Running through Ryan's park

NEW YORK—There is nothing to indicate where the exact spot occurred, but for those who take their runs through Central Park, they don’t need a marker or some sort of designation for where it happened.

We can feel it.

Just north of the Boat House, approximately the 5.5 mile mark of the men’s marathon Olympic Trials that was held exactly two years ago today, is where Ryan Shay collapsed and died of a heart attack caused by an enlarged heart. It was both American marathoning’s best and worst days rolled into one.

It was a great day because Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell made the Olympic team. Hall did so spectacularly while Sell fought for third place as if he was in a gang fight. Hall also established himself as the most talented American-born marathoner ever by obliterating the field and a hilly course in 2:09. Over terrain more favorable to fast running, Hall might have challenged the American record.

It was the worst day because of what happened to Shay. That’s the part of the day no one will ever forget. There was a newlywed young man ready to enter the prime of his life cut down by some ridiculous congenital effect.

It was the cruelest thing ever.

So when we run through the spot where it happened with “Ryan’s Rock” serving as the makeshift shrine near the mark, and an officially dedicated bench by the city of New York farther up the road with the inscription from Shay, “It is necessary to dig deep within oneself to discover the hidden grain of steel called will,” it’s very difficult not to be overcome with emotion.

Shay’s friend Meb Keflezighi felt the same thing when he ran through Central Park during the New York City Marathon last weekend. In fact, Keflezighi gave tribute to his friend when he crossed the tape as the winner of one of the sports’ crown jewels and fought back a range of emotions during his dedication.

How could he not?

In fact, Keflezighi, the first American to win the race since 1982, said he targeted a specific spot in the park to begin his surge to the finish line. That spot was where his best friend died two years prior.

"The memory of Ryan Shay is what I cried for," said Keflezighi, who was the 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist.

The memory of Ryan Shay is one of the reasons why many of us run. Distance running, and marathon running in particular, is as beautiful as a sport can be. Bathed in simplicity, running is as pure as athletics can be. But it’s also a cruel sport. Often, every weakness is exposed during a competition no matter how strong or well prepared a runner is.

But then again, that’s part of why we love the sport so much.

And so on the anniversary of the best and the worst day of our sport, we remember the glory and the agony. We can’t have one without the other:

“It is necessary to dig deep within oneself to discover the hidden grain of steel called will.”

Counting down to the Trials

At this point in the game, the runners in the Nov. 3 Olympic Marathon Trials are beginning to think about their taper. With months of 120 to 140 miles weeks behind the top runners, there isn't too much many more hard workouts will do for a guy other than wear him out. A hard long run or a serious set of intervals this late in the game is almost like studying for an exam the night before - if you don't know it by now, it's too late.

So with 11 days to go before the biggest marathon of the year, all that's left is to hype the race... and relax a bit.

It is funny (in the ironical sense) that the taper period is the most difficult part for runners to get through. Going out there every day to run 15 to 20 miles is always less scary than the very idea of cutting back the training.

Anyway, this year's trials could be the deepest ever. In fact, Khalid Khannouchi, the American record holder in the marathon (2:05:38) says in an interview with Runner's World that there are "seven or eight" legitimate contenders to take the top three spots to earn a position on the Olympic team. Of that seven to eight, there are two runners whose injuries could prove to ruin their chances at making the team.

The biggest name of the bunch is Meb Keflezighi, the silver medalist in the 2004 Olympic Marathon, whose calf injury forced him to shut down his normal training routine for a few days. If Meb is going to make another Olympic team he's going to need healthy calves to negotiate his way over those five-mile loops on the criterium-style course in Central Park.

Khannouchi, the former world-record holder, is another runner who always seems to battling through one injury or another. However, Khannouchi turns 36 in December and knows that he doesn't have much time left if he wants to make an Olympic team or run fast times. Actually, the Nov. 3 Trials could be Khannouchi's last shot.

It could be the last shot for a lot guys, too. But you can read/watch all about that on your own. The New York Road Runners - host of the Central Park Trials - has put together a comprehensive web site complete with profiles of the runners and the uncompromising course. Runner's World site is loaded with interviews of the top runners and the latest news.

My favorite bit from the RW site is the interview with contender Brian Sell, who when asked the reason why he puts in the 150-mile weeks was for his mileage was for his "body or his head," just laughed and said, "head."

"I don't have any advantages over those guys in terms of talent so knowing that I ran 20 to 30 miles more per week it gives me the strength."

Sell's answer is better than mine when folks asked me why I ran 100-mile weeks when preparing for a marathon.

"Because that's what it takes."

Truth be told, it's more for my head than for anything else.

More: Breaking down the Trials... sort of 

*** Speaking of my head, my hour-a-day plan has entered its second week though there have been a few hiccups here and there. One was a two-day visit to the hospital for our youngest boy, Teddy. The little fella got a virus/cold that resulted in a 103-degree fever. Because he is just seven-weeks old, his doctor decided around-the-clock care at Lancaster General was the smart plan.

So yeah, I skipped a day.

Meanwhile, I ran from my house near Franklin & Marshall College/Lancaster Country Day to Columbia, Pa. on Sunday during the hottest part of the day, and today I did 10 in 69:05 (splits: 34:36; 34:29) aching from a spasming calf and an old-fashioned head cold.

Needless to say it was a struggle. And frankly, if I feel this way before the Harrisburg Marathon I'm going to take the DNS. That could mean a full calendar year without a marathon...

But that won't last. My manager (wife) and I went through the schedule and crunched the numbers and decided to target The National Marathon in Washington, D.C. on March 29.

The plan is to regain my strength and drop some weight for the next eight weeks before putting my 14-weeks plan into full effect.

The training plan? Here it is with unexplained jargon:

Week 1 2 miles easy + 2 x 2 miles @ 5:35/mile + 9 miles easy + 3 miles @ 5:35/mile + 2 miles easy

4 miles easy + 5 x 1 mile @ 5:10/mile + 5 miles easy

Week 2 20 miles in 2:15

2 miles easy + 10 miles in 58 2 miles easy

Week 3 4 miles easy + 8 miles in 48 + 1 mile in 5:35 + 6 miles in 36 + 1 mile in 5:35 + 2 miles easy

knockdown in 33, 32, 31

Week 4 22 miles with 5 miles in 28

knockdown in 32, 31, 30

Week 5 22 miles in 2:28

2 miles easy + 10 miles in 58 + 2 miles easy

Week 6 20 miles with 12 in 72

knockdown in 32, 30, 29

Week 7 22 miles with 5 in 28, 10 easy, and 5 in 28

knockdown in 31, 30, 28

Week 8 22 miles in 2:27

4 easy + 10 in 57 1 mile cool down

Week 9 23 miles with 12 in 72

knockdown in 31, 31, 27

Week 10 22 miles with 5 in 28

knockdown in 32, 30, 29

Week 11 22 miles easy

4 miles easy + 5 x 1 mile @ 5:10/mile + 5 miles easy

Week 12 BLAST WEEK

Week 13 22 miles easy

5k or 10k race

Week 14 * 13 easy * 10 easy * 4 miles warm up and cool down + 3 in 16 * 6 miles easy * 4-5 miles easy * 3 miles easy * 4 miles easy