My Race Year Recap

Marathons run this year: 4 (my pre-Bayshore Marathon marathon [Earth Day Challenge], Bayshore, my post Bayshore marathon [Sunburst], and Chicago.

Half marathons: 2 (Borgess, Capital City River Run)

10Ks: 1 (bandit running of the Boyne City 4th of July Celebration Run)

5Ks: 5 (Super Bowl 5K [Feb], Shamrock 5K [Mar], Race for the Cure [Apr], Capital BanCorp 5K [May], Alternate 5K [Oct]

Miles run: 1326

Number of Pop-Tarts consumed: about 580 (most consumed flavors in order: Strawberry, Chocolate Chip, Brown Sugar)

Taco Bell Friday: 44 delicious times

Shoes and their #s: Sun Dancers (Kayano 14s) 334, Red Stars (2130s) 349, Omega Killers (2130s) 191; Blue Rho (2130s) 195; Delta Flyers (Kayano 14s) 193. All shoes are Asics.

AG awards: 5 (one first, three seconds, one third)

PRs in: the Marathon (Chicago), Half Marathon (Capital City River Run), 5K (Alternate 5K)

Weekends where I slept in both days: 1

Training programs used: Hal Higdon’s Advanced Intermediate II, FIRST: First to the Finish (expect a compare and contrast in the near future)

Number of typoos in the blog: about 53

Number of destroyed toenails: 2

Number of serious blisters: 4

Number of F*bombs dropped during a race: 18 (16 at the Bayshore Marathon, one at the Shamrock 5K when I was strollered, one when I was passed at mile 12 of the Borgess half by a 70+ old man who said “good job.”)

Number of times I ran with the cows: 8

Times the stars aligned: 1

Injuries: serious = plantar fasciitis, not so serious = left hip stiffness, sore right knee

Deer killed: 1

Manatee killed: now come on, do you really think I would do that…..

Girl Scout Cookies consumed: about 135

Number of ice baths post long runs: 0

Number of ice baths attempted: 1

Parties/social events willing declined due to long run: 29

Dollars fed to a goat: 1

A Michigan Fall Weekend in July

This past weekend held the first of five 20+ mile runs for my FIRST training program. However, a late night watching Star Farm (an awesome 80s band) made my plans for a morning run unrealistic. So, like last week, I had an unwelcome guest sitting around all day Saturday. Worse, this guest was of the 20M variety—the worst kind of unwelcome guest.

The temps on Saturday were in the low 60s and it was overcast all day. So when I stepped out at 7pm I wasn’t facing the same kind of grueling weather I did for my 17Mer last week. To date, my training has gone like this. Speed workouts are all hot nasty fails. Tempo runs are right on target. Long runs have been going well ahead of schedule. The only problem with my long runs is that I want to run them as close to marathon pace as possible. So, yeah, I’ve been ignoring my marathon pace plus 45 seconds instructions. Thus, while my long runs have all been well under the FIRST requirements, they have all fallen short of my expectations.

I’m able to endure these failures because I know that the first month of training is designed to build your strength and fitness, and that the times should come easier down the road. Now, if I could only stop staring at the red fail lines in my training log.

But that ended on Saturday. As I started I felt good, aiming to keep a consistent pace. And with the exception of three miles, I was always at my goal pace or under. My splits: 6:55, 6:56, 6:58, 7:09, 7:07, 7:20, 7:07, 7:02, 7:02, 7:07, 7:15, 7:21, 7:03, 7:11, 7:10, 7:15, 7:06, 7:11, 7:29, 7:12. A 7:09/M average.

What I’m most pleased with is my last five miles. Usually I start dropping 7:20s or worse from mile 16 on. This past run I managed to keep everything consistent except for mile 19.

As the first of five 20+ mile long runs, I couldn’t be happier.

Sunday morning I joined Sun Runner for a nice little 4M recovery run. I got a chance to run around her home town and even see the famous graveyard.

The Bayshore Goal

I’ve never trained for a marathon the way I have prepared for Bayshore. My first marathon, the Flying Pig, was just about finishing. I didn’t know about Boston (other than it was a famous race); heck I didn’t even know about elevation maps. I didn’t own a running watch, I drove my routes to gauge their distance (no mapmyrun.com or Garmin Forerunners), and I was even naive enough to think taking fluids during a run was a sign of weakness. When I was at the starting line of the Flying Pig my sister Thor asked me what my goal was. I didn’t have an answer—I hadn’t even considered it. In fact I had no idea how fast I could run a marathon. She told me to line up with the 4:30 pacers—and I did.

It wasn’t until I began training with Lil last summer that I discovered the culture of marathon running. So, this training period is my first focused effort dedicated my time goal.

And what is that goal? Patience; first some running goals in general. Now that I know what the big whoop is, I want to BQ. I want it bad. I loath the city of Boston (for purely sports related reasons) and swore as a child I would never step foot in that place (stupid Larry Bird and Bruins). But every rule has an exception, and running the Boston Marathon is my exception to my ‘never enter Boston’ rule. Another running goal includes an ultra.

So, what is my goal time for Bayshore? 3:15. And, for the record, a 3:15 will not give me a BQ. “What about all the above BQ talk?” the crowd screams. Well, when I sat down to plan this running year my goal was to focus on two marathons: Bayshore and Chicago. I looked long and hard at my running times (the few races I ran by myself) and the pace a BQ requires. I was honest with myself. I kept hearing my track coach saying “times speak for themselves.” I knew I needed to be realistic about my weight and my fitness. I wasn’t overweight by any means, but my fitness level was low.

I believed I could run a BQ time; but I needed time to get my body back to the shape and speed and fitness level it used to have when I ran hard consistently. I primarily want to run Bayshore to get the bad taste of last year’s Chicago out, and to use it as a template and base for my BQ attempt in Chicago 09. My training has been good for Bayshore, but it isn’t quite where I want when I attempt to BQ.

I’ll be honest, a sizeable part of me thinks, “a 3:15 is awfully close to a 3:10; you can give it a go!” But pacing wise it isn’t that close. A 7:15 compared to a 7:26 is sizeable—especially over the course of a marathon. We’re talking about a 2:30 difference per half. And, the plan has always been to run hard but smart.

So, there it is. 3:15. I will be OoF (out of office) Friday; but I expect to post a race report sometime early next week.

Spike

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* One small note of dread, temperatures are expected to hit the high 70s. This does not bode well for me as I get killed in the low 70s.

Pancakes for Dinner

While I was endlessly blabbering on about my latest run a few weeks ago, a friend invited me to assist in coaching a small running group. I smiled and laughed, “What makes you think I can coach?” “Simple” my friend said, “you seem to run more than any of us, so you seem like you could help.” I was flattered, and I agreed.

I have coached a little before, including some high school track, so I was honestly very excited about helping. Tonight is the group’s first meeting, and we are having a pancake dinner. I love breakfast for dinner! And I’ll be there early to help bake the batter.

Like I stated once before, running is simply putting one foot in front of the other to prevent you from falling on your face. Anything beyond that, like socks or no socks, fast or fast or half-fast, dedicated or wholeheartedly zealous or gearing up for the Seattle Marathon, are just minor details.

Have a great running weekend.