Race Report
Sat, June 28/08
Slacker Half Marathon
Loveland Ski Resort, CO
2 miles above Sea Level
1:47:29 - 5AG
It has been a long, tough and painful two weeks since my last race in Estes Park, CO. As you may remember I started and finished that race with foot and back injuries/problems?
By the time we returned home I was in severe pain and glad that I had already set up appointments with docs. The first appointment was with a Podiatrist the following Tue. I thought I was suffering from plantar fascitis since the pain/symptoms seemed to be similar to those I had suffered many times? However with the help of X-rays and ultrasound he quickly diagnosed the problem as Morton’s Neuroma? Never heard of it? What is it? In summary – a nerve that runs between the 3rd and 4th toes becomes inflamed because of pressure /friction by the toes. As the nerve becomes inflamed it enlarges and the friction increases and it becomes a never-ending vicious/painful cycle until the pain becomes so severe that you can’t even walk! The doc explained several treatment options. Maddog chose the most aggressive and fastest one – a shot of cortisone into the inflamed area to reduce the inflammation and pain and the doc also adjusted my orthotics to spread the toes and reduce the pressure on the nerve. The cortisone worked quickly as expected to reduce the pain and I was able to continue running/training 10/12 miles each day. Now the back pain became a showstopper. It didn’t hurt when I ran but after I finished I was in agony for the rest of the day? (But of course it didn’t stop Maddog from running each day!)
I begged my Orthoped to squeeze me into an earlier appointment which he was able to do on Thu. X-rays revealed no obvious problem so he decided (guessed?) that the problem was a strained back muscle that kept going into spasms? He prescribed a muscle relaxant and PT (physical therapy). The meds eased the pain but kicked my ass – literally! I would take one after dinner – sleep for 12 hours – get up – take another pill – run 10/12 miles and sleep another 4 hours! After 4 days of fuzzy/lethargic/pathetic living Maddog became disgusted and threw the meds in the garbage! That crap is dangerous! It steals your life away! Fortunately by then I had started PT and massage and especially electrical stimulation eased the pain enough that I could continue to run and get some of my life back. By the 3rd PT session I felt good enough to think about running one of my favorite Half Marathons in the High Country. The Slacker Half Marathon was being run on Sat.
It is a fast downhill race that starts at the Loveland Ski Resort – more than 2 miles above sea level (10,630 ft) and finishes in Georgetown (8500 ft). The race requires raw speed and a good set of lungs! I ran this race 3 times before and finished all 3 times in 1:41 – resulting in 2 wins and a 2nd AG! Because of my poor conditioning and injuries/problems I was under no false illusion/fantasy of finishing in my usual time. I figured a realistic goal was a finish time between 1:45 and 1:50 - probably not good enough to win but maybe to place?
I lined up at the start line at 8 am with 900 runners. The weather was great – sunny and 45 F. My foot was hurting but the back felt OK. I was a wee bit concerned how the steep down hills would affect both injuries? The first ½ mile is uphill and by the time I crested that hill I was sucking desperately for air and my lungs were burning. That is normal – but for the first time I said to myself: “I’m getting too old for this crap”! By the time I passed mile 1 in 8:51 my lungs and legs had adjusted to the thin air and my splits dropped to sub 8s! The first 5 miles are on a dirt/rocky service road so it is necessary to be careful not to fall or twist an ankle. I passed an old fart around 3 miles and never saw another old fart during the race which meant one of two things:
1) I was in 1st place (unlikely at my slow pace)
2) The other old farts were so far ahead of me that I would never catch or even see them (more likely – and turned out to be the case)
I passed mile 5 in 41:11 and the endorphins had kicked in and killed all pain. The course enters a paved road after mile 5 and starts a long slow climb to mile 6. My split slowed to 9:03! But the next four miles are downhill on a paved service road to a bike path at 10 miles. I reached mile 10 in 1:22:38 and began a steep 500 ft drop over the next two miles of bike path. My splits dropped to 7:30s and I reached the bottom of the bike path in Georgetown at mile 12 in 1:37:41. My legs were totally wasted from the fast, steep down hills. I knew it was going to be a difficult struggle (as it always is) to gut out the final mile through Georgetown. That final mile is flat with several rolling hills(at 8500 ft)! I figured if I could just keep my legs moving and run the final 1.1 miles in 10 minutes I would finish in 1:47 and achieve my goal? It took a lot of willpower NOT to walk on a few of the hills but I finally reached mile 13 in 1:46:40 (an 8:59 split) and struggled across the finish line in 1:47:29!
I was pleased with both my time and performance considering the circumstances and difficulties I faced just getting to the start line. I checked the results posted at the finish line. My time period was not yet posted but I learned that the top 3 runners in my AG all finished under 1:45. I was not surprised! My guess is that I finished 4th AG? (Later learned I finished in a dismal 5AG)! I guess I shouldn’t be disappointed – but I am! I need to train much harder (and stay healthier) if I expect to compete against the Big Dogs from the Front Range – Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins! 1st place in my AG finished in 1:32 – a new course record! Damn – it is getting harder and harder to compete against those youngsters with each passing year! Maybe I am getting too old for this crap?
The good news is that nothing hurt (real bad) at the end of the race. The foot actually felt better and after back stretches/exercises and a long hot soak in the hot tub the back felt pretty good? I believe I will be OK to run the marathon I have scheduled next weekend in Portland, OR.
Stay tuned!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
RR- Estes Park
Race Report
Sun, June 16/08
Estes Park Marathon
Estes Park, CO
Marathon #305
4:13:39 – 1 AG
The “highest paved marathon in the world” so the race brochure claims? Even though it is a tough, hilly course with elevations between 7420 to 8150 ft I like visiting the town of Estes Park and nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. I planned to use the race as part of my high altitude training program but little did I foresee the obstacles and difficulties in getting to the start line?
First I had been struggling with severe pain in both my lower back and left foot since my last marathon two weeks ago. Then I had to interrupt my altitude training for one week while the Sports Manager and I traveled to Seattle to look after our son who got T-boned by a truck while riding his bike. Luckily the only serious injury he suffered was a broken kneecap! But the week in Seattle negated what little altitude acclimation I had attained and I was only able to run twice because of the injuries and the miserable weather in Seattle. We returned to the High Country on Thu before the race and I ran my ‘favorite’ hill loop on Fri to test my injuries in the hills. That short run went OK so we left for Estes Park on Sat.
Estes Park is a pretty little town nestled in Estes Valley at an elevation of 7600 ft. The Big Thompson River flows through the middle of the town into Lake Estes on the east side of the town. It has been a ‘tourist’ town/destination for many years since it is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. To the south the Front Range, including Longs Peak (14, 255 ft) towers above the valley and town. To the west Rocky Mountain National Park unveils a stunning array of mountain peaks, 74 of which reach elevations of 12,000 ft or more. The town has a lot of neat shops, bars and cafes overlooking the Big Thompson River. After registering and picking up my race packet we strolled along the shops on Main Street and enjoyed a pasta dinner at Mama Roses (the main race sponsor) overlooking the Big Thompson River.
On Sun I had to get up two hours before the race to apply heating pads to both my back and foot to ease the pain enough so that I could make it to the start line. I ran this marathon three years ago and set the course record (4:02) for the 60+ AG. (See archives – June 2005). I knew there was no way I could even consider challenging my own record due to the above factors but I hoped that if I ran a smart race I could at least run a BQ (Boston Qualifying) time of 4:15? The weather was perfect for running – sunny and a temp of 50F at the 7am start and temps in the mid 60s at the finish. There were about 150 runners in the Marathon and 300 in the Half. There were several runners from the 50 States Club and one runner from the Country List – Andy Kotulski.
The marathon started at 7600 ft and the first mile was uphill so I started real slow and still I was sucking desperately for air until I reached Mile 1 and started the second mile downhill. I passed Mile 3 in 28:01 and then the fun began! Miles 3 through 6 climbed 550 ft to the highest point of the course (8150 ft)! I struggled to hold a 10:30 min pace up that BAH (Bad Ass Hill) and reached Mile 6 with a 10:59 split – my slowest split of the race! But even more disturbing was the time of 1:00 – 6 min slower than when I ran the course record. At that pace any hope of a BQ time was gone? The only good news at that point was that the endorphins had killed all the pain in my back and foot. The back felt fine and the foot felt uncomfortable/not normal but OK – no pain? Fortunately the next 3 miles were downhill and I stretched out my stride and let gravity pull me down the hill at an 8:30 pace. When I reached Mile 10 in the center of Estes Park in 1:34:55 I figured I was back on a BQ pace as I continued through a series of rolling hills to Mile 12. The next two miles along Estes Lake were the only section of the course that was flat – and also the lowest elevation of the course at 7,420 ft.
I passed the Half in 2:03:44. I knew the 2nd Half would be much slower because there were more BAHs in that Half and altitude really starts to have a negative effect as mileage increases. However I felt good and I figured if I could run the 2nd Half in 2:10 – a 10 min pace – I could achieve my goal of a BQ finish time? The challenge began on a BAH at Mile 15 (9:59 split) and continued through a series of short rolling hills to Mile 17 (2:41:18). I was still on a BQ pace but I remembered the next three miles – the toughest part of the course! It climbed relentlessly for three miles back to 8000+ ft!
Once again I struggled to hold a 10:30 min pace up that BAH. I passed a lot of runners who were walking and almost succumbed myself before I crested the BAH at Mile 20 in 3:13:07 and a split of 10:47. I had 1 hour to run the final 10 Km! Mile 21 was downhill so once again I was able to stretch out my stride and let gravity assist and give my legs a chance to recover.
As I screamed down the hill in a blazing 8:53 split I was not happy to see another BAH facing me at Mile 22 that climbed back up to 8000 ft? Damn – I didn’t remember that final BAH! I struggled up that BAH in 10:51 – my slowest split of the Half – and reached Mile 22 in 3:32:52. I had 42 minutes to run the final 4.2miles! The good news was that the course dropped almost 500 ft over the next two miles and I was able to reach Mile 24 on the bike path along Estes Lake in 3:52:00. I had 23 minutes to run the final 2.2 miles! However the bad news was that my legs were trashed from the hills and altitude – I had no energy left and the final two miles climbed gently about 100 ft to the track at the high school!
I was too close to give up and I realized the only solution was to call in the Big Dog – er – Maddog and hand the race over to him! He has an uncanny/unbelievable ability to focus so strongly that he can shut down every non-essential part of my body not needed to run to conserve energy and he can block out all pain and the outside world. It’s like I am inside some kind of protective cocoon where there is no pain or distractions as I float toward the finish line? Only when I passed Mile 25 in 4:01:09 and a split of 9:08 did I finally have confidence that a BQ time was in the bag! I could walk/crawl the last mile in 14 minutes! I asked Maddog to ease off the pace and let me cruise to the finish line. The only remaining obstacle that I remembered (too well) was a short steep hill from the bike path up to the school at Mile 26. That damn hill felt like Mt Everest (again) but I struggled up it and entered the track at the high school. I managed to shuffle the wasted old legs the final 200 yards to cross the finish line in 4:13:39! Once I crossed the finish line I barely had enough energy to walk through the finish chute. But I felt good because I knew that I had left absolutely nothing on the course!
The Sports Manager had arrived at the finish line only a few minutes before me and after the obligatory finish line photo and a short walk in the infield to hydrate and recover I tried to check the results. They had not been posted yet so I decided to try a short massage in the hope that it would prevent the back and foot from flaring up again? Strangely they both felt OK at that time. However the second I layed down on the table both cramped and locked up! Fortunately the masseuse was able to work the cramps out and the foot felt much better but the back continued to hurt like Hell! I have appointments with docs in the next two weeks to check out the problems/injuries. I am hoping for a miracle/quick fix since my next marathon is in three weeks?
Just as I was crawling off the massage table they announced the awards for my Age Group. I finished 1st AG and at that time nobody else in my AG had even crossed the finish line. I later learned that 2nd and 3rd place finished exactly one hour behind me!
I was happy with my time and performance. Although I finished 10 minutes behind my own course record I ran ‘smart’and accomplished two things I had not been able to do the first time - I ran the entire course and finished with a BQ time! Even Maddog was pleased with my performance (all due to his assist at the end of course!).
We stayed in Estes Park one more day to enjoy a nice victory dinner and the next day we drove home through Rocky Mountain National Park to enjoy the magnificent scenery and wildlife. I took some photos that I already shared with my readers.
Now it time to visit doc/quacks and hope that I can heal in time for my next race.
Stay tuned!
Sun, June 16/08
Estes Park Marathon
Estes Park, CO
Marathon #305
4:13:39 – 1 AG
The “highest paved marathon in the world” so the race brochure claims? Even though it is a tough, hilly course with elevations between 7420 to 8150 ft I like visiting the town of Estes Park and nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. I planned to use the race as part of my high altitude training program but little did I foresee the obstacles and difficulties in getting to the start line?
First I had been struggling with severe pain in both my lower back and left foot since my last marathon two weeks ago. Then I had to interrupt my altitude training for one week while the Sports Manager and I traveled to Seattle to look after our son who got T-boned by a truck while riding his bike. Luckily the only serious injury he suffered was a broken kneecap! But the week in Seattle negated what little altitude acclimation I had attained and I was only able to run twice because of the injuries and the miserable weather in Seattle. We returned to the High Country on Thu before the race and I ran my ‘favorite’ hill loop on Fri to test my injuries in the hills. That short run went OK so we left for Estes Park on Sat.
Estes Park is a pretty little town nestled in Estes Valley at an elevation of 7600 ft. The Big Thompson River flows through the middle of the town into Lake Estes on the east side of the town. It has been a ‘tourist’ town/destination for many years since it is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. To the south the Front Range, including Longs Peak (14, 255 ft) towers above the valley and town. To the west Rocky Mountain National Park unveils a stunning array of mountain peaks, 74 of which reach elevations of 12,000 ft or more. The town has a lot of neat shops, bars and cafes overlooking the Big Thompson River. After registering and picking up my race packet we strolled along the shops on Main Street and enjoyed a pasta dinner at Mama Roses (the main race sponsor) overlooking the Big Thompson River.
On Sun I had to get up two hours before the race to apply heating pads to both my back and foot to ease the pain enough so that I could make it to the start line. I ran this marathon three years ago and set the course record (4:02) for the 60+ AG. (See archives – June 2005). I knew there was no way I could even consider challenging my own record due to the above factors but I hoped that if I ran a smart race I could at least run a BQ (Boston Qualifying) time of 4:15? The weather was perfect for running – sunny and a temp of 50F at the 7am start and temps in the mid 60s at the finish. There were about 150 runners in the Marathon and 300 in the Half. There were several runners from the 50 States Club and one runner from the Country List – Andy Kotulski.
The marathon started at 7600 ft and the first mile was uphill so I started real slow and still I was sucking desperately for air until I reached Mile 1 and started the second mile downhill. I passed Mile 3 in 28:01 and then the fun began! Miles 3 through 6 climbed 550 ft to the highest point of the course (8150 ft)! I struggled to hold a 10:30 min pace up that BAH (Bad Ass Hill) and reached Mile 6 with a 10:59 split – my slowest split of the race! But even more disturbing was the time of 1:00 – 6 min slower than when I ran the course record. At that pace any hope of a BQ time was gone? The only good news at that point was that the endorphins had killed all the pain in my back and foot. The back felt fine and the foot felt uncomfortable/not normal but OK – no pain? Fortunately the next 3 miles were downhill and I stretched out my stride and let gravity pull me down the hill at an 8:30 pace. When I reached Mile 10 in the center of Estes Park in 1:34:55 I figured I was back on a BQ pace as I continued through a series of rolling hills to Mile 12. The next two miles along Estes Lake were the only section of the course that was flat – and also the lowest elevation of the course at 7,420 ft.
I passed the Half in 2:03:44. I knew the 2nd Half would be much slower because there were more BAHs in that Half and altitude really starts to have a negative effect as mileage increases. However I felt good and I figured if I could run the 2nd Half in 2:10 – a 10 min pace – I could achieve my goal of a BQ finish time? The challenge began on a BAH at Mile 15 (9:59 split) and continued through a series of short rolling hills to Mile 17 (2:41:18). I was still on a BQ pace but I remembered the next three miles – the toughest part of the course! It climbed relentlessly for three miles back to 8000+ ft!
Once again I struggled to hold a 10:30 min pace up that BAH. I passed a lot of runners who were walking and almost succumbed myself before I crested the BAH at Mile 20 in 3:13:07 and a split of 10:47. I had 1 hour to run the final 10 Km! Mile 21 was downhill so once again I was able to stretch out my stride and let gravity assist and give my legs a chance to recover.
As I screamed down the hill in a blazing 8:53 split I was not happy to see another BAH facing me at Mile 22 that climbed back up to 8000 ft? Damn – I didn’t remember that final BAH! I struggled up that BAH in 10:51 – my slowest split of the Half – and reached Mile 22 in 3:32:52. I had 42 minutes to run the final 4.2miles! The good news was that the course dropped almost 500 ft over the next two miles and I was able to reach Mile 24 on the bike path along Estes Lake in 3:52:00. I had 23 minutes to run the final 2.2 miles! However the bad news was that my legs were trashed from the hills and altitude – I had no energy left and the final two miles climbed gently about 100 ft to the track at the high school!
I was too close to give up and I realized the only solution was to call in the Big Dog – er – Maddog and hand the race over to him! He has an uncanny/unbelievable ability to focus so strongly that he can shut down every non-essential part of my body not needed to run to conserve energy and he can block out all pain and the outside world. It’s like I am inside some kind of protective cocoon where there is no pain or distractions as I float toward the finish line? Only when I passed Mile 25 in 4:01:09 and a split of 9:08 did I finally have confidence that a BQ time was in the bag! I could walk/crawl the last mile in 14 minutes! I asked Maddog to ease off the pace and let me cruise to the finish line. The only remaining obstacle that I remembered (too well) was a short steep hill from the bike path up to the school at Mile 26. That damn hill felt like Mt Everest (again) but I struggled up it and entered the track at the high school. I managed to shuffle the wasted old legs the final 200 yards to cross the finish line in 4:13:39! Once I crossed the finish line I barely had enough energy to walk through the finish chute. But I felt good because I knew that I had left absolutely nothing on the course!
The Sports Manager had arrived at the finish line only a few minutes before me and after the obligatory finish line photo and a short walk in the infield to hydrate and recover I tried to check the results. They had not been posted yet so I decided to try a short massage in the hope that it would prevent the back and foot from flaring up again? Strangely they both felt OK at that time. However the second I layed down on the table both cramped and locked up! Fortunately the masseuse was able to work the cramps out and the foot felt much better but the back continued to hurt like Hell! I have appointments with docs in the next two weeks to check out the problems/injuries. I am hoping for a miracle/quick fix since my next marathon is in three weeks?
Just as I was crawling off the massage table they announced the awards for my Age Group. I finished 1st AG and at that time nobody else in my AG had even crossed the finish line. I later learned that 2nd and 3rd place finished exactly one hour behind me!
I was happy with my time and performance. Although I finished 10 minutes behind my own course record I ran ‘smart’and accomplished two things I had not been able to do the first time - I ran the entire course and finished with a BQ time! Even Maddog was pleased with my performance (all due to his assist at the end of course!).
We stayed in Estes Park one more day to enjoy a nice victory dinner and the next day we drove home through Rocky Mountain National Park to enjoy the magnificent scenery and wildlife. I took some photos that I already shared with my readers.
Now it time to visit doc/quacks and hope that I can heal in time for my next race.
Stay tuned!
Monday, June 02, 2008
RR - Steamboat Springs, CO
Race Report
Steamboat Springs Marathon
Steamboat Springs, CO
Sun, Jun 1/08
Marathon # 304
4:01:26 – 3AG
This race was intended to be only a long, high altitude training run for a number of reasons.
1) I arrived at our summer home in CO just one week before the race so didn’t have much time to train or adjust to high altitude
2) As happens very/too often the many hours spent sitting in the car during the long drive from FL kills my back and or neck – this time it was my back that had been sore/stiff for the past week. It became so sore on Fri before the race that I had to call my masseuse - Pegi de Sade - and beg her to work on my back before the race. Thankfully she agreed to let me on her torture table on Sat morning before we left for Steamboat Springs.
The back felt sore after the torture session but was feeling much better when we arrived in Steamboat. I was able to enjoy a pleasant walk around the old western town w/o pain after picking up my race packet. On the drive to Steamboat we had received a phone call from our oldest son, Chris with shocking news. He was calling from a hospital! He had been biking with a group of friends in Seattle and was hit by a truck. The driver had run a red light while talking on a cell phone and hit Chris broadside! He was lucky to be alive! An ambulance took him to a hospital where the most serious injury found was a broken left knee. Needless to say that news put a damper on our weekend and made the race very insignificant and we spent most of the weekend on the phone with Chris. (More news on Chris later).
I had run the Steamboat Marathon three times before – winning my Age Group twice and placing 2nd in the last race. However this year I had no such expectation or aspirations. My only goal was to finish w/o aggravating my back and to finish with a BQ (Boston Qualifying) time – under 4:15!
The Steamboat course is advertised as “one of the 10 most scenic marathons in the world”. The course is point-to-point and starts 26 miles northwest of Steamboat at historic Hahn’s Peak Village at the base of an extinct volcano. The race starts at 8128 ft – drops about 100 vertical ft over the first mile and then climbs to the highest point of the course –8178 ft. at mile 2. The course then drops 1400 vertical ft over the next 18 miles although there are several rolling hills. At mile 20 the course climbs about 300 vertical feet over three miles and three BAHs (Bad Ass Hills) before dropping back down to 6728 ft at the finish line in Steamboat. The marathon is limited to 500 runners and the Half to 1000 runners.
After the long (almost 1 hr) bus ride to the start line my back was once again sore and stiff and I had to spend a lot of time stretching and massaging in an attempt to loosen it up. I hoped that once I started running the adrenaline and endorphins would control the pain? Both races started at 7:30am but the Half started at the Half-marathon point of the course. The weather was perfect for running – sunny with temps in the low 40s F and low humidity. The temps warmed up to the low 70s by the finish so I was never hot!
My biggest concern was going out too fast on the first downhill mile. The altitude and some chest congestion took care of that problem. I had been trapped in the car during our drive to CO with the Sports Manager who was sick with a severe cold and chest congestion. She was still suffering from the cold and I thought I had escaped the worst of it – until I reached the ½ mile point of the race. Even though I wasn’t running hard my lungs were on fire and I couldn’t breathe! Part of the problem was altitude but I figured I also had some congestion that hadn’t bothered me during my ‘easy’ training runs? I was forced to slow down drastically just to breathe and I reached mile 1 in 8:46. I struggled to breathe and hold that pace as I climbed to the highest point of the race (8178 ft) at mile 2. As I started the long descent to mile 20 my body and lungs finally started to adjust to the altitude and pace and I was able to run an 8:30 pace w/o difficulty. I passed mile 5 in 43:40 and was able to lower the pace over the next 2 downhill miles to 7:30s. I passed two old farts during that burst of speed but reminded myself not to get caught up in a competitive frenzy! I passed mile 10 in 1:26:21 and reached the Half in 1:54:33.
I knew the 2nd Half would not be as fast because of the numerous hills and especially the BAHs at mile 21. Although my legs were already tired I felt confident that I would beat 4:15 and thought there might even be a chance to beat 4 hrs if I didn’t crash? However as I climbed a BAH at mile 14 my pace slowed to 9 min and then slipped to 9:15s over the next 5 miles! I reached mile 20 in 2:58:13. My back had tightened up and was killing me! I would have to average a 10 min pace over the last 10Km and I knew that I wouldn’t/couldn’t run that pace through the BAHs from mile 20 to 23! My legs were wasted as I struggled to climb the 1st BAH at mile 21. I tried desperately to keep the legs moving/churning but finally had to give in and walk the final few hundred feet to the crest of the hill. I allowed myself to walk for 1 minute. That brief walk seemed to help both my legs and back and I was able to struggle through the final two BAHs before walking again briefly on the final hill. I crested that BAH at mile 23 in 3:29:43 and a split of 10:50!
I had 30 minutes to run the final 5Km! I didn’t think it was possible but mile 24 was downhill so I charged down the hill in a desperate attempt to see if I could break 4 hrs? I passed mile 24 in a 9:16 split and tried valiantly to hold that pace over the next mile. I reached mile 25 in 3:48:59 and a split of 9:59 – and I was finished! There was nothing left! My legs were totally out of energy- my back was killing me – and I was having trouble breathing again! At that point one of the Old Farts that I had passed early in the race charged by and challenged me to finish under 4 hrs! I couldn’t respond – and I didn’t care! I didn’t know if he was 1st or 2nd in our Age Group – and I didn’t care! I realized that I was finished but I could crawl to the finish line under 4:15 so my only goal was to get to the finish line w/o screwing up my back any more. I slowed down and ‘jogged’ the final mile to cross the finish line in 4:01:26.
I finished in 3rd place in my AG behind the Old Fart who passed me and finished in 3:59:11 (good for him!). At that time I really didn’t care but as I slowly recovered and met up with the Sports Manager to take the obligatory finish line photo I realized how close I had come to winning my AG and I became upset with myself for the lack of competitive desire and unwillingness to accept pain and agony to win. Maddog was extremely pissed off with me as he had been during the entire last 10Km of the race when he continuously chastised me and urged me to accept more pain and push the pace! Who was right? All I know is that I achieved my goal of a BQ time and it doesn’t appear that I aggravated by back problem?
When we arrived back home I headed straight for the hot tub with a 6-pack of Colorado microbrew to see if a combination of heat and booze would relieve the pain in my back. I am happy to report that it worked. My back feels much better today?
What’s next? Don’t know? We were scheduled to leave on Thu for a 1-week trip to TundraLand (aka Canada) to visit family and attend a wedding. But now we are waiting for Chris to visit his orthoped and get a final prognosis of his injuries. If he needs surgery for the broken knee or has other injuries then we will cancel the planned trip to Canada and fly to Seattle to take care of our baby (37 years old). He lives in a 3-level town home and will have difficulty getting around if his leg is immobilized? He is not a happy camper! He just resigned from his job last Thu and is scheduled to start a new job in two weeks. His health insurance terminated on Sat? And he planned to join the Sports Manager and I to run the Inca Trail Marathon in Aug and had prepaid the trip! Lots of unknowns to address in the next few days? He is going to need lots of moral support!
Either way it looks like I am going to screw up my high altitude conditioning because it goes away quickly when you leave the High Country! And I have another high altitude marathon in two weeks - the ‘highest paved marathon in the world’ – in Estes Park, CO.
Stay tuned!
Steamboat Springs Marathon
Steamboat Springs, CO
Sun, Jun 1/08
Marathon # 304
4:01:26 – 3AG
This race was intended to be only a long, high altitude training run for a number of reasons.
1) I arrived at our summer home in CO just one week before the race so didn’t have much time to train or adjust to high altitude
2) As happens very/too often the many hours spent sitting in the car during the long drive from FL kills my back and or neck – this time it was my back that had been sore/stiff for the past week. It became so sore on Fri before the race that I had to call my masseuse - Pegi de Sade - and beg her to work on my back before the race. Thankfully she agreed to let me on her torture table on Sat morning before we left for Steamboat Springs.
The back felt sore after the torture session but was feeling much better when we arrived in Steamboat. I was able to enjoy a pleasant walk around the old western town w/o pain after picking up my race packet. On the drive to Steamboat we had received a phone call from our oldest son, Chris with shocking news. He was calling from a hospital! He had been biking with a group of friends in Seattle and was hit by a truck. The driver had run a red light while talking on a cell phone and hit Chris broadside! He was lucky to be alive! An ambulance took him to a hospital where the most serious injury found was a broken left knee. Needless to say that news put a damper on our weekend and made the race very insignificant and we spent most of the weekend on the phone with Chris. (More news on Chris later).
I had run the Steamboat Marathon three times before – winning my Age Group twice and placing 2nd in the last race. However this year I had no such expectation or aspirations. My only goal was to finish w/o aggravating my back and to finish with a BQ (Boston Qualifying) time – under 4:15!
The Steamboat course is advertised as “one of the 10 most scenic marathons in the world”. The course is point-to-point and starts 26 miles northwest of Steamboat at historic Hahn’s Peak Village at the base of an extinct volcano. The race starts at 8128 ft – drops about 100 vertical ft over the first mile and then climbs to the highest point of the course –8178 ft. at mile 2. The course then drops 1400 vertical ft over the next 18 miles although there are several rolling hills. At mile 20 the course climbs about 300 vertical feet over three miles and three BAHs (Bad Ass Hills) before dropping back down to 6728 ft at the finish line in Steamboat. The marathon is limited to 500 runners and the Half to 1000 runners.
After the long (almost 1 hr) bus ride to the start line my back was once again sore and stiff and I had to spend a lot of time stretching and massaging in an attempt to loosen it up. I hoped that once I started running the adrenaline and endorphins would control the pain? Both races started at 7:30am but the Half started at the Half-marathon point of the course. The weather was perfect for running – sunny with temps in the low 40s F and low humidity. The temps warmed up to the low 70s by the finish so I was never hot!
My biggest concern was going out too fast on the first downhill mile. The altitude and some chest congestion took care of that problem. I had been trapped in the car during our drive to CO with the Sports Manager who was sick with a severe cold and chest congestion. She was still suffering from the cold and I thought I had escaped the worst of it – until I reached the ½ mile point of the race. Even though I wasn’t running hard my lungs were on fire and I couldn’t breathe! Part of the problem was altitude but I figured I also had some congestion that hadn’t bothered me during my ‘easy’ training runs? I was forced to slow down drastically just to breathe and I reached mile 1 in 8:46. I struggled to breathe and hold that pace as I climbed to the highest point of the race (8178 ft) at mile 2. As I started the long descent to mile 20 my body and lungs finally started to adjust to the altitude and pace and I was able to run an 8:30 pace w/o difficulty. I passed mile 5 in 43:40 and was able to lower the pace over the next 2 downhill miles to 7:30s. I passed two old farts during that burst of speed but reminded myself not to get caught up in a competitive frenzy! I passed mile 10 in 1:26:21 and reached the Half in 1:54:33.
I knew the 2nd Half would not be as fast because of the numerous hills and especially the BAHs at mile 21. Although my legs were already tired I felt confident that I would beat 4:15 and thought there might even be a chance to beat 4 hrs if I didn’t crash? However as I climbed a BAH at mile 14 my pace slowed to 9 min and then slipped to 9:15s over the next 5 miles! I reached mile 20 in 2:58:13. My back had tightened up and was killing me! I would have to average a 10 min pace over the last 10Km and I knew that I wouldn’t/couldn’t run that pace through the BAHs from mile 20 to 23! My legs were wasted as I struggled to climb the 1st BAH at mile 21. I tried desperately to keep the legs moving/churning but finally had to give in and walk the final few hundred feet to the crest of the hill. I allowed myself to walk for 1 minute. That brief walk seemed to help both my legs and back and I was able to struggle through the final two BAHs before walking again briefly on the final hill. I crested that BAH at mile 23 in 3:29:43 and a split of 10:50!
I had 30 minutes to run the final 5Km! I didn’t think it was possible but mile 24 was downhill so I charged down the hill in a desperate attempt to see if I could break 4 hrs? I passed mile 24 in a 9:16 split and tried valiantly to hold that pace over the next mile. I reached mile 25 in 3:48:59 and a split of 9:59 – and I was finished! There was nothing left! My legs were totally out of energy- my back was killing me – and I was having trouble breathing again! At that point one of the Old Farts that I had passed early in the race charged by and challenged me to finish under 4 hrs! I couldn’t respond – and I didn’t care! I didn’t know if he was 1st or 2nd in our Age Group – and I didn’t care! I realized that I was finished but I could crawl to the finish line under 4:15 so my only goal was to get to the finish line w/o screwing up my back any more. I slowed down and ‘jogged’ the final mile to cross the finish line in 4:01:26.
I finished in 3rd place in my AG behind the Old Fart who passed me and finished in 3:59:11 (good for him!). At that time I really didn’t care but as I slowly recovered and met up with the Sports Manager to take the obligatory finish line photo I realized how close I had come to winning my AG and I became upset with myself for the lack of competitive desire and unwillingness to accept pain and agony to win. Maddog was extremely pissed off with me as he had been during the entire last 10Km of the race when he continuously chastised me and urged me to accept more pain and push the pace! Who was right? All I know is that I achieved my goal of a BQ time and it doesn’t appear that I aggravated by back problem?
When we arrived back home I headed straight for the hot tub with a 6-pack of Colorado microbrew to see if a combination of heat and booze would relieve the pain in my back. I am happy to report that it worked. My back feels much better today?
What’s next? Don’t know? We were scheduled to leave on Thu for a 1-week trip to TundraLand (aka Canada) to visit family and attend a wedding. But now we are waiting for Chris to visit his orthoped and get a final prognosis of his injuries. If he needs surgery for the broken knee or has other injuries then we will cancel the planned trip to Canada and fly to Seattle to take care of our baby (37 years old). He lives in a 3-level town home and will have difficulty getting around if his leg is immobilized? He is not a happy camper! He just resigned from his job last Thu and is scheduled to start a new job in two weeks. His health insurance terminated on Sat? And he planned to join the Sports Manager and I to run the Inca Trail Marathon in Aug and had prepaid the trip! Lots of unknowns to address in the next few days? He is going to need lots of moral support!
Either way it looks like I am going to screw up my high altitude conditioning because it goes away quickly when you leave the High Country! And I have another high altitude marathon in two weeks - the ‘highest paved marathon in the world’ – in Estes Park, CO.
Stay tuned!
Friday, May 09, 2008
TR Venezuela
Trip Report
Venezuela
May 2 -5/08
Race Results
42K en la cuidad
Caracas, Venezuela
Sun, May 4/08
Marathon # 303 – Country #91
3:57:21 – 5AG
ONE down – NINE to go!
And this marathon/country was sort of a bonus! I had concluded a few years ago that the marathon in Caracas must have been discontinued because I couldn’t find any news about it. However when I was browsing the NET in early Spring I noticed a brief review about a marathon in Caracas in May, 2007? I tried to find more info but all my searches were fruitless. As a last resort I tried a back-door approach and searched for running clubs in Caracas. That search led me to a Hash Harrier Club and I sent them an email. Finally some success! The GM of the Hash Club, Fredy contacted me. Although he didn’t run marathons or road races he offered to help me. Sure enough about one month later he emailed the website of a Sports Agency that was organizing a marathon in Caracas in May. Several emails to them went unanswered so I asked Fredy to call them and shake them up. Soon I got a response from the race organization that confirmed the date and location of the marathon. I booked my flights and then ran into more problems and blank walls. The race organization (again) would not respond to my requests for more info about hotels, registration, etc? Once again I had to turn to Fredy for help. There were several travel advisories issued by countries warning their citizens about crime/safety in Caracas so I was concerned about booking a hotel in a safe area and also transportation. Fredy confirmed that the Marriott Hotel was located in the new financial district that was modern and safe and close to his place. And then finally he informed me that he and the Hash Club had decided to adopt me and take care of me during my weekend visit.
Fredy had a friend (Ivan) who owned a taxi so we hired him to be our private taxi/driver for the weekend – at a cheaper rate than hiring regular taxis or renting a car. And it alleviated my concern about transportation – the advisory warned that taxi drivers often robbed or kidnapped tourists/customers! Thus when I arrived in Caracas on Fri afternoon I was met at the airport by Fredy, Ivan and another member of the Hash Club (Jose) who escorted me back to my hotel and checked me in.
Later Fredy and Jose met me at the hotel and we walked a few blocks to their favorite bar because I had promised to buy beers to thank them for all their help. The bar reminded me of a Venezuelan version of “Cheers” – it was full of locals and neighbors that all knew each other. I met Fredy’s kids and many of his friends and a few more members of the Hash Club including a few ex-pats from the UK. They quickly made me feel like I was part of the group!
On Sat morning Fredy and Ivan picked me up to drive me to Race HQ and packet pick-up in the Parque del Este. The race organization had pre-registered me so all I had to do was pay the fee ($25) and pick up my packet. As we waited in line around 10am both the locals and I complained about the heat and commented that the final 10Km of the race would be brutal if the weather was as hot on Sun?
After we got my packet Ivan drove us around some parts of the city before we headed north to the Parque Nacional EL Avila. I had visited Venezuela and Caracas twice before so was not interested in seeing the few historic buildings in the old city. I agreed with Fredy that it would be more interesting to ride the teleferico (cable car) to the top of El Avila (2175m). The cable car had not been operational on my last two visits but had been refurbished and opened by a German company in 2002. It offers panoramic views of Caracas on the ride to the top. From the summit you can see almost all of Caracas (6 Million people) lying to the south and the Caribbean Sea on the North. And the weather was much cooler and more pleasant at the top! After a few enjoyable hours at the top of El Avila we returned to the hotel and my minders let me have the rest of the day to myself to shop for some souvenirs and enjoy an early pasta dinner. As we departed I handed out team uniforms for my support team – T-shirts and caps from Longboat Key!
Fredy and Ivan picked me up at 5:30am since the race started at 6:30am in the University Stadium. As I left the hotel I noticed that it had rained during the night and the skies were still overcast. Good thing we left early because we had to walk a long distance after parking and I still had to pick up the timing chip before the race. Fredy introduced me to a few friends that were running the marathon or Half including the only other Gringo running the marathon – an expat, Peter, from the UK who was running his first marathon. We both hoped that the skies would remain cloudy and continue to drizzle to keep the temps from climbing from the high 70s too rapidly? There were 1500 runners - 400 in the Marathon and 1100 in the Half. The course was a Half marathon loop that started and finished in the University Stadium. The course was relatively flat and fast except for a few rolling hills and three short/steep overpasses. The races started 15 minutes late because of a logistical error – the race organization didn’t hand the timing chips out until the morning of the race and 1500 runners were lined up waiting for their chip?
On the first loop I had lots of company and the city had closed down all the lanes on one side of the major roads and blvds for the runners so we didn’t have to worry about traffic. I had decided that I would run smart because of the heat and humidity. I hoped to start out at a 5:20/Km pace (8:30/mile) and re-evaluate at the Half? There were no distance markers until 5Km which I passed in 27:17 – a bit slower than planned? There were water stations every 2 Km and I made sure to drink lots to prevent dehydration. After 5 Km there were distance markers every 1Km which really helped. I passed 10Km in 53:57 – about a 5:25 pace so I decided to stay with that pace. The course started to loop back toward the stadium and as I passed 15Km in 1:21:07 I noticed that my shoes were soaked and sloshing from the sweat pouring off my body and I still hadn’t made a pit stop which was unusual. So I increased my water intake at each water station and started pouring water over my head to cool down.
When I entered the Stadium at the Half and detoured around the timing mats for the Half finish line I was surprised to find several photographers and TV crews shouting my name (Mr. Wallace/Maddog) and requesting that I smile for the cameras? The TV cameras followed me around the track and finally when I exited the stadium it got lonely quick. I had passed the Half in 1:54:58 and I could already tell that my legs were starting to get heavy with the heat and humidity and I knew that 2nd Half would not be as fast. I figured I would be lucky to finish under 4:00? I could see runners in front of me and slowly started to pull them in? However the city had now opened all the lanes but one to traffic so we had to watch for cars/buses, etc and especially buses as they pulled in and out and forced us to suck up their diesel fumes! The 2nd loop was not nearly as enjoyable as the first! As I approached 25Km near Fredy’s place my support team (Fredy and Jose) were waiting there in their team uniforms cheering and taking photos. I asked them to take over for me but they said that wasn’t in their job description? I was glad when I reached 31Km in 2:52:28 and left the busy blvd and started the loop back to the stadium on a less congested route that was still closed to traffic. I had slowed to a 5:40 pace over the last 10Km but now my legs were really heavy and I started to struggle and my pace slowed to 5:50s! And I still hadn’t needed to make a pit stop which was definitely not normal?
I tried to increase my water intake even more and finally made a pit stop at 32Km. Shortly after a sports photographer came by on a motor bike and started shooting hundred of photos of Maddog. At first I was amused and courteous but it quickly became annoying! He would stop every 500m and wait for me to approach and then stand directly in my path and force me to run around him as he snapped several pictures? This continued on for the entire final 10Km and it really started to upset my rhythm and more importantly my ability to focus and tune out the world and surroundings and block out the pain. By the time I reached 40Km in 3:45:24 I was hurting and really pissed off with that idiot photographer! I was ready to NOT run around him – to flatten him on the road or even punch him out to get rid of him. If that was a wee taste of what the paparazzi do to movie stars – it sucks! He never left me alone until we approached the stadium at 42Km and then he scooted ahead to wait at the finish line.
When I entered the stadium I was determined to block out the pain and lack of energy to sprint the last 200m down the track to cross the finish line in 3:57:21. The photographers and reporters immediately started to converge on me but luckily a race official stepped in and escorted me to the side and promised them that I would return for interviews in a few minutes when I recovered/rested! After gulping down lots of fluids to rehydrate I did go back to provide interviews and photos and the paparazzi finally left me alone! However the race emcee then made an announcement that Maddog had completed his 303rd marathon and 91st country and suddenly several local runners approached and asked if I would pose with them and their family. But I enjoyed posing for the ‘family’ photos because I met lots of nice people. Finally I was able to get some finish line photos of Maddog and his support team and my gringo buddy, Peter crossed the finish line just under 5 hrs!
The race results still had not been posted so I used my sports/celebrity status to ask the race officials for my individual results because I wanted to go back to the hotel. My official finish time was 3:57:21 and I didn’t expect that to be good enough to win my age group – but I was surprised to learn that it was only good enough to place 5th (out of 20 runners) in such a small race? When I checked the results a few days later I was shocked to learn that the winner finished in 3:11! Heck – I would have needed a bicycle to beat that guy – especially in those conditions. All I can say is that there are some very fast ’Old Farts’ in Venezuela!
On the way out of the stadium we met a team of very beautiful Venezuelan ladies who were working a booth for Coca Cola/PowerAde. I stopped and asked them if they would become my ‘support team/sports managers’ for my next race and they agreed! My next race should be much more fun but probably my performance will suffer and there definitely will never be a trip report? (See photo!)
My old support team dragged me away from my new support team and dropped me off at the hotel and we agreed to meet that evening for a celebration/farewell dinner. After a long soak in the tub and shower I decided I needed something to eat – greasy and fatty as usual after a race. I didn’t want to pay $25 for a hamburger at the Marriott so I walked a few blocks to a MacDonalds and got robbed – figuratively – since a Big Mac cost $10! That was just another typical example of prices in Caracas that I found shocking! I expected things to be cheap like other countries in S America but prices in Caracas are ridiculous. They are equivalent or higher than NYC prices but the residents don’t make NYC wages? I don’t understand who can afford to pay those prices? Certainly NOT Half the (6 Million) population who live in poverty and shacks without water or electricity!
Later we enjoyed a great dinner and some very cold Venezuelan beer and I thanked my team for all their help and support. It would have been very difficult – actually impossible- to have run that marathon w/o their help! They offered to help me locate marathons in Bolivia and Columbia where I am having the same problems finding a marathon and anyone to respond to my emails?
On Mon morning Ivan returned me safely to the airport to complete a successful and enjoyable trip!
My next two international marathons are in mountains – the Andes in Aug (Peru) and the Himalayans in Sept (Bhutan) so we leave next week for our summer home in Colorado where I can train and race at high altitude in the Rocky Mtns.
Stay tuned!
Venezuela
May 2 -5/08
Race Results
42K en la cuidad
Caracas, Venezuela
Sun, May 4/08
Marathon # 303 – Country #91
3:57:21 – 5AG
ONE down – NINE to go!
And this marathon/country was sort of a bonus! I had concluded a few years ago that the marathon in Caracas must have been discontinued because I couldn’t find any news about it. However when I was browsing the NET in early Spring I noticed a brief review about a marathon in Caracas in May, 2007? I tried to find more info but all my searches were fruitless. As a last resort I tried a back-door approach and searched for running clubs in Caracas. That search led me to a Hash Harrier Club and I sent them an email. Finally some success! The GM of the Hash Club, Fredy contacted me. Although he didn’t run marathons or road races he offered to help me. Sure enough about one month later he emailed the website of a Sports Agency that was organizing a marathon in Caracas in May. Several emails to them went unanswered so I asked Fredy to call them and shake them up. Soon I got a response from the race organization that confirmed the date and location of the marathon. I booked my flights and then ran into more problems and blank walls. The race organization (again) would not respond to my requests for more info about hotels, registration, etc? Once again I had to turn to Fredy for help. There were several travel advisories issued by countries warning their citizens about crime/safety in Caracas so I was concerned about booking a hotel in a safe area and also transportation. Fredy confirmed that the Marriott Hotel was located in the new financial district that was modern and safe and close to his place. And then finally he informed me that he and the Hash Club had decided to adopt me and take care of me during my weekend visit.
Fredy had a friend (Ivan) who owned a taxi so we hired him to be our private taxi/driver for the weekend – at a cheaper rate than hiring regular taxis or renting a car. And it alleviated my concern about transportation – the advisory warned that taxi drivers often robbed or kidnapped tourists/customers! Thus when I arrived in Caracas on Fri afternoon I was met at the airport by Fredy, Ivan and another member of the Hash Club (Jose) who escorted me back to my hotel and checked me in.
Later Fredy and Jose met me at the hotel and we walked a few blocks to their favorite bar because I had promised to buy beers to thank them for all their help. The bar reminded me of a Venezuelan version of “Cheers” – it was full of locals and neighbors that all knew each other. I met Fredy’s kids and many of his friends and a few more members of the Hash Club including a few ex-pats from the UK. They quickly made me feel like I was part of the group!
On Sat morning Fredy and Ivan picked me up to drive me to Race HQ and packet pick-up in the Parque del Este. The race organization had pre-registered me so all I had to do was pay the fee ($25) and pick up my packet. As we waited in line around 10am both the locals and I complained about the heat and commented that the final 10Km of the race would be brutal if the weather was as hot on Sun?
After we got my packet Ivan drove us around some parts of the city before we headed north to the Parque Nacional EL Avila. I had visited Venezuela and Caracas twice before so was not interested in seeing the few historic buildings in the old city. I agreed with Fredy that it would be more interesting to ride the teleferico (cable car) to the top of El Avila (2175m). The cable car had not been operational on my last two visits but had been refurbished and opened by a German company in 2002. It offers panoramic views of Caracas on the ride to the top. From the summit you can see almost all of Caracas (6 Million people) lying to the south and the Caribbean Sea on the North. And the weather was much cooler and more pleasant at the top! After a few enjoyable hours at the top of El Avila we returned to the hotel and my minders let me have the rest of the day to myself to shop for some souvenirs and enjoy an early pasta dinner. As we departed I handed out team uniforms for my support team – T-shirts and caps from Longboat Key!
Fredy and Ivan picked me up at 5:30am since the race started at 6:30am in the University Stadium. As I left the hotel I noticed that it had rained during the night and the skies were still overcast. Good thing we left early because we had to walk a long distance after parking and I still had to pick up the timing chip before the race. Fredy introduced me to a few friends that were running the marathon or Half including the only other Gringo running the marathon – an expat, Peter, from the UK who was running his first marathon. We both hoped that the skies would remain cloudy and continue to drizzle to keep the temps from climbing from the high 70s too rapidly? There were 1500 runners - 400 in the Marathon and 1100 in the Half. The course was a Half marathon loop that started and finished in the University Stadium. The course was relatively flat and fast except for a few rolling hills and three short/steep overpasses. The races started 15 minutes late because of a logistical error – the race organization didn’t hand the timing chips out until the morning of the race and 1500 runners were lined up waiting for their chip?
On the first loop I had lots of company and the city had closed down all the lanes on one side of the major roads and blvds for the runners so we didn’t have to worry about traffic. I had decided that I would run smart because of the heat and humidity. I hoped to start out at a 5:20/Km pace (8:30/mile) and re-evaluate at the Half? There were no distance markers until 5Km which I passed in 27:17 – a bit slower than planned? There were water stations every 2 Km and I made sure to drink lots to prevent dehydration. After 5 Km there were distance markers every 1Km which really helped. I passed 10Km in 53:57 – about a 5:25 pace so I decided to stay with that pace. The course started to loop back toward the stadium and as I passed 15Km in 1:21:07 I noticed that my shoes were soaked and sloshing from the sweat pouring off my body and I still hadn’t made a pit stop which was unusual. So I increased my water intake at each water station and started pouring water over my head to cool down.
When I entered the Stadium at the Half and detoured around the timing mats for the Half finish line I was surprised to find several photographers and TV crews shouting my name (Mr. Wallace/Maddog) and requesting that I smile for the cameras? The TV cameras followed me around the track and finally when I exited the stadium it got lonely quick. I had passed the Half in 1:54:58 and I could already tell that my legs were starting to get heavy with the heat and humidity and I knew that 2nd Half would not be as fast. I figured I would be lucky to finish under 4:00? I could see runners in front of me and slowly started to pull them in? However the city had now opened all the lanes but one to traffic so we had to watch for cars/buses, etc and especially buses as they pulled in and out and forced us to suck up their diesel fumes! The 2nd loop was not nearly as enjoyable as the first! As I approached 25Km near Fredy’s place my support team (Fredy and Jose) were waiting there in their team uniforms cheering and taking photos. I asked them to take over for me but they said that wasn’t in their job description? I was glad when I reached 31Km in 2:52:28 and left the busy blvd and started the loop back to the stadium on a less congested route that was still closed to traffic. I had slowed to a 5:40 pace over the last 10Km but now my legs were really heavy and I started to struggle and my pace slowed to 5:50s! And I still hadn’t needed to make a pit stop which was definitely not normal?
I tried to increase my water intake even more and finally made a pit stop at 32Km. Shortly after a sports photographer came by on a motor bike and started shooting hundred of photos of Maddog. At first I was amused and courteous but it quickly became annoying! He would stop every 500m and wait for me to approach and then stand directly in my path and force me to run around him as he snapped several pictures? This continued on for the entire final 10Km and it really started to upset my rhythm and more importantly my ability to focus and tune out the world and surroundings and block out the pain. By the time I reached 40Km in 3:45:24 I was hurting and really pissed off with that idiot photographer! I was ready to NOT run around him – to flatten him on the road or even punch him out to get rid of him. If that was a wee taste of what the paparazzi do to movie stars – it sucks! He never left me alone until we approached the stadium at 42Km and then he scooted ahead to wait at the finish line.
When I entered the stadium I was determined to block out the pain and lack of energy to sprint the last 200m down the track to cross the finish line in 3:57:21. The photographers and reporters immediately started to converge on me but luckily a race official stepped in and escorted me to the side and promised them that I would return for interviews in a few minutes when I recovered/rested! After gulping down lots of fluids to rehydrate I did go back to provide interviews and photos and the paparazzi finally left me alone! However the race emcee then made an announcement that Maddog had completed his 303rd marathon and 91st country and suddenly several local runners approached and asked if I would pose with them and their family. But I enjoyed posing for the ‘family’ photos because I met lots of nice people. Finally I was able to get some finish line photos of Maddog and his support team and my gringo buddy, Peter crossed the finish line just under 5 hrs!
The race results still had not been posted so I used my sports/celebrity status to ask the race officials for my individual results because I wanted to go back to the hotel. My official finish time was 3:57:21 and I didn’t expect that to be good enough to win my age group – but I was surprised to learn that it was only good enough to place 5th (out of 20 runners) in such a small race? When I checked the results a few days later I was shocked to learn that the winner finished in 3:11! Heck – I would have needed a bicycle to beat that guy – especially in those conditions. All I can say is that there are some very fast ’Old Farts’ in Venezuela!
On the way out of the stadium we met a team of very beautiful Venezuelan ladies who were working a booth for Coca Cola/PowerAde. I stopped and asked them if they would become my ‘support team/sports managers’ for my next race and they agreed! My next race should be much more fun but probably my performance will suffer and there definitely will never be a trip report? (See photo!)
My old support team dragged me away from my new support team and dropped me off at the hotel and we agreed to meet that evening for a celebration/farewell dinner. After a long soak in the tub and shower I decided I needed something to eat – greasy and fatty as usual after a race. I didn’t want to pay $25 for a hamburger at the Marriott so I walked a few blocks to a MacDonalds and got robbed – figuratively – since a Big Mac cost $10! That was just another typical example of prices in Caracas that I found shocking! I expected things to be cheap like other countries in S America but prices in Caracas are ridiculous. They are equivalent or higher than NYC prices but the residents don’t make NYC wages? I don’t understand who can afford to pay those prices? Certainly NOT Half the (6 Million) population who live in poverty and shacks without water or electricity!
Later we enjoyed a great dinner and some very cold Venezuelan beer and I thanked my team for all their help and support. It would have been very difficult – actually impossible- to have run that marathon w/o their help! They offered to help me locate marathons in Bolivia and Columbia where I am having the same problems finding a marathon and anyone to respond to my emails?
On Mon morning Ivan returned me safely to the airport to complete a successful and enjoyable trip!
My next two international marathons are in mountains – the Andes in Aug (Peru) and the Himalayans in Sept (Bhutan) so we leave next week for our summer home in Colorado where I can train and race at high altitude in the Rocky Mtns.
Stay tuned!
Monday, April 21, 2008
TR - Jordan
TRIP REPORT
Jordan
April 7 - 16/08
Race Results:
Dead Sea Marathon
Amman, Jordan
Fri, Apr 11/08
Marathon #302 – Country # 90
3:37:48 - 1AG
Planning began for this race/adventure last fall when I started to put together an itinerary for 2008. I figured that it would be nice to run a marathon in Jordan for 2 reasons:
1) Jordan looked like an interesting country to visit
2) Since I had already run the highest marathon in the world (Everest) I should also run the lowest (Dead Sea)!
My first step was to register for the race and then I tried to find a package tour to explore the country. That proved much more difficult because few Americans run the marathon and there were no ‘canned’ English tours. A private tour was very expensive so I emailed a running friend in Germany who arranges tours for German runners. He wasn’t doing a tour in Jordan in 08 but put me in touch with a friend who was. Christian was very receptive to my joining his group of 40 German runners for the race and an 8-day tour of Jordan. I was not concerned that the tour would be in German because I figured it would get me to all the important tourist sites and I could use a guide book to read about what I was seeing? I also figured (correctly) that many of the German runners would speak English and could provide some translation when needed? I agreed to join the group and meet them at the airport in Amman.
The long, direct flight (12 hrs) from Chicago to Amman gave me lots of time to read my tour guide and learn the history of Jordan. Archaeological finds date the first cities back to 9,000 BC.
During the Iron Age (1200 – 330 BC) three kingdoms emerged: the Edomites, the Moabites and the Ammonites. According to the Old Testament this was the age of Exodus when Moses led the Israelites from Egypt to Jordan to the Promised Land. In 333 BC Alexander the Great stormed through Jordan and after his death control of the country was split among a nomadic tribe called the Nabataeans in the south and the Jews in the north. Around 64 BC the Romans took control and created the Roman province of Arabia Petraea with the capital in Petra. When Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in AD 324 it changed the country and many churches were built on the ruins of old temples. After the death of the Prophet Mohammed in AD 632 the armies of Islam moved north and the Umayyad dynasty established control (661 – 750 BC) until a huge earthquake destroyed much of the empire in AD 747. For several centuries the armies of Islam and Christianity fought for control. The Ottoman Turks took control in the 15th Century and stayed in power until 1918 when they were defeated by TE Lawrence aka ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ leading an army of 100,000 Arabs! After WW II the UN partitioned Palestine and created the State of Israel and we all know what happened after that!
While I was waiting at the Amman airport for the German group I bought my visa to enter the country and was ready to join them and head for the hotel as soon as they arrived. Christian introduced me on the bus and immediately one of the runners asked where we had met? Only after he stated that he was running ‘capital cities’ in countries did I remember that we had met in Trinidad in Feb 05 (3 weeks after my knee surgery)! Within a few days I had met the entire group including a few runners who were running countries so we had a lot in common and I established some good contacts.
We had two days of tours before the race and started early on Wed morning with a visit to the ruins of ancient Amman at the Citadel – located on the highest jebel or hill in the city (850m above sea level). Like Rome, Amman was born on seven major jebels (hills) but now spreads over 20. For some reason I expected Jordan and Amman to be high desert plains? Was I ever wrong! The country is mainly rugged, barren mountains or jebels and valleys.
If I tried to describe every interesting site I saw in Jordan I would have to transcribe about 40 pages of the tour guide to this report. So for brevity I will only mention the highlights. I have uploaded more than 100 photos of the trip to my website with captions to share with my readers. If you want more details on this very interesting country or a specific site – especially Petra – please search the Net and look at my photos!
At the citadel we toured the National Archaeological Museum to view the Dead Sea Scrolls and 6,000 year-old skulls. Sites visited were the Umayyad Palace and Audience Hall (AD 720), the Colonnaded Street and Temple Of Hercules – Roman (AD 100). From the Citadel there were great views of modern Amman and the world’s tallest, free-standing flagpole (127m) and the Roman Theatre built in the 2nd century to seat 6,000. It is connected to the Citadel via a tunnel. During the Roman period Amman was known as Philadelphia?
We then headed north to the ancient Roman city of Gerasa (Jerash) that is well preserved. First we stopped for a wonderful Jordanian lunch – warm bread that was like a pita or naan bread with all kinds of humus and dips. Washed down with a local limonade drink made from limes.
Jerash had a population of 20,000 more than 2,000 years ago. The city is entered through Hadrian’s Arch built in AD 129. Behind the arch is a restored Hippodrome where Chariot races are held each day for tourists. After passing through the South Gate we reached the Oval Plaza and the Temple of Zeus (AD 162). Behind the temple is the South Theatre (AD 81) that could seat 5,000. Then we strolled down a long Colonnaded Street past the Nymphaeum- the public fountain (AD 191) and the Temple of Artemis (the Goddess of Hunting and Fertility) to the North Theatre and North Gate. On the way back we stopped at the South Theatre to watch some Jordanian teenage girls dancing and parading to Jordanian bagpipers? That surprised me but our local tour guide, Osama (NOT – Bin Ladin) informed me that they were ex-military and the military still uses bagpipers in their bands (from the days of British rule). Jerash was very impressive and interesting!
On our return to Amman we stopped at a 19th Century Inn called Kan Zeman for a traditional Jordanian dinner and entertainment. A great atmosphere and a good dinner.
On Thu we packed our baggage and left Amman to travel north to the Syrian border and the ancient city of Gadara or Umm Qais where Jesus was said to have cast the demons out of two people and into a herd of swine? Gadara was captured by the Romans in 63 BC. The ruins are not as impressive as Jerash and in many places the ruins were built over by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. What I found impressive about Umm Qais were the spectacular views of Syria, Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, Israel and Lebanon – all in the same view. You can’t do anything like that in the US!
After leaving Umm Qais we traveled south along the Jordan Valley and Israel border and made a brief stop at the Aljun Nature Reserve where we enjoyed a short hike and Osama explained some of the local plants to us. Most of the trees I would describe as ‘scrub brush’?
When we returned to Amman the bus stopped for a liquor run because Osama informed us that it would be the only chance to buy beer/liquor for the desert camp where we would stay after the race. I decided to buy two cans of local beer called ‘Petra’ - 1/2 liter cans of beer with 10% alcohol – equivalent to drinking a liter of wine?
After the booze stop we followed the route of the Ultra marathon/marathon from the city to the Dead Sea. One of the German runners had a topological profile of the courses. It was hard to believe? The course started at an elevation of 800m/2600 ft and dropped 1200m/4,000 ft to finish at the ‘Lowest Point on Earth’ – the Dead Sea at 411m/1349 ft (below Sea level)! The Ultra was 48.7 km and the marathon started at the 6.5km mark of the Ultra. As we drove the course I noted that it was a continuous steep descent (800m) for the 1st Half where the course reached Sea Level. It was going to be a bitch on the legs! At 22 km the course seemed to flatten out although the profile indicated a 400m descent over the 2nd Half? I didn’t believe those figures because the course seemed to be fairly flat after 22km? Around 25 km the course passed by the road to the top of Mt Nebo where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land and is buried. I don’t understand how anyone in his right mind could look out over the rugged, barren, inhospitable landscape on both sides of the Dead Sea and believe that it was ‘The Promised Land’? The story is not believable!
At 30km the course reached the end of the highway and an elevation 200 ft below Sea Level. If we turned right we would pass Al-Maghtas or Bethany-Beyond-Jordan where John baptized Jesus. The Israel border was very close and Jericho was only 12km. Instead the course turned left and ran along the Dead Sea over a series of rolling hills with three BAHs (Bad Ass Hills) starting at 35km as the course continued to drop to the finish line at Amman Beach at 400m below Sea Level! I realized that the final 12km would be very painful if I did not run smart in the 1st Half!
The Dead Sea Resorts were located along a stretch of the Dead Sea near the 40 km mark. The tour included two nights at a 5-star Movenpick Resort which was much nicer/luxurious than the hotels I normally stay at. I could get used to staying at places like that – but not the prices! It meant we had a long drive to the start line in the morning but a short walk to the hotel after the race. Christian had already given us our race packets and only after I checked it in more detail at the hotel did I realize that I had a bib # for the Ultra! I had asked him to reserve bib # 90 (country #90) but that bib # was colored for the Ultra race. We had to switch the bibs before the race – and they let me keep bib #90 as a souvenir!
The races started at 7am on Fri but we had to check in at the start of the Ultra by 5:30 to have our bib # scanned which meant leaving the hotel by 4:30am. In my haste to get ready I forgot my heart monitor strap! I became flustered and annoyed because I haven’t run a marathon in 10 years without my monitor! I decided I would just have to run the race the old fashioned way – based on pace and how I felt? We left our warm up clothes on our tour bus and the race organization bussed the marathoners to the marathon start by 6am. That meant a 1-hr wait without any toilets or water at the start line. Fortunately I took water with me and the weather was warm enough (high 60s F) that warm ups weren’t needed. There were 3,000 runners in all races – but only 100 in the Ultra and 100 in the marathon. The rest were in the Half and 10Km. There were two groups from Germany, one from Italy and one from France but only two other Americans in the races. The Ultra and Marathon started at 7am. I was concerned about going out too fast because of the steep descent? There were distance markers every 1Km which really helped. There were water stations every 2Km which would be needed because of the heat and dry air.
I passed 5Km in 24:15. Thinking that was too fast I tried to slow down. I really needed to know what effort (i.e. heart rate) I was putting into the sub 5min/Km (8 min/mile) pace but I screwed up that option/possibility! When I passed 10Km in 50:15 I decided that gravity was doing most of the work and I felt OK so I decided to stay with the 5min/Km pace for the 1st Half and see what happened? By the time I reached 18Km the temps had climbed significantly and I started dumping water over my head/body at every water station to cool down! I passed the Half in 1:45:37 – the fastest half I ran in the past few years! Now the real test began as the course became flatter. I figured if I could slow down and hold a 5:20/Km (or 8:30/mile) pace for the 2nd Half I could finish under 3:45? I was pleasantly surprised to find I only slowed to a 5:10/Km pace for the next 10 Km and I started to pass a lot of runners who had passed me in the 1st 10Km. They had gone out too fast and their legs were trashed from the steep down hills and they were struggling!
When I made the turn at 30Km (200m below Sea level) it was HOT! The road/course was straight as an arrow for the final 12Km and I could see the series of BAHs waiting for me! I managed to hold the 5:10 pace until I reached the 1st BAH around 35Km. My pace slowed to 5:30/km (8:50/mile) pace. When I reached the crest of the 2nd BAH at 40Km and my hotel was right there I briefly considered the idea of turning into the hotel and going straight to the pool!
My legs were trashed, I was out of energy and I was HOT! But I had reached 40Km in 3:26:07and a split of 6:04/Km (my slowest split of the race). Even if I continued at a 6min/Km (10min/mile) pace I would still finish under 3:40! I focused on shutting out the pain, the lack of energy and the heat and forced my wasted old legs to keep moving toward the final BAH – and the finish line! When I crested that final BAH at 42Km I could see the finish line and the finish clock read 3:37 + change. I begged the old bod to give me one final jolt of adrenaline to sprint across the finish line in 3:37:48!
When I crossed the finish line I was hurting and felt BAD. But that was GOOD – because it meant that I had left absolutely nothing on the course! It only took a few minutes and a few bottles of cold water to cool me down and help me recover quickly. I walked to our tour bus, retrieved my camera and took a finish line photo. Then I struggled to walk/limp down to the beach on the Dead Sea. My legs had started to stiffen and cramp because of the hills but I managed to make it to the beach and into the Sea. What an experience! The salt content (30%) is six times greater than the ocean and provides unbelievable buoyancy! It is impossible to swim (or drown) because your body floats so far out of the water that it is difficult to stroke and keep your balance. The easiest way is to float on your back! It is difficult to describe but remember floating on an inner tube in your youth. Same feeling but no tube! And don’t get any water in your eyes or mouth – stings like Hell and tastes awful!
Many of the bathers including runners were giving themselves a Dead Sea Mud bath (see photos). The spas at the resorts charged a fortune but all you had to do was scoop the black mud from the bottom of the Sea. It feels slippery –much like a body lotion and is supposed to be great for your skin because of all the minerals it contains? I declined!
After my dip or float in the Dead Sea I walked back to the hotel for a cool shower and then explored the resort and enjoyed a pizza under a 2,000 year-old olive tree! That evening the race organization hosted a dinner and party at our resort for the runners. I was surprised to see the local (Muslim) runners drinking and dancing and really enjoying the party? Osama explained that (most) Muslims in Jordan did not abide by the strict/fanatical interpretations of the Koran. Very few women wear a head scarf, etc!
On Sat morning we left the Dead Sea Resorts to travel south to Petra along the Dead Sea Highway. It was a comical group ‘trying’ to get on the bus. The steep downhill course had taken its toll on all the runner’s legs – quads and calves were stiff and sore and steps were not a good idea! I haven’t been that sore after a marathon in a long time? We made a brief stop in the Wadi Mujib Reserve to take photos of the lower Wadi Mujib Gorge. We did not find the ancient cities of Sodom & Gomorrah that supposedly lie somewhere around the southern edge of the Dead Sea? And we did not stop at Lot’s Cave where Lot and his daughters lived after fleeing Sodom and his wife turned into a pillar of salt. A more believable story is that she took a Dead Sea Mud bath and forgot to wash it off? We did stop at the Dana Nature reserve for another ‘typical’ Jordanian lunch and BBQ. The BBQ was delicious! After lunch we ‘enjoyed’ a short nature walk in the reserve – actually it was good (but painful) to force the sore old legs to move!
We arrived in Petra in the late afternoon – in time to enjoy a few beers and make an appointment for a massage at the spa at the Marriott Resort! I tried a Petra beer (10%). Thanks to that beer and/or the massage my legs felt much better and I was able to run an easy 5 miles on Sun morning through the hills of Petra before breakfast. I was looking forward to the tour of the ancient (2000 year-old) city of Petra because my research indicated it was one of the ‘wonders of the world’. I was not disappointed!
The Nabataeans settled in the area around the 5th Century BC but Petra’s glory days came under King Aretas (8 BC – AD 40) when the city was home to 30,000 people. The Romans captured Petra in AD 106. Muslims invaded in the 7th Century and finally the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1189 and it fell into obscurity until 1812 when a Swiss explorer, JL Burckhardt, discovered the city. There are so many archaeological sites to see/enjoy in Petra that it would take too much space in this report so again I will only mention a few highlights. I have posted several photos with captions to my website.
When you enter the Visitor’s Center you begin a long walk to the entrance of the Siq. This walk passes the Djinn Blocks and the Obelisk Tomb – both carved out of the multi-colored sandstone. The 1.2Km Siq starts at a dam built by the Nabataeans in AD 50 to prevent water from the Wadi Musa River flowing into the Siq. The Siq is a narrow gorge that varies from 10 to 2m in width that was created when tectonic forces split the sandstone mountains apart! The sheer walls of the gorge rise about 200m straight up in most places. We arrived at the best time – early morning when the sun rising from the east highlights the many colors in the sandstone.
The natural beauty of the Siq is spectacular and along the way are several tombs carved into the walls. As you near the end of the Siq you suddenly get a peak at the Al-Khazneh or Treasury
which is the icon of Petra. It was carved out of solid iron-laden sandstone to serve as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas in 100 BC but gets its name ‘Treasury’ from the story that the Egyptian Pharaoh his treasure here while pursuing the Israelites. I had stayed with the tour group through the Siq but decided to take off on my own so that I could see more of Petra during our short one-day tour of the city.
As you head towards the centre of the city you pass along the Street of Facades containing more than 30 tombs until you reach the Theatre built by the Nabataeans over 2,000 years ago!
As you continue towards the city you pass the Royal Tombs, a collection of impressive tombs carved into the sandstone mountains. Two of the most distinguished tombs are the Urn and Palace tombs. Further west are the columns of the Colonnaded Street built by the Romans in AD 106. Walking along that street you pass the Nympaeum, the public fountain dedicated to the nymphs in the 2nd Century AD and is now protected by a 750 year-old Juniper tree. Then you pass the old Roman marketplace and the ruins of the Great Temple built by the Nabataeans in the 2nd Century BC and arrive at the Temenos Gateway and the Qasr Al-Bint – one of the few free-standing structures in Petra (30 BC).
On the way back to the Siq I took a higher route past the Temple of Winged Lions and the Petra Church. The church has some beautiful mosaics on the floors. As I rushed back through the Siq to meet the group I was rewarded with new views and colors that were different from the walk in. My biggest disappointment of the day and tour was that we did not have more time to explore and enjoy Petra. It definitely needs 2 to 3 days to explore fully! I would definitely qualify Petra as an ancient ‘Wonder of the World’ – on par with the Pyramids of Egypt and the Temples of Angkor Wat! A ‘must see’ for wanderlusts!
After leaving Petra we headed south to Wadi Rum where the desert sparkles and opens up an enchanting landscape of red sands and towering sandstone peaks. This is the region that ’Lawrence of Arabia’ fell in love with and where he built a house while leading the Arabs against the Ottoman Turks. We posed for a group photo in front of the jebels named ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ by Lawrence of Arabia. We loaded into 4X4 trucks for a tour into the desert to see red sand dunes, 1600 year-old drawings on the sandstone walls and enjoy a tea break with a Bedouin tribe. Our drivers then dropped us off at a desert camp where we spent the night with Bedouins. After settling into my luxurious single tent I sat around a camp fire with the group and drank my two Petra beers and listened to Bedouin music. Dinner was late so I opened a bottle of Crown Royal that I promised to share with the group. They obviously loved Canuck whiskey because I only got 3 shots before it was gone. After dinner we continued to share booze and tell stories. I don’t know how I made it back to my tent but I do remember how ‘shitty’ I felt when Christian opened the flap at 7am and told me I had 30 minutes to be on the bus! However my legs didn’t feel bad that morning – all the pain seemed to have moved up to my stomach and head? I think I had a ‘wee’ hangover?
We left the camp at 7:30 am for Aqaba which is located at the northern tip of the Red Sea – only a few Km from Israel and 13 Km from Saudi Arabia. It is a large port city that is also being developed for tourist activities – diving/snorkeling/sailing etc. on the Red Sea. I was supposed to do a sail/snorkel trip that afternoon but didn’t think my head and stomach could handle rolling seas and the heat. The heat was stifling in Aqaba – temps in the mid 90s at 10am!
Instead I joined another runner to explore the city for a few hours and enjoy a pleasant lunch.
There is not much to see in Aqaba other than the ruins of the old city – Ayla – built in the 3rd century BC. To escape the heat I retreated to the pool at the resort. The pool temp was 72 F? They must use water coolers instead of water heaters – otherwise I don’t understand how they can keep the pool water so COLD! The day in Aqaba was rest/down time that I would have preferred to use in Petra.
On Tue half the group headed back to Amman to catch flights home on Wed and the other half stayed in Aqaba to enjoy more water sports and beach time. We arrived in Amman in time for a farewell dinner and to say our goodbyes since we all had different departures on Wed. I left Amman at 11am to begin my 24-hr journey home but AA delayed my flight from Chicago and extended my journey to 26 hrs and I arrived home at 3am on Thu. Gosh – I love international travel!
But it was a great trip and I met a lot of new friends and contacts. And I had a great race and completed Country # 90! Now what do I do? Glad you asked. Remember a few adventures/marathons back I mentioned that I had a new goal in mind but was not ready to announce it then? I am ready now!
During the past few months I have contacted many friends/runners around the world to compile a Country Club list – a list of runners who have completed a marathon (or ultra) in a minimum of 30 countries. I have posted this list to my website to make it easier to keep it updated and provide access to the members and readers. One reason for the list was to confirm my position on the list. As suspected only one other runner in the world has completed a marathon in 90 or more countries – my good friend and mentor – Wally Herman who holds the World Record with 99 countries! Wally is a fine gentleman – 83 years YOUNG – who still runs 15 to 20 marathons per year. But he no longer runs international races? I have asked him many times to join me on one of my international adventures/marathons to complete #100 but he always declines. He keeps telling me “I hand the mantle over to you. You need to be the first to reach 100”! I believe Wally is afraid to run #100 because of the publicity it might generate and he is a shy man. Also I don’t think he wants to argue with ‘purists’ who may dispute his count because he has also run a few ‘solo’ marathons in small countries that don’t offer an ‘official’ marathon! Unlike Wally I don’t give a damn what the purists think. I have no respect for their opinions and rules that are biased, self-centered and don’t take into consideration circumstances and facts! But I was waiting until I reached Country #90 to have confidence to accept Wally’s offer and challenge and I now announce that “My goal is to complete a marathon in 100 countries”!
Of course as most of you know my establishing a ‘goal’ is a problem because it immediately becomes an ’obsession’ to Maddog! He is demanding that I complete the goal in 2009 and has already booked six more international marathons/countries in 2008! “LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN”!
My next international adventure/marathon is in two weeks in South America.
Stay tuned!
Footnote: It took almost 3 weeks for the race organizaion to post the results but I finally learned that I finished 20th Overall and 1st AG in the Marathon so the effort was worth the pain!
Jordan
April 7 - 16/08
Race Results:
Dead Sea Marathon
Amman, Jordan
Fri, Apr 11/08
Marathon #302 – Country # 90
3:37:48 - 1AG
Planning began for this race/adventure last fall when I started to put together an itinerary for 2008. I figured that it would be nice to run a marathon in Jordan for 2 reasons:
1) Jordan looked like an interesting country to visit
2) Since I had already run the highest marathon in the world (Everest) I should also run the lowest (Dead Sea)!
My first step was to register for the race and then I tried to find a package tour to explore the country. That proved much more difficult because few Americans run the marathon and there were no ‘canned’ English tours. A private tour was very expensive so I emailed a running friend in Germany who arranges tours for German runners. He wasn’t doing a tour in Jordan in 08 but put me in touch with a friend who was. Christian was very receptive to my joining his group of 40 German runners for the race and an 8-day tour of Jordan. I was not concerned that the tour would be in German because I figured it would get me to all the important tourist sites and I could use a guide book to read about what I was seeing? I also figured (correctly) that many of the German runners would speak English and could provide some translation when needed? I agreed to join the group and meet them at the airport in Amman.
The long, direct flight (12 hrs) from Chicago to Amman gave me lots of time to read my tour guide and learn the history of Jordan. Archaeological finds date the first cities back to 9,000 BC.
During the Iron Age (1200 – 330 BC) three kingdoms emerged: the Edomites, the Moabites and the Ammonites. According to the Old Testament this was the age of Exodus when Moses led the Israelites from Egypt to Jordan to the Promised Land. In 333 BC Alexander the Great stormed through Jordan and after his death control of the country was split among a nomadic tribe called the Nabataeans in the south and the Jews in the north. Around 64 BC the Romans took control and created the Roman province of Arabia Petraea with the capital in Petra. When Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in AD 324 it changed the country and many churches were built on the ruins of old temples. After the death of the Prophet Mohammed in AD 632 the armies of Islam moved north and the Umayyad dynasty established control (661 – 750 BC) until a huge earthquake destroyed much of the empire in AD 747. For several centuries the armies of Islam and Christianity fought for control. The Ottoman Turks took control in the 15th Century and stayed in power until 1918 when they were defeated by TE Lawrence aka ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ leading an army of 100,000 Arabs! After WW II the UN partitioned Palestine and created the State of Israel and we all know what happened after that!
While I was waiting at the Amman airport for the German group I bought my visa to enter the country and was ready to join them and head for the hotel as soon as they arrived. Christian introduced me on the bus and immediately one of the runners asked where we had met? Only after he stated that he was running ‘capital cities’ in countries did I remember that we had met in Trinidad in Feb 05 (3 weeks after my knee surgery)! Within a few days I had met the entire group including a few runners who were running countries so we had a lot in common and I established some good contacts.
We had two days of tours before the race and started early on Wed morning with a visit to the ruins of ancient Amman at the Citadel – located on the highest jebel or hill in the city (850m above sea level). Like Rome, Amman was born on seven major jebels (hills) but now spreads over 20. For some reason I expected Jordan and Amman to be high desert plains? Was I ever wrong! The country is mainly rugged, barren mountains or jebels and valleys.
If I tried to describe every interesting site I saw in Jordan I would have to transcribe about 40 pages of the tour guide to this report. So for brevity I will only mention the highlights. I have uploaded more than 100 photos of the trip to my website with captions to share with my readers. If you want more details on this very interesting country or a specific site – especially Petra – please search the Net and look at my photos!
At the citadel we toured the National Archaeological Museum to view the Dead Sea Scrolls and 6,000 year-old skulls. Sites visited were the Umayyad Palace and Audience Hall (AD 720), the Colonnaded Street and Temple Of Hercules – Roman (AD 100). From the Citadel there were great views of modern Amman and the world’s tallest, free-standing flagpole (127m) and the Roman Theatre built in the 2nd century to seat 6,000. It is connected to the Citadel via a tunnel. During the Roman period Amman was known as Philadelphia?
We then headed north to the ancient Roman city of Gerasa (Jerash) that is well preserved. First we stopped for a wonderful Jordanian lunch – warm bread that was like a pita or naan bread with all kinds of humus and dips. Washed down with a local limonade drink made from limes.
Jerash had a population of 20,000 more than 2,000 years ago. The city is entered through Hadrian’s Arch built in AD 129. Behind the arch is a restored Hippodrome where Chariot races are held each day for tourists. After passing through the South Gate we reached the Oval Plaza and the Temple of Zeus (AD 162). Behind the temple is the South Theatre (AD 81) that could seat 5,000. Then we strolled down a long Colonnaded Street past the Nymphaeum- the public fountain (AD 191) and the Temple of Artemis (the Goddess of Hunting and Fertility) to the North Theatre and North Gate. On the way back we stopped at the South Theatre to watch some Jordanian teenage girls dancing and parading to Jordanian bagpipers? That surprised me but our local tour guide, Osama (NOT – Bin Ladin) informed me that they were ex-military and the military still uses bagpipers in their bands (from the days of British rule). Jerash was very impressive and interesting!
On our return to Amman we stopped at a 19th Century Inn called Kan Zeman for a traditional Jordanian dinner and entertainment. A great atmosphere and a good dinner.
On Thu we packed our baggage and left Amman to travel north to the Syrian border and the ancient city of Gadara or Umm Qais where Jesus was said to have cast the demons out of two people and into a herd of swine? Gadara was captured by the Romans in 63 BC. The ruins are not as impressive as Jerash and in many places the ruins were built over by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. What I found impressive about Umm Qais were the spectacular views of Syria, Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, Israel and Lebanon – all in the same view. You can’t do anything like that in the US!
After leaving Umm Qais we traveled south along the Jordan Valley and Israel border and made a brief stop at the Aljun Nature Reserve where we enjoyed a short hike and Osama explained some of the local plants to us. Most of the trees I would describe as ‘scrub brush’?
When we returned to Amman the bus stopped for a liquor run because Osama informed us that it would be the only chance to buy beer/liquor for the desert camp where we would stay after the race. I decided to buy two cans of local beer called ‘Petra’ - 1/2 liter cans of beer with 10% alcohol – equivalent to drinking a liter of wine?
After the booze stop we followed the route of the Ultra marathon/marathon from the city to the Dead Sea. One of the German runners had a topological profile of the courses. It was hard to believe? The course started at an elevation of 800m/2600 ft and dropped 1200m/4,000 ft to finish at the ‘Lowest Point on Earth’ – the Dead Sea at 411m/1349 ft (below Sea level)! The Ultra was 48.7 km and the marathon started at the 6.5km mark of the Ultra. As we drove the course I noted that it was a continuous steep descent (800m) for the 1st Half where the course reached Sea Level. It was going to be a bitch on the legs! At 22 km the course seemed to flatten out although the profile indicated a 400m descent over the 2nd Half? I didn’t believe those figures because the course seemed to be fairly flat after 22km? Around 25 km the course passed by the road to the top of Mt Nebo where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land and is buried. I don’t understand how anyone in his right mind could look out over the rugged, barren, inhospitable landscape on both sides of the Dead Sea and believe that it was ‘The Promised Land’? The story is not believable!
At 30km the course reached the end of the highway and an elevation 200 ft below Sea Level. If we turned right we would pass Al-Maghtas or Bethany-Beyond-Jordan where John baptized Jesus. The Israel border was very close and Jericho was only 12km. Instead the course turned left and ran along the Dead Sea over a series of rolling hills with three BAHs (Bad Ass Hills) starting at 35km as the course continued to drop to the finish line at Amman Beach at 400m below Sea Level! I realized that the final 12km would be very painful if I did not run smart in the 1st Half!
The Dead Sea Resorts were located along a stretch of the Dead Sea near the 40 km mark. The tour included two nights at a 5-star Movenpick Resort which was much nicer/luxurious than the hotels I normally stay at. I could get used to staying at places like that – but not the prices! It meant we had a long drive to the start line in the morning but a short walk to the hotel after the race. Christian had already given us our race packets and only after I checked it in more detail at the hotel did I realize that I had a bib # for the Ultra! I had asked him to reserve bib # 90 (country #90) but that bib # was colored for the Ultra race. We had to switch the bibs before the race – and they let me keep bib #90 as a souvenir!
The races started at 7am on Fri but we had to check in at the start of the Ultra by 5:30 to have our bib # scanned which meant leaving the hotel by 4:30am. In my haste to get ready I forgot my heart monitor strap! I became flustered and annoyed because I haven’t run a marathon in 10 years without my monitor! I decided I would just have to run the race the old fashioned way – based on pace and how I felt? We left our warm up clothes on our tour bus and the race organization bussed the marathoners to the marathon start by 6am. That meant a 1-hr wait without any toilets or water at the start line. Fortunately I took water with me and the weather was warm enough (high 60s F) that warm ups weren’t needed. There were 3,000 runners in all races – but only 100 in the Ultra and 100 in the marathon. The rest were in the Half and 10Km. There were two groups from Germany, one from Italy and one from France but only two other Americans in the races. The Ultra and Marathon started at 7am. I was concerned about going out too fast because of the steep descent? There were distance markers every 1Km which really helped. There were water stations every 2Km which would be needed because of the heat and dry air.
I passed 5Km in 24:15. Thinking that was too fast I tried to slow down. I really needed to know what effort (i.e. heart rate) I was putting into the sub 5min/Km (8 min/mile) pace but I screwed up that option/possibility! When I passed 10Km in 50:15 I decided that gravity was doing most of the work and I felt OK so I decided to stay with the 5min/Km pace for the 1st Half and see what happened? By the time I reached 18Km the temps had climbed significantly and I started dumping water over my head/body at every water station to cool down! I passed the Half in 1:45:37 – the fastest half I ran in the past few years! Now the real test began as the course became flatter. I figured if I could slow down and hold a 5:20/Km (or 8:30/mile) pace for the 2nd Half I could finish under 3:45? I was pleasantly surprised to find I only slowed to a 5:10/Km pace for the next 10 Km and I started to pass a lot of runners who had passed me in the 1st 10Km. They had gone out too fast and their legs were trashed from the steep down hills and they were struggling!
When I made the turn at 30Km (200m below Sea level) it was HOT! The road/course was straight as an arrow for the final 12Km and I could see the series of BAHs waiting for me! I managed to hold the 5:10 pace until I reached the 1st BAH around 35Km. My pace slowed to 5:30/km (8:50/mile) pace. When I reached the crest of the 2nd BAH at 40Km and my hotel was right there I briefly considered the idea of turning into the hotel and going straight to the pool!
My legs were trashed, I was out of energy and I was HOT! But I had reached 40Km in 3:26:07and a split of 6:04/Km (my slowest split of the race). Even if I continued at a 6min/Km (10min/mile) pace I would still finish under 3:40! I focused on shutting out the pain, the lack of energy and the heat and forced my wasted old legs to keep moving toward the final BAH – and the finish line! When I crested that final BAH at 42Km I could see the finish line and the finish clock read 3:37 + change. I begged the old bod to give me one final jolt of adrenaline to sprint across the finish line in 3:37:48!
When I crossed the finish line I was hurting and felt BAD. But that was GOOD – because it meant that I had left absolutely nothing on the course! It only took a few minutes and a few bottles of cold water to cool me down and help me recover quickly. I walked to our tour bus, retrieved my camera and took a finish line photo. Then I struggled to walk/limp down to the beach on the Dead Sea. My legs had started to stiffen and cramp because of the hills but I managed to make it to the beach and into the Sea. What an experience! The salt content (30%) is six times greater than the ocean and provides unbelievable buoyancy! It is impossible to swim (or drown) because your body floats so far out of the water that it is difficult to stroke and keep your balance. The easiest way is to float on your back! It is difficult to describe but remember floating on an inner tube in your youth. Same feeling but no tube! And don’t get any water in your eyes or mouth – stings like Hell and tastes awful!
Many of the bathers including runners were giving themselves a Dead Sea Mud bath (see photos). The spas at the resorts charged a fortune but all you had to do was scoop the black mud from the bottom of the Sea. It feels slippery –much like a body lotion and is supposed to be great for your skin because of all the minerals it contains? I declined!
After my dip or float in the Dead Sea I walked back to the hotel for a cool shower and then explored the resort and enjoyed a pizza under a 2,000 year-old olive tree! That evening the race organization hosted a dinner and party at our resort for the runners. I was surprised to see the local (Muslim) runners drinking and dancing and really enjoying the party? Osama explained that (most) Muslims in Jordan did not abide by the strict/fanatical interpretations of the Koran. Very few women wear a head scarf, etc!
On Sat morning we left the Dead Sea Resorts to travel south to Petra along the Dead Sea Highway. It was a comical group ‘trying’ to get on the bus. The steep downhill course had taken its toll on all the runner’s legs – quads and calves were stiff and sore and steps were not a good idea! I haven’t been that sore after a marathon in a long time? We made a brief stop in the Wadi Mujib Reserve to take photos of the lower Wadi Mujib Gorge. We did not find the ancient cities of Sodom & Gomorrah that supposedly lie somewhere around the southern edge of the Dead Sea? And we did not stop at Lot’s Cave where Lot and his daughters lived after fleeing Sodom and his wife turned into a pillar of salt. A more believable story is that she took a Dead Sea Mud bath and forgot to wash it off? We did stop at the Dana Nature reserve for another ‘typical’ Jordanian lunch and BBQ. The BBQ was delicious! After lunch we ‘enjoyed’ a short nature walk in the reserve – actually it was good (but painful) to force the sore old legs to move!
We arrived in Petra in the late afternoon – in time to enjoy a few beers and make an appointment for a massage at the spa at the Marriott Resort! I tried a Petra beer (10%). Thanks to that beer and/or the massage my legs felt much better and I was able to run an easy 5 miles on Sun morning through the hills of Petra before breakfast. I was looking forward to the tour of the ancient (2000 year-old) city of Petra because my research indicated it was one of the ‘wonders of the world’. I was not disappointed!
The Nabataeans settled in the area around the 5th Century BC but Petra’s glory days came under King Aretas (8 BC – AD 40) when the city was home to 30,000 people. The Romans captured Petra in AD 106. Muslims invaded in the 7th Century and finally the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1189 and it fell into obscurity until 1812 when a Swiss explorer, JL Burckhardt, discovered the city. There are so many archaeological sites to see/enjoy in Petra that it would take too much space in this report so again I will only mention a few highlights. I have posted several photos with captions to my website.
When you enter the Visitor’s Center you begin a long walk to the entrance of the Siq. This walk passes the Djinn Blocks and the Obelisk Tomb – both carved out of the multi-colored sandstone. The 1.2Km Siq starts at a dam built by the Nabataeans in AD 50 to prevent water from the Wadi Musa River flowing into the Siq. The Siq is a narrow gorge that varies from 10 to 2m in width that was created when tectonic forces split the sandstone mountains apart! The sheer walls of the gorge rise about 200m straight up in most places. We arrived at the best time – early morning when the sun rising from the east highlights the many colors in the sandstone.
The natural beauty of the Siq is spectacular and along the way are several tombs carved into the walls. As you near the end of the Siq you suddenly get a peak at the Al-Khazneh or Treasury
which is the icon of Petra. It was carved out of solid iron-laden sandstone to serve as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas in 100 BC but gets its name ‘Treasury’ from the story that the Egyptian Pharaoh his treasure here while pursuing the Israelites. I had stayed with the tour group through the Siq but decided to take off on my own so that I could see more of Petra during our short one-day tour of the city.
As you head towards the centre of the city you pass along the Street of Facades containing more than 30 tombs until you reach the Theatre built by the Nabataeans over 2,000 years ago!
As you continue towards the city you pass the Royal Tombs, a collection of impressive tombs carved into the sandstone mountains. Two of the most distinguished tombs are the Urn and Palace tombs. Further west are the columns of the Colonnaded Street built by the Romans in AD 106. Walking along that street you pass the Nympaeum, the public fountain dedicated to the nymphs in the 2nd Century AD and is now protected by a 750 year-old Juniper tree. Then you pass the old Roman marketplace and the ruins of the Great Temple built by the Nabataeans in the 2nd Century BC and arrive at the Temenos Gateway and the Qasr Al-Bint – one of the few free-standing structures in Petra (30 BC).
On the way back to the Siq I took a higher route past the Temple of Winged Lions and the Petra Church. The church has some beautiful mosaics on the floors. As I rushed back through the Siq to meet the group I was rewarded with new views and colors that were different from the walk in. My biggest disappointment of the day and tour was that we did not have more time to explore and enjoy Petra. It definitely needs 2 to 3 days to explore fully! I would definitely qualify Petra as an ancient ‘Wonder of the World’ – on par with the Pyramids of Egypt and the Temples of Angkor Wat! A ‘must see’ for wanderlusts!
After leaving Petra we headed south to Wadi Rum where the desert sparkles and opens up an enchanting landscape of red sands and towering sandstone peaks. This is the region that ’Lawrence of Arabia’ fell in love with and where he built a house while leading the Arabs against the Ottoman Turks. We posed for a group photo in front of the jebels named ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ by Lawrence of Arabia. We loaded into 4X4 trucks for a tour into the desert to see red sand dunes, 1600 year-old drawings on the sandstone walls and enjoy a tea break with a Bedouin tribe. Our drivers then dropped us off at a desert camp where we spent the night with Bedouins. After settling into my luxurious single tent I sat around a camp fire with the group and drank my two Petra beers and listened to Bedouin music. Dinner was late so I opened a bottle of Crown Royal that I promised to share with the group. They obviously loved Canuck whiskey because I only got 3 shots before it was gone. After dinner we continued to share booze and tell stories. I don’t know how I made it back to my tent but I do remember how ‘shitty’ I felt when Christian opened the flap at 7am and told me I had 30 minutes to be on the bus! However my legs didn’t feel bad that morning – all the pain seemed to have moved up to my stomach and head? I think I had a ‘wee’ hangover?
We left the camp at 7:30 am for Aqaba which is located at the northern tip of the Red Sea – only a few Km from Israel and 13 Km from Saudi Arabia. It is a large port city that is also being developed for tourist activities – diving/snorkeling/sailing etc. on the Red Sea. I was supposed to do a sail/snorkel trip that afternoon but didn’t think my head and stomach could handle rolling seas and the heat. The heat was stifling in Aqaba – temps in the mid 90s at 10am!
Instead I joined another runner to explore the city for a few hours and enjoy a pleasant lunch.
There is not much to see in Aqaba other than the ruins of the old city – Ayla – built in the 3rd century BC. To escape the heat I retreated to the pool at the resort. The pool temp was 72 F? They must use water coolers instead of water heaters – otherwise I don’t understand how they can keep the pool water so COLD! The day in Aqaba was rest/down time that I would have preferred to use in Petra.
On Tue half the group headed back to Amman to catch flights home on Wed and the other half stayed in Aqaba to enjoy more water sports and beach time. We arrived in Amman in time for a farewell dinner and to say our goodbyes since we all had different departures on Wed. I left Amman at 11am to begin my 24-hr journey home but AA delayed my flight from Chicago and extended my journey to 26 hrs and I arrived home at 3am on Thu. Gosh – I love international travel!
But it was a great trip and I met a lot of new friends and contacts. And I had a great race and completed Country # 90! Now what do I do? Glad you asked. Remember a few adventures/marathons back I mentioned that I had a new goal in mind but was not ready to announce it then? I am ready now!
During the past few months I have contacted many friends/runners around the world to compile a Country Club list – a list of runners who have completed a marathon (or ultra) in a minimum of 30 countries. I have posted this list to my website to make it easier to keep it updated and provide access to the members and readers. One reason for the list was to confirm my position on the list. As suspected only one other runner in the world has completed a marathon in 90 or more countries – my good friend and mentor – Wally Herman who holds the World Record with 99 countries! Wally is a fine gentleman – 83 years YOUNG – who still runs 15 to 20 marathons per year. But he no longer runs international races? I have asked him many times to join me on one of my international adventures/marathons to complete #100 but he always declines. He keeps telling me “I hand the mantle over to you. You need to be the first to reach 100”! I believe Wally is afraid to run #100 because of the publicity it might generate and he is a shy man. Also I don’t think he wants to argue with ‘purists’ who may dispute his count because he has also run a few ‘solo’ marathons in small countries that don’t offer an ‘official’ marathon! Unlike Wally I don’t give a damn what the purists think. I have no respect for their opinions and rules that are biased, self-centered and don’t take into consideration circumstances and facts! But I was waiting until I reached Country #90 to have confidence to accept Wally’s offer and challenge and I now announce that “My goal is to complete a marathon in 100 countries”!
Of course as most of you know my establishing a ‘goal’ is a problem because it immediately becomes an ’obsession’ to Maddog! He is demanding that I complete the goal in 2009 and has already booked six more international marathons/countries in 2008! “LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN”!
My next international adventure/marathon is in two weeks in South America.
Stay tuned!
Footnote: It took almost 3 weeks for the race organizaion to post the results but I finally learned that I finished 20th Overall and 1st AG in the Marathon so the effort was worth the pain!
Thursday, April 03, 2008
TR - Malaysia
TRIP REPORT
Malaysia
March 21 – 31/08
Race Results
Kuala Lumpur International Marathon
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sun, Mar 30/08
Marathon #301 - Country # 89
4:14:02
Planning began for this trip/marathon more than one year ago. There were two choices for that weekend – both in Asia. The 2nd choice was Guam. The cost of airfare was the deciding factor. It was cheaper to get to Malaysia. I can do Guam another year.
The race had a good website but didn’t provide for online registration and that became a problem. The race organization seemed to be adamant and rigid in their rules. If you didn’t mail your entry form and fee in you didn’t get registered! I got a little testy with the race director and criticized him for not being more accommodating to foreign runners but mailed in an entry form and $13 cash. He did email me later to confirm receipt and entry. The next problem was a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Again the race director was not too helpful until pushed but finally suggested a hotel that was supposedly convenient to the start/finish line of the race.
As the date got closer to race time I contacted a travel agency in Kuala Lumpur and asked for suggestions and prices for a tour of Malaysia. Their price was too high but I did ask them to book a hotel and arrange to have a driver and car meet me at the airport since I arrived at midnight and didn’t want to mess with a taxi driver at that time of night! I monitored the weather in KL and did training runs in the heat of the FL afternoon the week before leaving to get used to the hot weather I would face in KL.
Finally it was time for the long trip – left FL at 7am on Fri, March 21 and arrived in KL at 12:05am on Sun, March 23 (you lose a day crossing the International Date Line). As expected I emerged from Immigration and Customs about 1am. No driver/car waiting for me! Time to scramble. Luckily there was an official/licensed taxi desk where I was able to book a taxi for the 1-hr drive into KL. I had the taxi take me into Chinatown where there are several budget hotels and luckily (again) the 1st hotel we checked had a room available. I finally got to bed around 3 am and slept for 8 hrs.
I had decided beforehand that I wanted to get out of KL and explore the country. A quick walk around Chinatown in KL on Sun morning confirmed my decision! The city center of KL is compact but the traffic is horrendous, roads are haphazard and there are no sidewalks – no place to walk or run (safely)! I went to the train station to check on trains to Penang and booked a 1st Class seat for Sun afternoon. At 2:30 pm the train departed for a 7-hr journey to Penang. The long, leisurely ride gave me lots of time to relax, nap and read up on the country. Malaysia was controlled from the 7th to 13th centuries by the powerful Buddhist Srivijaya Empire. In the 14th century the Melaka Empire took control until the Portuguese conquered the port city of Melaka in 1511. The country was later ruled by the Dutch until Britain established a base and port in Penang in 1786. The British controlled the west coast of Malaysia from Singapore to Thailand called the ‘Straights Settlements’ until Malaysia gained independence in 1957. Now I understood why everyone spoke fairly good English? It is a required 2nd language in the schools. The population of 25 Million is 60 % Malays (mostly Muslims), 24 % Chinese and 8 % Indian. Islam is the major religion but there are many Buddhist and Hindu temples. From what I could see the many cultures and religions get along quite well.
I arrived in Butterworth at 9:30pm and took a 10pm ferry across a 3km channel to Georgetown, the capital of Penang. I wanted to stay in a beach resort area called Batu Ferringhi on the north coast of Penang so I negotiated with a taxi to drive me there and help me find a hotel (he charged me $30RM/$10US!). Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! Even though it was low season the resort hotels were fully booked and I was lucky to find a room at the 3rd resort and negotiate the rate down from $160 to $100/night! That was still very expensive and the most I paid for a hotel in Malaysia. I finally got to bed at midnight and slept till 11 am. By then it was too hot to consider running – I started to sweat the second I stepped outside! So I spent the afternoon exploring the resort area and sipping cold Tiger beer on Ferringhi Beach! Tired of flying by the seat of my pants I found a local travel agent to book a hotel in Georgetown for my final night in Penang and also a hotel in Melaka which would be my next stop. He also arranged a car and driver ($25RM/hr) for Tue afternoon to drive me on a tour of the island and drop me off at the hotel in Georgetown. I decided to stay in Georgetown to be closer to the ferry terminal since I had to catch the 1st ferry at 6am to catch the 7am train to Melaka. I also wanted to celebrate my 64th birthday in the city!
On Tue morning I finally managed to get an easy 10-mile run in along the main road through the resorts. I started at 7:30am because I figured that would be the time I reached 32 Km in the race and I wanted to acclimate to the heat at that time – still very HOT! After the run the driver picked me up to start the tour. We visited the main tourist sites around the island and in Georgetown: the old Colonial section of the city including Fort Cornwallis (1786); the Victoria Clock Tower (1897); the Town Hall and City Hall; Kek Lok Si Temple –the oldest Buddhist temple in Malaysia (1890) and the 36m bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Then I took a funicular to the top of Penang Hill (821m) for some panoramic vistas of Penang. The driver completed the tour by showing me the various sections of the city such as Chinatown, Little India and the restaurant/bar area to celebrate my birthday before dropping me off at my hotel.
I decided to sample some of the local cuisine called Nonya – a combination of Malay and Chinese. I reserved a table at one of the best Nonya restaurants in Georgetown. I had no clue what to order so the owner of the restaurant ordered dinner for me. It was delicious. I had to ask the owner what I was eating and if it was OK to use my hands for some of the delicacies? A great birthday dinner for $50RM!
After dinner I thought I should visit a few bars and suck back a few Tiger beers to celebrate my birthday but quickly learned that the bars didn’t even start to see customers until 1 am. With a 5am wake-up call pending I wisely decided to enjoy 1 beer and go to bed! Happy Birthday!
I made the ferry and train on Wed morning and after a long 9-hr ride back through KL, I arrived in Melaka at 5pm. I had booked a new, 4-star hotel built on land reclaimed from the Strait of Melaka and it turned out to be a good choice. The hotel was modern, located close to the old city and on a new road that ran along the coast for about 2 miles with a sidewalk where I could run. I was able to run an easy 10Km each morning as final preparation for the race. That evening I explored the old city and enjoyed a nice dinner in Chinatown. The next day I took a 2-hr bus tour of the city to get the layout of the city and observe where the main tourist attractions were. Then I spent the afternoon walking and visiting the sites : the old colonial city with the Stadthuys – the town hall built by the Dutch in 1641; the Governor’s House; St Paul’s Church (1521); the Sultanate Palace; and the Porta de Santiago – the only remaining gate to the Portuguese fortress of A’Famosa (1511). I considered taking one of the very colorful and extravagantly decorated trishaws but couldn’t subject the poor drivers to the stifling heat! I strolled Jonker Walk through Chinatown to visit the Masjid Kampung Hulu – the oldest mosque in Malaysia (1728) and Cheng HoonTeng Temple – the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia (1646). I enjoyed the history and sights in Melaka and luckily one day was enough time to visit everything.
After my final morning run on Fri I took an express bus to KL ($10RM) and checked into the hotel suggested by the race committee. It was convenient to race HQ and packet pick up but was kind of a dump (what should I expect for $100RM/$30US). I picked up my race packet and read the final race instructions for a few wee surprises! In the race packet was a singlet that had to be worn for the race. The instructions stated that a runner would be disqualified for failure to wear the race sponsor’s (AmBank) singlet! There were only three age groups in the marathon and the senior group was 45+ years. I knew there was no way I could be competitive in that age group. The race started and finished in Merdeka (Independence) Square. It was supposed to finish at Merdeka Stadium where the hotel was located? I walked over to Merdeka Square later to see if there were any hotels located close to the finish line. There was only one located a few minutes from the Square – also a dump at $100RM but I booked a room because it was closer (and it also had satellite TV with 2 English channels).
On Sat I took a ½ day city tour to see the main tourist sites and get a layout of the city center. We visited Chinatown and the Sri Mahamariamman Temple an Indian Hindu temple; Central Market and the open market on Petaling St. Next were the King’s Palace, the National Museum; National War Memorial, Lake Gardens and National Mosque before we traveled into the new city center to visit the Petronas Towers – the tallest twin towers in the world. We finished with a tour to the top of the 421m KL Tower for a panoramic view of the city. This certainly helped me learn the layout of the city. The city is compact but difficult to explore on foot because of the poor design of the roads and very few sidewalks!
After I checked into my ‘new’ hotel and enjoyed a traditional pasta dinner I walked over to the start/finish line at Merdeka Square to take some photos of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (1894) and the finish line that were lit up brilliantly. The race started at 4:30am to escape as much sun/heat as possible so that meant an early bed time and a wakeup call at 3am. I walked over the start line at 4am to report in and hand in a card necessary to verify that runners started (even though we had chips?). There were 3,000 runners in the marathon – and about 5% of them didn’t obey the rules and wear their race singlet? There were only two Europeans and one other American in the race but I never saw a single Caucasian before or during the race? Needless to say warm ups were not needed –it was very HOT (78F) and humid already. Because of the heat and the ridiculous age groups I had already decided my race strategy: I would start out SLOW in the 1st Half and then slow down in the 2nd Half! Time was not going to be a priority! Turned out to be a very wise decision!
There were water stops every 2.5Km starting at 5Km and sponges every 5Km. There were supposed to be distance markers every 5Km? When I reached the first water stop in 28:11 (average 5:34/Km or 8:56/mile) I was already hot. I walked or slowed down at every water station to make sure I got lots of water in and on me to prevent dehydration and overheating. The course in the 1st Half sucked! About 90% of the course was expressways with lots of on/off ramps and long rolling hills. Traffic was already backed up at 5am due to the race and we were forced to suck in lots of exhaust/diesel fumes! Boy – was this ever fun – reminded me unfortunately of Shanghai! I missed the 10Km marker but passed over a timing mat that was supposedly located at 10Km? My official chip time was 1:01:35 which meant I slowed to a split of 33:24 or an 11 min/mile pace? Whatever – I reached the timing mat at the Half in 2:03:48. Obviously a sub 4-hr marathon wasn’t going to happen – and I didn’t really care even at that point! However the course did improve for the next 10Km as we looped through the new city center. We could enjoy the sights even in the dark and there was less traffic and exhaust fumes to suck up!
I reached 30Km in 3:00:15 and a 5Km split of 29:13 (9:35/mile pace). As expected the sun was coming up which meant the temperature would soar and the final 12Km would be brutal. I realized that a sub 4:10 was not going to happen – and I didn’t care! I just wanted to finish without any heat problems! The course became crappy again as it dumped back on to expressways – more on/off ramps and lots more exhaust fumes! I just wanted to get this race/ordeal over with! The last 10Km had distance markers every 1Km although they were too inaccurate to be useful. When I reached 40Km in 4:01:43 I figured I was running a 7min/km (11 min/mile) pace and I finally decided I needed to push the pace to finish under 4:15. I crossed the finish line in 4:14:02 – good enough to beat my ‘new’ qualifying time for Boston (being OLD has advantages). And surprisingly that time was good enough to place in the top 20% of the age group?
After returning my chip I collected my ‘goodies’ bag that included a finisher’s medal and a Polo collar shirt! US race directors take note - the $40RM/$13US entry fee included a race bib, high quality race singlet, finisher’s certificate and medal and a Polo shirt! I took my bag back to the hotel, got my camera and returned to the finish line for photos. I used the $20RM refund for the chip to buy a 30-minute massage. One good thing about running so slow is that my legs were not sore or tired but they were cramping from the heat and the massage flushed the lactic acid and eased the cramps. After a long, hot shower I strolled around Merdeka Square and Chinatown to take some more photos to share with my readers.
For some strange reason I had booked a red eye flight back home and I tried to get some sleep before the taxi arrived at 10pm for the 1-hr drive to the airport but sleep would not come? By the time I arrived home I had been up for 49 straight hours with only a few hours of naps on the flights. And everyone thinks international travel is so exciting?
Fortunately I have recovered from the trip and jet lag much faster and easier than expected which is good since I leave in a few days for the next marathon/adventure in the Middle East!
Stay tuned!
Malaysia
March 21 – 31/08
Race Results
Kuala Lumpur International Marathon
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sun, Mar 30/08
Marathon #301 - Country # 89
4:14:02
Planning began for this trip/marathon more than one year ago. There were two choices for that weekend – both in Asia. The 2nd choice was Guam. The cost of airfare was the deciding factor. It was cheaper to get to Malaysia. I can do Guam another year.
The race had a good website but didn’t provide for online registration and that became a problem. The race organization seemed to be adamant and rigid in their rules. If you didn’t mail your entry form and fee in you didn’t get registered! I got a little testy with the race director and criticized him for not being more accommodating to foreign runners but mailed in an entry form and $13 cash. He did email me later to confirm receipt and entry. The next problem was a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Again the race director was not too helpful until pushed but finally suggested a hotel that was supposedly convenient to the start/finish line of the race.
As the date got closer to race time I contacted a travel agency in Kuala Lumpur and asked for suggestions and prices for a tour of Malaysia. Their price was too high but I did ask them to book a hotel and arrange to have a driver and car meet me at the airport since I arrived at midnight and didn’t want to mess with a taxi driver at that time of night! I monitored the weather in KL and did training runs in the heat of the FL afternoon the week before leaving to get used to the hot weather I would face in KL.
Finally it was time for the long trip – left FL at 7am on Fri, March 21 and arrived in KL at 12:05am on Sun, March 23 (you lose a day crossing the International Date Line). As expected I emerged from Immigration and Customs about 1am. No driver/car waiting for me! Time to scramble. Luckily there was an official/licensed taxi desk where I was able to book a taxi for the 1-hr drive into KL. I had the taxi take me into Chinatown where there are several budget hotels and luckily (again) the 1st hotel we checked had a room available. I finally got to bed around 3 am and slept for 8 hrs.
I had decided beforehand that I wanted to get out of KL and explore the country. A quick walk around Chinatown in KL on Sun morning confirmed my decision! The city center of KL is compact but the traffic is horrendous, roads are haphazard and there are no sidewalks – no place to walk or run (safely)! I went to the train station to check on trains to Penang and booked a 1st Class seat for Sun afternoon. At 2:30 pm the train departed for a 7-hr journey to Penang. The long, leisurely ride gave me lots of time to relax, nap and read up on the country. Malaysia was controlled from the 7th to 13th centuries by the powerful Buddhist Srivijaya Empire. In the 14th century the Melaka Empire took control until the Portuguese conquered the port city of Melaka in 1511. The country was later ruled by the Dutch until Britain established a base and port in Penang in 1786. The British controlled the west coast of Malaysia from Singapore to Thailand called the ‘Straights Settlements’ until Malaysia gained independence in 1957. Now I understood why everyone spoke fairly good English? It is a required 2nd language in the schools. The population of 25 Million is 60 % Malays (mostly Muslims), 24 % Chinese and 8 % Indian. Islam is the major religion but there are many Buddhist and Hindu temples. From what I could see the many cultures and religions get along quite well.
I arrived in Butterworth at 9:30pm and took a 10pm ferry across a 3km channel to Georgetown, the capital of Penang. I wanted to stay in a beach resort area called Batu Ferringhi on the north coast of Penang so I negotiated with a taxi to drive me there and help me find a hotel (he charged me $30RM/$10US!). Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! Even though it was low season the resort hotels were fully booked and I was lucky to find a room at the 3rd resort and negotiate the rate down from $160 to $100/night! That was still very expensive and the most I paid for a hotel in Malaysia. I finally got to bed at midnight and slept till 11 am. By then it was too hot to consider running – I started to sweat the second I stepped outside! So I spent the afternoon exploring the resort area and sipping cold Tiger beer on Ferringhi Beach! Tired of flying by the seat of my pants I found a local travel agent to book a hotel in Georgetown for my final night in Penang and also a hotel in Melaka which would be my next stop. He also arranged a car and driver ($25RM/hr) for Tue afternoon to drive me on a tour of the island and drop me off at the hotel in Georgetown. I decided to stay in Georgetown to be closer to the ferry terminal since I had to catch the 1st ferry at 6am to catch the 7am train to Melaka. I also wanted to celebrate my 64th birthday in the city!
On Tue morning I finally managed to get an easy 10-mile run in along the main road through the resorts. I started at 7:30am because I figured that would be the time I reached 32 Km in the race and I wanted to acclimate to the heat at that time – still very HOT! After the run the driver picked me up to start the tour. We visited the main tourist sites around the island and in Georgetown: the old Colonial section of the city including Fort Cornwallis (1786); the Victoria Clock Tower (1897); the Town Hall and City Hall; Kek Lok Si Temple –the oldest Buddhist temple in Malaysia (1890) and the 36m bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Then I took a funicular to the top of Penang Hill (821m) for some panoramic vistas of Penang. The driver completed the tour by showing me the various sections of the city such as Chinatown, Little India and the restaurant/bar area to celebrate my birthday before dropping me off at my hotel.
I decided to sample some of the local cuisine called Nonya – a combination of Malay and Chinese. I reserved a table at one of the best Nonya restaurants in Georgetown. I had no clue what to order so the owner of the restaurant ordered dinner for me. It was delicious. I had to ask the owner what I was eating and if it was OK to use my hands for some of the delicacies? A great birthday dinner for $50RM!
After dinner I thought I should visit a few bars and suck back a few Tiger beers to celebrate my birthday but quickly learned that the bars didn’t even start to see customers until 1 am. With a 5am wake-up call pending I wisely decided to enjoy 1 beer and go to bed! Happy Birthday!
I made the ferry and train on Wed morning and after a long 9-hr ride back through KL, I arrived in Melaka at 5pm. I had booked a new, 4-star hotel built on land reclaimed from the Strait of Melaka and it turned out to be a good choice. The hotel was modern, located close to the old city and on a new road that ran along the coast for about 2 miles with a sidewalk where I could run. I was able to run an easy 10Km each morning as final preparation for the race. That evening I explored the old city and enjoyed a nice dinner in Chinatown. The next day I took a 2-hr bus tour of the city to get the layout of the city and observe where the main tourist attractions were. Then I spent the afternoon walking and visiting the sites : the old colonial city with the Stadthuys – the town hall built by the Dutch in 1641; the Governor’s House; St Paul’s Church (1521); the Sultanate Palace; and the Porta de Santiago – the only remaining gate to the Portuguese fortress of A’Famosa (1511). I considered taking one of the very colorful and extravagantly decorated trishaws but couldn’t subject the poor drivers to the stifling heat! I strolled Jonker Walk through Chinatown to visit the Masjid Kampung Hulu – the oldest mosque in Malaysia (1728) and Cheng HoonTeng Temple – the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia (1646). I enjoyed the history and sights in Melaka and luckily one day was enough time to visit everything.
After my final morning run on Fri I took an express bus to KL ($10RM) and checked into the hotel suggested by the race committee. It was convenient to race HQ and packet pick up but was kind of a dump (what should I expect for $100RM/$30US). I picked up my race packet and read the final race instructions for a few wee surprises! In the race packet was a singlet that had to be worn for the race. The instructions stated that a runner would be disqualified for failure to wear the race sponsor’s (AmBank) singlet! There were only three age groups in the marathon and the senior group was 45+ years. I knew there was no way I could be competitive in that age group. The race started and finished in Merdeka (Independence) Square. It was supposed to finish at Merdeka Stadium where the hotel was located? I walked over to Merdeka Square later to see if there were any hotels located close to the finish line. There was only one located a few minutes from the Square – also a dump at $100RM but I booked a room because it was closer (and it also had satellite TV with 2 English channels).
On Sat I took a ½ day city tour to see the main tourist sites and get a layout of the city center. We visited Chinatown and the Sri Mahamariamman Temple an Indian Hindu temple; Central Market and the open market on Petaling St. Next were the King’s Palace, the National Museum; National War Memorial, Lake Gardens and National Mosque before we traveled into the new city center to visit the Petronas Towers – the tallest twin towers in the world. We finished with a tour to the top of the 421m KL Tower for a panoramic view of the city. This certainly helped me learn the layout of the city. The city is compact but difficult to explore on foot because of the poor design of the roads and very few sidewalks!
After I checked into my ‘new’ hotel and enjoyed a traditional pasta dinner I walked over to the start/finish line at Merdeka Square to take some photos of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (1894) and the finish line that were lit up brilliantly. The race started at 4:30am to escape as much sun/heat as possible so that meant an early bed time and a wakeup call at 3am. I walked over the start line at 4am to report in and hand in a card necessary to verify that runners started (even though we had chips?). There were 3,000 runners in the marathon – and about 5% of them didn’t obey the rules and wear their race singlet? There were only two Europeans and one other American in the race but I never saw a single Caucasian before or during the race? Needless to say warm ups were not needed –it was very HOT (78F) and humid already. Because of the heat and the ridiculous age groups I had already decided my race strategy: I would start out SLOW in the 1st Half and then slow down in the 2nd Half! Time was not going to be a priority! Turned out to be a very wise decision!
There were water stops every 2.5Km starting at 5Km and sponges every 5Km. There were supposed to be distance markers every 5Km? When I reached the first water stop in 28:11 (average 5:34/Km or 8:56/mile) I was already hot. I walked or slowed down at every water station to make sure I got lots of water in and on me to prevent dehydration and overheating. The course in the 1st Half sucked! About 90% of the course was expressways with lots of on/off ramps and long rolling hills. Traffic was already backed up at 5am due to the race and we were forced to suck in lots of exhaust/diesel fumes! Boy – was this ever fun – reminded me unfortunately of Shanghai! I missed the 10Km marker but passed over a timing mat that was supposedly located at 10Km? My official chip time was 1:01:35 which meant I slowed to a split of 33:24 or an 11 min/mile pace? Whatever – I reached the timing mat at the Half in 2:03:48. Obviously a sub 4-hr marathon wasn’t going to happen – and I didn’t really care even at that point! However the course did improve for the next 10Km as we looped through the new city center. We could enjoy the sights even in the dark and there was less traffic and exhaust fumes to suck up!
I reached 30Km in 3:00:15 and a 5Km split of 29:13 (9:35/mile pace). As expected the sun was coming up which meant the temperature would soar and the final 12Km would be brutal. I realized that a sub 4:10 was not going to happen – and I didn’t care! I just wanted to finish without any heat problems! The course became crappy again as it dumped back on to expressways – more on/off ramps and lots more exhaust fumes! I just wanted to get this race/ordeal over with! The last 10Km had distance markers every 1Km although they were too inaccurate to be useful. When I reached 40Km in 4:01:43 I figured I was running a 7min/km (11 min/mile) pace and I finally decided I needed to push the pace to finish under 4:15. I crossed the finish line in 4:14:02 – good enough to beat my ‘new’ qualifying time for Boston (being OLD has advantages). And surprisingly that time was good enough to place in the top 20% of the age group?
After returning my chip I collected my ‘goodies’ bag that included a finisher’s medal and a Polo collar shirt! US race directors take note - the $40RM/$13US entry fee included a race bib, high quality race singlet, finisher’s certificate and medal and a Polo shirt! I took my bag back to the hotel, got my camera and returned to the finish line for photos. I used the $20RM refund for the chip to buy a 30-minute massage. One good thing about running so slow is that my legs were not sore or tired but they were cramping from the heat and the massage flushed the lactic acid and eased the cramps. After a long, hot shower I strolled around Merdeka Square and Chinatown to take some more photos to share with my readers.
For some strange reason I had booked a red eye flight back home and I tried to get some sleep before the taxi arrived at 10pm for the 1-hr drive to the airport but sleep would not come? By the time I arrived home I had been up for 49 straight hours with only a few hours of naps on the flights. And everyone thinks international travel is so exciting?
Fortunately I have recovered from the trip and jet lag much faster and easier than expected which is good since I leave in a few days for the next marathon/adventure in the Middle East!
Stay tuned!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
RR - Marathon #300
Race Report
Sarasota Marathon
Sarasota, FL
Sun, Mar 2/08
Marathon #300
3:49:18 – 4 AG
Marathon #300!
Seems like a long time ago and another lifetime since I asked Lisette, the Race Director of the Sarasota Marathon, at the end of the race in 2007 to reserve Bib #300 for me in 2008. I had just finished marathon #282 and only had 18 more to run to complete #300 at Sarasota one year later! Everything went fairly smooth until I suffered a serious foot injury at the end of marathon #289 in Colorado on Labor Day. I still had 10 more marathons to run to make Bib #300 meaningful so I ignored the advice of doctors to take six months rest from running and continued to pursue my goal.
I managed to run through the injury, pain, frustration and embarrassment to line up at the start line with marathon #299 under my belt. I believe the challenge of getting to the start line was much more difficult and memorable than marathon #300 itself! Although marathon #300 was memorable it was not a significant/ incredible feat since many of my friends have run two and three times that amount of marathons! Since some of those friends came to Sarasota to run #300 with me the Sports Manager and I hosted a pasta dinner the night before the race for them and some local runners. If you view the photos at http://www.maddog.smugmug.com/ you will see a photo of four runners that have completed a total of 2445 marathons and 258 countries:
Norm Frank - N. American record of 953 marathons and 6 countries
Wally Herman - 702 marathons and World record of 99 countries
Edson Sanches - 490 marathons and 65 countries
John ‘Maddog’ Wallace – 300 marathons and 88 countries
So you see Maddog is just a baby/novice compared to his illustrious friends! I was so pleased that my good friends were able to join us for dinner and share their time with local runners who were in awe of their experiences and accomplishments.
However I was very concerned on race morning! A friend Rick (who had stayed with us) and I had both suffered a lot of stomach cramps and intestinal problems all night before the race? I was so sick at 3 am that I thought that I might not make it to the start line? Nah! I might have considered that option for a normal race but no way was I going to miss lining up for #300 at my home town race! I was relieved when we arrived at the start line and talked to the rest of the dinner guests. Nobody else had experienced any problems from the Sports Manager’s excellent pasta. Rick and I concluded that the problem probably resulted from a slice of pizza we ate at a deli at the Sports Expo?
I would like to blame the intestinal problems for my poor race performance but fortunately/thankfully after a few last-minute emergency pit stops at the porto-johns I felt OK when I lined up at the start line with my friends and 3,000 other runners. The weather was nice at the 6 am start – a temp of 56 F but humid. The forecast called for the temps to warm up rapidly into the 80s and the humidity to drop. Being an OLD Floridian I actually felt cool at the start and wore a throw-away T-shirt under a singlet that I had custom printed for my 300th! The front read “Marathon #300” and the back read “John’s 300th marathon”. I knew the printing would solicit lots of cheers and shouts along the course and I was counting on them to motivate me. I figured I would need it! The foot injury had not healed until early Jan so I had only two months of good training to try to get back into competitive marathon shape. I knew I was not in ‘peak’ shape but hoped I was in good enough shape to at least place in my Age Group in my home town race!
I took off like a jack rabbit and passed mile 1 in 7:57. Too fast! By mile 3 (24:42) I had settled into an easy 8:20 pace. I had warmed up and had to slow down to remove the T-shirt. During that awkward process the 3:40 pace group passed me. A few friends including Charlie (see the Gasparilla report) were in that pace group so I decided to drop in behind them and stay with them. I would be happy to finish in 3:40 so why not let them drag me through the race? It seemed to work at first as we passed mile 10 in 1:24:45 and a split of 8:27. However when we crossed the bridge over Sarasota Bay (the highest hill in town) at mile 12 in 1:40:38 I was beginning to realize that I had made a big mistake! The pace setter was running exact and even splits for a 3:40 pace. But that is not the way I normally run and I found it difficult and frustrating. I normally experience ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ in energy level throughout a race and let my body adjust to those changes. At times I felt good and wanted to leave the pace group behind and other times I felt bad/tired and had to struggle to stay with them. When we passed the Half in 1:50:00 (exactly) I already knew that a (sub) 3:40 wasn’t going to happen! In 300 marathons I can count on one hand the number of times I have run a negative or even split in the 2nd Half! And I was experiencing another low or ‘lull’ and having difficulty staying with the group as we started the 2nd Half.
At mile 17 I noticed that Charlie and I were starting to fall behind? I told Charlie (who needed a sub 3:45 to qualify for Boston) that the smartest thing we could do was to try to keep the group in sight until we crossed back over the bridge at mile 21 and then we could slow the pace and hopefully still finish under 3:45. When I passed mile 18 in 2:31:59 and a split 0f 8:51 I was struggling and in trouble! By the time I caught up to Wally, Norm and Frank at mile 19 I couldn’t see the pace group anymore? Norm and Wally had graciously agreed to take my running pal Frank Ouseley under their wings as he attempted to complete his first marathon since his back surgery. They had started together and early at 4 am. I reached mile 20 in 2:50:18 and a split of 9:16. I calculated that I had to maintain a sub 9-min pace for the final 10Km to finish under 3:45 – and I still had to go across the bridge! It felt like Mt Everest instead of a 65-ft high bridge and I reached mile 21 in 3:00:14 and a split of 9:55! I knew at that point that 3:45 wasn’t going to happen either. I figured the best I could do was to try to hold a sub 10-min pace and finish under 3:50? When I reached mile 23 in 3:18:29 I felt like I was close to ‘hitting the wall’. If I let that happen the final 5 Km would be very UGLY and entail a lot of walking so I slowed down even more. I became totally focused on blocking out the pain and lack of energy and keeping my legs/feet shuffling to the finish line. As I approached mile 26 I tried to push the pace but my right calf started to cramp. That hadn’t happened in the past year and I did not want to go through those problems again so I backed off immediately and ‘shuffled/limped’ across the finish line in 3:49:18.
I had finished #300 but I was not pleased with my on-the-spot strategy and performance and I was very disappointed with my time! I wasn’t surprised but was again disappointed when I checked the results to learn that I finished 4th in my AG. The only consolation was that 3rd place finished in 3:37! Even if I had run a great race I couldn’t have beat that time in the shape I was in!
I waited at the finish line for a few friends to finish and some finish line photos. I wanted to stay and watch Wally, Norm and Frank finish(which they did later hand-in hand together) but my legs started to cramp and I needed to get home and into the hot tub. And that’s exactly what I did! After a few beers and a long hot soak I was ready to attend the annual post-race party at Linda’s where I could drown my sorrows in lots of good beer and BBQ. I had a sneaky suspicion that Linda had something planned to celebrate my 300th marathon so I wasn’t too surprised when they sat me down and out came a beautiful, blonde Hula dancer. I had immediate flashbacks to my 60th birthday – same place, same dancer except an Egyptian belly dancer then. Soon Ms Cynthia (aka Attila the Huness) was joined by the two ugliest Hula dancers you would NOT want to see. I think one of the dancers was from Afghanistan? (see photos). One of the dancers was Charlie and the other was a world-renowned Cardiologist but no names will be mentioned! Everyone including Maddog had a great time! We consider ourselves very fortunate/lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends!
Now that #300 is done what’s next?
Maddog wants to continue with intensive training to get into better competitive marathon shape but I have overruled that idea/plan! I do not want to push the old bod to its limits and risk another injury without a good purpose or goal. I am going to ease back on the training miles and intensity and try to improve my aerobic base and leg strength in the Rocky Mtns this summer. In the fall/winter I will start back with speed work, etc. to reach peak condition next spring when I turn 65. I plan to kick ASS next year in my new Age Group! For now I will try to maintain a decent marathon shape so that I can finish races under 4 hours which is a respectable time for an OLD fart!
I have no plans or goal to lots of marathons because I could never challenge friends like Norm and Wally on number/quantity of marathons because:
a) I don’t think my body would hold up and I could never live long enough
b) Cost! We discussed how much even domestic marathons cost today and the fact that nobody will ever catch Norm just because of the cost!
Thus I have decided to focus on countries! I have a new goal but am not ready to announce it officially yet. SOON! In fact my next three marathons are international races in Asia, Middle East and S. America.
Stay tuned!
Sarasota Marathon
Sarasota, FL
Sun, Mar 2/08
Marathon #300
3:49:18 – 4 AG
Marathon #300!
Seems like a long time ago and another lifetime since I asked Lisette, the Race Director of the Sarasota Marathon, at the end of the race in 2007 to reserve Bib #300 for me in 2008. I had just finished marathon #282 and only had 18 more to run to complete #300 at Sarasota one year later! Everything went fairly smooth until I suffered a serious foot injury at the end of marathon #289 in Colorado on Labor Day. I still had 10 more marathons to run to make Bib #300 meaningful so I ignored the advice of doctors to take six months rest from running and continued to pursue my goal.
I managed to run through the injury, pain, frustration and embarrassment to line up at the start line with marathon #299 under my belt. I believe the challenge of getting to the start line was much more difficult and memorable than marathon #300 itself! Although marathon #300 was memorable it was not a significant/ incredible feat since many of my friends have run two and three times that amount of marathons! Since some of those friends came to Sarasota to run #300 with me the Sports Manager and I hosted a pasta dinner the night before the race for them and some local runners. If you view the photos at http://www.maddog.smugmug.com/ you will see a photo of four runners that have completed a total of 2445 marathons and 258 countries:
Norm Frank - N. American record of 953 marathons and 6 countries
Wally Herman - 702 marathons and World record of 99 countries
Edson Sanches - 490 marathons and 65 countries
John ‘Maddog’ Wallace – 300 marathons and 88 countries
So you see Maddog is just a baby/novice compared to his illustrious friends! I was so pleased that my good friends were able to join us for dinner and share their time with local runners who were in awe of their experiences and accomplishments.
However I was very concerned on race morning! A friend Rick (who had stayed with us) and I had both suffered a lot of stomach cramps and intestinal problems all night before the race? I was so sick at 3 am that I thought that I might not make it to the start line? Nah! I might have considered that option for a normal race but no way was I going to miss lining up for #300 at my home town race! I was relieved when we arrived at the start line and talked to the rest of the dinner guests. Nobody else had experienced any problems from the Sports Manager’s excellent pasta. Rick and I concluded that the problem probably resulted from a slice of pizza we ate at a deli at the Sports Expo?
I would like to blame the intestinal problems for my poor race performance but fortunately/thankfully after a few last-minute emergency pit stops at the porto-johns I felt OK when I lined up at the start line with my friends and 3,000 other runners. The weather was nice at the 6 am start – a temp of 56 F but humid. The forecast called for the temps to warm up rapidly into the 80s and the humidity to drop. Being an OLD Floridian I actually felt cool at the start and wore a throw-away T-shirt under a singlet that I had custom printed for my 300th! The front read “Marathon #300” and the back read “John’s 300th marathon”. I knew the printing would solicit lots of cheers and shouts along the course and I was counting on them to motivate me. I figured I would need it! The foot injury had not healed until early Jan so I had only two months of good training to try to get back into competitive marathon shape. I knew I was not in ‘peak’ shape but hoped I was in good enough shape to at least place in my Age Group in my home town race!
I took off like a jack rabbit and passed mile 1 in 7:57. Too fast! By mile 3 (24:42) I had settled into an easy 8:20 pace. I had warmed up and had to slow down to remove the T-shirt. During that awkward process the 3:40 pace group passed me. A few friends including Charlie (see the Gasparilla report) were in that pace group so I decided to drop in behind them and stay with them. I would be happy to finish in 3:40 so why not let them drag me through the race? It seemed to work at first as we passed mile 10 in 1:24:45 and a split of 8:27. However when we crossed the bridge over Sarasota Bay (the highest hill in town) at mile 12 in 1:40:38 I was beginning to realize that I had made a big mistake! The pace setter was running exact and even splits for a 3:40 pace. But that is not the way I normally run and I found it difficult and frustrating. I normally experience ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ in energy level throughout a race and let my body adjust to those changes. At times I felt good and wanted to leave the pace group behind and other times I felt bad/tired and had to struggle to stay with them. When we passed the Half in 1:50:00 (exactly) I already knew that a (sub) 3:40 wasn’t going to happen! In 300 marathons I can count on one hand the number of times I have run a negative or even split in the 2nd Half! And I was experiencing another low or ‘lull’ and having difficulty staying with the group as we started the 2nd Half.
At mile 17 I noticed that Charlie and I were starting to fall behind? I told Charlie (who needed a sub 3:45 to qualify for Boston) that the smartest thing we could do was to try to keep the group in sight until we crossed back over the bridge at mile 21 and then we could slow the pace and hopefully still finish under 3:45. When I passed mile 18 in 2:31:59 and a split 0f 8:51 I was struggling and in trouble! By the time I caught up to Wally, Norm and Frank at mile 19 I couldn’t see the pace group anymore? Norm and Wally had graciously agreed to take my running pal Frank Ouseley under their wings as he attempted to complete his first marathon since his back surgery. They had started together and early at 4 am. I reached mile 20 in 2:50:18 and a split of 9:16. I calculated that I had to maintain a sub 9-min pace for the final 10Km to finish under 3:45 – and I still had to go across the bridge! It felt like Mt Everest instead of a 65-ft high bridge and I reached mile 21 in 3:00:14 and a split of 9:55! I knew at that point that 3:45 wasn’t going to happen either. I figured the best I could do was to try to hold a sub 10-min pace and finish under 3:50? When I reached mile 23 in 3:18:29 I felt like I was close to ‘hitting the wall’. If I let that happen the final 5 Km would be very UGLY and entail a lot of walking so I slowed down even more. I became totally focused on blocking out the pain and lack of energy and keeping my legs/feet shuffling to the finish line. As I approached mile 26 I tried to push the pace but my right calf started to cramp. That hadn’t happened in the past year and I did not want to go through those problems again so I backed off immediately and ‘shuffled/limped’ across the finish line in 3:49:18.
I had finished #300 but I was not pleased with my on-the-spot strategy and performance and I was very disappointed with my time! I wasn’t surprised but was again disappointed when I checked the results to learn that I finished 4th in my AG. The only consolation was that 3rd place finished in 3:37! Even if I had run a great race I couldn’t have beat that time in the shape I was in!
I waited at the finish line for a few friends to finish and some finish line photos. I wanted to stay and watch Wally, Norm and Frank finish(which they did later hand-in hand together) but my legs started to cramp and I needed to get home and into the hot tub. And that’s exactly what I did! After a few beers and a long hot soak I was ready to attend the annual post-race party at Linda’s where I could drown my sorrows in lots of good beer and BBQ. I had a sneaky suspicion that Linda had something planned to celebrate my 300th marathon so I wasn’t too surprised when they sat me down and out came a beautiful, blonde Hula dancer. I had immediate flashbacks to my 60th birthday – same place, same dancer except an Egyptian belly dancer then. Soon Ms Cynthia (aka Attila the Huness) was joined by the two ugliest Hula dancers you would NOT want to see. I think one of the dancers was from Afghanistan? (see photos). One of the dancers was Charlie and the other was a world-renowned Cardiologist but no names will be mentioned! Everyone including Maddog had a great time! We consider ourselves very fortunate/lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends!
Now that #300 is done what’s next?
Maddog wants to continue with intensive training to get into better competitive marathon shape but I have overruled that idea/plan! I do not want to push the old bod to its limits and risk another injury without a good purpose or goal. I am going to ease back on the training miles and intensity and try to improve my aerobic base and leg strength in the Rocky Mtns this summer. In the fall/winter I will start back with speed work, etc. to reach peak condition next spring when I turn 65. I plan to kick ASS next year in my new Age Group! For now I will try to maintain a decent marathon shape so that I can finish races under 4 hours which is a respectable time for an OLD fart!
I have no plans or goal to lots of marathons because I could never challenge friends like Norm and Wally on number/quantity of marathons because:
a) I don’t think my body would hold up and I could never live long enough
b) Cost! We discussed how much even domestic marathons cost today and the fact that nobody will ever catch Norm just because of the cost!
Thus I have decided to focus on countries! I have a new goal but am not ready to announce it officially yet. SOON! In fact my next three marathons are international races in Asia, Middle East and S. America.
Stay tuned!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
RR -Jacksonville
Race Report
26.2 with Donna Marathon
Jacksonville, FL
Sun, Feb 17/08
Marathon #299
3:58:25 – 2 AG
Marathon #299!
There were a few times in the past six months (including the 10 mile mark of the race) when I didn’t think I would get to this point!
I had picked this race for #299 for a number of reasons:
a) It was two weeks before my hometown race where I wanted to run #300
b) It was an easy drive within FL
c) It was a new marathon for FL – ‘26.2 with Donna’ - and this was the inaugural race
I discovered a few negative aspects during the early registration process. The entry fee was a ridiculously high $115 but since it all went to the charity/fight for breast cancer I was willing to accept that price! The race had a start time of 8:30 am which seemed late for a FL race? The race start/finish was at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and since there was no parking all runners had to be shuttled to the start. This increased the logistics and the amount of time to get to/from the race. I must confess that I was not enthused or impressed with the race as I headed to Jacksonville but am happy to report that my negative opinion was changed. The races (Marathon and Half) were well organized and successful -more than 7,000 runners participated in the inaugural event!
I drove up to Jacksonville early Sat morning and headed straight to the Expo and packet pick up at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium. The expo was crowded because the space was too small to handle 7,000 runners (they only expected 5,000). However I found a booth that screen printed t-shirts and had a singlet custom-printed to commemorate my 300th marathon so I was happy. I was supposed to meet up with a friend from the 50 States Club but he had to cancel at the last minute so I was on my own for pasta dinner. I drove over to Neptune Beach to explore the beaches and enjoy a traditional pasta dinner.
Although the races didn’t start until 8:30 am I had to rise early to catch a shuttle bus to the start. Fortunately the weather was warm while we had to wait over an hour for the race to start. In fact the weather was too warm. It was already sunny, HOT and humid with temps in the low 60s and forecast to climb into the 80s by the time we finished! While waiting for the races to start I revised my race strategy for three reasons:
1) The weather forecast.
2) The late start. I thought the late start was due to the logistics of shuttling the runners to the start. However I talked to a few local runners and learned that the late start was necessary because part of the marathon course was on the beach and they had to be sure it was low tide!
3) The beach! The sand would slow the pace down.
I decided to go out fast as originally planned for the first 5 miles and then accept a slower pace on the sand/beach and by then the sun would be hot and the pace would have to be slower! Jeff Galloway who emceed the race urged/warned all runners to run at least 30-60 secs/mile slower than planned because of the heat!
The races started on time and we headed east on Butler Blvd towards the beaches. The first mile climbed a long steep bridge over St John’s River and offered a sweeping view of the Intracoastal Waterway where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. I passed mile 1 in 8:08. The next two miles included two overpasses so I was pleased when I passed mile 3 in 24:17 and turned on to Ocean Dr along the Atlantic Ocean. There had been no spectators on Butler Blvd but there were thousands of spectators and residents along the rest of the course! I passed mile 5 in 41:12 before we turned on to Jacksonville Beach. The sand was hard-packed in most places but I wasn’t sure what effect the sand would have on my pace (except to slow it down)? I decided to run by my heart monitor rather than trying to maintain the same pace. During the next/first mile on the beach I seemed to be struggling a lot for the pace I was running and I was shocked when I reached mile 6 in a split of 9:01? Surely the sand couldn’t have that huge of a negative effect? But miles 7 and 8 were splits of 9:15. Fortunately the course turned off the beach and back on to good old asphalt at mile 8! I decided to lower the hammer and get my pace back down below 8:30s. However I quickly discovered there was no hammer – there was no push – there was no energy! Suddenly I felt very poorly – I was either very overheated or had a fever and I was totally exhausted and out of energy? I realized that something was very wrong! I didn’t believe I could be tired/out of energy due to the great race I ran last weekend. One of Maddog’s strengths is his ability to recover quickly? And I noticed a strange phenomenon. Although I was trying to push the pace my heart monitor dropped about 10 bpm below my normal range and no matter how hard I tried I could not increase my heart level back to its normal marathon range? I wisely decided to slow down and jog the next two miles to give my legs/body a chance to rest and recover. However when I passed mile 10 in 1:28:08 and a split of 9:52 I still felt like shit and I knew I was in trouble!
I felt worse with every step and realized that I had to go into ‘survival mode’ and just try to keep shuffling the old legs and make it to the Half and hope that somehow I would recover? I promised myself that if I could keep ‘running’ to the Half I would re-evaluate my condition and walk the 2nd Half if necessary. I knew I was just delaying the inevitable (walking) but quitting was not an option since I had to finish #299 or run another race next weekend! As I approached the Half it took every ounce of energy I had to just keep my feet moving and I knew the race was over for me. I was prepared to walk the entire 2nd Half if necessary! As soon as I crossed the timing mat at the Half in 1:57:19 I stopped and walked. The 2nd Half was going to be very UGLY!
I walked for a few minutes and strangely – almost miraculously – I started to feel better and energy seemed to be returning? I no longer felt like I was burning up? I started to jog and I noticed that my heart monitor began to slowly increase back to its normal marathon range (80% Max)? By the time I reached mile 14 my heart monitor was reading normal and my energy was returning although not fully. I decided to run again while holding my heart rate in the normal range and see what pace that translated to? I passed mile 15 in 2:14:57 and a split of 9:04. I still didn’t feel great but I was running again and I decided the smartest thing I could do was to maintain my heart monitor in its normal range and accept whatever pace the body was able and willing to give me in that range. I reached mile 18 in 2:42 and a split of 8:55. I started to feel stronger and decided to push the pace – and noted yet another strange phenomenon? As I increased my effort the heart monitor soared 10bpm above normal range to 90% Max but my pace or split increased to 9:25 on mile 19? None of that made sense? I kept my heart rate at 90% Max over the next mile and al I got for it was a split of 9:15? I had passed mile 20 in 3:00:48. I calculated that I only needed a 10 min pace for the last 10Km to break 4 hrs so I wisely decided to lower my heart rate back to its normal range and accept whatever pace that gave me! During the next three miles I felt the best I had since mile 5 and started passing hundreds of runners and walkers who had succumbed to the heat. The course was noisy with sirens and clustered with ambulances picking up distressed runners!
When I reached mile 23 in 3:28:24 back on Butler Blvd I was confident that I would break 4 hrs! Yes I still had the overpasses and bridge between me and the finish line and the sun was now hotter than Hell but I had 31 minutes to run 5 Km! I did have to dig deep and my heart monitor again soared to 90% Max over those final 3 miles as I had to weave among hundreds of Half marathoners waking a 4+ Hr Half but I crossed the finish line in 3:58:25! I am not sure how to assess my performance and results in this race! Based on my pre-race strategy and goals they sucked! But based on the conditions and what happened during the race I was glad that I finished – ALIVE – let alone under 4 hrs! I later learned that my finish time was good enough to place 2nd AG so I guess I didn’t do too badly?
I am curious if any of my doctor friends/readers have any idea/opinion of what caused the strange problems/symptoms that I experienced during the race. My guess is that I suffered a case of the ‘5-Mile Flu’?
The most important thing is that I finished marathon # 299 and I now have two weeks to get ready for #300 at my hometown race.
Some comments/appraisal of the race:
I think the entry fee is exorbitant and I didn’t like the shuttle buses and late start. But I will give credit when due. The race was very well organized. The race volunteers and residents were very cheerful and supportive. The course is unusual/different with the 3 miles on the beach. I won’t go back but I believe you will enjoy the experience if you run this race next year. I think this race will become popular and get much bigger!
And a final personal story that has a message for all my readers:
As most of my readers know I struggled through many injuries and trials the past 18 months. In early 2007 I set a goal to run my 300th marathon in my hometown race in Sarasota in March 2008. When I suffered a severe tear to the plantar fascia in my right foot last fall I thought that goal/dream was finished! I still had 10 marathons to run in the next 6 months just to get to #299! Indeed if I had listened to the doctors who advised me to take 6 to 9 months off to rest the injury and friends who told me it was foolish to run through such a serious injury – the dream would have been over! Instead I ignored all of them and listened to my body as I pursued my dream. But it was not easy! It was one of the most painful and frustrating experiences of my running career. The boredom of cross training – the pain and humbling experience of running/walking marathons in record slow times – the frustration of watching runners beat me that I could normally beat on any day. I experienced highs in achieving small improvements in my times and lows due to setbacks in the healing of the injury and slower times. But it has been a life-altering experience! I have learned to deal with pain, adversity and disappointments along with the happiness of achievement! And I believe I have finally learned to control my super-competitive nature and accept that I cannot win every race (not sure Maddog has reached that level?).
I take pride that I am ready to walk up to the start line of my hometown race in two weeks and - NONE – NADA - NOT ONE - of those ‘naysayers’ will have the pleasure to join me at the start line to run THEIR 300th marathon!
The message is: “Never give up! Don’t always believe or accept what other people tell you what YOU can do! Listen to your own mind and body – they are the best advisors you will ever have!”
I have two more weeks to run speed work and a few tune ups to improve my marathon shape and win the Senior Title in the Sarasota Marathon.
Stay tuned!
26.2 with Donna Marathon
Jacksonville, FL
Sun, Feb 17/08
Marathon #299
3:58:25 – 2 AG
Marathon #299!
There were a few times in the past six months (including the 10 mile mark of the race) when I didn’t think I would get to this point!
I had picked this race for #299 for a number of reasons:
a) It was two weeks before my hometown race where I wanted to run #300
b) It was an easy drive within FL
c) It was a new marathon for FL – ‘26.2 with Donna’ - and this was the inaugural race
I discovered a few negative aspects during the early registration process. The entry fee was a ridiculously high $115 but since it all went to the charity/fight for breast cancer I was willing to accept that price! The race had a start time of 8:30 am which seemed late for a FL race? The race start/finish was at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and since there was no parking all runners had to be shuttled to the start. This increased the logistics and the amount of time to get to/from the race. I must confess that I was not enthused or impressed with the race as I headed to Jacksonville but am happy to report that my negative opinion was changed. The races (Marathon and Half) were well organized and successful -more than 7,000 runners participated in the inaugural event!
I drove up to Jacksonville early Sat morning and headed straight to the Expo and packet pick up at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium. The expo was crowded because the space was too small to handle 7,000 runners (they only expected 5,000). However I found a booth that screen printed t-shirts and had a singlet custom-printed to commemorate my 300th marathon so I was happy. I was supposed to meet up with a friend from the 50 States Club but he had to cancel at the last minute so I was on my own for pasta dinner. I drove over to Neptune Beach to explore the beaches and enjoy a traditional pasta dinner.
Although the races didn’t start until 8:30 am I had to rise early to catch a shuttle bus to the start. Fortunately the weather was warm while we had to wait over an hour for the race to start. In fact the weather was too warm. It was already sunny, HOT and humid with temps in the low 60s and forecast to climb into the 80s by the time we finished! While waiting for the races to start I revised my race strategy for three reasons:
1) The weather forecast.
2) The late start. I thought the late start was due to the logistics of shuttling the runners to the start. However I talked to a few local runners and learned that the late start was necessary because part of the marathon course was on the beach and they had to be sure it was low tide!
3) The beach! The sand would slow the pace down.
I decided to go out fast as originally planned for the first 5 miles and then accept a slower pace on the sand/beach and by then the sun would be hot and the pace would have to be slower! Jeff Galloway who emceed the race urged/warned all runners to run at least 30-60 secs/mile slower than planned because of the heat!
The races started on time and we headed east on Butler Blvd towards the beaches. The first mile climbed a long steep bridge over St John’s River and offered a sweeping view of the Intracoastal Waterway where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. I passed mile 1 in 8:08. The next two miles included two overpasses so I was pleased when I passed mile 3 in 24:17 and turned on to Ocean Dr along the Atlantic Ocean. There had been no spectators on Butler Blvd but there were thousands of spectators and residents along the rest of the course! I passed mile 5 in 41:12 before we turned on to Jacksonville Beach. The sand was hard-packed in most places but I wasn’t sure what effect the sand would have on my pace (except to slow it down)? I decided to run by my heart monitor rather than trying to maintain the same pace. During the next/first mile on the beach I seemed to be struggling a lot for the pace I was running and I was shocked when I reached mile 6 in a split of 9:01? Surely the sand couldn’t have that huge of a negative effect? But miles 7 and 8 were splits of 9:15. Fortunately the course turned off the beach and back on to good old asphalt at mile 8! I decided to lower the hammer and get my pace back down below 8:30s. However I quickly discovered there was no hammer – there was no push – there was no energy! Suddenly I felt very poorly – I was either very overheated or had a fever and I was totally exhausted and out of energy? I realized that something was very wrong! I didn’t believe I could be tired/out of energy due to the great race I ran last weekend. One of Maddog’s strengths is his ability to recover quickly? And I noticed a strange phenomenon. Although I was trying to push the pace my heart monitor dropped about 10 bpm below my normal range and no matter how hard I tried I could not increase my heart level back to its normal marathon range? I wisely decided to slow down and jog the next two miles to give my legs/body a chance to rest and recover. However when I passed mile 10 in 1:28:08 and a split of 9:52 I still felt like shit and I knew I was in trouble!
I felt worse with every step and realized that I had to go into ‘survival mode’ and just try to keep shuffling the old legs and make it to the Half and hope that somehow I would recover? I promised myself that if I could keep ‘running’ to the Half I would re-evaluate my condition and walk the 2nd Half if necessary. I knew I was just delaying the inevitable (walking) but quitting was not an option since I had to finish #299 or run another race next weekend! As I approached the Half it took every ounce of energy I had to just keep my feet moving and I knew the race was over for me. I was prepared to walk the entire 2nd Half if necessary! As soon as I crossed the timing mat at the Half in 1:57:19 I stopped and walked. The 2nd Half was going to be very UGLY!
I walked for a few minutes and strangely – almost miraculously – I started to feel better and energy seemed to be returning? I no longer felt like I was burning up? I started to jog and I noticed that my heart monitor began to slowly increase back to its normal marathon range (80% Max)? By the time I reached mile 14 my heart monitor was reading normal and my energy was returning although not fully. I decided to run again while holding my heart rate in the normal range and see what pace that translated to? I passed mile 15 in 2:14:57 and a split of 9:04. I still didn’t feel great but I was running again and I decided the smartest thing I could do was to maintain my heart monitor in its normal range and accept whatever pace the body was able and willing to give me in that range. I reached mile 18 in 2:42 and a split of 8:55. I started to feel stronger and decided to push the pace – and noted yet another strange phenomenon? As I increased my effort the heart monitor soared 10bpm above normal range to 90% Max but my pace or split increased to 9:25 on mile 19? None of that made sense? I kept my heart rate at 90% Max over the next mile and al I got for it was a split of 9:15? I had passed mile 20 in 3:00:48. I calculated that I only needed a 10 min pace for the last 10Km to break 4 hrs so I wisely decided to lower my heart rate back to its normal range and accept whatever pace that gave me! During the next three miles I felt the best I had since mile 5 and started passing hundreds of runners and walkers who had succumbed to the heat. The course was noisy with sirens and clustered with ambulances picking up distressed runners!
When I reached mile 23 in 3:28:24 back on Butler Blvd I was confident that I would break 4 hrs! Yes I still had the overpasses and bridge between me and the finish line and the sun was now hotter than Hell but I had 31 minutes to run 5 Km! I did have to dig deep and my heart monitor again soared to 90% Max over those final 3 miles as I had to weave among hundreds of Half marathoners waking a 4+ Hr Half but I crossed the finish line in 3:58:25! I am not sure how to assess my performance and results in this race! Based on my pre-race strategy and goals they sucked! But based on the conditions and what happened during the race I was glad that I finished – ALIVE – let alone under 4 hrs! I later learned that my finish time was good enough to place 2nd AG so I guess I didn’t do too badly?
I am curious if any of my doctor friends/readers have any idea/opinion of what caused the strange problems/symptoms that I experienced during the race. My guess is that I suffered a case of the ‘5-Mile Flu’?
The most important thing is that I finished marathon # 299 and I now have two weeks to get ready for #300 at my hometown race.
Some comments/appraisal of the race:
I think the entry fee is exorbitant and I didn’t like the shuttle buses and late start. But I will give credit when due. The race was very well organized. The race volunteers and residents were very cheerful and supportive. The course is unusual/different with the 3 miles on the beach. I won’t go back but I believe you will enjoy the experience if you run this race next year. I think this race will become popular and get much bigger!
And a final personal story that has a message for all my readers:
As most of my readers know I struggled through many injuries and trials the past 18 months. In early 2007 I set a goal to run my 300th marathon in my hometown race in Sarasota in March 2008. When I suffered a severe tear to the plantar fascia in my right foot last fall I thought that goal/dream was finished! I still had 10 marathons to run in the next 6 months just to get to #299! Indeed if I had listened to the doctors who advised me to take 6 to 9 months off to rest the injury and friends who told me it was foolish to run through such a serious injury – the dream would have been over! Instead I ignored all of them and listened to my body as I pursued my dream. But it was not easy! It was one of the most painful and frustrating experiences of my running career. The boredom of cross training – the pain and humbling experience of running/walking marathons in record slow times – the frustration of watching runners beat me that I could normally beat on any day. I experienced highs in achieving small improvements in my times and lows due to setbacks in the healing of the injury and slower times. But it has been a life-altering experience! I have learned to deal with pain, adversity and disappointments along with the happiness of achievement! And I believe I have finally learned to control my super-competitive nature and accept that I cannot win every race (not sure Maddog has reached that level?).
I take pride that I am ready to walk up to the start line of my hometown race in two weeks and - NONE – NADA - NOT ONE - of those ‘naysayers’ will have the pleasure to join me at the start line to run THEIR 300th marathon!
The message is: “Never give up! Don’t always believe or accept what other people tell you what YOU can do! Listen to your own mind and body – they are the best advisors you will ever have!”
I have two more weeks to run speed work and a few tune ups to improve my marathon shape and win the Senior Title in the Sarasota Marathon.
Stay tuned!
Monday, February 11, 2008
RR Tampa
Race Report
Gasparilla Marathon
Tampa, FL
Sun, Feb 10/08
Marathon #298
3:42:06 – 1 AG
Marathon #298.
That was about the only significant fact on this marathon going into the race. In fact it was actually a make-up or substitute marathon to replace the Taiwan marathon that I had postponed in Dec 07. Fortunately there are lots of marathons in FL during Jan & Feb and I selected the Gasparilla marathon in Tampa because it is the closest to home and I had run it a few times before. The marathon is a part of the Gasparilla Festival and the Gasparilla Distance Classic – a series of road races. On Sat there were 5/10/15km races with several thousands of runners including elite runners in the flat and fast 15 Km. On Sun the Half/Marathon attracts about 3,000 runners.
I planned to use the marathon as a 20-mile tempo run (i.e. run the 1st 20 miles as hard/fast as possible and then just hold on to finish the final 10Km and race) as a tune up for my home town race in March where I plan to run marathon #300! Thus I convinced a few friends from the local running club to run the race too. Charlie and Linda wanted/needed to run a 3:45 marathon to qualify for Boston and I promised them that I would pace them through 20 miles at a 3:45 pace but after that they were on their own? However Mother Nature had other ideas as both Charlie and Linda came down with a very bad flu.
Luckily Charlie recovered the week before the race and decided to try running it but Linda was too sick and offered her race bib to Frank –‘the only other sane person in the world’. So Frank ran the Half as a young, beautiful blonde female! He offered to wear a blonde wig but when you look at the picture you will also agree that no disguise could help him?
Frank and I drove up to Tampa at 4 am on Sun and met Charlie at the start line. Since there were only 3,000 runners and no start corrals we were able to position ourselves on the start line to make sure that we didn’t get boxed in and had a fast start. The race started at 6am in the dark in downtown Tampa. The weather cooperated – it was 56 F and low humidity and the temps never rose above the low 60s during the race. I did not make the same mistake as Miami two weeks ago and wore a race singlet to reduce the risk of overheating! Charlie and I took off like scared rabbits and passed mile 1 in 7:50. Obviously way too fast! So I immediately threw out an anchor and slowed our split over mile 2 to 8:30. By the time we reached mile 6 on Davis Island in 50:14 we had settled into an easy/smooth 8:30 pace. At that point an old fart from TX passed us and asked if we were pacing each other? We explained that Charlie was trying to run a 3:45 to qualify for Boston. He then asked our age groups and we quickly realized he was in my AG. He then made a kind of sarcastic remark about not having to worry about me since I was running so slowly and took off. I wished him luck and let him go for two reasons: 1) I wanted to stay and pace Charlie and 2) I wasn’t foolish enough to get into a pissing match only 6 miles into a race!
At mile 7 the Half and Marathon courses split off and we had more room to run and my pace dropped to an 8:18 split on the next mile. At mile 9 the 3:40 pace group passed us and I dropped in behind them. I noticed that Charlie was starting to fall behind but I stayed behind the pace group hoping that Charlie would be motivated to keep them in sight. I followed the pace group through Mile 10 in 1:24:28. I was right on target but Charlie was already starting to fade? At Mile 11 the marathon course rejoined the Half marathon course back at the 7mile marker of the Half. This was a change in the marathon course and it was very confusing and annoying! There were runners merging and turning in all kinds of directions. Luckily I could still see the 3:40 pace group and just followed them. However we were now passing Half marathon runners who were running/walking a 12/14 min pace. For the next three miles we had to pay close attention to many slower runners on the course and weave around them which used up energy!
I passed the Half in 1:49:43 and a split of 8:35. I was on target and felt much better/stronger than I did in Miami two weeks ago. I was confident I could hold the pace through 20 miles. Finally at mile 14 the Half runners turned back on Bayshore Blvd towards the finish line and I was running by myself. I had lots of room, felt good/strong and decided to lower the pace to 8:20s. I passed mile 16 in 2:14:21 and a split of 8:21 and mile 18 in 2:31:17 and a split of 8:17! At that point the course started to loop through residential areas next to MacDill Air Force Base before returning to Bayshore Blvd at mile 20.
I passed mile 20 in 2:48:21 – 01:40 ahead of pace! It was time to do a gut check. I still felt good/strong and was confident that I could hold the pace through the final 10 Km. There was only one slight/potential problem? The course was now heading north on Bayshore back to the finish line in downtown Tampa and a strong wind had seemed to come up during the loop through the residential area? It was gusting about 20/30 mph – into our faces! I managed to hold an 8:35 pace for the next two miles into the wind. Around mile 22 I noticed a runner coming from the other direction and acting very weird. He had veered into our lane and was heading straight for me? As I veered to avoid him he veered to collide with me? Only at the last second when he started laughing did I recognize my good friend Edson from NYC! Friggin idiot! He cost me valuable seconds and energy!
When I reached mile 22 in 3:05:25 I was in for an even bigger surprise! The course had left the protection of the expensive homes along Bayshore Blvd and the final 4 miles along Tampa Bay had nothing to protect/buffer us from the wind. It was now howling about 30mph off Tampa Bay down Bayshore Blvd and directly into our faces! It was brutal. I searched desperately for another runner to hide behind and draft but the wind was standing everyone straight up and slowing them down! I figured I would be lucky to manage a 9/10-min pace into that wind? But there was nothing to do but hunker down, make my body as small a target as possible and push on. At mile 23 a young buck blew by me and I dropped in behind him to draft but he was running an 8:15 pace and I couldn’t stay with him. When I passed mile 24 in 3:22:57 I became determined to average at least a 9-min pace for the final 2 miles to finish under 3:45! I dug deep, ignored the wind and pain and pushed on. In the final 1 ½ miles I passed two old farts but never even gave any thought/concern to my position in the race? I hadn’t seen the old fart from TX and assumed he was ahead of me and a 3:45 finish would probably not be good enough to place in the top three? I pushed across the finish line in 3:42:06!
Needless to say, both Maddog and I were very happy. I had run a smart race, stuck to my strategy and was pleased that I had been able to push the pace through the final 10 km. I was ecstatic about my finish time – I would never have believed before the race that I was ready to run a sub 3:45! I walked back to the car to find Frank napping. He had finished the Half in 3:15 (15 min faster than Miami) and was once again happy and proud that he had beat me back to the car! We walked back to the finish line to take some photos and look for Charlie. No Charlie so we took the photos and headed home. I didn’t even check the results at the finish line because I didn’t believe I had placed in my AG. I headed straight to the hot tub with a six pack of Labatt’s Blue for a much needed, much deserved hot soak to rejuvenate my tired old legs.
After the soak I was curious about how I finished in my Age group so I checked the results on the NET. Holy Crap! I won my AG by 50 secs – the two old farts I passed in the last mile finished 2nd and 3rd. The old fart/jerk from TX must have crashed big time because he finished 17 minutes behind me! Retribution can be nice/enjoyable! I also learned (via email) that Charlie had realized at mile 14 that a 3:45 marathon wasn’t going to happen so he wisely slowed down and jogged to the finish line to save his legs and energy for our hometown race.
I have one more ‘training’ marathon to run in Jacksonville, FL next weekend to complete marathon #299 and a final tune up to prepare me for #300! I plan to stick to the same strategy but go out at a faster (8:15 pace) for 20 miles and then try to hang on for the final 10Km.
Stay tuned!
Gasparilla Marathon
Tampa, FL
Sun, Feb 10/08
Marathon #298
3:42:06 – 1 AG
Marathon #298.
That was about the only significant fact on this marathon going into the race. In fact it was actually a make-up or substitute marathon to replace the Taiwan marathon that I had postponed in Dec 07. Fortunately there are lots of marathons in FL during Jan & Feb and I selected the Gasparilla marathon in Tampa because it is the closest to home and I had run it a few times before. The marathon is a part of the Gasparilla Festival and the Gasparilla Distance Classic – a series of road races. On Sat there were 5/10/15km races with several thousands of runners including elite runners in the flat and fast 15 Km. On Sun the Half/Marathon attracts about 3,000 runners.
I planned to use the marathon as a 20-mile tempo run (i.e. run the 1st 20 miles as hard/fast as possible and then just hold on to finish the final 10Km and race) as a tune up for my home town race in March where I plan to run marathon #300! Thus I convinced a few friends from the local running club to run the race too. Charlie and Linda wanted/needed to run a 3:45 marathon to qualify for Boston and I promised them that I would pace them through 20 miles at a 3:45 pace but after that they were on their own? However Mother Nature had other ideas as both Charlie and Linda came down with a very bad flu.
Luckily Charlie recovered the week before the race and decided to try running it but Linda was too sick and offered her race bib to Frank –‘the only other sane person in the world’. So Frank ran the Half as a young, beautiful blonde female! He offered to wear a blonde wig but when you look at the picture you will also agree that no disguise could help him?
Frank and I drove up to Tampa at 4 am on Sun and met Charlie at the start line. Since there were only 3,000 runners and no start corrals we were able to position ourselves on the start line to make sure that we didn’t get boxed in and had a fast start. The race started at 6am in the dark in downtown Tampa. The weather cooperated – it was 56 F and low humidity and the temps never rose above the low 60s during the race. I did not make the same mistake as Miami two weeks ago and wore a race singlet to reduce the risk of overheating! Charlie and I took off like scared rabbits and passed mile 1 in 7:50. Obviously way too fast! So I immediately threw out an anchor and slowed our split over mile 2 to 8:30. By the time we reached mile 6 on Davis Island in 50:14 we had settled into an easy/smooth 8:30 pace. At that point an old fart from TX passed us and asked if we were pacing each other? We explained that Charlie was trying to run a 3:45 to qualify for Boston. He then asked our age groups and we quickly realized he was in my AG. He then made a kind of sarcastic remark about not having to worry about me since I was running so slowly and took off. I wished him luck and let him go for two reasons: 1) I wanted to stay and pace Charlie and 2) I wasn’t foolish enough to get into a pissing match only 6 miles into a race!
At mile 7 the Half and Marathon courses split off and we had more room to run and my pace dropped to an 8:18 split on the next mile. At mile 9 the 3:40 pace group passed us and I dropped in behind them. I noticed that Charlie was starting to fall behind but I stayed behind the pace group hoping that Charlie would be motivated to keep them in sight. I followed the pace group through Mile 10 in 1:24:28. I was right on target but Charlie was already starting to fade? At Mile 11 the marathon course rejoined the Half marathon course back at the 7mile marker of the Half. This was a change in the marathon course and it was very confusing and annoying! There were runners merging and turning in all kinds of directions. Luckily I could still see the 3:40 pace group and just followed them. However we were now passing Half marathon runners who were running/walking a 12/14 min pace. For the next three miles we had to pay close attention to many slower runners on the course and weave around them which used up energy!
I passed the Half in 1:49:43 and a split of 8:35. I was on target and felt much better/stronger than I did in Miami two weeks ago. I was confident I could hold the pace through 20 miles. Finally at mile 14 the Half runners turned back on Bayshore Blvd towards the finish line and I was running by myself. I had lots of room, felt good/strong and decided to lower the pace to 8:20s. I passed mile 16 in 2:14:21 and a split of 8:21 and mile 18 in 2:31:17 and a split of 8:17! At that point the course started to loop through residential areas next to MacDill Air Force Base before returning to Bayshore Blvd at mile 20.
I passed mile 20 in 2:48:21 – 01:40 ahead of pace! It was time to do a gut check. I still felt good/strong and was confident that I could hold the pace through the final 10 Km. There was only one slight/potential problem? The course was now heading north on Bayshore back to the finish line in downtown Tampa and a strong wind had seemed to come up during the loop through the residential area? It was gusting about 20/30 mph – into our faces! I managed to hold an 8:35 pace for the next two miles into the wind. Around mile 22 I noticed a runner coming from the other direction and acting very weird. He had veered into our lane and was heading straight for me? As I veered to avoid him he veered to collide with me? Only at the last second when he started laughing did I recognize my good friend Edson from NYC! Friggin idiot! He cost me valuable seconds and energy!
When I reached mile 22 in 3:05:25 I was in for an even bigger surprise! The course had left the protection of the expensive homes along Bayshore Blvd and the final 4 miles along Tampa Bay had nothing to protect/buffer us from the wind. It was now howling about 30mph off Tampa Bay down Bayshore Blvd and directly into our faces! It was brutal. I searched desperately for another runner to hide behind and draft but the wind was standing everyone straight up and slowing them down! I figured I would be lucky to manage a 9/10-min pace into that wind? But there was nothing to do but hunker down, make my body as small a target as possible and push on. At mile 23 a young buck blew by me and I dropped in behind him to draft but he was running an 8:15 pace and I couldn’t stay with him. When I passed mile 24 in 3:22:57 I became determined to average at least a 9-min pace for the final 2 miles to finish under 3:45! I dug deep, ignored the wind and pain and pushed on. In the final 1 ½ miles I passed two old farts but never even gave any thought/concern to my position in the race? I hadn’t seen the old fart from TX and assumed he was ahead of me and a 3:45 finish would probably not be good enough to place in the top three? I pushed across the finish line in 3:42:06!
Needless to say, both Maddog and I were very happy. I had run a smart race, stuck to my strategy and was pleased that I had been able to push the pace through the final 10 km. I was ecstatic about my finish time – I would never have believed before the race that I was ready to run a sub 3:45! I walked back to the car to find Frank napping. He had finished the Half in 3:15 (15 min faster than Miami) and was once again happy and proud that he had beat me back to the car! We walked back to the finish line to take some photos and look for Charlie. No Charlie so we took the photos and headed home. I didn’t even check the results at the finish line because I didn’t believe I had placed in my AG. I headed straight to the hot tub with a six pack of Labatt’s Blue for a much needed, much deserved hot soak to rejuvenate my tired old legs.
After the soak I was curious about how I finished in my Age group so I checked the results on the NET. Holy Crap! I won my AG by 50 secs – the two old farts I passed in the last mile finished 2nd and 3rd. The old fart/jerk from TX must have crashed big time because he finished 17 minutes behind me! Retribution can be nice/enjoyable! I also learned (via email) that Charlie had realized at mile 14 that a 3:45 marathon wasn’t going to happen so he wisely slowed down and jogged to the finish line to save his legs and energy for our hometown race.
I have one more ‘training’ marathon to run in Jacksonville, FL next weekend to complete marathon #299 and a final tune up to prepare me for #300! I plan to stick to the same strategy but go out at a faster (8:15 pace) for 20 miles and then try to hang on for the final 10Km.
Stay tuned!
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