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Baltimore Marathon 2008 Race Report

Jay Silvio — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:08:08 GMT

On October 11, I ran the 2008 Baltimore Marathon, which was my final target race of the year. I finished in 41st place (of 3125 finishers) with a time of 2:48:25 and have now completed the Maryland Double (the running of the Frederick Marathon and Baltimore Marathon in the same year). While I ran about six-and-a-half minutes slower than I did at Frederick, I am pleased to have run under two hours and fifty minutes given my many injuries and challenges of the summer. I have suffered through strained calf muscles (which may take up to six more months to fully heal), knee tendonitis, and nerve stress that had prevented me from running consistently and there were multiple times when I questioned if I would be able to run at all, much less run for 26.2 miles. Considering that I was only able to get in a single long training run of 16 miles during the last three months, I was glad that I could run such a competitive race. I believe that I have the best combined times of any of the 233 runners who registered for the Maryland Double in both full marathons!

Course overview:
The course was best described as a bowl made by early hills from the start to mile 2 which then dip back down to a long flat stretch between miles 6 and 16 that is followed by a second set of hills which rises from miles 16-22 and then drops back down to the finish.
Major landmarks of the course include Fort McHenry, the Inner Harbor, Ravens Stadium/Camden Yards, and Lake Montebello. I found the course to be a good challenge but very fair. The hills were long but not too steep and there was plenty of support along the way from spectators, officials, and volunteers.

My race:
The race started off from Camden Yards with a gradual uphill climb for the first couple of miles. I tried to go out fairly easy, but as usual my adrenaline made that hard to gauge. I knew that I wasn't in the same shape I was in during the spring, so I tried to make sure I didn't push too hard early on. I had difficulty determining my early pace because I kept missing the mile marks that must have been by the aid stations since at those points I was more focused on grabbing fluids. A few miles into the race I heard rumbling behind me and I'm soon passed by the women's lead pack of about a half dozen elite runners clipping along at a steady pace. The course goes back downhill and I cruise along at decent clip, as I've always been good at running down hills. By this point the runners in my approximate pace range were starting to spread out and I tried to find my own rhythm that would get me through the day. I moved into the 10-mile flat section that makes up the middle of the race and tried to keep a few runners ahead of me in my sights. We passed by the Inner Harbor and then headed out towards Fort McHenry. A bit before the 9-mile mark I saw the leaders already coming back in from the fort and I shouted encouragement at these amazing athletes (they were already approaching ten-and-a-half miles). Then came my favorite stretch of the race: Fort McHenry. I really enjoyed running the loop along the water around this historic landmark and it was very inspiring to see the large U.S. flag and cannons. After leaving Fort McHenry it was my turn to be the one heading back in as I watched the huge crowd flowing out on the course. It was great to spot members of my running club (Frederick Steeplechasers) in the pack and other Brooks runners (especially Dane Rauschenberg, the Charity Chaser) and it was fun to shout-out back and forth to each other. The course then moved along the harbor and passed by the starting point of the half-marathon where I watched the participants gathering to get ready for their race. Near mile 14 there was a short section of cobblestone and the uneven road made me aware of how unsteady my legs were getting and that my feet were getting pounded. I was clearly affected by not being able to put in training runs in the 16-22 mile range. My body simply wasn't used to going long. I knew that there were hills coming up so I tried to run controlled and maintain a smooth stride. A few runners passed by and I let them go. The hills started at mile 16 and Peter Keating, who beat me handily at a 5K back in November, caught up to me as my pace began to slow down. I tried to hang with him and was able to keep contact for a couple of miles before he pulled away. The hills were long and were a steady grind on my legs. I really started feeling my quads on the short downhill sections between the climbs. At mile 20 the course took a break from the hills as it hit a mile-long loop around Lake Montebello. This flat section should have been a nice break from the hills, but the lack of variance seemed to wear down my legs and I really felt the blisters that were forming on the balls of my feet. It was also starting to warm up by this time so I made sure to continue grabbing fluids and bananas at every opportunity. After leaving the lake the course climbed again and by this time I was starting to play mind games to pass the time and block out the pain. I would try to imagine myself on training runs through my neighborhood and I would check my watch at each mile mark and try and calculate if I would be able to break 2:50. At mile 23 I hit the famous gummy bear station and grabbed a handful of the little critters as I prepared for the final descent towards the finish. The last few miles were mainly downhill and I tried to hold my shaking legs together. I attempted to push myself at a pace that would be challenging without being overly risky. I kept checking my watch at the last few miles and when I hit 26 by the stadiums I knew I would break 2:50. As I entered into Camden Yards the large crowd of spectators cheered all the runners and I pumped my fist as I made the final turns. I heard the announcer call out my name as I neared the finish and I cross in 2:48:25. I spend some time congratulating the other finishers around while we grab food and fluids. I picked up my medals (one for Baltimore and another for the Double) and got a massage to start my recovery process. After that I went over to get two bowls of crab soup, a required method of celebration for any Baltimore event. My walking was slow, but I knew it was important to keep moving so I checked out many of the vendor stands and chatted with a few fellow members of the Brooks "Inspire Daily" program that I bumped into and congratulated other Steeplechasers. I even got the opportunity to inform someone that they had qualified for the 2010 Boston Marathon because they would be in a new age group by that year. Overall, it was a very successful race.

My Splits:
Mile 1 - 6:07 (includes 3 seconds to get to starting line)
Mile 2 - missed
Mile 3 - 18:10 (6:01.5 average for miles 2 and 3)
Mile 4 - missed
Mile 5 - 29:36 (5:43 average for miles 4 and 5)
Mile 6 - missed
Mile 7 - missed
Mile 8 - 47:17 (5:54 average for miles 6-8)
Mile 9 - 53:20 (6:03)
Mile 10 - 59:24 (6:03)
Mile 11 - 1:05:35 (6:12)
Mile 12 - missed
Mile 13 - 1:17:58 (6:11.5 average for miles 12 and 13)
Mile 14 - 1:24:18 (6:19)
Mile 15 - 1:30:43 (6:25)
Mile 16 - 1:37:22 (6:39)
Mile 17 - 1:43:57 (6:35)
Mile 18 - 1:50:32 (6:35)
Mile 19 - 1:57:37 (7:04)
Mile 20 - 2:04:39 (7:02)
Mile 21 - 2:11:49 (7:11)
Mile 22 - 2:18:56 (7:07)
Mile 23 - 2:26:08 (7:11)
Mile 24 - 2:33:02 (6:55)
Mile 25 - 2:40:21 (7:19)
Mile 26 - 2:47:07 (6:45)
Mile 26.2 - 2:48:25 (Chip Time 2:48:22)
Overall pace - 6:26

Final Thoughts:
I thought this was an excellent event. The race was well organized with what I think was a wonderful course. Yes, the hills drained me, but I found the hills during the second half of Frederick to be far worse. Besides, marathons are not run because they are easy; a good challenge endured adds to the experience. There were a good number of "sightseeing" opportunities along the course and I enjoyed the Francis Scott Key connection between the two halves of the Maryland Double. The number of participants was good as I never felt crowded and often had someone to run with or at least target. The volunteers did a great job at the many fluid/aid stations and there was good spectator support, especially near the harbor and start/finish. The race shirt was also very nice and I will certainly be wearing it with Maryland pride. I hope to run the Baltimore Marathon again in the future and would gladly recommended it to anyone else who is interested.
I am so pleased that I was able to make a good showing at the Baltimore Marathon as it caps off an amazing year of running for me. When I first signed up for the Maryland Double I had hoped to break three hours in at least one of the races. I could not have imagined that 2:48:25 would be my slow time. While my second place finish at the Frederick Marathon is the pinnacle of my athletic career to date, I am incredible proud of the way I overcame so much physical, mental, and emotional adversity in order to cross the line in Baltimore. Finding ways to keep training while injured (long elliptical sessions, mind-numbing laps in the pool, and many hours on my bike trainer parked in front of a small TV) was tough, but in the end well worthwhile. I achieved all of the major 2008 running goals that I had established for myself early in the year: I ran well in the Frederick Marathon, I won the Frederick Steeplechasers Spring Grand Prix Series, and I completed the full Maryland Double with a Boston Qualifying run at Baltimore. Thus, I set myself up for a 2010 goal to tackle Heartbreak Hill (I'm planning to run Frederick again in 2009) when I run the Boston Marathon.
Thanks to all of you who have provided so much support. I truly appreciate all of your kind words and helpful comments. I hope that I am able to return the favor and live up to the "Inspire Daily" motto.
Happy running!
Jay

Ps - An extra thanks goes out to my sponsors: Brooks for providing awesome shoes and my race singlet, nuun for providing hydration that was needed on a warm day, and John Kippen, great neighbor and owner of If The Shoe Fits, for seemingly endless help and encouragement.

Links:
Baltimore Marathon website: http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/Home_Page.htm
Course Map: http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/Assets/08+Balt+Merged+Map.pdf
My Photos by MarathonFoto: http://www.marathonfoto.com/order_assigned_photos.cfm?BFI=73knjo8cda&OID=17472008M1&BibNumber=3299&CustomerNumber=R59V42&Currency=USD&Language=en

chi-town

aleenadair — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:29:51 GMT

Bike ride was good this morning, slow but good, it was cold and windy so i was a speed-chicken. im in chicago now getting ready to relax and watch tv, i have an interview tomorrow, and hopefully at some point i'll get in a running workout but if not thats ok too. the shin is doing better but i dont want to over do it. well im jet lagged so its time for some distraction...

October 15

bvcc — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:30 GMT

Distance: 4.0 miles
Time: 46:40

Pace: 11:40 per mile
Stretch: Yes

Weekly mileage: 7.0 miles

Cumulative mileage: 661.2 miles

Tomorrow: Off

Comments: Cold and rainy. Who asked for that?

Days 35-39/70

Katie Norton — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:26:46 GMT

A few days off and a few days on... 5 and 7 mile runs make 175 miles total!

Competition between the teams

kellertwin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:05:53 GMT

Wednesday Run

moormantv — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:09:09 GMT

Ran at 6AM. Nice and cool. 4 miles. 40 min 7 sec. Ran the first 2 miles at 10. first 2 miles at 10:30, third mile at 9 min, 10 min last mile.

only a few days away

pavni — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:09:23 GMT

i am really excited for columbus. j and i are going make a roadtripping weekend out of it and study the way up and back for our monday exams (yes, i know it's poor timing). anyhow, i keep staring at the race map on my desk and printing out directions to and from the start (as well as the convention center). YAY. i also found out that we can have our families track us at: http://www.mtectracking.com:8080/Mtrack/Mtrack?raceid=3 by entering in our bib#/names. woohoo. only... 4 days away!

Chicago Marathon 2008- Kevin's Race Report

kevin leathers — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:44:49 GMT

Chicago Marathon, October 12, 2008
The Chicago Marathon course is known as being very flat and very fast. It has produced several world records over the years. It is also one of the largest marathons with 30,000+ runners. This was my first try at the course and also Team McGraw's first Chicago Marathon. Running and coaching Team McGraw added an additional element of excitement, motivation and celebration to the weekend. We had a great Welcome Luncheon on Saturday where everyone gets to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. It is typically a very uplifting, emotional time where everyone introduces themselves and shares their reasons for running with the Tug McGraw Foundation. The post-race Victory Party was a great celebration right down the street from Wrigley Field.

10 Day Forecast

I had been monitoring the weather forecast for two weeks. Ideal marathon weather is in the 40 - 55 degree range. Ten days out the temp range was low of 45 and a high of 65. As each day passed the predicted temperature inched up towards hot. When we woke up on race morning it was 65 degrees, humid with an high expected to reach 80. A great day for tourists and spectators. Not so good for marathoners. I went to Chicago with a PR in mind. My training had gone well, I had trained in the Memphis heat all summer and the flat course was too tempting. I decided to stick to my plan and hope that the heat did not get to me before the finish. It was a calculated risk/reward gamble.

Marathon

The Marathon is extremely well organized. It starts and finishes in Grant Park with the city skyline on one side and Lake Michigan on the other. We met for our Team picture at 6:45 and then scattered to find our respective bag check tents and start corrals. It was very easy to get through the chaos of the Park and I was in my corral by 7:40. Twenty minutes to relax and stretch. The race started on time and I crossed the starting line within 45 seconds so we were able to get up to our race pace right away. The crowds were huge in the opening miles as we worked our way through downtown towards the Wrigley Field neighborhood. I felt great from the start. I was able to get on my goal pace right away and it felt very easy. It did not feel too warm yet so I decided to keep rolling. I noticed that I was in between two pace groups with 3:10 signs. I was aiming to break 3:15 so I settled in and relaxed. Around 3 miles I found myself next to Jason from Florida. I knew his name because he had written it on his chest and I must have heard it screamed out 200 times. We quickly discovered our matching race goals and decided to keep each other on pace. We ran side-by-side until mile 21.

What Happened To The Shade?

The course is flat and fast as advertised. The crowds were huge and the weather was perfect... for the spectators. I rolled through halfway in 1:36.

(Internal self-assessment: "Hmmm... that felt kinda easy. I do not feel hot yet... we are still shaded from the sun... let's keep pushing")

Somewhere around mile 18 the shade runs out. It near mile 20 that I noticed that there were no clouds in the sky and it was getting warm. By mile 21 I realized it was hot. I also had the first very subtle twinge of a cramp in my right quad. It was light, like someone gently tapping you on the leg. I know this warning sign well.

(Internal self-assessment: " hmmm... that is not a good sign. Should I back off and take it easy? I can run in relaxed and have a decent finish time. Or should I keep pushing? I did not come to Chicago to just finish. I have come this far... no risk no reward... let's keep pushing and see what happens")

My pace was slowing but I still had my eyes on breaking 3:15. Mile 22 brought some more gentle twinges... right quad, right calf, left calf. My pace slowed further but I was still running. I wondered how long I could hold off the cramps. How long could I hold off the inevitable. I could lose a few minutes over the next 4 miles or an hour. Mile 23 was lonely. Jason had pulled away at mile 22. I knew there was a beating coming my way I just did not know exactly when or how bad it would be. There would be no speeding up so my new goal was finishing under 3:20. The amount of math going on in the final miles of a marathon is amazing.

The Beating

The fun really started just before mile 24. From the sidewalk I am sure it was quite a scene. I had my last energy gel packet in my right hand. I was preparing to tear it open and wash it down at the next water station. My right hamstring went into full cramp mode. It happened so suddenly that in one split second I let out a high-pitched yelp and as I reached to grab the back of my leg that final energy gel went flying through the air. I am sure that a slow motion replay would be great YouTube viewing. It landed a few yards behind me. It might as well have been in the sewer because I was not going back for it nor could I have reached the ground to retrieve it. I punched and massaged my hamstring in hopes of loosening it. I was able to walk after a few seconds and kept moving. After a few minutes I started running again.

(Internal self-assessment: "Cramps really HURT. I have 1.5 miles to go and if I cannot keep these cramps under control I might be on the curb. Wish I had that gel packet.")

The Finish

Mile 25 got... fuzzy. Not warm and inviting. Fuzzy like blurry static. I was moving along at my survival pace when I had a moment of dizziness and took a stride... sideways.

(Internal self-assessment: "Oh ****")

I caught myself and realized I was in danger of making the "agony of defeat" footage staggering from curb to curb. I was intent on moving forward and staying upright. I could see the trees of Grant Park just in the distance. There was no more math. There was only survival mode. Get to the finish and then you can stop. Somehow I managed to trot the final ¼ mile. There was no glorious kick down the finish stretch but I do remember huge crowds and lots of energy. I made it to the line in 3:23:18. Missed my goal but still managed to salvage a Boston qualifying time. I felt bad for a few hours afterward. I made two trips to the medical tent after nearly passing out a few times. I kept hydrating and about 3 hours later the fog lifted and I felt fine. I was able to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather in Grant Park as we celebrated each Team McGraw member's arrival.

I want another crack at this great course on a cloudy 45 degree day. It is a great marathon in a great city.

ActiveX - 10.15.08: Pigs of Guinea

ActiveArch — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:17:49 GMT

A little science project:

400m run
100 push ups
100 squats
400m run
"Plankenstiens" - lay in plank position on toes, resting on forearms, rock back and forth with chest to ground
50/50 straight leg deadlifts ~~10/20~~
400m run
100 "hollow rocks" plan position on back, rocking off of glutes
100 jump rope
400 run

New Onsite Registration Procedures for North America Sports Races

Jesse@Active — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:11:24 GMT

Press Release -- NA Sports, Oct. 10, 2008

Due to the tremendous growth of onsite registration, North America Sports will be implementing new onsite registration procedures. These new procedures will launch at Ford Ironman Florida and will be as follows:

Each athlete will fill out a form that will include their first & last name, birthdate, email address and phone number. This form will also include instructions on how the registration process will work. You will need to bring your photo ID and a credit card for payment, no checks or cash will be accepted.

Laptop computers will be used by our volunteers to take the prospective athlete's contact and credit card information on-site. The volunteer will enter in the prospective athlete's information directly into Active. They will then get the athlete's credit card information and charge them the race entry fee.

The prospective athlete will receive a copy of the form they filled out as a receipt, which will outline when and how to complete the registration process. They will also receive a reminder via email.

After receiving the confirmation email the athlete will have a spot reserved for them in the event. However, the participant will still need to go back to Active.com during a specified time frame to complete their online registration. Any athlete that does not follow this procedure will not be considered registered for the event.

The athlete will follow the same online procedure as before. They will access the Ford Ironman Florida event via a specific registration link, select their name from the athlete drop-down bar and enter in their unique password. However, the online entry will not have a payment associated with it as they have already paid the entry fee.

The athlete will receive a set amount of time (one to two weeks) to let them complete the registration.

This system will ensure fairness to all athletes wishing to sign up for NA Sports races. Under the previous system a number of certificates distributed at on-site registration were not redeemed and this created a situation requiring NA Sports to reopen on-line entries. People who attempted to enter on-line immediately after it opened and were closed out may not be aware of the additional spots available at a later date. This should no longer be the case going forward.

This new procedure allows the prospective athlete's information to be put directly into the Active.com database so that it is accurate and has no chance of getting misplaced. It may take a little longer in the beginning so we ask that you be patient with our volunteers and staff.

For more information, visit the NA Sports website.