Joggling Marathon Magic
This is amazing: Two men ran the Boston Marathon Monday while juggling the whole way—and one did it 2:58:23! (The other was less than ten minutes behind at 3:06:45.) Amazing. Check out the video of these two amazing athletes in action.
Forget the juggling; just running a 3-hour marathon is amazing. But then, they juggled, too! Oh, I hurt just thinking how far out of reach that would be for me....
Pain Is Weakness Leaving the Body
Ahh. It's over. I “ran” a marathon. The 2005 Marine Corps Marathon was yesterday and I finished 26.2 miles in 5 hours, 15 minutes, and 48 seconds (5:15:48). The top man finished in 2:22 and the top woman finished in 2:47 so I was pretty *cough* close.
I was really hoping for a 5-hour-or-less time, but, well, when you train slower, it's kind of hard to run faster. I hurt today (I'm hobbling around like an old man) but you know what? It was a blast! Yesterday was really a great day and I thank everyone who helped make it happen—all the incredibly generous contributors to my fundraising effort (which will continue until January, if you'd still like to help!), and especially my girlfriend, her sister, and my family, all of whom have been very supportive in every possible way. L. gets the most special thanks for being there through the whole thing, following my split times through her cell phone, racing all over the course to cheer me on, and then being there at the end w/a smile and open arms which was really all I needed to cap off such an amazing experience. Thank you L, and thank you all!
I learned several things running my first marathon. First, even though I hadn't planned on it, it's fun to have a camera with you. I took several photos, some of which I've turned into an MCM Photo Set on Flickr. However, I wish I had taken more photos—especially since I wasn't ever going to set any speed records, I should have taken more time to savor the whole thing a bit more. That said, there were points yesterday where my right arm and shoulder hurt so much I thought I was going to have to quit the race. I've never felt that before and I wonder if it was from reaching around to grab my camera off my hip and raising it to take pics while running and walking. It sounds like these are small things, but every little movement can add up over 26.2 miles.
The other things I learned is that you shouldn't start too fast! My AIDS Marathon coaches told us this repeatedly, but I foolishly didn't listen. I feel badly because I started out as the ringleader in the first few miles pushing the group I was with to keep a 5-hour pace. One of the five of our group went on to finish in 4:58, another in 5:01, and another in 5:12, so the starting out fast didn't hurt them too much. However, I certainly started feeling it and had to slow down, as did my running partner; at about mile 17 (in the middle of the Haynes Point Psychout) we hit a big wall. We got a bit of a second wind after slowing down for a few miles, but we never really returned to our earlier pace. So the lesson is to try to start slower, and maintain a steadier pace. Of course, I wonder if maybe we had just pushed through that wall and tried to keep going, would we have gotten our second wind, anyway? Or would we have pushed ourselves to the point of breakdown and been unable to finish? We'll never know. That's what makes a marathon so tough; it's a mind and balance game, trying to judge what kind of pain you can push though, and what kind of pain is really going to bring you crashing to a halt.
Anyway, for the record, here's what we did: We started at a 4:1 run/walk ratio—running four minutes, walking one. At the 10-mile mark we turned it up to a 5:1 ratio, and at mile 18 or 19 we turned back to the 4:1. For the last 2.2 miles (from the 24 mile mark) I ran through all walk breaks—very slowly, obviously. Here are our mile splits:
1—12:46
2—13:10
3—11:53
4—12:23
5—11:28
6—11:22
7—11:36
8—11:19
9— (missed it)
10—21:53 (/2=10:57)
11—10:50
12—11:02
13—11:19
14—11:15
15—11:56
16—11:39
17—11:58 (we crashed)
18—16:08
19—12:06
20—(missed it)
21—25:37 (/2=12:49)
22—14:00 (we walked an entire 4-minute run period during this mile)
23—12:12
24—13:45 (we again walked an entire 4-minute run period during this mile)
25—11:10
26—13:01
Best mile: 10:50
Avg time: 13:09 (that's about a minute off b/c of the two splits I missed; the real average was 12:02, according to the official results).
I sadly placed 13,403rd out of 19,112 marathon runners—not even middle of the pack. (There were supposed to be 30,000 runners, but the results site says only 19k were “marathon runners.” I have no idea where the rest of them were.) I was the 8,711th man to finish out of 11,294 male marathon runners, and number 1,406 out of 1,714 in my age group. Yeah, that's sad.
Posted 10:14 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
ChampionChip Help!
Dear knowledgeable runner readers:
I picked up my race packet today at the pre-race “Expo” and when I got home I read in the “official program” on page 27 the following:
Every runner's race packet includes a ChampionChip. You must activate it at the chip scan booth located in the Packet Pick-up area during the Runners' Expo.
Um, what? No one mentioned this when I picked up my packet and I didn't see a “scan booth” anywhere. The website doesn't mention “activation.” Can anyone tell me anything about this? Do I need to return to the Expo tomorrow to get this thing activated, or what?
UPDATE: Everyone said I needed to go back. So I did, the chip is scanned, and I think I'm set.
The World Is Your Bathroom
I forgot to mention yesterday that one of the bits of advice I've heard about running the marathon is that you should never ever ever waste time waiting in a portapotty line. Real runners don't do this, apparently. Instead, they try to find a more or less discrete bush or something and just go. Women are advised to carry with them a large black garbage bag; punch a hole in the bottom and pull it over your head like a poncho, then just squat beneath it and do your business. That's the advice, but I have no idea how many people follow it. I just hope I won't have to pee during the race. On our “practice marathon” a couple of weeks ago this wasn't a problem, but I have seen from our group runs what a time suck bathroom stops can be so I definitely want to avoid or minimize them.
Posted 11:30 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Marathon: One Week Away
It's nearly impossible to believe that the marathon is only one week away! We had our last group training run today and my running group has just about settled on our plans for where to meet before the start of the race and how we hope to pace ourselves to finish. I'm shooting for 5 hours or less, which you may recognize as a pretty slow marathon, but, well, finishing slowly is better than not finishing at all.
I've said it before but I'll say it again: It's hard to believe we've all made it this far. The 8-mile run we did today in 1.5 hours felt like a warmup. That doesn't mean 26 miles is going to be easy next week, but I really do think we're all going to make it and that's what counts.
I've also said this before but it merits repeating: Thank you thank you! to the many people who have given so generously to my marathon fundraising drive. I'm now only a few hundred dollars away from the $1700 I committed to donate, so if you've been thinking about throwing a fiver or a ten-spot or more into the mix but just haven't gotten around to it, it's definitely not too late—you can easily donate right now! And, as always, if you have more time than money, please just [nevermind. This has been edited to comply with commercial restrictions].
At the risk of getting ahead of myself, I'm thinking it would be a big waste to have gotten all trained up for a marathon only to quit running as soon as it's over. So I'm thinking, how about running the Wyoming Marathon on Memorial Day? It's just an idea at this point, but I think it would be a pretty nice way to celebrate graduation from law school, don't you?
Oh, and if you're planning to run the MCM this coming weekend (or any other marathon in the future), you might find some utility in the Marathon Pace Wristband Creator.
Everything Hurts
No posts here yesterday b/c I ran 24 miles and was just too beat to really do much else w/my day. Yes, the marathon training continues, but it's nearly over now; yesterday was our last big run. It was supposed to be 26 miles but I was again the “designated driver”—the person who stays back w/anyone who is hurt or can't make it for some reason. We made it fine to the 24 mile point, but then an injury forced someone to walk the last two miles and I stayed w/her. So we covered the 26 mile distance, but walked the last two miles. All of that took about 6.5 hours! Imagine running (and walking) for 6 hours straight. It's tough, but I bet it's not as tough as you think. Still, I feel like I've been worked over by a prize fighter or something—like I've been punched in every muscle of my body. I've been quietly hoping I could do a 5-hour marathon (which many marathoners would still consider pretty slow), but judging by how tough our 6-hour pace was yesterday, 5-hours might be too much to ask of this bag of bones.
But regardless of my final time, there's little doubt now that I'll actually finish the marathon. What's less certain is whether I'll be able to raise all of the required donations!
The marathon is now a month away and I want to thank everyone who has given so generously to my fundraising effort, all of which benefits the Whitman-Walker Clinic here in D.C. If you haven't had a chance to give yet, never fear! I'm still plenty far from my required fundraising goal, so anything you can give would still be most appreciated. Donate today! It will take about two minutes and it will go to a terrific cause!
And, as always, if you have more time than money (or would just rather not pull out the credit card), please [nevermind. This has been edited to comply with commercial restrictions]. And as always, thanks!
Posted 11:24 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
21 Miles? Yeah, baby!
How long does it take me to run 21 miles at my “training” pace? That would be five hours. Yes, I ran yesterday for five hours straight. Am I sore today? Yes. Do I feel good anyway and glad that I did it? Absolutely. I'd feel better if some generous soul would donate a bunch of money or if thousands of people would [nevermind. This has been edited to comply with commercial restrictions], but well, I do understand I can't have everything and I feel pretty lucky just to be able to do this at all.
So here's the funny thing about this marathon business: I'm able to “run” 21 miles, albeit very slowly, yet I don't really feel like I'm in any better shape than I was before I started this little adventure. How can that be? Well, I think it's because I've worked pretty hard to remain in pretty poor shape (more cookies, please!). Sadly, the simple truth remains that even if you're running 15-25 miles/week (and that's actually pretty low mileage for most marathoners, I believe), you can still gain weight if you take in more calories than you burn. When you're burning so many calories, you might think it would be hard to consume more than you burn, but it's actually surprisingly easy. ;-)
Posted 07:12 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
OMG: I'm Really Running A Marathon!
It's now less than two months away! This Sunday we'll be running 23 miles (although for various reasons I might only do 20) and in a couple of weeks we're supposed to run a complete “practice” marathon before we sort of relax for the week or two before the real deal. Is it just me, or is this all rather hard to believe? ;-)
p.s.: I know if you're inclined to give to good causes Katrina is at the top of your list right now, but [nevermind. This has been edited to comply with commercial restrictions].
Posted 08:59 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
18-Mile Run/Walk
Marathon “training” continues, such as it is. It's hard to believe I've gone from running zero miles last April to running 18 miles yesterday, but there you go. Except.... well.... I didn't really run 18 miles. I actually ran 10 and walked 8... but it wasn't my fault! I could have run the whole thing, I'm very sure of it, but I was the “designated driver” in our group which meant that if anyone had to slow down or stop or whatever, I was supposed to stay with them and make sure they made it in ok. Sure enough, at 10 miles, one of my fellow runners had a little problem and had to stop running. She was ok to walk, but running just killed her. So we walked. For 8 miles. I learned that it's not too hard to walk 16-minute miles and I know that for the Marine Corp Marathon you just have to be sure you do the first 20 miles at an average of 15-minutes/mile or better to finish (they reopen the first part of the course to traffic after that point) so if I can just run a little in the first 20 miles I should be fine.
I kid! I'm going to run the whole thing, ok? So, but anyway, it was a little disappointing to not get to run the whole thing, but the good news as that the woman I walked 8 miles with was very entertaining so the time passed quickly. The strange thing was I felt just about as sore after running 10 and walking 8 as I felt two weeks ago after running 16. What's up with that?
So hey, just as the running continues, so does the fundraising! If you'd like to help out you can donate here. Or, if you've got more time than money, how about [nevermind. This has been edited to comply with commercial restrictions]. Since all proceeds go to the Whitman-Walker Clinic it's a simple way to contribute. Thanks!
Posted 06:58 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
16 Mile Can'tWalk
I'm not a model on the catwalk, I'm a dawdle on the can'twalk. It's what happens when you run 16 miles. At least it's what happens when I run 16 miles, which I did this morning after barely running at all for the last two weeks. Can you believe it!? I can't, but there it is. It probably wasn't a good idea to do so much today, but that's what the program said to do and wow, it sure feels good to have it under my belt.
The reason I haven't been running much recently is that I have a new enemy called my iliotibial band . This little introduction to the problem of “IT Band Syndrome” pretty well describes what's going on. For a while I was concerned that I might not be able to run the marathon, but now I'm thinking I can beat it. Thanks to my best friend SuperD, I have lots of stretches to do, plus it's almost like I can now say I do yoga! The rest, stretching and ice help, as does ibuprofin, but I wouldn't have been able to get through the miles today without one of these little velcro bands. I know it's no cure, but at least it gets me down the road. The good news about IT band syndrome is that, although it can hurt so much you can't even bend your leg, it's not a sign you're doing any permanent damage to your knees. So.... onward to the marathon!
Thanks so much to SuperD and Mr. P and M for their incredibly generous donations to the Whitman-Walker Clinic and my marathon effort. I definitely couldn't be doing this without you!
If you would like to help out the clinic and my marathon, you can also donate! Whitman-Walker and its many clients need our help now perhaps more than ever. And did you know the “Whitman” in Whitman-Walker is none other than Walt (the poet)? That's what this article says—so of course it's a worthy cause!
The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains of my gab and my loitering. I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. —Song of Myself
Now we're talking! How can you say no to that? Oh, and there's also the little fact that I signed a, ahem, contract today that gave the clinic permission to charge my credit card for whatever of my $1700 goal I haven't raised by the end of August (yikes!). There's still plenty left before I reach the goal so anything you can spare would be much-appreciated. Thanks!
Posted 01:45 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Running & Fundraising: T-Shirts All Around!
Things I've learned by this point in my marathon training:
- Hydration is a process, not an event.
- Bodyglide is no longer optional. Ouch.
- Great running/workout song: Skydive by Nuspirit Helsinki.
- Getting out the door in the morning is the hard part; once you've run for about two minutes you're always glad you're doing it.
Buy a shirt, support the marathon imbroglio!Yay! Thanks!
Posted 06:34 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Ten Miles
Yesterday was something of a milestone on the road to running the Marine Corps Marathon this fall—we ran ten miles! That explains why my legs hurt and I'm walking around like I'm an 80-year-old man. Of course, the fact that I did none of my “maintenance runs” (we're supposed to do 2, 30-40 minute runs during the week between long weekend runs) last week, and didn't do the long run (9 miles) last weekend might also have something to do with the 80-year-old achy feeling.
But minor aches aside, the fact that I could do ten miles yesterday and feel mostly fine with it gives me a great deal more confidence that I'll be able to make it to 26. I was pretty skeptical that the training program would be sufficient to get me into marathon shape—running 30-40 minutes twice weekly, plus a long run each weekend, just didn't seem like it would be enough. But it's working so far. I'd never run 10 miles before and now I'm not too worried about the 12 coming up next weekend.
Honestly, it's looking like the really worrisome part of this whole marathon thing is going to be the fundraising. Thanks to the generosity of some of my readers, my fundraising is moving along a bit, but I've got a long way to go. As I mentioned here, if you've ever wanted to do something nice for the imbroglio, now is your chance—donate today! Your donation is also totally tax-deductible and goes to an excellent cause, so you win, Whitman-Walker Clinic wins, its clients win, we all win. Win win win win. Don't you want to be a winner? ;-)
Posted 06:13 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Marathon, Whitman-Walker, and Ads on ai
Hi. I am currently training with the AIDS Marathon Training Program to run the Marine Corps Marathon this October. Participants in the program each raise at least $1700 in donations for the Whitman-Walker Clinic in D.C. The clinic provides comprehensive medical services to the D.C. community, and is especially committed to ending the suffering of all those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Your donation will help ensure the clinic can continue to provide its vital services to the D.C. community. To get an idea of how important those services are, check out this startling fact: D.C. has the highest per-capita incidence of HIV/AIDS in the nation! (More from the CDC.)
If you have ever wished you could do something nice for the Imbroglio (because, well, why wouldn't you wish that?), or if you would like to help out the Whitman-Walker clinic, or both, please make a donation today. Thanks!
About the [nevermind. This has been edited to comply with commercial restrictions]. help me meet my $1700 fundraising goal.
Posted 09:26 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Marathon Man?
Today I signed up to participate in the National AIDS Marathon Training Program. This is not the last you will hear about this once real training starts at the end of April, but for now, I'm just saying, for the record. If I do not now complete the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30, 2005, you can laugh at my folly for ever dreaming I might. Does St. Patrick's Day make people do crazy things?Posted 09:49 PM | Comments (3)
