Why not me?

Why not me?   There are blogs about just almost everything.   Go ahead, pick a topic, any topic.  Type it in that little Google box and add the word "blog".   I challenge you to find a subject that someone, somewhere isn't talking about.   I'll wait.  A blog about bark mulch?   Yup, several.  Azaleas?   Yes, more than a few.   Catching the spring theme here?  Just came in from inspecting the yard.  Mother Nature has been a nasty bitch this year, hasn't she?

So why not me.....me and running to be more specific.  Is it possible that people give a crap about what I think about running?  Is it likely that I give a crap if people give a crap about what I think about running?  We will find out I guess.  

So this blog will center around running.  It will veer from time to time as I often experience a stream of consciousness when I run.  May dabble in politics, perhaps financial markets, and most definitely my family.  They are a constant source of material.  I will probably have to put a self imposed filter of at least an hour after a run in which I cannot write.  I don't know if its the endorphins or lack of oxygen to the brain but I've come up with some pretty crazy stuff on my longer runs.  Luckily reality sets it after I finish.   Otherwise I might be standing on the working side of a beach bar in Nevis right now.  

From time to time I will rewrite about races or runs that I have have participated in.  If all goes well this spring, at some point this summer I will write about training for my third marathon this fall.  Hoping for NYC or Chicago but more likely something on a smaller scale.  Perhaps my stories or experiences will motivate you to take those first few steps.  Often the hardest and longest steps.   But most rewarding.

DISCLAIMER:   I am not a fast runner.   I am a middle of the pack guy.   I can run one sub 7 minute mile mile.  Just one.   I can run a 22 minute 5K, a sub 1:50 half marathon and I have a 3:59:03 marathon under my belt.  I am no expert....but if Barak Obama can write about leadership, I can write about running.  Take nothing here as the gospel.  many have forgotten more about running than I will ever know.  These are just musings.....

New Bedford Half Marathon - Sunday March 16, 2014

This was probably a mistake as I was nowhere near ready to run 13.1.   My last race was the Frosty 1/2 Marathon in my hometown of Raynham back in December.  Probably my best race ever but I was coming off a very rigorous training program for the Marine Corp Marathon in late October.  So my training level was still where it needed to be.  Ran the Frosty in 1:48, average pace 8:15.  It was a brutally cold day but thankfully light winds.  Excellent race by the way, Sandy and Dawn from the CRR nailed it.  The problem is, after the Frosty I got a serious case of winter blahs.  Still ran regularly but a lot of treadmill work and not a lot of dedication.   Fast forward through the holidays and into the new year.  I had decided to give the Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix Competition Series a serious go this year.   Its a series of monthly races in which club members get points for where they finish in their age group (40-49).  There are races every month.  And there in March is the New Bedford Half.

My longest run leading into the race was a 10 miler 8 days before the race.  The CRR  hosts group runs every Saturday out of the Raynham Lions Club so I joined in with a few local runners for an easy 10.  (More on the CRR and all the awesome things they do for the local running scene in a future blog).  So suffice to say expectations were pretty conservative.  Anything under 2 hours and I'm a happy guy.  Just finish in a respectable time and don't get hurt.

Race morning was uneventful.  Proper pre-race ritual. No need for details here, just trust me that I am a creature of habit and these rituals are important to me.   Let's just say they are "regular" events.  Picked up good friend Steve and off we went.  

Aside:  I highly recommend a running partner.   Runners tend to be social types and sometimes just knowing someone else is suffering along with you serves as motivation.  Unfortunately 95% of my runs are solo.   

It was sunny but chilly, one of those days that are impossible to dress for as a middle of the pack runner.  New Bedford presents its own issues as several miles are run along Buzzards Bay and conditions can change on a dime.  Aside from the weather, New Bedford is also a hilly course.  We started out and as usual got caught up in a race pace probably not correlated to my training.   If my memory is correct, I believe we were running 8:15ish for the first 2-3 miles.   Fortunately at mile 3 we hit the monster, Hathaway Road.  Hathaway is one of those hills that make you question why in the Hell you signed up for this race.   Its about 200ft of incline over about a mile.  Just a long, slow, lactic acid pity party.  We made the turn at the top and both Steve and I agreed that the last mile had sucked.   Again, great to have a running partner.  

Miles 3-8 are favorable for the runner.  Flat to moderate down hill and no wind.   I worked on getting my heart rate down from the climb and settled into a nice cadence.  According to my trusty Timex Run Trainer, about 8:45 pace.  Also dealt with the inevitable heating up and stripped off top level.  Unfortunately that level had my bib number pinned on.   Rookie mistake.   Miles 3-8 include some of the better parts of New Bedford.  My favorite stretch is running along Buttonwood Park.  Closed road and lots of people cheering.  At some point I lost Steve.  I recall hearing him say he was slowing down for water.   I was feeling OK and not due for water so kept moving.   

At this point, the competitive side of me reared its ugly head.   Smart thing to do given my training would have been to be happy running at a 9 minute pace and finish on the right side of 2 hours.  But no, the hill was behind me and I had a nice stretch of gradual downhill so I stepped it up a bit.   You're probably asking yourself, weren't you just saying how great it was to have a running partner?   Yes, for me but it's inevitable in every race that at some point I shut out everything around me.  Seriously, I tune everything out....it's a flaw.   Including running partners.  I know, you're probably thinking...what an a-hole.   All I can say is that a race is different than a run.  I'm sure Steve understands.

Uneventful for next 5 miles.  Felt OK, not great.  Then we made the turn at Fort Rodman and BOOM!    Hello wind.   Other than hills nothing sucks more than wind.  And it was an in-your-face steady 15-20 mph wind, not an occasional gust.  The other little treat for New Bedford runners is a 100ft incline at mile 12.  Yes, wind=suck, hill=suck, wind+hill=kryptonite.  That's runners algebra for you non-runners.   Anyway, the last 1.5 miles felt like I had a 30 pound rucksack on my back.  (more on that later if I ever get around to blogging about the Marine Corp Marathon).

The beauty of technology is that I knew that a sub 2 hour time was a given.  Now it became a "how far under" challenge.   Another weakness of mine, it's great to meet goals, better to smash them. (tip:set reasonable goals)  So I mustered up what little energy I had and crossed the line in 1:54:03.   Must have looked like crap because for the first time in my life I had medical staff ask if I was OK.   Yes, just old, thank you.  

From there it was back to the YMCA for a rubber fishwich sandwich and some warm air.  No disrespect to the race organizers, I love the rubber fishwich.   It brings me back to grammar school!!!

Well, that's about it for today.   If a 1/2 marathon is a goal for you, you won't do any better than the two I mentioned above.  The Frosty and New Bedford.  And if you are reading this and thinking that a half marathon is impossible, just know that I walked the last 3/4 mile of my first 5k.  (Thanks to you, Dupie).

Run for Life, not from it!!!

JD