Proud to be a Turkey

In my immediate family, I have always been "the athlete." I played baseball, ran cross country and eventually went into marathon running.

Yeah, I had my little hiccup in college and had to shed 50+ pounds to get into the marathon shape I'm in today, but for the most part sports and I have always been tied together.

I've got to say, it's nice to be able to say that I've finally got company.

My big sister, Melissa, is a great source of inspiration for me, and I know many others would say the same. She is currently on a journey of turning herself into a completely new person, dropping around 100 pounds so far in her quest to one day complete an Ironman.

She always kids that someday she's going to buy a shirt that says, "Oh, you run marathons? She reminds me often that she's going to beat me fair and square in a race one day, and no one is rooting her on more than I am. Come and get me, sis. How cute." They are jokes now, but I really can't wait until it becomes reality.

On Thanksgiving morning, finally feeling better after Sunday's marathon, and FINALLY rid of my swollen feet, I decided to join Melissa for a Turkey Trot. The 5K race was in Long Grove, Ill., with a gorgeous little course. The weather was cold, but the rain stayed away, allowing for a pretty impressive race.

Nearly 1,000 people lined up for the 5K. I had a couple reasons for wanting to take part. First of all, this was my sister's first event since finding out she has Crohn's disease. It's just one more thing for her to compete against and I wanted to be there to see her back out there running. Second, I was still kicking myself over how my marathon went, so I wanted a race to help me put it swiftly behind me.

I was happy to take care of both wishes.

It was a blast to get ready for the race with Melissa, chat in the car while we were freezing our butts off, making fun of other runners stretching routines... just having a good time together. And it was a thrill to see her cross that finish line. When she turned the corner at one point, I barely recognized my sister. It's like she's this brandnew person, and it's been amazing to watch that process over the past couple of years.

My sis blogs at http://www.mommymeepa.blogspot.com/ and tweets under the handle @306to140.

Beyond that, it was great personally to get back on the roads and perform the way I know I can. With a pair of sore legs and a couple of beat up feet, I ran a 7:13 average (6:55 for my first mile) and placed 48th out of 977 runners. I was fifth in my age division, just two freakin' spots away from earning a medal! Boooo.

I came away from Philadelphia upset and disappointed. This run helped me shake that experience off and walk away with a smile.

And, it helped me feel better about shoving my face at Thanksgiving dinner!

~JB

Yo Adrian! I did it!

Well, I did it. I ran my fifth career marathon. That, right there, is just about all there was about the race that brought any sense of satisfaction for me. I've had a hard time feeling happy with this one.

I knew going in that this was going to be one of the harder marathons I took on. I had a handful of obstacles to overcome and I knew that realistically I probably wasn't ready to tackle a full 26.2 miles at a consistent pace.

Whether it was the old self-fulfilling prophecy or not, the race went just about exactly as I expected. I held strong for 9 miles, was still good through 13, was hanging in there through 16 miles... and then I fell apart. Utterly and completely fell apart. My body was done, and I still had 10 miles to go.

The course was beautiful and reminded me a lot of the Chicago course. There were a few sections that were more hilly than I anticipated, but that was hardly my worst problem in this race. The marathon and half marathon ran at the same time and at Mile 12 I was seriously considering dropping out at 13.1 miles, and trying to persuade them to give me a medal for the half and calling it a day.

Instead of turning right and calling it quits, though, I turned left and sucked it up. I ran the first half in roughly 1:49, and I remained on pace for about a 3:40-45 finish through the first 16 miles. After that, my body just couldn't keep up the pace. It felt like I was running hard and my watch showed I was averaging over 10 minutes per mile.

Once a PR was out of the question, I opted to listen to my body and ease to the finish line. I finished in 4:13:35. Depending on how you want to look at it, it was either my fourth-best marathon, or my second-worst. Off the top of my head, though, I think that might have been my fastest first half of any I have run so far. So, there's that.

Actually, thanks to archived results on the ol' internet, I just found all my first-half splits for my marathons. Here is how they rank, with final time in parentheses.

1:44:49 -- Tampa 2010 (3:43:43)
1:49:16 -- Philadelphia 2010 (4:13:35)
1:50:36 -- Chicago 2008 (4:22:22)
1:51:06 -- Chicago 2009 (4:09:04)
1:53:22 -- Disney 2009 (4:04:05)

So I had a fantastic first half and then a terrible second half this time around.

My unofficial splits, according to my watch, looked something like this: 8:17, 8:04, 7:50, 8:09, 8:10, 7:44, 7:51, 8:15, 7:50 (here comes the first wall), 8:48, 8:43, 8:27, 8:40 (here comes the second wall), 9:35, 8:59, 9:10 (And here comes the collapse), 9:57, 10:45, 10:17, 10:49, 11:23, 11:27, 11:46, 12:54, 12:10, 11:29, 3:26 for final .2 miles.

The end result brought on two thoughts: 1. Maybe I am built for, and should stick to, half marathons; 2. I need to run another full soon to put this one behind me. I might revert back to No. 1 later in life, but I'm not done with the marathons. I'm already giving serious thought to the Cleveland full in May, and I might plan on a fall marathon as well (Chicago again? NYC if I make it through the lottery?).

The best part about this marathon was meeting up with a few friends in Philly. I met up with a friend I've known through Twitter and we ran together for the first 8 miles before she bolted off and qualified for Boston with a 3:28. Another friend who I've talked running with on Facebook completed her first full marathon as well. Great accomplishments for both of them.

And, as bummed as I might be about certain aspects of this marathon, I'm proud to add a fifth medal to my display in my office. I'm also proud that I went through with this one even though I knew it was going to be tough sledding. I'm also happy that I turned left and kept on with the full when my body and mind both wanted to quit at the halfway mark.

On that note, I'm going to leave you with this, a photo of my swollen right foot from Monday morning!

... I warned ya.

~JB

Gonna Fly Now

Just got back from dinner with some friends here in Philadelphia. I'm carbo-loaded and ready to go. My fifth full marathon is roughly 10 hours away.

I'm not satisfied with how my training went this time around. But, I guess who ever really is when going for a marathon? There's always more you could've done, ways you could've been better, areas you could've improved.

In the past 18 weeks, I've logged 303 miles, which is, oh, about 200+ miles short of where I wanted to be over that same time period. But, I got the key long runs in, did squeeze in speedwork and certainly have experience on my side.

Last night, I had an odd dream. First off, I was late to the start of the marathon. I bolted to the line and had to sort through my goodie bag (the one you pick up at the expo) to find my bib number and timing chip. Then I darted off to run the race, long after it had started.

The next thing I remember... was not being able to remember if I ever finished. It was like I woke up from a dream, in my dream (or from a blackout in my dream?) and I had no memory of my finish. I remembered starting, but not crossing the finish line. I'm sure some psychiatrist would analyze the heck out of that.

What does it mean to me?

Well, it means the obvious: that this is the most unsure I've been about a race. I'm still fighting some heel pain in my left foot, my training was not as good as it should've been and I'm a little over my race weight. That said, the "injury" only hurts when walking, not when running, I trained decent enough and have tons of experience, and I've completed one marathon at a heavier weight.

So I fully expect to cross the finish line tomorrow. I just am not sure about setting a new PR, which I've done in each marathon I've run. I'll go out at a solid pace -- one that puts me on target for a 3:30-45 finish -- and see where that gets me. If I finish under 4 hours, I can walk away happy with how I performed. If I beat the 3:43 I put up in Tampa, fantastic. If not? Well, hey, I ran another marathon and that should be enough to bring me satisfaction.

The problem is, if I ever was satisfied, I wouldn't keep running marathons.

I keep coming back because I am hooked on the feeling you get when you complete one, and I'm also hooked on trying to get better each time. Whether or not I do set a new personal best, at least I'll be better for following through with this one. That's one thing I do take pride in, that I am going ahead with this daunting task when it'd be easy to throw in the towel.

Now that I've got that all out of my system, it's time to get some sleep. I've got a marathon in the morning.

~JB

Still Here, Still Running

Man, I really did not plan on going so long between posts. One day I'm a shirtless wild man running through Arizona mountains and then I disappear off the face of the Earth. Well, I'm still here. And, as the title of this entry says, I'm still running.

In fact, I've logged 376 miles and moved into a new pair of Saucony shoes since I last wrote. My training has been sporadic -- to put it mildly -- but a lot has happened. Life events that constantly threw wrinkles in my schedule and tested my endurance, on the roads and otherwise.

Let's see...

I moved into a new house in a new country (back in the USA!) and my family said goodbye to Grandma Bastian. As it turns out, I've learned that I do not use running as a form of stress relief. While back home during the time my grandma was ailing in the hospital, I had absolutely no interest in logging miles. That hurt me right in the heart of my marathon training plan.

I've managed, though. Since I last wrote, I took part in the Garden of the Gods 10-miler in Colorado Springs (holy hills!), and logged runs in Philadelphia, along Lake Erie in Cleveland, through NYC's Central Park, along the Charles River and around the Cherry Hill Reservoir in Boston, all over Toronto, here and there in Baltimore, through the wall of heat in Kansas City and over the bridges of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Along the way, I've fought back soreness, calf tightness, some stomach isues, sharp heel pain and, oh yeah, I stabbed myself in the bottom of my left foot with a knife while installing a baby gate.

And now? Now, I've got the Philadelphia Marathon in less than two weeks.

I'm in good enough shape to finish, there's no doubt about that. Two Sundays ago I logged 20 miles in roughly three hours, so I'm more than ready and able. As for breaking the 3:43 I posted in Tampa in February, well, we'll see. I'm gunning for under four hours and am hoping to crack 3:45 again.

When I get to Mile 16 or so on Nov. 21, I think I'll know how realistic that finishing goal is for this fall. One way or another at least, I'll have another medal and a fifth marathon on my resume. I'm already looking ahead to No. 6, too. Cleveland has a marathon in May that just might work for me, and I think I'll be better prepared.

I also hope to begin blogging more again...

~JB

Phoenix Running

Sitting in the back seat of the cab, I peered out the window to my left. Rising over Phoenix was a series of peaks. Not high enough to intimidate -- only enough to intrigue.

I'd been reading "Born to Run," which includes tales of ultra-running through trails, deserts and mountains. This was no Everest I was looking at out my window, but it was certainly a challenge. One I wanted to take on.

After settling into my hotel, I grabbed an area map and plotted my next run. South of the city's downtown was a green shaded section labeled "South Mountain Park." That was what I had spotted and was now officially my target. I had never really run trails, or on any kind of steep grade, but that was going to change in a hurry.

I hopped online and found a map of the park's trails, picking out one called the "National trail" for my run the next day. I wanted to run at least 10 miles and that route seemed to be a good place to accomplish that goal. I discussed things over with the concierge, phoned up a rental car agency, purchased some water and gatorade and was set.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, I pulled into a small parking lot at the edge of a dirt trail. Peering down the path, I saw it disappear into the foothills of a much larger hill, covered in large boulders, plenty of cacti and I could only assume a large assortment of snakes, scorpions and mountain lions.

I'm from the city, how would I know?

With my water bottle full, my shoes laced tight and my sunglasses on, I set off into the unknown. For the past two years, I had been running on paved paths and roads, lined with roller-bladers, bikers and runners. Finding my way down dirt trails, over boulder-covered hills, and up and down steep switchbacks was completely foreign.

Man, I had a blast.

Two miles in, I had ascended high enough to have a gorgeous view of downtown Phoenix in the valley below, and I still had higher to go. When the path was flat, I ran. When it went downhill, I ran. That was the pact I made with myself. Only when the path was overrun with rocks and required the use of my hands for climbing did I walk.

Midway through the 10-mile adventure, I felt like I was on another planet. There was not another soul in sight. Just me, shirt off and tucked in my shorts, water bottle running dry, sun beating down with no cloud cover, making my way along the rocky terrain. Suddenly, I didn't care about splits or pace. I never once turned on my iPod.

In fact, I lost it somewhere on the mountain, and did not realize it until later that day.

The second half proved to be mostly a descent, and I took advantage. I flew down the hills and switchbacks and top speed, concentrating on making careful landings as I blew down the mountain. My ankles buckled but held strong. My arms pumped but did not fatigue. I bounced off boulders and zig-zagged on the steepest sections, keeping a steady pace to the end.

Before I knew it, I was on a dirt trail, running toward the small parking lot. It was over. I had completed the 10-mile journey and still wanted more. If I did not have work in a couple hours, I might have been tempted to refill my water, turn around and go again. It was easy to see why trail running is so addicting for some.

It also proved to be a great workout leading up to a race on my calendar next month. On June 13, I'll be running in the Garden of the Gods 10-miler. It is a hilly course held in the thin air of Colorado and will present another challenge. If running through South Mountain Park was any indication, I will probably have a blast.

~JB

Unwritten Rules Vol. 1: No Drafting

The great thing about running is its simplicity. If you have a pair of shoes, and a strip of pavement, you can head out the door and consider yourself a runner. There is no handbook. No pamphlet. No instructions.

But, maybe there should be.

You see, once you are a runner, there are indeed rules. Many are of the unwritten variety and plenty are broken on a daily basis out on the roads and in the gyms across the country. Spitting while on the treadmill? Come on, people. Running two- or three-people wide across an entire path? That's just rude.

Today, though, let's tackle "Running Etiquette for Dummies" with a lesson in drafting.

Last week, I headed out for a relatively fast-paced six-miler along the Toronto lakefront. It's a gorgeous out-and-back run that takes me by a couple parks, along the water and up and down a couple of decent hills. I run alone and I am a waver, giving a slight nod or a brief salute to the runners I can tell are also serious about their craft.

As I bolted around a curve entering my second mile, I noticed someone closing in behind me. I respected the man's speed and glided to my left, hugging the blue line painted down the center of the path -- the boundry between runners heading east and those heading west. I was giving clearance for my fellow runner to pass.

Something strange happened, though. He did not pass me.

After I shifted to the left, so did the man behind me. I glanced back and I saw a thin runner, wearing a loose-fitting tank top and some small shorts. It was the attire of a serious runner -- maybe a fellow marathoner. You would think someone of that ilk would know better than to tuck behind a complete stranger on a run.

You see, on this particular day, it was windy along the lake, especially heading west as he and I were at the moment. I was running against the wind and he was running relatively wind free. He was drafting off me, allowing me to absorb the heavy wind while he ran in a calm pocket behind me.

This was entirely unacceptable.

I pushed my pace to try to separate myself from him, but he sped up as well. I moved to my right and he followed. A few runners sprinted by in the opposite direction, nodding and waving as they ran past. I gave a nod in return, but I wanted to say, "I don't know this guy! We're not running partners!"

Because that is what it likely looked like.

It probably looked like me and Mr. Short Shorts were running buddies, taking part in some tough training exercise along the lake. In a sense, for two miles, we were running partners, though. I ran harder. He stayed with me. I shifted to the other side of the path. So did he. I moved back. He followed.

In a word: annoying.

Finally, as I was nearing my third mile, I glanced back again. And, just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone, and I slowed my pace back to my normal range. I'll say this about Captain Shadow, he gave me a good workout, because I was not going to allow him the satisfaction of passing me after his little stunt.

Drafting off another runners is one of those unwritten rules. Unless you know the other runner, and such a strategy has been approved, you simply do not do it.

A new PR: Gasparilla 2010

I've got to say, I am completely bummed that Tampa's Gasparilla Distance Classic is no longer going to include the marathon.

At the end of February, I ran the "Final Voyage" of the Gasparilla Marathon and I had an absolute blast. A gorgeous day made the out-and-back course along the water so enjoyable. It was flat and fast and the size of the field was perfect.

I crossed the finish line in 3:43:43 -- a new PR by more than 20 minutes. I was thrilled. My training program was an aggressive six-week plan after roughly three months of simply sticking with a weekly mileage base with few long runs.

I ran Chicago in October after training poorly, mainly due to the birth of my son. When you've got a newborn in your arms, let me tell you, the last thing you want to do is head out for a long run. I PR'd in Chicago, but I didn't break four hours. I didn't really plan on doing another 26.2 so soon. I was feeling so strong with my running by the end of December, though, that I decided to take on another full.

The Gasparilla Marathon worked out perfectly because I was going to be in Florida for work from mid-February through the beginning of April. The bulk of my training was done in Chicago and Toronto -- often through the snow -- and only one final long run during my tapering period was needed while in Florida.

When race day arrived, I got up at 4 a.m. and was at the convention center in Tampa well before the 6 am start. While stretching inside -- I've got to say, having indoor bathrooms and places to get loose inside was an awesome change from other races -- I met a guy named Chris. We chatted for a bit and headed to the start line together.

I saw Chris later that morning, around Mile 20. I caught him and we wound up running the final six miles together. I think it was good for both of us. He pushed me when I was hurting and when we got to the home stretch, I pushed him to a strong finish. We finished only a couple seconds apart.

I ran the first half in 1:44, which was only two minutes slower than I ran the Las Vegas half marathon in December 2008. I took a similar approach to my last Chicago Marathon -- go out hard with the intent of slowing some later. The only difference this time was I put in the training and was able to hold that early pace for much longer.

In Chicago, I was really only ready to do maybe 16-18 miles total. I faded hard during that race, but went out fast enough at the start to PR at 4:04. This time, I was able to hold a hard pace (for me) for 18-20 miles. I knew I could slow to an 8:30-9:00 pace, if needed, and still be on pace for around a 3:45 finish.

I wound up doing the second half in 1:59, which was almost exactly what I was aiming for. When I saw I had 1:44 in the first half, all I said was get under 2 hours for the second half. That's a comfortable pace for me, even when my legs are aching. So, my game plan paid off. I hit my targets and crushed my previous marathon best.

As for the course, it was fantastic. You run through downtown Tampa, through some nice little residential areas, along the water, down beautiful Bayshore Boulevard, around a small lake and then back. The only complaint I had was that the half marathoners rejoin the marathon pack at one point. So you went from running in a very thin crowd to being in a mass of people at about the halfway point. Really, though, that's a small complaint.

Following the marathon, I felt great, too. The next morning, I was walking fine. This meant two things in my mind. 1) I trained really well this time around and have really learned how to approach things in the days leading up to the race. 2) I didn't run hard enough! I think it was more of the former than the latter. I can't stress enough how much core and strength training have helped me stay injury free for the past year.

I was so happy with how things went at the Tampa Marathon, that I decided to take a physical and mental break from running. Here we are, it's April 25, and I've only JUST started running regularly again. I did four six-milers this week for a solid 24-mile week. I'm over 2,300 miles since I started logging them in October 2007 and I'm planning on running my next marathon in November.

My favorite part of the last marathon wasn't the cool medal, the PR or anything that happened during the race, though. When I got home from the marathon, I opened up the door to the condo I was staying at and my lovely wife had my son in a little T-shirt that read "Future Marathoner." Let's learn how to crawl first, buddy.

~JB

Gaining Strength

"Free your mind, and your feet will follow."

--Kevin Nelson
The Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration

Opened up an e-mail the other day from Runner's World and received that quote. Some of the items they send are quickly deleted, others hit home a little bit. This one stuck out for me in that it very succinctly summed up one of the main motivations I have for running.

A lot of people will say they enjoy running so much because it provides them with time to think about things, time to plan or to ponder. For me, it's the complete opposite. When I hit the road, I completely clear my mind. I might be out there running for two hours, but all I'm thinking about is how my feet are landing, how my breaths are timed and whether my pace is strong.

When I'm at home, I'm constantly thinking about deadlines, assignments, and how to organize all those work items in a way as to intefere as little as possible with being a father and a husband. My mind is running on overdrive when I'm at home. The last thing I want to do is take that with me onto the road.

My wife has always marveled at how I can shut my mind off when it is time to fall asleep. She'll lie in bed, going over the million things that wives go over in their minds. Me? I close my eyes, clear my mind of all that daytime clutter, and am able to fall asleep within a few minutes. It's the same when I head out for a long run.

Some time in the past year, someone said they didn't understand how someone could run a marathon -- that at some point you'd run out of things to think about over 26.2 miles. It was funny. That was something that never occurred to me. During marathons, all I think about is one foot in front of the other until that finish line is behind me.

Speaking of which, it's official:

I am signed up for the Tampa Marathon.

I just wrapped Day 2 in Week 3 of my accelerated 6-week training plan. So far, I have not missed one workout and have only used two of the 16 days as pure rest days. I did an "easy" 8-miler today, split between the treadmill and track. This past Sunday, I logged 16 miles on the Don Valley Path here in Toronto.

I stepped on the scale today and it read 163, so I'm down about 10-12 pounds since I ran the Chicago Marathon in October. Not only am I trimmer, but I'm stronger. I feel better than I have before any of my marathons. Unlike leading up to my first one, I have really mixed in strength training, and done a lot of core work, to help with injury prevention and form.

I'm not going to be qualifying for Boston, but a fourth consecutive PR is not unrealistic and that would likely mean I'd finally break four hours for a marathon. That's the goal. If I can get close to the 3:45 range where I'd like to be, that would be an added bonus. Barring some sort of setback, everything seems to be lining up well right now.

So, wish me luck. My weekly mileage is nearing 40 and I'm due for an 18-miler this Sunday and a 20-miler the following weekend. I've been doing the bulk of my training indoors, except for those long runs. On the past two Sundays, I've braved freezing rain and snow flurries, respectively. Let's hope for better conditions this week...

~JB

Somebody's watching

A cool thing happened the other day. I was running laps around our indoor track, working on finishing a six-miler, when I noticed a pair of little eyes were locked in on me. As I whipped around one of the tight turns, the eyes followed me and his head turned, his tiny mouth agape.

My four-month-old son was watching me run.

Kelly brought Hayden to the gym to walk laps with him strapped to her in his carrier -- he doesn't like being idle. She took a break to bounce on a large rubber ball with him, and he loved it, giggling like crazy. But when I ran by, he recognized me for that split second and watched me fly around the track.

That was a pretty neat experience. The moment lasted all of three seconds, but it served as a pretty big reality check. Whether I like it or not, he's watching everything I do and he's bound to try to copy me. In that case, I have even more motivation to keep running. I want my little guy growing up in a household where athletics are normal, where doing something like running a marathon is a way of life, not some unattainable dream.

I want Hayden to grow up knowing that he can accomplish anything he wants with the right attitude and the right work ethic. That's one of the main reasons I ran the Chicago marathon in October, even though his birth took a toll on my training. It was an exercise in determination, and something I could tell him about someday.

Along those same lines, I have decided to run the Tampa Marathon on Feb. 28. I have been running steadily and strong since Chicago and am actually in better shape now than I was then. I set a PR for that marathon and am confident I'll do so this time around as well.

I have mapped out an abbreviated marathon training plan. A crash course leading up to the big day. I have been doing weekly long runs up to this point, but I'll now up the anty, going for 14, 16, 18, 20-22, and 10 miles, respectively, on the five Sundays leading up to the marathon. There's speedwork, tempo runs, easy efforts, and plenty of cross-training, core workouts and lifting days.

I will be a four-time marathoner in less than six weeks.

Today was further proof that I'm feeling very strong on the run right now. I did a 5-miler, with 3 at a tempo pace of between 7:55-8:00 per mile. I finished with tempo splits of 7:57-7:54-7:58. As if that wasn't steady enough, I hit exactly 1,390 steps in each of the first two miles and 1,394 for the third.

Hayden wasn't there watching today. But I can't wait to show him my fourth medal down in Florida.

NYD 5K RESULTS: I finished the New Year's Day 5K in Chicago in 23:14 for an average of roughly 7:30 per mile. Among an estimated 600+ timed participants, I finished 43rd overall. I wanted to break 21, but the path was covered in snow and ice for a few long stretches and the wind chill was about 7 degrees F. My sister Melissa ran in the event as well -- one of her steps in becoming a future Ironman finisher.

After Melissa finished, we crossed the finish line together.