At the Berlin Marathon last weekend, the world record was broken again. Kenyan Patrick Makau set the new mark, clocking a record time of 2:03:38.
Berlin is considered one of the fastest courses in the world.
I think it is only a matter of time until somebody breaks 2 hours. What do you think? Is a sub 2 hr marathon possible? Vote on this blog.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
#10--Des Moines Marathon
September 18, 2005. 4:31:27
It had been over a year since my last marathon, so I was anxious to complete another one. This was the second race that Roxane and I trained for and ran together.
Des Moines was an easy drive from Omaha. The host hotel was right at the start and finish lines. My greatest memory from the race weekend was the pre race pasta dinner. Dick Beardsley was the featured speaker. He has an amazing personal and professional story. He autographed a copy of his book, "Staying the Course: a Runner's Toughest Race" for me. It is a great read which I highly recommend. Among other things, he told the story of his "Duel in the Sun" with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon. It was one of if not the the greatest races in long history of Boston.
The late summer/early fall date meant for some unseasonably warm temperatures in Des Moines. The heat got to Roxane a bit at the end of the race and she, very out of character, barked at a volunteer and nearly did the same to a young spectator who was running on the course.
We finished in just over 4 1/2 hours. Roxane did so with very little training, a testament to her athleticism and determination. There's a small picture of us after the race at the bottom of the page.
Des Moines has become a popular regional race. They have moved the date back a few weeks now, so the warm weather can probably be avoided for the most part. The race was well organized and executed, and represented a good value. With this being my 10th marathon, I was able to officially join the 50 States & DC club at Des Moines. I've included a link to the club website on this blog.
It had been over a year since my last marathon, so I was anxious to complete another one. This was the second race that Roxane and I trained for and ran together.
Des Moines was an easy drive from Omaha. The host hotel was right at the start and finish lines. My greatest memory from the race weekend was the pre race pasta dinner. Dick Beardsley was the featured speaker. He has an amazing personal and professional story. He autographed a copy of his book, "Staying the Course: a Runner's Toughest Race" for me. It is a great read which I highly recommend. Among other things, he told the story of his "Duel in the Sun" with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon. It was one of if not the the greatest races in long history of Boston.
The late summer/early fall date meant for some unseasonably warm temperatures in Des Moines. The heat got to Roxane a bit at the end of the race and she, very out of character, barked at a volunteer and nearly did the same to a young spectator who was running on the course.
We finished in just over 4 1/2 hours. Roxane did so with very little training, a testament to her athleticism and determination. There's a small picture of us after the race at the bottom of the page.
Des Moines has become a popular regional race. They have moved the date back a few weeks now, so the warm weather can probably be avoided for the most part. The race was well organized and executed, and represented a good value. With this being my 10th marathon, I was able to officially join the 50 States & DC club at Des Moines. I've included a link to the club website on this blog.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Running Gear, Vol. III
The days are getting shorter, so that means more running before the sun comes up or after it goes down. I do a lot of my runs on poorly lit trails. To avoid accident and injury, it's important to have the proper gear. You need to make sure others can see you, and that you can see where you are going.
1. Wear light colored clothes.
2. Reflective gear is preferred. A lightweight reflective vest is a great choice.
3. Carry a lightweight flashlight or invest in a headlamp. I recently purchased the Black Diamond Sprinter LED headlamp. I love it. The position and intensity of the lamp are easily adjustable, it fits well around my head, and has a rechargeable battery. There is also a tiny red strobe light on the back. I bought mine at Rei.com
1. Wear light colored clothes.
2. Reflective gear is preferred. A lightweight reflective vest is a great choice.
3. Carry a lightweight flashlight or invest in a headlamp. I recently purchased the Black Diamond Sprinter LED headlamp. I love it. The position and intensity of the lamp are easily adjustable, it fits well around my head, and has a rechargeable battery. There is also a tiny red strobe light on the back. I bought mine at Rei.com
Friday, September 30, 2011
Travel Tips
Running a marathon in all 50 states means a lot of traveling. To that end, there are some tips to make travel more enjoyable and economical. Here are a few.
1. Use frequent flier miles-I have a credit card with travel rewards. I accumulate miles each time I use it. Since I began using it in 2006, I have earned 17 free flights. Look for one with a low or no annual fee, with few restrictions on travel. Some also offer companion tickets.
2. Economize on hotels-When I travel I rarely do more than just sleep in the hotel. I don't need much, so I usually try to find the best deal. Priceline.com is a great way to book a hotel. You can choose the dates and location that you want, and "bid" on hotels in the area. When I ran the Boston Marathon I stayed in a downtown hotel for $75/night for 5 nights. Most rooms went for three or four times that amount.
3. Yelp! I love Yelp. Before going out to eat or entertain in a new town I will always consult this website, which offers user generated reviews of bars, restaurants, & shopping. I have never been let down by one of it's reviews.
1. Use frequent flier miles-I have a credit card with travel rewards. I accumulate miles each time I use it. Since I began using it in 2006, I have earned 17 free flights. Look for one with a low or no annual fee, with few restrictions on travel. Some also offer companion tickets.
2. Economize on hotels-When I travel I rarely do more than just sleep in the hotel. I don't need much, so I usually try to find the best deal. Priceline.com is a great way to book a hotel. You can choose the dates and location that you want, and "bid" on hotels in the area. When I ran the Boston Marathon I stayed in a downtown hotel for $75/night for 5 nights. Most rooms went for three or four times that amount.
3. Yelp! I love Yelp. Before going out to eat or entertain in a new town I will always consult this website, which offers user generated reviews of bars, restaurants, & shopping. I have never been let down by one of it's reviews.
Monday, September 26, 2011
#9--Country Music Marathon
Nashville, TN
April 24, 2004. 4:42:00
As a medical student, I did a rotation at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. I really liked the city and hoped to get back. When I saw an opportunity to run the Country Music Marathon there, I jumped at the chance.
Roxane decided that she would try this whole marathon thing, too, so we trained as a couple. I generally prefer to run and train alone, but of course I couldn't say no, even if I wanted to. Besides, this was something that I wanted to share. If she caught the marathon bug, all the better!
We would do our long runs on the weekend together. We weren't great partners on the road, I found out. She is a much more explosive runner, doing better at short distances, while I did better at longer, slower runs. I don't talk much on a training run. If anybody knows Roxane, enough said. In the end, we worked out our "differences" and completed the 4 mos training program. She was bothered by blisters and poor fitting shoes during much of her training.
The start of the race was delayed by thunder storms. The clouds eventually lifted and the race started. Many of the bands didn't show up or stopped early because of the weather. It was fairly warm and humid by the end, and the course was fairly unremarkable. Roxane did great. At mile 19 or so she was smiling and chatting up the other runners. She said to me, "I feel great. I'm already planning my next one!" "Easy, trigger," was my reply. No sooner had we passed mile 20 when she crashed right into the wall. Our pace slowed, but we finished together. Her feet looked like hamburger afterwards, and I am still amazed that she was able to finish. We enjoyed a post race meal of sweet potato pancakes at The Pancake Pantry, a Nashville treasure.
I was very proud of Roxane for training for and finishing the marathon, and I was happy to share something that was such a big part of my life with someone who is the best part of it.
April 24, 2004. 4:42:00
As a medical student, I did a rotation at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. I really liked the city and hoped to get back. When I saw an opportunity to run the Country Music Marathon there, I jumped at the chance.
Roxane decided that she would try this whole marathon thing, too, so we trained as a couple. I generally prefer to run and train alone, but of course I couldn't say no, even if I wanted to. Besides, this was something that I wanted to share. If she caught the marathon bug, all the better!
We would do our long runs on the weekend together. We weren't great partners on the road, I found out. She is a much more explosive runner, doing better at short distances, while I did better at longer, slower runs. I don't talk much on a training run. If anybody knows Roxane, enough said. In the end, we worked out our "differences" and completed the 4 mos training program. She was bothered by blisters and poor fitting shoes during much of her training.
The start of the race was delayed by thunder storms. The clouds eventually lifted and the race started. Many of the bands didn't show up or stopped early because of the weather. It was fairly warm and humid by the end, and the course was fairly unremarkable. Roxane did great. At mile 19 or so she was smiling and chatting up the other runners. She said to me, "I feel great. I'm already planning my next one!" "Easy, trigger," was my reply. No sooner had we passed mile 20 when she crashed right into the wall. Our pace slowed, but we finished together. Her feet looked like hamburger afterwards, and I am still amazed that she was able to finish. We enjoyed a post race meal of sweet potato pancakes at The Pancake Pantry, a Nashville treasure.
I was very proud of Roxane for training for and finishing the marathon, and I was happy to share something that was such a big part of my life with someone who is the best part of it.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Blisters 101
Blisters can be the bane of the runner's existence. The cause of blisters is too much friction, usually the result of poorly fitting shoes. Before you buy a new pair of shoes have your feet measured and examined by a professional shoe salesperson. Readers of this blog know that I recommend The Lincoln Running Company, or whatever your local running shoe store is. It's also important to wear clean, dry socks. My two favorite pairs of socks are Wright Socks, which have two layers that reduce friction between your feet and socks, and Injinji, or so-called "toe-socks." These are particularly helpful if you are prone to blisters on the toes. If you develop a blister it's important to keep it clean to prevent secondary infection, and you need to modify your activity to let the blister heal. I've had good luck with the Spenco Second Skin Blister Kit.
WebMD has a nice article on blisters, here:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/understanding-blister-treatment
WebMD has a nice article on blisters, here:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/understanding-blister-treatment
Sunday, September 18, 2011
New York State of Mind
I've fully recovered from the marathon in Colorado Springs over Labor Day. My attention now turns to one of the so-called "Marathon Majors," the ING New York City Marathon. It's one of, if not the most popular marathon in the world, with hundreds of thousands of applicants per year. I've applied for entry every year for the last four years through the lottery system. Runners who don't get in the first three tries are guaranteed entry the fourth year. This is my year.
The other "Majors" are Chicago, Boston, Berlin, and London. Of these, London is the only one I haven't done.......yet.
I've looked forward to running NYC for a very long time, and hope to run my best race in a while. I'm shooting for 4:00, which will mean I'll have to cut an hour off my Labor Day time. Lots of intervals, tempo and pace runs between now and the first Sunday in November! Yesterday I did a nice 6 mile pace run at 9:15/mile and I'm heading out to to an easy 12 today. NYC, here I come!
The other "Majors" are Chicago, Boston, Berlin, and London. Of these, London is the only one I haven't done.......yet.
I've looked forward to running NYC for a very long time, and hope to run my best race in a while. I'm shooting for 4:00, which will mean I'll have to cut an hour off my Labor Day time. Lots of intervals, tempo and pace runs between now and the first Sunday in November! Yesterday I did a nice 6 mile pace run at 9:15/mile and I'm heading out to to an easy 12 today. NYC, here I come!
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