So, last night I finally had a good LSD -- 16 miles mind you - not the long LSD I needed to get before Harrisburg (which is 9 days away). But, being only 9 days away, I'm supposed to be tapering, not running distances, so this was a compromise. But I needed the psychological lift. Way down in my mind about how porrly prepared I am for this 'thon. So this week, I've put in about 30 miles and will get some more before the weekend is over. Hydration and fuel seem to be working again. But I'll definately be relying on the large base of miles and marathons I've build over the past 30 months for this one.

After this, a couple weeks recovery and then start training for spring.

Sunday, my running bud and I ran the Frederick marathon. It was my eighth marathon in 26 months and a very good race for me on many fronts, not least of which is how much better I did this year that last, where the second half nearly defeated me[ (Frederick Marathon, May 4, 2008).|p-8215] Here's the blow-by-blow.

I got my gear mostly set the night before and tried to get to sleep as early as possible (though it didn't happen until after midnight). Then I was up a few times to pee having tried hard to hydrate well all day Saturday !http://community.active.com/images/emoticons/sad.gif!. So I was still tired at 3:50 am when the alarm went off and I fell out of bed. Made my usual race-day breakfast of a bagel and banana and a pot of coffee. Then headed out into the pre-dawn rain and dark towards Germantown to pick up my running bud en route the fairgrounds. As we headed north on  270, we remembered from last  year how the I70 exit for the fairgrounds was terribly backed up. Last year we were quite worried about getting there on time. So this year, when we saw the line of brakelights starting a mile before the exit, we went on past and followed "GG" (nickname for the GPS) to the next exit and then to the fairgrounds and parking. Still dark as we parked at about 5:45 am.

The race organizers changed some things in the arrangements from last year.We parked in a grassy field about a quarter mile or so from the starting area.  As we were walking towards the grounds, the gray sky started to get lighter. We both needed to use the facilities, and remembered how long the lines were at the porta-johns last year. We found that by heading past all that to the fairgrounds buildings, there were regular bathrooms that were almost unused, so we went there instead. 

Then we wandered over to the starting area. This too was a little different, starting on the street instead of inside the fairgrounds. But it was a nice easy down-hill start that way. We joined the throng of runners waiting for the start to get organized, and then found the area for our planned pace (between 4:30 and 4:45).

Still gray but getting lighter.

And more and more runners getting ready.

And crowding towards the starting gate.

And then we started. The first half is a very pretty run through the old parts of Frederick and the historical sections of town. I stopped to pee once and then ran a slightly faster pace to catch back up with Spencer. Took about 3 miles to do so. Nice and easy running, good crowd support. On the main roads. And a particularly nice tour of the Walmart parking lot.

After that, we ran back into the downtown area through rural farmland and back to the fairgrounds where the half-marathoners finished.  My RB stopped to pee at about mile 10 and caught up with me at the half. Also, it started raining. Not hard, but a constant drizzle that would get to be more sometimes. I offered to buy a hat off one runner

We had a good consistent pace going. After the half, the route took us downtown thru one of the canal parks (very pretty) and then on out to the east and the hills. But I stopped taking pictures - I was worried about my camera getting wet.

The second half is not as pretty as the first and it's a lot more difficult. I've had an ongoing debate with myself about which marathon has the harder hills, this or Baltimore. I'm now decided it's this race. At about mile 16, the hills start in earnest. There is one initial hill that feels great to be at the top of. Then down the back side and a left into the suburban neighborhoods. As soon as we made that left, the road started up again, and this time a lot steeper. But even that was fine - we were ready. That was the highest point on the run and after that was a net descent, but it came as wave after wave of up and down. 

By this time it had been raining long enough and hard enough that my shoes and socks were sloshing around and I was periodically wringing out  my very drippy shirt. Finally, at about mile 20.5, I had to walk for a bit. One final hill inthe neighborhoods was more than I could handle. I walked to the water stop at mile 22 and then gel-ed up again and started a slow run. After that, I was able to run fine, though slowly, to the end of the hills at about mile 23.5. From there on is mostly flat and my pace picked up. The final stretches went past an old farm with a manuer smell so strong I almost lost my gel. But I got past that and towards marker 26 I was back at pace again. Flew into the fairgrounds actually passing people.

Final time was 4:43:57. Not my best. But I was pleased, given the rain and the hills. And I had some firsts - I managed to run through many of the water stations, drinking on the run instead of stopping to drink. And I felt very strong through most of the run. And I finished well hydrated and fueled, so I did the right things in that department (though I couldn't stand the sight of another poweraid at the end).

I wonder if the problems I had were really with the hills or more to do with the good old wall.Really, I had trouble in the same stretch of the B&A marathon in March even though I set a PR. So I have to look into training more for that period (miles 21-24).

Great race, well run and now a fond memory.

I'm trying to think of all the adjectives I would use to describe this day, this run. Here are a few: beautiful, scenic, flat, windy, cold, great race management, fun volunteers, and surprisingly good crowd support. Here's the blow-by-blow.

We drove out to Rehoboth on Friday evening to pick up our race packets. We got to the Rehoboth Beach Running Company (RBRC) at around 7pm after driving through a bit of snow, got our kit and headed next door to get some dinner. Good food at Catchers. While we were eating, the snow started coming down a lot harder! Then we drove down to Bethany where we had planned to stay at my mom's place there. But when we got there, we found there was no water. So we made reservations at the Hotel Rehoboth and drove back up, checked in and went to sleep at about 11. I was constantly cold and was beginning to think I hadn't brought warm enough clothing for the run.

Next morning, we drove down to the starting area to pick up our race chips (at about 5:30) and then headed to "Crystal" restaurant for a 6am breakfast. I just had some toast - I had already downed an energy drink and felt a little full. Then we headed back to the pavilion to get ready to start.

It was quite crowded - more than I expected. Turns out they had over 600 runners signed up - only expected about 400. While in our corral, we met several runners including bib#50 - Ed Peters, who was running his final and 50th state marathon in his quest for all 50 states. What a great guy - what conviction! The sun was rising but it was still very cold and windy. But I was warm enough. 

I was surprised at the limited clothing some people were wearing. It just seemed too cold to me for shorts or a tank-top. But there were some runners dressed just like that. Mostly, folks seemed to be dressed more "appropriately" though. I say that because of what came later, when I warmed up!

So we stood around, trying to stay warm, chatting with our corral-mates and making new friends (one gal was here from Salt Lake City), when the gun went off and we all pressed towards the starting line. It took about 2 minutes to get across and get running. Lots of local crowd support there at the start - and we were off, running north on the Boardwalk, in the snow, with the sun coming up over the ocean. Now that was just plain beautiful.

We ran north to the end of the boardwalk and then continued into North Reho, turned around in one of the many parks and came to the first watering hole. The sun was coming up and we were actually starting to warm up: I took my hat off and switched to a headband! But that was a start - I could actually feel a little sweat. We headed west and out of the main part of town, out past Groves Park and onto the back roads heading north towards Lewes.

Shortly after, we came to the wooded trail part of the run - miles 5-8 roughly. This was a very scenic portion through the woods and along wetlands and the canal. I warmed up enough now to shed the gloves and jacket, which I tied around my waist. 

We continued north and east and on into Lewes, past the Cape-May Lewes Ferry where we saw a number of the leaders heading back towards the finish. They looked peaked, but I discovered why later.

Then we came to Cape Henloped Park. Oh My God was that ever beautiful. The sun was fully out by now and we were very comfortable. This was one of the best part of the run. Some slight rolling hills (not hills for real). And views everywhere! The course took us all around the park and we would alternate seeing pristine sand-dunes with scrub vegetation and sweeping ocean or across the Delaware bay to Cape May and the ferry.

We reached the half-way point and were able to dump our jackets - arranging to get them carried back to the finish. Felt much better not having to carry them, though it likely didn't matter to our times We turned around and crossed the half-way-point timing mat. This was maybe the highest point of the run, so we started a rolling descent (that's a bit of a joke since these are not hills at all).

As we left the park (regretfully) and headed westand back into Lewes, we hit the only hard part of the run -- head into the wind. It was wicked. For about 3, maybe4 miles, I just had my head dow, working on putting one foot in front of the other. It certainly explained why the front-runners we saw earlier were dragging a bit! It was like running up a steep hill. Kind of felt like running on a treadmill - no forward progress. At one point, the wind backed off and I almost fell forward - I had been balancing forward against it!

But then, we got back to the bridge in Lewes and turned south and east again and the wind was at our backs. And suddenly life was good again! 

I felt very strong as we headed back onto the trail part of the run and met up with one of the runners I had met on Active.com discussing this marathon. It was his first full after completing a half in Baltimore in October (go Will-I-Am - looking great). We came to the water stop in the woods and even here, in the cold and wind, the volunteers and spectators were all-in.

As we continued south and east,  sometimes we would feel the wind, but mostly it was at our backs or side and not as much of a bother. And we were definately headed "downhill" like a horse smelling the barn. Crossing mile 24 was a big boost - we knew we were in the final stage.

Coming back into town, as we were running, a long line of cars leaving the beach (those fast runners) were honking their horns and cheering us on. It was a big boost. Then we headed back into north Reho, turned right and back to the boardwalk. As soon as we came to the boardwalk, I could see the finish line gate and I took off -- sprinting to the finish. It turned out to be a lot farther along that darned boardwalk than I had remembered, but I managed to keep it up and finished strong. As I approached the finish, The race directors were announcing names as we came to the line. That really felt special.

After the finish, the race directors took the chips back and gave us foil/mylar sheets for warmth. In the past, I didn't need these, but this time I took it and wrapped up in it! We stayed on for a bit to watch other finishers. One special one was a mom, who's kids met her at the end of the boardwalk and ran to the finish with her.

We began to get cold again, so headed back to the hotel to shower and change, check out and head to the post-race party. Like everything else in this event, it was great -- good food, meats, carbs, veggies, no matter the post-race craving, it seemed to be covered. Had a beer (well, a half one) and some pulled-pork and a veggie burger. It was a great topper to the day. Then we said our goodbyes - This is Ed Peters after his 50th state:

Even the medals where great -- this is me as we were heading off:

A great end to a fantastic race. I guess I would say that if I learned anything, it was that I will get warm! I want especially to say thanks to my one big fan - my wife - without who's support I would never get to a starting line. Thanks a thousand times over and I love you!

I'll be back...

I was thinking about this as part of a discussion thread regarding the upcoming Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon and though it would make a useful Blog entry: What to wear?

The general rule of thumb is to dress as though it is 20 degress warmer, but a lot depends a lot on the wind. I'm a huge fan of RaceReady shorts because I can carry my gels and a baggy of Succeed capsules in the nylon pockets (I also carry a small camera, a small packet of lube for chafing, some Ibuprofen, and often my cell phone - I sound like a pack mule!).

I have yet to run in a marathon where I needed pants, but if it's windy or very cold, I have a pair of UnderArmor tights I wear under the shorts and a tight UA shirt I can wear under the tops. I'm a fan of layers - so I often wear a long-sleeve technical shirt under a tank-top or bib shirt. I always carry a big plastic garbage bag with holes cut out for my head and arms, rolled up and rubber-banded. I've never run with it on, but I have worn it after checking my bag to keep warm before the start. I imagine if the weather got nasty during a run, I could put it on. And if I get warm,I don't mind ditching a layer, though that hasn't happened in practice.

So, the answer is, I bring lots of options with me in a bag, and I put off the decision for as long as I can, and then I hope for the best when I check the bag. At the B&A marathon last spring, it was 24 degrees when I was driving to the race and I hemmed and hawed for a long time before deciding what to wear. I ended up in shorts, a long shirt, a short shirt and a vest. If you look at my profile picture here on Active.com (http://community.active.com/people/Steve%20Carton), it was taken during that race and you can see how I dressed that day. You can see the lumps in my pocket where I had ditched my hat and gloves that I wore at the start.

And, never, ever wear anything you haven't worn before.

I don't think it will be that cold on 11/22 for the Rehoboth Marathon, but it might be windy that close to the beach. We'll see as we get closer. But I swear by shorts with pockets, and I love the RaceReady shorts for that reason. I also have a vest with similar pockets sewn into the back. Putting gels and such in regular pockets allows them to bounce around too much for me. I like the webbed pocket style of RaceReady.

There's a cool guide at runners world to assist: http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/whattowear/0,,s6-240-325-330-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

I'm running in the Baltimore Marathon THIS SATURDAY and I'm using it as a way to raise funds for a charity -- Sadie's Gift (http://www.sadiesgift.org/) which is raising money for the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. This is my third and final plea:-) We've gotten some responses, but still would like to get more.

If you feel you can and want to make a contribution, please do; it's a great cause.  I'll be writing about this and my training progress in my running blog at http://community.active.com/blogs/turtletraining. You can get to the site to make a donation from there or just go to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center website and to the ONLINE GIVING FORM page (https://jhweb.dev.jhu.edu/eforms/form.do?formId=6239).

You can make you donation on that page. Please (please please) indicate that your gift is for "Sadie Elizabeth Abell Endowment" by checking radio box near the top. Please also "Select a Runner" -- Steve Carton (that would be me:-).

Any amount would be fine -- there is no "lower limit".  And if you prefer to make a pledge, please email me with the amount and I'll bug you after the race. 

Thanks so much for your support. I'll send pictures afterward if you are interested.

Steve  Carton