The Throw Down in Motown - Justin Gutierrez Debut in Detroit

It is said that sometime you have to remember where you came from in order to know where you are going. So it is through that lens that I try to make sense of the 2011 Detroit Free Press Marathon.

Background

I moved to Charlotte from Flint, Michiganin August of 2009. Upon my arrival Ihung up my running shoes vowing never to return. At that point I had run cross country, track and road races for 13 years. I guess anything you do for 13 years straight can become very cumbersome and at times, pointless. I needed a break. So from August 2009 until January 2011 I took that break. I might not have run more than 5 miles in a given WEEK but I did get my bench press up to 200lbs!

Fast forward to December 2010. At this point I had been inactive in the running scene for almost 18 months. I had days where I may or may not have missed running and competing but mostly it was a nostalgia that comes with looking at old trophies and plaques. So what got me out the door? Would you believe me when I said it was a commercial? To be more specific it was a Chrysler 300 commercial featuring Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle of the

Detroit Lions (Watch Here).

The commercial tells the homecoming story of Suh that’s rooted in, “humble beginnings are true beginnings...”

I don’t know what it was about that commercial but I knew I had a responsibility to fulfill. As a city kid from a blue collar town like Flint I had a responsibility to myself, to my family, to all my former team-mates, coaches, and neighbors that invested hours upon hours of time in my training and racing as a high school and collegiate athlete. A responsibility to respect and honor the talents that I have been given. It was with that I found my old Nike Elite’s (best shoe ever), laced them up, and went for a run.

The Build Up

With the help of coach Mark Hadley of Maximum Performance Running I started training for my first marathon in January 2011. I had a great training schedule mapped out with goal mileage, goal races, and goal times. I was excited to get it all organized and laid out in front of me. To my surprise my body transitioned quite well back into full time training. I started week 1 at 50 miles. The plan was simple, 18 week build up to the Bayshore Half Marathon in Traverse City, Michigan then a 19 week build up to the Detroit Free Press Marathon. I figured since I took a full year off I needed to play all my cards right to avoid injury and also to make it an enjoyable experience. For the first time in my training I actually did my core, and stretched, and ice bathed and all those little things to help with recovery and maintenance. But what I carry the most pride in is that in these 38 weeks (18: Half, 1: Recovery, 19: Marathon) I missed 5 days of running with 3 of those days were during my recovery week! That consistency really allowed me to get up to speed.

I ran the Bayshore Half (May 2011) in 1:15:45. I hit my goal of a sub 1:16 but in the back of my mind I knew I had a loooong way to go (that time being 5ish minutes slower than my PR). With that I jumped into my 19 week Marathon cycle ready to hammer the miles and see what the marathon was all about.

I chose Detroit because it’s essentially my home-town and it’s been my family’s choice for marathoning debuts for about 20 years. So, 19 weeks came and went. I hit a few weeks of 80-85 miles and a longest long run of 22. Big thanks to Charlotte Running Club for being there on some of those training runs!

Race Day:

The Detroit Course is unique in that it runs into Canada on the Ambassador Bridge and comes back into the US through the Windsor Tunnel. Race morning went much smoother than I expected. Knowing the city quite well I was able to get downtown with ease. Race morning temps were in the high 40’s, perfect but I was not as enthused about the strong southwest wind and the possible rain that was on it’s way in. Oh well, everyone races in the same conditions.

Mile 1 - 4

What’s the best way to kill your chances to run well during your first marathon? Go out too fast! Fortunately the half marathon and full marathon start together. I rolled the dice and guessed that the top half-marathon women would get out too fast for these first few miles but those would be the paces I needed to hit to get out conservatively during the marathon. The bet payed off. I didn't see any splits for the first 4 miles but just tried to run relaxed and hold back.

4 mile split: 23:42, bam, right on pace. The bridge wasn't that bad…the way they had us approach it, it was a very steady manageable incline and i used the down hill to even out the split.

Miles 5 - 7 (5:43, 5:46, 5:45)

Welcome to Canada, eh? I must say, Canadians are pretty friendly. I was impressed with how many people were already lining the streets in Windsor to cheer the marathoners on. This part of the course is flat as a pancake as it follows the Detroit River. It was during these three miles that I had to make a choice about pace. Up to this point I was running with the lead half marath

on women and some mid front pack marathon men. I dropped the women but the guys I was running with started clipping off 5:30-5:35’s. Do I go with them or get stuck in no-man’s land within the first 10k? I committed to stay to my race strategy (5:45’s) and let that pack go.

Mile 8 or should I say 8- mile? (Underwater Mile: 5:50)

Now I know what a claustrophobic menopausal woman feels like.

Very interesting experience to say the least.

Miles 9 - 13.1 (5:55, 5:54, 5:48, 5:46, 5:45, Half: 1:16:38)

As I ascended out of the Windsor Tunnel I was greeted by spectators, family and friends all waving American flags and a banner saying, “Welcome Back!” Back in Detroit the course takes you through the historic neighborhoods of Mexicantown and Corktown. Mile 9 & 10 were straight into a headwind as the wind seemed to just tunnel through the north/south city streets. Running alone and just resettled into my pace and enjoyed the slight rain that had started since returning to the US. I personally enjoyed the mariachi band in Mexicantown, those guys were jammin’. I ended up hitting the Half in 1:16:38. This was actually a tad faster than anticipated but it was a welcomed surprise since I felt like I was in the zone. *Side Note* I feel that my only real mistake was my choice of racing flat. I was wearing the Nike Streak XC 3’s. Fabulous 5k/10k shoe. Heck, maybe I’ll wear it for a 10 miler but let me tell you, I don’t care how efficient you are, they are brutal for the full 26.2. It was around mile 12/13 that I started to feel every step I took. I could feel every crack and pebble. Next time I’m wearing my Saucony Fastwitch.

Miles 14 - 20 (5:50, 5:45, 4:45, 5:47, 5:54 (head wind), 5:56 (head wind), 5:52 (head-wind).

As with 90% of marathons these days miles 1-13 are scenic, eventful, and spectator friendly. Unfortunately that usually leaves miles 14 on as the red-headed step-child section of most courses. I have 1 word to describe miles 14-20. Lame. Oh, I enjoyed racing. It was here I started to slowly reel guys in as they started to fade but there was NOTHING esthetically pleasing about this section of the course. No entertainment, no spectators, and nothing scenic. We did run through Indian Village but if you have run through one suburb of a major city, you have run through them all. This part of the course was all multiple mile straight-aways. Very boring BUT at least I could see those racing ahead of me.

**Running solo pretty much

from mile 6 was an interesting experience. It was easy in the sense that I've done most of my training solo BUT i wish I would have had someone there to 1) help "zone out" and clip away at 5:48-5:50 and even out some of those spastic mile splits and 2) help break the wind. Being a bigger marathoner (6'4, 175lbs) than those I was racing against I can handle the wind a tad

better but it would have liked a group to chill with for the first 15 miles or so.

Miles 21 - 23 (5:51, 5:54, 5:55)

BELLE ISLE: I entered the Island look in 10th place. 10k to go, this is were I start to make a move. It was bizarre being on Belle Isle, I figured I’d be able to get some tail wind but every time we took a right turn the wind was still a head wind. I steadily started to close the gap on the 2 or 3 runners that I could see in front of me. I made it a point that every person I caught and passed I did so very quickly to prevent myself from falling into their stride. I would catch them and get past them with in 4 or 5 steps. I wanted them to know that I felt pretty fresh and if they wanted to go with me that they’d have to really change their stride to do so.

Miles 24 - 25 (6:00, 6:03)

You take a left turn off the Island and hit mile 23. Just over 5k to do. It was here I passed another guy and put myself in 6th place. You run south west back into the city and all I remember about these last few miles was the wind! That wind comes straight off the river so it’s chilly and strong. Mile 24 and 25 are part of the Riverwalk which is basically a boardwalk into the city. I must say I’m not sure how the masses of marathoners ran through this section during the later stages of the race. It’s a 8-10 ft wide path that weaves in and out of the shore line. Nothing like throwing you off your cadence then having to take tight turns. Some sections also had random rubber mats laying over what I assume were utility doors. The rain made those really slick and I found out really quick that if I wasn’t careful I’d slip and probably not get up!

Since mile 22 I was in uncharted waters not only in pace (I had done 15 miles at 5:50 pace about 6 weeks before) but also in distance (Longest run was 22 miles). I wasn't sure if I should start “picking it up.” What did that even look like? I passed 2 more guys through this section to

put myself in 4th place but I committed to just stay even. I wasn’t sure if that notorious wall still lay ahead.

Mile 26 (5:56)

“But the most powerful thing about humble beginnings is that they are

humbling” -Chrysler 300 commercial-

Even now I don’t even know how to describe this last mile to you. As I entered back into the spectator area downtown I could hear the cheers of the crowd as those ahead of me were finishing. This last mile was pain free. To be honest I don’t remember a single thing about this last mile. I can’t tell you (apart from looking at a map) whether I took a right turn or a left turn. I don’t remember a friend getting with-in 5 feet of me to yell, “Take it home Gooty.” I can’t even remember what the city scape looked like. I was in my own zone...I was having a flashback of sorts. It was in this last mile that I replayed the most significant moment in my running “career.” If you asked anyone what race it would be they’d quickly suggest, “being a State Champ,” “being an All-American,” or “Running USATF Nationals.” And to those I say “no,” the race that is most significant to who I am as a running today came when I was 15 years at the First Light 5k in Mobile, Alabama. At that point in my life I hated running. I hated logging the miles and I hated SHORT SHORTS! I jumped into this 5k as part of my winter training during Christmas vacation. It was on that day I ran an average 18:30, nothing special.

But more importantly, it was on that day I won my first race. The humbling thing about it was that I would have never imagined that it would be the first of many to come. The award from that race still sits on my bookshelf as a reminder that I was perhaps 18:30, 5000 meters, 1 winter vacation away from NOT being a runner...

385 yds (69-70 seconds)

I probably looked like a giant dork running down the home stretch. I could see family and friends in the crowd and I probably had the cheesiest smile ever on my face. To be honest the most important thing I was thinking about was “get a good picture, get a good picture...”

Aftermath

It’s been about 5-6 weeks since the marathon and I am still wore out. I can just tell I’m not 100% yet. I’ve been told this is pretty common for first timers. I have a new training plan and it’s been great to take what I’ve learned leading up to Detroit and put it into my training for my next marathon.

What’s amazing about this distance is that there are people faster and there are people who have way more inspiring stories but on race day, you’re all in the same boat. 2:03:02 or 5:00:00: they are all heroes to me and I am honored to be in their company.

Decemeber 5th was 19 weeks until Boston 2012. It’s the Miles

of Trials and the Trials of Miles. Good luck to all those running winter and spring marathons, I’ll see you on the roads.

Justin M. Gutierrez

CRC success at Spinx Marathon - Race Recap

Marathon Recap of Greenville Spinx Marathon (10-29-2011) by Matt McGuire. Congrats Matt on a terrific race and thank you for sharing.

Growing up in Boston, my end goal for my running career was always running in the Boston Marathon. After a mystery injury sidelined me during my Junior and Senior year of college (as well as 4 years afterwards) I didn't think I would be able to achieve that goal. Then just as randomly as the injury showed up, it disappeared, and I started to get back into running. After a few successful months, I set my sights on Boston, though I wasn't quite sure about the whole qualifying thing.

I found a training plan online and starting my training. A few months later I was running in my first race since college, the Baltimore Marathon. With a little help from a pace group, I crossed the finish line at 3:09:30, right under the qualifying time for Boston. I immediately started my training for Boston and couldn't wait for April to roll around. Boston was everything I thought it would be, with a huge after party from my family and everything. On top of all that, I got a new PR, crossing the line in 3:07:10. With that goal crossed off my list, I had to figure out what was next. 3 hours, thats what.

Only problem was, I still didn't quite know how to train for a marathon. I decided I needed to find some people who knew what they were doing, and came across the CRC online. I started running Tuesday mornings at the Miner's run, and enjoyed having some fellow runners to push me for once. Ben Hovis was then kind enough to put together a plan for me, which proved to be very successful. My mileage topped out at 74 miles vs. 50 the marathons prior, I added speed work and took my long runs well below the 8 minute pace my previous online plans recommended.

I picked Greenville Spinx Marathon because it was local, it would be a lot more low-key than Boston and my wife could do the half marathon too. Thankfully, the weather was perfect, low/mid 40s, sunny, and the rain that was there all night before had left. I decided I was gonna break the race up into 5 mile chunks to manage my times a little better but also allow myself to respond to how I felt and not micromanage it too much. There were about 600 runners for the marathon, and I found myself starting on, well, the starting line.

I went out with the lead group of 15 or so and went through the 1st 2 miles at 6:10 pace. Then I settled in with 2 other runners and went through 5 miles at 32:30, 1:50 under pace and feeling really good after my taper the last 2 weeks.

Miles 4 to 8 I was pretty much 20 seconds between the guy in front and the guy behind me. I took a pit stop at mile 8, and quickly caught up with a pack of 4 that had passed me during my stop. I ran with these guys from mile 9 to mile 16. I went through mile 10 in 1:07:26, 1:13 under pace. I was still feeling really good, and felt that staying with this group would be beneficial through mile 20. Miles 10-15 had the only hills that the course really had and I went through mile 15 at 1:42:13, :46 under pace.

I had to make a choice around mile 16, and decided for another quick pit stop, which dropped me about 30 seconds behind the group. I was pretty much by myself for the remainder of the race, and that includes the spectators. I think I had passed 2 since mile 8. I picked up the pace to try and catch back up, but they had also picked up the pace as well. It was about to get a little lonely.

Right around mile 18, I felt my hamstrings tighten up, first my right, and then a mile later my left. They continued to get progressively tighter as it went on. I came through mile 20 at 2:14:58, 2:20 under pace, and I felt really good about breaking the 3hr mark. With the 2 mile always being my track event, I decided to turn the last 6.2 into 3 2 mile runs. Mile 22 was 2:28:59, 2:03 under. Mile 23 put me in at an 8:45 split, which made me very nervous. I didn't find out until Mile 24 that it must have been mismarked, but I had fallen well off the pace during that 2 mile stretch. I was only 2 seconds under pace through 24, and my hamstrings were hurting!

Mile 26 was uphill through downtown and I was glad to finally see some other runners and spectators for some extra energy! I came through 26 at 2:58:30, dead even to the pace, and I knew I had to move it. It was right about there where it merged with the half marathon, so all of a sudden I had to dodge other runners. I may or may not have yelled once when I got cut off as I tried to go into my sprint.

The race finished around the warning track of a minor league baseball stadium (side note - it's a replica of Fenway Park, so being from Boston, that was pretty cool) and I could see the clock ahead. I went into full sprint mode, my calves getting completely locked up, and I pushed through it to cross the line in 2:59:57! 2 seconds to spare! Then I had the awesome feeling of accomplishment and severe pain, but I was excited to be able to call myself a sub-3hr marathoner! I ended up finishing 8th overall, and 1st in my age group, which one me a SWEET coffee mug! haha

Thanks again to everyone from the CRC and all my running buddies that helped push me through all the miles and to help me reach my goal! You guys are a great group!

MARATHON RECAP: “THE QUEST FOR SUB-THREE IN D.C.”

There’s something about the days leading up to a marathon that makes me question whether I truly have what it takes to conquer the distance. Maybe it’s the fact that I never actually run the full distance in training. Maybe it’s the memory of hitting the wall in a past marathon. Or maybe it’s the two-week taper after months of high mileage that leaves me feeling restless and uneasy. The Marine Corps Marathon would be my fourth marathon since the first in 2008, yet the same fears and anxiety I felt running my debut marathon would still race through my mind. Sure, I had increased my training mileage, added essential quality workouts to the rotation, and improved my 5k and Half Marathon PRs since last year…but it’s still the marathon, and everybody knows that “anything can happen in a marathon.”

In the beginning of 2011, I set three goals for myself: Run a sub 18-minute 5k, Win a road race, and Run a sub 3-hour marathon. With two goals checked off the list, only one goal remained. And so, after months of tempo runs, Dilworth Speed Loop workouts, and CRC Group Long Runs, I made the trip up to D.C. with my site set on achieving a new PR of “2 hours and change.”
My wife and I arrived in D.C. with the threat of rain, sleet and snow in the weekend forecast. After being snowed out of the Myrtle Beach Marathon in 2010, I was not about to miss another marathon due to snow. Fortunately, all signs pointed to the storm clearing out by Sunday which put my worries at ease.

Since Saturday’s conditions were not conducive to site-seeing, I decided to map out a race strategy in the hotel room while Kristen ran 9-miles around D.C. in the cold rain to prepare for her first half-marathon (so proud of her!). Based on my current fitness level and past experience running marathons, I went into this race thinking 2:56 to 2:59 would be an acceptable target finish range. I wrote down the following pre-race goals:
1) Take it easy the first mile to warm up the muscles, lock into a nice comfortable rhythm around 6:40 pace and hit the half between 1:27-1:28.
2) Stay concentrated on maintaining pace during Miles 14-20 and aim to hit the 20-mile mark around 2:13. Don’t let goal pace slip away by losing focus.
3) During the last 6 miles, visualize running “an easy six down to Freedom Park and back to the house.” Count down the miles to go rather than the miles already run.
4) Fuel with Clif Bloks at 6.5, 10.5, 15.5, and 21 followed by water (since these points precede the water station areas).

Saturday afternoon we met up with my in-laws and took the Metro downtown to pick up my bib and do a little site-seeing in the city. While they wanted to check out the Spy Museum, I convinced them to go to the “Museum of Crime & Punishment” instead. I figured if I saw some of the crazy things they did to torture people back in Medieval Times, maybe 26.2 miles wouldn’t feel so bad the next day? Afterwards, it was off to eat some pasta downtown and back to the hotel early so that I would be well rested for the big test the next morning.
I woke up at 5:30am on race morning after a surprisingly good night of sleep, downed a Clif Bar with some coffee and toast, and got ready so we could leave the hotel by 6:30. All I have to say is good thing we left early! Getting to the start line took a lot longer than I thought as thousands of runners made the 2-mile walk from the Metro stop through security and to the start line. Fortunately, we had timed everything perfectly as I got to the front corral with 15-minutes to spare. After a short welcome speech by Drew Carey (who actually jumped in and ran the marathon), the starting WWII Cannon fired away and we were off and running….let’s do this!
As amped up as I felt at the start, I remembered my race plan and decided to take it easy for the first mile to get warmed up. I hit Mile 1 in 6:43…perfect! Next on the agenda was to try lock in goal pace. I stopped looking at my watch and tried listening to what my body wanted to do. Mile 2 was an uphill which I hit in 6:35 (Wow, 6:30’s never felt so easy after tapering!). From this point on, I assumed 6:30’s would feel less and less easy…not the case at all. Miles 3 and 4 flew by in 6:24 and 6:10. At this point I decided to ditch 6:40 goal pace and just run based on feel. When I crossed over Key Bridge into Georgetown, I got an extra boost of confidence seeing Chad & Danielle Crockford cheering “Go CRC!” (Very cool seeing some CRC representation out there!).

After hitting Mile 5 in 6:24 and Mile 6 in 6:35, it was time to climb up the long hill on Canal Rd. I took my first installment of Clif Bloks and starting climbing. Since I knew this was the last significant climb I would experience, I decided to take it easy on the way up and crush the downhill section. The plan worked out great as I ascended Mile 7 in 6:48, followed by a fast 6:29 (M8) and 6:17 (M9)…feeling great!

My wife and in-laws were waiting for me just before Mile 9. I passed my gloves off and continued onward out of Georgetown. Shortly after seeing Kristen, I was greeted again by Chad & Danielle at the 15k mark where they snapped a photo of me. If you notice, I have a big smile on my face. This is not only because I saw my friends from Charlotte, but because the digital clock behind Chad was displaying 1:00:52 (6:32 pace!)…so much for 6:40’s!
At this point, I knew the course would be mostly flat the rest of the way so I decided it would be a good time to try and be more consistent with my pace. My strategy worked well as I hit the next four miles in 6:33 (M10), 6:28 (M11), 6:31 (M12), and 6:37 (M13). [Note: Stone Temple Pilots cover band at Mile 11 got me fired up which might explain the slightly faster 6:28 split...props to MCM for delivering some quality live bands!].

At last, the half-way digital clock greeted me towards the turnaround point…1:25:47!! Talk about a confidence boost. I was way ahead of my 1:27 goal and feeling confident. Next, the course would head north where I immediately noticed a headwind in my face which made it slightly harder to maintain pace. Despite the wind, I managed to roll off some steady splits hitting 6:36 (M14), 6:37 (M15), and 6:39 (M16) while taking my scheduled Clif Bloks along the way.

With the headwind behind me, it got a whole lot easier heading east towards the National Mall section. Not only did I get to see Kristen again, but I got to see all the famous D.C. landmarks up close. Fan support was excellent during this section as well, which covered Miles 17 to 20. Feeding off the energy of the surroundings, I hit my splits in 6:31 (M17), 6:32 (M18), 6:39 (M19), 6:45 (M20).

Just before the bridge, the 20-mile mark displayed 2:11:45 (6:35 pace!) which was well ahead of my 2:13 goal and 6 minutes ahead of sub-3 hour pace. At this point, I knew Sub 3 hours was pretty much in the bag. Not only was I way ahead of goal pace, but I still felt really good (which had not been the case at Mile 20 in past marathons). I took my last portion of Clif Bloks and headed over the bridge for the last 6.2 miles….almost there!
The last 6 miles were pretty much whatever my body gave me. I didn’t want to get too greedy since I knew I’d hit my goal, so I decided to hit the cruise control at a “comfortably-hard” pace. Not too ambitious, but not too easy. I hit my next four miles in 6:46 (M21), 6:46 (M22), 6:39 (M23), and 6:54 (M24).

With only 2 miles to go, the cumulative effect of 24 miles on my legs combined with the headwind in my face heading up Highway 110 started to take its toll. I tried my best to just zone out and slug forward hitting Mile 25 in 7:08 and Mile 26 in 7:02 (these would be the only splits over 7 minutes for the entire race). Finally, I could hear the crowds cheering as I turned towards the Marine Corps Memorial. Time to finish strong!! …Well, not exactly. It turns out there’s a nice little climb to the finish which ruins any attempt to step up the pace. I would have to settle for 7-minute pace at the finish, but I didn’t care at this point. At last, I crossed the finish line in 2:55:01, a full five minutes under 3-hours….GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!!!
Overall, my performance exceeded all expectations. Considering all the things that could go wrong in a marathon, I would say the day couldn't have gone any better. I'm not sure what my next goal will be in terms of marathoning. For now, I am going to sit back and enjoy accomplishing a huge milestone!

Special thanks to the Charlotte Running Club community for supporting and motivating me throughout my training. And of course my awesome wife who has always been my #1 fan!
Garmin Stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125455727

Fall Marathon Social

Come meet training buddies and share stories of marathons past and future! Not running a fall marathon? Come socialize anyway! We'll have the upstairs of Tyber Creek Pub reserved. The event will be catered with light appetizers; drink specials may be available (details to come). This event will be FREE for members (excluding beverages) and $10 for non-members (with the option to join CRC for $20, or $30 family membership). We have the room from 7:30 to 10:30 pm, after which it's is open to all bar patrons, so you're welcome to stay later.

Tyber Creek Pub

1933 South Blvd.

Charlotte, NC

Saturday August 27, 7:30 - 10:30 pm

MARATHON TRAINING Part 3 of 3

Today I get to write about the final frontier in marathon training, advanced marathoning. This stage is definitely not for everyone as the sacrifice from a time and body perspective are substantial and just might not be a fit or a choice you want to make in your life. That is perfectly ok but I do want to give you some insight into these folks in case you aspire to be one or you are just curious.

You are most likely an advanced marathoner if:

1. Your passion is probably more of an obsession now
2. You have run several marathons or you are a top competitor in a shorter event and are moving up to the marathon.
3. You are a bit of a “track geek”…you can reel off top runner’s names and their respective performance.
4. You would rather or at least you regularly make choices to go to bed at 9pm instead of going out with friends/family/neighbors so that you will be fresh for your am run.
5. 6am or earlier runs do not bother you any more as you have become used to them
6. Your family and neighbors constantly remind you how lean you are and try to feed you more
7. You have become more concerned about your sleep and diet than ever before
8. You have honed your stalking skills using Athlinks and AthleticCore in a effort to better understand your training partners and competition
9. Back to back to back weeks of 70+ miles does not scare you anymore
10. Despite all the above, you LOVE what you are doing and crave more!

Sounds fun? In a sick way, it truly is but there can be a tough balance when you put so much focus and energy into a sport. So how do you get there?

Having a goal is the top priority. You need to have a goal that pushes you to do a 14 mile run at 5:30am in a pouring cold rain because in the big picture, you know this will get you where you want to be. A very close second is consistency. Running is not about any one workout or even one good week. It is about weeks of weeks of good consistent training. That means you can’t checkout for a few days. Every day you are working towards your goal.

Don’t over-do it! Running more and harder does not necessarily translate into racing better. Your body has a breaking point. Being injured or sick derails consistency and you lose the building blocks that you had been stacking up week by week.

Sleep…this will be the third time I bring it up. It is so easy to get sleep yet I bet it is the single most overlooked aspect of running. Your body absolutely has to rest. Sleep and good nutrition help you stay healthy and when you are not sick, you are able to stay consistent with training. To continue to ring home this theme and a few others, her is a plug for Lauren Fleshman. While she is not yet a marathon runner, she is one heck of a good professional distance runner. Her website takes a little different twist from your typical blog. She actually answers questions that readers post. http://asklaurenfleshman.com

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It doesn’t take a genius to know its important to do your workouts, train hard and show up for the race. The following tips are important ones I have discovered that fly a little more under the radar. Best part about these is none of them require you to train more.

1. SLEEP MORE
If you are going to be strict about ONE THING, make it sleep. Even if you didn’t train any harder, sleeping 9 hours a night will make you faster. Its when you are sleeping that you absorb all your hard work. Your sleep is worth more than gold. Protect it. Its worth your friends thinking you’re lame for having a bedtime.

2. DITCH THE SUGAR
Give up sweets 5 days a week and you will get sick less, recover better, and run faster. If a muscle cell only lives for 6 months before a new one takes its place, in 6 months, every muscle in your body will be replaced by new muscles, and they will be built out of the foods that you eat. You literally are what you eat! You will run a lot faster made of real food than gummy worms!

3. CARRY A WATER BOTTLE
Buy a bottle you really like, because it will never leave your side. It will be either in your hand, your backpack, or on your bedside table. Pop a fizzy vitamin packet in there in the morning to keep in interesting, and please don’t let it get moldy and disgusting. That’s just gross.

4. SOAK IN THE FIELD
Right before the race or the warm-up, take a minute to lay down in the grass, close your eyes, and breathe. I call this soaking in the field, and I lay there until I feel like I’m sinking into the ground and the world starts to slowly swirl around me. I tune out everything else and a moment later, I know its time to get up and have some fun. I don’t get up until I feel grounded and calm.

5. ALWAYS EXPECT THE RACE TO HURT LIKE HELL
No matter how fit you get, the race will be hard. I know, its not fair…at some point the reward for hard work should be that racing is easy. Well, its not. When you feel like caving in, repeat this in your mind, “I train to handle pain.” You will beat people simply because you are willing to hurt more than they are.

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Well said by Ms Fleshman!

Can you be an advanced marathoner and self coach yourself? I would tend to say it is very challenging. I coached myself the past 3 years. However, the last 3 years really was a transition from intermediate to advanced marathoning. I reached a point after Boston this year where I think I needed help. I know enough to know that I don’t know enough. In order to take my running any further, I have maxed out what I am capable of doing on my own and needed fresh ideas. Among others, I had been bouncing ideas off of Mark Hadley. I have seen how well Nathan Stanford, Alana, and Caitlin Chrisman have performed under his guidance. I reached out to Mark for help and am now finishing up week 5 of what I call “The Hadley Project”. (There are about 6-8 of us in town that are currently training under Mark for fall 2010 marathons).

What does a coach do? A coach puts a plan together and keeps you honest each week. He/she objectively tells you where you should do more/less and is there to support you mentally as well. They calm you down when you have a bad workout and they keep you from reading in too much to a great workout. I am fortunate to also have several wonderful training partners who are very similar in abilities and goals so we are able to do a lot of our running together. Mark is an excellent coach but there are others out there as well and a coach is not necessarily a must for everyone.

What else? Well, I have a nutritionist, and I have a physical therapist. A few folks even have a masseuse they regularly attend. Think of your body as a race car. If you drive lots of miles with your care, it requires tune-ups, preventative maintenance, and sometimes it just breaks down Your body is really know different so just like having a mechanic you can trust, having excellent professionals in town that can help you is a must.

I hope you were at least entertained by the 3 part series. We have a wonderful running community here in Charlotte and the flow of information is what helps us all improve. I absolutely do not have all the answers so please share with me and others here at the blog or better yet, join us on a run and chat. Happy Running!!!

Written by Aaron Linz - The author is the president of the Charlotte Running Club. He was fortunate enough to have run a 2:42.41 at the Boston Marathon for a finish of 269 out of 22645. Next up for Aaron is the Richmond marathon.

MARATHON TRAINING Part 2 of 3

Today we continue the conversation about marathon training by focusing on intermediate training. You are most likely an intermediate marathon runner if you can identify with some of the following:

• You have run a couple marathons and are now anxious to get a Boston qualifying time in your next marathon.
• You have been to Boston before and loved the experience so much that you want to get back at it and run even better.
• You are ready or have just started to take your mileage up a bit more.
• You are ready to or have started integrating workouts into your weekly routine.
• You are ready or have begun to purchase some books and follow some online content specific to marathon training.
• You realize there is more to being a good marathoner than just running.
There are lots of great resources out there.

Greg McMillan is certainly an authoritative source and I could not agree more with his statement below:
“You’d think that with nearly 50 years of competitive marathoning behind us, marathon training would be cut and dried, but it’s not. We are all different, with different strengths and weaknesses. The best we can do is think about what works and does not work for us. We can experiment with new approaches when other approaches aren’t working. We can learn from expert coaches and successful athletes and modify their lessons to match our own abilities. With commitment and dedication (and more than a bit of luck), you’ll toe the line in your next marathon better prepared than ever.” - Greg McMillan, M.S., is an exercise physiologist, competitive runner and USA Track & Field certified coach. www.mcmillanrunning.com.

Coach McMillan has a good read about a little different approach than a lot of us traditionally followed in high school and college that is worth reading at: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9254&PageNum=1

As stated above, there is no one way right way but if you are looking for some good structure and reasons why the structure is implemented, I highly recommend Advanced Marathoning 2nd Edition by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas. The book is an easy read and in addition to explaining training approaches and exerts from very accomplished marathoners, there are several training schedules in the book that you can easily adopt. What I like about the training schedules is you can fit them to your life/needs. For example, if you can commit 45-55 miles a week for a 12 week stretch, there is a schedule with what Pfitzinger and Douglas recommend each day. If you want to commit more mileage and time, there are schedules in there to support that sort of regimen as well.

Continuing on with further educating yourself as an intermediate runner, our own club member and local resident coaching expert, Mark Hadley has excellent content on his website and blog, http://maximumperformancerunning.com/. Mark draws from the best practices of several world renowned coaches such as Pfitzinger, Peter Rea, and Jack Daniels (not the alcohol, more on Mark’s site about JD). Right here in Charlotte, we have some terrific folks with lots of marathon experience who regularly write blogs worth taking a peak at for ideas and thoughts. Bill Shires (http://runnerscooldownmile.blogspot.com) and Stephen Spada (http://inspiredbyabebebikila.blogspot.com ) have both run great marathons into their 40s and are still at it doing very well.

As you move into the intermediate phase a couple of things to keep in mind:
1) Don’t over-do it! Training is an incremental process. You might not be able to do 70 miles now but if you spend 6 months to a year of 50-60 mile weeks, your body will get stronger and you will be able to handle more.

2) Long runs and at least 1 workout a week are baked into almost all the good training plans and are essential to success. Tempo runs are highly recommended.

3) Rest is ok! Seriously, your body needs to recover. This includes off days when you need it but probably most importantly, stretching and good sleep! Don’t go months on end training. Target a race, train towards it and then treat your body to some time off to recharge.

4) Cross training – you will see more of this in the advanced article but I do have some opinions that I will admit are evolving.
a. Nothing substitutes for running. If you have a choice, run. We are in a sport where if you want to get better at running the best activity is to run.
b. Cross training has a place for recovery days or as a supplemental or 2nd workout for the day but be careful! It should not be your primary workout or tire your body out to the point that it impacts your run.
c. When an injury prevents you from running or limits your running, based on what your doc say, have at it with cross training.
d. I used to run 5 days a week and cross train or take off on the other 2 days. I think that was fine to a point but as I reached the higher levels of intermediate training and migrated into advanced, I have scaled back cross training significantly.

5) Have fun!!! Just because you have more focus and structure in your running and established higher expectations for yourself does not mean the training should become a chore. Your passion for the sport should grow more as an intermediate as you should be getting more out of what you put in, you are discovering new ways to train, and meeting new folks on a similar path to share in your experiences.

Part 3 will discuss Advanced Marathoning.

-- Written by Aaron Linz amlinz@yahoo.com
The author is the president of the Charlotte Running Club and was fortunate to run a 2:42.41 at the 2010 Boston Marathon for a finish of 269 out of 22645. Next up for Aaron is the Richmond marathon.