Ran a 10k in June (5 Viewers)

[Darrinll40]

All excellent races and reports. I wish I could be out there.

My update:

Under 18 hours to go before I have my surgery, and I have to say I am a bit nervous about everything. I am going to stay up and at least watch all the game tonight and try to sleep as late as I can. It seems a good idea as I can't eat anything until after everything, sometime around 6pm.

My plan to get back to running is to rest and recover for two or three days, then I am going to try and start low impact cardio (walking).

At least 11 of you are my brothers in bourbon and the rest are all around good people, so please excuse my TMI stuff. I will post an update after as soon as I can.

 

[prosopis]

Lots of laughs afterwards about it, but damn, wish I had kicked it earlier to get under 1:50. and the most ridiculous part of all is I was wearing my 7 yr old son's watch - and the f-ing stopwatch on the thing stops going at 99:99 so I had no idea how close I was until it was too late.......

Awesome technology here.Seriously, don't sweat it. 1:50:19 = 1:49:59. If anybody asks about your time, just say one-fifty and be happy about it. Nineteen seconds is nothing except for those of us who get OCD over this kind of thing. There's a reason why people list their times as 1:50x. You killed it and you know it.

 

[2Young2BBald]

All excellent races and reports. I wish I could be out there. My update:Under 18 hours to go before I have my surgery, and I have to say I am a bit nervous about everything. I am going to stay up and at least watch all the game tonight and try to sleep as late as I can. It seems a good idea as I can't eat anything until after everything, sometime around 6pm. My plan to get back to running is to rest and recover for two or three days, then I am going to try and start low impact cardio (walking). At least 11 of you are my brothers in bourbon and the rest are all around good people, so please excuse my TMI stuff. I will post an update after as soon as I can.

Hope this helps. The day I had the same surgery you are about to have, my wife thought I'd like to have something off the grill. She lit it and got preoccupied by the kids. Next thing I know, I see and orange glow coming from my deck. My grill was in flames. So I get up off of the couch and am "standing" at about 45 degrees. I "run" to the kitchen and get water and douse the grill. NOTHING bad happened and I was fine and you are going to be too. This is a bump in the road and you will be back sooner than later. Attitude is everything. Go in positive, come out and heal and get back after it.

 

[gruecd]

Great job by all the weekend racers!! Muy impresionante.

I did an easy 4 miles this morning after a VERY heavy night of and before heading up to Lambeau for the Packers game. Honestly too bad they've gotten bitten so badly by the injury bug, but whatcha gonna do?

Total 25 miles for this past week, but this week I'll be up closer to 40. My hip's been a little sore, and I'm thinking my pelvis is a little out of alignment. I'll make an appointment tomorrow to get that adjusted.

Oh, yeah. Boston registration opens tomorrow morning at 8 AM CDT!!!!!!! You ready, tri-man?!

 

[BassNBrew]

Just killed a few beers, a ribeye, and some crablegs while enjoying race reports. Trying to clean out the freezer before the annual pheasant carnage begins plus my diet is severely restricted for the next 3 days.

 

[bentley]

Excellent results all the way around. Great work by the whole gang this weekend.

 

[BassNBrew]

I'm thinking my pelvis is a little out of alignment. I'll make an appointment tomorrow to get that adjusted.

You seeing a spine cracker for this?

 

[BassNBrew]

All excellent races and reports. I wish I could be out there. My update:Under 18 hours to go before I have my surgery, and I have to say I am a bit nervous about everything. I am going to stay up and at least watch all the game tonight and try to sleep as late as I can. It seems a good idea as I can't eat anything until after everything, sometime around 6pm. My plan to get back to running is to rest and recover for two or three days, then I am going to try and start low impact cardio (walking). At least 11 of you are my brothers in bourbon and the rest are all around good people, so please excuse my TMI stuff. I will post an update after as soon as I can.

Good luck dude. Here's hoping your surgeon is staying up to watch the game.Nothing to be neverous about...you'll be out cold when the doc starts pretending to cut off your nads to get a laugh out of the nurses.

 

[BassNBrew]

1:50:19 in the Newport Half, crushed my goal which felt great but pissed I missed going under 1:50, oh well - more details tomorrow.D_House, congrats on toughing it out - no way I could have run another 100 yds let alone another 13.1.

Damn!!!!!!!!!Great job. How did your wife do?

1:52 somethinglong story short, at the ten mile mark, after 10 miles of her telling me to "slow down, we're going too fast" and my neck getting sore from looking over my shoulder to find her, I ditched her(with her blessing) Lots of laughs afterwards about it, but damn, wish I had kicked it earlier to get under 1:50. and the most ridiculous part of all is I was wearing my 7 yr old son's watch - and the f-ing stopwatch on the thing stops going at 99:99 so I had no idea how close I was until it was too late.......

You probably ran 13.2 miles so you broke 1:50 by about 10 secs for a half. Great run.

 

[BassNBrew]

Good run this morning, decided I'd see what I could do for a 10k around here (hills!)1: 7:182: 7:023: 8:03 (hills started here)4: 7:465: 7:516: 7:246.2: 47:027: 9:02 (hit the wooden trail for a mile)8: 7:19

You've got the potential to hang with gru.

 

[BassNBrew]

2010 Amica Newport (RI) race report:

Short version: This morning, I successfully finished my first (and likely last) ever marathon in a respectable but slower than goal time of approximately 4:09:20 (net time from my watch).

Long version: So this race started inauspiciously as I pulled a bostonfred and showed up to the start line somewhere between 5 and 6 minutes after the gun went off. This was due to a traffic jam outside the designated parking area from which runners and spectators were to take a shuttle to the race start. As our shuttle bus pulled up to the start site, we could see the tail end of the mass of runners crossing the start. So I wasn't able to line up with runners with the same goal pace as me (~9 minutes, hoping for a sub 4 minute marathon).

Once I got underway though, things went great. The weather was perfect. The route was very pretty, running along the shores of Newport and past some incredible mansions. I paced myself very well, hitting the half at 1:58ish (this included a 4-5 minute port-o-potty stop, no time before the race), and hit mile 20 at the 3 hour mark, which had me elated as I knew that I only had to run 10 minute pace for the last 6 miles to finish under 4 hours. I also noticed at this point a large increase in the number of people walking, however I really felt great except for a tinge in my right ankle around this point that lasted maybe 200 meters and a foot cramp that I also toughed it out through. However, around mile 22 my hips, which were sore since at least the halfway point, started screaming at me. I ran a 10:30 and 11:30 minute mile for miles 22 and 23 and hit the mile 24 marker at 3:40ish. At this point each step was just too much pain, and I'm sad to say I had to walk-run the rest of the marathon.

It sucked to get so close to my goal time and fall short, but I only decided on this goal time after a great 20K race midway through my training, and it's clear to me that although my cardiovascular and muscular endurance is good enough, my body hasn't adapted to the pounding of a 3.5 hour+ run. I mentioned here previously that I failed my last training run of 20 miles, pulling short at 17 due to lower leg pain that I think was mitigated by the new shoes I splurged on and have been training with the past 2 weeks - Asics Gel Nimbus. Not sure how I can prevent the hip pain.

Next on my plate is a 5K race two weeks from now, plus I start up indoor soccer again next week. Excited to see how I fare with my increased endurance.

Once again, thanks to all here who answered my noob questions, I really appreciated it. I look forward to hearing from the rest of this weekend's runners.

Was this fun or just a punch list item you wanted to dsy thst you di?. Honestly this sounds more like a huge sufferfest. Huge accomplishment either way.I so torn about pursuing this direction. Can't be worse than riding the BRP parkway right???

 

[gruecd]

I'm thinking my pelvis is a little out of alignment. I'll make an appointment tomorrow to get that adjusted.

You seeing a spine cracker for this?

Nah, one of my clients is a physical therapist, so he'll do it for me.6-mile recovery run is done. T-minus 47 minutes 'til registration opens. Hope the BAA's servers can handle the onslaught....

 

[prosopis]

Running my first half-marathon tomorrow (Long Beach, CA). Never would have considered it or running in general were it not for the some of the inspiring stories and advice in this thread.

Thanks guys and keep it up!

Awesome - please check back and let us know how it went!With pics. Lots and lots of pics.

Y'all'll have to take my word for it that the views were very nice. Almost twice as many women as men which seems unusual but I'm not complaining. The rear view of a nice shorty-short blonde girl kept me motivated until she split off on the full marathon course around mile ten. I am not to blame for my declining pace after that.My goal was to be sub 3 hours and to beat my co-worker chick only one of which I accomplished with a 2:17 finish (she was 2:10, dammit).

The real big deal, however, was my 57yo buddy who finished (3:15) after weighing 350 lbs just two years ago and unable to climb a flight of stairs. It was great to get a hug from him afterwards...he was almost in tears.

It all added up to a great day and I sure am sore but we got enough motivation to train for the LA marathon in the spring. It was amazing how great it felt to finish especially with my friend who is no longer dying. I want more.

Cheers!

WOW I would have been in tears. What a turn around in life.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Great racing everyone this weekend. I love the reports and inspiration by everyone in here. I would rather read 100 successful weight loss/get healthy running story than 1 race report. Sorry guys, this is what motivates me to run more and more than better times. It is more the journey than the race, but the race is the icing on the cake. I want to be healthy for a long time and inspiring others to be healthier always makes me feel better about what I am doing for myself.

Wraith - This is a followup from something a couple of days ago that you were talking about and your marathon experiences. I know that it is tough and we have talked a bit before about the FIRST program. You mentioned that it was your confidence that was not there at mile 20 when you needed it. I also used to think like that for my previous 3 marathons. The Pfitz programs will give you more confidence in your running by the amount of mileage (and type) that you are doing. I think that the more miles that you run, the better you will feel about the race. Now, I don't mean you need to run 100 miles a week, but an increase should give you more confidence when it comes to race time. I will hopefully explain some of this in my race report below.

------------------------

Race Report for 2010 Indianapolis Marathon 10/16

Time: 3:17:38

Place Overall: 39/900

Age/Division Place: 9/75

Overall, this was just a great race for me. The temp was around 43 at the start without a cloud in the sky. The course was not hilly, but for one noticable hill around mile 3. Other than that, I did not notice any huge inclines.

Wife and I got down to the starting line around 7:30 and got in the morning routines. She had never been to a start before so I had a ton of questions to answer. I was able to break away and get about a half mile warm up in with a few strides to get my mind right. Lined up for the start in the B Coral and after a intro from the mayor, some other dude, and Megamind started us off.

First couple of miles, I was flying. I was running about a 7:00 pace and not even breathing hard. The noticable hill hit and I knew that I had to slow myself down a bit or I would end up burning up pretty quickly. I let the hill slow me down a bit and settled into a nice pace between 7:15 and 7:20 for the next 10 plus miles. This was a very relaxing course. There was not but one spot of entertainment, but the race did wind through the Fort Benjamin Harrison state park so it was pretty quiet and the scenery was amazing (trees not butts). This made it pretty relaxing of a run and took my mind off what I was doing.

Next thing I know, I am at the halfway point and doing some quick math and thinking that 2012 Boston is a possibility. My wife was all over the course and was a great support. She really gets into it for me and is a great pick me up. The next group of miles is a blur as there is a long out and back for the second half. Again not much fan support but witht he out and back, the runner support is great. I think it was about mile 19 that I started to slow again and hit 7:30 and 7:40. The miles just tended to blend together because everything looked the same for the race. I was really good until mile 23 and I started to sputter just a bit. I made it under 8:00 and at 24 walked just a bit to get my head right. I determined that I was not letting anyone pass me and I had picked off just a few people here and there. Saw my wife right after mile 25 and was heading for the home stretch. Someone almost caught me at the shoot, but I surged a head and held him off.

Great race and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a really flat course to set a good time in. Not much for fan support, but those that were there did a great job. I did have a few issues at the late mile water stops as the volunteers were looking the other way and I missed one stop at 21 because of some confusion there. But, overall it was good.

As far as race stalking goes. I will start and end with 1254 for now. There may be another one if I got the number right, but I will have to look it up when the pictures are posted. 1254 was by far the best looking one that I saw there. Hopefully, I am right on that one.

Maybe next year will be the year of BQ for me. Grue is trying to talk me into a flat, fast Green Bay Marathon, but we will see if that is wife approved. I am planting those seeds now just to be sure. I don't think I could BQ at the Flying Pig. There are just too many hills for me and hills seem to just destroy me come race day.

Thanks for all the support guys. Have a great day.

 

[The_Man]

PMB – many congrats on a great race.

PizzaDeliveryGuy – welcome! Your accomplishments are already as impressive as anyone here’s.

Prosopis – keep grinding. You are doing great and the improvement will come. It doesn’t always happen in a straight line, but it happens.

Sand – good job on the “rehab.”

Workhorse – can’t wait to see how NYC goes. You are ready to kill it.

Dexter – great job on the 20-minute improvement. That is huge!

Ned – just keep putting out those long slow miles and you will be amazed at what you can do on raceday.

D_house – congrats on the Marathon. Give it a week and you’ll be planning your next one.

SofaKings – Great story! I love hearing about kids getting inspired to push themselves and learn what they’re capable of.

Nigel – just awesome!

Darrin – good luck with the surgery, buddy. You will be back better than before in no time.

Bananafish – great job. And welcome to the addiction!

Grue – congrats on your getting through to register for Boston.

Beginning the taper for me and feeling good about it, though I ate way too much this weekend.

I had a huge breakthrough run on Saturday. Just four miles at Goal Marathon Pace, which I cranked out a little fast – 7:30 pace. The amazing thing was my Heart Rate, which averaged 147 for the run. For the past 4 months, all my runs at Goal pace have put me in the 155-160 HR range. It really felt great and gave me a lot of confidence. I feel like I can run forever below 150 HR and begin to struggle hard at 160. If I can steal a good 6 or 10 miles in my marathon with an HR below 150, it would be amazing.

Yesterday was my last run of any distance, 12 miles at comfortable long run pace, which turned out to be 8:45 pace with a 135 average HR. Just last week, I ran the first 16 miles of my long run at 135 average HR and my pace was 9:14.

I’m really not sure what to make of these sudden and huge gains, but I hope they are real and not just a one-time aberration.

 

[pigskinliquors]

It all added up to a great day and I sure am sore but we got enough motivation to train for the LA marathon in the spring. It was amazing how great it felt to finish especially with my friend who is no longer dying. I want more.Cheers!

AWESOME bananafish!!!! PMB: GREAT race and report! You killed it! Looking forward to seeing some 1254 in the near future! The_Man: Great improvement. Was there a change in temp/humidity that could account for it? If not, be careful not to injure yourself as BIG speed/distance changes don't bode well for the body. Regardless, enjoy the completion of a great accomplishment!

 

[gruecd]

Maybe next year will be the year of BQ for me. Grue is trying to talk me into a flat, fast Green Bay Marathon, but we will see if that is wife approved.

Trying to get wraith to run there, too. Great race, and great race report. If you come to Green Bay, and if you get another Pfitz cycle under your belt this winter, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll get the BQ.

The_Man - Can't wait to see how you do at MCM. You've had a great training cycle.

----------

BAA's servers had a hard time keeping up with the volume this morning, but I did get registered to run my 3rd Boston Marathon next April. Hoping tri-man was able to get registered, too!

Wrote my Chicago Marathon race report last night. It's kinda long, but I'll try to get it posted here later.

 

[tri-man 47]

BAA's servers had a hard time keeping up with the volume this morning, but I did get registered to run my 3rd Boston Marathon next April. Hoping tri-man was able to get registered, too!

I'm officially registered for the Boston Marathon! Hotel is already booked ...now I'll add the flight ...then work on the Big Sur logistics ...

 

[gruecd]

Chicago Marathon Race Report

Pre-race

Coming off a PR last year in Chicago and a solid race in Boston, I started this cycle feeling pretty optimistic. It ended up being an “OK” cycle, but not great. My volume was fine, but my quality workouts suffered as a result of the unseasonably warm weather. Regardless, I ran a 1:28:52 half marathon PR five weeks prior to the race, and since my marathon pace typically isn’t a whole lot slower than my half marathon pace, I started to thing that sub-3 might be do-able. However, the warm weather forecast had me worried…

Got into Chicago on Friday afternoon and met wraith for lunch before heading over to the expo. Hooked up with the RW crew for dinner at Caro Mio (delicious) and then headed back to the Loop for some pre-race libations at Elephant & Castle before calling it a night around midnight.

Saturday morning met up with my friends, Chad and Jay, for a little 5K shakeout run along the Lakeshore. It wasn’t even 9:00, and it already felt warm in the sun—didn’t bode well for race day. Chilled in the room for a while before heading over to Noodles to have lunch with my RW friends Heather, Jay, Abby, and Harry, and my friend Dot from high school. [sIDENOTE: Dot runs for the Hansons-Brooks team and finished 8th (2:35:02) at the ’08 trials. She had a baby last year and was making her marathon comeback in Chicago. Got sick mid-race and ended up running a “disappointing” 2:36:01. Really hoping to watch her race in Houston!] Went back to the expo for a while with my buddy Eamon, grabbed Jimmy John’s for dinner, and then pretty much chilled the rest of the night. I do remember thinking around 10 PM how it was a beautiful summer night in one of the most fun, exciting cities in the world, and I was sitting in my hotel room getting ready to go to bed. Lame.

Race day

Woke up at 5, got dressed, and headed downstairs with my friend Mark (who got into town late Saturday night) for a quick little run around the block. It was already warm. Went back up to the room, finished getting ready, and headed downstairs to meet the RW crew in the lobby.

Headed over towards the start area shortly thereafter, and in hindsight, I probably should’ve paid more attention to the participant guide, because the seeded gear check was a lot further away than last year. I bet we ended up walking a couple of miles before the race even started, and we probably should’ve left the hotel earlier, because we barely had time for a quick bathroom visit before walking into the corral just as the National Anthem was starting. Mark and I wished Chad and Jay good luck, said a quick hello to my friends Paul and Dave, and we were quickly on our way.

Miles 1-5 (6:59, 6:53, 6:55, 6:52, 6:51)

Mark and I had both been kinda thinking sub-3 for our “A” goal, but considering the weather, we thought it might be smart to start easy, get through the half, and then re-evaluate. We wanted to be around 7:00 pace for the first couple of miles, so I guess we did OK there. At every aid station I’d drink a Gatorade, drink a water, and then pour 1-2 waters over my head; I’d continue to do this the entire race. Caught back up to Paul around mile 3 and would run with him for the next several miles. Splits were getting faster, and while I thought the heat would make it tough for me to go sub-3, I still thought the “B” goal (straight 7s, so 3:03:24) might be do-able. At the same time, I knew the longer I pushed the pace, the bigger the risk of a blow-up later.

Miles 6-13 (6:51, 6:51, 6:58, 6:53, 6:57, 6:56, 6:53, 6:56)

Was getting nervous pushing the low 6:50 splits, so I made a conscious decision to back off a little bit. Lost Paul somewhere towards the end of this stretch. Crossed over the bridge to the half marathon marker, and I remember this being the first point where the sun really hit me. Crossed the half at 1:30:37 (6:55 average).

Mile 14-22 (6:56, 6:58, 7:10, 7:19, 7:35, 7:40, 7:49, 7:49, 7:49)

Sun was really starting to get to me. Probably started too fast for the weather. Crap. Lost Mark around mile 15, and I was fading fast. Dialed it back a bit, and decided to take the rest of the race one mile at a time. Hit 30K at 2:10:59 (7:02 average) and then 35K at 2:35:24 (7:09), so my “C” goal (new PR, sub-3:06:10) was also slipping away. Double crap. My friend Richard passed me somewhere around Pilsen; dude made me feel like I was standing still.

Mile 23-Finish (7:54, 7:58, 7:34, 7:33, 1:34)

Felt like crap in the Comiskey area and after making the turn onto Michigan, but Dave caught up with me around the 24-mile marker, and it gave me a little boost. (Didn’t hurt that some people were blasting Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” either.) Saw a couple of friends who were spectating at the start of the last mile, and one of them yelled to me that my friends John and Tom were just up ahead. Made a little burst to catch ‘em, crested Mt. Roosevelt, and crossed the finish line with John at 3:09:55.

Post-race

After getting some water (which inexplicably came after the Mylar blankets on an 80-degree day), I met up my super fast friends who'd already finished, all of whom ran awesome races. Eric proceeded to tell me (many times) exactly HOW awesome his race was, but he deserved to gloat after running 2:57x and smashing his PR. Grabbed my gear bag and headed to the changing area, where I actually ran into Mark, who faded towards the end and finished less than a minute ahead of me in 3:09:01. If I’d had two more miles, I would’ve caught him. Went back to the hotel and cleaned up, then headed over to Fado to hang with the gang. Food and drink was awesome, but the company was even better. Headed over to Jake Melnick’s later and watched Richard destroy some super hot wings. Still debating which feat was more impressive—Eric's marathon or Richard’s wing-eating. I’m gonna call it a draw. Breakfast the next morning with Jay at Bongo Room (Oreo Banana Hotcakes--holy crap!), then back on the road home.

Summary

Like I’ve already told people, when I think about how 4-5 years ago I didn’t think I could EVER qualify for Boston, it’s hard to be too disappointed when a BQ is your “D” goal on an 80-degree day. That being said, I know that I’ve got a sub-3 marathon in me. And if this year’s weather had been more like last year’s weather, I think I would’ve done it, too.

So assuming my body recovers sufficiently well and also assuming good (cold) weather, there’s a good chance that I’ll take another shot at sub-3 in the not-too-distant future. But that's all I'm going to divulge right now....

Thanks for reading, guys, and for being such great friends!

 

[pigskinliquors]

GREAT race report Grue! Your "D" goal is above and beyond goal #1 = just finish! Getting both are extremely awesome considering the conditions. For us in warmer weather, we kid that 80's is "cool" but reality is that anything warmer than you are training in is going to have a negative effect on your running, unless it's too cold to begin with.

 

[The_Man]

The_Man: Great improvement. Was there a change in temp/humidity that could account for it? If not, be careful not to injure yourself as BIG speed/distance changes don't bode well for the body. Regardless, enjoy the completion of a great accomplishment!

Good point. Weather definitely felt cooler than it's been, so I just checked the info - it was below 50 to start both runs, with dew points in the upper 30s! That's a far cry from dew point in the 70s like it was all summer. I know that's the first time I've run with temps in the 40s since March.Great. So that improvement was all due to weather conditions. Now I'm going to be obsessively checking the forecast for the next 13 days.Grue, great race report. Sometimes it's easy to believe that running is somehow easier for you than for the rest of us. The truth is, you put in an incredible level of effort - week in and week out - and your ability to run so well in the harsh conditions of Chicago show just how much you HTFU.

 

[gruecd]

Grue, great race report. Sometimes it's easy to believe that running is somehow easier for you than for the rest of us. The truth is, you put in an incredible level of effort - week in and week out - and your ability to run so well in the harsh conditions of Chicago show just how much you HTFU.

Thanks for recognizing that. I appreciate it.When I got started running, I struggled like everyone else. Seven or eight years and 12 marathons later, yeah, it's "easy" for me to go out and run 10-15 miles, but the improvements, new PRs, etc., are definitely harder to come by.

 

[Sand]

Grue, great race report. Sometimes it's easy to believe that running is somehow easier for you than for the rest of us. The truth is, you put in an incredible level of effort - week in and week out - and your ability to run so well in the harsh conditions of Chicago show just how much you HTFU.

Thanks for recognizing that. I appreciate it.When I got started running, I struggled like everyone else. Seven or eight years and 12 marathons later, yeah, it's "easy" for me to go out and run 10-15 miles, but the improvements, new PRs, etc., are definitely harder to come by.

Oh bulls***.

I figure there's some EPO in this story here somewhere.

 

[pmbrown_22]

The_Man: Great improvement. Was there a change in temp/humidity that could account for it? If not, be careful not to injure yourself as BIG speed/distance changes don't bode well for the body. Regardless, enjoy the completion of a great accomplishment!

Good point. Weather definitely felt cooler than it's been, so I just checked the info - it was below 50 to start both runs, with dew points in the upper 30s! That's a far cry from dew point in the 70s like it was all summer. I know that's the first time I've run with temps in the 40s since March.Great. So that improvement was all due to weather conditions. Now I'm going to be obsessively checking the forecast for the next 13 days.Grue, great race report. Sometimes it's easy to believe that running is somehow easier for you than for the rest of us. The truth is, you put in an incredible level of effort - week in and week out - and your ability to run so well in the harsh conditions of Chicago show just how much you HTFU.

Don't completely underestimate the weather aspect. That plus your addrenaline will really help you out during your race. Don't expect to go out for world class speed, but it will make some difference.Second the great report grue. Truly an inspiration to many out here. I know that I would not have been able to do what I did this last cycle without your help in pushing me to do the Pfitz 18/70 plan. You push was what I needed and it paid off big time.

 

[rail]

Race report for the Denver R-n-R from yesterday:

Cliff notes: My first marathon. It sucked, but I finished it.

Longer version: I knew going into this race I wasn't going to hit a 4-hour time (my goal when I first started training). My training took a big hit 3-4 weeks ago when the IT band flared up and I couldn't do my 20-miler. The IT band bothered me enough that I could barely run on the treadmill for a few miles in the weeks leading up to the race, and I didn't do much other than ride on the bike and the occasional swim. The rest of my training consisted of resting my leg, icing it, and a couple of massages. My lower back had been bothering me for a couple of weeks. I adjusted my goal to just finishing this da** thing without any injury and to go very slowly.

Great weather for the race as it was chilly in the morning (mid 40s) but then warmed up nicely throughout the race (into the 60s). I've done quite a few 5ks and 10ks, but this was the biggest race I had ever been in with 16,000 runners. The energy was electric - I really fed off of it. My gf met me at various spots in the race with some personalized signs and encouragement, which was fantastic. What a gal.

The course was very pretty - wound through downtown Denver, then hit three major parks, through some nice neighborhoods, and back downtown again. Lots of spectators, bands playing, and h.s. cheerleading squads to encourage me. Really cool of random strangers (not associated with the race) handing out various things to runners, like candy, cups of ice, etc.

First 13 miles, I kept about a 9-9:30 pace. Within the first mile, the IT band hit me hard and knee hurt like a mother. I stopped to adjust the strap around my leg and stretched it out. This helped and made the discomfort tolerable, but I felt the knee pretty much the entire race. Overall, I had to stop and stretch the knee out about 7 times during the race. Also had to do about a 5 min potty break.

Miles 13-16 I was doing about a 10-10:30 pace. I found my energy level just going down (in spite of using gel packs). I just couldn't go as fast as I wanted to. My legs were tired, my knee hurt, and I was feeling a pull in my right hamstring. At mile 16, I grabbed an orange popsicle from a random lady handing them out on the side of the road (thank you, kind random stranger!). I can say that was the best popsicle I've ever tasted in my life.

Miles 16-19: knee is holding up okay, but I'm feeling a pull in both hamstrings. I stretch them out for a while and keep going. My energy level has continued to spiral downward and now my cardio is not doing as well - feeling like I'm not getting enough oxygen, and both sides of my lower ribcage are starting to get sore when I breathe in deeply. I have to start run/walking and I'm not happy about it. Happen to find the gf again right after mile 19, and she has another inspirational sign for me. I press on. If I did a 12 min pace during this stretch, I would be shocked.

BTW - throughout the course, I saw little kids standing on the side of the road, looking for their mommys running. Most of them held signs. A few times, the kids did find their moms. Jumping up and down, excited, "Mommy! Mommy!" The moms run over, give the kids a hug and kiss, and then press on, with the kids yelling "Go Mommy! Go!" I saw this go down about 3 times. Really cool / emotional each time. Just a fun thing to see.

Miles 19-26: The hamstrings (especially the right one) are just hurting with every step. I'm able to run at a very slow pace up until mile 22. The rest of the way ends up being a run/walk. I don't have the energy. My cardio is failing. It feel like my heart rate is really high. I could maybe run a 1/4 mile, then walk. And the "running" portion is a trot. It was during this time period I started to see the pace groups pass me: there goes the 4:15 group, there goes the 4:30 group, etc. After the 4:45 group passed me, I found myself getting really upset about what a total failure this race was turning out to be. It felt like a complete physical and mental breakdown. Mile 23-24 was absoulte hell - it was an out-and-back over a bridge with a bad rise - so going up this bridge twice; what a terrible spot for that late in the race. I was in danger of just mailing it in and walking the rest of the way after mile 24.

Somewhere in here, I was walking next to a physician from Florida. It was his 5th marathon, and he was having trouble with his hamstrings, too. It was cool to walk with the guy and talk for a little bit.

Somehow I was able to dig in and go with a walk/trot (with more trotting) the rest of the way. Some older woman, standing by herself on the sidewalk, was encouraging runners around mile 25. I was walking at this point, and her little fist pump, and "you can do it!" really helped.

I didn't want this race to feel like the total failure that I was perceiving it to be. I wanted this to be a positive experience, so for the last half mile I was able to keep up the trot. In the last 300 yards, when you I through a "tunnel" of lined-up spectators, I was able to run a little faster and left every bit of energy I had left out on the course. I think I was able to raise my hands when I finally crossed the finish line at 5:04.

Initially, I was not at all happy and somewhat embarassed by my time. I really wanted to do better, considering all the training and time I put in. Maybe the last 3-4 weeks of little training combined with the IT band set me back. My body did not seem totally prepared as I ran out of energy and my cardio just seemed to fail.

As I got my medal and found the gf (who gushed about how proud she was of me), I felt better. My first marathon in the books, and I'm proud I did it. It was a big accomplishment for me.

**Looking back at this post, I didn't mean for this come off as a terrible/negative experience. I think it just didn't happen the way I wanted it to (i.e., a stronger run). I'm glad I did it. I will do it again.

Congrats to all the other FBGs on their races this weekend. You guys are an inspirational bunch. And thanks to every one for all the advice and help.

 

[Mario Kart]

I am making a New Year's resolution today. First, I want to stay with running because the cost is low and I do not mind it. I have to work on letting my mind wander so I can simply run. Second, my goal is to run my first 10k next June. The most famous run in Milwaukee is the Al's Run but that is in October and is 8k. The 10k I am talking about is in Green Bay called the Bellin Run. I lived up there for close to 10 years and never thought of running that at all. It would be nice to get back up there and do this. The cost is low and they have those electronic time keeper things from the minor research I did looking over their site. I am not sure about Madison although I would like to get a run in there as well.

I might be on the lookout for new shoes since my current pair, my first pair ever, were $50 and I bought them not knowing much. I still don't know much but going to a running store might help in this venture. We will see.

http://www.bellinrun.com/

 

[pmbrown_22]

Race report for the Denver R-n-R from yesterday:Cliff notes: My first marathon. It sucked, but I finished it.Longer version: I knew going into this race I wasn't going to hit a 4-hour time (my goal when I first started training). My training took a big hit 3-4 weeks ago when the IT band flared up and I couldn't do my 20-miler. The IT band bothered me enough that I could barely run on the treadmill for a few miles in the weeks leading up to the race, and I didn't do much other than ride on the bike and the occasional swim. The rest of my training consisted of resting my leg, icing it, and a couple of massages. My lower back had been bothering me for a couple of weeks. I adjusted my goal to just finishing this da** thing without any injury and to go very slowly.Great weather for the race as it was chilly in the morning (mid 40s) but then warmed up nicely throughout the race (into the 60s). I've done quite a few 5ks and 10ks, but this was the biggest race I had ever been in with 16,000 runners. The energy was electric - I really fed off of it. My gf met me at various spots in the race with some personalized signs and encouragement, which was fantastic. What a gal.The course was very pretty - wound through downtown Denver, then hit three major parks, through some nice neighborhoods, and back downtown again. Lots of spectators, bands playing, and h.s. cheerleading squads to encourage me. Really cool of random strangers (not associated with the race) handing out various things to runners, like candy, cups of ice, etc.First 13 miles, I kept about a 9-9:30 pace. Within the first mile, the IT band hit me hard and knee hurt like a mother. I stopped to adjust the strap around my leg and stretched it out. This helped and made the discomfort tolerable, but I felt the knee pretty much the entire race. Overall, I had to stop and stretch the knee out about 7 times during the race. Also had to do about a 5 min potty break.Miles 13-16 I was doing about a 10-10:30 pace. I found my energy level just going down (in spite of using gel packs). I just couldn't go as fast as I wanted to. My legs were tired, my knee hurt, and I was feeling a pull in my right hamstring. At mile 16, I grabbed an orange popsicle from a random lady handing them out on the side of the road (thank you, kind random stranger!). I can say that was the best popsicle I've ever tasted in my life. Miles 16-19: knee is holding up okay, but I'm feeling a pull in both hamstrings. I stretch them out for a while and keep going. My energy level has continued to spiral downward and now my cardio is not doing as well - feeling like I'm not getting enough oxygen, and both sides of my lower ribcage are starting to get sore when I breathe in deeply. I have to start run/walking and I'm not happy about it. Happen to find the gf again right after mile 19, and she has another inspirational sign for me. I press on. If I did a 12 min pace during this stretch, I would be shocked.BTW - throughout the course, I saw little kids standing on the side of the road, looking for their mommys running. Most of them held signs. A few times, the kids did find their moms. Jumping up and down, excited, "Mommy! Mommy!" The moms run over, give the kids a hug and kiss, and then press on, with the kids yelling "Go Mommy! Go!" I saw this go down about 3 times. Really cool / emotional each time. Just a fun thing to see.Miles 19-26: The hamstrings (especially the right one) are just hurting with every step. I'm able to run at a very slow pace up until mile 22. The rest of the way ends up being a run/walk. I don't have the energy. My cardio is failing. It feel like my heart rate is really high. I could maybe run a 1/4 mile, then walk. And the "running" portion is a trot. It was during this time period I started to see the pace groups pass me: there goes the 4:15 group, there goes the 4:30 group, etc. After the 4:45 group passed me, I found myself getting really upset about what a total failure this race was turning out to be. It felt like a complete physical and mental breakdown. Mile 23-24 was absoulte hell - it was an out-and-back over a bridge with a bad rise - so going up this bridge twice; what a terrible spot for that late in the race. I was in danger of just mailing it in and walking the rest of the way after mile 24. Somewhere in here, I was walking next to a physician from Florida. It was his 5th marathon, and he was having trouble with his hamstrings, too. It was cool to walk with the guy and talk for a little bit.Somehow I was able to dig in and go with a walk/trot (with more trotting) the rest of the way. Some older woman, standing by herself on the sidewalk, was encouraging runners around mile 25. I was walking at this point, and her little fist pump, and "you can do it!" really helped. I didn't want this race to feel like the total failure that I was perceiving it to be. I wanted this to be a positive experience, so for the last half mile I was able to keep up the trot. In the last 300 yards, when you I through a "tunnel" of lined-up spectators, I was able to run a little faster and left every bit of energy I had left out on the course. I think I was able to raise my hands when I finally crossed the finish line at 5:04. Initially, I was not at all happy and somewhat embarassed by my time. I really wanted to do better, considering all the training and time I put in. Maybe the last 3-4 weeks of little training combined with the IT band set me back. My body did not seem totally prepared as I ran out of energy and my cardio just seemed to fail. As I got my medal and found the gf (who gushed about how proud she was of me), I felt better. My first marathon in the books, and I'm proud I did it. It was a big accomplishment for me. **Looking back at this post, I didn't mean for this come off as a terrible/negative experience. I think it just didn't happen the way I wanted it to (i.e., a stronger run). I'm glad I did it. I will do it again. Congrats to all the other FBGs on their races this weekend. You guys are an inspirational bunch. And thanks to every one for all the advice and help.

Keep at it man. The first one is for learning about yourselft and running in general. If you do more, now you have something to go off of. You finished and savor that experience. As I told another first timer yesterday, relish in the fact that you went out and did something that very few will ever attempt.

 

[mr. furley]

The 10k I am talking about is in Green Bay called the Bellin Run.

this was my first (and only so far ) 10k. gllllllllllllllllllll

 

[pigskinliquors]

Rail! You are now a marathoner. Nobody can ever take that away from you. Goal #1 for EVERY race is to just finish (some say it's goal #2, with #1 being getting to the starting line). Regardless, you kicked that run's ###!!! It is truly a lot more difficult to run for 5 hours than it is for 3 (What Grue does is ez ). GREAT JOB!!

 

[wraith5]

Race report for the Denver R-n-R from yesterday:

I didn't want this race to feel like the total failure that I was perceiving it to be. I wanted this to be a positive experience, so for the last half mile I was able to keep up the trot. In the last 300 yards, when you I through a "tunnel" of lined-up spectators, I was able to run a little faster and left every bit of energy I had left out on the course. I think I was able to raise my hands when I finally crossed the finish line at 5:04.

Initially, I was not at all happy and somewhat embarassed by my time. I really wanted to do better, considering all the training and time I put in. Maybe the last 3-4 weeks of little training combined with the IT band set me back. My body did not seem totally prepared as I ran out of energy and my cardio just seemed to fail.

As I got my medal and found the gf (who gushed about how proud she was of me), I felt better. My first marathon in the books, and I'm proud I did it. It was a big accomplishment for me.

**Looking back at this post, I didn't mean for this come off as a terrible/negative experience. I think it just didn't happen the way I wanted it to (i.e., a stronger run). I'm glad I did it. I will do it again.

There are some other congratulations that I need to put out there for the other racers, but I wanted to start here. Congratulations on finishing a marathon- something most people will never, ever attempt, let alone accomplish. You are part of an exclusive club now - and it's a lifetime membership.

What I think you will find in the coming days is that people will be in awe of your accomplishment. They don't care that you finished slower than you wanted to. They will be amazed that you suffered through all of that pain and still crossed the finish line at all. And you know something? They are right.

I completely understand how you feel. Especially here, it can be hard because there are some really outstanding runners here. But don't lose sight of your accomplishment.

Congratulations!

 

[Dexter]

I didn't want this race to feel like the total failure that I was perceiving it to be. I wanted this to be a positive experience, so for the last half mile I was able to keep up the trot. In the last 300 yards, when you I through a "tunnel" of lined-up spectators, I was able to run a little faster and left every bit of energy I had left out on the course. I think I was able to raise my hands when I finally crossed the finish line at 5:04. Initially, I was not at all happy and somewhat embarassed by my time. I really wanted to do better, considering all the training and time I put in. Maybe the last 3-4 weeks of little training combined with the IT band set me back. My body did not seem totally prepared as I ran out of energy and my cardio just seemed to fail. As I got my medal and found the gf (who gushed about how proud she was of me), I felt better. My first marathon in the books, and I'm proud I did it. It was a big accomplishment for me. **Looking back at this post, I didn't mean for this come off as a terrible/negative experience. I think it just didn't happen the way I wanted it to (i.e., a stronger run). I'm glad I did it. I will do it again. Congrats to all the other FBGs on their races this weekend. You guys are an inspirational bunch. And thanks to every one for all the advice and help.

Congrats! I felt terrible after doing the HM there was no way I could have completed a full yesterday. What you did is a huge accomplishment that nobody can take away. Go get a 26.2 sticker and slap that ##### on your car. You ran a ####### marathon!!!!! Be proud of yourself and if you didn't like your time, having done it once you know what you need to do in order to prepare better next time. I hope to join the 26.2 club some day but in the mean time I'll have to continue to look in through the window at you studs.

 

[Nigel]

Full Newport HM Race Report:

Alarm went off at 5:00 Sunday morning after having gone to bed at 9:30 the night before. I felt strange waking up so clear headed on a Sunday, following a Saturday which is typically an epic beer drinking day for me. Not sure if I’ve totally abstained on a Saturday since high school. tossed and turned a bit but I think I got about 6 solid hours and I felt pretty good. I had an English muffin w/ peanut butter, pounded a Gatorade, and off we hit the road at 5:15.

My wife had driven down to Newport (3 hrs round trip) and picked up our numbers on Friday, and we arranged to park at a bread and breakfast a quarter mile from the start line so we wouldn’t have to deal with parking a few miles away and taking the shuttle bus to and from the race. Turned out to be a great call, as there were a bunch of people (like D_House :( ) who missed the start because of the shuttle buses not getting them there in time. I couldn’t imagine that stress, or, to be clear, the stress of dealing with my wife’s stress. It was well worth the $50 we paid the lady to park in her driveway for 5 hours. We got there at around 6:45 and relaxed in the truck for 30 minutes or so before walking down to the start at 7:15. It was sunny, probably 50 degrees when we started, and a little windy – couldn’t ask for a better day. Took care of business at the port a potty, went to the start and off we went right at 8:00.

Our goal when we started training was to break two hours, then as training was going pretty well we thought 1:55 might be doable. I don’t own a watch, but my wife has a fancy running one so she was going to be the pace setter. I decided last minute to grab my son’s crappy little watch though because crappy as it is it does have a stop watch feature. The biggest hill on the course is a half mile climb right out of the gate. There were around 5,000 runners between the half and the full marathons, so it was kind of a slow crowded jog up that first hill but it was nice to get it out of the way right off the bat. First mile was 8:40. Second one, mostly down hill, was 8:15. Two miles in and my wife was already in “we’re going too fast” mode – “we’re going to crash if we keep this up….”. I felt too good though. I’d slow down for a bit but gradually speed up again, just couldn’t help myself. I spent a lot of energy looking over my shoulder for her, slowing down for her to catch up, gradually pulling ahead of her again, then repeating the exercise over and over again. We ran the first 5 in exactly 42:00 – so we were averaging around 8:20s after that first slow one.

Miles 5 – 11 winded along the coast, a bunch of rolling hills but really no steep climbs to speak of. Absolutely stunning scenery and those miles flew by pretty quickly. At the 10 mile mark we were a little over 1:25, so we’d slowed down some over the past 5. Once again I surged ahead of my wife, but this time when I slowed and dropped back to her she said “I’m not feeling great - why don’t you just go ahead” - finally! - so off I went . I hit the 11 mile mark and looked at my crappy watch and it said 93:30. I knew then that I had a shot at breaking 1:50 so I pushed onward. Next time I looked the watch was at 12 and it was frozen on 99:59 – damn thing only had the capacity for 4 digits and had stopped a couple of minutes ago . So I was running blind there at the end but felt like 1:50 was within reach. My legs were finally starting to wear down though and my breathing was stressed for the first time - I was finally uncomfortable, which frankly I wished I had been a couple of miles earlier. I spent much of the race regretting that I was leaving too much out there. I hit the top of the hill a half mile from the finish, the one we climbed on the way out, and tried to pick it up on the descent but damn the downhill was as hard on my wobbly legs as it was going uphill. I hit the bottom of the hill then realized the finish was not where we started, but another 200 yds mile or so around the back of a building along the seawall. I ran as hard as I could, passed a bunch of people and when the clock finally came into view the elapsed time was 1:50:40 and I knew I’d fallen short. Crossed at 1:55:48 – with an official time of 1:55:18. Someone handed me one of those foil wraps and I immediately wrapped it in my arms to fashion a makeshift bowl and I puked in it – two blast of clear liquid, nothing solid. I stumbled around dry heaving for a bit then by the time I composed myself, ditched the puked-on foil and got a new one to wrap in, my wife came through with an official time of 1:52:01. We got something to eat, had a couple of complimentary/celebratory beers in the Harpoon tent, and headed home very pleased with ourselves.

Today I’m sore but not nearly as sore as I though I’d be. I think I've actually felt worse after 5Ks in the past but I hadn't really trained for them. Not sure what my next goal is or what kind of training schedule I’ll transition to. I’ve got a Thanksgiving 5K and then another one in December – a couple of fun runs where drinking afterwards is emphasized more than the run itself. Will be interesting to see how the training I did for this affects those races. I’ve also got a buddy who works for John Hancock and for years has been telling me for years he could get me a number for Boston if I wanted to do it. I hope it’s not an affront to you poor bastards who actually busted your humps to qualify to get a number, but there’s just no way I could ever qualify on my own, and if I run a marathon I want it to be Boston. I’d also be on the hook for raising a couple grand for charity. I need to sort out if I’m up for it though.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Rail -- Congratulations on your finish. Like others have said, you've done something that most people will never do. Just finishing a marthon is a major accomplishment, to say nothing of finishing with an injured IT. Don't worry about your time.

pmb -- Awesome job.

Nigel -- Nice writeup, and again congrats on the fast time.

gruecd -- Great read.

________________________

Did a regular 5 miler around campus today. We've been fortunate to have great running weather so far this month with no snow and little wind, so I've got to take advantage of the good outdoor running opportunities while I can.

 

[2Young2BBald]

I hate to toss this in with all the AWESOME race reports, but since it was a recent topic here, MSNBC Had an Article Today on the Dangers of Vitamin I

 

[gruecd]

I’ve also got a buddy who works for John Hancock and for years has been telling me for years he could get me a number for Boston if I wanted to do it. I hope it’s not an affront to you poor bastards who actually busted your humps to qualify to get a number, but there’s just no way I could ever qualify on my own, and if I run a marathon I want it to be Boston. I’d also be on the hook for raising a couple grand for charity. I need to sort out if I’m up for it though.

Don't do it. Not because it's an affront to me, but because it will take away from the experience when you eventually DO qualify for Boston.Believe it or not, less than five years ago, I would've told you that there was no way in hell I could ever qualify, either, and now I'm almost to the point where I take it for granted. I've got connections at Hancock, too, and I actually had one of those entry forms in my hand back in 2007. And I turned it down. One of the best decisions I've ever made, because I'll tell you one thing, when I was making that right-hand turn into the Lambeau Field parking lot at Mile 26 of the 2007 Green Bay Marathon (just a month or two later) and I realized that I was gonna do it--that I was going to qualify for BOSTON--it was one of the best feelings I've ever had.Just my two cents.

 

[Workhorse]

I’ve also got a buddy who works for John Hancock and for years has been telling me for years he could get me a number for Boston if I wanted to do it. I hope it’s not an affront to you poor bastards who actually busted your humps to qualify to get a number, but there’s just no way I could ever qualify on my own, and if I run a marathon I want it to be Boston. I’d also be on the hook for raising a couple grand for charity. I need to sort out if I’m up for it though.

Don't do it. Not because it's an affront to me, but because it will take away from the experience when you eventually DO qualify for Boston.Believe it or not, less than five years ago, I would've told you that there was no way in hell I could ever qualify, either, and now I'm almost to the point where I take it for granted. I've got connections at Hancock, too, and I actually had one of those entry forms in my hand back in 2007. And I turned it down. One of the best decisions I've ever made, because I'll tell you one thing, when I was making that right-hand turn into the Lambeau Field parking lot at Mile 26 of the 2007 Green Bay Marathon (just a month or two later) and I realized that I was gonna do it--that I was going to qualify for BOSTON--it was one of the best feelings I've ever had.Just my two cents.

I have an "in" for Boston as well but I refuse to use it. I'm not running unless I can qualify. Period.

 

[wraith5]

Wraith - This is a followup from something a couple of days ago that you were talking about and your marathon experiences. I know that it is tough and we have talked a bit before about the FIRST program. You mentioned that it was your confidence that was not there at mile 20 when you needed it. I also used to think like that for my previous 3 marathons. The Pfitz programs will give you more confidence in your running by the amount of mileage (and type) that you are doing. I think that the more miles that you run, the better you will feel about the race. Now, I don't mean you need to run 100 miles a week, but an increase should give you more confidence when it comes to race time. I will hopefully explain some of this in my race report below.

------------------------

Race Report for 2010 Indianapolis Marathon 10/16

Time: 3:17:38

Place Overall: 39/900

Age/Division Place: 9/75

First, congratulations on an OUTSTANDING race! Absolutely OUTSTANDING! I hear what you are saying about Pfitz v FIRST, and you aren't (even close to) the only person saying something similar. Gruecd was kind enough to mail me some of the Pfitz material last week (Thank you, grue!!) and I'll be reading through it this week. I may incorporate some aspects of that program into my next training cycle. With so many people saying the same thing (and having great results) there's obviously something to it.

The thing is, I really do believe in FIRST if you follow the program (3 runs + 2 cross-training days), which I really haven't done as well as I should have in the weeks since my last tri. I could probably manage running 4 days a week, but I have no desire to run 5 days a week. I tried that back when I was (loosely) following Hal Higdon's programs and I hated it. Plus as a father (and oh, yeah, a husband in my spare time) I can't get out twice on the weekends regardless. Best case I get an hour on the bike trainer in addition to my long run.

I don't think my problem is a lack of quality training. I did three 20 milers this cycle and four (plus a 19) before Tucson last year. I can do the distance. But I seem to push too hard early in the races, get tired, then let fear and doubt completely derail me. I just don't know how to keep going in those tough miles. I am convinced that a slower attempt will help get me over the hump. So that's the plan.

Luckily, I have some fantastic support from my iFriends here, and that makes a huge difference, too.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Wraith - This is a followup from something a couple of days ago that you were talking about and your marathon experiences. I know that it is tough and we have talked a bit before about the FIRST program. You mentioned that it was your confidence that was not there at mile 20 when you needed it. I also used to think like that for my previous 3 marathons. The Pfitz programs will give you more confidence in your running by the amount of mileage (and type) that you are doing. I think that the more miles that you run, the better you will feel about the race. Now, I don't mean you need to run 100 miles a week, but an increase should give you more confidence when it comes to race time. I will hopefully explain some of this in my race report below.

------------------------

Race Report for 2010 Indianapolis Marathon 10/16

Time: 3:17:38

Place Overall: 39/900

Age/Division Place: 9/75

First, congratulations on an OUTSTANDING race! Absolutely OUTSTANDING! I hear what you are saying about Pfitz v FIRST, and you aren't (even close to) the only person saying something similar. Gruecd was kind enough to mail me some of the Pfitz material last week (Thank you, grue!!) and I'll be reading through it this week. I may incorporate some aspects of that program into my next training cycle. With so many people saying the same thing (and having great results) there's obviously something to it.

The thing is, I really do believe in FIRST if you follow the program (3 runs + 2 cross-training days), which I really haven't done as well as I should have in the weeks since my last tri. I could probably manage running 4 days a week, but I have no desire to run 5 days a week. I tried that back when I was (loosely) following Hal Higdon's programs and I hated it. Plus as a father (and oh, yeah, a husband in my spare time) I can't get out twice on the weekends regardless. Best case I get an hour on the bike trainer in addition to my long run.

I don't think my problem is a lack of quality training. I did three 20 milers this cycle and four (plus a 19) before Tucson last year. I can do the distance. But I seem to push too hard early in the races, get tired, then let fear and doubt completely derail me. I just don't know how to keep going in those tough miles. I am convinced that a slower attempt will help get me over the hump. So that's the plan.

Luckily, I have some fantastic support from my iFriends here, and that makes a huge difference, too.

I agree completely with the time management. I was at my limit this last cycle and I think I have one more in the tank to go for it in the spring. Then I have to look at stepping back a bit and enjoying my kids a little more. They are not suffering to badly right now, but as they get older I know that I want to spend more time with them.I probably did not explain myself too well as I had a lot in my head when I wrote my post. I am not saying you should definitely do the Pfitz plans, but for me that is what gave me the confidence to gut out those tough miles. I don't think that you need to add an entire plan to your schedule, but if you can add an extra day to what you are doing now you will be that much more confident in your abilities when you are out there. That seemed to be a big difference in my last race. I just felt like I could do it because I put in more miles during the week. I actually would not recommend the Pfitz plan that I did to anyone who has a ton of extra commitments in their life. I am crazy and drive myself to get up at 3:30 to get runs in. I just don't want to push that on anyone.

Overall, you have to do what is best for you. You know we are here for you if you need us.

 

[Nigel]

I’ve also got a buddy who works for John Hancock and for years has been telling me for years he could get me a number for Boston if I wanted to do it. I hope it’s not an affront to you poor bastards who actually busted your humps to qualify to get a number, but there’s just no way I could ever qualify on my own, and if I run a marathon I want it to be Boston. I’d also be on the hook for raising a couple grand for charity. I need to sort out if I’m up for it though.

Don't do it. Not because it's an affront to me, but because it will take away from the experience when you eventually DO qualify for Boston.

Believe it or not, less than five years ago, I would've told you that there was no way in hell I could ever qualify, either, and now I'm almost to the point where I take it for granted. I've got connections at Hancock, too, and I actually had one of those entry forms in my hand back in 2007. And I turned it down. One of the best decisions I've ever made, because I'll tell you one thing, when I was making that right-hand turn into the Lambeau Field parking lot at Mile 26 of the 2007 Green Bay Marathon (just a month or two later) and I realized that I was gonna do it--that I was going to qualify for BOSTON--it was one of the best feelings I've ever had.

Just my two cents.

I have an "in" for Boston as well but I refuse to use it. I'm not running unless I can qualify. Period.

Yeah, I totally understand and respect the hell out of your views on this and the hard work you put into qualifying, but unless I quit my job, abandon my family and take HGH I’m pretty sure I’ll never be a marathoner. I just don’t have a lifestyle (3 young kids) or physical makeup that lend themselves to being a 3:20 marathoner. I’m just a guy who wants to run a marathon (I think) probably just one, and if it’s going to be one I want it to be the one I grew up watching and attending, the one that winds through neighborhoods I’ve lived in and am familiar with, runs by my alma mater (BC), and one where tons of my family and friends can be out there cheering me on along the way. I get that for real marathoners qualifying for Boston is the Holy Grail of marathon qualifying, but for me it’s more just my hometown race and the one I’d naturally prefer to participate in if I’m going to do one.

 

[The_Man]

Looks like Boston is going to sellout today - the first day of registration.

It's a longshot for me to BQ anyway, but knowing that Boston will be sold out even if I do manage to pull it off definitely brings my motivation level down. I really, really want to run it while my mother-in-law still lives by the foot of Heartbreak Hill so my kids can sit with my wife at the same spot she watched the race from every year as a kid. Hang in there another year, my awesome M-I-L!

 

[Sand]

I’ve also got a buddy who works for John Hancock and for years has been telling me for years he could get me a number for Boston if I wanted to do it. I hope it’s not an affront to you poor bastards who actually busted your humps to qualify to get a number, but there’s just no way I could ever qualify on my own, and if I run a marathon I want it to be Boston. I’d also be on the hook for raising a couple grand for charity. I need to sort out if I’m up for it though.

Don't do it. Not because it's an affront to me, but because it will take away from the experience when you eventually DO qualify for Boston.Believe it or not, less than five years ago, I would've told you that there was no way in hell I could ever qualify, either, and now I'm almost to the point where I take it for granted. I've got connections at Hancock, too, and I actually had one of those entry forms in my hand back in 2007. And I turned it down. One of the best decisions I've ever made, because I'll tell you one thing, when I was making that right-hand turn into the Lambeau Field parking lot at Mile 26 of the 2007 Green Bay Marathon (just a month or two later) and I realized that I was gonna do it--that I was going to qualify for BOSTON--it was one of the best feelings I've ever had.Just my two cents.

I have an "in" for Boston as well but I refuse to use it. I'm not running unless I can qualify. Period.

Funny enough I feel the same way. I'd like to earn a BQ.If someone was to hand me a KQ slot, though, I'd jump all over it and not think twice.

 

[D_House]

2010 Amica Newport (RI) race report:

Short version: This morning, I successfully finished my first (and likely last) ever marathon in a respectable but slower than goal time of approximately 4:09:20 (net time from my watch).

Was this fun or just a punch list item you wanted to dsy thst you di?. Honestly this sounds more like a huge sufferfest. Huge accomplishment either way.I so torn about pursuing this direction. Can't be worse than riding the BRP parkway right???

For me this was mostly about setting a reasonably difficult goal and achieving it than anything else. I've had some frustrations in other areas of my life and wanted to find something to focus on and accomplish in order to provide myself an ego boost. The side benefits of improving my fitness and joining that relatively small group of people that can say they finished a marathon are just icing.And that's not to say that it wasn't fun. I didn't mean to give the impression that I suffered that badly. Up until mile 22 or so I felt pretty good, and after the race I felt great despite my missed goal time. My wife had given me 2 Advil around mile 24 (unfortunately I had started walking just before a group of spectators that included her), so by the time I crossed the finish line, the pills plus the post-race glow and the free Harpoon beer had dulled the pain.

 

[Workhorse]

I’ve also got a buddy who works for John Hancock and for years has been telling me for years he could get me a number for Boston if I wanted to do it. I hope it’s not an affront to you poor bastards who actually busted your humps to qualify to get a number, but there’s just no way I could ever qualify on my own, and if I run a marathon I want it to be Boston. I’d also be on the hook for raising a couple grand for charity. I need to sort out if I’m up for it though.

Don't do it. Not because it's an affront to me, but because it will take away from the experience when you eventually DO qualify for Boston.

Believe it or not, less than five years ago, I would've told you that there was no way in hell I could ever qualify, either, and now I'm almost to the point where I take it for granted. I've got connections at Hancock, too, and I actually had one of those entry forms in my hand back in 2007. And I turned it down. One of the best decisions I've ever made, because I'll tell you one thing, when I was making that right-hand turn into the Lambeau Field parking lot at Mile 26 of the 2007 Green Bay Marathon (just a month or two later) and I realized that I was gonna do it--that I was going to qualify for BOSTON--it was one of the best feelings I've ever had.

Just my two cents.

I have an "in" for Boston as well but I refuse to use it. I'm not running unless I can qualify. Period.

Yeah, I totally understand and respect the hell out of your views on this and the hard work you put into qualifying, but unless I quit my job, abandon my family and take HGH I’m pretty sure I’ll never be a marathoner. I just don’t have a lifestyle (3 young kids) or physical makeup that lend themselves to being a 3:20 marathoner. I’m just a guy who wants to run a marathon (I think) probably just one, and if it’s going to be one I want it to be the one I grew up watching and attending, the one that winds through neighborhoods I’ve lived in and am familiar with, runs by my alma mater (BC), and one where tons of my family and friends can be out there cheering me on along the way. I get that for real marathoners qualifying for Boston is the Holy Grail of marathon qualifying, but for me it’s more just my hometown race and the one I’d naturally prefer to participate in if I’m going to do one.

Sounds familiar. I grew up in Newton and have 2 kids. Running Boston is a lifelong dream for me and would honestly be one of the highlights of my life if I could qualify one day. Finding time to marathon train is difficult but not impossible. I do a lot of VERY early morning runs and squeeze training in there whenever I can. I'm hardly a "real marathoner". I've run one so far (first marathon was earlier this year) and I'm running my second one in 3 weeks. If you want something bad enough, you find ways to try to make it happen.

 

[BassNBrew]

Funny enough I feel the same way. I'd like to earn a BQ.If someone was to hand me a KQ slot, though, I'd jump all over it and not think twice.

If KQ = Kona, then I completely understand. Qualifying for Boston is tough and a big accomplishment. Qualifying for Kona is in a whole different league. This guy took the last qualifying spot in the Florida Iroman, 8th out of 312 in the 45-49 age group.09:35:58 LEHRIEDER GERALD M45-49 8/312 1:07:08 5:04:58 3:14:21.He swam 2.4 miles in 67 minutes. He rode 112 miles in 5 hr 5min, 22 mph. Then knocked out a BQ marathon time of 3hr 14 min. The guy who came in first in that age group average 23.6 mph on the bike and ran the marathon in the same time.

 

[wraith5]

You know we are here for you if you need us.

From one internet guy whom you've never met to an internet guy whom I've never met, this is appreciated more than is probably rational. On the training update side of things, I did an hour on the bike trainer last night, and hit 100 RPM 3 times (10 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes) with equal recovery periods in between at 80 - 85 rpm. That's the first time I've approached those rpm levels ever - that last 5 minute interval made my right heel feel like it was going to pop off. I can't imagine that speed ever feeling "normal."

 

[Sand]

Funny enough I feel the same way. I'd like to earn a BQ.If someone was to hand me a KQ slot, though, I'd jump all over it and not think twice.

If KQ = Kona, then I completely understand. Qualifying for Boston is tough and a big accomplishment. Qualifying for Kona is in a whole different league. This guy took the last qualifying spot in the Florida Iroman, 8th out of 312 in the 45-49 age group.09:35:58 LEHRIEDER GERALD M45-49 8/312 1:07:08 5:04:58 3:14:21.He swam 2.4 miles in 67 minutes. He rode 112 miles in 5 hr 5min, 22 mph. Then knocked out a BQ marathon time of 3hr 14 min. The guy who came in first in that age group average 23.6 mph on the bike and ran the marathon in the same time.

Well at least I could out swim him! After that not so much...

 

[mr. furley]

my amateur self-analysis tells me two things

1) i am running about as upright as possible without leaning backwards.

2) i'm not running as hard as i could.

3) i am not consistent in pace across miles. for one mile i might run at 9:40 pace. then the next i'm at 11:15. :(

how do i fix 1.... will stronger thighs help 1? stronger core?

how does one determine what's the proper "work rate" to run at? should i be running at 90% of max at all times? how do i determine a max? Garmin?

is Garmin also the solution for 3?

 

[gruecd]

Looks like Boston is going to sellout today - the first day of registration.

It's a longshot for me to BQ anyway, but knowing that Boston will be sold out even if I do manage to pull it off definitely brings my motivation level down. I really, really want to run it while my mother-in-law still lives by the foot of Heartbreak Hill so my kids can sit with my wife at the same spot she watched the race from every year as a kid. Hang in there another year, my awesome M-I-L!

Qualifying window is open for 2012. Go get it, and then register on the day it opens next year!

Sounds familiar. I grew up in Newton and have 2 kids. Running Boston is a lifelong dream for me and would honestly be one of the highlights of my life if I could qualify one day. Finding time to marathon train is difficult but not impossible. I do a lot of VERY early morning runs and squeeze training in there whenever I can. I'm hardly a "real marathoner". I've run one so far (first marathon was earlier this year) and I'm running my second one in 3 weeks. If you want something bad enough, you find ways to try to make it happen.

As much as I totally understand and respect what Nigel is saying, I LOVE THIS QUOTE by Workhorse. Like the old Adidas commercial, impossible is nothing.

 

[gruecd]

1) i am running about as upright as possible without leaning backwards.

2) i'm not running as hard as i could.

3) i am not consistent in pace across miles. for one mile i might run at 9:40 pace. then the next i'm at 11:15.

1. You should have a forward lean, which helps ensure a midfoot strike (vs. a heel strike). Buy this book. Stronger core will definitely help. That's covered in the book.2. Don't be a p_ssy.

3. As much as it pains me to say it, do some training on a treadmill until you get a feel for a constant pace.

 

[Ned]

1:50:19 in the Newport Half, crushed my goal which felt great but pissed I missed going under 1:50, oh well - more details tomorrow.D_House, congrats on toughing it out - no way I could have run another 100 yds let alone another 13.1.

I don't know why, but I could tell in your posts about your training that you were going to crush it. Great job!