Recovery

Reflecting back from the Akron marathon, I have good memories and I am happy I was able to beat 3:30 in such a difficult course. I read that there were some problems in the first water stops. Maybe the race has grown too big. There were a lot of relay runners and some times they interfered with the marathon runners, when they are running “out of pace” (if, for example, a slow runner follows a fast runner in a relay team, or the other way around). I did not mind it, but I think the race has reached its maximum capacity by now.

After the marathon I took an ice bath and this helped recovery quite a bit. I became a believer of ice baths when I tried one last year and saw the results. I don’t do it often. Only when it is absolutely necessary, for example after a hard marathon. Some people fill the bath tab with water and ice and then get in. Ouch! I get in first, then run cold water until it covers my legs, and then dump in the ice. It more gentle this way.


On Sunday we went to visit our daughter in Toledo. We had signed up for the "Susan G. Komen Northwest Ohio Race for the Cure" 5K. Since wife Liz is still recovering from injury, daughter Lea is not running, and I was hurting from the marathon, we decided to take it easy and run at the slower runner's pace, which is Lea.

The first mile was at 10 minutes. Liz and I could continue at this pace (or even speed up to 9 min/mile), but Lea could not, so the next miles were at 10:30 and the last mile at 11 minutes. We crossed the line by holding our hands up. The crowds apparently liked it and were cheering us up.

So, at 32:30, this might be the slowest 5K in record for me (for a while :)) but it was fun though doing it as a family and finishing together. There were about 20,000 runners and walkers. The crowd support and entertainment was amazing. There were bands and songs in every corner. This is definitely an “ipod is not necessary” race. We will do this again.

The next day I woke up with very little pain, so recovery was surprisingly quick this time. I ran every day (short distances, slow pace) and went to my fitness classes on Tuesday and Thursday. By Thursday there was no sign of pain/discomfort in my legs. Our training group is planning a long run tomorrow, and I will join them.

My next race is in next week and it is the Towpath marathon. I have a special connection to this race. I will talk about it in the next blog.

Akron 2008

<- DrT around 11 am outside the Akron Stadium... tired but happy.

Well, the fun is over... This was my 6th marathon... my first Akron Marathon and second marathon this year. My target time was 3:30 but since I have already qualified for Boston, I had no pressure to meet this time.

The week before the marathon was strange. I was excited about re-starting my ebay auctions, and every night I was working late, going to bed between 1:30 and 3:33 am, waking up around 8 am. So I got very little sleep (5-6 hours average a night), but I did not feel tired and did not have any mid-day naps (as I normally do :))

Marathon day the weather looks good, cool (60F) but rather high humidity. I forgot my hat in the car! That’s OK, without sun or rain, I did not need it.

I started strong, following the 3:30 pacer (Lloyd), together with Jamie, for the first 3 miles and then moved a bit ahead. The first 11 miles on Akron streets were OK: 8:20 7:40 7:41 7:24 7:49 7:48 7:52 8:01 7:38 7:54 7:39. I have set my Garmin to show my average pace. It was stuck at 7:47 (I kept thinking Boing 747, doing OK).

The next 4 miles were on the Towpath. I started slowing down: 7:40 7:45 7:50 8:00. Aaron and Rose had joined us earlier and we were all running together. At the towpath exit I met my family, but did not stop, just waved "hi" at them. At this point I was already behind the group.

As some of you know, the fun really starts after mile 15 when we exit the towpath. A tough section with lots of uphills goes on for the next 4 miles. I start to slow down: 8:12 8:14 8:24 8:29, as expected, but what is not expected is that my legs are feeling tired.

We are back to Akron streets. The people support is great but my legs are killing me...I continue to slow down: 8:03 8:12 8:26. I start thinking of changing my goal to 3:35-3:40. At this point, I hear this soft voice behind me "you can do it George". It is Jen, whose time goal was 3:40. She is passing me! That was a bit of a shock for me. And, behind, her comes the 3:30 pace group.

I decide to stop the slow-down, and follow the pace group. I have to dig deep inside to find the strength to do that.. Lloyd (pace leader) is very nice with encouraging words for everyone around him, including the volunteers. The next two miles are back to target pace: 8:07 8:09. Lloyd says “don’t worry guys, we’ll make the lost time at the downhill coming up.”

Finally, we reach West Market Street, for the last 2.5 miles, mostly downhill. I am hurting, but I manage to run fast, and keep close to the pacer: 7:42 7:31. I see Jen ahead. We now turn on Main Street. I look at my watch: I CAN MAKE IT, but I have to hurry! Last 0.4 miles (my Garmin was running a bit slow) were at 7:06.

I enter the Stadium, sprinting for the finish line. I see that the official clock is past 3:30 but I know it took a while to cross the start line, so I know I am making it, but it is close!

Official Time: 3:29:44

Mission accomplished (barely :)) This is actually my 2nd fastest marathon. This year has been good to me so far.

My family is in the stadium, cheering me up. I grabbed as much free food as I could, plus the 3 beers (I had one right away!) I then went to the car, changed, and came back for some 3d pictures.

Despite the pain, it was a nice day. While the Cleveland Marathon felt very easy, this one was a struggle for me. I don’t think I would have made it, if Lloyd, Jen, and the 3:30 group had not showed up at the right time. Thank you guys! And congratulations to everyone who was out there running today!

Next: Towpath marathon in 2 weeks. But, first, our daughter has invited us to run a 5K in Toledo tomorrow. A 5K the day after a marathon? That’s what I said. But she wanted us to go and visit and run with her. I might have to walk this one. It will definitely be my slowest 5K ever (so far).

1 Week to Akron

<- From the Buckeye Half, two weeks ago... Running with brand new shoes, the same pair I will use for Akron.

Fast group run on Saturday. I joined the CV-Running group at 7:00 am at Peninsula and we ran south on the Towpath for 6.6 miles and then back for a total of 13.2 miles at 1:45. The average pace was 8 min/mile and my mile splits were: 8:43 8:11 8:13 8:03 8:07 7:57 8:03 7:33 7:41 8:11 7:41 7:50 7:54 7:35.

Isn’t that a bit too fast, considering that this is my target pace for Akron? I think so, but the rest of the group was going even faster and I was trying to keep up with them.

For the rest of the week, I plan to take it easy, with easy runs on Sunday-Wednesday and then take 2 days off (Thursday and Friday). I should then be ready for Akron.

I am a firm believer in running a marathon with fresh (new) shoes. I bought a pair of my favorite shoes (Mizuno Wave Creation) and tried them/broke them in the Buckeye Half Marathon. I have not put any more miles in them. I do not believe in prolonged “breaking in”. The shoes start wearing out the minute you put them on. Anyway, I plan to wear these shoes for the Akron Marathon.

Total for the week: 44 miles, 165 lbs

2 Weeks to Akron (4 to Towpath)

A nice long and very challenging run today… We started from Peninsula at 6:30 am. Up “Initiation Hill” (very steep), then straight at the “Bike & Hike” trail, then down to Boston (water break). Then to Riverview Road and turn right up Stein (hilly). Continue to Oak Hill Road, right on Riverview (briefly) and to Bolanz Rd (water break). From there to Akron Peninsula Rd and back to start. Not only it was a hard and hilly course, it was pouring rain all the way. A tough run indeed.

I tired to follow the leading group but fell behind. I am happy with my mile splits: 10:18 8:10 8:14 7:42 7:19 8:05 8:39 8:35 8:59 8:11 8:06 7:40 8:14 8:29 8:20 8:37 8:12. Average Pace: 8:19, good for the conditions. Total mileage = 16.5.

Other news: I started my diet this week with a semi-fast on Monday (I only ate a couple of fruits). After reaching 168.5 lbs on Sunday, I was down to 162 on Thursday, but ate a bit more on Thursday and Friday and I was fine in the long run on Saturday. I know some people say that this (taper = 3 weeks before a marathon) is not a time for a diet, but that's what I did for Cleveland and it worked.

Goal or Target? I mentioned previously that my goal for the Akron marathon is 3:30. Actually, this is a target time. What is the difference? I think goal is something you really want to achieve and you either make it or not. Target is a time you aim for. You can be off and that’s not a big deal. Since I don’t really care for my time (having quality for Boston earlier), I think I can call 3:30 my goal. I will not be disappointed if I don’t meet this target time. I am taking it easy. The following day Lea wants us to run a 5K in Toledo. Two weeks later I will run the Towpath marathon.

Total for the week: 50 miles, 165 lbs

Buckeye Half 2008

<- Liz & Lea before the race (I know Lea is not going to like this picture, but I tell them to smile! Something to remember next time...)

<- The "redesigned Buckeye Half course: starts a bit lower on Riverview, turn right at Bath Rd., then left at Akron Peninsula, left on Bolanz, left on Riverview, repeat loop.

OK, let’s get to the good stuff right away:

New course record AND new PR for half-marathon: 1:32:50 (previous PR 1:33:14 at the Fall Classic last year).

I am pleased because I ran a good race. The course was redesigned and it was a double loop this year. I have mixed feelings about double loops. While running the first loop, along a long stretch in the Akron Peninsula road, I kept thinking “Oh my God, do I have to go through this again?!!” But the second time around, time was ticking faster (because now I knew how long this stretch is and did not mind it – I was running on overdrive.) Here are my mile splits:

Mile Time
1 - 6:45
2 - 6:52
3 - 6:51
4 - 6:53
5 - 7:04
6 - 7:07
7 - 7:13
8 - 7:19
9 - 7:12
10 - 7:08
11 - 7:02
12 - 7:05
13 - 7:02
13+ - 6:22

I started strong. For the first 4 miles my average pace was 6:50. I could actually see Beth (2nd F) and the other female runners, not far ahead of me. I have set my Garmin to show my average pace (I do not care for the instant pace). After mile 4, the average pace started going up (I was slowing), until it stabilized around 7:02. My goal was to average 7 minute miles and I came very close to this.

What makes me especially happy is that at mile 8 I had my slowest mile (7:19). Doubts were going through my mind. Maybe I started too fast. Maybe this pace is more appropriate for a 10K, not a half marathon. But, instead of collapsing, I managed to reverse the decline and increase my pace again. My GPS watch was running a bit slow, compared to the marked miles. It registered 13.2 miles, instead of 13.1. In the the last 0.2 miles I had the strength and actually sprint and pass 2 runners, with a pace of 6:22!

The weather was perfect for running. Cold in the morning (55F), sunny, turning to cloudy and actually raining for a while. This morning I was 168.5 lbs. I have not been that high since June. Not good. I did not really need any fluids or food during the race, but I stopped in every water station just for the fun of it. For a long time I could see Vince (of Vertical Runner fame) in front of me, running with his dog! I can see being beaten by Vince, but by a dog too? It was around mile 10 that I managed to get ahead the dog, during a water stop. Quite a few runners passed me between miles 5-9, probably running a better race than me (better pacing). I didn't think I'd be happy to see someone pass me, but was happy to see my friend Howard pass me at mile 11. He is a better/faster runner so I was happy I stayed ahead of him for 11 miles.

<- Sprinting at the finish line.

My wife Liz and daughter Lea had signed up for the 5K of the same race. Liz is coming out from an injury (Achilles tendon) and this is her first race since the Fall Classic in November. She was pessimistic, thinking that she could barely run a 9 minute mile. This was her first race last year so she is “celebrating” a year of entering races. Result: She did much better than expected, with a new 5K PR of 26:20 (8:30 pace). But she finished 4/6 in her age group. She would have been 1st in the next age group (and she is moving to the next age group in December) and 2nd in the younger age group. Tough luck!

Lea had not done any running since the Brecksville 5K in June. When I say "no running", I don't mean "no racing". She has not run even once since then. Yet, she signs up, and manages to finish the 5K without walking! Her time (33:58) might not sound great, but considering the circumstances, it is excellent, and good enough for 2nd place age award. Way to go!

As for me, I finished 6/41 in my age group. Had I been in the next age group, I would have been first! Makes you happy to grow older!

Overall, a fine, enjoyable race, well-organized. I like the hoodies too. We had a bit of a crisis... Lea did not get a hoodie because she registered the last day and only the first 500 get one. But Liz gave her hers and she is wearing mine. I don't mind sharing :)

After the race, we had to leave in a hurry. Lea happy with her award, Liz a bit disappointed to get back empty-handed. Me, tired but happy. Looking forward to the next 3 weeks, building up (yes, building up) for the Akron Marathon.

3 Weeks to Akron (& 5 weeks to Towpath)

This year I am attempting, for the first time, to run both the Akron and Towpath marathons. I have run the Towpath 4 years in a row, from 2004 and on. It is my first Akron marathon. Since these two marathons are separated by 2 weeks (first time ever) I think I have the time to recover from Akron and do the Towpath. And since I have already qualified for Boston (from the Cleveland Marathon in May) I don’t care for time in either marathon so I plan to run them easy and relaxed. I think this will work.

From my last two long races (Cleveland Marathon, Buckeye 50K) I have developed a crazy plan. Instead of tapering, I put my most miles 3 weeks before the race. I also go on a diet the last 2-3 weeks. I keep running almost every day. I only rest (and eat well) the two days before the race. This goes against anything published regarding marathon preparation, but somehow it has worked for me. Why mess with something that works?

So, here is the plan for next week: Tomorrow I am running the Buckeye ½ Marathon. This is a test. It will show in what shape I am. I hope to run most miles at 7 min/mile average. The next day, I go on a diet. I plan to fast on Monday (I have not done this for a long time). At the same time, I will run every day 6-10 miles/day, plus a long run on Saturday. I plan to put more than 50 miles this coming week. It should be fun :)

4 Weeks to Akron

<- The VR group before the 20 miler run on Saturday in Akron (photo courtesy of Nick B.)


Yesterday I joined the VR group for another 20 miler along the Akron course. I knew that this was a mistake because I had already done too many miles this week, plus I ran on Friday. Normally, Friday is a rest day and it has been like that for a long time. But, I dropped my car for service in Independence and I decided to run back home (I like to combine running with errands). Total of 9 miles, and I was tired.

I drove to Akron via Riverview Road (no highways). The weather prediction was “sunny” but there was thick fog covering the valley. Driving was a challenge. I met the “usual suspects” at 6:30 am in downtown Akron. A large group, maybe 40+ runners. After the first slow mile, I picked up the pace and joined the lead group. Things were going well at first, but when I stopped at the first water station in the Sand Run Parkway (about halfway), to my surprise, no one else stopped. So I got separated from the group and ran the rest miles alone.

I was gradually getting tired. The last water stop was at the Firestone HS. I could see the running group in front. At Stan Hywet we crossed paths as they were coming back and I was going up. At this point I thought I would catch them, since last week this section was the strongest for me. But this week, it was actually the weakest. Someone had said earlier that this stretch (From Stan Hywet to Market St) is called “Death Row” because a lot of runners are struggling to run it. I smiled when I heard this because I ran it strong last week, but this week I was out of strength and started walking. So it was indeed “Death Row” for me. Nick B. was behind me but he was having trouble too, doing the run/walk thing. Maybe the high humidity (I was soaked in sweat) was a factor too.

Going down Market Street (last week I had my fastest miles here) was no fun. The sun had finally come out and I had forgotten my hat, and that did not help either. I was happy to get done with this run!

My mile splits tell the story: 9:09 8:06 8:14 8:07 7:59 8:05 8:13 8:18 8:28 8:14 8:46 8:49 8:33 9:09 9:45 9:04 10:55 9:56 10:36 10:30. The first 10 miles are not much different from the previous week, but in the last 4 miles I averaged over 10 min/mile while last week these were faster than 8 min/mile.

At the end, it does not matter. I am happy I put a lot of miles this week (57). I am only concerned about my weight which is going up (I have already gained several pounds since Greece). The Buckeye ½ M is next week. I am planning to run it strong and maybe set a PR. We’ll see…

5 Weeks to Akron Marathon

This year I have decided to run the Akron Marathon. This is a first for me. In the previous 4 years I have run the Towpath marathon instead. Since the Towpath marathon is so close to my house and I always run in the Towpath, I felt that the right thing to do was to support the Towpath marathon. But this year there are two weeks between the two marathons so I have decided to try both. I used to think that people who attempt two marathons so close to each other are crazy. Now, I am getting close to being one of these crazy runners myself. :)

I have heard good things about the Akron marathon. I like the course, and the free pair of shoes is an extra incentive. So we are 5 weeks away and our group (part of the VR training group) decided to run a 20 miler in the actual Akron marathon course this past Saturday.

This was a great training run! The weather was perfect, cool and sunny but we ran in the shade mostly, the course was beautiful and the company was very nice. We managed to stay together as a group for most of the run. We started at 6:15 am (had to wake up at 5:15, ouch!) There were several stops with water and Gatorade. My pace was fast (8:07 average with several miles under 8 minutes). I ran the hills strong. I felt great. I was not really tired towards the end (20.5 miles total distance). As a matter of fact, my times the last 4 miles were among the fastest for the entire run (the fact that the last miles are downhill helped too).

Here are my mile splits: 8:39 8:25 8:22 8:07 8:05 8:09 8:11 8:12 8:12 8:23 8:05 8:29 7:43 8:23 8:07 7:49 8:20 7:45 7:23 7:34 8:04. Last year I ran the same course and my average pace was 8:19 (also good, but this year it is even better!)

After such a good run I am confident that I will do well. My goal time is 3:30.

Finish Line Sprinting – Does it Annoy You?

<- Finish of the "Perfect 10 Miler". I am sprinting, finishing ahead of Susan and another female runner. Bad running etiquette?

In the September issue of “Runner’s World” there is an article titled “Don’t be annoying”, listing some of things that runners find annoying. I agree with some of them. For example, when people yell “you are almost there!” at mile 20 of a marathon. Well, I’ll be “almost there” when I can see the finish line, so please don’t give me that nonsense, OK? :) I still have an hour to go and I can barely move my legs.

But what I don’t get is this: A reader from Tallahassee FL writes: “What annoys me? Guys that can’t handle being beat by girls and try to sprint by me at the end!”

Excuse me?

Why do you think you are so special and guys are trying to beat YOU? I bet most guys are like me. I always sprint by the finish line. I am trying to improve my time and I think it is a good running practice to give everything I have left, when I see the finish line. I am running against the clock, trying to improve my PR, or break the course record. That’s what I like about running. I am not running against other runners, but against myself.

One exception is if I see someone who I know is in my age group and we are both competing for the same age award. So, I don’t care about any woman that happens to be around me because we are not competing for anything in common.

Case in question, the “Perfect 10 Miler”. See that attached picture. I sprinted at the end and passed Susan. Did I do it because I cannot stand to be beaten by a woman? Of course not! I was already beaten by a bunch of women. Everyone was sprinting at the end. This is the right thing to do. Granted, if there was no one in sight, I would be less inclined to sprint at the end. Having runners around me is an extra incentive. But if Susan was Joe, I would still be sprinting. Sex, age, race, are not important.

Now, here is the interesting part… Looking at the 10 Miler results, there are 5 runners finishing around me within 3 seconds:

41 4/25 John Sobolewski 34 M-30-34 35:28 1:09:56
42 7/43 George Themelis 49 M-45-49 34:41 1:09:57
43 2/33 Lisa Robertson 38 F-35-39 35:00 1:09:57
44 3/33 Susan Louis 38 F-35-39 34:54 1:09:57
45 8/43 Ron Disidoro 46 M-45-49 34:25 1:09:58

John is too young, but Ron, finishing one second behind me, is in the same age group. Of course at 7 and 8 in our age group, we have no chance for an award.

But Lisa is the same age as Susan and finished first in her age group, while Susan finished second with exactly the same time. I bet Susan would have sprinted a bit harder if she knew how close she was to getting first place in her age group.

Here is a funny story that happened a few years ago. I was running a local 5K when someone caught up with me. I looked at “him” and “he” appeared to be younger. "How old are you?" I asked. "41" “he” said. "OK, I am 46, we are not in the same age group, you can pass me."

So “he” passed me and when we hit mile 3, “he” was a few yards ahead. At this point I went into an amazing sprint, passed “him” and finished well ahead. After I finished, I looked at the “guy” and he appeared to be a woman (short haircut, flat chest, etc). Later I looked at the results and indeed she was a woman. I could think of some smart things she could have said to me when I said "you are not in my age group”. "I am not even the same sex, you moron!". That would have been quite embarrassing.

Perfect 10 Miler 2008 – Race Report

Yesterday I ran the "Perfect 10 Miler" race in the East side of town. I ran this race last year for the first time and I enjoyed it. My time last year was 1:08:31, which is also a 10 mile PR for me. Before the race I tried to figure out a reasonable time goal. I know that I have lost speed the past few months so I knew that a new course record was impossible. Plus, instead of resting, I ran 15 miles yesterday. So I figured that I would be happy with a pace of 7:30/mile, which gives a time of 1:15.

Traditionally, the weather is always rainy for this race but this year it was an exception with nearly “Perfect” weather, cool temperatures and sunny. The race started at 7:30 am. I hooked with a couple my “buddies”, Susan, Rose, Mike, and Brett for a short time in the first mile but I felt good and pulled ahead. Mike passed me around mile 3.



The race is on residential streets, following a rather complicated pattern (see picture here and also in this link where you can follow the race route: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/6539979)

The first 4 miles are rather flat but for the next 2 miles there is a gradual uphill. Last year this uphill slowed me down, but this year I was running it strong and comfortable with a nearly constant pace of 7 min/mile.

There was a water stop at mile 5. I was getting ready to grab a cup, when the guy in front of me dropped a cup and then took the last cup so I was left without water! This made me a bit mad, and I stormed ahead. At this point I passed Mike and did not see him again.

Miles 7 and 8 are downhill and then mostly flat from there. I was getting tired after mile 8 but I did manage to maintain a fairly constant pace. I got passed by a couple of runners towards the end and suddenly I saw Susan passing me. This motivated me to run a bit faster to keep up with her. We entered the High School stadium for the final 50 yards on track. I started sprinting, along with everyone around me. I managed to pass Susan right before the finish.

Final Time: 1:09:57 (pace of 7:00)
The pace was fairly even with 34:41 in the first half and 35:16 in the second half.
Placement: 43/405 overall, 7/42 age.

Overall, I am happy because I exceeded my goal. Actually, my time in this race is better than the Hermes 10 miler earlier in the Spring where I won 3rd place in my age group. I now see that I can run 7 minute miles in long runs. If I can maintain this pace I can improve my 1/2M and Marathon times.

Comparing the races in 2007 and 2008, I see that even though I was 1 ½ minutes slower than last year, this time loss came mainly in the first 4 miles:

------- 2007 - 2008 ------
Mile 1 - 6:25 - 6:49
Mile 2 - 6:43 - 7:07
Mile 3 - 6:34 - 6:51
Mile 4 - 6:46 - 6:57

The next miles are about even, which means that I have gotten stronger in the later part of the race:

Mile 5 - 7:02 - 7:03
Mile 6 - 7:14 - 7:10
Mile 7 - 6:57 - 6:52
Mile 8 - 6:50 - 6:58
Mile 9 - 7:11 - 7:12
Mile 10 - 6:56 - 7:02

Next race: Buckeye half marathon, September 7.

Greece 2008

If I have been “missing in action” for the past 4 weeks it is because I was in Greece, enjoying a 2 week vacation… (and I was busy before and after)

<- Group shot from our July 28 run, courtesy of Nick B. I am the 3rd from the right.

The week after the Buckeye 50K was mostly recovery week. I went for short runs (1-3 miles) on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday I was feeling better and did 5 miles, and 8 miles on Thursday. I joined the VR group on Saturday for a 12 mile run. Here is a group picture taken by Nick B.

We left for Greece on Thursday July 31. We took Delta to NY and then switched planes for a direct flight to Athens. The flight was uneventful (everything was OK). We stayed in Athens for 3 days and on Sunday we flew to Santorini, a popular Greek island. We stayed in Santorini for a week (with my family and our 3 older nieces), enjoying the sea, sun and good food. We then returned (by boat) to Athens and stayed for 4 more days. We returned back to the USA on Thursday August 14.

<- Santorini (also known as Thira) is a very popular Greek island, famous for its volcano and beautiful scenery. We stayed in Perissa in the south end (green mark). Shown here is my running route along a stretch of 2 miles by the beach that I did almost every day (4 miles back and forth).

While I was in Greece, I ran every day (except for one) but shorter runs, from 3 to 5 miles. In Santorini there was a long stretch by the beach from our house to the end of town. This was 2 miles. I would usually run it once back and forth (4 miles) early in the morning (around sunrise). One time I ran it twice (8 miles) and one time I took side roads for an extra mile. The weather in Santorini was beautiful, sunny with not a single cloud in the sky. Temperatures were in the 70s (hotter in the sun) with a nice breeze. Definitely ideal vacation weather. In addition to running we did a bit of hiking (two times, several hours each time), enjoying the beautiful scenery and taking plenty of stereo pictures (I returned with 42 rolls of film).

In Athens I found a loop, starting from our house, up to Acropolis and down by Thesion. Then back to the bottom of the street near Acropolis, and back. (You can "play" my route by going ito this link: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/6540217) This was a total of 3 miles. Athens is a big city with narrow streets and lots of traffic, but this route was on pedestrian only streets so I did not have to deal with traffic. Overall, it was a fine family vacation.

<- My running loop in Athens (click to enlarge). Starting from our apartment, by Acropolis, I headed to the left through Thesion, ending with a small loop by a park and back, running in front of Acropolis, followed by a small loop (right) by Plaka and then back home. An enjoyable route.

I was afraid I had lost some running fitness, definitely speed (I had not run fast for weeks now, due to the 50K training) and possibly some endurance since I did not do any long runs in Greece. So I decided to join the VR group last Saturday for a 15 mile training run, even though I had signed up for the “Perfect 10 miler” race on Sunday. I figured that a long run was more important for me than a good race.

For the 15 mile run we did this popular route: From Peninsula to Boston Store via the Towpath, then up Boston Mills Road (difficult uphills) then on the Bike and Hike trail, all the way to the road connecting to the Carriage Trail, then back to the Towpath and from there to Boston and finally to Peninsula. A total of 15.6 miles. At first I was afraid that the group was too slow for me, but I hooked up with two new guys, both faster than me and had a good run. My mile splits: 9:04 8:37 8:34 8:30 8:20 7:56 7:53 7:52 7:48 7:49 8:21 8:23 8:29 8:26 8:28 8:06. This run gave me the confidence that I needed. I have not lost any endurance, thanks to my daily runs in Greece.

BT50K - Aftermath

I woke up on Sunday with pain in every muscle and tendon in my legs! From hip to toes. Clearly my quads were hurting, but also my hips and my lower foot. What a difference from last year!

Last year I ran the BT50K and I was fine the next day. A few months later I ran the Towpath Marathon and then I was in pain for a week. So I concluded that a Marathon is much harder on the body than a 50K. Others agreed, and different theories were proposed to explain this: The 50K is run at a slower pace, with walking breaks (“It is not the distance but the speed that kills”.) There is a variety of terrain, leading to a variety of muscle work, which is much better for the body than the monotonous constant pounding of the pavement during the Marathon.

All this sounds good, but how do you explain what happened this year? My Cleveland Marathon was a piece of cake. I was ready to resume running the next day. And now, 2 days after the 50K, I can barely walk. With great pain (and lots of swearing) I can get down the stairs. I am suffering!

This leads me to believe that it is all relative. I was well prepared for the 50K last year and the Cleveland Marathon this year. I was under-prepared for the Towpath marathon and the 50K this year, and I tried hard in these two races. The 50K felt harder this year because I put (a lot) more effort to it. And now I am paying for it. It is that simple.

<- This picture (of me finishing) was taken by LloydT. My wife is in the back holding a camera (click to enlarge). Thanks Lloyd!

Photos and reports on the BT50K are coming in… The unofficial results are posted with 25K splits (new this year). There is some interesting information from the 25K times.

First, it appears that there are only two negative splits (someone actually did the math and posted the info in Vertical Runner's discussion list). You must make a special effort to go very slow in the first half, in order to have a negative split (run the 2nd half faster than the first). I think Vince mentioned that last year Jeff Hirt had a negative split. Maybe he was running with friends in the first half and then decided to go ahead alone. But this year, looking at the first page of the results it looks like the closest to an even split is a 4 minute difference. 2nd half times are from 4 minutes to over an hour slower. This from just looking at the first page. (Correction: finisher #84 Roy Heger who finished in 5:42 actually has a negative split: 2:55/2:47)

My 25K split is 2:33, so I ran the 2nd half 15 minutes slower than the first. No surprises here. I knew this was going to happen and I did not care. I thought I would be much worse than others, but, looking at the results, it appears that my second half was better than most.

Another good piece of information from the 25K splits is how many runners passed me and how many runners I passed during the 2nd half. Everyone who finished ahead of me had a faster 25K time, which means that no one passed me in the 2nd half. From the 9 people who finished after me, 7 had a faster 25K split, which means that I passed these 7 runners in the way back. That makes me feel good. :)

Since this is only my 2nd Summer BT50K, I am trying to figure out how I did, compared to last year. My time this year (5:21) is 7 minutes slower than last year (5:14), but my placement is better (19th vs. 28th). I see that Kam Lee ran 15 minutes slower this year. If I reduce my time by 15 minutes, my placement is about the same in both years, so I conclude that 15 minutes will account for the weather difference between the two years.

I am now looking forward to the next 50K race!