
6:36 Dan Fox
6:56 Kurt Osadchuk
6:57 Courtney Baker
7:00 Brian Musick
8:03 Mike Halkovich

45km
6:09 Nick Longworth

25km +
3:15 Kyle Bowman (20 miles)
3:20 Kevin Martin (19 miles)
3:20 David Peterman (18 miles)
3:30 Brandon Russell

25km
2:18 Ed Goubeaux
2:19 Matt Pazderak
2:33 Mel Bolgrin
2:39 Zack Johnson
2:55 Michael Kazar
3:05 Lloyd Thomas
3:10 Greg Dykes
3:10 Ron Ross
3:34 Dave Janosko
3:34 Bruce McMurray

20km (12.5 miles)
1:50 Jim Chaney
2:19 Marta Pacur
2:26 Chef Bill Bailey
-:-- Patti Sweeney
2:45 Mike George

10km +
1:24 Denise Flores (7.2 miles)

If you do not see your name, or to report an error, send email to LTRUN@sbcglobal.net.

Week of March 30 - April 5

2008-04-05T16:10:00.007-04:00

Sun: 26.2 miles in 3:24 (7:47)
Mon: no run. 3 miles walking.
Tue: 7 miles easy. (8:42) Cooled down with 6x strides.
Wed: 11 miles total, with 30 minutes at T-pace. 4.75 miles (6:25)
Thur: 6.5 miles easy on trails (9:32)
Fri: rest
Sat: 7 miles easy (7:58)

57.7 miles on 5 runs.

An encouraging week with two good workouts and the necessary recovery occurring.

The Sunday marathon was ideal for a training run. Overcast skies, temperatures in the low-40s, and 25 water stations allowed for a solid run. Goal was to run 8:00 pace for 3:30 and ended up with a 6 minute negative split. I enjoyed this tour of Atlanta and Decatur, GA and feel better the prospect of racing better at the Boston Marathon in 16 days.

Though slightly sore on Monday morning, a flight delay allowed for a few walking miles while stuck in Dulles terminal; a silver lining to being 3 hours late.

Wednesday's quality workout was scheduled 4x 10 min (2 min rests) @ T-pace. We've yet to see decent weather at the track this year until this week: Slightly chilly but an otherwise perfect 40F and calm. The T-pace was a little brisker than in past weeks, averaging 6:25 for the session. Shortened the quality segment to 30 minutes, but walked away from this workout satisfied that I turned it around from the weekend long run. The Tuesday set of strides seems to aid with recovery.

Considering the marathon was but 2.5 days prior to the weekly quality, I'm pleasantly suprised by the progress of the past week. This 57 mile week is the largest since a 60 mile week in January. The Boston goal continues to be on a sliding scale.

I'm really excited about tomorrow's Fat Ass run. I'm estimating over 50 participants.

Georgia

2008-04-01T01:13:00.010-04:00

Back from the weekend boondoggle and short of time for a full report.

I ran the hilly and challenging ING Georgia marathon on Sunday in nice cool temperatures. This course is just what I needed as I've missed my last two long runs due to our snowy winter. I can't complain with the day and accomplished the training goal of a final long run before Boston. While the cool mid-40s temps was kind to the runners, I imagine that this day was very chilly for the locals. It took a while for me to get comfortable in the first half, but my legs naturally stretched out to a swifter marathon-type pace in the second half between miles 15-22. Finished with nearly a 7 minute negative split:

1:45:35
1:38:41
3:24:16 (136/2131 marathon finishers)

Click the photo below for a few more pics from the course. Fun sights: The "Born to Run" guitar player at mile 6, the screaming girls of the all-women's college at mile 11 did a great job re-creating the vibe of Wellesley, a Dave's Cosmic Sub's at mile 16, and the Djembe drum troupe near mile 19 were some of the many fun entertainment groups along the route.

Goodbye winter

2008-03-27T00:33:00.002-04:00

Is it really Spring?

Taking a few days off. See you next week.

Week of March 16-22

2008-03-24T21:17:00.002-04:00

Sun: 12.5 miles total, with 11.5 at an marathon pace (7:18/mile) with SERC
Mon: 5 easy (8:32)
Tue: 9 easy (8:25); with 6x strides
Wed: off
Thur: 7 easy (8:04)
Fri: off
Sat: 13.5 easy (8:45)

Total: 47 miles on 5 runs

Another week in the books and once again the weather became the story. A Friday night clipper dropped more than six new inches of powder snow, limiting the planned Saturday 20 miler. With fours weeks to go to Boston, I'm starting to accept that I've haven't had the training season nor am I in shape as like last fall. It's time to lower expectations a little, but to continue training on and run the best Boston Marathon that I can. I'll maintain the goal of bettering my one and only Boston of 3:16.

Training-wise this upcoming week, I plan for a longer set of cruise intervals at T-pace (40 minutes worth) and a weekend long run at the ING Georgia Marathon. This second year marathon in Atlanta supposedly offers a hilly and challenging course, which is just what I need in preparation for Boston. I plan to have fun and run it like a long run. If I negative split or finish fast, I can live with that too.

The reason for the trip is to attend a coaching seminar hosted by the Road Runners Club of America. One of the instructors is an accomplished ultrarunner and coach. I anxiously look forward to learning more about this sport (running) that I've come to enjoy. I hope to take away lessons on how to better convey and inspire adult runners to achieve their goals.

April Fools FA - information post

2008-03-19T23:54:00.008-04:00

April Fools Fat Ass 25k and 50k

Join the Vertical Runner Sunday morning trail group for the 2nd Fools FA.

Who: Trail runners
What: April Fools Fat Ass fun run (25k and 50k)
When: Sunday, April 6. Meet 6:45a, Start 7:00a.
Where: Starts at the Happy Days parking lot in the CVNP.
Why: To run some of the best trails in the Cuyahoga Valley not named Buckeye Trail.

For those familiar with the area, the Fools FA course is the same as last year with two loops: a 12.5 mile long and a 3.25 short loop. Click here for link to map. Order of trails:

Long loop (12.5 miles)
Start Happy Days
Ledges trail (group photo at Overlook)
Pine Grove
Connect to Kendall Lake
Lake trail
Cross Country trail
Salt Run
Lake trail
Connector to Ledges trail
Ledges trail
Return to Happy Days

Short loop (3.25 miles)
Boston Run trail

History: Last year on April 1st, a few runners joined with the Vertical Runner Sunday morning trail group for a trail run. We called it the Fools FA. Sixteen runners started on a rainy morning. Most ran one circuit (25k) and three runners finished the entire 50k or more.

This year we plan to do it again. It's a trail FA run with no aid provided. Runners can easily use their vehicle for resupply.

All loops start and finish at the Happy Days parking lot. Bring your own fuel and drink. Mid-way through the long loop is the restroom/water point at Pine Hollow parking lot on Quick Rd. The course is FA friendly and most runners will be fine carrying one water bottle and a few calories. The long loop will take the faster runners around two hours to complete. Mid to back-of-pack runners closer to three hours.

This course is entirely on trails with a mix of rocks, dirt and mud likely. Between the Cross-Country and the Salt Run, the course spans the entire elevation change that the Cuyahoga has to offer. This course is also parts of miles 64-75 of the Burning River 100 mile race.

Everyone is welcome. A late start is possible at Pine Hollow, meeting the group at the 6.75 mile mark at 8:15-8:30a.

Though challenging, most runners could finish the Fools FA 50k in five to seven hours. There will be a clipboard to record your finish times. I imagine there'll be a post-run gathering at the Winking Lizard.

Click here for the link to the maps, or click the map below to download. The color coded map illustrates the route.

Week of March 9-15

2008-03-16T14:32:00.007-04:00

What a difference a week makes. Better weather = better running.

Sun: 13 easy, post blizzard
Mon: 5 easy (8:34) Cooled down with 5x strides.
Tue: 10.5 total, with ~5.5 @ T-pace (7x 5 min cruise intervals; with 1 min recoveries) Pace 6:30-ish
Wed: 4 easy (10:08) Bonked! Walked for 10 minutes.
Thur: 8 easy (8:02)
Fri: 4 easy (8:32) 4x strides.
Sat: 10 miles, with 5k time trial (6:09 pace)

Total: 54 miles on 7 runs
5k splits: 6:04, 6:14, 6:14, 0:34 = 19:06

Bonus Sunday run this morning with SERC: 12.5 miles, with 11.5 at marathon pace (7:18). Crazy fast running club; at least two dozen runners finished ahead of me. I got to chat with both the men's and women's winners of the Burning River 100 mile, as well as long-running E-Speed.

I can't complain with the quality this week. Good 35 minute threshold pace set on Tuesday and the time trial on Saturday. Initially, my plan was to join the NEO Trail club for the Covered Bridge FA 50. The other natural choice for a race was Cleveland's biggest 5 mile race (St. Malichi) which took place at 9:30am, but last week's blizzard postponed a CPR re-certification class to this weekend. My Saturday was booked. I recruited two others to join me for a pre-dawn 5k time trial. Since the local track was not yet clear from snow, we opted for my local 1.5 mile road circuit. Well-lit and free of traffic, the stretch of Edgewater drive just east of Lakewood Park makes for a fine road racing course. Having run numerous tempo runs here made it feel like home turf. Marked quarter-miles gave the feel of a track run.

Essentially a solo trial (the others finished 20:35 and 24+) with no one to push/pull me along, I'm satisfied with result. I held a better finishing kick than at the Chili Bowl race four weeks ago, but the last 5 minutes felt hard. I'm not completely used to the strain of a 5k race. Like last season, I might race another 5k during the the weekend before the marathon. We'll see.

This week is a week off from the Tuesday quality. I hope for more decent weather with the goal of another 50+ mile week.

Time trialing

2008-03-13T06:54:00.004-04:00

An informal poll for my running & training friends out there:

I missed a 15k tune-up race last weekend due the blizzard. I'm rearranging the plan this weekend to include a time trial.

My question is this: For those who've done time trials as a fitness test, what is your preferred surface and distance?

Surface: Track or road course
Distance: 5k, 4M, 5M, or 10k

I have one training partner recruited and possibly one other. It's going to be an early run on Saturday morning. The farthest I've raced on the track is 2M.

My first inclination is to run 5k or 4M on the track. Not sure I can handle longer. I have a good 1.5M road course, with the 400s marked, so that would be the option if run on roads.

The purpose of the trial is a fitness test to set the intensity levels for the next phase of training. What would you do?

Week of March 2-8

2008-03-10T22:41:00.004-04:00

What a crummy week. Although I discovered that OR gaiters continue to rock, the recent weather royally sucked.

Last Tuesday's ice storm was followed by a weekend blizzard that left me cooped up for the better parts of the weekend. My YMCA closed on Friday night and did not open until Sunday resulting in two missed runs. The anticipated 15k race yesterday was not to be. Though I chose not to drive down south, I was amazed to learn that the footing was fine for the Shamrock 15k. A few of my friends did well and I can imagine where I would have placed. I'm disappointed that I missed it.

Sun: 5 miles easy (8:01)
Mon: 4.5 easy (7:54) Cooled down with 4x strides. Temperature 52F!
Tue: 10.5 total, with 5.75 @ T-pace (4x 10 min) Nasty out, TM run.
Wed: 4 easy (8:45)
Thur: 7.5 easy (8:24)
Fri: off
Sat: 1.5 miles in the insane blizzard. (Heck, I tried)

Total: 33 miles on 5.2 runs
Tempo interval pace (TM): 6:58/6:44/6:58/6:58

The thing about Tuesday's indoor quality workout was the heat. I am not climatized for heat. As this was only my second indoor run of the year, overheating negatively impacted my T-pace. This indoor run nearly equalled my treadmill PR of 11 miles. Considering that I was shut out of the Y on Friday and Saturday, I pledge not to speak poorly of the TM again. I needed that conveyer belt!

Now six weeks to Boston. Some things are out of my control, like the weather. Though I missed the tune-up race, there's still time to build fitness. I'm wishing for a quick thaw and return to faster outdoor running.

Blizzard weekend

2008-03-08T11:34:00.008-05:00

It's a blizzard here. Sustained wind and snowfall since Friday morning. Local government offices closed early Friday afternoon. My YMCA closed too. It's still closed today and I'm searching for a place to run. I might have to brave the elements.

I've snapped a few photos from yesterday and this morning. With a forecast for more snowfall into tonight, tomorrow's 15k race ought to be interesting. Click here or the pictures below to view the weekend blizzard album. I'll add to the collection when the snowfall stops and the digging begins. I can use snowshoes.

This morning's view from my front door.

From the driveway.

Week of February 24 - March 1

2008-03-02T13:22:00.011-05:00

Sun: 6 miles easy trails (10:37 pace)
Mon: 5 easy (8:17) Finished with 4x strides.
Tue: 6 easy (8:37) Cooled down with 5x strides.
Wed: 5 easy (8:31)
Thur: 10 total, with 4 @ T-pace (4x 1 mile cruise intervals; with 1 minute rests)
Fri: rest
Sat: 17 miles (8:34)

Total: 48 miles on 6 runs
Tempo mile splits: 7:04/6:22/6:19/6:17

Frigid temperatures and snowfall continue to dictate the training. Lately, 20F seems mild. Tuesday was to be a fourth, and final, week of Interval Pace workouts. The plan was a workout of 5x 1200m @ I-pace, but the all day snow did not provide a clear surface for a quality run. To fill the training void, a few others gathered with me for a Thursday night tempo run. The streets were clear enough for "cruise intervals" at threshold pace. I did not wear a heart rate monitor, nor did I feel like I was going too fast for T-pace, so I'm surprised at the pace. 6:20 was my T-pace in the peak of marathon season last fall. I am not in that kind of shape right now. Perhaps it was just the group; young Andy is running well and pulled me along.

Saturday was meant to be twenty miles, but a few new inches of powder snow changed that. Lots of slushy roads, packed snow, and even some ankle deep powder. Gaiters would have been nice. I brought the camera - see below.

For the month, 196 miles is the lowest February in several years. Although I ran 26 of 29 days, my weekday and Sunday runs have been shorter. Partly because of the weather, but also due to work. Since December, I've taken on some additional duties with my job. Five extra hours at work per week means less time running. I hope March brings less frigid weather and not as many hours spent on the job.

Now 7 weeks to go to Boston. Looking to the week ahead, next Sunday is the Shamrock 15k. The course has it all. A wicked fast descent into the Cuyahoga Valley NP, a flat stretch along the valley floor, a heart-stopping uphill, and a long 3 mile ascent before returning to the finish. I'm not sure how a performance on this course will rate on the VDOT chart or McMillian calculator, but I imagine I should better my previous 15k PR. My one and only 15k was this same race in 2004, where I ran 1:08. Considering last summer's 10 miler in under 64 minutes, I ought to set a new 15k mark. We'll see.

A few photos from the Saturday run, on a 25F and windy morning:

Fools FA - Preview

2008-02-28T22:54:00.003-05:00

The details are coming together. Here's a preview of the maps. Essentially, the Fools FA is a tour of all the major trails of the Virginia Kendall Unit:

Below is an overlay with the order of trails. The course is the same as last year with two loops: 12.5 miles and 3.25.

Who's reading this?

2008-02-25T06:25:00.003-05:00

I want to know. And I want to read your postings.

Leave a comment so I can make sure you're included in my RSS feed.

Sincerely,
Lloyd

Week of February 17-23

2008-02-24T12:10:00.004-05:00

Another frigid week. Tuesday's interval set was a PR for coldest speed workout: 18F, winds 25F, chill -2F. Amazing what the body and mind can endure with a motivated group and good layering. The footing on the track was okay, so we went for it.

Sun: No real run; ran/hiked a few slushy trail miles, but not counted.
Mon: 13 miles easy on rolling hills (9:15) with a Hinckley newbie. Finished with 4x strides.
Tue: 10.75 total, with 4.5 at I-pace (9x800m; with 400m recovery jogs)
Wed: 5 easy (8:31)
Thur: 7.25 easy (8:08)
Fri: 4 easy (8:32). Cooled down with 4x strides
Sat: 17.5 miles easy (8:27)

Total: 57.5 miles on 6 runs
800m splits: 3:06-3:20

A better week of running with 8 weeks to go before Boston. We have one more week of interval-pace training before moving to the next phase: threshold pace workouts.

Looking ahead to the Spring and Summer:

April 6 - Plans for the Fool's Fat Ass are coming together. Save the date.
May 3 - I am hopeful to gain entry into the new Green Jewel 100k.
August 2 - Once again, Second Sole Running Group will man the Station Road Bridge aid station at the Burning River 100. I had thought about entering the race this year, but decided I'd rather work the aid station. The groupies are already asking. Yes, we're back!

Brrr

2008-02-20T22:21:00.004-05:00

Once again this year, February seems to be the coldest month. Temperatures, in degrees F, during my runs over the past 10 days:

8, 35, 21, 19, 19, 30, 18 and tonight 14F.

I don't mind the occasional training run in the cold. But after a few frigid days it starts to grate on me. I remember back to last February, where the high did not top 20F for nearly three weeks. This year it has not been nearly that bad. The group dealt with it then and is dealing with it now.

As an outdoor runner, I'd like it just a bit warmer, but not too much. I'll take 30-40F, with light wind, any day of the week. Yet it's amazing to me how the body adapts to the extreme elements if dressed in adequate layers. Weather at Tuesday night's group workout: 18F, winds 25+, windchill -2, at 6:30pm. I wore two long sleeve shirts, pants, hat and gloves. Add jacket for the warm-up/cool-down.

A group of six doing 800m intervals, with several others running laps. Although frigid, I felt warmed up enough and motivated by having the groupies. Workout was 8x 800m, with 400m recovery jogs. Still fatigued from the weekend race and 13 at Hinckley the day prior, my legs felt heavy in the first few 800s. Even on this ridiculously cold night with wind chills near sub-zero, we were still out doing I-pace intervals. And the body dealt. Splits were about 5-10 seconds slower than on a warm summer day, but we hit the number 8 and accumulated about 25 minutes of coveted I-pace training. I retrieved my frozen and undrinkable water bottle. No worries since there was no danger of over-perspiration.

Dealing with cold runs is part of the Cleveland I know. Having the April marathon as a goal makes the winter season fly by. I'm hoping the worst of the weather has past and with March comes warmer temps and better quality running.

Cold Cleveland weekend

2008-02-18T23:04:00.007-05:00

The view from Cliff Drive. Cleveland, Ohio. February 16, 2008.

Numerical symmetry at the Chili Bowl 5k: Ran 19:19 in 19F temps. The challenge was crossing the Detroit-Superior bridge twice: Once each in the first and last half-mile of the race. Performance rates 51 on VDOT scale, two notches below training level of last summer/fall.

Spent some time on the Ledges trail on a slushy, icy day.

View from the Ledges Overlook in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Peninsula, Ohio. (February 17, 2008.)

News of the weekend: Date was announced for the Green Jewel 100km. It's road/path ultra that follows the entire Emerald Necklace of the Cleveland Metroparks. The run starts 3 miles from my house at the mouth of the Rocky River and finishes 62 miles away at Squires Castle in North Chagrin Reservation. The May 3rd date fits well with my training plan for Laurel. I'm tempted!

Reggae Brunch

2008-02-14T00:54:00.004-05:00

A frozen Cleveland night would not deter this local tradition. Reggae fans gathered at the Parkview Tavern for the annual Bob Marley birthday reggae brunch. While nine degrees outside, Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band delivered us warm vibrations in a uplifting five hour set.

Reggae Brunch is part of the Cleveland I know and the scene of my first Carlos show 4 years ago. I remember describing my initial PLUS Band experience as one where the body moves to the rythym without even trying. Not exactly sure how many years -- at least a dozen -- that the Parkview has hosted this event, but Carlos mentioned to me last night that this year marks thirty years of playing out in Cleveland. To me, he's as much a local institution as Chief Wahoo.

I snapped a few photos and captured a several video clips, include this one titled, "Leave a trail."

Click below for the rest of the photos and videos. Irie!

The rest of the photos.

A few videos.

Back on my feet

2008-01-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

My poor dormant blog. With the new season in view, I sense it's time to get back on my feet again.

Almost three months passed since my last race. I survived the holidays and feel recharged and ready to tackle a new set of goals this year. I'm excited for what's to come in 2008.

Running-wise in the first half of this year, I wish to redo 2006: Boston Marathon and Laurel Highlands Ultra. I'd like to improve my time at each.

Training seems to make the winter pass quickly. Only a blizzard will deter my hearty group. Tonight there were nine of us tackling hill repeats on snow-covered Rockliffe Rd. in mid-20s temperatures.

This weekend marks my first try at the Winter Buckeye Trail 50km. I've run the summer "BT50K" 3 times and volunteered at the winter 50km 3 times, but never run the event. I've always known better. The typically frigid 10F temperature combined with two feet of snow makes for a long day. I'll be sure to bring my lunch.

The Winter 50k is known as the "Run for Regis." The run is a fund raiser for the Cincinnati Fisher House, an organization that helps families of service members who are receiving treatment at VA hospitals. Earlier this year I started a fund-raising project and goal of my own for the Fisher House. My project stalled, but I hope that running this weekend for Regis on the Buckeye Trail will rekindle my motivation to carry out my fundraising goals.

I have some new links:

My recent photo collection at Picasa. California photos include trails of Marin, East Bay, and Mt. Diablo. Also included is a nice set from the Team Slug FA 50k from a few weeks ago in Delaware. I'm a slug!

Running log: The recent Coolrunning implosion resulted in my runlog landing at Running2Win.

Last, but not least, the date for the Fools' Fat Ass has been chosen. Save the date for Sunday, April 6th. Come run some of the best trails the Cuyahoga has to offer.

2007 race links, results & reports

2007-12-31T17:52:00.000-05:00

Links to race results and report. I wasn't so hot at writing reports in 2007.

10/28 - Grand Rapids Marathon (3:04:07) PR

10/21 - Rocky River Spirit 5K (18:58)

10/7 - Steamtown Marathon (3:16)

9/8 - Dances with Dirt 100km relay (9:11)

8/19 - Perfect 10 Mile (1:03:56) PR

7/21 - Shot in the Dark 4M (25:01)

6/16 - Mohican Trail 100 mile (21:16)

5/6 - Flying Pig Marathon (3:08) PR

4/14 - Bull Run Run 50M (8:17) PR

3/5 - Youngstown Half (1:42)

Unfinished work

2007-12-26T19:45:00.000-05:00

I'm here.

I have a few unfinished items.

At least two race reports.

There's a number of folks out there in this audience to whom I apologize. I owe you the story.

I've had such great running experiences in 2007. Why has it been so difficult for me to tell about it?

East Bay Regional Parks

2007-11-14T07:03:00.000-05:00

I grew up in the East Bay. I took up running and ultramarathoning long after I moved away.

Heading to California for an extended Thanksgiving, I relish the chance to run trails in the Bay Area. I hope to make it to Marin too.

Data

2007-10-31T06:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry, the RR is on hold for real life. I'll post the report soon, but for this audience I offer up a little data. It tells most of the story, anyhow. I feel that last Sunday's 5k race and the last quality workout 4 days prior to the race really put me in a great state-of-mind to engage the race in the last 10km. The result was 4+ minutes off the PR.

1- 7:18
2- 7:20
3- 7:17
4- 7:09
5- 7:08
6- 6:55
7- 6:57
8- 7:47 (includes ~45 second pit stop to pee)
9- 6:55
10- 7:02
11- 7:00
12- 6:55
13- 6:56
14- 7:00
15- 6:59
16- 7:02
17- 6:50
18- 6:53
19- 6:54
20- 7:03
21- 6:57
22- 6:57
23- 6:53
24- 6:58
25- 6:44
26- 6:58
0.2- 1:19

1st half: 1:33:28 (7:08 )
2nd half: 1:30:39 (6:55)
Last 10km: 42:46 (6:54)
Total: 3:04:07 (7:02)

(Pre-race) Week of Oct 21-27

2007-10-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

My week leading into the race:

S: 9.5 miles, with 5k race (18:58 ); Cycle 11
M: Swim 1000m, Cycle 5
T: 8.5 ez (with 4x strides)
W: 7 miles, with 3 @ T-pace (4x1200m; with 1 min rests)
Ave T-pace = 6:24
R: 5 ez
F: rest
S: 3 ez, (with 4x strides)

Run: 33 mi
Cycle: 16 mi
Swim: 1000m

Last weekend, I joined the 5km in Rocky River at the HS track where we practice. Following a loose interpretation of Pfitzinger's marathon plan, I ran this race as a hard interval workout equivalent. Conditions (windy) and course (hilly) were not optimal, I did get a solid effort. A typical Rocky River course: downhill to the lake, loop, and uphill finish. Splits: 5:43, 5:58, 6:38, 0:39. Insane headwind made for a tough third mile. I trailed my running buddy Dee the entire way and finished 6 seconds behind.

The purpose of tempo paced run four days prior to the race is to maintain leg turnover, stay loose and provide one last carb-depleting run. Lots of my contemporaries question the need for this workout. Many might try a mile or two at marathon pace in this last week. After weeks on end of of 4-8 miles of quality workouts, I've concluded that 3 miles of tempo running during race week will not hinder. The quality activity keeps my mind on the task at hand. My idea for this workout was adapted straight from Daniels Marathon Plan. My execution of the plan has worked well for me in the past -- providing just enough work to stave off taper madness in the last week. My T-pace, per the VDOT chart, is about 30-35 seconds faster than my goal marathon pace. Marathon pace on race day, feels comparitively easy.

The results are in. Next up, a report.

Validation

2007-10-28T23:03:00.000-04:00

Quick update here before I fall asleep.

We caught a great day to run in Grand Rapids today: Clear and sunny 34F at the 8am start and 45F at the three hour mark.

1:33:28 + 1:30:39 = 3:04:07

Last 10km: 42:46

I'm really happy about shaving 4+ minutes off the PR. Though I wish I could have had this run 3 weeks ago at Steamtown, it sure feels good to validate the training effort of our long hot summer season.

Details to come.

Me, far right in blue, in the first mile of the Grand Rapids Marathon.

JFK tips for my friends

2007-10-25T07:02:00.000-04:00

Three friends from my running club are signed up and preparing for this year's JFK 50 Mile. Their first ultra. All three are experienced marathoners and taking the ultra plunge. They've bypassed the 50km distance and went directly for the 50 mile!

I promised that I'd put together a short set of JFK tips for the first time ultrarunner. Its pasted below in its unedited entirety.

~~

Hello all,

I promised that I'd put together a guide for JFK and here it is. I certainly could write a book on running 50 miles, but that's not my intent here. I just want to share with you some tips that might help you with your first ultra run as well as some insight to the JFK course.

First and foremost, you should have no great worries about finishing JFK. If you think about this more as a long trek, and less as a race, you are already trained enough to go the distance. You do, however, have a few weeks to do some training so that you can increase your enjoyability at JFK. If you still have doubts, the FAQ section at the Reston Runners website is a good starting point for first-timers.

In my mind, the essentials to running 50 miles are these three things:

1. Taking care of your feet (and body):

I ran the JFK in road shoes. Most of the course is Towpath or road. Only about 12 miles are on the rocky AT. If you have a crew, a good idea is to wear trails shoes until mile 15 and change when coming off the AT at Weverton Cliffs. Regarding taking care of feet, the best policy is to take care of problems right away. If you feel a rock in your shoe, take the time to stop and remove the rock. A small problem can escalate quickly in to a huge problem. Ideally, you will not have to remove your socks during the race, but if you have a large blister that is hurting you may want to have it lanced and bandaged. I've never had this problem, but I have had to stop on the side of the trail to adjust my shoes and socks.

Its normally cool/cold at this race. You will be cold at the start, then get really warm as you climb the hill (first 4 miles), then you will get cold again as you run a slower pace on the trail section. I recommend wearing a long-sleeve layer that you can tie around your waist when you warm up. Later on in the race, when you're walking more often, you will chill easily and you'll want to have that second layer available.

Muscles (sore quads): After a long time on feet, your muscles will get sore and tighten up. Its not a bad idea to stop every once and a while and keep the quads and calves stretched out. Once they tighten up, its hard to loosen them up late in the race.

2. Hydration (includes electrolytes):

Staying hydrated is a no brainer. You'll want to drink small amounts frequently throughout the day, as opposed to drinking large amounts only when at the aid station.

Salt: Sodium is the catalyst for liquids to digest into the place you need it most -- into the bloodstream. Your electrolyte needs depend on sweat rate. If you take some sort of electrolytes on an hourly basis, you will ensure that the liquids you do comsume are being used and not just making you bloated. Paying attention to hands and feet are a good indicator. Know that swollen hands is a sign of low electrolytes and indicates that its time to take some salt.

3. Energy (consuming calories):

Food. This is probably the most difficult adaptation that the marathoner has to make in the transition to long ultras. Consider that one can survive a marathon on as little as a couple gel packs, or couple hundred calories. For ultras, the energy requirement is considerably more. The formula that has worked for me is to target 200-250 calories per hour. You should imagine that you'll require 1800-2000 calories to endure JFK.

What to eat? In my experience, and generally speaking, liquids digest more easily and convert to energy faster than does solid foods. Examples of liquid foods: gels, energy drinks, sodas such as Coke and Mountain Dew, and soups. A good idea at each aid station is to grab a few handfuls of food and start walking. For solid foods, I like calorie dense snacks like trail mix, cookies, and pretzels.

All-in-all, know that your hydration and energy consumption is a continual balancing act. You will have to be aware of your body and know when its time to replentish your stores. Its highly probable that your stomach will rebel at some point. Its up to you to figure out when to take more or take less food or drink. At some point late in the race, say after mile 30,

Always keep a gel, block, or a piece of candy on hand, as your blood sugar can take a nosedive in a hurry. If you're in walk mode, it might be 30+ minutes to go the two miles to the next station. It sucks having to get going on empty.

That's it. Those are the essentials. Everything else is a luxury and I will list a few below.

What to carry:

A water bottle, a couple hundred calories in gels or blocks, and a water-proof baggie with some small items such as: electrolyte caps, ibuprofen, Tums, chewing gum, chap stick, and the like. Jolly Ranchers and Starburst candies are are good to have too.

What to expect:

- At some point after mile 30, you will have a low point(s). Your energy will be zapped and stomach might rebel. Know that it will pass and if you keep walking forward, you will start to feel better. It never always gets worse.

- You will discover the foods that work for you. At my first JFK, after I hit my low point near mile 30, I turned to Coke and pretzels. It was the only things I could stomach. I made it all the way to the finish on Coke and Prezels alone.

- It’s a good idea to have a plan at each aid station. The basics: Have a volunteer refill the bottle, drink a cup of something, eat, and fix any chafing. I can't tell how many times I've forgot to fix chafing and it drives me crazy to have to wait until the next station.

The course:

As far a courses go, JFK is fairly simple. The technical section ends at mile 15 and the goal is to arrive at the towpath without injury. The Appalachian Trail (AT) is tricky with all the rocks and leaves. Here is a quick description of the course:

The course starts on road with all the major climbing done in the first 4 miles (total of 1200' gain.) Miles 1 & 2 are on road, mile 3 on AT, and mile 4 on paved road. By the time you reach the AT again at mile 4.5, you are done climbing and the rest of the AT is along the ridge line.

The first major aid station is at mile 9.3 and the next aid is at mile 15.5 at the start of the towpath. Then next 26 miles are on the towpath and the final 8.5 miles on rolling country roads.

Training:

There only a couple weekends left to do anything substantial before a two-week taper. My suggestion is to continue a normal weekday schedule and load up on big runs on the weekend. Back-to-back runs on Sat/Sun are as beneficial as one long run. It depends on your time availability. The goal is to practice running/walking on dead legs.

Ideally, you will complete one 5-6 hour run. Doing so will test your shoes and socks and you will get an idea of what it feels like to run on depleted energy stores. You'll discover what it feels like to keep going when tired and how to replentish calories and liquids. Its not easy to push yourself to 6 hours of motion, but doing so will help you adapt to the 9+ hours at JFK.

You all with do great. There is one rule I allow for myself. In the race (as well as training) I'm allowed to walk at anytime. In fact, I encourage it! Only the really talented can run the entire distance, so I don't even try.

Enjoy your preparations. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

~Lloyd

Week of Oct 14-20

2007-10-20T15:21:00.000-04:00

I'm trying out a new online running log at Running2Win. My personal run log can be found at this link as well as in the sidebar.

Su: 7 miles ez
M: 4 ez (with 4x strides)
Tu: 9 miles, with 3mi at I-pace (6x800m; with 400m recovery jogs) ; Cycle 10
W: 5 ez
Th: 6 ez on trails
F: Cycle 10
Sat: 7 ez (with 6x strides); Cycle 14

Totals:
Run 38
Cycle 34

Since the field filled up this week I'm already registered for next week's Grand Rapids Marathon. I'm doing what I can to maintain my marathon fitness and keep the peak going for three additional weeks. I'm prepping and hoping for one good marathon effort before starting a new training cycle.

Tuesday run with the old track group. The fast group. I'm eyeballing a 5K this weekend and I wanted to push it for a few miles to prepare. I couldn't keep up with the speedy runners in the warm-up (7:15 pace), but I hung for the 800m intervals. A couple of the training groupies are running the 5k, so I'll have friends to chase. The workout:

9 miles total
2.25 mi warm-up and cool-down
6x800m at Interval pace; with 400 recovery jog

800m splits: 3:06/3:00/2:58/2:57/2:55/2:58

At the time, I could tell the legs were still slightly heavy from the marathon, because the intervals did not come as easy as the ones 3 weeks ago. Nonetheless, I'm happy with the workout and my confidence is rebuilding for the next race.

Good luck to runners in this Sunday's Columbus Marathon. It was four years ago at Columbus '03 where I made my return to marathons. Each year since, I returned to Columbus to ride along and spectate on bike. This year is the first year I'll miss. With its fast course and fair sized field, its one of my favorite marathons to race and I hope to return one day.

Its amazing to reflect back and see how the sport of running has brought tremendous joy, friends, and spirit to my life.

The journey continues...

What's next

2007-10-15T23:43:00.000-04:00

I think the disappointment of the Chicago Marathon accelerated the rate of entry to the Grand Rapids Marathon. My preference, when re-running a marathon so quickly, is to sign up the day before the event. Grand Rapids was filling so quickly that I took the plunge. I'm in for another try now less than two weeks away.

I'm going to California for a long Thanksgiving holiday. The Quad Dipsea is high on my list. I'm going to be in and around Northern California and undoubtedly I will make time for a few trail runs.

After that, I'm not sure. Some down time. Rest. At a minimum, survive the winter. Designs on 2008 are quickly coming into view. I've yet to try the Winter Buckeye 50km and this could be the year.

First things first. Twelve days to the race and go from there.

Report: Steamy Steamtown Marathon

2007-10-11T17:28:00.001-04:00

Steamtown Marathon
Scranton, PA
October 7, 2007

Executive summary:
Steamtown was steamy, but nothing like Chicago or Twin Cities. 62F (90% humidity) at the start and 75F at the 3 hour mark.

A well organized mid-size race. Very similar in course and feel to Boston. A countryside point-to-point course with many town residents out to hand out water bottles and cheer from their front yards. The downhill course is scary fast and if not careful the race can get away from you in a hurry. It's easy to see that the Scranton area residents take pride in the event with ample course and crowd support.

Goal one: 3:03
Goal two: 3:08 (PR)
Goal three: To finish with a smile and learn something.

Results: 3:16:27 (135 of 1582 finishers)
1st half: 1:31:40
2nd half: 1:44:47

Training:
After the Mohican 100 in June, I joined my local marathon training group for a 16 week program designed for this race. The plan was an adaptation of a Daniels Marathon Plan A with one quality mid-week workout and a weekend long run. Averaged 49 mpw running and 45 mpw cycling for the 14 weeks leading up the race. An early season time trial set my initial VDOT at 52. I raced infrequently this summer, but the one 10 mile race (6 weeks ago) gave me the confidence to increase my quality training pace to VDOT 54. In the last phase of training, the emphasis was placed on long tempo sessions in the form of “cruise intervals.” Ran the weekly 40-50 minutes of tempo consistently at 6:20-6:25 pace; the easy and long runs at 8:00-8:30.

This season was a bit light on mileage. Yet I stayed healthy and managed to hit all the quality workouts and long runs, each week, through the taper and into the final week. My confidence was high and everything seemed to fall into place this training cycle. I felt ready to run miles in the range of 6:50-7:05 for the race. The downhill course provided an additional mental boost.

The story of my marathon, however, was the fever and cold that crept up on me with less than 72 hours to the race. On Friday, I developed a scratchy throat that turned to a fever on Saturday. I would never shake the cold. I spent Saturday worrying about it, hydrating and eating the best I could. The ailment took me out of my game plan, as I had no appetite on race morning and I failed to have a bowel movement before the race start. Of course, I started the race. I told myself to run 10 miles and see how it goes.

The race:
The Steamtown race experience reminded me of a small version of the Boston marathon with a shuttle to the start and the wait at the high school. We got to the start with plenty of time to use the restroom, stretch, and check-in a bag before the 8am start. My cold and fever took away my pre-race game face and all I was concerned with was hydrating and trying for BM. No luck.

The race started next to the high school in Forest City, PA heading north-to-south towards Scranton. Although the course is generally downhill for the first 16 miles, the most significant elevation loss comes within the first six miles. I started off with my basic marathon plan to go easy in the first two miles similarly to a weekend long run. My idea is if I jog the first two miles that I effectively turn my 26 mile marathon into a 24 mile marathon.

After goodbyes to my buds, I line up in the first third of the field and away we go into the foggy air. I remained optimistic that temps in the 60s would have minimal effect, but the lack of wind took its toll immediately. It took only a mile to become drenched in sweat. Normally, an easy first mile is 7:45-8:00 but Steamtown's initial mile offers 150’ loss by the 3/4 mile and I arrive at easily at M1 (7:10). I still have my reservations about my day but my goal at this point is to just get to mile 5 and go from there.

While I’ve placed high expectations for myself in this race, this is the first time racing the marathon as already qualified for Boston. I felt less pressure than normal and with my condition I briefly entertained the DNF. Why not, I thought? After all, Columbus is two weeks away.

I settle in and hit M2 (7:14) and notice that I’m already drenched. I’m pleased the miles are coming easy, staying a bit above goal pace, and after M3 (7:16) we leave the township and head along a scenic country road. Looking ahead I couldn’t believe my eyes – at least several hundred runners lie ahead. Even though I held back, I expected to be closer to the front. The course sucked in anyone who wanted to run fast. Sheesh. I thought I was going fast!

Well aware that next mile offers the steepest pitch on the course, I loosened-up and was not surprised when I arrive at M4 (6:33). That’s just the beginning. The course continues on a steady decent, losing another 200’ in the next two miles. I take the first S-cap at 30 minutes and arrive at M5 (6:46) exactly at 35:00 flat and perfectly on pace. Not bad, I thought to myself.

In hindsight and with knowledge of the humidity, I should have backed off the goal pace by 5-10 seconds. But not knowing the course I had no clue how it was to unfold so I just went with it M6 (6:52) continuing on and telling myself to now make it to 10 miles and evaluate from there. I was somewhat shocked that I was steadily passing runners up to this point, but it was a steady flow.

M7 (7:06) approaches the township of Carbondale as we cruise along the main thoroughfare which continues on for a good long stretch with some more downhill before arriving at M8 (6:53). To our benefit, the locals seemed to embrace this race as there were many “unofficial” water stops; residents in front of their homes with a table handing out water bottles. On this day I took advantage of all the liquids I could. Chilled water felt like heaven.

Before M9 (6:58 ), I caught up to a woman wearing a bandana around her neck and asked the casual question, “run ultras?” She replied and we struck up a conversation. Hearing she ran Hellgate 100k, I asked her her goal. She said sub-3 but has backed off due to the heat. M10 (6:53) came quickly, passing in 1:09:41 and I was feeling great and thought I could possibly do something on this day. Oh, how easily the competitive mind blocks out negative thoughts. In this case, the hot and humid weather.

Hungry a little sooner than normal, I take the first of three gels at 75 minutes.

Kerry, the speedy ultrarunner from Connecticut, and I traded miles M11 (7:04) and M12 (7:06) before eventually just running and working together. We took turns leading and the random conversation, including her husband's aspiration to do the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, passed the time. The course flattened out through the town of Archbald M13 (7:05) before hitting the half in 1:31:40. Pace was perfect sevens and I couldn’t complain, considering the humid day. Before the race my guess was that this course was 2-3 minutes slower in the second half. My dreams of a PR began to materialize.

I took S-cap number two at 90 minutes and continued the mission for max hydration, taking fluid at each chance. At M14 (7:00) the pace wasn’t slowing, but I felt the heat and the effort rising. I tried to ignore my temperature but each time I poured water on my head I could feel it turn warm right away. Not good.

Right before M15 (6:56) we turn off the road and on to a dirt towpath style trail along a scenic river. Kerry was immediately turned on by the dirt trail and she led the next mile (still downhill) M16 (6:52) as this race was shaping up great for her. She was feeding off the female competition and ready to reel them in. I pleaded for some patience, surprisingly she heeded, yet still our pace easily picked off runners ahead.

Gel number two at 120 minutes.

We continued working together as we left the dirt trail near M17 (6:57). At this point came my “where’s the porto-john” moment and knew I had to stop. No john in sight as I ran on gingerly. Kerry was ready to roll and, looking back and not ready to leave me, I told her to go on (like I had any choice.) I survive the next 5 minutes until entering the park passing M18 (7:11) and finally found a place for the pit stop. During the stop I simultaneously shivered and overheated. Reality hit me and I knew my day was somewhat done. Details being details, 2+ hours of humid, sweaty running and toilet paper don’t go well together. The deed takes a little over two minutes and after the restart I continued to push ahead arriving M19 (9:46) entertaining a good finish but with much less spirit. Arriving M20 (7:36) in 2hrs 23min+, I still had thoughts of a 45 minute final 10km and a possible PR. But in my heart I knew that this was not to be my day. I know what “good” feels like at mile twenty and this wasn’t it.

It helped to have a similar race experience. Athens ’05 was a similarly hot day where I backed off after 18 miles, finishing intact and returning to race three weeks later.

I trudged on, passing the desolate miles M21 (7:43) and took S-cap number three at 2.5 hours into the race. By M22 (7:49) I was no longer passing others and simply holding on to some semblance of a pace. While I was definitely jogging at this point and not running, I did notice a higher than normal amount of walking dead in this race. My guess is one or any of three reasons: 1) heat and humidity, 2) the faster-than-normal pace depleted runners' glycogen stores more quickly, or 3) downhill pounding taking its toll.

My moment came again. The next porto-john could not come soon enough and this time I was in no rush to do my duty. My head was spinning and I just tried to compose myself. I cleaned myself off, laughed, and started walking on. With the chance to break 3:10 slipping away I thought to wait for one of my training buddies and just before [b]M23[/b] (12:28 ), I turn around and see Mark about 100 meters behind. I wave and wait for him until I realize that he's running well and could likely blow on past me. I run on.

We both know that three hills loom in the final three miles of the race. Mark chases me up the first one and catches me with about 2.5 to go. He’s laboring, but still gamely. My fleeting energy returned as I relished the chance to become pacer for a friend. In my head, I’m thinking we can still break 3:20 when Mark utters, “I can still PR.” (Which is 3:15.) I didn’t argue with him and kept pushing.

By this point we’ve arrived in the city of Scranton and crowds became more frequent and louder. The nastiest of the three hills came next, a 100’ ascent to M24 (8:25), which Mark and I ran evenly throughout. I expected worse. The reward was a downhill M25 (7:34) that kick-started our drive to the finish. The final turn comes and the last 3/4 mile is a straight shot to the finish line. One minor hill separated us from the finish line. I drag Mark along to M26 (7:43 + 1:29) and the finish. If not for Mark's presence, I'd likely finished minutes later.

What a run. Mark finished a few seconds behind missed his PR by 1 minute. Kerry finished in 3:04 and 6th overall woman. My training bud Liz missed her PR by only a couple minutes in 3:27. A tough, humid day to run. It's frustrating that we can only imagine and never know our outcome under better conditions.

I gave it a go, but the story of the day was my malady and the weather. I consumed only half of my normal pre-race breakfast, so I imagine that I was not topped off prior to the start. Since I slowed down on my own, I don't exactly know how well my glycogen stores worked. Nutrition-wise, I stuck the plan that has worked for me: to avoid gatorade and consume water only.

Nutrition
Carried: 4 gels, 5 S-caps, a few cough drops
Consumed: 3 gels, 3 S-caps, 1 otter pop, and water only. It’s normal for me to pass on the gatorade.

If marathoning was only about the training and running, we'd all have fabulous race results, every time. Unfortunately, it isn't. Part of the allure of the sport is the unpredictability of the conditions and the on-the-fly decisions that are needed within the race. We’ll never know in advance how the body will react to the stress of marathon pace under the conditions of the day.

I am remiss not to mention that I recently launched a fundraising project for the Fisher House Foundation. Please visit my Firstgiving site to learn more about me and my endeavor to raise funds for an organization that help families of injured servicemen and women. Thanks to all that contributed -- I'm off to a great start toward my goal.

As I write this on Wednesday, I have 30 cycling miles and an easy 5 mile run under my belt since the race. The fever is gone and I feel better. I avoided a complete thrashing of the legs and I imagine that a marathon re-run is on the horizon in the next 3-4 weeks.

I survived

2007-10-08T02:53:00.000-04:00

If marathoning were only about training and running, we'd all have many more great race results. Unfortunately, it isn't. Lots of things we cannot control. Today, aside from the less-than-ideal weather, I dealt with fever and intestinal issues mid-race.

I'll write up a full report, but the story of the day is I started the race with a slight fever and scratchy throat, which I first noticed Friday and got gradualy worse Saturday and Sunday. Race time temp 62F and 90% humidity. 75F at the finish.

The foggy air felt like soup from the opening gun. I told myself that I'd run 5 and see how I feel. With the downhill start, not bad! Mile 5 in 35:00 flat and mile 10 in 1:09:55. At that point I started to think I could do something. I ran steady with another runner between miles 8-17, holding the 7min pace. By 18, I was going back-and-forth between shivering and heat flashes. My body was wacked. The other runner went on to finish 3:05.

I had this heat experience before (Athens '05) and I did today what I did then. I shut it down at 18 and jogged/walked it in. That year, I found another race 3 weeks later.

1:31:40
1:44:47
3:16:27

Not upset, but its still a tough pill to swallow after putting in the miles. I am encouraged that I think my goal, or even sub-3 is in me someday soon.

The cold is now worse, but the legs not entirely thrashed.

Contest: Guess my marathon time

2007-10-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

I recently launched a fundraiser for the Fisher House and I'm kicking it off with a contest for this weekend's Steamtown Marathon.

The Fisher House Foundation helps families of soldiers in need of medical attention by providing lodging and support while the service member is hospitalized. Donating to the Fisher House helps families of military members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.

You can learn more about the Fisher House at their website.

The contest is simple. Guess my marathon time at Steamtown. Closest to my actual chip time wins the prize(s.)

Make a guess in hours, minutes, and seconds (H:MM:SS)

My goal is 3:03, my best ever 3:08, and I wouldn't be surprized to run anywhere between 3:00 and 3:20.

I've gathered a nice pool of prizes (see list below.) Top 3 guesses here win a pick from the prize pool. None of the prizes carry significant value, but you can see for yourself. Its good stuff. (Special thanks to the Vertical Runner store for contributions to the prize pool.)

For information to help with your guess, I've included Part 1 and Part 2 of my marathon race history. Click the links to get started.

The entire purpose of this marathon game is to ask for your support for the Fisher House. The mission of the Fisher House is to help families of injured military personnel. I'm asking you for $2.62. Your guess could possibly be the winning guess. Your donation will go directly to the Fisher House.

Entries are due by Saturday night. The race starts at 8am on Sunday morning. Go to my Firstgiving* page to get started. Make your $2.62 donation and don't forget to give me your guess.

Thank you for your gift.

Sincerely,
Lloyd

(* Note: While Firstgiving is a secure and safe way to donate, they do operate at an minimal overhead cost to the user. If you'd prefer to have a complete 100% of your donation go towards the Fisher House, please Contact me by email to arrange alternate delivery of your kind donation.)

Prize pool:
- Ultimate Direction Handheld water bottle
- ASICS running gloves
- Roadrunner mesh running cap
- Assorted technical running shirts (Style and sizes vary)
- Balega running socks (2 pr. Choice of size)
- Steamtown/Scranton related prize TBD (2 prizes)

Week of Sep 23-29

2007-10-03T00:40:00.000-04:00

Whoa. I'm still behind. Here's last week:

Su: 5.25 E
M: rest
Tu: 8.5 E
W: 5 E
Th: 8, with 3 miles I-pace (4x 1200m; with 3 min recoveries)
F: rest
Sat: 13 E

Intervals: Goal pace 5:50-5:55
1200m splits: 4:31 - 4:22 - 4:24 - 4:23

Totals:
Run 39
Cycle 22

I took it easy in the first part of the week and saved the quality for Thursday. Was 3x1600m planned, but I was joined by a buddy who wasn't up for miles. Opted for 1200s. I hit the target I-pace without too much strain, so I am inspired for my chances next week.

I got a last minute call from the Akron pacer director on Thursday -- my job was to fill in to lead 3:30 pace in the second half of race. I ended up watching the first half of the race on bike, arriving in time to pick up the marathoners near mile 15.

Before my run, I met fellow Coolrunner and Blogger (and speedy) Laura run the third leg (10km) of the relay. I followed her first (fast!) mile before high-tailing it mile 15. Coming off the trail, the last 1km of her leg was uphill but she breezed right up. I think her team was 1st or 2nd place. How cool to meet another coolrunner in real life, especially after following along with her training over the weeks. Count me in the Laura fan club.

One week to go now. I have 30 run miles, and 30 cycling miles planned for the week, with a 4x5min T-pace workout mid-week.

This will be marathon number 18, and the first one I'm truly racing in since May 2005. I PR'd earlier this year (3:08), in the midst of training for the 50 and 100 mile ultras with little marathon-specific speedwork. Its going to be interesting to see the outcome next week at Steamtown. Based on my training, I'm still going to aim for 7:00 pace, or 3:03. I will try to resist the tempation to aim for that sub-3 and leave that for another day.

Stay tuned. I have a fun marathon contest in the works for the race this weekend.

Marathon stats: Part one

2007-09-29T23:29:00.000-04:00

This information below is presented in conjunction with my "Guess my marathon time" contest. Click the link for more information on the contest, including prize info.

To enter for prizes, go to my Firstgiving page and make a donation of at least $2.62. Then make your marathon guess by posting a comment here, or emailing me, your guess in hours, minutes, and seconds: (H:MM:SS)

To enter for plain fun, just post your guess in the comments.

To assist with your guess, see below for some training and racing statistics. If needed, there's a link to a second page of stats. Good luck, and make sure to check out the list of prizes. All it takes is $2.62 to enter the prize pool.

Races:
I'm lightly raced this year, especially on roads. Only two recent races. The 4 mile was on a hot 80F day in direct sunlight. The 10 mile fared better weather: An overcast and drizzly morning that produced a nice result. For kicks, plug the 10 mile time into the McMillian calculator. It boggles my mind as to what it projects for my marathon time. See below for the list of my 2007 races:

8/19 - Perfect 10 Mile (1:03:56) PR

7/21 - Shot in the Dark 4M (25:01)

6/16 - Mohican Trail 100 mile (21:16)

5/6 - Flying Pig Marathon (3:08) PR

4/14 - Bull Run Run 50M (8:17) PR

3/5 - Youngstown Half (1:42)

2006 was a far busier race year.

My marathon goal:
I've been training all summer with the same core group of people from my local running store. After the Mohican race, we jumped right into a 16 week training plan designed for Steamtown. Based on my training paces and the 10 mile race result, I think I have a good shot at a 7 minute pace, or 3:03:40 for the race. Let this be my goal, but I will be happy just not to blow up. Any PR will do. If not cautious, the Steamtown course is known to chew you up and spit you out with aching quads. All before the halfway point.

With all the possibilities, I imagine I could post a result anywhere in the range of 3:00-3:20.

Not enough data to make a guess? Click here for Marathon Stats: Part two.

Entries are due by Saturday night. The race starts at 8am on Sunday morning.

Go to my Firstgiving page to get started. $2.62 gets you into the prize pool. 100% of all donations go directly to the Fisher House.