The Return to the Maine (Half) Marathon

September was a pretty successful month including a second place overall in a 5K this past weekend.  Miles are on the increase, legs are feeling up to par, and the weather has been mostly cooperative. 

As October makes its introduction, Portland will play host to one of the biggest races of the year in Maine - aptly named the Maine Marathon.  The 3 heats are the Marathon itself (26.2 miles), Half Marathon (13.1 miles), and Marathon Relay (a team of 4 split the Marathon distance).  Attendance is at the cap (3,500) for the race which is no surprise.  Preliminary weather reports look typical as well, as temps will peak around the 60-degree mark and there will be plenty of sunshine.

I will be running in this race for the fourth year in a row - however I am running the half marathon instead of the full.  There are two reasons for this:  one, I am not fully trained nor have I had the time to train to run a marathon distance at the moment.  Two, I feel that there is no pressure to run a fall marathon now that I've qualified for Boston this year.  I suppose there may be a third reason to this as well:  I have only completed 3 half marathons in my running career.  Since I feel that I'm long overdue to set a new PR for this distance, I should take advantage of the opportunity to run another one.

The new logo for the Maine Marathon

Maine Half Marathon
Sunday, October 3 @ 7:30AM
Course Length: 13.1 miles
Personal course best: 2:03:15
13.1-mile best: 1:30:44
Course Map

As you can see, my best on this course for the H-M length won't be too difficult to break.  It was only my second road race and the longest distance I had ever run at once.  If everything feels good I should easily break the hour and a half mark on the course.

Fourth Year of Road Racing Begins

A third place and first place finish in the last two road races are a really good way to end August and my third road racing year.  Along the way, I've set new PR's in every noable race distance category except for three places: the 1-mile, the 5-mile, and the half marathon.  On Monday, I'll have a chance to knock down one of those three distances.

Bangor Labor Day Road Race
Monday, September 6 @ 9AM
Course Length:  5 miles
Personal course best:  33:45
5-mile best: 32:20
Course Map

In case you didn't know, this is the race that started it all for me.  This is also the most challenging 5-mile race that I've run so far, and each year it seems to throw me for a loop.  The first two miles are open and flat enough to post a great pace, but that's where it traps you.  By the time you realize what you're in for - usually when you turn off the road while going uphill and into a goat path.

To get to Holland St. direct from 14th St., one needs to go through the 'goat path.'

Though it's pretty rough and definitely a 'trail' grade path, the incline has only just begun.  Holland street is all uphill.  It definitely takes its toll.  Luckily, there is a break down Wiley St, but the hill begins again just before mile 3 is completed.  West Broadway is the salvation in this course as the uphills finally stop and the remainder of the course is slightly downhill and wide open.  However, runners live or die by the aforementioned hills.  It's very well possible that the energy levels are so low that the final two miles might as well be in the river.

My goal this year is to not let those hille kill me.  If I get to 3 miles in 19 1/2 minutes or less, I will get a personal best in this race.  The weather conditions are somewhat favorable  (55-60 degrees by race time) so that should help.

2007:  46:45, 96th overall, 9:21 pace
2008:  33:45, 22nd overall, 6:45 pace
2009:  35:39, 30th overall, 7:08 pace

Labor day race photo - left, 2007 - right, 2008

St. Peter's 4-mile Road Race - Results

Overall time:  25:58
Pace per Mile:  6:29.5
Overall Place:  36 (out of 277)
Age Group Place: 5 (out of 17)
Male Splits:  5:51, 6:37, 6:53, 6:37

This was the first evening race (outside of the weekly Back Cove series) so I came into this not expecting too much of myself.  My body performs much differently at 7PM than it does at 7AM.  Even with that, the weather was nice enough to not be a major factor this evening.

The route claimed to be 'downhill at the start and the end' which was true, but on the course are some long, slow inclines that would cause minor problems for people who started out a little too fast. 

Mile 1 had the familiar Fore St. hill to the Eastern Promenade (a route also used by the Irish Road Rover 5K and the Duo Duel relay) in which I easily scaled.  I was kinda surprised when I crossed the first mile under 6 minutes because I thought that the hill would have slowed me a bit.  Knowing that I would pay for it later, I just kept myself at a moderate race pace as much as possible.  Mile 2 would slowly sap my strength, making mile 3 much more difficult than it should have been.  The Fore st. hill was back - this time going down - at the end of 3 miles and I used it to regain momentum and I pushed harder to get through what felt like a very long last mile.

I crossed in just under 26 minutes, so I was satisfied with that time.  There were definitely some things I would have adjusted to run better overall but it was a good race and I'll likely run this one again next year.

Head-Light: Beach 2 Beacon Results

Overall Time:  40:17
Pace per Mile:  6:29
Overall Place:  357 (out of 5,670)
Age Group Place:  29 (out of 309)

It was a cool and beautiful morning to run.  After the humid weather we've been having over the last month it was a relief to get something almost fall-like.  I had a good feeling about the race; I set my goal to beat my PR (40:30) and possibly break the 40 minute-mark.

Start Line
It's kinda funny to see such a big start-line structure out in the middle of nowhere.  I suppose it belongs in the same 'funny' category as when you see 15,000 people crammed into this part of Cape Elizabeth.  Everything seemed very well-coordinated and professional.  The 6,000 runners were herded into this extra long chute that took up the width of the road and sorted according to what the runners thought their pace would be.  I placed myself in between the 6 and 7 minute pace signs (which would later prove to be very accurate).  They started about 10 minutes late but otherwise everything was smooth right up to the starting siren.

First Mile - 6:25
I was expecting to be held up badly in this first mile but the spacing was surprisingly sufficient to get the pace I wanted early in the run.  The terrain started as a slight downhill for the first 200 meters then leveled out to a nice, open route 77.  Just before the lighthouse pillars that marked the 1st mile, I passed a group of 5 or 6 runners dressed as smurfs.  And singing the smurf theme.  I'm not here to question anyone's sanity.

Second Mile - 6:33 (12:58)
I felt that I went ever so slightly fast in the first mile so I instead tried to draft behind someone who seemed to be keeping his pace.  The road made a slow bend but otherwise kept itself straight and even.  When I approached the road that would take us off route 77 I realized that the guy in front of me was laboring a bit.  I broke off the drafting and pushed myself ahead.

Third Mile - 6:23 (19:21)
I had a lot more energy than I realized so I turned it up slightly and charged through the airwaves filled with the sounds of "Bad Romance."  (I'm not sure if that's really runner-inspiring music, but whatever floats their boats..)  There were slight elevations in the road but not enough to make any impact.  This was the mile I passed a lot of runners.

Fourth Mile - 6:37 (25:58)
This mile led us back to route 77 and past the High School to the intersection and into Fort Williams Park.  This route was also even but this was also the mile that the sun came out briefly from behind the clouds.  I caught myself slowing down a bit through the mile even though the terrain was still fairly flat.

Taken at mile 5 - photo by Maine Running Photos

Fifth Mile - 6:25 (32:23)
The rolling hills were just starting but when the sun went behind the clouds I redoubled my efforts and forged ahead.  The little dash of adrenaline got me going again and pushed myself ahead of more people and through all the twists and turns of the road.  Things were looking good after 5 - in fact I crossed the markers just 3 seconds off my personal best for 5 miles.  Very nice.

Sixth Mile - 6:46 (39:09)
This mile taught me a valuable lesson:  I'm still running a race IN MAINE.  Turn, hill, bigger turn, bigger hill, and two crazy hairpin turns chock full of people tot he point where I almost thought I had reached the finish line, only to emerge with more than a quarter mile left to go.  Lesson learned.

Final Stretch - 1:06 (40:17)
I was a touch demoralized near the end of the mile - that is, until I crossed it. I realized that even with the bad mile I still had a good shot of making a PR, but only if I stepped it up. 

Go time. 

I gradually upped the tempo as I approached the big turn to the barricades of the final few hundred yards.  One guy zoomed past me but it gave me the surge of adrenaline that I needed at the right time. 

Sprinter's kick.

I 100-meter-dashed through the final leg of the race to the finish passing 4 or 5 people in the final couple hundred feet.  I crossed the finish and let my legs gradually slow me down.  I looked at my watch and smiled.  I beat my personal best. 

Finish
It was just then that the sun came out.  Vindication.  Even the march up the hill to get water in the dehydrating sun couldn't get me down.  In a race that I didn't expect to win any prizes, I at least accomplished a personal goal.  Not a bad way to spend a cool August morning.

The Force of July

In similar fashion to June, I'll go over what I've run this month so far and give a little preview on what's coming up.

Firecracker 5K - Thomaston, ME - Saturday, 7/3
Overall Time:  20:29
Overall Place:  9th
Age Group Place:  2nd
Pace per Mile:  6:36
Splits (half):  10:05/10:24

Overall I didn't feel too bad in this race though I ran the first mile much harder than I wanted.  Based on roughly where mile 1 was, I was at about 5:50-5:55 pace which knocked me down in the second half of the run.  Though cooler than Sunday, the temperature shot up at least 10 degrees when the sun came out about 7:30 AM.

L.L. Bean 10K - Freeport, ME - Sunday, 7/4
Overall Time:  44:32
Overall Place:  135th
Age Group Place:  15th
Pace Per Mile:  7:09
Splits (per mile):  6:42, 6:52, 7:08, 7:23, 7:37, 7:13, 1:37

I definitely did not feel 100% going into this race, and the harsh weather made things a lot worse for me.  After the first two miles, it felt like someone threw themselves on my shoders and my legs felt stiff.  By mile 4 it was a losing battle to keep myself under 7 minute pace.  I struggled through 5 miles and pushed with as much effort as I could in the last part of the race.  I crossed the line exhausted as if I had run in 90 degree heat.  Surprisingly, I found out later that I wasn't dehydrated.  It just seemed like this weekend was just not my weekend to run well.


With this upcoming weekend off from any races, I should be able to get rested and restored for what's ahead:

Clam Festival 5-miler - Yarmouth, ME - Saturday, June 17
Yarmouth Town Hall, 8AM

This is a big July race in Maine, probably bigger than the LL Bean 10K.  It's also pretty much right where I live, which makes travel to this very easy.  This is my first time running this but I have a feeling that this race will be a good one for me.

Fort Knox Bay Festival 5K - Bucksport, ME - Saturday, June 24
Verso Paper Fitness Center, 8AM

I set a 5K personal record on this course in 2008 - 19:12 - which stood until the Unity Spring race this year.  Hopefully with some discipline and a little luck weather-wise I can hit around the 19-minute mark again and possibly approach the 18:52 mark I set in April.


Not a lot left for this month but it's all building for the Beach to Beacon which will open up August's race month for me.  Let's hope the heat stays down just a little bit for these races.

Coup du Lac: Bucksport Tour du Lac 10-miler Results

Overall Time:  1:07:55
Overall Place:  16th
Pace Per Mile:  6:47.5
Age Group Finish:  4th
Mile 1-5 Splits:  6:47, 6:44, 6:36, 6:52, 6:50 (33:49)
Mile 6-10 Splits:  7:13, 6:54, 6:47, 6:42, 6:30 (34:06)

As shaky as this month has been for running overall, I couldn't have asked for a better end to it.

There aren't many 10-milers for me to compare myself to - I only have this and the Cape Elizabeth run in February to compare.  Also, with it being summer, Marathons (and even half marathons) are extremely rare.  That's what makes this race important from a personal stance.  It's a waypoint in my long distance summer running that ultimately sets the tempo for the fall marathon.  

The race time is early - 7:30AM - but that's actually a good thing when late June temps can soar past 90 degrees fast.  Luckily the sun stayed behind the clouds and gave us a fairly cool 60-65 degree run.  Unlike the Hampden race last week when temps were surging past 80 before the race began, the Tour du Lac would prove to be about as comfortable as a summer long distance race could be.

RK and I convened briefly before the race to discuss strategies.  Though most plans are thrown out the window after the first 10-20% of the race, it was still good to get a pre-race gauge of where we are.  I took a 1/2-mile jog to get a feel for my legs.  There was an ache in my left calf but it has been like this for the last few weeks and hasn't really come into play during any race or workout.  Once I'm warmed up or speeding up, the ache goes away.  Content that I'm good for at least a 70-minute run, I focus in and prep myself on the start line.

The first few miles are almost all inclines but are easily manageable provided one doesn't go out too fast.  This is the kind of course that is very unforgiving to people who are too fast too early.  Miles 4 and 5 are mostly small rolling hills and not much of a change in elevation which allows a bit of a momentum pickup.

Then there's mile 6.

I see it before I get to the marker - the big hill with a 5-6% grade for at least a quarter mile.  Though this hill doesn't necessarily take it all out, it does slow down runners significantly.  It makes the second hill at the beginning of mile 7 seem bigger than it really is.  Once I'm at the top, the next half mile of 7 is a free fall, followed by rolling hills until the end of 8.

For me, I am already building momentum and starting to accelerate on mile 7, continuing to build on 8 and 9 until I encounter a small hill at the start of mile 10.  I always push hard on this hill so I can ride that effort down the next half mile until I make it back on Broadway.  The final quarter mile is a bit uphill which puts a lot more effort on the legs to push to the finish.

I moved ahead of RK after 3 miles, Stephen Whalen (who finished right behind me) after 4, then there was no one for the rest of the race.  I did start to hear footsteps on 9 but I put my foot on the gas to make sure I stayed ahead.

What resulted was a personal record on the course by over 2 minutes and a new 10-mile PR by 43 seconds, crossing the line just barely under my intended goal of 68 minutes.  It's a great way to seal the month of June.

June 2010: What's Behind, What's Ahead

Though with an alarming lack of updates, I have still been very busy running this month.  Since the Marathon, I have run a 1-mile race (technically run on 5/31), five 5K races, and a 10K race. An 8.5-miler and a 10-miler are all that's left until the end of the month, but for long distance races during the summer, they are pretty important.  I'll start with what's been run so far:

Cumberland Memorial Mile - Cumberland, ME - Monday, 5/31
Overall Time: 5 minutes, 25 seconds
Half-mile splits:  2:44/2:41
Overall Finish: 9th
Age Group Finish:  1st

I was thankful for having a race that was only a single mile in length, because I don't think I'd be able to do better than that for the day.  Choking smoke from the Quebec forest fires combined with my own health issues (sore throat, weak feeling in the arms, hip aches from the Marathon) made even this short run a challenge.

We got under way a bit late due to a miscalculation in the kids 1/2-mile fun run.  The majority of the group had circled around the wrong flagger and came back too early, roughly 1/4 of a mile for a distance.  After a little confusion (and waiting for those who ran the correct distance to finish), they instructed the kids where to turn and re-ran it.

The race itself started one mile away from Greely Academy which gave me the ideal excuse to do a warm-up jog on the length of the course.  Though largely flat, main street does have some slight inclines that would definitely make a difference from other single miles I've run (only 2 to this point; both were mostly downhill).  After a little bit of delay, the runners assembled at the start line (some of them backed off when the announcer advised that those running slower than "6 minutes" not be right on the start line).

About 15-20 runners catapulted themselves off the start line, something that would bite some of them in the end.  I gently accelerated to get to what I felt was a roughly 5:30 pace and then worked to keep the pace up as long as I could.  I knew that my only waypoint was the 1/2-mile mark so I kept myself running hard in spite of the shell shock I was giving my body.  It was hard to believe that it had been roughly 2 years since I pushed myself to this level for any distance. 

I stepped on the .5 line at 2:44 and started to feel my arms ache and tingle.  I was still far from 100% and had broke a fever just 3-4 hours before the race; my body was reminding me of that.  I forced myself to ignore it for the next 3 minutes and propelled forward like I was on the track.  All this time I was passing people one by one like a sniper and slingshotting my way toward the finish.  Having such a clear shot to the finish with still being a half mile away gave me a vertigo feeling but it just made me drive with that much more determination.

I crossed the line with my second best single-mile time ever (5:18 still stands as my personal best, done exactly 2 years prior) in spite of all the aforementioned factors.  My reward was a delicious strawberry rhubarb pie - which didn't last 24 hours, by the way - and a confident feeling that I was still running at my best post-Sugarloaf.

Weekly Back Cove 5K Series - Portland, ME - Wednesdays

Letest Results

Personal Stats and Standings

I had been eyeing this series since I started road racing and had been curious to get involved with it.  This is pretty much the only race in Maine held on a Wednesday night which would pose its own interesting set of challenges.  Wednesdays are usually my designated speed workout days so this has effectively replaced them for the time being.

The first week was run a mere 72 hours after the Marathon - my body was nowhere near the peak of performance.  Each of the next 3 weeks saw me improve in time until last week when I fell about 30 seconds.  My 5K average - 20:30 - is something I'm happy with considering I'm holding myself back a bit in order to experiment and conserve.  I will not be running Week 7 because of the impending 10-mile race the following weekend but I should have a few more of these races in July and August.  I'm not sure if I'll make this a yearly thing but for now it's a lot of fun, and perhaps most importlant of all, it's FREE. 

Peter Ott's Camden 10K - Camden, ME - 6/6

Overall Time:  41:47

Pace (per mile):  6:44

Mile Splits:  6:35, 6:18, 6:25, 7:14, 6:47, 6:57, 1:31(7:06) 

Overall Finish:  9th

Age Group Finish:  2nd

This one went a little rougher than I wanted.  The conditions went from overcast to all-out rain during the race but the weather worked out to help more than hurt - at least from my perspective.  I had just purchased my new shoes yesterday from Maine Running Company and only had that day's run to break them in.  That day's run, however, may have contributed to my energy loss toward the end of mile 3.  The hip aches came back and the relentless inclines and rolling hills on the second half of the course contributed to the wrecking ball that struck me repeatedly.  Even with the downhill at the end I had little energy to surge.

In spite of all that, 41:47 is my second best time and I placed a lot higher than I had expected.  I got a little medal and a nice Peter Ott tavern glass...all it took was to bash through ten kilometers of hell.

Now that I've recapped the month so far, here's what I got left:

Hampden Father's Day 8 1/2 Miler - Hampden, ME

Sunday, 6/20, 8:30AM, Hampden Academy

Course PR:  1:00:33 (7:07 per mile) in 2008

If you find me another 8 1/2-mile road race anywhere in the United States or Canada, let me know and I will make arrangements to run it.  As of now, this is the only race of this length that I've ever run.  Additionally, I have never run this length in practice or training, either.  With all the 5K's, 10K's, 5 and 10 milers, half marathons and full marathons, it's good to find a race that goes way out of covention for distance. 

This is the 34th race - it was supposedly ending with its last run in 2008 but it has been picked up for this year and I hope to see it continue well into the future.  I encourage distance runners to go to this because I feel that it really is a special course.

Oh, and RK is running it, too.  And the duel continues.

Tour du Lac 10-miler - Bucksport, ME

Saturday 6/26, 7:30AM, Bucksport Public Pool

Course PR:  1:09:57 (6:59.7 per mile) in 2008

The Tour du Lac - named because of its long journey around Bucksport's Silver Lake - is a 10-mile epic.  When a course goes on an incline to start, you know it's going to be a ride.  Hills roll as you get to the northern leg and then things really get interesting around mile 5 as a mammoth hill awaits.  Eventually the aggression of elevation ceases but by then you're already on the home stretch.  Hope you have some energy left.

This will be my 3rd running of this course.  My plan is to blow past my course PR and my 10-mile PR (1:08:36) but knowing that any number of factors could really affect my performance here I can't be too overconfident.  This course is unforgiving to those who don't play it smart.  There's some nice jam awaiting age group winners, though, so that's always nice.  In the last two years I've barely missed out on that and I hope to remedy that in 2010.

Summer will be in full swing by then, as will the running season.