2015 is right around the corner

My 2014 racing season is finally over.  I completed the Army 10 Miler last weekend and squeaked out another PR.  That makes 7 PR's over 9 races this season.  There is no secret to my success.  It comes down to consistency in training.  I had a good buildup to my races and incredible recovery this season. I chose each race very carefully and had a purpose in mind for each one.  I didn't race just to race.

Each race was used to help prepare me for Ironman Lake Placid.  I didn't focus too heavily (mentally) on them and expend too much energy.  I can't handle too many ups and downs that come with racing. My main goal that I was gearing up for was IMLP so I had to keep my mental focus sharp for that race.  Any races leading into it, I didn't get too nervous over. I was able to tune-out the noise around me of other people training and not get caught up in what they were doing to prepare.  I knew what I had to do and I trusted my coach's plan.

When IMLP rolled around, I really felt sharp and well prepared, thanks to Danielle.  There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't finish.  It was just what time I would finish in.  I went through just about every type of weather pattern that day, and I still managed to finish fairly well.  After that race I had a little downtime prior to refocusing my efforts for the rest of the season.  I used my Ironman training fitness to knock out a new PR in the Olympic and Half Iron distance events and then a few running races.

Right now I am in a month-long hiatus from any structured training. I am still training, but it's more of a "what do I feel like doing today?" and just doing that.  It's a great mental break for me as I don't have to worry about getting the work done.  I can relax and just enjoy the idea of working out.

I learned a few things this season that will hopefully stick with me to next season. I've been racing since 2003 and I think this season is where I finally learned a lot about myself (better late than never I guess).  If you race and never learn anything or take anything away, then I think you are really missing out.  It helps me goal plan for future races.

For 2015, I have a few races already in mind.  I am using the same philosophy as I did this season: I will not race just for the sake of racing. Each race will have a purpose/goal that will help me improve. This process takes a lot of self-reflection on my part.  Last month I sat down and mapped out what I want to achieve next season with my racing and what do I think I need to do to get there.  It was fairly detailed and some honest criticism of myself.  I typed up my goals and tentative race list and sent them along to Danielle.  In a few weeks she and I will sit down and figure out what exactly I will need to do to hit my goals next season.  I was very specific with where I want to be and am excited about my journey to get there. Next season won't be as long as this one was, but it will be just as important to me. 

It's been a while.....

I haven't updated this blog since January of 2014 and it's time to 'dust it off'.  Last I left off I had 2 PRP injections in my right patella tendon.  I am happy to say that it healed quite nicely. Many things happened over the course of the year.  One of the most important changes I made when it comes to my training and racing was to work with Danielle Sullivan as my coach.

I was going to go the self-coached route, but coming off the knee injury I knew it would be wise to have someone objective leading the way. I spoke with her on the phone in early January and then we met in person. I knew after that meeting that she was a good fit for me.  I had some ambitious goals for the season and I was concerned about how I was going to hold up.  She let me dictate my run schedule for the 1st month as I eased back into running while she handled the bike and swim.  After that, I was completely in her hands.

She's a very 'hands on' coach and I like that approach.  Her attention to detail is amazing.  She carefully tracked my progress and had me ready to go for all of my races.  What I loved the most was the group atmosphere she creates with all of her athletes.  I've met a good number of them and have the good fortune to consider them friends.  Jose and I met up for track workouts and open water swims with Danielle in preparation for Ironman Lake Placid.  Christa and I get together and do various workouts as she prepares for Ironman Florida.  It really is a fun group to belong to.  The group rides and swims are awesome.  I love being part of the Iron Fit Endurance Team.

This season I had a full schedule:

May
Long Island Half Marathon (had a PR)

June 
Quassy Half Ironman (solid race all around)
Challenge AC (aquabike Iron distance)

July 
Ironman Lake Placid (had a PR under some epic weather conditions)

September
Springs 10k (had a PR)
Mighty Hamptons Olympic Distance (had a PR)
Princeton 70.3 Half Ironman (had a PR)

October
Entenmann's Great South Bay 10k (had a PR - you see a trend here?)
Army Ten Miler (next week)

This was by far my most successful and longest season since I've been racing (2003).  I can't wait to see what improvements I can make next season.  There's a lot of work to be done.  I will sit down with Danielle next month and review my plan and goals for 2015. I already emailed her a tentative race schedule with some goal times/power on it.

So far this off season she has taught me some new swim strokes to break up my workouts.  She's also added a weekly group swim workout starting this month. I love the idea of getting a 'push' in the pool from others in the lane. Anything that will make me faster........

I also worked with Dina Griffin to clean up my race nutrition.  Over the last year I had cleaned up my daily nutrition, but really needed help with my training/race nutrition. Dina was very instrumental in helping me with that.  My race nutrition worked very well. No stomach or intestinal issues.  She helped me come up with a detailed plan and it was actually quite simple. It worked like a charm and I was able to train and recover very quickly from my long workouts (and boy did I have many long workouts).

I had the opportunity to change jobs.  I worked with Sinead when she owned the PT practice, but she left in December of 2013 to pursue new opportunities.  I saw the writing on the wall and knew it was time to get out.  I found a new job that is much closer to home. The added bonus is I work 4 days a week and have Friday's off. So far things are going well at the new job.  They keep me busy and don't micromanage me.

Currently I am taking a few weeks off from structured training to give my mind and body a rest. I was very focused all season and need this downtime to avoid a burnout. My goal is to get back into the swing of training in November. I am really excited to see what is in store for next year!!

What have I been up to?

Well, the last ~6 months have been pretty uneventful.  I injured my knee in July running on a cross country course with some major downhill running.  It was a little too much stress to the knee.  When I woke up the next morning, I was in agony - patella tendinitis.  I tried to rehab it and over time it felt like it was getting better. But when I ran the Army 10 Miler in October, that was the final straw.  I was unable to squat, kneel, or bend (which are major components of what I do at work).   Walking up/down stairs was painful.

I finally broke down and asked the doctor down the hall from my office for a prescription for an MRI. I was suspecting some tendinosis and a possible tear. Well, the MRI came back with that and more. Tendinosis, small tear and a 'stress reaction' of the patella. I knew the only thing that would bring me back fairly quickly would be a PRP injection.  PRP is Platelet-rich plasma that has growth factors and and cytokines to bring about healing.   This would pretty much be my last resort to get this to heal.

I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Paci @ Stony Brook. He's a great sports orthopedist and I knew I would be in good hands with him.  I went with my MRI and we talked it over.  He agreed that PRP was the solution. His protocol is 2 injections into the tendon a week apart. He uses diagnostic ultrasound for accuracy of the injection. The only major downside of the injection was I had to pay out of pocket for it as insurance won't pay for it.  Each injection was $500 ($1,000 total).

So right away I agree and they bring in the equipment. He left the room and his PA and the nurse drew about 15cc of my blood and spun it in the centrifuge to separate the blood cells from the plasma.  When it's done it looks like this (but less fuzzy):

The yellow/clear fluid was injected back into my tendon

 

Then the doctor came back in and performed the injection. I think he used the biggest gauge needle he could find.  I have to say the needle didn't hurt, but the pressure from all the fluid going in was incredibly uncomfortable.

 The yellow stuff outside my leg is the ultrasound gel. 

All of that yellow fluid in the syringe went into my tendon.

 The big black section is where my tendon was breaking down

All of that missing tissue.......

After the injection I got down off the table, was handed some crutches and a prescription and told to return the next week for injection #2. My instructions were very specific - no NSAIDs, only tylenol; ice it like crazy to bring down the acute inflammation. And NO RUNNING.  No worries there as I couldn't even walk.

The next two days I spent on crutches trying to gently load my leg. Once I could walk normally, I got on my bike trainer in the basement and gently pedaled for ~10 minutes. I started doing some basic rehab stuff to load the tendon. Before I knew it, I was back at Stony Brook for injection #2. 

For some reason injection #2 was more uncomfortable than #1. It seemed to take longer as well. The injection itself is maybe 10-15 seconds, but when you are very uncomfortable it seems like minutes.  I reviewed my rehab plan with the doctor and he was on board with it.

I survived this injection and repeated my same protocol. After a few days I was off the crutches and working out. I did some cycling (indoors), walking, squatting, dead lifts, kettle bell exercises, etc.  1 week after the 2nd injection I started some easy rowing.  I was progressing with no major set backs. Just prior to Xmas, I started noticing that I would do things at work (squat, etc) and it wasn't until after the activity that I realized it didn't hurt. Needless to say I was thrilled. I started to jump rope for low level plyometrics to prepare myself for my return to running. I had a soft date of January 4th to begin running if I had no pain.

 

Earlier this week I was doing 12" box jumps with no pain after activity. This was a huge step. I was that much closer.  I was testing the tendon with every activity.  I wasn't necessarily monitoring for pain during activity, it was coming down to how it felt 24-48 hours afterwards. So far, so good.

 

I went on 3 hikes with my friend Teresa and the Wingman. I brought my trekking poles to help offload the knee.  We had two 6 mile hikes with almost 500' of elevation and one 7.7 mile hike with almost 600' of elevation.  The last hike was New Year's Day.  I brought the poles but didn't use them until 5.5 miles in when I was getting tired.  I mentioned to Teresa that my plan now was to run for 10 minutes January 2nd if I felt good after the hike.

 

Well January 2nd rolled around and my knee was sore and tired.  I erred on the side of caution and skipped the run. There was nothing to be gained by pushing it.  I've waited 5 weeks to run, what was one more day.  When I woke up this morning to a blizzard outside I headed down to the treadmill and warmed up. I then set my timer for 10 minutes and off I went.  The time seemed to fly by and I felt great. But when 10 minutes arrived, I stopped running and continued to walk. Once the workout was done I was ready for the next test. In the past, when I would step down from the treadmill I would get a sharp pain in the knee.  Not today!  Progress!! I was so relieved to feel nothing. I did my regular rehab afterwards.  We'll see how it feels tomorrow.

My 6 week ortho follow up is Tuesday. Got my fingers crossed that when we look at the ultrasound, that black hole is smaller, if not gone.  I've got big things planned for 2014 and I can't have this slowing me down anymore.

Things I learned today

The weather was not cooperative for a ride on the roads, so instead I dusted off the mountain bike (MTB) and went to an easy trail with the Wingman, Teresa, Crazy Mark, and Claudia. I don't MTB much because it never seems to end well for me. I get all squirrely on the trails and become my own worst enemy. I told the Wingman that I was going to 'wear my big girl pants' today and try not to cry.

We unpacked the Element at the trail, greeted everyone, and then proceeded to enter the trail. I was 3rd in a line of 5 riders. Immediately I was not happy. I was slow to find my groove and slowed down to a snails pace through some of the tight turns, especially the right turns. I can be very unpredictable and didn't like the pressure of possibly impacting the ride of those behind me. At our first stop ~3 miles in, I told Crazy Mark and Claudia to ride in front of me a let me bring up the rear. Now I would be able to relax and ride my own pace and not worry about what was behind me.

As a group we made it through the first loop without any problems. Crazy Mark stopped after the first loop and bid us farewell. We grabbed fresh bottles and headed back in for a 2nd loop. Wingman led the way with Claudia, Teresa and then me bringing up the rear. I was almost enjoying the ride. I kept my own pace in the back and could take my time around the turns.

At the halfway point, we stopped for a moment for a breather, then off again. The only near-mishap was when Teresa's back wheel almost slid out from underneath her. I watched it happen in slow motion and she managed to stay upright by grabbing a tree. So there she was, stopped with her arms wrapped around a tree. I immediately said "Wow, Teresa, I never knew you were a tree hugger."

After we finished the second loop and stood at the cars, I was proud of the fact that I didn't cry or poop myself have a near miss. The Wingman told me he was happy that I wore my big girl pants and came out to ride. At least I know now that in the event of not being able to get out on the roads, I can head into the trails and get my workout in. I know the Wingman enjoys the trails and it's nice to balance out our rides so he can play like a kid in the woods.

Blue lines represent the trail we rode

Running in a fog

This weekend brought me to Annapolis for a half marathon. I signed up for this race a while ago, but recently got an email from ObiJen about the timing of the race and my upcoming season. The big concern was the mileage buildup required for the race and running too hard this time of year. The priority is the downtime to rest myself for next season. So I agreed to just run 13.1 miles and not race it.

Race morning arrived and the Wingman and I walked to the race start. Our hotel was close to the start/finish so we didn't have to mess with driving/parking. It was pretty cold in the morning, but I knew  once I got running I would warm up. The great debate is what do I wear. I have to say I nailed my clothing perfectly for this race.  The only change I thought about during the race was maybe a short sleeves and arm warmers so I can make adjustments on the fly.

I waited until the last minute to strip down to my race clothing. Right after that we made our way to the starting line so I can be in the crowd to keep warm. The race started very unceremoniously. I didn't even realize the horn went off. I saw the crowd start moving so I wished the Wingman good luck and was on my way. It's an odd start to the race as you run through the parking lot of the Navy-Marine Memorial Football Stadium. After that they turn you out onto the streets of Annapolis. It was pretty overcast and foggy so I left my sunglasses on top of my hat as I ran. I figured as the sun was coming up I would put them on, but that morning, the sun never came out. The entire race was run in a fog.......

Within the 1st two miles there were a few short inclines in the road. I remember looking at the elevation profile and thinking the hills didn't come into play until much later, but here I was less than 1 mile in and there was a small hill. I took it easy going up knowing that if I spent too much energy too soon, I would blow up later. This was going to be a long run and I had to pace myself carefully. But being true to my jackass nature, I bolted down the hill. I would repeat this pattern all race long: easy up, jackass down.

By mile 3 we were in downtown Annapolis running towards the waterfront. I would love to tell you the view was nice, but as I mentioned before, it was foggy and I couldn't see far in front. We circled around the dock and then over past the Naval Academy. Over the 1st 4 miles the course was rolling. I had my Garmin watch on, but kept it under my sleeve and did not look at it. Since I was just supposed to 'run', I wasn't worried about what my mile splits were. What also helped was there were no clocks on the course at the mile markers to distract me. I just kept it comfortable........well, as comfortable as I could on the rollers.

I kept cruising along and around mile 5 1/2 is the bridge that runs over the Severn River. It seemed like it went up forever. The fog kept the top hidden, which I guess is a blessing so I couldn't see how far I had to go. For all I knew, Brigadoon would appear when I got to the top.

After a long haul up, I crested the hill and 'jackassed' my way down. With the dense fog, I had no idea how long it was until I reached the bottom. But as soon as I reached the bottom, there was another small hill to run up. This begins a long out/back section that I knew at some point I would see the Wingman on the course. At the far end of this section is a turnaround with an aid station. I grabbed a cup of water and sipped a little and prepared myself mentally for the final few miles of the race. I knew I had to get back up the hill to Brigadoon. I did see the Wingman and we high-fived as we passed. He was looking good so far. I wished him luck and made my way towards the bridge.

The fog was still thick so once again, I had no idea how high up I had to run. I kept my head down and feet moving. It was tough, but I made it up the hill and, you guessed it, 'jackassed' my way down. I felt in control at this point, but the fatigue of the hills was getting to me. I only had ~2 miles to go now.

The last two miles were clear as day to me. The first thought I had was that I was glad my foot was holding up so far. I avoided any rough sections of pavement to spare me from any pain. The second thought was how well I was doing by only drinking to thirst. My water consumption has been cut down a bit and I can feel it in the longer runs. I don't feel quite so bloated in my hands and legs. I'm no longer worried about any formula for how much I need to drink and when. It's just a matter of I grab a cup if I need it and drink as much/little as I feel is needed. For the Army 10 Miler, my training runs, and now this race it is working well for me.

Just before the mile 12 marker was the last water station. I wanted to grab a cup, but was slowed to a walk in order to get a cup. It was a small station that was undermanned so I had to wait a split second for a cup. I looked up a noticed that the station was right at the bottom of a small incline. I opted to walk the 50 feet up and then start running. When I saw the mile 12 marker, I decided to look at my watch. I was incredibly surprised at the time I was making. I knew that unless I completely walked the last mile, I would break a soft time goal I had set since I wasn't 'racing'.

I knew I wanted a strong finish so I picked up my pace a little over the last mile. And then, the foot haunted me. There was a short out/back on  College Road and the turn around was over cobble stones. It was the most nerve-wracking 6 feet on the entire course for me. I slowed down so I can place each foot strike directly on a stone, not the edge. It's like walking through a mine field. And of course I missed the last stone and caught an edge of a stone. It sent shockwaves up my leg for a moment. I made it 12 3/4 mile and to almost get stopped in my tracks by a stupid stone.

I shook it off and wanted to find the finish line. The course winds back through the parking lot of the stadium to the finish line. After crossing the line, I stopped my watch and hurried to find the people with the mylar. Now I was freezing. The post race swag was nice - a running hat and finisher's medal. I grabbed them and then made a bee-line to the baggage drop off to get my clothes. Once I got dressed I had to find some food. I was getting hungry.

After I ate, I waited for the Wingman to finish. After he came across, we repeated the clothing and food pickup, then began the walk back to the hotel. Once we were safe in the room, I took the longest hot shower of my life. If I could have taken a nap in there, I would have.

Later in the day I checked the final results. I knew I set a PR, but wanted the official race time. It's been 6 years since I've run my fastest half marathon, and in this race I crushed that time. Looking back, this was the easiest I have ever run 13.1 miles before. By no means was this an easy race, but I never had that feeling that I went out too hard and paid for it dearly on the back end. It wasn't a perfect run, but I felt like it was a solid day out there.

I feel good about where I am at with my fitness. The next few weeks will be easy for me. No crazy training, just some work to keep my fitness. The real work begins soon enough, but for now I will enjoy this coming month. Bring on the offseason!!

Turkey Day

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, or Turkey day. I think it should be called "Stuffed Fat Pig" day since that's what I wind up feeling like by the time dessert rolls around. To prepare for an afternoon of non-stop eating, the Wingman and I had a full morning planned.

We started out in Mattituck for their annual 5k Turkey Trot. We haven't done this race in years, but were looking forward to racing a little closer to home. My goal for this race was to just run it 'at a trot pace'. The "PR or ER" machine was turned off for the day. It's a nice course that's relatively flat. Only near the end do you have one short hill to get over before the finish. After I finished, I waited for the Wingman. We went into the gym and grabbed some fruit and water, then bolted home to get some more activity in before the eating began.

Since Wingman's been working crazy hours, we haven't had a chance to ride together so we grabbed the road bikes and went for a ride. The temps were a little cool at the start, but within 10 minutes I was nice and warm. There was a little wind to contend with, but nothing too strong. We pedaled along for close to 2 hours, working up an appetite.

Once we got home, it was time to shower and get dressed up for dinner. We drove to Dolores' house where the main guest Mr. Louie was waiting. As usual, I ate way too much food. But I had a great time and that trumps everything.

So I sit here today, like a bloated fat pig, trying to think of how to get my fat ass off the couch. I have a half marathon in one week so I need to work off the turkey bloat in a hurry!!

7 seconds

"To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept pain--

not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it."

Yesterday I made the trek into Lynbrook for the "Fly with the Owls 4 Miler". It's a long ride, but it gives me the opportunity to meet up after the race with some friends to catch up. I did this race 2 years ago but was sick last year. So this year I was going to do everything in my power to stay healthy and get out there.

The night before I looked up my 4 mile PR to see if a new PR would be a possibility. It wasn't a completely far fetched time for me, but I knew I would have to run pedal to the metal or live up to my new motto "PR or ER". 

With fall races, judging how to dress can be tricky. What made the decision difficult yesterday was the dreaded windchill effect. It was supposed to be a little windy with temps feeling like it would be close to 10 deg cooler than it really was. Then you have to do the running math and add 20 deg to that since that's what it would feel like when you are actually running. I decided to wear a compression top and a lightweight long sleeve shirt with my running shorts. I felt cold before the start of the race, but once I was in the middle of the crowd waiting at the starting line, I warmed up. 

Once the horn went off, I bolted down the road. I wanted to get out of the crowd a little bit so I could settle in. The first mile is pretty straight-forward. After that it gets a little crazy, like an ADHD dream, lot's of turns.

arrows highlight the first mile

I wore my garmin GPS watch, but I knew the event would have timers at each mile on the course. When I rolled through mile 1, I was on a good pace. Not too fast, not too slow. But I could tell I was getting very warm. The two shirts were causing me to overheat. Since my race number with timing chip was attached to the top shirt, there was no way I could easily remove a shirt while running. I just figured "how bad can 3 miles be?" The answer is: pretty bad.

All I kept thinking was how long that 2nd mile felt. I didn't want to slow down much so I found someone to stay with. I also used this person as a shield when the winds picked up a bit. I tried to match  them stride for stride so I could keep pace. When I finally got through the 2nd mile I did some race math. I was still on track to PR. But I also felt like it would be a hard 2 miles to go. I felt like I was out there much longer than the race clock showed. I was in agony and the only way to make it stop was to get to the finish as quickly as possible.

I now began the craziness of the turns on the course. This organization does an outstanding job of marking the course and controlling traffic. There are volunteers at every turn with signs and pointing which way to go. I would have said 'thank you' but speaking was just not an option. I was deep inside the hurt box. My pacer was now long gone and I was on my own. I tried to latch on to various runners, but I kept yoyo-ing back and forth. A big mental game went on in my head. I was thinking about just slowing down and taking it easy, but when I passed the 3 mile clock I knew that if I could just hang on a PR was mine. All I had to do was hold it together.

This last mile was one of the hardest miles I've ever run. The turns were disorienting and my fatigue was making it worse. My legs and arms were getting heavier. I kept thinking "this must be the last turn....no, this must be the last turn..... no wait, THIS must be the last turn." 

Finally I did make it to the last turn. It was now a straightaway. The strangest sensation came over me. I looked to the side of the road and thought "that looks like a nice place to lay down." What a bizarre urge. Needless to say I fought it and did the best I could to pick it up to the finish. I saw my friends just before the finish. I looked at the clock as I crossed the line. I managed to just hang on and PR by 7 seconds. Holy crap. I worked that hard and suffered that much for 7 seconds. Clearly I have accepted the pain and learned to run through it. It wasn't easy at all, but I know what it feels like and survived it.

Photo courtesy J. Cordello  

After the race my friends and I went to a diner for breakfast. I just remember inhaling by breakfast and chatting away. Our time together ended too quickly and I was back in the car heading home. I passed out on the couch and took a serious nap. 

When I got up my legs and arms felt like jelly. It took my quite some time to get over that race effort. Who knew that 4 little miles could hurt so much.

Putting the puzzle together

A year ago I sat down to plan out my 2012 racing season with the goal of an Ironman race in 2013. I completed Ironman Lake Placid in 2006 and then my life was too busy to be able to dedicate the time to training. It takes a commitment in time and effort to get yourself to the starting line. I knew I would not be able to give it the proper effort until now.

I originally had a different Iron distance race in mind, but as the year went on, I decided to return to Lake Placid to improve on my last performance there. Looking back, I didn't have the right pieces in place to make it really successful for me. I was still relatively new to the sport and didn't have a lot of distance fitness in the bank. I was able to complete the race, but I don't think it was a success. This time around I am starting to put the small pieces in place to lay the foundation for the bigger pieces.

The first thing is to look at yourself and really think about what it is you want from this process. Every one has a reason as to what motivates them to accept the challenge. This is important because as the training gets harder and things get put on the back burner for your training, you need to remember why you are doing this. I saw a great quote earlier today that sums it up for me:

"Our biggest challenge isn’t someone else. It’s the ache in your lungs. The burning in your legs. And that voice in your head that yells “CAN’T,” but you don’t listen. You just push harder. And then you hear that voice whisper, “can” and you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the person you really are."

Just remembering this makes the journey to the starting line a little bit easier...........

Getting The Work Done

This past weekend I made my way back to Arlington, VA for the Army 10 Miler. (ATM) This is the 5th year in a row that I've done this race. Each year I get a little bit faster on the course. I was hoping that I would be able to break even this year. I've been hovering around the same time the last two years and wasn't sure I would be able to break through this barrier. I've been running well this year keeping the injury bug away so far. Aside from a small hiccup that required two injections in my foot recently, I've been able to string together a good year of running.

The flight down was supposed to be 40 minutes in the air. I was half asleep on the flight down so I wasn't paying attention to the time. But at one point I could tell we were doing a lot of turning and ascending/descending/ascending/descending. I could feel my stomach turn and I got very sweating which is a precursor to full blown motion sickness for me. I made sure there was a bag in the seat pocket in front of me as I expected my lunch to make an appearance on this flight. But I was fortunate the we landed just before trouble reared it's ugly head. Then the pilot came on and said "we had to make a landing at Dulles due to weather at Baltimore and we need to refuel." Obviously what were we doing for over an hour was circling the airport waiting for clearance to land. Once the plane ran low on fuel, we had to be diverted to another airport. We were on the ground for over an hour before we could take off again. So far this trip was not starting well.

We finally made it to Baltimore and then drove to our hotel in Virginia. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then we went to sleep. Saturday morning was Expo time. This is a highlight for me. I get to walk around and get as many freebies as I can fit into my bag and then go outside and play with all the Army Special Forces weapons I want. This year I had my eye on a grenade launcher that would look AWESOME on my front lawn. I hope Santa will bring it to me..........

We took it easy Saturday afternoon in an effort to save some energy for Sunday. Friends and family were asking if I would be setting a PR and I told them it was highly doubtful. My 10 mile PR is on an extremely flat course. The ATM course has a few rollers on it and the last ~2 miles are killer on the highway - constant up/down/up/down. You will be punished if you push too hard too early. I figured a course PR was possible if I played my cards right. Pacing is important on this course.

First thing I noticed race morning was that it was very cool. I had quite a chill and was afraid to ditch my warmup shirt until the last possible moment. When they announced 1 minute to my wave start I threw my extra shirt to the side of the road and got ready. Each wave is started with a large cannon and a ton of smoke!! I was able to find some clear space and get moving. Within a quarter mile I noticed that I wasn't breathless or having any difficulty running. Usually it takes me at least a half mile to settle in to my pace, but I found my rhythm early. Hopefully it would be a good omen.

I decided to keep my Garmin covered and just run by feel. Since I was comfortable early in the race, I knew my pace was OK. I had studied the course over and over again to make sure that I would run the tangents and cut all the turns tight so I wouldn't tack on extra mileage by running wide. As soon as I made a turn, I was planning where I needed to be on the road for the next turn. I wouldn't know if my strategy would pay off until late in the run when I finally looked down at my watch.

The miles ticked by easily. I was waiting for the wheels to fall off and for the real suffering to begin. I got to mile 5 and noticed on the race clock that it was starting to go in my favor. I still had no idea how I was doing on time, but I knew I wasn't losing anything yet. I kept my foot on the gas and decided to not let up.

Mile 5-7 takes you up and down Independence Ave. I knew this would be my last stretch before I hit the rollers on the highway. I didn't make a conscious effort to pick up my pace, but inadvertently I did. I was still feeling fresh and didn't have that feeling that I could not maintain my pace any longer. My legs just kept going and going. When I saw the 8 mile marker I knew this was where the hard work would begin. It was here that some words came to mind. I remember reading Ian's race report for the Pumpkinman Triathlon and one line he wrote about starting his run stuck in my head:

"I told myself 'here was my chance to be great'"

These words were true at this moment. I looked at my Garmin and saw that, unless I literally collapsed on the course, I would set a course PR. A ten mile PR was going to take some serious effort over the next two miles. I could not let up for a minute. It was going to take everything I had to hang on. This was going to be my chance to be great..........

I seemed to float over the next mile. Normally I am suffering at this point, but I still seemed to be moving well. My pace certainly dropped down a little, but I was still running well. I knew I could afford to slow up a little on the uphill as long as I gunned it going downhill. Before I knew it I was heading up towards the exit ramp for the Pentagon. Only 1 mile to go!! At this point I could feel the fatigue starting to creep in. The last mile on the highway was taking it's toll on me. But at the same time I knew I wanted that PR badly. It's funny how it wasn't even a thought earlier that morning, but at this time it consumed me. I kept the intensity up. I didn't want to get to the finish line with any regrets. This was like a poker game and I was all in on the final hand........

The way the road winds near the end, it's hard to know exactly where the finish line is. When I was ~1/10th from it I could see the black and gold balloons. The finish was near. I saw my watch and knew that unless I stopped to take a nap, the PR was mine. I crossed the line and stopped my watch. I knew it was a course PR, but was fuzzy about my 10 mile PR. When I checked my times later I knew I had the 10 mile PR by ~2 minutes and a course PR by 5:30. BOOM!!

Once I made my way through the finish line corral and food line, I went back to get my clothes. I was getting chilly in my wet clothes.  I can honestly say I had no idea that performance was in me. When I looked at my splits later, I was very consistent. 8 of my 10 miles were less than 10 seconds apart in pacing.  The two 'slower' miles (mile 1 at the start and mile 8 on the highway) were at most 20 seconds off my fastest pace. 

Looking back, I can't complain about my performance. For the first time in a loooooonnnnnngggg time I am happy with how the race unfolded. I feel that this was a complete race from start to finish. I really can't see where I would make any changes. My course strategy paid off as my Garmin measured 10.12 miles so I didn't stray as badly as I did last year.  I really surprised myself with how the race unfolded. I have a half marathon in December and I have already changed my goals for that race. So between now and then, it's time to Get The Work Done!!