Who Says You Can't Go Home?

This may be my first and last race report ever, so enjoy. This past weekend I went home to Upstate NY to visit family (I didn't get to go for Father's Day last week), get my car inspected (I'm still a NYer), and defend my title in the Vestal XX. This was the 38th running of the race, making it the longest lasting and most historic (and by far the hilliest) race in my hometown.

Last year I ran the race completely alone. 12.4 silent miles up and down the Catskill foothills. I couldn't see anyone behind me for well over half a mile. I finished in 1:13:28, a full 3:32 ahead of the next finisher. In the past my time wouldn't have even warranted a top 10 finish, so I was partially embarrased by claiming the slowest victory in the history of the race.

The champions in the past have almost always gone on to repeat 2, 3, 4, even 5 times. Since this race fit conveniently in my calendar, I wanted to do the same. Not to mention, I wanted to try to post a better time.

Saturday morning I woke up early and drove across the former Valley of Opportunity (like the former race champions, the most talented people in Binghamton have moved on in the past 20 years). I scoped out my competition and there was one tall, fit-looking guy I had not seen before. Other than that, I saw the usual suspects including Fred Bostrom, a man who has run 37-straight Vestal XXs and 26 straight Boston Marathons. Now THAT is something to live up to.

When the gun went off I immediately went to the front to set the pace. Last year nobody went with me, but this year that tall dude latched onto my side. In fact, I was a little concerned at how comfortable he seemed. 3/4 of a mile into the race I introduced myself in an effort to figure out this guy's story. He responded that his name was Shaun Horan and I immediately made connections between that name and numerous race results in the past few months. He had just run a 16:20 5K the week before, and typically dominated the weekly track races in town. I knew he wasn't going anywhere, so at least I wouldn't be lonely again. He stopped just before the mile mark to tie his shoe, and I made a point to not take advantage of that. It was far too early in the race, he would easily catch up to me, and I wanted him to trust me. We went through the first mile in 5:58.

Mile after mile we climbed the hills towards the Pennsylvania border. Despite the ups and downs, we maintained a relatively consistent pace. These hills are tricky in a race like this; they feel easy early in the race, but if you push too hard you're bound to feel them 8 miles later. I started to try to control Shaun's pace. He had not run the course before, so I assumed that he would not try to push those early miles if I kept my cool. We just ran stride-for-stride until we reached the half-way mark. We went through in 37-something, but I wasn't worried. The second half of the race was downhill, and as Shaun was about to find out, much faster.

This is where I decided to make a move. Shortly after the 10K there is a steep 1/4 mile hill to Route 26. I took off up the hill hoping to put a gap on him and keep up the pace on the downhill. There was also a hard left turn at the top of the hill so I could see where he was. I surged and started to hear his breathing become fainter and fainter. As I rounded the corner I only had 4-5 seconds on him. I tried to remember my old coaches' advice and I kept up the hard pace for another two miles. Still, he wouldn't fall any further behind. We had dropped from consistent 6 minute miles to miles of 5:35 and 5:30, granted not a blistering pace, but a reasonable one considering the course ahead. After two miles of this, I conceeded that Shaun was not going to let me go. I began to slow back down to 6 minute miles to allow him to catch up. I planned to conserve my energy for a late charge.

As we passed the 9, 10, and even 11 mile posts he never made a move. He stayed 2-3 strides behind me and let me set the pace. Mile 11-12 is almost completely downhill, and where you lose all the elevation you gained over 11 miles. I started to pick it up here, and finally he mounted a surge. We went through that mile in 5:14. Considering the slope that's not an especially fast time, but there was still a half mile to go and I wanted to make sure I had a few more gears to use. Every step we seemed to get faster until, with about 300 yards to the finish I began to kick. I worried that he would stay a step behind me and come around me at the finish so I made sure to save one more gear. I made the last turn to sprint the final 75 yards not knowing where he was, but thankfully not able to hear him. I crossed the line in 1:12:55 (5:52 pace) and Shaun followed up 11 seconds later.

And, while the subject of shameless self-promotion is on the blog, my hometown newspaper wrote an article about the race. For a few hours I was the lead story in the "Breaking News" section of their website. I'm not sure if that says more about me or about Binghamton...

Splits to come...

IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE IS HAVING FUN

On the road to recovery I am in the middle of two week break of running. I have not run a foot since last Saturday. I am doing yoga, active isolated stretching, lifting light weights and rowing.

By doing this, I notice a few things.

One: Running is an addiction albeit a not so bad one. The endorphin rush is second to none. I feel like an addict being slowly weened off of some substance.

Two: Running can really pound the body like nothing else. Rowing and cycling have their issues but they are muscular rather that bone/joint jarring impact ones. So, for the first time in a long time, my legs feel really fresh and many aches and strains are subsiding.

Three: I am enjoying other sports rather than just doing them to support my running.

Four: When I come back I will be better than ever.

PS.

On side note, I noticed that Chris Raabe(who is so quiet I did not know he was running the Grandmas Marathon), ran it in 2:17ish. At the moment, Chris is right up there with Wardian as the best marathoner in our Nation's Capital.

Eugene Oregon...

So who's headed to the 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials? In a momentary lapse of reason, a few of us this past weekend decided to book our flights to Eugene Oregon (Silverman, myself and Bain is in the process). So far I know the list of confirmed attendees stands at Klim, Jennifer May, Geir Sande Lie, Gabler, Silverman, me and ... (please fill in the blank).

On another note, yesterday a group consisting of Bain, Camacho, Dwyer, Keith, Klim, Silverman and I trekked out to the woods of Frederick MD to engage in a little paintball while also getting in a solid morning run at Gambrill State Park. We were joined by one lonely Pacer (Bert) who managed to somehow get hit with numerous rounds of friendly fire...good times.

- JARRIN

Slow America?

Feel free to read my posting about American running HERE.

GO WILSON

This weekend Wilson makes his way to Duluth, Minnesota to do battle with Grandmas Marathon. After a year of injury and uncertainty he has rebounded back into form and like knight on a quest for the Holly Grail, has departed on yet another quest seeking glory.

I have known Wilson for years and his consistency, steady and friendly demeanor and smile is what sets him apart from the crowd.

Good luck my friend. We will be rooting for you.

Autism Speaks 5k

Does anybody plan on running this race on July 4th? Last year it was called the Cure Autism Now 5k and a few people ran it. There is a team competition, so if a couple people run it, I would be willing to run it as a workout to complete team scoring.

Allen

More Self Promotion...

The day before we ran the 112th Boston Marathon, I photographed the 2008 Women's Olympic Trials that were held in Boston on April 20th. I shot many of the superhuman women we all know and admire including Kastor, Boulet, Russell and (my personal favorite) Ficker.

There are many others including some locals that were participating whom I don't know so please feel free to forward accordingly. Enjoy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_jarrin/sets/.

Self Promotion

You may get a kick out of this video shot for the Running Film Festival...

Fartlek on Thursday

pMURPHY, pREAVES, me and some others (?) are running a fartlek from "The Line" at 6:45pm on Thursday. The workout is TBD, but initial thoughts were 3 minutes on/1 minute off.

Let me know if you plan to make it.

NEXT week there will be a track workout at BCC.

A Morning at Rileys Lock

Intervals tomorrow 7.pm

People, tomorrow I suggest that we meet up at 7 p.m at the GRC.

The session is:
warm up 20-25min
14x2min p1min jog
purpose: not to hard and not to much acid, dont get stiff. Else the purpose is to have fun together!
rundown 15-20min

the session will be done along the canal

ITS TIME TO LISTEN TO MY OWN ADVICE AND COMMON SENSE

AND JUST CHILL

After two years of injury riddled running/jogging in a random manner with zero confidence in my legs, its time to take time off. No point running marathons and 10ks and such with my legs feeling like iron weights.

I went to LHH and for the first time ever, just stopped running mid-race. After a few miles of plodding along with less than 50% leg health, I said to myself, this is silly and walked off the course. No point in hurting one's self because the ego beckons you to keep going.

I think I will take up rowing or kayaking for a bit and let the legs just rebuild themselves.

I hope to come back at some point like the six million dollar man(show from the 80s)

take it easy you all and keep having fun.

Weekend Race Results Wire

I just received word on the wire that BAIN picked up the Silver at a trail half marathon in Richmond.

Dwyer and Philippe ran the Lawyers Have Heart 10k finishing 3rd (32:42) and 4th (32:49) RESPECTIVELY.

Saturday's Run

Can I get a show of hands who might be heading to the run on Saturday morning?

The LHH 10k starts at 8am and it might be nice to start the group run from the LHH finish line so we can cheer on the likes of Jason "The Bearded Lightning" Dwyer and others. We could start the group run from the finish line circa 8:45.

I know a number of folks are heading home/away this weekend to hang out with Dad, so who will be showing up?

http://www.runlhh.org/race/index.htm

PS - I was thinking of Riley's Lock on Sunday. 15 miles at 9:00am. Any interest?

INSIGHT MAYBE?

Based on some of my back and forth comments with Mighty Matias, I have come up with some other Maxisms.

We are all different. We have unique strengths and weaknesses. In other words, we are human. There is no right way to have fun or derive pleasure, etc. If you enjoy getting a certain time running a road race or playing poker all night and losing $100000s, then so be it.

There are many stages to you as a person in terms of growth, development, awareness, etc.(CASE IN POINT IS DYLAN) This means you change your ways of looking at life, determining whats important, etc as you move along. The sooner one accepts this and just goes along with the ups and downs of life, the better.

My goal is to enjoy the ride, try to be a nice guy and take in all of the little aspects of living that are easy to ignore and or forget about when one is so focused on their own achievement or goal. I am not saying one or the other is good or bad but merely that when one is so focused on their own thing they are not geared up to be aware of whats going around them so much.

I am sure that if I was only interested in running faster times at races i might have done or do so. However, I enjoy the whole scene so much more. Its the people and locations and the whole package that has attracted me to running. Heck, most of the people on this team, the Moeser's and Hage's and countless others I have become friends with would not be friends, but simply other runners if I was so focused only on winning or my own goal.

Running and all sorts of exercise is a nice and pure way to express one piece of your humanity. But there is so much more. I suppose I would call running, like all sports I have played, a means to an end. I meet great people doing something I like to do. In the end, its the people and seeing them succeed that brings as much satisfaction as me achieving my particular ambition.

I will say this. In my 20's I had more opinions and hard core views. Us Vs them or my way or the highway kind of thing. As I have journeyed along I have lost many of these ways of looking at life. Values and principles are important but more as a means to guide my personal choices as opposed to how I view others, the world, etc.


As for race directing. That was a blast and lots of fun. Going into it I knew I would enjoy it and make it work.

I throw this out there as food for thought and simply because it came to my mind.

Max Sermon

Running in Dubai U.A.E.,...

Dubai is a remarkably developed city that is best described as a concrete mosaic jungle. Lying on the Arabian Gulf of the United Arab Emirates, less than 10% of the U.A.E.'s economy is based on oil and gas, the majority of its wealth generation coming from ambitious real estate projects, trade and financial services. Temperatures while here have hovered in the mid to upper '90's added with humidity that makes it feel like 104+ degrees. Running is non-existent. In the three days that I've been here I haven't seen a single person running in public. This is probably due to a number of reasons: the heat, a lack of open and unencumbered spaces, lots of traffic, metropolitan congestion and cultural shyness. I believe the Islamic culture here is still quite modest as many men dress in traditional clothing covering their heads and bodies and some women dress head to toe except for the face and hands. I can't imagine anyone running in the streets in skimpy shorts either bare-chested or in a sports bra. Thus my running has been confined to the gym pictured below.

Dubai is known for a number of man made wonders including the worlds largest indoor ski resort (Dylan - The snowboarding looked epic and your dreads would have been a hit!), the Burj Dubai (in construction but will be the world's tallest man made structure), the Palm Islands (man made peninsula resembling a palm tree), the Burj Al Arab (famous building resembling a sail boat), along with many man made jetty's and waterways that sprinkle the coastline. Dubai is also known for SHOPPING MALLS and FOOD and AIR CONDITIONING. I do not recommend Dubai for running, but would recommend it for indulgence.

- JARRIN

Lawyers Have Heart

I just registered. Anyone else in it?

Speaking of memories....

A while back I let it slip that I once had dreadlocks. A bunch of you insisted that I post a picture of said hairstyle. It was something of a team tradition that I carried for over a year, this picture is from the 2005 MIAC Track and Field Conference Championships. I can't believe that was only 3 years ago. As awesome of a hairstyle as dreads are, they are very difficult to create and maintain, it requires a certain degree of OCD usually associated with running.

Enjoy, and.......stay hydrated.

love, dylan

MEMORIES AND MORE

Back when I was a mere youth(OK, be quiet Max) I would follow Wilson out on the C&O Canal at mid-day when it was 100 degrees. There was a pack of us. Wilson was rather new to the scene and typically wore a sweatsuit(kidding-- but he usually wore a long sleeve top). Mind you, it was 100 degrees and humid. We were already soaked with sweat after the 2 mile warm up. We then ran what we called "death runs".---(Intense fartlek runs) -- Basically, run until you die. In retrospect, it is quite possible that someone, might easily have died considering the insanity of it all. None the less, it made me a much tougher runner over a short period of time.

I will make one more go of this sort of thing and see if the 0ld body can hang on.

Live each day like its your last.

M

PS. The highlight of my Sunday, aside from the morning run, was picking up a Best of the Bee Gees CD at a yard sale.

Running in London England...

An often forgotten landmark in London is Hampstead Heath. The grounds of the park make up over 790 acres of sprawling green.

The Heath is known for its labyrinth of paved walkways, unpaved trails and myriad of charted and uncharted paths. It also traverses many a gorgeous neighborhood. Most Londoners enjoy the Heath for its outdoor activities as well as for its ponds, playgrounds, sculptures, track/recreational center and the famous Kenwood House.

The Heath contains Parliament Hill, London’s highest point of observation that serves as a summit from where to view areas of interest. The area has an undulating terrain that makes it ideal for trail running and training. To the south it connects to Primrose Hill and from there you can run down towards the extensive canal.

I traveled through London on Saturday after the GRC run; took full advantage of a 14 hour layover to get downtown and run 12 easy miles with some friends. Decent weather: 82 degrees, low humidity and sunshine.

- JARRIN

The Empty Forum...

Hot!

Not to sound like your parents, or Max Lockwood for that matter, but make sure you hydrate this weekend!

The "feels like" temperature could hit 110 degrees and none of us are quite acclimated to the DC humidity yet.

WX REPORT: A BERMUDA HIGH OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC THROUGH MONDAY WILLBRING HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS TO THE REGION ON WEST TO SOUTHWESTWINDS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS MOST OF NORTHERN AND CENTRALVIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON METROPOLITANAREAS WILL REACH THE MID AND UPPER 90S EACH DAY. A FEW LOCATIONSMAY REACH 100 DEGREES.THE HOT TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CAUSE HEATINDICES TO APPROACH 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. HEAT INDICES MAYAPPROACH 110 DEGREES SUNDAY AND MONDAY.THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILLCOMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES AREPOSSIBLE. SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST PERIOD OF HOT AND HUMID WEATHERTHIS SEASON...MOST AREA RESIDENTS HAVE NOT YET ACCLIMATED TOTHESE CONDITIONS. THAT MAKES HEAT RELATED INJURIES MORE LIKELY.

DIFFICULT RUN RUN ON SUN

I spoke with Jake and he is in agreement that it is OK to meet at 8:30am this Sunday rather than 9am. Its going to be very hot and it might be better to run as early as possible. Furthermore, several of us need to be doing other things by 11 and 12, respectively, so this makes it a little more manageable.

Also, despite the rumor that the water out there is infested with dangerous toxins, there will be an opportunity to jump in a cool pool of stream water after. Moeser, Geir and I cooled off after our last run and it felt good.

Hope to see everyone at the parking lot at 8:30am.

M

GAIT ANALYSIS AND MORE

Robert's photos are excellent for examining people's running Gaits and biomechanics or looking at your own, for that matter. Bain and Moeser, by the look of them, seem to be very efficient. Bain in particular seems to use his arms well to help propel him forward. Ever since I have known Philippe Rolly he has been very efficient, balanced and upright. Wilson has this kind of forward lean where he lurks forward and kind of lopes along. Wardian does not seem to be running as fast he does but he gets the job done. I believe biomechanics are really important and when they are off in anyway, injuries begin to occur. The opposite is true of course in that an injury will throw of one's biomechanics and one's running suffers.


I can tell that my gait is off as I am favoring my right side too much and my arms are wasting too much energy.

As for facial expressions and such....................

Klim has some serious facial expressions going on. Klim, were you pissed, in agony or what? Pat Murphy seems euphoric. Bain seems well, like, Bain.

Anyway, its good to be to get the closeups and do what you will with them.

Georgetown 8K Race video

Sorry for the delay. Apparently it takes google about 3 days to process 10+ minute videos once they have been uploaded. Check out the intensity of the guy finishing at the end of the video. That's my favorite part.

Pictures from the Georgetown Classic 8K

Hey Everyone...

I've posted over 300 pictures I shot last Saturday May 31, at the Georgetown Classic 8K race.

This is my first upload to my brand new flickr premium account and I have granted full access rights for anyone to pull pics and do as they please.

I am not a professional photographer and actually purchased my favorite new weapon (a Nikon D40 SLR) last March prior to my trip to Africa. I'm hooked. And am planning on taking a course in photography to improve upon the work reflected here. When not racing and not traveling, the team can count on me to do some shooting. A big nod to Pete Silverman for the inspiration.

Enjoy.

- JARRIN


http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_jarrin

Marine Corps Marathon

Someone from the MCM called the store yesterday asking if we were going to be entering a team this year. Anybody interested in representing GRC should call Chris L. @ the store...

Potomac Valley Track Club's all-comers meets

Hi all, three things:

1. I have signed up for the Potomac Valley Track Club's all-comers meets on first coming Sunday. I will either do the 800m or 3000m, depends on how many people that shows up. Any other interested?
More info on: http://www.pvtc.org/outdoor.html

2. Since I have not figured out when you guys have a track session (except Wilson’s Tuesday morning), I am going to the Washington-Lee HS Track tomorrow to train with the DCRR, anybody else interested?
(Copied from homepage) June 4: 8 x 500M at 5K pace. 300M rest. NOTE: Severe T-storms already are predicted for this evening. Please watch Home Page for any announcements with regard to that on Wednesday afternoon.

3. An interesting article in the NYT: Swallow this

Geir

Sunday at Difficult Run

Anyone interested in running at Difficult Run on Sunday?

9am start time...then dip legs in cool, polluted water post-run.

Meet HERE

My birthday run

Read about my 32 mile jaunt on my 32nd birthday (culminating in the GRC 8k!) HERE.

Was great to see so many of you out there and catch-up, albeit briefly. Thanks to Max for organizing the Water St Gym talk with Wardian. I think it went off smashingly.

RACE TO REMEMBER

The Inaugural G-town Classic 8k came and went with success. All of the work and prep paid off as we had approximately 400 runners sign up and around 350 finish. All of this on a day when severe thunderstorms hit the area and threatened to put a damper on the event. This was not to be. NO way. Not on our race. Somewhere around 4:30 the sun appeared and it is was clear the race would be a go.

Logistics were smooth as volunteers and staff worked with positive enthusiasm to make sure water stations, packet pickup and overall race administration was covered.

Aside from the busywork, it was great to see all of the runners out there. There were the usual cast of characters including Philippe Rolly, Chuck (the Orchestrator)Moeser, Klim(who is apparently getting famous for his red hair), Chris(truly silent Bain), Wilson and lots of other familiar faces.

Prior to the race there was a little trouble as a gentleman had a problem with the heat and had to be helped off of the Capital Crescent trail. Yes, it was humid! None the less, we were able to help the man to safety and get prepared for the race.

As the race starting time approached, Luke Merkel was properly set up at the front with his bike and whistle and was ready to lead the charge. Other folks were doing last minute stretching and warm ups, etc.

All during this time I was able to take it all in as I blurted out random pieces of information on the microphone and tried to provide some guidance and structure to the pre-race scene.

With a few seconds to go, I handed the horn to Ben and jumped in so that I could run and see the event first hand. The GO word was yelled out and we were off. Off in the very front I could see the tall and lanky Wilson kind of hopping along with Wardian and the eventual winner, right there. As far as I could tell, the trail was clear as there seemed to be very little, if no, congestion. Yes, it went off well.

When I got done, Ben handed me the mike and I got a chance to encourage people as they pushed across the finish line. Totally cool.

When all was said and done and prizes handed out, etc. We did some clean up and headed over to get some beer and pizza and do some post race chatting.

I could go on forever with various details but I will spare you.

I do, however, want to give shout out and special thanks to Ben Cooke and all of the staff at the store who worked the race. All were positive and helpful. Also, a special thanks goes out to Jay Wind who did lots of behind the scenes work and provided race management expertise that only comes with years of experience.

Laura Turner was also very helpful and thanks to Robert and Peter for taking photos.

Lets make this a tradition that will continue for years to come.

Max

NATURE CLUB

in the making. Jake and Co are revealing a true love of geese and winged creatures. Interesting. Anyway, the big race is tomorrow. Wilson has been in secluded isolation training away. Also, I think Mike Wardian is running from Reston to G-town after his morning race to speak at the pre-race event and then do the race, Luke Merkel will be leading the race via bike with a whistle in his mouth and baton in hand to keep the path clear, Peter plans to capture the race live via video and Chuck Moeser promises to participate in the pre-race talk naked, or at least almost so. There will be lots of cheerleaders as well as a post race party to boot. All that aside, I will be praying to the weather gods this eve for the potential thunder storms(predicted for tomorrow) to be held at bay until the race is over.

Tonight is a big night for the mighty Celtics. This reminds me of the days when Bird and Co would battle it out with Isiah, Dennis Rodman and the Detroit Bad Boys of yesteryear. Celtics take it in double OT on a Ray Allen corner jumper.

Sunday @ Brookmont Lock

This route does not have as much adventure as Patapsco (besides the ornery geese that try to attack you) but it is good for a long run. I am looking to go 15-16 miles at 6:50-7:00 min pace. I have posted a start time of 8am, but I may begin at 7am due to a busy Sunday afternoon. Is there interest on anyone else's part to start this early or should I just start at 7am and meet other people at lock 5 at 8am?

Sunday @ Patapsco

I am heading up to Baltimore on Sunday and plan to stop and run along the way at Patapsco State Park. I've been running in the park for years (ran all my runs in college here) and it's always a hoot. I plan to arrive and run at 9am...the park resembles a tropical jungle this time of year so getting the run out of the way earlier is best. The parking lot is at the beginning of I-195...about 25 mins from where I-95 meets the beltway.

Bain, the "Silent Thunder", has expressed interest. Anyone else?

Landmarks we are sure to encounter mid-run:

- the infamous haunted house

- the half mile long train tunnel (which we run thru!)

- the dam and waterfall

- the mysterious swinging bridge

FYI - I'll be running fairly slow per the 8k the previous evening.

Tickets anybody? 2008 Olympic Team Trials in Eugene

Hi all, Geir here (the Norwegian that just have started running with you ), I am planning to go to Eugene to watch the Olympic Trials, since it last for more than one week I thought of going at the end, i.e. Thursday/Friday (3 or 4. July) and back again to DC 6 or 7th of July. It depends on airline tickets, getting a place to stay etc.
Anybody interested?

http://www.eugene08.com/

Someone with knowlegde to get a hold of one pair of day passes for last three days I would be thankful. Tried to order online without luck.

All the best
Geir Lie

entries into 8k

people who are running the 8k, and are on the GRC team, need to send me via e-mail, their info tonight or tomorrow as we want to download it into the system within the next few days.

If you have a specific question, e-mail me directly at Max.Lockwood@gmail.com.

thanks Max

VOLUNTEERS FOR THE RACE

Anyone not running and who wants to give a hand with some race management work, please let me or Chris Lombardi from the store know, asap. Also, on the off chance anyone is connected to some sort of eatery and thinks they can get some food for the post race event, please contact me right away.

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day. I ran out at Difficult Run today with Moeser and some others. Beautiful out there.

take care,

Max

Race Report: Bayshore Marathon, Traverse City MI

It was the most painful three hours I’ve ever endured. I think my nerves got the best of me before the gun went off. I usually go into competitions pretty cocky – almost arrogant – knowing what I can accomplish and what I’m aiming for. Doesn’t mean I win much, it just means I know what I’m capable of doing especially when I set my mind to it. This time I didn’t feel so sexy. I felt like a lamb facing an angry butcher with a large sharpened clever. We lined up behind the starting line with the other steeds and BOOM! the gun went off (picture above courtesy of Traverse City Record Eagle). Within a hundred yards an indescribable sensation crept over me, one I hope I never feel again. My legs weren’t turning over with the same fluidity I’ve grown accustomed to. In fact, by mile 2, my ankles were killing me and my right shin felt like it had been ripped out of my scrawny pencil leg.

About that time my marathon partner Rick and I had formed a small pack of five that joined the women’s leader Marybeth Reader and her two pacers. Reader and the rest of us were setting to break 2:50 so we joined forces. She would eventually go on to dominate the course by setting a course record of 2:46:23. The pack splintered around mile 7 when Reader started pushing the pace. Four of us stuck together and all my pain subsided slightly at mile 9. My best miles would be miles 9-12.8. Those miles felt like my legs had awoken and things were firing.

But suddenly everything went to shit. At mile 12.8 I felt a sharp jab – so potent and severe it made me flinch and blurt out “F**k!” I swore someone had taken a sailors awl and stabbed me in the right calf with the precision of a surgeon. Rick encouraged me to keep going, run through the pain and not quit, as any good partner would do.

Miles 12.8 through 26.2 were brutal. Nothing went well and I was in pain the entire time. The calf seemed to be a hydration issue which subsided slightly after drinking two mouthfuls of pickle juice at mile 15 (this is a long story that I’ll explain upon request). But I had altered my stride so much that my hip, thighs, ankles and breathing were simply out of control. Our group of four finally splintered to three when we dropped Rick around mile 17. I backed off to pick up my partner, and after another 1.5 miles together he waived me off and ordered me to leave him. I was alone, in pain and catatonic. At mile 21 began the ceremonial “cramping of the ribs with nausea” the invitation of which my right side and stomach decided to partake in gleefully. My splits had started to fluctuate wildly until the end as I compensated for the pain and misery.

Mile after mile, pretty much since mile 5, I was constantly thinking of quitting. I was so obsessed with the idea that I was beset with a repertoire of excuses I would use to explain why I had quit…and how to best describe my first failure as a runner. Mile after mile the pain tormented me, ebbing and flowing to meticulously create an inner discord that seemed to intensify with every jagged stride. Every mile I would say to myself “This is it buddy. We end it at the next one.”

But I never did quit. I pushed through it. I pushed through trying to keep some semblance of pace and control. Trying anxiously not to submit to the temptation of quitting because by nature I am not a quitter. None of us are. I would rather destroy myself than stop prematurely. Exhausting all options, I changed strides, tweaked tempo and tried everything possible before letting go…I think that’s what defines a competitive runner.

I had set out to run a sub 2:49:59 and in the end I hobbled in at 2:49:18. I literally hobbled in, stopping a few feet ahead of the finish line to awkwardly stagger in. I was elated that it was over and I had “surrendered” on my terms.

In the end I not only finished, but won my age group and came in 17^th overall. I had convinced myself so much that I wasn’t going to make it, that I still can’t believe I did finish. My partner Rick finished 2:50:44, fourth in his age group and 20^th overall.

I’d like to thank pretty much everyone on this board with whom I’ve trained with since November 2007 when I joined GRC. This is a big accomplishment for me and the GRC is a special family that has taken me in and molded me for the better. Special thanks also go out to Klim and Bain who in the last month hammered me weekly and kept me honest.

About the city and the race: Traverse City is the largest city in northern Michigan. It sits at the head of the Grand Traverse Bay, a long body of water best described as a giant inlet of Lake Michigan. The city sits at the base of the large Old Mission Peninsula. Traverse City is known for its cherries and likes to call itself the “Cherry Capital of the World”, holding an annual week-long Cherry Festival during the first week of July to celebrate. Besides cherries, it’s also known for its grape production and vineyards. Apparently Traverse City sits at the same longitude as Bordeaux France.

This was the 26^th Anniversary of the Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon. The field was capped at a little more than 1,700 and filled and closed in February. I picked this marathon as my good friend Rick Ganzi whose run every marathon with me, lives in MI. For two years he’s pestered me to run Bayshore in hopes of setting a new PR. I had set my previous PR of 2:58:40 at my second marathon back in Chicago 2006…back when I wasn’t even a runner and a scrappy cyclist living in Miami. It was 42 degrees at gun time without a cloud in the sky. The course is beautiful. It follows the eastern shore of the Old Mission Peninsula offering soaring views of the East Arm Grand Traverse Bay under a lush canopy of deciduous trees lining most of the route.

Difficult Run on Monday at 9am

For those who have tomorrow off, there is a group of us meeting at Difficult Run Parking lot at 9am on Memorial Day. Easy 90-100 minute run on trails and starbucks after.

M

Running in Holland, MI

Holland Michigan is known for its Big Red Lighthouse, the A. C. VanRaalte Institute located on the campus of Hope College, the Cappon House & Settlers House (the 19th century home of a Dutch immigrant who became filthy rich) and it’s annual tulip festival. The city is situated on the western region of Michigan, near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan with Lake Macatawa running through it (pictured above). Holland is a pretty city with tons of trails and great dunes for hill workouts. Today’s mileage = Zero (just one of my stops on my way to Traverse City, MI).
- JARRIN

SAT RUN

We are meeting at the store. Wilson insists that we must leave promptly at 8:30! Therefor, be there on the dot or be left to fend for yourself.

I suggest we do an out and back on the Capital Crescent trail. I want to check out the race course, as well. 10-12 miles.

PS. Maybe Bert will come out and run with us:)

Google Analytics

Anyone use it before? I've heard great things about it, would be interesting to use w/ the GRC blog.

www.google.com/analytics/

Weekend

Who else is around this weekend? Anyone up for a run tomorrow morning, 10-12 mi., from the store at 9?

Wash Lee HS

Found BRod at Wash Lee HS last night...

"Hey man how's it going?" - MP

"Pretty good, what are you up to?" - BR

"Oh, you know, the usual. Plan to hit some thousands, like 10 of them w/ 200m rest" - MP

"Damn, that's a lot of thousands" - BR

"I see you have spikes on, what's on your menu?" - MP

"800... looking to go sub 2" - BR

"Damn that sounds fast" - MP

I think he went 2:00, going through in 58. Not bad for an evil Pacers.

RACES ON THE HORIZON

YO

Who wants to run the Lawyers have some love(a heart)?

So far I have Rolly, Dave O', Klim, and ...........................

Also, please consider the Riley's Rumble Half M in July. Its a Montgomery County Road Runner's deal that starts at Jake's favorite spot. It costs 5 bucks and whoever wins, gets to slice watermelon for the runners. The last time I ran it some guy got bulldozed by a deer.

I think you all must run it as a tribute to the Lock. Run it as a Saturday tempo run?

SPEED

WORK..................................

I have recently been in a debate with fellow runners over the benefits of SPEED WORK. Some out there believe that hard work and hard runs followed by more of the same will translate into serious success. I am living proof that this is not to be.

I can and have run hard and lots ofmiles and have and make no real gain. The only time I really made some progress with my running is when I was young and ambitious enough to follow Big Wilson and others out on the fabled C&O canal speed workouts. I went from running 36-38 10ks to 33 minutes for the 10K and a 2:33 marathon in one year. This is after years of doing non-systematic random running.

Since I have fallen from grace and have not focused on a more regimented training schedule, which includes quality speed work, my running has suffered. I make no excuses as other things in life sometimes take precedence over running times.

However, I am curious what others think about the benefits of quality and well planned speed work.

MAX(GETTING YOUNGER BY THE MINUTE)LOCKWOOD

OH...............The celts will be the first team in NBA history to win 4 consecutive 7 game series and emerge the champs.

Wednesday Night Workout

WHERE: Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

WHEN: Wednesday night of course...6:30pm

WHAT: 3 x Mile with 400m rest - with goal times of 5:00, 5:00 and then a bit faster

WHO: Bain, Reaves, Christiam and I all plan on being there. If you don't wish to do THIS specific workout, feel free to do another/modified version. Sometimes it's simply good to have other people on the track when you're working out. Any takers?

Capital Hill Race Recap

Well it was quite a contrast going from Pikes Peak to Capital Hill. I knew the the course was not easy but besides the house hill it looked flat. I came to find out that East Capital Street is a slight incline the whole way back from RFK. To be honest I ran the best I could that day but my best really sucked ass. It didn't help that I got out in 5:06 for my first mile. I'm know to get out quick but 5:06 on a hard course is plain stupid. I was in fifth at the two mile about ten seconds behind Phillip and then my wheels came off. I got passed by two Pacers guys like I was standing still right after the two mile mark and then got passed again by a South County Strider guy, I think, at mile 4 and half. Anyways my biggest regret is not getting hammered at Jason's party on Saturday. I wish I had a DAI short for Dump Ass Indicator, so I know weather or not to stay out all night and drink or rest up at home for a race. So I ran 34:36 $$#%$@!%#$^@.
Peace

Smiles

I just thought this was a good picture of GRC representin' at Boston circa 15K, so I am sharing.

Below is a rough transcription of what was said around the 15k mark.

Reaves: "look up they're going to take our picture"

Murphy: "everyone smile"

Bain: (silent)

Klim: "this will be great, all four of us will be stride for stride in one photo. This is a sure bet for a good blog post"

Bain: (silent)

Ogden Marathon Recap

Another marathon and (luckily) another PR!

Thought I would kill the suspense for ya.

Running in Tulum...

Tulum is the site of a Pre-Columbian Mayan city that served as a port for what is now the Mexican Riviera. The ruins are located on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula south of Cancun and along the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Pictured above, the site is gorgeous with slopping cliffs that end abruptly into a pristine cerulean sea. I arrived there this morning after taking a 7am ferry back from Cozumel where I had been reef diving yesterday. Upon arrival I went on a 5 miler in and around the site. The trails are a little eerie because of how desolate they are with occasional partially excavated ruins that jut out haphazardly. It was 87 degrees with 98% humidity - perfect running weather for a tapper. I came here hoping to channel some energy from our ancestors and bring me good luck one week from today. Right about now half of you guys are inebriated with Dwyer...wish I was there. Below is a picture of Xel-Ha natural water park; ran off a 15 foot cliff into the lagoon (pictured below) to make sure the Mayan's are looking out for me.

- JARRIN

If anyone is running the Germantown 5 miler or the Capital Hill Classic this Sat and Sun, let me know today or tomorrow

love Max

PS......................Please continue to spread the word about the 8k. We have a solid cast but we want more. Providing the weather cooperates, this race will be awesome.


PS2...................Also, please note that prior to the race, from 4-5:30PM, Michael Wardian, Susannah K, John Piggot and Alisa Harvey will be talking about the secrets of their success at the Water Street Gym(next to the strart).

Ringers

I'm happy to announce a few prestigious additions to the Georgetown 8k field.
First, we have Nick MacFalls, a 3:41 1500m runner in his heyday (and my brother-in-law).
Next, we have Heather (Tanner) MacFalls a 2:44 marathoner (she'll probably run but is battling a minor injury so it's not a definite).
Finally, Jim Tanner, who recently ran his first half-marathon at 62 ( I forced him to wear this shirt against his will).
Can they compete for the GRC team or is this against the rules (since they live in CA)?

Cancun...

Arrived in Cancun Mexico earlier today for a three day conference. I'm planning on running the "cyclopista" or bike path starting tomorrow morning. They've expanded it since I was here last year and it allegedly now runs the length of the Cancun outer bank. After things wrap up on Thursday, a colleague of mine and I are planning on heading to the island of Cozumel for some scuba diving on reefs and then boat wrecks. Hoping to then head south on the mainland to run through the Mayan ruins of Tulum. The picture is taken from the resort I am staying at - Le Meridien. I stayed here last year and it's as spectacular as it looks. Hope the picture brings you all some sunshine during the miserable weather...

- JARRIN

Larry Noel Greenbelt 15K for Charitable Cause

Entry fees for this year's race go to support a running charity called Girls Gotta Run. I have volunteered video services to this charity in the past and they support a worthy cause.

"The Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) is a volunteer organization created to raise money to buy athletic shoes for Ethiopian girls who are training to become professional runners. Training to be athletes allows them to stay in school, avoid early marriage, and gain personal independence. Founded in 2006, the organization already supports two pilot programs, Team Tesfa in Addis Ababa and the Simien Mountain Girls Running Team in rural Ethiopia. Besides athletic shoes, GGRF is providing money for training clothes, “calorie money” for extra food and subsidies for coaches. By providing money for athletic shoes, Girls Gotta Run gives Ethiopian girls the chance to improve not only their lives, but also their families and communities."

The race itself should be interesting as it goes through Greenbelt, MD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Center.

(Link to registration info)
http://www.girlsgottarun.org/navpage.php?id=265.

Weekend Run

It seems like it's never too early to talk about weekend runs. My suggestions:

Saturday, GRC at 8:30am 10-12 miles
Sunday, Riley's Lock at 9:30am 10-15 miles

Anyone game?

Camp Trek

Bain, me and some other fools are heading to ST. MARY'S WILDERNESS in Virginia over Memorial Day Weekend for a two night camp trek. It's an 18-mile "P-shaped" trek and a chance to get away from civilization for a couple days. You'll need a solid pack, a tent and a mighty heart. There'll be waterfalls, rattlesnakes, pirates and all sorts of adventure.

Leaving WDC on Saturday morning...returning circa noon on Monday.

If anyone else is interested let me know.

"Nature must be left undisturbed in ever-widening circles, so that she can heal the wounds of civilization and re-create the wonders of God's wilderness"

William O. Douglas

YO

For those on the GRC team running the race on the 31st, you must do the following. Please go to the site(on runwashington site) and print out a registration form. Fill out and bring to the race and give to me or someone at the store on race day.

that is all

oh, one more item..................... Celtics sweep Lebron and Cavs and go onto beat the Lakers in 7.

Blog of the Week

Wardian has been the blog of the week...for about 4 weeks. If anyone has any interesting training (b)logs, please let me know and I'll update accordingly.

Running Film Festival

http://runningfilmfestival.com/

I've told some of you in private, but I am now making it public...

I (along with my friend/former teammate) am organizing the first annual RUNNING FILM FESTIVAL. The festival will last the course of 3 days during the USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, OR during the July 4th weekend.

We have a spectacular line up of films and guest speakers we intend to announce over the course of the next two months.

Please bookmark our website and sign up on the FaceBook/MySpace page. Check back occasionally as the site will be updated with lots of new news in the coming weeks.

You're the FIRST to see this website. A press release should be sent out early next week to the running news wire. Please do NOT post the url on any running forums (eg - LetsRun). We'll be doing this the "official" way next week.

Take a look - http://runningfilmfestival.com/

First Boston, now Facebook?

Pretty friekin awesome to see GRC taking over Facebook.

So a few things that I learned on there...

Allen Carr is friends w/ Adam Ostott - I think they went to JMU together, Adam raced at Ironman Louisville last year, came in ahead of me but previously signed up for Duathlon Champs in Richmond (which was too close to triathlon champs), so passed his Hawaii slot down to me. Thank you Ostott

Billy Askey went to NC State - I ran w/ Eric Furst in college, his younger brother Steve Furst went to NC State and recently became ACC champ in the 5K.

Weekend Runs

The plan was to meet at the store early on Saturday (8:30am) per the heat...there are also some people who have some things to do later in the day. Will there be anyone around to open the store this early? If not, we'll leave gear in one of our cars.

I may end up running at Patapsco State Park on Sunday morning because I'll be in Towson the previous evening. PSP has loads of trails and some nice hilly roads, but it's approx 35 mins north of DC. If there is any interest, please let me know and I can determine time/meeting location.

There may be interest in setting something up more local.

Draper Invitational 5k "Last Man Standing"

Frederick Race Report

Why Frederick? I guess I should start here. When I didn’t register for Boston in time my criteria for a spring marathon were primarily financial; as a graduate student, I was looking to win some money without having to pay an exorbitant entry fee or travel expenses. This didn’t leave me with many options. This race also has sentimental value for me. My first marathon was the 2006 Frederick Marathon, which was an overwhelmingly positive experience. Also, my mom’s side of the family is from Frederick County. I remember going on many a run with my sister down the country roads near my grandmother’s house. Afterwards we would pick fresh apples from her yard, bake pies from scratch, and all sing “Kumbaya” by the fire. Not really, but I do have a nice history with the city and race. Plus, the Catoctin Mountains make for a beautiful backdrop.

My strategy going into the race was to try to run a PR and to do so in the most pleasant way possible: through even splits. This has proven to be easier said than done for me, probably because my goal pace has been a little ambitious in the past. I eventually want to run 2:46:59 (the current Olympic trials standard), but I’ve learned that setting out to do so before I’m ready only leads to run-ins with “The Wall.” I estimated that I was in 2:55 shape, so I planned to run 1:27 for the first half (6:38 pace). I knew that the second half of the course was hilly, but I decided not to try to “bank” time at the beginning to make up for the hills at the end. That strategy didn’t work out so well for me at Steamtown.

When I got to the Frederick Fairgrounds, where the race starts, I realized that I had an hour to kill and not much warming up to do. Jake was able to calm my nerves by telling jokes and doing somersaults. Eventually it was time to make my way to the starting line. I saw Chris Bain and Robert Jarrin, which gave me a little extra motivation. I thought to myself, if these guys got up at 5 on a Sunday morning to watch me, I better run well. During the national anthem I found my mind wandering to all the lessons I’ve learned about marathoning over the past 2 years and again reminded myself to be conservative with the pace.

The gun went off, and it was really tough to let the other women go. I knew that some of them were in the relay or the half- and some were going out too fast- but it was a struggle to hold myself back. I came through mile 1 in 6:36, which I was very happy with. At that point I looked around and recognized a guy from Bethesda who I’ve seen running workouts at the B-CC track. We said hello and from that point on we were never more than 2 seconds apart, which was helpful considering how desolate the latter half of the course is. I stuck to 6:36 pace (on-the-nose) for the first 4 miles. I unintentionally picked it up for the 5^th mile, dropping to 6:24. People were very chatty in those first few miles. One guy running near me kept trying to do fancy, behind-the-back shots with his water cups to get them in the trash cans. He never made a single one (that I saw anyway- he died off after about 7), but it was entertaining nonetheless.

I settled into 6:40 pace for the next 5, coming through 10 in 66:06. I passed the girl who was in the lead for the marathon at mile 6. I could tell that she had gone out way too fast because her breathing was already labored. At that point I was pretty sure I was winning, but it was hard to tell because there were a few half-marathoners ahead of me. At one point 3 different spectators called out, “You’re in first!,” “Way to go, third woman!,” and “Here comes number 4!” within a block. I joked to the guys around me, “4^th??? A second ago I was winning!”

I continued on at 6:40 pace, coming through the half in 1:26:46- right on schedule! At that point Jake gave me a gu and I introduced him to my racing partner, a possible addition to our running group. He said later that he knew that I must have been feeling good because when I don’t feel good in a race not only do I not want to talk, but I also don’t want to be spoken to or cheered for. It seems counter-intuitive, but the noise actually makes me feel nauseated.

From there on out the numbers are a little fuzzier. I kept trying to calculate my pace, but I don’t think my brain was getting enough oxygen. I was having a hard time holding the splits in my head to do the math. It occurred to me that if I had to take an intelligence test at that point I might have scored an 80, tops. I stayed at 6:40-5 pace through 17 when I got to the hills. It seemed like the wind picked up at that point too. Dun dun dun. My pace didn’t slow too much over the first hill, and my 18^th mile was a 6:53. I was surprised to see that my next mile was a 6:30, but it concerned me because my racing partner commented that it was probably because that mile had such a steep downhill. “What downhill?” I asked him. I honestly thought that mile was uphill too- not a good sign. That was my last sub-6:40 mile of the race.

I think I hit a few 7 minute miles between 19 and 23, when the ground finally flattened out. Somewhere in there I stopped worrying so much about time and concerned myself with finishing and maintaining my lead. I was getting updates from the guys, so I knew I had a several minute buffer zone.

From 23 on was basically a count-down. 21 minutes to go, 20 minutes to go, 19 minutes and 30 seconds to go, etc. I felt like I might vomit at one point but managed to hold it back. When I got about a half-mile from the finish Jake caught up with me again and tried to offer encouragement, but by that point I was not able to tolerate noise. I shh’ed him and he seemed to understand. I proceeded to the line and even managed a bit of a kick. When I crossed it I actually got to break the tape for the first time in my life. What an amazing experience! Reporters from the local papers immediately surrounded me and I struggled to offer coherent answers. I was even filmed for a local website (why is it that my 15 minutes of fame came when I was a disaster both physically and mentally?). After all the hoopla I met up with my parents, Jake, Chris, and Robert to enjoy the festivities. Robert took some great pictures, which was much-appreciated. I ended up running a PR (2:56:14) and taking away the top prize ($500).What else can you ask for?

The day ended, after many flip cup victories, with me drinking a Blue Moon out of my victory chalice, as it should be.

Melissa wins Frederick Marathon

Melissa won the Frederick Marathon in a PR of 2:56:14. Great job!!!

Sunday afternoon

After the race on Sunday we're going to celebrate by putting Jake's leftovers to good use in a beer pong (and maybe flip cup) tournament. All GRC folks are welcome to join in! It'll be at 4 at my place. Email me (melissa_tanner03@yahoo.com) or Jake for directions.

Weekend Runs

As the "Great Compromiser" I listed the Saturday run start time for 8:44am...okay Max? This is actually one minute in your favor. Will someone be at the store that early?

I am waking up at 3:59am on Sunday to head to Frederick for the marathon with Melissa. There is actually talk of others coming up (later?) to meet for an adventure run at/near Frederick. Bain, the Esquire and the Peruvian Wonder all discussed options last night...one of them might have an update?

Off-topic: Skydiving

I'm organizing a skydiving trip late this spring/summer, details are still in the works, but I was wondering if any of you adventure loving runners would be interested in joining. If so, drop me a line (christiam at hotmail-dot-com) or post a comment.