Stone MIll 50 Miler Race Report

  I hadn't run the 50 mile distance in over a year, nor had I been running back to back long runs like most ultrarunners do.  I paced Harrisburg Marathon last Sunday in 3:04:26 and then ran a 21 miler on Monday and used that as my only back to back long run for training.  Less than a week away was better than never, I assumed.  Last time I had run a similar distance was the Running Wtih Scissors Double Marathon in November 2013 and finished in 9:38, which is just over an 11 minute pace.  No courses are the same of course but I still didn't know what to expect, what kinda shape I was in.  Erin made predictions saying I should be in shape for 8:20, him 9:30 and Heather 12:58(cut-off was 13:00).  It was going to be their first time running that far of a distance and my first 50 mile race.

  I had begun working out again this past fall in an attempt to become a stronger runner and decided that I wanted to attempt my first 100 miler next year.  So, when I was asked to run a 50 miler in Maryland, I quickly agreed.  I didn't have much of a race strategy except to take a day or 2 off before.  I had surprised myself with a 35:10 at the Peace Race last month and also at the Hilloween Half Marathon with a 1:20:04 on an upset stomach, so I knew I was in good shape for shorter distances, but wasn't sure about anything over a marathon.  I had also paced 5 marathons this fall in 3:24, 3:09, and 3(3:04) marathons and felt very good for all of them, but running over twice as long is a whole different ball game as you typically run out of glycogen and begin burning fat cells.

 When I got to Erin's, he made us steak salads for lunch before we drove down.   We arrived at the hotel(which also had packet pick-up) to meet up with Heather and Donnie(her husband was crewing).  We went got to our room, Heather surprised us with an inspirational sign and a mug for both of us :)

  We woke up around 4:30am as the race started at 6am.  I ate 3 bananas and a cup of coffee with some butter and coconut oil inside.  I saw fellow pacer Josh at the starting line as I was trying to think of where to start.  I like to go out a bit slower.  It was still dark out and I ended up starting several rows back running the first 1.5 mile road section with Erin, then the out and back on trail with Erin also.  We were moving at a good pace... around 8:30 pace.  We counted runners on the out and back and I was somewhere around 37-40.

  I just love running somewhere different and on different terrain.  I was trying to figure out a game plan on when I should fuel and make pit stops if needed.  I took my first gu on the 9th mile, so around 1hr 15min.  I ended up taking my 1st bathroom break right around then too.  I kept the pace simple and steady and continued picking off runners little by little.  I ran the first 20 miles with a group of 4-5 others or at least around them as I took a bathroom break every hr or so and stopped at some aid stations and would get passed and then passed them back up later.  I caught the same guys several times, which was kinda fun.

  There was a nice aid station with porta potties on mile 25 and I took advantage of both.  We made a u-turn there and ran on the other side of the canal for 4 miles.  It was completely flat and after a couple miles, the Potamac River ran along the left side of us.   Large boulders were scattered about in that section of the Potamac; which seemed to be almost close enough that you could hop from rock to rock across the river that spanded about 50 yards wide, but if you slipped, you'd sink in over your head.  For those miles I ran 7:58 7:43 7:32 7:56 catching and passing a couple more runners.

  When we went back onto the trail, I slowed the pace down a little, but back to the 8:45-9:15 range for a few more miles.  I was still passing runners and a walker who started early told me that I was in 13th place.  I passed 3 more by mile 39 and moved into top 10.  I was starting to hit the wall at this point as I continued slowing.  A couple more good hills were coming up and I slowed down to just under 10:00 per mile until I hit mile 40, then I was averaging just over 10/mile.  I looked at my watch and it said 40 in 5:44...  I thought, if i slow and keep a 10 minute pace I will finish around 7:44.  After 42 miles, I officially hit "the wall" and ended up walking a good portion of it and mile 43 was 14:18.  A couple runers that I passed a few miles prior had now passed me again.  I did what I could and kept trying to motivate myself.

  The mile 43 aid station was actually mile 42.  My watch said I was early at all of the aid stations for some reason and another runner that I was with had nearly the exact same distance as me which was surprising.  I was happy to see Keith and his wife there aiding me.  I met them at Boston this year as we stayed at the same hostel.  I also saw Allison there too who I haven't seen all year, such a wonderful surprise!  As I was leaving, Keith told me there were only 7 miles to go and his wife said 8 since it's really 51 miles.. I thought maybe since my Garmin was a mile early for each aid station that it would say mile 50 at the finish line and they would think it was mile 51, but that wasn't the case.

   I ran again for about all of mile 44 in 10:32, then miles 45-46 were 13:52 & 13:07 as I ended up walking most of it.  I decided to run the downhills and walk the uphills to save energy.  At this point, I had taken 5 gu's, maybe 3 full bananas and had my waterbottle filled 4 times total and it was never drained completely.  My stomach felt sick and I no longer wanted anything to eat or drink, but once in awhile i'd take a small swig anyways.  Another couple runners passed me as I was walking and one of them told me I had only 5 more to go and I could just walk the rest since I was only bonking.  I ran with one more runner for a few minutes but it didn't last long as I couldn't keep that pace.  Mile 47 was 10:32.

  Now the last 7 miles were suppose to be the same.  They were as i remembered, same trails, bridges, creek crossing, and that long straighaway on road.  I didn't know where the road was but I wanted to be on it more than ever as I knew it was just over a mile when I hit the pavement.  I looked at my watch and realized that i could still run sub 8hrs if i ran the last couple miles faster... so i did..   Mile 48 & 49 were 10:00 & 11:49 as i was still doing a walk/run combo... mile 50 was 8:18 and there were some good uphills on it.  Then I saw the road straight ahead and turned on it.  I tried to keep the pace but the hills were a killer... 3 more rolling hills like hilloween were ahead of me.  I kept the pace easy finishing mile 51 in 9:10 and the last 0.3 miles at 8:35 pace.  My official time was 8 hrs 7 min 13 seconds.  I had beat Erin's prediction of 8:20 and even hit the 50 mile mark just under 7:57.  Erin finished in 10:34 & Heather in 12:08 as she got lost in the dark and ran extra.

  Overall, this race surprised me with how well organized it was.  The aid stations rocked with bananas, chips, soup broths, pb&j sandwiches, grilled cheese, meatmalls, etc.  The post race party was also very good with pastries, both meat and veggie lasagna, several types of pizza, i had the one with broccoli and veggies, yum!  I would definitely add this to next year's race as it was only $40 to register, there's no shirt or finisher's medal but hey, i don't mind a bit!  If i place in the top I'll get something, the way a race should be!

  I was quite please with how well I did on just base miles, solid marathon pacing runs and races. I am hoping to run many more longer runs to improve both my nutrition and running efficiency. I think i'll have to start eating more often also when I do long runs as it should help my stomach learn to digest quicker and easier fuel better.  I'll have to learn what works for me and I am getting excited about 100 miler training :) I plan to run my first 100 miler next year and possibly 3 total, but I will have to see.

Canton City Marathon

  Today, I was the 3:25 pacer in the Canton City Marathon.  Last year was the first year for this event.  I wasn't a pacer for this marathon last year, but was glad to have the opportunity to pace it this year.  I wasn't completely sure what to expect, aside from a very small expo.  I've ran several marathons now with very small race expos, Beaver Island Marathon was probably the smallest and either Rochester or Harrisburg being a close second.

  I am quite happy to be running normally again as 4 weeks ago from today, I had my back injury.  When I first hurt it, one thought that continued to creep into my mind was how long would I have to take off from running and would I lose much fitness.  Luckily, I didn't end up losing much at all, if any, or if I did, it came back quick.

  At the expo, I worked the last shift, from 4pm-6pm and then went to the pacer dinner.  We weren't very busy at the booth I got to meet a couple other pacers and sure enjoyed the new faces along with the delicious meal.  We ended up not having a sponsor for this event, as I assumed we wouldn't since the event is so small.

  One of the things I am always looking forward to is checking out a new marathon, both new for me and new in general.  You never know how well it is going to be organized, if volunteers will be in position along the course, if they will have adequate aid stations, and if the mile markers are in the right spots.  This race totally surprised me!  It was a 2 loop course - 1 loop for the half marathoners and 2 loops for the full marathoners.  There were plenty of volunteers on the course with gatorade and water nearly every other mile.

  The course was well marked and the mile markers didn't seem to be off at all.  There were 2 spots of Gu on the course that you pass 2 times each, and at the finish line, there was chocolate milk, water and beer.  I think the only post-race food was bananas, apples and cookies but still better than others I've been to.

  This was one extremely underrated marathon, it had a very wonderful downhill finish that every marathoner enjoys.  A gentle downhill lasting over a half mile right down to the finish line.  The announcer was annoucing every runner approaching the finish line making it that more awesome!  There were 218 10k finishers, 268 half marathon finishers and 119 full marathon finishers.  All the events started together.

  I only had about 6-8 runners in the group and only one was running the full, the rest were running the half.  Each of the half marathoners ran ahead at different times, leaving the group but one fell behind a little.  I was happy to see her catch up and fly right past on the downhill towards the finish.  Since my goal was a 3:24:30 and I was right on pace, she was doing quite well.  The marathoner with me, ran ahead at mile 20, up one of the few hills in the race.  So, i had the last 10k or so do run alone but stay on pace still.  It wasn't all too hard to do but I found myself running a few seconds per mile faster a few times and slowed down a bit.  I ended up with a 3:24:38.  The last time I paced the 3:25 group was at Palm Beaches Marathon '12.  It's such a relaxing pace for me as I generally pace 3:05-3:15.
 
  After the race, I hung out with ther other pacers(Jessica and Lori) as we ran a 1.5 mile cool down, then i went to the room to shower.  I checked out and went back to the finish line to meet the others and we hung out for a bit and then went out for lunch.  Jessica, the 3:15 pacer, ended up finishing 1st overall female and I ended up placing 3rd in my age group.  As as pacer, we joked about her winning overall female since the race was so small but didn't think it would really happen.  So, if i don't run the Hallucination 100 miler next year, I will probably pace Canton City Marathon again.  I've decided to run a 100 miler next year, maybe more...

Hot Monkey Hills Marathon

   Yesterday, my back was hurting slightly, on and off.  I did the stretches my PT gave me before mowing a couple lawns and it started feeling better.  I spoke with Jim Harris, on the phone, over the weekend, and told him that I was planning the Hot Monkey Hills Marathon this Tuesday.  Ideally, I wanted to run it over the weekend, but as of Sunday, the forecast was predicting a high of 79 on Saturday and 77 on Sunday.

   The next 2 weekends after I have the Canton Marathon and YUTC 50k scheduled and then 1 weekend free with 2 more marathons the following 2 weekends.  With such a cool summer we've been having, I decided that I better jump on this soon before it's too late.  As of Saturday, the high was suppose to be 84 and then by Sundayday, the high moved up to 88 F so this was my chance.

   After some lawn mowing, I was getting hyped up about going home and getting ready for the Hot MHM.  I had bought some grapes and strawberries earlier and had watermelon in the fridge, along with 3 ripe pineapples.  I had also put about 10 bottles of water in the freezer and washed a couple small coolers for my aid.  Before going home, I had one last stop to make, the monkey trail.  A large tree had fallen down on the course earlier in the year and branches were all over the place and it was a mess.  So, i brought out my saw and cut about 10 branches off the fallen tree so that only 2 logs were left to step over, without hitting your head.

                       After cutting lots of braches away.. I wish I had taken a before pic too.
                                               
  Now, i was ready.  I prepared my food which consisted of 2 large containers of sliced fruit, a bag of chips - that i never ended up opening, a box of Ritz crackers, and a bag of mixed energy gels.  In the morning, I packed my coolers and headed out.  It was just beginning to get light out around 6:45 when I began so no head lamp was needed.

                                The fruit that I had cut for the MHM - only the sliced fruit was
                                  eaten during the run.  The bananas weren't even touched.
                                         

   Right away, there were plenty of deer out there and I kept running close to them the first several laps.  One of them, looked like he had a fresh rack as it appeared soft and fuzzy looking.  I almost ran into him again later as I was going up towards the love log, coming from the aid station.  He was only a couple feet away as he just walked towards the gorge when I came up quickly.  I might've been able to reach out and touch the deer if I didn't hop over the log - I was that close, and I sure which I had my camera!

  I was wondering if anyone would come out to keep me company besides the deer, which I didn't mind cause they were fun and kept walking in the trail and staring at me.  I was also trying to remember how fast I ran them before and was thinking 18 minutes a lap was about right.  I hit the first lap in 15:50 and the second in 14:10, then the next 2 in 14:55 and 14:10 and realized it took me about 59 minutes to run 4 laps, which was just under 15 minutes per lap.  This was very easy to calculate since I started at 6:45 and every 15 minutes, I would know where I was at.  I did the math and realized for 29 laps, that 15 minutes per lap was 7 hours and 15 minutes on the nose.  My best time was an 8:15 from my first MHM.  I had only run the MHM in December so the weather conditions were much cooler but also icy or muddy like 2013.  I knew I had a chance to break my best time and by a lot if I kept it up, and from that point, I made 7:15 my goal.

   After about 8-9 laps, Cory McCuster came out for a few laps.  He was trying to talk me into running Hallucination with him in a couple weeks, but it is the same weekend as Canton, so I would have to find a replacement pacer if I decide to go.  I thought that I would slow down quite a bit with Cory, but he ran the first 2 laps with me at about the same pace I was running before he arrived.  He then said that he was planning to walk the next one since he was tapering.  We then grew farther apart as I continued with my pace.  I decided that I wanted to catch Cory and began running harder.  I ran a 15:15, 14:15 and then an 11:30 to catch him.  We ran his last loop together in 14:55 and then he went on to run a couple more miles on flat trails since his 100 miler was much flatter.  I thanked him for coming out and continued on, knowing I was halfway done and still felt fresh,

   At this point, lap 16, I had lots of watermelon and pineapple, 2 energy gels and then 1 bottle of water. I was carrying a bottle the whole time as I brought 6 cold bottles and 4-5 frozen bottles. As it began getting warmer, I consumed more and more water and began diggining into the strawberries and grapes.  By mile 22, I had used the flush bathroom and had consumed about half of the other fruit container with grapes and strawberries.

   I felt like I hit some sorta wall too around lap 20.  I was writing down the time of day for each lap, so I knew about how long each one was taking but then my 5 minute cushion for breaking 17:15 dropped to 2 minutes, and then went over...  I ran up 2 of the hills that I normally walk, and dropped my lap time to 14:10 and then ran one of them dropping to 14:55.  It seemed so tough.   On lap 25, I hit the bathroom again, this time splashing water on my face and soaking my hat with water.  I had walked more and more finishing the lap in almost 19:00 and thinking to myself, "I have 4 loops left, if I hit them all in 20 minutes, then I will be close to running 7hrs 35min.  Still a good time, but far from the original goal.

   With 4 laps to go, I kept making myself run when I found myself walking... lap 26, I carried a bag sleeve of Ritz crackers, first time having something besides fruit or a gel, I ate them as I walked through the grass towards the trail, then ran the trail down to the road and ate them as I climed the first hill up.  It was just over 17 minutes... I didn't think I was going to be able to pull that one off again though, with the way I was feeling.  Lap 27 came and it sure seemed slow, but I hit it just under 16 minutes.  Two laps to go, I told myself.  I started off normal going to the road and decided to take one last energy gel in hopes that I would feel better, if not that lap then the last lap.

   By the time I hit the aid station, I was 4.5 minutes into the run, about normal and then kept on going, kept thinking that after this one I would only have 1 more left.  I began running normal again and realized that I was over halfway done and I could run under 7:25.  Then realized I could be under 7:20 if i ran 15 the last 2 laps.  That was and encouraging thought, my adrenaline kicked in and I began running faster finishing that lap in 14:25.

   One to go!  I decided to drink the rest of my water bottle and toss it in the aid station and run the entire last lap.  I ran down to the road and began running up the hill... The first hill is the steepest of them all and I slowed down to a walk for a brief second then began running it easy.  I kept hitting all the hills and even the love log hill on the way back... I knew that I was making good time and would be  closer to 7:15 that I thought.  I ran up the last hill hard and finished at 2:01:32.  I didn't know exactly what time I started and when I looked back it was 6:45:40, so that gave me a finishing time of 7:15:52.

   I smashed my personal record of 8:15 by an hour and was really happy that I somehow still hit my goal when the heat began getting to me.  I knew that I was close to the course record.  Heath Harris ran it last year somwhere about 7 hours but wasn't sure what.  I now realize that even when it feels super hot and much, much tougher, that I might not be going as slow as I think.  I thought for sure I would be hitting 20 minute laps as the night before, I looked at the splits for 2013 MHM and had 5 laps near the end averaging over 21 minutes per lap, and that was in the cold!  Well, more like mud!  Last year it took me 9:18:50 in all the mud we had.

                                               About 20 feet from a couple deer as I was
                                                      walking around after the MHM.

  Believe it or not, this is one of my favorite events to run all year even though it is self-timed and isn't legit.  It's still super tough, metally makes me a stronger runner and is somehow fun before I feel like quitting lol.  Also fun when I hit the last lap. I think all 3 years now my fastest lap was the very last one, which means that it's a mental game for me and I have more in the tank then I realize.  If I can run 28 laps climbing over 12,500 feet and then run the last one faster than any of the others, I am strong, mentally and should be able to run a 100 miler well.

  Below are the lap times:

1  -  15:50     11 - 14:55     21 - 16:20
2  -  14:10     12 - 15:10     22 - 16:15
3  -  14:55     13 - 15:15     23 - 14:10
4  -  14:10     14 - 14:15     24 - 14:55
5  -  13:50     15 - 11:30     25 - 18:50
6  -  14:50     16 - 14:55     26 - 17:15
7  -  14:20     17 - 15:50     27 - 15:55
8  -  14:35     18 - 14:15     28 - 14:25
9  -  15:05     19 - 15:30     29 - 10:42
10 - 15:45     20 - 16:00


  I now have strong plans of running my first 100 miler next year, probably in San Diego.  I know I have yet to run over 10 hours and need more experience in that area.  I would like to experiment with shoes and nutrition in the next several months.  Maybe a couple times this year but for sure next year after I register for one of them.

      These are the shorts that i wore today as they had plenty of pockets, and those were the gels I used:
        Banana-Peach Boom!  Honey Stinger and a Vanilla Bean Gu.  The Gu was still the best tasting.


  Before I end this report, I have a couple more things to add:  I drove down to the silver bridge and walked to the water hole to soak my legs in.  I have never taken an ice bath but this was probably close enough as was sooo cold but felt so refreshing!  I stayed in for about 15 minutes and then sat on a log calculating the lap times that I just ran.  When I got back to the car, I walked up to the road and sat on the wooden guardrail in the sun.  After about 10 minutes, I saw some runners in the corner of my eye running through the parking lot and into the grass field through the flats.  I quickly realized that they were the Klims, so I ran down the hill with my cooler, tossed it in the car and began running after them.

  Yes, after soaking the legs and walking back to the car the legs weren't sore and felt great... so why not run some more fun trails with some of my favorite runners :)  I caught up to them on the wooden platforms and we ran trails past the wetlands and then to the lily pond.  I ran about 6-6.25 more miles in about an 8:00 pace, i think.  I didn't have my watch on, since I decided to run spontaneously.  I was going to stop at the car when we ran past the silver bridge but they talked me into running to the Lily Pond with them for some gatorade.  Then they drove me back to my car, but I saw Mike Pappas's SUV by the water hole so they dropped me off there.  Sure enough, he was there wading in the water.  I jumped in again and again it felt so good.  I was covered in sweat after the run with the Klims as it was hot and sunny out and about 85 degrees at 4:00 when i saw them.

This is a groundwater run-off into the park.  Its the only water that i've found to be clean in the park.

Soaking the legs felt so wonderful after a hot day of running

  Mike drove me back to the car and we began eating the rest of the watermelon and pineapple slices.  He went and layed on the picnic table in the sun and I found a frisbee.  We tossed it for about 15 minutes then 2 other guys began tossing on also.  I layed down on the table and Mike played frisbee with them for awhile.  Then, I called it a day.  Great way to end a fun day of running... 32-33 miles of running and I am barely sore.  I'll see how that changes tomorrow.

Star Trax 5k

  So, last week i finished 4 straight weeks of 125+ mileage and it seems to be helping.  I ran my first sub 17:00 5k this year on a long course... so in reality, it was only a second or 2 off my pr pace so i was extremely happy with that one.  My current pr is 16:31 for a 3.11 mile course 2 years ago which is a 5:18 pace and Star Trax is always long... 3.17 is what i had which is a 5:20 pace.

  It was least expected as i wasn't even sure if i was gonna race it when my stomach wasn't feeling well and i couldn't hang with Scott or Todd for the warm-up.  I worked a few hours early on an extension ladder cleaning out gutters and I was fed a lunch of 2 turkey burgers afterwards with a could small side dishes.  I think it was something that I ate which caused the sick feeling.  I bet it was still digesting.  Whatever the case, I warmed up slow by myself about a 9 mile pace for the last mile as I still wasn't feeling good.

  There were hundreds of people inside the stadium on the track and music was playing and the announcer was calling runners to the start.  We started with a 2/3 a loop on the track, run through a couple neighborhoods and through a park then back into the stadium, past the time clock and then a full loop on the track to finish.  I greeted other runners and friends at the starting line as I was worried about my stomach and praying for the best.  I decided that I would stay focused on the runners ahead and only run what I felt i could without getting sick.  It was a night race so i couldn't read my watch and didn't even bother looking at it.  Just wanted to stay behind Doug and keep him in sight.

  After 2 miles I passed Doug, then I passed Ryan and a couple others only the downhill before entering the track.  I told myself that if the clock read sub 15:35 when I ran past it that I had a chance of breaking 17:00 cause I knew I was running fast and was picking off runners one by one the entire race. The clock read low 15s when I entered the stadium.  Not sure exactly what when I passed it but about 15:40 i think.  I just ran hard for the last lap as a runner passed me and then he passed another guy and they ran away from me.  I didn't want anyone else to pass me so I just ran hard to the finish.

  My splits were 5:24 5:25 5:18 then 5:00 for the last 0.17 miles.  It was fun running hard like that but took a lot of determination.  Hope to push myself again like that in the next 3 weeks as I have 3 more 5ks to attempt sub 17:00 again.

Oh How I Missed The Trail Runs!

  I've been taking it down a notch the past month or so, ever since the Cleveland Marathon, with fewer than 50 miles per week.  That seems like so little for me.  I am looking at my stats now and since Cleveland I've ran 21.7, 20.55, 41.1 & 43.4 miles each week.  Runs have been faster than normal though.

  On Saturday morning, I walked right into a 5 gallon metal paint container and my shin really swelled up.  What was I thinking??!!  I was in a hurry looking up near the ceiling as I walked around the corner with a paintbrush in my hand.  I am not normally clumsy and get upset when I make a stupid mistake.  Especially when I get a small injury.  At least that's the biggest worry I have at the moment; so many others have far worse problems than that.  I took Saturday and Sunday both off.

  I hit the trails yesterday and it began to hurt just after a mile... I wasn't happy but i slowed down and then the pain went away.  I forgot about it, actually, and just enjoyed all the green plants and the sloppy, wet trails after the huge storm we had.  Lots of trees down and water run-offs.  Made for a very cool run :)

  I went on another trail run today hitting 11 miles.  I just loved it!  I ran past the wetlands to the Mill, past the flats where some kids were having their belongings searched by the police... They had cones up and usually play ultimate frisbee there and I was actually thinking of joining them in the next couple weeks but if they get kicked out of the park, that would narrow my chances down quite a but :(

  I went on to run out to Glacier then to the baseball fields at rocky ridge, hitting the rock drinking fountain and turning back.  Everything was so green and it wasn't as hot as I thought it was gonna be.  That fountain is ranked #2 in the park, just under the rock fountain at Lake Newport, according to me lol.  The water is so cold and just tastes like heaven on a hot run.  I sure missed the trails and thought about different trail runs I could do this fall.

  One of them was the YUTC - Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic.  It's a 50k right here in Mill Creek park and hits the park's toughest trails - the monkey trails, monkey trail extensions and the trails on the west side of Lake Glacier.  You actually run around all 3 lakes at least twice.  I am really pumped about  the 5ks and other short distance races coming up this summer.  I can't wait to begin track workouts either - just need to be sure my shin is healed up.

  After tonight's run, I treated myself to a strawberry-banana smoothie and then a large salad.  Both were totally delicious :)  Especially the smoothie though, it contained a handful of strawberries, 6 bananas, half of a cucumber and then ice and water.    The salad has several different leafy greens in it - not exactualy sure of them all, cucumber, roma tomatoes, bell pepper and olives :p   Soooo yummy!  Can't wait for the trails tomorrow morning!!!  :)

This smoothie was actually bigger but I drank like 1/4

of it and decided to take a pic so i added 2 more bananas

and some more strawberries lol.  It filled me up!

Had to wait a good hour to eat this as I was already

filled up from the delicious smoothie!

Cleveland Marathon Experience!

  I'm not completely sure where to even begin.  This whole weekend was simply amazing.  I suppose it started out with Tim and I riding up to the marathon expo with Jay.  The expo improved a bunch since last year but we arrived late in the afternoon and only got to stay about an hour.  It started out with seeing the ever so famous Bill Rodgers.. He's da man!  What a great guy!  He is a 4 time Boston winner with a 2:12, 2:10 and (2)2:09s and many other great races.

  Next I picked up my race gear.  The shirts were really nice this year, and 2 companies sponsored the pace team.  Boom and Sure Sport were both sponsors of our pace team this year.  So, i was looking forward to trying the Boom energy gel and wear my new calf sleeves.  They seemed more comfortable than ones I have worn previously.

Trying out the Sure Sport compression socks.. so comfy!

  I was the 3 hour pacer and I was nervous the week leading up to the race as I have never paced that fast before.  I've paced 3:05 before as my fastest but it's been a few months.  I gained a lot of confidence and the nerves went away when I got to the pasta dinner.  I talked to many pacers and elites at the dinner.  It was such a nice dinner with pasta, salads and deserts.  The runner's atmosphere is so enjoyable and relaxing as everyone has their own personal goals and wants to achieve something great.  For me, it was pacing a 3:00 marathon the next morning.

Boom!!!

  At the dinner, I ended up getting the contacts of a couple elites who may very well run in the Peace Race this year.  A couple months ago, I ended up signing up as the  chair of the elite committee due to the fact that the ones who coordinated the elites last year are no longer on the board.  I love a competative race and would hate to see the winning times drop so I signed up.  I've been on the Peace Race board for 3-4 years now and took the position as the secretary my 2nd year on the board.  I didn't realize how involved it was to plan a race, especially one that has 3 races, kids race, 2 mile and 10k where they bus the runners to the start of the 10k. Everyone on the board is a volunteer and the board donates about as much to local charities as is in the pot for prize money.  I joined the board because it was my favorite race in the area and a couple of my running friends were already on it.  The website is www.peacerace.org. We are looking to launch the new website soon.

  Back to Cleveland.. it was about a mile walk from the hotel to the pasta dinner which was only a couple blocks shy of the starting line.  The  baseball stadium was only a couple blocks from the hotel and there was a great view just outside the elevators outside my hotel room.  So, we walked passed the stadium going to and from the dinner and the race.

  Last year was my first year pacing for Cleveland and each year, the pace coordinator, Kara, has a milk-n-cookies party the night before.  It's a good way for the pacers to get to know one another and talk about our experiences.  That was at 8:30, about the time we got back from the pasta dinner.  I was down there talking to Dave after and it was already 10:30 before i went back up to the room.  We heard booms from our room and I immediately thought they sounded like fireworks and sure enough they were.  The firework show lasted 10-15 minutes after the Indians game and I walked the whole thing from the windeows outside the elevators.

Fireworks over the Indians baseball stadium

Race morning:
  The pace group met in the lobby at 5:45 as the race started at 7:00 and we walked to the starting line as a group.  We took a group photo in front of the start which I have not seen yet :(  Anyways, there was another 3:00 pacer with me but he wanted to only do the second half as you never know what to expect at the end of a marathon at such a fast pace.  I was quite impressed with the group and the amount of people trying to break 3:00 with me.  There must've been 30 in the group with only a handful of half marthoners.  I took a bathroom break at mile 8 and ended up running a 5:50 pace to catch back up.. I was in there for 50 seconds.  Luckily, this lady held the sign for me as she was an elite herself using Cleveland as a recovery run from her 2:42 in Boston.  You never know who you will me out there!

                                                          I'm in the orange shirt and orange compression socks. You  

can barely see my sign but can see the huge group i had!

  I decided to try the boom, which is an energy gel.  Gu and Hammer were the only ones i've really cared for previously but Boom was really good.  It's made of complex sugars like Hammer and has a very similar taste and texture.  I took one along the course around mile 15 and i felt fine the rest of the race.  I took both water and poweraid on the course and tried not to take too much the first half so I wouldn't have to pee a second time.  Luckily, the other pacer, Mike Ryan, was there and i didn't have to go until mile 19 or so.  I was in there just over a minute this time and ran a 6:15 mile to catch up and then still ran behind them for the next mile talking to another guy and cheering on people going the other direction.  Pacing is so much fun, it seems the more I cheer on other runners, the more others cheer back and people around me start feeding off that energy.

  There were stil 4-5 in the pace group after 20 miles and i remember 3 running the last 3 miles with us.  There was nearly zero crowd support on those last 3-4 miles running down 3 lanes of freeway with walkers on the other side of the concrete dividing wall.  Some people sat on the wall and were cheering, others were standing at various spots and also cheering.  It was so much fun, the girl I was running with, had a previous pr of 3:13 and was trying to break 3:00.  She said she was going to the Lady Gaga concert later that night and I asked her what her favorite song was and began singing the chorus to "Applause".   We finished and my final time was 2:59:23 and hers was 2:59:27.  2 others came in a few seconds later then they rolled in 1 by one with about 10 breaking the 3:00 mark with me.  It was such a great experience and I was full of joy seeing so many runners accomplish something so big.

                                                Not the best pic but showing off my medal and shirt

Boston Marathon Weekend

  Anyone who has run the Boston Marathon knows how inspiring the city is. I traveled there with Kristen. Kevin picked us up from the airport. They were staying at the other side of town as me. I was staying about a mile from the finish line. The hostel on friend street was cheap, about $49/night and loaded with runners. There were 6 of us in the room. One guy from Hungary, 2 from Mexico, 1 from Chicago and the other from Colorado; all were running the marathon.

  First stop was the marathon expo.. Igot to see Ryan Hall and almost meet him but his wife, Sara, was running in the 1 mile and he had to scram if he wanted to see her. The last 5 of us in line got a wave and a signed poster. The line for Kara Goucher and Lauren Fleshman was about 2 hrs long, so I just got a picture of them.
       
 

                               Ryan Hall                                                       Lauren Fleshman & Kara Goucher

  After the expo, we went to the samuel adams brewery where we got a tour, free samples, and then a boston beer glass.  Most runners I know love free beer :)  I went to the expo each day and spent less and less time each time I went.  On Saturday evening, I met Amanda from DC, who I was suppose to pace.  She was really nice and ready for her first Boston.

                                                                           At the Samuel Adam's booth at the expo

  
  Easter Sunday was lots of fun as Scott drove me and Jacob to Hopkinton taking the course backwards.  We stopped at the Heartbreak Hill Running Store on the way.  Just seeing all the road blocks and baricades along the course was motivating.  When we got to John's, they began making dinner for us and what a dinner it turned out to be!  Pasta, salad, salmon, fresh bread, runners couldn't ask for much more. 

   It was so nice to sleep in, waking up around 7am and heading to athletes villiage with Kevin, Scott and Jacob. We got to see the whole villiage, kevin loved it. We left with bananas, coffee and powerbars. We got back to the house in time to get ready and watch the elite females start.

                                                  Got a shot of our bibs before the others woke up

  I walked with Kevin, Scott, Jacob and Jaclyn to the start and wished them luck, they started at 10:00 with wave 1. Then, I ran to athletes villiage for Amanda and her friends to bring them back to the house for some last minute potty breaks. Then, we headed out as we were in wave 3, starting at 11:25.

   Quick recap: crowd support was exceptionally well this year. Couldn't even hear the screaming girls from welsley college as the crowd along the streets overpowered them. Amanda was having fun all along the course until she began complaining about her calves tightening up. This was before heart break hill. We weree on pace for 3:35 up until mile 21, when we began slowing the pace. She stopped and walked a few times and I stayed right with her motivating her to keep going. It was onlyh her second marathon and she kept talking about walking off the course cause she hurt so bad and was so miserable and didn't wanna be miserable for another hour or 2.

                                                         Boston bling with shirt, medal, poster and glass from brewery

  
  We finally made it to the end finishing in 3:47.. not what she wanted, not a boston qualifier but still finished and got her medal. She told me a couple times that if I wasn't there that she would've walked off. I walked her back to her hotel and we saw her 2 friends across the street and walked together. When we walked inside, there were employees forming an isle and began clapping as we walked past and offered us towels and had fruit baskets behind them. It was super nice. Then I had to leave and meet up with mary beth and her cousin to get my stuff. The t was free for marathoners that day so I met them elsewhere then headed back to the hostel.  The one guy from chicago ran a 2:50 and one of the mexicans around 3:12. The others also broke 4:00. That night, I met todd who ran a 2:58 and his mom at a local restaurant off boylston. Another great experience at boston.. just love that city!

                                                  I did a little touring the next morning

Last week of Boston Training

Well,

   This whole Boston Training didn't go as planned.  I was hoping to really train well and race a good Boston this time around but unfortunately, a couple injuries caused me to adjust my training and neglect some serious runs.

  On Monday, my achillies began hurting and it didn't go away for good :(  I only reduced my mileage considerably and even took a couple days off.  It hurt during my run and afterwards when I walked around.  This was a terrible feeling.  Boston is less than a week away and it's painful to walk... I need to get this healed up and quick.  Not just for Boston, but the next 5 weeks after Boston I am pacing 5 marathons, and they won't all be slow marathons either!  I decided to drop my goal from breaking 3:00 to 3:05.  After a few days off with the shin splints and the minor foot injury, I wasn't in shape for sub 2:50 any longer and now with a hurting achillies, backing off more seemed like a swell idea.

  So, Tuesday i took completely off and the pain went away.  No pain at all when I walked :)  The day before it hurt even more to walk down steps, up steps the my achillies in my left leg felt normal, going down steps - OUCH!  So, i decided to run on wednesday.. it hurt on and off on the morning run, then i was pain free in the evening run at second sole :)  I was so happy with it!!!  I thought maybe sub 3:00 was still possible but see how the rest of the week pans out.

  Also, on Wednesday - the vindicator interviewed a bunch of us that were going to Boston this year.  They took a group picture of us afterwards.  Asked us several questions, about Boston, about the impact it had on us and our thoughts.

                                   From Left to Right:  Jaclyn Disibio, Me, Amy Pagac, Tammy
                                    McFarland, Jane Timmons, Vinny Marino & Kevin Guthrie

   Wednesday ended well, then Thursday morning I decided to run with Jen... but after a couple miles, my achillies began hurting again.  I was worried about it because it didn't come and go, it came and stayed. It hurt less when i ran with my toes pointed up, landing more on the heel than forefoot.  That doesn't make much sense as my achillies is stretched in that position, but maybe since I am not using it like a rubber band as much and just keeping it stretched.  Either way, I tried to run more comfortably sometimes; it didn't hurt to run a different way but i didn't want to run for a long period in a form im not used to and create a whole new injury that doesn't yet exist... That's the last thing i need.

   I reevaluted my condition and the Boston Marathon and backed my goal time down to 3:10 or maybe 3:15.  I still wanna run hard but be able to pace marathons the next 5 weeks.  A couple hours later the phone rang and it was a call asking if I could pace someone at Boston who wanted to run a 3:35.  I told him there was a good chance and I would call back the next day.  The more I thought about it, the better it sounded.  Maybe slowing way down and just pacing someone would be better.  Last thing I need to do is try racing a slow time and hurting myself more.  I could slow down, help someone else finish well and have a good time in Boston, and help my achillies heal up.

   I didn't run again on Thursday and it hurt even more to walk down steps and walk around.. Friday came and it still hurt to walk sometimes... Mostly down steps and now I was scared.  Time to start praying and figure this whole thing out.  I gave my achillies minor massage on the airplane, googled achillies probablems again and mainly just rested and prayed for it.

  Saturday morning I went to go watch the BAA 5k.  It was soooo fun!  I met Kristen and Kevin along the course so we could watch them pass a couple times.  Around the half mile mark and then again around mile 2.9.  It was incredible how fast they were going the second time we saw them.  The leaders were just gliding down the hill, so smooth and quick.  I took a couple shots of them and hoped for the best.

                                          The leaders of the BAA 5k.  The winner ran a 13:31
                                           setting a new course record by 6-7 seconds!

  I got inspired to run, so when i walked back to the hostel, I changed and headed out for a short run.  I was only going to do 2-3 miles but on my way back, right before I crossed the street, i ran a block with a girl and then ran a couple additional miles with her... We chatted and I found out she was an ultra-marathoner running Boston backwards to Hopkington then running the race with her husband for his first boston.  She was incredibly nice and gave me a big hug when I said I needed to turn around.  I ended up with 5 miles.. oh well :)  I enjoyed myself and the achillies only hurt a little.  Later, I ran to the expo to meet Kristen and Kevin.  Still hurt some :(

Boston Training week 7 of 7:

M - 9.55 mi @ 8:18/mi 

T - OFF

W - 8.32 mi @8:34/mi

     - 4.63 mi @ 7:16/mi

T - 10.2 mi @ 9:56/mi

F -  OFF

S - 5 mi @ 8:35/mi

      1.8 mi @ 8:36/mi

S - 3.25 mi @ 8:07/mi

Total =42.8 mi @ 8:32/mi running

Boston Training Week 6

   Another good week for me as I ran high mileage again and felt mostly good throughout the week.  Shin was pain free and so was the foot.  One trail run I ended up rolling my ankle a couple times and went back on the roads... we weren't even going that fast either.  I havent been eating as good either... end of the week i splurged on a couple 1.5 quarts of icecream... blah!  Need to stay away from that junk!  No salads at all this week either.. shame shame shame.  Still had smoothies though but not as many as normal.   Hope things go well my last week.  

   I think i'm gonna back my goal down to 3:05 or 3:10 as Im not in race shape right now and faster runs seem tough.  I don't want any injuries coming back either... Not fun surprises.  Need to work on eating better next week too.

Boston Training week 6 of 7:

M - 9.1 mi @ 8:10/mi 

        0.5 mi @ 7:14/mi
T - 8.04 mi @ 9:21/mi

       9.07 mi @ 9:24/mi

W - 18 mi @ 7:56/miT - 6.52 mi @ 7:08/mi

       5.5 mi @ 7:20/mi

F - 8.04 mi @ 9:21/mi

      6.6 mi @ 9:06/mi
S - 10.5 mi @ 8:00/mi

      8.25 mi @ 9:12/miS - 11.21 mi @ 8:07/mi

Total = 107.8 mi @ 8:18/mi running

Boston Training Week 5

   On Sunday I came down with shin splints so I decided to do some cross training the next couple of days and see how the shins feel each day.  I did a 30 mile bike ride Sunday afternoon and a 50 mile bike ride on Monday.  Shins didn't hurt a bit Monday night but I figured I would take a couple more days off just to be safe.  The weather was super nice, with lots of sun and in the 60s, so I biked to work and then added on after work and even bike with Kevin a good 20-25 miles one day after work.  I love bike riding and I miss it sometimes.  Just not as easy to do and I don't feel very safe biking in the winter up here. 

   Anyways, I biked Sunday through Thursday then took Friday completely off.  First run on Saturday was a 22 miler with Kevin, Jaclyn, McNinch and Kayla.  Kevin kept taking off on the down hills and then we hit the high side hard with a 6:52 and 6:37 mile in there.  We did lots of hills, some extra which made the legs sore for a first run after 5 days off, but glad I did it.  Last 2 miles were 6:48 and 6:27 going to ORE with Kevin then back to the parking lot alone.  I only averaged a 7:27 pace, but with some faster miles and extra hills in there it seemed like a fast marathon.  My legs were sore the rest of the day alone with Sunday, Monday and even Tuesday.  I ran again on Sunday a total of 18 miles but much slower with mostly trails.  Much easier than the day before but legs were sore the entire run. 

   Diet hasn't been extremely good this week :(  Been craving sweet cereal and icecream.  Bought less than I used to when I had cravings so at least I'm stepping in the right direction.  :)  Bananas have been high on the list and red grapes went on sale for 99cents/lb so I bought a few bags of them and also pineapples were 99 cents so I bought 5 of them too.  Pineapples won't be ripe for a week or so, cats always love to play with the tops haahaha.  I need to get an s/d card for my phone so I can take pics again.  My kitchen counter is full of fruit :P

Boston Training week 5of 7:

M - bike - 30 miles
T - bike - 50 miles
W - bike - 30 miles
T - bike - 13 miles
F -OFF
S - 22 mi @ 7:27/mi
S - 11.1 mi @ 10:09/mi
   - 7 mi @ 9:17/mi
Total = 40 mi @ 8:31/mi running, 123 miles biking