After cresting the 200 mile barrier for the first time in a month ever this past May, I figued I would have no problem killing that total in June, especially given I was running my first 100 miler on June 4th.
Well, as you know, I ran 14 miles short of 100 miles on that day. then I went to China and did not run for four days in a row. Having gotten sick there I didn't run for a few days after I got back. *BAM* June was gone and there were many days when I was never running.
But luckily, I was able to create a new "high" for a month and with 12 miles today, ran 211.37 miles. My goal for the year is to run 2007 miles. Aren't I creative?
In other news, I have put in a request to the race director of a 65 mile relay in New Hampshire to allow me to run the race solo. I am not sure if he will let me (haven't heard back from him yet) but I really hope so. I would love to race against teams of people!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
A little 5k
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 2; 11th Edition
287 miles raced in 2007
Race: Bluemont Park 5k
Place: Arlington, VA
Miles from home: 3
Course Difficulty: 3 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 5 out of 10
Weather: 90plus degrees and humid
Finishers' Medal: N/A
My friend Liz Jones, a prolific and speedy runner (if I recall correctly she ran over 60 races last year and routinely is in the top three women in in any race she enters) told me about a little 5k coming up after work on Thursday.
Even though temps here in DC have been ungodly lately when combined with the humidity, I figured this would be a fun race to try. I more or less knew where the course would be run and it would be mostly flat.
So, after work, I hurried over to Bluemont Park in Arlington to join the NOVA runners club in a low-key 5k. Cost? $1 for non club members. How fun is that? Bib numbers and all!
There really is not much that I can write about a 5k. If anything it felt a little long (just about 5 or 10 seconds each way on the out and back) but then again, it might have to do with the fact that it was probably 93 degrees at the start at 6:30 pm! We started off at a park and immediately joined a running trail that I have been on a few times. Within half a mile we joined a trail I have run probably 100 times and I knew every turn of it. I also knew that right around the turnaround point there was a very short but very steep hill.
This race was more or less a chance to see if I had recovered at all from two tough June races and also a chance to run in anonymity. I told no one about this race. I did not want friends there I did not want good luck wishes, I just wanted to run. I also wanted to see what I have in store for me for my attempt at a mile PR in a week. I still think it is too soon to say for sure but I have a feeling it will be very hard to break 5 minutes next weekend. I just have not rested enough and have not trained for such a short distance enough to give it a hugely realistic chance. But I will still give it a shot!
After staying with the first two guys in the race for about half a mile, I thought perhaps I could catch them after the turn. But the hill got me and I settled into third place. I felt certain a guy behind me was going to pass me. However, when he simply stayed on my heels for about half a mile, pride overtook the heat and tiredness and I thought: "Well you are going to have to work for this one buddy."
Under a small overpass and back up a hill, the guy behind me was nice enough to shout a little "To the right!" when I almost made a wrong turn. We finished just a few seconds apart but I was able to hold him off.
There were only 26 race participants but it was still a fun night. The overall winner and age group winners got to take home little potted plants (provided by Andresa Hart of Northern Virginia Running Club) which because I took 3rd and the guy who took second was my same age, left me empty-handed. darn it! plants are pretty!
Here are the top 10 finishers.
1 Ted Poulos M 45 McLean VA 17:52 1
2 David Wertz M 31 Falls Church VA 18:03 2
3 Dane Rauschenberg M 31 Arlington VA 18:45 3
4 Ben Stanley M 24 Falls Church VA 18:47 4
5 Charlie Mercer M 37 Arlington VA 18:58 5
6 Rick Poppleton M 54 Alexandria VA 19:37 6
7 Bert Klein M 46 Arlington VA 20:35 7
8 Chuck Grasmeder M 36 Arlington VA 21:26 8
9 Mark Becker M 50 Alexandria VA 21:28 9
10 Elizabeth Jones F 30 Midland VA 22:03 1
They do this once a month and unfortunately I will not be able to join them in July as I will be heading to Washington to run a 189 mile relay. But if you have a chance, go down and give this little 5k a shot. they run south next month and I hear that part of the course is flat as a pancake.
And there was free watermelon!
287 miles raced in 2007
Race: Bluemont Park 5k
Place: Arlington, VA
Miles from home: 3
Course Difficulty: 3 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 5 out of 10
Weather: 90plus degrees and humid
Finishers' Medal: N/A
My friend Liz Jones, a prolific and speedy runner (if I recall correctly she ran over 60 races last year and routinely is in the top three women in in any race she enters) told me about a little 5k coming up after work on Thursday.
Even though temps here in DC have been ungodly lately when combined with the humidity, I figured this would be a fun race to try. I more or less knew where the course would be run and it would be mostly flat.
So, after work, I hurried over to Bluemont Park in Arlington to join the NOVA runners club in a low-key 5k. Cost? $1 for non club members. How fun is that? Bib numbers and all!
There really is not much that I can write about a 5k. If anything it felt a little long (just about 5 or 10 seconds each way on the out and back) but then again, it might have to do with the fact that it was probably 93 degrees at the start at 6:30 pm! We started off at a park and immediately joined a running trail that I have been on a few times. Within half a mile we joined a trail I have run probably 100 times and I knew every turn of it. I also knew that right around the turnaround point there was a very short but very steep hill.
This race was more or less a chance to see if I had recovered at all from two tough June races and also a chance to run in anonymity. I told no one about this race. I did not want friends there I did not want good luck wishes, I just wanted to run. I also wanted to see what I have in store for me for my attempt at a mile PR in a week. I still think it is too soon to say for sure but I have a feeling it will be very hard to break 5 minutes next weekend. I just have not rested enough and have not trained for such a short distance enough to give it a hugely realistic chance. But I will still give it a shot!
After staying with the first two guys in the race for about half a mile, I thought perhaps I could catch them after the turn. But the hill got me and I settled into third place. I felt certain a guy behind me was going to pass me. However, when he simply stayed on my heels for about half a mile, pride overtook the heat and tiredness and I thought: "Well you are going to have to work for this one buddy."
Under a small overpass and back up a hill, the guy behind me was nice enough to shout a little "To the right!" when I almost made a wrong turn. We finished just a few seconds apart but I was able to hold him off.
There were only 26 race participants but it was still a fun night. The overall winner and age group winners got to take home little potted plants (provided by Andresa Hart of Northern Virginia Running Club) which because I took 3rd and the guy who took second was my same age, left me empty-handed. darn it! plants are pretty!
Here are the top 10 finishers.
1 Ted Poulos M 45 McLean VA 17:52 1
2 David Wertz M 31 Falls Church VA 18:03 2
3 Dane Rauschenberg M 31 Arlington VA 18:45 3
4 Ben Stanley M 24 Falls Church VA 18:47 4
5 Charlie Mercer M 37 Arlington VA 18:58 5
6 Rick Poppleton M 54 Alexandria VA 19:37 6
7 Bert Klein M 46 Arlington VA 20:35 7
8 Chuck Grasmeder M 36 Arlington VA 21:26 8
9 Mark Becker M 50 Alexandria VA 21:28 9
10 Elizabeth Jones F 30 Midland VA 22:03 1
They do this once a month and unfortunately I will not be able to join them in July as I will be heading to Washington to run a 189 mile relay. But if you have a chance, go down and give this little 5k a shot. they run south next month and I hear that part of the course is flat as a pancake.
And there was free watermelon!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Race Survey
I was asked to answer a few random questions about some races. So, here you go!
1. First Race ever:Do the Hershey Track and Field races count (in elementary school)? Or the 800 meter in high school? Or the 5k I did in law school?
2. Race with the hottest weather:Cayman Islands in 2006. 78 degrees with 100% humidty at 5am.
3. Race with the coldest weather:Varies. Temp was 12 in Beltsville, MD (GWB Marathon). But windchill is a toss-up between a few others
4. Race with the most rain:Nova Scotia Marathon in the tail end of Tropical Storm Beryl.
5. Race with the most "perfect" weather:Niagara Falls Marathon Oct 2006
6. Best-organized race:Drake Well Marathon
7. Worst-organized race:Orlando Xtreme Marathon
8. Flattest race with no hills:Drake Well Marathon
9. Race with the most hills:Leadville Marathon
10. Race with the best refreshments:JFK 50 miler. They had real food when you needed REAL FOOD.
11. Race with the worst refreshments:Hmm. A few to mention. None out weighing the other. Basically anythingwith Ultima. Can't stand the stuff.
12. Race you were most excited about beforehand:Drake Well Marathon
13. Most enjoyable race:Anyone I finish.
14. Least enjoyable race:Ones where controllable things are not controlled.
15. Race where you were in the most physical pain:Leadville Marathon. More or less because of the Estes Park Marathon before hand coupled with Leadville's difficulty
16. Race you are most proud of, and why: Presque Isle Endurance Classic. 84 miles in 12 hours.
17. Race you are least proud of, and why: Races where I leave anything on the table.
18. Fastest race you've run, considering the distance: Considering the distance? What the heck does that mean?
19. Race where you knew the most other people running it: Hmmm. So many to choose from I am unsure.
20. Race with the most runners: NYC Marathon
21. Smallest race with the fewest runners: Drake Well Marathon: 21 starters, 20 finishers.
22. Furthest race from your home: Dalian, China Marathon
23. Closest race to your home:Marine Corps Marathon. Mile 2 is at my doorstep.
24. Race with the best crowd support:NYC has most supporters. I still like MCM
25. Race with little or no crowd support:Many.
26. Race where you did much better than you expected:Niagara Falls Marathon. First sub-3.
27. Race where you did much worse than you expected:First marathon.
28. Race where your photos looked the best:Buffalo Marathon
29. Race where your photos looked the worst:Plenty.
1. First Race ever:Do the Hershey Track and Field races count (in elementary school)? Or the 800 meter in high school? Or the 5k I did in law school?
2. Race with the hottest weather:Cayman Islands in 2006. 78 degrees with 100% humidty at 5am.
3. Race with the coldest weather:Varies. Temp was 12 in Beltsville, MD (GWB Marathon). But windchill is a toss-up between a few others
4. Race with the most rain:Nova Scotia Marathon in the tail end of Tropical Storm Beryl.
5. Race with the most "perfect" weather:Niagara Falls Marathon Oct 2006
6. Best-organized race:Drake Well Marathon
7. Worst-organized race:Orlando Xtreme Marathon
8. Flattest race with no hills:Drake Well Marathon
9. Race with the most hills:Leadville Marathon
10. Race with the best refreshments:JFK 50 miler. They had real food when you needed REAL FOOD.
11. Race with the worst refreshments:Hmm. A few to mention. None out weighing the other. Basically anythingwith Ultima. Can't stand the stuff.
12. Race you were most excited about beforehand:Drake Well Marathon
13. Most enjoyable race:Anyone I finish.
14. Least enjoyable race:Ones where controllable things are not controlled.
15. Race where you were in the most physical pain:Leadville Marathon. More or less because of the Estes Park Marathon before hand coupled with Leadville's difficulty
16. Race you are most proud of, and why: Presque Isle Endurance Classic. 84 miles in 12 hours.
17. Race you are least proud of, and why: Races where I leave anything on the table.
18. Fastest race you've run, considering the distance: Considering the distance? What the heck does that mean?
19. Race where you knew the most other people running it: Hmmm. So many to choose from I am unsure.
20. Race with the most runners: NYC Marathon
21. Smallest race with the fewest runners: Drake Well Marathon: 21 starters, 20 finishers.
22. Furthest race from your home: Dalian, China Marathon
23. Closest race to your home:Marine Corps Marathon. Mile 2 is at my doorstep.
24. Race with the best crowd support:NYC has most supporters. I still like MCM
25. Race with little or no crowd support:Many.
26. Race where you did much better than you expected:Niagara Falls Marathon. First sub-3.
27. Race where you did much worse than you expected:First marathon.
28. Race where your photos looked the best:Buffalo Marathon
29. Race where your photos looked the worst:Plenty.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Track workout
It got hot here in a hurry. Oh well, that is what it does in the summer.
That said, one expects it to cool off in the evening. One (re: Dane) does not expect it to still be 90-something degrees when you head to the track for a workout.
That said, I love the track. So definable. So finite. (Well, if an oval can be finite, that is). No guess work on how far you have run or how far to go. Right there on the reddish-orange surface (I wonder why that is the standard for tracks? I am still angry my high school, when it finally moved out of the 19th centruy and switched from a 286 meter cinder track[yes, you read that correctly; an 800 meter was 2 3/4 laps] to a 'real" track did not use our school colors of brown and gold for coloring the lanes) it s marked for both your pleasure and pain.
Given all I have had go wrong in June and still I am still not fully right in the ole GI area (and I am not talking go joe!) I did not expect much fro my workout. But I was going.
S0 when I saw we were doing 3 sets of alternating 800 meters and 1200 meters with a 200 meter and 400 meter rest between them respectively, I thought: "Ugh".
But about 30 minutes later, I had run every 800 under 2:50 and every 1200 under 4:25. Sweating buckets, thirsty as heck, I could not have asked for more given the conditions.
The track can chew you up and spit you out. But it can also redeem you. Next weekend, when I shoot for a sub-5 mile for the first time in over 13 years, I will see if this workout was foreshadowing or simply a sign that I still have it in me but need more work.
Regardless, every day, if I want to do so, I can run. So I do.
That said, one expects it to cool off in the evening. One (re: Dane) does not expect it to still be 90-something degrees when you head to the track for a workout.
That said, I love the track. So definable. So finite. (Well, if an oval can be finite, that is). No guess work on how far you have run or how far to go. Right there on the reddish-orange surface (I wonder why that is the standard for tracks? I am still angry my high school, when it finally moved out of the 19th centruy and switched from a 286 meter cinder track[yes, you read that correctly; an 800 meter was 2 3/4 laps] to a 'real" track did not use our school colors of brown and gold for coloring the lanes) it s marked for both your pleasure and pain.
Given all I have had go wrong in June and still I am still not fully right in the ole GI area (and I am not talking go joe!) I did not expect much fro my workout. But I was going.
S0 when I saw we were doing 3 sets of alternating 800 meters and 1200 meters with a 200 meter and 400 meter rest between them respectively, I thought: "Ugh".
But about 30 minutes later, I had run every 800 under 2:50 and every 1200 under 4:25. Sweating buckets, thirsty as heck, I could not have asked for more given the conditions.
The track can chew you up and spit you out. But it can also redeem you. Next weekend, when I shoot for a sub-5 mile for the first time in over 13 years, I will see if this workout was foreshadowing or simply a sign that I still have it in me but need more work.
Regardless, every day, if I want to do so, I can run. So I do.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Marathoner up for an ESPY
This doesn't happen that often!
This is a little plug for a fellow marathoner...and a good one at that! Amy Palmiero-Winters has been nominated for an ESPY Award!
Some of you might recognize her as she was featured in Runners World magazine this spring. Follow this link and vote for her (it literally takes 10 seconds). She is listed under "Best Female Athlete with a Disability".
She is also actually from my rival high school in NW PA. Let's hear it for her!
This is a little plug for a fellow marathoner...and a good one at that! Amy Palmiero-Winters has been nominated for an ESPY Award!
Some of you might recognize her as she was featured in Runners World magazine this spring. Follow this link and vote for her (it literally takes 10 seconds). She is listed under "Best Female Athlete with a Disability".
She is also actually from my rival high school in NW PA. Let's hear it for her!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Dalian Translation
Thanks to my friend Jana I have am much better translation of the article I posted the other day. (Too bad no one understands I do not pracice law and therefore don't get that good salary that comes with it!)
p.s. No idea where the "handsome" thing came in either but I'll take it!
p.p.s. Continuing with my wieght blog, yesterday I was 176.5. This morning after my 12miler I am 170.5. Can you see why this is maddening?
Super Runner “No Limit” Run 2193 Kilometers a Year
(One handsome face shot)
Dane Rauschenberg is not only a patent lawyer, but also a US amateur marathon runner “without limit”. Last year, he run 52 marathons in 28 states, a total of 2193 kilometers. Due to the record of 52 marathons within a year, Dane also becomes the third super marathon runner in the world who finishes one marathon per weekend within a year. For Dane, marathon is not simply a sport, it’s his lifestyle.
This is Dane’s first trip to China. He will participate in the 21st Dalian Marathon on June 17th. He said he liked China very much and would like to come to the Olympics in Beijing next year. He also hopes he can help motivate more Chinese marathon runners to enjoy this sport.
What made Dane stands out is not just he runs a marathon every week and works a full time job at the same time. What’s more important is through marathon, Dane is raising $52,000 for the L’Arche, an international charity organization which helps people with a mental handicap regardless of races and social backgrounds. “My plan is to raise $1000 a week,” Dane explained and he named it Fiddy2.
Fiddy2 was formally launched on Jan 8th, 2006. Dane ran the marathon in Disney Park, Orlando, Florida. During the first 6 months of Fiddy2, Dane’s average was 3:29, but in the last 6 months, his average increased to 3:13, a 16 minutes improvement. In addition, he also made a donation link on the website for people who support this organization. To date, more than 26,000 people have visited the website. People from all walks of life are drawn to his marathon lifestyle. Some of Dane’s inspiring words are, “I always wanted to challenge my limits in sport.
To be able to realize my dream through marathon is especially rewarding. Many people think about how much they can get from life, but I think life is only meaningful when one cherishes what he owns and makes good use of it. It is this belief that makes me strong enough to finish the marathons. I believe I can reach the fund raising goal in the near future. Meanwhile, the faith gives me strength and will make things happen.”
Dane graduated from Pennsylvania State University. His busy work schedule requires him to work more than 50 hrs a week. But this doesn’t stop him from running marathons or raising funds for the mentally handicapped people. He raises funds, trains for marathons and shares the details of each race with friends and supporters on the blog. If there’s one thing that concerns Dane, that’ll be the costs for traveling in between different cities. As a lawyer, Dane has a fairly good income, but he still needs to plan everything carefully. But Dane will not give up because of this. He is determined to raise $52,000, he said.
(Handsome Dane with Li-Ning Shoe Picture)
Dane runs for charity, without limit of professions, locations, frequencies and distances. He is a super runner without limit. Li-Ning Corporation donated the latest professional marathon shoes and the 2008 Olympics Mascot. We hope Dane does well in the Dalian Marathon, moves closer toward his charity goal, sets new record and keeps challenging himself.
(Handsome Dane with Mascots)
p.s. No idea where the "handsome" thing came in either but I'll take it!
p.p.s. Continuing with my wieght blog, yesterday I was 176.5. This morning after my 12miler I am 170.5. Can you see why this is maddening?
Super Runner “No Limit” Run 2193 Kilometers a Year
(One handsome face shot)
Dane Rauschenberg is not only a patent lawyer, but also a US amateur marathon runner “without limit”. Last year, he run 52 marathons in 28 states, a total of 2193 kilometers. Due to the record of 52 marathons within a year, Dane also becomes the third super marathon runner in the world who finishes one marathon per weekend within a year. For Dane, marathon is not simply a sport, it’s his lifestyle.
This is Dane’s first trip to China. He will participate in the 21st Dalian Marathon on June 17th. He said he liked China very much and would like to come to the Olympics in Beijing next year. He also hopes he can help motivate more Chinese marathon runners to enjoy this sport.
What made Dane stands out is not just he runs a marathon every week and works a full time job at the same time. What’s more important is through marathon, Dane is raising $52,000 for the L’Arche, an international charity organization which helps people with a mental handicap regardless of races and social backgrounds. “My plan is to raise $1000 a week,” Dane explained and he named it Fiddy2.
Fiddy2 was formally launched on Jan 8th, 2006. Dane ran the marathon in Disney Park, Orlando, Florida. During the first 6 months of Fiddy2, Dane’s average was 3:29, but in the last 6 months, his average increased to 3:13, a 16 minutes improvement. In addition, he also made a donation link on the website for people who support this organization. To date, more than 26,000 people have visited the website. People from all walks of life are drawn to his marathon lifestyle. Some of Dane’s inspiring words are, “I always wanted to challenge my limits in sport.
To be able to realize my dream through marathon is especially rewarding. Many people think about how much they can get from life, but I think life is only meaningful when one cherishes what he owns and makes good use of it. It is this belief that makes me strong enough to finish the marathons. I believe I can reach the fund raising goal in the near future. Meanwhile, the faith gives me strength and will make things happen.”
Dane graduated from Pennsylvania State University. His busy work schedule requires him to work more than 50 hrs a week. But this doesn’t stop him from running marathons or raising funds for the mentally handicapped people. He raises funds, trains for marathons and shares the details of each race with friends and supporters on the blog. If there’s one thing that concerns Dane, that’ll be the costs for traveling in between different cities. As a lawyer, Dane has a fairly good income, but he still needs to plan everything carefully. But Dane will not give up because of this. He is determined to raise $52,000, he said.
(Handsome Dane with Li-Ning Shoe Picture)
Dane runs for charity, without limit of professions, locations, frequencies and distances. He is a super runner without limit. Li-Ning Corporation donated the latest professional marathon shoes and the 2008 Olympics Mascot. We hope Dane does well in the Dalian Marathon, moves closer toward his charity goal, sets new record and keeps challenging himself.
(Handsome Dane with Mascots)
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wait a minute...
I don't run a marathon until September?!
Feeling still particularly wiped out and in a general all around blah mood falling last weekend's debacle, I was looking ahead to some of my races and realized the next time I have a scheduled marathon will be September 9th, 2007 (which will ironically be the 252nd day of the year). That means, 88 days will have passed between the Dalian marathon and this marathon.
When I ran the George Washington Birthday marathon in February, it felt like it had been months since I ran my last marathon of Fiddy2. It had been 49 days.
I have to go back to 2005 when I ran the San Diego Marathon in June and then did not run another marathon until the Marine Corps in October to find a lull of this size. Granted I have a plethora of races in between these two marathons but damn that seems like a long time to wait.
So as soon as I can shake this damn sickness I am going to be on the roads again building up miles and speed. With this type of layover I should have no excuses come my trip to Erie which, last year, began the real true "running" of Fiddy2. Why do I say that? Well, on Grandparent's Day, with most of my family seeing me run any race at all for the very first time, let alone a marathon, I qualified for Boston for the first time during Fiddy2. Given the connection my marathons have to my grandparents (you wll have to buy my book if I can ever find a publisher for it) this irony was delicious.
From that point on, barring the disastrously hot Cayman Islands Marathon, the slowest marathon I ran was a 3:16 and I qualified for Boston 10 more times. Included in there was the 2:59, 3:03, 3:05 trifecta of Niagara Falls, Marine Corps, and NYC.
So this might be a lot of pressure to put on one race but without pressure what fun would it all be? Some people like to keep their goals to themselves so that if they do not reach them no one has a printed record of that. Well, eff that.
My goal is to run a 2:49 in Erie. Or less. Blam.
Good weekend and happy running to all.
Feeling still particularly wiped out and in a general all around blah mood falling last weekend's debacle, I was looking ahead to some of my races and realized the next time I have a scheduled marathon will be September 9th, 2007 (which will ironically be the 252nd day of the year). That means, 88 days will have passed between the Dalian marathon and this marathon.
When I ran the George Washington Birthday marathon in February, it felt like it had been months since I ran my last marathon of Fiddy2. It had been 49 days.
I have to go back to 2005 when I ran the San Diego Marathon in June and then did not run another marathon until the Marine Corps in October to find a lull of this size. Granted I have a plethora of races in between these two marathons but damn that seems like a long time to wait.
So as soon as I can shake this damn sickness I am going to be on the roads again building up miles and speed. With this type of layover I should have no excuses come my trip to Erie which, last year, began the real true "running" of Fiddy2. Why do I say that? Well, on Grandparent's Day, with most of my family seeing me run any race at all for the very first time, let alone a marathon, I qualified for Boston for the first time during Fiddy2. Given the connection my marathons have to my grandparents (you wll have to buy my book if I can ever find a publisher for it) this irony was delicious.
From that point on, barring the disastrously hot Cayman Islands Marathon, the slowest marathon I ran was a 3:16 and I qualified for Boston 10 more times. Included in there was the 2:59, 3:03, 3:05 trifecta of Niagara Falls, Marine Corps, and NYC.
So this might be a lot of pressure to put on one race but without pressure what fun would it all be? Some people like to keep their goals to themselves so that if they do not reach them no one has a printed record of that. Well, eff that.
My goal is to run a 2:49 in Erie. Or less. Blam.
Good weekend and happy running to all.
I'm big in China
Weight
I have never really been all to concerned with how much I weigh. this is not because I haven't been a little heavier than I am now. In fact, in college, while playing rugby, I peaked at about 225. While I was undoubtedly not in great shape, I obviously was able to at least play well enough to make the second string team.
That said, I use the scales more as a guideline than anything. How I actually feel and whether I like what I look like in the mirror mean far more to me. I think that is a healthier idea of body image and fitness anyway. Even if I did not, I would go crazy trying to figure out my body in any other fashion.
Case in point: while I know I already lose a lot of weight in a marathon, and that my weight fluctuates so much in a day that it is really something for a case study, this week has been quite odd.
Sunday (before the marathon): weight was 171
Sunday (after): 163
Monday Night (remember, my Monday was 12 hours longer than most of yours because of my flight home): 167
Tuesday night: 166.5
Wednesday night: 175
Thursday night: 173
That is really sorta ridiculous when you look at at it all. Not more than a few weeks ago I had been 181. And for the vast majority of Fiddy2 my weight stayed in the mid 180s with it actually hitting plus 190 at times.
Just some food for thought (pardon the pun) on how weight itself is hardly the best indicator of your health.
That said, I use the scales more as a guideline than anything. How I actually feel and whether I like what I look like in the mirror mean far more to me. I think that is a healthier idea of body image and fitness anyway. Even if I did not, I would go crazy trying to figure out my body in any other fashion.
Case in point: while I know I already lose a lot of weight in a marathon, and that my weight fluctuates so much in a day that it is really something for a case study, this week has been quite odd.
Sunday (before the marathon): weight was 171
Sunday (after): 163
Monday Night (remember, my Monday was 12 hours longer than most of yours because of my flight home): 167
Tuesday night: 166.5
Wednesday night: 175
Thursday night: 173
That is really sorta ridiculous when you look at at it all. Not more than a few weeks ago I had been 181. And for the vast majority of Fiddy2 my weight stayed in the mid 180s with it actually hitting plus 190 at times.
Just some food for thought (pardon the pun) on how weight itself is hardly the best indicator of your health.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Stats
For someone who is not particularly fond of math, I love playing with statistics. One of the cool parts of running 52 marathons in one year was being able to crunch so many numbers in such a short span of time.
When the year began, I had no idea that I would eventually get to the point where I would actually be improving my time and trying to set a new PR virtually every week. I figured I would be hanging on for dear life to finish them all under 4 hours, which was my original plan.
Of course, if you followed my running last year you know that the Leadville Marathon killed that campaign as the only marathon in North America the first weekend in July 1st (at an altitude exceeding 13,000 feet) had me pulling in a time of 5:17. Sure it was good enough for a top 50 placing but going over 4 hours rankled me to no end. Especially since if I had the money or the time I easily could have jetted over to Brussels (the next closest marathon to D.C. that weekend) and ran a flat fast course and easily gotten under 4 hours. Alas, I don't have a silver spoon in my mouth and had to keep working my job to pay the bills.
Over time I have come to grips with that anomaly of a time and have accepted it. When 2007 started, my goal was to never run a marathon over 3 hours again, barring injury or advanced age (like 20 years down the road). When the year's first marathon started with a blisteringly cold day in Greenbelt, MD and a time of 3:14, I thought" Well there goes that idea!"
Soon, I was off to Michigan to run another marathon and in spite of the race falling apart at the end I was able to keep a pact with myself by eking out a 2:59:58.
In Korea, I planned on walloping that time and 30k into the race was on a 2:49 pace. If you read that recap you know about the unknown to runners hills which appeared in the last 7 miles. Hence the 3:09.
No problem, let's head to Frederick, MD. The 3:03 there easily would have been sub-3 if not for the 30mph headwinds over the last 4 miles but I was fine with that given the Charity Chaser event I had done where in I started dead last and had to weave through a crowd. Following a very relaxed 5k the night before in one of my fastest 5k times ever, I thought the ship was righted.
Unfortunately, the Dalian Marathon, stomach flu (or whatever it was) and all of its accoutrements hit me like a ton of brick. By running a 4:40, I increased my lifetime average in 69 marathons by a minute and 9 seconds. Mother effer. Luckily I have a friend who is a lover of stats as much as I am who pointed out that I only need to average a 3:05:30 for my next 5 races to get back to where I was before Dalian. Of course, I don't even have 5 marathons planned for the rest of the year yet and have only run sub 3:05:30 three times in my life. Even then, I will only be back to where I was June 16th. Damn you stomach flu!
So here I sit with a lifetime average of 3:22. to be honest that kind of pisses me off. I have run nearly 70 marathons. That time will not be moving much with each marathon I run (unless I run another 4:40). while I was lucky to be able to run as many marathons at the speed I did last year, the sheer volume has doomed me. I would have to run 70 marathons at a 2:58 or so just to move my average to a #:10 Boston Qualifying time. And I have no real intention of running 70 more marathons.
Then again, if some things go my way in the near future I might be running far more than I planned!
When the year began, I had no idea that I would eventually get to the point where I would actually be improving my time and trying to set a new PR virtually every week. I figured I would be hanging on for dear life to finish them all under 4 hours, which was my original plan.
Of course, if you followed my running last year you know that the Leadville Marathon killed that campaign as the only marathon in North America the first weekend in July 1st (at an altitude exceeding 13,000 feet) had me pulling in a time of 5:17. Sure it was good enough for a top 50 placing but going over 4 hours rankled me to no end. Especially since if I had the money or the time I easily could have jetted over to Brussels (the next closest marathon to D.C. that weekend) and ran a flat fast course and easily gotten under 4 hours. Alas, I don't have a silver spoon in my mouth and had to keep working my job to pay the bills.
Over time I have come to grips with that anomaly of a time and have accepted it. When 2007 started, my goal was to never run a marathon over 3 hours again, barring injury or advanced age (like 20 years down the road). When the year's first marathon started with a blisteringly cold day in Greenbelt, MD and a time of 3:14, I thought" Well there goes that idea!"
Soon, I was off to Michigan to run another marathon and in spite of the race falling apart at the end I was able to keep a pact with myself by eking out a 2:59:58.
In Korea, I planned on walloping that time and 30k into the race was on a 2:49 pace. If you read that recap you know about the unknown to runners hills which appeared in the last 7 miles. Hence the 3:09.
No problem, let's head to Frederick, MD. The 3:03 there easily would have been sub-3 if not for the 30mph headwinds over the last 4 miles but I was fine with that given the Charity Chaser event I had done where in I started dead last and had to weave through a crowd. Following a very relaxed 5k the night before in one of my fastest 5k times ever, I thought the ship was righted.
Unfortunately, the Dalian Marathon, stomach flu (or whatever it was) and all of its accoutrements hit me like a ton of brick. By running a 4:40, I increased my lifetime average in 69 marathons by a minute and 9 seconds. Mother effer. Luckily I have a friend who is a lover of stats as much as I am who pointed out that I only need to average a 3:05:30 for my next 5 races to get back to where I was before Dalian. Of course, I don't even have 5 marathons planned for the rest of the year yet and have only run sub 3:05:30 three times in my life. Even then, I will only be back to where I was June 16th. Damn you stomach flu!
So here I sit with a lifetime average of 3:22. to be honest that kind of pisses me off. I have run nearly 70 marathons. That time will not be moving much with each marathon I run (unless I run another 4:40). while I was lucky to be able to run as many marathons at the speed I did last year, the sheer volume has doomed me. I would have to run 70 marathons at a 2:58 or so just to move my average to a #:10 Boston Qualifying time. And I have no real intention of running 70 more marathons.
Then again, if some things go my way in the near future I might be running far more than I planned!
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