Three-Mile Recovery Run

After a marathon we usually take two days off and don’t run until the third day.  That’s today, and we went for a short run on the park’s paved trails.  I’m still anxious to run on the grass trails, but they’re pretty soggy today.

2.91 miles in 34:35, pace 11:53.  I did the same run/walk of 1 to 2 that worked for me three days ago in the marathon.  No problems, not even sore muscles, maybe just a little weakness.  That should clear in the next few days with a few more recovery runs.

Fargo Marathon Review

Lovely, typical Fargo neighborhood

We three have done 82 marathons now, and we enjoyed Fargo as much as any.  The weather helped too, 48 degrees and sunny at the start, 65 degrees and cloudy at my finish, with enough breeze to make it interesting.  I crossed the mat at 5:31:56, just two minutes over my best-hope time considering that I had run a marathon just two weeks ago.  If I hadn't stopped to chat with a few homeowners along the way I might have been under 5:30, who knows?

The Fargo Marathon:

Special lane to allow fast runners
to pass slower ones.  It didn't work,
I bet they'll do it better next year.

Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota seem to be one town, Fargo on the west bank of the great Red River of the North and Moorhead on the east.  Even the street-naming and numbering seem mostly consistent from one side of the river to the other.  The combined population of the metro area is almost a quarter million and growing rapidly.  We parked our car in Minnesota, started the race on the bridge between the states, ran parts of the race in each state, and finished in North Dakota just a few blocks away from our car.  For 50-states purposes I suppose a person could claim either state (not both!), but I consider this my second North Dakota marathon.

No shortage of cute kids in
the Fargo neighborhoods

The race is flat.  We runners joked with each other about that a few times as we climbed up a bridge or out of an underpass, but the joke was over pretty quickly and we were back on the flat.  This is a river valley, but it's a river that spreads out very wide when floods come.  From the top of a stepladder you can see ten miles in any direction.  I like flat - otherwise it's called "challenging," and 26 miles is challenge enough for me these days.

The race is well organized, too.  We ran it in 2006, the marathon's second year, and it was well organized even then, presumably getting better every year since.  We liked the expo, the packet pickup, the start, the finish, and especially the course.

Motivational couch, beer included

We ran through the downtown, along the river, and through neighborhoods with lots of cheering spectators.  Never once did I feel any threat from vehicle traffic.  The race is almost entirely on roads, closed to traffic, with the route clearly marked on the pavement in white spray paint.  Fargo calls itself "City of Parks," and indeed we did run by several parks and right through a couple.  We also ran smack dab through Concordia College, a main-line Lutheran college that's close to Ardis' heart as a Lutheran pastor.

Other stuff:

• Shirt: "It seemed like a good idea 4 months ago."  
• Shirt: "Toenails are overrated."  
• Shirt: "I thought they said RUM."  
• Sign: "Worst parade ever!"  
• Couch occupied by men drinking beer, labeled "Motivational Couch."  
• Table & chairs with people drinking beer, labeled "Drinking Team with a Running Problem."  
• A whole band of bagpipers.  I love bagpipes (I'm partly Scottish by birth and definitely by affinity.)
• Lots of other bands, though some had their loudspeakers turned up painfully high.  I think there were as many bands in Fargo as there were in Nashville, a "Rock n Roll" marathon.

These two have great sisters

Along the way we ran through a neighborhood where dozens of lovely and expensive homes on the Fargo bank of the river were being destroyed or moved out to make way for a bigger, stronger, multi-million-dollar dike.  Those homeowners had "taken the buyout."  Others hadn't, and their fate is unclear.  Will Fargo assert eminent domain and force them to move?  I spoke to several nervous homeowners in their yards, as they watched the marathon and chatted with their neighbors, pondering their future together.  You guys need a lawyer?  Kidding.

My Race:

Quite near the finish, actually

This may have been my best marathon of the five so far this year.  Certainly it was my best finish time, and I enjoyed it as much as any and more than most.  I'm surprised, actually, that I could finish so soon with just two weeks rest after the Nashville Marathon.  I started with a run/walk ratio of 1 to 2, and was able to sustain that most of the way.


My legs did feel a little fatigued already at mile six, which is too early in the race, but I suppose that was from the short two-week recovery.  On the other hand I felt a resurgence of energy much later in the race, after twenty miles, which is quite unusual but most welcome.

Happy Don in the last mile

Whining: Very little!  In the last third of the last mile of the race I started to cramp up, forcing me to walk without running for just that short way, and around that time I also noticed just a little of the back pain that I had been so concerned about before the race.  That close to the finish, neither of those problems was much bother.

Splits: 12:18, 12:17, 12:10, 11:50, 12:15, 11:57, 16:55 (nature break), 13:01, 12:00, 24:00 (2 mi), 13:29, 11:43, 12:21, 12:19, 13:31, 12:11, 12:39, 11:51, 13:57, 12:01, 12:52, 12:37, 12:45, 12:15, 13:36 (cramping), 3:10 (0.2 mi), total 5:32:26 by my watch,  5:31:56 by the chip on my bib.  Why the 30-second discrepancy?  I dunno - my old watch seemed to work perfectly, and I think it's correct, but I won't complain.

My Sweeties:

Despite Ardis' painful joints, she and Sarah finished their half marathon within their time goal and had an enjoyable race.  I hope they don't get tired of running marathons before I do.

Grass Trails Beckon

Friday, May 9, 2014:

I think they're ready, perhaps a little muddy in spots, but I could enjoy them.  Not yet, though, because they post a little risk of a twisted ankle or foot, so I don't run on my favorite trails right before a marathon.

We finished the Nashville Marathon almost two weeks ago, and we are doing another this weekend.  I have been too busy to post the runs in between, but there have been six:

Date		Place		Miles		Time		Pace
5/06		Park		3.2		36:48		11:30		Run 1, walk 2
5/05		Park		2.1						A little weak today
5/03		Park		4.9						Run 1, walk 2
5/02		Park		3.8		42:47		11:16
4/30		YMCA		3.0		33:54		11:18		Somewhat better
4/29		YMCA		3.0		35:14		11:44		First recovery run

North Dakota State's official logo
is the bison.  This one is more
colorful than most.

Everything is better except the backache.  The Mayo x-ray doesn't indicate any bone issue, though, so I'll just have to see how it feels.  I'll start with a run/walk ratio of 1 to 2, or maybe even 2 to 5.  I never take ibuprofen or naproxen before a race, but I'm thinking of bringing one naproxen capsule along just in case.

The course is open for seven hours, but there is a threat of rain and even thunderstorms in the afternoon.  Race directors don't like lightning, so I'll move along with all deliberate speed and hope that the course doesn't get closed before I finish.

Next post will be post-race.

St. Jude Country Music Nashville Marathon Review

Saturday, April 26, 2014:

It's a keeper - thumbs up.  It feels SO good to be showered and relaxing in clean, dry, cotton clothing, from the skin out.  I relish this part of the marathon - cool, dry, sipping on a cold beverage (in this case an organic stout beer from Milwaukee).  As I ran I saw people doing that, sitting in the shade along the race course, outside a bar or outside their homes.  At about mile 24, I even asked one guy if he had an extra beer, and he said "sure!"  Then I had to turn it down, because my experience with beer along the race course is that it slows me down a lot.  But I was struggling then, and would have loved to sit in the shade and chat with him for one beers-worth of time!

Acres of runners at the start

My Marathon:

My watch failed today; it's 12 years old, and I see a tiny gasket protruding from the back, so it apparently took in moisture from my sweaty wrist and started to fog over from the inside, then finally went blank just after the halfway point.  But before it did, I saw that I was about eight minutes ahead of schedule for a 5:30 finish.  Unfortunately, though, at about mile 14, I started to cramp up and was forced to walk the last 12 miles.  By my crude calculations at that point, I could still finish within the race-limit 6:00 hours if I walked just as fast as I could, about 15 minutes/mile.  Indeed, my actual  finish time was 5:59:08, so I'm glad that I didn't waste any more time along the way than I did.  I finished first of two in my age group, by ten minutes.

This was a tough marathon, quite hilly and warmer than I like, 82 degrees at my finish, with full sun, not much breeze, and very little shade.  The compensation is that Nashville is a nice place to be, the spectators were numerous and vocal, we enjoyed coming back to run here (half marathon in 2012), the aid stations and medical stations were fully-staffed and well-stocked (with ice!), and the roads were entirely free of vehicle traffic.  I like that about the Rock n Roll marathons - we've done several now, and never had to look over our shoulder to see if a vehicle was coming up behind us.  Nashville claims it's the best marathon in America, and I will say it's a pretty good one, but I've done 81 marathons now and there are some other pretty good ones too.

For the first time in several years I wore "DON" in big letters on the front of my shirt.  Hundreds (thousands?) of people hollered "Go Don" or some equivalent, and I do find that energizing.  I admit it.  I should be able to generate the enthusiasm from within, but I like the help from the crowd, when there is a crowd.  I've had other shirts with my full name, first and last, but people don't respond the same way.  This was a treat - I'd forgotten how much DON helps.

Lots of cute signs

I took six Clif Shot Mocha gels along the way (with caffeine), and lots of water.  Near the half I felt a little sick to my stomach, and realized that I was also quite thirsty.  Dehydrated.  How does that happen when I take water at every aid station, and they're only a mile and a half apart?  Then I slowed to all walk anyway, and took LOTS of water, and actually felt better and got stronger toward the finish.  As usual I also took salt, probably eight tablets or so during the race.  My pace in the first 13 miles was run 20 triplets, walk 40.

Whining: No problems with feet, knees, or hips!  Imagine that.  In the last miles I felt an ache in the left side of my back, just above the waist, but I don't think it's myeloma, probably just a lack of core strength.  It seemed to be muscular, and indeed every muscle is sore now, but it's supposed to be after a marathon.  It will be OK by Tuesday, and I will run a little then.

Nashville Marathon:

It's a Rock n Roll event, which means that it's well organized.  We ran past a lot of live bands, some of them offering music that I enjoyed.  It was not all country or rock & roll music, there was a variety.  Some of the bands have no common sense about the volume, and it hurt my ancient ears, but other bands were delightful.

Parking observation: We stayed at one of the many airport hotels and purchased the "reserved parking" option (Lot R at LP Field) and were SO glad that we did.  Lot R is closer than any other lot to the pedestrian bridge that takes runners to the start, making it a little farther from the finish, but the real advantage was getting there.  Traveling west on I-40 from the hotels, with everyone else, we could stay in the left lanes, passing everyone else, and exit on 2nd Street toward Lot R, while everyone going to the free lots had to take the right lanes to turn north on I-24 and the Shelby Avenue exit. An hour and a half before the 7:00 am race start those lanes were almost stopped already, for miles, as traffic squeezed down.  It's hard to imagine that everyone got to the start on time.

On the other hand, this race is huge, just 3,000 marathoners, but 19,000 half-marathoners.  Because of the size, the race was organized into 40 corrals, with each corral started about a minute and a half after the previous one.  The last corral actually started more than an hour after the first, so the late-arrivers may have had enough time to get to the start.

A band

Everyone started together, marathoners and half marathoners.  I think that the 3,000 marathoners should have started at 6:00 am and the 19,000 half-marathoners at 7:00.  After all, we 3,000 have twice as far to go, and we wouldn't be slowed by the half marathoners filling the roads.

Other Stuff:

• Shirt on a non-runner: "Shhhhh - this is my hangover shirt."
• Shirt: "If I don't challenge myself, I can't change." 
• In the second half a wonderful young man handed me a bottle of ice-cold water, and I nursed that bottle, refilling it several times at water stations. It helped a lot.  Maybe I should start wearing my water carrier in warm marathons.
• They actually know how to sing the Star Spangled Banner in Nashville!  Well done.

Splits: 24:14 (miles 1 & 2), 12:00, 11:26, 22:45 (miles 5 & 6), 25:22 (miles 7 & 8), 11:28, 11:17, 12:09, 12:34, 11:59 (mile 13), total 2:35:14.  My watch stopped here.  It stopped keeping time too, but after drying out, it started up again, but several hours late.  Good old Timex, keeps on ticking.  But I need to fix that gasket, or get a new watch.  Maybe it's time for a Garmin.

The pace for the first 13 miles was 11:56, which works out to a 5:13 marathon finish if maintained, which of course I didn't.

Faster Than Expected

Sundown

Monday, April 21, 2014:

Today's weather was the same as yesterday's, bright sun and 70, except add a 20 mph wind, gusting to 30!  I ran the same route, too, using the same 1 to 2 run / walk, but finished three minutes sooner, for some reason.  I believe I'll use that pace in the marathon.

4.87 miles in 55:20, pace 11:22, no pains worth mentioning.  Next-to-last tapering run.

Delightful Easter Run

Almost too warm, at a sunny and windless 70 degrees, but after the winter we've just survived, we loved it.  Gimme more.  To make it perfect, the ice finally went out from the lake, just today.

I ran the 1 to 2 run / walk again, hopefully sticking more closely to that plan than I did yesterday.  I ran 4.87 miles in about 58 minutes (gotta fix my 11-year-old watch or get a new one).  That's a pace of about 11:55, probably about right for that run / walk ratio.  I may use that ratio for the next marathon, we'll see.  It calculates out to a 5:12 marathon, so with nature breaks and the inevitable tiring and possible cramps, I could make 5:30 or 5:40.

The good news is that I felt no pains, neither from the left hamstrings nor the right knee.

Tapering now for the next marathon, bring it on!

Overdressed

Saturday, April 19, 2014:

The temperature was 52, but the wind whistled by at 20 mph, gusting higher, and the sun hid behind clouds, so I (over)compensated and put on two shirts, a wind jacket, and long pants. My "running Gear vs Temperature" chart clearly indicated just one long-sleeved shirt, but it doesn't account for sun or wind, so I added layers.  Too many.  I had the jacket open most of the time, and my legs didn't need the pants either.  Shorts and one less shirt would have been better.

Still concerned about the possible injury to my left hamstrings, I started with a 1 to 2 run/walk ratio, running 60 paces (about 20 seconds) and walking 120.  I took the "keyhole" route, starting at the Nordic Center and north to the 3-way stop, then around the big loop but not including the Klondike extension, for 3.79 miles in 42:47, and an average pace of 11:18.  No problem with the hamstrings!

Actually, though, I'm sure that I lost count more than a few times, absorbed in thought, and I felt strong, so I probably ran longer than I meant to and walked shorter.  Therefore, that pretty-good sub-5-hour pace may not represent a true 1 to 2 run/walk.

The only remaining snow on
any of the park's paved trails.

Friday, April 18:

A sign in the window of the park office says that bikes and horses are not allowed on the grass trails, so I assume that they are still pretty soft (& muddy).  The paved trails are fully open now, though, so I ran there once again.

Concerned about the left hamstrings, I started off with a run/walk ratio of 1 to 2, actually 60 paces to 120.  This went well until about halfway on the 5.9-mile route, and then I could just begin to feel the hamstrings.  So I switched to all walking, as fast as I could go, and that went just fine.  No more complaints from the hamstrings, just a little muttering by the right knee with PFS, nothing unusual.

4.88 miles in 1:00:26, average pace 12:23.