0 Days to Go: I Packed Your Angry Eyes

I'm leaving for the Dome in about an hour.  I'm excited and calm at the same time.  I know it's going to be a good day, and I just want to start running now.  I also know that something will go wrong.  Nothing major, but nothing ever goes completely according to plan.  I can accept this, and I know to move beyond it.

Last night, I may have already experienced the thing that goes wrong.  At 11:23pm, I am awoken to some yelling and screaming.  It was so loud that I was almost positive that it was coming from my own apartment.  It wasn't.  It was my neighbors being loud and obnoxious.  I was NOT in the mood for such things, so I put in my angry eyes and gave them a piece of my mind:

They then quieted down.

—— 

To everyone running today, have a GREAT race!  If you're spectating, I can't wait to see you out there!

To your mom, and beyond!

1 Day to Go: TK-421, Why Aren't You At Your Post?

Last night, Katie and I ventured to the Expo under the guise of picking up our race packets.  The real reason someone goes to the Expo is for the stuff.  Lot's of stuff.  And I caved:

Yup, those are my new Brooks Launch.  I have heard some really great things about these shows, and they were 20% off at the Expo.  20% off!  So I bought them.  I gave them a test run this morning, and I LOVE them.  They're considerably lighter than my Adrenalines, and they just feel great.  I can't wait to go on a longer run with them.

Fun Side Note:  At the TC10k this morning, there was a really close finish for first place.  The guy who took 2nd?  He sold me these shoes.

Speaking of the 10k, Katie raced it this morning too!  It was a cold morning (probably about 40°F when we got to the Capitol around 6:30am).  We hung out in the family fun tent by the heaters for a while, then Katie left to warm up.  When she finished, I decided to get a free cup of coffee from Caribou.  Remember, I hate coffee, but I REALLY needed to warm up.  So, I spilled the coffee all over the cream and sugar table decided to have only a quarter cup of coffee.

So, race time.  Katie was excited, and it was a great morning and course for her to meet her goal of a sub-60 10k.  Here she is about ready to head to the start:

Her race number reminds me of TK-421

Katie then leaves for 2nd Grade:

Look closely at the signs up ahead of Katie

So, my next goal was to spill more coffee get up ahead of the starting line to see her start.  Remember, now, that I'm trying to rest as much as possible before the race tomorrow.  I moved as quickly as I could, with a quick pause for the National Anthem, but everyone started moving!  Well, I guess the starting line wasn't where it said "Start", but 100 meters ahead of there, so everyone had to move up as part of a parade.  I JUST made it to catch Katie go by:

Looking very happy

Runners on their way.  Isn't this just a fantastic place to have a race?

Yup, I'll be looking at this tomorrow

So, I hung around for a while while she was out running.  My big goal was to find Hannah, who had a fun token for me (more on this later).  She is super cool and works for Twin Cities in Motion, and after texting back forth, I discovered she was at the media tent.  I searched for the media tent, but since exactly zero tents near the starting line are labeled, she had to help me again (thanks Hannah).

Runners started coming in, and when the clock said 55ish minutes, I knew Katie would be coming soon.  Lo and behold:

Not as cheery looking, but she's barreling towards the finish

So, did Katie meet her goal?  She sure did!  By a lot!  57'12"!!  I'm super proud of her, and I think she had a great time too!

I warmed up, Katie cooled down, then we left.  We almost had a disaster waiting for us in the parking lot.  When we got there in the morning, it was still dark, so I turned the interior lights on in the car so we could pay for parking.  When we got home later, the lights were still on.  Oops.  Thanks to Chevrolet for making the car smarter than me and preventing the battery from going dead.

2 Days To Go: What to Look For

Are you coming to cheer for the runners this weekend?  If you don't know how, I gave a primer yesterday—read it.

When you come to the course, there are certain things you should look for.  One of those is my bib number—2490.  (It's also helpful to know that if you want to track me via the texting.)  The second important thing to look for is my outfit:

On Sunday, I'll actually be wearing these things, so imagine me in the clothes.  If you're unsure of what you're looking at, here's the lowdown:

Sunglasses:  Helpful for keeping sun out of your eyes.  Also saves spectators from your evil glare when they use cowbells.

Singlet:  Will be combined with band-aids and Body Glide to prevent unwanted chafing.

Shorts:  They're red.  They're short.  It's a runner's thing.  Get over it.

Shoes:  Weights for the end of your legs.  Makes the last 6 miles seem even longer.

Socks:  Keeps your toes in line and blister free.

Watch:  For what?

Pace Band:  Because I didn't have any place for my TI-86 Graphing Calculator.

Got it?  Good.

3 Days to Go: What are YOU doing this weekend?

I'm running the Twin Cities Marathon this weekend.  But you probably knew that.  (If you didn't, then you must be new to the blog, so to catch you up—I'm running the Twin Cities Marathon this weekend.  If you're not new, but didn't know that, have you tried Gingko Biloba?)

Anyway, I know what I'll be doing Sunday morning, but do you?  Since you're not going to be able to drive anywhere in the Twin Cities on Sunday anyway, why not cheer on the runners in the marathon and the 10 mile?  It's really easy to do—first, find a location on the course (it's very important to be on the course because we don't run in places like Hudson, Wisconsin or Albuquerque, NM).  Need to know where the course goes?  Go to the Spectator's Guide and it has a course map and all kinds of other important information.  But, for those who are morally opposed to PDFs, here is the 11 Word Course Description: Metrodome, Hennepin, Douglas, Lakes, Minnehaha Parkway, River, St. Thomas, Summit, Capital.

They've even made it easy for you to plan your day if you know the texting.  You can go to this website, register your cellular telephone with your favorite runner(s), and they'll text you with location updates at the start, 5k, 10k, Pikermi, 30k, and the finish (I'm not sure what updates you get for the 10 mile, but it should be similar).  You can compare those updates to the course map and plan your cheering accordingly.  Katie has signed up already, and I've been assured that you don't need to know any of the hip texting lingo.  So, OMG*, if u** dont*** ndrstnd**** this sentence, no 1***** will LOL****** at u!

The second important part of cheering for the runners is the cheering.  Here are some helpful cheering tips:

• Cowbells have been found to be an instrument of Satan and banned from the Planet Earth are fun ways to make noise, but realize I may give you an unhappy look.
• In the scope of things, a few miles left in the race means we're almost there.  But don't tell us that.  It's only acceptable to say "you're almost there" if the finish line is in sight.
• Halfway is 13.1 miles.  Do not say "you're halfway done" at mile 11.
• It is acceptable to say: "Looking great with those pasty white legs!"
• If you know people running, give them an idea where you'll be cheering from.  Sometimes, it's a whole lot easier for a runner to spot someone cheering than the other way around.
• Runners love seeing signs with our names on it.  This applies even if the sign isn't meant for you.  So, go to one of those "Most Popular Baby Names" books from the 80s, pick some good ones, and make a sign that says: "Go Peter, Paul, and Mary!"
• We love encouragement, but make sure you don't assist a runner.  Cheers are good, but giving a runner food, clothing, or other objects are against the spirit of competition.  Also, don't try and pace a runner.
• We won't look pretty come the last few miles, so we know you're lying when you say: "You're looking great/strong/fast/super!"  BUT, we love hearing that anyway.
• If you cheer near the Cathedral, it's all downhill from there, and you can tell us that.  If you're someplace else, it's not.
• The more wacky you can be, the better.  Do something crazy, or wear a funny costume.  If you're going for the Most Wacky Award, you'll have some tough competition, though.

Those are my cheering tips.  And this is my plea—COME CHEER!  In all seriousness, it would be great to see you out there.  If you plan on coming, let me know where you'll be, and I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you!  I run the tangents on the course, so that should give you a clue as to which side of the road I'll be running on.

—— 

Can't make it on Sunday?  TCIM is putting on a bunch of other races on Saturday, and Katie is running the 10k!  This will be Katie's first road race that I'm not doing, so I'm super excited to cheer for her.  The fun starts at the State Capital at 7:30am on Saturday morning.

*OMG—abbreviation for "Oh My God!", which saves space.
**u—abbreviation for "you", which saves space.
***dont—It's ok to get rid of punctuation, which saves space.  But remember that I'll and ill can mean very different things.
****ndrstnd—It's ok to remove vowels from words, which saves space.
*****1—It's also ok to replace words with numerals, which saves space.
******LOL—abbreviation for "Laughing Out Loud", which save space.  It is unknown whether this also applies when laughing to oneself.

4 Days to Go: Racing Strategy

Continuing the theme from yesterday, I'll go into my racing strategy for Sunday.  If there's one thing I learned last year is that it's the smart runner who succeeds in the marathon.  Even the best trained runner can crash and burn if they go out too fast or attack hills like a dog and a laser beam.  A while back, I came across a post on the Runner's World forums where some guy went through a fairly detailed explanation of "How to Have a Great Twin Cities Marathon".  It's actually quite a great piece to read if you're running on Sunday—you'll need to scroll down a bit to get to the post.  In reading this post, I've internalized some of the tips and strategies and they will hopefully make things go much more smoothly this year.

• Don't go out too fast.  I know, I know, I know.  This caused me problems last year, and this may be the single most important thing I need to do on Sunday.  My goal time is 3:45, so, I'm going to start at the 4:00 pace group.  Putting myself there will help remove the temptation to keep up with faster pace groups, and because even the pace groups go out too fast, going with the 4 hour people will help me keep my first mile pace near 8'50".  I will also make sure that I'm not passing people and weaving through the crowd.  Bottom line—Mile 1 should feel SLOW.  Really slow.  If I feel ok, I'm going too fast.  Even if Mile 1 ends up at 9'15", that's ok because I'll be able to make it up later.
• Pacing.  I'm going to make a pace band for myself based on the ones available on the TCIM Website.  They don't have one for 3:45, so I'll modify the 3:40 one.  Basically, these pace charts are designed for the course and take the hills into account.  I probably won't follow it to the letter, but it can help me pick an overall pace trend even if my judgment is a bit cloudy.
• Early Miles—Take it Easy.  Continuing the theme from Mile 1, I need to keep the slow pace.  I can't worry about passing people until at least Lake Calhoun because it's just so crowded until then.  I'm not going to expend any extra energy at this point just to pass people.
• Middle Miles—Settle Into My Pace.  I'll probably be somewhere near target pace along Minnehaha Parkway.
• Run the Tangents.  This becomes very important once the crowds thin out near Lake Harriet/Minnehaha Parkway.  A marathon course is 26.2 IF you follow the shortest path—running the tangents.  Sticking to the center of the road can mean you run 26.5 miles, which can be the difference between 3:44:59 and 3:45:59.  So, I'll be swerving a lot to make sure I hit as many tangents as possible.
• Take the Hills EASY.  I love hills.  I love attacking hills in a cross country race because it usually leaves my opponents in the dust.  But I can't do that this Sunday.  Lately, I've been focusing on keeping my effort constant going up hills and letting my speed drop.  I'll continue that, and not overcook the hills.  When I get to the big hill near St. Thomas, I'll be fine because that's MY hill.  I do all my hill repeats there, so I own that hill.
• Summit is a 5 Mile RACE.  Another place that I own is Summit Avenue.  I didn't get to take advantage of this fact last year because of my quad, but since I'll be racing better this year, I get to conquer Summit with all my might.  My focus will be on reeling people in and passing them one at a time.  I know that the course is net downhill beyond Snelling, so I can gain some extra speed there.  This part of the course is ALL mental, so if I trust my training, and want that 3:45 bad enough, I'll do well here.
• Roll Down the Last Hill.  It's a very downhill finish, and I've always said that one could stop at the cathedral, lay down, roll, and cross the finish line.  Ok, I won't actually do this, but it will look pretty tempting on Sunday…
• Finish Strong.  Last year, I had a strange walk/run/limp going on in the last 800 meters.  This year, if you're in front of me beyond the Cathedral, expect to get passed.

I'm not really assigning specific numbers/paces to the miles because that can hinder me more than help me.  I've made a lot of progress this year on being able to listen to my body and pacing myself accurately, so I think I'll be able to do most of the race by feel as long as I keep the above points in mind.  I'll still have a pace band with me because I won't be able to do the math on the fly, so it helps to have a reminder.

Come back tomorrow for all the information you need to know about being a spectator on Sunday.

5 Days to Go: Nutrition Strategy

I'm going to divide my marathon strategy into two posts.  The first regards nutrition, the second about pacing and general strategy.  I think this is important because nutrition is just as important as pacing, and requires just as much fretting (maybe even more).

Last year, my nutrition plan was as follows:

• Carb load starting 2-3 days before the race.
• At each water stop, drink 1 cup of water and 1 cup of Powerade.
• I ate drank ingested a Gu at miles 5, 9, 15, 21, and 23.  Instead of water and Powerade at these rest stops, I did 2 cups of water to help me digest the Gu.
• A salt packet at 11 and 24, but this failed miserably because the salt got all wet from my sweat (ironic, eh?) at mile 11 so it was tough to eat, and I dropped the second one at 24.

It seemed to work fairly well, but I'm modifying it a bit this year to ensure that I stay fueled.

• I'm already carb loading.  I've started increasing the proportion of carbs in my diet by eating more fruit, veggies, rice, and pasta.  I've also cut out sugary snack foods (sad face), and tried to keep my protein and fat content about constant.
• About 45 minutes before the race, I plan to have 1 salt packet.  With about 15-20 minutes to go, I'll eat drink consume a Gu.
• I plan on drinking only Powerade at the rest stops.  This is the way I trained all summer, and I was really pleased at how much Powerade keeps my energy up.  It's almost a Gu-like effect, but spread out over a longer period of time.  Depending on how full the cups are, I'll take 1 or 2 cups, aiming for about 4oz at each aid station.
• I'll consume Gu at miles 7, 11, 15, and 19.  I was thinking about shifting these forward to (5, 9, 13, 17, and 21), but I wanted to reduce the amount of Gu I was carrying.  Also, on one of my runs I had a Gu at Franklin and E. River (the mile 19 water stop on the course), and I was REALLY pleased with my energy level on the hill near St. Thomas.  I may take an extra Gu with me in case I want it on Summit, but I'll probably stick with Powerade there.  Oh, and at these aid stations I'll only drink water, about 6-8oz.
• I'm going to do a 2nd salt packet near the halfway point.
• With about 20 minutes left in the race (about 2-3 miles), I'm not going to stop for anything.  20 minutes isn't enough time for the calories to make themselves useful, and I don't want any excuses to stop moving.  Walking is ok, but once I do, the temptation to keep doing it gets greater and greater.  The one exception to this rule is that if it's hot out (it probably won't be), I'll grab water at the last couple aid stations and dump it on my head to cool off.  I don't see this happening though.

So that's my liquid diet for the race.  One sad part is that they've discontinued Orange Burst Gu, so I'll be using my second favorite flavor—Tri-Berry.  It's ok, but it's just not the same as Orange Burst.

6 Days To Go: What Went Wrong Last Time

The next few posts will detail how I'm going to approach this marathon, but before I do that, I wanted to take a step back and review my performance from last year and see how it will help me strategize for October 3rd.

My first marathon was a great experience.  I enjoyed the training, and I enjoyed the race.  I remember most of the race in vivid detail, and count it as one of the most exciting moments in my life.  That being said, the quality of the running was mostly disastrous.  Here's why:

• Unrealistic Expectations.  I didn't have a firm time goal in mind for my first marathon—I merely wanted to finish.  But, I did have a secondary goal of 4.5 hours.  My issue was that I based this entirely on my training paces, which is a horrible way to predict race performance.  Doing a 20-mile training run and saying "yeah, I can go faster than that on race day" is very, very different than doing a half marathon and saying "what can I learn from this about my fitness?"  So, I went into race day thinking I could average 10'18" per mile when that was very optimistic.
• Starting Too Fast.  This is the big problem that everyone has on their first marathon, and I was no different.  Not only did I have a pace goal of 10'18" per mile, but I did my first mile in 10'18".  I tried not to get caught up in the excitement, but I did.  I had a few other miles in there that were sub-10, and I charged up the hills early in the race.  All my energy was expended far too early, and I paid the price when my quad went crazy 18 miles in.  Ironically, my quad cramping up made the effects of "hitting the wall" much less severe because I had to slow down tremendously.
• Training Errors.  Hal's Novice 1 plan did exactly what it said it would do—get me to the finish line.  I have no doubt that I could have finished the marathon faster and in better shape by following this plan had I not made these mistakes.  I missed/cut back some training as part of a trip back home and then I got sick.  While missing 1 or 2 workouts aren't the end of the world, my progression upward in miles moved backwards.  I missed one of the  16+ mile runs and a number of its supporting runs, so things like this contributed to me being a bit undertrained.  This wasn't a huge problem, but it's something I keep in mind.
• Improper Distance.  I relied on my Nike+ gizmo last year to tell me my distance.  For my 20 miler, I left home, followed a route, and when the gizmo said that I hit 10 miles, I turned around and went home.  I didn't have the greatest relationship with my Nike+ gizmo, though, and it may have caused me some problems.  Even after calibration, the distance ended up being off by a significant amount—I figure that my 20 mile run was closer to 19 miles than 20.  Not a major discrepancy, but over the course of many miles, it adds up to a lot of miles that I should have ran that I didn't.
• Nutrition Issues.  For the most part, my nutrition in the race went well.  One problem I had was that I wasn't used to Powerade straight-up.  In training, I would mix it 50/50 with water so it would taste better.  On the course, I had to take 1 cup of Powerade and 1 cup of water and drink them separately (no, I didn't have the mental capacity to make mixed drinks after 20 or so miles).  When I reached Summit Avenue, it was tough to drink the Powerade because it just didn't taste great, so I went for water almost exclusively, and my caloric intake suffered accordingly.

Those are the places where I saw problems with last year's performance.  Stay tuned for how I'll take these problems and fix them for this year's race.

7 Days to Go: A Short(s) Problem

With the marathon now only 1 week away, I'll be posting each day as part of my marathon countdown.  Today's topic is choosing my attire for the race.  Barring any crazy weather (rain, snow, etc.), I've got most of my running outfit set:

Singlet, sunglasses, Adrenalines, and socks

Clearly, there is something missing from that photograph—shorts!  I'm vacillating between two pairs:

On the left are my trusty gray, Target brand shorts that I do most of my training in.  On the right are my red racing shorts.  I had originally planned on wearing the gray shorts, but now I really can't decide.  So, yes, I'm involving you in my decision about what shorts to wear.

Gray Shorts

Pros

• Trained in them, so I know I won't have any issues on a long run (say, 26.2 miles).
• They're a bit more substantial, and since I'll be pinning 4 or 5 Gu packets to them, I'm sure they can handle it.

Cons

• They're boring.
• Katie sometimes has issues spotting me in the marathon crowd, so a blue shirt and gray shorts don't exactly make me stand out.

Red Shorts

Pros

• They're visible, so Katie will be happy.
• They're my racing shorts, so I'll just feel faster.

Cons

• Haven't used them for a distance longer than a Pikermi, so I can't be sure there won't be any long distance issues.
• I don't know that they can support 5 Gu packets.

So, clearly this is a dilemma between the practical and the sentimental.  I know the red shorts won't make me any faster, but wearing the short, racing shorts puts me in the racing mindset.  It helps me transition from training to racing, and the biggest hurdle of the marathon is the mental one.

I don't have too many worries about chafing and whatnot because I'll most likely have a pair of compression shorts on underneath whichever pair of shorts I choose.  Still, new things on race day make me nervous.

What ends up being the greatest mental advantage?  Is it knowing that you have everything planned out perfectly, and that there won't be surprises?  Or is it having that mental boost from a seemingly silly thing like red shorts?