Dream Comes True at Chicago

Optional: Read this article as a "warm-up" before reading my story:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/im-truly-sorry-for-this-but-youre-about-to-hear-al,28995/

Results (bib #1930): http://results.chicagomarathon.com/

10/07/2012. My 28^th marathon. Cool and dry, perfect weather, 40s during the race, slight wind but nothing major. Course turns enough through the city the wind was probably equally in front and behind us, so really never a factor. Well, obviously not, I mean Kebede broke the course record by 59 seconds with his 2:04:38 (4:46 pace). Perfect day for fast running.

* New PR: 2:38:55 (6:03.7 pace)

* 67 seconds under previous PR (2:40:02)
* 148th overall; 137th male
* 7th male 40-44; 11th masters 40+
(2 guys in 45-49 and 1 guy in 50-54 also in front of me)
* 2nd half 81 seconds faster than 1st half (80:08 + 78:47)

Splits: Taken manually at each course mile marker. 5K splits provided by official chip mats.

6:11.7	0:06:11.7
5:59.9	0:12:11.6
6:07.6	0:18:19.2
5:59.1	0:24:18.3
6:02.8	0:30:21.1 (5)
6:11.7	0:36:32.8
6:06.9	0:42:39.7
6:11.8	0:48:51.5
6:06.5	0:54:58.0
6:14.0	1:01:12.0 (10)
6:00.6	1:07:12.6
6:09.8	1:13:22.4
6:08.4	1:19:30.8
6:08.1	1:25:38.9
6:00.7	1:31:39.6 (15)
5:58.5	1:37:38.1
6:00.6	1:43:38.7
5:57.4	1:49:36.1
5:56.5	1:55:32.6
5:57.7	2:01:30.3 (20)
5:57.0	2:07:27.3
5:56.5	2:13:23.8
5:55.8	2:19:19.6
6:05.0	2:25:24.6
6:10.3	2:31:34.9 (25)
6:03.0	2:37:37.9
1:17.1	2:38:55.0

Average Pace:  6:03.7/mi

Halfs:   80:08 + 78:47 (6:07/mi + 6:01/mi)

5-mile splits: 30:21, 30:51, 30:27, 29:51, 30:04
 

Chip Mat 5K splits:
18:55=18:55 (5K)
18:55=37:50 (10K)
19:07=56:57 (15K)
19:02=75:59 (20K)
18:51=94:50 (25K)
18:33=1:53:23 (30K)
18:30=2:11:53 (35K)
18:46=2:30:39 (40K)
08:16=2:38:55 (42.2K)

We flew to Chicago Thurs PM, and did random touristy stuff Fri/Sat: the hop-on-hop-off bus tour, Lincoln Park zoo, Sears Tower Skydeck, deep dish pizza, parks/art, marathon expo of course, etc. Was sure to keep my morning runs short 3-4 miles and wore compression socks Sat as we walked probably another 3-4 miles, as I didn’t want my legs to be dead come raceday. Pfitzinger says skip the tourism for post-race, but our travel plans and hotel worked out the opposite. I had to just keep re-assuring myself I’m in such good shape it won’t matter, no way some extra walking will take it all out of me. I had no idea what a beautiful and interesting city Chicago is. I’m sure it has its ghettos too, but we were only in and around downtown.

Sat night and Sun: I did all the normal pre-race stuff: half slept, half lay awake thinking all night, the prep and triple checking I had everything just right before leaving the hotel at 6:00am, the pre-race porta potty and gear drop, the walk over to starting corral A-B, getting there 20 minutes before start, making sure I wasn’t too far back. Lined up 10-12 rows back, a bit far considering where I hoped to finish, but assuming it would go out fast and wouldn’t be too crowded. That all worked out fine, but was as nervous as I’ve ever been before a race. Looking at even just the hundreds of shoes of those around me confirmed that I was in the right place: Luna Racer, Launch, Kinvara, Nike elite racer something er other, Green Silence, Adios, many others I didn’t recognize but were clearly 5 to 8 ounces.

It was cool to hear the elite introductions (even though I couldn’t see them up there; the crowd went wild for Ritz), and equally sinking to hear them actually announce “If you’re not in your corral by now, you have to start at the back of this wave, behind Corral E.” Wouldn’t that be the worst to get through a long bathroom line, drop your bag, try to get to the A corral only to hear you’re 2 minutes late and not allowed in? And these were not the 4-foot police barricades to hop over, they were like 8-foot chain link fences. I hope no one really fast got shut out that way.

“Remove your hats for the national anthem.” Respectfully, it was far too cold for that, as it was 40 degrees and breezy. I left my beanie hat on, as did most others. I also wore a short sleeve tech shirt, thin cotton gloves, shorts, a breathe right strip (I really think those actually help you take in more oxygen), carried a few gels, and, maybe most importantly, wore Adidas Adios 2. Somehow I didn’t hear the actual gun, but we starting moving and it was ON. Started my watch when I crossed the mat maybe 10-15 seconds after the elites. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was in about 400^th place after a half mile. The depth of this field was incredible, although I knew I’d be doing lots of passing even early, given how many folks bolted off the line (people don’t mess around at Chicago!). I felt stiff and awkward trying to run fast, had stretched but barely jogged, opting for no warm up to save energy.

Choosing to not wear my Garmin and stick with a stopwatch, I had no idea how fast I was going mile 1, and whether it would be a 5:50 (bad) or a 6:30 (also bad). I was relieved when I saw the clock ticking toward 6:00 and was almost but not quite there. Lapped my watch at 6:11. Very good. My goal was to hit 6:05 to 6:10s the first half. A lot of the rest of my first half may look like a mile on a mile off, but with the turns, slight wind, course direction, etc, I think I was actually running pretty even. I spotted Andrew Schupp around 7 miles and we spoke briefly. He said he just wanted to ensure it was not a death march for him, which I took to mean he was not in great shape, even though he’s run about 2:32-2:39 plenty of times. He and his buddy were on the pace I wanted so I stuck with them for a few miles, but he seemed to already be slowing by 10, so I pulled away and found other guys’ backs to focus on.

10 was definitely too slow (6:14), but I overcompensated mile 11 (6:00), and listened in to a couple guys in front of me: “Whoa, that was a bit quick. Look, we want to be OVER 80. Let’s dial it back the next couple miles, even 6:10s would be fine.” It’s like they were reading my mind. So I stuck right behind them and did that, not wanting to surge through halfway like I’d done at CIM with a 5:56 13^th mile, and instead saving it for somewhere well AFTER halfway.

I’d had a strange tight left calf/soleus/achilles starting about 8 days out, probably something to do with the Adios and my initial 14 mile run in them. I was trying to break in the shoes, but instead they sorta broke in my lower legs in an unexpected way, especially the soleus. My left achilles always hurts more than the right, as it's the one I had surgery on 8 yrs ago (Haglund bump removal), but this tightness just above it was new. It worried me all week because it remained tight, though nothing red or inflamed. Courtney gave it a good massage Sat AM in our hotel room, which I think really helped. My plan to deal with this was to numb any pain early and run right through it. I applied biofreeze and took two ibuprofen and before leaving the Hyatt, two at mile 5 and two more around 14, and while I could feel it, it never really got tighter or felt like it was going to seize up. It was never a factor. But still, I was worried about it most of the way. Later on, I completely forgot about it as my quads were what really hurt.

Just past halfway (80:08) the two “6:10s for the next couple miles” guys and I started passing others, gradually at first, and then more quickly a couple miles later. Yes, we were speeding up – but they were also clearly slowing down. 12, 13, 14 were all in the 6:08-6:10 range, but then… it was ON.

Just before 15, one of the guys sensed I had accelerated and said to me: “6:00s?” and I said, “Yep” (the other guy had dropped back), thinking about my post on the Lizard board: 'Would I love to run a 77 second half? Of course I would. But that’s not likely. I’d be thrilled with a 78:30.' Well, I knew I couldn’t run a 77:anything unless I was at least a few ticks under 6:00s. Like 5:55s. But I figured 6:00s was a good start, maybe later I could drop it to 5:50s, we’d see. So this dude and I started clicking the miles together, just the two of us: Boom. Boom. Boom. Incredibly even. In fact, I could not believe how even we were running, but still just fast tempo, not all out. Seemed like every time I hit lap it was a 5:57. No Garmin, I was just taking course splits (unlike many races, the mile markers in Chicago seemed perfectly consistent and accurately placed). I've only ever hit splits like that in the first half of a marathon, usually before fading badly. To run them late in the race was UNREAL. Must have been those 100 mile weeks and/or 28-mile long runs.

Around some corner and through a throng of spectators, approaching a jumbo-tron I got that quick-step euphoric feeling you sometimes get and half-stepped him, to which he responded, very calmly: “Hey, this feels like 5:50. Listen, let’s save that pace for just a bit later.” He was totally right. I said, “Yeah, too early for that, thanks.” Little did I know that he was not bluffing; read on for that. I added, "I've run under 2:41 three times, but never under 2:40." He responded with, "You can DO this, man. WE can do this. You with me?" A: "Yep."

The splits for 15-23 (9 miles) were all between 5:55 and 6:00. After a few sub-6:00s and as we closed in on the 30K mat, I was getting tired and that on-the-verge feeling, and said, “Hey man, I need to run a controlled pace from 30 to 35K. Then after that, it’s whatever we’ve got left.” I didn’t even know exactly what I was suggesting by “controlled pace”; I guess I was hoping to dial it back to 6:02 from 5:57 or something. He said “Ok”, but then we didn’t slow down at all; and looking at my splits, the 30K to 35K was the fastest 5K of my race (18:30)! And this guy was freakin’ hard core. Around 19.5, he said:

“You see that guy way up there in the orange?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s my buddy. He said he was going to go out at 77 and I told him he’s crazy and I would come rolling past him at mile 22 like he was standing still.”

Given the gap from us to orange guy was maybe 25 seconds, it indeed looked like we’d be catching him in a couple more miles. I said, “Yeah, 77’s way too fast, what we’re doing is better.” Since we’d built this 2-man alliance that’d already lasted 4+ miles, I finally asked:

“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Stu. How about you?”
“Bill.”
“How old are you, Stu?”
“38, how about you?”
“40.”
“You ever make any money in the master’s?”
 [Me laughing]: “Uh… no. [as we go up an overpass] Sorry, can’t talk.”

So Stu [see John Stewart in the results] and I were side by side as we continued mowing down guys like we were the only two on the entire course who'd gone out sensibly. This may well be the best aerobic shape I’ve been in. Ever. I actually felt sorta bad as Stu and I were darting past guys who were clearly hurting while keeping up some, albeit strained, banter. Other guys having a conversation around you when you’re just spent can really put salt in those wounds; I’ve definitely been on both sides of that dynamic.

At the mile 21 aid station, I grabbed a gatorade (even though it was cool weather, I drank extra gatorade throughout, figuring electrolytes would stave off any soleus cramping), didn’t see if Stu grabbed anything, but coming out of it he had maybe 4 seconds and I already felt like I was at a 93% of max type pace, so I “let” him go. Miles 22 and 23 for were still sub-6 for me, but Stu kept pulling away, undoubtedly chatting up and encouraging a few others along the way. This guy had confidence, energy, smarts, and wheels! Every mile he would get further and further ahead until I could barely see him. I think he must’ve run 5:45 to 5:50 the rest of the way (the pace back at 17 that he told me we should “save for just a bit later”), cuz around 24 I’d guess he had 30 seconds and then by 40K he was about out of sight [results show he ran 40K to F at 5:45 pace to my 6:04, a 26 second difference over just 1.36 miles]. I think he passed orange guy at 21.5 and I passed orange guy about a half mile later.

So 21.5 and I was tired and alone with still a long way to go, but still passing many and being passed by none. Mile 23 was my fastest of the race, at 5:55, but then I started to really feel it. It got as hard as always, and I was worried about blowing up like in Houston and transitioning to 6:20 or 6:30, but the pace only lagged a little. There may even have been headwind, that’s what Ritz cites for his slightly slower miles the last few, I dunno. The wind was really not strong even if slightly in coming towards us. 6:05 for 24, really feeling it but trying to keep turnover and hold my form together. Quads aching, ready to be done. 6:10 for 25, but had just seen 2:30:high on the clock at 40K which I knew was a good sign (I’d been dreading seeing 2:32 there like in the recent past). There was also a sidelines guy at 40K yelling to me and everyone within earshot: “You guys have 10 minutes to get under 2:40… you’ve got it! You’ve got it!”. Then the ‘1 mile to go’ sign. I was even able to pick it up a little. Then the ‘800 to go’ sign (man, this race is organized!). A bit of a 2^nd wind as I realized I may even have a chance at sub-2:39. Unexpected small hill after the right turn toward the 26 marker, but the ‘300 to go’ sign shortly after, left turn for the finish and the banner was even closer down the straightaway than I expected. Gave it everything I had left, took off my hat, raised both arms and yelled out “Yeah!” as I crossed the mats. Stu was the first person I saw and I thanked him profusely, got a couple photos together before heading down the long walk toward goodies, beer, dry clothes, and my wife. Stu ran 35K to 40K in 18:16 to my 18:46, and 40K to F in 7:50 to my 8:16. So he rolled through the final 7.2K 0:56 seconds faster than me for a 2:37:57 finish, with halves of 80:09+77:48. Wow.

A look through the results shows that I passed over 60 people during the 2nd half, and Stu passed over 70. Only a couple guys ever passed me, toward the very end, and I don’t think anyone passed him. We had completely crushed it, and for once I was that guy with something left during those final miles. I had raced a marathon without fading, without blowing up; not just run it, not just finished it, but actually RACED it. Wow, what a feeling.

I’ve been running for over 30 years and completed over 600 races ranging from 400 meters to the marathon. I’ve certainly had plenty of good races, but this may well be the best race I’ve ever run. Not according to what some random equivalency conversion calculator says, but according to what I felt out there, that feeling of true endurance while at a sustained fast-ish pace over such a long distance being unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Yes, I’m an amateur. I mean, I've had my moments, but have never been close to elite times, at any distance. And I'm sorta a running nerd. But dammit if I didn’t feel like an elite out there on the streets of Chicago. This was my day, my PR, the one thing in running I always felt I woulda, shoulda, coulda, but never actually had, done. Under 2:40 may seem like an arbitrary time, over an arbitrary distance (extended to please the Queen, as the story goes), at a random pace (6:06 per mile). But because it’s such a formidable barrier amongst decent-but-not-Tier 1-or-Tier 2 type runners, the time is both symbolic and revered in the running community. This will certainly go down as one of the most, if not the most, memorable moments of my running “career.”

Preparing for the Chicago Marathon 2012

Hmmm. Looks like I sorta suck at blogging. I haven’t written a damn thing since Houston in January. I never did the 2011 year-end recap I’d thought about, woops (summary: it was a good running year for me). I’ve had plenty to say all year while training with others - advice, questions, strategizing, conjecture, criticism, hollow theories, etc, just haven’t typed it out. Oh, well. Hopefully what I write below will be worth reading. The experience of training and racing this past year has actually been incredibly rewarding as well as humbling for me – the ups, the downs, the challenges, the triumphs, and finally the big payoff of running a marathon PR.

It’s been 19 years since I toed my first marathon start line with 2:37 (6:00 pace) as an A-Goal and sub-2:40 as an “easy” fallback (I ended up in 2:47). Since then I’d run another 26 marathons, not always with 2:3x as a goal time, but fairly often so, and had come up short every single time.

In summer and Fall of 2011, averaging high 70s per week with a few weeks in the 85-90 range during the 20 week buildup to CIM had seemed adequate, more volume than ever before, with some quality workouts and shorter races mixed in. But after the late-race fades at CIM and then Houston, I decided to re-up a commitment to volume. To quote my last blog entry: “I can’t help but think there’s gotta be more where that came from, and am already thinking about a debut at Chicago in 2012 (registration opens Feb. 1). Although the prospect of increasing from my peak weeks of 85/90 to 100+ (and a few 28-mi long runs) does not sound real appealing at the moment, I can’t think of anything else (legal) that might get me through those final miles at goal pace. It may require another 300 hours on my feet to achieve just those final 40 minutes at the right pace.”

I decided I would need to train almost like an elite to run like even a sub-elite or decent age-group competitor. Inspiration came from seeing things like an interview with Cam Levins – killing it in the 10,000 and talking about having peaked at 150 mpw. Distance makes you fast. From seeing Shalane out running the Springwater trail, and her dominance at the trials and gutsy performance in London, knowing how hard she works. Distance makes you fast. From seeing Farah/Rupp in the Olympic 10,000 – what a race! From remembering Brian Sell: when 110-120 wasn’t enough, increasing to 140-160 and making the 2008 Olympic marathon team. Distance makes you fast.

To kick it off I decided to do 5 x 80 mpw leading up to the July 4^th half, which I raced in 75:27 (5:45/mi). I then quickly built through the high 80s and 90s, culminating in exactly 200 miles in 14 days (no doubles) during the wks starting July 23 and July 30. My 20 week marathon buildup looked like this:

64, 75, 80, 80, 80, 80, 40, 86, 91, 100, 100, 88, 88, 82, 89, 88, 48, 79, 61 (wk ending 9/30 - 7 days before marathon).

The 40 and 48 were weeks that each had 3 consecutive planned days off – intentional rest. I didn’t miss any days other than those 6 during the entire training cycle. I ran 13 consecutive Wed medium-long runs of 15-18 miles and the following 16 weekend long run distances (qty):  

17 (2), 19 (1), 20 (1), 21 (5), 24 (3), 25 (1), 27 (1), 28 (2)

I could include lots more detail, but basically I did some tempo runs, a couple 10K races, some MP runs, a few fast intervals, but mostly just did pretty high volume, tried to get enough rest, and continued eating well (and a LOT) and taking supplements (all legal – I swear!). I believe what I did this year really built on what I did last year with the 3377 miles in 2011, and I needed both that base and this solid training cycle to finally be strong enough to race a marathon the way I (and others) have expected me to for years.

It may go without saying, but training properly is a huge commitment. The endless 4 and 5 am early mornings for me, the only time that works well, considering my 16-mile RT bike commute, long work hours, a full-time admin management position in a non-profit stretched for resources, and all life's other little stresses (and we don't even have kids!).  

In the next post I’ll talk about the actual race.