9th Annual Larry Cox Turkey Trot Recap

I love running Thanksgiving Day races; it has become one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions. The first one I ever ran was back when I was in seminary and I ran the Nicholasville Turkey Trot a couple of times. Once I ran a small race near my parents' house in Kentucky, and I've also run the Columbus/Upper Arlington four milers. Two years ago, I won the inaugural MVRB Turkey Trot, a race my friend put on to race money and food for a local (Mt. Vernon) food bank. So this year I was looking for a race and found out that the Larry Cox Turkey Trot would be held in Chillicothe, a race to benefit the Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers and in memory of fallen officer, Larry Cox, an avid runner who was shot and killed while off duty in 2005.

Looking online, I could only find records of the first five finishers - which should have told me something... I also found a blogger who has run this race every year (including running it in an amazing time of 14:55). I decided I would run. Then I found out that a friend from town was going to be running, so I begged a ride from him. He said, "It's going to be cold" to which I replied, "Yep, no PRs this time."

On race morning, it was indeed cold. Jason's truck thermometer said it was 13*. Thirteen. I dressed for it: tights with warm up pants, warm long sleeve tech shirt (from Erie Marathon - we were laughing because I wore a marathon shirt to a 5k... but Jason wore a shirt from the Toughest Mudder 50k... and we met a guy at the start line in his Burning River 100 miler shirt), vest, jacket, hat, and mittens. I got signed up and it was frigid out there. My feet (in Asics Piranha racing flats) were numb when I started my warm up run. Sign up was kind of crazy - there were tons of people. They were sending the "pay in cash" over to the "pre-registered" table, so I went that way. I couldn't get my pen to work - too cold - so I filled everything out in pencil. When I found out that I would have to pick up my t-shirt later at some other location that I didn't know where, I decided I really didn't need a t-shirt. (race only was $15, with a t-shirt it was $24, and with a hoodie it was $35 - I just donated the extra I'd paid).

I ran for a while to warm up, then got back in the warm truck, then finished with some more running and finally was warm. I ditched the jacket, vest, and warm-up pants and made my way to the start line. There were lots of fast-looking runners there. The pre-race normal stuff went on, but the cool part was where the RD announced that Keegan Rathcamp (the guy who'd run sub 15) was going to carry Larry Cox's shoes - that his shoes have been carried in every race. Very classy. After the National Anthem was sung, we were ready to go!

The initial surge was fast, and I let it carry me. I made sure to remind myself, "You're not racing these guys; you're just running a speed workout." - this was my expectation: I had decided in advance that I was simply going to do my speed workout (3x1600 at 6:32) with no other expectation.

The course was extremely easy. Easy to follow and easy to run. There were two little hills, but they were nothing. There was some ice in a couple of patches, but as long as I watched my footing, it was no problem (nothing like the Frozen 5k I ran at NU where I hit a patch of ice and went flying, taking another runner out in the process). I kept on at a pretty steady pace, running the tangents as much as I could (Duke, my Garmin, measured the race at exactly 3.1 miles, so I must have done pretty well running the tangents!). The first mile slipped by at 6:13, and the second mile was 6:16.

During the second mile, we went up onto the bike path where I ran a ton of my workouts while my boys were in soccer practice. The wind was against us, so I drafted for a while behind a high school runner. He was slowing down a little bit, so I passed him and told him, "just tuck in behind me and let's go get the next guy." He was happy to oblige. I just kept doing that - basically doing a fartlek workout - drafting for a moment, then passing and catching up with the next guy and doing it over.

The third mile finished up on the street with a little uphill and ice before heading down into the park. Once we were in the park, I knew it was close, so I tried to pick up the pace a bit. The third mile was in 6:20, and the last .1 I managed a 5:04 sprint. I was excited to see 19:20 - a PR for me by 7 seconds. It was great running this time, as I haven't managed anything close for over two years (since before I was sidelined with plantar fasciitis a year ago).

At the finish line there was no means for placing or record keeping of any kind. I'm not sure why we got bibs (probably just to help them know who was a bandit). So there was no way of knowing how I did, overall place or age group. But 19:20 is pretty solid in my book!

I was so psyched about the PR that I went back and ran the course backwards for a cool-down, cheering for the other runners. The bike path part was a little hectic as it was full of runners and I kind of had to dodge them as I was going the wrong way! I found a friend (Andrew's soccer coach) and turned back and easily ran back with him and his kids, finishing up with about 3 miles of cool down.

Tri-County Triangle Trail Half-Marathon

Tri-County Triangle Trail Half Marathon 13.1 mi 01:3407:08 pace

No plan? No problem. I didn't train with a specific plan in mind, and I just hoped to get below 1:40 today. This morning I got to Frankfort in plenty of time and picked up my packet. I got the wrong size shirt, and they didn't have any more (they asked if I signed up late - let's just say, I was #17, meaning I was the 17th person to register). So they gave me an extra t-shirt from last year's race as an apology for giving me the wrong size. I mostly stayed in the car to keep warm; it was cold and windy out there! I kept second-guessing what to wear, and I ended up with shorts (of course), long sleeve tech shirt, run DMC jersey, hat, gloves, compression sleeves, and Sketcher GoRun shoes.

When the race was ready to start, I made my way toward the front... expecting to find fast runners and tuck in behind them, I was kind of surprised to see nobody up there. I had seen some guys who looked fast hanging around, but I guess they were running the 5K (which started 5 minutes after the 1/2). After observing a moment of silence for Boston and everyone affected (NOTE: even if you're a spectator, when the announcer announces a moment of silence, SHUT UP. Tell the person on the other side of the cell phone that you can't talk. You can wait the 30 seconds. How rude), the starter gave us a count down and the race was on.

I stepped out quickly - my feet felt extremely light and we were going downhill and there was a stiff wind at our backs. One runner went out faster than I was, and he looked strong and I knew I couldn't try to stick with him. So I tried to find my pace and just run. I was thankful that I'd brought my iPod - my hard running playlist was really handy, especially since I didn't see another runner until after the turn-around.

I would bore you with my mile splits, but just think "somewhere around 7" for all of them. I was right on pace. In the first few miles, I was second-guessing my clothing; I was too hot pretty quickly. But would I need the extra clothes on the return run into the wind? During the fifth mile, I took off my shirt (yes, Dave P., I ran shirtless for a while) and just put the short sleeve shirt back on. A little tricky to maintain a 7 minute mile pace while changing clothes, keeping an iPod on, etc. I dropped the shirt, my hat, and my gloves off at a water stop, and they returned them to me after the race.

At the turn-around, I was at 46:22. Then came the wind. The first mile after the turn-around was brutal. the wind was straight in my face. But this was the first time I got a view of the competition... they were far enough behind that I knew I had 2nd place wrapped up. Kind of a scary thought - with that far to go. So this became more of a mental race than physical.

The wind wasn't bad for the next few miles, until the last mile, when it was brutal again. I kicked it as much as I could, knowing that a PR was possible. At some point, Duke got confused and was reading the miles a little long. I'm not sure when, maybe mile 8, but it said 13.26 instead of 13.1.

The finish was rather uneventful, as I had 2nd wrapped up. I got a medal, a coupon for a free Road ID (nice, since my old one is outdated with my old information on it), and a coupon for a free Subway sandwich. I made my way back to the picnic shelter, where a three-piece bluegrass band was jamming and they had a whole bunch of bean soup (not much cornbread left, but it was really good) and cookies. I went out and cheered for other runners and waited for the end of the run, when the water stop people came back with my gear.

It was a good run, and I was extremely happy with my result!

Boston Marathon Thoughts

In 2006, I ran my first marathon, and I got the bug. In 2011, I decided it was my year to qualify for the Boston Marathon. It's like the holy grail for many of us. If you aren't "in the know" - there is a certain cut-off time you have to achieve to qualify to run the Boston Marathon (graded by age and gender). As I improved my race time, I determined that I had to qualify in 2011. Why? Because of two factors: #1: they were changing the qualifying time, subtracting five minutes from each group, meaning the next year, qualifying times would be five minutes faster; and #2: because I was turning 40, one of those age group changes that meant I was gaining five minutes... so 2011 seemed to be my window, my once-in-a-lifetime moment.

I missed qualifying by four minutes, but the Boston Marathon, for me and for so many, is like the Holy Grail of running. So that is part of the importance of Boston.

Now, if you know me, you know I usually run alone. I trained for four marathons almost exclusively by myself. I relish the group runs (and once drove 100 miles one way for a group run at Highbanks, a park on the north side of Columbus), but because of where I live, I run almost all of my runs by myself. All of my 20 milers... on my own. There is a huge aspect of long-distance running that is solitary.

But running is a team sport. That team is my family; my wife, who walked probably ten miles with two little kids to support me at the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in 2007, my sons, Jonathan, who ran the Ken Keener Classic 5K with me a couple of years ago, and Andrew, who always wears my race bibs after the races.

That team is someone like Nathan H, my seminary buddy, who ran with me and my dog daily for a long time and who ran the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon with me in 2007. That team is Dave P, who I first met in person when he came and ran with me on my worst training run ever (I think I walked more than ran). Dave also ran me in when I did the Erie Marathon in 2011 when I had nothing left in the tank (that so-close-to-Boston-qualifying time). That team is all of my Run DMC buddies who I hadn't met yet who were the most awesome water stop on last year's Cap City Half Marathon course. But that team is best seen in that Run DMC team's performance at the Xenia Marathon recently. I wasn't even there, but reading their stories inspired me, how many of them showed up just to cheer on their teammates and friends, and the most awesome scene of all, a whole group running in a friend to her first marathon finish.

Runners are awesome. Runners are family. Which is why the bomb attack on the Boston Marathon hurts so much, why it seems so personal. Yes, I have personal friends who were there. Yes, I have personal friends who were there there, who were so close to the bombing, who had just been there at that spot, who are safe. But it's more than that, because runners are family. That's my family you just bombed. The 8 year old victim could have been my son, there to cheer for his Daddy, who worked his tail off to get there. This hurts because it is personal.

But because runners are family, you know we will band together. You know that the team will overcome. But for the moment, I will enjoy every step of my runs.

Race Recap Jackson YMCA Y Run

For the past four years, Labor Day weekend has meant Sweet Corn Festival, and my favorite activity, the Ken Keener Classic 5K. I always love running that course - I know it backwards and forward. Who knows how many times I ran it? This year I contemplated making the trek to Millersport for the run, but I decided not to - a 1 1/2 hour drive one-way for a 3.1 mile race made me decide against it. And then I heard they had to suffer through a thunderstorm (which didn't dampen the crowd - according to official results, over 400 runners and walkers completed the course).

Since I didn't get to race, I ran my own 5K on the Wellston Bike Path around Lake Alma. I ran 5K in 20:39, which I found out later would have been fast enough for first place in my age group at the SCF. But all was not lost, as I found out there would be a race in nearby Jackson on Labor Day itself.

I got everything ready to go, but when I was halfway there, I realized that I had forgotten my Garmin. I could either turn back and not get enough time to warm up or I could run "naked" (without a watch or iPod). I chose naked.

I don't remember ever having an easier sign-in for a race - there were no bibs or numbers or anything. I "paid" for my race with new clothing items to be given to area school children.

After warm-ups and stretching, we made our way to the start line. There weren't many who toed the line - everyone was hanging back a bit. I quickly found the kid who would eventually win - it wasn't hard to guess... the fit kid in the current year cross country t-shirt is probably a good bet for the winner. So I started by him.  At the start, I wasn't surprised that he jumped out fast. After about 20 yards, I knew I couldn't stay with him, so I settled into my pace. One more guy was out in front of me, and another caught up to me right away. I stayed calm and just ran (and stayed on #3's shoulder). It was actually nice to not know my pace; I just ran this race for fun.

Somewhere along the first mile was a long, steady hill - not very steep, but enough of a hill to kill the #2 runner, and #3 and I ran him down. Not long after that, I passed #3 and though he was game enough to try to stick with me, that was the last I saw of him.

For an inaugural race (I refuse to use their "First Annual" terminology), they had marked the course extremely well and for a low-staffed race team, they had a great number of volunteers pointing the turns. Along the course were a few hills, nothing too steep, just enough to keep it interesting. Some of the course was through residential tree-lined neighborhoods, and though the roads weren't closed, traffic was minimal enough.

I never had any more competition, and #1 guy was gone (he finished nearly a minute ahead of me). I probably had 30 seconds on runner #4 (yellow shoes - he was the only other guy I had thought might be competition), who passed #2 and #3 somewhere back there. My finishing time was 20:06, my best time this season, enough for 2nd place overall and 1st in the 40-44 age group.

When I got home, my 6 year old was excited about my ribbon. My wife was just glad I didn't get a trophy ;-)

Cap City Half Marathon race recap

Last year I ran my second-ever half marathon race at Cap City and ran a very nice PR (1:36). This spring I was originally planning to run the Earth Day Marathon, but by February I was all stressed out about it, so I decided to bag the marathon and focus my attention on the half. After running 1:36 last year at Cap City and 1:36:51 for the first half of the Erie Marathon and running 1:37 or so in a training run in snow flurries this winter (one of the few snowy days we got), I set a goal of 1:30, which would mean averaging under 7 minute miles for the race.

Along the way, I started a friendly challenge with a friend from my hometown (who writes a very insightful and thoughtful blog); his training was stellar, and we were both shooting for 1:30, so we challenged one another to a "virtual race" (he was racing in the Indy Mini while I would run Cap City).

Two weeks before the race, I went to Texas for an intense leadership development course, and while I fit in training, it was difficult (due to the intensity of the course as well as the heat and humidity). But even though it was cold back in Ohio, that humidity turned out to be training for Cap City.

By two days before the race, I was getting twitchy, and the day before was nuts. I went to the expo and got my shirt (nice - red this year; I was disappointed that last year's was gray) and wandered through the expo. I didn't find anything I wanted (tried on a pair of racing shoes but they had that dreaded medial post that doesn't work for me). I did talk to my friend Ben for a few minutes, but other than that, and the humor I got from having to walk through the "Hell City" Tattoo convention to get into the expo, the expo was really pretty dull.

After getting home, I took my twitchy legs out for a spin - just a couple of miles (one fast, one slow) and got everything together for the race.

The night before the race, I felt like I hardly slept at all, so when 5am rolled around, I was up and ready to go. I ate breakfast (a bowl of cereal and a banana and a bottle of Gatorade) and was on my way. I met up with my friend Rob and headed for downtown.

After getting parked and finding our way toward the start, I met up with some friends from our running group (Run DMC) for a photo op, and then I made my way into starting corral A. It was kind of crazy trying to get to a good spot (the MC was calling "last call to get into the corrals" so I had to fight my way through the crowds in corral B), but when I finally got a good spot (and not directly in front of the PA), I heard someone call my name... it was friends from Lancaster who I've run 5K races with. I had a great time with them, hanging out, talking. I really needed a bathroom, but there was no time... after some interviews, some music, and the National Anthem, it was race time!

This year I was committed to not go out too fast. My Lancaster friends took off in front of me, but I stuck to where I felt comfortable. I did stop at the first port-o-john I found, and my auto-pause on my Garmin activated, so I lost a few seconds there.

There was a pretty good crowd with signs and noisemakers, but I was focused on the race and really blocked most of it out. The "entertainment" along the race course was pretty lame - it was actually a negative in most cases. I don't want to hear some guy with an acoustic guitar singing Otis Redding - that's not very motivating. The only act worth mentioning (positively, that is) was the drum corps near OSU.

I think one reason I like long distance running so much is because it's a natural for me - I tend to go inward, and running is a good way to do this. I thought a lot while I ran, not necessarily about anything, but just thinking.

As we ran along, I found myself trying to keep pace with a few people - it just seemed like we had similar pace. I trying to keep them within striking distance. On High Street (on OSU campus) I smelled the wonderful smell of fresh donuts, and that made me think of my banter with Christian High about eating donuts and running...

Definitely the worst part of the race, even worse than the humidity, was the intersection of the 1/2 marathon and the 1/4 marathon. The 1/4 marathon runners/walkers took up the whole street, so I spent a lot of time and energy dodging through them. I was extremely glad to see our paths split!

I didn't care much for the brick section, either - footing was iffy throughout that area.

I brought along two Powerbar gels (the one gel I have found that I like) and I took one at the 5 mile mark and one at 10. I felt like that was a good use of them and that they gave me the extra fuel I wanted about that time. The other thing that gave me a good boost was the Run DMC group at the last water station, around mile 12. At that point, I already had a large-ish group of runners in my sights, and they propelled me forward after them. I loved the last hill; I just picked off runners one after another on my way up the hill. Nobody passed me in the last mile.

Duke (my Garmin) had me at 1:33:31, but the Cap City website had 1:33:42. Whatever the case, I was slightly off my goal, but well under my (previous) PR (1:36).

After finishing, I stuck around, waiting for my friends (including my ride). After-race fare was the usual (water bottles, bagels, bananas, oranges). I didn't go into the post-race-party, having no desire for a free Michelob Ultra or champagne (I think they were giving that away again this year), but I did grab a blessedly delicious cup of chocolate milk.

It was a very good race, despite the humidity, and despite the news I found later, that my friend in Indy had defeated me by almost a minute.

Turkey Trot Race Recap

This was the inaugural Turkey Trot 5K put on by my friend and the Mount Vernon Running Buddies on Thanksgiving morning. It was cold here, and I didn't know how to dress for the race - especially needing to dress over an hour before. So I went with tights and a semi-warm long-sleeve tech T, gloves and headband. That turned out to be too warm (of course). The wind was pretty chilly, but it was almost 40* by race time. This race was a free race benefiting Food for the Hungry, a local (Mt. Vernon) food bank. I figured it was a good cause and I still owed Dave one for running me in at Erie, so I made the trek up to Mt. Vernon.

Dave told me that I might be one of the faster runners there, so I paid close attention to the race instructions, especially directions. Thankfully Dave's dad led the pack on his bike, so I didn't get lost. Since I was the first one there, I got to sign in first, and I was given the "elite" bib number... #1! It wasn't really a "bib" per se; it was a nametag with a number printed on it. But I was #1.

After everyone had signed in and given their donations to Food for the Hungry and after about two miles of warm-up around campus, Dave gave some race instructions, took a group picture,  and lined us up at the start line.

The race started out with a mad sprint through campus. It was quickly clear who the competition was - two young guys sprinted to the front and pulled out to a sizable lead. I was already thinking "third isn't bad" when I realized that the one kid was not running steady; he was speeding up and slowing down. At that, I knew he was mine. I passed him around the mile mark, and he told me "good job." I told him to run smoothly, just keep going. The other guy was a cross-country-runner looking guy, and he was out in front by a bit. As we turned into the wind, I thought that I ought to let him take the wind for me. So I kicked it and caught up with him to draft. At first I don't think he realized I was there - he had his headphones on - and he turned and spat just as I was catching up to him... thanks a lot, buddy! As I picked up the pace, he started looking back... meaning I was in his head. So instead of drafting, I kicked past him, putting distance between us. I figured he was strong and he would keep up with me, but he didn't.

So after the 1 1/2 mile mark, I was out in front. It was hard to keep mentally in the race, but I determined not to look back. After all, the only race I have to run is what is in front of me! I kept concentrating on Dave's dad on the lead bike and kept going. When we went around a sharp corner, I snuck a look back and cross country guy was wayyyy back.

I tried to keep my concentration level high, not to think about how far back anybody might be, to keep my pace steady, and to only look forward. I kept pushing to keep up with Dave's dad on the lead bike (and he kept pulling away - amazing how much easier it is to go fast on a bike!), but that was what I needed from him. 

As we pulled back onto campus, nobody was close. Coming around one corner, my "bib" went flying off (I picked it up later on my cool-down run). I figured (correctly) that nobody would care. I had one spot where I was a little confused on the course, but it turned out OK, as I came around the corner and saw the finish line ahead of me.

I took this moment to look at my Garmin and I saw that a PR was in the realm of possibility, so I pushed as hard as I could to the finish line. Alas, I was one second off the PR, finishing in 19:28. 

Pretty much as soon as I finished, I turned around and ran the course in reverse direction as a cool down. I was so pumped up from the outright win that I probably could have run it three times. This was my first overall win since the 8th grade, and it felt good!

Erie Marathon at Presque Isle Race Recap

When the news came out that the Boston Marathon was changing its qualifying times (of course, making it harder to get in), a friend of mine realized that the Columbus Marathon wouldn't be the qualifier that we expected it to be. As you might remember from reading my blog, I am turning 40 shortly, meaning I get an additional 5 minutes to qualify for Boston. But with the changes, I lose that five minutes. And those changes are as of Sunday, Sept. 25 (and Columbus isn't run until October). The plan I was working from wanted me to shoot for a 7:17 pace (for a 3:11 finish), but I was more realistic and was shooting for a 3:20, which would qualify me for Boston and would be a 20 minute Personal Record (PR)... as long as I ran before 9/25. The Erie Marathon at Presque Isle was the race that fit the bill... 9/18, flat as a pancake, and quite affordable.

So on Saturday (after an extremely early U5 soccer game and pictures, for which we had to be at the field at 7:30), we headed to Erie, PA. We made it to beautiful Presque Isle for packet pick-up and the small expo (three exhibits). The marathon shirts are nice - long-sleeve tech shirts (I got a similar one a couple of years back and have almost worn it out). They additionally threw in some 2011 Erie Marathon tech socks, which was cool. The kids enjoyed playing at the park for a while, and then we headed to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, a really cool (FREE!) museum, where we enjoyed a movie about Beavers on their huge IMAX screen (we went back on Sunday afternoon to enjoy the museum a little more). Then we went and found some high-carb food on a crowded restaurant night.

4:30 am came extremely early on Sunday morning, but I wasn't sleeping really well; I just wanted to get out and get running. I had gotten my race outfit together in advance as well as everything I'd need for pre-race, during-race, and post-race. It was chilly when we got to Presque Isle; about 50* and windy. I mostly skulked around trying to find somewhere out of the wind.

At the start line, they directed us to stand in areas representing our pace; I stood directly between the 7 and 8, representing the 7:30 I planned to run. There I met Mark and David, runners I've "met" on dailymile, and we decided to run together. After some preliminaries (10 seconds before the countdown clock got to 0), we got a marks-getset-go! and we were off!

It was smooth running all the way. The course was beautiful and flat, running around Presque Isle State Park twice. It was a much smaller marathon than I've run before, and the half marathon started 1/2 hour later, so we didn't have to be concerned with that part of the crowd. We went out fast, though we really tried to temper the pace (and it didn't quite hit me that Mark's 3:20 goal had morphed into 3:15). We had fun; the guys I was running with are really cool guys - very friendly, very chatty. As the race went on, I realized that I couldn't keep up their pace, so I dropped back and ran with Sean and Gary - I'd "met" Gary on the "I am Running the Erie Marathon at Presque Isle" facebook group. These were two hilarious guys. I loved running with them. The time passed quickly while we ran together (about 10 miles).

Because of the way the loops were situated, it was very easy for spectators to hang out at the start/finish line and then walk across to see us again, so it was cool to see my family at the start, at the 5.8 mile mark, at the halfway point, at the 18.9 mile mark, and at the finish (I will post some pictures once I upload them from the camera). It is always great to see familiar faces and hear your name being called. The only problem with this was that it made it way too convenient for the spectators to only be in these two locations, meaning there were a lot of lonely areas in between. There were water/sports drink stops every mile, and every group passing out drinks (including some cross country teams, a scout troop, some costumed characters [Gumby was a notable costume], and a group of people dressed as hillbillies (advising us that "every tenth cup has moonshine in it") was wonderful, not only passing out drinks, but also cheering us on (I would advise anyone to not take the marshmallows handed out by the scouts, however. No matter how they told you that it was "fast sugar," there was no way I could chew one of those at mile 20+!)

My half marathon split was 1:36:50, which was 50 seconds off my PR for the 1/2 marathon (set this Spring at the Cap City Half) - I wonder how fast I could run one of those after a strong summer of training...

I took PowerBar gels at miles 10, 15, and 20, and I have to say I love that stuff. I can't choke down Gu (I tried at about mile 22) and don't get me started on those puketastic energy jelly bellies.

As the race went on, I started doing the math. My mile times had been increasing, and I saw my BQ slipping away. I had promised myself I wouldn't be disappointed as long as I had given it my all, but it was a little disconcerting to see that time slipping away. But by the last 6 miles, I was struggling. I decided to stop and walk through the water stops, which was probably a good idea; although my times dropped to about 9 minute miles for the last several, none reached the 10 minute+ mark like happened last year at Columbus.

Toward the end of the race, my friend Brandon came motoring by, running really smoothly for a guy who's been sidelined by injury for the last several weeks. Then I saw my friend Dave, who was planning to run the race with me but who got injured and ended up changing his registration to the half (and running a phenomenal 1:36 in it). Dave ran alongside me and cheered me on, pushing me to pick my pace up and finish strong.

I finished in 3:24, four minutes off the Boston Qualifier, but 16 minutes faster than the PR I set last year in Columbus. I am extremely pleased with my time and with my effort. I was 77th overall (out of 600 or so) and was 13th in my age group. This was a great marathon, and I plan to return.

After the race, they had bagels (the good cinnamon crunch kind from Panera), bananas, chocolate milk (which is great recovery drink, and not just because Dave Parsons says it is), watermelon (awesome!), and it seems like something else, but I can't think of what, probably because I didn't choose to have any. Then they had Subway sandwiches, chips, cookies, and pop, free for runners and for a $1 for anyone else (with the $1 going to a local food bank). GREAT!

I feel tons better than I did after my last marathon, and I'm extremely pleased with my new PR. Though I was touting this as my "one chance to qualify for Boston" I am confident that if I train hard (after some rest, of course), I can drop the additional 9 minutes off my time. After all, last fall I dropped 38 minutes, and this fall I dropped 16 off that.

Race Report: 2011 Sweet Corn Festival 5K

The Sweet Corn Festival 5K (Ken Keener Classic) was one of the first races I ever ran in Central Ohio - I first  ran it back in 2005 when I lived in Gahanna and had some friends who had a place on Buckeye Lake. The 210# version of me struggled in that race; I remember the first mile being quick and the second mile seeming to stretch forever, going way out into the country before returning to the finish line in some 24 minutes.

Now the SCF 5K is my hometown race, and I run on the race course multiple times every week; it doesn't seem nearly as long any more. Twice I placed in my age group, and last year I ran the course in a then-PR before the race in order to run with my 6 year old son. This year I came with high hopes: a top 20 finish, and hopefully a time faster than 19 minutes.

My first issue came before the race. I am used to running at 6:00 am, and the race didn't start until 9. Meaning the day had three hours to heat up, and heat up it did. Just standing at the start line was enough to make us all dripping sweaty - I began to question my race strategy and how hard I should realistically push. My plan was to push the first mile around 5:50 and to run the last two miles in 6:11 or 6:12. That would put me just under 19 minutes for the race. I ran the first mile right on target, in 5:50, but then the wheels fell off. I needed to back off the pace because it was simply too hot and humid. By rule, I don't take water on a 5K, but I was grabbing water from all the water stops and I really appreciated the guy standing with a hose "shower" for us to run through.

One thing I really loved about this race was the fact that I have been here three years now and am rather well-known in the community. The community support I felt was amazing. I had people cheering for me all along the course. I was constantly giving thumbs-up to people cheering me on. Another highlight was just after the two mile mark. By this time, I was running alone; I had given up on catching the runners ahead of me, and there was nobody near enough behind me to catch me - it was the first time in a 5K that I can remember thinking "maybe I should take a walk break" - but then came the water stop at the turn around. I knew almost everyone there, especially two of my family's close friends, Richard and Bruce. As I came toward the water station, I gave them a "bring it on" motion, and they all threw their water on me. I loved it!

I didn't have much of a kick to finish; in fact, my third mile time was dreadful (for me). I finished in 19:47 (respectable - not fantastic, but good, especially considering the heat), and I was 19th place overall, and second in my age group.

I ran the second and third miles of the course to "cool down" and met some of the walkers and encouraged them (like, "There are thousands of people in this area who not only didn't beat you in this race, but only walked from the bedroom to the kitchen to the couch this morning, and you are doing 3.1 miles."). When I got back by Richard and Bruce, they had cleaned up their water stop, so I splashed my water bottle around toward them. They got a chuckle out of that.

I had to wait to get my AG award until after the door prizes were announced - the SCF usually has a ton of door prizes (including gift certificates for free Weldon's Ice Cream, which I was hoping for!), and I ended up having my name called last... and the only door prize they had left to give me was a warm bottle of Powerade. :-)

Overall it was a good race, and I was glad I ran. Maybe next 5K I'll break 19 minutes. But that will have to wait until after the Erie Marathon on the 18th...

Run For the Rose 5K

I already wrote up a race report, but I wanted to include some pictures.

Getting Ready to Race

The starting line is always a tricky place - finding a spot that corresponds with your pace can be tricky. I've found that in smaller races, the best place to be is right behind the high school boys cross country teams. In this race, the xc runners weren't out, meaning the best starting place was right up front. You can see me in the middle, stretching out my back, getting ready to race.

The race is on!

My high school coach told me that the first 400 is a freebie: adrenaline will carry you that long. I use the first 400 to break out from the pack - so did a couple of young kids. After that point, the first several runners had already broken away from the others.

After the first mile, I led for a few meters, but the eventual winner passed me and never looked back. You can see the lead he built up and never relinquished as he hits the finish line -I am still rounding the corner behind him.

 

Coming Down to the Wire

They tell you "don't stop your watch right at the finish line or  you'll get a goofy finish picture." I'd rather have a goofy finish picture and an accurate timing than a great finish picture and forget to stop my watch.

First, second, and third place overall!

Run for the Rose 5K

One Friday when we had barely moved to Millersport, I saw a sign advertising the first running of a 5K race in Lancaster, Ohio - slated for the very next day. I made it out for the run and finished in 21:31. I promised a recap and pictures, but I guess things were a little busy, as we were in the process of moving...

I ran the race again in 2009, but last year I had to miss it (I hadn't returned from Annual Conference yet). This year we came home early so the boys could play in their baseball game, so I was available to run. Saturday morning I woke up to a solid rain. I was second-guessing my decision to run (but not much, because I hadn't yet paid the registration fee). As race time approached, the rain slowed down, and finally, as I headed to Lancaster, the rain stopped altogether.

I registered easily for the race (premierraces does a good job with this) - the only "glitch" was that they didn't have change for me ($25 for walk-up registration) - so they only charged me $20 (which was the cost for advance registration). I was looking around for familiar faces, but I didn't see many. I did see one runner friend, but she was working the registration, and I saw a pastor friend, but he was volunteering for the event.

This race is put on by the local MRDD bureau at a special needs' school called Forest Rose (thus the "rose" theme). One neat thing about this race is the focus on special needs kids. One young man sang the National Anthem, and he did a nice job. There were several parents, running with their special needs' children in jogging strollers as well. The organizers also had plenty of activities for the children.

After a warm-up, I approached the start line and looked around for competition. I am usually "in the gap" in these local 5K races; I'm not fast enough to be an "elite" runner, but I'm well ahead of the pack. Often running pretty much alone. But in this race, the elites weren't there. I asked a young guy (Corey) what his target time was, and he answered 19:30, depending on the competition. I told him that is around my race PR, and I figured I had found my competition.

When the "gun" went off, Corey and I went out fast - only two young boys were in front of us (but we passed them shortly). I ducked in behind Corey, letting him take the wind (it wasn't too windy - but it was breezy enough that it made a difference to draft off him). A third runner tucked in behind me, and the three of us blew out at a pretty quick pace. In fact, at the first mile, the girl there called out 5:25 (turns out she was wrong by 30 seconds).

The first mile was straight south along a road, and just before the halfway point, the path turned. I took this opportunity to pass Corey, meaning I was in the lead. I hadn't had this experience since I was in junior high. I began to have thoughts of winning - it was now a possibility. Dick and I looped around a middle school parking lot, and I snuck a glance back - to see nobody. Corey had dropped off, and the next runner (John) was well behind him.

Dick took this chance to pass me and to open up a lead over me. I let him go, not exactly having what he did at that moment. I counted him 12 seconds ahead at the 2 mile mark, and while I gained a little ground on him over the rest of the race, I knew I didn't have it to catch him. Meanwhile, I knew I was safe in second place.

Immediately before the finish line is a loop (one of those agonizing moments if you don't know the course; it looks like you're heading straight for the end, but you have to take a loop - up a hill! - and back down to finish. I cruised this part and finished with a time of 19:44. They gave roses to everyone as finisher prizes.

I was honestly disappointed in my time - Dick and Corey and I all agreed that the third mile was a bit long (I mapped it out and it seemed to be about .1 long). Still, 2nd place overall was a big surprise for me - I was extremely psyched about it!

Here are the overall race results.

They didn't do anything for age groups, but as one of the overall winners, I got a nice plaque and a cash prize as well!

To BQ or not to BQ

That is the question. When I first ran a marathon, my goal was to finish. I had no real thoughts about time, which was good, because my last several miles were reduced to a shuffle, but bad because after my bio break at the halfway point, I picked up my pace to a way-too-fast speed to catch back up with my friends (and had I had a pace in mind, I would have stuck with the pace instead). I ran 4:26. When I ran my second marathon, I wanted to beat my time, and I ran 4:18 but suffered from dehydration.

Two years later, I was back in the saddle, having trained much harder and faster (and weighing 20# less), and I was very confident going in to the marathon. I set two goals: a stretch goal of 3:34 and a "reasonable" goal of 3:40. I had friends telling me that this could be the race I BQ'ed (BQ stands for "Boston Qualifier" and instead of saying "I qualified for the Boston Marathon," marathon runners will say "I BQ'ed.") - but my BQ time, as a 39 year old male, was 3:15. Way out of reach.

Turning 40 will give me a possible shot. 3:20 is much more manageable than 3:15. Except that the BAA is changing the standard, cutting five minutes off my qualifying time. Meaning that as I change age groups, I won't gain the additional time. That means if I can keep my current pace, I can BQ in 16 years. That is, if I can get in. Though the times are set, faster runners will get a head start on registering, and only if there are enough spaces can someone who just barely qualifies get in.

For 3:20, I would need to run a 7:38 pace, a pace which, a year ago, I would have said was impossible. The way I've been running lately, however, especially the Cap City half marathon, which I ran in 7:15 pace, that kind of pace could be doable. But I don't have much time to make that happen.

I don't think I'd probably actually go to Boston and run the marathon (though it would be quite the experience). But it would be cool to say I BQ'ed.

Cap City Half Marathon Race Report

In 2009 I ran my first half marathon. Many people do this in a different order; by the time I ran the Kentucky Derby Festival 1/2, I had already run a 40k trail race and two full marathons. (I remember having to answer the "is this your first 1/2?" question in the affirmative, and I always felt like I had to justify myself with a "but I have run a full..."

I love the 13.1 distance. 26.2 requires a lot more time training; those 20 milers really take a lot of time. When I was training for the Columbus Marathon, I put in back-to-back months of 190+ miles, and that eats a lot of time. Plus the recovery time for running a half is nothing like for a full. And there is no wall in a half marathon.

So on to the report for the race. I met my friend Rob at his house so we could drive out together. We found parking easily (and in a place where we could get out easily after the race) and waited for our friend, Blaine (since I had picked up Blaine and Rob's bibs, it was important that we met up).

I was hoping to meet up with some fellow dailymilers, but I didn't get there in time, so I slid into corral "A" and prepared for the race. I love the corral system; it's broken down by race time (for Cap City, they just asked what time you planned to finish in, while in the Columbus Marathon, they actually asked for some sort of "qualifying time"). Corral A was the first corral; it included the elite runners. It was funny that none of the rest of us wanted to be up at the starting line; we all left a big space for the elites. Everyone was asking each other for goal times and then seeding ourselves based on those times.

After some banter from the stage and the introductions of some celebrities (including Columbus native Buster Douglas and Mayor Mike Coleman), we were "encouraged" to move forward. Some guy who I think I was supposed to have heard of played a meandering rendition of the National Anthem on the saxophone, and we were underway.

My race plan was to go out for the first 10K at a 7:30/mile pace and then turn loose for the second half. I thought this might be a little fast, but it seemed like a safe plan. After all, if 7:30 was too fast, I could just maintain it for the second half. As we started, I really struggled to maintain 7:30. I couldn't get that slow.

The first mile marker came and I was in the low 6 minute range. But thanks to my Garmin, I knew that the mile marker was misplaced (I had it at .88), meaning I was almost 30 seconds faster than my goal pace. This is a great thing about the corral system; you don't have to fight your way through a lot of slower runners in order to get to your pace. The difficult thing is being surrounded by fast runners makes me want to run fast.

In the second mile, I was regretting not stopping again for a second potty break before the race. I really had to go. Shortly before the 2 mile mark was a bank of port-o-johns, which I used. Usually I stop my timer for bio breaks, but not in a race! The clock keeps ticking. So my second mile was a little slower (based on my break and on the fact that the mile marker was at the right place, meaning my "mile 2" was really 1.13 miles), but still under my goal pace.

Miles 3-4 were in 7:22 pace, and mile 5 was in 7:16. Miles 6 and 7 were in 7:31 and 7:30, and then I picked it up a bit. Miles 8,9, and 10-11 were in 7:03, 7:04, and 7:10 pace. Mile 12 was a struggle with the only real hill on the course. I ran it in 7:30, and I was wondering if I had enough gas to finish strong. I picked off several runners going up the hill, but this was a long, straight, lonely stretch of the race. But in the 13th mile, I reminded myself how short the rest of the race was and I managed my first sub-7 pace (6:59). The final .1 was a sprint at 6:07 pace.

I really enjoyed this race. The course was fast and scenic. It was extremely well-organized, and the weather was perfect (low 50s at the start, sunny, no wind). Some people came up with really creative signs (I liked the "we'll give you free tattoos for your medals... shhh, don't tell Tressel!" one) and it's always encouraging to see the "Run Fast, Mommy!" or the "Way to go, Daddy!" signs that families are holding for their loved ones. I also loved the fact that they put our names on our bibs; it's really encouraging to hear people calling your name (I wish I'd asked them to put "Rev. Run" on mine).

What I didn't expect was how lonely the course would be at times. I was running ahead of my friends, so I didn't have them to hang out with, and I'm a pretty chatty runner (hey, I can't help it), but most of the runners around me were wearing headphones. I kind of wish I'd worn mine. The musical entertainment was a bit lacking; they were hyping it pretty much as a 13.1 mile concert, but about half of these were DJs (mostly playing pretty decent music - I liked the one playing Run DMC), but the acoustic-guitar-playing easy-listening music wasn't all that motivating. Don't stop thinkin' about tomorrow? really? Brown-eyed girl? more suitable for sitting in the grass with a cold drink than digging in for a hard second half. I did like the rapper, though, and a couple of the bands (the one playing "Ring of Fire" ala Social Distortion rocked my face off).

The water stations were well done and the finish line food was awesome. Panera? Pizza? That was awesome! I didn't "get" the bubbly (yes, they were serving little plastic goblets of champagne at the finish - no, I didn't drink one; it was just a half.). The medals are high quality as well.

I ended up 29th in my age group (out of 360) and 242nd (out of nearly 6000) overall with a time of 1:36, 16 minutes faster than I ran my first (and only other) official half marathon, and 8 minutes faster than I'd run in training.

Seeing Jesus

Today the weather was perfect, and I worked through lunch so I could get out and enjoy it. I decided to go for a run on the canal trail to Hebron, planning on a 10 miler. When I got to the 5 mile mark, I had already decided to push it to a half marathon, meaning I'd go through Hebron (to the end of the sidewalk) and turn around. As I was coming around the corner into town, I passed a woman walking, pushing a wheelchair. I thought it was a stroller first, but then I realized it was a wheelchair, and in it was a boy, probably a young teenager (at oldest). I passed them by, but they made me think...

...after I'd hit the turn-around, I saw them again, still heading in the same direction. But they turned down a side street and I kept running. Except I needed to talk to them. So I stopped my stopwatch and ran after them. I first spoke to the woman, thanking her for taking care of someone with special needs. I don't know if she was his mother or just a caretaker, but for some reason, it touched me how she was walking with him in the beautiful weather. I told her that when I saw her caring for him, I saw Jesus working through her.

Then I turned to him and greeted him and introduced myself and made a comment about the weather, and his face was radiant. His smile was ear-to-ear, and his eyes lit up. And when I looked into them, I was looking into Jesus' eyes.

I know why I ran when I did. And I know why I stretched it into a half marathon. It was because I was supposed to. God wanted me to do it, so I would see His Son.

Living it

On Wednesday morning, I met my pastor friend Rob for an early morning run in one of our nearby parks. We meet there somewhat frequently (every few weeks now that he has moved out my direction and is somewhat settled now), and we run fast and spend a bit of time talking about what's going on.

I don't usually see other runners (or many walkers, for that matter) where I generally run, but when I do, I always greet them. So we do the same when we're running on the path, even when it means saying "Hi" to the same person multiple times.

Wednesday after we finished running, we were stretching a little before we left, and a guy went by us toward the path. We greeted him and continued stretching. Not long after, we saw him returning to the parking area. He came over to us and asked us, "Are you guys believers in the Lord Jesus Christ?"

That kicked off a cool conversation and we were all able to encourage one another and ended up praying together, but we asked him how he knew we were believers. He said that he had seen us on the path before and the way we always greeted people made an impact. There was just something about us...

The way we go about our normal day-to-day activities is important. The way we treat total strangers, the way we participate in our hobbies, the way we behave wherever we go... it all reflects who we are and Whose we are. Everyone can make an impact for Christ by living for Him.

March Madness Running Challenge

I have always been competitive when I run. Even when I was just running around Nicholasville with Nathan and my dog, we would generally end up faster, trying to "beat" one another to an imaginary finish line. I usually run alone, but whenever I see someone off ahead of me, I (consciously or not) speed up the pace, hoping to catch them. But even when I'm running by myself, I push myself to run faster. Those "slow" runs on a training schedule can be difficult!

I love to challenge myself to run faster, so when I saw that dailymile was holding a March Madness Running Challenge, I jumped at the chance. This is how the challenge worked: for the first round, anyone could join (they had separate challenges for men and women). The challenge was to run the most distance in a week. There are some real workhorses on dailymile, and I just barely managed to eke my way into the top 32 and into the second round (especially as I had just run a half marathon distance the day before the challenge posted).

The second round was a speed challenge; the 16 fastest 5K times would advance. I ran a 5K... about 30 seconds slower than I wanted to. I might have advanced with my time of 20 minutes, but I wasn't sure, and I sure wasn't happy with my time. So after a rest day, I tried again... and ran my fastest 5K yet: 19:00! (I ran a little long, so I actually broke 19 for the first time since high school!).

That was good enough to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, another distance challenge. I cruised my way into the Elite Eight, averaging 8 miles/day for the three day challenge, and it was on to another speed challenge, this time at the 10K distance.

I have never run a 10K race before, but I have been running pretty well lately, so I was originally planning to run toward a goal of 44 minutes. Except I went faster. Quite a bit faster. And due to a Garmin that went a little wacky, I ran a little far, and still broke my goal time by 2 minutes. Until I realized that I'd run far - so I did the calculations and realized that my adjusted time was 39 minutes! I was so psyched! I made it to the Final Four.

But that was where I was going to bow out (as gracefully as possible), as this two-day distance challenge saw my 16 miles eclipsed by two guys who had monster weekends (54 and 34 miles!)

It was a really fun competition, and it hit that competitive nerve that gets me going.

I know that not everyone who reads my blog is a runner - nor should they be - and the point of me talking about running isn't to shame anyone into running or to call anyone out or anything of the sort (I write about running because I enjoy running). The point of this blog is that there was something that drove me to work hard to do something I didn't think I could do. Is there something that you have wanted to try that maybe you just need some extra motivation?

Minneapolis

This town is really cool. No, though the temperatures are really cold, that wasn't what I was talking about. I'm talking about how well this city does at snow removal. Not only did I see plows on the streets and those brush-things that drive up and down, brushing the snow off the sidewalks, but there were entire crews hand-shoveling sidewalks. They even went so far as to clear off the running/biking path along the Mississippi River.

I thought I was crazy to be out for a run in the temperatures we are having here, but I found that I wasn't the only one. I saw several runners out (more in the snow Monday evening than in the frigid, though sunny, noon-day Tuesday), braving the weather for a run. Though I can understand why; the alternative is the dreadmill for half the year. And there were plenty of bicyclists who brave the weather year-round. But I never had to be outside if I didn't want to. The hotel is connected to the convention center via walkway. There is a pool and a pretty nice-sized fitness room in the hotel and there are multiple eateries in the hotel and the convention center (though you end up paying for the convenience).

But if you do go out, bus stops are lighted and heated. And they come complete with signs telling you when to expect your bus. And the trail along the Mississippi River seems to go on forever. This is one cool town.

How Far I've Come

Today I would call this "overdressing"

A few years ago, I trained for a spring race, and I mostly trained indoors at the YMCA.  One Saturday I managed to miss the (shortened) hours, and I needed to get a 4 miler in, so I bundled up and went outside for a run.

I wore my wind pants, warmest shirt, vest, hat, and gloves and went out for a run.  The weather was rather nasty; snow spitting and accumulating a little. The funny thing was I was so proud of myself for running in that weather that I took a picture after the run.

A few years later (and after a full winter of training outside), here are my thoughts.  First, I'm embarrassed at how warmly I dressed for this run.  I would never wear those wind pants anymore for a run; they're way too hot.  Likewise for the shirt and the vest; that particular shirt is only good for extremely cold temperatures. I would wear it if the temperature was under 20* and windy. 

Today I would definitely run in that weather without a doubt.  And if the weather was too bad, I would just not worry about it; it was only four miles, after all.  I can't believe that a four miler gave me any pause whatsoever; it's less than any workout I'm even willing to suit up for!

After the Columbus Marathon: Some Thoughts Two Days Later

I loved the corral system.  It was so helpful to not have to dig my way through walkers and slow runners - just to hit my pace immediately upon starting the race.  I've never experienced that in a marathon before.

The in-course entertainment was quite varied - it was hard to get hyped up for someone playing Van Morrison on an acoustic guitar, but I was pretty impressed (very impressed, even) at some of the bands playing.  It was 7:30, 7:45am on a SUNDAY, and they were bringing it. Especially that funk group on Broad Street.  Amazing.

One thing that made the marathon special for me was having friends there.  I had a great time running with Matt Schreiber - we ran together twice in 2006: the Hocking Hills Indian Run 40K and the Columbus Marathon.  I've kept up with him via facebook and dailymile, but I hadn't seen him in ages.  Of course, Matt's brother Mike and Speedy Rob Turner were miles ahead of us.

And then there was the dailymile crowd.  I have been so encouraged and motivated by being a part of a running "club" even though most of the interaction is online.  It was super cool to meet up for a Run DMC (DailyMile Columbus) pasta party the night before the race, to put faces with names and to meet some really fast runners and some first-time marathoners.  Then meeting up with the gang before the race was great.  It took away some of the before-race anxiety.

Then there was the cool picture that ended up on the marathon website - you might be able to tell how strong I felt and how happy I was at the time the picture was taken.  It was probably between miles 14 and 15 - I was feeling strong; I'd just run a PR for the 1/2 marathon, and things looked good.

About the race...
I have got to learn to take off more slowly.  I knew better.  Honestly, I did.  I set a target time of 8:12 miles.  But I took off too fast - partly because it felt good and partly because I thought that maybe I could run faster than my goal time.  My stretch goal time, at that.  There's really just one word to describe that way of thinking: not smart.  I trained toward a certain goal, and to second-guess that goal while running (in the first 20 miles) wasn't a smart move at all.  Adjusting a goal (faster) during the last 6 miles... maybe.  Not so much during the first 1/2.

I felt like I remembered runners being friendlier on the course than I experienced Sunday.  Yes, I ended up meeting a couple of people (Chris, originally from Zanesville and Tracy, the teacher from Gahanna), but I remembered runners being more chatty and more encouraging. In fact, I don't remember as much encouragement - not from the sidelines, nor from other runners.  During the race, besides Matt, with whom I was running for many of the first miles, I only saw one familiar face, my dailymile friend, Brett L.

I didn't realize that the course had changed, so once we passed the 1/2, I was lost.  I lost all frame of reference, which stunk.  Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights... it was all the same.  People out watching, not necessarily cheering, low-key music... I was wishing I'd worn my iPod so I could listen to some hard-charging music.

At this point I was doing everything I could to keep going, so maybe it wouldn't have made a difference to have had the streets packed with friends and family cheering my name.  Or maybe it would have.

As I approached the finish line, I tried to speed up.  I don't think I was successful.  In fact, I'll bet my last couple of miles were stronger in 2006, when I ran a 4:26.  It sure felt like it.  I couldn't even psych myself into the "only 4 more miles to go" thoughts.  I was trying to compare the distance left to one of my easy runs here in Millersport, but it didn't work.  Yes, I did catch one person down the stretch.  And I did hold off all challengers on the way down the hill to the finish line.  But that was all I had.

After the race, I wandered around, looking for one of those space-blanket thingies.  I was freezing, but I couldn't find them.  And I couldn't find anyone to show me where they might be.  The only "official" people I could find were the photographers, one of whom snapped a horrible picture of me, one in which I look halfway dead, and the girl with the chocolate milk.  I never thought I'd like chocolate milk post-race, but it hit the spot.

I also couldn't find the Krispy-Kremes.  I heard rumors they were giving them out, but either they'd run out, or I just couldn't find them.  Maybe they were with the space blankets.  At least there was still other food, not like I felt hungry at the time.  One of my friends reported that it was gone by the time he finished.

There was a band playing Green Day tunes really loudly on a stage.  They sounded pretty good - but too loud for me at that moment.  But all I wanted was to sit down and rest my legs. Then we headed home.  Rob dropped me off at my car, and it took all my concentration to make it home.  I was cold, so I didn't want to put my windows down, but I smelled so bad, I couldn't stand to be in the closed up car!

When I got home, I was wondering what kind of fool runs marathons.

But two days later, I'm thinking about my race strategy and how I can convince myself to run more slowly so I possibly have more in the tank for miles 21-26.2

Columbus Marathon Race Report, take 2.

Back in October, 2006, I ran my first marathon, the Columbus Marathon. My goal was to finish, which I did (barely?) after a couple of costly mistakes and a lot of walking toward the end.  The next April, I ran the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in Louisville (again, with a goal of finishing), after which I swore I was done with marathoning. But this spring, due mostly to dailymile, I got the bug again.

So I returned to the site of my first-ever marathon.  This time, instead of "just" finishing the marathon, I set a time goal.  Actually I set two goals.  My first goal was a "stretch" goal - to finish in 3:34.  My secondary goal was 3:40. That might not mean anything to you without this information: my personal record (PR) for the marathon was 4:17:59.  Meaning I wasn't just aiming to beat my PR; I was aiming to smash it.

The morning started beautifully; not too cold, actually really nice for a run. This year they instituted a corral system, based on qualifying, where the faster runners started toward the front, which was excellent.  Instead of walking for a block and a half to the start line and then trying to pick my way through gobs of slow traffic, I was able to start close to the start line and immediately run.

I was happy to run with my friend Matt (pictured in the "I ran my first marathon" pictures linked above, wearing the maroon sweatshirt) for many of the early miles, but unfortunately I felt too good and went out way too fast.  My target time was 8:12/mile, but I found myself in the high 7's.  Which would have been fine for a 1/2 marathon, but not for the full.

I left Matt and started running with his friend, Chris, who I met on the course, but eventually Chris dropped off (maybe he was doing the 1/2?) so I ran for a while with a teacher from Gahanna (my former stomping grounds).  My pace started dropping around the 1/2 way point, but now they were in my realistic range.  I stayed that way until around somewhere in the 18 mile range, where I started to fade.  My times started to suffer, and got worse as the race went on. 

I continued to think the 3:34 was within range until the 3:30 pace group caught me and quickly left me in the dust. By this time, my pace had slowed to a 10 minute mile crawl.  My calves and hamstrings were screaming and it was all I could do to keep from walking.  My mind was playing games by this time, and I wasn't going to let it do the "just walk through the water stop" game - because I didn't know if I'd start running again! 

As I closed in on the finish, I wondered if I would ever reach the end of the race.  I missed a mile marker in there, so it seemed like I was on mile 23 forever!  I kept being passed (possibly by runners who had run a smarter race and not gone out 30 seconds/mile faster than their target) - my race results indicated that after mile 20, I passed 34 runners... but was passed by 134.

I shuffled across the finish line in 3:40.09, right on my "secondary" goal time - a PR by 38 minutes! 

Throwing a Taper Tantrum

Through the past 16 weeks, I have been in marathon training mode. That meant pushing my distance up - I put in four twenty mile runs (along with my almost-daily nines).  Not only have I put in the distance, but I've ramped up the pace as well.  But as the marathon approaches, I have moved into taper mode.  And I'm not sure my body knows what to do with it!

I'm not the only one who has ended up dealing with knee issues. I'm hoping that it's nothing, but just to be safe, I visited my chiropractor (and will be back on Friday) for an adjustment. But I'm trying to figure out how to deal with the taper.  I didn't run today, and tomorrow's plan is 3 slow miles - mileage which my cross-country coach called "hardly worth getting your gear on."

My training has been good - I feel better prepared for this run than I have ever been - though the 7:30 start time is closer to my usual finish time for my training. I am looking forward to meeting some of the Run Dailymile Columbus runners for some pasta and for the race.  And I am looking forward to getting on the race course and seeing how well I do!  In the meantime, I'm throwing a bit of a taper tantrum.