Beat Santa 5k Win!

Coming off the Philadelphia Marathon, I jumped back into training right away.  I am looking to improve on my speed this winter.  I am currently targeting an indoor mile and 3k at the BU Mini Meet on 12/29.  I have been doing shorter track workouts to sharpen my speed.  In my mind, I have to hit faster times at shorter distances in order to run a faster marathon.  This makes perfect sense.  I ran the Beat Santa 5k in Portsmouth, RI last weekend.  How did the race go?  I won!  I should rephrase that.  I won, but was not completely satisfied.  I ran in this local 5k with a field size of about 200 runners.  I looked at the results from the past couple years and a few runners went under 17:00, so I figured the competition would be there.  Also, the fun part about this race is that someone runs dressed as Santa.  If you beat Santa, you win a prize at the end.  It's a nice race put on by the Rhode Island Road Runners, a local club.  My goal for this race was to try and break 17:00.  When the gun went off, I ran out and did not look back.  I stuck to my race plan during the first mile and went through it in 5:26, which is a little under sub-17:00 pace.  At this point, there were no other runners within 20-30 seconds of me.  I was running alone and did not know what to do with it.  Do I keep hammering?  Do I back off and run for the win?  I do not often find myself running alone, even in most local road races.  There will still usually be a few other runners for me to chase or work with.  This was not the case with this race and is why I think I did not finish as strong as I would have liked.  The second mile of the race was into 15 mph of wind on a brisk 30 degree day.  I had nobody to tuck in behind or share the work with.  I lost focus of my time goal and my mentality shifted to finishing the race and securing the win.  My second mile was in the 5:50s and then I put it in cruise control to the finish.  After mile 2, there was a turnaround.  My lead was still around 30 seconds and I knew I just had to maintain the pace I had slipped into.  I did not know the course well and did not kick to the finish line.  The race course was not accurately measured, being closer to 3.2 miles.  I ended up running 18:30, which on a 5k course that day would have put me sub-18:00.  It was a tough day for racing but it was still a good learning experience.  I hope to win more local road races and found that I learned a lot from this day.  It was a unique experience to pull away from the rest of the runners in the first mile and then race against yourself.  I need to learn how to maintain my pace while running solo.  I did not do that in this race and was not happy with my end time.  The post-race festivities were a lot of fun.  I saw one of my old cross country coaches from high school and he gave me a lot of praise and encouragement.  It was a great feeling beacuese I was never running in the front of cross country races during high school.  I am excited to train this winter, which brings me to the point of this post: motivation.  It is very difficult to stay committed to running in the winter.  It gets dark out early.  It snows.  It gets cold out.  My suggestion is to pick out your goal race for the spring.  Start your preparation now for it.  Make a list: what steps do you need to take to reach your goal?  Write them down.  It will help give your training a purpose during these winter months.  You have to ask yourself if you are going to be able to tough out each day of training and find out if it is worth it.  It is.  Have confidence and train safely.  Make sure to have fun with it, there is nothing like running in the snow!  Right now, I am maintaining relatively high mileage (70-80s+) and working on my speed.  This is the beginning phase for my marathon build-up for Boston.  The training I am doing now is just as important as the marathon specific workouts and mileage I will do in March and in April.  It will help to bring down my marathon pace and allow me to run faster in the spring.  I am motivated now so that I will be ready to set a big PR in the spring and conquer Boston.  That's all I have.  Train with a purpose this winter and be safe!

Merry Christmas,
David

Philadelphia Marathon Race Report

(Liberty Bell)

What a weekend it was traveling to Philadelphia to compete in the marathon!  This was my first trip to the "City of Brotherly Love" since I was a child.  I went down with my family on the Friday before Sunday's race.  When traveling for a weekend marathon, I like to try and be there a couple days early so I can relax and not be stressed out before the race.  I went to sleep shortly after arriving at the hotel to get a full night of rest.  The next day, Saturday, would be a very important day in terms of diet and conserving energy for Sunday.  I met up with my best friend from home who goes to school nearby and we explored Philly.  I watched my family and friend eat cheesesteaks at the famous Gino's and Pat's Cheesesteaks (I had a salad).  We then picked up my race number, I would be starting in the first corral (maroon colored) the next day.  The expo was great!  It had plenty of the big-time vendors and was easy to navigate through.  This was an easy process.  We then went to see the Liberty Bell.  It was great to be in a very historic area, and see parts of Independence Hall.  After seeing the historical side of the city, we went to get a look at the area right around the Art Museum.  This is right where the start line for the marathon is and also the Rocky Steps.  My friend and I raced up the steps and were rewarded with an awesome view of the city.  I knew I would have to go back up those steps following the race the next day.  After climbing the steps, it was time for dinner.  We had a reservation at Ralph's, the oldest family owned Italian restaurant in the United States.  The food was amazing.  I ate plenty of pasta and was fueled for the next day.  Then, I went back to the hotel.  I laid out my gear for the next day and went to sleep knowing that it was time to run.

I woke up on raceday (at 4:30 am!- race was at 7), well rested, and ate my usual pre-race breakfast of a bagel and a banana.  I drank a little gatorade and a lot of water (I stop taking fluids 1.5 hours from the start of any race).  My dad and I left the hotel right around 5:30 to get me over to the start line.  The weather was absolutely perfect for a mid-November marathon.  It was in the upper 30s and approaching low to mid 40s throughout the race.  I represented my club by wearing my Rhode Runner singlet and shorts.  I also chose to wear gloves and arm warmers too so that I would be comfortable running.  Now, it was just minutes from the start of my 4th marathon.  Alberto Salazar said it best, "I had as many doubts as anyone else.  Standing on the starting line, we're all cowards."  I knew that I had put in the work, had gone through a small taper period, and was fit to run a great race.  Before the gun goes off, however, every single scenario plays through your head.  You see yourself running the race of your life and you see yourself not being able to finish the race.  The marathon is a tough distance and you need to stay level-headed to conquer it.  I took deep breaths and focused on what I was about to do.  It was so quick, the gun fired, and we were off!

(on top of the Rocky Steps)

This was beyond the coolest start to any race I have taken part in.  We ran down a main street, lined with thousands of screaming supporters, that had flags of every country in the world going down both sides.  The marathon and half marathon started together and I got caught up in the excitement of the race.  My plan was to go out conservatively, start around 6:40 pace and work down to 6:30 and then start dropping miles under that mark.  I was having too much fun at the beginning of the race.  I hit the first mile in 6:20, way too fast for someone trying to run 2:50 not 2:45!  I then told myself to relax and tried to back off a bit, I still had 25.2 miles to go!  When I reached the mile 2 marker, my watch said 7:03.  At this point I freaked out!  I did not travel to Philly to run another 3:0x marathon.  I immediately began to speed up and then reached mile three in 5:26.  The problem here is that I did not run a 7:03 mile or a 5:26 mile.  The second mile mark was placed too far away so I thought I had been running a lot slower than I was.  I ran 12:30 for miles 2 and 3 combined (6:15 pace).  I probably ran about a 6:30 mile for the second mile but then sped up to 6:00 pace when I thought I had been over 7:00.  This does not make for an easy marathon when you go out much faster then planned.  I then settled back into my target pace and began to rattle off some miles just under 6:30 pace through 8 miles.  I hit the 10k in 39:27 (6:21 pace).  The crowd was excellent during the early miles.  There were people lining the streets during these miles and giving encouragement to the runners.  The Drexel students were out partying and cheering on the runners too!  At this point in the race I climbed up a few pretty significant hills when we entered Fairmount Park for the first time.  I split a couple miles in the 6:40s because of the natural incline.  I then ran 6:25 for mile 11, 6:34 for mile 12 and 6:34 for mile 13.  I went through halfway in 1:25:02 (6:30 pace).  I was right on my goal time for halfway.  I, however, was beginning to fade instead of picking up speed. 

(Rocky statue- signature medal biting)

I wanted to go through the half in a position to negative split the race.  I had gone out too fast and was about to pay the price over the next 13 miles.  I began to split miles in the 6:40s and 6:50s until mile 20.  I had fallen off pace and was hurting all over.  I was physically drained and knew I would be in an intense battle with myself all the way to the finish.  I was angry with the way I had failed to execute my pre-race plan.  I needed a boost, something to pick me up and carry me to the finish.  At mile 20, I got it in the Manayunk neighborhood.  It was here that I started to fully enjoy the marathon.  The course gets a little thin in terms of crowd support once you leave the downtown area and enter miles 13-18.  Once I entered Manayunk, I felt like a part of the community.  I had entered into a giant block party, complete with some great bands that picked me up.  There was a table of people handing out beer to the runners.  This made me laugh.  Everyone was just out to have a good time and it was great to be a part of it and have this community cheering the runners on.  I found my second wind for the last 10k of the race.  I clicked off miles in the 6:40s, which was a little faster then what I was struggling to maintain earlier on in the second half.  My body ached all over but I told myself there was no way I would give in.  I pushed over the final miles.  I saw a sign at around 24 miles that said: "26.2 miles because 26.3 would be crazy."  I laughed some more at this sign and fully agree, 26.3 miles would be insane!  When I reached the final mile of the race, I entered back into the Downtown area.  The crowds were again huge and this gave me even more motivation.  One nice thing about the race was that our bibs were personalized with our first names.  I heard a lot of "Go David's" throughout the 26.2 mile journey.  It was uplifting every time a person I did not know was giving me words of encouragement.  The running community is great!  When I got to the final .2 mile stretch I was urging my body to just make it to the line.  I was a few minutes off my goal but I still was about to reach a big PR.  I gave it everything I had and managed to "sprint" to the line, whatever that means after 26 miles (6:30 pace for the last .2).  I felt blessed to make it across another finish line.  The support from my family and friends means everything to me.  I want to make everyone, including myself, proud of what I am able to do when I challenge myself daily through running.  After finishing the race, I received a medal and found my dad right away and gave him a hug.  I managed to walk over to where he was and then we did what any sensible people would do: we ran up the Rocky Steps.  We celebrated this new achievement in style!

The Philadelphia Marathon was a great race! The organization was superb and I would recommend to any marathoner to add this race to the bucket list.  This past weekend could not have gone any better!  I ran 2:54:02, good for 238th out of over 11,500 marathoners.  We're doing it!  I know I was off my goal time by a few minutes but I am proud with how I was able to persevere and finish after going out too fast.  Philly left me with, if possible, even more motivation for the future.  I ran my first sub-3 hour marathon and am in no way done or satisfied yet.  The slogan for the Philadelphia Marathon race weekend was to "redefine possible."  I am looking forward to Boston and at my next opportunity to redefine possible.  2013 is going to be a year of revenge for me.  I am going to train harder than even before and go after a new PR in the marathon.  I think that with a full 20 weeks of training from now until Patriot's Day I can go close to 2:40.  Even though we are approaching winter, it is not the time to take time off and keep warm indoors.  It is time to stay hungry and on the prowl.

Run Happy,
David

Splits: 6:20, 7:03 (long), 5:26 (short), 6:26, 6:27, 6:28, 13:05 (7+8), 6:40, 6:47, 6:25, 6:34, 6:34, 6:29, 6:44, 6:49, 6:53, 6:54, 6:54, 7:00, 6:42, 6:44, 6:50, 6:49, 6:47, 6:43, 1:18 (.2 miles- 6:30 pace)

10k- 39:27 (6:21 pace)
half- 1:25:02 (6:30 pace)
30k- 2:02:41 (6:35 pace)
20 miles- 2:12:08 (6:36 pace)
last 10k- 41:53 (6:44 pace)

Finish: 26.2 miles- 2:54:02 (6:38 pace)
238th of 11,635
31/391 M20-24

Pre-Marathon Thoughts

It's just two days until I go after my next marathon: Philadelphia.  I am excited to measure where my training has gotten me to and really see what I am capable of in this upcoming race.  I have been logging the miles and putting in the workouts.  I have already hit my Boston Qualifying mark of 3:05 this past September and am registered for the Spring.  This race is all about improving on my 3:03 PR and seeing how far I can bring it down.  In my build-up for Philly, I ran the Hartford Half Marathon in mid-October.  I did not know what to expect with this race.  My recovery period had gone well after the Lehigh Valley Marathon and I had some confidence after gaining a BQ time.  I ran the most consistent half marathon of my life.  My last 5k was my best 5k.  I finished in 1:20:38 (6:09 pace).  This changed the goal for Philly and my mindset going in.  I started doing my workouts faster and focused in on my pace during my long runs.  My new goal became a low 2:50 marathon.  I would like to get as close to this mark as I can and try to break it.  Philadelphia provides me with an opportunity to do this.  I believe that if the weather is good, on the fast and flat course, this is a real possibility.

My training has gone well since Hartford.  I had a small hamstring injury that affected me the week after the race but has since healed.  I had a few good workouts where I looked for consistency running faster than marathon pace.  The last week of October I put in two quality workouts.  I ran a 10 x Freeman Hill workout in Providence.  I progressed through each repeat, getting faster as I went.  I then ran a 6 mile tempo at 6:00 pace on the East Bay Bike Path just two days later.  That week concluded with my longest run in the build-up: a 22 miler.  I was up in southern New Hampshire on October 28th so I went down to Lowell, MA to do this run on the Bay State Marathon course.  This is where I ran my first marathon and I thought it might be good to turn back to my roots for this run.  I ran conservatively during the first of two 10.2 mile loops and split 1:12:35 (7:06 pace).  I then gradually picked up the pace during the second half.  I finished the second loop in 1:07:55 (6:39 pace).  My last 5 miles were in 32:14 (6:27 pace) which is just under marathon pace where I wanted to be.  I then did a quick cool-down to get to 22 for the day.  I totaled 98.5 miles for the week of 10/22 to 10/28.  The following week was just as productive, as I reached 92.5 miles.  I did a mid-week track workout of 6 x 1 mile.  My splits were: 6:00, 6:01, 5:52, 5:56, 5:56, 5:52.  I again sought to keep a steady pace during the workout and try and make it feel as comfortable as possible.  My other workout for the week was 10 x 2:00 hard, 2:00 rest.  I felt strong during this workout and pushed the tempo portions.  I then ran a little over 18 miles on Sunday, November 4th.  My goal was to run 6:30 pace for the last 5 miles.  I, instead, averaged 6:30 pace for the entire run.  I started in the 6:40 range and worked down from there.  It felt comfortable and I had plenty left at the end of the run, hitting splits of 6:15, 6:08 and 5:51 for my last 3 miles.  Awesome!  I probably should have taken this run easier, but what a confidence builder!  I can hold this kind of pace this weekend.  Last week, I brought my mileage down to 76 and I started to feel fresh legs as I began to cut back.  My big workout for the week was 3 x 2 miles.  I ran the repeats in 11:57, 12:05 and 12:05.  It was on a very windy day at the Brown Stadium track.  My weekend long run was 14.5 miles and I kept the pace consistent, averaging 6:52 pace.  Taper week has been fun!  I am looking to be around 70-75 miles, including the marathon.  I did a 5 mile tempo in 30:00 on Tuesday to keep the legs fresh. 

While I have highlighted my workouts and long runs in this post, I want to stress the importance of easy running.  All of my other days, with my mileage goals in the 90 range, include several days where I run twice but keep the pace easy.  Examples include 10/6 mile doubles.  I stay around 7:00 a mile and really give my body a chance to recover between workouts.  My marathon plan is about creating cumulative fatigue.  I have been tired, very tired in this build-up.  I have not, however, been broken or pushed too far.  I have played things close to this line and maybe even touched it.  The goal is to use the long runs to simulate the later stages of the marathon.  Because I have been able to put in quality long runs, often holding marathon pace at points during them, I am confident that I can put together a good race.  I am ready for Philly and am looking to "race" the marathon.  My goal is to break 2:50 or go as close to it as possible.  I have done the work.  I have put in the time.  I have put all of my efforts into training.  This weekend is an opportunity that I am looking to take.  It is time to see my hard work pay off.  Good luck to everyone out there this weekend!  Go out and get after it!

Run Happy,
David

NEVER GOING BACK

(Never going back- at Lehigh)

Never going back.  These three words have become my new mantra over the past three weeks.  I cannot believe where I started off in this journey and where I am now.  My "debut" half marathon was run in 1:45.  I was a rookie, in over my head, and had no idea how to race a half marathon.  My main focus was to just make it across the line.  The distance intimidated me.  Now, I am a full-time marathoner.  I qualified for the Boston Marathon by running 3:03 and believe that there is a lot more I have left to accomplish at the distance.  Most recently, I ran the ING Hartford Half Marathon on October 13.  I had an incredible experience there and ran a new pr of 1:20:38 (6:09 pace)!  That's about two minutes faster (per mile) than what I ran in my first half marathon in the spring of 2011.  It was great to take part in my first (of many) ING races.  It was one of the best organized races I have ever run in.  The start/finish area was extremely easy to navigate.  The support on the course was amazing, including a cheer zone right after mile 6 where everyone had noisemakers and were shouting words of encouragement.  All of the volunteers really picked me up during the race.  I am honored to be a part of the ING Class of 2012 and would reccommend Hartford to runners of all levels.  The best advice I can give is that to reach goals you need to be able to motivate yourself.  You need to tell yourself that you are not going back, that you are a different person who is capable of doing what you believe you can do.  Find something, anything, and get lost in it.  I found this with running but just make sure you involve others in your life.  Support is key in reaching your goals.  Share both your successes and failures with others.  This will make you stronger.

(finishing at Hartford)

I chose the ING Hartford Half Marathon as a tune-up race prior to the Philadelphia Marathon which is on November 18th.  I wanted to test my speed and build upon a 1:26 half marathon pr I had set back in August.  I knew that I wanted to push myself in this race and went out just over 6:00 pace for my first mile.  I was running right behind the woman who would finish in second place.  We were going at a pace slightly quicker than I wanted to at this point in the race so I decided to drop back a little and run my own race.  I went through 5 miles in 30:45 (6:09 pace).  The course for the half marathon was awesome.  We hit some hills in miles 7-9 and I kept my effort the same but ran my slowest miles of the race in 6:15.  After this point I ran through a scenic park and then reached 10 miles in 1:01:44 (6:10 pace).  I reached a choice at the point.  I had run a solid first 10 miles of the race.  I was now very tired.  My lungs were burning.  My legs were burning.  I could coast to the finish and still run something in the 1:23-1:24 range and pr by a couple of minutes.  Then I thought to myself, not today.  This is not the way I run, being satisfied with something less than my best.  I relayed to my body that I was not going to go back.  I was going to push all the way through to the finish line and leave it all on the course.  My mile 10-11 split was 6:00, even with my fastest mile in the race.  I then ran a 6:08 for mile 11-12.  I finished with a 6:45 for the last 1.1 miles.  I ran my fastest 5k of the race (18:53- 6:05 pace) for the last 5k of the race!  This is the first time I have had so much strength at the end of a long-distance race.  I finished in 1:20:38 (6:09 pace), good for 47th place.  My splits were extremely consistent: everything between 6:00 and 6:15.  I am very happy with this performance and cannot wait to improve on it in the spring.

This gives me good confidence when looking forward to Philly.  I hope to run in the low 2:50s.  I was able to run a very even race at a hard pace.  My slowest mile was 6:15.  I was able to dig deep and run a sub-19 last 5k in a half marathon.  That is not an easy thing to do!  My training has been a little different for the build-up to this race.  Instead of going to the track a couple of times a week, I have been doing my speed sessions on the road.  I have specifically been doing interval training where I do repitions for a certain amount of time and then a little recovery time.  Examples include 5 x 4:00 hard (2:30 rest), 7 x 3:00 hard (2:00 rest) and 10 x 1:30 hard (1:30 rest).  These workouts are good because the recovery is quick.  Feel out a workout like this and do it based on effort.  I do not have a set distance to run for these kind of repeats.  I run as hard as I can for the given amount of time and then focus on my recovery time.  It has clearly worked out well as I took six minutes off of my halk marathon time this past weekend.  Now, I feel very good heading into Philly.  I have some more workouts and long runs to get in, but my confidence is here.  I feel like I took a step up this past weekend and took my running to a new level.  A 1:20 half would have put me top 10, if not higher at several local half marathons that weekend.  I chose, however, to compete in a faster field and cannot be upset with my place based on the time.  The Philadelphia Marathon will be the same kind of race.  A 2:50 marathon may very well not even secure a top-100 place.  This does not really matter though.  All I need to do is to try an be better than the person I was yesterday.  I need to go to sleep at night feeling a sense of satisfaction in the steps I took that day to improve.  Most importantly, I am never going back.  I am dream chasing.


Dream On,
David

BQ BQ BQ!

Have you run Boston?  Did you qualify?  When you tell others that you are a marathoner you typically get questions like these.  Boston is at the pinnacle of the marathon scene.  It is one of the very few races that imposes stringent qualifying standards.  For my age group (18-34 years old) the time needed is a 3:05.  That averages out to 7:03 a mile for 26.2 miles.  I have been focused in training on getting under this mark.  Do you have dreams?  Ambitions?  Desires?  This has been mine for a while now and I finally got there.  It happened just a week ago and the reality is starting to set in as registration for the Boston Marathon is about to open up for me. 

BQ or Bust: How do you handle the pressures of a big race and perform your best?  This is he question I was faced with before and during the Lehigh Valley Marathon.  The race was on September 9, the day before the deadline to run a BQ.  I went into this race knowing that, if I did not run faster than a 3:05 marathon, I would be watching it on television.  I did have some confidence, coming off of a fine 1:26 half marathon but as the saying goes, "Anyone can run twenty miles.  It's the next six that count."  The marathon is unpredictable.  You can have a great training cycle but are still at risk of blowing up at any point in the race.  The marathon humbles you.  It can help you realize what you are striving to achieve in life.  It can bring you many joys and it can defeat you, be your worst enemy.  I like the solitude I find in running.  It brings clarity to my everyday life and helps to give me different perspectives on the world around me.  You learn a lot about yourself in long distance running.  I like the challenge of running tired because the feeling you get in triumph is one like no other.  I am happy to say this is what happened at Lehigh.

 

 

I went down to the Lehigh Valley on the Friday before the race and hung out with my best friend at his college.  This was extremely helpful in relaxing me prior to the race.  I went to the start line on Sunday feeling fresh and ready to do my best.  I have been working with a new running coach at Rhode Runner over the past few months.  He suggested I go out in 1:30 and try to run sub-7:00 miles for as long as I could.  I liked this strategy.  The marathon course is a net downhill, primarily from the first few miles, and the majority of the race is run on trails.  I went out right on pace!  I ran with the "unofficial" 6:50 pace group as one runner nicknamed the pack I ran with during most of the race.  I hit thirteen miles in 1:29:14.  I was right on target at this point.  My legs were feeling some fatigue at this point and I urged them, pleaded with them to produce a solid second half to get that BQ.  After the halfway point, the group started to click off some faster miles, closer to 6:40.  While I know I can handle the pace, I let the group go and stuck to hitting 6:50-7:00 miles.  I knew I needed to conserve some energy for that final 10k and that it was not worth the risk of blowing up by staying with their pace.  I stuck to my plan and was running strong through 20 miles.  I was right on 3 hour pace and the thoughts of breaking this barrier began to float into my head.  Then, came those last six miles.  I did not completely hit the wall but my pace wavered and I averaged just over 7:15 pace across the final 10k.  I crossed the finish line in 3:03:14 (6:59 pace)!  I was overcome with emotion down the final stretch.  Once I glimpsed the finish line in the distance, and gave my watch a quick read and saw 3:01-something, I knew I was going to do it.  The last .2 miles was incredible.  The one thing I had been obsessed with for the better parts of this year was finally going to be achieved.  I clenched my fist in the air as I approached the finish line.  A spectator encouraged me and told me I was doing great.  My response was, "BQ!"  I sort of yelled it back at him and he laughed.  Right before the finish line, the announcer said my name and told the onlookers that runners coming in were still running very fast times.  I threw my put my arms out as I crossed the finish line and then I felt nothing.  Everything was still.  I was trapped in my one small moment of success.  I have put a lot of pressure on myself in training all summer to get into sub-3:05 shape and the weight this fell of right as I came through the finish line.  I may have had a tear in my eye.  I'm not ashamed to say that.  I'm also not ashamed to say that I am an official Boston Marathon Qualifier!  I got my BQ and am quite proud of it.  From looking at me in high school or in the beginning of college, you would never have expected that kid to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  I have made some changes and different choices in my life to get to where I am today but I would not have done anything differently.  During the race, I realized that time is not the most important aspect of running.  I run for joy.  I want to get the most out of myself each day and find I am most satisfied in this regard from running.  Now I have to find out what it is that I want next.

What's next: I am here to stay in the marathon.  I will be running another fall marathon to try and break the three hour mark, but I do have bigger ambitions.  I want to run FAST in the spring.  If my training cycle seemed tough last spring seemed tough, it will be nothing compared to what is coming.  I am going to find out where my limits are and then push them further.  I have been told what I can and cannot do through much of my life.  Running is different.  This spring will be different.  Boston will be different.

Cheers,
David

marathon splits: 6:52, 6:49, 6:50, 7:04, 7:00, 13:50 (2 miles), 6:44, 6:53, 6:46, 6:54, 6:47, 6:40, 6:51, 6:48, 6:54, 6:54, 6:59. 7:01, 7:10, 7:10. 7:14, 7:13, 7:21, 7:26, 7:26, 1:27 (.2)

13 miles- 1:29:14
20 miles- 2:17:54
last 10k- 45:17 (7:17 pace)
* 3:03:14 26.2 miles BQ

Time to Rock N Roll!

I have had my work cut out for me these past few weeks.  After coming off of an injury to my right quad, I went full tilt into marathon training.  On a shortened training block, I had to fit in workouts, races and long runs to get ready for the Lehigh Valley Marathon on September 9th.  I first tested myself with the Providence Rock N Roll Half Marathon to see where my fitness was.


Rock N Roll Recap: This race generated a lot of buzz among the local running community in Providence.  It is put on by the Competitor Group, which provide Rock N Roll Series races in big cities across the United States and in international countries too.  I have nothing but good things to say about the organization for this race.  For a large race, everything went smoothly.  The expo had everything a runner would want in it.  There was an abundance of race gear from the title sponsor, Brooks Sports featuring technical shirts and jackets with the Providence race logo on them.  You could also purchase Brooks running shoes among other Rock N Roll specific merchandise.  There were also several booths with items for sale and free products from race sponsors: Marathon Bar, Poland Springs, Garmin, Gu, etc.  It was very easy to navigate through the various vendors and see what they had to offer.  The race itself went very well for me.  I did not know what to expect coming in and would use this race as an indicator for my goal time at Lehigh Valley.  After a two mile warm-up through Smith Street and some light stretching/striders, I went to the start line feeling pretty good.  Mile one felt easy and controlled through a flat stretch in downtown Providence.  I hit my first split in 6:20.  I thought that might be a little quick so I tucked in behind a pack of about 3-5 that looked like they were moving pretty fast.  In this group were a couple elite and sub-elite women.  My next few miles were pretty consistent, still not having reached any big hills: 6:32, 6:28 (20:02 5k), 6:27.  I fel pretty good through the 5k and then reached the first uphill climb on the course.  There was a decent incline from North Main up to Blackston Boulevard.  My 5th mile was run in 6:37.  Once the race course turned onto the Boulevard things leveled out and I ran mile 6 in 6:25.  I kept the pace consistent for another mile and ran mile 7 in 6:29.  The course then took its second long climb up Pittman Street.  Mile 8 was run in 6:40 (I took a GU here).  Once I was at the top of the hill my legs were pretty shot and I tried to hang on the rest of the race and run some consistent miles to the finish.  I reached 10 miles in 1:05:33.  I slowed a little from my earlier pace after hitting the two hills in miles 5 and 8.  My last few miles were run in 6:50, 6:44, 6:52.  I still managed a decent kick up Memorial Boulevard.  The race finished right in front of the state house.  I crossed the line in 1:26:37 (6:37 pace).  I have to believe that I could have run fast if I had started a little easier and saved my energy for the last 5k of the race.  I, instead, faded from my pace but was still happy with the overall result.  I placed 48th overall of over 3500 and was 6th in my age group.  Not too bad!  This race served as a confidence builder leading up to Lehigh Valley.

Marathon Finishing Touches: I did not have time to recover following the half marathon, leaving only three weeks until raceday.  I totaled a little over 95 miles for the week, which included two good workouts, a long run and lots of junk miles.  I did a hill workout on the Wednesday of that week.  I ran with the Rhode Runner Athletic Club for some hill repeats on the East Side of Providence.  We ran 10 x Freeman Hill.  The rise was about 60 feet in a quarter mile and we averaged right around 1:30 for the repeats.  Solid!  I then did an interval workout on Friday.  I went over to the Seekonk High School Track and did 4 x 2000m repeats.  I ran them around 10k pace: 8:04, 7:47, 7:41, 8:05.  I then completed my long run on Saturday.  The idea here with my training was to put in a couple of good workouts to wear out my body (Wednesday and Friday) and then get in the long run on some very tired legs.  I ran just over 21 miles at a little under 7:30 pace.  My route took me all around Providence and to Roger Williams Park.  It was definately full of hills and helped to build both strength and endurance.  I was able to run a 6:30 final mile.  This gave me satisfaction in knowing, if I needed to, I could run fast late in the marathon.  The following week I ran just over 75 miles and got in one last workout.  I did a tough ladder workout with the running club, 1000m-1200m-mile-1200m-1000m.  Our splits were: 3:36, 4:24, 5:49, 4:17, 3:28.  This was a good workout because we picked up the pace late into a workout in which we were running long intervals on the track.  I then started to cut back my mileage.  My long run was only 10 miles the Sunday before the race.  During this past week, I ran 5 miles on Monday, 10 miles on both Tuesday and Wednesday, 7.5 miles and Thursday and then took a rest day on Friday.  My legs feel fresh and I am ready to go!  I did an easy 3 miles shakeout at Muhlenberg College this morning and feel confident before raceday.  I am looking forward to this race for several reasons.  It has not been a perfect training cycle this summer, being up in Vermont and fighting through injury, but I am ready to go out and run my best.  Sunday is the last day to garner a Boston Marathon qualifying time.  I need to run under 3:05.  That is my goal.  That is what I am here to do. 

Happy Running,
David

Starting August on Top



(Team David pre-race)

I have been neglecting my blogging duties lately but that should change as things kick in to high gear in the next few weeks.  My training has been sporadic to say the least.  After crushing my 5k pr (now 17:28) at the Hollis Fast 5k in early June, I pictured doing the same throughout this summer in just about every distance.  Things have not gone as planned.  I continued training on the rolling terrain of Southern Vermont for a couple weeks and put in a couple of solid track sessions too.  I mixed in a lot of longer interval training on the track (1000-2000m) and felts things were going really well.  I was hitting 400m repeats in the low 70 range and was beginning to feel "fast."  My next target race was the Harvard Pilgrim 10k at Patriot Place on July 3rd.  My aim was to set a new pr and run someting in the 36:00-37:00 range (something I thought very doable with where my 5k was).  I made a crucial mistake heading into the race.  I was on a 50+ run streak (with a lot of doubles mixed in) and did not take any time to let my body recover before the race.  The day before the race I ran "only" 7 miles (at an easy pace) but this was still probably too much with the longer runs I did on the Saturday and Sunday before the race.  The race started at 6:00 pm on Tuesday night and the temperature was still right around 80 and humid.  I went out right on 6:00 for my first mile, hoping to keep this pace and speed up throughout the race.  My legs, however, had other plans and were not in it from the start.  I struggled the rest of the race, clocking much slower miles along the way, and barely managed to break 40:00.  This was not what I had in mind going into the race.  I was lucky I had such a great racecrew to cheer me on and pick me up after the race!  We watched a great firework show and I still got to sprint across the 50-yard line at Gilette Stadium and live out my childhood dream!  I even Tebowed at the finish (had to keep that promise to my friends)!  Following the race, however, I did what I usually do when I do not achieve the result I wanted.  I trained harder!

I went out for 10 miles the day after the race to loosen up and get my legs back under me.  The next day (still without a rest day in almost 60 days now and having run 3 recent races) I went out for 15+ miles at marathon effort.  I averaged 7:00 for the run and felt tired, but good.  The next morning, I felt a little twinge in my right thigh when I woke up.  But it was my birthday!  I did not put much thought into it and went out for a 10 mile tempo through Providence at a 6:30 pace.  The following day I was finding it difficult to walk but still put in 7 miles.  I figured I could still get in a long run on Sunday but I was in so much pain I cut the run short to a little over 8 miles.  I finally decided on taking an off day (Monday, 7/9).  My next race was in one week, the Jamestown Half Marathon.  The field was not going to be particularly big and I had an excellent chance of doing very well (if healthy).  I tried to run in the week leading up to the race (and did) but the pain was still too much.  I still lined up and ran the half marathon, effectively running my worst time in two years.  I definitely should not have tried to run injured and probably made things worse.  The last two weeks in July were very frustrating.  I had gotten injured, run a bad race, and now was missing valuable training time for the fall.  I iced my thigh constantly, took ibuprofen, heated it, etc. but it still was bothering me.  I wanted to get it properly looked at but I did not have the opportunity being stuck in Vermont.  I started to feel better the first week in August and decided to run up Mt. Snow.  I just decided, on August 1st, that this was the right thing to do to have a clean slate at the start of the month.  What an exhilarating feeling it was standing on top of the mountain looking out for mile after mile!  I felt accomplished that I have ran the whole way up and climbed from 2000 feet to 3600+ feet in a couple of miles.

Things are looking much better this month.  I ran 85 miles last week and put in some good sessions at the beginning of this week before cutting back in preparation for the Falmouth Road Race tomorrow.  I started physical therapy (official diagnosis right thigh strain- much worse earlier in July) this week and will continue throughout the month.   I am certainly starting to feel the excitement again with some big races coming up!  The Falmouth Road Race (8/12) always draws a big elite field full of top Americans, as well as Kenyans and Ethiopans too.  The crowds along the race course are the biggest among any New England summer road race with the finish line having people 10-deep around it.  Next weekend I will be running the Providence Rock N Roll Half Marathon with a chance to redeem myself at this distance.  This will be a fun race with live bands every mile and Karmin headlining at the finish!  My fall marathons are picked out.  I will be running the Lehigh Valley Marathon (9/9- day before Boston registration).  This race gives me a chance to get what I have been chasing after for months- a BQ!  I will then prep for the Amica Newport Marathon (10/14) and look for a strong finish there.  I really want to contend at Newport and place well!  For now, I am going to keep increasing mileage and begin to put in some longer distanced (marathon specific) workouts.  Hopefully I can turn in some good race results in the next couple of weekends!

Vermont Running

It has been pretty tough running in Vermont lately.  There is literally no flat ground to run on and the nearest track is 40 minutes away if I want to get in a speed session.  I am all in favor of conquering hills, but this is not one of those moments where I am just being lazy.  The elevation changes well over 1000 feet to get in any middle-distanced run.  It always ends up being (mostly) uphill on the way back too.  Right now, I am sort of in between with my running goals.  I still want to work on speed and get my 5k/10k times down this summer.  I also want to build a steady base now for marathon training later in the summer leading into a fall race.  Speed is important to work on now so that I run a faster marathon in the fall.  The problem that I am faced with now is fatigue.  Lately, my legs have been feeling tired and heavy.  I pushed myself through a couple of tough workouts and have kept up with double-runs every other day.  My mileage on these hills is in the 80s (avg. per week) and I want to keep adding on.  I, however, do not want to burn out or get injured any time soon.  That would be bad.  This all seems pretty negative and that is one thing I want to touch on: attitude.  If you approach something, anything, with a feeling that it is going to be difficult, it will be.  You have to have the right mindset going into a particularly demanding training block.  Many people reading this may be training for different events then I am.  It is all still the same concept.  You need to have a positive outlook on the situation and remind yourself why you are chasing your goal.  It is important that I tell myself that training on these hills will be worth it.  When I get back to sea level (not much but up at 2000 feet of altitude in the mountains) and flat ground I will see big gains.  My goal is to run a fast marathon time in the fall.  This is something I have said quite often.  I believe that I can run well under a sub-2:45 marathon in the fall.  It does not bother me if someone tells me this is a lofty goal, or worse that I cannot achieve it.  This is what keeps me out there every day.  I have something to prove, but not to others, to myself.  I made a deal that I would run a fast marathon in the fall.  Why?  I did this because I want to achieve this goal.  Running is something I enjoy and something I can learn from every day.  It is all about the attitude.  I have a determination that makes people question why I am doing what I am doing.  This is when you know you are doing something right.  Find something you like.  Then, give 100% of yourself to it and let it take over.  You will be amazed at what you can learn about yourself that you did not know before.  You will experience how far you can push yourself.  You will achieve your goals.  My advice is simple: dream and then turn it into a reality.  Use motivation to help shape your attitude and ultimately find what you are looking for.

I have to believe that running in the mountains is giving me strength for when I road race.  I ran the Hollis Fast 5k last week and ran a new PR!  This is a great local event in New Hampshire.  It draws a big crowd for a 5k (over 1000) and is well organized.  The course is a net downhill and is advertised as one of the fastest in the U.S.  And it did not disappoint!  I ran 17:28 (5:37/mile) and took home 1st place in my age group (21st overall in a fast field of over 1000 runners)!  I see racing as a reward, not a burden.  All of my hardwork has been translating into quality race results of late.  There is a certain satisfaction you have when you toe a start line with confidence from all the miles you have been putting in.  Last year I ran this race and finished in 20:02.  Over two and a half minutes off my 5k in a year!  I'll take it.  It is nice to see some im  I also got a pretty cool apple-shaped trophy.  I saw it last year and thought it would be pretty cool to take it home the next year.  My next race is going to be a 10k in a couple of weeks.  That should be a good test of fitness.  Summer racing and training can be tough so make sure if you are out running, you are being careful.  Hydrate regularly, wear hats. use sunscreen (thanks mom), etc.  Do not worry about a run where you cannot perform your best because of the heat.  Long-term health is much more important then pushing yourself too far in the heat.  Train safe and see ya'll next time.

Run Happy,
David

We Did it Everyone!!!

(Wheeler Farm)

Forget race reports, this is a maple syrup review!  This summer, I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere in Vermont.  It's kind of great, but can be a little difficult at times for running.  Maple syrup, however, makes everything better.  I've been devouring waffles and pancakes after just about every run.  I get the goods from a place called Wheeler Farm.  When I went to get my syrup fill for the past couple weeks, I followed signs that brought me into the family's farm.  I was greeted on their property by the friendliest dog who ran over to me wagging its tail all over the place and such.  As I was petting the dog, I was instructed by a man doing farm work to go knock on the back door and there I could find this magical elixir called "real Vermont maple syrup."  When I knocked on the door, I was greeted by the oldest and kindliest looking woman.  She simply looked at me and said, "Syrup?"  I nodded and followed her into another room inside her actual home.  She asked me if I wanted light, medium, or dark syrup.  I didn't even know there were types.  I went with medium just to be safe.  I then paid and rushed back to my suite (editor's note- I'm living in a hotel this summer- picture Suite Life of Zack and Cody minus an annoying mother).  When I first took a bite of the Wheeler Farm syrup on a batch of fresh waffles, my taste buds exploded.  It wasn't like anything I had ever tasted before.  Okay, it tasted exactly like maple syrup- except way better.  It had the taste of something that someone put a lot of time, effort, and thought into.  My grade for the Vermont maple syrup experience: A+.  I reccomend it to everyone if you like deliciousness all up in your stomach.  Now I guess I should go back to the whole running thing.  It is literally all hills where I am.  The elevation change is unbelievable.  I went out for 17 miles a week ago and the change was 2800 feet.  That's pretty crazy, seeing as I had to climb half of it.  I've been doing a lot of hill repeats and have really been gaining some leg strength.  I'm also up at altitude in Vermont (not really sure if 2000 feet makes a difference- but I'd like to think it does).  Hopefully this training will pay off when I go back to running on relatively flat ground and that's exactly what happened this past weekend.

(Nom, nom, nom- maybe not before a race)

It's finally happened, I won a road race!  Now I know what you're thinking.  How did you pull off this amazing victory?  Did you out-kick your nearest competitot at the finish?  Well, what happened then?  I was given a free entry into the Castle Awards 5k from my running club (shout out to Rhode Runner- and our awesome bright orange singlets).  I expected this race to draw a good local field and to push myself hard during the race to finish somewhere in the 18:00 range.  This race also included a half marathon that started at the same time.  The race was small and most runners were entered for the half marathon.  I thought about running the half, but really want to focus on shorter distances this summer so that my marathon time will drop considerably.  When the gun went off on Sunday I shot out right away.  In fact I was in the lead, all by myself, right from the start.  This is something I have never even begun to have thought about: lead a race from wire to wire and win.  I went through the first mile (without looking back) in about 5:40.  I was running right behind the lead motorcycle, cool!  I felt calm and relaxed during the first mile (despite the Ben and Jerry's ice cream at 9 pm the night before the race).  My form was spot on and I began to picture the rest of the race unfolding with me at the front.  My goal for this race was to run even splits, but there were a couple problems with this.  The first was that there were no mile markers for mile 2 and mile 3 (they must have only done the half-marathon course because the 5k split from it after the first mile).  Another problem was that the 5k course was a little bit longer than 3.1 miles.  The race director told me he wanted to have the 5k and half finish in the same spot.  I mapped the 5k course to be 3.2 miles, considerably longer when looking at your final pace.  The other factor was that I was running by myself.  I glanced over my shoulder at some point where I thought the second mile might be.  There was nobody in sight.  During the final mile, I pushed my pace, with the fear that someone might come up on me at the end.  When I hit the homestretch, it finally settled in that I was going to win!  I felt an overflow of emotions at this point.  I am passionate about my running (obviously) and got a little emotional being the first one to the finish line.  Another part of me (the more playful side), had pictured this moment for months.  What victory celebration would I go with when I broke the tape?  Although this race was small, I'm pretty proud of what I've managed to accomplish over the past few years.  I have dropped my race times by following a simple formula: hard work + determination = success.  It doesn't matter what people tell you that you won't run a certain time.  All that matters is you are the person you have to answer to.  There have been struggles along the way and certainly a lot of doubt for me too.  I am happy with where I am fitnesswise right now but I want so much more in the future.  I know it won't be easy.  My time for the race (18:36- 3.2 miles, about 18:03 for 5k) will not win me many more races, if any.  There's a certain drive in me right now (ignited by this summer heat) that will help me continue to make progress throughout the summer.  I'm looking forward to some good hard months of training that will translate into a FAST marathon time come fall.  For now, I'm taking things one day at a time.  Good results do not come to you in a single night.  It takes weeks, months, and years of hard training to be able to consistently run solid times and make improvements.  Do not get upset if you have a bad race, use it to push harder and correct whatever problems you may be experiencing.  So, I'm just gonna keep going at it all summer and see what the fall has in store.


(I went with this pose- still working on it)

Be Limitless,
David

Marathon Recovery: Find What Works for You (plus some other cool stuff you should really check out)

From the second you cross the finish line of a marathon (or half marathon), the process of recovery has already begun.  It is important to keep moving once you finish a long distance race.  You will rest easier later in the day if you are moving an hour or two after finishing the race.  It is also important to eat, and eat right!  When I finished the Cox Marathon, I kept moving.  I found where the food was, found my family, and we walked (slowly) around Providence.  I like to take in a sports drink after a longer race and for food something like a bagel or banana works well.  This is the first stage to successful recovery so that you can move forward to your next race.  I then like to run the day following a half marathon or marathon.  This is called a shake-out run and it can do wonders.  It follows the same concept of doing an easier second run (later in the afternoon or at night) after doing a workout or long run the same morning.  I ran three miles, at an easy pace, and I would like to think it helped to get rid of that dead leg feeling I was experiencing.  Now comes the point in recovery that most people would have no problem with.  After a long distance race, there are many opinions moving around in the running community about how many rest days to take completely off.  After the Olympic Marathon Trials in January, Ryan Hall (American record holder) took three weeks completely off from running.  He did some lighter cross-training for fitness, but did not run.  Josh Cox reccomends taking two complete weeks off from training.  He then goes through two easy weeks of running before resuming regular training.  I have even heard that you should take one day off for each mile of the race you completed.  Twenty-six miles seems like a lot of time away from the sport for me!  Here's what I did.  After the shake-out run, I took the next two days completely off.  I then ran easy at the end of the week after my marathon.  On the Sunday following my marathon I ran 10 miles at a 6:53 pace.  I closely monitored how I felt this week and did not push my pace in any of my runs.  The following week, I put in 70 miles and two track workouts.  Then, I put in another week of 70 miles, track workouts, and a 5k race.  I felt strong in all of my workouts and in the race too.  My conclusion is to find what works for you and stick with it.  I'm sure I would have felt great after a whole week or two weeks completely off from running.  I just could not bring myself to take more than a couple days off.  I knew this would be fine because I listened to my body and would not have kept training if I was feeling any pain.  The bottom line is to take things easy when recovering from a long distance race.  If you have any lingering injuries, wait for them to heal before picking up your training again.  While many reccomend taking several weeks completely off, you do not have to do this if it does not work for you.  Keep these principles in mind and you will come back fresh after your big race!

Trying to Get Faster:

My summer training is focused on speed work.  I want to get faster, and get to a level where I can really begin to compete.  My thought is that if I can get my shorter distance race (5k/10k) times faster, then my marathon time will drop too.  I want to contend in my fall marathon and know that summer training will be essential to achieving this goal.  In the past couple weeks, I did a few workouts to prepare for a 5k that may work for you too.  The first was a track workout that I would consider a staple in my training.  It is called the Drop-Down.  Run 2 x 1000m (5k pace), 2 x 400m (mile pace), then 2 x 200m (all out).  You can then repeat this if you haven't had enough yet.  This teaches your body to run faster and works on foot turnover (very important for marathon training).  I also did a classic 4 x 1 mile workout on the roads.  I hit my splits in 6:02. 5:54, 5:56, 5:54, while taking three minutes of rest in between.  The goal here is to help your body acclimate to goal race pace and hold it throughout the workout.  During the week leading up to the 5k, I did one of the craziest workouts I've ever attempted.  I started with a sort of 5k simulation.  I warmed up and then ran 1 mile under goal race pace 5:50.  I then jogged for 4 minutes and then ran another mile in 5:55.  After a light cool-down I then hit the track.  I did the famed Oregon 30/40s for the first time in my life.  In this workout, try to run 200m at mile race pace then 200m 10-15 seconds slower than this.  This is called a float workout because the recovery is still done at a quick pace (maybe a little slower than half marathon pace).  It is rumored that Steve Prefontaine once did 4 miles of these hitting his repeats in 30 seconds and then in 40 seconds (hence the name).  I did two miles total and my splits were more of a 40/50 but I was still pleased with this.  The 30/40s end right when your fast repeat or recovery falls off pace.  I went into this workout with two total miles as my goal but cannot wait to see how many I can do in a row!  I then finished with 12 x 50m of all out sprints (see video of this at bottom and the one on form too).  This workout was a beast and I encourage anyone to try some of them out and see if they help you.

2nd Annual pALS 5k:

On 5/27 I ran my first race of the summer.  I finished in 5th place in 18:40 (6:01/mile) and took home second in my age group.  This is a solid start to the summer and I cannot wait to begin chipping away at this time and hopefully break well into the 17:00 range (Or better!- we'll see).  My splits for the race were: 5:52, 6:04, 6:14, :30 .1 mile sprint.  I had a strong kick to finish out this race.  The good news is that I did not get passed by anyone in the race!  I can say this definately has never happened to me before.  My splits were about 10 seconds off, which is not too terrible but I would like to be a little more consistent.  There were a lot of high school runners in this race, which brings me to a point I want to make about pacing.  The high school kids sprinted out to the lead of the race and then faded very quickly.  I was probably somewhere between 10th and 15th place until just before the first mile.  This does not produce good results in distance racing.  Go out at the pace you want to run and hold it.  If you feel good, then you can bring it down from there.  It is very difficult to run a race when your first mile is 30-45 seconds faster than your overall pace.  I have learned this the hard way too.  I used to race this way but can now guarantee you will do better going out slower in any distance race.  The race I ran benefited People with ALS.  It was put on my the parents of Jon Blais.  He was diagnosed with ALS in 2005, and despite this, completed the World Ironman Championships in Hawaii that year.  When crossing the finish line, he log-rolled to raise awareness for ALS (which many people did at the race).  His story is inspirational and I encourage everyone to watch below.  Before the race started Jon's dad spoke and told us to remember him and what he fought for.  He told all of the runners to think of Jon during the race and be his arms and legs out there when we felt weak.  We (as runners) are fortunate for the gift we have been given.  We are so lucky and blessed to be given the chance to chase after our dreams everyday. 

Run Happy,
David

Check out these videos:

- Jon Blais and his War on ALS
















- Ryan Hall Sprints

- Sage Canaday's speed/form drills

Hope these help!

Cox Marathon Race Report

I ran the Cox Marathon in Providence, RI this past weekend.  The race started at 7:30 A.M. and I could not have asked for a better day.  The temperature was in the low 50s and it was cloudy when the gun went off.  A perfect day for racing!  The course for this race takes you straight out of downtown Providence and visits several other neighboring towns.  The course runs through East Providence and then enters into Riverside.  There are a few hills in the early miles, one at mile 2 and another at mile 6.  Once you reach mile 7, the course really opens up.  There are a couple nice downhill portions and you run along the East Bay Bikepath for several miles.  Miles 7 through 20 allow for you to really dial into your pace and start hitting your splits.  The last 10k can be troublesome on this course because you have to run uphill from miles 20-22 and then there is a hill coming back up by Metacomet Golf Course after 23.  Just after mile 24, you have to go down a switchback ramp, which is really tough.  This is not ideal and poses a certain danger to runners at this point in the marathon.  If you have anything left, the last two miles are completely flat as you head back into downtown Providence.  The crowd right at the finish provides solid motivation to finish strong.  This is a great local race that I would reccomend to any runner.  The aid stations were well-stocked with enthusiastic volunteers.  The race was well organized and provided for a nice atmosphere.  If anything, I would like to see this event promoted more.  It would be great to see the city of Providence fully embrace this event and give it more coverage on race day.

My race:


I do most of my training on various parts of this course and know the area very well.  After a disappointing Boston experience, I was really looking to gain some confidence in the marathon distance.  My goal heading into the race, of course, was to run under 3:05 and BQ.  I ran consistently early in the race and hit the half in just under 1:32.  At this point, I had been running most of the race in a pack of about six or seven other runners also looking for a BQ.  We pushed each other and kept on pace.  I ran with this group through the 20 mile mark and hit this point right on 3:05 pace.  After this, however, my body began to realize it was 20 miles into a marathon.  I fell off the group I had been running with and hit the wall head-on.  My last 10k was run in 49:35, a 7:59 pace after averaging a 7:00 pace for 20 miles.  I finished in 3:11:47 (7:19 pace overall- not bad!).  My calves really tightened up and made it very difficult to run efficiently in the final miles.  Once I came to the realization that a 3:05 was out of the question on this day, I fully embraced "the wall."   The 3:11 is an official pr for me in the marathon and definitely was a good learning experience.  For now, I'm going to relax for a couple more days to recover from the marathon.  I plan on working on my speed this spring/summer.  I have not had a chance to really focus on shorter race distances in almost a year.  If I can get my times down for shorter distances, I hope to see my marathon time drop too and see a big improvement in the fall.  The next few months will certainly be fun for training!  I can play around with my training and try out some new workouts!  I cannot wait to see what I can do after a hard summer of running!

Run Happy,
David

How I Got Over

First things first, here's my Boston Marathon report:

It was hot.

Did you like it?  After putting in month after month of hard training this winter and into the spring only to be faced with a 90 degree Marathon Monday.  Temperatures were even steady the week leading up to Boston in the 40s and 50s.  There was no time to adjust to the heat.  Any chance at a PR or BQ was gone.  My strategy going into the race was to start easy but to try to run in the 3:05 range despite the heat.  This was foolish.  By body broke down very early in the race.  It was awful.  My heart rate was greatly elevated after the first few miles, even running at an easy pace.  I began to get dizzy and lightheaded too.  These conditions were dangerous.  Fluids were not helping me in the slightest to regain my strength.  I felt weak, tired, and my pace faded quickly.  I dropped out just before the 20k point at an American Red Cross station.  They took information from me and gave me fluids right away.  I learned that I had lost over five pounds of my body weight at this point in the race.  The medical personnel told me that my day was over.  My health was at a dangerous point and if I kept going things could have been much worse.  This was devastating.  I set my heart on one race, with one goal in mind.  I wanted to BQ at my first Boston from the day I got into the race.  After my stay in the medical tent, I was transported to the finish area in Boston with a number of others who had gone through similar ordeals.  One guy made me feel better, noting that all of the people around us were from cold weather areas (he was from Michigan) and had not trained in the warm weather.  He then said that it all has to do with genes.  Some of us can run in the heat, some of us cannot.  I was not in a position to run well in the heat at Boston.  As I rode on the bus into Boston, I put my head down in shame.  I had failed.  Everyone keeps telling me there is nothing I could have done and that they are happy that I came out with my health.  I, however, cannot do anything but blame myself for this result.  It has been tough to deal with over the past couple weeks.  I was down and simply did the only thing that could make me feel better: RUN!

Luckily, my run on Marathon Monday did not take anything out of me.  I hydrated well the rest of the day and in the days after too.  I cranked my training back up and ran 95 miles the week after Boston.  I already had another marathon planned out in my mind.  The Cox Marathon is right in Providence on May 6th.  This is a local race and much of the course is where I do all of my training.  During my 95 mile anger-week I put in a strong 17 mile run at a 6:52/mile pace on the Cox Marathon course.  I knew I had not lost any fitness and still had my base from Boston.  I am excited to say that I will be running the Cox Marathon on May 6th and be shooting for a sub-3:05 effort.  I played around with my training this past week and put in several quality efforts.  There was also one thing I wanted to do between Boston and the Cox Marathon.  RACE.


(Rambling it Up!)

This past weekend I ran the James Joyce Ramble 10k.  I regained my confidence by crushing my PR with a 39:09 (6:18/mile).  I won first place in my age group (19 and under)!  The course was amazing, taking us through rolling hills around Dedham.  There were also actors along the course reading bits of James Joyce to the runners.  This made me laugh at several points during the race.  I also am happy about this run because I was able to really "race."  I ran in a pack of about five runners through the middle miles of the course.  This kept my effort even and lead to a great result.  I really did get "lost in the moment" during this race.  I enjoyed this run in its fullest.  I would strongly reccomend this race for any runner looking for some type of historical aspect in a race.  So many positive vibes came from this race that will stay with me in my taper week for the Cox Marathon.  I am looking forward to this challenge and am feeling very relaxed and at peace with my running.

Run Happy,
David

"I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment." - Ryan Hall

Look for me right at 30 seconds into the video!

Relax, Relax, Relax, Calm, Calm, Calm.

How would I describe the Boston Marathon Expo?  It's basically a springtime Christmas for runners.  I went into Boston to pick up my number this morning and now am feeling nervous/excited/more nervous/more excited for Monday.  The Expo was a blast!  Every single big name running store (and small name too) was there urging each runner to come get the latest gear and shoes on the market.  There were all sorts of protein bars, energy bars, and recovery drinks to try out as well.  I also attended a Power Bar seminar that featured American 50k record holder Josh Cox, runner-up at Boston in 2011 and Olympian Marathoner Desiree Davila, and two-time World Iron Man Champion Tim DeBoom.  The seminar was also conducted by Runners World Editor Bart Yasso.  It was great to hear the insights from these elite athletes about proper fueling and on the Boston course in general.  The advice that they shared was quite simple.  Do not: try anything new leading up to or on race day.  Any items you purchased at the expo should be saved for the weeks after the race.  There has also been a lot of talk about the weather at this year's race.  These running champions emphasized to be careful, but also to enjoy the race.  Josh Cox's advice on the marathon really stuck with me.  He explained: when you feel good early in a marathon, hold back, when you feel good a second time, hold back, when you feel good a third time, hold back.  When then, I found myself asking, do you go for it?  Josh expressed that if you can still feel good well after 20 miles, then you can pick up your pace and push towards the finish line.  Desi shared the same views.  For her, it is important to run your own race.  She also provided an interesting insight on running uphill: you are using a different muscle group than when you are pounding the downhills.  Desi further shared her mantra: Relax, relax, relax, calm, calm, calm.  This is a great thing to remind yourself in all the excitement that will be at Boston.  I do not know how my body will respond to the heat on Monday.  I am in great marathon shape, and pursuing a time under 3:05.  I did learn today to let the race come to me on Monday and to enjoy it.  You only get to run the Boston Marathon for the first time once!  This is going to be one of the best experiences of my life.  If things do not fully go according to plan, there will be other marathons and times to beat.  With that being said, I cannot pass off this opportunity to chase a dream.  The race should and will be the fun part!  Anyway, I hear there's going to be a tailwind on Monday!

(Me with Josh Cox)

(Gebre)

(Me and Desi)

My Running Playlist

One big question for runners leading into a race is: What's going on the playlist?  I don't bring music with me when I run, but I almost always listen to music before a run.  With Boston coming up in five days, I have put together some of my favorites that help put me in the right state of mind.  Maybe they will work for you:

Song Away by Hockey

All Hands Against His Own by The Black Keys

Float On by Modest Mouse

Hurt Feelings by Flight of the Conchords

Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Lights & Music by Cut Copy

Sail by AWOLNATION

Kids and Heartbeat by Childish Gambino

Here I Come and Marathon Man (remix) by The Roots

Lose Yourself by Eminem

Monster by Kanye, Jay-Z, Nicki

I'm Shipping Up to Boston by The Dropkick Murphys

Run this Town by Jay-Z & Rihanna

Umbrella by Rihanna & Jay-Z (on only because it's close to 180 bpm)

All of the Lights by Kanye & Rihanna

Wavin' Flag by K'NAAN

Superstar by Lupe Fiasco

These are the songs on my Boston 2012 playlist.  I like a nice mix of styles before a run.  Some of the best running advice I can give is to go with what works for you.  Find what makes you comfortable and ready to run your best!

Too Excited Right Now! Five Days!
David