Bill's Running Blog

Thursday, August 6, 2009

2009-08-06T08:28:00.001-05:00

Felt horrible yesterday…the pain of the trainer was nearly too much to handle so I ended up not running.

This morning I really didn't want to get out of bed but I managed to pull myself up even when my wife said she needed more sleep and was not going to run this morning.

Got to Kristin's house to find out that Melissa wasn't joining us either so it was just the two of us…that spells trouble for me since she is a faster runner. She asked how far I wanted to go and I told here 5-6 so we opted to do our "regular run" - Newman to 3 mile to Emertsen - but in stead of turning on Sandy we turned on Potomac and made our way over to Newman for the run back.

Only a short walk at the 5k point…Kristin kept me moving and talking. I'm grateful to her for slowing down a bit and running with me since it is always nice to catch up on the run. We ended the day with 5 miles exactly at about a 9:09 pace.

The nearly full moon was in the sky, temp was around 55-60, virtually no wind, and very low humidity…what a beautiful day for a run!!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

2009-08-04T13:15:00.001-05:00

Well the girls got me up to run again. After 4 weeks away I knew I was going to hate today.

It was a struggle to be up and running but I did it. Was able to stay ahead of my wife (which is odd) and ahead of the pain from the trainer the night before.

Got in 5.25 miles at about a 9:35 pace. It was HUMID!!! But otherwise nice out, clear skies and a light breeze.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

2009-06-18T04:45:00.000-05:00

If I keep my head into my running the way I envision it I’ll have a good day. Get outside and boy is it humid. We run from Kristin’s to Melissa’s and the decision is made that we are going to run through Johnson’s today (which means some hills). I quickly fall behind the girls but they are faster so I let them go. I’m doing relatively well at focusing on a nice even pace.

We get out of the park and my wife decides that with the race only days away and the IT band still not 100% she is going to head back and see us there.

I keep moving following the other two girls but I’m still losing ground. I walk for a small portion of Sandy Lane only to catch my breath…that hill gets me every time! I power on and see that the girls have turned into the neighborhood at about 4.4 miles…I’d like to get in 5 so as I approach the turn I do not see them (they were about 2-3 blocks ahead of me!) but I decide that I’ll get the 5 in and that they will most likely try to find me at the ‘normal’ meeting spot. I get there and no one is there…maybe they are gabbing. I get back to the car and no one is there…they must be looking for me. I see Kristin and my wife making their way back to the house and they inform me that Melissa headed back down the route to see if I was alright!

I feel bad that Melissa ran the extra mileage, I feel insulted that they thought I’d be THAT FAR behind them, and I feel good knowing that I have a group of running companions that care that much for me. Melissa declined a ride home and she estimates she ended her day with 7-7.5 miles.

For me I ended the day with 5.25 miles in about a 9:15 pace. The day was 64 degrees, light NE wind (5 mph), and overcast.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T04:45:00.000-05:00

With the wife’s IT band acting up I had told her that she wasn’t to run today so she opted to stay in bed when I got up this morning – I thought that Kristin was going to have her ride a bike but maybe I was mistaken. :\

So I met Kristin and find out that Melissa isn’t going to make it either so Kristin and I set out…I had a rough mile and a half. I could not breathe and my legs were burning! Kristin was trying to keep her normal pace and I was trying to hang in there for a while. After a short time I bailed on her and let her go ahead. She did it twice…both times coming back to get me. We finished up the run with 4.25 miles for me in about 41 min. It was 58, no wind, and slightly overcast.

Monday, June 15, 2009

2009-06-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

No running today, just the personal trainer. She did a great job moving us through a number of upper body exercises that just kicked my ass! 60 min workout with a warm up and cool down.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

2009-06-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

I still do not know why I mentioned that I want to do intervals to Kristin, Melissa, and Jodie. I now have to do it!!

So here is what we did…1 mile warm up (9:22 pace)…4 x 1/2 mile speed work with ¼ mile rests (pace 7:46, 7:41, 7:41, 7:19)…1 mile cool down (9:23 pace)

Total mileage for the day 5 miles at 9:17 pace.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

2009-06-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

The mileage for the say is 15. It is rainy, humid, and about 51 degrees at 5 AM when I meet Kristin and Rick. We start out at a decent 9:08 pace and I was able to maintain it for about 2 miles. At this point my legs felt like they were getting shorter! So I stretched and tried to catch up. I met up with them again at Kristin’s house (4.5 miles in) and then we headed back out, the long way, to meet the rest of the group. I had 10.5 miles in once I got to the group. My wife and I headed for Case’s track to put in a few laps (in honor of those we know with cancer and to remember the founding of our running group 7 years ago) but I realize shortly after getting there that I need a bathroom break. Once relieved I finish my laps and head back to the trail. A lot more walking that I should…just a bad day! 15 miles at a 10:39 pace

Wenatchee Marathon

2006-04-23T19:55:00.000-05:00

Marine Corp Marathon

2006-10-29T07:00:00.001-06:00

St. Louis Marathon

2005-04-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

Mardi Gras Marathon

2005-02-27T07:00:00.002-06:00

Milwaukee Marathon

2004-10-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday, January 13, 2008

2008-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Goofy Challenge, Part 2

So last night I was in bed by 7:00 PM…and asleep by 7:30 just so I could be functional at 3:00 AM. When the alarms went off I was up and getting ready.

Day 2 and I still hate this early morning c&@%!! Again I set everything out the night before so that I would easily be able to get ready and not have to worry about anything other than the race. After yesterday’s race I suffered from a bit of chafing so thankfully Kristin and Rich were able to spare some Vaseline so I could lube up the legs this morning before the run.

Met everyone for the bus this morning and we were all accounted for before the bus took off. One less thing to worry about today, hurray!

We got the bus drop off just as we did yesterday and made the long walk to the runner’s area. Today we quickly dispatched our bags and visited the porta-potties. Then we waited.

Last night it rained so the ground was wet and the humidity was at 100%...I was only hoping that it would rain during the race to cool things off but I wasn’t going to be that lucky.

Once they announced that we were ready to start walking to the starting area we all needed to use the restroom again! Ultimately I ended up using another bush but this time it was before the race started so I didn’t have to suffer losing any time.

The starting area was just as packed as it was yesterday. Thousands of people milling around with nervous energy just waiting for the day to be done and I was right there with them. I just wanted the day to be over and this whole event to be behind me. I trained really well for this day and I knew that I would easily be able to finish but I was equally hoping that I would have a great time.

As we got into our respective corrals I realized once again that I was way too close to the starting line. I kept wondering; what did I put down as my finishing time because I didn’t think I should be this close to the start line! It was a heck of a view though. The big screen was pumping out the tunes and videos while I could see all the action on the main stage as well. At one point during a video I noticed that the camera was on a person with Tiger ears and that the person next to the Tiger ears was wearing bright yellow…oh wait “that’s us!” We all turned as waved to the camera…how fun was that!?!

Just like the day before the wheel chair racers took off 2 minutes before us and then our count down began. I thought we had some cool fireworks the day before but todays were even better! When the gun went off and the big fireworks were launched, the Starting Line Sign began to shoot fire from 4 flame throwers atop the sign!! They would alternate which ones would fire but the heat could be felt from them over 10 yards away! It was a very cool way to start off the race.

The corrals were broken into 2 groups that would not meet up until after we exited Epcot so I settled into a good pace and found a decent clearing and made a line. I thought that if I was able to maintain a similar pace as I had yesterday I would be in great shape but the humidity at 6:00 AM was still too high so I began to slow the pace slightly.

We entered Epcot from the front. The side walk outside of Innovations was sparkling…way too cool. They had all kinds of colored spotlights scanning the slightly hazy sky which took on a very surreal effect. I was amazed to see all of the employees out waving to us as we passed. I kept thinking “isn’t it too early for these people to be here?” Maybe it was because of us but that thought never crossed my mind at the time.

Upon exiting Epcot we began making the same long trek to the Magic Kingdom that we did the day before. Luckily there was some new music to listen to but the same old roads.

Upon making the big turn toward the Magic Kingdom I took my first Hammer Gel. It was going to be a hot humid day so taking in the calories was going to be a high priority for me and at 6 miles things were still looking pretty good.

The water stops were fantastic, the volunteers were great, helpful, and plentiful, and the music was nearly non-stop. I was happy to see the steel drum band again…the music just reminds me of a tropical paradise…even though I’ve never seen them when we have been in a tropical region…strange.

As I approached Magic Kingdom and the “musical” choice portion of the race I had to make a mandatory stop…the gel went right through me…or maybe it was the banana…either way the stop was made and it took 10 minutes longer than I had hoped at this point in the race. The musical choice today was not the same as it was yesterday so I had to make a quick course correction because I was headed to the “Disco” today only to find out it had been changed to “County” I opted in stead to do the “short route” again and listen to “80’s music.”

The Magic Kingdom was a bit busier this morning since we were about an hour later than the day before and was much more colorful in the daylight! The course though the Kingdom was the same and I at least have one photo with the Castle this time, so I’m happy.

The road out of the Magic Kingdom marked the 12 mile mark and time for another Hammer Gel. This one didn’t go down as nicely and made me gag a little…I drank a bit more water than I wanted too so I was a little sloshy for the next mile. As we made our way past the golf course again I thought that it was odd that now for the second day there was no one to be seen on the course…I wonder why? It looks beautiful, the weather was spectacular, and so it must be the greens fees!! Oh well back to the race.

As I hit the half way point the 5 hour pace group passes me…a little depressing so I try to stay with them and manage to for the next mile but soon I drift off to the back never to see them again.

The road we are heading down looks like it is not for general traffic but they have speakers all along the road with tunes just pumping out of them. The CD that was playing was a “best of” pick a year. So in the next 2 miles or so I was able to hear music from 1995 through 2007! It was quite a treat. It would only play about 20-40 seconds of a song and then move on to another from the same year. I was in short attention span heaven.

When we got close to Animal Kingdom we went past the facility they use to dispose of the animal waste…yes it smelled as good as it sounds! That is one place I would not like to go back to, but it really wasn’t any worse than going by the treatment plant on the south side of Racine during the summer.

Upon entering the employee area of Animal Kingdom we were greeted by a few of the employees and their animals…All I saw was a few goats but I had heard that there was a bird or two with a trainer, I just never saw that. There were drums being played when we got to the main park. I’ll be honest when my wife and I went back the next day I remember being there but I really didn’t look around too much while running though here. I do remember Everest though…I think they did a really good job making that thing look like a real mountain and I was a little awe struck by it.

We exited the park the same type of way we had for all the others, though an employee area, but what I wasn’t expecting was to end up in the parking lot of the park! These parking lots are huge!! We ran around the edge of the lot and the route took us right past the front gate where there were thousands of people trying to get in the park and there to cheer us on. It was quite a scene!

From here we made our way out to the highway where in a few miles I would get to see my wife at around mile 19. She was waiting there with Melissa’s husband. She said I was looking good…she said it as though she was surprised, hmm…and asked if I wanted my fresh socks. Considering my socks had not been dry since mile 3 I said yes. A quick change, a thank you, a kiss, and I told her I’d see her at the finish line.

After another few miles of highway we made our way toward the next park, Hollywood Disney. The highway leading to this park was all backed up due to the roads being closed for us runners…I’m sure I heard a few choice words from those cars.

Hollywood Disney seemed very short. We got into the employee area and went through a candy stop….mmmm, chocolate…made our way past the costume making area, out onto the Downtown street, out to Mickey’s Sorcerers Hat and out the front gate. Maybe it was because there were so many people in the park that things just went by so fast but wow!

I knew at this point I was in the final stretch. All that was left was a run around one of the Disney resort areas and on to Epcot. The Boardwalk around the resorts was gorgeous. I felt like I was just out for my Saturday run along the lake. The trail was clear of everything but runners the breeze was nice in this area, and the view of all of the resorts was beautiful. I think there were a few people confused as to what was really going on because you saw them looking at the pylons and looking at the runners very oddly.

When I heard “Last Water Stop” my heart jumped. This was it I was about to complete this journey and people would really be able to call me “Goofy.” Just past the water stop we go through this huge wooden gate and there is the Epcot. What a sight…all the countries right before me and I know that that shinning ball is right near the finish line.

It was a bit more of a struggle here than I would have thought. There weren’t as many people in the park and that ball seemed much farther away than I first hoped. I plodded on. People were becoming more plentiful the closer I got to the front of the park…this propelled me. Once we were in front of the ball we headed right for it. This part was the same as the day before…run to the ball and exit through the employee area where we would see the choir...but today there were a lot more people I had to run. I ran until I got into the employee area where I walked a little…I noticed that I wasn’t the only person to do this so I had a little laugh. The choir was different but still very good!

Exit Epcot and enter the final 100 yards. The stands were overflowing today. There were people everywhere. I was focused on that clock and the finish line. This was it. I was about to complete a marathon the day after completing a half marathon.

I pushed my legs and we ran those last 100 yards. I gave a high five to a Chipmunk…you will have to ask my wife if it was Chip or Dale because I still don’t remember which is which but mine had a black nose…and got across the line in 5:37.

The marathon medal was a secret since this was the marathon’s 15th anniversary so I was happy to see that the medal was big and truly identifiable! I headed to the Goofy tent to get what I had trained for…my Goofy Medal. I was not disappointed.

I completed the 13.1 mile course in 2:17 on Saturday.

I completed the 26.2 mile course in 5:37 on Sunday.

I did it.

I’m done.

I’m a “Goofy.”

Sunday, March 30, 2008

2008-03-30T07:00:00.002-06:00

Race Day!!

The story how I ended up here at the finish line begins about 4-5 weeks ago when I mentioned to Kristen (one of my running partners) that I would be traveling to Georgia in March/April for work. She queried if I had looked if there was a race when I’d be in the area…hmm hadn’t thought about that.

By the time I got home that night the question was stuck in my craw and I had to find out…marathonguide.com and sure enough…the ING Georgia Marathon March 30, 2008.

I slept on it over night but it kept coming back to me…when would I really ever get the chance for the company to pay for my airfare to a marathon again? By the end of the week I had signed up for the race and was not sure why I had done it.

I trained rather well for the next few weeks but my longest run only capped out at 18 and that one I walked for the entire last 3!! I only wanted to finish the race but I was feeling good up to today and thought that I stood a chance to get back into a good pace. I’ve told most of you that I had abandoned the standard thought about training…a minute slower than race pace…and would run the race the way I prefer to train, all out and walk when I need to.

When I got up this morning and looked out the window I saw that it had indeed rained last night as predicted and I was hoping that the weather would hold to the 40-50’s as well. The hotel I stayed at was picked because of it’s proximity to the start and finish but never dreamed that my corral would be right outside my hotel!! I had to walk all of a block this morning to get there!!

Race time was 7:00 A.M. I assume we started on time but it took me nearly 21-23 minutes to cross the starting line and boy was the wind blowing by this time!! It took me a little while to settle into a good pace but once I was there the race was pretty good!

The course was very nice…it started off near the World of Coke and took a short jaunt around the downtown area. We then headed East out of town and into the suburbs. We ran past the birth place of Dr King and saw the neighborhood he grew up in all the while winding in and out of residential areas with some gorgeous homes.

The entire course had rolling hills…nothing to big or small but as the run wore on so did this up and down motion!

I was doing great my wife was able to see me at a number of spot n the course and was surprised at how well I was doing…in fact she kept telling me that I was “way ahead of pace” but she could obviously see I was feeling good because she never warned me to slow down or to take it easy. My pace felt great. My legs felt good. And the support on the course was fantastic.
But then I hit mile 19…from this point until mile 25 it was nothing but relentless hills. I felt as though I was constantly going up and never going down. I know that is not the case but it felt like it! I struggled to keep running when I could but the up hills had become nothing but walking.

I kept my spirits high and trudged on knowing that this race was in the bag and all I needed to do was keep it up. When I hit mile 25 the course became flat as a board but I had very little left after all of the hills so I tried to run (waddle) when I could and kept a brisk 15-16 min pace on my walk.

Up until mile 23 I was sure that I would break the 5 hour mark but after mile 23 and the hills that kept coming I was finding it harder and harder to imagine that happening. At 25.7 miles the 5 hour pace group passed me…how sad.
I managed enough power in my calves (which were just burning from all the hills) to run the last .3 miles and to cross the finish line in 5:02:35.

Well that makes 10 marathons in 10 states…I can officially join the 50 state club now!
I have 2 marathons coming up in May…Cincinnati, OH and Fargo, ND…I might even try to do a 5th one this year in Las Vegas in December!!

Flying Pig!!

2008-05-04T06:30:00.002-05:00

I had decided to run this one early in the year since one of the members of the running group was going to run it…I made the comment “if you do it…I will too.” Well that was made far before Atlanta and the idea of Fargo came up!

My wife had decided that she was going to run the 10k on Saturday so I finally would get to see her run a race!! I was pumped at the idea. She did a great job…not her best time but she was there to help a newbie finish her first 10k race and that meant just as much to my wife as finishing.

Saturday was windy and rainy at the start so I was dreading my start the next day. I got up and the wind had died down a bit and the forecast, while cold this morning, was going to be perfect weather for running. My wife drove me to the hotel so I could meet the girls this morning and the three of us headed to the starting line.

We got there and waited for the gun…and waited…and waited…it seems that the race had been delayed due to a house fire around mile 22. Because of this they delayed the start by 15 minutes so they could reroute the course…uh oh!

The gun finally went off and we headed out. We start the race by heading over the river and into KY for a short while and about a mile later we cross back over into OH. The bridge coming back over was a bit eerie…there were so many of us on it that the bridge started to move A LOT!!! So much that I nearly lost my footing twice!

As we start to make our way through the city the sun is already high in the Eastern sky and I’m going to be going that way for the next few hours. At mile 5 I see my wife, Melissa, and Jen I told them I didn’t need anything and kept going…about 30 feet later I turn around (to the dismay of a few runners) and run back to see if my wife had my sunglasses…she didn’t but Melissa kindly offered hers…Thanks again Melissa!!
Shortly after leaving downtown we start the largest climb of the course it was hard but not too bad at about mile 7, while I’m looking out over the river from a much higher elevation than you would think, I hear my brother cheering me on. My brother lives in Cincinnati with his family and I was glad to have another face in the crowd that I knew cheering me on.

By this point I should have hit the highest point on the course and should be a relatively gentle down slope to the finish…yeah right! The hill to mile 8-10 was so big that the rolling hills for the remaining course are small and are not detailed on the elevation map. I saw the wife and friends again around mile 12 and shortly after this I notices that my right nipple was starting to hurt…didn’t think much of is since they were taped up and I’ve not had any problems since I found that clear surgical tape works great.

I got to about mile 15 and I looked down to see that the right side of my shirt was bloody…I guess I lost the tape on that nipple…I found the next first aid station and asked for clear tape…they had none…offered Band-Aids and Vaseline…tried them both and in half a mile they were gone, useless!
I saw the wife and friends again at mile 16.5 and would again at 17.5 since this part was an out and back and she had Mtn. Dew!! I took a nice big swig communicated the nipple issues and continued on. My brother was waiting at around mile 17 (near the hotel my wife and I stayed when we where here for his wedding!) When I got back to the wife I asked for band-aids…again they were gone in a matter of minutes.

I trudged on but by mile 19 my nipple was in such pain that running just wasn’t really in the cards so I did my best. Saw my brother and nephew at mile 22 where I ran with Logan for a few feet.

Between mile 22 and 23 we were diverted from the regular course. I checked my GPS to verify the mileage and watched when we got back onto the course and noted that they had moved the mileage sign to correlate with the corrected distance…mile 24 was dead on. Mile 25 was dead on…and now it looked like the course was all down hill. About 0.5 miles from the 25 mile sign was the “last mile” marker…um…that is off by about 0.3 miles!!!
I managed to run the final 0.5 miles and found that they were unable to move the finish line meaning that the course was off by a minimum of ¼ of a mile. Even with the nipple issues, the hills, and the sunny conditions I was able to put up a decent time of 5:03:03 (corrected for the marathon distance…otherwise the time was 5:05:57)

Then with all that over I met up with the other runners who did phenomenally!! Kim with a sub 4 hour finish (once corrected for course length) and Yemi with a 4:10 finish for her 1st marathon!!
Saw my brother and family before we headed back to our car and a long drive home…I see a Mexican dinner in a few hours though…mmm salsa!!

Only 13 days until Fargo!!

"How Far will you Go?" Fargo Marathon

2008-05-17T07:04:00.002-05:00

This is one of those races that I really wish I could do over…and maybe I will once all the states are completed. I woke up this morning and my throat was bad. I was in and out of the bathroom 3 times before we left for the bus. My only hope was that I would feel a bit better once I started running.

My wife and I met the other girls in the lobby of the hotel and drove over to the mall to catch the bus. It was about 47 degrees and not a cloud in the sky…a good day to run!

We got the bus and rode it to the FargoDome…in retrospect we should have just driven here ourselves but oh well. We did the customary bathroom stop (number 4 for me!) and milled around for a bit before heading out to the bag drop and the starting line.

This is my wife’s first attempt at a half marathon and I know she is going to do well. Her goal is sub 10 and she has a stretch goal of a sub 2 hour half. Both the half and the full start at the same time so we all line up together and the gun goes off…and we walk to the start line. There was about 5-7 thousand people between the two races so it was a bit of a bottleneck.

The race was very flat and I had been hoping for the last 2 weeks that I’d be able to break 5 hours…well it didn’t happen. I was going along pretty well until around mile 5-6 when I stopped for another bathroom break…and just to avoid the repetition I stopped again around 10, 14, 15, 19 and 23.

The course was great, the road not so much, the people were very nice and the neighborhoods we ran through were terrific! I saw many people outside partying and cheering on the runners…this community is really behind the race which was very nice to see. We ran through a number of parks and so many neighborhoods it was tough to count and there were people throughout the course ringing bells, offering support and some just watching. One of the local businesses even had flat Coke available to runners around mile 15!!

There were 2 Gu stops and I used them both but did not use one of my own…by that time I was walking and it seemed useless to use it then. I have to say that the Banana-strawberry Gu was rather tasty, much better than the mango Gu I had a couple of weeks ago.

Once I hit mile 19 I was done. I had been in and out of bathrooms too many times…I was run down…my throat was soar…and to be honest I really didn’t want to do this any more…but I’m 19 miles in. I can do 7 miles standing on my head practically…so I decided just to walk it out. Based on my rough numbers I would still be able to make it in less than 6 hours.

I talked with a number of people along the course and was surprised to hear how many were from Canada! I finally saw my wife at around mile 22. I immediately harassed her because she was not wearing her medal. She completed her race in 2:09:03!!! WOW, I was impressed! This is the same woman that just over a year ago said she would never be a runner and thought that the whole thing was rather dumb…now here she is a half marathoner!

I explained what was going on…told her I shouldn’t have started the race but at this point was going to complete it. She walked with me for about a mile and then said she would meet me on the flip side (there is a small loop to the North). We met back up around the 24 mile mark and she walked with me all the way to the FargoDome. I ran the last 0.2 in…just to show some effort. Completed the course in 5:58:09

That makes state number 12, 4 marathons for 2008 (so far), 2 marathons in the last 13 days…I’m tired and I think I’m going to take a small break.

Las Vegas…Baby!!!

2008-12-07T06:00:00.005-06:00

Wanting to tie my whole year to a close I thought that the Vegas Marathon would be a great capper. I love Vegas, just ask my wife. The climate is ideal for me with low humidity. After a little talk with the running group it was decided that if Kim ran it I would and the other way around. We convinced Yemi and Andy (who also loves Vegas) to join us as well.

My wife noted that there were 2 others from Racine that we knew running the half so we made sure to connect up with them while we were out there.

All of us were at different hotels…Steph and I stayed in the Luxor (right next to the host hotel – Mandalay Bay) primarily because I always wanted to stay in the pyramid since the first time we were in Vegas.

With the expo right next door we were able to walk to it and enjoy the expo at length. As we were leaving we called to see where the rest of the group was and met up with Kim and Yemi as they walked around the expo. Yemi nearly bought up half the expo!! ;^)

Called Andy to see what time he was getting in and discussed where and when we would meet to go to dinner. Dinner was with the Lynott’s and one of their friends that was running the half also. We had a great time at a nice out of the way Italian restaurant. Wine and ravioli are always good and this place did not disappoint!

As we drove back to the hotel Kim and Yemi were amazed at the Bellagio fountains…they said (and we agreed) that we really need to come back here as a group for social time not running time!

Morning of the race was cool, almost cold, but with it being Vegas the temps could get high…it didn’t! Walked through the casinos and the walk ways that connect the hotels and found my way to the front lobby of Mandalay, I was desperately trying to remain inside for as long as I could. Found Kim and Yemi but no sign of Andy. After a bit of waiting we headed for the start line.

There was a bit of chaos with marathoners and half marathoners mingling together. This is one of the big issues I had with this race – no separate corrals for the races. We all started together meaning that the roads were packed for a lot longer than they needed to be.

The gun went off and the fire works started – literally! I feel bad for anyone that got to bed late the night before because they are up now!! It was a great display that my wife said she could see from our room.

The course is a giant loop starting with the Strip. We run the whole length of the strip in the early morning with all the lights still on it was quite a sight! When you hit the north end you end up heading east before coming back west toward the downtown. Here is where my second issue with this race comes in.

The race touts the run down Fremont street and old Las Vegas but you really do not run down Freemont street just as you come up to it they make you turn and you end up running around it!!! Not happy!

From here it is a long stretch to the west…you see the mountains getting closer and closer. This section of the course seems not only flat but as though there was a slight downhill to it. The area is quite barren; the only spectators you really come across are those at the aid stations and those that are here to see someone. Time and a again I heard spectators and volunteers explaining to neighbors that this race will be going on for a while…was there no notification to the city?!?

I was feeling pretty good the weather was nice and the sun was covered slightly by high clouds. I was doing pretty well but was disheartened when I got to the 18 mile aid station and there was no gel!!! Good thing my wife was going to be there around 20-22 because I was going to bonk hard. Sure enough she was at 21.5 and was there with a gel…I told her that I’d see her at the end, told her I loved her and gave her a kiss.

We make the turn back toward the strip and you can see it from far away and you realize as you are running toward it just how big these buildings are because no matter how close you get to them they continue to grow!

Once we get under the freeway we are on the backside of the strip (west side) and we proceed to run south back toward Mandalay Bay. Boy that is farther than I remember from a few hours ago!!

I cross the finish line with a new PR!!! 4:45:05

That is 50 seconds faster than Milwaukee so I’ll take it. The medal while nice was not what I was expecting…I guess looking at my friends medal from a year or two ago looked much nicer. ***UPDATE*** We may now understand why things were not as nice this year…looks like this is going to become a ‘Rock N Roll’ Marathon so they were cutting costs in 2008!

I joined the girls and we waited for Andy to finish…with all of us done we took off to have our picture taken at the Las Vegas sign!

What has become my ritual after a marathon is Mexican food so the whole group went out and we enjoyed a nice meal and had a few drinks…including having Yemi try tequila! She loved it…of course it was Patron, what’s not to love!

Fort Collins – A downward journey

2009-05-03T06:00:00.007-05:00

I looked at this race almost 2 years ago and thought – this is a piece of cake! 26.2 miles and an evenly graded 1,200 foot elevation drop…Heaven!! Well not so much.

I’ve only been to Colorado as a layover point in Denver and never had the chance to leave the airport. So to actually go there sounded like fun. We flew into Denver on Friday and jumped into the rental car for the 1-1.5 hour drive to Fort Collins. On the way it was overcast and hazy so while there was a view it wasn’t much of one. I can’t say that I noticed the altitude at all.

Saturday morning the wife and I headed out for a short 2 mile run and I tried to push the last quarter mile…I could feel the altitude and the lack of much humidity in the air. I would have to be very careful tomorrow and be sure that I watched my fluid intake…nothing could be worse than not having enough!

The expo was small but it was what I’d expect for this size of a race. My wife even signed up for the 10k while I was getting my number…she figured she’d have plenty of time to do that and still get out to see me on the course.

We took some time and drove the course…beautiful! We kept an eye on the weather forecast because it was calling for snow and temps around 35 for race day…this really was not what I signed up for!

Fort Collins is a beautiful city…we got lunch in the downtown and asked the waitress for some ideas for dinner. After walking to both locations that were recommended and perusing their menus we decided on where dinner would be and made reservations (we were not going to have a repeat of Little Rock today!!)

Early night since the bus that would take me to the starting line leaves at 4:00 am…still looking at the weather and snow is still in the forecast…not good…didn’t bring a long sleeve shirt…Damn!

Got up and did my usual ritual…forecast had changed…45-55 degrees, showers early and clearing up high for the day 60…current temp 39. Why did I forget to bring a long sleeve shirt!!! Luckily I brought a garbage bag…not real warm but would keep the body heat in.

Was on the first bus leaving the hotel…bad idea…the driver informed us as we were on the way that he would not be able to wait with us at the starting line but would need to drop us off…once again cursing myself for not having a long sleeve shirt. As we drove I noticed that the clouds were dissipating. When we got to the starting line there wasn’t a cloud in the sky…no moon…but the stars were amazing! At times like this I wish I would carry my camera.

As we waited for the gun I spent some time looking around, the valley we were in had a river that we would follow all of the way into Fort Collins…it would be my companion for the journey. The water was crystal clear and cold! I watched the sky change colors as the sun rose, even though we could not see it actually rise due to the mountains; the change in the sky was tremendous! I looked to the tops of the peaks right near us (only about 500-600 feet above us) and could see snow. Simply breathtaking.

The gun went off right at 6 am and all 1,000 marathoners took off toward Fort Collins. It was relatively easy to keep an even pace at the beginning. The air was cool the surroundings were gorgeous and the people were talkative but not overly so. The course follows the river so there is always a turn coming up and you do not get to see more than a quarter mile of road at a time.

I held my pace pretty even, just under a 10 min pace for the first 6 miles. Took my scheduled gel and kept moving. The aid stations were positioned about every 2-3 miles so I had a water bottle with me the whole race this helped to ensure that the gel was taken when needed and not when the aid station was there.

At about mile 7 I caught up with a woman who was running her first marathon and we chatted for the next 30 minutes. It was lovely to talk with someone on the course but as we talked our pace slowly picked up to a point that I wished her well and told her to have a great race at mile 10.5. Talking while running is great but I still have not figured out how to control my pace enough so that I do not crap out near the end. I’ll keep working on it because I enjoy the commiseration!

Mile 12. Second gel of the day. I was able to get the gel into my mouth and that was as far as it was going. I nearly threw up right then. The feeling was absolutely overwhelming. I choked a little down and at the next station took in some sports drink…which had the same reaction when it hit the throat! This is not good. To make matters worse within 100 yards of this I suddenly needed a restroom. Thankfully the half marathon starting line was coming up and there was a bunch of porta-potties.

10 minutes after stopping I was trying to get moving again. Much harder that I thought. I was moving in a forward direction so I was happy.

About mile 16 we leave the valley and the space opens before us. This means I will see my wife in about 1-1.5 miles. I’m not on target at all. I’ve now not been able to take any real sustenance in about 10 miles. I still keep trying to take in sports drink…heavily diluted with water in hopes that it will help. I see my wife and tell her my pains…she tells me to keep moving and work on running some…push through it…I’ve been here before…keep trying to take the gels when you should. She gave me a kiss and said she’d see me at about mile 22.

People cheering along the course.

There was more walking than running but I kept doing the 5 min run/5 min walk…whenever I could. The largest hill was at mile 18, I got to the top and was able to take a little sports drink and about a mile later I tried to take another gel. Got half of it in…gagged on the rest.

At this point we are in the ‘suburbs’ of Fort Collins. We run around a school and pick up the river as a companion again…this time it will be with us until the end. The trail around the school is a paved bike trail that leads us into the city. From park to park we go following the power lines into the city (or is it out of the city – who knows?)

Mile 22 my wife is there as promised. I get some sports drink and give her my water bottle – I think I can make it in from here without it. She tells me that I really need to run some so that I’m not disappointed when I finish…’Leave it out on the course is what you always say – so do that leave it out here.’ She points out later that she does listen to me.

I really tried but I’ve now gone too long with out any real calories and I’m dragging. The trail is quite boring for about 2-3 miles as we are running under the power lines near the river (could not really see it from the trail all of the time) and through fields after fields. Unlike the valley, here you can see about a mile ahead.

I was glad to see the 25 mile marker knowing that the misery was nearly over. I see my wife waiting for me at mile 26 and she runs with me (walks too when I need) all the way in. I get my medal and poster. Find my wife. Find oranges. Gag. Suck on the orange. Gag. Swallow the fresh juice. Gag. Repeat the last 4 items 4-5 times.

Wife takes a picture:

Find the beer…I know there is beer here…have a glass…okay about 3 sips. Now you know how bad it is if I can’t drink beer!!!

I stretched a bit while the wife goes and gets some ice cream...we sit and enjoy the day a bit.

I finished The Colorado Marathon (aka Fort Collins Marathon) in 5:25:24.

My wife finished the 10k in 56:25 (clock time) – her actual time is better!

Now that we’ve had some time to think the race over the altitude is what got to me. Not training at the higher elevation my body was supplying oxygen to my muscles and did not want to expend any energy on digestion.

Next marathon is in Maui…elevation right near sea level…shouldn't have any of that trouble!

Little Rock, AR

2009-03-15T07:00:00.006-06:00

For every marathon I choose there is a valid reason for the run. This one was chosen because they say that they offer the largest medal of all of the marathons…you know something…they’re right…but that isn’t the end of the story.

I determined that I would run the Little Rock marathon sometime in 4^th quarter 2008 when I was putting together the running schedule. September is booked, HI, and I thought that 2 would be easy to squeeze in before September so I chose Little Rock due to its timing and that they tout the largest medal.

There are times when you look at an elevation chart and say “that’s nothing” and then there are times you look at it and say “what the hell was I thinking!” This race is somewhere in between.

I ended up getting scheduled to work in Vancouver, WA for the 4 weeks prior to this race so I was traveling every weekend back and forth from the West coast and came back Thursday night so that I could catch my Friday afternoon flight to Little Rock. To say that I was tired of flying was an understatement but it had to be done.

We got to Little Rock on Friday night and ate in the hotel. On Saturday we ventured out to a nice coffee house and then to the expo. The size of the expo was not that big but not too small either. Both my wife and I ended up with new jackets for spring and magnets for our cars. The packet pick up was well organized and everyone was very helpful.

After the expo we decided to drive the course…well as much of it as we could…there are a lot of one ways in Little Rock and they had us running down a few of them the opposite direction so we had to improvise. They had us doing a lot of turns on the course and I thought that was a great idea since I really hate those long one direction as far as they eye can see courses.

With that done we headed back to the hotel for some relaxation…and I should have thought about dinner then!!! When we finally thought about dinner everyplace that we headed to or called had a very long waiting time…duh! Night before a marathon, Saturday night and a large city…what were we thinking!

I spotted a hole in the wall pizza place and said if we didn’t find anyplace else we would come back…we ended up here at 8 pm. The calzone was fantastic and so was the homemade beer! Off to bed.

From the hotel to the starting line was about .3 miles so I opted to walk it in the morning. There was a buzz in the hotel and on the streets that you only see on race mornings.

Got to the starting line way too soon…thankfully porta-potties were plentiful and the conversation with strangers pleasant. Soon we were hearing the star spangled banner and the gun wasn’t far behind.

Oh what fun the beginning of this race was…I go to pee on the Clinton Library lawn!! Okay not really but I did use a porta-potty right on the lawn.

About 3 miles in to the run we headed under a small overpass and my GPS went a little nuts…I somehow gained nearly 2 miles in just under 100 feet! That made for a really great 5k though at about a 5:15 pace LOL!!!!

As I approached the hotel I knew that I’d get to see my wife waiting for me and I told her the going was okay so far…cool but still very humid. I was on target for a sub 5 hr marathon and feeling fine.

It was nice course. The people were terrific on the course while not a lot of spectators the volunteers were beyond any that I have found anywhere so far. I was running with the 4:30 pace group for awhile and about mile 12 when I took my gel they pulled ahead and I didn’t see them again.

The half way point was at the footsteps of the capital building…very cool site to see.

Here is where the trouble begins. At mile 13.5 the uphill climb begins. It continues until around mile 16 and the elevation reverses. Now don’t get me wrong the climb is not horrible. We are not talking a 5% grade for 2.5 miles we are talking a 1-2% grade for 2.5-3 miles it felt fine to me…or so I thought. At mile 16.5 we start downhill…the entire climb that took 2.5-3 miles we do in about 1 mile…talk about a kick in the teeth. By the time I hit the bottom of this hill my legs were shot and now I needed a porta-potty!

At mile 18 I stopped to use the facilities…combine the brutal attack that had just occurred on my legs and then the sudden need to stop running my legs were done. There was little that I could do now to get them moving again.

The out and back portion of this course was very scenic and it was nice to see all of the supporters on this portion of the course. My wife was there and really wanted me to run…I tried and I tried but there was nothing left. The legs were tightening up and all of the stretching wasn’t doing a thing to stop it. She waited for me to come back from the out and told me to try to run and that she’d see me at the end.

Well let me just tell you that the people that drew up this course were sadistic. As if the sharp elevation decline after the gradual incline wasn’t enough they have 2, not 1, two steep uphill climbs at mile 24.5 and 25!!!

After that I was glad that there was a “beer stop” at mile 25.5!!! Some kind people set up their own aid station complete with beer, soda, water and sport drink. I made my way to the finish line not even trying to run at the end. Finished in 5:12:31. Collected my goodie bag – great way to do it – all of your post race snacks in a plastic bag, collected my medal, and headed for the bathroom!!

I was hurting at the end of this race…very tight leg muscles that really wanted to cramp. But what I got out of it was a good race. The people working this race were by far the best I have ever encountered.

I always ask myself would I recommend this race and why. This race is a definite, yes! You do this race if you like a relatively small race with 5-10k runners. You do this race for the most friendly and helpful aid stations. You do this race for the medal!!

Friday, June 12, 2009

2009-06-12T06:10:00.000-05:00

So if you’ve looked at the schedule to the right of these posts you probably noted that it is different than what I have been doing for the past 4 years. The NY Marathon site offered a number of training programs and seeing that this one had a few more 20 milers and a 22 I thought this would be a much better program to follow.

All that being said I have been short of my weekly mileage for the past 2 weeks and it looks like this week I will be to but I didn’t want to be 6-8 miles short just 1-2. So when my wife got up to exercise I decided that it would be best if I got out and did a few miles.

Simple out and back for a total of 4 miles at about a 9:20 pace. Sunny and cool (48) hint of a breeze 3 mph NE

Thursday, June 11, 2009

2009-06-11T04:45:00.000-05:00

Really did not want to be up this morning. What was just as bad was that my wife didn’t either! But we were good got out of bed and drove over to Kristin’s. Found out that Jodie wasn’t going to be there so we went straight away to Melissa’s. My wife has been complaining about a bad knee so has been resting it but Kristin convinced her (very easily I might add) to run to Melissa’s. Now I always end up behind them so this was no surprise what was interesting was that they were losing me and I was at an 8:45-8:50 pace!! I thought she was having knee issues. ;^)

Once at Melissa’s we got caught up on the daily events in our lives and ended up walking a bit farther than normal before we set out running. I started my watch toward the end of the walk just to record the mileage but even that is off by about ¼.

My pace was strong for a morning I didn’t want to be out here: 9:20. When I got near Kristin’s I realized that I would be short so a little out and back and I ended the day with just over 4.5 miles. Factoring in the walking I was about at a 10 min pace…ignoring it closer to 9:15. Overcast cool (52) slight wind out of the NE 8-10 mph

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

2009-06-09T04:45:00.000-05:00

I think that I overdid dinner last night. I was up at 3 am not feeling well. Sweating, nauseous, and cramping…not the thing you want to wake up to.

Up at 4:15 got ready but still was not feeling well. The wife and I met Kristin and Jodie. Steph and Jodie walked…Steph is nursing a knee injury so she walked with Jodie.

I started out okay and it got worse. The grocery store was not open so I had to hold it a while longer. There was some pressure that after a short time passed and I was able to run again. Even with all of that I finished the 4.1 miles in 44 min…not great but could have been much worse. Beautiful morning…overcast, 58, with a light East wind.

Monday, June 8, 2009

2009-06-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

It has been a few weeks but we are back on schedule with the personal trainer…for a week or two! Anna worked us hard but it was good. I’m glad to see that I didn’t lose too much strength while I’m away.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

2009-06-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

In the continuing adventures to work on my speed and endurance we opted for a hill/stair workout for today. We met Melissa and Kristin at 7:30 am in the Gateway parking lot. The rain had not started so we might get lucky…not so much!

The plan was to charge the hill recover on the down and head for the stairs…charge the stairs…I love hills so I was off to the races!

By the time I hit the 4^th hill charge the lungs were burning and I was ready to quit. Got a drink of water after the 4^th circuit and did another 2.

When you add all the hills/stairs…1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down we got in 4.5 miles. The weather was cool (52) and rainy…wind (NNE 5mph)

Saturday, June 6, 2009

2009-06-06T05:30:00.000-05:00

My wife is looking to build her mileage so that the Lighthouse Run and the Maui Half are a little easier for her to handle. In that vein she convinced me to forgo my 10 miler this week and do 12. We met Melissa at 5:30 am in the Panera parking lot and started our run. I was only able to squeak 8 miles in before meeting the group at 7 so I thought I’d be a little short but Melissa knew where to turn so that we would have just the right mileage for the day.

My body shut down at 9 miles – I just did not want to run any more but I slogged through it with a little walking and I was able to finish the 12 miles in a 9:45 pace. The weather for the day was cool (49) and windy (ENE 5mph)