THE BIG DAY (CAPITAL LETTERS) Part 1 - 6/16/12

I can't believe it - the Marathon is freakin' here!!!!  As I left off in the last post - we both woke up energized and very excited.  The weather was shaping up to be nice (though maybe a little warm) after a threat of storms the night before (that would move in as we finished the race, thankfully).  We were at the starting line... with almost 8,000 of our new best friends.  I ate 4 Gu packs over the hour leading up to the start - thinking I would get a nice base going and some caffenne to boot.  Not sure if it worked, but it was worth a shot.  We had our "sweat-bags" full of post-race supplies (including Erin's phone), so we snapped an "insurance photo" before the race for good measure:

I am ALL that is MAN!!!

They had a medical tent with sunblock and Bengay.  Yeah, I rubbed them both on.  Combine that with my lack of deodorant, and I was the best smelling and sexiest Beast on the course!  The crowd was electric!  The Star Spangled Banner was accompanied by the flyover of a couple of jets (which was awesome), and we took our spots in the 4 hour pace group.  There was no turning back.

Pacing:  Well, I just looked back at all of my entries, and despite talking about pacing a lot, I it looks like I never laid out my goals.  Everything sort of changed after the leg injury(ies), but it went something like this:

Worst Case:  "Finish - under 5 hours, hopefully (baring a huge injury)
Good Case:  Finish in 4:30
Great Case:  Finish in 4:15
Best Case:   Finish in 4:00 or better

Before the injuries set in, you could have sold me on 3:54-3:50 as best case (better than 9:00 mile average), but I put that one to bed.  Aside from that, my goal was to eat a Gu every 4 miles and hit water and Powerade as I could.  I had a big pocked on the backside of my shorts that I would keep stocked.  Yes, I was in nothing but shorts, shirt, a chest strap, and a diaper full of Gu packs - I was dead sexy indeed!!!

Without further flub-bubbery, the race!

*Note - I'll throw out my stats at every official check point.  My A.S.O.P (Average Pace over Stretch) will give you my pacing for that particular stretch of run since the previous checkpoint - NOT overall.  This gives a better play-by-play.

START:  Watch Time: 0:00 (Gun time - Roughly 3:35)

I won't focus on the gun time any more than that right there, but it's important to remember that Boston Marathon qualifying (and official times in general) are based on gun times.  Since that really didn't bother me, ehhh...

My Heart rate was 140 before the race started.  I was pretty excited.  Therefore, it was no surprise that after the first mile (at 8:55 pace), my HR was close to 168.  This would not do for 26.2 miles, but it was flat and I chalked it up to being nervous.  Surely, the pace group would slow up a smidgen an my HR would drop down to the 150's.  Ha.

Mile 2: 8:55 pace - 170 HR
Mile 3: 8:55 pace - 172 HR
Mile 4: 8:59 pace - 172 HR

You get the idea, it was getting a little upsetting.  I felt fine, but I knew I'd pay for this before the race was over.

10K - First Checkpoint - Time: 56:02 - *A.P.O.S.:  9:02/mile

This was a fun reflection point for me.  Back in 2008, when my left foot was toast and I could hardly run (and weighed about 195 lbs), I ran a 10K in Wichita.  It was only a 10K, and it took me just over 56 minutes to do.  I had to walk some, just due to the sheer pain in my foot.  It was a very rough time - funny now that my leisurely paced 10K on the front end of a marathon is now 56 minutes.  I felt like, if anything, I'd accomplished something today - just from that.  Now, I've run 10K's faster (my record being just over 45 minutes in 2009), but it was a special thought.

Our pace leader was the model of perfection and pacing.  He tried to keep the group energized and excited, which was a nice distraction.  I just felt like I had a hard time keeping up - always felt like I was running to catch him.  He was consistent - same pace up hill and down.  That was a little rough for me, but like a trooper, I kept at it.  My HR had not declined.  I had already hit 180 on a few of the hills and was constantly holding in the low 170's.  Nerves?  Who knows... Was I slowly digging my own "marathon grave", or would I get this figured out?  In spite of myself and my HR, we kept on.

I could tell that Erin was hardly sweating, but I was doing enough for both of us, so it was okay.  The temps were in the low to mid 70's by this point, but we saw clouds in the distance, and we were getting really nice tailwind breezes off the lake (cold!) which helped mentally as much as anything.  I was hopeful that the coulds would bring cool weather and maybe some rain!  (No storms, please!).

13.1 Miles - Second Checkpoint - Time: 2:00:20 - A.P.O.S.:  9:18/mile

I was actually a little shocked - our pace guy slipped up by 20 seconds!  Actually, just the opposite - I was very impressed that we were holding so consistent in our pacing.  By this point, my HR was approaching the mid to upper 170's per mile, so I had a feeling that everything was starting to catch up with me.  I didn't feel like I had overexerted myself to that point, but I noticed that getting that extra kick to hold the pace up a hill was tough.  I think Erin began to notice it too.  It wasn't that I was slowing down or anything, just that I was concentrating a lot more and wasn't as talkative. Maybe the point I knew it was getting difficult was in the "water zones".  Either our pace leader liked to sprint through them, or it was really just a bigger effort to catch up to him right after we made it though.  I didn't stop in these zones, but I did slow to get water, eat a Gu, and drink.  I think around mile 13, I knew I was in for a LONG day...

Part II?  Stick around...

June 15th - Let's get Grandma'd!!! (sp?)

Well, the packet pickup day had arrived.  We were staying at a cabin about 30 miles north of the start of the race, so we had to pass the course on the way down.  Luckily, the course was drivable, so we took the opportunity to become acquainted with it.  I'm glad we did!  It was encouraging to see that the hills were few and far between, and the scenery (right on the lake) was beautiful.  It was one of the items on our check list for the day.  Here's a few others:

Marathon Eve Day Checklist:

_X_Drive the Course
       - See above, check!
_X_Pick Up Our Packets
       - The experience with packet pickup was pretty intense.  The Duluth Convention Center was a flurry of activity - full of vendors, exhibits and people that are in much better shape than me!  I had to break out my number to set the mood:

           Timing chips checked out - we were ready to roll.
_X_Get Some Supplies for the Run
        - Nothing too major, we simply picked up some sunglasses (to replace my broken ones), a race belt for Erin, a hat for each of us, and a headband (for Erin).  That one wasn't so much for running the next day, as it was for the future.
_X_(Once back at the Cabin) Eat some Dinner, Pack, and get Ellie to Bed!
        - We had a good dinner of some pasta, some fish, watermelon and leftover soup.  It would do, pig... it would do...


Along with the packing, our vacation had effectively ended that night. We would need to pack up all of our clothes, possessions (and what not), get the car loaded, and clean the cabin before we could call it a night.  We had all of our stuff laid out for the next day; what we would be wearing, our race numbers, directions, timing chips on our shoes, food, water, etc - all ready to go.  We shipped Ellie off to the Grand Parentals so that we could get set up to go.  We probably got to bed around 10pm, but confident that we'd wake up the next morning (at 5am), toast a few waffles and hit the road with no major issues.

We.... were.... RIGHT!

I have to say, we were up and at em' the next morning, and all of the planning made everything go off without a hitch!  We made it to Two Harbors, MN at the shuttle parking lot, ate our breakfast, drank lots of fluids, hit the bathrooms and made the shuttle to the start line.  It was happening, but the energy was good and the pain hadn't set in yet.  Nothing left to do, but "it"!

Next up - the Race!!!

D

Final Tune-up: 6/14/12

As the title may indicate, this was the final stretch out for the big run ahead:

Getting our final "stretch" in for Grandma!  (ewwwww....)

We made every effort to stay loose and easy.  In fact, I think Erin may have run this in jeans.  I hate running in pants, but I definitely ran in some athletic pants.  It was sorta drizzly and cold out, but we managed, and did so in good spirits.  After we finished up, it was right back to playing pitch and having a drink...

We talked some strategy - if/how we would tackle the race - mile by mile, what to eat and when, and how we would get to the starting line in time.  We already knew the answers to these questions, but it was just good to talk it all over.  I think it finally felt real during this run.  You definitely start to notice every pain, every tingle, and every twitch - starting to slowly creep into your mind.  What if my ankle starts to click in the first mile?  What if my knee shuts down after mile 8?  What if I get explosive diarrhea?  We joked about a few scenarios, but we tried to keep it light to avoid thinking about what could happen.  At this point - we were going through with it, so we convinced ourselves to accept the future for what it would be and move on.

I think I'll do a "lead-in" post before the marathon.  2 days!

D

Running Total:
June:  22.01
2012:  276.87

6/12 - Some Minnesota runnin'!

Welpers, we're up in the Great State of Minnesota - doing a little country running!

Doing some running out by the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center.  Dirt roads, some hills and plenty of sunshine, but not as hot as it was in Kansas.  This was our "tune up" run (though we went a little longer between runs than we had hoped).

After much debate on what route to take, we decided to give this dirt road a go.  We ran into the Wolf Ridge Center, for a mile and a half before turning around.  We then ran across the highway and went 1.5 miles on some more dirt.  That stretch had a .7 mile hill to start it out, which gave us a decent elevation gain for the run overall.  The road was little more than a logging road, so traffic was light, at least.

We probably went a little faster than I wanted to, but it felt good the whole way - no knee pain or anything.  That maybe had something to do with the dirt we were running on.  I did, however lose my sunglasses on this ride.  I should have taken a picture - I'd been limping this pair along for some time.  The nose piece fell out (as the glasses had cracked at some point), and I was adjusting them about every half mile or so as I went.  I guess it's good that they broke pre-marathon, as I didn't have to worry about them during the run.

Obviously I'm updating this after the marathon itself, but I must say that we were pretty pumped at this point - both feeling good about our chances.  While still close to 80 degrees, it was still nicer than the miles we'd been putting in so far in Kansas.  We also knew that while we'd be running down on the lake (about 800 feet of elevation below where we were running), it was going to be nicer still.  My new shoes still felt wonder, and at this point it was about deciding on what clothes we were going to wear.  We concluded the run with a big meal and some relaxation - dunking our feet in some very cold water.  Minnesota is nice this time of year...

From here, 4 days to go!

D

Running Total:
June:  19.93
2012:  274.79

Ellie run - Last in KS - 6/7/12

As the title suggests - our last run in KS before the marathon:

This is pretty close to our most standard route for running, so it seems fitting that it's how we end our Kansas mileage.  Hot, but not bad...

With the Ellie in tow (and Winnie the Poo by default), we brave the setting sun and the heat to get this run in.  We both decided that it would be in our best interest to log the miles before we head up.  Not too bad though. Didn't get to eat any Gu or anything before the run, or drink a lot of water for that matter, but it worked out.  It was a largely uneventful run - leg felt good, shoes worked out fine, and Ellie didn't flip her lid.  That's about as much as any one guy could ask for!

Soooooooooooooooooooo, reflections to date as I pack up the car:

 - I thought I would have a LOT more miles underneath my belt.  But having said that, I've pretty much done the minimums, and done them in run times that I'm quite happy with.  I'm exceeding any time frame that suggests 4 hour marathon is possible.
- Injuries suck, but with each one I was able to rebound.  I guess that speaks to good rest and rehab.
- I'm in great shape for triathlons this summer!  One this is all over, I will begin to focus on shorter races/distances and biking.
- I've officially dropped to around 180 lbs.  I was hoping for much more weight loss, but I'll take what I can get. I was beginning to believe that I'd be stuck around 188 forever - yuck.  I'm hoping to stand tall in the month of August at something closer to 175.

I'll hopefully get 2-3 runs in MN before the marathon.  I will try to post as I go, but apparently "the internet" has not reached the upper portion of the state.  Maybe one day....


Okay, I need to get on the road.  Thanks for reading so far.  I'll have a WAY TOO FREAKIN' long post for the marathon, and I hope to have great results to report.

Thanks,

Running Total:
June:  13.87
2012:  268.73

Recover from the Calf - 6/1/12

More time passed than I wanted before I was able to get this one out:

The Turkey Creek trails - end to end and back.  A year ago, you couldn't have talked me into doing this, me thinks.  5.5 was enough for me.

I basically took the week off from running.  I did, however do a very interrupted 2 mile run on the Friday night, so I'm going to add that mileage to the total in my June count.  This run felt good, though I can't help but notice that I ALWAYS run too fast when I'm by myself.  Aside from that, I'm running in my new shoes!  They feel great, and hopefully will give my legs a few extra miles in reduced wear and tear in the marathon.  Still breaking them in, so hopefully I'll have more than a few chances to wear therm around.

Other than that, not a very exciting run.  I picked it up at the end (last mile or so), which accounts for most of the HR (including the last 100 yards getting me up to 187).  It was hot out again - can't wait for the lovely, cool shore of Lake Superior!

That's it for now.  Marathon in 11 days!

D

Running Total:
June:  9.30
2012:  264.16

Long, taper run #1 - 5/29/12

Well, time to start stepping it down from the longest to the short-end of the training pole(?):

(3) 4-mile loops and a 2-miler to close it.  My 4 mile loops were a little shorter than 4, but it's all good.  Not a bad showing, though I could tell that, in warm weather, the marathon might not happen.  My leg is definitely feeling it too.  The end is near...

Overall, fairly successful run.  My heart rate was much higher than I was hoping for, but it was hot outside.  I don't think I did as good of a job hydrating before hand, but an effort was made.  My left calf has been hurting.  When I ended the run prior to this one, I felt pretty good.  However, the next day was all down hill.  Not sure why it waited a day to hurt, but it did.  It was very specific pain, isolated in one tiny spot - not like normal fatigue or anything.  Either way, it was discouraging to have that nagging at me throughout the run.

I ran the first 12 miles with Matt, which is always nice when you can keep yourself entertained.  Running by yourself for too long is maddening.  I typically don't run with headphones - just too many things that can happen.  I like to be "aware" of what's going on.  When I'm in the gym, that's a different story.  I want to take myself out of that environment.

Calf aside, I really did feel pretty good as the run went on.  I hope I'm doing this all right.  I think I got a little bit of a jump on the taper schedule.  Oh well, if the calf gets better, I'll be able to stay loose and get some decent mileage in before the marathon.  Not "Kill yourself" mileage, but enough to keep my head in the game.

With that - May running is over.  Marathon is in the cross-hairs.

D

Running Total:
May:  85.34
2012:  254.86