Dan's Darn Data

My Garmin Forerunner 45

Data is my life. Maybe not quite so much as when I was a Project Planning Analyst who spent his working life measuring and analyzing project and software data. But data and its measurement is still in my bones. I’m now on my fourth (I think) Garmin Forerunner device, and for a runner who loves data, it’s the cat’s meow. I don’t have to guess anymore, and I have access to more data than even I know what to do with.

Feedback is important and helpful to activities that are being measured, as running is. For most of my running, especially that being done with friends and/or some of the daily, not-so-critical runs, I’m not so concerned with an individual training performance. But I am indeed keen on measuring some training runs and especially races. These are the instances where feedback is critical. Generally, the more instant, the better. But feedback over longer times and distances can help as well.

There are, of course, many individual differences in this regard. Some of my running friends, including some very good runners, care much less about measurement than I do. But then, most people on the planet care much less about measurement than I do. I’m weird; I know.

In this post, I am going to discuss the Garmin Data Fields that I use, and how I use them. I hope this information will be helpful. These are available on my device, the Forerunner 45. It’s possible that other models may have other data fields, perhaps even some very useful ones. But I can’t imagine any that might be better than these for providing instant and subsequent feedback for runners. Please leave a comment if you know of any.

The Garmin Forerunner 45 allows the user to define and configure data screens using the various fields. I prefer to display three fields per screen. I’ll show the screens and fields that I use and how I use them.

Screen 1 – Distance, Timer, Pace

This screen comes up first once my device acquires the satellites. For many daily runs, it’s all I bother to use. It provides the most basic data that I want to be made aware of: how far have I run, how long have I been running, and what pace am I going. Here are the Garmin field definitions.

Distance

The distance traveled for the current track or activity.

Timer

The stopwatch time for the current activity.

Pace

The current pace.

Screen 2 – Lap Distance, Lap Timer, Lap Pace

This screen comes up second for me. I use Garmin Laps for both laps and what they call Intervals. My Lap distance is set at one mile, so anytime I run more than a mile, I get more than one Lap. Some runners fine-tune their lap distance for various runs or races. For example, some may want to set the Lap distance to 1 kilometer for a 5K race. Since I don’t use Intervals, when I do run an interval workout, I simply press the Lap button when I want to record the beginning or end of an interval. This way I get to include the recoveries as well as the faster running. Whether or not you use Garmin Intervals, you would probably agree that the Lap feature is best for races of any distance. I keep this screen for most of the time for most races, tempo runs, and as mentioned, interval workouts. During a race, I can tell at a glance how far I’ve run for the current mile (my Lap distance), the elapsed time for this mile, and most useful of all, the anticipated split, aka the Lap Pace. I can’t overemphasize the importance of Lap Pace to my running. Whereas the Pace field tells me my pace at any instant, it can vary widely and does not provide a good overall picture of how I’m doing. By showing the anticipated split, Lap Pace really lets me know how I’m doing. At the start of each mile, it can vary by quite a bit, but then, as the mile progresses, it becomes more and more accurate and more and more steady. It allows me to constantly monitor how I’m doing. If you learn nothing else from this post, let this be it: USE LAP PACE for your racing!

Lap Distance

The distance traveled for the current lap.

Lap Time

The stopwatch time for the current lap.

Lap Pace

The average pace for the current lap.

Screen 3 – Distance, Heart Rate, Average Pace

I use this screen less often, but it’s handy when I do want to know one of these metrics. I show distance redundantly here for perspective on the other two fields. I do relatively little monitoring of my heart rate during runs. It can be interesting to look at later, and it’s interesting to compare it with perceived effort and to observe it by lap or over the entire run. But if I do want to know my heart rate in real-time, it’s here. Of course, I’m aware that some runners may a great deal of attention to their HR and HR Zone for training runs. I don’t. I probably should. The Average Pace field is interesting. It’s the average pace over the entire run up to this point. So it’s a little bit like the Lap Pace field but over the entire distance instead of for the current mile.

Distance

The distance traveled for the current track or activity.

Heart Rate

Your heart rate in beats per minute (bpm). Your device must have wrist-based heart rate or be connected to a compatible heart rate monitor.

Average Pace

The average pace for the current activity.

Screen 4 – Clock

Clock is not one of the official Garmin data fields, so I don’t know how I managed to configure this screen. But sometimes it’s handy to know the current time without messing up the data for a run currently in progress.

As noted, I use Screen 1 the most, and sometimes I don’t even look at the others. Also as noted, I use Screen 2 the most for intense training and for racing. When I do want to change, however, it’s quite easy to toggle between them.

Big Beach Marathon Race Report

The event is the Big Beach Marathon in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Gulf Shores is a very beachy place, and they do a great job with their marathon. Most importantly, they arranged for good running weather today.

Me, Andy, and Michelle at the start

I meet up with Michelle and Andy Wolff. They had done yesterday's 7K run, which took place in rainstorm of biblical proportions. Today is infinitely better. I talk with Andy a bit during the first mile, and then I slowly reel in the 4-Hour Pace Group, catching them by around mile 2. That was harder than it should have been.

The group is led by a guy who appears to be out for an easy-peasy jog. He keeps a pretty good pace, and I tuck in with the group for several miles. Now, running these nine-minute miles is starting to feel easy. Too Easy. Control yourself, Dan.

I don't. I get out ahead of them for some middle miles, but then they get ahead of me a few times as well. This hide and seek stuff is probably not good for me. I should just stay on an even keel and not get ahead of them at all. I do. This works just fine. Until it doesn't.

The course has been taking us all around and through Gulf State Park. It's entirely on the nice, quiet paved trails therein. Except when it isn't. It isn't when it's on elevated boardwalks. There hasn't been a whole lot of those boardwalks, until about mile 17. From then on, there are tons of them. It seems like two or more miles of boards through the park campground around miles 17-19. After we finally get back to terra firma, I move out ahead of the pace group for what I hope is the last time.

Whereas their nine-minute miles had still felt easy, my slightly faster miles are now feeling just right. Until they don't. I slow back down a bit as we hit even more boardwalks in the last few miles. The icing on the cake is the hill up to the pedestrian bridge over the highway. That slows me down a lot.

Until it doesn't. I try to pick it up on the downhill side, but then I get tripped up (but manage to not do a faceplant) on one of the last ten or so boards of the day. I suppose I should be happy that that's the only time that happened, considering my running style and the sheer number of boards.

Now there's only about a mile and a quarter to go. The weather has been absolutely wonderful. Until now, when it isn't. The wind, which hasn't been bad, stands me up and slows me down. I struggle through a slow final mile, but I manage to finish in a vertical position.

My time is 3:57, good for a 9:03 pace. That's good for first in my ancient age group. Nice race on a good day. Had I been able to run those final two miles as fast as the others, it would have been an even more-than-good day.

My loot - the lunch container and the plaque are from the AG win

A couple later additions, care of the race.

At the finish

My Major Award(s)

The Crucial Role of Rest in Intense Marathon Training

I awoke this morning thinking about rest. I've had some relatively intense running experiences lately, and that's good. But rest is just as important. Here is some further information about the importance of rest.

Embarking on a marathon training journey is an endeavor that demands dedication, discipline, and perseverance. While the focus is often on rigorous workouts, long runs, and meticulous nutrition, one aspect that is frequently underestimated is the importance of rest. In the pursuit of peak performance, runners must recognize that rest is not a luxury but a crucial component of successful marathon training.

Understanding the Physical Stress of Marathon Training

Marathon training subjects the body to significant physical stress. Long runs, interval training, and speed workouts place strain on muscles, joints, and connective tissues. Continuous exertion without adequate recovery can lead to overtraining, increasing the risk of injuries, fatigue, and burnout. Recognizing the signs of overtraining, such as persistent fatigue, decreased performance, and increased susceptibility to illness, is pivotal for athletes aiming to achieve their marathon goals.

Muscle Repair and Adaptation

Rest plays a pivotal role in the recovery and adaptation process. During intense training, muscle fibers undergo micro-tears, which is a natural part of the strength-building process. Rest days allow these muscles to repair and grow stronger, reducing the risk of overuse injuries. Moreover, rest is crucial for the body to replenish glycogen stores, repair damaged tissues, and regulate hormonal balance, all of which are essential for optimal performance.

Preventing Mental Fatigue

The toll of marathon training extends beyond the physical realm to the mental domain. Constantly pushing the body without adequate rest can lead to mental fatigue, diminishing focus, motivation, and overall well-being. Incorporating rest days or lighter training sessions provides athletes with the mental respite needed to sustain enthusiasm and commitment throughout the demanding training period.

Mitigating the Risk of Injuries

Overtraining increases the likelihood of injuries, such as stress fractures, tendonitis, and muscle strains. Rest days or periods of reduced intensity give the body an opportunity to heal and prevent the accumulation of stress on vulnerable areas. Cross-training activities, such as swimming or cycling, on rest days can provide a low-impact alternative to maintain cardiovascular fitness while minimizing the risk of overuse injuries.

Optimizing Performance on Race Day

The ultimate goal of marathon training is to peak on race day. Adequate rest in the weeks leading up to the event is essential for ensuring that the body is fully recovered and primed for optimal performance. Tapering, a strategic reduction in training volume and intensity in the final weeks, allows the body to recover fully, maximizing energy reserves and fine-tuning neuromuscular coordination.

Conclusion

In the pursuit of marathon glory, athletes must recognize that rest is not a hindrance but an integral part of the training process. Balancing intense workouts with adequate rest is key to preventing overtraining, minimizing the risk of injuries, and optimizing overall performance. By prioritizing recovery and incorporating rest days into their training regimen, marathon runners can ensure that they arrive at the starting line prepared, resilient, and ready to conquer the challenge that lies ahead.

P.S. 

this sounds at all like it was written by ChatGPT, well, that's just a coincidence. Actually, it was, but I did formulate the question and I did add my two cents here and there. Hope you liked having AI tell you how to run.

2023 Brunswick Marathon Race Report

2023 marks the sixth running of the Brunswick Marathon. For the first time, there is a new course; the race now begins and ends at Plum Creek County Park, and takes place mostly on county and city all-purpose trails. Runners begin in the park and then use the new Brunswick Greenway Trail to head up towards Brunswick Lake. The trail isn't complete yet, so runners use some city streets to make it all the way to the lake. There, they circumnavigate the lake and return to Plum Creek. This makes about 6.5 miles: a quarter-marathon.

Only four loops - should be a piece of cake. 35F and light rain - couldn't be better weather. Horvath is going into the race with an attitude: he's going to finish the thing no matter what. Fifteen or so of his best friends line up for the early-morning start at Plum Creek.

He runs the first loop with Debbie Hicks and a few others. It's way too fast.

He's all alone on the second loop when he encounters a cul-de-sac. That's significant because Horvath is not only the race director, but he's also the course architect, and he shouldn't be here. He realizes that he missed a turn. Sometimes it's good to pay attention. It's just a little bonus quarter-mile or so.

He starts loop three. Finally, someone to run with. It's Michelle Wolff, who accompanies him for a mile or so. Then, as they see some of other friends going the other way Michelle also turns, he's alone again. Frank Dwyer is up ahead. He probably won't be able to catch FD (like he used to, a long time ago), but he can try. The rain and drizzle comes and goes. That part's getting old.

For lap four, Horvath is still trying to catch Mr. Dwyer. But it's not getting any easier. Many of the others are done running for the day. The good thing is that although he's slowed down a little, he's still keeping nearly all his miles under ten minutes. A steady pace is a good thing. The best part is that the off-and-on rain has changed to off-and-on snow. It's a pretty sight, especially while in the woods. At the very end, the sun comes out for a brief few minutes - even whilst the snow continues. That's pretty as well. Is Horvath experiencing a "runner's high?" Who knows?

Horvath finishes in 4:13. The course is a wee bit short, but he won't tell anyone. Frank finished a good 11 minutes in front of him, so Horvath is technically dead last.

Okay, he could also call himself second. That sounds better. The BM was a good way to end this year of running. 

And launch into 2024.

2023

2023 was a pretty good running year in several ways. Here are a few of them.

Overall miles: 3,152 miles for the year. That's an average of 60 miles per week and 8.6 per day. Compared with other years, it's a fair amount. My average pace was (a very pedestrian) 5.2 miles per hour which is 11.5 minutes per mile. It's the same as last year. When added to my previous total, it yields a total life-to-date amount of 114,344 miles.

Non-Marathon Races: The best was probably the Hofbrauhaus Half Marathon where I ran 1:52. I ran one half-marathon in 2022 that was slightly faster. I also did a smattering of shorter races, none of which were outstanding. I've said it before, but I'll repeat it here: I need to do more races of the shorter variety.

Trail Runs: No, I'm not joking, and don't call me Shirley. Run with Scissors was a complete disaster. So much so, that I wrote a separate ditty about thick mud and trails. The Buckeye Woods 25K was better, if you can call that a trail run. It is to me.

Marathons: Tallahassee and Drake Well both went about as well as I could have expected, and the times were identical: 3:55. Cleveland's time of 4:12 was not so good, but also not unexpected. Brunswick was Similarly slow (4:13) but also not out of line with expectations.

Unique Experiences: One was my run with Jenny Hoffman during her record-breaking run across America. It was quite an honor to accompany her. Another was my run at the Grafton Correctional Institution. That was not only an honor, but also an experience that I'll never forget.

Most Memorable of All: My best and probably most lasting memory of 2023 was the near-daily running with my friends throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Those runs were as gratifying and enjoyable as runs can be. Best of all was having all my friends achieve their goals at top race events.

My Goal for 2024: Run a lot.

Yule own the roads today

There have been times in Horvath's running career when he felt the need to run 25 miles on the 25th of December. It's a special day, of course, but Dan also enjoys having the roads - even the main ones - almost entirely to himself, since traffic volume is as low as it gets on Christmas morning. Some of these long Christmas Day runs were quite memorable. Today would not be one of them.

Yesterday's race was only a five-miler, but even shorter races take their toll on Horvath these days. Add to this the overall mileage and dearth of days off, To top that off, Horvath has the Brunswick Marathon on the horizon. The only-five-day-away horizon. Now, you have a recipe for a not-so-great run. 

Horvath is out of bed early like usual, but the coffee doesn't do its job as well as he'd like. He'd been thinking of doing some kind of special run on this special day, but now he is starting later and is also running slower than he'd hoped. There is a time constraint: the Grandkids will be opening their presents around 7:30. The run will have to be completed by 7.

As expected, the roads are indeed deserted. It's nice to have everything so quiet. Horvath doesn't get very far. He understands that he's just not going to have any kind of speed today. He calls it quits at 7:00 straight-up, and his watch informs him that he ran 4.99 miles.

Irony of ironies, the kids had awoken and opened their presents already by this time. Maybe Horvath should just go back to bed.

Frosty Five-Mile Race Report

This 5-mile race takes place in Hudson, Ohio, and it's huge. I suppose that's because, unlike Thanksgiving Day races, it's the only game in town. I expected to see lots of friends at the start, but hardly any could be found in the pre-start throng of people.

The crowd at the start and the hills certainly slowed many of us down for that first mile. That was a good thing. The second mile was downhill almost the whole way. So that was a fast one for me. I hit reality again during the third mile, and I tried hard to pick the pace back up for the final two.

During mile four, I still wasn't running as fast as I thought I ought. But the magic happened for mile five. Really - it was my fastest of the day.

My time was 40:14, an 8:03 pace. That's pretty good for me these days. It helped that the weather cooperated.

Afterward, I found a bunch of my friends, and it was fun to talk and compare notes. 

I learned that I was second in my ancient age group.

At the finish with Garrett Wright and his friend. We all won major awards.

They can't kill us all

"You can take them off my cold, dead legs." That's what I say to those who insist on poking fun at my fashionable pink pants. You know: the ones from the 1980s... with the stirrups. 

This photo is from 2013, but 10 years later (not to mention 25 years prior) I'm still wearing the same outfit. For some reason, my old friends as well as some of the new ones still ridicule my sense of style. Some were even laughing (out loud, mind you) at my tiny little red blinking light, the one otherwise known as my "blinkie."

Why, you may ask, am I so festive? Well, it's the holidays, and some of us just like to celebrate. 

Celebrate we did at the Annual MCRR Holiday Lights Run. Chadwick Sunday did a marvelous job of arranging our meet-up at the Corkscrew for the run through the Medina Fairgrounds' Holiday Lights display. 

"They can't kill us all!" It was just a short jog over to the Fairgrounds but the ice and snow forced us to run on the road, in the dark, at rush hour. There was more than one close encounter with a motor vehicle. At some point, Chadwick made his declaration. Thank goodness. I felt safer as a result. 

Somehow, we all made it there and back again. Not only did we not get runned over, we all even stayed vertical. The other intrepid participants included Tim Pepe, Catherine Kinsey, Alexis Mayer, Ladd Clifford, Julie Boggs, and Shannon Barnes.

Meatier!

It's that time of year: The Geminid Meteor Shower is upon us. I saw two during yesterday's long run on Lester. The funny thing was that my companions didn't catch any. I suppose that's because they weren't very bright. I managed to get 18 miles in, with the help of said running buddies.

Thursday's solo run was different. On my way up to North Park, I spotted a bright one. So bright, it was startling. You might even refer to it as a meatier meteor. By the way, I don't run up to North Park very much anymore because I'm running most of my mid-distance runs with friends. And this may be my last run that way for another long while - the city will be draining and dredging the lake, and closing the entire park for the year of 2024.

To Do Two Too Bad Runs

Cool Runnings. 28F didn't sound too bad. But as soon as I stepped out of the car, the wind hit me, and I knew it really was too bad. To do two of these too-bad runs, back to back, was a bit too much.

Shannon Barnes was the only other brave runner to show up at the track today, so it was just the two of us. I suppose everyone else caught a case of wisdom. That never happens to me. We actually managed to run something of substance (a 1600/1200/800/400 ladder), and then it was time to cool down and for Shannon to stretch. 

I did some stretching in sympathy, but mostly so we could talk a little more. Not to mention that we were temporarily sheltered from the wind. The trouble was, when this was over and it was time for Shannon to leave, I still had four-ish cold miles to go. So I started my run number two with some measure of trepidation.

There are times when I am able to pick the pace back up after everyone else leaves. This was not one of those times. I did get the mileage in, but there was nothing of substance.

Looking to Literally Lope Long on Lester

It's Friday, so of course, it's Lester. Lester Rail Trail, that is. This three-mile stretch has been traversed many times by Mr. Horvath. How many would there be today?

Horvath starts out with the 4:30 A.M. crowd. They don't get too far before having to return to meet with the 5:00 A.M. bunch. This group stays together for another half-hour before some of the early bunch needs to leave. They will be driving to Salt Fork State Park today for a Saturday trail run. But Horvath and the others soldier on.

Finally, an entire six-mile loop is completed, and one other person plus his doggie, Ella join. Unfortunately it's also time for everyone else to leave. It seems that work is an issue for some of them. Not Horvath; he's retired.

After one more six, the boy and his dog need to leave, and Horvath finds himself alone. He's got nearly 15 miles in, but needs more to be able to consider this a long run. And a long run is something he desperately wants.

Horvath slows down for these final miles. But thankfully, not too much. He finishes at around 8:15 A.M. with twenty for the day. Not too shabby. But where does he go from here?

Friends are gone, time for a little fartlek

When Dan put the word out about the Tuesday Track run, a few of his friends showed up. But the speedwork didn't quite happen. It seems that running around in circles at any kind of fast pace in 34F weather wasn't their cup of tea today. Running around in circles at an average pace was just fine, thank you.

It's when everyone else left the track that Dan began to fartlek. It was pretty good, satisfying fartlek at that.

Run the straightaways at a decent speed, and take it easy on the turns. That's the way.

Details about today's BM

There was a serious attempt on the part of the Race Director to cease and desist from calling the Brunswick Marathon the BM. There would be no more jokes about having a satisfying and complete BM, bragging about the first BM of the year (since it used to be on New Year's Day), or about the overall size of the BM (like, 'it was massive!').

Having stated that, your author decided to research the start of it all. Here it is, the 2019 post about the very first BM of that, or any year. And now it appears that there was an attempt to maintain high standards even at that point in time. Evidently, the attempt failed. The thing is, even as the RD now tries his darndest to refrain from BM jokes, the other runners seem to insist on it.

Today's run would not be a complete BM. It was only going to be a BM training exercise. But BM training is certainly important, and your RD takes it quite seriously. The new Brunswick Marathon course is much improved; it starts and ends at Sleepy Hollow County Park, and takes place mostly on asphalt trails to, around, and back from Brunswick Lake for about 6.5 miles. Four circuits make a complete BM, but partials are allowed. Today would see some runners accomplish as much as 3/4 of a complete BM.

The 5:00 AM loop consisted of just RD and Frank Dwyer. It wasn't raining; the wet stuff in the air was not real. The few hills on the course weren't either. They make it back just in time for the 6:10 group to join the fun. This group consisted of Harold Dravenstott, Debbie Hicks, Michelle Wolff, Andy Wolff, Julie Boggs, Shannon Barnes, and Jeannine Nicholson. There may have been others, but RD's brain was already rattled by this time, so he may not remember them. Still others joined during the 7:20 loop: Mebelit Melendez and Jamie Carr. 

Everyone ran great. RD thought it was all much more fun than it had any right to be. It was a wonderful and memorable BM.

No Laughing Matter

If you were looking for any jokes about penile frostbite, you're humping up the wrong tree. I would never make any smart-alecy remarks about something so serious. Okay, I suppose it may be a little bit funny when someone else suffers from it (like the time Prince Harry got it). But it's not funny at all when it happens to you. 

Having experienced a couple of seemingly serious such incidents, you would think that I'd know better. Today, it was 20F with a feel-like reading of 8F. I thought I was dressed appropriately enough: my fancy tights with one layer underneath - the old insulated undies. But that wind was wicked. As I started running with the wind at my back, I didn't feel too bad. It was only when I turned around that I felt it.

And 'it' got colder and colder. And colder and colder. I stopped at a convenient porta-john, and I think the warm pee passing through may have helped. For a while. Then everything got cold again. Eventually, and not a moment too soon, I arrived home for a mid-run break.

What to do now? At this point, I was six miles into a planned ten-mile run, I sure wanted to do more. But it certainly wasn't going to happen in my current state of inadequate malfunctioning wardrobe. By the time I could change, I would certainly be able to talk myself out of any further running. But then it occurred to me: stuff a rag down there!

Our rag pile is conveniently located by the garage door, so I grabbed a cut piece of towel and stuffed away.

Guess what? It worked. I completed the run without further incident. So don't worry about me; I'm fine. Maybe I'll even get smarter. Nah.

2023 Buckeye Woods 25K Race Report

Thirteen years ago, some friends and I scouted out a five-mile course through Buckeye Woods Park in rural Medina County. The purpose was to hold a new free, fat-ass after-Thanksgiving ultramarathon run. Participants would run six such loops plus one more mile to make it to 50K, or cut that in half for 25K. Runners could also just show up and run as much or as little as they wanted.

And run they did. Folks came from all over to join the fun. Although there was no fee, we made them join the Medina County Road Runners in order to be official. The race was small and informal enough that I was able to act as Race Director yet also participate in the run. Eventually, I was able to hand those awesome RD duties off to others, but I've still (mostly) continued to run.

The race has continued to prosper, although there have been up and down years. I've managed to complete the 50K ten times (including the one Summer edition). Other times, I ran somewhat less than 50K, but once (and I'll never live this one down) missed the race entirely because I was traveling.

This year, 2023, I'm back in the saddle. Mostly. A year ago, I declared that I was done with ultramarathons. With that pledge in mind, I'm only going to run 25K today. Should be easy, right?

We start with a pretty good group; more runners than I thought there would be. After the initial mile, I run the first five-mile loop mostly with Julie Boggs. She's planning to run the entire 50K; she's not a wimp like me. I run the second loop mostly with Shannon Barnes and Katherine Kinsey. I can tell you that I am hurtin' for certain by the time we approach the finish line. Our time is 2:39 - around ten minutes per mile. 

I'm happy to say that we stayed mostly together and that we kept it at a fairly steady pace. But this 25K felt like the old 50K runs used to. After hanging around a little, I decided to jog a couple more - mostly so that I could call it a long run. Some of that was with Julie, who had been starting her second half. I was happy when that part of the run was finished as well!

2023 Medina Turkey Chase Race Report

I definitely need to do more of these shorter races. The mile splits tell the story: 7:43, 7:55, 8:23, 9:00. Yeah, the first two miles are down and the last two are up. I knew that. But still... That totals up to 33:07. That's about 45 seconds slower than last year, and I didn't get a pie (for the first 50 gobblers) even then. 

That's all the bad news. Here's the good news. It was a blast: Seeing all my new and old friends, and everyone enjoying the fun event at the Square. That's what it's all about.

All I need to do to make everything perfect is to run faster.

Running in Scotland and Ireland

Our first four nights were in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh seemed like a nice place to run, with many parks and quiet, public areas. I, however, spent most of my running time just exploring, and you know how I get when in exploration mode: very, very slow.

I did indeed manage to explore the city quite a bit during my two runs there.

Another cool thing that I encountered in Scotland: the beach in St. Andrews where Chariots of Fire was filmed. Too bad I wasn't able to run at the time we were there.

Chariots of Fire Beach

Once we got to Dublin, Ireland, I did manage to get a good run in. I ran along the River Liffey for two and a half miles, then along the trail through Phoenix Park for another two and a half miles. By the time I turned around to head back, it was already getting light, and I had to hurry. I did, and it was a pretty good double-digit run. Exploration mode is fine, but I like to get somewhere as well. It helps when you don't need to worry about getting lost or about (very much) traffic.

Walking along the River Liffey later on

Galway was unrunnable, as storm Debi hit with furious wind and rain. 

In Derry, I found a place to run... along a river (this time, the Foyle) once again. Does this surprise you? It took some doing to find the trail, and I found myself in mud at times (even though the trail was mostly paved), but it was, all in all, good running. That went for both an afternoon and a morning run.

As unexpected as that afternoon run in Derry was, it was even more surprising to get a couple of runs in at the Giant's Causeway near Belfast. We were there with the group, but when it rained, Debbie went (and stayed) back at the visitor's center. I then got some running - up and down the trail leading to the formations. It was pretty cool (and windy, and rainy).

Trail to the Giant's Causeway

My first run around Belfast was cool. Literally - it's the wind, not, so much, the cold. At least there was no rain today. Once again, I had a river to navigate by, the River Lagan.  It all worked okay, but Belfast isn't the greatest place to run. For my second run there, I pushed the pace a little, got ten miles in, and had the best run of the trip. (That;s not saying all that much).

For more about this trip, check out my travel blog post.

Alone Again, Naturally

Friday morning: It's time to run long on Lester, once again. Things go quite swimmingly, until they don't. You see, they left me all alone. I could be singing the song, Alone Again, Naturally, because I sure felt alone and lonely. You would think I would slow down as I often do when I'm left alone to my own devices. But I had taken a gel and I felt like I was still moving fairly well. Unfortunately, my Garmin begs to differ. I am indeed slowing down. But after having company for those first 14, I can handle 4 more. I can, and I do.

But it wasn't pretty. I averaged 10:29 for those 18 miles, about par for the course for me. But had I maintained that faster pace I did with my friends, my overall average would have been much better.

Sunday morning: 18 miles twice in three days? I did it this way before two weeks ago. And now I'm at it again. This time it's at Hinckley. Many are aware of the vertical challenge the Hinckley 9-mile loop presents. Today, I'm doing it twice, just like I did three weeks ago. And just like then, I've got company. Company for the entire run. Said companionship helps tremendously today.

I actually manage to run the second loop faster than the first. Last time, they were nearly the same. Finishing strong down those last hills really feels good. I'm not even very sore.

Here's to hoping that I can keep improving from here.

You guys rock!

She did it! My friend, Jenny Hoffman made it: a new World Record for running across the United States in 47 days. I couldn’t be more proud, and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to play a (very) small part in it by joining her for part of her run through Ohio. Jenny’s run was all the more astounding because she tried and failed to get across in the past. Persistence pays off.

It occurs to me that until this point, I have never written very much about some of my other friends and their recent running accomplishments. These are people I trained with several times a week throughout the spring, summer, and fall of 2023. That makes them closer than most close friends. As it happens, each of them did exceedingly well in their late summer and early fall goal running events. Not that I ever had any doubts. Here are just a few of the great achievements. I will try to do this without mentioning their actual names, just to protect their privacy. Sorry if I left anyone out.

Two of them trained together nearly all the time. It helped that they were married to one another. They traveled the farthest for their goal race: the Crater Lake Marathon in Oregon. This was the most arduous event because of the overall elevation as well as the elevation gain and loss over the course. Finishing was quite an achievement, and surely a memorable one.

Three ran the Akron Marathon. For one, it was a comeback race after a major injury. For another, it was a very first marathon (a very good one!), and for the third, it was a personal best. All this during a slightly warm day on a challenging course.

One, after pacing many other events, ran one just for himself: The Columbus Marathon. As expected (by me), he ran a super time which was also a personal best.

And that’s not all. Some of my other friends that I don’t see quite so often also did some fabulous stuff. One person managed to qualify for Boston in Dayton, and another completed a Double Marathon at Run with Scissors. Besides all of us normal people, some trail ultrarunning friends are so far beyond what I can comprehend, that I hesitate to even mention them. So I won’t, other than to say, ‘All you guys rock!’

How did we all do so well? There’s little doubt that it helped to work together. Teamwork and camaraderie are nearly unbeatable. It’s all pretty amazing. I don’t know what will happen next for our tribe, but I can’t wait to find out.

Methinks thou doth protest too much

The actual quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet is, The lady doth protest too much, methinks. According to Wikipedia, "It is spoken by Queen Gertrude in response to the insincere overacting of a character in the play within a play created by Prince Hamlet to prove his uncle's guilt in the murder of his father, the King of Denmark." In more modern times, it is used to imply that someone who denies something very strongly is hiding the truth in some way.  I made it gender-neutral so that it could apply to me and my complaining about trail running. I also placed the methinks at the front of the statement, because it's a little more like the way we talk these days.

The title and the paragraph above are my way of apologising for b!tching so much about trail running. First there was my un-race report, and then there was my Dr. Seuss-like poem called Thick mud and trails. No more of that. I'm gonna be positive from now on. Or, at least for this here particular post. Regarding protesting too much, I actually do like trails. Just not knarly, rooty, rocky, muddy ones. And just not for running. <Editor's note: Dan is coming dangerously close to protesting too much again, even though he says he's not. We are going to put an end to this right now.>

Okay. Back to my happy place. Back to my comfort zone.

This place, this zone, today was, as it so often is, the track. (And that's the most commas you can possibly have in a thirteen-word sentence.) I love the track. And today was a good day to run there. There aren't too many bad ones, anyway.

Not to say that it was easy, but, with the help of some friends, I managed to pull off a full-Yasso today. Although I've had faster ones, this result (I averaged about 4 minutes for each 800) wasn't bad. The best part is that it was fairly steady.

And the best part is, it's over!

Claggett M.S. Track - Round, round get around

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