The People's Marathon - Running 41st Marine Corp Marathon

So me and 35,000 of my closest friends will be running the 41st Marine Corp Marathon next weekend, Oct 30th.  This will be my 5th time running the MCM.  Why do I come back year after year?

1. It is flat. Well if you ignore the last 0.2 miles climbing up to the Iwo Jima War Memorial.  And believe me, that last bit can seem like climbing to the top of the Washington Monument.
2. Speaking of monuments, in addition to the two mention above, there is plenty to distract you on this course: the Smithsonian museums; and the Lincoln, Jefferson, MLK Jr., FDR, Korean, Vietnam, and WWII Memorials; and the Capital 
3. It's practically in my backyard.  Nothing like sleeping in your own bed the night before a big race.
4. It's called the people's marathon for a reason.  There is no prize money, it attracts runners from all over, and is only behind New York and Chicago in terms of size.
5. Logistics and Volunteers:  The marines know a thing or two about logistics, planning, and staffing an event.  They always do a great job.
6. Runners Club - If you complete 5 marathons, you can avoid the lottery in future races.
7. The start - Standing in Robert E Lee's backyard, with the flyovers, the sun coming up over the Capital, and then the Howitzer going off - if that doesn't make you yell 'OooRah', nothing will.
8. The middle - there are tons of spectators all along the course.  Many spots the crowds are 3 - 4 people deep.
9. The halfway point - Haynes Point is one spot where crowds thin out, the wind picks up, and you start to wonder why you are doing this. Need some motivation?  Look for the blue mile that honors fallen service men and women.  
10. The end - You are tired and emotionally raw as you cross the finish and head to the exit shoot. Wait for it - an Marine Officer will stop you, put a medal around your neck, shake your hand, tell you job well done, and thank you.  Be sure to return the thanks.

Trust me, if you are a seasoned runner, this belongs on your bucket list with the other biggies.  If you are considering running your 1st, it is hard to find a better one to run then Marine Corp Marathon.

Trail Running - aka trying to avoid eating dirt

Two weeks before the Marine Corp Marathon, I decided it would be good idea to run in a 10 mile trail race as a warm up.  Luckily from me, the Fall Back Yard Burn series was in just starting up (

This particular race has a 5-mile (1 loop) and 10-mile (2 loops) option.  I really like the idea of running the course twice, as there are no surprises the second time around.  Here is map for those cartofiles among us.

At the start of the race, I got as close to the front as I dared, even though I was targeting a 9 minute per mile pace.  Trail running is a little like cross country racing, in which the start is critical to ensure you don't get stuck behind slower runners once the trail narrows.  This race started with quick lap around the parking lot to thin the herd before hitting the trial.  The trail section starts with 1/4 mile up a fireroad.

I was mostly successful in my pacing, settling in on picking off people in front of me.  Trail running requires you to constantly change your stride to miss roots, rocks, washouts, etc.   There is no zoning out or rythym of steady pace.  In case of trails, it is diffent type of zone, one in which there is no other focus than where you next step will land.

After the first loop, the crowd really thinned out as many racers opted for the 5 mile version.  I as hit the 1/4 hile again, I was able to pick off  a few more people.  Trail runners are very social - I passed a mile or so chatting with someone who had completed 2 ironman races.  After maintain my target heart rate for the first 8 miles, I was able to slowly step it up for the final 2, as planned. I finished in 1 hour 28 minutes, good for 6th in my age group and 30th overall.

After that, there was nothing else left to do other than grab some breakfast buritos and pizza!  By sure to check out Swim Bike Run Photo - they do amazing job with race photos.  If they can make me look good, they must have talent!

Lies, damn lies, and statistics

It's election season and that means the topic of lies – who is lying, what they are lying about, why they lie – is in the news every day.  To be fair, politicians are the only ones who exaggerate the truth. Runners are notorious fibbers.   Today’s post I give you the top 10 running related lies.

1. “I am never doing that again.”  We have all had that moment, maybe during the race or maybe the next day as you try to get out of bed, when you think “never again”.   Most runners perform a complete 180 within 24 hours as when they sign up for their next race.

2. “I will only be gone for 30 minutes.”   Runners low-ball their run times for many reasons:  

Over confidence - the eternal optimist, I believe I will somehow hit that 7 minute/mile pace on my 10 mile run, even though I can barely run one mile that fast;

Justification - I have been guilty of trying to shoehorn a 60 minute workout into a 30 minute opeing in my schedule

Guilt:  If I admit my long run might take 3 hours, my family might not let me go.

3. “I really need those new (clothes, shoes, watch, etc.)”   Runners will try almost anything to justify buying a new toy.  Will that new GPS watch really make me faster? Will shaving 1 oz. off my shoe weight make any difference in my 5K time? No, but at least I will look good.

4. “It is okay, I am carbo loading.” – That fifth piece of pizza?  That second dessert?  That next beer or glass of wine?  All can be justified by thinking “I ran 4 miles today, I earned those calories.” 

5. “It doesn’t hurt that bad.”  Perhaps following the advice of my 5th grade gym teacher isn't the best idea and I can't just run it off.  I think runners are scared the doctor will prescribe the dreaded “r” word – rest.  Few things are more ornery than a runner who can’t exercise. 

To be fair, runners aren’t the only ones who lie.  It might be karma, or just plain cruelty, but I have heard well meaning spectacor utter many a lie.

6. “You are almost there.”   There is no such thing as “almost there” when running a marathon.  There is only ‘there’ and ‘not there’.   This is closely related to the next one..

7. “Only X more miles.”  Usually said by non-runners trying to be helpful.  While it might not be a lie, you don’t really understand how hard it can be to hear that despite how hard you have worked, you still have X more miles to go.     

8. “It is all downhill from here.” Really? Did laws of physics suddenly get repealed?  I am not sure which is worse, someone saying this, or me actually beleiving it.  

9. “Looking good.”  Umm, no.  I have seen the pictures.  No matter how hard I try to look relaxed and fit, ever race picture ends up making me look like a zombie trying to pass a kidney stone.  

 Did I say I would list 10 fibs?  Oops, guess I must have lied.