Terrific Tapering for Marathons and Ultras

This is an article that was published in a 2003 edition of Marathon & Beyond.

Terrific Tapering for Marathons and Ultras

by Dan Horvath

With my latest marathon fast approaching, it was time to start planning my taper. OK, it was past time to start such planning, but better late than never. My usual methodology is to look through my training log to determine what kind of tapering I’d done in the past. If I’m really ambitious, I’ll compare different tapering techniques, along with the associated race results to try to figure out what had seemed to work.

This time would be different. Yes, I would still look back in my ‘ole logs, but I also decided to do some actual research to see what the experts say. In addition, I was curious about what I could find out about tapering for ultras too. I’ve looked these sorts of things up before, but it’s been quite a while, and there is some new material out there nowadays.

It turned out that there is a lot of new material and studies out there. Several studies yield extremely useful and interesting information. In addition, I was able to refer to several recent running related books to glean even more information. It appears that even an old dog like me can still learn a few tricks. If you’re creating your training plan for your next marathon or ultra, or just thinking about your next Big One, read on.

The First Commandment(s) of Tapering

I have friends who, perhaps only half-jokingly, say that they’ve been tapering for some number of years for the upcoming marathon or ultra. To those folks, I have this to say: if you haven’t done the training, the best taper in the world is not going to help you. Yes, this ought to go without saying, but I’m probably as guilty as anyone of thinking: “I’ve had a tip-top taper, and therefore I should run a great marathon”. There’s just a bit more to it.

Furthermore, the tapering period is not the time to introduce anything new to your training. There is general agreement that activities such as weight-training, speedwork, massage and stretching should be incorporated into almost any training schedule. If any of them haven’t been used, however, the tapering period is definitely not the time to start. This even applies to the massage and stretching.

Why Taper?

Tapering is a reduction of training quality, quantity, or both for some period immediately prior to an athletic event. The amount of reduction, and the time period for that reduction vary greatly depending on the event, the individual, and whom you ask.

For the purposes of this discussion, the assumption will be that you will want to optimize your marathon or ultra effort to the fullest extent. Yes, getting there is and should be half the fun. If you don’t actually enjoy your training (at least for the most part), then you should strongly consider other activities. That said, training, for most of us, is still not an end, but a means to an end. This is the case no matter how much joy we derive from it. As important as it may be to run well in practice, it’s imperative (or so it seems to us) to do so for that Big Event. Most of us don’t want to leave our best performances in the training world; we want them to occur during our marathon or ultra.

Training is a good thing. Each workout will generally increase your fitness to some slight degree. The accumulative affect of months of these single workouts will make you fit enough to participate in an endurance event. But training is also hard. It takes a toll on your body such that your ability to run hard on a given day is negatively impacted by the affects of your recent workouts. The effects of fatigue on performance are well documented. In order to run your best, you need to maximize your fitness, and be fully rested. The way to do accomplish this for a race is to train hard, and then taper.

Tapering works. Numerous studies, including (Houmard et al., 1994), (Mujika, 1998) and (Shepley et al., 1992) have proven that endurance athletes who tapered prior to an endurance event performed significantly better than those who did not. In fact, the affect of tapering on performance has been shown to be between 1 and 6 percent. A marathon runner should expect the improvement to be between 3 and 5 percent (Pfitzinger and Douglass, 2001). Four percent for a 3-hour marathoner equates to an improvement of over 7 minutes. For a 4-hour marathoner, the 4 percent improvement would be mean 10 minutes. Ultra runners can also expect significant improvements, although there are fewer studies that can be applied so directly. (Noakes, 1991) provides good anecdotal information on tapering for ultras, showing that it worked for certain individuals at the Comrades Marathon. There can be no doubt that a good taper will do more for your race performance than almost anything else you can think of during those last couple weeks of training.

Thus the reason to taper is straightforward: to give your body a rest so that you are able to perform as close as possible to your potential during the race. The only real question, then, is how, and how much?

How to Taper

If tapering works so well, why not take it all the way? Why not stop running completely for some period of time prior to a race? Houmard and Shepley studied the effects of no training at all for one week prior to an event. The results indicated that there was no improvement as a result of such a drastic taper. In other words, tapering completely (i.e. 100% reduction) is about the same as not tapering at all. So some training is still necessary leading up to a race.

How long should a tapering period be? Most studies examine a taper period of 7 to 14 days. It appears that many training experts and coaches recommend 14 to 21 days for marathon and ultra tapers. The approach appears to be such that generally, the longer the event, the longer the taper. This applies to distances up to and including the marathon. Although there is very little information in print about this, my own feeling is that additional tapering for distances beyond 26.2 miles will not necessarily yield better results. In other words, in terms of the length of the period and the percentage of reduction of mileage, you should taper for an ultra about the same as you would for a marathon.

The way in which a tapering period is designed is referred to as a tapering model. Different studies examined different tapering models. The three basic models are:

1. Step reduction: a drastic reduction of training volume (say, 50% of normal) at the onset of the tapering period, followed by the continuation of this volume for the entire taper period.
2. Linear or Exponential reduction: the amount of reduction is gradually increased from the beginning to the end of the tapering period. For example, for a three week taper, the reduction in mileage may be 20% for the first week, 40% the second week, and 60% for the third. This reduction of an additional 20% each week is a linear reduction; exponential reduction may be more on the order of 10%, 40%, 80%, where the amount of reduction increases over time.
3. A Combination of Step Reduction and Additional Linear or Exponential Reduction: this is an attempt to incorporate the features of the former two models. The runner may reduce mileage by about 40% at the start of the taper, then gradually reduce the volume even further over the tapering period. In this case, an example would be a 50% reduction for the second week and 60% for the third.

(Bannister, et al. 1999) found that an exponential model worked better than a step model. Other studies appear to favor the Combination model. Many of the noted studies are of swimmers and triathletes. Most coaches and other writers recommend an exponential or linear model for distance runners.

How hard should your taper training be? Many of the studies show that while training volume should be decreased, training intensity should not. The Shepley study in particular showed that a taper of low-volume and high intensity was superior to one of moderate volume and low intensity. So doing only easy jogging for two weeks prior to your big event is not enough. Assuming that you’ve already been doing some speedwork, you should continue doing it through the tapering period, except for the last few days. This is not to say that your two to three week taper should consist entirely of speedwork. The best approach is to use the same percentage of high-intensity running during the taper period as during the previous training period. For example, say your pre-taper training consisted of 6 one-mile intervals at 10K pace and a 4-mile tempo run at half-marathon pace per week, out of 60 overall weekly miles. The 10 speedy miles make up 17% of total weekly miles. For a 2 week taper in which you’re reducing mileage by 40% the first week and 60% the second week, you may do 3 one-mile intervals and a 3-mile tempo run the first week (6 speedy miles out of 36), and 2 one-mile intervals and a 2-mile tempo run the second week (4 speedy miles out of 24). You’ll be tempted to do more volume of speedwork, or to do it at a faster pace than usual. Resist! Although it’s important to train how you feel, and to design your training to fit your individual needs, you need to keep your eyes on the prize.

Cross training should also be reduced during your taper. Since the types of cross training activities vary, the best approach is to once again, follow the percentage rule as much as possible. Resistance training in particular should be eliminated during the final week or two (Bloch, 1993).

And what about long runs? The percentage rule applies here as well. The length of the weekly long run should, in general, be reduced by about the same percentage as that for the weekly mileage. For example, say your normal weekly long run is 20 miles, and your weekly mileage is 60 miles. Applying a reduction of 40% for the first week would require a long run of about 12 miles with overall miles of 36 miles. Applying a 60% reduction, we get a long run of 8 miles and overall miles of 24. Once again, the percentage of long run miles with respect to total miles remains constant.

What’s Worked for Me

Having done the research about what’s supposed to work, I would now examine my own data to determine what’s worked for me. I realized right away that examining just the marathon and ultra tapers wouldn’t tell the whole story here; there are too many other variables, not the least of which is whether I had trained enough.

What I could do, however, is study the characteristics of the tapers for my best marathon efforts. (I’m leaving my ultras out of the equation; I don’t feel that I’ve done enough of them well enough to acquire adequate data.) So out of over 60 marathons, I picked the five that I consider to be the most successful, and then gathered information about the tapers.

I examined the three-week taper period just prior to the events. In order to calculate an average weekly mileage, I used the miles run per week for the previous 9 weeks prior to the taper. For each of the three weeks leading up to the marathon, I’ve listed my total miles for that week, my long run at the start of that week, any tune-up races done at the start of the week, and any speedwork done during the week.

I learned a few things about my tapering:

1. I used to be a halfway decent runner.
2. In terms of mileage, I tapered much less than many of the experts recommend. I never tapered at all for the 3^rd week prior to the race. In fact, my mileage for that week was always higher than the average for the previous nine. It was, however, close to the weeks immediately prior to the taper. The 2^nd and 1^st weeks prior were on the order of 80% and 40% of my average training mileage.
3. My long runs appear to be all over the map. Generally, I ran very long (more than 20 miles) three weeks before the race, then fairly long, but usually shorter, two weeks out, then shorter still (9 to 15 miles) the week before the race.
4. For almost all of my successful marathons I’ve run a tune-up race during one or more of the previous weekends. It was usually a 5-Mile or 10K, but there were a few 10-Mile races. Don’t try that at home.
5. There was a great deal of speedwork for each of the three weeks. Although I do recommend continuation of speedwork, I wouldn’t advise doing this much.

Would I have run better if I had tapered more? What if I had run less for that third week before the race – could I have knocked a minute off my time? On the other hand, I have friends who taper even relatively less than I. They appear to do just fine. Could I do as well by tapering less?

It’s simply impossible to say. The best I can do is to postulate that, for these instances, the taper probably didn’t hurt me much. And that may be the most any individual will ever be able to say, without engaging in some extensive research involving many more runners.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are the marathon efforts where I’ve done more poorly than expected. For at least some of these instances, I felt that I had been well trained, and then went on to have a wonderful taper. So what went wrong? Perhaps it was something else, such as the weather, lack of sleep, or the phase of the moon.

The bottom line is that a good taper won’t guarantee you a good marathon or ultra performance. A good taper may, in some instances, prevent a stinker. Just don’t try a bad taper (that is, no taper at all). The evidence shows that for most runners, this won’t work. In any event, it’s not worth the risk.

Sidebar – Dan’s Taper Data for Five Successful Marathons

What You Should Do

Based on the research, the writings of coaches and other experts, and (just a bit) on my own data, I have compiled the following recommendations and schedule. These are only guidelines; you should actually design your own tapering schedule that will work for you.

With 3 weeks to go, you should run about 90 percent of your pre-taper mileage and effort; with 2 weeks to go, do about 60 percent, and during your final training week, you should only run about 40 percent of your usual distance and effort. By “distance and effort” I mean the total miles run during those tapering weeks, the long run distance, the amount of speedwork, etc.

For the three days immediately prior to your event, you should do very little training. You want your muscles to be as well-rested as possible. This is not to say that you should abstain from running completely for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday prior to your Sunday marathon or ultra. Even at this late date, you may want to loosen up by running a few easy miles on perhaps two of the three days.

There are several non-running considerations for those last few days as well. Stretch. Get a massage. Load up on carbohydrates. Study the course. Visualize your effort and eventual success.

Remember that you’re an individual. I know I am, because my wife keeps reminding me. What works for one person, or even a group of people, may not work for you. As an experiment of one, you will ultimately have to find out on your own how best to taper for you. Use the information presented here as a starting point, and add your own refinements.

Sidebar – A Schedule for Your Terrific Taper

The data and ideas provided by the sources noted in the accompanying article have been consolidated to create this taper schedule. Although it’s applied to runners who average 75, 55 or 45 miles per training week, think of this chart as a template that can be tailored and applied to the tail end of any marathon or ultra training schedule.

Following the recommendations in the What You Should Do section, the schedule uses a 10 percent reduction in mileage for the first week of the taper (90% of original average weekly training mileage); 40 percent reduction (60% of original) for the second week, and 60 percent reduction (40% of original) for the final week before the race. The percentages are each reductions of the original average weekly mileage. The schedule also includes some speedwork, marathon pace runs and two weekends with a tune-up race and/or tempo run. I do not recommend doing two races; you should do a race one of the weekends and a tempo run the other.

The schedule makes the following assumptions:

1. That you have followed some sort of training schedule prior to the tapering period. In other words, you’ve put in the miles, according to some plan, to get to this point.
2. That you have tracked, and therefore have some idea of, your average weekly mileage. Use the average number of miles run per week for the previous 8 to 10 weeks of your marathon training. If you log your running by time instead of miles, you can convert the data by using your pace per mile.
3. That your training has included at least some speedwork. If not, don’t start now; Simply run the stated distance at a brisk pace.
4. That you’ve been doing some of your training at your anticipated marathon pace, and you have an idea what that pace should be. If not, consider examining your pace for your longest runs.
5. That you do some shorter tune-up races, and that you’re not averse to doing one during the final three weeks. Don’t do any races longer than 10K; you won’t have time to entirely recover from anything longer. If you haven’t included any shorter races in your training, you should, once again, follow the “don’t try anything new” rule and not start now. If you decide to break the rule for this instance, don’t run the race all-out; just run comfortably fast.

Sidebar – References

Banister, E. W., Carter, J. B., & Zarkadas, P. C. 1999. Training theory and taper: Validation in triathlon athletes. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 79, pp.182-191.

Benyo, R. and Henderson, J. 2002. Running Encyclopedia. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL

Bloch, G. B. 1993. How to Train for and Run Your Best Marathon. Fireside, New York, NY

Daniels, J. 1998. Daniels’ Running Formula. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL

Galloway, J. 1984. Galloway’s Book of Running. Shelter Publications, Bolinas, CA

Higdon, H. 1997. How to Train. Rodale Press, Inc., Emmaus, PA

Houmard J.A., Scott BK, Justice CL, Chenier TC. 1994, May. The effects of taper on performance in distance runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc;26(5):624-31.

Mujika, I. 1998. The influence of training characteristics and tapering on

adaptation in highly trained individuals: a review. International Journal of

Sports Medicine, v.19, pp.439-446

Mujika I., Chatard, J. C., Busso, T., Geyssant, A., Barale, F., Lacoste, L. 1992, Feb. Physiological effects of tapering in highly trained athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology;72(2):706-11.

Noakes, T. 1991. Lore of Running. Leisure Press, Champaign, IL

Pfitzinger, P. and Douglass, S. 2001. Advanced Marathoning. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL

Shepley, B., MacDougall, J. D., Cipriano, N., Sutton, J. R., Tarnopolsky, M.A., Coates G. 1992, Feb. Physiological effects of tapering in highly trained athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology;72(2):706-11

Day 52: More Vim

It's our 45th wedding anniversary, and my friend Victor Oppong Kyekyeku Adu-Gyamfi wished us 'more vim'. Victor seems to like that term, and so do I. (I responded that more vim will indeed be needed to get us through the next 45 years.)

More vim was also needed for today's run. Unfortunately, there was not enough vim to be had.

Tomorrow's another day.

Day 51: Accidental Long Run

The funny thing about long runs is that you nearly always need to plan for them. They generally don't just happen. But nearly never (for unplanned long runs) isn't quite the same as never.

I already had a long run for this week. It wasn't a good eighteen-miler, but at least it was there in the books. Therefore, today's run didn't need to be all that far. Just the bare minimum of ten to eleven. But a funny thing happened: the more I ran, the more it began to seem like I can do this. 'This', being a long run.

It helps to have the time. Especially when the pace is this slow. There were those early five in the hood. Then a pit stop. Then heading out for another six or more. It's the or more part where it happened. Heading over to Brunswick Lake, I began to feel pretty decent. After a few one-mile loops, I felt even better.

Then I bumped into an old running friend, Rick Roman. We ran a few more loops together, and I was now moving faster still. Eventually, I was up to around fifteen, and it was time to head home. Those final three were tough, but I'll call this a halfway decent, accidental long run.

Day 50: Osborne Park

I've started Back Across Tennessee (BAT). Today we were in Sandusky, Ohio, and I ran over to Osborne Park in nearby Huron. There was a very nice crushed limestone trail there. I ran a few 1-mile loops, then came back to the hotel for a half-way decent ten-mile run. It's a good start for the BAT.

Day 49: My Virtual Finish, or Hello NC

Today's virtual run brought me across the virtual finish line into virtual North Carolina from the eastern border of virtual Tennessee. I didn't see an actual line, but I'll take the virtual version of one.

I knew I needed eleven miles to get me there, and I managed to get them in for this run, slow and steady as it was. Afterward, I walked a couple more with Debbie.

I'm pretty proud to have accomplished this 1000K feat. I'll be even more proud when I get back across again, to make it 2000K. I'm also humbled by the fact that so many RATs have already managed to complete those first 1000K. I wasn't even close to the front of the pack. I'm in the company of greatness. GVRAT has been a blast. I think it will continue to be one.

Now that I'm done with the RAT, bring on the BAT.

Here I'm at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on a walk, later in the day. Notice the GVRAT shirt that I'm wearing for the first time.

Day 48: One Day Away

By my calculations, I should finish the West to East leg of the Great Virtual Run Across Tennessee 1000K (aka GVRAT) after tomorrow's planned ten-mile run. Hello, North Carolina! That will put it at 49 days to get across those 634 miles, averaging nearly 13 miles per day.

My understanding is that after the distance is logged (this should happen the following morning), I will receive an email with some options. One of them will be whether I want to begin the return trip. I plan to do that - go East to West - and to wind up near Memphis, where I started. I will have 74 days to do that, and I believe I can start recording those immediately upon finishing the first leg.

Today's ten-miler turned out better than anticipated. After not feeling so well at times during the last few runs, I didn't expect much. Although I ran slow and easy, it was a half-way decent slow and easy. Maybe it'll be like that tomorrow as well? We can only hope.

Day 47: A Bitter Pill

It’s another beautiful morning so why am I here, on the mill?

Running way too many miles of course; it’s a bitter pill,

I’d started outside for this run,

But was finished there before I was done,

Yes, I' do anything for volume, and I do know the drill.

I almost titled this post, Tuesday's Terrible Toll. But I like limericks, so I referenced that instead. Yesterday's speedwork, and the overall mileage, in general, have indeed taken a toll. I woke up tired, sore, and much too early, yet I wanted to get a mid-week long run in like I did last Tuesday. I especially wanted to do it after last Saturday's failure.

This one didn't go much better, although I did manage (barely) to get the required eighteen miles in. I did eleven outside, mostly to, around, and back from the track. Those miles were somewhat slow, but they could have been worse. Then I hopped on the mill for the final seven. Those miles were not only slow; they were pretty darn awful.

I'm still closing in on that first 1000K for GVRAT. Do I need more protein?

More importantly, when does it begin to get easy?

Day 46: Closing in

If my mileage for this first month and a half of GVRAT is around 580, that means I have about 55 to go before getting to the 635-mile finish. It should happen sometime this week. When it does, you'll hear it here first.

Today I did a slow four outside, then came in and onto the mill for some 1200 repeats over six miles. After that, and instead of the usual hike with the grandsons (and their grandma), we went to the track.

The thing is, those kids love to run. We will be walking the three-mile trail around Hinckley Lake, they will just break out in a run for no reason. Then they like to find a bench, sit down, and wait for us slow people. Note that even when I do try to run with them, I still wind up as one of those slow people.

So today we took them to the track where they could run with impunity. And Grandpa too.

Day 45: Time Constraints

A few posts ago, I discussed constraint satisfaction. I talked about performance and distance; all the constraints that we set for ourselves. For some reason though, I neglected to mention an important one: time constraints. Time constraints as in, I have to be done by 7:30 so that I can clean up and eat breakfast before our family hike that leaves at 8:00.

This means that in order to get my planned eleven miles in, I have to leave by a certain time, and maintain a certain pace. Most of us don't like constraints such as these. We don't like deadlines; they make us feel too... constrained.

But deadlines and requirements also cause, or force, us to be more successful, as defined by getting done what's needed. I suppose I understand this as well as most folks. So I wasn't overly concerned about getting my eleven in within the timeframe I had today. I just had to do it. Guess what? I did.

It was a pretty decent run, especially coming after yesterday's stinker. You know. The one where I had plenty of time.

I am still hoping to be done with the west-east crossing of Tennessee by the end of this upcoming week. It's a constraint I'm placing upon myself, and one that I'm thinking about.

Day 44: You can observe a lot, just by watching

At 5:00 AM, I'm off and running on the Lester Rail Trail. I am having thoughts of doing a long run of eighteen or more miles today, even though I've already logged one long run earlier this week.

I'm tired, and I start slowly. At about four miles, I spot a woodpecker on the ground in front of me. When it sees me, it flies up into a nearby tree, but it occurs to me that this may be the closest I've come to a live woodpecker in the wild. A few miles later, I encounter a wild turkey hen with four tiny chicks in tow. Again, it may the closest I've come to creatures like this in the wild as well. Yogi Berra's line,  you can observe a lot, just by watching, comes to mind.

As cool as the wildlife is, and as pretty as the morning sunrise is, I am not having a good day, running wise. I simply cannot get moving at a decent pace. Instead, I only get more and more tired, and this causes me to run slower and slower. It's probably just the overall GVRAT mileage catching up with me. I suppose I was about due for a real stinker - one that I wasn't expecting. Well, I got it.

I terminated the run at eleven miles. Tomorrow's another day.

Day 43: Highway Hell

Heading out of the hotel, I realize that in order to finish by 7:15 AM as planned, I'm gonna have to run really, really fast. As I ger moving, I begin to grapple with the thought that perhaps ten miles ain't in the cards today. The larger problem is that there's no place to go anyway.

I love to explore new places - places we're traveling - by doing what I call runs of discovery. Today's run of discovery wouldn't be all that wild; we're staying in Mentor, Ohio, which isn't all that far away. I want to explore anyway, and I also want to get my ten in. The exploration part isn't going so well because it seems like there's nothing but highways around our hotel. I can't seem to find a nice, quiet, safe place to run. But after a couple not-so-nice miles, I do find such a place: a nice, new road with very little traffic that goes on a couple miles.

It doesn't take long to reach Painesville. Later, when I reach Painesville proper (the older part of town), I run around there for a while before heading back.

I get eight miles in. It's not the ten I wanted, but it's all I got time for. At least I did manage to explore.

Day 42: SOSS

Keen observers will note that SOS stands for Something of Substance. Something means a tempo run or some kind of interval workout. I'm calling today's run a SOSS run because it was Something of Slight Substance.

It met my standard for a 3-mile tempo run, but only barely. I tried to add some fartlek on the way home, and that didn't work out so great either.

At least I got the GVRAT ten in.

Day 41: About a 100 to go

As noted in other posts, GVRAT has caused me to increase my mileage by quite a bit. After yesterday's long run, I didn't feel like getting out at all today, but I did manage a couple out, followed by some more on the mill. The good news is that I'm around 100 miles from North Carolina! I'm hoping to be there by around the end of next week.

And then I turn around and run back to the car.

Day 40: Tuesday's Tremendous Twenty

Today’s miles were twenty

For a Tuesday, that’s plenty

Some were to and around the track

But the hard part was getting back

Felt like I was running on empty

That about says it all for today's run. Except to also state that I am getting there. I'm probably close to 80% across Tennessee by now. That ain't bad. But then I gotta get back.

Day 39: Wokey Dokey

Perhaps a bit ironically, yesterday's post was about being woke. Today, I was not so woke. Last week I ran about 80 miles and I walked about 15 more. The good news is that I have no major injuries to speak of, but the bad news is that those miles do take their toll. The toll is in the form of fatigue. More good news, however: said fatigue usually goes away after a day or so.

After four outside (on another beautiful morning), I did six more on the mill. Tomorrow? I plan for ten of substance, or possibly a mid-week long run.

Assuming I'm woke.

Day 38: I Woke, Therefore I Ran

It made for a good meme: 'I am woke. Thank God for coffee.' In these days of the Black Lives Matter Movement, the term, woke, has taken on an additional connotation. I'm fine with that, but I also like the old one. And I like it when coffee does its job.

There are certainly days when coffee doesn't work. Today was not one of those days. My eleven-mile saunter was not super fast, but at least it was 'wokefully fast'. By this, I mean, 'decently fast'. Hey, maybe I coined another new term!

Day 37: Nearly Nineteen

One of these weeks, I will get my long run to be over twenty miles. Except for my Medina Virtual Marathon and perhaps one other training run, all of my long runs have been in the eighteen-mile range. Today it was, once again, in that same general timeframe.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I am, so far, keeping up with getting those GVRAT miles in.

Back to today: It took place on the Lester Rail Trail. The first eight were with Andy and Michelle Wolff. It was just like old times! By the time I was running alone, the sun was rising higher and it was getting warmer. But I was warming up as well. By the time I hit about sixteen, I felt like I was flying. My last few were my fastest, and that always feels good. But I couldn't have done much more today.

Maybe I'll hit twenty next week.

Day 36: Not Ten

A great many of these posts begin with, 'I ran ten miles today.' And most days, I do. But every now and then, I run less. Today was one of those days. Adding it together, it was between 8 and 9, not including walking, but including some on the mill.

I think, hope, plan, etc. to do a long run tomorrow.

Day 35: Constraint Satisfaction

Back in grad school, I took artificial intelligence courses, one of which specialized in constraint satisfaction. Much of our lives are spent satisfying constraints, whether we think about this or not. I do, sometimes related to my running. Once identified, there are many aspects of the constraints that need to be considered: their priority, wiggle-room, relationships with other constraints, etc. But the first chore is to simply identify them.

A few running constraints that sometimes appear:

1) Distance. Getting those GVRAT miles in often means ten or more per day.
2) Speed 1. There's overall speed, usually manifesting itself in average overall pace.
3) Speed 2. Sometimes it's good to get down to tempo pace for 3 or more of the miles.
4) Speed 3. Sometimes I do intervals. Usually one-half to one-mile in length. Usually on the track or treadmill.
5) Surface. I try to avoid concrete for extended miles. Asphalt is better, rubberized tracks are better (but mind those turns), dirt is best.
6) Trail or road. I'm not much of a trail runner, but roads aren't always the greatest either. Rail-trail or towpath venues work well for me. See also 5.
7) Traffic. I try to avoid it whenever possible, but see also 6.

And so on.

Eleven today. Still moving forward, in terms of GVRAT. But I'm in 684th place - that means there are 683 people ahead of me. How is that possible? OTOH I could take solace in the fact that there are on the order of 18,000 people behind me as well.

Day 34: It's National Running Day, so I should run

Today, June 3 is National Running Day. That means I should run today. It's also day 34 of GVRAT, so I should run for that reason too.

I did. I ran about eleven miles, over to Brunswick Lake and back. It wasn't easy, since I was tuckered out some from those last two days. But I made it. Maybe I'll be back with it again tomorrow. We can only hope.

Day 33: Ya, so it went fine

Been a while. I used to do Yasso workouts fairly regularly, especially leading up to some of my more successful marathons in recent years. A Yasso workout is ten half-mile intervals (10 x 800 meters). Here is some further information about Yassos from a previous post. And there have been other posts about it as well. Click here and here for a couple of the ones I'm sort of proud of.

I love everything about the track. And as of yesterday, the Medina tracks are OPEN again. It's been a while. And as mentioned, it's been a while since I've done a decent Yasso. (I have been doing some 1200s on the mill.) Today's workout was slower than some I've done in the past, but coming amidst all the high mileage and yesterday's tempo run, I'm right proud of it.

The only bad thing is that now I have to recover from these two consecutive tough workouts, and still get another ten miles in tomorrow. And the day after. And so on.

Anatomy of 10 x 800

Day 32: That's not a Hill

When you hear, That's not a Hill, think of it in the voice of Crocodile Dundee, famous for That's not a Knife.

Today's ten included four easy and six hard miles. Those last six were (barely) at LT, or tempo pace. But oh, that last hill. It's the one I run nearly every day to get back up the street to my house. It's not much. In fact, it's not much at all. My best deciphering tells me that it's about 23 feet. Unless you're hill challenged like I am, you might even say, that's not a hill.

Today, as is sometimes the case, I was trying to hold onto a certain pace as I encountered this final hill. Sometimes, I can. I did today.

That last hill

Decent pace (for me) for the final six miles

Mile by mile

Day 31: Miles in May

I ran a mile today.

Then I lifted some weights. Then I ran a couple more. Then I walked three miles around Hinckley Lake. But that's it. Only 6.7 for the day. But I think I was due for a down day. You see, it's been a pretty heavy-duty month.

How heavy-duty, you ask? Well, let me tell you. I ran and walked 394.36 miles, of which 349.68 were running and 44.68 were walking. This places me around 62% of the way through Tennessee, ignoring for the moment my plan to turn around and run back again.

More to the point of this high mileage, 394, even 349 is more than I've done in a month in a long, long time.

Now then. Next week starts the big push.

Day 30: I See Runner People

The post title is an extremely poor attempt to parody the famous movie saying, 'I see dead people.'

But I did see other runners today. And I even ran with a couple of them. Other than a couple brief encounters, this is my first group run since early March. We three were Michelle Wolff, Frank Dwyer, and me.

We ran most of the Medina Half Marathon route. The now-canceled MHM had originally been scheduled for today. I added five more miles to make eighteen. It was a good long run, and it was really good to catch up with old friends / training partners.

Thanks to MHM RD Beth Bugner, I have a medal to commemorate my course run

Day 29: On a Mission

It's nearly inevitable. If I have a mission, any mission, my run turns out better. The mission is often related to running a specific course or doing some sort of speedwork or tempo tun. If I set out with that goal in mind, the run at least has a chance of being successful. This all makes sense for a goal-oriented person. It probably does for everyone.

Today the goal was to complete the Brunswick Lake course: a few miles over to Brunswick Lake, two to five one-mile loops around, then back. It didn't start out so great. The problem? I was tired and sore. How's that for unique? But then I slowly unwound and the pace improved.

Got the ten in, and it wasn't awful. Had I not went out on that course, it would have been.

Day 28: I don't need it good, I need it Wednesday.

"I don't need it good, I need it Wednesday.” I heard that in relation to a Hollywood Producer asking for a film score to be completed sooner than the composer liked. It relates to today's running in this way. In order to complete the there and back 2000K course of the Great Virtual Run Across Tennessee (GVRAT), I have to average over ten miles per day. I've been successful so far, but I have a long way to go. Not all the runs have been gems. But that's okay, so long as I complete the required mileage.

Today's run was not a gem. I ran most of the miles outside in the rain, and those were so slow, I thought I'd never finish. In fact, I didn't. I got most of them in, but then finished on the mill.

By the way, I'm in Chattanooga. 

Day 27: Today's Tremendous Track Tempo Trot

I ran ten miles today. Oh, you've heard that one before? Sorry.

I suppose that today's run wasn't all that tremendous. But it's nice to be back to running two 'something of substance' runs in a week. I probably ought to qualify that with the word, 'barely'. And it was nice to be able to achieve tempo pace once I got to the track. It was the four miles there that were around eight-minute pace. I'll take it.

Day 26: In days of old

In days of old

When knights were bold

And toilets weren’t invented

They left their load

In the middle of the road

And walked away contented

A “friend” was running on the Lester Rail Trail in the early morning darkness, where he had unpleasant encounters with several large piles. Either large dogs or small-brained humans (or some combination) must have been responsible. Irresponsible would probably be a better word.

“What’s all this talk about endangered feces?” ~ Emily Litella

Ten miles on LRT today. I was originally thinking of doing more, but that didn't happen.

Day 25: Half-Way Across Tennessee

I ran ten miles today. That's not unusual. It's been the goal for most days since I began The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K (GVRAT) on May 1. Today's wasn't an easy ten; although I was tired, I managed to get myself to the track and do four 1200-meter repeats.

None of this is news. What is news is that I've reached a milestone of sorts. I have now traveled over 317 miles since GVRAT began, This places me half-way through the 635-mile route across the state.

Since I plan to virtually turn around and run back after I get across, it's probably more accurate to say that I'm 25% of the way through. But that doesn't sound as good. Regardless of where I'm at, I'm having way more fun with this whole thing than I ought to be.

These numbers aren't 100% correct, but they're close. This shows where I'm at on the map.

Here are the real numbers

Day 24: Fork in the Road? Take it!

Heading South on Substation, approaching Sleepy Hollow Road, and there's a decision to be made. Right will take me on an eleven-mile route, Straight will bring me on a different eleven-mile route, and Left will take me on a nine-to-ten-mile route. I kind of wanted to run eleven today, because that would add up to eighty or so running miles for the week. I say running miles because I still designate the extra walking ones to keep separate track of them. Of course, I still include all running and walking miles for GVRAT. Alas, my Garmin Forerunner 45 makes the decision for me, and it's the shorter route. I'm running so slow that it's all I have time for.

On Sleepy Hollow, I'm on the left side, facing oncoming traffic. There isn't much on a Sunday. I hear a car approaching from behind, so I move farther to the left, just to be safe. He (I'm sure it's a he) suddenly steps on the gas and goes left of center in order to scare the daylights out of me. It does; I nearly need to stop to clean up, as more than daylights are almost scared out of me.

A few miles later, I'm heading north on Kent Drive. Under the 25-MPH speed limit sign is an electronic 'Your Speed is' sign, the kind where your speed is displayed as a flashing number. I used to be able to get these things to work for me when I'm running, but not lately. Today, it does work! It tells me that I'm going 6, and then 7 and 8 as I purposely speed up. I'm not sure why I get a kick out of this, but it never fails for me.

As I get closer to home, I realize that my slow pace has improved, although only slightly. I may possibly be able to add a little on here to get closer to that higher weekly mileage milestone. What do I do? Just head home for nine and change. Enough is enough.

The reason for the time constraint is a family hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Here I am with Malcolm and Vincent

Day 23: A COVID 19-Miler

The running club to which I belong is the Medina County Road Runners. We're having a virtual race to be completed within the final two weeks of May. It's called the MCRR Virtual Medina Marathon and COVID 19-Miler. You can pick only one distance, and last week I ran a marathon. Today, even though I can't count it, I ran a COVID 19-Miler.

You might ask why. Well, 18 miles seemed too short, and 20 seemed too long.

It went okay. I did a six-mile loop, then it was over to the track and back for 13 more. I generally got faster as the morning wore on. I like it when that happens. Still not my fastest long run, but I'll take it.

Day 22: Something of Substance

That post title ought to be clarified. 'Something of Some Substance' or 'Something of (a little) Substance' would work better.

It's raining again. Of course it's not so cold out there anymore, but it's still too easy to stay inside and run on the mill. Even so, I need, as usual, ten miles. I jog five at an easy pace. Then I run five more at tempo pace. It wasn't too tough.

I am hopeful that today's tough treadmill tempo ten won't have a negative impact on tomorrow's planned long run.

Day 21: Smart Running

Six miles into the run, I turn from Oxford onto Princeton. Been a while since I've hit a whole lot of these smart-sounding streets, but here I am. After Princeton, I hit Stanford, Yale, Dartmouth, and perhaps a few others before winding up on Harvard.

After all that, and now eight miles in, I move on over to the presidential streets. First, there's Jefferson, then Coolidge, Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt (who knows which one), Harding, McKinley, and Garfield. I won't mention the golf-course or female name streets.

My run ends, as usual, when I make it to ten miles. That's four double-digit runs in a row, pretty much what I need to be doing these GVRAT days. But is it smart? I dunno, but after traversing those university streets, I ought to be protected. No?

Next comes the weekend. That's where I really crank up the mileage.

Day 20: Nothing of Substance

Ten again today. Until this week I had been trying to maintain the speedwork that I'd been doing before this GVRAT thing. That usually entailed a long interval session (800 or 1200 repeats) and a tempo run each week. Some of it was done on the treadmill. I say until this week because there has been absolutely nothing in terms of speed so far this week. I'm still getting over Saturday's marathon, yet trying to maintain the distance that's demanded by GVRAT.

So I do these ten-milers, with the hope that I'll still be able to do something of substance. Some day.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 19: Trashed

Do not misconstrue the meaning of the title of this post. It's not about me; I'm not trashed. Nope. I'm just fine, Well, okay, I'm a little beat up, but what's really trashed here are my shoes. They're the $12.99 Aldi specials, and over about 100 comfy miles, they have nicely far exceeded expectations. Alas, they're shot now. Just one more run - today's ten in the rain.

I could have easily talked myself into staying inside and running on the mill like I did yesterday. Even though it's not a cold rain (which I really hate), it's still rain. But this time my resolve to get outside wins out.

It was an easy ten miles, and I actually managed to get lost. You wouldn't think that that's possible so close to home, but rest assured, I can still do it. It made for some exploration, although it slowed me down some. Remember, the faster you run, the more lost you can get, and the corollary is also true. Of course, the other thing that slowed me down was the slight slipping and sliding on the wet concrete with my worn-out shoes.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 18: The Grind

It's a bit of a grind to continue running big miles, at least on tired days. Today was one of those. Thank goodness for the mill; if it wasn't for that, my miles would be lower.

I'm ready to head out the door, but my head isn't in it. Not to mention my heart. It's raining, but not cold. Changing my mind as I was just about to emerge, I go to the basement instead. I get on the mill and go.

I went. Got ten in. Tomorrow will be a better day.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 17: Lots

How am I doing today, after yesterday's marathon? Glad you asked. I did four slow, tired miles this morning, But the good news is that I'm not overly sore or hurting in any major way. In fact, you might say that I feel like I will be energized going into next week. We'll see how that works out.

Keen observers will note that I'm doing lots of miles. Last week's 84 was the most in years and years. This week, I have surpassed 90! Of course, the caveat is that 10% to 15% of the miles were spent walking (remember: don't judge). Even so, it's a bunch, And it's all because of GVRAT.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 16: MCRR Virtual Medina Marathon and COVID 19-Miler

There was a change of plans. This here MCRR Virtual Medina Marathon and COVID 19-Miler was going to happen tomorrow (Sunday, May 17) and it was going to be done on a track. So much for planning. Instead, I did it today, and I did it on the Lester Rail Trail. Smart decision? Probably not, but you know how it is when those voices in your head get talking.

I’ve had good runs and bad runs on the Lester Rail Trail. I’ve done a lot of 24-milers here, but lately, the runs have been closer to the 18-mile range. Today the goal is four of the six-mile out-and-back loops, plus a little extra to make 26.2. Here’s the hour-by-hour play-by-play. Or should I say, blow-by-blow?

5:00 AM: I’m off. I’ve run in the dark here before, but today is a little different. The fog and gloom are thick, so the light from my headlamp reflects back and nearly blinds me. I turn it off within the first mile; it’s no longer completely dark anyway. After only a couple slower miles, I’m settling down to a ten-minute per mile pace. Had this been a non-virtual marathon (one that I’d tapered properly for, one that had other competitors, and one that is not in the middle of the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee), I would instead be shooting for a nine-minute pace.

6:00 AM: I am returning to the car every loop to get water and gel. Since I can’t stop my watch (this is a race, you know), I have to make these stops fast and efficient. I suppose they are, but it takes more time than I’d like to get the stone out of my left shoe.

7:00 AM: Another stone. This is happening because I didn’t tie the laces tight. I didn’t tie them tight because I had that foot pain from running a long run here a couple weeks ago. Now that I’m near the half-way range, I manage to pick the pace up a little. Now, most of the miles are clocking at about 9:30. The fog is lifting a bit as the sun is rising.

8:00 AM: Over three hours in. I lament how I used to do a complete marathon in this amount of time. In more recent years, I’ve at least gotten to mile 20 by now. Today? I manage to hit mile 18 before the clock strikes three. But only barely. The good news is that I’m feeling well. Maybe I’ll be able to finish strong. There’s a stone in my shoe, but I’m getting proficient at taking it off, dumping it out, and getting it back on in a short amount of time.

9:00 AM: Only a couple miles to go, and I’m feeling just fine. Except for that newest stone, that is. This time I leave it. I’ve only got two to go.

9:15 AM: I finish in 4 hours and 15 minutes. My final two sub-9 minute miles were the best of the bunch. Still feeling pretty good, I get in the car and drive home, where I dump the final stone from my shoe.

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 15: Terrible Tapering

Tapirs should not be underestimated

Speaking of tapering, which I've done before (speaking, not necessarily doing), I will typically take the second day prior to a marathon completely off. That would be today, assuming I am still thonning this Sunday. Then tomorrow, I would do an easy 1 to 3 mile run to loosen up.

These are not typical terrific tapering times. Due to GVRAT, where miles matter, they are terrible tapering times. Running a lot of miles day in and day out is somewhat antithetical to peak performance, at least during the high-mileage period itself. Which it is - and I'm still only getting started. But I do want to do this marathon as well. It's the MCRR Virtual one that I spoke of in yesterday's post.

After around 45 running miles plus 5-ish walking miles earlier this week, I did take it a tiny bit easier today. I only ran six miles at a very slow and easy pace before walking a couple more. So I suppose you could call it a tepid, tentative taper.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 14: Marathon Training

Today it was: to the track and back. It was a dry run for the MCRR Virtual Medina Marathon and COVID 19-Miler. It's my own thing, so I do actually have to run it. There are all sorts of distance options, from 5K up to a 19-miler and a marathon. Naturally, I'll be going for a marathon. We have two weeks to run the virtual race, beginning this Sunday. Here's my own plan: a) do it (the marathon) first thing Sunday (weather permitting), b) perhaps do what I did today - run over to the track and around and around, then back, c) try not to let any of this hinder my GVRAT distance goal.

Couple other things:

1) Today's trial run went fairly well. I managed eleven miles (five at the track), and it wasn't bad. I've done this sort of thing before, by the way. But based on today's run, I've resolved a way to do it. Part of that is to stay in lane 8 and switch directions every two miles or so.

2) As some may have noticed, my mileage is up there, so that ought to bode well. What may not bode so well is that my long runs have only been in the 18 to 19 mile range. 26 is a lot more.

3) For the sake of GVRAT, I have to not taper too very much, and I have to pick it right back up in the following days. Quite a challenge.

But of course it's a challenge. That's why I'm here.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 13: Tremendous Toll - Today's Terrible Tempo Trot

The question is not, 'will I be able to maintain my tempo pace of around 8:10-ish per mile?' heading up this here Keller-Hanna Rd. hill. It's 'will I even make it to the top?' The short answer, in terms of the continuation of running, is no. I spot some litter in the form of a can and a bottle, and without even thinking, stop to pick them up. Now I have to find a recycling container in which to deposit them. All this caused me to stop my watch for a half-minute or so, and more importantly, stop running and catch my breath.

From that point on, it's almost entirely downhill. I start back up, and even manage to increase my speed just a bit as I finish today's ten-miler. The stop did rather put an end to today's tempo running, but I had managed to get four miles at the desired pace just prior to that point.

Thus, today's tempo trot wasn't too terrible. I just seemed a little faster and easier the last time I ran this route. I do have to wonder what kind of toll these Something-of-Substance runs are taking on my GVRAT high-mileage. And vice-versa.

~

Today Debbie and I walked around Hinckley Lake and once again, we spotted a bald eagle. They must have set up shop someplace nearby,


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 12: Thoughts About Virtual Racing

~Dan's Virtual Race~  Here's the deal. 1) You pay me money. 2) You run on your own someplace and tell me about it (lying is permitted, exaggeration is encouraged). 3) I will send you a t-shirt and a medal. Sound good?

That is essentially the gist of virtual racing. Oh, there are variations, but why not look at it from a slightly detached point of view? It seems at least a little silly, doesn't it? Yet here I am, virtually running across Tennessee, along with 16,000 others. And here I am, helping the Medina County Road Runners put on their very own virtual race. The irony (of my ridicule and my participation) is not lost on me.

I get it. We can't do our normal racing due to social distancing guidelines. But we still want challenges, so enter virtual racing. Racing has always been special to me - there the challenge, the competition, the social gathering, the spectacle. But since we can't gather in large groups, why not try doing this virtual thing. I did resist at first, but then I saw this The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K thing. And I decided to challenge myself. It's different. This mileage will indeed be tough for me.

My friends and family are putting up with me, as they always do. "Hey, look - I'm almost to Selmer (TN)," I say. "Oh, that's good, Dan," they answer. And so on.

Today I was all dressed up with no place to go. No place, because it was cold - very cold - outside once again. So for the second day in a row, I was a treadmill wimp. I had intended to do something of substance outside, so now that I was inside, I there it there: 9 x 1200 at about 5:52 each. It will have to do.

One more thing about GVRAT. Today is day 12 of 123. That means I'm 10% done, at least in terms of time. I'm ~24% of the way across, and that's around 12% of the total distance. Bottom line: I'm staying ahead, but there isn't much room for error.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 11: The Mill

Having a treadmill is (mostly) a good thing. Take today. I probably wouldn't have run at all today if I had to go outside in the cold and mid-May snow. It didn't help that I was tired and lazy. So on my chariot I climbed, and 11 miles I ran.

I just passed Selmer, well on my way across Tennessee.

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 10: Semi-Rural

I was due for a decent run, and I got one today. It was on the semi-rural roads near my house. I have been running on these roads more often lately. They're better when there's little traffic, like on weekends, or almost anytime during this here pandemic.

Today it was my eleven-mile course on Substation, Hamilton, Abbeyville, and Sleepy Hollow roads. I enjoy these roads when they're so quiet, as they were this Sunday morning. It also helped that I was feeling half-way decent, and that I finished strong.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 9: Sub-Ten

During my first eight days of the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee, I managed to log ten or more miles each day. As mentioned in previous posts, ten (and a little change) is the magic number. Of course, ten is just the average I need to achieve. I have logged bigger numbers on occasion. But I've never gone below ten.

Until today.

30F and snow. I didn't want to face it on May 9. In fact, I never want to face it. But today's muscle soreness, sore foot, and general fatigue sealed the deal: I would just do what I could on the mill today.

As expected, even that wasn't going so well. After about four miles, I stepped off and began a separate 2.3-mile run that I did to honor the memory of Ahmed Arbery, the African-American runner who was hunted down and murdered by a white father and son. 2.3 miles is as far as he got that day. Others are doing this as well, and I just learned that it was supposed to be 2.23, not 2.3. Oh well.

After stepping on and off the mill a couple more times, I found myself with over nine miles. That's still short of ten, but I suppose I had to go below average sometime.

My Daily Mileage

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 8: Scene and Herd (more nonsense)

Touch: Very light rain. Intermittent left foot pain (which has now returned). Cold left hand late in the run.

Taste: A granola bar before. Vanilla gels (not the greatest) and water during. An apple after.

Smell: Lots of geosmin smell from recently plowed farmland. (Geosmin is an organic compound released by a group of soil microorganisms called actinomycetes.) One spot where there was a slight skunk odor. A slight scent from some blossoms. I won't mention the porta-john.

Sound: Distant trains (lots). My footsteps (lots). Singing birds, including the one described below.

Sight: Deer eyes, reflecting my headlamp in the dark. A few other people and animals. Notably, a super-beautifully-bright orange Baltimore Oriole that was also singing its pretty head off.

At mile ten, I stopped to (unsuccessfully) attempt to get a stone out of my shoe. I was getting tired, but this is the point where things began to get better for me during last week's long run here on the Lester Rail Trail. That run began poorly, but ended well. This run began okay, but it was starting to look like it would end poorly.

It did. The miles got slower and slower after mile ten. I nearly didn't go back out after returning to the car at mile twelve. Would I even make it to eighteen?

I did. Bareyly. I shuffled along for the final six, but they were definitely not pretty. I guess the high number of miles combined with three days in a row involving something of substance took their toll.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 7: Eagle at Hinckley

Today I only ran two miles outside before coming back in and doing eight more on the mill. Why? It was cold, that's why! Remember, I ask you not to judge me.

Speaking of which, I mentioned in that same post that I am counting walking miles for GVRAT. Today, after those ten running miles, Debbie and I hiked the three miles around Hinckley Lake.

I've run and walked thousands of miles at Hinckley. Yes, thousands. And I have never once, until today, spotted a bald eagle there. But this day, there was not one, but two swooping over the lake. It was a sight to see! I wonder where their nest is?

Hiking Hinckley, just after spotting the eagles

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 6: Not Outta the Hood

Looks like I'm not going to make it out of the hood today. That's not entirely a bad thing, and I've done it before: run ten one-mile loops in my neighborhood. After five of these babies, I kicked it up to tempo pace. Barely.

Tempo pace is something like 8:20 per mile or better for at least three miles. I only just managed that pace today. The thing is, I did a four-mile tempo yesterday, so this is two tempos in a row.

Things are looking up for me and for my participation in GVRAT.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 5: Don't Judge Me, Part 2

UPDATE: I have learned that lawn mowing is not to be counted towards GVRAT mileage. Although I feel that it should be in this instance, I will abide by the rules and not count this. I'll leave it below because it was fun anyway.




After my tremendous track tempo trot, I did something else.

I promise to never, ever do it again, at least for GVRAT. I am going to count lawn mowing mileage. Wait. Before you judge me on that, lookyahere. I used my human-powered push mower (something I rarely do), and I ran as I pushed, at least as much as I could. My GPS tells me it was 0.92 miles, which I’ll add to the 10+ that I already ran.

Although today's tempo run wasn't quite as good as last week's, it was decent enough. Also, I felt less tired today, and my foot is a tiny bit better. Things are almost back to normal here in Dan-Land. I hope.

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 4: Brunswick Lake

One of my regular haunts is Brunswick Lake. I normally run between 2.5 and 4 miles to get there, then I run a few one-mile loops around the lake, before returning home.

I am tired today. I was yesterday, too. There's that... and my foot hurts today. It hurt yesterday, too. There is a smattering of people moving about and around the lake. Taking the longer route to the lake has enabled me to use this time to wake up and to finally begin to run a wee bit faster.

When I'm half-way around the lake, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around, only to discover that there's no one there. A half-mile later, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around, and this time, it's Pete Kostelnick.

It's not at all unusual to spot Pete here, but I was a bit surprised this time because of the case of the invisible man (or woman) that first time. Pete and I exchange hellos, and he continues past me, no doubt on his way to 20, 40, or 80 miles or so. It dawns on me after he's long gone that I should have asked him whether he's doing GVRAT. Oh well. Next time I see him.

Ten miles today. Although I've had worse runs, I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 3: Slow Burn

It's Day three of you-know-what. I'm running slow. Nothing to see here. Just move on.

I do move on, and I do manage to run nine slow miles of the usual ten-mile Sleepy Hollow course. A subsequent walk will put me over ten again today. That makes 44.25 miles (including about five walking miles) for my first three days of GVRAT, I should be ecstatic.

But I'm a little bit concerned. The top of my foot - the instep - hurts. I think it may have been the Hoka Speedgoat shoes I wore yesterday. Although I hadn't worn them for months, they are usually comfortable. It seems that they may have been tied too tight.

I'll try to baby myself. An injury this early in GVRAT would not be a good thing.


General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 2: Due for a Stinker?

The birds are singing. The stars are bright, but the predawn light is already forcing them to begin to wink out. I'm on the Lester Rail Trail, one of my favorite locations for long runs. I've posted many a story about these runs; here's one from fifteen years ago called, I Squashed a Yellow-jacket in my Singlet Today.

Lester Rail Trail (from the Medina County Parks website)

I am pretty sure I won't have time to run 24 miles today. It will probably be closer to the lower end of my long-run threshold of 18 miles. Even so, I'll have to maintain a half-way decent pace throughout, especially considering the several pit-stops that I'm necessarily making. How am I doing? Best not to know, so don't look at the watch. Don't look at the watch. Don't look at the watch. Oooops... I look at my watch. Aargh! - my pace is too darn slow.

It's getting lighter, and now I'm at mile five of the first six-mile out and back loop. I am still going so slow that I'm beginning to think this run may wind up being a complete stinker. I may not even make it to eighteen. Then I look behind me, and the sunrise is spectacular. There are reds, oranges, yellows, blues, and purples, and everything in between. The sight inspires me. But will said inspiration be enough to get me moving?

At the ten-mile mark in the second circuit, I guess I am finally running at the expected pace. Maybe I will make it to eighteen after all.

With only a couple miles to go, I am heading back to the car. I'm moving at my best pace yet. This is surprising, given that poor start. I am thinking about how I miss my running friends. I thought it possible that I may even see Michelle and Andy Wolff, or perhaps some of the others. But no, they must be socially distancing someplace else today. I do see a few other folks walking and running. Ahead of me, I see a guy with silver hair and green shorts. Could it be Tom Bieniosek? Thinking about it, I determine that it couldn't be anyone else.

I catch up and talk briefly with Tom, staying, of course, at the social distance of the width of the trail. I hadn't seen Tom for quite a while. He seems fine.

I move on and finish up. I wind up with nineteen and a quarter miles today. I'll walk for a few more later on.

This is day two of The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K. I'll try to continue to do these daily posts about my experiences.

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

Day 1: Don't Judge Me

Debbie and I walk almost daily. Most days, we only go a mile or so, but sometimes longer. I've almost never counted the walking mileage in my running log. The rare exceptions are a few hikes where I wanted to see the course or distance. Not that there's anything wrong with walking; it's just not running, and therefore should be counted as such. Until now.

Why now? Now, I'm entered in the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee (GVRAT).  GVRAT rules say that walking is allowed, but all walks and runs have to be specific activity efforts, not simply steps for the day. I'd been planning to still only count my running miles, even though averaging ten miles a day for 123 days would indeed be a challenge. Then I learned that the total distance is a little more than 1000K each way as originally stated. It's actually 635 miles (instead of 620), and 1,270 miles when we include the return (which I plan to do). So now I have to average 10.33, rather than 10.00 miles per day.

What's the big deal, you ask? It's only an extra 2.3 miles per week, or a little over ten additional miles per month. Piece of cake, you say. Except that it's a lot of icing to add to the already extremely calorie-laden cake. What to do? Include walking miles, of course. I probably would have come around to this decision even without the extra couple of miles. Those just helped make the decision easier.

What's the problem with mixing walking and running? I value good, consistent data. And now my running log will, beginning May 1, 2020, include running and walking. On the other hand, I suppose I can go through the data when GVRAT is done, and remove the walking activity.

Today, GVRAT Day 1, I ran five miles in the miserable cold rain, then five and half more on the mill. I won't log my GVRAT miles until after I walk with Debbie so that I can include those miles as well.

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT

My Challenge: The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K

The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K course

I ran ten miles today.

Although I'm happy with the tempo pace that I achieved therein, I will say that the ten-mile distance usually isn't a huge challenge for me. I run ten-milers several times a week, and I often do longer runs on weekends. I know, I know: when you're retired, any day can be a weekend day. Suffice it to say that I typically do a longer run once a week.

A much greater challenge is to run seventy miles in a week. That's an average of ten miles a day, but such intensity requires consistency and persistence. Such weeks take in some ten-milers, shorter runs on easy days, and the long one. In recent years, I've done a lot of sixty-mile weeks, sometimes hitting 3,000 for the year. Yet seventy-mile weeks have been relatively rare. It's even rarer for me to string together a couple of these in a row. Could I do so every week between May 1 and August 31? That would amount to 2,000 kilometers or 1,240 miles. I'm not sure whether I've ever run so far in such a time period. That's the challenge.

My weekly mileage over the past year

The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K is something that I probably wouldn't have considered other times. I would be thinking more about my performance at specific races. But now with the pandemic going on, there are no other specific races; at least no non-virtual ones. And so I accepted the challenge.

The 1000K course is a virtual one that zig-zags across the state of Tennessee. Runners log their miles each day, and they can see how far across the state they've gotten. 1,000 kilometers is about 620 miles, and that averages out to a bit more than five miles a day for the time period. The extra challenge comes in for the over-achievers (like me) who want to double that. They will virtually turn around after the first 1000K and run back to the start.

It occurred to me that I could have run 2,000 kilometers on my own, without paying sixty bucks for the privilege (and the t-shirt and medal). But by registering, I am making myself accountable.

I am in, and I start tomorrow.