Community Disappointment

Today I ran the Rockwood Rotary Half Marathon. I finished the 13.1 mile course along the Allegheny Trail in 1:38:51. Missed a PR by 1:05; run on this very same course a year ago. Might have been the humidity or the fact that I ran the first six miles far too fast. I didn't leave enough in the tank. Even though I finished with a decent time, I was still disappointed. Not so much in the finish time. Well, that's not entirely true. I'm always disappointed in my finish time. No, this disappointment was more in the running community. The running community is one which I have come to know as one of the best. Runners traditionally are the nicest people you can come across. A quick trip to the message boards on runnersworld.com or a discussion with a running mate at a marathon or local race and you'd see what I see. Unlike other sports, where competition is fierce, the running community is one of encouragement and support and camraderie. It took me awhile to get used to it. A lifelong sports addict, I would rather lose a limb than lose a game. But I have come to appreciate the community of runners. It is something I enjoy.

Not today. Finishing fourth overall in the race, I milled around the refreshment area with the top three finishers who, along with two Rotary Club members that weren't really close enough to be involved in any conversation, made up the finish line area for about 6-10 minutes (roughly the time others started to trickle in). While the three 'friends' chatted I attempted to ingratiate myself into the conversation. First by telling each "good race". A "cold" congratulatory handshake was my first indication that I wasn't accepted in this threesome. Then, when I overheard two of them talking about the 3rd place guy running a marathon in six weeks, I thought, "me too" and decided to ask him "where is your marathon?" A simple answer of "Columbus" followed by my reply of "oh, I'll be running Chicago the same day". Then nothing. Not an acknowledgement. Not an "oh, I've always wanted to run that one" or "I did that one two years ago". Nothing.

Feeling as if I was involving myself in a conversation I wasn't accepted into I asked the overall winner, who was sitting on the same bench as me, "what was your winning time?", curious as to where my time rated. A somewhat disgusted, "ehh, like 1:32 something like that" and then he turned to tell the other two gents "I wanted to run a 1:29. Then the three of them began speaking again.

Feeling as though I was somehow "subpar" or not worthy to be in the company of these three running gods I decided, 'to hell with you' and grabbed two pieces of watermelon and walked back to my car. Disappointed in the running community. I guess once in six years isn't so bad.

One Very Long Weekend

Decided to do all of the outstanding work I've been putting off all summer long this weekend. Sandwiched around back to back races yesterday and today.

For the third time since I started doing races, I ran a race on back to back days. I hadn't done it in over two years but this weekend I pulled off the double. Ran the Somerset Cross Country 5k (on their actual cross country course) which was very tough. Then did the Run for the Trail 7k this evening in 84 degree heat and humidity.

In and of itself that's not all that bad, but considering that I came home Friday from work, cut my grass and cleaned out my garage, then prepared my driveway for sealing.

Woke up yesterday morning, ran that race and then came home to begin staining the deck. Then midway I sealed my driveway. All told, I worked over 8 hours yesterday and then got up this morning for about 2 more hours of staining.

Got all the work done and ran two 'fairly' successful races, all things considered. Yesterday's 5k time was 20:48 on a very tough track and despite losing almost a minute and a half off of lastyear's time in the trail 7k, dropping from 27:48 to tonight's 29:15, I blame it on the hectic schedule and the heat and humidity (84 degrees at race time). That, and I had nobody pushing me from behind. I ran fairly hard and took 2nd in my age group. Pretty successful but long weekend.

Climbing the Horrible Mountain

Heat. Humidity. Two enemies of the runner. Today I awoke to only one of them and unfortunately it was the worse of the pair; humidity. Today was the day I needed to run 16 miles. After doing a 5k yesterday (19:46), and finishing with my second fastest 5k time of all time, it was as if the planets aligned in the wrong order for me today.

Couple that with awaking at 2:00 a.m. with vicious stomach pain and today was not fun. A little Pepto-Bismol put my stomach issues at bay temporarily last night, but made for horrible sleeping. When the alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. I struggled to the basement, tried to hydrate as much as I could and was off. Within the first mile I could feel the weight of the humidity that would haunt me for a couple of hours.

The first 8 miles went by fairly decent, but when I looped back by the house for a drink and stopped briefly to ingest some Gatorade and water, the first few steps into the second half gave me every indication that it would be a second half struggle. My stomach felt "pukey" again and I took about 1/2 bottle of warm water with me that was gone by the time I hit mile 9 1/2. Eight laps around the track and approaching mile 12 on Luzerne Street I knew I would struggle over the final four awful miles. I equated it to the feelings I had over the final 4 miles in Cincinnati, or the final 11 miles in Frederick. Awful.

But when all was said and done, a cold shower and some water and a small meal and I felt better. But now my stomach continues to give me issues. Price to pay for it I guess.

Still, I've taken the next step to getting back to the mountain top. Today gives me one real strong thought. Please let it be low humidity nine weeks from today in Chicago. Low temperatures would be a bonus, but I'll take the low humidity. If it's anything close to today, forget Boston. It will be another exercise in survival and simply getting it done. Like today.

Ten-4-teen

Fourteen miles. That's what I did today. In the heat and at a very productive pace of 8:14/mile. Right in the wheelhouse of where I need to be running my long slow weekly runs. The fact that I felt pretty good afterward; enough so that I was not only able to cut my grass but also wash and clean my car inside and out was very telling for me.

As I came down the homestretch of my final mile today, and passed what would have been the half-marathon distance I became very emotional. I knew that I had just passed into my longest run in nearly ten months. Ten months. It was the furthest I had run since completing the Johnstown Marathon. It made me aware that I'm on pace. I'm in the park. I'm zoned in for what I hope will be a most memorable event in just over two months.

I was able to visualize over the final half-mile what it might be like coming home for the finish and I couldn't help but visualize having plenty of time to spare for a Boston qualifying run. It felt good. I crossed another barrier in my bid to comeback to where I was in 2007. I am happy how I felt today, but realize that I've got a very tough two months ahead. I am ready for that challenge and feel that I am not only running smart, but efficiently. At least that's the way it felt today. I focused on maintaining an efficient stride and getting in a productive run. Despite running at nearly 35 seconds slower than my goal marathon pace, it is very difficult to do. Holding back for the sake of efficiency and with an eye on a greater good yet to come.

Another barrier hurdled today. Today was a good day.