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.

Still Here and Still Runnin'

I didn't go back and look to confirm this, but since I started this blog over two years ago I believe this is the longest I've gone without a post. Summer is definitely a time when I do slack a bit on putting updates on here. I'm not sure why that is, but possibly because there is so much more outdoor activity available and I find that I'm not in front of the computer as much. Who knows for sure?

For those that follow along with this blog (and I have no idea how many regular readers I have), I probably should do better. I will.

For the most up to date of updates, today I did a 12-miler. Besides the "jogged" half-marathon in Pittsburgh today was another banner day for me. It's getting over one more hurdle. My feet and legs are sore from time to time and I still deal with some minor pain but nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to be concerned with at the moment. In fact, my racing has been going very well and my training overall has been going well. I decided to give up alcohol upon returning from the beach (5 weeks ago today), until the marathon. I am happy to report that despite playing in some golf outings, going to several graduation parties and last night going to a wedding, I have kept my hands off of the stuff. I am feeling stronger running. Correlation? Not sure, but mentally it's helping me. I cannot wait, however, for a beer after the Chicago Marathon. I might not even make it back to the hotel before downing one.

I've got several races planned in the coming weeks and next weekend I go out for a 14-miler. I'm ahead of schedule from where I thought I would be, and that's a big plus.

Thanks for reading...

Getting My 30 Seconds...

At the end of July it would have been twelve years since I last saw the Stanley Cup in person. But I never made it to that twelve year anniversary. The Cup came to my neighborhood tonight. Pittsburgh Penguins Equipment Manager Dana Heinze got his day with the Cup and decided to share it with the neighborhood. As a runner, my "hood" is typically larger than most people think. Still, the Heinze's live about 1 1/4 miles away and when I heard that the Cup was that close I couldn't resist. So I drove up the street after I finished installing my exterior lighting and was lucky enough to have someone snap the shot you see here. In 1997 I went to Toronto a few months before I married Becky on sort of a "honeymoon" before the wedding. In reality, we went to London, Ontario for a hockey camp and on the way home decided to detour to Toronto. It was well worth the trip to be able to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and to get our picture taken with the Stanley Cup. This time, however, it just felt different. Being that close to home with an employee of the team I live and die for and the fact that they won it less than a month ago made this experience all the more worth it. In a way, it kind of puts closure on the season for me. I had been in a state of withdrawal since the season ended on June 12, but now I feel complete. Team employees, players and executives each get a day with the Cup. As a die-hard fan, I got my 30 seconds with the Cup. I am thankful to Dana for sharing it with the neighborhood, just as he did several years ago when he won a Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. I didn't get to see it then. I really wasn't sure I wanted to see it then. But this time it was a no-brainer. The chalice that travels the world was literally right in my backyard. What a season and what a feeling. My only regret? When I went up there, I had every intention of kissing the holy grail. But because I was only able to get one shot and the line moving along so quickly, I forgot. Oh, well. There's always next year...

Happy Birthday America; Farewell Hollidaysburg YMCA

I wasn't sure I wanted to muddy the Independence Day celebration with a complaint about a local race organizer, but since both took place today I figured, why not?

First, lest we forget the sacrifice of many Americans in the fight for our independence as a country. For over 200 years we have since become the greatest nation in the world. Faults? Sure. Issues? Sure. But We The People will stand the test of time. A solemn remembrance, a hearty thank you and another birthday for the grand ol' gal, America. Happy Birthday.

Now onto number two. I ran the Hollidaysburg YMCA race (15k) again today for the third consecutive year and with each passing year it seems as though the organization suffers more and more. You may recall last year I posted about this race complete with pictures of the race shirt, award and bib. Well, today I cannot do that. Despite a 1:07:00 finish time (fairly impressive by normal standards), I walked away after paying $21 (a high race fee if you ask me) for nothing more than the privilege of running the streets of Altoona. I was finally able to secure a race bib afterward to put among my collection but no t-shirt and despite my time I only placed 5th in my age group. Still, to run out of water is inexcusable. To not have a packet together for someone who "pre-registered" is inexcusable. Either way, my days of running the Hollidaysburg YMCA 15k on the 4th of July have come to an end. I still don't know why I ever stopped running the Rolling Rock 5-mile run in Latrobe over the 4th of July weekend. It seems as though that's where I'm heading back to next year. Farewell Hollidaysburg Y. You've joined the ranks of the Johnstown YMCA in my heart.

Ocean City to Sacramento and Back

Yesterday morning I hit another milestone. One that I expected to hit over six months ago, but thanks to my little hiccup with a broken foot it took a lot longer than expected. This time it was hitting my 6,000th mile running (since I started running for the sake of running back in 2003). It was a quiet milestone that I forgot I was hitting until I came home and went to log it into my log. I actually got this one about 1/4 of a mile into the run so I was basically just warming up.

Having just gotten back from my summer vacation in Ocean City, Md. it reminded me of a sign as you are leaving Ocean City on Route 50. I don't remember seeing it last year or this year, but there used to be a sign that read, Sacramento, CA 3,073. If that mileage is accurate I could have trekked from Ocean City to Sacramento and "almost" back by going over mile number 6,000.

Tomorrow: More steps toward 7,000....

D-E-E-N-A

Today I received an update from the Chicago Marathon organizers with very good news. Deena Kastor, an American running icon and women's record holder, will be making her return to marathon running at the 2009 Chicago Marathon. Why is this a big deal to me? Several reasons. I recall watching the women's marathon during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and it was that day that I became a huge fan of Deena Kastor. She worked her way up through a very tough field in 90 degree heat and finished in 3rd place capturing the bronze medal.

She then went on to win the Chicago Marathon the following year, setting a women's marathon record. I have followed her running since then and occasionally check into her blog site to see what is up with her. I decided to send her an email after watching the movie Spirit of the Marathon. She is one of the runners in the movie that directors followed and profiled as they prepared for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. Amazingly, Deena responded to my email and then again several months later after I emailed her again.

When I was injured last winter, I sent her another email as we both shared the pain and suffering of not being able to run (she broke a bone in her foot and was unable to finish the Olympic Marathon in Beijing last year). I connected with her on that level and when she responded to me with words of encouragement I realized that runners are unlike any other athlete. For those that don't know (if you're not into running, you probably don't), she is a running icon in American women's marathoning. For her to respond is like having Alex Rodriquez or Albert Pujols respond to an email. To me that was amazing.

Knowing that she will be in Chicago and I may have a chance to meet her and shake her hand and let her know how much she helped me get through a mentally tough period will be priceless. It is another reason to motivate me as well this summer as my Chicago training is now underway.

What a Beautiful Day for a Run...Let's Do Two!

It had been since September of 2008 until today. Today was the day I decided to go for a run for the second day in a row. Most impressive was that yesterday I did 6 miles in the afternoon and then turned around with 4 today in the late morning. That's 10 miles in less than 24 hours and two consecutive days. People do it all the time, but for me today was a major milestone in my comeback from a broken navicular bone. It's almost as if the stars are aligning since my official Chicago Marathon training begins next Monday. I felt that I needed to be doing at least 8 mile long runs by the time that training started and although I have only done 6, I feel as though I could easily do 10 right now. As a result, my confidence grows and I am on track. Pain is always right around the next corner, but for now I have put it behind me and am feeling fairly healthy as I get ready for the next 17 weeks of training that I hope culminates in a Boston qualifier. Hey, I'll take finishing, but as I continue to find out in life and sports in general, never say never and never put anything out of reach. Anything is possible if you work hard and that's what I intend to do.