Vox’s posts tagged marathon

20 mile hangover

nobody@vox.com(Big Girl) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:43:06 +0000

Yesterday Anne and I went out...and on our -own- did 20 miles for training. The real plan was only 11, but last week when the plan was 22 we did 10. We historically flub the suggested training schedule in some way. For the first time I think our plans have changed for other reasons that the flu- our 1st year I got the flu and the 2nd year she did. As you can only imagine....your body needs to be 'just right' to walk anything over 15 miles. Our 3rd training cycle for a marathon with the Leggers and we have yet to complete the full 26 prior to a race. (I will continue to support this decision--why walk an entire marathon and not get a medal??)

We did well the entire 20 miles. We got to Santa Monica an hour early and did a quick 3 mile loop prior to meeting our group. Then we joined the LA marathon group to do 6 miles followed with the Pasadena marathon group for the remaining 5 (although that was only me, Anne, and our leader Harry) THEN headed south again through venice for another 6 miles. That makes 20, right? :) I enjoed doing the short segments. It certainly made it feel more manageable and we remained in the area that we know best in Santa Monica/Venice. Sometimes on the really long walks we get abour 12 miles 'out' and don't really know where we are- only to have to turn around and walk 12 miles back. (nothing like thinking, CRAP....12 more miles when you feel yucky) Some highs and lows are to be expected. Luckly, Anne and I ususally flip our high/lows ...I'm not sure how that happens, but it is such a good thing. She will be full of energy and chatty while I'm ready to keel over...and then the reverse. We typically stop at the Broadway Deli after our long walks to refuel prior to driving home. Both of us sat down yesterday and I wasn't exactly sure we would get up again...but I did want to get home.

SO....you may (or may not) be wondering what those LOWS actually feel like. It isn't like your body hurts any more or less...but your mind starts to go...and for me is usually accompanied with some sort of stomach distress- either nausia or lower GI cramping. A particularly fun symptom of mine---when I get dehydrated I get more floaters in my vision and blackout spots in my central vision. (RIGHT, THAT sounds healthy, doesn't it?!) And then...I also tend to get a little dizzy. (lets just put that together: I'm gonna puke, I can't see straight, and I'm dizzy.....and then Anne is going ON and ON about something that I really REALLY don't care about right now) hahha fun times. Usually I only feel this way for about 20 minutes and then it all goes away...but that is dependent on WHAT I do about it. Being my 3rd marathon training, I've gotten pretty good about figuring out what my body needs and when. I realy heavily on Clif Shot Blocks (black cherry flavor with added caffiene), water, and some sort of electrolyte drink...and some pretzels every now and then. Last year I drank the Gatoraide endurance in orange or lemon lime- what ever they were handing out and it made my race so much better. My drink of choice is Gookinaide...er, Hydrolite, err....Vitalyte?? They keep chaging its name. If you google Gookinaide you can find the Vitalyte web page. It cracks me up to read how it is great for endurance athletes, pregnant women...and hangovers. Well, I suppose each of those is pretty difficult on the body! I was going on to Amazon to order some and thought I would check out the web page....THEN I read all the articles and thought...HUH, maybe I"m still dehydrated! SO I started drinking some again today. I'm feeling better...but that could also be from the Claratin and Tylenol I just took as well. I'm getting some gusto back and even my typing speed has increased from the start of this post. The stuff is also incredible when you have a cold or flu.

No. I don't really like gatoraide either. WAY too sweet for long training days. After about 14 miles I want to toss it at someone. I usually dilute the gatoraide passed out at races with water. The Gookinaide isn't very sweet. If this sounds like an infomercial...well, maybe it is :) haha (no, I'm getting no $ from them.... just it is GREAT stuff) ....the Fruit Punch flavor is gross. Stick to the orange or citrus. Santa Claus- you can get me some for Christmas!

I was feeling pretty gross all morning. Yesterday I was over tired and couldn't settle down and nap- just sat on the couch and was grumbly and in a bad mood. I'm starting to perk up. I did the dishes this AM...that was an endurance event in itself. A co worker gave me a set of dishes- place setting for 12!!! (in my single small apt) I only unpacked a set of 6..and sure enough...I managed to go through all 6 before doing the dishes.....the reason why i did NOT unpack all of them! And I call pulling out the camping dishes and silverware being resourceful....not lazy. haha

my kitchen is so clean I barely recognize it. pumpkin is a little lost. :)

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Crazy Horse Marathon

nobody@vox.com(Ultra'thoner) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:33:13 +0000

Monumental Challenge

Moving is stressful and driving from Wisconsin with the last of our belongings this past week has been no exception. It is a relief to finally have my family here with me permanently in South Dakota. However, I haven't slept all that well and felt tired all week.

Since running the Boulder Backroads marathon 10 days previous, I had only done one short recovery run. I was overdue for another run.

Only two days before the event, I decided "what the heck" and registered for a local marathon held this weekend in the Black Hills. A long training run would be just what I needed to burn the stress and mental fatigue out... or so I hoped. Not having run much since Boulder, I wasn't sure how well my legs had recovered. I thought if I took it slow and at my ultramarathon pace, it should be no problem. My only goal was to at least not get beat by any of the walkers.

The Crazy Horse Marathon is one of two marathons this weekend, one begun at the Crazy Horse Monument and the other at Mt. Rushmore. They both started at the same time and met at about the half way mark with the final half run together. I chose Crazy Horse because except for a few miles near Hill City, most of the race was run on the George Mickelson Trail, the gravel Deerfield Road and a double track forest service four wheel drive road.

World's Greatest Crew

Nathan and Jeanne drove me down for the race. As you can see, they were at the edge of their seats in apprehension before the start.

Before the Race

Before the Race 2

Before the Race 3

I was amused by the pre-race jitters that many had. This was only a training run so I had no jitters at all. In fact, I was yawning and sleepy. I regretted not having an extra cup of coffee that morning to help wake me up.

Many were pacing around, stretching and warming up. For those planning on starting out fast, I suppose that makes sense. Myself, I prefer to warm up during the race itself. After five or ten miles, I am warmed up well enough. I had contemplated parking at a trail head a couple of miles away and running in along the George Mickeson Trail just to get a couple of extra training miles in but thought the better of it.

Had I not run a marathon only two weeks before, I just might have done it.

Maybe I will next year?

Crazy Horse Start

Crazy Horse Towards the Monument

The race started at 7AM. The sun was rising and cast a golden hue upon the autumn hills.

We ran about 3 miles along a dirt road towards the base of Crazy Horse Monument before turning around. I took a few photos of Crazy Horse glowing in the morning sun but they all were out of focus. Two dads were running with their little ones in a baby carriage.

Crazy Horse 1

We connected onto the George Mickelson Trail. The next ten or so miles would be downhill into Hill City. I blasted down that hill. Memories of the slow trudge up this hill right before my DNF during the Lean Horse Hundred were still vivid. I relished the fact that during this race, I would not have to go back up it.

Along the way, I came upon Lisa, whom I had met and talked with during the fist 25 miles of Lean Horse and who had finished immediately after me at the Greenland 50k this spring. It was great to see her. We ran together for almost the entire first half before seperating just before Hill City.

Deerfield Road

From Hill City to Deerfield Road, we ran a few miles along the pavement. That sucked. I am a trail runner to the core. I despise even the few yards it takes to cross a paved road.

They had one lane of the road closed but I ran along the shoulder as much as possible until we finally left the pavement and went onto a gravel road.

Fall Color

We soon left the gravel road and turned onto a four-wheel drive forest service double-track. The aspens are in their fall glory. In a week, all the leaves will be down. The Autumn beauty of aspen is beautiful but fleeting.

"Aaaah! Off the road and on the trail!" I thought, "this is what I love and why I run!"

Other runners, not used to running off the pavement- complained about the loose rock and tire ruts. As I passed by, I heard them make comments to each other about the fresh cow pies in the meadow and about possibly twisting an ankle.

Those road runners don't get out much, do they? To bad for them, they have no idea what they are missing.

I smiled to myself and used the irregular terrain to my advantage. Never fast, I am always at a disadvantage on the flat wide-open road. However, after years of running on trails, I have developed quick and light footwork. The ability to see without having to look down at where I place each step, except under the most difficult conditions, is a skill that can only be learned while out on the trail under every kind of condition.

Aid Station

Pictured is one of the aid stations. The water and Ultima sports drink was brought in by four-wheeler. It reminded me of an ultramarathon aid station except that there was no real food, only fluids and gel.

I met a gentleman: Tom from Cincinatti. We ran together for a while. He admitted to worrying about twsting or breaking an ankle. We had a nice conversation, he is a social worker who works as an advocate for people with epilepsy. One good thing about running slow, you get to meet all kinds of interesting people whom you might not have met otherwise and you also have the breath to talk to them.

Watch Your Step! 2

Watch Your Step!

Then we came across several signs that made me laugh out loud. I thought these were funny but the other runners didn't think so.

I stopped and took a few photos. Each sign was posted by a tire rut or dip in the trail. I guess the race organizers thought it best to warn the road runners in this event not used to rugged terrain. Perhaps they did so out of liablilty concerns or maybe they were simply being nice?

I can only imagine how many dozens and dozens of signs would be required in an average trail ultramarathon!

Golden Aspens

Aid Station 2

Soon we were back on the Mickelson Trail. Although the few miles out from Hill City were on the road, the entire return trip, other than the half mile through town were on this gravel trail.

It's all down hill from here!

Only 3 miles to go!

Feeling good and having run at my slow-ultra pace for most of the race, I decided to kick it in the last miles. As everyone else was struggling in, I floated lightly past them. It was the same way at Boulder Backroads two weeks earlier, only I didn't get a gut-ache this time.

I think I will continue to include occasional marathons as part of my training plan, as long as they fit into my schedule and are not on the road. Getting to pass people while still fresh is one reason. I rarely get to do that at ultras. In fact, if I am close enough to see someone else , more than likely it is because I have been running with them the last few hours and we'll end up finishing together by choice.

The other reason why I'll continue to do marathons is that as much as I enjoy the solitude of my long solitary training runs, sometimes it is fun to be around other runners and make new friends and acquaintances.

1880s Train

The finish was at the 1880s train station in Hill City. You can buy a ticket and take an old time steam engine complete with whistles and passenger cars from Hill City to Keystone... and back again. This looks like one tourist attraction we will need to experience some day. Friends and family, you have been warned, you may be dragged along on this trip if you come visit.

Jeanne and Nathan were not at the finish when I arrived so I went to eat my post-race meal. Unfortunately, all they had left was some vegetable soup. Yes, it is pretty slim-pickin's at marathons compared to ultramarathons.

"So are you trying to tell me that next time I need to run faster?" I joked with them.

Lisa's Finish

Above is Lisa's finish. She is planning on running the upcoming 24 hours at Boulder in a few weeks. I would have been running that event along with Haliku, if I did not already have a committment to give a presentation at a cardiology conference in California the same weekend.

I had hoped that Lisa would have had a chance to meet my family but they still hadn't showed up. No matter. I am sure our paths will cross again. Jeanne had expected a 6 to 7 hour finish, not realizing that this was only a marathon and not a 50k. I still think that my family is the world's best crew, even if they don't always meet me at my finishes.

Lisa introduced me to Larry who is from Houston and a member of the Marathon Maniacs. He ran 93 marathons last year. He was planning on running a marathon in Portland the following day. He also runs ultras and it turns out we have run in several of the same events of the past couple of years. We reminsced about our good and not so good ultra experiences.

Us ultramarathoners are a small and tight-knit group of people. After a while we all get to know each other. We are often misunderstood by non-runners and sometimes even by other runners, but we kinda like it that way. I suppose the world can take only so many insane people like us.

Nathan and Jeanne

Jeanne and Nathan arrived and we went to a local Mexican restaurant. The enchilada and tamale tasted good but not as good as that ice-cold Cerveza Pacifico!

Afterwards, we took a not-so-short "short cut" back to our cabin. We took Hwy 244 south of Hill City and passed Mt. Rushmore Monument. Then we took Hwy 16A or the Iron Mountain Road and enjoyed the one lane tunnels as well as the famous pig tail bridges. We stopped and scrambled up some granite outcroppings before heading home.

I am so glad that my family is finally here with me!

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Is a Sub-2:00 Marathon on the Horizon?

nobody@vox.com(Wayne Roberts) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:41:53 +0000

Gebrselassie breaks marathon record in Berlin

Is a Sub-2:00 Marathon on the Horizon
Last Sunday, Haile Gebrselassie became the first marathoner to break the 2:04 barrier, breaking the tape at the 35th Berlin Marathon in 2:03:59.
Gebrselassie himself was quick to say that he thought his world record might not last long, but a better question might be: will anyone approach or break the two-hour mark?
Here's why a final marathon time starting with a "1" is closer to reality than you think.
Read the full story

Haile Gebrselassie: 2:03:59 WORLD RECORD in Berlin
Analysis, splits and race report

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Pace Tat: A New Twist on a Old Race Ritual

nobody@vox.com(Haliku) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:39:37 +0000

Tattoo

If you have ever run in an organized race you might have noticed runners with a piece of paper, possibly laminated, taped around one of their wrists. A newbie racer might ask one of these veterans what the paper loop is for thus realizing they wasted time memorizing their time vs. mileage pace.

A problem with the paper loop around the wrist is they often fall off, can be hard to read and are often uncomfortable to wear. Unless waterproof they can also fall apart. Carrying a list of times on a card isn’t the best option either as the same issues may exist and you might not have any pockets to stash it in during the race.

Recently I ran the Boulder Backroads Marathon and noticed a fellow runner with an obvious solution to the paper loop, a tattoo of his goal time vs. mileage. I managed to ask him about it and have looked into the company since.

Pace Tat’s only product is temporary race pace tattoos for marathon runners (half or full) in all the Boston qualifying times. They have 14 pacer tattoos that cover from 1:30/3:00 hours to 2:30/5:00 finish times.

It appears that Susan Rinkunas of Runner’s World has a review in the current issue so the word is out:

“Don't have a moving support group? PaceTat, a temporary tattoo, lists every mile split for marathon finishing times from three to five hours. RW staffers tested the tats in July and found them durable and easy to read. Finish-line high-fives not included.”

If only they could make a tattoo for the ultra running community…

Get out and Explore the World!

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marathon

nobody@vox.com(liu_xing_girl) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:51:40 +0000

just finished watching nino's marathon drama sp yesterday. yappari!!! sasuga nino!!!

hats off to nino for another splendid performance..hontou ni subarashi!!

i knew nino would do well acting his part as an autistic person. i mean, we've seen him being dorky in their shows when he's not in his "bitchy" mode and i thought it didn't feel like nino was acting at all in this drama...it was like his usual "other" side...lol

but seriously he really played the part well. even the way he says his lines, his voice...perfect. i was really at awe with him while watching it. my friends & i agree that nino & ohno were probably the only ones who can pull off the character the best (~~we can't imagine the hime playing autistic at all~~ XD). i never thought i'd find an autistic chooo adorable...hehe!

and i was even teasing cathy that nino's legs looked mecha sexy...haha! i think his legs are even prettier than mine! lol

i didn't cry watching it (contrary to what i expected) but it was really a touching & inspiring drama. i'd definitely re-watch it again some time (or whenever i want to flail at nino again XD).

after watching this, my arashi ranking is messed up again...

QotD:

"we are currently inspecting the train...sorry for the inconvenience"

"a heart that doesn't give in? won't give up; when you're lost? face forward"

**************

on the local scene, i've watched John Lloyd Cruz & Sarah Geronimo's movie (A Very Special Love). i don't usually watch a lot of tagalog movies but since it's lloydie i wanted to watch it..hehe! he's one of the few local actors that i like & actually have a crush on. the story's simple but nice...really a feel good film if i may say so.

i wish i had a boss as goodlooking as him...hehe! and since i'm already in flailing mode, let me just say that he looks sooooooo good in this film!!! kyaaa!!!!

and speaking of sarah, i saw her & howie (yes, the BSB member howie d.) singing in one of the local channels. their duet's nice. it also kinda has a BSB feel in it.

before their number, some of the hosts did a BSB dance number and howie was saying they did good & it did bring back some memories to him. actually it was a nice & hilarious number..hehe! i really think howie enjoyed how the guys were trying to imitate them...haha!

and i didn't know howie was married already!!! uwaaahhh!!! now baby nick's the only one left who hasn't tied the know yet...yabai!!! well, realistically speaking they should really be married by now. i mean they're already in their 30's right?

sheesh!!! when a guy hits 30...yabai!!! can somebody stop arashi from reaching 30?!?! lol

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A nice way to spend a Sunday morning...

nobody@vox.com(clandy) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:27:08 +0000

A nice way to spend a Sunday morning...

http://ultramarathon.vox.com/library/...

Last weekend Haliku and I ran the Boulder Backroads Marathon. I was in Denver taking some board certification exams Saturday. What finer way to relax after an examination but to run a marathon the following day just for fun? Although I have run countless long 20+ training runs and several ultras, I...

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Pop-A-Tronic: It's a bubble popping bonanza!

nobody@vox.com(Augusta) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:46:11 +0000

Pop-A-Tronic (11 MB download)

It's a bubble popping bonanza! As bubbles fill the screen you'll have to pop them out of your way! Inhale bubbles and pick a new place to drop them to create huge combos. The bubbles are always coming, so you'll have to be quick to clear the board! Play Marathon Puzzle, Lock-Out or Self Destruct game modes for tons of variety! A fast paced, arcade puzzler, Pop-A-Tronic is packed with explosive challenges, power ups, game modes, cool tunes and more!

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There Is A Difference

nobody@vox.com(1369) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:32:55 +0000

I started CrossFit two weeks ago, I think the proof is in the numbers. I did nothing but CrossFit between the two following runs.

11 September 2008 (Pre CrossFit)

Distance: 2.50
Time: 31:16
HR Max: 172 BPM
HR Avg: 147 BPM
Avg Pace: 12:38

25 September 2008 (Post CrossFit x 2 Weeks)

Distance: 2.50
Time: 27:28 (Had to stop and get a sticker burr out of my shoe)
HR Max: 159 BPM
Hr Avg: 146 BPM
Avg Pace: 11:14

The stark difference is in the MaxHR numbers. The route is quite hilly with some good inclines and declines that I'm using for my hill training.

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A nice way to spend a Sunday morning...

nobody@vox.com(Ultra'thoner) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:46:54 +0000

Last weekend Haliku and I ran the Boulder Backroads Marathon. I was in Denver taking some board certification exams Saturday.

What finer way to relax after an examination but to run a marathon the following day just for fun?

Although I have run countless long 20+ training runs and several ultras, I actually had never run in an official 26.2 race. I wasn't sure how to pace myself for a short race. Since this was for training, I decided 5 hours would be a reasonable easy time.

Boulder08.3

Marathons are definitely different than ultras. For one, they are much larger. This race was small compared to the larger more popular marathons: 1656 half marathon finishers and 405 for the marathon. In comparision, if I go to an ultra with more than 200 runners, that is a lot. I was even impressed by the number of porta-potties. I would have taken a picture to post here but my camera decided to not work that morning.

OK, so I don't get out much.

We picked up our packets the afternoon before and enjoyed a meal at Sherpas in Boulder. Mmmm.... good food!

We arrived early Sunday morning after a meal of Haliku's secret recipe sour milk pancakes. Delicious! The sun slowly rose and bathed the Front Range in warm golden hues. The marathon began an hour before the half which was great. This minimized us having to deal the the half-marathon pack. Most of the race was run on gravel/dirt back roads passing green hayfields, horse pastures, ranches and hundred-plus year old cottonwoods. Had this race not been on such a soft surface, I probably would not have run it. Pavement sucks.

The pack soon spread out as we each found our pace. Early on, it was difficult to not get caught up in the pack and start out too fast just as later it was difficult to not instinctively fall back to my effortless run-all-day-and-all-night ultra pace. I didn't want to race but on the other hand, I did not want to slog at my 50+ mile pace. That would be wimping out. According to race prediction calculators, a 5 hour marathon finish translates to a just less than 28 hour 100 mile finish, if you did all of the other essential training.

Another difference I noticed between ultras and regular marathons, is that the runners are less conversant. Not because they are unfriendly but simply because they are running at a relatively faster pace. This is a short race after all.

Boulder08

I met several interesting people and ran with them for a while. We leap-frogged back and forth several times. I met a gentleman from Houston who was planning on running his first 50 mile ultramarathon at the North Face Endurance Challenge in Madison, Wisconsin. He ran a 3:15 marathon in Utah the day before and was running a 5 hours Boulder marathon as his recovery run. We discussed ultra race tactics and he asked me many questions about blister prevention, nutrition and other topics. I lost a few minutes talking to him but it was worth it. I am sure he will kick butt at his upcoming ultra and I told him so.

At mile 20, I decided to pick up the pace. I was feeling good and a fast finish long run is good training.

Another difference between ultras and traditional marathons: I get to pass people... lots of them. In ultras, the pack separates out and other runners are few and far between. Often if there is someone running a similar pace as you are, you stick together, especially if it is dark, for safety and support. I am usually not competitive when I run my ultras, my only goal is to finish.

Ultrarunners are proud to say: "we run with others, not against them."

However, I have to confess: on that day, and that morning, I really enjoyed jogging past others who were slowing down. I wasn't going fast at all, they were just slowing down. As the finish approached, I looked ahead eagerly toward the next potential runner I might be able to pass.

I even shouted words of encouragement: "We're almost there!" and "C'mon let's speed up!" and "Lookin' good, it's not far now!"

After reading the back of my shirt which says: "RUN ULTRAS" two other runner remarked, "Hey this is only half a race for you!" I smiled and turned around to reveal the words on the front:

Ultra

Then a strange thing happened. Only a couple of miles from the finish line, I got a sharp knife-like cramp in my lower gut. It was not the upper abdomen stitches I have gotten before. No, this was different. If I slowed down, it went away but if I tried to run faster than a 10 min/mile, it came back. Odd. I guess that is what I deserve for getting cocky.

This being only a training run and not an important event, I decided to back off. Honestly, I was afraid if I didn't, I might just end up pooping my pants.That was the kind of cramp I was having.

Now I know why there were so many porta-potties!

Clicking my Heels at the Finish Line

I finished in 5:07, a few minutes longer than I planned. No problem. It still was faster than my 50 or 100 mile ultra pace. For a couple of days afterwards I had some soreness but only as I would expect after a good workout, nothing signifying an injury or that I had overdid it. But this is what I expected, after all I had only jogged "half" a race!

I have toyed with the idea of running the Crazy Horse Marathon here in the Black Hills next week. However, it will be the weekend right after I finally move my family from Wisconsin to be out here with me in South Dakota. I don't know if it will work out or not, I need to spend time with them. However, if there happen to be open spots and they allow race day registration, maybe I'll decide at the last minute. Otherwise, there is always next year.

Even though I have no interest in racing marathons for time or PRs, I have to admit that they do make great training runs. If I need another training run around this time next year, I will definitely be back to Boulder. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday morning.

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Boulder Backroads Marathon: Mission Accomplished!

nobody@vox.com(Haliku) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:35:58 +0000

BmarathonLogo2008

The ninth week of training for my 50k/50m attempt at the 24 Hours of Boulder is behind me. Due to a heel pain I substituted a bike commute to work for one of my runs. It seemed to do the trick as the marathon on Sunday, Boulder Back Roads Marathon, went very well without the heel issue reappearing.

The race was well organized. We picked up our race packets on Saturday. The shwag was actually useful items—tech t-shirt, tech hat and two pairs of running socks, plus the normal stuff such as fliers and coupons from the sponsors.

There is a great restaurant were we carb loaded called Sherpa’s in Boulder. Per the name they serve Nepalese food (similar to Indian in many ways) that is both tasty and reasonably priced. The restaurant is in a quaint Victorian house on Walnut Street with a flagstone patio with plenty of outside seating.

Back to the race at hand…

Ultrathoner and I arrived in the dark an hour before the race and were ‘lucky’ enough to be so early that we were directed to park about a half mile away. Not a problem. What’s a half mile warm up jog matter when there are 26+ miles ahead of us?

More support was provided in the predawn in the form of coffee and bananas. Many people were still picking up their packets for the half marathon that started an hour after the full race.

The sun rose and painted the foothills in a lovely rose color before going behind a band of clouds on the eastern horizon and staying there for the next several hours! Soon race time approached and the herd moved towards the starting gate. We were off among cheers and loud music propelling us out of the park and onto the dirt & gravel road.

The race was a training run for both of us so the only expectation was to finish and not injure ourselves for our ultra races this fall. This mindset worked for the first few miles.

Then the vibe of the runners and the beautiful weather and course caught up with me and my pace elevated to a marathon level. Knowing I only had 26 to run and didn’t have to conserve my energy for 50 miles made it an easy choice once I was warmed up.

Route

The route was a modified loop (see map & race stats) with the turn around at mile 17 with only several miles repeated which kept the half marathon runners, with their later start time, essentially on their own course. With almost 2400 runners, three fourths of them in the half marathon, this was an important detail.

My pace was faster than any long run I’ve done in this training cycle. Until mile 24 I was feeling good with only a half minute slip in my pace. Walking through the aid stations, drinking water and several GUs all helped keep me going. The average pace slipped even more after mile 24 requiring me to dig deeper to keep on passing the now frequent walkers on the course. Perhaps it was more psychological as I arrived at mile 24 right at what should be my Boston qualifying time?

Either way I finished stronger and faster than ever before in a marathon. Long trail runs sure help. Not doing much interval or speed workouts didn’t help in the final miles.

The food tent right past the finish line was a great place to get out of the sun and refuel with Chipotle burritos, bagels, fruit and various drinks.

This was a well organized and supplied race. With so much of the course on dirt and gravel roads it was a trail runner’s dream course. I might actually have to train for this race next year.

Get out and Explore the World!

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gl to rand

nobody@vox.com(marthaflatley) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:17:08 +0000

gl rand!!!!

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You've got to spread your light like blazes

nobody@vox.com(heartshapedsky) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:06:22 +0000

After reading this marvelous idea I thought I'd join in:
http://laidoutinlavender.vox.com/library/post/what-big-eyes-you-have-my-dear.html

I'm going to publicly give myself a compliment every day until I leave for San Francisco for my first marathon in 4 weeks. Wow, that seems much more daunting seeing that sentence in print- precisely why I should do it!

Today's compliment: I am a very determined person.

Good, got through day one. Thanks for the wonderful challenge miss L!

**************************************************************************************************************

I think I'll add the lyrics to today's inspired title. Judgement of the Moon and Stars by Joni Mitchell.

No tongue in the bell
And the fishwives yell
But they might as well be mute
So you get to keep the pictures
That don't seem like much
Cold white keys under your fingers
Now you're thinking
"That's no substitute
It just don't do it
Like the song of a warm warm body
Loving your touch"

In the court they carve your legend
With an apple in its jaw
And the women that you wanted
They get their laughs
Long silk stockings
On the bedposts of refinement
You're too raw
They think you're too raw
It's the judgement of the moon and stars
Your solitary path
Draw yourself a bath
Think what you'd like to have
For supper
Or take a walk
A park
A bridge
A tree
A river
Revoked but not yet cancelled
The gift goes on
In silence
In a bell jar
Still a song

You've got to shake your fists at lightning now
You've got to roar like forest fire
You've got to spread your light like blazes
All across the sky
They're going to aim the hoses on you
Show 'em you won't expire
Not till you burn up every passion
Not even when you die
Come on now
You've got to try
If you're feeling contempt
Well then you tell it
If you're tired of the silent night
Jesus well then you yell it
Condemned to wires and hammers
Strike every chord that you feel
That broken trees
And elephant ivories conceal

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Run marathons just for fun? Why not!

nobody@vox.com(Ultra'thoner) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:04:04 +0000

This coming weekend I'll be down in Denver and decided to run the Boulder Backroads Marathon with Haliku on Sunday September 21st.

Having just run a 64.5 mile DNF at Lean Horse a few weeks ago, I'm not concerned about my endurance at all. However, my main question is how in the heck am I supposed to pace myself for a short race? It would be easy to just slog (slow-jog) it out at my 50 or 100 mile pace. But that would be completely wimping out.

My greatest challenge will be to not unconsciously fall back to my ultra-slow easy-slogging pace of 12 min/mile or slower after mile 18 or 20 as if I were running 50+ miles instead of 26.2. If you train and practice at a slow pace then you will race at that pace too. Although this marathon will be only for "fun," I'd like to push it a little faster than I might on one of my usual long extra-slow training runs.

Because I have never done a previous road marathon to use as comparison, last week I did a marathon time predictor work out: Yasso 800s. These were popularized a few years ago by a writer for Runner's World magazine. They have always been a difficult workout for me.

I must confess: I absolutely HATE intervals.... half mile.... one mile...it doesn't matter- I HATE 'em all! But l do understand their importance in maximizing cruising speed. Even after only two or three interval workouts, I already note an increased rate of leg turnover. They are effective but I still hate'em.

My average time for these 10 x 800 intervals was 4:17 minutes and I actually sped up on each of the the last three intervals to 3:44 minutes for the last one. Not fast for a speedy short distance runner but it was plenty fast for me. This average time predicts my potential marathon time as 4 hours and 17 minutes. Of course, Yasso 800s are only a predictor to give us a general ball park estimate of what we might be able to accomplish with proper training and good running conditions.

A prediction of possibly doing a marathon in under 4 and a half hours actually surprised me given the usual extremely-slow ultra-slogging pace that I run my 50+ mile races. Because I will be running this marathon for fun and have no interest in a PR, I think that trying to run it under 5 hours should be a very reasonable goal. However, it will be a PR for me no matter how long it takes, given that this will be the first official road marathon I have ever run.

Using other time predictor calculators, doing a 26.2 marathon in under 5 hours translates to a potential 100 mile finish around 28 hours- as long as I did all of the necessary other training, of course. With another ultra coming up in Mid-November, the last thing I want to do is be stupid and injure myself simply because I worried about too much my time and pushed myself too hard.

I got a massage Friday and feel great. There were a lot of tight spots and adhesions that I didn't even know about. Stretching is fine but sometimes manual terapy is just what is needed. This was the first time I tried this massage therapist; however she was absolutely wonderful and I will certainly be back. My ITBs were tighter and more tender than I realized but they are better now. I think that getting a massage at least once a month during the racing season would be a good goal.

She said that my legs were very interesting to work on because I have muscle development that she does not normally see, even in other runners. I wish that such muscle development also translated into faster finishing times for my ultramarathons but that's OK, I am completely fine with simply being able to finish.

I just learned this morning that on October 4th there will be a local marathon, the Crazy Horse Marathon run on some of the trails I frequently train on. There actually will be two marathons: Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore which start at either of the monuments but finish at the same park in Hill City. I wonder why I wasn't aware of this before? I suppose it must be because we ultramarathoners are in a different world than marathoners.

Hmmm... I think I will see how Boulder goes first. This marathon will be only two weeks later. As long as I don't do Boulder too hard, Crazy Horse could be another nice long training run for me.

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