Last-Minute Pacing Gig

Side benefit to always training for the next marathon? (And having that next one be just over 3 weeks away?) Being ready to step in last-minute to fill a hole in a pacing lineup.

Last Monday, I saw a message about a few upcoming races, including a half marathon that was imminent, as in 5 days later -- the Saturday that just passed (well, today, as I post this), where some of the pacers had to cancel (injury or illness). I've seen "Just a Short Race" on the race calendar for a while, but have never run it before. It's reasonably local (Pittsburgh is only about a 4-hour drive), so I decided to jump on it. 2 hour half? Sure, I can do that.

(This was the 25th anniversary of this race, held in memory of Sean T. Smith, who passed away from leukemia in 1995. Among the four simultaneous overlapping distances -- 5k, 8.1 miles, half marathon, and 30k - they raise thousands of dollars each year for leukemia and blood-borne cancer research.)

Then I looked at the profile. Online, it looked pretty daunting, with a few really nasty hills. I was definitely uneasy during the three days' training runs that I had specific to this race - making sure to have sufficiently steep and long-duration inclines on the treadmill. And some of the notes from a couple of the pacers who have run it before flagging how the mile markers were sometimes off a bit (which makes proper pacing quite tricky) but also providing additional static landmarks to keep time off added to the anxiety a bit. But I took the notes down, made sure I had all of those extra landmarks and expected timing written on my pace band.

Race start -- Decent turnout for a very local event. Yours truly is visible at around :47 in the video.

As we waited at the starting line, I chatted with a couple of people who would wind up running with my group, and we looked at the intimidating hill that the people running the 30k were on. (They have an extra half mile that they run before being on the same exact course for the rest of the race as the other three distances.) Mercifully, we didn't need to deal with that hill at all. While we did have a somewhat nasty one in the first mile, it wasn't that bad in the grand scheme of things, and the downhill afterwards had me flying way faster than pace. It took a bit of effort to slow it back down once I got to the flat to get back to the expected pace.

The course is an initial 5k "lollipop" followed by 5-mile laps around a lake (hence the 8.1 and 13.1 mile distances, too). All of the mile markers were, blissfully, pretty much right where they were expected to be. Whatever might have happened in the past, everything was what it needed to be. 

Good timing on this photo, catching me telling the people around me to make sure those finishing the 5k need to stay to the right, when the rest of us stay left around the corner.

Just after the 4 Mile marker, on our first loop. The teenager in front of me was always in that approximate position. As I would remark to him after we finished, he was a great rabbit to chase the whole time, very consistent pacing.

The distances worked. The additional rolling hills weren't nearly as bad as the online profile had me think they were. And the temperature, while nice for standing around before the race, was definitely on the overly warm side. But as it was a half marathon, I was less concerned about the possibility of overheating, though made sure to continually tell my group at each water station to drink something. (Turns out, it actually got as hot as 73F by the time I finished.)

Alas, somewhere in the 2nd lap, the few people that had coalesced at all as my "group" had fallen off pace. Always disappointing to see that happen. While I am pleased that I was able to hit all three splits that I needed to for anyone keeping pace with me, it would've been nice to see someone in my group break to finish in front of me. (EDIT: Upon further review of these photos and looking up results for the people I know were with me for a decent chunk of the time as part of my group, two of them actually did pass me at some point to finish nearly two minutes under the 2-hour goal time. Sweet! Not sure how I hadn't recognized it at the time.)

                                          

Given that it was "only" a half marathon, I couldn't bring myself to have a post-race burger. (I save those for runs of 20+ miles, so typically only marathons - and maybe once during my training long runs.) But the bakery I found online in advance wound up being the right call -- their breakfast burrito was quite tasty, and a hearty portion.

Hmmm... while the half marathon is not my preferred distance for racing, I can definitely see appeal in pacing this distance. It doesn't take too much out of me, and is the sort of distance (or less) that I would be doing on a given weekend day anyway. Maybe I should take a look at whether there are some that are relatively local... Hmmm...

How To Be a Great Race Spectator (Part 2 of 2)

5. Cheer on Other Runners

Not everyone has someone cheering for them, so cheering for everyone rather than just your runner can make their race more pleasant. Some people will have their names on their bib or somewhere else on their person; if you can cheer by name they're likely to appreciate it. (JL: Sometimes it might be easier to cheer them on by referencing their outfit, like “Go Maniac” for Marathon Maniac gear, or “Go Cap!” for someone running in a Captain America costume.) 

Little Rock 2025 finish line video    

If not, clapping, cheering, or ringing a cowbell for them is still going to be welcome. Cheering can be especially welcome by those at the back of the pack, so if you can cheer them on, do. (JL: On races where I can recover quickly enough and can walk back to my hotel along at least part of the course while it's still underway, I will cheer loudly, noting how far they have to go “for bling” and hold up the medal for them to see. More often than not, that's very welcomed within the final mile.)

6. Talk to Other Spectators

You're all in this together to cheer on your runners, and in between it can be a lot of fun to talk to others at your spot, especially if runners are coming by at a trickle, so you're not cheering full-time. Asking someone about their runner and sharing about yours can make the time go by much faster while you're standing around. You can discuss any signs they're holding and have a quick and pleasant conversation. This can also be a great chance to discuss spectating strategies in order to improve your own ability to spectate. I always recommend asking about their runner rather than making assumptions about who the runner is to them.

7. Watch Your Runner's Recovery

After your runner has finished a marathon is probably the time where you'll be the most useful beyond the moral support on the course. Your runner is likely to be tired and sweaty, so doing things like grabbing their gear check, if you're allowed using their bib, can give them an opportunity to save mileage on their legs. Grabbing snacks or extra water can also be a help if needed. (JL: Spectators generally can't get anything from the runner's finish area, so this would either be something you brought in advance or purchased from vendors on-site, or is in the runner's checked bag.)

If your runner is struggling they may not be aware of how much so given their fatigue, so watch out for any signs of heat stroke, hypothermia, or other medical issues, and ask them about any odd sensations they look like they may be experiencing. In the many races I've spectated, Little Rock is the only time I've seen Jared have a rough recovery (both times, in vastly different weather conditions, but definitely more this year), so I also was the person to grab some medical help. The medical team was friendly, and they're there to help, so don't be afraid of asking, even if it turns out to be nothing. It's better to have that second set of eyes on someone when you're not sure than to have something bad happen.

Watching your runner's recovery extends beyond just at the end of the race. It can be making sure that they're getting a meal when they're ready, and if you're staying in the same place checking in on how they're feeling the next day.

8. Download the Updated App

Almost every race has a different app, and I have an entire folder on my phone of race apps, so if your runner runs marathons frequently, be prepared to devote some storage space to this hobby. Every app is a little bit different (even year-to-year), and some are much better than others when it comes to being a spectator. I'd recommend getting to know the app a little bit before the race. For instance, where are the splits for timing mats? Every app should have the race course map somewhere, and this is extremely useful for planning your route. Track your runner by name or number in advance, so you can see where they are on the course. This can help you if they're ahead or behind their expected pace to know whether to add an extra course stop to cheer them on or to skip one. (JL: Make sure to talk with your runner about this, because there are some apps, like RaceJoy, where they need the runner to start the app on their phone for the real-time tracking to be active. Lots of runners, like me, won't do this – they might not even run with their phone.)

9. Spectating as a Group

If you're part of a group of spectators there are some additional considerations. The first is that if you're crossing a live course consider not doing so all together. There may or may not be someone directing traffic. If there's not, it's better to cross in singles and pairs than as a large group unless there is a huge gap in the runners. You do not want to throw off someone's marathon because they had to move around you. (JL: I'm inclined to keep running straight. It's on YOU to get out of MY way. Most runners would agree with this, I think.) If you're part of a group, you also don't have to all travel together. You can hit more spots along the course if you split up than if you're all together, which might be better for your runner. I'd recommend trying to all be at the start and finish, if possible, and then break up into ones and twos along the rest of the course. This also means that if someone misses a mile marker it isn't as big a deal for your runner. It's easier to travel as a smaller group, too. You don't have to worry about walking at the pace of the slowest person in the group. You're also less likely to attract attention if one or two people need to stop and use the restroom than if your entire group does. You can all meet up at the finish.

How To Be a Great Race Spectator (Part 1 of 2)

After my most recent marathon in Little Rock, my friend Jess Byron (with whom I was staying and who was spectating the race and cheering me along) took to writing down a brief guide for others on the art of being a great marathon spectator. (Note: Obviously, this can be adjusted for half marathons. It's just that I almost exclusively do marathons, and that's all that Jess has spectated for me.) I have a few additions (which will be clearly noted with “JL”) to flesh things out a little bit. I hope you forward this on to those in your life who are inclined to cheer you on at some point – this will definitely help out, especially for newbies to spectating, or those who do so infrequently.

1. Know Your Runner

If you're spectating a specific runner, know their plans. This includes what their expected finish time is (which can vary even for seasoned runners, depending on conditions, or their specific goals, so ask). Also know the expected pace per mile time, since it can help you figure out what makes sense in terms of what you can make work on the course. Also talk about what they need on the course. Are they going to hand something over to you or want you to hand something over to them? (JL: Be mindful of whether your handing something to your runner will run afoul of course rules, and if those rules are likely to be enforced for your runner's expected finish. This affects very few people.) Do they have strict goals for nutrition (JL: “never do anything new on race day”) or would they be happy if you handed over something unplanned? Are they likely to want to take pictures? All of these can help you make your own plans like picking up a popsicle on a 90-degree day for a runner who wants it or carrying an extra snack if you know they'd like it on course. (JL: If I'm in position to easily grab pretzels, chocolate, or a munchkin, I'll almost always do so.)

Knowing your runner also involves knowing what they’re wearing. This is simple if you’re with them before the race or saw each other get dressed in the morning, but it’s more complicated if you’re traveling separately. You can ask your runner by text or even have them snap a picture and send it to you. If you know what your runner is wearing they’re going to be easier to spot. Be aware of layers if it’s a cold day; they may be shedding a hat or jacket early in the race, so know what’s underneath. Runners are much easier to spot if they’re running in costume, so I’d encourage you to encourage them to try to break a Guiness Record if they have any interest. (JL: There are plenty of records available. Just beware the very intricate documentation needs.) 

    

Letting your runner know what you’ll be wearing also makes you easier to spot on the course. Unique signs can also make you easier to spot; just let your runner know what you’re holding in advance unless you think you can make them laugh on course with something unique.

If you know there's a time goal, does your runner want to know if they're hitting it or off pace? This can definitely vary by runner, but it can also vary based on whether they have the chance to make up time. Your runner may want to know if they're within a certain amount of time from their goal, say one or two minutes, or only know if they're running considerably faster than their goal so they can consider backing off. Most runners keep track of their own timing (JL: or let their pacer do it, if they're in a group), so they might not want to hear about timing from you.

2. Know Your Own Needs

This sounds simple, but it's actually more important than you'd think, and it took me a while to figure out what I needed to be the best spectator. Think about things like carrying water and snacks, and where on your race day you might need to use the bathroom. Think about coffee if you drink it or something else if it's a particularly cold morning. Carrying a backpack with an extra layer or where you can store your gloves when it warms up makes the day so much more pleasant. The first marathon I spectated we stopped in a hospital to use the bathroom and buy chips from a vending machine -- not the ideal way to take care of needs. Remember, even if you're not running the marathon, you'll likely be doing some serious walking; I usually cover 8+ miles to hit the course in various places.

Knowing yourself can also mean that you skip a mile marker in order to make sure that you can make it back to the finish line without collapsing from overdoing it, or that the heat or cold is just too much on a particular day. You don't have the same medical support along the course, and you're not going to do much good for your runner if you have an emergency; especially if you're their ride.

3. Plan Your Route in Advance

It isn't that there isn't flexibility in where you'll see your runner along the course; things happen, and sometimes you won't make it to every stop you planned, but it's easier to know where you're going ahead of time. If you're using public transportation, know the routes and what stations are closed for race day. (JL: If you drive in to get towawrds the course, know the street closures and how to navigate around them, and plan for the extra time from traffic backups.) If you're walking, think about routes that allow you to get to where you want to be comfortably for your stamina. This is a good thing to talk about with your runner in advance; is there a spot that they know they'd prefer you to be? Make that your priority. This could be "I'd like to hand you my hat at mile 6" or "I've run this race before, and it's really quiet between mile 20 and the finish, and I could really use the chance to feed off your energy." Communicating in advance with your runner also gives them a chance to know where to look out for you on the course. (JL: And if you can pre-determine the side of the road, if both sides are available in the direction of travel, that helps direct the runner's attention.) 

                                        

It's okay if something happens and you can't get to every stop you've planned, but knowing in advance helps to make the most of your day. I prioritize start and finish, then try to get to two or three other places along the course. In Little Rock, we'd planned for me to make it to miles 4, 10, and 13 in addition to start and finish. I missed mile 10, because I forgot about it, and once I was at 13 I couldn't get a safe walking route from my GPS. Life happens, but it's easier if you plan for it.

Planning also means knowing where you are on the course. The mile flags are really helpful for this, even if you're moving in essentially the opposite direction of the runners. It can also help you know if you can make it to the finish line before your runner does. If you're at mile 25 this generally isn't going to happen, so knowing where you are can make sure you fulfill the priorities that you and your runner have set.

4. Be Proud of Your Runner

This probably goes without saying, but finishing a marathon is a huge feat, no matter what time someone finishes in. Cheer your runner across the finish line and be proud of them for finishing. (JL: It is hard to watch along the course *and* at the finish for some of the largest marathons.) If your runner doesn't finish in the time they were hoping for, let them vent, but don't get down on a runner for not finishing in the goal time unless you're the one who's training them (and even then, there's a time and a place). If it's welcome, you can let them know if there's something you noticed, like the app had them projected extremely fast, so maybe they went out faster than they thought given the adrenaline of running a race, but then, only if it's welcome.

Spur of the moment decision

I just submitted an application for a Guinness World Record attempt. To be done at the Boston Marathon, of all places. (And here I am, always saying I am not going to run Boston for time!)

I was already set to run in costume (I've already purchased the outfit), so I decided to take a gander at whether or not there was a pre-existing record. There isn't, but the title actually already exists (as I was able to see from the recent list of available titles from last year's Toronto Waterfront Marathon). And "all" I would need to do is finish Boston in under 4 hours.

Well, plus have appropriate documentation. I should have a pretty good shot at rounding up sufficient witnesses from among the various FB groups I'm part of. (I only need two, but would gladly take more.) I will need to have a photo of me taken at all of the Mile markers. And, to play it safe from the documentation side, I should have someone taking video via GoPro. (I hope a volunteer witness has one and would be willing to be the documentarian.)

The biggest X factor in this whole thing is that I don't know what the full requirements will be as far as the costume is concerned. And I don't have a way of uploading a photo into the account in advance of them agreeing to the attempt. Given they only guarantee a response within 12 weeks of application, it's entirely possible that I get their answer with the full guidelines well after I run Boston, and that what I do wind up doing will not be considered sufficient.

But, hey, for the minimal application fee and the shot at doing this for the 250th anniversary of Patriots Day, what the heck! Worst case: they reject it because of the costume. (I'm running in it anyway for the hell of it.) Best case: I set a second record.

Reality Check: Check

A couple of days ago, I realized that the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach (only a few hours' drive from me) would be happening next weekend (it's always approximately St. Patrick's Day). It's a FLAT course, and would be a good possibility for getting a sufficient BQ. And the weather was looking like it might cooperate to an extent. But do I think I can realistically hit 3:15 or under?

Well, rather than simply register for it and leap at the opportunity (since it hasn't sold out), I decided to use my long run today as a test. The plan: run 16 miles at marathon pace. Well, not only did I start off -- and stay -- at somewhat slower than marathon pace, but my legs barely wanted to go 13.1 miles at that pace (and I finished out a full 14 with the rest at a walk). 

I'm still on the fatigued side. And with today's performance, I don't think it would be realistic to hit that goal in a week's time. And, looking at the updated forecast, that makes it even worse: temps will be in the 60s the whole time, and it looks like it will likely be rainy and very windy (gusts up to 40mph). That makes it all the less likely that I would manage to hit the goal.

Oh well. So much for improvement in the near term. It seems like the likeliest attempt will be at Erie in September. Glad I am willing to accept reality when it hits me in the face. :-)

Little Rock Marathon

The long weekend started off quite nicely on Friday with both of my flights arriving early. (Can I get that more often, please?) After my friend picked me up at the airport and we got some pretty good BBQ for lunch, we headed over to the expo, to get that out of the way.

They were definitely enjoying the theme (as you'll see from the medal), since the race was taking place just two days before Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras). We meandered through the expo for a few minutes and wound up talking for a bit with one of the women who was handling one of the therapy dogs -- such a sweet fella and a nice, soft coat. After picking up a bag of intoxicating-smelling cinnamon almonds, we headed out on a bit of a walk to the state capitol for a little sightseeing.

                                            

As I would notice on walking back towards the convention center, the capitol was Mile 14 of the marathon course. (For some reason, I thought it had been Mile 7 when I ran this a few years ago.)

            

The interior of the capitol is nice, and, of course, I had to take the obligatory photo aimed straight up at the inside of the dome.

Given our timing, we managed to make it to the State Treasurer's office a few minutes before they close. And they are the only one that actually allows visitors to go into the back where the safe is and hold a large pile o' cash. That stack? $600,000 of cold, hard highly-rubber-banded cash. How much does it weigh? Apparently 21 pounds. Not too shabby. Unfortunately, I had to hand it back before departing.

            

Outside the capitol, we saw a couple of their monuments. I would wind up seeing a couple of other monuments during the marathon, running around the other side of the building that we didn't see during our walk -- the Little Rock Seven and what would appear to be the Liberty Bell.

Of course, the trip into the city wouldn't be complete without a quick jaunt into Hurts Donuts for a tasty treat. Jesus - that was a good donut. (Don't get offended, now. The name of the donut is Jesus.)

Saturday was a pretty relaxing day. After a really good breakfast at a local franchise of the Black Bear Diner (damn, their biscuits are enormous!), we partook in an escape room that was Potter themed. Cute, though several of the puzzles didn't work quite right (as the magnetic elements are very finicky). Italian for dinner was really good, and they even had a live pianist -- we were able to identify the vast majority of songs that she was playing, thankfully.

Finally, race day arrived. It was COLD in the morning. I was very happy that I had brought my NYC Marathon poncho to wear out the door and to the convention center, and then put that in the gear check to use a fluffy warm blanket outside. But it was definitely ideal running weather. 

That forecast was from a few days earlier. Turns out that it was closer to 38F to start the morning.

First up, we swung by Hurts Donuts. My friend got herself a donut to have after crossing to the convention center, while I got one for her to hold for me in her backpack for after the race. Shortly thereafter, the Marathon Maniacs had the fastest meet-up for a pre-race photo I've been part of yet.

Finally, 7am came and we were off! The first mile was a little slower, not unexpectedly. I chatted briefly with someone who was running side-by-side with me for a bit, and then asked her what time she was shooting for: 3:30. Alas, as I was shooting for 3:15, I needed to break forward of her and try to get onto my pace, but as I was about to do so, I saw the 3:30 pacers right behind her, so I advised her to stick with those pacers -- they'd get her across right on time.

Little Rock is a relatively small field and there are only a few scattered pockets of observers cheering people on, so it's a largely quiet course. While I usually don't like it so quiet (as I like feeding off the energy of the crowds), it really wasn't so bad this time around. And, what's great about this course and my friend who was cheering me on is that there are several spots along the course where a single person can easily walk to while the runner is meandering the extra mileage in between. She wound up cheering me on at Miles 3+, 13+, and the finish line. (Stay tuned -- she may have the opportunity to write an entry on the blog about "how to be a good marathon spectator." There's actually a lot to it if you are supporting a specific runner.)

Little Rock is a hilly course. I knew this from last time. I thought I had done sufficient preparation for the hills. Apparently not. And, what's worse, is I unwittingly went out too fast -- I didn't recognize how much ahead of pace I was at 10k. Apparently my predicted time at that point was 3:09 -- far faster than my plan. And having not recognized it in time, that must have sucked out enough extra energy that I could have really used once I got to the nasty hills later in the course. By half-way, I was only slightly behind my planned pace, so I thought I would have a chance to make it up and hit my desired 3:15 or faster.

Nope, that wasn't in the cards. I had a couple of people who were in front of me by a good 25 to 50 yards who I was trying to use as rabbits for quite a long time. And, while it was working up through about Mile 19 or so, they slowly but surely drifted further away from me. My split times and their pulling away was what cemented my realization that my desired time would not happen. I was hopeful that I could at least place in my age group (as a consolation prize of sorts) given what last year's results were.

Then I got to about Mile 24/25, and it was another nasty hill. I knew I would not be able to handle running it - I just didn't have it in me. So, I walked the hill, and then was in a position to run the remainder. Ever closer to the finish, I switched the screen on my Garmin to the one that shows predicted finish time, and saw that I was ever so close to finishing just under 3:20. (A BQ, but not an improvement on the one I already have for 2026 that I wanted to beat.) Finally, I pushed through the end and finished in 3:19:44.

You can't necessarily tell from this shot, but this medal is HUGE. It is about the size of a dinner plate, and it weighs in at just under three pounds!

While my legs were actually doing fairly well, despite the hard course profile, my post-race recovery did NOT go smoothly. I picked up all the post-race food (they've got a decent assortment) and relatively quickly made it out to the reunion area, met up with my friend, and got to a table. 

While I slowly went through some of the goodies, I started to recognize some never-fun symptoms. My face was starting to tingle a little bit (and I was ever-so-slightly lightheaded) and my hands were also tingling (actually, more than my face). And, apparently my pausing and concentrating on what my symptoms were caused my friend (in her third year of medical school, mind you) a bit of concern -- especially since it seemed like I was also losing some color in my face. And by this point in time, I was getting cold (having lost my body heat from lack of movement and the table we sat at was close to the open back door) so I donned my poncho. But everything combined in such a way that Jess sought out someone from the medical team to come over to assess me. While she was doing so, I slowly continued to consume some more food and drink (by this time, finally getting to the banana and orange juice). When she came back, she had three of the medical personnel in tow. (Apparently it was a slow day for the medical volunteers, since there weren't any heat-related problems.) They made sure I elevated my legs and covered up a bit more. By the time they had arrived, the carbs I had just consumed had already started to work to some extent. After a few minutes, they returned to the med tent, noting that if needed, they could come back.

As time progressed and I couldn't converse smoothly because I was still breathing as heavily as I was, my friend sought them out again, noting that they might bring over a wheelchair to get me back to their medical area if they needed to use any equipment (stethoscope, pulse ox, etc.) since I was still tentative enough about standing up at that point. Again, three people came over, and the one new person in the group was doing a more in-depth assessment. She was talking with me, asking me various questions (effectively making sure I was lucid, etc.) while ostensibly taking my pulse (though, in earnestness, she was more likely counting my breaths per minute). I was fine other than the fact that I still couldn't fully catch my breath, even though it was over an hour since I had finished the race. While I wasn't huffing and puffing, it was still enough that (in hindsight) it could actually have been classified as hyperventilating. It took a fair bit of concentration to actually take deep breaths to try to slow down my breathing.

After an abnormally long post-race recovery time (90 minutes), I was finally in sufficient condition that I could stand up and start walking away. After a brief pit stop, we made our way back to the car and to the house. 

After showering, changing, and lounging about for a little while, we made it out for dinner for my standard bacon cheeseburger. (Having had a decent bit of food/drink after the race, we skipped lunch, which worked out well for me given some of my other issues that I've had in the past.) And we went to the perfect place for a Williams College alum:

The burger and sweet potato fries were quite tasty, and the milkshake was HUGE. (This is one of those places that pours the milkshake into a nice glass and also gives you the container that it was mixed in so that you can pour the rest once your first glass is drained. There was enough for nearly three glasses full. Oy!)

Monday was a nice relaxing day with only one thing on the agenda: going to a float spa. Ooh, that was relaxing. We each had a large pod to go into that had about 10 inches of water in it but so much epsom salts dissolved in it, that we were floating effortlessly. And they have it set up so that you can have lights on inside (or not) and soft music playing (or not). I chose to have the lights off but the music on. One hour in pitch darkness, floating, having no awareness of the passage of time. I just may add this into my routine. While I hadn't experienced any soreness beforehand (that usually sets in two days post race), I certainly haven't experienced any in the few days since, either. There's a place not too far from me where it's actually 90-minute sessions, and the prices are actually pretty reasonable, all things considered. I definitely recommend doing it at least once.

Tuesday, I managed to get onto an earlier flight than what I had booked -- there were nasty thunderstorms and possible tornadoes that were going to hit by the time of my originally scheduled flight, so I wanted out, and thankfully I got the last assigned seat for that earlier flight. And, what's more, I managed to get onto an earlier connecting flight, too. And, just like with the outbound flights, both of these flights arrived well ahead of schedule.

Next up? Boston. And this year's twist will be the costume that I run in, in honor of the 250th anniversary of Patriots Day. Stay tuned for that.

Slight nerves for upcoming race

The goal for next week in Little Rock is to break 3:15 (preferably breaking 3:13, even). I've been using the training plan that I used for when I broke 3:00 a few years ago. There have been a number of days when my results on the day were not what they should have been per that plan -- slowed down for bits, maybe even a brief walk break a la water stops. 

Certainly I'm not trained for sub-3:00, but I'm hopeful that I've done enough combined across all of the workouts, both those that worked perfectly and those that were suboptimal, that I can hit my goals.

Mercifully, the forecast has improved of late. I can only hope that this one stays as is. If so, I won't have anything to worry about on race other than me -- the only thing that I can control.

Fingers crossed!

Balancing Desires

As of a couple of days ago, the greater DC area was hearing forecasts for later this week of snow -- anywhere from about 5 inches all the way up to 17 or more inches. Wonderful!

As I thought about the possibility (however remote) of getting more than a foot of snow by me, I contemplated the fact that there would be no realistic chance of getting to the gym for at least 1-2 days. And on days that I was not set to have a rest day.

Well, as of earlier today, that dissonance was completely removed. The storm appears to be shifting far enough to the east off the coast that we will get NO snow.

Grrr... Well, at least I'll be getting to the gym as appropriately scheduled.

Miami Marathon

Originally, I was figuring that I would drive down to Miami -- it's only an hour from where I was staying with my snowbird mom. However, the more I thought about it, the more I disliked that plan. Instead, I decided to ride the Brightline. For those used to Amtrak, it's essentially that (actually, slightly better, IMO), where they also have your bags go through an X-ray machine and the passengers go through a metal detector to get into the station. The Boca Raton station was pretty comfortable, and the doors to the platform opened maybe 5 minutes before the train arrived.

We arrived in Miami 5 minutes early - astounding to me.

And the Brightline station was only two blocks away from where the pacing team was staying, at the Gale Hotel Downtown.

We definitely had a nice room, with balcony and a reasonable view, including being able to watch the ballet of a skyscraper being built right next door.

I was able to check in and fully unpack prior to my friend Ryan (whom I hadn't seen in 10+ years)  driving down with his young son. It took us a while to drive out to Miami Beach to grab lunch, given the expectedly hideous traffic. But it was a good time, and it was nice to finally meet Sammy, who I've seen only in Facebook posts previously. (I'm not so sure he was all that interested, but he was very well-behaved and is clearly a very smart kid.)

After lunch, we walked over to to the convention center where the expo was being held. And they escorted me in to drop me off at the MarathonPacing.com booth. That is, they would have if I had gotten the row correct. We were off by one, and given how crazy crowded it was, the better part of valor for them was to head on out to finish up their day at Miami Beach while I figured out where I was supposed to be.

I finally found the booth, late for my shift, changed into the shirt we were given for working the booth and donned the Shokz headset (around my neck), gifted to all of the pacers. I need to figure out what I'm going to do with my pair, since I never listen to music while running. I enjoyed talking with all of the runners who came over asking various questions about the race, our respective strategies for running it, etc. Especially with the forecast on tap.

                                                                

I left the expo shortly after 5pm and walked down to the bus stop, hoping to grab the next bus that would go to within a few blocks of my hotel, figuring I could get there about 6pm or so, and start setting up my gear before heading out to the pacer team. Ha! After waiting over 45 minutes, a few of us were griping, and one of the others decided to order up an Uber, and he offered the other two of us a lift. While the traffic sucked beyond belief, I still arrived faster than I would have waiting who knows how much more for the bus. (No idea why it never arrived.) And we ended up a few blocks closer to the restaurant than if I had gone to my hotel, so it worked out well.

After the team dinner, I went back to the hotel, set everything up for race morning per usual (to make getting out the door that much easier), and forced myself to get to sleep much earlier than normal. After all, I was going to be waking up at 3:45am for a 4:45am departure. (The pace team was meeting at 5am for the team photo.)

The start line was at the Kaseya Center, which they opened for the runners to be able to go in and use real bathrooms (though they did also have plenty of portapotties).

I was in Corral H at the assigned 5:15am, despite the fact that with a 6am Corral A start, we weren't expected to cross the start line until 6:30am. It was a lot of time answering the same question (yes, we start facing the "wrong" direction before crossing over and walking up to the line) and telling everyone who would be running with me my main strategy other than even splits: walking all of the water stops as a forcing function for everyone (me, included) to both drink something AND throw water over their head.

Finally, after a delayed start, and an extra delay for our corral to make sure that Corral G was far enough separated from us, we made the right hand turn at Mile 0.25 and effectively hit a wall of walking up the up ramp in a very cramped area. (At least I knew about it ahead of time and warned my group, too.) Once we got past that (and lost about 1 minute -- easy to make up over time), it was a straightforward race, despite the high heat and humidity.

I had many first-timers with me (both for the half and full marathon), and they were very engaged and chatty.

The lady in pink in these three photos stayed with me for the entire race! As did the man (above) in the gray.

The man in red next to me below was running his first marathon and, in fact, his longest run ever kicked in once he hit Mile 18. He stuck with me through about Mile 21 when, unfortunately, he fell off pace. But still finished very strong. But the man in gray started to pull away in front of me after Mile 25 - a great spot to do it if you know you have enough left in the tank to stay in front of me and certainly finish well under the posted time.

Given the additional mileage I had run (weaving a little bit, go to/from water stops, not running perfect tangents), looking at one of the data screens on my Garmin during the last mile was very confusing. It was showing me several minutes ahead of pace, which should not have been the case. So, I went more by feel of running the same pace as I had been and hoped that I would get an accurate predicted end time when I hit Mile 26. It showed me about 2 seconds too fast, and I was *not* going to do that again - so I slowed down just a little bit to make sure I hit the assigned sweet spot. And that's where I encouraged the lady in pink to give it everything she had left - finish in front of me. She did so, though with a bit of initial hesitation.

Having looked over my shoulder and seen a few people relatively close behind, I made sure to motion to them to get in front of me and go all out. That also helped me to slow down a little bit, too.

Made it almost exactly on time for being the 4:30 pacer -- 4:29:25.

After crossing the finish line, both of the people from my group who finished in front of me came up to me to get a photo. (My brain fog was enough that I didn't have it taken on my phone, nor did I ask for them to text them to me.)

The immediate post-race food and drink was pretty good and definitely plentiful. And there was enough space to move around before exiting into the chaos of the family reunion area and remainder of the post-race festival area, which had lots of stuff available, some free and some for charge. Thankfully I had my Life Time Fitness membership card in the LTF app on my phone, so I was able to skip the otherwise somewhat lengthy line to get a post-race dynamic stretch.

Here's the official recap video.

After finishing up in the festival, and with being pointed the right way by an official (since there were no signs to the exit or bag check), I made my way towards the bag check area. And passed by a few notables on the way.

And then bag check -- they did a great job with setting this up and having a relatively small number of bags in each of the differently numbered bays, making retrieval really easy.

This seemed to be a rather apt sculpture to pass along the way back to the hotel.

Luckily, I had gotten a late check-out, and wound up using every last minute of it before walking out the door and figuring out what I was going to do for lunch. I left my bag at the hotel, and headed up a few blocks to what appeared online to be an interesting place. I hadn't realized that it was 100% take-out, no indoor seating. But there was sufficient outdoor seating and an umbrella to stay out of the sun.

Unbeknownst to me, they were running a BOGO sale, so, I received two of the bacon cheeseburgers and fries that I ordered. Tempted as I was to eat it all, I knew that would be a bad move. So, I ate just the one of each and, given my suspicion about a couple of the blocks between there and the hotel, I walked down one in particular. Most of the way down, across the street in a stairwell, I saw a homeless man sitting amid a lot of bags. I crossed over and asked him if he would like the burger and fries; he gladly accepted them.

I eventually made my way to the Brightline station to head on back to my mom's for night before heading to Orlando. Flight back was Monday evening.

Definitely a good experience overall. Certainly would consider pacing this one again.