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Marathons,
Ultra-Marathons and other Epic
Adventures. last updated 10/8/2004
(1 Corinthians 9:24) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize. So run, that ye may obtain. (1 Corinthinas 9:26) I therefore so run.... Rudy Garcia Tolson, age 14,
Double above knee amputation. Rudy is amazing. His mot Visit the Athletes Helping Athletes Webpage for more information. www.athleteshelpathletes.org.
Upcoming Marathons and Ultra-Adventures 2004 Marathons: November 7, 2004 I will be the 4 Hour Pace Team Leader for the ING New York City Marathon. I am looking forward to pacing again. I ran for The Clif Shot Pace Team in 2002 (5 Marathons) and did one race for them in 2003. It was an awesome adventure. However, this year I am a guest on their roster. If you are in my pace group, I will get you to the finish time in the alloted time. I did all of my races within the 2 minute limit set by Clif, and towards the end I was getting real good :) http://www.clifbar.com/#Clif Shot Pace Team 2004 has been a re-focus year for me. I am coming off of some pretty harsh injuries that kept me sidelined for a good part of 2003. Not fun at all. So far I am coming back on track and plan to put up some numbers again this year. Watch out. First up was Buffalo Marathon as a personal pacer to a couple of friends of mine. We did great and I found the gear that allows me to go into auto-pilot and hit consistent mile splits, to the point where I knew which mile markers were incorrect on the course. 2003 Ultra-Marathons: 2004 UltraRunning Plan. Successfully Complted!!! July, 2004 - Sammy's 6 hour Run - where I ran 35 miles in 5 hours and 30 minutes, then on October 2, 2004 - at the Tussey Mountain 50 Miler, I took 1st place in the Master's Division with a strong 8 hour and 34 minute showing. The 50 mile distance is my favorite racing distance. I felt the rush of planning for a strong 50 this year. It has been two years since I had attempted my favorite distance. I was pushing hard. I have a buddy who I know was gunning for me out there, (and you know who you are), I told him that he had better believe that if he was going to beat me he had better run his race because I am going to run mine, and it is going to be a good one. I did it!
Marathon Racing and Ultra-Running.
This is a link to the UltraRunning Magazine. It has a lot of great information about the sport of UltraMarathon Running. They also have an excellent calendar with lists of races by geographic region. Sure is easier for me to post their link than to try and list all of the great races that are scheduled for 2004. Go and check them out at UltraRunning. (1 Corinthians 9:24) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize. So run, that ye may obtain. (1 Corinthinas 9:26) I therefore so run....
Race Reports Cystic Fibrosis USATF 50K National Championship Ultra-Marathon. Pittsburgh, PA. March 23, 2002 Pittsburgh weather is quite unpredictable. For this race it was cold (30 deg at the start, warmer as the day progressed) crystal clear sky, and windy...very windy. Not great ultra weather, but then again everyone gets the same weather and it wasn't too bad. Absent the wind, it would have been glorious. I was planning to run a 3:40:00 for the 50K (31 miles). The race was a 5K loop. 10X 5K loop...what a sick race director he must be. To hit my goal meant a fast marathon (3:00:00 or so) followed by a real fast 5 mile finish. I had a good attitude about the race, high expectations, and serious focus. And since it was my only planned race of the year, I was going to give it everything I had. No excuses. Hold nothing back. I was steady through the first 10K. The second 10K came and my crew was keeping me hydrated and well fed. They yelled to me that I was running very consistent and right on target to the pace chart that I had given them. Through the 30K mark I felt the wear and tear of the 20-30mph headwinds and knew it would take quite an effort to maintain the pace. Through 35K I hung tough. At 42K (Marathon distance) I was around 3:02:00, not a bad marathon, but I had to get it together if I was going to break my PR of 3:39:30 for the 50k distance. But alas, it was not to be. The wind became stronger and I became weaker. Instead of the steady pace that I had held for the first 7 laps, the last 15K became a challenge of its own. You can see from the splits that I just could not keep the pace. I worked as hard as I could to fight the wind, and when the wind was at my back I struggled to relax and not try to over-compensate. I held on to win my age-group (40 - 44) and that got me a nice plaque, a medal and a $50 check (which I have since donated to the Leukemia Society in the name of my friend). Here are the splits for each 5K loop.
Finish time = 3:47:28 which is 7:19 average per mile. Note that I was shooting for 7:04 per mile so I might have gone a bit slower in the early to mid part of the race...c'est la vie. Los Angeles Marathon,
LA California As members of the Clif Shot Pace Team, Dan S. and I
took a group of well over 100 runners out on a sunny and warm course.
We meandered through the streets of LA looking for water and shade.
The runners that made up our pace group were great fun, and the pace
was moderate. I like working with first time marathon runners.
They have worked Kentucky 50 Mile,
Lexington, KY This was supposed to be my shot at a PR for the 50 Mile distance, lst attempt before turning 40 (like turning 40 is gonna stop me). Well, it wasn't to be. I started out right on target and kept a solid pace throughout the first 30 miles. I ran into some trouble with leg turnover at mile 32 and the day began to wear on from there. I was real happy when I hit the 45mile mark, but still I couldn't get my legs to respond to the request for additional speed. My running buddies think that I burned out and wasn't replacing with enough food and drink. I will not let that happen again. I was ready, but I didn't get it done. I am already looking towards the next 50 Miler. New race, new plan. Kona Marathon, Kona
Hawaii Just 13 days after the Laurel Highlands 70 mile Ultra I was
at it again. This time in Hawaii and it was hot hot ho
Laurel Highlands Trail
70 Mile Ultra, Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania This race was a do-over because I DNF'ed on this course last year in what was the most painful event I have ever run in. I came back with one purpose in mind and that was to finish. Sunday, June 10, 2001. Well the 2001 Laurel Highlands 70 Mile Trail Ultra is over and I finished! It was near midnight, and it took all of 18 hours (18:00:19 actually), at times it wasn't pretty, but it was 70 miles of fun and Ultra-Running enjoyment. Here is a quick recap: At 200am Saturday I woke up to get ready for the race. At 330am I parked my car at the finish and boarded the shuttle bus to the start. At 500am the runners (there were 70 of us) were at the starting area in Ohiopyle, right next to the falls, and I grabbed a bagel and some juice, ahh yes, breakfast. At 530am the race started and we were off. The destination, 70 Miles away in Seward Pennsylvania. I ran with a buddy of mine, Pascal Spino who is from Philly. He and I decided to stay together for as long as we were in the race. I had tried and failed at the 2000 Laurel Ultra (the dreaded DNF - Did Not Finish) and I was determined not to let that happen again. The weather was perfect! The trail was in good shape. Everything was set for a good day on the Trail, but there were still 70 miles to go. The first 19 miles were uneventful (read that as I was feeling good with no blisters and no cramping - last year's problems were not going to be an issue.) Rick Freeman (co-race director) was at mile 7 iwth the first water stop of the day. Rick played a major part in getting me safely to the finish (more on this later). Sammy B, Bob Gracie and Dan (who would be my pacer for the last 24 miles) were at Mile 11 with trail refreshments and encouragement. At Mile 19, Pascal and I were still together, and at this point Jon Spahr joined to pace us for the next 13 miles. It was good to have Jon there, he kept us talking and loose. Then, BAM, I was flying through the air arms stretched out in front of me to catch the fall and try to prevent it from being a faceplant, waterbottles scattering all over the trail but otherwise, no serious issues. Whew, close call. I learned that the rocks in the trail don't move when you kick them, I had to stop kicking them if I was gonna survive this. As we ran past the marathon distance at mile post 26 I thought, "That wasn't too bad". We cruised into Mile 31 checkpoint and all was well. Jon left us and Pascal and i headed off for Mile 46 (where I dropped last year). I felt good. I was still in good spirits. By the time we got to Mile 46 my quads were starting to hurt. They had taken a pounding on some of the downhills and the pain, while not serious, was constant, and for the first time I had my doubts about the finish line. 70 miles is a long way. At 46 we picked up Dan Stolick as our pacer for the rest of the journey, which was to be a very tough section. Dan is characteristically upbeat and energetic, the exact kind of pacer you need when you are starting to crash. We got to Mile 57 checkpoint and we still had daylight. We took our time through that station and the work of the day was starting to take a toll on me. Pascal seemed fine. It began to get dark with 10 miles to go, and here is the first point at which Rick was helpful (and he wasn't even with us). Rick had provided Dan with a flashlight and extra batteries. That extra light got us through to Mile 68. It is really dark in those woods. Really dark. At this point it is worth mentioning that miles 62 through 68 were some of the longest miles I have ever run/walked/crawled (whatever you call what we did). All the while Dan is telling us to keep drinking and keep taking the salt tablets. By this time when Dan would ask, "are you drinking?". I would just lie to him and tell him yes. Then I would take a drink because I knew he was right, but I was getting pretty sick of powerade and at this point my waterbottle was a cocktail of every flavor that was on the course. With less than 2 miles to go we see light ahead of us. It's Rick F. looking for us. Rick told us that we were going to finish right around 18 hours if we pushed it in. Pascal and I took off with Dan and Rick right behind us. I am not sure where it came from, but I was actually running pretty hard (or at least it felt like I was). I knew the race was about to be over and that I would have successfully done the trail, point to point, all 70 miles of it, in one day. Pascal and I pressed for the finish and we crossed a few seconds apart. I was glad we ran together, and was glad we finished. Getting in under 18 hours on this course is a tough thing to do. I finished at 18:00:19. Could those 19 seconds have been saved by skipping the overlooks where we paulsed to check out the incredible views of the valleys, or by taking shorter comfort breaks along the trail, or by pushing harder during that 22 minute mile at 63? Yeah, maybe. But that was how we got this one done today. This morning I am nursing some sore quad muscles. My stair climbing ain't what it used to be and will probably be a challenge for a few days. I have a sore right arch which has swollen up pretty good, and a good looking gash on the front of my left shin (log in the trail), my back and shoulders are a little sore (carrying waterbottles is out, camelback is in), but otherwise I am fine and ready to go again. Well, not today. Many thanks to Pascal, Dan, Rick, Bob and Sammy for their help along the way. 70 miles is a long way to go and I couldn't have gotten there with out you guys. See you on the trail. Pittsburgh
Marathon This race was primarily about Denny Chipollini. That's him crossing the finish line in 5:55:37. Not too bad considering that this is Denny's 2nd marathon. That and the fact that if you look closely you will notice that Denny's left leg is a prosthetic one. His story is incredible, and is primarily a study in taking what he is dealt and making the best of it....and then some. Denny lost his leg in a car accident approximately 11 years ago and now spends a huge amount of his time working with charitable organizations raising funds and awareness for children's issues. Denny is a hero to me and many others who have come to know him. But more important than that is that Denny is a hero to his kids. Just ask them. At the finish line here the rest of the Heinz Pace Team came back out onto the course and ran in with Denny. His kids did too. In the background you can see on the left (with the cool hat) is Sammy B, moving to the right is John E. (The Claw), then in the background is yours truely. It was a great finish to an incredible day. My buddy Dan asked if I thought we could get some
guys to be a good pace team for the Pittsburgh Marathon. He
wanted to use hometown guy JFK 50 Mile
Ultra-Marathon, Hagerstown, Maryland Maryland is the state where two
of my kids were born, and the 3rd was conceived. I
kinda like Maryland. It is a good place for an ultramarathon.
The JFK50 is the largest Ultra-Marathon with nearly 900 participants
registered each year. It
Portland Marathon,
Portland, Oregon Portland Oregon sure is a wonderful place for a marathon. For 17 years in a row the weather was perfect. Then I decided to run this race. 1st year for everything, and the rains came....Noah, how bout that ark?
Portland, Oregon - On Sunday, October 1, 2000 I ran my fastest marathon (so far). Thanks to the incredible support of you all, my friends and family, this race was so much more than a personal best record or another race t-shirt. This run went to help physically challenged athletes by raising as much money as I could. Thanks to your generosity and support I raised over $5,300.00. And pledges are still coming in. I would be thrilled if you were to consider Athletes Helping Athletes as one of your standing charitable contributions. After meeting the people who run the organization, and the athletes who benefit from the AHA program, I am even more inspired to support this organization and to help them grow. You will be hearing more about Athletes Helping Athletes and the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Thank you for your help. I couldn’t have done it without your help and support. Here is a picture of Dan finishing the Portland Marathon. He sure looks like he is pleased with the result! He should be. He finished 37th out of 8,000 runners. The Pittsburgh boys did ok that day. Dan took 9th in his age-group and I took 10th in mine. Our age-groups are about a decade apart however........ Western States 100 Mile
UltraMarathon, Auburn, California I had a great time during this race. Of
course that is because I had no real pressure. Well, that may not be
Laurel Highlands Trail
70 Mile Ultra, Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania I wish I had better things to write about this
race. I certainly didn't go there anticipating that I would punk-out
at mile 47. But it was a tough day. This is my first DNF in
any race at any distance. I definately Capon Valley 50K Trail
UltraMarathon, Yellow Spring, West Virginia The trip to this event started in a very
different way for me. It was the last day on my job at Fisher
Scientific. A job I held for 8 Years and 3 Months. It was a
good job, with a good company, but it was time to go! I left a bit
early, and from the moment Sam and I pulled up to the Asa Cline House
B&B I knew it was gonna be a class event. I traveled to Capon
Valley, WV
City of Pittsburgh UPMC
Marathon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The 2000 Pittsburgh Marathon was the Men's Olympic Trials race! Lots of world class talent at the starting line. Based on the Pittsburgh Tropical Marathon experience, I have a new saying..."Heat kills"... Here is how the Pittsburgh Marathon went for me and some of the folks I was keeping track of during the day...... The plan to run with my running buddy LuAnn to a 3:30:00 pace turned into a 4:00:30 hour epic adventure through the western Pennsylvania version of Tropical Jungle conditions. Hot and humid. It started hot and stayed that way. The temperature at the start was already warm enough that I only needed a t-shirt over my singlet (and I am somewhat reptillian in my tendency towards always being cold). Most people weren't wearing anything.... over their singlets that is, after all this is still a family race :) It was warm. Then as the starting time neared the sun came out...full solar power. So with the temp at 71degrees and the humidity in the 80's we started. LuAnn, Pascal and I began the run together. My plan was to stay with LuAnn and pace her to a 3:30 finish. Pascal was going to stay with us until he grew bored and wanted/needed to go faster. At the first water station, just beyond Mile 1, LuAnn goes to the water table for a drink, and gets swallowed up in a crowd of people...I lost sight of her. I saw Pascal, and he saw that helpless look on my face....he had lost sight of LuAnn too....so much for the responsible pacer that I wanted to be for the day. Now I am freaking out, I dash ahead...no LuAnn. I stop and let 1 full minute go by looking at the passing crowd....no LuAnn. Finally I tell Pascal, I am sure she is ahead of us, let's push it to the next water station and find her there. Well, no luck. Then I saw Eileen P. and Eileen didn't even say hi, she said something much more important...."You better get moving, LuAnn is about a quarter mile ahead of you and is looking for you!!!" Finally. So at about mile 5.5 I find LuAnn. She was doing fine, but we were already well off the pace for a 3:30. As our pace drew closer to a 3:45 finish time I could see that Pascal was getting anxious. He had family waiting for him at the finish line, and he wanted to make a go of the run, so on the big hill at about mile 11 leading into Oakland he took off. He did real well too, finishing under 3:30 for the day, which meant he really picked it up and ran strong in the miserable mid-day heat. LuAnn and I decided the prudent thing was to run smart, stay hydrated, keep moving and not get hurt. We accomplished that, and while the conditions were definately adversarial, we had a good time. I kept things hopping by dancing with the bands along the route, and getting the crowds to roar at every possible intersection. Since I was running with a "blonde-chick" (no disrespect intended) the crowds who had the newspapers that listed the bib numbers and runner names would yell and scream her name. We had a 26.2 mile fan club out there, and it was pretty cool....well, it was pretty hot, but you know what I mean. The finish line came just in time. It felt good to be done. Lots of water and gatorade. Other race notes...our friend Kelly finished (about 3:45...good show!!!), Hot Harry (age 76) finished, Rick and Amy Muzzy (father daughter team) finished. Tall Skinny Ron (runner buddy) gave me water and a good cheer at mile 25. I saw the mayor. Jeff Leya and Lee Rhine (frineds/taunters) were at the finish and helped me to a massage table, which is probably the reason I feel so good today (that and I am in incredibly remarkable shape for an old guy :) My buddy UltraSam (who I am pacing at Western States 100 Mile race on June 24/25) finished in 3:44. I saw a lot of people that I knew along the route. I got "high fives" from about 100 kids along the marathon. So ends the 2000 Men's Olympic Trial and City of Pittsburgh Marathon. Oh yeah, I didn't make the Olympics...again :) GNC National Championship 100K race, Pittsburgh, PA March 25, 2000 I might as well start at the beginning. The 2000 GNC 100K Ultra
is the National Championship UltraMarathon race at the 100K distance.
It was already warm when we lined up at the start, and the weather
was going to be a factor. But I had a plan. We were after all, on my home
course. North Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. I have spent so many
hours out here running laps around North Park Lake that I can't even count
them. The 100K race would add 12 laps to my total, if I made it. I was
running with my buddy Pascal and we hooked up with a few other runners.
The first 10 miles went quick, hmmm, maybe too quick, but not to worry as
I felt fine. The next 10 went fine. We were joking and laughing and having
fun. A B&A Trail Marathon, Annapolis, Maryland March 12, 2000 The Annapolis Striders know how to put on a nice
event. There were a few hundred runners who showed up for the
Marathon and Half-Marathon on Sunday, March the 12th. The weather
conditions were interesting....45 and wet, oh yeah and the wind was
blowing real good too. I guess it beats the heat, but not by much.
This race takes place along the B&A Trail (Baltimore &
Annapolis Trail). To call this a tr The Mountain Masochist
Trail Run 50 Mile, Lynchburg, VA This was the longest race (time wise) that I have
ever run...8 hours and 58 minutes. (And there is a bit of debate about the
length of the course. It seems the Race Director has a reputation
for measuring a course long, so the buzz is that the course is more like
53 miles. I don't know. All I do know is that everyone there
had to run the same course, so it doesn't matter all that much.) The
course is a point-to-point hilly trail route. There is about 8 miles
of asphalt road, and about 30 miles of double-trak jeep road, with the
balance being single track trail. It was a very scenic course
through the Blue Ridge Mountains. The aid stations along the route
were fantastic (and I mean both the people and the stock). The MMTR
took me 8 hours and 58 minutes. My goal was sub-9 hours. It
was a really good experience. I met some really cool people at this In addition to a good course, good weather and good food, this race had one other interesting element. The location. Lynchburg Virginia is right in the middle of an incredible amount of Civil War historical sites. I took advantage of the location and visited Appomattox Courthouse. Very cool side trip. So was the Stonewall Winery (a case of red wine is my kind of souvenir). The Rattlesnake Trail 50K, Charlestown, WVa July 10, 1999. (Click here to go to the Official Rattlesnake 50K web-page)
31 Miles of state forest country trails that were steep and slippery. I almost stepped on a Rattlesnake at Mile 30...that got my heart-rate up! The 5th annual Rattlesnake Trail 50K brought our a record
number of participants (144 Starters) and record high temperatures (80
degrees at the 6:30am start). I was nursing a sore left
ankle...which is another story entirely and worth a diversion....it was my
last training run on Wednesday July 7, 1999 and I had been running real
strong for the past several weeks. All I needed to do was get in a
slow 6 mile run and my tapering would be complete. Well, 200 yards
The Rachel Carson
34-Mile Trail Challenge "34 Miles in One Day" This was the 3rd annual Trail Challenge. The Rachel
Carson Trail challenge is a 34-Mile, one-day, endurance hiking event.
The 1999 Challenge started at the crack of dawn...officially
5:50am....and ended at sun set...officially 8:54pm. This year there
were 300 starters and 177 Potter County-God's Country Marathon June 5, 1999. 26.2 Miles of big long hills, mostly up. Major feature, 17miles of uphill at the start. This was the 25th annual running of a tough p 31 Miles on my home training ground at North Park, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The start of this race was 6 miles from my front door. The day was fantastic. Consider that 1998 was
oppressively hot, about 80 degrees; and conditions for 1997 brought
miserable cold, about 29 degrees and raining with some ice and
Smoky Mountain Marathon, Townsend, TN February 27, 1999 26.2 Miles of "did you see that hill?".....a new PR of 2:56:50....and my 2nd sub-3 marathon!! (that makes 2 in a row)
Silicon Valley Marathon version 2.0 October 26, 1998 26.2 Miles of fun in the sun.....and my first sub-3 marathon!!!
On October 26, 1998 under perfect marathon conditions I achieved a marathon goal that I had set for myself years ago. I finally had all circumstances work for me so that I could drive to a sub-3 hour finish. I had wanted to break 3 hours at the Marathon distance. It became somewhat of an obsession with me. I knew I could do it, I had come so close, a couple of times. The Silicon Valley Marathon gave me that chance. A fast and flat course, cooperative weather, aid stations every mile and me feeling pretty strong were major factors that led to my best marathon to date. This is one race that I definitely recommend for runners who want to have a good time, run a flat and fast course and feel as though the race director really thought about how to put together a first class event. That and one of my favorite wines is produced just on the outskirts of San Jose (J. Lohr Estates. I highly recommend the estate bottled cabernet. The chardonnay is pretty good too.) Oh yeah, the race. I finished with a time of 2:59:18. My first sub-3 marathon, which was good enough for a finishing place of 46 out of approximately 1,500 runners. What a fun day! I ran for the first half of the race with a really good guy, also named Lou, who happens to be a marathoner from California. I worked pretty hard for this one, and it felt real good!!!
Erie Pennsylvania "Eriesistible" Marathon September 13, 1998 26.2 Mile calf killer Not the baby cow kind of calf...but my right calf. Ouch! was the word of the day. But as in all Paris Marathon April 5, 1998 Time 3:02:45  Paris...April 5, 1998...going
international..... The start of this race is likely to be my favorite of
all time....it was the Champs Elysee right in front of the Arc de
Triomph....It was totally cool! And it was my very first international
race. What a deal, the Arc de Triomphe to my back, the Eiffel Tower
off in the distance to my right, The Louvre about one mile straight ahead,
and 21,000 participants all lined up for the start of the marathon...Paris
is an incredible city, and running through it as part of the marathon was
a fun experience. The day was overcast and we had some rain.
The temperature hovered around 50F. I like those conditions.
I had a fine race....I finished in 3:02:45 (but like always,  I was shooting for the sub-3 hour finish.) .I
finished in 1043rd place out of the 17,500 finishers....The French, noted
for their food, wine and bottled water, had some real weird and
interesting foods at the aid stations. While there was no wine
(bummer) each aid station had bottles of water, not 3 oz cups, but 20 ox
bottles. That was great. The aid stations also had sugar
cubes, dried apricots, raisins and other dried fruits. I met a
doctor from Houston along the route (we ran together for about 8 miles..it
was great to have the company, and a pacer...I pulled away from him at
about mile 13 and did not see him again), a retired military guy from
Honolulu, and a couple of French guys who got a kick out of the fact that
I was from the USA...they could speak no English...I can speak no
French...but we ran together for a while...I finished strong and received
my finisher's medal. Right at the finish line there was an engraver
who engraved my finishing time onto the finisher medal (nice touch), and
then I walked the 3 blocks back to my hotel for a shower...It was a good
day!
The Boston Marathon. Boston, Mass., April, 1997 Time: 3:45....yes....3:45....oh my shattered ego...how in the heck could this happen? well...it all started out well enough...I thought you might be interested in this amusing account of
my experience in my first (and probably last) Boston Marathon (April
1997):
Reality, in the form of horrible leg cramps, kicked in around mile 15. The rest of the race, and the day for that matter, was NOT FUN! It really was not fun at all........
The Finish. I was never so glad to see the final stretch of pavement for a race, or so happy to see the Finish Line banner hanging over the road. The only good news, and I needed any that I could come up with, was that I would actually finish, and this would come to a close. Finally. My finishing time wasn't what I had planned. But I did finish. I hit the finish line and just walked....I walked to the busses that had all of the finisher's gear...I grabbed my stuff, and kept walking...I got my medal and looked up, and mercifully the hotel I was staying in was in plain sight. Only a couple of hundred yards to go...I didn't stop for food, water or post-race goodies. I knew I had what I needed in my room, and if I didn't have it, I would have room service bring it to me! While this race wasn't my slowest, I had really wanted to ..oh, it doesn't matter...getting there was great. On to other things. I tend not to repeat races (except Erie, PA and if you read that part of this page you will see that I am not going to start a trend of repeating races) and this one is in the record books....I was glad to see the finish line that day.
The Erie"sistible" Marathon Erie, Pennsylvania September 15, 1996 Time 3:00:33
City of Pittsburgh Marathon May 2, 1992 Time 3:28:36This was my come-back marathon. I had decided
that if I moved back to Pittsburgh, I would Maryland Mean Marathon November 22, 1987 Time 3:55:31
Marine Corps Marathon November 2, 1986 The goal was to
finish....well ok, to finish in under 4 hours. I tell first time marathon
runners that you are not really supposed to set a time
go
North Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. This is my home training ground. I spend a lot of time
here and run a lot of miles here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.gif)
This is where I put all my
Running Information. One of my favorite
things to do is lace up and take off........
to is,
"A brave heart is a powerful weapon." This kid is built from tougher
fiber than most. I have had the pleasure of meeting Rudy at the Portland
Marathon. He inspires me by his example. Rudy was born with rare multiple
birth defects. A combination of leg crippling defects, a cleft palate and lip and the
fingers of both hands webbed. He spent the first 5 years of his life
in a wheelchair. After 15 surgeries, the doctors gave his parents a
choice, amputate both his legs at the knees and fit him with artificial
limbs or prepare him for a lifetime in a wheelchair. The decision to free
Rudy was the best choice for him! He has never looked back.
Rudy has adapted to and excelled at anything he has attempted.
He is a competitive swimmer, cyclist and runner. He competes
in triathlons and running races. No matter where he goes his courage
is always acknowledged by cheers, tears, hand shakes and hugs. Look
for Rudy in the Paralympics in swimming in 2004 and as a runner in 2008!
Rudy has a 1 mile personal best at under 7:00, and his 5K
personal best @ 24:00. This youngster can move.
hard to get ready for the race, and on this day many
of them trusted me to set a pace that would anable them to hit their
target time of 3:50:00 or better. I nailed it! Hit the finish line
with a chip-time of 3:49:25. One particularly challenging part of this
race was that the mile markers were just plain WRONG. I had to rely
on my judgment to stay on pace. Some of the markers were hundreds of
meters off. Warm weather running is fun, but I must say that running
in mid 70s sunny weather was a change from the frosty running we had been
doing the week prior to the race. The Clif Shot representatives made
certain that we had lots of Clif Bars and Clif Shot to sustain us during
the race. There were over 23,000 runners at the LA Marathon.
It was a major league big city marathon. The logistics were a
little difficult. The race started nearly 30 minutes late, causing
some discomfort at the start of the race. But I run for fun, and it
was a good time, and I am looking forward to the next marathon that I
will be pacing.
t. I like it
that way. I was pretty well recovered and ready to run. This would
be a real test. Could I recover enough from a 70 Mile UltraMarathon to put
in a respectable time at the Kona Marathon. This was an Athletes Helping
Athletes event so I would have the proper motivation. Lots of good
stuff happened during this event.....here is some of it. The race starts
at 5:30am because of the intense heat of the day. Today was to be a
classic burner. It was already warm at 5:30 and the weather forecast
was for sun. It would ultimately reach the mid 80s before the race
was over. I was running a steady race, and even though I had not fully
recovered from the Laurel 70 Mile race just two weeks ago, I nailed a nice
time in this race finishing in 3:18:15. Not bad. I got to meet Frank
Shorter and posed for a photo with him following the race.
s who would make if fun for the runners and who
could stick to the agenda of getting the marathon done on time. We
put together a star-studded roster of veteran Marathon and Ultra-Marathon
runners who were certain that regardless of conditions we could hit our
target times. This was the first race that I was a pacer for more than one
person. In fact I had a group of over 50 people start with me for
what was to become a 4 hour running tour of the City of Pittsburgh.
My job for the day was to stick to a steady 4 Hour pace so that as
many runners as possible would be able to hit their goal of a 4 Hour
finish. I did my best, and finished at 3:59:34. Many of my
runners (about 25) got in well under 4 hours. I had a couple finish
right on the mark!!! It was awesome and I think that the runners had
a really good time, I know I did. I would be a pacer again in a
heartbeat.....but the real story was that this marathon was the first
regional event for the Pittsburgh Chapter of Athletes Helping
Athletes. We put together an incredibly fun weekend centered around
the marathon. Our guest of honor was Denny Chipollini, a challenged
athlete who came into town, took the media by storm, and ran his personal
best of 5:55:34. Did I mention that Denny lost his left leg
following a car accident 11 years ago. This man is an inspiration to
all who meet him, and while in town a lot of people got to meet him.
He really is special. He helped the Pittsburgh Chapter of AHA
raise over $15,000 in donations, and the donations are still coming
in.
is a good race. This was also Dan's introduction
to the sport of UltraRunning. I was enjoying the idea of introducing such
a good runner to the idea of running 50 miles. He did excellent. I
ran my race, and he ran a better one. Dan finished in under 8
hours for his first 50 Miler and this one is a bear. I finished
right where I wanted to be....8hours and a few seconds. This
race was run as a confidence builder for me. I have some aggressive
goals for the 2001 season and needed to get a good finish at JFK for the
head more than anything else.. JFK is run along the Appalachian
Trail for 16 miles and then 26 miles along the C&O Canal....hmmm....16
miles of grueling, hilly, rocky trail followed by 26 miles of flat then
ending with about 8 miles of rolling hills on the back roads of Hagerstown
Maryland. Check out the picture. I seem to be thinking that I
can get this one done in my sleep, or I was in a trance, or I just dozed
off for a few seconds. Whatever the case I was in the zone on this
one and had a lot of fun. That night at the pizza place there were
about 10 of us who decided that pizza and beer was the way to celebrate a
good ultra-marathon. Great idea. This one might be
a do-over I had such a good time.
Portland, Oregon - Race Report. 7:00am, and
it is a wet start. At 10 minutes before the start of the race, the
threatening Portland sky opened up and it po
ured. Oh well, press on. The race started and the
rain continued. I am not sure when it stopped, but it stopped pretty early
in the race. The first 5 miles was fast and I had found a pace that I
liked. Mile 10 came and went in just under 66 minutes. Then came mile 12.
My favorite because as I rounded the bend near the mile marker I saw the
entire Athletes Helping Athletes support team there to cheer me on. I was
most definitely inspired. Challenged athletes Rudy, Sarah, Jami, and
Carlos were there, so were AHA staffers Lisa, Tabi, Mel, Juliana, Mark and
John. I got a high-five from Sarah and I was off. I also picked up my
personal pacer, Carlos, who for the next 5 miles helped me to stay on
track and on pace. We passed mile 15 in just under 99 minutes, still on
pace for a personal best. At mile 17, the St. Johns Bridge, Carlos gave me
the high sign and sent me off. He had done his job and delivered me across
the bridge. Now I was on the back stretch. I crossed mile 20 at 2 hours
and 12 minutes. I needed a strong 10K to end the race in order to post a
personal best, but I was on track to do it, I just had to keep my focus.
At mile 21 I felt a breeze and heard a familiar voice. It was Dan Stolick,
and he was flying. Dan is a Pittsburgh Hot Harry Runner, and he is fast.
He caught me, and encouraged me to go aster. OK he “taunted” me to “stop
messing around and get moving.” So I did. Dan went on to a 2:52:53 finish,
and I went on to finish in 2:55:55. I had a strong finish, but was a bit
upset at not pusihing harder at the end and having Dan pass me at the 21
mile mark. That is when Dan reminded me that I had just run my personal
best. His advice was enjoy the moment, of course he was just as busy
trying to figure out how he can shave 2 minutes off his next marathon. Go
figure.
RESULTS: Lou - 2:55:56, 48th place overall (10th in
the 35 - 39 age-group). Dan - 2:52:53, 40th place overall (9th in the 25 -
29 age-group). There were 8,000 runners.
entirely true. I was not going the entire 100 miles.
My reason for being in this race was to be a Western States Pacer!
That meant 38 miles of nighttime trail running along the mountain
trails of California. It was great fun. I was pacing my buddy
Sam Bertenthal. He is THE MAN!!! He did the entire 100 Miles.
Took him a bit over 29 Hours. For 14 of those hours I was his
running partner. My job was to "be prepared" for whatever, because
he had already run 62 miles by the time I hooked up with him. The
only real incident was that his flashlight died on him a couple of hours
into the night. Fortunately I had packed a spare in my kit, so we
both had good lights. I had no idea how much fun this was going to
be. Sam was in good spirits for most of the race. He was
strong and focused. Obviously this is the key to success in a trail
ultra of this distance. Now that I have seen the last 38 miles of
this course, I guess the only thing left to do is go for the first
62....hmmmm. We shall see. I still have that 72 mile Laurel
thing to deal with in June of next year.
don't want this to become a trend! No excuses.
I didn't get it done, but I gotta tell you it felt so good to stop
running/walking/stumbling at 47 that I knew I had made the right
call. It was a combination of things that got to me....the heat (90
degrees), the humidity and muscle cramps slowed me to a crawl. I
battled a cramping left quad for 27 miles and a right calf that would fire
off every now and then just for fun. Then I developed a chaffing on
my inner thigh that felt like someone had poured salt on an open wound
every time I took a step. My right knee was throbbing.....wait a
second, I said no excuses. Anyhow, the race is very well done,
and the course is the most challenging that I have ever attempted. I
used to hike the Laurel Highlands Trail when I was a boy scout, and never
dreamed one day I would try to run it end to end (it was usually a 4 day
hike). Well, one of these days!!! Follow this link to the 
track. I had a fun time on the trail and wound up running for
9th place overall with a 4:19:05 finishing time. The 4th place finisher
came in at 4:10:30, so there was a lot of activity at the finish line
for those 9 minutes. It is always a good day when I get to the
finish line, get there uninjured, and (as an added bonus) get there in a
pretty decent time. The race director is a wonderful lady. Her name is
Lynn. The whole town gets out for the race, and the volunteer spirit is
alive and well in Yellow Spring, WV. What a great community of people. The
owners of the B&B (John and Merrie) are absolutely wonderful people.
buddy of mine, Lee, ran through this section of the
race with me and we hit the marathon mark in 3:30, right on target. Then
came the 50k mark, nailed it at 4:13...half-way, and I was now on the way
home…but still 31 miles to go…. Lee was done with his training run and
stopped when I was at 32.5 miles. The sun was out in full force and I was
feeling the heat. But, I was on track to go sub-9 with room to spare. So I
thought. It was just about then that I hit the lowest point that I have
ever encountered in running...so far. At mile 33 I was don
e! I had lost my form, lost my stride, lost my desire to keep
running....darn near lost my sense of humor. To add to my misery, both
calf muscles and my left thigh began to cramp. My friend LuAnn saw
me at this point (she was coming in from a 22 mile training run) and I saw
the concern in her look, and heard it in her voice. Did I really look that
bad? It was just about then my buddy, and sometime training partner,
WaterBottle Bob came past nice and steady, just like he always runs. My
leg cramps were not severe, at first, but progressed enough to slow me to
a crawl. I finished the lap and got to the 35-mile aid station and stopped
at my supply box. I had pretty much talked myself into stopping, quitting,
DNF-ing (yuk). At the aid station I met up with Pascal. He had gotten well
ahead of me during that loop. He told me he had dropped. Could I sink
further? I informed the race official that I would let her know if I was
dropping, but that I needed a minute. It was time for a gut check. I
think everyone within earshot had written me off as a DNF, including me.
Then Sam (another Pittsburgh Ultra-runner) came into the aid station and
nudged me out onto the course. All he said was to try and work through the
pain because tomorrow I would be upset with myself if I didn't at least
try. Yes, the voice of reason. I don't like to drop from anything, much
less my first try at the 100K distance. What condition did I expect
my body and mind to be in? Who knows, but I started up again slowly. At
the aid station I consumed two power gels, two quarts of water, and two
salt packets to try and get something into my body to counter the muscle
cramps. I followed after Sam, and for the rest of the race I stayed within
a few hundred yards of him. He would get ahead of me, but on the
down-hills I would run back up to him. Each lap was a milestone of sorts.
Getting to mile 40 meant only one thing to me, that I had 22 more
miles to go. That didn't do much to help my spirits or my confidence. But
I had stopped cramping, and had gotten the mental edge back just a bit. I
knew I didn't want to quit. I hit mile 45 and saw Bob at the aid station.
He said that he had one more lap in him and that he was going after 50
miles. He was suffering for an achilles pain that concerned him. Then I
crossed the 50-mile mark and had just 12 miles to go. I knew I was going
to make it, and I even began to think about a finish time. Sam had it
figured that we could still run a sub-10:30. We pressed on. I had nothing
left. At any time in the last couple of miles Sam could have pulled away
from me, but he didn't. When we crossed the finish line together at 10
hours and 24 minutes I was in pain, but I felt great. So I now have my
first 100K under my belt. It wasn't pretty. It hurt quite a bit. But I
found that I could get through the dark rough spots that are bound to be a
part of UltraRunning. The field of approx. 100 starters had dwindled
to only 38 finishers. The field was deep with talent, and some of
the stars found a way to shine even with the hot & humid conditions.
I am amazed at the stamina and strength of these runners. I
was just glad to be out there with them, and I was glad to be done for the
day.
ail is a stretch. Don't
think of the B&A as a dirt path. Rather, this is a paved
rollerblading and walking path. The B&A Trail runs along a
former train route so it is pancake flat. I ran my race pretty much
the way I wanted to do it. This was supposed to be a training race,
and my first marathon of the new millennium...oh how dramatic. The
race went better than I had expected. I kept my heart-rate under
control and I hit my target finish time of 3:30...ok, I ran it in 3:18
but I was feeling really good and was holding back as much as I
could.....anyway, I had a nice run, I recovered fine and finishing this
race helped to get me over that whole pitiful "being unable to get to the
starting line uninjured" thing that I was going through, and it put me
back into the marathon racing frame of mind. I had scratched from so
many races over the past four months that I needed to get across a finish
line to boost the confidence level I was going to need for the GNC 100K.
This race, like several smaller races before, showed me that the
best races (for me) are those with less than 300 people in the
Marathon. I have run races with over 19,000 in the event, and with
less than 120 in the event....I think that I like the smaller races.
They are just as long :) and at the end there is usually still a lot
of cookies and food :)
into the run I step into a world-class Pittsburgh pothole and
went over on my left ankle. It hurt. Two days of ice and advil and
here I was at the start of a 50K race....Back to the race. It
was humid and sticky and I was becoming an 'all you can eat buffet' for
hundreds of bugs that live within the Kanawha State Forest. The race
was put together real well. Even though this was a very challenging
(translated to hard and steep) course I recommend this race for those of
you out there who have decided that the trail ultra is your next step.
Good Luck and God Bless. I was in 2nd place for the 1st
15 miles...that has never happened to me before. The runners got a
bit of a break from the heat when about 50 minutes into the race the sky
opened up and we were hit with a torrential downpour. This was not a
rain shower, this was the stuff of Noah and the Ark. But it was wet
and cool, and that made it good. At about mile 18 I got hit with a
left calf cramp that reminded me why going out fast is not my best race
strategy. (That has happened to me before and I don't like it) It
wasn't bad, just enough to remind me that there was still a long way to go
and that I had better get this run under control....well I was
passed...then passed again...and passed again....I got one back, but alas,
passed again (by two guys running together)....I held on to 6th place.
I'll take that! There were quite a few interesting points along the
race. That left ankle, the one I hurt on wednesday before the race,
well I went over on it twice. Now it really hurts! Not to mention
the left knee. And the right ankle, not to be forgotten, I went over
so far on that one that I got dirt on the top of my shoe and on my sock.
Still I pressed on. All that occurred in the first 18 miles,
and I just kept going. At mile 30 (I was almost home) and I found
out why this is called the Rattlesnake Trail Ultra. No kidding. My
right foot came down just a scant 2 inches from the coiled rattlesnake.
It was pretty eerie. The snake was coiled and had the arch
thing going with his head. I did an 'air dance' and moved faster
than I had in a few miles. The excitement was worth the price of
admission, although I gotta admit that I could have gone through my entire
life with out that rattlesnake incident and not feel like I had missed
something. The race directors, both good guys, deserve a lot of
credit for this race. The course was well marked, the aid stations
were very well stocked, and the people that worked the aid stations were
wonderful, even for those of us who had handlers, each aid stations was a
welcome oasis in the forest.
finished the Challenge. Starting in North Park
and ending in Harrison Hills, this is a point to point hike. The
challenge is to endure, not to win, the hike. Well with that said, I
had intended to "speed hike" (which loosely translated means find someone
to run it with) and see how fast I could cover the distance. The
Challenge is not officially a race. It is an ultra-event, but I
consider it a training event. The Rachel Carson Trail is
characterized by its roller coaster hills and is said to be one of the
most difficult hiking trails in the United States. With no disrespect
intended, it is not the prettiest hiking trail in Western Pennsylvania.
All hikers were given a trip sheet and a set of topo maps to help us
on our way. We carried all of our own gear, food, water, snacks,
etc. We were pretty much on our own (but as we were close to
civilization we stopped at a Sheetz store at the 1/2 way mark, and there
were a couple of aid stations along the way). I hooked up with Jon
and Greg. Jon had a group of guys who wanted to hike. Greg
wanted to get done early because he had a wedding reception to go to.
So Greg and I decided to run some, hike some....we ran about 20
miles and hiked the other 14. We covered a lot of ground. At
about Mile 18 we hooked up with a pilot for United named Mike who was
moving along real well. We wound up going the rest of the way with
him. It was a tough day...the whole event took us 9:35. And, I
know, I know it is not a race, but we did finish 4th, 5th and 6th.
It was fun, but like most of these distance events, I tend to do
them once, and move on to another challenge!
know....something happens when you pin that race bib
onto the front of the singlet. I had to work to keep my pace in
check, but I did ok. I lined up at the start with a waterbottle in
each hand, fielded a couple of comments and questions about the
waterbottles from some of my fellow runners, but I run how I run, and I
like to bring my own water....I knew I would need it out there, and I did.
I ran a lot of the race with Marianne Foster, the lead woman runner.
Her husband Jeff took 3rd overall, and Marianne took the woman's
$1,000 first place prize (I did beat her, she got money, I got a
finisher's medal...hmmm). Both Jeff and Marianne ran in the
Pittsburgh UltraMarathon in March (The GNC 50K that I ran). I also
met Joel Fedderman (from Punksy...that is short for Punksytawnie
Pennsylvania, and when I learn how to spell that I will correct it.)
He and his wife Barb stayed at the same hotel...er..place...I did
the night before the race. We stayed at the Hotel Crittenden.
Hey, $45/night, how can you go wrong. It was quaint. I ran
about 7 miles with two guys from Indiana Pennsylvania who both run real
well, and run a lot of marathon races. Well the race was fun...I
recommend it.... if you are up for a challenging course and you like the
idea of a small race that has good down-to-earth feel to it, do this race.
On the race.....well, the hills were a challenge. The
summit of Denton Hill is at mile 17, and the elevation is 2,424.
When we started at Galeton we were at 1,300. Almost 800 feet
of gain comes from mile 14 to 17. And, yet again, my left calf fired
a couple of warning shots that it was going to cramp. (I really need
to work on my 10+ mile speed workouts to get this calf-cramping thing
under control. This occurred around mile 20, and I was on a
comfortable 3:10 pace. I thought that I was well hydrated. Well I
fought off the calf cramps by slowing down my pace...I didn't want to
injure myself. I finished in 3:12 and change, which is a Boston
qualifying time for me. I 'm good with that.
On February 25th my wife and I began a 500+ mile
drive to Knoxville, TN for this race. On the way we stopped in
Gattlinburg (True Country Music Territory USA - I loved it). The
drive was very scenic, and rather mountainous for a mountain range that I
thought were considered a flat range (The Appalachian Mountains).
They made me wonder what the course was going to be like, because
although we were doing some sightseeing on the way down I had a race on my
mind. (The race director said that the marathon route was "definitely not
flat and fast, but not considered mountainous." Glad I got that cleared
up.) The drive was fun, and going on a trip without pre-arranged
hotel reservations for any of the nights was a new experience for us.
(I tend to be a planner). Race day was overcast and 50
degrees. Just the way I like it. The race is really well run
by Sherman (a race director with a sense of humor and a sense of runner).
At 8:30-something the Smoky Mountain Marathon began...almost on
schedule. The race went exactly how I planned it....ok, except I
went out way too fast...my first mile being 6:07 (that is not a good way
to start a marathon for a guy who averaged 6:50/mile last marathon)....I
figured that I was in for a good day, or a bit of trouble later in the
race. I got that speed thing under control, but kept turning in mile
splits in the 6:30's. I was at 15 miles when I began to believe I
had a chance to go faster than ever before. But the big hills were
between mile 18 and 22. Still plenty of time to crash and burn.
With the help of my first-time-marathon-handler (my wife) I got
water, gatorade, GU and PR Ironman bars at critical spots along the way.
That helped me a lot, and I am sure helped me to finish as strong as
I did. The hills came, and I held on to my pace....giving back some
of the time I had "in the bank", but not all of it.... I had to track
down three guys in the last 10K to get out of 15th spot, which is where I
was for about 12 miles of the race. Here are the numbers for the
day....11 other guys finished ahead of me. So, I was 12th overall,
and 3rd in my age-group. Finally, after about 15,000 miles of
training, an age group award! My time was 2:56:57, a new PR on a
pretty tough course.
good events, there is a story here. This was
the 2nd Marathon that I ran with Hot Harry!! and, I decided to
see if my training program was in any way paying off. Which means I
took off from the Starting Line way too fast....first mile was about
6:22......just to see. Well I was cruising along on a PR pace...hit
the 13.1 mile marker in a very good (for me) time of just under
1:27....whoa, a 2:54 pace for a 3+ hour marathon runner....this is either
a great day, or a bit of trouble just waiting to happen. Well at
mile 17 I felt the first tug of my right calf muscle. Within the
mile it was cramping and I had to slow down. I was a little upset,
but since I knew I had gone out way too fast, what could I expect.
Nonsense, I was angry with myself. I was well rested, well
trained and knew better than to go out so fast. Oh well, such is
life in the fast lane. I hung on to finish with a respectable
3:12:40. Around mile 19 a fellow passed me saw me struggling with my
calf, and offered me some encouragement. I didn't think much of it
at the time. However, in a showing of just how small of a world this
is..... I was on a business trip in Binghamton, New York a couple of weeks
after this marathon... I was doing my usual 8 mile run at 5:00 in the
morning....normally I don't see anyone else out at this time, but
there was this guy, who came up on me...we started talking....he was
finishing an 8 mile run...he was coming off of one marathon and getting
ready for another...and yep, he was the same guy that passed me at mile 19
when I was suffering from my calf cramp...I was even wearing the same
headband on the morning run that I had worn in the Erie race...too
bizarre...he had gone on to run a 3:04 that day...that is
incredible.....just as incredible to me was that after the race I hit the
massage table to get my calf worked on, and laying on the table next to me
was a guy I recognized...took me a few seconds to place him...it was Mike
S. from the Niagara Ultra....I had met him in June at the UltraMarathon
(see the next race below)... he is from Buffalo New York...it's a small
world after all......
During the weekend of June 27, 1998 I was in Niagara
Falls Canada to run in the "Niagara Ultra-Marathon"....I took 3rd place
overall (2nd male- yep, a girl beat me, something I have to get used to in
Ultra-running) in this 50-mile running event...I finished in a time of 7
hours and 21minutes... I did the first half in 3:25 and the second half in
just under 4 hours... it was a wonderfully flat out and back course...
Mother Nature helped as best she could by getting rid of the 90+
degree temperature just in time... the evening before the race (Friday
night) the temperature plunged about 30F degrees and only recovered to
about 62F for the start of the race... it did eventually get to around 86F,
but by then temperature wasn't my biggest factor, my left thigh was...I
was able to keep running to finish in fine shape...I was tired, but
otherwise fine and uninjured...the support along the route was incredible
(thank you), and was a major factor in my finish time...I met some real
interesting people who
were also runners in the event... besides Mike S.
from the Erie Marathon who I mentioned above, I met Brian Teason (UltraRunner from Florida) who had the fastest 50 mile time in North
America for 1997...he put in an incredibly fast 5 hours and 23 minutes
last year...wow!!! I was pretty glad he decided not to run the 50 miler
this year...he did the 50K event instead...yep..he won it!!! Anyhow, my
finishing time, and the fact that I finished in the top 3 will get me
mentioned in the who's who listing of ultra-marathon runners at the end of
this year...sure I know that and 50 cents will get me coffee.... heheheh...
but I had a good time and crossed another "to do" off
of my life long list of things I gotta try!!! My buddy and
advisor/coach for this event, Bob Gracie (aka - Water-Bottle Bob), ran the
100kilometer race on the same day (62 miles)...he finished 3rd with an
outstanding time of 9 hours and 30 minutes...he is amazing...he claims to
be fifty-one years old (i think he found the fountain of youth) he is in
real good shape. The best training tips I have gotten so far have
been from Water Bottle Bob, whether they have been for books to read, or
just plain advice from him on how to taper before a marathon, how to work
several marathons into a short period of time, or how to go faster by
training slower....you read that right it is not a typo...I am
serious....well I gotta go...and run, a little slower during the training
and then a whole lot faster during the races!!!
![[IMAGE]](http://members.aol.com/ultramarathonrun/boston_1.jpg)
to lack of training and proper preparation), I suffered from
really ugly leg cramps during the second half of the race. At the 10 K
mark I was cruising along with a checkpoint time of 0:44 minutes, and at
the 13.2 mile marker I had a 1:34, well on my way to a respectable 3:10 or
better. Through Wellsley my spirits were high, and the Wellsley women
screamed their encouragement. (Yes that was gratuitous, but what they
heck). But then fate stepped in and decided to have some fun with this
unsuspecting runner. BANG went the left thigh muscle (cramp #1) and this
was just the beginning. Once when I stopped to massage my leg at a first
aid station, I was advised to stop running and seek medical attention (I'm
not sure if they meant physical or mental). There is no way I was
stopping. I did not go to Boston to stop 2/3 of the way to the finish. So
I kept going, more slowly as teh miles went by. By the time the race was
over both calf muscles and both thigh muscles had cramped and rebelled
against the distance. Bottom line: finish time of 3:45 (ouch!). Let's put
this in perspective, that means I ran the last 13.2 miles of the race in
about the time the winner ran the whole event. But I had
fun!
![[IMAGE]](http://members.aol.com/ultramarathonrun/boston2.jpg)
Just before the start of the 1997 Boston
Marathon I was pretty happy. Thought I had this one already done I
guess.......
![[IMAGE]](http://members.aol.com/ultramarathonrun/boston3.jpg)
![[IMAGE]](http://members.aol.com/ultramarathonrun/erie.jpg)
This was the first race that I got to I ran with Hot Harry
Kirsch. It is the first marathon we ran in together. At the time, it was
my PR. I finished 4th in my age group with a 3:00:33. The day was
perfect as I define marathon weather. It was cool, about 50 degrees,
and a slight rain was off and on all day. Mostly off, but just
enough to keep things cool. The main feature of this race, besides
being wonderfully organized, with throngs of really great and enthusiastic
volunteers, is that it is kinda flat, oh yeah, except for the hill at mile
19. That is decidedly NOT FLAT. But the race is a good one and
I recommend it highly. This would really be a good first marathon if
you wanted to run where there weren't many runners, crowds weren't
important, but you wanted a really good post-race party that served good
microbrew. For me this race was all about trying to qualify
for Boston, which I had never done before, and this meant running a
3:10...so it was a successful day. Coming off of that race,
I had no idea how long it would take me to get near that 3 hour mark
again...wow...I enjoyed this race and while I usually do not repeat races,
I did go back to Erie in 1998 to use it as a training run.
run the Pittsburgh Marathon. My training up to this
point was not worth another Marathon attempt....just look at what
I did in 1986 and 1987...I thought I was pretty much through with the
really long races. In 1992 I met Hot Harry. A friend who was
helping me hunt for a house in the Pittsburgh area (Brian McGaughey) told
me about Harry and the North Park Runners. After I ran with Harry a
couple of times he introduced me to some great runners...actually they are
just great people, who happen to love running. That we had in
common. I do love the sport, but needed more to get me to commit to
running the Marathon. Hot Harry's persistent but well intentioned
chiding and nagging did the trick....I got tired of hearing..."you only
ran five today Lou"...so I stepped it up...the daily run became a seven
mile loop at North Park, and by April, 1992 I was convinced I could finish
the Pittsburgh Marathon....good thing because the race was in May, and I
had already sent in my money.....I did finish. I actually felt
pretty good at the end of the race. My finishing time was a solid,
middle of the pack 3:28. For me that meant I had taken off a half of
an hour from of my time in my previous two marathons! I was hooked
and back into long distance running.
Why do they call it the Mean Marathon you ask?
Well, at mile 18 there is a 1.5 mile hill (seems like going up the side of
a building) called Saytre Hill. It is steep. It is mean. At the beginning
of this marathon I had forgotten about the pain involved with my 1st
marathon. I remembered that pain at about mile 20. Here's what
happened:![[IMAGE]](http://members.aol.com/ultramarathonrun/marine_1.jpg)
al for your first
marathon, but for me 4 hours was the number that a 1st marathon should be
run. I don't know why. Well here's what happened:
Besides the training runs that start at the front door of my
home this the place I run the most. When I want to hit the road hard, I do
it here. It is a beautiful park, great scenery, with miles of trails and
roads to run. There are a lot of hills here, and they are a big help in
getting ready for road races that have, ah....character. But the
best part of running here is, without a doubt, the other runners. The
people that run here are good people. If you have been to my
"Hot Harry" Kirsch page then you know what I mean. If
you haven't, then by all means, what are you waiting for? Go for it.....