Twin Cities Marathon 2009 Race Report

Hopefully this won't be some epic (or epically boring) post. It is only running after all.

Sunday was a perfect day to run a marathon. It was about 45 with no rain in the forecast. We hopped on the bus near CS's house so we wouldn't have to worry about parking downtown. We get off the bus and are walking toward the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome - where the start is - and suddenly some dude from the local FOX station steps in front of us and asks if we want to talk about the marathon on camera. As a rule I decline and add that my handlers in the witness protection program would not appreciate seeing my face on TV. It also didn't help that I looked like a longshoreman with my black knit cap on. After some hemming and hawing and misdirection on our part we dodged that bullet and made our way to "The Dome."

Nothing much to report here. We ran into a long line of people waiting to go in the one door to get into "The Dome." As we got closer we realized they were doing a security check of our bags. One guy. At one door. I looked to the right and saw a wide open gate so I, and about 50 other people, peeled off and went in there. Security checkpoint = FAIL! Besides if I was going to be packing heat I wouldn't have it in my gear bag anyway. I would have it in my running holster.

Once inside "The Dome" nothing to report. (This is quite possibly the most boring post you have read so far, I am sure.) Smelled like Ben Gay. ("How long have you...you know...Ben Gay?")

Everyone peed and pooped as usual. (Sorry, I really got nothing here.)

The start was uneventful. We were in Corral 1 - which I love - so we were only about a minute behind the gun. CS and I started together but I took off after about a mile and a half. I was working my plan and CS was working hers. Hers worked better.

The miles really clicked along nicely. I had started with a long sleeve shirt, but that was discarded by about mile three. I was drinking the Powerade on the course at every stop and about eight miles in my stomach started to feel a little "funny." I have had tummy trouble in the past so I wasn't too worried. I had taken Immodium with breakfast so I figured that would help. And for a long while it did.

The half-marathon split came up and I was dead on my goal. I was feeling fresh and was working my plan, although my stomach was still feeling "funny." I continued to drink the Powerade and after each time, I noticed my stomach felt worse, but then the feeling subsided.

As we made the turn on a straight stretch of River Road I realized I could see the 3:20 pace balloons ahead of me. They were within reach and I had plenty of time to work my way up without blowing. I was making great progress. My splits were right where they should be and my heart rate was good. I was thinking, "I can totally do this!"

When someone suggested I run a marathon I was like, "No way! I don't want bloody nipples or to shit myself!" Well Sunday - I had neither but the the second one came pretty close.

Around mile 18 I started to feel a little gassy, but I knew it wouldn't just be gassy for long and started to look for a porta-a-potty. Alright, 3:20 is out the window, but let's just go for a PR. My potty stop helped and I got right back on the horse. For about two miles or so.

I took a couple more cups of Powerade, but they made me really nauseous. I tried a couple cups of water. Same effect. So I stopped drinking. That combined with the "fluids" and nutrients I left somewhere along mile 19 left me dehydrated and I started to bonk - hard!

And I was so close. Look at the splits from my Garmin and you can see.


Mile 19 jumps up for the potty stop, but then I am back under 8 minutes for a couple of miles and then the downward slide.

For the last three and a half miles I would run until I thought I would puke, then walk until the feeling subsided, then run again. It was a terrible way to finish. CS came by at this point and I ran up to her and we ran for a little while together. She confided in me that she thought she may have "sharted" (she hadn't) so we were both having some GI issues - brothers in arms. She finished with another PR. I did suck it up and ran the last half mile or so to the finish so I finished running. Then, to add insult to injury a nice light, freezing cold rain started as I was coming through the finishing chute. Now I was feeling shitty, dehydrated, wet and cold. Hypothermia here I come!

That was close, too. I was really considering hitting medical to get some fluids and to get warmed up. I got my gear bag and even while it was still sprinkling I got into dry clothes. Then the rain stopped. People finishing behind me never got wet. Thanks, GOD!

So - net-net of the Twin Cities Marathon 2009 t-odd Edition - 3/4 kickass marathon. 1/4 marathon betrayed by my stomach. Overall, I am encouraged. I took people's advice and went for it. My fitness was great, my plan was great, I was holding it all together. I just need to figure out what I can eat and drink that won't make me feel like hell. I also have to remind myself that this is only my fourth marathon, I have only been running for two full years and I would say I am doing pretty well. I came through healthy and injury free. One of these times it will all come together - probably when I least expect it.

On a lighter note:

I didn't hear too many strange words of encouragement, but CS reported a few.

• Love it! (Two times!)
• You're almost to the point where it's all downhill from there.

And one of my favorites reported by CS's friend who rode on the bus with us: As she was getting to the top of Heartbreak Hill at her first Boston Marathon and totally dying some dude stops cheering and tells her, "My hands are really sore from clapping."

So now I am on to my off-season. Main goal: get my nutrition figured out. 2010 is going to be a HUGE year!

Thanks to everyone who offered their advice and support. It is all very much appreciated.

Hini and the Airplane

In 11 days I will be running a marathon. Over the coming weekend I will be sealed in an aluminum infection cylinder for four hours after which I will be deposited into a tightly packed mass of virus incubating, germ-bags gathered together for a wedding in St. Louis, Mizzura. The wedding is a second wedding for one of A's college friends (it seems strange that it's already time for second weddings.) Now, if I come down with any illness - like H1N1 (a friend in F's class calls it "the Hini flu") I will be seriously irritated. I am not a big fan of air travel anyway (or second weddings for that matter - kidding) and this would absolutely put me over the edge.

Basically, I am right where I should be in my taper - edgy, achy, paranoid and prone to radical mood swings - this could be a very good race.

If I don't get sick.

The Unknown

I am fearing it now - "The Unknown." What is "unknown," you ask? Whether or not I can run the Twin Cities Marathon at the pace I want to. The problem is, I have had nothing to test my training with, other than training runs.

When I figured my training plan I based it on a 1:33 half-marathon I ran in the spring. In case you don't want to go back to that post, I basically started out too fast and figured, "what the hell, let's see how long I can hold this pace," and I held it pretty much the whole distance.

The thing is, the pace that I have been training for and actually training above (faster than) on tempo runs seems so daunting to me only because I have never tried to run that pace for over three hours.

So here is why I can run this pace.

When I ran that half-marathon in the spring I was training for a marathon but at a considerably slower pace than I am now (I was preparing to pace MS & LF in the Minneapolis Marathon.)

I finished a successful and fast triathlon season this summer and rolled right into this marathon training, so I am more fit than I would have been in the spring.

No illness or injuries up to this point, no missed training.

I have been running fast. Faster than I have in the past.

The only reason I can't run this pace is that I am having a hard time getting my head around the fact that I actually can do it. And that it might hurt doing it.

Here is the dumbest part of this - I am having doubts while I am in the middle of hard training and right before taper. This is the worst time to be evaluating anything regarding race day.

I will just have to trust in my training and continue to work the plan for now. Race day will come soon enough and all questions will be answered then. Any encouragement is appreciated.

What's Going on Wednesday

As I am sure you have all been wondering, what is going on with me? So this Wednesday I will tell you. (Thus the title of my post.)

OK, admittedly that first sentence was just ridiculous. Hopefully it's not an indication of how the rest of this post will go.

Hunting Season

The kids are back in school, so summer is officially over. With that being said, hunting season is now upon us. Or at least me. Which season you ask? Job hunting season.

I found a position that sounded interesting at a "major" corporation in town. I contacted a couple of people that I know who work in the company and networked a contact with the head of the department.

This could be a sweet job. According to the job description - minimal supervision, proofreading, writing, directing internal communications.

So I send over my resume to my friend. She sends it off to the department head and then I wait. Later in the evening I get another email from my friend. She very nicely points out that I might want to take a look at my resume. Seems I have a - wait for it...

Typo! I am applying for a PROOFREADING job and I have a typo in my resume. Not buried in the minutiae of my education or something - in the THIRD FRICKING LINE! (I spellchecked it and everything - apparently "quaterback" is a legitimate word in Microsoft Word's world. It should have been "quarterback.")

Needless to say, I don't anticipate a call back on that one.

Job hunt #1 = FAIL!

Road Trip

This weekend I am heading to Madison, WI to volunteer at the Ironman Wisconsin triathlon. On Monday MS, CS and I will stand in line to sign up for next year's race. I think we are all excited to volunteer and anxious about actually signing up for the race next year. The mere mention of it sends my wife into a tailspin of anticipatory resentment at the perceived training load I will be taking on. I am, however, not going to SWAG (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) the training for this race (as I have for others.) I am going to hire a coach and get on a program with one of the main goals being to remain somewhat happily married before and after the race.

Brush with Fame (or Infamy)

Turns out that rumors that have been circulating around the neighborhood are true. Brett Favre's daughter is going to school at the same school as my kids. She is in the same class as our neighbor's daughter - who is a grade ahead of E. It will be interesting to see which social-climbing couple tries to become fast friends with the Favre family. It's all a little "Real Housewives of Edina" for me.

Marathon Training

I am about a month away from Twin Cities Marathon. Training has been going well. The injuries and set backs from earlier in the training cycle seem to have abated. I have two more 20+ mile long runs before taper. I have been feeling good, but I am nervous about running as fast as I have been told I can for 3+ hours. I know I shouldn't make predictions about race day while in the middle of my highest mileage & intensity training block. All indications are that I can run that fast, now I just have to believe it.

Sonofabitch!

Right now I am sitting in the coffee shop and I feel a little tickle on my shin so I reach down to scratch it and WHAM! I get stung by a fricking bee! I freak out trying to kill the thing and get it out of my pant leg. Anyone looking at me would think I was having some sort of grand mal seizure and praying that I don't start choking on my own tongue. How it made it up my pant leg is beyond me. I did get the last laugh as I summarily executed it with an overly enthusiastic, rather effeminate dance on its black and yellow thorax. Take that, MoFo!

(Oh, and you will all be happy to learn that I am, in fact, not allergic to bees so you can all continue to look forward to more moderately entertaining, mostly migraine-inducing posts. Although I suspect there is at least one person out there who would just like me to go away. Mom.)

I Am Dumb (that goes without saying)

I was all excited because I signed up for a tune-up race for the Twin Cities Marathon. I had run the City of Lakes 25K last year and was interested to see how I would do this year. I had my race plan all set for this Sunday. Then I started thinking about the fact that I had not received my race number in the mail yet. Had it come and I threw it away? I better check to make sure they didn't change how they deliver numbers.

I went to the race web site and damn if the race is NOT this Sunday. It's NEXT Sunday. The Sunday I am in Madison, WI volunteering for IMWI. WTF?! I am such a moron! So now I don't have a tune-up race and I am out $30 registration fee. I guess a DNS is better than a DNF.

Just to prove that A and I are a ditzy match made in heaven. Here is how the first step of her run yesterday morning started.

(She hit bottom - that is like 4" of wet concrete.)

Perhaps now people will understand where my children get their blonde hair. (NJ - I am not sure where they get their looks either - I give my wife full credit for that side of the equation. I take responsibility for their smart mouths and penchant for finding "toilet humor" and burps incredibly funny.)

Now I have to figure out a race-pace workout (the timing isn't good for an actual race.) I was thinking about doing a 15 mile route with no stops, but that just seems mind-numbing to me. Maybe 10 would be better. Maybe I will do that next week after the kids go to school. If anyone has any other suggestions feel free to offer them. (Legitimate suggestions preferred, but I know I will get smart-ass suggestions from D - don't let me down.)

Well, That Wasn't So Bad

Uh, yeah, that injury - not that big a deal. It still hurts when I walk but it didn't affect my running at all this morning. I will probably stop referring to it as an injury anymore as it doesn't really warrant that status and compared to SIC it not that big a deal.

I met up with "the ladies" to run this morning as usual, but I did forewarn via email that I needed to do a tempo run and would warm up with them for the first couple of miles and then take off. They were all cool with that.

My tempo pace is supposed to be 6:58/mile and I needed to hold it for 4 miles. It all seemed a little daunting to me as I have taken a little time off from hard marathon training, but I went for it anyway.

The first mile flew by, but I was concerned about holding the pace, so I kept telling myself I didn't have to do four miles, maybe three would be OK. The second mile seemed to take longer and again I told myself maybe just three is fine. Or three and half. Three and a half puts me back at the train tracks that mark two miles from our start and finish.

I seemed to be doing OK and holding the pace, but now I was off the trail and onto residential streets and making corners and then on sidewalks and kind of all over the place.

I made it to the train tracks and kept going because I told myself, "At this point it's only 800 yards to finish, why quit now?" I proceeded to watch every fricking tenth and then hundredth of a mile tick off on my watch and when I hit four miles I stopped.

Then I quickly started running again to warm down.

I had done it. I had done the full four miles and I had held my tempo pace without feeling like I was going all out.

I got another surprise when I got home and downloaded my data. Here is the mile breakdown:

(I don't know why these things are always so fricking small so I guess I will spell it out as well.)

Mile 3 (the start of my tempo pace) Avg Speed = 6:52, Avg HR = 145

Mile 4 Avg Speed = 6:52, Avg HR = 149

Mile 5 Avg Speed = 6:52, Avg HR = 154

Mile 6 (running through neighborhoods and junk) Avg Speed = 6:55, Avg HR = 156

That is CRAZY consistent. I am now feeling much better about my fitness and can imagine it only getting better over the next 8+ weeks. This could be really interesting.

And That, Is That

(Settle in - this is a long one.)

What else can I say? The inaugural Minneapolis Marathon is complete. Everything did not go according to plan. MS and LF did not get their Boston qualifying time, but it was not for lack of a valiant effort. I did my job, but it was just not in the cards on Sunday. 

The day was beautiful, clear skies and about 55 degrees at the start, about 77 and sunny at the finish. We got to the start in time to use the biff and mill around a little bit. We ran into a bunch of friends, some we knew would be running and others who were a surprise. Everyone seemed to be feeling good - I know I was. (LF had a 99 degree temp the night before, but was feeling better when she woke up.)

What can you say about a marathon? If you have done one (or even half of one) you know there is a lot of running. If you haven't done one - there is a lot of running. I will try to make this interesting by embellishing mildly interesting events, exaggerating other events and flat out lying when I need to fill space. The night before I reviewed my notes to myself from my successful Twin Cities Marathon. Drink a liter and half of Accelerade orange with caffeine - check. Clif Builder Bar (substituted a large bowl of oatmeal instead - I had started doing this weeks before) - check. Pee early in the race - check - that was mildly humorous.

The course is kind of quirky (read: fucked up) but it worked to my advantage. About two miles in we pass a long line of port-a-potties (I didn't have to pee then) then we make a loop and pass them again at about mile five. We have to cross the historic Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi coming up to mile five and I told "the ladies" I had to pee and would book it over the bridge, pee, and then meet them at the port-a-potties. So there I am running too fast, too early in the race (from other people's perspectives, not mine really) so I could pee. I find an open door, step in and am doing my business when I hear, "Todd Olson (that is my name) we are running by the port-a-potties!" I reply, "I hear ya!" Then I hear from next door, "You better pee fast!" To which I reply, "Don't talk, you're making it crawl back up!" Followed by peels of laughter. I finish up, tuck back in (too much detail, but worth it, hold on) grab a quick squirt of sanitizer and step out the door. Wait a minute. Something doesn't feel quite right. Uh, yeah - mis-tucked. My junk is hanging out the leg of my short liner (not out in the open, thank god.) So, now I am running and trying to stuff my stuff back in its home as demurely as possible. I was laughing at myself as I was catching up to "the ladies." (I don't know why I keep putting that in quotes, but it seems to work.) By the time everything was said and done, I was only about 100 yards behind. Catching up was no work. Getting myself dressed apparently was.

The marathon and half marathon start from the same starting line and run the same course until the half makes a turn around and the marathon continues on. It was fun to see the lead half-marathoners come tearing by. That first gal was "fit"! After the turn it was considerably less crowded. We clipped along right on or slightly under pace. It seemed everyone was feeling good. I was being honest about the pace and keeping everyone informed. 

We're tooling along this little parkway, enjoying the cool, sunny weather and the shade of the oak trees when just ahead of us we hear a rustle up in the branches. Then "WHUMP!" All of a sudden a squirrel falls about 12 feet out of a tree and lands right next to LF. We jump and look over and the damn thing gets up and runs off. Weird. We continued to run.

About 12 miles in we run into Fort Snelling State Park. We had our families positioned at this point because we make a loop through the park and double back. Seeing the families was great. They were really excited. We got into the park and started having difficulties. 

Fairly soon after getting into the park, we have to go down an incredibly steep hill. We had run it a couple of times so knew what to expect. The agreement was to get down the hill safely and then regroup. We seemed to have a difficult time regrouping and getting back on pace after that. Shortly after the hill we were running on dirt path for about a mile and a half. (See, steep downhill to dirt path = fucked up course.) At this point we started losing seconds, rather consistently. The course out of the park takes us on a straight, paved trail that has an incline for about a mile and a half. I was holding the pace - that was my job, but "the ladies" were falling further back. I was having an internal battle with myself - do I hold the pace and lose touch with them but come in on the time we wanted or do I drop back and try to encourage, cajole or berate them into picking it up to get back on pace? I got the crowd involved (we had our names on our shirts) and had some spectators tell them to pick it up. I kept getting further and further ahead. Things were not going right and there was not a lot I could do. We came out of the park and saw our families again.

At this point I stopped. I talked to my family and my mom and sister while I waited for them to catch up. I felt like I couldn't give up on the goal and I needed to try to stay with "the ladies" and be encouraging. (Needless to say, I am not encouraging.) We were losing huge chunks of time and walking through water stops. I was getting frustrated. I know we trained right and I know everyone was fit enough to hold the pace. I was frustrated by all the stuff I didn't know and couldn't control. I WAS NOT frustrated with MS or LF - they were working HARD. 

Mile 20 came and went. I knew we were too far off pace to make the BQ. I didn't want to pull the plug though. Mile 21 came and I could see the 3:50 pacer coming up behind us. Mile 22 and the 3:50 pacer had passed us. Insert fork - it was done. LF called it. We agreed that I could be cut loose and LF and MS would run it in on their own.

I picked up the pace. I was frustrated, disappointed and a little sad, but I thought I would make a dash for it. "It" being something close to 3:45. Four miles. I passed the 3:50 pacer shortly after leaving "the ladies." I was doing pretty well, holding a quick pace and a nice quick turnover, but then the hills arrived. We had run down these hills at the beginning of the race and had run training runs on them, but they really started to take their toll. I think the hills combined with my flagging enthusiasm due to missing our goal took my heart out of it. I walked through the last few water stops and just put it on cruise control. The 3:50 pacer passed me again. This time I didn't really care. I worked the hills as best I could on tired legs and low motivation and trotted into the finish. 3:52 and change. Nothing at all to be disappointed in, but I was a little. 

I was fricking tired. My legs were dead. I grabbed a bottle of water found some shade on the grass and laid down. It felt SOOOOOO good. I snagged my family as they were walking by. I heard LF come in about six minutes after me and MS another two after her. All under 4:00. All improvements from last spring's marathon. 

My brain is really a messy place. Trust me, you never want to visit there, but I will give you a little peek behind the steel blast doors. The self-centered, selfish, overly competitive part of my brain was pissed. It was telling me that I could have easily been under the time we were shooting for. But the real me intervened. I did not run this race entirely for me. I ran it for "the ladies." I did what I could and I did a good job. And so did they. Lying in the grass I realized that I love to run marathons. I was buzzing from the endorphins even as my quads were stiffening up. I was still buzzing this afternoon even as I was hobbling down the stairs. I am so glad I ran this one with LF and MS. I would be more than willing to take another shot at a BQ anytime they feel like they want to. Maybe not this course -- you let me know.

MS summed it up best on her blog, "Marathons are funny. Marathons are hard." I couldn't agree more.

A big thanks to everyone who came out to watch and cheer us on. Especially my wife and kids - who still really have no idea why I like to do this crazy shit - and my mom and sister. Thanks to everyone in the blogosphere, as well. It's fun to have people I have never met face to face pulling for me - it's fun to pull for those people, too. Let my tri season begin!

Other Crap

For the record: this has nothing to do with the stuff I couldn't remember last night, but I thought I would classify it under "other crap" for continuity sake and because it really is just a bunch of random stuff.

We picked up our race packets earlier today. A couple of people (the other two people I am running with) were a bit disappointed in the expo and didn't really get that "pump" for the race that they were hoping for. I set my expectations waaaay lower figuring it was the first year of the race and having already experienced the somewhat ham-fisted way the course was set up. I sent an email to the race director to get confirmation that the course was USAT certified and I have not heard back from him. We asked around the expo and no one could give us a definitive answer - another example of first year inefficiency. (This thing had better be certified because when we qualify it better count, damn it.) Oh, I don't know what kind of tracking they will have available, but our numbers are 355, 359 and 360 - like the circle. (Me, LF and MS, respectively, not "respectfully" like I posted originally - I'm dumb.) The magic number is 3:45.

In other news: my mom is in town to shop before a trip to Europe and to watch the marathon and the kiddos when A and I go to a little private concert on Saturday night. I will be making it a very early night on Saturday and A has already secured a ride home with a neighbor. So, this concert is by a guy named Martin Zeller and his band The Hardways. Martin Zeller is formerly the lead singer for a band called the Gear Daddies. They put out a few albums in the late 80's and early 90's before they broke up. The music is really fun and a lot of Minnesota grew up on this music in college. You can find their stuff on iTunes. (Two favorites - Color of Her Eyes and Time Heals. Unfortunately the best song is not listed - I Wanna Drive the Zamboni.) Now, for some completely tangential Minnesota music information.

As I was checking to see if the Gear Daddies were on iTunes I came across an iTunes Essentials mix entitled "Minneapolis" - there was an "explicit" tag so I had to open it. As expected I saw Prince, The Suburbs, The Replacements, Lipps, Inc. (Yes, Funkytown is a product of Minnesota) I looked at the "Next Steps" tab and scrolled down. At the bottom is a band called Trip Shakespeare. These guys played at a couple of dances at my high school and at the time they were kind of a big deal (not Prince big, but big in the local scene.) This band was fronted by Dan Wilson of Semisonic "Closing Time" fame. The song on the iTunes Essentials list is called "Toolmaster of Brainerd." Brainerd is where I grew up and went to high school and I was the biggest tool there at the time (you know, a "tool master") so that song is essentially about me. I had no idea I had such an impact on the Minnesota music scene. (You do realize that me having any influence on anything is a total fantasy - just wanted to be clear.)

In a little while here we will be heading back to Burger Jones for dinner with my mom and sis. A is at her parents helping get them settled after her mom had her hip replaced. (See, totally random stuff.) She'll be home later, but will miss dinner with us. I will try to go light tonight and get a good balance of carbs and protein. A burger should be pretty well balanced, right?

A late addition - here is the link to the Minneapolis Marathon. Like I said before, I don't know what kind of tracking they will have, but if I am still cooking out on that course at noon we will have missed our target, by A LOT. The race starts at 7:00 AM CST.

Single Speed Obsession, Boston Qualifying and Some Other Crap

I am obsessed with getting a single speed bike. Since I saw Charisa's super fly new ride and I checked out some blogs, manufacturer's sites and did some other reading I am totally coveting two wheels and one gear. I am not sure I can say I want to go all the way to fixed-gear (I do have a family and live in a state with stupid drivers when bikes are involved) but, I like the idea of a bike that is super simple that I can hop on and ride and fully take care of myself. I have kind of settled on the same manufacturer as Charisa because for a very reasonable price you can get a custom colored ride. I just have to cobble together some funds, maybe it will be a single-speed fall.

It is a HUGE race weekend this weekend. Let's see, there is: Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, Ironman Brazil, Rock & Roll Marathon San Diego, the inaugural Minneapolis Marathon and some others I am sure I am forgetting or unaware of. I know a few people racing in Hawaii so that will be fun to track. I know no one racing in Brazil but it will still be interesting to read about. I know one person running the marathon in San Diego (as a training run - I am so sure) and then there is the Minneapolis Marathon. I know a handful of people running this race and although I wish them all well, I am only concerned with three people - MS, LF and me. In case you weren't aware of it, MS and LF are turning 40 next year and they have decided that they want to run the Boston Marathon as part of their celebration. This is going to be the qualifying race. Why am I involved? Because I volunteered to be the pacer. 

Now, I am fully confident that we will run under the qualifying time. The three of us have trained together for the full cycle and we have been running faster and more consistent than we did last year. There have been some mental setbacks, but I think we have our heads on straight (especially MS) and we will be in good shape. The weather is supposed to be good - perhaps a bit warm, but at least not raining - so the dirt trail portion should be in good shape. (Yeah, dirt trail. Not the ideal course, but we are familiar with it.) I am super excited and relaxed because: I know what I need to do, I ran a faster marathon last fall, I have run a considerably faster half marathon recently and I know what to do regarding pacing and running in the heat (after screwing up my first marathon a year ago.) All the training is done. On Sunday it will be full-on. (When we qualify those ladies for Boston there will be more pressure on me, because then I will want to qualify and that qualifying race will be Twin Cities Marathon in the fall, but hey, one race at a time.)

When I started writing this there was some "other crap", but now I can't remember what it was. When I think of it, I will add a separate post.

Taper Time

We did our last 20+ mile run on Saturday. I, personally, thought it went pretty well. It was uncomfortable at the end (as it should be to some extent,) but we held a pretty good pace about :38 seconds over our marathon pace. Thankfully, there was no crying, near crying or negative comments throughout the whole run by me or MS or LF. It must be pointed out that a week prior to this run we raced a half marathon, so we were all still feeling it. Now we taper. 

We are starting our three week taper, but I am more of a two week taper guy. I like to keep a little more mileage during this week and then drop the training off the cliff after this coming Saturday. Fitness-wise I think we are in great shape, no injuries (that anyone is admitting to) and everyone is feeling healthy. Only problem is a little confidence issue. 

One person, who shall remain nameless but who knows who she is, can't imagine running our pace for 26.2 miles. She has never done it, so she can't see herself doing it. I post this not to embarrass her or call her out, but to solicit advice, encouragement, experience. (The thing is - we have run this pace on numerous training runs and we have held it no problem - granted it's not a full marathon, but we will be rested and fresh when it is. She is also super fit - biking and swimming along with running for a HIM in July.) 

Don't get me wrong, I don't think this will be "easy" and/or comfortable, but what goal worth achieving ever is? I see the three of us crossing the finish line and hugging (yes, I will hug these sweaty, stinky chicks) when they qualify for Boston. I just hope I don't have to yell at them along the way.

Anyone willing to provide encouragement please do so in comments and I will forward them to "un-named individual."

Marathon Training Starts Tomorrow

Our de facto coach laid down the law and we are officially starting marathon training tomorrow! We have the calendar set, except for one more 20+ miler. Let's hope my calves hold up. The "Stick" seems to be helping as does spinning on the trainer (30 very easy minutes last night, 45 higher intensity minutes this morning.) This week also starts triathlon training. I will be starting with the masters swim club on Wednesday - that will be an adventure since I haven't been in the water in six months. I seem to be able to tough it out, but I hate the first few weeks. More hours on the trainer until the roads clear will be hellish, but I am over the hump and feeling better being in the saddle.

I was looking back at posts from the end of last season and I really want to be faster, so I have to train faster. I am pretty sure I am in better shape overall than last year (although I have some weight to lose.) Now, to just stay healthy and injury free and hope for a mild spring. Ready, set, go!

Revised 2009 Race Schedule (Rev. #1)

Happy New Year!  2009 has finally arrived and there are revisions to the race schedule I posted months ago.  Changes are in italics.

January 24, 2009 - Securian Winter Carnival Frozen Half Marathon - Goal time: @1:45 - This will be a fun race with not much serious training.  I may be running this alone as training for the rest of the group has not been up to their expectations.

May 2, 2009 - Wells Fargo Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon - Goal time: 1:35 - This is the warm up for The Minneapolis Marathon and would like to be running about ten minutes faster than last year at this point.

May 31, 2009 - Inaugural Minneapolis Marathon - Goal time 3:45 (I will be pacing the ladies to a Boston qualifying time.)  This replaces Grandma's Marathon and will be easier to get to and train for as it is in town.

June 20, 2009 - Lake Minnetonka Triathlon - Goal time 1:00 - 1:05 - We will have to see since this is my first time for this race.

July 11, 2009 - Lifetime Fitness Triathlon - Goal time 2:20:00 - Great news!  I was thinking that this race was on July 19th.  Turns out it is the 11th, the week before Door County.

July 19, 2009 - Door County HIM Triathlon - Goal time: 5:00 - Shooting for a faster swim, much faster bike and another good run.  

July 25, 2009 - Chisago Lakes HIM Triathlon - Goal time: 5:15 - This will be my first time doing this race and my second HIM in a week and three races in a week. A daunting task to be sure, but I am a glutton for punishment. (I did DCT a week after Lifetime in 2008.) Figure I will tack on 15 minutes to account for tiredness from DCT and unfamiliar course.  This one may not happen as I would have to get home from Door County much earlier than usual.

September 6, 2009 - City of Lakes 25K - Goal time: @1:45 - Another warm-up race. This one for TCM.

October 2009 - Twin Cities Marathon - Goal time: 3:25 (maybe 3:20) - This race could also be the Chicago Marathon or even New York (if I am gainfully employed.)

CS and I will be trying to road trip to IM Wisconsin (September 13th) to both see part of the race and register for the race in 2010.  I also have one big "maybe" hanging out there.  With some birthday money I threw my name into the lottery for a slot at the IM World Championships in Kona - October 2009.  Names are announced April 15th, but I am not getting my hopes up.  It is a VERY long shot to get a slot.  If that happens - TCM will be out as Kona is the following weekend.  Right now, I fully expect to be running the Twin Cities Marathon.

(All races and times subject to change based on financial constraints, training, health, etc.)

I'll Take That Bet!

I have to add another marathon to my dream list - the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco.  20,000 participants and less than 5% are men.  There is a caveat though, I have to run it with the women from the running group and ... wait for it ... I have to run it in a skirt!  I suggested a nice gold lame number and it was met with enthusiastic approval.  I think that the other requirement for the race should be that at least a couple of the women (you know who you are) who run with me should try to hit their Boston qualifying time - even if they have already qualified.  I secretly (or not so secretly, now) hope this actually happens.  What a story!

Preliminary 2009 Race Schedule (Revised)

The Twin Cities Marathon is 10 days away.  I am in the middle of my taper and my mind won't stop running.  Over the past few weeks I have been thinking about all I have done in the past nine months.  I have also been planning what I will shoot for in 2009 after I get back from my "training vacation" about the middle or end of December.  Following is the major race schedule I am considering and some preliminary goals for each race.  Might be some 5k races in there as well.  We will see how this plan fleshes out in the end.

January 24, 2009 - Securian Winter Carnival Frozen Half Marathon - Goal time: @1:45 - This will be a fun race with not much serious training.

May 2, 2009 - Wells Fargo Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon - Goal time: 1:35 - This is the warm up for Grandma's and would like to be running about ten minutes faster than last year at this point.

June 7, 2009 - Buffalo Sprint Triathlon - Goal time: 1:00 - 1:05 - Kick-off for the triathlon season.  I should be able to trim off some pretty significant time with much faster transitions (no socks this time), faster swim (no wet suit?) and way better bike.

June 20, 2009 - Grandma's Marathon - Goal time: 3:30 - This might be ambitious as I will be in the middle of triathlon training and will be pretty torn down, but, for now, I will give it a shot.

July 19, 2009 - Door County HIM Triathlon - Goal time: 5:00 - Shooting for a faster swim, much faster bike and another good run.

July 25, 2009 - Chisago Lakes HIM Triathlon - Goal time: 5:15 - This will be my first time doing this race and my second HIM in a week.  A daunting task to be sure, but I am a glutton for punishment. (I did DCT a week after Lifetime in 2008.)  Figure I will tack on 15 minutes to account for tiredness from DCT and unfamiliar course.

September 6, 2009 - City of Lakes 25K - Goal time: @1:45 - Another warm-up race.  This one for TCM.  

October 2009 - Twin Cities Marathon - Goal time: 3:25 (maybe 3:20) - This race could also be the Chicago Marathon or even New York (if I am gainfully employed.)

(All races and times subject to change based on financial constraints, training, health, etc.)

26.2 in 3:34:48

The End!  After ten months of training and racing my innagural season is complete and it couldn't have ended on a better result.  First, I must thank everyone who ran with me, encouraged me and put up with me during my training.  Second, I must thank everyone who came out to watch my races - especially the people who came out yesterday and stood in the pouring rain and cold.  I wouldn't feel this good without all of you.

So, the race.  Wow! There is so much to recall and so much that I have already forgotten.  

We got to the fricking start late.  We were still sliding up the chute to the first corral with about 90 seconds left.  My favorite was the people who were pushing through to get to the start faster.  I mean really, we are all going to the same place and the clock doesn't start until you cross the line anyway.  C and I got separated dropping off our bags.  I didn't know if she was ahead of me or behind me.  After the start, I scanned like crazy and found a nice open area where I could be seen.  I'll tell you what, it is good to be in the first corral - a lot fewer people and it opens up really quick.  Needless to say, C caught me from behind in the first mile.  

It was crazy fun to run through the closed off streets of downtown Minneapolis.   Mile 1 was there in no time, as was mile 2.  We started looking for L around this time, but could not find her.  I wanted to hand off my arm warmers (which were a stellar idea, I must say), but had to carry them until we saw my family. I had to pee at the start and was still feeling it now, but I decided to hold it, I would need that liquid later and it would reabsorb wouldn't it?  It was about this time that the rain started.  

It was light at first, refreshing, and not too irritating around Lake of the Isles, but then it really kicked in.  On the west side of Lake Calhoun it really started to come down and that, combined with the wind blowing across the cool lake made for a miserable few miles.  It was at this point I saw "the girls" and my fam.  They are all incredible troopers for hanging tough in really crappy weather.  C and I were clicking along comfortably, joking about people splashing us and jokingly asking for towels.  Having my name on my shirt was so fun and funny.  It's great to hear my name called out.  One woman surprised me and I turned back to wave at her like we were best friends or something.  I had a smile on my face for a lot of the race because people kept calling out my name. 

Fast forward to halfway - we came across in about 1:44.  We were smoking right along and feeling good, but of course the race is only starting at this point.  We figured we were on pace to hit our goal of 3:30, assuming, as I told C, "we don't do anything stupid." A lot of the second half of the race is kind of a blur.  Every mile I got past 13 I would tell C how much better it was than Grandma's.  We were taking fluids regularly, eating our gels and generally having a fun comfortable race.  

Around mile 16 or 17 I just couldn't hold it anymore.  I was starting feel a cramp from clenching, so I made a dash to the port-a-potty.  We decided C would keep going at the same pace and I would just have to catch up.  I figured I lost about a quarter mile to C by the time I got out of the can.  (Note to self: Pee early in the race, it is a lot easier to catch up with more distance.)  I pushed the pace and figured if she held her pace and I sped up I could catch her with at least a few miles left before the finish.  I did get some good luck - the course at this point was fairly flat or with a very slight uphill and kind of winding, so I could see pretty far ahead.  I thought I could see her shirt and white visor ahead but it was hard to be certain, so I just kept pushing.  My next break came at the point where we climb up to the bridge.  There is a 90-degree left turn onto the entrance ramp and I got a clear shot of her and I was gaining.  I caught up on the River Road, hammering uphill.  It took about three miles.  I think we were happy to see each other.  I just hoped that I hadn't wasted too much trying to catch up.  The only thing I really wanted to make sure of was that I didn't have to run up Summit Ave. by myself.  

And then there we were.  Making the turn onto Summit.  We had run this together a few weeks ago and it didn't seem too bad then.  To be honest, it didn't seem too bad yesterday either.  Don't get me wrong, it was painful, but I think that is more due to where it is in the race. You are past the 20 mile mark and if you aren't feeling the miles, you aren't running hard enough.  Really, the most daunting part of this stretch is that it is so straight and monotonous and the crowds are spread wide on either side.  Some tool-job came up behind me asking if we could see the Cathedral (No! It was one of the five other churches on Summit that precede the Cathedral.)  I chose to ignore him and he fell back.

Saw the whole gang again and it really helped.  I still had great energy, was still running and was able to high-five the kids.  All of the sudden, there is C's husband, M, running with us.  I was thoroughly confused.  Had he finished and gotten back to run the last few miles with us?  Wow, that is hardcore.  (Turns out he had a rough race and was hanging with our friends waiting for us to come by.)  

My legs were really getting heavy at this point.  I reminded myself that they certainly felt better than they did at Grandma's, where the pain made me walk, and I had run up steeper hills later in races when I had already been racing for four hours, like the Door County Half Ironman.  This wasn't so bad.  It worked.

Pushing hard up the last hill to the turn to the Cathedral I started to get a stitch under my ribcage on the right side.  I realized I was breathing from the top of my lungs so I eased up a bit and concentrated on belly breathing and really pushing my navel out.  Mission accomplished, stitch gone.  And then my vision was upon me.  

Since our last 20 miler that finished at the finish line, I had been rehearsing in my head what my finish would be like.  It is quite possibly an ideal finish.  You make a gradual turn that brings you by the Cathedral at the top of the hill, the highest point on the course, and then you are looking down at the State Capital.  The finish is downhill, across a highway overpass and then a straight shot to the line.  I ran it exactly as I wanted to.  As soon as I made that turn at the Cathedral I freewheeled down the hill and let my momentum carry me across the overpass.  The stretch from the overpass to the finish is longer than it seems.  The stitch came back a little, but at this point it didn't matter.  Finish line and done!

C was right behind me.  I had a personal record by 28 minutes.  C had a personal record by about 10 minutes.  There were hugs and smiles all around.  What a great way to end the season.  Next year - who knows?  3:30? 3:20 and Boston?  It certainly bodes well.

Racing on the brain

I have racing on the brain and, it being fall, there are a lot of big marathons happening around the world.  This leads me to think of the marathons I think I would like to run.  (I say "I think" because I will be running my second marathon in eight days and hopefully will be more successful than my first and will want to continue to run marathons.)

In no particular order - my dream list of marathons:

Boston Marathon

Chicago Marathon

London Marathon

New York Marathon

Berlin Marathon

Paris Marathon

Dublin Marathon

Venice Marathon

Athens Marathon

Marine Corps Marathon

Rome Marathon

Maybe.  Someday.

The Countdown Begins

The Countdown has begun.  What countdown?  The countdown to the Twin Cities Marathon.  Taper started yesterday.  It was supposed to be a 14 miler but I only did 9, which ended up being a wise choice as I am now battling a head cold.  So, now it is all easy runs and a little speed work.  Plus, I have to be careful not to gain any weight now that my mileage is down.  (The GIANT bowl of ice cream I just ate won't help that.)  The funniest part is how I count down.  My countdown consists of checking weather.com and looking at the 10 day forecast (yes - I realize that the race is 14 days away, but I look for the trend of the weather) and then reconsidering everything - race plan, clothing options, nutrition options, everything.  Inevitably, in the end I go with what I planned on all along.  So, let the countdown continue.

Where Have I Been? What Have I Been Doing?

It's been about a week and much has happened, nothing of note on the employment front.  That is actually not true.  I am teaching at the U - Introduction to AutoCAD for Interior Designers.  The first day of class was shear brilliance.  I handed out the syllabus and laid down the rules and made the students chuckle a couple of times - 45 minutes, DONE!  Second day of class, not so glorious.  When I turned on my computer and opened the program all the menus, commands, buttons, etc. were gone.  I hate the way the U insists on having the absolutely most up to date versions.  Luckily, I have enough experience to just start right clicking on stuff until some familiar pops up.  Needless to say, I think I actually taught some stuff.  We will see when I go back tonight.

This past weekend I ran the City of Lakes 25K. It is a good tune-up for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.  I wanted to finish it in under 2 hours and have a faster half-marathon than my personal best.  Both goals achieved!  Final time - 1:59:42 (my watch said 1:59:14) and half marathon split 1:42:xx.  I ran to the start at Lake Harriet - two miles from home and then about another mile to the starting line, then of course I had to run back home after the race so I got in a nice long run all told.  The funniest part was running home with my commemorative mug in my hand.  This was the first race since I did the half-ironman in Door County. It amazes me how my body (and brain) didn't think twice about running for two+ hours, it seems like a short race after hammering for over five hours.  This should bode well for the marathon.

Now, I just have to find some full time employment.  Wish me luck!

The Haunting

Grandma's Marathon continues to haunt me. Here is a wonderful picture of me at the end of the race about to be passed by someone's grandmother. To add insult to injury - check out her beautiful smile.

Corral 1

So after surviving Grandma's Marathon - actually before it was even over - I decided to run the Twin Cities Marathon in October. I have to see if I learned anything from the first try. I found out CS is running it as well, which is a good thing because no one in the TTS 4 Bitches + 1 Dude Running Group (my most recent name for "the group") is doing it. Well, CS asked if I was in Corral 1 for the race (I know, it sounds like we are cattle.) Well, you have to qualify for it and I didn't think I was fast enough to qualify, but I looked into it. Turns out my second half marathon was under the qualifying time so I applied and got in. Wow - I guess I am a little faster than I realized. Hopefully, this is a sign of more good things to come.