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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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.

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

 Here's a summary of my 2008 Spring Running Season. It was without a doubt my best ever single season of running and I accomplished my two main goals: running well at the Frederick Marathon and winning the Frederick Steeplechasers' Grand Prix Series title. I also received sponsorships from Brooks, nuun, and If The Shoe Fits (my local running store in Frederick, MD)!



I began March still recovering from knee tendonitis and a bit run down. I did a lot of cross-training on the elliptical and gradually worked in runs as I began to recover. The first race of the GP was a 5 miler in mid-March. I was able to win with a time of 28:59 on a rolling course with some strong winds. The month included long runs of 18, 20, and 22 miles.



April was a very solid month that had a strong start, a solid 5K in the middle, and ended with the beginning of my taper period. The 5K was my second GP race and I cruised to an easy win. I had won the race last year so this victory marked my first "repeat" title. The course is long (about 3.23 miles) and hilly so my time wasn't all that good, but I feel like I could have set a 5K PR on that day had I been on a fast course. Here's the report: http://community.active.com/blogs/jaysilvio/2008/04/19/my-first-ever-repeat



May began with the Frederick Marathon on the 4th. My second place overall finish was well beyond my expectations and you can read about it at:http://community.active.com/blogs/jaysilvio/2008/05/09/frederick-marathon-race-report

After the marathon I tried to return to my normal training too quickly. I did not allow my muscles to fully heal and am still dealing with nagging soreness in my calves, hamstrings, and knees. I spent a lot of time on the elliptical trying to reduce the pounding to my legs. I ended the month with my final GP race and even though I was flat I was able to grit out a second place finish. The race report is here:http://community.active.com/blogs/jaysilvio/2008/06/03/race-report-deer-dash-5k

Two firsts and a second earned me enough points to capture the GP title! I received my award (a cool beach towel with the Steeplechasers' logo and "Grand Prix Champion") at a club picnic yesterday. Certainly one of the more useful prizes I have won and it will be a source of continued motivation as I dry off from post workout showers.

I have not had much time for writing recently, so this will cover the past two weeks. They have been full of ups and downs. I am still not fully recovered from the marathon, but I was able to take second place in a fairly competitive local 5K this past weekend in order to secure my local running club's Grand Prix Series title. The biggest news is that I have received membership into the Brooks I.D. (Inspire Daily) program http://www.brooksrunning.com/Athletes+%26+Events/Brooks+I.D.+Program/ 



Here we go:



Week 1 (5/19 - 5/25)

Monday - An hour long elliptical session. This was a fairly strong workout as I settled in for another week of rehab for my hurting left calf. I was pleased with my performance and how my calf held up.

Tuesday - A 40 minute reverse elliptical session (followed by 15 minutes of forward cool down). A decent workout with no major calf issues.

Wednesday - An hour long elliptical session. Nothing particularly exciting about it and my calf feels decent. I am getting bored of the elliptical machine.

Thursday - An elliptical two-a-day. In the morning I put in a hard 45 minute session and set a new best distance for that time period. In the afternoon I do 40 minutes in reverse (followed by 15 minutes of forward cool down). I am please by both my morning's speed and by how well I feel during and after a second workout.

Friday - An hour long elliptical session. Afterwards I head outside and test my legs with four strides on grass. My calf feels like it is on the mend.

Saturday - An 8 mile run. I run fairly relaxed most of the way and pick up the pace a bit on the last couple of miles. My calf feels a little stiff afterwards, but nothing serious.

Sunday - A 1 hour spin on my bike trainer. I get up early so that I can get it in before I very full day of family activities.



Week 2 (5/26 - 6/1)

Monday - A 10 mile run. Another major setback. This time my right hamstring locks up on me. By the end my calf is also aching. I thought I was getting better, but it seems not. I am incredibly frustrated.

Tuesday - A 40 minute reverse elliptical session (followed by 15 minutes of forward cool down). My hamstring and calf were tight throughout the day, but didn't cause any major issues during my workout.

Wednesday - An hour long elliptical session. I set a new best distance for the hour. While I am getting rather tired of being on the elliptical almost every day, I am please to see that I am not losing fitness.

Thursday - A 30 minute reverse elliptical session followed by an easy mile on a treadmill and 4 strides on grass. I am exhausted due to the fact that the rest of my family is sick and I was up all night taking my daughters to the bathroom and cleaning up puke. Not exactly how I wanted to feel a couple days before a race.

Friday - A 4 mile pre-race run. I try and stay relaxed and my calf feels a little tight, but there is no major pain (just some tingling). I put in 4 strides at the end.

Saturday - A 5K race. I have a hard time recalling a race I have been less excited to run. Between injuries and not getting enough sleep, I just want to get it over with and finish high enough to grab the GP title (I don't even bother bringing racing shoes). If I didn't need the points, I never would have run. I do a couple miles of warm up, run the race (I finished second in an unusually competitive field for a small local race), and then do about 4 miles of cool down. I am glad when it is all over.

Sunday - A 5.5 mile run. I feel tight and both physically and emotionally drained. I run slow and easy.



While I am still recovering from the Frederick Marathon and my legs continue to need to be rehabbed, I can not overlook the highlights of the past two weeks. Gaining sponsorship from Brooks is a major honor for me and I am excited to represent such a great company. I am also pleased that I was able to gut out enough of a race to win the Grand Prix series. I am planning on taking a bit more recovery time (hopefully with more running being integrated back into my training) and hopefully will soon have more energy and enthusiasm.

On May 31 I ran the inaugural Deer Dash 5K at Deer Crossing Elementary School in New Market, Maryland. This event was the last one in my running club's (The Frederick Steeplechasers) Spring Grand Prix series. Since I had missed a few of the other races due to my training and recovery for the Frederick Marathon, I needed to place well at the Deer Dash in order to win the GP title. I had not been feeling well due to recurring cramping and tightness in my right hamstring and left calf over the past couple of weeks as well as the fact that I was up all night on Wednesday because the rest of my family was getting violently sick and I was constantly cleaning up puke. I can not recall another event that I have been so unexcited about running. I simply wanted to get it over with without hurting myself; I didn't even bring my racing flats preferring to run in my comfortable (and more supportive) Adrenalines.

I got up around six on Saturday morning and made my wife a latte and myself a bagel with peanut butter and sliced banana. I left the house around seven to head over to the race site in order to register and warm up before the 8:30 start. As I get ready to start jogging I noticed that the field looked more competitive than usual for a local 5K; not exactly what I was hoping for. The course was mainly on winding, moderately hilly roads with some stretches along connecting bike paths that were rather patchy and a couple momentum crushing out-and-back sections into neighborhood courts. This is no course for a PR (not that I had any shot at one on a fast course) and a post race analysis of times indicated that average finishes were 56 seconds slower that a previous week's much less competitive 5K. After I did a couple miles for my warm-up with Craig Shearer, a 27 year old teacher who was hoping to run around 17 minutes, I did some strides in the parking lot and got ready for the start. The sky looked very grey, but luckily the rain held off. When the race started, a large pack took off at a quick pace. I quickly found myself in a rather unfamiliar tenth place behind a half dozen high school runners and a few serious looking adults (so much for cruising to an easy win). From that position, I watched the inexperienced high schoolers take wide turns as I cut all the corners as tight as possible. The group hit the first mile at the end of an out-and-back stretch in around 5:30 and I'm able to pick up a few spots by simply turning sharply at the cone rather than running around the court's perimeter. Amazingly, Chris Flynn, another teacher and an excellent coach/runner who led the entire race, modeled the proper technique but the high schoolers decided to go wide. Right after that the course went up a hill and I almost plowed into the back of another high schooler that was fading fast from his early pace. I see some of the other Steeplechasers and we exchange cheers. By the top of the hill I am in 4th place behind other adults. The course took off down a steep and bumpy bike path and then picked back up in another section of the neighborhood. The group stayed fairly tight and I was worried I would have to settle for 4th place and hoped that would earn enough points in the GP standings. Things stayed pretty static for a bit and I missed the two-mile split. I passed Craig and moved into third place around that time. On the next hill I moved up into second (which was a good sign since I'm not a strong uphill runner). We then hit a long stretch of rolling and winding bike path that included some patches overgrown with bushes and vines. I kept Chris in my sites, but I wasn't able to make any major dent into his lead. I tried to surge the last half mile or so, but my legs didn't have that kind of speed left in them and my stomach warned me that it was ready to vomit if I pushed much longer. When the end of the course went through all three rows of the parking lot rather than going around the edge, I ran out of gas. Chris finished in 17:57 and I came in seven seconds later at 18:04. The top four finishers were all clustered in about 20 seconds. On a side note, the top three were all wearing Brooks and four of the top five were teachers! After the finish I did a couple miles of cool down with Chris and we talked about his coaching and then another couple with Craig. I got back to the school and talked with other Steeplechasers for a bit. I received a small trophy for my second place overall finish and a bag filled with around a hundred dollars worth of gift certificates. I went home feeling relieved to have accomplished what I had set out to do and proud of the effort I put forth (even if the time was less than spectacular). I am looking forward to some relaxing recovery runs over the next week or so and trying to regain some energy and enthusiasm. Serious training for the Baltimore Marathon starts in a few weeks!

This was the second week following my marathon and it was a disaster. It started off poorly and then got worse. By the end of the week I realized that my left calf was really injured and I’ll need to take at least two weeks off from running. I am not overjoyed by the prospect of nothing but elliptical and bike training for a good chunk of time. At this point I am still determined to run a 5K on May 31 because I need the score for my local running club’s Grand Prix series. I hope that I have enough time to heal. Here is what happened: 

A week of recovery from my marathon. My quads especially were sore early in the week. Stairs and chairs were pretty rough for a few days. I tried to get in quality workouts without putting too much stress on my running muscles so I did a lot of elliptical training. Here’s how it went:

After more than a year of training focused on the Frederick Marathon the race is over and it is time for a little reflection. I am still somewhat in shock that I finished second overall with a time of 2:41:46 and was actually leading for much of the run. In fact, at the 13.1 mile mark I had a 1:27 lead on the rest of the field and was 1:41 ahead of the half-marathon winner’s finish. That’s right, I didn’t just finish second in the marathon I also ran faster than the entire half-marathon field! There is no question that this was my greatest athletic accomplishment to date. While I didn’t run a smart race it was certainly a learning experience and I exceeded all of my greatest expectations. I am already looking forward to seeing what I can do at the Baltimore Marathon on October 11.

Here is the tale of the clock:

Mile 1 – missed the marker

Mile 2 – 11:27

Mile 3 – 17:12 (5:45)

Mile 4 – 23:00 (5:48)

Mile 5 – 28:40 (5:40)

Mile 6 – 34:21 (5:41)

Mile 7 – 39:55 (5:35)

Mile 8 – 45:41 (5:45)

Mile 9 – 51:29 (5:49)

Mile 10 – 57:20 (5:50) *10 mile PR at 5:44 pace

Mile 11 – 1:03:08 (5:49)

Mile 12 – 1:09:02 (5:55)

Mile 13.1 – 1:15:39 *half-marathon PR at 5:46 pace

Mile 14 – 1:21:05

Mile 15 – 1:27:03 (5:57)

Mile 16 – 1:32:57 (5:55)

Mile 17 – 1:39:16 (6:18)

Mile 18 – 1:45:12 (5:56)

Mile 19 – 1:51:57 (6:46)

Mile 20 – 1:58:26 (6:29)

Mile 21 – 2:04:51 (6:24)

Mile 22 – 2:11:23 (6:32)

Mile 23 – 2:18:11 (6:48)

Mile 24 – 2:24:54 (6:44)

Mile 25 – 2:32:08 (7:14)

Mile 26 – 2:39:42 (7:34)

Mile 26.2 – 2:41:46 *marathon PR

Overall pace – 6:10 (first half pace of 5:46 and second half pace of 6:34)

Weather was sunny and 51 degrees at the start.

Course description: Essentially a figure-eight with the start and finish (for both the full and half marathon) at the Frederick Fairgrounds. The first loop goes through downtown Frederick and is flat and fast. The second loop heads out east of the city and there are significant hills from miles 16-20. To see a course map (with video) go to:

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/special_sections/marathon/images/FREDERICK_MARATHOMAP.pdf

The story of the day: After going to bed at 8:00 Saturday night, I wake up at 3:15 in order to make sure I give myself time to let my body stretch out and to get breakfast early enough to digest the meal. I have a bagel with peanut butter and sliced banana and pad around downstairs for about an hour going through my gear bags and drinking fluids before I head out. Once I arrive at the Fairgrounds, I do a bit of stretching and walking/jogging along with some very light strides. I head over to the starting line at 6:25 and place myself in the middle of the 6 minute pace area (my goal was to run 2:50-2:55 with hopes of cracking into the 2:40s; that would be a 6:30-6:40 pace). The small group of us that are in the 6 minute area notice that there is no 5 minute group so we move up to the starting line for the national anthem. When the gun goes off a small group sprints out for the “photo op” but after the first 400 meters I am in second place behind Adam John Sierakowski, the eventual half marathon winner. I settle into what I believe to be a relaxed pace and head into downtown Frederick. The course winds around downtown and the park area of Frederick for the first 8 miles or so and it’s great to hear the cheers from the local community. I miss the first mile mark and when I hit the second one I get the first check of how fast I’m actually going. I feel completely comfortable running sub-6s, so I just keep going. At the first water station I grab some Gatorade and I’m able to put it down fairly smoothly. After a few miles I notice that Adam is about 30 meters ahead of me and that this gap is staying stable. I decide that it would help both of us if we run together, so I start trying to catch up in order to not have to continue running in space. I eventually catch up to Adam around the 10K mark and ask him if he wants to run with me since it’s clear he’s going to win the half-marathon uncontested. He tells me that he doesn’t want to hold back because he’s going for time. I’m feeling good since I’m no longer pressing to catch up and we run together for a couple miles and actually speed up our pace.

Adam eventually falls back and I’m on my own after mile 8. The next few miles move north of town and I’m on my own with almost no crowds other than a very cheerful group in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I’m feeling great, but I try not to push too hard as I know I’m not even at the half-way point. I try and take Gatorade or water whenever it’s offered (every couple of miles) although I turn down a Power Bar as I feel it’s too early in the race. I hit the 10 mile mark and realize I’ve just knocked over a minute-and-a-half off my PR for that distance. It appears that I have tapered perfectly for this event. The course then winds back to the Fairgrounds for the finish of the half-marathon and I have a lead of over 1:25 on eventual winner Brian Baillie at the 13.1 mark (and I’m 1:40 in front of the winning time for the half). The course heads back into town and does a nice out-and-back on opposite sides of the creek where I get to see the lead I’ve built just before the 14 mile mark. I hit a water station and I take some water and a bag of pretzels. Then we head out to the east and the hills. The course moves out of town and onto a major road so there are no spectators, just me and the hills. I check my watch at mile 16 and do a quick calculation to find that I’m going to run a great time even if I fall apart for the last ten miles. I’m able to do a passable job on the first hill, but the second one kills me.

My quads start to burn and when I get caught around mile 18, it’s a major psychological blow. I go from thinking about how amazing it would be to win to wondering how many more runners are going to pass me. While I can’t keep up Brian’s pace, I do my best just to keep him in sight. The next hill is fairly steep and it just wrecks me, but I do my best to recover on the downhill and flats. We move onto the side streets of a neighborhood and it’s nice to have spectators again. I’m able to hold it together for a few more miles and am occasionally able to catch glimpses of the leader. I start taking only water at this point because I know I don’t have enough time left in the race to digest the calories in food or Gatorade. We start to head back towards the city and I get to see crowds of other runners who are heading out. My quads are starting to hurt pretty badly and I’m just running on fumes at this point. It is a harsh welcome to the “wall”. For some reason I decide to take Gatorade at the next water stop (probably because my body is craving sugars) and it destroys my stomach. At mile 24 there is another out-and-back section where I get to see the leader looking strong and am able to check that I have a 1:30 lead on the next runner behind me who’s red bib indicates he’s part of a relay team. I see no other runners for some time and no other blue full marathon bibs and I realize I’m going to take second place. With no pressure to run fast and my legs feeling like gelatin, I pretty much pack it in for the last few miles. The anchor of the first relay team (DC Road Runners) catches me by mile 25 and he asks me if I want to draft. I gratefully say, “Yes!” and he tells me it’s no problem and he’s been where I am now. It’s a relief to have someone to run with even though we don’t say much. At this point I just try and block out the pain, keep my legs moving, and savor the experience. Finally, I can see the Fairgrounds again and I make it to the track in front of the grandstands. I hear the loudspeaker announcing that the second place marathon finisher is coming in and calls out my name and that I’m from Frederick. The cheering from the crowd in the stands rises up at this news and I’m practically pulled towards the finish on emotion. I cross the finish line and look up to see members of my running club (Frederick Steeplechasers) who are working the finish coming over to congratulate me and hand me my finisher’s medal. My wife and daughters come running over from the stands with huge smiles on their faces and I just stand there for a moment getting hugs and trying to absorb what I have just accomplished. Once I am able to move, I turn in my chip and grab some food. I try and keep moving and do my best to at least stay standing. I find out that I’ve won $400 for finishing second overall and I receive a plaque for that as well as a trophy for being the first finisher from Frederick County. Friends from my neighborhood, church, and running club all offer their congratulations. Reporters from the Washington Post, Frederick Gazette, and Frederick News-Post interview me. I buy myself a cool T-shirt and a fleece from the vendors before I head home. I take an ice bath, shower, and head out with my family to a Steeplechasers post-marathon fiesta. I keep expecting to wake up from a dream at any moment and in the morning I have to double check the race results just to be sure.

Newspaper articles:

http://gazette.net/stories/050808/fredspo180128_32355.shtml

http://www.marathonguide.com/news/newsviewer.cfm?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ewashingtonpost%2Ecom%2Fwp%2Ddyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2008%2F05%2F04%2FAR2008050401641%2Ehtml

Marathon Week at long last! I continued to cut back my mileage for my taper and by the end of the week I have so much energy I can't sleep at night. The marathon was a fantastic experience and I exceeded all of my expectations. It will get its own blog entry in a few days when I have time to give it the attention it deserves. So we shall move on to the week:



Monday - A 45 minute elliptical session. Just like last week, I am cutting back for the taper (these are usually an hour long). I go pretty easy.

Tuesday - A 4 mile run. These runs are getting so short that I have trouble considering them full workouts. I add four strides at the end because I need to feel like I've done something.

Wednesday - A 7 mile tempo run. I run fast! I try and hold something back, but I still clock a training course record. I'm excited with how easy it felt to run fast and I know that I've got enough time to get rested up before Sunday.

Thursday - A 4 mile run. I run easy and I intentionally don't bring a watch. I follow the run with 4 strides on grass.

Friday - 30 minutes on the elliptical in reverse. I stay relaxed and make sure not to push hard. I skip my usual cool down and go outside to run six strides. They feel a bit funny after spending half an hour spinning my legs backwards.

Saturday - 3 miles of jogging (just enough to work up a sweat) and four strides at the local community college soccer field. My good races have often followed pre-race workouts that felt a little tougher than I had expected. I'm worried because on this day it feels too smooth.

Sunday - The Frederick Marathon! I run 2:41:46 and place 2nd overall. I receive a plaque for being the second place male, a trophy for being the first finisher from Frederick County, and I've got a check for $400 coming in the mail. I'm even quoted in Monday's Washington Post! How freakin' cool is that? I'll provide details in a future blog.



To say that this week went well would be a dramatic understatement. The marathon was my greatest athletic accomplishment to date. I'll just leave it at that for now.