Chevron Houston Marathon 2016

1.17.2016 Chevron Houston Marathon- Houston, Texas

Background

Houston is to date the only marathon that I have run twice. It begins and ends downtown near my office and the logistics are so good that I can take my standard commute to work and park in my normal parking sport for the race. Add to it that it is a very well run race on a good course and this marathon is one I may do many times in the future. It was also the Houston marathon in 2015 that marked my first marathon back after 3+ years and 30 + pounds away from the sport. I was just looking finish that day but for 2016’s edition of the marathon I had a different mission- a new Personal Best time.

I had already marked Texas off of the fifty states map the previous year but actually had signed up to run Houston again the day that registration for the 2016 race had opened. I was running for Houston Habitat for Humanity through the race’s Hero program.

I had also already run two fall marathons in 2015- The Hot and Hilly Heart of America on Labor Day weekend and the just plain hot Mississippi Coast marathon over Thanksgiving weekend. HOA was meant to pick up a state and keep me motivated to train through the Houston summer and MGC was a race that could have been a fast day if the weather had been better- I used it to the best training effect I could given Houston was on my calendar already. Also, leading up to Houston I had run a 30K prep race in late December in Sugarland that went well.

In the end I didn’t think that I was going to go under 3:30 but I did think that I had a chance to better the 3:39:02 PR I had set in Las Vegas back in 2011. The comeback had a chance of being complete in all senses of the word.

Travel and Logistics

Again, this race has virtually no logistics to speak of but unlike a normal commute day, or even the 2015 race, the family made the trek downtown with me. We took off early in the Mazda loaded with snacks, blankets, and sleepy kids.

We were successful in parking in my normal lot and proceeded to the Convention Center by way of the Hilton Americas. Mitch was especially impressed with the tall escalators and remarked about what an awesome place it was. Tasha had her pink pompoms with her to cheer me on and had made a “Go Dada” wrist band for me that I wore during the run.

Houston is a big race and I kissed everyone before heading out onto the street and finding my corral. It was cold in the corals even though the weather was expected to eventually be pretty good. I had a throwaway long sleeve shirt on and marveled at some of the clothes others were using to stay warm including a woman that had a full length bathrobe.

The Race

8:32, 8:33, 7:44, 7:59, 8:11, 8:07, 7:59, 8:08, 8:09, 8:14, 8:08, 8:07, 8:19, 8:22, 8:17, 8:24, 8:17, 8:20: 8:46, 8:29, 8:28 8:43, 8:16, 8:22, 8:18, 8:19 (+ 2:32)

As the splits for this race reveal things went pretty consistently. I was not in a pace group but did note where several of them were. The first two miles were crowded and included an unscheduled pit stop to the porta potty. After that I settled in and pretty much confirmed my prerace decision to run for the PR but not more aggressively.

It was notable for me to compare how much faster I was moving at various mile points than in 2015. I was working hard but not to the point where I thought I was risking a blow up. I did start to fade a bit after mile 18 but kicked it back into gear when I saw the 3:40 pace team come up near me. I was doing the math to essentially stay just in front of that group and then kick in the final 1.2 in order to challenge my PR.

The Houston Marathon finishes on Lamar Street and as I turned onto Lamar I realized that there was something off with my math and I was closer to not making a PR than I thought over the last few miles so I accelerated (or kicked harder to maintain pace I guess) a little early.

I passed my office and new that the 26 mile mark where I had watched some of the later finishers from the 8^th floor the previous year was in view and at that point the road seemed to be more clogged with runners which made it more difficult to speedup. Still, as I reached the finish line I saw that if I hustled there would be a new PR on my running resume. And if I just missed my poor family would have to hear about it until I did achieve a new best.

3:38:04- sounds nice to say. I am back

Wrapping up

I’m writing this entry in May after the race so I do know how at least the next four months of my season played out. Leading up to Houston I logged a lot of miles and those two fall marathons really served their purpose. Granted, if Mississippi had better weather that may have been my PR and I may have jogged Houston but as it stood an 11 mile tempo run was a great confidence booster for my 30K and some much needed longer quality work. The 30K was tough especially considering the storm it was run in but I felt so strong at the end of that race that it was a real confidence booster headed into Houston. And, of course Heat of America may look like it was just a Midwestern adventure but I signed up for it when I had nothing on my calendar at all and really wanted to keep focused training through the summer.

Ocean Drive Marathon 2016- New Jersey

3.20.2016 Ocean Drive Marathon- Cape May, New Jersey

Background

Beth knows how to get me on board for a trip. She wanted to go see her family in PA for Easter and mentioned that maybe there was a marathon I could knock out as well. We already have PA but found that the Ocean Drive Marathon in Cape May, New Jersey was logistically possible as an add-on to the family holiday. I had already run and set a Personal Best in Houston in 2016 and had the OC marathon scheduled for the first of May but thought that I could at the very least us Ocean Drive as a long run. Besides, it was a race I had looked at doing when we lived in Maryland and had never gotten around to running and Cape May looked like a fun place to visit even if the early season weather could be a question mark.

Kidz Village

Travel and Logistics

We got into Newark airport without much drama- the kids are pros at flying by now. The landing was a bit bumpy and I actually had the air sickness bag at the ready but fortunately never had to use it. I had been watching the weather over the week and it looked like it would be cold and windy for the run at the least. There was also a late season Noreaster that may or may not have an impact. We stayed just outside of Newark the first night before heading down to Cape May. We chose this particular because it was adjacent to a nifty indoor playground called Kidz Village. Mitch and Tasha really enjoyed that place which was essentially a combination arcade, pizza place, and play place. The highlight of our trip for Mitch seemed to actually be the airport shuttles. He referred to the one on the ride to our first hotel as a “couch car” and would talk about his ride in the couch car for weeks after. Oh, the simple pleasures of being three.

We had a good time playing at Kidz Village and the hotel stay was mostly fine with the exception of a late night (false) fire alarm that had us waiting out in the cold for about a half hour. I took a shuttle over to the airport to pick up the rental car the next day. “Make sure there is a snowbrush in the car. We are expecting up to 10 inches tonight” said the lady at the rental counter.  Fun times lay ahead for sure.

We had a Saturday drive to Cape May and eventually found the convention center just off the boardwalk in Cape May. It was cold and extremely windy on the coast but at least we hadn’t seen any snow. The hotel was just off the course about a mile away from the starting line and about a block off the beach. One I picked up my packet we headed back to the hotel to check in and get dinner. At the expo I made the last minute decision to purchase tights and was extremely glad I did on race day after seeing the red legs of those that dared wear shorts.

My intended outfit- ugly yellow sweatshirt not pictured

The Race

I don’t have the splits from this race preserved but it doesn’t really matter- my plan was essentially to use this race as a supported Long Run and to both finish in the best possible shape that I could and without jeopardizing my upcoming race in California at the beginning of May.

I got dressed in layers before the race with the tights and three layers for shirt- a long-sleeved compression shirt, a standard long sleeve technical shirt (courtesy of the Chambersburg half marathon) and an old yellow sweatshirt that I intended to throw away once I got warm. I never got warm so the shirt is now residing in Texas waiting, perhaps, for a future opportunity to do its duty. I had an ill fitting cheap winter snow cap and ball cap over it- again I had planned on maybe ditching the winter had but the conditions never let me. I did, however, have to eventually throw the baseball cap in a roadside trashcan as it kept getting blown off of my head.

The wind. That was something. The Ocean Drive marathon course is a point to point so runners either always face the wind or always have it constantly at their back depending on the conditions. On this day the wind was not going to be giving us a nice push. As I walked to the starting line I heard a scratching sound beside me and looked over to see the 1^st mile market blowing own the street. Yep, it was going to be a long day.

near the starting line

Official finish time was 4:34 and change. The scenery was beautiful but I wouldn’t exactly call it a fun race to run. I hit the half marathon mark in just a shade under 2 hours and then completely finished fighting the wind. It didn’t really rain or snow much. I did get a little wet but it was mainly from a bridge that where ocean water was coming over the break wall. The only major hills were the causeway bridges.

This was my 20^th marathon and I thought about that quite a bit in the closing miles of the run. Twenty times I had stood at the starting line since 1997 and twenty times I had crossed the finish. This wasn’t one of my greatest days but it still gave me a good story to tell.

Wrapping up

As I neared the finish line I saw the family come into view. I had thought about having the kids come out to finish with me if I was off pace but Mitchell was clearly asleep and Tasha was as bundled up as possible near the edge of the boardwalk. They had passed the time in the shops and on a local playground and were ready to get in out of the cold and on the road. Tasha loves the medal that has the “bird with real legs” although neither kid was especially excited when I pointed out the snow on the drive north to PA.

OC Marathon- California

The OC Marathon. Sunday May 1^st, 2016 New Port Beach, California

I had been reading a book on the mental side of racing called “How Bad Do You Want it?” by Matt Fitzgerald that has really gotten me thinking not only about the intensity that I race with but in how I train. There are a number of lessons I’ve picked up with the main theme being that most often runners don’t miss their goals during races because of fitness but due to mental mistakes and the wrong attitudes.

Anyway, this race was one that I signed up for last year when I found out that I was going to be attending a conference in Palm Springs, CA for one of my company’s vendors. The conference was this past Tuesday-Thursday about two hours from the marathon. I flew into Orange County airport on Saturday to run the OC Marathon and then drive over to Palm Springs on Monday. My training leading up to this race was decent considering I had just run the Ocean Drive Marathon in New Jersey a little over a month prior. I logged 300 miles even in the month of April including two weeks of 84 and 88 miles respectively. I did have pain in my heal in the days leading up to the race that was starting to fade but not entirely gone by the time I hopped on the flight to CA.

The OC Marathon provided an option to have my race bib mailed in advance of the run. Because of this I did not have to attend the Expo and could take a later flight out on Saturday than I would normally have been able to. This option allowed me to pick up my shirt after the marathon which worked just fine as well since I had nowhere to be on Sunday after the race was done.

My flights (connected in Dallas on the way out) went smoothly and one I checked into the hotel I found a store to pick up provisions including Diet Pepsi, Kind Bars, and a 4 pack of Apple Fritters. I also purchased a sleeve that would hold my phone, ID, and a credit card on my arm during the run since I was by myself.

Race Morning

The shuttle to the starting line left our hotel at 4:25 AM. I probably had it easier than the local runners since my body thought it was 6:25 which wasn’t so bad a time to be getting on the road. We got over to the starting area in the dark and I paced around waiting for the festivities to begin. I did all of my normal pre-race routines but I must have not lubricated my right heal well enough as I would develop a pretty bad blister pretty early on in the run. I have been aiming for a 3:30 marathon time for what seems like an eternity and this time was on my mind but I figured that it would be an unlikely target considering I hadn’t done anything to improve my fitness over the last few months since running a 3:38 in Houston- I had only been able to maintain. My plan was to run the first mile based on feel and then adjust my goal accordingly. The other major thing on my mind was that as happy as I was to be running, and to knock off another state, I was a little weary of marathons having run one about every other month since the previous Labor Day weekend.

My travel Buddy Norf was ready to take on the OC....

The Race

As the marathon got underway I realized that I had not looked at an elevation profile of the race. I figured there would be some hills since we were on the Pacific coast but I had no idea where they would be or how bad they were going to be. My first mile was the slowest that I would run until late in the race. The 3:30 pacers went by effortlessly and then the 3:40 pacers which was when I decided to catch the 3:40 group and run with them for as long as I could. I didn’t feel great but I didn’t feel bad either. I did figure that if I could hang with this group until the very end I might be able steal a PR at the very end of the race.

I don’t have the exact splits but I do know that after a first mile 8:33 that I settled in to running in the low 8’s with the 3:40 group. The scenery in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and any other towns we might have run through was stunning. I recall seeing an Electric Bike shop in a small downtown and thinking about how “Southern California” that was. There were some stunning views of the Coast as well. I hung with the 3:40 group occasionally falling back and having to sprint to catch up and then tuck in again. It wasn’t an easy effort by any stretch of the imagination- I was laboring but fighting my way back to where I wanted to be each time I fell back a little.

I remember a large hill right near the 13 mile mark of the course and the hand cycle winner passing us on the hill. Each time I fit a hill I attacked it and then tried to get my heart rate back under control after cresting.

I actually got a little ahead of the 3:40 group for no more than a mile or two after the midway point of the race. One thing I didn’t like was that it felt like there were a lot of turns on the course. My knee didn’t really like those and the blister that popped up on mile 9 increasingly didn’t like it either.

Mile 22- Each time the 3:40 group had gotten ahead of me earlier in the race I had bit my lip and charged after them until I could tuck back in with the group. It was a more aggressive style of racing than I usually do as I generally don’t surge once I fall back but I again and again I fought to keep a chance at a PR alive, even mounting one charge of short steep hill that left me short of breathe for a bit. This time was different. I started talking myself up to making the charge one more time and my legs just couldn’t do it. It was then that I unplugged and let the 3:40 group go so that I could at least make sure I would finish respectably. The mile 22 split I didn’t look to bad, but the mile 23 split was 10:34 and then I rebounded somewhat the rest of the race but still lost time each mile until the finish.

After all of the gorgeous scenery that the OC Marathon Course provides the marathon actually finishes up in the Orange County Fairgrounds. I sped up a little bit faster than my low point when music and louder cheers were heard. I starting high-fiving people that stuck their hand out and kept looking for the last run that finally came and was followed by a straightaway that seemed to go forever. I saw the clock pass 3:45 and then I hit the finishing matt shortly after for a finish of 3:45:06

A zombie walk was followed by a call home to Beth, Tasha, and Mitch once I found a spot on the ground to sit and then I wrapped myself in a space blanket and tried not to get too cold. The temperature was supposed to be close to 80 and may have hit that during the run but either it got colder after I finished or I was just feeling extreme chills. Either way, I eventually found some food, a Diet Pepsi, picked up my race shirt and got to the hotel shuttle to go back and lay in bed the rest of the day.

Final Stats (https://www.runraceresults.com/Secure/RaceResults.cfm?ID=RCOE2016)

Time: 3:45:06

Overall: 247 out of 1998

Men: 195/1209

35-39: 35/157

The Area

As I mentioned the parts of Southern California that I saw were beautiful. First, the ocean views during the run followed the by the hills on the drive from Costa Mesa to Palm Springs and eventually mountains. The road turned to twisty mountain roads and then a valley nearing Palm Springs near Joshua Tree national forest that was so windy that it was home to the biggest wind farm I have ever seen- that was somewhat surreal to drive through. The resort for the conference was a pretty typical resort- pool, meeting, rooms, beautiful views, etc.. One night we did have an offsite dinner at a Boutique Hotel designed by Frank Lautner (who I had never heard of before) that was very cool.

The pics I took don't do justice to what I saw but I pulled off the highway once to take pictures of the scenery in between the coast and Palm Springs and didn't take many at all in Palm Springs.

Beginning somewhere..

Welcome to the blog. I am going to chronicle my attempt at running marathons in all 50 states, and maybe someday qualifying to run the Boston Marathon in this space. I keep a training log but up until now have not written much down about my adventures that can be preserved for my kids. A blog is the modern version of a scrap book, right? This is the spot for all the details that nobody really wants to see on Facebook.

 A week ago I completed my 21^st marathon in my 19^th State on the Southern California Coast so we are not starting at the beginning of the quest but the good news is that there is plenty of racing to left to and places to see. I will attempt to post recaps of previous adventures. If the kids never want to look back on these hopefully it will preserve my memories and I can read back as I get senile in years to come.