Reader Mail

I titled this post Reader Mail.  Its not actually mail from a reader; more of a question answered about running after a marathon.  Turns out that the query came from a fellow runner through dailymile.  This guy is a hellacious runner and much faster than I could ever be.  In the past year he has lost 50+ pounds, ran a 4:46 mile and a 2:55 marathon.  And this guy turns to me for advice???  Needless to say, I am humbled.

At any rate, read my take on running after the marathon and see how it sets with you.

__________

How quickly any runner can return to the running after a marathon is a product of that person's particular physiology, long term training, individual goals and mental resiliency.

I do not like extended breaks whatsoever and try not to "rest" more than two day consecutively. Since February I have concentrated on running high mileage and found that my body responds well. One key for me is that I don't really aim for speed work. I run fast when I feel capable and slow when I don't.

Aside from refueling and hydration, muscle fatigue and mental fog, how soon you get back to running is up to you alone. Books, coaches and even friends whom do not run all have their own opinions, but those opinions are based largely on the experiences of others. Again, I say to each their own.

A few weeks back I ran 64 miles over 20.5 hours. I finally stopped when my ankles tightened up. I didn't run again for 4 days, mainly due to mental fatigue and personal issues that made running seem impossible. It was all from the neck up. My body was fine.

Two weekend ago I ran 35mi with a single rest day before and after. Then last weekend I ran 25mi on Sat and 24mi on Sunday while taking Monday as my rest day. I did run the preceeding week from Tuesday on, so I didn't rest up prior.

The point to remember is that my goal through ultra training is time on my feet while aiming for a mileage number. There really is no pace goal. I have a fixed number of hours I would like to go for, them a total number of miles I hope to hit. But the survival aspect of running a marathon plus kicks in so I incorporate numerous walk breaks and sit-downs to keep the mind sharp. A focused mind can overcome many physical ailments.

To answer the question of how soon to run after a marathon is larger subjective and individualistic. What are your career goals in running? How often do you want to run a marathon? How long do you want to be a marathoner? Do you have aspirations of running further than 26.2? Are there time goals on your list? All of these questions are important to consider.

As for "losing" anything, you could lay out with only moderately paced running or walking for a few weeks and not lose anything.

I am curious about your background - average weekly mileage, regular pace versus top end pace, number of races you have completed, etc. If you are just starting out just listen to your body and do was feels good. If something begins to hurt that is the time to evaluate the variables in your running form/training to determine the source of discomfort.

Good luck and let me know how things work out.

Between me and you, I love to run long ridiculous miles and thumb my nose at the people who say I (or people like me) are crazy. I think "crazy" would be to not even try.

__________

So readers, I have a question for you.  What is your recovery routine after The Big Race?  Do you take time off or do you stay in the saddle and keep chasing the horizon?  I would love to read your answers in the comments.

As always, thanks for finding your way over here.

Making the merch!

#DoEpicShit tech tees will be available for pre-orders very soon.  My goal is to have the first batch available for shipping prior to the Marine Corps Marathon and New York.  Hope your training is on target for whatever fall races you have planned.  Being #Epic should not happen by chance.  It certainly won't happen every day, but with solid effort you can #DoEpicShit when the time is necessary.

http://theunarunner.blogspot.com/p/merchandise.html

Running Out of the Shadows

I have lived my life in shadows. Never the best at anything. I never qualified (in my mind) for second or third best either. The fact of the matter is that I was never considered the smartest or strongest or swiftest and handsome for that matter. The events of my life sort of fit into the background. My experience would not be the subject of books or movies. Hell, I often wondered if I made any impact on the people I met beyond the initial "hello".

Compound this by thirty-five years. I skated by in school. I was not athletically inclined. More of a life spectator than life participant. Most of my stories were retold tales of other peoples' adventures. Sure, I spent four months in Beijing. I have an interesting story behind meeting my wife. There are other moments worth mentioning. But nothing that really made even me stand back and say "wow".

I often wondered if I even mattered. Outside my little circle of family I was curious (concerned) about my impact on the world. A former supervisor had a saying about our individual worth in the workplace. Put your hand in a bucket of water then pull it out. If the water does not fill the space your hand occupied then you are not replaceable. Otherwise we are all interchangeable. Not an entirely true statement but I get the point. And my pleas for assistance in this career confirmed my own diminished self-value. Ask for help enough and the response (or lack of) is telling.

"Do I matter to you once we part ways?"

So I longed to matter. I yearned to end the invisibility. I want to be noticed. Not for ego. But for value. I believe that all anyone wants is to know that we matter. On some level we affect people in positive ways and have a lasting impact. Whether it is art, music, literature, business or sports the impact one makes can be monumental or sublime. I don't need a ticker-tape parade down Main Street. A simple "thank you for being you" is usually enough.

Running has shredded my invisibility. My training motivates people to get active. (So I'm told) My racing inspires people to set goals. (So I'm told) My writing encourages people to share their own stories full of triumph and tragedy.

Sometimes I wonder about my place in all this. Maybe I am "too out there". The crazy thing is that every time I ponder receding to the shadows for a breather something amazing happens before I am able to retreat. A new connection is formed. An intriguing opportunity arises. An awesome recognition is bestowed upon me. These moments remind me that people see me in a way that I recently that foreign.

My wife jokes that I ego is growing to an uncontrollable proportion. An running friend commented that "the genie is out of the bottle". I think it is simple that I no longer shrink into the shadows. I try to stay humble. Speak with me in person and you will see it. I am still shy in social situations. Public boasting is still not my thing.

My new visibility has amazing consequences. Old friends are taking up running. Strangers are becoming new friends. Opportunities to test my limits and shatter my boundaries are coming up fast. No one truly knows how this all affects me, but I am impacted.

I don't long to "hear" myself talk. I don't need to have my ego stroked. I don't care to amass a cult-like following. I do hope to hear that someone improved an aspect of their life due to my example. Inspiration often arrived out of the blue. Encouragement may come from unexpected places. The best statement I could hope to hear would be "I did this because you did it too."

I am tired of hiding. Tired of being unnoticed. Tired of being inconsequential. I am not tired of running though. I have so many miles to go and so many stories to live.

Or something like that... Running has brought amazing, caring, wonderful individuals into my life. And no one has asked anything of me other than to believe in them. To be honest and trusting and hopeful. To be a friend. I run to live. 

I have a few stories to tell. Some are public. Some are private.  What I do know is that telling my story has helped heal the people involved. My story has comforted people, knowing they are not alone in their suffering or struggle.

Discovering my "visibility" is the cause of my smile today.

"Falling Short" Was Such a Great Leap Forward

The 2011 Myrtle Beach Marathon marks a day two years in the making.  When I decided in December 2008 to "become" a marathoner it was too late to register for the 2009 race here in my adopted hometown.  Then the 2010 was cancelled.  So I was extremely excited all week that the day was coming, that thousands of people were coming to my town to run on what would be a glorious day in mid-February.

The excitement started earlier in the week.  All the advance well-wishes from friends online was incredible.  The taper was not as bad as I had anticipated, except for the lack of sleep.  I only ran half my usual mileage by Thursday.  Thus I am wide awake at 3am Thursday, 1am Friday and 2am Saturday.  The fatigue finally hits me 6pm Friday and I am getting extremely irritable.  Fortunately Andria is extremely understanding and allows me to chill on my own.  (I do apologize for being an ass.  Knowing you are an ass is the first step toward not being an unbearable ass.)

The four o'clock alarm sounds, I kiss the wife and sleeping kidlets and I am off to collect my "pace rabbit".  Timothy P. of North Carolina offered to pace me through the race.  It is amazing how running is a bridge to "fast" friends, even when personalities or backgrounds can be so different.

We arrive at the parking lot next to the starting line and mingled amongst the crowd beginning to assemble.  There are even a few chance meet ups with fellow dailymilers such as Jonathon S, Aaron, Paul S, Matt and a few others that may have blended into the predawn excitement.  I also exchange well-wishes with local running friends making their way to the appropriate spots in the starting field.

Tim and I move forward and are in the second or third row off the starting line.  I am not nervous so much as ready to test myself and see how I will respond to the challenge I set for myself months ago.

My running is about so many things - physical fitness, mental & emotional wellness, breaking through barriers.  In the pursuit of being the best runner I can be I had aspirations of qualifying for Boston.  I also want to run New York City.  The lottery process would afford me a "guaranteed" entry by my fortieth birthday.  However,  after the Boston registration fiasco I looked into how one might avoid the NYC lottery and "qualify" for that race.  That change in focus meant I had to reset my race goal from 3:15:59 (7:27 minutes per mile) to 2:54:59 (6:40 minutes per mile).  And that difference is staggering.

The starting cannon fires and my left calf "pulls" with the first step.  Ugh!  So my race strategy suddenly changes from going hard and fast to managing the pain and staying on the course.  Going to be epic one way or another.

Tim and I manage to pick our way through the crowd over the first few miles.  We don't pass too many people as our early plan is to warm up to the pace.  The breathing is easy and legs feel good other than my calf.  This first major landmark will be seeing my family at Mile 6 in Market Commons, a local retail/residential area.

I bounced between 7:00/mi and 6:40/mi but as I see my family I suddenly speed up as the excitement overtakes me.  I worked out a system with my oldest daughter before the race.  I would flash a hand signal for my current pacing which she would text to dailymile.com through Twitter.  The race timing company offered live tracking for the race but that site crashed on race morning, so this little system with Lochlyn works out pretty well, as evidenced by the chatter on Twitter during the race.  As the course winds through the blocks of Market Commons I check my Garmin and realize my pace has dropped to under 6:20/mi.  Time to ease off the gas with nearly twenty miles still ahead of  us.

But I was somewhat unprepared for what would happen on the half mile back to the oceanfront.  This is the first "out and back" of the course with inbound runners filing past the outbound runners.  I scan the oncoming crowd for familiar faces.  I call out to Hal, a Michigander spending the winter here with his daughter and her family.  Then it happens.  I start hearing my name.  Shouts of "LOGAN!"  "GO UNARUNNER!"  Knowing that people were looking for me gave me a huge boost and put me in a very happy place. 

The next challenge is on Ocean Blvd.  Almost nine miles along the oceanfront into a north wind.  The wind is not cold, but offers heavy resistance.  The best approach I find in dealing with the wind is to just let it come.  I cannot redirect it, and with a set course I cannot avoid it.  Best to make friends and keep moving ahead.

We pass Bob and Tom at Mile 12.  They are dailymilers and offer encouragement.  Bob is a course volunteer.  Tom had hopes of running today but decided to hang out and soak in the atmosphere.  Tom snapped this picture for us.

We cross the halfway mark at 1:28 and change.  I am a minute and a half off my NYCQ goal but I have time to make that back if everything goes well.  No worries yet.

At some point Tim says he is developing a blister.  Apparently he does not get blisters and may have cause for concern.  Over the next five miles we process along fairly well only to realize I have lost Tim.  Never says a word.  Just not there.  I wonder what happen but later learn he developed a major foot problem and finishes ten minutes behind me.

One thing I know is that before any major race you cannot go to the bathroom enough.  If I do not have pee at the starting line I have not hydrated enough.  So by Mile 17 I need to make a pitstop.  I am on another short "out and back" and spy port-o-johns on the other side of the road, but figure I am still a half-mile away.  I cannot wait that long and start wondering if I can make it or risk jumping into the woods along the road.  I decide "to Hell with it" and hop into the woods, take care of business and get back to work.  But like my first marathon last November I am not able to recover my speed.  It is during mile 17 that my pace finally goes over seven minutes per mile.

Someone once suggested that I revel in any finish line.  A marathon completed is a good marathon.  That same person (and I cannot give credit because I have forgotten who said this) said to enter any race with multiple goals.  A single goal means I risk seeing the day as a failure if I cannot hit it.  But multiple goals gives me the opportunity to adjust and reset my determination and still have something to race for.

Goal Number One is to qualify for New York City with a time below 2:55:00.  My second goal is to run the course under three hours.  My third goal is to quality for Boston at 3:15:00.  And my fourth goal is to best 3:30:00.  The last goal would represent a fifteen minute PR over my first official marathon time.

So by Mile 18 I know that New York City will have to wait for another day.  I have other races on the schedule anyway.  My spirit will not be extinguished over a few numbers on a clock.  Now a sub 3 hour pace is on my mind.

Over the next few miles that cramp in my calf gets really bad.  And my right calf is starting to wake up.  My feet are sore and I dealt with mild stomach cramps during miles 18 & 19.  I've run through most of the water stops, grabbing Powerade or water as best I can.  However now I am walking through the stops.  Time to manage the course and the pain.

Lets just say that the next few miles were not fun.  I saw Haley on the course waiting for her husband Nathan, who is running his first marathon.  They are local running buddies and super positive people.  I enjoy sharing the road with them at any opportunity.  He has a tough day and looks awful at the finish line, but like me he is now a marathoner.  Needless to say seeing Haley's cheerful face is a nice boost to my spirits.

By mile 24 I pick up a quad cramp.  Never had that before.  I have to stop and stretch for a bit and quickly resume my slow trot to the finishing area.

I forgot to mention that my Garmin unlinked from the "Skynet" during mile 22.  So other than the course clocks every two miles I have no clue how I am doing.  At this point I accept that a sub 3 finish is lost as well.  Time to check in with Goal Number Three.

I realize that I have a chance at 3:10:00 but need to run as much of the final few miles as possible.  A runner passes me and says we have 1.5 miles to go, that I am looking good.  Just keep moving.  Time to find that place inside myself to provide the spark.  It occurs to me that 3:10:00 will be the new standard for Boston in 2013.  Better get it now while I have a shot.

Dedication miles are a big thing for me.  Sometimes running for myself is not enough.  I will think about people that inspire me.  I will run for them.  When I put all the people on my list I gave miles 1 and 26 to my wife Andria.  I think about her and our nearly twenty years together.  As I approached the final turn into the baseball stadium parking lot that hosted the finish area I repeated a few lines for/about Andria that made all my pain and frustration melt away.  

The final .2 are in a shoot with a right turn and approach to the finish.  As I enter the shoot I hear some dude shouting encouragement and saying 3:09 is within our grasp.  I realize he is the 3:10 pacer.  Just... Keep... Going...

Hundreds of spectators are lining the chute.  I see The Cobra cheering me on.  I see Andria and my youngest daughter and hear "GO DADDY!"  Only feet from the line I see Lochlyn, my oldest daughter, and hear my mom.  Suddenly my race is over.  3:09:20

I cannot tell you how hard I ran those final few hundred yards because I do not know.  I can not recall how I felt as I approached the finish line.  The cheers of the crowd propelled me forward.  And satisfaction is my reward.  As I move through the finishing area I bow my head low enough for a volunteer to place a medal around my neck.

The end of the race means that the pain in my calves I spent so long trying to suppress now have my full attention.  Walking is so painful, each step is an ordeal.  But unlike Chickamauga in November I never lay down.  I walk the long gated queue out of the finishing corral to join my family.  Time for water, bananas, oranges and whatever else I can find to eat.  The Grand Strand Running Club set up a tent with a massage therapist and beer keg.  Yay massage!  Yay beer!

 

My friend David Murphy posted to Facebook this update on his Voices In My Head page:

Some call him The UnaRunner.  Some call him Logan Hejl.  Now EVERYBODY will call him a Boston Qualifier.  WOOOOOOOOOOO!xBQ

Gotta love that...

While I did not meet all my goals in this race I am extremely happy with the result.  I gave my best effort and know where I need to focus in the future to make the necessary improvements.  The second half took twelve minutes longer than the first.  Need to work on lowering "the wall" just a bit.  I wondered about feeling embarrassed at publicly stating my ambitious goals then falling short.  But David said to keep having those "pie in the sky" goals.  I should keep putting myself out there.  Can't be awesome any other way.

Post script #1  So I will throw down the gauntlet for the next challenge here for all to read.  Since reading Born To Run and "friending" actual ultrarunners on Facebook and dailymile.com I have been bitten by the ultra marathon bug.  If I am able to resume training in short order and not break an ankle at the Rugged Maniac 5k on my birthday weekend next month I hope to participate in my first ultra.  The Lumberjack Endurance Run is calling my name and offers an opportunity to meet West Coast dailymilers.  It remains to be seen if I have the guts for the 50 miler, 100k or 100 miler.  I am so excited!

Post script #2  The overall winner was Kathleen Castles of New Providence, NJ.  With a finishing time of 2:40:11 she realized her goal of qualifying for the United States Olympic Trial.  Kathleen is the first female overall winner and set the female course record.  Good luck to her and all the other amazing athletes approaching 2012.

Post script #3  I have worn a HTFU bracelet since December of last year.  It was a gift from a great friend and inspiration, Farra Karsen, one of my sisters in running.  She gave the bracelet to me during a depressive time recently, when the cold and darkness of winter running threatened to crush my spirits.

I lost that bracelet some time early in the race, either in the starting area or once I pulled my shirt and gloves off in the first few miles.  From pictures Andria took I know it was gone by mile 6 .  I posted on Twitter that this bracelet is my most valued possession second only to my wedding ring.  The amazing thing is the the people at HTFU.com saw the tweet and are going to help me out.  Very awesome.

Post script #4  To explain how big 3:09:20 is, let me run the stats.  Of 1748 actual finishers, I crossed as number 45.  Forty-fifth out of one thousand seven hundred forty-eight.  HOLY HELL MAN!!!  Had I finished with a sub 3 hour time I would have finished at least twenty-first.  If this race went as planned I would have finished in the top eleven and within 15 minutes of the overall winner.  OH MY GOD!!!  In the age group division I placed seventh of 184 males aged 34-39.  I slashed forty-five minutes of my previous personal best.  I went from slogging through to a barely sub 4 hour marathon to a near miss of a sub 3 hour effort.  

There is still much work to do my friends.  Thanks for inspiring me...

The UnaRunner

A Little Stroll Through Recent Memories.

Now what?

I am five days removed from my first marathon.  I still marvel at the notion of completing this goal.  However am itching for something more.  I feel like the mountain climber who had just summited to only survey the horizon for the peak.  This is not to say that I have pushed aside the accomplishment, or forgotten anything about the ordeal I endured.  As I retreated down "the mountain" I have replayed the training cycle and the race itself for mistakes made and lessons learned.  These lessons may not apply to everyone.  These lessons work for me.

A high octane life needs high octane fuel.  

Are you a garbage disposal or do you choose what you eat for maximal metabolic efficiency?

I dropped soda and (most) junk food.  Fast food rarely touches my lips.  Beer is an occasional treat, not a daily staple.  Once I committed to running twenty-six point two I knew things had to change.  For too long I was overweight and slow and sad.  If I am to train for a marathon I need to train my diet, I needed to get control of urges and impulses.  I knew that to run farther and faster I had to run better.  For me that also meant eating better.

Denial and sacrifice are not bad things if I enjoy the results.  

You can't always get what you want.  But sometimes you find that you get what you need (where did that come from?).

Someone once said to eat, drink and be merry for we are not promised tomorrow.  I say live like tomorrow is guaranteed, so that you may make tomorrow better than today.  I am happy to have replaced the hangover with muscle fatigue.  It seems a worthy reward for the person I want to be.

If you are afraid of losing the enjoyment in life, sacrificing the foods and drinks that make life fun, review what you do eat.  What on that list aids your training?  What on the list makes you better at whatever you do?  And what holds you back?  Then decide if being "held back" is worth refusing to change your habits.  Like I said some time before, I want farther and faster.

Respect the distance.  

Any distance is difficult when you add the element of racing.  Six point two miles through a park is pretty easy.  No pressure.  But add a race bib and a start/finish line suddenly nerves creep in.  You have to prepare physically and mentally.  Unfortunately most people overlook the mental aspect of race training.


Two different friends from dailymile in the wake of my marathon disappointment said to "respect the distance".  Truer words were never spoken.  Twenty-six point two miles is no joke.  Nor is it a walk in the park.  Some people are natural runners and other people struggle with running.  But all runners have to cover the same distance.  With each mile lies a chance for failure.  To avoid failure is to stay focused on the task and reach the finish line while reaching as many goals as possible along the way.

Respect the training.  

If you don't train for it you can't race for it.  Avoid hills while training and you will lose your "race" on the hills.  If you don't train for speed you can't pull it out when you need the kick.

In response to "respect the distance" I said that it is more important for me to respect the training.  This is not to belittle the previous statement.  And there was a misunderstanding about that as well.  But if a runner does not take training seriously the runner's goals will remain out of reach.

Some runners wing it through a cycle.  Others build meticulous plans that must be followed at every step to ensure optimal physical and mental preparation.  I learned that training is serious business, especially with long distance running.  Run fast.  Run slow.  Run short.  Run long.  But run according to plan and at the right times.  Peak too soon and race day will be a failure.  "Try something different" on race day and you will suffer.

Now that Chickamauga is done and I have turned my attention to Myrtle Beach in February I am setting my plan in motion.  Base.  Tempo.  Intervals.  Hills (yes, I count highway overpasses as hills).  And the dreaded Recovery.  Every part has a role to play.  And every training day I shall work on some aspect of my program.    What I learned on Saturday is that there is never an "easy" run.  Good runs, yes.  Great runs, certainly.  And just maybe, if I stay smart and focused, I can have that great run.


I know that my running will not change the world.  I know that my running has not even changed me all that much.  What running has done is to expose aspects of me that I did not know existed.  It has opened up parts of me that even my wife and parents did not know were present in my personality.  Running shows what I am capable of when I let go of fear and self-doubt and worry of failure.  This is personal and subjective.  All my thoughts are directed toward making me a better "whatever".  Decide what your better "whatever" should be and get after it.  No one can do it for you.  Good luck.

The devil when down in Georgia...

Kidding me right?  Can't say I was not warned.

"In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be."

- Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Where it all went down.  There may still be a chalk outline on the road from last year.

I'll save you the boring crap about the drive from Myrtle Beach to northwest Georgia.  The expo was forgettable other than the Daily Mile connection made with Gordon H. from Alabama.  He is a great guy and I enjoyed our visit before and after the race.

Hey, UnaRunner?  What's your real name?

So we got to the start/finish area around 6.30am with plenty of time to warm up and hit the bathroom (twice) before the official start at 7.30am.  There were lots of people like at most races.  All shapes and sizes.  Untold number of reasons for starting and goals for finishing.  There were 50-staters and green-horn first-timers.  I lined up with Gordon and Drew T. also from Daily Mile.  Always great to see friendly faces before (and during) a race.

The cannon roared and we were off.  The course begins with a loop around Barnhardt Circle then directs the runners on a local road before quickly shooting into the park.  For approximately one mile we were on broken asphalt "trail" closed in by trees.  A slight downhill slope was cause for early restraint on speed.  Got to go easy.  Once in the park the course became an eleven mile double loop.  We ran on blacktop through narrow forest and sunlit fields and monuments to states and soldiers whom gave blood and sweat in service to a cause greater than any little race.

The Chickamauga National Military Park is the site of a battle between Federal and Confederate forces as General Sherman's army attempted to break out of Chattanooga and head south for Atlanta.  While "Johnny Reb" won the day at Chickamauga, the loses where so heavy that when the Union forces made a second attempt the next spring they met little opposition.

The first loop went fairly well.  I ran for a few miles with a runner who's name I cannot recall.  But he is memorable in that he ran New York the previous Sunday.  His only goal this day was to enjoy himself.

The course is very windy with lots of banked turns.  Running the tangents is very important to minimize the distance you could run if you hugged the white line.  I think I would eventually run 26.4 miles in total.

I shared time with another runner from Atlanta.  Sam appeared to by older than me and was a capable strider.  He had not trained much lately but hoped for a good time and whatever time to day allowed.  I eventually pulled away from both Mr. New York and Sam.

Last year I DNFed on this course.  The pain, physical and emotional, of that day let me forget just how hilly the course is.  Because of this I had not trained for hills.  That would prove to be my undoing.

Let me clue you into a little secret.  Myrtle Beach is flat.  The only true hills are bridges and highway overpasses.  I could have gotten hill work in had I felt it necessary.  My gut let me down.  I realized how wrong I was as my dad and I drove through the park on Friday afternoon.  In the span of three miles there were at least four rises, the last of which was long and straight and high.  Probably not much for local runners or folks used to hilly terrain.  But this flat lander was about to get cooked.

I am a follower of Chi Running, a running style developed out of Tai Chi by Danny Dreyer.  I have spent the last sixteen months working through the forms and techniques to improve my running form and efficiency.  The process reduced or all but eliminated any joint pain that used to plague me as a runner.  Chi Running allowed me to enjoy running and excel as a runner.  But Danny is adamant in his commandments of "gradual progression" and maintaining focus regardless of the distance, pace or workout.

The thing to know about Chi Running for those unfamiliar is that it is very specific in how to move or hold every part of the body.  From head to toe every part has a slot or way to move to draw out maximum efficiency on the move.  During most run on flat ground the arms swing in a very short zone, from wrist to elbow always along the torso.  The arms act as a counter-balance to the legs and aid in forward momentum.  See pages 102-106 of Chi Running for greater detail on arm swing.  But one must understand that the elbow never comes forward of the rib cage.  Except when on a full sprint or on hills.  On up hill runs one will swing the arms forward as if punching ones self in the chin.  This aids upward momentum.  However it can apply greater stress on muscle along the spinal column from the neck through the shoulder blades.  Not good if one has not "worked" on hills during the most recent training cycle.

Even saw my dad on Mile 12.  Nice moment.

But, and its a big "but" the likes of which Sir Mix-a-lot pens hit songs about, I felt something "off"  by Mile 11.

I used get awful neck and shoulder pain early in my running.  I have been able to reduce the tension and run without pain in my upper back for several months.  This development was not good.  Anyway, I still had asphalt to kick.

By Mile 15 I had to hit pit road.  Just a quick stop to empty the tank and then back on the road.  Great thing about a park course is that will all the trees I don't have to wait for a port-a-john.  Whoo-hoo!!!

However that were things went off the tracks.  Permanently.  The pain in my neck and back moved into my shoulders and upper arms.  I never thought pain in my arms would affect my running but I was nearly in tears from the cramping.*  Unfortunately things would get worse.

Drew T. passed me somewhere around mile 19 or 20.  He asked how I was feeling.  Guess it was obvious but I answered with "I feel like shit".  His response was "same here".  And off he went.  Go get it Drew!

I had to walk in stretches beginning on Mile 20.  Only a 10k to go** and I know it will be the hardest 10k of my life.  While dealing with my shoulder pain I finally was forced to notice a new pain in my right foot.  There was a spot on the ball of my foot was in pain.  Toward the outside.  Right where I was planting with each stride.  By Mile 22 the run at 3.15.00 was over.  I could not run more that 100-200 yards without walking.  For a while.  I passed 22 miles at 2.55.38.  My shoulders didn't hurt as much as my foot anymore, but the overall effect on my body was overwhelming.  And because of pressure from my foot my calves were starting to cramp up.  Not in the funny sort of cramp either.  And I knew 3.30.00 was gone also.  Now all I hoped to do was get to the finish line.

My only explanation for the foot would be to blame the curved, banked road on the course.  Most of the roadway sloped downward left to right, so my right foot was usually lower and may have been planting harder than I thought at the time.  Could never get past it during the race.

Say my dad on the second loop on Mile 23.  I stopped to walk a minute and let him know I was not well but would be ok.  He needed to get back to the finish line as soon as possible.  Still have not seen my daughter or mom since before the race start.

I considered quitting.  I questioned if I really want to run.  At all.  I wondered if I was good enough to run far.  That is what I want more than anything.  I like the shorties.  5k and 10k are fun.  Quick and done.  But The Marathon is a whole other thing.  And an ultra is like a dream I don't dare dream.  But running far is what I want.

Running is my health outlet.  It got me into shape.  It made me healthy.  But I need a race and training to stay focused.  Without wanted to be a marathoner I would still be fat and unhappy and not what I want to be now.

My new goal, in the moment, for the short term, was to get back to Barnhardt Circle.  Two turns and done.  All down hill.  I can do that.  I think...

"Why couldn't Pheidippides have died here?"

- Frank Shorter, 22 miles into his first marathon, in 1971.

As I entered Barnhardt Circle for the final quarter mile I knew I had to run.  No matter how slow I went I absolutely had to run.  No matter how badly my foot hurt I had to run.  And since the final quarter mile was downhill I a little assist when I needed it most.  The road straighted out on the final stretch, and I know it sounds cliche, but I heard nothing and felt nothing.  Tunnel vision directed me onward with little thought other than to finish.

With only twenty yards to go I noticed movement to my left.  My daughter Lochlyn burst from the crowd and joined me for the final push.  I don't remember anything else till I was handed the finisher's medal.  Couldn't tell if the clock was even working.  That is how happy I was that my daughter stepped out.

Finishing with my "best eleven year old in the world"!

After I crossed the finish line I was handed my medal and "first-timer" plaque.  Then I stumbled to where my parents were on the road side and fell onto the grass.  My mom later told me she thought I was dead.  No, not yet.  But I laid there with my eyes closed and not moving for what seemed like a half-hour.  Maybe longer, maybe not.  I occasionally moved my arm.  I had to cough once and couldn't.  A lower abdominal cramp prevented that from happening.  I tried to get up once and couldn't.  My mom knew I was breathing.  Thank goodness for the auto-response systems in the body.  

I still cannot fathom that I met one of my goals.  In spite of much talk or bluster about wanting a Boston Marathon qualifying time the mostly likely and realistic goal was to finish.  And after nearly two years of planning and training and trying I could proclaim myself a "marathoner".  My name is on the list.  No DNF.  No omission from the shared struggle of a common cause.  Regardless of the reason or the result***, I did it.

There may be more to write.  More detail or emotion to get down.  Things to commit to "paper" before time erases the day from my memory.  My wife watched me type most of this and has commented about the length.  Maybe I am long winded tonight.  Forgive me for having a lot to say.  And there is even more to say about that day and the three days since.  There may be a few updates as I think them necessary

"...some people take to marathons in testament to the fact there is still substance and life in them.  

For others, it's simply a celebration of their life or perhaps the lives of others."

- Amby Burfoot, as interviewed for The 2,500-Year-Old Man

Sports Illustrated, November 15, 2010

* About four o'clock in the afternoon it hit me.  The excessive arm swing on Mile 7 aggravated a set of muscles I rarely need in running.  Had I not used the forward arm swing, or actually used hill work during the training cycle I may have avoided this problem.  For my mental state I was stoked to hit on this little pearl of wisdom so quickly.  It took me two weeks to work through my ankle issue from last year.  Things are already looking up.

** That final 10k took about 70 minutes.  The final two and a half miles about 40 minutes.  Consider me humbled.  Pushing through when there is nothing but the finish is an amazing thing.  Elites sometimes quit rather than risk injury.  They must be ready for the "next race".  For myself and others on that course Saturday the 2010 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon was the only race.

*** My split times for people who may want to analyze such things.  Roscoe?  Greg?

One final note.  Today I ran.  Two days after Chickamauga.  I ran over seven miles and finished that run like a kid chasing summer.  Easy and painless and free of worry.  Or as free as I could be only days removed from my first marathon.  The calf soreness was moderate.  The foot pain was minimal.  The shoulder pain was non-existant.  I may have learned a few things regarding training and race day but one thing is certain. 

I am a runner.