Off to western Maryland

I'm in for some lonely running tomorrow, and this time I won't have the crowd support the Great Race offered. The weather looks great for the Freedom's Run Half Marathon tomorrow.

I've gotten a flurry of e-mail from the organizers, including one which links to several news articles and personal blog posts about the race. All remark on its beauty and historic setting--several miles run through the Antietam battlefield, but also on the relatively solitary setting for the race. Aside from the volunteers at aid stations, I don't expect to see anyone for most of the race. The marathoners will be headed for the same turn toward the park I will, from the opposite direction, but I won't see any of them.

I don't know if I'll PR, chances are I won't, because it's not really that kind of course.

It's half hilly, but most of the bloggers who ran it seem floored by the hills. That said, most of them are also hovering around the four-hour mark for the marathon, so our opinions of a 'difficult' hill may differ.

Pretty much, my race plan is to run the first few miles, mostly on the towpath, pretty quickly, then dig in for the uphills. There's a sharp, long uphill in mile four, then a downhil before a few more climbs, then some rolling hills in miles 6-9 before another uphill. At that point, I hope to just be in a rhythm I can relish. The last 2.5 miles are consistently downhill, and I plan to go all out at that point.

I wanted to do a rural half in the middle of the fall season, and the other main option was the Buffalo Creek Half near Pittsburgh, more specifically, near Tarentum. Once the variety of local government officials in Buffalo Township and Freeport found out I was a runner, they encouraged me to run that race. I would love to, someday, but it's heavily downhill, and I worried that with that faster course was the chance I would run a time I wouldn't have a chance of eclipsing at Philadelphia, despite another month of training and a taper.

The Great Allegany 15k is the same day in Cumberland, and I would like to run that, too, but doing the half just makes more sense right now. It looks like I'll be running the Towpath Marathon near Cleveland next fall with Pokey, Nate and Evan, so I will be able to fit the Allegany Run in the weekend before.

Wednesday night I ran at B-CC, trying to get the life back in my legs after the Great Race. I joined a bunch of guys for a slowed-down B group workout, starting with miles at 5:30 and 5:15 before some 800s, but halfway through I decided to do a series of miles, starting at 5:40 and working my way down. Unfortunately, the quick start on the 5:30 mile meant it would be hard to slow down properly, so I finished in 5:31. Then 5:30, 5:15 and 5:15 and called it a day. With a longer cooldown I had 10.

Thursday morning I ran a sedate five miles on an extended Idylwood, then eight in the evening on Westmoreland, feeling great with the lower temperature and humidity.

Friday's pre-race was six miles on a Park loop.

If you know what I mean, then you know what I mean

It's about time to head to Chicago to race my first marathon. Technically I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2008, but let's face it- that was a jackass effort. I consciously decided not to train for it beyond my usual 5k training and ran it like it was a long run with thousands of other people. Yeah, I got competitive and passed most of them, but I never committed to an effort that would consume me the way I am planning for Sunday. Like it or not, I have dedicated a big part of my life to this over the last five months, and to a lesser extent, 11 months. Regardless of the outcome, I have enjoyed it.

I've said this before, but I just want to get the distance out of the way at a decent pace and then see exactly what I can do in the races later stages, I'll be like the Duke of Plessitora, leading from behind (what in the world does this mean?).

5:36 felt easy on Wednesday, so 6:00 should feel ridiculously slow for the first few miles. So should 5:52 and such.

I've lost a few people on the way. JARRIN's out now, and he, along with everyone else, would have made it an even better race. Dave O'Hara's Achilles never even gave him a chance to get started. Michelle Corkum's inconvenient timing to want to think about law school is keeping her out and toiling away on the LSAT instead.

Whether this goes well or poorly, I have a lot of people to thank for their influence:

Steve Taylor, whose training system has served me well for the last eight years and kept me both fleet afoot and injury free, especially as I significantly increased my mileage to the point where 80 was a recovery week. His cabin gave me a great respite from the early August heat and invigorated for a month of 100+ mile weeks

Jon Molz, whose mastery and dedication to the marathon and otherworldly performance in Richmond made me want to take a stab at it.

Jon Lauder, the companion on the bike during the big workout in the mountains, without whom I would have easily talked myself back from the edge. That 6:25 mile wasn't pretty, but it would have been a lot worse without him next to me.

Pokey Litten, finally closing in on his goal to make it to a marathon injury-free. Teaching him what I know about running has helped keep me attuned to the little things I neglect at times.

Jessica Gangjee, who dragged me through a miserable run in Fox Chapel in March that turned me around in the spring, and Javed, whom I am sure I will hear on the course. One of the best sources of support in and out of races. His presence in Chicago will probably be the biggest factor in my favor.

Spaz Panzarella, for always making me feel better in comparison.

Indirectly, my family, for treating this nonchalantly. It's not that they don't care or understand, they just defer to me to tell them what is important, so they don't smother me. And that's good, because I don't want them to get the chair.

Nobody else.

Nike+ Powersong Zone!

The dress rehearsal went splendidly. Three miles at about marathon pace on the track. I was shooting for 5:40s, I ended up going a little faster than 5:36 for each. I was barely breathing and felt stronger with each step. I feel like the taper is starting to work- I am not feeling as lazy and I'm fighting for every chance I have to rest. My nervous energy built up a little bit after the dress rehearsal because I was 3/26 there, but I am pretty sure the race is going to be a lot more fun than running around the dark track at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.
Dickson has been upgraded to active, which is fantastic.
I am ready to run this like the 2007 Spring Thaw- my first 10 mile race, when I just went out with a pack and just settled into a good pace to cover ground and turn it into a five mile race, at which point I blew it open in the second half.
Murphy and I talked about the Nike+ Powersong Zone, the 24 mile mark where some godawful DJ will be playing All Star, Tubthumping or We Will Rock You. We started postulating what song we would like to hear with 2.2 miles to go. I thought for a while and came up with the answer on my Thursday run (6.25 miles at 6:25 pace, I am absolutely struggling to keep it slow)- Styx's Renegade.

Injury report

Two negative moves on the injury report- Emily Ward is out with a groin pull and Dickson Mercer has been downgraded with a hamstring injury. I was feeling a little sick this morning, but am better after a nap.

OUT: Karl Dusen (life), Joey Wiegner (achilles), Jake Klim (groin), Emily Ward (groin), Neal Hannan (illness), Alex Eversmeyer (face it, it was never happening), Sarah Morgan and Melissa Dorn (lack of preparation), Mike Smith (no idea)
PROBABLE: Andy Litten (glute), Robert Jarrin (everything), Dickson Mercer (hamstring), Chris Bain (calf)
ACTIVE: Jon Molz, Pat Murphy, Mike Cotterell, Christie Wood, Pat Hughes, Ryan Sheehan, Pat Reaves, Laura O'Hara, Matt Ernst, Shannon O’Neill, Dylan Keith, Billy Askey, Anne-Marie Alderson, Jessica Gangjee, Katie Jarocki, Chris Sloane

I ran an easy six miles with Will and Elyse around the Tidal Basin Monday evening, averaging 7:30s.

Tuesday I did a Pimmit Hills 6.3 at 6:38 pace. Tonight I am hitting the track at B-CC for three miles at 5:40.

I'm thinking back to some of the memorable runs during my summer of training and although this is more for my personal benefit than for any of you who are reading, these stick in my mind:

1. my failed long run home the day after Memorial Day

2. tempo run on the Double Pimmit on Wednesday night in late June, it was really hot

3. medium long run my last day in Reno

4. climbing and descending a mountain on the logging road behind the Cascades State Park in Giles County

5. failed long run in Cumberland

6. the tempo run at 6 am the day before Joe Wildfire's wedding

7. long run with Molz on skyline drive

Also, here's a cool photo from the 1987 Great Race in Pittsburgh, back when it was fast. Steve Taylor is in second about 1.5 miles in.

Watch your back, half marathon, you haven't killed me yet

I'm taking another shot at the half marathon. I'm hoping any number of factors- no travel necessary, much better weather (a low of 43 and no rain anywhere nearby), and a sense of gratitude at having another chance will inspire a more...well...inspired performance.

Last week's race ended up being less a race than a tempo run followed by a long cooldown. Though I tried to think of it that way, it was a lot more evident Tuesday on a run with JARRIN where we hit the trails pretty hard in the afternoon sun and I felt better than I had in a week. Chris Sloane reinforced my thoughts on that and I knew by Tuesday evening I was ready to go and redeem myself at the half marathon.

Tuesday night I got some news that deflated me a bit, disappointed me greatly, but in a way makes me more tenacious. I'm not sure how much I want to elaborate on it right now, but suffice to say it put my future in a whole new perspective that truly frees me to do what I want. In similar circumstances, I've focused in races and achieved a lot, so I hope that happens again. By the same token, I have a new approach to how I will look at my running, one which removes a lot of restrictions on how I will go forward.

I needed a race, though. I kept hearing about the historic half in Fredricksburg, May 16. Plenty of time to recover and rev up. But it meant travel and staying a night in Fredricksburg, two expenses I didn't want. The Lynchburg Half in August seemed viable, and would give me time to prepare more, and it seems a fair goal. It's a month earlier than the Philly Distance Run, which was too close to Chicago for my tastes. Joe Wildfire's wedding precludes me from racing the Patrick Henry Half, so Lynchburg is now on the books. I figured I was settled on Lynchburg when I became aware of Jimmy Daly's plight. Like seemingly everyone on the GRC besides HUGE, he had an off day on Sunday, and was eager to get back at it I suggested Fredricksburg, which doesn't work for his schedule, but he told me about a race held by another shoe store, right in Arlington. Sunday. With much more favorable weather. Dare I, or dare I? I dare.

While I would like to still break 1:11, that will not be my singular focus this time. I just want to enjoy the race and see what I can do. I'll likely be in better shape to do it at Lynchburg, because I had 10 miles to nitpick my fitness on Sunday. That's not to say I won't, but I'm going to see where things take me tomorrow. I spent so much time tossing and turning the night before Pittsburgh because of the stress I put on myself to overcome the elements I know would be rough. I analyzed the course too much, staring at the map when I ended up standing on the Metro. I have no idea what this course is like, except that it's two loops. Arlington isn't THAT hilly and whatever hills I climb I'll have to come back down. This is going to be fun.

The Disney Cross Country Festival in 2003, another hot muggy race that went poorly but was followed by a lot of fun that changed my outlook.

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Neutoric Preview

No, we don't want water one mile in...

I have three days until the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, and it's time to get all the nervous energy out. I have put more thought into this race than any other, and as a result I have worked myself up more for it than any other that I can remember.
Not quite sure if I was satisfying some dangerous curiosity or properly preparing myself for the race, I started checking out who was in the field for Sunday. The Pittsburgh Marathon website lets you search for specific names, but doesn't give a complete list of entrants or elite fields, so I started entering in the people who usually terrorize the road race scene in Pittsburgh. I confirmed the three I expected: Ryan Sheehan, Jeff Weiss and Joey Zins. Trent Briney, the ummm, 4th place 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials finisher is registered. As is Luke Watson. Mario Macias and David Mealy also have low bib numbers, but I'm not too familiar with them. I was actually sorry I'd be missing the chance to watch Sheehan and Weiss go at it, though I know Sheehan will prevail. He's an animal who gets that much more dangerous when he's competing, though I can't remember the last time I saw him in a race where he hasn't had a comfortable lead midway through. Josh Eddy's running the full, so is Dave Mock, so no need to worry about them. From the times Eddy has run this spring, he should be in the low 2:20s. No Ian Fitzgerald, Curt Larimer, Dave McCollom, or Jay Dolmage, none of the Simpsons.
I'm glad there will be a few guys racing hard up front- I'm not trying to win, just go under 1:11. Without being tempted to take the lead and compete for the win, I'll be able to focus on my race plan, though it will be nice not to be buried in the field like at Cherry Blossom or the Monument Avenue 10k.
Chris Geddis, Eric Laughlin, Jim Hommes and Dave Masse are running the half. I've generally been faster than Masse, but he got me at the Great Race last year, and he is a big variable. Jim is a long-distance vet, who knows what he'll pull out of his hat. I don't know what kind of shape Geddis is in. It seems like Laughlin's been putting in some good training.
Right now the extended forecast says 59-77 with a 70% chance of scattered thunderstorms. I'm not too tickled about that...

Race course

The course is deceptively flat for being in Pittsburgh. I see four main uphills- mile 4, climbing to East Ohio Street from the 16th Street Bridge, slight hills on the Warhol and Clemente Bridges and the climb over the West End Bridge. After the West End Bridge, you get a nice long downhill on West Carson Street to Station Square.

The Pirates schedule allowed the race organizers to make some big improvements. Restrictions on how late the race could keep the streets closed on the North Side forced the course onto an awful loop in Manchester last year, that was really boring. This year we still get to go through West Park in Allegheny Commons, and actually loop around it. The new stretch on the North Shore including PNC Park, Heinz Field and the casino will be flat and fast.

Race Plan

1:11:00 is 5:25 pace, so I have to run just under that. It will be easier to resist the temptation to go out too fast, compared to Cherry Blossom- where I also shot for 5:25s, but was pulled out by everybody going out in sub-5 pace. I won't have that mob mentality Sunday...
My 54:24 at Cherry Blossom had me on pace for 1:11:19. I also positive splitted ridiculously. I have the ability, it all rests in my execution, and the answer is to negative split the race. So, I start with 5:30s. How many? How many is reasonable to expect? Should I consciously slow down after my first mile, because I am going to go out fast anyway, or stick to a pace I think is a little too slow for a few miles than start pushing and hope my ability to get around 5:20 pace toward the end compensates for my slow start?How about starting at 5:30, then dropping a second each mile? The would bring me in at 1:10:57. It would be cool to do that, but I don't have the precision...

I think, most likely, I'll start out with a 5:25, straining like crazy to stay slow. I'll hit three 5:30s, then start speeding up to 5:25s again through seven miles. From there, it's a six-mile race, and I start hitting 5:20s from there.

Having never run a half before, it's daunting to think about holding a pace the entire time. It will be best for me to expect that as I tend, that I will race better than I work out. I will also think about my tendency to go out too hard and force myself, against my urges, to stay calm at the beginning, even though I will want, for all of my ego, to race up with the front guys at the start. The heavy work is going to come away from everyone else, without cheers from anonymous spectators and a few people I know. If I can get through the first seven miles in a decent time-- around 38:00-- then run the last 6.1 more aggressively. I don't want to be straining before PNC Park. Run my race... Look at the race in phases:
Phase 1: Maddening Adrenaline - mile 0-1.5 I'm going out faster than I want, time to accept it.
Phase 2: Collected Calmness - mile 1.5-7 Just cover the distance without going too far over my goal pace
Phase 3: Rolling - mile 7-10 Take advantage of the flat North Shore to speed up, get excited for the West End Bridge crossing and the Carson Street stretch I love so much, despite its bleakness
Phase 4: GO TIME - mile 10-13.1: Treat it like a 5k, and considering how I ran for my time trial in the heat on Sunday, I can handle anything for 5k. This time it's flat, and Smithfield Street always has a cool breeze. Balls out.
They key is speeding up toward the end. I want my fastest miles to be in the last four, and I want the gas left in the tank to have an open-ended upside when I need to close the time gap. I want to be all out when I get to the Smithfield Street Bridge.

Last workout
This wasn't technically a workout, but I wanted to run a few miles at about race pace on the road Wednesday evening to get a feel for them. I wanted to start really relaxed and go about 5:30, and I would up going 5:17. Then 5:20, then 5:21. Then 5:11. I'm not sure if this was good or bad. None felt too taxing, so that's good. I might be able to run faster than I think, but I'm not going to act like that on Sunday. I did that at Cherry Blossom, and though I PRed, I ended up slower than my goal pace. I'm not going to try to be a hero, I am just going to take the race in phases.