I needed this great run

 

Once in awhile you have an almost perfect run. I'm not sure if was the combination of an awesome pizza for lunch (thanks Rob), or the cool wind blowing in my face, but I had an amazing run today. I've been feeling discouraged as my knee as mysteriously been feeling pain just when walking around a grocery store, etc. I was considering scaling back my running thinking I had really messed up my knee with the marathon earlier this month and the trail race. In my head, my plan was to run out 2 and turn around and come back. When I got to the two mile mark, I thought well I'll do the loop and do 5. When I got to Main street, I thought well I'll run out to Richard's house and do 6.5. When I got out that direction, I thought well I'll run 4 
then turn around. It seemed like the further I got, the better I felt. I knew I had to help Susan with dinner, so I had just enough time to get a full 9 in. I walked 30 secs to 1 minute about every 5 miles. Once I turned around at 4.5, the wind was at my back and I felt the surge of confidence. I imagined my best speed days of 2009 and my 5k PR and my sub 4 hour marathon. I took several pictures of the beautiful foliage. I guess I had to trick my logical brain so my creative side could take over.

2011 Dogwood Canyon 25k

Skinny Bear trying to convince me to sign up of for the 50k

Dwight ready to rip it up. Dick chilling in the background (red shirt).

This was the third time that I had signed up for the Bass Pro Shops Dogwood Canyon 25k. I had originally envisioned doing the 50k, but I got scared off by the thought of the hills and how tough a 50k this would be for me. I had offered to pay for Rob if he would run the 50k with me. After changing my mind recently to the 25k, I decided to extend the offer for that as well and Rob agreed to run with me and provide me some companionship. I knew he would really enjoy it. We met Dwight, Debbie and Dick at Dwight's clinic at 5:45 a.m. Dwight graciously volunteered to haul us all down there in his mini van. I wasn't expecting much in terms of how fast I was going to run. I planned on wearing my Nathan Road Vest with all of the needed fuel in the back pocket. We got there early enough to stand around and visit with some of the other runners. Rob jokingly was attempting to get me to change to the 50k. Interestingly enough, the temps were much warmer than the past two years races had been. It was about 55 at the start of the race and not much humidity that I noticed. We started out smoothly and ran for the entire first mile and a quarter. We hit our first major incline sometime soon and it was a hill that went straight up. We took it out smart and walked slowly on the hills, though these were so steep that you had no choice but to walk. We had a plan to do a little goofing around when we hit the last water crossing. By the time we hit the halfway mark, it was starting to warm up. We were having fun though, talking and whenever we hit an aid station we drank Mello Yello or Coke and I ate gummy bears. We continued to run smart and by the time we hit the last mile, we were able to pick it up and pass about 4 runners. When Rob ran downhill though, it was extremely difficult to keep up with him. We came across the finish line about 100 yards apart and the video below, shows some interesting footage throughout the race. Overall it was a very nice experience to share with my good friend.

2011 Wildlife Marathon. Concord, MI

We (Rob and myself) chose this weekend for the second straight year to travel a farther distance, since we had Columbus Day off.  Rob picked me up from work on Friday afternoon and we picked up Robin at work and headed toward Chicago. Traffic was decent and we got to our hosts (Brett and Carla Saffron) around 11:30. Brett and I were pretty excited because the Cardinals had won the NLDS against the Phillies. Brett is one of the only Cardinal fans that loves the birds more than I. The next day we took our time in the morning and drove 4 hours to Concord, MI. A funny thing happened to our Maniac flag. I was trying to be courteous and roll down the window after some flatulence. I completely forgot about the flag being on the window.  We were being put up by Mark "Doc" Ott. A marathon maniac in his own right. Mark was celebrating the beginning of his 50th state weekend which commences coming up next weekend. We visited during the afternoon and had a large pasta dinner that evening. I met John ( a barefoot runner) and Joel (a CC athlete from Jackson Community College, competing in his first marathon). We had a good dinner and running related conversation. I was a little nervous about the event since I hadn't had a 20+ mile run since the marathon in July. I knew I could do the distance, but wasn't sure how I would feel in the end. I planned on doing a 3 min run to 1 minute walk mix. The weather would have been ideal if the temp had stayed the same all day, but alas it was going to warm up. Prior to starting the event a runner came up to us to express her excitement about soon joining the Marathon Maniacs. April had confessed to Rob that she usually starts out fast and falls apart and walks it in. The event started and we were off and running. By the time I had hit 4 miles, I was starting to get bored. I missed having someone to chat with as Rob and I usually do our long runs together on the weekend. I had been passing April and she would pass me back when I would walk. About mile 4 I offered to help her complete her goal of a sub 5 hour marathon. I encouraged her to try the run/walk method and she said sure but she wanted to change it to 4:1. I agreed as I love to help other marathoners achieve their goals. At around mile 7 or 8 another runner (James Bowers) began doing our intervals with us and the next 45-1 hour passed quickly. We talked about world events, the economy, etc. It was awesome. Pretty soon, the gravel country roads came and it started to get tough. The temperature was beginning to rise and I could tell April was beginning to get tired. James let us go at this point, he was beginning to feel the hills I think. April was being a trooper, but I started to get the feeling that she wasn't going to make it. She told me at mile 17 that I should go on without her. I argued with her a little, but she convinced me to go on. The next 3-4 miles, I dropped it into a faster gear to make up for some time that we had lost. I think this section really took it out of me. By the time I hit 21 miles, I was starting to question my motivation for running. I had developed a large blister on my pinky toe on my right foot and it had been screaming for the past 4 miles.  I took a gel at mile 22 and by mile 23 my mental state was better. I passed 4 runners within the last two miles and I was pretty convinced that the heat played a major factor in many of our demise this day. Rob called me as I was approaching mile 23 and told me that the clock time was around 4:19. I knew that I had time to still make it in under 5 hours. Rob encouraged me to use 2:1 intervals. I came in at 4:55:55 and went straight for the shade and some water to drink. I experimented with Pickle Juice Sport to prevent leg cramps. I used it before, during and after the marathon. I went inside the school to take a shower and by the time I got outside after the shower I was feeling very nauseous.

Border crossing picture

Me, Mark "Doc" Ott,  Joel Medina, and John Yohe

Rob had left to go get us some Coca Colas. I crawled in the car when he came back  hoping that I wouldn't have to vomit anytime soon. After a few sips of Coke and 15 minutes of cool air, I was feeling a little better. Rob and I headed south (accidentally, Rob put his home address in the GPS). We stopped at a rest stop McDonalds and had our traditional post marathon burger. When we got back to Chicago, we celebrated with a large "Chicago style " pizza from Ray Malnatis. It was my 19th marathon and my 17th state.

Icebreaker Indoor Marathon 2011

This marathon was limited to 130 entrants. There were officially 105 finishers for the event. Rob and I left Saturday morning to drive to Milwaukee, WI. The drive was easy as a Saturday drive could be. The event had race day packet pick up and we were excited about not having to worry about finding the venue on the day before. We garnered some cheap lodging at the Motel 6 and enjoyed a dinner of PF Changs Chicken Lo Mein to load up glycogen reserves. The morning of the event we were very glad we weren't running outdoors as it was 4 degrees fahrenheit. We made it to the Pettit National Ice Center around 6:15 and went in to get our packets. With an 8 a.m. start we had time to relax, eat breakfast and walk around the indoor track to get familiar with the loop that we eventually would do 95.4 laps on. At 8 they started us and I managed to do a 4 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio for the entire event. I hit the 48 lap mark at 1:58:30 and I started to envision my second best time ever in a marathon event. That evaporated as the energy drained out of my legs over the next couple of hours. My glutes started to have some discomfort but I managed to finish strong. This event was interesting in the way that I saw Rob frequently throughout the event and had a chance to visit with various runners of different levels throughout the race. That is a very unique experience as the faster runners are usually way ahead of me. I was able to encourage Rob to finish strong knowing that I was getting closer to the end myself. After the race, I felt very nauseous and even went to the bathroom thinking I was going to throw up, but I never did. We had originally planned on driving back after the race, but we were both not feeling well and we went back to the Motel 6 and got a room for another night

2011 Disney Marathon

Ever since I started running back in 2006, I had heard from friends about the Disney marathon and how much fun it was. For three years I didn't have the confidence to do a marathon and after break through in 2009 with my first, I knew I could do more. Brittany's birthday was 4 days after the event and I offered to take her to Orlando with me to watch me run the Disney marathon. The trip started out with an adventure of it's own. We flew out of Branson on Saturday and the packet picket up was going to be over before we could get to it. I asked Rob's sister Sarah if she could pick up my packet for me and she agreed. When we got to the airport in Branson, we checked in, got through security then I realized that I only had my military ID with me. Whoops, how was I going to rent a car without my driver's license? I called Susan and as we waited to board our plane, we called everyone from Hotwire, to the rental car counter at Orlando to figure out a way to make it happen. There was no way they would do it. I called my friend and co-worker Chuck and asked him if he was going to be in the Orlando area and by coincidence he was going to be there. I asked him if he could pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel. He agreed. We arrived in Orlando without a hitch and Chuck picked us up as planned. After a nice dinner at Caraba's Italian, we got to the hotel and settled in for a quick few hours of sleep.

 Rob and Sarah picked us up at 3:15 so we could get to the parking area soon and not get shut out of the parking lot. The lot was well lit up and we saw a lot of Marathon Maniacs as we walked up toward the starting corrals. I was in corral C. I saw Utah Sue and Doug Care Bear and we had a good conversation before the race started. The race started at 5:35 and the corrals were being started in waves. Our wave started at 5:45 and I ran with Sue the first 9 miles using a 5 min run 30 second walk break plan. At about mile 2, Brittany called me and was upset that she hadn't seen me run by. I encouraged her to look for me about mile 10.5. When we approached Magic Kingdom, I got excited because I absolutely love Disney World and was looking forward to getting some good character pics. I had decided to take my time for this one. The miles came by quickly and there were so many characters to take pics with. As we ran through all of the parks it was such a neat experience. At about mile 21, I met another runner (Tim) who was struggling to finish his first marathon. He asked if he could run/walk with me and I gladly accepted. I think that I would be a great Galloway group leader/pacer. Maybe the 5 hour pacer. When we got to the finish line, I did my typical wings out finish. Brittany and I enjoyed the rest of the day hanging out in the hotel room as I recovered. It was really special to have her there with me. Brittany and I chose Epcot as our park of choice the next day with my free ticket. We had a great time checking out our favorite rides as I hobbled throughout the park. As a side note, we got stuck in Orlando for a couple of extra days because of an ice storm that hit Atlanta. On our extra day we went to Sea World and saw Shamu and the gang. We were supposed to fly out on Tuesday, but wound up coming back on Thursday.

2010 Rocket City Marathon

Rob and I headed to Huntsville, AL on Friday morning. It was about a 500 mile drive and we enjoyed the conversation as we drove across southern Missouri, portions of Arkansas, Tennessee and into Alabama.

 

We had a room at the LaQuinta Inn. We had a very nice dinner at Olive Garden and left the restaurant stuffed.

Going into this marathon, I was pretty set on run/walking a 4 min/1min. I set my Garmin up to pace myself at a 9:00 min/mile pace while running and 16 min/mile pace. This was a great strategy. I actually negative split for the first time in all of my marathons. It proved to me that I can run faster if I will do some speed work. 

Bass Pro Shops Marathon 2010

After running this Half marathon in 2007 and 2008, I took 2009 off and just focused on supporting my local friends. This year, I decided to run it as I was initially planning to run it with Susan. This race was an organizational disaster. The traffic was not controlled very well. At 4 miles some idiot almost drove right into myself and a group of runners. I ran the first 7 miles in 63 minutes and I had a feeling that was too fast. I was using a 4 min run to 30 sec walk plan. Around that distance Rob came out to meet me and took some pictures. I met a guy from Chicago named Marco Lopez. He like me had just recently become a marathon maniac. We started chatting as we ran along. I was feeling pretty tired from the race the weekend before. We trudged through the course together and finished in 4:58. I felt decent at the end, but I always feel a little bad for the first 20 minutes or so after finishing. I talked with Susan off and on throughout the marathon and she was definitely feeling the challenge. When she was getting close to 24 miles, she called me and I met her out there and walked her in the last 2 miles. I was a little disappointed with some of the residents of Springfield and their lack of respect for the runners. 

Me and Marco Lopez finishing together

Susan's second marathon

Indianapolis Marathon 2010

Susan feeling pretty rough at this point (21 miles)

This is an exerpt from Susan’s DM post

 “Scott and I went to Indianapolis with Rob and Robin to run my first full marathon. The day of the marathon started with us getting to packet pick-up and finding out we had not registered. LUCKILY they had race day registration. The weather was perfect! It was like 40 degrees at the start and didn't get over 70. Scott and I ran/walked the whole thing together.

 We started out doing 2:1 intervals and my goal was to run at a 12 min pace and walk at a 17 min pace so I could finish under 6 hours. I was feeling so good that it was hard to run that slow. In fact I actually was running close to 11 min pace. So I did have a little extra time banked but at about 10 miles I started having that same cramp in my big toe that I had in the Oklahoma City Half Marathon. I thought I was doing a good job of fueling but at that point we stepped up the electrolytes. I fueled on margarita shot blocks, cytomax, gatorade and accel gels. I did also take some gu later on and toward the end I drank a gatorade prime. I hit the halfway mark at 2:49 but it kind of went down hill from there. I was struggling. My legs were getting tired and mentally it felt like it was going to go on forever. Scott was doing such a great job encouraging me and trying to help me along. I didn't want to quit, but I realized I probably wasn't going to make my 6 hour goal. We switched to 1:1 but even that was a struggle at times and I ended up walking a lot more. Rob completed his marathon and then came back and met up with us at mile 21 and supported me the rest of the way into the finish. Robin was there to cheer us all along the way. She was a total lifesaver at about mile 10 when I needed electrolyte tablets. Scott's Aunt Kathy and Uncle John came to see us at the finish also. I did finish it and even was able to pick it up at the very end. It was a great accomplishment for me! I don't know that I have any desire to do another marathon but definitely still want to do half marathons. I think they will feel more like a walk in the park than that full marathon felt. We also met some really neat people on the course and the scenery was absolutely amazing! It was an experience I will never forget.”

Scranton, PA Steamtown

WHEN ROB AND I FIRST DISCUSSED DOING STEAMTOWN, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IDEAL BECAUSE WE BOTH HAD COLUMBUS DAY OFF AND WE COULD SAVE SOME VACATION TIME AND HAVE AN EXTRA DAY TO DRIVE. WE BOTH HAPPENED TO HAVE SOME COMP TIME AND WERE ABLE TO TAKE FRIDAY OFF. WE LEFT AT 4 A.M. ON FRIDAY AND DROVE ALL THE WAY TO YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO THAT DAY (850) MILES.

THAT GAVE US A SHORTER DRIVE ON SATURDAY MORNING. WE DROVE ACROSS PA AND THE LEAVES WERE AMAZING COLORS AS THE SUN WAS RISING. THE WEATHER WAS COOL SETTING UP FOR A PERFECT RACE DAY AHEAD. WE ARRIVED IN SCRANTON AND WENT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL TO PICK UP OUR PACKETS. I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT I HAD RECENTLY HAD STREP BECAUSE MY THROAT HAD BEEN SORE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD A RASH ALL OVER MY BODY. I WANTED TO GET CHECKED OUT BEFORE I RAN BECAUSE OF THE RISK FOR SERIOUS KIDNEY DAMAGE AFTER A MARATHON. WHILE ROB WAS LISTENING TO THE MARATHON LECTURE I WENT TO A LOCAL URGENT CARE. THE DR. TOLD ME THAT MY STREP SCREEN WAS NEGATIVE SO I FELT MUCH BETTER ABOUT RUNNING THE NEXT DAY. I WENT BACK TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, PICKED UP ROB AND WE DROVE THE COURSE. IT TOOK QUITE AWHILE AS WE HAD TO DRIVE TO FOREST CITY (THE START) AND TRY TO FOLLOW THE MAP. IT GOT A LITTLE TRICKY AT TIMES BECAUSE THE COURSE WAS WINDING THROUGH SOME VERY SMALL TOWNS AND EVEN USED SOME RAILS TO TRAILS. AFTER DRIVING THE COURSE WE DROVE TO WILKES BARRE TO OUR HOTEL. WE HAD MODEST RED ROOF INN ACCOMMODATIONS. RACE DAY MORNING WE GOT UP EARLY TO DRIVE THE 20 MINUTES TO GET ON THE SHUTTLE TO TAKE US TO THE START. WE PARKED NEAR THE FINISH LINE AND STARTED WALKING TOWARD THE BUSES. THE RIDE UP TO FOREST CITY WAS ENJOYABLE AND WE WERE BOTH LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A GOOD RACE. WHEN WE GOT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AS WE GOT OFF THE BUS, WE HAD CHEERLEADERS CHEERING US ON AS WE WALKED TOWARD THE ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOOL

WE GOT INTO THE GYM AND GOT BAGS FOR THE BAG DROP. STEAMTOWN DOES A GREAT JOB WITH BAG DROP.

THE RACE STARTED EXACTLY ON TIME WITH THE BLAST OF A CANNON. THE FIRST MILE WAS DOWNHILL WITH A HUGE STRAIGHT DOWN PORTION AT THE 1/2 MILE MARK. I CONCENTRATED ON KEEPING MY TARGET PACE FOR THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF (9:00/MILE). I HIT THE HALF SPLIT AROUND 1:59 AND WAS FEELING PRETTY GOOD. I MADE A DECISION AT MILE 14 THAT I WAS GOING TO CHANGE MY WALK SEGMENTS TO 4 MIN RUN AND 45 SECOND WALK BREAKS. I MET UP WITH A GUY NAMED ADAM FROM NJ. HE WAS EXPERIENCING SOME DISCOMFORT AND WE DECIDED TO RUN TOGETHER. WE RAN FROM THE TIME WE ENTERED THE TRAIL PORTION AROUND MILE 14 UNTIL AROUND MILE 22. OUR SPLITS STARTED TO GET SLOWER AS WE STRUGGLED TO KEEP OUR PACE CONSISTENT. WE PICKED UP ANOTHER COUPLE OF RUNNERS ALONG THE WAY WHO WERE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES. AT MILE 23, ADAM AND THE OTHER TWO LADIES WERE HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING THE PACE AND I WOUND UP LEAVING THEM BEHIND. I GOT A SURGE OF ENERGY AROUND MILE 23 AND MY WALK SEGMENTS BEGAN TO GROW SHORTER. AS I APPROACHED THE MAJOR HILL AT MILE 24, I WAS FEELING VERY EXCITED ABOUT MY NEW ENERGY. I DANCED FOR THE CROWD AND PUMPED MY FIST. I COULD SEE MYSELF FINISHING STRONG. MY 25TH MILE SPLIT WAS 9:40. THE LAST THREE MILES OF THE MARATHON WERE VERY CHALLENGING FROM A HILL STANDPOINT BUT I HAD THE EXTRA ENERGY TO MAKE IT THROUGH. COMING IN THE FINISH LINE, I WAS HOPING TO HAVE A DECENT TIME. I FINISHED IN 4:17:29 WHICH IS MY SECOND BEST MARATHON TIME TO DATE. SURPRISINGLY AFTER THE FINISH, I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE TOTAL CRAP AS I USUALLY DO. I PICKED UP MY GEAR BAG, FOUND ROB AND WE GOT ON THE ROAD TO COLUMBUS, OHIO. WE INITIALLY STOPPED AT A TRUCK STOP AFTER THE RACE TO SEE ABOUT TAKING A SHOWER AND DECIDED THAT THE PRICE WAS TOO HIGH ($10). WE FOUND A REST STOP A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD AND WASHED UP THERE AND CHANGED INTO FRESH CLOTHES. WE MADE TO COLUMBUS, OHIO THAT NIGHT AROUND 9:30 AFTER EATING OFF AND ON ALL AFTERNOON AS WE DROVE. I THINK THAT WE ATE EVERYTHING FROM MCDONALDS TO WENDYS TO ICE COLD COCA COLAS.

2010 Patriot's Run

THE PATRIOT’S RUN ON 9/11 IS TWO EVENTS. IT IS EITHER A MARATHON OR YOU CAN RUN AS MANY MILES AS YOU WANT WITHIN THE 9 HOUR AND 11 MINUTE TIME FRAME. LAST YEAR ROB DID 48.5 MILES DURING THE 9:11 AND I CREWED FOR HIM DURING THAT DAY. TODAY WE BOTH SIGNED UP FOR THE MARATHON AND WERE EXCITED ABOUT DOING THE EVENT. THE WEATHER WAS ABOUT 77 DEGREES AT THE 12 NOON START AND WAS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE LOW 80S. THE SUN WAS QUITE BRIGHT AND I GOT REALLY WARM AFTER THE FIRST HALF (2:04). I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AT MILE 18 AND ROB WAS REALLY STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN HIS MOTIVATION. HE HAD ALSO GONE OUT FAST (13.1 IN 1:45). I’M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN WE STARTED RUN/WALKING TOGETHER, BUT IT WAS ENJOYABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE TO SUFFER WITH. I DRANK SOME PICKLE JUICE AROUND MILE 18 AND THAT SEEMED TO HELP SOME. I USED CYTOMAX FOR MOST OF THE ENTIRE RACE AND POURED A CUP OF WATER ON MY HEAD AND EVERY MILE. THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME COOLED DOWN. AT MILE 19, 20 AND 21 I WAS REALLY HURTING AND FELT LIKE THROWING UP. I KNEW I COULD FINISH, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO WALK MOST OF THE MILES. AT MILE 23, WE KNEW WE HAD THE GUTS TO FINISH THIS THING. EMILY DID A GREAT JOB CREWING FOR ME

2010 Seattle Marathon

WE GOT UP AT 4:30 SO WE COULD CATCH THE SHUTTLE TO THE STARTING LINE. WE GRABBED A QUICK LIGHT BREAKFAST AND LOADED UP IN THE BUS. WE WERE DROPPED OFF ABOUT A MILE FROM THE STARTING LINE. WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO SHOOT THE BREEZE PRIOR TO THE RACE. IT WAS ABOUT 55 DEGREES AND OVERCAST. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE A PERFECT RACE DAY. AT MILE 1 , WE CAME TO OUR FIRST BAND AND PATRICK SLOWED DOWN TO RECORD SOME VIDEO. WE PARTED WAYS THERE AND I DID MY OWN THING FOR THE NEXT 25.2 MILES. NOT HAVING RUN OR EXERCISED FOR TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO BEING SICK REALLY WAS TAKING IT’S TOLL ON ME DURING THE RACE. THE RACE GOT DIFFICULT AT THE 16 MILE MARK AS WE HAD SOME SERIOUS CLIMBING TO DO. FROM MILE 20 ON I STARTED TO SMELL THE END OF THE RACE. I CAME INTO THE FINISH LINE AT MY SECOND SLOWEST MARATHON YET. 4:39:26. I REALLY DIDN’T CARE ABOUT MY TIME AS USUAL. I JUST COUNTED IT TOWARD ONE MORE UNDER MY MARATHON BELT. 

Route 66 Tulsa Marathon

The purpose of today's adventure was to attempt to become a sub 4 hour marathoner. I brought Rob along to mule for me. He carried all of my gels and my water bottle. He kept the time and set the pace and provided me with motivation. Through the first 10 miles, Rob was becoming concerned because I was running pretty fast. I hit the half marathon split at 1:54 and some change. I wanted some time in the bank because I was concerned about fading in the end. Rob was convinced that we could drop the walk breaks in the last 10k, but I proved him wrong. The last 13 miles of the marathon were on a very flat course, but the temp got up to about 65 and there was little shade. I fueled well up until 18 miles. By the time I got to 22, the thought of eating anything sounded disgusting. At mile 23 I started to feel nauseous and knew that if I vomitted, that would be the end of my quest for a sub 4 hour marathon. I slowed to a crawl and told Rob that I needed to walk some. He gave in, but knew we were going to be cutting it close. I did terrible at mile 23, 24 and 25. My pace slowed to 10:36, 10:53 and 11:39 respectively. Rob pushed me at the 25 mile mark to take it up. He said "no more walk breaks". I ran the 26th mile in 9:42. The watch showed 3:58:24 when we hit the 26th mile. We had 0.2 to go. Rob said "you've got to find another gear". We rounded the corner and turned another corner and could see the finish line. I could see the time running out on my goal. I pushed it as hard as I could and finished in 3:59:59. I ran the last 0.2 in 1:34 which is around a 6:20 pace. I don't know how I did it, but I did. It was nice to make that goal, but I don't like feeling like I did.

Dogwood Canyon 25k Race Report

From Dogwood Canyon Trail Run

I was so happy to be done!

From Dogwood Canyon Trail Run

This past Sunday October 25, 2009 I ran the Bass Pro Shops Dogwood Canyon 25k. A little background is needed to completely tell this story. Thursday night, I started to feel a scratchy throat coming on. Friday morning I woke up with a chest cold and called in sick to work. I had taken the week off from running to rest a left ankle that was giving me some irritation. I felt better on Saturday and heard that for completing the trail run we would receive a North Face Fleece Pullover. I took it easy on Saturday and woke up early Sunday morning and took Mucinex DM and headed to meet Dwight, so we could drive to Lampe, MO. The Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is a beautiful place and has some gorgeous scenery. The hills were the longest and toughest I've ever run in my life. I ran the first 2-3 miles on pace with Dwight, we walked the first major hill we came to. Everyone had to walk portions of this course. Before we reached 4 miles we had crossed the water 15 times. I had worn both compression garments for my lower legs and they actually absorbed a fair amount of water during the crossings. This made my legs quite heavy. I did wear wool socks and they managed to keep my feet warm even when they were wet. At about 4 miles, I decided that I couldn't keep pace with Dwight for much longer so I let him go. I passed a co-worker of mine, Jill Tillman about 5 miles. I knew that I wasn't running much faster than her and eventually she would catch back up to me. Throughout the run, I ran with several other runners for periods of time as we conversed about various subjects. Jill caught me about somewhere between 7 and 8 miles and we ran for a mile together. I was trying to converse and I could tell that she wasn't used to talking and running. She was really pushing it and I was content to run slow enough to talk. I let her go ahead and figured that I would see her after the race. On any other day, I would have stayed with her to the finish. But, I just couldn't maintain that pace she was running. About the 8.5 mile mark, I was starting to feel sick to my stomach and not wanting to take any calories in. I had packed some fun size snicker bars and swedish fish. I was carrying my hand held water bottle and was sipping on that every so often.Around the 9 mile mark or so, it started pouring down rain. It really didn't bother me except for the size of the drops. The cold rain drops actually cooled me down a little. I trudged through and mind was kind of going numb. I walked the uphills and the downhills were so steep, that my quads were completely "trashed" by the end of the day. The surface on several downhills was very treacherous and I found myself hoping that I wouldn't fall down one of these hills. Once I reached 9.3 miles, I thought "okay, now you just have a 10k left". That was a long 10k. When I got to 11 miles, one of the other runners had hurt her knee going down the hill in front of me. Myself and another runner assisted her down the hill where there was an aid station before we got on a 1.5 mile stretch of asphalt through the nature park. This is where I really was able to make up some time. It started to rain again and pretty much stayed raining off and on for the next hour. I was hoping that these last 4.5 miles were on the asphalt, but I was pretty sure that it would go back into the wooded trails. I started taking a walk break after 4 minutes of running from that point forward. I just kept thinking to myself that I wanted to finish in under 3 hours. People were starting to pass me quite regularly, so I could tell that I was slowing down. By the time I crossed the finish line at 2:48:33, I was so relieved to be finished. Then the pain in my back started. Dwight was feeling pretty cold since he had been waiting for me for 26 minutes. He finished 14th overall with a 9:05 pace. That was amazing! I finished 51 out of 149 runners and 7th out of 14 in my age group of 35-39 year old men. My legs are so sore now 2 days later I can barely walk. I definitely didn't help my cold at all and have started on an antibiotic for bronchitis. Well it made for a great story.

A great friend.

When I was 9 years old, I met a boy named Jimmy Jarvis. He was a very nice kid and we struck up an immediate friendship. For the next three years of school at Forest Park Elementary, we were the best of friends spending a lot of time together. His family invited me on camping/fishing trips. I spent countless Friday nights at his house. Jimmy and I were kindred spirits. In the summer of 1983, we moved away and it would be 6 years before I would see Jimmy again. Fast forward to May of 1989, I had just graduated high school and was heading to my grandparents house to visit. I called Jimmy and went by and saw him. We spent a couple of hours reconnecting and I went on my way. He was heading off to college at MU and I was moving on with my life in the Army Reserve and then college at Southwest Missouri State. Life happened over the next 20 years and we, like many people, lost touch. Thanks to the miracle of Facebook, I found Jimmy a week ago and was able to visit him this afternoon. He has a lovely wife and two great sons. I must say that Jimmy is one of those friends that I will always treasure. I look forward to spending more time with Jimmy and his family and hope to not let so much time go by between visits.

The Cincinnati Flying Pig

Susan and I left town on Friday afternoon to head for my big marathon weekend in Cincinnati. We spent the night in Effingham, Illinois at the Hampton Inn. The next morning we headed about 5 hours southeast toward Cincinnati and arrived at the expo to pick up my race packet. The expo was huge and we wandered around in there for about an hour before we left to head for our hotel at the Sheraton North Cincinnati. We settled into the hotel and called a friend of mine from high school, Sarah Whitten. We met Sarah at Applebees and had a nice conversation while we watched the Kentucky Derby. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to relax. I had intended to go to bed early but Rob had a plan to come by the hotel and stay with me, instead of me picking him up early the next morning. Unfortunately for me, Rob had promised his boys that they could stay at King's Island until 10. By the time I finally got to sleep it was after midnight. We got up and left the hotel about 5:15 a.m. It was raining ever so slightly. We found a place to park and by the time we got to the starting line it was 6:15. Rob shared with me later that was cutting it a little too close for him. I had to take care of bathroom business before I got run/walking. As I was coming out of the bathroom at Paul Brown stadium I could hear the countdown to the start of the race. I knew I had plenty of time, because the starting line was packed with 16000 people preparing to run or walk the full or half-marathon. I finally was able to squeeze into line and approximately ten minutes later I was crossing the starting line to my first marathon. Since I hadn't run for three weeks, I was feeling good and I decided to run until my right achilles started causing discomfort. I had proactively ace-wrapped it. I was wearing my Salomon Pro X3D trail shoes with speed laces to keep from irritating the ganglion cyst on the top of my right foot. I was wearing my Swiss Gear hydration backpack with two quarts of hotel tap water in it (nothing but the best for me).

The first six miles (you can see by looking at the graphic) went very well. My foot didn't hurt. I stopped between mile 4 and 5 to remove my long sleeve shirt with my number on it. At mile 7 the elevation changed so I started my walking plan. I began to walk the uphill portions and run the downhill portions. As I'm typing this I'm starting to remember my frame of mind during this portion. I decided to keep running until 13 miles and then walk the rest of the marathon once I reached the halfway point. I was carrying my cell phone with me and Susan told me she, Robin and Rob's aunt were around the 13 mile mark. As the next few miles unfolded, I became frustrated because I came past 13 and still no sign of Susan. At mile 14 or so I rounded a corner and a fraternity had a table set up with a sign that said Free Beer. I wasn't so excited about that but I spied a Krispy Kreme box on the table. I walked up and asked if I could have one and they said "yeah man, get one". I slowed to a walk and ate that stale donut. I finally reached them and they were at mile marker 15. She explained that a cop had told them incorrectly. I sat down in the chair that Rob's Aunt Gayle provided for me and changed my sock and took off my ace wrap. My ipod was dead after 2 hours and 50 minutes of playing (I need a new battery). I gave Susan my ipod, a kiss and headed back down the road. I put my headphones in my cellphone and started the music up on it. I must have looked kind of tired at this point, but I was determined to finish. I had been receiving text messages regarding where Rob was on the course and I had just received that he had passed 19.7 miles. I told Susan and Robin that they better head toward the finish line because Rob would be crossing soon. I headed around the loop and by the time I got to 16.5 I stopped to use the porta-potty. It was nice to not be so focused on time that I couldn't go to the bathroom if I needed to. The technical details of the race are here. Around mile 17 I saw a young lady starting to stagger like she was going to pass out. I asked her if she was okay and she said she was and put her hand up giving me the sign to leave her alone, so I did. Around mile 18 they were passing out gels so I grabbed about three and didn't use any of them. I gave them to Rob after the race. The last time I used Gels it upset my lower GI tract too much. About mile 19 I was walking off and on around a 13 min/mile pace. I called both of my brothers to let them know my progress. Once I hit mile 20, I knew I was going to finish under 5 hours. I decided to run as much as I could tolerate. Taking walk breaks turned out to be the key to my success. I crossed the 26.2 finish line in 4 hours 50 minutes and 18 seconds. I became emotional after I crossed, getting a little choked up at the thought of my accomplishment. I was now officially a marathoner. I wandered around and got my mylar blanket and was more concerned about connecting with Rob, Susan and Robin than I was getting my finishers medal. Eventually I found Rob and we connected with the girls.
We went to the merchandise tent and got in line to get a finishers hat. While in line I met Biggest Loser contestant Bette-Sue Burkland. She told us that Ali (Vincent) was over in the Prevention tent. Ali was the winner of Biggest Loser season five. We headed over to the tent and met Ali and talked with her for several minutes. She was very nice and down to earth. We chatted with her for about 5 minutes and the girls had their picture taken with her. After the marathon, Rob and I headed to the hotel to take a shower. I'm sure that no one wanted to ride with us anyway. We stopped at McDonalds and both got a Big n Tasty and a Coca Cola. We eventually made it back to Rob's Aunt and Uncle's house for afternoon lunch of Lasagna and salad. Aunt Gayle had a friend who was a massage therapist. She came over and worked on my right leg and achilles for about 20 minutes. I wore a compression sleeve on it all day Monday and Tuesday it was feeling fine.

My running story

The early years
When I was a freshman in Cape Girardeau, I, like many other kids, decided that I would participate in track. I just wanted to be a part of something. I was chubby and not fast so I decided my event would be the two mile. I did not enjoy running, because I had no fitness. I would run with the group on training runs but always had to walk after several minutes. I took part in a couple of track meets running in the two mile, but I don't even remember my times. All I know was I was slow and after that track season my running career died. I ran a small amount in Army basic training and advanced individual training. My fastest two mile time in the Army was 13:54. I pretty much decided that I disliked running. When we would do the yearly physical training test for the Army Reserve I would run the two mile and throw up after running it. Over the years I would attempt to run, but never any distances greater than two miles. I particularly remember running on a treadmill at the YMCA one day and actually running three miles. I was surprised that after two miles, I started to feel different. That was my first clue that running longer distances had a different feel.

Adult Onset Athletics
In the winter of 2006 I made up my mind that I was going to start running, but I wasn't really sure how I was going to do that. I knew I wanted to lose weight and I thought running would be a great way to burn some calories. An injury while skiing to my right shoulder prevented me from getting started until June. At that time I weighed about 192 pounds. Despite being out of breath often and extremely hot, I soon realized that I would enjoy running and started training to run my first race (a 5k in October). I finished that first race in 26 minutes and 45 seconds. I didn't have an official time because I was carrying the timing chip in my pocket. I continued to enjoy running 3-4 miles 3 days a week until I did another 5k on Thanksgiving of that same year. My time was slightly improved, so that was encouraging. My friend Dwight asked me if I wanted to start meeting the group to run long on Sunday mornings. At first I was really intimidated by running 8 miles. After my first long run, I can remember feeling a huge sense of accomplishment. I realized that I might be able to run longer distances.

2007
I continued to train running two days during the week and doing a long run on the weekend. I continued this pattern and started thinking about some longer distance races in the fall of 2007. My 5k times continued to improve. I completed the Kitchen run in May of 2007. My time was improved quite a bit. I ran a 24:57 which was an 8 minute and 12 second per mile pace. I hadn't run that fast since my Army days. My weight was starting to come down a little. I was around 185 when I started training for the Bass Pro Shops Half. While preparing for the BP Half I ran the Sunshine run in October of 2007 and completed in 52:59 which translated to an 8:33 pace. My weight was slowly inching down close to the 180 mark. November of 2007 I completed the Cohick Half marathon.
I ran it in 1 hour 59 minutes and 19 seconds. It was my most significant athletic achievement in my life. I had a taste for more of this challenge. During the 2007 training period, I ran into an old friend from church who I hadn't seen in awhile, Patrick O'reilly. Patrick and I started running together as often as we could. He had completed a couple of marathons in his transformation from an overweight guy to a new thinner runner. I appreciated his experiences and he helped me learn how to run conversationally. I had hernia surgery in December 2007 and it took awhile to get back into the swing of training for another race.

2008
Once 2008 rolled around I wanted to do a marathon but didn't feel like I had enough time to train after the hernia surgery. I battled various discomforts in my knees during these runs. After a hot summer of training, I settled on running the Sunshine Run again in October of 2008 and participated in my first duathlon (bike and run). My time for the Sunshine run was quite a bit faster than the year before (48:07), but I found out that it was 0.3 mile short. The first Sunday in November, I ran my second half-marathon. I ran in 1:49:46.
A significant thing happened in September of 2008. My best friend Rob Horton returned to running after a 18 year hiatus. Rob was a pretty special runner when he was younger but like many before him, life happened and he went another direction. For those who know Rob, it was no surprise to find him quickly obsessed with all things running. He inspired me to take my workload of running to a new level. I cautioned him about not starting too fast, but Rob moves to his own beat. I spoke with him about doing a marathon in the spring and we settled on the "beginner friendly" Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. He was also about 265-270 pounds when he started so he had some work to do in that area. My weight had gotten down to 171 by the fall of 2008 and with my best friend now concentrating on running, it was time to take it to another level. Rob was progressing rather quickly and I was concerned that he was going to soon pass me in time. I knew I just had to beat him in at least one race. The 2008 Turkey Trot was the one. I ran it in 22:25 and Rob ran it in 22:48. That was a 7:14 pace and I beat Rob by 23 seconds. That will be my one claim to fame in our running journey together.

2009
Through the months of December, January and February I logged more miles than I had done in the previous nine months combined. Every time I looked at Rob's mileage, my competitiveness kicked in and I would add more distance. However, I couldn't keep up. My body just couldn't handle all of those extra miles. Little did I truly know the eventual outcome of this foolishness. By the time February was over, my weight was down to 158 and I was starting to look like a high school kid again (I'm only 5'9). During this time, my aches and pains were minimal. Rob and I were following the Jeff Galloway training plan for our long runs which included taking walk breaks at every mile. We had started doing some trail running and decided to run a 10 mile trail race called the Psycho Wyco in the KC area on Feb 14. We both had a phenomenal time. Rob wrote a nice detailed race report. Eight days later on Feb 22, we ran 22 miles on the Frisco Highline trail. Our original plan was to run 20 but we were feeling so good that we added two miles. After that run, I started experiencing some discomfort in my achilles in my right leg. I also started experiencing pain on the top of my right foot which turned out to be a ganglion cyst. I decided to take 3 weeks off to let my achilles rest. In the mean time, I started swimming and biking to maintain my fitness. As soon as I returned to running my pain returned and I was developing some scar tissue back there. I spoke with my friend Justin who is a physical therapist and he told me to be careful that I might be developing achilles tendinosis which is a chronic condition. With the marathon a month away, I cut back the running. After a couple of weeks off I attempted to run two days in a row on a weekend 3 weeks before the marathon. I was convinced that I needed to see how it was going to feel. I could hardly walk on the next day. I officially scrapped the idea of running the marathon. I was bummed because I had already paid and Rob and I were supposed to run it together. I decided to skip the marathon and take 6 weeks off from running to allow the ankle to heal. I went to see an orthopedist and during my exam, he discovered something about my right foot. He told me I had a congenital condition called tarsal coalition. Essentially my right foot's bones are somewhat fused together. It causes serious rigidity which in turn creates severe shearing force agains the achilles because my flat foot overpronates so badly. He said I could still run, but I may not be able to put in the mileage I was doing before. He encouraged me to focus on shorter distances. I explained my plan of taking six weeks off, etc. and he thought that was a good idea. I still planned on going to Cincinnati to have a weekend away with Susan and support Rob in his marathon quest. I was biking and swimming and not having any discomfort. I decided that I would focus on doing triathlons instead of marathons. After a couple of weeks off of running, I was feeling much better. I went for a walk at Wilson's Creek with Rob. We walked 8.5 miles and I felt great. The walking didn't irritate the achilles like running did. Rob encouraged me to walk the marathon so I could get the finisher's medal. I was hesitant, but thought I could always quit if it got to painful to walk.

We went to Cincinnati as planned and I ran/walked the marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes. For a more detailed account read my race report. After this event I can say with confidence that I would like to run one of these again. I was concerned at one point that my long-running days were limited. I realized that with the right strategy and preparation I could do more marathons. I'm looking forward to doing more.

New Adventure

I have started a new chapter in my life. I joined the U.S. Triathlon association (don't get too excited, it saves me money for the events). I am going to participate in my first triathlon on May 31 in Carthage, MO. It consists of a 250 yard swim, 15 mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run. I have been training hard and look forward to this new chapter in my adult onset athleteticism.

I recently discovered that I have a congenital defect in my right foot called tarsal coalition. It basically means that my right foot is not as flexible as my left. This in conjunction with my overpronation puts me at risk for achilles injuries. I am currently resting my achilles for 6 weeks. My first run will be May 24. I am walking the Flying Pig Marathon this coming weekend (May 3). I am logging all of my workout mileage on www.dailymile.com it is a great way to keep a journal of your training.

 

 

Wanted to get back to running so bad that I could hardly stand it. Nice tempo pace for me. Ran without my shirt for most of the run. My right achilles is sore now. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 1289 ft Location: Republic, MO Elev. Gain: +6 ft Date: 03/09/09 Up/Downhill: [+252/-246] Time: 03:58 PM Difficulty: 2.8 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   67 F temp; 37% humidity   67 F heat index; winds SE 15 G 24 Performance Distance: 6.00 miles Time: 0:53:01 Speed: 6.8 mph Pace: 8' 50 /mi Heart Rate: 154 bpm (Avg) Calories: 797 169 bpm (Peak) Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Heart Rate (bpm)   Heart Rate Zones Zone Range (bpm) Time In Zone Distance In Zone Zone 5 176 - 195 0h 00m 0%  0.00 mi Zone 4 156 - 176 0h 29m 55%  3.37 mi Zone 3 137 - 156 0h 31m 58%  3.13 mi Zone 2 117 - 137 0h 01m 1%  0.10 mi Zone 1 98 - 117 0h 06m 11%  0.06 mi (none) out of range 0h 00m 0%  0.01 mi Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Heart Rate Elev Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 44 -0' 06 6.9 +0.1 148 +39 ft 2 8' 47 -0' 03 6.8 +0.0 155 +4 ft 3 8' 48 -0' 02 6.8 +0.0 156 +13 ft 4 15' 47 +6' 57 3.8 -3.0 150 +10 ft 5 8' 41 -0' 09 6.9 +0.1 157 -23 ft end 8' 42 -0' 08 6.9 +0.1 160 -36 ft Versus average of 8' 50 min/mile

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