MCM 2016 - Day 1 - 3m Easy + Strength

I'm back. To running and blogging again. I took almost two years off of running for any races (AFCEA 5K - 5/8/2014 - time: 22:26) and I haven't run a marathon since the Marine Corps Marathon 2013. Well I have registered for and received a lottery entry for the MCM 2016 race and I don't plan on wasting it. Yesterday I scraped together a 30 week training plan that will be mostly based on Hal Higdon's Personal Best Training Plan. I am 40+ now and haven't been training to run hard for quite some time. I will need to assess my fitness over a longer period of time. I hope for an improvement on my last marathon's personal best time of 3:33:5, but my 'A goal' is to run that elusive Boston Qualifier of 3:15:00. Definitely a stretch but I am aiming for it.

So... today's run was scheduled for an easy pace workout. Three miles at a little bit over 9 min/mi pace.  I hit my marks: 3 miles exactly in 26:59, I wore my heart rate monitor and foot pod so I had my HR (avg 155 bpm) and Cadence (89 spm) data. I set out at around 5:30 AM with no breakfast or snack just about 8 oz of water and had to spend a good 15 minutes acquiring a satellite signal for my Garmin. Good run. I intentionally worked on my running form to have a fairly high cadence and upright, balanced running form. I noticed that I had a tendency to land heavy on my left leg and flare my right knee. When I ran lighter (read: more rapid cadence with a more elongated spine) this straighten out, but I did feel a bit of weirdness in my right hip. Probably nothing, but I'll watch it. I didn't stretch after the run - I forgot to do it. I'll stretch after weight lifting tonight.

Interesting story of this morning. While pacing to get a Garmin signal and looking up at the sky a lady jogger passed by me removed her  headphone and said Good Morning. I greeted her back but honestly I felt awkward because I didn't want to scare her or make her uncomfortable. See encountering an unfamiliar 6'4" black man in dark clothing (with a hoodie) in the pre-morning light while running alone as a petite white lady must be scary if you are worried about such things. I assume she wasn't because she just kept running and minding her business, but I thought it was wise of her to remove her headphones until she had gotten well away from me. Obviously I have no ill intentions, but the optics on the scenario wasn't good. I had not yet started running and was pacing in the neck of my cul-de-sac wearing  a dark blue cotton sweatsuit which doesn't say runner at all. I didn't want to make her nervous so I walked to the street-lighted area across the street rather than walk down the street as I intended because it would've meant following her down her running path that was a kind of dead end. I would've thought that was creepy. No worries though, she probably didn't think more than a second about it I probably overthinking how I was perceived. If she's a regular runner we'll see each other regularly on the streets of the neighborhood.

Different Wheels

So... this has been a different year. I don't plan on running a marathon for the first time in 5 years. I ran a mile race and biked the distance of a half Ironman bike segment, completed T25 and started lifting weights again. I also restored my Dad's guitar and am teaching myself to play it. Now something completely different... I bought a motorcycle and LOVE IT!

I owe a blog entry on everything it took to get started, but today was my first day on my own personal motorcycle and wow I am stoked.

I don't plan on completely leaving endurance sport, but there's a lot more competing for my time now.

AFCEA 5k Pre-race ramblings

What a weird training year I've had so far. I have run very infrequently and not very far this year. I ran a one mile indoor track race on February 1st, which is my first indoor track race of any kind. I clocked 6:17 and finished in the middle of the pack, which I think is fine for someone who had not trained very much. Since then I have taken an endurance swim class and am presently in week 6 of the T25 interval training program. I feel very fit, but I have no idea of my run fitness. I presently run 2 to 3 times a week, normally a track workout on Tuesday and Thursday with a treadmill interval session on Sunday or any other time I can fit it in. I've biked to work a few times since the weather has started to perk up.

So, I am going to take on the AFCEA 5k again this Sunday and am not sure what I am capable of. I want to perform well, but did not train like I did for the same race last year. I scanned my previous 5k race and know that I ofter start out the first mile around 20 secs faster than my average pace. Dare I tweak the formula? What if I forbid myself from running the first mile faster than 6:55 and try to negative split? We'll see. I am at a great weight right now only weighing 185 - 189. I think I may surprise myself.

MCM 2013 - Race Result - 3:33:51

Race result = 20 minute PB (3:33:51)!!!

Race Report coming...

MCM 13 Race Friday

Hi! I have had writer’s block for most of this year, but since I have been scouring the InterWebs for blog entries about the Marine Corps Marathon I  thought I should contribute to the pages out there. Blog entries give me a virtual community to relate to when I need a little extra support.
I took today off to rest, relax, get my race bib without having to face rush hour traffic and to take care little chores. This week was my taper week. It looked like this:

• Monday: no activity
• Tuesday: 10 x 400m repeats at 10k pace with 200m rest (includes 1 mi warmup and cool down)
• Wednesday: 4 mi easy pace
• Thursday: no activity
  Friday: swimming – 10 x 50m
• Saturday: 2 mi easy pace
• Sunday: RACE!

My goal race pace will be 8:11 to 7:51 per mi for a hopeful 3:30:00 finish.
This is what my build up to the marathon looked like by week.

Training went really well. I hit every workout I planned to. I had planned four 20 mile training runs but had to cut one of them short (19.23 mi). I also did hill repeats, tempo runs, fartleks, intervals and race efforts (the Annapolis 10 miler and a self supported half marathon). Though I did more miles and faster paces running in my MCM 10 build up, I did do a fair amount of cross training in my 18 week build (bike riding, swimming and one gym/weight workout). I feel like I am ready.
I am going to try and avoid the pacing mistakes I made for MCM 10 and run at the 8:11 pace up to mile 18 and try to hold the sub-eight minute paces from then on. I will take a gel while walking through every rest stop around my 45 minute mark and every 30 minutes after. I will walk and drink my water through the stop so that I can get my nutrition in and hopefully avoid the debilitating cramping that plague my marathon races. I trained this way and feel like I can return to race pace without sacrificing too much time.
Well I am going to head off to the expo now. Have a great race. I be back to write the race report.
UPDATE: The expo and packet pickup was absolutely packed Friday. I went down at around 11:00 and had to wait in serpentine lines for about a half an hour in the pavilion across the street from the armory to get my bib. I was drinking water constantly and there were no port-a-potties. I just had to tough it out. Once I got my bib I had to go to the Armory to enter the expo and get my tech shirt. The security had a line and another 20 minute wait prevented me from bladder relief. I did however have a nice conversation with a sweet couple from Michigan. So, my warning to marathon packet pickup people is to not bring a bag going to the Expo, it will cause you to wait in an extra line. Don't drink water while in line you may not have time to get to the rest rooms past security in the Armory. And, the bags for your bib and the tech shirt pick up is in the left rear corner once you enter. Good Luck!

MCM13 - w3d3 - 5m easy

Planned workout: 5 miles at Easy pace (between 9:23/mi and 9:03/mi). Goal accomplished 5 miles at 9:02/mi pace on the treadmill. 

My treadmill running inspiration was a Watch ESPN replay of the 2012 Women's Crossfit Games. Those women were getting their work in so how could I do less. I think that I want to add CrossFit to my bucket list of fitness goals, which currently include the Boston Marathon, Ironman Triathlon, and the JFK 50-mile run. 

This concludes my week of treadmill downtime. I did all of my workouts this week on the treadmill in order to recover from a dreadful 14 mile run attempt last Sunday where the heat nearly overcame me and I quit at the half marathon distance (it was 90+ degrees Fahrenheit and humid). 

Tomorrow I plan on being a bit counter productive by cycling with the Turtles and running about 3 miles when I am actually supposed to be running a slow 10 miles.

Marine Corps Marathon 2013 and Training Plans

It's been another long break from blogging about running for me. I have been running fairly consistently and I've raced two 5Ks since my last post. I have also registered for the Marine Corps Marathon and have been given a slot in the Annapolis 10-miler by a friend. Things are going pretty well and I am planning to train hard for a new personal best in the marathon.

This morning I had some time to think about my training and I was reconsidering my training plan and started to realize why it is important for a runner like myself to keep an active blog. You need to have some space to plan and review your training.

I was doing some heart rate based training for 5K racing earlier this year and I did not remember where I got my ideas from. If I had been blogging, I think that I may be able to look it up, but now I have to rely on my spotty memory. Oh well...

So, in my attempt to keep a record of what this current phase of training has been coming from I am capturing the Marine Corps Marathon plan I started the week of June 24th up to today where I changing it to a Runner's World training plan that looks promising.

Note: I saw a neat way of representing a training day in your log that never occurred to me in the Active.com community forum. Instead of writing "MCM 2013 - Week 1 - Tues Easy Run" as I have I could write: "w1d1 - 9 miles easy."

I had been using the Runner's World Smart Coach application's suggested plan for the following settings:

• Recent Race Time - 00:20:38
• Race Distance - 5K
• Goal Race Distance - Marathon
• Weekly Distance - 36-40 Miles
• Training Level - Hard
• Starting Week - 6/24
• Schedule Length - 16 Weeks (this was a mistake, this would've had me racing 10/13 with the MCM on 10/27)

My training went as follows:

• w1d1 - (plan) 9m easy, (actual) 9m broken into two runs with a 10 min rest in between
• w1d2 - (plan) 7m - 4m @ tempo, (actual) target distance tempo at 7:44/m
• w1d3 - (plan) 8m easy, (actual) hit target - on the treadmill
• w1d4 - (plan) 12m long run, (actual) skipped run for 30m bike ride

• w2d1 - (plan) 9m easy, (actual) 9.56m easy - hot and humid
• rest/ct - Bike ride 34m (commute)
• w2d2 - (plan) 8m - 2x1m @ 6:49 pace, (actual) 7.4m - mile 1 @ 6:57, mile 2 @ 7:20
• w2d3 - (plan) 8m easy, (actual) 6.5m easy
• w2d4 - (plan) 14m easy, (actual) 13.1m slow - crazy hot and humid

• w3d1 - (plan) 9m easy, (actual) 7.1m easy - on the treadmill
• w3d2 - (plan) 8m - 5m @ tempo, (actual) 6.5m - 5m @ 7:16 - on the treadmill

I would be doing an 8m easy pace run, but I changed my training plan to one I liked from Runner's World UK titled RW's Garmin-Ready Marthon Schedule: Sub-3:30. The plan can output a Garmin workout schedule that can sync workouts to my Garmin 405 training watch and I can have pace or heart rate workouts queued up for the particular day. The plan peaks with a 48 mile week and includes races, hill repeats, and 5 20+ mile long runs. I hope that I can fit all of the running in, but it seems to be a really good template.

Good luck and happy running.

Lactate Threshold Test

Garmin Connect - Details

Warmed up 10 minutes, then set the treadmill to 8.3 mph after some dithering at 8.2 mph because I was afraid I couldn't hold the 8.3 mph pace. I chose that pace because I am aware that my foot pod would claim I was running approximately 7 min/mi pace and I predicted that I could hold that pace or better for 30 minutes. The test formula I followed states that I should warm up 15 minutes (I didn't have time for that) then run at whatever pace I can hold for 30 minutes. At the 10 minute mark I should hit the lap button and the average heart rate that I had for the last 20 minutes is my lactate threshold heart rate. According to this my lactate threshold heart rate is 180 bpm and the average pace (according to my foot pod) was 6:53 min/mi for the first 10 minutes and 6:44 min/mi for the last 20 minutes. I would be happy with that pace for a 5k. I the the test was entirely fair because I wanted to quit several times because it felt aerobically difficult, but I resolve not to quit. At around 36 minutes of total running (minute 26 of the LT test) I started to feel my leg muscles fatiguing and though I did feel I would collapse at the end I compromised myself to drop the pace to 8.2 for 3 minutes. I did, however, finish the last minute at 8.5 mph.

Good effort. Now I've got to get ready for a race at some point.

Fallin again

I wanted to get my 2013 running off to a good start, but I felt that I missed my first opportunity by not running this morning. I saw a golden opportunity by rushing home to grab my running gear in the same breath as picking my boys up to go to wrestling practice. I'll run a quick 5 miles while they are on the mat.

I set out and thought I was clever by bringing my bike headlight to see clearly. Nevertheless I hit the cement for the first time ever 1 mile in. Ouch! I sat on the sidewalk for a minute or two wondering what happened and worrying what I must look like as a tall black man running through an unfamiliar neighborhood bleeding from numerous places.
I got up and ran back towards the YMCA where my children were practicing. When I got back I decided I wasn't yet finished with my run. I'd only gotten a little more than 2 miles in. I put in another 2.5 miles and washed up while telling my embarrassing story to the other active parents who offerede band aids and new running partnerships by turns. Funny I am not embarrassed anymore.

Baltimore Marathon 2012 - Race Report

I am so tired of not executing the Baltimore Marathon I  can stand it. Let's get this out of the way, I had my worst ever marathon with a 4:03:59 finish (yes the GW birthday marathon was slower, but I used it as a training run for the National Marathon). I could almost copy the post I made last year for the race report.

I overestimated my ability and once again ran a positive split. Now, truth is that if you've run the Baltimore Marathon you'll know how difficult the second half can be. I have feared that if I ran a slow first half I could still have the hills from Patterson Park to Clifton Park and Lake Montebello take the pace out of my legs (but I don't really believe it - I just haven't done it).

The four miles from Camden to the Maryland Zoo at the start were uneventful. I stayed what I thought was in myself.

• Mile 1: 8:43 (HR - 
• Mile 2: 8:35
• Mile 3: 8:50
• Mile 4: 8:33

I think that miles five to nine from Druid Hill Park to the Harbor gave me the idea that I could hold this pace throughout and I know better.

• Mile 5: 8:15
• Mile 6: 8:48
• Mile 7: 8:23
• Mile 8: 8:27
• Mile 9: 8:30

Going around the Under Armour plant made tell myself that run a great first half means absolutely zip in a full marathon. I say this because I started to feel the fatigue in my legs and I hadn't even really climbed the hills yet. I smiled passing the half marathoners all the same. Going around the harbor to Fells Point gave me another hint I was in trouble. Sometime earlier I got well in front of the 3:50 pace group, but during this phase I heard them and was beginning to get passed by them.

• Mile 10: 8:50
• Mile 11: 8:56
• Mile 12: 8:47
• Mile 13: 8:46
• Mile 14: 8:39
• Mile 15: 8:36

Oh the dreaded climb to Lake Montebello from mile sixteen to twenty laid into me as bad as ever. I resolved to not walk, but just slow as the hills got to me. I felt a small victory because I didn't give in.

• Mile 16: 8:48 
• Mile 17: 9:19
• Mile 18: 9:48
• Mile 19: 10:17
• Mile 20: 10:15

Okay, victory short lived. I made a deal with myself that I could walk at the next water stop at mile 20 something and after that these little compromises were easier to give myself. Soon I was taking walk breaks without giving myself permission, just because I wanted to. Thanks to the numerous runners who encouraged me to get it together and finish. I surprised myself my somewhat going for a strong finish with a mile to go even though I still felt like garbage. 

• Mile 21: 10:10
• Mile 22: 10:14
• Mile 23: 11:25
• Mile 24: 10:22
• Mile 25: 11:57
• Mile 26: 9:17
• Mile 26.2: 2:25/7:57 pace

Overall another race where I felt like I didn't run it right. I now think that as good as training felt, I didn't do nearly as many miles as a strong performance requires - at least for me. As far as race atmosphere goes, I still love the crowds and the pass of the half marathon start. 

I feel like the Finish Festival has fallen far since my first race here in 2008. I used to like the Phillips crab soup and felt like I could get food pretty easily, but I stood in line with literally hundreds of other people and watched it not move for around a half hour until I went to get the beer tickets and found another line on the other side that zoomed in to get food much faster. They also feel the need to move the bag pickup and beer line every year for as far as I can tell no reason. 

I got my finish beer this year and it was a Blue Moon variety. I sipped it a few and promptly gave my other ticket to someone else and poured it out. I barely wanted the beer and felt that the Michelob Ultra from my first two races was about the only thing I want to stomach after exercising for four hours. Perhaps its because it is really just beer flavored water. Nevertheless I want that brand brought back or I will skip the post-race beer until I can get home and take a nap.

Blah blah blog. I am looking forward to the off-season. I'll start putting something like a plan together next week.

Baltimore Marathon 2012 Pre-race musings

The 2012 Baltimore Running Festival is this weekend and for the fourth time I will be running. This will be my seventh eighth marathon since I started endurance running in 2008.

• 2009: Frederick Marathon 4:03:27
• 2009: Baltimore Marathon 3:58:19
• 2010: Marine Corps Marathon 3:54:48
• 2011: George Washington Birthday Marathon 4:17:20 (training marathon)
• 2011: SunTrust National Marathon 3:53:32
• 2011: Baltimore Marathon 4:00:07
• 2012: B&A Trail Marathon 3:56:40

My training went very well, but I've had a number of false starts that made the build up technically only 11 weeks. The truth is I've already run one marathon this year and never really stopped running completely.
This race training started officially July 31st. I decided to not do the high mileage that I started the year with because I planned on cross training quite a bit now that I have a road bike. In the beginning I rode my bike about three days a week, but as the school year started I was relegated to one day a week. I've run 43 times thus far and covered 270 miles so that is a relatively low 24 miles a week average. I was averaging in the high 30s for my Spring marathon, but with cycling I tallied far more miles as a whole.
I've had a nice long run progression with an 18 mile run (9:07/mi pace) in week 7, 20 mile run in week 8 (9:44/mi pace), and finally a 22 mile (9:13/mi) run in week 9. The 20-miler in week 8 was an organized group run on the Baltimore course and reflects a lot of chatting, orienteering, and a temperature in the low 80s at the end of the run. I also hit most of my tempo and interval run targets.
The odds are that I will beat last year’s disappointing 4:00:07 finish. I am hoping for a race day miracle. I finished the B&A Trail Marathon with a much more grueling training plan in 3:56:40. And, that was run on a much easier course than Baltimore. However, this training build-up feels like I did it smart and had the right high notes. I am hoping to push myself to a time in the 3:40s. The Runner’s World Smart Coach pace calculator predicted a 3:30:xx for me based on my April 5K race time (6:55/mi pace), but I did not hold their 8:55/mi 20 mile run pace. I think 3:45 would be nice, but who knows? The weather outlook is really favorable and I feel fit and more familiar with the course. I could do something special.
We’ll see…

Training journal 8/8/2012

There is 65 days left until the 2012 Baltimore Marathon. I have been training, but really don't have a plan. My plan is to get in at least an 11 mile long run this week, but I may skip the speed work tomorrow in lieu of a bike commute.

I just my first road bike and I like it. Its name is Khal Drogo after the Horse Lord in the Game of Thrones book.

Khal Drogo

Khal Drogo

I don't plan on leaving running for the world of biking, but cross training has just become a lot more important to me.

B&A Trail Marathon 2012 – Race Report

I busted my tail like I always do to finish the B&A Trail Marathon with my best effort, but I must admit that I left a little on the race course. Once again, I fell pray to the race day miracle even when I told myself not to. 3:56:40 is my third best marathon out of seven. I improved some from my Baltimore time, but (supposedly) the course was easier. This course is not as easy as you might think. The elevation is moderate, but it is flat and relentless especially when the wind was as strong as it was this past Sunday.

Stupid me, I overheard the Severna Park High School girls thank me for blocking the wind for them and decided to chivalrous and continue to deliberately do so. The only thing is that they were running the half-marathon, I should’ve been running 8:40s but was running 8:15s for miles 6 to 13. I maintained 8:30s from 13 to 19 by latching on to some masters runners who were comfortably pulling me along with their banter about still being athletes. I couldn’t hold on though possibly because I decide to not hang tough when the going got tough.

Miles 23 to finish left me thinking that I don’t like marathons anymore. My diaphragm cramped again and legs felt like they were shorting out (feeling like if I tried to push they’d cramp/seize on me). I am over that now and am resolved to really work hard on short stuff for the Summer and am going to sign up for Baltimore again. I will do much more long tempos to hold marathon paces longer without the drop off. I want to be sure to run a hard half-marathon to give me confidence, because I know I can average 7:30 for a half given that I have average 7:17 for 10 miles.

I will probably do the B&A Trail Marathon again and try to master the course. It was enjoyable, but really cold and windy. It was nice to start in the school and stay warm up to the start. People were friendly and course support was really good throughout. I’ll be back.

B&A Trail Marathon 2012–Prerace Report

Its been a long time since I felt like blogging. I have, however, had the greatest two consecutive months of training ever. January and February saw me run 20 and 22 times for 185 and 161 miles respectively. There were a lot of slow miles in there, but on Tuesday of this week I ran a self-support 5K in my hilly neighborhood at a deliberate 10K pace in 21:57.

Now its 4 o’clock in the morning and I am just finishing my breakfast part 1 of two packets of apple and cinnamon oatmeal and 6 oz. of blueberry/pomegranate juice.The race is at 7:30 so, in an hour I am going to drink a protein shake, drink 12 oz. of water and get ready to drive to the race.

I got some of that Gatorade Prime 01 (pre-game fuel) that I plan on drinking the prescribed 15 minutes before the race. I did this at Baltimore last year and cannot say it did wonders, but I am looking for an edge in order to run my best race ever. The plan is to go out at 9 minute miles for the first 3 miles, then 8:50/mile for the next 3, 8:40/mile for the next 3, finally miles 10 to the “line” will be race pace (~8:30). I don’t know when I can kick, but I assume that it will depend on how I feel. I am hoping to beat my 2011 SunTrust National marathon time of 3:53 for a new PR. The B&A Trail marathon course is flatter than any other marathon that I’ve ever run and I trained pretty hard. We will see how that pays off in a couple of hours.

2011 Running Recap

M0y numbers this year are not going to be accurately reported. I may have run more miles than I ever have, but will never know. There was a serious wave of tornados and storms in the mid-west where the buckeyeoutdoors.com training web site has its servers. I lost all data that was not recorded in the Garmin Connect site prior to 4/25/2011. Since I never recorded my non-Garmin based mileage on the Connect website, I lost a number of runs. So these are the numbers I can report:

2011 Running data:

• Number of runs: 143
• Number of miles: 1,024.40
• Time spent: 152:15:50
• Average pace: 6.7mph
• Calories: 146,496 C

Overall I was a good year. I ran my fastest of six marathons in the Spring at the SunTrust National Marathon, preceded by a tough GW Birthday Marathon that was my slowest. I recently completed the Baltimore marathon at a slower time than expected, but I knew I ran my heart out.

I think the highlight of the year was that I stayed healthy and never missed running at least once a week. Not once in a whole year.

2012 News

I just started the 12-week training plan I will be following for this March’s National Marathon. Week 1 completed this week with nearly 41 miles of good training. I am trying to increase the mileage volume in my training. I just bought a Garmin foot pod for my indoor and cadence training and got a new pair of shoes:

Asics GT-2170

 

I have found over the last 6 runs (4 indoors on my treadmill) that mileage it records indoors is 97% accurate when compared to my treadmill and my cadence is around 86 SPM (Strides Per Minute – one leg)

Hope you all feel good and train well in 2012. Happy New Year!

Baltimore Marathon 2011 - Epilogue I

Hi. I'm back. I am about to go biking then run 3 miles. I think this is called a brick workout. I want to start training again. I am mad at my Baltimore Marathon 2011 performance and want to get back at it. Unfortunately, I have to wait another year to get my revenge. Most people don't have a nemesis. Maggie from the Simpsons has Gerald Sampson (the uni-brow boy) as her arch-nemesis, so I declare the Baltimore Marathon mine.

The Baltimore Marathon is my rival. I started my marathoning lifestyle for the Maryland Double 2009 (which I accomplished thank you) not because of the short lived Frederick Marathon, but because I wanted to own the Baltimore Marathon. My first organized race was the Baltimore Half marathon 2008 and I was happy with the 1:51 at the time, but found my *office boasting* to be lacking in what people expected me to be. I tried to cast my lack of proper racing weight (nearly 200 lbs) as the reason, but frankly no one wants to hear it. I trained and others I work with that trained did the half in 1:20 (or there about). By implication, I am a punk. I am big (6'4"), but I am supposed to be more athletic (like basketball or football has anything to do with running). and I still haven't beaten my expectations. I only get the "you ran 26 miles" compliment. Man, I was recently confronted with Amby Burfoot's statement that he could not believe that someone can run so slow as to finish a marathon in greater than 3 hours. I AM AN ATHELETE and I see that statement as a challenge.

War me vs. B-more marathon.

Baltimore Marathon 2011 Recap

My overall take on the racing was that I ran well, but was not in shape for the pace I wanted to run. I had no idea that I wasn’t in PR shape. I thought my training consistency could make up for the lack of overall volume and intensity workouts.

In the minds of most of the people who know my training, they would say I trained hard, but it was actually a step down from last year this time in mileage and completed 20-mile long runs and the Baltimore Marathon is a challenging course. I had to remind myself to slow down repeatedly throughout the first six miles, but managed to keep the pace mostly on target. I went through half in roughly 1:53. The dreaded hills from mile 16 to 23 hurt. I did not handle them like I wanted to, but even still I had my PR still in sight as I hit Johns Hopkins with my heart and lungs feeling good and only a small reminder that my legs (particularly, my Achilles tendons and calves) were only barely holding off a cramp. I picked up the pace on the downhill.

A note about the Baltimore Marathon course for those who have yet to run it: it is touted as a challenging course – it is. To the rookie who looks at the elevation chart it looks like an early steep up and down followed by a long stretch of flatness around the harbor/downtown area followed by another long up and steep downhill to the finish. Manageable right? I claim that it is if you survive the seven miles from 16 to 23 relatively fresh. The down-hills are always too short and followed by another soul-claiming climb on the return home. The bridge over Falls Road can ate away the remainder of my ability to attack the downhill on Eutaw Street as a debilitating diaphragm cramp seized me a wouldn’t let go. We meaning half marathoners implored me to keep running as I fast walked and stumbled holding my side. I fought the cramp harder than I have ever before, but anyone who tells you that you can ignore such pain is tougher than I.

I got to Camden Yards with my PR long gone and the 4 hour pace group on my heels and I tried to pick it up and sprint to the finish. I thought I was going to make it and break 4 hours at Baltimore again, but as my stride had me step of the curb to approach the final tenth of a mile my left Achilles spasmed and I had to slow for fear of it completely locking up. 4:00:07 was my chip time.

Baltimore 2011 may be the end of my marathon season. I am not satisfied and hope I can figure out another this year, but I plan on focusing on speedier short races for a while. The race was crowded this year and the wait for food and getting out of the “athlete’s village” when I finished was a bit annoying, but I’d definitely do the race again. I will be more fit next time putting in a lot more long runs and marathon pace long runs with hills. I have to slow down in the first half (half in ~2 hours) in order to have something left for the attack on the last 3-4 miles.

Race day cometh

This Saturday morning 0600 EST I am going to run my sixth marathon. I did a lot of things wrong this week. I bike cross-trained on Monday breaking the don’t try anything new rule. I ran way too fast during my tempo run on Wednesday. I also missed my weight goal by nearly 10 lbs, weighing in at 194 instead of 185. Oh well, I can try to get some sleep.

My B goal is 3:45 an 8:35/mile pace. I think if things go my way I can get a 3:40, but I’ll take a 3:52 as a new PR.

Marathon Week Begins!

The hay is in the barn…

Week 20 of my training plan for the Under Armor Baltimore Marathon 2011 officially begins tomorrow. I’ll be doing 2 easy runs, a mid-week tempo run and the race on Saturday. Training went well

• Week 1 – 4 runs, 15.24 mi, 2:06:52
• Week 2 – 4 runs, 15.18 mi, 2:02:47
• Week 3 – 4 runs, 25.52 mi, 4:01:38
• Week 4 – 4 runs, 26 mi, 3:49:20
• Week 5 – 1 runs, 7 mi, 1:06:44
• Week 6 – 4 runs, 22.47, 3:15:22
• Week 7 – 1 runs, 12.37, 2:01:54
• Week 8 – 4 runs, 33.03, 5:08:12
• Week 9 – 4 runs, 33.13, 4:57:08
• Week 10 – 4 runs, 28.38, 4:04:03
• Week 11 – 4 runs, 39.78, 6:01:44
• Week 12 – 4 runs, 37.44, 5:47:34
• Week 13 – 4 runs, 39.07, 6:02:59
• Week 14 – 4 runs, 33.04, 4:44:45
• Week 15 – 4 runs, 43.03, 6:31:06
• Week 16 – 4 runs, 44.48, 6:51:58
• Week 17 – 4 runs, 32.49, 4:38:34
• Week 18 – 3 runs, 26.86, 3:59:44
• Week 19 – 3 runs, 19.32, 2:36:28

Training totals through week 19 were -
70 runs, 533.84 miles, 79:49:02

I definitely think that most of my quality work was done faster than my conservative goal pace 8:38 for a time of 3:46:25.

The hay is in the barn and Winter is here (so to speak). Now I am hoping to deliver on the training that I put in for my sixth marathon. I trained injury free and really consistently all Summer. I would’ve called training perfect if it wasn’t for missing my last 20 miler when on my business trip last week. No excuses, though. I will toe the line confident next weekend.

Black endurance athletes

I have played two of the American big three sports with a fair amount of acumen over the years. High school varsity football and basketball for most of my life. I was never particularly gifted but at 6’3” and fairly strong (peak bench 315lbs, squat 605lbs) I had my advantages. I ran track and had an above average showing at all distances (4.5 40 yard to a 5:20 mile), but one year didn’t give me enough exposure to the sport.

When I stopped league flag football after 9 years of playing in order to support my kids weekend activities I needed another competitive outlet. Running was something I enjoyed, but didn’t pursue so when my wife brought home a Runner’s World magazine and asked me to help her train it was on. This was in 2008. I took that push and have never stopped. I love the accomplishment and fanfare of the marathon (best of 4 is 3:53:32; age grade 53.49; an 8:54/mi pace) even though I know my best age grade result is the 5K (21:06; age grade 62.13%; an 6:54/mi pace) or the 10 mile (1:12:57; age grade 61.33%; an 7:17/mi pace). I am training for 2 more marathons this year and am giving it the work and respect they deserve.

I also have become enamored with the idea of triathlon. I am addicted to Universal Sports and see these events all the time. I was a spectator to a neighborhood friend’s sprint triathlon and I am considering trying it out. I am definitely not afraid of swimming, but I am not trained. I think the bike issue is not a problem with ability, but rather with expense (I can’t spend $1K per year on a bike). So what do I do? I want to race. I also think Kona is on my bucket list (yes, I know this is highly unlikely).

So, I spent a little time just wondering to myself, “where are the other black people in endurance sport?” Some of my college acquaintances (mostly women) run, few are competitive, but do give it their all. I see these sports as a most white area, which in and of itself is not a problem, but I wondered why I see less black people in these niche sports. I saw a few bulletin board posts on the web, that attempt to answer this question, but I doubt they were answered intelligently. I do think economics come into play, but I don’t I am not a high income earner (marathon entry fees hurt my budget) and I definitely see a lot of distance runners (again mostly women) and serious bicyclists in my neighbor, which is most a black community (in the DC suburbs). Once again, I don’t want to make this anything racial, but why are there so much fewer black endurance athletes in the pro ranks. I think just one (like a Tiger Woods – though he doesn’t market himself as Black) would do wonders for the participation.

This weeks training was:

- Tuesday: 7.11 miles in 1:01:19
- Wednesday: 7.31 miles in 1:01:33
- Thursday: 7.02 miles in 1:02:53
- Saturday: 16 miles in 2:41:47

I totally *bonked* today running out of energy early at 9 miles and did a lot of run-walking until the end, which was 4 miles short of my goal 20 mile run.

So far the month of August has been:

- 28.38 miles
- 39.78 miles
- 37.44 miles