Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Can you really understand the runner's mindset? The dzlrunner's perspective...
"Running... if you don't do it, you probably won't understand it."~ dzlrunner
I'm sure that there are other quotes that mean similar things and have a similar point. But, I came up with this one after having an uncomfortable day on this past Wednesday. I was inspired by the infamous Washington Post quote, "If you don't get it... you don't get it."
In my limited running experience, I've found that if a scheduled training run doesn't happen, there's a good chance that things won't go right. That's just the way it is for me and it might be the sentiment among other runners, as well.
This week, I planned to shoot for 30 total miles. I wanted to go into my second half marathon, at the Baltimore Running Festival, with my strongest training week. I started out with a very good 10k (6.2 miles) on Monday. I finished in 1:12:41 and a 11:43 pace.
Tuesday was a rest day and Wednesday, I was looking for another 6 miler.
Now, I'm a morning runner... But, I knew that I would have to run in the evening, because my wife had to get to work. I wouldn't have enough time to get 6 miles in and get my boys to school by the time they needed to be there. My oldest son is a safety patrol and he normally raises the flag on the flag post each morning. That's a very important job to him, so I try to get him there so that he can take care of his responsibility.
Now, I'm a morning runner... But, I knew that I would have to run in the evening, because my wife had to get to work. I wouldn't have enough time to get 6 miles in and get my boys to school by the time they needed to be there. My oldest son is a safety patrol and he normally raises the flag on the flag post each morning. That's a very important job to him, so I try to get him there so that he can take care of his responsibility.
Anyway, I didn't run in the morning and my day just didn't seem to go right. It was a slow, tough, slog all day long... Similar to a slow, tough run. (I had one of these a couple of weeks ago... Took me 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete 8 miles. Yuck!! But, you'll have these from time to time... It's inevitable!)
Lunch is normally a time for me to decompress a little bit from the morning. Well, that didn't happen... No decompression at lunch. I knew what the problem was and I was looking forward to my nice, fulfilling run that evening. The rest of the day goes by and I'm finally able to clock out and go home.
Now, I get home the same time my wife gets home with the kids. I was ready to go for my long anticipated run... I knew my wife had to leave to handle some business, but I was still planning to get my run in. I figured, I could be back by the time she was ready to leave. She didn't like that plan. She was concerned about her ability to leave and do what she had to do in a timely manner.
So, I waited for a bit... And I waited... I was now quite frustrated. As the time steadily slipped away and evening was turning into night, my chance to run was diminishing.
This is part of why I like running in the morning... The run is already done and no one else is affected.
Running in the evening can create havoc when you have a family. It's dinner time, you have to help with homework, baths and putting the kids to bed. It's no longer summer time, so no long days and no daylight past 7:30pm. This is why I don't run in the evening... it puts a strain on the rest of the family. And that is not what I want my running to do. That creates problems that I'm just not prepared to deal with.
Well, I was pretty frustrated at this point and that's the point of this post...
My wife couldn't understand why I was so annoyed. I found it pretty difficult to explain my frustration. I felt like she wouldn't understand the significance of missing a training run, let alone missing a training run so close to a race.
Running is my sanctuary and that's where I can get my mind right, clear my head and settle myself down. After a run, I'm in what I like to call, a zen state of being... That's when nothing bothers me and I'm Mr. Happy. Running is my drug!!
When a scheduled run doesn't happen for me, I get antsy and anxious. Sort of like an addict who hasn't had their fix!
What makes running so important to me is, the discipline and routine that I can take pride in. I mentioned in a previous post about all the 'unfinished business' I have in my life. Well, having the ability to be consistent and disciplined enough to train regularly for goals that I have set, gives me a great sense of pride and accomplishment.
That's a part of what makes running attractive to me... But, that may not be as attractive for non-runners...
The choice and the mindset to punish the body many times over through exercise, doesn't sit well with some people. They can't understand it. The decision to pay for the aches and pains that come from running in an official race, is unfathomable. There's always the question of why we would put ourselves through that type of anguish. The DNF (Did Not Finish) can be three of the most dreaded letters to some runners... Non-runners won't understand that. They won't understand why someone is willing to crawl through a finish line in so much agony and decide not to quit, when the first set of cramps or sharp pains arise and your body won't do what you want it to do.
They can't understand why someone would wake up in the wee hours of the morning to run, instead of stay asleep. They can't understand why we love our "gear" and, as far as they're concerned, every time they turn around, it's something new being worn or used to run. (I'm laughing as I write this... I'm replaying, in my head, many of the jokes that I have heard from time to time about the purchase of new gear... Many of them told by my wife, my running partner's wife and others...hilarious!!)
If you don't run, can you really understand the runner's mindset? Let's put it this way... The running community has an open invitation to anyone who wants to join. That's what is so awesome about this group of people!! Overall, it's a very encouraging group who don't care whether you're fast, slow, fat, slim, black or white. We are brought together by the fact that we run!!
Until you run, you'll have a hard time understanding the runner's mindset. But once you run and do it for a while, you'll begin to see and know for yourself, what it's all about. Try it!!
Running is my sanctuary and that's where I can get my mind right, clear my head and settle myself down. After a run, I'm in what I like to call, a zen state of being... That's when nothing bothers me and I'm Mr. Happy. Running is my drug!!
When a scheduled run doesn't happen for me, I get antsy and anxious. Sort of like an addict who hasn't had their fix!
What makes running so important to me is, the discipline and routine that I can take pride in. I mentioned in a previous post about all the 'unfinished business' I have in my life. Well, having the ability to be consistent and disciplined enough to train regularly for goals that I have set, gives me a great sense of pride and accomplishment.
That's a part of what makes running attractive to me... But, that may not be as attractive for non-runners...
The choice and the mindset to punish the body many times over through exercise, doesn't sit well with some people. They can't understand it. The decision to pay for the aches and pains that come from running in an official race, is unfathomable. There's always the question of why we would put ourselves through that type of anguish. The DNF (Did Not Finish) can be three of the most dreaded letters to some runners... Non-runners won't understand that. They won't understand why someone is willing to crawl through a finish line in so much agony and decide not to quit, when the first set of cramps or sharp pains arise and your body won't do what you want it to do.
They can't understand why someone would wake up in the wee hours of the morning to run, instead of stay asleep. They can't understand why we love our "gear" and, as far as they're concerned, every time they turn around, it's something new being worn or used to run. (I'm laughing as I write this... I'm replaying, in my head, many of the jokes that I have heard from time to time about the purchase of new gear... Many of them told by my wife, my running partner's wife and others...hilarious!!)
If you don't run, can you really understand the runner's mindset? Let's put it this way... The running community has an open invitation to anyone who wants to join. That's what is so awesome about this group of people!! Overall, it's a very encouraging group who don't care whether you're fast, slow, fat, slim, black or white. We are brought together by the fact that we run!!
Until you run, you'll have a hard time understanding the runner's mindset. But once you run and do it for a while, you'll begin to see and know for yourself, what it's all about. Try it!!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
My first 14 mile training run
I was shooting for anything over 13 miles on this run. Thanks to my running partner, Mike, I've got a 2nd half marathon coming up in 2 weeks. We'll be running the Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon on October 12, 2013, for my birthday. I'm pretty psyched about this one and looking forward to a much better performance compared to my first half a few weeks ago.
I needed to get the taste of bad training runs outta my mouth... From the half marathon of two weeks ago, which was completed in 3 hours and 6 minutes, officially, to last Saturday's training run of 8 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Ugh!!
I had a good training week so far (4.53 miles on Monday and 5 miles on Wednesday) and wanted to end it with a strong long run. I was focused... From the time I woke up until I arrived at the beginning of my training route. I blended a protein shake and drank it around 5:45am. I wanted to start my run by 6:15, but that didn't happen and I finally left the house around 6:30. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the start location of my training route. I didn't start my run until 6:54am.
The run started with clarity, determination and hope. My mind was clear, my will was full of determination and I was hoping to reach my goal.
The first 3 miles breezed by... I have my Garmin set for a 12:30 minute pace and I was pretty consistent at this point. I took my first GU Energy gel as 45 minutes had passed at this point. I felt strong and worked my plan. I got to mile 4.5 and the water from the protein shake began to work within me. I had to go, but the urge wasn't that bad. I knew I would be coming up to a Burger King soon on my route and if I could hold it until then, I'd be fine. Success... I reached the Burger King at 5.39 miles and was pretty thankful that I didn't have to hold it any longer.
What I noticed throughout this run is that I used less water, than I normally would. I believe it has a lot to do with the cool weather and the fact that I hydrated well, all week long. I'll have to do further research on that and write an upcoming post about hydration.
A small suggestion when running is this: Always know where bathrooms are on your route and use the restroom before you start. Then, use it again.
I continued and the 6 mile mark was my turnaround for this portion of my training route. I felt fine throughout this point and was looking forward to continuing and seeing how long I could go before I started to fatigue.
At mile 6, I crossed the street and started back. I was making good time and my pace was pretty consistent. The next nutrition I would take is the margarita flavored Clif Shot Blocks. These work very well, when used properly. I took 3 shot blocks at the 1 hour 15 minute mark. This was just the second time I sipped water from my Camelbak. I was feeling ok, but I knew fatigue would be setting in soon.
I continued through miles 6.5 - 10 with no problems. At mile 10, I noticed my posture beginning to lean forward. I consciously corrected it and noticed that as I ran more erect, I felt renewed. I've read somewhere that runners should try to run more from their core, instead of just their legs. I don't know if that was what I was doing, but I remember feeling like i could run like that forever. My legs didn't feel that tired and I was keeping a slightly slower, but steady pace between miles 10 - 11.5.
By this time I had already run for over 2 hours, straight, non-stop (except for the Burger King bathroom). I was tired. I barely got to mile 12 and remembered thinking about how far I'd come on this run. I only had 1 more mile to go, in order to reach 13 and I began negotiating with myself.
I started saying that if I could get to mile 13 then I'd be that much closer to finishing. I was basically running on will at this point. No more smiles, no more thinking about the beautiful weather. I was interested in being done. The soreness of my legs and feet didn't stop me. I had to keep telling myself that "Pain is just weakness leaving my body". That was my mantra at mile 12.
I also remember thinking about the other races I did earlier in the year. The Charles Street 12 Mile Race was finished around 2 hours and 40 minutes; my first half marathon was finished in over 3 hours and last week's training run of 8 miles was done in over 2 hours. At this point, I had run close to 13 miles in less than 2 hours and 45 minutes. This was an encouraging sign, that this was a good run. And it confirmed my theory that my first half marathon was finished in over 3 hours mainly because it was not a road race. I can finish a half marathon around 2 hours and 30 minutes! Confirmed!
My watch died around mile 12.5 and at this point, I was using the Map My Run app on my phone. I normally use the app when I know I may not have charged the Garmin completely, as a backup. I had reached mile 13.1, finally. And at this point, I was not as far from my car as I was a few minutes ago. I had to figure this out. Would I call it a day, when I get to my car or will I push to reach my 14 mile goal.
I decided that since I had gone this far, I could go a little further. I went for the 14. As I pushed and pushed, it seemed the mileage was going nowhere. It felt like an eternity before the next tenth of a mile flipped over the screen.
I ran zig zag, up and down, side to side in the parking lot, in order to squeak out this mileage and finally, it was done. 14 miles is officially in the books!! Now, I know that I can do 14 and will be confident going into the Baltimore Running Festival. I'm contemplating on whether to shoot for another 14 miler for this Saturday, which is a week before the race, or if I should dial it back a bit. I'll pray for some guidance on this one and see how things shake out.
I needed to get the taste of bad training runs outta my mouth... From the half marathon of two weeks ago, which was completed in 3 hours and 6 minutes, officially, to last Saturday's training run of 8 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Ugh!!
I had a good training week so far (4.53 miles on Monday and 5 miles on Wednesday) and wanted to end it with a strong long run. I was focused... From the time I woke up until I arrived at the beginning of my training route. I blended a protein shake and drank it around 5:45am. I wanted to start my run by 6:15, but that didn't happen and I finally left the house around 6:30. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the start location of my training route. I didn't start my run until 6:54am.
The run started with clarity, determination and hope. My mind was clear, my will was full of determination and I was hoping to reach my goal.
The first 3 miles breezed by... I have my Garmin set for a 12:30 minute pace and I was pretty consistent at this point. I took my first GU Energy gel as 45 minutes had passed at this point. I felt strong and worked my plan. I got to mile 4.5 and the water from the protein shake began to work within me. I had to go, but the urge wasn't that bad. I knew I would be coming up to a Burger King soon on my route and if I could hold it until then, I'd be fine. Success... I reached the Burger King at 5.39 miles and was pretty thankful that I didn't have to hold it any longer.
What I noticed throughout this run is that I used less water, than I normally would. I believe it has a lot to do with the cool weather and the fact that I hydrated well, all week long. I'll have to do further research on that and write an upcoming post about hydration.
A small suggestion when running is this: Always know where bathrooms are on your route and use the restroom before you start. Then, use it again.
I continued and the 6 mile mark was my turnaround for this portion of my training route. I felt fine throughout this point and was looking forward to continuing and seeing how long I could go before I started to fatigue.
At mile 6, I crossed the street and started back. I was making good time and my pace was pretty consistent. The next nutrition I would take is the margarita flavored Clif Shot Blocks. These work very well, when used properly. I took 3 shot blocks at the 1 hour 15 minute mark. This was just the second time I sipped water from my Camelbak. I was feeling ok, but I knew fatigue would be setting in soon.
I continued through miles 6.5 - 10 with no problems. At mile 10, I noticed my posture beginning to lean forward. I consciously corrected it and noticed that as I ran more erect, I felt renewed. I've read somewhere that runners should try to run more from their core, instead of just their legs. I don't know if that was what I was doing, but I remember feeling like i could run like that forever. My legs didn't feel that tired and I was keeping a slightly slower, but steady pace between miles 10 - 11.5.
By this time I had already run for over 2 hours, straight, non-stop (except for the Burger King bathroom). I was tired. I barely got to mile 12 and remembered thinking about how far I'd come on this run. I only had 1 more mile to go, in order to reach 13 and I began negotiating with myself.
I started saying that if I could get to mile 13 then I'd be that much closer to finishing. I was basically running on will at this point. No more smiles, no more thinking about the beautiful weather. I was interested in being done. The soreness of my legs and feet didn't stop me. I had to keep telling myself that "Pain is just weakness leaving my body". That was my mantra at mile 12.
I also remember thinking about the other races I did earlier in the year. The Charles Street 12 Mile Race was finished around 2 hours and 40 minutes; my first half marathon was finished in over 3 hours and last week's training run of 8 miles was done in over 2 hours. At this point, I had run close to 13 miles in less than 2 hours and 45 minutes. This was an encouraging sign, that this was a good run. And it confirmed my theory that my first half marathon was finished in over 3 hours mainly because it was not a road race. I can finish a half marathon around 2 hours and 30 minutes! Confirmed!
My watch died around mile 12.5 and at this point, I was using the Map My Run app on my phone. I normally use the app when I know I may not have charged the Garmin completely, as a backup. I had reached mile 13.1, finally. And at this point, I was not as far from my car as I was a few minutes ago. I had to figure this out. Would I call it a day, when I get to my car or will I push to reach my 14 mile goal.
I decided that since I had gone this far, I could go a little further. I went for the 14. As I pushed and pushed, it seemed the mileage was going nowhere. It felt like an eternity before the next tenth of a mile flipped over the screen.
I ran zig zag, up and down, side to side in the parking lot, in order to squeak out this mileage and finally, it was done. 14 miles is officially in the books!! Now, I know that I can do 14 and will be confident going into the Baltimore Running Festival. I'm contemplating on whether to shoot for another 14 miler for this Saturday, which is a week before the race, or if I should dial it back a bit. I'll pray for some guidance on this one and see how things shake out.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
My First Half Marathon: The Abebe Bikila International Peace Race Recap
I was expecting a road race, not a trail run... I was expecting to finish under
2 hours and 30 minutes, not over 3 hours. And I was expecting to have a
great first half marathon race performance, not a tough, grind it out, push
through the pain first half marathon race performance.
Yep... This race was nothing like I expected it to be. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?
I woke up, like I normally do on race day at 4:30 am. The race was scheduled to start at 8:00 am. This race was part of a celebration for my running partner's birthday. He was running his first half marathon and I was too!! We trained through the heat and humidity all summer long for this and we were going to have a great time.
I woke the family up and they got ready... Throughout my training, my wife, Kim, has been great support. She regularly gets the kids ready, while I try to focus on getting myself together. She's taken the kids to school on days she doesn't have to work, while I'm out getting my training runs in. I'm very appreciative of her support because, there is no way that I could spend the amount of time I do, running, without her assistance. Not to mention, she's been at every race I've done this year including this one. Thank you dear!
So, I wanted to be at the start line by 7 am. I always try to get to a race early because I want to settle down, experience the sights all around, enjoy the smells in the air and get focused. I don't ever want to rush because I don't like running with a flustered mind. Running is a sanctuary for me, so I want to be as zen-like as possible.
Anyway, we arrived at the race around 7:15 which wasn't bad. My running partner, Mike and his wife, was already there and ready to go. We felt really good about this race!! We had come out here a couple of weeks before to run in the area and get a feel for how things would be on race day. We attempted to run the course, but got lost. A few days earlier, I downloaded the course map. It was an out and back on the C&O Canal in Washington, DC near Georgetown. Unfortunately, it didn't spell out whether it would be on pavement or on gravel and rocks. We ran the pavement route and it took us into Georgetown on K Street, by the Washington Harbor. I was guessing whether or not we were right about the direction of the course at this point...
We decided to forget about the course map and run our own route. We just wanted to get some good mileage in. We ran past the Kennedy Center, through Washington Harbor and crossed the Key Bridge into Crystal City, VA and took the path back to where we started. Our route totaled 12.3 miles.
Suffice it to say, we felt pretty good about the race...
There was no chip timing for this race. I asked and one of the volunteers said that our time would be tracked manually. There was a strip at the bottom of our bib that would be torn off and collected when we finished. There was one clock with the time on it and the director himself would input each runners finishing time into a database. Let’s just say that I was happy to have my Garmin with me.
As we got to the starting line, we noticed that there were actually two different paths: one was gravel, dirt and rocks and the other paved. The starting line was over the gravel path. I chuckled to myself and said that they probably want us to run out on gravel and come back on the paved path. Man, was I wrong!!
The national anthem was sung and not to be mean, but, you could tell that the singer didn't have hot tea or coffee before she sang. The 'frog was still in her throat' and those higher notes of our wonderful American theme song were a little too high to reach. She actually apologized after she missed the notes a couple of times. I didn't laugh at the time, but after thinking about it I laugh now. We pitifully began assisting in the singing to bring her on home. And we all clapped at the end of the unfortunate but genuine performance. I've had my embarrassing moments in front of people I didn't know, so I know what it feels like to bomb. But, just like a runner would, she got through the finish and that's what it's all about.
Yep... This race was nothing like I expected it to be. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?
I woke up, like I normally do on race day at 4:30 am. The race was scheduled to start at 8:00 am. This race was part of a celebration for my running partner's birthday. He was running his first half marathon and I was too!! We trained through the heat and humidity all summer long for this and we were going to have a great time.
I woke the family up and they got ready... Throughout my training, my wife, Kim, has been great support. She regularly gets the kids ready, while I try to focus on getting myself together. She's taken the kids to school on days she doesn't have to work, while I'm out getting my training runs in. I'm very appreciative of her support because, there is no way that I could spend the amount of time I do, running, without her assistance. Not to mention, she's been at every race I've done this year including this one. Thank you dear!
So, I wanted to be at the start line by 7 am. I always try to get to a race early because I want to settle down, experience the sights all around, enjoy the smells in the air and get focused. I don't ever want to rush because I don't like running with a flustered mind. Running is a sanctuary for me, so I want to be as zen-like as possible.
Anyway, we arrived at the race around 7:15 which wasn't bad. My running partner, Mike and his wife, was already there and ready to go. We felt really good about this race!! We had come out here a couple of weeks before to run in the area and get a feel for how things would be on race day. We attempted to run the course, but got lost. A few days earlier, I downloaded the course map. It was an out and back on the C&O Canal in Washington, DC near Georgetown. Unfortunately, it didn't spell out whether it would be on pavement or on gravel and rocks. We ran the pavement route and it took us into Georgetown on K Street, by the Washington Harbor. I was guessing whether or not we were right about the direction of the course at this point...
We decided to forget about the course map and run our own route. We just wanted to get some good mileage in. We ran past the Kennedy Center, through Washington Harbor and crossed the Key Bridge into Crystal City, VA and took the path back to where we started. Our route totaled 12.3 miles.
Suffice it to say, we felt pretty good about the race...
There was no chip timing for this race. I asked and one of the volunteers said that our time would be tracked manually. There was a strip at the bottom of our bib that would be torn off and collected when we finished. There was one clock with the time on it and the director himself would input each runners finishing time into a database. Let’s just say that I was happy to have my Garmin with me.
As we got to the starting line, we noticed that there were actually two different paths: one was gravel, dirt and rocks and the other paved. The starting line was over the gravel path. I chuckled to myself and said that they probably want us to run out on gravel and come back on the paved path. Man, was I wrong!!
The national anthem was sung and not to be mean, but, you could tell that the singer didn't have hot tea or coffee before she sang. The 'frog was still in her throat' and those higher notes of our wonderful American theme song were a little too high to reach. She actually apologized after she missed the notes a couple of times. I didn't laugh at the time, but after thinking about it I laugh now. We pitifully began assisting in the singing to bring her on home. And we all clapped at the end of the unfortunate but genuine performance. I've had my embarrassing moments in front of people I didn't know, so I know what it feels like to bomb. But, just like a runner would, she got through the finish and that's what it's all about.
Well, I made a bathroom stop and all the runners moved into
the starting area and waited for the gun to go off. We saw the pack slowly shuffle forward and
off we went. I started my Garmin and was
ready to go! This run already showed itself
to be something that I was not accustomed to… Running on gravel, cobblestone
and rocks is significantly different than running on pavement, asphalt and
concrete. The way my foot was landing
provided a much different sensation. My
foot never landed evenly and this would be a problem as we got into higher
mileage.
Miles 1-4 were pretty ok.
Mike and I ran and talked about everything from the new couch Kim and I
purchased to running the Philly half marathon to going to Miami and running my
first full marathon. He might run it
with me… We’ll see.
Anyway, the first aid station was around mile 3 or 3.5, they
served water and lemon lime Gatorade. I
didn’t need anything at that point. We
were making good time. Our strategy
before the race began was to take it slow for the first half and then around
mile 8, we’d pick it up a bit and finish strong. The first half of the race went ok… I began
feeling the effects of the terrain as we got closer to the 6.55 mile mark, but
it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. I
just felt like I was working a little harder than I normally would on a long
training run of about 10-12 miles on a smooth surface.
Now, for the two weeks leading up to this race, I was in a
slight funk and I wrote about it in an earlier post. I went to Winchester, VA to stay in a hotel
with my family on Labor Day Weekend and I really feel like that was part of
what took me out of my rhythm. I was in
a good training groove and I intended on running a long run while in Winchester,
but it didn’t happen and ever since that week, I’ve been struggling mentally
and my motivation has not been there. I
don’t know how and if Labor Day weekend had anything to do with it, but, I
noticed a difference in my mentality. As
of today, September 22, 2013, I’m happy to say that I feel fine… I’m still
working to get a good training week in of 25+ miles, but I feel like my drive
to achieve is back.
I’m looking forward to a good week of running.
We were moving pretty steadily and around mile 5 we began to
see the leaders coming back towards us.
That answered my question… We had to go out on the uneven trail and come
back on the uneven trail. I felt major
punishment going and coming… There was no rest for the weary. We were coming up on another aid station and
I decided to take a Gatorade this time.
My knees were already bothering me and I assumed that this is what happens
when you take 2 weeks off, in the name of tapering. I was supposed to have gotten an 8 mile run
in on the Sunday before the race… That didn’t happen. I was supposed to have completed an easy run
of 3.5 on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the race… That didn’t happen. In my mind, I was resting my legs; but, the
12.3 mile training run that I ran with Mike, 2 weeks before the race was the
last run I did of any notable distance.
Huge mistake…
The weekend before, I ran the NFL Back to Football 5k at
FedEx Field and used that as speed work.
Frankly speaking, even that performance could’ve been better. There’s one thing about my journey toward
taking my health back that I’m noticing, I’m learning more and more about
myself and the things I need to improve to be a better me. This is a journey of self-discovery and I’m
glad that you’ve decided to join me.
Well, we reached the half way mark… I felt ok at that point. I was happy to have reached 6.55 miles. We were halfway there… We were halfway home!
We kept trucking and around mile 8.25, I began to feel a
slight twinge in my left knee. All
throughout the first half, I could feel each rock and stone at various pressure
points on my feet. That sensation
travelled up my legs in a way that I’ve never felt before. I felt more pressure in my calves than I’d
ever felt in any of my training runs. I
felt pain in feet and leg muscles that I’d never felt before in any of my
training runs. My ankles were on fire
with soreness and we still had a little more than 4 miles to go!! Not good.
We had already slowed to a pace that we’d never run before
in training runs. This uneven trail was
wearing me out!! I was drinking water
more frequently now, not because it was hot… It wasn’t. I was drinking more water, because I didn’t
want to cramp up from dehydration. I was
working so hard. Each time we came
across an aid station, I took a Gatorade for the electrolytes.
It wasn’t working. I was beginning to feel like if I dug deeper
to try to move faster, my legs would seize up with cramps. Too late… around mile 11, I started getting
Charlie horses in the toes on my left foot.
Those Charlie horses turned into cramps in the top of my calves. I then started to feel cramps in my
hamstrings. My ankles were already
sore. I had to walk. This was pretty disappointing… I’ve never
walked at any point in a long training run, but I didn’t have a choice here.
I realized that this is where the
mental battle is fought. When your body
is being defiant and will not do what you want it to do, will you quit? Thankfully, Mike was there. After experiencing training runs of me
pulling him through, this was his opportunity to return the favor and he did,
like a champ!! Knowing that I was in
pain he tried running on the grass, which would’ve been softer. But, I couldn’t
even bear that for too long. I had to
stop again and walk.
Mike was determined to finish and
so was I. That wasn’t even a question…
The question in my mind, was how long it would take to get there. I’m pretty sure that my pride was fueling the
choice to run through the finish line. I
kept telling Mike that there was no way I was going to walk through it, with
our wives and other family watching. We
were gonna run through the finish.
Around mile 12, my cousin, who ran the race with us, passed us. We greeted each other, told him briefly what
was going on and encouraged him to go ahead and not to wait for us, as he was
running a very strong race.
We walked until we reached the
12.75 mark and got back to running. At
this point, for me, it was more like a shuffle.
As we got closer to the finish line, we could hear the spectators
yelling and screaming in excitement.
This was a great feeling. Seeing
the finish line and all the people waiting there for us, took away the pain
momentarily.
As we crossed the finish line, the
person that gave us our finisher’s medals was none other than… my mother in
law??? She came to watch us complete our
first half marathon, but she had begun volunteering!! LOL… I got my finisher’s
medal for my first half marathon from my mother in law. I’m smiling and laughing in my head as I’m
writing this. I was happy to have
finished my first half marathon and I don’t think anyone has ever had their
mother in law give them their finisher’s medal.
This one is definitely for the books.
On the surface, this would speak
to the lack of organization on the race director’s part. But, looking past that, it enhances my personal
experience in running this race.
As I sit here writing about the
race and reminisce about all the events that happened, I would call this race a
character building race. This race
showed me things that I may have already known, but also some things that I may
not have known. And the experience makes
me better.
What did I learn from running my
first half marathon?
I learned to finish something I
started. My life is full of things that
I’ve started but haven’t finished… School, businesses, jobs, etc. But, I was able to finish this. I was able to finish my first half
marathon. It wasn’t pretty, but it was
completed and that’s a huge step for me.
This will be a tool in improving myself into the person I envision
being.
I learned that pain and discomfort
will always be a part of the journey of doing something worthwhile. Whether you’re running or working to achieve
some other goal that you’ve set, there will be times when you will be tested
mentally and physically. What will you
do? How will you respond? Are you determined to succeed?
I could definitely say a lot more
about my first half marathon experience, but, I will more than likely draw from
it as I grow in the future.
Overall, I’m happy with the
outcome. There’s nowhere to go, but
up. There’s nothing else to do but build
and improve on this experience. There’s
no one to do it, but me.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
NFL Back to Football 5k - Redskins Run Race Recap
It's Saturday morning and it's race day. I'm always up early on race day... I'm talking 4:30am early. My family is still sleep and that's ok, because we have some time. I'm pretty excited because I'm running in the first NFL Back to Football 5k and my boys are getting their first experience running in the Fun Run. I never did anything like this when I was a kid and I was happy that my boys got to do something like this early in their lives.
Realizing and understanding the benefits of living healthy, has given me a strong desire to create and mold an atmosphere of health and positive activity into their upbringing. It's extremely important to me that they grasp this lifestyle sooner, rather than later, like I did.
Anyway, I was happy that my boys and I had the opportunity to create a positive memory in their childhood.
I went downstairs to get ready like I normally do before a race. Started putting my gear on and getting my thoughts together about how I would approach this race.
My goal was to race it. I thought about the 5k that I did earlier this year. I finished it in 30:18. Perfect conditions down in Ocean City, MD and that was what I call a flat course. I was shooting for a sub 30 finish on this one.
It was really cool to have 1982 Super Bowl MVP Mark Moseley literally kick off the race!! After the national anthem was sung, he stood in front of the racers and kicked a football similar to how he did when he was playing. Now obviously, it didn't go as far, but it was much further than I could've kicked it. That was a pretty nice touch to the overall nostalgia of being there as a Redskins fan and participating in the very first run of the series at FedEx field. I'm hoping that next year, more Redskins and former Redskins will show up!!
Well we started in waves and I'm a slower runner, so we started in the middle to back off the pack. The faster runners went first and then the slower runners. The countdown from 10 began and we were off!!
I hadn't run most of the week and I was scheduled for a long run of 8 miles on Sunday as I'm tapering for my first half marathon. I wanted to really race this one and remembering the description of the course to be flat, I figured this would be great race to PR.
It wasn't as flat as Ocean City. There were some inclines... nothing really to complain about but I'd have to work to get under 30 minutes. So I felt pretty good and the strategy was to stay around 10:30/mile and really push it at the end.
I looked at my Garmin for my first mile time... 9:33. Agh!! I laughed to myself and said, "well there goes the PR." There was no way I could hold on to that for 3 miles!! But I tried... mile 2 was finished in 10:21. I knew my PR was long gone.
So I said I would make the best of this race and keep pushing. I began thinking about the times that I wanted to shoot for. I wanted to get under 33 minutes and decided to commit to that goal. That would be better than 11 minute miles and I could be happy with that.
My final mile would be done at 10:15, according to my Garmin. I ran 3.23 miles in 32:48... a pace of 10:10/mile. That's not too bad for a dzlrunner.
After the 5k was completed, me and the family walked around FedEx a little. They allowed us to go inside the stadium and see the field. I noticed that the field wasn't even painted yet for the big game against the Eagles on Monday Night Football. I took a gaze around the entire stadium and said to myself, this place is gonna be electric in a couple of days!! I got excited just thinking about it.
They began to announce the winners of the 5k and we started looking for where the kids fun run was gonna be held.
It took us some time, because it didn't seem like anyone had any answers. So if I had to complain about anything, it would have been the circles we kept going around asking about the kids run.
We finally found where the kids were lining up. My boys Kamari and Kameron were participating in this half mile run and I was hoping they would do well.
The kids were split up in two groups, by age... 10 and up were in the first group and anyone under age 10 would be in the second group. My oldest son, Kamari, is 10 and he was lined up right in front. I said to myself, "well would you look at that!" I was happy to see some type of competitiveness from him, since he's pretty low key. My youngest son is 6 and he is naturally competitive. I couldn't see him, but I was sure he would make a good showing.
What was really cool was, the kids were able to run out of the big Redskins helmet!! This was the same one the players run out of at home games!! This was so awesome and every time my kids see the big helmet on the field at the start of a Redskins game they can say that they ran out of the big helmet too!
Well the starting horn went blew and the kids came running out of that tunnel like bats outta hell!! I saw my oldest son and he was going!! I expected to see my youngest son in the next group and my running partner told me that Kam had broke out with the older kids!! I didn't see him!!
I was recording it on my phone. I stopped recording and looked in the tunnel... I didn't see Kameron!! I was pretty bummed, but then I thought to look on my video.
Lol... as the video came to a close, I saw Kameron bringing up the rear!! His face was determined!! I guess he said he wasn't running with the little kids!! He could hang with the big kids. Me and my running partner laughed because that's who Kam is. He loves taking on a challenge!!
Overall the morning was quite enjoyable and I was happy to have my wife and kids there, supporting and being involved in something positive and something healthy. I continue to look back over the couple of years that I've been working towards a healthier lifestyle. I'm happy with the progress I've made and looking forward to continued improvement of myself and my family.
You can do it too!! Just decide to take the first step towards improvement each day, and you're on that journey of success. It's that simple.
This is probably the worst time to be in a funk, right?
The first week of September has passed. I've been in a funk over the last week or so... My last training run was on Tuesday, the 3rd and it didn't go well. It was probably the worst run I've had in a long time... and it wasn't due to pace, 4 miles at a 11:07 pace. This is a pretty good pace for me. I just really felt like crap that day and it hasn't seemed to let up. Mentally, it was a struggle and has been a struggle to get out of the door and physically, it's been a struggle to feel as good as I've felt before. I've never felt like this before in my training and I'm trying to get answers on why this has come over me now... I've got my first half marathon in less than a week!! I should be feeling confident, excited, pumped, right?
What's even more crazy is, football season has started and I'm happy about that!! RGIII is starting for my Redskins on Monday Night Football, which is awesome!! My favorite season of the year, Autumn, will be here soon and I'm happy about that!! My 30th birthday is coming soon, which should be fun!! I feel fine and am happy in all the other phases of my life, but my recent running has been, well, blah. Weird.
I'm scheduled for an 8 miler today. I'm going to try to push through it. Right now, it's 7:06am and I'm currently waiting on my wife to get home from work, so I can try to get this run completed and have that out of the way. It will loom over my head if I don't get it done.
I think what I'm going to do after my half marathon on Saturday is make the next week's training very light and just try to refocus. The next race on schedule after my half marathon is my first full marathon... The ING Miami Marathon. So, I will prepare for that and make that the only goal over the winter.
I'm hoping that we'll have a mild winter, here in the DC Metro area. But, that may not happen, as the last couple of winters haven't been as bad. So, we'll see how long runs of 20 and 22 miles in the winter will go.
But, let me know... have you ever had periods like this in your training? I'm still a new runner and there are things that I am still learning. So, suggestions and thoughts on how to deal with it would be greatly appreciated!!
What's even more crazy is, football season has started and I'm happy about that!! RGIII is starting for my Redskins on Monday Night Football, which is awesome!! My favorite season of the year, Autumn, will be here soon and I'm happy about that!! My 30th birthday is coming soon, which should be fun!! I feel fine and am happy in all the other phases of my life, but my recent running has been, well, blah. Weird.
I'm scheduled for an 8 miler today. I'm going to try to push through it. Right now, it's 7:06am and I'm currently waiting on my wife to get home from work, so I can try to get this run completed and have that out of the way. It will loom over my head if I don't get it done.
I think what I'm going to do after my half marathon on Saturday is make the next week's training very light and just try to refocus. The next race on schedule after my half marathon is my first full marathon... The ING Miami Marathon. So, I will prepare for that and make that the only goal over the winter.
I'm hoping that we'll have a mild winter, here in the DC Metro area. But, that may not happen, as the last couple of winters haven't been as bad. So, we'll see how long runs of 20 and 22 miles in the winter will go.
But, let me know... have you ever had periods like this in your training? I'm still a new runner and there are things that I am still learning. So, suggestions and thoughts on how to deal with it would be greatly appreciated!!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
My First Training Run of Half Marathon Distance... 13.1 miles.
The plan was to use the momentum from the last week's 12 mile race and go
into this weekend's long run looking to reach 13 miles. The week started
out with great short runs of: 2 miles, 6 miles and 4 miles. I knew that
by Saturday, I was on track to have a high mileage week. In fact, it
would become the highest mileage week I've ever had.
The plan worked. I woke up pretty jacked and ready to work towards my newest micro-goal. My first half marathon, which is the ultimate goal, was less than 4 weeks away and I want to go into that race knowing that I've covered the distance at least once. I decided to run my normal weekly route for the familiarity. But then I continued running a few miles further to reach my half way point of 6.55 miles. The furthest I'd ever run on this particular route was 3 miles out and then I'd turn around to come back. So, this was even more of a new experience.
My first mile is never a good mile and this is understandable, because I’m running pretty cold at this point. I do some light stretching of my hamstrings and quads, but other than that I don’t do any warm ups. Some may say that this is not the best way to go, but, I haven’t gotten injured yet and I pray that I don’t in the future. I’m all for whatever works for you.
After the first mile and a half, I began to settle down a bit and get in a good rhythm. I felt strong and just kept working and progressing through my run. Around mile 4, I was in an area that I’ve driven through many times before… But, I’ve never run through it. It’s amazing how much you see while running that you don’t see driving. I saw and took in so much more than I normally would, like the smell of the bacon from the neighborhood IHOP!! Yummm....
I passed a high school, a few shopping centers and other restaurants between miles 4 -6. As I got to mile 6, I came upon a pretty steep hill. In order to reach the 6.55 mark, I had to climb. I thought about changing directions or choosing a flatter option, but, it’s nothing like testing and pushing yourself in training runs. I mean, that is why we train, right?
Frankly, I’ve noticed that hills don’t tend to bother me much and I seem to be able to climb them pretty easily. So, I started trekking up the hill. While I'm thinking about this right now, I’d like to make a suggestion about hills… The suggestion is: never look more than 5-7 feet in front of you while climbing a hill. It provides the illusion of the road being flat and it changes the mental challenge of thinking you’re running up hill to a much easier challenge.
Now, back to the run...
I was able to get up the hill and I was reaching the halfway mark of my run. At this point, I felt fine and didn’t have any major issues. I had taken my nutrition at the proper times and was able to keep moving forward.
On my way back, I saw many runners who also had hydration vests/packs. I remember thinking this must be a long run day for them too. I actually had somewhat of a feeling of satisfaction, because they looked like they were beginning and I was more than half done. The sun was out at this point and I knew that it would get tougher the longer they were out there.
Miles 8-11 passed right on schedule. Nothing to report, outside of me trying the Margarita flavored Clif Shot Blocks. My buddy, who is running the half marathon with me in a few weeks told me about them and gave them raving reviews. These weren’t bad and came in handy, as I would tend to get little cramps around mile 10. I took them at mile 8, so that they would already be in my system by mile 10 and didn’t have one cramp at all. I kept sipping my water and continued my journey.
I didn’t forget to take my final energy gel to carry me through the end of my run. This was a good thing. Over the last few training distances of 10-12 miles and even the 12 mile race last week, I had forgotten to take my final energy gel and I always felt the effects of it too.
Just a gentle reminder... Always take your energy/nutrition at the proper times or it can throw your run off schedule. Extremely important!
I took my final energy gel at mile 10 and was good through my finish. I felt stronger than I ever have in a previous training run of 11+ miles.
I got back to my car and the distance was 13.01. I said to myself, there is no way I will have run this 13 miles and not complete that last tenth of a mile. I ran around the parking lot that my car was located in until I clicked over that 13.1 mile distance. I had actually covered half-marathon distance!!
I felt so grateful, thankful and humbled that I just did something I’d never done before in my life!! The feeling is fantastic!! I’ve never felt this specific feeling of accomplishment before!! I was confident, that I could definitely cover the distance of my first half marathon. Now, it’s just a matter of staying focused and getting stronger. I now need to incorporate some strength training in my schedule. So, gym… here I come!!
The plan worked. I woke up pretty jacked and ready to work towards my newest micro-goal. My first half marathon, which is the ultimate goal, was less than 4 weeks away and I want to go into that race knowing that I've covered the distance at least once. I decided to run my normal weekly route for the familiarity. But then I continued running a few miles further to reach my half way point of 6.55 miles. The furthest I'd ever run on this particular route was 3 miles out and then I'd turn around to come back. So, this was even more of a new experience.
My first mile is never a good mile and this is understandable, because I’m running pretty cold at this point. I do some light stretching of my hamstrings and quads, but other than that I don’t do any warm ups. Some may say that this is not the best way to go, but, I haven’t gotten injured yet and I pray that I don’t in the future. I’m all for whatever works for you.
After the first mile and a half, I began to settle down a bit and get in a good rhythm. I felt strong and just kept working and progressing through my run. Around mile 4, I was in an area that I’ve driven through many times before… But, I’ve never run through it. It’s amazing how much you see while running that you don’t see driving. I saw and took in so much more than I normally would, like the smell of the bacon from the neighborhood IHOP!! Yummm....
I passed a high school, a few shopping centers and other restaurants between miles 4 -6. As I got to mile 6, I came upon a pretty steep hill. In order to reach the 6.55 mark, I had to climb. I thought about changing directions or choosing a flatter option, but, it’s nothing like testing and pushing yourself in training runs. I mean, that is why we train, right?
Frankly, I’ve noticed that hills don’t tend to bother me much and I seem to be able to climb them pretty easily. So, I started trekking up the hill. While I'm thinking about this right now, I’d like to make a suggestion about hills… The suggestion is: never look more than 5-7 feet in front of you while climbing a hill. It provides the illusion of the road being flat and it changes the mental challenge of thinking you’re running up hill to a much easier challenge.
Now, back to the run...
I was able to get up the hill and I was reaching the halfway mark of my run. At this point, I felt fine and didn’t have any major issues. I had taken my nutrition at the proper times and was able to keep moving forward.
On my way back, I saw many runners who also had hydration vests/packs. I remember thinking this must be a long run day for them too. I actually had somewhat of a feeling of satisfaction, because they looked like they were beginning and I was more than half done. The sun was out at this point and I knew that it would get tougher the longer they were out there.
Miles 8-11 passed right on schedule. Nothing to report, outside of me trying the Margarita flavored Clif Shot Blocks. My buddy, who is running the half marathon with me in a few weeks told me about them and gave them raving reviews. These weren’t bad and came in handy, as I would tend to get little cramps around mile 10. I took them at mile 8, so that they would already be in my system by mile 10 and didn’t have one cramp at all. I kept sipping my water and continued my journey.
I didn’t forget to take my final energy gel to carry me through the end of my run. This was a good thing. Over the last few training distances of 10-12 miles and even the 12 mile race last week, I had forgotten to take my final energy gel and I always felt the effects of it too.
Just a gentle reminder... Always take your energy/nutrition at the proper times or it can throw your run off schedule. Extremely important!
I took my final energy gel at mile 10 and was good through my finish. I felt stronger than I ever have in a previous training run of 11+ miles.
I got back to my car and the distance was 13.01. I said to myself, there is no way I will have run this 13 miles and not complete that last tenth of a mile. I ran around the parking lot that my car was located in until I clicked over that 13.1 mile distance. I had actually covered half-marathon distance!!
I felt so grateful, thankful and humbled that I just did something I’d never done before in my life!! The feeling is fantastic!! I’ve never felt this specific feeling of accomplishment before!! I was confident, that I could definitely cover the distance of my first half marathon. Now, it’s just a matter of staying focused and getting stronger. I now need to incorporate some strength training in my schedule. So, gym… here I come!!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Charles Street 12 Race Recap
My alarm goes off at 4:15 am. I pop out of bed. It's race day. My plan is to get to the start line by 6am. I go down to the basement and hop on the computer to post on Twitter (@dzlrunner) about my excitement and that I'm ready to go! I start to begin putting my gear on and I figured that I would allow my wife and daughter to sleep a little more. (This may have been a mistake... I started to hear my wife walk around upstairs at about 5:30am) No big deal. I figure a 45 minute drive to get to Towson from where we live wouldn't be too bad if we left between 6:00 and 6:10. I mean, we'd still get there before 7am, since the race starts at 7:30.
We're all getting ready and I lose track of time! I get a text from one of my running buddies, who's running the race with me. The text asked if I was at the start line yet. This is at 6:16 and I haven't left my house yet! I responded that I just left the house. (Technically, I wasn't quite in the car yet... I had to run back in the house to finish getting the rest of my things. Oh, you've done it too. That time when you respond to someone about a future location of where you should be now or something that you should be doing now and you haven't quite gotten to doing it yet. You're close, but not fully there... lol)
Well she said, "Geez... I hope you live in Towson!" At this point, I knew I was in some trouble. I don't live anywhere close to Towson. I live in PG County, a good 30-35 miles from the start line. I plugged the start location into my GPS and it said 58 minutes to reach my destination!! WHAT?!?! At the rate I'm going, I'd get there in the middle of the National Anthem, if not after the race begins!!
I load my family in the car and we get going. My wife and daughter are still pretty tired, so I knew I had to make time. You can guess what I did... Once we got on the road and they were sleep, time had to be made up some way. It was after 6:30am when I finally left my house.
I pull up to the starting location at 7:10am and I know I'm in the right place, because of the sea of neon colors in the street. That's something I like about being a runner and running in races. So many different colors, different outfits... so many different people! Such a beautiful thing! I pull into a parking space, so my wife can switch to the driver's side. I kiss the wife, kiss the baby and set out to look for my running buddy. We haven't seen each other in a few years... So we catch up a little bit, talk about our training and shortly thereafter everyone's moving towards the starting line.
The National Anthem is sung, the starting gun sounds and we're off! I wave to my wife and daughter and cross the starting mat.
I was prepared for the first third of the race to be tough. The Course Information on the website stated that the course was downhill. But, the elevation map on the website showed the first 3.5 - 4 miles being hilly. I was mentally prepared for that. I had already set my Garmin to run 12:30 miles, so I wasn't going to push my pace at all in the first quarter to first third of the race. I was just going to keep steady and negotiate those hills as gently and as smoothly as possible. (You can see my Pre-Race Strategy here)
Now these hills were not as bad as the hills I trained on, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC. No where close. But, consistent rolling hills can take a toll on you. Within the first quarter of the race, we ran thru some residential areas of Towson and passed Towson University. The first aid station was around mile 1.5. I didn't stop, because I had my trusty Camelbak hydration vest and it wasn't a part of the strategy to drink this early. I felt fine through this portion of the race and it was just a matter of sticking to the plan. I have run 4 miles so many times before, this was no different.
The second third of the race, miles 4 - 8, was pretty tough. This wasn't because of the few minor pains I began to feel. I could deal with that. But, it was mainly because, I like many other runners were thinking "downhill". For some crazy reason, when I got to the bottom of a hill or the end of a flat portion of the course, I looked up and there was another incline. I kept thinking that maybe I read the information wrong... Maybe it said that this was not a "downhill course" and I wanted it to be. I don't know. It just steadily frustrated me to think downhill and I am continuously climbing hills. A pretty sick joke by the race directors, if I do say so myself.
Oh yeah... I didn't even mention the fact that my Garmin only had 2 bars. In all my excitement, I failed to charge my GPS watch!! Unbelievable!! At this point, I'm not as comfortable as I would've like to have been. The race course was not what I mentally thought it would be and constantly hoping my Garmin wouldn't die on me was more than I wanted to be concerned with. But, just like life, sometimes you've got to just roll with the punches and work through it the best way you can. Everything won't always be exactly the way we want it... That's a fact.
Around mile 8, I had came up to a runner and said good job. She was doing well and returned the pleasantries... We ran about the same pace, so we stuck together until about the 8.75 mile mark, when she said "Ok, you brought me through... I'm gonna walk a little bit." I bid her adieu and continued my trek.
The final third of the race was where the battle between mind and body began. I was coming up on territory that I wasn't as familiar with. Sure, I'd run several 10 mile runs up until this point in my training, but only one 12 miler. This is the place, where pace no longer mattered and I just wanted to finish. This is the portion of the race where all mantras that have ever been thought of, begin to flood the mind. Mantras like, "One foot in front of the other" and "a body in motion wants to stay in motion" and "trust your training" all begin coming to mind at once. These thoughts mixed with the desire to stop, but the desire to finish were becoming annoying. I remember thinking how much I wanted the finish line to just magically appear in front of me or right around the corner.
But, no... it wasn't going to be that easy. I'd have to work to get to the finish line. There were no shortcuts and no magic carpets to get me to the finish. All there was, was my desire to finish and the training I had put in. My Garmin, didn't even keep me company as it saved my run at mile 8.49 and showed a blank screen.
I resolved in my mind that I would, in fact, finish this race and I was finally able to quiet the unnecessarily loud noise of mind and body, when lyrics to "She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes" came to mind. Eventually, those lyrics turned to "He'll be coming 'round the harbor when he comes". The Baltimore Harbor was where the race ended and not a point sooner.
I was at about mile 9.5 and my new running buddy, that I met at mile 8 showed up again. She said something like "I told you I'd catch up with you." This was much needed company at the time. We ran a little further, talked about our training and at about mile 10.3 or so, she needed to walk again. I said my goodbyes and kept on trekking.
I knew that I was getting close to the finish. There were several winding turns between mile 10 and 11 and we were in downtown Baltimore. At this point, I was wondering why I didn't have much and I was running on fumes. It hit me... I forgot to take my energy gel at mile 9! That's why I felt like I was running on empty. I took the hot Gatorade that they gave at the aid station for electrolytes, but it didn't seem to help. I was already in a hole that I couldn't crawl out of. Once again, I had to roll with the punches and work through it the best way I could.
At about mile 10.9, I was feeling like I needed a second wind. So I decided that I would walk this last tenth of a mile to the 11 mile marker and I would run the rest of the way. This was slightly disappointing, because in all of my training runs, I've never even walked a hundredth of a mile. I usually run the entire distance. But, that's the funny thing about races. They make you do different things and feel different ways. It was time to recommit. I tapped mile marker 11 as I passed and got back on my horse. I made the choice that I would run from this point to the finish line. No stopping.
Finally, I could see the harbor. I had reached the harbor and all there was to do was to get down the boardwalk, past the Maryland World Trade Center Building, past the Phillips and Barnes & Nobles and hang that left into the finisher's shoot.
As I ran down the boardwalk and saw other runners who had already received their medals, a feeling of hope came over me. I was almost there! I ran past the Spirit of Baltimore, past Ripley's Believe It or Not, past the USS Constellation, in between the Cheesecake Factory and the Baltimore World Trade Center. I got to the finishing shoot and guess who's running towards me... My 2 year old daughter. I couldn't have asked for a better finish to this race. I picked her up and carried her through the finish line, with my family cheering me through!! All the pain and lack of energy I had subsided for that short period of time. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world!!
(Video of race route and footage of my personal finish, can be seen below...)
My official chip time was 2 hours 29 minutes and 19 seconds. Thank you Charm City Run for a great challenge in the Inaugural Charles Street 12. I will definitely come back to finish better and stronger next year!!
We're all getting ready and I lose track of time! I get a text from one of my running buddies, who's running the race with me. The text asked if I was at the start line yet. This is at 6:16 and I haven't left my house yet! I responded that I just left the house. (Technically, I wasn't quite in the car yet... I had to run back in the house to finish getting the rest of my things. Oh, you've done it too. That time when you respond to someone about a future location of where you should be now or something that you should be doing now and you haven't quite gotten to doing it yet. You're close, but not fully there... lol)
Well she said, "Geez... I hope you live in Towson!" At this point, I knew I was in some trouble. I don't live anywhere close to Towson. I live in PG County, a good 30-35 miles from the start line. I plugged the start location into my GPS and it said 58 minutes to reach my destination!! WHAT?!?! At the rate I'm going, I'd get there in the middle of the National Anthem, if not after the race begins!!
I load my family in the car and we get going. My wife and daughter are still pretty tired, so I knew I had to make time. You can guess what I did... Once we got on the road and they were sleep, time had to be made up some way. It was after 6:30am when I finally left my house.
I pull up to the starting location at 7:10am and I know I'm in the right place, because of the sea of neon colors in the street. That's something I like about being a runner and running in races. So many different colors, different outfits... so many different people! Such a beautiful thing! I pull into a parking space, so my wife can switch to the driver's side. I kiss the wife, kiss the baby and set out to look for my running buddy. We haven't seen each other in a few years... So we catch up a little bit, talk about our training and shortly thereafter everyone's moving towards the starting line.
The National Anthem is sung, the starting gun sounds and we're off! I wave to my wife and daughter and cross the starting mat.
I was prepared for the first third of the race to be tough. The Course Information on the website stated that the course was downhill. But, the elevation map on the website showed the first 3.5 - 4 miles being hilly. I was mentally prepared for that. I had already set my Garmin to run 12:30 miles, so I wasn't going to push my pace at all in the first quarter to first third of the race. I was just going to keep steady and negotiate those hills as gently and as smoothly as possible. (You can see my Pre-Race Strategy here)
Now these hills were not as bad as the hills I trained on, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC. No where close. But, consistent rolling hills can take a toll on you. Within the first quarter of the race, we ran thru some residential areas of Towson and passed Towson University. The first aid station was around mile 1.5. I didn't stop, because I had my trusty Camelbak hydration vest and it wasn't a part of the strategy to drink this early. I felt fine through this portion of the race and it was just a matter of sticking to the plan. I have run 4 miles so many times before, this was no different.
The second third of the race, miles 4 - 8, was pretty tough. This wasn't because of the few minor pains I began to feel. I could deal with that. But, it was mainly because, I like many other runners were thinking "downhill". For some crazy reason, when I got to the bottom of a hill or the end of a flat portion of the course, I looked up and there was another incline. I kept thinking that maybe I read the information wrong... Maybe it said that this was not a "downhill course" and I wanted it to be. I don't know. It just steadily frustrated me to think downhill and I am continuously climbing hills. A pretty sick joke by the race directors, if I do say so myself.
Oh yeah... I didn't even mention the fact that my Garmin only had 2 bars. In all my excitement, I failed to charge my GPS watch!! Unbelievable!! At this point, I'm not as comfortable as I would've like to have been. The race course was not what I mentally thought it would be and constantly hoping my Garmin wouldn't die on me was more than I wanted to be concerned with. But, just like life, sometimes you've got to just roll with the punches and work through it the best way you can. Everything won't always be exactly the way we want it... That's a fact.
Around mile 8, I had came up to a runner and said good job. She was doing well and returned the pleasantries... We ran about the same pace, so we stuck together until about the 8.75 mile mark, when she said "Ok, you brought me through... I'm gonna walk a little bit." I bid her adieu and continued my trek.
The final third of the race was where the battle between mind and body began. I was coming up on territory that I wasn't as familiar with. Sure, I'd run several 10 mile runs up until this point in my training, but only one 12 miler. This is the place, where pace no longer mattered and I just wanted to finish. This is the portion of the race where all mantras that have ever been thought of, begin to flood the mind. Mantras like, "One foot in front of the other" and "a body in motion wants to stay in motion" and "trust your training" all begin coming to mind at once. These thoughts mixed with the desire to stop, but the desire to finish were becoming annoying. I remember thinking how much I wanted the finish line to just magically appear in front of me or right around the corner.
But, no... it wasn't going to be that easy. I'd have to work to get to the finish line. There were no shortcuts and no magic carpets to get me to the finish. All there was, was my desire to finish and the training I had put in. My Garmin, didn't even keep me company as it saved my run at mile 8.49 and showed a blank screen.
I resolved in my mind that I would, in fact, finish this race and I was finally able to quiet the unnecessarily loud noise of mind and body, when lyrics to "She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes" came to mind. Eventually, those lyrics turned to "He'll be coming 'round the harbor when he comes". The Baltimore Harbor was where the race ended and not a point sooner.
I was at about mile 9.5 and my new running buddy, that I met at mile 8 showed up again. She said something like "I told you I'd catch up with you." This was much needed company at the time. We ran a little further, talked about our training and at about mile 10.3 or so, she needed to walk again. I said my goodbyes and kept on trekking.
I knew that I was getting close to the finish. There were several winding turns between mile 10 and 11 and we were in downtown Baltimore. At this point, I was wondering why I didn't have much and I was running on fumes. It hit me... I forgot to take my energy gel at mile 9! That's why I felt like I was running on empty. I took the hot Gatorade that they gave at the aid station for electrolytes, but it didn't seem to help. I was already in a hole that I couldn't crawl out of. Once again, I had to roll with the punches and work through it the best way I could.
At about mile 10.9, I was feeling like I needed a second wind. So I decided that I would walk this last tenth of a mile to the 11 mile marker and I would run the rest of the way. This was slightly disappointing, because in all of my training runs, I've never even walked a hundredth of a mile. I usually run the entire distance. But, that's the funny thing about races. They make you do different things and feel different ways. It was time to recommit. I tapped mile marker 11 as I passed and got back on my horse. I made the choice that I would run from this point to the finish line. No stopping.
Finally, I could see the harbor. I had reached the harbor and all there was to do was to get down the boardwalk, past the Maryland World Trade Center Building, past the Phillips and Barnes & Nobles and hang that left into the finisher's shoot.
As I ran down the boardwalk and saw other runners who had already received their medals, a feeling of hope came over me. I was almost there! I ran past the Spirit of Baltimore, past Ripley's Believe It or Not, past the USS Constellation, in between the Cheesecake Factory and the Baltimore World Trade Center. I got to the finishing shoot and guess who's running towards me... My 2 year old daughter. I couldn't have asked for a better finish to this race. I picked her up and carried her through the finish line, with my family cheering me through!! All the pain and lack of energy I had subsided for that short period of time. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world!!
(Video of race route and footage of my personal finish, can be seen below...)
My official chip time was 2 hours 29 minutes and 19 seconds. Thank you Charm City Run for a great challenge in the Inaugural Charles Street 12. I will definitely come back to finish better and stronger next year!!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Pre-race Strategies and Goals for Inaugural Charles Street 12 Race
It's Friday morning, that I'm writing this post and I'm pretty amped up right now. I've been thinking about this race all week. It's actually been longer than that, but the pit of my stomach has been pounding with nervousness and excitement for the last five days or so. It's my very first long distance race and I wanted to jot down my goals and strategies for the race.
Goals:
1) I want to finish in 2:30 or better. - They say you shouldn't put a time goal on your first race, just cover the distance. But, I'm always looking for a challenge or something to shoot for. My training run of 12 miles was completed in 2:36. I've had several 10 mile training runs that I was able to completed in less than 2 hours. Races push the pace, so I feel if I can finish between 2:25 and 2:30 I'll be happy. (Actually, I'll be happy when I cross the finish line... So, I'll be happy in any event.)
2) Finish with no injuries. - I'm thankful that I've been able to train up until this point with no significant injuries. I hope to continue that streak with the help of the good Lord. My first half marathon is planned for next month, so I've got to stay healthy in order to do well in that race.
3) Be in the moment at all times. - I want to experience this race fully, while running... Enjoy the people around me, the atmosphere, the scenery. This is the Inaugural running of the Charles Street 12 and I want to make sure that I'm not so focused on time and running strong that I don't take in the entire experience.
Strategies:
1) Start out slow. - I'm already going to be pumped and the juices are going to be flowing. So, I need to make sure that I stay disciplined and run this race with patience. I don't want to make the mistake of starting out too fast and burning myself out by mile 6. I set my Garmin Virtual Pacer and intend to run at a 12:30 pace over the first half and dependent upon how I feel I'll pick my pace up.
2) Don't over hydrate and take nutrition at the proper times. - I've been hydrating all week and I'll be making sure to hydrate all day today. I don't normally eat anything before my runs. I may eat a Honey Stinger Waffle 15 minutes before the race begins. Depending on the weather I normally don't start sipping water until about mile 3. If it's warmer, I'll drink sooner. I'll then take a gel or waffle around mile 6 and another around mile 9. I shouldn't need anything after that, but, that'll be determined in the race.
3) Just be steady. - I know my limitations, I know my abilities and my training has gotten me to this point. Stick with the plan and everything will be fine.
I'm just keeping it simple. Nothing outrageous. I don't want to do too much and I want to stay focused on just finishing the race.
I'll see you after!!
Goals:
1) I want to finish in 2:30 or better. - They say you shouldn't put a time goal on your first race, just cover the distance. But, I'm always looking for a challenge or something to shoot for. My training run of 12 miles was completed in 2:36. I've had several 10 mile training runs that I was able to completed in less than 2 hours. Races push the pace, so I feel if I can finish between 2:25 and 2:30 I'll be happy. (Actually, I'll be happy when I cross the finish line... So, I'll be happy in any event.)
2) Finish with no injuries. - I'm thankful that I've been able to train up until this point with no significant injuries. I hope to continue that streak with the help of the good Lord. My first half marathon is planned for next month, so I've got to stay healthy in order to do well in that race.
3) Be in the moment at all times. - I want to experience this race fully, while running... Enjoy the people around me, the atmosphere, the scenery. This is the Inaugural running of the Charles Street 12 and I want to make sure that I'm not so focused on time and running strong that I don't take in the entire experience.
Strategies:
1) Start out slow. - I'm already going to be pumped and the juices are going to be flowing. So, I need to make sure that I stay disciplined and run this race with patience. I don't want to make the mistake of starting out too fast and burning myself out by mile 6. I set my Garmin Virtual Pacer and intend to run at a 12:30 pace over the first half and dependent upon how I feel I'll pick my pace up.
2) Don't over hydrate and take nutrition at the proper times. - I've been hydrating all week and I'll be making sure to hydrate all day today. I don't normally eat anything before my runs. I may eat a Honey Stinger Waffle 15 minutes before the race begins. Depending on the weather I normally don't start sipping water until about mile 3. If it's warmer, I'll drink sooner. I'll then take a gel or waffle around mile 6 and another around mile 9. I shouldn't need anything after that, but, that'll be determined in the race.
3) Just be steady. - I know my limitations, I know my abilities and my training has gotten me to this point. Stick with the plan and everything will be fine.
I'm just keeping it simple. Nothing outrageous. I don't want to do too much and I want to stay focused on just finishing the race.
I'll see you after!!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Running Rules: The Dzlrunner's Guide to Road Races
I've run in a few shorter distance races to this point. A couple of 5ks and my longest, being the Crofton Kiwanis 10k in June of this year. I'm getting ready to embark on my longest race to date, The Charles Street 12, a 12 mile race down historic Charles Street in Baltimore, MD.
I've heard about there being certain rules to road racing that runners should follow. I never paid attention to this for the shorter races, but I figured that I should for this longer distance. So, I did a bit of research and here are some of the rules that I've found that will help me and possibly help you in your future road races.
1) You gotta pay to get in.
When it comes to racing longer distances, such as the half marathon or full marathon, there is a term used to describe someone running without an officially registering for a race. It's called "banditing". There are many with varying opinions on banditing a race.
Some are more tolerant than others. Some feel that it's harmless, others feel that it's one of the worse possible crimes that can be committed in the running world. I tend to go with the moral side of things... If you didn't pay for it, you shouldn't partake. But, if I happened to see one, I'm not going to call the authorities... I'm focused on my race.
2) Fast runners in the front, slow runners in the back
I've been thinking about this logic for a while and it makes complete sense. I always seem to picture myself in the front of a sea full of runners (knowing I don't belong there at ALL), right under the starting line. And when the gun goes off, I start out, but all the fast runners are blazing past me on my left and right, bumping me, shouting "Move out the way!" Once they pass me, they turn and look at me with disgust.
I do not want to be that guy. So, instead of starting in the front, its best for the slower runners like myself to start closer to the rear of the pack. I mean it's the truth, right? If I'm only running 10:30 miles at my fastest pace, why in the world would I start with the 5, 6 and 7 minute/mile runners. That's crazy!!
3) Most bodily functions should be kept to the side of the course
Let's face it, bodily functions are a part of running. But, many of them don't have to be done on the race course. Sure, you may break wind or pass gas... That's inevitable. But, spitting, snot rockets, vomiting or needing to relieve yourself would need to be taken to the side of the course.
The last thing you want is to spit or blow a snot rocket and it land on another runners leg or shoe. Be courteous and ease over to the side of the race course. As far as relieving yourself goes, use the port-o-potties, seek an open business on the route, or if you must, look for a group of bushes that will allow some sort of privacy.
4) Make your presence known and be aware of other runners around you
When approaching a runner in front of you, it is best to say "Excuse me" or "On your right/left". If they don't hear you, gently tap them on their elbow or arm to get their attention, as you don't want to spook them.
Being aware of your surroundings is just as important. Whether you're wearing headphones or just enjoying the scenery around you, you must be sure to keep alert and listen for those around you.
5) Be careful around water/aid stations
There can be a lot of disorganization and bottle-necking at aid stations. It can even be slick at times. I remember running a race earlier this year and there were so many dropped water cups and spilled drinks on the ground that as I moved through the area, I felt my steps begin to slide a bit. So it may be better to walk through the water station and move as close to the side as possible. This way you don't obstruct the path of other runners passing through.
6) Show your appreciation
Just having manners and putting them to use, goes a long way. Volunteers are exactly that... Volunteers and they give of their time to make our experience as runners a good one. So, as you get your water and nutrition throughout the race, say "Thank you". It's nice to know that you're appreciated.
It doesn't hurt to say thank you to any spectators you may come in contact with. They, like volunteers, come out to make our experience as runners that much better. They may be coming out to support their runner, but if you get a chance, take some time to let them know you appreciate them coming out.
These are just a few guidelines to help in making your race experience a good one. I'll be keeping them in mind this weekend as I run the Inaugural Charles Street 12 Race and hopefully you will too, in your next race.
I've heard about there being certain rules to road racing that runners should follow. I never paid attention to this for the shorter races, but I figured that I should for this longer distance. So, I did a bit of research and here are some of the rules that I've found that will help me and possibly help you in your future road races.
1) You gotta pay to get in.
When it comes to racing longer distances, such as the half marathon or full marathon, there is a term used to describe someone running without an officially registering for a race. It's called "banditing". There are many with varying opinions on banditing a race.
Some are more tolerant than others. Some feel that it's harmless, others feel that it's one of the worse possible crimes that can be committed in the running world. I tend to go with the moral side of things... If you didn't pay for it, you shouldn't partake. But, if I happened to see one, I'm not going to call the authorities... I'm focused on my race.
2) Fast runners in the front, slow runners in the back
I've been thinking about this logic for a while and it makes complete sense. I always seem to picture myself in the front of a sea full of runners (knowing I don't belong there at ALL), right under the starting line. And when the gun goes off, I start out, but all the fast runners are blazing past me on my left and right, bumping me, shouting "Move out the way!" Once they pass me, they turn and look at me with disgust.
I do not want to be that guy. So, instead of starting in the front, its best for the slower runners like myself to start closer to the rear of the pack. I mean it's the truth, right? If I'm only running 10:30 miles at my fastest pace, why in the world would I start with the 5, 6 and 7 minute/mile runners. That's crazy!!
3) Most bodily functions should be kept to the side of the course
Let's face it, bodily functions are a part of running. But, many of them don't have to be done on the race course. Sure, you may break wind or pass gas... That's inevitable. But, spitting, snot rockets, vomiting or needing to relieve yourself would need to be taken to the side of the course.
The last thing you want is to spit or blow a snot rocket and it land on another runners leg or shoe. Be courteous and ease over to the side of the race course. As far as relieving yourself goes, use the port-o-potties, seek an open business on the route, or if you must, look for a group of bushes that will allow some sort of privacy.
4) Make your presence known and be aware of other runners around you
When approaching a runner in front of you, it is best to say "Excuse me" or "On your right/left". If they don't hear you, gently tap them on their elbow or arm to get their attention, as you don't want to spook them.
Being aware of your surroundings is just as important. Whether you're wearing headphones or just enjoying the scenery around you, you must be sure to keep alert and listen for those around you.
5) Be careful around water/aid stations
There can be a lot of disorganization and bottle-necking at aid stations. It can even be slick at times. I remember running a race earlier this year and there were so many dropped water cups and spilled drinks on the ground that as I moved through the area, I felt my steps begin to slide a bit. So it may be better to walk through the water station and move as close to the side as possible. This way you don't obstruct the path of other runners passing through.
6) Show your appreciation
Just having manners and putting them to use, goes a long way. Volunteers are exactly that... Volunteers and they give of their time to make our experience as runners a good one. So, as you get your water and nutrition throughout the race, say "Thank you". It's nice to know that you're appreciated.
It doesn't hurt to say thank you to any spectators you may come in contact with. They, like volunteers, come out to make our experience as runners that much better. They may be coming out to support their runner, but if you get a chance, take some time to let them know you appreciate them coming out.
These are just a few guidelines to help in making your race experience a good one. I'll be keeping them in mind this weekend as I run the Inaugural Charles Street 12 Race and hopefully you will too, in your next race.
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