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.