Milwaukee Marathon - Fun Family Event

I was intrigued when I heard about the inaugural Milwaukee Running Festival - a collection of 5k / Half Marathon / Full Marathon events. The trip really took shape when my wife, Barbara, showed interest in running the half and talked her sister, Susan, into meeting us. The plan was to take a day of vacation and enjoy a nice getaway and family visit. I also got to complete state #22.

We left home after work on Friday and arrived in Milwaukee just before midnight. The weather was pretty lousy - cool and rainy. Our plans for Saturday were to pickup our packets and spend time visiting. Ideally, we would have been outside more, but the rain made it easy to limit our time on our feet.

We stayed at a hotel on the race course - which is awesome, especially if you have people who will be spectating (we didn't in this case). Our hotel had a wedding on Saturday - someone (I'm assuming from the wedding party) decided 2:30 AM would be a great time to develop an echo near our room. I've often wondered why hotels don't put all their runners in the same area ... we probably aren't going out drinking the night before a race AND we get up earlier than anyone ought to, Back to sleep -- until the road crew decided to close streets (including the one 7 floors below our window) a mere 4 hours earlier than runners would be on them. I'm sure it's possible to quietly block a traffic lane - the poor guy who was given this road to close seemed to be working alone and was forced to drag 10 foot wide "Road Closed" signs which sounded like fingernails of the Green Giant across a chalkboard. Back to sleep -- until my wife worried that we missed our wake up call because the clock read 5:30 ... because it was a return from daylight savings time and the clock didn't automatically update. That paragraph makes it sound like it wasn't a restful night - but it actually was for me - I returned to sleep easily in every case except the last. It does remind me of the advice to get plenty of sleep the night BEFORE the night before a race. Since we were up early, I decided to shower before the race -- that's nice, I felt refreshed. I don't know that I'll plan to get up early for it ... but if I have time, I like it.

I was nervous before my last (NH) marathon - which showed up as obsessive planning before travelling resulting in printed boarding passes, hotel / rental car reservations, and marathon registration; also, I loaded travel plans into at least 3 different apps for my phone so I could track us. This time, my nerves showed up on the way to the start line. They ran a school bus shuttle - while waiting I met a fellow Marathon Maniac and we had a quick chat. Normally, I'd have talked longer and enjoyed the conversation, but I was really focused on the run.

The half and full started the race together and then split near mile 9. The first three miles run along Lake Michigan. The scenery was beautiful as we ran along a two lane road which was closed to traffic. My gripe was with the pace teams. With both half and full running together, I would up stuck behind the 2:10 / 4:20 pace groups - each with two leaders ... essentially blocking the entire lane. A disciplined runner would have recognized the sign to relax and stay within his own training ... I was irritated and worked through them. The biggest hill in the course is just before mile 4 - it's a long steady climb which separated us out a bit. This was the first of many times when people let us know that we had gotten through the last of the hills - LIARS! The houses were gorgeous as we headed back into downtown. Many people were out on the porches and balconies. I recall one guy about fifty who was standing along the street screaming "You've f*-ing got this." over and over. An interesting fan approach at any time - this was a bit before 8 AM. As the course goes through Marquette University, the runners separate with the half turning left while the full goes straight. Still before 9 AM, there weren't many students out, but the campus is beautiful. The full course eventually goes through an urban park on a paved path with quite a few twists and elevation changes. I haven't seen something like this included in other races - not my favorite, but it certainly required fewer street closures. I felt great through the first half of the race and my pace was faster than I had trained.

Even though the weather was chilly at the start, it was a sunny day and I was glad to be in a singlet as it got warmer. The mile markers were clicking by with my Garmin showing about 0.1 mile early - then suddenly, near mile 15, I passed the mile marker, then a moment later Garmin said I had gone 15. In a section with no spectators, I was really dragging, I pulled out my second GU and once the sugar hit I felt a bit better. The race had water and Nuun about every 2-3 miles. Near mile 17, I was missing Richmond and the junk food stops - I specifically wanted some sugared / caffeinated Coke, but perhaps just some variety. The course goes around the ballpark where the Brewers play - a very nice area not close to downtown. The hills just keep rolling causing a bit of discussion among the runners ... we were all a bit surprised at the number and frequency of hills. I hit an aid station near mile 22 where I took the last GU and some water. I was surprised (and assumed it was a mistake) that the final water wasn't until mile 25. The half course had a longer stretch before hitting the same final water. I hope they add a stop around 24 for both ... on a cooler day, it might not have mattered, but on a hotter day it would have been worse than uncomfortable. In that area (without water), I saw a young woman with a sign that said "If Lamar O can survive a brothel, you can finish 26.2" -- that was a new one for me ... I smiled (but I would have preferred a Coke).

At the finish, they called my name from Henrico, Virginia -- mental note, register from Richmond ... few people pronounce Henrico correctly and nobody knows where it is. I grabbed a couple of chocolate milks (yummy) ... I did not find Coke, but they had some tasty (sugary) root beer.

Barbara and Susan each set a PR - I'm proud of both of them. We celebrated over pizza with my niece Kristen making this a great trip.

Link to Garmin

This is the medal - same for both half and full (that made things easier for volunteers, but I prefer a distinction between the two).

Here is my updated map of states - darker shading on Virginia shows that I've run more in my home state.

Next up a special mid-week marathon on Veteran's Day.

Clarence DeMar (Keene, NH) Race Report (09/27/15) - Back to the Blog After a Long Absence

Clarence DeMar (Keene, NH) Race Report (09/27/15)

Great volunteers and runner friendly race. Very well organized with plenty of pre-race communications. The course is net downhill with some rolling hills - especially in the second half. The late September makes it a good time to see fall colors in New Hampshire. My running buddy, Rob, and I flew to Boston on Saturday morning for the Sunday race. We planned to have a leisurely trip to the packet pickup, but Jet Blue had something else in mind. The plane navigation system wasn’t working correctly, so the gate agent told us they were restarting it – which sounded a lot like “turn off the power, wait for a minute, then turn it back on”. I would have offered my Garmin, but I needed to preserve the batteries for Sunday. After a two hour delay (sounds like the school system in winter), we actually left the gate.

By the time we got our rental car for the two hour drive to New Hampshire, we were cutting it close for packet pickup. We arrived with about 40 minutes to spare – that might have been close for a big race, but we got our packets and were ready to go in less than 5 minutes. Packet pickup was quick because there were no vendors, meaning we needed to bring our own supplies (gels, body glide, etc). The race packet included a handy blister/soreness care pack - probably the most useful thing I've ever gotten in SWAG, they also gave a free 26.2 sticker and a GU.

Keene State College hosts packet pickup and is the finish for the race. As a point to point race, they provide (school) bus service to the start. The busses take runners to an elementary school - where we waited in the heat/dry for the start. It was a nice time to meet people and stretch. The starting temperature was 35 degrees, so inside was a huge benefit. As we walked outside to the start line (10 minute walk), it seemed people were stopping a bit early. As I got closer, about half the 280 starters were standing around, still 300 yards from the start. I made my way through the crowd then realized they were standing in a patch of sunshine absorbing as much heat as possible. The race starts downhill – not steep, but not close to flat, so a 9:22 first mile shouldn’t have been surprising, but it was not my plan. I talked to several people who had run the race before – they explained how easy it is to blow up by starting too quick. After a bathroom stop during mile 5, I slowed my pace a bit. The course is very scenic - especially when we ran across the dam. Aid stations each had water and Gatorade, but nothing else. There were plenty of volunteers at the aid stations – each very cheerful.

The course is mostly on roads that are open to traffic. Although the field is fairly small, I was rarely running all alone. The water stops are regularly spaced, so I was comfortable without my water bottle. I talked to a few people, usually exchanging comments about how we were leap-frogging each other. Near mile 20, the course travels through a cemetery. There were lots of volunteers in the cemetery and it would have been nice to have a water stop in that section ... I guess that could be weird/disrespectful, so I can understand. Throughout the course, the police were great escorts at road crossings - motorists were NOT grumpy (as I've seen many other places – including Richmond). After mile 24, my hamstring started to act up. I just couldn’t get my right leg to power me for even gentle uphill sections, so I was walking unless it was flat. Fortunately, the final half mile is flat. I was able to get back to a run and then at the finish, the Keene State cheer squad was screaming and waving pom-poms for each runner. As I approached the finish line, they announced my name and hometown. After picking up my medal, I slowly walked to the bag pick-up. Before I got to the truck a very nice volunteer came over with my bag – she had read my number and found my bag before I got close to the truck … small races have their advantages.

After a shower at the college, we got on the road back to Logan for the flight home. Jet Blue tried to scare us a bit with a notice that our return flight was delayed, then a notice of cancellation – but when we arrived at the check-in, the flight was on-time. Jet Blue also notified us that we were awarded a $50 credit to make up for the delay on our flight to Boston – a nice treat.

I had told Rob before the race not to expect me to finish until 5:30 – so, I’m really pleased with the run.

Clarence DeMar Marathon
Time: 4:47:53
Course: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/912200639

My Progress to 50 States (and DC)

Getting back to a routine

It's time. It is really past time for me to get back in shape. I've gained about 10 pounds, so I need to increase aerobic capacity and decrease weight.

It all starts with a run or in this case three runs - I am on day 3. I met up with friends on Saturday, then knocked out two solo runs. I'm happy to have done runs of 6/4/6 miles but realistically, it's not THAT hard to run on a day off, so tomorrow is another challenge.

I'll keep you posted.

Rosaryville 50k Race Report (11/13/10)

Why would I drive two hours to run a 50k when I could have rolled out of bed later and run my hometown marathon with all my friends? Good question – the only possible answer is related to getting a higher level in Marathon Maniacs. I came up with a plan to make my next run (Vegas in December) my 13th state in 12 months, but I needed another state. I started the marathon a month streak back in Baltimore thirteen months ago, so repeating Maryland allows me to use Vegas as my ticket to five stars (officially Ruthenium Level).

I left the house just a bit after 4:30 AM. That put me at the race start a bit less than an hour early. I knew this was a small race, but I wasn’t sure how traffic would go or how they would handle parking. I used the time to relax a bit, once again, I found myself nervous on race day.

A few minutes before 8 AM, I found myself in a grass field with about 90 other people. They had a woman with a beautiful voice sing the National Anthem, and then within 2 minutes, we were gone. We ran through the dew covered grass for about 1/10 of a mile then along a park road for ½ mile then into the trails. I started off a little fast, but once we hit the trail it felt pretty good. Most of the trail is single track, not technical – it’s almost 10 miles long, so the race is three laps. I joined up with a group of about 7 – 10 other runners for the first 4 or 5 miles. With almost no room to pass, I was glad for the half mile of easy passing on the road to get lined up according to pace. The group was very quiet. The course has two aid stations at either end of the trail. As I got past the far aid station, I was following a woman in grad school at the University of Maryland (my alma mater). I would have probably run slower without her in front of me, but when we finished the first loop, I took less time at the second aid station and didn’t see her again until the end of the race. Maybe that’s a 50k blow off – take your time at the aid station and let that creep go on … whatever.

As I started the second lap, I realized that the terrain seemed to be more difficult, not really hard – but I could feel that my legs were working harder than in a road race. I briefly considered that the third lap would probably be even less comfortable. I was now alone, from the time I left the aid station until I reached the next aid station, I saw two people – riding mountain bikes. I had seen this same pair on the first lap – they looked like they were newbies getting into shape. The lead rider didn’t seem capable of avoiding me, so I jumped out of the way. I realize that the 50k didn’t have exclusive use of the trail on this day, but I kept thinking that these two geniuses could have realized after passing say 90 runners that perhaps today would be good to ride elsewhere … so I was a bit surprised to seem them on both lap one and lap two. I also passed a different group of three riders on lap one and two – but they seemed more experienced and I was more confident that they could avoid me as well as me avoiding them.

As I got near the end of the second lap, I made a rookie trail running mistake. I stared at my Garmin to read the mileage – while looking at the Garmin, I was not looking at the root that jumped under my foot – the result was an early and very HARD foot-strike. The top of my ankle felt like it might be bruised, I figured keeping it moving would be best, so I didn’t even stop. Fortunately, the pain went away quickly. I felt like a moron for not paying more attention to the trail. There are some more significant inclines at the end of the loop and my knees started to feel the effects. It wasn’t enough to make me stop running, but I knew I couldn’t keep running this course indefinitely. For some reason, once each lap, I kicked my right ankle with the bottom heel of my left shoe – that hurt and has left a cut. I suppose I’m not picking my feet up very high and my foot strikes are not far enough apart – at the time, I just knew how much it hurt.

The race provided access to a drop bag at the start of the second and third laps. I started the race with a fuel belt with two bottles. That worked well for the first two laps, but I finished both bottles before reaching my drop bag for the last time, so I picked up my hand-held bottle and left the fuel belt behind. I should have been drinking more, but the whole drop bag thing was pretty cool. In addition, the volunteers were awesome, on the first lap, I handed off my jacket that I started the race with – he delivered it back to the finish area, so I didn’t have to carry it with me.

Lap number three started out okay, but after about a mile on the trail, I checked the Garmin and it said 18 miles … WTF? … this should be mile 22. That got under my skin – looking back, I don’t understand what bugged me, I was in the trees, the Garmin probably lost signal and I should have been able to let it go, but it just kept nagging at me. Maybe I’m really 13.1 miles from the finish – that’s a half marathon and my legs feel like crap.

I started to get some cramps in my hamstrings and quads. I was slowly making my way along the trail, surprisingly, only one person actually passed me. As he went around me, I got a foot cramp and let out a groan – when he heard me, he stopped and offered an electrolyte capsule. I thought that was pretty cool. I got more capsules and watered down Gatorade at the aid station. The aid station was about 5 miles from the finish and the Garmin indicated another 7 miles – I knew it was wrong, but it was still messing with my head. I thought maybe the course would have more mileage after leaving the trail. When I finally emerged from the woods, the course marshal said it was just ¾ mile (mostly on pavement) to the finish and I never looked at the stupid Garmin again. When I got to the last tenth of a mile, I could read the clock – as I saw it turn over 5:14, I knew I could finish in less than 5:15 (my second goal), but only if I hustled. The last bit was uphill across a grass field – I was surprised how difficult it was to pick my feet up, but I made it in with 1 second to spare.

The post-race food included baked potatoes with Old Bay seasoning – not my first choice in general, but it was delicious. Our finishers premium was a glass coffee cup and a running hat. My kids were disappointed that I didn’t get an actual medal.

Rosaryville Veterans Day 50k
Time: 5:14:59
Course: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/56596888

Participant Hat

Finisher's Premium (Glass Coffee Mug)

Early in the run, notice the smile.

 Closing in on the finish line.