New York to Boston - 26.2 Miles

Year In Review: 2011

2011-12-31T17:01:00.001-06:00

Well, tomorrow is New Year's Day and I'm stuck in that in-between zone where I don't have a clear goal in mind for my next big event. I decided to use today as an opportunity to reflect on my accomplishments in 2011 and then tomorrow will be a day of goal-setting.

First of all, I started this blog on Wednesday, June 15th 2011. Today marks my 146th post and since beginning this blog, I've run 625.86 miles, I rode my bike 144.45 miles, and I swam 14,350+ meters. Documenting my training and having family and friends check in on my progress was a huge help with my training for New York.

I not only ran the New York marathon, I was chosen as a featured runner for ING, won the featured runner contest, and finally broke the 3:10 barrier in the marathon.

I ran other races in 2011 though... several before starting this blog. Here's a list of my 2011 races and results:

4/16/11 - Oz Marathon - 3:19:32
6/5/11 - Minneapolis Marathon - 3:32:38 (We met the Gomers!)
6/11/11 - St. Louis Race For The Cure - 5K - 32:08
7/10/11 - New Town Triathlon - 1,000m Swim (25:31) 20M Bike (59:30) 4M Run (27:51) - 1:57:14
7/24/11 - Opening Act 5K - 20:04 - 7th Place Overall
8/27/11 - United Way 5K - 19:37 - 1st Place Overall
9/18/11 - Millstadt Parks Biathlon - 5M Run (31:41) 22M Bike (1:10:13) - 1:41:54
10/9/11 - BAJA 1/2 Marathon - 1:27:30 - 1st Place Men 30-34
10/22/11 - Harvest Moon 5K - 19:21 - 1st Place Overall
11/6/11 - ING New York Marathon - 3:09:49
11/24/11 - 5K on Turkey Day - 18:49 - 5th Place Overall
12/10/11 - Frostbite Series 3K - 10:59 - 2nd Place Men 30-34

Looking back, that's a pretty packed year! I accomplished a huge goal in New York and I can't imagine a more exciting overall marathon experience. I also crossed three new states off of my list of marathons (Kansas, Minnesota, and New York). I raced a tough triathlon and did my first open-water swim. And I had a lot of fun running, racing, and meeting new people.

Writing this blog was an invaluable motivator and it's been fun looking back on my time leading up to New York. I've decided to keep blogging so I have an ongoing record of my training and my adventures. I plan to change things up a little as far as the blog page itself and I'm going to reset my mileage counter starting tomorrow. I also realised that when I write a post, I think of it as a personal journal. But the longer I've been doing this, the more feedback I get that people follow along and read some of my posts. I've started to think more about my posts as if I'm also writing them for other people to read and not just myself. It's a weird little shift in my thinking, but it will also likely lead to a slight shift in my writing... it will be less about writing to myself and more about writing with the assumption that other people might read my posts. I don't know if that makes sense, but it feels a little different on my end.

So here's to a successful 2011 and a 2012 filled with untapped potential!!!

Saturday
Goal For The Day: Take a look back.
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: I haven't run at all since Monday. It's a sign that I'm between goals and I need to come up with a plan!

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.
Final Blog Totals for 2011:

Run - 625.86 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Gear Check: Christmas Gear!

2011-12-27T14:58:00.001-06:00

I received some great gifts for Christmas this year and several were running related. I can't wait to put them to good use!

First, Mom and Rick got me the P90X Fitness Program! I've borrowed a couple of P90X DVDs from friends in the past and they definitely kicked my butt so I've been thinking about doing the actual program. It's 90 days of working out 6-7 times per week and the workouts are intense. I would really like to follow the schedule the way it's intended but I haven't figured out how to incorporate such an exhausting program into my running routine. Obviously, I would have to scale back my running while I'm doing it so I haven't figured out when I'll try P90X in 2012, but it's on my to-do list and I'm excited to see how it goes!

Ben and Maja are always great with thoughtful and creative gifts but this year they outdid themselves. I opened their gift to find a Flash t-shirt like Sheldon wears on The Big Bang Theory!

That alone would have been an awesome gift, but when I turned it around to show Liz the shirt, I saw that my marathon time was stitched into the back!!! How awesome to have my Boston Qualifying time stitched into a Flash shirt!!?? Great Gift!

Liz also got me some much-needed and much-appreciated running gear. I have a goal of running a marathon in every state. So far, I've crossed 8 states off of the list. I'm starting to acquire quite a collection of marathon medals but they're currently on a hanger in our spare closet. Now I have a great decorative hanger so I can start displaying my hard-earned medals!

And on a more practical note, Liz also got me warmer, more versatile running gloves. I have a pair of Nike gloves that are great when the temperature is in the 40's. After that, they don't offer much protection from the cold and I've been using cheap cotton gloves that I got for free somewhere. But not anymore!

Liz got me a pair of Asics glove/mitten hybrids. They're super-warm and the mitten portion can be folded back to free your fingers. I'm looking forward to my hands staying warm when the temperature drops and I'm excited that I'll be able to use my iPod easier thanks to the fold-away mittens!

What a haul! I can't wait to put some of this gear to good use in 2012!!!

Tuesday

Goal For The Day: Off Day.

Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: The New Year is just around the corner. It's time to start thinking about my next challenge/adventure.

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.

Blog Totals:
Run - 625.86 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Ready, Set, Rische or Not 5K

2011-12-26T14:55:00.000-06:00

This Christmas involved a couple of challenges. First, the men in the family were challenged to grow beards starting in November and we all sported hairy faces for the holiday.

We also decided to run a 5K as a family while everyone was home for Christmas. We didn't want to run an actual race, but thought it would be fun to go for a family group run.

We gathered outside the Rische household around 10:00 this morning and found out we had picked the coldest morning of the weekend for our run. It had also been dry all weekend but this morning there was a very light rain falling. We didn't let the weather get us down though. Our participants included Nate, Beth, Stephanie, Dan, Nancy, myself, and Liz. (Kim stayed behind to solve a plumbing problem.)

The Inaugural 'Ready, Set, Rische or Not 5K'.

Our course involved running to the bike trail that I ran on yesterday, circling two laps around a park, and then returning to the house. It was a relaxed run. Nobody was trying to set any records and we chatted as we ran.

I ran with Liz, Nate, Dan, and Stephanie while Beth and Nancy settled into their own pace behind us. Beth wasn't sure she was going to run the whole time but she at least started with Nancy.

About halfway through the first lap around the park, Dan and Stephanie stopped for a quick bathroom break and then ran with Beth and Nancy for a while. By the time we finished our second lap and left the park to run home, Dan and Stephanie were catching back up with us and we ran the rest of the way home together.

We checked behind us a couple of times and Beth and Nancy were always right there, not too far back. Apparently, they started slower than us but then must have matched our pace because the distance between us didn't seem to change. Beth ended up running the whole time!

When we got to the home stretch, those of us up front turned around to join Beth and Nancy so we could all finish together.

We ran back to the house as a group and officially finished our first family 5K! I had medals for each of us and Stephanie put her calligraphy skills to good use on the labels so we could commemorate the occasion.

It was a shame Kim couldn't join us but it was a good thing he stayed behind. We came home to find the plumbing fixed and we were all able to take some well-deserved hot showers!

Monday
Goal For The Day: Family Fun Run.
Distance: 2.80 Miles.
Time: 30:33. 10:54 Avg. (10:38, 10:40, 9:15*).
Route: To the bike trail/2 laps around the park/Home.
Conditions: 37 degrees. 10:11AM.

Notes: We all used different devices to track our run and compared distances at the finish. My Garmin reported 2.8 miles but it was a cloudy morning so it might have been a little off. Liz used her Nike+ shoe sensor and Nancy used her phone's GPS. We were all right around the 2.8-3 mile mark so it wasn't quite a full 5K but it was close enough. It's the thought that counts!

Daily Miles: 2.80 Miles.

Blog Totals:
Run - 625.86 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

I'll Just Have To Keep Dreaming

2011-12-25T15:53:00.001-06:00

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... but this year it's not meant to be.

It's been a great Christmas already. We had a brief gift exchange with my family Friday and have spent the rest of the weekend with Liz's family in Kansas City. I Love all of this time with family and continuing family traditions. Unfortunately, the weather isn't contributing to the Christmas atmosphere. It's much too warm and there's no snow to be found this year.

I decided to make the best of it and took advantage of some downtime this afternoon to go for a Christmas Day run. It wasn't cold enough for snow today but it was still chilly. Even with the cold breeze, I was sweating after only a mile and my Christmas beard felt very out of place.

I ran on the trail that runs near the Risches' house and went out about 3 miles before turning to head back. I was feeling a little too disappointed in the weather... it was a nice day for a run after all... but then I got a pleasant surprise. In a shady part of the path, there was a patch of ice that somehow hadn't melted.

I have no idea how it managed to survive the temperatures nearing the 50's, but it was like a Christmas miracle! I know it's ridiculous, but I'm counting this as my white Christmas!

A little farther down the path, I ran past a pond that was partially frozen and I let myself imagine I wasn't running in shorts and a t-shirt on Christmas... in my mind, I was bundled up with frost in my beard and the snow was just about to start falling.

I could have easily gone the entire day without seeing any snow or ice but today's run saved the day!

Merry Christmas!!!

Sunday
Goal For The Day: Christmas Run!
Distance: 6.01 Miles.
Time: 42:50. 7:08 Avg. (7:21, 7:13, 7:12, 7:08, 6:40, 7:11, 0:03*).
Route: Bike Path in Overland Park, KS.
Conditions: 48 degrees. 1:30PM.

Notes: I got some great running-related gear for Christmas. I'll have to post about it soon.

Daily Miles: 6.01 Miles.

Blog Totals:
Run - 623.06 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Romance Run

2011-12-18T18:43:00.000-06:00

Liz asked if I wanted to go for a run with her this afternoon. Considering my recent pattern, it might have been another week before I ran again if she hadn't extended the invitation.

The Gomers introduced us to the term 'Romance Run'. They talk about running with their wives and how nice it is to share one of their favorite pastimes with each other. When Liz trained for her first half marathon, I would tag along on her training runs from time to time. Since then, we haven't run together very often. It was nice to share a run around town.

From Shirts4Runners.com

We ran up to the Phillips 66 and then turned into some neighborhoods that lead back toward our house. We ran down some roads I haven't explored yet and made a lap around the parking lot of a nearby church before heading home.

It was a hilly two-and-a-half miles and a great way to spend some time together on a Sunday afternoon. With the new year just around the corner, I hope to go for Romance Runs more often in 2012!

Sunday
Goal For The Day: Romance Run.
Distance: 2.50 Miles.
Time: 26:07. 10:27 Avg. (10:23, 10:39, 5:04*)
Route: Run Around Eureka.
Conditions: 57 degrees. 3:23PM.

Notes: I know Liz still has a Love/hate relationship with running, but it's nice when we can run together like this.

Daily Miles: 2.50 Miles.

Blog Totals:
Run - 617.05 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

I Got The Point

2011-12-17T15:20:00.077-06:00

I haven't run at all since last week's race so I wanted to go for a nice, easy run around town today. Instead of the relaxing run I was hoping for, I got a painful lesson in heal-striking.

After the race last weekend, I noticed my left heel was bothering me. It felt like I stepped on a rock and bruised it. I had a small spot of roughed-up skin on my heel and what looked like it could be a splinter. I poked around at it for a while and had Liz take a closer look (poor Liz) but couldn't figure out what it was or what could have caused it. During the week, it didn't bother me and I forgot about it.

My plan for today was to run down into town and run a lap around the neighborhood from the Harvest Moon 5K before coming home. At first, everything was fine and it was a great day for a run.

About two miles into the run, I started to notice my heel again. It didn't really hurt, but it felt like I had a very small rock in my shoe. It was the same spot as last week so I made a mental note to shake out my shoe when I got home.

Over the course of the next mile, that annoying little rock really started to hurt. I finally stopped to clean my shoe out but when I sat to take it off, I caught a glimpse of something shiny on the bottom of my shoe. I looked closer and there was a large safety pin between the treads stabbing into my heel. I tried to pull it out, but couldn't get my fingers in far enough to get a grip. I looked inside my shoe and the pin must have been just beneath the insole and only poked through when I landed on my heel. I was about halfway through my run and still had over two miles left to get home so it was shaping up to be an annoying finish.

I got going again and found that as long as I was landing on my mid-foot or fore-foot, my heel didn't hurt at all. Unfortunately, Eureka is a hilly place and I apparently land on my heels when I run downhill. I also seem to put pressure on my heel when I turn a corner. So for the trip home, I focussed on my form more than I usually do and tried to lean forward to stay off of my heels.

The longer I ran, the less it seemed to take for the pin to dig into my foot. By the last mile, I was basically running on my toes and that still didn't help completely. I tried stopping to walk but that wasn't helpful either. By the end, it felt like the pin wasn't just poking me, but was actually tearing at the top layer of skin.

When I got home, I pulled my shoe off to find a bloody spot in my shoe and a bloody hole in my sock.

I checked the pin again and saw why it was getting worse late in the run. A rock got wedged in right on top of the pin. Every time I landed on my heel, that rock probably pushed the pin in even deeper.

I grabbed some needle-nose pliers and yanked the pin out of my shoe. It's funny that something so small can make a run so uncomfortable.

That's definitely a first for me. It's a good thing I had to get a tetanus booster as part of the vaccines required to meet my new niece!

Saturday
Goal For The Day: Easy Run.
Distance: 4.93 Miles.
Time: 35:00. 7:06 Avg. (6:50, 6:48, 6:59, 7:19, 7:00*).
Route: Old Town Eureka Loop with Harvest Moon Extension.
Conditions: 45 degrees. 1:08PM.

Notes: I just kept thinking of Gary Shandling's line at the end of Ironman 2: "It's funny how annoying a little prick can be."

Daily Miles: 4.93 Miles.

Blog Totals:
Run - 614.55 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Race Report: Frostbite Series #1 - 3K

2011-12-10T20:47:00.165-06:00

Every winter, the Saint Louis Track Club organizes a series of races called the Frostbite Series. There's a race every-other Saturday in Forest Park. You can run any of the races by themselves and they're each ridiculously cheap, or you can enter to run the series as a whole and pay one price for all five races.

You also have the option of running either the Short Series or the Long Series. This year's Short Series races are: 3K, 2M, 5K, 4M, and 3M. The Long Series races are: 12K, 10M, 20K, 13.1M, and 15K. I've never run the Long Series... mostly because I don't want to race that far in the cold.

The Frostbite Series always draws a lot of participants and I didn't pre-register so I got to the park early to sign up for the Short Series. It's been a few years since I've run the Frostbite Series but I remember the registration area being crazy on the first day. There was a year or two that I almost didn't get registered in time for the start of the race.

This year wasn't a problem. When I got to the information center where the Track Club sets up shop, there weren't very many runners there yet.

Outside the Information Center when I arrived.

I was able to register really quickly and then found a quiet corner to hang out in until closer to race time. I pinned my number on my shirt and then settled in with a book I brought to pass the time.

When it was time to drop things off at my car so I could warm up, I went back through the lobby and saw that the crowd had arrived. Everyone was packed in the lobby trying to stay warm until the race.

A familiar sight at the Frostbite Series.

Things were much more lively outside too. It was so quiet an hour ago and now there were people everywhere and you could tell by all of the runners' nervous energy that it was almost race time.

I went for my usual warm-up run and then ditched my extra layers in my car. Both races start at the same time but at different starting lines so I went over to the 3K area.

My only criticism of this race is the start. The 3K starts on a side road and as soon as the horn sounds, we make an immediate right turn onto the road that runs in front of the information center. Without fail, that turn causes problems for the pack of runners. You either have to line up at the very front or at the back of the pack unless you want to risk getting tangled up and trampled.

Today was no exception. I lined up near the front so I could get out and away from people early but when the race started and we turned the corner, I could hear the scuffling behind me. I'm pretty sure a couple of people hit the pavement.

As an added bonus this year, the road must not have been closed because there was a car and a city bus in the middle of the road right in front of the information center. The road is already lined with parked cars and I always envision side-view mirrors being torn off but now we had to dodge cars in the middle of the course too. We all did our best to control the chaos as we swarmed around them and once we passed the bus, we were in the clear for the rest of the race.

I don't have a lot of strategy for a 3K race. It's just under 2 miles so I basically run the first mile as fast as I can without killing myself and then try to keep the pace from dropping in the second mile. It's an out-an-back course and I reached the turn around feeling pretty good. It seemed like there were high school kids everywhere and I remembered that the Frostbite Series usually has a lot of kids racing to stay in shape between cross country and track seasons.

On the way back, I started to tighten up and it felt like I was running a track workout. Running a short, fast race like this brings on such a different kind of tired from the fatigue of a long run. I notice the tightening in my arms first. It gets harder and harder to breathe. Everything tightens up instead of just feeling run down. I could feel my turnover slowing so I tried to get a little more distance out of my stride and every now and then tried to pick up the pace.

At the end of the race, the course turns onto a winding sidewalk that snakes around behind the information center. The path is about 100 meters long and every Frostbite Series race ends here. I'm always tired and hurting when I turn that corner and I have two goals for that last 100 meters: 1)Don't let anyone pass me. 2)Pass anyone within reach in front of me.

I didn't pass anyone in the home stretch today but I didn't get passed by anyone either. I crossed the finish line in 10:59. My first mile was in 5:36 and my average over the race was 5:54 per mile so the second half of the race must have been significantly slower. It's still my best 3K ever!

Even though the temperature was in the 20's, the race was so short, I didn't have time to get cold. I snagged some of the post-race snacks... the Frostbite Series always has good cookies and pretzels filled with peanut butter... and went back to my car for warmer clothes and my book.

I waited in the information center for the results and wondered if this part of the process would be faster than in past years that I've run the series. It's amazing how technology has changed races in the past few years. Results are practically instantaneous thanks to timing chips and computers.

Sure enough, there was a flat screen monitor set up that scrolled through the results as they were posted. The list was updated every few minutes and it seemed like they would be able to start the awards ceremony soon.

Fast results.

Apparently, the technology still isn't perfect though. At first, it reported that I finished 6th overall. That didn't seem right. I know I wasn't far from the front, and I know I get a little bit of tunnel vision late in the race, but it sure seemed like there were more than five people in front of me.

The list obviously wasn't complete yet and apparently, some of the people that signed up for the longer race decided to run the 3K instead because their results were already listed for the long race. I found a place to sit with my book and the list kept cycling across the monitor. I moved from 6th, to 9th, to 12th, and finally ended up 28th overall. I finished 2nd in my age group though so I got a ribbon and I should be in a good position as far as series points in my age group.

When I left, a lot of people were still huddled around the monitor looking for their results. Another problem with this system is that it listed all of the 3K finishers and then started scrolling through the long race results. But the system reset every few minutes to update the results and the runners lower on the list of long race finishers never got to see their results because the system always reset before it got to them.

This is the first time I've seen results posted in this way and the system has potential, but it still has a few flaws that need to be ironed out.

Saturday
Goal For The Day: Race!
Distance: 1.86 Miles.
Time: 10:59. 5:54 Avg. (5:36, 5:23*).
Route: Frostbite Series #1 - 3K.
Conditions: 26 degrees. 9:00AM.

Results:
Time: 10:59. 5:54 avg. (5:36, 5:23*).
28th out of 573 finishers.

2nd out of 22 men ages 30-34.

Notes: Didn't set a PR in the Thanksgiving 5K, but set a new PR for 3K today! The first 11 finishers were ages 15-17. 21 of the 27 people that beat me were 19 or younger. Made me feel old!

Daily Miles: 1.86 Miles.

Blog Totals:
Run - 609.62 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Two Weeks... Two Workouts

2011-12-09T07:46:00.001-06:00

Am I slacking off? Am I taking a much-deserved break? Am I resting up for something big? Is the glass half empty or half full?

In the past two weeks, I've done exactly two workouts. Not exactly hardcore.

Both workouts were at the Rec Center. Last Tuesday (the 29th), I planned to meet Liz for a swim but our timing was off so I ended up running on the treadmill and Liz went for a swim on her own. I messed around in the gym and did a little lifting and then ran 4 miles. Normally, I'm not a fan of treadmill running because I get bored so quickly, but that 4 miles wasn't bad at all for some reason.

Then this Tuesday (the 6th), Liz and I got our act together and went for a swim. We swam 1,000 meters in three chunks (300/400/300) and I realized that I can run for a long time and just let my mind wander. But when I swim, all I'm thinking about is my breathing and how many more laps until I stop. Hopefully, I'll get comfortable enough in the water that I can let my mind wander while I'm swimming and the workouts will be more fun.

I run the first race of this year's Frostbite Series tomorrow. Hopefully, that will get me back in the groove.

Tuesday (11/29)
Goal For The Day: Run
Distance: 4.00 Miles.
Time: 28:28. 7:07 Avg. (7:30, 7:13, 6:58, 6:44).
Route: Treadmill at Fenton Rec Center.
Conditions: Stuffy. 6:00PM.

Tuesday (12/6)
Goal For The Day: Swim.
Distance: 1,000 meters. (300/400/300).
Location: Fenton Rec Center Indoor Pool.

Notes: I'm working on my plans for 2012 and I'm thinking I'll need a lot of early mornings and dedication so for now, I'll let myself sleep in and slack off a little.

Daily (Recent) Miles: 4.00 Miles Run. 1,000 meter Swim.
Blog Totals:
Run - 611.76 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 15,350+ meters.

Exploring Cincinnati On Foot

2011-11-26T20:44:00.037-06:00

I went for what has become a rare kind of run for me lately. We had some time this morning before our plans to go shopping so I went for a wandering run around Ben and Maja's neighborhood. I've been doing so much focused training that I haven't gone for many relaxed, exploratory runs.

I started up Marburg and turned right on Erie but made a quick right again at the coffee shop onto Victoria. Victoria is a great tree-lined street with very cool older houses. At some point, I turned south again until I met back up with Erie and then followed that west through Hyde Park Square. There were a few people out running through the Square and I imagine it's a popular place to run.

I was going to turn around at Hyde Park Square but I felt like seeing what else I could see so I kept running down Erie until it came to a dead end at Madison Road. Across Madison is a high school and I could see the football field from Erie so I ran across and took a lap around their track.

The football stadium was very cool. The field is AstroTurf but the track and stands look really old. The stands are all concrete and the track had a nice, rubberized surface but the layout somehow made it feel very dated.

After my lap around the track, I took a straight shot down Erie to Marburg and ran progressively faster all the way home.

It was a fun run around town and I would like to go back to that track again. I Love exploring towns on foot like this!

Saturday
Goal For The Day: Exploratory Run.
Distance: 5.16 Miles.
Time: 35:50. 6:57 Avg. (7:00, 7:05, 7:24, 6:55, 6:32, 0:52*).
Route: Run Around Cincinnati.
Conditions: 53 degrees. 9:25AM.

Notes: I somehow thought it was much colder out than it actually was. I wore a long sleeve thermal shirt and came back to the house with my sleeves pulled up and way to sweaty for weather this nice.

Daily Miles: 5.16 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 607.76 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Race Report: 5K On Turkey Day

2011-11-24T16:03:00.157-06:00

We woke up at 6am and left Ben and Maja's around 6:30. The race was at the Lifetime Fitness gym in Deerfield Township and the drive didn't take us as long as we thought it would. There was a slight delay on the way to the race because our GPS took us to an empty parking lot, but a truck came by setting up cones in the road for the race and they pointed us in the right direction.

We got to the gym just before 7:00 and followed the crowd to an indoor, astro-turf-covered field where we registered for the race. (This gym was amazing... too bad we weren't allowed to go inside.)

Most of the registration process was the same old routine but this is the first race that I've ever run that used scantron forms to enter our information into the computer.

Liz and I filled in all of the little bubbles with our info, paid our entry fee, found out we wouldn't get shirts because we registered the day of the race, pinned on our bib numbers, secured our timing chips to our shoes, and we were ready to go!

The race started at 8:00 and we had some time to spare so we went back to the car to rest for a few minutes. We were parked right by the start/finish line so we could hang out in the car right up until it was time to go.

I followed my usual pre-race routine and started stretching about 15 minutes before the start and then went for a warm-up run around the parking lot. I met up with Liz just before the start to wish her luck and then we took our separate positions at the starting line.

Our goal for the race was to each set a PR so I was trying for better than 17:42 and Liz was trying to beat 31:18. We didn't know what to expect from the course, but neither PR seemed very likely for all of the reasons I mentioned yesterday.

Liz mixed in with the middle of the pack and huddled in with the crowd for warmth. It was a cold morning but not too horrible. In fact, I contemplated leaving my gloves in the car but decided to wear them at the last minute because the wind had a bite to it. I lined up near the front of the pack with all of the crazy runners in their running shorts and singlets. There were goosebumps everywhere!

Runners can be an anxious, jittery bunch at the beginning of a race. There's a lot of bouncing around and shaking of limbs at a starting line. That anxiety quickly rises when the start of a race is delayed. The serious (sometimes too serious) runners at the front of the pack have timed their warm-up to be ready right at the designated starting time. When they're forced to wait and start to cool down, they quickly become disgruntled. It's even worse when it's cold outside. The start of this race was delayed close to 10 minutes for some reason so the man with the starting gun spent several tense minutes trying to calm increasingly inpatient runners.

Eventually, the gun did sound and we all took off running out of the parking lot and into the first turn of what turned out to be one large loop.

I went out with the leaders but hung back several places, hovering somewhere around 6th place. I've been running 1-mile repeats at the track lately and I was a little worried I would match the pace from those workouts and run my first mile too fast. At the same time, I knew I had to run the fastest 3 miles I could if I wanted to set a new PR. I was mostly adjusting my pace by feel and I apparently felt like I was going faster than my actual pace. I hit the first mile in 5:53. I needed to average 5:42 per mile so I was already 11 seconds behind with two miles to go. Not the best position for a PR.

The course was hilly but all of the hills were rolling and none were particularly steep. I felt like I was making good time and I passed a couple of people in the second mile but my watch reported a time of 11:58 at Mile 2... that wasn't going to cut it.

The 5K and 10K were run at the same time so about mid-way through the race, several runners pealed off onto the 10K course and there were suddenly fewer people in front of me. I was in 3rd place with just over a mile to go but I could feel myself slipping off of the pace.

One guy passed me just as we passed Mile 2 and I could tell he was feeling better than I was. He continued to cruise past me and another guy came up on my shoulder but I held him off for a while. We ran a little out-and-back extension of the course that gave us a good view of our competition with 3/4 of a mile to go. Besides the guy on my shoulder, I didn't have anyone behind me that was threatening to move up in the last stretch of the race.

We completed the out-and-back section and were now running uphill on the road Liz and I drove in on. Each cone in the road meant we were closer to the finish line but I was struggling to keep the pace up. The guy next to me put on a surge and I couldn't keep up so I dropped into 5th place. I checked my watch and I definitely wasn't going to set a new PR, but I still tried to lean in and move my legs just a little faster so I could clock a good time. I turned the corner and ran back into the parking to the finish line in 18:49. I missed my PR by over a minute and I've run better times in the past couple of years, but I was still happy with the effort and didn't feel like I slacked at all today so I'll take it.

The car was parked close by so I grabbed my camera and Flip cam to capture Liz's finish when she came through. Like I said, the last 3/4 of a mile are up a long, steady hill and when you turn into the parking lot toward the finish line, it's still an uphill slope. I could see the effect of the hill on the runners as they came into the finish and several were walking when they turned the corner for the finish.

I expected Liz to finish sometime between 30 and 35 minutes. It was a cold day... the course was hilly... we didn't get a lot of sleep last night... and she set PR's in her last two 5K's... so I wasn't expecting a super-fast finish today. I thought it would be exciting if she could break her record of 31:18 but I was just hoping she could get through the race without any major problems.

I almost missed her finish!

It was a good thing I was paying attention because Liz came around the corner way before I was expecting her. She ran around the corner and I could tell the hill got to her because she stopped for a short walk break. I got my cameras ready and checked the clock... she was just over the 28 minute mark!

When I looked back and started taking pictures, Liz was running again and finished strong with a HUGE new PR of 28:42! She didn't just beat her previous best, she shattered it! Liz improved her best time by 2 minutes and 36 seconds. That's an average of 51 seconds-per-mile faster than her previous best!!!

Liz crossing the finish line with a new PR!

In the home stretch.

Official chip time: 28:42!!!

I ran over to were Liz was sitting after the finish line and we were both giddy about her time. We went back into the registration area where it was warmer to talk about our races, eat some post-race snacks, and wait for the results.

A lady was nice enough to take our picture... and then took a picture of our legs. She said, "Now you can edit them together!" I'm not sure why she didn't just turn the camera to get a full-body shot, but she was excited about her solution so we just went with it.

Most of the results were posted pretty quickly and I placed 5th overall but the age group awards were a little tricky. They were giving out glass mugs instead of medals but they were only giving mugs to the first place finisher in each age group. Most races give awards to the 1st through 3rd place overall finishers and don't count those finishers in the age group standings. I talked to a volunteer and she said that was the plan for this race too. She was wrong.

Liz and I waited quite a while for the awards thinking I won my age group. The guys that finished 2nd and 3rd overall were 32 and 33 years old, but they wouldn't count in my age group if the top 3 got awards. I was technically the 3rd male age 30-34 to cross the finish line, but the first in that age group if you didn't count the top 3. After a long wait, they started the awards and we knew right away there weren't awards for the top 3 finishers. So, no mug for me. It wasn't a big deal except that we could have been back at Ben and Maja's helping with the Thanksgiving preparations almost an hour sooner.

Even more disappointing was when we checked the results later and realized Liz placed 2nd in her age group! I think this is the first time Liz has placed in her age group and it was even at a good-sized race. Unlucky that they didn't give awards three-deep in each age group.

You can tell we got bored waiting by how entertaining I thought these pictures were:

Shoe hug!

I even posed for a picture with the scary turkey they had running around.

So at the end of the day, I didn't come close to my goal of setting a PR but Liz absolutely crushed hers! We updated the Gomer Nation spreadsheet with our times and then spent the rest of the day gorging ourselves on a Thanksgiving feast!

Thursday
Goal For The Day: Race!
Distance: 3.10 Miles.
Time: 18:49. 6:04 Avg. (5:53, 6:04, 6:14, 0:36*).
Route: 5K On Turkey Day.
Conditions: 43 degrees. 8:00AM.

Results:
Liz
Time: 28:42. 9:15 avg.
142nd out of 488 finishers.
55 out of 270 women.
2nd out of women ages 25-29!!!

Brad
Time: 18:49. 6:04 avg.
5th out of 488 finishers.
5th out 218 of men.

3rd out of 17 men ages 30-34.

Notes: Super proud of Liz today! I think she's finally starting to feel like a runner. I also passed the 600 mile mark since starting this blog!

Daily Miles: 3.10 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 602.60 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Listening To Myself

2011-11-23T23:32:00.000-06:00

I left work at noon today so Liz and I could drive to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving. It's about a six hour drive so we loaded up the iPods with podcasts for the trip. Of course, Gomers were on the list and we listened to my interview with Anthony.

First of all, I'm not a fan of listening to my own voice. It's just weird. That's not how I sound in my head. Second, it was weird to hear the interview again because there were things I had forgotten I said. I was also surprised that the entire interview was used and Anthony didn't edit anything out. I hope it isn't so long it bores people.

I also don't feel like I sounded very excited which is weird because I was super excited to be on the show. I think I was so worried about talking over Anthony or making too much noise, that I was doing a lot of silent laughter which doesn't translate well to an audio podcast. Anyway, it was fun being on the podcast but I can understand what the Gomers mean when they say it's weird listening to themselves.

After we arrived in Cincinnati, we settled in with the family and met our new niece for the first time (in person... Skype doesn't count). Adela is beautiful and it's fun to see my brother and sister-in-law as new parents!

We finalized our plans for tomorrow and it sounds like most of the hard work has already been done so Liz and I are free to run a race in the morning. We looked up some races in the area and settled on the "Deerfield Township and Lifetime Fitness 10K on Turkey Day and 5K Run/Walk".

It sounds like the race is only about 30 minutes from Ben and Maja's house, the entry fee is relatively cheap, and it sounds like a good-sized race without being overwhelming. The race starts at 8am so we don't have to be up too early either which is nice since it's been a long day.

Our goal is to set new personal bests as part of the Two Gomers' challenge. I'm not sure how realistic that is for either of us, but we'll try.

My PR in the 5K is 17:42. That's an average pace of about 5:42 per mile. I ran that in my senior year of college and I've always wondered how accurate that PR is. I was actually in the lead early in that race and was directed down the wrong street. I figured it out pretty quickly and a volunteer waved me down to get me back on course but the majority of the runners had passed me by then. I was frustrated and took off in a sprint to get back to the front and then just kept going. I finished in first place and couldn't believe my time. So, either the wrong turn was enough to make me panic and I ran incredibly fast to set a personal best that day because of it... or the course wasn't measured well and a 17:42 after a wrong turn is unrealistic. I'll never know. I haven't run a 5K in less than 18 minutes since then. I know I can run 3 miles under 5:42 each because I've done it in workouts lately... but I took a break after each mile! We'll see if I can run them back-to-back tomorrow morning.

Liz's PR might be asking a lot too. She set a new PR in both of her last two 5K's. She ran a PR in the Harvest Moon 5K in Eureka on October 22nd, and then she turned around and beat that time in the Race To The Finish Line in New York on November 5th. Before setting those personal bests, she was hoping to run a sub-30 minute 5K and set a new PR tomorrow morning. Her current PR is 31:18. That's an average of 10:06 per mile. Setting a PR three races in a row would be ridiculous enough, but to knock another 1:18 off of her time is probably unrealistic. I think she's satisfied with her two recent PR's and will be able to walk away happy with any time tomorrow as long as it's a solid effort.

So, off to bed. In the morning, we'll race a 5K and then we can gorge ourselves on Turkey and trimmings for the rest of the day!

Wednesday
Goal For The Day: Pick a race.
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 599.50 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

A Week Of Preparation

2011-11-20T20:42:00.095-06:00

Well, for settling down after the marathon, I did a decent job of staying active this week in an attempt to set a PR on Thanksgiving. I've been busy with work and teaching at Jeffco (the semester is wrapping up) and I didn't have a ton to say about this week's workouts so I decided to just do a week in review instead of daily updates.

I'm still trying to figure out my format for this blog as I move past New York. It was a daily (or almost-daily) motivational tool for myself while I was training for the marathon. I know I won't write every day now but I haven't decided if I'll still update with each workout or if I'll do weekly summaries. Decisions, decisions.

So, here's my week of workouts:

Monday was a day off. No running of any kind.

Tuesday involved a trip to the gym with Liz. I did a little lifting and ran a mile on the indoor track while I waited for her to meet me after work. 9.5 laps around the crooked little track is a mile so I don't run on it very often. I didn't even time myself today... how's that for off-season running?

Liz and I swam 3x300 meters and I could tell it's been a while since I've been in the water.

Tuesday
Goal For The Day: Swim.
Distance: 900 meters. (3 x 300m).
Location: Fenton Rec Center Indoor Pool.

Notes: A token mile on the indoor track and a 900m swim. I don't think today's workout does much for chasing a PR, but it sure felt good!

Wednesday involved a last-minute decision to squeeze in some time at the track. I got home from teaching class early enough that I decided to go for some speed work. Unfortunately, by the time I got home, changed, grabbed my gear, and was ready to go, I was already short on time if I wanted to go to our weekly dinner with friends. I decided to skip the jog to and from the track and just drove to save time.

I planned to run 3 Mile repeats but stopped after only 2. It was much colder than I planned with the sun going down and I couldn't read my stopwatch in the dark so my cold fingers and my inability to check my pace during each mile made it easy to skip the last interval. Plus, it was time for dinner!

Wednesday
Goal For The Day: Speedwork.
Distance: 2.00 Miles.
Time: 2 x 1Mile (5:38, 5:40).
Route: Eureka H.S. Track.
Conditions: 41 degrees/windy. 4:45PM.

Notes: My goal was to run each mile interval between 5:30 and 5:45. I could only really see the stopwatch at the start and finish of each mile so I was happy that both intervals were so close to each other. I should have worn gloves!

Thursday was a day off. No workouts.

Friday I was a good, dedicated runner and got up early to go to the track and run some Bannister Repeats. What a sad way to spend a Friday morning!

I jogged to the track, peeled off a layer of clothes, and ran 6x400m. I found out that intervals in the cold involve just as much discomfort as intervals in the heat. Over the summer, I was obviously uncomfortable while running each 400 but at least the breeze would cool me off. When I stopped between intervals, I got to rest but I was immediately drenched in sweat. Now that it's cold outside, I'm still uncomfortable running each interval and it's now more of a 'wind-chill' than a breeze. Then I would try to stay warm while I wasn't moving between intervals. No wonder track is a spring sport!

The up side was that I was still surprised by how easily the speed came. My goal was the usual 1:15 for each interval and I found I could hit that pace without killing myself. I'm still shocked there hasn't been more of a drop-off after the marathon.

Friday
Goal For The Day: Speedwork.
Distance: 5.73 Miles.
Time: 6 x 400m. (1:14, 1:14, 1:13, 1:14, 1:14, 1:14).
Route: Eureka H.S. Track.
Conditions: 40 degrees. 7:02AM.

Notes: 2.15 Mile jog to the track. 6x400m. 2.08 Mile jog home. Goal was 1:15 each. Felt good and was much more comfortable running intervals in the cold with proper clothing.

Saturday was yet another day of rest.

Sunday was my last workout of the week and probably my last workout before the Thanksgiving 5K.

The forecast called for rain pretty much all morning but I was determined to get one more workout in today. When there was a break in the weather, I got dressed in a hurry and started a jog to the track. I wanted to do 3 Mile repeats and then jog home before it started raining again.

I didn't even make it to the track before a light rain started.

I was bundled up for the cold so the light drizzle didn't bother me and the first mile felt really good. The rain picked up just a little for the start of the second mile and every lap seemed to bring more rain. I was walking a lap around the track between intervals and when I got to the far side of the track after the second mile, I thought I heard someone say my name. I looked over and Liz was standing at the gate under an umbrella. She was going to the store and stopped to see if I wanted a ride home. She knew the rain was picking up and thought I might have bitten off more than I cared to chew today. By then, I only had one interval left and I was already wet so I told her I was fine but it was super-sweet of her to think of me!

I ran the last interval in full-on rain and even though it was cold, I think I got my usual boost from running in the rain because I was really happy with my times.

As soon as I started the jog home, my shoes seemed to reach their rain-resistant limit. They didn't bother me at all during the workout but the two-mile jog home involved some very squishy shoes.

Sunday
Goal For The Day: Speedwork.
Distance: 7.19 Miles.
Time: 3 x 1 Mile. (5:33, 5:36, 5:37).
Route: Eureka H.S. Track.
Conditions: 37 degrees/Rainy. 11:18AM.

Notes: 2.10 Mile jog to the track. 3x1Mile. 2.09 Mile jog home. Goal was 5:30-5:45 each. I'm happy with the times. If only I could run those back-to-back without a break! Then I'd have my new PR! A hot shower at home felt great!!!

Weekly Miles:
Run - 15.92 Miles.
Swim - 900 meters.
Blog Totals:
Run - 599.50 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 14,350+ meters.

Next On My Plate: Turkey

2011-11-13T20:33:00.036-06:00

Since I don't have my next big pursuit lined up, I'm focusing on short-term goals. Next up is a challenge from the Two Gomers Run For Their Lives podcast.
Two Gomers Website

The Gomers and I are in similar positions... we don't have any major races on the calendar. Anthony recently became a father and is adjusting to what he and Steven call "The New Normal" so they're doing things a little differently this season. They're starting this season with two challenges to the Gomer Nation:

Challenge #1 - The 10x12 Challenge
The Gomers changed the title of their podcast to better fit their current goal of overall healthier living. Part of that goal is maintaining a healthy weight. Both guys decided they would like to lose 10lbs. by New Year's Day. They're updating the Nation on their progress and inviting people to lose as much healthy weight as they can by 2012. I'm not interested in losing any weight at the moment because I'm fresh off of training for a marathon so I'm sitting this challenge out.

Challenge #2 - A Turkey Trot PR
The Gomers are busy with life's many demands on their time so their setting their sights on a short-distance race. They've been focusing on speed and shorter workouts and hope to set a PR for the 5K distance on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone in the Nation is encouraged to find a local 5K on Thanksgiving and try to run a personal best time. I set my personal best in college and haven't been able to match it since then, but Liz and I both plan to find a 5K to run while we're in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving. We'll do our best to set PR's and report back to the Gomers with our results.

So, for the next two weeks, I'll put in a few speedwork sessions and hope that I can shake off any sluggish post-marathon legs I have going on.

Today was a good start. My intention was to get in an easy middle-distance run to continue loosening my legs up. I ran the Kircher Park Loop and the first mile ticked past faster than I expected. I surprised myself with a 6:49 and felt great so I picked up a little speed on the downhill on Central and really let myself go on the mile leading into the park. I turned for home feeling great and was practically giddy with how quickly the speed came when I wanted it. I really expected more of a drop-off during the few weeks after the marathon. About 4 miles into the run I decided I shouldn't overdo it and eased off the pace a bit but I still finished much faster than I expected.

It's days like this that make me want to go right into another marathon and see what I can do.

Sunday
Goal For The Day: Easy Run.
Distance: 6.03 Miles.
Time: 40:44. 6:46 Avg. (6:49, 6:29, 6:16, 6:41, 7:05, 7:09, 0:13*).
Route: Kircher Park Loop.
Conditions: 78 degrees. 2:54PM.

Notes: Planned an easy run but the speed felt too good. This is November, right? I shouldn't be shirtless and getting a tan on a run in November!

Daily Miles: 6.03 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 583.58 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Looking Back And Looking Ahead

2011-11-12T20:06:00.049-06:00

I started this blog on Wednesday, June 15th, 2011. Here is my first post:

Runners to your marks...

Goal For The Day: Start a Blog.

Another blog.

If history is any indication, I'll stick with posting for a few days and then forget about it for months. But I think that's the point of this blog... to break old habits.

Since 2001, I've run 16 marathons in 7 different states. For years, I've been trying to qualify for Boston. At this point, running the Boston Marathon doesn't even mean as much to me as reaching that magic 3:10 mark. I've come close a couple of times (3:15 in Cincinnatti 2010), but haven't been able to break that barrier. At times, I felt I was in shape to qualify but race-day circumstances made for a tough day. Other times, I've started my training with enthusiasm only to slack off in later months and show up to race day less than prepared for a 3:10 attempt.

Besides qualifying for Boston, one of my goals is to run a marathon in each of the 50 states. So far, I've crossed off Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, California, Florida, and most recently Minnesota. I decided that I would like to run the New York Marathon and I'd heard how difficult it can be to get in. I knew that if you entered the lottery three years in a row without getting chosen, you're automatically allowed entry on the fourth year. So, this spring, I decided I should start entering the lottery so I can run New York in a few years. As luck would have it, I was chosen on my first try! In November, I'll be running the New York Marathon!!!
Several of my more recent marathons have been in uncomfortably warm weather. I have a hard time running in the heat and I can feel myself falling apart in the later miles of the marathon when the temperature is in the 80's. I'm assuming that the weather in New York will be cool in November (if not downright cold!) so I decided this is as good of an opportunity as any to really make a push for 3:10.

My hope is that writing in this blog will help me stay motivated four months from now when I'm putting in the serious mileage and having trouble getting out of bed in the morning to run. I plan to log my daily workouts and any thoughts or epiphanies I have during my training. Ideally, I'll cross the finish line in November and be able to look back at this blog as a record of how I finally broke the 3:10 barrier.

Today is the first time I've read that post since not long after I wrote it. I've posted over 130 times since then. Looking back over the past five months and reading my own thoughts from when I started my journey to New York, I don't think things could have turned out much better.

I talked about breaking old habits and sticking to a routine... check!

I talked about adding another state to my list of marathon locations... New York... check!

I talked about breaking the 3:10 barrier I've been chasing for years... check!

This is the first marathon that I can honestly say I've been completely satisfied with my performance. I've run other marathons that I could say I was happy with my times and I'm always happy just to finish. But I ran the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon last September and finished thinking I had run my best that day and wondered if I would ever have that feeling after a full marathon. I have that feeling after New York. I might have been able to squeeze another minute or so from the clock, but there wasn't much left out on the course. From start to finish, I feel like I ran a hard, smart race and I'm confident I didn't have more in me. That doesn't mean I won't go faster some day... I just couldn't that day!

I wrote about my time in New York in detail and I don't think that there's much left to say. I accomplished what I went there to accomplish. The experience far exceeded my expectations. I received an incredible amount of support from so many people, I can't begin to express my gratitude. I took on a new challenge and had an adventure I'll never forget.

So what's next?

Well, for starters, I went for my first post-marathon run today. I just wanted to get out, stretch my legs, and get back on the horse. I took almost a week off to just relaxed and today I took an easy run around Eureka.

My plan is to back off of the strict schedule for a while... probably through the end of the year... and just run when I feel the urge. I'm in that in-between time that has become strange to me... when I finish one adventure and haven't figured out what my next challenge will be. I have some ideas, but I haven't settled on anything yet.

I do have a couple of short-term goals to hold me over. One is a 5K on Thanksgiving Day. I'll talk a little more about that tomorrow. I'm also considering running the St. Louis Track Club's Frostbite Series. Without a specific event coming up, I know I'll slack off during the winter so the Frostbite Series will give me a reason to keep moving. Plus, it's always fun to race a series and I haven't run one in a few years. I'm looking forward to some short, fast races!

So, for now, I'm basking in the afterglow of New York but my mind is already tossing around some ideas for future adventures!

Saturday
Goal For The Day: Easy Run.
Distance: 3.93 Miles.
Time: 28:41. 7:18 Avg. (7:04, 7:14, 7:26, 6:55*)
Route: Old Town Eureka Loop.
Conditions: 60 degrees. 3:29PM.

Notes: First run back following the marathon. Felt good to get out there again. Crazy how warm it is for November.

Daily Miles: 3.93 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 577.55 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Interviewed For The Two Gomers' Podcast!

2011-11-08T23:26:00.000-06:00

"Two Gomers Run For Their Lives" is easily my favorite running-related podcast and quite possibly my favorite podcast overall. So when I got a message from Gomer #1 (Anthony) yesterday asking if he could interview me for the podcast, I was very excited and a little nervous.

Anthony said they had about 20 minutes to fill in their upcoming episode and asked if we could talk about my experience in New York. We made arrangements to talk on Skype tonight.

Unfortunately, Gomer #2 (Steven) was out of town, so it would just be me and Anthony. I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be a very interesting interviewee to begin with and I was hoping Anthony and Steven would make up for anything I was lacking with their witty banter. Knowing I might make for a boring segment on the podcast made me nervous.

Once Anthony and I started talking, my nerves settled down and the more we talked, the more I relaxed. One of the great surprises from meeting the Gomers in Minneapolis in June was that we all got along so well, it was like we became instant friends. Talking to Anthony felt like chatting with an old friend and he lived in New York for a while so he was excited to talk about the marathon and the city. We got a little carried away and our planned 20 minutes turned into over an hour. We kept wrapping up only to think of something else we wanted to talk about.

Here's the link for the interview:
The Two Gomers Interview

I had a blast talking to Anthony and he assures me he can edit the interview down to fit the needs of the podcast. It was fun to get a little behind-the-scenes view of the Gomers' podcast and it was great talking to Anthony again. As an added bonus, Anthony's wife, Erin came home just as we were wrapping up and Liz and I got to say hello to their new little girl. Lily is super cute and Anthony is so excited about being a dad!

It was also fun reliving the trip to New York but I think I'm ready for a short break while I figure out my next big adventure.

Tuesday
Goal For The Day: Rest.
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: I'm still walking a little funny but I'm already recovering well. I would normally go for a jog tomorrow but I think I'll take the next few days off.

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 573.62 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Marathon Weekend - Day 5 - Monday

2011-11-07T23:47:00.001-06:00

I assume my alarm went off at 5am as scheduled but I sure didn't wake up for it. I woke up closer to 6:00 and Rick was already up and waiting for our trip to the Today Show. He had been doing some research of his own and found out that you don't actually have to be there that early unless there's a famous guest appearing on the show.

Since we had more time than we thought and were leaving the condo later than planned, Liz decided to join us and we started our walk to Rockefeller Plaza a little after 6:30.

When we got to the taping area, I was surprised by how small the fenced off section of the plaza is. I guess because they usually only show small chunks of the area at a time on tv, I imagined it being bigger. The security guards almost didn't let us in with our "Road Runner" sign but we were eventually allowed to pass. I don't know if they were worried about the plastic sign or the stick.

(Outside the Today Show studios.)

We settled on a spot at the corner of the fencing that allowed us to get close to the barrier and we could still see Ann and Al in the studio through the windows to our right.

(Everyone wanted to be on t.v.)

(Liz waiting outside the Today Show.)

It was a pretty cold morning but our plan was to hang out a while and see if we could get our Team Gomer shirt on t.v. We Love the Two Gomers podcast and one of the Gomers, Anthony, has talked about recording the Today Show every day. We thought the Gomers would get a kick out of seeing their name on national television.

(Waiting like good Gomer fans.)

We waited patiently while the show went through it's first hour but they kept setting up the cameras in other parts of the plaza. Rick walked around for a while and waited with us but he eventually made his way back to the warm condo while we stayed just a little longer.

Unfortunately, this is the week that Matt Lauer is travelling for 'Where in the World is Matt Lauer' so we weren't able to meet him today. The crew passed out little foam-core Matt Lauer's on sticks for the crowd to hold. Liz got one so we were able to take Little Matt home with us.

Eventually, Ann and Al came out on the plaza for a segment. Of course, the crowd went crazy when they came outside.

(Ann and Al live on the plaza.)

(Al working the crowd.)

(Some fellow Cardinals fans at the Today Show!)

During the commercial break, Al Roker walked around saying hello to people in the crowd and Liz got to shake his hand when she met him!

(Liz met Al Roker!)

(For the Gomers!)

After the next segment, Ann Curry made the rounds. She was super nice and took time to chat with people. We both got to shake her hand and when she saw my marathon medal, she congratulated me on the race. She also commented on how cold my hand was and thanked us for standing out in the cold to see the show.

(Liz met Ann Curry!)

(It only looks like her mouth was stuck like that...
she was fine.)

We still hadn't been on t.v. so we decided to stay just a little longer and then we were going to go warm up. At the same time, the people in front of us left and we were able to get right up to the fence. If we were going to get our Gomers shirt on t.v., we were in the right place to do it.

(Front row!)

Al, Ann, and Natalie Morales came out to tape another segment and not long after that, we had our chance. When the show went to a commercial break, the camera man walked right along the fence toward us and right by us! We were only on for a second, but we accomplished our mission! I immediately sent Anthony a text telling him to watch the Today show and what segment to look for.

A couple of friends sent me texts within the hour saying they saw me on the Today Show! The problem was, people only mentioned seeing me. No one mentioned Liz. We started to think we had waited out in the cold that whole time and then, at the moment of truth, I held the Gomers' shirt in front of Liz's face and she didn't make it on t.v.

Luckily, Anthony (Gomer 1) sent out a request to the Gomer Nation asking people to take a picture of the Gomer shirt on the Today Show. A fan in Hawaii snapped a photo of the shirt and it proved that half of Liz's face made it on t.v. and I didn't completely cover her up!

(Weeee did it!)

By the time we were finished becoming famous at the Today Show, Mom and Rick were ready to do some final sight-seeing and came to meet us at Rockefeller Plaza. We had a hot drink at the Starbucks on the lower level near the skating rink and made plans to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

We walked through the lower level of Rockefeller Plaza and got on the subway yet again to get to Brooklyn.

(A significant amount of the weekend was spent underground.)

The Brookly Bridge is amazing and offers a great view of Manhattan as you walk back onto the island. They were doing some work on part of the bridge but there was a lane for pedestrians and a lane for bikes. We merged into the flow of people walking the bridge and enjoyed the view.

(Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.)

(On the Brooklyn Bridge with the Statue of Liberty in the background.)

The Brooklyn Bridge was awesome and our trip was winding down but we had a little time left before we had to leave for the airport so we made one more stop before returning to the condo. Our last stop in the city was FAO Schwarz!

The store didn't look that big when we walked into the lobby but it just kep going. I Love toys! We had a lot of fun looking around and Liz even caved to my peer pressure and put on a Captain America mask.

(Liz doesn't make a very good Captain America.)

There were a lot of cool toys but the Lego sculptures were easily my favorite!

(Hmm... Which is better?)

I didn't realize they actually had a giant piano like in 'Big'!!! It took a lot of will power to resist the urge to ditch my shoes and dance on it.

(Chopsticks, anyone?)

There was a deli across the street from FAO Schwarz so we stopped for a quick lunch and then walked back to the condo to load up our luggage and head to the airport. On the walk home, we passed a building with two fountains that looked like dandelions. Very cool!

After five days of incredible big-city adventures, it was time to go home. A cab picked us up at the condo and took us back to the airport. Our cabbie thought he was in the middle of some kind of race and might have been playing a game to see how close he could get to every car he saw. I was so tired from the long week, I dozed off a couple of times but Mom rode the whole way in white-knuckled fear.

Our flight was delayed an hour so we settled in at the gate and waited for the plane to arrive. When it was time to board, they congratulated all of the marathon finishers over the loud speaker.

I preferred flying into the city with a daytime view, but it was cool to leave with a view of the city at night.

A short flight later, we were setting foot back on St. Louis soil. Rick went to get the car while Mom, Liz, Matt Lauer, and I grabbed our luggage.

The ING New York City Marathon weekend is over. I don't think we could have packed more fun into 5 days and I can't imagine a more incredible marathon weekend. That being said... it's good to be home!!!

Monday

Goal For The Day: Tour New York and Go Home.

Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: Four words: New York was awesome!!!

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.

Blog Totals:

Run: 573.62 Miles.

Bike: 144.45 Miles.

Swim: 13,450+ meters.

Marathon Weekend - Day 4 - Sunday

2011-11-06T23:00:00.001-06:00

After the marathon, I took my time walking back to the condo. The marathon course ran along the south side of Central Park from Mile 25 to Mile 26 so getting back to the condo took a while because of street closures and the amount of people walking where I needed to be.

I told Liz, Mom, and Rick that I would just meet them at the condo after the race so they didn't have to worry about finding me in the mob of finishers. Plus, Mom and Liz were thinking about going to Times Square to see about buying same-day tickets to a show on Broadway.

I found out later that Liz stuck with our plan and went back to the condo but Mom and Rick decided to try finding me by the UPS trucks. I didn't see them though and they realized they weren't likely to find me when they saw how crazy it was down there. I got back to the condo and Liz was waiting to give me a hug and congratulations. I think she was curious to see how I felt about qualifying for Boston but not being able to actually run it. I reassured her that I was still happy with my finish and I don't think I left anything out on the course. I didn't have another 5 minutes in me today.

Liz pointed out that we could see the marathon from the condo and when I looked down to see people struggling through the last mile of the race, it felt good to know I was done for the day.

(Our view of the marathon from the condo.)

(Liz was impressed with the condo.)

I took a nice, long, hot shower and it felt good to put on some clean clothes. Mom and Rick got back to the condo while I was getting cleaned up and we all talked about the race, what it was like to run it, and what it was like for them to watch it.

I wasn't sure how I would feel after the marathon so our original plan was for me to rest and maybe take a nap while Mom and Liz checked out show tickets. But I was feeling pretty good and I've learned that I recover faster if I do a lot of walking after a marathon so I told them I would just go with them. Our plan was to buy tickets to an evening show and then see how much time we had to do some more sight-seeing.

When we went to the subway station to go to Times Square, there was a guy dressed like a stereotypical pimp sitting on a bench and I just had to take his picture. I tried to be subtle but unfortunately, he took off the sweet pimp hat before I could get my camera out. He also looked away so he might have been on to me. Either way, I felt like it was a great 'New York' experience. I think I forgot to mention it before, but on Saturday, we also saw a huge rat in a subway station... very New York... and we saw an all-black squirrel in Washington Square Park. I don't think I've ever seen a black squirrel before.

(It's hard out here for a pimp.)

We went to the TKTS booth in Times Square to buy same-day show tickets. There was a board with show times and some guys were there to tell us about each show and help us pick the kind of show we were looking for. We wanted something none of us had seen but that we would all enjoy and that wasn't easy to find.

Eventually, one of the guys told us about a show called Traces and described it as "A more intimate Cirque du Soleil". That sounded good to everyone (or at least, didn't sound bad to Rick), and it turned out to be relatively inexpensive so it was the show we decided to see.

Mom was disappointed to find out that Traces was an off-Broadway show but she and Liz had already waited in line and the group had already decided so she just went with it.

(Mom and Liz buying tickets to 'Traces'.)

(Times Square near the TKTS booth.)

Once we had our tickets in hand, we went back north toward the condo to see Rockefeller Plaza. On the way to the Plaza, we cut through the 'NBC Experience' store. You could buy souvenirs for pretty much any show that NBC airs. This store reminded me how much I Love television!

(On our way to Rockefeller Plaza.)

(Our first encounter with Matt Lauer in

the The NBC Experience store.)

When we came out of the store, we were in Rockefeller Plaza and it was beautiful! We were standing right next to 30 Rockefeller Plaza (30 Rock) and looking out across the plaza and skating rink. The trees were filled with lights and the skating rink is surrounded by flags blowing in the wind.

(30 Rock)

(Rockefeller Plaza)

The Plaza is very cool and it was fun to be in a place I've seen on t.v. so many times.

After Rockefeller Plaza, we took the scenic route back to the condo. There were several street vendors with tables set up selling posters and art along the way. Mom and Rick bargained for a three-dimensional piece of art depicting Times Square. They talked the guy down from $30 to $20. Two blocks later, I talked a guy into selling me the same thing (only depicting the New York skyline) for only $15.

On the way back, we saw St. Patrick's Cathedral and stopped to look inside just before they closed the doors for a service.

(St. Patrick's Cathedral.)

(Liz posing next to the 'St. Elizabeth'

section of the door.)

The Cathedral reminded me of College Church at SLU but it was cavernous.

(Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral.)

(Across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral.)

We made one last stop on the way back to the condo. I never pass up an opportunity to visit Niketown! Niketown was like a big party celebrating the marathon. There was a DJ playing music so loud Liz and I could hardly hear each other. Liz found the running gloves she had been looking for and I was told I could get my medal engraved for free. They announced my name, my time, and that I set a new PR over the sound system and we walked all four floors of the store drooling over all the gear.

After Niketown, we went back to the condo to change for our night out off-Broadway. We took a short subway ride down to Union Square and found the theatre for Traces.

There was chalk in the lobby of the theatre and people could write all over the walls. Apparently, Sarah wanted to tell me hello.

The theatre was pretty small and we were in the second row. No one sat in front of us so we had a great view of all the action. Traces was amazing! It was like urban acrobatics and gymnastics. It was a lot like a scaled-down Cirque du Soleil. The intimate setting of the theatre made the show even more impressive and the performers weren't just talented athletes, they were also incredible entertainers. At one point, each of the performers said a little about themselves and the only woman in the cast described herself as "flirtatious". A few minutes later, she came into the audience and sat in my lap to flirt with me to demonstrate her "flirtatious" personality. Later in the show, a few of the cast members were standing off to our side of the stage while the others were in the spotlight. A couple of the guys saw my marathon medal and started asking me about the race. On the other side of the stage, the show was still going on, but by us, the guys were asking about my time and congratulating me on the race. The tricks and stunts in the show were memorable enough but interacting with the cast during the show made the experience unforgettable. I would definitely go to see Traces again if it came to town.

After the show, we went back to see Times Square one more time and to get dinner. We went to the Irish Pub we saw our first night in town. The restaurant staff had us in and out of the pub pretty fast but the food was great. It's official... I Love shepherd's pie!

(Mmm... Shepherd's Pie!)

It was our last night in town and we were all spent. It had been an early morning and a busy day. My legs started to tighten up while we sat through Traces and I was walking more and more stiffly as the night went on. By the time we got back to the condo, we were all ready for some sleep but Liz and I packed so we wouldn't have to spent time getting things together during our short day tomorrow.

I was still going back and forth about whether I wanted to wake up early to stand outside the Today Show. Everything I read online said I would need to be there around 6am if I wanted to have a chance of getting on t.v. I brought my 'Team Gomer' t-shirt hoping to get it on the air because I know Gomer #1 (Anthony) records the show every day and I thought he would get a kick out of the Gomers making it on the Today Show.

In the end, I decided I would get up at 5am and try to leave the apartment between 5:30 and 6:00 to walk over to the show. Rick said he wanted to see the show too so we planned to walk over in the morning. Liz and Mom opted for sleep and decided they would meet up with us later. Then we would see what we had time to squeeze into the rest of the day before we had to go to the airport.

One more day and then the adventure ends.

Sunday

Goal For The Day: Ran the Marathon. Tour New York and Walk It Off.

Distance: 26.2 Miles.

Notes: This morning's race seems like a long time ago already. I always wear my race medal for the rest of Race Day but I think I'll wear it again tomorrow. I just want to enjoy it a little longer. I'm definitely wearing it to the Today Show!

Daily Miles: 26.2 Miles.

Blog Totals:

Run - 573.62 Miles.

Bike - 144.45 Miles.

Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Race Report: ING New York City Marathon!!!

2011-11-06T14:00:00.001-06:00

My alarm was set for 5:00am. My eyes snapped open at 4:57. Race Day.

I went through my marathon-morning routine... I shaved off my two-day stubble... I took a hot shower to help me wake up and relax... and I had a big bowl of Lucky Charms and a glass of milk.

I took my time getting ready and double-and-triple-checked my gear to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything. I tried to run through the morning in my head to think of everything I would need.

I was dressed for the race and wore cheap sweatpants and a jacket that I planned to ditch at the starting line. My bib number was pinned on my shirt and my name was written in electrical tape. I was wearing my Garmin GPS watch, my RoadID, sunglasses, and my water bottle filled with orange flavored G1 Prime. I had chapstick, a piece of gum, and a bottle of water for later. I had my gear-check bag with a spare shirt and a sweatshirt for after the race. I wasn't sure how cold it was so I brought a hat and gloves along too.

Liz wished me luck and I left the condo right around 6:00 and walked down to the Hilton. Yesterday, I was told to board the VIP bus by 6:30 for the ride to the starting line. When I got to the Hilton this morning, there were about 20 buses parked around the hotel. I spent 15 minutes jogging around and running in and out of the hotel trying to find someone that could point out the VIP bus. No one knew what I was talking about. Finally, I was told I should probably get on one of the ING Group buses so I randomly climbed aboard an ING bus about 5 minutes before we left. Luckily, I was in the right place.

The bus ride to Staten Island took a while even though we had a police escort and were allowed to run red lights. The slowest part of the trip was when we got to the island and ran into other race traffic. I passed the time chatting with the lady sitting next to me. She has lived in New York for the past 11 years and showed me some points of interest as we drove through the city.

(ING VIP Bus.)

(On the bus ride to the starting line.)

A lady at the front of the bus explained that she would be leading us to the ING tent once we parked so we should just follow her when we got to the starting area. When the bus stopped, she got off and just started walking, not waiting for everyone else on the bus. Luckily, I was sitting near the front of the bus and I'm tall enough to see over the crowd so I was able to catch up to her but I think most of the passengers were left to find their own way.

The starting area was bigger and more confusing than I expected so I was glad I had someone to follow. Even our guide needed a little help finding her way, but after about a half-mile walk we were finally at the ING tent.

The tent was tucked away by itself and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that we would be running across was hovering nearby.

(The ING VIP tent.)

There was a line to get into the tent that seemed to be moving really slowly. I did another mental check of my pre-race plan while I waited in line. I turned on my GPS watch to check the time and it said it was 7:20. I figured I had plenty of time to wait in line to get into the heated tent and snag some food, check my gear bag, and go to the bathroom. It was warmer than I thought it would be so I didn't need my hat or gloves. In fact, when I was in the sun, I was a little warm in my sweats and jacket but it was still chilly enough in the shade that I didn't want to shed any layers yet.

(The line to get into the VIP tent.)

I was almost into the tent when I overheard someone else talking about the time. I forgot that my watch was still set to Central Time and was an hour behind. It was actually 8:30, not 7:30. I had just over an hour until my wave started and I wasn't even in the tent yet. That was also when I was told the line we were in was for the food. We could go into the tent anytime we wanted as long as we didn't want any of the snacks that were provided.

(I was almost in the tent when I realized I was short on time.)

I decided I should skip the food line and make sure I took care of all of my other business while I still had time. I walked through to the back of the tent so I could check my gear bag. The tent was packed with people, it was really warm, and there was a DJ playing music. There were some small tables for people to stand around but the tent seemed especially crowded because most people were sitting on the ground so they could rest their legs.

(Inside the VIP tent.)

At the back of the tent, there was a UPS truck parked for us to put our gear bags in. All race participants could check a gear bag that UPS would take to the finish line. That way, after the race, runners could put on dry, warm clothes.

The VIP tent had it's own special UPS truck with flames painted on the sides. We were told it would be the first truck in line at the finish line and the flames would make it easy to spot. The idea was that we would be able to get our gear faster without waiting in a long line.

(Sweet ride!)

I dropped off my gear bag and went back into the tent to wait for my wave to be called to the starting corral. When I went back in, there was still a line for the food but everyone was stopping at the first couple of tables where there were more significant snacks. No one was near the later tables with the lighter snacks so I was a jerk and just walked up and took a banana and a plain bagel. Then I took a seat on the ground and nibbled on my bagel.

I literally sat down... unzipped my jacket... took two bites of my bagel... and then the DJ announced it was time for runners in wave 1 to start walking over to the corrals. I zipped my jacket back up, gathered my things, made a quick stop at the porta-potties (no lines!), and then walked to the starting village to find my corral.

Did I mention the starting area was a little confusing? There were signs and maps everywhere pointing runners in every direction based on the color of your bib (blue, orange, or green). While I was navigating the starting area, they announced over the loudspeakers that the Wave 1 corrals were now open and would close at 8:50am. I had to find the blue corrals in a hurry.

I got to the blue corrals with 5 minutes to spare but even the blue corrals were divided by bib number. It was crowded around the corrals and I was at the far end from where I needed to be. I jogged through the crowd and made it into my corral just a couple of minutes before it was closed. Then I walked to the front of the corral (where we were separated from the next corral by a rope hanging across the road) and found a place to stretch and have a seat. It was 8:50 and the race didn't start until 9:40.

I finished my bagel and sipped some water while I waited and contemplated taking a quick nap sitting in the road while everyone in the starting corral waited nervously. I had just rested my head on my knees when there was a commotion and I looked up to see that we were all moving out of the corral (just like cattle) and over to the actual starting area.

We walked in a mob for about a quarter-mile to the toll booth area of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Now I was standing in the middle of a huge crowd of runners and we were back in the sun so I was getting warm. I went ahead and ditched my sweatpants but kept my jacket on a little longer. I ate my banana and felt confident that I was properly fueled for the race. Then it was more waiting. I listened to people around me talking about competing in Ironman triathlons, about sneaking into Wave 1 even though this was their first marathon and they planned to run much slower than the Wave 1 pace, and about how nervous everyone was. The best was when the lady next to me decided she had to pee and had her friend 'shield' her from view while she squatted and peed in the parking lot. I also felt like I might need to pee but convinced myself it was just a case of the 'nervous pees' and I didn't really have to go.

(Waiting by the toll booths to walk over to the starting line.)

Finally, the mass of people started walking forward and we turned a corner toward the starting line. There were tour buses lined up along side us with people on top cheering as we walked by. The runners started tossing their extra clothes off to the side and everyone on the buses started waving for the clothes like they wanted beads on Mardi Gras. I was warm and we were close enough to the start of the race so I took off my jacket and tossed it to one of the buses.

We were finally lined up at the starting line and ready for the race. I had been awake for 4 1/2 hours and I felt like I hadn't really stopped moving all morning. Now I had to shift my focus to spending the next 3+ hours on a single task. I could feel the excitement building in the crowd of runners around me and I was trying my best to stay calm.

(At the starting line.)

(Waiting with only minutes to go before the start.)

There were some short speeches from the race coordinator and the mayor and then we were ready to begin. I gave myself a final pre-race speech: I wanted to go out slow and relaxed but keep close to a 7 minute pace. The first mile on the bridge is all uphill so I didn't want to kill myself working too hard that early. I even had a strange conversation with my internal clock. I decided if that little timer in my head could wake me up exactly 3 minutes before my alarm, it could work it's magic on my pace during the marathon. I told my internal clock, "Do whatever you need to do to get me to that finish line on time. If you have to keep me slow and steady early, great. If you need to drop my pace to 6:40 and then let me fade at the end, fine. But get me there on time." I said a quick prayer that everyone would have a safe race and have fun and then focused on controlling the inevitable adrenaline rush that comes when the race starts.

There was a countdown to the start and then they fired a cannon to start the race and we were off! Gary Russo (the 2nd Avenue Sinatra) sang New York, New York to see us off. I had that familiar welling-up of tears in my eyes and a strange flood of emotion. I don't know what it is about the start and finish of a marathon but I often get an urge to laugh and cry at the same time. Maybe it's the months of training culminating in this one event, but it comes out of nowhere and can be a little overwhelming.

Even though I was about as close to the front as you can get, we all had to walk for about a quarter-mile before we could break into a jog. Then we got further onto the bridge and the course doubled in width and we were free to run.

(Starting up the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.)

Running across the bridge was awesome. It was probably my favorite part of the entire race. The view was incredible. The city was stretched out ahead of us and the sun was shining on the water. Just like running through the streets, there was more room on the sides of the bridge so I ran along the railing for most of the two-mile span. At one point, I looked to my right and a Coast Guard helicopter was hovering right beside me. It was awesome!

Occasionally, I had to weave in and out of the crowd and dodge runners that were stopping to pee on the bridge. I remembered people telling me about the runners on the lower level of the bridge sometimes feeling a "wet breeze" because runners on the upper level stopped to pee. Gross. I also had to be careful not to trip on the clothes people were shedding on the bridge. It took a lot of focus not to run into someone or fall.

Mile 1 - Elapsed Time: 0:08:12

My GPS watch was already inaccurate. I knew it probably wasn't going to be a reliable source of distance and pacing information because skyscrapers tend to interfere with the satellite signal. I didn't think about it having trouble on the bridge. It might have something to do with figuring out if I was on the bridge or at water level. Either way, my watch was just a fancy stopwatch for the rest of the race.

When I reached the 1 Mile marker on the bridge, I was 8 minutes and 12 seconds into the race. Walking at the beginning, relaxing on the uphill, and weaving in and out of the crowd meant running my first mile much slower than I would like. I was reaching the peak of the bridge and I had to control the urge to make up all of the lost time on the downhill side. I didn't want the first mile to ruin my average time but I also didn't want to run the second mile so fast that I was wasted later in the race. I also made a mental note that my personal time was about a minute-and-a-half off from the race clock. That way, I could track my time by the race clock too.

I started down the hill and decided to go with whatever pace felt relaxed. In my experience, a pace that feels relaxed this early in the race is actually a little too fast because of the adrenaline, but I let myself go with it on this steep downhill. I could slow back down at the bottom.

I'm not sure, but I think I approached a 6 minute pace at times on the way down the bridge and I slowed myself down a little bit once or twice. I didn't catch my time at Mile 2 so I'm not sure how much time I made up. My plan was to just "count 7's" to track my pace. Doing the math to figure out my pace each mile is not only draining, but it's almost impossible when my brain isn't working as well at the end of the race. So I wanted to keep it simple and multiply the mileage by 7. I hoped to reach Mile 3 and see how close I was to 21 minutes. That would give me an idea of how far off I was from a 7 minute pace.

I was now off of the bridge and into Brooklyn. Over the course of the marathon, I would run over 5 bridges and through 5 boroughs. I was across one bridge and into my second borough.

The runners with orange and green bibs hadn't combined with us yet so the streets still weren't horribly crowded and I was able to setttle into a comfortable pace. The crowd support was great and the streets were lined with people cheering and holding signs for the runners. It's a common thing for kids to want the runners to give them a high-five during marathons. But in New York, it seemed like everyone was begging for you to just stick your hand out and give them five as you ran by. Tons of people cheered for me by name because of my shirt and I had to keep myself in check so I didn't get carried away with the crowd.

Mile 3 - Elapsed Time: 0:21:10. Overall Average: 7:04 per mile.

When I got to Mile 3, I had mixed feelings. I was happy to see I was right on track for where I wanted to be this early in the race. But I was also a little worried about how fast that meant my last two miles must have been. If my first mile was in 8:12 and my average was now 7:04 per mile, I must have averaged around 6:30 per mile for Miles 2 and 3. I hoped I wouldn't pay for that later.

I grabbed some water at the Mile 3 water station and drank a mouthfull. There would be water and gatorade every mile for the rest of the race and my plan was to have a small drink every three miles. I also wanted to drink some of my G1 from my water bottle every 6 miles. In fact, the drink from my water bottle would become a mental reward later in the race.

It was near-perfect weather for the marathon. It was sunny with temperatures in the 40's. I was wearing a long-sleeve tech shirt under my t-shirt and wondered if I would need to shed the long-sleeve shirt later in the race. But for now, I was okay in the sun and glad to have the extra layer when we hit the shade and wind.

Runners with green bibs merged with us blue-bibs around 3 1/2 miles into the race. By then, we had spread out enough that the merge happened pretty smoothly and I didn't have to slow down at all.

The next several miles were a blur of cheering crowds and city streets. We basically ran a straight shot north for the next 5 miles. Except for the bridges, there weren't really any steep hills on the course but the hills that were there seemed to go on forever. The hills were gradual inclines but lasted anywhere from a half-mile to a mile at a time.

Mile 6 - Elapsed Time: 0:41:07. Overall Average: 6:52 per mile.

Since I was counting 7's, I wanted to be at Mile 6 at around 42 minutes. When I checked my watch at the mile marker, I was about a minute ahead of my goal time. That let me know that I had been running well under 7 minutes per mile but I didn't feel like I was going too fast, so I decided to go with it. I took a few gulps of my G1 and gave myself a little mental pat on the back: "6 Miles down... that's basically 1/4 of the way to the finish. You just have to do that three more times." I also reminded myself that I would see Liz, Mom, and Rick in just a couple of miles.

Mile 8 - Elapsed Time: 0:54:26. Overall Average: 6:49 per mile.

Liz, Mom, and Rick took the subway to Mile 8 and found a spot along the right side of the course to wait for me to run by. Liz had our trusty 'Road Runner Crossing' sign so I could spot her from a distance.

(Super Spectator!)

(Camping out near Mile 8.)

One of the more significant non-bridge hills started about a quarter-mile before Mile 8 so the thought of seeing my family was a great distraction from the extra effort. I was still running at a good clip and didn't feel like I was having to work too hard yet. I could see our trusty yellow sign from over a block away and it always makes me smile. I also got to remind myself that I was now 8 miles in so I was basically 1/3 of the way finished.

At a lot of marathons, Liz is kind enough to hold gatorade or a snack bar for me so I can pick it up when I see her. Because I wasn't going to see her after Mile 8, I made myself completely self-sufficient for this race so I was able to just wave as I ran by and I didn't have to worry about stopping. I was considering taking off my long-sleeve shirt to leave with her at Mile 8 but it was still chilly in the wind and shade so I left it on.

(Running up to Liz, Mom, and Rick at Mile 8.)

(My awesome support crew!)

It was a quick sighting, but it helped a lot to see them on the course. After that, I reminded myself that they would get an update when I crossed the timing mats at every mile marker.

The uphill that started a little before Mile 8 peaked about halfway to Mile 9 and then I got to run a very gradual downhill for the next mile-and-a-half. The course took a few turns during the next few miles which helped break up the monotony. I had a little Gatorade from the water station at Mile 9 and a few gulps from my G1 water bottle at Mile 12. I was sticking to the program and so far, so good.

13.1 Miles - Elapsed Time: 1:29:13. Overall Average: 6:49 per mile.

The halfway point was right around the Pulaski Bridge. It was a much shorter bridge and didn't pose much of a problem. Reaching the halfway point involved several mental boosts. From now on, the distance I had left would be shorter than the distance I had already run. I also crossed my second bridge into my third borough. I was now running in Queens and I still felt really good.

I was in Queens for about two miles and it passed in a blur. The course changed directions four or five times so my time in Queens seemed to fly by.

Then I hit the Queensboro Bridge.

The Queensboro Bridge was about a mile long but it seemed to go on forever. The runners had really spread out by now and there's obviously no crowd on the bridge so even though we were basically running on a stretch of the bridge about two lanes wide, it felt really lonely. We were on a lower level of the bridge so I could see the water off to my left but there was an endless concrete hill in front of me, several lanes of concrete to my right, and a concrete ceiling over my head. It was a lot of gray and the uphill on the Queensboro Bridge was the first time I started to struggle in this marathon.

I felt like I was doing a decent job of keeping my pace up but the long uphill was definitely taking its toll on my legs. I was excited when I reached the peak and was able to coast down the other side.

Mile 16 - Elapsed Time: 1:49:44. Overall Average: 6:52 per mile.

When I ran off of the Queensboro Bridge, I was right at the 16 Mile mark. I had heard all weekend about the "wall of sound" that runners hit when they turn onto 1st Avenue coming off of the bridge. People kept telling me that after running a mile with nothing but the sound of runners breathing heavy and feet slapping pavement, the large crowd gathered at Mile 16 seems extra loud. I don't know if they built it up too much and my expectations were too high, or if there weren't as many people as in past years, but I didn't feel like the crowd at Mile 16 was much different from the crowd along the rest of the course. I guess in my head, I was picturing the kind of massive crowds that I've seen in the Chicago Marathon and this crowd didn't live up to the hype. Of course, the street could have been completely empty and I would still be happy just to be off of the bridge.

I got to play a lot of mental tricks at Mile 16. I had finished another 8-mile chunk... practically 2/3 finished. I had run over 3 of the 5 bridges and through 3 of the 5 boroughs. And, most importantly, I had 10 miles to go.

The idea of having 10 miles to go is bittersweet. On the positive side, I get to count down from 10 to the finish so my remaining miles were entering the single digits. On the negative side, I had already run 16 miles and I still had 10 miles to go... if I let myself think about how far 10 miles is, it got discouraging.

When I run laps around Route 66 State Park at home, I not only run them because they're a convenient place to run long distances in 2-mile chunks... I also like to be able to use them in my mental tricks during long races. Instead of thinking that I still had 10 miles to go, I told myself I only had to run 5 laps around the park.

From Mile 16 to just past Mile 19 was basically a straight, level run north through Manhattan. I tried to settle back into a comfortable pace after the Queensboro Bridge but that feeling of effortless movement was gone. The last 10 miles were going to be harder.

Mile 18 - Elapsed Time: 2:03:51. Overall Average: 6:53 per mile.

Up to this point, I was able to keep a pretty steady pace overall. At Mile 18, I knew I was in trouble. I could feel the wheels wanting to come off and I was starting to get that head-to-toe drained feeling. I wasn't hurting yet, but I could tell that my legs just didn't want to move as fast. I had to put a lot more effort into keeping my pace up.

Mile 18 meant another few gulps from my G1 and I tried to gain some momentum from knowing I got a drink and I was only two miles from the oh-so-significant 20 Mile mark. I really pushed myself not to let the pace slip too much for the next 2 miles.

About halfway between Miles 19 and 20 was the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx. The Willis Avenue Bridge was so short, I almost missed it. It was more like an on-ramp than a bridge. But it still meant I only had one bridge left. The course is only in the Bronx for a little over a mile, but that's where we hit Mile 20.

Mile 20 - Elapsed Time: 2:18:26. Overall Average: 6:56 per mile.

Mile 20... when things get serious. I could feel my pace slipping but I knew that if I had been averaging 7 minute miles, I should reach Mile 20 at 2 hours and 20 minutes. I still had a cushion of about a minute-and-a-half with 6 miles to go. Unfortunately, history has taught me that cushions disappear quickly in the last 6 miles and goals are lost in the blink of an eye.

Reaching Mile 20 is huge. By then, I've run a significant chunk of the marathon and 6 seems like a small number compared to 20. But then I start thinking about how far 6 miles really is. It means I still have almost 1/4 of the marathon left... It means that even at 7 minutes per mile, I would still have over 42 minutes of running left... It means that the easy miles are behind me and the hard, painful miles are ahead of me.

My legs were starting to tighten up (especially my calves) and my back was starting to feel a little stiff. The Madison Avenue Bridge was also mercifully short and brought me back into Manhattan for the last leg of the race. I had run all 5 bridges and all 5 boroughs and I just had to run the last 5 miles to the finish. Mile 21 was on the far side of the bridge and I was due for a drink so I let myself walk through the water station and stopped for a quick stretch of my calves and back. Then I got running again but I knew my pace wouldn't be the same for the rest of the race.

Mile 22 - Elapsed Time: 2:34:55. Overall Average: 7:03 per mile.

After Mile 21, I started making deals with myself (and then breaking those deals). "Just keep your legs moving for one more mile and I'll let you take a break at Mile 22... Sucker!

I got to Mile 22 and just kept going. Four miles to go. Two laps around the park. I was slowing down and I knew if I wanted to run a sub-3:05 marathon, I would have to run 4 more 7 minute miles. That wasn't going to happen. I started to wonder if I was even going to make my goal of 3:10.

Just before Mile 23, the course entered Central Park. It also started up the worst hill of the marathon besides the Queensboro Bridge. I was looking forward to running through Central Park but now that I was actually there, my head was foggy and I was staring at the pavement while I ran up a 3/4 mile-long hill. I don't remember seeing much of the park. I know it was greener around me but it's a hazy blur of hills and pain.

My legs were really starting to hurt and I realized I was also a little warm by now. The temperature hadn't bothered me most of the day, but I would have been happy to ditch a shirt at this point. I just didn't have the time or energy to mess with it. I took another 30-second break to stretch somewhere around Mile 24 and drank the rest of the G1 from my water bottle. I decided I wasn't going to stop again. For the last 2.2 miles, I would keep running... no matter how slowly.

Mile 25 - Elapsed Time: 3:00:05. Overall Average: 7:13.

I knew I was still heading south along the east side of Central Park and I knew where the finish line was because of the Opening Ceremonies and Liz's 5K. I still had to turn west along the south end of the park and then turn back north toward the finish line.

I had less than 10 minutes to run 1.2 miles. That seemed like it should be easy but I knew the final miles of my past marathons easily took 10-12 minutes when I was hurting. I just kept putting one leg in front of the other and hoped the clock would stop ticking so fast.

I got a little boost out of the turn to the west because I was familiar with this road by now. I was running near the condo and it helped to know I was close to the finish.

When I turned back to the north, I could hear the crowd at the finish line and I could see the banner at Mile 26.

Mile 26 - Elapsed Time: 3:08:17. Overall Average: 7:15 per mile.

When I reached Mile 26, I knew I had just under a quarter-mile to go and just under 2 minutes left to beat my goal of 3:10. I knew that was possible but didn't bother with any math. I just tried to move my legs faster.

From Mile 26 to the finish line is all uphill. There were signs counting down the distance to go. 400 meters to the finish... 300 meters to go... 200 meters... 100 meters... it was going to be close.

The grandstands were full of cheering spectators and I saw Liz, Mom, and Rick in the stands to my left. I gave a wave and then checked my watch.... I had to hurry. I leaned forward and tried to open my stride up for the last few meters.

When I crossed the finish line, I stopped my watch, took a few steps, bent over to rest my hands on my knees and checked my time.

3:09:49!!!

I beat my goal of 3:10 by 11 seconds! How's that for cutting it close?

(Liz, Mom, and Rick got to see Meb Keflezighi finish

in 6th place. It was a new PR time for him too!)

(In the grandstands waiting for me to finish.)

(Crossing the finish line...

I didn't even notice the guy next to me struggling.)

(I did it!)

I was hit with that same urge to laugh and cry that I felt at the start of the race but mostly I felt a huge sense of relief and calm. After about 8 years of chasing the 3:10:59 barrier, I finally reached my goal.

It felt so good to finally stop running, I was happy to take my time walking through the finish area. I stopped to get my picture taken with Miss New York and then got my hard-earned finisher's medal. I posed for a finisher's photo, wrapped a solar blanket around me, and picked up my post-race snacks. Unlike most races, the New York Marathon provided drawstring backpacks full of snacks so runners didn't have to worry about loading their arms with food when they were exhausted.

(Meeting Miss New York after the race.)

(My finisher's medal.)

Then all of the runners had to walk a long way through a chute in the park to the entrance with all of the UPS trucks lined up to dispense the checked bags. It's good to keep walking after the race because it cuts down on how sore and stiff your legs feel later, but a lot of runners had to stop in the chute because of cramps. There were plenty of medical volunteers ready to help the downed runners but I could tell people just wanted to get out of the park and go home.

The VIP UPS truck was actually parked by itself in the chute and it took about 15 seconds to get my gear bag. It turned out to be a warm enough day that I didn't need any of the clothes I checked but it was nice to get my bag so quickly. Then I walked to the exit that was lined with the other UPS trucks and it was controlled chaos while everyone got their gear and sat in the street to put on extra layers.

I felt tired, gross, and crusted with sweat. It felt good to just stroll and not feel the need to hurry anywhere. I didn't feel like going to the ING post-race area. I just wanted to go back to the condo and shower. I wanted to meet Liz, Mom, and Rick to share my excitement. I turned onto Columbus Avenue and started walking the 12-15 blocks home. I felt good!

The Marathon By The Numbers

26.2 Miles:

1) 8:12 11) 6:53 21) 8:34

2) ? 12) 6:46 22) 7:55

3) ? 13) 6:52 23) ?

4) 6:49 14) 6:58 24) ?

5) 6:35 15) 7:09 25) 7:56

6) 6:33 16) 7:12 26) 8:12

7) 6:36 17) 7:06 0.2) 1:32

8) 6:43 18) 7:01

9) 6:52 19) 7:11

10) 6:36 20) 7:24

42.1648 Kilometers:

Distance Clock Time 5K Time

5K 0:21:57 21:57 (7:03 avg)

10K 0:42:33 20:36 (6:38 avg)

15K 1:03:27 20:54 (6:43 avg)

20K 1:24:33 21:06 (6:54 avg)

25K 1:46:36 22:03 (7:06 avg)

30K 2:08:29 21:53 (7:03 avg)

35K 2:33:02 24:33 (7:54 avg)

40K 2:58:55 25:53 (8:20 avg)

47,438 runners started the race.

46,785 runners finished the race. (643 did not finish.)

Only 115 runners were from Missouri.

I finished 2,078th out of 46,759 finishers. (Top 4.44%)

I was 1,920th out of 29,867 male finishers. (Top 6.43%)

I placed 358th out of 3,924 men ages 30-34. (Top 9.12%)

Winners:

Men - Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai - 2:05:06.

Women - Ethiopian Firehiwot Dado - 2:23:15

Celebrities:

Singer Mya: 6:59:39

Top Chef Richard Blais: 4:31:54

Mario Lopez: 4:23:30

Model Christy Turlington: 4:20:47

NHL Star Mark Messier: 4:14:21

Softball Star Jennie Finch: 4:05:26

Olympic Speed Skater Apollo Ohno: 3:25:14

Bachelorette Star Ryan Sutter: 3:17: 58

My first marathon in Chicago 2001: 4:03:29

My new PR: 3:09:49!!!

First Blog Post: June 15th, 2011.

Total Blog Posts: 129

Sunday

Goal for The Day: Race!!!

Distance: 26.2 Miles.

Time: 3:09:49. (7:15 avg).

Route: ING New York City Marathon.

Conditions: 47 degrees at the start. 54 degrees at the finish. 9:40am.

Notes: I finally did it! I can officially say I qualified for the Boston Marathon! Of course, I can't run it because it's sold out. And I can't run it next year because the qualifying times are 5 minutes faster for next year. I thought I might be frustrated if I ended up short of actually running Boston but I'm actually feeling really good about beating 3:10. Boston will just have to wait.

Daily Miles: 26.2 Miles.

Blog Totals:

Run - 573.62 Miles.

Bike - 144.45 Miles.

Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Marathon Weekend - Day 3 - Saturday

2011-11-05T22:47:00.015-05:00

No rest for the weary! After last night's Opening Ceremonies, this morning was an early start. Liz was running the Dash to the Finish Line 5K and the race started at 8:30am. We all had different places to be for the race so we were all on different schedules.

Liz was up and out of the condo early, dressed in a lot of layers. The temperature dropped overnight and it was in the 30's when Liz left in the morning. It was colder than she expected so she layered her running gear, we made a trash bag poncho to break the wind, and she hoped to stay warm until the race started. The biggest problem was getting to the starting line. The race finished at the marathon finish line only a short walk from the condo... but the starting line was a couple of miles away. She planned to catch a bus for part of the trip to the start and then walk the rest of the way but the bus never came. She later told us that the walk wasn't that bad and she stayed warmer than she thought so things could have been worse.

Mom, Rick, and I decided to split up to make sure Liz had support at more than just the finish line. Mom and Rick left a little while after Liz so they could get some coffee and a quick bite to eat. Then they made their way to the grandstands at the finish line to wait for Liz.

I was the last to leave the condo because the 5K course passed right down our street before entering Central Park and my hope was to see Liz run by the condo. Then I could jog a straight shot to the finish line while Liz wound her way through the park. That way, I could see her twice.

I bundled up, went to the grocery store next door to the condo for a muffin and some milk, and then stood on our pre-determined corner to wait for the runners to come by. It was cold and windy so I hoped Liz was staying warm enough and the cold wouldn't give her knee too much trouble.

The elite runners came flying down the street well ahead of the main pack but once the mass of runners started, it seemed to be endless. I later found out there were 5,347 finishers. That's huge... especially for an inaugural event.

When Liz came down the street I had a my Flip camera in one hand recording video and my Nikon in the other taking pictures. I was so busy trying to record her run, I pretty much forgot to cheer. Liz was running well though and the cold must not have been too much of a problem because she tossed her extra shirt to me.

(Liz running by just before Mile 2.)

(She's so fast, she's just a blur!)

(Is she waving or blowing me off?)

As soon as Liz ran by I started my jog to the finish line. I had cowbells in my pockets to ring at the finish and I got a lot of weird looks as I jogged past people with my pockets ringing. When I got to the grandstands, I found Mom and Rick waiting, we held up the 'Road Runner Crossing' sign, we got the cameras ready, and we waited for Liz to come into view.

We didn't have to wait long. I made it to the finish line just in time. Liz came running up the gradual hill to the finish line and finished strong... waving at us as she went by.

(Liz's big finish!)

(A wave to her fans.)

Liz ran a personal best, finishing in 31:18! She averaged 10:06 per mile on a cold day with the hills of Central Park in the last mile. This is the second race in a row that she has set a new PR. It was a lot of fun getting to see her race and cheer her on.

After Liz crossed the finish line, Mom, Rick, and I went out to Columbus Avenue to wait for her to meet us. While we were waiting, a couple of guys who ran the race asked if they could borrow my cell phone to call to call their family and figure out a place to meet. They assured me it was a local call but I told them I was from out of town so it didn't matter. It turns out they were in town from Texas so we were all just visiting New York.

After a while, we still hadn't seen Liz so I walked back in her direction to find her. She was just calling me when I walked up to her but when I looked down, I was getting a call from a strange number. Liz thought it was her calling and I thought it was the family of the Texans calling them back on my phone. We were both wrong.

When I answered, instead of a Texas accent, the woman on the other end asked, "Is this Brad?" I was a little confused but it turned out to be the brands manager that was coordinating the featured runner contest. She was calling to tell me I won the VIP race experience! I couldn't believe it! She said the judges had been impressed with my contributions and my efforts to involve people in the Runner's Nation and that I could pick up my VIP passes today for tomorrow's marathon. I thanked her for everything and the weekend just kept getting better.

Liz, Mom, and Rick overheard most of the conversation and we walked back to the condo excited about Liz's PR race and my VIP win.

(Explaining that I was chosen for the VIP race experience.)

(After Liz's PR in the 5K.)

It hadn't been long since I ate my giant blueberry muffin so I wasn't hungry but everyone else was ready for breakfast. Before we went back to the condo, we made another trip to the cafe across the street so people could refuel. Then we went back to the condo so Liz could shower before we went out for more sight-seeing.

We decided to visit Chelsea Market in the meat packing district but I had to pick up my VIP passes first. Luckily, the ING information center was set up in the Hilton Hotel only four blocks from the condo. It was a short walk to pick up my passes.

We got to the hotel, found where I was supposed to go, and were in and out pretty quickly. I was given three wristbands to wear on Race Day. One band got me onto the bus to ride to the starting line. One band got me into the ING tent once I was at the starting line. And one band got me into the Friends and Family recovery area after the race. I was told to be at the Hilton by 6:30am on Race Day and I would ride the VIP bus to the starting line. Once I was there, I would have access to the heated ING tent with food and a DJ. I would also be able to check a bag in a special UPS truck that would be easier to pick up at the finish line. After the race, there would be a warm place to rest and recover with snacks and I had two passes for family to meet me there.

This whole plan already sounded a lot better than my 4am wake-up call to be at the ferry by 5:30. The VIP transportation alone was going to be a huge help on Race Day because it meant being able to sleep in another hour or so.

On top of my passes, I was also given three badges that let Liz, Mom, and Rick into the grandstands at the finish line. Passes to the grandstands sell for $75 a piece and we now had three for free! Liz rarely gets to see me at the finish line in a marathon. Chicago's finish line is so crowded, she always waits around mile 25 so she can be sure to see me. It was really exciting to think that my family would be waiting at the very end of the marathon for me to cross the finish line.

All of this special treatment was amazing and exciting... and made me a little nervous. The entire marathon experience had been incredible. I was selected in the marathon lottery on my first entry... the Kents let us use their condo... Mom and Rick were able to come with us... I was chosen as a featured runner... I was given all kinds of free swag and gear... our days in New York were perfect so far... Liz ran a PR in her 5K... I won the VIP contest... everything was falling into place.

I hoped my performance in the marathon wasn't a big let down after all of that build up.

The rest of the afternoon helped keep my mind off of my self-induced pressure. We planned to tour some places on the south side of the island and hoped to fill the afternoon without doing too much walking.

We got on the subway toward Chelsea Market and the station was filled with small sculptures that looked very familiar. I realized they were a very similar style to a much larger sculpture we have in the City Garden in St. Louis. I took a couple of pictures to see if I could confirm that it was the same artist.

It turns out that Tom Otterness is in fact the sculptor of this piece in the City Garden that I really like:

(Kindly Geppetto by Tom Otterness

at the St. Louis City Garden.)

He also created the exhibition that we saw at the 14th Street subway station in New York called Life Underground:

(Life Underground by Tom Otterness.)

(He certainly has a distinctive style.)

Chelsea Market is a full-block building that used to house the National Biscuit Company. The ground floor now houses a row of food stores and restaurants. The building and market have a long and rich history and we were excited to see it.

(Chelsea Market.)

Unfortunately, once we were there, we found it beautiful but underwhelming. Maybe we built it up too much in our heads. We walked from one end of the building to the other and the shops were interesting, but just walking by was enough for today.

At the end of the row of stores, there was a gelato stand and Mom and Liz had been trying to explain gelato to Rick yesterday so they all sat down for a frozen treat. I wanted to make sure I ate enough food today so I was well-fueled for tomorrow's race and I was ready for lunch. So I walked back down to an Italian stand and bought some "classic Italian pizza". It was surprisingly inexpensive and delicious.

(Chelsea Market.)

After our pre-lunch gelato/pizza break, we got back on the subway and made our way to Chinatown. At one of the stops, a little girl and her mom got on the train and the little girl immediately sat right next to my Mom. And I mean right next to her. The best part was how quickly she sat down and folded her little hands like she was settling in and ready to ride the train. I took a quick picture and then realized Mom was sitting in the exact same pose as the little girl. The girl's mom got a kick out of it.

(Mom made a friend on the subway.)

Chinatown was an interesting experience. We walked up and down the main street and store after store was selling the exact same cheap purses and watches. You also couldn't walk more than five feet without someone walking up to you and trying to sell you things under their breath. "You need a Rolex?"

(Chinatown.)

The best part about Chinatown was all of the haggling. No one paid the prices the vendors asked for. Everything was a bargaining match. Liz is not a fan of the back-and-forth bargaining game so I was surprised when she really stuck it to one vendor and bought a purse at a much lower price than what was offered. The lady practically threw it at Liz by the time they were done!

(Mom and Liz in one of the dozens of identical shops in Chinatown.)

I think Mom and Liz also each bought a scarf but we made it out of Chinatown without buying as much as I thought we would. Mostly, it was just a fun time walking through town and looking at the shops.

(Mom and Rick in Chinatown.)

We walked around for quite a while and Mom and Rick were starting to get hungry. Liz's late breakfast and gelato were still holding her over but I decided more food was probably a good idea and we looked around for a quick place to eat. Most of the restaurants that were close by either looked like they would take a while or didn't sound good to everyone. So, we sadly ended up at McDonald's again for a quick lunch. I felt even more ridiculous eating at McDonald's for a second day until I realized this was a three story McDonald's! Who needs exotic cuisine when you can eat a double-cheeseburger on the third floor of McD's in Chinatown?

(Yummm!!! To bad we settled for McDonald's.)

(A sign at the edge of Chinatown warning of closures for the marathon.)

Yet another subway ride took us to Greenwich Village for our last stop of the day. It was getting late in the afternoon so we decided to take a quick walk down 8th Street in the Village on our way back to the condo. We read online that 8th street was known for its shops (especially shoes) and Mom and Liz wanted to take a look.

(We put our Metro passes to good use!)

I don't know if we were on the wrong stretch of 8th Street, but we didn't see the shops we were expecting. We walked several blocks without seeing anything that made us want to stop. I asked a random lady on the street if she could help us out. I said, "If we have an hour and a half to spend in the Village, what should we make sure we see?" Without hesitation, she recommended Washington Square Park. She then spent a long time giving us directions to another place we didn't end up going, but her original recommendation turned out to be a great choice.

We walked two blocks to Washington Square Park and it was the kind of park we could have spent hours in. There were a lot of artists and street performers and it was a very cool atmosphere.

(The entrance to Washington Square Park.)

(We were posing like the statue of George Washington

but he got cut out of the picture.)

There was a big piece of sidewalk art that I assumed was chalk until we got closer and saw the artist working on it. He was making this huge design with colored sand. A strong wind would have destroyed his work.

(Sand art.)

(It was impressive watching him lay down the sand by hand.)

(Washington Square park.)

We were about to leave the park when some street performers announced they were about to begin a show. It was getting late in the afternoon (or early in the evening) and the temperature was dropping but we figured we could stick around to see what they could do.

It took a long time for them to gather a crowd big enough to make them want to perform and then there was a lot of talk and build-up before they even started their show. But when they started doing acrobatic tricks, they seemed like they might be worth the wait.

(Row, Row, Row Your Boat... Gently Down The Stream.)

I'll admit, the tricks got better as the show went on but then they set up for their final trick and the build-up was too much. They talked and talked about doing and amazing jump over four people while we waited and waited for them to just do the thing. Then, after all of that build-up, they stopped the show to go around person-to-person asking for donations. By then, we were cold and frustrated from waiting so long and decided we didn't need to see the grand finale. It was time to go home.

(One of their more impressive tricks.)

We walked through a street lined with much more interesting vendors than Chinatown but by then we were getting cold and ready to go home. We got on the subway for the final ride of the day. When we got off, we were near the Hilton where we started the day and got to walk past the Radio City Music Hall.

(Radio City Music Hall.)

Once we were back at the condo, I started getting my gear together for tomorrow morning. I put everything I would need for the race in one place so I wouldn't have to look for it in the morning and I taped my name on my shirt. We got out a map of the marathon course and planned where I could expect to see Liz, Mom, and Rick during the race. The course is laid out in a way that would make it difficult for them to get from one spot to another fast enough because of the pace I hope to run. There is a subway station near Mile 8 that makes it a convenient place for them to wait for me. After that, they could probably see me at Mile 16 and again at 24 because they're fairly close together. But that would mean they wouldn't have time to get to the grandstands at the finish line. So we settled on a plan for me to look for them near Mile 8 (on the right side of the road) and then to see them when I'm crossing the finish line (they'll be sitting on the left side). It's not as many opportunities to see them as I'm used to in a marathon, but the grandstand seating is too good to pass up. Plus, they'll be getting frequent updates on my location and progress on Rick's iPhone.

After the planning, it was time for dinner. I decided I wanted Bella Vita pizza for dinner again but Liz, Mom, and Rick decided to order Chinese for delivery. I had two more awesome slices of pizza and some garlic knots while everyone else waited for their food. I don't know if New York delivery is always incredibly slow or if the Chinese place was having a bad night, but everyone else's dinner took over two hours to get to the condo.

It didn't feel like we saw quite as much today as we did the past two days. But somehow, it feels like we still did an awful lot of walking. By the end of the day, my legs were tired and my back was starting to get sore. I'll be fine for tomorrow... I'm not that tired, but it felt good to put my feet up and turn on a movie tonight. We watched Couples Retreat and by the time it was over I was definitely ready for bed.

So this is it. One night of sleep (with a blessed extra hour thanks to daylight savings) and then the big race tomorrow morning. I'm ready as I'll ever be!

Saturday

Goal For The Day: Tour New York and Rest.

Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: There isn't much left to say. Tomorrow, I see what I can do.

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.

Blog Totals:

Run - 547.42 Miles.

Bike - 144.45 Miles.

Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Marathon Weekend - Day 2 - Friday

2011-11-04T22:46:00.001-05:00

After an early start on Thursday, it was nice to sleep in a little today. The first thing we had on our itinerary was the race expo to pick up our packets. I got online to post on the ING Runner's Nation page and got an e-mail from a Sponsorship Manager at ING. He congratulated me on my participation in the Featured Runner contest and said that the good people at Asics were donating an official marathon jacket to each of the featured runners! I could pick one up at the Runner's Nation booth at the expo.

We hoped the expo would be less crowded when it first opened at 10am so we planned to leave the condo in time to be there when the doors opened. First, we went across the street for breakfast. The place Mom had in mind wasn't there anymore so we ducked into another cafe instead. It was a nice little place and reasonably priced. My stack of pancakes was more than enough to fill me up.

After breakfast, we took the Subway down to 34th Street. From the time we arrived yesterday, I've been having flashbacks to famous New York scenes from movies (Home Alone 2, Die Hard With a Vengeance, etc.). Now I could add Miracle on 34th Street to the list. We planned to ride the bus to the convention center and came up from the subway station just as a bus pulled up to the stop. We hurried on and rode to the far side of the island before we realized we went in the wrong direction. During our mistaken ride to the west, we passed the Empire State Building without realizing it. When we got on a bus going in the right direction, we were sure to keep an eye out for it.

(Our first glimpse of the Empire State Building

while riding the bus.)

(On the bus to the expo.)

(Going the right direction this time.)

We arrived at the Jacob Javits Convention Center just before 10:00 and there was a huge line in the lobby. Luckily, the doors opened right after we got in line and the volunteers working the expo got us all inside surprisingly quickly. I know some of the larger marathons I've run drew international crowds (Chicago, Disney, etc.) but at New York, the number of foreign runners seemed especially impressive. We heard a lot of different languages in line (and all weekend).

Once we were inside, it was clear this was one of the biggest expos I've ever been to. After walking the whole thing, I think Chicago's expo is still bigger but this was probably a close second. I think things were packed closer together at this expo so it definitely felt more crowded.

The 5K packets were right inside the entrance so Liz picked up her bib number first.

(Liz getting her bib# for the Dash to the Finish 5K.)

I checked in next and got my bib number. After we both had our numbers, I went over to the goodie-bag table and picked up my bag and t-shirt. The long-sleeve tech shirt is pretty cool.

(Picking up my bib#. Blue means Wave 1.)

I didn't have my Race Day transportation set up yet so I went to the corner of the expo reserved for procrastinators like me. After talking to the worker about my start time and where I'm staying, she said I would need to take the Staten Island Ferry at 5:30am. That means on Sunday morning, I'll need to get up around 4am so I can get to the south end of the Island in time to catch the 5:30 ferry. Then I'll have a 4-hour wait before my 9:40 start time. Ouch.

With all of the formalities out of the way, we were free to stroll through the rest of the expo. We enjoyed the free samples, ogled some new shoes, browsed through all of the running gear, and drooled over some of the medals from other races (especially Disney).

I stopped at the ING Runner's Nation booth and thanked them for all of the great swag and the opportunity to be a featured runner. I wore my Runner's Nation t-shirt to the expo to show my support. They had the official Asics marathon jacket waiting for me and it's awesome! It's surprisingly warm and has a tuckable hood. I wore it the rest of the weekend.

(At the ING Runner's Nation booth.)

Dean Karnazes was at the expo while we were there. I thought about stopping to tell him how great it was to run with him at the end of his 50/50 adventure but he had a pretty long line so I just snapped a picture and moved on.

(Dean Karnazes signing autographs.)

I did stop to get a picture with Hal Higdon. I've never met Mr. Higdon before. It was awesome getting to shake his hand and thank him for his training schedules. I used his marathon training schedule for my first several marathons and modified his schedules for several marathons after that. He's given me a ton of help without knowing it.

(I met Hal Higdon!)

With all of the free swag from ING and the jacket from Asics, we walked out of the expo without buying anything. Liz was looking for some tech gloves for winter running but the only ones she liked were too expensive. So we left the expo behind and went in search of food.

Before we left for New York, Liz asked people for suggestions of things to do while we're in town. Her uncle Craig jokingly suggested eating at McDonalds because of their delicious fries. We laughed because we hoped to avoid chain restaurants as much as possible to take advantage of the New York experience. But when we walked out of the expo, there was a McDonalds a block away and we were hungry so we decided the speed and convenience of McD's were too appealing to pass up.

(At least it was a two-story McDonald's.

That's exotic, right?)

We were refueled and ready to do more sight-seeing so we rode the bus back down to the Empire State Building. We all wanted to see the landmark but we heard the lines are usually really long so we planned to take a quick look and then go to the top of Rockefeller Plaza later in the weekend instead.

(We didn't make it to the Statue of Liberty so this replica

outside of a souvenir shop would have to do.)

The Empire State Building is an impressive sight from the street and we would have been satisfied with just walking by, but I thought we should at least check to see how long the line was.

(The Empire State Building from the street.)

(Looking a long way up.)

When we went inside we were directed to the ticket-purchasing area. Where there should have been a long and winding line, there was nothing but an empty room. There was absolutely no line! In fact, we moved through things so fast, we were practically buying tickets for the observation deck before Liz could figure out we were actually going up.

The only thing that slowed us down at all was the security checkpoint. Once again, we stripped down, took off anything metal including belts, took off our shoes, and went through metal detectors. Ugh. But then we were free to buy our tickets and get on the elevator up to the observation deck.

We bought tickets to the 86th floor observation deck but the first set of elevators takes you up to the 81st floor where there's a lot of information posted about the building's history and significance. Obviously, the Empire State Building brought back more movie memories including Sleepless in Seattle and King Kong. In fact, King Kong was the main reason I wanted to go to the top of the building.

(I Love it!)

We took the second elevator up to the observation deck on the 86th floor and the view was absolutely breath-taking.

(The view right outside of the lobby on the observation deck.)

(On top of the world.)

We started on the south side of the building and it wasn't as cold or windy as I expected it to be. You can see forever and all of the city's landmarks are laid out right in front of you. It's incredible being able to look down on other skyscrapers.

(Mom and Liz enjoying the view.)

(I can't believe we were there.)

(The view to the south.)

(Looking a long way down.)

(The World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty to the south.)

As soon as we walked around to the east side of the building, we were hit by the wind. There was the wind and cold I expected! We toured the west, north, and east sides much faster.

(View to the West.)

(View to the north.)

(Central Park to the north.)

(The Chrysler Building to the northeast.)

(View to the east.)

While we were on the 81st floor, I learned that the mooring mast on the top of the building was originally intended to be a docking station for dirigibles (blimps). But at that height, the winds are way too strong to make that possible.

(The mooring mast on the top of the building.)

Liz had just enough change in her purse for us to use one of the binoculars but we all had to take turns looking to the south. The view was even more impressive magnified through the viewer and I took a couple of pictures through one of the lenses.

(The World Trade Center.)

(The Statue of Liberty.)

We still had a lot of the city to see so we tore ourselves away from the observation deck and boarded the elevator back to ground level. With the Empire State staff in their uniforms and the elevators intricately decorated, we decided it felt an awful lot like riding the Tower of Terror at Disney. At any moment, I expected the elevator to drop suddenly while we all raised our arms over our heads and screamed, before being bounced back up and dropped again.

(Riding the elevator down.)

Of course, we stopped to do some souvenir shopping. Liz and I bought our annual Christmas ornament... the Empire State Building with Santa climbing to the top like King Kong.

(Liz Loves shopping!)

I asked a couple of the ladies on the staff if I could take a picture with them. I just wanted a picture with someone in uniform. The next thing I knew, I was wearing one lady's hat and we were hamming it up for the camera.

(I'm not sure what that face is supposed to be.)

We were ushered into the ticketing area so fast when we got into the building, we didn't get to look around the lobby. We took a few minutes to look around on the way out. This building is awesome top to bottom.

We still had some time before I needed to be back at the condo to change for the Opening Ceremonies so we checked the map for some more landmarks we could visit relatively quickly. We decided to see Grand Central Station next.

(The iconic Grand Central Station

windows from the outside.)

We walked through one strip of shops on the way to the lobby but we didn't really branch out to the many sets of tracks in the station.

The lobby is absolutely cavernous. The place is huge. There were people coming and going in all directions but it still wasn't quite as busy or chaotic as I expected. Considering there was also a lack of lines at the Empire State Building, maybe it was just a slow day in New York.

(Impressive!)

(When the flash was on, you couldn't see the background.

We set the timer on this one and put the camera on the railing.

It took some luck and patience to get this picture without

someone walking in front of us.)

The Chrysler Building wasn't far away so we walked there next. From the ground, it's as impressive as the Empire State Building.

(Looking a long way up again.)

(The Chrysler Building reflected in a building across the street.)

From the entry way to the lobby, everything about this building screams iconic New York City. In the lobby, there's a mural on the ceiling. We read about it being one of the world's largest paintings on canvas and then cemented to the ceiling.

(Over the front doors.)

(Painting on the ceiling.)

It was time to return to the condo so we took the subway entrance in the lobby of the Chrysler Building. A guy got on at one of the stops and he not only had a great mustache, he also had the bowler hat and cane to complete the look. He might have been the devil, but I had to get a picture with him. I complimented him on the awesome 'stache and his only comment was, "It's something different."

(Awesome!)

When we got back to the condo, I didn't have a lot of time to get ready for the Opening Ceremonies. This was the inaugural year for the ceremonies and I applied to walk in the Parade of Nations with the USA. I was selected to walk in the parade and the instructions said we should wear our national colors or traditional clothing. I did both. I wore red, white, and blue and there's nothing more traditional than jeans and a hoodie.

I also represented my multi-national pride. I wore my Team Gomer shirt to represent the Gomer Nation!

(This one's for the Gomers!)

I also showed home-town pride with my USA colors representing the Cardinal Nation.

(World Series Champions!)

The meeting spot for the parade was in the southeast corner of Central park (about 4 blocks from the condo). The parade would go from the 26-mile mark of the marathon to the finish line two-tenths of a mile away. It would be a short parade.

I was supposed to be in the meeting area at 4:30pm and the parade started at 6:00. I think I was supposed to get a Parade of Nations t-shirt but the volunteers that were handing them out seemed confused and I didn't get one. I found the United States group and signed in. They passed out little American flags for us to wave in the parade. After that, it was a lot of standing around and waiting.

(Gathering for the Parade of Nations.)

(Waiting in line with the USA.)

While I was waiting, I met some other runners who happened to live in New York. They told me a little about living in the city and what to expect from the marathon. Everyone I talked to said the turn onto 1st Avenue after the Queensboro bridge is amazing because of the number of spectators that gather there. (They also told me it's not normal to have a Coast Guard escort on the Staten Island Ferry!)

The funny thing was, it turned out that three of the people I chatted with were originally from Illinois. In fact, one of them was from Decatur and knew of my cousin. It's a small world!

My choice of clothing wasn't the most popular. I talked to a couple of Cubs fans and a few Mets fans who were still upset about 2006. I also met one of the other featured runners, Simran, who is a Houston fan. Simran was really nice and we chatted about the featured runner experience and the race coming up on Sunday. He said he has also become friends with another featured runner, Marie and we were disappointed she didn't make it to the ceremonies. It'll be Simran's first marathon and he couldn't be more excited.

(Featured Runners!)

While I was waiting for the parade to start, Mom, Rick, and Liz came by and then went to the grandstands by the finish line to get a good seat. I was told they should get there early if they wanted to get seats but there ended up being plenty of room when they got there and they probably could have waited longer in the warm condo before coming over.

(The grandstands by the marathon finish line.)

During the hour that they waited for the ceremonies to start, the temperature kept dropping and it was downright cold by 6:00.

(Liz and Rick are THRILLED to be spending

Friday night at the Opening Ceremonies!)

After waiting in the cold for an hour and a half, I was starting to question my decision to participate in the Opening Ceremonies. When the event started at 6:00, we were hoping the parade would begin soon so we could warm up a little on the walk to the finish line. Unfortunately, we continued to wait while the spectators at the finish line were treated to a performance by the group Anti-Gravity.

We were all excited when the parade started. The United States was the last country in line and they were announcing each country like it was the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. At first, I felt like we were missing the entire show, but then the other countries were directed back in our direction after marching by the finish line. It was fun seeing all of these countries walk past us as we cheered for each other.

(Being passed by other countries on our way to the finish line.

I think this was Brazil and Canada.)

(I'm not sure, but I think this was Italy.)

When we finally approached the grandstands, everyone really got excited. There were two big screens set up showing the parade and a stage near the finish line where they later presented the Hall of Fame awards. The grandstands were full of cheering family and friends and the bright lights and loud music got the adrenaline flowing.

(Approaching the grandstands.)

We walked between the grandstands and the announcer introduced the United States of America while people started chanting, "USA! USA!". Spotlights scanned the crowd and I saw Liz, Mom, and Rick with the "Road Runner Crossing" sign. I kept my Flip camera running while we walked through the crowd and then lined up along the approach to the finish line. I even got a shout out from a St. Louis fan in the crowd!

(Our big entrance.)

After we were all lined up in front of the grandstands, they presented awards to Hall of Fame runners and New York Marathon contributors. Then they introduced several of the elite runners. I got to high-five two of them including Geoffrey Mutai!

(I got a high-five from Geoffrey Mutai...

was my luck rubbing off on him? Or vice versa?)

The Opening Ceremonies concluded with Meb Keflezighi running up to the finish line and Gary Russo (The Second Avenue Sinatra) singing New York, New York. The crowd went crazy when Meb ran in and Russo did a great rendition of Sinatra's classic.

(Everyone from the parade trying to get as close to Meb as possible.)

It didn't take long before everyone that walked in the parade was mobbing Meb and Russo. I started to get uncomfortable... like we were invading his personal space so I backed off. The ceremony ended with Russo's song and the fireworks began.

(The crowd turns to a semi-scary mob.)

I climbed over the fence to get into the grandstands and went to sit with Liz, Mom, and Rick for the fireworks.

(In the grandstands with my biggest fan!)

By then, we were all cold and I wasn't sure we would stay for the fireworks. It didn't take long for us to be convinced it was worth staying. The fireworks were impressive and the longer they went on, the more I was surprised by the amount of money they must have spent on the display. It easily rivaled most small-town 4th of July celebrations. The grand finale was definitely worth staying for.

(An impressive grand finale!)

After the opening ceremonies, we all walked back toward the condo and stopped to pick up dinner to take home. We got some New York-style pizza from the Bella Vita Pizzeria just up the block from the condo. I had two big slices of pizza and some awesome garlic knots!

After making plans for viewing Liz's 5K in the morning, Day 2 was in the books. Two down, three to go. What a trip!

Friday

Goal For The Day: Tour New York and Rest.

Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: The expo was great but not quite Chicago. Great site-seeing today! The Opening Ceremonies seem to be a good idea but they need some work. All-in-all, a great day! I know these posts are ridiculously long and most people don't care about this much detail, but this is how I want to remember the weekend. So I apologize to anyone who just wants the highlights. You can just browse the pictures and skip the rest!

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.

Blog Totals:

Run - 547.42 Miles.

Bike - 144.45 Miles.

Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Marathon Weekend - Day 1 - Thursday

2011-11-03T23:44:00.006-05:00

We woke up at 5am and left the house at 5:45 to drive to the airport for our 8:00 flight. Liz and I were directed into the slowest security line at the airport but Mom and Rick moved through without any problems. We grabbed a quick breakfast at Starbucks and our flight left right on time.

The flight to New York seemed to pass quickly and I passed the time watching part of Captain America on my iPod and starting a new book, Unbroken. There was a great view of a river hidden in fog later in the flight.

(This is why I Love flying!)

When we got to New York, the view of the city was really impressive. The island is smaller than I imagined but it's absolutely packed. We passed the city and could see other planes landing at Laguardia. The runway is right by the water so it's cool to see a plane come in like it's going to splash down and then land right at the edge of the water. We made a long u-turn and followed the same path into the airport. As cool as it was to watch other planes land, it was weird looking out the window and being that close to the water as we came in.

(New York from above.)

(The Verrazono Narrows Bridge... the first two miles of the marathon.)

(Landing by the water in The Big Apple.)

Laguardia works like a well-oiled machine and it seemed like we were off the runway and had our luggage from the baggage claim in a matter of minutes. We crammed into a cab and made our way to the condo. I always think of taxis as being the same model of sedan. In New York, we saw Fords and Toyotas from sedans, to minivans, to SUV crossovers, even a few Priuses... Prii?... Hybrids.

(A tight squeeze in the cab.)

(Shotgun.)

The Kents were incredibly generous and let us use their amazing condo for the trip. I don't think we would have made the trip at all if they hadn't let us stay here. We owe them a huge thank you. The ride to the condo went a lot faster than I expected. I guess I imagined Chicago-style traffic.

(Our ride throught the city streets...

everything is exciting on the first day.)

When we got to the condo, I couldn't believe how perfect the location was. We can see Central Park from the living room and we're relatively close to not only the finish line of both races, but to a ton of places we want to visit while we're in town. Not to mention, the condo itself is pretty awesome!

(Cool mirror at the condo.)

(The view from the condo. One block from Central Park.)

I found out they were setting up an 'impromptu' finish line this afternoon at Columbus Circle, just down the street from us, and they were giving out ING Runner's Nation medals to everyone passing through. We walked down and got a couple of medals and some more of the funky, free, orange, ING sunglasses.

(ING pop-up finish line.)

We weren't scheduled to see the 9/11 Memorial until 3:30 but it was already past lunch time so we walked a few blocks in search of a quick bite to eat. Mom and Liz stopped for sandwiches at a Deli and Rick and I stopped at a street-side stand. I had an amazing Philly cheesesteak sandwich!

("Yes, Boss. What you want?")

We each bought a 7-day pass for the public transportation so we can ride the subway and buses for the rest of the trip. Then we rode the subway down to the 9/11 Memorial.

(Our first of many rides on the subway.)

Our passes were for 3:30 but we got down there about an hour early so we went to the Memorial Preview Site first. The Preview Site was actually very moving and brought back a lot of memories from 9/11. The museum at the memorial doesn't open until next year but the Preview Site made me want to come back when it's finished.

(The 9/11 Memorial Preview Site.)

(The new World Trade Center in the background.)

We passed the Occupy Wall Street camp on the way to the Memorial and there was a bit of a commotion as we walked by. It took us a minute to realize someone had just been arrested. It was an odd situation with these people camped in a little park and the police just waiting on the perimeter in case things got out of control. It was like a very calm standoff.

(Occupy Wall Street tent village.)

The 9/11 Memorial is surrounded by a covered fence so you can't see it from the street. To get in, we had to show our tickets and photo ID. Then we had to go through metal detectors at a security checkpoint which involved taking off our jackets, belts, and any metal or electronics. This would become a recurring experience in New York.

(9/11 Memorial.)

Once we were inside the gates, we walked into the Memorial site. There were hundreds of trees planted in the park with the two wells that represent the twin towers. The wells are beautiful and there's something about the design that really draws you in. It's the kind of thing that you could just stare at for long periods of time. But I couldn't put my finger on how they made me feel. There was something very cool but also a little... unsettling about the center of the wells. They drop into an abyss beyond your line of sight and there's something about the water disappearing into a hole of undetermined depth that is almost... disturbing. I really didn't know what to make of it. I liked it. It was peaceful but also somehow evoked some of the horror of that day.

The names of all of the victims border the wells and you can find names using an electronic registry. Even with the names of the victims to ground the Memorial in reality, I was surprised that the Memorial wasn't as moving as I thought it would be. It's definitely impressive and a fitting memorial. But I guess I expected more intense emotions. I mean, just watching specials on t.v. every September 11th is a powerful experience for me. But walking through the Memorial wasn't like that. I think the Preview Site was more impactful. The museum will be what makes the Memorial a site to visit. I've even had more intense flashbacks to 9/11 just walking around the city. Seeing the city like I did on t.v. that day and hearing the sounds of New York has definitely sparked memories... especially when we hear sirens. There have been several moments in the city that took me right back to September 11th. The wells are beautiful, but they don't bring back the memories and feelings like I thought they would. Maybe that's a good thing. I don't know.

After the 9/11 Memorial, we walked over to see the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street. On the way, I wanted to see more of the Occupy Wall Street camp. On the block next to the camp, there was a whole row of police cars lined up with officers standing around with lots of zip-ties on their hips. I don't know if they were expecting trouble or if they were always there just in case, but it was an intimidating sight.

(Stuff's about to go down.)

I wanted to get a good look at how the protesters were living in the park so I walked along the edge of the camp but Mom, Rick, and Liz decided to avoid the crowd by walking on the other side of the street. About halfway up the block, I started to think I had made a bad decision. I somehow ended up in the middle of a gathering of angry protesters and started to think I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently, the New York Fire Department was there to close down some street vendors that had been supplying power to the protesters. The protesters didn't like their generators being taken away and one of the guys behind me said, "I'm gonna start a riot." I was video taping the whole thing but started to wonder if I was going to end up wearing zip-tie handcuffs because I was on the wrong side of the street. Luckily, calmer protesters kept things under control long enough for me to get out of the crowd. I still don't understand exactly what Occupy Wall Street hopes to accomplish. The most I learned from the experience is that their camp smells like marijuana and body odor.

(I imagined this park being bigger.)

("I'm gonna riot.")

It was kinda cool to stand outside the New York Stock Exchange and to see Wall Street. It wasn't anything too exciting but at least I can say I've been there. It was weird to see how calm the building was on the outside considering all of the chaos that goes on in side every weekday. It was also weird to be there when the entire street is fenced off from traffic because of security concerns. Even the bull statue was fenced off.

(The New York Stock Exchange.)

(Get your hands off of my wife.)

(Some random girl in front of the bull.)

After Wall Street, we walked to the Staten Island Ferry station. We wanted to ride the ferry to Staten Island so we could take in a view of the city and the Statue of Liberty. Then we hoped it was late enough in the afternoon to get a view of the city lit up on the ride back.

(The Staten Island Ferry.)

The view from the ferry was amazing. It was cool to see the city from a distance after walking through streets all day. It was also the closest we were going to get to the Statue of Liberty on this trip and the view did not disappoint.

(The view of Manhattan from the ferry.)

(This is the closest we got to visiting

the Statue of Liberty.)

It was a little interesting that we were escorted by two Coast Guard boats, each with a large machine gun manned on the bow. Any time a boat looked like it might cross our path, one of the Coast Guard ships would speed ahead and cut them off while the other Coast Guard ship hung back with our ferry. I asked some New Yorkers about it later and they said this isn't routine so we were left wondering if there was some kind of security threat we didn't know about.

(Our armed escort.)

When we got to Staten Island, we had to get off of the ferry, walk through the lobby and then we could get right back on. We stopped for pretzels on our way through the lobby and just caught the boat. Unfortunately, it wasn't dark enough for the city to be lit up, but we were treated to a very nice sunset on the way back.

(This might be my favorite picture from the trip.)

Our final stop for the day before returning to the condo was at Times Square. We took the subway and when we came up out of the station, the sun had set but it was like daylight in Times Square. The amount of artificial like was absolutely obscene. The giant digital screens were incredible and they were everywhere. Several of the streets were closed to traffic and filled with tables so you could just hang out.

(Times Square is insane.)

(The Paramount.)

We walked several blocks and took in the sights before searching for dinner. We had trouble deciding on dinner because we didn't want to eat anywhere too expensive the first night but we also didn't want to eat at a chain restaurant we could visit anytime in St. Louis. Eventually, we settled on a place called The Counter. The sign said they serve custom-made burgers. You're given a checklist of items to choose from to build your burger to order (type of meat, cheese, toppings, sauce, bun, etc.). I made a pretty boring burger but I destroyed a giant plate of Parmesan cheese fries. It hit the spot.

(I made a boring barbeque burger but the fries were awesome!)

After dinner we went home and made plans for Day 2. One day down, four to go.

Thursday
Goal For The Day: Tour New York and Rest.
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: If today was any indication, this is going to be a lot of walking. I know I should be resting my legs more, but I'm trusting that they can handle the exertion. Plus, it's totally worth it!

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 547.42 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.

Swim - 13,450+ meters.

The Hay Is In The Barn

2011-11-02T20:37:00.023-05:00

Done. Finished. Ready.

Today, I finished my last run before the marathon. It was an easy 3 miles but a great reminder of how even a routine run can bring new experiences.

First of all, I ran after work today and the temperature was in the 70's. That meant today was the first time I've run shirtless in November. I can't believe how warm it was. It's supposed to be 20 degrees cooler tomorrow but we'll be in New York by then.

I also had a new experience with a train in town. I ran down to Old Town Eureka and there was a train parked on the tracks as I ran down the hill on Central. The gates were down and the lights were flashing, but the train wasn't moving so I ran across the tracks and further down Central.

The train must have started moving right after I passed because I turned around a block later and it was crawling through the intersection. Apparently, it stopped so they could switch the tracks and it had to move through at a pedestrian pace as it pulled its seemingly endless line of cars from one set of tracks to the other.

I was trapped on the wrong side of the tracks and had no easy way to get around the train. So an unexpected train delay practically doubled the amount of time I was gone for my run. I also slowed the pace a lot for the last mile because I had cooled down waiting for the train.

With today's run in the books, I'm officially finished running until the race. As they say... "The hay is in the barn." I'm as ready for the marathon as I'm going to be. The work is done and there's nothing left but to do it.

Next stop... New York City.

Wednesday
Goal For The Day: Easy Run.
Distance: 3.04 Miles.
Time: 21:38. 7:07 Avg. (6:40, 6:43, 7:53, 0:20*).
Route: Old Town Eureka Loop.
Conditions: 72 degrees. 5:00pm.

Notes: Lots of packing to do tonight. Mom and Rick come up tonight and we fly out in the morning. I tend to feel a little... detatched during the week before the race. It's like I work so hard to stay calm that I over-do it. I'm sure the excitement of it all will hit me when we leave for New York. For now, I'm oddly calm.

Daily Miles: 3.04 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 547.42 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Winding Down

2011-11-01T20:02:00.001-05:00

I'm only planning two short runs this week. They're more to keep me from going crazy than anything else. Everything has been going to well, I'm afraid the wheels are just waiting to fall off.

Every time I reach the week before a marathon, I start to worry that taking a week slow and easy will somehow take away from the fast pace I've worked so hard to develop. My training runs have been surprisingly fast and... effortless these past two weeks. There's an irrational part of my brain that thinks if I run too slow now, my body will forget get too complacent and forget how to pick it up again on Race Day.

But I'm trying to be smart and override that irrational fear. I ran a comfortable 4 miles this morning and took the pace nice and easy. I paid close attention to my watch to make sure it didn't just feel easy... it actually was a relaxed pace.

Tonight, the packing process began. Liz is much more organized than I am and I know I'll be finishing my packing late tomorrow night, but we'll both be ready to go Thursday morning!

I can't wait!!!

Tuesday
Goal For The Day: Easy Run.
Distance: 3.88 Miles.
Time: 29:38. 7:39 Avg. (7:35, 7:37, 7:36, 6:49*).
Route: Old Town Eureka Loop w/ Extension.
Conditions: 35 degrees. 7:15am.

Notes: It was a cold morning! Long sleeves, hat, and gloves. The forecast says it'll be warmer than this on Race Day, but it was nice getting some cold weather practice.

Daily Miles: 3.88 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 544.38 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Motivation Monday - Pace Of Mind

2011-10-31T22:12:00.000-05:00

This is it. The final countdown. Less than a week to go.

At this point, motivation isn't an issue. In fact, most of this week is about reining in the excitement that threatens to get out of control and wear me out. I have to convince myself to get plenty of rest and trust that I'm ready for Sunday.

I started writing this blog in June. Originally, I just wanted a journal of my training and something I could look back on years from now to remember the entire experience leading up to the New York Marathon.

I also wanted some solid evidence that I have put in the work necessary to reach my goal. With past marathons, I've struggled with doubt and waning confidence during the final weeks of training. The last few Long Runs of a training schedule can be pretty demoralizing. Of course, it didn't help that I've also struggled with consistency late in my training for other marathons. Now I can look back at the 120+ posts in this blog and feel confident that I was more consistent... I was more dedicated... I put in the time and did the work.

Ironically, I don't feel the need to go back over my training to feel confident this time. The past two weeks have been reassuring enough to give me faith in my training. I've never trained this hard and had this much success in training. I'm running faster and stronger than I ever have. Last week's training was perfect. There's still a lot that could go wrong between now and when I cross the finish line (I've learned that lesson the hard way) but I've never felt this good about my preparation and fitness.

At first, I was hesitant to share this blog with anyone outside of my wife and a select few people that I thought would be interested in my training. Eventually, I was encouraged to share it with more people and I was surprised by how many people took interest. I'm glad I had them along for the ride and I'm grateful for the extra support and motivation they've provided.

One more week.

Monday
Goal For The Day: Rest.
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: A long day of work and the first Halloween in a long time that I didn't get to hand out candy with Liz. It's easier to swallow with the exciting week ahead though.

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 540.50 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Everyone's Riding The Momentum

2011-10-30T19:41:00.003-05:00

Today was my last 'Long Run' before the marathon. One week from today, I'll be putting over four months worth of training to the test. In fact, by this time next week, I'll be recovering and enjoying New York City!

Today's run went exceptionally well. But first, we spent another fun day with Liz's parents and took a hike through West Tyson County Park. Liz and I have hiked this trail before but it was absolutely gorgeous today with all of the Fall colors.

After Kim and Nancy left for the drive home to Kansas City, Liz and I went for our Sunday runs. This week is going to be busy with all of the preparations for our trip so Liz ran tonight instead of tomorrow. I had 8 miles on the schedule for my final Long Run and I got out the door just before 6:00pm.

I wanted to get another fast run in today but I also didn't want to push the pace too much because I need to be fully rested for next week. I was trying to run in the range of 6:45 per mile. When I checked my watch, I found out I had been running much faster than that.

My plan was to run to Route 66 State Park, run a lap, and then run home. When I got to the park, the sun had already set so I knew there was a good chance I would be kicked out when the park closed. I was only about a half-mile through the 2-mile loop when the park ranger drove by and told me I could either turn around and go out the way I came, or run out the rear entrance along the outer road. He eventually offered to wait if I really wanted to finish my lap, but I felt bad keeping him late on a Sunday evening.

I ran under the highway and out the outer road and the distance ended up being almost identical to what it would have been if I had stayed in the park. I had to be careful on the way back because the mile-or-so of road from the park to Old Town Eureka has no shoulder and it was definitely dark out. I stopped and stepped off the road a couple of times to let some cars pass because they didn't seem to be aware of my presence.

I ran 8 miles in 52:32... an average pace of 6:34 per mile. Holy crap! I don't think I've ever run that far, that fast, and still felt that good!

I wasn't the only one feeling good on Sunday though. The previously winless Rams shocked the NFL by beating the Saints 31-21!!! Last week, the Saints destroyed the other winless team in the NFL, the Colts, by a score of 62-7. Today, the Rams brought the World Series Champion Cardinals on the field for the pre-game ceremony. Apparently some of that Cardinal magic is contagious because no one thought the Rams were going to pull an upset Sunday.

Let's keep the magic rolling for one more week so I can run a PR in New York!

Sunday
Goal For The Day: Long Run.
Distance: 8.01 Miles.
Time: 52:32. 6:34 Avg. (6:44, 6:19, 6:21, 6:30, 6:21, 6:25, 6:41, 7:06).
Route: To Route 66/Out the river bypass/Home.
Conditions: 62 degrees. 6:00pm.

Notes: I felt chilly off and on all day and it seemed cooler in our house than it did outside so I was a little over-dressed for my run. I didn't need the long sleeves. I was a little warm but still ran okay. I wore all of my Race Day gear including carrying my water bottle so I could get one more dress rehearsal in. All of the hard work is done. Two more short runs this week and then it's just a waiting game.

Daily Miles: 8.01 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 540.50 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Gear Check: Spectator Gear

2011-10-29T20:28:00.001-05:00

In one week I'll run my 17th marathon. Liz has been there to cheer me on for over 5 years and she has become an amazing support for me during the race. She's a Super Spectator!

She has it down to a science. I know where she'll be on the course, what side of the street to look on, what she might be carrying for me, and how to spot her from several blocks away.

Sometimes she's carrying Gatorade or snacks that I want at specific mile markers. Sometimes she's just there to cheer me on and give me something to look forward to in the later miles of the marathon. She's always encouraging and she's a great example to other people cheering for their friends and family as they run by.

Liz has collected quite the stash of Spectator Gear over the years.

She always has a bright yellow "Roadrunner Crossing" sign that I bought at a pet store for a quarter. She holds it up and I can see her long before I get to her spot on the course so I never miss her when I run by. She also has a variety of noise makers... cowbells, whistles, plastic clappers, maracas... they make a lot of noise and don't hurt her hands. (You'd be surprised how painful several hours of clapping can be.) I've also run a lot of marathons in cold weather and she can wear warm, thick gloves and still use a cowbell when clapping isn't an option.

When we're in New York next week, there will be 45,000 other runners and 2 million other spectators. Even with those staggering numbers, I'm confident Liz and I will be able to find each other during the race.

This ain't our first rodeo!

Saturday
Goal For The Day: Rest.
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: It was a fun Fall day with the in-laws! We went to Stuckmeyer's Farm to pick pumpkins and then to Kimmswick for the Apple Butter Festival. Good times!

Daily Miles: 0.00 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 532.49 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Strong Finish!

2011-10-28T23:27:00.001-05:00

How about those Cardinals!!! World Series Champions!!!

A huge congratulations to the 11-Time World Series Champs. After last night's nail-biter, today's blowout wasn't nearly as tense, but I was still on the edge of my seat right to the last out. Liz's parents came into town for the weekend and we gathered around the t.v. to watch the Cardinals finish one of the most memorable and unlikely seasons in baseball history!

The Rangers scored two runs in the first inning and Chris Carpenter was looking awfully flat. But he woke up in the second and just rolled from there. The Cardinals scored 6 runs during the game and the Rangers didn't score again. By the 9th inning, you could just feel the victory coming and the stadium went crazy when Allen Craig caught a fly ball for the final out. What a Series!!!

(David Freese was named the Series MVP.)

(That beautiful trophy is back in town!)

It's a good time to live in St. Louis!

My marathon season is wrapping up nicely too. I don't feel that much different from several weeks ago, but apparently the reduced mileage is having the desired effect.

I took a jog over to the track after work for my last session of Bannister Repeats. I wore my iPod again today because the Dave Glover show was playing their annual Halloween special... good stuff! I listened to the show while I ran which was the first time I wore the iPod during speedwork.

I only ran 4 intervals today since I'm tapering but each one felt easier than usual (I still wouldn't call them 'easy') and my times were surprisingly fast even though I wasn't pushing it as hard as I could.

After the workout, it was an easy jog home and then a hot shower in preparation for the big game. It was a fantastic night and a great way to end the week.

Friday
Goal For The Day: Bannister Repeats.
Distance: 5.17 Miles.
Time: 4 x 400 meters. (1:13, 1:12, 1:12, 1:11).
Route: Eureka H.S. Track.
Conditions: 57 degrees. 5:15pm.

Notes: 2.09 Mile jog to the track. 4 x 400m. 2.08 Mile jog home. Goal was 1:15 each with 2 minutes rest between intervals. No more speedwork until after the marathon. I wish every Bannister workout felt this good!

Daily Miles: 5.17 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 532.49 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Don't Stop Believing!

2011-10-27T23:50:00.000-05:00

Wow! What an unforgettable night!

I've been sleeping more this week. I'm trying to listen to what my body needs and make sure I'm getting plenty of recovery time between runs so that meant no morning run today. I thought I would go for a run after work and before the Cardinals game but I was distracted by a box waiting on the front porch when I got home. The address label on the package said it was from Gatorade.

I went inside and opened the box to find an assortment of Gatorade products and a note saying, "Good luck at the ING New York City Marathon from your friends at Gatorade." I have to admit, my first thought was, "Holy crap... someone at Gatorade saw my blog." Then I realized Gatorade is supplying the sports drinks during the marathon and they sent the package because I'm a featured runner... not because they read my blog. It's still feels like being a real athlete with real sponsors, but I'm not as big of a deal as I thought for a minute there.

After looking through my free Gatorade and showing off to Liz when she got home, it was after 6:00 and I was seriously considering skipping today's run so I could sit down with a hot bowl of soup and watch Game 6 of the World Series without interruption. Liz was trying to decide about her run too. It was already getting dark out and it was kinda chilly so a warm night on the couch was very tempting. In the end, we both chose to stick with the plan and got ready for our runs.

By the time we left the house it was dark out and I didn't want to run through town so I decided to just run laps around the El Nopal parking lot. I had 6 miles on the schedule and each lap around the parking lot is about half a mile so I was going to be running 12-13 laps. To break up the monotony, I changed directions every two laps.

Liz was doing some speedwork around the parking lot too so we did our best to avoid any head-on collisions when we passed each other.

I wore my iPod so I could listen to the first few innings of the ball game while I ran. When I finished, I was surprised to see my pace was so fast. I didn't exactly expect listening to baseball would inspire a lot of speed. But it was cool outside... and I Love running at night... and I have to admit I was jumpring up and down when Burkman hit a home run in the first inning. And it was a huge adrenaline rush when the defense got Garcia out of a jam with an amazing double play.

By the time I was finished, I had run 6 solid miles and listened to some exciting baseball. Afterward, it was a quick hot shower and that hot soup I had been craving. Liz and I settled in to watch one of the most exciting baseball games I can remember.

It was do-or-die for the Cardinals in a back-and-forth Game 6. The beginning of the game involved a lot of ridiculous errors and I couldn't believe the Cardinals were playing such a sloppy game. The lead changed so many times, it was nerve wracking. The score after each inning:

1st Inning - Rangers 1 Cardinals 2
2nd Inning - Rangers 2 Cardinals 2
3rd Inning - Rangers 2 Cardinals 2
4th Inning - Rangers 3 Cardinals 3
5th Inning - Rangers 4 Cardinals 3
6th Inning - Rangers 4 Cardinals 4
7th Inning - Rangers 7 Cardinals 4
8th Inning - Rangers 7 Cardinals 5

Then the Cardinals held the Rangers scoreless in the top of the ninth and then David Freese hit a triple with two men on to tie the game! The Rangers scored two more runs in the top of the 10th but the Cardinals matched them with two runs of their own to send it to the 11th inning. When the Rangers went scoreless in the top of the 11th, you could tell everyone in the stadium was starting to think the Cardinals were going to pull off the win. David Freese stepped to the plate as the leadoff hitter and hit a walk-off home run to dead center field!!!

The Cardinals trailed 5 times during the game including being down by two runs in both the 9th and 10th innings and they still managed to pull off a stunning victory!

I can't remember a more intense, rollercoaster of emotions, exciting baseball game! What a magic season!!! This entire season and especially tonights game are perfect analogies for why I never leave a game early. It's not over until it's over! Go Cards!!!

Thursday
Goal For The Day: Middle Distance.
Distance: 6.00 Miles.
Time: 39:38. 6:36 Avg. (6:53, 6:34, 6:37, 6:43, 6:28, 6:19).
Route: 12+ Laps Around El Nopal Parking Lot.
Conditions: 51 degrees. 7:00pm.

Notes: My pace is still faster than I expected. Everything is falling into place nicely!

Daily Miles: 6.00 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 527.32 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Last Call For Hills

2011-10-26T21:50:00.001-05:00

This is a week of 'Lasts'. As far as I'm concerned, this is the last week I get any real work done. All of my runs are getting shorter but I'll use this week to build confidence about my speed. Then next week only has three very short runs scheduled and they're really only placeholders to keep me from going stir-crazy.

So today was my last set of Hill Repeats before the marathon. It was only 4 trips up Top Notch so I made sure each time up was quality. It was a cool morning and I felt pretty good. There wasn't anything too remarkable about today other than I won't be doing this kind of workout again until after Race Day.

(You see a heart attack... I see an improving elevation profile.)

The rest of the day was chilly and rainy. In fact, Game 6 of the World Series was postponed. So tomorrow night is do or die for the Cardinals. If they can win Game 6, I think they'll take it all. It's been a great October so far!

Wednesday
Goal For The Day: Hill Repeats.
Distance: 2.90 Miles.
Time: 26:01. 8:59 Avg. (8:25, 9:12, 8:22*).
Route: 4 x Top Notch.
Conditions: 58 degrees. 7:30am.

Notes: The workouts always seem so short this late in the taper. I have to remind myself they're intended to be short. I'm not slacking. I'm not slacking. I'm not slacking.

Daily Miles: 2.90 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 521.32 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.

Time Is Flying. And Today, So Was I.

2011-10-25T20:17:00.002-05:00

According to Einstein, everything's relative. Who am I to argue?

The marathon plays tricks with time in a lot of ways. When I'm running a marathon, the first six miles fly by. It seems like every time I look up, I'm passing another mile marker. Around mile eight or ten, time slows back to normal. Each mile arrives on schedule and all is right with the world. But somewhere between mile 17 and mile 20, time becomes a cruel, torturous force that works against me. It begins by making each mile seem longer and longer until each mile marker takes an eternity to reach. Then, by some paradox of time and space, while the miles start to last forever, the clock also starts moving faster. While I'm struggling just to feel like I'm still moving forward, the clock is speeding toward my goal time without mercy.

The marathon time warp extends beyond the race though. During the two weeks of tapering before the race, time becomes a similar paradox. Waiting for Race Day is like waiting for Christmas. The anticipation makes the days drag by. At the same time, there's so much going on, I look back on the past couple of days and I have no idea where the time went.

Yesterday was a Rest Day and I tried to shake off the funk of Sunday's run. I was hoping today would be a good rebound day and I wasn't disappointed.

Today's forecast listed a high of 86 degrees so I made sure to go for my run in the morning while it was still cool. I'm cutting back on the mileage this week but I want to keep my speed up. Plus, after Sunday's run, I wanted to see if I could make a pace in the 6:40's feel comfortable again.

I ran the Kircher Park Loop and the day of rest did it's job. I was back into the pace range I'm looking for. In fact, I wasn't paying close enough attention to my watch and most of my run was actually faster than I thought.

I was also greeted by the magical low-lying fog in that same field I talked about in last Friday's post. I like to think something really significant happened in this field in the past. There's just something special about it.

Here are a couple of short videos of the fog hanging over the field:

After work, I met Liz for our swim. It was quiet at the gym tonight and we had the lap lane to ourselves for most of the swim. Liz said she felt like she wasn't swimming as well as she usually does but I was feeling pretty smooth in the water. Of course, she was still swimming faster than me.

On our last interval, a little boy asked to share the lane with us. This little kid was good! For the first several lengths, he was swimming as fast as I was.

It was a reassuring day and I'm feeling good about the week ahead.

Monday
Goal For The Day: Rest.
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Tuesday
Goal For The Day: Middle Distance.
Distance: 5.97 Miles.
Time: 39:40. 6:39 Avg. (6:57, 6:22, 6:35, 6:26, 6:43, 6:35*).
Route: Kircher Park Loop.
Conditions: 52 degrees. 7:15am.

Goal For The Day: Swim.
Distance: 1,000 meters (4 x 250).
Location: Fenton Rec Center Indoor Pool.

Notes: It was one of those special, effortless days! If only the marathon could be like today.

Daily Miles: 5.97 Miles.
Blog Totals:
Run - 518.42 Miles.
Bike - 144.45 Miles.
Swim - 13,450+ meters.