2014 Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot Race Report

Due to the weather and other scheduling conflicts I officially achieved my first Did Not Start (DNS) by not getting to the line for this years Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot.    The threat of cold and wet weather reduced the my co-participants eagerness to run the race.   As such we decided on Weds to bow out.   Not running the race was hard for me as I enjoy the race tradition on Holidays.    I decided to head out for a run on my own early Thanksgiving morning before the winter weather arrived.   The morning turned out to be perfect with no wind and in the high 30's when I started my run.  I did a routine route around the neighborhood and covered 10K or so.   I found a good mix of flat sections, hills and scenery to keep the run interesting.  As I finished up my run I saw a number of my neighbors departing for the race.   We exchanged smiles and waves, and I wished them well as they prepared to toe the line at the race.  I did take a small bit of pleasure in being back in the house and drinking coffee before the even got to the starting line. 

I hope that you enjoyed your holiday and were also able to get out for a nice run.

Welcome to Fall Running in Central Virginia

I am always happy to see the weather change from the heat of summer to the crisp cool temperatures of fall.   I find running conditions are best during the fall in central Virginia.  When running in the mornings you get great temperatures to go with the colorful autumn leaves.     I enjoy my weekend runs with morning daylight so that I can take in the views of the countryside.    The week day runs are dark and cool but still very enjoyable.

I hope to get the opportunity to enjoy a number of great running locations this fall including:

• Green Springs National Park Historic Landmark which provides long crushed gravel roads throughout the grounds of a plantation from late 18th century.
• Trail at Monticello provides a nice set of crushed gravel and boardwalk trails that provide a good challenging climb with great scenery. 
• White Hall Vineyards provides an easy starting place for a run up to the Sugar Hollow Reservoir. 

The Charlottesville Track Club provides a number of other good long run destinations if you are looking for some new places to run in the Charlottesville area.  

2014 Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot

To continue our family tradition, we registered to run to run the 2014 Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot.   This is always a well attended 5k Race on a difficult hilly course.   We plan to run with a couple other families and enjoy a good workout before an awesome thanksgiving meal at home with family.

I look forward to a fun race and hope to see a lot of friends on the course!

2014 Marine Corps Marathon Race Report

I successfully completed my 5th marathon with the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon and I continue to be amazed by the challenge this distance provides.  The Marines hosted and executed a flawless marathon weekend.   The following race report provides insight into my race weekend and a short retrospective on how I can improve for my next race.

Pre Race Activities - Friday and Saturday

We traveled to the DC area Friday night and enjoyed a relaxing Saturday morning shopping and spending time with family.   In the afternoon, I meet up with some running friends at the GE Health and Fitness Expo to pickup our race packets and hang out a bit.   Although I heard reports of long lines to get into the expo, when we arrived we were able to get right into the DC Armory.    Overall the expo experience was much improved over last year because the bib pickup and merchandise displays were co-located.   The expo displays were pretty standard gear and swag.  After a spending some time at the expo,  I headed back to the hotel on the Metro.  We stayed at the Marriott Metro center which was central to just about everything we did for the race and seeing the city.    

Race Day - Sunday
I was up early and ready for the race sunday morning.   I quickly got through my morning routine and was out the door to the metro by 6:15.   After a little bit of struggle with my Metro card, see race fails for details, I waited with other runners headed to the Pentagon on the metro platform headed. After a short metro ride,  I met up with my running friends around 7am at the Pentagon Metro stop before making the long walk to the runners village.   We timed our arrival to the runners village at the perfect time to drop our post race gear at the UPS trucks and head to the starting line.

On the way to the starting line I heard a voice I recognized from the RunRunLive podcast.  I was happy to make an in person introduction Chris the host.  I recommend the podcast to runners of all capabilities as Chris shares great information about many aspects of endurance running.

The race day weather was perfect for runners and spectators with clear skies providing temperatures in the high 30's and highs in the mid 60's.   The Marines put on a great pre-race show with multiple sky-divers displaying large American flags, Osprey flyover and the howitzer firing to start the race.   The nice weather brought out significant crowds to support runners.

Race Execution
I started the race slow and in line with my plan to run the first 13 miles at a 9:30-9:45/mile pace.  The first 10 miles are a bit hilly as the course heads away from Rosslyn towards Arlington and then back into Georgetown.   I found this part of the race the most enjoyable with the larger crowds in the city and rural scenery.   After leaving Georgetown the course runs along the Potomac River which is nice and flat, but is more exposed to the elements.    This section of the race is quiet and lonely with limited spectators.  After hitting the 13.1 Mile mark, I was ready to get back into the city and the spectators around the Tidal Basin and National Mall.   I stopped a bit to talk with my family when I saw them in the crowd around mile 17.  I was hopeful that they had a Banana or something I could snack on, but no such luck.  It is always nice to see family and friends during the race.  It provides a lot of motivation to get to an agreed upon meeting place.   I started to hit the wall around mile 18 despite eating GUs and drinking at regular intervals during the race.   I found that the windy conditions quickly dried my sweat which left me warm and thirsty.   I was happy to have my fuel belt and refilled each bottle at the water stops in the later miles.   I found myself  battling the wall as I completed the section of the National Mall and started the 14th Street Bridge.   The isolation from spectators, winds and sunny conditions provided a significant challenge for the 14th Street Bridge crossing.  I was happy to complete the bridge and head into Crystal City and rejoin the crowds.   I worked my way through Crystal City and back to the Pentagon.   Once around the Pentagon, I started to get my legs and wits back as I knew the finish was close.   I put in a strong effort in the last mile and half which enabled me to pass a number of runners and finish at faster pace.

Post Race Retrospective
I finished the race in 4:48:16.   I did not meet my race goals, but I am happy that my training enabled me to improve on my time from last year.  Looking back at my training and race, I don't see a single issue that prevented me from achieving my goal.  I did have a number of pre-race and on-course failures that I will need to address in future races.  For example:

• I walked too much on Saturday with family and expo activities.  Total mileage on Saturday was over 6miles.
• I had many Metro card issues.  I forgot to pack my metro cards at home and needed to purchase new ones.  When headed out race day morning, my paper metro card got jammed in shorts zipper and when I was able to remove it, the metro gate ate it. :(
• I forgot to apply nipple guards pre-race.   The bandaids acquired from Red Cross tent did not adhere to sweaty chest. :( 
• I forget how exposed the race course is for the second half of the race.  Running into the wind made the last part of the race hard.  I need to find a larger group of people to run with.
• My iPhone battery died at finish line and I did not bring my battery charger pack.   This left me with no way to communicate with family when trying to reunite.

From this race experience I will improve and expand my next training campaign to include:

• Do more speed work to ensure that I can run at a faster race pace.
• Find a runner partner to tackle the course and pace together.   Look to utilize the pace groups.
• Have a better pre-race routine to ensure that I have all the things I need after the race.
• Pre-race and during fueling needs to be better. 

This was not my best performance at the marathon distance, but I feel that my training increased my strength during the race and enabled a quick recovery.   I enjoyed this race and plan to do another training campaign to continue to improve.

MCM 2014 Prep and Taper Madness

After months of training,  I find it hard to believe that I am 3 days away from the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon.     I am happy to say that I head into race day healthy and confident in my training campaign.   I am well into the taper process and I find myself worried about the craziest things as I think about race day.

My main taper fixation is equipment failure.   Specifically, I worry that I switched to new shoes to close to race day.   I primarily trained in Adidas adiZero Tempo 5 and recently, like last week, switched to Adidas adiZero Tempo 6's.   These shoes are very similar, so my main worry is that I don't have them broken-in appropriately for the race.  Along with the shoes, I am stressing about what to wear.  I know that sounds like a 15 year old girl, but it is a major issue.  Historically I over dress for races, my goal for this race is be dressed on the cool side.  The weather forecast should be perfect for shorts and short sleeve shirts.   My last equipment worry is about hydration and a decision to carry a camelbak or not.  I am confident that all these worries will go away once the race starts. 

My race day pace plan is pretty simple:   Start out with a 9:45 pace and move towards a 9:00min pace.   Overall goal is to finish ~4:15hrs.   I am feeling strong and well trained, just not fast enough to break 4:00hrs on this race.

I have one more shake-out run planned and then the marathon weekend will be here.  My marathon weekend plan is coming together.    The coordination of Marathon weekends are exciting and fun,  but stressful because of all the details of the race and travel logistics.  We will travel to Washington, DC on Friday night.  We plan to spend time as a family and hit the Race Expo on Saturday.   Sunday race morning will be exciting and I plan to connect with other runners before the start.   I am always excited to see friends and family in the crowd supporting me during the race.  Post race will be busy getting food and traveling home.  

I am excited to Run With the Marines again, and complete my 5th Marathon.    I wish a good race to all the runners this weekend, I will see you out there. 

A theme song was required to get me out for speed work this morning

Officially Grinding my way through

The intensity of marathon training comes to a peak with increased fatigue and limited patience for life pressures.   The training novelty wears off and you find yourself in the hardest part of the training cycle, I call this period The Grind.   This is a period when you are committed and so deep into the training process that you have no option but grind out workouts and deal with life.

The Grind sneaks up on you even though you can forecast it like clock work in your training plan 6 weeks from race day.   Your friends are tired of hearing about the long runs, fueling preferences and new running gear.  Your family is struggling with the need for training runs to consume family time.  Although you are excited about the upcoming event, you have less patience for small things, frustrated when things just don't line up right, and for some reason always hungry.

I am no expert at effectively managing The Grind, but I do have a strategy that I am working on:

• Accept it - You know that this is the part of the training plan that this tests your commitment, dedication and support system.  The long runs and speed work are pushing your physically which then makes everything else harder.    Ideally your family, friends and co-workers understand the situation and provide you a little bit of grace and space.  You also need to be aware and accept that things may take more effort or seem a bit more rough than usual.  Try to be flexible and aware of your mood.
• Get sleep - The best thing to help recovery is sleep.  This helps the body and the mind prepare for the next workout and next day at the office.   Get as much sleep while in the Grind as possible to help the recovery and coping process.
• This too will end -  The Grind wont last forever and is the precursor to the Taper. The Taper enables your body to recover for the final event with reduced training volume.   Use the Taper as a prize at the end of the Grind and look forward to the rest and free time.

I am in the second week of The Grind for this training cycle.  I am relieved to say that things seem to be headed in the right direction.   I have one more long run remaining before I start the Taper.   I feel strong and confident in my training and looking forward to race day.

2014 Marine Corps Marathon Run Dedication and Goals

The completion of the first 20+ mile run of my training program marks the start of crunch time for the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon.  The race is a few weeks and a couple long runs away.  This is the perfect time for me to reaffirm my goals and dedicate this year’s race.

I am happy to announce that I dedicate my efforts in the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon to Reverend Jennifer Durant.   Jennifer is the Associate Rector at the Church of Our Saviour in Charlottesville, VA.  I met Jennifer in 2011 when she joined the church clergy.   Soon after joining our church, Jennifer announced her diagnosis and started her battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).    I have seen first hand the impact of this disease on her and her family and the courage required to fight it.  I am impressed with Jennifer's openness about her battle, her commitment to maintain connections in the church and community, and her drive to continue her ministry.  These same attributes are required to complete a marathon and I will use Jennifer’s example as inspiration as I run this year.  

Jennifer and her supporters formed Team Durant to create awareness and raise money for the battle against ALS.  I am excited to run this race in support of Jennifer and Team Durant.  Other members of Team Durant plan to participate in the Richmond Walk To Defeat ALS the same weekend as The Marine Corps Marathon.   I encourage you to support Jennifer and others battle ALS, please visit Team Durant Funding Page and ALS Association to learn more about how you can help. 

On a personal record (PR) note, my goal for this race is to improve on my time from last year and target 4:15 completion time with a strong confident effort throughout the race.  I continue to chase a sub-4 Hour PR, however I think I am one training cycle and flatter course away from obtaining it.   I completed my first 20+ mile run this past weekend.  I successfully mentally broke the run down into 5 mile blocks and felt strong even after the 15 Mile mark.   With continued focus and dedication to my training plan I expect that I will achieve my goals for this race.  Register for updates on with MCM Runner Broadcast Service if you are interested in following me during the race.

WSJ Article: Intensity over endurance

An interesting article from The Wall Street Journal on the Mile vs Marathon popularity and effectiveness.

Intensity over endurance: Why running a mile may be better than training for a marathon http://t.co/aSdf4bVxln pic.twitter.com/4JkapMiGs8
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) September 9, 2014

Training Setback and Recovery

After a week of travel, active training, hectic home life schedule and new germs from kids back at school I experienced the first training plan setback which prevented the completion of the first 20+ Mile run.   Due to scheduling conflicts,  I planned to switch my long run to Sun and do a mid distance run on Sat.   I figured this would work out, but Sat afternoon I started to feel weak and developed a sore throat.   Even with a good evenings rest,  I woke up on Sun morning for the run just not feeling right and decided to take a rest day.   I quickly found myself in the middle of self doubt,  shattered confidence in the training plan and stressed about reworking my plan.  After grappling with the mental trauma of missing my long run for about 15mins,  I enjoyed a couple more hours of sleep and hoped for a quick recovery. I luckily found that the extra rest helped and by Monday I noticed a marked improvement from Sunday morning.   I reworked my running plan to move my 20+ Mile runs by a week and moved a recovery week.   I am hopeful that a 2 Week Taper will be enough to set me up for the race.

I am still positive about my running and excited about the race.   I am entering the phase of training when the body starts to respond to the training and your tired but energized.  I look forward to tackling my 20 mile run this weekend.  

Interesting video on the science of distance running

This YouTube video  provides a basic overview of the evolution of man and the science behind our distance running abilities.  Take a break and enjoy a few minutes packed with knowledge.

 

2014 Marine Corps Marathon Training Update

I find it hard to believe I completed half my training for the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon.  My Intermediate Training Program is challenging and achievable for my current skills and fitness.  I am running 5 days a week with a mix of tempo, speed, long and recovery runs.   I managed running while traveling for work and vacation.  The travel provided opportunities to run in and explore interesting places.   Running conditions in Central Virginia continue to improve with the transition from hot humid summer to brisk cool  early fall.   As the longer runs get longer, and the speed work gets more taxing I find that my nutrition is the weakest component of my training.   Nutrition and diet are areas that I don't know to much about so I need to get some outside help ensure I get the best results.    

I started thinking about my performance and social goals for this marathon.   On the performance front, my goal is pretty simple:  Improve on my race from last year.   My target time for completion is 4:15, which will not be a PR but I think is reasonable considering my current fitness and the course.    I am still uncertain about my social goal, but I expect that I will pick a charity to promote.  

I am thankful to be healthy and running without injury as I enter the home stretch of training. 

I hit the lottery!

The 39th Marine Corps Marathon registration lottery completed today and I received notification that I am officially registered for the race.   The MCM is considered a premier race in the US.  It is the 3rd largest in the US and 8th in the world After running the race for the first time,  I am excited to participate again because I will get to:

• Focus on the contributions and sacrifices of the US Service Men and Women
• Participate with a large diverse global runner community
• Run the nation's capital and see the monuments
• Feel the support from the marines and spectators

I look forward to my upcoming MCM training activities and hope to improve my performance over last year. 

Today's Run - 3.2.2014 - Saunders-Jefferson Trail Run

I can't remember the last time I ran the Monticello Saunders-Jefferson Trail and since the 2014 Montalto Challenge registration opened this week I decided to hit the trail for a nice run on Sunday to get reaquanted.    The ~2mile crushed gravel and boardwalk path is well maintained by Monticello and even with a number of people walking, running and riding the path there is plenty of room to run.

I enjoy running this trail and the Montalto Challenge because you get some amazing views of the Charlottesville area.  For this run, I started at the bottom of the trail and ran to the Monticello Visitors Center and back to the bottom of the trail, and for kicks I ran to the top again to complete a 10K.  I met my family at the top of the trail for the relaxing walk back down the trail.

I find this course is very difficult at the bottom as you start the ascent. The grade of the trail smooths slightly in the middle, but by no means do you forget that you are running uphill.  Once reaching the top of the trail you stand at the bottom of the Montalto Mountain which is the last mile of the Montalto Challenge course.   I find myself admiring the significant climb to the top and remembering the dedication it takes to conquer the switchbacks.

The return to the trail reminded me that I have significant training to do in preparation for the Montalto Challenge in the coming weeks.

Hotels focusing on runners

This CNBC article discusses the trend of hotels catering to runners for big events like marathons.   I typically travel for races and know that hotels can impact race logistics.  The night before a race is full of mental and physical preparation activities which are made more difficult when you are not in your normal environment.   I try to find hotels close to the runners village to have access to transportation drop offs and hopefully local restaurants.

I was lucky enough to stay at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton before the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon.  The Ritz did a great job welcoming runners with a supportive welcome note and a gift back of water and sport bars.  The hospitality team did a great job preparing runners in the morning with oatmeal and other breakfast options.   Upon returning from the race the staff offered supportive and honest congratulatory remarks about the race.

I hear you all now; "What else do you expect... it is the Ritz!  You will not find that service at the Super 8!".  You are probably right - but it is this type of experience that makes people frequent the Westin and Marriott properties.   I take full advantage of being a business traveler to use rewards program for my race weekend travels. 

Training Delays

The best of intentions and training plans are easily derailed by life, illness and weather.   I logged limited miles in the last few weeks due to winter storms and illness.   As February starts I have a full book of business travel ahead of me as well.   I will get back on track with a few short treadmill runs and hopefully a run outside when on location in California and India.

I shook off the jetlag this morning with an easy interval run on the treadmill.   My legs felt rested and my head cold symptoms are almost gone.   Not my best run, but a good way to start the day.

I find that the forced physical break is helping me mentally recover from last years training.  The lack of training runs will impact my hopes for a strong C'Ville 10 Miler race.   In the long run it may help me gain a fresh start to building my base for my goals later in the year.

Planning 2014 Race Schedule

I am looking to 2014 as an opportunity to return to a more defined racing scheduled.  I enjoy the added excitement of running when in a crowd and on different courses than my normal runs.    I also find the challenge of competing against others and myself pushes me to improve.

I plan to return to the following local Charlottesville Track Club races:

• Charlottesville 10 Miler - March
• Montalto Challenge (5K) - May
• Boar's Head Turkey Trot (5K) - Oct

I also plan to run a 1/2 Marathon and a Full Marathon.  I will post a more detailed race schedule once I settle a few more details.

I may not have posted about it, but I am still running!

The RunDugRun blog went stale in the last year due to me having limited time to focus on and contribute to blogging.  You may ask what kept me occupied since my last post.  To quickly catch you up, since August of 2012 I successfully completed a Masters in Information Technology from the University of Virginia,  joined GE Healthcare, traveled to (and ran in) multiple US, European and Indian cities, ran 900 miles in 2013, as well as completed the Marine Corps Marathon.   I can happily say that I am ready to start 2014 with more time to focus on my family, friends and running.

I start the year with the following running goals:

• Run on average 3 times a week
• Run 1000 Miles
• Run in 3 Charlottesville Track Club events
• Complete 1 or more Marathons
• Be more faithful to a healthier diet

I also have the following stretch goals:

• PR 5K time
• PR Marathon time
• Compete in a sprint triathlon 

I am excited to accomplish these goals in 2014 and plan to blog about my progress as I go.