Break the Tape Running - Coach Eric's Blog

36th MCM: 10th Consecutive sub-4:00:00 Marathon

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:45:53 -0800

The 36th Marine Corps Marathon - October 30, 2011

Marathons: Always train hard...but always leave room for "the God's of race day" to have their say. Today was their day...and they let me know it with a hard crash between miles 21 and 22. It's difficult to determine what lead to my energy crisis so deep into today's race. The weather...and pretty much everything about the day...was perfect! Until I got to mile 22... My stomach was reeling...my head was swimming...and my quads were locked. Had this happened earlier in the race...I may very well have pulled myself off the course...and called it a day. But with only a few miles to go...I just had to try to get to the finish. As a friend pointed out afterward...those moments when we have to "gut it out"...can be just as satisfying as those days when everything seems effortless. I'm slowly coming around to that line of thought now.

I'm not going to spend too much time today evaluating what went wrong though. Instead...I'm going to celebrate a very hard fought finishing time of 3:59 and change...for my 10th consecutive sub-4:00 marathon. I had to work really hard for that "save", and I'm pleased that the effort paid off.

I can't say enough about the organization and support from the USMC for this event. They set the standard that all the rest can only hope to achieve. Many, MANY thanks to the thousands of Marines who were out there really early...and worked very hard to make this event such a huge success!

Officially: 3:59:38. 4,471st out of 20,895 total finishers. 3,365th out of 12,365 men.

The Perfect Run

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:58:15 -0800

I thought it would have happened in a race somewhere along the way. Probably in a marathon. Maybe in Boston? How about one of the hundreds of training runs I've done?

No. None of the above...as it turns out.

I probably shouldn't be surprised that it just snuck up on me like it did.

I was on the Gloucester/Rockport, Massachusetts coast last weekend for a friend's wedding, and I had some time to kill before the late afternoon ceremony on Saturday. Late that morning, I started out on what I figured would be an average 6-miler. The Inn we were staying at was right on the coast, and there was a path between the road and the rocky coastline. I hit the road heading north out of Gloucester and toward Rockport.

The temperature was in the 50's...just cool enough to be wearing long sleeves...and the sky was a sharp blue. Even though I found myself running into a pretty stiff breeze, it didn't seem to bother me. The air was so thick with salt...much more so than what I'm used to experiencing at the beaches in Carolina...and that was the first thing that sort of made me pay attention.

The Gloucester coast is certainly rocky...but as I made my way north into Rockport hugging the coastline all the way...the scenery became much more dramatic. Actually breathtaking, in fact. I traversed the soft white sand and grass of Good Hope Beach, the hard-packed sand of Long Beach, the pebbles of a third unnamed beach and the rocks of the points in between that defined the borders of those incredible coves. They've all been pictured on postcards at some point, I'm sure. Just beautiful! Along the way...the dual lighthouses of Thatcher Island...not more than a mile off the coast...got closer and closer. It was almost as if they were teasing me to keep running...to get as close as I could. Before I knew it...that became my goal.

Three miles turned into four...which turned into five...and I felt like I could go all day!

I eventually found myself in a spot where I could no longer run...only because the terrain was so impossible. My Garmin read 5.0 exactly. There was no more coastline to see. Only a massive acre of rock and low weeds lying in front of me. I took a break...and began to climb up. I would later find out that this was the southern tip of Loblolly Cove...and when I reached the top...the scene in front of me nearly sent me into shock.

The twin lighthouses of Thatcher Island appeared to be no more than several hundred yards away...although they were probably farther...and sea gulls were perched on the rocky surface all around me. Still more were above...screeching and diving toward the Atlantic. A few small fishing boats were anchored in the water between me and those lighthouses, and waves were crashing on the coast maybe 50 feet below me.

I literally had to catch my breath...again. It was just so genuine...serene...spectacular...and completely awesome!

The run back was the easiest 5 miles of my life. The hair on the back of my neck was standing straight up all the way back to the Inn. The air was warming...but I had chills all the way home.

I don't write things like this. Ever. But I decided on the run back into Gloucester that I needed to write something about this run. Not only because of what I had experienced along the way...but because I really felt grateful.

There are moments when I thank God for these legs of mine...that they carry me well and far...and take me to places to show me extraordinary things.

This was one of those moments.

2009 New York city Marathon

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:16:08 -0800

Took my bite out of the Big Apple on November 1!

I had to wait to get this race in and my patience definitely paid off. Everything about the experience was off the charts!

The weather in NYC race weekend was near perfect. The few showers we had were mostly overnight and didn't interfere. The organization of this event from expo to finish line was remarkable! The NYRR deserve a LOT of credit for figuring out how to move 43,000 runners around without incident (at least none that this runner witnessed). My hotel was right on Central Park which provided easy access to those paths for warm-up runs, and a really short walk after crossing the finish line on race day.

Most importantly is the fact that the knee injury that interfered with the final weeks of my training didn't completely derail my race. While I definitely experienced discomfort during my warm-up runs and during the race, I think the rest I gave the injury in the days leading up to the race proved to be invaluable. That...and the new taping technique my Physical Therapist demonstrated with Knesio Tech Tape. That stuff is "da bomb!"

The bottom line is that NYC was my eighth consecutive sub-4:00:00 marathon with a finishing time of 3:41:29. This race also completed the U.S. portion of the World Marathon Majors for me. Only London and Berlin remain.

Of the eight marathons I've run, this was one of the more memorable. Every marathoner should put this race on his or her "to do" list.

The first 20-miler!

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:48:06 -0800

Ran the first 20-miler for this training cycle on Saturday morning here in DC. It was an awesome morning...and I felt 100% as the run began...and as I worked through the first several miles.

Unfortunately...once I hit mile 15...things began to fall apart. My energy damn near dropped off completely! I've taken a second look at everything I did pre-run...and I honestly can't find an error. I had to fight damn hard to complete the last 5 miles...but I did it! 3:00:00 even...for an average pace of 9:00 per mile. Oddly, that's pretty much perfect for a training run of this distance...but the fact that I came "thisclose" to a crash and burn has me a little uncomfortable.

My conclusion is that I made the jump to 20 too soon. I went from 16 miles...right to 20. An 18-miler in between may have made all the difference. Won't make that mistake for the second and third 20-milers still to come.

Regardless of the struggle...it's ALWAYS good to knock off the first 20-miler!

New York...only 8 weeks away...

Marathon Weekend in NYC

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:45:18 -0800

I've been assigned to the 5:30 AM Staten Island ferry on race day! That's an early call to be sure...but I hope that means that I'm in the first wave of runners at the start too.

I booked a hotel on the Upper West Side...only about 10 blocks from the finish line...but quite a hike from the ferry terminal. Looks like I'm responsible for getting myself to the ferry...which means jumping on the subway or grabbing a cab. Geez, I'm gonna have to get up early!!

Hydration

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:26:40 -0800

I've been much more disciplined with my water consumption this training cycle, consuming a minimum of 100oz per day.

If you've ever wondered how much water you should be consuming during your typical day...here's a quick and easy calculator that can help:

http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

According to that calculator...I should be consuming about 140oz of water a day!

I've started using True Lemon and some of the Crystal Light water flavor powders...and they really help. Sometimes...I just get sick of drinking water...and the added flavor really does the trick!

Vitamins

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:19:55 -0800

OK...

The fish oil supplements didn't work at all! The gel capsules were enormous and I wasn't able to deal with them. I tried puncturing them and ingesting just the oil...but that was just gross! I actually kept that routine up for about 3 weeks before I just gave up.

I've been told that I can find fish oil in liquid form if I search hard enough...but I haven't taken the time yet.

I've also switched my multi-vitamin to Centrum Performance. The tablets are smaller than the multi I was taking. I continue to supplement with Vitamin D as well.

Training: Week 16

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:15:07 -0800

One thing I've learned this Summer...is that I'm a much better coach and runner...than blogger!

Yesterday's 10-miler concluded a nice drop-back week...and week 16 of a 25-week training cycle. I'm giving myself credit for two speed work-outs last week, as I did a tempo run on Friday and ran all 10 miles yesterday at goal marathon pace or a bit faster.

Everything still feels good, and I credit the work I've been doing with a Physical Therapist. After some thought about the level of discomfort I experienced in the closing miles of the National Marathon in March, I decided to connect with NOVA Pain and Rehab to strengthen my legs to avoid a repeat in New York in 10 weeks.

The treatments and exercises have paid large dividends. Everything feels very comfortable, and I'm hopeful that the hills in Central Park at the close of the marathon in November won't suck the life out of me!

I'll start doing regularly scheduled speed drills this week in the evening at a nearby track after work. Honestly, I'm ready for the diversion. It will be good to focus on something other than base-building, and equally good to have a free morning during the week in favor of the evening track sessions. I expect to be joined by some of the runners from the DCFIT Training Team for the speed work.

Only 8 weeks of really strenuous training remaining, and I plan on getting three 20-milers in during the next two months. 16 this coming weekend...then the jump to the first 20-miler after that!

Shoes

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:57:51 -0800

I've had an interesting experience with my shoes during this training cycle. A fellow coach recommended the New Balance 1224 to me a few weeks back, suggesting that they would provide more than adequate control for my pronation problem and that NB has a reputation for being a bieeter fit for runners who use custom orthotics. Since I was ready for new shoes anyway, I decided to give the 1224's a try.

The overall fit with my orthotics is definitely better and the shoe seems to provide sufficient motion control. The problem is that the N-Locks keep tearing.

I took the 1224's back to the shop when one of the locks tore only two weeks after I purchased the shoes. Since the 1225's had just come in, I went for the upgrade. Would you believe it!?!? Five weeks later...one of the locks on the 1225's ripped! The shop replaced my shoes again, indicating that they were sending the problematic shoes back to New Balance as defective. I've since been told that NB has admitted a problem with the N-Locks 1224's, but they thought they had addressed it with the 1225's.

Maybe not.

Hey...at least I'm keeping my feet in new shoes t

Training: Week 1

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:03:10 -0800

28 miles this week...all of them run in a new pair of NB 1224's. These were recommended to me by another runner who over pronates and wears custom orthotics. NB has a reputation for working particularly well with orthotics...and I'd say that week 1 was a success. Shoes feel great!

Week consisted of three 6-milers and a 10 mile run (1:25) on Saturday. Carried Gatorade in my Camelback for the first time on Saturday...and I think I'll stick with that for a bit.

Also spoke with a Chiropractor this week...and listened patiently as she went on and on about the benefits of Chiro for runners. Thinking seriously about giving that a shot. Why not?