2014 Twin Cities Marathon

Goal: Sub-2:50 and hang with some of the guys in my AG if training and conditions were good. And I told people. Pretty much anyone who asked. This was unlike me as I usually have goals in mind but don't usually throw them out there, especially stretch goals like this one. But as I wrote on my FB page last week it was time to "go big or go home".

Results:     2:48:21 chip time, 2:48:22 gun time

6^th in AG out of 465

90^th of 4854 males overall

104^th of 8847 total finishers

Overall Masters podium:

Mbarak Hussein, 49            2:22:26

Michael Wardian, 40           2:22:44

Jason Ryf, 43                      2:24:54

Looking through the results, I also believe that I was the third place Minnesota resident masters finisher. Last year that was good for $100.

This whole U.S. masters marathon championship stuff started after Boston this year. A friend of mine convinced me to contact the professional recruiter for this year’s race. I sent him an email asking some questions and he replied that he would put my name on the list and let me know. I didn’t expect anything to happen but a couple weeks later I received an email telling me that I was granted an entry as a professional in the race.

Cool. Except I hadn’t planned on running a fall marathon and this meant I would have to train. And be serious about it. Damn.

Fast forward to this weekend. As one of the "professional" runners (and being referred to in that way in all the communication from the race never got old) there was a hospitality suite at the host hotel for us. It is where we went to check in, pick up our bib and credentials, and get free food and beverages. Also, this means we didn't have to mix with the commoners at the expo.

Seriously, I felt completely out of place but I won't lie, getting an elite bib with my name on it was cool.

There was also a mandatory meeting on Saturday where they went over the logistics for Sunday morning, course, drug testing stuff, etc. They had some Q&A and the ones I found interesting were the discussions surrounding the elite fluid tables. The 30 top men and 30 top women were allowed 8 total bottles for the designated spots in the race. That would have been really cool but I ain't that fast to get that perk.

Race morning: I wake up at 5:00am and have a blueberry bagel, two bananas, a bottle of Powerade, some water, one granola bar, and then one Gu 15 minutes prior to the start. I drive to downtown Minneapolis and park near the hotel where they have reserved a big room for staging us. It is chilly outside so this is very nice. Just hanging out, listening to tunes, some small talk and the added bonus of having nice bathrooms and no real lines. One could get very spoiled.

About 7:25am we are escorted a couple blocks to the start where we have a cordoned-off area with our own porta-johns for last minute use and our own bag check. Which means we get to use whatever bag we brought with us and aren't limited to the clear plastic official race drop bag. I took off my sweats, left a long sleeve throwaway on and did a couple slow jogs up the block and back.

Then I put my bag in the truck, used the bathroom one last time, and listened to the national anthem. The wheelies took off at 7:55am and we were allowed into the corral. I did a couple run-outs and that was that. Took off my throwaway and it was go time. I’ve never started this close to the front of a race this large, around so many accomplished runners. It was kind of exciting. That's me on the far right, about the third row, in the black and orange hat and white top.

Garmin data:

Miles 1-3     6:15, 6:29, 6:14

As much as I have improved at easing into marathon pace the last few races, for some reason I went completely noob and busted out off the line. My mind knew it was too fast but the body didn’t listen. I saw the clock at one mile and realized it was probably best to slow the hell down. And the big hill during mile 2 helped. Of course the downhill side had me right back under 6:20. Maybe it was the excitement, or the starting near the front, or maybe it was my subconscious knowing I was going for it today.

Miles 4-6     6:20, 6:22, 6:17

I hit the 5K mat about 30 seconds ahead of where I planned. I managed to find some self control and dial it back a touch. Still, the weather was almost perfect and I just felt good. I found myself in a small group with a couple runners, the pace felt right, so I just decided to cruise along. I am also totally focused on running tangents and the absolute shortest possible route. I don't want to make this any longer than needed.

Miles 7-9     6:21, 6:17, 6:22

The 10K clock had me 40 seconds faster than I had wanted. I usually have a plan for the first 10K and while I was fast I wasn't too freaked out. At this point we are running past the third of four lakes and I take some time to enjoy it. This race bills itself as “The most beautiful urban marathon in America” and I really think it is. We turn onto a parkway at the south end of the lake and I see my wife and youngest daughter at mile 8. Always good to see smiling cheering faces. My wife is yelling, "Looking good! Just run your race. Run YOUR race"! For some reason I remember what Quinn wrote in his Avenue of the Giants RR – something about being at a suicide pace and just saying, fuck it, I’m going to hang on as long as I can. And while the little group I was with kind of broke apart, I've been hanging with this guy for a couple miles which has been helpful.

Miles 10-12     6:17, 6:18, 6:18

I’m still cruising along and am trying to block out the fact that I’m well ahead of plan. This pace still feels good but that little voice in the back of my mind is telling me I might pay for it. We are circling the fourth lake coming up on halfway and the turn to the river. I’ve also been keeping to my plan of alternating water and Powerade at each water stop.

Miles 13-15     6:22, 6:27, 6:20

And just like that what I knew to be true was right in my face. 1:23:19 for the half. Damn, damn, damn. Just over a minute ahead. I had thought a nice 1:24:30 would be perfect. Can't do anything about it now.

Also, during mile 14 I feel something like a hunger pang. It caught me a little off guard. So I took the one Gu I had with me at the next water stop. Not sure what it was it but the Gu seemed to help.

Miles 16-18     6:26, 6:20, 6:23

I see a friend of mine at 17 and it lifts my spirits. She is an accomplished marathoner who is taking a shot at sub-3 next year. I’ve helped her in the past and it was great to see her out there with her family cheering me on. This is a stretch in marathons that has been tough for me in the past. This course is very pretty along the river, nice crowds and all, but it seems to take forever to get to the bridge to cross into St. Paul.

Miles 19-21     6:24, 6:24, 6:30

After crossing the river I pick off a couple of the elite women who have faded a bit through this section. I’m using runners ahead of me to help concentrate as I know the climb is coming up. And my legs are starting to burn and for the first time the thought that I fucked this up with my fast first half crosses my mind. Combine that with a couple short, steep-ish hills in this section and I know the last 10K is going to be interesting.

Miles 22-24     6:40, 6:40, 6:31

Probably the toughest part of this course for most runners. After the climb up off the river road the hill going up Summit Avenue isn’t really that bad but coming at this point it feels a lot bigger and steeper and it is a couple miles long. However it is also the section that you can pick up a lot of places and I pass 9 runners. I run a lot of hills during training and mentally I'm prepared for them in races. Just past mile 23 it flattens out and there is a huge cheer zone sponsored by my LRS that is always crazy. I have a lot of friends, as well as my family, going nuts when I run by.

I also do the math and even though I know I’ve been ahead of plan it really hits me that I have a cushion to break 2:50. It's the first time I let myself really believe this is going to happen today.

Miles 25-finish     6:36, 6:26, 5:59

But just like that mile 25 sucked. Sucked hard. I swear I had a quarter mile stretch where it just seemed I couldn't get my legs to turn over. Mile 25 ends with the last little uphill on the course. It isn’t much but it seems like Everest to me. Didn't I mention I run a lot of hills in training and I was mentally prepared? Yeah, all that shit isn't helping me right here, right now. My legs now feel like they are toast. But I also want that 2:50 bad and when I see the clock at mile 25 it is a shot of adrenaline. 2:40 and change! I tell myself that I got this, I own this 1 point fucking 2 miles to go. Get me to the Cathedral and the downhill. This does rejuvenate me a bit and can feel my pace quicken and some life getting back into my legs.

The finishing stretch is one of the best of the marathons I’ve done. With ½ mile to go you run past the beautiful St. Paul Cathedral with its bells ringing and from there it is downhill to the last 100 yards or so. From the Cathedral you can see the huge U.S. flag flying over the finish line right in front of the State Capitol. As I got to the bottom of the hill I really tried to pick it up and manage some sort of kick at the end. I see the clock and can barely believe my eyes. It doesn't seem real that I am well under 2:50. I cross the line and as I lurch to a stop I almost tip over. I really left it all on the course and a volunteer grabs me. I ask him just to stand still for a minute because it feels so good to just stop moving.

Post-race: The last little perk. The volunteer who grabbed me escorted me to the elite tent. It is heated, has changing rooms, food and beverages, massages, etc. I sit down with a water and the volunteer went to get my gear bag and my finisher shirt. I think I love him and damn, I could get used to this after my races. I decompress and head into the changing room. I hang out a little bit after and talk with some of the other runners and then head out to catch a ride back to mile 24 and meet some friends and family.

Lessons learned: I probably went out too fast but I’m not that disappointed with a 1:23:19/1:25:02 split on this course. I proved to myself I could push it a little more than what I’ve been comfortable with in the past. However there were a few times in the last 8 miles I think I was right on the edge. It was a test for sure.

I also think I could have used more miles in this training cycle for the goal I was shooting for. It has been a few years since my legs have been as sore the day after as they are today. Yes I beat my goal but I think I was right on the edge those last 8 miles. Other pertinent details:

Weather:   36 degrees, light westerly wind, mostly overcast. I prefer it to be maybe 5-10 degrees warmer but it was about as good as I could have hoped for this time of year. Last weekend we hit 80 here for a high. It warmed to 42-43 by the time I finished. I originally planned on arm warmers with the singlet but changed my mind after I got to the race in the morning. I decided a compression shirt base layer underneath would be better. I just hate being anything close to cold. I nailed it though as I felt perfectly comfortable the whole race. Never too warm or too cold. A hat, throwaway cotton gloves (that stayed on the whole time), compression socks, and Nike LunaRacer 3 shoes were the rest.

Training: I decided to hire a coach for this marathon. I took this invitation seriously and I wanted to train seriously and have another layer of accountability. I have been a fan of the Hanson Brothers philosophy and used one of the guys on their staff. It worked out very well. Check my log for details but just under 20% of my miles were MP or faster. Speed work was highlighted by long interval stuff and MP miles. Every long run was negative split or fast finish.

This was really a cool experience and a race that frankly I didn’t think I had in me. Running a sub-2:50 at age 50 for me was a nice thought but something I really questioned would happen. I’m not sure what’s next. The training for a marathon is a long and taxing grind for a fleeting couple hours of race day work. I don’t know how much more time I would be able to shave off especially since, well, I’m 50 years old.

One thing this past weekend did was keep me motivated to go after some goal. Maybe I need to focus on dropping my ½ marathon PR below 1:20. I haven’t really taken a serious shot at that one. But I'm going to take a while to enjoy this race before I start thinking seriously about what is next.

I agree! Wow! What a great race and great report! 

Amazing, Fuzzy. That is just amazing. To me, 8 miles seems so long to have to hold on at the end of a marathon, but you did it, and you pretty much crushed your goal of a sub 2:50. Reading your report, I would have guessed that the point of no return would have been the halfway point when you saw you were a minute ahead.

Hotel staging area, no lines for the toilets, changing room, professional status... Be honest, did you feel like a rock star for one morning? That had to have been a lot of fun. Equally amazing are the times in your AG. The friends that I like to race with always laugh because it seems like the older we get the faster the times get. Great, great, great race, Fuzzy. Your family and friends must be super proud of you.

Amazing, Fuzzy. That is just amazing. To me, 8 miles seems so long to have to hold on at the end of a marathon, but you did it, and you pretty much crushed your goal of a sub 2:50. Reading your report, I would have guessed that the point of no return would have been the halfway point when you saw you were a minute ahead.

 

Hotel staging area, no lines for the toilets, changing room, professional status... Be honest, did you feel like a rock star for one morning? That had to have been a lot of fun. Equally amazing are the times in your AG. The friends that I like to race with always laugh because it seems like the older we get the faster the times get. Great, great, great race, Fuzzy. Your family and friends must be super proud of you.

Thanks Brad. I really only felt like I was "holding on" during a couple miles, especially 25. I just know I was really close to the redline for those last 7-8. But like I tell my daughters now that they are old enough to understand, sometimes when you really want it, it is going to hurt. Believe that once in a while your body can accomplish some really good things if your brain gets out the way and lets it.

We don't read about experiences like this one often, around here. Great race, Fuzzy! Thanks so much for sharing!

This is so cool, Fuzz! 

My friend from college ran as well, and he was about 9 minutes behind you!

Fuzzy:

Thank you for the really great RR.  Glad you shared your thoughts and results with us commoners.  Seriously I am sure you have by your actions taught your daughter and kids that hard work and perseverance pay off and that they will remember that their entire life.  For that you should be proud.

One thing this past weekend did was keep me motivated to go after some goal. Maybe I need to focus on going to a Journey Concert. I haven’t really taken a serious shot at that one.

FYP.

BTW, when is your book signing?

Well done, next year looks like there might be a new challenger in the 50-54 AG.  Congratulations.

Hey, you BQ'd!  WOO HOO!!