From Clarity, Commitment - Going Long in 2014

As this part of the world endures an especially long and unforgiving deep freeze, 2014 is nearly 1/12 over.  Hopefully, this dreadfully cold winter is making its last great stand, before yielding to more historically seasonable temperatures and a blessedly early thaw.

The last post about diet hinted that big things were coming for me in 2014.  Momentous things.  Things requiring preparation, dedication, and focus.  Things that took a lot of thought to decide to undertake.  Things that will likely change me forever.  The decision to pursue these things came from cutting through much of the emotional, physical, spiritual and other fog in my life and finding a clarity of vision which let me see clearly not only my goals, but also - more importantly - how to achieve them.  Notably, each of these what-I-deem-noble pursuits had to start with a full-blown commitment, and each will demand the full force of that commitment throughout its duration.

One of those things involves running, and it should take about a full day.  The other involves the most important of life's decisions, and should - with a lot of luck - take decidedly longer.

Last September, after finishing the 200+-mile Reach the Beach Relay (where we first met 3 years earlier), I asked Meredith to marry me.

  The standard responses to that question include two short options: a three-letter word (highly preferable), or a two-letter word (completely devastating).  The desired three-letter Y-E-S eventually came out, but it took a lot of reflection, emotion and patience . . . on both of our parts.  Now, we're planning a June wedding just outside our beloved Richmond, Virginia, the primary locale of our courtship.  And, while marrying my great true love is itself most appealing, realizing that we will all again someday soon be able to ride inner tubes down the James River helps get one through this winter's deep, dark doldrums.

The other major endeavor of 2014 will happen about 6 weeks later.  In what my friend Barb and others have termed BHAG (Big-Hairy-Audacious-Goal), I have registered for the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run. 

Yes, this guy.  The guy who's struggled to run 35 miles-per-week for the past couple of years.  The guy who's never run more than 90 miles in a WEEK.  The guy who DROPPED OUT of his first attempt to run 50 miles.  That same guy is going to train himself - physically and mentally - to become an uncompromising plodding machine, never going fast, but perpetually beholden to the ultrarunner's mantra of Relentless Forward Progress.  And, you know what?  I'm completely "terricited" about it, equal parts scared and excited.  Actually, that's not true . . . I'm far more excited than scared.

It is a great comfort to be back to having a clear purpose above beyond attending to the prosaic details of everyday living.  And, while some aspects of planning are expectedly less enjoyable than others, figuring out a wedding, a honeymoon, and how to get through a 100-mile footrace, all in the company of my favorite adult person, makes virtually every moment of every day wonderfully purposeful.

There's so much to figure out.  So many options to weigh.  So many attendant sacrifices to make.  But, sacrifice need not equate to burden when it's for reasons which mean so much to the sacrificer.

And, um, soooooo ... about that . . . it's been a while since I channeled the selfishness inherent in pursuing a running BHAG into benefiting a good cause.  That said, though, I'm not going to run for a cause this year, either.  I am going to run for FOUR CAUSES.  On Friday, July 18, 2014, I will run 4.8 miles.  Added to the 100 miles I'll run starting at 4:00 am on Saturday, July 19th, I will have run the equivalent of four full marathons.  And, so, I have chosen four causes which mean a great deal to me personally, and I will ask any like-minded folks to support them.

Since I'm setting up fundraising sites and finalizing other logistical details, I'll share the details soon.  Save your charity money just a little longer, then, won't you? ;-)

And, finally, partly for old-times' sake, and partly because it will keep me accountable, here is my training from the past two weeks.  I may or may not keep posting training recaps regularly in the months ahead, but I welcome thoughts, opinions, and insights, especially from the knowledgeable ultrastuds and studettes out in the Interwebz.

WEEK OF JANUARY 13-19

Monday - 5.3M (coming off my first long-run stack of 15M Saturday, 20M Sunday)
Tuesday - AM: 4.5M easy;      PM: 90 mins Indoor Soccer (fun!)
Wednesday - 5.2M
Thursday - 7M
Friday - 13.1M (ran to work)
Saturday - AM: 6M group run (for #megsmiles) PM: Indoor Soccer
Sunday - 14.3M

WEEKLY TOTAL (counting soccer estimates) = ~63M

WEEK OF JANUARY 20-26

Monday - 5.1M
Tuesday - AM: 5M      PM: 90 mins Indoor Soccer
Wednesday - 6.7M
Thursday - 9.4
Friday -5.8
Saturday - 20+M
Sunday - 10M

WEEKLY TOTAL (counting soccer estimates) = 67+M

January 2014 is shaping up to be my best month of running/training since March 2011.  In terms of the overall training arc I've begun to map out for myself, I'm right where I want to be mileage-wise.  My legs and hips are certainly fatigued, but my energy is good (high-fat/low-carb/ketosis!), and I seem to be managing the higher volume well.  Of course, other than a few pickups on the treadmill and the short bursts which inevitably happen in soccer, all of these miles are quite slow.  As I realized during my most recent 20+-miler, where I was dragging and at times even walking up steep hills: When training for a 100-miler, running slow and walking *IS* race pace.

As I settle into this most excellent journey towards adventures and rewards both known and unknown, I'm glad that YOU (yes, you, reading this), are choosing to come along.

Thanks for reading. -Ron

GUT CHECK

This post - or at least the underlying impetus for it - has been a long time coming.

Since I my late-teens, I've had chronic stomach issues.  Attributed to heredity (my mother has a "nervous stomach"), I'd come to accept it as a permanent burden.  Granted, it's been a longtime nuisance, but never been quite bad enough to derail me from doing what I've wanted to do.  In more recent years, though, let's just say that it became severe enough that I knew the precise location of every port-a-pottie and shielded patch of roadside woods within a 10+-mile radius of my house.

Among the suspected culprits of my gastrointestinal woes have been Celiac disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, lactose intolerance, and food allergies.  As a beer-loving aficionado of the carbohydrate-driven lifestyle, though, I embraced the traditional United States' government food pyramid (below) like a gospel.

But, despite my ostensibly "healthy" low-fat diet, I never felt quite right.  There's the obvious GI distress in the form of stomach aches and extended post-meal bathroom sessions (no one wants their kids to say "See you in two hours, Dad . . .").  My sleep patterns have been a mess since adolescence.  I have experienced daily energy spikes and crashes.  I needed to end every meal with a sweet dessert.  I couldn't sit in a movie theater without a box of Milk Duds or Twizzlers.  Oh, and there's was my much-beloved IPA life stage.  But, all along, I was at war with myself.  And, after years of constant training, racing, experimenting, it only seemed to get worse.  To this day, I think often about my fueling travails at the 2011 Boston Marathon, where I ran my PR of 3:08+ despite being unable to take any fuel after about Mile 14.  I know I was in shape to run faster.  But I didn't, so the marathoner I thought I'd become was tempered by the actual marathon I ran that day.  And, frankly, I haven't even been as good a runner, on any level, since.

So, I did what skeptics do.  I questioned myself, my beliefs, my behavior.  I consulted learned sources who have found a different way.  I shed that unquestioned orthodoxy and kept an open mind.

And, I'm rather glad that I did.

My first attempted foray into a full-scale diet modification came in the Fall of 2012, when I paid for a "Metabolic Typing" assessment.  The 25+-page report and analysis was enlightening, but the proscription for how to combine foods soon became unworkable for me.  The two main positive changes for me at that time were that I gave up soy and soda completely.  But, after feeling notably better for a few weeks, I went back to my old ways, where grains and sugars made up most of my daily caloric intake.

After another year of sub-par training, medication-assisted sleeping, and continued facially-okay-but-actually-fundamentally-poor nutrition, I decided to try something radically different.  Thanks to information received from accomplished runner/athlete friends (Abby, Tamy, Wes, Tim, Ernesto), as well as from experts such as Drs. Jeff S. Volek & Stephen D. Phinney, Dr. Tim Noakes, and the knowledgeable-but-occasionally-bloviating Vinnie Tortorich, I adopted a different dietary approach just before Halloween 2013.

The key resources for me have been Drs. Volek & Phinney's book, "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living"; a few select episodes of Vinnie Tortorich's "Angriest Trainer" podcast, and a cornucopia of excellent Paleo recipe sites, including PaleOMG, NomNomPaleo, and and the useful recipe compilation site Paleo Grubs.  Another unexpected benefit has been that I've discovered that I actually enjoy cooking and baking, and appreciate the challenge of preparing delicious dishes and treats within my newly discovered dietary parameters.


Since I despise labels, I call this new way of eating a low-carb/Paleo/NSNG (no-sugar-no-grain) approach.  It's not any one of those things exclusively.  I do consume some carbs, notably sweet potatoes and some honey/maple syrup.  I do consume dairy, but only whole-milk/full-fat.  I do eat peanuts, beans and some other legumes.  So none of the strictest labels fits me, and I'd have it no other way.  And, because a lot of folks ask, I most certainly DO NOT CALL IT A DIET.

The results since I started doing this have been - for me - nothing short of remarkable. I have managed to increase my running mileage from 25-30 miles per week to over 60, and have been playing soccer once a week, to boot.  I've run back-to-back long runs of 15 and 20 miles, with one small chia bar or a single nut butter packet to fuel me.  I am less sore after running longer than I could have imagined.

 Bear in mind that while I have been slowly ramping up my running mileage, I now eat more fat in a day than I used to consume in a week.  And I now eat fewer carbohydrates - especially sugar - in a week than I used to consume in a day (sometimes even in a single sitting, like breakfast).


But, more importantly, my mental focus and acuity have improved to the point that I don't know how I was getting by before.  My friend Ernesto addressed this quite well in his own recent blog post: http://www.ernestoburden.com/2013/12/low-carb-iq-boost-ketosis-and-cognitive-function/.

Also, despite because of consuming SO MUCH FAT, moderate protein and so little sugar/carbs, my weight and body composition seem to have found their own equilibrium.  Here's a self-consciously taken selfie from about three weeks into the new way of eating:

And here's the most recent, taken a couple of days ago (about 10 weeks in):

Of course, this remains an experiment, but the initial results and transformative feeling are so overpowering that I cannot imagine going back.  Have I cheated?  Of course.  In New York City.  In Italy.  During the holidays.  But every lapse reminds me in stark physiological terms just how much better suited I am to this new approach to eating. 

Much bigger tests are coming.  Stay tuned . . . :-)

Thanks for reading. -Ron

On Paces, Races and Beautiful Places

“We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features, [ ] the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder-cloud, and the rain.”

- Henry David Thoreau

Dolly Sods Wilderness - July 6th through July 8th

Since returning from California and the Western States Endurance Run less than four weeks ago, I've have the good fortune to spend more time in spectacularly beautiful places - blissfully large doses - while in the company of the highest-caliber people - in small and medium-sized doses.

After the Independence Day holiday, I accompanied Meredith into the Dolly Sods Wilderness, for my first multi-night backpacking adventure in as long as I can remember.  The purpose and timing of the trip had profound significance, and I got to see a wonderfully unspoiled and remote part of the East Coast.  Just reaching Dolly Sods was a journey in itself, while hiking its spectacular trails was a unique experience, as the area boasts varied ecosystems, flora and fauna, mesmerizing rock formations, expansive views and dense forest, not to mention a bounty of sweet, ripe wild blueberries at this time of year.  A few photographs which don't really begin to do justice to Dolly Sods are available here.

While the trip presented myriad challenges (physical and otherwise), it was a gift to get away from cars, computers, phones and - mostly - other people.  And, as with so many trying experiences, confronting the difficulties and getting through them has resulted in a welcome Nietzchean adaptation, as I feel stronger (about a number of things), than I have in a long time.  I hope to go back to Dolly Sods someday, and navigate the terrain more gracefully than I managed this time, . . . assuming I'm invited to do so.

Training & Nutrition

So far, working with a coach and following his prescribed training plan has gone pretty well.  I have permitted poor planning and sloppy scheduling to get in the way of full compliance with the plan, but the consistency and overall arc of training is much-improved over what I've experienced in the past year.  The most notable fail on my part was missing a scheduled 20-miler on July 15th (and aborting a re-try on July 16th), but it feels like I've been doing enough long, slow, time-on-my feet runs/hikes that missing a single long run shouldn't make a huge difference.  My weekly mileage is starting to creep up into the 60s, and I very much look forward to settling into higher mileage once again.  Getting a break from one of the more relentless heat waves of my adult life should also have a positive impact on training.

That said, the most exciting development in the health and wellness sphere has been that a change in diet has produced dramatic positive changes in my GI system.  Having met a former pro triathlete who's a certified Nutritional Consultant, I looked into what he promotes in terms of how endurance athletes should eat.  The result was a long questionnaire - and even longer personalized analysis - of my "metabolic type", which dictates not only what foods I should and shouldn't eat, but also provides for specific food pairings and macro-nutrient ratios.  I began this new regimen two weeks ago today, and have likely been somewhere around 75% faithful to the plan (zero beer simply ain't gonna happen).  The results have been so dramatically positive so quickly that I have not only had better runs overall, but have also experienced improved sleep quality, better mental alertness and lesser dependence on caffeine.  My energy levels have been consistent, and I've been notably more productive at home and at the office.  There's no "one-size-fits-all" nutritional approach, which is a key component of the Metabolic Type plan.  Anyone who's had fueling/GI issues might want to consider looking into it.  If you're so inclined, send me a comment and I'll put you in touch with my guru.

The Vermont 100 - 2012 Pacing Report

On Friday, July 20, 2012, I set off for my third consecutive year of helping out at the Vermont 100 mile race.  As this blog has contemplated in the past, my "purpose" in the running world seems to be more about serving others as a pacer than about achieving much by way of personal glory and accomplishment when racing in my own right.

The predictably spectacular summer sunset over Silver Meadow in Brownsville, VT

So, I agreed to pace my new friend Kelly this year, as she sought to improve upon her formidable 2010 time of 20 hours and 50 minutes.  My schedule leading up to race weekend was extremely hectic, with unexpected travel and work complications resulting in little downtime and not much sleep.  Still, as soon as I got close to the race HQ at Silver Meadow on Friday evening, a sense of serenity, belonging and happiness came over me.

It was great to see my close friend Nate as he revved up for his first 100-miler of the year, and to find John, Andy, Joe W., Chip, Laura, Pete, Brett and Joe H., just to name a few of the familiar friendly faces which took part in this year's race.  Kelly seemed good on Friday night, and - after being admonished for being too loud in the campground at the advanced hour of 8:45 pm - it was time to turn in for the night.

For me, Saturday brought a questionably achievable itinerary, as follows:

• 3:45 am - wake up to catch the start before going back to sleep
• 5:40 am - wake up again to set out to volunteer at the Pretty House aid station
• 9:00 am - leave Woodstock, VT for Greenfield, NH to see my two younger kids get out of sleepaway camp; in proud New England tradition, it was a case of "you cahn't get the-ah, from hee-ah"
• 1:30 pm - back to Silver Meadow
• 2:00 pm - get to Camp 10 Bear (aka, Mile 70) and wait for Kelly
• 4:30-5:00-ish pm - expect Kelly and settle in for 30 lovely miles in the woods and on country roads

Things went mostly according to plan, though I missed Kelly and Nate at the Pretty House aid station, which left me to wonder if they were okay.  After a brief cot nap amidst the cacophony of 10 Bear, I arose and got ready to run.  I met Kelly's excellent crew of Gene and Gene (son & father).  Kelly rolled in at about 5:15, looking pretty strong for someone with 70 miles behind her already.

We headed out of 10 Bear, only to confront one of the toughest segments of the course.  Kelly ran what she could and we power-hiked the rest.  Once we reached rolling dirt roads and single-track downhills, Kelly got down to business.  She was moving well, with no significant ill-effects from her earlier spill, blisters or the shear wear-&-tear of this massive undertaking.  We got in and out of Seabrook and The Spirit of 76 (a.k.a., West Winds, at Mile 77) smoothly, with the Genes providing fantastic, efficient support.  Kelly drank, ate and otherwise seemed to be holding up admirably.  The sun was setting, and the conditions were lovely as the temperature dropped.

Things took a turn at around Mile 80, though, when the course cruelly brings the runners within mere yards of Silver Meadow, with an all-too-appealing view of the campgrounds, and the cozy sanctity of sleeping pads and bags just waiting for someone to use them.  Kelly got a bit cranky at this point, and we agreed that she needed food (STAT!).  She moved well enough as we approached the Cow Shed aid station, but she just couldn't take in anywhere near enough calories.  Kelly's stomach simply wouldn't settle down, and it was tough to watch helplessly as the wind leeched from her sails. After an unsuccessful bathroom break, we made Bill's Ban into the goal.  There, we'd see the Genes, and Kelly would eat, ditch her hydration backpack and - hopefully - get a second (or sixteenth) wind.

It was, however, not to be.

Kelly arrived in the throes of abject exhaustion, still unable to get any substantial food into her system.  The medical volunteers flagged her immediately, and Gene the Younger and I quietly debated whether to push Kelly to get back out on the course.  Kelly complained about feeling hot, but her skin was cool to the touch.  The volunteers explained that this was a common sign of exhaustion.  In the end, reality became undeceiveable, even though Kelly might have been able to walk the last ~12 miles in 5 or so hours. That was not what she had come to do on this particular day.  So, while Kelly battled nausea and acute fatigue (she was literally falling asleep in a chair), and the clock hit 10:00 pm, the head medical volunteer (a very, very nice doctor) "made the call".  Kelly had to accept the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish) and we promptly evacuated her back to the safety and comfort of her tent.  She'd run almost 89 miles, but these events are not evaluated on a grading scale.  They are pass/fail, with a single criterion determining whether the day was a good one, or not.

Upon getting Kelly into her tent, I grabbed my cooler full of tasty beer and a folding chair and headed to the finish area.  It was just past 11:00 pm, and I decided to wait for Nate to finish.  I found Charlie Z., a wonderful 60-something with whom I'd had a completely delightful time chatting last year.  Turns out that he paced Victoria Arnstein to the overall female victory in the 100K race.  Victoria is the wife of 2011 VT-100 winner Michael Arnstein, who put in a mere mortal performance this year (finishing a bit under 19 hours), just a couple of days after finishing the torturous Badwater Ultramarathon (135 miles in Death Valley).  An accomplished ultrarunner by the name of Dave James (who paced winner Brian Rusiecki to within 50 secnds of a course record) also joined us, and - despite the unabashed display of elite athlete ego and bravado (I heard A LOT about big victories, course records, national titles and how some other runners are poseurs), along with the Arnsteins bantery marital bickering - it was an entertaining way to pass the time as finishers came in.  It was especially amusing to tease Michael about how it was a good thing that Victoria performed well, lest the Arnstein family leave Vermont without a victory this year.  He didn't seem to find that as funny as the rest of us did.

Finally, as the race clock approached 22 hours, I saw Joe H. come in with his pacer.  I congratulated him and asked about Nate.  Joe told me that he'd dropped at Mile 70 due to a lingering PF/ankle issue.  That was all I needed to hear to empower me to call it a day, and I got to sleep at around 2:30 am, wondering about those intrepid souls who would be making their way through the dark for many more hours.  I slept pretty well.

The awards and lunch on Sunday were a tad chaotic, and Kelly was beleaguered by post-DNF remorse.  I tried to console her by pointing out that if she HAD walked to a 23-hour finish, she'd be similarly disappointed in herself.  And, so - on a gorgeous sunny summer Sunday - it came time to break camp and wrap up another Vermont 100.  On the heels of Western States, though, my mind wandered into previously unexplored territory: I actually started thinking about how I'd approach running the Vermont 100 in 2013 . . . . Meredith called the idea "stupid".  The fact that she's undoubtedly right is not impacting my decision.

-ESG/Ron

The Three R's: Running, Racing & Rejuvenation

Despite my Liberal Arts background and lack of rigorous mathematics or scientific study, even I know that grand conclusions require more than limited data samples.  So, just as a single month of job growth does not mark the end of an economic recession, nor does a solid couple of weeks of running mean that all training-related woes are now a thing of the past.

I have just completed my first week since engaging the services of a new coach.  For now, we'll keep his identity quiet, lest his association with yours truly end up being bad for his business.  And, despite a VERY SIMPLE schedule for Week #1, I still managed not to follow it to the letter.  Still, all told, it was a decent running week, with my third race in 4 weeks last Saturday.  The week ended up looking like this:

• MONDAY - scheduled cross-training , with elliptical, steep treadmill walking, weights and core
• TUESDAY - 5+ miles
• WEDNESDAY - 10+ miles, caught in a major thunderstorm
• THURSDAY - 5+ miles
• FRIDAY - 0.18 miles (yes, 18/100, having turned around due to having a crap day); pushups and core work
• SATURDAY - 5K RACE in 19:53, plus warm-up, cool-down; 5th place overall out of about 150 runners; 1st in the M40-49 age group [though beaten by two 50+ year-olds and one 11 year-old]
• SUNDAY - 16+ hard trail miles in 2:53, with my most excellent ultra-runner friend Nate

Total for the week ended up being around 45 miles, but with the 5K and the somewhat epic trail run (involving heat, dehydration, a major face-plant and gunshots), it felt like a solid week of training.  This week's focus is to stick to the plan as written, while focusing on getting a bit more sleep, stretching (!!!) and improved diet.  It's all about planning and organization, really.  Oh, with a bit of discipline thrown in.

Since one aspect of my renewed running mojo involves regular blogging, we'll be seeing more prosaic, shallow, minimally informative posts such as this one.  Hey, no one's forcing anyone to read this. -Ron/ESG

Entering a New Phase

Yesterday, Sunday March 6, 2011 marked the end of what my coach terms "Phase I: Aerobic Support Plus Mini-Speed Cycle" in advance of this year's Boston Marathon.  That means that "Phase II: Strength and Marathon-specific Sharpening" begins today.  Of course, I'm all-but duty-bound to draw a parallel between the transition of a marathon training cycle (this seems like a particularly good time to focus on "strength") and the far less clearly delineated "phases" of my life since February 3rd.  Interestingly, ironically and/or appropriately, Day 1 of Phase II is a scheduled rest day (at least from running).  The notion of needing rest, or - in a slightly different parlance - being still, is something I have pondered incessantly in recent weeks.

Since I'm firmly ensconced in a period of self-reflection as a means towards increased self-awareness and - ultimately - self-improvement, I have tried to find a way to draw strength from something outside of myself, my human relationships, my interests, etc.  I'm not generally comfortable with the vocabulary of faith, grace, or - yes - God, but I do know that I believe in something, while simultaneously not having the slightest clue how to tap into that belief in a way that gives me comfort, clarity or calm.  I don't "get" prayer and have never really been able to still myself through meditation.  Running certainly helps, but only to a point.

So, a week ago Saturday, I was in a bookstore with the kids.  I picked a book called, "Running the Spiritual Path: A Runner's Guide to Breathing, Meditating, and Exploring the Prayerful Dimension of the Sport," by Roger Joslin.  The dedicatory quote grabbed me instantly: 

Stillness is what creates love. Movement is what creates life.

To be still and still moving—this is everything.

This quote is attributed to Do Hyun Choe, who appears to be a master of some sort of martial art called Sugi.  I could not find much more information about him.

For my part, I seem to be all about movement, both physically and mentally, while harboring a deep-seated antipathy towards stillness in most any form.  So, following Choe's missive, the conditions of my existence may be reasonably conducive to “life”, but the pervasive lack of stillness is a chronic obstacle to “love”; Thus, stillness is one of the many things upon which I'm working.  However, as with all long-terms habits, such matters are not unlearned overnight.  One idea which keeps arising is yoga, which I should work into my life schedule, but which - unlike the last time I tried it - I need to treat as meditation, not cross-training.  I'm hoping to find the right class at the right time.

Well, enough about spirituality and stillness.  Back to what I know best: movement. Here's a recap of the past two weeks of training.

February 21-27

• Monday - 6M easy/recovery
• Tuesday - 10+M, with 4x(800m @ 5K, 400m @ 3K & 200m @ 1M pace)
• Wednesday - AM: 10M; PM: 5M (both easy)
• Thursday - 8+M easy
• Friday - 12M, w/3x3K @ "threshold" pace, plus 1K at 5K pace
• Saturday - 8M easy
• Sunday -10M (aborted 20-miler due to family emergency)

TOTAL = 70+ miles (10 fewer than planned - boo!)

February 28 - March 6

• Monday - 7M easy
• Tuesday - 11M, with 4x200m @ 1M pace, 4x800m @ 5K pace, & 3x1200m @ 10K pace
• Wednesday - 15+M
• Thursday - 7M easy
• Friday - 12+M, with 10x2 mins at 10K effort
• Saturday - 9M, with 12x200m @ 1M pace
• Sunday - 20+M (water only)

Total  =  82 miles (that's more like it)

I have done all of the distance-based speedwork on the indoor track, and continue to be pleasantly surprised about the consistency with which I've been hitting the target paces.  I realized last night that I got to Chicago eking out 60-ish miles per week with minimal quality, whereas I just completed another 80-mile week with 3 successful quality sessions.  That's extremely encouraging.

This upcoming week presents another challenging training block, with 75 miles scheduled on six running days, and three "quality" days, which include hill repeats on Tuesday, a reprise of a killer threshold session (3x15 mins at MP, MP-10 secs and HMP) on Friday, and a 20-miler on Sunday progressing down to goal marathon pace during the last 10 miles.

One final note on the family front.  Things seem to be stabilizing for the most part, but there remain moments of tension, awkwardness and difficulty.  Overall, though, the kids are doing better, and Mrs. ESG and I are finding a way to relate cordially and cooperatively, especially as far as the kids are concerned.

Thanks for reading. - ESG/Ron

Against the Wind

Against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind
Well I'm older now and still runnin'
Against the wind

- Bob Seger

Returning to the song-lyric-as-blog-post-framework, we turn this week to Mr. Bob Seger, rasping troubadour of what we'd now call the era of "classic rock".  This past week involved a whole lot of "runnin' against the wind", both literally and otherwise.

The post-ultra training schedule called for a recovery/cutback week 55 miles, on 6 days of running.  However, as is the norm during marathon training, life intervened, and we had to tweak our way to that mileage, which came out like this:

• Monday - 30 mins recumbent bike, plus very light weights, stretching
• Tuesday - Unscheduled rest day [back was hurting, hugely stressful day and was pressed for time]
• Wednesday - 8M easy
• Thursday - AM: 5M easy; PM: ~7M easy [mild temps]
• Friday - 10.4M, with 10x1 min at half-marathon pace (calling that 6:45/mi right now); high 50's!
• Saturday - 8+M easy, partly in driving winds and sudden whiteout snow squall
• Sunday - 16.8M, involving some good hills and relentless headwinds for maybe 2/3 of the total

The good news, I managed the 55 miles, and ran every step outside, a nice accomplishment in mid-February.  My back feels better.  The less pleasant news is that the family unit (such as it is) is definitely going through a very difficult transitional time.  The separation is taking a significant toll on all of us, especially the older two kids.  Mrs. ESG and I are still figuring out how to relate to one another, especially within the context of co-parenting children who are clearly suffering under the weight of our adult decisions.  Things have - in no particular order - alternated between tense, explosive, cool, bitter, calm, terse, emotional, serious, etc.  "Loving", "forgiving", "compassionate", and similar ideals are not on the list.  And I consider myself as responsible as anyone for the dearth of good will.

By the weekend, though, it did seem like we might have been beginning to scratch out a modicum of equilibrium, starting to find what I've been referring to as our "new normal".  After a brief interaction tonight, though, I'm not so sure once again.  That said, the kids seem a bit better, and - frankly - that's what most matters to me.  My needs, my wants, my feelings, fall far down the hierarchy of concerns, at least right now.  Still, I feel that the space I've sought is starting to serve a purpose, as I have had time to reflect, look hard into the mirror and think about who I am, what I am called to do on this Earth and how I can be better a better father, and - really - a better man.

So, this next week calls for 79 miles, but of course that will have to be at least 80.  Perhaps my coach will scold me.  But, I have to be who I am, right? ;-)  And, I have to suffer the consequences of my decisions. An extra mile in a week shouldn't have resounding repercussions.  But what about some of the other choices - big and small - we make?

Thanks for reading. -ESG

Crockett, Tubbs and Me

This week's post title channels an all-too-significant part of my high school social life.  why? Because Crockett and Tubbs were the undercover drug team in the be-all-end-all show of the 1980's, Miami Vice.  Growing up near Miami, it was a big deal to me.  I'll admit somewhat abashedly that my high school senior picture involves a white suit, pink shirt and - yes - a thin white leather tie.  Hey, we all make fashion mistakes on our way to finding our own sense of personal style.  Right?

So, what's the connection?  Well, last week marked my second consecutive in the 80's, and - surprisingly - I seem to be functioning and responding rather well to the training stresses.  The last two weeks came out as follows:

Week of January 17 to January 23

• Monday - 6 miles easy
• Tuesday - 12 miles progression (last full progression mile in 6:12!)
• Wednesday - 10 miles moderate
• Thursday - AM: 5+ miles recovery; PM: 6+ miles recovery
• Friday - 13 miles with a lame/aborted progression
• Saturday - 9+ miles
• Sunday - 22 miles

Total Mileage: 83.6 miles

Week of January 24 to January 30

• Monday -Elliptical, weights, core
• Tuesday - 12 miles, with 6 x 3 mins at 10K-5K pace
• Wednesday - 15 miles "easy"
• Thursday - 8.5 miles, easy
• Friday - 10+ miles, progressing to half-marathon pace
• Saturday - 15 miles, with 5 at marathon pace+10%
• Sunday - 20+ miles "easy" (but very, very hilly)

Total Mileage: 82 miles

The first of these two weeks marks the end of my "base phase", and the idea is not to exceed that peak mileage during the next 10 pre-taper weeks, allowing the additional quality - which began last Tuesday - to serve as the new stressor.  While I'm certainly tired, I can't believe I'm in as good shape as I am, handlign the volume and bits of quality with much success.  In addition, I'm feeling strong in the core and upper body, only minimal hip soreness (and only intermittently) and am recovering well from harder efforts.

Last week's Friday>Saturday>Sunday sequence was unprecedented for me, and should serve me well as I prepare for the Holiday Lake 50++K on February 12th.  This will be my first time running an ultra-distance with a bib pinned to my shirt, and I'm nervously excited about the experience.  The course comes out to ~33.25 miles, and I have NO IDEA what a reasonable time/pace goal should be.  I am thinking (hoping?) that anything under 4:45 would be reasonably respectable, but - mostly - I'm looking forward to joining the fraternity of ultra-runners, around whom I seem to have spent a lot of time, and for whom I seem to have a natural affinity.  I cannot wait to be a bona fide part of their ranks.

On a non-running personal note, the rest of my life has not been easy of late, due to a number of reasons from which I will spare my dear reader(s).  Let's just say that running is one thing over which I have control, where the results of putting in effort/work are tangible, and which demands of me only what I'm willing to give it.

More later.  Someday.

Thanks for reading. -ESG/Ron

Boston Buildup - Take 2 & Other Miscellany

Well, as often happens, life has gotten in the way, and it's been a couple of weeks since my last post.  Things have been busy at home, at work and in other areas.  Winter has finally decided to behave like it's normal self, so that's been a factor, too.

RECENT TRAINING

In terms of running, the week of January 3-January 9 ended up like this:

• Monday (1/3) - XT
• Tuesday - 6+M
• Wednesday - 12.4M
• Thursday -AM: 6+M easy; PM: 6+M easy
• Friday -10+M
• Saturday - 7+M, with 4x20 secs strides
• Sunday - 12.65 sloooowwwww miles on snowy trails with my ultra-pal Nate

Total for the week = 64+ miles

The week of January 10-January 16 marked the first week of a "formal" - meaning fully planned - schedule (which of course ended up being tweaked).  It came out like this:

• Monday (1/10) - 6M
• Tuesday - 10+M, progression run
  
• Wednesday - 10.3M (103 laps on 0.10-mile indoor track during massive snowstorm)
• Thursday -AM: 6M recovery on TM; PM: 4M recovery on TM, plus weights and core
• Friday - 8.3+M progression (at dusk, after waiting around court nearly the whole day)
• Saturday - 10+M, easy
• Sunday - ~19M on hilly, snowy, slippery, roads with a nasty headwind for about two-thirds of the run

Total for the week = 74+ miles

I've felt a few niggles in the outside of my hips, but I'm generally feeling smooth and strong, and have been able to take hills more powerfully than at any time in the past 8 or so months.  It also appears that my body continues to evolve, in my fifth year as a "runner".  My weight is consistently down about 4 pounds from this time last year, with the leanness seemingly accompanied by more muscle.  I feel lithe and strong, and while often tired, I sense that I'm capable of feats of endurance and strength unlike anything I've done before.  We'll simply have to wait and see if that's the case when it comes to perform in a race setting.

WHAT'S AROUND THE CORNER

The next four weeks involve mileages of 83, 80, 77 and 77, with the week of February 7, 2011 including the Holiday Lake 50K++.  The "++" is the result of what some folks call "Horton Miles", bonus distance (at no extra charge!) named in honor of Holiday Lake Race Director and ultrarunning legend Dr. David Horton.  The preliminary intelligence I've gleaned about this race is that it's in the middle of nowhere but is a very runnable ultra course, consisting of two 16+-mile loops, with runners changing directions at the end of the loop (thus doing the same loop in reverse the second time).  Given its location in the western part of Virginia, the weather and conditions could be anywhere from 50 sunny degrees to sub-freezing with - like last year - half-a-foot or more of snow on the ground.  I'll try to gather more information about this race and preview it later.  I know, I know . . . you all can hardly wait.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION: "LONG DISTANCE"

Finally, I'll mention that I finished a must-read for any endurance athlete: Bill McKibben's Long Distance: Testing the Limits of Body and Spirit in a Year of Living Strenuously, [Amazon link] where one of the world's foremost  environmental thinkers recounts the year he dedicated himself to training like an elite/Olympic Nordic skier.  A thorough review may follow separately, but suffice it to say that while McKibben was prepared to test his physical limits, he had no idea - as the re-released title indicates - that his mental, emotional and spiritual strength would be subject to even greater rigors when his father confronted rapid-onset terminal cancer .  The book is full of thought-provoking reflections, and in particular eloquently conveys the solitary nature of the internal struggle/mission of the endurance athlete.  McKibben certainly "gets it", and I for one hope that his eloquence might help others understand what drives people like him (and me) to continue to push and push despite knowing that we'll never achieve any objective measure of glory, victory or elite status.

That's all for now.  thanks for reading. -ESG/Ron

Merely a Weekly Update

Another week, another decent accumulation of miles.  Last week turned out like this:

• Monday - 5 miles, easy/recovery
• Tuesday - 8 miles, progression run
• Wednesday - 11 miles in frigid conditions
• Thursday - AM: 6.5+ miles on trails; PM: 4M slow on the treadmill in Nike Free Runs
• Friday - 10.3+ moderate miles
• Saturday - 7 gorgeous trail miles
• Sunday - 17.3 hilly miles at an 8:10 average pace, with some fast miles dropped in from miles 10-15

The week's total was a bit over 69 miles, and I'm especially proud of not adding that extra mile to get to 70.  Since this is only "base building", these are mostly easy miles, though my easy paces seem faster while my heart rate is back in line with where I thought it should be. Also, the hips - while reminding me not to take them for granted - seem to be faring much better on the hills.  Saturday and Sunday involved lots of climbing, and my hips held up fine (though I didn't exactly push it up the hills). 

My last 3 weeks have been 59, 63 and 69 miles, and I feel better than I did when I was stuck in the 40's.  That's an encouraging sign as I say goodbye to 2010, a pretty disappointing running year in a number of ways.  A "Year In review" post may soon follow.

Now, I need to figure out how to put together my quality workouts for a 12-week marathon buildup that has me peaking at the exact right time, say April 18, 2011, with the hopes of running a decent marathon for the first time since May 2009.

Oh, and it might merit mention that I signed up for my first official ultra, a small 50K (or 50++K, as it's billed) in mid-February.  Details to follow on that upcoming adventure.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays, whatever you do or don't celebrate.

Cheers, ESG/Ron

Groovy Training Week, Baby

Today's post title is best imagined in the voice of Mike Myers' hilarious fictional spy Austin Powers, in an attempt to reference with cleverness my return to the 60's, as in miles per week.  After logging 59 miles on the week leading up to my birthday on Sunday, December 5th, I managed a hair under 63 miles this week, on six running days.

Here's how the week took shape:

• Monday - 30 mins elliptical, weights, stretch and core (could have run, but decided not to push it after Sunday's 18 miles)
• Tuesday - 7-mile progression run; last 3 miles = 7:15 / 7:16 / 6:42
• Wednesday - ~8.8 miles in unpleasant cold & wind
• Thursday - 10.5 miles in nearly unbearable conditions, made bearable by having company
• Friday - 8 miles pretty easy
• Saturday - AM: 8+ miles easy in Vermont; PM: 5.3 miles to get my car from the shop
• Sunday - 15 miles in a cold, constant rain/freezing rain, with much questionable footing and being soaked through to the bone

The best thing is that I actually feel pretty good, with some slight hip soreness/tightness, but not bad at all.  The plan for this week is to bump up the mileage a bit, and maybe throw in a 20-minute tempo session somewhere in the mix.

Looking ahead, I'm looking at a 12-week formal buildup to Boston, with a possible 50K race in February and a half-marathon tuneup in March.  I expect to run between 65 and 80 miles per week, with hopefully more/better quality than I was able to string together in advance of my two goal marathons in 2010.  Right now, here's how I envision 2011 in running, month-by month:

• JANUARY - Base-builiding
• FEBRUARY - 50K somewhere warmer than here
• MARCH - Tune-up half-marathon
• APRIL - BOSTON!!!
• MAY - Tough Mudder New England
• JUNE - Higher mileage/longer runs
• JULY - Be a pacer again at the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run
• AUGUST/SEPTEMBER - Run my first official ultramarathon, hopefully a 50-miler somewhere within driving distance of home; Reach the Beach, probably with a new co-ed team
• OCTOBER - Marathon Training
• NOVEMBER - If all stars align, a sub-3:00 marathon attempt at either Outer Banks or Philadelphia
• DECEMBER - Bask in the glory of being a sub-3:00 marathoner and continue base-building

Looking at the year in those terms, it all seems quite manageable.  Of course, that list fails to include training, recovery and that little thing we often call "life".  Speaking of which, mine has seemed rather complicated lately, for reasons that are far too personal and raw to delve into here.  I trust that 2011 will provide me with all sorts of answers: about the kind of runner I can be, about the course my life will take, about the kind of man I am and want to be/become.  I'm looking forward to learning at least some of the answers to those most pressing questions. The journey is bound to be gripping . . . feel free to come along for the ride, my virtual friends.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers, ESG

"Feelin' All Right, Oh Yeah": Post-Manchester Week #1

Having survived the Manchester pacing experience despite the inauspicious buildup, a funny thing seems to have happened.  I feel like I've "come out the other side" of the weirdness of the past few weeks, at least in terms of the that hard-to-define physical feeling of simply being a bit "off".  While things aren't 100% normal (whatever that may mean), it's as if my system needed a long run - say, 26.2 miles at about 8:23/mile pace - to find its equilibrium.

Here's how the week looked:

• Monday - 30 mins recumbent bike, very little resistance
• Tuesday - 30 mins recumbent bike; light weights, stretching and core
• Wednesday - 4.9 miles easy
• Thursday - 5.2 miles on trails
• Friday - 5.9 miles
• Saturday - 5.25 miles on trails
• Sunday - 12.25 miles, with about 5 on trails

All my mileage was "easy", with an average pace for the week of about 9:00/mile.  That's actually pretty good considering the trail mileage.  Most importantly (to me) is that I feel good overall.  I've vowed to get my base mileage back up to ~60 miles per week, but will not run anything fast unless and until all residual soreness is gone.  I paid dearly for pushing the pace on that 10-mile run on October 24th, and do not plan to make that mistake again.

This week, I expect to be around 50 miles, though it's already shaping up to be a busy one.  Aren't they all, though?

There's some personal stuff that's really gnawing at me, and I'm going to need to deal with it.  Details are not really appropriate for the blog, but I will share that I've been doing a lot of soul-searching, about religion/spirituality, priorities, connection, meaning, love, etc.  Of course, such reflection generates multitudinous questions but precious few answers, at least early on in the search.  So, once again, the lessons of running are instructive: patience, discipline, hard work . . . .  Knowing when to push and when to back off, though, may be the key to figuring out what twists and turns my life will take going forward.

Thanks for reading. -ESG/Ron

Buoyed by Faith

Now that my third full year as a marathon runner is coming to a close, I've realized that the time following a goal race serves not just as a time to recover from the physical tolls of training and racing, but also allows a window for reflection of a more personal and profound nature.  I have realized that in some of the deeper recesses of my consciousness, I was prepared for another running disaster - or at least major disappointment - in Chicago this year.  The race was far from a disappointment, and the take-away for me has been feeling re-energized, hopeful and motivated to keep training so that I get more out of running.  I'm sure that a major marathon breakthrough awaits me, as soon as I get past the nagging hip issues.  As I've said to a couple of running friends recently, "I just want running to love me back."  And while it's wonderful to feel that sense of  joy return to this all-too-important relationship (between running and me, that is), what I did not count on was feeling more happy and hopeful about other aspects of life, too.

While it's only been two weeks since the Chicago Marathon, 10-10-10 has taken on a transcendent significance in my life.  Since my return, I feel better about my roles as husband, father, lawyer/business owner, brother, son, friend, coach, etc.  In a word, I feel happy and more grounded.  And a huge part of that happiness is attributable to having a renewed sense of faith . . . in people, in the world, in grace and - ultimately - in myself.  And while my religious views - such as they are - continue to contain a healthy dose of humanist skepticism, I am buoyed by the knowledge that there is certainly some force greater than anything we can even begin to grasp which guides so much of the beauty, symmetry and grace which we see in the world.  I don't have a lot of answers, but I know that fact to be as true as anything else I know in this life.

Well, I wasn't necessarily expecting this entry to venture that far into that realm, so let's get to the running-related stuff, stat!

Post-Chicago recovery week #2:

• Monday - 5.8M on trails, easy
• Tuesday - XT: elliptical, heavy weights, core, hips and stretching
• Wednesday - 8M, easy to moderate; played a full-field soccer scrimmage with my son's U-10 team
• Thursday - 6M, easy to moderate in the Nike Free runs (in lieu of barefoot mileage this week)
• Friday - XT: elliptical, plyometrics and stretching/foam rolling
• Saturday - 6.75M, moderate, mostly trails
• Sunday - 10M, "trial run" for the race to be staged by my running club in 2011; plan was to lock in 8:23 pace in preparation for the Manchester Marathon pacing gig on November 7th, but I strayed from that and averaged about 7:45/mile (which felt good)

Total of 36+ miles for the week, with some "quality" unintentionally thrown in on Sunday's run.  I have neglected the hip exercises a bit, but feel pretty good overall, despite my hip flexors being a tad sore late in the week (likely a result of playing soccer with the boys on Wednesday).  Still, I'm looking forward to topping 50 miles this week, then dialing it down again before Manchester.

Thanks for reading.

-ESG/Ron

Here We Go Again

With one week to go before I take another crack at running a decent marathon in the wonderful city of Chicago, I can take solace that I've run a lot more than I have blogged in recent months.  Truth be told, I've started and left unfinished at least three blog entries in the past month, mostly because they seemed to lack clarity, and bordered on being whiny musings about how my running life is so unfair.  Yeah, maybe I should see how much sympathy I get from some of my refugee clients, or perhaps I'll find a shoulder to cry on the next time I bump into an amputee or wheelchair athlete at a race.  Seriously, your faithful scribe might have been lacking a modicum of perspective on where running fits in, both in terms of my own life, and the world beyond me.

While my training and racing since Boston/Big Sur has been full of ups and downs, my primary complaint is that I feel like I'm on a plateau.  After all, a roller coaster is much more exciting than one of the kiddie rides that does slow elliptical loops on a flat track, right?

Since I last wrote a race report - regarding the pleasant surprise of a 19:02 5K in early August  - I've had two more race experiences.  The first was an abominable half-marathon on Labor Day weekend, where I set out to see if I could hold 6:40 pace, learned after about 4.5 miles that I could not, went into a dark mental place, and ran an embarrassing 1:34+.  The second was the always-fun Reach the Beach Relay, where I ran about 22 miles in three legs at an average pace of 7:06/mile, including 1500 feet of elevation gain.  The hips did not particularly relish the uphill segments at race pace, but it was nonetheless an unqualified success (which carried clear training benefits).  Apart from those two races, I've had good runs and bad runs, workouts I've nailed, and those on which I've bailed (I'd go on, but the temptation to channel the late Johnnie Cochran is just too great).

My coach likes to use the word "sinusoidal" to describe these ups and downs.  I had always viewed marathon training as a slow build which culminates in standing at a metaphorical cliff, looking down and then taking a few steps back for the 2-3 week taper which all distance runners seem to abhor. Since it hasn't felt that way this time around, I've turned to numbers for consolation that a new PR awaits me in Chicago.  Even including the week I took off from running after the VT-100, since July 1st I've averaged about 63 miles per week before the taper.  Since crossing the finish line in Chicago on October 12, 2008, I will have run about 4500 miles when I toe the line next week.  My "easy" run pace is faster at a lower average heart rate then it was when I qualified for Boston in May 2009.  Put simply, I'm in much better aerobic shape than I have ever been.  The great unknown is whether my hips will hold up for 26.2 miles at "marathon pace", which naturally begs the question of what that pace is (or should be).

So, unlike prior to Boston, when I held my goal close to the vest, I'll proclaim the following: I will settle into a 7:10/mile pace as soon as I can at Chicago, with the goal of breaking 3:10.  When I went through the customary process of agonizing about what the appropriate goal should be, basically torn between going for an aggressive PR or simply cautiously pacing towards a modest one, my coach helped me with the following sage advice, sent in response to my question about tempering optimism with realism when it comes to setting a goal time:

Tempering optimism is never useful while modifying expectations is sometimes necessary, so you're looking at two different beasts. The problem here isn't your fitness being an unknown quantity, at least in regard to the broad range it needs to fall in for you to run "only" 3:10. The problem is not knowing if your body is going to cooperate that day. I don't see you going there and struggling to a 3:XX finish of any sort. I see you pacing off a nice 3:08ish marathon with "minimal" true difficulty or being knocked out of the box altogether with the hip thing. There's still enough time to determine whether it's more likely than not that the hips will acquiesce and this weekend [meaning Reach the Beach] will be a real test--one that, if "passed," will tip things very heavily in favor of being able to head to Chicago with relatively few concerns.

So yes--think about the race as if you were healthy and looking to run a PR and that's it. You have no control over what the hips offer or don't on race day and it's not in your head. You don't need the usual psych pep talk to talk you out of self-doubt; you know the score and just need a favorable day. SO even if you consider yourself neurotic at baseline, this is really a separate issue.

If he'd done nothing more than offer me that missive at a critical training juncture, the money I've paid would have been well-spent.  It is thus in that spirit that I proceed to Chicago, secure that 7:10/mile (aka, a 3:08:xx marathon) is not at all unreasonable, and the hips will either allow it or not.

So, with a goal in place, I've tried not to get too obsessed with the usual race-related details: shoes, apparel, nutrition, weather, travel issues, weekend plans, etc.  I've had mixed success with that. ;-)

With 4 very busy days between now and my 6:00 am Friday flight to Chicago, I am looking forward to a highly memorable race weekend, involving time with very good friends (old and new) and a slightly-more-than-3-hour jaunt through the streets of one of the world's great cities.

Thanks for reading. -ESG/Ron

Back on Track?

Last week, I ran my 4th or 5th Cigna 5K in Manchester, NH.  I had to skip the race last year because we were on vacation, and - after my so-so Beach to Beacon effort - I did not have particularly high expectations for this year's event (though I did expect to improve on my 20:3x course PR).

Cigna is definitely an "event" race in New Hampshire.  It's the state's largest road race.  The prize money - including time and CR bonuses - draws a deep field, including stateside Kenyans who come year-after-year in order to put a few dollars in their pocket as they do a summer road-racing tour.

The overall strength of the field means little to me, as I simply wanted to run a decent race, with no real notion of what that might mean at this point in my training.  And so it was that I approached last Thursday's race with no real plan or expectations.

I'd had a miserably tough 8-mile run on Tuesday, feeling every one of the 31 miles I'd run the prior weekend.  Wednesday's 5-miler with a couple of pickups felt marginally better.

On Thursday, I got to the Y early and met up with my friend Steve.  We set out for an easy warm-up along most of the course, before changing into our racing shoes and setting out on our own for some strides and final warm-up.  I timed my final stretch so that I'd finish about 10 minutes before the gun went off, forcing me to work my way through the assembled masses in order to find a spot a few rows behind the fastest runners.  I saw some friends, chatted about goals (i.e., made my excuses) and waited for the gun (fired with no warning, a racing-related pet peeve).

I tried to settle into pace to hit the first mile split in about 6:10, with the idea that I'd see how my legs felt and adjust accordingly.  Early in the race, I saw a former colleague (an accomplished lifelong endurance athlete) turn and say, "Do NOT let me beat you!"  I told him to stay out of my head, and focused on running my race.  I was feeling pretty good before the one-mile mark, and my split was 6:12.  A good start.

Not long after the mile mark, the race takes a hard left turn.  I took a swig of water at the aid station, which helps alleviate the awful cottonmouth I get in every 5K, likely the result of the adrenaline burst when I take off at the start.  While Mile 1 is a slight uphill, Mile 2 gives the climb back with a couple of gentle downhill sections.  I tried to take advantage of them by quickening my turnover, and I found myself moving up through field.  Second mile split was 6:04.

Somewhere in the second mile, my watch got wet, and the screen toggled itself to the Heart Rate screen.  I could only see the display showing my HR at 177-180, and decided to let it be rather than fiddle with it to get it back to the usual display of elapsed time/distance/lap pace.  One young guy yelled from behind me, "Sir, time?"  I shrugged my shoulders and he offered a sarcastic "Thanks."  I explained the HR screen and sped up. 

My former colleague remained just ahead and to my right, and thought about when and how to make a move on him.  I knew if he noticed me, he'd respond, so I tried to stay tucked in with other runners, but the little group's pace did not pick up quickly enough for my purposes.  I tried to surge, but didn't seem to gain any measurable ground.  I passed a very fit-looking woman, and tried to encourage her to push harder.  She appeared to be running out of steam.  At this point, my only focus was to keep the old guy in sight and try to make a move close to the finish.

The race takes a hard left with about 0.25-mile to go, up a short, steep hill (which I've dubbed "Mount Vomit" thanks to 2 consecutive years of seeing evidence of such on the side of the road there), where the 3-mile mark awaits just past the top, with a straight shot to the finish.  I made the left turn, started cranking the legs for all I was worth, and passed a few people on the hill.  The former colleague - always a strong climber - stayed the same distance ahead.  I saw the clock at Mile 3 reading 18:3x (not knowing exactly how far back I'd started in terms of my chip time) and for the first time realized that I might break 19 minutes for the second time in my running life.  I pushed it and saw the finish clock turn past 19:00, still unaware of the net difference in my time. 

I crossed the line, stopped my watch and worked my way to the finish area.  My watch read 19:03, with a final mile of 6:08 and a 5:07 (!) pace for the final 0.1+-mile.  Official time was actually 19:02, and though I bemoaned the lousy 3 seconds I needed to get an 18:xx time, I could not complain about a surprisingly fast finish, 90-second course PR and a sign that I may be back on track in terms of training and racing.

For his part, the older colleague ran 18:58.  My friend Steve hung in for his first post-collegiate sub-17:00, clocking a 16:54 and finishing in the Top 50 of this very competitive race.

At this point, I'm looking to get the weekly mileage back up into the 70's (after hovering around 60 for the past few weeks), with a focus on LT/tempo runs.  We'll see how this all plays out when it matters, on 10/10/10 in my third stab at the Chicago Marathon.

Thanks for reading. -ESG/Ron

The Short and the Long of It

Introductory Comments (aka, background whining)

Assuming there remain any "regular" readers, I should apologize for my lack of recent posting.  Part of it is that things have been pretty busy, but mostly it's due to the running malaise in which I currently find myself.

There are a few things going on, but the main problem is that I just don't feel "right" in my running.  My hips have been bothering me since before the Mount Washington debacle.  And, last Thursday/Friday, my lower back started to hurt for no discernible reason.  The most obvious reason for this problem is the fact that I have ditched my orthotic inserts in an effort to run "naturally", thinking/assuming/hoping that I could train myself out of needing whatever pronation-correction assistance those 2.2-ounce inserts provide.  In terms of other possible contributing factors, I have wondered whether the high-mileage buildup to Boston, followed by running 3 marathons in 6 weeks has essentially hamstrung my ability to go back to training the way I would like.

Mini-Race Report (aka, "The Short")

On July 3rd, I ran a little 5K (<200 runners) in Mid-coast Maine.  From past years' results, I might have had a chance to win it, if no one really fast showed up, and I was having a good day.  This year, I pegged the eventual winner just from how he looked warming up, and figured it may be a race for second place.

I had a nice long warmup on the hilly course, as the morning went from coolish and cloudy to warm, muggy and sunny in a typical Maine instant.  I changed into my "fast" shoes and lined up a couple of rows from the front.  Incidentally, the entire race reflected the spirit of the $5 registration fee, so the start was confusing, the course turned out to be a bit long, and the awards ceremony a bit underwhelming.

Almost immediately, I found myself in the top 20 or so runners, trying to find my pace and dealing with the automatic cottonmouth reaction I have in 5K races.  By the half-mile mark, I was likely in the top 10 and took a quick swig of water from the aid station.  That was all I needed to eliminate that awful dry-mouth feeling.

As expected, the leader took off and put a lot of real estate between himself and the second wave of runners.  When I saw him heading back after the turnaround, he was several hundred yards ahead of the second-place pack.  I was a bit behind that pack, and decided at the turnaround to move up so that I could a chance at second place.  I surged a bit, passed a couple of people on an uphill and then kept the second-place guy in my sights, with two other guys running stride-for-stride with me.

The rest of the race proved a frustrating exercise, as I worked my way up to third, but could not close the gap on the second-place guy (who, frustratingly did not look especially fit, nor did he look like he was working that hard, though he did look back a lot).  The two guys near me and I kept trading places, and I'd pretty much resigned myself to being 4th with about a 0.25-mile to go.  The guy behind then found another gear and blew past me and the third-place guy.  I ended up 5th overall in 19:39 on my watch, with no age-group awards. Last mile was the fastest, and the final 0.17 came out to an average pace of 5:38.  So, it was a decent effort, and my hips never locked up, though I did feel limited in terms of my turnover when I was fighting for a better place.  Overall, though, I was satisfied.

Recent Training (aka, Slogging Through)

I followed the 5K with 12.25 hot hilly miles on July 4th, where the only notable incidents were the chafing by my CamelBak and the fact that some jerks in a pick-up truck slowed down to heckle me.  I couldn't hear everything they said, but the phrase, "F-in' faggot" was pretty clear.  I simply cannot understand what would cause anyone to hurl such hateful words at a person who's merely doing his own thing.  It rattled me more than it should have, but I guess it's an unfortunate part of the rural running experience.

Last week, I managed 59 miles, but had trouble with any fast running.  I had no choice but to adjust the schedule my coach provided:

• Monday - 6M easy on the trails
• Tuesday - 10M with 1.5M at tempo(-ish) pace; Heat index was over 100, so I did this run on the treadmill, which was awful in its own right
• Wednesday - 8M easy, with 8x20 secs strides
• Thursday - 7M easy
• Friday - woke up with the sore/stiff back; did 6.6+M, instead of the 9M with 10x400 at 5K race pace
• Saturday - 7+, mostly on tough, hilly, technical trails
• Sunday - 14.5+ miles; supposed to do the last 4M at current marathon pace (about 7:05), but managed 7:20 pace for 1.5M before my whole hip area protested

A Vermont-100 Preview (aka, "The Long of It")

The next big running adventure on the calendar is this weekend's Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run. I signed up to be a volunteer pacer, meaning that I would be assigned to accompany a runner for the last 30 miles of the 100-mile undertaking.  I'll post more about this separately, but suffice it to say that I now find myself assigned to an internationally accomplished female ultrarunner who's seeking to break the women's course record.  In a flash of revelation, I went from fearing that I would be walking with someone for 8 or so hours, to fearing that I won't be able to keep up, despite my runner's 70-mile "head start".  Oh well, we'll see how that goes.  Regardless of what happens, it should be interesting, challenging, inspiring and a nice break from training and my own chronic running-related concerns. 

Happy summer running, everyone. -ESG/Ron

All Peak, No Valley

As my fingers work their way across the keyboard, the official start of the Boston Marathon is three weeks and one hour away.  There's still a dream-like quality to the fact that I'll be lining up in the 7th Corral in Wave 1 (Bib #7930), taking part in the world's most storied marathon.  The way I feel now contrasts sharply to how I've felt before any of my other marathons.  Principally, since I have no specific time goal (yet), I do not feel any performance-related pressure (yet - lol).  I know that my training has been excellent (for me) and that I cannot look back to anything I might have done differently since January 4, 2010.  I suppose that I would have liked to have run a faster tune-up race, but in light of the big picture, I'm not particularly concerned about that, either.

So, fresh from a week-long  vacation in Northern Florida, I ran a huge weekly mileage PR (for reasons to be detailed below).  The past two weeks ended up like this:

WEEK OF MARCH 15-21

• Monday - 8.2M in nasty, cold rain
• Tuesday - AM: 5.1M easy; PM: 7.8, with 4x400m & 2x800m (first running club track workout of the season)
• Wednesday - AM: 7.4M; PM: 6.7M
• Thursday - 10.1M progression run
• Friday - 11.1M, with 3M @ HMP, 0.5M recovery & 2M @ HMP
• Saturday - 7.2M (travel day)
• Sunday - 9.75M; had to scrap LR due to family schedule

TOTAL =  73+ MILES

WEEK OF MARCH 22-28

• Monday - 20+M into relentless headwind, with last 3M @ goal MP
• Tuesday - AM: 6+M; PM: 4.7M
• Wednesday - 12+M progression run
• Thursday - 12M, with 6M @ HMP (between 6:40-6:45/mile)
• Friday - AM: 7+M; PM: 5+M
• Saturday - 6+M
• Sunday - 22+M, with about 8M @ goal MP (or faster); 2000 feet elevation gain

TOTAL = 95+ MILES

Without putting too fine a point on it, I'll admit that last week was really the first time during this entire training cycle where some of the runs felt like a chore, especially since the wind in Florida was a constant nuisance.  That said, though, as befits the experienced, more Zen-like runner which I've become [ ;-) ], I did not let the need to move things around derail or unsettle me.  I've put in the miles.  I've done the quality work.  I'm injury-free (knock wood), save for a couple of nagging aches.  And all of that comes on the heels of a consistent year in 2009.  The average weekly mileage for my 13 weeks pre-taper should come out to 72.2 miles.  My peak week last year? 72 miles.

So, having hit an unexpected peak week, it's time to dial it down.  Plan is to do 70 miles this week, then start the official taper with weeks of 50 and 30 before toeing the line in Beantown.

At this point, the lingering unknown is what my Boston goal will be.  Some well-intentioned running friends are suggesting that I should go for sub-3:00 at Boston.  To quote George H.W. Bush, "Not. Gonna. Happen."  As I've said before, I'm not going to run too close to my limits in my first Boston.  I just don't want to repeat the "death march" finish of my first three marathons.

Of course, it'd be somewhat disingenuous of me to claim that I'm going to line up on April 19th, and "see what the day brings", but that's going to be at least part of the plan.  For those who simply must know, I figure that a realistic target would be somewhere between 3:05 and 3:10.  Weather conditions will play a huge role in determining what I try to do in Boston, but the best thing about being this close with no goal, is that I have nothing about which to be disappointed. Yet.

Yup, we'll all have to find out together. ;-)

Cheers, ESG/Ron

A Cold, Wet & Tantalizing Preview

Readers of this blog know that your intrepid author has been focused on a little race held each Patriot's Day, starting in Hopkinton, traveling through a total of 8 towns (including Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton & Brookline) and ending in the self-proclaimed Hub of the Universe, a.k.a. Boston, Massachusetts.  As a relative local, I joked about running Boston long before I was a runner, and have dedicated a lot of time and energy to qualifying for the oldest continuously-run marathon in the world.  On April 19, 2010, I get to stake my tiny claim to being part of running history.

Thanks to the generosity of my running buddy Keith, I got to preview the first 20 miles of the course last Saturday.  While there were plenty of runners (heading in both directions), it was a very low-key experience.  The start area seemed far too small to accommodate 25,000 runners, not to mention marathon personnel, spectators, media and the like.  But the veterans with whom I chatted along the way said that the atmosphere for almost the entire route is positively electric, and I did my best to imagine the crowds and the energy of the day - 5 weeks hence - while chugging along MA-Route 135 on a sleepy Saturday in the midst of a late winter downpour.

With the exception of needing a pit stop at around Mile 13, the run was fantastic.  I met up with virtual running friends from San Diego (online monikers HikerGirl & Runner in Paradise from RWOL) and took them to meet the group for an organized, supported training run, courtesy of Keith's running club.  Hardy volunteers braved the elements to provide hydration and snacks to about 30 runners who covered varying distances at various paces.  Keith took off hard and did 22 miles at a sub-7:30 pace.  HikerGirl probably ran at an 8:45-ish per mile pace, while RiP and I stayed together the whole time.  Our running time (meaning I stopped my watch for drink/pit stops) averaged out to about 8:15 per mile.  My HR stayed low and my fastest 3 miles were the final three, which included the first three of the four famed (or notorious) "Newton Hills".  We stopped short of "Heartbreak Hill", which will remain a mystery to me for another 5 weeks.

My impressions of the course are as follows:

• The early miles are very much downhill, so the warnings about not "over-running" those miles is worth taking seriously
• It's not a particularly scenic route . . . at least not on a miserably windy, cold and rainy day; introducing Race Day fanfare into the mix will change everything, though
• One needs to be very careful about conserving energy when going through Wellesley, as it falls about half-way into the race.  I suspect many a runner's overexuberance  at the "Wall of Sound" has cost him (or her) dearly later in the race
• The first three Newton Hills were not a big deal at all, neither too steep nor too long; I'm sure that I may feel differently after pounding out 18+ miles at marathon pace, but I was able to accelerate in the hills with no problem
• The last 10K could be the best or worst running experience of a runner's life; I'm banking on that stretch being the highlight of my running life to date

So, with some muscle memory of the first 20 miles (also known in marathon parlance as the "first half of the race") burned into my legs, I focus on the last 5 weeks of training.

Last week's cutback came out like this:

• Monday - 7.5M, with 8x19+ secs hill sprints
• Tuesday - 8+M
• Wednesday 10.6M total, with 4x1200m @ 10K pace, and 4x200 at sub-5:00/mile pace
• Thursday - 6M
• Friday - 6M; first trail run of the year (and it was a mess)
• Saturday -20.2M on the Boston course
• Sunday - 6+M, again on the trails, in a cold rain

Week's total was about 64 miles, which last year would have been a heavy week.  This week, I'll shoot for 82 miles, with two decent workouts (hills on Tuesday and  threshold on Friday).  Next week, we visit the in-laws in Florida, so I've prepared my beloved wife for the fact that I will be running peak mileage while we're on vacation.  She's theoretically okay with it.

Finally, please consider supporting the Boston to Big Sur run by  going to www.christopherreeve.org/abramson and giving what you can. Thanks!

Best, ESG/Ron

Ups & Downs Abound

As I draft this week's update, the start of the Boston Marathon is exactly 6 weeks (and 24 minutes) away. I'm in the heart of the training program, and I'll admit that I'm tired.  But, at the same time, running continues to teach me important lessons, about training and - of course - about life.  So, while I've had some ups and downs lately - both figurative and literal - persistence and dedication always seem to carry me through.

Running-wise, I had a lousy attempted workout last Friday, which I'll highlight below in the weekly recap.  However, that disappointing attempted run was sandwiched between a great track session on Tuesday, and a very confidence-inspiring long run on Sunday.  Add in the constant presence of hills in my various running routes, and the "ups and downs" metaphor is complete.

Here's a look back at last week:

• Monday - 7+M easy, with 10x10 secs hill sprints
• Tuesday - 12M, with first hard track session of the year (4x1K @ 5K pace; 2x400m; 2x200m)
• Wednesday - 7M + 5M recovery runs
• Thursday - 7M + 5M recovery runs
• Friday - 10+M, bagging an attempted threshold progression after 2M @ goal MP, since I just wasn't feeling it
• Saturday - 8.5M easy
• Sunday - 19+M, with about 6M @ goal MP/effort; overall pace 8:00 with over 1500 feet of elevation gain - GREAT RUN!

Week's total came out to a little under 81 miles, with a rolling 8-day total (Sunday-Sunday) of 103+ miles.  The most important thing is that I'm feeling healthy.  There's an errant ache here or a pang there, but nothing too concerning, and all part of what happens when pushing one's body (and mind) into uncharted training territory.  However, I've shuffled things around and am making this week a cutback week, with somewhere around 65 miles on tap.  That was close to my peak week last year, so I'm pleased with the progress I've made.

One continuing cause for concern has been the GI issues which do not seem to be getting better.  After scouring WebMD and exchanging messages with a running doctor friend, I've bitten the bullet and scheduled an appointment to see my doctor.  I'd hate for all this hard work to be derailed because I had to make a pit stop (or more than one).  The idea of April 19th is NOT to tour Boston's finest portapotties.  We'll see what the doctor says.

-ESG/Ron

Weighty Eighty & the Gym Consultation

This week will be a quick training update post, mostly free from attempts at cleverness or profound observations. I've been busy with life, along with having lost power after a terrible windstorm which ravaged much of New Hampshire, all the while existing in the dark about the news of the earthquake in my native Chile.  So, it's with a distracted and somewhat heavy heart that I continue my marathon training and summarize last week's running-related news.

Recovery from the ill-fated "GI Joe" Half-Marathon went surprisingly well.  I took a post-race bath in the miracle product (full disclosure: the company is owned by a friend and is sort of a client) known as Endurasoak.  I ran with no soreness on Monday, though I skipped hill sprints.  I then ran 8 miles on Tuesday, 12 on Thursday, did doubles on Thursday (11+ total), a weird 10-miler on the treadmill on Friday (weirdness detailed below), 8+ Saturday in a light snowfall and 22+ on Sunday with my ultra-runner friend Nate.  The total for the week was . . . drum roll . . . 80 miles.  It's my first time breaking that barrier.  Am I tired? Yes.  But no injuries or even real aches and pains.

Friday was one of those days where the To-Do List resembles the Hydra of Greek mythology (on my mind since we saw The Lightning Thief on Friday night): you slay one head by completing an item, and several more seem to crop up. So, as the day's end neared, my planned 12-miler became 10, and my planned 6x1K repeats became 6x800m.  The need to hit quality paces, along with the weather and waning daylight, led me to the Y at 4:15 p.m., a very unusual time for me to run.  So, I get on a TM, set it at 6.5 mph, and already feel like I'm working hard in the first mile.  I'd left my Garmin at home (it may have been uncharged anyway), so I was using the TM's own speed reading to register my pace, rather than using the calibrated foot pod which gives me standardized readings regardless of which dastardly machine I use.

So, I'm about 1.5 miles into my run - minding my own business - and there are only a couple of other runners. Suddenly someone prods me insistently from behind.  I turn to see a pretty bulky guy, who seems to have strayed from the heavy lifting section of the gym.  He says, with an accent and almost angrily, "I need to speak with you."  I ask if we know each other; he says no.  I ask if there's a problem; he says no.  I ask if he knows who I am; he says no.  Finally, I press pause, get off the TM and walk to the side.  I ask what he needs, and he tells me that he knows I'm a "very good immigration lawyer" and needs to discuss his situation.  I suggest an office appointment and wait while he gets a pen and paper [mental note: bring business cards to the treadmill] to write down my contact information. Anyway, I schedule him for an appointment, tell him the fee and hear him reply that he can't afford the consultation.  I tell him to call me when he can.  It definitely took the wind out of my running sails, but those winds returned when my preferred TM opened up after 6 miles, and I realized that the pace on the first one was very stingy.  The remaining repeats and cool-down were much more manageable, with the pace falling in line with my perceived effort.

Once this week (hopefully another 80 miles) is in the books, we're looking at 6 weeks until Race Day.  I think I'll cut it back for a week, hammer really hard again for two, reduce slightly for one week and then do a pretty sharp two-week taper.

Still no Boston goal, but a range of realistic possibilities is coming into focus.  It's interesting to allow the "right" goal time to come to me, rather than chasing an arbitrary number.  I suspect that doing it this way will minimize miscalculations and disappointment, though - of course - part of the insidious appeal of the marathon is that anything can happen come race day.  Months of careful preparation can yield intense glory or bitter personal defeat.  I have finally reached a place in my running life, where my relationship with the sport (and the lifestyle, really) is such that no one race will derail me or make me question my worth as a runner.  That said, if there is a single stage in the running world on which every distance runner would want to deliver a virtuosic performance, it would be in Boston. I'm no different.

Thanks for reading. -ESG

Who the Hell Invited GI Joe to this Party?

This little corner of cyberspace has been quiet and empty for the past several weeks, since I've been extremely busy with sorting out the rhythms and obligations of my new professional life, along with taking a family trip and handling the home front during my wife's busiest professional stretch of the year.  The new venture has gotten off to a strong start, and I am putting together the key elements of a sports management business that will hopefully let me merge my passion into at least a break-even business venture.  More on that as circumstances develop.

Against that backdrop, I'll summarize the last few weeks of training before providing a report from yesterday's Half at the Hamptons.  The drama of the 2010 Winter Olympics notwithstanding, I know my readers have been waiting for this news with bated breath. ;-)

WEEK #5 - FEB 1-7, 2010 (CUTBACK WEEK)

• Mon - 5M easy
• Tues - 7.9M progression
• Wed - 6.7M easy - travel day
• Thurs -10.1M moderate effort
• Fri - 8.5M with strides
• Sat - 13.1M, with 3M @ goal MP
• Sun -5M easy (last mile+ barefoot) - travel day

TOTAL MILEAGE =  56+ MILES

WEEK #6 - FEB 8-14, 2010

• Mon - 10M, with hill sprints
• Tues - 10M, with 5x800m @ 5K pace (in a parking lot)
• Wed - 11.25 (AM: 6.25M; PM: 5M)
• Thurs -8M a little harder than easy
• Fri - 10M, with total of 4.5M (2.5M, then 2M) at HMP (not a great run)
• Sat - 6.7M easy
• Sun - 20.2M, with 5.5M at goal MP - great run!

TOTAL MILEAGE =  76+ MILES

WEEK #7 - FEB 15-21, 2010

• Mon - 8M easy (skipped hill sprints)
• Tues - 12M, with 3M at goal HMP (tough run)
• Wed - 8M easy (blew off doubles)
• Thurs - 8M easy (blew off doubles again, because too tired for early AM run)
• Fri - 7M easy
• Sat - 5+M, including 4x100m strides
• Sun - 2.5M warm-up; 13.1M RACE (see Race Report below); 2.5M cool-down

TOTAL MILEAGE =  66.7 MILES

RACE REPORT - HALF AT THE HAMPTONS

The title of this week's post plays on the "GI" in America's first toy action hero's name.  Previously standing for "Government Issue", runners far and wide know "GI" as the abbreviation for all ills digestive-related.  It's never pleasant to suffer GI troubles, much less so during a "marker" race when one is training for the biggest race of one's running life.

This was my third year running the Half at the Hamptons. In 2008, as a still-novice runner, I "trained through" while preparing for the Keybank Vermont City Marathon, set an ambitious goal (at the time) and followed a pacer who banked time by taking us out too fast.  I had one of my worst long-distance racing experiences and simply hung on to run over 1:40, my first distance non-PR to that point in my running career.  Last year, I had strained my groin in early January, barely reached 40 miles per week, and went out with no expectations to run a surprise PR of 1:34+.

Having set a new HM PR last October, I wished to build on that, with the Hamptons being my only significant tune-up race of the Boston cycle.  It's a nice mid-winter race, with well over 1000 participants, good energy and on a nice, largely coastal route.  It's billed as flat, but has some rolling elevation changes in the middle section.  It's also always windy as a you-know-what.

I went into the race with more of an "idea" of what I might be able to do, as opposed to specific goals.  Breaking 1:26 would have been my dream/stretch goal.  A new PR by any margin would have been my "acceptable" goal.  And, simply running the best race I could considering the conditions and my cumulative training fatigue would have to be the fallback goal.

I suppose that if I now list the reasons why I ran a disappointing 1:31:25, it will sound like a litany of excuses.  I view it as more along the lines of assessing and analyzing the reasons for a sub-par performance, but that may be a distinction without a difference.  Once the afterglow of last Sunday's excellent 20+-mile run wore off, I found myself dragging most of the week.  I dialed back the mileage a bit, dropping two planned double days (Wednesday and Thursday).  I awoke on Saturday with the beginnings of a chest cold, though it seemed pretty manageable, and Saturday's mid-day easy run plus strides felt pretty good.

With an 11:00 am start time, I did not have to get up too early yesterday.  I awoke a little before 7:00 and had my usual breakfast.  I brought different clothing options, since I knew the blustery conditions would make the mid-30-degree temps seem much colder.  I had singlets and arm-warmers ready to go, along with different headband/hat and glove options.  I also had a form-fitting long-sleeve thermal shirt, just in case.

When I got to the race HQ hotel at around 10:00 am, it was bustling.  I found a good parking spot, checked in and agonized about what to wear.  I was cold just walking from my car, so I wore heavy clothes during a two-mile warm-up.  I felt better once the blood was pumping, though I didn't feel like my legs would have much "pop".  Still, I was optimistic and got into the "this-is-what-I-log-all-those-miles-for-so-bring-it-already!" state of mind.  I guess you had to be there to understand. ;-)

So, without further adieu (thankfully!) here's a mile-by-mile breakdown of how it all played out (the course seems to have been marked rather erratically, so the numbers in parentheses are extra time after the auto-lap recorded a full mile; the first 3 mile markers, along those at miles 7 and 12 were spot on with the Garmin distance):

1. 6:37 - After lining up a couple of rows from the front, I settled into a briskly comfortable pace. Wind was already raging, but I was thinking that everything seemed to be going just fine.
2. 6:40 - Negotiated a couple of turns.  Tried to find someone from whom to draft, but I have not really perfected that skill.
3. 6:35 - Holding pace, but working a bit too hard into the wind.  Was running with the 3rd and 4th place women, and offered to let them draft off of me to save their energy for an assault on the leaders later.
4. 6:52 (+:14) - Here is where it started to get tough, between the wind and the course's most challenging terrain.  Not sure if I was losing focus, or the conditions were in fact that rough in that mile, but my effort level did not seem to wane as much as much as my pace seems to have dropped. The Garmin had my HR at 173 at this point, and I had averaged 171 bpm during my HM PR in October.
5. 6:33 (+:13) - The wind let up a bit in a protected residential area, so I tried to take advantage.  Felt the first rumblings of GI distress which would be my eventual undoing.  One of the women and another guy with whom I'd been running start to inch away.
6. 6:41 (+:10) - Came up on the aid station where I'd planned to take a Gu Roctane.  Longingly looked at the port-a-potty, but decided to pass it by. Critical mistake #1.  Critical mistake #2? I took only one smallish cup water, 4 oz. or less, with the gel.  That's nowhere near enough to absorb it properly and especially poor decision-making where my stomach was already bothering me.
7. 6:20 - It would be VERY safe to say that this mile was short, with the Garmin registering 0.95.  I was fighting off the stomach woes, assuming/hoping that it would pass.  Mostly, I was trying to keep a rhythm and stay with the runners around me, including a 50-something guy from my area who usually goes out too fast and the peters out late (kudos to him for a sub-1:29 finish).
8. 6:39 (+:30) - I see a construction site with a port-a-potty, but the optimist (aka, obsessive runner) in me prevails and I pass on by.  I realize from the course description that the next port-a-potty is at around Mile 11, and I have no idea how I'll make it.  The physical discomfort is taking its toll, as is the headwind which has picked up again.
9. 6:51 (+:11) - Now wondering whether any of the spectators on the course would let me use their bathroom.  Thinking I may have to drop out if something doesn't change, and I start to focus on getting to the rest area at Mile 11, telling myself that the "A" goal doesn't matter, and that any ol' PR, or even just sub-1:30, will do.  
10. 8:25 (+:30) - As we approach the 10-mile mark, I spot another construction site, and see the blue plastic pod which could be my salvation.  I debate as I keep running, pass it by maybe 150-200 yards and then double-back.  Checking the data afterwards, I lost 2:40 to the stop (plus the time to run back and forth).  I came out like a flash, passing maybe a dozen people in the next half-mile, but the headwinds sapped me of the ability to sustain a fast pace and thus make up any significant time.
11. 6:57 (+:02) - At this point, my racing mojo is officially gone.  I've written off all time goals (even sub-1:30) and am just trying to put forth the hardest effort I can sustain.  Residual fatigue from recent training volume is also wearing me down, as evidenced by the fact that my HR had dropped into the low 160's, far below my HM race pace. I can feel that dastardly familiar tightness in my hips, like my someone added resistance bands to my hip sinews.
12. 7:02 - The wind sucks, I'm tired and I'm ready to be done. Trying to reel in the folks ahead of me, but just cannot find another gear.
13. 6:26 - I tried to push it for a strong finish.  I passed a couple of people, but I suspect more than a couple passed me. This mile may have been short, too.
    
    
    
    
    Final 0.1 (measured as 0.13) - 0:47 (6:10 pace) - very glad to see the finishing arch and to be able to put this racing debacle behind me.

Official finish time = 1:31:25.  61st overall; 9th in my age-group.

I jogged back to my car, put on a dry shirt, pants and a jacket, and did 2.5 slow, tedious cool-down miles so that I would get my 18+ miles for the day.  When I completed the cool-down, I went inside for a bowl of hot vegetable soup, talked to friends and other runners, and made my way home.

REFLECTIONS

Well, the combination of accumulated racing experience and consistent training has given me better perspective on a disappointing performance, or - better stated - a disappointing time despite a decent running performance.  I am not freaking out, questioning my training, doubting my fitness or otherwise going to any of the dark caverns of insecurity of days past.  If someone had told me a year ago that I'd run a "disappointing" 1:31 half-marathon, I would have whipped out the tape measure and fitted them for a straight-jacket. It wasn't my day for things to come together, and - frankly - that's simply part of the reality of the racing experience.  One thing to which I will pay closer attention for a while is my nutrition/diet, as I have had GI troubles for a long time, and distance running does not help in that department.

So, with Boston a mere (or eternal, depends on when you ask me) 8 weeks from today, I'll continue to do what I've been doing, emphasizing volume (I should peak at 82 or so miles per week and average about 70 miles for the pre-taper portion of the training cycle), but ramping up the quality miles, as well.  I may do one or two short races between now and Boston, but the focus will be on staying healthy, pushing the mileage envelope and showing up ready to run the best race I can run on that day.  Oh yeah, and to be able to recover quickly enough to run another marathon six days later.

Thanks for tuning in.  Happy running.

-Ron/ESG