Ticket to a Dream

Running the Boston Marathon was everything I expected, and more. It was the perfect cap to a great weekend, and the 4 years that I have been running long distances.
Last night, we ate in Little Italy. (Laura is getting tired of pasta after 3 nights in a row). I have 2 alarms set, plus my cell phone, and I still wake up 15 minutes early. I have all my gear set up, and the coffee maker plugged in the bathroom. Earlier in the weekend, we heard Dick Beardsley talk about how his parents gave him money for graduation, and had a card that said it was for a plane ticket to fly to Boston to run the Boston Marathon. I thought that was great how they encouraged him to dream big. As I kissed Laura good-bye in the dark, I tell her “Thanks for the ticket.” Ever since I decided to run a marathon, she has believed that I could run Boston. Everyone needs someone to “buy them their ticket” to the place of their dreams, and I have my wife, Laura.

There are a lot of runners in the lobby of the hotel. I talk to a guy from Bristol, England, who actually grew up in County Tyrone, Ireland, so I talk about my Irish connections. After a cup of coffee, and visit to the last indoor plumbing I would see before the end of the race, I walk the 2 blocks to where the buses will pick us up. I cross the Boston Common, site of the Boston Massacre, and many famous speeches and gatherings in colonial, and revolutionary Boston. There are dozens of school buses lined up, with hundreds of runners waiting. I get waved over to a bus with empty seats, and I am off to Hopkinton by 6:15 am.

As we drive in the fog to outlying towns, I join a conversation with a couple of guys around me. One is grey-haired, and running his fourth Boston Marathon. The other is in his early 20’s, and running his first Boston Marathon like me. The older fellow had started running accidentally at age 55 when his thought his wife had registered him for a 5K walk, but it was a run. About six years later, and he is back at Boston for the 4th time. We talk about the races and conditions we have run in –me from Chicago, running in the 90 degree heat with Laura in 2007; The young guy was in the Lewis and Clark Marathon in Missouri, when rains influenced by Hurricane Ike flooded part of the course, and turned it into a 10 mile race. The 3-time veteran of Boston has been chased by coyotes and run near sites of mountain lion attacks near his home in Albuquerque. We have other things in common, like the Albuquerque guy was an investment advisor (I got his email for networking), and the young kid had gone to college at Concordia near Chicago – but obviously what we shared most was our love of running, in spite of conditions, at any age – that’s what gained us our initiation into this fraternity.
The conversation on our favorite topic (marathon running) passes the time quickly, and soon we are getting off the buses at the Hopkinton High School (“Where it all starts”). They have giant tents with water, Gatorade, bananas, bagels, and of course, hundreds of porta-potties, (that you know will still not be enough 15 minutes before race time). It is quite a festival atmosphere. Someone is handing out shamrock temporary tattoos saying “Boston 26.2”. I got one to match the shamrock cap, and my “Lucky shamrock socks”.

Today it is about 44 degrees at the 10 am start, and go up to about 50 by the time we neared Boston. It is mainly overcast, and rain is not expected until late afternoon. There is a light wind of about 8-10 mph starting to blow the fog away, and it supposed to pick up to 15 mph about halfway through the race. It is an ENE wind, so we will be running straight into it. Hopefully, those famous Newton Hills will block some of the wind as we plow up them. In running, especially a race, your body temperature will raise 5 degrees after about 3-5 miles, so staying warm should not be an issue once we get going. The trick is to stay warm before the race to conserve energy. I am running an a long sleeve top and shorts. I wear a billed cap to catch initially keep warm, catch the dripping sweat, and shield the sun. Even though the forecast calls for clouds, the weather can change over the course of 3-4 hours and 26.2 miles. I also wear sunglasses, because squinting , even just a little can cause you to tighten up, from the head down to your shoulders. I have cotton gloves that I have worn for hundreds of miles in cool weather, and in half my marathons. If they feel too hot or cumbersome, I’ll toss them away at a water stop.

Before the start, I have a baggy old shirt I got from a race, and some warmup-pants that are frayed, and have broken zippers. Volunteers go around the race start, and collect these “throw-aways” for Big Brothers and Sisters of the Poor. In addition, I have a golf wind-shirt to wear around the Athletes’ village. What I see at this start that I have not seen before, is a lot of people bring camp chairs and blow-up air mattresses to sit on the ground . I have been pampered at the Chicago marathon. Even for the 2 years after we raised money for the Arthritis Foundation, we were welcomed guests in their heated runners tent , with chairs and refreshments, and easily accessible porta-potties. The Buffalo marathon was so small, and we did not have to get to the start hours early. At the Green Bay Marathon, one year we had the start right near a convention center/hotel complex, and I stayed inside until 15 minutes before the start. The year I qualified, I parked my car 100 yards from the start in the parking lot at Lambeau Field, and then hung out in the indoor atrium part of the stadium. Your reward for running yourself into the ground to qualify for Boston is that you get to wait in mild discomfort before the real pain begins.

It’s all good, though, and I find a spot up against a wall, and start to talk with a local guy from a nearby town, who had been wanting to run the marathon since he grew up watching it. I’m glad I bought my cell phone, because I see a text message wishing me good luck from Scott. Last night, I got one from Gil – those guys are the next ones to get here: 3:30 in Chicago this October guys- You’ve done an Ironman- you can get to Boston. We all do an 8 minute pace, and we come back here in 2010. We saw some Multisport Madness jerseys this weekend – now we need the Southside Chapter to get here in Force!

Soon, I get a call – it’s Sue from the Park Forest Running Club. She and her husband Rob are running Boston for the third time. We make eye contact through the crowd, and I join their group of about 15 runners. Mainly, they are with the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA), that runs in Yankee Woods in the south suburbs. Laura will be with their cheering section on the back side of heartbreak Hill. I see some of people I met at their pasta dinner the other night, and Sue shares an extra garbage bag, so I don't have to sit on the wet grass. We talk about the race, and the weekend. I make another trip to the bathroom, and I am about to consider another one when they call for runners in the first wave to drop their gear bags on the buses. I wish Sue luck, and I head out through the crowd. It's an impressive logistical feat - they have side windows of the buses open, and every 500 entrants or so pass in their gear bags to each bus. They will drive back to downtown Boston, where we claim them at the finish. I keep the bare minimum, and I start following the crowd to the start. It looks like we have to walk about 3/4 mile to the starting corrals. With my 3:30 time, I am in the second-to-last corral of the first wave start. Just as I get to the entrance of the corral, they sing the National Anthem. As I show my bib number to enter the corral, some Navy fighter jets do a flyover. (Of course, they will make it Boston even faster than the elites.) As the time gets closer, I peel off my cotton long-sleeve shirt, and the track pants, and pass them to a volunteer collecting them. Hopkinton is a postcard New England town, with white clapboard churches, and general stores. We ooze forward to the start, and we hear the gun, but it takes 5-8 minutes for me to get to the starting line. People are cheering us madly, and the course starts on a downhill, so I'm careful not to run too fast at the start. But the size of the crowd of runners prevents that.

As we run down the winding Route 135 out of Hopkinton, I am in awe to be following the course that so many great runners have followed before me for over one hundred years. I thought I would be super anxious and nervous, but I feel pretty calm. The first six miles are like a roller-coaster at a carnival. It's like a Mardi-Gras for runners. Still, I manage to keep my pace around 8 minutes for the first mile. If my downhill pace starts to get faster than 7:30 minutes per mile, I slow it down, because going to fast on the downhills can wear out your quadriceps when you need them later in the race.

I find myself picking out the same few runners to try to keep pace with, but we have different paces on the varying terrain and hills. I skip the first water stop, and when I stop to get Gatorade, the middle table I happen to pick does not have any poured. I don't want to get low in sodium like I did in the Green Bay marathon, so I come to a stop to wait while the volunteer pours one. A guy who picked up his cup at the table before, plows into me, and spills his drink on my arm. I'm glad I have long sleeves on.

There are some impressive runners running alongside me, not as many characters as you see in the Chicago Marathon, but the few here are good ones. Like an man and woman in colonial garb - Pinned to her back it says "The British Are Coming". On his back, it says "The Kenyans are Long Gone." Later, I will hear everyone cheering for Wonder Woman. When she catches up to me, she is a middle aged woman, in full costume- flesh colored tights, headpiece, and I think a fake wig to give her the dark hair.

Laura wrote out a sticker with my name on it, and I slapped it on my chest. About every half mile, I get people cheering out "Go Tom!", and it really helps keep my energy and focus up. We segue from the town centers of places like Framingham and Natick, to the rural outskirts flanked by ponds, and cranberry bogs. As I run, I exchange words with a few fellow runners, commenting on the crowd, or finding people who talk about running Chicago. But I don't really get synced up with anyone and start a conversation. For the last 3 marathons, I have run with Tom Flynn, run with a pace group, and run with my wife. So, it seems different not having that interchange. But I'm soaking it all in, and enjoying the crowd. I keep hearing the crowd chant for someone named "Laura", and it reminds me of when Laura had her name on her shirt, and it feels like she is with me today.

After about 6 miles, the course gets flatter, but still has winding turns and short hills every so often. I have a timer on my GPS watch set to let me know when 45 minutes elapses, because that is recommended time to take a Gel pack. We start to see groups offering beer along the way, but I don't notice any runners take any. People along the course have turned it into a part. One group seems to have rented a "Dino-jump" inflatable to keep their kids happy while they watch the race. In one of the towns, there is a a group of about 10 kids bouncing on mini-trampolines as we run by. It seems to be a gymnastics team or school. Today is a holiday in the state of Massachusetts - Patriot's Day, commemorating Paul Revere's ride to warn that the British Are Coming.

Around 10 miles, it starts to feel like a race, and I realize that I am in this for the long haul. It's weird, but I seem to run faster up some of the hills, because I am focused on charging up them, while I try to slow down on the downhills to save my quads. Pretty soon, we are coming by one of the famous parts of the race at around mile 12- Wellesley College, the all-women's school where the young women scream for about a half mile, and offer kisses to runners. I run by high-fiving, and one calls out "Nice Shamrock!", so I stop to let her kiss it. A few dozen yards later, a girl has a sign that says "Kiss Me. I'm Irish", so I tell her "Me, too!", and peck her on the cheek. It's pretty exhilarating and impressive that they are out here for 5-6 hours. I'm not sure if it has raised my energy, or sapped it when I am past them, but it was a nice distraction.

I have not been too concerned about my pace, but I can tell I am slowing down. I try to pick up speed when I can. At times, the wind chills me, and I feel my arms sore from pumping up the hills. My right calf feels tight, and I try to ease my stride, keep getting Gatorade, so I don't get a cramp. If it still is tight in a mile or two, I'm going to stop and stretch it. I also can feel some aches in my knee and ankle. There's a blister on my right foot, I think my sock has bunched up underneath my toe. My back and arms hurt, but I don't think it's because I am tense, I must be pumping my arms going up the hills.

Besides finishing this race, one of my goals is not to be crushed by the Newton Hills, and not to walk up Heartbreak. I start thinking about Laura running in the Chicago Marathon, and our friend Michelle battling cancer. Their pain dwarfs what I'm feeling, and is with them every day. Mine will subside in a few hours, and the soreness will be gone in few days, provided I don't injure myself. I feel so lucky to be running in this marathon, I want to honor it by running strong, not necessarily fast, per-se.

I pass mile 17, and we make a sharp turn near the Firehouse in Newton, so I know the Newton Hills are coming up. When I get some water for a Gu, I walk, and make sure I ingest the whole pack. I want to make sure I have fuel for these hills. When I was riding a spin bike for my cross-training, one of the songs on my I-Pod was "Heavy Fuel" by Dire Straits. It's a very tongue-in-cheek song about a hard-living guy who says "If you wanna' run cool, you've gotta run on Heavy, Heavy Fuel,", which for him is "Six hamburgers and scotch all night, nicotine for breakfast just to put me right". Not my lifestyle exactly, but the driving beat sticks in my head as I take these hills on the way to Heartbreak. People call out my name, calling good job. The next couple of miles have several very long hills. People are lining the course, and I need the help. At some point I realize that I don't have my name stuck on my shirt anymore. I focus on being ready for Heartbreak Hill, and I'll see Laura right after that. I see the hill, and people have signs up and there is chalk written on the sidewalk. I hear a guy panting next to me, and I call out to encourage him. I'm sure my pace is slow, but once I'm past this, any more hills will seem easy. I get to the top, and I am cognizant of not trying to speed up on the downhill (like I even could).

Now we are at the campus of Boston College, and I am supposed to see Laura and the Yankee Runners group. As we get to the heart of the college, the crowd is thunderous - the bass section to Wellesely's soprano screamers. Even Laura's cheering would be drowned out by this. I want to glide down this hill and cut a tangent on the curve, but I slow down by the right side, looking for Laura and the Dunkin' Donuts they are supposed be hanging out by. In Chicago, roadside Dunkin Donuts usually are in cookie cutter buildings with big signs. In Boston and New England, they seem to be in picturesque, unique building s with more discreet signage. So, I am starting to worry that I will miss my one chance to see her. Then, I see the Dunkin Donuts on the left, and as I am scanning the crowd, I see her. I can feel my face light up, I'm slowed down so much that she can't really get a picture of me running, so much as sauntering up her. I give her a kiss, and tell her I love her. Then she starts to tell me to "Go, get going". She has the misguided idea that I could actually PR in this race. I want to enjoy this accomplishment, and share it with her, so I
ask someone in the group to take our picture, and then my competitive wife pushes me on my way.

There is more of a downhill, and then it seems like we are getting into a more populated area outside Boston. A lot of people are out grilling, and the smell makes you hungry. We are running alongside the tracks of the "T", the light rail system that Laura will take back into Boston. People are meandering along one of the tracks, so I don't know if the train runs on only one track today. The crowds are like the ones in the Chicago Marathon, now, 4-5 deep, hanging out of windows of apartment buildings. I see the Citgo sign, and I keep chugging. Megan gave a card with that Citgo sign on it after she ran Boston, and I was going to try to qualify. I posted above a rack with my other marathon medals to give a pinnacle to aspire to. Now that pinnacle was in sight. I was past mile 24, and heading to 25. I knew a while back that a 3:30 time was not possible today, but 4 hours was well in reach, if I did not break down. We must be in the area near the Red Sox game. I'm not sure if it is over yet, but I heard along the way that they were winning. Commonwealth Avenue is a broad boulevard separated by the T-tracks and pedestrian bridges. There must be a guy near me with "James" written on his shirt, because whole blocks of guys chant "James! James! James!" as he comes by. I wish I had written my name on my shirt, then I could hear that cheering for me to pump me up at the end.

As we turn off Commonwealth Ave, I imagine how incredible it must have been for Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar to hear the crowds cheering for them as they battled to an epic finish. I recognize the Hynes Convention Center where I have spent a lot of time this week, so I know the remaining distance to the finish line. I try to use what little kick I have today. I hear the announcer calling people's names and hometowns, and I want to hear mine from this storied reviewing stand. I pass a couple of people. The clock time is under 4 hours, still so I know my finish will be close to 3:50, probably under. I smile and raise my arms for the camera, and I go under the finish stand. Crowds are cheering on both sides, and its time to get my best medal ever.

Watching from the Sidelines

On Sunday morning, we get over to the race staging area for Laura to run the Inaugaral BAA 5K. We meet a woman leaving our hotel who apparently trusts us enough after the 5 minute walk to leave me her cell phone and credit card until after the race. I stake a spot out in the bleachers near the finish. They have a race announcer and a JumboTron, so it is pretty cool. The top men's finisher does a 14:29, and the woman runs a 17:37. The fourth place woman was only 5 seconds behind at 17:42 (and 2 seconds out of 3rd place) - Joan Benoit Samuleson, 1983 Boston Marathon Champion, and winner of the first Women's Olympic Marathon in 1984 in Los Angeles. (Joan is now 51!) Katherine Switzer was instrumental in getting the women's marathon added to the Olympics. Laura saw "Kathy" moving to the back of the pack before the race, and after race was talking to Joan. At first Joan was going to take a finisher's medal, but when she saw that Laura's had "Inagural BAA 5K", she decided to pick it up.

After the 5K, they had an Invitational Mile race, another first for Boston. First they had two top High School runners from every town along the marathon route run. The girls finished in about 5:10. The boys in about 4:37. It was three loops around the city block by the finish line, and real exciting with the video screen, and the announcers. There was a real strategy, and it was definitely more about winning than a certain time. I talked to the coach of one of the girls teams, and she said they treated the kids great, and gave them about $500 in merchandise.

The elite men finished in about 4:11. The woman's elite field featured Carrie Tollefson, and Shalane Flanagan, an up and coming Boston runner. Shalane lead most of the race, but the woman that trailed her (Anna Willard) until the final lap, pulled ahead in the last 200 meters to win in 4:38. It was pretty exciting. I don't watch many races, because I am usually running myself. So, it was a nice change to see this, and get psyched up for the marathon tomorrow. The rest of the day is about rest, carbs, salt and fluids.

You Are Now Free to Move About the Country

Today we leave for Boston. The last couple of days have been really hectic. My wife is working full-time, and I have been trying to keep the house under control, look for a job, help with the fundraising benefit we are involved with, and get ready for Boston. People have been emailing and calling me to wish me luck, and it’s been really uplifting. I started running because I wanted an exercise where I wasn’t reliant on a gym being open, or making an exercise class, or having enough guys on a team. While I do all of my weekday runs, and half of my long runs by myself; I don’t feel like I’m going it alone. If Laura sees me when I come back, she wants to know how my run was, and I get to replay it for her. Or if I am debating over a certain route to run the next day, she listens, and sometimes will comment what she knows about which direction the wind is supposed to be in the morning, or mention that some people in her triathlon club are running in a certain place. And there are so many people that we know that are runners, or want to run, or are curious about our quirky habits like “carb-loading”, and “fartleks”.
Today will be my second rest day this week. Yesterday, I rode a bike at the health club for half an hour. Earlier in the week, I swam for 40 minutes. Everything feels good so far. I think I will run about 3 miles near the finish tomorrow, and then also take off Sunday to watch Laura run the 5K.
I am nervous and excited. Part of it is the race, and also some stress about finding work and things that we need to get done at home. I am hoping that with 3 days in Boston before the race, we will soak in the atmosphere and I will put that out of my mind. The trick is to mainly use this computer for blogging, and not for checking email, or writing cover letters for jobs. We are flying east towards Boston now, so I’m on my way.

All Downhill From Here

My last week before the marathon only calls for me to run 3 times. But since Boston is run on a Monday, and my last long run was on Saturday, I figure I can get in one more run, if I don’t make it too strenuous.

I drop of our copy of our state tax return at the post office (I “e-filed” the federal last week), and I drive over to an empty subdivision about a mile/two west of my house. I read in Runners World that it was good to get used to running downhill for Boston, but doing it in a more controlled way. So I chose this spot because it is near the peak of a 2 long, gradual hills. I run about ¾ mile to warmup, and I head down one of the hills. I want to keep my speed close to 7:30, only 30 seconds per minute faster than my goal marathon pace. But within a few hundred yards, I am showing 6:19 per mile. I slow that up and see the Garmin GPS watch show 8:00, so I maintain that speed, and I let gravity and momentum gradually increase my speed until it’s about 7:40 minutes per mile. This is a cool road, it transitions from the empty subdivision to a 150 year-old cemetery, with a gated estate next to it, and a big bond with a horse barn on the other side of it. Even though there is no shoulder to buffer you from the cars, it is wooded, and hilly, so it is a diversion from the cookie-cutter suburban streets. I get close to the bottom of the hill, where a small bridge goes over a creek. I have run a half-mile downhill, so I turn around and jog back up. I give myself some chances to walk, which I almost never do, unless I need to stop to tie my shoe, or fix something with my running gear.

I go past where my car is parked, and climb further up to the crest of the hill. Now, I am at the top of what my wife calls “the Never-ending hill” We usually run from the other direction from our house, and this street winds through the neighborhood, first with a steep downhill dip/hill, and then a series of gradual plateaus to where I am at. I run the half mile or so down this hill, keeping my speed between 7:30 and 8:00. Before I get to the bottom, I see a walking path that creates a shortcut back to where my car is. I want to keep the distance down, and I think this route will not go as much uphill as reversing my route.
As I run though this nature path easement between the developed neighborhood, and the empty subdivision, I think about the effect of the housing mortgage crisis on this area. Not just that I am out of work, but that this is a hole in our community. There haven’t been any problems that I can see, but it is sad that several hundred lots sit vacant. As I get closer to my car, I see a truck drive by, and I hear hammering. Through the tree line, I see one house being built, next to a model home that has been there for a while. Maybe the economy is starting to turn. Going uphill isn’t easy, but you have to do it to get to the top.

Band of Brothers (and Sisters)

Today was a 10 mile run - my last long run before the Boston Marathon. I met Megan, and we had run about 3 miles when we saw Bill, wearing his Boston Marathon jacket, the same one I used to see him come into the health club wearing about 5 years ago when I got the itch to run a marathon, and dare to dream about earning the right to wear that jacket. Bill ran with us a couple of miles, before he spun off to run back home, about 2 miles north of the trail.

I'm getting down to the last week before running Boston. I'm excited about the event, but I'm also feel very grateful for the journey. I have gotten a lot of help from many people I have run with - both those that have pulled me along in their wake, to run faster, and those who have taught me the real meaning of endurance, as they move along at their own pace, in spite of challenges and setbacks.

I have been lucky enough to personnally know about 8-10 people who have run the Boston Marathon. I have either run, biked or trained with them in some way:

• Bill
• Chris
• Megan
• Nicole (in the picture above with me at the 2005 Chicago Marathon)
• Helen
• MJ
• Pam
• Sue
• Donna

Oh, yeah, another Boston Qualifier I have run with - Dick Beardsley - 2nd place to Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon, by about 2 seconds. The other picture is me with Dick, the keynote speaker at the Arthritis Foundation's Pre-Marathon Pasta Dinner - with his opening act - the Lovely Laura Nolan, famous for her Energizer Commercial for the Chicago Marathon.

I once heard a storyteller say that we make great strides when we stand on the shoulders of those that came before us. I have to thank them for letting me stand on their shoulders (or step on their heels a few times). They gave me example of dedication and perserverance.
Beyond the times we have spent running/biking/or swimming, what they showed me is an appreciation of this accomplishment and the Boston experience.

I'm proud to join this "...few, we happy few, we band of brothers (and sisters)".

A Good Run (not spoiled)

The Master's Tournament is in full swing this weekend. I'm not a huge golf fan, (some call it "A Good Walk Spoiled")but I like sports, and this is the big Kahuna. You have Tiger coming back from knee surgery, my Irish homey Padraig Harrington trying to build on his success last year, and 54 year old Greg Norman back knocking at the door (I suppose to keep his new wife Chrissie Evert in the style she is accustommed to).

They did a survey of golfers, and asked them which they would choose:

• Playing a round of golf at Augusta National where the Masters is held; or -
• A date with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Bar Refaeli.

78% of the Golfers chose Augusta.

That made me realize that the Boston Marathon is Augusta for runners. So, I guess I'm living the dream.

Winding Down, Stretching Out

Once you get your last 13 mile run behind you, there is a drop off in mileage in marathon training. However, most programs encourage you to still keep the intensity level up. What is nice about the FIRST program is that the paces are still pretty brisk for this week. On Tuesday, I ran 5 x 1000 meter intervals. The pace was supposed to be 4:03 per 1K. I only hit that in the last two, but I was under 4:09 for all of them, so I thought that was good.

Yesterday, I swam, and last night I got a massage. My wonderful wife arranged these monthly massages during my Boston Marathon training, including one just before the race, and another right after. It helped work out that knot in my glute. My massage therapist is really good at recommending stretches, too. She offered to stretch me out this weekend after my 10 mile run. She has done a few marathons and triathlons herself, so she is very in-tuned to runners bodies. I will take her up on her offer, and I am planning to compensate her with my special Baileys-Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread. The chocolate appeals to her German half, and the soda bread/Baileys to her Irish half.

Today, I ran 6 miles - a 2 mile warmup. Then 3 miles at 7:14 pace, and a 1 mile cooldown. I made sure that I stretched a lot after the run.

The Lone Runner

Today I have a 13 mile run. It is a lot shorter than the 18 and 20 miles that have been the staple of my weekends for months. But, the prescribed pace in my training plan is 8 minutes per mile. That, not so coincidentally, is the goal pace in the marathon, too. The idea is to get my body used to that pace before I (try to) run it in the Boston Marathon in 2 weeks and 2 days. I know I can run 13 miles at an 8 minute pace. My first half marathon, 4 years ago was at that pace. I have run several half marathons at faster than that pace since then. The component that I have to watch is my mind, and my focus. As my body tapers off the longer runs, my legs may feel like they are able to run a 7:30 pace for 4-5 miles. But that could wear me out for the last 4-5 miles. Or, I could be cruising along for 8-9 miles, right at 8 minute splits – but if I lose focus, I could drift down to an 8:15 or 8:30 pace. The prevailing wisdom in marathons and half marathons is to have an even pace throughout, or run the first half slower, and the second half, a few seconds per mile faster. Of course, that works best for flat courses, and Boston is all over the (elevation) map.

I see someone I know from the health club getting ready to start a run with a friend. He doesn’t recognize me at first, with a black skull cap, dark sunglasses and black tights. We say hi, and it looks like he and his friend are ready to go before I am. I wouldn’t mind running with them, because the guy I know wants to qualify for Boston in a fall marathon, and he will need close to the same time I had (or maybe 5 minutes slower). We have run together before, and he can definitely keep up with me- but I’m not sure how much of a runner his friend is; he looks younger, but stockier.

Today I am not the best prepared. I left the house without any gel packs, and this is when I am supposed to finalize running with my race gear, shoes and nutrition. Now I realize that I did not grab mt nylon running shell. It is about 35 degrees, so it is good to have a vented windbreaker, that you can unzip if you warm up. I had dressed in a softer polyester warmup jacket, which I like to wear afterwards. It is heavier, and more of a porous fabric, so it does not guard against wind or rain. Well, you go with what you got, so off I go.

Today I am going to run out and back on the Old Plank Road Trail, west from downtown Frankfort through the south end of my town, Mokena. The Old Plank Road was an “old, plank road”, a road made out of wooden boards. It ran through this part of the state in the later 1800’s. Later, a railroad was built, but fell into disuse. So, about 15-20 years ago, a group worked with the parks, and forest preserves to turn the unused railroad right-of-way into a mixed use trail. It is a great resource to the area, and it’s amazing to think that some homeowners in the area resisted it. Now, I see that houses near it list the trail in their ads as a selling point, so it definitely has increased property values (and lowered blood pressure).

About 3 miles west, there is a spur going north across US Route 30, reaching into a Will County forest preserve holding. They call it the Hickory Creek Junction, but there are 3-4 paths with Hickory Creek in their name around here, so we just call it "the hilly loop".

Just before I get there, I almost catch up to the guys I followed. I was not trying to, because my pace was fast as it was. They keep going straight. This path is going to get hilly, which is what I want. I should end up with 8 miles flat, and about 5 miles of hills. My wife Laura told me some people from her tri-club were going to go to Lemont to run the route of the Quarryman Challenge today. It’s a 10 mile race happening in May, in one of the hilliest areas around Chicago. I would have loved to have trained on that terrain, but this far into my training, it might be too intense. Plus, the pace I am looking for would be hard to hold on all hills for 13 miles.

So, I stick to my home turf here as I run towards my home in this wooded area, with about a half-dozen deer grazing under power lines in the distance. I keep my pace close to 8/8:15 per mile, and I count on picking up speed on some of the downhill stretches. I come up to the turnaround point near Schoolhouse Road in New Lenox, right across from Lincoln-Way Central High School. I am wearing new shoes today (the ones I will wear for Boston). This is about my 8th pair of Mizuno Wave Riders. I break in a new pair every 200-300 miles, and I wear the older ones in lousy weather/muddy paths, and use the newer ones for races and long runs. My feet have been feeling like they are slipping in the toebox, which is odd, because this is the same size I have had for all my other pairs. Even though I prefer not to stop during my runs, I decide to stop and re-tie these shoes (which I am terrible at). I usually put self-tying elastic shoelaces in my running shoes (Yankz). I just haven’t got around to it for this pair. This will also give me a chance to stretch, because a couple of days ago, my left glute started to feel tight. Most of my aches are below the knee, and a lot of people get hamstring or quad problems. It hasn’t been hindering me, but it is such a big muscle, I want to keep an eye on it.

The last ¾ miles have been uphill, so as I come out of the woods to the parking lot, the flatter terrain allows me to speed up. A couple of women have just crossed the street at the stop light, and are angling toward the same spot as me on different branch of the path. We all stop by the tables/water fountain/bathrooms. They seem like pretty good runners, and are talking about one of them not noticing something the other did or was wearing when she was in front of her. So I chime in – “Sort of convenient that she doesn’t remember details when you’re in front of her.” They laugh about this, and one of the says “Well I hate it when someone with a dog is able to pass you”. So I counter with "getting passed by a Mom with a baby jogger". We trade info about the routes we ran, they say 7-8, I tell them I’m halfway to 13. They say that they can’t even think about that. As I start to head off, I say “Well I have to; I have 26.2 to run in Boston in 2 weeks”. They hoot out, “Oh, you are a good runner, if you’re running Boston!”, seeing through my self-deprecating remarks about the baby jogger.

And the man in black runs into the sunrise …

100 Miles Down - 26.2 to Go

Today I am running my last of five 20 mile runs. The F.I.R.S.T program has you alternate between 20 miles, then 18, then 20, then 15, then 20 again. You have to work at that recovery in order to come back for long runs. My first line of defense is an ice bath after any run 13 miles and more. I also make sure I get protein to repair the microtears in muscles caused by running that far. This week I am cheating a bit, because it is not a full week since my long run last Saturday. But the weather is nice today, and I am going to start my run before 6 am, and meet Megan at 6:45, so she can run 10 miles or more, and get back to take her kids to school.

I woke up at 4:45 am to get my son to his off-season football conditioning. I am somewaht glad to have this obligation -first because I am proud of the dedication he puts into football, and secondly, because once you have the habit of waking up early to workout or run several days a week - it is worth keeping it, because it is hard to get back into that routine after sleeping late.

My next stop is our health club, to bring a lockbox with tickets and money for our sales for our friend Michelle's benefit. One of the other trainers is going to staff the table starting at 6 am, and I notice she is into her own workout, so that means she got here at 5 am. As of Thursday evening, we had raised $4,500, so it has been a profitable, and uplifting week, to see the support from Michelle's friends and patrons of her healthclub - Body Tech Total Fitness in Mokena.

When I get to the running path, it is still dark and cold out. I put on a lighted reflective wristband, so I can be seen by any cars when come out of the trails to cross streets. It is sort of eerie to run through woods this early in the morning. But it's not as remote as some of the other paths, because yards back up to this linear path. This is one of the rare times when I don't see a single other person on the path. I get 4 miles in, and meet Megan at about 6:45 am. My pace has already been close to 8 minutes, so I make sure we don't go out too fast so I can hit an 8:15 pace for all 20 miles. We run the hilly loop, which gives us 11.25 miles. By the time we are halfway through, the sun is warming us. We meet Scott from the Park Forest Club. He shifted the Saturday Run to today, too. I feel bad abandoning the group, because I just won an essay contest they had to publish an article in the club newsletter. I re-used one of my Blog postings about running with Pat, the Navy Vet. (I even won $100! It's a economic stimulus package for unemployed runners!) I decide to leave water out for them tomorrow, even though I'm not running with them.

Just as Megan peels off to run home, I get a call from a friend who works for the Federal Government. I sent her my resume to review, because she has experience in HR. I talk to her for a few minutes about negotiating the hiring process. I walk and stretch, and then she has to get to a meeting. So after that 5 minute break - I finish up with 4 more miles, and I'm done. The next time I run over 20 miles, I'm not stopping until Boylston Street.

(Black) Swan Song

I had planned for today to be a rest day. I was going to run hills with Megan tomorrow, but the timing will be tricky with her kids in school. Plus, it looks like Saturday will be nasty, cold rainy weather. So, I’m thinking about using my new “flexibility” to do my last 20 mile run on Friday. The only tricky part is that means I need to get a tempo run in today. I already agreed to meet with my old boss, and explain some transitional items to him. It was bittersweet – I had to turn in my signed severance agreement, and check some HR items out. But people were very gracious, and genuinely wished me well. Before I knew it, I was there for over 6 hours. There is a financial theory called “the Black Swan”, which says that planning for 99.99% occurrences is not enough- there is that one in a million event that can be so out of the ordinary – like a ”Black Swan”. My office mate had a professor at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business who developed this theory. Last summer, I suggested that we have this academic speak at our conference of mortgage banking clients. There was no response, so I’m not sure if a Black Swan or an Ostrich was the operative bird, but in any case, the chickens have come home to roost.
I am going to miss the office, which had great camaraderie, which I was in the middle of – in my own way. Although I was one of the oldest, I was known as the marathon runner in the group, since I had actually run more than just one or two marathons. People came to me for advice, and I think I encouraged and helped them. I started our Chase Corporate Challenge team, and we had teams for 5 years. At first, I was the fastest one on the team, but we have some fast young guys who are almost a minute per mile faster than me for these short races.
I take home the personal papers and accumulated personal hygiene items, and I am headed home from this downtown Chicago High-rise for the last time. I get home just before 5 pm. I check with my wife on the ETA for dinner, and I figure I can get in my seven mile tempo run. I am supposed to run at an 8 minute pace, but every mile is under 8 minutes, and about half of them are right about 7:30. It’s windy and it’s a hilly route, but it’s amazing how stress can make you faster.

The Real Long Run

Today, I get up early to sell raffle tickets at our health club. We are raising money for my wife’s friend whose breast cancer has come back for the third time – and this time it has spread to her organs and bones. Her lifetime medical benefits are running out, so we are holding a fundraising benefit to ease her family’s expenses. Michelle is personal trainer at Body Tech Total Fitness in Mokena. She was the one who got my wife Laura to start competing in triathlons. We are going to have a table here and sell tickets, water bottles, and bracelets all week.
I take the table for an hour, and pass it off to some friends, and then my wife shows up. It seems to be going well. I go home, and do my speed workout – ten 400 meter repeats at 1:35. It’s tough, but I get most them between 1:30 and 1:3.

Somehow, the discomfort of this pace, or the anxiety over my unemployment doesn’t seem so bad in the grand scheme of things.

Wheels of Fortune

My wife talked me into going on a bike ride with her tri-club friends today. It is supposed to get as warm as 60 degrees. Usually, this group leaves at 7:30, but a few of us decided 9 am would give it time to warm up. Yesterday, I ran into a friend who told me her husband was going to be riding with my good friend, John today. So, I called John, and told him they should join us on our ride. Later in the day, we saw the time was changed to 9:30 am, so I had to let John know. We get it straightened out, and John meets us, and we have about 8 of us. Just then , his friend Ron, texts him, and asks “Up for a Ride today?” John takes a picture of us on our bikes, and texts him back the answer. Unfortunately, Ron is 15 miles away, and won’t be able to meet us.
We get started riding on the Old Plank trail. Rich is a really strong rider, and takes the lead. One of the women is not so strong, but determined, so our line gets drawn out. We are close to 15 mph starting out. I like these rides, but during my marathon training, I avoid pedaling in the upper gears. They recommend a faster spin rate to simulate the fast foot turnover you want running. I can keep this up for 20-30 miles, but the group is talking about riding to a town called Elwood,

(Map to Elwood), which is about 42 miles round trip. My cross training days are supposed to be 45-60 minutes, not 2-3 hours.
It’s a gorgeous day, and there is not much wind yet. We head west on a pretty desolate country road. Now we start picking up the pace to 18-21 mph. My friend John is 6’6”, and has a really steady pedaling cadence, so he is great to draft behind.(now you know why I invited him!). Actually, John is one of my good friends, and I want to tell him about my unemployment situation – both for ideas, and also for reassurance. We have some in-depth soul-searching talks on these rides, about careers, religion, our children, our marriages, getting older- and the normal, sports, cars, home repairs, funny movies, beers, and our glory days as teenagers in the ‘70’s. Today he tells me that his brother works for Blue Cross, which he thinks is doing well, so I should pass on my resume. A few years ago, I thought that I should learn how to play golf, because that is what guys in business do. I got a book, and went to the range, and I started to try to play with friends. On a business outing with clients, I was awful. I guess I should have taken lessons. It’s not that I don’t like to golf, but if I invest so much time, I want to get something back, like an improvement in my health, or a medal. As I started to get serious about running (which made cycling easier), I found that people I met really wanted to talk about it- my colleagues, and my clients. What I have concluded is what people like about golf is – Camaraderie (including shared frustration and misery); Dedication to improvement; Passion about the journey. Acknowledgement of accomplishments - both your own and others. All of those things are there in running and endurance sports for me, so when I meet people with similar interests or aspirations, it creates a bond. This weekend, I have made two connections related to my job search, and the previous miles I have covered with these guys will pave the way for introductions.
John, Rich and I are leading the front, but we are so far ahead that we have to stop and wait. It sounds like John wants to go for a ride with his wife later, so we decide to turn around at the Chicagoland Speedway on the outskirts of Joliet, which will give me about 28 miles roundtrip. We see another group heading east right before the turnaround point, including one of the triathlon coaches, who invites us to join them for the ride back. We still haven’t sorted out who is staying and who is going, so we wave them ahead. I kiss my wife goodbye, and one of the other guys says “Where’s my kiss?”. I tell him I just met him, but I think he was referring to my wife. We ride back, and John and I hold back to ride with the slower riders. I don’t mind because this makes my cross-training less taxing, and keep in low gear. We reach a point where we have to wait for traffic to cross a street, and we end up waiting for someone in the group who couldn’t make it across with us. When we get started again, John and I are in the lead, and we just get farther and farther ahead. It is only about 5 miles to go, and they know the way. John picks a different street to turn on, and we end up cutting through a subdivision. That’s one of the great things about bike rides with John – he carves out different paths – sometimes we get chased by dogs, or see cows standing in the middle of the road; ride on gravel roads, or pick our bikes up to cross bridges under reconstruction.
John heads off the trail towards his house, and I go back to the parking lot where my van is parked. When I get there, I see John’s wife with their son, riding bikes. I tell her that John just went home to meet up with her, but it seems like they missed the connection. At least I got ride 10-12 miles with my wife. She’ll put on 40+ miles today, but biking is her thing, and running is mine.

Running with the Pack

Today is 4 weekends until Boston. But I have a slight speed-bump in my plans. late afternoon on Thursday, I was informed that my department, and hence my job was being eliminated. Considering that my company provided software and consulting to mortgage banks, I suppose it is not a total surprise- but it was a shock at the time. I feel guilty about all the money I have committed to travelling to Boston. My wife and I have a hotel for 4 nights, because i was intially thinking about bringing our kids, and taking my son to a Red Sox game at Fenway. My wife is about to start a new job, so we are lucky for that income.

Today is supposed to be above 50 degrees, but when I hit the trail at 7:30, it is still just around freezing. The gloves I am wearing are too thin, and my fingers get numb. I turn back after a mile, and I go back to the parking lot, and get thicker pair. I run another mile, and get back to the lot for the 8 o'clock start time. I let the group know that I left water about 4 miles west. Some people I know from my wife's triathlon club are here, getting ready for a bike ride. My wife was going to get here and run, but she isn't here yet. The running club wraps up their announcements, just as my wife shows up. She finds someone she met at our running club Halloweeen party, so I take off to get the rest of my miles in.

In the next half mile, I find out another Boston Qualifier is backing out of going because her husband lost his job. I tell her I might be interested in switching to her cheaper hotel room, since I lost my job. Since I got that uncomfortable topic out of the way, I now have an opening to talk to one of the other runners, Kurt, who is a commodities trader. Since I worked for the futures exchange, maybe he'll hear of something.

It's warming up now, and for the next five miles, I have a group strung out at various paces, each of whom I can run with for half-mile, or one or 2 miles. I find myself going at a faster pace than I want, so I let some of them run ahead. But at a bathroom stop, the rabbits make a pit stop, and I keep going. I miss the company, but it was tough changing those paces just to keep up with someone, especially if we were on hills. Now it is flat the rest of the way, but I will only see people I know running the other way. Like our friend Rich, who tells me that I have to run faster because my wife is ahead of me. I don't know if he realizes that I ran the 11 mile loop, and she probably ran 7-8. But I would like to catch up ot her, not to show her up, but to go by the parking lot running, and lay a sweaty kiss on her, without breaking stride. It's tricky, but I have managed it in all the marathons she has watched me run, and I plan to do it in Boston, too. Unfortunately, she is already gone when I get to the parking lot, and I have another mile to go, so I loop back and cool down and stretch. I guess I'll give her a kiss standing still at home.

Pace Yourself

I had a cross-training day, and then a rest day, but this 10 mile tempo run caught me by surprise today. I need about 90 minutes of running time to run my 10 miles at 8 minute pace, and a 1 mile warmup. So I wake up at 4:30 am, and I am off running at 5 am. I have a cap with little LED lights, and a light-up wristband. These early mornings are eerie and set me on edge a little bit. So, after a half-mile warmup, my first mile comes out to a 7:03 pace. Well, its a chilly morning, so that warms me up. I have a hilly loop that goes just under 8 miles. So, I run into an empty subdivision that has about a 1.75 mile set of streets. It is handy to run through, and not have traffic. But this gated community was laid out 3 years ago with all the utlities, and now there is only a model home, and a house built for a raffle for the local high school. This is a telling sign of the economy.

I keep seeing my miles well under the 8 minute pace, and I keep hitting hills, and running into the wind. Maybe I am anxious so I don't miss the train to work, because this run takes a lot of time. Of my ten miles, only 2 of them are over an 8 minute pace, and my average is 7:44. I make sure I have protein when I get back home, and I make my train.

Up to Speed

The weather is finally getting to above average for this time of March. But while we may get 50, 60 even 70 degree temperature for this time of March, the mornings are still 30s and 40s. I skip the running tights today, but I still put a jacket, cap, and wear gloves. I have 3 1 mile repeats (actually 1600 meters). This is the 3rd time I have had to do this workout, and I have not made the goal pace yet. I’m determined to give it a good shot today. I feel it is as much focus as stamina. I run about 2/3 mile warmup, and I get started. By the end of the block, I hear the pace alert that means I am hitting the goal pace. That’s a good sign, but if I keep hearing that, it could mean that I get worn out after the first interval. In the second half of the mile, I hear the beeps again. I finish in 6:49, about 5-10 seconds slower than I wanted, but it is better than some of the 7 minute plus times I have had in workouts like this weeks ago. I get a 400 meter rest interval, so I walk/jog to my driveway, pick up a water bottle, and have a drink while I meander back and forth. Then I start off to run another mile; this one is just over 6:50. Another rest for 400 meters, and my last one is 6:45. That’s what I was hoping for – its 4 seconds slower than the goal pace, but its an improvement.

Luck of the Irish

Today’s going to be a busy day, so I plan to start my 20 mile run at 7 am. Laura and I are hosting the triathlon club at our house for a St. Patrick’s Party, so I have to help clean the house and get things ready for the 20-30 people we expect. Plus, there is an Irish Soda Bread contest at a nearby bar, and for years people have told me that I should enter, so I made a few loaves last night, and one of them will be my entry.
I drop some Gatorade about 4 miles away from the start of my run, because the Park Forest Running club will be out. I’m already running late, because I forgot to get some Gel packs to eat on the run. Right now, I am using GU, and Power Shots, but they are getting harder to find outside of running stores. I should probably just order a box online. It is after 7:15 when I start my run. It’s sunny, still, but cold. I have lighter tops and jacket on, but I still have tights. Within the first 2 miles, I wish I wore thicker gloves than these white cotton throwaway ones. I get back to the car, and I put on some fleece gloves over them, and I keep going. I aim to get back at 8 am, when a bunch of the park Forest people will be there and Megan and Gil will join me. My goal pace today is 8:30, which it was for my 20 miler 2 weeks ago. The weather is more favorable today, which is good because I did not make that pace the last time.
I see a lot more people on the trail this weekend. I think they have finally caught up with the time change, and are coming out earlier since it is light out. The weather is not as sloppy as the last few weeks. I also see people that I know are going to run the Shamrock Shuffle at the end of the month. It’s almost as if all the St. Patrick’s parties and parades this weekend reminded them “Oh – St. Pat’s! I better get ready for the Shamrock Shuffle!”
I get about 4.5 miles in, and I see Megan running up, and I recognize Gil pulling his car into the lot. What surprises me is that a group of bike riders is gathering, and I know some of these nut-jobs. It is maybe 35 degrees, and it might hit 50 degrees by 2 pm today. That would be about the threshold temperature for me to ride a bike. A few of these guys are invited to our party, so I check in with them, and also let the Park Forest Runners know that I left water and Gatorade out.

Ridin' the Storm Out

Today’s run is 15 miles, at an 8:20 pace. Gil is coming out again, but we are on standby because there have been torrential downpours overnight and more are predicted, with thunderstorms today. I am actually wondering if part of the trail might be underwater. We set the clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time last night, so we are getting started at 8 am. When we start the sky is cloudy as far as we can see, but they are not dark clouds, and the rain stopped about 30 minutes ago. So, we take off, and decide we will run until the lightning gets too close. We run the same route we did last week, and sure enough, when we get to a footbridge over a creek in the woods, the trail is flooded from the overflow. The bridge is safe, but the creek is more like a river now, and is flowing super –fast and high. Luckily, the trail winds up hill from here, so we leave the low-lying water behind, but our legs pay the price. We are about five miles into our run, when it starts to rain. We can either turn around and run the hills in reverse for a 13 mile loop, or take to a straight route on the streets for just over 11 miles. As the thunder and lightning gets closer, we opt for the shorter route. Out of the shelter of the trees, the cold driving rain feels more like sleet or hail. When we run by a Walgreens, I suggest waiting out the heaviest rain under the drive-through. In retrospect, inside the store would have been the place to go. The problem in running in cold rain is that if you stop, your body stops producing the extra heat to counteract the cold rain. It’s only about 42 degrees, and its windy, so its almost like swimming in water that cold, because we are immersed. There’s a psychological boost when we get back to the trail, and have a straight 4 mile path to our cars. The water is collecting inside the sleeves of my jacket, sealed in by the elastic wristbands. The water running down my back has also found a spot to pool in the crotch of my running tights and shorts. Good thing my wife is out of town, because lower temperature raises sperm count, and we’re not looking for any little surprises 9 months from now.
Gil says his ankle is hurting – it is something that has been bugging him for a while, and changing his shoes has not helped. He decides that he will cut it short at 11.25 miles. I brought a change of clothes for after the run in the van, including dry shoes and socks. By the time we get back, there is only an intermittent drizzle, but the sky is still a heavy gray. Gil stretches, and gets in his car to leave. I’ve got the seats folded down in the back of our Toyota Sienna, so there is plenty of room for me to get out of the wind and strip of the top half of my sopping wet running clothes. I put on a dry t-shirt, a zip-up warmup jacket, and a dry hat. I put on the dry socks and shoes. I find one cotton glove, and a earwarmer band to wrap around the other hand. I guzzle some water and the last of my Power-Gels, and I ditch my water belt, but I keep the GPS on my wrist, and put my phone in my jacket pocket, I keep heading east for some new scenery. Shedding the pounds of water from my clothes, and getting the short break gives me some energy. Plus, the relief of getting through the storm safely is psychological boost. I run about 1 mile and ¾ and turn around. I am able to estimate the distance perfectly to end up with 15 miles. I open up the back of the van. Then, it starts to rain, I climb in the back, and pull the tailgate closed behind me. The van is tall enough for me to use a bungee cord and lay on my back and do a hamstring stretch. The sole of my foot might just touch the ceiling if I was good at straightening my leg fully. When I get home, I take a bag with my fist change of clothes. I stand on the scale with them and without them and see that they weigh 5 pounds.

In Like a Lion...

Yesterday I lifted weights at the health club while Laura did bike class. I usually will do the class with her if I am not running on Saturday, but I figured I needed a break before running 20 miles today. My friend Gil is a little out of synch with his training for the Illinois Marathon on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana. He has six weeks to go, and he has not run a 20 miler yet. This will be my third of 5, and he is supposed to be following the same program as me, but 1 week ahead. I don’t think he has run over 15 miles in a month. Since he is trying to qualify for Boston, and he is starting to stretch the bounds of sensible training, I resolve not to pursue my 8:30 pace, my make sure he gets the 20 miles in, if he is willing to do it.
We meet Megan at the Old Plank Trail parking lot. It is kind of clear, and a little breezy, temperature in the mid 20’s. The ice on the trails has melted, but we expect there will be some icy patches from runoff from the hillsides. Our pace starts out kind of quick, closer to 8:00 minutes than 8:30 for a few miles. We settle in before we get to the hills. It is a little winding going north, until we get to more winding terrain that switches directions while meandering northwest, and eventually is pretty wooded. There are some spots where the sun shining down on the black pavement makes us pretty warm. We get to our turnaround path, and get the wind at our backs. We decide to opt to head straight back to the start, so Megan can cap her run at 13 miles. Right after we make the turn east, out of nowhere, the wind picks up, and it starts snowing, even though the sky is blue with just a few puffy clouds visible. This really makes the run tough. It is so windy, it makes me think this actually lake effect snow being blown way south.
After Megan peels off to run less than a mile home, Gil and I have seven more miles to go. We keep heading east, hoping for more cover from the trees. But with the trees bare from winter, they don’t block the wind much. Our pace slows considerably after we loose Megan’s chattiness to distract us.
We turn around for the last 3.5 miles, and now the other side of our faces get pelted by the stinging snow. The last 2 miles, our pace slows past a 10 minute mile. We keep chugging , and finish in just under 3 hours (2:57). Gil points out that this is the first time he has run 3 hours since the 2007 Chicago Marathon. Since that was 90 degree weather, I am pretty sure he ran a lot longer than 3 hours.

Marvelous Night for a Moon Dance

Today was an exercise in creative scheduling. We have a deadline to deliver a new version of our software by March 1st, so today is the last chance for me to get documentation in. I had been resigned to sacrifice a run, because the way the schedule worked out. But I get into work real early, and I am able to get done before 5 pm. My wife is going out to work on afloat for an upcoming St. Patrick’s Day parade, so I ask her to get some dinner for the kids before she leaves, and I change into my running gear. It is weird, because it is dark, like the morning, but the moon is in a different part of the sky. I have a 1 mile warmup, and 4 miles at 7:29, and then a mile cooldown. It is a pretty cold night, but for this distance, its not so bad, and I am glad to be out at all. My neighbor asks me if I’m cold, and I tell him not anymore- which is true if you keep moving and wear the right clothes. I am back in the house by 7:15, which is the time I have been coming home on most nights this week, and I have stretched, showered and eaten dinner by 8:00 pm.

Mystery of Time

Today I do speedwork using the mile loop around my house. I’m supposed to run 1600 m at 6:41, 3200 at 13:42, and 2 800s at 3:13. There are rest intervals varying from 400- 800 meters. I am nowhere near hitting the paces on any of these runs. I can barely get below a 7 minute pace, and for the 2 mile interval, I’m running at a 7;15 pace, which is what I was supposed to run for 1 3 mile tempo run last week. I have done these workouts in 2 previous marathon training seasons, and while I may have not nailed each one of them, I had way better overall results. If I am slower for speedwork, I can accept that. I want to know why I am slower – is it because I am older, heavier, my plantar fascistis, bone spur on my left foot. Could it be because I am not doing the type of plyomtric drills I did before I ran green bay last winter? What is odd is that my indoor track workouts are way faster, for supposedly some of the same distances. It makes me wonder whether we have the distance wrong for that track, and its really not 200 meters. I am going to start asking around.