TARC Spring Classic 50K Race Report: “Flat and Fast…”

On Saturday, April 27, I accomplished a goal that had been percolating in my brain since I read Born To Run: running an ultramarathon.  When I signed up for the race on January 4, I was essentially starting my running from scratch, having come off a long injury layoff.    I knew that it would be a tough goal, but with Rebecca’s encouragement, and some input from our good friend Alett, I was reasonably optimistic about pulling it off.

I picked the Trail Animal Running Club (TARC) Spring Classic 50K for my foray into the ultra world.  After getting out on the trails in the Middlesex Fells a few times with soem Animals, I was getting pretty worried about a 50K trail race, but I was assured that the race trail was much easier both in that it was a lot less technical in nature and everyone considered it “flat and fast.”  Now, SPOILER ALERT, after having run the race, it should be noted immediately that trail racers and road racers mean something entirely different when they say “flat and fast.”  Animals seem to forget that the implicit “for a trail race” qualifier that is necessary when saying “flat and fast” is not explicit to a newbie trail racer.  To me, the course could fairly be described as rolling with a couple significant, but short, inclines that popped up each loop.

We arrived at the race around 6:45 a.m., mostly because I wanted to be sure to get one of the custom t-shirts made by Animal Emily Trespas.  Totally worth it.  One cool aspect of the race, apparently in “fat ass” tradition, was that the aid station was stocked by the racers.  Everyone was asked to bring an item, for example I had the “salty” category and contributed some pretzels and Pop Chips.  Even before the race started, it was easy to see how different a smaller trail race is from a road race.  Everyone seemed to know each other and I got the feeling they were all just looking forward to a fun, organized, timed run together.  I was happy see my fellow Goons, Thor Kirleis and James Provenzano there, as well as Marathon Sports Run Clubbers Ryan and Bethany Couto.

Being firmly of the belief that if you look good at a race, or at least have fun with how you look, you’ll feel good as well, I broke out a new race day outfit, pictured below:

If you’d like to recreate this vision of green plaid, the shorts are the Brooks Infiniti IIIs and the top is the Race Day singlet.  I went with my Zoot compression socks and Brooks Cascadia 8 for footwear.  Thanks to Tom Poland of Greater Boston Running Company Andover for making sure that the singlet got in by the Friday before the race so I could rock it.

The Course

The race course is comprised of 5 10K loops, giving plenty of opportunity to get familiar with the terrain and come up with a plan for the miles ahead.  The first stretch of the loop featured, in my opinion, the two most challenging hills, not so much for their length, but steepness.  The second of these inclines was described by Animal Mike Saporito as “douche-grade,” which seemed very appropriate as it was tremendously steep, even if it was only 15 yards or so (or less even).  I did not even attempt a single running step on this hill on any of the loops, knowing it made much more sense to power hike it during the early loops and then just try to trick gravity into letting me up the hill during the later loops.  Maybe I was just really tired, but changing the laws of physics seemed easier during the 4th lap than walking.  Apart from those two hills, the course featured more gradual slopes that wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow during, say, a 10K road race, but added up over 50 on the trails.  Thankfully the hills generally didn’t involve technical terrain on either the uphill or downhill.

Several runners described the course as “really runnable” overall, meaning you could spend a lot more time running and less time picking your way over rocks and roots, like one might in the Fells.  At least, that’s what I assume it meant.  I did manage to take a decent fall during the second lap when my mind started wandering, but it was on soft pine needles and there was no damage done.  There were only 3 sections I can recall that really forced me to tread carefully and walk, not because I was exhausted or sore (though I was), but because my trail running technique isn’t up to snuff yet.  All 3 sections involved “stream” crossings, or at least the crossing of water by virtue of rocks or logs.  On my first two laps I stepped directly into the water on the first crossing, misreading what was more solid mud and what was…less solid.  I did get the hang of it as the race went on, trying to find a balance between moving quickly enough over the rocks to avoid losing my balance and not going so quickly that I took a misstep and ending up in the drink.  Even though the last section was the most mentally taxing for me in terms of having to concentrate on each foot plant, it was also the most rewarding to get through because it meant the end of each lap, and then the race, was close at hand.

The Race

Going into the race, I had a feeling that the fourth lap was going to be the hardest one, both mentally and physically.  I was not disappointed.  I had zero, literally zero, expectations for what I was going to do in terms of pace and final time.  I figured I’d go out at a very comfortable pace and try to hang on for dear life.  I ended up at the start standing next to Luciana and Jayme of TARC, with whom I had run in the Fells a few weeks prior to the race.  I decided to start with them and see how the pace felt during the first loop.  At some point, feeling decent, I picked up the pace a little and continued on my own.  I hooked up with an Ed and Mike from Weymouth for a portion of the first lap and then again during the…third lap, I want to say.  Ed and Mike were good guys and I hope they finished strong.  I spent portions of the second and third lap with Ryan Couto, who is quite the accomplished ultra runner, along with his wife, but he passed me leaving the aid station and I never caught back up, finishing about 14 minutes behind him in the end.

It was during the fourth lap that my muscles started to rebel, first my quads, and then my calves.  This development meant hiking a lot more than I had the prior 3 laps in an attempt to avoid the muscles locking up completely, which I knew would spell doom for the remainder of the race.  I also knew that I had to hold back some during the 4th lap, not knowing just how much more energy I would need for the last one.  After a long slog through the woods, I finally made it back to the start/finish, where Rebecca helped me out greatly (again) not just by grabbing fuel from my bag, but in gently encouraging/urging me to get going for the fifth and final lap and not to loiter any further.  It also helped to see Thor finishing strong and cheering me on as I departed for my last 10K.  Maybe it was because there were some cool personal moments during the last lap, maybe my brain was just fried, but somehow the last lap felt much better than the 4th.  There was the moment early on in the loop where I knew for sure that I was going to finish the race and be an ultra runner.  There was the moment my GPS told me I had completed a marathon distance.  And there was the moment the GPS clicked over to 30 miles.  All these moments added up to help get me across the line, a moment Rebecca captured:

My final official time was 6:15:02, but here’s the story my Garmin told as well as the pace breakdown from it (I inadvertently restarted the GPS after the race, so the total elevation numbers will be off as well as the last mile stats):

After finishing, I did my best to keep walking, and upright, not wanting a repeat of last year’s post-Boston experience of deciding it would be a good idea to lay down and then not being able to get back up again without feeling dreadful.  I did manage to get a picture in with Cesar, a great guy and an Animal.

Fueling

This was probably an aspect of the race that could have used improvement, though I’m not entirely sure what I would have done better, specifically.  I used my Ultimate Direction Blaze Plus fuel belt to carry one flask of Gu Brew and another of water, which I refilled at each aid station.  I made it a point to drink at least every mile and then on occasion when needed as well.  I took an Accel Gel every 4 miles and a SaltStick cap every 10K (except before the last loop, when I took 2).  At the aid station I would generally grab a handful of pretzels to munch on along with some liquids.  I think I took one pack of Gu Chomps as well after Lap 2.  Although I carried Sport Beans with me, I never ended up using them.  Thankfully, I didn’t have any stomach issues during the course of the race.  That said, maybe my legs wouldn’t have started cramping if I had taken in more sodium.  All things considered, I was able to manage the cramping and would prefer that to stomach distress.

Takeaways

Doing a trail 50K race was an entirely different experience than anything I’d done on the roads, and not just because of the distance and terrain.  Letting go of self-imposed expectations for pace and performance was liberating.  Ironically, the distance made me less apprehensive about the miles remaining, like I might feel during a half marathon.  I think I could count on one hand the number of times I looked at my Garmin in between miles (I had a beep set up to alert me at mile markers so I could be sure to manager hydration), an urge that is sometimes hard to resist during training runs.  Moreover, I was able to run, and push myself, without any outside forces, at least when I wasn’t going through the aid station area where Rebecca, and our friend Courtney, was cheering me on.  Sure, for some stretches I would run with others, but I never felt that I HAD to, or that I needed music (or Joy The Baker podcasts) to keep me going.  Just trying to make it through the trail and across streams without falling kept my mind engaged.  When I didn’t have to fully concentrate on the trail, I was mostly just blank, not getting any deep thinking done, just being out in the woods and covering miles.

Will I do another ultra?  I honestly can’t say.  I don’t have the same sense of unfinished business that I do with the marathon.  I don’t have the compelling desire to keep lowering my PR like I do with the 5k-1/2 marathon distances.  But then again, maybe those are both the perfect reasons to want to do one again.

There are many people that helped me along the way in my training, and I thank you all.  I hope you know who you are, if you happen to be reading this.  You pushed me during tempo runs and kept me honest during easy runs.  Thanks to Brooks and my ID teammates.  Thanks especially to Coach Sage for the workouts and encouragement that got me to the end in one piece.  Thanks to my sister, Sarah, for the advice on injuries and just for being a great source of encouragement.  And, most of all, thanks to Rebecca for supporting and encouraging me during this crazy “journey” (he said while he stared meaningfully into the distance).

Run Happy!

A Guide To Getting Into The 2014 Boston Marathon

Interest in the 2014 Boston Marathon has skyrocketed, as demonstrated by the chart below published by RunTri.com.

Although most people have a general understanding of the ways you can get into the marathon, which is to say either qualify or run for a charity, but I thought it would be helpful to try to lay out the details here, particularly when it comes to charities.  There is also a third path, through “exempt” bibs, such as those given to running clubs that volunteer with the BAA, which I will discuss briefly.  It should also be noted that many charity teams will take on qualified runners as well, i.e. runners who get a bib on their own but still want to raise money and take part of the amenities a charity team might provide.

Qualifying

Ah, the elusive quest to achieve a time that is a “Boston Qualifier” or “BQ.”  For Boston 2013, it was still possible to qualify in October 2012, as many runners got their BQ in Chicago and then immediately raced to their smartphones to register.  This was the first year of tightened qualifying times, which not only chopped off 5 minutes from the old standard, but eliminated the 1 minute “buffer,” i.e. you met a qualifying standard of 3:10 if you ran 3:10:59.  Boston 2012 was the last year with the old standards but instituted a rolling registration process.  As I understand it, runners with times around BQ – 1:15-1:30 or so made the cut.  For 2014, it can be expected that a large number of runners will push even harder to BQ, the question will be whether that will be enough with the increased interest and, consequently, how much faster than your personal BQ time will you have to run.  For reference, the standards are below:

For 2014, there will again be rolling registration, with BQ-20 runners being the first to register, followed by BQ-10 and then everyone else.  The takeaway of all this is, the faster your “BQ minus” is, the better chance you’ll have to register as a qualified runner.  The date for registration for 2014 to open up hasn’t been set yet, but it will be some point in September, so start planning your race schedule now!

Charity Runner

Here’s where things start to get complicated.  As an initial matter, there are two groupings of charity bibs: 1. The official Boston Marathon Charities, and 2. Charities picked by John Hancock to receive bibs to dole out.  Between the two, official charities tend to be larger and more organized and have a lower minimum fundraising requirement.  Hancock charities tend to be smaller and cater to more niche causes.  In 2009, the Official charities required a minimum of $3,000 raised.  In 2013, it was $4,000.  Hancock charities had a minimum of $5,000 this year.  For the avoidance of doubt, that’s $4,000 and $5,000 per runner.  It would not be surprising to see both these amounts increase slightly for 2014.

Keep in mind that these are just the minimums set by the BAA and John Hancock for the charities themselves to get the bibs, many charities that have huge demand may ask applicants to pledge more, sometimes significantly more, to be accepted into the program.  Charities will request a credit card to keep on file in the event that you don’t meet your fundraising requirement by a designated date, usually about a month after the marathon, though I know some charities are more lenient on this deadline than others.

There are also three other potential costs to keep in mind.  First, many charities require an application fee, presumably to discourage people from applying to every charity out there and then picking which one they want after.  Next, many programs also have a fee, sometimes around $100 to cover the costs of the program, which will likely include your team singlet and costs associated with group runs, buses  and other amenities.  Finally, the BAA charges a higher registration fee for non-qualified runners, roughly double the cost.  I believe in 2013 this meant it cost $300 to run Boston as a charity runner.

Finally, some advice on applying to charity programs for 2014.  If you can set a high fundraising goal for yourself, do so.  Obviously each charity is looking to maximize the funds it can raise through the Boston Marathon so you make yourself a more attractive candidate if you set the bar higher for yourself than the minimum.  It is also helpful to be able to discuss your previous fundraising experience and any preliminary ideas you may have for future fundraising.  Many charities will also ask if you have a personal connection to the cause you are applying to.  It’s not a make or break issue, but it helps.  There’s nothing wrong with applying to teams with the sole goal of finding a way to run Boston, but you will have more success fundraising, and likely just a better experience overall, if you really believe in supporting the cause you are running for.

The 2013 Official Charities

Although the 2014 charities won’t be set for some time, you can be nearly 100% sure to see at least the official charities listed below (with links to their pages where available) in 2014.  I’ve added notes where…I have some notes to add.  A full list of the 2013 BAA Official Charities can be found on the BAA site, for now at least.

Alzheimer’s Association

American Liver Foundation (Run For Research)

I ran with the Run For Research Team in 2009 and it was a great experience.  The team is large, but tight-knit and well supported.  Team members meet on Saturday mornings at FitCorp in Boston to do their long runs on the course together, which runs are supported by volunteers with water and Gatorade and other snacks along the course.  They have been coached for the last two seasons by Jorge Martinez of E3 Training Solutions.  Coach Martinez also leads hill workouts on Tuesday nights.

American Stroke Association – Tedy’s Team

Run for Tedy Bruschi’s charity?  Why the heck not?

Boston Bruins Foundation (2013 link, the foundation home page is here.)

“The Boston Bruins Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation whose mission is to assist charitable organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to enhancing the quality of life for children throughout New England. Since its inception in July 2003 by the Jacobs Family, it has raised more than $12 million dollars through a series of fundraising events. The Foundation, which provides grants to organizations that meet the standards of its mission, concentrates on athletics, academics, health, and community outreach programs that assist in helping enrich the lives of children throughout New England.”  These guys get to wear singlets with the Bruins logo on them, which always gets a lot of cheers on the course.

Boston Children’s Hospital – Miles For Miracles

Miles For Miracles is a huge team for a great charity.  It’s fairly guaranteed that they are going to have a huge number of applicants for 2014.  The runners I’ve known who have run Boston with this team have loved the experience.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Team In Training

John Hancock Teams

These are teams that got bibs in 2013, often fewer than the official charities, and may or may not have them again.  This list is by no means exhaustive, in fact it’s much more teams I can think of off the top of my head than anything else, but it should get you started in the right direction.

Girls On The Run Boston

Animal Rescue League

Team Hoyt

CharityTeams.org

A group of charity teams.  Check here for a list of charities supported as part of the program.

GoKids Boston

Other Exempt Bibs

In exchange for running clubs and other organizations providing volunteers for BAA events, the BAA gives those groups a certain number of exempt bibs to give to their members as they see fit.  There is no fundraising for these bibs (as far as I know).  For example, I ran in 2012 with a bib I got through the Shamrock Running Club.  In addition, the BAA gives bibs to the towns that are along the marathon course so, if you live along the marathon course, take a look into that.

If you can’t get into Boston 2014 for whatever reason, take solace in knowing that the race will be sold out, that Boston is stronger than ever, and you can spend the day in the sun with some beers cheering everyone else on.

Run Happy!

Let’s Do This The Right Way

It has been truly remarkable seeing the reactions of Bostonians, and non-Bostonians, in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.  The stories of people helping people under the worst of circumstances are countless and inspiring.  Everyone is looking for a way to honor those in the bombing and, in many respects, the day itself, but we have got to do it in the right way.

In the rush to put together commemorative events, including running/walking the last 5 miles of the course (which I understand has now been postponed), rerunning the entire Boston Marathon course, and walking in the last mile, I strongly feel that the best of intentions and noblest of thoughts have obscured careful consideration of the reality of the situation we are faced with.  As I understand it, the Boston Police Department has asked that these events not take place right now.  They are not city-sanctioned and do not have the proper permits.  This would be a concern for events of the planned magnitude at any time and it is especially worrying at this time.  The investigations are obviously still continuing, there are police officers and soldiers with machine guns lining our streets and guarding our hotels.  Let’s not take their focus away from their all-important task by crowding the streets with thousands, or even dozens of people, however well-intentioned they may be.

I’m not saying don’t go out and run/walk.  I’m not even saying don’t run as a group.  What I am saying is please reconsider any sort of mass activity along the marathon course and certainly in the vicinity of Copley Square.  I am 100% certain there will be an event in the near future that has the support of the BPD and the City.  Be patient, keep your spirits up and keep supporting each other.  The time will come for us all to band together and show our support for the fallen, the wounded, and the thousands who could not cross the finish line on Patriot’s Day.  Let’s just make sure that, when that time comes, we do so the right way.

BAA 5K – Do You Want To PR? Yes.

On April 14, Rebecca and I ran the BAA 5K, a relatively recent addition to the festivities of Boston Marathon weekend.  On April 14, Rebecca and I PR’ed at the BAA 5K.

I first ran this race in 2010, posting a time of 21:15.  It happened to be my first race in Brooks gear, and my first skirt run to boot.  You can relive the experience here.   I ran again in 2011, but I seem to remember I didn’t intend to really race it, at least that’s what my time of 22:something tells me.  Signing up for the race this year, I knew I wanted to take a shot at a new 5K PR and had a good feeling about the possibility of one.  That said, I was apprehensive because my training for the 50K has only recently started to add some speedwork into the training plan, with no intervals shorter than one mile.  I knew my legs were stronger overall and my endurance peaking, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I could do it without the usual 1/4 and 1/2 mile repeats I’d done in the past.  Compounding the ever-increasing self doubts was a new course design that featured roughly 1000 turns, give or take.  It removed the long opening incline and hill up to the state house, but also the resultant screaming downhill.  I figured, “how can I run fast on a course with so many frickin turns?”

Now, on the best of race days I am a nervous wreck.  I just can’t shake that feeling of getting ready for a high school cross country race and my brain stats to flip out.  Thankfully, Rebecca was as calming an influence as possible, which made my brain slightly less flippy.  I told myself to calm down, that all my recent workouts indicated I could hit Coach Canaday’s target pace of 6:50-6:55 per mile.  ”You can do this if you execute!” one part of me screamed.  ”You’ll never be able to keep that pace up,” another part of me whispered, insidiously back.

Some day soon, I’m going to post on the power of a uniform, but for now I’ll say that I have always felt better about racing when I feel like I’m dressed ready to race.  I decided to go with my Girls On The Run Brooks singlet, and awesome Brooks green plaid shorts, along with my relatively new Brooks Pure Connect2 flats.  Looking in the mirror before headed down to the start line, I started kicking around the idea in my head that “I can run this race as fast as I want.”

In prior years, I placed myself in the 7 minute pace area of the corral, hoping to run faster but not wanting to venture into 6 minute land.  This year I threw caution to the wind and lined up with other hopeful 6 minuters and other racers who put themselves in the wrong spot.  I knew a danger might be going out too fast with those around me, but I figured that a) it wouldn’t feel as fast it would be if others were moving about the same pace, and 2) I’d be fighting through even more people than I knew I would anyways if I moved back.  I took a moment to compose myself, jumped up and down a few times, and got ready to have at it.

As expected, the first mile was a fast one, but surprisingly fast in that I was feeling the pace but thought I’d be lucky if it was under 7.  In fact I was already telling myself I’d have to make up a slow first mile in the second one.  It turns out my fears were baseless as I passed by the clock at 6:37.  It was around this time that I started working on the mental aspect of the race, first asking myself “do you want to PR today?” and then repeating the answer “I want to PR!”  By constantly reminding myself of the goal I was chasing, I made it through the seemingly endless turns of the second mile, which featured the course’s only section that could be called a “hill.”  Coming through mile 2 in 6:51, I knew that I was beginning to fade.

I knew that mile 3 was going to be a sufferfest, but reminded myself that, if I did it right, it would all be over in less than 8 minutes, I just had to hang on for dear life and fight the urges to slow.  Turning right on Hereford, I had flashbacks to last year’s death march of a marathon and told myself this finish was going to be completely different.  Where last year I had to stop several times on Boylston St. to stretch, this year I would accelerate to the line.  This year I’d finish strong.  My body protested.  My gut protested.  My legs yelled at me, but when I crossed the line my watch told me it had all been worth as I shaved off 7 seconds from my 2010 PR, even without a focus on speed, for a time of 21:07 officially.

On any number of levels, I am thrilled with this race performance.  More important to me though was the fact that I overcame the negative feelings that were weighing me down pre-race, in no small part thanks to Rebecca’s encouragement.  It’s hard to PR at any distance, it’s even harder when you’re burdened with the feeling that your goal is not attainable.  As an additional note, Rebecca also achieved a great PR in her race, and even the fastest 4 miles she ever has when adding on the 0.9 miles she ran right up to the start.  I’m very proud of her!

I can’t say I finished pretty in this race, and I know darn well I did not look pretty, but I can say with certainty that 21:07 never looked so beautiful to me.

Run Happy!

Ultimate Direction Blaze Plus Fuel Belt Review

A question every runner training for a longer distance race must confront the question of “how am I going to carry my fuel for long training runs?”  There are myriad products out there ranging from small 4 oz handhelds to large hydration backpacks, some of which have water bottles, some of which have bladders to fill.  Although I’ve used a Camelbak in the past, I find it to be fickle and I don’t like having to take it off to get to anything in the pockets, then put it back on, especially when it’s…clammy.  Handhelds hold no interest for me.  The sloshing, the arm fatigue, no thanks. So, that’s why, generally speaking, I’m a belt guy.

With the 50K coming up, I’ve been racking my brain in trying to decide what to carry with me.  Because the course is a 10K loop with a fully stocked aid station at the beginning/end of the loop, I know I need to carry enough to get me through 10K at a time, a decent length, especially if it’s a warmer day.  I received a recommendation from Coach Sage to check out Ultimate Direction, his sponsor, for their products as he trusts them for his ultras.  Ultimate Direction was kind enough to send me their Blaze Plus Fuel Belt to review and, in case you are busy and want to get to the punch line, I’ll definitely be strapping it on April 27 for the TARC Spring Classic 50K.

First, the specifics.  The Blaze Plus has two 10 oz flasks and uses a buckle clasp to secure it.  It has one main zip pocket in the back and a second, smaller zip pouch on the side.  Here’s a graphical depiction of the belt itself.

It’s a good looking belt, and, presumably, the white color means it won’t heat up as much as a black one would.  The side “wings” are a comfortable mesh that I’ve found very breathable, even over 4.5 hours on the trail.  The flask cups are loose enough to allow easy in/out of flasks themselves without allowing them to shift around.  For the times you anticipate a lot of bouncing around, and I’m talking like turbulence in an airplane passing through a thunderstorm bouncing around, there is an elastic loop you can put round the top of the flask to secure it in the cup.  I’ve found the loop largely unnecessary to this point, just adding an impediment to getting the bottle out.  Even still, it’s not hard to remove blindly, but harder to reloop on the run.  Otherwise, this belt’s pouch system is far superior to the systems used by Amphipod, where you have to unclick and click back in the bottles, and Nathan, which uses a rigid plastic holder that I find hard to work.  The bottles themselves are easy to grip and the spout closes firmly, which means no inadvertent loss of liquid.  The trade-off is that they can require a little oomph to open and close, but I think that’s

The side pouch on the belt can comfortably hold two gel packs, giving you easy access to them.  You could probably stuff 3 in, but it gets crowded and harder to take them out that way.  Not much to say about it other than it zips up nicely and securely and is in a good location to access quickly.  The back pocket is roomy enough to carry keys, ID and/or things like Gu Chomps, Sport Beans, etc.  It doesn’t fit my iPhone 5, which may be a consideration for some, but it doesn’t bother me.  The fit of the belt is easy to adjust with the straps and the belt itself stays where it should with no shifting or bouncing.  To the extent possible, the belt really just fades into the run experience and did not affect my form or prove to be a distraction.

Of course, everyone’s hydration needs are different and only you know if 20 ounces is enough to get you through your run before you can refill.  I think I’d be comfortable taking this up to 10-12 miles, given the flask capacity, but probably not more.  I have a feeling that this belt will be perfect for a 10k loop in a 50k race, giving me room for what I need to carry and nothing more.  It’s easy to replenish with no supplies, even without removing it, something which will cut down on aid station time (although it’s likely I’ll take my time going through them anyway).

I was thoroughly impressed with the Ultimate Direction Blaze Plus fuel belt and heartily recommend it to road and trail runners alike.  Now, go Run Happy and hydrated!

Disclaimer: Ultimate Direction sent me the Blaze Plus free of charge to review but the opinions expressed are my own and have not been edited or pre-approved by Ultimate Direction.

Inner Strength

Consider this a companion piece to my last post, Strength in Numbers.  In that post I wrote about the importance of group running to my training and how it can be a great way to push through tough times on a run.  Last night I pushed myself to find that same strength on my known, knowing that, especially in races, I’ll have to rely on myself to get through pain and fatigue.

Coach Sage Canaday had me scheduled for a 10 mile tempo run with a goal pace of 8:05-8:10.  While I’ve run this pace in the past, I couldn’t help but be a bit apprehensive about whether or not I’d be able to hit the target, and what it would mean about my fitness if I couldn’t.  I even described the workout to Rebecca as a “yikes” run.  The first major decision I had to make was whether I was going to do the run outside or on the treadmill.  Typically, I’ll do runs where a target pace is a big part of the plan on the treadmill because, well, it does the pacing for you.  You don’t need to worry whether you are going the right speed, the display tells you.  Moreover, it feels a lot easier to keep up with the machine than to be constantly pushing yourself forward on the road.  Finally, there’s the added benefit of the TV, which can be a nice distraction from the miles.  Against the treadmill, I had the option of starting off with the City Sports Back Bay Group Run and then going off on my own, which I thought would somewhat mimic a race environment.  With a forecast of temperatures approaching 70, it seemed downright criminal to spend 10 miles inside.  I made the decision to kick aside the treadmill crutch, at least for a night, and see what I could accomplish by myself on the roads.

After some hemming and hawing, I decided on doing two loops of the Charles River, starting on the Storrow path and crossing over the Mass Ave Bridge to Memorial, around the Museum of Science, and back again.  At least on the first loop, the path was jam packed with runners, walkers and families.  While this made for a few cramped moments, it was just great to see so many people out enjoying the weather.  I imagine many were firmly in taper mode leading up to Patriot’s Day.  My goal was to run at a controlled pace that didn’t leave me gasping and where I felt like I was pushing myself without overexerting.  On the Memorial side, a brisk headwind tested my resolve on both laps and I reminded myself that headwinds are one more reason to run outside and not on a treadmill, it simply provides a different experience, one I’ll no doubt encounter on race days.

I won’t take you through mile by mile of the run, suffice it to say that it was a truly fantastic workout.  Some days you feel like every step is a slog.  Some days you feel so lost in your head that you lose touch with the ground beneath you.  Yesterday was not one of those days.  Without music, without a buddy to talk to, I concentrated on each foot strike.  I thought about each stride and the strength of my legs carrying me towards my goal.  When I sensed I was flagging, I slightly increased my arm drive, propelling my legs in the process.  The route I’d run countless times felt fresh and new and there were times I felt like I was just flying along with a mind focused on one thing, maintaining.  That is not to say there were not times that self-doubt crept in, times I wanted to slow down.  When those times came, I asked myself if I really needed to slow down because I couldn’t maintain my pace or if I was just tired of pushing myself and wanted to quit. When I accepted that I really just wanted to quit and that the fatigue/pain wasn’t so bad I told myself “Nope, quitting is not an option here” and pushed on with a little extra oomph.  I’ll admit ego played a part as well as I wanted to pass as many other runners as I could without being passed.

The end result was a 7:48 average pace for the 10 miles of tempo running, a pace I’m frankly thrilled about.  Still, the pace is secondary to the fact that I proved to myself that I can run hard on my own, outside.  Crutchless.  I’m certain I haven’t done my last speedwork on a treadmill, but I’ll no longer feel like it’s the only way to get it done and when I toe the line for my next race I will be that much more confident in my ability to translate my training effort to race effort.

Run Happy.

Strength In Numbers

I like group runs.  I like running clubs (as evidenced by the fact that I have to pause and tally them up when someone asks what clubs I run with).  A lot of that has to do with the fact that runners in general are just pretty nice people and I find that having a scheduled run to go to helps give me some sense of accountability.  Sometimes I’ll use a group run to help push my pace, sometimes it helps me back off and not gun a workout that should be a recovery day.  Rarely, though, do I need a group to just make it through a run, like I did this past Saturday.

The plan as to head out the door at 7:30 a.m. to join a group from The Trail Animals Running Club in the Middlesex Fells for a 16-18 mile run, basically 3 laps of the Reservoir Loop starting in Winchester.  As I was rushing out the door at 7:45, I couldn’t find my wallet, which turned out to be exactly where it should have been , just under something.  Long story short, I didn’t get to the Fells until 8:30, with the group having already departed.

Not wanting to bag on the run just because I didn’t have the group to start with, I set off on my own, hoping I’d be able to find my way based on the one other run I did there a couple weeks ago.  I managed to take the first turn from the main trail onto the loop, but that’s about as far as I got.  My major mistake was in thinking that a trail blaze forming a right angle was actually an arrow pointing the direction of the trail, and not an indication to go right.  Oops.  Almost immediately after losing the orange blazes I was supposed to be following, I fell.  Not hard, but enough to skin both knees and jostle me pretty good.  Knowing there was a good chance this would happen in the upcoming 50K race, I just had to pick myself up and figure that the immediate pain would go away and I’d be just fine.  Turns out I was right, though my later shower did sting something fierce!  By this point I was thoroughly lost on trails I’d never been on.  One woman asked if I was lost and what trail I was trying to find.  Hopeful that she could help me, I explained my situation, to which she replied that she didn’t know the trails at all and couldn’t help.  Thanks for that.  Being a novice trail runner, I made the same mistake as I had the week before on a terrible run – going out too fast for a trail and getting tired quickly by the technical terrain.  This combined with a general sense of depression that the run was not what I hoped it would be led to getting demoralized pretty early on.  As I was climbing a steep section of the Skyline Trail, which I ha no business being on given where I was trying to get to, I made the decision to just try to head back to the car, quit, and try again on Sunday to get the miles in, this time in the comfort of the gym.

Through absolutely sheer, dumb luck, I happened upon the orange blazes I’d been so desperately seeking.  I even managed to find the trail that would lead back to the car, although I didn’t realize it at the time, which led to me going back onto the loop, and that’s when I saw the first group of Animals coming down the trail at me.  Instantly my spirits picked up and I started feeling like maybe I didn’t have to bag the run after all, maybe I could do this long distance trail running thing.  As it turns out, that group was seeking out another group of Animals, which just happened to include my Marathon Sports Boston Run Club Friends, Courtney, Ryan and Bethany.  The two groups somehow found each other and I switched over to the second group to continue my run, knowing that group was looking for about the same mileage I was.

Having found new strength with a group around me, I fueled up at the car and we set out for the next two loops.  I won’t take you through the next 3 hours, other than to say it was a thoroughly enjoyable run with fun conversation and beautiful trails.  It did turn out to be a great lesson in what it takes to run long distances on technical trails, at least for those of us who are more just looking to finish an ultra than to win it.  Following my more experienced fellow runners’ leads, I started getting a feel for when it was smarter to power hike a hill or section of trail than to waste energy running it.  This made a huge difference in how I enjoyed the run and was a good lesson that ego can get in the way of things sometimes.  I had to allow myself mentally to walk some parts, a big step for a road runner who generally thinks walking during a run means something has gone terribly wrong.

I know times will come where I have to face difficult runs alone and power through them through sheer self-determination.  For now, though, I was glad to have found some strength through fellow runners, and Animals to boot.

Black Cat 20 Miler: Birthday Weekend PR

There’s nothing quite like the irritation of having to park roughly a bajillion miles away from the race to fire you up.  Granted, I should have gotten to the race earlier to get closer parking.  And granted, it wasn’t exactly a bajillion miles away, but it was far, and I was cold, and had to pick up my race packet, and I just wasn’t having it.  Not.  Having.  It.

Despite the parking issues, I made it on time to the Black Cat 20 Miler start.  This would be my third 20 mile race ever.  The first two were both the Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler, and I approached both with a sense of dread, trepidation and fear – or at least 2 of the 3.  Despite the fact that this would be my longest run since the Boston Marathon last April and that my longest run up until this point was 14 miles, I didn’t have that same fear when getting ready to run the race.  Buoyed by a good performance the weekend prior, and the encouragement of runner friends such as Thor Kirleis, I toed the line knowing that I could make this happen if I wanted it to happen.

The Black Cat 20 Miler is described as a 2 loop course, which I’m not sure I’d say is…”accurate.”  It’s more like a reverse lollipop course that you run twice.  Out, back, loop.  Out, back, loop.  Here’s an elevation chart (and pace chart) of the course taken from my RunKeeper results.  As you can see, it was a fairly rolling course.  There weren’t really any major hills, just enough to keep things interesting and every now and then give a little downhill break.  I tried to keep my pace fairly even though and not overdue it on the downhills.

 

You may notice a large spike at the 10 mile mark, that’s because I had to change out of my long sleeve shirt and take a call of nature break.  Even though it added time to take care of all that, the break it provided probably ended up helping me in the end.  I was much more comfortable after changing, which removed the mental distraction I’d been dealing with the first 10 miles.

Photo by Thomas Cole, taken about a half mile from the halfway point.

After the halfway mark the race thinned considerably as the 10 mile racers finished.  Apparently that meant that any idea of closing roads or “protecting runners from traffic” was now off the table.  This meant having to cross traffic without anyone stopping cars at some points.  I began to make my way through the field, enjoying the opportunity to see the lead runners on their way back along the way.  Around mile 14, I saw a friend, Shannon, from the Marathon Sports Group Runs on the way back (the turnaround was around mile 4/14.5 mark), which gave me a target to shoot for on the long home stretch.  There wasn’t a lot of scenery to speak of on the course, but we did pass a cool wooden ship and the House of Seven Gables, which was neat.  Maybe around Mile 19.5, I could sight of Shannon and tried to put whatever hammer I had left down to catch her.  I ended up falling just short, but it helped nonetheless to have a real target instead of just the finish line.  Ironically I ended up one place ahead of her overall by a few seconds, but we were essentially even.

As I approached the finish line, I was just hoping to see a time starting with a 2, though I was pretty sure there would be a 3 because of the delay halfway through.  The time was 2:58:xx, giving me the last jolt I needed to now get my PR down as low as possible, shaving however many seconds off that I could.  My final official time was 2:57:34, a 4:18 PR over my best Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler result.  To say I am pleased with the result would be a fairly significant understatement.

I feel somewhat compelled to share my secret weapon for this race and my previous race, other than my flashy Greater Lowell Road Runners singlet…the Joy The Baker Podcast.  The podcast can only be described as super-duper, really ridiculously manly and masculine in that it is two female food bloggers who don’t really end up talking much about food and often talk about things like beauty products and how ladies should wear blazers when being business ladylike.  It’s called “blazin.”  In fact, it’s often noted by Joy and Tracy, the hosts, how few dudes listen to them.  Well, thanks to Rebecca, I am one of those dudes, and I’ve found them to be the perfect running companions.  The podcast is entertaining without being something I need to focus on every second to appreciate and it provides me with something else to think about when I don’t want to concentrate in the hill in front of me.  It may not be conventional running accompaniment, but it works for me.

To wrap it up, Black Cat was a great result on a course I could take or leave.  It was a great way to start my birthday weekend and a huge confidence boost as I continue my training for the ultra!

 

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Snowy

Yesterday I made my debut as a member of the Greater Lowell Road Runners, aka The Angry Chickens, at the DH Jones Realty 10 Miler in Amherst, MA, the first stop of the USATF-NE Grand Prix Race Series. The last time I ran this race was in 2010 and it left me feeling…broken.  I took a gel at mile 3.  I walked hills several times.  I finished dejected and eager to put the entire experience behind me.  Given the race’s location and distance, I figured I likely wouldn’t run it again, and I was pretty cool with that.  However, having decided on doing a race that is going to challenge me on every level in April, I decided it would be good to stock up my training with tough runs that would leave me prepared mentally and physically.

The forecast leading up to the race put the whole day in jeopardy before it even started.  Eventually the race director decided to push the race up 3 hours, giving us time to make the trip to Amherst without being rushed.  The forecast for the race was a potential for snow and a high of 39 with little wind, all things considered not too bad of conditions.  We ended up getting to the race around 2 hours early, leaving plenty of time to get pre-race fuel in order and relax before starting.

Why did I have so much fear and trepidation headed into this race?  Well, here’s the elevation chart:

 

It was during the wicked hill between mile 2-3 that I blew up during my first attempt at the race and even though the last hills don’t seem as bad in comparison, they feel never-ending, especially when you’re headed towards the finish.  I distinctly remember walking during both.  I also remember not being able to take advantage of the downhills, which are also plentiful, because I was just gassed.

Orders from the coach were to shoot for sub-9 minute miles, which would beat my prior time 1:30:35, though not by much.  I think he specifically wanted me to 8:49.  When the race started, I went out at what I hoped was a deliberately conservative pace with the goal of making it through the tough hill/mountain and then hitting the middle of the course hard to bank time for the last two miles, which I knew would be slower than the rest of the race just by virtue of the elevation gain.  I went through the first two miles feeling comfortable with splits of 8:35 and 8:01, with the faster pace more attributable to a good downhill than increased effort.  It was about this time that the snow began to fall, big heavy flakes that added to the picturesque scene without being uncomfortable.

At last, it was time to face my nemesis and, well, it hurt.  A lot.  This time though, I was ready for the pain, which made all the difference.  I looked around me and didn’t see any walkers so I made damn sure I didn’t become the first one.  By telling myself that this year wasn’t going to be like 2010 I pushed my way up, and up, and up some more until finally hitting the crest.  Mile 3 clocked in at a 9:01 split with 105 feet elevation gain (compared the -148 ft. loss from mile 2).  I was now in the meat of the course and feeling pretty decent even after the climb.  I decided on a strategy of pushing the downhills and making use of that momentum on the flats. I also didn’t want to let the bumps I knew were coming get to me mentally so I tried to focus on taking powerful strides up them without overexerting.

You wish you had awesome green plaid Brooks shorts too, admit it.

As the miles ticked off, I actually felt myself getting stronger and stronger.  A conservative start meant that I was slowly picking off the runners in front of me, a reversal of my usual race experience of starting off too fast then getting passed in droves.  By my estimation, I was only re-passed by one runner in the race.  My splits for miles 4-8 were, respectively: 8:34, 8:22, 7:43, 7:16, and 7:30.  The only hairy point during the stretch came on the dirt road part of the course, which had begun to ice up towards the end.  Some careful footing, though, averted disaster.  By mile 8, I knew that, even if the wheels came horribly off, I’d beat my 2010 time.  At this point I repeated to myself “The wheels are not coming off!  The wheels are not coming off!” until I hit the last set of hills, at which point all brainpower was dedicated to defying gravity.  At one point during that stretch, my pace was 9:23.  Even though that was a snapshot in time, it’s indicative of the difficulty of the climb for me at that point in the race.  Making up for it was the fact that the last quarter mile or so was downhill.  One thing that kept me going was an attempt to beat the Whirlaway runner in front of me on the hill, even if it was a woman – call me equal opportunity.  It’s no often I get to beat any runner from Whirlaway, male or female, so I was not going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.

Miles 9 and 10 were 7:52 and 8:06, leaving me with a final time of 1:20:49, nearly 10 minutes better than 3 years ago.  I tell you what, I will take that any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.  It was great to finish the race with my new GLRR friends cheering me, it certainly helped push through the silly run around the parking lot that constitutes the home stretch of the race.

For those interested in a graphical representation of the race:

Was this the fastest I’ve ever run 10 miles?  Nope.  Was it one of the most satisfying races I’ve ever experienced?  Heck yes!  Congrats to the rest of the Greater Lowell Road Runners Angry Chickens out there yesterday!

Run Happy, my friends!

A Special Kind Of Idiot

“Any idiot can run a marathon. It takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon.” – Alan Cabelly

Well, it’s about time I “officially” announced something that I’ve shared on the Book of Faces, you know, because this blog is the official site for official announcements, at least where running is involved: I’m training for an ULTRAMARATHON. Spell check is trying to tell me that “ultramarathon” is not a real word, perhaps implying on some sort of metaphysical level that an ultramarathon is not a real thing. On some levels, it feels like it isn’t real, like it’s some sort of abstract concept. I have a feeling though that come April 27 it is going to feel wicked real, as we say ’round these parts.

Some of you may be wondering what, in fact, is an ultramarathon. In short, it’s a race longer than the traditional 26.2 mile, 42 kilometer, marathon. Generally speaking, the shortest “ultra” of a set distance, as opposed to a timed race, e.g. a 6 hour race, is 50 kilometers, 31.07 miles. After that, the next step is usually 50 miles, then 100 miles, with 12 and 24 hour races rounding out the mix. My chosen race will be the Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) Spring Classic 50K in Weston, MA on April 27.

So the question you may be asking, and the one that I sometimes find myself asking, is how did you end up in this situation?  I ran my first marathon in 2009 and thought that was it for me as far as long races went.  Christopher McDougal’s Born To Run introduced me to the world of ultrarunning, planting tiny seed in my brain.  While I’m still not convinced of the merits of barefoot running or chia, I did love the descriptions of these runners testing their limits and spending hours and hours in nature.  Despite having sworn off marathons, I ended up running Boston again in 2012.  Even though it was a death march of a race, it was still a great experience, and one I’m happy to have had.

Fast forward to post-Hartford Half Marathon, when I resolved to focus my training on 5Ks and 10Ks for the spring and summer.  I was perfectly at peace with the decision…until I saw something about the TARC Spring Thaw 6 Hour race in March in Andover.  Thinking that it would be a fun thing to do, a race that was in my town and one I could at least partially do with Rebecca, I signed up for it – only to find I was on the wait list.  Well, the wheels were in motion now, and there was no stopping them.  My friend Thor suggested I instead sign up for the 50K at the end of April.  So, I asked Rebecca, who is supposed to be the gatekeeper for these kind of crazy ideas, about it.  Being the supportive wife she is though, she said I should go for it!  Within the span of about 15 minutes I went from focusing on short races to having signed up for one ultra and on the wait list for another.  Blurgh.

To aid me on my journey to 50K, I’ve enlisted the services of Sage Canaday, one of the top ultrarunners in the country at the moment and winner of the Mt. Washington Road Race.  Sage has me on a plan of slow miles that has my legs feeling fresher than they have in a long time.  I guess gunning it every workout isn’t such a hot way to train.

I know the 50K is going to be a whole new world of sensory experiences.  My two marathons have both been Boston, which features roaring crowds and constantly changing scenery.  The ultra will be 5 laps on a 10K trail loop.  I’ll have to carry my own water and fuel (to an extent, there is one aid station at the beginning of the lap).  I anticipate long stretches on my own, but I’m looking forward to both the mental and physical challenges presented by the distance.  It’s going to hurt, a lot, but I have a feeling it’ll all be worth it at the finish line.

TARC Spring Classic 50K: Bring it on.

Run Happy!