Since I've told people I've been training for the Madison Marathon, the responses have been varied. My running friends are mostly understanding, excited, inquisitive, and some even a little jealous. But, the most confused and amused looks and questions come from my non-running friends. So, to save the trouble of answering them many times in the next two weeks, I present here my Marathon FAQ's.
1. How long is THIS marathon? By definition, a marathon is a race that is 26.2 miles. To be more precise, it is 26 miles, 385 yards. The marathon was first featured in the Olympic games in Athens in 1896 as 40km (24.85 miles) and the now standard distance was used first in 1908, when in order for the Royal Family to see the marathon at the London Olympics, a partial lap around the stadium was added to the planned 26 mile race. Or something like that. Anyway, a marathon has been officially 26.2 miles since 1921, when the distance was standardized.
2. Why would anyone run 26 miles? Well, that's different for everyone. The race is named after an alleged journey of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger charged with communicating that his country defeated Persia in the Battle of Marathon. He immediately ran from Marathon to Athens, a distance of about 25 miles, upon which he announced, "we have won," then took a swig of Gatorade, wrapped himself in a space blanket, and promptly died. So, he did it as an act of patriotism. My motives are more selfish. I wanted to (1) have something out on the calendar to motivate me, (2) prove I could do it, and (3) train so that I could run better at other distances. Numbers 1 and 3 have worked so far; this Sunday, I'll run to see if 2 is true.
3. Wow, 26 miles. I don't even like to drive that far! Neither do I.
4. Madison? Won't that be hilly? Hmmm... maybe. But, I plotted the course on my favorite mapping site, and only got about 350 feet of vertical over the whole 26 miles. That's just over twice what the Indy Mini has, and it's twice as long, so it looks relatively flat.
5. What's your goal Wow, good question. My first and only marathon was a disaster. I finished the first half in 2:08 and the second half took 2:48, for a 4:56 total. I would love to run under 4 hours. Based on my recent half-marathon, I should be able to run a 3:35, but I don't know if I've run enough long runs for that. I plan to go out at a 3:40 pace and run as long as I can there. That is about 8:30 per mile for the math-impaired.
6. What comes next? Well, immediately afterward, the family and I will spend the first few days of Summer vacation in Wisconsin- first in Madison, then in The Dells. Next Saturday, I will continue to torture myself with a 15k trail run in Nashville, Indiana. You should come. No, seriously. After that, I'm a little less clear. I've been experiencing foot pain, so I may take a month or two off from running and ride my bike more. I'm open to ideas.
EDIT: Here are some other frequent answers I use. You can figure out the questions: No, I'm not insane. I use band-aids on them. Pretty much anything I want, but it will probably involve gravy. No, I don't- not anymore, anyway- just too much trouble to get rid of the stubble. Yes, like a pig. Go before you leave the hotel. Ice bath.
Thanks for reading. Wish me luck, and I'd sure appreciate your prayers Sunday Morning.
Steve
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
You, my friend, are important
I was reading in 1 Chronicles last night, and came across the passage that described the leaders of King David's army divisions, and you read something like this:
The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. He was chief and there were 24,000 men in his division. This was the Benaiah who was a mighty man among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division. -1 Chron 27:5-6
Now, I read this and I can't help but think, "How cool would it be to be known as a Mighty Man and to lead an army division?" I mean, clearly God used Benaiah to glorify Himself.
But then, later in the chapter, we see verses like these:
Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.... Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys. -1 Chron 27:28,30
Huh? Olive oil? Camels? Really, David needed someone to be in charge of the Olive oil? But there they are, listed right alongside the "Mighty Men." Wow, how embarassing to be the guy over the donkeys.
But wait, look down just a bit further, to chapter 28:
David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.
King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood....'
"So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever." -1 Chron 28:1-3,8
What? Mighty men, brave warriors, and keepers of donkeys together in the same place. All called together by David (really by God, through David) to follow His commands and accomplish His purposes. Olive oil man and Mighty Man working together to build the temple. Each one needed to accomplish the task at hand, each one's role important in the eyes of the Lord.
And so it is with you in the church. You may be a toddler teacher, or an usher, or a person who serves coffee at the cafe, or a guitar player. But you are not just that. And, please, never say you're, "Just a volunteer." You are an instrument of the Most High God, created by him and made for a purpose- His purpose- and by serving, even in a role that seems small and unimportant, you are bringing His kingdome here. And that, my friend, is important work. Even if, to you, it's just minding the olive oil.
Peace
The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. He was chief and there were 24,000 men in his division. This was the Benaiah who was a mighty man among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division. -1 Chron 27:5-6
Now, I read this and I can't help but think, "How cool would it be to be known as a Mighty Man and to lead an army division?" I mean, clearly God used Benaiah to glorify Himself.
But then, later in the chapter, we see verses like these:
Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.... Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys. -1 Chron 27:28,30
Huh? Olive oil? Camels? Really, David needed someone to be in charge of the Olive oil? But there they are, listed right alongside the "Mighty Men." Wow, how embarassing to be the guy over the donkeys.
But wait, look down just a bit further, to chapter 28:
David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.
King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood....'
"So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever." -1 Chron 28:1-3,8
What? Mighty men, brave warriors, and keepers of donkeys together in the same place. All called together by David (really by God, through David) to follow His commands and accomplish His purposes. Olive oil man and Mighty Man working together to build the temple. Each one needed to accomplish the task at hand, each one's role important in the eyes of the Lord.
And so it is with you in the church. You may be a toddler teacher, or an usher, or a person who serves coffee at the cafe, or a guitar player. But you are not just that. And, please, never say you're, "Just a volunteer." You are an instrument of the Most High God, created by him and made for a purpose- His purpose- and by serving, even in a role that seems small and unimportant, you are bringing His kingdome here. And that, my friend, is important work. Even if, to you, it's just minding the olive oil.
Peace
Sunday, May 3, 2009
OneAmerica Mini Marathon Race Report
The chart tacked to my office wall had teased me since November. "You can do it," it said. "You oughtta be able to run this race in 1:43:30." What did it know? It was just a piece of paper, after all. And besides, I'd run the Mini eleven times, and never faster than an hour fifty. In 1995, I ran 1:51. Since that time, the defining goal in my running life has been to beat 1:50. It consumed my thoughts each October-May, and last year, my 1:50:36 put me on an emotional tightrope between setting a new personal best and STILL not being in the 1:40's. This race has ALWAYS reduced me to a walk at some point. 1:43 seemed absurd and impossible. But the chart, which I had downloaded from McMillan Running, seemed to have some science behind it. So, I decided I'd shoot for 1:48.
The difference this year is that I'm also training for a full marathon three weeks from now. Up until now, I had lied to myself that the Mini would just be a training run, and I didn't really have to worry about my time. All the weekend long runs, all the 6- and 7-mile tempo runs, the 1/2 mile repeats- it was all in preparation for the Big Race in 3 weeks, I had said. I am a big fat liar. Yes, I'm doing the Madison Marathon on May 24, but the closer my calendar X's got to May 2, the more I realized how important the Mini really is to me. The week leading up, when people would ask me what I expected to run, I'd sheepishly reply, "Oh, under 1:50." Only to my close friends and running accountability partners did I boldly proclaim that I'd love a 1:45.
So, I lined up at the start on Saturday with 35,000 of my neighbors, and the butterflies came like always. The forecast had called for cool temps, no wind, and a chance of spotty showers throughout the morning- pretty nice racing weather. It turned out even nicer. At the 7:30 gun time, it was 48 degrees F, and by 8:00, the sun was peering from behind the clouds.
The area before the start was more constricted than usual, as the new JW Marriott hotel is going up right at the corner of Washington and West Streets, and the fenced area around the construction site had an extra lane closed off. This made it slow running getting to the start- 2:30 from corral "D" (the fourth of 20+ corrals), but once we crossed the start line, it was pretty much free running. My problem, with my new 1:45 goal, is that I was seeded based on last years 1:50, so I really needed to run faster than those around me. 8:00 miles were the goal, so as soon as my D-Tag beeped across the start line, it was Go Time.
Mile 1 seemed fast- maybe because the race allowed headphones this year- but it wasn't. 8:06. Crap! I'm already behind. Well, I didn't panic too much, because I think I remember this mile was marked a little long last year. When mile 2 clicked off in 7:38, I relaxed a lot and settled into a groove. I headed west on Michigan Road, in pursuit of the 100 year-old Indianapolis Motor Speedway that I loved so much as a kid (and still do). The miles went by pretty fast, and I hit the 5-mile mark, on Main Street in Speedway, at 38:34, a 7:42 average pace. Perfect! I was putting time toward my 1:45 in the bank.
At about mile 5.6, you turn left into Indianapolis's most famous landmark, down under the track, and back up the only "hill" on the course, and you are deposited smack dab between turns one and two of America's Greatest Race Course. I took an energy gel just before entering the track, knowing this usually seems like such a long part of the course because of the boredom (It's really cool to see it the first time, but there are really no landmarks and few turns) and the heat radiating off the pavement(but not today). In my head, I calculated. Twenty minutes- that's it. Twenty minutes and I'm off the track. So, I enjoyed it this year. I looked for drivers and sports personalities. I cheered for the cheer squads. I set a new 10k PR in the process (47:45). I hammed it up to get my picture taken crossing the yard of bricks. And in 19 minutes, I exited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and headed back out onto Olin Avenue.
This is the part of the course that gets me every year. I think it's because I grew up on the west side, in the shadow of IMS, and I remeber going downtown to see the Pacers play and the Indians, too. It always seemed like a long drive from Speedway to downtown, and now here I am, I've run 9 miles and I still have to run ALL THE STINKIN' WAY DOWNTOWN? So, I stopped and got some Gatorade, walked while I drank it and began running again. I hit mile 10 in 1:17:06. Wow, that means the 2nd 5 miles were 38:32 vs. 38:34 for the first five. Talk about an even pace, that is just how I want to run. For a moment, this insane thought goes through my mind- "Hey, if you just ran a 21:50 last 5k, you could be under 1:40!" HA! That would be my 2nd fastest 5k ever, and I've already run 10 miles today. I just need to be glad I'm on pace, and putting some time in the bank. So, I've cast that thought out of my mind, but I think, subconciously, it makes me run a little faster. That's a mistake.
At the water stop at I start to walk again, and then at about 11.5 miles. I tell myself just for a minute, but after about 40 seconds, I feel guilty and start running again. Mile 11 goes by in 8:03. Not bad, but definitely slower. I walk a little more in mile 12, maybe twice, but never more than about 40 seconds, and run an 8:29. All downhill from here!
On the drive downtown Saturday morning, I had a vision of crossing the line when the race clock said 1:46:04. If I do that, I would be well under my 1:45 target. But, mile 13 is cruel. She is painful. I stop to walk twice, again not more than a minute each, but I hate walking when I can see the finish line RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! Finally, I pick it up and mile 13 takes an excruciating 8:38. I cross the line, and pump my fist in a bizarre blend of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, knowing I could have run a little faster. My official time was 1:42:56- a 7 minute PR, and about 30 seconds faster than my crazy chart on the wall had predicted.
The rest of my Saturday was filled with household chores while my mind went back and forth between happiness (wow- 1:43), disappointment (what could it have been if I hadn't walked?) and exhaustion. I wonder what it would take to get in the 1:30's?
By the way, the other difference this year- on Sunday, I skipped my usual post-Mini couch surf and went for a 9 mile run.
Thanks for reading.
Steve
The difference this year is that I'm also training for a full marathon three weeks from now. Up until now, I had lied to myself that the Mini would just be a training run, and I didn't really have to worry about my time. All the weekend long runs, all the 6- and 7-mile tempo runs, the 1/2 mile repeats- it was all in preparation for the Big Race in 3 weeks, I had said. I am a big fat liar. Yes, I'm doing the Madison Marathon on May 24, but the closer my calendar X's got to May 2, the more I realized how important the Mini really is to me. The week leading up, when people would ask me what I expected to run, I'd sheepishly reply, "Oh, under 1:50." Only to my close friends and running accountability partners did I boldly proclaim that I'd love a 1:45.
So, I lined up at the start on Saturday with 35,000 of my neighbors, and the butterflies came like always. The forecast had called for cool temps, no wind, and a chance of spotty showers throughout the morning- pretty nice racing weather. It turned out even nicer. At the 7:30 gun time, it was 48 degrees F, and by 8:00, the sun was peering from behind the clouds.
The area before the start was more constricted than usual, as the new JW Marriott hotel is going up right at the corner of Washington and West Streets, and the fenced area around the construction site had an extra lane closed off. This made it slow running getting to the start- 2:30 from corral "D" (the fourth of 20+ corrals), but once we crossed the start line, it was pretty much free running. My problem, with my new 1:45 goal, is that I was seeded based on last years 1:50, so I really needed to run faster than those around me. 8:00 miles were the goal, so as soon as my D-Tag beeped across the start line, it was Go Time.
Mile 1 seemed fast- maybe because the race allowed headphones this year- but it wasn't. 8:06. Crap! I'm already behind. Well, I didn't panic too much, because I think I remember this mile was marked a little long last year. When mile 2 clicked off in 7:38, I relaxed a lot and settled into a groove. I headed west on Michigan Road, in pursuit of the 100 year-old Indianapolis Motor Speedway that I loved so much as a kid (and still do). The miles went by pretty fast, and I hit the 5-mile mark, on Main Street in Speedway, at 38:34, a 7:42 average pace. Perfect! I was putting time toward my 1:45 in the bank.
At about mile 5.6, you turn left into Indianapolis's most famous landmark, down under the track, and back up the only "hill" on the course, and you are deposited smack dab between turns one and two of America's Greatest Race Course. I took an energy gel just before entering the track, knowing this usually seems like such a long part of the course because of the boredom (It's really cool to see it the first time, but there are really no landmarks and few turns) and the heat radiating off the pavement(but not today). In my head, I calculated. Twenty minutes- that's it. Twenty minutes and I'm off the track. So, I enjoyed it this year. I looked for drivers and sports personalities. I cheered for the cheer squads. I set a new 10k PR in the process (47:45). I hammed it up to get my picture taken crossing the yard of bricks. And in 19 minutes, I exited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and headed back out onto Olin Avenue.
This is the part of the course that gets me every year. I think it's because I grew up on the west side, in the shadow of IMS, and I remeber going downtown to see the Pacers play and the Indians, too. It always seemed like a long drive from Speedway to downtown, and now here I am, I've run 9 miles and I still have to run ALL THE STINKIN' WAY DOWNTOWN? So, I stopped and got some Gatorade, walked while I drank it and began running again. I hit mile 10 in 1:17:06. Wow, that means the 2nd 5 miles were 38:32 vs. 38:34 for the first five. Talk about an even pace, that is just how I want to run. For a moment, this insane thought goes through my mind- "Hey, if you just ran a 21:50 last 5k, you could be under 1:40!" HA! That would be my 2nd fastest 5k ever, and I've already run 10 miles today. I just need to be glad I'm on pace, and putting some time in the bank. So, I've cast that thought out of my mind, but I think, subconciously, it makes me run a little faster. That's a mistake.
At the water stop at I start to walk again, and then at about 11.5 miles. I tell myself just for a minute, but after about 40 seconds, I feel guilty and start running again. Mile 11 goes by in 8:03. Not bad, but definitely slower. I walk a little more in mile 12, maybe twice, but never more than about 40 seconds, and run an 8:29. All downhill from here!
On the drive downtown Saturday morning, I had a vision of crossing the line when the race clock said 1:46:04. If I do that, I would be well under my 1:45 target. But, mile 13 is cruel. She is painful. I stop to walk twice, again not more than a minute each, but I hate walking when I can see the finish line RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! Finally, I pick it up and mile 13 takes an excruciating 8:38. I cross the line, and pump my fist in a bizarre blend of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, knowing I could have run a little faster. My official time was 1:42:56- a 7 minute PR, and about 30 seconds faster than my crazy chart on the wall had predicted.
The rest of my Saturday was filled with household chores while my mind went back and forth between happiness (wow- 1:43), disappointment (what could it have been if I hadn't walked?) and exhaustion. I wonder what it would take to get in the 1:30's?
By the way, the other difference this year- on Sunday, I skipped my usual post-Mini couch surf and went for a 9 mile run.
Thanks for reading.
Steve
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