Vibram Five Fingers KSO

I've been reading about the Vibram Five Fingers and it's about time I picked up a pair and started getting used to wearing them. So, how do you pronounce Vibram? Maybe I've never heard anyone say 'Vibram' outside of my family but we all say vIbram with an 'i' sound, not veebram with an 'e' sound. I'll just stick to my old ways and say it with an 'I' sound. Don't ask me how to say 'Sorel', as in Sorel boots. I was never sure.

Back to the Five Fingers... I picked up a pair of the KSO model in black-camo a week or so ago and tried them on with Injinji socks. I plan to wear them with the toe socks so it made sense to wear them when I figured out what size was right for me. My second toe is longer than my big toe so that's what drove the size. I ended-up in a size 44 and I usually run in a size 11.5 road shoe. That's what works for me, maybe not for you.

I'm taking it slow getting used to wearing them. Every other day I'm walking a mile and then running a short amount. I started with a half a mile and I'm up to 1.5 miles, which is what I ran this morning. The KSOs are very comfortable and based just on feel, I'd much rather wear them than regular running shoes. My plan now is to do 3 short runs a week in them during the winter to supplement my outside running. Hopefully by next Summer my feet will be quite a bit stronger than they have been. Ideally, I will be less susceptible to the minor foot injuries I get from time to time during hill running or long races.

So far so good in the KSOs, but since my feet feel so good now as I'm writing this, they will surely hurt like heck when I wake up tomorrow morning. Things like that usually happen after I write something. :-(

Have a safe and happy New Year everyone!

--Mark

2011 prelim plans again

It's been several weeks before I first thought about what to run in 2011. I have a short list of my old and new favorites plus a 50K trail race and a half marathon that will be new to me.

I'd rather run on trails than on the road for races. In 2010 I ran a mix of races and ended up with 72 road miles and 110 trail miles. With my plan below, I'll have 38 on the road and 106 on trails. As always, my plans are subject to change due to family activities but here's my current plan:

4/2 - Ron Daws 25K
4/15 - Trail Mix 4-person Team run (12.5K per person)
5/1 - Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon
6/18 - Bighorn Trail Run 50K
7/2 - Afton 25K
7/9-10 - Run the Keweenaw 3.5M/11K/25K series
9/24 - Birkebeiner Trail Marathon
10/22 - Door County Fall 50 team relay

I think that's about all I want to squeeze into 2011.

--Mark

foot pain

It figures. In my post on Saturday I wrote that I was "Injury free. Knock on wood." Well, the knocking on wood didn't really work. Tuesday morning I ran on a chunk of hard snow and my left foot rolled outwards. Ugh. I immediately got a sharp pain just forward of my ankle bone at the left side of my foot, maybe an inch up the side of my foot.

It hurt some while I finished up my run. I'm glad I had no more than three miles to go when it happened. Even today it hurts a bit (sometimes) when walking. I won't be running at all now until Saturday so hopefully it will be mostly healed by next week.

I would rather not 'whine' about an injury but I'm recording this info here so I can go back later to see what happened. At the Surf the Murph, I had a similar injury and walked it off for an hour and then ran another 10 miles. The next day there was no pain or sign of the injury. The injury from Tuesday happened and there is still slight pain today. Never any swelling or bruising.

On some internet searching the injury is in the same area of where 'Peroneal Tendonitis' injuries occur. I'm not assuming that's what I have. Whatever I do have seems like it's minor and should fix itself soon.

What I do know is that I really need to get back on the wobble board again and then get some Vibram Five-Fingers to use as a tool to get my feet stronger.

My only bright side of all of this is that I have done well in daytime trail races where I can see my footing. If my steps are carefully placed and I don't roll my ankles, I'll do just fine. With unsure footing that I can't see well, that's when I have a problem. Ugh. The reason I'm thinking about this is due to my plan of running the Bighorn 50K next Summer. I think if I'm careful with my foot placement, I'll be fine. Knock on wood. haha

--Mark

misc - shoes/crosstraining/winter

shoes

My new ASICS shoes are working out great. I have 125 miles on them and they feel great and I'm so glad to be in these new shoes. They even felt great with Yak Traks on them for my 25K at Afton (Pederson Benefit Run) last weekend. I better buy some more pairs of them before they're discontinued, if that hasn't happened already.

crosstraining

I've been adding some crosstraining the last two weeks. My new Mon - Fri workouts, at Lifetime Fitness, will be something like this:

Mon - run 6 then Yoga
Tue - run 6 then Total Conditioning (Strength) class
Wed - run 6 then Kickboxing
Thu - run 6 then Strength training
Fri - I do cycle class and just move my legs for an hour with almost no resistance. I'm the ultimate slacker in this class.

The first week of the added crosstraining was tough. I found a lot of muscles that are not primary muscles used for running. Soreness was the norm for week one.

Sat & Sun - I have a goal of running 12 to 20 on one day and also trying to get around 40 to 45 weekly miles.

winter

I also want to do more snowshoeing this winter. I'm going on a snowshoe hike with my wife tomorrow but I would like to substitute those weekend miles with TBD hours of snowshoeing whenever I can this winter.

Injury free?

I'm injury free. Knock on wood. I've not had much for injuries for quite a while. Keeping my miles under 45 per week helps a lot and I've added crosstraining to get other muscles stronger again and also to help strengthen my feet.

--Mark

New shoes - making the big switch from Brooks to ASICS

The Brooks Glycerin 8's that I've worn lately are not for me, and I've been a Brooks shoe wearer since my first day of running in 2005. I took my running totals at the right side of this blog and my total is 5,999 miles in Brooks shoes. That's it.

I went to see Wendi at Gear West for a Gait Analysis today. I've seen her previously and had good luck getting fitted into the right shoe. I told her how my current shoes didn't feel 'right' but they felt great with 300 miles on them. Really helpful, huh? I also said that near the end of long runs my calf muscles were sore and that hasn't happened in other shoes. I didn't tell her that I wanted lighter and more flexible shoes in order to strengthen my feet even more than they are now. They felt very strong in July and are strong again now due to increased trail running this Fall.

Wendi determined that my feet are indeed very strong now and I need to get more flexible inserts and more flexible shoes than what I'm wearing now. Just the news I wanted to hear. She said my feet don't need the support they were getting and it's time for them to get even stronger. I ended up in ASICS Gel-Landreth 6 shoes with Blue Superfeet inserts. They feel great and Wendi said my form is perfect while running in them. Now I need miles on my feet to see how well this combo works. If everything goes well, I'll need to stock up on a few more pairs as I hate it when the shoe models get 'improved' for the next model year.

Wendi also said that although they aren't for everyone, I am a perfect candidate to run in the Vibram Five Fingers. She said that if I run in them, I should use them as a 'tool'. I didn't ask but I assume she meant part-time and as a way to improve my foot strength.

I'll be wearing my new ASICS tomorrow when my running odometer crosses 6,000.

--Mark

Surf the Murph - 3 days after plus misc ramblings

Surf the Murph follow-up

It's not productive for me to go over in my mind all the "what if's" from Saturday's race, so I won't do that. On Sunday and Monday all I did for exercising was walk 15 minutes and then stretch. Not once did I feel any pain in my foot since I dropped-out after two laps of the race on Saturday.

My first run

This morning was my first run. A 6-miler. The first two miles, as I had expected, my legs were heavy and dead. The second two miles my legs were warming up, and the final two miles I could move right along at a good pace. I was very happy to get this run in and I feel great right now. The best part is that my foot pain was still gone so what happened on Saturday was a minor issue that resolved itself quickly and on its own.

50 milers in my future?

Although for a few hours after the Surf the Murph I was thinking that 50K distance was where I would draw the line for future races, I have changed my mind. I like being out on the trails so much, I would not hesitate to register for 50 milers in the future, just so I can be out on the trails all day long.

Weekly training

I will continue training during the week on the Mississippi River paths from Ft. Snelling up to Minneapolis with my road-loving friends. On weekends I'd like to do long runs on trails. The main thing is I love trails, as you can tell. The second thing is that it will help strengthen my feet which is one of my weaknesses.

Stretching

Last night I purchased a foam roller and a wobble board. My wife and one of my girls are also having some foot problems right now and the wobble board will be good for us all. I never stretch after races so now, with a foam roller, I can do that too.

Clothing

Since I will go back and read this sometime in the future, I want to note something about running clothes. Normally, I love running in cool weather and I'll wear as little as possible. Saturday I had XC ski pants and a long sleeved shirt with a short sleeved shirt on top. Of course I was completely sweaty after loop 1 on Saturday. The temps were in the 40s and normally at that point I would be wearing short shorts and a sleeveless shirt but I felt if I changed into those clothes that I would freeze. I think I would have been ok dressing light if I would have had a beach towel with me to completely dry off first and get into all dry clothes.

BENEFIT RUN FOR LARRY & COLLEEN PEDERSON

What's next? No more races this year but I am looking forward to the Pederson Benefit Run at Afton State Park on November 27th. There is nothing better than raising some money for them and spending the day running with friends/new-friends in the park. I'll be there if I can.

--Mark

Surf the Murph 2010

I signed up for this race to see how I can handle a 50 Mile trail run. One of the runs I was planning to do next year was the Bighorn 50 Trail Run. If I can't run a 50 here, I sure as heck can't run one out there. After my Birkebeiner Trail Marathon in September, and how the small rolling hills just hammer my calf muscles, I knew at that time the Bighorn 50M was not for me.

Until a month ago, I had never run at Murphy-Hanrehan Park and fortunately I was able to get out there twice. I ran once with a friend from my health club and the second time with Katie Thompson who I met there by chance. It was really helpful to have a general idea of what I was in for. I was well trained for a marathon and was excited to see what the day was going to bring.

Race Day

I packed a million things into my drop bag and headed to the Park. The weather looked to be perfect for running. I decided to wear cross-country ski pants and a long sleeve shirt with a short sleeve shirt on top. I also would be wearing my Nathan hydration pack. I was going to also carry some Shot Bloks and a lot of S!Caps.

This run was three 16.8 mile loops for the 50M. I was wearing my Garmin 310XT and had decided to stop/restart the Garmin with every loop. That way it would be better for recording the route and my paces.

Loop 1

Loop 1 Garmin data here. 16.86 miles.

We were given instructions and told that about half the runners got off-track last year. I couldn't understand this as all you need to do is keep the flags to your left. How hard can that be? Pretty hard, if you asked me now. :-)

I fired up my headlamp and at 6:00am (exactly) off we went. I think I was roughly in the pack where I wanted to be, between the top third and top half. There must have been almost 40 runners in the 50 Mile event. It wasn't too long before Katie ran up to me and we started to talk. Unfortunately, Katie's headlamp had almost zero light output. Her Ragnar Relay run this year had drained it. Ugh for her. My light was bright and Katie and I ran together to share my light. I learned that I really should have turned my ball cap around as the bill shadowed the ground in front of me, which doesn't make for the best running conditions. Oh well. At the first aid station the woman there (I should know her name but don't) lent Katie her headlamp which was a super-nice thing to do. Katie and I continued to run together. Every aid station was great. I just drank water at the Horse Camp station and when we got to Lisa/Helen/Katie's-aunts station, Helen gave me a handful of jelly beans. Yum. I must have run with a mouthful of Jellybeans for a mile after that. :-) The sugar was hitting the spot.

Earlier in the run I stepped on a few stick and rocks with my right foot but none of that seemed to bother my running. Somewhere between Lisa/Helen's station and the starting point I ran on top of a baseball-sized rock. This one really rolled my foot/ankle. Even so, that didn't hurt either.

Oh, I forgot, around mile three my intestines started to gurgle. Oh no. That was not a good sign for the day. My GI issue continued the entire first loop. Katie said she had packed Immodium-AD in her drop-bag. I told her that I didn't want to take any and that I'd be OK. Before we finished the first loop I changed my mind. I also said that I was planning to drop back a bit from her and start lap 2 alone. She is a very strong runner and I knew my pace was not going to match hers on lap 2.

We completed loop 1 in a very good 2:56. My body (except for the GI issues) felt great and my muscles felt great. Katie gave me 2 Immodium-AD and I told her I needed a restroom stop and was going to take a few minutes before started lap 2.

Loop 2

Loop 2 Garmin data here. 19.13 miles (oops).

I got some water, made my restroom stop, had some food at the aid station and took off running. Oh no! I had a sharp pain in my right foot. The kind of pain where you can't run without a limp. I walked a few feet and tried again. Pain. Now I'm about 100 feet into loop 2 and I'm thinking about the 33 more miles I need to cover. Ugh. I considered turning around right then and there and calling it a day. If it had been like Tuesday/Wednesday with the rain and horrible winds, I would have quit. But Saturday was a beautiful day so why not just have a great walk in the park. That's what I did. My goal now was to walk and try to run once in a while. I wanted to get to the North aid station and then to the Horse Camp where I would then come back to the finish on the road and trails to wait for Katie to finish lap 2.

So now I'm mostly walking but running short distances, with pain. I made it to the North aid station and had some Mac and Cheese and hung around there for a while. I talked about my plan to drop and was offered a ride back to the start. No thanks, I was going to work my way to the Horse Camp station. It was enjoying my walk so much and then I started out again. It was such a surprise when the pain was gone. It had taken about 1h15min for the foot/ankle to loosen-up and it felt great now. Well, there was nothing left to do but run! At the Horse Camp station I was still considering dropping at some point but as long as I felt good and knew I wasn't damaging my foot, I was going to continue.

I was running well now and chatted with Daryl and a little later, Lynn. Lynn and I chatted until we arrived at Lisa/Helen's aid station. They had Arnica Gel and Lisa rubbed some onto the spot where I had pain. There was no pain now but I'll take all the help I can get. I think this is where I met with Maranda. Maranda is a young woman also running her first 50M race. Maranda was looking for some energy and I gave her a serving of Shot Bloks. Maranda and I started running together and she complained about an upset stomach she was having so I gave her an S!Cap too. We separated and met again at the Horse Camp station. I asked Maranda if she needed anything and started to take out more Shot Bloks for her. She said, No, the other things. Oh, S!Caps. I gave her a bag of S!Caps and she told me that the one earlier had instantly soothed her stomach. That's what I like about these races too, people working together to get each-other through. It was here that I told Londell to cross me off the list. I was feeling a small amount of pain increasing in my foot and I was doubting I was going to do another loop. I also told him that if I did do the third loop I would let him know on my next time through so he could un-cross me off. :-)

Maranda and I would run together from here to the finish of loop 2. You know how all you need to do is keep the flags on you left? Well, Maranda and I were running and it seemed like the final part of the lap was taking too long. Things were looking too familiar. It was really eerie and kind of like a nightmare in the daytime. Of course, we had already run the full course once but we were seeing parts that seemed like we had just seen a short time earlier. I kept saying that all we needed to do is keep to the right of the flags. How could we have gone so wrong? This surprises me as it will most of you that were out there, but we had run right by the three flags and the 'Fun Zone' sign and repeated that entire 'inner loop' area in the North Portion of the run. You can see where we doubled-up on the run if you open my Garmin map for loop 2 and zoom in a bit. Oh well, what's an extra 2+ miles? hahahaha

How about my foot? At around mile 28 there was some light pain creeping back in but I was still running well. When we were running and I'd glance down at my Garmin, we were always going at around a 10:20 pace. Not bad, I thought. I was super happy that my mind was still very clear (except for missing the Fun Zone), and my legs still felt great, and my stomach felt awesome. It was a great day to run. Only at around mile 35 did my legs start to feel tired but that may have been after we climbed Pike's Peak.

Maranda and I finished loop 2 and then I went back to the timing table and dropped out. I loved every minute of the day except for the very beginning of loop 2. I felt great but I decided to be conservative and not stress what may/may-not be wrong with my foot. I got a long-50K in for the day with a time of 7:40. I was very happy to be on my feet that long without hitting a wall like what can happen when running a marathon. Maranda met her boyfriend after loop 2 and he went out with her to run to the horse camp and then from there to the finish (well, that was her plan). I hope she finished well.

Loop 3

Loop 3 wasn't for me today. I dropped out to ensure I didn't damage my foot.

I got something to eat and drink and then went back to the timing table to see how my loop 1 partner, Katie, was doing. She was rocking! Our loop 1 together was 2:56. She ran loop 2 in 2:50. At that rate she would be done at around 9 hours. Awesome. I decided to wait and watch for her finish. Katie had a fantastic loop 3 of 3:03 and ran a 8:50 for the female win and it was her first 50 mile race. Congrats, Katie! The second place woman would come in at 8:54.

The next day

This morning I have the expected overall muscle soreness and a bruise on my right bicep. How the heck did I get that bruise? I'll never know. I went on a 15 minute walk to warm-up slightly and stretched my hamstrings, calf muscles, and quads. That felt good. Now I need to schedule a massage, sooner rather than later!

Next year?

I think I would run the 50M next year. This year I had the bad luck of stepping badly on something with my right foot three times which ended up being the major topic in my run as you all know now. The race was great. The volunteers were great. I love the shirt too. Thanks to everyone out there and I'll see you next year!

Oh yeah, I now know that the Bighorn Trail Run 50K is the one for me. I hope that I'm able to make it fit into my schedule next year.

--Mark

additional notes:

I almost drained my Nathan 70oz pack on the two loops and I only used it to supplement what I got at aid stations. After the first few stations, my favorite drinks were 2+ cups of Coke plus a cup of water. I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches best and always enjoyed a few potato chips. I may have only consumed 6 Shot Bloks total as the aid station food was hitting the spot.

I took 2 S!Caps at a time but only when I 'felt' I should have some. That worked well. After the race I took 2 right away and then 2 more when I got home. My legs never cramped at any time.

I think a belt pack with some storage would be ideal for me in this race next year. It's such a pain in the @SS to fill the Nathan I never wanted to do it. Those 22oz bottles are easy to fill but I don't think I'd want to carry one for 10+ hours. Putting one in a belt looks like the way to go.

My feet were very strong after running a bunch of trail races in July. They have weakened as I have noticed later in the Summer. I think I need to change at least two of my long Saturday runs to trail runs. Also, since three of us in my house have weak ankles I am going to shop for a wobble-board. Londell took a picture of me running. My foot strike is obviously on the outside corner of the heel. What the heck does that mean? My shoes are neutral but does that mean I should have a different type of shoe?

My last thought is that I wonder if I should get 'trail shoes'. I run everything in road shoes.

Door County Fall 50 2010

I ran the team relay race at the Door County Fall 50 again this year, my third consecutive year. This year I was on a team of 5 including Dave, Brendan & Miaja, and my wife, Kathy. Kathy made a good effort this Summer as a beginning runner and we had run a few races together. Pain caused by a bone spur cut her running carrier very short (about 3 months). So, this year we ran as a team of 4 and our team name was "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out". The team name was a line from the movie A Christmas Story. All it takes is "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" boxer shorts, being worn in public at our health club, combined with a 'wardrobe malfunction', to provide inspiration for the team name. Brendan would wear those boxers in the Fall 50 this year but we made sure he had the fly pinned-shut. :-)

You can find my previous race reports by clicking on 2008 or 2009. There are many more pics in those reports because of the rainfall this year, I kept the camera in the car most of the time.

Friday night we drove to Sturgeon Bay and stopped at the Ladder House for packet pickup. Packet pickup went smoothly and I said hi to John Storkamp who is one of the top solo runners. John is the race director for the Afton Trail Run which is a great trail race in the Twin Cities area and it's a can't-miss race held in the peak of the Summer heat. We also ran into Kristen/Karl/Paul that I know as they're friends I run with sometimes.

We had dinner, the same as last year, was at the Inn at Cedar Crossing. Unlike the fantastic dinner we had last year, this year's dinner was ordinary. The restaurant was very busy and maybe it was an off-night as far as cooking goes. Of course, this is my opinion.

Saturday morning I got up for breakfast and we were ready to head for the start at 7:30. We had a 9am start time based on our Team's overall pace. Since Kathy dropped from our team, we would have a faster pace than I originally estimated. Before we left Minnesota, I filled out a spreadsheet that showed each of the legs of the race and when we expected to have a runner start from each exchange. I just entered what I guessed our overall pace would be - 8:30 per mile. I tell people that I'm good at guessing a team pace. Last year we were 3 minutes and 7 seconds faster than what I estimated. I guess with confidence!

Kathy also asked me if she could volunteer at the race since she wasn't running. What a great idea! So, I used my chart of when we would be at the exchanges and decided that it would work out best for Kathy to volunteer at the Exchange #3 food/water station. We dropped Kathy off on our trip to the start and we were getting more excited by the minute.

At the start, Brendan got prepared, went to the starting line and in a few minutes the horn sounded and he was off. I somehow didn't see him run by so I just took a picture of strangers (not posted here). I was happy that we had warmer temps and no cold wind blowing on us like last year, and maybe the year before. The weather seemed perfect for running. Not wanting to be last to Exchange #1, we headed down the road.

I was scheduled to run leg 2 and I was ready to go. When Brendan handed me the wrist band I took off and was passed by a runner after about one minute. Ugh. What a way to start the day. Oh well. This darn leg starts on an uphill. I ran hard and fairly fast and after I got to the top it was time to fly (this is all relative). I had expected to run at a 7:30 average for the day but I was runner well today. My Garmin data for this 6.4 mile run is here. I was very happy with a 7:09 average pace for that run and very happy that I ran the hills.

I won't speak much for the other runners but I handed off to Miaja for leg 3 and we headed to Exchange #3. There we chatted with Kathy and picked her up at the end of her volunteering shift as Dave waited to start. I love running leg 4 and it was Dave's turn to run that leg this year. If your team run this race enough years, I highly recommend that all runners get a chance to run leg 4 through Peninsula Park. It's my favorite segment of the race. I believe Dave ran very well at just over a 7:00 pace.

Leg 5 was my turn again. 4.8 miles and this is the leg that had a healthy switch-back thrown in. Nice! I ran this leg at an 7:17 pace and was happy again to run the whole thing - even the switchback. You can see my Garmin data here. Due to the difference between the actual distance and what the Garmin reports, the paces I list here don't match the Garmin. I used the recorded time along with the published leg distances. My day's average pace was 7:13 for 11.2 miles and I am very pleased with that pace. The cooler weather and rain helped me run fast. After I was done with this leg I was done with the race! In addition, I was at the half-way buffet and was ready for some soup. Yum!

The next legs were run well by the team with Brendan running legs 6 and 7, Dave running leg 8, and Miaja running legs 9 and 10. That seemed to be a good way to split up the legs for 4 runners and we each only had to run twice although two people ran back to back legs.

We went to the finish and waited for Miaja to come into the park then we crossed the finish in 7:07:09. My guess of an overall 8:30 pace would have put us in at 7:05:00 so we were just 2:09 over. This puts my two-year combined estimated finishing times at only 62 seconds slower than estimated for 100 miles. I'm predicting this will end with a total.pace-guessing.failure next year. :-)

The test party was great as usual but we left just before the awards were announced to go back to the hotel and get cleaned up. Later, some of us headed across the street and got a little more food and some beverages before heading downtown like last year, we hit some fun places downtown and a few of us stayed out dancing until after 1am. I'm convinced that 2 or 3 hours of dancing is awesome for recovery. My legs feel really good today, the second day after the race, and I think it's mostly because of that late night dancing.


me (Mark), Dave, Miaja, Brendan

Although I have one more race this year, I can confidently state that the Door County Fall 50 is my favorite race of the year for the third consecutive year!

See you there in 2011.

--Mark

Door County Fall 50 and Surf the Murph 50 coming up

The Door County Fall 50 is my favorite team race. This year my team has 4 runners in the 50 mile relay. We'll each run twice for about 12 miles total for the race. This race doesn't need any special training for me since I finished a marathon about a month ago. I can't wait!

The Surf the Murph 50 mile run is a different situation. I've never run a 50 mile race and have never been to the Murphy-Hanrehan Park until Saturday, just over a week ago. That was my first training run there. One of my running friends met me there to give me a tour. I had a course map and we roughly followed some of the course. It was in the mid 80s for temps that day and we had a tough slow run. 13.3 miles in 2:40. Ugh. After that run I changed my 1st-loop race-day target from 3 hours to 4 hours. October 30th is going to be a long day.

Yesterday I went to Murphy-Hanrehan Park again for more training. Just as I was entering the trails from the parking lot, a woman was hitting the trails too. She was running about 30 yards ahead of me for the first mile and while walking up one of the big hills, we met. She was out there training just like me. The 30th was going to be her first 50 mile race too and we set out to run a loop together. Just like at Afton, I can be holding a map in my hand and still not be able to follow the route. Even so, we got a good feel for the course. There was an area, in the far South-West of the park, where we tried to figure out where the course went. We just couldn't figure it out. We decided to abort that little expedition and I guided us across a dry swamp. Based on all the cuts I got on my legs from the nettles, raspberry bushes, and thorny shrubs, I hope my new running friend didn't get cut up too much! Sorry KT! Finding our way to a trail again, we ran most of the remainder of the course and finished with 14.6 miles in 2:28. Not too bad in that terrain but I was definitely going too fast for race day.

The Door County Fall 50 will be a day of fun and the Surf the Murph 50 Miler will be a day of endurance and testing limits!

--Mark

My girls' perfect soccer season (no running content)

My email address starts with '4twins' not because I am 'for the MN twins' but I'm not against the MN twins either. It's because my 4 kids are all twins. My twin girls, Molly and Kerry, are in the 8th grade and just finished their Fall school soccer season.

Here is a poor picture of a picture of their 8A team:



The girls had a FANTASTIC soccer season!

The season ended Friday with them winning all 10 of their games. Every one of those games was a SHUTOUT! That's the part that impresses me so much. The team scored 57 goals and obviously there were no goals scored against them.

All 16 girls had at least one assist and all 16 scored at least one goal. Is this what you would call a 'perfect season'? Well, congrats Molly and Kerry and Team, winning streaks like this don't happen very often!

--Mark (proud Dad of Molly and Kerry)

2011 preliminary race plans

The 2010 running season is not over but I've put together my wish-list of races for 2011. My goal is to shift even more towards trail running than I have in 2010, which is about 50/50 trails/road.

April
Ron Daws 25K
Trail Mix 4-person team race

May
Ice Age 50K

June
Bighorn Trail Run 50K or 50M

July
Afton Trail Run 25K
Run the Keweenaw 3-race series

September
Birkebeiner Trail Marathon

October
Door County Fall 50 5-person team relay
Surf the Murph 50M

The only thing I know for sure is that this list will change.

--Mark

Twin Cities Marathon 2010 (watching, not running)

SteveQ pointed this way to possibly a better report than his. Sorry folks, there won't be too much to read here today.

I got really early to meet my friend BC in Highland Park at 6:30am. Our (my) plan was to get over to the St. Thomas hill before 7:30 in order to see the leaders of the TC-10. I got to BC's house and unloaded my bike. I saw BC and realized right away that all we were missing was a sheep. :-) BC was wearing Wellies and a Kilt. I lived long enough in the UK to know that those were two out of three ingredients to many jokes. Like I said, all we were missing was a sheep.

We hopped on our bikes and stopped for coffee on the way. It was a nice, crisp ride up to St. Thomas and we found a sweet spot to watch the race. It wasn't too long before SteveQ walked up and we chatted for a long time and before we knew it, here were the TC-10 elite women runners. Katie McGregor was #1 or #2. She looked strong and ended up with a win. Not long after, the guys came through. I didn't recognize the leaders. Just under 30 minutes in, we saw SteveS and he looked to be on pace for his sub-60. Way to go Steve!

I was able to see most of my friends running the TC-10 and they all looked good. The weather was great for racing and we had a great spot to watch the runners. I think we stayed until nearly all of the TC-10 runners had passed and it was time to leave SteveQ and get refills on coffee.

For the TC marathon, the lead wheelchair racers were already through by the time we got back to our 'spot'. For the marathon, we found a cozy spot in the sun and it was just a fantastic day to be out and watch the marathon. I hung out with SteveQ as well as my running friends BC, and Julie, Hannah, and Tom. It was cool and sunny and perfect. I would have missed running in it but I just ran in a marathon last Saturday. Therefore, I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not running it.

During the marathon I also saw most of my running friends, some were heading to new PR's, some for Boston Qualifiers, and some were NOT having great running days and would be not meeting their goals today. Well, meeting goals or not meeting goals, I know my running friends will be lacing up their shoes soon enough and will be hitting the running paths, working towards that next goal.

Anyways, CONGRATS to ALL that ran, and THANKS to all that volunteered this weekend. I will be watching the TCM again, one year from now, from the same spot at 21.5 miles into your race. I really enjoyed watching both races! See you next year.

--Mark

p.s. I have mentioned my training partners a few times this Summer. Michelle, Aileen, and I all trained for a 3:40 marathon. Michelle and Aileen both ran the TCM and it came down to how things went 'that day'. Aileen beat her goal of 3:40 with a 3:37:40 and near-ideal splits of 1:48:34/1:49:06. Michelle did not meet her goal but was still able to finish in the 3:50's.

tipping towards trails

Today, the 4th day since my trail marathon, I feel great. My legs feel the same or better than after racing the City of Lakes 25K a few weeks ago which was run on a blacktop road. The softer surfaces of trail running are much better for my body.

In 2009 I was coming off a foot surgery in the Winter but ended up with races totaling 80 miles on the road and 14 miles on the trail.

In 2010, so far, I have 62 miles of road racing and 75 miles of trail racing. That's a significant shift to trails. I would like to shift even more towards trails in 2011. The rest of this year has me running maybe 10 to 15 miles at the Door County Fall 50 team relay on the road and then the Surf the Murph 50M event which is on trails.

I am well aware that I'm not trained for any distances longer than a marathon so the 50M in October will be a big s-t-r-e-t-c-h for me. I'm hoping that the softer surfaces will help save me during that full day event. No matter what, I'll be having fun being out on the trails.

--Mark

Birkebeiner Trail Marathon 2010 race report

This year was the first year of the Birkebeiner Trail Marathon for individuals. Other years the marathon was held as a relay along with other races: Half marathon, 5K, and a Half marathon Trek. The marathon course runs mostly on the Birkie ski course from just outside of Hayward, WI to the Telemark lodge outside of Cable. The final several miles of the race are on the Kortelopet Trail.

For those that just want pictures, race-day photos (not mine) are on the Birkie website here.

I grew-up in this area in the small town of Grand View and worked at Telemark during high school. My first job was washing dishes by hand at the Chalet. This was before it burned to the ground. No, I didn't do it. I also skied on the trails around Telemark during High School and College. Back then I had no fear on the trails and skied fast and hard. Skiing is in my past - running is my sport now.

I had been interested the past two years in signing up for the marathon relay but never fit it into my schedule, mainly because I ran the Twin Cities marathon those years. This year I decided early in the Spring that I was done with marathons for the year but I got over that feeling this Summer and found the individual marathon was an option! I heard that it was hilly but my friends know I love hills! Sign me up!

The day before the race

I took a vacation day from work on Friday, 9/24 to get ready for the race. I got my Shot Bloks ready - I cut 3 packages of them in half, and taped the ends shut. This gives me 6 '100cal servings' of 3 shot bloks each. I take 1 serving every 3 miles starting at mile 8. It works for me. I also put 8 S!Caps each into two small baggies. I take one S!Cap every time I take some Shot Bloks. I was also planning to wear my Nathan 2 liter hydration pack. It was going to be a good way to give me supplemental water between aid stations. Since I was predicting a completely muddy trail, I packed a pair of socks in the zippered back compartment. OK....all set with nutrition.

What to wear? I looked at the Hayward weather forecast about 5 times a day during the week before the race. It looked as if the rain was going to letup (FINALLY) around 7pm Friday night and Saturday was supposed to be mostly sunny and 38 degrees at the start. I settled on my standard race-ready shorts, red sleeveless shirt, and my Brooks Glycerin 8 shoes. I remembered to grab my Afton Trail Run cap and I was going wear some Boston Marathon gloves my friends gave me after their trip there a few years ago. I never qualified but they are a souvenir and are good luck for me.

After noon, I left the Twin Cities and headed up to Hayward for packet-pickup where I also got a nice technical T-shirt, see pic above. Then I was off to my Dad's house in Grand View. Never one to have surprises the night before the marathon, I packed my own dinner of spaghetti noodles and a grilled chicken breast as well as an apple. On the way, I picked up a 6-pack of New Glaris Totally Naked beer for my Dad and his wife and a 6-pack of Spotted Cow beer for myself. The beer was going to have to wait until Saturday night, but I did enjoy a shot of Blackberry Brandy with my Dad before I hit the hay.

Race Day - Saturday morning

I set my alarm for 4:45am. Seems early for an 8am start but I also like to have breakfast 3+ hours before race time. I got up long before the alarm at 4:20 and made myself a piece of wheat toast with peanut butter. That's the breakfast that, so far, has helped keep GI issues away! My plan was to leave at 6am for Telemark, a 30 minute drive, and luckily I went out to my car early. There was a thick coat of frozen dew on the windows. Ugh. My ice scraper was in Minnesota and I couldn't find one in my Dad's truck. The defroster worked well and I was on the road at 6am on schedule. I was also lucky that I packed warm gloves, winter running pants, and a sweatshirt to wear before the race.

At Telemark there were buses to shuttle us to the start. Once the runners started getting on the bus, I made sure I got on the first bus. I always like to have a little time to relax and just walk around near the starting line before a race. Well, the bus behind us went first and when we arrived at the Fish Hatchery Park, I had time to hit the porta-potty, take off my warm clothes and put them in my drop bag, and listen to the starting line instructions. Now it was only two minutes until race time.

We were told that one of the race organizers had traveled the course by ATV that morning. There were quite a few areas where water had formed ponds at the bottoms of hills. We could run though the water or run around the ponds through the woods. The race official recommended going around as some of the ponds were up to the tops of the ATV wheels. Yikes. Although it was sunny, I was still imagining mud. The temperature at the start was 34 degrees. Even though it was that cold, I knew that sleeveless was the way to go for me.

And we were off

I had heard a few times that the marathon had about 80 runners. That number looked accurate. I lined-up about where I thought I should be and we were off and running on time. I think we had a couple hundred yards of flat blacktop before we were on the trail. Approaching the first corner I tried to count how many runners were ahead of me and I estimated 25. I still seemed to be in the right position for the size of the race.

This was a race that I was planning to race, not just finish. I trained with my friends Michelle and Aileen for a 3:40 marathon but I knew I couldn't do that here. My goal was to hit the half at 2:00 and if everything went I would like to have a 4:00 finish.

Right from the start I could see the course was beautiful. The sun was out, most of the trees were at or near their peak color, the air was crisp, and we were in the woods. What could be better? Well, some would say a flat course would be better. :-) The hills! The hills! The hills! Rolling. Never-ending. Some small, maybe 12 to 15 feet high. Some much larger. Up and down and up and down and up and down. Were there really any flat areas in the first 20 miles? I don't remember any.

That's all it was - hills and beautiful trees. I was running around 9 minute miles and since I was racing it, the pace seemed appropriate. Wasn't I supposed to be hurting a little? I was not out for an easy long run, I had to push things a bit. A couple miles in my glasses fogged up some and it was hard to see with the bright sunshine. That was ticking me off because I was really enjoying the beauty of the forest. Eventually, my glasses cleared up and thankfully I could see again.

We had aid stations on the course that were stocked with water, Heed, and small Cliff bars. At 5.8K was aid station #1. I asked for water and got one water and one Heed. Ugh. I stop at aid stations for maybe 7 seconds to throw my two cups of water down my throat. The Heed was down about the time I tasted it. I could have worried that it was going to throw-off my nutrition plan but what's done is done. Nothing I could do about it now and off I ran.

A few miles ahead I started running with a gal. We chatted for awhile and she was from Hayward and did her training on this course. She seemed strong and fast and there were only 5 women ahead of her as well as the 20 men ahead of me. The running was great! This trail was W-I-D-E and was mowed grass. For much of the trail there was a dirt path down the middle. I didn't run on the path as it was a little slick and if there were rocks, that's where they were. I ran on the grass which was about like running on someone's poorly kept lawn. It didn't have thick grass like a lawn or a golf course but, in my opinion, it was just wonderful to run on. I would rate the technical difficulty of the running surface as a trail run to be a Zero out of Ten. Note that I'm talking about the surface, not the hills.

The hills were still rolling as we got to aid station #2. I asked for water again and got one water and one Heed. The guy next to me asked for Heed and got water. Everyone makes mistakes. Unfortunately, the water and Heed looked the same and were in the same white cups. Yet again, there was nothing I could do because I drank it down so quickly. We were still clicking off the miles at around a 9:00 pace and I felt good. Coming up soon was mile 8 and it was time to take some Shot Bloks and an S!Cap. It may have been somewhere around here that the local gal moved ahead. She knew we were on pace for a sub-2:00 half and possibly a sub-4:00 finish. That would be nice. [note: she finished with a sub-4:00] I was dividing my race up from here to the end into 3-mile chunks. 3 miles was the distance between Shot Bloks.

Approaching the half way point it was still rolling hills. I felt pretty good and hit the half at 1:58. The way the markers were set it seemed as if the first half was long and the second half was short. This is a trail race so it doesn't matter to me. I knew when I was finished I would have run not less than 26.2 miles. Oh yeah, at this aid station I got two WATERS! Yes! I briefly looked for my friends from the Twin Cites, Karen and Jay that were running the half. I didn't see them as I found out later their bus arrived just after 10am and I went through the station at 9:58. Oh well.

First half done! Now a half to go!

The first 13.1 were good but hard. I was racing but still had power. Things were about to change very soon, and not for the better. Of course, I took my nutrition at mile 11 and was now approaching mile 14 for another serving. It has been working extremely well wearing my Nathan hydration pack and I never seemed too full of water or too dehydrated. Approaching mile 14 both of my calf muscles felt like they were going to cramp. Ugh. Luckily I could still think clearly and decided right then to double up on S!Caps then, and every 3 miles to the finish. I took two S!Caps along with my Shot Bloks. That was my only hope. Well, that and slowing slightly to run under the cramping point. I can't really explain it but I could still move along at a fair, not fast, pace and could feel my calf muscles were shot but not yet cramping. On the hills where I had to walk, I tried to walk at a nice clip because I thought if I stopped, my muscles would cramp and that would be the end of me. So far, so good.

Oh, maybe you were wondering about the hills. We still had hills and I don't remember any flat areas yet. Coming up on mile 17 I popped two S!Caps in my mouth and took a big drink of water from my Nathan. The water partially went down the wrong way and I swallowed one S!Cap and coughed-out the other one like a bullet. I couldn't stop coughing for about two minutes. I came by several Trekers during this stretch and tried my best to look like I wasn't dying. After I passed those walkers, I took another S!Cap and thought about how happy I was that I packed twice the number I was planning to use.

I forgot another great thing about this race! There were bikes out on the course riding around and each time they went by me they asked how I was doing and if I needed anything. Every time I was happy to report that I was doing fine and didn't need anything. These few words I wrote on the topic do not emphasize how great that was to have the support. Thank you race volunteers!

My race plan turned into "run as fast as you can without cramping". I was trying to think of why my calves were shot. My opinion is that my training was not race-specific. Simple as that. I did not train on small continuous rolling hills. In the areas I trained, I just did not have similar terrain. No matter, I was going to do the best that I could do.

The hills were getting bigger now as we climbed towards the highest point on the course. I think it was about mile 20 where we passed the sign that read something like: Point of Highest Elevation 1730 feet. What an awesome thing to pass as the finish would not be higher than we were right now. If someone had given me the choice right then and there to either kiss my favorite supermodel or kiss the sign, I would have kissed the sign.

Not long after this hill, the terrain was net downhill with fewer and fewer hills that required walking (for me). I was still running fairly well but noticeably slower. I was getting adequate water, nutrition, and my doubling up on S!Caps was working. Around this point in time two guy on relay teams passed me. Those guys started an hour after I did and boy were they moving. Wow.

The end was getting closer and closer and that was a good thing. A few half-marathoner's were passing me. These were the ones that would end up finishing sub-1:36 half marathons. Those guys were moving too. At 2.5 miles from the finish I was running a little slower up a hill and a half marathoner runs by and yells: "Hey, C'mon! It's 2.5 miles to the finish! Get Moving!" Well, that helped to motivate me a bit and I picked up the pace. I was still thankful that I avoided cramping calves and the end of this race was near. During this second half I think two guys passed me at a nice pace. Good job guys! I also passed a few.

1K to go!

There was a guy I passed at mile 17. He looked about my age and he caught me at 1K to go. We exchanged just a few words and I pulled out a little kick and figured it was now or never so I pulled ahead of him and never looked back. No way I was going to lose a finishing place that close to the end. I was happy that the finish was downhill and I was extremely happy with my finishing time of 4:06:54. I was 24th of 73 finishers and 3rd of 11 in my age group. Race results here.


Well, it was great to get my medal, hang around for my friends Karen and Jay to finish their half marathon, and then have a beer and lunch under the big tent. As I said in my earlier posting, if I had to pick just one marathon to run every year for the rest of my life it would be this one. I loved it. It was not easy, but I loved it and can't wait to run it again next year.

Since you read this far, you can look at my Garmin data here.

--Mark

Birkebeiner Trail Marathon - finished!

Long report next week. Sunny skies, beautiful Fall colors, and an extremely easy surface to run on - 25' wide mowed grass trails. I did well with a 1:58 split at the half and a 4:06:54 finishing time. 3rd of 11 in my age group and 24th of 73 finishers. If I had to choose one marathon to run every year for the rest of my life, it would be this one.

--Mark

expecting mud Saturday

Saturday morning I'll be running the Birkebeiner Trail Marathon out of Hayward, Wisconsin. Although I believe the downpours in Northern WI have not been as severe as Southern MN, there has been plenty of rain falling up North. The Fat Tire 40 mountain bike race was held on the Birkebeiner trail last weekend and there was plenty of damage done to the trails during that event (from what I've heard from a participant). The rain this week will only contribute to muddy conditions which will have no chance of drying-up before Saturday.

So, I'm expecting the worst-case situation of muddy conditions for 26.2 miles. I've run very well at the Trail Mix team race in mud, so who knows, I may just be a human-mudder. Best case, I'll be pleasantly surprised with some surfaces with traction.

Good luck to everyone running the any of the Birkie races this weekend.

--Mark

City of Lakes 25K 2010 race report

My two marathon training partners, Michelle and Aileen, had signed up for the City of Lakes 25K some time ago. I wasn't planning to run it, but last week I found I could fit the race into my schedule. Even though I have never run the COL 25K, I seemed to remember it filling early. I looked at the website, saw that it was still open, and registered. My running partners and I are early morning runners - we start our runs at 5am. With an 8am start, I may actually see what Michelle (M) and Aileen (A) look like in the sunshine. :-)

We talked about our plan - M and A are running the Twin Cities Marathon in three weeks and I am running a trail marathon in two weeks. I didn't need 20 miles, 15.5 would do. M and A's plan would be to get 3 to 5 miles in before the COL. I would meet them at the start and we would run together at marathon pace which would be 8:23 as they had trained for a 3:40 marathon. I never picked a goal marathon time so I just went along with their training.

I was pretty excited for race day and got most of my things ready the night before the race. S!Caps - check; Shot Bloks - check; wet-wipes - check (always ready for a porta-potty emergency). :-) The temps were looking to start out cool so instead of choosing my usual racing singlet, I picked my standard second choice, a sleeveless red shirt.

After a good night of sleep I was up at 5am for a slice of wheat toast with peanut butter. It's my ONLY tried and true race morning food that so far (knock on wood) has kept my GI system happy during long runs. Well, the peanut butter toast AND shot blocks keeps me happy. GUs are a recipe for disaster for me, especially when I get to around the 2-hour point in a run. Well, I packed my stuff and headed for Lake Harriet. Half way there I remembered that I forgot my running cap at home. I almost always wear my Afton Trail Run cap in longer races. It keeps the sun off the shiny portions of my head and helps control sweat dripping down my forehead. Oh well, no cap for me today.

I found a nice spot to park a few blocks from packet pickup and walked down to get my bib and my chip. Nothing eventful was happening here except it was pretty cool so thankfully I brought a pre-race sweatshirt. It was down near the start that I ran into M getting a little mileage in on the way to meet A for a pre-race Lake Harriet loop. They were looking for 18 to 20 miles today. I did some more walking and recognized some runners from other races but didn't talk with anyone. Closer to race time, I took the walk back to my car to put my sweatshirt away, took a final drink of water, and put on my bib and chip. Back to the start area I went.

It was cool, in the lower 50s, and I was now in my sleeveless shirt looking for some warmth. Ahhhh, the fishing pier was in the sun and that was the place to go. I hung out there for awhile and found it was a popular place for runners to stay warm. Out on the pier I saw one woman putting on her chip, and the next thing you know, she said: Oh my gosh! - Her chip plunked into the waters of Lake Harriet, and went swimming gently towards the bottom of the lake. One of the guys with her stuck his arm down into the water to get the chip. I was walking away at that time and don't know if he got the chip or not. My guess is no.

Now it's race time. I saw my friend Ann and we chatted for awhile. We thought we picked out a good starting position - I told Ann that we were planning to run in the 8:20s and it seemed like we were in a good spot. M and A headed off to run to another porta-potti away from the start since the close ones were too crowded. M and A came back just before starting time and found me, the race started, and off we went. We had talked about running faster than 8:23s if we felt good and that's what happened. Of course, I almost always start out too fast and our first mile was a 7:59. Mile 2 - 7:49. Mile 3 - 7:49. Mile 4 - 7:49. The even streak would end there. M and A and I were running together. At water stops I would usually take two cups off the water table, stop and down them both, and then catch up to my friends. That was my water plan and I stuck to it the whole race. My S!Caps and Shot Block plan was to take 3 Shot Bloks and an S!Cap at miles 7, 10, and 13. I stuck roughly to that too, syncing them to the nearest water stop.

The race ended up being a nice Hard run. It wasn't as hard as if I raced it, but we were moving right along. My heart rate seemed fine and our pace seemed to be staying in the 7:50s. Our wildlife viewing today would be a dead squirrel (flat), a dead chipmunk (extra-flat), and a big dead rabbit (still in 3D). The rabbit was in the section along Lake Harriet where we would run three times. I'm happy to say I didn't step on it once. I'm pretty sure others did.

We hit the half marathon timer at 1:44. Most of us know that 1:45 is a Corral 1 qualifier for the Twin Cities Marathon. M and A already qualified but it's always nice to get a sub-1:45 half for marathon runners in the 3:40 range.

A mile or two from the finish M dropped back a bit. She said later that fatigue was starting to set in with 20 miles at that point for the day. A and I ran strong to the finish and had a nice final mile in the 7:30s. No drop-off in pace. Michelle finished just seconds after us. It was nice to feel good all the way to 15.5 miles; In the Spring I would have some issues with fatigue after running 13 miles and my Spring 25K was much harder at a much slower pace. Michelle, Aileen, and all have a 2:03 time for the day. It was really nice to run that race with my partners.

That's it. Nice race. Nice pace. Nice finish. We enjoyed some water, banana, and chocolate chip cookie at the finish. I really like the COL 25K mug too. I would run this one again.

My Gamin data for the race is here.

--Mark

Time to taper

Two week taper for me from now until the Birkebeiner Trail Marathon. I am in much better running shape now than I was in the Spring when I ran the Eau Claire Marathon. During the 3 months before my Spring taper, I averaged only 24.3 miles per week. I was doing more cross-training then but it didn't work for me. I needed more miles. A month before Eau Claire I ran the Ron Daws 25K in 2:14. That was a really hard race and I could not get a nice pace going which is exactly what happened in Eau Claire.

Over the past 3 months I have averaged 40.3 miles per week which is enough for me as it has kept me injury-free. I've learned several times that when I go over 45 mpw, I get hurt. Yesterday I ran the City of Lakes 25K in 2:03 [Garmin data] and felt very good and had an easier time running at a faster, and constant, pace. Those races are hard to compare except for the distance but I feel that I'm a much stronger runner now.

It's funny that I just punched in my COL 25K 2:03 into the McMillan Running Calculator and it predicts a 3:35:44 which would be a Boston Qualifier. I won't be seeing that at the Birkebeiner Marathon which is not certified and I'm sure has many more rolling hills than I can count on my fingers and toes. :-) Pulling a goal out of thin air, I think a 4:00 marathon is what I'll shoot for.

Taper:
6, 6, 6, 6, 0, 9, 0 - this week
6, 4, 4, 0, 2, race - next week

--Mark

City of Lakes 25K

Two of my main running partners are running the City of Lakes and since I should get a 15 miler in this weekend, I'll be running it too. I watched the race a couple of years ago but this will be my first year running it. Should be a fun one, especially if I end up running it with my friends.

--Mark

Brooks Glycerin 8 shoes

Some time ago Brooks discontinued the Glycerin 7's for the new 8's. I bought a pair or two of the 7's before they were gone and now I'm on my second pair of 8's. They don't fit right and the toebox was made differently between two different pairs/colors from different sources. One I bought in town was too tight which I only really noticed after wearing it a few times. Also, where my heel lands wore out way too soon - 300 miles. The second pair (shipped from the Brooks warehouse) has a higher toebox but it's also snug in the toes and after my 21 miler yesterday I had a blister on the end of my second toe. A few miles of running this morning changed it into a blood blister. That never happened in my 7's or 6's. Well, for me the Brooks Glycerin line is unacceptable. Too bad.

Sometime soon, I'll search for a new shoe. I still have my last two pairs of Glycerin 7's that both have 400 miles plus on them but I use them for trail races. I'll be bringing them out again for the Birkebeiner Trail Marathon and also the Surf the Murph 50M. Although those 7's have more miles that I like to have on them, they've served me well in all my trail racing this year.

--Mark

Nathan HPL 020

The Nathan HPL 020 is my first hydration pack. I read reviews online and people say it is comfortable to wear but sometimes there are issues with the bladder. Some people say they replace the bladder with one from Camelback. I'll go with comfort first.

I wore the pack on a 20 mile run last Friday. Since it was my first time wearing one, it was heavy at first. I liked the pockets in the front for my Shot-Bloks and S!Caps. There was some storage in a zippered compartment in the back that I didn't need to use on this run. For an all day event, I would take some time and pack a few extra things.

This pack holds about 70 ounces of water which is exactly what I used in 3 hours of running. I had no problems at all with the pack and will use it on my long runs and in the Birkebeiner Marathon in September. In the marathon I plan to stop at the half-way point to refill.

This review is short partly because I have nothing to complain about.

--Mark

Urban Wildland 5K

Ran this one with Kathy. This was a new long distance for her and she did it without walking. I finished in 30:46 and was happy to run again with her.

Her next race is the Door County Fall 50 relay where she will probably run 2 legs of 3 to 5 miles. My next race is the Birkebeiner Marathon the third weekend in September between Hayward and Cable, WI. I'm really looking forward to that one.

--Mark

Firehouse 2 mile run

I spent a 3-day weekend in Grand View, Wis. for a family reunion on the same weekend on the annual town picnic and the popular Firehouse 50 bike race. My wife Kathy has been running a little bit and was ready to run her first race, the 2-miler on Sunday. Well, during the weekend, numerous bug bites, and who know what else, caused one of Kathy's ankles to swell. It remained swollen for a few days and was still not better Saturday night. Kathy didn't think she was going to run the race. Bummer. Saturday morning (early) she was still not going to run. I had promised Kathy that I would run the race with her and I was really looking forward to that.

I took a short drive to town to register myself for the 2 miler. Instead of looking forward to an easy run (since Kathy and my paces are far from equal) I was now thinking about what degree of pain to put myself through. My nephew had said he was going to run a 12:00 and he was going to beat me. I said....Yes you will, but set your goal to 11:59 so you can be sub-6's. I decided to shoot for a 6:10 first mile and a 6:35 second mile. That would give me a 12:45 which would be a 9 second improvement over the last time I ran the race four years ago. Doable. It was nice to have the plan set and I got my shirt and bib and I headed back to the shack.

Kathy was up and her ankle was NOT swollen. She said she wanted to run the race and we headed back to town to get her registered. I erased the plan (6:10/6:35) from my head and breathed a little easier.

[fast forward to the race]

At race time we got our chips and loaded into Firetrucks and pickups for the ride out to the start. My gym teacher from 2nd Grade was driving the pickup truck we rode in. I remembered a story my Mom told me once about a 10 mile race she and him were in together. Before the race, he asked my Mom if he could just pace with her [I assume he wanted to run 'easy']. :-) She said: Sure. Mom said that it wasn't long into the race when she left him in the dust of the gravel road, huffing and puffing. I decided not to bring up his running past because that was the only story I knew.

This race was chip-timed with a horn start and just a finish line mat. The horn sounded and off we went. Kathy ran hard and only walked while taking drinks from her water bottle. In the end, she ran longer than she ever had before and at a faster pace than she expected. We finished in 18:56 and Kathy still does not enjoy running, but she finished, and she ran hard all the way. Oh, my nephew ran a 13:45 so next year I think I will be racing him. He's got some work to do to get down to the 12:00 he wants to run. I don't know if I'll beat him but whatever happens, it will be fun.

Next up: Urban Wildland 5K where Kathy and I will be running together.

This morning I registered for the Birkebeiner Trail Marathon [race date: 9/25]. This is the first year of the individual marathon event. I'm hoping the beautiful Fall colors will take my mind off the numerous rolling hills I'm sure to encounter.

--Mark

My Mom was a runner

My Mom was a runner who started running in her late 40’s. I never saw her run a race. I can’t turn back the clock but, if I could, I would have started running earlier in life and would have liked to run a race with her. She passed-away due to cancer in 1996 at age 64, almost 10 years before I started running.

As I said in my previous post, I am looking forward to running a few races with my wife Kathy. I don’t want to miss the opportunity we have to run together in the next few weeks. Kathy just completed a beginning running class and now is the perfect time for her to run a few races.

Back to my Mom - Her being a runner was part of my motivation for beginning to run around 5 years ago. I came across the newspaper clipping below that I had in my 'box of things'. She wouldn’t mind me posting it on the internet. Of course I miss my Mom.

--Mark

From the Ashland Daily Press, July 1981

15km runner goes for broke

Many competitors in Sunday’s 15K race agreed that the hot and humid conditions were far from ideal for running 9.3 miles. Some were unable to complete the event and others forced to walk a stretch in order to finish.

Their plight was understandable. But evidently some were not as ‘stubborn’ as Elizabeth Hanson, 49, the Grand View runner who placed first in the women’s 40-49 age group.

“I guess I’m kind of stubborn,” she related Tuesday. “I felt pain in my foot first, then with about two miles to go a snap, but like I said I’m stubborn and I kept on going. Sometimes I’d look over at the shade and the grass and feel like quitting …..I guess I just chanted to myself that it didn’t hurt, it didn’t hurt.”

Obviously it did.

Ms. Hanson is sporting a nice sized cast as proof – she ran the final two miles with a broken bone in her right foot!

“I went in to see Dr. Telford and discovered the foot was broken after he took an x-ray,” Hanson said. “I doubt I would have completed the race if I’d known it then.”

“I wore a new type of shoe that I’d only used twice before and I think I’ll look for another with more support before I start running again,” she continued, already planning a return to competition and rueing the end of her season.

“I’ll be in a cast for six weeks but I’ve already borrowed an exercise bike. I’ve got to do something. I won’t be able to run any more this summer.”

Hanson’s Baydays time was 78 minutes 50 seconds.

Here is a picture of her 1st-place-in-AG award. I keep it on my dresser and it's where I put all my extra race bib pins.



Mom in her old-school cast / crutches.

Next up - a few short races

My wife Kathy completed a beginning running class on Wednesday. Congrats Kathy! The class was put on through our local community education program. Kathy does not really enjoy running that much (yet) but she enjoyed the class and the people she met.

As a followup to the class, I will be running a few races with Kathy this Summer/Fall. First, a 2-mile race in Grand View, WI on August 1st. This is the town where I grew-up and that was the first race I ever ran - 5 years ago.

The following weekend we will be running the Urban Wildland 5K in Richfield, MN. Kathy is well aware that our paces don't matched but I promised her that we would run the races together. I'm looking forward to that.

My next posting will be from a newspaper article about my Mom from 30 years ago. It will tie in nicely with what I wrote above, and specifically about me running with Kathy.

--Mark

Back in good running shape

During the winter I ran less and did more cross-training on a cycle. My spring races were slower than I thought they should have been. I became aware of this after the Ron Daws 25K in early April and it was too late to adjust anything (that would affect my performance) for the Eau Claire marathon on May 2nd. Since April I have dropped on cycle class but I still do the other cycle class on light resistance just to get my legs moving at a good cadence, but not to wear out my muscles. The other thing I did is getting my weekly mileage up to approximately 40 miles per week on average. I picked that number because I have found in the past that I get injured when I go beyond 45 miles per week average for very long.

Right now I'm running quite well, am staying injury-free (knock on wood), and am enjoying running 5 to 6 days a week. My mini-goal is to get myself from where I am now to being in shape to do the Surf the Murph 50 mile race at the end of October. I realize it's not a good idea to get my weekly mileage up too high but I need to start getting in some really long (time more than miles) runs in on the weekends. I would like to shoot for a 12 hour Surf the Murph. If I can do that, I will likely register for the Bighorn 50M next year. I know.....apples and oranges. If I can't do the Surf the Murph successfully this fall, I would shoot for the Bighorn 50K.

Well, that's my current plan and of course it's subject to change.

--Mark

Run the Keweenaw 2010

Linked-photo credits: Juskuz Photography
Other pics by my kids.

Two years ago I arrived in Copper Harbor just after the Run the Keweenaw (RTK) race series had finished. Darn, I missed it. I talked to a Mother and Daughter that ran the series and they loved it. Last year I was able to run the first event of the weekend (10K trail run) and immediately after I had to go back home to Minnesota. This year it took some careful planning and I was able to run the three events in the series: On Saturday, July 10th there was a ~6K Mt. Baldy Summit run at 9am, a 12K Copper Harbor Trails Challenge at 5pm, and on Sunday there was a 25K Keweenaw Trails Run at 8am.

Last year was the 10th running of the series and this year was the first year with a new race organizer. I didn't know what was in store for the series as my only experience was the 10K in 2009. That was a tough run.

9am Saturday - Mt. Baldy Summit Run

Saturday morning I got ready and headed out of Copper Harbor and down to Eagle Harbor. The Mt. Baldy Summit run traditionally started at the beach but with road construction, it started on a road that led directly to the trail. I had picked-up my race packet Friday night but I walked over to the registration desk to write emergency contact info and were I was staying on the back of my bib. My wife was in Minnesota, my kids were in a campground....it would not have been good if something happened to me and there was not easy way to find my family.

I talked to a couple of other guys that were there early too and a little later I saw a Mom/Dad/Daughter. The daughter had just posed for a picture by the Ambulance and I decided to see what that was about. The daughter had seen something about the race in the paper and thought it would be fun. I asked her if she knew much about it....like the 750 feet of hill climb. She thought I was joking and said she hates hills. I thought this was fantastic that she showed up to a race like this, knowing nothing about it. I'll call her Wisconsin as that's what was on her shirt.

Moving on, I warmed up by running the trail up to the point of the loose sand hill (I hate loose sand) and did some warming up on the pavement too. The race started and off we went. Well, I was running hard and I was passing some, others were passing me. Around a mile in, I was running behind a girl for awhile then passed her. She only let me run for maybe a hundred yards before passing me. Oh well, I'll just follow her. She probably wanted to get away from me because I constantly had the need to clear my throat. Yuck. The noise I was making was annoying me so it probably bothered others too. This was a hard run. We run up to the top of one mountain which then we look over to the next mountain where the finish line is. So, down the other side we go and up the taller mountain. I'll call them mountains because they're a lot taller than the hills I'm used to running. I got to the top in 30:36 on a distance of somewhere around 3.5 miles. My Garmin read 3.27 but I think it was longer than that. Here is my Garmin data for the Summit run. A short while later Wisconsin crossed the finish. She didn't carry any water so I gave her the last third of my bottle. I didn't need any more. The view from the top of Mt. Baldy is spectacular. I don't have pictures and won't describe the view, you'll just have to go on that run yourself. Update: Here is a professional photo of me approaching the finish:



After most of the runners finished, Wisconsin and I walked down the mountain. This took forever and we finally ran the last mile to the start. At the awards ceremony, it turns out that both Wisconsin and I got 3rd place in our age groups and scored a nice little jug of maple syrup. Sweet!

5pm Saturday - 12K Copper Harbor Trails Challenge

I survived the first run just fine and was looking forward to the 12K. I heard some rumors that the actual distance was 11K. Either way, it was going to be a hard run if it was anything like last year. Last year was a point to point and this year it started and finished at the same location in Copper Harbor. The route was entirely runnable (by me) this year. Janice, who I met at the race last year, is #50 in the pic below, which was taken not long after the start.



A mile or so into the run I settled into a nice pace and had a woman in front of me and a guy directly behind. The woman didn't seem to mind me following close enough to just be safe. There were a lot of switchbacks on this run and most of it was single-track. Very nice for running. I think I was pushing the woman a bit and she was pulling me along too. She never looked back, just kept charging ahead. note: I felt much better than I look in the professional pic below. :-)



Us three runners had a really nice run and maybe a half mile or so from the finish the guy behind me passed us both and moved on ahead. I kept right behind the woman, she was running at the perfect pace for me and it was a hard race pace. I crossed the finish line directly behind her and when she turned around I said 'Oh, I was right behind you up the mountain this morning!' She said she thought it was me behind her and I said that she probably wasn't sure because I wasn't hacking up and clearing my throat this afternoon. :-) It wasn't until the race was over that I realized I was pacing behind that same woman (actually 16 year old girl) in both races. At this point in time she beat me twice. :-) By 3.4 seconds in the Summit Run and by 0.4 seconds in the 12K. Not that I'm racing her, but I was getting interested that we run at the same pace. From now, I'll call her JA as those are her initials. We've talked a bit but didn't exchange names. My kids were at the finish and one took two pics:



This time, I was 2nd place in my age and the awards were slices of a tree with the RTK logo burned in. Oh, my time was 54:17 and I believe the distance was ~6.8 miles.



For the 12K, my Garmin data is here. The map looks nice if you click on the 'Terrain' button.

8am Sunday - 25K Keweenaw Trails Run

I figured this run was going to be a beast and I'm not a youngster anymore so I wanted to start the race and 'take inventory' for 6 miles. I figured that I'd run the first 6 slower than I would race it, maybe 30 seconds slower per mile. I got to the start early and chatted with a few new friends. I wished AJ good luck and she lined-up closer to the start. I wanted to start back just a bit so I could take it easy. I also knew I wouldn't be on AJ's rear-end like I was the previous two races.

The race started and I felt a bit sluggish at first. About 2 miles in I had settled in right behind a guy and I was feeling pretty good. After another mile I started to get a pain in my left foot as we were climbing. This route too was very runnable as was the 12K. My foot pain went away after about a half mile but not before I was determining where I was going to drop from the race. Thankfully I was able to keep going and started to move along nicely. My pace did seem like I was going about 30 seconds slower that I could go on these trails. I decided to keep to my plan and stay slower until mile 6.

Dog on the trail....I was getting really annoyed at this dog running the trail run too. It's owner was up ahead, calling it to keep moving along and to go faster. I don't think I was the only one annoyed due to the dog on the trail. I couldn't wait to get away from that dog/owner. Also, I set a new goal for myself: Don't get beat by the little house dog. Tiny, but tough, trail running dog in pic below!



At mile 5.5 I took an S!Cap for salt, three shot blocks, and a healthy drink of water from my hand-held bottle. Just half a mile and I could take off. Yes. I felt good, stuck to my plan, and now was ready to run. Now I was running by myself and was moving right along at a natural race pace - not too slow and not too fast. I met up with a gal from Minnesota and ran with her though the lap 1 finish and up the road a bit before I left her. Now I had entered the park trails and could cruise. They were just biking/running/walking paths and were super easy to run. I made up some time here. That easy running could only last for so long and I knew there was more single-track ahead.

The picture below shows me on one of the numerous footbridges we encountered during the race.



I would repeat my S!Cap/3-shot-bloks combo at miles 8.5 and 11.5, spacing them out just right for my needs.

For those runners that didn't finish in the top few, you know what happened next. Yes, the THUNDERSTORM. I had about 3.5 miles to the finish and the skies opened up. Torrential rainfall. Oh well, doesn't help to stop so I might as well keep running. It was funny and scary at the same time as my glasses fogged up but I could still read the 'Danger, Cliff' sign, it was pouring rain, and I had to run on one of the wooden bridges. As bad as that sounds, I didn't slip and fall or plunge off the cliff. As a matter of fact, I was wearing road running shoes and I think with the significant amount of surface area contacting the bridges and rock, I had good traction. So, I moved quickly though the last 5k and crossed the finish completely soaked, dirty, and happy.

Just great running trails. This was after the rain slowed down.



My time was 2:08. Here is my Garmin data for the 25K.

Still in the finishing area was AJ, who I never saw except at the start. I asked her how she did and she said 2:05. It made me think about the '3 minutes' I 'added' in my first 6 miles. Here is the spooky part: I looked up AJ and my 2nd lap times and hers was 1:00:55.6 and mine was 1:00:56.2. AJ was 0.6 seconds faster than I was in the second lap. Spooky. You can't plan that. Anyways, this weekend is the ONLY time that AJ's and my paces will match. She is 16 and has speed in her future, I'm 50 and am slowing down. Still it's interesting to me because I never run with anyone with nearly identical racing paces.

It turned out that in this 3rd race I ended up first in my age group and got a nice locally-made ceramic mug. The sponsors also threw out gifts to the crowd after the awards and I scored some Vasque socks and Hammer Gels. Here are those awards:



Would I run this again? Yes, every year if I could. It's a mostly-runable course but I did have to walk up parts of the two summit hills/mountains and only walked up one hill in the 25K. I don't care if the course is the same or if it changes every year. It's a beautiful area with great running trails. See you in 2011.

--Mark

p.s. I don't know if the dog ever finished but I know for sure it didn't beat me. :-)

[note 7/19: I purchased the digital copies of all the photos that include me so I can post them here but I will leave the original ones linked for now.]

Afton Trail Run 25K 2010

Today was my second time running the 25K and I had a very good day of running. I'm running some races next weekend so I wanted to run a little under my capability. So I set two race goals for Afton. The first was to run with a moderate+ effort or something less than a hard effort and finish around a 2:45. My second goal was to not get lapped by a 50K racer which could happen but wouldn't be likely.

I'm typing this on a touch-screen phone so this report might be pretty short. I arrived at Afton around 6am so I could watch the 50K runners start and then chat with 25k runners that arrived early. I was planning to carry a water bottle as it was going to be a hot one. Strangely, with the cloud cover and breeze, it seemed cool so I put my water bottle back in the car. Of course, right before the race start time of 7:30, the sun came out and it started getting warm.

We were given instructions that were some course changes and instructions on how to not get lost. I must have listened because I didn't get lost....I get lost every time I run out there training.

I did a good job and running at a nice moderate effort. I liked the course changes and hope next year's course is the same as this year. The aid stations were great. Today I used 3 S!Caps, 6 Shot Bloks (one package), and one orange slice. Seemed good for me today.

Back to running....as I said, I was not pushing hard but I was still moving right along. Something clicked-in after 9 miles and I got into an effortless, but fast, running rhythym. I just cruised right along until mile 11 when the heat was starting to affect me. Oh well, at least I got in 2 great miles of running. haha

Wrapping this up, I finished in 2:36 and felt great at the finish. Goal 1 complete. I wasn't lapped by any 50K runners however I believe Chris Lundstrom's time was 3:48 for a new course record. Made that goal with only 12 minutes to spare. Great job Chris Lundstrom!

I chatted with friends at the finish and then called it done for another year. My one line summary is "I loved every minute of it." You'll see me out there again in 2011.

--Mark

Cheap folding water cup

...Sandwich-sized zip-lock bag

Most of my runs are on routes with drinking fountains. Although many of those fountains provide a good stream of water, some have a very low flow and it's a pain to get much from them easily.

Today I had a small zip-lock bag with me (original use was to carry some Shot-Bloks). I filled the bag mostly full at one of those low-flow, barely bubbling, water fountains. Then I pinched one of the zip-lock sides into a loop for pouring, tipped it up, and drank it down. It worked great, weighs nothing, and takes up little room in a pocket. I never thought of carrying a little zip-lock bag for use as a water cup so maybe this tip will be handy for you too.

--Mark

Coming up: Afton 25K and the Keweenaw trail series

I'm excited about running the Afton 25K on July 3rd. It will be my 3rd time in that race - 25K in 2007, 50K in 2008. Missed it last year due to family obligations. I chose the 25K this year. This was mostly because I run best in races 25K or shorter. Also, I'm running a bunch of trails one week from Afton....

The weekend after Afton, July 10-11, I'll be in the UP of Michigan to run what I think will be a nice trail series. Saturday there will be a ~6K hill climb run in the morning followed by a 12K trail run in the late afternoon. Sunday morning is a 25K trail run. This is the Run the Keweenaw series in Copper Harbor, MI. I ran only one of the races last year (10K then) and loved it. I'll be spending about a week in the area and am looking forward to some peace and quiet and a few 4-6 mile easy runs sandwiched between the Afton and Keweenaw races.

For 2011, I hope to do the races above again. In addition, since Helen said the Bighorn Trail Run was "BEAUTIFUL", I've been reading about that event and looking at pics. I want to enter Bighorn next year at the 50K or 50M distance. Whether I finish, or DNF, I'm expecting it would be an event to remember.

--Mark

25K's and team races are what I like

I never took the time to see how many races I've run of various distances. This is my 5th year of running so my preferences of what I like to run are starting to show. Here's a list of what I've run:

1 mile - 2
2 mile - 3
5K - 1
8K/5M - 2
10K - 4
10 mile - 4
Half marathon - 4
25K - 4
Marathon - 4
50K - 2
Team relays - 9

I'll be running two more 25K races and a team race this year. That will put my 25K's up to 6 and team races (relays) up to 10. At this point in time 25Ks are my favorite distance but what I really like the most are team relay races. For my future race planning, no distance is out of the question but most of the races I'll be doing will be from 10 miles to Marathon distance.

--Mark

Eau Claire Marathon 2010

A story, with a little racing thrown in.

It was going to work out best this year to pick and early marathon. How early? April would be great. Hmmm....the Boston Marathon fits but it's not going to work because I would need to qualify first. Next was the Eau Claire Marathon. It's close, early - May 2nd, and it's a small marathon. It was perfect for me and I signed up for it early.

Now all I needed to do was train for it and that's what I did throughout the Winter. I ran 3 or 4 days a week, not adhering to any plan but I managed to get in three 20-milers. The final one of those was smooth as silk and I felt good about the EC marathon.

The Ron Daws 25K was my see-what-my-speed-is race. Using the McMillan Running Calculator online it put me in the area of a 3:50 marathon. A little apples and oranges but it turned out not too far off from a good prediction. I ran a 3:37 in the perfect weather (for me) last year in the Twin Cities marathon so I had a Boston Qualifier of 3:35 in the back of my mind if I had a perfect+ day all around. I was expecting the EC Marathon would see me at the finish in 3:45 to 3:50.

One of my running partners, Brendan, was planning to run the EC marathon with me. Who's Brendan you may ask? Well, if you ran the team race at the Trail Mix in Bloomington this Spring, Brendan ran in his kilt. Ahhh...now you remember. :-) Brendan left his kilt at home for this trip. We're going to Wisconsin for Pete's sake, not Scotland. Saturday afternoon Brendan stopped over at my house to pick me up for the drive to EC. I had the please of driving there in his 1973 Chevrolet Cheyenne pickup truck (61,000 miles) with a 454 engine and dual carbs. I offered to drive my small car but the Chevy won and the gas stations were smiling for the cash they were about to receive. I'm old enough to know, but it started sprinkling on the way and I had to ask Brendan how to turn on the lights and then how to dim them. I haven't used a floor dimmer switch since I drove my Dad's '66 Ford pickup. We made it to our hotel in EC with the help of a GPS and it still doesn't seem right that cell phones, Brendan's laptop, and GPS technology were all used in that truck on the drive out.

The expo was at the YMCA in town. It was nice as far as I'm concerned but all I ever need is my race packet and I like cotton gloves if anyone is giving them away but I didn't see any gloves there. My packet had my chip and my shirt and I noticed my shirt was a size Large. I wear an extra large but then I remembered that when I signed up for the race I was going to lose some weight over the winter. That didn't happen and in fact I gained some pounds. XL is what I needed and the nice person at packet pickup told me to check at the tent on race day to exchange my shirt. That's OK with me.



I wanted some Pasta for dinner and a school friend from my childhood just happens to run a couple of Italian restaurants in Eau Claire. I contacted her and we met her Saturday night at her casual restaurant. I hadn't seen her in 33 years but she looks the same. I was craving some of the red wine that Brendan had with his dinner but I stuck with water to not upset my race day. Dinner was great and I think I was asleep by 9:30.

I packed my only breakfast. It's what I stumbled on that works for me: 2/3 of a slice of wheat toast spread with creamy natural peanut butter. I set my alarm for 4:30 to have my small sandwich and water. Then I went back to bed until 6am when I was woken by a nightmare....I dreamed someone handed me a small glass of something to drink. I drank about a quarter of it and asked what it was. The voice said yogurt with yeast mixed in. In my dream I thought, "Great, now my stomach is really going to gurgle in the race.". At that point I was wide awake. All I needed was a stomach problem so I was happy it was just a dream/nightmare.

I got my race stuff together....18 shot bloks, 6 S!Caps, and some wet wipes in a plastic bag. You never know. My plan was to start taking 3 bloks every 4 miles starting at mile 8 and one S!Cap every 6 miles starting at mile 6. I would end up sticking to that plan. I would finish with 3 S!Caps (my spares) and 3 shot bloks left. note: After the finish, I took one more S!Cap right away and then another one 30 minutes later. I was very happy that I didn't have any cramps during or at any time after the marathon.

We were off to Carson Park and I exchanged my shirt for an XL and got in the line for the restroom. With 15 minutes to spare I walked to the start and Brendan and I met a guy, Tom, that recently broke at least one and up to three toes. Ouch. He changed this race into a training run. I think I would have sat this one out. The start for the marathon was combined with the half marathon start. The course was to be shared for the first 5 miles. I liked that as there would be more people to pace with right away. The danger was that it might pull me out too fast. I lined up between the 8:00 and 9:00 pace markers. There were a lot of people in front of me and even more behind.

The horn sounded and off we went. I have a Garmin and remembered to hit the start with the mat so all was good. The first thing I noticed was that my shorts were dragging to low. All the Shot Bloks were weighing them down and I had to keep pulling them up. I thought, Man, this is going to be a long race. Thankfully after about a mile I think my skin turned a little sweaty and the shorts held tight otherwise it was going to turn into the butt crack run of 2010. Whew. I kept a nice and easy pace that I wanted to hold until mile 5 and then start picking it up after the half marathoners were gone. My heart rate was low (ignore the initial heart rate readings if you see my Garmin chart later) and things were going well. The temp was somewhere around 52 degrees at the start and we were in full sun. I don't like the sun for racing but I felt fine.

I caught up to a young guy around mile 6 and asked him his goal. He said 4 to 4:30. I said 3:45 to 3:50 and we stayed together for a few minutes and I moved ahead. I was racing with effort. Nothing had clicked-in yet and I was not just cruising along. It was like a long run that takes more work that you think it should. My TCM 2009 was near effortless as was my last 20 mile long run. I could not run like that in the ECM. So, I ran what I could run without going over. My average pace was about 8:35 at this time and I new I needed to get it down towards 8:00 to have a really good race. I tried picking it up to around a 8:05 pace and my heart rate would just tick, tick, tick up. Darn, I had to back off. I also knew that I 'should' be able to hold around a 154 average heart rate for a marathon. What happened now is that I was running by feel while keeping tabs on my heart rate. This also meant that I was locking in to a 8:30-ish pace. Fine. Around mile 9 I ran up along side of Tom (the broken toe guy) and we talked for a while. Tom wasn't doing the best. On a good day he should have been cruising at 7:45's by now. He was in the 8:30's with me. A mile or so later I moved ahead. There was a large hill around mile 11 or so and then the course was going to be mostly flat until the hill at mile 26. You can see the course and my paces in my Garmin data.

Half way up the sizable mile 11/12 hill I ran up to a young woman running with an older man. The older man was talking constantly. I would not have been able to handle it. She seemed to be captive only due to pace and I wondered how she was going to lose him. I don't mind talking a small amount in a race but not long conversations. I noticed that he was doing 90% of the talking. I moved ahead and up the hill onto the plateau near the airport. Here is was just as sunny as everywhere else but we also had the wind to deal with. I'm sure the wind slowed my down a small amount but the breeze felt good.

Water stops were good at about every 2 miles, the volunteers were very supportive of us runners and there were more than enough spectators out considering the size of the race. Everyone was very supportive. I've found I need to drink quite a bit so at every water stop I'd have two cups of water. They were never full but two seemed enough except one time I took three. I didn't drink these on the run. I'd always stop for the approx 5 or 7 seconds it took to down the water.

I felt good later in the race but I still never fell into a good smooth race pace. On the plus side, I wasn't crashing and burning and I didn't really hit a hard wall. My pace slowed more after mile 16 but I was still had a 9:xx pace going so it was more of a gentle wall. Brendan found me around mile 19. He was riding his bike and then rode near me most of the way in. Here's a pic of me on one of the numerous river crossings late in the race.



Somewhere near mile 22 I encountered the older man who loves to talk that I first heard on the mile 11/12 hill. He started talking to me now too and I kind of wanted to shake him. As he was passing me, I asked him if he was in his 50's. He said no, 62. I said great, we are in different age groups. We would cross paths a time or two more before the finish. I would not know until after the results were posted that he was my high school chemistry teacher from around 1975 until 1977 when I graduated. I don't remember him talking that much back then. I really wish I would have known it was him and I would have endured the talking just to catch up on things. I ended up going into engineering partly due to his teaching abilities. Small world.

In the end, my old chemistry teacher kicked my butt and I had a nice 3:56 finishing time according to the results. I didn't injure anything but of course still have a significantly-sore body one day later. Oh yeah, Tom (broken toes) finished a bit behind me and had significant foot pain. I hope he doesn't regret running the race.

Back to the marathon...I liked it very much and could see myself running it again some year. For 2010 though, the Eau Claire marathon was my first and last this year. Next up is the Afton 25K Trail Run on July 3rd.

--Mark