Saturday, April 12, 2008
Quoted in Ohio Sports & Fitness Magazine
I was recently quoted by Mark Shelton in his Ohio Sports & Fitness Magazine column about using racing flats. Check out the story!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Breaking the elusive 3-hour barrier
Like many runners, my marathon goals have evolved quite a bit over the years. When I first decided to attempt the big, bad marathon – the 2004 Columbus Marathon – the goal was simple: to finish. But then after joining my then-local running club, the Wabash River Runner’s Club in Lafayette, Indiana, and adopting a semi-serious training regiment that got me to 50+ miles per week with a long run of 16-22 miles each Sunday, my goal changed from finishing Columbus to qualifying for Boston. Ultimately, I finished that first Columbus in 3:22, 11 minutes off a BQ time. But still, I am proud of that first time out of the marathoning gate.
The goal for my second marathon, the 2005 Cleveland Marathon, was to qualify for Boston with a sub-3:10 time. Honestly, I didn’t think I could maintain the necessary pace to do so, but I did. I remember the flood of emotion I experienced as I crossed the line at Cleveland. I’m a tough guy, but I’m not afraid to admit I cried when I qualified for Boston the first time. When you achieve an important personal goal, emotion often manifests itself.
For my next few marathons, the goal remained qualifying for Boston, which I managed to do on all counts except for the 2006 and 2007 Boston Marathons. I failed to BQ in both. Rest assured, though--I intend to BQ when I return to Beantown in 2009 to avenge the ass-kicking that course has given me both times I did it.
The 2007 Columbus Marathon was my first serious attempt at achieving a goal only a few years ago I thought wasn't even possible for me – breaking the elusive 3-hour barrier. For the elite runner, this barrier is an after-thought. For non-elites like I am, this barrier is a mighty achievement and one to be added to the obituary. I have long-suspected that once I break 3 hours, I will be able to do so as long as I maintain consistency in my training. That means regular speed-work at the track!
Back to the 2007 Columbus Marathon, my biggest failure as a runner. I didn’t break 3 hours for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I wasn’t smart in allowing myself to recover from the Burning River 100. I made the stupid decision of running the Erie Marathon in early September as a trainer—a day after running the Potato Stomp 9-miler in 57 minutes. Even though I was on the track prior to Columbus, my repeat times were pretty bad because my legs were still shot from the 100 miler and doing stupid stuff like running Erie. The result of my poor judgment post-Burning River: I finished the 2007 Columbus Marathon with a disappointing 3:05, a BQ and PR but certainly not a time you’d expect from a guy who was logging 80-100-mile weeks.
Having just run a 1:22 at the Cleveland Spring Classic Half Marathon and adopted a speed-work regiment, I now sense that my shot at sub-3 is better than ever before. There’s a formula that goes like this: half-marathon time times 2 plus 10 minutes equals your marathon time. For me, that formula has proven true. In March of 2005, I ran a half marathon in 1:29, only to BQ at the Cleveland Marathon two months later with a 3:08 (1:29x2=2:58+10 minutes=3:08). Today, that formula has me running the 2008 Cleveland Marathon in 2:54 (1:22x2=2:44+10 minutes=2:54). My attendance at this year’s Cleveland remains highly questionable due to personal circumstances.
Cleveland could involve a lot of drama. If I’m there, my own drama will be the pursuit of sub-3. But I have many friends, including Jeff U., who may also be at Cleveland in search of sub-3 unless he breaks that barrier in Boston, and Marc A., who will likely go sub-2:50 at Cleveland, who will be living their own dramas. Hopefully Jeff, Tim H., and I will be paced by Tim C., who could roll out of bed tomorrow and run a sub-3. Tim will keep us focused and motivated. Marc A. will be ahead of us.
If I’m unable to run Cleveland, I will look to the Columbus Marathon in the fall to break 3 hours. But in light of the facts that Cleveland is in my own backyard and is where I first qualified for Boston and have enjoyed decent success both times I’ve run it, breaking 3 there would certainly be special. I know it will not be easy, regardless of how hard I train, how many 1600s and tempos I run, and how focused I am.
Ultimately, mental toughness will be just as important as my physical conditioning and preparation. When mile 23 rolls around and I’m hurting badly with about 2:35-2:37 on the clock, I will have to dig deep to achieve my goal. When I round the corner to the finish and every second counts, I’ll have to dig even deeper. Hopefully, I’ll have friends with me and we’ll all be drawing strength from each other. It would be great if all of us could cross the line together, celebrating a truly special moment for ourselves and those who have supported and encouraged us along the way, which of course includes our families and the members of the Southeast Running Club.
The goal for my second marathon, the 2005 Cleveland Marathon, was to qualify for Boston with a sub-3:10 time. Honestly, I didn’t think I could maintain the necessary pace to do so, but I did. I remember the flood of emotion I experienced as I crossed the line at Cleveland. I’m a tough guy, but I’m not afraid to admit I cried when I qualified for Boston the first time. When you achieve an important personal goal, emotion often manifests itself.
For my next few marathons, the goal remained qualifying for Boston, which I managed to do on all counts except for the 2006 and 2007 Boston Marathons. I failed to BQ in both. Rest assured, though--I intend to BQ when I return to Beantown in 2009 to avenge the ass-kicking that course has given me both times I did it.
The 2007 Columbus Marathon was my first serious attempt at achieving a goal only a few years ago I thought wasn't even possible for me – breaking the elusive 3-hour barrier. For the elite runner, this barrier is an after-thought. For non-elites like I am, this barrier is a mighty achievement and one to be added to the obituary. I have long-suspected that once I break 3 hours, I will be able to do so as long as I maintain consistency in my training. That means regular speed-work at the track!
Back to the 2007 Columbus Marathon, my biggest failure as a runner. I didn’t break 3 hours for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I wasn’t smart in allowing myself to recover from the Burning River 100. I made the stupid decision of running the Erie Marathon in early September as a trainer—a day after running the Potato Stomp 9-miler in 57 minutes. Even though I was on the track prior to Columbus, my repeat times were pretty bad because my legs were still shot from the 100 miler and doing stupid stuff like running Erie. The result of my poor judgment post-Burning River: I finished the 2007 Columbus Marathon with a disappointing 3:05, a BQ and PR but certainly not a time you’d expect from a guy who was logging 80-100-mile weeks.
Having just run a 1:22 at the Cleveland Spring Classic Half Marathon and adopted a speed-work regiment, I now sense that my shot at sub-3 is better than ever before. There’s a formula that goes like this: half-marathon time times 2 plus 10 minutes equals your marathon time. For me, that formula has proven true. In March of 2005, I ran a half marathon in 1:29, only to BQ at the Cleveland Marathon two months later with a 3:08 (1:29x2=2:58+10 minutes=3:08). Today, that formula has me running the 2008 Cleveland Marathon in 2:54 (1:22x2=2:44+10 minutes=2:54). My attendance at this year’s Cleveland remains highly questionable due to personal circumstances.
Cleveland could involve a lot of drama. If I’m there, my own drama will be the pursuit of sub-3. But I have many friends, including Jeff U., who may also be at Cleveland in search of sub-3 unless he breaks that barrier in Boston, and Marc A., who will likely go sub-2:50 at Cleveland, who will be living their own dramas. Hopefully Jeff, Tim H., and I will be paced by Tim C., who could roll out of bed tomorrow and run a sub-3. Tim will keep us focused and motivated. Marc A. will be ahead of us.
If I’m unable to run Cleveland, I will look to the Columbus Marathon in the fall to break 3 hours. But in light of the facts that Cleveland is in my own backyard and is where I first qualified for Boston and have enjoyed decent success both times I’ve run it, breaking 3 there would certainly be special. I know it will not be easy, regardless of how hard I train, how many 1600s and tempos I run, and how focused I am.
Ultimately, mental toughness will be just as important as my physical conditioning and preparation. When mile 23 rolls around and I’m hurting badly with about 2:35-2:37 on the clock, I will have to dig deep to achieve my goal. When I round the corner to the finish and every second counts, I’ll have to dig even deeper. Hopefully, I’ll have friends with me and we’ll all be drawing strength from each other. It would be great if all of us could cross the line together, celebrating a truly special moment for ourselves and those who have supported and encouraged us along the way, which of course includes our families and the members of the Southeast Running Club.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Training week 3/31-4/6 - 12 weeks to Mohican
This week I wanted to go back to 80-85 miles and straddle the line between having an intense training week and being well-rested enough for the Spring Classic Half Marathon on Saturday. I think I was able to do both.
Monday
4.5 miles easy
Tuesday
AM: 8.05 miles
PM: 4.2 miles
Total miles for day: 12.25
Wednesday
AM: This was my first speedwork session in a few months and it proved to be a rewarding experience as I prepare for the Cleveland Marathon and Mohican 100. Here's how it went:
Warmup with striders: 16:00 minutes
1600: 5:45
400R: 1:58
1600: 5:47
800R: 3:54
1600: 5:47
1600R: 7:39
Ran from track back home: 16:30
Total miles: 9.0
PM: 4.25 miles
Total miles for day: 13.25
Thursday
AM: 8.25 miles
PM: 4.5 miles
Total miles for day: 12.75
Friday
8.4 miles on the Bridal Trail in South Chagrin Reservation
Saturday
Finished the Cleveland Spring Classic Half Marathon in 1:22:48, finishing 8th overall to set a new half-marathon PR. This was one of my best races, and I didn't even really taper for it except for not doing my night run on Friday and a tempo during the week.
Warmup and cooldown totals: 4.25 miles
Total miles for the day: 17.4
Sunday
Ran with SERC 15 miles, holding about a 7:45 pace. I was a little sore and tired from Saturday's half marathon so I decided to take it easy on Sunday and recover for next week's 100 miles.
Total miles for day: 15 miles
Total miles for week: 82.5
Next week's goal is 100-105 miles, with a strong speedwork session sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday where I want to do 4x1600s at an average of 5:43 pace.
Monday
4.5 miles easy
Tuesday
AM: 8.05 miles
PM: 4.2 miles
Total miles for day: 12.25
Wednesday
AM: This was my first speedwork session in a few months and it proved to be a rewarding experience as I prepare for the Cleveland Marathon and Mohican 100. Here's how it went:
Warmup with striders: 16:00 minutes
1600: 5:45
400R: 1:58
1600: 5:47
800R: 3:54
1600: 5:47
1600R: 7:39
Ran from track back home: 16:30
Total miles: 9.0
PM: 4.25 miles
Total miles for day: 13.25
Thursday
AM: 8.25 miles
PM: 4.5 miles
Total miles for day: 12.75
Friday
8.4 miles on the Bridal Trail in South Chagrin Reservation
Saturday
Finished the Cleveland Spring Classic Half Marathon in 1:22:48, finishing 8th overall to set a new half-marathon PR. This was one of my best races, and I didn't even really taper for it except for not doing my night run on Friday and a tempo during the week.
Warmup and cooldown totals: 4.25 miles
Total miles for the day: 17.4
Sunday
Ran with SERC 15 miles, holding about a 7:45 pace. I was a little sore and tired from Saturday's half marathon so I decided to take it easy on Sunday and recover for next week's 100 miles.
Total miles for day: 15 miles
Total miles for week: 82.5
Next week's goal is 100-105 miles, with a strong speedwork session sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday where I want to do 4x1600s at an average of 5:43 pace.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Spring Classic results
Our running club, the Cleveland Southeast Running Club, had an awesome day at the Spring Classic Half Marathon in Strongsville. Everyone had a great showing and should feel confident going into the new season. Here's a run-down of who did what:
Kam L.: 1:16 (2nd overall)
Marc A.: 1:20 (6th overall)
Mike R: 1:22 (7th overall)
Jeff U.: 1:23 (11th overall)
Tim H.: 1:27 (13th overall)
Eileen M.: 1:36:07 (1st in age division)
If I missed anyone in the club, I am very sorry and will add their name.
I am so proud to be a member of a running club with such devoted and excellent runners. This winter we all worked very hard toward our goals and these times reflect that hard work. Kam's going to have a great Boston--hopefully the sub-2:30 he wants--and Jeff and Marc are set up nicely for a sub-3 at Boston and Cleveland, respectively. I hope Eileen finds a spring marathon where she can go for her goals.
How did I do? I PR'ed with a 1:22 (6:18 per mile), finishing 8th overall behind a very speedy Marc A. and Mike R.. I tried catching them but they had too much speed for me. All those speedwork sessions with Mark G. has Marc A. running like an animal--he's come so far so fast. It was a great day for me. The Asics DS Trainers were awesome and now I'm hooked on light-weight trainers as race shoes. I maintained a pretty steady pace and, in the end, dropped the hammer and ran the last mile around 5:50. I knew after passing the 12-mile mark that I had a shot at 1:23 and so I went for it, actually coming in one minute lower. Kam was there at 12.5 miles and gave me the encouragement I needed to do it.
I learned something about myself today. I'm faster than I thought--not super-fast by any stretch, but faster than I'd originally thought. With my strength and endurance, it's vital that I remain dedicated to speedwork and then, maybe then, I can achieve whatever potential I have.
I also learned I can't race half-ass. The 1:27 I originally wanted to do wasn't going to be an all-out effort. When I put on a number, I want to go all-out--because I love racing and am a competitor. Today I did that. And now I have a nice confidence-booster going into the Cleveland Marathon, which hopefully I'll be able to run because I think I have the best shot I've ever had at sub-3. According to Greg McMillan's Web site, my 1:22 today translates into a 2:54 marathon. That would be a dream come true. We'll see....
Tomorrow's plan is about 15 miles at easy pace (with SERC) to finish the week at about 85 miles. For now, I'm celebrating a great day for all of us in SERC who ran the Spring Classic in fine fashion. Each of us should be proud.
Kam L.: 1:16 (2nd overall)
Marc A.: 1:20 (6th overall)
Mike R: 1:22 (7th overall)
Jeff U.: 1:23 (11th overall)
Tim H.: 1:27 (13th overall)
Eileen M.: 1:36:07 (1st in age division)
If I missed anyone in the club, I am very sorry and will add their name.
I am so proud to be a member of a running club with such devoted and excellent runners. This winter we all worked very hard toward our goals and these times reflect that hard work. Kam's going to have a great Boston--hopefully the sub-2:30 he wants--and Jeff and Marc are set up nicely for a sub-3 at Boston and Cleveland, respectively. I hope Eileen finds a spring marathon where she can go for her goals.
How did I do? I PR'ed with a 1:22 (6:18 per mile), finishing 8th overall behind a very speedy Marc A. and Mike R.. I tried catching them but they had too much speed for me. All those speedwork sessions with Mark G. has Marc A. running like an animal--he's come so far so fast. It was a great day for me. The Asics DS Trainers were awesome and now I'm hooked on light-weight trainers as race shoes. I maintained a pretty steady pace and, in the end, dropped the hammer and ran the last mile around 5:50. I knew after passing the 12-mile mark that I had a shot at 1:23 and so I went for it, actually coming in one minute lower. Kam was there at 12.5 miles and gave me the encouragement I needed to do it.
I learned something about myself today. I'm faster than I thought--not super-fast by any stretch, but faster than I'd originally thought. With my strength and endurance, it's vital that I remain dedicated to speedwork and then, maybe then, I can achieve whatever potential I have.
I also learned I can't race half-ass. The 1:27 I originally wanted to do wasn't going to be an all-out effort. When I put on a number, I want to go all-out--because I love racing and am a competitor. Today I did that. And now I have a nice confidence-booster going into the Cleveland Marathon, which hopefully I'll be able to run because I think I have the best shot I've ever had at sub-3. According to Greg McMillan's Web site, my 1:22 today translates into a 2:54 marathon. That would be a dream come true. We'll see....
Tomorrow's plan is about 15 miles at easy pace (with SERC) to finish the week at about 85 miles. For now, I'm celebrating a great day for all of us in SERC who ran the Spring Classic in fine fashion. Each of us should be proud.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Spring Classic strategy
I'm going to try to hit about 80-85 miles this week, training "through" the Spring Classic 1/2 Marathon, which means I'll use it as a tempo run. At last November's Fall Classic 1/2 Marathon, which is run on the same course and is organized by the same group (Cleveland West Road Runners), I ran a 1:24 and won my age group. But that was a key event for me and I'd tapered one week for it, hoping to vindicate myself after a disappointing Columbus Marathon. With the Spring Classic being a training run for me, I'm looking at a goal time of 1:27.
As part of my overall planning, here's what I'm going to do the day of the Spring Classic:
Warmup: 2-3 miles super-easy pace with striders
Spring Classic: 13.1 miles at tempo pace with a 1:27 goal
Cooldown: 1 mile easy
PM Run: 4 miles easy
Total for day: 20-21 miles
Then on Sunday I'll allow for some recovery, shooting for 14 miles at easy pace. The next week (4/7-4/13) I'm going to aim for another 100+ mile week with speedwork on probably Wednesday.
As part of my overall planning, here's what I'm going to do the day of the Spring Classic:
Warmup: 2-3 miles super-easy pace with striders
Spring Classic: 13.1 miles at tempo pace with a 1:27 goal
Cooldown: 1 mile easy
PM Run: 4 miles easy
Total for day: 20-21 miles
Then on Sunday I'll allow for some recovery, shooting for 14 miles at easy pace. The next week (4/7-4/13) I'm going to aim for another 100+ mile week with speedwork on probably Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Speedwork update
I got in my speedwork...at 5:30 a.m. this morning. And I felt great afterward! Here's a quick rundown of how it went:
Warmup (ran from home to the track with striders once on the track): 16:00
1600: 5:45
400R: 1:58
1600: 5:47
800R: 3:54
1600: 5:47
Cooldown (ran 1600 at recovery pace, then headed home): 24:00
Total miles for morning: 9
Then tonight I covered 4.25 miles at easy pace.
Total miles for the day: 13.25
A few times during the morning's speedwork I got a little winded, but not badly, and I never experienced muscle burn. It was just a good, hard, natural effort.
I'm going to try to make the SERC track workout next Tuesday in Solon, if it's happening.
Warmup (ran from home to the track with striders once on the track): 16:00
1600: 5:45
400R: 1:58
1600: 5:47
800R: 3:54
1600: 5:47
Cooldown (ran 1600 at recovery pace, then headed home): 24:00
Total miles for morning: 9
Then tonight I covered 4.25 miles at easy pace.
Total miles for the day: 13.25
A few times during the morning's speedwork I got a little winded, but not badly, and I never experienced muscle burn. It was just a good, hard, natural effort.
I'm going to try to make the SERC track workout next Tuesday in Solon, if it's happening.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
I am holding myself accountable with speedwork
Tomorrow morning I am doing my first session of speedwork in quite a while. I haven't done speedwork consistently since last October, when I was trying to come back from the Burning River 100 and was still shot from the race and going no where fast as I prepared for the Columbus Marathon. At Columbus, I ran a disappointing 3:05, hitting the 20-mile mark in like 2:17 and running out of gas because I hadn't developed my race legs.
Anyway, there is no longer any room for excuses in not doing speedwork--actually, there are never any excuses for a serious runner not to do speedwork. If I want to be a better runner and accomplish my goals (namely a sub-3-hour marathon), I can't just do tempos and long runs; I must also do weekly speedwork. Here is what I'm doing tomorrow, with the understanding that I only have about 65 minutes with which to work:
20 minute warmup with striders
1600 at 5:38 pace
400 cooldown
1600 at 5:38 pace
400 cooldown
1600 at 5:38 pace or better
400 cooldown
15-20 minute cooldown
Unfortunately, tomorrow morning it will be cold--29 degrees. I will still get in my speedwork but may have to exercise good judgment with pacing to avoid injury. If it's raining, I will do my speedwork on my treadmill. Either way, speedwork begins tomorrow. I will report back on how it goes. This blog will keep my accountable.
Anyway, there is no longer any room for excuses in not doing speedwork--actually, there are never any excuses for a serious runner not to do speedwork. If I want to be a better runner and accomplish my goals (namely a sub-3-hour marathon), I can't just do tempos and long runs; I must also do weekly speedwork. Here is what I'm doing tomorrow, with the understanding that I only have about 65 minutes with which to work:
20 minute warmup with striders
1600 at 5:38 pace
400 cooldown
1600 at 5:38 pace
400 cooldown
1600 at 5:38 pace or better
400 cooldown
15-20 minute cooldown
Unfortunately, tomorrow morning it will be cold--29 degrees. I will still get in my speedwork but may have to exercise good judgment with pacing to avoid injury. If it's raining, I will do my speedwork on my treadmill. Either way, speedwork begins tomorrow. I will report back on how it goes. This blog will keep my accountable.
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