Richmond Marathon, take 2

First, I want to say thanks to everyone who came out and cheered myself and all of the other runners on, we appreciated it more than you could ever understand.

The weather for the run was not exactly ‘ideal’.  The day started in the low 60’s and rose up to the high 70’s and I’m sure 80’s in some places.  Most marathoners will tell you that 55 degrees is the perfect race temperature.  Hot or not, we still had a race to run.  I started out with nine (Bert, Doug, Ray, Jennifer, Laura, Alicia, Kara, Megan, Theresa and Mike) other Marathon Training Team (MTT) members.  We started with a nice easy pace, just something to get the muscles warmed up.  By the end of the first mile, we all started to separate.  I stayed with Kara and Laura at the split.  For the most part, the beginning of the race was uneventful.  We didn’t see anyone struggling too much and with the sun still somewhat low, we were still cool.

One of the hardest sections of the course is where you work your way up from Riverside Dr. up to Forest Hill Ave.  There are some steep hills through this area and they took something out of me.  Mile 13 is at Westover Hills Blvd.and that is where Laura’s brother John joined our group.  I won’t say that I was struggling to stay with Laura and Kara, but when John joined the group, he gave them the motivation to run a little stronger and within a mile I dropped from the group.  Even after I was dropped I continued to set a good pace.  Up until mile 15 I was running sub 9 minute miles.  Four hour marathons are good marks for success for weekend runners, a 9:05 pace is a 4 hour marathon.

Around mile 15 I picked up Bert, he had moved out really fast along with Jennifer and Doug, but ran into troubles around mile 13 or so.  I ran a little while with Bert, but then he fell behind and I kept on going.

Mile 15 was the beginning of the end for my high speed run.  On this mile you run across the Lee Bridge.  While I have run across this bridge many times, I still have problems with it.  It is a very long bridge, just about a mile, and when you are running in the sun, without a hint of shade, it seems longer.  My 15^th mile was 11:47 a full 3 minutes slower than my previous mile.  The next 4 miles where equally bad.  I did make one smart decision though; I decided that when I walk, it would be in the shade.  So from mile 16 on, I only walked in the shade.  During last year’s marathon I walked a lot.  I knew I was going to walk this year, so I accepted that fact and decided I wouldn’t walk for as long a period as last year.  Where last year I walked for 1-2 minutes, this year I would walk for 20 seconds.  I was alone for most of the run up until mile 20.  At mile 19, Mark Meitz, a MTT partner from last year, dropped in with me and ran for about a mile.  I wasn’t much for conversation, but he was, and it helped a great deal.

At mile 20 I saw my parents.  They were hanging out near my house on Hermitage.  Once again they were surprised to see me and didn’t get a picture and once again my Dad yelled for me to go back so he could get a picture (I didn’t). 

At the corner of Laburnum and Hermitage I ran into my secret weapon, John Gonyo.  I work with John at SunTrust and on Thursday I gave him some salt pills and ibuprofen to hold for me until mile 20.  Last year at mile 20 I started having bad leg cramps.  With that in mind I dosed myself and kept on getting it.  He rode alongside me for the rest of the race offering encouragement and conversation.  His company on the last 6 miles was much appreciated.  Yes John, I did try to run a little faster so it would be easier for you on the bike, and that allowed me to finish faster.  You take your motivation wherever you get it.

Around mile 22, a very chipper Alicia caught up to me.  I wanted to run with her, but she was going way to fast for me at this point.  I guess that IPod Nano had some rocking music on it because she seemed like she was grooving.

A little while later I ran into Doug who was suffering from some serious cramping.  John gave him some of my salt pills as I continued running.  I also ran into my wife and her friend Cat around this point and for a few moments I didn’t think of the fact that I was running or in pain.

Soon the fun of reunions would be over and I would be out on Chamberlayne Ave.  In case you ever thought you might want to watch a marathon and never have, please come watch here.  This stretch of the road is the most desolate as far as fans and shade goes.  You only have a little over 3 miles to go, but it is a hard 3 miles.  I passed by a few other folks I knew on this lonely stretch, including a very distraught looking Jennifer.  She assured me she was ok, so I kept on running.

Chamberlayne was a bad section for many runners.  I saw several ambulances on the road and many more EMTs treating passed out runners.  I don’t think people drank as much liquids as they needed and that was causing them to drop like flies.

Around mile 25 I had my first cramp.  My left hammy tightened up and said hello.  Luckily, it subsided quickly and the other cramps that came soon after were not as severe.  As I crossed the last flat section leading to the long downhill to the finish, I saw my sister and nephew hollering for me to run faster, and that I could do it.  Unlike last year, I could not respond that early with sprint.  I really wanted to walk at this point, but because my sister was watching, I couldn’t.  John, who had ridden off when I turned onto Cary St., was at another corner, yelling for me to keep going, so yet another place, I wanted to walk but couldn’t.  It went that way for the next 3 blocks.  Me wanting to walk, but seeing someone I know and not allowing myself to walk.  Finally over the last 2-3 blocks I sprinted to the finish.

My finish time was 4:12:23.  Last year my time was 4:27.

(Not for weak stomachs)

After the race I gathered my water, food and checked in with friends, family and runners.  We all caught up to see how everyone did.  It was at this time I found out how much my nipples were bleeding.  For those that don’t run, you may not be aware that this is a common problem suffered among male runners.  It’s not as big an issue with women since they were tight bras, but with men it can be.  I learned this early on and found that band-aids worked great to prevent the chaffing.  Unfortunately, the safety pins that held on my race number slowly removed my band-aids so that by the end, I as chaffing badly and I was bleeding.  Soon after I gathered my food, but before I took a bite, I vomited.  It was nothing but the water I had since I finished the race.  After I threw up twice I actually felt much better.  I wasn’t able to drink for a half hour or so, but it set me on the right path.  I wasn’t able to eat until 4 hours later though, so that was tough.

Here it is two days later and I am still sore.  Taking the stairs is tough, but that is to be expected.  I can lift my legs fully, most of the time; yesterday I couldn’t do it at all.  Tomorrow I will be a little better and by this weekend I will be running again and the circle of running, like life, will begin anew.

Thanks again to all that came out.  Thanks to all those that were there through my training and my moaning.

Special thanks to my Wife, whose 21^st (or is it 29^th) birthday is today, without her none of my running is possible.

Urban Assault and James River Scramble

I did the scramble in 54:20 or so, I think that was better than last year.  I estimated 53:00 so I was pretty close.  Although I was 300 out of 1200 overall, I was 93 out of 120 in my gender/age.  Apparently, all of the fast people are males 30-39!

I started out first in my group, but let almost everyone pass me soon after the start.  I didn't want to get caught in the back behind slow people, so I made them get caught behind me!  I did manage to pass some people along the way though.  There was one section on the run where you can go up the Mayan Ruins or take the long way up the hill, I took the long way and passed about 60 people.  The backup up to the ruins was so long I had to tried the other way.  When we were crossing on the river rocks a bunch of people went the wrong way and I was able to get in front of some people there too.  On top of Belle Isle there was a section that wasn't flagged and some people took a wrong turn there as well.  I guess it helps to know the course.

In between races, I tried to eat some cold pasta I had made for the event.  It was the worst tasting food I ever had and I was not able to eat very much (I did reheat it later at home and enjoy it.)  Therefore, I wasn't able to get all of the fuel I needed between races.  I had a bunch of water and around 50 oz of Gatorade/PowerAde, basically, the nastiest flavors they make.  My friend Rick was kind enough to give me a fuel bar that I ate to provide some fuel (it was gross too).  So starting the race I was concerned if I would have enough energy to finish.  In the back of my mind was cramping out of the race last year, my only DNF.

The bike race starts with a LeMans start where you run to your bike and then start biking.  Since I jogged and didn't run, I was last to my bike.  I am a very slow starter on the bike and normally it takes 30 min+ for me to get really going.  Rushing for me in the beginning doesn't help me overall, just tires me out.  So I started last, but quickly passed one person and another person when he broke his chain.

By the time I got to the 42 st. staircase the group behind me had caught up, they were hauling a$$!  Through the first part of Buttermilk, a bunch of people passed me.  The same thing happened in Forest Hill Park (FHP), although I did start passing some people.  FHP is the hardest part of the course; it has crazy hills that many people can't ride up.  I rode them all and even surprised myself with the speed I took a couple of them.  FHP was also the place where I most wanted to give up.  My body hadn't warmed up yet and I was sore from the running, I just wanted to quit.  I stuck it out though.

Coming out of FHP I got my first wind.  I tore up the Buttermilk and back down the gravel road.  I hit Buttermilk Heights (BH) with new enthusiasm and was quickly rewarded by passing two people early on.  Why is it that when I pass people they stop IN MY LINE!  I almost wrecked a few times because people didn't know how to get out of my way!  BH was my best section.  I passed a bunch of riders, men and women.  I was on fire.

Crossing over the Nickel Bridge was a nice break and I loved the cool down the wind provided.  The Northtrail section under Maymont is pleasant and not too difficult a ride.  The trail beside the fence sucks!  It is constant up and down and without full suspension, it gets old quick.

The newest section of the trail, the section featured in Thursday's RTD, is Stairway to Heaven (SoH).  Named because it is a ramp and then dirt track that goes up in elevation quickly.  I hit it in too low a gear, but managed to ride the ramp.  As I was riding up the steep section of the ramp, both of my calves cramped and I had to change my pedal position to get up the ramp.  At the top of the ramp, I had to stretch for a minute before I walked the rest of the way up that section of trail.  (Just so you know, I have ridden SoH without stopping before.)

After SoH, it was a bit of road riding and then a quick drop in for some switchbacks and hills.  The rest of the course is pretty easy and once past SoH I was on autopilot.  I passed a couple more people on the trail, but it was generally uneventful.

I finished 13 out of 28 in my age group.  So somewhere along the line, I passed half of the people that started in front of me.

I am extremely pleased that I was able to both run and ride the entire course this year.  It's because of the great friends I run and bike with that I was able to complete both events this year.  While they weren't with me, they were pushing me along the course nonetheless.

As always, a special shout-out goes to my wife Carrie for putting up with all of my crazy training!  (My swimming lessons start next week!)