We headed to packet pickup and the expo via the metro. Navigating the metro was not too hard, once we got our bearings. The metro is actually very clean, organized and efficient (I don’t think we waited for more than 8 minutes for a single train). The expo was exciting, but the things we most wanted to see were not there (metro card vendor and the ING Miami Marathon vendor - which was supposed to give a $5 discount on the race). After the expo, we went back to the hotel and ate. Even though I know better, I brought new foods with me to eat. Some EasyMac, some microwave pasta and a new brand of Grape Juice. I have been having GI issues for most long distance runs this year, but I needed to ensure that I had enough food the day before the race. I easily packed away over 800 grams of carbohydrates on Saturday (Thursday and Friday were also big days - near 700 grams). I went out to stretch my legs about 8:30 or so and I ended up waling a good 30 minutes.

Sunday morning came, and I was as ready as I was going to be. I knew that I did not have near as many long runs as I should have during my training, but because I was involved in so many other events, it was nearly impossible to do everything I knew I needed to do for this marathon. We took the metro to runners village and dropped off our baggage. Then we went to the start…

I remember being extremely nervous for my first marathon last year. I did everything by the book and I strived to make sure that I was as ready as I could be. I recall standing at the start line for my second marathon with little to no nerves. I was able to eat an entire breakfast and I did not have any stomach upset (also very common this year). I was looking forward to seeing how I would do, but I was not really nervous. Perhaps this comes as a result of how much I have grown as a runner this year. Perhaps it is a result of still being naive.

The race started and we were off! I loved my first 17 miles. I ran them as best as I could. I loved being back in Arlington. I saw how much has changed since I was there last. I felt the nostalgia of what things were like when I lived there. We ran across the Key bridge and there was so much fog that only the clock tower of a church stuck out - it was amazing! We ran west of Georgetown and up a switchback around mile 6 or 7. This switchback was so foggy that I could only see 5 people in front of me - and the sun was shining right in our faces, which really made for a creepy, zombie like view. There was little to no crowd here, so it was eerily quiet. Through Georgetown about mile 8 and down a steep downhill. I picked up some time here and continued my running. I was mostly running sub-9 minute miles, which was a bit too fast for me and my target - but it felt so good and it was actually hard to slow down! I started focuising on the race now and I missed a good deal of the views - the Smithsonian, the monuments, the memorials and the buildings. I did see the Washington Monument (it is kind of hard to miss, after all) and I saw a reflection pool (though not the one people think of - not the one from Forrest Gump).

Right around mile 17, my race started to fall apart. I had plenty of energy still, but my legs were refusing to run fast. I was hungry and I had already consumed two gel packets (which had been giving me problems all summer, but not on race day). I had to stop and stretch my quads and glutes. I had to walk for a bit. I continued to press on, though at a much slower pace. I started walking at the water stops… I had a quick burst of energy somewhere around 20 miles, but I slowed down near mile 21. At this point, the race pacers for 3:50 and 4:00 passed me. Then the 4:15. My three goals - sub-4 hour, 4-hour and 4:15 all passed me within the timespan of a few miles (they were very, very slow miles). I started calculating in my head the times I would need to run in order to do better than my previous marathon. It would be close, but it was doable. I pressed on some more. At this point, I had to walk at water stops, mile markers and several time in between each mile. My body was still alert and I had energy, but my legs just had nothing more to give me at this point.

I managed to shuffle across the finish just a few minutes ahead of my previous time. It was a PR, but it was my hardest earned PR ever. After the race, I met up with Mark and Greg and we traded stories about our experiences (we all had difficulties of some sort). I ate a lot of food and we headed back to the hotel via a walk to Georgetown and a taxi.

I was satisifed with my race. I wanted to do better, but in my head, I knew that I had not dedicated myself as much as I could (or should) have. Balancing 30 some odd races (with a handful of endurance events in there) before a marathon was tough. I think that considering what I have accomplished this year, my marathon time is good. Perhaps next time I will race less and train a bit harder.

Spending time with Mark and Greg was also a treat - usually we only see each other for a few hours here and there. But they are both good guys and we had a terrific time. No spooing (but there is always next time)…

While I was stretching, Corey, Marie and Mary arrived. We caught up for a bit before heading to the starting line. The wind had picked up a bit at this point, but we stuck it out like champs! The race started and we were off! My goal was to run at a comfortable effort, which I think I accomplished. My first mile was about 8:15, and I was happy with that (there was a decent sized hill in mile 1). Mile 2 was about 7:45, which I was excited about because there was a gradual climb, followed by a steep hill. Right around the 2 mile mark, I ran past a mother/daughter duo. The daughter was running her first 5K (and doing surprisingly well) - I encouraged them and continued on for a very fast 3rd mile. Mile 3 was all downhill, and was very, very fast. I ran a 7:15 with very minimal effort. The chute into the finish was about a tenth of a mile, and on grass. I enjoyed that last bit and crossed at 24 minutes and 29 seconds (according to the offical time). I was very satisfied with that time because it was my first time running since the marathon and I just went out for a comfortable 3 mile run. That time also won me a second place finish in my age group!

After the race, we all went inside and I ate a lot of donuts, drank a lot of apple cider and just stayed warm. Corey and Marie drove me home after the award ceremonies and came inside to say hello to Dylan (Mark’s dog). Dylan really likes Marie and I think Marie kinda likes Dylan, too.

All in all, it was a fine day for a race; the weather was great, the course was great and everyone ran a great race.

I also have PR’d on 26 of the 32 events! That is an 81% PR rate - something I will likely never see again. But that number is a testament to how far I have come this year, and I am ecstatic about it!

This event was pretty decent - the course was my favorite out of the three courses that we ran. It is certainly the most technical. But it is extremely hard to pass because a good portion of the course is single track. There is even a section on a rim with a drop off into a pond - very hard to pass there!

I arrived at the event on my V-Star and changed into my running gear before stretching and saying hello to the friends I have made this year. Once the gun went off (so to speak), we were off! I saw one person fall victim to a rolled ankle and a few more who were really struggling on the hills. But I made my way through the course and the last half mile or so was on a wide road, so I really took off there.

After the event, there was a terrific spread of food and the series award ceremony. Although I did not win anything in the standings, I did score a sweet door prize of a Timex Ironman with remote iPod control! Now all I need is an iPod! There were some other awards bestowed that night, including an award for the runner who got lost the most, the runner who decided to pay for each event individual (and spent an extra $20 doing so) and the best ankle sprain award.

This series was totally awesome, and I hope that Yellow Jacket runs the series again next year. Trail racing is a welcome addition to the normal road races that I run. This year was my first experience with trail running and I am hooked! Unfortunately, I live in upstate NY, so there are few trail running opportunities during the long winter months. But I hope to come back next year and do a whole lot more trail running!

I have always wanted to run-commute to work, so I did a “trial run” to work. I took Highland to Clinton to Brighton-Henrietta Townline Road to Winton to Jefferson to work. It was about 6 miles, and I ran it in 56 minutes. I consumed a gel packet and pushed on home, this time going down Jefferson to Edgewood to Monroe to Winton to East to Park to Culver. All told, I ran about 13.5 miles at a 9:06 pace. I felt strong the entire run and I certainly could have gone on longer if time permitted.

Since I left my house at 7:15, it was dark by the time I reached the office (and I certainly could run to work and home in the same day - perhaps I will try sometime). My last two long runs have been in the evening, and I have excelled at both. Either the cooler temps help, or the fact that my legs have been “broken in” all day help (perhaps both). I did not take any sports drink on this run - only one bottle of water and one gel packet. During last long run, my stomach was a bit upset for the last 7 miles or so, and I wanted to see if perhaps this was due to too much sugar. The water/gel combination seemed to work for me - I will have to try it on a longer run to be sure, but I think I am onto something here (for the math majors, you would need to consume 12 ounces of sports drink to equal the calories in 1 packet of gel - for my needs, there is more bang for the buck in a gel packet - plus, I need not worry what a particular race is serving for sports drink (I bring my own gel)).

With my run tonight, I am hopeful that I will have a great half marathon race this coming weekend. My goal is 1:45, but I will certainly be happy with 1:50.

A short while ago, I received a notice in the mail that I had been sent to collections for not paying a subscription to a magazine. Understand that the magazine was given as a gift a few years ago and I have never outright renewed the subscription (but the magazines kept coming). The first thing I did was scan the letter in and send it to my lawyer for advice. He said I should pay the $20.00 and be done with it (which is what I planned on doing). I did call the number on the letter and was greeted by a computer which prompted me through some menu choices. I indicated that I never renewed the magazine, and that was that. I later called and spoke to a person, who told me that the collection agency was an “in house” agency and that my credit could not be damaged by the in house agency. I indicated that I thought the charges were in error, and the operator agreed and sent me a letter exonerating me of all credits. Case closed.

My main issue is the tactics that the magazine company takes to force people into renewing. The letter looks official and the “agency” (North Shore Agency) has an online presence. By sending intimidating letters to people saying that they are in “collections”, the publisher probably makes a pretty penny. With just a little Google magic, I found that the BBB and several other organizations had several complaints about the North Shore Agency. By investing a little time on the phone, I uncovered their plot - scare customers into renewing.

I think this sort of behavior should be illegal. It disgusts me that any company would do this, even for a $12.00 magazine subscription. I found the name of the president of the North Shore Agency online and if I had any stones, I would call him up and tell him what I think of their tactics. For me, lesson learned - if magazine publishers are going to play this way, I have no business subscribing from them.

I started at home and ran up to Monroe Ave., turning north on Winton. For some reason, I enjoy running through 12 Corners in Brighton. I followed Winton to East and headed west before going north to University. I followed University to Main St. and continued past downtown to Ford Street. I had just ran around Corn Hill and was now crossing the Ford Street bridge (which happens to be on the Marathon route). Heading south on Mt. Hope, I ran into the historic Mt. Hope Cemetery - I had never been here and there is a lot of history in the cemetery (Fredrick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony are both burried here, as well as one of the likely canditates for Jack the Ripper). The cemetery was calm, quiet and provided several running surfaces (brick, gravel, dirt, grass, pavement and more!), as well as some short but steep hills. Leaving the cemetary on Elmwood, I headed to the University of Rochester where I caught the canal trail. Running through Genesee Valley Park was serene as dusk grew near, and night finally fell by the time I was at Edgewood. I exited the path at Edgewood and started to make my way home. I headed west on Monroe and then north on Winton (again). This time I took East to Culver and then back home, for a total of 20 miles.

I had intended to go out for 18 miles, but I was so strong at mile 13 that I knew I could press on for more. Besides - this month will make it hard for me to have a significantly long run, as I am competing in three large events (half marathon, triathlon and a dualthlon). My first 16 miles were run at a 9:23 pace (which is very, very good for me), and the times tapered off from there, culminating in an 11 minute mile at the end. I was not exhausted at the end, but my legs had absolutely nothing left at that point. I think this run was important for a number of reasons. First, I ran a long distance and felt good about it. Second, for the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to the Marine Corps Marathon in October. Third, I ran 20 miles at a full 1 minute faster pace than my marathon pace last year. Lastly, I broke the curse of the Edgewood canal trail exit (every time I have exited the canal trail here, my runs have crumbled).

My new nickname is Mr. Fusion. You may remember Mr. Fusion from the movie “Back to the Future” - the Delorean was originally powered by plutonium, but during a trip to the future, Doc Brown had a Mr. Fusion installed. Mr. Fusion makes enormous amounts of energy from garbage. Which is exactly what I had been eating the previous two days. Since I ran so well and felt so good the entire run, it follows that my body must be a Mr. Fusion processor.

Once I arrived, we suited up and headed for the park. The park itself is huge - there are lodges placed sporadically around the roads and there are plenty of hills and curves (this would be fun on a motorcycle). We drove through the park a bit and pulled over near one of Mark’s favorite trails. The run was about 6 miles total (out and back), and the scenery was awesome. There were all sorts of elements from creek crossings to log hopping to ravine jumping, along with some serious uphill and downhill sections. Though not overly technical, the trail is challenging (especially if you try to dodge all the mud holes) and provides plenty of elements in a wide variety of elevation changes. Some parts of the run were simply spectacular. For example, the leaves were already turning at one point in the run; earlier on in the run we went through what I can only describe as a green “tunnel” - dirt trails with “walls” and a “ceiling” made from very, very vivid greens.

After about 3 miles, we finally got to our destination - the Eternal Flame. You have to work to get here, no matter which way you come (some ways are more “adventurous” than others), but it is worth it. We took a steep downhill to get to the creek bed (I am guessing it is 50-75 feet down) and traversed up the creek to a waterfall. Not just any waterfall, a very rocky waterfall with several levels. One of the lowest levels has a small cavern (possibly large enough for a small person to crawl into) behind the falls. Even better - that cavern has a gas leak of some sort, and hikers (apparently) often light the gas on fire. It was extremely odd to be running towards a waterfall and see fire coming from behind the falls. It was approaching dusk as we arrived, making the scene even more awesome.

After washing my face in the cold spring water from the falls and resting for a bit, we opted to take the “vertical” way up out of the gorge. While not straight up, there is not much to prevent you from falling all the way down if you slip. Fortunately, there are plenty of roots and toe holds to assist in the ascent. We started heading back to the car after the 5 minute climb. On the way back, Mark spotted two deer in a field off to our left (we would see them again, very shortly, but just for a minute).

We ended up getting back to Mark’s truck just as it was getting too dark to be running in the woods. Mark took me for a tour of the park and I was really amazed at the size and beauty of the park. At one point, we could see Lackawana, the city of Buffalo and the lake (among other landmarks) - I hear that you can see Toronto on a clear day, and I do not doubt it. The view was excellent - it is sights like this that make me miss Buffalo. Sometimes I wish I still lived there, or had at least known about places like this when I did live there.

Mark and I finished up the night with a hearty meal at an eatery in North Boston. I had a cheeseburger sub (and it was delicious); Mark also got a sub and we split some waffle fries. The restaurant was clean, the staff was plesent and the prices were fair (the menu was extensive, to boot). Overall, it was a deeply satisfying run. I wish I lived closer to this gem of a park, and I am a bit envious that Mark gets to run that trail often - it was the “perfect” amount of run for me - a great mid-week trail run.

Hopefully I will find some decent trails like that around here - Mendon Ponds has a lot of trails and I may see if I can find some that are close in complexity as the Eternal Flame trail.

As soon as my first foot hit the pavement, I was in a bit of pain. Apparently the race the previous day really took its toll on my leg. I figured the pain would go away after a few miles, so I pressed onward, though somewhat slower than my goal pace (10:15 as opposed to 9:30-9:45). After 9 miles, the pain finally subsided, and I was just about in Pittsford. I should note that on my long runs, I have been running on the grass adjacent to the sidewalk whenever possible, to help protect my legs. Once I got on the Canal Path, things were still going good and I had brought my overall pace down to about 10:00 minute miles (my trusty GPS watch tells me cool things like that). Unfortunately, this is where things started to break down. I had not consumed any gels (when am I going to learn?!?) and my body started to let me know. I suspect that even though I fueld properly the day before, my 5K race had fatigued my legs substantially. Around mile 10.5, I started to slow down (though not too bad). By the time mile 12.75 came up, I was wishing I had a cell phone to call someone to pick me up! At mile 13, I left the Canal Path at Edgewood and walked for a short bit (I also celebrated at Salvation Font at Clover, just a mile earlier). The stretch of road on Edgewood between the Canal Path and Monroe is cursed. Both times I left the Canal Path at Edgewood, my running went to poop. I was able to shuffle to Fleet Feet on Monroe, but I was spent at that point. It was 15 miles, with a pace of 10:34 (which is roughly my full marathon pace from last year). I ended up walking home from Fleet Feet, stopping to drink 2 bottles of Gatorade along the way.

I still struggle with longer runs - part of it might be in my head, but part of it has to do with my endurance and fueling plan. For my next long run, I should not race the day before, and be dilligent about when I take my gels. Hopefully I will be doing 17-18 miles next Saturday (and I will not be running Friday!).

I ended up doing well, coming in under 23 minutes, but I know I could have done better if the hills were not so rough! Rich and Pat came in just after me, and we decided to wait around for the award ceremony, thinking that there was a good chance that we placed. Sure enough, Rich and I both placed second in our age groups. The overall male winner was in Rich’s group, which is good because it allows one more place to be had in that group, but bad because it means that Rich will always be chasing that guy!

After the awards, we parted ways, and I went to the Eastside YMCA to go swimming. I had never been to the Eastside YMCA, and the facilities there are quite nice! There is a pool just for lap swimming, as well as the family pool. I only did about 500 meters, but I was pretty pooped by the time I was done.

As far as the race goes, the elevation is certainly a challenge, and I do like that. I might be tempted to run this race in the future just for the hills, but Walworth is a ways away from the house. I suspect that if Rich (or someone else) wants to run this race again, I would, but I am not likely to run it by myself in the future.