The Big Race…

FUN! AWSOME! A NEW PR!

Today was the ING Miami Half Marathon. Before I start I will warn you this post will be long. Also I have dropped in pictures and a route map. So you may want to print this out and take your time!

Click here to see a map of the route.

The day started with me dragging my sorry carcass out of bed at 3:30am so I would have enough time to get to Miami for the 6:00 start. The advantage of getting up at this ungodly hour was that my general haze and confusion at the hour helped to offset the anxiety I was feeling before the race. Although I had a lot of questions running through my head I was able to avoid complete panic I tend to go through before most of my other races. I’m either getting better at this or simply should focus on races that start before dawn!

We (Dad, Stacy & I) made it to Miami about an hour before the start which allowed be to get my bearings and more importantly take advantage of the bathrooms inside the American Airlines Arena (where the Miami Heat play). No port-o-lets… real bathrooms! We walked around a little and then Stacy & Dad headed off to position themselves for viewing of the start, and I started stretching and running a little to work off some nervous energy. This is one of my favorite part of the races. The entire field is all huttled together, some talking some serious. There was a lot of screaming and chanting. The announcer recognized what must have been a local group of runners and a large cheer rang out. The national anthem, a big countdown, and then the start! So fun!

It took me about 5 minutes to make it across the start line (much better than Detroit or Grand Rapids) and then I was off and running. The first race of any length I had run completely by myself. How would I hold up? Could I pace myself? Can I do this? I would soon find out. The big plan was to head out slow and then after a mile or so pick up the pace. And I did, halfway through the first mile I realized I was running a 10:00/m pace. OK, maybe not that slow, that was not going to cut it if I were to finish in under 2 hours. But I kept telling myself that I had a lot of mile left to make up the time.

Shortly after the start I saw my Dad and Stacy along the side of the road. Always nice to see friendly faces, and they both were up at 3:30 with me. Thank guys! Then the first bridge! This was the longest and tallest of all the bridges I would see. It seemed to rise up about 60 feet or so and last about a half mile. Not the biggest challenge ever, but still good sized. I’ll admit I was picking up my pace a little but a lot of people were falling off. Translation… Tommy was passing people left and right. I wasn’t blowing past anyone but was making good progress just the same.

So there I am trucking along just off the bridge and wondering about my pace and if I would be able to hold it when I spotted my first rabbit. We’ll call him “Yellow Shorts Boy”. He seemed to be clipping along at 8:15’s or so. Perfect! I followed him for the first 3-1/2 miles or so.

This part of the race was really great. It was still dark and we trudged along MacArthur Causeway crossing Biscayne Bay. On the left were multimillion dollar homes on the bay and on the right were a row of cruse ships. Some of the guest were up and cheering from their balconies which was fun and the oncoming traffic on the other side of the road were honking. Of course I ate all this up and was waiving at every car!

The causeway dumped us onto the South-Beach area of Miami. All of a sudden noticed Yellow Shorts Boy was breathing very hard and seemed to be slowing down. I passed him and though maybe he would follow me for a while, but no, he was spent. Thank you Yellow Shorts Boy… You really helped me establish a good pace. The whole first causeway I think really set the stage for the rest of the race. I had a good pace, and was having a lot of fun which settled me down.

The second water stop (I skipped the first one) was at the 4 mile mark just across the bay. I slowed but kept walking through the stop and was off again. Everything seemed fine, the legs were holding up. I checked my watch and guessed that I was running in the 8:20 area. Keep in mind though my math skills are a little shaky to begin with, and then add the fact that I was up since 3:30 and I had just run 4 miles. But I was pretty confident I was in good shape.

This stretch (from 4-8) ran through South Beach and was my favorite part of the course. Why… It’s just plain weird and of course one word… Prostitutes! OK… I’m not sure if they were prostitutes but they were dressed in sluty dresses and high heals at 7:00am. You make the call. Who knew working girls were such a big fan of endurance sports? Anyway it just made me chuckle. I literally said to myself out loud “Something you will not be seeing at the River Bank Run in Grand Rapids”. Definitely a Miami experience.

The crowds were pretty good, the neon lights on the building were great, and the sun coming up over the ocean was the icing. I thought I’d see more freaks and weirdoes but evidently even the local oddities are asleep at 7:00. Also, Ann (Playmakers Coach) who was down for the weekend to rout her husband on, spotted me around mile 5 and ran with me for a few hundred feet. It was really great to see her. She said I looked great (obviously a lie) but it was nice to see a friendly face. I think this leg was my best. I was running along at 8:15’s or so and felt great.

Around mile 8 we turned back off South Beach and headed across the Venetian Causeway back across Biscayne Bay. This is were I felt my legs start to leave me. They started to get a little rubbery but I knew with only 5 miles left I was in pretty good shape. I also did some quick math in my head and figured out if I could run sub 9:00 the rest of the race I would finish in under 2 hours.

When I originally looked over the course I though the two trips across the bay would be the best part. And while the trip to South Beach was great, the trip back was a little tough. It wasn’t horrible just not great. There was very little crowd support and my legs were weary. The thing that kept me going is I knew I would see my Dad and Stacy on the mainland at about mile 10. And from there I would just have 3 more miles.

So as I was coming off the bridge I saw my cheering squad (Thank you, you two!). Stacy trying to operate the camera and Dad holding a big Go Tom sign over his head. I was really tired at that point so they really provided a nice lift.

Shortly after seeing them I entered a planned “Cheer Zone”. The race organizers planned an official cheer zone and recommended all the families set up can at about mile 11. I didn’t know what to expect. Let me tell you it was very cool. Think the Tour De France when Lance was climbing the hills weaving through crowds just inches from his bike. It was a chute of people several blocks long all screaming. They were so far in the street that the you couldn’t run more than 2 or 3 runners wide. I was a little annoyed at the beginning but quickly adopted the attitude that there would be no passing for the foreseeable future so I might as well enjoy it. It was really neat. I was yelling back and high fiveing. All kinds of fun! Note to organizers… Do it Again!

After all the distractions I settled in for the final push. I had 2+ miles to go and new at this point if I could just keep it under 10 minute miles I would beat my goal. I stopped for water at miles 10, blew off the stop at 11 and stopped again for water at 12.5. Yes… I stopped a half mile from the finish. It was not my intension, but sometimes the legs just take over. In the battle of mind over matter, sometimes matter wins!

At the end I was tired, but not as tired as the end of the Portland 5K. Well I should say it was a different kind of tired. My legs today were rubbery, but my cardio was in good shape. At the 5K was legs were fine, but I could barely breath.

In any event the race is in the books and I beat my goal by 7 minutes. On top of that I beat my best half time by 15 minutes, over 1 minute per mile. I am very pleased!

What a great race. It was so much fun to be apart of a big race like that. Plus the town was beautiful and the course was really laid out well. No really long boring parts and there was a lot to see. So Fun!

13.1 miles/1:53:01/Avg 8:37
Overall: 1065/7768
M30-34: 140/409

Here’s the view of the route from space!

Last Run Before the Big Race…

Wednesday Night I was suppose to do a tempo run. But because I still needed to pack for Florida I blew it off. I also blew off my 3 mile run yesterday as I was busy flying most of the day. Such brazen disregard of Hal! Well I just decided to up the “Tapering” quotient of the week.

In theory I am off until the race on Sunday but today Stacy had to run 3 miles and since it was so warm and beautiful here in Florida I decided to tag along. We took it really easy, about 9:30, and just enjoyed the day. It was great. We ran on A1A and along a public beach. So fun! In fact when we got to the turnaround for the 3 mile mark we just kept running. I felt fine and blowing off some nervous energy is never a bad thing.

All in all we logged 5 miles and I wasn’t even that tired at the end. I feel strong and ready to go. I realize the pace was fairly slow, but it really was a confidence boost. I think I’ll be OK on Sunday.

5.12 miles/50:28/Avg 9:51

5 Days & Counting

5 more days until Miami.  My fate is pretty well sealed at this point.  I mean I need to get enough sleep and really watch what I eat towards the end of the week.  But other than that my run will be my run.

So tonight I ran 4 miles per Hal Higdon.  All in all it was fine.  I’m still amazed because when I start the run I feel like it’s no big deal, but I was definitely by tired by the end.  You’d think at some point I’d realize 4 miles is going to take some effort.

My game plan at this point is to run 8:30 for the race and stop for water every 2 miles starting at 4.  Then Gu at 6 & 10 or 11.  We’ll see how it goes.

I noticed a weird knee pain for the first minute or two my run which has me a little alarmed.  It kind of feels like my knee-cap is loose and on the right side of my of my knee.  I don’t think it’s anything to get too fired up about but worth keeping track of.

4 miles/32:00/Avg 8:00

8 Instead of 12 or 13

So today I was suppose run 12 and had designs on running 13. Bu8t I really wasn’t feeling it at all. Of course I had a sever case of stupidity last night which didn’t help.

Last night I ended up drinking about 3 beers too many and didn’t sleep very well at all. Being the arrogant guy I am I thought... “I’ll be fine, I’ll just drink extra water.”

So today I worked until about 2:00 and then bested over to Pennock to try and get my mileage in. I started with a headache and was truly stiff. I definitely wasn’t feeling it today. So I thought, well I’ll just stop ever two miles for water.

I tried to keep my mind on other things and not look at the readout on the treadmill but I was watching every 10th of a mile tick off. So painful.

Anyway after 8 miles I decided I was just having a crappie run, and the whole purpose of the run was to put me in the right mindset for Miami. Once I decided that that wasn’t going to happen I decided to bag it. So 8 miles was the distance.

I seem to remember learning the lesson about drinking too much and not getting enough sleep over the summer. I have had to learn many lessons in my life over and over again. This is just another example. Some days I’m smarter than others.

8 miles/64:00/Avg 8:00

Homework Done Early

Today was supose to be a day fo rest, but since I have to work all weekend I thought I would get my Saturday run out of the way. So I clipped off another 3 miler at a quick pace.

Sunday I am supose to run 12 but I think I'm going to run the whole 13.1. The catch is my gym may not be open long enough by the time I get out of work. But I'd really like to get a good dress rehersal in before the big dance. I'm planning on water stops every two miles starting at 4, and Gu at 6 & 10.

3 miles/24:00/Avg 8:00

New Garmin 205 & 305!

Dear Santa.... I know this is a little late, but Garmin just came out with some new running watches...

The 205 and the 305 have a "more sensitive" gps package that eveidently can deal with heavy tree cover and tall buildings.

I think if I'm going to spend the money for a new 205 I'll probably just shell out for the 305 and get the heart rate monitor.

You can check them out for yourself at...

http://www.garmin.com/products/forerunner305/#

Another 3 miles…

Tonight was just 3 miles plus strength and stretching. I felt pretty good and I’m starting to realize that I’m looking at a 3 mile run as “Just a 3 mile run”. That’s a good feeling, it’s a sure sign that I’m putting in some major distance.

I’m noticing all these strange though. I’ve got this reoccurring pain in my left knee. Nothing serious but I’ve noticed it a couple of times. Plus my ankles feel weak. Not sure what that’s all about.

I have also notice my metabolism has kicked in full force. I am constantly hungry! And my ice-cream intake is approaching pre-marathon status.

Just over a week to go to Miami… Will it ever get here?

3 miles/24:00/Avg 8:00

The Last of the Speed Work… Yeah!!!!!

Tonight was the last of the speed work for this training session. Tonight Hal called for 10x400. And boy do I hate 400’s. They really kick my ass!

So tonight I warmed up for about a half mile at 8:30/m pace and then dove right in to my 400’s. I wussed out and did them on the treadmill. The nice part is I was able to accurately set my pace. Hal called for the 400’s to be run at my 5K pace. Given my recent time I interpreted that as 7:15’s.

So I ran 7:15x4 running inbetween, then walked for about a minute. Ran 7:15x4 and walked and then finished 7:15x2 and walked it out. Very tired and very hard but in the books. I’ve got one more hard run (12 or 13 on Sunday) and then Miami here I come.

My attitude seems better today, but I am ready for the race to be here. I am really ready to head for Florida for a little R&R!

4.5 miles/38:15/Avg 8:30

Easy Run Tonight… Getting Tired of Training!

So tonight was another 5 miler with the team. It seemed a little mellow the whole night, I can tell I’m getting tired of training and am ready for the race next week.

Anyway I started out running with a slower runner and decided I wouldn’t watch my Garmin and just sort of see what pace I fell in to. After about a mile the slower runner politely asked me to move on as she was having trouble keeping up. She did it very nicely but I was definitely getting the impression that she was thinking… “Just move on you speedy stud of a man!” or something like that.

After the run was the spinning and core class. Again I felt mellow during it as well. And half way through the spinning part I felt some pain in my left calf. I stopped and stretched and everything seemed fine, but I can tell I’m getting paranoid about getting hurt or sick. Ahhh… Now I remember the weeks leading up to Detroit.

Its nice to have a low key night like this but I better get focused again. If I can just hold on for another week!

5.03 miles/44:25/Avg 8:49 + S&S & Spinning

11 miles is far!

Today I toyed with running outside but instead ran on the treadmill indoors. I was suppose to run 11 miles and I wanted to see how quickly I could do it. I would have run outside if I could have found a partner but did not plan ahead.

Before the run I spent a lot of time pondering how quickly I should run. Should I start slow and work my way up? But then I decided just o go for it. This was just a training run and if I died later on in the run better to find out now than in Miami.

So I took off at 8:00/m pace. The first 5 miles were great! I felt very strong a ready to go. I even toyed with trying to run a full 13.1. I decided I would stop at mile 6 to take some Gu and water and then maybe again at mile 9. But by the time I got to my first break I was really having to work. I took about a minute break to catch my breath and eat some Gu and then continued on with my run. The next 5 miles were hard running.

I stopped for about 15 seconds to take on some water at mile 9. The good news is it was a short break, the bad news is I really needed it. I was hoping I would be stronger by now, but then again I was running fast!

I think next week when I run my 12 miles I’ll try to keep an 8:00/m pace but plan on more breaks. Maybe I’ll even run a full 13.1 dress rehearsal. We’ll see.

11 miles/1:28/Avg 8:00

Portland Winter 5K

Today was a lot of fun. It was the first race of the year for the Team and was well attended. My primary goal for the race was to complete it with a good time, anything around the 24:00 or 25:00 mark would have been fine. But in the back of my mind I really wanted to set a new PR for the 5K.

The news reported that the temperature would be in the mid 20’s but with the wind blowing 1000 miles per hour it made it feel much colder. Luckily I had gone to Playmakers Semi-Annual Sidewalk Sale last night and loaded up on a bunch of winter running schwag. I was probably too layered up for a longer run as I did start to get a little warm at the end, but all in all I felt very comfortable.

I knew I started out a little too fast when I crossed the first mile mark and the starter yelled out 7:30. For those of you who aren’t regular readers of the blog, that’s generally my fastest pace when I run a Tempo Run, and I only hold that for about 5 minutes. How the heck was a going to keep that up for 2 more miles? The next thought that raced through my brain was… “Well if I can just keep up a similar pace or even slow slightly I should be able to set a new PR”.

So all was good except I was breathing really hard and by the end of miles two I knew the last miles would be a struggle. The other hard part was there was a long straightaway in the last mile. I could see happy, faster runners way down the way which was a little discouraging. But I gutted through it and was able to set a new PR… 23:07. That beat my Thanksgiving Day Run by 1:09. Not bad over 3 miles.

I feeling pretty confident about Miami, but am now wishing it would just hurry up and get here. Arg!

3.16 miles/22:58/Avg 7:15

Passed on a beautiful night for the sake of speed!

Tonight was absolutely beautiful. The thermometer at home said it was about 45 degrees and the sky was clear. By the time I got home it was starting to get dark but it would have been awesome because there is a full moon. I was really tempted to run outside but I’m trying to get into an 8:00/m pace and if I ran outside by myself I knew I would have trouble. So off to the gym I went.

The good news is I felt pretty good through-out the whole run. I was tired at the end but felt like I could have run further. I’m not sure I could have kept that pace up for 13.1 but I’m sure I could have done a few more miles.

I’m feeling good about the impending race. I should be able to finish in less than to hours provided nothing goes wrong. I will just be happy when it’s over!

On a side note I ordered a hat from the Indy Mini Marathon and it arrived today. Very Excited!

5 miles/40:00/Avg 8:00

Speedwork Tonight...

So tonight was a tempo run.  Nothing crazy to report.  

I started out at about 8:30’s for 20 minutes and worked my way up to 7:30’s which I held for 5 minutes and then worked my way back down to 8:00’s and finished it out.  In total I did 45 minutes.

I felt tired to be sure but strong and I know I could have done more mileage if I had to.  All in all a good run.

5.35 miles/45:00/Avg 8:24

No Idea…

Tonight was fun. I ran with the team again. With Miami quickly approaching I justified ditching work a little early so I could be to the MAC by 6:00. Unfortunately Garmin was not cooperating though so I have no idea about my pace. I know I was averaging 8:00/m to Sparty (2 miles), but after that I just know I was cruzing along. So fun to run with the team, I even logged a few miles in with Ann which is neat. I was telling her I was nervous about Miami and she said there was no doubt I could do it. That’s always nice to hear

Afterwards the spinning and strength was really hard. I was tired by the time the class started. I kept watching the clock in spin class waiting for it to be over. I don’t think it was a physical thing, I think it was all mental. I’m sort of in a funk these last few days. Eating poorly and not doing my sit-ups every day. Not sure if it’s the weather or something else, but I need a little attitude adjustment for sure.

The good news is there is a race this coming weekend. The team is running the Portland Winter 5K. I think I’m going to let it all hang out and see what kind of time I can get. I’m shooting for sub 8:00.

5-6 miles/40-50 minutes/Avg 8:15ish

Big Confidence Boost Today!

With Miami 3 weeks away I am starting to get nervous about beating the 2 hour mark. I know I can run short distance on a treadmill fast enough, but what about outside on my own? Not so sure…

But today was the first official group run with Team Playmakers new season and I planned on running 10 miles, hopefully at a 8:30/m pace. I was feeling very trepidacious about the run. I knew if I had a good run I would feel confident going into Miami but if I had a crappy run I would feel doomed. And with only three weeks left I feel as though my fate is pretty well cast in stone.

So I arrived pretty keyed up. Quite and nervous with a fair amount of anxiety but it looked like the weather was going to cooperate. It was cool, about 30, but not to cold and there was some concern about ice, but a fellow team member had been out on the path and said it was in good condition. So I started my run and hooked up with an older women who seemed to be clipping along at a good pace. My plan was to hang with people just a tic faster than me for as long as possible.

We ran along for about a mile and it came out that she had just qualified for Boston. For all you non-runners this means she can run really freaking fast! So I literally though “Oh S&*&, I can’t run with her for 10 miles”. So we came up to the first water stop at mile two and I announced I was going to stop for a drink and she said she was going to trudge on. THANK GOD! So I ran a bit more and heard footsteps coming up behind me. Still keeping a good pace but knew I would soon be passed. So I announced “I hear you coming” and he said yeah but would it be OK if he ran with me for a while. In my head “YES PLEASE… I need a pacer”. He was a talker, kind of crazy and scatter brained, but a talker. He was also faster than me but focused mostly on short distance. Plus he was a Chicago boy so we chatted about running along the lake and past races. But again I felt like I was really working to keep up. So I lost him at the second water stop about 4.5 miles. THANK GOD!

So the next two miles I ran basically on my own. I remember thinking that I had run the first half of my run pretty fast, so I could just keep up a respectable pace for the second half I would give myself a boost for Miami. Mental Check… What hurts? Legs are good, but lungs hurt and am breathing a little hard.

The fun part is after halfway I started seeing other runners and walkers coming towards me which kept me occupied. I kept thinking if I can just make it to Sparty (2 miles from the end) I would be OK. So I’m trudging along and I see a red jacket several hundred yards ahead of me. I don’t think there’s anyway I can catch him but he had to stop, he was having a wardrobe malfunction. I caught up to him and we ran together. He asked how I was doing and I said that I had started out too fast but was too stubborn to slow down now… He was experiencing a similar problem. This guy was just about right. I felt like he was pushing me a little but not too much. So when we got to Sparty I said I going to stop for water and he said he was going to keep going. DAMN! Oh well the last 2 miles would be on my own. So I drank my water and took off and could see him about a quarter of a mile up. Well if I can just keep him in my sights I’ll be OK. And then I noticed that I was gaining on him. And I think we all know how I like to pass people so I picked it up. And with a mile to go I ended up passing him. I had planned on slowing and running it in with him, but by now I was really starting to feel tired and I just wanted it to be over as soon as possible. So a kept going.

At about 9.5 miles I really wanted to stop. Uncle Hal prescribed a 15K today and that was actually 9.6 so I could stop and still be on track. But I knew that was cheating and if I could just keep this up for 4 more minutes I could put a good run in the books. So I held pace and soldiered on.

There were some walkers ahead of me that I was able to pass so that was good mentally and I finally made it back to the MAC. So freaking tired. Stick a fork in me, I’m done. So I was walking it off too tired to look at my watch. But the sun was out and I knew I did well.

The great thing about this run is that I know I can run 10 miles at a fast pace, but I’m not overly confident because I don’t think I had another 3 miles in me. I remember after my 20 mile run before Detroit I was supremely confident and let my diet and training kind of fall off. Know I feel like I’m well on my way for Miami but still have more work today.

All in all a great day. I got to run with the team, I had a good time, and the weather was perfect. The sun even came out at the end.

10.36 miles/1:25:19/Avg 8:14

3 Miles + Strength & Stretching

Tonight was just 3 miles and then Strength & Stretching.  I decided to run it a bit on the fast side as Miami is less than 4 weeks away and I feel like I need to get my pace up.  I ran indoors so I could control my pace and then lifted afterwards.  It seem like I’ve been lifting and working on my core for almost 2 months.  I don’t see great progress but I guess I’ll find out for sure in Miami.

This weekend I run with Team Playmakers again and am going to run 10 miles.  My program only calls for one day running this weekend so I think I’m really going to try set a good pace.  I think if I can find a group to run with that’s just a bit faster than me it will help.  Wish me luck!

Overall I’m feeling like I should be able to beat 2 hours but I’m not as far along as I would like to be.  I think the next week or two will really tell me a lot.

3 miles/24:00/Avg 8:00

Intervals Suck!

Today Hal had me run more intervals. I actually haven’t run intervals for more than a month. I kept skipping my interval workouts for a wide variety of reasons. But today it was warm and the HHS track was clear so I thought I better get on the stick. It was freaking hard!

After a half mile or so warm-up I did nine 400meter laps with 200 meters of walking between each lap. Here’s the breakdown….

Lap 1: 8:27/M pace
Lap 2: 6:43/M pace
Lap 3: 7:27/M pace
Lap 4: 6:22/M pace
Lap 5: 7:07/M pace
Lap 6: 7:30/M pace
Lap 7: 6:52/M pace
Lap 8: 7:17/M pace
Lap 9: 7:51/M pace

So consistency still eludes me…

Thanks Vet Girl

Tonight I had a pleasant surprise. On Tuesday’s I do a quick run through campus and then on to my Spin Class. A small group of Playmakers folks get together around 6:00 for a group run but I generally can’t make it in time. As a complete fluke I ended up getting to the MAC a little before 6:00 and was able to run with the team.

I met a girl who said she was running about 5 miles at about my pace. It was so nice to be running with company, although, and I know you will be shocked by this, I did most of the talking. The thing that got me really geeked up though was that she had run Indy a couple of years ago and said it was awesome. I am so fired up! This May will take the cake! The Indy 500, the Mini Marathon and of course Graeter’s Strawberry Chip ice cream! What more could a boy want?

All in all the run was a little slower than I would have liked but I really had a lot of fun. The team was out in force and we kept seeing friendly faces.

I must confess I’m starting to get a little nervous about Miami. I know I can do the distance, I’m just not sure if I can hold a fast enough pace over 13 miles. I have some long runs coming up and I’ll feel better if I can get some strong results.

5.01 miles/44:30/Avg 8:53 + 60 Minutes Strength & Stretching