MCM: Rock Me Like a Hurricane

Not only do I think the title's clever, but that song was stuck in my head from mile 17 - 20.  You wouldn't believe the amount of "run like a hurricane is chasing you" or "run, Sandy's right behind you" signs I saw.  Yet no one made a sign related to this song... 

Sunday I woke in what I knew to be the calm before the storm.  It was warmer than it ought to be, the air was still and the city was silent.  I quickly got ready and stole out in to the dark morning.  The weather was holding and I kept my fingers crossed that the rain would hold off until the afternoon.  Last year's pre-race temperatures were in the mid-20s.  This year they were in the low 50s.  It was perfect weather for a race as long as we didn't get caught in a downpour.

I got to the Pentagon about 30 minutes before the start. I made my way over to the Runner's Village, quickly checked my bag, and got in line to, ahem, take care of business.  Unsurprisingly, I was still in that line when I heard the cannons fire, indicating the start of the race.  As I'm no speed demon, I was able to make it to the start line with most folks running my at pace.

I'd decided to stick with a 10:00/mile pace for the race.  It's substantially slower than my half-marathon pace and, as long as my IT band and knee didn't act up, I could sustain it over 26.2 miles.  Slow and steady, I climbed the hills in to Arlington, reminding myself that after mile 7 I'd have a 13 mile break from uphill climbs.  I hit the Key Bridge feeling awesome, grabbed some water, and got ready for the first quiet stretch of the race.  Or so I thought.  A guy a few feet behind me decided to sign Ke$ha at the top of his lungs from mile 5 to mile 7.  He was horribly off-key, but it was entertaining.  Even more entertaining were his friends, half of them begging him to shut up, the other half joining in.  Other than that, miles 1-7 were relatively uneventful.  I high-fived a lot of  Marines and saw Santa.  Santa is a bit of an MCM race legend.  He's a dead ringer for the Santa Claus from everyone's childhood stories and always stops on the course to ask children what they want for Christmas.  He's easy to spot in his Santa hat, North Pole Marathon Team tank, and red or green shorts.  I'd wanted to see him ever since my first MCM - I guess the third time's a charm!

Miles 8-10 are some of my favorites because you get to run through the Palisades, where people in the neighborhood bring their kids to watch and are incredibly supportive, and straight down M street in Georgetown.  I know MCM likes to tout the cheering section in Crystal City as one of the best places to watch the race, but Georgetown is leagues ahead.  In Georgetown the sidewalks are packed, the music is blaring, and everyone is excited.  This year Georgetown had, hands-down, the most enthusiastic set of spectators I have ever seen in a race in DC.

I saw my dad during mile 10.  I wish I'd taken a photo, as he was hanging out near the band and having a great time (he said they were really good).  At this point I was beginning to feel the effects of the almost-empty cups of Gatorade at water stations (my only gripe about this race this year - it didn't happen in prior years), so I asked him to have a bottle of Gatorade ready to hand off to me the next time he saw me.  As I continued on, I had to take two cups of Gatorade at a couple of water stops in order to stay hydrated.

Miles 12-15 were on Hains Point.  In past years this was one of the most psychologically grueling parts of the race as there were no spectators.  This year, it was tough for other reasons.  Wear Blue: Run to Remember had set up signs beginning around the mile 12 marker.  Each sign had a photo of and information about a fallen Marine.  These served as a poignant reminder that we run this race not just for ourselves, but to honor those who serve and have served our country, protecting our individual freedom and our rights to make choices like whether to run a marathon.  I got choked up and nearly had an asthma attack trying not to cry.  After the signs, they had volunteers holding American flags.

The other side of Hains Point was a bit tricky.  As you can somewhat tell in the photo above, the wind had picked up.  There were steady winds of around 20-25 miles per hour, which aren't unmanageable by any means, but when you are running on a peninsula and the wind is coming right off of the water it tends to feel stronger.  I ended up walking mile 15 as my left IT band was starting to act up.

Miles 16-20 were on the Mall and I enjoyed all of the spectators who had come out to support us.  I saw what was, by far, my favorite sign at mile 16.  A man who was at least in his late 50s was holding a sign that said "No more Saturday runs means Friday night sex, baby, OORAH!"  I couldn't help but laugh.  I saw my dad again at the mile 16 marker and got the bottle of Gatorade I was so desperately in need of.  I downed it in less than a mile.  Oops.  Around the time my IT band started acting up again and my right knee started to bother me I saw someone holding a sign saying "Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional."  It was a great message and it gave me the strength to push past the pain for another mile and a half.  At 18.5 miles I knew I needed to start walking again.

I felt bad walking past the spectators lining the mall and in front of the capital, but I knew it was the right thing to do.  I still had quite a while to go and I didn't want to injure myself to the point where I couldn't finish.  So I read signs a little more closely, took a photo of the Capitol as I approached it, and kept moving forward.

Getting to the 14th Street Bridge was a huge relief.  I'd "beat the bridge" and knew I could finish the race.  I was only a few minutes over where I needed to be to finish the race in 4:30:00.  If I ran the rest of the way, I could still hit my goal.

But I was in huge amounts of pain.  I needed to walk more.  I saw my dad around mile 21 and stopped to remove a rock in my shoe that had been tormenting me for the past 2 miles.  He and I talked and decided it would be best for me to walk the bridge and take things from there.  So I walked a little, stretched a little, walked some more, stretched some more, took some Advil, downed another bottle of Gatorade, and started feeling a lot better.  By the time I reached the mile 22 marker I was ready to run again.

A funny thing happened in Crystal City: I found my second wind.  The Advil had kicked in, my legs were feeling better, and I had a flat, spectator-filled stretch ahead of me.  The lululemon cheer station gave me the energy boost I needed to adjust my attitude, put on a smile, and enjoy "Crystal Run."

I cruised through the next mile and a half, until I discovered a (literal) bump in the road.  In changing the Crystal City portion of the route in 2012, the race organizers forced us on an overpass around mile 24.  No one was happy to see the unexpected hill, but I charged up it, reminding myself that there were less than three miles left.  I coasted down the other side of the overpass, blew by the donut holes (as if I could keep those down) and found myself by the Pentagon, high-fiving more Marines.  My IT band and knee started acting up again, but there were only two more miles to go.  If I pushed through the pain I could still finish in under 5 hours, meeting my secondary goal.

I started seeing more and more spectators as I ran through where the start corrals had been.  There's something nice about passing where you started to get to the finish.  At mile 25.2 the pain was getting to be too much.  I knew I wanted to finish strong, so I allowed myself .5 miles to walk.  When I hit mile 25.7 I told myself that, ready or not, I was running.  There were less than 5 minutes left and I was going to give them my all.  I saw my dad again right before the sidelines got packed thick with spectators.  It gave me the mental boost I needed to push past whatever pace I'd decided on and run as fast as I could.  As I rounded the corner and started up the hill at Iwo Jima I saw a lot of people stopping to walk.  I refused to let that hill get the best of me and let myself go.  My legs were tired and I was starting to run out of breath, but I wasn't stopping until I crossed the finish line.

And I did.  At 4:59:02.

I'd beaten the bridge, kept myself in one piece, and finished in a respectable time.  Best of all, it still wasn't raining.  I got my medal, shuffled through the line to get a thermal blanket, snapped a photo of Iwo Jima, and prepared myself for the madness surrounding the food lines.

The exit was crazier than in past years and as I approached I saw why - jackets!  The MCM jacket isn't something I would wear around town (it's far too big and it's not made of a sturdy fabric), but it was a nice, unexpected touch which was perfect for wearing around Rosslyn as I got my checked gear and found my family.

Post-MCM with my family

The thing that sets MCM apart from most marathons is the overwhelming military presence on race day.  The pre-race flyover, wounded warriors competing, and Marines lining the course cheering you on prepare you for the signature moment at the finish line - having an active duty Marine place your medal around your neck.  I always look forward to receiving my medal, shaking their hand, and saying "thank you" - not just for the medal or for being there on race day, but for everything they do for our country.

As my finisher's jacket says: mission accomplished.

MCM Expo: The Fun Before the Storm

I don't usually write about race expos because nothing noteworthy happens.  I went to the MCM expo on my lunch hour Friday hoping for a quick in-and-out experience, but ended up staying quite a while.  The expo was at the DC Armory, which is always an interesting experience.  It's a military building, so everyone who enters is required to go through security.  My parking and security experiences weren't the world's best at the Army Ten Miler packet pick up at the same location last week, so I didn't have high expectations for the MCM expo.  Of course I was wrong to underestimate any event run by Marines.  Parking was easy, the security lines went quickly, and I was able to pick up my bib, packet, and tshirt in a matter of minutes.  Upon exiting the packet pick-up area I was treated to a performance by the US Marine Corps Brass Band.

I love a good brass band.

Being in high spirits (and having a bit of extra time), I decided to peruse the expo and see what I could find.  I'd tweeted back-and-forth with one of my favorite race directors (Bob from American Odyssey Relay) and been told to come by his booth because he'd have a treat for all runners already registered for the 2013 race.  I expected candy.  What I got was a new pair of UA Cold Gear running gloves.  Which I desperately needed.  Thanks, Bob!

I puttered around, looking at all the free gear and sale items, willing myself not to buy anything I didn't need.  Then I saw the Balega display.  I probably don't need any more running socks at this point, but I love these socks and they had fun colors like neon pink and yellow and were running a "buy three pairs, get one free" deal.  So guess who has 4 new pairs of running socks...

In for a penny, in for a pound, I saw a Mizuno display and decided to take a look.  They were offering 20% off all shoes, so I bit the bullet and finally bought the Wave Elixir 7s I tried a run club a few months ago.

After that, I cut myself off.  I was running out of time and hadn't exactly budgeted for a pair of new shoes.  I grabbed a few free bags of sport beans and headed out.  Only a day and a half stood between me and the MCM start line.  It was time to start preparing for the race.

What's a Little Rain?

Tomorrow morning I will run the 37th Marine Corps Marathon.

Tomorrow morning Hurricane Sandy will begin battering the East Coast with heavy rains.

I could complain, but instead I look forward to the challenge. How many other runners can rightfully claim to have finished a marathon in a hurricane?

See y'all on the other side of 26.2!

Army Ten Miler Race Recap

Sunday morning I left home before the sun came up and headed out in to the cool fall morning toward the start line.  After experiencing knee and IT band pain all week and a killer workout on Thursday I didn't have high expectations for my performance.

What I forgot was that the day's race wasn't about me.  The Army Ten Miler never is.

Sunday was my 6th Army Ten Miler; each year I am both impressed by the turnout and humbled as I am reminded by the sacrifice that our active duty soldiers and military families make every day to protect our freedom.  It's amazing to run the ATM alongside active duty soldiers, wounded warriors, military spouses, and family members of those who have fallen.

I got to the Pentagon right as the paratroopers were jumping.  You can always tell when they jump because one by one all of the runners and spectators milling around the Pentagon stop in their tracks and look up to the sky.

This year the wave start was pretty well organized.  I found my corral easily and before long it was time to line up at the start line.

As I started the sun was out, the temperature was in the low 50s, and there was a cool breeze blowing.  I couldn't have asked for better weather.  The first couple of miles were crowded, but that gave me time to take photos as we crossed the Memorial Bridge, approached the Lincoln Memorial, and passed the Washington Monument.

Around mile 5 the crowd started to thin out and I was able to cruise at my own pace.  As I approached the section of the course that doubled-back I looked for my friends that were also running the race.  I was hoping to spot someone and cheer them on; unfortunately, I didn't see anyone I knew.

Before I knew it I was approaching the 14th street bridge, which my friends and I refer to as "the bridge of death," because it's long, hilly, and completely devoid of spectators.

I'm not looking forward to encountering it again at mile 20 of Marine Corps Marathon next weekend.

After the bridge I was in the home stretch... or so I thought.  Over the past three years the ATM has moved the finish line further and further in to the Pentagon parking lot.  What used to signal the home stretch of the race is now the 9 mile marker.  At that point (this year) I had one more hill and a long, flat stretch to the finish.

The finish line was well-organized and it was easy to get food and water afterward.  What wasn't great was the walk to the metro from the finish line.  We had to hop over two sets of jersey barriers (the concrete barriers you often see on highways) to get between the finish area and the Pentagon.  I didn't see any way around them and it made me wonder how runners on extremely tired legs and participants using hand-crank wheelchairs were able to get out of the finish area.  I hope the race organizers will work on this for next year.

All in all I had a great race.  I didn't PR, but I hadn't been planning on it.  I didn't see my friends during the race, but I was able to meet up with them after.  I didn't go in with high expectations, but I finished in high spirits.  I'll definitely be back next year.

Stick It

I had been meaning to buy The Stick for a while now.

I have a strong love/hate relationship with foam rolling, but don't have the floor space in my condo to dedicate to doing it at home.  While I can (and do) foam roll at the gym, I needed something I could do at home after races and on recovery days.  That's where The Stick came in.

Using The Stick is conceptually similar to foam rolling - you use it to treat sore muscles.  Instead of using gravity and moving your body over a foam roller, you use your upper body strength (or someone else's) to push the stick over your legs/back/wherever.  After regularly using my dad's for a month I knew I needed to get one of my own.

When I saw a booth for The Stick at the Baltimore Running Festival expo, I knew I would be leaving with one.  The woman working the booth was extremely helpful in helping me decide which stick to buy and rolled out my IT bands for me.

I ended up buying the Sprinter Stick.  It's shorter than other sticks, which is perfect for traveling and stowing in the van during relays, but is still one of the firmer sticks.  I didn't want a stick with a lot of "give" to it as I'd have to exert more effort to get the same result.

I used the stick to roll out my calves, quads, and IT bands before the Baltimore Half and have continued doing so since the race.  It has helped a lot with soreness and I love that I can do it at home while I'm watching TV.

Getting My Stride Back: Baltimore Running Festival Recap

Saturday I woke up in Charm City.  The sun was shining and the air was crisp.  It was perfect running weather.

After months of illness and injuries, it was time for one of my favorite races.  After months of forcing myself to rest, run, and cross-train despite how I was feeling, it was time to get my stride back.

I had only one goal for the Baltimore Half Marathon: to finish uninjured.  With two races coming up in the next two weeks, I had no choice.  There would be no shame in taking it slow and walking if I needed to.  I left my Garmin at home and decided to pace myself based on how my legs felt.

One thing I love (and there are many) about the Baltimore Half is that it starts at 9:45AM.  I usually stay in Baltimore, so I'm able to sleep in and walk to the start line.  Last night I stayed in Fells Point, so I had a decent walk along the harbor to the start line.

I missed the start of the race because I was in the bathroom line.  Typical.  I got through the line and bounded out to the start in time to join the second wave and get going.

I spent the first 7 miles high-fiving spectators and reminding myself to slow down so I wouldn't burn out too quickly.  The course is extremely hilly with a large net uphill for the first 9.5 miles.  I knew if I could make it to and around Lake Montebello (mile 8) still feeling good I would be able to handle the next 1.5 miles uphill and finish strong.  It was a huge relief to reach Lake Montebello without any IT band or shin pain.  I was rewarded with this view for my efforts:

The mile around Lake Montebello was perfect - the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze coming off of the water - but it was soon time to move on.  I knocked out the remaining net uphill and prepared to cruise downhill for the next few miles to finish strong.

Things started getting a little weird around mile 11.  Between the spectators playing "Eye of the Tiger" on a loop while dancing on their car in tiger suits (which they've done all 4 years I've run this race) and the runner who stripped down to his Maryland-flag-printed spandex, I was entertained.  I checked the time at mile 12 and realized that, even though I was slowing myself down and trying to take it easy, I was still making decent time.  When I hit the Hippodrome, I decided to step things up a bit.

I cruised through the last downhill and slowed down to take a few photos as I approached and ran through Camden Yards.

Once I cleared the ball park, it was time to sprint.  I flew across the finish line with a gun time around 2:10:00.  Because I started late, I had no clue what my chip time was.  When I checked in with the results table, I was in for a shock.  I PRed.  Without intending to, I had shaved almost 4 minutes off of my Frederick Half time.

My friend Steph, who had a similar approach to the race, also PRed.  We agreed that there's a lesson to be learned here: listen to your body and don't push yourself too hard too early.  I'm going to try to keep that in mind in the future.

As I said earlier, the Baltimore Half is one of my favorite races.  Here's why:

• The late start at 9:45 allows you to sleep in.
• People in Baltimore come out in droves to support runners.  The spectators are absolutely amazing.
• The loop around Lake Montebello.  Look at that photo again if you're not convinced it's beautiful.
• You get to run through Camden Yards - even if you're not an O's fan, it's a treat to run through this iconic ball park.
• The race shirts are Under Armor tech shirts - I wear mine to on a regular basis.
• The hills provide varied terrain, good views, and speed on the downhill stretches.  I've PRed three times on this course.

Why I'll Never Dump My Garmin

During the summer of 2008, I was training for my first half-marathon and starting to get really in to running.  Today, there are a handful of very good training apps for smartphones - in 2008, there was nothing available for my BlackBerry.  In order to guess my pace, I divided the number of miles I ran by the total time it took to complete my run.  While I was running I had no idea what my pace was, so trying to pace myself during a race or training run was hopeless.   I used the google maps pedometer to plan training routes - I took a piece of paper with me with permutations of my route on it so I would have options if I wanted to cover extra distance or needed to cut my run short.  Similarly to how I had no idea what my pace was, I had no sense of the distance I'd covered.  Those would come with experience.
My father gave me a Garmin Forerunner 305 as a birthday gift that year.  It was the perfect gift.  I was able to see my pace as I ran and adjust my speed and effort accordingly.  Runs began to feel better and I began to get faster.  Knowing how it felt to go a certain speed was extremely useful.  Knowing the distance I'd covered gave me a new level of freedom - as I knew the distance of certain "extra loops" or out-and-backs, I could add on to my run ad-hoc.  I no longer needed to carry around a sweaty piece of paper.

Photo courtesy of Garmin

I've had my Garmin for four years now and not only does it still work, Garmin still sells it.  Given all of the changes in technology over the past four years, that's really impressive.  What's not-so-impressive is that I still only use the bare-bones capabilities on it.  Embarrassing but true: I have yet to do anything on my phone other than time my run and lap splits.  One day I'll use the heart-rate monitor and upload results to my computer...  Until then, I'm perfectly happy using it for my (simple) purposes.

I know there are fancy touch-screen GPS watches now, but I much prefer having buttons to press while I'm running and sweaty.  I now have an iPhone app that serves a similar purpose, but I like to have my Garmin on long runs; my Garmin is more accurate, and the app runs down my iPhone battery.  My Garmin also has quite a bit of sentimental value - it's been with me since the beginning - I can't imagine replacing it.  I'll keep using it until it dies.  Given the abuse I've inflicted on it over the years, that may never happen.

PSA - Take a CPR Course

I've taken many CPR courses over the years, first as a babysitter, a few times as a volunteer for different organizations, and lately at work as a member of the emergency response team.  It's easy to forget the importance of CPR - if you can perform it, you can literally make a difference between life and death for someone.

I read a great Runner's World article today about a doctor who stopped during the Twin Cities 10-miler to revive a fallen runner.  The fallen runner is reported to be doing ok and the doctor went on to finish the race, so all is well that ends well.  What is truly heartbreaking is the lone comment (when I read it) on the article, written by someone who had to watch a man die because no one knew CPR.  I can't imagine how hard that must have been - and how much his wife, who was there, must have suffered.

My point?  Learn CPR, pay attention to your surroundings, and if someone looks like they need help, please stop and help them.  You'll always have another race you could PR in - someone having a heart attack may not.

Autumn Hike

Saturday was my father's 70th birthday party.  As it was a surprise party, my sister and I were tasked with keeping him out of the house while the caterers set up.  We decided to take him to lunch at Family Meal (the fried chicken is well worth the trip to Frederick) then go for a hike at Sugarloaf Mountain.

After nervously eyeing the weather forecast all week we were pleasantly surprised by a cloudy day in the mid-70s.  The weather was perfect for hiking.  As we only had an hour and a half, we decided to take the white trail, a 2.5 mile loop around the summit.

My dad is notorious in my family for taking a while to stretch and get going.  My sister and I decided to take that time to stretch and take some photos.

Once he was ready, we set off.  The sun came out, but the trees kept us shaded and cool.  The trail was pretty rocky and hilly, but I liked the varying terrain.  We didn't pass too many other hikers, which made our hike quiet and peaceful.  Everyone we passed seemed as happy to be on the trail as we were.

One of my favorite things about hiking Sugarloaf is the view.  We took a few photos at different vistas throughout the hike.

It was a wonderful afternoon with my family, and a great chance to relax before the madness that occurred Saturday night.

On the way to the party, our car was hit by a drunk driver.  Everyone is ok, but a bit shaken up.  The woman who hit us didn't "seem" drunk (my father and I didn't suspect she was driving under the influence), but her BAC was twice the legal limit.  Please let this serve as a reminder to put away your keys if you've had a couple of drinks.  Taking a cab home and coming to get your car the next day may seem inconvenient, but it's a lot more convenient than spending the night in jail.