Total Miles: 148.8
Total Runs: 20
Average Distance per run: 7.4 miles
Average Speed/Pace: 7.3 mph/8:13 pace
Races: 1 marathon
Highlights: BQing/GQing/21 minute PR at the Shamrock Marathon
Spell it with me: B-E-A-S-T
Gansett, you saw what I did at Shamrock. You better start running now ;-)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Marathon Training Week 20
My plan for the week was ... my own plan. I didn't like any of the plans I saw, so I made up my own multiple marathon schedule. I'm keeping Hal Higdon's intermediate structure of run 5 times a week (3 days in a row, then 2 days in a row), cross-train one day, and completely rest one day, plus strength training where it fits. I can adjust as necessary. I start a 2-week taper after this week.
Will this work? I don't know. I am going into uncharted territory. But I know how I like to train. I have learned through multiple training cycles how to listen carefully to my body. I've been doing this long enough that I think I know what works. We'll see what happens on April 14.
Gansett will throw off my schedule in the last week because it is on a Saturday. Every other marathon or half marathon I've done has been on a Sunday. That's pretty minor, though. A day or two has never really thrown me off in the past.
Sunday - last yoga class at my gym. I was sad that my regular instructor wasn't there, although I went on Monday after one of her other classes to say goodbye. My legs needed yoga. Oh, they could feel it. Did calf raises before class.
Monday - 4.5 mile run in the AM. A wee bit chilly but generally pleasant. Last day at my job. Carried my box of stuff from cleaning out my office about a quarter mile. Jelly arms.
Tuesday - 9.3 mile run. Last longish run in Rhode Island. Cold and windy. I was not feeling this run at all. Went out too fast in the beginning. Felt tired and lightheaded at the end. I didn't eat enough beforehand or bring enough water with me (had an 8 oz Fuelbelt bottle ... not nearly enough). And I started my run later than I usually do, hence not enough food. Lesson learned. I felt perfectly fine once I got home and had more food. And water. And coffee. Went to the gym to do lunges, upper body strength training, squats, and core work. Still having some occasional weird issues with my right quad, so I lightened up on the squats a bit. Last time at my gym.
Wednesday - 5.7 mile run. Last time on my regular running route. Miscalculated my turnaround point, so I ended up running farther than I meant to. Not as cold, though. Walked all over Boston. Last time I will be in Boston for a while.
Thursday - Rest. And traveling. Again. It'll be nice when this traveling business lets up.
Friday - 7.2 mile pace run. Flew around my hometown in capris and a short-sleeve shirt. I'm not sure what my pace should be, but I figured run comfortably fast. Overall pace was 7:33. Hello, confidence. Glad you're sticking around. I needed that after some of the runs I had this week. I still got it.
Saturday - 18.2 mile long run in and around Eisenhower Park. In the mist. Wasn't too cold, though, as long as you had the right clothing. Ran a little bit in the park, then around the park clockwise, then in the park, then most of the way around the park counter-clockwise, then a few more miles in the park. Took bathroom breaks at mile 2 and 15, refueled at my car at mile 10, and had to take a short untimed walk break at mile 16.5 to get rid of a painful side stitch. I planned the end carefully so that I ended exactly at my car. At that point, I had been misted and lightly rained on for almost 2 1/2 hours. I needed to get into dry clothes as soon as I stopped. I was glad that the bathroom that wasn't open earlier was finally open. It was warm, or at least warmer than it was outside. This was another run to boost my confidence. My pace held steady in the 8:10s, fell to 8:09 at mile 13, and finished in the 8:00s. The last 6 miles were sub-8 without even trying. Well, I was trying in the last 3 miles or so but wasn't pushing it before then. Woot!
Total Miles: 44.9
It's taper time again!!
Will this work? I don't know. I am going into uncharted territory. But I know how I like to train. I have learned through multiple training cycles how to listen carefully to my body. I've been doing this long enough that I think I know what works. We'll see what happens on April 14.
Gansett will throw off my schedule in the last week because it is on a Saturday. Every other marathon or half marathon I've done has been on a Sunday. That's pretty minor, though. A day or two has never really thrown me off in the past.
Sunday - last yoga class at my gym. I was sad that my regular instructor wasn't there, although I went on Monday after one of her other classes to say goodbye. My legs needed yoga. Oh, they could feel it. Did calf raises before class.
Monday - 4.5 mile run in the AM. A wee bit chilly but generally pleasant. Last day at my job. Carried my box of stuff from cleaning out my office about a quarter mile. Jelly arms.
Tuesday - 9.3 mile run. Last longish run in Rhode Island. Cold and windy. I was not feeling this run at all. Went out too fast in the beginning. Felt tired and lightheaded at the end. I didn't eat enough beforehand or bring enough water with me (had an 8 oz Fuelbelt bottle ... not nearly enough). And I started my run later than I usually do, hence not enough food. Lesson learned. I felt perfectly fine once I got home and had more food. And water. And coffee. Went to the gym to do lunges, upper body strength training, squats, and core work. Still having some occasional weird issues with my right quad, so I lightened up on the squats a bit. Last time at my gym.
Wednesday - 5.7 mile run. Last time on my regular running route. Miscalculated my turnaround point, so I ended up running farther than I meant to. Not as cold, though. Walked all over Boston. Last time I will be in Boston for a while.
Thursday - Rest. And traveling. Again. It'll be nice when this traveling business lets up.
Friday - 7.2 mile pace run. Flew around my hometown in capris and a short-sleeve shirt. I'm not sure what my pace should be, but I figured run comfortably fast. Overall pace was 7:33. Hello, confidence. Glad you're sticking around. I needed that after some of the runs I had this week. I still got it.
Saturday - 18.2 mile long run in and around Eisenhower Park. In the mist. Wasn't too cold, though, as long as you had the right clothing. Ran a little bit in the park, then around the park clockwise, then in the park, then most of the way around the park counter-clockwise, then a few more miles in the park. Took bathroom breaks at mile 2 and 15, refueled at my car at mile 10, and had to take a short untimed walk break at mile 16.5 to get rid of a painful side stitch. I planned the end carefully so that I ended exactly at my car. At that point, I had been misted and lightly rained on for almost 2 1/2 hours. I needed to get into dry clothes as soon as I stopped. I was glad that the bathroom that wasn't open earlier was finally open. It was warm, or at least warmer than it was outside. This was another run to boost my confidence. My pace held steady in the 8:10s, fell to 8:09 at mile 13, and finished in the 8:00s. The last 6 miles were sub-8 without even trying. Well, I was trying in the last 3 miles or so but wasn't pushing it before then. Woot!
Total Miles: 44.9
It's taper time again!!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Open Letter Randomness
Dear Carra,
I know it wasn't nice to load you with so much stuff that I couldn't see out the back and then expected you to go fast. I know, you didn't handle like you normally do. I know, it was like running a marathon with a weighted backpack on. You are a trooper. Rest today and tomorrow and then we'll head out for the last 200 miles or so on Sunday. I promise we won't do this again. Well, maybe.
Best,
car mama
Dear guido guy in an Infinity,
I bet you thought you were clever passing me on the right on the parkway and then looking at me when I went flying past you while you were on an exit ramp. Idiot. Don't be fooled by my license plates. I learned how to drive here. I can drive just as aggressively as anyone else.
Best,
former Long Islander
I know it wasn't nice to load you with so much stuff that I couldn't see out the back and then expected you to go fast. I know, you didn't handle like you normally do. I know, it was like running a marathon with a weighted backpack on. You are a trooper. Rest today and tomorrow and then we'll head out for the last 200 miles or so on Sunday. I promise we won't do this again. Well, maybe.
Best,
car mama
Dear guido guy in an Infinity,
I bet you thought you were clever passing me on the right on the parkway and then looking at me when I went flying past you while you were on an exit ramp. Idiot. Don't be fooled by my license plates. I learned how to drive here. I can drive just as aggressively as anyone else.
Best,
former Long Islander
Thursday, March 29, 2012
On the Road out of the Rhode: Part III
A few more hours and then I am on the road again.
I have slowly said goodbye to people in Rhode Island since the beginning of March. My running buddies (although I will see many of them when I come back to run Gansett). My coworkers. My major professor. The priest who performed my wedding ceremony who I followed to a parish in Providence. My yoga instructor. My in-laws (who I have lived with for 2 years). The campus where I got my graduate degrees. OK, so that isn't a person. It's still bittersweet.
I still don't have a job. I have a good lead on a job, though. I have a growing list of positions to apply for. My resume is in the hands of a headhunter. I no longer have to explain that I am in Rhode Island but will be moving to the DC area soon. Things are looking promising. In the meantime, I run and enjoy all of the free things to do in DC.
I will be back. I have family in Rhode Island (see the point above re: in-laws). I'm going back in April (good, since I can't fit everything in my car) and at least one more time to return my stuff from work. I've been at this point of almost leaving before. But this time it is different. I really am leaving Rhode Island. If people ask me where I am from, I don't think I will say New York where I grew up. I am a Rhode Islander. A transplanted Rhode Islander, but a Rhode Islander nonetheless.
I have slowly said goodbye to people in Rhode Island since the beginning of March. My running buddies (although I will see many of them when I come back to run Gansett). My coworkers. My major professor. The priest who performed my wedding ceremony who I followed to a parish in Providence. My yoga instructor. My in-laws (who I have lived with for 2 years). The campus where I got my graduate degrees. OK, so that isn't a person. It's still bittersweet.
I still don't have a job. I have a good lead on a job, though. I have a growing list of positions to apply for. My resume is in the hands of a headhunter. I no longer have to explain that I am in Rhode Island but will be moving to the DC area soon. Things are looking promising. In the meantime, I run and enjoy all of the free things to do in DC.
I will be back. I have family in Rhode Island (see the point above re: in-laws). I'm going back in April (good, since I can't fit everything in my car) and at least one more time to return my stuff from work. I've been at this point of almost leaving before. But this time it is different. I really am leaving Rhode Island. If people ask me where I am from, I don't think I will say New York where I grew up. I am a Rhode Islander. A transplanted Rhode Islander, but a Rhode Islander nonetheless.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
So about that Gansett Marathon course being flat
It is. Sort of.
I scratched my head looking at the Gansett course map and elevation chart. It looks like there is a hill in the beginning of the marathon and then another one later on. Because the course loops around twice, you get to run both hills twice. Joy of joys. The Blessing of the Fleet 10 mile race runs on part of the Gansett course. I ran the Blessing several times. I don't remember hills.
That's because the hill in the beginning isn't a hill. It is a long gentle incline for about 3/4 mile. One of the nice things about my job (wah, last day was Monday) was that I worked close to Narragansett. I popped down after work last week, parked at Narragansett Town Beach (I miss this crescent-shaped beach so very much), and ran about the first 2 miles of the Gansett course. The start is at the curved part above the r in Pier at the top of the map.
R2's elevation data backed me up. It is not as bad as the graph makes it out to be. Check the scale. The "hill" is an elevation gain of about 60 feet over 3/4 mile. I could see and feel the long gentle incline. It wasn't that bad, though. I turned around at mile 2.4 at the blue spike and ran back to just before where I started. Also, I don't know why it looks like I went below sea level at the very beginning. That is not possible. I promise you I did not jump in the water and go for a swim ;-)
Side note: I actually used a similar example in my stats class to illustrate what happens when you change the scale of your graph. I took the official elevation chart and my Garmin data from RnR Providence. I made the course look flat and then made it look hilly. All I did was change the scale.
If that's a "hill," the rest of the course is pretty darn flat. Good stuff.
In related Gansett news, I dug up my emails from volunteering last year. I saw the race from the other side and was impressed. Can I just say how amazingly organized the race director is? His level of detail for volunteers (maps, specific instructions, times to expect runners, etc) is incredible. Then there was a spectator guide to match. Holy organization, Batman. Big race or small race, I have never ever seen anything like this. Super impressed yet again.
I scratched my head looking at the Gansett course map and elevation chart. It looks like there is a hill in the beginning of the marathon and then another one later on. Because the course loops around twice, you get to run both hills twice. Joy of joys. The Blessing of the Fleet 10 mile race runs on part of the Gansett course. I ran the Blessing several times. I don't remember hills.
That's because the hill in the beginning isn't a hill. It is a long gentle incline for about 3/4 mile. One of the nice things about my job (wah, last day was Monday) was that I worked close to Narragansett. I popped down after work last week, parked at Narragansett Town Beach (I miss this crescent-shaped beach so very much), and ran about the first 2 miles of the Gansett course. The start is at the curved part above the r in Pier at the top of the map.
R2's elevation data backed me up. It is not as bad as the graph makes it out to be. Check the scale. The "hill" is an elevation gain of about 60 feet over 3/4 mile. I could see and feel the long gentle incline. It wasn't that bad, though. I turned around at mile 2.4 at the blue spike and ran back to just before where I started. Also, I don't know why it looks like I went below sea level at the very beginning. That is not possible. I promise you I did not jump in the water and go for a swim ;-)
Side note: I actually used a similar example in my stats class to illustrate what happens when you change the scale of your graph. I took the official elevation chart and my Garmin data from RnR Providence. I made the course look flat and then made it look hilly. All I did was change the scale.
If that's a "hill," the rest of the course is pretty darn flat. Good stuff.
In related Gansett news, I dug up my emails from volunteering last year. I saw the race from the other side and was impressed. Can I just say how amazingly organized the race director is? His level of detail for volunteers (maps, specific instructions, times to expect runners, etc) is incredible. Then there was a spectator guide to match. Holy organization, Batman. Big race or small race, I have never ever seen anything like this. Super impressed yet again.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Shamrock, one more time
OK, I think this is the last one. Maybe. Don't hold me to that. There will be a lot of blogging in the next few days. Bad = no job. Good = extra time.
Part of my marathon strategy is to check in with myself in the higher miles. I planned to do this at mile 18 at Shamrock. That's the point where I usually hit the wall. That's also near the point where you can switch from long-distance race mindset to shorter race mindset and start counting down the miles. Just 8 more miles, then a 10K, then a 5K. Yeah. Didn't happen. I didn't need to. I was comfortably cruising at mile 18. Seriously cruising. The pace felt sustainable, almost effortless. My form was good. I was mentally on it, even though this was a very isolated stretch of the course. During the race, I don't even think I was aware that I had planned to check in with myself at mile 18. It was still all systems go. Same thing at mile 20 where I knew I was under 8:00 overall. It was a perfect day.
The hardest part of the marathon was not the marathon. Really. It was the training. It was getting out there every day, even if I didn't feel like it or the weather wasn't cooperating. I have NEVER felt that way about a marathon before. RnR Mardi Gras was tough in the last miles because my quads hurt so badly. Cox Providence and Chicago were mentally difficult races. I learned how to (not) address dehydration at Chicago, but I also learned how to (not) manage my mental focus correctly. Those were vitally important skills for Shamrock. Who decides to sign up for another marathon literally on crossing a marathon finish line? This girl did. See, it couldn't have been that bad.
My recovery after Shamrock was relatively easy. Not quite as easy as Chicago, but not too far off either. Score. I stayed on speaking terms with stairs. I had many hot dates with my foam roller. I was back running 4 days later (minimal soreness, yay) and back to my normal speed in a week. No, I am not fully recovered yet. My yoga class a couple days ago showed me that I have lost some flexibility. That's OK. I asked a lot of my body. I am not terribly surprised it pushed back.
I have to gear up to run another marathon in 18 days. That certainly has an impact on my recovery. Just keep moving.
Part of my marathon strategy is to check in with myself in the higher miles. I planned to do this at mile 18 at Shamrock. That's the point where I usually hit the wall. That's also near the point where you can switch from long-distance race mindset to shorter race mindset and start counting down the miles. Just 8 more miles, then a 10K, then a 5K. Yeah. Didn't happen. I didn't need to. I was comfortably cruising at mile 18. Seriously cruising. The pace felt sustainable, almost effortless. My form was good. I was mentally on it, even though this was a very isolated stretch of the course. During the race, I don't even think I was aware that I had planned to check in with myself at mile 18. It was still all systems go. Same thing at mile 20 where I knew I was under 8:00 overall. It was a perfect day.
The hardest part of the marathon was not the marathon. Really. It was the training. It was getting out there every day, even if I didn't feel like it or the weather wasn't cooperating. I have NEVER felt that way about a marathon before. RnR Mardi Gras was tough in the last miles because my quads hurt so badly. Cox Providence and Chicago were mentally difficult races. I learned how to (not) address dehydration at Chicago, but I also learned how to (not) manage my mental focus correctly. Those were vitally important skills for Shamrock. Who decides to sign up for another marathon literally on crossing a marathon finish line? This girl did. See, it couldn't have been that bad.
My recovery after Shamrock was relatively easy. Not quite as easy as Chicago, but not too far off either. Score. I stayed on speaking terms with stairs. I had many hot dates with my foam roller. I was back running 4 days later (minimal soreness, yay) and back to my normal speed in a week. No, I am not fully recovered yet. My yoga class a couple days ago showed me that I have lost some flexibility. That's OK. I asked a lot of my body. I am not terribly surprised it pushed back.
I have to gear up to run another marathon in 18 days. That certainly has an impact on my recovery. Just keep moving.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
M is for Marathon
Anyone remember when I said 3 marathons in one year was too much and there was a chance I'd run 3 in 2012? I thought carefully about that. 3 marathons in 2012 it is.
At some point, I said I wouldn't double down on my training and run 2 back-to-back marathons again (did 2 in 10 weeks last year, got injured in between, and had a mentally bad second marathon). Yeah, I thought carefully about that too. 2 marathons in 27 days it is. I am not the only one who qualified at Shamrock who is also running Gansett. Excellent. More crazy runners.
I also said I wouldn't train through the winter for a marathon again. Yet I did it and it was better than I expected. Much much better than last winter. Wait, what winter? It was the mildest winter in a long long time. It barely snowed. I only needed my soft shell jacket once. I only needed a fleece once or twice. I had some runs that required no cold weather gear. The bike path where I do my long runs stayed clear the whole time. I only had to adjust my running route because of snow a handful of times.
Now that Shamrock is all wrapped up, these were my spring race plans. There were a select few people who knew about my Plan A. I didn't want to jinx it. I had Gansett on my radar but couldn't commit until I saw how I did at Shamrock. Plan A it is!
Plan A (under 3:35): Run the Gansett Marathon on April 14. Maybe run the Frederick Half Marathon in Maryland on May 6. I am signed up for Gansett (this is how organized this race is ... I was in the list of registered runners within hours of registering). Still not sure about Frederick. Dunno if I want to race again after doing 2 marathons in 27 days.
Plan B (3:35:01 or over): Run the Long Island Marathon or Cox Providence Marathon. Both are on May 6. I have family in both locations, so my only costs would be the entry fee and transportation. Or maybe the half for either. Or the Frederick Half if I didn't want to travel. A spring half would mean I'd have to put all my eggs in the Marine Corps Marathon. I probably wouldn't be able to qualify for Boston for 2013. Long Island is mostly flat. Cox was a mental disaster last year. I am a Cox legacy, though, and didn't want to give that up. Either marathon would have been a decent but not optimal choice for another BQ/GQ attempt. Thankfully, I don't have have to go that route. I'm kinda done with traveling for a while.
At some point, I said I wouldn't double down on my training and run 2 back-to-back marathons again (did 2 in 10 weeks last year, got injured in between, and had a mentally bad second marathon). Yeah, I thought carefully about that too. 2 marathons in 27 days it is. I am not the only one who qualified at Shamrock who is also running Gansett. Excellent. More crazy runners.
I also said I wouldn't train through the winter for a marathon again. Yet I did it and it was better than I expected. Much much better than last winter. Wait, what winter? It was the mildest winter in a long long time. It barely snowed. I only needed my soft shell jacket once. I only needed a fleece once or twice. I had some runs that required no cold weather gear. The bike path where I do my long runs stayed clear the whole time. I only had to adjust my running route because of snow a handful of times.
Now that Shamrock is all wrapped up, these were my spring race plans. There were a select few people who knew about my Plan A. I didn't want to jinx it. I had Gansett on my radar but couldn't commit until I saw how I did at Shamrock. Plan A it is!
Plan A (under 3:35): Run the Gansett Marathon on April 14. Maybe run the Frederick Half Marathon in Maryland on May 6. I am signed up for Gansett (this is how organized this race is ... I was in the list of registered runners within hours of registering). Still not sure about Frederick. Dunno if I want to race again after doing 2 marathons in 27 days.
Plan B (3:35:01 or over): Run the Long Island Marathon or Cox Providence Marathon. Both are on May 6. I have family in both locations, so my only costs would be the entry fee and transportation. Or maybe the half for either. Or the Frederick Half if I didn't want to travel. A spring half would mean I'd have to put all my eggs in the Marine Corps Marathon. I probably wouldn't be able to qualify for Boston for 2013. Long Island is mostly flat. Cox was a mental disaster last year. I am a Cox legacy, though, and didn't want to give that up. Either marathon would have been a decent but not optimal choice for another BQ/GQ attempt. Thankfully, I don't have have to go that route. I'm kinda done with traveling for a while.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Marathon Training Week 19
I spent 18 weeks for training for Shamrock and will spend another 4 weeks training for Gansett. 22 weeks total I guess?
My training plan for the week was no plan. Take it easy. Sign up for Gansett. Rest and foam roll in the beginning of the week. Attempt to start running on Wednesday or Thursday. Try to do a shorter long run over the weekend. Run in Narragansett!
I looked into Hal Higdon's multiple marathon plans. I like Hal's plans, but I'm not sure the 4-week one is right for me. The mid-week runs looked reasonable. But there is a longish long run the weekend before the marathon and only one week of taper. I would like to do one longish long run next weekend. I'm leery of a one-week taper. So I think I am going to make up my own plan. I have the flexibility to be able to run more, although I know not to ramp it up too quickly. The big thing I need to do is continue to pay very careful attention to my body. Now is not the time to do anything stupid.
Monday and Tuesday - Marathon recovery. No running. Foam rolling and playing with The Stick. Submitted my application for Gansett, waited to get it approved, and signed up the next day. Go go Gansett go!
Wednesday - Still no running. More foam rolling and playing with The Stick. My left leg felt reasonably OK. My right quad was still sore. It was getting better, though.
Thursday - 3.7 mile run. Got going just before 7am for an easy run to test the legs. Wore a skirt and short-sleeve T-shirt. In March. Pace was around 9:00, nice and easy. My right quad was still not 100%, but everything else was fine. I enjoyed seeing most of my morning regulars. Did some pushups in the evening because I felt like it. Got out the foam roller since I already had my mat out.
Friday - 4.6 mile run after work in Narragansett along the sea wall and Ocean Road. Beautiful weather. Waaaay too fast (8:18?!?), but everything felt good. I psychologically needed it. Right quad is up to 99%. Scouted out part of the Gansett course (long gentle incline in the 2nd and 17th miles that I somehow never noticed before), then got dinner from Markos Kabob for the second night in a row. Narragansett is one of the things I will miss the most. Less than one week til I leave Rhode Island :-(
Saturday - 8.5 mile long run. Paced this one in the 8:40s. Much better. Felt great. It was a perfect day to be out for a run. Right around 50 degrees with mostly sunny skies and some breezes. Went to Brown University and downtown Providence, then turned around and retraced my route.
Total Miles - 16.8
My training plan for the week was no plan. Take it easy. Sign up for Gansett. Rest and foam roll in the beginning of the week. Attempt to start running on Wednesday or Thursday. Try to do a shorter long run over the weekend. Run in Narragansett!
I looked into Hal Higdon's multiple marathon plans. I like Hal's plans, but I'm not sure the 4-week one is right for me. The mid-week runs looked reasonable. But there is a longish long run the weekend before the marathon and only one week of taper. I would like to do one longish long run next weekend. I'm leery of a one-week taper. So I think I am going to make up my own plan. I have the flexibility to be able to run more, although I know not to ramp it up too quickly. The big thing I need to do is continue to pay very careful attention to my body. Now is not the time to do anything stupid.
Monday and Tuesday - Marathon recovery. No running. Foam rolling and playing with The Stick. Submitted my application for Gansett, waited to get it approved, and signed up the next day. Go go Gansett go!
Wednesday - Still no running. More foam rolling and playing with The Stick. My left leg felt reasonably OK. My right quad was still sore. It was getting better, though.
Thursday - 3.7 mile run. Got going just before 7am for an easy run to test the legs. Wore a skirt and short-sleeve T-shirt. In March. Pace was around 9:00, nice and easy. My right quad was still not 100%, but everything else was fine. I enjoyed seeing most of my morning regulars. Did some pushups in the evening because I felt like it. Got out the foam roller since I already had my mat out.
Friday - 4.6 mile run after work in Narragansett along the sea wall and Ocean Road. Beautiful weather. Waaaay too fast (8:18?!?), but everything felt good. I psychologically needed it. Right quad is up to 99%. Scouted out part of the Gansett course (long gentle incline in the 2nd and 17th miles that I somehow never noticed before), then got dinner from Markos Kabob for the second night in a row. Narragansett is one of the things I will miss the most. Less than one week til I leave Rhode Island :-(
Saturday - 8.5 mile long run. Paced this one in the 8:40s. Much better. Felt great. It was a perfect day to be out for a run. Right around 50 degrees with mostly sunny skies and some breezes. Went to Brown University and downtown Providence, then turned around and retraced my route.
Total Miles - 16.8
Shamrock Marathon: Race Review
I ran the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, VA on March 18, 2012. There is also a half marathon, as well as an 8K and a series of kids races the previous day. Over 27,000 people participated in this year's Shamrock races.
The course - Flat as a pancake. Essentially 2 half marathon loops that start and finish fairly close together. The half marathon (which started earlier) runs on the back half of the marathon course. The full marathon has one bridge that you run over twice, but that's it. Long sections are very straight.
Completely separate from the half marathon - I liked this a lot. You are with marathoners from the very beginning. I don't think I have seen this done at any other race that has both a half and full marathon. The two races started in 2 different places at 2 different times. The half starts first, which is unusual. Logistically, it works. If the marathon started first, the speedy marathoners would merge into the back of the half marathon and create a huge bottleneck. No bueno. The only time the half starting first would be a problem is if it is hot.
Size - About 3300 marathon finishers. Personally, I think this is the perfect size. Enough people so that you are never running alone but not so many people that you can't move.
Weather - Average high for March in Virginia Beach is in the high 50s. Get the wind blowing in the right direction and good things happen.
Expo - Packet pick-up was quick and easy. Free parking at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. All of your standard vendors were there. I wanted Bondi Bands, new headphones, and new caps for my Fuelbelt bottles. I found them all. Some people complained about long lines at the Shamrock Store. A post-race email apologized for the long lines, said they'd get more cashiers next year, and offered free shipping on orders over $25. I can live with that.
Parking - I walked to and from the race, so I have no idea if parking/traffic was an issue. Virginia Beach has free on-street parking in March. As long as you don't try to park on the course, I would imagine it would be OK. You do kinda need a car if you want to get off the oceanfront.
Gear check - I didn't use it, but it seemed smooth.
Pace groups - I didn't use a pace group either, but there were some pace groups.
Port-a-potties - I saw plenty on the course and at the finish. Could have used a few more at the marathon start. I hopped into one of the oceanfront hotels to use a real bathroom about 15 minutes before the race started.
Corrals - Worked perfectly. Not crowded in the corral or once the race started. I got in my corral about 10-15 minutes before the gun went off. Volunteers were good at checking bibs to make sure people were in the right corral.
Start - The gun went off right on time.
Volunteers - I hope every single one of them comes back next year. They were great!
Spectators - I liked the Marines in Camp Pendleton the best. The area with the most spectators was around the halfway point. There were some areas with no or limited spectators. Didn't see a ton of posters. It didn't bother me, though. Shamrock had DJs on the course in several spots and riddle posters in one area that was particularly isolated.
Bibs - Personalized with your name. Some people don't like this. I found it helpful. I said thank you or gave a thumbs up to anyone who cheered me by name.
Aid stations - Fully stocked (although I was at the front of the marathon pack, so take this with a grain of salt). Volunteers yelled whether they had water or Gatorade, plus you could tell by the color of the cup. The water in Virginia Beach is heavily chlorinated and you can taste it. Be aware of that. I recently started using Nuun tablets (electrolyte tablets that dissolve in plain water). I hadn't been using them long enough to try during Shamrock, but I did put them in Virginia Beach tap water to mask the chlorine. There were two stations with CarbBoom gels. I carry my own supply of shot bloks and I wouldn't have eaten CarbBoom on the course (don't like gels to begin with and couldn't find them to test them out). There was one aid station in the higher miles with food. Not sure whether it was an official aid station. All I remember were little cups of gummy bears.
Finish line - Wave hello to the King Neptune statue and cross the finish line. Leprechaun Bob announces you by name and hometown. I must have been losing my mind at the finish line because I heard my hometown pronounced correctly. No one outside of Rhode Island knows how to say it right.
Using a Garmin - My Garmin read 26.39 miles at the end. A difference of .2 mile in a marathon is not too much of a difference. I've seen much much worse. If you weave around, don't run perfect tangents on turns or corners, or are in an area with tall buildings and trees, the Garmin will be off. There's some random measurement error too. Usually, the pace on the Garmin is off by 5-10 seconds per mile as compared to the official pace based on your finishing time. My Garmin pace was off by 3 seconds per mile compared to my official pace. Thumbs up in my book.
Swag - Shamrock does it better than anyone else. Marathoners get a long-sleeved technical race shirt. But Shamrock didn't stop there. When you finish, you also get a finishers hat AND a T-shirt. This year, the finishers shirt was a technical hooded sweatshirt in honor of Shamrock's 40th anniversary. The swag bag is one of those drawstring sack bags that will be my new gym bag. The race program is a calendar. The medal doubles as a bottle opener and has a detachable shamrock charm.
Post-race refreshments - Water, Gatorade, bananas, sugar cookies, granola bars, and pretzels. The bananas were green and pretty much inedible. Oh well, can't be perfect. Things happen. There was also beef stew (more like beef soup ... warm salty liquid never tasted so good). Your race bib got you 4 (!?!) Yuengling beers. 274 kegs were consumed this year. We must be a bunch of drinkers with a running problem.
Post-race party - Shamrock also does it better than anyone else. On a tent on the beach. The cool sand felt nice against my gnarly runner's feet. Have your picture taken with a giant sand sculpture. Listen to some music. This year had Vertigo, a U2 tribute band, plus 2 other bands. I'm a little biased because U2 is my favorite band. Vertigo didn't start playing til 2pm when just about all the runners were done. They were fun!
Hotels - I stayed on the Virginia Beach oceanfront. I warmed up by running to the marathon start and back, then stretched and hung out in my hotel room til a half hour before the start, and then walked to the start line. Without knowing it, I picked the perfect hotel (Best Western Plus Oceanfront). It wasn't too expensive. It was about a mile from the half marathon start, a quarter mile from the marathon start, and at the finish line and post-race party. I got to open up the balcony door and hear the music from the comfort of my hotel room. My room looked out directly at the Shamrock sand sculpture.
Shamrock's Facebook page - Full of useful information and a good way to connect with other runners. The night before the half and marathon, King Neptune told us all to go to bed. Tee hee!
Organization - Virtually flawless. Plenty of information was provided. The things that weren't quite right were very minor. That happens at every race. They took responsibility for mistakes and attempted to make them better. That's how you run a good race.
Overall, I cannot say enough good things about Shamrock, and not only because I had an epic race. This is an all-around quality event. Everything was well-organized and well-supported. I have ran a lot of different races, everything from small local races to big city marathons. Shamrock wins overall by a landslide. I will be back!!
The course - Flat as a pancake. Essentially 2 half marathon loops that start and finish fairly close together. The half marathon (which started earlier) runs on the back half of the marathon course. The full marathon has one bridge that you run over twice, but that's it. Long sections are very straight.
Completely separate from the half marathon - I liked this a lot. You are with marathoners from the very beginning. I don't think I have seen this done at any other race that has both a half and full marathon. The two races started in 2 different places at 2 different times. The half starts first, which is unusual. Logistically, it works. If the marathon started first, the speedy marathoners would merge into the back of the half marathon and create a huge bottleneck. No bueno. The only time the half starting first would be a problem is if it is hot.
Size - About 3300 marathon finishers. Personally, I think this is the perfect size. Enough people so that you are never running alone but not so many people that you can't move.
Weather - Average high for March in Virginia Beach is in the high 50s. Get the wind blowing in the right direction and good things happen.
Expo - Packet pick-up was quick and easy. Free parking at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. All of your standard vendors were there. I wanted Bondi Bands, new headphones, and new caps for my Fuelbelt bottles. I found them all. Some people complained about long lines at the Shamrock Store. A post-race email apologized for the long lines, said they'd get more cashiers next year, and offered free shipping on orders over $25. I can live with that.
Parking - I walked to and from the race, so I have no idea if parking/traffic was an issue. Virginia Beach has free on-street parking in March. As long as you don't try to park on the course, I would imagine it would be OK. You do kinda need a car if you want to get off the oceanfront.
Gear check - I didn't use it, but it seemed smooth.
Pace groups - I didn't use a pace group either, but there were some pace groups.
Port-a-potties - I saw plenty on the course and at the finish. Could have used a few more at the marathon start. I hopped into one of the oceanfront hotels to use a real bathroom about 15 minutes before the race started.
Corrals - Worked perfectly. Not crowded in the corral or once the race started. I got in my corral about 10-15 minutes before the gun went off. Volunteers were good at checking bibs to make sure people were in the right corral.
Start - The gun went off right on time.
Volunteers - I hope every single one of them comes back next year. They were great!
Spectators - I liked the Marines in Camp Pendleton the best. The area with the most spectators was around the halfway point. There were some areas with no or limited spectators. Didn't see a ton of posters. It didn't bother me, though. Shamrock had DJs on the course in several spots and riddle posters in one area that was particularly isolated.
Bibs - Personalized with your name. Some people don't like this. I found it helpful. I said thank you or gave a thumbs up to anyone who cheered me by name.
Aid stations - Fully stocked (although I was at the front of the marathon pack, so take this with a grain of salt). Volunteers yelled whether they had water or Gatorade, plus you could tell by the color of the cup. The water in Virginia Beach is heavily chlorinated and you can taste it. Be aware of that. I recently started using Nuun tablets (electrolyte tablets that dissolve in plain water). I hadn't been using them long enough to try during Shamrock, but I did put them in Virginia Beach tap water to mask the chlorine. There were two stations with CarbBoom gels. I carry my own supply of shot bloks and I wouldn't have eaten CarbBoom on the course (don't like gels to begin with and couldn't find them to test them out). There was one aid station in the higher miles with food. Not sure whether it was an official aid station. All I remember were little cups of gummy bears.
Finish line - Wave hello to the King Neptune statue and cross the finish line. Leprechaun Bob announces you by name and hometown. I must have been losing my mind at the finish line because I heard my hometown pronounced correctly. No one outside of Rhode Island knows how to say it right.
Using a Garmin - My Garmin read 26.39 miles at the end. A difference of .2 mile in a marathon is not too much of a difference. I've seen much much worse. If you weave around, don't run perfect tangents on turns or corners, or are in an area with tall buildings and trees, the Garmin will be off. There's some random measurement error too. Usually, the pace on the Garmin is off by 5-10 seconds per mile as compared to the official pace based on your finishing time. My Garmin pace was off by 3 seconds per mile compared to my official pace. Thumbs up in my book.
Swag - Shamrock does it better than anyone else. Marathoners get a long-sleeved technical race shirt. But Shamrock didn't stop there. When you finish, you also get a finishers hat AND a T-shirt. This year, the finishers shirt was a technical hooded sweatshirt in honor of Shamrock's 40th anniversary. The swag bag is one of those drawstring sack bags that will be my new gym bag. The race program is a calendar. The medal doubles as a bottle opener and has a detachable shamrock charm.
Post-race refreshments - Water, Gatorade, bananas, sugar cookies, granola bars, and pretzels. The bananas were green and pretty much inedible. Oh well, can't be perfect. Things happen. There was also beef stew (more like beef soup ... warm salty liquid never tasted so good). Your race bib got you 4 (!?!) Yuengling beers. 274 kegs were consumed this year. We must be a bunch of drinkers with a running problem.
Post-race party - Shamrock also does it better than anyone else. On a tent on the beach. The cool sand felt nice against my gnarly runner's feet. Have your picture taken with a giant sand sculpture. Listen to some music. This year had Vertigo, a U2 tribute band, plus 2 other bands. I'm a little biased because U2 is my favorite band. Vertigo didn't start playing til 2pm when just about all the runners were done. They were fun!
Hotels - I stayed on the Virginia Beach oceanfront. I warmed up by running to the marathon start and back, then stretched and hung out in my hotel room til a half hour before the start, and then walked to the start line. Without knowing it, I picked the perfect hotel (Best Western Plus Oceanfront). It wasn't too expensive. It was about a mile from the half marathon start, a quarter mile from the marathon start, and at the finish line and post-race party. I got to open up the balcony door and hear the music from the comfort of my hotel room. My room looked out directly at the Shamrock sand sculpture.
Shamrock's Facebook page - Full of useful information and a good way to connect with other runners. The night before the half and marathon, King Neptune told us all to go to bed. Tee hee!
Organization - Virtually flawless. Plenty of information was provided. The things that weren't quite right were very minor. That happens at every race. They took responsibility for mistakes and attempted to make them better. That's how you run a good race.
Overall, I cannot say enough good things about Shamrock, and not only because I had an epic race. This is an all-around quality event. Everything was well-organized and well-supported. I have ran a lot of different races, everything from small local races to big city marathons. Shamrock wins overall by a landslide. I will be back!!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Shamrock Music
Shamrock set out DJs at various points on the course. These locations and songs I remember:
Mile 3 - Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory. It was too early in the race to tell whether I was on the edge of glory. In hindsight, it was an auspicious sign.
Mile 5 turnaround - Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks. Foster the People has some good running music. I sang along until I couldn't hear the DJ any longer.
Mile 13.1 - Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer. I actually turned to 2 runners next to me and said, "Hey, we really are halfway there" just after that line played.
There were more DJs out on the course, but I either can't remember what they played, don't remember where they were, or didn't recognize what they were playing.
I ran the first 14 miles or so without music. I am used to running about that far without it, and there were enough interesting things on the course to keep me occupied. At mile 14, the music needed to come out. It got suddenly quiet. The course had been too straight for too long. I knew it was going to continue that way for many more miles.
A leprechaun possessed my iPod and picked me the following songs (with approximate mile markers):
Mile 14-15 Atlantic Ave north
Kevin Rudolf - I Made It. I had set my Shamrock playlist to shuffle before I started the race and then turned my iPod off. I knew this song was going to be the first song. It is more appropriate for a last song. Oh well. The beat was right. The message was good too. I hadn't made it yet, but I was pretty sure I was going to make it.
U2 - Magnificent (Redanka's 360 version) - This song is very long. Another song with a good beat. It was a message I needed to hear at that point. Magnificent. I turned onto Shore Drive towards the end of this song. Let the long crowdless stretch begin.
Mile 16-19 Shore Drive
Fraggle Rock - Pukka Pukka Pukka Squeetily Boink. I put this song on my playlist because I wanted something fun. It came on at just the right time.
Chris Brown - Yeah 3x. Any song that repeats "yeah" or "woo" or any other one-syllable noise is good in my book.
Lady Gaga - Highway Unicorn (Road to Love). On a section of road that looked like a highway. This song starts off with the lines "We can be strong ... run run with it" and a thumping beat.
Incubus - Dig. This is one of my unexpectedly favorite running songs. Already tested at the end of a long run.
30 Seconds to Mars - The Battle of One. Yes, a marathon is a giant battle of one.
Ke$ha - Take It Off. Eh. Not making the cut in the future.
Tom Cochrane - Life Is a Highway. Huh. Like Highway Unicorn, that was appropriate.
Mile 20-22 Fort Story and Cape Henry
Daft Punk - One More Time. This song saved me at the end of my first half marathon. I was very close to breaking 2 hours. This song helped me pick it up and run hard the last half mile. It ends up on most of my running playlists.
Passion Pit - Little Secrets. I remember hearing this song but didn't have any particular thoughts about it.
U2 - Elevation. U2 is my favorite band. Elevation is my favorite U2 song. I remember thinking I didn't particularly want to hear this song. Mmm. It's getting cut next time around.
Hanson - If Only. My favorite Hanson song. Don't pretend like you don't like Hanson too.
Blue October - Into the Ocean. I had just been thinking about looking for the ocean and thought about this song. Poof. There it was.
Mile 23-24 Atlantic Ave south
Chris Brown - Turn Up the Music. One of my favorite songs of the moment. Ironically, I had to turn the music down at an aid station.
Shakira - She Wolf. OK, be a she wolf and keep running.
Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music. Don't remember hearing this song. Maybe I was distracted by the fighter jets? Or starting to take more walk breaks?
Ke$ha - We R Who We R. Eh. Another Ke$ha song? The leprechaun could have done better than that. This song is being dropped from future marathon playlists.
Foster the People - Call It What You Want. Love this song. The rhythm in the beginning always makes me think of a step class.
Hanson - Can't Stop. Oh you think you're clever, leprechaun. I was taking a walk break when this song came on. Can't stop. Keep running. I ended up taking another break during this song, but at least it got me started up again.
Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning. Shoulda had this song for going over the bridge earlier in the race. Still good later in the game.
Mile 25
Sean Kingston - Fire Burning. The end of the song coincided pretty closely with reaching the boardwalk. Pulled out the headphones once I could see the finish line a half mile away.
Mile 3 - Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory. It was too early in the race to tell whether I was on the edge of glory. In hindsight, it was an auspicious sign.
Mile 5 turnaround - Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks. Foster the People has some good running music. I sang along until I couldn't hear the DJ any longer.
Mile 13.1 - Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer. I actually turned to 2 runners next to me and said, "Hey, we really are halfway there" just after that line played.
There were more DJs out on the course, but I either can't remember what they played, don't remember where they were, or didn't recognize what they were playing.
I ran the first 14 miles or so without music. I am used to running about that far without it, and there were enough interesting things on the course to keep me occupied. At mile 14, the music needed to come out. It got suddenly quiet. The course had been too straight for too long. I knew it was going to continue that way for many more miles.
A leprechaun possessed my iPod and picked me the following songs (with approximate mile markers):
Mile 14-15 Atlantic Ave north
Kevin Rudolf - I Made It. I had set my Shamrock playlist to shuffle before I started the race and then turned my iPod off. I knew this song was going to be the first song. It is more appropriate for a last song. Oh well. The beat was right. The message was good too. I hadn't made it yet, but I was pretty sure I was going to make it.
U2 - Magnificent (Redanka's 360 version) - This song is very long. Another song with a good beat. It was a message I needed to hear at that point. Magnificent. I turned onto Shore Drive towards the end of this song. Let the long crowdless stretch begin.
Mile 16-19 Shore Drive
Fraggle Rock - Pukka Pukka Pukka Squeetily Boink. I put this song on my playlist because I wanted something fun. It came on at just the right time.
Chris Brown - Yeah 3x. Any song that repeats "yeah" or "woo" or any other one-syllable noise is good in my book.
Lady Gaga - Highway Unicorn (Road to Love). On a section of road that looked like a highway. This song starts off with the lines "We can be strong ... run run with it" and a thumping beat.
Incubus - Dig. This is one of my unexpectedly favorite running songs. Already tested at the end of a long run.
30 Seconds to Mars - The Battle of One. Yes, a marathon is a giant battle of one.
Ke$ha - Take It Off. Eh. Not making the cut in the future.
Tom Cochrane - Life Is a Highway. Huh. Like Highway Unicorn, that was appropriate.
Mile 20-22 Fort Story and Cape Henry
Daft Punk - One More Time. This song saved me at the end of my first half marathon. I was very close to breaking 2 hours. This song helped me pick it up and run hard the last half mile. It ends up on most of my running playlists.
Passion Pit - Little Secrets. I remember hearing this song but didn't have any particular thoughts about it.
U2 - Elevation. U2 is my favorite band. Elevation is my favorite U2 song. I remember thinking I didn't particularly want to hear this song. Mmm. It's getting cut next time around.
Hanson - If Only. My favorite Hanson song. Don't pretend like you don't like Hanson too.
Blue October - Into the Ocean. I had just been thinking about looking for the ocean and thought about this song. Poof. There it was.
Mile 23-24 Atlantic Ave south
Chris Brown - Turn Up the Music. One of my favorite songs of the moment. Ironically, I had to turn the music down at an aid station.
Shakira - She Wolf. OK, be a she wolf and keep running.
Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music. Don't remember hearing this song. Maybe I was distracted by the fighter jets? Or starting to take more walk breaks?
Ke$ha - We R Who We R. Eh. Another Ke$ha song? The leprechaun could have done better than that. This song is being dropped from future marathon playlists.
Foster the People - Call It What You Want. Love this song. The rhythm in the beginning always makes me think of a step class.
Hanson - Can't Stop. Oh you think you're clever, leprechaun. I was taking a walk break when this song came on. Can't stop. Keep running. I ended up taking another break during this song, but at least it got me started up again.
Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning. Shoulda had this song for going over the bridge earlier in the race. Still good later in the game.
Mile 25
Sean Kingston - Fire Burning. The end of the song coincided pretty closely with reaching the boardwalk. Pulled out the headphones once I could see the finish line a half mile away.
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