Boston (and Runners) as a Community

Runners make up an interesting community; we are at times self absorbed yet compassionate and willing to help others. I have been following many in the running community as  they display their support for the BAA and the victims. Below is a note from the BAA:

Boston stands as one

Thank you to all our  fans for your outpouring of support. So many of you have asked “how can we help?” Thanks to adidas, one of our sponsors, here’s a great way, the “Boston stands as one” t-shirt. The t-shirt is available at adidas.com with 100% of the proceeds going to The One Fund Boston, Inc. The One Fund Boston, Inc. was announced yesterday to support those affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on Monday.

The limited edition “Boston stands as one” t-shirt is available now at adidas.com for $26.20.

http://www.adidas.com/us/boston-tribute-tee/_/N-1z125b0#

During our Tuesday AM practice, some of the runners that I coach as well as other assistant coaches gathered for this picture below as a show of support.

Boston 2013: A Reflection

I ran my 3rd Boston Marathon in what I thought would be an ideal race. My training went well. I was not tired nor fatigued. The temps were ideal though not perfect. As I ran this race, all I could think about were my splits — as noted below.

However, after hours of thinking about what transpired at the finish line yesterday, my thoughts turned into anger regarding the bombings. The picture above was no more than 75 yards from one of the explosions. Janette was about 100 yards from the explosion, though we had left by that point; I had crossed the line and was already cleaned up and at the airport when I heard of the attack. I suspect this was the work of amateur domestic terrorist. Maybe right-wing members of some anti-government group. It is very strange in that all I could do after the race was reflect on how poorly I ran. I wanted to go out slow before dropping the pace — which I did, but I just did not have the strength to wrestle my way through the last set of (Newton) hills. I suspect the cramps were indicative of my training; it is very hard to simulate Boston when you live in Houston. But, in the end, no one will really care about how they performed in this race… not even the winners. The 117th Boston Marathon will be placed in the same category as the 1996 Olympic Village bombing that transpired in Atlanta.

Below are my splits at each mile marker. My goal was to start slow then drop the pace. In the end, I could not negotiate with the demands of a course that operates like one big roller coaster ride. And once you survive the first part, you have to deal with the Newton Hills. By then, if you are me anyway, your legs are trashed.

1. 7:02
2. 6:51
3. 6:48
4. 6:50
5. 6:51
6. 6:48
7. 6:48
8. 6:48
9. 6:44
10. 6:49
11. 6:48
12. 6:47
13. 6:44
14. 6:50
15. 6:55
16. 6:42
17. 7:13
18. 7:15
19. 7:05
20. 7:26
21. 8:16  My first set of leg cramps.

22. 8:01 I was still recovering from cramps.

23. 7:54 I thought I had a gear left in me but I was done.

24. 8:55  My second set of leg cramps.

25. 9:07

26.2 9:45

In the end, I was frustrated with my performance. A 3:14 does not cut it, especially when one looks at my other times. I will regroup and bounce back for my next shorter distance race sometime this summer. Until then, I will reflect on my fortunes and the shameful event in Boston. I do appreciate the number texts, calls, and notes from everyone.

Like so many people, the above image is now planted in my head. I hate cowards!

What did the Professor do Over Spring Break?

I did not party. Too old for that now.  I got in a great deal of sleep. I really needed it. Better yet, I am convinced that with the miles I have logged, I was operating at a deficit. But for the most part, my week was pretty standard. It started off with the RRCA Classic 10k championship. Now for me, a 6.2 mile run is nothing. However, I could not get in rhythm for this race as it set the tone for the week. I think I placed 38th out of 1700 runners — but 8th in my division. It was designed to be a faster than tempo pace workout. My time sucked. I was slow. I will be sure to note my “slowness” under race report at my other blog.

The rest of the week was a combination of research and writing, as well as a great deal of sleep. I can honestly say that I felt rested last week. I am truly going to miss spring break. I will not see that kind of sleep for a while. Not even during the summer months. I can relate in many ways to Homer Simpson’s sleeping experience; I am sure I looked like him while crashed-out on the couch. OK. I did not have a beer to help me relax and sleep. I did not need it. Plus, I am a wine-o… though the end of the week pic will contradict this point.

I did get some research and writing done. Well, more reading than writing. As noted on an earlier post, I am drafting a paper for a June conference in Maryland entitled: Revisiting the Problem of the Twentieth Century: Will Evangelical and Faith-Based Schools Mend the Color Line in the Twenty-First Century? I used this week to do a great deal of reading and study on a topic I have worked on for a bit of time. I am pretty excited about its progress and do believe it will receive warm reviews.

I was able to wrap the week up with a pretty good race. The Seabrook Half-Marathon took place Sunday the day before my campus return. It was a bit warm and humid, but I was not too upset about that seeing that the race served as a training run for next month’s April 15th Boston Marathon. I placed 3rd overall — which is my second best finish. I ran this race in 2011 and took 4th. I ran a comfortable training run pace — nothing faster than a 6:35 pace. My fastest mile was only 6:28. I started off well behind others. I assured myself that I would not turn this into anything more than a training run. And that is exactly what I did. I actually stuck to the game plan.

My 3rd place trophy was a cool beer mug (or glass as seen above). After they awarded me my trophy, I quickly had green beer poured into the glass. You better believe me when I say I finished every lick of it. Besides chocolate milk, a cold beer is the next best post-race beverage. Cheers!

My Presidents Day

I am getting caught up on a number of things today. I had hoped to finish a paper to submit to a journal today, but it does not look like I will meet the deadline. In truth, I learned about its submission and deadline way too late. And because I am really excited about this, I elected not to rush it. There are other journals out there that I am convinced will welcome my paper on race, religion, and popular culture.

I finally got my race report posted at Getting Faster. It has taken me a bit of time but it is finally up. I have not had a great deal of breathing room of late. The J – O – B has kept me mucho busy. And, my training runs as well as my coaching has consumed me of late

Above: 3M Half-Marathon

I am also preparing for my first meeting at the Kinkaid School. I was asked to join the National Association of Independent Schools 2012 People of Color Conference committee. We are responsible for organizing this major venue that will take place here in Houston. I am pretty pumped about this. Being a part of such a big time conference is really exciting.

And then there are other things that I am working on getting done today. Cleaning and organizing the study. The yard has been ignored. I am sure there are other things that I am not noting now.

Thoughts on Running and Teaching

CB is a teacher in the great state of Colorado. She and her husband most recently moved from the depths of Houston’s heat to ice town USA. She is a big time runner who not only runs marathons, but races longer than that. I taught CB while teaching at a private school in North Little Rock from 2000 – 2004; CB was easily a favorite of mine. She was a National Merit semi-finalist and she performed very well while taking my AP European History course. We tend to chat a lot about running, politics, and beer. I ran this as a cross post with my training blog, too. Here are her thoughts and questions to me.

CB: What’s the deal with people who want to run just because they like running? September through December I hated it the whole time. The second I signed up for a race, though, boom. Big turnaround in my attitude and big jump in my weekly miles. Were you that same way before you started really working on your Boston goals? I wish I could just be casual about it and maintain enough miles to do a marathon occasionally if I feel like it, but I just don’t enjoy it if I don’t have a specific end in mind.

EC: I started running back in graduate school. Then it was more to stay in shape and watch my weight; however, after slowly running for a period of time, I could not help but notice the rise of my competitive juices. I still enjoyed running, but I felt that if I was going to run, I wanted to see how good I could get. My initial purpose for running slowly started to change.  I increased my miles and attempted to focus on training and not running. But, that would not come to fruition until 3 years ago. Even while teaching you (CB) at CAC, I was always a step away from injuring myself; I was pretty reckless then. And, sure enough, I did just that. Developed an injury that would not go away.

Today I have discovered that I do not like running for the sake of running. Much like you, I am motivated by a goal. As soon as I sign up for a race, I am focused and ready to train – not run. I like to plot out my races well in advanced. The months of September through December are prime months for me. I try to get a fall marathon and at least 1 half-marathon in during this period. Knowing this forces me to discipline myself and think more about training and less about running. This sounds bad, but there are a number of day in which I just do not like running. I have come to see running as a job at times; it is what I must do not if I want to do it. I have found that this is the primary difference between running and training. It is too easy to quit and not run. That is less of an option when training since each workout build over a period of time. Back in 2008 I aimed to be really good. I am still working toward the point of being really really good. I do believe I will be there.  Getting into Boston is a logical goal for being a competitive runner; I like the changes recently made for qualifying for the Boston Marathon. It means that I cannot get comfortable. Of course I am not too concerned about that. My goals are pretty steep. That is why I train. I must do more than just run.

CB: Second of all, what do your students think about your running? I feel like I’ve connected with kids who might not have liked me as much otherwise, especially at Lamar, where I posted my workouts in the classroom and gave them regular reports. I’ve even had a couple of former students from Lamar who facebooked me about marathons they were training for. One of them was a girl who was overweight in high school, so that was really cool. I would like to see stats on the obesity rate among high school teachers because I would be surprised if it’s not even higher than the national average. I’ve read maybe a few articles about student obesity affecting academics, but I want to know how teacher’s level of physical fitness affects the classroom.

EC: Well, my running is the topic of a number of conversations. Some students are amazed at the time and miles I devote to doing it. I have found my colleagues to be the most curious at times. Many still struggle to comprehend what I do and why I do it. Students, on the other hand, find my running to be pretty exciting. They ask a lot of basic questions about running due to their lack of knowledge; I am sure you get some of that. I do not post my workouts; however, they do have access to my training blog. A few of them swing by to see what I am doing. During the Boston Marathon last April, a number of students followed me via the Internet. The BAA posted times at various points. The challenge faced on my campus is that students have no sense of a diet. Many eat poorly; we do not offer a P.E. class. Credit is earned by joining a gym or by participating on a team for a semester.

Though not runners, I do have a number of colleagues who participate in Cross-fit. They are pretty committed to this task. I am helping a few teachers on my campus train and get ready for up coming races. One of my colleagues could not run 3 miles just a few years ago; she now has a half-marathon time of 2:04. That is very impressive. I have also encouraged them to seek out coaching – as I have done; I am blessed in that I do not have to figure out what to do or how to train. That is taken done for me. My task is to execute my training.

CB: Do you think you are better teacher because you run?

EC: It has helped. In the past all I did was work. I focused on my research, my teaching, and the number of things I had on the stove at once. Now, I feel much more recharged and ready for a new day. Running has added much needed variety to my days. It has slowed that sense of burnout I felt creeping in a few years ago. Then, I started questioning if I should just go get a PH.D and focus on writing or if I needed to change locations. Now, I am happy to be teaching. I enjoy it. Running gives me more time to reflect on what went well and not so well in class; it allows me to edit a paper in my head that I would like to deliver or publish. It also helps me think about a different approach to teaching a particular subject. I think about running a lot. In truth, I like training more than I like racing. I try to limit the number of races I do in a year. I want to spend more time focusing on training for a particular race.

Boston Thoughts (Cross-Post)

Above: Last turn in mile 25

After each race, I do my best to add some type of post-race reflection. Though I have added some commentary already here, I wanted to reflect and generate a few more thoughts about this race. First of all, I must say that I think it sucks that the new course record will not count as a world BEST. 2:03.02 is just and unreal time. Congrats to the male winner, Geoffrey Mutai, for shattering the previous best of 2:03.59. By the way, that record was set on a very flat and fast course. And, it was set by a runner who was allowed to use a rabbit to pace him. Boston, on the other hand, is not a fast course; it is not a slow course either. One would be hard pressed to find a runner who thinks Boston is not a challenge.

For the weeks leading up to this race, I had been adjusting my goals; I wanted to have a great race, but I also wanted to be realistic, too. As I left the athlete’s village, I felt a sense of panic creep in. My Garmin GPS watch would not turn on; it was dead . I was very confused at this point; I knew it was fully charged. My friend and buddy, Jeff Le, told me not to panic; he advised me to find another runner who was aiming to race the course within the confines of my pace goal. Sure enough, as I approached my starting corral, I could not find anyone seeking to run my pace. However, one of the runners told me (note: 2 minutes before the gun) that he also had problems with his Garmin. All I needed to do was reset it. I had no clue how to do that; he showed me how, and boom — it came on. Wow!!! That was a close one. I would have run that race without any sense of pace. One might compare that to flying a plane without any navigational instruments.

The start was very crowded. Though my goal was to run a conservative pace for the first mile out of Hopkinton, I did not anticipate running mile 1 at 7 min 19 sec. In truth, I had little choice unless I wanted to be really aggressive towards the other runners; I decided to use mile 1 as a warm up. By time I reached mile 2, I was on cruise control. I knocked off both 2 and 3 at 7 minutes 4 sec per mile. Once I reached the 5k (3.1 Mile) mark, I was easily running a 7:05 pace for that mile, but was clockedofficially at 7:09 per mile pace. Much of that was due to the slow first mile. As I expected, all felt very easy. The crowds were amazing. And, they were very loud.

Mile 4 7 min and 3 sec pace

Mile 5 7 min and 6 sec pace

Mile 6 7 min and 3 sec pace

Once I reached the 10k mark in Framingham, I kept thinking that I am holding back way too much; it was feeling very easy at this point, as it should. In my head, I kept hearing two voices . One voice stated, okay Carson, it is time to push the pace a little more. This is nothing. The other voice stated, be very careful Carson, it is early and you do not want to struggle to finish this race. I listened to the conservative voice. Thus, it was at the 10k mark that I elected to run a very conservative race. Though the weather was great and we had a tail wind, it was still warmer than I wanted. I dropped my hat back at mile 2, but kept with the gloves. For some strange reason, my fingers tend to remain cold far longer than the rest of my body.

I am still feeling great as I head toward the 15k mark. My confidence was high, though I knew the Newton Hills were still in front of me.

Mile 7 7 min 3 sec pace

Mile 8 7 min 6 sec pace

Mile 9 7 min 4 sec pace.

The thing that most amazed me about Boston were not the Newton Hills, but the hills or inclines that defined the course throughout. As I raced into Natick, my legs were felling a bit heavy; in part, some of that was in my head. I started thinking that I had not tapered enough. But once I moved past my anxieties, I settled back down. I do recall reaching mile ten and saying, wow this race is going by pretty fast.

Mile 10 7 min 8 sec pace

Mile 11 7 min 12 sec pace

Mile 12 7 min 6 sec pace

Mile 13 7 min 9 sec pace

As I headed into Wellesley, I could not help but note what seemed pretty fast and flat turned quickly into a nice long uphill run. This came just as I approached the “so-called” hot girls of Wellesley College. Many of them were lined up screaming and holding signs that stated “kiss a Wellesley girl.” I did not see that happen. And I can assure you, the last thing on my mind was to kiss a co-ed the same age as many of my students.

I hit the half-marathon mark at 1 hour 33 minutes and 47 seconds. I was okay with that. And, I felt like I had much more to give. But, things went bad as I approached miles 14 and 15. I believe it was at mile 15 in which I had no choice but to make a stop. Number 2 was calling my name. I thought, this sucks big time; I cannot believe this is happening. I trained to deal with digestive matters. I always stated that I am willing to go number 1 on myself, but not number 2. This stop cost me a good 2 minutes. I was pretty frustrated, but I did not let it get me down. I thought to myself that I would just try to make it up later in the race.

Mile 14 7 min 9 sec pace

Mile 15 7 min 6 sec pace

I gained some speed after mile 15. There was a nice descent, but it left my legs screaming some. After the mile 15 descent, I headed toward the more difficult part of the course. From 16 to 21, there was a total net gain on the course. And it was at this point in which the real racing started. In essence, I hit 3 nice size hills before the infamous Heartbreak Hill. I did not think it was too bad. I reached the top of it at mile 21, but man my  paced slowed a great deal.

Mile 16 6 min 49 sec pace

Mile 17 7 min 14 sec pace

Mile 18 7 min 18 sec pace

Mile 19 7 min 7 sec pace

Mile 20 7 min 20 sec pace

Mile 21  7 min 40 sec pace (ouch!!!!)

It is clear that I am struggled just a bit by mile 21; however, just when many start to wonder if the wall is near, I was feeling pretty good; I honestly felt strong as I headed toward Brookline and past Boston College. I must say, those folks at BC can cheer. As I raced forward, I could tell my legs were heavy; still, I knew I had plenty left to finish strong. I could hear the cheering as I entered downtown Boston. And, I could see the Citgo sign, thus I knew the end was near.

The last stretch was tough, but nothing I could not handle; I wish I would have run the last few miles faster, but I was a bit tired.

Mile 22 7 min 11 sec pace

Mile 23 7 min 14 sec pace

Mile 24 7 min 7 sec pace

Mile 25 7 min 13 sec pace

Mile 26.2 7 min 20 sec pace

I raced to a finish of 3 hours and 10 minutes; I ran roughly a 7:14 pace. In truth, I wanted to do better. But I am left full of energy and emotion from a race that I know I can build upon. I cannot recall a race in which Ifinished with so much energy. Janette told me that I look like I could do a few more miles. I doubt that. I suspect with more training, and some adjustments, I have no doubt that I can get under 3 hours and push toward a high 2:40 low 2:50 time. I didrequalify for Boston 2012. I think I have a chance at getting in under the new rolling system.

As you can see, I am excited about achieving this goal just 13 months after aiming to reach it, dating back to the Little Rock Marathon. Here, I ran a course time of 3 hours and 42 minutes. That is about 8 min 30 sec per mile pace.

Boston

I blogged a bit about my first Boston Marathon experience here at Getting Faster. I placed some pictures up with a few thoughts regarding my race and travels.

Thoughts on the Austin Half

I am cross-posting this piece with my training blog; I wanted to take a second and reflect on my last race; I usually do this. As many of you know, the city of Austin is clearly the best city in Texas. If I had it my way, I would relocate in a second. This city has great bars, restaurants, parks, lakes, pizza, and people. It is by far more progressive than the rest of Texas; I am clearly making a gross generalization here. I would love to train in this city. There are so many hills. Wow!!! And, I have dined at a few Austin cafes that tend to appear on the Food Network (yes, I do like this station). I am not surprised that 70% of the runners who participated in Austin’s Half and Full Marathon were not from Austin.

The above action picture was taken during the last 100 meters of the 13.1 mile race. My sojourned a top the hilly terrain ended with me feeling pretty good. The early miles were tough, as I faced strong head winds and gradual inclines. My biggest challenge, though, was fighting off the negative thoughts. I kid you not, I could hear chatter in my head as early as mile 4. Things such as, the pace is too fast for you here, you cannot maintain it. Or, why are you spending so much time and energy training to be a type of athlete you are not. But, my favorite thought was this: why be so obsessed with stuff when you could be in some Austin diner having a beer (remind you it is not 8 AM) and relaxing. During the early miles, I ran with a pace group before electing to run ahead. There is nothing more demoralizing than knowing you want to hit a good 6:30 per mile pace, but you are stuck at 7:05 during the inclines. Of course, that is when the chatter starts.

Once I got beyond the chatter, I was able to refocus and think about my goal. In my last full marathon, I could not figure out what went wrong. My training was good. Sure, it came six weeks after my BQ marathon, but that was not an excuse. There were some physiological matters in my last race. My body burned way too much glycogen early on, thus leaving me empty; I had hoped to use more stored fat, but as evident by mile 22, I was out of it. Then there is the mental part. I have no doubt that I gave up in my last race; I was way on target to have a great race, before the chatter started; I could hear it in my head. The chatter won. I refuse to let that happen again.

Miles 6 -9 were not too bad. There were some rolling hills, with a few nice descents that kicked the crap out of my quads. There were a few 6: 15 – 6:20 per mile pace runs here, which was good, because miles 10 – 13 were tough. Elite runner, Renee High, who placed second among the women at this race, had this to say about the hills:

Let me also say that these people are crazy b/c the hills in Austin are no joke. I’m both envious that they get to train there and also glad that I don’t have to try to run there to recover from yesterday’s run.
Race morning was beautiful. The air was crisp and the sky was very pretty. It was still a little dark when the race began at 0700. The second turn of the race lead us into 6 miles of hills and head wind. There was just no relief from the wind until after mile 6 and the only time you weren’t going up a hill is when you were going down one. It was a constant up and down, up and down.
First and Second place female had a cyclist beside her. I was very grateful for mine b/c it help me stay focus and in the game. Also, he knew that by the end the hills were really getting to me so he tried to encourage me and let me know what was ahead of me. Thank goodness. The worst of the hills ended up being at mile 11.7. It was a killer. I don’t see how cars get up that hill. It would be horrible if that’s where your car broke down b/c the only place it can go is down.

Her point regarding the hill at 11.7 is so true. I saw it coming. I thought for a second, I am sure there is a turn and I am just not seeing it. They are not really asking us to run up that thing. I ran up it. My paced had dropped to about 7 min 5 sec per miles. I just stopped looking at the darn GPS watch. Once I reached the top of OMG hill, I had one more to face; it was not as bad, but I had yet to recover. Because the course was a challenge, I should feel better about my performance. I was ready to race. The course reinforced the need to do more goal marathon pace runs during the second half of my long runs; it also reminded me that I need to travel to Austin more in order to get in some hill work. We do not have hills in Houston; I did find a great treadmill workout that should help some.

Results:

Overall: 76 out of 10, 525

Divisional Place: 12 out of 679

 

Austin Fitness & Marathon Expo

After spending this AM running an easy 8 mile run, as noted on my training blog, I spent sometime at Austin’s Fitness and Marathon Expo. For those of you who are not psycho crazy about traveling the country and running races, expos have taken on a life of their own. A number of the larger size races have them. Expos allow athletes to pick up their race packet, confirm last-minute details, and become more familiar with the great folks that operate the event. A number of them have booths that display things from the most recent training techniques, gadgets, and foods, to a plethora of clothing and shoe options. Novice runners and those running for less competitive reasons, tend to get suckered into buying new gear to race in. Of course, this is the cardinal sin of racing: One should never race in clothing and shoes they did not train in. On my long training runs (16-24 miles), I try to wear the exact stuff I intend on wearing come race day. If I do not wear my earrings during training runs, I will not wear them in a race (yes I have one in each ear).

Expos also promote agreat sense of energy and excitement, too. It is highly unusual to walk around seeing a bunch of angry runners. Now, the down side of course is that some folks spend too much time at the expo. Draining both their physical and emotional energy. For me, I try not to stay more than 30 – 45 minutes, unless there is a running clinic or seminar. But in that situation, I am usually off my feet and pretty relaxed. I must confess, I do tend to checkout other runners. Wondering in my head: he looks fast; can I keep up with him or her? This is nothing but pure torture.

After the expo, Janette and I will hunt down a cool pizza place for lunch, as we did in Austin. I consider myself an expert on pizza. I tell people I train a lot because I aim to become a sub-elite athlete; in truth, I like wine and pizza. I tend to avoid alcohol before a race, but I could not pass on the Jack’s beer-crusted pizza. And of course, it is New York style pizza. The rest of the afternoon is spent watching TV, reading a few running magazines, visualizing success, and resting…as I am doing now.

Boston Check List

Above: Boston Marathon Confirmation Card

I am feeling better about my trip to Boston. I managed to ascertain a hotel room for $120.00 per night at the Courtyard Marriott in Westborough, which is just 5 miles from the starting line. I could not get a room for less than $225 in downtown Boston. But, I booked this room months ago. The race runs from Hopkinton to Boston. If we can manage to stay a night with my teaching colleague, Mrs. Chili, this will make a difference, too. Plane tickets are now in hand. Now, all that is left is training (see training blog here). I am easily running close to 90 miles per week. After my afternoon recovery run tonight, I will have accumulated 58 miles this week. I am set to run 100 miles this week.

While doing an easy 6 mile recovery AM run today, I ran into a guy that teaches at the Kinkaid School here in Houston. He qualified and ran it last year.  We spent a good 30 minutes chatting about Boston, our training, and our place of employment. He suggested that we get together and talk more about the Boston experience. I am looking forward to that conversation.

What Makes an Elite Runner?

What Makes an Elite Runner? | Active.com. (source for excerpt)

In the above link, pro runner Jeff Galloway discusses how he went from being one of little talent, to that of an elite runner. I have been reading much of late regarding elite distance runners. And, I have long decided that I am highly motivated to give it a try. Of course, my times reflect that of a very good and competitive runner, but not that of an “A” standard elite. And in truth, I might not be able to reach this mark. However, I continue to elevate the bar with my efforts. I am receiving great coaching advice. For the most part, I am on target with my training, as I have noted here. In many ways, I am still making a transition from being one type of athlete to another type. In high school, I did not run on the cross-country teams; I was an All-Conference and All-State running back and line backer; I was a 230 pound state power lifting champion in the 220 lbs division. I focused heavily on weights, sprints, and short explosive drills. Once I got to graduate school, my focused changed to longer runs. Today, my days are organized around the courses I teach, the papers I write, and my training. In the end, there is little time for anything else. As I continue to improve as a serious runner, I have decided to focus on two big bench marks as indicators of making the transition to that next level. In April, I will run the Boston Marathon in hopes of a 2:50ish time. The course is challenging, however, it will serve as a great indicator of my progress. I have elected to run the Chicago Marathon in October. Again, I am hoping this fast course will offer me a breakthrough towards running a time that will place me in the elite category. In order for this to happen, I am focusing on my two weakest areas: my diet and sleep. I am aiming to get down to 145 lbs; thus, I need to shed about 13 lbs. Because my body fat composition is good, dropping 13 lbs will be a bit of a challenge; I guess that is why I need to refocus my diet. I am a big snack person.

Above: Susan Loken

I have read accounts of other runners that took on the same journey I am traveling. One of my favorites is that of Susan Loken, a runner much like myself, who looked to transform herself from being a serious runner to that of an elite runner. Ms. Loken, by the age of 42, took on serious running to drop weight after the birth of her kid. Her first marathon was at 3 hours and 58 minutes; however, after electing to hire a coach and ratchet her miles up, she ran a 2 hour and 42 minute marathon which qualified her for the US Olympic Trials.

Below is an excerpt from Galloway’s article on what it takes to be an elite. I am doing well with all of his suggestions except for injuries and diet.  He writes:

Have you wondered what it would be like to be a world-class runner? Well, here are some of the factors:

Shoes: Most elite runners have a shoe sponsorship from a major brand. The tendency is to replace the shoes before they become worn out. With a weekly mileage of 100 miles a week, the average shoe will last two to four weeks—less when the shoe is used for speed training.

Training Days Per Week: Seven days a week. Unfortunately, even when injured, many elite runners go into denial and keep pushing—aggravating the problem.

Hours Per Week: Top runners commit to about 10 hours of actual running each week. When you factor in driving to the track, warm-up, warm-down, recovery, and dressing—add another 15 to 20 hours. Treating an injury (which is common) can add another four to 10 hours.

Speedwork: Athletes vary widely in how many days of speed training they do. Most elite distance runners practice some form of accelerations about every other day. The really tough speed workouts would be done only once or twice a week.

Injuries: World-class athletes tend to be injured about once a month—but some much more often. The single greatest factor in sustaining improvement is staying injury free.

Frustration: Because race performance is often due to factors beyond the control of individuals, athletes are often frustrated. They will train for three to four months for a big race, but the weather is hot or the competition they need did not show up and the race doesn’t go the way they thought it would. When one is in shape for a given performance, it usually takes three to four races to realize that time.

Emotional Effects: The higher you achieve, the greater tendency you’ll have to fall off that high level. Athletes live with the anxieties of infection, burnout, injury, sponsorship cancellation, and “will I be around next season.”

Negative Splits

This past Sunday, I lined up to compete in a 30k (18.6 miles) race. It went far better than my Memphis race went on December 4th. I was hoping for a top 3 finish within my division, but that did not happen. I took 10th out of 95 racers in my division, and 57th out of 1,115 racers overall; in truth, not too bad. I am more happy with my pace. I ran 7 minute pace for the first 9.3 miles, and a 6 minute and 58 second pace for the latter 9.3 miles. I will take a negative split. I have really stepped up my training, as noted by my training blog. Here are a few pictures from the race.

Runner’s World Magazine sent out a request asking competitive runners to address why training for Boston and racing in the Boston Marathon is so important. According to RW:

The Boston Qualifier. These days it seems everyone is talking about their “BQ” – or at least their quest to get one. What’s going on? When did getting a BQ become so critical to a runner’s life? And why?We’re is trying to find out. For a story in an upcoming issue of Runner’s World, we’re talking to runners who crave a BQ – and exploring what’s fueling this sudden urge to “get to Boston.”

We’d like to interview people who, within the past two or three years, have either:

a. Qualified for the Boston Marathon for the first time; or

b. Launched a concerted effort to qualify for the first time, whether or not they have actually hit the magic mark. (We’re especially interested in folks who have come “oh-so-close” but not yet nailed a BQ.)

So, tell us: What extraordinary measures have you taken in order to get a BQ? (e.g., “I go to the gym at 3:30 in the morning.”) Why is qualifying for Boston so important to you? (“My best friend has his, I need mine.”) And if you haven’t been able to qualify for Boston so far, what are you doing about it? (“Reading every issue of RW ever printed.”)

I did submit a response to their request. I guess I will see if they use it. I wrote:

In high school, I was a 230-pound All Conference running back; I went to a small division II College and considered playing football, but found greater joy in running, the outdoors such as mountain climbing, and my academics. I am currently a history teacher at Houston Christian High School, a co-educational day school in Texas. Being an African American kid growing up in a community that only valued mainstream sports, I had little knowledge about distance running. If you grew up in my neighborhood, people wanted to know how fast you were on the track. In college, I was exposed to greater diversity, though I did attend a private high school on a need scholarship.

One interest of my more affluent peers was that of running. Thus, I wanted to run. After overcoming a number of injuries and a brain tumor in 2008, I wanted to be competitive in running again…not just finish a race. To help keep me motivated, I sought Boston. Why? Because it is the one race every American knows — regardless of race or socioeconomic status. In March 2009 after getting back in shape and dropping weight, I ran a 3:42 marathon. 7 months later, I ran a 3:14 time, which was my BQ. And I am only getting faster. Why? Because Boston represent what is great about the sport of distant running; it has history; it is pure; it sees no class or race; it is Boston. If you work hard, as I have done my entire life to overcome matters of health and socioeconomic matters, you can achieve your goal. And if you do not, at least you have a goal. That goal for me has always been Boston. Thanks to Boston, I am a 155-pound Boston Qualifier who recently ran a 2:10 30k. My next goal: breaking 3 hours at Boston and becoming a regional class elite runner.

Getting Faster

I have created a second blog (see here) with the intent of recording my trainings as I work to become a regional class elite runner, as noted by time standards.  I must thank Karl (not Marx) for this excellent idea. I am pretty good about documenting my training, however, I hope to link this blog to a few of the discussion forums I follow in hopes of running advice. I even added to the page menu at the top of this page.

Memphis Marathon

Above: Post-marathon picture and medal

Things went bad for me in Memphis. On a course far easier than the Kansas City  course in which I qualified for Boston, I could not maintain my energy level; I was running a 7 minute and 13 second per mile pace until my legs went out at mile 22. I was beyond frustrated and disappointed. I have decided to reevaluate my training and my diet; I have even considered seeing a nutritionists. I know I must train harder. I ran a 3 hours and 20 minute race…10 minutes slower than I wanted…. Oh, and there is  The Wall:” The Wall.” It evades easy definition, but to borrow from Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous definition of obscenity, you know it when you see it—or rather, hit it. It usually happens around mile 20, give or take a couple of miles. Your pace slows, sometimes considerably. Some runners say that it feels as though their legs had been filled with lead quail shot, like the stomach of Mark Twain’s unfortunate jumping frog of Calaveras County. Others can’t feel their feet at all. Thought processes become a little fuzzy. (“Mile 22, again? I thought I just passed mile 22!”) Muscle coordination goes out the window, and self-doubt casts a deep shadow over the soul. (reference)

I finished 17th out of 262 runners in my division; I was aiming for a top 10 finish; I placed 88th overall out of  2,416 runners in all divisions. I took yesterday off, but I am ready to resume training for Boston; I will compete in two more races before the Boston Marathon — a half-marathon in Austin, and an 18.6 miler this Sunday. I am scheduled to complete 80 miles this week. I will do 6 – 9 miles of it in a pool today.

An hour before the race,  U.S. Congressman Cohen of  Tennessee and his deputy came over to chat with me about my training, family, and academic work; we discussed Memphis BBQ and the greatness of the St. Jude Marathon. However, we avoided heavy matters of politics.

Boston Q Talks

The recent controversy regarding registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon continues to dominate a number of Internet forums. If you do not know the story, here is a small snapshot of what transpired on October 18th, 2010:

Great news: The Boston Athletic Association has granted entry to runners who had technical difficulties while trying to register for the 2011 Boston Marathon online on October 18.

Not-so-great news: If you had technical problems and haven’t already been in contact with the B.A.A., you’re out of luck.

Registration for Boston 2011 closed in just over 8 hours — the fastest fill-up in event history. Organizers had been advising runners to sign up early; runners, in turn, had started hearing whispers that the race would fill in one day. When registration opened at 9 a.m. on October 18, many runners reported problems with the online sign-up portal. Fortunately, the B.A.A. stepped in.

B.A.A. spokesman Jack Fleming said via e-mail that early last week, his organization “communicated with people who we identified as having tried to register but who failed on October 18 while online registration was open. These people know who they are, and we have been in direct communication with them.” see full story here.

As I noted on a previous post, I suspected registration was going to fill quickly. Though, I thought it would take at least a week — not 8 hours. As I arrived on campus that day, I sat in front of my computer waiting to register, though it did take me a number of attempts. In the end, a number of qualified runners got shut out of this event. On one forum, a runner made this comment that had me laughing. Let us see if you get the humor.

Dear Boston Athletic Association:

I really tried to win last year. I promise. My plan was to take the lead in the Newton Hills and then ride the wave all the way to the finish line. Unfortunately my plan did not work, my legs seemed to encounter some sort of technic…al difficulty. I can prove this. Could you please declare me the winner? ; ) !!

There are whispers that BAA will tighten the qualifying standards; I suspect this will have the biggest impact on women between the ages of 18 – 39. There are those that find their times to be too lenient; I on the other hand differ on this. Though females have a body composition that is more conducive to the rigors of long runs, they also have to deal with elements such as rebounding from child labor and other factors in terms of mass. There are those that will point to folks like Paula Radcliff and discuss her return without taking a big break after giving birth. Oh, she is pregnant again.

Above: Kara Goucher & Paula

Above: Post-baby Paula

Of course, we must keep in mind that these ladies are Pro runners. There full-time job is running. That is not the case for 99% of us. As stated in one article:

But there’s another possible reason for the surging demand—one that has the potential to kick up a fair amount of controversy. It’s the notion that the qualifying standards for women are too soft.

By all accounts, the running boom is being fueled by women more than men. Women made up 42% of finishers in the 2010 Boston race—a proportion that is higher than the percentage of all U.S. marathoners who are women. But according to gender rules instituted in 1977, the marathon times women need to post to qualify for Boston are 30 minutes slower than the times the men in the same age group have to run. The problem: There’s no evidence that women really need that much extra time.

…but this boom is not going away. I think this is a positive thing. People such as myself and others seeking to live better is only good for society. There is a chance that all race standards will be lowered. This is not a problem for me; I am looking to compete at a level that far exceeds Boston’s goal. I am motivated b

Here are the current qualifying times; I think most people do not realize the difficulty of completing a marathon. There are so many things that can go wrong. I am proud of what I have done and what I hope to do, but I am also proud of the many that take on the “everyman’s Everest,” regardless of time. It is a great accomplishment and achievement to not only finish such an audacious event, but to take the time to train for it. There is a reason “real” runners believe in the concept of “finishers.” I hope this post is one of motivation to many runners out there that are seeking personal goals. In the end, the marathon is not the ultimate event when it comes to running. In truth, I much prefer half-marathons. But, I despise the intensity of 5k runs.

Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards
Age	Men	Women
18–34	3hrs 10min	3 hrs 40min
35–39	3hrs 15min	3 hrs 45min
40–44	3hrs 20min	3 hrs 50min
45–49	3hrs 30min	4 hrs 00min
50–54	3hrs 35min	4 hrs 05min
55–59	3hrs 45min	4 hrs 15min
60–64	4hrs 00min	4 hrs 30min
65–69	4hrs 15min	4 hrs 45min
70–74	4hrs 30min	5 hrs 00min
75–79	4hrs 45min	5 hrs 15min
80+	5hrs 00min	5 hrs 30min

Official Notice from Boston

Though I submitted my registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon online on October 18th…the day registration opened and two days after I qualified, I have been going crazy waiting for my official acceptance into this race. After I registered, the Boston Athletic Association did notify me that I did hold a spot, but they could not “officially” accept me until they verified a few things, specifically my qualifying time for both entry and seeding. Though I am always technically training, I will officially start training for this event on December 12th, the day of Sugar Land 30k (18.6 mile) race. I will follow Coach Pete Pfitzinger’s program, which will start me off at 80 miles per week and topping off at 105 miles per week. It is a brutal training schedule, but one I am ready for.

Here is my official notice:

Dear Edward Carson,

This is to notify you that your entry into the 115th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, 2011 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate. You can verify your acceptance into the field by searching the 115th Boston Marathon Entrants database on the B.A.A. web site. Additionally, a Confirmation of Acceptance card will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail. In early April 2011, an official Number Pick-up Card and Welcome Booklet regarding the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and related race week activities will be mailed to you via US Postal Service first class mail. If you do not receive your Number Pick-up Card (required to claim number) and brochure by April 9, please contact our Registration Office at registration@baa.org. Registration related inquiries may also be directed to 508-435-6905.

Note that bib numbers will not be distributed on Race Day. Your travel arrangements should take into account picking up your number at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston on Friday, April 15 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., or Saturday, April 16 or Sunday, April 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
Get the best hotel rates by using the Official Lodging form from Marathon Tours and Travel. For more information, email info@marathontours.com or call 617-242-7845. JetBlue is proud to be the official airline of the Boston Marathon. When you book your flight to the 2011 Boston Marathon, make sure you fly with JetBlue Airways. You’ll receive $10 off each way! Learn more here.

For additional tourist information, please visit www.bostonusa.com

We look forward to seeing you in April! Best of luck in your training!

Sincerely,

Boston Athletic Association

Kansas City Marathon Part II

It is slowly but surly sinking in that I ran a great race in Kansas City, and that great race qualified me for the Boston Marathon. Though I worked hard to achieve this goal, I am not even close to being done; I still want to run a sub 3 hour marathon, which means that when I start up training again come Monday, my training focus will be on running a marathon at 6 minutes 45 seconds per mile pace; I think I have this in me. My level of motivation has never been this high. Starting Monday, I have 6 weeks to train for the Memphis, TN Marathon. The course, so I have heard, is significantly easier than the hilly terrain of Kansas City.

I raced with two pacers that coached me through the difficult course; I was a bit nervous at the start because I ran the first mile at an 8 minute pace. And though I would slow a bit on a few of the climbs, my GPS watch had me making up time later. Case in point: I ran three late miles (mile 15, 18, and 21) at 6 min 5 sec pace, 6 min 33 sec pace, and 6 min 50 sec pace. My last mile was a 7 min 10 sec pace. My  pacers followed a philosophy of smart pacing, which subscribes to the notion that running an even pace on the tough terrain of KC is not efficient. The inclines will absorb too much energy, leaving a runner in trouble late in the race. On one of the down hill stretches (which I clocked at 5 min 50 sec pace), I started thinking that I liked the inclines better (not really). By time I reached  mile 23, I felt as good as one might feel so late in a race. Thus, I broke away from the group aiming to run a 3:10 – 3:12 time. That did not happen. They caught me half way into mile 25. I had slowed more than I wanted to. One of the more memorable parts of this race was the last .2 distance of a marathon. I could hear the announcer saying aloud, “if you are a male between the ages of 35 – 39, and you want to qualify for Boston, you have exactly 35 seconds to cross the finish line. At that point, one of my pace leaders told me to take off. And I did; I could hear the announcer counting down as I crossed the finish line.

Above: Coming across the finish at 3 hours 14 min 49 sec.

Above: Janette set a PR in the half-marathon

Above: I gave a big hug to both of my pacers; I needed them to help me run an efficient race. They were great. Though my legs and body gave way, it is usually my mind that goes first; I tend to over think at times while running. I kept my emotions in check throughout the race; I did not get too excited when things were going well, nor did I panic when my pace was either too fast or slowed too much; I remained very focused. The group I ran with aimed to finish in 3 hr and 15 min. We started off with “roughly” around 10 – 12 runners, but finished with two. KC has the best pacers.

After qualifying for Boston on Saturday, I made sure I was in front of my computer on Monday, October 18th by 8 AM. Because this is such an international event, I knew qualified runners from all over the world would be looking to register. initially, the server was down due to the amount of traffic. But, after a few minutes, I was able to log on. Here is the fun part. After completing my registration, the system would not accept it; it took around 10 attempts to get registered. The BAA had an incorrect link (I think). Janette found a discussion board in which others were having the same problems. Finally, on one of the discussion boards I follow, a young lady posted a link saying it worked. And it did. I am thankful that it did. Boston filled up in a record of 8 hours. This has caused a great deal of controversy. Boston does allow 20 percent of its runners to be charity runners. Thus, they have to pay or raise a significant amount of money to run Boston. This is why you might see Valerie Bertinelli or other celebs running such a race. There is a chance that Boston will again lower the qualifying times. This is looking like it will be the case for women, as some believe their times are too easy. Case in point: a female between the ages of 18 – 34 must run a time of 3 hours and 40 minutes to qualify; I do not think this is the problem, but it is one that will be looked at. I am curious. Regardless, all serious runners aim to run the most prestigious marathon in the world. And as long as it is the premier elite race, this problem will not go away.

I will start training for Boston after the 30k (18.6 miles) I am running on December 12th. The goal is to run Boston at or under 3 hours. I am motivated by this challenge.

Kansas City Marathon Part I

Janette and I took a trip to Kansas City in order for her to compete in its 13.1 mile half-marathon, while I raced its 26.2 mile marathon. KC is a nice city. It has an appeal that Houston is missing; I suspect it is that mid-western feel. I am not going to say much on this post about the race since we are still on the road, but we both ran PRs here. And even better, I placed well — running a pace of 7 minutes and 26 seconds per mile to finish 51st out of 1480 marathoners; I placed 8th out of 143 in my division. Janette ran a 2 hr and 25 min. half-marathon time.

Here is the best news: I qualified for the Boston Marathon. According to the KC folks, their course is one of the most difficult in the nation. And trust me here, I am not going to disagree. My body took a beating. Kansas City is not short of long and short steep hills. I believe qualifying for Boston places me in the top 1 – 2% of all marathon runners. I will take a week off doing nothing but weights, pool work, and core work. Then, back to training; I have the Memphis Marathon coming up in 6 weeks, followed by a 30 K race (18.6 mile race) a week after Memphis.

Thinking Boston

The countdown is set to start. Registration for the most prestigious road race opens October 18th. I have trained exceptionally hard to qualify for this race. Case in point: I simulated the Kansas City Marathon today to the best of my ability. Last night I ate my pre-race meal. I was in bed by 8:30 and up again at 3:30 AM for breakfast; I have been training my stomach to process and store carbohydrates. I hit the park for a 20 mile run at 5:30 AM; in truth, I wanted to run 23 miles but opted out when I started feeling my Achilles tendon hurting. The run was great thanks to the cool temps; I had a great time: 7 minutes and 29 second per mile pace; I need to run 7:26 to earn a qualifying time for Boston. Today marked my last serious long run; I am set to do a few 8 and 9 mile runs until October 16th. I am thinking the stars are in line for me to do this. Essentially, the best of the more serious runners earn a spot at Boston. Runners look the part, too. Though Kansas City is one of the more difficult courses in the country, this race is my only chance at getting into Boston 2011. Last year the race filled up in under 30 days after registration opened. Thus, I had hope to use the Memphis Marathon in December as my qualifying backup; it is a much faster course. That will not happen.

Big Running Weekend

I have 35 days until my next race; I am feeling great as I near 70 miles of running this week. I will spend this weekend in Austin, Texas doing some long hill training runs; I am thinking 18 miles of hills. On another note, my classes are off to a great start; I am convinced I have the strongest AP European History class ever. That is saying a lot, seeing that I have taught some amazing students. My other classes are doing well, too. The new American Studies course has been fun. I am not sure my students are happy about the book review that is due next week, but they will survive and do well.

Wish me well in Austin. Above is a picture of me at mile 12 of a 14.2 mile race. To this day, this is one of my best races. I took 3rd place in the under 39 division. Interestingly, I have gotten better with age, now that I am in my mid 30s. Before a number of injuries sidelined me and brought about some unwanted weight, I was a crazy man. I would put in 100 mile weeks with no rest days. In the mornings, I would run 10 miles with my best runners on the cross-country team I coached at CAC (my last school); I would turn around and do 10 more on my own in the afternoon. I am far smarter than that today. However, I do still conduct what I call double run days.