How to Choose a Treadmill, by Shannon McGinn

Sole F85

I run almost as many miles on my treadmill as some run all year round. I still run more outside than I do inside. I tally close to 3500 miles per year. I train up to 14 hours per week. When not able to get outside, I get my workouts done in my basement. I need a quality machine that can take a beating. 

Last month, I learned the hard way that treadmill belts are supposed to be lubricated regularly. Despite my neglect, it took seven (7) years for me to break the belt on my machine. I am very hard on things, so it says a lot that it took me this long to break it.

Not sure if it was fixable, I starting researching a potential replacement. Treadmills offer many features. There are only a few factors I look for when selecting a treadmill. Primarily, I am concerned with the motor, the deck, the frame, the range of speed and incline, and the warranties. 

(1) The most important and most complex factor is the motor. Treadmill motors are measured in horsepower (HP), but not all reported HP measurements are alike.  Some manufacturers report the Peak Duty HP while others report the Continuous Duty HP of the motor.  When a manufacturer wants to make its treadmill motor appear more powerful than it really is, it will report the Peak Duty HP.  

Peak Duty HP is simply the highest HP the motor could potentially reach. Continuous Duty is the HP is the HP that the motor can hold continuously throughout the duration of regular use.  A higher quality treadmill will identify the Continuous Duty HP of the motor. A walker may be able to get away with a 2.5 HP motor or less, but anyone serious about running should not settle for less than a 3.0 Continuous Duty HP motor.

In some cases, with less powerful motors, you may find information about a Duty Cycle.  A Duty Cycle is how long the motor can work, e.g. 30 minutes, or 60 minutes, before it risks overheating.  A Continuous Duty motor should not overheat during regular use as long as the HP of the motor is sufficient to power the machine as the Continuous Duty motors should be manufactured to cool themselves.  A weaker motor may only be able to tolerate a limited amount of time before it needs a break to cool down. If you are not likely to run longer than the duty cycle of a weaker motor, then you may be able to get away with a less expensive, less powerful treadmill. But if you have the potential to run longer than the motor can tolerate, then it makes little sense to purchase a cheaper, weaker machine.

(2) A second important factor is the deck. I look at strength and also the size.  Decks have been known to crack. To feel safe, I want a deck with the ability to withstand a heavy runner and with little history of splitting underneath me. Manufacturers will list the weight their decks can tolerate. I recommend reading reviews to determine if decks hold up under the weight of regular use. 

If you are a taller, larger person and/or if you plan to run fast and need to open your stride, you will also need a deck that is long and wide enough to accommodate your stride length and the width of your body comfortably.  A smaller machine may take up less room, but it makes little sense if you cannot comfortably train on it.  Go to a Sporting Goods Store. Run on a few machines and see which deck length meets your needs and the needs of those in your household. You don't need to purchase the machines you run on, but it will help you determine what size deck makes the most sense. 

(3) A third factor is the frame. Less expensive, less powerful treadmills are made for walkers and offer weaker frames that can wobble or break under the pressure of even moderate paced running. I want a frame that is sturdy and stable when I am running my fastest. I have seen videos of frames crumbling under the stress of hard running.  Again, I suggest reading reviews to determine the strength of the frame and look for any reported issues.  

(4) A fourth factor is range of speed. I rarely run much faster that 6 minute pace on a treadmill. Many machines should offer speeds up to 12 mph. If you are a much faster runner and/or do very fast speed work on the treadmill, you may need a machine that goes up to 15 mph.  

I don’t recommend runners do their fastest speed work on the treadmill due to safety.  If you need to stop suddenly due to a twinge or strain, you simply can not just stop. If the machine malfunctions under the strain of your pace, you could possibly get hurt. The machine also takes time to start up and slow down at its own pace, which can be frustrating or interfere with the pace goals of your workout. I prefer to keep my fastest interval work outside and use treadmills for tempo and progression runs instead, where there is no need to start and stop as speed builds.  Accordingly, I find a machine that offers up to 12 mph good enough for me and I wont pay more for the extra 15 mph of speed. If you are faster than me, then you may decide you need a machine that can peak at 15mph.

(5) A fifth factor is range of incline (or decline). This is the feature I use the least, but I do use it.  I prefer to run hills outside so that I can get the decline work done as well. Unless my race is a point to point uphill run, like one of my favorites - the La Luz Trail Run, running only up hill is prep for half the challenges of a hilly race.  In some cases, I just dont have hills I need around me.  As a result, when training for the Tussey Mountainback 50 miler, I did create a hill simulator workout because I could not find any hills near me that replicated the extreme length of the uphills I would face on that course. I also use a Boston Marathon Hill Simulator workout to train myself and the runners I coach, but these hill workouts supplement running hills outside. I find that I don’t have much use for running inclines over 12%, so I wont pay more for a machine just so that I can get steeper uphills. Your needs may be different. 

We need down hill running to run hills well. There are machines that now offer a decline feature. I don’t own one. I have not used one. But my understanding is that the decline will max out at about 3% decline and the speed is also limited, making it hard to replicate the type of paces or descents we may experience when flying down a decline in real life. As a result, I just don’t see the point in paying extra money for a feature that I don’t find useful to me.  Others may have more positive things to say about the decline machine. 

(6) THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.  The deal breaker factor for me will be the warranties. If you are going to invest a lot of money in a quality machine you will likely need to spend, at the minimum, between $1000-$2000.  With that type of investment, you want to look for the best warranties possible. I would walk away from a purchase of a machine with weak warranties. Weak warranties are a sign that the quality of the product is poor. I look for Lifetime Warranties on the most important components, like motor, deck and frame. 

Keep in mind that most warranties do NOT transfer between owners. Therefore purchasing a used treadmill from a gym, Craigslist, or a friend may sound like a sweet deal. But if you spend $500-$1000 for a used machine, that already has an unknown amount of wear and tear on it, you may be starting your treadmill search all over again or investing just as much as you would in repairs had you purchased a brand new machine that has warranty coverage when that sweet deal breaks.  

There are many features that I find less important but others may not.  Some runners care about the display features and need to have media connections. I set my treadmill up in my basement in front of a TV so I don’t care about the media connections.  I also don’t concern myself with fans.  Any fan included on a treadmill will be too weak to be functional.  If I need a fan, I set one up next to my machine.  I also don’t care much about whether it folds up for easy storage.  Once my treadmill is set up, I have never folded it. If I did fold it, it would end up folded up in the center of the room, since I do not place the front of the machine directly against the wall. My machine has wheels, but I have no desire to roll it around twice a day, so I just leave it open and ready to go. However, many quality machines are folding treadmills, so I would not turn one down because it folds, it just seems to be a superfluous feature. 

I am glad I was able to fix my treadmill belt and it now runs better than right before it broke. Apparently, I should have been lubricating the belt every 180 hours or every 3 months, which ever came first. This time I will be more careful, since this repair was not covered by the warranties on my machine.  It was a $140 dollar fix and worth it in my opinion. 

If I had to select a new treadmill right now, I would again select the same machine I purchased seven years ago and continue to use today.  For me, this is the Sole F85. It costs about $1800 online. I believe the company may still offer military discounts, but you need to ask for them.

The newest version boasts a 4.0 Continuous Duty Horse Power motor which is one of the most powerful continuous duty motor I could find. The deck is larger than average and I feel comfortable in that space.  It is not the most cushioned deck available, but I like having a firmer surface and prefer a bit more impact when training. I feel it makes transitioning to outdoors less of a shock to my system. The frame is solid and sturdy. It can handle runners up to 400 lbs. The belt is two ply and when mine broke, only the bottom ply split, leaving the upper belt intact and there was no danger to me when this happened.  And finally, it offers Lifetime Warranties for the motor, the deck, and the frame. This means when you purchase a Sole, it could very well end up being your treadmill for life. I have had mine for 7 years now and it only needed one repair just last month. 

My complaints about the newest F85, first, include the bad design decisions made with the display. First the preset buttons for speed go 2,3,4,5,6,9... skipping 7 and 8 where I spend most of my time (of course  you can scroll manually through all mphs). 

The new version also eliminated the hundredth's place when measuring distance. If you like to run quarter mile repeats on your machine, you won't know when you reach .25 miles accurately, unless the displace shows an image of a track. You may need to run .2 or .3 mile reps instead. These issues could be deal breakers for others, but they would not be for me. 

I hope this helps you decided what you should be looking for when purchasing a treadmill.  If you like this article, you can find more articles like this one, periodically posted here on my blog, Creating Momentum!

Rocky Raccoon 100, Huntsville, TX. 2/1/14

The Short Story
I would like to say that I just did not want it badly enough. But that would make this too easy to resolve. The truth is I know I did want it badly enough and still I could not stop the implosion. 

The Long Story 

The Past:
I have stayed away from serious efforts at 100s and 24s for about a year now.  I have a lot of trouble not throwing up once past the 12 hour mark, especially in warm climates. 

The only time I was able to avoid throwing up was in 2010 at Freedom Park. I ran my heart out. I took about an hour and a half nap after hitting my 100 mile split in 19:38. Then I got up and walked until I got passed by Vikena, which motivated me to start running again to take back the second place spot I held all day and I did. There was no way I was catching Liz Bauer who was leading, but I wanted to hold second. I didn't want to loss my position at the end of the race, again. 

Eighteen days earlier, I had lost Ancient Oaks (my first try a 100) after leading for abt 95 miles, to Cheryl Lager. I started throwing up after mile 90, I believe. It was the furthest I got in a race before the vomiting started. I was able to finish it. Cheryl ran a brilliant race, reeled in the lead I worked so hard to build.  But I was new. I went out hard.  And it was exhilarating. 

To hold a position on the leaderboard motivates me and make running feel easier than when I am mid-pack.  At Freedom Park, I went out faster than I did at Ancient Oaks. I worked hard all day. Running fast mostly to stay warm.  Singing stupid songs that popped into my head when feeling good.  Repeating the mantra "nothing hurts... nothing hurts... nothing hurts..." for hours when everything hurt.  It was a 32 degree misty day.  I was cold. I got tired. My feet hurt badly, but I never threw up. I had a pretty good kick in that last 30 minutes. I ran a good race. That was a long time ago. It was amazing. 110.67 miles in 24 hours.

I have been chasing that performance for years now. Since then, I have had a lot of trouble. When not having immune system meltdowns which took much of my 2010 from me, or liver failure from medication during 2011, or plantar fibromas from chronic painful plantar fasciitis... when I did show up well trained and healthy, my stomach betrayed me, without warning, just beyond the half way point.

Throwing up means, all the precious calories and hydration I know I need to sustain me even at a walk are gone. The cruelest part is that I cannot recover once it starts. Most people can. Anything I ingest, even ice, will trigger my stomach to wretch. I can't take in fluid or even the smallest solid food. I can walk as long I eat or drink nothing. But after 12-14 hours of movement, within a few miles of walking with no food or fluids, I feel the fatigue set in hard and even the motion of simply walking irritates my stomach enough to make me throw up bile, curdled blood, or nothing. The spasms hurt and leave me sore for days. As the end of my race grows nears, I have become unable to move, reduced to being stuck, almost paralyzed as each step threatens more wrenching of nothing but pain and heartbreak.

I am not looking for advice or tips or recommendations, at least not right now. I have already tried years worth of things before taking a step back. Ginger isn't magic. Special (non-acidic, mostly liquids, etc.) foods did not help on race day. I temporarily cut out gluten and found some collateral benefits, but it didn't stop my vomiting. I tried Peptso, Tums, Zantac. Pepcid at intervals. A week of pre-medicating with Prilosec. I tried staying cool, eating ice. I tried slowing down, to a degree, because I refused to start so slow that I would not be competitive - after all I train hard for these races, sacrifice a lot to get there, and I want to run my best. Sitting down, taking a nap, etc. to "recover" in order to go back out is not an option. It doesn't happen that way for me. There just isn't enough time. It takes me 12 hours to 2 days for my stomach to feel better after the throwing up starts. I have wasted a ton of money just to feel physically and emotionally defeated, over and over.

The Good:

After doing this repeatedly to myself from 2010 through 2012, in 2013 I decided I needed a break. I focused on shorter races and trained hard, smart, and consistently. I set new PRs I am very proud of in 50 mile, 6 hour, 50k, etc. I did not throw up for over a year. I ran daily, averaging 9.5 miles a day. I hit 100+ mile weeks. Ran 380 miles in 28 days. I mastered depletion training, running for 20 miles needing not a single thing. No food. No sports drink. No water, as long as it was cool or cold. I started testing my blood sugar to see what happens when I train depleted. I hoped to train my body to need less so I could get by with less if I needed to and maybe throw up less. I learned to pack light and rely less on my own specific "special" things and instead on race supplied items (because you really cant bring the magical kitchen sink to a race). I have become very low maintenance now and I am proud of that. I corrected some gear mistakes, finding a better headlamp and clothes that don't chafe me allowing me to feel confident and comfortable when I am running. I trained my feet out of my orthotics, eliminating the hard plastic insoles that hurt my feet badly as races go on.

I trained my best and tried many things, but is there is no way to find out what will help me at hour 14 into a race without first running for 14 hours.

The present: 

I had not puked in a year. I have trained consistently. I was setting PR's by accident. I was getting ready to try again. I choose RR100 when I found out it was the National Championship, in February in Texas. I read race reports of it being cool weather some times or rainy.  I race well in the rain. I decided that if I do have a good race and not throw up, the Nationals made sense as the race to run. 

I was very anxious about going. More so than before any other race. I realized I love the feeling of being brave enough to face my demons with little guarantee for success. It is easy when success is imminent. Here failure was more likely, but all I need is a small chance. The jitters make me feel alive and I think that part is worth it.  My left eye twitched for a week and I lost too much sleep the days before I left for Texas. I knew it was anxiety and hoped it was a good sign.

Dave, Me, and John

I did not want to make a big deal out of going. I made an attempt to tell very few people, since I knew this could be a huge disaster for me.  There is also always a chance I dont make it to the start of a race I want to run. I have learned to make a habit of posting "Where I Have Been" and "What I Have Done" rather than "Where I Will Be" and "What I Will Do" for many reasons.

I told Dave, since he is my friend, and he decided he was interested in going too. I have known Dave since 2008. He understands how I function (and my eccentricities).  He has been to races that were important to me before. He is easy going and doesn't need much. That is what I needed to be around. We planned to catch the same flight, share a car, book rooms in the same hotel. He knows the planning details are important to me since my schedule is not that flexible. I just sent him my itinerary and said here this is where I will be if you want to come. It made me feel 100 times better to know I would have a friend out there to travel with, especially after the race when I would be exhausted and we needed to get back to the airport. 

I also told John. I knew he was at Rocky last year and I wondered if he wanted to come back again. I alway love to see him. He is a good man, low key, he makes me laugh and he gives great advice. He is never critical and rarely every tells me what I should do or not do but rather just lets me try to figure stuff out. I learn a lot just when he talks about things he has done and he isn't even trying to teach anything. 

It is nice to have dinner with people the night before who don't need to make a big project out of it and who allow me to be crazy and control freaky. They let me pick the restaurant and that makes me happy. :)  I am truly the worst at socializing the night before an important race. I don't even want to be with myself and cant imagine why others want to sit across from a stress case. I am nervous and anxious and need to just be with people who know me well enough to not ask me things that make me more nervous. John and Dave were the best people to hang out with and it was not a stressful night at all. :)

Orthotics Free:
In addition to dropping due to puking, there was also a chance my plantar fascia would not be able to tolerate the journey. This is my 3rd and longest race without my orthotics. I knew I would be asking a lot from my feet. I am happy to report that of everything that could go wrong, this was not one of them. I had few issues with my feet and this is a HUGE positive.

The Race: 

I hoped that RR100 had a chance to be cool. It was February. The weather last week was cold. But on race day morning, it was about 62 at the start with very high humidity. I knew this was not going to be good for me. Weather predicted temps rising over 70 and the humidity would rise up to 100% culminating in rain at some point.

Gear:
I wore a pair of Brooks Short Tights, the 7 inch length, and had no chafing at all.  I wanted to wear a sports bra only, but I needed a singlet over it to stop my Race Vest from rubbing. I used a Nathan's race vest (not a hydration pack) to carry my head lamp and a small handheld lamp on one side and a 10 oz Nathan's quick shot bottle on the other side. There were plenty of aid station per lap so I relied on the food and drinks provided on the course. I wore my Launch the whole time. I selected them because they are lighter weight at 7 oz and my feet felt good in them. I was not willing to wear too light a shoe just yet, as I was worried about my PF becoming irritated. I find that a shoe under 7 oz seems to lose weight by reducing the cushion as well as the structural support.  My PF was not ready for that type of challenge.  Although these are road shoes, I knew they worked for me. I had no trouble on the trail in them. 

The course was lovely.  It was a 20 mile loop.  It meandered a lot. It was coated with pine needles. There was no snow or mud. It was pretty much a dry course. It was mildly rolling, so don't expect it to be flat. I did not find the hills to be a big deal. There were some rooty sections, some sandy, some boards over marshy stuff, but you could run the course without issue. I had two goals going in: Run Well or Just Finish it.

We started at 6:00 am. I was concerned about navigating in the dark for over an hour until sunrise. I just bought a new headlamp and this was my first day using it. I also added a small handheld. This combination was quite effective so vision was not a problem. The fact that I ran an hour in the dark over roots and other trail obstacle and did not fall down speaks volumes.

But as soon as we started, I felt the impact of the humidity.  It was oppressive. I could see my breath in the light from my lamp and it wasn't even cold out. In addition, the huge number of runners, almost 500, made it hard to move fast on single track rooty trail in the darkness. All this meant was I was not likely to have a great race. My strategy of getting a strong start and holding on changed immediately. It was now about survival and "Just Finishing" from the very beginning.

Completing lap 2 and feeling beat down. Need food. 

I waited patiently for daylight and when it arrived I was pleased to have not eaten dirt once. I thought I could make up some time once I was more confident with my footing in the light. I did get my pace down a bit, but around mile 10, I notice my nose bleeding. I have been having a daily nose bleeds since January 14th. I attribute it to winter weather, but I never had this happen in a race. It was not a gusher, but it was a constant slow steady stream for 10 miles.  I am glad I wrapped a bandana around my wrist.

At mile 15, I stopped at a portopotty and it was spinning. The walls looked like they were breathing and the floor looked like it had a millions tiny ants all running from the center outwards in unison. If I looked closely there was nothing going on, I was just having a dizzy spell. I believe this was more due to the humidity than a nose bleed. All of this was distressful, but I was not stopping for a nose bleed. I got cleaned up at end of lap one and went back out.

At this point I was disappointed in how things were turning out but I wasn't ready to give up. I accepted that my time would be slow, but I was getting lost in a negative funk. I was chafing from my vets, had to wear my singlet to resolve that and the combo was too hot for me. I had fallen twice in the day light, when I would start to daydream. I was having trouble running any respectable pace due to the humidity crushing my sole. I was hungry.

me and z 

I grabbed a few cheese quesadilla wedges. A lot of what happened next over the next 40 miles is somewhat blurry. At some point I partnered up with Zsuzsanna. There were ups and downs for the both of us but mostly just genuine mutual support and camaraderie. At some point, I was sure I was holding her back. At other points she was sure she was holding me back, but we had decided to help each other through the rough spots. I am grateful for her company and her spirit. I am sure I would not have had so much fun without her there. It is funny what people talk about in the woods, while in motion, while trying to not think about the hard work before them. The stuff people talk about is just as moving, it is real, and it makes people feel like good friends in just a few hours. I know that is how I ended the day, with person I felt connected to.

Z and I were able to regroup and find a comfortable pace we could both tolerate that gave us a chance for a sub-24 hour finish.  By mile 30, I felt a rejuvenation as some rain drizzled down. The first break in the humidity and it was refreshing, but short lived. Soon the humidity returned and it was hard for me to handle. Up in NJ, I have been running in a "polar vortex" and 80-100% humidity was just beating me down, even at 70 degrees.

At some point, I notice my left achilles was getting very angry. I had irritated it on my last long run the week before when Alanna and I ran 13 miles in Belmar, on icy and snowy roads. I felt pain and stopped my run early. It was irritated my entire taper week, but I figured that was nerves making phantom pains. Z offered me some Motrin. At that early point in the race, I decided that it was worth a shot, forgetting that my stomach bleeds from NSAIDS, but more likely hoping it just wouldn't bleed since I haven't taken NSAID in years now. I knew imy achilles wasn't getting better while on the course and I wanted to do what I could to help me have a chance to finish. I was willing to assume whatever risk one dose of Motrin carried. (I am aware of the horrible dangerousness of NSAIDS. My position is that I take nothing unless I feel I truly need something. I dont take meds for security like many who pre-medicate, but rather I take it for a purpose. When at Nationals, Dr Lovey and his medical crew assured me that one dose of advil is not of any concern as long as I am peeing. This is medical advice given from a doctor whose job it is and has been to attend to the needs of 24 hour runners at the Worlds. If he says I can take a dose of pain med in a race, then I feel ok with that. Some people abuse them and that is not safe. I can't remember the last time I took pain medication in a race, so it takes a good reason for me to take it.)

As we approached the end of lap 2, I saw Dave coming back the other way looking fantastic. This was my second low point of the race. When I saw him I had a complete emotional melt down. I was so upset that things were just going so shitty after all my hard work and patience. I told him that I just didn't care if I walked the next 60 miles, I just needed to finish it. Note to self: If you find yourself overwhelmed with the urge to cry in a race... Eat. Something. Immediately.

I regained my head, caught back up to Z and grabbed some food. We went back out on loop 3. After eating something solid, I felt a million times better. For the first part of lap 3, I was feeling strong again. It was a mini-rejuvenation. Z encouraged me to go on without her. 

Z is not just a runner, she is a racer. She knows the sport. She knows the people. She knows how to race and we even discussed that if one of us felt good to just go. But I refused because we were still moving steady as a team and that was important to me. I had a sense she might slow down or not go out on the next lap if we separated. I had a sense that I would not go out on the next lap either with her. I didn't want to just run off, knowing well enough that the burst of positive energy I was having will be short lived and sprinting ahead will just shortened the life of the anti-funk I was experiencing.

We were approaching 50 and I felt really great. I knew I could do it. I was insisting that if we just maintained our pace we would be between 22-24 hours. I had a great lamp system so seeing at night was no longer a concern. My achilles stopped hurting. The food made me stop whining. I was peeing each lap so I know I was hydrating well. It would be dark soon and all we had to do was keep moving.

As we hit 50, we were still together and we were even starting to get competitive. It was great to run with a partner who pays attention to the others in the race. I could tell we were both taking mental notes. Z would share things she observed about the other runners. She and I were both also encouraging other runners now (which is a really good way to keep spirits up if the other runners want to talk and are open to encouragement). I felt like I was actually helping some feel better when they looked like crap. Everyone looked like crap, even the leaders. As some passed us, Z and I would report that everyone was suffering so they were running much better than they thought they were.

As we passed the last aid station I could consume food at, I still felt good... until all of a sudden did not. I tried to eat another wedge of quesadilla... and I just could not get it down. I ate some oranges. And then the puking started out of know where at about mile 52. And that is when it looked all dark, black, and grindy and I realized that the damn Motrin got me again. It helped my Achilles but killed my stomach.

It was getting dark and I was a mess. I couldn't run a step. I couldn't think. I couldn't drink. I couldn't eat. I was just moving slowly. A complete and utter failure of what ultrarunning is supposed to be.

We came out of the woods to an aid station. I saw John waiting for me. I leaned on him and told him I was puking. Although I refused to truly believe it was over for me, part of me already knew it. He encouraged me the best he could. He gave me great advice... real useful information about how much time I had to get it done and that it was very possible. He helped me get soup. He told me to finish the lap, then sit and wait until I felt better, then go back out. I would say the same thing to anyone else. It is usually works. But I know it doesn't for me.

I took in some soup...and as walked on.  Soon I threw up the soup and then dry heaved a lot or threw up bile the rest of the 8 mile walk back. If I had been able to keep the soup down I would have had hope. But I could not. I was fading as we walked. Z stayed with me. She didn't have to.

Well she kinda did, b/c she gave her handheld lamp to a man who caught us. He asked to share our light b/c his was in his bag. Z could see he wanted to move faster. She is a selfless helper and gave him her flashlight, with instructions to drop it in her bag.

As we got to the end, I told her I was done. There was no way, even if I started to feel a little better, that could make it through a 20 mile loop, and we had 2 left. I saw Dave heading back out, looking great but asking "Is it possible that it is now hotter than before!?" Yes it was. It was 70 still but the humidity was higher. WTF Texas?!

I told Dave I was done and to call me when he was too so I could come get him. I wished him luck and knew he would finish. He was strong and on a mission and he had a great race!

Finishing our 60 miles

Z and I didn't even get past the timing mat before we both handed in our chips. She pulled the curtain back to the timing tent and pointed out the box for chips. It was about 1/3 full at least... all DNF's. Ours included. (By the end of the day almost half the field would DNF) She was having her own issues, which is her story to tell. I know we did a lot to try to pull each other out of our funks the best we could. Today was just not our day.

The last two days when running my recovery runs, I have heard this song. For some reason I felt I needed to include it in this report:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5yaoMjaAmE

But I'm only human

And I bleed when I fall down 

I'm only human 

And I crash and I break down 

Your words in my head, knives in my heart 

You build me up and then I fall apart 

Someone asked "Why keep doing this to yourself?" 

Why? Because when I finally do have a good race, like I did at Freedom Park, I know it will mean more to me than any other race that I lined up for in my life.

Even if I fear others have lost faith in me, I still have faith in myself. 

Although it is true I did not want to finish badly enough to tolerate throwing up for 40 more miles, I also believe it was not likely I could actually cover 40 miles while throwing up and eating nothing. Some day my stomach will not betray me and allow me to see what I can do. I am trained substantially better now than I was in 2010, when gifted a day that allowed me to run until the horn blew signaling us to stop.

I do often catch myself thinking, maybe races over 12 hours are just not for me and I should
stop wasting my time... and that feels more like quitting than showing up scared to death
that I am about to voluntarily walk into a pit of emotional despair on purpose. I am sure
eventually I will cut my losses and stay focused on what I do well (the shorter races) but I don't think I am done with 100s or 24s just yet.

Stats:
DNF
60 miles 

Positives: 

- Learned I need very little to run very far (never used a drop bag and never felt I was missing anything I needed). 

- Plantar Fasciitis was not an issue without orthotics and feet hurt less than in the past.

- Got to know Zsuzsanna and truly believe I made a good friend, which is a really big deal for me as I am much less social than some may think I am.

Key West Half Marathon, Key West, Fl. 1/19/14

Key West Airport

 Why I love this race: My first race after completing cancer treatment:  The Key West Half means a lot to me.  Last year I wrote a lot about why.  The short of it is back in 2007, Sidney paced me through the race, which was my first half marathon ever.  I ran it 3 weeks after the last infusion of my cancer treatment.  I had a left mastectomy and reconstruction, 4 months of chemo, then a right mastectomy and reconstruction, and then a year of Hercepton infusions given every three weeks.  I had been racing 5k almost weekly since completing chemo, while getting Hercepton. I ran a 10k on Thanksgiving Day 2006, the furthest run of my life, and the next day ended up in the Emergency Room due to some cancer treatment-related immune system crash.  I have visited the ER about 6 times because my immune system crashes at random through the year. The Key West Half was my first race post-cancer where I felt strong. I was excited that I was finally done with treatment.  We ran a 2:01 and I felt like true survivor!

Renting a Plane and Flying with Enzo.

Rental car parked next to plane while Sid grabs some bags

Each year, with the exception of the one year we did not go and the one year the alternator died while we were in flight causing Sidney to make an Emergency Landing in Atlantic City, Sidney and I fly to Key West for this race.  We rent a small airplane, a Mooney, load up our luggage and our dog Enzo and head south for a week.  We stop somewhere in the Carolinas for a night, then make our way to South Florida for a few days so he can see his mom, and then we end up in Key West for the weekend.

Sidney spoils me whenever he flies me to races.  I will always appreciate how awesome it is to not worry about what I am allowed to pack and how easy it is to simply drive the car right up to the plane to load and unload.  I will forever be impressed by Sidney's skills as a pilot and how he makes things that seem so complicated to me look easy.  He is brilliant and I love that I get to be a witness to his talent and skill.

People Watching in Ft Lauderdale.

Enzo has been to Key West three times now.  Not bad for a dog someone dumped on the highway like unwanted trash.  He has developed quite a set of skills, himself, when it comes to flying and travel.  He is now able to board the plane on his own, waiting until we give him the OK and then he jumps up onto the wing, climbs inside and takes his seat in the back.  He allows me to reach back and stuff jumbo cotton balls in his ears, leaning into my pressure to assist me.  He leaves the cotton in until we begin our descent, no matter how long the leg.  As we begin descending for our landing, Enzo observes with interest and at some point before we touch down he will shake the cotton out of his ears.

When flying over water, the FAA requires life jackets to be handy for all passengers.  So of course,

"I dont think this "parachute" feels like it is packed right?"

Enzo has his own.  Rather than plan to fumble with Enzo's life jacket in an emergency,  I put it on him as soon we approach the Gulf of Mexico.  His life jacket is a huge pain to wrestle onto him and he helps me.  I assume hard to get on suggests it would be hard for him to slip it off if he needed to put it to use.  When it is time to put it on him, he stands up and allows me to pull and tug that jacket into place making it possible for me to get it on him while I remain in my seat up front.  He is such a great dog for flying.

Whenever Sidney files his flight plans, he always includes Enzo in the list of passengers.  Not all pilots do as it is not required to list pets.  The controllers alway ask us about Enzo as we get handed off along the way, usually asking how he handles flying or what he is doing.  Enzo usually is sleeping, unless it is bumpy then he sits up.  If it gets very bumpy like it did on our way down,  I may reach back and he will place his head on my arm until the turbulence passes.

So back to the Running:

Orthotics Free in 2014

This was the second race I have run without orthotics. It has been a little over a month since I got rid of mine. The transition has been smoother than I anticipated.  One issue is that now my shoes fit differently because the orthotics seem to both take up a bit more room than the standard insoles do as well as alter the way my feet fit and functioned within my shoes.  Not so much that feel I need a smaller shoe, but enough that I need an acclimation period because my feet are rubbing differently now.  As a result of this change in fit, I have noticed some hot spots where I haven't had trouble before, primarily on the balls of my feet. This happened, first, during my first long run in my training shoes. My long runs are not fast so this was not too big of a problem.  In about two long runs, my feet acclimated. I am still acclimating to my racing flats.

The first race I ran without my orthotic and in my T7s racing flats was a 5k.  I raced that 5k fast for me, so I did get up on my forefoot. I noticed my feet feeling tired and my plantar fascia becoming irritated at about two miles, but soon the race was over and there were no lingering issues. 

Last year, I had trouble with severe blistering on the balls of my feet at this race. I attributed it to me racing in a new pair of Drifts, which had an extremely roomy toe box.  That coupled with the high humidity and heat causing me to douse myself with water, my feet and socks ended up soaked and slipping in my shoes. The course has many tight turns, which really irritate hot spots and encourage them to develop. This year was cooler and less humid.  I didn't anticipate a blister issue. 

http://www.ramack.us/kwhm/kwhm_course_2013.htm

Last year we were trapped in the crowd at the start where it took about a minute to cross, so this time we tried to get up front.  However, due to this race growing too big for its own good, and the starting line being on a dead end street, runners for both the 5k (which is supposed to start 5 minutes after the half) and half marathoners need to enter the corral from the front. Runners can't seed themselves, because it becomes impossible to push into a crowd of 3000 runners. We didn't do too bad this year, and it took us about 5 seconds to get to the start mat. Once running, the crowd was thick and boxing in was a big problem again. I am not very patient and worked to get out from behind groups of slower starters to find some room to settle in to my pace.

YouTube of race:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VIV4CBoAp8   

The night before, Sid had asked me what my plans were and I told him that this race is never a goal race for me, although I want to make a genuine effort. It would depend a lot on the winds and the humidity.  My plan would be the same no matter what the weather brought, to start just sub-7 and see how long I can hold it. The weather was wonderful this year.  

Gun Goes Off

I get out of the crowd after about 45-60 seconds.  I find my pace, but I noticed my asthma was really effecting my ability to take full breaths today.  I could only fill my lungs in part but I was able to hold my pace, so I just proceeded hoping it would get better. It did. M1: 6:50 

The course routes us through the old town section but involves many turns as we weave across town. I was cruising a long at about a 6:55 pace when a runner comes up beside me and asks me "So is this your normal pace? Do you normally go out at this speed?" I thought that was an odd thing to ask and I took it as suggesting he thought I was working too hard.  So I said (with a smile and a wink), "No, I normally don't go out at sub-7, but today I am hoping to save a little something for the way back" ;)  I had noticed my pace had crept to 6:47 so I wished him a great race and I settled back down. M2: 6:55

As we crossed the island, another guy caught up to me and got in stride with me. He commented, "You run just like my daughter." Again, I thought this was an interesting comment and not sure how to respond. so I said "How's that?" He was sweet.  He said,"You look strong. You have the same form"  I thanked him and told he looked strong too. M3: 7:02

I dont look at splits until after the race but I could feel like I was slowing up. Together we hit the 5k mark and I called out "21:30".  He asked how fast that was. I responded, just under 7. He said "Really?" He slowed a bit and I picked it up a little. 

As we turned onto the 3.5 plus mile stretch along the water, another guy cruised up and said, "Now the torture begins. Nothing but cement for a while." He was right about the cement. The course was all sidewalk from just past 3 to the turn around and back. He tried to say in the street, but I could hear his feet slipping over the sand that had collected in the shoulder. This made me wonder whether from a physics perspective, hard concrete with less spring than asphalt was faster than asphalt covered in sand. The guy popped back up on the curb. I shared, "I think it might be faster up here. I could hear you slipping." He kinda shrugged and pulled off ahead. M4: 6:51

Because there was a long stretch to view, I tried to count ladies. I could see two ahead in the distance moving well. Then out of nowhere another chick blew past me and then settled in a little ways ahead. Not close enough for me to run with her.  Her form was interesting and a little inefficient. I wondered if I look like that too because I know my right leg always kicks out to the side in race photos, while my left seems better behaved.  I wondered if the crazy stride meant she was working too hard. However, after watching the NYC marathon women's winner, I know you can never underestimate someone with funky form. I decided to stay on my sub-7 plan, observe, and not make any decisions until 4 to go.  M5: 6:54

Lovely hotspot-turned blister. 

I wondered if I could be in 4th. It is hard to tell with the winding streets and not starting at the line. But since this is an out and back, I would get my answer soon. Leaders were on their way back and within in the top 5 was the first woman. A minute or so later was the second.  That put me in 6th. It was here I started to notice the blister forming on the balls of my feet. Crap.  M6: 7:04

As we approached the 10k mark, I managed to reel in and over take one of the ladies ahead of us.  I didn't see any other women ahead that I didn't account for and that put me in 5th with work to do.  Half way: 45:30

I was happy as I still felt strong and in control. We went over a little bridge, hit the turn around where that first guy, who asked me if I normally go out at sub-7 saw me and gave me some encouragement which I returned. That was nice. The tight turn just tore up my feet and I knew I was in trouble. I passed the second place hand cycle guy and cheered him on. He reeled me back in and cruised next to me. I commented that hills must be tough. He said "Not really." I still think it looks hard to crank yourself up hill by hand. I have tried to ride a bike uphill and that was hard. As we passed the 7 mile mark he told me to try to catch the girl up ahead, the one with the crazy form. I told him I was going to try but it was too soon.  M7: 6:56

A trick I like to use to catch and pass a competitor just ahead of me is to focus on catching anyone I can see ahead of her.  In this case the woman in orange was about 30 seconds ahead but I told myself that I had time to reel her in. As we approached mile 8 I thought to myself "ok, 4 to go... If I want to negative split this I need to move!" I picked up, passing the chick ahead of me with authority. She cheered me on. I returned the encouragement. I focused on trying to gain ground on the woman in 3rd, but she was moving well.  It took me until about 8.5 miles to realize that 13 minus 8 is 5. Not 4. Oops. Lol! 

M: 6:51

I was working to close the gap, but I wasn't sure I could catch her. My pace felt strong but my burning feet were getting worse with each step. Any turn in the course was just tearing things up. I new I didn't have much straight away left, so now was my chance to make up some time. M9: 6:47

And then she looked back. Yes! She looked. This means if I can catch her I will most likely take her. Accept the hurt.  Run.  I tried.  My legs were starting to feel spent and I realized I never took that gel I carried and I had not even seen any sports drink yet on the course.  I took it and tried to convince myself that in 10 minutes I will have a second wind. She look back again and then she sped up and widened the gap. Crap.  M10: 6:55

I maintained the fastest pace I could sustain and reeled her in more than she pulled away. Then again, she looked back and widened the gap again. It felt like some unfortunate magnetic pull. I make up ground, she'd widen the gap back, then I would shrink it by more. I was reeling her in but she was making it really hard. M11: 6:49

We hit the residential streets and it was back to twists and turns, which just burned my feet. I couldn't get up on my toes like I wanted to. I tried to ignore the pain. I was still getting closer. M12: 6:53

One mile to go. And the worse weaving and turning was before us.  Sharp turns through the harbor, over cobblestones (come on!) and around street corners. I was slowing down on the turns. She was holding the gap. M13: 6:55

I kicked. She kicked. Where the heck is this finish line. I caught a guy he told me to catch her. Man I was trying. Jello legs. Blistered feet. I had nothing left to shift into. I tried. Last 0.10  0:41 (6:00 pace).

And then she was done... 5 seconds later I was too. With a negative split and a new PR. I never PR in Key West.  

Man, what a great race! I tried but I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that I didn't get her. When I looked at the net time, she got me by a second! So close!  But I know I can't be too bummed. I ran my fastest race with a 35 second negative split. I had no real kick, but I didn't train to run this well.  I hope this means that with some focus, some half marathon specific training focus, that I may someday have a shot at breaking 1:30. 

Leaving the Keys

But for now I am thrilled with what I have accomplished.  A new PR and it wasn't even a goal race.  What a great day! 

Stats:
Time: 1:30:26 (6:54 pace)
Place 26th overall of 1904
Gender: 4th
Age Group: 1st

CJRRC Hangover 5k Run, Westfield, NJ. 1/1/14 (Higher Mileage Goal, and Running Orthotics Free)

And Let the Racing Begin! 

Last year I started the year off with a fantastic 5k at the Hangover Run in Westfield NJ.  The course is a good one for fast times with well placed inclines that show up when energy is highest and then turn into declines that carry you home when the race is coming to a close.

I am not in 5k shape. I have done no speed work in months. I did not race all of December, so I didn't sneak any in that way. I have been focused on building a solid base of higher mileage for bigger goals in the future.  I want to start the New Year ready to log the type of weeks that will allow me to run my best year to date.  I ended December with 326 miles for a 10.5 mile per day average that month.  I would like to hold that as long as possible this year.  I had also started ramping up the paces of some of my mid-week training runs since I am returning to the race courses and feel a little stale.  This made me feel beat up and exhausted. But that is ok sometimes.

Transitioning Out of Orthotics
One of the biggest changes I plan to make for 2014 is to finally free myself of my orthotics. It is going faster than expected, but I am still not feeling safe.  I got my first pair back when I was 15 years old. I needed them after repeated, recurrent injuries related to some bone alignment issues.  The final straw was ending up in a soft cast to help heal some seriously debilitating tendonitis.  I also had shin splints that would cause my shins to bruise badly from the inside out, as well as chronic and painful plantar fasciitis.  I was also a newer runner and not training nearly enough back then.  After an asjustment period, the orthotics helped me to run when I couldn't.  Since then it was a no-brainer for me to just wear them if I wanted to run as pain-free as possible.

My first pair lasted me 20 years! 20 freaking years and they were fully intact.  After my first years of ultras, my feet were hurting so bad that I decided to get a new pair made. I suspected that I was long over-due anyway.  Since then, I had two separate pairs, and both were no match for my high-ish mileage running.  I cracked both pairs in half.  Duct taped them back together so I could keep running, while I waited 3 weeks for new ones.  After the second time, I just couldn't help but think if I can run with orthotics that are taped together there is a really good chance these things are no longer doing as much for me as I think they are.  I suspected that my high mileage running has strengthened my feet so much that I could try to go without them.

Starting on December 19, I opened a new pair of Brooks Launch and decided to go for it Orthotic Free.  I actually intended to ween my way off.  But that was the first run in about 24 years where I was finally able to feel the soft cushy soles of my shoes. OMG. I had no idea this is what running shoes feel like for other people! No hard plastic between my feet and my support.  It was heaven.

I decided to stick to the treadmill at first, so that I could step off if I felt any pain. I went back to the orthotics for my long runs, but by 10 day I was doing my long runs without them as well.

Today's race would be my first orthotic-free race since I was 15 years old.  The only issue I had was I did not save the insole to my racing flats.  I did have a new pair so as much as I hated doing this, I took the new insoles and put them in the old racing flats, which only have 36 miles on them.

The Race
- Weather: 29, feels like 23 degrees. Winds 5 mph from W. Humidity 42%
- Clothing: Capri pants, calf sleeves, thin tech long sleeve, tech T-shirt over the top, thin fleece neck warmer (for neck or over ears), throw away gloves not thrown away.  Took Neck Warmer offer at mile 1.5 and wrapped it around arm.
- Shoes: Brooks T7 Racing Flats

I was pretty tired from two fast 10 mile training runs the two day prior to this race.  I am doing a few experiments with my running and knew I would end up at the starting line tired.  This was ok, every race can't be a goal race.

I am used to racing a lot. When I don't race weekly I start to feel out of practice.  I actually get very nervous about racing.  The idea of putting myself out there and risking failure can be stressful.  I feel like life is full of stressful situations and risks of failure, so if I can handle stressful events on purpose then I should be better prepared to manage the unplanned stressors.

I warmed up 2 miles, lined up towards the front, about one row back of a wide street with runner across the entire way.  I appreciated that just before we were ready to go a guy then stepped up and planted himself directly in front of me as if I would be holding him back. I wish I got his bib number so I could see if he beat me.  It is fine if he did.

The gun went off, and my legs remembered just what to do.  Up the first incline I started counting women.  4 were in front of me.  Around the first loop we completed the first mile. M1 - 6:12

I didn't feel like it was too fast, but at this point we are back at the first incline again, and doing it a second time took its toll on me.   I could also feel my left Plantar Fasciia feeing irritated and I wanted to pay attention to it.  A female passes me, and then a guy who starts coaching me.   He tells me to get back on their heels (but I don't want to do that)  Then passes me and then waves me up. (I don't respond)

Honestly, I do understand that people are trying to be helpful.  It is better than people being unkind, but it is interesting to me.  If you race enough this is bound to happen to you, the Mid-Race Coach. Now I may not mind as much IF this person had already finished, then ran back to me and offered some support and guidance.  But I always wonder what makes people who are running at the same exact pace as me, feel that it is there job to spontaneously start telling me what I should do.  Usually a male that does this, but not always.  I cant help but think that if I am a female and I am running just as fast as that guy, who is technically supposed to be genetically pre-determined to be faster than me, then possibly I should be the one coaching him. ;)

Although I was encouraged to speed up, I held my pace because that is what I felt was best for me at that point in the race.  At 1.2 miles, it was way too early to make a move. I was more interested in pacing myself in a way that allowed me to run a fast last mile than crash.  I could feel I was on that line and was happy holding my pace.  The guy pulled away, the ladies stayed in range and I continued onward.  

Before we hit mile 2, one of the ladies faded a bit and I passed her.  I pulled up to another and sat there.  My "new coach" stepped off the course and I not sure why.  I did not see him again. M2 6:40

This race has a fast finish built in.  I was feeling very tired at this point.  The 10 milers I have been doing in training had taken a toll on me.  But I wasn't ready to give up yet.   With about a half mile to go, I passed the girl who I was tailing. She did not challenge, but she also did not allow me to pull away.

And this is why (many) serious racers do not race with music.  I could hear her breath.  I knew she was close. I knew exactly where she was. She was sitting on me now. We were approaching the finish. And I knew exactly what she was setting herself up to do.  The Sit and Kick.  She was planning to blast past me at the finish.  [If I had on headphones, I would have missed all of that.  I do understand that there are many serious racers who do listen to music while racing.  This would a rare experience for me. I have listened to music at a few 24 hour races, but in short fast races, I want to know what is going on around me).]

The only defense to the Sit and Kick, is the Pre-Emptive Demoralizing Burst even if you can't hold it the whole way. If you break the spirit of the Sit and Kicker by making a move early, they won't kick and usually they let up. If you fade just a bit later, it is usually too late for them to kick to get you.  Unless this is for the OA win and the Sit and Kicker is just messing around, most people using the Sit and Kick strategy do so because they are tired and redlining as well.  Some people use it when they only want to run fast enough to win and the race is easy for them.  Most Sit and Kicker don't feel they have enough energy to race you all out to the finish (if so they would simply pass you with authority and see if you challenge). Instead they have to use a strategic plan to save themselves for a short surprise attack at the end.

Bear in mind, there is nothing wrong with this strategy.  I do it all the time.  When you are racing your hardest, sometimes you have to do everything you can to move up the leader board and strategic racing is still racing.  To break the Sit and Kicker,  burst early (but not so early that you fade and they Kick past).  Timing is key.  Put some distance between you and the Sitter.  If they don't give in, it will force them to shift gears early.  They already feel they cant hold a kick that long, so you just have to do everything to hold the kick until you break them or you finish.  But often they don't even bother to chase you down and let you have the position..  M3 6:24

Well, I somehow managed to reel in a social butterfly, a teenager, who was treated his 5k like it was his personal parade.  As he saw his friends he would wave and yell stuff.  He was having a lot of fun. At one point I said, "kick now and break 20" (hoping it would remind him he is in a race and I was behind him trying to hurry up.) He turned back to look at me which slowed his pace.  Since we were running a tangent, I was directly behind him.  His slow down, was just before the final turn and where I needed to execute my Pre-Emptive Burst to hold off my Sit and Kicker.

As I pick up my pace, I can hear her coming up on my shoulder.  Then I can see her in my peripheral.  A blur of green in the corner of my eye.  So I move out to pass the teenager and I KICK just as the Teen decides to extend his left arm out across my line of travel so that he could wave to his fans, almost knocking me in the face.  I bob and weave out of his way, and fully turn on whatever I can muster. I somehow still manage to hold her off through the shoot.  She was a very good Sit and Kicker and thanks to her, I ran my second fastest 5k ever! Last .1 - 0:39

Stats:
Time - 19:55 (6:25 pace)
Place - 25 OA of  786
Gender- 4th of 375
Age - 1st of 51

2013 Running Year in Review

2013 Year in Review: 3,456.8 mi in 9:36 pace. I estimate that this many miles equates to almost 100 lbs of snacks consumed since I didn't lose a pound. I completed two full years of streaking averaging 9.5 miles a day now since 12/28/2011. I wanted to beat my mileage from last year and I did so by 0.6 miles. Last year I ran 3456.2 but at a slower 10:00 average pace.

I finally broke 20:00 for the 5k (I need to find my fast twitch), I PR'd in most race distances I ran. My best race was most likely my 7:41 50 Mile run at Lake Waramaug. I had a good 6 hour run for 41.48 miles, a 4:03 50k at Caumsett and a 1:31 half. I got my ass kicked in Albany in -2 degrees and 40 mile winds, but I held it together at LBI running 18 miles in 2:12 in a 20 mile an hour head wind with 35 mile gust the whole point-to-point way. 

I learned a lot about depletion training.  Mostly that I need to learn a lot more.

I ran 9 miles up a mountain from abt 6400ft to over 10500ft elevation in NM with my husband Sidney to celebrate my 8 years of being cancer free anniversary.  He did not kill me when we got to the top. James Plant was there too. He did curse at me as he finished. 

I placed 7th at the National Championships at both the 50 km and the 50 Mile. I won a few ultras along the way and placed 3rd OA woman in the shorter race distance USATF-NJ Grand Prix year long road race series.

I wanted to focus on shorter ultras in 2013 because I got sick of puking in 2012. I believe I managed to not vomit all year long! Hopefully I have marinated and adapted enough from high mileage running to look into a return to longer races in the year to come.

I coached a lot of amazing people to their own PR's from all over the country, including a few different groups for good causes, like all my TNT runners, my Cancer to 5k group, and my Veteran's Running Group.

Alanna Garrison-Kast was even somehow able to make me get up before 5 am to meet her places for crazy long runs in the woods. Thank you for that. I don't think I fell down as much as I have done in the past.  But when I did, I made it count.

Now to do it all over again but hopefully a little better in 2014!

All my 41 race reports are linked here: http://shannon-creatingmomentum.blogspot.com/p/racing-pacing-and-training-runs.html

Coaching Gift Certificates Available.

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If you would like to purchase a Gift Certificate for Coaching Services, I am now offering limited services, listed below, to be purchased as a Gift for another.

Please send an email to shanmcginn@gmail.com to make a request and for further instructions.

Please allow 72 hours for issuance of Gift Certificates via Email after Payment has been received and processed.  Payment can be made via Paypal, check, or money order. Certificates are not activated until payment has been processed. Training plans will not be created until after payment has been made in full.

Current Rates for Services listed below are available here

Services Available for Gift Purchases:

(1) Training Consultations - for the self-coached runner who write their own training plans but would like personalized professional feedback and guidance. After an assessment of their own training ideas, past log, and future goals is made, feedback and recommendations are made on a bi-monthly basis. Access to coaching advice and guidance as needed is available via email throughout each week as questions arise.  

(2) Personalized Full Length Training Plan -  After an assessment of past training history, current fitness level, and a discussion about realist goals, a personalized training plan will be written specifically for you. 
- Training Plans for Marathons and Ultramarathons will average 18-20 weeks in length, maximum.
-Marathon and Ultramarathon training plans may require you to have some base of training established prior to requesting a plan, depending upon your goal.
- Half marathons and shorter races will average 12-15 weeks in length, maximum. 
- The length of the training plan is determined at the coach's discretion, the amount of time until your race, the amount of mileage you are training at prior to requesting the plan. In some cases, coaches may be unable to write a training plan if there is insufficient time to create a safe and effective training plan to meet a runners goal. 
- From the start date of your plan, two (2) weeks of email follow up is included in order to address any necessary adjustments or to provide clarification about any issues related to training plan materials.  Questions are limited to those relevant to understanding the training plan. This service does not include Online Coaching. 
-  If more substantial guidance or coaching is required, Training Plan Consultations can per purchased one month at a time or Online Coaching can be provided for an entire training cycle. 
-  Please note, as a guide the ideal time to contact me for an assessment is 25 weeks prior to your goal marathon.  Allow more time for an ultras and less time for shorter races. 

Terms:

Issuance: Please allow 72 hours from time payment is processed for Certificates to be sent via email.

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Refunds:  All Gift Certificates are refundable, minus a $25 processing fee, for up to 30 days after the date the Certificate email was sent by Creating Momentum (as indicated by the date on the certificate).  Beyond 30 days from the date of Certificate, no refunds will be issued. 

Transferability: Gift Certificates for Training Plans and Training Consultations ARE Transferable to eligible individuals before the expiration date.

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NCR Trail Marathon. Sparks, MD. 11/30/13

I love the NCR Trail Marathon. It is a fantastically fast marathon course that is a beautiful hybrid of Road and Trail.  If you can tolerate miles and miles of relatively quiet, relatively spectator free Rail Trail of hard packed non-technical dirt through the woods with not much deviation of terrain, you can shine!

Course/Race Review:
The course is ideal for fast times because you start with a rapid drop in elevation as you leave Sparks Elementary School for just over a mile until you reach the start of the Rail Trail.  By mile 2 you are already on your way out to the turn around at 13.5 miles.  The way out includes an almost imperceptible incline of 1% which on fresh legs does not impact pace.  By mile 9, the "steepest" incline of the rail trail occurs, still almost visually unnoticeable, but it always is reflected in my pace as well as my mental dialogue. It is at this point, when I tend to start focusing too much on questioning whether I can hold my pace because suddenly easy miles start to feel a little harder.  When things start to get "harder" in a marathon at MILE 9, that can be an ominous sign for me. However, it is not a bad sign if you know your terrain and even a 1% change can be felt.  When suddenly an incline increases just slightly for a significant duration, things should feel slightly harder.  That makes sense, so I need to remind myself to not worry and proceed at an even effort.

Once you hit the turn around that imperceptible incline on the way out turns into a very welcomed gift of a decline on the way back.  After the half way mark of a marathon, any gifts are welcomed.  With 9-13 being the "steepest" up (yet still barely noticeable), they then offer a mental and physical boost on the way back, encouraging a brisker pace from 13-18 when you meet the first little incline on the way back.  The course levels out and rolls a teeny bit between 18-22 (again only perceptible if you are paying attention to this).  However, it is good to know that the course is no longer as steeply declining because a fade in pacing could be interpreted as the wall creeping up, when it really is not.  It is just the course.

Just past 24 you exit the rail trail and return back to the school on rolling uphills.  The hill at the 25 mile mark is the steepest and cruelest of the hills. It is a bona fide hill.  Get over that and it gets better, but still hilly. Each year, I pass many reduced to a walk here.  I don't walk it since it is so close to the finish that I am motivated to suck it up and push through.  Also it helps that I know we get a downhill right after the apex for recovery of both heart rate and pace.  That down hills assists with my ability to tolerate the final rollers and climbing back up to the school.

I just love everything about this race.  The only negative is the cold weather.  The staging area is inside the school gym where it is warm and real bathrooms are available.  There is a post race buffet of food, including Vegetarian, Dairy Free Winter vegetable soup, bagels, fruit, cookies, coffee hot chocolate, etc. The swag you get is alway special and well done, some years better than others.  One year I received a cooler bag with a ton of zippered and mesh pockets that is big enough to store everything I need for an ultra run of any length, yet small enough to be carried with with a shoulder strap.  It was the best swap I ever got at race and I have used it for 4 years now.  In other years, they gave all runners jackets and vests, winter hats, etc...  This year we received a long sleeve technical running shirt.

I have to say that I am so impressed with the race because prices are still relatively low in comparison to other marathons.  I believed I paid $85.

My Race:
As I have been noting here on my blog, after Tussey 50 mile, my body needed a break. I have been running lower mileage but I still logged over 3100 miles so far this year so far, even with a month of "rest."

I wanted to use this race as a "check in" race to see where I stand at the start of my new training cycle for Spring racing.   Two weeks ago I ran a 60k with my guys but I used that truly as a long run, running to the 20 mile mark around 8 minute pace, then adding walk breaks allowing me to reach the 26.2 mile mark at about 3:40.  I had hoped to be able to run faster that 3:40 today and would have been very happy with 3:30 or under.  But to be completely honest, I wasn't sure I could break 3:40 today.

Last year I surprised myself with a 3:16 here, my second fastest marathon.  However, my mileage over the month before was higher last year, I ran a faster Ashenfelter 8k last year, and I was also several pounds lighter.  Right now I am the heaviest I have been all year at 118, but my body fat is on the lower side but could be better.  My best racing happens when I am 114 and lean.  I was 114 at the start of this race last year, so I knew there was no way I was running a PR today.  Going into this my plan was to take the first mile fast, and then settle in to 7:30's and hold them for as long as possible. If I had a great day in me, I wanted to be set up for it to happen.  If not, then the fade would be ok too.

I tend to run fast at the NCR also because the weather is often ideal for me.  Each year it has been hight 30's to mid-40's.  There can be wind, but the out and back helps mitigate that usually.  This race is always the Sat after Thanksgiving, so this year being a late Thanksgiving brought us colder weather.

This morning it was 25 at the start, but wind was mild to non-existant.  Sub-freezing is a bit rough for me.  It took me 4 miles before I could feel my toes.  My fingers were not happy.  My first mile was 6:52, which at this race is a slow start for me at this race.  I felt a very thin layer of ice on the roadway that made things a little slick. I was careful in the down hills to not slip.  

Once on to the trail, my pace settled right to 7:28 for M2.  I wanted to hang around 7:30's but I really did not like how "hard" 7:28 felt.  I felt stiff and cold and running felt difficult already and I was only at mile 2.  

Already I was concerned that this was going to be a really hard day.  But again, with a low mileage month, a month of feeling not my best, a month of gaining weight back, a sluggish, slower pace marathon is to be expected.  At this point, I just hoped to be able to run the whole thing! :) 

By mile 3, the field has spread out and things got quiet... and that is when the music in my head started.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA  And for the next many many many miles things felt amazing.  Easy.  Peaceful.  I imagined all the weight on my shoulders being tossed away.  I felt light on feet.  I was flowing.  My pace settled around 7:35 - 7:45 and I cruised mindlessly to the music in my mind without stress, worry, or concern.  It was beautiful.  This is why I run. 

At mile 3 mile Garmin battery indicated it was low and would die soon.  It remained for some time,  but it would drop the signal and soon the data was meaningless.  I kept splitting at mile markers anyway figuring the running time should be correct even if the mileage was off.  But I wasn't too accurate with mile markers so that was off too. I just didn't care.

At 8 miles, I took my first gel which I pin to my waist band.  I had a second gel in the back zippered lower-back pocket of my capris.  I wanted to save that for 18.  I took in Gatorade at every stop except for one.  I deviated because I saw Christian, who ran about 35 miles of Tussey 50 miler with me last month, and I wanted to say Hi!  He was handing out water so I attempted to grab a water from him rather than grab a gatorade from the other side.

At 9.5, my pace started to fade to 7:50-8:00 but I wasn't too worried.  I felt more confident now than I did at 3 miles and I was just looking forward to the turn around.  Finally I reach the relay transition zone and I passed the clock which could be 13 or 13.1, I have no idea, but it said 1:38.  My watch had stopped registering distance.  I knew last year I was at 1:35:30 here.

As soon as I hit the turn around, I got such a mental boost.  My pace dropped and I felt even stronger than I did just miles before.  I was back down to 7:30 or under and I was really happy with this as a great start to a new training cycle.  I knew my pace was a product of the decline and hoped I was feeling this good at 20.

As I approached mile 18, I decided to take that gel. My fingers, still in my throw away cotton gloves never warmed up.  I could not feel anything and I did not want to take them off.  I reach back to the zipper pocket.  I never used this before to store gels during a race.  I usually put my keys there.  I pulled on the zipper and then tried to extract the gel from the tiny pouch pocket.  After a minute of complete and utter frustration and a complete inability to get that stupid little packet of sugar out of it's prison behind my back, I completely gave up... and that is when the music stopped.  Ugh!  and LOL at the same time.  I could have been very upset by this, but this was not a goal race and I knew I was going to finish in a time I was happy with, gel or not.  I still felt energetic so it was not big deal.  I have also run 20 mile training runs at slow paces on 0 fuel or water so I knew I could run slowly even with nothing if I had too.

However, my mile 21, I felt that I was crashing and my paces was falling off.  I started to feel heavy and sluggish.  I thought about how I have probably lost tons of mitochondria in the last month so running out of steam makes sense.  I was still splitting my watch and saw an 8:15, but I am not sure how accurate that was because sometimes I would miss mile markers or think I missed them and then split things at the wrong time.

At 22, I decided to try to get that gel out one more time.  It was now that I realized that when I zippered the pocket open earlier, I had actually zippered it closed (and I had been running the whole time with the pocket open).  When I closed it, I could not pop the gel out and because my fingers were so numb I couldn't figure out what was going on back there.  But I did get it out at 22 mile and it helped to take it.

With 4 miles to go, I was now in survival mode.  I looked forward to the hills just for a change and wondered if this year I would be reduced to a walk on them.  However, that wasn't the case.  I felt stronger on the hills than I did on the trail.  I believe the gel helped.

I had a nice strong finish and came in at 3:24!

I am very pleased with this experience.  I have a lot of work to do, but not as much as I thought.  Today Spring Training Starts and my baseline has me at a 3:24 for 26.2   That is not a bad place to be :)

Stats:
Time: 3:24:50
OA place: 59
Female: 9th 
Age Group 2nd