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.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
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."
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."
Monday, January 3, 2011
2010 Review: Races and PRs
Total Races: 37* (31)
Race Wins: 1
Top 3 Finishes: 3
Races Run:
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 (3rd)
Run With the Falcons – 5K – 8/29 – 19:48 – 6:20 (1st)
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 (2nd)
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.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
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.
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:
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.
Monday, October 18, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, October 11, 2010
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.
Monday, October 4, 2010
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.
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