Saratoga 4th of July Firecracker 4-mile - 35:17

The appeal has been made. I'm appealing the official time for this weekend's Firecracker 4 four-mile race in Saratoga. As I crossed the finish line, the clock time was at 35:13. I started towards the middle back of the pack and took at least 10-15 seconds to get to the finish line. However, according to the official results, I ran a time of 35:17. Now, I know this is by far my best time yet. I realize that the clock is not always completely accurate, but I have yet to find a clock that is inaccurate on the slow end. I would normally be pumped with an 8:50/mile pace. This beats my previous best pace time of 9:13 at the Kiwanis Shad Derby 5K. I finished 507 out of 967 people. This race, though, was the first that I set a goal time for. That goal was to beat 35 minutes and run a 8:45/pace. Those damn 17 seconds will eat at me for the next week. Other than this unfortunate timing snafu, the Firecracker was a great race to be a part of.

Race time started at 8:30 Saturday morning. I woke up around 7:15 and took the five minute walk to Broadway in Downtown Saratoga. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning. I grabbed a bagel with peanut butter, small coffee and bottled water at Uncommon Grounds and enjoyed the sites and sounds of the city waking up. The registration was a couple blocks away at the City Centre where two dudes were stringing acoustic guitars and singing happy hippy songs.




Prior to the race, a kid who couldn't have been older than ten years old sang the national anthem and absolutely nailed it.



Immediately after the rendition the gun went off and close to 1000 runners started up Broadway.




The first hill was about a three minutes in and wasn't too bad. Room was tight but I managed to get up it without losing a step. I forget what song I was listening too, but when it ended I looked down and noticed I forgot to start my watch. I knew that I started the I-Pod at the gun and the song last 5:25 so as the watch started I knew I was almost exactly 5:30 into the race. The first mile came shortly after and I was at a pace of 8:30. I was pumped. This meant I was 15 seconds ahead of my goal pace. The second mile was pretty flat. It had a few turns and about 4 minutes into it I spotted my parents. My mother, with camera in hand, seemed very excited to see me running by. My father, on the other hand, gave me one of those looks as if to say," Do you know there are hundreds of people- including senior citizens, pregnant women with strollers and pre-pubescents - ahead of you? Step it up, Kid!" Needless to say, I picked up my pace and approached the 2 mile markers at 17:10. This meant my pace was still ahead of the goal.

I wanted to avoid the water stations this race. However, it was pretty hot and I decided to grab a couple cups on the run just before the 2.5 mile marker. I'm happy I did and feel as though it didn't really slow me down. I hit the 5K point right around 26:30 minutes. This was almost a minute and a half better than any 5K I'd run. It also meant if I could run the final mile in 9 minutes - I would reach my goal. I was well on target until the last 1/2 mile. It was straight up hill and seemed to go forever. I was passing people, but it was definitely here that I lost those pesky 17 seconds. The final few hundred yards were flat and I was in an all out sprint. When I finished, I was pretty sure I had beat the goal of 35 minutes. We now know it was premature.



Which one of you punks messed with the clock?


Despite the bitterness I expressed at the beginning of this post, I was very happy with this race. I thought 35 minutes would be tough to beat. I didn't sleep well at all the night before the race and the course had it's share of hills. My legs were sore all week after the half marathon but I proved to myself I can push it and still finish strong. After not planning on setting any goals for time in next week's Boilermaker 15K, I now am gonna try to beat 1:25:00. This will be just over 9mins/mile. I'm gonna need to stop at three or four water stations next week which I know will add some time. I'm also gonna wanna take in everything that is going on around me. A 9 mine mile pace, though, will be almost 1:40 better than my pace in the half marathon. This would be a considerable improvement in just two weeks time.

As for the rest of this weekend - it was great. Played 18 holes Saturday and was took advantage of Saratoga's famous mineral baths and massage today. I'm feeling good and ready to take on the mean streets of Utica next weekend.

UPDATE to come

I know that the so many of you are wearing out the refresh button to see how today's Firecracker 4 went today, so I'll let you know we finished with a clock time of 35:12. I didn't start my watch until five minutes in and have no idea how far back I was at the start. So, we're gonna have to wait for the official results to come in on the website to see if I beat my goal time of 35 minutes. It's gonna be close. I started in the middle of the pack but with close to 1000 runners, It took a little time to get to the start. I'm just hoping it took at least 15-20 seconds.

Happy 4Th of July!

4th of July 4-Miler in Saratoga

In a last minute decision, I'm gonna compete in the Firecracker 4 four-mile race in Saratoga Springs, NY tomorrow morning.

I couldn't find any 10K's in the area for the entire weekend, so this 4-mile run will just have to do. Following the race, I'll be playing 18 at Saratoga National which should be the true highlight of the trip.

My legs are quite sore this week. A combination of the serious uptick in running and lifting this week are to blame, but that's not gonna stop me from setting a goal of finishing this race in under 35 minutes. That will be a pace of about 8:45 for the run. The best pace I've kept in any single race was 9:13 in the Kiwanis Shad Derby 5K. However, I believe I can do this. I won't be messing around with water stations and in-race stretching. I'm gonna try and start a little closer to the front of the pack and get into a comfortable stride earlier than usual.

In the past, I haven't taken too much time stretching pre-race. I usually start off very slow and stretch after a mile or two. I may try and run a couple miles before the race. I was hoping to run 6 or 7 miles anyway this weekend and this will also allow me to get a good stretch in after a solid warm-up. I know I should be doing this before every race.

This race will take us along the beautiful streets of downtown Saratoga Springs. It starts going along Broadway to Circular St, turns onto Caroline St, and ends down Excelsior. I believe this race should be mostly flat, but if I'm thinking of the right streets, there are a few hills that I'll need to tackle.



We'll let you know how it goes. Have a great holiday weekend!

Just Over A Week 'Til the Boilermaker

I'm ten days away from the most highly anticipated run yet - The Boilermaker 15K.

The Boilermaker is held in Utica, NY. It is known as one of the best 15K's in the country and will have close to 15,000 people competing in it. From what I understand, the entire city shuts down for this race and has the best post-race party for any race this side of the Mississippi.

According to the website, there are over 20 water stations. Bands, DJ's and bagpipers are playing throughout the run. Thousands of volunteers help out along the way and the race ends at the Saranac Brewery with concerts, fireworks and loads of food and drink.



This race is not only fun, but appears to be rather tough. The elevations bring you up over 400 feet in the first few miles, but is relatively downhill for the last half of the 9.3 mile run.




To say that I'm excited for this race is an understatement. This is the first race that I'm gonna try and shoot for a specific time in. I'd like to finish in less then 1:30:00. This will be about a 9:30/mile pace. Despite all the stations, I'm hoping to only water up at each 5K. I think this could save me at least five or six minutes in time and will allow me to get into a comfortable pace without starting and stopping every ten minutes.

I'm not only excited about the race, but the entire weekend. I'm gonna stay in Saratoga Springs on Friday and Saturday night and probably for Sunday night after the race. Saratoga is one of the coolest towns I've ever been and has hundreds of restaurants, bars, golf courses and attractions. The peak time to visit Saratoga is from the last week of July through Labor Day when the Thoroughbred meet is going on, but it is a fun place to visit any time of year.

100 Days to Go

72 Days ago this whole experiment started. In many ways, to get to even this point would have been considered a pipe dream. Thanks to my trusted ING Hartford Marathon widget, I can now see that we are 100 days away from M-Day.

As of June 10, I had logged in 70 miles running. Since then, I went through my two week soul-searching phase in which I only ran 7 miles. However, since last Monday I have tacked on 34 fresh miles on the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9 odometer. With 20 miles coming on just Sunday and last night alone.

This brings my total mileage to 111 miles run since April 21. The last three days have been sort of a breakthrough for me. The half marathon proved I could finish a long run in a somewhat respectable time. The biggest breakthrough may have been last night's 7-mile run. I was only planning on running 3 miles. When I got to the 3-mile mark, I decided to try and make it 4.5 mile. When I got to the 4.5 mile point, I decided to make it 6-miles. As I came down the street to finish at 6, I decided to run a couple loops around the neighborhood to make it 7. I found a breathing pattern that has seemed to elude me so far. I also realized that I can go 7 miles without stopping for water, stretching or energy gel. It took me exactly an hour and those 8 or 9 minutes I took off had to have been from not stopping and going every mile. I was able to find a comfortable pace and keep it there. I don't know if I can make 5+ miles a night a regular thing, but if I can I'm convinced I can take my minute/mile pace to around 8:30.

So 72 Days in and 100 to go until the Hartford. We are about 75 days away from the Montreal Marathon prep run.

The total mileage accrued so far would take me to Schenectady, NY to the West:


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Lynn, MA to the East:



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And to the slot machines and harness racing at Yonkers Raceway to the South:


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The Necessities

There are a few things I was missing at Sunday's half-marathon that I now know are absolute necessities for any run of ten miles or longer. The basics that I did have were a great pair of shoes, comfortable runners socks and a breathable shirt. I spoke of these purchases a few weeks back and they have made a positive difference to all my runs. Never again will I get laughed at for wearing clown shoes and polyester shorts that extend below the knee. However, I learned that I run the risk of getting laughed at on marathon day for bleeding through the chest, or as "The" calls them - the love buttons.

So what do you need to contain the bleeding from the love buttons? You need Body Glide. This will not only protect the chest, but will also protect the toes. I've got some pain in the middle toes on each foot. I'm a little concerned that by running in the rain that my new sneaks may have shrunk a bit. This is something I'm gonna need to keep a close eye on the next couple runs.



If that isn't enough for you, you can always go with the ultimate shield.





Another necessity for a long run is the energy gel. I've come full-circle on the GU Vanilla Bean gel. I'm gonna want to test a few of the other flavors so I know whats out there, but this gave such a needed boost in this last run that I don't think I'll do any run of 6 miles or longer without it.




The final necessity are electrolytes. Either the pills or the drink, they will help your body absorb the water you take in during the run. This will not only help during the race, but will go a long way in making a speedy recovery following the race. I'm still researching more on these, but from what I hear, they are a runner's friend.



I feel almost totally recovered from Sunday. Takes an extra second to straighten the getaway sticks out after sitting down for awhile, but no pain to be reported. I took yesterday off from running, but did 25 mins on the bike before last night's lift. This week I'm expecting to run 3 miles tonight, 5 or 6 miles Wednesday, and three miles Thursday. With the holiday weekend coming up, there are plenty of races to partake in and I'm hoping to do a 10K one of the days.

Up'ing the Anti

What do Montreal, Hartford and Philadelphia all have in common?

Believe it or not, they are the three cities that I've decided to run marathons in this Fall.

You read that right Amanda - the THREE cities THIS guy is gonna run a marathon in.

I've decided that to go through all this trouble for one race is a little crazy. So, I've decided to go through all this trouble for big crazy and challenge myself to something unthinkable. I haven't thought it all through yet, but the Montreal Marathon is held on September 13. It just so happens that is the week I am scheduled to do my 20-mile long run in preparation for the Hartford Marathon on October 10. I believe running 20 miles through the traffic and streets of North Central CT sounds pretty unmotivating. However, tacking on an extra 10K and doing it in one of the greatest cities in the world- surrounded by thousands of other runners- is motivating. As far as the Philadelphia Marathon goes, its being held on November 22 a solid six weeks after the Hartford. I might as well get another one out of the way.

So there it is. While I alluded to this past week's half being the breaking news I wrote about last week, it was all just a smoke show for this announcement.

The only question that remains is: Who's coming with me?

29th Annual Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon - 2:18:05

After today's Fairfield Half Marathon, I can honestly say I'm half way to completing this goal of competing in and completing the Hartord Marathon. However, the idea of running a second 13.1 miles that day will be freakin' tough.

I had the goal of finishing between 2:15:00 and 2:25:00 in today's race. I accomplished this, but I can think of so many things I did that cost me significant time. I stopped and walked at every water station. I walked the last 50 yards going up two hills. I only ate a bagel going into the race. I didn't properly stretch. What makes this encouraging is it appears I'm on pace to complete the full marathon in under 4:30:00. I could never complete it in that time today, but considering I ran my first mile just over two months ago, I'm on the right track.

There was never a point in the 13.1 miles that I said to myself," what the heck am I thinking?" I never swore to never do this again and I never hit a wall in the race. I credit staying well hydrated, which was important because it was about 85 and HOT, and in taking advantage of the GU Vanilla Bean Energy Gel station just before the 7 mile point.

I only tried the gel once before. It was a couple miles into the Iron Horse 10K and I hated it. It gave me a cramp and tasted like jung. However, as my long-distance long distance trainers (affectionately known as "THE")commented in a previous post, there is a time and a place for the gel. I found my time was right around Mile 7. It didn't go down very well but taken with water and some electrolytes, it wasn't too bad. I also found that about three minutes later I was in an all out sprint for the next mile and a half. This sudden burst of energy cost me a couple miles later, but I found that it was exactly the burst I needed at the time I needed it. I'm gonna test the gels some more as training goes on, but I think they will be well worth the investment.

There were 3116 people competing in the Half and I finished 2012. I ran at a pace of 10:39/mile. This is much slower as a whole compared to other races but considering about 500 people finished in the five minutes before me I felt I was staying with the crowd throughout the race. If I didn't stop at every water station, I am convinced I could have taken four or five minutes off the final time. What also needs to be considered is how slow the first mile or two were. With everyone starting at the same time and running down a two-lane road, it was a slow, crowded first 5k before it opened up. This race was incredibly well organized and was a beautiful course. It took you through Fairfield, Southport, past Fairfield Country Club and along the shoreline. There were some difficult hills, but I decided I wasn't gonna try and be a hero on them. The homes and the scenery were incredible and their were hundreds if not thousands of volunteers along the course. There were three times that amount of spectators. It amazes me how communities come out in support of these races. People were standing outside spraying the runners with water, kids were banging pots and pans and high fiving whoever would extend a hand, bands were playing at intersections in two or three different sections. It's incredible considering all we did was litter their streets with paper cups and hold up traffic for hours on the nicest morning of the month.

The race started and ended at Jennings Beach. There were bands, enough food to feed an army, thousands of people and medals being handed out to every competitor. I'm a little tight in the calves right now and I felt a little pain in my right knee and ankle at one point, but I'm feeling pretty good physically considering it was almost double any run I have ever done (minus the '99 Boston Marathon- which doesn't count).

When I ran my first mile on April 21, I could have never imagined running a half-marathon by July 1. I can guarantee this won't be my last before the marathon in October. I think I'm gonna try and incorporate any half marathons into my long training runs as time goes on. The atmosphere for these races is great, the courses are fun and the other runners are cordial and supportive. I can't wait for the next one.

The official race photos are here.

The Comeback Week

This week has gotten me back on pace. I ran 3.1 miles Monday, 3.6 Tuesday, 2.5 Wednesday and 3mi tonight. I'm gonna go three more tomorrow and rest Saturday before the big 13.1 mile half marathon on Sunday. That will be a total of over 28 miles in 6days. This will catch me up from my two week layoff. I know how important the days off are for me to recover. However, I needed to push it a bit this week.

Along with running, I have also put in 15 miles on the bike and three days of lifting. I'm sore, but it's a good sore. This is the kind of week that I need to continue through the month. My confidence is back and I'm excited again for the next 16 weeks.

I started this blog to help get me through months like I've had in June. It has made me accountable and the friends who busted me for not seeing posts correctly assumed I was slacking off. So thanks to all of you who stayed on me and don't hesitate to call me out if you don't see anything on here for a few days.

As for the race on Sunday - I can't wait! There will be 4000 runners in it. After the Boston Run to Remember,which had 7000 runners and just as many spectators, I had a true runner's high for the next few days. I can't imagine what the feeling will be next Monday and Tuesday.

King of Pop

13.1 Mile Test

It's time to man-up.

I've registered for this Sunday's 29th Annual Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half-Marathon. I know I'm unprepared. I know I haven't run farther then 7 miles at any given time. I know I haven't run in any sort of race in the month of June. However, I also know I'm approaching the half way point of this training schedule and now is as good a time as any to see how far I've come.

The Fairfield Half is one of the most competitive races in the country. Many of the top runners in the world will be there along with close to 4000 other runners. I won't be anywhere near the front of the pack, but I also won't be bringing up the rear. I expect to finish this in around 2:15:00 - 2:25:00. Also, as I continue to get through the Summer training, I'll have that much more confidence that finishing the full marathon is possible.

So, there you have it. I'm gonna suck it up and throw myself into the fire with this one. I've set a goal of running a 5K, 10K, 15K and 20K in the next month. The 15K is gonna be the Boilermaker July 12 and I still need to find fun 5K and 10K races. This will be a morale booster or killer. I'll let you know which on Monday.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT COMING!!!

There is a major announcement coming in the following days.

Hint : Nope... no hints.

Back in Action

The last week and a half have been less then inspiring. It has rained every single day. I've gone to Saratoga, Boston, Providence (twice), Newport and have had several late meetings. So where does a guy who has run out of excuses go to get out of his slump? The Judgement Free Zone, of course. Today was the true start of Phase II. I found the Planet Fitness in East Granby and decided to kick my own ass. I warmed up with 5 miles on the bike, ran 3.1 miles at a 9:40/mile pace and did an arms and shoulders workout. The lifting will be an added bonus to the marathon training. I'm expecting to lift Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For this week, I'm gonna run at least 3 miles a day and am gonna run at least a 10K this weekend. I need to prove to myself I can get back into this strong. It will also catch me up on the mileage total. I feel great tonight and am ready to finish what I started.

Looking into the Abyss

"Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss."

Pathetic.

Pitiful.

Candy Ass.

I'm all of these things and more. I started this blog to hold myself accountable for all of my fleet footed actions for a measly 25-weeks out of my life. While I've had no problem patting myself on the back for some things over the first two months, I haven't been nearly as critical for some lapses in manhood.

Until today.

I've let myself, the legions (all 7) of faithful followers, and the running gods down this week. After being all gung-ho at the start of the season, I have basically quit. I've quit on myself, on my fans and most importantly on the October morning that is sure to live in infamy. I ran a total of seven miles last week. That's right. Seven. I ran 3.5 mile on Tuesday and Wednesday and then blew off the rest of the week. I blew off the 3 mile run for Thursday because of a little rain and a few puddles. I blew off the Niantic 10k on Friday because of a little interview. I blew off the Blum Shapiro 5K on Saturday because of a little beauty sleep. I blew off the Litchfield Hills 7-miler on Sunday because of a little, er, big headache. I need to find that handsome voice in the back of my head that says, "I jus' can't quit you!"

So what does a man-boy do when he comes to that fork in the road?

Does he choose to be Michael or does he choose to be Fredo?

Does he find that Spartan Spirit or does he turn to a life consumed by an assortment of spirits?
The answers to these questions will basically determine success or failure in both running and life. I don't have the answers this morning. I only have a pair of unlaced, sad and dry Brooks and an underutilized, silent I-pod that are screaming to be shown some love and attention. At this point, I can only stumble home, in the wee hours of the day, and beg for forgiveness and pray they will take me back.

Where You Heading?

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One of the first posts I had was about the total mileage I was expecting to run in the twenty five weeks of training. It came out to over 600 miles which would get me to somewhere around Detroit if I had started at my front door. In the first seven weeks of the training, I ended up logging in approx. 70 miles running and 25 miles biking. That would get me to a couple of my former safety schools - Siena College in Albany, NY to the west or Harvard University in Cambridge, MA to the east.


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Running north I'd be getting off of Exit 6 on I-91 in Vermont and south I'd be in Stamford, CT.


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So what does all this mean? Well, not much really. I'm about 1/6th of the way there according to my original training schedule and the longest, hardest runs are to come.