Happy Thanksgiving

I had several options for a run on Thanksgiving morning. For the past several years I have run the "Turkey Trot" in downtown Orlando. It has grown in size to the point where I don't find it enjoyable to run. One large mass of humanity.

I decided to run the "Deland 10 Miler" on the recommendation of Keith from our running group. It is a combination run with a 5K and the 10 mile run. It is run on a very flat course through rural Florida. Small farms and residential areas dotted the landscape. At about mile 2, a turkey let out a very loud "gobble, gobble". Not too smart on Thanksgiving Day! Maybe he was saying, "I'm OK"! Best wishes for next year.

The 700+ runners who started, became about 300 as the 5K runners turned to make their way back. I was running with Sheri at an 8:00 minute pace for the first 4-5 miles. As we turned around at the 5 mile mark we slowed the pace just a bit. We finished strong right at the 1:22:00 mark. A hard run, but I found it enjoyable.

I was a bit surprised to find that I finished 2nd in my age group. Sheri finished 4th in her age group. We stayed for the award ceremony and received very unique awards (see photo). They were printed on metal license plates.

It was a fun way to start of the holiday. I'm pretty sure we will return next year.

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday.

Mohawk-Hudson Marathon 2009

I arrived home late last week and needed to sort through photos and get my thoughts together on how to describe the marathon.

First..... I qualified for the Boston Marathon. That was my goal in running this race again. As someone said to me, "now you can cross that off your 'Bucket List'!"

I have always believed and advised other runners to go out and have FUN. Don't worry about your finish time, just do your best. Easier said than done! This was the first marathon I've run that had a specific goal attached to my time. I have never run with "pressure" to achieve a specific time. It made me a bit "stressed" as the days leading up to the race got closer and closer.

Race day dawned and I could not have asked for better weather conditions. At 8:30am, the official start time, the temperature was 40 degrees. The forecast high as 55 degrees. The skies were a bit overcast and there was a slight breeze. Throughout the marathon the sun would shine brightly for a mile or two, then disappear behind the cloud cover. As we ran along the Mohawk and Hudson River's, the wind seemed to be brisk, but did not hinder the run.

Although I may have only mentioned it to a few people, I believed I had trained sufficiently to run a sub-4:00 hour marathon. That would be my secondary goal for the day.

This is a small marathon. Just over 700 runners finished the race. I started about mid-pack to ensure not going out too fast, or hindering faster runners. (Too bad about 150 other runners didn't do the same). Although I had warmed up with a jog around the park, I didn't want to take any chances of pulling a muscle prior to getting my legs fully warmed up. I reached the one mile mark at 9:00 minutes, feeling relaxed and confident. A 9:00 minute per mile pace would give me the sub-4:00 hour marathon I was seeking.

I don't record all my splits. I had goals for the 10K, half-marathon and 20 mile marks. I reached the 10K in just over 52:00 minutes. Still feeling relaxed and in control, I reached the half-marathon in 1:54. I passed the 20 mile mark at 2:58, I felt confident that I would finish in the 3:55-3:58 range. Shortly after that point I felt a slight pain in the area of my left knee. It seemed to be the IT band, possibly caused by the mostly downhill route. As the miles passed the pain increased. I wasn't "hitting the wall" as commonly occurs, only my knee was an issue. I took frequent walk breaks and attempted to manipulate my knee in the hope of correcting the problem. No luck! I knew with every walk break my goal of sub-4:00 was slipping away. It was at this point that I reminded myself that in order to qualify for Boston, I need a finish time under 4:15. I remember reaching the 25 mile mark and glancing at my watch as it reached 4:00:00. I was disappointed, but still had my qualifying time in sight. I "sucked it up" as the saying goes and pushed through the final 1.2 miles. I knew when I crossed the finish line I had qualified for Boston. Official finish time 4:09:56, also a new PR.

As I walked away after the race, I found my family and friends who were there to greet me. I was experiencing mixed emotions. I had qualified for Boston, but my time goal was not met due to the issue with my knee. I have never experienced that particular pain and it subsided post race.

The response from my family and friends has been wonderful. This past Saturday, my running group gave me a "surprise" party. Thank you all! All of this will finally sink in and I will return to running and decide a strategy going forward.

Miracle Miles 15K

This is one of my favorite races each year. One of only a few 15K's in the state. The distance is a nice challenge and the beneficiary is the Winnie Palmer Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It is incredible what this hospital can do to save the lives of premature babies. The medal each runner receives had the image of two tiny footprints of the smallest surviving baby born there, 14 ounces! It was said that this baby could fit inside a standard "Coca-Cola" can! The primary sponsor is "Chick-fil-A", who provides a hot chicken sandwich to all finishers!

For several weeks, I debated as to how I would run this race. I have my marathon coming up in two weeks, October 11th. Last year I paced my friend Sheri in the last 5K. I decided to use the race as a "pace" race. I would run the race as if it were my marathon. I would attempt to run it at my marathon race pace, slowing only for the water stops. Goal of 8:45 minutes per mile.

The morning was becoming warmer as I walked to the starting area. The starting area is approximately one-half mile from my house. As is common, the humidity was close to 90%. As I arrived the announcer mentioned the temperature was 78 degrees, at 6:20am. Yuck!

After gathering our running group, we moved to the start line. After a short wait, we were off and running. Although there were close to 1,500 runners, I did not find the beginning of the race very congested. Everyone moved quickly down the roads leading us out to Orange Avenue. Orange Avenue is the main north-south road through the City of Orlando. This was one of the few times a race route went directly through downtown Orlando. By the one mile mark I had settled into a comfortable pace. It was difficult to hold back at the marathon pace rather than a 15K pace. I reached the one mile mark at 9:00 minutes, right on pace. At about the 1.5 mile mark we turned off of Orange Avenue and began our run through the downtown neighborhoods. Shortly after the 2.0 mile mark the road surface changed from paved road to brick. After taking a tumble on the bricks last week, my awareness and heart rate jumped rapidly. We ran about 1.0 miles on the brick until we made our way back to pavement. This week I safely made it through without incident. From mile 4.0 to 7.0 we had a nice straight run heading back south. Mile 7.0 brought us a right turn onto Michigan Street. As I mentioned earlier it was already hot and humid. The stretch along Michigan Street from 7.0 to 8.0 was in direct sun. The sun was behind us, but it felt like the temperature rose another 10-15 degrees. The heat from the pavement could be felt as we moved along. Although I was maintaining my race pace, I began to pass many runners along this stretch. The heat was beginning to take its toll. I mentioned to someone after the race that Michigan Street just sucked the energy out of you. Mile 9.0 was a great sight, except for the fact that our road surface once again changed to brick, oh no! I decided that I had done what I set out to do, so I could treat myself to a mini sprint to the finish. My goal had been to finish at 1:22:00, my official time was 1:19:28 or 8:31 minutes per mile. I had met my objective as each mile time was very consistent. I felt strong at the finish despite the heat and humidity. I had a new PR for this race, not the 15K distance, but knowing that I ran the race at about 85% I was very pleased!

When I got home, I checked the long range forecast for Albany, NY and found the temperature was at 59 degrees. The forecast is for lows in 40's and highs in the 60's. If that forecast comes true, I feel very confident that I can maintain the pace that will allow me to break the 4:00:00 hour time for the marathon.

The photo is courtesy of Lorraine Hardaway. (L-R; Sheri, Jim, Lorraine and Dan)

How Was Your Trip

Yesterday was my last scheduled "long" run prior to the Mohawk-Hudson Marathon, Sunday, October 11th. It was the third "long" run of this session. My first one was titled the, "Nightmare on Glenridge". The second was better, but I still felt something was missing. I was looking forward to this final "long" training run.

The weather is always a factor here in Florida. This summer has seemed warmer than usual. Most of the runners in the training program echo that statement. Saturday, we caught a break with a start time temperature of 76 and humidity at 67%, about as good as it gets!

We started out at 4:00am to beat the heat. Get as many miles in before the sunrise. There were five of us who were running long; Jennifer, Erin, Nigel, Joe and myself. We eased into our run careful not to run too fast, too early. The miles clicked off and we were on our way back to meet some others from our group who were starting later.

Many of the streets we run on are in the beautiful city of Winter Park. To add to the ambiance of the city, many of the streets are paved with bricks. Nice looking, but watch your step. More than one runner has fallen victim to the mystery of the "jumping brick". That's the one that despite it looking flush with the others, manages to "jump" up just as you approach. This morning I became the victim of the "jumping brick".

As we made our way along Via Tuscany (can't you just picture that street in your mind?) at mile 7 of the run, down I went. It happened so fast, no time to think, all just reaction. Tuck and roll! First I went forward fully extended, then I rolled over completely. For some reason the area I rolled in was very sandy. Take one sweaty body, roll it in a patch of sand and you've got a mess! In a matter of a split second I was up and running, then I checked for injuries. Since I was running, I knew my legs were fine. I could feel my right hand throbbing. I must have used it to break my fall. I tried to wipe the sand from my legs and arms, but it didn't come off. I felt like I was rubbing sand paper on my skin.

We got to our water stop where there was some light and I could use the water to rinse. I also found abrasions to my left knee and left elbow that I hadn't seen out on the road. Good thing was that everything was moving fine and I was not injured. Our next water stop had a bathroom with a sink and running water. I was finally able to wash myself off and survey the damage. Onward, I still had 9 more miles to go!

By the time I finished the 22 miles, I was sore. Sore from the pounding of 22 miles. My "trip" was an adventure, but one I can now smile at. With three weeks left until my marathon, I did not need to get injured. I have put in too much effort into my attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

So I can look back on this run and ask myself, "how was your trip" :-)

Weather Forecast

A pre-race ritual for me is to begin checking the long range weather forecast for race day. Over the years, I have come to realize that the 20, 15 or even 10 day forecast is not very accurate. I could be even more critical and say the 48 hour forecast is not reliable. However, I keep checking in hope of finding the numbers I want. I have already entered the "zip" codes for Schenectady and Albany, NY into my computer. When I do find a "perfect" forecast, I only have to wait 24 hours to find the revised numbers have jumped by 15 degrees. How did that happen? Then they shift back to the "perfect" numbers. Along with the numbers, I see the description, "partly cloudy", "mostly cloudy", "sunny", and on and on. Various combinations for me to contemplate for a period of 30 days. Then it boils, (no pun intended), down to the night before and hopefully an accurate forecast. Shouldn't the "AccuWeather" forecast be accurate? Or maybe "Accu" doesn't really stand for accurate.

My training and planning can and does account for the many different facets of a marathon. The one thing I have no control over is the weather. So, why stress over something you have no control over? Maybe it is a method to not become complacent. I will be running my marathon 5 weeks from today. Soon, I will begin my quest for the perfect weather forecast for October 11th.

The photo accompanying this post is of a thermometer prior to the 2008 Mohawk-Hudson Marathon. "Official" race time temperature was 44 degrees. Oh, to have a repeat of the conditions from last year!

"This is no time for ease and comfort.... "

It has been just over five years since I started running. I have set a few goals along the way, running my first mile, or 5K, or marathon. I always approached each goal without much concern. I just want to finish was my objective. Even as I improved and became competitive in my age group, I still focused on the "big picture". I have always said, "when this stops being fun, that's the time I stop running." No, I am not at that point.

The point that I am at is that for the first time I have a very specific goal. As most of you know, it is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. "QUALIFY", that's the scary word. In order to get to Boston, I "MUST" finish my chosen race in a specific time in order to "QUALIFY".

I will be running the Mohawk-Hudson Marathon in Albany, NY, on October 11th. I ran this course last year and set a PR. I had no pressure to run a specific time. It was simple, run, have fun, and see what happens. The results were good, I took almost 20 minutes off my previous PR. This year I need to repeat with an improvement of 15 minutes to be safe.

I have been training hard. Most of the early part of the year was spent on speedwork. My 5K, 10K, 15K and half-marathon times have all improved. In 2009, I have set a PR at each of these distances. The last distance is the marathon. I feel very good physically. I have not had any injury issues. I do have two more "long" runs of 20+ miles prior to the marathon. It has been hot here in Orlando, no surprise. It was hot last year as well! Long runs are so much more difficult in the hot weather. You have to respect that thin line between running at your race pace and not pushing to the point of heat exhaustion.

As much as I try to tell myself, "it's just another marathon", it is not. I don't want to lose sleep over this and I haven't as yet, but it does play on my mind. I can control many of the aspects of this marathon. Knowing the course will be the biggest positive factor. I love running in "cold" weather. Last year the temperature was 44 degrees on marathon morning. I would love to have a carbon copy of that day. No control over that.

I have had tremendous support from my running group and friends who realize what it will mean to "QUALIFY". Training runs, hundreds of miles over the years. Friends have promised to make the trip to Boston for the marathon, now that's pressure to produce. It is also a tremendous motivation. I know when I run Boston, it will be for many runners, not just myself.

This post was more of me "venting" some of my emotions. Will I feel better? Will it help? I guess I have to wait until Sunday, October 11th.

The title for this post comes from a quote by Sir Winston Churchill. "This is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure."

"Anniversary" of Hurricane Charley

Now here is a combination that doesn't mix too well, running + hurricane. It was 5 years ago today that Hurricane "Charley" came across Central Florida and inflicted considerable damage. I had been in Orlando for 5 years and had never experienced a full "blown" hurricane. Times they were a changin'.

That year, 2004, was my first year of running. Maybe I upset the "gods" with my return to running and they were going to try to blow me away. Not only did "Charley" come across Orlando, but "Frances" and "Jean", followed close behind. It was a very unsettling time. I was fortunate to escape any damage to my home. Our neighborhood received some damage, but not to the extent of other cities. Winter Park, the home base for our running group, was hit very hard.

Once the storm had passed I could not believe the number of trees that had been torn from the ground. Huge oak trees, some hundreds of years old were now blocking streets and in some cases on top of homes.

We needed to run! We needed to be able to see our friends and know that they were OK. A number of practice runs were canceled and several organized 5K's had to be rescheduled. When we were able to meet for a run, it was an adventure run. Many areas still had entire trees across our regular running routes. We would try to follow an alternate, only to find it blocked too. The street I recall being the worst was Pennsylvania Ave., in Winter Park. It seemed that we could run about 50 feet before another tree brought our run to a halt. I'm not sure if we ever managed to run more than a mile or two. Devastation was everywhere!

The long range forecast is that storms are "looming" in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. We can hope and pray that we here in Orlando, the State of Florida, and the United States are spared a repeat of 5 years ago.

Bottom line, having our fellow runners to lean on made the situation a bit more tolerable. We knew we were not alone in our experience. We were and still are a "GROUP", we are still "RUNNERS". We are strong people, but we are strongest in numbers!