Happy New York City Marathon Weekend!

For those running enthusiasts everywhere, here are some last minute previews/interviews of the biggest marathon in the world! Here's a pretty thorough one, interview with the top American runners, Universal Sports preview (btw, you can watch streaming on Sunday via universalsports - men's race, women's race), Ryan Hall interview (he's in the best shape of his life), Meb interview (finally injury free), and an article with the lovely Miss Kara Goucher talking about pushing past the pains of marathon exertion.

My predictions of the race? I think it's Ryan's time, and look for him, Jacoub Gharib, and James Kwambai to finish on the podium. Wouldn't surprise me to see Robert Cheruiyot or Patrick Makau do some damage. And defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos has surprised me twice already in his wins, so you can't count him out. NYC is fun, because they don't allow pacers anymore which makes it truly a race. Hendrick Ramaala is going to push the pace no matter what - that's how he runs. It will be awesome to see how everyone reacts to it!

On the women's side, it's Paula, Paula, and Paula. No chance she loses, barring any catastrophic injury. Salina Kosgei and Yuri Kano will finish distant runner up to finish the podium, but Paula doesn't have any true competition quite honestly :)

It's been raining, raining, and raining over here. No run yesterday, and hopefully it clears up tonight so I can get in some sort of speed work/run. Long run and medium run on the weekend will finish out a solid 30-40 mile week! On a fun, personal note, Shane, Crystal, and I were all officially accepted into the Boston Marathon!!! Just waiting for Tim's charity acceptance to round out the group, then it will be on!

Good luck to all runners in NYC this weekend!!!!!

4 days till NYC!

Cool video by Runners World on Ryan Hall doing last second race prep, and work of his new foundation. Also, USA Today does a cool piece on Meb and the upcoming marathon. Lastly, a cool article from the NY Times that Tim sent me talking about how the human body is actually built for distance running. It has the coolest example that on a hot day, humans could defeat a horse in a marathon - how crazy is that?!

Can't believe the NYC Marathon is this weekend, and will certainly be watching it on streaming video. NYC is still one of the greatest memories ever, and I remember almost every detail. From the pre-race dinner with family and friends, to walking through Times Square at 5 a.m. looking for a cab, to riding the Staten Island Ferry, to the couple hours hanging out in Fort Wadsworth, to the CRAZY start to the Verrazanos Narrows Bridge, to passing the cheering NYC Police and Firefighters (still brings chills), to the quiet intensity of the very uphill Queensboro Bridge, to the most deafening roar coming back into Manhattan, to seeing myself on the Jumbotron in Harlem, to seeing my cousins, Shane, Marc, and Anne at mile 23 (pushing me home), to me feeling like I was floating through Central Park, to crossing the finish line. Wow, just an amazing experience, and was so happy not to have crashed and burned at any part of it too so I could enjoy all of the race :) It is something that every serious runner should experience, as you will never experience anything like it!

Last night, got in a very easy 4 miles. Felt myself wanting to push, but sustained the urge not to. Weather was very overcast and fall-like, but got warmed up fast and felt fine. Hammy was pretty stiff coming home, so stretched it out a ton afterwards. Didn't wear a watch, but went S-L-O-W. Tonight, scheduled tempo, but heavy rain is looming in the forecast so considering switching my off-day tomorrow with tonight in case of inclement weather.

Rain, rain, go away!

First, a plethora of articles! With the NYC Marathon this weekend, there are tons of stories being circulated. First, another cool piece on Brian Sell talking about his career. Next, a cool little story about one of the current marathon greats James Kwambai who will also be participating this weekend. Here is a good article about Ryan Hall and his aspirations past running - very inspirational. Liz Robbins, author of the book "A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York"does a Q and A about the upcoming big race. I must mention this is an awesome book for any running enthusiast, more particularly for any NYC alumn out there. Here is an interview with Jorge Torres, and a quick tidbit about defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos. Last, but not least, Martin Lel withdraws from the NYC Marathon! This is a shocker, considering his recent triumph last month but apparently he is not over his leg injury. This really opens up the field, and really anyone can win it!

Got in some good track work last night (8X400). Legs were complete mush after the hard weekend running, plus it has been raining here nonstop for the last couple days so opted out of Monday's easy run for rest and stretching. Kept raining, and raining, and raining some more so I tried to wait it out a little after work but to no avail. Decided I had enough, strapped on my storm fit jacket, a hat, and some running tights and drove to the track. Weather was cold and rainy (low 50's/high 40's) and a little breezy but not too awful. Did the quickest, crappiest warmup possible because of the rain, and was checking out the track conditions which were pretty crappy and a lot of standing water on it, especially on the inner part of the track go figure. Cut my stride a little shorter than normal to adjust, and away I went! First one felt pretty crummy - was very tight from the very fast warmup, and just wasn't in synch. Was taking a whopping 1 minute break in between reps because of the rain, so certainly wasn't the easiest. 2nd rep was better, but the effort was a little more than I would have liked. Finally settled in a little, and breezed through the next few quarters. Tried to relax on the turns, and hit the straightaways hard, and was consistently hitting the first 200 pretty quick, thus made myself slow down on the last 100 meters every time. I need to work on better consistency, but I think the combination of the rain and me just wanting to finish probably made my body want to push harder. Last couple reps, let myself run through the last straightaway a little more, and let myself push the last rep. Did 1 mile cooldown on the track, stretched and went home, then did the rest of my cooldown as soon as I got back. Felt pretty good when I was done, stretched like a madman when I was done, then retired to the couch for the evening. Total mileage: 5-6 miles - 400 splits were: 1:20, 1:17, 1:17, 1:17, 1:16, 1:17, 1:14, 1:12.

My goal with 400 repeats this fall/winter session is to make the 1:20's seem like 1:30's, so was pleased to see I pretty much hit sub 1:20's on this workout. Legs feel pretty decent after the hard workout, and will enjoy the easy mileage tonight and plan on going pretty slow and enjoying the fall day, assuming the rain ever stops!

Post Marathon Fatigue

Here are a plethora articles that have been accumulating in my internet cache that I thought were interesting. First, a good RW interview with Brian Sell, talking about his final marathon this weekend. Sad that this great runner is at the close of an amazing career, and he is truly an inspiration to all out there. On that same tangent, here is a nice little tribute piece for Sell, and basically who he is as a runner. Brian is a great guy and deserves the best, and I hope he goes out with a great marathon in NYC! Running times did a nice little article on the science of running and aging - pretty much after the age of 30, you lose the ability of VO2 consumption, so you have to adjust your training to this. Pretty interesting stuff though, and breaks down the science of it.

Next, an article by the NY Times pretty much criticizing slower marathoners, compromising the ideals of racing in a marathon. I do agree that "running" a marathon in 6-7 hours is pretty much a joke, and people need to understand that it is not just about walking 26.2 miles to get a t-shirt and a medal. The average marathon time has gotten slower and slower as the popularity of the event has increased, but hopefully there is still a great appreciation for the effort it takes to run a sub 4 hour marathon. Awesome interview with former NYC champ Hendrick Ramaala, as well as one with American running great Abdi Abdirahman. And finally, a CRAZY article about a 70 year old man that ran 18:11 in a 5K in England.

To the running - this weekend, got back at it with a pretty aggressive 3 days of running. Took Wednesday and Thursday off, so felt a bit guilty and definitely got in some mileage. Friday, weather looked crappy, so did a treadmill workout at Pat and Crystal's. I forgot how much I detested treadmill running, and I never felt comfortable. Started out at a decent clip, but increased speed as I went. Legs were deadened by the 4th mile, and my cooldown felt pretty hard. Just felt like I was running forever, and it shouldn't feel like that when I am doing a short tempo run. I will be minimizing treadmill work moving forward. Total mileage: 5 miles - splits were: 7:19, 7:08, 6:57, 6:46, 8+.

The parentals came in for a short stay before their trip to Hawaii, so had a nice dinner with them on Friday night. Drove them to the airport bright and early on Saturday morning, and went back to bed as soon as I got home. Woke up to some amazing fall weather, and went out on the trails to get in some work. Wanted to get in 8 miles, ended up doing an improvised 2X4 miles because I decided within the first couple miles I wanted to do it all around marathon pace. Put in a quick break in between just to alleviate any running stress. Felt pretty good, but then during the third mile started feeling some fatigue. At the turn around, stopped for a quick 3-4 minute breather, then took back off. Went out waaaay too fast coming back, tried to slow it down a bit but failed in my endeavors. Last mile was borderline tortuous, and was T-I-R-E-D coming in. Negative split was nice, but shouldn't have felt that tired - I have done this workout before pretty easily. Total mileage: 8 miles - splits were: 7:03, 7:05, 7:07, 7:04, 6:49, 6:55, 6:54, 6:39.


At night, went to Powell Symphony Hall to watch the cello God Yo Yo Ma perform. Absolutely AMAZING, I don't know how to explain perfection but if there ever is a musician that can sustain such levels it is him. I was absolutely spellbound and inspired by a man who exhibits such passion through the cello. His music is so complex, yet he makes it sound so simple, but it's so perfect. I wish everyone could see how he captivates audiences with his talents - it's spellbinding! After getting home, listened to his music on my Ipod while hanging out, then bed. Slept in, woke up and got ready for the long run. Weather was warm, and kind of windy. Did our typical GC trail route, but Crystal threw in a curve ball and wanted to get in hill work in the process so we went over to Meridian Rd. which is just all rolling hills. Legs were tired starting out, and wasn't feeling the best by the time we got to the crazy hills. Progressively got faster, and was not feeling too good. Had thoughts of stopping to rest, but kept going. At the turn around, felt the deadened feeling so told Crystal we had to slow it down coming back. Felt a little better, because it is somewhat net downhill coming back, and finally made it back on the trail where I could get a better tempo going. Got my legs back eventually, and had a little second wind with 3 miles to go which was nice. Last mile was not easy, and played all the mental games with myself. 3rd consecutive hard workout, 3rd consecutive workout where I had nothing left at the end. I don't remember having too many of these during our marathon training segment - too much, too soon perhaps? Total mileage: 12 miles - splits were: will update later, started at mid to high 8's, progressively got faster to 7:20's, last few miles were 7:40's then hit last mile in 7:11.

Ugh, 36 tough miles and was definitely a hard week. Will lay off the gas for the next 2 weeks and get in good workouts, but concentrate on getting good rest and getting my legs back!

Barrel and I at the Go St. Louis Halloween 10K last weekend which led to the craziest Sunday Funday ever!!!

400 repeats...

A few good articles I found this morning - first is about Kenyan marathon great Robert Cheruiyot and his aspirations for a NYC win. He has won multiple Chicago and Boston titles, and ran the Big Apple once in 2005 when he finished 4th. Next, is quote an introspective blog entry from Ryan Hall, who JUST missed being in a potentially nasty car accident during his training. Scary stuff for road runners everywhere, as you never know what can happen, so please be careful!!! Finally, a great Runners World interview with Meb Keflezighi. Meb is just a stand up individual and an amazing talent, and I hope he runs well in a few weeks in New York!

Yesterday, got in a nice workout after work. Scheduled 400 meter repeats, so was a little anxious to see where my legs were at after a week and a half of rest and light running. Weather was cool and windy, but just perfect fall weather. Did 2 up to the middle school track, and didn't push it at all - just listened to my IPOD and ran a reasonable pace. Got up the track, did a quick warmup, then hammered out my repeats. I am sort of following Hal Higdon's marathon recovery plan, where you basically do a reverse marathon taper, so only had 4X400 today. First one felt pretty good - felt fast, but in control. Hadn't really run this hard in a while, so felt different. Intentionally waited for my heart rate to drop to normal (~2-3 minutes in between reps) to make the workout a little easier - next week, I won't cheat as much. Settled in fast, flew through the 2nd repeat with no problem. 3rd, could feel myself losing form, so slowed it down the home stretch and worked on proper technique. Last rep, had a little fun with it, took off hard, then just settled in down the last straightaway without getting out of control. All in all, a very successful workout, and was pleased with my splits. Did 4 back - was only going to run back home, but was absolutely gorgeous outside and wanted to take advantage of the perfect weather :) Did a loop around town, picked it up a little on the last half, and enjoyed every step. Total mileage: ~7 miles - 400 splits were: 1:20, 1:18, 1:14, 1:11.

Legs were a little tired at the end, and my right glute and hamstring were sore most likely from the hilly route. Stretched a ton afterwards, felt pretty good otherwise. Tonight, will do some easy, slow mileage and hopefully enjoy some more nice weather :)

Back to it...

Blah, dragging today big time. Just read this article about the Des Moines Marathon which had an unfortunate finish. The leader ended up winning, but I'm sure he was livid at having to wait for a freaking train to cross less than a quarter mile from the finish, and have a guy catch up to him!!!

Yesterday, got in some easy mileage in the evening. Jogged over to Pat's house, did an out and back with him, then hung out with he and Crystal for the evening for dinner (delicious eggplant sandwiches and tomato soup - thanks Crystal!!!) and some ping pong. Got in roughly 4 miles at not too fast pace, legs finally feel better but haven't done too much faster stuff so it remains to be seen the state of my conditioning. Doing track work tonight, so hopefully not too painful!

Recovery Weekend

Wow, another weekend flew right on by! Not much to really report other than continued recovery from marathon week. Legs finally feel pretty good, and started Hal Higdon's marathon recovery program. Took Friday off, met up with Pat and Crystal on Sat. morning to run. Weather was chilly but sunny, and we hit our typical long run route on the Glen Carbon bike trails. Ran the first couple miles with Pat before he turned around, and kept going. Felt pretty good, but we picked up the pace a bit after the 2nd mile. Decided to try a different route, so stayed straight instead of heading up our customary Meridian hill. Trail is pretty flat, but since it is such an open area you feel the effects of swirling winds. Coming back, we were going much faster than I would have liked, and my body wasn't reacting well so made a remark to Crystal, and we slowed down. Found out later we had progressively picked up each mile split, so probably the reason I was feeling like crap. She was definitely in her comfort zone, so good to see one of us was feeling well. Cruised through the next few miles, then really picked it up on the last mile. It's funny, I have the lowest pain tolerance of any human being alive, but with running I can block it out and just go for it. Hit low 6 pace the last half mile, was pretty exhausted. Total mileage: 10 miles - total time out was 1:22, so 8:15ish average pace.

Sunday morning, woke up early and went downtown to watch the Go St. Louis Halloween 10K with Barrel, which runs through downtown. Pretty awesome to spectate and cheer on the runners for once, and very interesting to watch all the runners that dressed up. Barrel and I actually dressed up ourselves - she was a brownie, I was Batman, so we got some interesting looks - lol. Will post a pic later. My teammates at Big River totally dominated the race, and swept both the men and women titles - congrats!!!!

I think I had the lowest mileage total last week (~16 miles) than I had in the last 2 years, but well deserved :) Today, will probably do something easy then hit the track on Tuesday. This week is still going to be run relatively easy, then will transition back to normal schedule the week following.

Recovery Mode

A plethora of articles to share - first, an article from renowned coach Pete Pfizinger talking about marathon race strategy. Obviously, there are a million different ways to run a marathon but he strongly recommends running the second half a few minutes slower than the first half. Next, a blog update from Ritz talking about his 2009 and most recent 3rd place finish at the World Half Marathon Championships. Third, pretty cool little tidbit about Asics creating a customized shoe for Ryan Hall for NYC in a few weeks. Finally, a Runners World interview with 2008 Olympian and Illinois prep legend Jorge Torres talking about his upcoming marathon debut in NYC.

Still in la-la land about last weekend, but enjoying every minute of it! Took a couple days off to let the legs rest, then went on my first recovery jog on Wednesday evening. Was cold and spitting rain, and my quads were still feeling like cement bricks. Went at a slow pace, could feel every single step so wasn't the most enjoyable run. But let me tell you, as slow as I went, still FLEW by :) Hit 3 miles, did heavy stretching afterwards. Yesterday, did the same workout in relatively the same conditions minus the spitting rain. This time, legs felt much better after a mile but didn't really help myself on the way back speeding up when seeing some stragglers on the trail. Did 3 miles, stretched afterwards, didn't feel the best.

Tonight, day off - gotta let the legs get back to 100%. Legs are still sore, but I am walking ok again. Quads need a little work though, so will be utilizing the stick and the foam roller a ton this weekend. Probably will get in anywhere from 6-10 miles on Saturday, then something small on Sunday. Assuming all goes well, will wean back into a light schedule next week and transition into speed stuff moving forward. Not sure what my race schedule the rest of the year is, but maybe a 5K in 3 weeks when Tim is back in town. Contemplating running the Alton 10 miler in late November, and maybe a few 5K's here and there, but will mainly be enjoying just an AMAZING 2009 racing year :)

Post Chi Reflections

First, a few articles that are pretty good: quick little interview with Geb, Ritz is a STUD with his bronze medal performance in the World 1/2 Marathon Championships, and an AMAZING article about Michael Jordan and how to use competitiveness. Pretty fun article, and from Golf Digest of all places...

So had a few days to let the weekend sink in. Legs are pretty shot - my quads are screaming, calves are sore, and left ankle still has slight shooting pains from stepping in that pothole in mile 11 but I can hobble around better today :) Still on a high from the BQ, and talked with Ken last night about the race in detail. These are a few things I was most pleased about this race:

1) Battling through the tough start and settling into a great rhythm. First 3 miles through the city almost had me in a state of panic, with all the turns and the mob of runners. I never felt that great and the pace felt a lot faster than it should of. When we got north of downtown is when I fell into place, and the next 15 miles felt like I had run 3.

2) Sticking to the pace group. When I finally was dialed in, there were so many times when it would have been easy to have just broken away - I felt THAT good. Albeit, our pace group was probably faster than it should have been, but the low 7's we were hitting felt soooo easy. From previous marathons, I know that feeling and it was best to stay put even though I probably could have gotten away with it. My main goal first and foremost was 3:10 and the BQ - if I had taken off and flamed out in the end, I don't think I would have forgived myself.

3) Having Crystal and Shane there the entire way. Granted the first half of the race, I fell 5-10 seconds behind them at many points, they were always right there and was probably the key to this race. Obviously, there is HUGE comfortability in running with your training partner, and Shane and I have run enough together as well that it is almost a security blanket to have them around. I think my most favorite run this training segment was the 22 miler we all did in late August - just had a blast out there with them :) Was awesome getting to work with Shane in the later miles, ridiculously helpful mentally and physically, and one of my greatest thrills was to meet him right after he had crossed the finish line, ask him if he got it, then get the nod.

4) Even splits/Overall Negative split. Can't believe that all our 5K splits were within 18 seconds of each other. Even more in disbelief that I negative splitted the marathon - that is pretty much the ultimate goal to do that in a marathon (run the 2nd half faster than the 1st half), and was pretty stoked to accomplish that. 1:34:29 first half, 1:34:17 second half - how's that for consistency?!

5) Battling the last 10K. Felt ok on the first couple miles, but legs were certainly starting to leaden after a bit. Last 2.2 miles was a battle with myself, physically and emotionally. I took great pride in having my fastest mile split be the last mile, and not having to stop once during the race. Just executed the race plan perfectly :)

Thanks again to everyone that followed and supported me, a HUGE thank you (and congrats) to Pat, Crystal, Shane, Tim, and Ken for all being there in Chi with me as I continued my PR streak running with you guys, and a special thanks to my sister Anne for taking care of all the logistics of the race, putting Shane, Tim, and I up in her condo, and being our transport from start and finish. She alleviated all the stress beforehand for me, and made it 100 trillion times easier, allowing me to relax and focus on the race. Always a thrill to see her out there cheering us on - I couldn't have done it without her, she gets as much credit for this as me :)

So awaiting confirmation to my entry to the 115th Boston Marathon, which should come sometime in a month. Over the next week, I need to reaccess my future goals in running, as I am pretty sure I have run my last competitive marathon. The initial thought is to focus on speed right now while keeping a base going through the winter, then transition back to higher mileage sometime in early 2010.

I started this blog in April to track my training and progress towards the goal of hitting 3:10:59. Still in shock that it happened, and I guess I thought about ending my blog career but what fun with that be? So I will continue on, tracking my winter training, then make a few physical changes to the title and track my training for Boston! As for now, some low mileage, slower runs to let my legs get back to normal, and resting on my laurels for a while enjoying this great accomplishment :)

Deena and I

Marathon Expo

Friday night shenanigans


Prerace

Anne and I

BQers!!!!

Postrace champagne (we pop champagne, we make the champagne rain!!!!)

Postrace celebration :)

Chicago Marathon Recap

Sammy Wanjiru ran the fastest time on American soil on his winning performance in today's Chicago Marathon - 2:05:41. Great time, great race, I'm sure he is disappointed in not setting the world record, but I'm sure winning his 4th consecutive marathon major will more than make up for it :) Here's another article about him talking about his victory. On the women's side, Liliya Shobukhova won the women's race while Deena Kastor endured a nightmare day in her 6th place finish. Congrats to her regardless, and glad she is back to racing!

Yesterday, bummed around all day and watched a TON of football. Went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in downtown Chicago, and got to bed early. Funny, I was talking with Shane before bed telling him I hadn't really thought much about the race and didn't feel nervous whatsoever, but totally jinxed myself and had the worst night's sleep you could possibly imagine.

Race Morning

Woke up ridiculously early in the morning, completely groggy. Ate breakfast, changed, then Anne took us downtown to Pat and Crystal's hotel where we hung out beforehand for a little bit. Weather was COLD, and wasn't too thrilled thinking about shivering away some much needed energy for the race. Their hotel was about a 10 minute walk to the start, so we walked over - the sun was coming up at this point, and was getting a ton warmer so felt much better about the temperature. Parted ways with Tim who was running in open corral, then checked in our bags at the seeded corral village which was not too far from the start. Did about a 10 minute shakeout warmup, felt pretty much ok at this point.

At the Start

Went to our starting corral and met up with Ken and peeled off a layer of clothes. Definitely had some butterflies going, and was anxious to get going. They did the national anthem, was starting to hit me that this day was actually here. Met the members of the 3:10 pace group, and settled in with them with a decent group of other runners. Huge advantage of our start corral was we were so far up front, so knew we would be crossing the start line relatively early.

Race Report

Gun went off then here we went! The beginning of the race goes through the heart of the loop in Chicago, and it never fails to amaze me how CRAZY it is! Saw a runner completely face plant under the first bridge, but kept going with Shane and Crystal. Since there was a mass clog of runners, was difficult trying to get into a rhythm with so many turns early on. Pace didn't feel too bad but really had trouble establishing pace. Because of all the tall buildings, my Garmin was a complete mess so will go with my 5K splits. [First 5K split: 22:27]

Came out of the loop and was heading north at this point. Tried to run on the side where Crystal's parents were going to be at, and was keeping up with the pace group ok. Still felt unsettled, but was getting better. What was helping was the road opens up when out of the loop, and the less turns made it easier in general. Kind of nice at this point to know that we were headed towards Lincoln Park and had some friends awaiting us. [Second 5K split: 22:18 - 10K split: 44:45]

Headed north, then came back down on Clark. At this point, started to feel pretty awesome and the pace was fine at this point despite having difficulty figuring out how fast we were really going since all our Garmins were reading all sorts of splits and our pacers seemed like they were going fast. Started running through familiar surroundings, then ran into some friends around mile 9. We run right by Anne's condo which is literally the 15K split, and saw her and Ben cheering and taking pictures of us. What was funny was I went to bump fists with Ben, wasn't paying attention, and almost slammed into some spectators because I wasn't paying attention. Did my best Barry Sanders impression, and was on my way feeling pretty jacked up. [Third 5K split: 22:15 - 15K split: 1:07:00]

Weaved back around the city and towards downtown again. Crystal and Shane started to gap me a little, and spent a lot of the next 5 miles running behind them right in front of our pace group leader. Legs felt fine, but ran into a freaking pothole at mile 11 and rolled my ankle slightly. Was pretty angry at myself and ankle felt really sore but tried to shake it out. Had completely settled in on pace at this point, so was rolling along. [Fourth 5K split: 22:25 - 20K split: 1:29:25]

Came into downtown again, then crossed the halfway point! We were just flying by the miles at this point, and it felt great. Saw Pat and Crystal's parents right past the 1/2 marathon split, then headed out west. Kind of had some weird flashbacks of last year, when I started to struggle a little a little past the halfway point. Kind of tried to get into good focus for this point, but still felt good. [Fifth 5K split: 22:25 - 1/2 marathon split: 1:34:26 - 25K split: 1:51:50]

Still headed strong, had completely caught up with Shane and Crystal at this point and were gaining ground on the 3:10 pace group ahead. Noticed Crystal was struggling a little at this point, and she was dropping back but coming back. In my previous marathons, mile 18 was my destruction point so wanted to make it through that point without any issues, which thank God I successfully did. [Sixth 5K split: 22:34 - 30K split: 2:14:24]

Caught up to Ken at this point, who had gotten ahead of us. Shane and I had settled in with the 3:10 pace group leader for the group ahead of us, and were doing pretty well. Hit Mile 20, where the real race begins and turned my hat around to signify that it was time to go to work. Told Shane to hit it 1 mile at a time, but could feel my body starting to get some weird aches and pains. At this point, was trying not to over react to any signs of pain, but hard not to when your brain is basically trying to get your body to calm down. Started playing mind games with myself to get through these final miles. [Seventh 5K split: 22:36- 35K split: 2:37:00]

Hit mile 22, and was definitely starting to get tired. Shane had told me to go ahead since he thought he was going too fast, but caught up to me and was leading the way these miles which I was pleasantly surprised to have him there with me. Helped a TON having him around, and we stuck through the majority of these later miles together. Talked to Ken at mile 22, and he was complaining of major cramping in his legs. Lost him completely at mile 24, and it was just Shane and I. Was definitely struggling at this point, and trying to just hang on for dear life since I knew the end was near. At this point, we are heading almost in a straight line towards the city, so having run this race knew what to expect. Was gobbling down as much Gatorade and water as I possibly could, grabbed bananas and orange slices, and GUed for the 3rd time at mile 24. [Eighth 5K split: 22:29 - 40K split: 2:59:29]

Was playing every mind game I could at this point. Really started to lose it emotionally, and was almost hyperventilating so had to have a quick talk with myself to get it together. Ran into Pat a little past the 25th mile marker, and he ran a little with me. Tried to make the calculation to see what I needed to run to hit 3:10, but my mind was a mess. Passed the pace group leader at this point and started picking up the pace because I was just ready to be done and knew I should be able to suck it up when it was this close. At the 1 mile to go sign, kicked it into a different gear, then made my way up the final hill before the last quarter mile. That hill is a beast - biggest incline of the race, and just sucks it's at the last mile. At this point, was totally losing control of myself, and just trying to bite my lip not to lose it. Made my turn up the hill, and the finish was just right there!!! Kicked down the last straightaway, sort of let up to enjoy the last 20-30 meters, then crossed the finish line in complete and utter disbelief. [Marathon time: 3:08:45 PR]

RESULTS

Peter Kim M30

Clock Time 3:09:44

Chip Time 3:08:45

Overall Place 1335/33608
Gender Place 1201/19041
Division Place 229/3129

Pace 7:12/Mile

Final Thoughts

I still don't know what to think about this actually happening. I have to think a little more about achieving this goal which seemed so unattainable before. Waited around the finish for everyone, and Shane finished right after me in 3:09:16 thus also qualifying for Boston in a ridiculous 30 minute PR!!!!! Congratulations Shane!!!!!!! Crystal finished not too long after - it turns out she took a nasty spill at mile 20, which explains why she completely disappeared from our radar, but regained composure later on and finished strong in a 7 minute PR of 3:16:23, also qualifying her for Boston yet again!!!! Congratulations Crystal!!! Saw Ken not too long after as well, he suffered a terrible death at mile 24 and his legs completely seized up and was forced to walk in. But he finished it out, and ran a great 22 minute PR in 3:20:48. Congratulations Ken!!!! Met up with Tim later, and he had the biggest PR of all in a RIDICULOUS 45 minute PR in 3:50:35. Congratulations Tim!!!!!!

So our group qualified 3 for Boston, PR's all around for all of us, and Shane and I have already signed up for our trip to Beantown :) Tim is going to run for charity as well, so we should have an amazing group trip for 2010! Tonight, celebration, celebration, celebration :) Afraid to take a nap and wake up to realize this was all a dream. Still in shock...

Here we go...

A couple articles I found pertaining to tomorrow's big race. First one talks about Deena Kastor and basically that she is ready to tear it up tomorrow! Next two articles are about Sammy Wanjiru - this one is pretty much his bio, and this one is an interview not too long after his Olympic victory. The dude is pretty impressive, and I would be shocked if he didn't win tomorrow.

So landed in Chi on Thursday night, met up with Shane and took the El into the city. Caught up with a few friends for dinner and drinks in Lincoln Park, then waited for Tim to get in before calling it a night. Nonstop rain, just ugly weather. Friday, woke up to more of the same, got over to the Expo after great brunch at a place in Lincoln Park called Orange. The place serves fruity pebbles with pancakes - absolutely amazing!!! The expo was pretty crowded when we got there, and got to check out some pretty cool exhibits. The highlight was getting the meet the great Deena Kastor, who is so nice and easy to talk to (pics later). Afterwards, hit up a quick run on Lakeshore with Shane and Tim in the spitting rain. Got in 3 miles easy with them, then met up with Pat and Crystal for dinner downtown before heading out for a short nightcap.

Today, the weather has absolutely cleared up and it is GORGEOUS outside but pretty chilly. Probably bum around and chill out before the big race all day, and get in a small run with the group. Weather will be freezing cold in the morning, but the forecast for tomorrow looks perfect - high 49, low 40, everything I could have asked for. So it comes down to less than 24 hours...

The rest of my list...

5: Road Racing - at this point,a good portion of why I do all these crazy workouts these days. It's good to have a goal point down the road to aim for, and I have created training segments for almost every type of race possible. Fun to do, and I would encourage everyone to sign up for a local 5K and get in a few miles - at the very least, you get good exercise and a free tshirt!

4: Awesome Apparel and Shoes - to be a runner, it helps to look the part. All running companies have designed some pretty awesome apparel, and at this point running clothes has taken over about 75% of my wardrobe. But some of the most comfortable things to wear are my running stuff, and I love that running shoes are the most comfortable and lightest shoes that I have.

3: My IPOD and MP3 player - My training partner away from my training partner. For mid mileage runs by myself or at night, nothing gets me into a better zone than music. No way I could run as much as I do without it.

2: My training partners - Pat and Crystal, no way I could be here right now without you guys. You have made training a billion times easier, you have run a billion miles with me over the last 2 years, you have fed me a billion meals, and we have had the same running conversations a billion times. Thank you for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1: Boston - well for me, you have to aim for the stars and I am trying to land the biggest fish of all. When I started running a few years ago, this goal was not realistic and seemed impossible, but here I am on the cusp of my own personal glory. There is a good chance I won't hit it as there are so many external factors out of my control that will dictate how I run tomorrow, but I certainly won't go down without a fight :)

Leaving for Chicago today!

For those who will be following the Chicago Marathon live or on streaming video, here is the rundown for the top male and female competitors and what they are wearing. Can't believe I am flying out this afternoon to Chicago - will meet Shane at the airport, then Tim flies in later tonight. It is raining cats and dogs in the Midwest, and hoping to get this all out of the system by Sunday. Temps will be in the 30's and 40's for the race, which is pretty chilly but better than the 80+ we had last year!

Yesterday after work, did a quick 3 miles. Weather was cool and overcast - about mid 60's. Didn't bring a watch, and just wanted to keep a good rhythm. Completed the run in 24-25 minutes, felt a little tired at the end but hopefully just from the hills coming back. Packed for the weekend, and did many errands at night as well as had a wonderful dinner with Pat and Crystal (homemade turkey chili - thanks Crystal!!). Legs feel really good, and I am in as good of health and shape as I could have asked for :)

Back to the list...

12: Running sponsors - Thank you Big River Running and Brooks Running for giving me a little financial leeway on shoes and apparel! Those costs tend to accrue pretty quickly, and I go through running shoes at quite the alarming rate! My sponsors have pretty much elongated my competitive running career (lol), and gives me motivation to represent them well and do the best that I can!

11: Work and other daily problems - Thanks to a ridiculous work schedule this summer, I have been more stressed than I have ever been in life, but actually worked out well for my running. Nothing better than to hammer out some hard miles after a hard day's work. Many issues and problems have been solved in the solitude of the Glen Carbon trails, and also has probably helped me achieve some amazing workouts in the process :)

10: America's Obesity - I'm sorry, but America is the fattest country in the world. I know, because I was one of them and quite honestly that has motivated me more than ever to work hard to stay as lean as possible (even though I don't eat like it!). It's terrible to hear about the state of health in the U.S., and I honestly think we wouldn't have to worry so damn much about health care if people took care of themselves first and foremost.

9: World Marathon Majors - I consider myself a marathon snob for only running the marathon majors (Chi, NYC, Boston, Berlin, London), but if you have run any of these races before you probably understand why. I created a goal for myself a couple years ago to complete all these marathons before I was done, and fully intend to achieve this. Plus, as stated before, what better way to see these cities then to run through all of it and experience the culture firsthand?

8: Support of Family and Friends - I have been blessed to have amazing support, and once again I couldn't do anything without this. It's been a thrill to see everyone on the course to come out and see me when running any of my major races, and just the biggest adrenaline rush I could ask for. Thank you all!

7: Elite Racers and Other Boston Qualifiers - I am completely in awe of all of you, and you guys have set the benchmark for what I hope to achieve in running. Obviously, elite racers are a bit out of my spectrum, but you have to have heroes to follow, right?

6: Runners World/Running Times - My outlet for running news and the library from which I extract limitless information concerning running. I have used so many workouts from these publications and websites that have benefited me, and I am so glad that they are so easily accessible and at my disposal.

Last Speedwork...

Cool little article on reigning Olympic Champion Sammy Wanjiru. He is going to roll out in Chi-town, and it is going to be freaking awesome! Also, a Ryan Hall interview talking about his preparations and expectations for NYC. So many stories during the fall marathon season - my absolute favorite time!!!

Yesterday after work, met up at the high school track for our final track work (4X400). Middle school track was occupied by the school football team practice, so went to the high school only to see the girls lacrosse team roaming around. Decided we didn't want to deal with any of that, but conveniently the trails are really close by so jogged over there. I actually like doing speedwork on the trails mainly because it is more of a true indicator of actual conditions since I don't race on tracks at all. Definitely more difficult, and you have to adjust for any road elevations. Weather was cool, windy, and overcast - prob mid 60's. Did quick 1 mile warmup, and during the process measured off a quarter mile, then off we went! First quarter felt kind of rough, and we had to navigate some positive grade on our marked quarter. Quick rest, hit our 2nd rep waaaay too fast. For some reason, felt a lot easier, probably because my body had adjusted and slight downhill too. Last couple reps, tried to control a little more but did faster than I would have liked. Was aiming for 90 second quarters, didn't get anywhere near that. Did 1 mile cooldown (0.75 on track), then called it a day. Total mileage: 3 miles - quarter splits were: 1:24, 1:19, 1:23, 1:20.

So final speedwork is done! Rest of the week's running will be about 5-8 easy miles spread out over the next 4 days - can't wait to get in a good jog on Lakeshore! Lots of healthy food, stretching, and praying for good weather...

Back to the list...

19: Friday Night Laurie's - Traditional meal before long run. I think I have ordered the exact same thing (blacked tuna sandwich) over the last 2 years, and we have kept this tradition alive over 2 summers of marathon training. Factor in a pitcher (or 2) of Blue Moon, and incessant conversation about running, and welcome to our world!

18: Spirit of the Marathon - if you want to watch an awesome documentary about running, watch this one. Coolest scene ever - the start of the 2005 Chicago Marathon when they pan through the participants crowd. Absolutely breathtaking, and we have watched this movie before any of our big races for motivation. Pretty cool that we actually ran the 05 Marathon as well, and brings back some great (and not so great) memories!

17: Running during travel - best way to see a new city is to run through it. You see things you would normally just blow by in a car, and truly appreciate the surroundings. Some of my favorite runs that come to mind are the run with Shane in NYC last year for our baseball trip where we ran through midtown, run with Tim this summer through Denver to go pick up his car, and countless Chicago runs with friends.

16: Aggressive Goals/PR's - Everyone needs a goal to aim for, one that gives them proper motivation to get your butt out the door and nail your workouts. PR's in races are just the icing on the cake, and just an amazing feeling anytime you accomplish one :)

15: Fellow Bike Trail Runners/Bikers - Always motivation and more fun to see others on the trails, and makes it sooo much easier to see people out there when you are busting your butt. Thanks to all for the encouraging words and the countless hello's and waves - never fails to brighten my day.

14: Race Volunteers - Without you guys, it would be impossible to have races. Thank you for all the hard work you do and the encouragement you give. I'm sure many have been yelled at during spectating, but it is typically for your own good and safety. Thank you again!!!

13: Group Runs - Sooo much fun to do. Our group jogs in Orlando this January were awesome, and anytime we had friends joining us for runs this year made it that much easier to do. The 22 miler with Shane and Crystal was one of my favorite to note this year...

5 more days!!!

First a couple articles - this one is a good interview with running coach Terrence Mahon who coaches Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor. Very insightful commentary on the state of American Running. Also, a cool little tidbit about ultra marathoner great Dean Karnazes who will be running an additional 26.2 miles after running the Chicago Marathon! Absolutely insane!!!

Wow, the days have flown by and here we are only a few days away from the Chicago Marathon!!! I find myself at the tail end of this taper period starting to feel pretty antsy not running as much as I usually do, but my brain quickly thanks my body for the rest from the mentally grueling task of running 50+ miles per week. I have quite honestly been so busy the last few weeks that it's been almost a blessing that I haven't had time to reflect and psych myself out for the marathon. Jared asked me if I was getting nervous about Chi and I sort of thought about it and realized I haven't really haven't given much thought but it will set it pretty soon, especially when I set foot in Chicago on Thursday. I did all the preparation I could, runs were better quality and I am faster than I have ever been as evidenced by some great PR's this year. Long runs went amazing, and hit a couple 22 milers with ease this session. Executed all the marathon indicator workouts pretty easily, and I am healthy coming into this race. Marathoning is such a cruel sport in which one year of hard preparation can be undone with one bad day, so it is pretty much up to the Running Gods at this point - I have done all I can this year :)

In honor of Sunday and the last year for that matter, I created a list of 26 things I am most thankful for during this training session (in no particular order) that I will share over the next few days:

26(.2) : Unlimited Eating - and yes, I have proven my tapeworms have spawned many generations in my stomach due to some pretty ridiculous eating. Buffet City was most recently victim to this...

25: Beer after hard workouts - nothing better after a hard workout or race this year then a Bud Light Lime with Pat and Crystal. Amazing how much better beer tastes after you've done some hard work :)

24: Being in great shape - Arguably, the best perk of marathon training. Assuming you are actually doing most of the workouts on a consistent basis, it is almost impossible not to be in great shape when running a billion miles a week. I have lost almost 40 lbs. since my first marathon, and I don't miss a single lb. at all!!!!

23: My Running Crew - You guys inspire me through all your hard work - I have been thrilled at every hard workout you killed, every PR you guys accomplish, and absolutely elated we are running this marathon together. My best races have been run with you guys, as well as some of my favorite trips ever (and more to come). This weekend will be an amazing experience :)

22: Long Stretching after a workout - albeit painful at the time, my God does a good 15 minute stretch feel absolutely amazing after a good run! On that tangent, thank the inventors of the foam roller and the stick for saving my legs from suffering from major IT band issues...

21: Excuse to Sleep all day - I know this sounds absolutely lazy, but if I just ran 22 miles in the rain at 6 a.m., I am going to sleep all day and like it!!!

20: Excitement of Racing - Nothing gets my blood pumping like the anticipation before a big race. And the funny part was when I ran cross country in high school, I absolutely hated it. If you ever have an opportunity to even spectate a big race, please do and you'll be amazed how exciting it actually is.

Yesterday evening, got in an easy 3 miles. Weather was a little warmer (mid 70's), and just went at a leisurely pace. Probably a little faster than I would have liked, but felt good. Didn't wear a watch, probably was hitting high 7 to low minute pace. A little corework and stretching afterwards, abs are pretty sore today. Tonight, last track work and a ton of stretching!

St. Peters Rec-Plex Fall Triathlon Recap/Weekend Review

First of all, let me unload a TON of articles I found over the weekend. Paula Radcliffe will be running the NYC Marathon in November to try to win for an unprecedented 4th time! Her marathoning this season has been very inconsistent, and she hasn't run the marathon since last year's victory. Best of luck to her! On that tangent, here is a Runners World interview with her talking about New York and her preparations. She briefly talks about child #2 on way before her goal of winning the 2012 Olympics - interesting stuff. Next, good story I found on another blog telling the story about a daughter planning on running across the country in honor of her mother who has MS. There is a link in this heart touching story that details it more - if you feel inclined, please donate to this great cause!

This weekend, tons of racing! Meb won the Rock n Roll San Jose Half Marathon in a personal PR of 1:01:00 - looking good for his NYC prep! Also, Brian Sell won in his NYC preparations at the very hilly inaugural Brooksie Way Half Marathon. Finally, a great interview with Sell talking about his final marathon in NYC and just running in general.

Got in my final weekend of training, and still enjoying the taper in general. Didn't run on Thursday or Friday - opted for rest since legs were a little tired, and got in some decent workouts already, plus the race was looming over the weekend. Saturday morning, woke up a little later and did our last "long run" on the trails. Weather was chilly, but very fall like and absolutely loved it! Did out and back towards Glen Carbon, wanted to not go too hard but you know how that works out. First few miles were conservative but felt great. Was hitting a major wind going on the downhill, and didn't really realize it until the turnaround when it suddenly felt a million times easier to run. Got into a good rhythm, just kept going at a good pace. Hit the uphill coming back faster, run was pretty easy. Never pushed it at all, except picked it up on the final half mile a little bit. Total mileage: 8 miles - splits were: 8:00, 7:37, 7:40, 7:43, 7:28, 7:33, 7:35, 7:22.


At night, watched Running the Sahara which is an awesome documentary detailing 3 runners running over 4,000 miles in 111 days across the Sahara Desert. Kind of makes me feel like a wimp complaining about my measley 26.2 miles in perfect conditions! But definitely see this movie, really cool stuff! Woke up the next morning to go pace Crystal in the St. Peters Rec-Plex Fall Triathlon, pretty much the same race we did in June which was a pretty hot ordeal but Crystal's team finished 2nd in! Her friend Linda swims 500 meters, her friend Tom bikes 21 miles, then Crystal runs 4.4 miles on a pretty hilly trail. Weather was very cool, but perfect to run in. Woke up bright and early to go to their house only to knock on the door and realize the racer was still in bed sleeping away! Eventually, she got up and got ready, and we were off to the race. Met her team there, watched the swim portion then went back to the car to change. Warmed up for 10 minutes, then walked back to the bike transition area and waited for Tom to get back. He got back in about 7th place at the time, then off we went! First mile, lots of turns, went out quick but not as fast as we usually go, and tried to get into a good rhythm. My purpose in this race is to pace, but Crystal utilizes me more as a pack runner and basically to run on her shoulder and keep her in check. Flew through the first mile right around what we wanted, then hit the hills on miles 2 and 3. Could tell Crystal wasn't feeling the best, so we slowed the pace down about 5 seconds to try to regroup. Saw a runner up ahead, made a mental note that we were going to catch and pass that dude. After the 3rd mile, you hit some more hills but mainly downhill grade, so she was able to get her legs back a bit and we settled into a pretty consistent pace at that point. Last mile, caught that runner, surged down the stretch and she finished strong with a good kick. Total mileage: ~4.4 miles - splits were: 6:34, 6:49, 6:53, 6:50, last half was 6:44 pace.

Good race for their team - they finished 5th overall, actually almost a minute faster than in June, but there was some good competition out there. We finished a minute and a half faster in our run, so was nice to get in that type of effort. Legs felt really good out there, and obviously the taper is working :) Last week hit about 30 miles in 5 days, felt more like 10 miles for some weird reason. Now onto race week! Not too many workouts coming up, and I leave for Chi on Thursday afternoon!!!!

As promised, pics from Kings of Leon concert last week:

Happy Fall!

Crazy that the weather has turned to fall so easily - it's like Mother Nature flipped a switch, and we are sitting pretty for a nice cool week up north :) Several articles I found - first deals with the mental aspect of running and how the brain acts almost as a governor to regulate your body from overworking. Next, a small tidbit about the world marathon record - marathon greats Paul Tergat and Sammy Wanjiru are pretty confident that it will stay for a long time to come. This next article talks about the newest entrants for the NYC Marathon - Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi, three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, and 2008 Olympian Jorge Torres will be running in the Big Apple. This will be an absolutely amazing race with almost all the top American distance runners competing! Finally, an article from the NY Times talking about Lance Armstrong and his desire to pace Joan Benoit Samuelson in her efforts this November.

Tuesday, got in a nice run on an absolutely gorgeous evening. We hit the trails and did a pretty standard out and back. Nothing crazy to note - felt pretty good, never pushed the pace at all. Enjoyed the amazing fall weather, which is my favorite weather to run! Total mileage: 6 miles - splits averaged 8-9 minutes. Wednesday, was rushing to get back into the city for a get-together at a friend's house, so did my scheduled easy run a little quicker than I would have liked. Weather was once again perfect - high 60's, sunny, and a little breeze. Didn't wear a watch, and had just eaten not too long before so just wanted to let my body dictate the pace. Kind of felt like I was going faster, but didn't try to regulate much since I knew I was under some time constraints. Wind and hills made me a bit lethargic by the end, but was glad to get it over with. Total mileage: 4 miles - total time ran was 28-29 minutes.

Pushed it a little on my easy day, so will be sure to rest up over the weekend. Pacing Crystal in her Team Tri event on Sunday, so will be my last major speedwork before the marathon. Ended up going to see Kings of Leon last night - awesome concert and got to hang out with a fun group of buddies so all in all a great night! Will post pics later this week...