Meeting Meb - Wineglass Marathon Weekend

October 3, 2019

Who else do you know named Meb? Or, more formally Mebrāhtōm Kifl'izgī; in Eritrean. But best known as just plain, Meb or Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezighi 

It was a normal travel day to the Wine Glass Marathon in Corning, NY from RDU to Corning through Dulles with Cynthia Anne. Or was it? Yes, the flight from RDU to IAD was nothing out of the ordinary, although a bit late and a long walk between gates, typical when there is a connection - the gates are always the farthest apart. When we boarded the plane at IAD, many had already boarded. We sat down and got situated, comfortable might be pushing it but at least a little extra legroom. Cindy was on the aisle with me at the window which is our normal arrangement. She generally reads/listens to a book and I stare out of the window deep in thought. I looked to the other side of the aisle and thought, "hmmm, that looks like Meb." He is wearing a USA Olympic hat, OK, I knew Meb was a silver medalist in the Olympics. I lean over to Cindy and say, "I think you are sitting beside Meb." She looks over and says, "who is his shoes, sponsor?" I knew he had switched to Skechers, both from reading his book 26 marathons and the advertisements with him after winning the 2014 Boston marathon in Skechers. I said, "Skechers." She asked me, " Do you want me to ask if he is Meb?" I said, "no, I don't want to bother him." Of course, Cindy could not help herself and leans over to him and says, "are you Meb." Politely, Meb says "yes." That is how an ordinary flight to a marathon turned into a real highlight!

Again, Cindy couldn't help herself and explained that I am a runner and have run 107 marathons, blah, blah, blah... I am thinking, "OK, here is Meb, winner of the Boston and NYC marathons, silver medalist in the Olympics not to mention other top finishes in his marathon and running career meeting a guy that tries to finish a half-marathon in the time it takes him to finish a marathon. Meb, a guy who has run with ( and beaten) some of the greatest marathoners in history, meeting a mid-pack guy." Meb gets a big smile on his face and is genuinely interested in meeting me. He even asks if I wanted to sit next to him in the empty seat beside the window. I thought that I would not make it any more awkward for the guy as it was but Cindy and I did swap seats so that we could chat across the aisle.

I had just finished Meb's new book 26 marathons a couple of months earlier. At least I could reference some things from the book. It is hard, at least for me, that when you meet someone like this to carry-on a flawless, intelligent conversation even with all of my marathon experiences and being well-versed in the sport, at least from an amateur's perspective. One thing that makes running so wonderful is that we all run the same course on the same day in the same weather as the elites. 26.2 miles is 26.2 miles no matter how you map it. Of course, running 2:04 in a marathon is much different than running a 4:04 or even a 3:04. We did chat for much of the hour flight to Corning where Meb was going to work the expo, speak at the pasta dinner, run the half-marathon, be at the finish and present the awards. We spoke about his current running regimen, the time he was planning to run in the half marathon, his children and their potential for running, among a few other things. I mentioned that my first marathon was NYC 1994 when German Silva took a wrong turn into the park but still won the race. He said that German was a good guy. Then, he asked if I wanted to see his silver medal from the Olympics. He puts it on display at the expo. He said that I could hold it and put it on. I didn't out of respect for what the medal meant but I did hold it and had a picture taken with it. I said that I had never qualified for Boston but as I age, I will still keep trying as the qualification times increase. At age 60,  I currently need a 3:50 and I ran 4:01 in the Flying Pig this year. He told me a story of a lady continuing to try as well advancing into her 60's. Upon arrival in Corning, we said our goodbyes and I told him that it was truly a highlight of all of my marathons that I got to chat with him. He is such a humble, nice person and loves meeting other runners - not only meeting but chatting with
 other runners.

Meb's Silver Medal

Meb Again (and Bart)

As we were walking into the expo, Meb was walking out and Cindy yells, "Meb! the people from the plane." He stops and walks over to us and says, "I was just telling someone your story." Frankly, I am not sure what that story was or maybe that I am still trying to qualify for Boston after 107 marathons at age 60. I am not sure if that is a good story or not! Anyway, as we were chatting, taking some pictures, which he is eager to do, Bart Yasso walks up. Now I am thinking I am hobnobbing with the goober smoochers. Although I had met and ran with Bart before, there is no way he could remember my name. I introduce myself and he says, "I know you." likely because I had just liked one of his runs on Strava or liked something of his on Facebook, maybe the Kauai Marathon. Again, we said goodbye to Meb and walked into the expo with Bart chatting about some races. Now I figure, after meeting these two, I am destined to run a BQ on the fast Wine Glass course. Haha!

Cynthia Anne, Meb and me

Bart Yasso, Meb and me

Watkins Glen

A highlight of the trip included hiking Watkins Glean State Park.  the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge.  It will be difficult to stop taking pictures but enjoy the scenery without looking through a lens. Afterward, walk to Rooster Fish and enjoy their own brews and a nice lunch. We could not capture all of the beauty in pictures but we tried. There are many, many more!

Museum of Glass

No trip to Corning is complete without visiting the Museum Glass. Runners get a discount. There are your typical museum type things to do, meaning, looking at art made from glass but there are many demonstrations and hands-on exhibitions as well. We attended a glass blowing demonstration which in the end they give one lucky audience member a piece of glass made by one of their craftsmen.  After meeting Meb (twice) and Bart, I felt like it might be my day to land the piece of art. I never feel like this since my number is usually not the random number drawn. However, sure enough, my number was picked - 667! Now, I thought, a BQ is definitely in my grasp! Haha!

The 5K

I signed Cindy and me up for the 5K. I knew we would only be walking but always enjoy doing an event together. I also thought that it would give me a bit of a warmup the day before the marathon. It was fun and we finished together in 51.22.

The Marathon

I am not keen on bus rides to the start of a marathon, or any race for that matter. But, the organizers made it bearable not only for the bus ride but for the starting area as well. From our hotel, at the Hampton, it was about a 20-minute walk to where the buses were collecting runners. There were enough buses and no lines waiting to board the marathon buses. The bus even left half-full providing for a nice quiet ride to the start. Upon reaching the start there was a big circus tent, small portions heated with folding chairs throughout.  Porta potties were numerous across from the tent. I sat for a while in the tent but as it got more crowded and closer to the starting time, I left, used the porta-potty, and hung around outside stretching and trying to stay warm. The temperature was around 43 and the forecast was for overcast skies with a temperature in the upper 40's to low 50's, perfect for running a BQ, Haha! It was also a net downhill course, perfect for a BQ, Haha!

Tent at the start

Colors at the start

  Even up to the starting time, I was unsure whether to pace with the 3:50 group or the 4-hour group. I hadn't broken 4 hours for 9 years although close at the Flying Pig a few months ago running 4:01. A finish of 3:50 would be a BQ for me. Haha! I had a good summer of running in the hot, humid conditions of NC. So, who knows, it could be one of those great days where everything comes together. It has so far for the trip.

I decide to go with the 3:50 group and give it a go. When contemplating the 4-hour group, I thought that it would help me start out at an easier pace, warming up, and then making up the time and staying strong to the end.  But, I thought, likely I will not be able to make up time in the end so I opted for an even pace with the 3:50 group.

As it always does in a marathon, the pace felt easy from the start. Pacers can sometimes be a crap-shoot so I suspect I have only used pacers in about 10% of my 108 marathons. I have always felt that I have to run my own race. I was happy with my splits through 9 miles...

1	1.00 mi	8:37	8:37 /mi	8:38 /mi	129 bpm
2	1.00 mi	8:36	8:36 /mi	8:37 /mi	148 bpm
3	1.00 mi	8:34	8:34 /mi	8:35 /mi	150 bpm
4	1.00 mi	8:38	8:38 /mi	8:38 /mi	152 bpm
5	1.00 mi	8:40	8:40 /mi	8:27 /mi	152 bpm
6	1.00 mi	8:36	8:36 /mi	8:34 /mi	153 bpm
7	1.00 mi	8:41	8:41 /mi	8:54 /mi	148 bpm
8	1.00 mi	8:52	8:52 /mi	8:51 /mi	149 bpm
9	1.00 mi	8:51	8:51 /mi	8:55 /mi	147 bpm

...and then with a single step, the pain in my Soleus shot deep into the muscle. I have struggled with this specific issue throughout the year, coming and going at some of the most inopportune times. It happened in mid-march a few days after the Umstead trail marathon when running very slowly, took some more time off and then it reoccurred, took 10 days off, and it felt better. I was only a few weeks away from running the Blue Ridge Marathon, self-proclaimed, America's Toughest Road Marathon. I knew that the severity of running up and down would be difficult for my calf. Oddly, the marathon went quite well and never felt an issue with that calf. But now, here I am in the early stages of a marathon still with 16 miles to go. Right away, I changed pace with a slight limp and favoring my left leg which then started putting more stress on my right one and changed my mechanics. I didn't want to stop, so I chugged along. For the next 12 miles, I somehow held it together, yet slower...

10	1.00 mi	9:08	9:08 /mi	9:08 /mi	147 bpm
11	1.00 mi	9:15	9:15 /mi	9:16 /mi	146 bpm
12	1.00 mi	9:10	9:10 /mi	9:11 /mi	145 bpm
13	1.00 mi	9:09	9:09 /mi	9:10 /mi	145 bpm
14	1.00 mi	8:59	8:59 /mi	9:00 /mi	148 bpm
15	1.00 mi	9:24	9:24 /mi	9:21 /mi	146 bpm
16	1.00 mi	9:20	9:20 /mi	9:22 /mi	147 bpm
17	1.00 mi	8:59	8:59 /mi	9:03 /mi	147 bpm
18	1.00 mi	9:18	9:18 /mi	9:20 /mi	147 bpm
19	1.00 mi	9:49	9:49 /mi	9:47 /mi	144 bpm
20	1.00 mi	9:40	9:40 /mi	9:45 /mi	139 bpm
21	1.00 mi	9:56	9:56 /mi	9:52 /mi	134 bpm

At that point, I knew that a BQ was out of the question and also knew sub 4 hours was also gone. My focus now was to finish without further injury since I had my 19th Baltimore Marathon in two weeks. I slowed even more because the toll that overcompensating was taking on my right leg and just the struggle to keep going.

22	1.00 mi	10:42	10:42 /mi	10:44 /mi	136 bpm
23	1.00 mi	11:05	11:05 /mi	11:06 /mi	137 bpm
24	1.00 mi	11:16	11:16 /mi	11:13 /mi	134 bpm
25	1.00 mi	11:57	11:57 /mi	12:02 /mi	135 bpm
26	1.00 mi	11:28	11:28 /mi	11:23 /mi	134 bpm
27	0.31 mi	2:58	9:30 /mi	9:40 /mi	134 bpm

Over the bridge and down market to the finish

Final cheering group

Market St. finish

Off I go for another quarter mile

Eventually, I got to the finish line running down Market Street in Corning among the spectators. I found Cindy, who is always there for me, gave the finish line kiss and hobbled across the line. I heard Bart call out my name and say, "I know him." 

Lots of food!

So, I ran 4:09 55 which for the injury mid-race and struggling to get to the finish, I was good with. Of course, more times than not, I am just good with a finish in a marathon. Strangely enough, 4:09:55 is just 12 seconds from the time of 4:09:43 when the first bomb sent off in Boston back in 2013.

Wine Glass is a great event; some nice swag, a well-organized, big race in a small town, a great area to visit. It looks like Meb and Bart will be back in 2020. Go run and have fun!

Curious dog!

The Korrey Effect: 10 Things I Learned From a 5-Year-old About Running

If there is one thing that I like more than my own running adventures, it is the inspiration that I get by seeing the joy, determination, and success of others in a sport that I so love. Inspiration comes from all people, no matter the distance or pace or age. Everyone has their own story to tell, not only in life but in their running adventures or, shall I say, through their running adventures.

Three of the inspirational people that stay with me through running are my nephew Shawn, my wife Cindy and a 5-year-old named Korrey, my step-grandson. Shawn has run some great races including a 9:06 finish at the JFK 50 and a 3:36 Baltimore Marathon. We have run together in races, raced in races and have had some great conversational runs. Cindy, the bionic lady, with two artificial hips and an artificial shoulder due to osteoarthritis, completed the Tobacco Road Half-marathon, a 10K, and multiple 5Ks. But, the Tobacco Road Half brought tears to my eyes. She trained hard, knew it had to be a run-walk and persevered for a 3:06 finish. I wrote about it here. She is also the best crew anyone could ask for.

For the last 6 years, we have ventured to Cincinnati for the Flying Pig Running Festival, a weekend celebrating running and Cincinnati. There are races for everyone from the baby crawl to the full marathon and even a flying fur event for dogs. The entire family can be involved. In our first year In 2014, Bree, Korrey's sister did the Piglets race of 25 yards at the age of a few months past 2 years. Bree ran and ran and ran past the 25 yards to the big kids' finish. In 2015, it was time for all the kids to run the piglets races. The theme that year was All-Star and they were all All-Stars. Read about it here. In 2016, Cindy, her daughter Becky moved up to the 5K while the kids still did the Piglets races.

Now, let's skip a few years and get to 2019 which relates to the tile of this post - The Korrey Effect. In 2018, all 9 of us, well, 9 1/2 since Jenn was with child, did the 5K. The kid's races got so crowded that we figured it would be more enjoyable to do the 5K. We did and we all finished in good time and spirits. But, in 2019, I got to run the entire race with Korrey, and run we did. For a 5+-year-old to finish a 5K, it takes a lot, but for the same kid to finish while running every step of the distance, that is a truly an enduring, persevering effort.

Frankly, I didn't know what to expect as we started. First, there were so many people and so many adults that I needed to hold Korrey's hand so that he didn't get trampled on or step in a hole or trip on uneven pavement. We started a bit fast and as the runners spread out we had more room to move around, passing people, being passed by others but just plowing along. The first mile was run in 10:44 which must have felt blistering to a nearly 6-year-old. Although I was holding his hand, I wasn't pulling him along as I let him set the pace. Although his brother Jaxon was ahead, Korrey ran his own race. 

Korrey Effect 1: Run your own race!

With his eyes fixed on what was ahead, we moved into mile 2 which included two hills at 2.4 miles and 2.8 miles. 

Korrey Effect 2: Focus and fix your mind on the task at hand! 

Korrey Effect 3: Eat hills for breakfast! 

Throughout the run, he heard words of encouragement not only from me but from the runners around him.

Korrey Effect 4: Take in words of encouragement and use them to your advantage!

There was an aid station at mile two with some food and drink being handed out. I asked him if he wanted to drink and he said "no" but he did take a pretzel and ate it while running. 

Korrey Effect 5: Learn to eat and drink on the run and don't lollygag at aid stations, particularly in ultras!

This probably felt like an ultra to him. The previous year, I watched the boys while Cindy, Charlie, Becky, and Bree ran the 5K. When I say watched, I mean cheered and high-fived as spectators. Now, Korrey was being cheered. 

Korrey Effect 6: We runners need to cheer on others as spectators or volunteers sometimes!

At this point after finishing mile 2, I still could not believe he was still running and hadn't stopped to walk. I saw his strained face determined to keep going. It probably didn't help by me saying "almost there" which I cringe at when a spectator yells it at mile 20 of a marathon.

Korrey Effect 7: Don't believe all that you hear, know where you are in your own race at the distance you are running!

However, we were truly getting close but I could not remember where the exact finish was since it was changed the year before. Korrey knew that wherever it was, he couldn't stop until it truly was the finish. 

Korrey Effect 8: Run to the finish. There is no finish except at the finish line!

We pass mile 3 and we literally can see the finish line and we speed up as we pass all of the cheering finish line spectators but Korrey is still focused on the finish.

Korrey Effect 9: Run faster down the stretch and be happy!

We pass the finish line and grab some food and drink to celebrate our race, have a picture taken and enjoy the accomplishment.

Korrey Effect 10: Enjoy and celebrate what you have done!

If Korrey had a mantra or even knew what a mantra was, this would be it and it is one that we all cannot only run by but also live by!

The Full Korrey Effect?

Relentless Forward Progress!

Time 36:13

The course and split times

Some pictures from the Expo and The Flying Pig 5K

Family Time

Bree and a Flying Pig

The Start Line

Rowan's First 5K (although he got to ride)

Rowan's bib

Calvin, the Kids and Cindy

Bree (how does she twist her leg like that?)

  

Almost There (haha! The Finish Swine!)

Bree and her Medal

Brother, Sister, and Family

The Medals Are Real!

Cincinnati Skyline Before the Marathon

Yes, I do!

Parkwood Lake Heron Marathon

OK, I am making it up! Parkwood Lake exists. I live on it. Herons exist. I watch them everyday fishing from the banks. What doesn't exist is the Parkwood Lake Heron Marathon. Or, does it? It does now, at least for one day, because I ran it - solo. The perimeter of the lake located in the southern part of the city of Durham, NC is 1.5 miles. Four roads make for a relatively flat (30 feet elevation gain per loop) traverse through the neighborhood of Parkwood. Parkwood was one of the first communities to house the ever-expanding Research Triangle Park in the late 1960s. My house was built in 1968 after IBM and RTI moved into the park. The Triangle is what the area is known by due to the proximity of Duke in Durham, the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and NC State in Raleigh. Parkwood sits within the Triangle, which now makes me wonder what a true Triangle ultra would be like traversing the endpoints from city to city.

Parkwood Lake 

I have run 106 marathons and 8 ultras but I have never run a marathon solo for the 'fun' of it. Certainly, I never imagined running a marathon solo in the middle of the summer in NC. Yes, I could run it as slow as I wanted since I was both going to win and come in last. I didn't really mean for it to be a training run, just a run to do while Cindy was visiting her grandson in Boston. Doing loops, with my house on the loop, meant that I could set up my own aid station, have access to a bathroom, and let the dogs out half-way. To get to 26.2 miles, I calculated that I needed to run 18 loops which would also be a challenge. The most loops I have ever run in a single race or run of any kind is 4, each being 12.5 miles (Umstead 50 miler). I have also never run 26.2 miles without someone, even one person, saying "you're almost there" or "the last hill" or "you look great". Frankly, I was afraid that someone was going to call the police.

Durham 911: Hello, what are you reporting?

Neighbor: There is a man running around the neighborhood. I think he is casing the houses.

Durham 911: Mam, people run in neighborhoods all the time, what makes you think he is casing houses?

Neighbor: This is the 12th time he has passed my house and it is still dark.

Durham 911: What is he wearing?

Neighbor: For the first few times, it was normal running attire but now he has no shirt on. I have kids and I think he is a predator.

Durham 911: So a shirtless man wearing just running shorts, shoes and socks is running multiple times around your neighborhood in the dark?

Neighbor: Yes

Durham 911: Don't worry mam, I think he is training for an ultra!

Doh! The community does take "see something, say something" to heart as well they should in this day and age. But, the reality was, nobody called the police. I set my alarm for 3 AM and that is just mental right there! I got up, had my coffee, let the dogs out and got my aid station together. I pulled my pickup to the edge of the driveway and set-up my aid station just inside the tailgate. It was actually probably a better aid station than most marathons but not as good as the smorgasbord at ultras. I had water, no sugar Gatorade, mini blueberry bagels, Gu (including birthday cake flavor), Gu chews, and bananas. For the first half-marathon, I only stopped every 3 miles or 2 loops because I did not want to gorge myself. The humidity (actually the dew point) was quite high as it always is in NC in the summer. I listened to Training for Ultra podcasts with Bart Yasso, Karl Meltzer, and Amelia Boone/Maggie Guterl. Halfway, I was soaked so I took a short break to change clothes including shoes and let the dogs out for their morning potty break. The first half was run in 2:17, way off my normal split but hey, it's solo, it's summer and it was dark the entire time.

The course - 18 loops

Aid Station

I started running again after about 15 minutes. It was getting light and I started to see a few people and cars out and about. I saw two cars in the first 9 loops. Although there are street lights, I wore my Noxgear Tracer 360 to be illuminated just in case of errant drivers or wild beasts roaming around. It is still a bit eery running at night with noises and movements that are not yours. I know ultra runners experience this often especially at night. I experienced it at Rocky Raccoon. It is quite surreal and maybe part of the allure.

Completing 26.2 miles was going to give me 43 miles for the week, not out of the ordinary in total milage but cramming most of it into one day was going to be the challenge. I really wasn't sure I was going to make the second 13.1 miles. I had run a 17.68 (gosh, I am anal) miler the Saturday prior and I was spent just running that distance, ironically on the Research Triangle Park loops. So, I just ran what I could with the goal of completing loops, moving forward with relentless forward progress. Part of my motivation for the agony of 18 loops is the fact that I registered for the Tideland 24 hour race in November. Run as many loops as possible on a 1.377 mile packed sand and wooden bridge loop over the marshlands of cedar point natural area. Running or I should say moving for 24 hours is a new challenge for me. I have never run farther than 50 miles. I have never run overnight. I have never done more than 18 loops (now that I have done this.)

Claremont

Newhall

Sedwick

As I continued the loops, I began to walk strategic (hah, that sound so ridiculous) parts of the course. As I mentioned, it is mostly flat but there are two small hills that deserved to be admired as I walked those stretches. I also drank a little bit on each loop, had a few bites of banana and a couple of chews. The sky luckily remained cloudy which kept the sun away from me. I removed my shirt and ran semi-naked for the last 5 loops. Although I don't make a habit of it being self-conscious, I feel a bit more comfortable these days running without a shirt and it was much cooler.

I finally made it to the last loop but the 26.2 ended on the other side of the lake. I stopped my watch right on 26.2 but I still had a half-mile to walk back to my house. My final time was 5:07 an hour and 6 minutes slower than my last marathon in Cincinnati. It was a rewarding adventure that I would recommend to everyone. It was also a humbling experience as every one of my marathons and ultras has been. These distances strip you to the core and that is what I like and need. I really enjoy the half-marathon distance as well.

The marathon will humble you - Bill Rodgers

I know some runners, particularly ultra runners do these kinds of runs all the time. Mentally, I needed to prepare for 3 AM wakeup call, the 4 AM start, summer running in humidity, the distance, being by myself.  Even at a slower pace, it gives confidence and mental fortitude for other races. Maybe I will make this an annual event, run it for charity, have others join, either running or walking and making it the Parkwood Lake Heron Marathon.

Postscript

On Sunday I contemplated what distance and where I was going to run. In the Karl Meltzer podcast, he said go for a good walk the day after so I thought going to Umstead and doing a hike would work out the stiffness. To my surprise, once I got on the single track trails, my legs felt great and I ran most of the single-track on Loblolly. Overall I ran/hiked the single-track and the bridle trail for another 10.2 miles. The hills at Umstead are special. When I say that, I mean challenging. The day before I had only done 660 feet of elevation gain over 26.2 miles. At Umstead, I did over 1,000 feet in 10.2 miles.

Sunday morning sunrise

It was a good weekend of running and the most miles I have run on a weekend except for the 50 milers I have done. Later, I made some strawberry popsicles in the mamscicles molds.

After a day off, I ran 4 miles at 8:43 pace and was happy with my recovery...

Some photos from my 10.2 miles run at Umstead on Sunday, mostly on the Loblolly Trail.

Davies Pond

And then the vulture eats you - the title of an ultrarunning book!

Finally - Burger and Beers at Town Hall

24 Hours

OK, I registered! I think this will be an epic journey!

The Urge To Go TOO Far

In celebration of my 25th year from my first marathon, 1994 NYC, and after 106 marathons in all 50 states and DC, 8 ultras, 45+ half marathons, countless other races, and training runs covering approximately 27,000+ miles, I still have the urge to go TOO far.

I have pretty much run all distances between 1 mile and 50 miles, some successfully and some not so successfully. I know that I can run the marathon distance quite well or maybe I should say comfortably hard because I am not likely to win an age group award in the marathon, although I have in half-marathons; my recent endeavors have been solid finishing 4:01 in the 2019 Flying Pig at age 59, this, only 3 weeks after Blue Ridge Marathon, touted as America's Toughest Road Marathon, the optimal word being 'road'.  Blue Ridge felt sort of like an ultra to me, managing the ascents and descents, enjoying the aid stations, views, and other runners, and just having a fun time, before, during and after the event. A month prior to that was the Umstead Trail Marathon, which also had an ultra feel to it, 6 miles of single-track trail and 20 miles of hilly bridle trail, the same trail as the Umstead 100. With those two races, an early 25K at Salem Lake in Winston-Salem, really good training runs, and a desire to break 4 hours for the first time in 9 years, I went into the Flying Pig, my 6th, feeling positive. I just missed it having an ill-timed cramp after mile 25 that required the dreaded curb stretch. But, I came away from that race and the winter-spring season of running confidently that there still could be a sub-4 hour marathon, once again, waiting for me.

But my urge is to run TOO far! I was a sprinter in school -100 and 200 meters (or yards in those days) and I thought running anything more than a mile was just stupid. Call me stupid because, with the distances I have run over the last 25 years, none have been 100 or 200 meters unless I am chasing my dog who is chasing a UPS truck (yes, that happened!) So how far is TOO far? I have never DNFed a marathon but I have DNFed a 50K, 50-miler, and 100-miler. Some DNFs have been time constraints (missed cutoffs or in the case of the 2008 JFK 50, finishing the 50 miles 10 seconds after the 12-hour time limit and being an unofficial finisher and in this case 1st loser) or distance constraints (just not my day and can't go the distance.) This leads me to believe that the ultra-distance can be TOO far. This intrigues me and when I came across this quote by T.S. Eliot, I thought, "How far can I go now? When will I know it is TOO far?"  Well, I won't know until I risk it.

I titled this post as "The Urge" not be confused with "The Purge". The urge that I have is to register for some ultras at varying distances and time constraints. Two distances that I need to run are the 100K and 100 miles and the time constraints that I need to run is 24 hours. Would this make a complete running resume? Every distance between 1 mile and 100 miles and also a full day (no matter how many miles) of running in circles? No, not really as I have never qualified for Boston, but then, even with that, does that complete a running resume? No, it doesn't. A running resume to me is being able to have a lifelong running journey, experiences while enjoying the diversity and joy of the sport in the people who run but in the multitude of events that grace the calendar every weekend. Am I ever going to win a race? No. Win an age group? Maybe, now that I am approaching 60 (although there are some seriously good runners in these later age groups.) But, what other sport gives one the opportunity to toe the line with the best? I can go to a 50 or 100-mile run and cross the same start and finish lines as Jim Walmsley or Courtney Dauwalter, maybe hours later and many miles behind but experience the same course and challenges.

For me, management of the course in an ultra is key, the course, my energy, my pace, my nutrition to get to the finish and ironically not have the distance be TOO far. In previous ultras, I don't think I ever managed these areas well and I have never fared well in any distance greater than the marathon. Yes, I have finished 8 and DNFed 4; 66% is a D. But is this the point, to risk going TOO far to find out how far I can go? So, let's try to go TOO far again and see where it takes me!

It's Been Awhile

...since I have written and I'm not sure why...because I really enjoy writing about running. I read enough about it so I might as well get back to writing about it. My last post in April was about the 'exit strategy' and frankly not having one. Since that post up until about two weeks ago, I have run really well, losing 35 pounds hasn't hurt either. Consistently, my pace has been between 8:30 and 9 minutes per mile and on race days at short distances around 8 minutes per mile. I had not seen this kind of pace for nearly 8 years. They say every pound is a difference of 3 seconds per mile pace. It has held true as I had increased my pace by more than 90 seconds per mile from last summer. Last year, I could barely make it through the summer heat and humidity from 10:00 to 10:30 per mile. I sued to make excuses as to why I was at the weight I was. Uh, I am getting older and getting older it is harder to lose weight. Uh, I am running OK because as I am aging I am running slower. Uh, what is wrong with a bowl of ice cream every night? In any event, I eat differently now and I run better. Believe me, I have not really given up anything but very conscious of what and how much I put in my mouth or I have made substitutes. Overall, I am feeling great and my running has been great.

...until the weekend of hurricane Florence. I went out on a run in the rain and going uphill, my left quad didn't like it and I felt a strain that in 25 years of running I had not felt before. What the hell? I have had aches and pains through those 25 years but nothing debilitating except maybe a sprained ankle from trail runs. I have run through most everything, changing what I needed to to get through the runs, even marathons. In 101 marathons, I have never had a DNS or a DNF. But for this simple 5-mile run, my quad was not going to let me go any farther, so I walked and then gingerly stepped/jogged two miles back home. It was as if overnight, my body deteriorated, or at least my legs. I took the next 5 days off walking in the mornings to stay somewhat active. Feeling a bit better and knowing I have a half-marathon and marathon coming up in October, I ventured out for what I thought was going to be 10 miles. Being a nice day and changing my stride, I ran 13.1 miles but at an 11+ minute pace. How do I go from running 8:40 pace for 13.1 a few weeks ago to barely under 11:30? I don't get it. Of course, compensating for my left leg, my right leg took much of the pounding and felt worse than my left. The next day I ventured out for 7 miles, did 6 slowly and walked 1. It felt like I had run back-to-back marathons. It was crazy! Looking back, the only thing I can put my finger on was a binge on sugar (candy bars) and some other not so good things over the few days of the hurricane. My body has likely been living in ketosis from losing the weight and those few days of binge eating sugar may have taken its toll on my muscles. So, I am back to regular healthy eating again, lean proteins, fish, spinach salads, vegetables, carb smart ice cream, but yes, my burgers, beer, and occasional funs stuff. There is no reason to give up the fun stuff at age 58 but there is a reason to not binge on it. I think I now realize that! I am happy being around 160 give or take a few pounds, down from 193 in December. Now I just need to keep the muscles fed appropriately to run most effectively!

Exit Strategy

I have never thought about an exit strategy from running. While reading the March issue of Ultrarunning Magazine, Errol "Rocket" Jones had a piece about an exit strategy called Exit Stage Left.  In many companies that I have worked in, particularly start-ups, there has always been an exit strategy, whether it is to go public, be bought by another company, or to have an exit strategy of not exiting at all, continuing to grow, to serve and be better with age. There are generally two motivating factors as to which strategy to follow, money or ego.

The same might hold true for elite runners. Being an older mid-pack runner, there are many reasons to exit. Our aging bodies slow us down. health issues and aching bodies may present a challenge, motivation wanes, it takes longer to recover. None of these things has had me think about an exit strategy. Its made me think about managing expectations, managing my runs, and managing my health. So, it is all about managing oneself. At 58, relatively speaking, I am running better than I have in many years. It would be difficult for me to think about exiting and nearly impossible to actually do it. I'm sure that day will come but I think it will hit me all at once.

Some companies try to be more than they are and think they are more valuable than they are. I run the way I can and the way I am. I can't think that I am an elite runner when I'm simply not. But within the context of where I am in life, I can be the best I can be. In March, I ran 3 half-marathons three weekends in a row. For the first time in nearly 25 years of running, I pulled in two age group awards with some seriously good runs. My age-graded times were better than my pure times when I was younger.

Some people want to exit when they are on the top of their games. I just want to be in the game as long as I can. I have been through the valleys where I could have easily hung up the running shoes. I have also run well enough, in quantity or quality, where I could say, it's enough, I've reached my goal and its time to exit. Running, particularly races are great because there are age groups. Every five years, you are the youngest in your age group. We not only get to reset our expectations, but we can be rejuvenated and run past the exit ramp.

We need to look for more entrance ramps, maybe even entrance strategies to keep us going and motivated as opposed to exit strategies; new distances, volunteering, age-graded times, new events, new states, new countries anything that keeps us in the game, the one that has given our life meaning.