Recap: Anthem Richmond Marathon 11/15/2014

Well it's over, finally, and I'm SO glad to have this one behind me.  It's been a great ride - the training, the build up, the camaraderie and all of the racing along the way.  However the grind of two marathon training cycles and a number of other races and relays along the way have really tested my resolve.  I've considered throwing in the towel on many occasions to rest and nurse some nagging injuries but I'm glad I stuck it out.

I knew going into Saturday that it was going to be cold and mother nature did not disappoint.  This race festival of sorts offers an 8K and half marathon in addition to the full marathon.  There was record participation this year at just over 20,500 runners with 10,000 signed up for the half marathon while another 6,500 ran the full and 3,500 completed the 8K.

I had been in the Richmond area since Wednesday for work and had been looking forward to a lazy Friday resting my feet and getting some work done.  It turned out to be a rather busy work day and before I knew it the work day was over and I would soon become increasingly antsy, not to mention bored, and was really looking forward to the other guys showing up.  They came rolling in about 9:00 pm and then it finally starting sinking in.  We were a few short hours and one sleep away from bundling up and going after 26.2 miles.  Normally I don't sleep very well before big races but not this time.  Oddly enough once we turned the television off I was out like a light and the next thing I knew it was morning and time to start fueling up.

The 5 of us sat around the room and scarfed down bagels, peanut butter, and bananas with coffee, water, and Diet Pepsi (I don't drink coffee so don't judge me ;)  We packed a change of clothes for the bag drop, made the final decisions about what to wear and how to dress warmly at the start and what would get thrown away, then loaded up to head to the start.

The 8K started at 7:00 followed by the half at 7:30 and then the full at 7:50.  We decided to leave our hotel at 6:45 to give ourselves plenty of time to get there, park, check bags, etc.  At least we thought we had time.  Our navigational prowess soon went awry and we found ourselves driving directly into the start amongst a sea of people, gridlock traffic, and nowhere near a parking garage that wasn't full.  I will admit that I contributed absolutely nothing towards getting us to the start but it's worth noting that Joe Haines was riding shotgun and holding the map.... 

We finally made our way away from the masses towards more parking garages with no empty spaces before finally settling on pulling off the side of the road to parallel park just before the freeway exit ramp.  Hey, if nothing else we weren't going to get boxed in when it was time to leave, right?  We made the brisk 1/2 mile walk towards the start with no time to spare.  We could hear the final half-marathon waves starting and it was clear the marathon was minutes from going off.  We were all in wave 1 but first we had to check our bags so we knew getting a spot near the front probably wasn't going to happen!

After a quick tie and dump of our bags we navigated through runners still shedding our layers of clothing but at this point the race had started.  We did all we could to stay together as we approached the mat but I was having trouble finding a signal and wasn't crazy about starting the race without my watch.  I knew at least one of us had the time so I assumed if I stayed with the group I would know my net time and eventually I would pick up a signal for pacing.  Little did I know I would spend the next 3 hours trying to do math in my head.

For us the start was a bit of a cluster to say the least.  We were boxed in with slower marathoners starting out in addition to catching up with the back of the half marathon group.  Getting out to a slow start doesn't bother me and I actually prefer it but I was high stepping the barrier poles and dodging cones while trying not to trip and keep up with the group which eventually got to be too much.  I finally picked up a signal about mile 1 but had lost the group and the crowd was too thick to even see them much less chase them.  At that point I decided to make a quick pit stop and use that opportunity to regroup.

I came out of the bathroom ready to settle in and determined not to get stupid and chase the group and hoped that I would eventually make up time on the back half.  The course was great and so was the crowd support.  There was water and powerade every 2 miles which was more than adequate. It was cold but the sun made it fairly comfortable once the blood was flowing.  Of course when the wind picked up, and it did at several points on the course, the running became very difficult and it was REALLY cold.  It took me about 5 miles to really hit my stride which is about the time a lot of the other runners were shedding their extra layers and settling in. Of course I decided to follow suit by ditching my gloves and long sleeve shirt leaving me with a singlet and arm warmers (which I would soon regret).

My goal coming into the race was 3:10 and one that I thought was very reasonable.  I really believed I had 3:05 conditioning and even though I trained for that pace I knew the stars would have to line up for a 3:05 day.  As hard as it's been I'm learning to listen to my body and just wasn't willing to push too hard.  I know the Plantar Fasciitis can't really get much worse but running hard and far certainly doesn't help!

As I crossed the 10K mark I had my first 'Oh $#!%" moment when I saw the clock at 49 minutes and some change.  I knew I had gotten out slow but there's no way I was running 7:50 through the first 6.2 miles.  That would begin my internalizing just how far behind the gun I crossed the mat and how many miles off my watch was.  I know that marathoners ran without watches forever before this great technology we have now but I'm just saying, once you have it, not having it sucks!

Once I convinced myself I was alright I just continued cranking out my race pace miles hoping eventually I would catch the group knowing it would probably be on the back half.  Later I would find out that through the first 10K I was at 47:32 and a 7:40 pace so I guess the clock wasn't too far off?! That would have probably still freaked me out so the watch thing was probably a blessing in disguise.  But make no mistake, at no point was I happy about not knowing my time!

By the time I got to the half way point I was feeling good physically but really getting antsy to catch the group.  I had already chased down a long lanky Joe look-alike only to realize that all of these runners look the same from behind.  I didn't have any idea what my time was but based on my recent splits I felt like I was in the ballpark.  I knew I would have to run a negative split to even be close to 3:10 but I also knew that my legs and lungs were on board if I could just get my feet to cooperate.  My split at the halfway mark was 1:36:47 which put me about a minute behind the group with a 7:23 pace.

I knew there was a bridge just passed the half way point that was one of the more challenging parts of the course.  My plan was to hold steady, grind through the bridge, then treat the last 10 miles like a tempo run and just give whatever I had left.  Just before the bridge I spotted the group, undeniably all 4 of them, and this time I was certain.  They were still a good 400 meters off in the distance so I picked up the pace a bit but nothing crazy.  I followed them onto the bridge where we were all fully exposed to the wind.  It was the coldest I had been the entire race, my face hurt, my fingers were numb, and I was REALLY wishing I hadn't stripped down an hour ago.  At this point I was more concerned with catching them to block the wind than the 'family reunion' I had envisioned.

When I finally caught up we were all pretty much miserable so the pleasantries were kept to a minimum.  There were actually quite a few other runners latched on almost like a school of fish.  Knox and Joe seemed to be cutting most of the wind for the group so I decided to take a turn and give Knox some relief.  Of course once I got up there I wasn't sure if I was cutting the wind or just slowing the pace :/  At any rate, we were passing mile 16 and had our sights on the 20 mile mark.  The bridge seems to be a real gut check for a lot of folks - myself included.  It's a bit early to actually be the 'wall' but it's tough enough to make that remaining 10 miles seem like a really long way!

My legs were starting to get a bit grumpy at this point but there were no signs of cramping and while I don't really measure or run by heart rate my pacing was around 7:15 and felt very comfortable.  Our group remained close through the 20 mile mark and we ended up crossing the mat at 2:26:07 with our pace down to 7:18.  I spotted a fairly large pace group ahead hoping it was the 3:10 group but knowing it was probably the 3:15 group.  The wind was becoming a nuisance at this point so I decided to chase them and tuck in behind for a while.  

At this point I wanted to maintain a steady pace through mile 24 and then I was just going to let it all out, whatever was left, for better or worse.  I knew the pace group started before us so my net time was, or should have been a little faster than 3:15 but no idea by how much.  Yes, this whole time thing was extremely frustrating in case you missed it.  I picked up the pace a bit and pushed ahead of the pace group with my splits in the last 3 miles at 7:12 / 7:16 / 6:56 and finished with a time of I have no idea.  Really, never in my life have I had to wait so long for my 'official' time...

The runner tracking system didn't work properly so the updates were off and I got started late so the clock time wasn't applicable.  This frustrated many folks which was evident from the Facebook bashing they received during the race.  My GPS signal failed at the start so I knew that I ran 3:03 plus whatever my first mile was which I assumed put me in the 3:10 - 3:12 range and would later find out, about 5 hours later, that I ran 3:11:11 and a 7:17 pace.  Not a PR but I knew from the start this wasn't going to be a PR day for me and I was perfectly fine with that.  It was another Boston Qualifier, another race to learn from, and a day I'll never forget.

Like I've said before, I generally measure success by the clock but this day was more about perseverance and a genuine appreciation for being blessed with the health to run, the ability to compete, and having the economic means to do so because let's face it -- running shoes, traveling, and race entry fees aren't cheap.  I'm also very fortunate to have a supportive family that has learned to deal with my hobby through the good and bad times along with awesome running friends that bring out the best in me!  Even after a horrendous start I didn't panic, stayed the course, and finished strong with 1:37 on the front and 1:34 on the back.  With a little recovery time and some love from Mother Nature (and Father Time) I expect to come back next year more experienced, stronger, and faster.

As far as the Hanson plan, my thoughts really haven't changed that much.  I think it's a great plan but it's clearly geared towards runners with some experience that have time specific goals as opposed to just trying to cross the finish.  I was able stick to the plan pretty much by the book and had no problem in the later stages of the race despite long runs of no more than 16 miles during training.  Running conservative for the first 6.2 was a huge factor too though.  Obviously the last few miles were very unpleasant physically but the human body isn't going to feel 'good' after you've been running for 3 hours no matter what plan you follow.  The Hanson plan will build strength and increase speed if followed correctly but the 6 days a week plan offers little deviation if you really want to benefit from the structure and it's all about structure.

It's safe to say that we all wanted to, and expected to run a little bit faster on Saturday.  As competitors we're just naturally inclined to want and expect more from ourselves but we're also old enough to appreciate the moment while we're in it and recognize that things like this don't come easy.  There's no denying the effort was there - we trained hard, planned our race, and raced the plan the best we could on that particular day.  And even in the moments after the race with weary legs and salty skin we plotted our next race knowing that the best was yet to come.  

Congrats to all that raced this weekend and good luck with your running through the holidays.  Aside from a 5K for fun I won't be racing or running with any regularity for a while so if I blog it will likely be some meaningless banter about random things that annoy me or my version of public service announcements advising folks what to do, or not do, to make my running life more enjoyable.  And with that said, my apologies in advance :)

~ One tired runner


          

Hanson Method Pre-Race Review

I'm about 1.5 weeks away from my third marathon and my first using the Hanson plan.  Since the hay is in the barn so to speak I thought I would go ahead and memorialize my thoughts so I've got some point of reference for how I feel when it's all over.

Most people that even dabble in distance running have heard of the Hanson marathon training plan.  If that doesn't ring a bell you probably know it as the one that peaks with a long run of 16 miles.  Psychologically I was skeptical and still am but I get it.  Run 6 days per week with mileage in the mid 50's to 60 and flank the 16 miler with strength / speed workouts and 10 mile tempo runs at race pace. 

To be completely honest I'm beat down and almost obnoxiously sore.  A lot of my soreness is the result of some nagging ailments stemming from my second marathon training cycle this year combined with running / racing through the summer including a half marathon, the Blue Ridge Relay, and a number of 5Ks / 10Ks.  I know that's normal for some of you but this old body needs a break and I have every intention of taking one beginning November 15th at about noon...

What I like about the program:
1.  Structure.  Every training program has some semblance of structure but they are generally predicated on getting miles in during the week leading up to the long run.  If you progressively work your way up in mileage you will successfully complete the 26.2 miles.  The Hanson plan is more programmatic in that there is a lot more focus on pacing which is critical if you have goals that are time specific.

2.  No 20 milers.  Nobody in their right might enjoys a 20+ mile run, not to mention it takes the better part of 3 hours.  I followed the advanced plan which included 3 runs of 16 miles.  The first one was probably the toughest but by my final 16 miler I felt stronger despite running on tired legs and I was able to crank these out in a couple hours and get on with my day.

3.  I feel stronger.  Despite feeling a bit fatigued and worn down its seems as though my body has adjusted to this continuous cycle of depletion and semi-recovery which has given me the strength to run well even on tired legs.  When I was training the traditional method of building up to the long weekend run I generally felt fresh going into my long run but in the later stages there was an uncomfortable feeling of my body wearing down to the point that I worried about my sloppy form leading to injury. 

What I don't like about the program:
1.  Running 6 days per week.  Let's face it, that's the heart and soul of the Hanson plan but it sucks.  Not so much the running 6 days per week but getting in the prescribed workouts in the right order at the right pace to reap the benefits of the cumulative fatigue and depletion followed by limited recovery.  Having a family, three kids, coaching sports, and a career make this especially difficult.

2.  Psychological disadvantage of no 20 miler.  I was tempted to extend one or two of my 16 milers into 18 or 20 just to say I did it but decided to stick with the plan.  I have to admit I'm nervous about dropping another 10 miles onto my longest run and psychologically I really missing having a few 20 - 22 milers under my belt. 

3.  Limited recovery.  I'm honestly just tired of being sore.  I'm still dealing with a pretty nasty case of plantar fasciitis so it's not all about the plan but it's gotten to the point where I was marking off the run days to get to my rest day.  And during the bulk of my training I would have a bucket of ice water waiting on my feet and calves when I got home.

Considering I haven't actually raced yet I can't exactly speak to the results of the Hanson training method to make a legitimate case for which plan better prepared me. Once I cross the finish line, God and my legs willing, I should be able to answer the burning question in my mind which is how is 26.2 miles going to feel after long training runs of only 16 miles. 

Regardless of my personal experience on race day I would not recommend this plan for beginners.  And by beginners I mean folks that haven't run at least one marathon or that don't have a solid running base to build from.  In my opinion if your body isn't accustomed to running fairly regularly it's just too much structure too soon that is dependent upon pacing and tempo runs that really grind on your body.  There are plenty of plans out there that will get you to the finish line which in and of itself is no easy task.  I believe the Hanson plan is better suited for runners with specific time targets in mind.  At the end of the day just pick your poison because there's no shortcut to running 26.2...

Recap: Susan G Komen Race for the Cure / CVAR Night Crawl

One of my favorite running quotes of all time is from Kara Goucher in a short blog that was posted nearly a week after she gave birth to her son.  It reads, "That’s the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to realize how wonderful your life is."  Last weekend was a reminder of just how blessed I am to be healthy and to have the opportunity to enjoy the simple pleasures of life with my family and friends.

Saturdays are always busy this time of year and any time of the year for that matter - especially with 3 young boys.  My youngest son had a soccer game at 9:00 and I was coaching my other two sons' flag football team at 11:00.  Since the Komen race started at 9:00 and was very close to the Hickory YMCA I decided I could run the 5K, try to catch the second half of the soccer game, get back in time for awards, and make it to the Conover YMCA for the football game.  No problem, right?

The Komen event always draws a large crowd and on Saturday there were about 400 runners out supporting breast cancer awareness in the 5K race in addition to several hundred walkers that hit the streets at 8:00.  One thing you can always count on is a lot of pink -- I mean a lot of pink!  Pink shirts, pink socks, pink bandanas, pink hair, pink dog costumes, pink cars.........it's just a sea of pink which is actually pretty cool. 

As with every local race I saw several people I knew and a few familiar runners but a lot the guys I generally count on to set the pace were noticeably absent.  I hadn't been particularly pleased with my prior two 5K's so I really wanted to run something in the low 18's just to feel good about my conditioning going into the final 'hard' weeks of marathon training.  I took my usual place up front behind several 10 year olds that were determined to start out at record setting pace and they did not disappoint.

The 5K starts at 9:00 in what amounts to a 40 yard dash followed by a left turn down a steep hill and slightly uphill before a nice gradual downhill.  Once you start that initial climb you can get a sense for how the lead packs are going to shake out.  As we settled into the first mile there were a few younger guys up front that seemed to be working awfully hard to be less than a mile into it so I decided to go ahead and push past them and set the pace.  I knew there were a few seasoned guys behind me that weren't going anywhere but I also knew if I didn't run a fast first mile getting close to 18 would be tough. 

About 3/4 mile in starts the first notable hill which takes you between the Lenoir-Rhyne dorms and football parking lot before turning left on 4th street for a few rolling hills.  Just past the 1 mile mark the course heads back towards the college passing the baseball field before looping around the quad.  I caught a quick glimpse back at what seemed to be a pack of 3 runners running about 30 seconds back but they looked comfortable and I expected them to start chasing once the course flattened out.  At this point I was just trying to run my race and maintain my pace around the college and towards the science center. 

After mile two the course is remains relatively flat or slightly downhill before finishing with a steep uphill which is always fun (note sarcasm).  That steep downhill I alluded to near the start is not nearly as fun coming back up at the finish.  I really try not to look back when I race because I think it's a clear sign you're running out of gas but I couldn't resist a peak to see if anybody was chasing me as I approached the hill near the hill.  When I realized nobody was in sight it was just me against the clock. 

I was fortunate enough to clock the winning time of 18:21 followed by fellow masters runner Craig Langston and 15 year old Carter Powell in 3rd.  Full race results are below.

Foothills Race for the Cure Results

After the race I jogged down to the Y to find my little soccer man with a commanding halftime lead of 3-0 with a goal and an assist.  Once the game was safely in hand at 5-0 I made my way back to the awards with my 8 year old.  Quickly realizing there was no way were going to make it through the awards and be in Conover for kickoff I buried my head and let the race director know that I had a game to coach and simply couldn't stay.  I really hate missing awards because I think it's important to support all of the runners for their accomplishment but today it just wasn't happening... 

I pulled into the Conover Y about 5 minutes before game time and our guys went on to play a nearly perfect game winning 39-6 with every kid getting in on the action and my sons racking up two interceptions, a touchdown catch, and a touchdown pass.  Watching the boys walk off the field grinning from ear to ear filled with excitement and pride is a feeling that never gets old and something I'll never take for granted.

With the Richmond Marathon coming up in 4 weeks I still needed to get in some miles so I decided to go ahead with my easy 10 miler as planned.  The Night Crawl 5K was that evening and the boys really enjoyed it last year so we decided to make an appearance this year.  Knowing I would be tempted to race again I figured running 10 in the afternoon would nix that silly notion - especially with the plantar fasciitis that I'm sure you're tired of hearing about!  Trust me, when it's gone you'll be among the first to know...

The Night Crawl is a great race, especially if you're a fan of evening races.  It starts just after dark at 7:30pm and there's usually a good crowd - just over 250 people this year.  Lots of bright colors, costumes, and plenty of glow sticks.  The race starts in the same general vicinity of the popular Old Soldier's Reunion 5K in Newton but fortunately this race skips the uphill start and takes you straight down Main Street.  For the most part it's a down and back circling past Newton-Conover High School with a few rolling hills.  For the last couple years the Bandy's cross country team has left their mark on this race and did so again with Yates Goodson winning with a 17:36.  Good friend and one of my three Blog readers William Adair won his age group and finished 5th overall at 20:07.  Even though he crushed his time from last year I bet cutting those 0:07 seconds was the first thing that crossed his mind.  I mean that is what runners do, right :)  Full race results are below.

Night Crawl Results

We didn't run but we walked most of the course, checked out the decorated houses, and cheered on the runners.  This was one of those days that I really didn't want to end.  My afternoon 10 miler was slow, painful, and I have no doubt that it wasn't pretty but it provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on a perfect morning and to fully appreciate a wonderful life :)

Good luck to all of you running the Peak to Creek Marathon this weekend!

Anatomy of a Long Run

Now that I've gotten a few long runs under my belt the love / hate relationship I have with long runs is crystal clear once again.  Since today's 16 miler is fresh on my mind I decided I would break it down from the inside.  And by 'inside' I mean those internal conversations that Jason has with Jason while out running the for a couple hours.

Mile 1 - 2:  Alright, let's get this over with.  I've got 35 miles on these legs in the past 4 days with two tempo runs but I'm feeling pretty good.  It's early enough for me to salvage most of my morning and once this is behind me I'm gold for the rest of the weekend.  Wow, I forgot how old I am - I can't believe how stiff my legs are.  But that's cool, I'll crank out some slow miles early on....might as well consider this my stretching.  <After a  quick glance at my watch> Seriously, I'm running that slow?  My watch must not have caught up with me yet.  OK, so I'm just going to run the first 8 slow and crush the second 8...

Mile 3-4:  Now I'm loose.  Wait a minute, I'm running race pace now.  I've got an idea....I'll just run at race pace and knock this run out in short order.  What's that up there, another runner, oh yes - I'm about to hawk it down and I'm closing the gap in a hurry.  Wait a minute, that's a chick and she's walking.  Nevermind...

Mile 5-6:  Alright, I'm starting to feel those tempo runs now.  Scratch that race pace thing.  That's a good way to get hurt anyway - too much too fast, right?  Coming up on the greenway now and dreading that hill.  Who are these people parked in mini vans at this shady little park this early in the morning anyway?  Nevermind, I don't even want to know.  <Another glance at the watch> you have to be effing kidding me?  That cannot be right, there is no way I'm running that slow.  These trees must be interfering with my signal.

Mile 7-8:  I'm glad that's over.  Almost half way there - I wonder what my average pace is?  Nope, I'm not even going to look.  It took me two miles to warm up and it feels like I've been running up hill all morning so my pace so far means nothing.  I'm getting hungry.  Actually, I'm starving.  What was I thinking when I set out for 16 miles with half a flat bagel and a spoon of peanut butter anyway?  And you washed it down with a Diet Pepsi?  Jason you are an idiot.  Seriously you think the water you drank after you brushed your teeth counts as being hydrated?  You are a super idiot.

Mile 8-10:  Over half way there.  Now I've got to crank out some decent miles.  But my feet are killing me.  I cannot wait to get home and soak these puppies in some cold water.  What's this up here, the road is closed?  Oh yeah, it's Octoberfest - this should be fun.  Lookout golf cart, runner coming through <weaving in and out of delivery trucks and golf carts>.  Ohhh there's a whole Pepsi truck full of cases of Aquafina.  I wonder if.... na, I've got to get through this mess.  I'm so freakin' hungry and I smell food.  But it's fair food - buckets of oil just waiting to fry anything that can be fried and some things that were never intended to be fried.  Alright, now I have to get through here because this is making me want to vomit.

Mile 11-12:  Coming up on the Soup Kitchen now.  I wonder who the lucky person was that got the long sleeve New Balance shirt I threw out here the other day.  What's that, are you kidding me?  My shirt is still laying where I left it?  It's been a week?! Clearly these folks don't appreciate a quality shirt when they find one.  Alright, how am I going to get this last four miles in - should I circle the college and run it back or run straight through and loop around the golf course.  I really hate backtracking but I think I hate those hills going to the golf course even more.  Circling the college and backtracking it is.

Mile 13-14:  My feet are killing me.  I'm hungry.  I totally do not need this long sleeve shirt on either but I like it too much to throw it out.  I wonder what my average pace is?  Actually no I don't, I don't even care.  Let's just get this over with.  Alright, another runner coming at me so let's show a little life here.  Hey that's Knox <we're training for the same race> I think I'll run with him for a bit to get through this last four.  Hey man, mind if I tag along <Knox:  Not at all>.  Wait a minute, Knox is fast - what was I thinking?  I hope I don't slow him down too much.  So let's circle around by the golf course, the hills suck but it's a good loop and we can grab some water at Fleet Feet.  Sounds good to me.  Watch the electric car up here, she's totally not looking.  Alright woman, I really think if you run over me it's going to hurt your wind up car more than me.  Are you kidding?  Do you really need to pull up 5 feet past the stop sign before looking left and right?  OK, clearly you suck at driving so I'll run behind you even though you're going to be at that stop sign for another 10 minutes.  Idiot.

Mile 15:  I feel like hell.  Seriously, this whole cumulative fatigue thing is just beating me up.  Doesn't help that I didn't eat very well this morning either.  I can't wait to get home, soak my feet, and eat like a boss.  True story, I am going to eat the whole kitchen.  Am I running Octoberfest 5K / 10K tomorrow?  Ha, are you kidding?  I've got an easy 7 on my calendar and no more / no less.  Besides if I had to race on these legs it would not be pretty.  So how do you want to get to Fleet Feet?  It's faster to take a left but safer if we go straight.  Let's take a left.....nevermind, more idiot drivers.  Looks like going straight is our best chance of not getting run over.

Mile 15.25:  Hello Fleet Feet.  That might be the best water I've ever had - room temperature and all.  I think I'll have another cup.  You know what, I've only got .75 miles left so maybe I'll have a third....  I wonder if I could talk somebody into coming to pick me up?  I mean if I run to my house I would probably get a solid 17 and maybe even a little more.  But my feet hurt, I'm starving, and this just sucks.  Who am I kidding - nobody is coming to get me. 

Mile 16:  Alright Jason, suck it up - you have a flat 1.5 miles home but only .75 to knock this 16 out.  But first you need to cross the street, all 5 lanes, and apparently everybody decided to be driving right now.  OK, there's an opening, OMG I'm running way too fast.  I guess that beats getting run over.  How many times is that now anyway?  I need some safer running routes.  Hey maybe this will get my average pace down.  Jason, you could run the last 0.75 in zero seconds and it wouldn't move your average pace.  Alright, I get it, who cares at this point.  So that's the third or fourth time I have suggested that my pace doesn't matter so I think by now it's obvious that my pace matters.  But it shouldn't, I mean it is a long run anyway - just get the miles in right :/  My legs are on fire, my feet hurt, my form broke down several miles ago, and now I have at least a quart of water sloshing around in my belly.  Yeah, when this watch hits 16.0 I'm shutting it down.  I don't care how far I am from home I am.  There it is, I'm done.  Stupid watch - the crowd is not going wild.  Alright, let's check the damage.  Well imagine that, exactly to the second equal to my last 16 miler.  I'm the model of consistency, just like I planned it.  

Getting home:  Alright, I'll jog it out to the stoplight and walk the last 1/4 home.  Walking sucks.  Walking this close to traffic sucks even more.  No concerned driver, I'm not hurt and yes I'm tired but that's not why I'm walking.  I'm walking because I ran exactly what I set out to run.  No more, no less.  I need a shirt with a digital display on the back that logs and displays my mileage for everyone to see.  That way when I'm walking, or running slow everybody knows why.  Jason, really, that's the dumbest idea you've had all week.  Alright I'm about to have to walk way too close to these two chicks with big hair that are stuck in the 80's.  Just keep looking down Jason.  Oh no, one of them is making a hand gesture that seems directed at me.  Ugh, now the window is coming down.  Please don't throw anything at me.  Don't look, don't look, do not make eye contact!  That's it, keep looking down, keep the music loud, and just walk by.  What did she say?  Nice waist?  Surely not that's stupid.  Nice pace?  No way, that chick probably doesn't even know what pace is.  Did she ask me if I wanted to race?  Wait a minute, maybe she said get out of the way.  That sounds about right, but whatever.  I'm done and there is an Oreo Bonk Bar and a bucket of ice water waiting on me.

Until the next long run...   

Week in Review

Another week in the books and I'm really getting used to this fall weather.  I'm finally not suffocating in the summer humidity but this stupid plantar fasciitis has stepped in mightily to provide those moments of feeling like a lead footed slug.  But nonetheless I trudge on in my new Superfeet insoles with bucket of ice water awaiting my return.

Fall also brings several notable races to Hickory including;

- 10/11:  Oktoberfest 5K / 10K on 10/11 http://www.racingtoes.com/carolina-orthopaedic-specialists-2014-oktoberfest-5k-10k-footrace/

- 10/18:  Komen Race for the Cure on 10/18 http://www.komenncfoothills.org/

- 10/18:  Night Crawl on 10/18 (7:30 PM) (http://www.nightcrawl5k.com/

- 11/22:  YMCA Turkey Trot 5K / 10K

Fleet Feet of Hickory is also sponsoring a series of untimed social runs over the Thanksgiving holiday called the Turkey Trifecta http://www.fleetfeethickory.com/events/turkey-trifecta.  These runs begin Thanksgiving morning with a 10-miler followed by a 10K on Black Friday then a 5K the following Saturday morning.  I mean what better way to justify gorging yourself on Thanksgiving than having committed to running 19 miles over the weekend, right?  And I'm assuming they aren't timed but I could be wrong.  I know that comes as a shock to some of you - me being wrong of course.

So back to my week in review....

I finally got a quality week of training last week and my first long run of 16 miles.  Since I've loosely committed to running the Richmond Marathon in November I figured I need to get serious about this.  I just checked the website and apparently we're 43 days away.  That means I'm really counting on it living up to it's name of 'America's Friendliest Marathon'.  I've done a lot of running and stayed injury free the past couple years but this foot thing has me a little nervous.  I feel like my base fitness is solid and I'm comfortable with the pace I'll need to run but I've got some work to do to build up to the 26.2 miles.

I'm going with 4 of my Blue Ridge Relay teammates and we're all targeting a '16 Boston qualifying time which for a bunch of 40 yr. old guys is 3:15.  We've all run the standard before but it's gotten to the point that if you want to assure yourself a place in Boston you've got to target something at least 2-3 minutes better than the standard.  Not that a straight BQ won't get you in but for the last 2 years qualifiers have been turned away.  The cutoff for the '14 race was 1:38 better than the standard and the cutoff for '15 is was 1:02 better.

Nonetheless we're going after it but considering my late quasi-commitment I really need that whole friendly marathon thing to be more than catchy slogan.  My training partners have enjoyed success with the Hanson Brothers plan so I figured why not test it.  Basically the Hanson Brothers plan differs from traditional marathon plans by limiting the long run to 16 miles with a systematic approach to quality runs 6 days per week and training on tired legs.  Effectively the plan is designed to train your legs for the last 16 miles of the race. 

I'll provide my two cents worth as it relates to the Hanson Brothers plan versus traditional marathon training assuming I actually get through it but I can tell you that my 16 mile Sunday on the heels of two 8 mile tempo runs and a 10 miler was not fun.  And since I'm blaming my BRR guys for the soreness in my legs I think it's only appropriate to share the video of our 2014 race experience.  By now you're surely sick of hearing and reading about it but I just couldn't resist.

And rumor has it there is a Palmetto 200 group in the making...

Why morning runs suck....

Yes I said it, morning runs just suck.  And I'm not talking about normal morning runs.  I'm talking about those predawn runs when any normal person would still be sound asleep.  I'm talking about waking up before the sun has even given a passing thought to rising and before the fine folks and Bojangles have even started making biscuits.  I get that it's a great way to start the day.  It wakes you up, gets the blood flowing and kick starts your metabolism.  Plus your run is officially over and 'out of the way' before most people are waking up for work and you can go about your day doing the things that need to be done.

Whatever.  As you might have guessed I decided to join some friends for one of those predawn runs at local University for a speed workout, or strength workout, or something along those lines because I wasn't really sure what I was getting into.  Ultimately it ended up being a strength workout because the plan was to run 6 miles in intervals at something between 10K pace and marathon pace or thereabouts.  Because we were somewhat pressed for time we decided on 3 mile intervals to get it over with. 

So why does it suck?  Well I guess it's not really all that bad, just sort of a shock to my system that leaves me lost for the rest of the day.  I am very much a creature of habit - I wake up, shower, get dressed, go eat a bagel, and start working.  And that goes for pretty much every single day and for the most part includes weekends too.  On this particular morning however, I woke up much earlier than usual, got dressed, and decided I needed a little something in my stomach for the morning workout.  I opted for half a bagel with some peanut butter, half a Diet Pepsi, and I was off.  Knowing I would still be eating my regular breakfast as scheduled I decided that if I only ate half a breakfast that it didn't count... 

I was less than 1/4 mile into the 3 mile drive to meet the guys when I started seeing the other early morning runners and they were everywhere.  And these runners where not just out for a morning stroll like I'm used to seeing.  These folks seemed to be serious but considering it was just after 5:00 in the morning so I guess that makes sense.  Generally I think of the morning runners as those early weekenders out at 7:00 - 8:00ish on Saturday morning but this was a whole new breed.  As I get to the college I see more runners, reflective vests darting by and coming from every direction and I'm still half asleep.  I take a peek towards the track and there are more runners doing speedwork.   At this point I'm really starting to second guess getting out of bed because I'm just not feeling it.  I normally don't shy away from some healthy competition but at this hour all bets are off.

I finally see my guys walking towards the track and my reaction was something like, "Whoa guys, I thought you said no track workout today?"  I was relieved to find out they were just looking for our potential third that didn't make it.  After a one mile warm up we jumped right into our first 3 mile interval and talk about a rude awakening.  Thirty minutes ago my heart was on cruise control at about 40 beats per minute.  Now it was about to beat out of my chest and was not too happy about it.  We made it through the first interval at a 6:48 pace probably thanks in large part to my slow start.  After a 200 meter cool down we ran the second interval at 6:35. 

Then it was over.  It was still dark and the relatively normal people were just starting to show up for their morning runs.  Now I had no idea what to do with myself.  I headed home to help get the kids ready for school but not before icing my feet.  That's become a post run ritual and it seems to be helping.  So it's still not even 7:00 am yet, my blood is flowing, I'm a sweaty mess, my feet are in ice water, and I'm starving.  I finally get the kids out the door and head to the shower.  I hate going from the ice bath to the shower but really I had no choice.  I decided to grab half a Clif bar on the way out the door to go along with the half of breakfast I had already eaten as I was headed to eat my 'real' breakfast.  You'd think that I had run 20 miles the way I was eating.  Unfortunately I always manage to consume as many, if not more calories than I burn.  Seriously, if I ran 50 miles one day I would find a way to eat it all back.  That day.

I would go on to spend the rest of the day being hungry and a little tired but I will admit that it was nice to be able work through the remainder of my day without breaking for an hour or more to run and shower.  I was able to get home from work at a decent hour and we spent would would have likely been my running time picking out pumpkins so it all ended well.  To all you morning runners, I genuinely admire your commitment to outrunning the sun every morning but you're more likely to catch a glimpse of a Sasquatch than to see me running at that hour...

Happy Running

    

Do the Unthinkable 5K Recap

All week I had been on the fence about running the Do the Unthinkable 5K.  It's another one of those Hickory races that's practically in my backyard so it's always nice to see the familiar faces and catch up with runners that I don't regularly see.  Sponsored by Frye Regional Medical Center the race is centered around Scott Rigsby's incredible story from being in an automobile accident at age 18 where he lost both legs to overcoming decades of adversity on his way to becoming the first double-amputee to finish an Ironman triathlon with prosthetics.  You can read his entire story here.  

 http://www.scottrigsby.com/scottrigsbystory.html

A trip to Fleet Feet on Friday promptly ended that whole being on the fence thing.  I mean registration forms were laid out like a buffet and the bibs were stacked up in the middle of the store.  Really, how could I turn my back on that?  My only reservation was that I haven't been quite right since the Blue Ridge Relay having gone into that race with plantar fasciitis.  Oddly enough running those 24 miles relatively fast up and down hills didn't help much.  PF just sucks as anybody that has experienced it can attest to but for me it hasn't completely derailed my running.  It's basically just an inflammation of the band that connects your heel to your toes and results in some very uncomfortable heel pain.  The band shrinks at night and mornings are awful but generally it loosens up as the day goes on.  "Just" is a bit misleading because getting rid of it is easier said than done. 

I actually composed an entire blog dedicated to complaining about PF but I deleted it.  You can thank me later but it was a tirade of epic proportions during a fairly debilitating period of days where I was really getting frustrated.  I've never been much for stretching or rehab and (knock on wood) have avoided injuries that kept me sidelined for more than a week or so.  Tired of not being able to walk in the morning I decided to get serious about it so now I'm sleeping in a brace, rolling my foot on a frozen bottle of water a few times a day, stretching, and even walking on pebbles just to loosen up the tissue.  Yeah, I'm pretty sick of all that too.

But like I said, as long as I'm smart about it once it loosens up I'm alright.  Since I only live a few miles from the start I decided I would take an easy jog to the start.  And just to be clear, as runners we don't jog - we might run slow but we don't jog.  And there is a difference even though I'm not entirely sure what it is.  But take my word for it, this was a jog.  Anyway, I left the house later than I wanted to because I couldn't find the pullover I wanted to wear, my dog got out of the backyard, and I couldn't find my headphones.  The usual race day morning I guess. 

Realizing that I certainly wasn't going to be early my Macy's Day Parade stroll quickened a bit and I arrived a solid 8 minutes before the start.  My foot was feeling pretty good and it could not have been a more perfect morning for running.  Like practically every other downtown Hickory course this one has a lot of ups and downs with seemingly more ups than downs so it's not easy by any means.  The race starts with a 1/4 mile flat then a steep 1/4 mile up followed by a fairly smooth stretch to the halfway point.  At this point I was running second to a 14 year old by 10 yards or so with a friend (John Johnson) close behind in third.  I'm used to running behind kids half my age so I just try to keep them in sight and if I'm lucky enough to catch them, create enough separation so they don't out kick me.  One thing I've learned in the past 15 years is that no matter how fatigued a teenager is, he (or she) can run an all-out sprint in the final 100 meters.  Especially if there is an audience so I generally try to avoid that scenario if possible.

Coming up the second hill I was able to make up the 10 yards fairly quickly and we ran evenly through the second mile.  The third hill starts just past mile 2 and it's a solid 1/2 mile climb.  Not as steep as the first but it's a grind.  Closing in on mile 3 I really wanted off the roller coaster.  I was sick of running uphill and downhill for that matter but at this point I felt good about having a top 3 overall finish locked in.  Overall finishes are rare for me so I told myself that no matter how this final 1/2 mile played out I wasn't beating myself up over time or pace.  Plus I still had to run home - that was my fallback in case I had to internalize a complete shut down.  I had a fairly comfortable lead at this point but if the kid would have hawked me down I wasn't chasing him.  I mean I probably would have but I sure didn't want to!  Finally I crested the long hill which is followed by a short downhill, another short climb, and then followed by the downhill finish.  I was able to hang on for the win followed by the 14 year old with John closing the gap on him to finish just 6 seconds behind.

One of the great things about this race is that the 'anything is possible' mantra brings out a number of runners both young and old that are competing for the first time.  As competitive runners with a clock obsession we often take finishing for granted, as well as recovering and simply going about the remainder of our day in good health.  I started out this week not sure if I wanted to race this morning.  I haven't been able to train like I've wanted to the past few weeks...my foot probably needs the rest...blah, blah, blah.  I mean how many runners are 100% healthy anyway?  Not many.  So that's my way of telling me to shut up.  At the end of the day I've only regretted the races I didn't run and today would have been no different.  
 
Run on!

The Elusive BQ

It wasn't all that long ago that Meb Keflezighi became a national hero by becoming the first American to win the Boston Marathon in 31 years.  Now here we are already in the thick of registration for the 2015 Marathon.

Qualifying for Boston isn't easy and most marathoners simply won't get it done.  Just completing a marathon requires tremendous commitment, hard work, and a certain amount of insanity.  I mean who in their right mind would willingly ruin every weekend for the better part of 3 months to pay over $100 for the privilege of running 26.2 miles with no guaranteed incentive other than a $2 medal and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment?  Apparently just me and the other half a million marathon finishers last year.

To run in the Boston Marathon you have to first run a qualifying time based on your age and gender which are listed below.  One caveat is that running a qualifying time doesn't

guarantee entry into Boston.  Really it just guarantees that you will probably have the opportunity to register.  And therein lies the angst shared among myself and countless other Boston 'squeakers'.

The squeaker term is reserved for those proud enough to boast a qualifying time - but just barely.  Ask any squeaker though, and they will tell you that qualifying means nothing without the opportunity to pin on that John Hancock and Adidas sponsored bib and make the bus ride to the start in Hopkinton, MA.

Registration began Monday, September 8th for runners with a qualifying time exceeding their standard by 20 minutes.  On Wednesday registration opened up for runners that were 10 minutes better and on Friday registration opened up for runners with qualifying times that were 5 minutes better.  This past Monday, September 15th, registration opened up for everyone with a qualifying time which began an incredibly anxious week for squeakers around the globe.  As squeakers we register first thing Monday morning then we spend the remainder of the week incessantly scouring the web for the slightest bit of insight that will help us discern just how quickly the race is filling up.  Really we just want some reassurance that we're in.  And we want it immediately.  That's not too much to ask, is it??

My life as a squeaker began in March of 2013.  I was running my first marathon and was cautiously optimistic.  I needed to run 3:15 as a 40 year old and with 15+ years of running under my belt, running at marathon pace was not an issue.  However running at marathon pace for 26.1 miles had the potential to get a bit dicey.  I ran a very poor race getting out way too fast but managed to hold on to clock a 3:11 and some change.  I was relieved - mainly because I could finally stop running but I was also elated and somewhat overwhelmed that I was in the club.  I was going to the big dance in Boston...or at least I assumed I was.  At the time a cutoff short of the qualifying standards wasn't even on my radar because the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) had just recently adjusted the standards to make them all 5 minutes faster, plus they eliminated the extra 59 seconds grace.  For example in 2011 a time of 3:20:59 would have qualified a 40 year old male.  In 2012 the standard for a 40 year old male was 3:15:00.  The idea was to develop standards that wouldn't require turning away Boston qualifiers.

I distinctly remember getting a text on April 15, 2013 from a friend asking me if I was alright.  It was random and odd but then I realized something bad had happened and she had assumed I was running the 2013 race.  I was headed home for lunch and had planned to watch the coverage of the marathon for a glimpse of what to expect in 2014 but would soon watch the horror unfold in the aftermath of the 2013 bombings.  I watched in disbelief with a pit in my stomach not even able to fathom how I would have reacted if I had been there.  What if my family had been standing there supporting me and been victims that day?  It literally made me sick to my stomach to think about my little ones experiencing something so traumatic and so senseless.

My resolve to run Boston became even stronger that day as did countless other runners and even non-runners across the country.  I knew interest for the 2014 marathon would be at an all-time high and that more than likely I wouldn't get in and oddly enough I was alright with that.  Of course I was disappointed at the thought but I knew my day would come and I felt like there were a number of runners regardless of their qualifying time that were far more deserving of running in 2014 than I was.

As the BAA announced their plans for an increased field size I thought I might have a chance.  A very small one but a chance nonetheless.  I followed the press releases then just like I'm following them now and as expected the race was filling up fast.  Finally the announcement came, Boston would reopen registration in week 2 for all time qualifiers.  That was me - a time qualifier with a chance!  However it was specifically noted that due to field size limitations there was a chance that not all qualifiers submitting an entry would be accepted.  Every squeaker on planet Earth was able to read between the lines to know there would be a cutoff. 

Like most squeakers I applied first thing Monday morning and have never been so eager to have my $150 entry fee processed.  The following 10 days would be gut wrenching for most us.  As we learned of -10 and -5 qualifiers still waiting for official confirmation of acceptance we waited for any sign of a projected cutoff.  By Wednesday the BAA and Runners World had effectively stopped communicating registration data which left the running community to speculate which is never a good thing.  Some of us found comfort in online running forums and Facebook groups where we exchanged squeaker times and the probability of getting in, or lack thereof.  There was a calming reassurance in bonding with other lunatic runners - affectionately speaking of course.  And just like that, the 18 hours a day online looking for news was perfectly acceptable.  So was the occasional feeling of an overwhelming urge to vomit, watching television in the fetal position, binge eating doughnuts, running off nervous energy 2-3 times per day, or polishing off a 12 pack or bottle of wine for good measure.  Really, it was all good this week... 

All of a sudden the 5 seconds stopped to give a thumbs up on the way to the finish seemed relevant.  So did the 30 seconds spent walking through those final water stops or that one potty break at mile 15.  That slight headwind that slowed us down, the heat on that particular race day, or the breakfast that didn't settle the way it had so many times before.  As squeakers we don't even count seconds but this week seconds were all that mattered.  There are only a few people that can relate to such a quirky obsession that 30 seconds of a 3+ hour race matter but when you find a group of those people it's complete validation for such insanity.

For what seemed like days on end the squeaker contingent waited with fingers crossed unable to concentrate on anything else.  We waited.......and waited.......and waited.  Finally on Wednesday after nearly 5 long, and I do mean LONG days after registration officially ended the news came from the BAA.  The cutoff for the much anticipated 2014 race was 1:38 faster than the qualifying standards.  The end result was that entry into the 2014 Boston Marathon required a qualifying time 1:38 faster than the 'standard' for to get that red, white, or blue bib.  I was lucky enough to be one of the squeakers that made cut but unfortunately I had a number of friends that weren't so lucky.   I would go on to enjoy an amazing Boston experience with the support of my family, friends, and several of those squeakers that were squeezed out in 2014.

So here we are once again in what is becoming an annual rite of passage for Boston squeakers.  Registration ended yesterday with a release from the BAA stating that the field size was at capacity.  The wording was a bit cryptic, ambiguous, vague....or any number of other words to describe the fact that a world of squeakers are left wondering if they're in.  In the spirit of full disclosure I was able to register last week and have already received my confirmation but my heart goes out to those still on the fence.  The announcement could come any minute but the only time commitment made by the BAA is that runners would receive word by the middle of next week.  And trust me, the wait becomes longer and more excruciating with every passing day!

In the grand scheme of things this is just a race and as squeakers we aren't defined by how fast we are but by the resolve we've shown to chase our dreams.  But make no mistake - we're proud but not arrogant, confident but never satisfied, and we're fast.  We aren't elite or sub-elite and never will be for that matter but we unassumingly give everything we have for a chance to toe the line with the best runners in the world.  I'm a squeaker and there are no two ways about it but given the company I'm in I'm totally fine with that.  My fingers are crossed and I'm hoping against hope that all of 'my people' get to make the trip to Boston next year where the squeakers will be throwing the biggest party imaginable in the Athlete's Village when April 20th rolls around.

Good luck to all and run on!
                   

'14 Blue Ridge Relay Recap - Hey Jack!

There comes a time when every runner must answer the question......"What in the f*@k was I thinking?!"  For me that moment came about 10:00 Friday night roughly 7 miles into a 10.5 mile climb up Grandfather Mountain.....

In the days leading up to the Blue Ridge Relay my only concern was not missing the last flight back to NC from CA.  Once I was safely on board and more importantly safely on the ground in NC it was time to get my mind right.  I got home just after 11:00 pm and started to unpack and repack then get some work related items in order for the next day.  When the clock struck 1:00 am and I was still packing I knew I was in for a long weekend!

Our crew met at 8:00 at the regular spot.  There were 10 returning members and 2 BRR newbies all bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Alright not really but the excitement was there and it was time to go to work.  We made the 2.5 hour trip to Grayson Highlands state park in time to watch the 11:00 wave start and prep for our 11:30 start time.  Teams are seeded based on their average 10K pace and we went in as the 18th seed of 160 teams which put us among the last groups to start.

The 11:30 start time grouped us with some of the fastest teams and the parking lot was littered with some pretty serious runners.  As we piled out of our white cargo vans and surveyed the scene it was almost comical -- 130 lb runners in full splits everywhere.......eating bananas, stretching, and running aimlessly.  Our unassuming crew boasted a couple of New Era 59Fifty hats, a handful of 'Murican flag bandanas, an average inseam of about 7, and T.I.'s "Bring em' Out" serving notice that Hey Jack! had arrived.  The first order of business was to go ahead and get the first of many Porta-John visits out of the way.  I'm no stranger to these portable plastic death boxes but considering the first groups went out at 5:30 am these units had been absolutely annihilated by the morning groups.


We lined up with 6 other teams - all higher seeds and all but one running as an ultra team with 6 runners.  Ben Duke had the honors of leading off and was set to run a screaming downhill 4 miles to kick things off.  He proceeded to clock a sub 7 pace and handed to Hank Eimer for leg 2.  


Now I can't exactly explain the motivational tactics Knox has on display but whatever it was, it worked.  Also, I don't know Andy well enough to speculate what he was doing to the inflatable duck but it's safe to say it wasn't natural and constitutes some violation of duck rights.  Conventional wisdom says that a when you're about to log 20+ miles in a series of three consecutive 'races' within a 24 hour period it makes sense to pace yourself in the early going, or leave a little in the tank so to speak.  But once your teammates come barreling down the mountain red faced, out of breath, and looking like they just got out of swimming pool the notion of holding anything back is completely out the window.

The fine folks at Blue Ridge Endurance have rated each leg of the BRR as easy, moderate, hard, very hard, and mountain goat hard which is sort of a blessing and a curse.  Not to mention that 12 hours into the race if a leg isn't hard you're not doing something right.  As we make our way to the transition area for my leg I'm just ready to get on with it.  I meander around the parking lot to get my legs loose, make an attempt in vain at stretching just because I see other people doing it, and decide to visit the plastic box again for good measure.  Finally I hear my call of duty as Hank let out a "Hey Jack!" coming over the mountain which serves two purposes.  It let's the volunteers know our team is getting ready to make the transition to the next runner and more importantly, it means the next runner better be waiting because Hank is about to shut it down.

Running those first legs of the BRR is lonely to say the least.  If you're lucky you might see a runner off in the distance but otherwise it's pretty much open roads and hot sun.  A number of vans pass by as you make your way to the next transition area and the excitement of the event generally helps maintain a race worthy pace.  My first leg was moderate with 5.2 miles that was mostly flat with about a mile and a half climb in the middle.  I went out fast hoping to catch a runner 1/4 mile or so in front of me but at this point these were all quality runners and I knew I wasn't making up that gap.  I clocked a 6:26 pace for my first leg with splits of 5:44, 7:35, 6:35, 6:19, 6:06.  I had no kills [kill = passing another runner] and was glad to have a leg under my belt.  I was now officially sweaty and on my way to being downright nasty by the end of the race.

As I passed the wristband to Knox Tate we were half way through the van 1 rotation and I could finally relax and enjoy the race for a bit.  In the weeks leading up to the race Knox had meticulously grown his race day beard and cultivated a pulp-fiction aura about him that signaled he was all business.  Alright so really he spent weeks grooming himself for one bad@ss selfie to send the team the night before but he nailed it!  Knox, like the rest of us, doesn't fit the competitive runner mold but he can fly and made quick work of his hard 7 miler leaving Michael Banks and Luke Stafford to finish our cycle and meet van 2 in the first exchange zone.

After Knox and Banks killed their runs Luke was on his way to wrap things up with a 'hard' 5.  We were well ahead of last year's pace but it was early and we needed to bank some time because things would get increasingly more difficult as the day went on.  At this point my full attention was on getting something to eat.  Real food is hard to come by along the course since most of it is run through the back roads of Nowheresville.  Soon we would have 3-4 hours of downtime and a rare opportunity for hot food.  So far my daily take had consisted of Clif Bars, almond butter, and almond butter on Clif Bars.  The only thing I knew for sure is that I would be eating soon and Banks made it abundantly clear that we were NOT eating at Subway.

We met up with van 2 at the first exchange zone and spent some time chatting it up with the other guys.  Van 2 included our fearless leader LT, Joe Haines, Eric Meredith, John Mills, Mark Huegerich, and Andy Burchfield.  The thing I really like about our team is that there is very little separation between the top and bottom runners so our vans were very evenly matched.  Once Luke handed off to Eric I couldn't resist calculating our pace through leg 6.  Shortly thereafter I tried to create a little healthy competition by letting LT know that van 1 was passing off a 7:11 pace through 33 miles.  

As we loaded up after a successful first rotation we headed to Boone to get our grub on.  Subway was off the table but apparently everything else was in play.  And then it happened, an executive decision was made to left turn into Chipotle Mexican Grill.  On one hand I was elated - we were back in civilization with a few hours to hang with the guys and I was about to put a hurtin' on my first meal of the day.  On the other hand, I have a knack for knowing in mid-decision when said decision will come with repercussions and this would be no different.  I proceeded to order a chicken burrito with a side of chips and guacamole for the group.  We sat on outside on the patio and I could have seriously spent another hour just sitting there watching the traffic go by. 

As much as we enjoyed this little break in the action we needed to gas up the van and restock the coolers for the long night ahead plus we had a bit of a drive to get to the next transition zone.  Now at this point I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that there will come a reckoning period where I have to answer to my stomach for the digestion process under less than ideal circumstances.  In that moment I found myself staring at a pristine set of restrooms at Chipotle that I simply couldn't ignore.  It's not that I needed to use the bathroom, I just wanted to remind myself what it was like not to have a line of 20 on the other side of the door, have light not controlled by the brightness of my iPhone screen, and have running water.  So yeah, I pretty much just walked in there for a moment of silence.  

Then we dropped $150 at the gas station on fuel, water, and Gatorade and snatched up 10 Chick-Fil-A sandwiches for later.  Fortunately CFA sandwiches have a shelf life of a solid month because of the whole foil sandwich wrapper they have going on. It's like a chicken sandwich incubator that just locks in goodness.  That and knowing by the time we get around to eating these we'll eat just about anything.  By 5:30 we were pulling into the second exchange zone and now it's starting to feel like a race.  We set up shop at the back of a church parking lot and pulled out our sleeping bags to sprawl out.

We strategically parked between two female teams and really......that was pure coincidence.  The crude humor began and would not subside...ever...at least not in van 1.  Then it happened - just like I knew it would.  In one modest acceleration to chase a frisbee my stomach was pissed off and let me know about it.  Fortunately I maintained my wits and moved slowly towards what would be my first of many trips to the plastic box over the next few hours.  Then I heard Banks utter the sweetest words of the day, "Hey man, I brought wet wipes."  What a lifesaver. 
 

The sun was setting on our intermission and on the day.  Soon we would be in thick of it again traversing the NC mountains and coming up Grandfather mountain just before midnight.  We received the text from LT that they were on their way.  And not only were they on their way but they had maintained pace and would be handing off at the 63 mile mark with our 7:11 pace.  How's that for the proverbial middle finger and back 'atcha.  Of course we expected nothing less.  Last year we ran 26 hours 11 minutes at a 7:33 pace which was good enough for 15th place overall.  Our goal was to improve on last year and ideally come in under 26 hours.

Ben kicked things off again with a 'very hard' 9.4 miles through the Blue Ridge Parkway handing off to Hank in Boone.  Hank followed with a hard 6 miles leading to the entrance of Grandfather Mountain where I was to take over for my second leg.  At this point it was dark.....very dark on the parkway and I was feeling a bit queasy which was a combination of  a few things;  

1) I had a 10.5 mile run coming up that was predominately uphill 
2) LT had me arbitrarily estimated at running a 7:15 pace...no pressure there :/
3) My stomach still hated me
4) The thought of running in the dead of night without streetlights on roads without shoulders where bears live was less than exciting at this point and
5) I could really do some damage to our 7:11 pace if I blow up here.  

Another resource we're provided with courtesy of Blue Ridge Endurance which doubles as a blessing and a curse is a map and profile of each leg.  My second leg up Grandfather is below.  Purple represents a 7-8% incline and the greens are 4-7% downhills.  Yellow is flat and make no mistake, when you hit orange it's still up hill and you know it.  And it's worth repeating that anything red sucks.  Purple is just downright nasty - period.  But this is the BRR and that's exactly why we love it.

As I rifled through my bag figuring out what to run in I decide to wear all black so that I would resemble a tall slender bear in case I needed to become one with nature.  It was my second run in the chosen black shorts so they were still a bit damp but at that point they could have practically run on their own.  Apparently I used one of the coolers to drape my shorts across to dry off after my first run so I probably need to apologize for that little party foul.  Sorry about that guys...  

I dawn the reflective vest, strap on the headlamp, update my playlist, strategically place

my green blinky in front, orange in back, and head to the potty for another moment of reckoning.  This particular picture is actually Luke but you get the idea.  Hank's voice again echoes over the mountain - not to be seen but heard.  While most teams crest the hill catching their breath just enough to meekly announce their team number Hank crosses the ridge like a conquering hero proclaiming his affiliation to Hey Jack! as if it was a badge of honor.  And as such it is my turn to reprasent and yes, I spelled that just like I said it.  

For the first time I see runners off in the distance and with 10.5 miles to work with I like my chances to log some kills during this run.  It took miles 1 and 2 just to get loose but I was able to maintain a 7:00 pace through the first 7 miles.  And it's about that point where I reach the moment of wondering why I do this sh*t.  And yes I think if I replace a letter with a symbol it somehow reads as less offensive.  Seven miles into this leg I have 6 kills and won't see another person until the next day.  It's pitch dark outside - no streetlamps, no houselights, no traffic......nothing.  The occasional runner van will pass by to provide some reassurance that I haven't veered off course but otherwise I'm struggling to maintain pace through no mans land.  Those adrenaline filled low 6 minute miles I cranked out just 9 hours ago are catching up with me and my legs are starting to drag.  Holding even a 7:30 pace is decidedly more difficult as I continue up Grandfather and in looking back, coming through the steepest climb at a 7:00 pace was just about stupid.
   
Mile 1:   7:11
Mile 2:   7:43 
Mile 3:   6:58
Mile 4:   6:58
Mile 5:   6:57
Mile 6:   7:17
Mile 7:   6:49
Mile 8:   7:47
Mile 9:   7:56
Mile 10: 7:55
Last 0.5 miles at 6:35 pace

At mile 8 I was over pace (obviously).  Not necessarily as in running slower than I had wanted to but as in I'm just over it and not evening looking at pace again tonight.  Those orange and red bands seem a lot steeper at the end of a run than the beginning and yellow all of a sudden doesn't seem so flat.  I glanced at the distance occasionally and it felt like I was standing still.  In my mind the heavy lifting on this leg was supposed to be over at mile 7 and that's where I was supposed to put the hammer down.  And therein lies the curse of the profile maps because I definitely underestimated the back half of this leg.  There will be no hammering down in my near future.  Even though I had gotten out too fast I wasn't about to blow this.  At about the 9.5 mile mark I knew I was closing in on the exchange zone.  For all of the breathtaking scenery the BRR has to offer the single most awe inspiring view a runner will experience is the bright yellow sign that says 'Exchange Zone'.  That, my friends, means it's time to get rid of the wristband and if you're a member of our team - time to dig down deep and prepare to sound off.  Hey Jack!

What happened next is sort of a blur.  I managed to run the 10.5 up Grandfather at a 7:20 pace and was very happy with it.  I had two legs down, one to go, and was looking forward to a short siesta.  I remember wanting to just sit there, and not move, and knowing that was an awful idea.  Even in my early 30's my body didn't like the idea of starting and stopping then starting again.  In my late 30's the not liking it sort of transitioned into it-ain't-happening.  So while my recovery consisted of roaming around the parking lot taking my sweet time with every step I hear someone say Knox 'only' has 5.5.  Translation:  Knox is about to make quick work of leg 16 so shut the damn door and let's roll.

Knox, Michael, and Luke all ran strong and 106 miles into the BRR we were at 13 hours 1 minute with a pace of 7:23.  We met van 2 at the second transition zone, exchanged pleasantries, and quickly proceeded to the final transition zone to setup camp for the night.

As we arrived at the final exchange zone our van was officially a cesspool on wheels.  It wreaked of sweat drenched clothes, 15+ pair of smelly running shoes, 6 uneaten chicken sandwiches, and one rogue muffin that just seemed to be everywhere.  The only saving grace was that there were no female runners on our team because over the past few years we have determined that sweaty non-showered women runners smell distinctively worse than sweaty non-showered men.  Sorry ladies, I'm just kidding (but not really)

We setup camp on the backside of a shed behind a fire department knowing that if we were lucky we might get 2-3 hours sleep.  Just enough of a cat nap to regroup for the third and final leg.  I'm really not much of a camper so sleeping on the ground with a bunch of insects is generally not my thing but oddly enough with a total of 12 hours sleep in the past 3 nights the family of spiders above us didn't phase me.  Sleeping conditions are less than ideal by any measure with a steady melody of slamming Porta-John doors and a constant flow of cargo van headlights but at this point rest is rest and you take what you can get.  My stomach was still a little grumpy and I didn't have much of an appetite but I felt like I needed some nourishment since I was 4 hours away from a 'hard' 9 miles in what would be my final leg.  I took a bite of a chicken sandwich, thought better of it, then opted for a Clif Bar and some almond butter.  Shortly thereafter I was out like a light.

A couple hours into my slumber I heard the rustling of sleeping bags and the words I went to sleep dreading, "They just called, LT is on his way."  I laid there for a moment anticipating what it was going to feel like to stand up.  No sense in delaying the inevitable so I sprung to my feet and miraculously I felt like a champ.  My legs weren't nearly as sore as I expected them to be and my heel wasn't nagging me anymore than unusual.  As I loaded my stuff into the van there was no denying that another trip to the plastic potty was in order.  By now this had become a fairly painful process and as I gingerly made my way to gather my essentials Banks came up big again, "Hey man, I've got Aquaphor too."  He really saved my a$$ this weekend - literally.

Van 2 completed the second cycle and they were absolutely killing it but they also had some monster runs coming up in their final legs to the finish.  Ben and Hank got things cranked up with two more great runs.  Something about seeing a guy finish his last leg and transition to spectator / cheerleader mode just makes you want to put that last run in the rearview.  However sometime between waking up feeling like a million bucks and getting ready to run my last leg I started feeling rather lethargic.  I'm used to running in the heat, and running on tired legs, but running at 5:00 am?  Easy trigger.  I opted for a pair of fresh shorts this time and decided to rock the hometown Fleet Feet Hickory singlet since we were one of two Hickory teams with the Hickory Knuts being the other.  

Once again I made an attempt in vain to loosen up and decided that was just too demoralizing.  I decided a seat in the van and a few spoons of almond butter was a much better use of my pre-race time.  With the finish only 60 miles away and the sunrise a couple hours out we were poised to start clipping other runners.  I strapped on the required night running gear and headed to the transition area.  After a few minutes I start to get antsy and my Diet Pepsi was sneaking up on me.  I don't drink coffee so don't judge me for my Diet Pepsi habit.  Fortunately, I'm a guy and these issues are easily and discreetly resolved near the closest tree or shrubbery.  Plus runners lose any semblance of modesty they might ordinarily have when surrounded by other runners so it's just what we do.

Nearly every runner on our team has a distinctively recognizable running style or gait.  Hank is no different with his long torso and longer stride that creates a hip swinging motion that would make any runway model proud.  Fresh out of the bushes I hear my queue right on time, Hey Jack!, and here comes Hank sashaying over the mountains.......and I'm off.  Red blinky lights are lined up to the point that I feel like I'm in a blade runner in Tron.  I pass several runners exchanging encouraging words with nearly every runner along the way.  At this point we're catching some quality runners that are starting to struggle a bit.  If you're not used to running on tired legs or not accustomed to hills day 2 is not fun.  Even if you're well prepared day 2 is not what I would consider 'fun'.  And trust me, I fall in the category of struggling runner at this point.

I started out fast (that's a shocker) and was unable to resist chasing the runners in sight.  This leg was not nearly as difficult as my prior leg but having having those miles on my legs combined with the whopping 15 hours sleep in 4 days made this feel a lot more difficult than it should have been.  I started with a 0.5 climb, then a nice 2 miles downhill, and finished with a subtle but steady climb for the remaining 6.5 miles.

I had run well through 6 miles logging my first 3 at a 6:27 pace but they were predominately downhill.  The next 3 miles I ran around a 7:15 pace but by now my legs were garbage and I was just trying to hang on.  My strategy (for lack of a better word) consisted of focusing on the blinky light in front of me, pass it, and don't let them catch me.  With no one in front of me and still running in complete darkness I was just hoping that I was on course.  I came to a fork in the road and followed the white runner van because this late in the race we're all going to the same place, right?  Then I see the van stop, turn around, and drive towards me.  Apparently they missed the turn and I followed suit.  The turn was marked but I followed the van because I'm an idiot.  A tired non-thinking idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.  Beautiful, as if we had time to spare I decided to tack on another 0.4 to what was supposed to be a 9.0 mile run.

Let me just say that missing a turn in a vehicle is a nuisance, missing one on foot when you're already fatigued and counting down the miles until it's over just completely blows.  The effort required to simply stop and change direction at that point made me want to punch myself.  I finally made my way back on course and held on.  Barely.  I had been looking for the holy grail of BRR signs [Runner Exchange] about 0.5 miles out but this time I knew I needed to get the full 9.0 in before I got too excited.  As I slogged through the final miles one thing was certain - in those final moments I wanted to see Knox more than any other individual on the face of the Earth.  That and I was prepared to lay down on whatever surface the transition area had to offer.  Grass, concrete, dirt, mud, rocks, whatever...I really didn't care.

And there it was - Runner Exchange - my end was near!  I don't even remember the exchange with Knox, in fact I don't really remember any of them.  But I do remember laying in the grass not wanting to move and relieved by the fact that I was done.  Literally and figuratively.  After logging 14 kills at a pace of 7:12 my third leg the '14 BRR was in the books and as Hank put it, "we're gonna straight marinate from here."  Actually if you take my running time divided by the leg distance of 9.0 as opposed to the 9.4 I actually ran it pushed my effective pace to 7:32 which is what really mattered.  Ben graciously brought me a bottle of water and walked along side while I waddled back to the van as we bonded over having all 3 legs behind us.
Mile 1:  6:12
Mile 2:  6:19
Mile 3:  6:50
Mile 4:  7:07
Mile 5:  7:17
Mile 6:  7:25
Mile 7:  7:51
Mile 8:  7:54
Mile 9:  7:48
Last 0.5 miles at 7:00 pace 

With Banks in the hole Hank and Ben decided to catch another cat nap.  Hank woke up surprisingly chipper proclaiming he felt great and was ready to run it back.  While I was struggling to get in and out of the van it seemed that at any moment Hank might burst into a James Brown rendition of 'I Feel Good'.  I was hoping this was a delusional state similar to what I had experienced after waking up prior to my final leg when I was ready to set the world on fire.  Fortunately reality soon set in and Hank's euphoria was tempered by the reality that his legs were, in his words, destroyed. 

After Luke brought it home van 1 was officially off the clock.  We were still on pace to run slightly better than last year but van 2 had their work cutout for them.  Of their remaining 6 legs they had 1 hard, 2 very hard, and 2 mountain goats coming up.  Van 1 on the other hand had 1 pancake breakfast waiting followed by a refreshing cold water soak in a nearby stream not to mention the pleasure of watching other runners struggle through the final stages of the BRR.  Life was good.

The first order of business was to obliterate some pancakes.  A local church in Pensacola (NC) offers a pancake breakfast at the base of one of the mountain goat legs.  Having never run in van 1 before I had never been able to take advantage of this but it was a new day.  I rolled up in there with my $5 and promptly turned it into a stack of pancakes and headed back to the van to grub but not before drowning them in syrup.  Bad idea.  I knew about half way through my stack that things weren't going to end well but I'm stubborn and not a quitter.  I wasn't hungry to begin with but couldn't turn down food.  I didn't have to run again so I told myself it didn't matter and I 'deserved' it.  Famous last words.

I made my way down to the start of the first mountain goat and knew it was only a matter of time before something catastrophic happened.  My stomach dealt with Chipotle (albeit unwillingly) but not this time.  I surveyed the scene and had to make a quick decision - do I dart across the street and vomit in the woods or should I spare my fellow runners the indecency and make a break for the plastic boxes that I had become so familiar with.  I opted for the Porta-Potty but if I had it to do over again I would have thrown up on center stage in front of every participant in the BRR before doubling over in the plastic box again.  Words just can't describe the events that unfolded Saturday morning but it ended violently.  It's safe to say that from now on I will show my stomach a little more respect.

Meanwhile, back on the course, Eric was putting in work on the 6.5 mile mountain goat which is a 1,400 foot climb with no relief.  I've run it before and having been assigned this leg a few years ago it's either a sign that your teammates think very highly of you or they hate you.  And the jury is still out on that.  Eric made it look almost easy as he whipped through the switchbacks and handed off to Joe for a very hard 9.5 miles downhill which has got to be painful as a third leg.
  
Joe is a burner so we were expecting a fast time and he didn't disappoint.  This late in the race both vans were traveling together and we were only 20 miles from the finish.  A number of runners were coming in at a nice clip when I see Joe and his long legs just chewing up pavement at a blistering pace.  He finished fairly unceremoniously and promptly ended up on the ground.  As I walked over I first noticed the drool extending from his lip to the ground.  Then I found it odd that he was trying to drink water but seemingly couldn't find his mouth.  And finally, I realized he couldn't talk and his bottom lip was swollen.  Not just swollen but almost cartoon-like as if he had been hit in the face with a frying pan.  

Apparently about 4 miles into his run a wasp decided to plant one on the inside of Joe's lip and it looked every bit as bad as it sounds.  The picture really doesn't do it justice either.  Fortunately we had two physicians on our team so if you're going to get stung in the mouth this is a good team to have with you.  Several teams offered assistance including Benadryl, ice, and other 'stuff' so knowing he was in good hands I felt that it was appropriate to begin taking pictures and find out just how much damage that damn bee had done to our time.

I'm still amazed but somehow Joe clocked a 6:30 pace despite running 6 miles with a fat lip and no feeling in his mouth.  Last year he wasn't quite 100% healthy and this year he obviously came ready to run through brick walls.  And he did.

Andy followed suit with the final mountain goat leg.  I've had the pleasure (?) of running this one too and it's affectionately referred to as the nipple.  The profile of Eric's mountain goat is on the top, Andy's mountain goat is on the bottom.  And I'm still not sure why it's referred to as the nipple (note sarcasm).

The nipple includes sections of the climb equal to a 13% grade and a stretch of the downhill at 13% - neither of which are fun.  Andy took it all in stride, running solid all the way up, then opening it up on the way down before handing off to Mark for leg 34 of 36.  We appeared to be headed towards a finish slightly better than last year but at this point we're really targeting a finish under 26 hours. 

Mark finished his leg coming up hill to the base of a wicked hill where John was waiting.  Despite looking like he had been run over by a train somewhere along the way Mark unleashed a Hey Jack! for the ages.  John reached out with a smile that was more along the lines of a grimace knowing he had 2 miles of a 10% grade with his name on it while the sun bearing down.  Apparently John is quite the uphill cyclist but he's also got a knack for running hills too.  He logged at least 3 kills right out of the gate and just kept rolling.

By now the stage was set.  LT had 6.8 'very hard' miles to the finish in Asheville and nobody was more deserving of closing it out.  He's our captain and the heartbeat of this team of grown men that just refuse to grow up.  After 25 hours and 100 miles it was simple - we started at 11:30 am and needed to finish before 1:30 pm to come in under 26 hours.  A finish before 1:41 would ensure that we came in better than last year. 

We made our way to Asheville and after highly questionable parking job make the short stroll to the finish area.  Soon LT would be making the turn and we would bring it home as a group.  He came around the corner in full stride, pouring everything he had left into crossing the finish in 25:59:55 and for a 7:28 pace over the 208 miles.  We ended up 17th overall and 6th in the open division.

After a few celebratory high fives we took a few pictures then slowly made our way back to the vans.  Like very slowly.  We were exhausted, hungry, and our legs were shot but for me the end of the BRR is always bitter sweet.  On one hand I just wanted to crash.  I had been away from home for the better part of a week and was just totally beaten down.  I wanted to be in my house and in my bed - end of story.  But I also knew that it didn't get much better than this.  

I love running.  I love competing and hearing my name called, coming home with some token of achievement, and chasing personal bests.  But frankly all of that pales in comparison to running with a team - especially this team.  I didn't get to experience this in high school or college but there's something far more motivating when you're running with and for guys that you know are giving it all they have.  Of course we're just a bunch of regular middle aged guys that just happened to be extremely competitive.  We all have families, kids, and careers and we're not strangers to fast food or cold beer and as long as we can eat Mexican on our way to running 208 miles then that's just what we'll do.  So for 25 hours and 59 minutes we laid it all out there and loved every minute of it.

Congratulations to all that ran this year and again, I highly recommend this race for runners of all levels.  Congrats to Asheville Running Collective for the overall win followed by Charlotte Running Club and Knoxville Track Club.  You guys are insanely fast.  Congrats to Carolina Godiva Masters from Cary, NC for winning the Masters Division; Greenville Running Company for winning the Ultra Division (beating The Ultra Mohawk from Asheville by 2 minutes) and Strictly Running from Columbia, SC for winning the Mixed Division.

And a special thank you to Blue Ridge Endurance and the many volunteers along the course!  

Until next year...

Hey Jack!