@EricCharette Blogger: 2012

Saturday, December 29, 2012

2012 Year in Pictures

In life at times we often remember our failures more and tend to forget our successes. In 2012 I started the season with a dnf (did not finish) at Mountain Mist 50k and then ended the season with a dnf at Rocket City Marathon, both of which were goal races. It would be easy to have these two performances cast a dark cloud over my entire year; but then I realized that in between I ran 45 races in 10 months, winning 20 times and finishing 2nd overall 10 more times. Were these the most competitive races in town? Certainly not all of them, but it still took lacing up the shoes and beating some decent runners in those races. During that stretch I managed 7 consecutive overall wins on 6 consecutive weekends in April and May. In fact, I placed in the top 6 in all but one race (Cotton Row) against 14,102 other runners, though I did drop out of two of the three most competitive races I ran during the year. Within my age group, I was first overall 39 times and never lower than 3rd among other male 35-39 year olds. The numbers look good, but...

I started the season poorly and ended it even worse as I was plagued with injuries in the last 4 months during marathon training. While I am still receiving treatment, the diagnosis is far from exact; a combination of plantar fasciitis along with unspecified nerve issues in my right leg slowed my times, despite the most diligent and focused marathon training period I have ever completed. While the heat, humidity and wind were unfavorable in early December, it was pain in every single stop that forced an early exit at Rocket City Marathon. It will be difficult to forget these failures, significantly harder to forget the slower race times and a rough road to recover from injury, but I will try to look back at 2012 and remember the times where I gave it everything I had.

I am excited to start training again as I have some big goals for 2013 for these two feet.

Started the season with a dnf (did not finish) at Mountain Mist 50k and then ended the season with a dnf at Rocket City Marathon, both of which were goal races.

Mountain Mist 50km

Finished 3rd overall in the (post mountain mist) Taco Challenge, finishing 17 tacos, though I claim that I had 18 and may have eaten the paper on the 18th.

Some of the crew went to I love Sushi afterward; I puked 8 times.

Managed to break 11 minutes in the 2 mile at Winter Winds, earning a 4th place overall finish, before running 23:15 in the 4 mile race, also earning a 4th place overall finish.

Winter Winds 2 mile

3rd Annual Bushwhacker Run (although we have run some form of the course for 4 years), this year twas a 28 mile version running from the sea (Tennessee River) to the Mountains (Monte Sano and then down to Fritz's house) with a great crew of guys.

Over the cliff on Green Mountain

5 weary hikers

Ran Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon (41.8 miles, 21,100' of elevation change) in 11 hours 9 minutes 58 seconds in March with Tim Pitts. Read more about this adventure on my blog.

Climbing up to the north rim

Breath taking views to the south

At the south rim when the day was over

Ran the 2nd fastest time ever at McKay Hollow Madness 25km 2:06:08 in March after barely being able to walk with illness all week leading into the race. Full story here on my blog.

Crossing Sonofabitch Ditch

6th overall finish at Oak Barrel half marathon

Whiskey Hill always wins

Ran quarter mile splits of 1:14, 1:18, 1:19 and 1:10 at the NCAC Flash Mile, just barely missing the sub 5 minute mile on a hilly course by twelve one-hundredths of a second. Full story here on my blog.

NCAC Flash Mile

Won both of my hometown (Iron Mountain/Kingsford) races with wins at the Norway Spring Classic 10k and the Lake Antoine Classic 5 miler.

Norway Spring Classic 10km

Lake Antoine Classic 5 mile

Ran the 2nd fastest time ever at Twisted Ankle Trail Half Marathon - 1:37:38 in May

Coming down off of the Pinhoti Trail and into the finish

25lbs of trail mix as an award; sweet.

Set the course standard at the Everest 8-miler 48:47 in June ("Only three hills"). Course map found here.

"winners"

2nd overall at Guntersville Midnight Run 8k in 28:50 and then 1st overall at Big 5k in 17:27 the next morning (just hours later on a few hours of sleep)

Big 5km finish at Bridge Street

First attempt at the hill challenge of Peavine Falls on the 4th of July in Birmingham at Oak Mountain.

Peavine Falls Starting line on a hot day

Set fastest known time for the 40.4 mile Greenstone Ridge Trail on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, running unsupported from Washington Creek Trail to Hidden Lake Trail on July 10, 2012 in 8:47:36.90. Read the full story here on my blog.

Rolling into the finish

Posing with my Dad at the end

Memoribilia from the trip

Earned Huntsville Track Club Open Male Gran Prix Series Runner Up for the 4th year in a row (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)

Final points race of the season at Monte Sano Road Races

In Seattle for a work assignment, my girlfriend Rachel and I headed west toward the Cascade Mountains for some hiking.

Full story here on my blog.

Day 1: Snow Lake: 3 miles from the trailhead at 3,100' to the peak at 4,400' and then down to the lake for a round trip of 6 miles for a net climb of 1,300'.

First sight of Snow Lake

Snow Lake waterfall

Day 2: Mount Si: 4 miles from the trailhead at 850' to the peak at 3,900' for a round trip of 8 miles with a net climb of 3,150'.

The top of the Haystack reaches 4,167'

Rachel and her Runners World Rave Run Moment

Day 3: Mailbox Peak: 3 miles from the trailhead at 826' to the peak at 4,926' for a round trip of 6 miles with a net climb of 4,100'.

Complete white out before I left

An example of the grade of the climb looking across the avalanche chute

Day 4: Mount Defiance: 5 miles from the trail head at 2,200' to the peak at 5,584' for a round trip of 10 miles with a net climb of 3384' climb.

First view of Mount Defiance, still 2,000' of climbing to go

Reflections in Mason Lake

Crossing a grassy meadow at 5,000'

So blessed to be able to reach such heights

Overall winner at Southern Tennessee Plunge (Winchester, TN) and Magic City (Birmingham, AL) half marathons, both on windy days.

Tennessee Plunge Half Marathon

Magic City Half before meeting Ruben Stoddard

Set the course record at Pill HIll Redux 10km in 38:59 but did not break the "unofficial" course record that I set last year in training of 37:55.

Pill Hill Redux III finishline

Posing for an inaction shot at the track while Gregg Gelmis tested out a new lens for an upcoming race.

October Track

Slowest time ever at the Huntsville Half Marathon, running an injury plagued 1:19:16 and realizing that my foot issues are more serious than previously thought.

Huntsville Half finish with Tim Vinson

Final race of the year, a dnf at Rocket City Marathon.

Friday, December 21, 2012

2012 Season by the Numbers

In life at times we often remember our failures more and tend to forget our successes. In 2012 I started the season with a dnf (did not finish) at Mountain Mist 50k and then ended the season with a dnf at Rocket City Marathon, both of which were goal races. It would be easy to have these two performances cast a dark cloud over my entire year; but then I realized that in between I ran 45 races in 10 months, winning 20 times and finishing 2nd overall 10 more times. Were these the most competitive races in town? Certainly not all of them, but it still took lacing up the shoes and beating some decent runners in those races. In fact, I placed in the top 6 in all but one race against 14,102 other runners. Within my age group, I was first 39 times and never lower than 3rd among other male 35-39 year olds. The numbers look good, but...

I started the season started poorly and ended it even worse as I was plagued with injuries in the last 4 months during marathon training. While I am still receiving treatment, the diagnosis is far from exact; a combination of plantar fasciitis along with unspecified nerve issues in my right leg slowed my times, despite the most diligent and focused marathon training period I have ever completed. While the heat, humidity and wind were unfavorable in early December, it was pain in every single stop that forced an early exit at Rocket City Marathon. It will be difficult to forget these failures, significantly harder to forget the slower race times and a rough road to recover from injury, but I will try to look back at 2012 and remember the times where I gave it everything I had.

I am excited to start training again as I have some big goals for 2013 for these two feet.

Season Highlights

Ran Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon (41.8 miles, 21,100' of elevation change) 11 hours 9 minutes 58 seconds in March with Tim Pitts
Ran the 2nd fastest time ever McKay Hollow Madness 25km 2:06:08 in March after barely being able to walk with illness all week leading into the race
7 consecutive overall wins on 6 consecutive weekends in April and May
Overall winner at Swampers 5k and Swampers 1 mile on the same morning in April
Ran the 2nd fastest time ever Twisted Ankle Trail Half Marathon 1:37:38 in May
Set the course standard at the Everest 8-miler 48:47 in June (Three cat 5 climbs and 600' of gain)
Set fastest known time for the 40.4 mile Greenstone Ridge Trail on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, running unsupported from Washington Creek Trail to Hidden Lake Trail on July 10, 2012 in 8:47:36.90.
Won both of my hometown (Iron Mountain/Kingsford) races with wins at the Norway Spring Classic 10k and the Lake Antoine Classic 5 miler
2nd overall at Guntersville Midnight Run 8k in 28:50 and then 1st overall at Big 5k in 17:27 the next morning (hours later)
Overall winner at Southern Tennessee Plunge (Winchester, TN) and Magic City (Birmingham, AL) half marathons
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Huntsville Track Club Open Male Gran Prix Series Runner Up
Logged 25,000th mile in less than 10 years of running with 19,600 miles coming in last 6 years (since moved to Huntsville)
Logged over a hundred hours of volunteer time for local area races, the Huntsville Track Club or for Fleet Feet events

Monday, November 26, 2012

Marathon Training Summary

Here are the details of my marathon training this season for Rocket City. As with anything, life alters the best laid plans but I did my best to stick to my training plans despite work travel and injuries. I believe that I am as ready as I have been for any other marathon that I've raced.

Summary Details

			Weeks	14-16 mile	17-19 mile	20+ mile	Quality 18+ mile	vo2max	LT Tempo	Races	Miles	Miles/Day
			16	7	3	3	5	16	13	13	939.8	9.14

Long Runs / Marathon Runs

13 Miles: 8 mile warm up down to 7:19 pace ave (after first mile was sub 8) and then did 3 mile tempo at 6:15, 6:09, 6:05. It was hard, but not impossible. Marathon pace.

14.25 Miles: 7:00 min pace first 5 miles, then 2 miles 6:23 pace. Then short walk, then 7:20 for 5 miles and 6:28 last two miles, Soupy with humidity.

16.35 Miles: 11 miles easy at 6am with the marathon group. Then changed shoes and did 4 miles MGP 6:22, 6:20, 6:16, 6:08. Felt pretty good but the weather was awesome.

18.0 Miles: 1 mile at 8:20 pace, then 10 miles 7:30 pace, then 5 miles 6:49, 6:47, 6:51, 6:38, 6:21 then 2 mile walk/jog cooldown. Wanted to do last 5 at 10% off marathon pace (needed to ave 6:45 and did!) with Blake. Stomach issues at 5 miles.

19.0 Miles: 4 mile warm up at 8:10 pace + 8 miles cruising easy at 7:29 pace + 6 miles at 6:40 pace then cool down with Blake Thompson and Timothy Pitt.

19.0 Miles: Ran second half of Mountain Mist plus a few more miles at home with the Beagles.

20.0 Miles: First 7 miles 59:58 (8:39 pace), second 7 miles 1:51:24 (7:21 pace), final 6 miles 56:16 (9:13 pace) for a total of 2:46:40 (The first 7 miles were pretty hilly and warm. Felt good coming back on the greenway and then met Rachel for the final push and was bonking pretty hard late).

21.5 Miles: Easy 8:58 pace for first 12 miles, then sub 7:30 for 13-15 and then sub 7 for 16-19 and a 6:13 mile 20.

22.0 Miles: Long run after work. Did 2 - 11 mile loops in research park with crazy winds. Had major stomach issues and had to go 2x first loop and once in the second loop. Took 3:45 overall but 2:59 of run time. 8:12 pace through 11 and then last 4 miles at 7:44 which brought second half average down to 8:05 so 8:08 overall average

16.5 Miles: 16 miles at 6:47 ave pace with 14 of those miles at 6:36 ave pace after warm up. Only moderate right foot discomfort. Split the work out into two 8 mile halves with a recovery mile in the middle 7:58, 6:57, 6:24, 6:17, 6:23, 6:17, 6:16, 6:13, 7:58, 7:19, 7:20, 6:57, 6:45, 6:32, 6:34, 6:17.

16.25 Miles: So cold this morning so started from Ditto Landing and ran marathon course north into a cold northwest wind for 9 miles, then turned east toward Bailey Cove for 2 more. First mile 8:00, then mostly 7:20's or 1:13:57 for 10 miles then last six miles 6:17, 6:11, 6:16, 6:08, 6:11, 6:06.

VO2Max Runs

2.5 miles in 13:18 for ave pace 5:19

10x400m at just over 80s and then just under 80s on the second 5.

3 miles in 15.59 for ave pace 5:19

Warm, solo track run. 3x3x400m 5:31, 5:18, 5:10. This was a tough one. But getting stronger

2.5 miles in 13:15 for ave pace 5:18

5x800m b/c was feeling good. 244, 244, 240, 238, 229.

3.107 miles in 16:51 for ave pace 5:25

7 min pace warm up with the boys then tough trak workout.. Was hitting like 1:22's and struggling. The heat was getting to me. Plus stomach was out of control.

3.5 miles in 18:39 for ave pace 5:19

Harder warm up and then 7x800m trailing AH and GH on their 2k's. Right foot is hurting so bad that I had to cut the cool down. Going to the dr tomorrow morning.

2.5 miles in 13:32 for ave pace 5:24

It was a bit warm at lunch 72 degrees and maybe after a harder run last night, my legs just did not have it. Ran around 5:30 pace down to 5:20 pace but only managed 5x800 when plan was 8.

3.75 miles in 20:34 for ave pace 5:29

Fast warm up and then 5x1200m at 82s per lap. It wasn't 80s but I did just run a half. My right foot was feeling much much better. Happy with the workout.

3.107 miles in 16:11 for ave pace 5:12

2 mile warm up and then 12x400m. Felt really good in the cooler temps.

3.5 miles in 18:40 for ave pace 5:20

14x400m at 3k pace with splits fairly even between 79-81 but on the faster end late. Very cold after dark with steady headwind on the back stretch. 200m jog recovery between each. Just 3 days off of the half marathon, legs weren't overly tired but I had some general fatigue. 2.75 mile warm up, 2.5 mile cool down plus rest between repeats. Stomach issues on the cool down.

3.107 miles in 16:22 for ave pace 5:16

2.75 mile warm up and mirror cool down plus 200m recovery after each repeat, After warm up, 2x200m (:38, :40), 2x400m (1:21, 1:19), 1x800m (1:19, 1:20), 1x1000m (1:21, 1:19, :39), 1x800m (1:20, 1:19), 2x400m (1:16, 1:15), 2x200m (:36, :33) with 200m recovery between each.

Lactate Threshold Workouts

Hills

12 x 150 meters hard hills 12% grade + 1min recovery down ~ 8 miles total 90 degrees.

Hills

3.6mi warm up and then 8x400m hill repeats. Had a lot of acid build up late, but kept pushing through.

Tempo

3 mile warm up then 12.5 laps (5km) at 89s quarters. It was hard but I managed. First tempo run in a long time. Need more of these.

Cruise Intervals

Was suppsed to do 2x2mile but it was so blazing hot/humid that did 1x2mi and then 2x1mi. Things will turn around when this heat breaks.

Cruise Intervals

Autumn Chase 2012; was nervous about foot but had it taped and was rested; fast miles were not that hard, still tired at the end.

Cruise Intervals

2 mile warm up and then 2x2.5 mile at near tempo pace. Quads were still so sore and legs heavy. Struggled in the heat to hold onto 91-92s quarters. BUT, got it done.

Tempo

2 mile warm up then 6:03, 6:01, 5:55, 5:53. It was very humid after the rain; sweated a bunch.

Tempo

2.5 mile warm up and then 3 miles steady at 6:20, 6:21, 6:09 plus cool down.

Long Tempo

First Panorama 10 mile of fall 1st half 32:28 (6:29 pace) 2nd half 31:35 (6:19 pace) or 7:14 warm up then 6:18 pace for last 9 miles 1:04:03.

Tempo

Ran easy from the store back to mile 5 and then ran hard from miles 6-9. It wasn't easy but held sub 6.

Cruise Intervals

2x2mile at half marathon pace 11:38, 11:27 at HHS with @TheHeesh and Blake. Felt pretty good locked in at 5:45 pace per lap.

Cruise Intervals

Ran 3 mile warm up (8:17, 7:43, 7:28) on Indian Creek Greenway and up into Research Park. Then did cutdowns in distance and pace with equal time recovery 1600m (5:51), 1200m (4:20 or 5:47 pace), 800m (2:49 or 5:38 pace), 400m (1:20 or 5:20 pace), 200m (0:36 or 4:48 pace) then finished up at marathon pace (sub 6:30's) to the finish.

Tempo

5 mile warm up 7:40 pace (8:10 first mile) then 3 mile tempo in 17:00 minutes (5:44, 5:44, 5:32) then cool down.

Races

Monte Sano 10k/5k - 37:17 / 18:15

It was super humid out. Wanted to just run under 6's. Started 5:45 and then 5:56 and then stayed ahead of Greg to keep 3rd place. Felt much better on the 5km with an easy first mile. 5:47 ish, 5:55 ish (with turn around and gravel road) and then 5:46 last mile.

Southern Tennessee half marathon - 1:20:36

Rained util race time so routine was off. Was unsure of what could run; no competition and held sub 6's early and then it got windy and hilly and running alone. Was upset a couple of times when didn’t know the course and the marshals were no help. Ran with the police escort the whol eway.

Monte Sano 15km - 56:29

Went out around 5:50 pace and held onto lead with Twig through 5k then fell back. Brad passed me at mile 4.5 and then I held onto 3rd. No one behind me for 4 minutes. It was humid and my shirt was soaked; tried to break 56 but the panorama loop was hard on me and I just coudnt hold it.

3rd annual PHR3 - 38:59

Ran the 10k and felt good early (like 18 low through 3 and then was dead legs on the hill climb. ). Ran 37:55 last year in training but held onto sub 39 today.

Liz Hurley 5km - 17:16

Mile splits 5:21, 11:05 then 17:17 finish. Went out a little too aggreressive in the climb chasing Kevin Betts (Josh was long gone) but then took him on the square and held him off for 2nd. Still pain in my right foot which has slowed me down. Frustrating to be training hard and still only hit 17:16 when April I was low 17s on no training. Later paced Kathy to 19:04 and did 5 loops in all.

Spooktacular 5km - 17:21

So windy… miles were pretty even 533, 538, 532 but got kicked into the wind at the end by Kevin Betts. Foot is still bothering me.

Spooktaculr 1 mile - 5:18

No one else ran… 5:18.

Liz Waggett 5km and Hawk 5km

17:23 and then 17:41 for back to back 5k's (8am and then 10am) Courses were not certified so it was 3.05 and then 3.22. Felt pretty good on race 2 even though it was hillier and much warmer.

Huntsville Half Marathon - 1:19:17

Goal was sub 1:19 to bypass the lottery for NYC 2013. Fitness has been good, but with foot pain, times have been slow. Today was a struggle to hold pace, but I never gave up, to which I'm proud.

Ran with Rob, Tim and Erik for the first 4 miles but the pace was a little slow so while I would have preferred to run together, I had to stick on pace just seconds ahead. Tim and Rob pulled even and we ran together for the next 3 miles. Tim pulled ahead, but I stayed on his shoulder and after the cone turn around, I didn't let him get too far away. Knew that it was going to be close to 1:19, and with a 6:23 mile 12 climbing uphill, I all but lost it. But I didn't give up. Ran 5:48 final mile to pull even with Tim and together we kicked hard to the finish. I was just ahead at the finish line but he was able to stay on my shoulder so he pulled me early and I pulled him late; great to work together with friends and teammates. Splits were 5:59 (5:59) 5:57 (11:56) 5:58 (17:54) 6:01 (23:56) 5:54 (29:50) 5:59 (35:50) 6:01 (41:51) 6:07 (47:58) 6:07 (54:05) 6:09 (60:15) 6:11 (66:26) 6:23 (1:12:49) 5:48 (1:18:38) 0:37 (1:19:15). Measured 13.20 miles despite running the tangents. 35 turns, cone turn around on the greenway, two way traffic for 3 miles and an uphill finish into a parking lot. Worse course ever. Finished 6th OA gun (ahead of Tim) but 7th OA chip time (behind Tim) and first in M35-39. 75 seconds better than I was in early October in Winchester but 3 minutes off of my late 2011 half time. Hoping this foot thing passes so the hard work and training I've logged (most disciplined to a schedule I've ever done) pays off.

Music City Half Marathon - 1:19:53

I knew going in that the course would be challenging, as it was pretty hilly throughout the race. Then with a break down to the aid station Coke truck, they delayed the start by 30 minutes which really threw off the pre race warm ups. Started out with a tail wind for the first 5k and really took advantage of it (17 minutes flat) and then the climbing started... hilly until mile 4 and then the headwinds picked up coming back into the city. Had the lead female with me drafting from the start, and she stayed there as I took the wind at 6:10 pace back underneath I-65. I heard she just ran 2:46 at Chicago, so I knew she was the real deal. I decided to start throwing in surges as we turned to the south and began to climb again; surge, ease up, surge, ease up. Each time she covered, but each time, less and less. Finally dropped her by mile 7 as the course turned back into the wind heading east. At that point I knew that today would be about the win, not the time. Long steady climb to 10, then an overpass up to 11, and two underpasses with dips (and ensuing climbs out). The mile markers were a mess; (11 was located at 11.25 and then 12 was at 11.78). The course was certified but they did an awful job of putting the markers out. Making the final turn I took one glance around and saw that I was in the clear for the win. I fought through the 5k traffic (hate mixed finishes as you are running around slower runners) to the finish and the win.

Turkey Trot 5km - 17:12

Decided to go out hard and try to get as close to 17 as possible, even if it meant blowing up late. First mile was 5:13 (misplaced mile mark, I think it was closer to 5:20) pushing up the hill and fighting through the traffic to settle into pace. Still feeling good on the second mile, though I despise the cone turn around (it stole some of my momentum). Hit the two mile mark in 10:50 with 2nd mile split around 5:30. At that point I knew that I had a 6 second cushion to be under 17 but the dip under the overpass and the hill climb were ahead. I stayed strong, but faded to a 5:46 final mile before kicking to 35s in the final tenth. (5:20, 5:30, 5:47, 0:35). Despite the fade, it felt good to let it roll on the first two miles and take a chance.

Friday, November 16, 2012

2012 Huntsville Half Marathon

My goal was to run sub 1:19:00 in order to bypass the lottery for the NYC Marathon in 2013. My fitness has been good, but with foot pain, race times have been slow.

I started out running with Rob (Youngren), Tim (Vinson) and Erik (Debolt) for the first 4 miles but the pace was a little slow, so while I would have preferred to run together, I had to stick on pace just seconds ahead. Tim and Rob pulled even and we ran together for the next 3 miles. Tim pulled ahead, but I stayed on his shoulder and after the cone turn around, I didn't let him get too far away. I knew that it was going to be close to 1:19, and with a 6:23 split in mile 12 climbing uphill, I all but lost it. But I didn't give up, to which I am very proud. I ran a 5:48 final mile to pull even with Tim and together we kicked hard to the finish. I was just ahead at the finish line but he was able to stay on my shoulder so he pulled me early and I pulled him late; great to work together with friends and teammates.

Course
I easured 13.20 miles despite running the tangents. There are 35 turns, a cone turn around on the greenway, two way traffic for 3 miles and an uphill finish into a parking lot. Worse course ever.

Results
Finished 6th OA gun (ahead of Tim) but 7th OA chip time (behind Tim) and first in M35-39. 75 seconds better than I was in early October in Winchester but 3 minutes off of my late 2011 half time. Hoping this foot thing passes so the hard work and training I've logged (most disciplined to a schedule I've ever done) pays off.

My splits
5:59 (5:59) 5:57 (11:56) 5:58 (17:54) 6:01 (23:56) 5:54 (29:50) 5:59 (35:50) 6:01 (41:51) 6:07 (47:58) 6:07 (54:05) 6:09 (60:15) 6:11 (66:26) 6:23 (1:12:49) 5:48 (1:18:38) 0:37 (1:19:15)

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Marathon Training

Despite logging nearly 25,000 miles and having run over 250 career races, I continue to learn how to train properly.

This fall I plan to race Rocket City Marathon. I would like to finish in under 2:50, but a sub 3 hours finish would make 5 years (and 7 races) in a row with that time or faster. That might not be much for some people, but for me it is a line of success.

I spent serious time not only developing my 16-week training plan, but looking back at my training for previous races. One common theme that is apparent in my marathon performances and that is how quickly I have faded after the 18-20 mile mark. In 5 of the 7 races I have gone through a full 16-week training cycle focused around vo2max runs, tempo runs, long runs, races and rest. When looking back at my actuals versus my plan, I see that consistently I have logged many days where I hit my mileages (for long runs) but upon further inspection I see glaring discrepancies. Yes I am an engineer and I love numbers; statistics can be skewed to tell you what you want to hear, but raw numbers don't lie.

So many times throughout my training I will log 20 miles on a Saturday. When I look at the details, I see that (for example) I ran 5 miles warm up, a 10km race, and then 9 junk miles at a slow pace. This may add up to 20 miles, but does not take the place of a 20+ mile endurance run where certain miles at run at a certain pace (like the first 2/3 at 20% slower than marathon goal pace with the final 1/3 at 10% slower than MGP, or certain miles actually at MGP.)

What I have been missing, despite the fact that I understand the benefit of the long run, was the long run! Running 4 hours on trails, racing a 50km, not running on similar terrain and pace doesn't equate to training of specificity for the road marathon. I now see clearly that fading at the end of a marathon is a result of not having proper endurance training to simulate what my body will feel like after 20 miles of running.

What I also found was that I typically have logged plenty of vo2max workouts, which are great training workouts for races of up to a half marathon, but not necessarily great for the marathon. What resulted were many races of 5k, 10k, 15k and 1/2 marathon where I have posted some very fast times. But this does not scale up to the marathon.

I also found that when I did more tempo running (consistant running at tempo pace for 3 to 8 miles, not just 2x2 mile or 3x2 mile cruise intervals) that it had a direct relation to a fast marathon.

Obviously I race often; an average of 38 times per year in the six years since I have listed in Huntsville. This is usually heavy in the spring and fall when temperatures are tolerable. Racing is a great way for me to have another quality run and check the progress of my training. What I need to do is not combine a long run on the same day as a short distance training run; if I race a 5k on a Saturday, I still need to complete my long run on Sunday.

These numbers, facts and conclusions apply to me and may not apply to the masses; some people are better at running long distance, some better at running short distance. So take these findings with a grain of salt.

The bottom line is that I have read all of the books, talked to all of the experts and I know how to write a training plan; I just need to actually follow my plan and put myself in the best position to be successful on marathon race day.

Goals

Log 10-12 quality tempo runs.
Log 6-8 quality endurance runs of 18 miles or more.
Keep mileage per day in the 9-10 mile range
Stay healthy and rested

Race Name	Race Date	Weeks	14-16	17-19	20+	Quality 18+	vo2 max	Tempo	Races	Miles / Day	Tune Up	Time	Training Notes
Rocket City	12/14/08	16	7	5	7	8	8	8	10	11.88	1:16:38 1/2M	2:54:12	Half of long runs on trails
Boston	4/20/09	16	13	2	1	0	8	3	10	11.02	34:54 10k	2:56:17	Lots of trail running. (3) 50km races
Rocket City	12/12/09	16	3	2	4	0	5	2	13	10.61	54:40 15k	2:58:10	(4) 50km & (1) 50M race, all long runs on trail
California International	12/5/10	16	3	8	3	3	10	12	11	9.54	1:15:32 1/2M	2:43:40	Focus on tempo, fast fall races
Mercedes	2/12/11	16	5	3	3	3	10	4	7	8.62	2:43:40 M	2:48:19	Training overlap w/CIM, paced RCM, training for MM50k
NYC	11/6/11	16	2	6	2	1	12	7	7	9.39	1:16:36 1/2M	2:54:44	Fast fall races, 5k, 15k, 1/2M
Rocket City	12/7/12	16	2	2	0	2	7	6	3	9.63

Weeks: 16 - The numer of weeks that I typically would train for a marathon
14-16: Training runs in the distance of 14-16 miles, not just a daily running volume of 14-16 miles
17-19: Training runs in the distance of 17-19 miles, not just a daily running volume of 17-19 miles
20+: Training runs in the distance of 20+ miles, not just a daily running volume of 14-16 miles
Quality 18+: Training runs of 18 miles or more (in Europe the long run is typically 30km or 18.6 miles whereas in the US it is 20 miles because they are round numbers. These are training runs modeled as noted above, not around running twice in a day, around a race event, etc
Tune Up: An example of a the fitness level that I was in before the goal marathon

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Hiking the Cascades

Hiking the Cascades
September 23-26, 2012

Recently I had an opportunity to spend some time in Seattle for a work assignment that I turned into a small vacation with my girlfriend Rachel. After sight-seeing in the city, we headed west toward the Cascade Mountains for some hiking. Together we hiked for the first two days and then after she left I hiked two more mountains.

I hope you enjoy these pictures; it is impossible to fully capture the breathtaking nature of the mountains, but these help paint a picture of their beauty.

Here is a quick run down of the week.

Day 1: Snow Lake

3 miles from the trailhead at 3,100' to the peak at 4,400' and then down to the lake for a round trip of 6 miles for a net climb of 1,300'.

This was our first venture into the Cascades and we were welcomed with 2 miles of climbing up to the ridge line where we topped out at 4,400'. The average grade was 12.3% on the climb. Since this was a Sunday, it seemed like all of Seattle was hiking this trail and we spent most of our time on the way up asking to pass by other hikers. The trail was very rocky with plenty of roots. We could see across the canyon to the other side where there was still some snow. Eventually at the crest we passed into the Alpine Lakes Wildnerness and then dropped down to the lake. Almost immediately the images of the lake that we saw online came to fruition in real life. They were nothing short of breathtaking... a crystal clear alpine lake fed by the snow from the surrounding mountains. After taking in the scenery, we ran around to the far side to catch a nearby waterfall before making the return trip back to the start. We had a pretty fast and wild run back down the mountain. After our side trip, we totalled 8 miles for the day.

The grade of the climb in perspective

An avalanche chute

Looking across the canyon seeing snow, in September

First sight of Snow Lake

Standing at the base of the lake

Rachel and me at the base of Snow Lake

The clarity of the lake

Hiking around to the far side of the lake where Rachel thought it looked like we might see a goat

Snow Lake waterfall

Day 2: Mount Si

4 miles from the trailhead at 850' to the peak at 3,900' for a round trip of 8 miles with a net climb of 3,150'.

Having spent the night in a tree house the night before, we had an early check out time so we were up early to hike Mount Si. This is one of those classic trails that I am sure every hiker from the PNW has done in their lifetime due to its proximity to Seattle, the short distance of the trail and the amazing views of the area from the top. Rachel was very excited about Mount Si as she had seen a Runners World Rave Run photo previous to our trip and wanted to experience it first hand. The climb to the top is pretty steady, gaining nearly 800' per mile but the trail is not overly technical. Toward the very top, the trail does steepen a bit before opening up to a view of some very large rocks. It isn't until you continue to climb again that you get a view of the Haystack. I tried to climb up the backside in 2009 but the scramble was too difficult and required climbing gear. After Rachel and I took some time to capture the moments in our mind, we ran back down in just over 42 minutes.

Trailhead signpost

Lush green forest at the lower elevation

Amazing old growth forest with millions of fir trees

Trees so tall that it hurt my neck to look up that high

At the summit

The top of the Haystack reaches 4,167'

Rachel and her Runners World Rave Run Moment

Day 3: Mailbox Peak

3 miles from the trailhead at 826' to the peak at 4,926' for a round trip of 6 miles with a net climb of 4,100'.

The first half mile of this route started from a blue gate at the edge of a parking lot and followed a gravel road to the trail head and climbed a moderate 300'. This meant that the remaining 3,800' of climb would be over 2.5 miles, or an average grade of 29%. I will admit that I really had no idea how steep that grade would be, to which I was stunned. The "trail" was not much of a "trail"; per the hiking guides I was following, it had noted that this "trail" was rough-hewn and mostly constructed by boots and use over time. Only recently had the hike to Mailbox Peak become recognized as an official trail and not just a crazy climb that a select few hikers had summited. Any pretense of switch backs was over after the first few minutes of climbing and from there it was basically straight up the side of the mountain. I was power hiking it as hard as I could with thoughts of making it in under an hour; for 3 miles! My heart was racing at 5km intensity and the calf burn was killing me. Finally I came to an opening where I could see a large boulder field that continued to climb, and luckily the trail would around the side to the left. Passing around the boulder field, I began the final section which was a combination scramble/hand-climb to the peak. The lack of rain left the trail very dusty and would pose problems of slipping and sliding on the way back down. Finally after 1 hour, 6 minutes and 2 seconds, I had made it to the top and placed a hand on the mailbox. There were a few guys on the peak hanging out eating sandwiches, celebrating their accomplishment. I have no idea what the record for the climb is, but I don't imagine its much faster than an hour; even the best of the best climbers still battle the shear climb of Mailbox Peak. I hung out on top and enjoy the sunshine, but the clouds blocked most of the view from nearby mountains. Within minutes the weather shifted dramatically and it became white out conditions and the temperature dropped. I put on my jacket and winter hat for the return trip to keep warm. Coming back down was painful on the quads and if I wasn't sliding on the rocks, I was falling from tree to tree. I wondered on the way up why all of the small trees at shoulder height were smooth to the touch; then I realized on the way down that most people fall to the next tree, catch themselves and use the tree to hold onto until falling to the next tree. This was one of the hardest hikes that I have ever done, but one of the most rewarding as well.

The final rocky climb to the top after coming out of the dense forest

Where Mailbox Peak gets its name from

Everyone leaves something behind

GPS time and elevation

Clear skies across the valley when I first arrived

Clouds moving in quickly

Complete white out before I left

Clouds hiding the route back down

An example of the grade of the climb looking across the avalanche chute

Day 4: Mount Defiance

5 miles from the trail head at 2,200' to the peak at 5,584' for a round trip of 10 miles with a net climb of 3384' climb.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this trail and up until the last minute I was undecided between Mount Defiance and Granite Peak; the later maybe be a great climb but of all the hikes that we did in the Cascades, Mount Defiance was the gem! It had a little bit of everything; avalanche chutes, technical and nontechnical trails, plenty of climb, amazing views, waterfalls, grassy meadows, alpine lakes and old growth forests. From the start, the Ira Spring trail was fairly wide and steadily climbed from 2,200 up to 4,100' with some great sweeping views to the north. The first switchback was not until 3,500'. The higher the elevation, the more open the trail became and thus the views more breathtaking. At about 2.5 miles there was the split with the Bandera Mountain trail, with Mount Defiance to the north beyond Mason Lake and just after the first views of Mount Defiance were in the distance. I was a little confused after crossing into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness as the trail actually dropped down to Mason Lake. The glass-like lake provided some amazing reflective images that were just as impressive in person. After rounding the lake, the old growth forests with tall trees like at Mount Si were so much fun to run through before the grade started to increase again. When I thought I was near the top, the trail crossed the avalanche chute again and then opened up into a grassy meadow where the colors were all starting to change; it was so pretty! What I didn't realize was that there would be another 1/4 mile of scrambling on a rocky path to the top, but once I was there, it was clear that it was the summit. I made it to the top in 1:33:05. The views down to the highway that seemed days away, the sight of Mason Lake and Lake Kulla Kulla from 1000' above were so cool! I spent quite a bit of time at the summit just enjoying life before turning around. The return trip after the scramble section was all runnable down and I was able to come down much quicker.