My History in the Marathon

So two days away from my running of the Skagit Flats Marathon, I've been pondering my strange history of my love/hate affair with the 26.2 mile distance.

I've run four marathons so far. The Skagit Flats will be the fifth. That's not so much, of course, but it seems like so, so much more. Maybe it's just the horribly long training periods that make it seem like I've done more than four of these things. I mean, I've been training since May 6th for the Skagit Flats. May 6th!! So it really shouldn't be surprising, with such a long training period, and then with the race itself being so disturbingly long, that some bad luck might occur during the prep and/or race.

My first marathon was in 1997. Wow. That was a long time ago. I was all of 30 years old, but in distance running years, I was just a little bouncing baby boy. I was all about 5k's and sprint triathlons back then. That marathon in 1997, the Seattle Marathon, was a total fluke. Jen and I somehow decided to try one and just did it. I was in no type of shape to run a marathon and my race time shows that. The Seattle course was not fun, I hated just about every rainy minute of it and it's really no great shock that it took me 13 years to try again.

My second marathon, in 2010, was the Eugene Marathon. I'll blame my friend Manny Balesteri, from Springfield and the UofO, for getting me back into the marathon after such a long break. He was, and still is, seriously into the distance and his love of the race made me wonder if it was really as bad as I had remembered it. Yeah, it probably was. I was in OK shape at this race, but still had not committed to the training that's required to actually race for 26.2 miles. I was well trained for a half here, but definitely not a full.

The third marathon, in Newport, was where I thought it would all come together. I trained hard for this one, following Pete Pfitzinger's marathon plan to the letter. I thought I could get a Boston time here, but after about 10 miles realized that was not going to happen. A very short time after that, I had the worst GI issues I've ever had in my life. And that was that. Somehow, this one is still my PR.

The fourth, and latest if not for long, was the CIM in Sacramento, CA. I hurt my ankle a number of weeks before the race and basically did no training at all for this one. Plus this was the Hurricaine CIM of 2012. I'm lucky I made it to the finish line.

Which brings us to the present day. And the Skagit Flats Marathon in two days. I've had three pretty good months of training for this one, over 600 miles total in June, July and August combined, and then two pretty bad weeks heading to the start line. I pulled a muscle in my leg and have just been nursing it along for about 10 days now. How much will it affect my race? Only time will tell.

Eventually it will all come together. The training, the nutrition, the race...everything. Not in two days' time and maybe not in the next race or the one after that. But I'll get it one of these days.

See you out there.

Evaluating Running Goals After An Injury

Yes, the "dreaded" injury. In my case, this ankle right here:

If you recall, I rolled my ankle pretty good during the Condor 25k Trail Run. After I rolled the ankle, I believe I made a few mistakes. First, I ran the rest of the race after I hurt my ankle - about 13 miles on a bad ankle. Dumb, but I can be stubborn like that, I admit. I've never had an actual DNF in a race. I didn't want to start then. Then I took six days off - a good decision. Then I thought I could go ahead and run because it didn't feel really bad. Mistake number two. I definitely didn't do the healing any favors with that run. Now I'm on a seven-day stretch without running. It's feeling a bit better, although not great. Maybe 75-80%.

So the goals...

First, I'm signed up for the Runaway Pumpkin Half this Saturday, the 27th. Way back, when I signed up for the race, I figured it would be a nice little test as I move toward the CIM in December. About six weeks away from my goal marathon, so I could run the Half fast and try to PR, with plenty of time after to recover.

Now, I'm not even sure if I'm going to run the Pumpkin Half at all. If I do, the PR is out the window.

And of course, now I'm on my third week of basically no running. In the middle of my training program for my Boston Qualifier, the CIM. Sigh...I knew qualifying for Boston would be tough, I just didn't realize I'd have so many false starts.

So I'm having a tough time with my mental outlook right now. I'm trying very hard to take the long overview:

-Get the foot healthy enough to run on again,
-If possible, use the Runaway Pumpkin Half as an easy training run,
-Get back into the training schedule, but ease off a bit. Boston is not an option at this point, and I need to regain my running fitness more than my top-end speed, after being out for so long.
-Try to PR at the California International Marathon. A new goal, sort of, but still something to drive toward and focus on. And frankly, since I had such a horrible race at my last full, a new PR is still very much possible.

And since it's important to quit focusing on the negative ("damn foot, why won't you get better faster?"), and instead focus on the future ("so what spring marathon should I schedule?"), I went out and purchased the new Hanson's Marathon Method book. What's more inspiring than a new training plan to follow?!?

So, let's review:

-Wait! Don't rush it. Let the injury heal and get back into the training as soon as possible.
-Reset the goals. Make them concrete, objective, and most importantly, still difficult yet achievable.
-Find some inspiration to get you excited all over again. A new book, a new pair of shoes, sign up for a race that's six months away. Anything to solidly plant that new goal and improve the mental and emotional outlook.

And don't think about the foot. Quit thinking about the foot.

The 2012 Race Schedule - PR's or Bust!

Well, after the pain and misery that was the Newport Marathon, I had to take a couple weeks to get my head straight, but I think I'm back in the right frame of mind. I'm ready to race again. I'm actually feeling sort of fast and frisky.

So let's set the remaining 2012 race sched!

Strangely enough, and I didn't plan it this way, I'm looking at five races for the rest of 2012...and they just line up in perfect order from short to long: 5k, 8k, 10k, Half Marathon, and finally, Full Marathon.

And don't forget the PR portion of this plan. It's all about the PR! About the only advantage of being an old man like me is being able to shoot for all-time PR's...but if you miss those, being able to shoot for your Master's PR's! Unfortunately for me, a LOT of my Master's PR's are my all-time PR's. Ack!

Let's run it down!

5k - July 4, 2012
All-Time PR: 19:59
Master's PR: 23:11

This one is coming up fast. Next Wednesday, on Independence Day, Corvallis has one of the most low-key 5k races you'll ever find. Four bucks and you're in! I don't have a chance in hell of setting my all-time PR here. I haven't completely given up on that yet, but I'm not in that kind of shape right now. I do think I can lower my Master's PR however. One concern: I ran this race last year and had a HORRIBLE race. Considering I run this route about once a week, I really should have no excuses here.

8k - July 28, 2012
All-Time PR: 37:40
Master's PR: 47:02

Ten minutes difference between the two PR's! Crazy, right? Well, there is a reason behind that. The only 8k I've run since I been back in decent shape these last couple years was the Run for the Hills 8k...trail run. And yes, it had some serious hills! But this year, we're going back in time and revisiting a race that me and my brother used to run every year, back in the day! The Seafair Torchlight 8k! Back in Seattle, baby. And yes, I see a Master's PR. All-time? Maybe.

10k - September 23, 2012
All-Time PR: 48:57
Master's PR: 48:57

Both PR's were set last year at the Fall Festival 10k in Corvallis and that's where I'll be running this year as well. Hey, it's flat, it's fast, and it's on trails and roads that I run every single week in Corvallis. PR? Yes, I think so.

Half Marathon - October 27, 2012
All-time PR: 1:42:24
Master's PR: 1:42:24

Well, both PR's were just set a few months back at the Corvallis Half. That course is fairly flat and pretty fast. And familiar. The Runaway Pumpkin Half in Lebanon? Don't know. It's in it's second year, and I didn't run it last year. PR? Well, I ain't gonna run it and not try to PR, right?

Marathon - December 2, 2012
All-time PR: 4:12:55
Master's PR: 4:12:55

We're not even going to talk about Boston before this one. I've learned my lesson there. But PR. Oh yeah, me and the CIM are going to PR. You heard it here first.

So that's the rest of the year. Looks good.

Let's do it.

Running and Triathlon Links Monday!

No time to waste - let's get to it!

Newport Marathon Wrap-up - the only written report, besides my whining blog post, that I could find

Meb and Kim Smith roll at Rock 'n' Roll San Diego - Ryan Hall, on the other hand, doesn't look that good

Lance Armstrong wins another Ironman 70.3 - long course tris are all about the bike leg, and no one crushes the bike like Lance

Masters and Age-Grading - I have not yet gone there; I can still set lifetime PR's in many distances, but maybe never again in the 5k...

Yet another "barefoot and injured" article - this time from ESPN

Australians set their Olympic Tri teams - Emma Snowsill gets snubbed

Pre-cooling can help you run faster in summer weather - just a cool drink before the race can help

Rev3 Quassy photo gallery - Oregonian Jesse Thomas took fourth

Music for your run - reviews on audio devices of all kinds, from Runner's World

Why do some girls run shorter cross-country races than boys? - a good question; ten states still run different length courses for boys and girls

Is running good for you? Really? - And the important questions - what kind of running?

Farah and Rupp look strong at the Pre - could Rupp challenge for a medal in London?


Yeah, it was wet in Newport. Photo from David Morgan and News Lincoln County

Newport Marathon Review and Results

Hey, if you're just looking for results to the 2012 Newport Marathon - here you go.

If you're patiently waiting to read my horror story from the very same 2012 Newport Marathon - hey, let's get into it!

So let's start from the beginning, because I think my issues may have started months ago...when I registered for the race, and then shortly after, reserved my hotel room in Newport. The Newport Marathon weekend had originally been planned as a nice weekend get-away for the whole R's family. Unfortunately, we found out a few weeks after I made my Newport arrangements that Carson had her Girls on the Run 5k on the exact same day. Doh! So the arrangements were changed: Carson and Jen would run the GOTR 5k in Corvallis and I would run the Newport Marathon and take my photographer, Payton with me. And yes, I'm getting to the point. See, the start line and finish line were about a mile and a half apart. And my hotel was close to the start, not the finish. Since I didn't see myself wanting to hike a mile and a half back to the hotel after the marathon, I woke up at 5:00am to drive down to the finish line. They had buses heading from there back to the start line, but in absolutely typical runner fashion, about 50 of us were lined up waiting for the buses right in front of the host hotel...and waiting...and waiting...while the buses were sitting down the road about a quarter mile away from us! Finally, after about 15 minutes of standing and waiting, someone figured it out and we all moved down the road and got on the buses.

At this point, it was about 6:00am, and I needed to get from the start back to my hotel to meet a friend, my main man Manny, then walk back to the start line.

Long story short; this was not my usual, relaxing morning of a race routine.

Manny and I made it to the start line at about 6:30 or so and (hello foreshadowing!), the lines to the honey buckets were loooooooong. It's a fairly small race, about 1000 runners, but even so, they did not have enough bathrooms at the start.

The forecast was for rain overnight, then clearing skies by race time. Didn't happen. There was a heavy, fine mist falling at the start and through most of the race. It was sunny when we went to lunch though!

So we lined up for the start and were off right at 7:00am. I'm not sure what it was, but I didn't feel great from the start. Maybe it was that the first five miles were more hilly than I thought they would be and maybe it was just the start of the issue that would hit me hard in a short time, but I was having trouble keeping my Boston Qualifying time even in the first five miles. I needed to average about 7:50 pace for my BQ and I averaged about a 7:58 in the first five miles.

Miles 1-5 pace: 7:58

Yes, there's half of my body running around the two or three mile mark. I had taken off my sunglasses because they were so wet and fogging. That's easily the best I looked during the entire race.

The second five miles was where the trouble really started. First, my stomach. Ugh. Around mile 8, I just started feeling bad. Upset stomach, rumblings of needing a bathroom soon. Plus the rain really soaked me in the first ten miles. The front of my shirt was soaked through and heavy. And my shorts were so wet and full of water, plus the Mint Chocolate GU in both pockets, that they kept slipping down onto my hips! So I had to tie them tight to keep them up, even though it made my stomach feel worse.

Miles 5-10 pace: 8:20. Going downhill fast.

Miles 11 and 12 were a bit slower, but not terrible.

Mile 13 is where the bottom dropped out. I suddenly, scarily suddenly, needed a Honey Bucket. Or a tree. Fast. On the left were lots of trees...behind a barbed wire fence. On the right, beach. Oh boy. I had to stop and walk before something terrible happened. My stomach was just rebelling. I actually had to stop walking at a few points and let stomach cramps pass. And there was still nowhere to go to the bathroom. If you're not a runner, you probably don't understand this, but I was having visions of the picture. You know, the picture...(I'm warning you, don't even look at this, you don't want to see...but this was the picture going through my head at this point in the race). And there STILL WASN'T A HONEY BUCKET IN SIGHT! Finally, after hobbling through about a half-mile, there was a water stop, and a Honey Bucket. One Honey Bucket. With somebody already in it. Lord.

I finally got in there and took care of business, but while it took care of emergency issues, it really didn't make my stomach feel any better and I made yet another stop at the next Bucket I saw.

Miles 10-15 pace (including two porta potty stops): 9:30.

I felt a little better over the next couple miles and only made one more stop at a Honey Bucket (thankfully my last) around mile 18.

Now the problems were mostly mental. My BQ try was out the window completely and totally. It was a depressing thing to think about and I was having trouble getting myself inspired to work hard. Another thing working against me here was my marathon PR was so slow coming into this race (4:37) that I knew I could walk in from here and still get it, so the whole "run for the PR" thing wasn't helping much either.

I know it sounds like I'm a walking complaint, but the marathon is a long, long race. And when it's not going well, it gives you lots of time to think negative thoughts.

Miles 15-20 pace (including one porta potty stop): 9:50.

So the last six miles, I both died physically and mentally, just wanting nothing worse than to get off the course. I slogged through the last bit to a completely uninspiring finish.

Official time: 4:12:55.

Ugh. So a 25 minute PR and 40 minutes away from my BQ time. Ouch.

Two things: I never had a shot at the BQ because of my stomach, but also I don't think I had a chance anyway because I'm not in good enough shape. I think if I had run with no stomach complications, I would have been around 3:40-3:45. Which is still a long way away from 3:25.

So I think I'll spend a couple weeks deciding on a plan. I know I'm going to run some shorter stuff through the summer and early fall. Maybe start on another marathon training plan around September to be ready for a December marathon (CIM maybe?). One nice thing - I had to walk so much during the race yesterday, I'm not nearly as sore as I probably should be after a marathon.

If you're wondering about trying the race, on a drier year, know that it is pretty flat, but the first five miles are up and down. Also, know that there's basically no fan support, which some like and some don't. Finally, I was a little worried about the road being sloped (I had read some complaints about that), but it wasn't bad. On the way out to the turn-around, I really didn't notice it at all. On the way back, on the inside of the outside lane, since runners were going in both directions in one lane, it was a little worse. But it was never terrible. A lot of people asked me if it would be windy, but apparently the Bay, away from the actual coast, doesn't get that much wind. And true enough, there was very little wind yesterday.

So that's that. Now let's look at the booty.

The race shirt is pretty cool. I don't think I've ever had a yellow race shirt. Ever.

The handmade glass medal is very cool. Best medal I've ever received, for sure.

Congrats to Glen Tucker, who crushed the field with a 2:32:56, and to everyone who finished the race. I hope you had a better race than I did!

Newport Marathon Pre-Review

Imagine a race where absolutely every little thing that could go wrong, did. A race where setback after calamity after disappointment stacked up and up until it toppled over on your head. A race where you would immediately erase the entire thing from your memory for all time if you had the power to do so.

Imagine that race.

Yeah, my run at the Newport was worse than that race.

Race report coming tomorrow.

(Yes, the Honey Bucket is foreshadowing...)

Northwest Running and Triathlon Calendar!

Well, we're just a couple days out from the Newport Marathon, so tonight we hit the meal of choice for Boston Marathon champions from days of yore to present: First Burger.

Seriously, these guys have the best veggie burger I've ever eaten. Ever. Give it a try - it will cure what ails ya!

Let's Race!

-Green Text for Trail Runs
-Red Text for Marathons and Half Marathons
-Blue Text for Triathlons and Duathlons
-Orange Text for everything else, the normal 5k, 10k, etc

RACES FOR WEEK OF JUNE 18th TO JUNE 24th

June 23rd / Race for the Animals Trail Run 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

June 23rd / Taylor Mt. Trail Run 50k, Marathon, Half Marathon and 5m / Issaquah, WA

June 23rd / Pacific Crest Marathon and Half Marathon / Sunriver, OR

June 23rd / Bald Hill Peak Half Marathon / Hillsboro, OR

June 23rd / Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

June 23rd / Pacific Crest Long Course Triathlon and Duathlon / Sunriver, OR

June 23rd / Padden Triathlon Super-Sprint and Sprint / Bellingham, WA

June 24th / Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon and Duathlon / Sunriver, OR

June 20th / Summer Solstice 5k / Springfield, OR (Wednesday Night Race!)

June 21st / Summer Solstice Sundowner 5k / Portland, OR (Thursday Night Race)

June 21st / Salem Summer Solstice 6.21k / Salem, OR (Thursday Night Race!)

June 21st / Get Healthy 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR (Thursday Night Race!)

June 23rd / Summer Solstice 6m and 3m / Vancouver, WA

June 23rd / Kootenai River Run 10k and 5k / Bonners Ferry, ID

June 23rd / Running of the Trolls 5.75m and 3m / Astoria, OR

June 23rd / Carlton Fun Race 5k / Carlton, OR

June 23rd / Pink Buffalo Stampede 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR

June 23rd / Deputy Saul Gallegos Memorial Run 10k and 5k / Manson, WA

June 23rd / Twilight Run 5k / Tigard, OR

June 23rd / Henry Lake 10.4 Mile Run for a Cause 10.4m, 10k and 5k / Gaston, OR

June 24th / Pacific Crest 10k and 5k / Sunriver, OR

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First Burger photo from Willamette Food Adventures blog.

Nineteen Days To Newport Marathon

And I had my third, and last, 20 miler today in the Fitz marathon program. As seems to be the theme for my long runs lately, it was hotter than Hades today in Corvallis - we almost hit 90 degrees this afternoon. However, after my horrid experience during my last hot long run, I took a two part strategy to try to improve my run today.

First, I made sure I was out the door and running before 7:30 - I actually tried to hit 7:00, but had to get the kids started on their Mother's Day scones that they were making. Yum!

Second, instead of wandering around the entire stinking town and hitting large shadeless swathes, I plotted out an approximately 6-mile loop, using MapMyRun.com of course, and hit it three times. This loop included the nice shady patches along the river for about half of the loop, which was very welcome toward the end of the three hours out on the roads.

Pay attention to the "Moving Pace" column, since there were a number of stoplights and stops at the water fountain to refill the water bottle. Wore down a little at the end, but still came in around 20 minutes faster than my first two 20 milers in the plan, so...

Yeah, so...

Can I hold pace for 26.2? I'm not sure. It shouldn't be as hot in Newport as it was here today for sure, but that's probably not my only issue.

Am I ready to run a 3:25:00 for a BQ at Newport? I really don't know. But I'm ready to give it a shot.

Nineteen days to go...

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Fastest Known Time at a Trail Near You

I love this site - Fastest Known Time.

Want to know the fastest running time for weird trails and routes like Rim 2 Rim at the Grand Canyon, or the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, or the entire Pacific Coast Trail down the West Coast? Well, Fastest Known Time is the website for you.

Let's race!

-Green Text for Trail Runs
-Red Text for Marathons and Half Marathons
-Blue Text for Triathlons and Duathlons
-Orange Text for everything else, the normal 5k, 10k, etc

RACES FOR WEEK OF MAY 29th TO JUNE 3rd

June 2nd / Timberline Trail Marathon and Half Marathon / Government Camp, OR

June 2nd / Silver Falls Challenge Trail 5k / Silverton, OR

June 2nd / Rainier to Ruston Trail 50m, 50k, Marathon and Half Marathon / Tacoma, WA

June 2nd / XTERRA Lord Hill Trail Half Marathon and 10k / Snohomish, WA

June 3rd / Red Devil Challenge Trail 20k / Cashmere, WA

June 3rd / Run for the Hills Trail 8k / Corvallis, OR

June 2nd / Sun Valley Half Marathon / Sun Valley, ID

June 2nd / Spirit of Magic Valley Half Marathon and 5k / Twin Falls, ID

June 2nd / Three Rivers Race Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / La Grande, OR

June 2nd / Newport Marathon / Newport, OR

June 3rd / North Olympic Discovery Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Port Angeles, WA

June 3rd / San Juan Island Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k / Friday Harbor, WA

June 2nd / Duel in the Desert Road and Mtn Bike Duathlon / Bend, OR

June 2nd / Issaquah Sprint Triathlon, Duathlon 10k and 5k / Issaquah, WA

June 3rd / Pine Hollow Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Wamic, OR

June 3rd / Hagg Lake Open Water Swim 4000m, 2000m and 800m / Forest Grove, OR

June 2nd / Linear Trail Brave Run 10k and 5k / Banks, OR

June 2nd / Soles2Souls 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

June 2nd / Starlight Run 5k / Portland, OR

June 2nd / Santiam Fun Run 8k and 5k / Stayton, OR

June 2nd / Moonlight Five 5m / Springfield, OR

June 2nd / Run for Kyron 10k and 5k / Tigard, OR

June 2nd / Run for the Son 5k / Liberty Lake, WA

June 2nd / Woodburn Run 10k and 5k / Woodburn, OR

June 2nd / Ironheart Classic 8m, 4m and 1m / Redmond, WA

June 2nd / Lebanon Strawberry Festival Run 5k / Lebanon, OR

June 3rd / Hockinson 5k / Brush Prairie, WA

June 3rd / Duvall 10k and 5k / Duvall, WA

June 3rd / Push America 5k / Eugene, OR

June 3rd / Chum Run 5k / Langley, WA

June 3rd / Fallen Trooper Memorial Run 33k, 10k and 5k / St. Paul, OR

June 3rd / Cougar Prowl 5k / Silverdale, WA

June 3rd / Stoller Vineyards 5k / Dayton, OR

June 3rd / Komen Race for the Cure 5k / Seattle, WA

June 3rd / Heaven Can Wait 5k / Bend, OR

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Running Across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

And with the long run on Saturday, we're through Week Four of the Pete Pfitzinger marathon training plan. Over 42 miles last week, and this upcoming week will have over 45 miles before I get a well-earned recovery week.

My long run on Saturday was interesting for a number of reasons. First, earlier in the week, looking at my schedule, I knew my usual long run day of Sunday didn't look good. We were going to be driving from Seattle back to Corvallis on Sunday, then volunteering at the Corvallis Swim Team meet on Sunday night - no time to fit in a 15 mile run. So I skipped my off day on Friday and instead did my short recovery run, then placed my long run on Saturday instead of Sunday. Of course, that put the long run on the tail end of five straight days of running. Oof. This old body needs a day off now and then.

Then, since we were staying with the parents-in-law in Gig Harbor over the weekend, I figured I better find a running route around there. Zing! I know, I'll run across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge!

Ah hindsight. If I only knew then what I know now.

But I didn't know then! So I hunted up the Scott Pierson Trail, which runs from Gig Harbor, across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and into Tacoma. I knew it would be a little hilly, because that area just is, but hey, what's a hill or two, right?

Oof again. As you can see from my Garmin stats here, we started out pretty well, although that slow first mile is me trying to figure out where to keep my cell phone. I finally moved my GU from the pocket in my water bottle holder to my shorts pocket and put the phone there, but it took some effort. And it exposed the GU to the elements... Yum - cold, thick GU!

Anyway, the first four miles went swimmingly, then I hit the bridge. Yes, there's a good reason old Galloping Gertie fell into the Puget Sound back in 1940 - the wind just howls across that thing! On Saturday, they were getting steady wind of 20-40 mph, with gusts of 50-60! I had trouble keeping upright the whole way across the bridge, and it's quite a long bridge at that - a bit over a mile from end to end. Wow, that was a tough mile, going over that thing. And of course, all I could think while running it was "I'm going to turn around in a few miles and I'll have to run this damn thing again, going back home."

And a strange quirk with the Garmin appeared after I downloaded the stats. As you can see from the photo, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is not flat. Like most bridges of that size, it has a serious hump in the middle. You go up the first half, and down the second half. But according to the Garmin elevation, I fell off the bridge and swam across! My elevation hits sea level all the way across the bridge, which messes up the elevation in two ways: I don't get the actual elevation climb on the bridge, plus I get the bad data from dropping to sea level and climbing back up, twice.

Then I lost the trail a couple times winding through Tacoma, especially where it goes under Highway 16 and ends up on the other side of the highway. It's not marked well there, so pay attention if you're running it. And then there are a few stoplights. And the windy bridge on the way back.

Yeah, I'm looking for excuses for the slow time.

But I guess if I was looking for a tough training run just for getting ready to tough-out a marathon purposes, well, that was a good one.

My Absolute Worst Fear in the Marathon

So I did a 14 mile training run today while in the 3rd week of my training plan to get ready for the Newport Marathon. I was just trying to keep it within 10-20% of the race pace I hope to run in Newport and was feeling pretty good...until about mile five. Right around there I experienced my very worst fear in running 26.2 miles and trying to keep at a Boston Qualifying pace.

Check out my stats from the Garmin right here - it's pretty clear where I have my issue. After keeping a fairly steady 8:30 pace, mile six and seven clock in around 14:00 and 12:00, and frankly, I'm surprised they were that fast. Considering I spent a fair amount of time in the bathroom at Fred Meyer...

Yes, that's truly my worst marathon fear: trying to run fast enough to qualify for Boston and suddenly having to stop at a Honey Bucket for five minutes in the middle of the race. That can take the starch out of your race right there. Let's face it, I'm not going to have a lot of extra time to fool around with - if I make my BQ time, I expect to barely make it, at best.

I mean, we all know that 26 miles, or even 14, of hard running is not easy on the stomach. You can only eat safely for the days leading up to the race and then hope for the best.

And hope there's a Fred Meyer close by!


172

Time to Start Training for Your NW Marathon!

If you've got a marathon coming up in the spring or summer, you better get the training cranked up. I personally have the Newport Marathon on June 2nd, and just started my 18-week training plan this week. So if you're shooting for pretty much anything between April and July, it's about time to get serious on the training.

And looky here! There are plenty of marathons to choose from:

Yakima River Canyon Marathon - March 31 - Yakima, WA
ORRC Vernonia Marathon - April 15 - Vernonia, OR
Whidbey Island Marathon - April 15 - Oak Harbor, WA
Wenatchee Marathon - April 21 - Wenatchee, WA
Eugene Marathon - April 29 - Eugene, OR
Lake Lowell Marathon - May 5 - Nampa, ID
Tacoma City Marathon - May 6 - Tacoma, WA
Vancouver International Marathon - May 6 - Vancouver, BC
Famous Idaho Potato Marathon - May 19 - Boise, ID
Windermere Marathon - May 19 - Spokane, WA
Capital City Marathon - May 20 - Olympia, WA
Coeur d'Alene Marathon - May 27 - Coeur d'Alene, ID
Run for Water Marathon - May 27 - Abbotsford, BC
Green River Marathon - June 2 - Kent, WA
Newport Marathon - June 2 - Newport, OR
Three Sisters Marathon - June 9 - Redmond, OR
Timberline Marathon - June 2 - Government Camp, OR
North Olympic Discovery Marathon - June 3 - Port Angeles, WA
San Juan Island Marathon - June 3 - Friday Harbor, WA
Bear Lake Idaho Marathon - June 8 - Fish Haven, ID
Edge to Edge Marathon - June 10 - Ucluelet, BC
St. Joe River Marathon - June 10 - St. Maries, ID
Winthrop Road Marathon - June 10 - Winthrop, WA
Vancouver USA Marathon - June 17 - Vancouver, WA
Pacific Crest Marathon - June 23 - Sunriver, OR
Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon - June 23 - Seattle, WA
Bellevue Ghost Marathon - June 24 - Bellevue, WA
Foot Traffic Flat Marathon - July 4 - Portland, OR

Whew! And that's just through July 4th! Find a race, find a training plan and get running. Let's go!


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Active.com...$6.65?!? Really?!?

So I'm going to sign up for the Newport Marathon, a great Boston qualifier if you're interested (we'll discuss this more later). And I'm signing up online because that's just how I roll. I don't like it, but I'll usually pay a couple extra bucks for the convenience of online registration.

So the sign-up is through Active.com, and from past experience, I'm already getting a bad feeling. But nothing could prepare me for the the amount Active was trying to sneak on the bill for "processing." The amount was, seriously, $6.65. On an $80 registration fee. Almost 10% of the bill added on top. For "Processing."

Give me a break, Active.com. There's no way I'm paying $6.65 for you to "process" my registration.

I closed the window and mailed in my registration. Snail-Mail. With a .44 stamp, thanks very much.

I encourage you to do the same.