Speed Work

I met Tanjie and Matt this morning for an out and back warmup on the Swan Creek trail. Then Matt and I did some speed work followed by an out and back cool down on the Swan Creek trail. Tanjie snapped some photos on the warm up on the trail. It was so dark that we didn't even know it was foggy until the flash showed us! Nice run, guys. I'm glad y'all could join me.

We did 1 mile (6:38), 2 x 800m(3:10, 3:14), and 4 x 400 m (1:24, 1:27, 1:23, 1:21). The total mileage including warmup and cool down was about 7.75. I really like that the last two quarters were the fastest. That's going to be my theme for the new year, to finish strong. I want to finish workouts and to finish races strong.

Trail Runs

This weekend was spent on the trails on Monte Sano. I wanted to give trail runs a shot before committing to Mount Cheaha. I had never done a trail run before Friday. I was concerned that it wouldn't be something I could do because both of my ankles are weak and one is arthritic. If anything, I think trail running will strengthen my ankles.

Friday, I met Mark at Monte Sano and we ran the Mt. Mist trail up to the South Plateau loop, then ran around the Family Bike Trail and the Fire Tower Trail. Then we took the North Plateau loop down to Cold Springs Trail and called it a day at 11 miles total. He took it easy on me by running those easy trails. It was an absolute blast!!! There were a couple of deer sightings and it was just beautiful there.

Saturday, Matt and I rode over to Monte Sano and met Mark for another trail run. I forgot my Garmin and that frustrated me, but Mark had his to keep track of mileage for us. We started the same as Friday, but took McKay Hollow Trail to Arrowhead and Natural Well Trail and back up a steep climb on McKay Hollow Trail. That was quite a bit more difficult than Friday's run. It ended up being somewhere around 13.5 miles. Beautiful!!!!

I'm hooked on trail running. Mount Cheaha is definitely something I want to do now.

Cruise

Tuesday was the second hard run since the marathon. I'm pain free, and feeling as well as I did before the race. I did 2 warmup miles, 3 x 1 mile repeats (6:37, 6:35, 6:32) and then 2 cooldown miles for 7 total. Yesterday was an easy 4 mile treadmill run at 8:45 - 9:00 at 1.5 incline. Today was, well, Christmas so I did nothing except eat junk. :)

I'm still thinking about running the Mount Cheaha 50k. I probably will, but it depends on how the next few weeks go.

And I'm considering what to do with this blog. It was a blog for the Rocket City Marathon. Well, it's over and I'm recovered (and this blog was a HUGE help to me in accomplishing that goal), so now what? Still thinking about that, too.

What next, part 2...

I had my first pain free run since the marathon yesterday. I think I may be fully recovered. I did 11 miles total, mostly running at about an 8:15 pace with 2 pickup miles at 7:30 and 7:18. It felt really good, and I missed running more than I thought I did.

I ran 2.5 easy treadmill miles on Monday after the race, and my knee was sore after that. Then I ran 6.62 outdoor miles on Thursday. I ran them at about 7:30, and that was just too fast too soon and it hurt like mad. My knee was killing me until yesterday. Yesterday's run was fantastic.

I think I may have found my next race. While I was in Fleet Feet Friday to pickup the Rudolph Run packets, Leigh picked up some gear and the girls got some much needed new shoes. Dink recommended a race for me to try next, the Mount Cheaha 50k. I told him that I missed signing up for Mountain Mist because I didn't know if I was good enough for that race. He confirmed that I was ready for a challenge like that, and that Mount Cheaha is a fantastic race. Anyone want to train with me for that race on Feb. 28? I've got a reluctant "go" from Leigh. It looks like a brutal challenge. I need to hit the trails soon.

Another reason I LOVE Fleet Feet... Where else can you go and the owner spends nearly an hour with you chatting about running, races, and gear while helping you pick out your stuff? Every time I go there, it's a great customer experience.

Rudolph Run 5k and 1 Mile

Today was Leigh's first road race!! She did great, too! No walking through the entire 5k. Nice job! I'm proud of you! Pick another one and train again! I did the 1 mile with Erin and Lindsey. They both did great, too! No walking for either of them through the entire mile! And it was tons of fun! They announced 750 registered runners for this race today. NICE! The results will most likely be posted at the HTC website when they're available. I didn't see many Limestone runners that I recognized, but I'm sure Tanjie will summarize the Limestone county results on her blog.

I want to congratulate several finishers that I knew in this 5k race, in no particular order.

• Leigh Patterson - Yay! Are you hooked now?
• Martha Bowen - Thanks for training with Leigh. Nice job!
• Lynn Dozier - I knew you could do it!
• Sarah Brewer - Just one more step in preparing for the CM half!
• Madelyn Patton - It must have been easy after the Rocket City Marathon last Saturday!

And just a few pics from the race can be found on my Facebook page.

What next?

The marathon was much more fun than I expected it to be. Someone told me that means I didn't push hard enough. That's probably true. I know I could have run it faster. I will run my next one faster. But I had an absolute blast AND posted what I consider a respectable finish time. That's enough for a first marathon.

One thing I just noticed is that I negative split my first marathon. My second half was 3 minutes faster than my first half. I planned to do that, but did not expect to do that. I'm really happy about that. I know it's more because of a conservative start than a strong finish, but the finish was strong enough. I'll finish my next one even stronger.

One thing I failed to mention in my VERY long recap is how giddy I was for the first 15-16 miles. I had a goofy grin on my face that I couldn't remove! I was truly taking in the moment, saying, "I can't believe I'm running a marathon!" And I felt MUCH better than I expected to.

So, what next? I definitely want to run Rocket City again next year. I want to train harder for it and run it faster. But what about the immediate future? I need a big race to train for to keep myself in shape. I didn't sign up for Mt. Mist because I didn't think I was worthy of that race. After the marathon performance, I believe I could finish it, but it's too late to sign up now. Oh well. I'm thinking about the Black Warrior 50k. I've never done trail running, and I don't have any trail shoes. I'm also considering the Country Music Half Marathon (maybe even the full 26.2? Naa, it's too soon). And I'll support as many local, shorter races as I can by running or volunteering.

Credits...

There are several people deserving of a BIG "Thank You!"

First, my wife, Leigh, is most deserving. I started basebuilding back in July. Do you have any idea how gross my clothes are after running hills in July in Alabama, then letting them sit in the trunk of my car all day? Well, Leigh does. And I ALWAYS had clothes to work out in. ALWAYS. Plus, other than calling me crazy several times, she has been amazingly supportive. She was my personal aid station and photographer at the marathon. I LOVE YOU!!! I am so blessed and thankful for such a wonderful wife! Good luck with the Rudolph Run Saturday! I'm so excited for her first 5k!!

Second, my friend Mark Freeman sent me thousands of text messages to make sure I was not slacking. I mean, this guy would even ask what I was eating. He held me accountable! We both wanted to be below an 8:00 average pace for the marathon. He was; I wasn't. It must have been the cheesecake. Also, he says I talked him into running the marathon. I say he talked me into it. Either way, thanks, buddy.

Another person that I could NOT have done this without is Matt Davis. Matt realized several weeks ago that he wasn't going to be able to run in the Rocket City Marathon because of scheduling. But he still trained with me! Oh, he was easily ready to run the marathon Saturday. Search the blog for Matt and see how many times he drug my lazy head out of bed. He even ran a 20 miler with me knowing he wasn't going to run the marathon. And Leigh calls ME crazy. Thanks, Matt! We'll pick out another race and train like madmen again.

I've blamed Angie Reed for ever getting me into running. She was the first person I met who actually liked to run. I had tried running several times before in my life, but I always hated it. I didn't know that it was possible to like it. After hearing her talk about running, I decided to try it open to the possibility that I could like it. The next thing I knew, I was training for Cotton Row and then I was hooked. She volunteered at Rocket City Marathon. She also dubbed my fat pictures as "Eric at large" which I think is hilarious. Thanks, Angie.

Thanks to Kevan Moore who has cheered for me in this effort like no one else! He checked on me and congratulated nearly every training long run. He has shown genuine enthusiasm that I believe only Kevan is capable of! On the day that I ran 20 miles for the first time, he came over and mowed my yard. I sure wasn't looking forward to walking behind that lawn mower after 20 miles! Thanks!

And there are several others who encouraged me along the way. Mike Greene was always checking on me, bragging on me, setting an example for me with his training habits, and gave me lots of advice. Tanjie Schrimsher and Whitney Hollingsworth direct the only two races that I know about in Limestone County. I really appreciate it! Both of those races were very important parts of my training. And Tanjie writes a great blog about Limestone County runners. Any time she mentions me, traffic to my blog spikes!

And thanks to all the volunteers and police officers who made the Rocket City Marathon the great event it was! I was sure to thank them as I ran by Saturday.

Race recap

Again, what a blast! Results are in.

I saw Tim McNeill (fellow Athens runner) and his family in the hotel lobby just before heading out to the start line. Nice run today, Tim. Then I saw Joey Butler on his way out. He had a VERY strong run today at 3:22. WOW!!! Nice job, Joey. That's Tim and me below.


It was cold at the start. I'm guessing low 30's? I knew I would warm up, so I didn't want to overdress, but I was literally shivering waiting for the starting gun. Part of the shivering was excitement, but most of it was cold! I started far back because I knew I was going to start slow. Thanks to my training accountability partner, Mark Freeman, who started with me even though his pace was far more aggressive than mine. Good job Mark!! It was awesome keeping up with your training for this race. We're going to have to pick another race to train for soon. This dude sent me a text message every day to check on my training. It's a ton easier to train when you know you have friends who really care about your training. Below is Mark and I shivering at the start.


I stuck to my plan for mile 1. Slow and easy. About 1.5 miles into the race, Philip Stewart caught me and we ran together and chatted until near the 3 mile marker, hitting the 2 mile split a little faster than I planned. I made up for it in mile 3 by slowing just a bit. Somewhere past mile 4, someone lost their breakfast. YUCK! It was still there on the way back. EWWW! That's awfully early to be having that problem.

Here's Mark Freeman just past mile 5.


Leigh was waiting at Airport road just past 5 miles with a fresh water bottle.

I had a fairly lonely run until just before the 7 mile mark at Whitesburg Elementary where I met up with Glen King. It was a brief meeting, but it was good to see him running pretty good. Then, just past the 7 mile mark, I met Ronnie Nelson and chatted with him for a bit. He said that he had read my plan on the blog and was expecting me about now. :) Good to see you Ronnie!

Just past the 8 mile split, I met a nice lady, Debbie, from Columbus, GA, who was a multi-time marathoner. She encouraged me pretty good and we had a nice chat up till just past mile 10. Then, Philip Stewart caught me again. He was running pretty strong today! We had a nice chat until near the 12.1 mile aid station. In the pic below, that's Phillip and I chatting it up near mile 11. Just ahead of us is Debbie.
I hit the halfway split just behind my target of 1:48 and was happy to see Whitney Hollingsworth there calling the splits. Thanks for volunteering! It was an absolute blast and wouldn't have been possible without the hard work and sacrifice of the volunteers.

Then, it got lonely and difficult! I didn't see anyone I knew again until Leigh, like clockwork, was waiting at Mt. Gap Road just shy of the 18 mile marker with a fresh water bottle. THANKS and I LOVE YOU!!!
Other than the brief water bottle exchange, I didn't see anyone I knew at all between mile 12 and mile 20. That was a long 8 miles. My feet were starting to hurt, but other than that I was feeling pretty good. I wasn't hitting my planned pace starting at 18 miles, so I started to realize that 3:30 was a long shot. I was getting discouraged, then I met up with Eric Fritz and Emily Johnson. Eric's a solid distance runner. Emily is downright impressive. She held off my sprint at the end of the Monte Sano 10k back in August to finish just ahead of me. She outright laid a BEATDOWN on me on the last 10k of the marathon today. We ran together for a bit, but she was running very strong and left Eric and I pretty far behind. She was about 5 seconds ahead at the 21 mile marker and opened that lead up to 1:10 by the finish. Tom Holt (fellow Athenian) also passed me near the 21 mile marker and finished strong.

From then until the end, I was alone again. And I was beginning to fade. People were slowing badly beyond the 22 mile split. There were people walking, and others were stopped and stretching out cramps. One guy was laying on his back in the grass in someone's yard. He said he was fine, though, and got up as I was running by. No one looked to be in serious trouble, but I sure was passing folks who were fading. And I got passed by a few, too.

The one break in the lonesomeness was when I saw Angie Reed at Airport Road for one last word of encouragement before the end. "Finish strong, Eric!" she said as I ran by. Thanks for the cheering and for volunteering to help with the race, Angie!

Beginning at mile 24, I started hurting. I wanted to STOP! I kept telling myself, though, that I didn't train this hard to stop 2 miles short. Oh, it hurt, though! What hurt? EVERYTHING! I slowed more than I wanted to, and told myself over and over that 2 miles is nothing. Nothing.

The last mile is no doubt the longest mile I have ever run!!! There was no kick at the end. I was just thinking FINISH!!!

The race directors let Leigh put my finishing medal on me, and that was VERY special to me. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful wife! I LOVE YOU!!!

When I stopped... OH THE PAIN! It took a good 45 minutes before I was anywhere near normal again.

At the finish Mark was waiting on me. Thanks, bud. Also, my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and nephew were there to congratulate me. My parents brought my daughters there to congratulate me, too. And, last but not least, a good friend who has been incredibly supportive of me in this, Kevan Moore, showed up just to congratulate me. Dude, thanks! You've been just about as excited as I have about this. Sometime next week, I want to eat a cheeseburger at Five Guys with you! I definitely thought more than once that these people drove all the way from Limestone County to see me finish! Thanks for your support!

And unofficial splits for those who care.... 3:33:21 gun time (which is when I started my watch) and 3:33:02 chip time.

1. 8:51
2. 8:26
3. 8:23
4. 8:11
5. 7:57
6. 8:10
7. 8:00
8. 8:03
9. 7:59
10. 8:01
11. 8:03
12. 7:57
13. 8:02
14. 7:54
    
15. 7:54
    
16. 8:02
    
17. 7:55
    
18. 7:40 (my first in the 7:40's, a little late)
    
19. 7:44 (my last in the 7:40's, a little early)
    
20. 7:53
21. 8:12
22. 7:55
23. 8:18 (starting to hurt)
24. 8:04 (hurting)
25. 8:15 (really hurting really bad)
26. 8:13 (can't adequately describe the pain)
    

Quick Race Summary

WHAT A BLAST!!!!! Today was so much fun! I guess that means I'm officially crazy to think that running for 3.5 hours solid is fun. 3:33:21. I was hoping for sub-3:30, but I'm still VERY pleased with the time.

Again, I must say, the distance MUST be respected!!! It is FAR! There's no way to describe the pain I was feeling at about mile 24 or 25. And it hurt a lot worse after crossing the finish line!

BIG thanks to Leigh for being my mobile aid station. I didn't have to stop at an aid station because she was showing up along the course to swap water bottles for me. Thanks and I love you!

I saw a lot of Athens folks at the race. I'm sure Tanjie will summarize the Limestone county finishers on her blog soon after the results are posted. I really appreciate that service.

I will give more details in a later post... gotta go celebrate, then I'll finish the update.

Oh yeah...

I blabbed so much in my earlier post about thanks and goals that I forgot to mention my training. I missed yesterday's workout because of a whacked out road schedule. Deadlines here, presentations there, phone calls somewhere else, and then it's too late to do anything except sleep. I read that there's nothing that you can do in the week of the marathon to make you more ready, so I didn't sweat it.

Today, I took a leisurely 2.5 mile lunchtime jog around downtown Seattle. It was hilly, cold, and wet (of course it was wet, it was in Seattle), but it felt great. I really wanted to go farther, but I knew better. I love Seattle; it's one of my favorite cities. I finished the run at Pike Place with a mocha from the first Starbucks ever (along with the University of Nebraska women's volleyball team, tall girls!). Then I walked over to a recommended lunch-only local sushi joint. Yum.

I'm excited.

Getting Closer

Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement! I've gotten blog comments, phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, IM's, and SMS text messages with words of encouragement for Saturday. I've even gotten a couple of in-person (Do we still know how to talk face to face these days?) comments. THANK YOU!!!

I'm excited! My legs feel great. The encouragement has boosted my confidence. The only real negative now is that I've probably overdone the "fueling" this week and will have an extra pound or two to carry, but oh well.

Here's my plan...

1. 9:00
2. 9:00
   
3. 8:30
4. 8:15
5. 8:15 (43:00 for 5 mile split)
   
6. 8:00
7. 8:00
8. 8:00
9. 8:00
10. 8:00
11. 8:00
12. 7:50
    
13. 7:50 (Hope to be around 1:47+ for the half split)
14. 7:50
15. 7:50
16. 7:50 (I've been crashing at 15 on my long runs that start too fast. Hoping to make it through that barrier Saturday with the slow start)
17. 7:50
18. 7:50
19. 7:40 (I hope I feel like speeding up!!!!)
20. 7:40
21. 7:40
22. 7:40
23. 7:40
24. 7:40
25. 7:40
26. Whatever I can manage!!!!

That's my plan for a perfect day. It's ambitious, I know. That'll put me home in sub 3:30, and gives me some wiggle room on those last few miles to still hit 3:30. That's ideal and I won't be crushed if I miss that. But that's my plan. Plans may change based on how I feel. I may split them all above 8, and I guess I'll have to live with that.

I've been told that I'm crazy for thinking 3:30 is possible for a first marathon. I've been laughed at for mentioning 3:30 as a potential goal. I hope to prove that wrong, but I was told that by a far more experienced runner, so there's probably a lot of validity to it.

That's my first goal. 3:30 on a perfect day. My second goal is 4:00. My third goal is to avoid the DNF.

Easy, easy

Three easy miles is what the schedule called for today. My wife asked if I would run with her, so I was more than happy to. Today was another LDF for her, 2.5 miles. She made it!!! I'm very proud of her. She has toughed it out on some cold, miserable days, and through sickness and an ankle injury. She's really making progress! The 5k will be a breeze for her.

Thanks to all who encouraged me after my discouraged Sunday post. I'm ready. I believe y'all.

And another commercial before I go...

I got some new shoes back in early November, the Asics GT 2140. I loved my Asics GT 2130's. The GT 2140's are almost identical, but more comfortable at the top around the ankle. They're a very subtle upgrade. I loved the 2130's, but I really love the 2140's.

On cold days, you need some Mizuno breath thermo gloves. I was skeptical of the claims of these gloves, but they were the same price as other gloves, so I tried them. These are very nice gloves and they work as advertised. When I wipe sweat from my brow, my hands warm up.

Of course, you can get this gear at Fleet Feet. I love that store. They have great customer service, very friendly and knowledgeable employees (I look forward to chatting every time I go there), and they are GREAT at supporting the local running community.

Last hard workout

Today was a carbon copy of Thursday's workout with faster times. 2 miles tempo, 2:00 rest, 2 800m cruise with 1:30 rest between, 2 400m speed with 1:30 rest between. It was much colder and dryer today, though. Big thanks to Matt for joining me and for pushing me on the last 400 for a strong finish.

1. 7:03
2. 6:53

1. 3:11
2. 3:12 (both were too fast)

1. 1:28
2. 1:22
   

Race Day Approaching...

I just wanted to share a few more random thoughts on an off day as Rocket City Marathon race day approaches. I only have one more scheduled off day before the race. That doesn't mean that I'll only take one more day off. I have to travel some this week and my schedule will get whacked out just a bit on the road. Traveling this week is a bummer, adding some to my anxiety.

Friday night I made the mistake of driving the course. I don't think I should have done that. It took over an hour to drive it, and the distance really sank in. I'm completely intimidated now! It really hit me when we crossed Airport road on the way back and I realized that was around 23 miles and we still had to go all the way back downtown. Whew.

I'm afraid I won't sleep this week, especially Friday night. I have no idea what pace I should run. I want a respectable time, but I don't want to bonk. My tapering workouts have seemed harder than I think they should.

Several have told me that they read my blog and think I'm ready. I guess I just have to trust them! I'm nervous already, and it's a week away.

Taking It Easy

I'm taking it easy for the next week. After reading this article in Running Times I don't want to use the word "taper". I'm peaking, not tapering. I guess tapering by another name is still tapering. Anyway...

I took yesterday off and I shouldn't have. I was scheduled for 5 miles and I just didn't do it. I have no excuse except that I was late to bed Thursday night. I slept plum till 6:30 Friday morning and got too busy with work to fit it in any other time during the day. I'll accept scolding for my slacking. I deserve it.

Today, I was scheduled for a 65-75 minute run. I got up at the way too early (for a Saturday) time of 5:45. Then I met Matt and we ran the Duck and Run course and headed east on Washington to Athens High. We did 10 miles at a shade over an 8:00 pace, and I again worked on finishing strong.

1. 8:20
2. 8:12
3. 7:56
4. 8:08
5. 8:18
6. 8:09
7. 8:13
8. 8:09
9. 7:41
10. 7:10
    

Great News!

First, thanks to all who have asked. I've gotten emails and messages and been asked in person about the ankle. Thanks for all your concern and encouragement along the way! We're almost there!!! The ankle is much better! It is still swollen, bruised, and tender to touch. Moving side to side is not pleasant, but running forward is pain free! So I ran this morning, and ran pretty hard.

My goal was 2 miles @ 7:03, 2 x 800 @ 3:21, 2 x 400 @ 1:31. I met Matt on my way over to Lake Athens High... er... I mean the Athens High 1.5 mile track. It was wet and soupy. We were hurdling and dodging puddles a lot! Also, it was much warmer than I expected this morning. We took two minutes between the 2 miles and the first 800, and 1:30 between the others.

1. 7:10 (just a tad over a mile 1.04, it wasn't as slow as we thought, Matt)
2. 6:45

1. 3:13
2. 3:18

1. 1:26
2. 1:24

Nice, strong finish. I hope I'm ready! And I'm thankful that the ankle is better.

Not Very Smart

I LOVE to play racquetball. I've always had a knack for it. I picked it up very quickly. Even without focusing on it, I still play at a pretty high level (middle of the pack A player for those who know racquetball's divisions). That's not true of other athletic endeavors for me. I stink at tennis. I'm not a good golfer. I'm terrible at basketball. But racquetball has just come naturally for me.

Now, I'm more fit than ever (thanks to running), and that makes it even more fun because I'm able to track down so many would-be winners by my opponent. I'm able to smile and talk trash when my opponent needs extra seconds between points to rest. So, when I was invited to play racquetball after work yesterday, I just couldn't resist. It's just so much fun!!

Well, the one thing that I didn't want to happen, happened. Yep. I rolled my ankle. I was aggressively tracking down a ball, jumped to get a good angle on it, and landed on the side of my foot and fell to the floor. I felt a huge empty spot in my stomach. I could just imagine myself trying to beat 6 hours in the marathon on crutches! The good news is that the shot was a winner. :) The better news is I was able to finish the game and play two more games, so there will be no crutches. But as soon as it cooled down, it hurt.

Ugh. It's swollen, sore, and bruised. I'm resting and icing. I was able to go 2 of my scheduled 4 miles this morning. The pain is bearable, but I'm going to rest and ice and hope for the best. I'm going to give running another try on Friday to see how it goes. Leigh (my wife) and Mark are not happy with me right now. Sorry. It was dumb, I know. No more risky behavior before the marathon.

Oh yeah, the boring stuff. Today's exercise... 2 road miles 8:00, 7:35 + weights.

• 10,10,9,6,3 chin ups
• 3 x 10 bent dumbbell rows with 55 lb. dumbbell
• 3 x 10 upright rows with 85 lb. barbell
• 3 x 30 back hyperextensions
• 3 x 10 weighted oblique twists
• 3 x 15 side bends with 55 lb. dumbbell
  

Speed Work

It was cold, dark, rainy, snowy, sleety, and windy this morning. Gutting it out this morning is something I'll definitely call to memory sometime during the race. Running west was particularly miserable with the wind pelting the sleet right into my face. I had to "reachdown" both to start and to finish this AM.

Today called for 4 x 400 @ 1:31, 2 x 800 @ 3:21, 4 x 400 @ 1:31. I took 1:30 rest in between. I have been taking 2:00. That 0:30 REALLY makes a difference!

1. 1:25
2. 1:31
3. 1:20
4. 1:31

1. 3:15
2. 3:20

1. 1:26
2. 1:31
3. 1:34
4. 1:23

I was fading fast at the end. I really had to gut that last one out. I had a goal of finishing strong because I want to finish all my remaining workouts strong so that hopefully I can train my body to finish the race strong. I thought I was going to puke on the last one, but I did "reachdown" and finish it strong. I've heard that you should finish speed work feeling like you could do more. I didn't feel like I could have done more today!