My own personal 10K - Pompton Plains, NJ - May 17, 2020

The way things have been going, who knows if the hypothetical half-marathon for which I have been training will be anything more than that.  But in the meantime, the schedule for Hal Higdon's Advanced half-marathon training program said I have to run a 10K, so it was time to select another old race to re-run.

For this one, I chose the Apple Chase 10K in Pompton Plains, which I ran on May 4, 2013.  I remember it being notable because it was the first time I met North Jersey's greatest runner, Rob Albano (who, of course, won the race), and also because it was where I achieved my PR, thanks to the super flat course that had nothing even resembling a hill.

There was no illusion that I would come even close to that 38:19 record, nor did I even think I could match the 39:34 result from the Grand Prairie, Texas, race from only five months ago.  No, my speed game has gone quickly downhill this year, so there was no expectation that even a sub-40 was in the cards.

I studied the course map from CertifiedRoadRaces.com and set about to run the race late Sunday morning.  It was a pleasant 63 degrees and sunny, though a little breezy.  Starting with a first mile of 6:10 northbound along West End Avenue was encouraging, but my stamina quickly dropped in the second mile along Mountain Avenue and southbound along the Boulevard, with a 6:18.

Continuing into the wind, it was getting increasingly difficult to maintain even that pace, so my third mile was 6:36.  Even after turning onto Slingerland Avenue (now in the borough of Lincoln Park) and doing the quick out-and-back on Frances Road, things were not getting any better with a 6:38.

Ouch.  It was not that long ago - just a few years - when those splits were slow for a half-marathon, let alone a 10K.  I had to push with all my might along West Parkway to try to make some kind of improvement in the last two miles, especially since I was now heading north with the wind at my back.  All I could do in miles five and six, though, was maintain status quo with 6:37 and 6:32, respectively.

The last few tenths of a mile for the Apple Chase race are supposed to be on the grounds of Pequannock Township High School on Sunset Road, through the field gate and onto the track for a big finish (I love track finishes!).  Unfortunately, the gates were closed, so I had to turn around and finish the last quarter mile on the road, with a finish time of 40:10, which was around what I expected. 

I can only imagine what it would have been like if there were hills involved, but that is something to find out another day.  On this day, I ran the best race I could, as a 45-year-old in the early stages of post-PR life.  At this point, what matters most is that I keep putting in the effort.  I will keep training, I will keep racing, and I will keep posting times, official or not.

Boonton SRT 5K - April 26, 2020

The weird times continue, but I still will not change my training cycles.  I decided to start training for a half marathon, ostensibly to take place sometime in the early summer.  Of course, the possibility remains that there will be no race to run.  Plus, Hal Higdon's Advanced Half-Marathon training program calls for sporadic shorter races to be run during the training cycle and there are definitely none of those happening.

There were plenty, however, that were supposed to happen, such as the Boonton SRT 5K in Boonton, NJ, on April 26.

Here is a fun fact: Any race that is certified by USA Track and Field has an official course map archived at certifiedroadraces.com.  Race got canceled?  No problem!  Look up the course map and run it yourself.  The start, end and turnaround points are explained and visualized in great detail, so you can be certain of its accuracy, even more so than if you use your GPS watch.  And knowing that you can run the exact race for which you trained gives your result that much more authenticity than if you ran 3.1 miles anywhere else.

So I found the course map and ran the race (later in the day, in case anyone else had the same idea).  

It was a chilly morning for the end of April, but I wore shorts because I was taking this as seriously as if it was the actual planned event.  I was happy to blast off as quickly as possible, if only to warm up.  The first mile through the pleasant suburban neighborhood was flat and then downhill, which led me to a 5:56 - my first sub-six mile in more than five months (the first mile of the Purple Stride 5K in November).

That was not going to last and I knew it.  Things leveled off alongside some woods and the Boonton Reservoir, but what goes down must come up again, so I had to go uphill in the second mile, resulting in a 6:28.  A 36-second slowdown is a huge swing, and I was determined to pick up the pace.  

The third mile included two turnarounds, which always tend to kill momentum, and I needed all the momentum I could muster since I was rapidly running out of steam.  By the time I was on the home stretch, I was hurting.  I pushed as hard as I could, but my aging body has been on a noticeable decline, no matter how hard I train.  My legs cannot churn as quickly, my heart cannot pump as strongly, and my lungs cannot process oxygen as efficiently.  

Still, I managed to (painfully) pull out a 6:12 for the third mile and hit the finish with a 19:21, exactly one second faster than I did a few weeks prior when I did the Verona Labor Day 5K course as my own personal race.

So this is it.  This is 2020: Racing by myself, with only two competitors - the clock and the effects of aging.  Awards and medals aside, that is what it has always been about anyway.  I guess not much has changed after all.  See you later in the month for my next 10K, then.

My Own Personal 5K #3 - April 5, 2020 - Verona, NJ

These are weird times.  Everything you normally do, the way you do it, has to change in some way.  But I would be damned if I was not going to run the post-marathon 5K as scheduled.  I would have to improvise, but I would do it.

As part of my recovery from the two marathons, I had planned to run the St. Cassian 5K in Montclair and Bloomfield - at Brookdale Park, site of my first 5K ever, back in 2006 - scheduled for April 5.  Then the coronavirus started to spread.  By the third week of March, I was working from home.  Shortly after, events started getting canceled.  

OK, no problem.  I am a disciplined guy.  If they cancel the race, my backup plan will be to get the course map from the website, show up at the park later in the day, and run the damn race myself.

Sure enough, by the end of March, the race was canceled.  Then, at the beginning of April, Gov. Murphy shut down all state and county parks, of which Brookdale is the latter.  I drove to the park in hopes that maybe the shutdown was only to stop people from driving to the park and congregating in groups.  However, there was yellow "caution" tape at every entrance, so I drove to neighboring Verona, where I had run the Labor Day 5K in 2011.

The course starts on Lakeside Drive, flat for the first half-mile, until a turn onto Hillside sends you uphill.  At 45 years old, I am now feeling the effects of aging after more than a decade of hard running.  Nine years ago, I bounded up that hill and made the next turn onto Forest to hit the first mile marker in under six minutes.  Not so this time, with a 6:22.  By the time I got to the turnaround on Forest, not even at the halfway point, I was already feeling winded and running out of gas.  But at least I got to go down that hill, which helped me get a 6:13 in the second mile.

Back onto Lakeside, I pushed as hard as I could, turning onto Bloomfield Avenue and then into Verona Park (which, as a municipal park, was open).  There were people strolling while wearing masks and cops present to - I assume - ensure that people did not get together in groups.  And then there was me, loudly grunting and huffing and puffing my way into my imaginary finish line.

I managed to hit mile three with a 6:09, finishing near the boat house with a final time of 19:22.  Looking at my times now, I am happy to see that I negative split every mile.  But at that moment, all I could think of, while gasping for breath and jogging a couple of miles to shake it off and cool down, was how nine years ago I did that course in 18:33.  I thought about how only four years ago, I triumphantly ran sub-18-minute 5Ks at two consecutive races.  And now, it is a struggle to even hit the low 19s.  

This is the day that, I imagine, every runner dreads - the day that you realize that not only are your PRs permanently in the rearview mirror, but you are never even going to come close.  I have reverted back to my run times from a decade ago.  And eventually, I will end up with results that are slower than even that first 5K in Brookdale Park, as a 31-year-old.  

I asked a running colleague who recently turned 60 how he coped with it.  He told me two things - first, to start looking more at the "age-graded" scores on result lists because it gives you an idea of how you did for your age; and, more importantly, he told me to keep putting in the same effort.  The result does not matter as much as long as you know you are giving it all you have, just like you did when you were running PRs.  

Sound advice, regardless of whether there are actual races to run.

Double Marathon Weekend video

Here's my video from the Ellerbe Marathon and One City Marathon.

One City Marathon - Newport News, VA - March 1, 2020

Even as far as mile 6 of the One City Marathon in Newport News, Virginia, I had my doubts.  Could I actually complete two sub-four-hour in two states in two days?  I had never run a race with such sore legs before, so at that point, I wondered if the answer was no.  But I was already in the thick of it and there was no turning back. We had literally come too far.

With Gloria behind the wheel on Saturday, we stopped at an Italian restaurant in Suffolk, VA, for a pasta dinner and arrived at our hotel in Newport News, VA, around 7 p.m.  That gave me just enough time to get my clothes ready and get to sleep by 9 p.m.

I woke up at 4 a.m., did some stretches and slathered Biofreeze on my tired legs.  Sure, I had held back as much as I could at the Ellerbe Marathon the day before, but 26.2 miles of running followed by six hours in a car still takes its toll.  Sitting on the bus to take us to the start line of this point-to-point race for an hour after that did not exactly help much, either.

Needless to say, when the race finally started at 7 a.m. Sunday, on the unseasonably cold morning (28 degrees), I was on stiff legs.  If the prior day was about holding back, this race would be about pushing through.

I started the 12/31/99 midnight-to-sunrise Phish set in my headphones at the beginning of "Slave to the Traffic Light".  Even though I had finished that song the previous day, my confidence was shaky and I suspected I would need almost the entire four hours to finish this race.  Sure enough, my first mile, through the park was 8:57.  Good enough.  Twenty-five more of those and my goal is reached.

A quick out-and-back in mile two (8:14) on a state highway led to some local roads for the next few miles (8:32, 8:22, 8:30) before moving on to U.S. Highway 60 for a few miles.  I chalked up those relatively swift miles to the excitement of the beginning of the race and the fact there were a few hundred more people at this race than the day before.

Beautiful tree-lined street in mile 5

Thankfully, the entirety of this marathon was flat, with only a few exceptions that amounted to nothing more than some small inclines and declines (definitely nothing I would call "hills", especially after Ellerbe) so my pace stayed rather consistent with 8:29 and 8:38 for miles six and seven.

With more than a quarter of the race finished, my confidence increased greatly.  Off of the highway and onto some local roads, I managed to keep things status quo (8:38, 8:51, 8:54, 8:35) without worrying as much.  So when I got to one of those inclines in mile 12, I took it gingerly with a 9:00 pace.  Knowing that I could do every mile at that pace for the rest of the race and still finish well under four hours boosted my confidence even more, especially as I hit mile 13 at 8:33 and the halfway point at 1:53:38.  I could spend two hours and six minutes on the second half and still reach my sub-four-hour goal.  Mile after mile of flat course meant that there was a real possibility of not needing nearly that much time, since my splits would likely be more consistent than on Ellerbe's hilly course (where my second half was a full two hours after a 1:51:xx first half).

The sign at the swim club in mile nine said, "Marathoners - just keep swim running"

Sideline support from the local residents in mile nine

I was finally comfortable enough to tell myself that it was not a matter of whether I would do it, but rather how long it would take. I was sore, no doubt about it - it was my 40th mile of the weekend.  But somehow, the building excitement of not just reaching, but smashing that goal got me through the next mile (8:30). After the 15th mile (8:44) it dawned on me that if I kept up the sub-nine miles, I would actually tie the marathon from a day ago.  And then after mile 16 (8:36), the prospect of actually beating it became all too real, especially as I was propelled by some seriously awesome Phish jams like "Drowned -> After Midnight" and a particularly killer "Piper".

If restraint was the order of the day in Ellerbe, consistency was the name of the game in Newport News, and somehow, I kept nailing it through miles 17 (8:44), 18 (8:44), and 19 (8:46) - through Christopher Newport University and into the Mariners' Museum and Park.  "Roses Are Free" started in my ears while I was in the park, as a beautiful view of the James River appeared before me.  Knowing this legendary half-hour jam would take me well into mile 22 and that nine-minute miles from that point on would still net me a better result than the day before, I hung back a bit, with 9:02, 9:01, and 9:04 as I ran through some suburban neighborhoods with people on their driveways cheering for the runners.

Four miles left, with 38 minutes to run them to beat the marathon I had finished less than 24 hours prior.  I had it in the bag, with an 8:47, 8:57 and 8:58 as I made my way into downtown Newport News, joined now by the half-marathon runners and 8K runners.  The excitement of finishing strong, with runners around me and spectators on the sidelines (for a change), the closing sequence of "2001 > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Meatstick" to end the Phish show that had been playing my ears for two days and...holy moly...beating yesterday's time by two minutes...led me to make my last mile an 8:18.  Mile 26 was not only my fastest of the race, but the fastest since mile four of Ellerbe!

Fun signs from locals in mile 23 - "Go random stranger, go!",  "May the course be with you", "Smile, remember you paid to do this" and "Run like zombies are chasing you."

Passing by Newport News Shipbuilding in mile 25

My final time was 3:48:36.  I was elated.  Overjoyed.  Beside myself.  And sore.  All worth it.  Two marathons in two states in two days, and they were not even my two slowest marathons ever, either.

Post-race party in the park in downtown Newport News

At 45 years old, with no more desire to attempt a personal record, I managed to set and reach a new, different goal.  That is what keeps this sport exciting - there are always new ways to approach it.  The only question...what next?

Me, triumphant, with beer

Ellerbe Marathon - Ellerbe, NC - Feb. 29, 2020

"Why are you texting me from a marathon???" wrote my friend, Ali, after I sent her a message while I was in the 25th mile of the Ellerbe Marathon. A good question, since texting is not exactly a typical activity during a marathon.

But my experience on the beautiful, sunny and perfectly chilly race morning in Ellerbe, North Carolina, was not typical. Even as my leg muscles were literally twitching because they were so ready to blast off and send me soaring through my 23rd marathon, I had to keep reminding myself, "The training was not for this race, it was for tomorrow." 

For 12 weeks, I did track intervals, hill sprints, tempo runs and, most importantly, lots and lots of miles - maxing out at 64 in my peak week, which included 19 on Saturday and 23 on Sunday.

On this race day, though, the hardest work would be restraint - holding back and saving it for the next day, when I planned on running the second of two sub-four-hour marathons in two states in two days.

So, with only 99 other marathon runners and 75 half-marathon runners lined up on Page Street in the tiny town of Ellerbe - along with a handful of spectators, like my wife (bless her heart for driving us there from New Jersey the day before) - I started the race as slowly as possible.

By the time I finished the first mile (8:04), I was already in the country, with lots of open space and not much more.

Because both races would be relatively small affairs (this one, especially), I had a plan to listen to music. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the massive midnight-to-sunrise set that Phish played on 12/31/1999, I thought it would be perfect to break up the seven-and-a-half hour set over the two days. Adding some padding in the front with the clock ticking and the "Meat Stick" gag, and at the end with "Here Comes the Sun", it was possible to time it perfectly.

"Meatstick" kicked in after mile two (8:18) and "Auld Lang Syne" hit at mile three (7:51) as some uphill work began during the big "Down With Disease" jam.

The course was hilly, as expected, but certainly no more so than what I had been training on. In fact, I had to stop myself from giving in to my instinct of pushing up the hills. Taking small steps and keeping the energy expense to a minimum, I still ended up with a sub-8 in mile four (7:58). 

Just me, my shadow and two other runners in sight - 
and this was only the fourth mile.

I controlled myself with an (8:27) for mile five and the slow incline through mile six (8:45). The uphill after a turn onto a road that led to a turnaround just after mile seven (8:48) helped me back off a bit. Rolling hills through miles eight, nine, and ten (8:19, 8:32, 8:33) led to the flat miles (8:26, 8:26, 8:33) into town and the finish line, where I would turn and do it all again.

The turnaround point in mile eight was in front of that church that seems to be in the middle of nowhere. 

Downhill after the turnaround in mile eight

A long, quiet road ahead into mile nine

Mile 10 with no one in sight

More cows than runners in sight in mile 10



Again, restraint was the name of the game - go only fast enough to get in under four hours. That meant a 9:00 pace, but there I was at the halfway mark about eight minutes under two hours, an 8:30 pace. 

For the first time in a marathon, I was happy that the upcoming hills and inevitable fatigue would slow me down in the second half. That, plus taking pictures; and texting my wife, my mom, and my friends. Anything to force me to slow down!


So, around the loop I went again, with even fewer other runners in sight. Sometimes none.

My splits were thankfully getting slower - 8:31, 8:45 and 8:58 in miles 14, 15, and 16. The 8:37 for mile 17 would be the fastest until the end as the rolling hills continued with 8:45, 9:13, 9:27, 8:45, 9:35 (mile 22 was the big one, with the road pitched at an ankle-busting angle, to boot) and 9:11 while the 20-minute "Sand -> Quadrophonic Toppling" jam played in my ears (and was exactly what I needed).








Coming up on mile 22

Mile 25

Finally heading back into town for the last three miles (9:06, 8:55, 9:11), I felt good about having slowed my pace enough to make the back half of the race an even two hours. I crossed the finish line with a 3:50:27, just as "Slave to the Traffic Light" was peaking in my ears - the halfway point in the all-night set.



Texting my Phish fan friend, Ali, during Mile 25




Gloria commented that I had never walked so well immediately after a race, and she was correct. That must have meant that I saved enough for the next day. Mission accomplished, then.

I collected my medal, had a bite to eat, did some stretches, and went back to the Ellerbe Springs Inn to shower. An hour after finishing the race, I was in the car (with Gloria behind the wheel again) and on the way to Newport News, Virginia, for the marathon that was to begin in a mere 18 hours.

Marathons XXIII and XXIV

Money is tight these days, so how do I continue my quest to run a marathon in every state?

Do two in one weekend.  That saves a lot on travel expenses.

I have heard of the Marathon Maniacs doing multiple races in bordering states in a weekend, but those folks are doing leisurely five-hour-plus races.  I want to do each of my marathons in less than four hours while I am still able.  So tackling two in one weekend is a big undertaking.

But how do I train for it?

I decided to follow Hal Higdon's Advanced I Marathon training program, but with one alteration.  Instead of my Saturday runs amounting to half the distance of my Sunday long runs, the tactic has been to gradually (but swiftly) increase them to being more than three-quarters, except on the "step back" weeks, during which both the Saturday and Sunday runs are 13 miles. 

As the mileage grows this gets a lot more difficult, but I figure it will be only way to condition my body for this feat.  Running 20 miles is tough enough on an average training day.  Doing 20 miles the day after running 17 miles requires a whole other strategy.

For one, it is absolutely imperative on Saturdays to take my runs much more slowly than normal.  Instead of a mid-7s pace, Saturdays would be done at low 8s.  That allows me to have the energy to muster up some low- to mid-8s on Sunday.  Because the goal is to do sub-four-hour races, it is imperative that I do not get too close to a 9:00 pace.  That is the ceiling for the race days and I want it to be as comfortable as possible.  If I can crank out low- to mid-8s in training, then high-8s should be a cake walk at the races.

But then, maybe not.  Who knows?  This is all foreign territory and I am making it up as I go.  

One thing is for sure, though.  I am registered for two races in two states in two days and I am determined to make it happen.  If I succeed in running each of them in less than four hours, I will be only one future similar weekend from the halfway point to the 50<4 club.