Summer Update

Now that I'm caught up on race reports, I thought I'd give a quick update. My summer racing schedule is pretty quiet now. I have a couple 5ks the next month which are mostly going to be for fun or used as speed workouts. I'm looking forward to the new Terrapin 5k the most. RAM Racing always has the best goody bags. It's been a cool summer as far as weather is concerned which has been good for running. We had a short heat wave a few weeks ago with temps in the 90s, but otherwise its been 60s and 70s mostly.

I'm registered to run the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, October 4. I'm also planning on running the Outer Banks Marathon in North Carolina on Sunday, November 8. I'm going to make another attempt at a sub 4 hour marathon in the Twin Cities and then run OBX for fun with my wife while we visit her family down there. I'm really looking forward to the TC Marathon as a chance to see some family and I think the course is going to be beautiful. I'm a little worried about the big hill at mile 21, but hopefully with a few hill workouts I'll be okay. I'm keeping my long runs in the 12-14 mile range for the next few weeks until I need to start ramping up for fall. If the weather stays like this it should be a great summer for training.

Race Report: Madison Chicago 200 mile Relay

In mid June I joined a group of friends to run the Madison to Chicago 200 mile relay. I've never done anything like it before so I was looking forward to a new type of racing experience. Basically you have two vans, 12 people (you can do it with less if you want) and a neon slap bracelet that gets passed from runner to runner as everyone runs 3 legs of varying distances from Madison, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois.

Our van left Chicago for Madison on Thursday night. After a short stop to get fried cheese curds at Culver's we checked in at our hotel near the race start and met up with the rest of our team to go over logistics before some much needed rest. We woke up the next morning to watch the other van start the race at 7 a.m. We were in van 2 so we had about 5 hours to relax before we had to take our first turn. We went back to the hotel for some continental breakfast and more rest before heading to the first van transition area in the middle of Wisconsin.

Since I had just done a marathon I had some of the longest race distances of our group. My first leg however was only 3.5 miles along the Glacial Drumlin bike trail. My goal pace was 9 minute miles, but I treated it more like a slow 5k and ran about 8 minute miles. It was at around noon so it was hot outside. I was able to pass one other team on my leg, which I think was the only time that happened during my runs. I was glad to be finished and to have another 10 hours of rest before my next run of 7.5 miles. While we waited for our fellow runners to complete their legs we were able to relax and throw around a frisbee and have some fun. Eventually we met up with the other team to pass the "baton" for their second legs. Afterwards we went to get some food and found a fantastic burger place called Five Guys. We need one of these places in Chicago. It was amazing. We then went to the next van transition area at a high school in South Milwaukee to rest for a few hours. A few of us couldn't really sleep so we threw around the frisbee some more as it turned to night and the other van met up with us to start our night leg.

My second leg was 7.5 miles through South Milwaukee in the middle of the night. This ended up being my favorite run of the relay. With only a headlamp to light my way it was easy to zone out and go on auto-pilot. About 5 of my miles were a straight shot on one road that was kind of dark and shady, had several bridges to cross, but not always a sidewalk to run on. It was cool outside and even rained a little which felt great. I kept about an 8 minute mile pace for this entire run and finished strong at a high school parking lot. This was definitely the most memorable part of the race for me. Or at least enjoyable.

The next van transition area was at a Lutheran church in south eastern Wisconsin. We were all ready for sleep at this point, unfortunately that wasnt in the cards. Eventually we found a small room where 5 of the 6 people in our van slept on the floor. (we lost one member of our party for the night, turns out he was in the sanctuary.) I think it was a storage room. It was uncomfortable at best, but we somehow slept for a few hours. We were very tired and groggy in the morning and it had begun to rain heavily. Here is where the race got painful.

We drove to the next van transition area near the Wisconsin-Illinois border trying to mentally and physically prepare ourselves for the hardest leg. I had to go 8.5 miles on my last run. My longest leg and actually the longest leg of the entire race (for 12 people teams anyways). I was definitely fatigued and sore from the night before and quickly became cold from the falling rain. Around half-way through my run my team was there to cheer me on momentarily. As I made my way through Waukegan into Lake Forest the rain finally began to let up, but I was hurting so badly it didnt matter. I think I was more happy to complete that leg than any of my four marathons. I ran over 20 miles in all and would much prefer to run all of that in one leg, but that wouldnt make the relay as fun (or as challenging) I think. The weather turned for the better as we made our way into Evanston and Chicago and we all ran into the finish area as a team at Montrose Harbor.

We finished in about 32 hours and 29 minutes to finish in 103rd place out of 116 teams that finished. Our average pace was 9:36. It was exhausting and painful and occasionally stressful but in the end I would totally do it again.

Race Report: Soldier Field 10 miler

With the Wisconsin Marathon recently under my belt and nice weather finally sticking around, I set a goal to PR at the Soldier Field 10 miler. My previous PR for a 10 miler was barely under 1:30 at last year's Soldier Field. I was positive that I could shave some time off of that with the right conditions. Race day temps were perfect albeit a little windy. I lined up with the 8:45 pace group at the start knowing that if I could stay with them I would easily PR by a couple minutes. 8:45 ended up being an easy pace and I locked into an 8:30 pace quickly.

The Soldier Field 10 miler is easily one of my favorite races because of the course. Winding south along Lake Shore Drive and then back north along the bike path its very scenic and you can't beat finishing the race on the 50 yard line of Soldier Field. After holding an 8:30 pace for most of the race, I knew around mile 7 or 8 that I was going to clobber my PR. I finished strongly in 1:25:15 taking over 4 minutes off my PR.

Mile Splits:
Mile 1: 8:49
Mile 2: 8:38
Mile 3: 8:43
Mile 4: 9:04
Mile 5: 8:06
Mile 6: 8:33
Mile 7: 8:36
Mile 8: 8:31
Mile 9: 8:33
Mile 10: 7:40

If you're looking for a spring 10 miler in the Chicagoland area, I can't recommend it enough, it's the best.

Race Report: Wisconsin Marathon

As I mentioned in my previous post, my training for the Wisconsin Marathon did not go as planned. I missed several long runs and was inconsistent overall, but I committed to running the race with a friend and once I gave up on running for time I figured I would be fine. Here are some random thoughts about the innaugural race in Kenosha.

I loved that the packet pick up was in Chicago so I didnt need to drive up to Kenosha early and stay there.
Nice Saucony tech race shirt
The 7 a.m. race start was a brutally early since we had to drive from Chicago
Nice cool spring weather. Perfect for a marathon
Heed energy drink is nasty.
The course was more confusing than it needed to be, but a nice run along Lake Michigan and through Kenosha. I dont think I'd do a double out and back marathon course again.
Not a good race if you need crowd support. Lots of long stretches without seeing anyone, but very friendly people when you do see them.
Great finishers medal

My mile splits:
Mile 1: 9:26
Mile 2: 9:13
Mile 3: 9:28
Mile 4: 9:46
Mile 5: 9:42
Mile 6: 9:37
Mile 7: 9:51
Mile 8: 9:35
Mile 9: 9:49
Mile 10: 9:51
Mile 11: 9:42
Mile 12: 9:43
Mile 13: 11:51
Mile 14: 9:40
Mile 15: 9:59
Mile 16: 10:11
Mile 17: 13:47
Mile 18: 10:04
Mile 19: 13:14
Mile 20: 10:09
Mile 21: 15:35
Mile 22: 10:10
Mile 23: 13:43
Mile 24: 10:24
Mile 25: 12:00
Mile 26: 9:34
Mile .2: 1:55

I finished in around 4:35, which I was very happy with considering my training. I don't think I would do the full marathon again, but the half-marathon would be a great spring race.

Race Report: CARA Lakefront 10 miler

I havent written in forever, but thought I would catch up on my spring races with some quick reports. I started my racing season on April 26 with the Lakefront 10 miler, now run by CARA. My spring training was less than ideal because of the crappy extended winter weather, so I wasn't really shooting for a PR, but I still wanted to see what I could do. The race fell on my taper for the Wisconsin Marathon as well so I didnt want to overdo it. The weather was nice for a distance run, overcast and cool.

My mile splits:
Mile 1: 9:56
Mile 2: 9:48
Mile 3: 9:24
Mile 4: 9:28
Mile 5: 9:17
Mile 6: 9:34
Mile 7: 9:30
Mile 8: 9:42
Mile 9: 9:29
Mile 10: 8:27
Average Lap: 9:28

I finished in about 1:35 and was mostly happy with my run. My pacing was solid from miles 3 - 9 and I had enough gas left for a fast final mile. If anything it was a nice confidence builder for the marathon. CARA did a good job with the race. They cut the finisher's medal at the end and the shirt wasn't a true tech shirt, but those are about my only complaints and they are minor. This race will definitely stay on my spring calendar.

Back At It

After an abysmal month of running in January, and a poor start to February, the last couple weeks I have finally been able to get back to running a few times a week regularly. While the weather has been awful this winter, and I wish I could blame that entirely, the truth is I haven't felt really motivated to run in the mornings like I used to do. January was my worst month of running since I started nearly two years ago now. I couldn't even get in 40 measley miles for the entire month. If I get out for a 10 miler tomorrow like I am planning, that should get me over 60 miles for February, which is comparable to last year at least.

At this point I am still planning on doing the Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha at the beginning of May, assuming I get my butt in shape the next month and start raising my mileage. I am going to be realistic however and not even consider doing a sub 4 hour marathon and just shoot for finishing and then doing a faster race in the fall.

I'm signed up for the spring 10 milers, the Lakefront 10 miler and the Soldier Field 10 miler, in April and May respectively. The Lakefront 10 fits into my taper nicely and the Soldier Field 10 miler will be a nice recovery run in late May to keep me in shape for the Madison-Chicago 200 mile relay in mid-June. I may also try one of the new half-marathons in May and June if it works with my schedule as well as the finances as each one is about $50.

I have quite a bit to look forward to the next few months with races. Lets hope for an early spring and good weather to keep my training going well.

UnderArmour World Premiere Party

Chicago runners are crazy. Seriously, how sane are you when you go running at midnight, in January, in single-digit temperatures? Why you may ask would you do this? Well, because Fleet Feet was hosting the world premiere launch party of UnderArmour's new line of running shoes at their Piper's Alley store.

I wasn't sure how many people would be crazy like me. I was pleasantly suprised to see 250 people there last night to go for a 3-5 mile run, to try on a new pair of UnderArmour shoes, and get some free stuff including pizza and beer. It's been such a tough winter here so I'm sure many people, like myself, appreciate incentives to get out running in this weather.

I met up with a few friends at the store beforehand. I didn't actually get to test a new pair of UA shoes for the run, because there was a limit to those shoes going out and they went quickly. The run was actually pretty nice. A little breezy going north, and the route was very slippery, but Erik and I went 4 miles. It was my first time out in about a week because of the temps, and it felt suprisingly good as we kept up a nice pace.

After we returned to the store, I got some pizza and beer and tried on the UnderArmour Revenant and took them for a quick jog on the treadmill. Here's my brief review from the 5 minutes I wore them:

A really nice comfortable snug fit, also very light and flexible. There is a lot of mesh, which makes it seem extra light and breezy. Would probably be great in the summer, but this would concern me in the Chicago winter. It seems like your feet would get cold pretty easily especially in single digit temps and if you have to jump through slush and puddles (which is about 4 months of the running year in Chicago) you would suffer with some very wet feet and socks. Also, there are a couple plastic-like pieces on top of the shoe around midfoot that seem to rub against your feet while running. They seemed like they could lead to blisters. A really comfortable wear though. I think I would prefer it as a street shoe in summer and I'll stick with my Nike Structure Triax for running.

The free UA "Athletes Run" t-shirt I received for trying on the shoes is really nice, and I will wear mine proudly. Thanks to Fleet Feet Chicago and UnderArmour for putting on the event. I love living in Chicago. Where else could I do a crazy thing like going running at midnight in January with a group of 250 other people?

Long Time, No See

We're in the midst of one of the coldest winters in recent Chicago history, and it's only mid-January. The weather has not been good for running. With all the travelling for the holidays, cold weather and not having a race on the calendar for many months, I haven't been motivated to go out more than once or twice a week. I started to get things back on track early this week, but I caught a cold and we're going to be in sub-zero temps for the next 3 days. Time to hit the gym for a few days and stay indoors.

It's hard to believe it's been a year since I ran my first marathon in Arizona. I wish we could head out there this weekend and escape the cold.

I spent some time tonight looking at upcoming races this year and that will definitely help me get motivated. Sadly, there arent really any races until April, so I need to find a way to get through the next 3 months. There are several new races in Chicago this summer and fall, including a couple new half-marathons, so that's something to get excited about. Anything to get motivated to get through the next couple months is a good thing now.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

All the leaves have pretty much fallen off the trees and the holidays are nearly here, which can only mean one thing in Chicago, winter running season. I broke out my winter running gear for the first time last weekend. It was a sad day. Fall is my favorite season to run, so it's depressing for me to think about needing to bundle up before going out. Running consistently and staying in shape just gets that much harder.

Last winter while I was training for the Arizona Marathon, I was able to run outside pretty much until the race in January as there wasn't a whole lot of snow until the new year. February ended up being the only month where I needed to confine myself to a gym treadmill in order to keep running.

This year my tentative plan is to stay in half-marathon shape throughout winter. Doing a couple easier runs during the week between 4-6 miles and a long run every weekend in the 10-14 mile range. Since I am not planning on doing another full-marathon until at least April or May, I am not going to kill myself doing any runs longer than that or getting out more than 2-3 times a week. I'll continue to run outside as much as possible, but when the snow and ice sticks around it'll be time to hit the gym for the shorter runs. For me, long runs need to be done outside, there is no way I will do any more than 4-5 miles on a treadmill. I'd go crazy.

It is Chicago, we had some 70 degree days last week, but that's highly unlikely again. Who knows, maybe we'll get some more 50 degree days and the shorts can stay out for a while longer,
but it's time to buckle down for another long midwestern winter.

Race Report: Hot Chocolate 5k

I unofficially closed out my 2008 racing season this weekend with the inaugural Hot Chocolate 5k. I say unofficially because while I am not registered to run another race this year, I could be convinced to run another one this year if the opportunity presented itself.

The race began at 8 a.m. at Montrose Harbor on the lakeshore-a familiar location for races in Chicago. It was the end of daylight savings time so we all got an extra hour of sleep thankfully. This was my first race in Chicago managed by Running Away Multisport, an endurance sports store on North Ave. They have the best race packet goody bag that I've ever seen. My goody bag included a sweet fleece jacket, and a nice wicking RAM running cap. It's great to run a race and get something other than a t-shirt. After running a dozen races this year, I really don't need anymore t-shirts-technical fabric or otherwise.

The weather on race morning couldn't have been more ideal, low 50s and overcast. Perfect for shorts and long-sleeves. My goal for the race was to PR and break 23 minutes for the first time. There was also a 15k race on the same morning, but I wanted to PR on the 5k distance for my last race of the year. The 15k started 10 minutes before the 5k so we waited for a couple thousand runners to get through the chute before us. Most of the runners were going the longer distance.

At about 8:10 a.m. we were off and running. When I line up at a race I always try to line up towards the front, but not the very front. Usually I start too far back though and have to weave in and out of other runners for most of the first mile. This race was no exception, but luckily it opened up within the first quarter mile and I was towards the front of the pack quickly without losing much or any time due to other runners. I hit the first mile in about 7 minutes even. I was feeling good but starting to feel the burn. I kept passing people. I hit mile two in about 7 minutes as well. One mile to go and now I was hurting. My breathing was more labored than its been for a long time. The course winded all the way around the Montrose Harbor point. I was passed by a couple people on the last mile as my pace slowed slightly. I knew I wouldnt have much for the kick. I saw the 9 mile marker for the 15k and that meant only .3 miles to go. The finish line was in sight and somehow I found a kick for the last .2 miles. The time as I crossed the finish line was just over 22 minutes. A new PR by a minute and after I found out my chip time my new PR is 21:50. I not only ran my first sub 23 minute race, but my first sub-22 minute. I took nearly a whole minute and a half off my PR. I finished in the top 50 overall and 8th in my age group. At this point I dont know much faster I could go since I was pretty spent afterwards, but a sub 20 is probably possible someday with more training.

To top it all off, the race had an amazing post-race chocolate and candy tent with hot chocolate (hence the race name), s'mores, and lots of candy bars. I wasn't able to stick around and enjoy too much sugar, but I grabbed a hot chocolate and stuffed my pockets with candy before leaving. The course was definitely a new route for me, but the race was really well managed, and had a great goody bag and post-race party. I would definitely do it again. A perfect end to the racing season in Chicago.

Next up? Not sure yet. I am looking at a spring marathon, possibly the new Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha in early May. As the weather cools off I am just looking forward to some easy running a few days a week to stay in shape.

Dick Beardsley Fun Run

Monday was an exciting day for me. My running hero Dick Beardsley visited Chicago to do a special fun run at Fleet Feet Sports at their Wells Ave. store courtesy of New Balance.

If you aren't familiar with Mr. Beardsley, he is a running legend that hails from the great state of Minnesota, like myself. He still owns the fifth fastest marathon time for a US male. He won the London, Napa and Grandma's Marathons, but is probably best known for his very close second place finish to Alberto Salazar in the 82 "Duel in the Sun" Boston Marathon. He actually lived in my hometown in MN for a while, but that was before I was a runner myself. You may remember that I saw him at Grandma's Marathon earlier this year and he signed my bib for me.

He is just an incredibly inspiring guy and I look forward to any opportunity to see him. He went through a lot of trials and hardships after his competitive running days and came out on the other side with a positive attitude and a desire to share what he has learned with others.

Dick got stuck in traffic from O'Hare getting to the store, but arrived only a few minutes late, changed and went out for a nice easy run with about 15-20 folks including myself and my friend Brian. The run felt great. Brian and I ran about 5 miles at a nice tempo. Afterwards we met back up at the store and he talked with the group for about 45 minutes. If you have never heard him speak, regardless of whether you are a runner or not, you should check him out. He is a fantastic speaker with a lot of funny and touching stories. After speaking with the group he signed some books for people and special New Balance posters printed just for the event. It is very cool and I look forward to hanging it up.

Thanks to New Balance for making his trip possible. Please bring him back again soon, and thanks to Mr. Beardsley for being such a great, inspiring guy. It made my week.

Race Report: Bank of America Chicago Marathon

On Sunday October 12, 2008 I ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. It was my third marathon of 2008. All week we watched the weather as the forecast climbed until they were predicting temps in the 70s and 80s again on Marathon Sunday. I was just hoping for an overcast day to keep the heat under wraps. Sunday morning rolled around and temps were already in the mid 60s at 5 in the morning with not a cloud in sight.

It was going to be hot.

I met up with my friend Brian and his girlfriend Amanda and we headed downtown to the race start. I didnt even need to wear a long sleeved shirt. We made it downtown using public transportation with no issues and walked to Columbus and Congress. After a couple bathroom trips and standing around watching the sun rise, I found my way to the D Corral to line up. There was lots of space in the Corral which was nice and I found the sub 4 hour marathon pacers. I was aiming for a sub-4 hour marathon, but knew that the weather was going to be challenging. When they removed the barrier for the open corral prior to the start things got crowded quickly as the faster runners that didnt make a corral time pushed their way towards the front. It was annoying. I thought the Corrals would be started before the Open Corral was released, but that apparently wasn't the case.

Once the race began, it took me less than 5 minutes to reach the actual starting line and off we went. I was expecting a slower first mile with the large crowd but we still managed to hit our 9 minute mile pace right on target. It went so quickly that I didnt even notice the mile marker. The crowds were just incredible downtown. Tons of people cheering everywhere. I felt good as we made our way back down into the Loop and up LaSalle, finding my pace and stride. The tall buildings downtown provided plenty of shade from the morning sun and kept the temps down in the low 70s. I stayed with my pacers.

As we made our way to the northside, the crowd support continued to be great. My favorite part of the race was turning south on Broadway from Addison. I connected with a friend Lara on Addison and waved as I made the turn to a huge, loud yelling crowd of people. It was so inspiring that I couldnt help but pick up my pace unintentionally. Heading back towards downtown I ran into my friend Tom and Brian's girlfriend, Amanda near mile 10. They ran with me for one block, took a few photos with me and I continued on my way.

At mile 12 I was starting to struggle. I needed to find a bathroom and the heat was rising. I knew I couldnt stay with the pacers for much longer. At the half-way mark I started losing the pacers and at the mile 14 water stop I found a port-o-john. I tried to remain positive, but I knew this was the beginning of the end. I pushed through the west side, still keeping a sub-10 minute/mile pace, but walking through some water stops. At mile 18 I stopped and said Hi to a friend Megan who was volunteering for the race. Around this time they raised the color coded threat system to red instead of yellow. Great...just what I needed. I pushed onward to the southside, my goal pretty much out of mind at this point, but a PR still clearly in sight.

As I hit Chinatown I saw the temp on a bank as I passed: 87 degrees and no shade to be seen. My worst stretch was on Wentworth heading south towards US Cellular Field. There was no shade, you are next to the interstate and crowd support was less than ideal. As I hit the International Mile, the southern most point of the course, I was still on pace for a PR, but didnt have much time to spare. Heading north on Michigan I pushed myself as hard as I could to keep running, only walking one more time at mile 23 through the water stop. After mile 24 I pushed myself to run until the finish. Without the open hydrants, hoses and misting stations there was no way I could have kept going. I was soaking wet. At mile 26 the Roosevelt hill is a real killer, but a great chance to pass a lot of people. I tried to enjoy the crowd support as I ran the last .2 miles to the finish, but was relieved to be done with this hot race as I crossed the finish line in 4:25:17. Not my goal, but a PR nonetheless.

The 27th mile was the most brutal. We were forced to walk another mile down a chain link fence with no shade or place to sit. Finally after grabbing some waters and snacks I found my way out of the labrinth to a shady place to sit and ponder yet again why I made this decision to do this to myself. I am either stupid or insane. I made my way to the runner reunite area and found Amanda and Brian. Then later I met up with PJ who ran his first marathon, and finally I found Cassie who finished with all her kids from the mentoring program.

Hot weather aside it was a fantastic race. Plenty of supplies, water and gatorade. Unmatched crowd support. There were people on the sidelines pretty much everywhere except a couple small stretches on the west and south sides. I dont know yet if I feel the desire to run Chicago again, but I would definitely volunteer at least.

Who knows, maybe I will change my mind. I was already considering where I'd run my next marathon before I went to bed at 8 that Sunday. It is an addiction.

Congrats to other runners out there and thanks to the organizers for a great day.

Pre-Race Jitters

On Sunday morning I run the Chicago Marathon. This will be my third marathon this year and by far the largest one with 45,000 participants. Although the weather doesnt look like it will be entirely favorable I am going to attempt a sub-four hour marathon. Luckily, I qualified for the D Corral which should help me achieve my goal with fewer runners on the course when I start. The weather is looking like it will be low 60s in the morning and potentially could hit 80 degrees by mid-day. It won't be as hot as last year, but still, not exactly ideal long distance running weather. If it stays overcast during the morning, at least that would help.

I visited the Expo today while I was downtown for work and picked up my race packet. This was my favorite Expo that I've attended so far. Everything was attractive, very well-organized and efficient. I had no issues. I was able to pick up all my stuff and basically walk around the entire Expo, as well as do some shopping within an hour. I probably would have spent more time walking around, but I had to get to work and I didnt want to come back downtown on Saturday when it was going to be crazy busy.

I'm feeling mixed emotions of excitement and anxiety about the race. I know that I can pull out a sub-four hour race, but mentally I need to be prepared to get from 18-23. If the weather outlook was better, I think I could be more confident. While I dont think I've ever hit "the wall" in my previous two races, I always feel the need to stop running at around this time and have ended up run/walking the last few miles. If I can just get through those miles perhaps by breaking them down mentally into smaller chunks, I think I can do the last 3 without walking.

My training has been going okay. I initially had planned two long runs more than 20 miles, but due to high temps and being sick one week, my training plan was cut a little short. I did run a solid 18 miler and a 21 miler, both during warm temps, so if I can keep those in mind, along with my great half-marathon experience, I will be confident and ready to go on Sunday. I did some speed work, although not consistently every week as I originally planned. I mixed in some great tempo runs the last couple weeks, which I think were a big help.

If you are in Chicago, come out and support the race, it will be a beautiful fall day to spend outside. Course info can be found at ChicagoMarathon.com. I will post a race report as soon as possible.

Race Report: Chicago Distance Classic Half-Marathon

I was a tad nervous entering my first half-marathon distance race on Sunday. I felt under-trained and unprepared. Since Grandma's Marathon in late June, I think I've only run 3 long runs, none of them consistently timed, and none further than 12 miles. However, I had begun doing speed work once a week and biking regularly on non-running days. I set an ambitious goal for myself to qualify for the D Corral at the marathon. I had never run even close to an 8:30 pace on a long run, but wanted to give it a shot.

I can now say without hesitation that the Distance Classic was a break-through race for me. On race morning the temps were in the low 60s, completely unreal for mid-August. I woke up early to go downtown with Cassie to help set up their tent in the charity village. Saturday night I was at the White Sox and Red Sox game at The Cell, and so it goes without saying that I didn't get an adequate amount of sleep, although I was good at the game and stayed hydrated with water and gatorade instead of eating junk food and drinking beer. It was chilly downtown at 4:30 in the morning, but I was feeling good. After meeting up with a few friends before the race, Jon, Erik and Kevin, I went to the starting corral and lined-up with Jon.

I wanted to line-up near the 1:50 pacer, but it was impossible to get close since it was so packed, so I was actually near the 2:00 pacer. The race waves started and I saw the 1:50 pacer go with the second wave, but I was stuck with the third wave. While I appreciated the wave start, I already felt like I had failed at my goal since I was left to my own devices to qualify. After about 5 minutes of waiting, our wave was off and running. I wanted to keep my pace around 9 min/mile for the first half, and then 8:30 or faster the second half. I had some issues with my watch at the one-mile marker, if you see my split below was over 9 min. It was actually about 8:50 and the second mile was closer to 8:45. The rest of my splits were as follows:

Mile Splits:
Mile 1: 9:16
Mile 2: 8:22
Mile 3: 8:39
Mile 4: 8:45
Mile 5: 8:37
Mile 6: 8:21
Mile 7: 10:09
Mile 8: 8:23
Mile 9: 8:12
Mile 10: 8:48
Mile 11: 7:46
Mile 12: 8:05
Mile 13: 8:21
Mile .1: :53

You're probably wondering what happened at Mile 6-7. I'll come back to that. I felt great through about 11 and a half miles, then it got painful. I took 2 clif shot blocks right before the race and at miles 5 and 10, in addition I also sipped Gatorade during the race. Instead of drinking the entire cup like I have done in previous races, I just drank a little and it made a big difference because it allowed me to run through each water stop and I didnt over-drink like I did in Duluth. The second half of my race was about 6 minutes faster than the first, so I had a great negative split.

After my 10 minute mile at the half-way point I felt the qualifying time slipping away so I picked up the pace despite fears that I was going to bonk big time. When I hit mile 12, I was pretty sure that I would miss the D Corral qualifier, since I was pretty spent and needed to run close to a 7 min. final mile. I wanted to stop running so badly during the last mile, but I held on and finished in 1:52:33, which is an average pace of 8:36 per mile. I ran the entire 13.1 without walking once, which was another break-through for me.

After looking through my splits following the race, I was completely baffled by what happened between miles 6 and 7. I knew that I hadn't slowed my pace that much. I hadnt even run over a 9 minute mile the entire race. I felt the distance must have been off by a bit, but of course could not prove anything. While I was disappointed to miss the D Corral qualifier time I was extremely happy with how well I ran. I left feeling like a sub 4 hour marathon was well within my grasp.

I spent the next couple hours cheering on runners near the 13 mile mark and had a great time. The race was well-organized and the course was beautiful. I have only two complaints: No GU or Clif Shots were provided on the course, and the tech t-shirt was HUGE. I think I will drown if I wear it running. Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend this race, although the weather will probably never again be this perfect for a mid-August race ever again.

P.S. Yesterday, on my way home from work I got a text from my friend Jon. It turns out that the course was measured incorrectly and was actually about .2 miles longer at the half-way turnaround. I knew it! The Chicago Marathon adjusted their qualifying time for CDC finishers to make the D Corral to 1:53, so I qualified like I hoped! My average pace was 8:29 for 13.1 miles. I am thrilled that I reached my goal and that I have an even better chance now of running a sub 4 hour marathon in October. Two months to go! Let the hard training begin.

Race Report: Elvis Is Alive 5k

Long time no blog. Since I last posted in June after Grandma's Marathon, I've recovered from that race nicely, struggled to start training for Chicago in October, struggled to be motivated to run in the heat and humidity, started doing weekly speed workouts at the North Park University Track, biked to work about once a week for cross-training, and panicked that the Distance Classic is soon and that I havent done a long run of more than 12 miles since the marathon. So as you can tell, it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride.

The Elvis 5k last year was my first race ever, so it's fun to think about how far I've come in the course of one year. Lots of training, shorter races and a couple marathons have passed. Several friends wanted to run the race with us since we gave it such a good review last year. While last year was typical hot and humid August weather, this year we were blessed with cool and breezy temps in the low 70s. It felt like a September race. The race course moved downtown to Grant Park, which was convenient since I work downtown. The course changed a bit at the last minute because of a pre-season Bears game, but Fleet Feet handled it all very well with email communications.

I ran very well and PR'd for a 5k with a time of 23:35. That isn't official because its not a chip-timed race, but its based on my Garmin watch so I trust it. I was hoping for a time closer to 23 flat, but it was difficult to break open on the first mile on the crowded and narrow lakeshore path. I usually have more energy for a kick at the end, but felt pretty spent. All in all, a great speed workout for the week.

Mile Splits:
Mile 1: 8:08
Mile 2: 7:36
Mile 3: 7:14
Mile .1: :35

The post-race party was a blast with an Elvis impersonator concert and Goose Island 312, which tasted amazing. It's a great atmosphere, if you have never run this race before, I highly recommend it for next year.

Race Report: Grandma's Marathon

Friday: Expo Day

Cassie and I drove into Duluth and immediately went to the Expo on Friday afternoon. The Expo was alright; the expo room in the DECC is a pretty small space considering the number of people there. My only issue was that there was no Grandma's Marathon technical wear to buy. Everything was cotton. I hope they get an apparel sponsor in the future because I would love to have a shirt to wear running. The highlight of the expo was meeting hometown running hero Dick Beardsley. I talked with him for a couple minutes and he signed my bib number. He's a super nice guy, and I hope I get to see him again someday. Packet pick-up was super easy and we went to Michelina's Spaghetti Dinner at the DECC to fill up on carbs. The food was great and just what we needed after a day and a half of driving through Wisconsin and eating too much junk food. We made our way to our friends home for dinner, and after a quick trip to SuperOne for some gatorade, peanut butter, bagels, bananas and sunscreen, we went to bed early.

Saturday: Race Day

We woke up at 4:45 a.m. feeling pretty good after 8 hours of sleep. After getting ready we made ourselves some peanut butter bagels and walked to the University of Minnesota, Duluth campus to catch a bus to the race start. We waited in line for 10-15 minutes before boarding a bus and heading to Two Harbors. There were no issues driving to the race start since it was early and the buses were the only traffic. The weather was really nice and cool in the morning with a nice breeze. The skies were clear, so it was looking to be a sunny day with temps in the 60s and low 70s. After arriving we made a couple trips through the port-o-potty lines and went to the race start. It was a nice atmosphere and I was feeling good. It took us about 5-6 minutes to walk up to the starting line once the race started, but after that we were able to immediately jump into our race pace of around 10 minutes/mile.

The course was beautiful and Cassie and I had a great race. We were strong and kept a nice pace through about 20 miles, then we needed to start taking walking breaks. I started getting some stomach cramps around 21-22 miles, mostly I think because of the Ultima. That stuff was nasty.

The people of Two Harbors and Duluth really come out and support this race. There were a lot of supporters on the course not just in Duluth, but along Highway 61 in the middle of nowhere. There were also many Elvi, bands, musicians and Al Franken. That's right. Al Franken. We ran past him around the 9-10 mile marker and thought we were seeing things, then when we passed him around mile 17-18 again I got my picture taken with him.

Our mile splits according to my watch, which slightly vary from our chip time:

Mile 1: 9:53
Mile 2: 9:45

Mile 3: 9:45

Mile 4: 9:28

Mile 5: 9:29

Mile 6: 9:56

Mile 7: 9:37

Mile 8: 10:00

Mile 9: 9:53

Mile 10: 9:29

Mile 11: 9:59

Mile 12: 10:07

Mile 13: 10:08

Mile 14: 9:41

Mile 15: 9:40

Mile 16: 11:52

Mile 17: 11:06

Mile 18: 9:56

Mile 19: 9:56

Mile 20: 13:35

Mile 21: 13:11

Mile 22: 11:23

Mile 23: 10:55

Mile 24: 12:20

Mile 25: 11:41

Mile 26: 10:12
Mile .2: 2:07

We finished in a chip time of 4:35:04, which was a lot better than we expected, especially since the course seemed alot hillier than expected. We just aren't able to train for that in Chicago, no matter how big the hills. I loved the race and would definitely do it again in the future. Wading in Lake Superior after the race was really nice...but even too cold to stay in for long. I do believe that it helped our recovery though, because we were feeling okay the day after the race and within three days we were pretty much back to normal. My recovery for Grandma's was a LOT better than AZ in January.

Thanks to the organizers of Grandma's and the people of Two Harbors and Duluth for a great race weekend.

A Minnesota 20 miler

We were up in the Twin Cities this past weekend for my sister's wedding. We took a couple days off from work for the trip and got up north on Wednesday night. Friday morning we left our hotel to drive downtown near the Mississppi river for our 20 mile long run. After doing some research on MapMyRun and the MDRA website I determined our best route to get in the miles and not get completely lost was to run along the Grand Rounds River Byway. It was a great path along the Mississippi and Minnehaha rivers. We planned to do two 5 mile out and backs in each direction to keep our car as a central point so we could have Gatorade and water. The weather was a little on the warm side in the mid 60s, but still very manageable.

We forget how spoiled we are on the lakeshore in Chicago. I assummed there would be plenty of water fountains along the path, but it took us 5 miles to find our first fountain, which actually was a water pump. The Minnehaha path followed a nice quiet river through some parks, a golf course, nice neighborhoods, and a couple lakes. It reminded me of the River Path in Chicago in some ways, but it was a smaller river and a bigger park. There weren't many runners out on Friday, but we did see several bikers. At the 5 mile mark with the water pump we turned around and went back to the car. On the way back we did find one more water fountain with about 2 miles left.

After a brief break at the car to take some GU and Gatorade we set out north along the Mississippi for the last 10 miles. The path had been very flat until this point when it decided to go downhill a ways very close to the river. Going downhill is fine until you have to go back the other direction. We made it about 3 miles when the path came to a closed off fence area near the I-35W bridge which collapsed last year. I was suprised to see lots of torn and twisted pieces of metal from the bridge lying out behind the fence. We were forced to turn around a couple miles early and head back to the other direction, after a mile we were able to find a water fountain with some gross milky looking water. We were so thirsty that we would have drank anything though. It was getting warmer and we hit the hill so we walked back up a little bit before running to the car for another GU and Gatorade break.

We still needed to run 4 more miles to complete our training run, so we set out 2 miles in the other direction towards the Minnehaha river again. Cassie and I were both feeling the distance considerably at this point so our run had slowed to more of a shuffle. We found the fountain again after 2 miles and then shuffled back to the car to finish the run. On the last mile I started loosening up again despite the pain, and ended feeling strong. I think our 22 mile day two weeks ago was a more difficult run for me.

We're returned to Chicago on Sunday afternoon and ran a nice 5 miler along the river. It's such a great feeling to complete that final long run. Now we just have a couple shorter long runs for our taper period and we're driving to Duluth for Grandma's Marathon on June 21st. I am already looking forward to a victory wade in cold Lake Superior after running 26.2 miles. It's going to be sweet.

Race Report: Soldier Field 10 mile

We woke up at 5:30 this morning to get ready for the race. Cassie and I picked up Jon and Sara at 6 a.m. and we drove downtown to the race start at Soldier Field. After some traffic near the museum campus we were able to park easily and walk up to the start with about 25 minutes to spare. The weather was perfect for a distance race in the low 50s at the start. I thought I would need a long sleeved shirt, but I ended up going with a short-sleeved shirt right before we began. This ended up being a great decision as it warmed up very quickly during the race with the sun out and no cloud cover.

The race started at 7:30 a.m. There were about 7,500 runners, so it took us about 8-9 minutes just to get past the starting line and it was slow-moving during the first mile. The race course headed south along Lake Shore Drive for about 4 and a half miles and then cut back and returned north to Soldier Field, with a fantastic race finish on the 50 yard line.

My goal was to finish the race in less than 90 minutes, since I just missed that mark by 7 seconds during the Lakefront 10 miler a month earlier. My strategy was similar to the LF10; keeping a nice easy close to 9 min. pace for the first 7 miles or so and then pushing it on the last 3.

I felt really good during the race. I spent alot of time and energy weaving around other runners and passing them, but it was sort of a fun game to keep my mind occupied. It was really a beautiful course. I particularly liked heading north on the lakeshore path with a great view of the skyline. I never run much further south than Navy Pier so it was a treat to be running on new ground. Around mile 7 I knew that I'd have to pick it up to make it in under 90 minutes. I felt fine until about the last half-mile when I was feeling a little sick and mentally exhausted. When I emerged onto the field I saw that I had about a minute to spare and so I kicked it into the 50 yard line and finished the race in a chip time of 1:29:34 with 26 seconds to spare. I hadnt eaten anything before the race so I was really nauseated and hungry and the Gatorade wasnt sitting well. It didnt really help to get ushered into the crowded, hot concourse and I had a hard time finding some recovery snacks, but eventually we found it and were on our way.

The stats according to my watch (they vary slightly from my chip time):
Average lap: 8:58 miles
Splits:
Mile 1: 10:00
Mile 2: 9:15
Mile 3: 9:03
Mile 4: 9:28
Mile 5: 8:58
Mile 6: 9:10
Mile 7: 8:58
Mile 8: 8:35
Mile 9: 8:19
Mile 10: 7:51

How's that for some nice negative splits? All in all, a great race. I still can't imagine keeping this pace for an entire marathon, but with some speedwork and tempo runs this summer, that is exactly what I want to accomplish at the Chicago Marathon. This was my last race before Grandma's Marathon on June 21. Cassie and I have our 20 mile run this weekend while were up in the Twin Cities, and then there is nothing left but the taper.

Almost....there...

I guess I have lots to report since its been nearly two weeks since my last post. It's been a good couple of running weeks with good consistency and no injuries to report.

Last Sunday was the most difficult running day I've experienced in a long time, if not ever. Sunday morning we ran the Legs for Literacy 5k in Lincoln Park with our friend Jess. Jess is not a big runner, but wanted to do a little training and run a race with Cass and myself. We looked at several 5k races in May and decided this would be the best one. What we didnt do was take into account our marathon training. Turns out that we had to run 18 miles the same weekend. Originally we were going to do our long run on Saturday, but due to busy schedules it was pushed to Sunday. Since we couldnt do 15 more miles immediately after the race, that meant it was going to be a 21 mile day total. We figured we'd be okay if ran the race VERY conservatively at around 10 minute/mile pace. I kicked it from about 100 yards in, but otherwise it was going to be a warm up.

Later that afternoon we set out for our 18 mile long run on the lakeshore. Maybe it was the 5k, maybe I was just not mentally prepared, but it was extremely hard. We ran about 15 miles on the lakeshore and headed home before running another 4 miles on the river path. 15 plus 4 doesnt equal 18 you're saying, it's 19. Well, I didnt map the run before we left so we ended up running one more mile than we needed to, making it a 22 mile day. BUT we did finish it. It completely whipped us, but we did it. Erik ran with us for the first 15 miles, and with 2 miles to go, Jon caught up with us on the river path to surprise us and help take our minds off our pain while he was finishing his 10 miler. It was a big mental boost. On Monday I felt like I had run a marathon.

On Saturday morning we are running the Soldier Field 10 miler with Jon. We're supposed to have great weather and its a great course so I am really looking forward to it. I picked up our packets at the new Piper's Alley Fleet Feet store yesterday. I also wanted to pick up a new pair of Brooks Adrenalines since I have over 400 miles on my current pair. This will allow me to get about 100 miles on the new pair before the marathon and break them in. I dont know what it was, but I had a horrible experience at the new FF store. All the staff members seemed very rushed and rude. The new store is just huge comparitively and I sort of feel like they've lost some of their quality personal service at the new place. I think I'll stick to the Lincoln Square store when possible. I know they had packet pick-up going on and it was a busy time of day, but isnt personable, quality service their thing? Thats what they promote themselves as anyways.

Well, I will see you on the 50 yard line this weekend.

Training Update

I realized it has been a little while since I've given an update on my weekly runs. Training for Grandma's Marathon is going very well. Sunday afternoon, Cassie, Erik and I ran 16 miles along the lakeshore. After some stomach issues the first five miles, I settled into a nice groove the rest of the way and finished strong. Cassie had some of the same stomach issues, only they hit her at mile 13. The stomach issues were definitely our fault. We did a very stupid thing and ate a full lunch of pasta with creamy sauce 40 minutes before our long run. Our bodies hated us for it. We decided afterwards that we're going to write a book of all the stupid running things NOT to do. Erik is going to write a chapter on the trials and tribulations of buying an older model shoe for cheaper off the discount rack.

I've ran 32 miles so far this week. An easy 4.5 on Tuesday, 5.5 on Wednesday and a fairly quick 6 miler today. I need to get in a 10 mile long run this weekend, so I may end up crossing the 40 mile week mark for the second time in my life if I go tomorrow. The best part is that I've been injury free, with nothing more than general soreness after long runs. I didnt get any cross-training in this week because the weather has been cold and rainy and I havent been able to bike to work. I'm hoping to be biking at least 2-3 days a week regularly once the weather warms up for good. If I can add some speedwork on the track once a week I think that'll make a nice training plan.