Cayman Islands Marathon this Sunday

I'm excited about my last big race of the year, which is the Cayman Islands Marathon, this Sunday at 5 a.m. local time (which is EST, so 4 a.m. for all you friends and relatives in Wisconsin).

I may be in the best shape of my life, but I'm not trying to get my hopes up too much. The temperature will hover between 75 and 80 most of the race, which is a bit too warm for a marathon. Still, I'll give it my best and run smart, and hopefully it will lead to a solid finish. A personal best is a stretch, but I still think I can go under four hours.

No real-time posting this race, as international calling and texting rates are through the roof, but I'll be sure to post after I get back to the hotel. Wish me luck! :)

Under 21 (YES!)

The official results from the "Run with the Turkeys 5K" in Pleasant Prairie are in. They show me finishing in 20:58, one second ahead of another runner. However, I remember the finish well, and I couldn't quite catch the guy in front of me. Even though the race volunteers correctly took the slip from his race number before taking mine, I somehow came out ahead of him. So, I'm giving myself a 20:59.

What does that mean? I FINALLY BROKE 21 MINUTES! An even bigger feat would be to break 20 minutes. Maybe someday. For now, it's time to celebrate a new personal best!

SEVEN THOUSAND

I ran 20 miles on Saturday, which is the last super-long run before the Cayman Islands Marathon on December 6. That same day, my personal odometer broke 7,000 miles. That's pretty far.

Today, I ran ten Yasso 800 repeats, finishing each in 0:03:30 or less. I felt pretty good, but I think trying to run a marathon in 3:30:00 is overly aggressive.

I'm running a 5K Saturday in Pleasant Prairie. After that, the tapering will continue.

Take My Breath Away

The Air Force Marathon Movie is up. Enjoy!

Ramping up

With just over a month to go until the Cayman Islands Marathon, I've ramped up my training. I ran 140 miles in October, which is more than I've run in a month since March 2008. I completed a 20-miler in 3:06:25 on the morning of October 31. Thanks to Mark for accompanying me about six of those miles.

November will feature increased mileage through mid-month. I'll get one more 20-miler in on either the 14th or the 15th, and after that I'll be tapering. It's still too early to tell if I am in marathon PR shape or not, but I'm feeling pretty good.

Over the sea

What happens when you combine the desire to go to a warm place in December and a need to run? The Cayman Islands Marathon! My registration form will be in the mail today.

I've ramped up my training. I don't know that I'll be in perfect marathoning shape by December 6th, but I hope to easily finish under four hours. I don't think a PR is out of the question, as the race starts at 5 a.m. to keep us out of the heat.

To make the training a bit more enjoyable, I purchased a new winter hat at the Northwestern University bookstore last weekend. Go 'Cats! It will definitely come in handy this weekend, when I'm hoping to boost my confidence with a solid 20-miler.

Air Force Marathon Recap

Check out the photos!

I made the six-hour drive to Dayton, OH on the morning of Friday, September 18. The drive was incredibly relaxing. I thought traffic might be bad, but it was smooth sailing on I-294 all through Chicago. Even though Google maps didn't give me the "easy" way to my friend Dave's house in nearby Kettering, I was able to find it. Dave was nice enough to pick up my race packet for me, so I didn't have to go to the expo. We had our night-before-the-race meal at a nearby Fazoli's, which has worked well for me several times in the past.

Ready to Go

It was a bit cool in the early morning hours, but the forecast called for things to warm up, so Dave and I were anticipating a great day of running. We hoped to finish in about 4:20 (about 10:00/mile pace), which would be a personal best for Dave. The start of the race was great, featuring a fly-by and folks parachuting right by the race site. The staging area, which was right by the Air Force Museum was full of planes (both old and new), which added to the excitement.

Warp Speed

We went out a bit fast, covering the first mile in 9:24. I didn't want to press Dave at all, so I stayed a bit behind him, letting him dictate the pace. The next two miles were the hilliest of the entire course, with a significant climb in mile two and a significant descent in mile three. Dave zoomed down the hill faster than I expected, but I kept him within sight as I negotiated the descent. Gravity helped us to clock the third mile in about 8:30, which was by far our fastest mile of the day.

Flyin' Along

The course took us around the base, close to Wright State University. We entered and exited the base a few times, and I always waved to the guards as we passed by. We continued to zoom along at a pretty good pace for the first ten miles. We were closer to 4-hour pace than 4:20. It was starting to get a bit hot, but nothing like Twin Cities two years ago. My black San Antonio Marathon cap was doing its job. There were plenty of aid stations along the course, and there was more than enough water, Gatorade, and GU energy gel for everyone. Kudos to the race organizers for this.

Smile

I managed to carry both my cell phone and my digital camera with me the entire race. I used the cell phone camera to send pictures to my brother and his wife, who were posting them online for me. I used the digital camera to take video along the course and to get some additional photos. Now that I have all this great footage, I just need to get to work on the race video.

Oh, oh! We're halfway there!

As we neared the halfway point, I started wondering if I would be able to stay with Dave for the duration of the race. Though my personal best is 3:43, I'm not quite in prime marathon shape. We finished the first half in just over 2:01.

Run Way

The course took us around the base's main runway until, for a moment at mile 16, we actually ran on it! I know it sounds really neat to be on the runway, but that feeling quickly dissipated as we felt the total lack of shade, combined with the sunlight reflecting off the concrete. I was thrilled to get to a wooded area at mile 19, as it helped us cool off a bit.

I'm Not Leaving My Wingman

The second half was a struggle. Dave started to feel it right around the time we reached the runway, and our mile splits were at or above 11:00. I still felt great, but I stuck to my original plan of staying with Dave until I was certain he would finish. We took some additional walk breaks, as we still had a ways to go. We might not have been flying, but we were slowly and steadily progressing toward the goal.

Grabbing the GU

After the last gel stop at mile 21, I noticed quite a few unused packages of GU energy gel on the ground. These run about $1 a piece online (more if you get them at a retail store), and clean-up folks would probably just throw them away, so I decided to pick some up. You'll notice in the finishing photos that one hand has my digital camera, and the other has about five gels in it. Yum.

To The Finish

We conserved our energy for the last few miles, until the point when we had less than three quarters of a mile to go. Dave looked great, so I knew he would be able to make it. I zoomed ahead and finished about a minute or two ahead of Dave. I waved to Dave's parents, who were waiting for us just before the finish, and I let them know that Dave would be coming shortly. I had enough time to cross the line, rest for just a moment, and then set up for a video of Dave crossing the line. YEAH! We did it!

Post-Race Fun

We were each presented a finisher's medal by Air Force officers. I don't know exactly what their ranks were, but their uniforms were well-decorated. This small gesture made the event a lot more meaningful to me. After getting an aluminum blanket and a custom-designed towel, Dave and I made our way to the food and drink area.

Chow Down

Usually, it takes me an hour or so before I feel like eating after a marathon. This time, I was hungry right away -- probably because I wasn't pushing myself in the second half. Luck was with me, as there was all the cheese pizza I could eat from a local chain called La Rosa. I had at least three slices, but I can't remember exactly how many. There was also Nestle Quik chocolate milk, which I think is a great item to guzzle after a race.

Heading Home

We met up with Dave's parents after exiting the post-race area, and we were back at his house in no time. A big thank-you to Dave and family for their gracious hospitality.

Race statistics:

Miles 1-5	9:24	9:36	8:28	9:06	9:12
Miles 6-10	9:04	9:25	9:11	9:09	9:06
Miles 11-15	9:19	9:23	9:52	10:05	10:25
Miles 16-20	11:05	11:19	11:40	12:14	12:28
Miles 21-25	13:52	17:09	12:01	12:29	11:16
Miles 26-End	12:00	2:14

• Finishing Time: 4:40:32
• Average Pace: 10:42/mile
• First Half: 2:01:14 Second Half: 2:39:18
• Fastest Mile: #3 (8:28) Slowest Mile: #22 (17:09)

Joe's Run 2009

Joe's Run took place on Saturday. The race was not officially timed / measured, but it was still a great time. I measured the course at 2.9 miles, and I finished in 19:43, which is about the same pace I've run in the past few 5Ks. Had the course measured a full 5K, I may have broken 21 minutes, but it's tough to say. The competition was a bit tougher this year, so I finished in 8th place (compared to second place last year). I was a part of team SC Johnson, which raised over $4,500 for United Cerebral Palsy of Southeastern Wisconsin. Everyone's a winner!

Air Force Marathon Results

The results from the race are in. I finished in 4:40:32, and Dave finished in 4:42:15. Marathon #19 (well, 21 if you include the ultras) is complete!

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