Eugene Marathon

About a week and a half ago I ran the Eugene Marathon. Now I sit here typing away with sore knees and a nasty chest cold. I am guessing I would have neither had I not run the race. Was it worth it?! Absolutely! I highly recommend running this pancake flat race in Track Town USA. The scenery was gorgeous, the course is well supported, and the spectators are awesome. They even opened up some of the buildings on the University of Oregon campus for runners to stay warm before the 7:00 a.m. start.

My brother and I were both attempting to break 3:20 and qualify for the Boston Marathon under the last year of the current qualifying standards (check the new standards out here). Leading up to the race we did most of our long runs together (which was very cool to connect and hang with my bro) and followed the FIRST plan. This three quality days a week training plan is perfect for a hectic schedule. Basically it entails one track workout, one tempo workout, and a long run. The idea is to cross train on the off days, but I rarely got much of that in. However, I still ran a personal best in my fifth marathon.

My brother was meticulous in his planning and came prepared with a tape laminated card showing what splits he wanted to run for each mile. He planned on being able to slow down by about five minutes in the second half of the race and still make his goal time. Once the race started, it was clear to me immediately that he was going to start out much faster than I planned. At that point, I decided to run my own pace. As I have experienced in other marathons, all was well until about mile 21. I ran a few slow miles and didn't pick it back up until mile 25. I ended up with a decent final 1.2 miles and ran 3:23 and change. My brother ran a perfect race and ran 3:19! He will be going to Boston without me...however, I still plan on qualifying at some point in the near future.

On a side note, a buddy of ours left Seattle at midnight and met us at the starting line in Eugene just before the start of the race. He also ran Boston 2 weeks earlier. He finished with a PR by 6 minutes and finished in 3:15. Hmmmmmm. I better talk to him about his training plan....obviously he did something right and I am quite sure it wasn't driving all night, drinking mountain dew, and going ninety miles per hour down I-5.

After the race we enjoyed the post-race atmosphere at Hayward Field for a while and then headed north to Portland for the night. We stayed at the Hotel Lucia within easy walking distance of four breweries and the Pearl District. We lucked out with sunshine...and the local (well-deserved) beer was incredible. The hotel was definitely impressive. It had a modern, comfortable feel with friendly staff. One of the best parts of the stay was enjoying many of the 680 David Kennerly photographs on display throughout the hotel. David Kennerly is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and Portland, Oregon native. Apparently, Kennerly served as personal photographer to President Gerald R. Ford and his work has appeared in LIFE, TIME, GEORGE and NEWSWEEK magazines. Judging from the people he photographed, he hung out with some amazing people! My brother and I plan on surprising our wives with a trip to Portland soon. The vibe in Portland is fantastic and we will be staying at the Hotel Lucia again.

I have run once since the marathon and hope to get a few miles in this weekend. Trails, trails, and more trails until the legs start feeling better...looking forward to it!

Green Mountain, Beaver Pond

My brother Steve and I ran up at Green Mountain today. Click here for a map of the area. Green Mountain is a "working forest". The good news is that the area is surrounded by over 6000 acres of state forest. It is a trail runners paradise pacific northwest style. Even though motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails, I haven't seen or heard motorcycles on the trails for a few years. Maybe I am just lucky.

Usually we stay on Wildcat Trail, but this time we took a turn on Beaver Pond Trail. Good choice for sure. We didn't see a soul and enjoyed the bridges over small creeks, beaver ponds, and the solitude and peace one can find in the woods. Dose my German Shorthaired Pointer was with us and we only saw her when she ran back to "check" on us....always wondering why we couldn't stay up with her.

While we didn't go on a sunny day, check out the view one can have from the top of Green Mountain, East to Seattle.

Today was awesome. All told we ran for 3 hours in preparation for the Eugene Marathon in 3 weeks. Hopefully we will be enjoying the fruits of our labor today!

Directions:
Going north on Hwy 3, past Bremerton and before Silverdale, take the Newberry Hill Road (Silverdale) exit and turn left/west. Follow Newberry Hill road for about 3 miles then turn left onto Seabeck Hwy. Follow Seabeck Hwy for about 2 miles and turn right onto Holly Road. Follow Holly about 2 miles to the Wildcat Lake trailhead. There is a green sign 500 ft from the double entrance.

Perspective

I am at the hospital with my wife and daughter as she recovers from spinal fusion surgery to correct severe scoliosis. She will be here for approximately five days and will be out of commission for many weeks/months. Contact sports such as soccer are out of the question for a year. It is times like these that remind me to enjoy the simple things in life. It is silly that it takes something like this to find that perspective.

While my daughter loves soccer, she found much confidence during her first season of track last spring. She ran the 1600 meters and was bound and determined to break 6 minutes by the end of her 8th grade year. She pulled it off during her last meet with an inspiring last 200 meters in the league championships. The pain etched in her face told met that she found out how to run through the pain when the going got tough.

As I look at her now recovering, I know that her short time as a distance runner will help her recovery period. Distance runners constantly push the limits and learn how to push through rough patches. I am glad she has proven to herself that she can withstand pain and on the other side of pain is comfort.

I am looking forward to taking a run with her this spring/summer as she recovers and I will be sure to enjoy the simple things.

Mountain Running - Mt. Walker

Just got back from running up Mt Walker. The trailhead starts at 800 ft and climbs to 2800 feet in two miles. There was snow on the trail starting at about 2000 ft. As usual, Dose Wallips, our German Shorthaired Pointer was leading the way and loving every minute of the run.

It was so cold and rainy/snowy at the top that I didn't waste any time heading back down. It was hilarious watching my dog skid uncontrollably around the switchbacks, not once going completely off trail. One thing that strikes me is how natural dogs are running through trails. I find myself watching her trying to mimic her light springy steps and fluid motion. So far, not much luck in that department.

While I enjoy running in the snow, I am really looking forward to hitting the trails on a nice, sunny, Pacific Northwest day. ....yes, it is true, we do get nice sunny days in the Northwest. I will post some pics this spring and summer to prove it.

Hansville Greenway - Buck Lake

The Hansville Greenway is a great place to hit the trails. This morning I went with my German Shorthaired Pointer for her regular morning jaunt. The new surroundings and fresh scents were of particular interest to her, as we usually stay in the same section of wilderness near my house. Click here for a trail map of the areas.

We went for about 4 miles today and I am feeling like I am getting my legs back after running the New York City Marathon. I will start training officially for the Eugene Marathon on January 4th. That will give me about 17 weeks of training to try for a Boston Qualifier. I plan on running 3:15 in Eugene. That would be a PR by about 7 minutes or so....think positive!

I highly recommend the Hansville Greenway for trail running, especially if the hills tend to scare you away...the hills are gentle for the most part starting out at Buck Lake, with beautiful views of the water from several different spots. Hansville is about ten minutes north of Kingston, WA.

Hope to do some snow running within the next week or so...plan on running up Mt Walker and back down on the fire road with the snow shoes....good for about 2000 feet of elevation gain on the way up...hope to blog about the run within a few days. Happy Trails!

New York City Marathon

Last Sunday I ran the New York City Marathon. This was truly one of the most fantastic sporting events in which I have every participated. Not only was the run incredible, our visit was a blast. I had never been to New York City before and the bright lights didn't disappoint.

The training leading up to the marathon was going quite well for me and I was on pace in my training to give 3:20 a shot, which is a Boston Qualifier time for my age. Unfortunately a problem I have been having with my IT band didn't allow me to run over 18 miles in my preparation. Two of my longer runs ended up with me having to walk the last few miles home. Needless to say, I adjusted my goal for the race.

On race day I decided that 3:30 was within reason. I went out in 1:44 for the first half and finished in 3:34:58. While this was 13 minutes or so off of my best time, it was one of my proudest efforts. My body felt creaky the entire time and I felt like I was plodding along the whole way. I took the opportunity to really see and take in the vibe of the 2.5 million spectators lining the city streets. I found myself relaxed and enjoying myself more than I ever have in a race. I am wondering how I can bottle that feeling and uncork it when I am going for a personal best.

This was my fourth marathon. After the first three, I wasn't all that interested in signing up for another. This time I cannot wait. I plan on running the Eugene Marathon on May 1st. I will qualify for the Boston Marathon that day...how is that for positive thinking?! Goal Pace: 3:15....After that, my wife and I may run Pikes Peak in August. Let the fun begin!

Times Square two nights before the marathon





Staten Island around 5:45 a.m., waiting for a 9:40 a.m. start in 38 degree weather!





Participants attempting to stay warm in one of the several tents set up in the waiting area



Marathon Training - Running Long on the Pavement

Last weekend I ran the Duckabush River Trail 8 miles out and 8 miles back with a friend. The run took 3 hours and the terrain was rolling single track with some serious switchback climbing at the beginning. As we were finishing our run, I made the statement that since we were out running a tough 16 mile route, it should count for a twenty miler in my marathon training! Running the same effort for three hours on the road would have been at least 20 miles.

I am off soon to test that theory. I am hoping to hit 20 miles on the road this morning. I am sitting here drinking coffee and blogging instead of running because I don't feel like running in the dark today. Also, I am a bit hesitant to hit 20 miles on the road...in looking at my log I noticed over my last 60 runs, only three of them have been on the road. Since I am running the New York City Marathon in a few weeks, I think it is probably a good idea to get some time on the pavement today.

Check out this interesting article: The Myth of the 20 Mile Long Run I have read similar articles before. It asks you to consider the cost benefit of running 20 miles long runs if your weekly mileage is less than 50 miles per week. I have found that even running 40 mile weeks, I benefit psychologically from running a few 20 milers before a marathon. However, the article has its merit...I just haven't found the time or energy to get my miles up to 70 miles per week, yet I still have the desire to hit a few 20 milers in my marathon prep.

Okay, time to get hydrated and hit the road for a solo 20....