A slight readjustment

I think I’ve come to a conclusion about my running:

I’d rather win (or at least have a shot at winning) than running fast.

Come again?

I would rather have a chance to win a race than to simply run a good time. Oh, I definitely want to run fast and I believe that running fast and winning are not mutually exclusive. But I believe I have talked myself into thinking that I might have a chance to win a smaller marathon than going fast at a notoriously speedy course.

More than that there are other variables involved, too. First there is the money and time issue, which while not huge, is something to consider. If I went to run the Steamtown Marathon I would have to drive two hours, spend two nights in a hotel and go out for my meals. Then I would have to drive home all stiff-legged and all of that other stuff, not to mention the logistics of getting to and from the race start and from the finish line back to the hotel.

I’ll save the headaches for Boston.

But if I go to Harrisburg to run, a time that might crack the top 10 at Steamtown could get me on the podium. Plus, I would get to sleep in my own bed, eat my own food and easily get to the start and finish line with just a 30-minute drive.

Better yet, I’ll also get an extra month of training, which with a baby due in August might be needed.

So Harrisburg (again) is what it will be. It changes the training strategy a bit, but not much. It means I will be in really great shape come mid-November, then I can shut it down a bit in December and gear it up for Boston in April of 2008 starting in January.

See, it’s that simple.

Here’s the week of July 9-15.

Monday – 18 miles in 2:02:22
This one was rough and nasty. The temperatures got close to 100 by the time I finished even though I started reasonably early. I should have gone earlier.

Either way, heat notwithstanding, I have a lot of work to do.

Tuesday – first run: 15 miles in 1:41:06
Second run: 3 miles
18 miles total
Did my morning run of 15 miles in 1:41:06. Got out at the same time as yesterday and did my best to stay in the shade as much as possible. That meant staying off the field away from the locusts, beetles, dragon flies and sun. Because of the heat I was definitely finished at 15 miles.

I ran an easy, easy, easy 5k with John May at night. I broke a sweat, but my heart rate didn't go too high... maybe I should get a heart rate monitor.

Wednesday – 16.2 miles in 1:50:39
5 miles in 33:39
21.2 miles
Doubled up again and it was tough because of the humidity. The temperature wasn't great -- though marginally cooler -- but it wasn't horrible. However, the humidity was as bad as it ever was.

Nevertheless, the first run was 16.2 miles in 1:50:39 and slow. With five-mile splits of 34:06; 33:42; 33:49.

The evening run, which was equally as humid, went in 33:39. Afterwards I took an ice bath.

Thursday – 16 miles in 1:42:52
I don't know how I pulled this one off, but I'll take it. After much consternation I opted to do a "knockdown" on the field instead of running hills. Actually, I just planned on doing a recovery run for as long as possible, but I felt pretty good once I got going so I gave it a shot.

splits:
1st 5: 33:02
2nd 5: 32:25
3rd 5: 30:05

Interestingly, I didn't feel any oxygen debt at all. I ran at a high 5:40 to low 6 clip during the last five and it felt comfortable and maybe even a little easy.

I guess it's fair to surmise that I should do a few more runs like this.

Friday – 15 miles in 1:38:21
I had planned to take this steady, easy, low-key and relatively short today. The plan was to recover a bit from running somewhat hard yesterday, but once I got out there I found a groove and stayed in it. The pace was easy, steady and effortless, which I credit to another perfect summer day weather-wise.

splits:
1st 5: 32:42
2nd 5: 32:55
3rd 5: 32:44

I'm starting to show signs of getting into shape. We'll see what happens as the summer progresses.

Saturday – 13 miles in 1:27:28
This was one of those put-your-head-down-grit-your-teeth-and-grind-it-out runs. I have no idea how I got this one down, but I did. Afterwards I was as tired and spent as after any 20-miler, which I will chalk up to a long and hard week of training. In that regard, it was a good tired. Maybe I earned the right to feel a little spent.

Nevertheless, an easy run comes tomorrow where I can coast and relax. Then I dive back in on Monday.

splits:
1st 5: 33:32.29
2nd 5: 33:32.96

Sunday – 5 miles in 32:46
I always look forward to these easy, laidback Sunday run where I just go out to spin the wheels. This time, though, my stomach was a bit upset and instead of running 6 miles I just did 5.

A tough 106.2 miles for the week… I felt it toward the end of the week, but it felt good.

Where was the Wicked Witch?

Stats:
2:54:21
7th place – 2nd in age

Breakdown
The weather was horrible -- a steady rain pelted us all day, while a 20-m.p.h. headwind (gusts up to 32 m.p.h. according to the local news) beat the dogbleep out of us. A kind estimate is that at least 15 miles of the race were run into that steady, driving wind. During the first half of the race the wind just beat me up and there were instances where gusts blew me backwards. Once, I took two steps backward while trying to run forward. Meanwhile, I had to dodge puddles for much of the race lest my feet get more soaked than they were and make it even more uncomfortable.

Wind, more than anything, is the runner's enemy. I'm sure that it affected everyone's performance.

I ran the first 5 miles in 31 minutes, which was off my 29-minute goal; 10 miles in 64 instead of 59; and halfway in 1:25 instead of 1:17. Needless to say I felt like quitting for much of the first half because I was so discouraged by the headwind. I actually pulled back a few times during the first half hoping that I could save some energy for the back half.

It seemed to have worked.

Despite it being the hilliest and most difficult part of the course, I ran OK from miles 15 to 20, holding my place even though I hit 20 in a really slow 2:12 (my goal was 1:56 to 1:59). Somehow, though, I decided to get tough over the final 10k, remembering from my old days that I used to tell myself that I could "run the last 10k of a marathon in 40 minutes in my sleep."

Well, I was close.

I hit 21 in 2:19:49 after stopping to drink my Gatorade and Red Bull mix and followed that with 6:37, 6:35, 6:43, 6:34, to 8:00 for the last 1.2 miles. At 21 I told my wife -- who with her dad gallantly met me at miles 7, 14, and 21 with my drinks and encouragement (they were amazing... truly and honestly) -- that I was "going to try to run the last 5 in 33."

Instead, I ran the last 5.2 in 34:29.

I was close.

Nevertheless, from the 21st mile to the finish I jumped from 11th place to 7th and needed about another 100 yards to take over 6th place. I'm sure I would have done it, too, because the 6th-place finisher had three guys pacing him on foot and two others on a bike, who repeatedly checked my progress to inform him where I was. He had a support staff like Lance Armstrong last weekend in NYC last.

Minus the TV cameras, of course.

With less than 2 miles to go, it appeared as if one of the bike pacers doubled back to check on my progress before reporting back. I suppose they told him to hurry up because I was closing fast.

I doubt they told him that I ran 19 of the 26.2 miles by myself and ran tougher than he did.

Anyway, I'm disappointed with my time -- 2:54:21. Based on my workouts and the charts measuring my times and VO2, I definitely feel that I was in shape to run between 2:36 and 2:40. Had the conditions been better today I'm certain that I could have gone sub-2:45.

What can you do? The time sucks, but I was tough and I didn't quit. I'm not discouraged. In fact, if I continue training the way I did since taking my first step in March, I'll get there. Perhaps the ship has sailed on 2:22 -- I'm too old. However, 2:30 is reasonable and I'm pleased to report that I'm back.

And I'm not going anywhere.

One tactical error
Chuck Engle, yes the Chuck Engle, ran the race and finished 3rd in sub-2:48. Had I seen him at the start or during the cluster of the first few miles, I would have glued myself to him and worked with him for the duration.

Afterwards I had the pleasure of chatting with the great Mr. Engle – truly a badass and a true gentleman – and now I’m even a bigger fan than I was before.

For my money, Chuck Engle is much, much more impressive than that Dean dude. If only the mainstream media (wait… isn’t that me?) were aware of how much more difficult his feats are that the other guy. Running is easy and anyone can do it. Running fast and consistently is an achievement.

Rant complete.

What's next?
Down the road, I don't know. I'll have to sit down with my wife and map it out. I'll definitely train to race in some of the better-known local races and try to get some PRs and be competitive.

Another marathon? Maybe in the spring and definitely one for the Fall. I'm too old to focus on two hard efforts a year, but I really love training hard.

Short term I'm contemplating jumping in the Northern Central Trail Marathon on Nov. 25 if the weather is nice and other variables are conducive.

We'll see...