I gave blood to the Red Cross, just not in the traditional way…

A pilot will tell you that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. As a runner, I’ll say any marathon finish you can walk away from is a good finish. This particular finish was in the Run For The Red Marathon, a race that benefits the American Red Cross. No records were broken. I was happy to survive. 

I will simply focus on some highlights / low-lights:

Highlights:

• The fellow runners - It was such a rough day weather-wise, which made the runners really supportive of each other.  We were all in it together.
• Getting to run with TuTu Guy for Miles 16-18! Great guy and tough runner. He helped me delay my bonk.

Tutu Guy: Keith Straw

• The course itself: Pretty and point-to-point (I like point-to-point) in the Pocono Mountains of Eastern Pennsylvania.
• Great volunteers!  They were out there in the heat too.  The volunteers had to deal with carnage and improvising when running low on water/Gatorade at the water stops.
• Proceeds were for a good cause: the Red Cross
• Friendly EMT people (more on that coming up)

Low-lights:

• Faucet-like bloody nose at Miles 4 to 5 - I can’t explain this one (allergies?). Thank you to the EMT who checked me out and gave me the extra gauze for my run!  I was comfortably on Sub 3 hour pace up until this point.  The bloody nose broke my concentration, and temporarily took my head out of the game.  I recovered for a bit, running consistent 7 minute miles until Mile 11. Then, the weather began to take its toll on me.
• No crowd support - Lonely…it felt like it was a training run. 
• Absolutely no music along the course.  Despite the name of my Blog, I won’t wear an iPod during a race. However, I usually look forward to the bands/musicians along the route that pump up the runners.  This course had nothing, not a sound.
• The hills were much worse than I thought they would be.  They made the Boston hills seem easy. Maybe it was the weather.  Which brings me to….
• The weather: Awful - A hot one - 84 degrees by the time we finished.  Not too much shade, not a cloud in the sky, and we baked on the blacktop.  I think I ran an extra mile zigzagging to find the shady side of the road. Some people are affected more than others by the heat (I am one of them).  I overheat like an ‘89 Honda Civic on such days.  It was ironic that it was warmer in the Poconos than it was in Philadelphia (this rarely happens). 
• Lack of course markings and guides: About 20 runners ended up taking a wrong turn and ran an extra .65 miles, including some aspiring BQ runners and the female leader (who ended up losing her lead).  Also, automobile traffic was on parts of the course (runners felt unsafe). 

After my bloody nose incident, I thought about dropping out.  Normally, it wouldn’t have scared me, but I have had a weird three weeks with my body: irregular heartbeat, stomach flu, now the bloody nose.  I ended up slowing my pace (first voluntarily, then involuntarily). There is nothing worse than knowing you are “done” at Mile 11…knowing you still have 15 miles to go; however, I finished…a finish is a finish, and I am proud of myself for gutting it out. 

Time: 3:26:14 (ironically, the same time I ran in Boston ‘05…it was hot that day too).  

So, I gave blood to the Red Cross. Ouch…

A bloody tough run (a well-named race!)

OK, it’s not Christmas, but I have monitored my body and mind over the last twelve days up to my next marathon (tomorrow: 5/20/12), so here it goes…

On the First day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: a pain in my left calf

On the second day of Taper, the Running Gods to gave me: two achy quads

On the third day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: three uninspired miles

On the fourth day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: four minutes worried about the sniffles

On the fifth day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: FIVE GU GELS !!

On the sixth day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: six stomach-flu crackers

On the seventh day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: seven moments obsessed with the race-day forecast

On the eighth day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: an eight-part continuous “miss the start” nightmare

On the ninth day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: nine times the normal pollen count!

On the tenth day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: ten minutes icing the shins

On the eleventh day of  Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: eleven moments obessed with the race-day forecast

On the twelfth day of Taper, the Running Gods gave to me: twelve klutzy trips-over-nothing

Sometimes getting to the Starting Line with your sanity is half the battle. 

Here are another 101 running songs for you.  Thank you for sending me some good ones to add to the list!  I still need to sort by genre and group by “workout intensity.” Some have asked me to group them into smaller playlists for certain races.  I can do that too.  Finally, I will add these to the Mother Of All Running Playlists post.  Here you go…

405.  Army by Ben Folds Five

406.  Fly Like An Eagle by Steve Miller Band

407.  Here Comes The Boom by Nelly

408.  Never Back Down by Linkin Park

409.  I Need a Doctor by Dr. Dre (Featuring Eminem & Skylar Grey)

410.  Hold Back the Rain by Duran Duran

411.  Sandstorm by Darude

412.  East Jesus Nowhere by Green Day

413.  Seether by Veruca Salt

414.  Mr. Brightside by The Killers

415.  Shut Up and Let Me Go by The Ting Tings

416.  Time to Pretend by MGMT

417.  Airplanes by B.o.B.

418.  Typical by MuteMath

419.  Your Hands (Together) by The New Pornographers

420.  Thread by Now, Now

421.  I See You Baby by Groove Armada & Fatboy Slim

422.  Baby Missiles by The War On Drugs

423.  The Fire by The Roots

424.  In A Big Country by Big Country

425.  Run Runaway by Slade

426.  Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage

427.  Midnight City by M83

428.  Lover to Lover by Florence & the Machine

429.  Sidecars by Kathleen Edwards

430.  She’s the One by Bruce Springsteen

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ALLENTOWN, PA. This was my fourth St. Luke’s (FKA Lehigh Valley) Half Marathon, and I had more anxiety than I usually do for a race like this. Here’s why: Three days prior to the race, during a routine six miler, I experienced shortness of breath and heart palpitations. I ended up in the ER. The good news is everything with my heart looked normal (speculation is I had some kind of allergy attack or exercise induced asthma). 

Despite my relief that my heart is fine, I was still worried that I would have breathing issues during the race.  It was in the back of my mind at the start, and throughout the race. Thankfully, I did not have issues.

The weather at the start: Perfect (low 40s, low winds). This was more welcomed news to  me. 

The first five miles of the St. Luke’s Half are downhill to flat. The race starts at William Allen High School, and it is very easy to go out fast (Mile 1: 6:14). I missed the Mile 2 marker, but the combination of Mile 2 and Mile 3 was 12:31 (a little fast for my liking). 

The race continues to Mile 5+ with an out and back along MLK Drive. I got to see my wife, and also heard words of encouragement from a friend from Muhlenberg College.  This part of the course continues as flat and fast.  I felt good, but found myself running alone with no specific pack to latch on to.

The next part of the race heads into the Little Lehigh Parkway. Due to safety concerns involving an unsafe retaining wall, the course had to be re-routed, which meant we had an additional hill as part of the course this year. The hill was not steep, but felt lengthy. Plus, since we entered the park at a different location than usual, it seemed like we ran on more gravel than usual (I could be wrong).

I did not see a mile marker until Mile 8 (so my five mile time from Mile 3 to Mile 8 was 31:52 - Still pretty fast for me in April).  However, as we got deeper into the park, which includes a beautiful covered bridge, the rolling hills slowed me down (Miles 9 and 10 were a combined 14:11). Also, I was still running alone.  I was “a runner without a pack.”

Once over the covered bridge, runners shift directions to the other side of the park. Here, you can see the runners behind you across the way and they can see you.  My wife (who was on her way to a PR!) said she saw me, and I was completely alone (her words).  This is a tough place to be as a runner in a race.

After climbing out of the park, the course slowly heads back passed Yocco’s Hot Dogs (Mmm) to Cedar Beach and toward the finish.  The last couple of miles are relatively flat, and I managed a couple of 6:45’s. As runners near the finish area, there is a very short hill that takes everyone to the entrance of the track where the race ends. 

There are few things more fun than finishing a race on the track.  My rule usually is: “Nobody passes me on the track.”  However, I found myself alone.  There was nobody within 25-30 seconds of me (either in front of me or behind). I led a very lonely existence in this race. This is strange considering over 3,200 people ran it. Fortunately, on my way to getting a post-race snack, I bumped into another fellow Muhlenberg Alum, which was a pleasant surprise! 

Official Results: 1:25:28

47th out of 3,240 runners

9th in age group (competitive age group)

My goal was to break 1:25, a slight miss, but I was only off my Course Record by 12 seconds. I’ll take it considering where I was three days prior. Also, I added on 6-7 miles after the race because this was my last long run before the Run for the Red Marathon on 5/20.  These were slow but necessary additional miles.

The St. Luke’s Half is always my favorite race at this distance.  It is well-organized, not too big, and has great post-race food.  You can’t beat Vegetable Pierogi Soup!  Also, there are lots of good bands along the race course. Two highlights for me during this race: 1) A solo acoustic guy singing “I Melt With You” by Modern English and 2) A fun band jamming to “China Grove” by the Doobie Brothers. 

Oh, and you get your name on your race bib too!  This race was one of the first in the nation to start this trend, which is a blessing and a curse for someone named Gerard: “Go Gerald,” “Go Jared,” “Go George,” “Go [long pause] Dude!”  

Lonely Boy: By the time I hit the track, nobody was within 30 seconds of me (either in front of me or behind me)

As promised, I combined the previous posts. Per some suggestions, the next step will be sorting songs by genre. Enjoy the running and enjoy the music!!

1.  Everlong by Foo Fighters

2.  Radar Love by Golden Earring

3.  Knights of Cydonia  by Muse

4.  The Four Horsemen by Metallica

5.  Baba O’Riley (Live Version) by Pearl Jam

6.  Keep the Car Running by Arcade Fire

7.  Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day

8.  The Joker and the Thief by Wolfmother

9.  A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley

10. Reach for the Sky by Social Distortion

11. Peace Frog by The Doors

12. Saving Grace by Tom Petty

13. All These Things That I have Done by The Killers

14. Race You by Elizabeth & the Catapult

15. Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance

16. Run by Gnarls Barkley

17. Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand

18. Bring on the Comets by VHS or Beta

19. Running on Empty by Jackson Browne

20. Time Bomb by Old 97s

21. So Alive by Ryan Adams

22. Daft Punk is Playing at My House by LCD Soundsystem

23. Where the Streets Have No Name by U2

24. Ch-Check It Out by The Beastie Boys

25. The Catfisherman by Marah

26. The Zephyr Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers

27. The Bleeding Heart Show by The New Pornographers

28. The Captain by Guster

29. The Adventure by Angels and Airwaves

30. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

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If you’re counting, this takes our total up to 404 running songs. In the near future, I will consolidate the lists for your convenience.  Keep the suggestions coming!

304. Runaway by Imperial Teen

305. Run This Town by Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West

306. I Just Wanna Run by The Downtown Fiction

307. Walk by Foo Fighters

308. Breathe by The Prodigy

309. Heart of a Champion by Nelly

310. Twilight Zone by Golden Earring

311. We Are Young by Fun

312. Heavy Light by Dr. Dog

313. Keepsake by Bettie Serveert

314. Firecracker by Ryan Adams

315. Cannonball by The Breeders

316. First Light by My Morning Jacket

317. Lonely Boy by The Black Keys

318. Get Innocuous by LCD Soundsystem

319. Bastards of Young by The Replacements

320. Christian Street by Marah

321. All of Me by Tanlines

322. Wild Ones by Flo Rida (Featuring Sia)

323. Hey Man Nice Shot by Filter

324. Animal by Neon Trees

325. Vampire Lake by The Builders and the Butchers

326. Rock Box by Run DMC

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(This is for everyone except “Ridiculously Photogenic Guy.”)…

Don’t get your hopes up. It’s not going to be pretty. 

After certain races that have professional photography, we eagerly await the photo(s), most of which are finish line shots.  Let’s face it, we’re not feeling our best at the finish line.  When we’re not feeling our best, we’re usually not looking our best.

Tongues are out, mouths are wide open. Our expressions are often a cross between Napoleon Dynamite and The Exorcist.  Sometimes our arms are flailing, or it looks like we’re walking (or worse: the Hunchback of Notre Dame). Let’s not forget, we’re usually a sweaty mess too.

Yet we get excited to see the shots. Why? Because we just accomplished something important to us.  Those photographs are a memento of our accomplishment.  The photo captures our struggle, our tears of joy and our relief that “Yes, we did it!” 

Sometimes, it can capture our disgust after a disappointing race, but hey, a finish is still a finish.  Other times, we share the camera with a random, shirtless guy.  You know: the guy that should NOT be shirtless.

Does the race photo capture our best-looking moments?  Probably not; however, the race photo often captures our proudest moments.

So, the next time you cross the finish line, whether you raise your hands/do a fist pump in triumph, or if you collapse to your knees from exhaustion, remember the camera is clicking. 

Don’t plan on adding that race photo to your modeling portfolio.  It will make your driver’s license picture look amazing (well, we usually do get a 2nd chance or a “do-over” at the Department of Motor Vehicles).

However, plan on ordering that race photo with pride.  After all, you just did something amazing!

(topic inspired by ‏ @k8iedid )

Another Half in the books.  I’m not even sure how many that makes. I don’t count anymore. Yesterday’s Caesar Rodney Half Marathon in Wilmington, Delaware was my first Half (at my pace) in eighteen months, and my brain knew it. 

Despite the drizzle, I was happy to be at the starting line, especially considering the previous two weeks I had been sick (bronchitis). 

Mystery 1: After the heart-stopping cannon sounded the start of the race, the question was: “How would my breathing be after being sick?” 

Mystery 2: “How is my current  ‘Mental Endurance’ for a race at this distance?”

Well, it turned out my breathing held up for the most part. My Mental Endurance, on the other hand, only made it about 10 miles.  My brain needs to get back into “longer race” shape.  The only way to address this is to race more. 

The Caesar Rodney is a tough Half course. The first 5+ miles are either downhill or flat. These miles showcase the redevelopment along the Wilmington Waterfront. It is very easy to go out too fast, which is probably what I did for the shape I am in right now (6:30 / mile average through Mile 5).  This is an issue, especially if one is not prepared for the series of hills, which includes a seemingly endless 2.8 mile ascent beginning around Mile 6 (Miles 6 to 8.8). When you begin the ascent, your pace is challenged in a big way, especially if you aren’t with a pack.

At this point, I was fortunate enough to lock on to a fellow runner. We made the ascent together. The pace slowed to 7:00-7:15 pace; not too bad. Essentially, this got me to the 9 mile mark. I thought: “I’m in the clear! Except for the uphill finish, the rest of the race is downhill!”…so I thought. 

Well, changes were made to the course (Miles 9+ to 11). The good news: it was generally flat.  The bad news: I wasn’t mentally ready for this change. I kept waiting for the payoff of the “downhill” to begin, and it came later than it usually does for this race. At the same time, my body was fatiguing from my lack of activity during the previous two weeks, and my mind was fatiguing from my lack of recent racing at this distance.  My pace slowed, but I gutted out the rest of the race. 

The finish is a grueling 1/4 mile uphill. My legs felt like lead, but I crossed the finish line (1:28:40); 5+ minutes slower than my Course Best, but satisfying considering, in the few days prior, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to run the race. 

I am happy to be back at racing, even though I’m not quite fully there yet (I’m sure my finish line photo will be scary/funny). All in all, it was a good dress-rehearsal for the St. Luke’s Half in Allentown on 4/29.

REALIZATION: I need to start doing push-ups again to strengthen my upper body. My arms were useless by the end, especially during the final uphill finish.  Push-ups have helped me in the past, and they will help again.

FUN FACT: In 1776, Caesar Rodney rode from Delaware to Philadelphia to cast the deciding vote in favor of moving forward with the Declaration of Independence!

AMAZING COINCIDENCE: Here is a crazy cool coincidence: A person I Follow on Twitter (and Follows me), @annemoffatt, also ran the Caesar Rodney yesterday.  Of the 1,405 finishers, we placed next to each other.  We had no idea until after the fact…Check this out:

Before we ever run a race, we decide to take up running. Sometimes we take up running BECAUSE we want to run a particular race. Others simply want to get in some kind of shape.  Whatever the reasons, we make the courageous decision to take the first step. 

John “The Penquin” Bingham says it best:

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

When it does come to our first race though, we learn quickly about one of the perks: The Race T-Shirt!  It is an exciting piece of runner’s swag in our Goodie Bags. It can be short sleeved or long sleeved. It can have a “mock” turtle neck like the Marine Corps Marathon shirt. It can even be a vest, which is what they gave out one year at the St Luke’s Half Marathon.

In the past, the shirts were cotton, but now most are “technical shirts.” Sometimes I miss the cotton because I cannot wear technical shirts when I am not running (my “Runner’s Odor” sticks to them no matter how much I wash them).  However, technical shirts are great to use for future runs or races. 

When I first raced again as an adult, I wore my race t-shirts with pride (still do I guess). Of course, I wore them AFTER I completed the race. I have always felt that I do not deserve to wear the shirt until I have officially earned it. Some newbies get so excited that they like to wear the race t-shirt IN the actual race in which they are competing. This is not the best thing to do if the shirt is cotton!  Plus, there is an unwritten rule that this is a no-no. My wife would say it could jinx you if you wear the race shirt of the race in the race.

Over the years, we can accumulate a ton of race day t-shirts. Running veterans have drawers full of them.  We give our spouses strange looks when they deem it’s “time”  for us to purge some to make room for new ones. We agonize over which ones to keep or not. I save some to “throw away” near the starting line of colder weather races. 

Sometimes, we get disappointed if we look into our race bags and see a shirt we don’t like.  Some are a color we aren’t into. Others have so many sponsors, it’s hard to figure out which race it even is.  We eventually get over it because we will get another shirt at the next race.

These shirts become symbols of our effort and accomplishments. They can even intimidate. We have all seen the guy at the local race wearing his Boston Marathon t-shirt with pride. For the other runners, it is a signal that “Oh crap, that guy is fast.” The “psych-out” has begun!  It’s true: the Boston shirt gets longer stares. 

However, they are also a way to temporarily bond with someone we do not know.  We’ve all seen strangers with an old shirt from the same race we have done too.  The shirts are a badge of honor that connect us: “Hey, nice shirt. That was a great race, wasn’t it?”

Race t-shirts become sentimental.  Just the other day, I had on my “fraying” yellow Philadelphia Marathon shirt (from 2001). I will wear this one until it disintegrates because it was the shirt for my first marathon. 

Even though it’s nearly impossible to keep EVERY race t-shirt, they really are a great way to keep track of the history of our races.  Sure, the medals are nice, but we can’t wear them years later. I would get some pretty strange looks if I still wore my medal from the 2006 NYC Marathon, wouldn’t I? 

Based on your feedback and digging further into my iPod library, here are another 101 running songs for you. This brings the total up to 303 songs!! Enjoy the running and enjoy the music!

203. The Revolution Starts… by Steve Earle

204. Stop by Jane’s Addiction

205. I’m Not Afraid by Eminem

206. Monkey Wrench by Foo Fighters

207. The Story Of My Life by Social Distortion

208. Paradise City by Guns n Roses

209. Vertigo by U2

210. Orange Crush by R.E.M.

211. Number 1 by Goldfrapp

212. The Resistance by Muse

213. Hey Ya! by OutKast

214. Runnin’ Down a Dream by Tom Petty

215. Ready To Go by Republica

216. White Trash Wedding by Dixie Chicks

217. Grey Cell Green by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin

218. Night on Fire by VHS or Beta

219. There’s No Other Way by Blur

220. 21 Guns by Green Day

221. Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen

222. Faster by Matt Nathanson

223. Stadium Love by Metric

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