Ann Arbor Marathon Review

The Ann Arbor (MI) forecasts had resolutely predicted unusually low temperatures for today's Marathon, and indeed we three have never started a marathon at a lower temperature, 26 degrees, with a wind of 9 mph.  Happily, though, the sun shone brilliantly for the next six hours, contributing greatly to our comfort, and the temperature rose to 45 by the time I finished.  All three of us finished within the allowed time window.

This was my 80th marathon and my 53rd since starting the drug trial that is saving my life, completed in a net time of 5:53:46, fourth of six in the age group of 70+.  They gave me an age group award, a nice beer glass, but I'm not sure why, because the fourth person in a road race rarely gets anything beyond the time of day.  Nevertheless I'm keeping it!  It's an inscribed glass, and if they want it, they'll have to come to Minnesota and get it.  :-)

My Race:

We parked the car near a high school football stadium that had warm, indoor restrooms, watched the sun come up, and walked to the start about three blocks away.  I wore four layers above, topped by a wind jacket, and running pants (& briefs) below, with a visor, ear cover, gloves, and my usual running shoes and usual thin Wrightsocks.  Around my waist was a fuel belt carrying six Clif Shot gels and, eventually, also carrying one of the shirts that I had started with.  This ensemble worked just fine.

This is how a marathon trouble
table should look

I started with the 5:30 pace group, and easily stayed with them for six or eight miles, actually pulling ahead a bit, but lost touch when I needed two nature stops in rapid succession.  I tried to keep a pace that would catch me back up, but couldn't do it.  Such is life.  No matter, I really only needed to finish within the marathon's six-hour time limit.  That was not in doubt until the final three miles, which included a wet, muddy, road and a plenty big hill.  I lost track of the mile markers (a few were missing) and got a little worried, but then mile 25 showed up and I was sure that I would make it.

For most of the last ten miles or so I ran with a young (younger) man from West Virginia, a sweet man, a gentleman.  He had the habit of thanking every volunteer and police officer, which I do too but may forget when I am very tired at the end of a race.  We chatted most of the time, talking about marathons and running and more.  I enjoyed this, and he seemed to as well.  He even adopted my strange run 60 / walk 120 pace, but when we got down to the muddy road and the big hill leading out of it, I could see that he was stronger than I was, and encouraged him to run ahead if he wanted to.  He did, and though I tried to keep up, I was no match.  I'm sure that he finished several minutes before I did.  He waited at the finish, though, where we congratulated each other.

The race director met me at the finish too, and took very good care of me.  I was a little wobbly at first, so she was a little concerned, but of course I was actually fine and she took me to the "awards table" where I picked up my finisher's medal and age-group award.  Bless her heart, she really didn't let me out of her sight until she could see that I was safely on the way to the shuttle bus back to our car, where my girls were waiting.

Finisher Don with surprise age-
group award.  I supplied the
Guinness.

Whining:  After 18 or 19 miles, when walking, I found myself dreading the next little run, and realized that it was because of pain from a wart in the ball of my right foot.  I need to fix that.  There is a whole internet full of ideas for curing warts, but if you have one that you have actually tried and it actually worked, I'd like to hear it.  In exchange, I'll give you this:  Instead of using sharp instruments to get through the callous that forms over the wart, so that a treatment can be applied, I use 3M Drywall Sandpaper, the kind that is a mesh with lots of holes for the sanded material to flow through.  This cuts the callous without cutting the softer skin around it.  I should have sanded the callous down before this race but didn't, and I paid the price.

More whining:  Toward the end of the race, especially after climbing the big hill, I had problems with cramping.  This is not unusual for me, but this time the cramps were not in the calves, but in various other muscles in the front of the lower legs and even in the hamstrings.  These slowed me a little, sometimes forcing a walk when I would have run, but in the last two mostly-downhill miles I was back up to speed.

The Ann Arbor Marathon:

This race is very well organized.  Almost any issue that I had with it traces back to the unusual weather.  For example, I didn't like the wet, muddy road or the extra hill that came with it, but I understand that this course change was required, to avoid ice on the normal course.  Stuff happens.  It is a hilly race even without the change in course, but we knew that when we registered.

Stuff I did like:

• It's a modest-size, friendly marathon.
• It started on time, and we were not impeded by the staging of corrals as we have been in larger races.
• It was thoroughly organized, including a shuttle bus to take fatigued runners back to their cars at the start.  See the photo of the trouble table.
• The expo was small but had everything that a runner might need and more.  We three helped staff a booth on behalf of the International Myeloma Foundation, though the real work was done by three other volunteers from local myeloma support groups.
• Although we picked up our race numbers on Saturday, runners could do that on Sunday morning as well.
• My girls heard robins, redwing blackbirds, swans, geese, ducks, and more.  Spring will come to Ann Arbor.
• The race went through some of the best parts of Ann Arbor, including the downtown, the University of Michigan campus, several nice residential areas, and lovely trails along the Huron River.  No part of the course was boring.
• The full marathon was mostly two passes through the half marathon course.  I actually like that.  



We ran past many buildings with
this early style of architecture

• In many places the course was on roads that were coned down the center, with the other half open to traffic.  This is not my favorite situation, but speeds were slow, traffic was light, and I never felt uncomfortable.

I liked the race, and would do it again without reservation.

I ran this race in honor of sweet Caroline, dear to me, who is also doing battle with cancer.

And of course, I ran this second marathon of this month on behalf of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) (http://myeloma.org) to call attention to Myeloma Awareness Month, and to the IMF's Black Swan Research Initiative to find a cure for myeloma.

Splits: None.  My stopwatch stopped sometime after the half marathon point, so I ran on dead reckoning from there.  I must have unintentionally bumped a button. I was shooting for a 5:30 finish and was already about six minutes off that  time at the half.  But finishing is the goal, and it's all right.  Marathon number 80 is in the bank.  On to 81.

YMCA Again

Thursday, March 27, 2014:

The weather rendered the outdoor trails unrunnable today, so we ran inside.  Three miles, running one lap and walking two.  No problems.

I live with three ladies.
This is the fuzziest one.

Splits: 11:40, 11:26, 11:34, total 34:40, pace 11:33.  Last tapering run.

Tuesday, March 25:

We ran in the park again, temperature about 20, some wind, lots of clothes including the knee protectors.  I went out for about 19 minutes, then returned in 18 minutes, total 37.  I was running 60 paces for every 90 paces of walking, which works out to a pace of about 11:30, so I'm sure that I went at least 3 miles.

Whining: Zip.  Knee was OK. Tapering now.

Another Cold Run

I ran in the park, the same route as yesterday and the day before, 4.84 miles. The temperature was 19 degrees, wind 13 mph gusting to 17, bright sun, but a windchill of 5.

Knee protection

Gear: Normal running shoes, short thin sox, McDavid knee protectors, running pants & briefs, LS undershirt, a SS technical shirt over an LS one, and a wind jacket, plus wind-resistant mittens, heavy ear covers, and a visor. This ensemble worked perfectly for these conditions - I had to unzip the jacket part way when running with the wind, and keep it tightly closed running into the wind. Nothing got cold, including feet or ankles. I had a full-face balaclava with me, but my face got accustomed to the cold and I didn't have to use it.

I have used the knee protectors before, especially in cold conditions. I knew that they would keep my knees warmer, and wanted to see if that warmth or the added knee support would improve the PFS. It may have - the right-knee PFS showed up a little today, but not nearly as much as yesterday, even though today was colder. The knee protector chafes a little on the back of the knee if I use it for 26 miles, but I've done it before and may decide to do it again.

I didn't feel quite as strong today as yesterday, legs a little weaker going up hills, but I nevertheless finished the route as quickly as yesterday, in fact 13 seconds faster. The pace was run 2, walk 3, same as yesterday.

Splits: 27:53, 26:43, total 54:36. Distance 4.84 miles, pace 11:17.

Cool Runs in the Park

Friday, March 21, 2014

Again we ran in the park, preparing for a cold marathon next weekend.  Today's temperature was about 39, only slightly colder than yesterday, but the day was heavily overcast with winds at 18 mph gusting to 28.  It felt much colder!

I wore running pants with short sox below, normal shoes, and my feet and ankles were fine, though my knees may have been a little cold.  Up top I wore the Under Armor LS undershirt and a wind shell over that, plus ear cover and gloves, of course.   The shirt and jacket were almost enough, but not quite - I would have been more comfortable with one more SS tech shirt.

I felt strong again, and increased my pace a bit over yesterday, both to run a little warmer and to finish a little sooner. The pace ratio was run 2, walk 3.

Whining: Yesterday's PFS in the right knee came back strong, unfortunately.  I might have actually slowed for it once or twice, don't remember.  It came and went, and was mostly gone by the end of the run, but it's a little concerning.  I have knee supports which would keep my knees much warmer - perhaps I'll try those.

Splits: 27:41 out, 27:02 back., total 54:49.  Distance was 4.84 miles, pace 11:19 minutes per mile.

Thursday, March 20:

We ran on the park's paved trails today, between the snowbanks.  The temperature was 41 with a light breeze from the south and a strong sun.  I wore shorts and long sox below, an Under Armor heavy LS shirt and a SS tech shirt over that, plus ear cover and light gloves. Plenty warm - I took off the SS shirt for some of the run.  Though I ran at marathon pace, run/walk ratio of 1 to 2, I felt very strong.

Whining: Unfortunately the PFS in the right knee raised some complaint, though not enough to limit the speed.

Distance was 4.84 miles, time 58:07, pace 12:00 minutes per mile.

Still Snowing

We went to the YMCA again this afternoon and I put in five miles at marathon pace, run one lap and walk two (fast).  That went well.  I felt a slight pain from PFS in the right knee, but it wasn’t enough to slow me down.  The calf-cramp that showed up yesterday did not appear today.

Splits: 11:51, 11:40, 11:45, 11:42, 11:44, total 58:42, pace 11:44.  I tried to speed up a little in the last mile, and I'm sure I went faster in the running laps, but I must have slowed a bit in the walking laps because the time was the same.

Back to the YMCA

Just as we were about to go run in the park, the snow started. We may need to run in the snow in the upcoming marathon, but there is no need taking any risks before then, so we went to the nice, warm YMCA to run on the track.

Whining: None during the run, but afterward my left calf felt like it wanted to cramp up. Hmmm.

Splits: 11:46, 11:32, 11:29, total 34:48, pace 11:36, running 1 lap & walking two.

Colder Run in the Park

Twelve degrees, little wind, bright sun, we wanted to see how this would feel if we encountered it in a marathon.  From the top: Visor and heavy ear covers, athletic undershirt, long-sleeved tech shirt, short-sleeved tech shirt, unlined wind jacket, windproof mittens, briefs, running pants, long Wrightsox, usual running shoes.

I ran almost five miles on the park's paved trails, with only my face getting a little cold.  The body accommodates, though, and after a couple of miles my face was warm enough.  Nothing else got cold - in fact, I had to open my wind jacket a bit for some of the run.  In a marathon I should probably add a scarf, in case of more wind.  I can carry it around my waist when it's not in use.

Whining: The right knee with patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) did complain a little, but not enough to limit my speed.  I don't know if it was caused in part by the cold, but a little more cold running would be good training.

Splits: 29:12 out, 28:13 back, total 57:25, distance 4.72 mi, pace 12:10.   That's a good pace for the next marathon.