Chicago Marathon 2022: Boston Qualified & Sub-3!

TL;DR: I achieved my goal, "barely". A 2:59:03 official time meant I delivered on my capabilities and expectations for myself, and validated a ton of work and completed a transformation that was long in the making.

If you've talked to me about running or even walked by me over the last 6 months, you'd know that - at least in the sense of running - I've had a single, specific, isolated focus (not something I recommend). That focus was October 9th, 2022, 7:30am: THE Chicago Marathon. It was so much of a focus that PR'ing in my 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, winning my first race, etc all were pretty trivial and I spent ephemeral time appreciating or dwelling on any of those things...I even got frustrated that friends wanted to "cheers" my win at dinner the night I won, which admittedly feels a little ridiculous in hindsight. I was so rooted in a NEXT mentality, I didn't give a thought to celebrating and actually was strongly opposed to it.

Those events and personal records were mere checkpoints on the way to something grander, something deeper, something that had eluded me and left me defeated previously. They told me that I was on track to have a great season, but were not really fulfilling. From my DNF in the Paris Marathon in 2019 to mostly walking the second half of the Akron Trail Marathon in July 2021, the Marathon had proven an obstacle I simply could NOT properly execute on my fitness, training, or plan. I suppose the single marathon success I had was running with Bailey at Newmarket October 2021 for her Boston Qualifying time, but that was her achievement and success - being along for the ride did feel like a massive victory...just by association, it wasn't mine to own.

I had "one race" in 2022, the other events were just part of the build up. More than a dozen times after being congratulated on a PR or a great race, I would say that I only had one important (or "A, B, or even C") race this year. Chicago.

Since April, my phone lock screen has been this picture

I just had to finish strong without walking or blowing up, sounds a lot simpler in theory...

The Set Up: The lead up in training had continued rather strong. Though my longest run, 22mi, had been disappointing. I ran in the afternoon after work - not my normal - but had to do so because of weekend plans, which were a constant this summer. My stomach gave out on me at my gel at 2:15 run time and then I cramped up badly enough that I had to walk anything of a 3% grade in the last 2 miles. I took it as a sign of "relief", because in my Paris run up I think my absolutely peak day was my 21 mile run that I seriously crushed and ran at near marathon goal pace. It was nice to "finally" have a bad day in my lead up because everything thus far had been too smooth sailing. Money was in the bank and it was time to slowly back off and taper! A relief but also meant being antsy and having nerves would be the dominant theme.

I caught a decent cold the Sunday/Monday before, not COVID after a couple tests proved that...but was under the weather. I slept more that week and hydrated better than I have in my whole life - nearly 10 hours per night, which is very concerning for me. I was all in for Chicago. We got a room .7 miles from the start to ensure an easy morning and extra ability to scout our day of race plan. Arrived Friday afternoon with ample time to eat dinner and Saturday would be the expo "minimally though" as I kept telling Bailey. I wanted to get the expo done and get back to the hotel to rest up, while Bailey and our friends who came to watch the race (+ join us for dinner Sunday evening) check out the Field Museum and enjoyed the city more than I had attention to do.

As soon as we got to the airport in Portland...I started getting serious jolts of adrenaline and excitement for the weekend. They got more intense in Chicago and at the expo I had to focus to keep cool. We got a VERY good dinner at Gibson's and got to bed really early. I didn't really sleep. It took 4 hours to get some real shuteye, even then it was broken sleep and I luckily didn't get overly anxious/frustrated about it (because the same thing happened in Paris and I wouldn't let myself get shaken by no sleep). My sleep total was 3:31 according to Whoop, but that feels like a lot more than I got.

Race Morning: Awake at 4:45am, which mostly felt like rolling out of laying down in bed for 8 hours, and made my pre-measured Oatmeal + Aeropress with the tea kettle we had in the room. Keeping as quiet as I could because my race morning routine is a bunch earlier than Bailey's. She was up at 5, earlier due to my fumbling around but we were both in good spirits! We ate and had our coffee and prepared for our ~6:05am departure towards the Starting Line. It was a chilly, but not too cold, walk and we both had throw away clothing to keep us warm enough until 7:30am. SO MANY PEOPLE were out walking towards Michigan Ave and we stayed together until we had to go to different corral entry points. I was going to be ditching my phone at bag drop, so I assumed that was the last we'd see of each other...but in hindsight we had ample time and could have regrouped after going through security.

The walk felt longer than I wanted, but in reality only ended up being about 1.5 miles. I was worried about porta potty lines and near the start line that proved painful, until they opened up what appeared to be the post race area and there were HUNDREDS OF POTTIES WITH NO LINES!!! It was a pre-marathon come true, for hundreds of people who got a few strides in on the way to the potties, myself included. My legs felt good and my stomach was in good shape after the last bathroom stop around 7:15. Then I lined up, near the 3:00 pacer group (the Nike pacers were verbose and incredibly useful, informing us to completely ignore our GPS for 3-4 miles and trust the pacing - though Amanda Allen's pre-Chicago post made that clear to me first, plus our Saturday jog was pretty laughable by GPS).

Luckily being male made for a simple final pee before the party got started, it was too late to get to a porta potty and the corrals were closed. A sign that I stayed very pleasantly hydrated up until and through the race. It was chilly, but all systems checked out and we were a go.

The Plan: My plan was to run consistent 6:47/mi or so, the course fully allowed running even splits for nearly every single mile. I "felt" fit enough to handle the pace and hope for the strength and will to finish faster, but the explicit. A rarity and an opportunity that was necessary to capitalize on. I didn't want to bank time at all, it was truly trusting in the training and in my legs to deliver in the last 6-8 miles that they had never before survived in a marathon race (Paris, Maine Coast, Akron trail, Burlington - 4 for 4 on the failed final miles, despite going through Paris/Maine/Burlington at an acceptable half marathon split). The 6:47/mi pace allowed for the typical "margin of error" of a marathon being .3-.5 longer than expected and still making it in under 3. If distance ended up exactly 26.22, I'd be at least 2mins clear. A perfect race would be coasting through 10 miles, easy through 13-16, feeling it by 20, then work like hell over the 10K and truly earn my finish.

*all mile times are my split from the Chicago marathon's mile markers, though I missed a few button presses, so some splits are 2miles.

The Race: 7:35am, the very weak horn goes off quite uneventfully and the runners assume the anxious trot-in-place of a crowded marathon start when walking would likely be far more efficient. It's crowded but people were being fairly reasonable...until there were a couple dozen people in corral A (the wikkid fast one) who seemed to be standing still, running slower than 12:00/mi. I'm not sure how they were in the A group, but even if legitimately I can't believe they did not stay off towards the sides. It was pretty dangerous and caused a good commotion, but we got past it. Mile 1 absolutely ripped by and I felt far more focused on the hecticness and staying back around pacers versus running freely. 6:49. Finally, starting well on pace!

Mile 2-3. Continued congestion in the course, the pacers were good at informing us of upcoming turns. I quickly found that the inside line was trash, even if you were willing to hold your space (bows out, was this a cycling criterium?!) it was just too damn crowded and the turn forced you to stumble to a walk. I later moved just outside the inner line that everyone thought was best, which was more palatable but still not great. 6:38, 6:47. Through the 5K in 20:57, 6:45 avg.

Mile 4-6: It all starts to blur together as nothing is particularly surprising and I've found a really great rhythm. My watch is starting to "seem" accurate, but I still hover around the pace group to keep on pace. Alas, frustration is growing of the massive flock of the 3:00 pace group that I can't seem to find space from.

Mile 7-9: I found another guy who was clearly more frustrated than even I was with the madhouse. We exchanged a few words on the topic of the madness around the 3 group, ran together for a bit, then he took off a little faster than I wanted to...but I drifted ahead to get in the clear. It was almost peaceful getting ahead of the pace group, but as I hit mile 8 I could feel my right hamstring tightening (not cramping, so all good) that had first caused me trouble after last October's Marathon. The concern was more so that over the next 18 miles it would give up or just cramp sooner than desired.

Mile 13: The point at which I hoped I'd be feeling still quite easy, was easy aerobically like I've never had in a race. My heart rate had still been holding under 160, which is very good for me...Maine Coast Marathon I had been up at 180bpm. Things were on track aerobically. My legs were not 100% and while I wasn't worried, they weren't quite as smooth as hoped at this point. Only option, forge on!

RIGHT AROUND THE HALF I HEAR MY NAME GETTING FREAKING SCREAMED BY TWO LOUD MEN. I do a quick scan and set my bewildered stare at JASON AND ZACK, holy SHIT they showed up in Chicago secretly and unannounced (until now). I was stunned and I was so focused on the task at hand, which was - despite being perfectly on pace - in an incredibly volatile state. I waved, attempted a hug on the run and kissed the sky. It was absolutely shocking and the burst of energy and chill I got was quite hard to hold back...but I needed to harness that energy for later. It also became clear that there was suddenly a little bit more on the line. Jason and Zack showing up meant two things: they sacrificed a LOT to be here to see Bailey and I run...and they really truly thought I had it in me to break 3:00.

Sidebar: For the past year or so, Zack has been running in AlphaFly Next% shoes and was loving them. Last fall I tried on a pair, Erin's, and giggled at the bounciness. I called them a "mix between moonboots and clown shoes" but it was also abundantly clear that they were not the same as my other shoes. Back in late June, Zack and Erin got me a pair with a note that said "A special gift from all of us at The Chadwick for all that you do! WE KNOW WITH THESE SHOES YOU WILL BQ!! <3". I've kept that note at my desk since I got it from them.

I tested the AlphaFlys out the next week before my 10K for 4th of July and on the race itself, which was not a PR but was an excellent race where I finished strong. I was sure these would be my marathon shoes as long as my feet handled more miles in them, that final test was the Blueberry Cove Half Marathon, which was a "tied for PR" due to race distance concerns but on a far, far harder course. I still stand true to the fact that gear is far from the top of the list of what makes a good race, with good training and good race day execution (preparation and race execution) being the keys.

Half Marathon Split:1:28:57. 6:47/mi. Perfect. I got excited that my energy felt so incredible. So I began to eat slightly more frequently than my plan and also more intently take water AND Gatorade whenever possible.

Miles 14-16: 6:44, :45, :44. I was on fire with the pacing. I tend to pace well, but often by relying on my Garmin. This was au naturale and I was LOVING IT. Not focusing hard on pace, while starting to feel the early toll of the marathon, was a joy. I felt kinda "alone" but in a wonderful way during these miles.

Miles 17-19: 6:40, :44, 6:36 (oops? it felt okay but I need to not get excited). I was also aware that I was still using the marathon markers and it's possible some were slightly off (in hindsight that 6:36 was 0.98mi or 6:43 pace). This was the very point at which my calves started to cramp up. They were getting twitchy and just little cramps that wouldn't take hold...but this was earlier than I wanted or expected given my preparation and confidence coming into Chicago. I worked to modify my stride to make sure I wasn't overusing my calves...a little more focus on the quads for now, which were TOTALLY comfortable.

Mile. 2. 0. TWENTY: 7:03. 2 miles, 3 times, that's all that remains. Oh shit, am I falling apart?! This was my first scare or concern so far...especially with the calves starting to struggle. Took more electrolyte pills. Dropped one. Clearly I was starting to feel the weight of the whole damn thing and it was going to be as tough of a 10K as I've ever done. Especially if I intended to keep up this hellish pace. Food was not taking well, nor was water or Gatorade. Everything I consumed was met with a right side stitch. I dug my fingers in under my rib cage and it granted relief. I wouldn't stop eating unless it stopped me from running, I'd sip my gel over a mile or let the Shot Blok soak until it dissolved in my mouth.

Mile 21-23: Wooooooooof. 6:56, :59, 7:05. Another 7+ mile. I was bothered, but not shaken. I was aware it was going to get progressively harder and I was mentally, physically prepared. With my calves seriously struggling now, I was fighting off with all my power to not walk even through a water station. It was pretty dire and if I let myself walk, I was very worried that any acceleration back to running would be met with a crippling cramp - something I've gotten in every single marathon (minus Newmarket, NH which I ran with/for Bailey). WOOOO Jack and Liz at 22. I could tell that they knew I was hurting, but holding on. I gave them the deer-in-the-headlights look that the next 30 minutes or so would be torture and a make-or-break. They had an AWESOME spot, and I knew I'd see them again around 24 as they stood at an out-and-back section. I was still on 6:47 pace through 22, but clearly was starting to slow a little.

I caught back up to "my buddy". His name, I now learned (we were able to converse, but struggling to do so) was Logan Elliot...he'd broken 3 before but was trying to do so for the first time at a Major - something he admitted was harder than a smaller race.

That section, seeing people passing 24 miles as I crossed 22, was rough. Everyone looked (was) soooo fast, being that they were all cruising and 15 minutes ahead of me. I was impressed, jealous but not demoralized. I came here to soak up every step in this quest and I buckled up as my calves quivered, caught, and unlatched with every goddamn stride. These things that people seem to think are "impressive" were my sworn enemy. Not the first time, surely not the last. My first ever hill workout in high school left me on the ground after 2 or 3 repeats due to calf cramps fully locking up. I'd trained 15 years for this moment, to fend off cramps that had ended so many races and workouts too soon in the past.

My mind started to play serious games on me. I really thought I had a "good" cushion. I DID, but I didn't quite anymore...and faltering off pace would make it fade face. 

24: 7:17. I had made some cushion naturally...but I was SERIOUSLY eating into it by losing 30s/mile. It couldn't continue but I really didn't know if I could up the past. Also, Logan dropped me (again). I did everything I could to keep with him and stay close...letting him be my magnet, not my great demoralizer. It worked, mostly. As I tried to keep up, my calf cramps got worse, nearly stopping me in my tracks...I did that jog-wobble you see so often at this point in a marathon. A silly looking, little jog-wobble that had the ability to end my race. I just had to finish strong without walking or blowing up, sounds a lot simpler in theory...and feels like a brick wall in practice!

40K/24.8mi: 2:50:00. Math. Brain. WTF does this mean. 7 flat * 2.2K (brain....2.4K is 1.5mi is 10:30, a half lap at 7 flat is 50 seconds or so...my mind told me if I could manage 7 flat I was safe but that was too scary to me, I had to get more). The "hill" at the end now terrified me. What if I cramped and lost 30 seconds...that was all it would take. I started to get anxious that a single walk or cramp would be THE end of my day. I'd finish, without a doubt. But finishing above 3 would be an incomplete day.

25: 7:18. Holding on. Barely. A single cramp had the ability to end my quest for a sub-3 hour marathon. It was that close. I had intended it to be that close, because too much front loading or pushing too much was riskier than relying on closing the damn thing out successfully and on willpower. But it was scaring me that willpower versus (now)

25.2. There was a sign for exactly one mile to go. I had 7 minutes and 25 seconds to get to the finish line. I started to ramp up the pace, I had to put it all on the line. 7:25 was not "safe", I'd been fighting for 7:20 pace and continuing what I was doing was not going to achieve the goal. My stride opened up, my calves hurt and whined but they rose to the challenge. I was short-striding and struggling, but my pace was clearly elevated and I was holding it well. 30 seconds, this is cool. 60 seconds. Logan Elliot is there, I yell to him "YOU'VE GOT THIS LET'S TAKE IT HOMEEEEE!!!!". okay, we're doing it. I feel on fire again, but far, far more volatile this time. I focus straight ahead. Then, JASON AGAIN!??! He ran up to me with a bottle of water and I waved it off, he could tell I was in a zone and unflappable and non-communicative. He thought I wanted him away, I didn't mind and welcomed a little company. I don't recall if I said anything, but all that was going through my head was a countdown to the finish. I was but 5 minutes away. A timeframe that I know well. I was cruising properly now and barring a catastrophe (not far fetched) I'd be taking the two turns and "hill" into the finish with triumph.

A quick check on my pace. I was running...WHAT....6:20s?!!? FUCK YEAH RUNNING. I was quickly realizing I found a gear and willpower I've possibly never touched on before, not in cycling nor running. The final push in the half marathon a couple months ago (to win a race) was nothing in comparison to what I was putting myself through right now. And. I. Was. LOVING. IT.

Around the turn, there's the "hill" it's not a hill...but it's scary because it could bring disaster to me with an aggresive/quick change in gradient. I hit it and feel like I'm bounding (in reality I'm taking really short strides and nearly dragging my feet). I'm cruising past other runners at this point and after the final turn the finish line is in sight. I check my watch and I've got ample time to back off. Nope. LAST ONE FAST ONE BABBYYYY (if you've ever been in my track workouts at Starting Line, this is a common policy in my workouts). 

Another guy is around me and he's clearly celebrating his sub3 marathon. We shake hands in our mutual joy with 20 meters to go. Last check of the watch, it's real, it's happening! It was my fastest mile on the day, 6:28.

6+ months of life, sleep, health, mental, running, purpose of being change. One thousand training miles. It hit me. All. At. Once. I had done all the work, I knew it was possible. I arrived in Chicago with the expectation and confidence. I had a single, solitary goal. Sub 3. Anything slower than that would be considered a failure (not a complete failure, as the lessons learned would have fueled the future attempt(s)). The lessons learned will still fuel future attempts. In the last 10K alone, I got scared, weak, started to fail and let myself fail, and then recovered and rose to the full challenge when it was most critical.

I quietly wept behind my sunglasses. I cried on and off. I thought of Bailey when we crossed the finish line at Loco Marathon in NH. I understood that feeling she had. It was nice. I felt our connection, with her still out on the course fighting her own battle of the day (coming back from surgery in June and racing hard in October). I didn't feel alone despite not knowing a soul in the thousands next to me. A lot of us, right in that moment, we were celebrating our own massive - or at least significant - achievements. There was some camaraderie, and I got to congratulate Logan on his sub3 - it was awesome to see him deliver on his goal too!

Post Race: Normally after a race I have no urge to rush to my phone...but I wanted to call and text Bailey, Jason, Zack. Thank them all for everything, not just the day of support. I meandered my way through the finish corral, a bit wobbly but mostly overjoyed. After what felt like miles of walking I made it to my gear drop bag. No before I got a beer, had 3 sips and opted to hold off and hit the water+snacks+muscle milk.

The rest is best said in pictures. Champagne, getting iced, the great reuniting with Bailey, then Jason, Zack, Jack, and Liz! Then ALINEA for dinner and Second City for the comedy show, amazing night after an incredible day.

We clean up pretty all right! Dinner @ Alinea after the race day!

Blueberry Cove Half Marathon 2022

Blueberry Cove Half Marathon; August 28th, 2022. Small, homey race in Tenant’s Harbor, for 4-H Blueberry Cove - raised $25K!! They like to keep it homey, so entries are capped at 250ish so it was a pretty full year. The week leading up to it represented the first real break in the heat, the humidity as well but less so. I was happy to take a start temp under 70F, despite the humidity staying fairly high.

Small races always present opportunity. Simple race mornings, easy coordination with race pals, cleaner fields, and - most of all - GREAT people. From Steve (the race director), to the couple who offered to take a picture of Zack and me at the start, to Susan Davis (who deserves a post in her own right!), to the home made pottery awards and finisher ‘medals’.

The Set Up: I’ve had a good run (heh) of races lately and the momentum was strong, but training had gotten between overreaching and “training through”. I was planning 20mi for the day alongside a super tough course (750ft of elevation up/down) to cap off a big build up training cycle. I wasn’t expecting a PR, but intended to run within 10sec/mi of my PR from 2019 (Old Port HM, 1:21:47). Given that, If I PR’d it would be a stunning but not totally out of question after 5K/10K best times within the last month. We opted to stay the night up in Rockland before the race, which was wise versus a day trip (2hour drive). It also fueled us nicely at Ada’s (Eat Pasta, Run Fasta!) & Sammy’s Deluxe (highly recommend) - see previous post.

Our flat personas for the race.
Exact same shorts and shoe models, all thanks to Zack's incredible market research and showing me the light! I was all Nike in the shoe category (but Pegasus & Peg Turbo)...and wasn't too keen on Nike half tights until the Aeroswift.

Having the “guys' weekend” also be our big pre-marathon race was perfect. Zack is very much been an inspiration as I’ve worked to make my own progress in running, which is trivial in comparison to what he’s done and the leaps and bounds. Lucky for me, he’s also probably the best hype-man out there. He’d been working through a bit of an injury, barely running the last 2 weeks, and he did an incredible job focusing on success “today” vs what was the plan when we signed up…something we all say we want to be good at, but usually end up throwing caution to the wind and paying for it even worse later. 

Race Morning: Awake at 4:40 AM and luckily Zack likes to be on the same timing so I didn’t have to be quiet with lights out. I put some water on my thrown together oatmeal and use the ice room’s microwave. When that was ready I started sipping on the coffee elixir from Sammy‘s Deluxe. That was some power fuel and the Chaga element was a little too much that early in the morning, so I put down half of it and then poured a nitro cold brew can of coffee to calm down the rest of it. I think on a regular morning or afternoon that would have gone down on its own. But I don’t like doing too much new on race day.

Started to do some self-massage and rolling on the legs, focusing on my left foot, which had been somewhat of a limiting factor over the past few weeks - ever since the beer mile (obligatory eyeball). Everything felt pretty spritely and alive, finished up the oatmeal while doing a quick 30 minute NormaTec session (level 5, not 7). After that it was a handoff of Normas to Zack and quick shower then final pack and off to the race. We got in the car a little bit later than we desired, but with plenty of time to spare, especially given the small town nature of the race. 

The drive from Rockland to Tenant’s Harbor had cool air, no need for A/C for once, and was an enjoyable drive with minimal traffic. My race-morning anticipation (anxiety??) showed when it was almost 7AM and there was a line of cars for this small race. It passed and we got a fine parking spot - between the start and finish, which were only like 0.25mi apart. I went straight into a warmup, thankfully having no need for the bathroom…I wanted 20 on the day, so needed 2-3 on the warmup (which was also a need for running a hard HM from the getgo).

Warm up: good hydration and a shot blok around 7:10, with 1+ miles in the Pegasus+compression socks, where a shoe switch may not be a convenience to be offered at other events. I didn’t want to stress timing, so I put on my regular socks (honestly, the lightweight Feetures have seriously taken top step well beyond everything I’ve worn previously) and the Alpha Flys. The immediate comical change in gait and step was present and I was a little thankful to calibrate to them for a mile before the race began. A couple 20-30 second surges to ~6min/mi and I was feeling primed but, as always, not quite physically ready for what was to come but in a really good mental state…nonetheless the hills worried me and it was gonna be a game of effort vs pace.

A couple selfies, and kind peeps taking pictures of Zack and me at the start and it was game time. I didn’t see anyone who I immediately recognized (no big names from the greater Portland area), and no one who looked Uber-pro. This observation came with equal parts comfort and fear, but I tried not to allow this to give me comfort. I came to run MY race. If I was within 2mins of my PR, that’s good. Within 1min was the A-goal. Anything more was fluff and a product of good form and execution! 

Deuces all around. 223 & 224 & the one and only 22!

The Race: Pleasant, low key start. A little girl (didn’t catch her name, but maybe one who goes to the 4-H camp?) rang the start bell after some instructions from Steve Cartwright, the Race Director. The ring was not your classic start gun or cannon, and left us briefly confused before we took off. Immediately I worked to find pace, low 6 or so, to stabilize and get a feel as we started flat into a bit of a downhill…talking down the good ol’ John Izzo yelling “The first 400m is FREE!!!” in my ear from UR.

It was quickly relevant that at 6:05 pace and having a gap, there weren’t any immediate really fast runners targeting sub-80, at least from the gun. This gave me a sense of concern, not ease and comfort - a good thing, in my opinion. I kept looking around, seeing a duo form about 20m behind, then a couple others behind them. I’m not sure the last time or EVER if I led a race and I’ve never won a race. In 2013 I was first male but second overall, as my check of Athlinks verifies that I never have finished a running race in first place.

Mile 1: 6:05. Spot on for the loss in elevation, and it felt so SO good. Heart rate was comfy in the low 160s. It was weird leading a race, especially at an effort that was comfortable and commensurate with the distance of the half marathon for me! I didn’t let that bubble over into (over)confidence. I came to race the Travis from 2019 and 2010, the eras of all my PRs….not to try to claim victory. If the two things coincided, that’s a bonus and if I had a chance to win, I’d throw down all I have to make it happen…but that was 12 miles away still.

Mile 2: 6:21. First hills coming. The downhills were sharp and awkward, as usual for me. At the end of mile 2, Henry Pehr caught me on a downhill and got a shot of adrenaline that I had to suppress, too early to “race” or worry about place. We reminisced in the old college running days in different calibers: he at UNC Chapel Hill, me at Rochester. He was mid distance and definitely a bit faster than I was, fear rising.

Miles 3-7: 6:20, :27, :15, :30, :31. This was a bit of a blur, in a good way. Henry and I chatted pretty constantly. Sometimes it resulted in losing focus on the pace, but we kept the pressure on pretty solidly - uphills were aggressive and strong, downhills I had to keep up with Henry’s long stride. I ate and drank at every planned time, adjusting around some of the harder sections. Water was approximately every 2 miles, but water was at ~4&5 then not until 8.

We had some tough constant hills from 3.25-7, sea level to 100ft a few times over. Definitely started to set in some substantial fatigue and took some oomph out of my stride. My heart rate started to slip into the 180s at this point, which is approaching redline. That’s a bit early in the race for me, but keeping pace with a competitor without digging too deep was the priority for the time being.

Mile 8: 6:16. The most beautiful and classic part of the race! Port Clyde and then off towards the historic (go ahead and watch Forrest Gump) Marshall Point lighthouse, which is very unassuming. We worked this section as there were actually some people in town cheering for the race! I told Henry about the Marshall Point lighthouse - thanks to Zack’s reading about the race.

Obligatory Forrest Gump/Marshall Point Lighthouse selfie. Zack's beard is themed well!

Mile 9: 6:23. The turnaround at the lighthouse was SUPER tight, the Alpha Flys were displeased but I didn’t roll my ankle. The turn was so aggressive that I said “Shit! I didn’t even look at the lighthouse”. It was too far behind us that we couldn’t see it.

Henry said "Well, we've only gotta do 2 miles twice at this point!"

We finally saw other runners on the out/back section here. There was a really good race for 3rd-7th, which was fun to see. 

Mile 10-11: 6:11, :06. This is where it started to get seriously hard, and where I forced my effort to stay deliberate and high. The major hills were behind us but these ones definitely hurt equally or more despite being gentler and shorter. The pavement was new and comfortable.

When you get into a place race at this point - whether it’s for 100th or 1st…you start assessing your edge, the advantage you have or those nearby and how to capitalize if possible. Maybe it’s just a tactic to give yourself focus on how to find success. I found my focal point: Henry had (and probably still has) faster leg speed…so slowing it down and leaving it to a sprint was not Plan A through D. I’m glad I fueled and drank well and it started setting in that this might be my key point of advantage over Henry. He didn’t take any food for the race and only grabbed water twice. I was happy to use my energy to ensure we kept the throttle on hard and we’re burning the absolute maximum energy without cracking myself. 

Mile 12: 6:12. HR now 185 for the mile. Spicy. My plan to make it harder for myself was working. Hopefully he felt as badly. Then I found another possible edge. Henry asked my age. I told him 33. He said he was 27, he seemed relieved that this guaranteed us each a victory of sorts. 1 overall, 1 age group. The age group part wasn’t a comforting thing for me, my brain in its miserable and stressed state wanted to snatch it up as a perfect scenario - you get a “top step” either way! The recent effort I’d put into running and life lately wasn’t going to feel worth it if I didn’t at least TRY TO lay it all down for the win.

I started to get little chills, not excitement chills but physiological ones. It meant that the effort was approaching absolute maximum. Chills when pouring sweat, at 185bpm, in 75F with 90%+ humidity. I thought of a Pre quote, and in hindsight realize that in comparison I’m ridiculously soft. But it made for a nice moment in extremis. I know damn well that when one of those comes by, you appreciate it, cherish it, let it fuel you until it eventually it is overridden by the brain in danger mode.

Mile 13 "Well, we only gotta do 2x800m at this point!" It got a very light chuckle, which may have been mistaken as a grunt or grimace to any onlooker of the race. Boom. 5:54. Net flat mile, downhill in the first half, uphill in the second. A small flat section in the middle. We were not backing off a bit into the final mile, heck we both said let’s make it out fastest. I don’t think either of us were ready for it to be only marginally the fastest. You always have this hope in a good race that you can really slam the last mile and come in ripping and looking/feeling badass.

We flew downhill, under 6 flat pace. I was hurting, I wanted to be tactical but at redline coming into an uphill half mile there isn’t a lot except when to burn that final match or two in the book. Henry hit the gas into the uphill. I pushed and got right behind him. He swerved and as I got up to speed it felt painfully labored. A huge side stitch ripped below my right rib cage, immediately my breathing was super audible and nearly gasping. I got it under control after digging my fingers into it and started on dragging back the 10-15 feet he gapped me. If he kept up this speed I was not likely to have a chance in hell at beating him, but I refused to let my body back off and accept the age group win.

I got back up to him and took the left position. Inside line for the dirt finish. Run the tangents, take the shortest and fastest line. Bike racing engrained some of these tactics that are oft missed in running, because such a lapse in judgement in cycling can give your opponent a free win. He made it clear he thought we were closer to the end and as I was reeling from the recent effort, saw my chance coming up when he was still regretting his attack and we both were hurting from it. If I hurt like hell, so does he. Like Jeff Dixon told me: “if you can’t taste iron/blood then you’re probably not in a good enough position for the finish”. I doubled down on making the race as miserable as possible and started to burn it all once we were around 400m to go. I wanted to have a gap before the dirt, because I don’t fully trust these shoes on such surface and feared it’d feel like going through mud for both of us and every meter of space was painful separation to claw back. I checked over my shoulder and a solid gap opened. I looked dead ahead for the finish line between the canopy and turn in the road, but made sure I had quality footing. I threw it all down not taking a modicum of comfort from the last gap I saw. 

Holy shit. A first place happened. Fully aware it was in part due to the field that day (thank god no one running last years 1:12 showed up!), I was still overwhelmed with the feeling I had never had before in a running race.

All in all, it was basically tied for a PR - far better than I anticipated. My PR was from 2019 @ 1:21:47. This race I finished at 1:21:12, but it was a little short (13.04mi by my watch). Extrapolated to 13.11, that is a 1:21:38 - so, just barely but courses often run a little long, so it was basically a "tie" from 2019, but on a much harder course! So it met my goals very clearly. I added on the last 0.07mi but it was SLUGGISH, totaling about 1:22:20.

The sprint for glory!

Post: I gave Henry a hug or pound or something and congratulated him on a hard earned race. I thanked him for being a companion and fighter that kept me running scared until the very end of the race. He kept me far more accountable and stronger than I would have without him. He definitely was a big part of the approximate PR time at the distance. We grabbed water (I added on 0.07mi so my Garmin would properly accept the HM distance), chatted, and talked to a few people as the trickled in for the top ten. 

Henry and I with our spoils, well earned from 11 hard miles side-by-side. 

I called Bailey from the car and told her all about the race. There’s nothing better than sharing a peak day with the people you love. Whether it’s in person (with Zack) or recounting the thrill and joy on the phone (with Bailey). I had to get moving before I tightened up further and had to also go see Zack out on the course…I would’ve hung it up after a short jog if it wasn’t for him being here so I was thankful for the external motivation to close out my bonus miles on the day.

I headed out backtracking the course after switching out my shoes and jersey. I was pretty wrecked. The first mile I stopped 4 times to stretch/rest and it was sluggish at very best. By the time I saw Zack at 2 miles, I was able to move pretty well and spun around alongside him. In classic Zack fashion he was more interested in how I did than how his race was going. “You won didn’t you?!” He had seen me at the 0.75mi mark solo and that was all he needed to be sure I’d execute, I’m glad one of us was sure! I beamed in joy that he was right but also that he was a billion times more confident in me making it happen than I was. I told him my race was over and it was now his turn to bring it home and focus the next two miles. He multitasked on getting the work done and being proud of me, as he told many people we passed that I had won (as I covered my face). It was the best victory lap imaginable for the day. Finishing a race, then getting to celebrate a close friend’s accomplishment alongside him immediately after. I was even able to grab some quality content for him with a few photos and videos.

Zack finished strong and happily without the pain he’d had the week before. While it wasn’t his fastest half, it was in all levels a huge success. By the time I caught up to him he had started running again - a man of principle!! He had to get the extra distance to round out a complete half marathon distance after realizing his watch was a few hundredths of a mile shy 💪.

The rest of the post race was awesome. Some great conversation, exceptional spread of food and drink, and a relaxing close knit atmosphere. I already knew I’d have to plan to come back in 2023. The awards ceremony was great and I was able to get a pretty awesome handmade coffee mug, which is my new go to at home. 

Top tier snacks, Zack approved.

We left after the awards with a great deal of hype and energy to keep a great day going…but thank god for Cumberland Farms any size iced coffee for 99 cents. That saved the both of us on the drive. I’m very much of the NEXT mentality, but it felt really good to come away with a hard-fought win.

At this point, the race was a week ago and I’m fully focused on the Chicago marathon; my real, singular focus of the running season. It’s been a continually good series of events and one is bound to be a bad day, but I’ll ride this wave as long as I can. Often I look back at where I was 6-9months ago and see what feels like entirely different version of myself, at least athletically. I also see it in my dedication and work ethic generally in life. I realize that every future improvement will be smaller and tougher earned than every previous one, but I’m excited to keep working harder and more deliberately than ever. NEXT. I’m only as good as my next race. 

Beach to Beacon 2022 Race Report

Beach to Beacon; August 6th, 2022. Classic day. Seems like it might be cooler than recent and manageable. But it’s even more humid and the temp may be lower than the day before, but it’s still tough. Some wind on the course provided mild reprieve.

The set up. Really stressful work week, coming off a 5K PR last weekend and some hard efforts, lots of excitement for the weekend (friends’ wedding + hosting 4 guests + hosting the day after wedding brunch for 50 people), and I finally put a PR target on a race so the pressure was seriously on...

After 4th of July 10K (36:49) I said the goal was a PR at B2B. I honestly wasn’t even sure if sub36 would be doable as nearly 1 minute in a month is a lot more than a lot to ask for!

Race day. Food and coffee, check. A little light NormaTec while watching some recent worlds 10K races. Stretch. Hydrate. Prep is good. Legs are okay, not bad but not feeling fully primed. I’ve come to realize this part is not a complete tell, and as long as you’re prepared you can perform through a lot of what FEELS sluggish.

Bailey kindly chauffeured a full car to the start - and home - while only managing a couple miles herself due to painful traffic routing. We got to the start line before 7:30 - start time 8:12. Bathroom was really calling. Too much to ignore. Not so bad it was do or die. Picked the wrong line (actually, because Danielle was in and out 5mins faster!).

Warm up: Untapped Maple Coffee @ 7:40!! 1.25mi, little sweat, couple surges to 6 pace. Not the 2mi I wanted but plenty. Then came the battle through the crowd, holy crap thousands of people really crammed up hard to run sub7 😒 . I got to about the 7:00/mi spot, got a photo with Neff wooooot for my troubles.

Race start: shit show (my fault because of timing), but people were going sub 5 blowing by me and legit people WALKING off the starting line. Others yelled at them to get off the road. After 45 seconds I felt like I was more or less running versus doing slalom or plyos jumping through people. Quickly hit a stride of 5:35/mi. Fast, yes, but downhill and very controlled. Hit the mile in 5:42, after that it was still a lot of passing but the road was usable - just not perfect tangents (there’s my 3 seconds?! My fault, again!).

Mile 2 my HR was already into the 180s. Humidity and some heat. This would make 4th of July 10K look light, I knew that already. Not as easy of a mile as it looks, false flat all the way. 5:49. After this I knew it was a matter of steady as we go, hovering this pace. The challenges would come from 2.8-3.75 and all of mile 6.

Mile 3. Clicked it off quick, not easy. 5:46 even with some downhill that’s my style. Coming up the hill closing out I knew maintaining pace into mile 4 was key.

Mile 4. Woof. Self doubt hits hard in the sun on the uphill drag past Cape High. The race - at least against myself - at B2B is won on the two harder sections. If you can hold strong, you can “recover” into mile 5, then after mile 6…we’ll, you finish harder and are done. Luckily amidst the doubt, I came alongside Jacob Brady. We exchanged a few quips, whatever we could manage and he told me I’d been running super well lately and clearly once again having a good day. I told him honestly it was really a struggle here and the smart racer told me there was the downhill ahead to prep for the next beating. 5:43.

Mile 5: on a better day this would feel like some mixed of turnover and gravity propelling a runner to an easy faster mile. It was nothing of the sort. The downhills were clunky and the flats were without rhythm…I just wanted to go back uphill where I at least felt I was outputting relatively well. I took a moment and let myself back down from the effort, a mental lapse that I was able to suppress and regain focus. Not easy, but we’ve been there before and we’ll all be there again. The pace was good (enough) versus the feel, and that’s mostly what mattered. 5:55, thanks to the downhill - no thanks to me. 😰 and the heart rate barely dropped. As expected the B2B for me came down to execution on mile 6. It was a 1.25 mile race. Just 5 laps, not bad right?! Lol

Then it FUCKING HIT ME. I was pretty much immediately cross eyed. Harry Nelson was there guiding finishers. I said “Hey Harry ! It’s Travis Kroot!” This seemed to worry him because of course we know each other. He asked if I needed help as I inhaled useless hot damp air that continued to leave my lungs begging for sustenance. I wobbled, pretty considerably, because the next person asked multiple times if I needed to go into the Med tent. I asked if I could just have an IV without the hubbub, but said others would absolutely need it way more. Surprisingly that reassured the woman and off I went to wobble and plop in my soaked shoes towards the grassy knoll best known as “the actual final test of B2B”. Ruth (16yo) walked by me, clearly more expert at this racing deal. We exchanged pleasantries. As always with young athletes who are fast as fuck, I have a deep curiosity if there is joy in it or if it already feels like a job. I got some strong sense of the former, despite my lack of function.

PR!!!

Up the hill and BAILEYYY!!! Oh man what a joy to see that woman. Even now it brings a tear to my eye (as I wrote at 1am and she’s doing a night shift at Maine Med). She’s really carried a lot for me - emotionally and physically - through this transition back into fitness.

Even better than the PR!

LL Bean 4th of July 10K 2022 Race Report

 4th of July 10K Race Report notes, not a full report, but a worthy share:

Top goal was sub37. Acceptable would have been anything under 38 honestly!
First formal 10K since....2010 (???!!!) when I PR'd at 36:11. I knew the PR wasn't in range, but feel like I'm approaching slowly. Last week's workout showed a lot better fitness than I expected after the 5K a few weeks ago, so I figured a mix of going out by feel but also a LITTLE relaxed was critical. Toughish course and one to test you well, especially on the 5th mile!

After about 2.5, settled in next to a sophomore at Stonehill (Jace Hollenback). Good dude, great conversation for heartrates over 170->190! We worked the 3-6mile range, really chewing up the people in front of us. We didn't let catching them be a reason for backing off the gas.

Mile 5 was where mental effort seriously peaked. After that it was just about finishing fast as I could. Mile 4 was hard and very very physical, but we still managed 6:00 pace for 4-5 (marginally). Mile 6 started with a nice slight descent where we were averaging around 5:40, it was clear we both were going to finish with our fastest mile....a rarity it seems that you must cherish deeply despite the suffering that ensues.

Despite the bit of climbing in mile 6, came through 5:43 and started to push for the last 400m flat to use it up. Managed a quarter in sub-75, something that has felt "woooof fast" on the track so far.

Didn't really focus on "time" during the race. Jace and I talked about managing a possible sub 37 if we held it together past mile 4, we in fact needed to step it up - gaining 17 seconds on Mile 6 was the key to get us under 37!! Feeling a little like an old version of my past self lately, brings a few tears to the eyes.

Next Level, unlocked. B2B goal: PR.

Shoe "choice" (it's not a choice at this point): Nike AlphaFly. Phenomenal running shoe, feels glorious and manages to let me go downhills hard without feeling like I'm breaking my foot bones. After mile 5, when that uphill section should have had me crying...I still had some good bounce and push. I wouldn't say I "recovered" mid race but definitely bounced back to hammer home the last 2K!

My processing of the race and recent build up:

Running has really reached that fulfilling state in recent months. The initial catalyst was running alongside Bailey at the Newmarket Marathon as she BQ’d last fall. It was also a really REALLY great race for me even though my focus was being a pacer. It showed me how to work and deliver on a plan, that sometimes what one feels is not achievable is truly within reach. I hadn’t been there myself for quite a while.

What I didn’t know was how hard it’d be to get traction off of a hamstring that hamstrung my training off of that race. I relinquished the effort, getting back to what has become “my winter weight” - 30 pounds over 2019 race weight - and generally was discouraged. But I was(and still am) loving work so it was manageable. My laziness and lack of motivation started to hit my overall drive and I had to make a change; there was also the upcoming Mt Whitney summit attempt and the Vermont City Marathon. Two events I told myself I’d be ready for, once again alongside Bailey.

I kicked it into high gear, with the help of family, friends, Whoop (thanks, Jason!), and IDEXX having Noom as a benefit. Today I’m at a race weight not seen since 2013 and gaining strength/speed what seems like daily. Lately, I smile at the joy of being able to go faster when I’m exhausted and feel spent. Suffering in a race is heavily rewarded by speed and near-PR times, a combination not to be taken lightly as in the long term such things are ephemeral. Here’s to keeping it going.

Chicago 2022. I see you.