It ain't Chinese algebra!

I slept in this morning.  For some reason I've felt exhausted the past 2-3 mornings, even with the reduced mileage.  Hopefully it's just a funk I'm in and it will pass.  Anyway, 7 miles tonight after work.  I ran to the Tualatin HS track and met my family.  As they walked, I ran and we all got some exercise.  I feel really good and can't wait for next weekend.  These shoes felt better, but I'm not sold on them for the full 26.2.

16 miles on....no particular course.  It actually felt really good to run somewhere different and new.  I tend to get stuck in a rut and run the same route over and over again.  I should make a better effort to mix things up.

Feeling good.  I'm hoping that the weather is cooler here next weekend than it was today in SG. Sheesh!!  

10 miles this morning on Ryan's loop.  It was slightly chilly--I could have used gloves for the first 10-15 minutes.

7 miles on the hotel treadmill.  I kept the pace easy for the first 5 miles, then mixed in 4x400m 'strides,' each a bit faster than the previous one (5:50 pace, 5:40, 5:30, and 5:10 for the final one).  It felt fast on my legs (but heck, 8:00/pace feels fast to me on the treadmill) but easy on my lungs.  Feeling good.

6 miles, again on the treadmill.  I didn't pack accordingly for the cold here in Pendleton, thus the treadmill.  It's a good 10-12 degrees cooler here than Portland.

I've got to say--I'm loving being able to sleep in until 6:30 and still run before work.  That beats getting up @ 5:30 to run 10-13 miles each day.  Anyway, 5 miles on Ryan's loop.  Finished the run with strides.

Cumulus (544)

No running today.  Just a reflection on the past 16 weeks, as well as my past marathons:

Marathon	Total Miles	Miles/Week	High Week	Runs 20+	Result
SG '07	355	22	36	3	2:44
Lincoln '08	608	38	56	3	2:47
CIM '08	704	44	70	4	2:35
Eugene '09	1028	64	90	4	2:37
Portland '10	1171	74	102	9	??

I've ran more this time around, but not by as much as I thought.  I don't follow any plan, but perhaps I should?  I've ran more doubles, more days with 20+ miles, as well as more 20+ mile runs on Saturday's.  Lastly, I've shortened my taper this time around.  Hopefully all these things add up to a good race.  We'll see...

Ready to roll.

I'm very happy.  Simple as that--just really happy.  If the stars align and everything goes great, I've got a 2:29 in me.  I was hoping that today would be the day.  Turns out it wasn't, but I'm more than okay with a 2:31:29.  But first, the countless details that make entries fun (or boring, depending on your preference):

My training has gone well and despite the lack of quality tempo/interval workouts, I've ran more miles than ever (see Fri, Oct 8th) so I was hoping things would work out in the end.  If there was going to be a problem, it was going to be the weather.  Much like SG last week, the weather in Portland has been great this fall leading up to this weekend.  That all changed on Friday night when storm clouds rolled in, bringing with it rain, humidity, & wind.  Saturday weather was rotten and the weather forecast called for the same on Sunday; 60-62 degrees at the start, 70-80% chance of rain, 92% humidity, 8-15 mph winds with gusts up to 20 mph.   I've ran in plenty of rain since moving to Portland--no big deal.  I was worried about the humidity being a factor in messing up my hydration gauge, and of course, wind is never good.  The one positive was the temps, although take away the other elements and I'd love it if it was 46 degrees when the gun went off.  Anyway, the point being that I spent much of Friday and Saturday over-thinking the weather, thinking all was lost and otherwise being quite negative about it all.  Thankfully I've got an understanding wife & other family members who made me realize "who cares?!"  Just deal with it and it may not be that bad.

I woke up at 5:15 to eat a bagel, banana and yogurt.  A quick check of the weather reveled only 5 mph winds with the other elements (rain, temperature and humidity) staying the same.  That immediately lifted my spirits and by 5:45 I was driving to downtown Portland.  By 6:15 I had parked my car and with 45 minutes to spare, began the search for a bathroom.   The lines were endless at the starting line port-a-potties so I walked to the nearest hotel and took care of business, getting back to the starting area with 10 minutes to spare.  The only guy I recognized was John Lucas and after talking with him, learned that he was hoping to run a low 2:20.  He'd dropped out the Eugene Marathon in 2008 at mile 18 due to injury after shooting for a Olympic Trials Qualifying time--I figured the win today was his.

We took off at the gun and made our way through 2 things; downtown Portland and rain.  I simply tried to avoid puddles while running a conservative first mile.  In my four previous marathons, I've started out extremely conservative with the hopes of a strong second half and possible negative split.  Today, I wanted to run by feel as much as possible.  I was surprised to be in 5^th place at mile 1 and shocked at how easy a 5:42 felt.  The thought went through my head "if you don't take a RISK, there is no REWARD."  At that point I made a decision that would determine the rest of my race; I was going to RACE this marathon, not just run strategically, methodically and otherwise a "safe" marathon.  Mile 2 (5:56) had some slight uphill but there were still 5 of us running as a pack, including Lucas.  I asked him when he was going to stop toying with us and he replied he wasn't feeling great.  A short time later, around mile 3 (5:52), Lucas and two others broke away slightly, leaving myself and a runner named Phil Olson in 4^th/5^th place.

Phil and I had a number of things in common; 30 years old, married, kids, similar training, and most importantly, both shooting for 2:29.  Although just 3 miles into the race, there weren't any runners near us to the rear and with the lead pack gaping us by just a bit, Phil and I committed to work together to achieve our goal of 2:29.  Near mile 4 (5:34) Phil took some Gatorade from a family member and shared his drink with me also (for the life of me, I can't remember how that worked out?  Did he offer the drink? Did I really ask some stranger if he'd share his drink with me. i.e 'He dude, can I have your leftovers?').  Right then I realized how valuable Phil's kindness would be to me throughout the race.  I'd heard horror stories about Ultima, the replenishment drink (void of carbs) which was served along the course.  Phil had family members set up at 6-7 spots throughout the course to provide Gatorade and he stated he was willing to share with me each upcoming time.  I had planned on drinking water for 26.2 miles so was immensely grateful to have a better option.

Miles 5 (5:34) and 6 (5:27) were uneventful, other than seeing my wife and son braving the rain to show their support.  How cool are they?!  The course turned lightly and the next 3 miles were ran directly into a somewhat strong wind.  By mile 7 (5:47), one of the three leaders had fallen off the pace and Phil and I urged him to hang on with us and work together.  Strength in numbers, you know?  Turns out it was Karl Siebach (xcrunner7) making his marathon debut after a 1:11 Painters Half Marathon in January earlier this year.  We made our way to mile 8 (5:40) along some of the loneliest parts of the course before turning around at mile 9 (5:34) to finally have the wind at our backs for a couple miles.  Mile 10 (5:35) put us at 56:45, right on pace for 2:29.  I was feeling solid; not great but not bad by any means.  Karl dropped off the pace at mile 11 (5:18) and I saw my family once again as Phil and I set our sights on catching the 2^nd place runner who was 100meters ahead of us.

There was a slight uphill through mile 12 (5:44) and slight downhill at mile 13 (5:29) when Phil and I passed the runner ahead of us to move into a tie for 2^nd/3^rd place.  This was new territory for me--racing a marathon with a top-5 (top 2-3 even??) place on the line.  It was a fun thought and definitely pushed me to keep the pace humming along.  The next 4 miles were on a flat, lonely highway into the wind once again, with traffic moving along at 45 mph in the lanes parallel to us.  The mile marker was long for mile 14 (5:52) and short for mile 15 (5:15), followed by one last flat mile (mile 16 in 5:35) before the one major hill on the course.

Phil and I salvaged a 6:11 on mile 17 which was entirely uphill as we crossed St. Johns Bridge and then pushed on through 18 (5:35).  At this point, and for the first time all race, I dropped off the pace and fell a bit behind Phil for half a mile.  I dug deep to close the gap and caught up to Phil by running mile 19 in 4:58??  Another misplaced mile marker!  Either way, I was back to being shoulder-to-shoulder with Phil, still running for 2^nd place, and for the past 3 miles, within striking distance of Lucas.  Spectators told us we were 30-40 seconds behind him and on straight roads we could clearly see the gap we needed to make up.  Mile 20 (6:16) was long, making up for the short mile 19.  Either way, our 20 mile total was 1:53:04, nearly 70 seconds under 2:29:59 pace.  I was beginning to feel the effects of running 20 miles but was hopeful I could hang on for a few more solid miles.

Uh, maybe not.  Mile 21 (6:05) was when Phil pulled away for good and I was left alone in 3^rd place, not sure how far behind others were.  Mile 22 (5:55) was better, but not quite what I was hoping for on the last (and only?) downhill of the course.  All of the sudden I was passed like I was standing still.  No joke.  Some guy I hadn't see all race ran passed me and took a bit of my confidence with him in the process.  I latched on for about 15-20 steps before fatigue set in even more.  Despite the slowing pace, I'm still hanging on for a sub-2:30 and 4^th place.  Mile 23 (5:57) makes a sub-2:30 an even greater challenge and then what should have been a minor uphill feels much more major before mile 24 (6:03).  Once again I was caught from behind, only this time I put up more of a fight.  We jockeyed back and forth during the next mile and I lost :).  Now in 5^th place, mile 25 (6:13) put me 16 seconds behind 2:29:59.  I told myself just one more push to the finish and maybe, just maybe, I could sneak across the finish line under 2:30.

The final mile was rough.  There was no wall, no cramping, no bonking, no upset stomach.  Just tired.  Simple as that.  I asked my body to respond and there was nothing there.  I really believe, on this day, I gave it my all and my body gave all in return.  That worked for 25 miles.  Too bad the race is 26.2, eh?  It could have been worse though.  As I made my way along the final mile, I approached a runner laying in the ground, surrounded by 2 police officers.  I heard the policeman ask the individual if he could, with assistance, get up and move to the sidewalk.  I looked down to see John Lucas, the race leader for 25+ miles, looking completely dazed and confused.  I felt horrible for him, especially after his bad luck last year in Eugene.  Now in 4^th place (what a lame way to move up in the standings!), and figuring John had assistance, I continued towards the finish line, feeling slower with each step.  I passed mile 26 (6:36) and thankfully the finish line (.2 in a not-so-speedy 1:33) before my body's gas tank reached completely zero.

I hope this post didn't sound negative (sometimes I have that tendency).  I'm more than happy with this time.  Really happy!  If anything, it made me realize that a sub-2:30 is within reach.  I learned a lot today.  Number one, to give it your all--without risk, there is no reward.  Second, it's probably not a good idea to race a marathon in shoes that already have 350 miles on them--they felt fine until mile 23 and by then they felt shot!  I also, the value of having someone to work with along the course.  I wouldn't have done as well without Phil and his generosity/running style.  I owe a lot to him and was pumped to see him take 2^nd with a 2:29.  I'm sure there's more to say but I'm tired and want to go to bed.  So that's it for now.  Not sure what's next but hopefully more good races!

I feel like I've been hit by a truck.  Everything hurts.

Not as sore as yesterday, but nowhere close to being able to run.

Feeling better but it feels good to sleep in.  I'm resisting the urge to run until Saturday.

Final day of rest.  Back in the groove tomorrow.  Can't wait!

First run, post marathon.  I felt good throughout, but as soon as I finished my legs felt 'shot.'  It blows my mind how people run so soon after a marathon.  It's been 5 days and maybe I should have held off until 6?  And to think others will run the very next day.  Am I just a wuss?

Similar run as yesterday.  Legs felt fine while running but as soon as I stopped, they felt shot.  I'm not sure how else to describe it.  Hopefully they'll freshen up over the weekend and I can get back to a routine on Monday.

Ryan's loop.  Winter is here, or at least on the doorstep.  After not running much in Tualatin in the past 10 days (minus the marathon when it was 60 degrees), I woke up to 38 degrees.  I had to just sit there for a minute before getting dressed to jog my memory as to what I needed to wear.  'So long t-shirt.  See you in May.  Welcome back gloves and beanie. Uh...it's good to see you?'  Not so much...

6 miles in Pendleton.  This is the best I've felt since the marathon.  My legs felt good both during and after finishing my run.

Last day in Pendleton and it can't come soon enough.  First off, it's 20 degrees colder here than Portland and so I'm forced to run on the treadmill.  Secondly, I don't think my stomach can handle another meal eaten out at a restaurant.  Give me some home cooked food!

Typical run for this time of year: it starts with me not wanting to get out of my warm bed to run in the dark/cold/rain/wind/etc. When I finally get out the door, the first couple miles are slow, middle miles are okay and by the time I finish, I'm glad I laced up my shoes.
I guess I'm just not ready for winter..

Cumulus (551)

Slept in. Again.  I just can't seem to get out of bed this week.

9 miles as I wandered around Tualatin and Tigard.  No real course; just a bunch of side streets and random parks.  Great weather on a refreshing run.  Hopefully I can get back into a groove next week and bring the mileage up a bit.

9 miles on the hospital loop. A storm rolled in yesterday but the run wasn't too bad. It was a little windy but not too cold so I won't complain.

Cumulus (560)

I ran the Desperate Housewives loop this morning, plus the hospital loop on my way home.  My math was fuzzy and I ended up running 2 more miles than I planned.  I'm not sure how that happened--I guess running the course in reverse threw me off.  Anyway, it wasn't a problem physically to go the extra miles, it just made me a little late to start my day.

8 miles on Ryan's loop.  No rain this morning which was a nice change.  Both of my hip flexors have been a little tight since the marathon.  Today was the worst day so far.  Still runnable, but tight none the less.

9 miles on the hospital loop to Boones Ferry, to Avery street and then home.  No tightness to speak of like yesterday.  In fact, today was probably the best I've felt since the marathon.

10 miles this morning in near perfect temperature.  50 degrees with zero wind and the rain had stopped 30 minutes prior to getting outside.  Fantastic.  I ran up Boones Ferry to Tualatin HS and ran a couple miles around the track, then made my way home the same route.  Feeling good!

13 miles this morning.  I ran into Sherwood, past Target and the YMCA and then home via the back roads before finishing off with Ryan's loop.  I think this is a course I've only ran two other time in the past year.  I should run it more as the hills would be very beneficial but I don't love running on Highway 99 without a sidewalk.  Traffic isn't too bad on early Saturday mornings though so I managed fine.  I felt pretty good throughout, even picking up the pace the final 3 miles. 

Another week in the books and I'm glad the mileage was decent.  In fact, with today's run, I passed my yearly total from 2009 (2,497) which makes 2010 an all-time high for me.  I should be able to keep the mileage consistent these next two months and reach the 3,000 mile mark.