Keybank Vermont City Marathon

Sunday, May 25, 2008

5:00am and I am wide awake, well before my alarm was set to go off. The room had a nice chill from the cool air coming in from the open window. There was a sense of calm, surprising for me on a race morning. I had slept well, exceptionally well, considering that most nights before a race I suffer through a restless night. As I lay in bed enjoying this moment, I realize that Gerri is also awake.

After a quick shower, I begin to get dressed. My running gear was all readied last night. Compression shorts first, to eliminate chaffing, then my Race Ready shorts. Next came the Tough Strips Band-Aids to cover my nipples. This step is critical to avoid the dreaded nipple bleed that I have suffered from in races as short as 10K’s. Heart rate monitor next, then my new white shirt with a red detailed stripe on top. This shirt had two small pockets in the back, one of which I placed my iPod Shuffle and ear buds just in case I decided to use them. My race BIB #1259 was already attached.

I grabbed my Cinnamon Raisin Bagel, ate that along with half a banana and half of some form of power bar. All this was downed with about 10-12 ounces of water. I hydrated very well the day before, so didn’t want to overdue hydrate and have to spend lots of time in Port-A-Potties or taking “natural breaks.”

I put on a newer pair of Balega thin socks, and then laced up my Brooks Adrenalines. I placed the chip on last night using the zip tie, which always scares the hell out of me. I have been running in numerous pairs of Brooks Adrenalines for a little over a year, but had recently purchased some Mizzuno Wave Riders which I had used for some recent runs. The Mizzuno’s felt great and were much lighter. I debated running the marathon in the Mizzuno’s but decided that since I had no completed any long runs in them, I would run the risk of foot/blister problems. The Adrenalines had never given me any blister issues, so I stuck with the tried and true. The last piece of gear was my Fleet Feet hat, a necessary evil to keep the sweat out of my eyes and off my sunglasses.

After several trips to the bathroom (a pre-race necessity for me), I grabbed my Clif Shot Blocks, some Accel Gels, and a piece of gum. As we get ready to leave the room, Gerri says “Are you ready to go change our lives.” Those words will stick with me throughout the day. We headed downstairs around 6:15am to wait for the race shuttle bus that would take us to near the start. Gerri and I were the first ones waiting, but were soon joined by others. The buses were running late, but eventually the first bus arrived, we loaded up and were soon getting off near the waterfront.

The race started at 8:05am, with the wheelchairs starting at 8:00am. We walked up Battery Street, the hill at Mile 15. Not halfway up the hill, I realized that I was winded. Not a great sign with 26.2 miles ahead of me. As we reached the top of the hill, we crossed the street and headed towards St. Paul’s Cathedral. We attended a small ecumenical service for runners and supporters of all faiths. The service lasted from 7:15am until 7:30am and consisted of prayers, songs and blessings for the runners. This simple service provided some laughs and moments of calm before the challenge ahead.

As we came out of the church, the atmosphere had changed. The start area and streets were filled with racers and supporters. We walked into Battery Park, used the Port-A-Potties and checked a gear bag. The PA system was blaring with instructions and asking runners to start moving into position for the start. I was surprisingly calm. Gerri and I moved towards the back of the pack, around the 5:00 pace sign. We stood talking for a few minutes, sang the national anthem and then the wheelchairs were off. It was time to go our separate ways, so we kissed and wished each other luck.

Approximately 7,000 people were entered including about 1,500 Men, 1,000 Women and 4,500 Relay entrants. This consisted of teams of 2 to 5 individuals, so not everyone was at the starting line. I stood there, going over my game plan in my head. Don’t go out to fast. Be sure to stay hydrated getting 1-3 cups of water/Gatorade at each station. Keep good running posture. Half Marathon time of 2:18 or about a 10:30/mile pace. Run up Battery Street. Survive, finish and have fun.

At 8:05 the race started and at 8:08:50am I crossed the starting mats. The first few miles were going to be through the downtown area. Tree lined residential neighborhoods and the pedestrian marketplace. The course took an almost immediate left turn and the street had a slight elevation which meant all you could see ahead was thousands of runners heads bobbing up and down and lots of colorful attire. The streets were lined with thousands, perhaps tens of thousands cheering us on. The pace was good; the temp was in the high 50’s, low 60’s and my body felt well.

I wanted to break the race up into two 10 mile races plus a 10K to finish, but the course had four distinct loops that made this mentally challenging. As we finished this first section, it was clearly a nice easy 5K, although the cheering crowds and slight uphill through the pedestrian mall got my pace and heart rate up.

Mile 1 10:48 (Avg HR 150/Max HR 159)
Mile 2 10:22 (148/153)
Mile 3 10:13 (151/161)

The first relay handoffs were done and the “new” runners took off at a faster pace. You had to resist the temptation of keeping up with these runners because they were only running 5-6 miles. Half a mile of city streets and we entered the second section, a 4.4 mile out and back on a section known locally as the Northern Connector or Beltway. We immediately started down a long, steady hill which of course meant that we would be climbing it on the way back. We shortly started to see some of the Marathon and Relay leaders coming back on the opposite side of the highway.

Normally I hate running on highways or large open areas, but this wasn’t bad. Visually it was attractive. You could watch the runners ahead of you as well as those already coming back. There were several bands and water stations. Many of the runners chose this time to wait in line for the Port-A-Potties or hit the trees. I looked for another Greenville runner, but never did see him pass by. Near mile 6 we reached the turn around and headed back. I saw Gerri when I was around mile 7, and gave her a yell and smile. This 2nd section of the course ended up back in town around mile 9. My times were a bit faster than I wanted as was my heart rate, so I really tried to begin holding myself back some.

Mile 4 9:55 (152/157)
Mile 5 10:22 (150/154)
Mile 6 10:17 (156/162)
Mile 7 10:28 (155/161)
Mile 8 10:49 (155/162)
Mile 9 10:15 (162/167)

The next course section lasted from about mile 9 thru mile 15. This loop once again went through downtown, including downhill this time thru the Church Street pedestrian mall. The course then headed south through residential neighborhoods. This section was not visually stimulating, and crowds were few and far between. You would come across some sections were neighbors would be out cheering you on, banging pots and pans and spraying you with their sprinklers.

The sprinklers were a good thing because although the course had plenty of well stocked water stations (almost every 1.5 miles on average and more frequently at the end), the sun was getting higher overhead and the temp was rising.

Mentally I was still sharp, and physically I was pretty good except for a small annoyance in my left Achilles. After winding through one more neighborhood and up a steep but short hill we entered Oakledge Park. This marks the beginning of the bike path as well as the halfway point.

Mile 10 10:13 (157/165)
Mile 11 10:38 (162/167)
Mile 12 11:02 (159/166)
Mile 13 11:06 (161/171)

I had reached the Half Marathon almost exactly on targeted pace at 2:17. I took a mental check on my body and decided it would be best if I used a Port-A-Potty to relieve some bladder pressure. This was the first time in any race that I had stopped to use the facilities, but with 13 miles to go, I didn’t want to have issues in front of the crowds. No wait, in and out. Okay, I knew my Heart Rate was beginning to climb, a sure sign of oncoming fatigue caused by poor conditioning and rising temperatures. I had done a good job of hydrating but had not fueled, except for the Clif Shot Blocks that I keep tucked between my cheek and gum to suck on and keep my mouth moist.

So I decided to open and down and Accel Gel before the upcoming water stop. I had a 2 or 3 cups of water to wash it down and I loved the orange flavor. A few minutes later, I was having serious stomach issues. I never felt like I was going to spew, but was having lots of stomach cramping. Way to go Jeff, great decision on the fueling!

At the same time, I started to notice some issues with my left foot. Small rock, blister? I stopped, took my shoe and sock off and everything looked fine. Put it back on, ran less than a 1/10th of a mile and the bottom of my foot felt like I was running on sandpaper. Another stop, shoe and sock off and carefully wiped my foot, wiped off the sock and took care of whatever issues I had felt.

Suddenly my smooth race was anything but. A bathroom stop, stomach cramping and shoe/foot issues. And the narrow bike path was not the solution. The promised Lake Champlain was beautiful when visible, but it seemed like the more chain link fence and railroad tracks on the right were overwhelming. Where were the beautiful views of the lake and mountains that I had envisioned in my head for the past six months?

Mile 14 12:55 (156/166)

And just when I needed it, I heard it off in the distance. Bang….Bang….Bang. The sound began to fill me ears as I got closer. This was the sound of the Taiko drummers and I knew I was getting close to the Mile 15 and the Assault on Battery Hill. BANG, BANG, BANG! I forgot about my problems and pushed on towards the pounding beat of the drums.

The lake was in full view on my left as we neared the downtown area again. We turned right and up a short steep hill going away from Waterfront Park. This hill was nothing compared to what was coming up. As we reached Battery Street we turned left and now had to deal with what is known as the Assault on Battery Hill. This is a steep hill, six blocks long or about 1/3rd of a mile. The top of the hill was near the starting line. The street was lined on both sides by thousands of spectators. On the left was the sound we had heard for the last mile. About 20-25 Taiko Drummers were whipping the crowd and runners into a thumping frenzy. It was an electric atmosphere and one of my fondest memories of this race.

One of my goals was to make it to the top of the hill without walking, and I achieved that goal with flying colors. Unfortunately by the time I reached the top, my race was about over. The ascent raised my Heart Rate, caused some lactic acid buildup and caused my Achilles to go from a small annoyance to a major concern.

Mile 15 11:27 (163/171)
Mile 16 11:14 (165/178)

We now entered the fourth section of the course. About 6 miles on North Avenue on rolling hills and thru residential neighborhoods, followed by the last 4+ miles heading south on the bike path. My goal for the 2nd half of the race was to try and run 11:30 miles on average, a full minute slower than my 1st half pace. Except for Mile 14, I was okay so far, but that was going to come crashing down on me with every step I took.

My left Achilles was now hurting more than at any point in the race or my training. My biggest fear was a complete rupture at this point. It obviously caused me to alter my running gait because I soon was having pain in my right Achilles, right knee and right hip. I tried to push on, constantly repeating my race mantra, “RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION, RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION.” But my body and mind could no longer continue and I slowed to a walk. I urged myself on after a brief walk break, but once I started running again I could not sustain it for long.

The heat, the pain, the mental fatigue started to get the best of me. I could no longer force myself to run for extended periods of time and finally gave myself permission to walk and run. I continued my mantra even when walking, “RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION.” The distance seemed to be standing still while the time was flying by. I now needed the water/Gatorade. I need the sprinklers in the neighborhoods and I sought out the shade, moving from one side of the street to the other if it gave me a few precious moments of shade.

Mile 17 12:54 (155/171)
Mile 18 12:28 (156/166)
Mile 19 14:01 (149/163)
Mile 20 12:25 (154/164)
Mile 21 12:26 (154/165)

We finally reached a short, steep downhill segment and were back on the bike path. It was nice to be in some shade, and it was a bit cooler because we were close to Lake Champlain, but where was it? In my mind, I was sure the last 5 miles were along the lake, and I guess they were, but the lake was not visible until you reached the park near the finish line. Sure you caught a glimpse here and there, but it was nothing like I had imagined it.

With 5 miles remaining, I still thought I had a shot at a sub 5:00 marathon. I guess it just goes to show that your mental acuity is not very good at this point in the marathon. I kept calculating and re-calculating in my mind what I needed to do, but with about 2 miles left, I knew my sub 5:00 was not a reality. I ran when I could, walked when I couldn’t, like most of the runners near me. I talked with walkers and encouraged those that slowly passed me. They would return the favor when they stopped to walk and I was jogging past them.

I knew I would finish, there was not way in hell that I wouldn’t. “RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION.” The last few miles gave me time to think. Could I have done anything different today? What could I do if my training had gone better and the injuries, job commitment and excuses had not gotten the better of me? I thought about my next marathon, wherever and whenever that may be. And mostly, I thought about Gerri. I knew if I was hurting, that she was probably hurting more. I knew she wouldn’t quit, and it bothered me knowing that she was probably an hour further back. I tried to send her positive thoughts, while still moving forward.

Mile 22 13:56 (150/165)
Mile 23 13:32 (149/160)
Mile 24 14:11 (145/161)
Mile 25 14:19 (146/159)
Mile 26 13:43 (145/161)

And suddenly, the path opened up. Lake Champlain sparkled in the sunlight. The mountains were now visible across the lake and Waterfront Park was awash in sounds of people. Runners and spectators all were celebrating their individual triumphs as well as the triumphs of complete strangers. And as I turned into the park to finish the last 3/10’s of a mile, mile right calf cramped. With thousands lining the pathways leading to the finish, this was no time for walking. I reach down, gave it a quick massage and started running. Down the boardwalk. “RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION.” Left hand turn on the grass. “RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION.” Another left hand turn on the pathway. “RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION.” And finally the finish line was in sight. “RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION.” The announcers, including Bart Yasso of Runners World fame were calling out the numbers and names of runners. I stopped my Garmin 5:09:58, 4 seconds slower than the chip time of 5:09:54.

Last .36 miles in 10:29 pace (162/167)

A quiet calm came across me as I finished. For a few moments, the pain stopped and time stood still. I had my chip cut off, received my medal, a bottle of water and space blanket. Against all odds, I had completed my first marathon. I soaked in the atmosphere and the moment, all to myself because I had nobody to share it with until Gerri finished.

I walked around, not knowing what to do. I got some food, bagels, bars and Ben & Jerry’s. I wandered around some more, retrieved our checked bag. While I sat waiting for Gerri, I got out my phone, called some friends and family and left them voicemails. I had finished and I was okay. I was better than okay, I was a marathoner.

Marathon Weekend (Pre-Race)

Marathon Weekend

Friday, May 23, 2008 Travel Day

Gerri and I woke early and drove the half hour to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP). We checked our luggage and boarded a flight to Philadelphia. The flight was uneventful, always a good thing when you are flying. Once in Philly, we took the shuttle bus to the main terminal, and then walked to our concourse and gate for the flight to Burlington. The airport was busy, as one would expect on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. We had not one, not two, but three gate changes including having to change concourses the last time, but once onboard we had another smooth flight.

As we got close to Burlington, we could see the mountains as well as Lake Champlain. I had been to Burlington for business and pleasure numerous times, but this would be the first time for Gerri in Vermont. After landing, we gathered our bags, got our rental car and drove the short distance to downtown Burlington. Burlington is a small, very liberal city/town. Lots of free spirits, crunchy granola and hippie types. We parked, walked around the small downtown mall and then ventured out onto Church Street. Church Street is a pedestrian mall, closed to automobile traffic. The street is lined on both sides with restaurants, bars and retailers.

We settled on a recommended restaurant called Sweetwater’s, and had a nice leisurely lunch. Of course we were both anxious about the upcoming race, so our conversation never ventured far from running. After lunch we headed to our hotel, about 3.5 miles south of downtown. We checked into the Comfort Suites, settled in and relaxed for a few hours until it was time for dinner.

We got dressed and drove back to Burlington to meet Norm and Laurie at Trattoria Delia. Norm is an old friend from my days in the video/film industry, who unfortunately I had not seen in about 6 or 7 years. Norm is without a doubt one of the most fun people I have ever been around, and it soon felt just like old times. The restaurant was chosen because I told him that we would prefer Italian, for carb loading of course. Of course I had eaten so much pasta during the week that I ended up ordering a Filet Mignon. Filet in an Old World Italian restaurant? It was without a doubt the tastiest, most tender piece of meat that I ever had the pleasure of eating. After wine, dinner, dessert, great conversation and lots of laughs it was time to say goodbye and get some sleep.

Back at the hotel, I opened up the windows to let the cool evening air flow into the room. We watched some TV and settled in for a good nights sleep.

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Saturday, May 24, 2008 Race Expo

I woke early, the sounds of nature and the crisp morning air coming through the open window. The nature sounds were thanks to numerous birds singing and a woodpecker going about his normal business. Since it was still very early, I laid in bed, enjoying the sounds and wandered in and out of a light sleep. Gerri and I eventually got up and ready to head over to the Sheraton for the race expo. We stopped at a local bagel shop, had bagels and coffee and bought some extra bagels for a late night snack and pre-race breakfast.

After the short drive to the Sheraton, we found the expo and picked up our BIB’s (1259 and 1261), Timing Chips and goodie bags. We wandered around the expo, stopping to talk with vendors that interested us. A few purchases were made during the day including some official race merchandise (t-shirt, 26.2 Vermont hat, Official poster), a few additional shirts, Bondi Bands for Gerri, some Ben and Jerry’s samples, etc. I purchased a copy of Bart Yasso’s book and had him autograph it.

In between wandering around we attended a few of the seminars (Recover and Periodization, Structural Management: The Future of Sports Medicine) and a few adventure films. The first film was A Russian Wave, about whitewater kayakers looking for new rivers to run in isolated parts of Russia. We also saw Running on the Sun: The Road to Hell is 135 Miles Long. This film about the Badlands 135 race across Death Valley served to both inspire and terrify us.

Bill Rodgers was one of the speakers in the last seminar, and while attempting to listen to him, (Bill’s thought process tends to wander all over the place) I decided that it would be cool to have Bill sign our marathon poster, so after the seminar we headed back down to the expo and to the booth that he was supporting. I asked Gerri to ask him to sign it, figuring that he would be more likely to help out a hot blonde rather than a middle aged guy. We had an interesting conversation with him during the approximately five minutes that it took him to complete his autograph, and in fact I’m not convinced that he actually finished or spelled his name correctly.

We then headed out to the ballroom for the pasta dinner. It was still early, about 5:15pm, but we were ready to east some pasta and get back to the hotel. A few other runners joined us at our table, a first time marathoner from Poughkeepsie, NY who hated running and a local running in her 2nd marathon. They were both joined by their spouses neither of whom was running. After a nice dinner and conversation we excused ourselves before the evenings program began.

We stopped at K-Mart so that Gerri could pick up a cheap long sleeve shirt for the morning and then Hannaford’s, a northeastern grocery chain for some power bars, banana and more waters.

A few minutes later we were back at the hotel, relaxing in our room. We watched TV until 10 or 11 and then fell asleep. We were both anxious, but surprisingly calm and relaxed and unlike most races, ended up sleeping very well the night before the race.

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Marathon Training Plan?

Can I follow an extended training plan?

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October 28, 2007 – Greenville, SC – Spinx Runfest Half Marathon
This marked the occasion of my first Half. Training had gone well until a mid-August run when the heat and humidity took its toll on my first planned 12 mile run. The Green Valley course was hilly, but the ups and down were just a sign of things to come. This turned out to be my longest run prior to the Half as my training went into the toilet. Mentally and physically I went into a downward spiral.

I debated not running the race, but ultimately decided I needed to challenge myself. The race ended up going well, and I only walked for a very brief portion and finished in 2:16. This race helped me get my mojo back and I started thinking about the Tybee Marathon in February.

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February 2, 2008 – Tybee Island, GA – Memorial Health Tybee Half Marathon
My first planned marathon turned into my 2nd Half Marathon when once again my training was not up to par, at least not enough for the marathon. I had started Marathon training on Dec. 10th, about 2 months prior to this race. During this time I had one 10 mile run, although I was averaging about 4 runs a week and about 25 miles per week.

An 8 mile tempo run at the beach earlier in the week of the race gave me a lot of confidence and I pushed the race pace harder than I would have otherwise. I felt good and broke my PR with a 2:06. Based upon the McMillan Running Calculator I was on target for a 4:20 marathon.

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This left 16 weeks remaining in my training plan, a modified Hal Higdon program. I was healthy and feeling good after the Tybee Half. I had a conservative plan for increasing my weekly mileage (planned max of 40 miles) and long runs (planned max of 20 miles) leading up to the Vermont City Marathon. I never came close to achieving either of these goals. A combination of work and injuries certainly had an impact, but I must blame most of training failure on lack of discipline and motivation.

The data below shows how NOT to train for a marathon.

Week Planned Miles Actual Miles # of runs
16 / 15 / 18 / 3
15 / 19 / 6.3 / 1
14 / 21 / 22.2 / 3
13 / 22.2 / 20.7 / 3
12 / 24 / 12 / 1
11 / 26 / 18.25 / 2
10 / 24 / 13 / 1
9 / 29 / 17.7 / 3
8 / 28.2 / 18.2 / 3
7 / 33 / 4 / 1
6 / 36.2 / 13.8 / 3
5 / 32.1 / 17.6 / 2

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April 26, 2008 – Greer, SC – Greer Half Marathon

This was a planned event, included in my training plan to help me evaluate my level of readiness for the marathon which would be four weeks later. I had run a 10K in Atlanta the previous week and had moderate Achilles tendonitis issues. This would be my longest run in a month.

I discussed this race in a previous blog, but for a quick recap, it sucked. My Achilles continued to be problematic. The temp was in the low 80’s with 100% humidity. I bonked around mile 8 and ended up walking a significant portion of the last few miles. This turned out to be my worst Half Marathon time with a 2:18.

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Mentally and physically I was in shambles. I began to question my sanity for even considering attempting the upcoming marathon. This further impacted my motivation and my training runs the last four weeks leading up to the marathon were some of my worse during the entire 24 weeks.

Week Planned Miles Actual Miles # of runs
4 / 40 / 7 / 2
3 / 29 / 10.1 / 2
2 / 21 / 7.5 / 2
1 / 9 / 4 / 1


So a training plan that held high hopes and started 24 weeks earlier was done. Planned mileage was 565.9 miles during this period and my actual total was 365.43 miles. During the 24 weeks I had a dismal 63 runs completed, not even averaging 3 runs per week. Even scarier was almost half of the runs (30) took place in the 1st 8 weeks.

Looking at the hard numbers did not provide much comfort in the days leading up to the marathon. I was committed to giving it my best, but the facts were hard to ignore. A long run of only 14 miles (Mar 12th), weekly mileage high of 28 miles (Jan 21st and Jan 28th), an average of less than 3 runs per week, and missing the total mileage goal by 200 miles.

I checked out the definition of “crazy” from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and found the following; full of cracks or flaws, unsound, mad, insane, impractical, and erratic.

To move forward and attempt this marathon I strongly believe that the definition for crazy describes me perfectly.

Vermont T-4 Days

It has been about a week since my last run, although I had plenty of exercise walking during the BMW Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament last week. I really needed to get out today and the weather cooperated nicely. After work, I stopped to get a banana, power bar and some water. I ate some almonds from my car stash too.

About 6:15 I headed over to the North Augusta Greenway. My goal was a nice easy 4 mile run, about a 10:30 pace. The Greenway is a great place to run. Basically flat, 12 foot paved path, running through a pretty, mostly shaded and wind protected area. I started out easy and the first mile flew by. At the two mile mark, I did a U-turn and headed back. At three miles I saw that my average pace was slightly above a 10:41 pace. I felt good and decided to push the pace slightly in the last mile. I ended up running about a 10:27 pace for the 4 miles, roughly 41:50.

I walked a short distance to the car to cool down, and then headed back to the hotel. A quick change of clothes and off to Carrabba's for dinner. Chicken Bryan, my favorite along with an extra side of pasta to go along with salad and bread. And lots of unsweet tea.

Need some sleep tonight and the few remaining days prior to the marathon.

New Blog

Today I finally took the plunge and set up a blog. I have been meaning to do this for almost six months, but procrastination got the best of me. I wanted my blog to focus on my journey to my first marathon. Unfortunately, I'm now only a few days away from the Vermont City Marathon, and this is my first blog. I vow to do better in the future.

My focus on this blog will be my thoughts on my life including family, work and life while focusing on my training. Or what I hope is my training.

Five days until Vermont. For now I'm in stormy Augusta, Georgia for two more days. Hoping to get a run in tomorrow afternoon. For now, time to sleep.

The journey begins on the road to nowhere.