Boston Marathon 2012 Race Report

April 16 , 2012 - the day was too hot for racing, sunny and 70's at the start, rising into the upper 80's. During training my goal time for this race was 3:30 - requiring an average pace of 8 minutes per mile.  I finished with 4:30:29, 45 minutes slower than in 2011. There were many warnings from the BAA about the hot weather.  They recommended only highly trained runners participate and to abandon time goals.  And they offered deferment/guaranteed entry for next year. Considering the hot conditions I decided to start at 8:30 pace and adjust as needed.  By 5k I realized that pace would not work, so I purposely slowed by taking more time at water stops.  I had to continue slowing throughout the race. I added walking some between stops and then walking whenever I was too hot. Each mile took longer and was becoming more uncomfortable for me.  There were fluid stations every mile with gatorade and water.  As the day went on and got hotter, the drinks got warmer.  I was soon 2 or 3 cupping every water table - dump a cup of water, drink a cup of something, dump another cup of water over my head and upper body for cooling.  One time the "water" running down my face tasted like gatorade.  Oops!  My first thought was whether anyone noticed what I did.  I quickly used a couple extra waters to rinse. Runners also had several opportunities to run through misting tents and fire hydrant sprayers to help keep cool. By midway my quads were hurting and any slight downhill stretch was painful. The Newton hills from miles 17 to 21 tired and slowed me even more.  About mile 20 it seemed I was no longer sweating.  Before arriving at each water stop my arms would be dry.  But I felt ok to continue.  No headaches, dizziness, shaking.  No serious cramping.  My skin recovered from a pinch test for dehydration.  I considered checking at a medical tent but didn't want to risk them taking me off the course.  I had invested a lot of effort to get this far and didn't want to leave without finishing and getting the medal.  It seems foolish now as I put these stubborn thoughts into words.  Walking again, thinking constant forward progress.  For a long time I had been looking forward to the end of the hills where family and friends were watching.  I made sure I was running as I approached the spot in case there was a camera was ready for pictures.  Finally I arrived, found them near where I expected at mile 22 and stopped to talk with Rose and Keith and the others.  Rose offered water to pour over my head - I suppose I didn't look so fresh.  And then I went on to face the last 4-something miles. More run-walk effort made slow progress. I realized if I could or would run more, I'd get done sooner.  At last I reached the final mile with only 2 turns before I could see the finish a few blocks away.  I managed to run without walking from the end of Boyleston the last whatever that is (half mile?) at a little under 9 minute pace.  I felt some emotion welling up as I ran along this last stretch in front of big crowds making big noise.  Crossing the finish gave simply a feeling of relief. This marathon was difficult in such a different way than others I've run.  The conditions were the biggest challenge, not the distance or a time goal.  Early on when I realized I had to slow down to manage the heat, I surrendered any time goal.  When I checked my watch it was either to see what the total distance was or out of curiosity over my ever slowing pace.  My goal was only to finish safely.  Even that was not easy. Even with this year's challenges, I am still very glad to have done the Boston Marathon. There was awesome support over the entire course from race workers and spectators acting as unofficial volunteers!  Finishing!  5k splits recorded by BAA: 0:26:21, 0:54:07, 1:22:21, 1:52:50, 1:59:12, 2:25:18, 3:00:31, 3:38:49, 4:15:58 mile splits from my watch:   829,   828,    824,     821,     844,     858,     916,    917,     904,     900,     944,    1001,     942, 1007, 1103,  1012,   1149,   1130,   1123,   1142,  1305,   1142,   1239,   1147,    1108,   1103,  348 (828 pace for 0.45mi)

Holiday Lake 50K++ February 11, 2012

Training Context: I entered the race for a fun extra long run in the middle of training for Boston in April. It would be my 3rd time at Holiday Lake.  Ten local running friends were doing this race so it was a fun road trip driving together, staying at the camp, etc.  In late December I developed heel pain that increased till it interrupted my training plan and sent me to a doctor.  Big cutback in miles including 7 days straight of no running.  Adjusted goals to finish upcoming races rather than PR.

Goals/expectations: run comfortably, manage heel pain, enjoy the day, finish (or drop out) without further injury.  Run as much as possible on downhills and flats, walk uphills to avoid stressing the plantar fascia tendon that connects to where my heel hurts.

Race day: Dressed for running in low to mid 30 degree temperatures without rain or snow.  Bio-freeze on sore foot, tylenol and more bio-freeze in belt pack.  Inov8 Roclite 295 trail shoes with heel pads (modified to give more room for sore spot).



Looking ok around mile 12 - I have number 341 on my YRat shirt.

Race summary: I managed to run mostly normal effort for a long run, following the run/walk plan above.  Took 2 tylenol tablets at 3 times at about 1 hour 30 minutes intervals.  Reapplied bio-freeze at about 20 miles.  Ate a mix of sweet and salty at aid stations.  Mostly drank my own sportdrink, water, coke.  Was into the halfway / turnaround at 3 hours.  Felt stronger in the middle of the second loop and my heel never got too painful or got to the point of setting off some other problem due to compensation.  Leg muscles definitely felt the extra miles and hills but everything kept working. At the 2nd stream crossing around 26 miles, I stood in the stream for about 30 extra seconds to get a little icing effect for my foot. With about 5 miles to go I caught up to Janice who was in the same cabin as the ladies I travelled with.  We ran together chatting away the rest of the run to ignore the fatigue and discomfort.  Finish time 6 hours 12 minutes and 12 seconds, far better than I anticipated.  Yay! 

Race details:
At the 6:30 am start in the dark, I was with Brenda, Nikki, Anna who are my most frequent training partners and told them "don't wait for me when I slow down".  We were mid pack on the uphill to where the course leaves pavement to get on the trail, waiting as the crowd had to thin down to the single track trail.  I immediately stepped in a hole but thankfully didn't roll my ankle.  Soon I was running my own pace but separated from my friends wondering how soon till I had trouble and they would catch and pass me. 

In only 15 or 20 minutes I put my small flashlight away as daylight arrived.  I was carrying my own homemade sportdrink in a bottle belt arrangement.  I bypassed the 1st aid station at about 50 minutes, too soon to need food or a drink refill.  Traffic was easier by now and I watched a while for a place with enough cover for a semi private pee break.  Upon reentering the trail I heard some lady runners bemoaning the unfairness of how easy pee breaks are for the guys.  It made me smile.  Soon I arrived at the stream crossing and sloshed through, passing a couple of runners tiptoeing across rocks in the shallowest part.  This was at about 7 miles and I realized I had only a marathon still ahead of me.  I considered whether this was encouraging or depressing information.  My heel had been sore for some so I took 2 tylenol tabs and looked forward to the aid station about midway on the first loop.  On this stretch a lady runner emerged from the woods and said something about girls not having it easy as "you guys".  Her bright blue top and socks matched nicely with my gloves and I told her so.  Several times through the race she or I would pass the other and somehow it always brought a friendly feeling to see "Bright-Blue lady" again.

At the aid station I filled a sandwich bag with chips, pretzels, cookies; refilled my bottle with water; left there eating on the walk/run.  Things continued similarly lowkey to the next aid station.  One of our local group, Mike, was crewing for us at this station and it was good to see him here.  He helped me do another quick in and out baggie/bottle refill.  Almost immediately I encountered the race leader coming back on his second loop.  It suprised me at how soon this happened, maybe a mile sooner than last year. I interpretted that to mean he was on pace for a new course record, not that I was slower than last year (the truth). 

I tried keeping count of runners on their second loop to see how far back I was when I reached the halfway mark.  Seeing all of the runners' faces seemed to give me more energy.  Along the way I saw and exchanged greetings with local friends Jill, Johna, Monique. They all looked to be going strong.  Near the end of my first loop a lady runner was down on the trail, crying out in pain with a cramping calf.  I stopped for a minute or so to help by stretching and massaging the tight muscle for her, then finished my first loop.  My count showed me to be behind a little more than 200 others.  I came in right at 3 hours - about 5 minutes behind last year's halfway time.  I grabbed some snacks, refilled my sportdrink, took 2 more tylenol and started loop 2 in the other direction.  Soon I saw my other local friends: Nikki, Brenda, Angie, Brian, Anna.  Seeing each one brightened my spirits.

So 16+ more miles.  Would my foot allow me to run when the terrain was favorable?  Before long I felt the heel pad in my right shoe (the problem foot) working to the side.  So I made a plan to sit down at the next aid station, fix my shoe, apply bio-freeze to my arch through my sock.  Coming into this stop was somehow emotional for me and I thought I might cry when I saw Mike ready to snap my picture. While I did my foot/shoe maintence Mike refilled my bottle and snack bag.  Then I walked up the hill from this point, eating and drinking till the course flattened again. 

A couple miles later there is another long uphill approaching the next aid station and on this stretch I almost caught up to the Bright-Blue lady.  But she jogged the hill and I walked it so she added to the gap.  I checked the time and realized a 6 hour finished was out of the question as I would have to finish by running the last 8 miles faster than I had run all day.  Soon after the refills here at the halfway mark of the second loop (and a visit to the bushes for her) I passed Bright-Blue.  She would pass me once more and finish ahead of me.  I took two more tylenol and rubbed some bio-freeze on my quads and hip flexors that were aching from the day's work.  The next mile was all runnable and then the stream crossing.  I walked into the water to mid calf and stood for about 30 seconds to try to help my foot.

This next section was rather empty of runners, but as I kept on I passed a few.  Then with about 5 miles to go one lady looked familiar.  It was Janice who was in the same cabin with the ladies from our local group.  We ran together for the rest of the race, telling stories and swapping training experiences.  It was a good place to have company as the last miles are the hardest for me to keep focused mentally and to not compromise on the effort it takes to continue.  We finished together in 6:12:12. 

Mike was at the finish taking pictures.  Soon I was sharing experiences with him and with Jill, Johna, and Monique who finished before me.  And watching for our other runners still out.  Angie and Brian finished next, then Anna, then Nikki and Brenda (who was injured by some bad falls, causing a big slowdown).

This finish time was far better than I had hoped for considering my foot problems and the big interruption they have caused in my training.  I was expecting to have to walk and hobble to the finish or maybe even drop out.  Amazingly everything kept working.  I am so glad to have rested so I could have a chance to run, then started the race so I could find out what was possible.



All of our group got medals and most of us showed them off to Dr Horton.
Thanks to Brenda (wearing purple) for the medals!



Where have I been and where am I going? First post of 2012

Hmm... where have I been?  Regarding blogging, I have been reading but not posting since October.  Sorrry, it seemed like I was too busy to put out the effort.  Nothing needed saying either, but that might still be true.

Regarding last year, where have I been in 2011?  I can make a list for that.

Running related things first.

• Marathons: ran 2 - Boston and Bob Potts, raced and PR'd 2 - Lehigh Valley and Marine Corps.  My PR improved almost 10 minutes over 2010.
• Half Marathons: ran Chambersburg Half and raced Wineglass.  New PR at Wineglass by about 4 minutes (raced 2)
• Ran 1 ultra - Holiday Lake 50k++ at not quite race effort and finished just under 6 hours and enjoyed it.
• Ran a 5k and raced 2 10ks.  No true PRs at the 10k distance where both races seemed longer and my watch showed a PR pace.
• Boston Marathon was a real fun experience overall and amazing in many ways.
• I finished the year with 2116.3 miles, an average of about 40 miles per week. 
• I paced friends in 3 of the above races rather than racing them myself and we met our goal on 2 of them.  One of the 10k races was a fundraiser for breast cancer research and I wore a pink shirt with ribbons!

Non-running: 

• I have been making progress on a bathroom project at home and have only about 10% still to do.
• At church I have been teaching teens on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.  I continue as assistant treasurer.  I was appointed as an Elder near the end of the year.
• Rose and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary in July with a visit to Baladerry Inn near Gettysburg.  Our honeymoon included some time in the same town.

Looking ahead for 2012

• I plan to do less running after a couple of key races - Holiday Lake 50k++ and Boston Marathon. My plan was to go for a big PR at Boston, but plantar fasciitis is interrupting my training.  I will be happy to finish both races without looking or being disabled. 
• I will switch to working out with Rose and helping her reach fitness goals that she will set.
• Church leadership responsibilities will take some more priority and probably stretch my comfort zone. 
• Summer time should include a family reunion trip to Kansas.
• In the bathroom there is some wall space to finish/paint and the tub to reglaze.  More home projects await after the bathroom is 100%.

36th Marine Corps Marathon, October 30, 2011

Arlington Virginia and Washington DC

Weather forecast: clear, mid 30s at the 8am start, mid 40s about noon.

the numbers:

Finish time 3:32:30. overall place 1339 / 20991, males 1128 / 12409, males 55-59  24 / 671.

mile splits according to my watch (26.31 miles)
8:43, 8:30, 8:17, 7:51, 7:48, 7:57, 8:14, 7:51, 7:50, 8:16, 7:50, 7:50, 8:01, 8:10,
7:48, 7:59, 8:01, 8:01, 8:03, 8:08, 7:59, 8:12, 7:56, 8:34, 8:07, 8:03, 2:34 (8:20 pace)
5k splits according to MCM
26:13, 24:42, 24:42, 24:42, 24:52, 25:01, 25:11, 25:56
1st half 1:45:48, 2nd half 1:46:42

the long story:

One hour before race time we met in the hotel lobby for a picture and the mile walk to the race start.  "We" included me and running friends Crystal, Kristal, Jill, Laurie; family supporters were my wife Rose, our son Matt, Jill's sister Lisa and Kristal's daughter Lindsey.

The walk included chatting about the impending challenge of 26.2 miles, encountering increasing crowds, security checks, Marines in uniform, parachutists bringing in the flag, a military flyover.  We stopped near the start line when the national anthem was sung and I choked up as usual.  Then it  was time for handing over our warm outer clothes, finding a place in the crowd of runners, peeling off the throwaway clothes.  On the start signal of a howitzer blast, we began shuffling forward until the crowd spread enough to begin running.  Upon reaching the start line, I started my watch.

My plan was to stick with the 3:35 pace group at least through the hills before deciding whether moving ahead of them would be sustainable.  I had a problem right away because I couldn't see the pace group.  So I did my own pacing, avoiding too much effort on the early hills.  In this section a large flag was suspended just barely over the road surface.  Many runners reached to touch it but I thought it was against flag protocol so I went around the flag.  My watch was set to track my progress compared to a pace of 8:10 per mile.  On the downhill following the first set of hills around mile 3, I went by a group marching in uniform and carrying packs.  The had signs showing USO DOC.  Then I caught and passed the 3:45 pace group and was not far behind my goal pace.  Soon I decided to not try to wait out my bladder and stopped for relief.  When I resumed running I was behind that big pace group and had to work my way around them again.

After crossing a bridge to the DC side of the river, we approached then entered the C & O Canal Park area.  I saw the escort vehicles and the race leaders coming the other way on a section where we passed - around mile 5 for me and mile 8 for them.  Soon there was another uphill that slowed my pace.  Along here I saw a lady running in a Santa's helper outfit.  There were other costumes including a guy running in a business suit and a Batman.  Beyond the hill was a downhill which helped me in catching up to my target race pace.  It was enjoyable to remember these parts of the course from the prior year and to think about what was coming soon.   When I got to the 8 mile mark or so, I tried scanning the oncoming runners for any of our runners though it seemed unlikely they would be that far behind.  And the bright sunshine made it a difficult task.

By now I had removed my earwarmer headband and was planning to take off my long sleeve top that was under the short sleeve shirt with my race number.  My knit gloves would stay on for the entire race.  And I was nearly done with my throwaway bottle of sportdrink.  I had figured it would last about 6 miles, then I would take a gel at miles 6, 12, 17, 22.  But it was at mile 9 that I finished the bottle and took my first gel, so I adjusted the fueling plan to take a gel at 5 mile intervals as water stops allowed.  The support plan was for our group to watch for us around mile 10 and 16.  This would be where I would drop my shirt since I didn't want to throw it away.  I watched the crowds on both sides for several minutes before I saw Rose waving on the left side of the road.  So I made the quick change, leaving the shirt and running while putting the other shirt back on.  My glasses came off but I managed to catch them with a little bobbling.

My pace was fairly comfortable and steady.  Occaisionally I had to slow down, but never needed to push my pace to stay on plan until late in the race.  We ran along the river awhile before coming to the halfway mark and a turnaround to head back toward the mall.  I saw the 3:35 pace group here and followed for a few minutes before deciding not to slow down to stay with them.  I hoped I wouldn't need to work to keep ahead of them later.  As I saw that mile 16 was coming up, I began watching for our crew again.  Finally I spotted them along the mall and stopped to ask how our other runners were doing.  I was told that they were fine and to keep moving.  I prayed some for each of our runners and for some other local runners I knew were doing MCM.

I began to look forward to "the bridge".  This bridge is a challenge and discouragement to many MCM runners.  The bridge has a series of slight uphills, little crowd support and seems to go on forever.  Last year my race plan fell apart on the bridge and I started walking off and on till the last mile.  This time I was running a lot faster and feeling a lot better.  It seemed like it took longer to get to the bridge this year.  I had forgotten what to expect through these miles.  At last I came to the bridge and continued on pace.  I had been thinking sometimes about how I was doing and whether to play it safe and ease up to just meet my 3:35 goal.  My decision was to not make any deals or compromises yet.  I reaffirmed that decision on the bridge.  My legs were tired and my calves were sore, but everything was working.  The bridge ends at Crystal City about mile 22 with lots of crowd support and places where the course bends back onto itself allowing one to see the runners ahead of them, and later those who are behind.  I kept busy looking for Laurie and Jill ahead of me and Kristal behind me.  I also realized that I had to work to stay on pace as I was beginning to slow down.  Just near the end of the doubled up race route I heard my name and was able to wave at Kristal.  She looked to be doing well.  I got a boost mentally from seeing someone I knew.

About 2 and a half miles remained and I was feeling good about how the race was turning out.  I was ahead of plan by more than 2 minutes and decided that I could and would try to maintain my goal pace of 8:10 or better.  I was hurting quite a bit especially my calves and wondered if I would get full blown cramps like so many other runners I had seen who stopped to stretch and or walk.  Dunkin Donuts was offerring Munchkins but I wasn't interested.  A lady in a red shirt passed me and I tried to stay with her for the last mile and a half to the finish.  Mostly this went ok until she picked up the pace near the end.  I had not seen the marker for mile 25 and was concerned about how accurate my watch was.  I didn't want to "kick" too soon.  I could see the last straight stretch but not the place where we turn up the hill to the finish.  The red shirt was pulling ahead.  Finally I saw the turn and began to push myself while the hill worked to make me slow down.  My breathing became heavy and my legs were really protesting the uphill.  I looked for the finishing arch but it was a long time before I could see it.  As the hill leveled out before the arch it seemed I could only maintain pace and continued on to finish.  Everything seemed to hurt and yet I was happy with a new PR.

Miles of Memories 5k Run / 5k Walk/ 10k Run

Sponsored by Jersey Shore Hospital.  Held at Nippenose Valley Elementary School

Benefit Susan G Koman Foundation
  

I entered this race because a friend helped organize it, because it was held in my hometown area, and because my mother died from breast cancer.  I wore a pink t-shirt with a ribbon with Mom's name and 5 more ribbons with names for others who had breast cancer too.  These were for Rose's Aunt Kate, sister Carol, friends Ann and Erna, plus Dorothy the mother of my friend Brenda.  The shirt seemed too feminine for me but it was what I wanted to do to recognize these people.  The design was not so race friendly as I caught my fingers in the ribbon loops a number of times in the race.

The race was a week before the Marine Corps Marathon and I was in the middle of tapering for that race.  I felt I should be able to improve my PR for this distance, but the unknown factor was the unfamiliar and hilly course.  It seemed a 7:15 average pace should be possible.  My friend was in the know on who was signed up and had suggested I could win this race.  That is a strange thought for me and I worried I might end up in front and risk making a wrong turn.

All 3 races started at the same time, but the 10k start was about 50 or so yards ahead of the 5k start. We were all to start on the same signal, going in the same direction.

There were only 17 in the 10k.  One young 20-something guy looked to me like he was the runner to beat.  There were other older guys like me and 6 or 8 ladies.  I started out in the lead group of 4 on a slight downhill.  Just a minute or so into the race I thought the pace seemed pretty easy, "maybe I have a chance to try for a win".  Soon I checked my watch and realized the pace was too fast by about 45 seconds per mile and I dropped back in 4th.  About this time a young runner who I had not seen in our start area caught and passed me.  This runner soon passed all but the favorite I had picked to win.  Now I was in 5th.  So much for winning.

I decided to be patient, run my planned pace, and hope for the typical too fast start and later slow down by some of those ahead of me.  I passed one guy on a hill at about 1.5 miles.  Soon there was a turn where the 5k route split from the the 10k.  The young guy who had passed early in the race took the 5k turn so I was actually in 3rd place.

Maybe 100 yards ahead was the number 2 guy. It looked to me like he was struggling a little on the uphill but making up for it on the downhills.  I finally caught up to him about halfway and ran with him almost a half mile before moving on into 2nd place.  The course had the 5k participants coming the other way on this road so we got to look into their faces for a while.  I briefly saw the number one guy as he seemed almost a half mile ahead.  Soon I came to another uphill section and could not take the shortest line on the curve because the walkers were on that side.  By the top of this hill I was breathing quite loudly but was beyond the 4 mile mark where I wanted to start pushing my pace.  The following downhill let my breathing return to something less desperate.  I tried listening for footsteps hoping no one would come up to challenge me for 2nd.  Eventually the final turn approached and my watch showed 5.68 miles.  If the course was accurate I had just over a half mile to go.

This section was on a somewhat busy road and I was running on the 3 foot wide shoulder facing traffic.  This was retracing the start which meant something of an uphill.  As I neared the top of this section I could see the school and realized the course was long - maybe by a quarter mile.  For now I just kept pushing and was breathing desperately again, seeing a 6:50 something pace when I checked my watch.  Finally I reached the school entrance and the final 50ish yards to the finish line.  I saw some walkers coming the other way making the turn into the same driveway.  Rose was waiting 20 yards before the finish and snapped a picture while I pushed even harder.  Happily I was racing only the clock.

My finish time was 46:44 a little slower than my best at 10k, but my watch showed this course at 6.42 miles, average pace of 7:18. 

I finished about 2 minutes behind the winner and 45 seconds ahead of #3.  I found out the winner is the 24 year old son of one of my high school classmates.

There were probably 75 walkers and maybe 30 5k runners.  I understand they expected to be able to send $1000 from this event for breast cancer research.  Before the race started there was a talk by a local cancer survivor and after the awards a representative of the Komen Foundation spoke.

Wineglass Half Marathon, Corning NY October 2, 2011

Briefly...

Official time 1:37:45, a new PR by about 3:45; my watch showed 1:37:41 and 13.18 miles.

I was able to finish strong, running the last 10k faster than my 10k PR.

Mile splits from my watch: 7:47, 7:38, 7:25, 7:23, 7:32, 7:41, 7:26, 7:29, 7:20, 7:26, 7:23, 7:08, 6:58, 1:06 for last fraction (5:59 pace)
Weather: 41 degrees and rain, light wind mainly from behind.

The long story...

Prerace: I had decided to run in this race because some co-workers were running and it is held in the town where our company was founded. There were 4 from the IT department: running Hari in the marathon; Rudy, Scott, and myself in the half marathon. Scott and Rudy live in the Corning area; Hari and I travelled there together on the day before the race.  Scott had picked up the race packets for Hari and I.  The evening before the race Scott and his wife hosted our group along with Rudy's family and Scott's training partner Lisa for a pasta dinner. It was a real fun time chatting about the race, the cold rainy weather, and of course carb loading.

Hari, Chuck, Scott, Rudy

Race morning we met at the Corning YMCA to carpool to the respective starts, dropping Hari at his then parking at the start point for the half. We got in line for porta potties then went inside a school for shelter from the weather until start time approached. I did my usual stretching then jogged for 5 minutes or so to warm up. In spite of the cold and rain I wore a short sleeve wicking shirt and shorts, but with hat, gloves and wool compression socks in consideration of the weather. That turned out to be about right, except the gloves would have served better if not made of cotton.  This race was 3 weeks after my goal race for the fall - Lehigh Valley Marathon. I had PR'd there and hoped to be recovered for this race for another PR attempt on the same training cycle.

The race: We waited for the race clock to tick down to start time, only to hear the race would be delayed 10 minutes until the marathon start was ready. Both races would share one race clock and finish line. The half marathon course was the second half of the marathon course. I decided to run with the pace group aiming for a 1:40 finish, averaging 7:38 pace. On paper it seemed I should be able to go under 1:40, but running that pace for 13 miles seemed rather daunting. I would guage my condition on the way and adjust later as seemed appropriate. Hopefully that would mean picking up the pace rather than fading or bonking.

As I stood near the pacer for our group, Dick Beardsley moved into the crowd to run the race too. Although he is a famous marathoner, he didn't act like he thought he was someone special. He interacted with others there just like any other runner.

One more countdown and we were off. The first mile felt a bit fast but was actually almost 10 seconds slower than average goal pace. The second mile included the only hill - a modest one - and with the downhill portion we were right on the number for this mile.  By this point I was feeling what might become shin splints on my left side. I had felt the same thing in my easy run the day before, but today I would run with it until it forced me to change.  Within a mile it stopped getting my attention. The pace group had a dozen or so at the start and gradually people dropped off the back. By mile ten it was just the pacer and 2 or 3 others. The course followed country roads between the few small towns we passed through. Almost the whole route was open to traffic with only a row of traffic cones separating runners and cars. Intersections were controlled for us and all turns had someone pointing the way. The spectators were rather sparse but the water table workers were enthusiastic and on the ball to take care of us.

I carried a throwaway 16 oz bottle of my own sport drink so I wouldn't need to hit the first few tables. Many of the tables had kids from about age 8 to 12 handing the cups of drink. Even though it was cold and wet, they were always ready as runners passed by. Whenever I was going to take a cup, I would look ahead and point to the girl whose cup I would take and say "thanks sweetie" as she released the cup. Then pause to walk for a couple steps to swallow before running again to catch the pacer.

The running was actually not dramatic at all through most of my race. I just kept reminding myself to think about the current mile, remember to "run like the wind - strong, smooth, free", and to trust in the Lord to be able to run and not grow weary.  Someone remarked when we were one fourth done, then at halfway, and the pacer announced "just a 10k now". I started thinking I would be ok at this pace and would consider moving to a faster pace for the last 5k. It seemed the pacer was thinking alot the same because our pace was in the 7:20s from halfway on. I wondered about the others he was to be pacing since we were about a minute ahead of goal.

Late in the eleventh mile I moved ahead of the pacer to test myself for the remaining portion. I ran a bit with one college aged guy who had been ahead of our group. He told me that he had raced the before and his coach didn't want him running this pace today. Then we heard footsteps and a lady joined us before going ahead a little. I commented that getting "chicked" is ok when I am running my fastest mile of the race. It's not like I'm fading or anything. Then the guy is telling me there is about a half mile including a bridge to go over and another half mile on Market St to the finish. So, it is now time to step up the pace some more. I go ahead of the guy, get "unchicked" and pass a couple more runners before the turn onto Market, the main downtown street lined with shops, restaurants, and some spectators.

My breathing is heavy now but I can see the finish arch 2 blocks ahead. And today will not be about coasting to the finish once the goal time is safe. So I push to an effort I think I can manage for a distance equal to 2 laps on the track. There were 2 runners ahead of me on this block of Market. I passed the guy who is apparently is fading, but the lady is about 50 yards ahead. I doubted I could catch her, but decided I will push to the finish with all I can.  And I began closing on her. I cross a street to enter the last block of the course and push to a sprint effort (though probably not really sprint pace). As I got about 10 yards from her and 40 or 50 from the finish, a female spectator shouts "race that guy, don't let him pass you!"  The runner kind of turned her head but didn't really change her pace, so I passed her and pushed myself to the finish at last.  And turn off my watch, and kind of choke up over having exceeded my goal.  My watch showed 1:37:41.  A race volunteer hands me water, another asks if I'm ok and points out the medical tent. The Dairy Princess gave me a bottle of chocolate milk; she was even wearing a sash and tiara kind of thing. Someone gives me a foil blanket and points the way to the checked bag pickup and the food areas.

Wow. Tired, happy, really tired.

Lehigh Valley Marathon for Via – September 11, 2011

Summary:

Finish time: 3:37:09, 8:18 average pace.  Positive split of about 1 minute.

Placing: 182 of 667 overall, 4 of 32 males age 55-59.

The story:

This was my goal race for the year and I waited at the start with local runner friends Johna, Amy, Laurie, Susan.  Along with welcoming comments related to the sponsoring organization, there was a moment of silence in observance of the September 11 anniversary.  A local first responder sang the national anthem.  The course began on the west edge of Allentown, went through a bit of Bethlehem and finished in Easton.  It followed the Delaware and Lehigh River Canal system which connects these towns.

My goal was to finish at least 5 minutes (preferably 10) under my BQ time of 3:45.  This would require an average pace of 8:24 (or 8:12).  Because of course changes and the forecast for humidity, my plan was to try for 8:15 to 8:20 pace to midway in the race, then pick up the pace as much as possible.

I carried my own homemade sport drink and planned for refills at 3 points on the course from my volunteer support crew – Brenda, Nikki, Anna, Trisha.  According to plan they would meet me around miles 6, 13, and 20 with my drink and honey based energy gel.

The race has a big downhill just out of the start, then there is a challenging uphill in the second mile.  The flat and fast elevation profile had suffered a bit from the course changes.  A couple of miles of unpaved surfaces were eliminated from both ends of the course.  The crowd of runners seemed quieter than usual in the early miles; maybe it was the 9/11 anniversary or the common challenge we faced to get a satisfactory BQ.  About mile three I heard Johna and Amy coming up from behind and we ran together for a couple of miles until Amy stopped to answer a call of nature.

The course was relatively flat from here until we approached mile six by going up a ramp to a bridge.  After crossing the bridge we looped to the left and then back under the bridge to head downhill to the canal towpath.  On this downhill Johna and I came to the awesome YRat support crew.  I walked while I got my refills and gel while Johna continued running.  To get to the towpath we went under a train bridge with a train travelling on it.  The towpath was a bit narrow, only wide enough for 3 runners together.  This made for some occasional slowdowns until someone would break through or around to pass.  The towpath took a bit more effort to maintain pace but I was running easily enough and seemed right on plan although I was actually ahead a bit.  I apparently have a better memory for the pace I saw when checking my watch than for the time it showed at the end of each mile.

Around this time I started chatting with some runners about their race goal and learned we were aiming for about the same time.  I ran with a Cindy from Rochester for about 5 miles to my next support location about mile 13.  We were ranging between 8:21 and 8:06 pace in these miles and passed Johna in this section.  At Bethlehem the course left the towpath for some paved roads with some extra looping around and something like a detour through historic Bethlehem.  In this out and back section I saw Johna and then Amy who had really made up a lot of ground.  I noticed some old stone walls, building foundations and stairways.  I was expecting a big hill here, but I had misread the map so there was only a gentle uphill.  Since we were approaching my next personal aid station, I bragged about my support crew and the whole YRats group.  We eventually came to where The Crew waited with my second refill.  Again I walked through my aid station.  The pattern was Nikki swapping my sport drink bottles (even placing it in the bottle belt) and Brenda was ready with the gel and water to wash it down.  Anna took pictures and whooped it up.  Trisha stood by and watched the whole process; I wonder what she thought!

Across the river from the 14 mile mark I could see the old steel mill furnaces and smoke stacks from Bethlehem Steel.  The pasta dinner the night before had been just across the street from there.  Beginning with the second water table in the race I would walk long enough to get a cup of water, drink about half and dump the other half over my head to keep from getting too warm.  These water tables were 2 to 3 miles apart.  The relay exchanges were a little more exciting with more people and noise.  Some aid stations had junior cheer leaders for the runners.  I guess they normally cheer for youth football teams.  Mostly they looked at each other while cheering and not at the runners. 

By midway I was a couple of minutes ahead of the Garmin virtual partner.  This was where my pace was to pick up and that’s how I thought it went.  But on reviewing my splits, I was a little slower in the second half.  For most of the rest of the race I was trying to stay under 8:10 pace.  About mile 15 I told myself it was only one 90 minute race pace tempo run like in my training to the finish.  This was supposed to be comforting, but didn’t quite do it.

After the 3^rd relay exchange the course moved from towpath to an almost single track path.  This caused more congestion and slowing unless you were willing to run the edges to pass.  That’s what I did and for several miles swapped places back and forth with a Marathon Maniac.  My legs were tiring and getting sore.  Eventually they seemed ready to cramp, especially the lower quads just above the knees.  Like other times this increased until the end of the race.

About mile 20 the path ended on a gravel road with a short quick uphill turn and there I found the YRat Crew.  Here Anna brought out washcloths that were soaked with ice water.  These were so refreshing while I took in the other refills.  I walked considerably longer this time before resuming my run.  Six miles remained.  Just a 10k run.  I felt sure I could keep the 8:10 pace or better.  After a mile or so on gravel road the course moved to paved roads.  The first part of this was a steep uphill of 50 yards or so.  I chose to walk this.  Then late in mile 23 and a good part of 24 we had a long difficult hill.  I didn’t see how I could run this faster than walking, so I walked again.  Of course my pace dropped off a lot. 

Then a spectator or volunteer told us there was no more uphill.  I hoped he was correct.  The road did level out and turned downhill a bit.  Someone said there was only a mile and a quarter to go, but my watch said it was a mile and 3 quarters.  It also said I had been running 3 hours and 26 minutes.  If there was only a 1.25 miles to go I thought I could do that in 9 minutes.  But it was my watch which was correct.  I have found more often that my watch thinks I completed the race distance before I got to the finish line, so I decided to wait for my finish line push until I could see the line.  A couple more turns and the finish line came into view.  And there was also a side road out and back to do before heading to the finish.  Maybe it was now within 3 quarters of a mile.  I was pushing myself harder but my pace wasn’t increasing nearly as much as the effort.  As I finished the out and back part I saw Cindy from Rochester entering the section and didn’t think she would make her 3:40 goal.  She missed by 37 seconds.  One last turn and just the final 2 tenths up a small hill to the finish.  I knew I could push the pace that far and “charged” the line, passing 5 or 6 runners.  I stopped my watch a couple steps past the timing mats and saw 3:37:11.  I had a nice PR, sub 3:40, and a chance to rest.

And The Crew met me again, providing more nourishment and encouragement.

Mile splits according to Garmin:

1 to 13:  8:08, 8:21, 8:24, 8:19, 8:14, 8:18, 8:24, 8:26, 8:08, 8:21, 8:07, 8:06, 8:11,

14 to 26.2: 8:30, 8:20, 8:13, 8:20, 7:56, 8:17, 8:43, 8:11, 8:07, 8:35, 9:18, 8:11, 8:08, 0:52

Miles 1-13 totaled 1:47:27, 14-26 totaled 1:48:49.  Plus the point two in 52 seconds.

The race organizers had more than the usual challenges to make this marathon happen.  There was damage to the towpath/trail sections from hurricane Irene and then more heavy rains from the next tropical storm.  They had to change both the beginning and end of the course and get it recertified so that the Boston hopefuls could use their time to qualify.  This was completed less than 24 hours before the race started.  They did a great job of communicating the status and changes to the runners.

local coverage has photos showing some of the course, one pic of Susan Graham-Gray

http://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-pictures-lehigh-valley-marathon-20110911,0,5161402.photogallery