Weather or not

 It's Friday night, the eve of the Akron Marathon. As I've stated here about my previous race, the Hay is in the Barn. It applies here as well; preparation is over and there's nothing more to do. There is the concern about the weather, however. The problem? It may be too good. WHAT am I going to do for excuses?

Running in the U.P.

Munising

We're up north once again. This time, our mission is to visit Isle Royale National Park and to take the scenic boat ride to see the Pictured Rocks. Today, it's Munising and the Rocks. 

I am on the watch for aurora borealis. It's cold, and unfortunately, mostly cloudy. From the Holiday Inn Express, I run southwest towards downtown Munising. I reach it in 3 miles, then continue through town towards Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I make it to the visitor center and entrance just when I need to turn back at 5 miles.

It's beginning to get lighter now. I pick up the pace a little on the way back. Coming back through town, I stop for another photo with a nice fellow I find on the corner.

As I get back to the HI, I'm treated to a nice sunrise over Lake Superior.

The other part of the journey doesn't happen. Our trip to Isle Royale is canceled due to bad weather. So this run is it for this trip. 

Maybe next year.

Erie Marathon Race Report, Beginning at Mile 24

Mile 24: 

Less than optimal. That's what a coworker used to say in reference to a situation (or project, in some cases) that didn't go quite as well as hoped or planned. I can say that today's weather is less than optimal for a marathon. The rain has been constant, sometimes lighter and sometimes heavier, but always one or the other. And now there are puddles galore. But I suppose it could have been worse. Although the rain includes humidity, I'm happy to say that it never got much warmer than around 70 degrees.

That said, I'm doing fairly well. Sub-four hours had somehow become a goal, and at 3:37:00 for Mile 24, I'm right on pace. All I have to do is maintain the current 9:00 to 9:20 pace for the final two-plus miles. And although it seems to be getting a little difficult, I firmly believe that I can do it. Unless, that is, something goes horribly wrong.

Mile 24.1:

Ouch. Well, that's interesting. I feel a minor tingle of pain in my right hamstring. It's the slightest sign of a cramp. But I'm not worried. I just have to keep on moving.

Mile 24.2:

Ouch. Another tingle of pain. It occurs to me that a smart runner would read these signs and slow down a little in order to avoid any major cramping. But no one has accused me of being smart. I've got to keep this pace going.

I should say that I was smart enough to take electrolyte pills throughout the race. I'm not sure why they aren't working, but I'll just figure that out at the finish. I should also mention that I've enjoyed seeing many new and old friends here, but many of them have been reduced to less-than-optimal performances, mainly due to the weather. What is working for me are my new Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2 shoes. They feel great, and I believe they've helped me get this far at this pretty-good pace.

Mile 24.4:

Okay, I've gone more than a tenth of a mile without any leg cramp issues. Maybe it's a non-issue. 

I reflect some more on how well things have been going for me. The Erie Runners Club puts it on, and they do a marvelous job. It's become a big race, but they attend to every conceivable detail. And the course itself is also a star. Presque Isle juts out into Lake Erie, and the route takes runners around two times. I wrote about it when I ran the 2017 edition, so check that out here.

The classic course: two 13-mile loops

 

Mile 24.5:

EEEEEOOOOW! My right hamstring ties itself up into a very painful knot. I have to completely stop all forward motion. People run by and provide encouragement. They include the 4:00 pace group. "Stretch it out, they say as they go by." Stretch? I am going to die; what's the point in stretching? And it's not just my right hamstring, it's now the left one, too. Within a couple seconds, I've gone from "I think I can run under four hours," to, "I don't know if I can finish at all."

Mile 24.6:

Okay, I am managing to walk a little. Just a little. I find it interesting that some other runners are experiencing the same thing at the same point in the race. I think others have hit this point earlier, so I should consider myself lucky. 

But I don't.

Mile 24.7:

After what seems like forever, I begin to jog once again. I can still see the 4:00 pace group way up ahead. But they're pulling away even more now.

Mile 26.0:

I believe I ran all of the previous mile. But it was pretty darn slow. 

Even though I fully recognize that a marathon is 26.2 miles, and not 26.0 miles, I still try to get under four hours for this milestone. I miss by around 30 seconds.

Mile 26.4:

Yes, that's a little long, but that's typical for an accurately measured course. I cross the line with a chip time of 4:04. I did not place in my ancient age group.

Just for fun, here is my pace info. Notice the point where I stopped completely.

Hay in the barn

You've done all the training, and now the Big Race is only days (or perhaps a week or two) away. More hard training would likely not provide any further benefit, and may well hurt your chances of optimal performance during your Main Event. Runners refer to this situation as the hay is in the barn. 

It's in the barn for me, and that's why I'm not concerned that yesterday's long, hot, group run was somewhat of a stinker. Today's run was similarly less than optimal. Everything is fine. More hay couldn't be stuffed in my barn anyway; it's full.

Erie is a week away. The long-range forecast is for a high of 73 with a chance of rain. I'll mostly be concerned about the humidity. Not to mention the humility.

Tuesday Track

Everyone knows that Tuesdays are for track workouts. And everyone knows that they begin at 5:00 AM at Claggett Middle School. But does everyone know how much fun these runs are? 

Some do. There are seven of us today, so count us among those in the know. Seven is around average, but it's surprising today since there's rain in the forecast. Assuming said rain occurs later rather than earlier, Dan the Overachiever shows, but arrives a half-hour early. He doesn't want to miss this one.

Although the rain has indeed held off, you can cut the humidity with a knife. The Wolffs (who have also been known to overachieve) arrive as Dan is completing his warmup. Today's agenda calls for a Yasso workout: ten 800s. Dan's been doing these every other week. It's always a challenge.

The first one is always a shock. Today, the second, third, and all the rest are as well. The humidity makes it very tough. Dan the Overachiever takes his time in between the 800s; he needs the rest. But somehow, he manages to complete all ten. His times are consistent; all just under four minutes. It's what he was aiming for.

Today's tip-top track tempo training trot

It's my first run in the new Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2 shoes. I start out by wearing them around the house. Feels like I want to bounce my way forward. Getting out of the car at the Claggett Middle School track is fun as well. Once again, forward seems to be the direction the shoes want me to go. And with a bounce in my step. Do they really make you faster? Google sure thinks so. We shall see.

The new Vapoflys

After a two-mile warmup, I'm ready to try to take them to tempo pace. Those three miles go well, and they feel fairly easy. After an easy mile, I decide to do one 800 at about the pace I've been doing during previous Tuesday Track sessions. Once again, it feels pretty easy.

Now, let's talk about perception vs reality. My heart rate during the fast portions of today's run was in the neighborhood of 144 (avg) to 152 (high). Looking back at my heart rate for previous speedwork was... almost exactly the same! So my perception is that they felt good and they made me feel fast, the true impact was tough to quantify. As they say... more study is needed.

That said, there won't be a whole lot more experimentation. Maybe just one more training run. I'm saving them for the Erie Marathon.

Volume

In my research for this post, I only just realized something that I must have misremembered: that there were two, not one, First Citywide Change Bank commercials on Saturday Night Live. It's like there were two parts by design. The first fake commercial is the setup, and the second one delivers a great punchline. It goes like this. "How do you make money (giving exact change all the time)?" The answer: Volume! 

Volume is the name of the game for me so far this Spring and Summer. I'm now up to 70 miles per week, including long runs of 20 miles or more. Pretty good, eh?

We'll see about that. Erie is in two weeks.

The best deadly sin of all

Sloth: the avoidance of work. I like it. Okay, maybe lust would nudge it out from the top of the list of Seven Deadly Sins. Oh, alright; gluttony ain't bad either. But the rest aren't nearly as much fun.

I engaged in some sloth by not running yesterday. It was my first day off in several weeks, but I think I earned it. I earned it by running 71 miles in a week for the first time in forever, and by running 21 miles the previous day.

Said day off enabled me to wake up energetic and ready for a good run today. I burst out the door, and although my run started off fast, I increased the pace as the run went on, and I finished strong.

Nothing - not one word - in the above paragraph is even remotely true. At least I did make it out the door, I'm hoping tomorrow's run will be less slothy.

Distant Thunder

The sky is clear (I had just pointed to Betelgeuse for those who wanted to see him), yet we can still see intermittent flashing lights near the horizon. It is lightning from a faraway storm, perhaps over Lake Erie. There really isn't any thunder to be heard, but for some reason, I like the post title Distant Thunder better than Distant Lightning.

What's the occasion, you ask? Why it's none other than our usual 5:00 AM Wednesday run at Lake Medina. We've been pretty consistent about these mid-week jogs, and consistency is vital for running success... I think.

For this particular Wednesday run, we have a slightly larger than usual gaggle of runners. There's Andy and Michelle Wolff, who (to no one's surprise) somehow managed to start even earlier than the rest of us. We have Debbie Hicks and Mallory Bergstresser, educators just beginning their new school year. Harold Dravenstott is here to discuss his upcoming work day along with yesterday's speedwork session. And then there is the surprise visit from Michelle Kelly-Daum, who is training for an ultra, yet has to finish fast to get home to get her kids off to their first days of school.

Back and forth we go, doing the lower and the upper trails near the lake. It's a great morning for a run. Yet it's difficult for me; yesterday's Yasso 800 workout is still in my legs. I think the same is true for a few of my companions, especially Michelle Wolff. As we keep returning to the trailhead, we keep losing folks. Eventually, it is just Michelle Kelly-Daum and me running the final few miles. 

We finish as it's getting light. My watch tells me that I've completed the planned ten miles. That should get me through. Until tomorrow.

Akron Goodyear Half-Marathon Race Report

I am usually pretty even-tempered about my running, and I also don't generally like to brag, but just let me say one thing: Yipeeee!

The Akron Goodyear Half-Marathon Race was a keeper, for all the best reasons:

• Great organization for a fairly big race.
• A Swenson's burger and two (2) beers at the finish.
• Great company (my friends, Theresa Wright and Julie Boggs traveled with me).
• Absolutely perfect running weather.
• A blimp.

Julie, Theresa, and Dan before the start. Oh yeah, and the Blimp too

With the blimp overhead nearly the entire race, I managed to keep my pace fairly steady at around nine minutes per mile. After the nifty start at the Goodyear Proving Grounds, Julie and Theresa pulled ahead, and I settled into my groove. Just like last week's race, I had some trouble in the middle miles (mostly due to the slightly rolling hills) but then found my mojo again for the last few. That downhill finish helped. 

My time was 1:58:28, good once again for second in my ancient age group. Yet another 65-year-old kid beat me once again. Oh well. This run felt way better than last week's brain-baker. I will take it. Gladly.

Autumn is Coming

Yes, I spotted it this morning, rising in the Southeast, as it is wont to do each August. I didn't hesitate to point it (my first sighting of the Orion constellation) out to my running companions, who gave a collective, enthusiastic. "Meh."

When I see Orion coming up in the morning, I know that Autumn is on its way. I know I can also do this by looking at the calendar (only to see that there's really still a month of Summer left), but sometimes I like being old-fashioned.

It's been a long, hot summer, so this is welcome news.

Hofbrauhaus Half-Marathon Race Report

It's mile 10, and I'm just getting over a bad patch. 

But wait: bad patch seems to imply that that slowdown will be followed by some sort of recovery and subsequent speedup. Unfortunately, my experience with bad patches is that they're almost always followed by worse patches. It's hard to imagine anything else on this HHHH (Heat, Hills, Humidity, and Humility) kind of day. Okay, the hills aren't so bad on this course, but the excessive heat, humidity, and humility more than make up for that.

This is my first experience with the Hofbrauhaus Half-Marathon (I'd been attracted by the offer of free beer),  Other than the not-so-serious Brunswick Half-Marathon last January, this is my first half in a year and a half. I averaged around 9:30 per mile at that Boston 2.1 race, where my overall time was 2:06. Picking up where I left off seemed like a good idea, so I started today's race at that pace.

Did I mention the heat and humidity? It was oppressive even at the start. As the sun rose higher, things would go from bad to worse. All of my miles were at 9:30 or better until about halfway. Those middle miles are on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, through Rockefeller Park, along Cleveland's Cultural Gardens. It's relatively nice and shady, but that's where I lost it. Could I get "it" back?

Somehow, with three miles to go, I do. I start running at about the pace I went out at, and now I'm passing people once again. Some of them had recently passed me. A lot of runners are staying in shaded areas, even when they're out of the way. Me? I'm running tangents, despite the hot sun.

That final 5K turns out pretty decent; about like the first 5K. I guess I did get over the bad patch. I finish in about 2:04, good for 2nd in my age group. I suppose the electrolytes and multiple gels I took helped. Not to mention the promise of the free beer at the finish.

Consistency and Comfort

The 60-plus mile weeks are coming fast and furious, and now, so are the long runs and interval workouts. And yet, I'm still in a kind of comfort zone of my own making. Consistency is essential, and comfort is nice. But improvement requires at least some amount of dis-comfort. To that end, I am:

1) Running a couple half-marathons, including one this Sunday. This will require a slight disruption to my weekly mileage and rest-day routines.

2) Working even a little harder on the speedwork. This week's 800s were my best yet. Since the surgery, of course.

3) Running on trails occasionally. Often, this is on the trails in the field behind our subdivision. Other times on nicer, easier trails like LRT.

4) Picking berries. I did this today whilst trail running behind our sub. The slow pace was comfortable, but stopping to pick amidst prickers, poison ivy, bugs, and more bugs was not.

My I.Q. vs my weight

The weight wins, of course. But both the I.Q. and the weight are coming down. That's a good thing for the latter; not so much for the former. 

The scale showed 160 this morning. That means that I've lost about 18 pounds since the Achilles surgery a little over a year ago. It also means I'm approaching my fighting weight.

But I don't usually fight; I run. I'm trying to improve that as well. But although my weekly mileage is now in the mid-sixties and I'm working on quality, I still have ways to go.

Finish Strong

And now, I'm alone. It's been a pretty good Saturday-morning run, with a pretty good group. We've come and gone from the Medina Square, time and time again, all for the purpose of dropping people off or picking them up. But this is the last time. It's a little before 8:00, and everyone else is done. Except me.

My watch tells me I've got four and a half miles to go in order to hit that 20-mile mark. I'm hot, sweaty, and very tired. How the heck am I going to make it all that way? I say goodbye to everyone and start my slow, dragging slog for this final leg. Suddenly, a thought occurs to me: I can head over to the track and finish up there.

Tracks are wonderful things. A quarter-mile of soft, bouncy surface where you're never too far away from home: just what the doctor ordered. Best of all, I can better concentrate on my pace to ensure that I'm not losing form or function. I wind up running my fastest three and a half miles of the day. 

Of course, I slow way down during my slog back to the Square, but I'm very pleased with the way this run wound up. It feels great to finish strong.

The Next Level

60 miles per week. Check. One day off per week. Check. One long run per week. Check. One speedwork or other Something of Substance run per week. Check. The 60-mile weeks have been a thing for me for a good month and a half now. The long runs, the day off, and the occasional speedwork have been gradually worked into my weekly routine. Today's goal: take it to the next level. At least by a smidge. My usual 18-mile long run would be a 20-mile long run. And the total weekly mileage would be up from around 61 to 65 or so. Nothing Earth-shattering. But the next level, nonetheless.

It's raining here at Plum Creek. We needed the precip, but did it have to happen during this run? I only manage to get a short two miles in before Andy and Michelle Wolff show up. We run North on the new and the under-construction trails until we emerge at Mooney park. From there, we head West, do a loop, and then return in order to meet the 6:00 gang. Now I'm up to six and a half miles.

Now that Harold Dravenstott, Mallory Bergstresser, and Chadwick Sunday have joined, things get serious. Not really. But we've got a pretty good group now. We go back to the North, back on the same trails, back through Mooney park, but this time we continue North and go all the way around Brunswick Lake. We return via a different route. Now everyone is getting ready to go home, and with 14 miles, I still have six to go.

It's back to the North once again. This time I head West out to Mooney park, but I take a slightly different route from the one we did earlier. When I return, I'm a little over 19 total miles (and 64 for the week), but I have to quit. It's past time to get home and take care of my daughter's cats.

Yeah, I know. As far as flimsy excuses go, that one was particularly so. Maybe we should say that I only made it to the next half-level.

Today's Tempo Trot in backwards order

Mile 10: This is just awful. Will I even be able to finish? I'm sure it's my slowest mile, and the tiny little final uphill portion on my street is nearly enough to make me stop and walk. Okay. I finally make it to the house.

Mile 9: Even though I've got some downhill portions, this is not going well at all.

Mile 8: I can't believe how much I slowed down. It seems like the moment I started back home from the track, it got bad. Then, step by step, it got worse. Then, much worse. I wish I could just stop, but I've got to get home anyway.

Mile 7: This mile is not nearly as fast as the last three, but it's still going to be under ten minutes, so I can still consider it part of the tempo portion of the run. I'd been worried that I would get kicked off the track, but I'm still the only one here. I've got no excuse, and it seems that I need none. But that run home for the final 3 will probably be a challenge.

Mile 6: This is shaping up to be the best of the 3 tempo-ish paced miles here at the track. After it's done, I'll take it easy. Okay, easy-er.

Mile 5: For some reason, this mile starts slower than the last one. I have some catching up to do, but I manage to speed up and do it. The time (8:46) is identical to Mile 4.

Mile 4: The track is OPEN!!!! I hadn't expected that! I'd figured on running around Brunswick, and I'd been wondering whether I would be able to make that into a tempo run. But now that the track is available, I can do it here. This is great! Perhaps over-enthusiastically, I run this mile not only faster than ten-minute pace, but even faster than nine-minute pace. It doesn't feel too awful. But... Will I be able to continue?

Mile 3: It's time to decide whether to head towards Brunswick Lake or North Park. I pick North Park. My pace is improving.

Mile 2: It's humid, but I'm slowly picking up the pace.

Mile 1: I am out the door. It's later than I'd have liked, but I'm feeling pretty good. Maybe I will be able to get that tempo run in after all. I decide to head up and across 303. That way I can put the decision off (at least for a couple miles) as to whether to go to Brunswick Lake, North Park, or whatever. I hope it will go okay.

Lost on the one road through Rock Creek Parkway

There's one road through Rock Creek, and I got lost on it.

We spent a couple days in D.C. with the grandkids. Stayed in nearby Silver Spring, MD. One day, I ran to Rock Creek Park and back, and the next day, I managed to get into the park to continue the run a bit. 

The road itself is closed in parts to allow non-vehicular traffic to enjoy itself. I did. Then I got to the Rock Creek Trail, a paved trail that goes on quite a way. After turning around, I came back to the trailhead and promptly got lost. This was on the one road that went by. I guess I went the wrong way; I had to turn back after a while and go back the other way.

Other than my confusion, it's nice running through there. I think I've run the Rock Creek Parkway years ago, but it was probably a different part. Oh and by the way: most of my run was along Rock Creek. After hearing this babbling brook for a while I managed to get a glimpse later on. It's a creek with some rocks in it.

Twin Sizzler 2022

Dan arrives in Medina early enough to pick up his packet and hopefully get a few warmup miles in. But then he starts talking with new and not-so-new friends, and before he knows it, there's only time for a mile or two. Jogging a little with Ladd Clifford, he does manage to get about that far. Now it's time to line up for the 5K.

It's still fairly cool, and the shadows are still fairly long. This is all good, since it will get hot later on. The downhill start is nice, but as the course levels out and begins going uphill, it all quickly becomes real. Dan is talking with friends, and it's all a lot of fun. When he reaches mile 2, it's time to unleash the beast. He passes a few people on the downhill portion of this final mile. It's fine. Until it isn't. The last hill heading up to the Square is a killer, and it pretty much slays Old Dan. He manages to do a sub-nine-minute mile, only just manages to get his final 5K time under 28. It's still a better time and effort than other recent races.

The cooldown/warmup between the races isn't much. Dan spends too much time catching up with everyone. Again. With some, like Tom Bieniosek, it's been literally years. So it's understandable that he isn't running as much as he'd like.

The 10K promises to be tougher. Yes, it's longer, but it's also hillier and much hotter. Even in his faster days, Dan has never run this race all that well. The third mile is the most difficult and the slowest. After that, Dan somehow manages to pull himself back together enough to pick the pace back up. The shady areas and downhills help. When he reaches mile 5, it's time to unleash the beast. He passes a few people on the downhill portion of this final mile. It's fine. Until it isn't. The last hill heading up to the Square is a killer, and it pretty much slays Old Dan. (Those last five sentences may sound a little familiar. Sorry.) Dan finishes the race in around 58 and a half minutes. Once again, Dan considers this not too awful.

Later, after a cooldown mile that actually heated him up more, Dan learns that he finished third in his age group in each race. He's got a way to go. But today was fun.

Breakfast is served

Mom: "Hey kids, wake up. See that bright light coming our way? It's not a firefly, it's a human! They're great for breakfast."

Floyd Fly: "I've never seen one before. Are they all half-naked, smelly, sweaty, and noisy like that?"

Mom: "This one is worse than most."

Frida Fly: "But I'm not hungry yet."

Mom: "That's okay, Frida. He will go back the other way in a while, and then he will return again, just as the sun begins to rise - our normal breakfast time. He will even go back and forth some more after that. I remember seeing him do as many as four out-and-back loops here on the Lester Rail Trail. But he's getting old, so he will probably only do around three today. I'm so happy you kids will have a chance to dine on something other than the usual deer and rabbit. Humans are better for you, and they're also what I would call a 'fun food.'"

~

Flynn Fly: "Hey, here he comes again. I'm really hungry now."

Mom: "Okay, kids. Get ready to feast!"

Frida Fly: "Eww. What's that smell?"

Mom: "Oh no. He must have sprayed deet on himself. Now that stuff is mixed with his sweat, and he's even more disgusting than before. Try to land on a patch of his skin without so much deet smell. It'll still be worth the effort. You will have a wonderful meal."

Floyd Fly: "I don't think he likes us. Why is he waving his arms and slapping himself like that? Does he think that will keep us away?"

Mom: "Humans are stupid, and this one is especially so. If they weren't so good to eat, I would say just leave them alone."

~

Flynn Fly: "Why isn't he coming back? I wasn't finished eating."

Mom: "He must have kept going East into the Medina subdivisions where he knows we won't follow. Maybe he's not quite as dumb as I thought. But don't worry. I know he has to come back this way again, sooner or later."

~

Mom: "What did I tell you? He's coming back. Get ready for Second Breakfast."