Well, here goes nothing. The training for my first marathon was a bit hap-hazard. From mid-July to early-September things were going great. Somewhere in September, right after my 2nd ankle sprain of training, things fell apart though. I was having the hardest time making my way out the door, and maybe ran 3-4 times over a course of 3 weeks. Two weeks before the marathon I started running again, just enough to try to regain some fitness and get my legs used to the feeling again.

Lets fast forward a bit now, on Thursday I made Chicken Parmesan, with lots and lots of pasta. The day before race day I went down town to pick up my race packet. The expo was at M&T Bank Stadium, on the club level. There were plenty of vendors to fill up the area, including the equivalent of a small Under Armour store. I guess being the title sponsor has its perks? The pick up went smooth, I got my bib, which had the D-Tag chip attached, I got my race shirt and signed up for a pace group all in about 30 minutes. I made my way to one of the booths and grabbed 5 GU's, 3 Vanilla, 2 Chocolate. I made my way to bed around 10:30 that night, and surprisingly enough, was asleep by mid-night.

Race morning came at 5:03am, when my first alarm went off. I promptly shut that off, then alarm number two went off at 5:05am. At the point it was time to stand up. I enjoyed my normal breakfast of (chunky) peanut butter toast with apples and cinnamon oatmeal. I then hit the bathroom and made my way out to door to downtown Baltimore. I made it downtown and parked at 6:30am, with a scheduled race start of 8:00am. I took about a half hour at my car prepping, changing my shirt, getting out of my long pants, taping my foot, all those little things. I made my way over to the start at Oriole Park at Camden Yards from M&T Bank Stadium. On my way over I had to cross where the finish line was. I paid special attention to walk around, instead of over the line, I didn't want to cross it until I earned it. I found a nice bench and zoned out for about a half-hour, I watched the volunteers making the final preps to the last .2 miles. I envisioned each leg of the race mentally I made my way up to Druid Hill, down to Ft. McHenry, around the inner harbour, through Patterson Park, to Clifton Park, a lap around lake Montebello, then the final straight back to Camden Yards.

I made my way to the start area and met up with the 4:45 pace group. I knew this goal was optimistic considering my training. But I decided that if I was going to go out too fast I'd like to know exactly how too fast I was going to be. The national anthem played as 4 helicopters circled over head, 3 state police and one news chopper. The gun went off and the nerves all went away. It took about three minutes to get to the start line. When I crossed the confetti was still blowing and the fans were still cheering, it was a great feeling.

~~Miles 1-6~~
Mile one happened so fast, we ran it only a few seconds ahead of pace, but it felt like it was a 4 minute mile. Mile two came in right on pace as did mile three. I was feeling amazing, even as the first set of hills started. Miles four five and six were also right on pace, the 4:45 pace group was amazing. I don't remember much of this part of the race, it was all a blur.

~~Miles 7-13~~
We started to make our way back down to the harbor at mile seven. I was having fun chatting with all the other runners. I missed all the mile markers from mile 4-9, but my Garmin was keeping track for me. All of these miles came in within 5 seconds of pace. At mile seven we had our picture taken as a pace group. At this point we were running past the harbor and crows support was growing. After making it past the harbor we made our way to Ft. McHenry. After a loop there we were at mile ten. Still feeling great and on pace. Coming up to mile twelve I saw my spinning teacher who just finished up her relay leg. It was nice to see a familiar face. I also knew that my family was going to be at mile thirteen with two more GUs for me, I had three in my pockets at the start. My dad held them out as I came up, and one of the women who was running with the 4:45 group tried to grab them from him. I ended up getting them from him and I gave her one, she apologized not knowing they were meant for me, which I totally understood. I crossed the mat at the half

~~Miles 14-18~~
This is where things started to get hairy. I was beginning to feel it. I was still staying with the pace group, but it was getting harder and harder. My breathing was great, but my legs just weren't carrying me as quickly anymore, the lack of training was starting to kick in. I fought to stick with them until mile 17. They slowly started to fade out into the distance. By mile 18 they were out of sight. My hamstrings were cramping up very bad. I kept pushing but ahhh! It was probably the long stretch of hills from 16-20 that took everything out of my legs.

~~Mile 19-21~~
Mile 19 was the crest of the hills, which was a very welcomed sight. Mile 20 was a lap around the very flat lake Montebello. My legs were hurting so bad, as I ran by the mile 21 marker y left hamstring and right calf started spasming very bad. My walk breaks that started at 18 were getting longer and longer. Coming out of lake we had a mile or two of rolling hills.

~~Miles 22-23~~
The pain wasn't getting any worse, but it certainly wasn't getting any better. I kept pushing forward. There were to women running together that I started to stick with. They were very friendly and it was great to have someone to talk to. It helped take my mind away from the pain. At the end of mile 23 we made the final left turn and began making our way back downtown.

~~Miles 24-25~~
Coming down Howard St. back into the city I was starting to go numb, the pain didn't matter anymore. I stopped paying attention to my watch and just wanted to get to the end. Mile 24's marker came and went, then 25 came and went. This was it. We made a quick S turn onto Eutaw St. and it was at this point that I saw the clock tower across from Camden Yards. That was it, to the tower, down the warehouse and across the line. I made it to the tower, I made it to the warehouse.

~~Mile 26-Finish~~
We ran through Oriole Park at Camden Yards along the warehouse, then all that was left was the walk way to M&T Stadium, where the finish line was. People were walking at this point and I couldn't understand why, as I ran by I tried to get them to run with me, some did, others couldn't. I was amazed how many people were still mingling around after I passed the 26.1 (mile 13 sign for the half) point. It felt like I was sprinting at this point, even though I know I was probably barely moving. I made the last little curve and the finish line was right there. I hit the mat and my hands went straight to my head, I was finally done. I crossed the line with 5:46:23 showing on the clock. The announcer called my name and all sorts of feelings were going through my head.

~~Post Race~~
I made my way to the finishers area to pick up my medal. I saw a friend of mine there who was there cheering on the runners. She gave me a hug, and took a picture with me. I grabed a bottle of water and chugged it. Picked up and orange, took a giant bite of the skin so I could get in there and peel it. Once I got it peeled it was gone in no more then 3 bites. I walked around for a little trying to make sure I my body was ready to walk back to the car. On my way out of the celebration village I found my parents and girlfriend. They wanted to stand there and talk, I wanted to find somewhere to sit down. We chatted for a few minutes, which felt like hours before making our way back to my car. I don't think I said anything on the walk back to the car, besides obscenities directed towards the bridge we had to cross. When we got to the car I got my shoes off and my feet into my crocs. I pushed my seat all the way back, reclined it a bit, let my girlfriend take me home. Somehow I never fell asleep that day. My legs were hurting, and I was walking very funny.

~~The day after~~
I woke up and to my surprise I could walk! There was still some soreness, but that was more then expected.

All in all, I can't wait to do another. The only thing I'll do different the next time will be a shorted training schedule, probably a 10 week schedule rather then an 18 week schedule. I think burning out of training really hurt my finish time Saturday.


~~Official Splits (chip times)~~
Mile 6: 1:05:17
Mile 10: 1:48:42
20K: 2:19:17
Half 2:22:37
30K: 3:49:51
Mile 21: 4:26:34
Finish: 5:43:52

Some Photos
Right before the halfway point
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2934547846_08a5cb158b.jpg?v=0

The clock tower
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3169/2938486318_c3395a740a.jpg?v=0

.05 Miles to go
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2934554106_46d2215867.jpg?v=0

Final steps
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2933692677_0538e61b3a.jpg?v=0

Crossing the line
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/2934546006_0cd3167ae5.jpg?v=0

The hardware
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2938395554_ab427017bc.jpg?v=0

Going Stir-Crazy

It's only been 4 days of no running, but I am going insane! I don't know how I am going to last through Friday with no running. My ankle still hurts a bit, especially walking down steps, but I just really want to get back on the road. Half-way through my rest period.

Down for the Count

Last night I went out for a 3 mile run. I was trying to run it fast, instead of just a leisurely stroll. Mile 1 came along in 7:17, feeling good. At 1.58 miles I took a bad step. My right foot landed half on the sidewalk, half on the grass. When the grass gave and the sidewalk didn't my ankle buckled, I pushed off for my next step and then immediately dropped to the ground screaming in pain. After laying on some random persons lawn for a few minutes I made my way to my feet. My ankle was hurting bad, but I had to get home. I started to walk home, .6 miles later I arrived home. I was hurting bad. I took some tylonal, gave it some ice and then wrapped it. I went to bed and it was still in pain, I woke up in the middle of the night and refreshed my ice. Today I woke up and was still unable to put any weight on that foot at all, even the weight on the foot while sitting was enough to cause pain. I worked a half day before making my way to the ER. After a few hours and three x-rays I got my diagnosis. Severe sprain. I am hanging up my Brooks for the next 7-10 days, and replacing them with some crutches. I am going to miss out on some runs. Three 6 milers, one 8miler, one 4miler, one 3 miler, one 13 miler. Maybe more, hopefully less. Being sidelined is going to SUCK.

Inagural Baltimore 10-Miler Race Report

The day started very early (for me at least) when my alarm sounded at 5:25am. I begrudgingly got out of bed and started cooking my breakfast. A cup of water in the microwave and two pieces of bread in the toaster. I went back up stairs while everything was cooking I got changed into my race clothes. I came back and added the water to my bowl of instant oatmeal and chunky peanut butter to my toast. I ate breakfast and was on my way.

The course was about a 20 minute ride away, my GPS tried taking me in through the back side of the park, which was closed off because of the race. After a few laps around the park a few other cars and myself came upon a race volunteer who pointed us in the right direction. When I parked I grabbed my stuff and changed my shoes, got out of my pants (I wear pants over my racing shorts, habit.) While I was making my final preparations I was talking to my parking lot neighbor, Grace. We walked over to the packet pick-up together and chatted a bit before parting ways.

I had an hour or so to kill so I found a chair and relaxed as best I could. About 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time I made my way to the sign that read "10:00 Pace." My goal time was 1:40:00, so I figured thats where I wanted to be. While waiting for the gun a friend of mine, Scott, came up and said hi. We chatted for a bit, he said that 10 minutes was probably a bit quicker then he was going to be able to run with his knee, but he'd start there with me and see how it goes. 7:34am the gun goes and we are off.

The course opened up with a 2 mile consistent downhill of about a total of 200ft. Which was very bad, considering the course was an out and back, so we finished with a 200ft, 2 mile climb. Miles 1 and 2 went by fast, like they do in most races. Mile 1 was done in 8:51, it was quicker then it was supposed to be but it was still ok. mile 2 went by in 9:32, right about where I wanted to be for the 1st half.

After the 2 mile down hill there were 2.5 miles of rolling hills. Still feeling surprisingly well mile 3 and 4 were 9:18 and 9:27. As we approached mile 5 we looped around Lake Montebello. A 1.3 mile loop around a man-made lake with a running/biking lane around it. It is was the only flat part of the course and it gave my leg muscles a great rest. Mile 5 cruised through in 9:53. The clock time at the 5 mile marker said 49:45, which means that according to gun time I was just ahead of my goal pace. During the first half I was having a blast, chatting with Scott, and all the other runners. As we approached the lake one woman was saying that she needed something to cure her boredom, so I asked what she wanted to hear and started to sing for her.

After the loop around the lake we had to re-run the course in reverse to get the total mileage. Back to the 2.5 miles of rolling hills. Miles 6 and 7 came and went in 9:42 and 9:47. After the set of rolling hills came the final 2 mile climb. The 8 mile marker came at the bottom of the last hill, and passed at 10:01. The fatigue was beginning to set in, right as we got to the final 2 miles. Coming up on mile 6 Scott and I came up on Grace, she was walking when we reached her but she ran with us for a little. She said that the heat was getting to her, so after a few minutes she went back to her walk. Around mile 7 I could feel that I could push a bit, and knew that I would need to push if I would make pace with those hills to close out the race. I told Scott I'd catch him later and I was now running 'alone.'

As I said earlier the last 2 miles were a 200ft climb. Miles 9 and 10 were slower then all the others. I had to walk a bit in mile 9, the climb killed me. Mile 9 went in 11:05. Mile 10 was only slightly faster, but I kept in a running stride the whole way, it finished in 11:03. My Garmin read the course as a total of 10.18 miles, so that means I still had another .2 miles to the finish, which I did in 1:19, a 7:29 pace.

When I stepped on the mat I stopped my watch, I looked at it and saw it read "1:39:59.93." I did it! My time said I did it! I hung around for a bit snacking on the watermelon they supplied, YUM! While hanging around I ran into Scott again, who was surprised with his finish time and that his knees held up as well as they did. As the results were coming out they posted them, I couldn't find my name which worried me, what if my chip malfunctioned? I tried not to think about it and returned to my car, where Grace was on the phone with a loved one. She came in with a time of 1:48:xx, slower then she was hoping for, but she was having problems with the heat so she was happy with it.

I got home and checked to see if the results were online yet, they were. I searched for mine and found a listed chip time of 1:40:00. Right on my goal. I took a shower and then a nap, it was wonderful. Today I am feeling almost no pain, which is that much better.

3 Fer 1 Post

Tuesday 6/10
Hot and sticky, 5 miles scheduled, what to do? I decided that I didn't want to wake up an hour earlier then normal to go for a run so I pushed the run to the evening. Knowing it was going to be hot I planned to use a treadmill at the gym. Let me just say, treadmills are so boring! I completed 5.17 miles in 49:00, an average pace of 6.33MPH, 9:28min/mi.

Wednesday 6/11
The weather was finally breaking, with a 3 mile run on the training calendar. I set my alarm for 5:55am and was out the door by 6:05am. Mile one went very smooth at 9:38. Mid-way between miles one and two I stepped on unlevel sidewalk wrong and down I went. While I was down I stopped my timer. A driver coming up from behind me must have seen me go down because she stopped to see if I was ok. After a minute or two of walking gingerly talking to the nice woman she went on her way as did I. At this point the pain in my ankle subsided and I was back off again. Mile two splitted at 9:13, should have been closer to 12:00 since I stopped my watch when I was nursing my ankle. Mile three my ankle was begging to bother me but I pushed on knowing that I was only four minutes away from home. Mile three finished at 9:34. I then slowed to a walk for the last 386ft to my door.

~~Mile Splits~~
Mile 1 - 9:38
Mile 2 - 9:13
Mile 3 - 9:34
3-3.07 - 0:50 (11:30/mi pace)
Total - 3.07mi - 29:16 - 9:31/mi

Thursday 6/12
The day after the injury. My ankle was hurting pretty bad last night, standing on it for a couple hours at a concert probably wasn't the best medicine for it. When I got home I iced it as I fell asleep. It was feeling good until recently, it is beggining to hurt again. So I see more ice in my future, when i get home. Today is a scheduled rest day, which I hope is all that I need to get my ankle good enough to run again. Tomorrow I have 5 miles on the schedule and a group 10 mile run planned for Saturday morning. Until next time, happy running.

Welcome to Marathon Training!

I start my official marathon training this week. I have a mixed feelings of hope, fear, nervousness and anticipation for the next 18 weeks. The program is based off of Hal Hidgons' intermediate training plan. It features three low weeks of twenty-six miles and two high weeks of fifty miles. It builds in atleast two rest days a week. Week one is a nice way ease into the program slowly ramping up the mileage. The program offers three twenty mile runs, two of which fall the day the following a ten mile run.

Week 1 Plans
Sunday - Cross Train
Monday - 3 Miles
Tuesday - 5 Miles
Wednesday - 3 Miles
Thursday - 4 Miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 10 Miles

Toe Isn't Healed

This morning I woke up nice and early. Rolled out of bed at 6:00am and was on the road by 6:10am. I was sleepy, and the first mile took a lot more effort then what it should have to get my legs moving. Mile one went by at 8:38, even though it felt like I was running a seven minute mile. Mile two I slowed a bit, but I was finally waking up, so my effort level fell considerably. Mile two passed in a time of 9:19. Mile three was very tough, the mercury was already beggining to rise, even though it was only 6:30am at this point. I took a bit of a walk break from about 22:15-22:50, the 85º temps were starting to hit me. Mile three finished at 9:28. My pace was slowly falling as the temps were slowly rising. I walked another four-hundredths of a mile to cool my body down a bit. As I sit here typing this my toe is starting to bother me, I was hoping it was finally healed, apparently not.

Mile splits (which are posted above):
Mile 1 - 8:38
Mile 2 - 9:19
Mile 3 - 9:28
3-3.04 - :38

Total - 28:04 - 9:14/mi