Furious but Foolish Fartlek

Sometimes things don't turn out quite as expected. And that just might be okay.

Failure to plan is a plan to fail. I do not want to fail today, but I do have a backup plan. Working backwards, I need to be at Pine Hollow at 8:15 to see my friends go by in the Burning River Marathon. This means being done with my long (18-mile) run on the Towpath in Peninsula at 8:00 sharp. Since I want this to be a long run, I have to start at 5:00 and maintain a 10-minute pace or better if there are to be any stops. With that early start, I have to be well packed and ready to roll super-duper early.

I pull into the Lock 29 parking area at 4:59. Mine is the only car this early. I make a bathroom stop, so I'm already behind in my timing. I start my run, and I realize right away that I left my headlamp at home. You kind of need one when the Towpath Trail is as pitch-dark as it is now. Summer's long daylight hours are beginning to shorten, and I should have known that it won't be light for another hour. Oh well, I think. I used to run in total darkness in the days before I had a headlamp.

By the time I hit my first mile split, I know very well that this run will not go according to plan. I'm moving at walking pace, trying not to trip or wander into the weeds on the sides of the trail. Already, my plan for this to be a long run is out the window. I simply won't be able to finish in time. Now, I need to figure out what is possible.

Right away, I consider the facts: I have already done a long run this week and don't truly need another. And I already have enough miles for the week to make it up to 70, so long as I do at least 15 today. So guess my new goal. Yes, 15 it is.

But even 15 becomes a challenge as my pace, though improving, is still much too slow. And factor in a couple more pit stops. Will I even make my Plan B goal?

As it begins to get lighter, another aspect of this run creeps into my already rattled brain: I'm enjoying this. I don't get down to the Towpath enough. It's wonderful. I've got the trail, the river, the surrounding hills, and the quiet. All I hear are my own footfalls, and it's fantastic.

By the time it's lighter still, I'm reaching my turnaround point, Botzum Trailhead. At this point, there are other runners about. It turns out that this small section is part of the Burning River course, and I spot more and more activity. There's an aid station at the trailhead, and runners are coming and going. I don't think the BR Marathon comes through here, so these must be the 50 and 100-mile runners. I try to stay out of everyone's way as I loop around and head back up North. Also at this point, my pace finally improves to where I thought it should be: under ten minutes per mile.

At this point, with nearly eight to go, I have to maintain this pace in order to get done in time. But just to jazz it up a little more, I decide to make this a form fartlek run. That means running the first half of each mile at tempo pace, whilst concentrating on my running form. The second half is at an easier pace. Guess what? This works out. I'm cooking with gas now.

My run takes another unexpected turn as I get about halfway back and encounter more BR activity. It turns out that the area around Hunt Farm is also on the course. This time, the runners I see coming the other way include my BR Marathon friends. I say hi to several of them and I let them know that I will see them in a little while.

I complete my run on time, so even though the run didn't turn out as expected, I can still consider it a (semi) success.

Afterward, I cheer my friends on at Pine Hollow and at Kendall Lake. It's fun to spectate once in a while. But of course I'm a little jealous. 

Not enough to actually do a trail run, mind you.

The Peninsula Nite Club, aka Winking Lizard
It's in the middle of all the fun associated with BR and also my run today

Parrot Head Run Race Report

I will rate the Parrot Head Run medium-high on the fun meter, and medium-low on the performance meter. I ran it because it is part of the Hermes Race Series. It's the fifth of those for me, and I need to do seven in order to be included in the overall scoring. You get points based on your age group or overall placement. I had won my age group in each of the previous four races.

That didn't happen today. Bill Long showed up. Before the race, he told me that he had not been racing, but with today's race, he would be back in the Hermes series. Dang. I also enjoyed talking with several other age-challenged guys like myself. 

At the start

With Don Salvador and some other friends

The race takes place in the Flats. There was a bunch of activity down there, including some sort of paddle and/or kayak races on the Cuyahoga River. The bars and restaurants were beginning to open up. I think that the place called "Good Night John Boy" used to be Margaritaville. That's where the start/finish was, and that's where I received my post-race beer. This is all factored into my medium-high on the fun meter rating.

Did I mention the heat? The air quality, which had been completely awful for two days, was much improved, but the heat was not. It was in the upper 80s during the event and 90 by the time I got back to my car. My car- that is, that was pretty far away because I didn't want to pay $20 to park close by. I didn't want to pay so much but I also did not want another parking violation. So I paid $4 to park under a bridge in an abandoned city lot.

I followed Bill most of the way, but I could never catch him, even though I thought I might. I think he wound up around 20 seconds ahead of me. Each of my mile splits was a little slower. That's not my preferred way to run a 5K, or any other race, for that matter. 

near the finish

My 26:13 was about average for me these days. 2nd in my ancient age group is okay. I am feeling okay now, but I also feel like I still need to get into better shape.

on the long walk back to the car

A Bright Spot in the Nighttime

Before the breathin' air is gone
Before the sun is just a bright spot in the night-time
Out where the rivers like to run
I stand alone and take back somethin' worth rememberin'

Those are some of the lyrics to Out in the Country, by Three Dog Night. Here in Northeast Ohio, we're experiencing this bright spot in the nighttime phenomenon. The toxic smoke from Canadian wildfires has caused our air quality to be at its historical worst ever. This has a profound effect on any outdoor work or activities, including, of course, running. The air quality became progressively worse by the minute during yesterday morning's run, and I was forced to cancel today's. It was back to the mill for me.

The good news is that my injuries appear to be in the past, and all I need to do now is to regain my fitness. That's easier said than done, but it's better than being injured. 

Regaining fitness is beginning to become more important though. Besides the two half-marathons scheduled for August, and September's Akron Marathon, I've now added another challenging event: The Kauai Marathon. 

Egads. Challenging is right.

A Midsummer Night's Run

It's actually a midsummer morning, but A Midsummer Morning's Run doesn't quite have the same ring to it. It is still dark, so there's that. 

Dan heads South on Substation Road. In the early morning gloom, he spots fireflies in the woods and a shooting star up above. Even though it's a Monday and he just did a long run last Thursday, he's going for 18+ today as well. But that will be tough at this slow pace.

He reaches his Decision point, the intersection of Substation and Sleepy Hollow. From here, a left turn will take him on his nine-mile course. Right or straight are for his two eleven-mile ones or his sixteen-mile course. Nine miles would be half of 18, and it would provide the opportunity to complete the second half of the run on the mill. He turns left.

These semi-rural roads can be great for running. As long as there isn't much traffic. Unfortunately, today's early-morning commuters did not receive the memo instructing them to remain off the roads for a few more hours. All this traffic is the main reason Dan rarely ventures on these courses anymore. He thought he could beat it today, but that's not happening. Early on Sunday mornings may be the last hope.

Dan manages to complete the slow nine-plus miles, but now he's still got nine to go. It's light out, and it's getting hotter. After an intermediate coffee and banana, onto the mill he goes. 

He does nine-plus more, so count it as nineteen for the day. It's not his best or proudest moment. But it's done.

Long

For the first time in nearly two months, I managed to do a long run today. It wasn't pretty, but it's DONE.

Daily running

Want further details? Here are a few: I started early, and it was already warm and humid. I did around 6 miles at the track, then 5.5 with friends at the Square, and then 6ish more back at the track. Even though it wasn't particularly fast, it was fairly steady, and I finished fairly well. Now, we start the big push.

Big Heart Update

I posted about a brain study that I was in, where the finding that I had an enlarged heart. Further testing confirmed that my right ventricle was dilated, and my right atrial cavity was severely dilated. Yesterday, I finally got to see a Sports Cardiologist.

After further confirming all the test results, she reviewed my history and lifestyle. Then she explained a whole lot, ending with (and I do believe these were her exact words): "It's the running, stupid."

Not really. She did actually say that my heart is just fine. In fact, I should keep doing what I'm doing.

I was gonna anyway.

Today's Tremendous Tuesday Track Tempo Trot

Been a while. It's warm and extremely humid as Dan hits the track this Tuesday with his friends. He warms up a little, not that he needs it in this heat. How much of a warm-up? Oh, six miles. If you said Dan was very much warmed up by the time he began his tempo trot, you wouldn't be wrong. Everyone else is wrapping up their workouts. But Dan begins his, and lo and behold, Dan becomes almost like the Dan of Old. He does four miles at a decent, though not too fast, pace.

The pain is nearly gone. The goal now is to get the fitness back slowly. Very slowly.