There are few “sure things” in running. Marathon or spirit? Treadmill or trail? With music or without? All great, debatable questions. However, I want to recommend one “sure thing” I am certain every runner will enjoy: the book “Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen ” by Christopher McDougall.
The book follows the author to the remote Copper Canyon of Mexico in search of the famed endurance runners of the Tarahumara Indian tribe. It’s an epic adventure as an eclectic group of distance runners make the journey to find the Tarahumaras and compete in a grueling endurance race across unforgiving Mexican terrain. In addition, McDougall takes a step back and looks at the history of human running visiting everyone from anthropologists to bio-mechanic specialists to learn how we were born to run.
The book has become popular with proponents of barefoot running for its focus on getting back to the basics of running, but thankfully avoids a strong dogmatic tone. McDougall simply presents the case that humans have been running (and running well) for thousands of years before the first running shoe arrived on the scene. And maybe in this time when 70% of all runners are afflicted by some running-related injury, taking a long hard look at how we run might not be a bad idea.
This is one of my favorite books of all time.
McDougall is an excellent storyteller and his material here is so rich with remarkable characters and exotic locations it is hard at times to believe this isn’t a work of fiction. “Born to Run” is simply an immensely enjoyable read, regardless if you ever laced up a pair of running shoes or not. But if you spend any time running, I guarantee that you will thoroughly enjoy “Born to Run.” Pick up a copy this summer and enjoy it poolside after logging your long run.
2012 Soldier Field 10 Mile
Saturday I ran the Soldier Field 10 Mile here in Chicago for the first time. This was the 9th annual running of the race and it has become the popular start of the summer running season, with all 18,000 entries sold out this year. As I wrote the other day, Soldier Field is a 5 minute walk from our place, so I was excited for the chance to run a race on my “home” turf.
The race started at 7am, and I took advantage of being so close by sleeping in until 6 and then grabbing some yogurt before heading over to the start. We made the short walk over to the start just outside the stadium and I was in my corral by 6:40am. The moments before the start of the race are always an interesting time. My preference is to show up to a race as close to the start as possible and then just start running. If I get there too early, I find myself standing around anxiously waiting for the start. But the logistics of these bigger races usually require racers to line up in their corrals early so the start can go off smoothly.
The Soldier Field 10 made good use of the pre-race time. Not lost on the event organizers was the fact that the race was taking place on Memorial Day weekend at Soldier Field (“Dedicated to the Men and Women of the Armed Services”). The pre-race festivities featured several tributes to active military members (including some running in the race) and veterans, and included a moment of silence, a playing of “taps”, presentation by the color guard and of course the singing of the national anthem. It was very well done, and put the holiday weekend and race into perspective.
The race employed a wave start to eliminate the crowding of runners along the course. I was in corral 2 and started with the horn 5 minutes after 7am. The course began just outside of Soldier Field, heading south under McCormick Place and then on to Lake Shore Drive. Just before mile 5, the course made a sharp turn on to the lake front running path racing north for the final 5 miles back to Soldier Field. I started off at a pretty aggressive pace, but realized that I needed to back off a bit and save some the 2nd half. The issue of the day was the strong wind coming out of the northeast. Heading south for the first half the wind was great, but at the turn we met the wind head-on and it wasn’t fun.
(Last week in Green Bay it was the heat, this week the wind. If you’re wondering if I’m going to have a weather excuse for every race I run this year, the answer is yes).
We suffered through the headwind and made it back along the lake front before heading into Soldier Field. One of the selling points of the race is the opportunity to “Finish on the 50”. Just after hitting the 9.5 mile mark, the course turned into the underground entrance to the stadium, wound under the stands, before heading out of the tunnel on to the field for a short sprint to the finish at the 50 yard line. It was pretty cool. They projected the finish on the stadium video boards and announced the names of the finishers over the PA system as they crossed the finish line. Fans were allowed into the stadium and cheered from the lower bowl.
Recalling it all now, a few days later, it’s a bit fuzzy. I remember various parts like coming out of the tunnel on to the field, but overall I was in that last mile zone where I was just pushing as hard as I could to get to the finish. I came in just over an hour and twenty minutes, a little slower that i had hoped, but not surprising giving the windy conditions of the day. I grabbed a water on the field before exiting out of the stadium.
Overall, this was a great race. The race organizers do an excellent job given the number of participants and the volunteers were great. I really like the 10 mile distance and the course was flat and fast (aside from the wind). As long as I’m in Chicago, I’ll likely keep running the Soldier Field 10 Mile.
A Week of Rest
This week I’ve done…nothing! (Well almost nothing – I went for a short, easy lakefront run last night).
I came out of the Green Bay Half Marathon feeling no worse for wear. However, I was run down going in to the race and still feel a bit off my game now.
Looking back on it, I made a mistake in my pre-race training run last Wednesday. My intention was to determine a target pace for the half, by running mile repeats at a slightly faster pace with a 1 minute of rest in between. The run went great – 8 repeats, a total of 9.25 miles (with warm up and cool down) in 80 minutes. And I felt great! But later that day I was wiped out, and by Thursday I came to the realization that I had pushed too hard. The moral of the story is:
I have not figured out how to properly taper for a half marathon.
So this week my body has been telling me to take it easy, and I’ve listened with a week of rest.
Tomorrow I’m running the Soldier Field 10 Mile here in Chicago for the first time. While this is a pretty popular race here, it’s not nearly a big deal as the Green Bay Marathon was last weekend. And it’s as close to a “home game” as I can get: the starting line is literally a 5-minute walk from our condo, and the course is along the lake-shore path where I do most of my training. So I’ll be well rested and ready for a logistically easy race.
Race report to follow!
Cancelled Races or Why do I run?
Why do I run?
As I mentioned in my last post, Sunday’s Green Bay Marathon was cancelled 2 hours and 35 minutes into the race due to unseasonably hot and humid conditions. I finished the half marathon before the race was called and didn’t in fact learn about the cancellation until a few hours later. But the news didn’t come as a surprise. Along the course I saw a handful of people receiving medical attention and a number of people in the medical tent after the race. With people struggling that early in the race, it was a foregone conclusion that things would get worse as the miles, hours, and temperatures increased.
There has been a lot of discussion in the following days about the decision to cancel race, an issue that everyone seems to have an opinion on. For the record, I think stopping the race was the right decision. There were definitely some issues with how the cancellation was communicated to runners and how everything was handled. But even with the best laid plans, I don’t see a race cancellation ever going smoothly without issue.
Looking at the marathon’s Facebook page, there are many of commenters who agreed with the decision to call the race early. And of course there are those that don’t agree with the cancellation or how it was handled.
I’ve read a lot of the commentary of those that were upset with the decision trying to put myself in their shoes and consider how I’d react.
- If I crossed the finish line at 9:40am and I didn’t get an official time because the race was cancelled at 9:35, I’d be upset.
- If I’d been training for months putting in the hours and miles and this was going to be my first marathon, I’d be upset.
- If I was a smart, experienced runner who maintained a safe pace, stayed well hydrated, and could have finished without issue, I’d be upset.
But the more I thought about it, the more one question came back to me: Why do I run? Do I really run so I can say I ran a certain race on a certain day in a certain time? I am as fanatical about my runs and times as anyone. I have a record of every race I’ve ever run, and I’m driven to get faster and to add better times to that log. But at that the end of the day, is it all about the numbers? For me, no.
I run because I feel good doing it. I run for the adrenaline rush of the pre-race excitement while standing anxiously at the start line. I run for the beauty encountered logging training miles along the lakefront and through the trails of the forest preserve. I run because I enjoy the company of my fellow runners in the gym and out on the trails. I run because it’s challenging, and I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I get from overcoming the challenge.
And at the end of the day, what’s a cancelled race? Another challenge. A bump in the road that disrupts the best laid plains, and forces me to regroup and try again. So yes, a cancelled race would upset me, and I’d stew over it for a bit. But then I’d lace up my shoes and go for a run.
2012 Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon
Yesterday I ran the Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon in Green Bay, WI. I grew up in a small town just outside of Green Bay and we were back in town for a weekend visit to my parents, so it was a great chance to run this race for the first time.
The Cellcom is the “big” race in Green Bay and over 8,000 participants signed up to run this year between the full, half, and relay marathons. One of the usual race perks is that the finish line is located inside Lambeau Field, but due to stadium construction, the finish was moved to the parking lot just outside the stadium.
The race expo was on Saturday and was held in the atrium at Lambeau Field – probably the coolest venue for a packet pick-up/race expo for any race I’ve done so far. I’m pretty well geared-up, but it’s always fun to check out the vendors and see what’s new. USA Track and Field had a booth with some cool Team USA gear available just in time for the 2012 Olympics. Unfortunately, they were out of my size in the one shirt I wanted, but they did direct me to their online store. USA! USA!
Race day came early Sunday with a 7am start. The big issue this year was the heat. Temperatures were forecast to be in the low 70s at race, start climbing into the 80s by 9am. The heat would impact all runners, but I was feeling for the full marathoners who would see the temperatures continue to rise during the second half of their race.
By chance, we ran into the parents of a good friend of mine from high school. My friend’s mom had her excellent camera and was able to capture some great pre-race, mile 3 and finish photos.
The half marathon and marathon share the same course through mile 12, where the half marathoners head back to Lambeau while marathoners continue on. The course winds its way through the residential neighborhoods of west Green Bay (or more particularly, the surrounding village of Ashwaubenon). Thankfully, most of these streets are covered by big shady trees, which would be very welcome in the morning’s heat.
I somehow ended up with a “Preferred” starting bib, which let me lineup close to the front with the elites. Unfortunately, it wasn’t warranted. I started with a pretty aggressive pace – the same pace I recently ran 10 mile and 10k runs at – but by mile 2 I knew this just wasn’t going to be a great race day. The heat was already taking its toll and I had been fighting a dull headache and congestion brought on by allergies for a few days. So I cut my pace and just focused on running a good race, keeping a close watch on how I was feeling and making sure to not overdo it. By mile 5 I was still running at a pretty fast pace, but I knew I would hit a wall if I kept it up (slowing down is harder than it sounds). So from then on, I walked for one minute at each mile marker to force myself to slow down. This worked and by Mile 10 my overall pace had dropped by a full minute per mile (and at each mile I found myself looking more and more forward to the walk breaks).
Just after mile 12, we made the turn back towards Lambeau, bid adieu to the full marathon runners (I was really feeling sorry for them), and made the last push to the finish. I came in just under 2 hours, far from the race I was hoping to run but given the conditions of the day it was a finish I was happy with. I was tired, sweaty, and glad it was over, but overall not too worse for wear. Undoubtedly due to the hot conditions, I witnessed a handful of people on the course getting medical attention, so all things considered I was pleased to finished unscathed. I picked up my finishers medal, and had a complimentary after-race root beer (I passed on the brat – just didn’t sound good to me).
While the weather was a bummer, the race itself was really fantastic.The organization was excellent – there were 10 fluid stations on the half marathon course alone, and I’m pretty sure I stopped at every one after mile 3. There were also gel and fruit at a couple of the stations. Each station was well staffed with friendly volunteers and they were quick with cups of water and Gatorade. The spectators were also amazing. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the course winding through several quiet residential neighborhoods, but the residents and spectators were there in numbers. There weren’t the thick throngs of people you’d see at a major urban race, but at several intersections people were standing 4 or 5 deep and more importantly, there were people cheering along the almost the entire course. Additionally, several residents had put out hoses and sprinklers to help runners cool down – I didn’t keep count, but there were at least 20 or so places on half marathon alone. On a day like yesterday, these were greatly appreciated. We really couldn’t ask for more from all those who came out to volunteer and cheer us on.
The news of the day was that the race was canceled at 9:25am due to the unseasonably hot conditions. The cancelling of the race warrants its own post, but given that temperatures hit 90 degrees and that medical and emergency personal were stretched to their limits dealing with heat related issues, it was the right call (adding insult to injury a cold front moved in last night and today’s high temp will be lucky to hit 72). But aside from the weather the race was well run and a lot of fun, one I’ll definitely consider running again in the future.
The First Post
Hello World!
Like many firsts, the first post is always a little awkward so I’ll just make it short and sweet, so we can get on to bigger and better things.
I am in Green Bay, WI for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon and Half Marathon (I’m running the half).
I’m resting today, before hitting the race expo and packet pickup tomorrow and the race on Sunday. Updates to follow!