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.

Burnout - PT 8K Results

Missing a personal best time it isn't necessarily a loss as much as it is a learning experience, trying to factor in all internal and external conditions to see what one could learn from and overcome next time.  Missing it by a mere 1 or 2 secods, however, can be frustrating.  Especially knowing that one or two adjustments could have made all the difference..

Overall time:  32:11
Overall Finish:  13th
Pace per mile:  6:28.5
Age Group Finish:  4th
Splits:  6:06, 6:06, 6:18, 7:02, 6:39

It's pretty obvious by the split times where I fell off.  I hit stomach cramps hard on the 4th mile and struggled to recover before the final approach to the finish line.  I pin a lot of this on running out just a bit too hard, and part of it to not being able to push through the pain and discomfort on the vital stretch of the race.  The terrain was flat, but I think that might have made me a bit overconfident.  I paced it like a shorter race - which showed as I was crossed the 5K mark at roughly 19 minutes flat before falling off.

With no single-mile and 5-mile races left for the year (in Maine anyway), my attempt to PR every major distance this year will come up a little short.  Disappointed? A bit.  Discouraged?  Not at all.  I'll make every effort next year to PR them all.

8K = 5 miles = Last Chance to PR in 2010

In spite of my failure to achieve my sub-180 weight so far this year (the last time I was at that weight was about two years ago), I look back and see that I've probably had my best running year yet.  I've set personal bests in all major course lengths save for two.  This Sunday may be the last chance to break my personal best in one of those lengths.

Physical Therapy 8K

Sunday, October 17 @ 9AM

Course Length:  8 kilometers (4.97 miles)

Personal Course best:  N/A

8K/5-mile best:  32:20

Granted, the 8K isn't exactly 5 miles, but the small distance left shouldn't be an issue if I'm on the top of my game.  Calculating my pace in my best 5-miler (6:28/mile), I would need to finish better than 32:09.  Given the way I've been running over the past couple months, all it should take is some good weather and a fairly favorable course.  We'll see what happens on Sunday.

Meeting Expectations - Maine (Half) Marathon Results

Everything in this was what I planned to have happen - a clear, cool, dry day, legs felt 100% ready to go, and my goal to break 1 hour, 30 minutes was met with relative ease.  This in itself is a rare event.

Overall Time:  1:28:36

Overall Finish:  54th (out of 2,030)

Pace Per Mile:  6:45

Age Group Finish: 8th (out of 106)

The only monkey wrench I had in my plan was the allergies that had kicked in this past week.  Through part of the run, my sinuses swelled up to the point where I was sniffling and one of my eyes started to shed tears.  Oddly enough it straightened out and it never really affected my race performance at all.

Miles 1-5

Splits:  7:00, 6:39, 6:50, 6:47, 6:50

Split total:  34:06

I started out going slow, though not by choice.  Even though I wasn't far from the start, there were many runners up to the front that were not going fast at all.  (I am really starting to like the pace markers at the larger road races because of this.)  I knew this course so well, however, and when I weaved my way to the left edge of the road I had a narrow slit that allowed be to leapfrog dozens - perhaps hundreds - of runners.  I was still gaining momentum after the first mile and by the time I turned on to route 1, I had found a comfortable pace.  At that point my goal was to just maintain this pace until the end.

Miles 6-10

Splits:  6:56, 6:51, 6:45, 6:41, 6:43 

Split total: 33:56

Overall:  1:08:02

Miles 5 through 8 were on route 88, the road that had the dreaded rolling hills.  In the Marathon leg, this terrain would wear down on me and beat me up.  Luckily I only stayed on this road for a few miles, turning around after the first major up and down hill.  Once I passed back on that hill, I extended my stride a bit and started to take the race with a bit more aggression.  On mile 9 I had approached a guy running the half and we proceeded to make conversation through the next few miles.  I tend to be pretty antisocial during a race but the talk was welcome and we helped each other keep up a stronger pace than what we've been doing.

Miles 11-13.1

Splits:  6:40, 6:40, 6:40, :34(~6:40)

Split total:  20:34

Overall:  1:28:36

I hit a harder pace than what I originally intended but I was determined to keep it up.  (What I didn't realize was that I had a 5K at such an even pace - only when I looked through my splits after the race did I notice I had done that.)  I broke away from the other runner as soon as we turned to the Back Cove and defied my tired legs.  The most interesting part was that I was passing runners on every mile from start to finish.  No one passed me after 4 miles.  

I was happy with my finish.  This is a very familiar course to me now - my 4th visit to this race - but this was my first half marathon in over 2 years.  I never had any doubt that I could finish it, but I always try to prepare for the unexpected.

Lucky for me, the unexpected never happened.  It was a solid, complete race.

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