A Long Run Throwback

Until today, my handful of long runs this year have been on the very flat, Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Virginia. In fact, there isn’t a significant hill to be found on the stretch from Shrilington out to Falls Church. Plus, I did these runs under the careful supervision of Anne, who would ride her bike to pace me, and also carry Gatorade that I could gulp at any time. I was in heaven. I was spoiled. I was on easy street.

Since Anne is out-of-town for the holidays, I decided to do today’s long run along a classic course I developed years ago, the brutal Capital Crescent-Wisconsin Ave route. And I ran it with my other running friend Kate (yes, I have two friends named Kate) who is a speed demon and pushes me to my limits. We started out this morning in front of Barnes and Noble, making our way down the 7 miles of the Capital Crescent Trail into Georgetown. So far, so good. I was a little tired and a bit overheated since I over-layered again, but once we reached M Street in Georgetown, I was feeling okay.

Then the madness began. We hooked a left on Wisconsin Avenue to go straight back to Bethesda. It’s only 6 miles, but it’s the most difficult 6 mile stretch anywhere I’ve ever run. You basically run from sea level to over 400 feet asl in three incredibly steep hills. To put this in perspective, the famous Heartbreak Hill on the Boston Marathon course is only 88 feet. The first hill from Georgetown to Glover Park was tough. I struggled mightily; my legs were tired, my breathing was heavy, and I wanted to give up. Thankfully, after the first hill, we stopped at a CVS for Gatorade. Then it was on to the next hill, which goes from Glover Park, past the Russian Embassy, and up to the Cathedral area. Maybe it was the Gatorade and quick rest that helped, but I handled that hill just fine. Kate and I continued our journey on Wisconsin, through Tenley/AU and Friendship Heights. When we reached the Maryland line, I knew I was in trouble. I had no energy whatsoever, and there was one last big hill to climb to get back to Bethesda. I told Kate, half joking, half serious, that I wanted to quit. She wouldn’t let me. Somehow I made it back to Bethesda, but by the time we finished, I couldn’t run another foot.

Although I’m very sore and extremely tired, I feel as if today was yet another step toward getting back to my old running self. Running with Kate along an old, tried and true route made the last two years of surgery and rehab seem like a distant memory. I like that feeling.

Final Race of 2008

Yesterday’s Jingle all the Way 10k marked my 8th and final race of the year. From outward appearances, I did pretty well, finishing in 47 minutes, 59 seconds, for an average of 7 minutes, 43 seconds per mile. Not a bad way to end the year, and it certainly shows I have come a long way in my comeback from injury. Just a year ago, I couldn’t run for more than 20 seconds at a time. Yet, I was somewhat disappointed with the result; I could've done better. So what happened?

First, I was too layered. The temperature yesterday morning was chilly, about 30 degrees at the start of the race. Now in past years, I would’ve worn shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt, nothing else. Why? Because one of my big rules of running has been to dress like it’s 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature. For whatever reason, I decided to layer up yesterday, wearing long running pants, a t-shirt and then a long sleeved shirt, plus a running jacket to boot. By mile 2, I was overheating big-time, but because I had my bib pinned to my jacket, I couldn’t de-layer. Second, I was tired. Instead of relaxing the night before the race, I stressed and worried about the conditions for the race, and consequently did not sleep well and got maybe 5 hours total.

Last but not least, I was too heavy. For a year after ankle surgery, I wasn’t really able to exercise on a regular basis, and as a result I gained some weight, about 15 pounds to be exact. Most people haven’t noticed, and I don’t exactly look heavy or obese, but it does impact my running stamina. I’ve already lost 5 of those pounds, but I still need to drop another 10 before the marathon.

I’ve worked extremely hard during my comeback and it really is paying off. My fitness is improving each and every week, which is reflected in my improving race times. What’s frustrating, however, is that I’m really close to getting back to my old, pre-injury self, but I’m not quite there yet. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I had been well rested, dressed in fewer layers, and weighed less, I could’ve finished yesterday’s race in about 45 minutes. That’s the kind of time I used to clock with ease prior to injury. Some people might say that I shouldn’t be so negative, that I’ve come so far since 2007, and to take the long view. I’m probably about 90% back, but sometimes it’s the last 10%, that final push over the goal line, to borrow a term from football, that is the most difficult. Nonetheless, I’m very confident that I’ll pick-up those last few yards (unlike my pathetic Redskins yesterday against Cincinnati) and will make a big score next March at the National Marathon.

2009 Race Schedule

This is the time of year when we start planning out the new year, and I’ve just finished developing a preliminary 2009 race schedule. The big highlight is the Sun Trust National Marathon on March 21st here in Washington. All of the other races are ones I’ve done before, and there are some particular classics I look forward to running like the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia and the Army 10 Miler. I may add or subtract a race or two, but for the most part, this is how my 2009 is shaping up.

03/21/09 – Sun Trust National Marathon
04/26/09 – Pike’s Peek 10k
05/03/09 – Broad Street Run
06/13/09 – Lawyers Have a Heart 10k
07/04/09 – Potomac 5k
08/30/09 – Annapolis 10 Mile Run
09/20/09 – Philadelphia Distance Run
10/04/09 – Army 10 Miler
11/22/09 – Philadelphia Marathon