18 Beautiful Miles

Team Rogue starts up on Tuesday. I wanted to get in a long run with my Austin Marathon group before we get geared up again so I headed down to Rogue this morning for the 7am run. As has become the norm, I didn't look up the mileage and just planned to run whatever distance it turned out to be. A handful of Team Roguers showed up planning to run 10. We waited on Jason who drove up just as the groups were heading out and were the last ones to leave the store. That was fine as it meant I would come up on each of my runners and could see how they felt and run with them if they needed/wanted company. That worked out great as we worked our way through the pack. I slowed and ran for a minute or two with each of the runners that I recognized. Everyone seemed to be having a great run on a beautiful day. Of course it was early in the run so it may not have been so great for all of them 10 miles later. ;-)

I came up on the last runner, meaning the one out in front, and decided to join up with him. I have pushed him a little harder than I think he was ready for at the start of the program and wanted to offer him some support today. I guess I ran about 8 miles with him, over Mt. Bonnell, letting him set the pace. He finally let me know that even though I was letting him set the pace, he felt he was pushing too hard having me there. I had hoped to be with him toward the end to help him close the run. He had a great pace going and I hoped it would build his confidence that the goal we've discussed is within his reach. I left him and pushed on ahead to let him finish up. I ended up talking to Peri at her water stop and Jimmy caught up to me. He was grinning ear to ear and going on about how great a run he was having. I decided to run in with him. We had a great conversation heading in Lake Austin Blvd and I mentioned how in Team Rogue we often "closed" our runs to improve how we felt about picking up the effort at the end of the marathon. I couldn't tell if he was serious or joking but he said lets do it! So with about 2 miles to go we started picking up the pace. 7:30 7:15 7:00 6:50 6:45 6:30. I was about out of gears and he was right with me. And still yapping! I finally pulled away with about 100m to go and I tried not to puke as I pulled up to the store. 2 minutes later he was grinning ear to ear and telling me how great that felt. I love this sh*t! I have been telling him for years that he was faster than he gave himself credit and after his recent break from running he is feeling great. I hope he has a great marathon in February!

Several of my runners were there too and they all seemed to have had good runs. My last runner came in and seemed to be pleased with his overall time. He damned well should be as it was several seconds per mile FASTER than his marathon goal time. I also saw Kevin from Team and he said he had a great run but wished it had been his marathon instead of just a long run. I tried to offer some support and perspective by pointing out that I have run just as many 4 hour marathons as sub 3:30 and the list of things that CAN go wrong is nearly infinite. I think we will see him BLAST his PR at the next one! Overall I had a great day at Rogue, great weather, great running, great conversation. I hope all of my runners had great days too!

Getting Started Again

Team Rogue training officially starts in one week. I will be going for a sub 3 hour time at Boston. This morning I decided to try out the paces I will need to run at Boston. Historically, I find the marathon goal pace to feel very uncomfortable at the beginning of a training session. I elected to run my usual 10 mile route, warm up for 2 miles then start dropping to a 6:45-6:50 range. I got out the dor a bit late but the weather was great with sunshine and 54 degrees.

I passed mile 1 in 7:20, 2 in 7:15 then began pushing the pace a bit. By mile 4 I was running 6:52 and feeling good. When I turned around I kept the effort level the same but because my route is slightly downhill coming back I averaged 6:39 for the 5 mile return portion. The 6:45 pace felt the best of all of the paces I ran this morning. 6:45 = 2:58 marathon and I think that will be my official TRAINING target. I will look up the paces that McMillan predicts for a 3:58 marathon and also what Glenda's RaceCalc app for the iPhone suggests. I like that RaceCalc lets you make adjustments based on your natural ability for either speed or distance. Using RaceCalc and my settings for slightly faster a longer distances, my recent 10K time predicts a 2:58 marathon. McMillan predicts a 3:02 marathon. Both are close to the goal.

How high is an elephant's eye?

I offered to walk Eileen to school again this morning. She agreed but reminded me that she had a pumpkin for the teacher that I would have to carry. I'm picturing one of those little pumpkins that you draw a face on with a sharpie and set on the window sill so I said sure. When I saw the darned thing it was huge! And heavy. So I lugged the dang thing the 1/2 mile to the school and then Eileen takes it up to the teacher like she carried it the whole way! I know, I know, I'm a great dad!

I left the school for my run and decided that should probably stick to a known route since I could tell the mind would be wandering due to the MARVELOUS - FANTASTIC - STUPENDOUS - UNBELIEVABLE weather! Sure enough, about a mile in I started singing Oh What A Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma then began trying to determine exactly how high IS an elephant's eye anyway. Before I knew it I was on the final mile of a 9 mile run just clicking along.

I just read Keith's post about his battle with what I call PMS (Post Marathon Syndrome). Lack of a real desire to run and even less to talk about in a blog that has focused mainly on running are the main syptoms he mentions. My only advice to runners suffering from this malady is this: Go for a run. Don't map out a route. Don't take a watch. Just put on your favorite shoes and go run. Tomorrow if you feel like going for a run, go for a run. If not, don't worry about it. If I can get myself out the door for at least 3 runs in 5 days I find that I begine to gain perpective on the root cause of my own PMS. It may be the result of a disappointing result. It may be the result of a great race where I actually made my goal and can't figure out what to do next. Surprisingly, I have found that I carry around a lot of guilt after a marathon. Run poorly and I feel guilty that I let my coach and teammates down. Run great and I feel guilty that I had a good race when some of my best friends in the world did not. Once I figured out it was guilt, I was able to put that aside and get back to what I truly love: the quest for that one GREAT RUN!

Lost Episode #1

Eileen was up for tempting the rain gods this morning so she I walked to school. It was lightly raining when I left the school and not too hot so I just decided to run my standard out and back for 5 or 6 miles. A couple of miles in and it started raining steady and really felt cool. As I got to my turn around point, I realized that I had not ever run through the little pocket of houses in that area so I took a left intending to do a 2 block square and head home. Instead of coming out on Oak Knoll I ended up on Spicewood Springs nearly 1 mile away from where I intended to be. I was so turned around I had to ask another runner how to get back to a known spot. Really embarrassing considering I have run the same route 3 days a week for 2 years. So I had a nice 8 mile run in the rain this morning.

Puttin the Hurt On

I broke one of my own cardinal rules and did NOT run yesterday, the day after racing the IBM 10K. I paid for that dearly today with calf/hip/quad stiffness and almost pain. I kept the run short (3.5 miles) so as not to cause compensation injury.

Got home and checked email and found "Dear Charles Collins,This is to notify you that your entry into the 114th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 19, 2010 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate." Well Boston Athletic Association, that entry is NOT correct. I will not be using my qualifying time of 3:18:31 but rather my brand spanking new PR of 3:06:05 thank you very much. I'm excited to see how close to the front this will get me. I've never seen the elites before the race and hope that I will be close enough to see these guys this year.

Dear Mr. Geezer

Inspiration comes from unexpected places sometimes. Yesterday was the Texas-OU game which as usual was a edge of your seat game, not from a scoring standpoint but from a what will the defense do this series. Then I joined Ruth Anne cleaning out the carport and surprisingly even parked in the carport again for the first time in over a year! I ran out for take out and after dinner checked my email and found the following email in my inbox:

Dear Mr. Geezer: This is the only email I could find to contact you, but I just wanted to let you know that this 55 year old runner on his 25th comeback has really enjoyed reading your Running Amok blog. Congrats on your recent marathon accomplishment! I got into running 30 years ago, never quite qualified for Boston but still have the dream. I wouldn't want to be chasing anything else!

I still enjoy the training, and the challenges, and I love to read good passionate writing about the sport, which is how I categorize your posts. Love 'em! I live with my wife Jane in the scenic Hudson Valley in upstate NY. We go down to Washington DC next weekend where Jane will run her first marathon in 13 years. This is just a "get your feet wet" run for her ... finishing in one piece is the main goal. I hope to follow suit sometime next year.

Thanks for the inspiration ... you have an audience outside of the Lone Star State. Keep up the good work and good luck on the roads.

Best,
Brad

I know some of my runners read my blog and a few of my running buddies but I sometimes forget this is the WORLD WIDE WEB and you never know who you might reach out and touch with a few words. So Brad, thanks for taking the time to track me down and sending your wishes. Good luck in DC and keep chasing Boston. After being there when my great buddy Ed finally punched his ticket I can tell you that the harder the struggle the sweeter the victory!

So I had been very ambivalent about racing the IBM 10K this morning until that email. I had set my IBM goal during the final 2 miles of Portland and knew that 2 weeks after running the marathon it would be a big unknown. The goal: place in my age group. I figured I would need to run a 6:10 pace to even have a chance. I have never held that pace for longer than 2 miles before but I was ready to give it a try. At the starting line I looked around at the 45-49 running GODS and immediately felt intimidated. Larry Bright, Scott Birke, Scott McIntyre, Marvin Hope..... If you run in Austin you know that these guys are serious fast and have been placing or winning whatever age group they have run in for years. After the first mile I knew I couldn't hold the 6:07 pace and just kept repeating my new mantra: RUNNING FAST IS HARD - RUNNING EASY IS FAST. I finished in 38:58 for a 1 minute PR and 5th in my age group. I am not upset at all with the result. I am on the edge of the conversation at least.

After grabbing some water, I went back out on the course to cheer in all my my runners who raced today. I think everyone raced well. They all looked good at the finish and most had smiles on their faces.

Laid Back 5

We walked Eileen to school this morning and stopped in the office to get an explanation of the nasty letter from AISD threatening to take us to court for allowing our daughter to miss 3 days of school. We had sent a note explaining we were taking her out so she could go to her big sisters wedding. We got a nice shoulder shrug along with, "if she isn't home sick with a doctor's note it will be counted as unexcused" for a response. NOW I remember why we started Chaparral Star Academy!

Left the school and got in a 5ish mile run while Ruth Anne walked home. Tried to pick up the pace a bit today just to limit the shock to the system when I run IBM Sunday. I have a plan for Sunday but I am not going to share it just yet. I'll see how it goes on Sunday and post about it when I'm back home. Maybe.

Hockey Night In Texas

Our movie has been selected to premier during the Austin Film Festival!

5 Over Easy

Overcast, warm and humid. Ruth Anne and I walked Eileen to school this moring. Ruth Anne was planning to go for her first run since Portland and I wanted to get 5 miles in. I didn't wear a watch and had no route in mind so I just zig zagged my way through and around our little subdivision until it felt like 5 miles. After mapping it out on gmap it came up 4.879. I am not keeping a log at this time since I am NOT training yet. I don't feel the need to run more than 5 right now but 5 feels a whole lot better than the 3 milers I was doing. Planning to race IBM this Sunday with no idea how that will turn out. I haven't done any speed work for over a month now.

5 Miles and Portland Pictures

Ran 5 miles this morning. That distance feels a lot better than the 3 miles I have been running. I have time to get settled in a bit before I'm finishing up. After a little mixup, I received the correct links to my Portland pictures this morning. I am pleased that the pictures pretty much confirm how I felt during the race: running easy and comfortable through 24 miles then working to the finish. Picture #1 is approximately 17.1 miles after crossing the St. Johns Bridge. This is just after I looked around and said "see ya" to the runners around me! Picture #2 is at 19.1 miles as we passed the University of Portland campus. Picture #3 is mile 21.1. The runner in Purple ended up finishing nearly 7 minutes behind me! Picture #4 is on the Broadway Bridge at about mile 24.1. I had just begon to contemplate closing so the effort level was incrasing about here. The last picture is pretty typical. I'm always looking at my watch as I cross the finish line. I never remember to look for the camera or celebrate finishing.

OK, now I have relived the race one last time. Time to get ready for bed!

One last thing: I love telling a bunch of runners to go run 7-10 miles and they DO IT! I keep getting more excited about what my runners are going to do in February!

Egg-selent day so far

Wake up - make coffee - get Eileen up - get Eileen breakfast - feed dogs - walk Eileen to school - run 4 miles home - feed horse - collect eggs - fix eggs - eat eggs - start day!

Boston - 192 days

Today was the beginning. No formal training until November 3 but I hooked up with Damon/Kamran/Jason and went for a 5.6 mile run at a 7:35 pace today and began visualizing the Boston course. I booked airfare on JetBlue, non-stop on Saturday. I booked hotel reservations at the Marriott in Cambridge. I looked up the CSU charter bus info from Duke last year. I am going for a sub 3 at Boston. After the fantastic experience at Portland, I am willing to go for an intermediate goal if the training does not fall into place but I plan to make every effort to get there. That means cutting 6 minutes and 6 seconds off my Portland time. That means cutting my pace from 7:06 per mile at Portland to 6:52 per mile. I plan to train at the 100 mile per week level this time around. That should net about 2,200 miles between now and Boston. That will burn through 5 pairs of shoes plus 1 for race day. I will eat and burn about 672,000 calories.

Geezer's Perfect Marathon?!

Portland Marathon Race Report

Geezer’s Perfect Marathon

That is a loaded word to use when describing a marathon. Things never go perfectly as planned and the marathon has a way of insuring that nothing is ever perfect. Even so, I plan to run faster times but I seriously doubt if I will ever run another marathon as well as I just ran the 2009 Portland.

I am leaving out the pre-race stuff other than to say I had a small cup of coffee (4oz) and my now standard 2 scoops of Carbo-Pro with 2oz of water about 1.5 hours before the start.

The goal was to run a sub 3:10 marathon. My plan was to bank 30-45 seconds over the first 16 miles, give back whatever I needed to insure I topped out the hill on 16 with gas in the tank then begin a gradual closing effort to the finish aiming for a 3:08ish time. I new the pace was 7:15 per mile and I wrote the 10 and 20 mile splits on my arm for later reference. I seeded myself just in front of the 3:10 pace group but planned to run just behind them for a few miles before putting a little time in the bank.

I knew by the ½ mile point that we were running fast. I was 10 seconds behind the pace leader at the 1 mile point and I was 12 seconds fast. By mile 2 I was 32 seconds fast and still running behind the pacer. He must have realized how fast he was and suddenly he slowed dramatically. I gave up on the pace group at that point and decided to take responsibility for the race myself. I don’t remember seeing the track at mile 3 but it was about this time that I knew I was going to have a great race. I gave myself permission to run based on effort and not worry about the mile splits as long as they stayed between 7:00 and 7:20. Kamran the human metronome will laugh at my spread but that how I run.

There are 3 distinct memories from the section from mile 3 to 6. First, cammo shorts guy comes out of a porta potty right in front of me and SPRINTS to catch up to his group now 100 meters up ahead. I made a note to myself to say hi to him later because I knew I would catch him. After he sprinted away, I looked at the number of runners ahead of me and how many were passing me and I said to the guy next to me that there were at least 100 runners ahead of us who weren’t going to be there at the end. That’s when I noticed that he was already struggling with the pace. On the big downhill I let myself flow downhill relaxed and easy. Silly runners were racing all out down the hill passing me like I was standing still but I just kept plugging away.

Miles 6 – 11 were the boring out and back miles along Front Street. I was anxious to see if Erik and Jacob were with the leaders and how Steve would look running his first hard effort. It seemed like forever before I saw the leaders then Erik and Jacob in 4/5 or 5/6 place. I gave them a huge cheer and a wave. Then Steve and Tim. I waved and hollered eliciting a scolding from Steve about running smooth. I already knew I was rocking the joint so I just kept hollering as Kamran, Larry, Damon and Andrew went by. I made my turn and saw Jim with the 3:10 group and made a note to keep an eye out for him later. I missed Niccole but I think I saw everyone else. Chad looked good running with the 3:15 group at that point. Ruth Anne was right near the 4:00 group. The miles in this flat section varied from 6:52 to 7:14. At mile 10 I looked at the split on my arm and saw I had nearly 2 minutes in the bank. It occurred to me that I might pay later but I really felt good and didn’t worry about it.

I came to the bar where Tonya Harding plotted to have Nancy Kerrigan clubbed and knew that we had a fairly good 2 mile climb coming up through a residential area. There were spectators out but it seemed fairly subdued. I saw Julia and John just before we topped the climb.

I didn’t see the half mark in time to check my split (1:32:44 on results page) and set my sights on reserving effort for the hill from 16-17. The high point of the course was the mid-point of the St. Johns bridge and I was determined to top it and rock the rest of the course. I ended up running next to “Jeff” during this section and he said he was 23 and running his first marathon. I asked him if he thought he was going to hold up and just smiled and said yes. He dropped me about 2/3 up the bridge approach and I never saw him again. I looked him up later and he ran a 3:02! At the mid-point of the bridge I looked around at the runners near me and said “see ya!” I did not want to get passed from that point to the finish.

We left the bridge and I had my first “Oh Shit” moment of the day. We dropped quickly then made a hard left turn on a steep slope into a big uphill that we missed on the drive through. I was concerned that I might have broken my stride but the next mile clicked off at 7:00 and I felt no lingering effects.

Miles 18-23: This was the BEST part of the race. I knew that I had 3:10 in the bag. I also knew that no effort would get me a sub 3 hour so I relaxed and had fun. I was talking to anyone who could match my pace, pumping up the crowd and generally hamming it up. A couple of runners passed me but I reeled every single one of them back in. I see know that my pace dropped off my 3 or 4 seconds per mile but I wasn’t pushing at all and didn’t really worry about it.

I knew there was a pretty good climb coming at 24 as we approached the Broadway Bridge but clocked a 7:03 (passed cammo shorts guy flailing up the hill) that I probably paid for with a 7:21 on mile 25. We were now back on Front Street and I knew we had 2 miles left. I waited to start the final push until I was over the train tracks then I picked up the effort. Steve had teased me the day before when I said we wouldn’t notice the .2 mile uphill to the finish and I was determined to be at a full sprint (in the context of having run 26 miles) when I hit the hill.

Then the final “Oh Shit” moment. I was passing EVERYONE at this point. These were the guys who went for 3 and didn’t make it and I was flying by them at a 6:50 or better pace. At the last underpass they had set up the final aid station with tables of water on either side of the road. Why a water stop with ½ a mile to go? Why set up tables only 12 feet apart leaving only 3 or 4 feet clear between the volunteers handing out cups? Anyway, the guy right in front of me took a water and stopped dead in the middle of the gap. Without time to think, I lifted my arm, shoved him aside and continued my sprint to the finish. There was a huge crash behind me but I never looked back.

I saw the turn and really dialed up the effort. 50 meters into the hill and Steve was right, I nearly puked trying to hold it to the finish. Crossed the line, checked for runners behind and stopped to catch my breath. Looked at my watch 3:06:06. Official time 3:06:05. Yeah! The perfect marathon!

I took no water or fuel on this marathon. The Carbo-Pro breakfast has worked out well and I loved having no digestion issues. I did feel hungry during the middle miles but that subsided. I had a minor side stitch around mile 19 but with a little relaxed breathing it too went away.

Recovery is hard to do

I want to run! I have committed to running only limited miles for the next 3 weeks. I didn't think it would be this hard though. I feel like I am going to explode! Eileen wanted to scooter to school so I got to run the 1/2 mile up there with her. Arghhhh.

Victory Lap

I just got back from a 3 mile victory lap through the neighborhood. Since I have had no pain or soreness walking around I wanted to see if running revealed any lingering issues from the race. Aside from a slight bit of tightness in the first mile and a slight twinge in my hip toward the end, nothing. I will stick to my plan of NO training until November 3rd. I will let myself run 3-5 easy miles a couple of times a week but no more than 25 miles in a week until then.

I spent a bit of time looking at the RunPix graphical race results and it confirmed what I already stated in yesterday's post. From the halfway point, 2 runners passed me and I passed 100. I knew a 23 year old named Jeff passed me on the approach to the St. Johns bridge and I never saw him again (3:02:01!) but I didn't start keeping track of passed runners until mile 17.5 when NOT ONE managed to pass me and make it stick. I particularly remember Heather. She got pissed when I passed her the first time and pushed to get back ahead of me. I kept a steady effort and passed her again and she once again pushed to get ahead of me. She was a crowd favorite so I kept hearing people cheering her name. We probably traded places 5 times between 18 and 23 before I dropped her for good (3:07:01 and 9th woman overall!) and by the time I reached the home stretch on Front/Natio Street I wasn't hearing her name any more.

I am trying to reassemble a full recollection of the race. I already have the title for it: "Geezer's Perfect Marathon" as I don't think I am capable of running one any better than this. I still hope to run faster, but I doubt I will ever run one better.

Time for PR update!

Today was the Portland Marathon. Had a weird trip out. I always plan my marathon travel bag down to the last detail and check it 6 times before leaving. So how do I end up here with no phone and no underwear? And I left the hotel information on the plane. Anyway, I managed to get the race essentials packed in my carry on bag so I had what I needed to race. I will admit now that I knew I was prepared for this race. In fact, my concern was that I would get greedy and go for that shimmering 3 hour mirage that shows up in my dreams. In fact, as I left the room this morning, I had to force myself to leave the 3 hour pace band that I grabbed at the race expo on the room desk. I'm glad I did. I wrote the 10 mile and 20 mile splits for 3:10:00 on my arm and reminded myself of the 3:10:00 pace of 7:15/mile. The start was confusing to say the least. I was 3 feet behind the tape with maybe 200 runners. The Portland Mayor did his countdown and yelled GO and off went the elites. I was leaning into my start when they yelled at us to wait our turn. WTF? They gave the elites a 1 minute head start then let us go. I don't know how many "waves" they staggered but I heard it was the same thing for Ruth Anne at the 4 hour pace group. I stuck to my plan and ran BEHIND the 3:10:00 group through 2 miles where we were already 30 seconds ahead of pace. When the pace group leader slowed WAY down to get back on pace I ditched him and tried to get on my own "steady" pace. Anyone who has followed my blos for any time will laugh when I use steady and pace in the same sentence and you would be right again today. On the first big hill at mile 4 I clocked a 7:06 and wondered if I had just cooked my goose. I saw Erik and Jacob in 5 and 6 place on the out and back. Then Steve and Tim. Steve scolded me to run smooth. Are you kidding me? I was in the groove today and yelling at everyone I saw. I made the turn around and saw nearly everyone from Rogue go by. By mile 10 I had 2 minutes in the bank but instead of feeling scared, I felt like it was going to be my day. I made up my mind to run as steady as I could to the center of the big bridge and see what I had left. That was the 17.5 mile point of the race and I looked at the guy next to me and litterally said "see ya" and took off. From mile 17.5 to the finish line I did not let one person pass me. A few managed to pass me but I caught every one of them. I was hamming it up for the crowds when they went quiet and fed off of the cheers I could solicit. I guess I passed 80 runners in the final 8 miles. I noticed my breathing became labored at about 23 but I knew it was my day and I just kept pushing. At mile 25.something they had a water stop set up under an overpass. The tables were only 10 feet apart and with peaple handing out water it was very narrow. I was in full kick mode and the idiot in front of me took a water and stopped dead in the center of the gap maybe 6 feet in front of me. No time to think, I brought up my arm and shoved him out of the way. I heard a table crash and 800 water cups hit the ground but I never looked back. In the final 1/2 mile I passed at least 20 runners like they were standing still. I was hoping for a 3:05 at that point but heard 3:05 flat announced as I hit the 26 mile mark. 1:05 for the .2 miles and I was done. Cooked. Hungry. Thirsty. And getting cold. I had promised Ruth Anne I would wait no matter how long it took her to finish so I found my drop bag and headed out to the course. She was behind the 4:30 group and really looking bad when I found her but Julia and John (THANKS GUYS) where holding her hand and passed her off to me. I ran the final mile in with her and held her up through the medal/pin/drink/food/flower line and got her back to the room. Here are my splits. You can look up the course profile if you want to correlate them to ups and downs.

1 7:03
2 6:55
3 7:19
4 7:06
5 7:04
6 6:52
7 7:02
8 7:01
9 7:33 missed the marker so not accurate
10 6:54 short because of previous remark
11 6:54
12 7:14
13 6:59
14 7:00
15 6:58
16 7:12
17 7:47
18 7:00
19 7:04
20 6:58
21 7:05
22 7:01
23 7:13
24 7:02
25 7:21 No idea why this was slow, I felt like I had picked up the pace
26.2 8:14 Didn't split at 26.

P-3

3 miles this morning. I have a sinus thing building and a run usually loosens things up. 3 miles barely got things moving but I will keep at it today. Hydration plan is working pretty well. I am just about packed. Busy day dropping dogs and cat off, ordering some skate blades, and all of the usual last minute leaving town crap.

I have been pleased with the response to the potato chip run that I had my runners do on Tuesday. Thanks Bruce for telling me about it 2 years ago! Next week I am going to show them how to self torture (I mean treat) with the foam roller, the stick and the TP Roller system. Good times!

I may be posting from the iPhone so please excuse typos and brevity for the next few days.

See you on the roads!