Runner’s Blog

The Marathon

19 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Marathons, Running

Tags

2014 Denver Marathon Race Results, Denver Marathon, Shoes and Brews

I rise at 4:30. AM. Per my nutrition plan, I forgo coffee. Discipline. I’m serious about this run. Not in a stressful way. I’m going to have fun today. This run is going to feel awesome. My goal is to run an even, steady pace. Maintaining my pace in the 4th quarter of a marathon requires a slower start and not prematurely boosting my metabolism before the event with coffee or breakfast. I don’t really know if this will work. My experience running suggests I’ll benefit from the slower start. As for delaying my metabolism, well, I read the Internet.

Chris picks me up at 5:15. We drive down together to the VIP parking spot close to the race start. We are there an hour before start, but I almost feel rushed. Time goes by fast. I do take a sip of coffee before the race, but this is within 30 minutes of start time. At least I think so at the time. The 7:15 start is delayed by nearly ten minutes waiting for street closures. I take some potassium supplements too before the start. Trying to avoid muscle cramps in the 4th quarter is the focus of my nutrition plan.

This year’s course has some key changes. We still run down 14th Street, past the Pepsi Center. Instead of crossing Speer, we turn west on it and run up and around Sloan Lake. The lake neighborhood is pretty once we reach it. This is a much hillier course. This doesn’t bother me since it’s early in the run. I pace with Chris the first two miles as he starts out with controlled 9 minute miles before accelerating to a 7:30 pace. My Garmin records 8:58 the first mile, and 8:32 for mile two. This is the last I see of Chris for awhile as he quickly surges away on an uphill segment. The road conditions are a bit disappointing with significant construction debris. I later meet a woman who fell and was injured from this.

My goal pace for today is 8:30 but I speed up after these initial hills. I complete mile 3 in 8:00. The course around Sloan Lake flattens out for miles 4 and 5. I run these in 7:53 and 7:27. I’m speeding up but it’s early. I feel very comfortable with this pace though and feel like I can maintain it without much effort. Mile 6 is another uphill. I run mile 6 in 7:28. This completes the first 10K – at a faster clip than I planned. Sloan Lake fades from view but we continue through some picturesque neighborhoods painted yellow, red and orange in the fall colors.

Mile 7 continues the incline. I begin chatting with a runner who is complaining about the hills. I tell him I’m pleased with the course change up. Hills aren’t bad when they are early in a race. I maintain a decent pace with a 7:41. Mile 8 begins the drop back into downtown Denver and with it my pace falls half a minute to 7:19. My pre-race plan, from studying the elevation profile, is to leverage this descent and run miles 8 and 9 with some speed. I run mile 9 in 6:53. I’m not concerned about running too fast here because it’s part of my plan to bank some minutes under pace before the half.

I suspect I’ll be able to maintain this momentum through downtown. Well, on paper the night before in my planning. Partly because the streets should be flat and because the crowds should be thick and motivational. This turns out to be the case and I find myself catching back up to Chris. He stops at a port-a-potty before I can call out to him. This puts me ahead of him. My evil side considers speeding up to put some distance between us. I know though it’s too early for moves like that. I run mile 10 in 7:34.

While I know Chris will eventually catch me, I’m surprised he closes the gap so quickly. He calls out to me in the warehouse district north of Coors Field – just before mile 11. I record 7:24 and Chris pulls even with me heading into mile 12. Chris’ wife Renee and daughter are here and take some photos. We run mile 12 together, chatting along about how we feel. We are both starting to feel some fatigue at this point. At nearly halfway, that’s to be expected. We run mile 12 in 7:44. I want to hang with Chris until we reach 17th street, where I expect to slow down from the hill that begins past Broadway. Chris surges though to return to his race pace plans and I lose him again.

I’m a little bummed that I slow down on mile 13 to an 8:04, but it’s not unexpected. This is a real hill. And it’s still well under my 8:30 pace plan. In fact, I complete the first half with a 7:50 overall average pace at 1:41 for 13 miles. I’m happy with this. Mile 14 is similar in 8:02, also uphill. I’m starting to consider I might be able to maintain an 8 minute pace and begin to reset my pre-race goal of 8:30. For this, I want to drop back down under 8 minutes per mile and I do. The course flattens out through colorful City Park. I run mile 15 in 7:39, mile 16 in 7:45 and mile 17 in 7:58.

Again, my pre-race strategy included the hope I could pick up some momentum on the return downtown via 17th Street, because it’s a downhill mile. Instead, I post 8:08 for mile 18. My surge through City Park costs me. This is also a critical point in the marathon, where many runners hit the wall. Fatigue is to be expected here. I’m stoked that I’m still running around an 8 minute pace. I begin though taking it mile by mile. No more grand expectations. I set my objective each mile for 8 minutes. Mile 19 comes in at 7:55. This will be my last mile under 8 minutes. I pass Chris again here on Lincoln Street as he slows down for water at the aid station. He passes me back almost immediately, but slows again on Speer. Chris is hitting the wall.

I’m feeling it too. Speer might appear flat to drivers. I can tell you though, 20 miles into a marathon, Speer has a definite incline. The slightest inclines become monster hills this deep into a marathon. I slow down to 8:03 for mile 20 and 8:43 for mile 21. This worries me that the wheels are starting to fall off but the course flattens out as we head into Washington Park. This helps me to post an 8:29 for mile 22 and 8:24 for mile 23. My total time here is 3 hours and 2 minutes. It’s amazingly difficult to perform simple math when you’re this physically exhausted, but I begin to think I might have a chance at finishing in 3:30. That would qualify me for Boston.

This excites me and I try to speed up. I’m too tired by now though and despite some down slope, I slow down to an 8:39. Bummer, but this is what happens near the end of a marathon. The legs stop responding. Mile 25 is mostly along Speer again and has a good downward slope too. I run this in 8:18. I’m pushing for that 3:30 but my updated calculations suggest it’s out of reach. The hill up Lincoln on mile 26 doesn’t help. My final mile is in 8:34 and I cross the finish line in 3:31. 7th place in my age division.

I’m disappointed to be so close to qualifying for Boston, but elated overall that this run went so well. My overall pace is 7:59 because I actually run two tenths of a mile further than a marathon. That oddity is from weaving side-to-side along the course, elongating the official distance. I never cramp, even after the race. I feel great and that was my goal for today. My time is a PR by over 5 minutes. I meet up with Chris and his family later in the day at Shoes and Brews in Longmont for a couple of beers. From there, I get a pedicure at Main Street Nails. Their location isn’t on Main Street in case you try driving there. I’m currently ensconced on the couch watching Manning school the 49ers and set some passing records. Great day.

Wild Basin

18 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail, Running

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Tags

Denver Marathon, Lyons, Oscar Blues, Ouzel Falls Trail, RMNP

My marathon eve workout today consisted of hiking with my in-laws in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked along the Ouzel Falls Trail, which Karen and I first explored back in July. The weather was ideal – crisp air and full sun. The Aspen leaves have all fallen at 8500 feet, but the scenery was still stunning.
We made it as far as Calypso Falls. Ellie was bouncing all over Upper Calypso Falls snapping photos. The trail overall is fairly pedestrian. Barbara surprised me with her spry gait, jumping across creeks and rocks. My in-laws felt comfortable with both the terrain and elevation. It’s a great family hike. We lunched afterward at Oscar Blues in Lyons.

Later this afternoon, I drove into Denver to pick up my race packet at the Convention Center. Race expos are big events. Sometime before I got back into road races 5 years ago, the expo apparently became an integral component of the Road Race business model. I wish I knew the percentage of sales generated from the expo vs registration fees and other merchandise ordered as part of the event sign up. I just spent a few minutes querying online but didn’t find much. The Rock & Roll race series, like many others, requires packet pickup at the expo. I didn’t buy anything but did spend $12 parking.

I’m looking forward to a great day tomorrow. I expect to run an 8:30 pace. I’d like to run a bit faster but my primary goal is to run well the final six miles by holding my pace. I plan to wear a camelbak in order to hydrate with my own electrolyte cocktail – Skratch. I’ve been training with it. I like the taste and my stomach does well with it. I also expect to start out running the first couple of miles with my buddy Chris Price. He maintains a very disciplined approach and runs the first two miles at a 9 minute pace. He then speeds up to around 7:30. His goal is to break 3:20 to qualify for Boston. I’ll let him go and should finish 20 to 30 minutes behind him.

Taper Weekend

11 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Denver Marathon, LoBo Trail

This is taper weekend. Maybe not for you. Runners spend months building up their endurance with ever longer distances. As the date of the marathon nears, runners begin to reduce the distance. There are a number of fairly specialized programs runners can follow. Many are free, just a few clicks away. Runners can purchase others with just one click.

Tapering is a subset of the training program speaking to the last few weeks of the complete regimen. A quick google will enumerate a number of tapering ideas. I didn’t taper with three and two weeks left. That appears to be the prescription. I began this final week. I do subscribe to the notion that tapering improves race day performance. I’m going with it.

I generally set my running goals for the year. I don’t look to a single race to totally achieve that goal. I judge the year at the end. I believe we are near the end of the year. By my count, I’ve only had three events so far and they were all last winter. First January, then February, and another in March. Karen and I were out on snowshoes more than that. Plus, I don’t have any runs planned after the Denver Marathon. That does makes this the end of the year. I’m going to heed the advice of magazine stories and taper this final week. I’m not targeting a specific time but I want to run strong and feel good doing it. I’ll be taking measure of my nutrition plan for success in this. I expect to run an 8:30 pace, which would be fast for me. At 165, I feel like I’m in racing shape.

I ran 12 miles today on the LoBo Trail, rather than my typical 18 to 20 miles for a Saturday. And I won’t exceed 6 miles for any one run over the next week, as opposed to my standard 8 mile run. Now that I’m thinking about it, I expect to taper down to 4 and 3 miles as I approach next Friday. I’ll run 3 miles Saturday too because I believe in working out the day before a big race. Too late to condition of course but it primes the pump. No one workout will be critical the final week and it won’t hurt to miss a day, but I feel good having a light run the day before.

Nutrition is one of my marathon goals. The sort of goal that spans several years. My concern is more around storing sodium, potassium and magnesium. And hydration. From what I’ve read, runners don’t necessarily want to load up on sodium, but I still want to consume it in sufficient quantities. The only vitamin I take is D3, at the advice of my doctor. I’m eating bananas for breakfast to load up on potassium and magnesium. This will address my proclivity for muscle cramps. I’m eating a ton of Kale from my garden. I don’t have a sodium supplement. Do they make one? Is it called salt? I don’t salt my food much after cooking – if I cook – but I’m a big fan of that substance. I’ve never latched on to taking supplements, other than my D3. I find them complicated. I would not have fared well on Lance’s bike team. I also plan to hydrate. I started today. Just after the beer my haircut lady gave me.

I enjoyed the shorter run today and having more time and energy for other weekend activities. Idle feet are the devil’s workshop. I got my hair cut. I downloaded Ken Follett’s trilogy completion. I stripped peeling paint off the carriage house. I’ll paint it tomorrow, first with primer. Fixed Ellie’s broken iPhone screen for $139 (tax incl.). An ounce of prevention, but seriously – my parents didn’t have unplanned smart phone expenses when I was a kid. Add that to the car.

This will be my 4th Denver Marathon. The full res photos from top to bottom are all Denver Marathons: 2013, then 2012 and to the left is 2010.

Sluggish Week

04 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Denver Marathon, LoBo Trail

I like this photo. Mostly because it has me in it. But also because George captures in this pic the absolutely fantastic backdrop I have all day Saturday as I backpack at 13,000 feet along the Continental Divide. Wish I was still out there. Instead I’m back to running the LoBo trail. It’s a nice trail but it’s not the same thing. I will tell you though that this morning, while still early fall, the peaks of the Front Range are buried under spectacularly, shimmering white snow. What a gorgeous fall day in Colorado!

Despite the cool seasonal weather this week, my legs have been heavy and sluggish. I expected a little speed with the dropping temps but not this week. I went long this morning and started off okay, but my pace slowed down after ten miles. I went for twenty but walked in the last two. When your pace slows to essentially walking, you might as well walk.

I don’t think my sluggish week is related to recovery from my three days backpacking the Continental Divide. I blame work. My boss has been out on medical so I’m covering for her. That woman has quite the schedule. Been working 6am to 10pm almost every day. Part of what she does is report status on the projects I’m supposed to be driving. So I tried to do my day job as well in order to have some status to report. Tried to do it all and probably sucked at everything. It didn’t leave much time for running but I tried to do that too since my marathon is right around the corner. I suspect I was drained mentally rather than physically.

I don’t let this stuff get to me. I know I’m in shape. I had a super three mile race with La Plata from the Bakerville exit to the Grays Trailhead on Sunday. I imagine that included a 1500 foot climb in elevation. We totally smoked it. That felt good. Two more weeks until the Denver Marathon. Time to taper anyway. Jen is prodding me to run eight with the gang tomorrow. Her style, usually effective, is to call me a pussy if I don’t go. Planning on sleeping in tomorrow though.

Berthoud Pass

21 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail, Running

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Boulder Marathon, boulder marathon cancelled, CDT, continental divide, Denver Marathon, GoGo Squeez, New Balance Leadville 2010, Pearl Izumi

I receive the email Friday afternoon informing me that the October 5th Boulder Marathon is cancelled. I have made such a big deal out of this race that I’m stunned. But only momentarily. I quickly recover and register for the Denver Marathon October 19th before it’s full. I’m fast to move on.

A few hours later, I drive up via I-70 to Idaho Springs. I meet La Plata at the Tommyknocker brew pub at 6:30. We break bread and share grape. More specifically, we have jalapeno poppers and mac-n-cheese with red chili. This is similar to Cincinnati chili, but with mac rather than spaghetti. Very satisfying and highly recommended. After dinner, we shuffle my van to the massive parking lot on top of Berthoud Pass and camp down at the Herman Gulch Trailhead off I-70 at exit 218.

This site is less than ideal with incessant engine noise reverberating along the canyon walls throughout the night. I don’t sleep well, but at least it’s warm. We breakfast on oatmeal and trailhead coffee. At 6:30am, we hit the trail. We gain 3000 feet in elevation over the first six miles. By this time, we also shed our cold weather gear and are down to running shorts and a T. I wear my Pearl Izumi 2and1 ultra trail running shorts. The long seam brief works well to protect against chaffing. These shorts are great but could use additional pockets. I’d like to see what I call a “shark knife pocket” stitched on the brief alongside the outside thigh. It would be underneath the shorts so it would not be visible. I’m thinking of two or three times the size of the gel pockets along the back sides.

Despite the steep grade, we get in a little running each mile. I can’t begin to describe how perfect this supple trail is for running. You can see it well here if you click to enlarge this photo. The ground feels raw with fresh dirt. We’re quickly above treeline and mostly stay above 12,000 feet. Our highest point is 13,200. Not surprisingly for a trail following the Continental Divide, it runs mostly along the very top of the ridge with unbelievable views in every direction. At one point, we are running a thin ridge lined with craggy rocks. I feel like I’m running across Godzilla’s spine.

The sun is out strong and creates interesting light between glare and shade along the ridge. You can see how the trail undulates along the ridge in this photo with La Plata. You can even see some snow to the right. The cool air countered the full sun and kept us comfortable all day. We both forget to wear hats but apply liberal amounts of sunscreen continuously. Still, the backs of my legs are now sunburned.

The muscles in the backs of my legs are hurting too. The 6000 feet of total elevation gain is a tremendous workout for my calves, hamstrings and glutes. This twenty-plus mile run along the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is perfect marathon training. Rather than the three hour, twenty mile workouts I’ve been running on the weekends, this run will take eight hours. We planned for eight and we finish with twelve minutes to spare. Clearly, it’s mostly hiking, but at an aggressive pace. Averaging over 12,000 feet, we are often winded as if we are running. It feels great to be up here with light packs. The weight in my pack is mostly from the 70 ounces of water in my camelback reservoir. I also carry warmer gear should the weather turn bad – which it never does. For nutrition, I carry Epic Bars and Hammer Gels. I have Skratch mixed in my water. The idea is to practice consuming what I will rely upon for my marathon to ensure my stomach can handle it and that it keeps my muscles from cramping. Everything works out great.

My new trails shoes also do well. These New Balance Leadville 1210s have a rock plate in the front of the sole. I don’t feel it in there, these shoes are so pliable, but I never feel any rocks either so it does the job. These would have been fine shoes to race the Boulder Marathon in, on that course’s dirt roads. Their tread proves capable on this extreme trail by gripping loose dirt with confidence during steep descents. My ankles are quite fatigued now, hiking boots would have provided better support. But I love being able to run a trail with light shoes and pack. I’m thinking though about buying new shoes for the Denver Marathon as that run is entirely on paved streets. I’ve been thinking about buying a pair of Hokas. I know they are a bit gimmicky, but everyone I’ve talked to, like Gadget Girl, absolutely loves them. I would need to train in them of course first, but I have time for that.

Another new item I intend to pick up for the Denver Marathon is a gel-like snack La Plata gave me – GoGo Squeez. It’s 30 calories less than my 90 calorie Hammer Gel, although 3 times the volume at 3.2 ounces. Still, the real fruit content is yummy. Not often you can say that about these sports foods. Plus the twist cap is convenient and overall the pack is less sticky than gels. There is nothing better than real food. Fruit performs well in terms of supplying quick energy. All these products do well on my stomach while running. And fortunately, I didn’t have issues with the poppers from the night before.

I expect to see more people out on this trail, being so close to Denver. I can’t imagine a better day to be out here. We do see a couple wearing Beaver Creek caps. Several other hikers and one trail runner. And a few bikers. They really impress me with the technical nature of this trail. Good for them though, riding on top of the world.

Saturday’s 20.6 mile trail run was so much better than I could have imagined. Perfect in every way. From the weather, to our pace, to my conditioning that made itself evident. Despite the altitude, my breathing felt strong. And the workout my legs received will help me in the Denver Marathon. We lunch at Jenny’s, a small cafe in Empire. We both eat the half pound buffalo burger. Very tasty. We will meet up again next weekend for a forty mile backpacking hike along the CDT that extends from near Breckenridge to the Grays and Torreys Peaks. We’ll be joined on this outing by La Plata’s college buddy, George Schools. George is an extremely fit athlete from Austin. This could turn out to be a three-day race under the load of 35 pound backpacks. Can’t wait.

Muddy Trails

13 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Boulder Marathon, Hammer Gel, Scratch

We’ve had some rain and snow the last couple of days. That doesn’t help the trail conditions but the cool weather is a decent trade off. This morning’s twenty mile run began in a crisp 43°. It finished less than three hours later still under 60°. The cool clime contributed to an 8:33 pace. Twenty seconds per mile faster than last Saturday.

This is my final tough workout before the Boulder Marathon on October 5th. Hoping for similar weather then. I only drank one liter of Scratch and consumed the same quantity of Hammer Gels as last week – three for a total of 240 calories. I plan to double that during the marathon. I burned about 3000 calories and lost five pounds in two hours and fifty-four minutes. An hour later, I feel great. I’m ready.

To let you know, the race starts from the Boulder Res at 7:15am. The course loops through the res again at the half. Chris Price should be coming through the res on his first half at 8:45am. I expect to pass through at about 9:00am. Come out to support us and take pics. Chris is pushing to break 3:20. I hope to finish in 3:45.

Shoes & Brews

06 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

Boulder Marathon, Hammer Gel, New Balance Leadville 2010, Scratch

The day after last Saturday’s nightmarish trail run, I went to Shoes & Brews to buy this new pair of trail running shoes. The New Balance Leadville 1210s. This is how you recover from a bad run; you buy a new pair of shoes. Running’s not complicated.

This was my first visit since they opened. How brilliant is this? They sell running shoes and related gear. And they sell a unique selection of tap beer in an attached pub. I still wasn’t feeling up to par Sunday, so I can’t critique the brews. But I just like having the option. They organize group runs along the Longmont Greenbelt on Saturday mornings and supply Scratch sports drink along the route. Check them out.

I got some good runs in during the work week, although my legs felt heavy most days. Felt so much better this morning though. I went out early on the LoBo Trail for 21 miles. The temperature started out well below 60°. It was only 64° three hours later when I finished. Rain clouds hung low, nearly kissing the ground. I love Colorado clouds.

The cool weather supported a fast pace. My goal wasn’t speed of course, simply the miles. I suspect I started out fast to stay warm. I ran a consistent 8:30 pace the first 12 miles. I ran into Chris Price after 6 miles. He ran 15 miles at a 7:30 pace. Wow. By 15 miles, I slowed down to a 9 minute clip. My overall average came out at 8:50 per mile. Makes me think, with similar conditions, I can expect to run a 9 minute pace for the Boulder Marathon in October. Hope so. Chris will be running as well and I suspect I might hang with him for his first two miles. He starts out slow at around a 9 minute pace. He’ll speed up to a 7 or so minute pace. I imagine I’ll speed up to 8 minutes and then settle down to 8:30. Then 9 minutes.

I started to feel fatigue today at 12 miles. My arm started to hurt after 15 miles. That’s not unusual in a marathon, that muscles you would not normally associate with running begin to hurt. In addition to breaking in my new shoes, I experimented with two new nutritional supplies. I loaded up on 70 ounces of Skratch in my Camelbak. With the cool weather, I only drank about 30 ounces. Scratch is brewed in Boulder. It’s highly valued by runners and analysts for its even digestion on long runs and bike rides. I also ate three Hammer Gels, one at 6, then 10 and again at 12 miles. I was quite pleased with these gels because normally they make me want to puke. These were so flavor neutral that I didn’t even need to rinse out my mouth after eating them. I didn’t experience any gastrointestinal distress today so I think both these products will work out nicely for the marathon. I’m considering wearing my camelbak so I can drink something more nutritional than the free Gatorade at the aid stations.

Runner Down

30 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Boulder Backroads, Boulder Marathon, Heil Valley Ranch, Picture Rock Trailhead

I initially planned to run an easy 20 miles today on the LoBo Trail. I say easy because that trail is so pedestrian and flat. I changed my plans last night though to instead run a real trail at Heil Valley Ranch. Running from the Wapiti Trailhead on the south end to the Picture Rock Trailhead on the north end, and back, is 18 miles and considerably more challenging. It will be nice to run a real trail again. I couldn’t wait to wake up and go Saturday morning.

I start a bit before 10am. I don’t expect it to get overly hot and I am fairly well acclimated. I carry two liters of HEED sports drink in my Camelbak. I feel heavy starting out, but then I haven’t been running hills. This begins with 3 miles of moderate elevation gain. Nearly 1000 feet in 2.74 miles. I note as I struggle uphill that my legs don’t feel recovered from Friday’s run. This is odd because I only ran an easy 4 miler yesterday afternoon. My legs were sore last night too and I thought it odd at the time because generally I can run up to 8 miles and still feel fresh afterward.

Still, it feels great to be running on this trail. I notice that while there are tons of mountain bikers, there are no runners. Everyone is likely training on the Boulder Backroads for the upcoming marathon. Whereas those roads are hilly, this is a mountain. They zig, I zag. I take it slow though, which is my plan considering my 18 mile target. I maintain a slow pace as the trail begins the six mile descent down to the Picture Rock Trailhead. Not slow enough apparently as I trip at mile 5.25 and crash into the ground. Runner down! Falling forward with 6 miles per hour of downhill momentum is a bad scenario. I’m drinking from my camelbak at the time, which is likely why I lost focus. I’m just barely able to thrust my hands forward into a large but flat surfaced rock to break my fall. The rock angles upward so my hands slide forward and I rest on my forearms – in sort of a pushup position with my torso never hitting the ground. Until I rest on the ground of course for five or ten seconds.

The sliding motion likely spared my wrists or arm from breaking, but my palms leave behind measurable DNA on the rock. And they really hurt. I continue running, but more slowly. Either my trail legs are out of practice, or I’m super fatigued. I recount the fall and consider how lucky I am I didn’t break my wrists. I can run the Boulder Marathon in five weeks with broken wrists. Broken ribs would have ended my running season. I reconsider the wisdom of training on the safer Boulder Backroads.

I’m wearing my Garmin but never look at it. I find out after uploading the results later that I’m running over a 10 minute pace – even downhill. That’s unusually slow for me, but perhaps understandable given my near death experience. Despite my deliberate pace, I continue to stumble fairly often. This hurts my toes and I shout out with screams that echo off the mountains. I finally encounter another runner, a girl perhaps in her 30s, running in the other direction within a mile of the trailhead. I wonder how far she is going and when we will cross paths again.

I reach Picture Rock Trailhead in a little over nine miles and turn around. This begins a six mile climb. I feel weak but pass several bikers on the ascent. I begin to wonder after only a mile into this climb if I can continue without walking. My strength is seriously fading. I begin walking after two miles. I figure I will start back up once I catch my breadth. I never catch my breadth. To be fair, I’m walking well under a 15 minute pace uphill, but this is strange. I figure worse case, I’ll walk the entire climb and run again on the nearly 3 miles of downhill into the trailhead on the other side.

I note that my head and face feel cold and clammy. I try to run occasionally but can never maintain it for more than 50 yards. I don’t believe it is overly hot and also think I’ve been disciplined in drinking my HEED. My rate of stumbling becomes worse and I even begin to feel dizzy. My shouts of pain that accompany each stumble are now joined by raging expletives. I’m in a foul mood. At 15 miles, nearly to the top of the hill, I begin vomiting. This makes me feel a bit better, although my legs and arms shake involuntarily for several minutes after I continue walking. My symptoms do resemble heat exhaustion and dehydration. I suspect I’m sick though. I feel sick.

I try running again on the downhill but can’t. In fact, my pace slows down even more, despite the easier grade. Fortunately there is a bathroom at the trailhead because diarrhea hits me at the end of my run/walk. I rest for about 15 minutes before driving home because my legs are cramping. Despite laying down on a picnic table, I never catch my breadth. Not until I vomit again does my breathing settle down.

I’m still in bed hours later. Karen thinks I over did it. I think I’m sick. Runner down!

Boulder Backroads

24 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Boulder Marathon, CU Cross Country

After running 18 miles Saturday, I almost skipped running 10 miles with my friends this morning in lieu of sleeping in. My legs were so heavy, dragging myself out of bed took real effort. So glad I joined everyone though. The Boulder backroads make for a gorgeous run. And the morning air is starting to cool down with the approaching fall.

Six of us started out running together this morning from the Left Hand Trailhead on Neva Road. Several cars and vans carrying the CU Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams pulled up just as we started. A couple of the women quickly passed us on Oxford Road. We estimated they were running at about a 7 minute per mile pace. I talked to them later back at the trailhead and they said they were running under a 7 minute clip. Imagine running that fast for even one mile. These girls can maintain that for ten. This picture shows some of their team smiling afterward.

We took a different route, turning onto Ouray Drive to run north up to Nelson Road. Otherwise more of the CU Team would have passed us. They kept to Oxford, which is also a pretty road. I think Ouray Drive might have a bigger set of hills. The girls in my group turned around after 4 miles for an 8 mile run. Nelson Road is about 5.25 miles so us guys got in over ten.

My legs were weak on the hills. Recovering from an 18 miler isn’t easy for a 52 year old. I did have a massage yesterday though which helped. I normally focus massages on my legs but I think my back benefited the most yesterday. The increased distance lately has left it somewhat compressed. I know visiting a physical therapist is all the rage nowadays but I’m a fan of massage. I’ll take the more relaxed atmosphere over clinical any day.

My marathon training remains on schedule. I’m confident already at this point I’ll be able to complete the Boulder Marathon in October. It’s just a matter of how fast – or how slow. I ran a 9 minute pace for my 18 miler yesterday. I think it’s a fair estimate to say I’ll be able to run that pace for a full marathon. I’d like to run an 8.5 minute pace but will totally be happy with 9 minutes. Six more weeks of training.

Momentum and Miles

16 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

alsicebucketchallenge, Boulder Marathon, LoBo Trail, LSD

Today’s run was a hot one. Hit 90° later in the afternoon. I suspect the temperature during the three hours I was out there was in the upper 80s. I drank 32 ounces of water. That’s a large amount for me. I might take some electrolytes along for tomorrow’s run. I had to stop after 15 miles today because my legs were ready to cramp. I was targeting 17 miles. Wasn’t the day for it. Great day though to take the ALS ice bucket challenge after the run. It almost felt self-serving to cool off. It doesn’t bother me that I had to walk in the final two miles. I learned young to set goals high. You might not reach them. It’s better though to come close, even if that brings disappointment, than to reach shallower goals. It was during my walk home I determined I would take the ALS ice bucket challenge.

I ran slow today too, the entire distance. I felt a bit sluggish starting off but figured a little LSD wouldn’t hurt for today. That’s running lingo for long, slow, distance. There are benefits to putting in the miles regardless of pace. Sometimes I’m even in the mood to run slow, and was today. I generally prefer a fast run though. I had a super fast eight miler on Thursday. I hit the LoBo Trail right after a hard rain shower. The cool air felt great. I didn’t wear a watch but I knew I was running fast. Felt awesome. I even ran a half mile fartlek at an accelerated pace. I did this after 4.5 miles when my legs were well warmed up. I’d like to be able to get in a fast run like this once or twice a week. Muscles have memory and mine remember running fast. My workouts are on pace for the Boulder Marathon in October. I’m gaining momentum as I log the miles.

Marathon Man

09 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

Boulder Marathon, Dallas White Rock Marathon

Lest you begin to think this is a hiking blog, I ran this weekend. Two massive 15 and 12 mile runs on the LoBo Trail, Saturday and Sunday respectively. I was confident on the distance because I ran this course a couple of months ago. I was a little less certain on my ability to recover for a repeat attempt Sunday, but I felt fine. No choice really. The Boulder Marathon launches from the Res in less than two months. Time to get into racing shape.

I’m pretty excited for this. It will be my first race in seven months. Missing the spring and summer racing season has been a disappointment. Fortunately I ran Austin and Moab this winter. I entered this year in great running shape. It will be interesting to see if I can pick up where I left off. I focused last weekend on strength training. I followed it up this weekend with distance. Hoping to maintain consistent eight mile runs from here on out with a bit of weights to avoid injury. Long runs on weekends.

I know that first running a half marathon or 10K is a sensible approach for a post-surgery recovery. That’s not how I think though. I know I can run a half marathon. I just did. I could run a 10K with that catheter still tethered to my bladder. A full marathon though is never certain. I want my return to racing to be a celebration of sorts. It needs to be a real challenge.

The photo up top is of my first marathon. I was 16 years old in my Junior year of high school. I ran alongside my buddy Mike O’Neill – whom I recently went on a week-long backpacking trip with across the Continental Divide. My first marathon is still one of the most difficult athletic feats I have ever accomplished. This last photo is of my most recent marathon in Austin this winter. My feet are off the ground in both pics! Otherwise, there’s a good thirty-five pounds difference between the two photos. I’ve run eight marathons in my lifetime. Two as a teenager and six since. Looking forward to number nine on October 5th.

On a sad note, our beloved German Shepard passed away Tuesday. Jack was a great dog, and a super companion to Brittany. He was ferociously loyal but also a sweetheart. Jack was never threatening to humans, although he looked the part sitting on the front porch. He absolutely loved other dogs. He wouldn’t fight them unless necessary. When little dogs would bite at him, Jack would either ignore them or slap their head with his big paw. Only twice did I see him attacked by large dogs and he defended himself well in those situations. We are comforted knowing he lived a happy life, and well past the normal 10 to 11 years for a Shepard. Jack, I know you are forever running in fields of mountain wildflowers at that big doggie ranch in the sky.

Acclimate

01 Sunday Jun 2014

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2014 Bolder Boulder, Brainard Lake, LoBo Trail, Millsite Inn, Salomon

Not the best week to jump from 3 to 8 mile runs. At first I thought maybe I fell drastically out of shape. I was running so slow it was hard to keep my balance. I ran faster though under cooler clouds Thursday. That confirmed for me that I am acclimating to the heat. And that I need to increase my focus on hydration.

I ran 12 miles Saturday on the LoBo Trail. The weather was in the 70°s. I can handle that. I wore my camelbak to remain well hydrated. Felt strong. Safe to say I’m recovered and I’m back. My expectations were to not be running for three months after my surgery. It’s only been two months and I’m back to running my old workouts. Maybe I should be bummed over having had cancer. Instead I feel fortunate. And 28 grams lighter.

Acclimating to the heat is one thing. To prep for my 80 mile backpacking trip along the Continental Divide at the end of June, I need to acclimate to the altitude. One mile high isn’t good enough. I need to get closer to two miles high. So that’s what I did this morning with Ellie. We drove up to Brainard Lake and hiked on the snowshoe trail. We could have used snowshoes in fact, the snow was several feet high in spots. It was good we both wore hiking boots and that we brought trekking poles. I didn’t expect this much snow at 10,000 feet, but apparently Brainard Lake is on the northeast side of the mountain. The road up to the lake itself is still closed.

We lunched at the Millsite Inn. The waitress said they just got a four foot dump of snow over Mother’s Day, and that it even snowed a bit early this morning. The Inn was out of many of their menu items – as usual. They said they were low on supplies due to the winter. Never mind they are open throughout the winter. Still, we had some good cheese burgers and listened to live music.

I was happy to test out my new hiking boots today. I post-holed several times into hidden streams flowing under the snow packed trail. The water-proof feature works. I’m not used to wearing boots and they feel a bit odd. Still, these Salomon Quest 4D GTX hiking boots are extremely light. I just need to get comfortable with the large footprint. Ellie and I plan to hike together the next couple of weekends. I need to find some trails at higher elevation that aren’t buried in snow. I’m currently reading through a trail book for Rocky Mountain National Park. Any suggestions, let me know.

Walking Boulder

26 Monday May 2014

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2014 Bolder Boulder, knee pain, Kristy Humes, Massage Envy, RMT, sartorius, Sebesta

When does Memorial Weekend start? For Ellie, school ended for summer break Thursday. For Karen and me, it started Friday evening with a couple’s massage. We’re currently on an alcohol abstention binge, so it seemed smart to substitute one form of relaxation for another. Happy Hour for Massage Envy. It worked out nicely. Kristy Humes, my registered massage therapist, gave me some tips on the knee pain I’ve had since last fall. Kristy suggested it is my sartorius which is a two-jointed muscle extending from the outside hip down and across the thigh to the inside knee. This video shows me how to stretch it.

I ran my longest distance of the last 2 months Saturday – five miles on Eagle Trail. I included the 200 feet in elevation climb up to Mesa Trail. I averaged just under a ten minute pace. That’s a good measure ( 2 minutes per mile) of the conditioning I’ve lost since my surgery. Adding injury to insult – I chaffed my inner thighs. Darn it. Still, I enjoyed extending my distance. The trail was muddy from all the rain but it didn’t bother me. I got in another good run Sunday. Eight miles. Huge! I intended to turn around after three but pulled a Forrest Gump and kept running.

Ellie and I woke up early today to walk the Bolder Boulder. We met up with Amy and the Sebesta girls for the bus ride down to the start. We jumped in the final wave and joined the party. The girls wanted to run at times and we ended up finishing quite a bit faster than I expected, in 1:50. That’s a 17:27 pace which is a few minutes faster than an average walking pace. Not bad considering the tens of thousands of walkers/runners we had to wade through. A pattern emerged wherein the girls would run on the downhills.

We met up with Wendy and Chase somewhere in the middle. They were dressed festive. This year’s Bolder Boulder reminded me of the last time I walked it about ten years ago with Brittany when she was Ellie’s age. I don’t know how many runners entered this year but the crowd in Folsom Stadium at the end was as large as for any CU Buffs football game. We watched the elite men and women races finish. I don’t think it was a fast day due to the heat, but those elites looked impressive. Makes me want to get into racing shape.

Plodding

18 Sunday May 2014

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Boulder Marathon, Eagle Trail

I ran with my team for the first time since having surgery. Not that I ran much further or faster than I’ve been running on my own, but there’s a confirmation of sorts when you discover you can maintain pace with others. It felt good. Ironically, both Steve and Jen are coming back from injuries too and like me had to keep their distance under four miles. We ran 3.75 miles on the Eagle Trail. Keith, the 52 year old birthday boy, kept running after we finished.

I can feel that I haven’t lost much fitness from my surgery. I was concerned a bit because the affects of the anaesthesia impacted my lungs for a few weeks. I need to give my body a couple more weeks of light duty before returning to my standard regimen. Waiting is a bit tedious but I don’t feel any pressure to rush things. I’ve accepted that I have to remain patient. I cancelled the Boulder Half and committed to simply walk the Bolder Boulder. I opted instead to volunteer as a road marshal for the Boulder Half. And the Bolder Boulder is more of a festival really, a celebration of running. Walking it with my wife and daughter will be satisfying enough. Changing my goals by continuing to participate, although not racing, helps overcome the plodding pace of my recovery.

In fact, I don’t have another race scheduled until this fall. The Boulder Marathon. I’m comfortable that I’m starting from a strong enough base to be ready for that. I don’t generally challenge myself with very aggressive goals for a marathon. Finishing seems like a reasonable accomplishment for that distance. Given my circumstances though, the shortened racing season, I might push myself. Targeting a fast time might not be as smart for this course. I could for the Denver Marathon – that’s a fast course. I don’t know that I should consider two marathons this fall though. My thoughts right now are to try maintaining pace with my buddy Chris. He’s a sub 3:30 marathoner. I want to see how far I can run at that pace. That’s the goal.

The Gap

11 Sunday May 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail, Running

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Buena Vista, BV, Collegiates West Loop, Colorado Trail, continental divide, high school reunion, Hope Pass, Mt. Princeton Hot Springs

Ran for the second day in a row. I dressed in tights and a light jacket to withstand the blowing snow and 38°, but man it felt so good. I can feel that I’ve lost my strength. My speed is back at zero. But I also can sense that I could regain my fitness fairly quickly with enough discipline. Thirty days will not create too large of a gap to overcome before my next big event. Of course, my next big event is no longer the Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day – I’ll be walking that with Ellie. My next race is now set for the fall – the Boulder Marathon. I took second in my age division last time around. The goal this year is to maintain pace with my buddy Chris Price and try to win my age group. This photo is of my last event two weeks before surgery – the Moab Half Marathon.

If I broaden my scope beyond simply running, my next big event is really an 80 mile hike along the Continental Divide on the Collegiates West Loop of the Colorado Trail. I’ll pick up Mike at DIA, Saturday morning June 21. He’ll fly out from his home in Atlanta. We’ll drive three hours directly to Buena Vista to hook up with Rob. This photo captures the three of us preparing for a 10K road race 35 years ago in high school. I know what you’re thinking. I haven’t aged much.

We plan to start from Twin Lakes and hike south toward Monarch Pass. This is where Mike and I gain our trail legs. The Twin Lakes Trailhead sits at 9200 feet off Hwy 24 and 82. The trail leads south/southwest and rises through Little Willis Gulch over the next six miles to 12,500 feet, peaking at Hope Pass (pictured here) – which is the highest point of the Leadville 100 trail run. This is an average 10% rise, which at altitude will have Mike and me breathing as hard as if we were running. I only mention me and Mike because Rob is a mountain goat. The trail then drops steeply, three miles through some switchbacks along Sheep Gulch down into Clear Creek which lays between 9800 and 10,000 feet. This 16% down slope should sufficiently shred all our knees. We’ll end our first day either here in Sheep Gulch or a few miles down along Clear Creek and set up camp.

We follow Clear Creek west along the Pack Trail for three miles and veer left (south) at the South Fork. We follow this course and reach Lake Ann after six additional miles. Assuming this is day two, we might rest here at 11,800 feet for lunch. We start up again heading south and rise up to a saddle at 12,600 feet after another mile. We quickly drop back down to 11,000 and bounce along a series of undulations between 11K and 11,200 feet before settling around 11,400 feet along the Timberline Trail. After eight and a half miles, we drop through Prospector Gulch to Texas Creek. This puts us back onto Pack Trail and we follow the creek for another four miles before crossing it. We could camp out somewhere within those four miles. After crossing Texas Creek, we rise up above treeline and continue for yet another four miles, veering onto the South Fork of Texas Creek until we reach Cottonwood Pass which sits at 12,200 feet. One of our cars will be parked here with a cooler of libations.

We’ll shuffle a car down to Monarch Pass, likely adjust our gear, and then eat a real dinner in BV. If we have time, we’ll also squeeze in a bath at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. The second forty miles of our backpacking trip will continue from Cottonwood Pass and end at Monarch Pass. The average elevation will hover at 12,000 feet. Despite it being the end of June, at this altitude there will be snow. The entire 80 mile hike will take either five or six days. We have enough time in our plan for contingencies. I agreed to this get together just after my surgery while still sporting a catheter tethered to my bladder. A boy needs goals. I had no ideal then if I’d be prepared but now that I’m running again I feel fully confident I can hang with these guys. Time to close the gap.

Milestone

10 Saturday May 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Boulder Bookstore, Chautauqua, groin pain, Mesa Trail, Prostatectomy, Sushi Hapa

Running has never felt so good. After over five weeks convalescing and walking, I ran three miles today. My expectations were set for July, but my Urologist did tell me I might be back within a month. I ran the same trail along Left Hand Creek that I’ve been walking everyday. I don’t know if I can express how much reaching this milestone means to me emotionally. I had a silly grin on my face the entire run. Running means more to me for my mental health than physical. I feel like this could be the end of the health-related distractions and lack of focus. I’m back.

My groin began to hurt half way through the run. That was less than ideal, and a bit of a surprise. I was monitoring my abdominal pain, breathing and dizziness. My stomach didn’t hurt until after I stopped running. While walking a quarter mile cool down, my scars tightened. My PT yesterday taught me how to massage my incisions in a circular fashion to break up the scar tissue. I’ll put some emphasis on doing that. I was mostly nervous over my breathing and dizziness because I’m still somewhat freaked out by the impact from four hours of anaesthesia. Thankfully I was fine.

My groin pain wasn’t extreme by any means but it did help me confirm my commitment to not exceed three miles. Pushing myself to the point of injury doesn’t buy me anything. A one or two mile run would have provided me the same level of satisfaction and confidence that I am progressing. I’m not in a race, I just need to demonstrate forward progress. There are times when you need to run through some discomfort. There are times when you need to train through injury. This is not one of those times. I emailed my PT to ask about what I should think about the groin pain. She responded within a few hours, on a Saturday, with advice. She’s a keeper. I describe Jenn in more detail on my prostate blog.

photo removed
Feeling totally stoked, I wasn’t done for the day. Ellie and I went for a two mile hike on Mesa Trail in Chautauqua Park. Such perfect weather to be outside. Hard to imagine the forecast for snow and sub-freezing conditions the next two days. We followed up the hike with lunch at Sushi Hapa, a browse through the Boulder Bookstore, and some light shopping at the Farmer’s Market. Ellie bought the next three books in The Maze Runner series at the bookstore. I bought some bread and two tomato plants at the farmer’s market. Wow, today is only half over. What’s next?

Volunteer

05 Monday May 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Boulder Spring Half Marathon 2014, Jessica Dillon, Nicki Fong, Nuta Olaru, race results

Sunday morning’s Boulder Half Marathon was on my calendar. I planned to run initially but opted out for volunteering instead. My expectations were set to serve as a road marshal. I got there a bit too early though, at 6:15, so was assigned an additional task. I had to control access to Valhalla Road to ensure runners didn’t park in that street’s neighborhood. This positioned me where the race leaves the Boulder Res onto the Boulder back roads. I suspect that is why the race director then just had me work that position as a road marshal. My job was to point runners down the road, and then back into the Boulder Res on their return. This photo of the 5 mile women’s top 3 finisher, Nuta Olaru, captures my control point. Amazingly, according to the published race results, Vicki Fong took both first and second place, but I somehow didn’t see her or any other woman pass by before Nuta.

I don’t recall ever volunteering for a road race. Ever. I’m always a participant. I volunteered for this really more for myself. It was an attempt to stay positive while not being able to participate. I need to stay out there. From a working perspective, I can tell you volunteer roles are organized chaos. Despite all the planning that must go into these events, the race director was clearly making decisions on the fly. Probably a new decision every minute or two. He no doubt has experience at this but pretty impressive. I expected I might enjoy this and I did.

Probably what lead to my enjoyable experience is that I truly like watching runners run. Especially elite runners, which was the case for the 5 mile event. It was a USAA Track & Field Colorado Championship event. Watching these athletes simply stand, let alone run, leaves me slack-jawed. I wonder if I ever looked that fit in my youth.

The other aspect of volunteering that I found enjoyable was the dialog with the various runners who would say thanks and a few other words. So many really nice people. And watching them experience a race was cool too. Especially on their return. They had nearly a quarter mile to finish when they passed me on their return. Whether they looked strong or totally exhausted, they all shared the same determination. A few couldn’t make it. One woman was clearly ready to fall to the ground. Her partner was escorting her. Tragically, another woman dropped from a heart attack 100 yards past me. Twenty year old Jessica Dillon later died at the hospital. It is unknown at this time if she had a pre-existing condition. I had to call medical assistance for yet another guy who was severely dehydrated. The race results don’t capture this but an eighty plus year old woman finished the half in under four hours.

The whole time I worked alongside an impressive amateur athlete about my age. Her name is Fran. She recently completed the Boston Marathon. She related to me that she likes to volunteer for a few events every year in order to give back. I might start doing the same. This final photo is of the half marathon winner, forty year old Darrell Railsback. He ran 1:19:20. Pretty speedy for a forty year old. That’s Fran at the top of the hill.

Moab 2014

15 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

lodging, Moab Half Marathon, race results

After a super nice dinner last night at Jeffreys, I sleep well and wake up Saturday morning by 6am. Karen and I are staying in the Entrada room at Cliff Rose Flats. Nicely appointed room with a Moab theme; a couple of blocks from the park where I pick up the bus for the race start, and where the race ends. I’d consider staying here again.

I gear up and head over to the Red Rock Bakery for a couple of coffees. Karen is up too. I buy coffee here every year because it’s good and the Irish guy running the place is cool to talk to. Upon returning to Entrada, I eat some sheep’s milk yogurt, breakfast bar, and a Naked juice. I top my coffee off with some of Karen’s and head over to the buses at 7:30. I spill some of the coffee onto my fleece warmups on Hwy 128. It’s a bumpy ride in school buses.

It’s a long wait for the start. The half doesn’t launch until 10am. This event needs time for the logistics of busing 4000 runners up the canyon. I don’t find Keith until 9:30. I find him at the gear truck. We reluctantly strip down to the minimum race gear and toss our bags in the truck. Keith leaves on two ugly, long-sleeve t-shirts that he plans to leave on the side of the road before the gun fires. Smart way to stay warm. I have my share of ugly shirts. In fact, I have the same ones Keith has.

It’s only cold when the wind blows, which is randomly gusty. The temperature is in the upper 40s. The gun fires and we cross the starting line fairly quickly as we are lined up only about 30 yards back. Still, the first mile is crowded. This is one of the most crowded races ever. Hwy 128 is extremely narrow and without shoulders. One side is mostly bordered by a 2000 foot cliff. The other by a drop into the Colorado River. I’m hoping to run faster than last year’s 8 minutes for the first mile. My Garmin captures a 7:20 at mile one. I probably didn’t need to run quite that fast. My goal is to average a 7:30 mile for this run.

I’m able to run faster as the crowd thins out and record a 6:56 for mile two. I don’t really want to break 7 minute miles so I try to run with a bit more discipline. I don’t feel winded though, although I’m breathing a bit heavy. Mile three comes in at 7:07 and mile four comes in at 6:58. A bit fast but steady. I see Abby at this time but she slows down at the water station and I don’t see her again. I finally smooth out my pace a bit in mile five which comes in at 7:23. Both miles six and seven are 7:33. Exactly what I want to run. I want to hold this pace. And I seem to be doing just that.

I see these times after uploading them to Garmin.com. I stop looking at my watch after mile two because I lost the GPS signal and don’t trust the results. I don’t feel like I need the Garmin either. At least not while running. I do like reviewing my splits online after the race. I know I’m running well because I’m breathing hard while my legs don’t feel heavy. So no oxygen debt. This is like walking a tight rope and I’m walking it without a net. Well actually I do have a net. If I hit oxygen debt, I’ll slow down.

I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold this pace. Doubtful for the entire distance. I could slow down now to save energy. That’s a typical strategy when you’re racing a heat and simply need a certain time or place to qualify for the next heat. I’m not doing that. And because this could be my last race for a fairly long time, I’m just going for broke. I’m going to run hard until I can’t anymore. That happens soon enough.

I run mile eight in 7:31 and the ninth mile in 7:26. This feels great. I’ve been passing runners non-stop the entire course. The tenth mile leads uphill and is paired with a wicked wall of wind. My pace drops dramatically. I know about this hill and was prepared to accept slowing down for it. This massive wind was not anticipated and I didn’t expect to slow down quite this much. A few runners pass me and makes me question if it isn’t something else. They have the same wind and hill. I pull out a gel in case this is a nutritional thing. I finish it before reaching the top. My pre-race plans included the hope that I could fly down this hill. That doesn’t happen and I run mile ten in 8:03. A dramatic thirty second slow down.

The 1:40 pace sign catches me – I’d passed them somewhere in the first half. I resolve to run with them. Since I started a minute or two behind them, hanging with them will have me under 1:40 – which is exactly what I want. Then a freakish thing happens. My hat blows off and I have to turn around to chase it in the wind. This is probably good for a ten second hit to my pace, but I keep running hard. I finish mile eleven in 7:50. I don’t catch back up to the pace sign though.

Two more miles remain. I think I have it in me to run faster, but I’m content to hold my pace. I’m not sure if I’ll meet my goal of running a 7:30 pace. I don’t care too much now because I ran some really satisfying miles. Mile twelve comes in at 7:44 and the final mile in 7:49. A bit off the 7:30 pace I want but I ran enough well under. My Garmin and the official race results are oddly off more than usual. My Garmin captures my total time in 1:39:18 and a 7:29 pace. The race results show a 1:39:19 and a 7:34 pace. I imagine the pace from the race is correct and the Garmin was off from losing its GPS for a bit. Doesn’t matter much. I didn’t beat last year’s time but was only about 30 seconds off. You can never compare these races apples-to-apples, because of the wind. In my mind, I ran about like last year and met my pace objectives almost spot on.

Karen and I meet up for dinner tonight with the rest of Jabe’s Running Team at the Cali Cochitta where a number of them are staying. Half the runners in this pic live in my neighborhood. Shoot, many of them on the same street. We figure, if we add in Fred (not pictured), eight runners are from Tenacity Street in the ‘hood. Most everyone seemed to have a good run today. The wind did not spare anyone. Likely all will be back next year.

Colorado River

13 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Colorado Hotel, Moab Canyonlands Half Marathon

We drove out this afternoon for Moab and stopped for the night at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. We’ll leave for the final stretch to Utah in the morning. Nearly the entire drive on I-70 is alongside the Colorado River. This photo is what the race course will look like near the start Saturday. The first ten miles run through the Moab Canyonlands alongside the Colorado River. Simply spectacular. If you’re looking for something to motivate you to train through the winter, consider the Moab Half.

This is my fourth Moab Half in a row. For whatever reason, it’s a fairly competitive race. More so than the Boulder Half in May. I don’t expect to be competitive but I am hoping for a personal record. I hate to make commitments for such a long distance race, but right now I feel like running hard. Might be an issue that I’ve barely trained the last two weeks, but I’m going to consider it tapering. Karen and I are enjoying the Hotel Colorado tonight. It’s nice to cut the drive to Moab in half.

Keep Austin Weird

08 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Alamo Draft House, BCRT, Flemings, Johnny Martinez, Moab Half Marathon, Susan Collier, Tomo's, Top Golf

Got in a couple more miles in Austin today before flying home. Thirteen more to be exact. My flight isn’t until 8:30 tonight. Too late to make Steve’s poker game. Not too late to see Karen after my three weeks away. Ellie will be at a sleep-over. I imagine Karen will have already eaten dinner. Maybe she’ll want to stop off for a drink somewhere. Of course it’ll be after 10pm. We’ll think of something.

I had some good runs down here. I ran 26.2 miles across the streets of Central Austin – surprisingly fast (for me) in 3:45 and felt good doing it. I had a fantastic trail run at Pedernales Falls – a state park with special memories for me. I ate at my favorite restaurants and discovered some new ones – from sushi to steakhouses. Saw a movie at the new Alamo Drafthouse at Lakeline.

I hung out with family; eating multiple plates of sushi bombs followed by quail egg shooters at Tomo’s, ate the best Thai ever. My father-in-law plied me with a 2011 Round Pond cab sav and bought me one of the best ribeyes ever at Flemings in the Domain. I played several rounds of Cards Against Humanity – always a riot. I also saw some old friends. Visited Ray Johnson in San Antonio where I drank home brew better than I can buy in a store. I met up with Johnny Martinez in Austin. This was a complete surprise as my sister ran into him in the grocery store. We first synched up at a Starbucks but went out last night to Top Golf. If you haven’t been to a Top Golf locale, think bowling. No, think swanky outdoor club with fire pits and live music and dance floor. No, think pub food. It’s hard to describe but pretty fun.

My run today was in the quintessential Central Texas rain and mist. Actually great for running. I planned to run down on Town Lake for my last day but Mom wasn’t feeling well so I opted to stay close by. I ran 13 miles on the Brushy Creek Regional Trail. Fairly pedestrian but really nice with the creek, Live Oak and Texas Cedar. My knees don’t care for the pavement but a good half of it is softer trail. Next weekend is Moab. That will be my last run for awhile. Which is fine. I have a sore knee that could use the time off. I’d like to squeeze in another snowshoe or two with Karen. I’ll need something to blog about.

Wolf Mountain Trail

01 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

Pedernales Falls, Texas Hill Country

Busy week. I have a project with looming deadlines. I somehow found time to visit my buddy Ray in San Antonio Thursday night. He hosted me at his house to display his home brew. I sampled three or four (that night’s a bit fuzzy), and preferred his American Ale. In fact, I emptied the keg dry of that brew. Ray was flush with other beers though from German Kölsch to Hefeweizen. Ray took up the brewing hobby in early January and does everything but grow the seeds himself. He buys grain and yeast from Europe, and even hand grinds the grain. Completely buzzed, we dined later in the evening at Perry’s Steakhouse. Very nice.

It’s Saturday morning now and I find myself driving through a rainy mist to the Texas Hill Country. I was 22 years old during my last trip to Pedernales Falls State Park. My brother and I were floating down the spillway and I got carried over a 10 foot waterfall. I flipped over and landed on my back on a big flat rock protruding from the water. Steve had to carry me out of there. I limped around for a good month. Today marks my return. Hoping things go better this time around.

I take MoPac out of Round Rock. Traffic is light until the junction of Hwy 290 with Hwy 71 in Oak Hill. When are they going to do something about this? It’s been horrible for decades. Just as the mist clears to blue sky, FM 3232 sneaks up on me as there is no sign for the State Park. Odd considering I doubt anyone takes this road to Johnson City. Pedernales has to be the primary destination. The Park Ranger is located a few miles past the park entrance. I stop to pay the $6 use fee. I also pick up a green bandana that contains a print of the trail map. Brilliant. I’ve noticed many Texas runners wear bandanas to guard against gnats, which can be abundant along creeks and rivers. I think it’s fair to call the scarf a bandana rather than a kerchief, because it’s worn around the neck rather than to cover the head.

The trailhead starts just beyond the Park Ranger Station. The course design qualifies as a lollipop, although I don’t run it that way. I intended to by running the nearly 2 mile stick and then doing a couple of loops around the pop. Signage is poor though and I run more of an out and back route with a smaller loop at the end around Wolf Mountain. I also run up and back a couple of trail spurs to other unnamed trailheads. The lollipop route would be under ten miles. My meandering gets me over 12 miles.

Much of the trail is wide double track. Some cool single track presents itself deeper into the trail around the loop. I cross three different wet creeks, first Bee Creek, then Mescal Creek and Tobacco Creek. The water is low and I’m able to clear them without getting my shoes wet or muddy. I stop on my way back at Jones Spring. Not much water here either but enough to dip my bandana and hat. I’m fairly baked at this point and thank this watering hole for aiding my return to the trailhead without walking.

I’m happy with myself for making the 50 mile drive to Pedernales Falls. Sure, I got a bit lost at times but I love running new trails that I’m not familiar with. Honestly, a few wrong turns only add to my enjoyment. This is why I run trails. They require total attention. There’s no day dreaming. Time stands still as I live in the present. I don’t think about yesterday’s problems. I’m not planning my future. I’m fully engaged navigating turns in the trail while managing my footfalls. Some work days actually go like this. It might sound like how a stoner gets through mundane tasks, but I find it the perfect way to live. This was a great run.

Oxygen Therapy

22 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Austin Marathon, BCRT, Moab Canyonlands Half Marathon

I’m currently training in Austin for my next big event, the Moab Half Marathon on March 15th. My plan is to leverage the oxygen at low altitude for the next couple of weeks to train at a faster pace. Success will be demonstrated by a PR in the Half at Moab. I PR’d there last March with a 1:38. Considering I just ran the first half of the Austin Marathon in 1:42, I think I have a shot at it. I just need to teach my body how to run faster. For distance runners, speed is learned.

This picture captures my kick in the Austin Marathon last Sunday. Both feet off the pavement. That’s a little oxygen in my step. If I’m going to be running in Austin for three weeks, I’m going to run fast. I think I wrote of my 2014 plans in one of my end of year blogs that my goal would be to simply maintain. And it’s still true that I reached a level of fitness last year that I am more than pleased with. And that I obtained an equilibrium of sorts with my race pace. I was rarely competitive in terms of placing but I oftentimes felt like I was racing which is what it’s all about for me. I suggested I would be more than happy to simply enjoy a 2014 on par with my 2013. No need to improve.

Turns out, I expect to take some time off from running this spring. Maybe longer. Priorities. Moab might be my last race for awhile. Possibly all year. So I’m motivated to go out with a bang. Not sure what to expect as a target but breaking a 7:30 pace would be nice. Working against me will be 4000 feet of elevation. Austin will allow me to push my heart rate higher. Great opportunity for fartleks and tempo runs. But three weeks is also enough time to lose the benefits of altitude adaptation. It comes down to oxygen therapy. Real or hype? I got in a nice 13 mile run today in 73° on the Brushy Creek Regional Trail. Ran it slow though. Still working the kinks out from last Sunday.

Austin Hills

16 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Marathons, Running

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Austin Marathon, Results

I wake up at 4:30 central standard time. I make the coffee and my mom is up shortly after. I prep my race food by peeling two oranges and cutting up two small bananas. My brother will follow me around the second half of the course to keep me fed. He wakes up at 5:30 and we drive downtown. Having a race crew is very nice. Steve drops me off on 15th St., a couple of blocks east of the race start. I teach him how to take pictures with my iPhone and he drives off into the darkness for breakfast somewhere.

I have 45 minutes to get my mind into race mode for 26.2 miles. Naturally, I’m anxious over this marathon. I’m also a little bummed though that I won’t be snowshoeing with Karen. We went snowshoeing the last five weekends in a row. Maybe not how most runners train for a marathon. Karen and I will hook back up in the spring to snowshoe some new trails. For this race, I feel like I usually do. I simply can’t believe the people who typically suck my time are granting me four hours to go run. The weather is pleasant for standing around in shorts and my short-sleeve jersey. It’s 57° and is only expected to warm up another ten degrees. The Mayor of Austin, who sounds very much like Kris Kristofferson, says some words. A lady sings the National Anthem. Next thing I know, I’m running through the streets of downtown Austin.

I’m in the top half of the 18,000 runners. The crowd doesn’t begin to thin until we’re on South Congress after two or three miles. I’m okay that my first mile is in 7:55 but suspect I’m running too fast as my second mile comes in at 7:17. I consciously slow down. My third mile clocks in at 7:40. Still a bit fast. The Congress Avenue hill helps to govern my speed by the fourth mile which is 7:58. I hoped to average an 8:30 pace the first six miles. Mile 5 is in 7:39 and mile 6 is in 7:45.

The mile 6 aid station begins a downhill segment heading north on South First St., back toward downtown. I planned to maybe stretch out my legs on this downhill for a couple of fast miles but change my game plan and stay conservative given my fast start. I stop monitoring my Garmin with the intent of not looking at it again until the half way point. My Garmin upload though reports I run miles 7, 8 and 9 in 7:21, 7:31 and 7:34 respectively. I’m seriously surprised by this given my dearth of winter training but suspect it’s due to the low altitude. The half marathoners split off toward downtown half way into mile ten on Exposition. This section is fairly hilly and the 3:25 pace sign passes me – which is probably good. I run mile 10 in 8:01, mile 11 in 8:11 and mile 12 in 8:30. Finally on pace. I’m thankful I’m not hurting yet. I try eating one of my FRS fuel candies but it’s hard and difficult to eat. I start thinking about how old they are. Five years maybe. I switch to my Honey Stinger gummy bears and eat up the 200 calorie bag by the half way point, which the official clock shows me reaching in 1:42. This pace would have me qualify for Boston, but I’m beginning to slow down.

I encounter Steve around mile 16 at Allandale, captured in the first picture above. I eat some oranges and banana. Miles 13, 14, 15 and 16 come in at 8:36, 8:26, 8:22 and 8:39. This is the pace I want to run but begin to slow down even more. I feel good in terms of energy and breathing but my legs tighten up on the 16th mile. Miles 17, 18 and 19 come in at 9:01, 8:42 and 8:48. The second photo is at 19 miles. Mile 20 marks the turn south back toward downtown. I run this in 9:09, mile 21 in 9:01 and mile 22 in 9:23. Mile 23 is a bummer as my right hamstring cramps with very little notice. I hit the pavement to recover and only lose about a minute, running mile 23 in 10:48. I’m careful after this and purposely keep my pace slow in order to successfully finish.

I pass one of my favorite Austin eateries at mile 24 – the Hyde Park Bar & Grill. Karen and I lived nearby before moving to Colorado in 1989. I recall running down this stretch of Duval back then. It’s a downhill slope toward the UT campus. I typically ran loops around the Hancock Golf Course one block east of Duval on 38th St. Both Steve and my sister Nancy are here. Nan gives me two PowerIces that contain the electrolytes I badly need. I hand her my sunglasses that I haven’t needed. Thankfully the sun never breaks through the clouds today. Still, the humidity is high. I’m not used to running drenched in sweat. We perspire in Colorado too but it’s a dry sweat. I run mile 24 in 9:49.

I know I’m going to finish my ninth marathon as I pass the Posse East, my old UT watering hole, and begin running across campus. Confidence is always a good feeling. Endorphins alter my consciousness. Emotionally charged thoughts of my sister and brother waiting for me at the finish race through my mind. My throat tightens and my eyes moisten. If you’ve ever run a marathon or ultra, or done something similarly stupid, then maybe you’ve experienced this too near the end. I find myself in awe that I’m still alive and doing this. I “find religion” as they say. I fully appreciate God letting me know He’s there, although happy to know He’s simply passing through. Running this marathon is my way of letting Him know that when He comes for me for reals, He better send all four horsemen riding white, red, black and pale. I’m going down swinging. I run mile 25 in 9:43.

I regain composure as I spy the hill after 15th Street. I need all my faculties as this incline challenges my cardio. It’s like the blood flow reverses direction in my arteries and veins. My heart is rewinding. What sort of twisted race director designs the course up such a steep hill right before the finish? I’m finding his email address. Two seconds ago I was near hallucinogenic believing I was a couple of minutes away from finishing. Part way into this hill, that result suddenly becomes much less certain.

I look up to the top of the hill. Form. I pump my arms. I begin popping up my knees before my feet can fully hit the pavement. I could run up a waterfall with this form. I look at my Garmin to see I’m only running a 10:50 pace. Hmm. If only effort equaled speed. I crest the hill and turn right onto 11th St. I pass the 26 mile sign and let my legs unwind downhill toward Congress Ave. I think again of my sister and brother meeting me at the finish. Here’s their picture eating brunch later at Hyde Park Bar & Grill. Just as powerful as the tearful emotion earlier, euphoria washes over me strong enough to make heroin jealous. I’ve felt this way before near the end of a big run. I got a little emotional near the end of my first ultra. Same with finishing the 500 mile Colorado Trail. There is something about successfully completing an objective with such high odds of failure. Like Sandra Bullock taking her first steps on the beach after riding that Chinese rocket down to Earth in Gravity. This is why I run marathons.

I run the 26th mile in 9:44 but my Garmin has that completed right before the hill. My Garmin mile 27 is nearly a half mile long, although it should only be about 200 yards. Garmin has me running the final half mile in 4:19 – which captures the hill. My Garmin does agree with the final result though with a 3:45:50. About 15 minutes faster than I thought I could run with my limited winter training. 551st place overall. At this point in time I am giving credit to good execution on my nutrition plan. I think this because I finish feeling good. No post race cramps or vomiting. Not to say walking to the car isn’t a bear as swelling consumes my legs. I counter this with a Bloody Mary at the Hyde Park Bar & Grill. I’m fine now.

Austin Again

15 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Austin Marathon

I run the Austin Marathon tomorrow morning. This picture is of me after finishing the 2011 Austin Marathon. It makes me appear seemingly fine. The race was a disaster. I started hurting after only ten miles. I’m still surprised I even finished. There was quite a bit of walking involved after 16 miles. My time was a disappointing 4:23, my slowest marathon ever. My only other race out of eight marathons where I couldn’t break 4 hours was Steamboat – another disaster – last spring. I completed Steamboat in 4:13. I hope to run right at 4 hours tomorrow. That will be a 9 minute per mile pace. I would like to do this feeling comfortable and avoiding muscle cramps. I expect to do this with smart in-race nutrition and hydration. I have a history of forgetting to eat and drink so wish me luck.

I arrived in Austin earlier today on a Southwest flight. Steve picked me up at Austin-Bergstrom Int’l and drove me directly to the Palmer Events Center to pick up my race packet. It was called Palmer Auditorium when I last lived here. Actually we stopped for lunch first at Threadgills across the street. It was convenient free parking. Service was a bit slow but the waitress was a sweetheart. Gave us drinks to go. Palmer was a party atmosphere. I discovered I won’t get the race shirt until – and if – I cross the finish line.

I like to wear the race shirts and now won’t be able too. Instead I’ll wear a recent newby – my ultra bright yellow, Colorado Club Championship Flatiron XC hi-tech t-shirt. I might be chilly standing around at the start in 57° but it’ll warm up to 70° by the time I finish. Short sleeves are the way to go. I’ll pair that with my black PEARL iZUMi ultra running shorts. They have awesome pockets for food and a built-in brief that wraps around the upper thigh like tights to mitigate chaffing. I’ll add blue with my Boulder Marathon running hat and blue CW-X ventilator compression socks. The German Olympic rainbow outfits will have some competition for color tomorrow.

For nutrition, I’ll carry a Cliff Shot Blocks at 200 calories. A bag of Honey Stinger Energy Chews (think gummy bears) for 160 calories. Six FRS healthy energy chews at 40 calories each for another 240 calories. And four Hammer Endurolytes to mitigate muscle cramps. I typically don’t eat half the crap I carry. That might be okay because my brother Steve intends to serve as my race crew. He’ll meet me at 3 points in the second half of the course with bananas, oranges and frozen PowerIce. I also expect Steve to take professional grade photos. Steve is currently attending two different parties in downtown Austin. I plan to wake him up before 5:30 am to drive me to the race. My bib# is 2401 for anyone who wants to track me with the race iPhone app. I launch at 7am CST.

Twenty Mile Warmup

08 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Austin Marathon, training

With below zero temps all week, I trained Monday through Thursday on that little elliptical machine to the right of this picture. Juxtapose this shot of me to that contraption as I just walked in from a twenty mile romp over snow packed trails in 32°. This is my last chance to prep myself for the Austin Marathon on February 16th.

The idea of running twenty miles today, and the eighteen I ran last weekend, is to establish confidence with the marathon distance. It’s too late to actually get in shape. In fact, a number of runners would be tapering these last two weeks. I just don’t have that luxury. I have a job and family commitments that don’t allow me to fully live up to my self-centered, narcissistic potential. And no way would I trade the weekend snowshoeing with Karen for a few more miles. We’re headed back up to Brainard Lake tomorrow to experience all this fresh snow.

While I felt super slow today, I actually ran thirty seconds faster per mile than on last weekend’s eighteen miler. I’m losing confidence that I’ll maintain a nine minute mile pace next week, but that’s not critical. Goal number one is to run comfortable. If that means a ten minute pace – fine. I do expect to start off with an eight and a half minute pace. Hard not to with the excitement of a big event. I’ll try to settle down as I cross Lady Byrd Lake on Congress Avenue at mile two. I’ve run this before so I know what to expect on hills. I’ll run easy up South Congress and unwind a little coming down South 1st. I’m confident I’ll run well and enjoy this event. I’m ready.

	Ed Mahoney on Summer Heat
	georgeschools on Summer Heat
	Anonymous on BB10K
	georgeschools on BB10K
	Terry Collier on BB10K

A Runner's Story

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Twenty Mile Warmup

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