In the spirit of Halloween, something that's a bit scary is how much rust one accumulates after taking nine days off. Not worried though. Tis normal, especially when the marathon was about two weeks ago. Some light residual coughing still, but it's nothing bad at all and I'm otherwise officially over that ugly cold/flu virus thingy.
Nice and easy. No rushing it on the pace. Could have went longer, but figured four was good for today. Short runs on tap for the rest of the week and will probably make Friday another rest day. Next week, runs a touch longer and will incorporate some stride work. Starting next week, should be okay to get in the goal 20-30 miles a week of light running through November and then will begin ramping things up for Boston.
It's been a long nine days... a nasty cold virus moved to my lungs and was the source of regular coughing fits that happened for several days. The nasty deep down congested kind of coughing, to boot. Running just would have been stupid, especially since I'm in a recovery-followed-by-long-term-rest period anyway. I was worried I might have bronchitis, but just as I was getting to the point to where I was ready to call the doctor, I started getting better.
So, today I felt good enough for a short and slow run. Yeah, the outer fringes of Hurricane Sandy are hitting us, but I really wanted to go for a run, despite the wind gusts close to 50 mph at the time. No big deal, just kept a sharper eye on the cars and the trees.
Felt really rusty. I think my legs were confused. It felt unusually hard, but that's totally to be expected after nine days off. However, at the same time it felt great. Giving the legs some turnover while feeling Mother Nature's wrath as the wind whipped light rain in my face... it was freedom. I loved it.
Got home and showered, and shortly thereafter our power went out for about 2.5 hours, thanks to a tree falling on the power lines about a quarter of a mile down the road. It's back on now, and hopefully it'll stay that way. But while it was out, Kate and I were well prepared and we made a killer venison chili for dinner under the light of kerosene lamps. It ruled.
Adjusting the wicks on the lamps.
Cooking sans electricity.
The final product: a most delicious venison chili.
Started feeling a pretty moderate head cold last week. All I could think was thank goodness it didn't hit until after the marathon. The heat at Boston and the stomach flu at Sugarloaf were the result of horrible timing with the forces of nature, but this time it's nearly the opposite: got a head cold a few weeks before the marathon, it went away, and now that the race is over, it's back for a visit and stronger than before. Everything feel into place this time around, for which I'm grateful.
Unfortunately though, the head cold is moving to my lungs. That sucks because I reeeeeeeeeeally want to go for a run, even if it's just for a few miles. But eyes on the forest, not the trees. Now is a really good time to be sick, as far as running is concerned.
Long day today, and it started with the regional cross country meet. Our girls team advanced to states for the first time since 2003 which is very exciting. The boys team ran well, but the competition was tough and we've been missing our number two runner all season due to injury. Very proud of how well they ran today though.
Afterwards, I headed over to the Big Brad Ultras to help out. Several said my efforts would be best spent by pacing my friend Zak. I was intrigued, but expressed grave concerns about running 15.5 miles not even a week out from my marathon. I compromised though and offered to run the last six.
That turned out to be great. It was awesome to see some of this beautiful and tough course first hand and help a good friend out. Zak was running super strong though and only picked up steam with each passing mile. Seriously. He came in mile 44 looking great and only left an increasingly hotter blaze of fire in his wake. On the downhills, I had a hard time keeping up, and it had nothing to do with my marathon last weekend... my legs felt fine... Zak was just that fast.
Zak's strong and smart running paid dividends: He came in second place. 'Nuff said.
Aiming to run four times next week for a total of somewhere between 15-20 miles. This blog might be relatively boring for a while, so apologies in advance.
Ran 6.0 miles @ ~11:30/mile pace.
Technical trails.
Extremely hilly.
Lower 60s, foggy, humid.
New Balance MT110, long sleeved shirt, shorts, cap.
Allowed myself a couple of miles today, broken up in two parts: joined the cross country team for part of their warm-up and then I got in a short run on the trails afterwards.
Legs feel surprisingly great. Even the day after the marathon, I was surprised at how well my legs absorbed the race. Walking down stairs made the quads bark a little, but it was nothing that bad at all. I've never felt this good after a road marathon, despite it being a PR. Pretty sweet.
Still will be doing very light mileage until December. I'm sure I'll enjoy it for a few weeks but after that I'm going to start going nuts, especially when cross country season ends. However, I'll still do everything I can to adhere to not doing too much to give the body a break. If I can remain patient then I'll just be all the more motivated for Boston when the time comes to start ramping things up.
Speaking of which, I've already been bouncing off some thoughts with a few friends for training ideas. I know I'm responding really well to longer tempo runs but I'd like to do more milage as well and also be more consistant. Sub-3 seems closer to reality now, but it'll only happen if I'm smart and work my arse off.
Ran 2.0 miles @ 9:30/mile pace.
Mix of roads and trails.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 60s, sunny.
New Balance MT100, shorts, long sleeved shirt.
Pre-Race
The alarm went off at 4:25am and I got in a solid eight hours of sleep. Bagel, banana and coffee for breakfast as I scanned the weather reports. No changes. Cool temperatures, rain and wind were still on tap for the day and the headwind in the final, super hilly 10K was of the biggest concern. The rain I was fine with. The cool temps were welcome.
Kate, her folks and I drove over from Brewer and arrived an hour before the start. Plenty of time for final bathroom stops, saying hello to friends, meeting new people and doing some warm-up exercises. The rain was holding off for now which made moving around easier. I was prepared for it when it came though and had applied so much Bodyglide that I'm surprised my shorts didn't fall off.
Myself, Matt, Ty and Eric during the National Anthem
It soon became time to line-up. I was with Ty T., Eric M. and Matt H. at the start line and we chatted together and shared strategies. Race announcements were given, the National Anthem played and then AC/DC's Thunderstruck blared through the speakers as the fuse to the starting cannon sizzled and smoked. Fingers on the start buttons of our watches as we watched the fuse burned down towards its base. As always, the energy in the air in those closing seconds before the start is intense with excitement, anticipation and a healthy dose of nervousness. Then the cannon fires. BOOM!!! It all disappears and we're off.
Miles 1-5
Ty and I had planned to do around 7:10/mile until we turned on to Cooksey Drive (at around 10K) and then let the pace fall after we were warmed up. However, there were others with us, and starting at about mile three their pace slipped about twenty seconds slower than planned so I moved ahead alone.
The rain had started and puffs of wind were felt. Raw day for sure. The cold temps (42F/6C) along with the rain definitely made it more difficult for the muscles to warm-up. However, by mile three my splits were now down to around 7:00/mile and would stay there for a while.
Miles 5-10
I continued running alone but there were other runners in the vicinity, so I hadn't entered No Man's Land just yet. Made my way on to Cooksey Drive, a curvy narrow road lined with luxurious mansions along the coast. These large, extravagant houses always seem vacant; mere trophies for the rich who likely only visit them a few weeks out of the year. What a waste.
Pace felt good and the splits were holding pretty steady... just above 7:00/mile for this section. I knew then that this is what I would be more or less holding. I was fine with that, as getting under 3:10 and hopefully winning an AG award were the main goals for the day.
Saw Kate and my mother and father in-law at Seal Harbor. Ditched my gloves and threw them at Kate. My hands were warm but my leg muscles felt slightly tight from the cold and rain. Sometimes it was my quads. Sometimes it was my hamstrings. At times, my calves. Not cramping, just feeling tight from the cold and rain. This would continue throughout the race. Thankfully, it never turned into an issue.
Shortly after Seal Harbor, Kate and my in-laws drove alongside me blasting Skrillex's "Bangarang" to keep me going. That ruled. I had the song going through my head for most of the race and it really helped.
Miles 11-15
Approaching Northeast Harbor, I linked up with a Boston runner named Cyrus for a bit. Nice guy and this was his first time running MDI. He asked about the hills, and I told him we were on the tamest sections of the course and advised him that he might want to save something for that final wave of big hills in the last 10K. He soon dropped back, but I would see him again.
Northeast Harbor
Saw Kate and my in-laws again in Northeast Harbor, which was another good boost. This is a big spectator spot and the crowds were really supportive. I love feeding off of that energy.
Past the crowds now and I remember a steady light rain falling and feeling more wind gusts at spots. This is the fastest section of the course and my splits showed it, four of them under 7:00/mile.
As we twisted and turned through a neighborhood I heard footsteps behind me and I had a guess at who it was. I turned around to see if my hunch was right and it was: Ty! Per our strategizing the day before, I figured he would catch up to me at this point and it played out as if right out of a textbook. Sweet. I waved for him to continue to catch up and he replied to hold my pace and he'd soon be there.
My plan was now to ride his shoulder as long as I felt was comfortably possible. Ty is a stronger runner than me, however he was having knee issues and that would later slow him down. Still, he pulled me along nicely for the middle miles here and his company was most welcome.
We crossed the halfway point in 1:32:18, my fastest time at this point yet. With that time in mind, I began to surmise a realistic finishing time in my head. I knew I'd slow down some on the final hills, but I figured coming in 3:07:XX was very realistic, so that was now the goal.
Ty and I then reached Sargent Drive. We continued to work together here, giving each other words of encouragement and pulling one another along with the very scenic Somes Sound to our left. The scenery during this race is top notch, even in bad weather.
Miles 15-20
We trucked along and reached the turn on to 198. Starting to feel tired here but kept the pace up. Shortly after the turn, some moron driver with Illinois license plates pulled a three point turn and nearly took out a runner about 100 feet ahead of us. I shouted some choice words at the driver as we passed. The anger from the incident gave me a burst of energy though and I used it.
The course hits a side street (Butler Road) and comes back out on 198. Soon after that, there's a short but very steep hill that is a real bitch to climb. It serves as a gruesome reminder that there are more hills ahead. It was around here that I began to pull ahead of Ty and I would be running alone for the duration. I turned onto Rt. 102 and the final 10K, and that really tough section of hills, was about to begin.
Miles 20-25
As expected, my pace began to slow. I felt the headwind at times but thankfully it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I can't say the same with the hills. I think of them as coming in three waves separated by plateaus and I just plowed upward as best as I could. The splits for miles 22-24 were particularly atrocious compared to what I was running earlier, hitting them in 7:54, 7:43 and 8:20 respectively.
That mile 24 is especially cruel, featuring the sharpest hill of the section. But if there's a bright side to it, the mile marker is right after the top of that climb and once you're up that, the worst is over and you're home free. The pace picks back up after that, and then there is one more shorter climb that bends to the right. You can see the Top of the Hill Restaraunt sign from there and then it's a very welcome downhill towards the finish, so long as your quads are still in good shape. I rejoiced when I reached the sign and calculated my splits again. I lost a lot of time on the hills and I'd have to move if I was going to come in under 3:08.
Final 1.2
Cruised on the downhill and then it flattened out. Many large puddles to dodge. Soon reached that final small uphill that in reality is a mere speed bump at best, but at this stage of the race it seems no better than the hill at mile 24.
Crested the hill and the finish line was in sight a few hundred yards ahead. Around that time, I heard footsteps coming up from behind. It was Cyrus, the guy I had run with just before Northeast Harbor. He passed me with ease and I didn't bother to give any real chase. His kick was way too strong and efficient and I knew I wouldn't catch him, but it was still incentive to pick it up. I talked to him afterwards and he said that he heeded my advice to save something for the hills and that helped him out a lot. Drat, that might have cost me a placing but I knew he wasn't in my age group and plus he was a really nice guy, so I really don't mind all that much.
Finish line getting closer now and I heard Kate yelling for me to keep it going and gave whatever I had left, my eyes locked on the finishing clock as it ticked towards 3:08. I began pumping my fists when I knew I'd break it and I cruised in at 3:07:58. As I did so, Gary swooped over with a big smile and slapped me five as I crossed, which was really nice of him. It ended up being a PR of four minutes and 11 seconds, which is pretty substancial for me at this stage. Stoked!
Sweet granite trophy for 2nd place in the 40-44 division
Spoils of the race: A free barley soda and the AG award
Kate soon came over as well as my in-laws and gave me hugs, despite being drenched from the rain. I quickly changed out of my soaking wet clothes and then checked the results. All computerized this year, and a really nice guy working the timing for the race gave me my stats and I learned I got second in my age group. To me, that was huge. Reason being was I'd never won an AG award in a marathon before and doing so always seemed so far out of reach. I knew I had a very good shot at correcting that today and it happened. I was given a really nice granite trophy and have to admit I got a little choked up as I held it in my hands.
Went over to the beer/food tent and and had a barley soda and the traditional pulled pork sandwich with Kate, her folks and fellow Trail Monster Al. He ran a really smart race and finished in 3:14:33, my exact time two years ago. Really stoked for him as well as several other friends who seemed to all run really well today. Thankfully, the weather wasn't as big of an issue for most folks, including Louis Luchini who broke the course record he set a few years ago, despite having to stop for a bio-break. Stacked race as well, with the top 15 all breaking three hours.
Analysis
I thought I paced myself really smart overall, especially considering that I felt a bit undertrained for this race and I also had a light head cold going on. With that, it's hard not to be really, really happy with a pretty big PR. It could be argued that I should maybe slow it down a little in the first 20 miles to leave more in the tank for the hills in the final 10K and though I could be wrong, I suspect it wouldn't make that much of a difference. I think it'd all even out in the end because those hills are really killer. Perhaps more hill repeats could help though.
Worth noting that I made it a point to take more Gu than ever before. Took one 15 minutes before the race start and then again around miles 6, 12, 16 and 21. That's five total, two more than I've ever used before. I think it helped.
This is a great springboard for Boston, both mentally and physically. Boston can be a faster course but I really need to focus on strengthening my quads. I'll add downhill drills and maybe even strength training to correct that for April. Could bring my PR down substantially lower again if all goes as planned.
But for now, my race reason is over for the year. As I have done the past two years, it's time to give the mind and body a break. Really light mileage from now until December, like only 20-30 miles a week and mostly all easy paced. Then in December, the mileage starts to ramp up so I can hit it hard when the new year rolls around in preparation for Boston.
Speaking of Boston, another nice benefit of today is that not only did I qualify for 2014, but I'll also be able to register in the first week when it opens since I broke my BQ time (3:15:00) by more than five minutes. Additionally, I can resubmit the time from this race and get myself a lower seed for 2013. Sweet.
And last but certainly not least, Kate was super supportive both before, during and after the race. She knows how much running means to me and it showed. Really appreciate her support as well as my inlaws. Cheering somebody on in crappy weather and never complaining one bit is not something I take for granted. I married the right woman for sure!
Splits (taken maunally at each mile marker):
1 - 7:09
2 - 7:11
3 - 7:03
4 - 6:58
5 - 6:58
6 - 7:03* - average of mile 6 and 7, forgot to hit lap button
7 - 7:03* - average of mile 6 and 7, forgot to hit lap button
8 - 6:58
9 - 7:03
10 - 7:08
11 - 7:02
12 - 7:03
13 - 6:48
14 - 6:54
15 - 6:50
16 - 6:58
17 - 7:06
18 - 6:58
19 - 7:06
20 - 7:02
21 - 7:16
22 - 7:54
23 - 7:43
24 - 8:14
25 - 7:27
26- 7:17
Last .2 - 6:46/mile pace.
Ran 26.2 miles @ 7:11/mile pace.
Official time: 3:07:58
Official place: 24th out of ??
Age group (40-44): 2nd out of 46
Paved roads.
Extremely hilly.
Lower to mid 40s, overcast, light rain, breezy.
Saucony Kinvara 3, shorts, singlet, gloves (shed at mile 8)
Full report in the next few days, but I ran 3:07:58 for a PR, came in 24th place overall and got 2nd in my age group. Beat my old PR by 4:11. Really, really pumped, especially with the AG award. I've never gotten one in a marathon before and it meant a lot to me.
Checked in at the expo and am ready to go. Nice to run into Bob D., Ty T., Eric M. and Peter K. while I was there. Was strategizing with Ty and it looks like I'll be riding his shoulder for at least the first 10k. I was very happy to learn that his plan mirrored mine... take the first 10k relatively conservative to warm-up and also not burn as much mojo on that first wave of big hills. Once on Cooksey Drive, the pace drops and look out below.
The weather forecast looks pretty raw. Windy, cool and rainy. Of the elements, the wind will by far be the biggest challenge. As Judson noted, it will be in our faces for the other big wave of hills at the end (as well as other sections of the course). That'll be tough, but so be it. I thought I handled it well last year when it was pretty similar. Not pleasant, but you just hunker in and bulldog your way through it.
Ran today also. After I checked in at the expo I headed over to Eagle Lake for a couple of miles on the carriage trails. Pretty uneventful, other than the legs feeling very spry and ready to go. Just have to play things smart tomorrow and there's no reason why I shouldn't have a great race. Am taking extra measures diet wise to help ensure my stomach behaves tomorrow. I don't want a repeat of what happened at the Bruiser.
Easy three miler after cross country practice. Pretty uneventful, aside from the sun being out for once but a stiff, autumn wind was blowing and that made things chilly standing around timing the kids during their workout.
All systems go for Sunday. Taking tomorrow off. As tradition dictates, I'll do 2-3 miles on Saturday after I check in at the expo. Will probably hit Eagle Lake. Then it's game time Sunday morning. There's a pretty good chance of rain, but anything is better than the heat after last spring and summer. I still haven't forgotten. I don't mind rain so long as it's cool out (which it will be).
Ran 3.1 miles @ 8:11/mile pace.
Paved road.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 50s, partly cloudy, breezy.
Saucony Kinvara 3, shorts, long sleeved shirt.
Another raw autumn day today and my workout coincided well with the cross country team's run. They were running LSD on the local trails and I used a one mile loop on paved trails that would enable me to check up on them while doing my own prescribed workout.
Ran a mile to warm-up, two miles at tempo (6:32, 6:29) and a mile to cool down. With temps in the lower 50s and a light rain falling, a mile to warm-up would normally not be enough but I didn't want to do more than four. Went well all the same, fortunately.
Another four miles tomorrow but all at a legit easy pace. All systems go for Sunday. Ready to throw down and leave everything on the course.
Ran 4.0 miles @ 7:23/mile pace.
Paved trails.
Flat.
Lower 50s, overcast, light rain.
Saucony Kinvara 3, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Kate and I are both off of work today, so we decided to take advantage of another awesome fall day and hike up the local mountain.
Lots of people out and about, which was great to see. We drove up to the upper parking area, leaving only a little under a mile to reach the summit, but given the marathon now just six days away, that was perfect.
Oooh....
Ahhh....
Kate on our way down.
Hiked around 2.0 miles.
Jeep trails and trails.
Extremely hilly.
Upper 40s to lower 50s, partly sunny.
Merrell Trail Gloves, jeans, sweatshirt, short sleeved shirt.
Does it get any better than this? Thanks to the cold front pushing through, the weather was perfect this morning. Around 45F/7C when I headed into the woods and it only warmed up to the lower 50s when I finished. Nice to keep the long sleeved shirt on comfortably throughout the run.
Ran in the woods out back. Trails were a little muddy in spots from all of the rain the last week(s) but all in all in great shape. It was awesome. Crisp, clean, cool air and colorful leaves. I was in heaven.
Legs felt great. I mentioned yesterday that it's easier for me to keep my pace in check on the trails. That was true today. However, there is a section near the end that is on flat and fast fire roads and I had to remind myself to slow down a few times. My legs feel so full of springy energy right now and the temptation to let'er rip is hard to resist, but except for a two-mile portion on one of my runs next week, everything will have to be short and very easy. That'll be hard, but eyes on the prize. One week to go.
Ran 7.2 miles @ 9:31/mile pace.
Technical trails, some fire roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 40s to lower 50s, sunny.
New Balance MT110, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt.
Had a fun morning helping out Jeff with the Craig Cup 5K. I teamed up with Ian to help mark the course which was especially fun as it seems like I haven't spent some one-on-one time with Ian in a while. It was great catching up. The race itself went well and it was fun to see everyone. Afterwards, headed home, ate lunch, took a nap and then went for a run.
Really warm out by the time I headed out the door. Bit humid as well. A cold front was approaching but doggonit... unfortunately, I beat it and the rains and cooler temps it brought with it. Temperatures dropped at least 12 degrees a few hours after the run. Glad we'll have very cool weather all next week though.
Felt out of sync at first, likely because of the warm temps, grogginess from the nap and the recent lunch. However, by the time I climbed the ridge I felt better and the pace began to drop, and a bit too much at that. Should have done a better job at keeping myself in check, but I can take solace in that I'll be doing a trail run tomorrow and I can govern my pace a lot better on the trails. Legs just feel so dang springy and spry right now. Taper worms....
Windy out today as well. It made catching falling leaves during the run a lot of fun. Leaves are closing in on their peak colors in my area and the scenery is fantastic. So great to run in such a variety of color, especially when it's contrasted against overcast skies. I love autumn.
Ran 10.1 miles @ 7:31/mile pace.
Leaves caught: 5.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Lower-mid 70s, partly cloudy to overcast, windy.
Saucony Kinvara 3, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Really low mileage so far this week, even for a taper, so I allowed myself a little more speed today. Nothing crazy, just five miles with one mile to warm up, three miles tempo (6:44, 6:30, 6:32) and a mile to cool down. Felt great to get the legs moving. Quite enjoyable.
Another cool, rainy day today. For some reason, a hunch was telling me to keep the warm-up pants on throughout the run. A little over two miles into the run, I was beginning to think that hunch was stupid. It was around 60 degrees out... ample weather for shorts. I tend to trust my hunches since the results are usually favorable, but today was one of those anomalies.
Sun tomorrow, but more rain this weekend. I like it. The overcast skies contrasted with the bright colored leaves of fall really make for some awesome scenery. This is truly the best time of year to run.
Probably will take tomorrow off. Have to be in Lewiston for work and then we have a meet in Windham in the afternoon. If I wasn't in a taper, I'd try to squeeze something in but I'm not going to stress about it.
Ran 5.0 miles @ 6:58/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Around 60 degrees, overcast, raining.
Saucony Kinvara 3, long pants, short sleeved shirt.
Not a lot of time this afternoon. Fit in a short run after cross country practice and before I had to give a 90-minute presentation to a group of grad school students this evening. Just had a short run on tap anyway. Yay for tapering!
Just did a slow 2.5 mile trail run on some trails next to the school. Pretty uneventful. Legs feeling great. Looking forward to a week from Sunday.
Ran 2.5 miles @ 9:21/mile pace.
Trails.
Slightly hilly.
Around 60 degrees, overcast, light rain.
New Balance MT100, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Normally would take a rest day today since I ran 15 yesterday and with the marathon less than two weeks away now, easing up and taking things chilled out gets priority. But we have a long field trip planned for tomorrow, so opting to make that a rest day instead.
Joined the cross country team on their warm-up and cool downs. Nice and slow and pretty uneventful.
