Peroneal Tendonitis!?

It was a Tuesday evening,  April 27,  and I thought things were going great (see my exuberant VFF post from the previous day).  I had run to work that morning (2.5 miles), another 11 mile run for lunch which I finished fast and strong, all in my VFFs.   I was pretty much convinced that I would be able to run the Frederick Marathon that weekend, though I hadn't signed up for it just yet.  

Good thing I didn't.  I was geared up and about to run home that evening when I felt a small cramp in my left foot.   I shrugged it off and started running.   About a mile into the run, the pain suddenly grew more intense.   I was unable to ignore it any longer and had to stop running.   I could only walk home with a heavy limp.   

The following day I went to an urgent care doctor to see what the cause was.   The doctor performed X-rays and found no fracture and diagnosed me with a sprained ankle.  I was told to take time off and RICE (Rest Ice Compress Elevate).  Having done this, I still noticed pain on the foot in the morning over the coimng months.    Further self-diagnosis led me to the conclusion that instead of an ankle sprain I have peroneal tendonitis, which is a very slow to heal injury.  

When it seems like it's ok and possibly healed, a short or longer run doesn't feel bad, but the pain will recur the following morning right after getting up, only to go away shortly afterwards.   Time proves again that stubbornness and optimism will only go so far.  It's been over 4 months now, so I've scheduled another appointment with the doctor. 

Needless to say, I'll be off of VFFs until it heals. :-(

Vibram FiveFingers -- I'm hooked

When I first saw someone wearing VFFs, I laughed.  They look just too different to not garner an extra long stare and curiosity.   It wasn't too much later that I started reading articles on barefoot running, and reading excited emails about them.   

One of their benefits is that they're supposed to minimize injury since it provides no cushioning, forcing your feet to run more naturally.   Instead of landing on the heel as I'm prone to do,  it encourages you to land on the balls of your feet, which is your feet's natural shock absorber.  Having overcome a six month long groin injury that was due to running within the past year, this resonated with me.  I decided to give it a try.

So, I went out and bought a pair of VFF Sprints at a local sports retailer.   I remember walking out of the store wearing them, after landing on my heel when stepping off of the curb, the resulting shock reverberated through my body: I would never do that again!  My feet remembered that lesson.

My friend advised to take it easy since this would be a major change in running style.   He told me of a friend that bought a pair and went out for a 5 mile run the first time, and was incapacitated for more than a week.    No problem, I thought.  I'll just start with an easy 3 mile run.  That can't be overdoing it.  Boy, was I wrong.    My calves were so sore I could barely walk for the next week.   I'm sure this is because I tend to be a heel striker, and my calves need to do a little more work than their used to to keep my heel from hitting the ground. 

I gradually got back on track with running, first in my normal running shoes, more and more in the VFFs. My calves would still get sore, but the strength gain was notable too.    Eventually, as I picked up more miles, it would be the bottom of the feet getting acclimated to taking an unpadded pounding that would eclipse and supersede the calf pain. 

Since December, almost all of my miles are run in VFFs.    It's always fun going out for a run more and listening to the comments or questions from a pedestrian, runner, or biker.   After sticking with the VFFs, it definitely feels like a superior alternative to the classic running shoes.  

I regularly run 15 miles a day in them now.   Am I ready to run 26.2 miles in them?   Time will tell.

Marine Corps Marathon 2009

This was my 8th Marine Corps Marathon, 18th overall since 2000.

It was an excellent morning for a run: sunny and in the upper 40s.

I was aiming for the high side of completing in the 3:00-3:30 hour range, but ended up on the low side, finishing at 3:25:02.    It extends my streak of BQ marathon times to 8 in a row, so no complaints.

I was in the 2nd corral from the front, where the 3:00-3:20 runners were supposed to start.  The first corrall had the elite runners, and was very sparsely populated.  As a result, once they opened up the corrals I was very close to the starting line.  

A pair of V-22 Ospreys would occasionally fly over the crowd.   What an ungainly looking aircraft., though still impressive.

In Marine Corps fashion, the starting gun is a 155mm howitzer.   When it was fired, I was startled by not only the booming sound but also the paper shards streaming down onto my hair as a result of the blast.  With that, the marathon began. 

I was careful to avoid my classic mistake; going out too fast.   My legs did feel a little sluggish, so going slow came naturally.  I was hoping they would loosen up as the miles wore on.  Through the initial set of hills I couldn't find any kick that would let me accelerate, or even take advantage of the downhills very aggressively.

I aimed to sustain a better than 7:30 minute pace, but found that too became a losing struggle.   The 3:10 pacers passed me at around the half way point on Haines Point, and I realized that my stomach felt bloated and uncomfortable.    At first I thought this might be due to the very large, carb heavy breakfast.  Later, it occurred to me that the Powerade sports drink, which I'd been downing every couple of miles, wasn't something I was used to: it was way too sugary.     My sports drink of choice these days was Gatorade G2, something much lower in sugar. 

Accepting that I wasn't going to attain my more ambitious goals, I focused on maintaining pace and staying strong.   Crossing over the 14th Street bridge at Mile 20,  you could see the increase in the number of runners sidelined or walking.   I remember myself hitting the wall at that point several times over the years.  There was a lone spectator in the middle of the road dressed as a prophet, slowly banging a drum, holding a sign that read, "The End is Near."  I thought that premature, but a pleasant thought anyway.  It felt good to be able to keep plowing forward, even if impaired.

As I was heading towards the loop into Crystal City, around Mile 22, the 3:20 pacers passed me by.   At this point I became concerned that I might not be able to attain the lowest bar of my goals: to make 7:30 and a BQ time.    I managed to pick up my pace but could not keep up with them.  

Coming out of Crystal City,  I felt strong enough to finish.   Getting to Mile 25 and seeing the incredible density of crowds and cheers gave a boost.   I wanted to run faster, but didn't feel like there was any gas left.   I passed the Mile 26 marker and did not notice.   Shortly thereafter, as I was climbing the hill, I saw a glimpse of the Finish line and accelerated.  I sprinted up the hill, passing almost everyone in front of me.   The crowd was roaring.  That felt good: finishing fast and strong.

 NYC Marathon Personal Statistics
========================================
age: 47
chip time: 3:25:02
overall: 941/21,009
sex place: 822/12,708
45-49 div place: 82/567
pace: 7:50
half: 1:36:07

mile    elev    pace  net pace
---- ---------- ----- --------
(each * counts as 50 feet in elevation)

m0  .           -
m1  .*          7:18-

m2  .**         7:18-  7:18 

m3  .***        7:10   7:15 
m4  .**         6:55   7:10 
m5  .*          7:19   7:12
m6  .*          7:02   7:11 

m7  .**         7:26-  7:13
m8  .***        7:26-  7:14 

m9  .*          7:19   7:15 
m10 .           7:26   7:16 

m11 .           7:24   7:17
m12 .           7:26   7:18 
m13 .           7:39   7:19 
m14 .           7:45   7:21

m15 .           7:50   7:23 
m16 .           7:51   7:25
m17 .           8:31-  7:28
m18 .           8:31-  7:32
m19 .           8:26   7:35 
m20 .           8:43   7:39
m21 .           8:39   7:41
m22 .           8:50   7:45 
m23 .           8:14   7:46
m24 .           8:06   7:47
m25 .*          8:29   7:48 

m26 .           8:17~  7:49

end .**         1:40~  7:50 3:25:05

MCM: Getting to the Starting Line

After overcoming my bout with groin pain in April, I returned to my marathon training effort, goal: Marine Corps Marathon, Oct. 25, 2009. My performance improved with regularity, and I lost the 20 pounds I gained from my dearth of running for the previous four months.

August my training was off schedule, and I struggled to make up for it in September. I worked my way up to two back-to-back 18 mile runs with good, chunky hill workout (Mormon Temple and Stoneybrook Dr) included over a weekend, when I noticed a pain in my left knee. This reminded me of a similar problem I encountered a year earlier, almost to the day and the same location, preparing for the NYC Marathon, when my patella (aka kneecap) was briefly dislocated.

I took a few days off and picked back up on my training. I still felt pain in my left knee, but the pain subsided during the run and has steadily diminished. There was some question in my mind about how prudent it would be to run the MCM with knee pain, but now there are no doubts. Aside from the training interruption, I'll be in good shape for the run.

The question now is what will be my target pace? I have a 30 minute range of goals to target:

1. 3:00 - The tantalizing 3 hour mark. This requires averaging a 6:53 pace. Aggressive but somehow in my delusional mind within the realm of possibility.
2. 3:03 - Break the 7:00 pace.
3. 3:06 - Previous PR achieved at the 2008 DC Marathon.
4. 3:10 - Time qualifier for the NYC Marathon
5. 3:19 - Previous MCM PR, which started a continuous streak of BQ times.
6: 3:30 - Boston Qualifying time for my age group (45-49).

My mindset now, the night before the run, is that I'll aim between #1 and #2. Am I getting greedy, as I normally do, and have to lower my sights? We'll have to see how things play out on race day.

-Em

Hurdling Injuries: Groin Pain

It's been a long road back from last year's NYC Marathon. Shortly afterwards, starting in early December, I decided to address a lingering groin pain that was slowly getting worse. I tried stretching, ibuprofen, running slowly, but nothing would work.

I took a stab at self-diagnosis using Google and was fairly convinced that it might be an inguinal hernia. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inguinal_hernia) The pain was in the right area, plus the pain would increase when I sneezed or coughed. While the pain was always present, it was manageable and low grade. Since there was no bulge or swelling it didn't fit the symptoms of the classic inguinal hernias.

Then I discovered something called a "sports hernia," also known as "athletic pubalgia." (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_pubalgia)
Technically not a hernia but also causing chronic groin pain, it doesn't seem to be a commonly understood malady. The lack of a good definition of the cause made me believe my symptoms fit. What's more is that there are outpatient surgical procedures which claim to resolve the problem.

Surgery seemed like a drastic option, and how could I even be sure it would be successful? I did see a doctor and she considered the possibilities of hernias, muscle strain, and even hip fracture. Nothing turned up, so she referred me to a sports physician. The recommendations was RICE application (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). No improvement noticed.

The whole time I had largely stopped running. Around February, I gave up on my entry to the Boston Marathon, and forfeited the entry fee. To make matters worse my diet had deteriorated and I had put on about 20 pounds since November.

Early April I gave up on any resolution (no surgery!) and decided to start running slowly. Around this time I decided to take another crack at resolving the pain by working out using forward lunges. (See http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/movements/forward-lunge.html) I noticed improvement immediately. Further, adding 35 pound weights in each arm seemed to work even better. I figured it out! I'm back!

-Em

NYC Marathon 2008

This was my 3rd NYC Marathon, 17th overall since 2000.

The weather was great marathon weather: 47ºF and sunny.

My original goal was to beat 3 hours but various training injuries and maladies led me to ratchet down my expectations. I was still clinging to the hope of besting my previous PR of 3:06 but events would determine otherwise.

The NYC Marathon has marathoners from every country and language, an amazing number and variety of fans, and a plethora of sites and sounds as you cross through every borough.

I was fortunate to be in the first wave, within a hundred feet of the starting line. When the gun went off, it was a shuffle to the starting line, and then some awkward evasions and near tripping moments as I climbed up the bridge.

Mile 1 is all uphill at the steepest gradient of the course, which combines well with the de-tangling of runners. You might as well incur all your delays in Mile 1. I recall thinking that it felt like a hard run until I reached the apex of the bridge and the first mile marker. The downhill was liberating and I made up for the lost time.

I recall the subsequent miles were run at a better than the pace needed for sub 3 hours (6:53) and thought maybe I could pull it off. It didn't feel like it was such a difficult pace to maintain. Most of the early miles I was running faster than that and I told myself to Slow Down.

When I got to the halfway point (13.1 miles) I saw that I had a minute plus cushion for beating 3 hours. However, at Mile 18 I noticed a twinge in my right calf muscle. This is a telltale sign of full blown leg cramps within a couple of miles. I tried to adjust my pace downward to see if that would ward them off but to no avail. At Mile 20 the cramps hit my right calf hard, as well as my left hamstring. I had to walk. I was running very slowly (10+ minute pace) for the next four miles.

I saw my wife, son and daughter at Mile 24, and stopped to give them a hug. From there I was able to pick up my pace a bit and finish stronger.

Though the last 6 miles were grueling it was still a good time. It was my best NYC Marathon by 8 minutes and I continue my streak of continuous Boston qualifying times since 2006: 7 consecutive marathons now.

The NYC Marathon is always a rich, vibrant event.


NYC Marathon Personal Statistics
========================================
age: 46
chip time: 3:24:23
overall: 3184/37,899
sex place: 2821/25,072
45-49 div place: 420/3773
pace: 7:48
half: 1:28:48

mile    elev    pace  net pace
---- ---------- ----- --------
(each * counts as 50 feet in elevation)

m0  .**         -
m1  .*****      7:13
m2  .*          6:04   6:39
m3  .**         6:29   6:35
m4  .**         6:40   6:37
m5  .*          6:38   6:37
m6  .*          6:37   6:37
m7  .*          6:49   6:39
m8  .*          6:55   6:41
m9  .**         6:52   6:42
m10 .           6:43   6:42
m11 .*          7:12   6:45
m12 .           6:50   6:45
m13 .           6:54   6:46
m14 .           6:57   6:47
m15 .*          7:17   6:49
m16 .**         7:32   6:52
m17 .*          6:53   6:52
m18 .           7:14   6:53
m19 .           8:01   6:57
m20 .*         10:08   7:06
m21 .          10:30   7:16
m22 .          10:22   7:24
m23 .*         11:01   7:34
m24 .**        11:50   7:44
m25 .**         9:06   7:48
m26 .**         7:35~  7:48
end .**         1:31~  7:48     3:24:23

Boston Marathon - Apr 21, 2008

This was my 2nd Boston Marathon, 16th overall in 8 years.

Boston. So much: top notch competition, the roaring crowds, the tradition, the history.

The weather was pretty ideal at the start. Around 50º and sunny. It warmed up a bit as the day went on, perhaps reaching 70º around Newton, but it was tolerable.

Originally, I aspired for a PR at Boston but in the past couple of weeks it was clear this would not be in the cards. My left calf muscle, which had bothered me since the National Marathon a few weeks earlier, caused me to stop running for the entire week prior to the Boston Marathon. This resulted in what can only be described as a sluggish run for the BM.

I did avoid the classic BM mistake, which cost me dearly last year, of starting out too fast. My pace was measured, starting out conservatively. I remember hitting the halfway mark and thinking that I was on track for a 3:10 pace, which I would have been extremely pleased with.

However, my pace started to slide and then declined precipitously from the hills of Newton through Heartbreak Hill (miles 16-21). I may have been playing it too conservative, hoping to get a final burst of speed in the last 5 miles. No luck. I could only muster a 7:21 pace for the first of the last 5 miles. I couldn't sustain even that relatively meager pace; it steadily declined to 7:55 for the final mile. Definitely not a strong finish.

While the performance difference in comparison to the National Marathon, I'll just console myself with a better BM time from the prior year with plenty of room for improvement.

-Emery

Boston Marathon Personal Statistics
========================================
age: 45
chip time: 3:19:25
overall: 4171/22375
sex place: 3753/13263
45-49 div place: 1238/3762
pace: 7:37
mile 6: 0:43:16
mile 10: 1:11:54
mile 13: 1:33:40
half: 1:35:25
mile 19: 2:21:31
mile 21: 2:39:29

mile    elev    pace  net pace
---- ---------- ----- --------
(each * counts as 50 feet in elevation)

m0  .*********  -
m1  .*******    7:35  
m2  .******     7:17   7:26
m3  .*****      7:13   7:22
m4  .****       7:07   7:18
m5  .*****      7:13   7:17
m6  .***        7:01   7:14 42:86 43:16
m7  .***        6:55   7:12
m8  .***        7:12   7:12
m9  .***        7:08   7:11
m10 .***        7:23   7:12 28:38  1:11:54
m11 .****       7:28   7:14
m12 .***        7:25   7:15
m13 .***        7:39   7:17 21:46  1:33:40
m14 .***        7:36   7:18
m15 .***        7:39   7:19
m16 .*          7:30   7:20
m17 .**         8:22~  
m18 .***        8:22~        
m19 .**         8:22~  7:30   47:51  2:21:31
m20 .***        8:58   7:34
m21 .*****      9:00   7:38   17:58  2:39:29
m22 .***        7:21   7:38
m23 .**         7:25   7:37
m24 .*          7:28   7:37
m25 .           7:42   7:37
m26 .           7:55~ 
end .           1:35~  7:37

National Marathon - Mar 29, 2008 (PR)

This was my 2nd National Marathon, 15th overall in 8 years. It was a sunny but cool day with temperatures in the upper 30's and ending in the lower '40s.

I woke up at 4:30am, ate a couple of pancakes and made sure everything was ready. Got out of the house at just after 6:00am and arrived at RFK stadium at 6:25am, consuming a banana and Hooah bar along the way.

My training has been more consistent and intense than before any previous marathon, though perhaps with fewer miles. This marathon was really intended more as a long run in advance of my return to the Boston Marathon in a few weeks, hopefully as a confidence builder. I had three goals in mind: either beat 3 hours, beat 7 minutes per mile pace, or beat my previous PR of 3:12. Pretty ambitious for a "long run" but they seemed reachable.

The course had substantially changed since the previous year. This year it looped back at RFK at the halfway point, then crossed over the Anacostia back to RFK. I was a little disappointed in that I recalled fondly the challenge of the "Calvert climb". Man, that was a steep hill.

The race got off to a good start. I was trying to be conscious of my time, to make sure I wasn't going too fast. Plus, though this was a relatively small marathon, there was a density of runners (marathoners and half marathoners) early that seemed to slow me down. I missed the mile 1 marker but at mile 2 I noticed that 13:27 had elapsed. I had a better than 6:44 pace so far! At first, I thought I must have been going too fast but my legs felt easy, so I thought I'd try to sustain a 6:50 pace.

The couple of miles of Connecticut Avenue and Columbia Road were the hilliest parts of the race. My legs still felt good though they slowed a little to give gravity its due.

The half marathoners split off at the halfway point, back at RFK. At the 13.1 mark, I checked my watch and noticed that it read 1:29:36. I was on track for my loftiest goal. I could beat 3 hours.

I pretty much sustained a 6:50-6:55 pace until around mile 20. After that, my calves had run out of steam. It reminded me of times in marathons past where they had spasmed and caused me to limp haggardly the last few miles. I slowed to prevent this and reminded myself that this was a "long run" and that I should still be on track to easily best my PR of 3:12.

These last 6 miles were also very solitary with very few runners and few spectators cheering you on. The couple of miles along the Anacostia had a sustained cool breeze coming right at me. Starting at mile 23 my pace had deteriorated to 8+ minutes.

At around mile 25, my left calf had it's first sharp spasm. I consoled myself by recalling that this first spasm was usually a one mile warning before spasms become debilitating. I just had a little more than a mile to go!

I finally got across the Anacostia and, with RFK in sight, was able to accelerate a bit. It was very satisfying to push through the finish line at 3:06:49 with a 6 minute improvement on my previous best time!

Afterwards, I recalled the contrast with the prior year's National Marathon. Then, I ran conservatively the first 20 miles, and really turned up the speed in the last 6 miles, gaining a PR of 3:18. This year, running more aggressively the first 20 miles and dogging the last 6 miles, still gaining a PR.

Breaking 3 hours at Boston now seems attainable but for the calf question. What measures can be taken to prevent calf spasms? S-caps? Plyometrics? More miles? This is something I will try to answer in time for Boston.

-Em

National Marathon Personal Statistics
========================================
age: 45
chip time: 3:06:49
overall: 58/1387
sex place: -/-
45-49 div place: 6/129
pace: 7:08
mile 6: 0:41:16
mile 10: 1:08:29
mile 13: 1:28:56
half: 1:29:36
mile 19: 2:10:42
mile 21: 2:25:04

mile elev   pace  net pace
---- ------ ----- --------
(each * counts as 50 feet in elevation)

m0  .*      -
m1  .**     6:43~
m2  .*      6:44~  6:44
m3  .       6:46~
m4  .       6:46~  6:45
m5  .*      7:08~
m6  .***    7:08~  6:52
m7  .****   7:18   6:56
m8  .***    6:38   6:55
m9  .**     6:43   6:53
m10 .*      6:31   6:51
m11 .*      6:49   6:50
m12 .**     7:03   6:52
m13 .       6:34   6:50
m14 .**     7:02~
m15 .***    7:03~  6:52
m16 .*      6:38   6:51
m17 .       6:58~
m18 .       6:59~  6:52
m19 .       7:04   6:53
m20 .*      7:11~ 
m21 .       7:10~  6:54
m22 .       7:39   6:57
m23 .       8:09~
m24 .*      8:10~  7:03
m25 .*      8:17   7:05
m26 .       7:54~
end .*      1:36   7:08

Marine Corps Marathon 2007 (DNF)

This was my eigth consecutive Marine Corps Marahon marathon, 15th overall since October 2000. The weather was close to perfect for a marathon. The weather was sunny and cool with a nice breeze.

My goal was to aim for another PR with a target of 3:10 completion, or roughly a 7:15 pace.

As is customary for me, almost a tradition for the MCM, I began the race with a light run to the starting line. Consequently, I had to spend a lot of time weaving through the thousands that had gotten a timely start. The first 6 miles of the course have some respectable hills. After that, it's pretty much flat.

Between the crowds and the hills, I wasn't hitting my target pace. Fortunately, the downhills allowed me to make up my time. After the hills, I kept a solid 7:10 pace and was staying constant. I got to Haines Point and was still going strong but after I passed Mile 19 and was hit by stomach cramps. That was it. As painful a choice it was for me, I decided it was best not to go on.

My first DNF ever. If I didn't have the recent Baltimore Marathon experience as consolation, it would have been a much bigger let down. Because my legs still felt strong, I entertained the notion of finding another marathon to accomplish the following weekend. Instead, I'll defer to Boston 2008 in April and leave myself plenty of room for improvement.

Oct 13 Baltimore Marathon (PR)

This was my first Baltimore marathon, 14th overall in the 8 years I've been running marathons. It was a beautiful day. The weather was sunny and 47°F with a light breeze.

My goal in Baltimore was to keep a 7:30 pace and to get in a quality long run I needed in advance of the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon coming up in 2 weeks. The mistake I've made so many times before (most recently in Boston) is peaking too soon and I was determined to stick to a reasonable pace and not burn out early. A 7:30 pace was ambitious since it would put me in striking range of my most recent PR (3:17 2007 National Marathon) though it was hard to gauge how realistic this was. My longest training run was 20 miles and I would have a hard time sustaining that pace even as my training cycle was at its peak. Another factor was the terrain. Baltimore definitely looked hilly.

Well, I found myself running at what I thought was a comfortable pace but it was more like 7:15 than 7:30! The first half was definitely easier to stay on pace. The second half was chock full of hills. From my recollection of the elevation map, I expected hills from mile 13 to mile 19 but they didn't seem to end until mile 25! This course definitely had more hills than Boston.

The spectators were a cheerful lot though there weren't that many. The loop around Ft. McHenry (miles 9-10) was the most scenic: a fort jutting out into the Chesapeake Bay with large ships on the horizon.

I finished strong, but straining, with a new personal record of 3:12:59. Now I'm wondering, since the Marine Corps Marathon is comparatively flat, perhaps I can aim for a pace of 7:15 and break the 3:10 barrier...

Below are my stats, and a pace reading per mile with the corresponding elevation.

-Em

Baltimore Marathon Personal Statistics
========================================
age: 45
chip time: 3:12:59
overall: 113/2538
sex place: 101/1706
45-49 div place: 10/213
pace: 7:21.7
mile 6: 0:44:04
mile 10: 1:13:12
mile 13: 1:34:03
half: 1:36:03
mile 19: 2:20:02
mile 21: 2:35:58

mile elev   pace
---- ------ -----
(each * counts as 50 feet in elevation)

m0  .**     -
m1  .***    7:35
m2  .****   7:16~
m3  .***    7:16~ (14:32)
m4  .****   7:09
m5  .**     6:59
m6  .***    7:13~
m7  .*      7:13~ (14:26)
m8  .       7:24
m9  .       7:50
m10 .       6:58
m11 .       7:27
m12 .       7:04
m13 .       7:18~
m14 .       7:18~ (14:35)
m15 .*      7:23
m16 .*      7:13
m17 .*      7:29
m18 .**     7:41
m19 .***    7:52~
m20 .*****  7:52~ (15:43)
m21 .****   7:27
m22 .****   7:42
m23 .****   7:24
m24 .**     6:59
m25 .***    7:43
m26 .*      6:51
end .       1:17

Reflections on Boston

From the Washington Post, April 15.

"Participants anticipate the worst weather in the history of the world's oldest continuous marathon when the race begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. Forecasters predict heavy rain, 20 mph winds and temperatures around 40 degrees. Race officials expect to treat many cases of hypothermia among the 23,000 participants."

Indeed. I was braced for and expecting a Nor'easter. I purchased all the gear I thought I'd need: a hat, a special lightweight jacket, and gloves. On race day I happened to forget my gloves and a volunteer graciously gave me hers. I decided to wear a flashing LED head lamp to make myself more visible to my family.

Certainly, Hopkinton was miserable. 20K runners huddled and packed together under tents amidst soggy fields. It was definitely rainy, windy and cold.

The rain turned into a drizzle as the start time approached. The winds tamed too but it was still in the low 40s.

I made a raceday decision to aim for a 7:00 mile pace. I've never run a previous marathon faster than 7:30 mile pace. Starting too fast is a recurring mistake I've made in past marathons. What was I thinking?

The rationale went like this:

1. Three weeks earlier I ran the DC National Marathon. I started out with a measured 7:40 pace and had my the strongest marathon finish ever. I finished in 3:17 with a 7:32 pace. This was the only marathon I've ever run with a negative split and my legs never felt stronger, even after I finished.

Since this wasn't the marathon I was training for and I finished so strong, I figured I could go faster. I figured with more trainnig and a proper taper I'd be able to run even faster.

2. Two weeks earlier I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. My average pace was 6:42 -- my personal best for any race.

Again, I thought that with a taper I'd be able to sustain a faster marathon pace. So, 10 miles from the starting line my legs signaled to me that I started off too fast. It was a hard slog from there.

The Wellesley girls' "scream tunnel" was something to behold. You could hear it a mile out.

There was an outstanding fan presence despite the poor weather. I saw my wife, kids, and parents on Heartbreak Hill. It was a relief to see them but that hill was bear. If only my legs weren't so tired. Heartbreak Hill really is nothing but with weary legs and having been over the other Newton Hills, it was definitely a tough hill to climb.

I manged to finished in 3:28. So, rather than a PR I did BQ at Boston for my new age group (45) next year. This makes the last three marathons (MCM 2006, National Marathon 2007, Boston 2007) qualified me for the 2008 Boston Marathon.

The finish was cold and windy. The walk to the family meetup area seemed interminable. I could feel the hypothermic chills set in as I approached and decided to find shelter. It's a good thing I did as it took my family more than an hour to reach me.

All in all, it was a great experience and I look forward to running Boston 2008. I'll be training more deliberately with a 7:00 mile pace in mind.

Boston bound: storm running

A nor'easter is forecast for Boston on Patriot's Day. Now things are starting to look interesting.

"Monday...Rain. Rain May be heavy at Times in the morning. Brisk with highs in the lower 40s. Chance of rain 80 percent." (Courtesy of The Weather Channel)

Not only that, but the winds are expected to be 25MPH ENE (that's against the direction we'll be running) sustained with 40MPH gusts!

I guess this is God's way of tempering my confidence. And I am still determined to best my PR of 3:17:29.

Time to go out and make sure I have the right cold, wet weather running gear. I fly out tonight at 8pm.

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

Sunday, April 1. With the cherry blossoms in peak bloom, I exceeded my previous 10 mile PR (Army 10 Miler, Oct 8 2006, 1:10:02 @7:00 per mile) by more than 3 minutes! That equates to a pace of 6:42 per mile which is much faster than my training pace (usually 7:30 to 8:00 per mile).

I'm starting to think crazy thoughts about Boston. Can I sustain a 7:00 per mile pace for the distance? That would just be crazy but look at the elevation profile of the Boston Marathon. It's all down hill except for a couple of notable exceptions.

I'll meditate on my time goals. I've still got a couple of weeks. It's time to taper.

Great Run: Another PR!

My time was 3:17:29 at the National Marathon: another personal record! I went into this race wary of whether running so fast would be a good idea. After all, this is meant to be a tune up race in advance of the Boston Marathon in 3 weeks.

I metered my time carefully up to the mile 20, though still averaging better than the 7:38 pace I kept at my previous marathon (Marine Corps Marathon, Nov 2006) and PR. After pulling up through the 100 foot steep ascent of the Calvert Climb, between mile 19 and 20, I slowed down a little for my legs to recover. At one point the 3:20 pace group (that's 7:38 minutes per mile) caught up to me when I felt strong enough to kick it into gear and push hard the last 6 miles. Nothing held me back. I finished the last .2 miles in an all out foot race with another marathoner who eked out a nose ahead of me.

Of all the marathons I've run so far, none have been so satisfying. Plus, my legs remained strong throughout. With one exception (MCM 2002) I cannot recall any marathon where I finished so strong. One way to interpret this is that I didn't push myself hard enough, which means this was a good tune up run! Exactly my goal. I just need to make sure I don't slough off in my last couple of weeks of training and I will get another PR at Boston.

Next up: Cherry Blossom 10 miler, Sunday Apr 1.

Long Run: National Marathon

Training's been going well. I'm at about 60-80 miles per week. With 2 back-to-back 19 milers and some respectable hills in my workout, I made a spur of the moment decision to run the National Marathon on March 24 (tomorrow).

The idea is that I need at least a couple of good, long runs in my workout leading up to Boston, why not a marathon? On closer inspection, the National Marathon course looks a bit more challenging than Boston with a very challenging 200 foot climb between mile 19 and 20 (the Calvert Climb out of Rock Creek park) that looks more formidable than Heartbreak Hill, at least on an elevation profile. I had naive hopes of attaining a PR but this looks like a pretty challenging course. I'll just aim for a respectable run.

I tried explaining the "need a long run, why not a marathon" to the TV viewing public .

(I'm 2:15 in the clip, the Kensington marathoner)
http://video.nbc4.com/player/?id=84839

Oh, well. It's pretty plain I need to work on my television presence.

We'll see how the long run goes.

-Em

Boston bound!

Just this afternoon I discovered that I am qualified for the 2007 Boston Marathon. This shouldn't have been a surprise since my 3:19 time at the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon (October 29) qualified me to enter. I expected to be at Boston in 2008 rather than 2007. Now I'm 2 1/2 months away from the Boston Marathon (April 16) without the level of training I would have been if I'd known otherwise. How did this happen?

I recall when I came home after the MCM anticipating entry in BM there was bold lettering that confused and misled my post-marathon addled brain: "The qualifying window for the 2008 Boston Marathon will begin on September 23, 2006." Embedded within an earlier paragraph and no emphasis: "Qualifying times [for the 2007 Boston Marathon] must be run on or after September 24, 2005." Voila! Not only do I qualify for the 2008 Boston Marathon, but 2007 as well.

Winter is typically when I enter hibernation mode. Little running since it's difficult to get motivated to go running early when it's dark and cold outside. Sleeping in. Much like a bear in a cave, only eating more.

Fortunately, my winter training situation is much better this year. Now, with 2 1/2 months to go for the BM, time is short. Time to train. Planning on a Long Slow Distance 14 miler tomorrow. I can do this.

-Em