The Windy Wall: Eastern States 2011 Results

Though I am now well into my fifth year of running, I am still learning from almost every race I run.  This one was no different - in fact the lessons may have been a bit rough this time around.

Eastern States Results

Overall Time:  2:30:33

Pace Per Mile: 7 minutes, 32 seconds

Overall Place:  65th

Age group finish:  36th (1-39 age group)

5-mile splits: 34:30, 37:31, 36:35, 41:57

This was one of those races where I felt great going into it and even started out ahead of my PR.  I nailed the first mile at 7:10, about exactly where I wanted it to be, then hovered around a 6:50 pace for the next 4 miles.  I had some bad side stitches briefly at mile 3 but worked through them as I weaved through the sheltered area of 1A.

Once exposed to the ocean at mile 6 the wind started to hammer down.  The west-northwest wind made that experience a little better than last year's bitter south wind.  The sun, however, teamed up and made for a perfect storm of dehydration that would become an increasing factor in the race.

I experienced side stitches again around 8 or 9, then again at 14.  This combined with a dull stomach ache through the majority of the run served me a hard lesson:  eat closer to the race.  The fact that I ate breakfast at 6:30 and didn't have anything else going into the race at 11:00 caused my body to lose energy fast after a certain point.  Though I would still run solidly through the next 8 miles, I felt myself already tapping into my energy reserves before I had hit the half way point.

Every time I turned away from the ocean - however brief the turn was - I hit the cold wind head-on and struggled through every step.  The water stops were my salvation, but they were a little far apart for comfort.  Save for the last two stops, every station was 3 1/2 miles apart.  This would make matters worse for me.

The runner's wall came hard.  I started to fall apart at 13 but tried to hold it together until the aid station at mile 15.  It was a vain effort, made worse by the gel packet that wouldn't open for me.  My plan was to use the packet and try to salvage the energy from that and finish strong.  In spite of my effort to rip the packet open with my teeth, I couldn't get it to budge, and I hurled it into the nearby trash bin in frustration.  I was going to have to fight through the last 5 miles with practically nothing in the tank.

I haven't felt that bad over miles 15-20 since my first Marathon.  Every mile was a battle that got worse as I got closer to Massachusetts. I tried to extend my stride but surges were very brief and only served to slow me down more after the surge ended.  Miles 19 and 20 were a little scary. I started to feel lightheaded and began to get a little dizzy in the last several hundred meters.  I almost didn't think I would make it.  Somehow I managed to collect myself enough to push to the finish. 

It was an ugly race, but at least I got to the end unassisted.  I forced myself to keep walking to the bus that would cart be back to my car.  I got the drink out of my gym bag that was stored on the bus and downed its contents pretty quickly.

It was then that I realized how horrible the new Vitamin Water Zero drinks taste when I'm dehydrated.  I let out almost everything I had just consumed and it left an awful aftertaste that took a long time to get out.  Luckily someone nearby had a bottle of Poland Springs for me to have.  Water is better.

I didn't even come close to any sort of PR, but I can take some harsh lessons from this race and make sure I don't repeat them in Boston.  

Eastern States 2011

Before spring finally arrives, bringing its rising temperatures, gentle winds, and greener grass, the cold bite of winter takes one more rip out of us.  Funny that it always seems to fall on the last weekend in March, just in time for a long coastal race.


I went back and forth a lot on the decision to run this.  With a lot of commitments outside of running over the next month, I could have easily skipped this one and might have been okay.  Beyond that, this year puts the race in between the Hyannis and Boston Marathons.  Counting the Brian Boru 5K, that's over 75 miles of road races in 7 weeks, which is unprecedented from a personal standpoint.  (If you count the Sugarloaf Marathon and the Orrington 10k over the following month, that's about 110 miles of racing in 11 weeks.)  This goes above and beyond any pace I had set for myself at this point, so what impact this will have on my legs will be unknown.


None of this really scares me, though.  In fact, I'm excited to have this opportunity to not only run Boston, but to push myself beyond my previous limits and possibly hit a sub-3-hour marathon.  It's a big part of why I decided to commit to this.


Date:  Sunday, March 27
Time: 11AM

Start Location:  Kittery, ME

Finish Location  Salisbury Beach, MA

Course Map:  http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=342214


After a couple of years of various construction projects, the race is back to its original course - nearly the entirety of it runs along route 1A.  It's flat, it's wide open, and it's well-marked.  What makes this course a challenge is - like Hyannis - the weather.  Though it's spring officially, winter hasn't quite left most of northern New England yet.  There's always a strong wind off the Atlantic at this time of year and the forecast calls for exactly that.  At least the sun will be out to provide a small amount of warmth.


After tomorrow, there will be three weeks separating me from my first ever Boston run.  I'd love to go into it with some confidence and momentum.

My top five 20-mile races:
2:21:01 - Sugarloaf Marathon, 20-mile split, 2010
2:25:13 - Sugarloaf Marathon, 20-mile split, 2009
2:25:56 - Eastern States 20-miler, 2010
2:26:31 - Somesville 20-miler, 2010
2:26:53 - Eastern States 20-miler, 2009

To beat the Eastern States PR shouldn't be too much of a hassle provided everything goes well.  To get an overall PR would be great, and from what I've run so far this year, it's definitely doable.  I'll know for sure in less than 24 hours.

Hyannis, Year 4

Overall Time:  3:27:04
Pace Per Mile: 7 minutes, 54 seconds
Overall Place/Finishers:  51/358
Age Group Place/Finishers:  21/56
Place among ME runners:  2nd

Splits:  36:02 (1-5)  37:13 (6-10)  37:25 (11-15)  39:50 (16-20)  56:34 (21-26.2)

I could have taken a lot of negatives from this race but the goals were simple:  beat my best time for the course or, failing that, just complete the race.  My primary goal was achieved.

Conditions were dismal - low 30s and wet snow, with wind picking up by the second loop.  I took a gamble and nixed the gloves - that was a mistake.  The first 3 miles were a struggle to ignore my chapped, half-frozen hands while gauging my optimal pace.  Luckily my body warmed up enough to ease the discomfort, at least for the time being.

I paced comfortably between 7:15-7:30 for the majority of the race (though I was sub-7:15 for 4 of the first 5 miles).  This worked well until my legs started to stiffen up around mile 16 and I gradually lost momentum.  Until that point I had managed to pace under 7:30 which was ahead of my own projections, but I was thankful that I stayed ahead of them to that point because of the wall I would hit at mile 18.  I recorded 7:37, 7:40 for 16 and 17 and 8:20 for 18 and 19.  A surge of adrenaline got me a 7:53 for 20 but that was all I had for sub-8 running for the remainder of the race.  I even recorded a 10-minute-plus mile at 25.  At least the last .2 was clocked at a respectable 1:40 - a low-8 pace - and I was able to finish well under the 3 hour, 30 minute mark.

I can take a lot of things from this race.  First, wear gloves to a Marathon with sub-freezing temperatures, even if there's no precipitation.  I'm probably lucky I didn't suffer frostbite damage to my hands.  Second, my fitness overall is better than it has been in previous Hyannis marathons in spite of my running struggles this time of year.  This is a good sign for Sugarloaf and Boston.  Third, I'm grateful for people I know to help me out post-race this year. I went alone for 2008 and 2009 but if I had gone alone this year, I might have had some issues getting back to my vehicle post-race (mostly because of being under-dressed when my body temperature dropped back down).  Fourth, a successful Hyannis run is a perfect foundation to build momentum into spring.  With this year being more active than ever for races, I'll need all the self-motivation I can get.

Seven weeks separate Hyannis from Boston.  That means I'll need to pull all the positives out of the race and put everything back together in quick order.

Blessings in Disguise

The postponement of the 2011 Mid-Winter Classic was a moderate disappointment.  Though I missed the 2009 version, it became the staple of my Hyannis Marathon.  I enjoyed running this race even if the conditions were less than ideal.  To make things worse, the rescheduled date landed exactly on the day of Hyannis which makes a pretty obvious scheduling conflict.

What it did do, however, is inspire me to run a lot of miles over Saturday and Sunday, something I would not have done otherwise. This helped fix the dilemma of my mileage for the week and (at least with Sunday's run) helped to acclimate my legs for 2-hour-plus running.  In a time where my average weekly mileage since last October has slumped slightly below 40 miles, every run I can do will only help me get back to a more competitive situation.

Without my usual 10- and 20-mile races for February, my endurance tests pre-Hyannis will be lacking.  I'll have one race - Somesville 10-miler - to run, though only 7 days before the Marathon, making it effectively useless for conditioning at that stage.   The inconsistent weight and mileage could pose a small problem, at least on the surface.

Will it be a major issue, though?  I doubt it will to be honest.  I don't put a lot of stake into my finishing time for Hyannis.  The Cape Cod weather in February is far too unpredictable, as is my health (fever/flu at the 2010 edition).  Will I aim to to PR?  Without a doubt.  These times don't intimidate me too much:

2008 - 4:42:35
2009 - 3:32:03
2010 - 3:45:34

Who knows?  Maybe the incidents that caused these 'little problems' to show up will turn out in my favor.  We'll know in 20 days.

Resolution Made, Five Years Ago

Here we are, past the half-way point in the first month of 2011.  January is used as a month of renewal for a lot of people as they start their resolutions.  By now, however, quite a few have already broken them or have just plain given up.  Maybe it's the cold weather, maybe it's just the desire to wind down after a hectic holiday season, or maybe it's just the inability to get a proper routine going that would promote said resolution.

Five years ago, in January 2006, I made a resolution that was very difficult to get off the ground but I stuck to it.  As expected, progress was slow.  I made small adjustments here and there to inch toward my first goal.  I never saw the results early on, and there were stretches where I just wanted to stop the forward progress because of it.  I carried on, though, and just took everything day by day until I finally started noticing differences.  They were small, and I knew I needed something more than 'adjustments' to break out of it.

Those first 10 months were still off-and-on but it wasn't until October 2006, on the relentless advice of a co-worker who would become my mentor, that I started something that I eventually held on to. It because a cornerstone of my health, body, and lifestyle.  I don't think I really need to say what it is - you likely know if you're reading this blog.

Of course at that point, I did not really expect it to make a lot of difference.  I was slow, distances were short, my lungs ached and burned as well as my legs, especially the knees. I ran outdoors in the Maine winter for some of the first 6 months which made it harder for my willpower to fight myself.  I had on more layers of clothing than I think I've ever put on at once and ran in shoes that had no ability to support my feet.  I got smirks, laughs, and even name-calls as I shuffled back and forth on the 1+ - mile stretch of road that I would jog, walk, then jog again.

Starting in the dead of winter, however, was a great blessing in disguise.  Once the longer days brought warmer temperatures the desire to run outside became greater.  Layers came off and goals were met faster.  By June and July of 2007, I was nearly completing 4 miles without walking and my diet had changed dramatically from when I first began.  Pounds slid off like the sweat of a run in an 80-degree summer morning.  Just before my 28th birthday, I finally hit my goal of completing a running loop around my home without stopping.  I was then entered into a road race.  That's when my life turned a corner for good.

Sometimes resolutions are small, only met in a small burst and winked out just as fast.  Sometimes they're impossible to keep; the result of a wild dream in the haze of New Year's champagne.  Rare are the slow-burning, tortoise-like goals that can be sustained not for days or weeks, but months to years (and even lifetimes).  I'm glad I listened to that little voice that said to me:  "It will eventually pay off."

2010 Review: Races and PRs

Total Races:  37* (31)
Race Wins:  1
Top 3 Finishes:  3

Races Run:

January Thaw - 4.5 mi – 1/16 – 30:03 – 6:41

Mid-winter classic – 10mi – 2/7 - 1:08:36 – 6:52

Somesville – 20mi – 2/14 - 2:26:31 – 7:20

Hyannis – 26.2mi – 2/28 - 3:45:34 – 8:37

Road Rover – 5K – 3/7 - 21:12 – 6:50

Eastern States – 20mi - 3/28 – 2:25:56 – 7:18

Unity Spring – 5K – 4/17 - 18:52 – 6:04

Patriot's Day – 5mi – 4/18 – 32:35 – 6:31

Orrington – 10K – 5/1 – 40:30 – 6:30

Sea Dogs Mother's Day – 5K - 5/9 – 20:23 – 6:33

Sugarloaf – 26.2mi – 5/16 – 3:08:21 – 7:11

Cumberland Memorial – 1mi – 5/31 – 5:25

Back Cove – 5K – 6/2 – 19:56 – 6:25*

Peter Ott's – 10K – 6/6 – 41:47 – 6:42

Back Cove – 5K – 6/9 – 19:52 – 6:24*

Back Cove – 5K – 6/16 – 20:23 – 6:33*

Hampden Father's Day – 8.5mi – 6/20 – 1:00:28 – 7:07

Tour du Lac – 10mi – 6/26 – 1:07:55 – 6:48

Thomaston Firecracker – 5K – 7/3 – 20:29 – 6:35

LL Bean – 10K – 7/4 – 44:32 – 7:09

Back Cove – 5K – 7/7 – 20:49 – 6:42*

Back Cove – 5K – 7/14 – 20:20 – 6:32*

Yarmouth Clam Festival – 5mi – 7/17 - 33:43 – 6:45

Bucksport Bay Festival – 5K – 7/24 - 18:45 – 6:02

Back Cove – 5K – 20:31 – 7/28 - 6:36*

Beach 2 Beacon – 10K – 8/7 – 40:17 – 6:28

St. Peter's – 4mi – 8/13 – 25:58 – 6:30

Westport Shore Run – 10K – 8/22 – 42:50 – 6:53 (3^rd)

Run With the Falcons – 5K – 8/29 – 19:48 – 6:20 (1^st)

Bangor Labor Day – 5mi – 9/6 – 33:42 – 6:44

Dan Cardillo – 5K – 9/12 – 19:37 – 6:18

Safe Passage – 5K – 9/25 – 19:27 – 6:15 (2^nd)

Maine Half Marathon – 13.1mi – 10/3 – 1:28:36 – 6:45

Physical Therapy – 8K – 10/17 – 32:11 – 6:28

Cape Elizabeth Turkey Trot – 5K – 11/21 – 19:30 – 6:16

Portland Thanksgiving – 4mi – 11/25 – 25:51 – 6:28

Epic Finale – 5K – 12/26 – 19:57 – 6:25

* - Back Cove 5K races are technically counted as tempo runs for me in my running log.  I often ran these with slightly less effort than most 5K races.

Personal Records This Year:

5K - 18:45 (6:02/mi)

4mi - 25:51 (6:28/mi)

10K - 40:17 (6:28/mi)

10mi - 1:07:55 (6:48/mi)

13.1mi - 1:28:36 (6:45/mi)

20mi - 2:21:01 (7:03/mi)**

26.2mi - 3:08:21 (7:11/mi)

**  - My fastest in a 20-mile race was at Eastern States, but the 2:21:01 time was achieved after 20 miles of running at the Sugarloaf Marathon, which technically counts as a PR for the distance.

2011 Marathon Schedule

2010 was a light year for running Marathons - I had run one less than my totals in 08 and 09 - but it was a successful year overall.  I set PR's in all distances but the 1-mile and 5-mile lengths, won a 5K (placed second and third in two others), and qualified for the Boston Marathon.  Even if I had accomplished all the other goals, the BM goal was the one achievement I have been striving for pretty much since I started running.  Now that the goal has been reached, I can start taking my running to the next level.

2011 will make up for the light Marathon running done this year as I have scheduled for myself five 26.2-mile races.  Two are very familiar, and three will be all-new.  (One of them should be obvious.)  Here they are, in chronological order:


Hyannis Marathon
Sunday, February 27, 10AM
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Number of times raced:  3
Best Finishing Time:  3:32:03 (2009)
Course Map

In spite of wild weather on the Cape in late February, I just can't stay away from the first place I ever ran a Marathon distance.  The terrain is mostly flat and the scenery is pleasant with the right balance of supporters and open places.  Winter Marathon running guarantees that you won't overheat outdoors as the temps almost never break 50 degrees.

Last year's run was not completely disastrous but I suffered through most of the second half of the race.  Stricken with fever and fatigue, it took me nearly 2 dismal hours to get through the last 12 miles of the race and I finished around the 3:45 mark.


Boston Marathon
Monday, April 18, 10AM
Hopkinton to Boston, Massachusetts
Course Map

"Finally made it, Ma.  Top of the world."

I can't describe enough how good it feels to finally be marking this date in my Calendar for racing purposes.  Every step of the way here has been marked with challenges and I'll likely continue with more challenges before setting foot in Hopkinton.  There will be a lot of factors that will affect my performance here - unpredictable weather, lodging conditions the night before, ability to weave through runners, distractions from the huge crowds of spectators -  but my biggest goal is to enjoy the experience.  This is one of the most coveted races in the world and I'm finally a part of it.


Sugarloaf Marathon
Sunday, May 15, 7AM
Eustis to Kingfield, ME (Route 27)
Number of Times Raced:  3
Best Finishing Time:  3:08:21 (2010)
Course Map

Like Hyannis, I can't stay away from this one - though for a slightly different set of reasons.  Not only is this one of the best courses for me to run, it is the one that qualified me for Boston.  There's something about the terrain and weather that makes it nearly perfect.

This year, the goal will be set more aggressively:  finish in under 3 hours.  If I have a chance in any 2011 course it'll be here.


MDI Marathon
Sunday, October 16, 8AM
Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor, Maine
Course Map

This is a race I've set my sights for since I started running Marathons regularly.  This is easily the toughest of the 5 courses to run this year, but I am really looking forward to it.  I really do not have a goal set (yet) other than to finish and enjoy the scenery.

Elevation Map and Comparison to Boston

Philadelphia Marathon
Sunday, November 20, 7AM
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Course Map

There is a lot of time to study and strategize this course so there aren't many details yet.  The biggest reason for this run is not necessarily for the Marathon itself but for what I'll be doing after I reach the finish line.  The hint is in the picture below:

Da-daaa-duuuuuuuuuuuun... da-daaa-duuuuuuuuuuuuun...

...I think it'll be a great way to wrap up the Marathon year.