Mt Lemmon Marathon Limited Edition

The last time I had a full marathon build up was for Mesa Marathon last February.  After that, I trained for Mt Hood in June, but it was canceled due to the pandemic.  I signed up for St. George in October, but in early August it was canceled.  That is when a friend found Mt Nebo but we only had 3 weeks to prepare for it, so that build was cut short.  Then Mt Charleston Limited Edition was scheduled for November, and I had about 8 weeks to prepare after recovering from Mt Nebo, so it was also an abbreviated training cycle. 

At Mt Charleston, I had an excellent run for 23 miles and was on pace for sub-3 and a PR, but as the course flattened out in the last 4 miles my legs became fatigued to the point that I could not continue at pace.  I crashed hard and ended up with a sobering 3:12. Nevertheless, I gained great confidence in pacing and running fast downhill. The day was perfect for running with a little chill up top and not too hot at the finish. The vistas were clear, and the road was smooth. It was great to race in the pandemic and the overall race experience provided by Revel was exceptional.

To hold a marathon during the pandemic, Revel race series limited the field size to 262 racers for each event, and then due to the popularity, added a second day of events. We were bussed to the top in groups of 60 so there were no lines for the porta johns, and we could get back on the bus until the start time.  The racers lined up and started one by one and we could ditch our mask as we crossed the start line.  The aid stations had just one person and there were not any fans along the way.  Then at the finish they had a table with the medals and a Zupas boxed lunch.  No crowds!  The running was lonelier on the course, but the overall experience was very good. 

When Revel scheduled another race of the same format for Mt Lemmon in February, I signed up for it because there was a chance that the Mesa Marathon would not happen, and this would be a great backup.  After recovering from Mt Charleston, I had a full 13 weeks of training to prepare for Mt Lemmon.  Sure enough, in December we learned that Mesa Marathon would be postponed indefinitely so I set my sights on Mt Lemmon.

By this time, I had been in marathon training and recovery for more than a year.  And even though the year was disrupted by the pandemic, I had been able to continue running and I saw evidence in races and workouts that I was getting stronger.  In May I ran a 1:26 half and then in Oct ran another in 1:27. At Mt Nebo I ran a negative split on a hard course and at Mt Charleston I ran the best 23 I’ve ever run.  During this training cycle I only remember missing two days and I did not have any injury or sickness.  The worst ailment was a wart on my left forefoot which Matt was treating aggressively. 

A very memorable run was a 22 with John where we ran on the Mesa course and did extra climbing at the start and then did a steady progression over the last 8 miles finishing at sub 7 pace at the end.  I don’t remember talking about that as the plan beforehand with John, but he kept stepping into it and I did my best to hang with him! It felt great to be able to lean into that run at the end and not have the wheels come off.  Another memorable run was the 2x6mi at marathon pace on the loop during a 20.  I was able to stay on top of that one and continue strong at the end of the 2^nd set. 

For the most part, my training program this cycle was very similar to previous cycles with intervals on Tuesdays, hills on Thursdays, and long runs on Saturdays.  Five runs a week, peaking in the high 50s for mileage.  Matt was my primary training partner and I also did a lot of runs with John and the loopers.  One difference is that we got a Peloton bike this Christmas, so I started doing a strong ride on my rest day each week.

Through the cycle I knew that getting COVID would seriously hinder my training, so I was very keen to avoid it!  We have been blessed to stay healthy; nobody in our squad has gotten it that we know of.  In the last month I was extra careful to avoid risks.

I had new Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% shoes for the race and I used them for an 18-mile run two weeks prior to race day to test them out.  They felt similar to my 4% and Zoomfly shoes so I did not expect any troubles using them in the race with only one training run. 

Race week came and I did my best to stay calm and rested. I did a few light runs and a spin on the Peloton to stay fresh.  On Friday Kandyce and I drove to Tucson and went directly to packet pickup.  Then we drove up the mountain to a lookout at about 7 miles from the end and turned back.  The slope was very nice with consistent grade and winding road through the mountain canyon.  I was really looking forward to the run!  We found a great Italian restaurant for some simple pasta and then we went to the hotel.  I prepped my gear and settled down.

Gear: Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% (green), Wright double layer socks, UnderArmor long sleeve shirt, Lululemon shorts, Adidas BAA cap, Goodr sunglasses, compression socks, Aftershox Titanium earphones, Garmin Fenix 6, Nathan Exoshot handheld water bottle, SPI belt and throw-away gloves.  I carried an e+Shot and two gels inside my water bottle so that my SPI belt wasn’t as heavy.  Race weight: 185

Nutrition: Peanut butter bagel, Picky oatmeal, and banana early morning, AMPED Nitro before the race, 2 Maurten gels, 2 Huma gels, e+Shot, and water during the race.

 

My race goal was to run sub-3 hours.  I reviewed Strava postings of racers that finished the marathon on Friday in about 3 hours.  My strategy was to follow similar splits giving up 4-5 minutes in the first 4.3 miles, then run in the 6:30s for the rest of the race. 

On race morning I parked 10m from the bus, turned in my form, had my temperature taken, and then hopped on the bus.  It was like a limo pickup!  The ride to the start always seems so long and it is overwhelming to think about running that distance.  By the top we were in the pines with snow on the ground.  The previous day the temp was about 17F at the start but for us it was a balmy 33F.  I decided not to wear extra layers and in fact thought that maybe the long sleeve shirt might be too warm at the end.  But I had left the short sleeve at home so that wasn’t an option!  In the end it was a bit warm for the last half hour, but not uncomfortable and it was worth it to be a bit warmer at the top.

We had opportunity to get off the bus and use the porta johns and then get back on.  Right before race time the next bus arrived and so I got a chance to see John, Hari, and Cyreen before getting in line.  As we started, we had a few seconds between runners and then a place to ditch our mask before hitting the course. 

My plan was to take it easy absorbing the early hills and so I did not expect to pass people.  The wave ordering was based on expected finishing time, so the runners in front of me were anticipating faster than 3-hour time.  However, as I came up on the first runner, it was clear that he was working harder and running slower than where I was comfortable.   I passed 3 or 4 in the first mile climb but felt I was in control.  Then there is a mile downhill and I picked up the pace to near marathon pace and it felt good to get the legs moving.  Mile 3 is the start of a 1.3 mile climb and since we were still at about 8,000 ft, it is a hard effort.  I slowed down and just absorbed it with steady effort.  I checked my heart rate and it was in the high 150s which I wouldn’t normally want to see this early in the run, but it wasn’t max effort.  At mile 4.3 where the course starts the long descent, I calculated in my mind that I was about 4:30 behind marathon pace.  This was within the range I expected.  Now the ride begins!

As the sky got brighter, the canyon lit up and the views were spectacular.  I have run many mountain races, and this has to be one of the best for the vistas.  I found what I thought was my marathon effort, which was in the low 6:30s. By the end of mile 5 my heart rate had dropped to the low 140s.  Perfect!  A woman passed me in this stretch, and she was the only runner I could see ahead of me. And when I glanced back, I could not see anyone behind me hidden by the curves of the road.  COVID distancing!   

At the aid stations, I had to grab a bottle of water as they were not handing them to the runners. For the most part it went well, but once I dropped the bottle and another time, I really fumbled with the bottle cap.  I used gels at about mile 6, 12, 18, but ended up not using the last one.  I used the e+Shot around mile 20.  I kept my gloves on quite a long time.  I ditched one after soaking it from fumbling with the water bottle sometime after mile 13.  The other I kept until about mile 20.  So, I felt like Michael Jackson for a bit, although I don’t think he ever ran a marathon.  I did not experience any GI discomfort and only minor cramps that I was able to work away by stretching out and breathing deep.  One more tactical note…  the cold tends to amplify the sensation of a full bladder.  I don’t think I was needing to go but at mile 10 I was really feeling it.  I thought about waiting for the next aid station but realizing there was not a soul around, I decided to pee on the run.  I ran with wide legs and managed to avoid getting wet!  That saved a solid 20 seconds and a chance of tripping.  #skills 

The most significant ailment was a sore left ankle.  My new shoes were rubbing, and I think it was because my shoe was tied a bit tight.  Once I could tell what it was, I flexed my foot to try and shift the rubbing. It may have helped, but the rubbing continued.  I did not want to stop and retie, so I carried on and blocked out the pain.  It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t comfortable.  At least I knew it wasn’t going to affect my running mechanics or fatigue so I didn’t worry about it like I might if my legs were getting sore.

The miles clicked by and I continued to knock off miles in the 6:20s and 6:30s.  There are a few small climbs and those miles dipped to 6:40s.  At each mile, the Revel app would announce my split and predicted finish time.  The predictions were for a pretty slow time early on because of the climbs, but gradually the time was dropping.  I started to notice that my Garmin was chiming the miles earlier than the app and earlier than the course markers.  I realized that I might hit my goal on Garmin and not finish the race sub-3!  This had happened to one of the runners I reviewed on Strava in the Friday race.  I kept up the effort I was managing but I didn’t have margin to push any further without digging a hole that could be devastating.  I have been there before!  So, I kept my focus on maintaining my effort.   This was more difficult than normal because there were no runners to pace with.  The only runner I could see was the woman who had passed me early.  She was still about a hundred yards ahead; neither gaining nor slowing.  It may be that I was able to pace off of her, but with that distance it is difficult to correct small deviations.  One thing that definitely helped were all the voice comments from family and friends sending messages.  Each time I would be sure to check my watch to make sure I was on track.  Each time I had a little extra spring in my step.  It was very helpful!

I was still feeling very strong at mile 20 and despite the large descent, my legs were in good condition.  As I took stock, I felt better than expected in both energy and leg strength.  My slowest mile since mile 5 was 6:44 and even miles 22 and 23 were in the 6:30s.  So delighted!  I started to gain on the woman in front of me and before I knew it, I was on her heels.  I glanced at my watch and my pace was slowing, so I realized she was really fading.  I carefully stepped around her and picked up my step to get back on track.  Shortly after that, I ran past a person on the side of the road that I didn’t really see.  He said my name so I realized it must have been Lionel.  Cyreen had said that he was going to run her in the last few miles.  By the time I figured this out I was well past him.

The city was visible off and on since mile 5, but now it was finally right in front of me.  I knew that the road was going to flatten out and I also knew that I had no time to spare and had to keep the pace.  Miles 24 and 25 were harder and I had to dig in to keep under marathon pace and there was no room to push further to try and gain enough time to give a buffer for the gap between my watch and the course.  There was nothing I could do about that, but I could hang on to where I was.  This may sound unexpected, as in why couldn’t I speed up just a bit?  At this stage of a marathon, momentum is manifest not only as physics carrying my mass down the course but also in every aspect of my body’s machinery from muscles firing to tendons stretching to blood flowing to lungs moving air.  It is extremely difficult to disrupt this momentum and it takes a massive effort to hang on to it at this stage of the race.  By this time, I knew I was not going to cross the line sub-3; the course was running long.  The last mile is still a little downhill, but it flattens out a lot.  I pressed hard.  I was getting warmer.  My ankle was painful.  My whole body wanted to stop.  But I didn’t! 

I made the final left turn and I could see the finish banner.  I checked my watch and sure enough, the banner looked further than what my watch said I had left.  But I was also delighted to see that I was going to cross 26.2 in under 3 hours!  I watched the seconds tick by and decided to just stop my watch before 3 hours.  It read 26.26 miles and 2:59:57.  I was confident I had run the marathon distance in less than 3 hours!  Wow.  But the banner was still up ahead so I carried on.  Crossing the line. I had a big smile despite the fact that my official time would not be sub-3. 

I put Jeff’s name on my race bib.  I miss running and training with him.  The last race he ran was a year ago at Mesa Marathon.  He had an incredible run and set a PR just narrowly missing his Boston qualifying time.  Jeff would have loved this course.  I thought of Jeff several times during the race.  I thought of how hard he trained and about how he was able to finish strong in workouts and in races.  Normally I run much better with friends than when alone; it is the close presence and push that helps get the best out of me.  I ran my best race at Mt Lemmon and although I was alone for most of the miles, I must conclude that I had a friend running with me that day nudging me to do my best.  Love you Jeff.

 

2020 Mt Nebo Marathon

 After the Mesa Marathon, COVID-19 emerged and became a global pandemic, and all society interaction in person stopped.  Global quarantine and social isolation were vital to slow the spread and flatten the curve of infection cases and hospitalizations.  Races were the furthest from anyone’s mind.  Back in February, Matt, Jayna, Jeff, Daniel, Tiffany and I, had registered for the Mt Hood Marathon in Oregon.  In April, Jeff and I did a 20-miler together and 3 days later the Mt Hood race was cancelled.  We were not surprised, but we were still disappointed.  We started talking about other races and settled on doing St George again.  Coach Derek also organized a half marathon time trial on the loop so that we could use our fitness and push ourselves.  We adjusted our training to fine tune for the half and then did 13 loops.  I ran it in 1:26:58 with the help of Allison, Blake, and Derek, beating my previous best by more than 2 minutes.

We settled into a marathon build in June and tragedy struck.  Jeff had a significant mental health episode and then an accident and was hospitalized and in serious condition.  We rallied as a team to support his family with meals and prayers and hoped that he would recover.  When he contracted COVID and passed away a few days later it was devastating news.  We missed him immensely.  Running was one thing that helped me to get through those days.  Each workout we remembered his speed and spirit. 

Training for a marathon over the summer in AZ is exceedingly difficult.  Even in the early hours the temperature can be high 80s or low 90s and with the arrival of the monsoon season the humidity ticked up a few notches bringing stifling conditions.  Nevertheless, putting in the effort develops the fitness.  It is important in those conditions to run more by effort than by pace.  Some days were so difficult you could only cover the distance, and sometimes not even that. 

We continued to build but knew that St George was also at risk.  In mid-August we ran a 20-miler in the heat and struggled to get through the workout portion.  It was a big run.  The thought occurred to me that cancellation could be imminent.  Sure enough, we received the email the Tuesday after.  Again, it was expected, but still disappointing.  We quickly started talking about what other race we could aim for, thinking virtual might be our only option for a while.  Then Greg found the Mt Nebo Marathon in Payson, UT.  I had never heard of this race and it was in just over 2 weeks!  It was a small race and Greg had confirmed with the organizers that they planned to go ahead with the event.  So, we decided to jump in.  Matt, Jayna, Daniel, and I joined Greg and signed up.  Tiffany wanted to also run but she was nursing an injury, so she came to cheer and support. 

That Saturday we did another 20 miler and then tapered for 2 weeks.  It was not an ideal build, but we had the fitness and strength to run safely; we just didn’t know how well we could do.  Mt Nebo starts above 9,000 ft and has 3 decent hills to climb in the first half.  The course stays above 8,000 ft for the first 13 miles.  Then there is a large descent into the canyon and the finish flattens out a bit but is still downhill.  At first, I thought that the elevation and climbing would make this course too difficult to try for a PR or sub-3.  Then we found a runner on Strava that had run the previous year and we could see the detailed elevation and pacing that she did.  Seeing the one mile splits the course looked better than we expected.  The descending was never more than 350 ft/mi and there was some descending right through to the end.  We started to get higher aspirations and I settled on the approach that I would aim for a 1:34 first half and then a negative split to finish strong.

Taper went fine and I had no injuries or even niggles to deal with.  I experienced some tenderness in my left leg in early July but when I rested from running for a week that went away and I have not felt any weakness there since.  It might have been due to a change in shoes and a hard run.  The build was unusual in the heat and humidity for many training runs.  It forces you to run by effort and not pace and I have developed a stronger feel for the effort I can sustain for various distances. 

We flew up to Salt Lake on Friday and had time to go drive the course after the expo.  It was a stunning drive with many vistas on both sides of the road.  All the way up we were making mental notes of the hills and grade.  It was easy to find the start because it was a parking lot with a dozen port-a-johns.  We reset the odometer so that we could see what mile markers each hill was at on the way down.  The course had an out and back for mile 7-8 that was on a gravel road; it would be a great place to see where everyone was at.  We generally had a positive view of the course and expected the good parts to outweigh the difficult parts.  That night I had a Café Zuppa’s grain bowl for dinner, and as usual, I avoided dairy all day.

As I prepared my gear for the next morning, I noticed that the race bib had a space for a dedication.  I put Jeff’s name on my bib and then I noticed that the charity the race associated with was for mental health.  Wow.

Gear: Nike Vaporfly 4% (orange), Wright double layer socks, Adidas Delancey Loopers singlet, Lululemon shorts, Adidas BAA cap, Aftershox Titanium earphones, Garmin Fenix 6, Nathan Exoshot handheld water bottle and SPI Belt.  Throw away gloves and arm sleeves.  Warmup jacket and sweatpants for pre-race warmth.  I carried an e+Shot and one gel inside my water bottle so that my SPI belt wasn’t as heavy.  Race weight: 184

Nutrition: Peanut butter bagel, Picky oatmeal, and banana early morning, AMPED Nitro before the race, 1 Honey Stinger gel, 3 Huma Mango gels, e+Shot, and water during the race.

Need to add next time: cheap headlamp, anti-chafing stickers.

Before getting on the bus, we had our temperature taken.  We wore masks on the bus and at the starting area until the race began.  The start time was 5:45 and it was dark!  I was anxious about the lack of light, but Matt just told me to follow the other runners.  I thought it would be great to wait another 20 minutes before starting, but he calmed me down.  We started in waves and I started with Matt, Daniel, and Jayna probably about 6 minutes after the start. 

It was warm enough that I did not need the gloves or arm sleeves.  I ditched my jacket and pants in my gear bag, and I was ready to run.  In hindsight, I should have had a cheap headlamp to run with in case of the dark start.  Next time I’ll take one and leave in gear bag if not needed.

The first mile is generally a climb and I started off at a conservative pace.  Right away I felt the higher effort due to the elevation and by the end of the first mile I knew that this was not going to be a sub-3 day or even a PR day.  When this thought came to my mind, I first dismissed it figuring that it was negative thinking, but as I assessed the pace and effort of that first mile, I just knew it was higher effort than I could sustain.  I carried on and after cresting the hill I nudged up the pace for the next two miles on the descent and tried to do it with lower effort.  The pace went up and the effort stayed manageable, but it was still too high for this early stage of the run.

The views off both sides of the road were spectacular as the dawn twilight started to color the sky.  At mile 3 I was able to see the road under my feet.  The temperature was perfect, and the afternoon winds of the pre-drive were nowhere to be felt.  I became lost in the views taking mental snapshots.  The second climb is during mile 5 and gets back up to nearly 9,000 ft again. 

After another 2 miles of descending there is an out and back on a gravel road that is about a mile long.  This section required attention to avoid rocks and ruts and was a little loose for traction, but not terrible.  It was a slight descent to the turn around and then back up to the road.  I expected a mat at the turn around but there was nothing and nobody was there watching, just a cone marking the spot.  I enjoyed seeing all the other runners on the other side and I counted them off.  I don’t know if any runners had finished the out and back before I entered, but if not then I counted I was in 59^th place.  I saw Greg in front of me; he had started right at the gun and I did not know the gap.  Daniel was not too far behind me and I saw Matt and Jayna before I got back to the road.  It was nice to see some familiar faces!

Back on the road was the start of the last big climb through mile 9 up to 8,600 feet.  By this time, I knew I was going to be slower than my target of 1:35 for the half.  I didn’t stress about it; I just focused on getting the best pace at a manageable effort.  The road starts descending, but there is a flat section just before the halfway mark.  I noticed the start area for the half to my left and soon was passing through the start line.  I checked my watch; I was at 1:39 and 8,000 feet.  It would take a 1:25 half to set a PR and even with the long descent I knew that was not in the cards.  But I knew I had a real chance at winning my age group since it was a smaller race.  I put my mind towards running sub-7 pace as efficiently as possible.  I had a few, but then drifted into the low 7s.  Mile 16 had the greatest descent and it was also my fastest split at 6:38. It was incredible how much energy it took to run at altitude.

I had used gels at about mile 7, 12, 17, 22 and took the e+Shot at around 19.  I grabbed a swig of water at each aid station and used my carried water to chase down the gels and sip between aid stations.  I did not experience any GI distress or cramping so I think my nutrition execution was effective.

After the out and back, I paid attention to the number of runners that I passed and that passed me so that I could keep track of how many were still in front of me.  One runner passed me but then I passed him back later.  I got down to 39 but then there were so many half marathoners on the course late I don’t know if I passed any more marathoners that were running slowly.  About mile 20 I was going around one of the hairpin turns and a woman passed me.  That made me realize that my pace had been slowing and so I tried to pick it up.  I used her pace to stay steady through the maze of slower runners over the next few miles.  I eventually lost sight of her and I didn’t notice any other runners that were marathoners.  I missed having people to use as pacers late in the race.

There is a beautiful waterfall splashing the road that I ran near.  The canyon kept the sun off me until about mile 22.  The course flattens out a bit in the last few miles and eventually at mile 25 it leaves the canyon and enters the town of Payson. My pace was fading more, but I did not feel near as rough as in recent marathons at Mesa and Utah Valley.  I knew my quads had taken a beating, but it was not crippling like Big Cottonwood. 

Once in the city there are a few turns on the way to the park.  I did some mental math and I knew I was in good position for a negative split.  I saw Tiff in the last mile, and she cheered me on and took a picture.  I think I was smiling because I was delighted to be finishing.  I was also pleased I wasn’t completely crashing!

I came through the shoot at 3:21 or so, but I knew I was in the 3:15 range because of the staggered start.  I grabbed a bottle and quickly found a spot to sit down.  Much later I found my chip time was 3:15:53 and I finished 1^st in my age group and 38^th overall so only 1 off my counting estimate! I must have passed another marathoner near the end that was walking.  My first half was 1:39 and 2^nd half was 1:36 for one of only 3 negative split marathons for me, the other 2 being St George.

I sat under a tree to wait for the others to come through.  Daniel came next and then Greg found me; he had finished at 3:08.  He found out later it was a qualifying time because he would be older at the next Boston marathon!  Jayna and Matt came through together, Matt having run the whole race with Jayna providing support in the form of water and encouragement.  We all lingered having many otter pops before making our way to the food buffet.

The medals were large and in the shape of 10 as this was the 10^th anniversary of the race.  I also received a medal for winning my age group.  I stood alone on the podium as they did not do an award ceremony on account of COVID. 

My finishing time was not what I had thought possible the day before, but I was very happy with my race execution.  I recognized the conditions and the effect on my running and adjusted accordingly.  I took what the course gave me and that allowed me to negative split and not slow drastically at the end.  My time was very similar to Utah Valley, in fact a little slower, but I felt so much better.  At Utah Valley I had splits of 1:30 and 1:43 and that 2^nd half was very rough.  Here my pace was fading in the flats but not crashing.  A conservative start and negative split take confidence and courage and usually result in the best outcomes.

Despite the 4,500 feet of descent, this is a very hard course.  The first half is all above 8,000ft, which may as well be the stratosphere.  Nevertheless, the course was beautiful, and the support was excellent. I am so glad I got to run this race with good friends and with Jeff.

2020 Mesa Marathon

I have been building towards the Mesa Marathon since August.  After the Utah Valley Marathon, I ran very little in June and July to take a deep off season.  I did some cycling and swimming as well, but no serious training.  In the fall I did the Mesa Sprint Triathlon and Gilbert Half Marathon during the build for the Mesa Marathon.  My A goal was to run sub 3 hours, my B goal was to PR, and my C goal was to qualify for Boston.

During the buildup, I noticed that as the miles mounted, I did not experience the same level of Achilles tendonitis that I have had in previous builds.  The main thing that has been different this year is the use of both Newton and Nike shoes for training.  I started using the Zoom Fly and Vapor Fly 4% shoes in March and I think the variety of shoe structure reduces the repetitive stress.

Another difference in training this year is that we have run in Las Sendas in East Mesa more often for more hills, both up and down.  In addition to several long runs in the area, we met frequently on Thursday mornings to do 10 or 12 in the hills.  This helped with leg strength and with uphill pacing.

I continued to avoid dairy the day before a long run or race and I have had better GI comfort when running hard.  Isagenix discontinued their Amped Fuel gel, so I have had to find some others that don’t upset my stomach when on the run.

In August and September, it took a while for my fitness to develop and get back to running with Matt and Jeff but then in October and November it started to really develop and I felt comfortable running sub 7-minute paces.  The Gilbert Half was a real test to see how that fitness was progressing and it was a big confidence boost to not only set a PR, but do so with a strong finish feeling good.  In December the miles really started getting up there and some of the long runs were a real challenge.  One in particular was the first 22 in early January.  The workout was to run 2x6mi at marathon pace 6:50. The first set went well and after short recovery got started on the second set.  After 3 miles, I had to back off because I started to feel light headed.  I tried to get back going after running a slow mile, but I couldn’t.  I finished the last 4 miles slower than planned and I felt wrecked.  In assessing what happened, I believed my fueling was too light.  Previous long runs had gone quite well and I don’t think I prepared seriously enough for this workout.  My nutrition the day before and morning of was not adequate and I faded.

Then, 3 weeks later we had a 22-mile run on the course where we did a mile warm up, then 10 miles along the course at marathon effort, then 4 miles easier effort then a 4x1mi at 6:40 and a finish with last mile as hard as I could.  I took preparation more seriously and made sure to eat sufficiently in the morning.  During the run, Mark, Jeff and I stayed together and then Jacob joined us.  I wasn’t sure what to expect in those late intervals.  Sometimes Mark and Jacob have a tendency to bolt off the front, so I was determined to just run my own effort throughout.  I was more confident that Jeff would be a steady pacer.  After the second interval, I was still feeling quite good and was able to hit the time on the last 2 intervals as well.  At this point, Jeff and Mark were still with me and we were getting very excited at how well the workout was going.  The last mile I was able to kick a 6:31. This workout gave me a ton of confidence.  My legs felt good and I didn’t experience a wall.  I could hope to feel that well late in the marathon.

During the last 10 weeks of training I did not get ill and I was able to get all my workouts in other than one over Christmas break.  I felt the consistency was really building fitness and strength.  Early in the cycle I had started to incorporate some leg strength exercises.  I found a few workouts to try at home and at the gym but I was not consistent and I didn’t give it as much effort as I wanted to.

In setting a race plan, I learned from last year’s race and determined that I would run my own pace early and in fact I decided to not start the race with anyone I knew.  The first few miles I wanted to settle into marathon pace which should be less than marathon pace effort since they were downhill.  Then I was going to give 45s on the uphill and then get back into 6:50 range and aim for a first half split of 1:29:30 to 1:30:30. Coach and I felt this would give me the best opportunity to run Sub 3, but recognized it came at the price of potentially burning up late.

Gear: Nike Vaporfly 4% (orange), Wright double layer socks, Adidas Delancey Loopers singlet, Lululemon shorts, Adidas BAA cap, Plantronics Backbeat FIT earphones, gloves, arm sleeves, Nathan Exoshot handheld water bottle and SPI Belt.  Maurten and Huma gels, e-Shot. Warmup jacket and sweat pants for pre-race warmth.  I carried the e+Shot and one gel inside my water bottle so that my SPI belt wasn’t as heavy.  Race weight: 186

Nutrition: Peanut butter bagel and banana early morning, AMPED Nitro before the race, 2 Maurten gels, 2 Huma gels, e+Shot, and water during the race.

I drove to the parking lot and found a bus for the trip to the start.  My focus this year was to be ready and to not get distracted by conversations.  Once at the start I took a camera to the start line for live streaming, and then headed to the potty line.  I saw several teammates and friends in the line and near the fire.  My headset worked this year and I got ready to ditch my clothing.  The weather was absolutely perfect for running.  It was about 42 and clear and not a breath of wind.  The sunlight was not on the horizon yet and so the start was fairly dark.  As the gun went off, I was alone and ready.

The first two miles were fairly dark.  I kept to the left of the line of cones down the center of the road and worked on staying relaxed.  I quickly settled in to marathon pace around 6:50 and got ready for a nice run.  This year I was not stressed out about running with teammates.  I knew there would be plenty of racers around me to help me stay steady and I did not know what some of the others would do for pacing, especially two of the others aiming for 3-3:05 range.  So, I focused on running my own race.

Just after mile 4, the course turns right and starts up a hill.  I have practiced this climb many times and knew exactly where to keep my pace to avoid working too hard.  On the climb I approached Jeff and had a brief chat with him.  He was aiming for 3:07 to qualify for Boston.  At the top of the hill I sped up and let the hill carry me down.  This was the fastest section for me at 6:38. I came up on Blake S and had a chat with him.  He was aiming for 3:08 as that is what he ran 25 years ago to qualify for Boston. 

The section north on Power was slightly windy, but that was expected.  I tucked in behind some runners to conserve energy.  Then at about mile 10 I came up on Mark who was also aiming for Boston.  Just at that moment he got out his phone to have it play CCR.  That was random!  Shortly ahead I came up on Jacob, also aiming for Boston and potentially sub3.  He was running well and looked very comfortable.  I thought about staying with Jacob or Mark as I have trained a lot with them.  I knew that they were aiming for 1:31 or slower on the first half and that was a little slow for me to have my best chance at sub3.  Their A goal was to qualify so it was better to be conservative.  I nudged ahead and looked forward to crossing the half way mark.

I was aiming for 1:30:30 to 1:29:30 on the half expending as little energy as possible.  I ended up with 1:29:15 split, which is a PR for me at that distance.  I felt very good about the execution as I never had to work hard and I kept my pace in comfortable range.  At this point no discomfort, no niggles, and I had 2 gels in me already.  I was still wearing gloves as it was cool enough and I like having them on to wipe my face.  Also, carrying the water bottle was new this year.  The Maurten and Huma gels were nice to take down and did not cause any GI discomfort.

The course flattens out and heading down Val Vista and then Brown I was steady at 6:48-6:50 for several miles.  Mile 19 was 6:57 and 20 was 7:03 and it was here that I started to feel soreness in my quads.  I made the turn down Mesa Dr and hoped that I could shake it off and keep up my pace.  At this point, I was not suffering throughout my body like I have felt in previous marathons.  The soreness was very localized on both quads, although on the left leg it was a little further to the outside edge.  Mile 21 was 7:16 and then I made the turn onto 1^st St. 

At this point I knew that my sub3 attempt was doomed.  Not because I had lost the time, in fact I was only a few seconds behind, but because the pain in my quads was not going away, it was getting worse.  I tried every mind trick I know to embrace the suck, focus on my goal, run the mile I’m in, think of family members each mile, but I could not run faster.  Maybe I let my mind tell me that I couldn’t run faster, I don’t know.  But the pain was there and try as I might, I could not sustain any faster pace.  A few times in mile 21, 22, 23 I can see in my run data that I sped up, but I could not hold it.  3 weeks prior during the 22-miler on this course I didn’t experience this pain at all. I was stumped. 

Miles 22-24 were all around 7:40. During mile 23 Jacob passed me and then during 24, Mark passed me.  Both looked like they were running very well and on their way to BQ.  During mile 25 I stopped to try and stretch out my quads for some relief, but the pain did not abate and I could not get going fast.  I saw my PR slip away and at this point I focused on continuing to move at any pace to finish out as best as I could.  Mile 25 was 9:05 and mile 26 was 8:37.

Along the finishing chute I saw a bunch of Loopers cheering me on and then I saw my parents and Kandyce.  I smiled and my eyes welled up.  They all thought I was breaking the tape; I knew I had missed my goal.  I crossed the line in 3:07 range and quickly found a seat to recover.  A few minutes later Blake S came through and then Jeff came through.  Both missed their goal and were in rough shape.  What a sight we must have been!  Blake was pleased to finish and qualify.  Jeff was not responsive at first.  He left it all out on the course!

With a chip time of 3:07:13, this was my 2^nd fastest marathon.  I was 5^th in my age group out of 135 and I qualified for Boston with a 17-minute margin.  Although this was a step backwards, I proved to myself that last year was not a fluke.  This is the 3^rd time running sub 3:10. I also had excellent execution on nutrition and avoided GI and cramping.  The biggest win was identifying my next weakness to work on.  I need to do more leg strengthening and hill running.

2019 Gilbert Half Marathon

I wasn't sure how this race would go given the trip last week in Peru was very disruptive to my training and then I traveled to Seattle the week of the race.  The last week I got my runs in, but I was still feeling a little unsettled inside from the trip to Peru and the Malaria medication.  I planned to aim for sub 1:30 and I believed I had a shot at it, but I did not know how I would hold up.  So, I was conservative-minded heading in.  I planned to run with Matt and the 1:30 group as long as I could.  I started with Amanda, Jaime, Matt, and the rest of the 1:30 group.  After a slightly hot first mile, we settled down and Jaime and I were just steps ahead of Amanda. Then on the path to Power, I didn't want to overdo it and I didn't know Jaime's plan so I eased slightly and let her go.  Shortly after, Amanda was on my heels.  From there I was with her and the group until Riparian.  Matt dropped back somewhere in those middle miles.   The miles clicked off until Riparian in the 53-55 range and overall average was spot on at 53.  After negotiating through the Riparian, I hopped onto the path and took stock.  I felt fine everywhere and still felt under control.  My insides felt a little gurgly so I opted to not take a gel and stuck to a sip of water at each aid station.  Feeling good I started leaning into it.  I didn't accelerate much, but just enough to leave the group and start gaining on the runner ahead of me.  He was grey and I thought he might be in my age group:-) Then I reeled in another runner during mile 9 and then I could see Jaime.  At the hairpin on Lindsey I stepped onto the canal and was right behind her.  We ran side-by-side for several strides and then I picked it up again.  She was fading, but not much!  Super run that.  Then I could see the parking garage signaling the final turn.  This is when I first really started to feel strained.  I also felt unsettled inside and tried to will myself to hold together.  Out on Gilbert Rd I just tried to hang on and enjoy the scene.  I didn't know how fast I was going as I knew I was in 1:29 range as long as I didn't crack.  Someone yelled 'he's going to pass' and I turned and the grey-haired runner surged past me with about 200m to go. I tried to accelerate to match, but could not.  Heck of a kick!! I heard cheers and my name and just kept going to the line.  Turns out the grey-haired runner was 55:-)

This run was less than 30s faster than last year, but felt so much better.  It makes such a difference to run just under threshold where you are most efficient.  Last year I was a bit hot at the start and first 7 miles were all between 6:45-52.  Then I had cramp and blew up.  I was conscious of my breathing this time as well and every time I thought of it, I tried to breath with my belly.  Lesson learned is to START SLOW and BUILD!

 

2019 MESA-PHX Marathon

It has been a whole year since I toed the line for a marathon.  I ran the Gilbert Half in November and set a 1:29:51 PR, finishing 2^nd in my age group.  I achieved my goal of sub-1:30 and set myself up for a solid marathon training cycle. 

My goal heading into the build was to set a PR at Phoenix and take another step closer to Sub3.  Throughout December and January, I was running in the low 50s miles per week on 5 runs per week.  Late in December there was a key workout that shifted my thinking for the race.  We went as a team to run on the Phoenix course and had a workout of 2x4mi @ marathon pace late in the run.  Prior to the workout, DD had asked me what I thought my marathon pace was.  I told him I wanted it to be 6:50, which gives a 3hr marathon.  He said that I should try for that and see how it felt; I could always back off if I needed to.  There were 3 others on the team preparing for Sub3 attempt, so I was planning to hang onto them as long as possible.  After drafting for most of the first set we turned and crossed a road and I wound up on the front of the pack at the start of the second set along with Derek.  We set out in that first mile and held the pace.  Soon I felt there wasn’t anyone right behind us; the other three had fallen back slightly.  By the end of the set I was still holding the pace and Derek told me I seemed in control.  It was a huge mental boost and I began to set my sights on Sub3 at this marathon.

As training progressed, I ran a lot with the Sub3 group.  This helped me get stronger and more confident in my ability to run that pace.  As the race came closer, Derek said there was no reason NOT to try for Sub3.  If I tried and failed, I would still likely set a PR and if I didn’t try, I might wonder what I could have done.  So, I settled on a pacing strategy that would get me in the 6:50 average range. 

Gear: Newton Distance VII shoes (Green), Wright double layer socks, Adidas Delancey Loopers singlet, Lululemon shorts, Adidas BAA cap, Plantronics Backbeat FIT earphones, throw-away gloves, arm sleeves, and SPI Belt with gels.  4 AMPED Fuel gels, BASE salt at start, and e+Shot.  Warmup jacket and sweat pants for pre-race warmth.  I carried the e+Shot and one gel inside my gloves so that my SPI belt wasn’t as heavy.  Race weight: 186

Nutrition: Peanut butter bagel and banana early morning, AMPED Nitro and Fuel before the race, AMPED Fuel, e+Shot, and water during the race.

During my long runs in January I frequently had GI distress and I did some research into potential causes.  One factor included dairy as it takes a while to break down. I decided to avoid dairy for 24 hours before races and long runs.  My next long run was much better and so I avoided dairy before the race too.

MP came to run this race with me.  He has been recovering from injury and was aiming for 3:15. We had a great time talking about race strategy and drove the course to prepare.

My race plan was to run with DD, AM, JS, and JN at the start to try and conserve energy and keep pace steady.  We had lots of practice on the uphill segment in Las Sendas, so I knew how to ease off to keep effort even.  Then I was going to aim for 1:29 half to give myself a chance at Sub3.

The morning was cold which meant great running weather!  We bundled up and headed to the busses.  We were fairly early so when we arrived at the start there were no lines for the toilets.  After, we headed to a fire to keep warm and I was in touch with some of my teammates to try and meet up.  I was getting ready and put my ear phones on and they would not turn on.  They have been temperamental in the past, but I was able to get them going.  Not this time.  I tried and tried, and then realized time was getting on.  I headed to the gear drop and by this time the announcer said that there was only 2 minutes until gun time.  I had not found the others I was going to start with so I looked for the 3:00 pacer.  I was fairly close to the front of the group when the gun went, but there were still many in front of me.  I wasn’t sure if the others were ahead or behind. 

For the first mile I concentrated on avoiding others and the cones in the road.  The 2^nd mile I sped up as it was down hill and I was hoping to catch the others.  I thought that it was worth spending some effort to catch them so that I could draft with them for several miles.  I turned the corner at McDowell and then saw DD and JN in the distance.  I caught them before turning into Las Sendas.  They did not know where the girls were either and had been pushing to catch them!  No wonder it was hard to catch up with them.  As we turned into the hill, I choose to run my own pace instead of working to stay with them.  At the top of the hill there was a gap but they were still in sight. 

I thought that running to catch them in the early miles may have cost too much effort.  The miles felt fine, but I knew that the effort was an unplanned withdrawal from the reserves.  I decided that I was going to stick to my pace plan even if I had to run solo.  And I was really solo as my earphones never did turn on.

I remember feeling pretty sad at one point in the race thinking about what I would do if I met my goal of running Sub3.  Then what would I pursue? There are other races I want to pursue, but nothing that was as compelling, challenging, and yet achievable as reaching for this goal!

At the turn on McDowell again, I was in a steady groove running in the 6:45 range and cruised through the halfway mark at 1:29:24, a new half PR!  The miles kept clicking off steadily and I was enjoying the signs and fans along the way.  The weather was still cool and I had ditched my sleeves and belt with friends along the way.  I turned south on Val Vista, past the church at 16mi and then headed west again into old Mesa.  The next turn south was at mile 20 and suddenly JN came into view. He was struggling and as I passed him, I offered a word of encouragement and he said he was getting dehydrated.

Not long after this, my pace fell off.  I had completed 20 miles on Sub3 pace and had the best 10k, 10mi, 20k, half marathon, and 20mi runs ever.  But I could no longer sustain it.  I felt like I had fitness to keep going; the suffering was different than last time.  I was not laboring with my breathing.  I just couldn’t get the legs moving fast enough.  I did my best to hold pace, but soon I realized I would not be able to get Sub3. 

Passing through Downtown Mesa, LS, the 3:05 pacer passed me.  Although he was no longer pacing 3:05.  He had handed off the duty at the halfway mark, and then picked up the pace to finish in Sub3 himself!  He encouraged me to keep going hard. 

I had listened to a book on endurance and it had a section that explained that the brain can be fooled into thinking it is getting some nutrition just by the tastes.  I avoided Gatorade during races because it seemed to cause cramping and GI distress.  At mile 23, I was hurting and my primary goal was already out, so I thought I would give it a try.  I took a cup of Gatorade and took a sip, then spit it out.  In moments, my stomach was tight and cramping.  It may have been the shock of the electrolyte and it was very uncomfortable!  I had to stop for a moment and stretch out before I could get moving again.  I think I lost about a minute.  Won’t be trying that again!

I turned into the finishing stretch with a strong PR in hand.  I watched for my family and gave them a wave.  I crossed before 3:05 and found out later my chip time was 3:04:34 for 10^th in AG.  What a run! 

AM had made her goal of Sub3 with help from DD.  JS was very close.  JN was several minutes behind me.  JS and MW were aiming for BQ time, but did not make it and I was devastated for them; they were very well prepared.

Aside from the headphones, my gear and nutrition worked well.  Weather was perfect for running.  I think going hard early cost me a couple of minutes in the end, but I still may not have been able to finish Sub3.  Lesson learned is to be at the line with starting group earlier and avoid temptation of going out too hard.  I knew the importance of this, but I thought that running with my squad would be more beneficial than the cost of catching them. 

After the race I decided to run Utah Valley Marathon June 1 down Provo Canyon.  I would be able to build further on my fitness and speed. 

2018 MESA-PHX Marathon

During my buildup to the MESA-PHX Marathon this time, I was able to focus solely on the run.  Last year, I did a full triathlon in December and had to recover from that before I could really ramp up the run mileage.  This year, I was already running 50mi a week in early December. 

Coming off of a new PR at St. George, my goal was to nudge that a little faster and closer to 3hours.  I knew that I was not capable of getting to sub 3 yet but wanted to make a step closer.  The PHX course is more difficult for me than St. George, so even running the same time is about a 3-minute improvement in my opinion. 

During this training cycle, I did not have any injuries to deal with, but I did get a nasty cough/flu thing twice. Each time, it knocked me off running for a couple days and then the cough lingered for 2-3 weeks, affecting any threshold runs.  The second illness was about 5 weeks before the marathon, so I had an early taper week.  I missed the 2^nd planned 22mi run but managed to bounce back reasonably well and was feeling 100% by race week.

Many of the Delancey Loopers were preparing for this race, so there were many doing the same workouts during the cycle.  It helps to have other runners progressing around you to chase and pace.  I feel that the strength of the team helps each individual progress better.

This cycle was much cooler than the previous buildup so I was able to see the marathon pace earlier and more consistently in workouts, which also helped to build confidence.  The cooler season also gave me more flexibility in when I could run.

During this cycle I typically ran 6 times a week with a hard workout on Tuesday, a long run with a workout on Saturday, and the rest easy running.  I typically was at 55+ miles/week with two weeks at 60+ miles.  I did very little cycling or swimming or lifting.  I did a lunge matrix of stretching before every run and several hip and leg stretches after. 

As race day approached, the forecast was for cold weather on Saturday.  People that knew I was running would comment on how cold it was going to be and my response was always colder the better!  I planned to take some throw away clothing for the start including gloves and arm sleeves.

My race plan was to do first half in 1:33:30 to 1:34:00, which is 7:08-7:11 pace.  Then an even split would get me to around 3:07, and a slight fall off would still allow me to hit sub 3:10.  I had lots of practice on the hills over the first 10 miles so I had a really good feel of how the pacing should vary up the hill and then on the down to hit that at half way.  Two of my teammates were planning to finish faster and four of them were aiming for 3:15 range, so I knew that if I faltered, I was likely to get caught.

After typical pre-race pork burrito, I got my gear sorted and headed to bed at around 10:30.  After dozing off, I got a call from my daughter just after midnight… she had been in a wreck!  I went over to the scene and thankfully no serious injuries and just banged up metal.  That took while to sort out and I didn’t get back to bed until about 2am.  That made a short night a little shorter! 

Team Looper at the start

Race day started a little earlier as the gun time was moved to 6am.  I car pooled, met some of my Looper teammates at the bus pick up, and then we were off to the starting area.  With the earlier start time, it was going to be darker for the first few miles.  Some were bringing lights, but I felt the road was smooth and it wouldn’t be too dangerous. 

Gear: Newton Gravity VI shoes (Blue), Wright double layer socks, Adidas Delancey Loopers singlet, Adidas BAA shorts, Adidas BAA cap, Plantronics Backbeat FIT earphones, throw-away gloves, arm sleeves, and SPI Belt with phone.  Warmup jacket and sweat pants for pre-race warmth.  3 AMPED Fuel gels, BASE salt at start, and e+Shot.   I carried the e+Shot and one gel inside my gloves so that my SPI belt wasn’t as heavy.  Race weight: 187

Nutrition: IsaLeanPro shake, AMPED bar, peanut butter bagel and banana early morning, AMPED Nitro and Gel before the race, AMPED Fuel, e+Shot, and water during the race.

We got off the bus and after a stop at the portapots, we gathered near a heater to stay warm and stretch out.  They had music, the anthem, and some fireworks to get us amped up to run.  No sign of twilight as we gathered at the start line.  I ditched my gear bag in the truck and kept wearing sweat pants and jacket.  I ditched the sweat pants seconds before the gun and off we went.

There were a few lights along the road, but it was fairly dark.  There were pylons in the middle of the road, marking I don’t know what.  I thought they were more of a hazard than a help.  I settled into my pace and focused on my footing to avoid hazards.  The temperature was maybe 40 and I was in no rush to ditch my jacket.

At the first turn onto McDowell, the twilight was just emerging.  Street lights helped with the light and there were some people making noise so it seemed like dawn was upon us.  I kept the jacket until the next turn at about mile 4 into Las Sendas, which is the start of the main climb.  I still had arm sleeves and gloves.  In training we had made this climb several times and I geared down slightly dropping my pace by about 40s/mi.  Cresting the hill was spectacular as the morning sun was starting to illuminate the valley to the West.

The best aid station each year is mile 9 as they have hundreds of signs along the way to make you smile and they are very loud.  It is a boost to pass through.  Last year I remember stopping at a porta pot here, but I pressed on.  I had taken a gel at mile 8 and sips of water at each aid station.  My gloves got a little wet from spillage, but it did not cause a chill at this point. 

At half way, I was at 1:33:52, which was right on plan.  I felt good with no niggles and no GI distress.  Temperature still felt good with sleeves and gloves so I kept them on.  There was not much wind, but every once in a while, I felt a breath of air.  It really was ideal race conditions!

My next gel came at about mile 15 and then at about mile 18, I saw LS and tossed her my sleeves instead of ditching them.  I made the turn at mile 20 and took my e+Shot and last gel.  Now the gloves came off (literally and figuratively) and I got ready to dig in for some hurt.  My time at 20 miles was 2:23:03, which was still 7:10 average, so I was on track for a PR with a good finish.

In past races, the last 4-5 miles of the PHX course is where I really struggle.  I was determined to avoid walking so that I would not waste time. Miles 21 and 22 I was still under 7:20 pace, but then mile 23 jumped to 7:35.  Typically I lost a minute a mile at this stage, so it was a battle to keep the damage as low as possible.  Mile 24 was slightly faster at 7:33, but then in mile 25 I had to stop and bend down for a moment to stretch out my back.  Then I got moving again and tried to keep pace with other runners ahead.  Mile 25 was my slowest at 7:49, and then with a bit of a kick down the hill on Alma School I was able to cover mile 26 in 7:42.  At this point the final turn brings the finish in view and it is a sprint down the chute to the finish banner.

I have heard all sorts of suggestions for dealing with the difficulty of the final miles of a marathon.  MP thinks of a different family member every km (he’s from Canada).  Others talk about the power of the mind to push beyond the pain.  I have tried these approaches.  For me, I feel like my brain is pushing my legs to go as fast as I can, and that is all the speed that is left.  I was able to push through those last four miles better than I ever have in the past, and that led to a PR of 3:09:53.  Yet I can see that others are able to keep even splits to the end and yet others are able to speed up during the last mile. 

I don’t watch my heart rate (HR) while running, but I often wear a HR monitor to evaluate afterwards.   In this race, at mile 10, my HR (shown in red) was about 150 and it climbed steadily to the low 160s near the end.  When my pace dropped (shown in blue), my HR was still increasing.  This tells me that my system was working harder yet with less results.  From past runs, I know that my HR peaks at 164-165 in my hardest tempo workouts.  The only time I have observed higher HR is when I ran a 5k in July and it hit 170 in the last mile.  I talked about this with coach DD, and he suggested taking more fuel at the end.  He thinks that the availability of carbs may be the limiting factor as my body has to work harder to convert fat/muscle for energy.  He doesn’t think that leg strength is limiting me at that stage and he doesn’t think that going out slightly slower would help as it would only be slightly slower and difficult to hit.  I took on about 350 kCal during the race and did not feel any GI distress, so I will try taking more next time to see how that affects my HR and pacing to the finish.

Pace (blue) Heart rate (red) Elevation (grey)

The post-race experience was fun as I was there to welcome several of my fellow Looper team mates at the finish. Nine of us ran and all nine hit a new PR and most ran a Boston qualifying time!  We rang the PR bell, grabbed a couple of pictures, then began enjoying all of the post-race food.  Near the end, some of the aid stations were poorly staffed and once I got Gatorade in a water cup.  Aside from those minor issues, the race was very well run with tremendous support and volunteers.

Big smiles at the finish

What went well?  My training was consistent and I avoided injury.  Coach DD was very good at guiding me through a safe build and helped me reach new highs.  I was running 6 days a week and 50-60 miles a week.  I paid attention to nutrition and stretching before and after runs.  Working with the Delancey Looper team has helped me with hard long runs, accountability, and encouragement. My work took me on the road a lot, but my shoes were easy to pack and I almost always managed to get my scheduled runs in, most often in San Fransico which is not terrible! 

What didn't go so well?  I had a couple of scares with an ankle pain during speed work, but both times it went away in a few days.  It may have been due to high mileage shoes, fast intervals, and concrete path.  I got sick twice and that was hard to fight through but it was behind me by race week.  

This was the sixth time running the PHX marathon.  Each year I have managed to shave some time off and move up in my age group standings.  I think there is room for more improvement and I plan to keep the streak alive!

What’s next?  This was the fifth marathon I have run in 18 months (Big Cottonwood, PHX, Boston, St. George, PHX).  I am going to take a break from marathoning and do some triathlons.  Then in the summer, I will focus on running again.  In the fall I will do Gilbert Half Marathon and maybe another to work on speed at that distance, and then build up for my next sub-3 hour attempt at PHX 2019.