Jay Silvio's Blog

Baltimore Marathon 2008 Race Report

guest — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:37:52 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/08BaltMerged+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

Jay's Week That Was: Baltimore 16 of 16

guest — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:02:44 GMT

Week 16 (10/6 - 10/12)

This is it! The week included the end of my taper period, the Baltimore Marathon itself, and my first day of recovery. There have certainly been ups and downs during this 16 week cycle, but I am proud of my final results. I hope you have gained something (knowledge, insight, enjoyment) from reading about my past four months. I appreciate all the support and comments I have received from so many of you. This is what happened during the final week:

Monday - A 45-minute elliptical session. My right knee had been a bit sore from tendonitis, but it wasn't an issue. Since I had run hard on Saturday and planned to run hard again on Tuesday I didn't push the workout. I still managed a decent distance and it was a fine way to start the week.

Tuesday - A 7-mile tempo run. It was about 40 degrees and I wore a long-sleeved shirt for the first time since last Spring. I ran hard and my legs felt good (I wore my knee trap as a precautionary measure). My times were about 15 seconds per mile slower than what I had been running in the Spring, but I was satisfied given the limited amount of training I had been able to put in during this cycle.

Wednesday - A 30-minute reverse elliptical session. This was a standard recovery workout. I changed it up a little bit by running some strides outside on the soccer field afterwards instead of adding a normal cool-down on the elliptical. The strides (I did 6) didn't feel smooth, but that's usually the case after moving them in reverse for a half-hour.

Thursday - A 4-mile run. It was a day off from school so I ran around my neighborhood while my daughters biked along with me. I took it very easy and enjoyed our time together (such as it was with them zipping all over the place). I purposefully didn't bring my watch. When we got back I tacked on a few strides in front of the house.

Friday - A 2-mile run. A short and un-timed pre-race run. I added 4 strides on the soccer field.

Saturday - The Baltimore Marathon. This will get its own blog entry soon. I completed the Baltimore Marathon in 2:48:25. This was six-and-a-half minutes slower than my time from Frederick, but I was totally satisfied given that I had not been able to put in the same kind of training (only a single 16-mile long run since mid-July). I accomplished my goal of completing the full Maryland Double with the added bonus of finishing both races under two hours and fifty minutes and I am qualified to run in the 2010 Boston Marathon.

Sunday - A 1-hour bike spin. In order to get some active recovery to help the healing process I do an easy hour of spinning on my bike trainer. I watch the 'Skins blow their fourth quarter comeback and lose to the Rams on a last second field goal.

Well, the Baltimore Marathon is now in the books and it's time to start working on the recovery process. My legs are awfully sore and my feet are blistered, but that's part of the marathon package. I hope I am able to rebound better this time around. With my successful run I was able to check off the last of the major goals I had established for my 2008 running season (and even helped establish one for 2010 by re-qualifying for Boston). I'd like to be able to run a couple small races at the end of this year and then get to work training for 2009. I hope you'll continue reading!

Jay's Week That Was: Baltimore 15 of 16

guest — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:41:17 GMT

Week 15 (9/29 - 10/5)

This was the second week of my three week taper period leading up to the Baltimore Marathon. While my calves are feeling better (there will probably be scar tissue there for 6-9 more months, but they are no longer painful and tight), I did have some soreness in my right knee from tendonitis. I have been managing it with stretching, ibuprofen, and a knee strap and have been able to run fairly well. My goals for the week were to recover from last weekend's 10K race and get in some decent mid-distance speed work. Here's how things went:

Monday - A 50-minute reverse elliptical session (+ 10 minute easy forward cool-down). My knee was a bit sore at the start, but it seemed to warm up OK. I was able to put in an average workout but was a bit tired at the end.

Tuesday - An 6.5-mile run. I ran after mowing the lawn (with a broken mower) and quickly eating half of my lunch. It was warm (about 80 degrees) and humid. I put in a reasonable maintenence run with a decent finish. I wore my knee strap and it cut into the back of my leg a bit but it was nothing serious.

Wednesday - A 45-minute elliptical session. I cut back the time as I continue to taper down. This workout felt pretty good and although my knee was a bit stiff I was able to put in a solid effort.

Thursday - An 7-mile tempo run. I didn't have the kind of speed that I had before the Frederick Marathon, but it was still nice to be able to push myself again. I wore my knee strap and got a hot spot on the ball of my left foot. I was pleased that my long-term recovery appears to be progressing.

Friday - A 30-minute reverse elliptical session (+ 15 minute forward cool-down). Another fairly short maintenence workout. It felt fine.

Saturday - An 8-mile tempo run. I got up early and ran hard on a perfect sunny morning with temperatures around 50 degrees. I can only hope that the weather will be similar this coming Saturday for the Baltimore Marathon. I started out at a comfortable but quick pace and progressively increased the speed. I averaged about 6:10 for the final five miles. I continued to use the knee strap to play things safe.

Sunday - A 1-hour bike spin. After mowing the lawn I went to the basement and hopped on my bike trainer. I spun while watching the 'Skins finish off the Eagles.

I feel like the last few weeks have been solid and that I am steadily regaining my strength. It is exciting to be finalizing my transportation and packet pick-up plans for the Baltimore Marathon and I continue to think about receiving my Maryland Double medal and having a bowl of crab soup after finishing the 26.2 miles. While I wish that I had been able to put in more long runs of 16-22 miles during the summer, there is nothing that I can do about that now and I know that I attempted to make the most of my cross-training while I was injured. It's hard to believe that another marathon will be over (whether I finish or not) in less than a week!

Jay's Week That Was: Baltimore 14 of 16

guest — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:05:19 GMT

Week 14 (9/22 - 9/28)

This week marks the start of the three week taper period leading up to the Baltimore Marathon. Although I have not been able to train as hard as I would have liked, I am resisting the temptation to try and cram in additional distance to try and make up for lost time. This can't be done and would only lead to greater potential for injuries. For my long run this week I was originally scheduled to run 12 miles so I decided to go to a 10K and include the race distance plus warm-up/cool-down to go a bit over that. I felt that was a good idea because I need the speedwork and there was a decent recovery time between the finish of the race and the start of my cool-down. Here's how the week went:

Monday - A 40-minute reverse elliptical session (+ 15 minute forward cool-down). I didn't push too hard in order to give my myself some time to recover from the previous day's long run.

Tuesday - An 8-mile run. I ran fairly easy on a wonderful cool (for September) morning. A rather enjoyable workout.

Wednesday - A 60-minute elliptical session. It went pretty well and although the workout wasn't anything special I was starting to feel recovered from the half-marathon and 16 miler of the past couple of weeks.

Thursday - An 4-mile tempo run. I was limited on time so I did what I could. It wasn't super fast but I hadn't really pushed the pace in a while and it felt pretty good.

Friday - A 5.5-mile run and 4 strides. This was a moderately paced pre-race day run. It felt fine which is often a bad sign.

Saturday - The Catoctin Aqueduct 10K. I placed first overall in a field of approximately 75 runners with a time of 37:17 (the course was slightly long). I did about a 1.5 mile warm-up and reran the course for my cool-down. Total distance was probably around 14 miles. You can read my race report at http://community.active.com/blogs/jaysilvio/2008/09/28/race-report-catoctin-aqueduct-10k

Sunday - A 1-hour bike spin. I woke up on Sunday morning and my right knee was sore. This made me a bit nervous but it seemed to hold up to a couple short strides. I take some ibuprofen and go with cross-training to avoid any pounding. I head to the basement to spin on my bike with the ESPN on the TV.

I was pleased with how this week went. I seem to be building back up to full strength. Although I am not even close to where I was physically in the spring, I no longer feel like my legs are "fragile" and ready to break if try to run hard. I was able to push through a short tempo run and obviously it was great to win another race (especially on such a beautiful course). I will continue to keep a close eye on my knee and my calf strains, but I am optimistic about the future and looking forward to the Baltimore Marathon in a couple weeks.

Race Report: Catoctin Aqueduct 10K

guest — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:44:34 GMT

The Catoctin Aqueduct 10/5K was held on Saturday, September 27 at 8:30 am. The 10K race was an out-and-back run on a section of the towpath of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, which is a graded stone and dirt trail that runs along the Potomac River, from Point of Rocks to the site of the Catoctin Aqueduct. When I was younger I used to train frequently on the towpath where it runs through southern Montgomery County and was pleased to have the opportunity to participate in a race along the canal. The event was held to raise money for the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund in order to rebuild the historic stone structure.

Short history break:

The Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal was constructed from 1828 to 1850 and runs approximately 185 miles from Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC. It was built to transport coal boats which were towed by mule teams and used a series of locks to allow the boats to move from high to low water levels. Unfortunately, the C&O Canal (and others like it) quickly became outdated by the railroads, specifically the B&O which was built at the same time.

The Catoctin Aqueduct is one of eleven stone aqueducts that cross the canal and was constructed from 1832 to 1834 at the 51.5 mile mark of the C&O Canal. It is where the C&O Canal and B&O Railroad first competed to cross a major tributary of the Potomac River. In 1973 the aqueduct collapsed into Catoctin Creek after a flash flood and in 1978 a steel frame Army Bailey bridge was erected to transport hiker/biker traffic over the creek. The original stones are being rescued from the creek so that the aqueduct may be restored to its historic condition.

My idea for this race was to get in a quality speed workout of a moderate distance as a sort of final tune up before the Baltimore Marathon in two weeks. When I calculated in a good cool-down, I figured that this would count as my long run and tempo run for the week. I woke up on race morning and had a breakfast of peanut butter and pumpkin butter spread on two whole wheat waffles. As I made my wife a latte, I thought about the previous night's thunder storms and wondered how the participants in the 180-mile Ragnar Relay were managing. As I drove to the event, I was inspired as I passed a few of the Ragnar members and their bike support teams heading towards Point of Rocks. I arrived at the event which was near one of the Ragnar Relay exchange sites and registered before starting my stretches and warm-up. The weather wasn't particularly hot, but everything was still wet from the night's storm and it was humid. Since this race was part of the Frederick Steeplechasers' Fall Grand Prix Series, I bumped into a bunch of other members as I jogged over to the canal. The 5 and 10K start was combined and the field was fairly small with most of the other participants that I recognized being in older age groups.

The race began at a gate entrance to the towpath and I was in the lead from the start. I settled into a fairly relaxed early rhythm and took in the beautiful surroundings. The path is flat (with a very slight downgrade heading out which means a very slight ascent on the way back), but it was wet and full of puddles and soft areas so most of the time my eyes were down as I scouted the best places for footfalls. I was able to take in some nice views of the river and it was good to be in the shade of the trees. The course was marked at miles 1, 2, and 3 with these signs also indicating how many miles remained for the return trip. The turnaround section seems to have been a bit longer than the .2 miles needed to make the 10K/6.2M distance. I don't mind, however, because it gave us the opportunity to pass by a gathering of stones salvaged from the original aqueduct and cross the current bridge that is at the aqueduct site. My approximate splits were as follows:

1) 5:36

2) 5:49

3) 5:56

turn) 2:17 (probably just over .3 miles)

4) 5:47

5) 5:54

6) 5:58

On the way out I simply ran alone and checked out the lock houses I passed and a train on the nearby tracks that was headed in the opposite direction. I tried to maintain a solid pace that would be a challenge but that I would be able to recover from in a few days. I crossed the bridge and turned back for home and hit a group of four or five other runners right near the 3 mile mark. Based on my turnaround split that gave me a lead of just over two minutes halfway through the race. Passing the runners who were heading out made things more interesting as the towpath can be fairly narrow at points. I tried to offer encouragement to all the other participants as I passed by (after all, my Brooks singlet does say "Inspire Daily" on the back; I try to live up to that). I continued passing other 10K runners for about a mile and then I eventually started coming up on a few of the rear 5K runners. Finally, I saw the highway bridge at Point of Rocks and knew that I was near the end. I ran into the finish in 37:17, over five minutes ahead of the second place runner. It's hard to get much meaning from that time since I'm not sure if the course was long or the mile marks were not accurate. Another runner with a Garmin logged 6.34 miles, but at least a little bit of that was surely due to some swerving to find the driest path.

After the race I changed out of my racing shoes and went to grab a couple bananas and a bagel. At the awards ceremony I received a medal and then picked out a gift from the prize table (since they did the awards in reverse order and did the 5K first, I got last pick before the remaining items were raffled off as door prizes). I got myself a "Towpath Tag" collector's pin with a picture of the Catoctin Aqueduct and a waist pack with the C&O Canal National Historical Park logo. For my first place finish I will also have a stone that will be used in the aqueduct restoration "adopted" in my name. Afterwards, I run the course again for my cool-down. Tim O'Keefe, the winner of the 50-59 age group as well as fellow Steeplechaser and science teacher, runs with me to the 5K turnaround point. After he turns back I enjoy some alone time on the canal until I finish up and head home.

Jay's Week That Was: Baltimore 13 of 16

guest — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:28:19 GMT

Week 13 (9/15 - 9/21)

This week I worked through some pretty rough blisters left over from the Parks Half-Marathon and finally got in a long run (my first in about two months). I'm feeling pretty good and, although I know I won't run anywhere close to a PR at the Baltimore Marathon on October 11, I'm fairly confident I will be able to snag another Boston Qualifier as I pace a friend in his attempt to run the distance in three hours. Since I plan to run the Boston Marathon in 2010, when I will be 40, my qualifying time is 3:20. This week I have resumed my strength training routine of natural resistance exercises and my body seems to be responding (I took about a month off to see if it would help my body heal up). It was rough, however, for the first few days. I also received some free supplies this week (a T-shirt from nuun and a bunch of gels from If The Shoe Fits) and that's always a good way to boost mood and motivation. Many thanks to everyone for all your support!

Monday - An hour-long elliptical session. I kept it easy and controlled for this recovery workout on the day after the Parks Half-Marathon.

Tuesday - A 40-minute reverse elliptical session (+ 15 minute forward cool-down). My legs seemed to be recovering pretty well so the workout was good. I didn't push too hard.

Wednesday - A 45-minute elliptical session. I didn't have enough time for a longer workout, so I did what I could. I was able to move pretty well.

Thursday - An 8-mile run. Although I popped a nasty blister at the base of my middle toe, I had my best run in a long time. It felt good to push the pace a little bit.

Friday - An 8-mile run. I took this one easy and maintained a relaxed pace. I didn't try and push since I'm still trying to get my body reacclimatized to runs on back-to-back days.

Saturday - An hour long spin on my bike trainer. I do enough to keep a decent sweat going as I watch Sports Center.

Sunday - A 16.5-mile run. Not a great performance, but I can't be too upset since I was able to finish my first long run in a couple of months. I had hoped to have more left at the end, but it was not to be. I ended up averaging around 6:45 pace. On my cool down I ran past my wife and daughters in our X-Terra as they were returning from apple picking. They pace me back to the house and my daughters walk a couple blocks with me before I head in for lunch. After a quick bite of whole wheat pasta and some apple cider, I stick my legs in an ice bath.

Based on my original SmartCoach plan, this was to be my last hard week of training before I start my taper for the Baltimore Marathon on October 11 (although, from experience, the first taper week is fairly rigorous). I'm a bit nervous about running the marathon distance with so few long runs, but I don't want to start over-training in an attempt to cram in extra miles. I'd rather arrive at the starting line under-trained and healthy than show up with tired legs or not show up at all due to injuries. I am hoping to race a flat 10K next weekend in order to get in some higher intensity work while cutting back the mileage. This week, my sponsors earned many thanks!

My Sponsors Rule!

guest — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:02:36 GMT

On Sunday I raced in my "Inspire Daily" singlet that I received from Brooks, on Tuesday I went to If The Shoe Fits to pick up some running briefs and the owner (my neighbor, John Kippen) filled up my bag with a ton of extra gels and blocks to try out, and on Wednesday I got a surprise package from nuun with a cool new T-shirt. I love free swag!

Thanks again for supporting me. You rule!

Jay

Race Report: Parks Half-Marathon

guest — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:40:37 GMT

On Sunday morning (9/14/08 7:00) I ran in the Parks Half-Marathon. This was my first race since May and due to injuries I have not been able to put in any speedwork or long runs for the past couple of months. Most of my training during this time has been on an elliptical machine with a slow build up of running. Therefore, I am relatively pleased with my time of 1:21:44 (6:14 pace) and finish (29 out of 2037 finishers and 5 out of 201 in the men's 35-39 age group) even though I missed out on an age group prize by one spot (and of course my age group was the largest one). No, it wasn't anything near the performance I had originally hoped for when I registered for the event following the Frederick Marathon (where my half split was 1:15:39), but considering that a few weeks ago I was unsure if I would be able to continue running at all I am satisfied with my progress.

The Parks Half-Marathon is a point-to-point race that starts in Rockville and ends in downtown Bethesda. The event is very well organized with a baggage drop to bring gear to the finish area and free metro cards to ride back to the start following the post-race festivities. Unfortunately, no amount of organization could prevent the ridiculously high humidity and warm temperatures at race time which caused consistently slow performances when compared to previous years (even among the African runners who swept the top six positions).

Here is how I ran:

1) 5:48 - 5:48

2) 11:28 - 5:41

3) 17:21 - 5:53

4) 23:27 - 6:06

5) 29:37 - 6:10

6) 35:51 - 6:14

7) 42:08 - 6:17

8) 48:20 - 6:12

9) 54:31 - 6:11

10) 1:00:57 - 6:27

11) 1:07:33 - 6:36

12) 1:14:14 - 6:41

13.1) 1:21:44

Obviously, I started out too fast and I was punished for that during the late miles. The course started out with a nice long stretch of straight and lightly rolling road with a net downhill slope. This, along with being in a large second pack, led to my brisk start. After two miles the course turned off onto a winding asphalt park path. Most of the remainder of the race followed a series of these hiker-biker type trails that were full of short hills and were moderately slick due to recent rain. After checking my first couple of splits, I realized I needed to pull back a bit in order to make sure that I didn't completely gas out and trash my legs. Over the next few miles I was passed by a somewhat steady flow of runners and that is always tough. It's hard to stay motivated when you know you've gone out too fast and you are no longer able to stick on anyone's shoulder, especially when you realize you aren't even at the halfway mark and your socks are soaked through so that your shoes make that awful squishing sound every time they strike the pavement. Eventually, I settled into a decent pace and was able to maintain my position for a while. When I passed another runner near the nine mile mark, I tried to drag him with me but he was even more gassed than I was. That meant that I was essentially running on my own with little chance of catching anyone ahead of me and nobody behind to push me forward. Around eleven miles the course turned onto a wide dirt and gravel trail. It was flat (just a slight uphill grade) and straight but somewhat rutted with rocks. When I landed funny on a rock near mile twelve, I felt my left hamstring buckle so I pulled back even further to avoid serious injury. Near the end, the course went into a long tunnel which provided some nice shade and then popped out about 150 meters from the finish line. After a couple of hard turns (which my legs did not appreciate) I crossed the finish line. I collected my finishers' premium (a nice green winter hat with the race logo to go along with the sweet Brooks long-sleeved tech race shirt) and some food before I head over to the med tent to get some treatment for blisters on my heels and a bloody nipple. After I pick up my bag I head over to check the results (which were quickly posted) and scan down for my official time and place. I chat with some other runners and we then head to the metro for the journey back to Rockville. My legs and feet (and nipples) are in a fair amount of pain, but I'm happy enough to have completed my first official half-marathon. My post-race cool-down consists of two hours of mowing my lawn with a mower that has a busted self-propelling mechanism...

The official results can be found at http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?rsID=69392&orgID=234639&pubID=2

The Washington Running Report write up is at http://www.runwashington.com/news/sep08parkshmrpt.html

Jay?s Weeks That Were: Baltimore 8-12 of 16

guest — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:46:15 GMT

Weeks 8-12 (August 11 - September 14)

The past month has been filled with many setbacks and a fair amount of pain. It has been hard to stay motivated through my accumulating aches and injuries, many PT sessions, and changes in my training schedule (which has forced me wake up earlier in the morning and allows me less time to exercise during the week). I have had to deal with calf strains, nerve issues (I have to do daily dural tube stretches), and sore knees and hips as well as an aching shoulder that has prevented me from performing my strength training routine. I now wear calf guards when I run and I have a 5 mm heel insert in my left shoe to straighten out my pelvis. There have been many occasions when my passion for running has been so depleted and I have seriously questioned why I bother to continue training (especially early in the morning on the day after a particularly slow or painful workout). With so little progress to report I have been unable to face the reflection required to post my weekly blogs. The past couple of weeks, however, have led to some slow but steady progress and this morning I completed the Parks Half-Marathon. I've now got major blisters on my heels and a severely chaffed nipple (nothing like the runners special "red badge of courage" when you're wearing a white singlet), but my calves seemed to hold up to the stress of 13.1 miles. Hopefully my legs will be able to recover relatively quickly. While my time (1:21:44) was significantly slower than my half split during the Frederick Marathon, and I finished one spot out of the money in my age group, I was pleased with my performance considering that I have not been able to do much running (and no speed work or long runs at all) for about two months. This was an important race for me because I needed the confidence to know that I will still be able to run under three hours at Baltimore if my pacee wants to go for it. So there are now four weeks until the marathon and Blue the crab (the official mascot of the Baltimore Marathon) is going down...

So anyway, here are the last five weeks:

Week 8 (8/11-17)

Mon. 90 minute bike spin and 5.5 mile run

Tues. 90 minute bike spin and 5.5 mile run

Wed. 5.5 mile run and 1 mile swim

Thurs. 2 hour bike spin

Fri. DNR

Sat. 1 hour elliptical

Sun. DNR

Week 9 (8/18-24)

Mon. 2 hour bike spin

Tues. 1 hour elliptical

Wed. 50 minute reverse elliptical

Thurs. 1 hour elliptical

Fri. 30 minute reverse elliptical and 45 minute forward elliptical

Sat. 1 hour bike spin

Sun. 5.5 mile run

Week 10 (8/25-31)

Mon. 1 hour elliptical

Tues. 30 minute reverse elliptical

Wed. 1 hour elliptical

Thurs. 30 minute reverse elliptical

Fri. 45 minute elliptical

Sat. 5.5 mile run

Sun. DNR

Week 11 (9/1-7)

Mon. 5.5 mile run

Tues. 1 hour elliptical

Wed. 30 minute reverse elliptical

Thurs. 8 mile run

Fri. 40 minute reverse elliptical

Sat. 1 hour bike spin

Sun. DNR

Week 12 (9/8-14)

Mon. 8 mile run

Tues. 45 minute elliptical

Wed. 50 minute reverse elliptical

Thurs. 8 mile run

Fri. 45 minute elliptical

Sat. 3.5 mile run

Sun. Parks Half-Marathon

ps - Thanks to all of you who sent me messages and e-mails during the past month to offer your support! It really is a huge help to hear from you.

Jay?s Week That Was: Baltimore 7 of 16

guest — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:14:16 GMT

Week 7 (8/4 – 8/10)

This entry will be different (and much shorter) because almost all of my workouts were exactly the same. No need to get repetitive with the daily details. I was away on vacation this past week with my family (including my amazing in-laws) in Massanutten, VA. We spent five straight days at a water park where my daughters were in absolute heaven swimming, sliding, and floating the hours away. There was a gym where we were staying and it had elliptical machines. They were not the style I was used to, so it took me a couple of days to get really comfortable on them, but they certainly were sufficient for my rehab training needs. I laughed when I read (and promptly ignored) the signs asking folks to limit their time on the machines to no more than twenty minutes. That just wasn't going to cut it and it didn't really matter because there was only one day when all of the machines were in use (and there were still many open bikes and treadmills). I did an hour of elliptical training (plus a five minute cool down) Monday through Saturday and after we got home on Sunday I did a 90-minute spin on my bike trainer while watching some of the Olympics. It certainly would have been nice to run on some of the mountain hiking trails or the ski slopes, but my calf was in no shape for it. As is, I probably over-worked it running up the many flights of stairs to get to the top of the water slide. It doesn't look like I'll be able to get many runs in during the next couple of months so I guess I'll have to try and gut out the marathon on my base fitness that I'll keep trying to maintain through cross-training. I have a PT appointment coming up on Thursday and hopefully that will provide me with some ways to get this calf strain healed up. Even it goes exceptionally well I am realistic enough to know that I will not be putting in nearly enough long runs for optimal marathon training. I did finally break down and order a pair of 2XU compression calf guards that should arrive by the end of the week. The Baltimore Marathon is in exactly two months, so anything to promote the healing process...

As always, thanks to my sponsors:

And let's not forget the prize at the end of the long journey:

And since I don't want people to think my life is all injury and misery, here are some pics from the water park:

Jay?s Week That Was: Baltimore 6 of 16

guest — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:32:51 GMT

Week 6 (7/28 – 8/3)

This was another week that was primarily cross-training in an attempt to rehabilitate my strained left calf. It was also the last week of summer school teaching. I told my co-worker, Peter, that if I was busting my hump on the elliptical trainer every day to stay in shape so that I can pace him to a BQ at Baltimore, he darned well better be ready to run on October 11. I plugged in his time from the Frederick Half-Marathon into a race converter and it spit out a 3:04 full. Since he has increased his training, we decided to shoot for three hours as our Baltimore goal time. By the end of the week I was not experiencing any tightness or pain in my calf so I attempted a run. This was a major mistake and may in the end prove to be a very costly setback. I am currently on vacation with my family in Massanutten, VA and don’t have easy internet access so I had to make some of this quick and dirty.

Monday – An hour-long elliptical session. Tired from last week’s double workouts, I faded during the second half.

Tuesday – A 50-minute reverse elliptical session (+ 10 minute forward cool-down). It was a fairly decent workout.

Wednesday – An hour-long elliptical session. I tried to push since Wednesday is my usual tempo day, but I again faded during the second half.

Thursday – A 50-minute reverse elliptical session (+ 10 minute forward cool-down). I kept the effort relatively relaxed and my legs felt pretty good.

Friday – An hour-long elliptical session. Best workout of the week. I faded again but was still able to hold on for a respectable distance.

Saturday – A 2-mile swim. I had planned to swim 5K for my “long” day, but I got pulled out of the water just after 2 miles when there were rumbles of thunder.

Sunday – A 5-mile run. This run started off with my calf doing just fine. There was no pain and I was actually more focused on my stomach issues (I went out too soon after breakfast) than my legs. I felt great and my first few miles were almost effortless. I hit splits of 6:18, 6:10, 6:07, and 6:08. Then, as I pushed it in for the final stretch, I felt my calf seize up with just a quarter-mile to go. I limped in to finish the final mile in 6:03. I headed towards home with a heavy heart and a feeling like something was being ripped out of me.

At this point it is hard for me to write about how things are going. After the Frederick Marathon I had hoped to create this blog as a way to provide advice and motivation to my fellow members of the running community (and to help promote the Maryland Double). Now my calf injury is three months old and I may have put my healing process back to day zero. It is frustrating to grind out mind-numbing elliptical, pool, and spin sessions for so many days in a row only to have to reset the rehab routine without even making it all the way through a single run. Knowing that much of it was due to my own foolish mistake of pushing the final mile (it felt so good to run again and my calf gave me absolutely no warning signs that it was going to tighten up) does not help with my sense of despair. Having recently completed my best ever season of running at age 38, I feel like a brand new gift has been snatched away from me. Self-pity, however, will not help me cross the finish line in Baltimore on October 11. Be prepared to read about more cross-training next week…

Jay's Week That Was: Baltimore 5 of 16

guest — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:45:36 GMT

Week 5 (July 21-27)

This week I had an orthopedist visit and x-rays on Monday, an MRI on Tuesday, and a podiatrist visit on Wednesday. The x-rays were negative (thank goodness!), but the MRI revealed a "Strain injury of the myotendinous junction of the lateral head of the gastocnemius muscle." I guess it's nothing I didn't already know, but it's good to know there are no other issues (no stress fracture, tendon or ligament damage, etc.). The bad news is that I have been told that if I want this strain to fully heal (which I obviously do) I will need to rest it for 5-6 weeks. Since my wife and daughters were away at the beach for the week, I had plenty of extra time for training (and preparing lots of whole-grain vegetarian meals and banana-strawberry-avocado smoothies). What does one do when training for a marathon but not allowed to run? Why cross-train, of course. I decided to make it my goal to complete a full week of two-a-day workouts. Here's how it went:

Monday - A 60-minute elliptical session and a 2500m swim. I started off my week with a solid elliptical workout before teaching. I maintained a decent pace throughout, but I had little left for any sort of "kick" at the end. After work I went to the pool for a swim. I didn't time it, but it usually takes me around an hour to complete 2500 meters. I'm not a good swimmer but I know that swimming can be a great workout. I took this one fairly easy.

Tuesday - A 50-minute reverse elliptical session (plus a 10-minute cool-down) and a 2500m swim. I was tired and struggled early on in my morning elliptical session. The afternoon swim went much better. My body seemed to be trying to figure out how to deal with double doses of exercise.

Wednesday - A 60-minute elliptical session and a 90-minute spin on my bike trainer. Wednesday is typically my tempo run so I tried to push my morning elliptical workout. Unfortunately, I started out much too hard during the first 20 minutes or so and by the final 20 minutes I had nothing left. It was probably a mistake to try and push any of these workouts. In the evening I put in a very easy spin on my bike trainer while watching the new version of "Planet of the Apes".

Thursday - A 50-minute reverse elliptical session (plus a 10-minute cool-down) and a 2500m swim. This day was very similar to Tuesday. I was finding myself pretty low on energy and motivation in the morning, but I managed to grind out a below average elliptical session. The afternoon's swim went a bit better, but I was defiantly starting to get bored of looking at the bottom of the pool (plus it's pretty gross when you're wearing goggles and you can see all the gunk that's floating around in there). At least I can wear my iPod when I'm on the elliptical.

Friday - A 60-minute elliptical session and a 90-minute spin on my bike trainer. I had another slow start on the elliptical as I continued to have a tough time getting going in the morning. I managed to put in a pretty decent workout all things considered, but I was certainly glad it was Friday and I wouldn't have to wake up early the next day. My shoulders had been feeling rather sore so I decided to hit the bike trainer rather than the pool, especially because I wanted to go for a long swim on Saturday. I put in a relaxed 90 minutes while watching "Coach Carter".

Saturday - A 5K swim and a 90-minute spin on my bike trainer. I got to sleep in a bit and I went to the pool around noon. Saturday is my usual long run day, so I decided to make it a long swim. Given my pace and a couple bathroom breaks, it took over two hours and my back got a pretty good tan. In the evening I did a bike spin while watching UFC. I ate pretty much anything that caught my eye that day.

Sunday - A 90-minute bike spin and a 2500m swim. I did my bike spin in the morning while watching Sports Center and body was feeling fairly rough from Saturday's swim and over-eating. In the afternoon I went to the pool before dinner. I thought I was swimming at a relatively decent pace until another swimmer got in next to me and kept passing me like I was doing doggie paddle. I became even more humbled when I noticed that she wasn't even using her legs! Still, it was a good swim for me and it marked the completion of my final workout of the week.

So, I was able to get in 14 workouts in a week! By the end I was pretty wiped out and was eating almost constantly, but I'm glad I did it. I'd better get used to all this cross-training because 5-6 more weeks recovery for my calf doesn't give me much time before I need to start my taper for the Baltimore Marathon. It looks like I'll be running the race to finish so that I can complete the Maryland Double rather than shooting for possible prize money as one of the top Maryland resident finishers. If I can maintain my fitness through cross-training, I plan to try and pace a couple of friends who are hoping to run BQs at the marathon. Six weeks of elliptical training, bike spinning, and lap swimming, however, may just drive me insane...

Jay's Week That Was: Baltimore 4 of 16

guest — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:20:04 GMT

Week 4 (7/14 - 7/20)

Sadly, this week was mostly spent cross-training as I am again attempting to rehabilitate my strained left soleus. At least this week was a recovery week so I did not miss any key workouts. I apologize if these reports of my injury are getting repetitive, but it looks like there will be a lot more cross-training in my future. Unfortunately, I have to write about the realities of my training.

Monday - An 8-mile run. I ran slowly with Chris Flynn on a morning that wasn't too hot but very humid. My calf was tight from my long run the previous Saturday and I was hoping it would loosen up after a few miles. It never got truly painful, but it didn't loosen up either. I decided that I needed to give it a bit more of a break and would stick to cross-training for at least a few days.

Tuesday - A 60-minute elliptical session. It's a pretty standard workout. My calf was fairly tight throughout the day, but it didn't bother me during the elliptical training.

Wednesday - A 50-minute reverse elliptical session (plus a 10-minute cool-down). I was tired and got off to a bit of a slow start, but I finished with a relatively decent pace. My calf was starting to feel a little looser and didn't bother me during my workout.

Thursday - A 60-minute elliptical session and a 1-mile swim. I was tired and having trouble with motivation, but I pulled off a solid morning elliptical workout. My calf was a little better and continued to be fine during the elliptical training, but it continued to be somewhat stiff during the rest of the day. In the afternoon, I took my daughters to the pool and was able to get in a mile of swimming (with a few breaks) while they were busy playing with friends. I decided to try and run on the following day to see how I would hold up.

Friday - A 4-mile run and 30-minute reverse elliptical session. I decided to test out the calf on a relatively easy paced 8-miler with Chris Flynn. It was still a little sore, but I hoped it would loosen up after a few miles. Needless to say, my calf failed the test. It did OK for a few miles and then it locked up at mile four. I stopped running and went inside for a half hour of reverse elliptical to complete my workout.

Saturday - DNR. I hate typing that, but I didn't exercise at all and ate way too much.

Sunday - A 90-minute bike spin. I did this session in the evening much too soon after my daughters' end of the season swim team picnic where I managed not to over-eat until the very end when a friend was trying to unload a tray of oatmeal-raisin cookies. I probably had ten. Needless to say, I spent the time on my bike mainly focused on not seeing those cookies regurgitated. A most unpleasant workout and somewhat fitting end to my week.

I have come to the realization that I'm putting too much pressure on myself to race well and it is causing me to make poor decisions (like not giving myself nearly enough time to heal) and taking much of the joy out of my training. I need to readjust my goals for Baltimore so that I can enjoy the experience and insure that I have a lot more running in my future. I have an appointment with an orthopedist and a podiatrist scheduled for next week to see if i can get some help for my calf. I'll be sure to fill you in next week.

Jay's Week That Was: Baltimore 3 of 16

guest — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:26:38 GMT

Week 2 of my training schedule ended very well so I was looking forward to maintaining a routine and continuing to build up my mileage. I'm getting used to exercising in the morning before I teach and I enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing my workouts before 9am. Unfortunately my calf is flaring up again today as I'm writing (I have strained the soleus in my left calf), but I guess I shouldn't be surprised given how I'm trying to increase my mileage.

Week 3 (7/7 - 7/13)

This is what SmartCoach had scheduled for me:

Monday - An 8-mile run. I ran fairly relaxed on a humid morning. The time was nothing special, but it's a fine way to start the week after a long run (16.5 miles) the previous Saturday.

Tuesday - A 60-minute elliptical session. It goes pretty well. Similar to Monday, it's not a record setting workout but I'm pleased with my performance and my body is feeling good.

Wednesday - An 8-mile tempo run. I head out in the morning while the temperature is still only in the mid 70s but it's humid with a very light drizzle. I push the early pace a bit too hard and fade slightly near the end. I probably averaged around 6:10 pace which is nowhere near the SmartCoach recommendation. While I don't have the speed I had back in April near the end of my training for Frederick, I feel good about this run since I have not done many intervals or tempo runs over the past couple of months. I'm fairly confident that my times will come back down if I am able to continue with my training schedule and get in consistent speed sessions.

Thursday - A 50-minute reverse elliptical session. Another solid, if unspectacular, workout. I go for 50 minutes in reverse and then follow it up with a 10 minute cool down in the normal (forward) direction.

Friday - An 8 mile run. I go out nice and easy for the first half and then pick up the pace a bit near the end. Chris Flynn ran with me for 5 miles or so and it's always nice to have someone to talk to.

Saturday - A 19 mile run. This one was much slower than last week's 16.5, probably due to the temperature that was around 90 degrees. Last week my miles were all between 6:20 and 6:30; this week my splits were mostly in the 6:30 to 6:45 range. I did not bring enough fluid (just a half liter amphipod filled with nuun) and was pretty dehydrated by the end. Thankfully, a college soccer team was practicing near where I finished and offered me a bottle of water for my jog home (I poured half of it over my head to cool down). I wouldn't say that I hit the wall, but I was certainly dragging through this one. I had difficulty keeping my head in it as I went through miles 7-9 thinking about how I wasn't even halfway through. Long runs in July are quite different than when I was training for the Frederick Marathon back in January-April. It was certainly a learning experience. I took an ice bath when I got home and then mowed the lawn. I tried to take in fluids during the rest of the day. My left calf is stiff again. I'm thinking that this may be related to continued running when my legs are fatigued and this one really sapped 'em. It isn't painful (yet), but I'll be keeping an eye on it.

Sunday - A 1 hour bike spin. I'm pretty tired from Saturday's run and my calf is tight. I hit the bike trainer in my basement for an hour and watch some bad TV.

The week went well for the most part and I was able to complete all of my workouts at a satisfactory level. The slow pace of Saturday's long run is probably to be expected in such heat and because I have been sustaining a fairly rigorous daily regiment. I am frustrated, however, that my calf is again tightening up on me (it was an issue again during my 8-mile run on Monday the 14th). I will have to be careful to make sure that it doesn't get worse and severely impact my training. Luckily, I have a cut-back week coming up so I'll try and make sure that I allow my muscles to build back up. Here's a preview:

My sponsors:

My reward:

Jay?s Week That Was: Baltimore 2 of 16

guest — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:06:18 GMT

After having a tough time last week getting my training started due to a calf injury (strained left soleus), I seem to be back on track (at least for the time being). The past week started off rather poorly, but ended well. Without further ado, here’s week two (Hey, it rhymes!).

Week 2 (6/30 – 7/6)

This is what SmartCoach had scheduled for me:

Monday – An 8 mile run. My first run of the week goes poorly; possibly because I ran too soon after a dinner that included two large bowls of salad (and I also ate two bowls at lunch). I felt like I was working fairly hard, but my splits slower than I expected (all around 6:30). My legs never seemed to loosen up and my calf was a bit tight. I had hoped to end the month of June on a higher note. The most redeeming aspect of the run was the presence of fireflies.

Tuesday – An 8 mile run. I was able to hold an extremely consistent pace, but it was even slower than the day before (every split I took was 6:31). My start of July is even worse than my end of June. I had planned on making this my tempo run for the week, but after a couple of miles it became apparent that my speed just wasn’t there. Even after I decided not to push the pace it was still a struggle both physically and mentally. My calf was a bit stiff, but it did loosen up after a few miles. After two sub-par runs in a row, I’m feeling tired and flat.

Wednesday – An 8 mile run. I was at my school for the day to get set up for summer classes. I attempted to do my usual sets of pull-ups and chin-ups and I simply quit about half way through because I had no energy. I ran 8 miles again and it was slow for the third straight day. My body felt drained. On a positive note, the weather was wonderful and I ran with Chris Flynn (who won the last 5K I raced). It was nice to be able to talk to someone and get my mind off the pace so I could simply enjoy the running. I’m hoping that Chris (who is actually teaching in my regular classroom for the summer) and I will be able to train together regularly once we start teaching next week.

Thursday – An 8 mile run. I drop my girls off at swim team practice and head out for yet another 8-miler. I had decided to pretty much pack it in for the week, just do slow recovery runs, call it my cutback week, and try again the following Monday. My warm-up and first mile were pretty quick (6:15) and easy, however, so I decided to push the pace and see if I could make it a tempo run. The next four miles were 6:10, 6:07, 6:03, and 5:57. It’s hardly a banner day in terms of times, but I gladly take it after the previous three and I believe it to be fast enough to count for my weekly speed session (even if SmartCoach recommended a very tough 5:47 pace for my Week 1 tempo run). I am not ready to declare my slump over after a single run, but it sure was a relief. Also, my left calf flared up briefly (for about 100 meters) near the halfway point of the run. When I arrive back at the pool to pick up my daughters I am treated to a few delicious slices of watermelon (from melons that had been used in silly practice relays).

Friday – Another 8 miler (that makes five in a row). This turned out to be a nice recovery run while my daughters were at swim practice. It was humid but I still managed to run relaxed at a pace that averaged a little under 6:20. I’m glad to have more bounce in my legs.

Saturday – A 16.5 mile run. This run went much better than expected. I wanted to go even farther, but I decided to stick with what SmartCoach recommended for my first long run in two months (since the Frederick Marathon on May 4). Since it’s only Week 2, I have the time to build up at an appropriate and gradual rate. I spend about four hours of the morning on my feet as a timer at my daughters’ swim meet. The morning’s early rain clears by the end of the meet, but it leaves a high humidity in its wake. After the meet, I didn’t have a full lunch, but instead I down a Clif Bar and some trail mix. I popped a nuun tablet in my water bottle and put another Clif Bar in my shorts because I like to get practice taking fuel and fluids on long runs. I didn’t bother taking a shirt, however, since I knew that it would simply become soaked and heavy within the first few miles given the humid weather. I went out and settled into a comfortable pace I hoped I could maintain. I was surprised that my first mile was a fairly quick (for a long run) 6:25, but I ended up running relatively steady as my fastest mile (two) was a 6:20 and my slowest (thirteen) was a 6:30. After such a poor beginning of the week, I was thrilled to have such a strong performance. When I got home I ate some Kashi Go-Lean Crunch cereal and jumped in an ice bath. Later on my wife and I had a wonderful walk through downtown Frederick.

Sunday – A 2500-meter swim in the afternoon and an hour of easy bike spinning at night. It’s my cross-training day, so I swim slow and untimed laps in the afternoon and then some very relaxed spinning on my bike trainer after the girls go to bed.

This week had me very worried early on. Three poor days in a row was a huge psychological blow. It felt like I was completely sapped. I know that there are many people who would be very happy if they could run my slow pace, but that wasn’t providing much comfort; I want to continue to improve as a runner and find the edges of my potential. I’m extremely grateful that I was able to bounce back and end the week well. I’m hoping that I will be able to recover quickly from my first long run.