After taking the pit stop to tie my sneaker at mile 8, I caught back up to the pace team with relative ease.  In fact, from this point on, I began to keep my distance from the group running about 20yds ahead since there was much less congestion the further I strayed from the team.

The sun really started making its presence known at around miles 9-10 and I slid my newly purchased sunglasses down to block the rays.  At first I found them to be uncomfortable, but I’ve never really been one to wear sunglasses.  I kept them on only at the points where we ran directly towards the sun.  The rest of the time I slid them back up to my head where they rested snugly.  I would go on to use the sunglasses more and more as the race went on, eventually leaving them on for good.  I’ve had too many long runs this winter where I’ve come back with a headache from the bright snow reflecting the sun back into my brain.  So I knew it would be wise to avoid that potential discomfort if I was going to have a successful race.

My sneaker pit-stop happened around mile 7-8 and somewhere around mile 9-10 it was time to set out on my next mission: peeing.  Although there were ample port-a-pottys on the course, I felt I could save a few seconds by just gliding off the course and peeing against the wall of an isolated overpass.  It went off without a hitch.

At mile 10 I took my second gel (first one was at mile 5).

As our group approached the halfway point we saw the lead runner and he had about 4 miles left in the race (which makes perfect sense, since we were at about 1:55 and he finished in 2:20 ).  He had at least a 10 minute lead over the next competitor and it was motivating to see the course’s best runner looking strong on the homestretch.

At mile 15 I took another gel.

Now, the story arch isn’t complete unless I share a brief moment of self-doubt that I experienced at around mile 16.  I think it was 25% physical and 75% psychological.  Physically I noticed my right knee starting to bug me, as well as the area directly above my left achilles (which had actually started giving me trouble a few days prior, but felt ok after warming up in those first few miles).  Fortunately, I packed a couple tablets of ibuprofen and put them to good use. 

Psychologically I think mile 16 is where I’ve started to get concerned while running the NY Marathon as well.  It is of course that moment when you realize you’ve completed fairly substantial mileage… and you still have double digits to go!  Moreover, this is the point in NYC where you’ve just made your way over the 2nd major bridge after a series of lightly rolling hills throughout Brooklyn and Queens.  And of course the crowded NYC course makes it almost impossible to run tangents (unless you’re really fast and at the very head of the pack) so that by the time you reach 16 it feels more like 18.  The brief rush you get from witnessing millions of spectators quickly dissipates as you fight the uphill battle of 1st avenue.

I digress. The point is that the 16 mile mark of Gasparilla is where I started to get concerned about the final 10 miles of the marathon.  But Gasparilla was different, I told myself.  There were no hills or bridges, there were no crowds to weave through and almost no wind.  It was a beautiful day, the ibuprofen kicked in quickly and the 8:47 pace felt just fine…

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We made great time to Tampa, leaving me with about 45 minutes to warm-up, stretch, release bio-fluids/solids and find my pace team with goal time of 3:50 (or 8:47 mile splits).

The pace group leader’s name was Dave.  He introduced us all to each other and ran through some last minute thoughts on the race.  A few moments prior to race start, I downed the rest of an energy shot, turned on my iPod and readied my stopwatch.  I made sure all my gels were in the right locations.  1 in each pocket, 1 in the pouch of my water bottle (which itself was loaded with my proprietary mix of Gatorade and 5hr energy shot) and the final gel I carried in my free hand    The gun went off and we crossed the start line about 30 seconds later.

Miles 0-8

It was still really dark out when we began running.  So for the first couple miles while the runners were still densely packed onto the course, I spent most of my attention focused on avoiding potholes, puddles and other difficult to see imperfections on the road.  God forbid I landed wrong on my weak right ankle and put the outcome of my marathon in jeopardy. 

It was around this time that I realized what a valuable service our pace group leader provides.  I didn’t have to expend even the smallest amount of energy on worrying about my pace!  I know that sounds completely obvious, but having never worked off of a pacer before, I simply didn’t realize how big of a difference it makes.  And although I was plugged into my iPod, overhearing the jokes and banter within the group also helped lift my spirits.

So like I said, the first few miles are kind of a blur, mostly because it was so dark out.  But I remember cruising through some of the nicer neighborhoods Tampa has to offer.  Our pace group ran the first mile at a roughly 9:20 pace due to the typical congestion at the start of a race.  That meant we had to pick up the pace for the next few to get back on 8:47 pace.  At some points I was fine with that, and 10 seconds ahead of pace felt fine.  At other points I was kind of concerned that it felt fast.  By the time we caught up to pace a few miles later, I was happy to adjust back to 3hr 50min pace. 

This was also around the point where 2 other things started to concern me.  First, I noticed my left sneaker wasn’t laced tightly enough.  This has been an ongoing problem I’ve had for the last few months.  I’ve been having a really difficult time finding the sweet spot between too tight and too loose.  Too tight and the arch of my foot starts cramping up.  Too loose and my ankles feel unstable.  I decided at some point I would need to pull over and rectify the situation.  That would probably require getting a little ahead of the pack, stopping to tie, then catching up with the group.  I was worried that it might not work out as planned and I would lose them in the very early stages of the race which would be a problem. 

The second problem was that I had to pee.  Not a bladder buster by any means, but uncomfortable enough that I couldn’t just forget about it.  This would now require 2 separate stops.  1 unified lacing/peeing stop would set me back too far.  I triaged the lacing situation to the top of the list but still wasn’t quite ready to stop and deal with it.

We crossed over the bridge onto Bayshore Blvd and I took my first moment to reflect.  The sun was beginning to rise and the water was completely motionless.  One of those scenic moments you really appreciate whilst marathoning on a course you’ve never run before.  As I touched down onto Bayshore Blvd, I noticed I was slowly drifting ahead of the group and decided it was time to break away for the shoe tying, which went off without a hitch.  As I joined back up with the group we were approaching mile 8 when pacer Dave remarked “we’ve already completed a sizable piece of the race and everyone is in good shape.”  It was a simple observation, but nonetheless it was very motivating to realize we’d completed about 1/3^rd of the distance.

More to come…

J

Popularity: 2% [?]

I really didn’t adjust my routine much at all in the days leading up to the marathon.  In a perfect world, I would have gotten more sleep.  Unfortunately our neighbor and his appreciation of dolby 5.0 surround sound and late-night action movies/euro-trash music got in the way.  And our dog Charlie is of course not a great sleeper and wakes us up at all hours.  But other than that, I ate exactly the same.  I exercised pretty much the same.  

My last long-ish run was on Sunday, Feb 21^st.  I did just over 11 miles at a roughly 8 minute mile clip.  This was after doing 2 weekends of back to back 20 milers, which I think really paid off in the end.  I took off on Monday, then biked Tuesday, ran on Wednesday and swam on Thursday.  I may have taken it a little easier than usual, but still got in a pretty decent amount of activity.

Some bad travel-related news came on Thursday when we learned that another winter storm was making its way along the northeast.  I woke up at 5:26am Friday morning to a phone call from Dial 7 car service.  They told me that the car I booked 3 days ago would no longer be coming to take me to JFK airport since the roads were basically covered in snow. 

I then sat on the phone with JetBlue for about 30 minutes waiting to see if my flight was going to be cancelled or not.  Upon confirmation that the 7:55am flight was still on, I made my way to the airport via the Subway followed by the JFK AirTrain.  Thank god I wasn’t flying out of Laguardia.

I got to the airport and things were looking good.  I made it to gate 17, my departure gate for Tampa, just in time to see people were beginning to board.  “Too good to be true” I thought to myself.  And of course it was too good to be true.  Even though gate 17 said Tampa on it, these were actually people boarding an Orlando flight scheduled to depart about an hour prior.  So about 5 hrs later, my flight took off.  Not the best start to race weekend.

Flight landed at about 3:30pm, mom picked me up from the airport and we made our way over to the Tampa convention center.  In addition to picking up my race packet, I snagged a pair of light weight sunglasses for $40 which turned out to be worth every penny.  I also snagged a racing singlet and a long sleeve tech shirt for $9.99 each.

The remainder of the day was less chaotic.  Went home, ate a great home cooked meal, and was in bed by 9:30pm.  Despite waking up a few times, it was a good night’s sleep and I woke up around 7am for about 9.5 hrs of sleep.

I woke up Saturday, ate some breakfast and hit the gym.  Did some stretching, spent some time with the foam roller and then hopped onto the treadmill for about a mile’s worth of jogging, running, sprinting, hills, etc.  Just wanted to make sure my legs were working in every capacity I would need them to on Sunday. 

It rained pretty much all day, so I spent most of the day indoors on the couch… exactly where you want to be on pre-marathon day.  In-between couching, I meticulously picked out the items I wanted with me for race day.  I laid out my clothing, second guessing myself a half dozen times about whether or not to wear shorts or running pants.  And whether or not I should wear 2 long sleeve shirts or 1.  Or if I should wear a tank top underneath.  Or if I should wear gloves.  Should I wear a baseball cap and sun glasses?  Or just sun glasses.  Would they slide off my head while I wasn’t wearing them for the first 2 hours in the dark?  I did a test run around the block to test it out.  They fit like a glove.

Had an early dinner at 5pm and continued to lounge.  I spent a lot of time on Twitter looking up other Gasparilla Marathoners and trying to get a vibe of what everyone was thinking about the weather situation.  Eventually 8pm rolled around and surprisingly, I was pretty tired and ready for bed.  And for a 4am wake up call.  More to come over the next few days…

J

Popularity: 3% [?]

That’s right, 3hrs 45 min. Have to say I impressed myself a little.

Full race report on Tues/Wed.

J

Popularity: 4% [?]

I thought it was pretty cool to see Bart Yasso showing support for Gasparilla.  The following is reposted from an email that Gasparilla sent to me…

Runner’s World Chief “Running Officer”
Bart Yasso To Speak During 
8 On Your Side Health & Fitness Expo  
 
     Dubbed the “Mayor of Running,” Bart Yasso is one of the best-known figures in the sport, but few people know why he started running competitively, how it changed his life, or how his brush with a crippling illness nearly ended his career a decade ago.
 
     With insight and humor, Bart’s latest book, My Life on the Run chronicles his life and what he’s experienced while competing in more than 1,000 competitive races during his nearly 30 years with Runner’s World magazine.
 
     Bart will be available for Book Signings and will host two Seminars over Race Weekend.  Join Bart on Friday, February 26th at 6:30pm and Saturday, February 27th at 1:00pm.  Bart will also run the Final Voyage of the Gasparilla Marathon on Sunday, February 28th.  To learn more about Bart, click here!   
 
     Many runners tell me quite simply I have the greatest job in the world. I get to travel to races around the world and meet runners of all abilities. Let me reiterate I get to meet thousands of runners with some amazing stories. For me running has also been a vehicle of introduction to people, places, cultures, and animals. I have run on all seven continents, but it’s not the details of the races I recall it’s the people I meet. 
Bart Yasso

Popularity: 3% [?]

So I have a Marathon to run next weekend.  Great.  I ran 11.2 miles today at about an 8:05 pace.  Which felt pretty good despite having a rich meal last night (at Double Crown on Bleecker/Bowery) with a few dark and stormies (rum + ginger beer) and a crappy night’s sleep (thanks to our insomniac dog Charlie).

I have finalized my goal time for the marathon, which will be 3:50 (8:47 splits).  If there was a pace group with a 3:55 finish time, I would have prefered that.  But theres not and I refuse to run with a 4:00 pace team.  So 3:50 it is.  That’s about 25 minutes slower than I was hoping for.

Hard to believe I ever had such an ambitious goal in mind for a marathon with a training season that falls square in the middle of the christmas holidays, dead of winter and flu season.  All 3 of these things set me back in their own way… so I will just be happy to finish better than my first marathon time of 3:57!  Anyway, here’s a map of my route today.  After that, there’s some info about the Gasparilla pace teams.

Gasparilla Pace Team FAQ

Where do the Pacers come from?
All of our Pacers were chosen because of their years of competing in several marathons around the country. Our Pacers are dynamic and personable, and know from past experience exactly what it takes to help you have a great marathon.

What Pace Groups are offered?
We will have groups for goal times: 3:20 (7:38/mile), 3:30, 3:40, 3:50, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, and 5:00 (11:27/mile). Additional times may be offered so check with us at the Expo.

What pace group should I be in?
The best way to select the proper pace group is to consult the Race Prediction charts at www.MarathonGuide.com. There you can base your desired finish time on a previous shorter race you’ve completed this season. It’s very important not to start out to fast in the marathon and to select the proper pace based on your actual previous performance.

What does it cost to run with the Pace Team?
The Pace Team is sponsored by the marathon and doesn’t cost you anything!

Can half marathoners run with the Pace Team?
Absolutely! This year the Half Marathon is adding Pacers just for the half marathoners. We will have the following half marathon goal times: 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20, and 2:30. Half marathoners can also run the first ten miles of their race with any of the full marathon pacers if they would prefer one of those pace times. Just stop by our booth at the expo and meet your pace leader. On race morning just fall in with the group.

How will the Pacers be running the race?
Every pace leader will be holding a steady pace throughout the marathon. These “even splits” are the best way to achieve your peak performance in the race.

Will the Pacers start out on pace exactly? How do they do that!?
The guys and gals serving as Pace Leaders are very experienced and know their pace well. Sometimes at the start it’s crowded and may take a couple of miles to settle into a steady pace. Most importantly, they won’t take you out too fast and burn up all your energy early on.

Where will my Pace Leader be on race morning?
About 30 minutes before the start we’ll be assembling in the starting area. Each Pacer will be holding up their pace sign so when you see it go and join up with the group. About 15 minutes before the start the Pacer will give you some last minute instructions about running with the group. They will talk about the course, what to do if you need a break, and how to make it through the water stops. We will be wearing our bright Pace Team uniforms. Now is the time to ask any last minute questions you may have.

What will the Pace Leader do at the water stations?
The Pacer will usually slow down or walk through the water stops. Listen for this information during the pre-race talk.

Will there be Pace Leaders for me if I’ve trained using the Galloway method?
You can use the Pace Leader as a guide even if you’re using the run-walk method. You will be meeting up with the Pace Leader regularly throughout the marathon, running ahead and then walking behind.

If I join a Pace group do I have to stay with them for the whole marathon?
No you don’t. However, if you feel great at the start of the race that’s normal and you should stay with the group through the halfway point. Then you can consult with the group leader on an appropriate strategy for the second half of the race. If you’re not having a great day then slow down, take some walking breaks and work your way to the finish line. If you’re trying to hit a PR the best advice we can give you is to stick next to your pace leader for the whole race.

Will each group have the same Pace Leader for the entire marathon?
Yes. Each pace group will have one leader and they will run the entire 26.2 miles. You won’t be abandoned or handed off to a newcomer in the middle of the race. We’ll stick with you from start to finish.

What should I do after the race?
Stay on your feet, walk around for 15-30 minutes, and eat and drink to replenish your exhausted body. When stopped at the airport metal detector exclaim, “Oh that must be my Marathon medal.” After you’re home, sit down and email your race story to me at PacerJim@hotmail.com. Begin planning for your next marathon. Wear your medal to bed.

Wear my medal to bed?  If I actually finish, I just might!

Thanks for reading, make sure to bookmark my site and come back often. Feel free to email me at Jason@nycin310.com. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NYCin310.

Jason

Popularity: 3% [?]

So we’re officially 10 days away from the Gasparilla Marathon, which means weather.com starts forecasting the conditions for Sunday, Feb 28th.  And as of this moment, they are absolutely perfect for marathon running… 62 degrees, sunny, 0% chance of precipitation and a breeze of 9mph from the NW.  Let’s hope that holds up!  Because on Saturday they’re saying 40% chance of rain…

Thanks for reading, make sure to bookmark my site and come back often. Feel free to email me at Jason@nycin310.com. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NYCin310.

Jason

Popularity: 3% [?]

As of Saturday, I am proud to report that I’m done with my long runs and couldn’t possibly be any happier about it!  I started off with 11 miles outdoors (battery park, up to west 70th and back) and then finished off with 9 miles on the treadmill in our basement gym.  Overall I found this 20 miler to be much easier than last week’s, but by the final few miles I was dragging so I’m still concerned about the final 10k.

I absolutely hate long runs in the winter.

So if nothing else, I will walk away from this experience knowing that I will NEVER train for a winter marathon again.  Multi-layered clothes, freezing rain, wind, snow and dodging patches of ice on the pavement… not for me.  Hopefully the weather in Tampa will be favorable by the end of February.  I know it’s been unseasonably cold down there so far.  Weather.com shows it warming up to 70 degrees on Feb 24th, just 4 days from raceday.

I can’t remember where I saw this, but it’s a great marathon strategy…

- Run the first 10 miles with your head
- Run the next 10 miles with your legs
- Run the final 10k with your heart

I have a feeling I’m going to need alot of heart.

J

Popularity: 5% [?]

I found a new t-shirt to wear next time I attempt a 20 miler on the treadmill…

Fucking boring.  That’s about the only way to describe spending 172 minutes on the treadmill.  But you know what, I am so tired of doing winter long runs in the outdoors, that it was worth it.  Just to run and not have to worry about layering 10 different items of clothing, hats, gloves and all that nonsense.  Plus I can add that to my running resume.  How many people can say they’ve put in 20 miles on a treadmill, right?  (who the hell would want to say that)

It wasn’t just hard because it was boring though.  I am not exactly well prepared to take on the marathon distance, as was evidenced by my crash into the wall at about mile 18.  Don’t tell anyone, but I even walked for the 0.1 mile interval between 18.9 and 19.0… but at the end of the day, I knocked out 20 miles at an 8:38 pace, so I guess it could have gone worse.

Since I’ve already decided the Gasparilla marathon is no longer the record shattering race I’d hoped it would be, I think it would be neat to try running with a pace group this time around… leaving my one man wolf pack in exchange for many of us wolves, running around Tampa Bay together.  Maybe try to stick with a 3:50 group or something like that.  Since my motivation has been in the toilet, it may be smart to try to leverage off of the strength of others.

Anyway, we’re really in the homestretch now.  This Sunday will be 2 weeks until race day.  Given the case of the weather outdoors today, I might even try… gasp… fitting in another 20 miler on the treadmill on Saturday.  I know that kind of distance 2 weeks out is kind of dumb, but its on a treadmill so the impact of doing a 20 miler won’t be as substantial as an outdoors run.  I just need that confidence booster that 20 miles is completely doable, and 26.2 isn’t thaaaat much further (even though it is).

J

Popularity: 6% [?]