Halving a Marathon While Having a Really Good Time

As I think about running the 2010 Chicago Marathon, I became worried about getting stuck in the pack. With no marathons behind me, what could I prove? Apparently, if I do well enough the Illinois Marathon Half Marathon in May 2010, I can start in a seeded corral.

Why am I happy? Simple. My time will be better by having to dodge fewer runners in what I imagine will be a bottle necked gridlock. I'm not elite. I couldn't start 400 meters at the pace those guys will run the entire race. I'm also not expecting to run a 5:00:00 26.2 miles. If healthy, I expect to break 4:00, and potentially run in the 3:30s. I'll know better as time goes along where reality is, and the half marathon should be a truth teller. I'll have 24 weeks after that to focus my training (using Hal Higdon's plan with some variations as needed).

To run a 3:20:59 marathon, I'll need to be in 1:35:43.9 shape (according to Merv). Might be asking too much for a first half marathon with just a half year's training, but that's the time. A 3:30 marathon equates to a 1:40 half, and a 3:45 will need 1:47.2 half speed. Below, the chart show where each time lands me, if I can get into a blessed corral. I hope to be in the B or C corral.

Time Qualifications for Seeded Start Corrals:

                                                Men                                           Women

Start Corral         Half Marathon   Marathon         Half Marathon   Marathon           

Top 100                1:10:59                 2:30:59             1:20:59                 3:00:59

Corral A                1:25:59                 3:10:59             1:25:59                 3:10:59

Corral B                1:35:59                 3:35:59             1:35:59                 3:35:59

Corral C                1:45:59                 3:55:59             1:45:59                 3:55:59

Corral D                1:50:59                 4:00:59             1:50:59                 4:00:59

Open                        N/A

7.8 Pounds, 5.6% Lost (Half Pound Per Month)

Just tracked my weight. I have it recorded here, but not all at once, just post by post, and not consistently.

7.8 lbs in all, though slowly, slowly lost, just over 5.6%. I expect the pace to quicken. My miles are up a lot by comparison.

For the very numerically curious:

• 0.017318681318681318681318681318681 lbs per day
• 0.12123076923076923076923076923077 lbs per week
• 0.53687912087912087912087912087912 lbs per 31-day month
• 6.3213186813186813186813186813187 lbs per year

Aug 4, 2008 — 130.2
Jun 30, 2008 — 132.6
Jun 23, 2008 — 132.4
Jun 16, 2008 — 131.8
Jun 9, 2008 — 134.0
Jun 2, 2008 — 133.2
May 26, 2008 — 135.3
Jan 4, 2008 — 135.0
Sep 17, 2007 — 133.2
Sep 10, 2007 — 133.2
Aug 20, 2007 — 137.0
Aug 13, 2007 — 134.6
Aug 6, 2007 — 135.6
Jul 30, 2007 — 136.0
Jul 23, 2007 — 135.4
Jul 16, 2007 — 134.0
Jul 9, 2007 — 135.0
Jul 2, 2007 — 136.0
Jun 25, 2007 — 135.0
Jun 18, 2007 — 135.0
Jun 11, 2007 — 135.0
Jun 4, 2007 — 135.0
May 28, 2007 — 137.0
May 21, 2007 — 138.0
May 7, 2007 — 138.0
Aug 4, 2008 — 130.2
Jun 30, 2008 — 132.6
Jun 23, 2008 — 132.4
Jun 16, 2008 — 131.8
Jun 9, 2008 — 134.0
Jun 2, 2008 — 133.2
May 26, 2008 — 135.3
Jan 4, 2008 — 135.0
Sep 17, 2007 — 133.2
Sep 10, 2007 — 133.2
Aug 20, 2007 — 137.0
Aug 13, 2007 — 134.6
Aug 6, 2007 — 135.6
Jul 30, 2007 — 136.0
Jul 23, 2007 — 135.4
Jul 16, 2007 — 134.0
Jul 9, 2007 — 135.0
Jul 2, 2007 — 136.0
Jun 25, 2007 — 135.0
Jun 18, 2007 — 135.0
Jun 11, 2007 — 135.0
Jun 4, 2007 — 135.0
May 28, 2007 — 137.0
May 21, 2007 — 138.0
May 7, 2007 — 138.0

100 Meters to a Marathon: Sub-20 5K Paced Out

According to the McMillan Running Calculator, if I can run sub-20 for a 5K, I should be able to, with the proper related training, run the following paces for 100 meters to the marathon. The only time I am close to is 200 meters.

I tested McMillan's chart with my real PRs from way back when. Very accurate. How accurate will it be now, as I am not training with the same intensity? Only time will tell, but it serves as a guide for both current and potential times. My 22:42 applied to a 4 M run indicates a 29:41 is possible. The distance is close enough to presume my training is correct; it isn't going from 100 meters to a marathon.

The formula cannot know race day conditions, or my fitness. On July 4, I will be fitter, but the course will be more challenging than on June 7. If the formula can show me anything for July 4, I can be pretty sure sub-28:00 for 4 M will not happen. A good race from me can turn out a 28:30, though. Maybe I will shoot for that (equivalent to a 21:47 5K).

Event	100m	200m	400m	500m	800m	1000m	1500m
Time	17	34	01:11.1	01:32.7	02:36.1	03:24.0	05:21.4
Event	Mile	2000m	3000m	2M	4000m	3M	5000m
Time	05:46.1	07:18.8	11:27.6	12:18.6	15:39.4	19:16	19:59
Event	4M	8000m	5M	10K	15K	10M	20K
Time	26:08:00	32:56:00	33:07:00	41:31:00	1:04:20	1:09:33	1:27:32
Event	13.1M	15M	25K	30K	20M	25M	Marathon
Time	1:32:22	1:46:32	1:51:12	2:15:15	2:26:16	3:04:23	3:14:49

Runnin' Numbers: Some Mileage Stats

I started playing in Microsoft Excel to see where my mileage would be through May 31. I have the next few weeks of Jim's track workouts, and know I have a race May 10. I also know Jim's workouts usually add up to around 6.5 miles, give or take.

With these knowns, I tried to devise a general daily mileage schedule, with days off. My goal is to gradually accumulate miles, to run safely, with an eye toward endurance. Also, in my basic plan is a hilly course, something I lacked this time last year (and paid harshly for this deficit in a few races).

June 1, if I am on task, I will be asking Jim to supply me real daily workouts. I am an amateur here without genuine knowledge for what a workout is supposed to look like. Everything will need to point toward a better 5K, and he knows how that works.

For the week ending at the date below, I can stick pretty close. Since some of the miles are warm down miles, I am not so concerned when the mileage exceeds the plan.

A few notable numbers.
Last April, I had zero miles. This April, if all goes per plan, I will have 82.36 miles. May 2007 = 70.86 miles. This May will sum up to 145.12 miles. May will be by far the most miles I will have done since starting a year ago. I ran 102.85 miles in August 2007. In fact, it took to June 25 last year to run as many miles as I hope to run this May.

I am on schedule so far this week, with an especially tough track workout this coming Thursday. We are doing an 800, a mile, a bunch of 150s, a mile, then another 800. An easy run on Saturday, and I will good to go. Today is a rest day. Still tired and my left side calf right above my ankle aches - hopefully nothing serious.

Unrun through to May 31 is about 191 miles. This means, if the formula means anything in real life, I will burn 20,437 calories (107/mile at my weight). Divide by 3,500 to get pounds lost, and I should drop about five pounds of fat. I doubt it will be this simple, but, no matter what the scale says, I should be much fitter.

Actual - Date - Mileage Needed
23.06 - April 19, 2008 - 20 miles
22.97 - April 26, 2008 - 23 miles
26.62 - May 3, 2008 - 25 miles
29.86 - May 10, 2008 - 27.5 miles
29.76 - May 17, 2008 - 30 miles
33.76 - May 24, 2008 - 32 miles
35.26 - May 31, 2008 - 35 miles

Coffee and the Morning News

Mornin'

22:21. That's a nice number for today.

I'm sipping a fine tasting cup of coffee this morning. The label says "coffee" but the flavor is "PR."

Yesterday, at the Wheaton Rec Center, I hopped on the treadmill, ran a 10:00 mile warm up, then cranked it up to 6:58 pace. Lasted just a mile, but held on to finish in 22:21. Previous best was a roadrace 5K in 23:13.

Mathematically, it fits snugly into where I need to be if September 30 is my 'deadline'. Sept 30 is just a date, and I'm thinking to run 20:00 by then, I should be farther along, ahead of the trend. Dropping time will be tougher as I get closer, so averaging time:days might not work as easily as it does on paper.

How to compare treadmill conditions to road conditions is beyond me.

• Known strengths of a treadmill include constant pace, the treadmill moves for me, no hills, no rain or wind, always have a drink ready to go, always know my time and distance.
• Known weaknesses: no race adrenaline, no psychological chasing anyone (letting the guy in front pull me, so to speak), no finish line, not able to throw water over my head.

The times below are broken into decimals (28.5 = 28:30, and so on). My time yesterday falls between the August 11 22:30 and the August 16 22:15 I need to run in order to stay on the path to victory.

Actual
15-Mar 31.33333
22-Mar 30.1667
27-Mar 28.5
6-May 27.9
11-May 27.0833
21-May 26.55
30-May 25.3667
2-Jun 25.2
25-Jul 23.2167

Trend Required
31-Jul 23.00
5-Aug 22.75
11-Aug 22.5
13-Aug 22.35
16-Aug 22.25
21-Aug 22.00
26-Aug 21.75
1-Sep 21.5
7-Sep 21.25
14-Sep 21.00
18-Sep 20.75
21-Sep 20.5
25-Sep 20.25
30-Sep 19.9999

My calves and thighs ache, but I'll live. I'm hoping to run 4.8 miles with Rich and Lee and company this evening at a relatively easier pace (though these have been harder runs)

All I need to do is drop :45.48 a mile over 3.1 miles. That's all. This will mean three miles faster each than I have run one mile in a long, long time. I need to go from being intimidated by this to visualizing its reality.

I'm not sure how much of all right now is physical, and how much is mental. Long runs are still very demanding, as I am having trouble sustaining a sub-9:00 pace for anything over 5 miles. Physical issues remain - weight, aerobic fitness, pure speed. Mental issues might include relaxing (part physical), being confident in my pace, patience, and believing that I can sustain a pace longer than I presently do.

100 Days of Running - 100 Days of Progress

On Friday, August 10, 2007, I completed 100 days of serious running, beginning May 3, the day of my first JSRC workout. Prior to May 3, I jogged here and there, and had about a month of doing nothing in April.

The chart above (click chart to see full size) represents my rolling weekly miles. That is, on any given day, it shows my previous week's miles. Usually, in my weekly summary, I look at Sunday to Saturday as far as mileage goes, but that can be skewed by one long day, or two or three days off in a row. This shows the bigger picture.

I'm not sure why there is disparity between my recorded workouts here, and in the spreadsheet I am drawing from. Here, I list 56 workouts, and in the spreadsheet, I list 61. I'm guessing, here, in the beginning, I combined a few.

My first workout was unimpressive, but, depending on your vantage point, they still might be.

Weight & Pulse
For my first recorded Monday check-in (see all), my weight was 138 lbs, and my resting pulse was 64. Now, my weight hovers around 135, and my pulse hovers around 50-52.

5K Time
My 5K time has dropped considerably. Just after I started with the Jim Spivey Running Club, I ran a time trial on COD's track: 27:54. It is an adjusted time, from a 27:00 3-mile run. On July 25, 2007, I ran a 5K roadrace in 23:13. That's an improvement of 4:41, about 1:30/mile.

Mileage
My mileage itself has steadily increased. I finished my first week with 14.6 miles, and now, usually average around 22 miles a week, with one week as high as 37.38 miles. My goal is not to pile on the miles, but I do need a certain level of constant aerobic intensity to build capillaries, muscle strength, psychological strength, and a sense of pace, as well as things like working on form, running relaxed, and enjoying the ride.

Greatest Success?
Which is the greatest point of progress? The 5K time looks like the biggest quantitative gain, but the real progress is in the 100 days itself. That would be a big victory even if I ran 45:00 for the 5K. Do the right things, and health will follow. While I am focused and hungry for that elusive 20:00 5K, I can't control how my body will respond to the workouts as speed goes. I can do all the right things, but still not run as fast as I would like. In a sense, that's not fair, but I didn't build this body. God did. He never claimed to play fair.

As our coach Jim once posted after breaking 3:50 for the mile, about recognizing he was given for no clear reason known to him, the ability to go faster than the rest of us:

I went for a warm-down, and just so you know that all milers are not the stoic, no pain type, I remember warming down, and stopping, dropping to one knee, after 1 a.m. in the morning, and crying. I can remember thinking, why did I deserve to run so fast? OK, it sounds a bit silly, but I did wonder this. Everyone trains. Everyone trains hard.
source: Track and Field News

I can control, to much larger degree, consistent effort, and, with 100 days behind me, I have achieved some of that. Consistent, healthy effort is all I can do. I've got good resources (nice track, running paths), plenty of time, and a coach who knows his stuff. The rest is follow-through.

The Next 100 Days
It has been a good three months. The next 100 days will be different, and it is hard to predict how. I still have more getting into shape to do, more weight to lose, more racing to run. I am not at maintenance mode yet, but it will not get easier. November 18 will be my 200th day, and some cold days may happen between now and then. Hard to believe as I sit here with the AC cranked, dreading another hot August day, but that's northern Illinois.

By November 18, I hope to have run that 20:00 5K, have lost 10 lbs, feel confident in my workouts, and remain injury-free. I expect some aches and pains, but won't jeopardize my health to get the time I want. I'm pretty sure I can run that fast still, but I'm not sure how long it will take me to get there.

Best Times to Date

So far, in the course of workouts, and a few races, I have accumulated a few times. Although below are my best, not all are 100% effort. The workout required a lesser pace, so it might be I've got more to drop in several categories. The 5K represents a full effort. Several of the times came in the process of running a longer distance, and are adjusted by the overall pace for the longer run.

Distance	Time	Date
200	0:43	2-Aug
400	1:26	8-Jun
600	2:20	2-Aug
800	3:13	5-Jul
1000	nothing yet	nothing yet
1 mile	6:48	29-Jun
2 mile	14:50	25-Jul
3 mile	22:27	25-Jul
5K	23:13	25-Jul
4 mile	32:57.86	4-Jul
5 mile	45:18	3-Aug
5.5 mile	50:24	30-Jul
6 mile	54:35	30-Jun
10K	56:24	30-Jun
7 mile	63:41	30-Jun
8 mile	1:12:47	30-Jun

Total Seconds to Minutes:Seconds - Chart for Track Workouts

Running 400s? 800s? Not sure what your pace is in seconds? Use this handy chart for developing your workout.

The number on the left is the total seconds. The corresponding number on the right is that time as it reads on a digital watch.

Total Sec 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 113 114 115 116 117 118 119

Min:Sec 1:20 1:21 1:22 1:23 1:24 1:25 1:26 1:27 1:28 1:29 1:30 1:31 1:32 1:33 1:34 1:35 1:36 1:37 1:38 1:39 1:40 1:41 1:42 1:43 1:44 1:45 1:46 1:47 1:48 1:49 1:50 1:51 1:53 1:54 1:55 1:56 1:57 1:58 1:59

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Total Sec 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 153 154 155 156 157 158 159

Min:Sec 2:00 2:01 2:02 2:03 2:04 2:05 2:06 2:07 2:08 2:09 2:10 2:11 2:12 2:13 2:14 2:15 2:16 2:17 2:18 2:19 2:20 2:21 2:22 2:23 2:24 2:25 2:26 2:27 2:28 2:29 2:30 2:31 2:33 2:34 2:35 2:36 2:37 2:38 2:39

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Total Sec 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 193 194 195 196 197 198 199

Min:Sec 2:40 2:41 2:42 2:43 2:44 2:45 2:46 2:47 2:48 2:49 2:50 2:51 2:52 2:53 2:54 2:55 2:56 2:57 2:58 2:59 3:00 3:01 3:02 3:03 3:04 3:05 3:06 3:07 3:08 3:09 3:10 3:11 3:13 3:14 3:15 3:16 3:17 3:18 3:19

5K Pacing Chart 15:00-25:34.5 (5:00-8:15/mile)

Below is a pacing chart for the 5K, from 5:00/mile through 8:15/mile.

Follow me: 
https://twitter.com/AnthonyTrendl
https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyTrendl

5:00 -- 15:30.0
5:01 -- 15:33.1
5:02 -- 15:36.2
5:03 -- 15:39.3
5:04 -- 15:42.4
5:05 -- 15:45.5
5:06 -- 15:48.6
5:07 -- 15:51.7
5:08 -- 15:54.8
5:09 -- 15:57.9
5:10 -- 16:01.0
5:11 -- 16:04.1
5:12 -- 16:07.2
5:13 -- 16:10.3
5:14 -- 16:13.4
5:15 -- 16:16.5
5:16 -- 16:19.6
5:17 -- 16:22.7
5:18 -- 16:25.8
5:19 -- 16:28.9
5:20 -- 16:32.0
5:21 -- 16:35.1
5:22 -- 16:38.2
5:23 -- 16:41.3
5:24 -- 16:44.4
5:25 -- 16:47.5
5:26 -- 16:50.6
5:27 -- 16:53.7
5:28 -- 16:56.8
5:29 -- 16:59.9
5:30 -- 17:03.0
5:31 -- 17:06.1
5:32 -- 17:09.2
5:33 -- 17:12.3
5:34 -- 17:15.4
5:35 -- 17:18.5
5:36 -- 17:21.6
5:37 -- 17:24.7
5:38 -- 17:27.8
5:39 -- 17:30.9
5:40 -- 17:34.0
5:41 -- 17:37.1
5:42 -- 17:40.2
5:43 -- 17:43.3
5:44 -- 17:46.4
5:45 -- 17:49.5
5:46 -- 17:52.6
5:47 -- 17:55.7
5:48 -- 17:58.8
5:49 -- 18:01.9
5:50 -- 18:05.0
5:51 -- 18:08.1
5:52 -- 18:11.2
5:53 -- 18:14.3
5:54 -- 18:17.4
5:55 -- 18:20.5
5:56 -- 18:23.6
5:57 -- 18:26.7
5:58 -- 18:29.8
5:59 -- 18:32.9
6:00 -- 18:36.0
6:01 -- 18:39.1
6:02 -- 18:42.2
6:03 -- 18:45.3
6:04 -- 18:48.4
6:05 -- 18:51.5
6:06 -- 18:54.6
6:07 -- 18:57.7
6:08 -- 19:00.8
6:09 -- 19:03.9
6:10 -- 19:07.0
6:11 -- 19:10.1
6:12 -- 19:13.2
6:13 -- 19:16.3
6:14 -- 19:19.4
6:15 -- 19:22.5
6:16 -- 19:25.6
6:17 -- 19:28.7
6:18 -- 19:31.8
6:19 -- 19:34.9
6:20 -- 19:38.0
6:21 -- 19:41.1
6:22 -- 19:44.2
6:23 -- 19:47.3
6:24 -- 19:50.4
6:25 -- 19:53.5
6:26 -- 19:56.6
6:27 -- 19:59.7
6:28 -- 20:02.8
6:29 -- 20:05.9
6:30 -- 20:09.0
6:31 -- 20:12.1
6:32 -- 20:15.2
6:33 -- 20:18.3
6:34 -- 20:21.4
6:35 -- 20:24.5
6:36 -- 20:27.6
6:37 -- 20:30.7
6:38 -- 20:33.8
6:39 -- 20:36.9
6:40 -- 20:40.0
6:41 -- 20:43.1
6:42 -- 20:46.2
6:43 -- 20:49.3
6:44 -- 20:52.4
6:45 -- 20:55.5
6:46 -- 20:58.6
6:47 -- 21:01.7
6:48 -- 21:04.8
6:49 -- 21:07.9
6:50 -- 21:11.0
6:51 -- 21:14.1
6:52 -- 21:17.2
6:53 -- 21:20.3
6:54 -- 21:23.4
6:55 -- 21:26.5
6:56 -- 21:29.6
6:57 -- 21:32.7
6:58 -- 21:35.8
6:59 -- 21:38.9
7:00 -- 21:42.0
7:01 -- 21:45.1
7:02 -- 21:48.2
7:03 -- 21:51.3
7:04 -- 21:54.4
7:05 -- 21:57.5
7:06 -- 22:00.6
7:07 -- 22:03.7
7:08 -- 22:06.8
7:09 -- 22:09.9
7:10 -- 22:13.0
7:11 -- 22:16.1
7:12 -- 22:19.2
7:13 -- 22:22.3
7:14 -- 22:25.4
7:15 -- 22:28.5
7:16 -- 22:31.6
7:17 -- 22:34.7
7:18 -- 22:37.8
7:19 -- 22:40.9
7:20 -- 22:44.0
7:21 -- 22:47.1
7:22 -- 22:50.2
7:23 -- 22:53.3
7:24 -- 22:56.4
7:25 -- 22:59.5
7:26 -- 23:02.6
7:27 -- 23:05.7
7:28 -- 23:08.8
7:29 -- 23:11.9
7:30 -- 23:15.0
7:31 -- 23:18.1
7:32 -- 23:21.2
7:33 -- 23:24.3
7:34 -- 23:27.4
7:35 -- 23:30.5
7:36 -- 23:33.6
7:37 -- 23:36.7
7:38 -- 23:39.8
7:39 -- 23:42.9
7:40 -- 23:46.0
7:41 -- 23:49.1
7:42 -- 23:52.2
7:43 -- 23:55.3
7:44 -- 23:58.4
7:45 -- 24:01.5
7:46 -- 24:04.6
7:47 -- 24:07.7
7:48 -- 24:10.8
7:49 -- 24:13.9
7:50 -- 24:17.0
7:51 -- 24:20.1
7:52 -- 24:23.2
7:53 -- 24:26.3
7:54 -- 24:29.4
7:55 -- 24:32.5
7:56 -- 24:35.6
7:57 -- 24:38.7
7:58 -- 24:41.8
7:59 -- 24:44.9
8:00 -- 24:48.0
8:01 -- 24:51.1
8:02 -- 24:54.2
8:03 -- 24:57.3
8:04 -- 25:00.4
8:05 -- 25:03.5
8:06 -- 25:06.6
8:07 -- 25:09.7
8:08 -- 25:12.8
8:09 -- 25:15.9
8:10 -- 25:19.0
8:11 -- 25:22.1
8:12 -- 25:25.2
8:13 -- 25:28.3
8:14 -- 25:31.4
8:15 -- 25:34.5

How to Set Excel to Establish When to Buy New Shoes

My question of the week was twofold:

How long before replacing shoes? And, how can I convince Excel to alert me that it is time to reorder? I forget to do things, so having a cheater helps.

I keep a lot of records in Excel. As it relates to this question, I have a spreadsheet with each day's mileage. Since buying my current shoes, I have run 215.40 miles.

Yesterday, Jim mentioned shoes are good for 350 miles. A rough figure, I'm sure, but as good as any, and, he's in the business to know. 350 it is.

350-215.40 = 134.60

I also know over the last four weeks, I have averaged 22.1525 miles a week.

134.60/22.1525 = 6.0760636497009366888613023360794 weeks before I blow a flat in my sneakers.

I'll say 6.1 weeks. It takes less typing.

The formula* is =(350-SUM(C:C))/22.1525

Copy that, paste it into a cell.

That is 350 miles minus the contents of column C (my total miles) divided by my weekly average. I'll change the average every few weeks, but it gets the gist of what I need to know. Around August 29, I need new shoes. I expect that to be a little earlier, but it gives me an idea when I should order.

To determine the amount of days, just change the formula to
=(350-SUM(C:C))/22.1525*7.

To have it determine the actual date, the formula is
=(TODAY()+(350-SUM(C:C))/22.1525*7)
(Be sure to change the cell format to date or else you'll get something which looks like: 39324.5324)

E. Litvin sums it all up for the runner whose mileage is fairly constant. As mine is still increasing, this is less useful, but, for the runner who is a steady Eddie, who knows week to week he's running more or less the same, this would work great, and requires no variable babysitting.

You can use the formula below to calculate days automatically. =TODAY()+(350-SUM(C:C))/(SUM(C:C)/COUNT(C:C)) Where: (350-SUM(C:C)) – calculates the miles remaining; COUNT(C:C) – counts the number of entries in (C:C); (SUM(C:C)/COUNT(C:C)) – calculates the average mileage for a day;

 

* A nod to those on the Amazon.com Reviewer's Discussion Board who helped me, particularly E. Litvin, Friederike Knabe, and C. McCallister.

Clocks Never Lie: Why I Like Racing

Thinking today about the lure running races has for me, while posting on a discussion board the comparisons of martial arts (about which I know nothing) and running, I realized what I like.

Running is a naked sport.

Looking at a 5K, the distance du jour for me, I see a great leveling of humankind. The fastest racer in most local 5Ks will win in not faster than around 15 minutes. The slowest runner will complete the distance in around 50-60 minutes. Within a 35-45 minute span, the race is complete.

I am not dependent on someone throwing me the ball, blocking my opponent, or special equipment assisting me. Money, tools will not help me. It is true good shoes help, but that's only around an $80 investment.

Equipment: Any old t-shirt, shorts which don't chafe, good shoes are all that is needed. Socks optional. Guys can even forgo said shirt.

Race, gender, age are all unimportant.

While it is true that male runners in their 20s have an edge, it is not a given. Great women runners can still show the young boys how it is done. Black, white, purple? No worries. Alberto Salazar was originally Cuban. A Moroccan, lots of Kenyans and Ethiopians have all excelled in distance racing. Bill Rodgers is a white guy. Whatever your prejudice, personal bias, issue -- it is all moot. Either you run faster or you don't.

Every runner endures almost the same conditions.

Golfers later in the day compete on the same course, but different weather, and, after 100 golfers have tread the grass, a different lawn. The only difference a faster and slower runner deal with is that the slower runner, in a larger race, contends with others around him. This could slow his ability to move up a few places.

Few Rules

Rules to running a 5K (and any other other road race)

• Start here.
• Run the course as designated.
• End there.

That's it. OK, OK, you probably should not hit your opponents, spread butter on the road or use a skateboard. There's no three-second rule. No illegal equipment. A referee is not likely to call out something about 12 men on the field. Out-of-bounds could be an issue, but rarely relevant. You run. (You can write that down if necessary, but I'm hoping you have that covered).

I am racing the clock, and the clock never lies.

Time is time. No matter how outclassed I am in a race, I can still have a PR or meet some other goal. I can run faster on that course than I did last year, have steadier splits, or a stronger finishing mile. As I am working toward a faster 5K time, if I progress, even if I am last place, I can achieve my goals.

Times Don't Win Races, People Do

The prize does not go to the fastest time, but to the person in front. While, certainly, it is true that he who who has the fastest time that day brings home the trophy, it is more so true that a slow time can still win.

In the 2006 Pikes Peak Marathon, a record was set. Winner Matt Carpenter, a 42 year-old runner from nearby Manitou Springs, CO, set the ascent record (2:08:27, knocking off almost 10 minutes from the previous record). Took home several age-group records in the process.

What? 2:08 is a marathon record? No, no. That's just half of a marathon. The other half of the race is going back down. His entire time was 3:33:07. Not a bad marathon, but, in any other race, he would not end up with hardware. Mr. Carpenter won the race, not his 3:33. See the course map below.

A Race, Ultimately, Is Honest

No excuses. Whether racing against the clock, or against that guy who kicked past you last year, running is blatantly honest. The idea, the process, and the victory are all simple. When race day comes, it as all you. Whatever training you have done is done. The weather is the weather, for better and for worse. The course is known - no secrets. If you have run a few races, you have a good idea where you stand, and cannot blame naivete.

Now, go run.

(related: Something I Do: I Run)