Canal corridor 100 Pace Report

Keen observers will notice that this is a "Pace Report," not a "Race Report." There's a difference.

I arrive at the finish line area in Akron, only to discover that I cannot get a cell signal. This means I can't summon an Uber to take me to the Canal Fulton aid station, where I'm to meet my friend Larry Orwin. Larry is running the Canal Corridor 100-Mile race, and I am to pace him for his final 19 miles. I end up having to drive to St. Helena Park myself so that I don't miss Larry. This will just make things more complicated after we finish. I strongly do not wish to miss the connection with Larry or let him down in any other way. I needn't have worried; everything works out okay.

Once Larry gets what he needs at the aid station, it's nice to finally get started. I've already mentioned the logistical concern, but my other concerns about running through the middle of the night had occupied my brain all day. It was easier for Larry; all he had to do was run 81 miles to get here.

Heading North, we are mostly walking, but it's a brisk pace. Sometimes we shuffle or jog a little. Sometimes I shuffle/jog whilst Larry shuffle/walks. We talk quite a bit, but come to think about it, I'm the one with the most words. Larry once told me that when he wants to get me started, he just presses (for example) the "Environment" button, and Dan will go off talking continuously about the environment... until it's time to press the next button. Tonight, he is pressing several buttons.

I remind Larry of an old Dan Adage: there is no shame in walking. So long as we're still moving forward, I'm satisfied that we'll make it to the finish, and I'll continue to support his efforts. By about Mile 90, Larry begins to transition to more running and less walking. At first, this strikes me as a good thing; we'll get this thing done and over with sooner. But then I notice that he is not running in a straight line, something that you truly ought to do on the Towpath. He is also leaning forward and putting his arms back. I try to slow him down when the pace increases even more. I jokingly admonish him to stay vertical. Unfortunately, he doesn't. I help him back up more than once. I give him some Salt Stick tabs, and he has some Ramen Soup at an aid station. Seems to help...

Except for another fall within a few feet of the Finish, A lot of things can happen during a 100-Mile run, and most of them are bad, I say. (Another Dan Adage.) Larry makes it across the line a little after 5:00 A.M. for a 23-hour effort, good for a gold belt buckle. What an effort on Larry's part. Okay, mine too. Now, excuse me while I get my second nap of the day started.

Sonicblast

I did something this morning that I haven't done in over a decade: I took a cold bath after my run. Now I'm sitting here shivering because I can't bring my body temperature back up to normal. That's okay; it goes with the territory. The training-for-a-big-one territory, that is. The "big one" is the Veteran's Marathon scheduled for November 1. You might say that I'm laser-focused on this race.

ASICS Sonicblast

For today's interval workout, I wore my new ASICS Sonicblast shoes. They're considered lightweight training shoes designed for fast-paced workouts. I think they work. Today's Yasso 800s were faster than last week's run in normal shoes. Today, I averaged 3:57; better than that previous session by about ten seconds. I'd say I'm getting there.

It was a hard workout, and it came a day after some fartlek-ish running at Lake Medina with friends, and a day before some additional anticipated challenging running to take place up to and including the weekend. You can bet the farm on this: more stories will be forthcoming.

One more thing about yesterday's run. I made everyone stop at one point for a Dan Astronomy lesson. The stars have been bright lately, as they often are during this time of year. Cool, crisp days and nights help. But yesterday there was something even more special: a lunar eclipse of Jupiter, formally known as a lunar occultation, was unfolding before our eyes. It was pretty cool.

Here's a pic of what we saw, but I didn't take it. It also shows 4 of Jupiter's moons

Too soon?

About the phrase, 'Too soon?'

• Offensive timing: People say "too soon" when a joke makes fun of a recent tragedy, death, or upsetting event.
• Not enough healing: It means people are still hurt, and enough time has not passed to laugh about it.
• Ironic use: Sometimes people say "too soon" as a joke about very old historical events or minor inconveniences to tease others about being easily offended.

Today, however, there's a slightly different context. Is it too soon to run intervals (Yasso ones, at that) after the only-three-day-ago Akron Marathon? Of course it is. 

But I did 'em anyway. Not well, mind you, but I did 'em. You see, I have a(nother) marathon in five weeks, and I have to get ready. Today's run wasn't pretty, but it's a start. If it's too soon, that's too bad.

Random acts of stupidity

Although I’ve already posted my initial report, here are some further thoughts on yesterday’s Akron Marathon.

First, there were many random acts of kindness. When I crashed at mile 26, I stopped dead in my tracks and screamed out in pain. There were only a few spectators around, and not too many other runners going by. The three cops showed up almost instantly to try to help. They were kind and considerate, but I told them I was okay because I didn’t want to wind up in an ambulance. It was a lie, but there you have it. The woman who rubbed my leg was wonderful. She had come out of nowhere and seemed to know just what to do. It felt good, but when I tried to resume running, I didn’t get far before the sharp pain also resumed. Before Julie Boggs came by, another runner stopped to try to help me. I may have been able to hang onto his shoulder and finish, but I didn’t want to slow him down, so I said no thanks. It was Julie and the Salt Sticks that truly did the trick. A miracle, for sure. These folks were all great, and I want to reiterate how much I appreciate the kindness. It often happens when we are in need of it most.

I think the guy who stopped to try to help me run in was Scott McKanna. I had seen him during the race, but had gotten ahead of him. Until my mishap. He wound up winning our selfsame ancient age group, finishing a minute and forty seconds in front of me. Maybe I should have allowed him to carry me across the line such that my bib registered ahead of his.

Now for the random acts of stupidity. Mostly, it’s the thought that I had a chance to break four hours. I had started conservatively, and I still thought it possible at halfway, which was 2:01 for me. But the second half of a marathon is a long way, and at Akron, it’s where the uphills take their toll. The final two miles are downhill, and although by that point, four hours was impossible, I still picked the pace back up and felt good doing it. Until I didn’t. In retrospect, I just wasn’t as fit as I needed to be to have such a goal.

The thing is, I’ve been at this long enough to know when I’m fit. And when I’m not. All the caffeine and gels weren’t enough. But some Salt Sticks would have helped prevent the worst from happening.

I’ll get over this. Really. Next up is the Veterans Marathon on November 1. I’m hopeful about that one.

Akron Marathon Race Report

Yeow!!!!! I stop completely (at mile 26 according to my watch - and about mile 25.75 according to the race) because I can't run or even walk. Any movement at all causes intense pain from the sudden cramp in my right quad. Three cops converge on me from different directions. They seem to want to get medical help. "Thanks," I say, "but I'll be okay." I want to finish. But I'm not okay. A nice lady appears and massages my leg. It helps a little. I thank her for being such an angel. 

I try to walk a bit, but the cramp recurs. Then another angel appears from behind. It's Julie Boggs. She gives me her bag of Salt Stick electrolyte chewable tablets. She offers to help me walk in, but I tell her to go on and finish. Now I'm taking a handful of those tablets and drinking from her water bottle. 

The effect is immediate. I'm able to walk and even jog a little. I am flabbergasted. I had no idea that the tablets would be so effective so soon. Not that I did well today. I cross the finish line with a time of 4:16, but until very recently, I'd thought that 4:10 was possible. After all this though, I suppose finishing at all is an accomplishment.

Just before the start: Julie Boggs, Theresa Wright, Laura Hutson, Dan, Ladd Clifford

It was great to see all my friends before, during, and after the race. The Akron folks put on a wonderful show. And for a change, the weather cooperated and was quite nice today. Even though I wasn't as fit as I wanted to be, I had thought a sub-four-hour time was possible. It wasn't - not with the hills in the second half. And then the cramping.

For my next trick, I know what I have to do: get (more, much more) fit and also lose a couple of pounds. Yeah. That's the ticket.

Signs

When Marathon Day is approaching, I look for signs. The signs more or less inform me what to expect, how to pace myself, and generally how I'm going to do. The Akron Marathon is pretty much done approaching now; it's here, less than 48 hours away. Here are the signs.

Weather: This is a huge sign, and it looks good: low in the upper 40s and high around 70, with clear skies. This is about as good as it can get these days. It always seems as though I get poor weather days when I'm feeling well trained, with the opposite being the case as well.

Weight: Another big sign. I think I heard the formula as 2 seconds per mile per pound of excess weight. So, if you're one pound overweight, you will run a marathon 52 seconds slower. I know: there are so many other variables that weight matters less than you might think. Yet I pay attention to it, and it's not good news. I've been over 160 pounds most of this year, although today I managed to coax the scale to show 159.8. I race better when I'm under the 160 mark.

Training Volume: Most of my training weeks this year have been around 70 miles. (70 slow miles.) Still, it's a good thing.

Training Intensity: Two benchmarks that I pay attention to are my long runs and my Yasso workouts. If I can nail both of those, I am confident that I can perform well in the marathon. This time around, I haven't been quite so consistent with speedwork. It's another area for improvement.

Other Races: Of course, the best predictor of marathon performance is performance in recent races, assuming that recovery is complete. My racing season has had its ups and downs this year. The Cleveland Marathon was disappointing, and most recently, the River Run was fairly awful, excuses be damned. Other half marathons were so-so. Slower than last year, but (barely) acceptable. I think my best race performance so far this year was at the Hermes 10-Miler in April.

What does all this tell me? Mostly, don't go out too fast (since I probably wouldn't be able to maintain such a pace) and don't set expectations too high (since I'd probably be disappointed). Hey, I've got an idea: Go out easy and try to enjoy the experience, no matter what.

Inarguably Inaugural: the 1978 Cleveland Marathon (again)

This is a short excerpt from my book, Run a Lot. It comes up because I've been in communication with the Cleveland Marathon Race Organization about their upcoming 50th anniversary. I've made some minor modifications. 

I'm the one with the headband

The date was May 14, 1978. I lined up for the Inaugural Revco Cleveland Marathon. At the ripe old age of 25, it was also my very first marathon. 

I enjoyed seeing the sights of my hometown as we started near Cleveland State University and traveled out and back to the West Side of town and the western suburbs. I enjoyed the crowds cheering me on and the perfect marathon weather. I ran better than expected for much of the race. At eighteen miles, I felt so good that I picked up the pace even more. I did not have a time goal, but it was beginning to look like I might break three hours. But at twenty-two miles, I had hit the wall and was almost entirely shot. In the final miles, I hobbled over the Veterans Memorial Bridge (aka Detroit-Superior Bridge) and finally made it to the finish line. My time was three hours and four minutes.

After one look at me, the finish-line volunteers immediately placed me in the medical tent, where they covered me and fed me ice chips. My wife, Debbie, found me there. I said those now-famous words, "Never again!"

I did not make good on my pledge. A few years went by, but I began to run other races, including marathons. I’ve now done over 130 marathons and over 40 ultramarathons, and I’m still running those 26.2-milers. I’m planning to run the 50^th annual Cleveland Marathon in 2027. Hope to see you there.