Race day dawned sunny, no wind, and wonderful 40 degree temperatures. The course is mostly flat --- it follows a converted rails to trails path so is mostly railroad grade flat. There is a semi decent hill around mile 7 and then again at around mile 18/21 as the trail went up and over the highway on an overpass.
B&A is a small race with a combined half marathon (everyone starts together and goes out and back for the half --- then the half marathons cut off for their finish while the marathoners continue on for another out and back). Most of the racers were half marathoners, so most of the first half was keeping myself from running too fast as I did not want to be keeping pace with folks only doing 13.1 miles. Luckily I had my GPS watch and so kept my pace by it. True and enough, most of the runners ahead of me peeled off at the halfway point. I was feeling relatively good and was holding a good pace --- basically running between 6:45 and 6:50s with an overall pace of 6:49 at the half (which would translate to a 2:59:00). The second half was much more lonely and a slight head wind picked up. I did have a number of "ego boosts" however. Many of the racers were midshipmen and women from Annapolis. In fact, I ran about 4 or so miles (miles 14 - 18) alongside a midshipman who was trying to qualify for Boston. At around mile 18 he couldn’t keep pace with me and I started putting more and more distance on him (not bad for a 41 year old father of 3, huh?). Unfortunately, I was also starting to tire from the pace I was keeping, the slight headwind, and the gradual uphill as we approached the overpass. I started getting mile splits in the low 7s and that 3 hour goal was in danger. I reached the turnaround and headed to the finish. Miles 22 and 23 were my low points, hitting a 7:14 and 7:15 respectively. But then I got a second wind and figured I would run like hell for the final 5K and get as close to 3 hours as I could. I then hit 7:07s, 7:01, and 7:01 for the next three miles. At the 26 mile mark we left the trail for the final 1/4 mile to the finish line. The race marshall said I was in 10th place and I started to kick. I passed a couple of runners and hit the finish at 3:01:27 --- a major PR. I finished 7th overall (out of 240) and 1st place in the over 40 crowd, getting the master's award. I ran a great race and even though I didn't break 3, I felt good about my performance. That midshipman I paced back at miles 14 18, he qualified with a 3:09.
I took my standard week off of running to recover than started right back up for Frederick Marathon in May. In retrospect, I should have eased back into things rather than going from a week of zero running to going full bore. Anyhow, by late March, the lower outside of my left knee was killing me both during my runs and after. I actually found myself limping at times. Finally in mid April I went to the orthopedist and he diagnosed an IT Band friction syndrome. The IT band or illiotibial band is a somewhat rigid band of muscle/tendon that stretches from the hip (that's the illio) to the top of the tibia just below the knee. When the IT Band is extremely tight (as it is with me), it can rub over the knee causing friction and pain. Luckily it's not really a knee issue --- the pain manifests itself around the knee. Anyhow, I scrubbed Frederick and took the entire month of May off (swimming instead). In early June I began to slowly ease myself back into running, hoping that by mid July I could get back into Fall marathon training mode (for both 2008 Marine Corps and 2008 JFK 50 miler).
July came and my IT band was still aching. Worse, I could not get my old speed back. I was struggling to keep 7:30 paces on the short runs (although my long runs were OK speedwise). In late July I started going to physical therapy. As it turns out, high arched runners like myself are prone to IT band issues. For younger runners, a few days of rest is usually all it takes. But for us masters runners, it can take a bit more time. Anyhow, the physical therapist gave me some stretching exercises and strengthening exercises to resolve the IT problem (plus weekly massage, ultrasound therapy, and electro shock therapy). A side benefit of therapy was that on the second session, my therapist wanted to watch me run on the treadmill to make sure there was nothing in my running form that might be contributing to the IT issue (other than overuse). As it turns out, I was way over striding. So I started working on shortening my stride and increasing my turn over rate. Like a charm, my old speed came back without any additional expenditures of energy.
The summer wore on and I saw an email call from the MCRRC seeking runners to run the inaugural DC area Ragnar Relay in late September. This 182 mile ultra relay started in Cumberland, MD and went to Crystal City, VA. Teams consisted of 12 runners, each of whom ran three legs (average about 6 or so miles per leg). Or, you could run as an ultra team, with only 6 runners, each running three double legs. Of course, I signed up for a co ed ultra team. (I figured I still had a month before Marine Corps). My first double leg was a 17 miler starting at about 9 pm in the pouring rain and fog. It was quite an experience, for much of the leg I could barely see in front of me with the fog and rain --- luckily I was somewhat used to night running, where all you can see is a few feet in front of you in the cone of light from your head lamp. The runners were pretty stretched out and I could only sometimes catch a glimpse of a red blinking tail light (we had to wear a reflective vest, head lamp, and blinking tail light) from the runner in front or the dim point of light from a headlamp behind me. As this leg was through some mountainous terrain near Hancock, MD, I mostly saw the ghostly green glow of animal eyes peering at me from the side of the road. I passed off the baton (a wrap around wrist bracelet) and got into one of our team's two cars and changed into some warm clothes, ate some cold pizza and drove to the next pass off point. (Each team had two cars, with either 6 or 3 runners (for regular or ultra team), and we'd leap frog from exchange point to exchange point). Unfortunately, one of our runners got injured during the first leg so the remaining 5 runners had to pick up the extra legs, as one of the stronger runners on the team, I volunteered to take on most of the extra legs. So my next double leg was a few hours later --- a 7 miler, again in the rain. This leg was mostly flat, and I was running with a small group of runners for most of it. So the time passed pretty quickly. My next leg started just before sunup, out side of Frederick. A 10.5 miler from Frederick due south to Point of Rocks, where the race course took to the C&O Canal. On my earlier legs, I had been running a pretty consistent 7:15 or so pace. By now I was getting tired. In fact, before this leg started I was so famished yet could not stomach anymore cold pizza. We passed an all night quickie mart and I was able to wolf down some cup-o-soup and drink 2 chocolate ensures before starting. Anyhow, on this 3rd double leg I was struggling to hold a 7:30 pace. I finished that leg feeling very sore and very tired. I got some hot cocoa and slept a bit waiting for my 4th double leg. My 4th leg was 9.5 miles starting around noon. It was now getting pretty hot and humid, but luckily I was running in the shade of the C&O Canal (at least for the first of the double legs). The second half of the leg was on the side of the rolling River Road (detouring around a damaged portion of the canal towpath). I was really dragging now, starting to walk the uphills. My teammates passed me by and said I only had two more rolling hills to go before the exchange. Five more rolling hills later!!!I got to the exchange point. By this point, I could not run another double leg, so I was to run the first half of the final double leg with our team captain running the last half and crossing the finish line. I could barely move as I started my final 6.8 mile run. I was doing the ultra shuffle, barely holding a 9 minute pace and walking about 1 2 minutes for every mile I shuffled. Mercifully, the leg ended and I was able to stop walking. I ran a total of 49 miles, in 5 legs, at an average pace of 7:59. Our team came in 2nd out of 3 co ed ultra teams.
So that was one really long, long run. Despite how sore I was immediately after the race, by the end of the week I was feeling fine and back to normal running. Surprisingly my IT band was not as sore as I thought it might be.
2008 Marine Corps Marathon arrived a month later. Between my IT issues and an incredibly busy fall at work (causing my mileage to be well below what I'd hoped for), I did not feel ready for this marathon. Indeed, by mile 3, I was struggling to hold a 7 minute pace. Luckily, at mile 3 there is a huge downhill and I was able to make up time and get my pace back to a sub 3 hour pace. The rest of the first half went quite well. They had changed the course to put Haines Point before Capitol Hill. On the one hand, this was great. I took the Point with good energy (it is a very windy, very lonely place and usually it is followed by the 14th St bridge). On the other hand, I was used to going from Haines Point to the bridge thinking that the race was almost over. So psychologically, it was somewhat of downer to leave the Point and realize, oh crap, the race is only half over. I started my way up the Mall, looked at my watch, and thought a sub 3 is possible if I can hold the pace I was running. But then, the internal check of my body made me think that would be difficult indeed. Then around mile 18, as I was leaving the Mall and turning onto 14th Street, my knee started aching. Not the IT band ache (my IT band hadn't bothered me the entire race) but a directly below the knee cap burning pain. My pace quickly went from 6:50s to 7:01 then 7:11 then 7:22 then 7:34 then 7:41. The knee was killing me, I had hit the wall and hit it hard. I regained a second wind around the Pentagon and was able to hold a 7:41 pace for the final miles, finishing with a 3:04:29 (219th out of 18,273 finishers). My 3rd fastest marathon and fastest Marine Corps.
I took a week off. Then ran a 16 miler. Then tapered for JFK 50 miler. Last time, I had run an 8:29. I figured I could break 8 hours if I incorporated more walking. What I didn't plan on was sub freezing temperatures and a nasty headwind. Race day starting temp was about 18 degrees. I was triple shirted, winter hat, running pants, but only thin running gloves (why did I not wear my waterproof running mittens over those gloves???). The AT portion of the race was very nice. I had a good pace and felt pretty warm (the mountain blocking most wind). But once we descended to the C&O Canal portion, we got the full brunt of the headwind, which made the upper 20s air temperature into a lower 20s with the windchill. The familiar headache started up around Harpers Ferry, but I wasn't wet so I didn't think I had to worry about hypothermia. I was concerned about frost bite on my hands though. They were getting numb and I was frequently putting them under my arms. Even the hot soup didn't feel so hot. Anyhow, the miles I raced at Ragnar in September and Marine Corps in October took their toll and I hit the wall badly in the 30 mile range and I honestly never recovered. The ultra shuffle took its hold on me. And my knee was aching. My head was throbbing. I shuffled through the rest of the towpath portion. When I got to the road, I was limping and walking and on occasion running. It was a cloudy day and it felt like it was getting darker. I looked at my watch. Breaking 8 hours was a long gone goal. Even breaking 8:30 (my previous time) was gone. Now, it was trying to at least finish sub 9 hours. The road levels out around mile 47, so I was able to pick up the pace on my shuffling and stopped walking and used every ounce of will power to stop the limping and run normal. The finish line appeared and I stumbled in with an 8:49:52 (10:34 average pace). Surprisingly, I was not shivering uncontrollably so, thankfully, no hypothermia. But I did need help from a race volunteer to hobble into the Williamsport HS to warm up with pizza and hot cocoa.
A few weeks later I went back to the orthopedist for the knee. He sort of dismissed it as an "of course it hurts, you just ran a 50 miler." Instead, I went back to the physical therapist --- patellar tendonitis. New stretches, new strengthening routines.
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