ING Georgia Marathon writeup

Ran my first marathon yesterday in my hometown of Atlanta as a participant in the 2010 ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon. I was under the impression that there was turnout a little over 19,000 however looking at the numbers, 10,481 Half finishers and 2,141 Marathon finishers I see that I was off by quite a bit. By the time you add in the number of those who did not finish or participate on race day then perhaps add another one-thousand to the number. Anyhow, let’s move on! The race started off early Sunday morning on Marrietta St by Centennial Olympic Park downtown. Corrals started from A to P and I was assigned to corral J so as you can imagine I was very close to the back. Nice cool morning, took the MARTA out to the event. Dropped off my gear at the Gear Check tent and quickly made my way to my corral. Eventually got there just in time and slipped in with others already there. Our group was quite empty and little to no one behind us which could only mean that most people just jumped in wherever. The race kicked off promptly and with some fanfare however it took me forever just to get to the front. I eventually got to the front and across the start line to a frantic and overcrowded race; the difference between my chip time and clock time was over twelve minutes incredibly. I could not understand why there was no stagger system to make things move a little more smoothly. I was not looking for a PR (Personal Record) at the event however having to cut across and past ten-thousand people is not my idea of fun. Risk of injury, risk of random persons cutting across you for one reason or another and the fact that all this cuts into your finish time made a frustrating situation far worse. I relegated myself to running in a straight line as best as I could but every once in a while I would come across groups of people running together paying little attention. In hindsight I can sympathize with Emmanuel my running friend who once told me of his frustrations after running the New York Marathon. As a serious runner you always want to keep pushing through and in his case he told me how so many people were just crowding and socializing on the course making it hard for him to pass and move through. Eventually he just started using his elbows and shouting as he made his way. The same ideas came to my mind as I was running those first few miles however in my case I would resort to making my person visible and doing things like coughing or dropping my shoulders in order to slip between groups and in some cases running on sidewalks and vegetation. Running etiquette is a big thing with me and I certainly go out of my way to not be rude but this was a most frustrating ordeal that lasted far longer than it should have. Please look to the side you are moving to before just veering across since you not only risk injury to yourself but to others as well. It is my hope that for next year’s event the sponsors will remedy this by instituting a stagger system. Also, I do not feel that the expected finish time should be used for placement in the event. I put an expected finish time of under four hours and fifteen minutes and ended up in Corral J; I can only imagine what others ahead of me put because there were so many ahead of me the first few miles that were walking.
Back to the race and course, I had my music in my ears and made my way stride by stride through the course. Coming around a bend after the first mile I could hear the frantic sound of a young woman wiping out to the far right. I felt very bad for her since at this time the light rain had started and was only going to make the route slicker. Many looked on and inasmuch as one wanted to help her veering across to assist would have contributed to even greater calamity. I pressed on through and collected myself in my mind and my music; I kept my head up to stay aware of everything around me. Whenever I saw an empty sidewalk or outlet I took it and around mile four I hit a very good sidewalk decline in the Inman Park area if I remember correctly. I hit it hard to break away from the masses and it rewarded me greatly. I am certainly not a fan of bounding down hills but the grade was subtle and not overpowering making it easier to control my movements and body. I kept moving, still frustrated at the sheer numbers ahead and around me but realized that it could not be helped at this point. Things would continue as such until the split past mile and just before seven. What a welcome site, I remember thinking to myself Thank God! Making my way past to the right I looked ahead and saw the numbers dwindle significantly. Finally I could make better on my progress to the finish line. My body throughout was solid and up to the task; I pushed on and made my way along the course. I stopped at a number of aid stations along the way and tried as much as I could to run and intake fluids rather than stopping. I had my saline solution on my back and it was ridiculously potent. The night before I had used sea salt instead of regular table salt and the first time I took a swig from it it felt like I was drinking salt water. At least with the table salt (in the same amounts) I could still taste the sports drink however this new concoction was far stronger which made me stop at more aid stations than I would have liked. Aid stations are of course a great thing but they can also be danger spots since you have veering and people flat out stopping. They are conversely a great place to overtake a crowd if you run straight through since many will stop at them and in the process move to the sides. I took advantage of this when I could and kept moving. The route continued through many suburban areas and city streets; I could feel my confidence propelling me forward and I worked to make sure that it did not turn into over confidence since I did not want to burn out. Moreover I wanted to stick to my strategy which was a 10/10/6.2 split. Run ten, rest five, run ten, rest five and run the remaining. Soon I made my way to the mile ten marker and could the desire in me to keep moving but that was overruled by reasoning and commitment to my strategy. I moved to the side and slowed to a halt. I fixed my left sock which had slipped down my foot during the run. My fingers offered little to no help as I worked to get my shoes off and adjust my sock. I eventually fixed the issue, straightened up and moved briskly up the route. I saw ahead of me a figure that I should have recognized but instead paid no attention to at the onset. I looked down at my watch and kept reading the seconds and minutes. When it hit two minutes and forty-five seconds I continued on the second leg of my split rather than count to five. Even at this time I felt very comfortable with my rest so I pushed forward. I was now in the Decatur area and making my way up I came to the MARTA train tracks and saw the same figure again just ahead of me. From the outline I was certain that it was Emmanuel but I was not fully convinced. I certainly did not want to run up on a stranger and make a complete fool of myself so I got closer and started looking at the face; sure enough it was Emmanuel. It was a very good and jovial meeting and I was very happy to see a familiar face. We spoke briefly as we ran together for about a good quarter mile and the fact that I was able to hold a casual conversation allowed me to accurately gauge my fatigue. We then parted as I made my way forward along the course. There were a number of signs in the city of Decatur with clever rhymes that kept me entertained. I am afraid that I do not fully remember any of them but they were all very creative and good nonetheless. I was now making my way through Agnes Scott College; I know little to nothing about the institution other than that it is a women’s college but quite a nice and peaceful appearance to it. I continued along steeling myself against everything and concentrating myself on my focus. Around mile fifteen I met Nicole from Scranton, Pennsylvania; awesome person. Fresh out of school and headed to the Navy to work in Biology. She had a bright yellow shirt on that had NAVY printed on the back; I would have kept moving but she started talking to me and I said why not. We talked about the hills, the crowds, cramping, 4:15 pace group and what our goal times were for the event. I told her how I would look for a marathon specific event in the future to abate the frustration I had had earlier and she told me about Philadelphia. We ran and talked for a good mile and alas I decided to add a little more kick; I told her I would see her at the finish line and we parted ways. Good luck in your endeavors Nicole and keep running! I kept moving and the mile markers kept coming; before I knew it I was at mile seventeen, then eighteen then nineteen and I hung a right on a street and went downhill, the street looked vaguely familiar but I could not place it at the time. The houses were faintly recognizable to me and then I thought ‘wait a minute…’ I looked to my right just in time to see a home that I once told myself that I would buy one day. A new home in an old neighborhood; out of place perhaps but beautiful nonetheless resting atop an overlooking hill. I was on Stillwood Dr and there it sat on my right, in my mind I remembered how much I loved the house at one point but now it was occupied and maybe at some point down the road it still could be mine. I trudged on uphill, moving past people one by one as I made my way to the finish line. I moved at a moderate pace but found that I was still healthy and moving ahead and to the front. It was just past Stillwood at a crossing when another frustration availed itself to me; a number of police officers were along the route obviously since roads were closed in order to direct traffic, etc. I have nothing but admiration and respect for their charge during this event but the one officer at this point almost let a car cross as I was less than ten feet away on my approach. Obviously error in judgment but very scary when you think of what could have happened. Soon at the top of a hill I had hit mile twenty. I slowed and moved to the side again, bent down to readjust my sock and straightened up to walk. I could feel the energy welling up in my person as I walked then. I had stuck to my strategy and it was working for me; only 6.2 miles to the finish. A wild man’s grin curled beneath my lips and I could feel energy, courage, ambition and sheer determination bellowing in the pit of my stomach scraping at my insides to be released. I turned on Los Angeles Ave and my brisk walk became a brisk sprint; my legs beneath me felt like oversized pistons moving and churning as my heart and mind empowered them. Whole crowds before me became individuals that I found myself moving past one by one. I was not racing anyone at all, it is just that the energy I had at this point was boundless. Crowds cheered us on along the route also; some braved the slightly inclement weather to come out and cheer. I kept seeing the same guy at like five different spots with a sign that read ‘Go Cousin Jim!’ I was just like man, this guy is really dedicated. He cheered everyone on that passed him too so that was awesome. Miles twenty to twenty-two flew by; before I knew it I was at Piedmont Park turning corners and curves still moving fast. I came across one young lady who had passed me several miles back; she had on this green and blue outfit and I guess for me she stood out because I had identified her as fast early on in the event since she moved ahead quickly at the onset. I think we all, as runners, identify people during the course of a run that we associate as fast, incredible or just threats. She certainly was not a threat to me, time was, but after I figured her to be fast and now found myself overtaking her it was a wakeup, self-realization that I needed to start giving myself more credit. It was just up ahead around the 800 meter track at the park that I saw it: a turnaround. Oh no, visions of Little Rock (see Little Rock writeup) hit me like ice water as I saw runners moving to and from. It was as if my confidence up to this point had wandered into darkness and despair and I was fighting to get it back on track; on top of that it was up an incline circling the track. I do not like turnarounds especially after Little Rock. They are just so drawn out, enervating and draining. I struggled through this at Little Rock and now had to push myself through again because I refused to let it kill my run. I proceeded one stride at a time; some were walking as they made their way back, the Wall I thought to myself as I saw them. I kept going one step ahead at a time; it had only been two days previous when I was out here running by myself. Off to my right I peered over at the statue atop a large stone pedestal, a woman gripping the feet of a large fleeting bird if my memory serves me correctly. Just down a small decline I saw the turnaround with mile marker twenty-two. I bounded around it and over the time chip check device on the ground; insurance if you will for anyone who would take advantage of the situation. I pushed myself and continued on and back around. I got to the bottom and rounded the track; just ahead a few feet was a guy clearly fatigued. I got up to him, put my hand to his back and commended him saying ‘good job man, you’re almost there.’ It is amazing how small words of encouragement can make a huge difference to someone. I felt enamored to motivate him because just like him I too had been at this point in previous events. If my few words got him to the finish just a little quicker then they served their purpose fully. I continued ahead and could still feel the push in my stride as I made my way to the 12th Street front park gate. I crossed Piedmont Road and the immediate site of 12th Street before me lay daunting and formidable. It rose like a lava formed mountain out of the ground and into the sky; littered with the fatigued and tired bodies of runners on both sides. My steps shortened but my resolve was terribly strong as I moved straight up. In the distance I saw what appeared to be Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders encouraging people up the ascent. Making my way towards them I concentrated on the hill and as I neared them I pushed past amidst their applause and cheers. I felt powerful as I hit the top and knew that through the gamut of this event the uphills had been my strongpoint. I attacked them each time and felt more and more confident. They are good weed out areas also if you are up to the task but will weed you out if you overdo it. Less than four miles at this point I thought to myself and I kept moving. I could feel my stride lessening and before I knew it I slowed to a walk. I was up another slight incline and headed towards Georgia Tech; turned to the school and was run/walking at this point. ‘Come on’ I kept thinking to myself, I knew I was almost there but it just seemed so far away; one older gentleman patted me on the back and wished me luck. A few feet up I noticed one woman who appeared as if she were keeling over. She eventually got up and started walking; made my way up to her and wished her good luck. She was cramping and I asked if it was her first marathon which it was. I told her I had the same issues at my first marathon and what I had learned from Emmanuel. I hoped that it would help her in the future. At mile twenty-four I realized that I missed Alan and could certainly use him here (see Little Rock writeup). He had motivated at a difficult point during Little Rock and turned it around to make it something unforgettable. Unfortunately he was not here and it was just me to motivate me so I did as best as I could. After more run-walking I was soon on Marrietta St. Did not realize how long the street was until I had to run it. A few people around me at this point all tortured souls and me among them; I was past the twenty-five mile mark and kept looking for 26 but it never came. Kept pushing one foot at a time and moving forward; hearing a slow rumble in the distance I realized that I was close. No great break to the finish this time as in the past; instead a good run but not the same feeling. I turned International Blvd and saw the finish about a hundred or so feet ahead and ran past it.

Review:

Organization: 3 There must be a stagger system implemented in order to make things run smoother in the future. I have heard nothing but good remarks about other ING Marathons around the country and aside from this things were very well done.

Course: 5 Tough and demanding with all the hills, etc but well done. I will be even better prepared next time. Great scenes and routes with nice cheering crowds who braved the inclement weather.

Awards: 4 Love the medal but not too crazy about the shirt as compared to previous shirts.

Overall Experience: 5 In spite of my frustrations I thoroughly enjoyed the event and the fact that I was able to participate in my hometown. Having a few friends also running made the experience even better. One more down!

Strategy for the ING Marathon

Well, I found out that the weather outlook for this weekend’s ING Marathon run is not exactly a good one. Rain and possible thunder storms are in the forecast so we will have to see how things unfold. No matter the conditions I will of course be participating but I will have to strategize clothing and conditioning. I will be using a 10/10/6.2 strategy this time around to see how that works out. In the past I have of course tried to run all the way through but I still find that I am hitting the proverbial wall at around mile 20. Thus, I will run ten, walk five, run ten, walk five to ten and run 6.2 to the finish line. I feel very confident about this and am looking forward to the results. In the past around mile twenty I found that while I was not cramping I was however slowing down so perhaps need to step up even more on the carbohydrate intake. Carbo loading is going well, two baked potatoes and a chicken salad for dinner last night and for lunch today chicken pasta and salad. Also, I am confident that the run walk approach will avail much since it will give me a couple of breaks to allow me to regroup. The first twenty go by quickly but the real race does not start until mile 20. Will pick up race packet tomorrow after work from downtown; the Georgia Dome if I remember correctly. Looking forward to number four and starting to plan past it for my first big, well very big, run in May. “I may or may not win but I will NEVER lose!” James Frederick Green

Carbo loading in advance of next Sunday's ING Marathon

Well, this is another taper week for me as I prepare for the ING Marathon; another 26.2 miles to the finish line of marathon number four. Great to be running in my home town and really looking forward to an ING event. Number four at this point will be it for a while for me as I look towards my first ultramarathon in May. In any case, the rest of the week I will be taking in ample carbohydrates and protein including baked potatoes, pastas, shakes and eggs. I find that some of the best and easiest to obtain baked potatoes can be found at Wendy’s (about $1.50 each), I usually get three at a time as I will be doing today, just stay away from the extras and you have a meal chock full of carbohydrates. For protein I go with Naked Protein and also Chocolate Milk which is very good and very under rated. Not only is Chocolate Milk a good source of protein but it also aids in muscle recovery after long workouts. Also it is much easier on the wallet as compared to the Naked. When it comes to pastas you would be hard pressed to find them on the run (no pun intended) but if you have time it is an easy home dish. If not then I would go with something like the Salmon Pasta at TGI Friday’s. I am very partial to salmon so I will always advocate it but do not be afraid to try other recipes or meats. You want to have whey protein in your shakes obviously; a nice blend of whey, blueberries, bananas, flax seed and your personal touch packs a power punch of protein, potassium, Omega 3s and recovery. You can stop by your local smoothie stand but pick up a blender and save yourself some big bucks. If you don’t like flax seed then use it as a topping or try the ground up flakes. The seeds are best for you because they are not processed and there is minimal risk of losing any Omega 3s. Eggs without saying are best consumed boiled and only the whites; the yolk of course can be very good for you but only in moderation as it contains the fats and cholesterol. I prefer four to six in a setting and really need to get back on my egg diet. Living with an unfinished kitchen does not afford me all of the amenities to eat optimally so I have to make wise choices outside the home. Hopefully this gives you and idea of what I consume for my taper weeks before races. Yes, I do splurge from time to time but I do not stray very far from the choices that will make a huge impact on my run results. Hope this helps and if it gets you out running then I have done my job! Just remember a few things, run when you want to, walk when you have to. I do not emphasize racing as much as I emphasize running. I do this for good measure simply because for many people running is still a huge step and it does not necessarily come easy or without risks. I will elaborate later.

The start line is always great but the finish line is even greater! Talk to you soon.!

One week to ING!

Well folks it's one week to the ING Marathon here in Atlanta. This will be my fourth and while I am excited I am also a little saddened. In order to prepare for my first ultramarathon in May I have decided to take a hiatus after completing the ING. The only other run I will participate in will be the PeachTree Road Race on July 4th. I look forward to the ING since a number of friends will be participating. I have also decided to change my strategy a little in preparation for the marathon. I will run a 10/10/6.2 which basically means that I will run ten miles break for say five minutes; run another ten, break for five to ten minutes and finish out the last 6.2. I have learned that I can certainly clear twenty miles however the proverbial wall kicks in at the end of mile twenty. I look forward to trying this and am excited about running in my hometown. Expect great things folks! "Greater passion for anything I have never had more than this!" James Frederick Green

My Little Rock wrap up

Hello everyone. The Architect is is the building, but you can call me Michael. It's been a crazy week so please forgive me for posting so late. Just wanted to tell you about the Little Rock Marathon. While James pretty much summed up everything in his post, I will try to give you my version. LOL!

We got an early start Sunday morning. We didn't want to take any chances on James being late. To our surprise, there wasn't any traffic at all. We parked a couple of blocks from the start. I took a few pictures as we walked through the city. As we got closer to the start of the race, I was kind of excited. You could feel the energy in the air. It was a nice turn out. I could see the different runners going thorough their pre race rituals.

I left James and I told him that I would be at the 6 mile marker. Not being familiar with the course, I had to use my natural navigational skills. I'm so glad I know how to read maps. I positioned myself to actually catch the start of the race. While hundreds of runners passed me, I was actually able to spot James in the crowd. I got two bad pictures of him. He runs to fast and the camera couldn't keep up. LOL!

While James was running, I decided to tour the city. Little Rock is so beautiful. I took a couple of pictures. I know James was running a decent pace and didn't want to smash any world records so I had time to really enjoy what the city had in store for me.

A few hours had passed an I approached the finish line to take some pictures as James crossed the finish line. I look for James around the three and a half hour mark. I started to get worried when the four hour mark had passed. I thought he finished early and I missed taking pictures of the victory. I had to walk about to the 26 mile marker. This was the only are free of spectators. I looked down the course to see if I could spot James and to my surprise, he was running with two other gentlemen. I quickly snapped two photos. James didn't see me so I called out his name to try to get his attention. He saw me and told me to run with him. I think James forgot that I had a pair of baggy jeans and some Timberland boots on! LOL! We met at the end of the race and you could see the exhaustion written on his face. James ran a hell of a race. He shaved a little over ten minutes off his previous time. I was so proud of him and I was glad to be a part of this victory!

I'll end this blog by saying this: No wife, no kids, I'm RUNNING! :-)


-The Architect

Little Rock Marathon Writeup

Great to be back in Atlanta after marathon number 3. The Little Rock Marathon was nothing short of amazing. Excellent weather, beautiful course, amazing cheer support; one could ask for no better. The course takes you through the downtown area and through some lovely suburbs and parks. I especially enjoyed the trek through the nature preserve around mile 18 and 19. Let's get to the basics and start from the top. Mike and I got an early start of course because our hotel was a little ways away from the start line. We were up and out at 6:45 to get on the road and to the marathon. Incredibly we were able to park downtown within two blocks of the start with no issue. There were no large crowds or awful road blocks to hinder us. This made things much easier and abated any issues. We then walked past Broadway and cut to the right passing the Peabody Hotel and the convention center. Downtown Little Rock is very beautiful and traditional; not exactly big but very eloquent. We started to see some runners who were taking part in the early start. The early start was at 6AM and was for people who wanted a little more time to finish the run. Rules regarding participation in the early run were quite strict also. You had to finish in over 6 hours or you would be disqualified. My friend and UGA fellow graduate Horace Grant participated in this. Walking a little more we could see the crowd starting to build and were greeted by local firefighters. Great crowd and staging area around the start line. Headed to the restroom down by the waterfront did what I had to do. We walked around a little and snapped more pictures. 8AM was quickly approaching and I needed to get to corral C where I had been assigned. We agreed that Mike would meet me at the 6.1 mile water station. I was all smiles as I made my way to my group; here I was getting ready for number three! I wore my usual of course: My Runner's World Marathon Challenge shirt with Adidas Formotion under shirt and Nike black shorts. My Pegasus' were ready and tuned. The guy on my left and I engaged in conversation a little. He had completed nine marathons and several half marathons. Today he was participating in the half. Every state was represented in the event and there were a number of 50 State marathoners. In fact, the gentleman in front of me, no younger than 70, had his 50 state shirt on and he had completed the 50 four times over. Incredible what people can accomplish at any age. In any case I was ready, 50 is a long ways from being complete for me but I welcome the challenge. I turned on my Nike+ program and set it to marathon training. A handful of runners were in front of us, this was your seeded group. The speakers made their speeches as the crowd came to a boil. Promptly at 8AM the race kicked off amid applause and great fanfare. I kicked on the Nike+ program and music poured through my ears. I was cheek to cheek running across the start and through the blue and white streakers. One could not help but to feel like a winner already. We were off and all around me I noticed a sea of blue Half bibs on peoples' backs. Quite a few people were doing the half which is always what you have when both halfs and fulls are run at the same event. In this event however runners participating in the half wore an extra bib on their back indicating half. Across a small bridge and around a U bend we went; my strategy in this race was simple: start slow, finish strong. Proud to say that I was able to do that. I admit that I did not have the best carbo load session during the week but made due with what I could. Music pumped me up and I could feel a nice solid stride. My mind stayed focused on my objective. The first mile marker I saw was mile 2, it came so quickly it seems. Kept moving through downtown one step at a time. A number of people passed me which was all good with me. We made our way through some very beautiful and serene scenery. The first eighteen miles were quite flat which made coasting very easy. My pace was strong and my breathing very controlled. I had my saline solution on my back again and did not take my first swig until mile ten. Before I knew it I was at mile five, remembering that at the 6.1 mile station Mike would be there. Then mile six came up and I was looking left and right. I was at this time still in a large group of people but happened to make him out to my right. He snapped a couple of pics and I continued in the throng. The running was strong and paced and before I knew it the lines for half and full participants were separating which meant that I was getting close to the halfway point. My music mix pushed me to keep moving at every turn and kept me energized and focused. Before long I saw the sixteen mile marker and I was still moving strong. At this point I was running with another guy and we were pushing each other. Our pace was strong and consistent and we pushed through passing a number of people. Around mile 18 he dropped off to one of the stations but soon caught up and eventually passed me around the nature preserve (mile 19). There were a number of downhills in this area which I am not particularly crazy about just because I do not like to go bounding downhill. Nonetheless great scenery, pace dropped a little on the downhills but no issues. Then things leveled out a little bit and I was back on task and turning into a very large park. The park was a turnaround that ran the gamut from mile 20 to about mile 23. It, for me, was very treacherous and I could feel my pace dropping. Mitch Otaki was right; 'the real race starts at mile 20.' I trudged on through the park and literally right at the bend I ran into Horace who was also rounding it. It was good to see him and I kept on; I could feel the salt on my face as one young lady greeted me. My pace was slow but I was still moving which is always a good feeling. Around this point I noticed many run/walking and told myself that I did not want to be the next. Around mile twenty-three however enervation took me and I moved to a quick paced walk. Instantly I could feel the relief in my leg muscles as I did this but I knew that I would not finish like this. I continued run/walking and continued pushing forward. My resolve grew greater because I knew that I would perform even better than I had at Birmingham. A couple of women stayed around me; they were actively run/walking so they would drop and then race ahead of me, so on. One tall, young woman who I had passed earlier made her way past me. Do not know why she stuck out so much, very nice pace. Then I saw the exit out of the park, the same way in. It was a relief, somehow I found that park to be the most draining thing about the whole experience. I think the large trees and shade played on me more than the proverbial wall. Making my way out I could see many more making their way into the park and all I could think of for them was good luck! One step at a time the finish got closer and closer. At this point there were two older gentlemen just ahead of me; they too were run/walking. One of them was Alan from Michigan who was running with his sister in law. We met at mile 24 and when I stopped to walk he encouraged me to run with him because I had motivated him to run in the earlier miles. His words pushed me to keep running so we headed off together with a sheer promise to keep running even if it came at a slow pace. It was just after this meeting that we hit the last two hills. Gigantic hills they were rising out of the ground and taxing our persons. Nonetheless he said to me 'you pull me and I'll pull you' and we hit that damn thing hard. One down, one to go! A guy on a loudspeaker was cheering people on. Alan and I chatted the whole while and kept each other motivated. Soon we ran across Tom who was walking and he joined our merry band. Running with these two re-emphasized to me that there is much comradery in running. Ordinary people pushing themselves at every physical level and even when they seem to be at their end all it takes is the right push. I was honored to be running with these gentlemen. Alan kept us moving forward and before long we were right back in the heart of downtown and close to the finish. Mile 25 passed quickly and before I knew it our band of three approached the mile 26 marker. I looked at Alan and asked if we would go for a strong finish. He told me to go right ahead. At this point I heard Mike to my left and he was running with me, I simply yelled to him to keep up with me. I gave much thanks to Tom and Alan and my body turned towards the finish. Energy rushed through my person and I pushed out everything and kicked to the finish. My legs moved unbelievably under me as I hurled to the finish. I threw my arms up as the crowds on both sides applauded me and rushed me to the finish line. And wouldn't you know that a familiar face was their to usher me across! Bart Yasso of Runner's World was the finish line MC and saw my Runner's World marathon challenge shirt and pointed me out. It was an honor and a privilege. I crossed the line and saw the clock at 4:15; I did it, I came, I saw, I conquered. Number three was completed and I made my way to the medal handout to receive the latest addition to my collection and the largest by far! Little Rock has been the most impressive and best yet and I am grateful to have been a part of it. My dreams are coming to fruition everyday and that is the greatest thing of all. Thank you.

Review:

Organization: 5 Great job, everything went off without a hitch!

Course: 5 Tough and demanding but also very scenic. No looping here which was a relief.

Awards: 5 The largest medal on the circuit! Enough said.

Overall experience: 5 Awesome, my best and favorite yet. Amazing crowds that stayed to cheer everyone to the finish. You have to do this one.

Recommend: Definitely!

It's the Music

In today's running world if you go to or participate in any event; go to your local gym, or even if you see someone running down the street you likely notice they're wearing headphones. It took me a while to move to headphones on my initial runs; many runs publicize in their rules that headphones are not allowed but in most cases people show up with them anyway. The right music I find CLEARLY makes a difference. I run and exercise with my iPhone 3GS and I could not imagine not having it. Good grief, I think anything would drag on without the thing. Just try and stay away from the stock white headphones though; they are not made for running. I make sure to instill plenty of power in my Running playlist. How does one not get pushed listening to: The Rocky Theme, Right Here Right Now, Three Six Mafia, The Go! Team, etc?! My playlist is a hodge podge of music spanning hiphop, rock and techno. Each song specifically chosen to push me through my run or workout. Definitely good to have that mix in there for variety and an occasional change in tempo. Terribly hard to imagine running without my iPhone. I will however be switching to a Nano in the near future; the problem is finding a black 16 gig model.
Also, the fact that I use the Nike+ program on my phone does facilitate things. I give kudos to Apple and Nike for developing this ingenious program. I have found that it really makes me run farther, faster and stronger. With that said, look forward to my playlist for this weekend's run in Little Rock! Greater passion for anything I never had more than this!

2010 Mercedes Marathon Writeup

For my second marathon I was very excited. Accompanied by photographer and friend Michael Gonzalez we drove early Saturday morning from Atlanta to Birmingham. The ride was a bit treacherous on that morning of February 14th. There had been snow flurries and inclement weather here in the southeast. Luckily it was not bad enough to the point that we had to avert traveling by automobile. We picked up a rental car, dropped off my car and made our way to Birmingham. The roughly two hour trip was an easygoing one and we made it to our destination at around 2pm. We headed directly to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. I made my way in and picked up my packet which included a race hat, gloves and a few other items. No shirt in the packet; this was only awarded at the finish line. Afterwards we made our way to the Hampton Inn off of exit 133. Exemplary service, beautiful room and great amenities. The hotel provided a complimentary carbo load dinner for guests and a shuttle service to the start line. They also picked us up after the race, all for $89 for a double for one night. I took the day off to rest up and be prepared for the marathon the following day. Picking up a few mustard and salt packets to stash into my waistbag after dinner I headed back upstairs to kickback and get focused. I awoke at five-thirty in the morning to words of encouragement from my coworker and fellow marathoner Mitch Otaki who texted me letting me know that ‘the race doesn’t start until mile 20.’ I headed downstairs for a light power breakfast with Mike and jumped on the shuttle to head to the starting line. Mike would come on a later shuttle than mine; it was interesting because on my bus of about seven people I was the only marathoner and everyone else was participating in the half, no issue however. We made our way downtown and to the complex where we were dropped off and told where to meet for pickup. I walked alone towards the start hoping that I would run into friend and fellow University of Georgia alumnus Horace Grant at the corral area. As tall as he is it was easy to spot him in the crowd. I was proud that we were both out there looking forward to this. Speaking to him before hand I found out that he was participating in the half-marathon. After catching up and counting down we made our way to the corral and parted at the race commencement. Different colored bibs were utilized to display the different participants: blue for full marathon, white for half, red for late registrant and green for relay marathon. My bib, 331, was blue of course; there was the welcome, a speech by the mayor and then another speech by the President of Mercedes-Benz North America. Shortly after the race commenced amid cheers and applause, I started off lightly letting the crowd swarm around me and pass. Today I was not competing with them; today I was competing with James Frederick Green. The second time around and I must say that I felt very good and much better prepared. Unlike my first marathon I had trained longer, harder and better for my second. I also had my headphones on pouring musical motivation into my ears. I powered on the Nike plus program on my iPhone and set out. Behind me tucked in my waist pack, a water bottle with what I like to call ‘the saline solution,’ a couple of packets of mustard and a protein bar from the expo. Unlike my first marathon I had also changed shoes; this time I was wearing my Nike Air Pegasus 26. Very comfortable and durable for the long haul with excellent breathability and a superb build. I did however replace the insoles with aftermarket ones. Today would be the longest run in these and I was excited to see how they would hold up. The crowd of cheerers, like us, braved the cold to come out and put on a good show. Of course they were just a little bit more bundled up than the hip running crowd. Around the mile two marker I noticed that although music was playing on my phone there was no announcement about my progress. Needless to say, thanks to human error I had forgotten to activate the Nike Plus program and just music going. Turned it on (again) and kept moving. My pace was nice, strong and steady, I was trying to stay in a 6.5 to 7 minute mile for the first half and ratchet things up little by little afterwards. The miles came and went as we rounded and made our way through the downtown and surrounding outskirts of the city. I made sure to consume liquids every twenty minutes. I tend to skip water and go for the sports beverages offered at the stations in order to replace electrolytes lost. Around forty-five minute mark I pulled the saline solution from my pack and took a swig of it. A simple mix of table salt and Powerade learned to me by someone as crazy about running as I am, Mr. Emmanuel Emujioke. Cramping had literally put a cramp into my performance at SunTrust and afterwards I searched desperately for a solution. I was initially convinced that stretching and eventual acclimation of the body to the longer distances would do it but Emmanuel educated me immensely. The interesting thing about it is that the answer had all but been right there under the surface and if I had delved just a little deeper I would have discovered it. Two things: Glycogen deficiency and electrolyte imbalance can lead to cramping. Glycogen is a carbohydrate stored in the muscles and often times after long periods or exercise it is depleted leading to cramps. Electrolyte imbalance occurs when any of the following: Potassium, sodium, magnesium or calcium are out of balance in the body. The saline solution abated this for me; I was a little nervous of course at first with so much sodium in my body but also realized that my sweat was sodium and that I would sweat it out. On top of that I avoid salt in my diet so that alleviated things. Before I knew it mile thirteen was approaching; I had seen the signs telling half marathoners to go one way and full marathoners, relays to go the other. We were back in the downtown area at the starting area the half marathon was wrapping up. I continued of course and ran the loop again. The numbers had drastically reduced at this juncture which can be a good and a bad thing depending on how one feels. Looping a course is something that I am not terribly crazy about in a marathon I realized. There is so much to be said about a constantly changing canvas of scenery around you. It refreshes you and is never boring; also I think it makes a psychological difference overall. The next mile marker that stood out was sixteen. Sixteen held special meaning because it was around mile sixteen in my first marathon that my legs first started cramping. This time however was different, my legs kept moving and the music kept playing. Today there would be no stopping for cramps, today I was a proverbial cramp buster in my own right. The images of my shortcomings at SunTrust still fresh in my mind pushed me and let me know that I had come a long way. I continued making my way through the course powered by saline solution, Bill Conti’s ‘Rocky’ theme, and a myriad of other songs. Before I knew it I was up to mile 22 and it was at this point, around what appeared to be a park, that I came upon a brownstone Catholic Church. It stood there boldly against the backdrop with its rocky façade and etched glass silent before me. Seeing it took me back to my childhood and catholic school years at St. Anthony’s in Atlanta. It was at this moment when the song ‘Shape of my heart’ by Sting came on; its soft beautiful harp medley and story whisked me back, lulling me almost. It was as if time had slowed down around me, leaves fell like feathers and the church seemed to embrace me and fall back at the same time. It was a very indescribable feeling but one that captivated me nonetheless. Soon enough I was back in the moment and it was around this time when I noticed one guy on the side of the road bending over. I offered to him what little words of motivation I could and kept moving. He was neither the first nor the last. There is much to be said about helping and motivating anyone out there with you. That guy was easily me when I was cramping in my first marathon so I could sympathize with him. I saw him make his way to the side of the road to stretch as I did; good idea, never stop moving! I came across about two more runners in the same predicament and they too were thankful for the words of encouragement. It is things like this that illustrate to me that at our most basic elements we are inherently civil and good. Perhaps that is a bit off course though (lol) so I will get back to the race. Around mile marker twenty three, I happened upon a station and looking back I wish I had not have slowed down for a beverage because it was only here that I stopped to walk. I was fatigued and pushed myself to power walk and keep moving. My stride was less spaced out at this point; the next three miles were by far the toughest. Riddled with run/walks I pushed myself to through them because I knew that I was so much more ahead of where I had been in the past. Before long I happened upon this lady wearing a ballet skirt and she too was run-walking. Other runners stood out also at this point: another lady, oddly enough in one of my pictures, who would stop, gather herself and go and an older guy who took breaks followed by strong runs. Interestingly enough for some reason I found him a bit annoying because I would keep running and moving ahead and he would blow past me just for me to pass him again. In any case, I look back and laugh now. This small cast of characters continued with me and soon enough I realized as I turned a right onto what ordinarily is a busy street in downtown Birmingham that we were close to the finish. My body felt enervated but my mind and focus were strong. Still taking it easy and knowing that I was not much further from the finish line I made my way through the final bends of the race. Fatigue battled mental focus at this point and said mental focus outlasted fatigue. You could feel the sounds of the huffing and puffing all around you but just a few more steps. I drifted further and further just as the finish seemed further and further. Soon, like a bolt of lightning my body went rigid and raw energy coursed through my veins. Off to the right of me I spotted it. I saw the mile 26 marker; it was in that moment, that instant that my mind sent signals at 240 miles through my body that ahead of me lay a mere 400 meters to a damn good finish! I inhaled one strong breath letting the cool air cleanse and energize my lungs. My arms pumped, the fatigue vanished, dissipated like it was never there and my legs catapulted me towards the finish line. The gloves were coming off, literally! I pulled off the complimentary gloves that covered my frozen digits and balled up my fists. I passed one person, then two and soon enough I passed the exasperating stop-sprint guy. I was running for daylights, “Strong finish, strong finish!” I kept repeating in the walls of my mind. I turned one bend and then another; I could hear the finish and now I could see it. It was coming faster and faster towards me and in the distance I could hear Mike cheering me on to the finish. Kept hoping he would be able to get a good picture out of this. My legs crossed the first marker and then the second as if in slow motion. It was as if that moment had been captured in a bottle somehow. 4:25:30 I believe the clock read above me. It was no matter to me, I was simply happy to have made it to another finish line. The fact that my finish time was over thirty-six minutes faster than SunTrust made it even greater a finish. My second marathon, the Mercedes Marathon, was now behind me; ahead of me lies Little Rock and I look forward to it because I realize that I will be even better and ready for it. I do not simply enjoy running, I love it. It has given me life and a passion unlike anything I have ever had before. It has allowed me a path, a destiny of sorts and for that I am honored, humble and thankful. I am a more positive in my thoughts, less stressed and more spiritual I find and I would change none of that. Thank you.

Review (1-5):
Organization: 4.0 Well organized, only a couple of spots where there was no one around to guide or instruct but overall everyone was in place.

Course: 3.5 I would say three and a half out of five for two reasons. A) The marathon course looped which starves the curiosity. B) Potholes and debris made the roads prove to be very tough in some spots. Much of the debris could have been swept away before the race; the potholes made you keep a keen eye out but they were only in a few spots. The layout was good though, mainly flat with a few hills but nothing major. Great views along the way, I will never forget the brownstone church.

Awards: 5 It is hard to go wrong with a well designed shirt and an awesome medal. Love the medal and red long sleeve finisher technical shirt, both of which are only received upon completion of the course.

Overall Experience: Good run overall, if anything I would recommend that organizers stretch out the marathon course for next year and attend to the road conditions before race commencement.

Recommend? Yes

2009 SunTrust Richmond Marathon Writeup

While the SunTrust Richmond Marathon is behind me the experience it self is not. It was only a few months ago when I decided to get off my keister and get back into running. I was over dressed and under prepared as I stood in the third group of the PeachTree Road Race. It did not matter for me though, I was simply determined to finish the race and not walk in the process. Fifty-six minutes and thirteen seconds later I was across the finish line. I had shaken the doubt of under preparation and crossed the finish line determined to make running my life. The feeling of accomplishment that swept over me as I made my way to the reception area was one of greatness. I knew then that I still had the drive and determination that I had as a high school kid on the cross country and soccer teams. Fast forward five races of five and ten Ks to the Runner’s World Marathon Challenge: SunTrust Richmond Marathon. A coworker borrowed me a copy of his Runner’s World and I went through it meticulously (June 2008) trying to see what I could do to step up to the next level. This was the same time that I went online and saw a tab for the Challenge. I clicked it and saw a face that I recognized from one of the articles in the magazine (Rhinos! Glaciers! Nudists! Pg. 82, June 2008). The face had aged since the pictures but there was no doubt that it was the same person. Bart Yasso stared at me on the site just as he did with that ice pack on his chest in the article. This time however he looked a little different and was looking for challengers for the first annual Runner’s World Marathon Challenge. It was August 2009 as I sat there reading the information. I was already behind on time in regards to the four month training but was determined to participate and finish. My first marathon, plus a nice little vacation in addition to a post race massage?! Heck yeh, sign me up! It was motivating to see the goals of the different people: ‘Back to Boston,’ ‘Wants to PR,’ ‘Wants to lose weight.’ I asked myself what my own goal was. Different things swam through my head: ‘Make the (RW) cover!’ ‘Raise physical awareness,’ ‘Make it to Boston (one day)’ and in the end it all boiled down to one thing: ‘Finish!’I signed on for the Challenge and the same day was receiving the Training Peaks Schedule and was on the Loop. I bought a copy of The Runner’s World Guide to Running by Amby Burfoot. At the time I had been using the Fit and Fast 4 Week Training Plan (June 2008) for my running and switched gears to the Marathon regimen. I got in my runs when I could and pushed myself to go farther and faster. PeachTree was behind me the Challenge was ahead of me. Fast forward to the day before the race, my Uncle Leo drove me to the Arthur Ashe center for me to receive my bib and packet. The Richmond rain was still falling but we got to the center with no issue. That crowded parking and people going in and out energized me, I was here! We hurried in and I saw the familiar logo of the RW Marathon Challenge directing us to the booth. Winding through different exhibits we walked around; my eyes aghast with awe as I took in everything. We circled left and stumbled onto the RW booth and there they were; all these familiar faces whom I had only seen on paper until now. Serial Racer, Goes out too fast, and Run/Walk to under four hours. To the far right perched on a director’s chair was the Man with the Plan: Bart Yasso. It was almost as if I had stepped into the group photo and had become the silhouette myself. I introduced myself and he shook my hand. We exchanged niceties, took a few photos and then Serial Racer and another lady pulled my bib and packet: 1514 with my tag line of GoGoGreen. Walking out of the Arthur Ashe center I looked forward to the race and was determined not to let weather or mind interfere with me finishing. At 6:15 AM Uncle Leo dropped me off a couple of blocks away from Broad Street. I trudged uphill to the National Theater and the start line where I was met again by a Marathon Challenge sign pointing me in the right direction. I turned the corner to the theater and was ushered into the theater. I was apparently the second participant to arrive. I sat at a table and met David from North Carolina by way of DC. This was his second Marathon and he too was very excited about the Challenge. We grabbed some food and soon the theater started filling and coming to life. It was a relief to be in a warm room rather than out in the Richmond cold at the starting line. More familiar faces filed in: Wants to lose weight, First Marathon and ITB Issues. Then Bart Yasso got on stage and kicked things off; he introduced the staff and mentioned a familiar name in his greeting speech: Amby Burfoot. My eyes moved around the room to find him and there he was a couple of tables away from me; the same familiar face that I saw at the booth the day before and in my mind Mr. Run/Walk to Under Four Hours. The same Amby Burfoot whose book I had bought a few months earlier! I met other challengers and soon we made our way out to the starting line. I was in Corral Three; making my way through I stood next to a challenger from Kentucky on my right and Laura on her left. She and I had the same shoes and I struck up a conversation, she was shooting for under four hours. A couple of minutes later we were off and the race had begun. For me however it was no race against the clock or anyone as it was competition with myself. I was ready for this, this was my moment and I had not come this far to quit. I started slow pacing myself under my normal pace; I was aiming for longevity not speed. The mile markers came and went, first one then two, soon six and seven. It was around this point when I met Jeff; he was part of the Snot Rockets. We ran together for a good mile chatting and maintaining pace. After a while I fell back and he moved ahead, I kept moving and I felt excellent the whole time. I was in my target heart rate zone and was maintaining it well. Around mile fourteen an interesting thing occurred. I was running with another challenger; who she was I have no idea but we ran together silently for no less than three miles. A couple of times I tried to glance over and see her bib number so that maybe after the race I could say something but I did not. She wore a black knit hat and legging tights down to her knees. To this day I have no idea who she was but I was honored to run with her for those miles and came to view her as a great motivator in my first marathon. When I finally did lose sight of her I looked both ahead and behind me and could not find her. Eventually she made her way ahead of me. Around mile seventeen the cramps started to occur and I had to come up with a way to abate this. I did not want to stop and stretch but soon I had no choice; it was around this point when I hit the bridge over the James River. ITB Issues and First Marathon were running behind me and applauded me. It felt good to get to this point and I was encouraged to get their applause. Before long they were ahead of me and I was running/walking and talking with a guy from South Africa. All I remember is that he was huge and gave me a Clif Shot when I needed one. Soon I ran into a challenger from Jackson, Michigan. I remember his story of fifteen years earlier where he started too fast and burned out around mile ten of his first marathon. He was determined to finish his second marathon this time. Around the mile 20 marker Bart was greeting runners, it felt good to make it this far and see the face that had in a sense convinced me to take the Challenge telling me to hang in there. The next few miles came slowly and were marked by road side stops to stretch. At mile 24 mile 26 seemed to be so far away but I knew that it was almost over and that I just had to push a little further. At this point I felt like I was moving a little faster than walking. People all around me were walking and jogging; there were brief runs but they were few and far in between. After a while it seemed like you moved a few feet ahead and then they moved a few feet ahead. A chill started to grip me and my fists and forearms were cramping; then mile 25. I kept moving and shuffling through the downtown area. I turned left and started the descent to the finish line. In my past races I have pushed myself to find that extra kick to the finish but this time the cramping in my body had overridden that. One foot at a time I kept shuffling amid the cheers on both sides of me and there it was: the finish line. With a good one hundred feet to go I mustered what little strength I had in an effort to pull a strong finish. In the end it felt like I floated over the finish line and there to greet me again was Bart ‘The Man with the Plan’ Yasso. I thanked him as I went by him then I reached out my hand for my medal and blanket. While the SunTrust Richmond Marathon is behind me the experience it self is not. I met some great people and am honored to count myself among them and the editors of RW. I am proud to have been part of the first RW Marathon Challenge and look forward to participating again next year. I look forward to my next venture in racing and my dream to make running my life while educating others about the benefits of physical well being. Last but not least GoGoGreen!

Review (1-5):
Organization: 5.0 Well organized, that is all I have to say.

Course: 4.5 The course was a very good one, it went through downtown and some very beautiful suburban areas. Constantly changing scenery was incredible, if one did not realize they were running a marathon they would simply stop to take it in. Layout was good with few hills and minimal potholes or issues with road surface.

Awards: 5 Nice white technical long sleeve shirt with a great graphic and an amazing medal that was hard earned

Overall Experience: Was simply very proud and happy to run my first marathon. You never forget accomplishments like these.

Recommend? Definitely

Time for number three!

Headed to the Little Rock Marathon this weekend for the biggest medal on the circuit. Very excited and looking forward to it. Tapering off the rest of the week and carbo loading on pasta and potatoes. Eight hour drive so probably pack a couple of movies for the road. Hope to see you there folks! I will have writeup on it asap! Also, I will post my writeups on the SunTrust Marathon and Mercedes Marathon.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Happy Monday and thanks for stopping the Marathoner4Life blog. I am Frederick and Michael is The Architect. I mainly handle the running and he concentrates on logistics and coordinating. We are two guys from Atlanta bent on getting out the benefits of running and sound health. Please look forward to big things from us as we criss cross our way around the country headed to different races and running associated events. Greater passion for anything I have never known more than this! I ran cross country in High School and played soccer however I did not 'run with it' until after last year's (2009) Peachtree RoadRace here in Atlanta. Running has changed my life in a number of ways and taken me to a number of places. PeachTree energized me and since then I have completed ten runs/races including two marathons (SunTrust and Mercedes) and one upcoming this weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have also run close to 600 miles at this point, much of which has come in the past two months. I hope that through my future runs I can draw attention to organizations actively dedicated to keeping young people in shape. Also, I hope to raise physical awareness and push my dreams even more. Please expect great things from us and check back from time to time! The Runner!