Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon - Week 10 training

Since it is less than 2 months till my second marathon.  I decided to start breaking down my training summaries into weekly summaries versus monthly.  Week 9 was about getting back on track for me.  I suffered a sinus infection last week due to some major allergy issues.  They are back to normal now and I am back training without any issues.  Overall it was a pretty good week.  The weather here was outstanding, but very warm and humid.  My long run for the week was 15 miles.  I was fairly happy with how it went, but I was a little slower than I had hoped and it felt like I was working a little harder than I should have been to run that pace.  The humidity was at 93%, so hopefully this had something to do with it.  Also this week, I had my first private swim lesson.  It went really well and I was not as far off as I thought.  A couple quick adjustments and the difference was tremendous.  My trainer was very impressed with my buoyancy.  Hopefully it was not a polite way of saying your fat ass butt floats good.  The best news of this week is that I lost another 2 lbs bringing my total loss for 2012 to 16 pouns.  I am still not at my race weight goal, but I am already 5 pounds less than when I ran the marathon last year.  

Up for this week, more running, swimming, and cycling.  My long run this week will be 20 miles and I am sure it will be on my mind all week.  I also want to get back on track with a little speed work.  I'm disappointed I let that slide last week.  

Monday

Rest day

Tuesday

26 mile ride with an average speed of 17.7

Wednesday

8 mile run with an average pace of 9:24

Thursday

30 minute private swim lesson

5 mile run with an average pace of 9:18

Friday

25 mile ride with an average speed of 17.7

Saturday

15 mile run with an average pace of 9:31

Sunday

8 mile run with an average pace of 9:18

500 yard swim

Totals

Miles:  87

Time:  9 hours 18 minutes

Cals burned:  8,430

Weight loss:  2 lbs lost.

BEAL

60 days till RiteAid Cleveland Marathon - The Dog Days of Training

60 Days!!!! Yep, only 60 more days till the RiteAid Cleveland Marathon.  For those of us who are doing an 18 week program.  We are beginning the second half of our training.  Last year I named this portion the dog days.

I named the late March to late April portion of my training the dog days.  As this is the period when your miles begin to pile on.  50 mile weeks and 20 mile runs begin to consume your every thought.   Fatigue and frustration can set in and if you are not careful, so can negativity.  Last year I made the mistake of letting how my long run went affect my mood for the next week.  I wasn't prepared for the increase in adversity that came with the increase in mileage.  For those of you who are training for your first marathon.  I wanted to share with you what I learned last year.  Not only are these weeks important to building your running endurance.  They are also important to building your mental stamina as well.  The adversity you will be facing on your high mileage weeks and long runs is the same adversity you will face on race day.  It is important to remain positive.  Trusting in your training and in yourself will help you not only with your journey to race, but also the marathon.  The road ahead is a rocky one and the light at the end of the tunnel is not quite in sight yet.  When I get down or think I am not going to make it, I think positive and picture how great that finish line is going to look in 60 days.

Upset about running in the rain??  Think positive!!  Its nature's way of trying to hydrated you!

Shamrock 15K race recap

This past Sunday I ran my not only my 2nd road race of the year, but my 2nd road race of the weekend.  Crazy?  Yes, some would think that.  Especially this early in the race season.  I've always been attracted to doing things that most people won't try and this weekend was no different.  Following up Cleveland's hilliest race with the hilliest race in the Akron area.  Joining me in the insanity were fellow friends Ryan McCartney and Jessica Bagwell.

I did not have a real plan heading into the weekend except to use it to test where I am at in my fitness and survive.  I had wanted to save energy for Sunday's race since it was a distance race and it was on roads that I train on.  The plan was to run strong and to eat the climbs, but I was on my "A" game Saturday and couldn't pass the chance to do something special.  Running a hilly five miler at an 8:01 average pace.  My best 5K pace was 8:00 on a flat course.

On Sunday, my legs felt surprisingly good.  We were also blessed with amazing weather.  The temp was in the mid 60"s!!  Roughly 40 degrees warmer than Saturday's race.  It was my warmest run of the year. I got to the race early and met up with my friends and fellow dirty runners Jessica Bagwell, Ryan McCartney, and Allison Colleen.

Fellow Dirtyrunner Allison and dirtyrunner mascot, Brody

After the start debacle from the day before.  I decided to do something i've never have done before.  I started towards the front.  I must admit, I felt out of place being surrounded by tons of runners who weigh about 100 lbs less than me.  I felt like the were looking at me as if I  would be guaranteed to be in their way.

The race began and I got off to a great start.  It was so refreshing not being held up by race traffic.  I moved to the side as to not get in anyones way.  I kept up with the main back and ran mile 1 in 7:35.  The first 3 miles are mostly down hill with some portions being a steeper grade than others.  I still haven't mastered the art of getting down hill at race speed, but still managed to run the next to miles in the low 8's.  Mile 4 was mostly flat with a false flat towards the end.  I felt ran and continued in the low 8's.   Now, the next 5.3 miles is when the real race starts.  It is a consistent 5.3 mile climb that will test every fiber of you being.  Approaching the climb from the North.  You can see it till you make the left and this is what you see.

BOOM!!!

I hit the climb and I was done.  I had zero strength in my legs.  This was the first time I could feel Saturday's effort.  My pace immediately dropped and I ran the next 3 miles at 9:20, 9:30, and 9:20.  After Saturday's effort.  I decided it would be good for me to run my marathon pace.  Since I will be faced with adversity and fatigue.  I would to practice fighting through the pain.  Fortunately, all my training on Stow's rolling hills has paid off as I am able to recovery quickly from climbs.  So, I was able to attack the last two miles as the climbs were separated by some short flats.  I fought hard those miles and finished in 1:22 for an average pace of 8:51.  Exactly what I would like to run my marathon in.

It was a great weekend and I survived.  I learned that I am even further along in my training than I thought and I am excited to continue to build on my form.

BEAL

2012 Hermes St. Malachi 5 miler race recap

Saturday was a day of firsts for me.  It was my first road race of the year and my first year running the St. Malachi 5 miler.  It is one of Cleveland's signature races and I was excited not only to run this great event, but seem some great friends.

Your's truly on the cover of Hermes 2012 Event Guide

On race day we were blessed with sunny skies and no wind.  It was a bit chilly, but otherwise perfect conditions for an early March race.  I had no real goal going into this race other than running between 8:50-9 minute average pace.  This was my first of two races this weekend and as hard as this race was.  Sunday's 15K was much harder.

My race started with a half mile warm up.  Then made my way to the start line with fellow #dirtyrunner and Ragnar teammate  Jill Earle.  This is a large race and this year had a great turnout of over 2,500 runners.

The elevation chart does not do this course justice.

The start was jammed and I was walled in with walkers.  I had no where to go and had to walk to the first corner.  Fortunately, I was able to clear them by the first bridge and hit the sidewalk to make up the time lost.  I was through the first mile in 8:20.   At this point I began to relax a little and decided to run slightly above comfortable.  Mile 2 passed by and BOOM!  7:25  I was shocked.  This was the easy portion of the course, but I was feeling great and continued on.  Mile 3 was 8:02...WOW!  I was way ahead of my goal pace.  Even better than my 5K pace.  I have never ran 5 miles below 40 minutes and decided to see if I could hang on.  I made it through mile 4 losing a little time on the next climb.  Mile 5 consisted of a short steep climb followed by a long climb over a bride.  I kept telling myself if I could crest the bridge at 37:00, that I could make it.  I tried to climb it as fast as I could and it felt like my heart was going to fly out of my chest.  I don't remember what my time was at the top, but I tried to recover on my way down.  Thankfully,  I caught my breath back and sprinted to the finish.  There was a lot of runner traffic.  So I had to take the next 2 turns wide.  Sprinting to the finish I made it in 40:04.89 for an average pace of 8:01.

Not only was I shocked to 5 miles so quickly (my 5K PR is 8:00 pace), but to do it on that course was amazing.  I PR'd my 5 mile race by 1:56!!  Hermes had a post race party at McCarthy's bar.  It was a great time celebrating everyone's PR's with Summer Shandy!!  Yes, Summer Shandy is out here.  Just in time for the race season.

The Sunday run crew and fellow Ragnar teammates Jessica, Ryan, and Kristy

Celebrating with Jill and Pam.

A PR party isn't a PR party unless you have Shandy!!

2012 Twinsburg Indoor Triathlon Race Report - Counts?

For about two years now.  I have flirted with the idea of doing a triathlon.  Even my bucket list is topped with the dream of doing an Ironman.  Why have I been dragging my feet?  Swimming.  I suck at swimming, I don't know what i'm doing, and I am very afraid of swimming in open water.  All these reasons make it easy for me to not hit the pool at the gym.  This year I have made more of an effort to include swimming in my workouts.  So, when my good friends Christian, Kristy, Jessica, and Mason signed up for an indoor Triathlon.  I decided it was time for me to give it a TRI.

The race was fairly simple.  Each segment was 20 minutes and you were to swim, bike, and run as much as you could.

Swimming
I had no real goal during the swim other than not to drown or embarrass myself.  I was in the first wave of racers and we shared a lane.  Thankfully, I was with another swim noob and I did a good job of staying out of her way.  I kept it fairly simple and used my for form of flinging my arms to propel myself forward.  I am still in the process of learning how to breath while swimming the freestyle stroke and only managed 300 yards in 20 minutes.

Bike
My plan was to attack the bike and make up for any points lost during the swim.  Fortunately, the bike measured the distance and I decide to go on the attack.  I went out fast with the intent to finish first.  Too bad myself and everyone else didn't realize the bike did not register anything over a 120 cadence.  This was easily achieved as the resistance was set waaaaay to low.  You were basically flinging your legs around in a circle and not riding.  I finished with a respectful 10.20 miles in 20 minutes.  Sadly,  I was only .01 from first overall in the bike.  Since there was a limiter on the bike, everyone had roughly the same distance.  The only difference being who was up to speed the quickest.  So, I did not make up the points I had expected.

Run
My goal was pretty simple.  Ease out of the rubber bike legs and run a solid pace for the remainder of the run.  I easily accomplished this and was only lapped by the speedsters Mason, Jessica, and Kristy.  I did 24 laps, which worked out to be 2.4 miles or an average pace of 8:20.  Not too shabby for not putting out a race effort on the run.

Summary
Well, I had a great time and I am looking forward to doing more Triathlons this year.  I have already registered for my next indoor race on 3/18 and joined the Cleveland Triathlon Club.  My biggest news is that I also invested in some private swim lessons.  I am pretty satisfied with how the race went.  I am just a little sad that I came within a couple points of placing in my age group.  I've never placed in anything yet and it would have been special to have done it in my first TRI.  On the bright side, I just want to do it more at the next race.  So, does this count?  Am I TRIBeal now.  No, not yet....but very soon.  I know how much harder it is to run and ride outside.  I can only imagine how much harder the outdoor swim mixed the other events will be.  So, I'm not considering myself a Triathlete yet.  The good news is that I learned that my brick workouts are paying off as I felt pretty great in the days following this event.

I also want to send a special congratulations to Jessica Bagwell and Kristy Hill.  Jessica placed 3rd in her age group and Kristy Hill WON overall female!!!  Great job and there first ever TRI too.  Big congrats!

Left to Right Mason, Jessica, Beal, Kristy, and Christian

BEAL

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon - The decision

In case you missed it.  This past Saturday I finally made the decision on which Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon race I would participate in.....

Now, I promise I don't hace commitment issues.  It only took an 18 mile run, 2 Christmas Ales, and a Summer Shandy to finally make my decision.

In all seriousness, this was my plan all along.  I had a hard time this year deciding what goals to shoot for and it ended up being a blessing in disguise.  I enjoyed the freedom to train how I wanted and without the pressure of sticking to a strict program.  I enjoy what I do, so there was never an instance when I slacked because I didn't have a set goal.  In the end, I trained harder this year than I did last year.  This has paid off and I feel that I am in better shape now than when I was before last year's marathon.  My last two long runs of 15 and 18 miles where each 12+ minutes faster than my best run at that distance last year.

I learned a lot last year about training, preparation, and racing a marathon.  I am looking forward to applying that to this year.  Check back soon for another post that will I share these items in greater detail.

I also want to thank everyone again for their support this year and all the encouragement you have given me.  It is greatly appreciated.

BEAL

February Training Recap

We've continued to be lucky here in Northeast Ohio as our mild winter has continued through February.  Thankfully, I was able to take advantage of it by continuing to do my workouts outside.  I was only on the treadmill 3 times this month.  Along with increasing my miles.  I incorporated more brick workouts to my running with cycling and even did some swimming!  My long runs consisted of two 13.1's and two 15's.  Being able to train outside allowed me run my last 15 miler 9 minutes faster than my best 15 mile run during last year's marathon training.  I tribute this all to the early outdoor running and my fast Sunday runs with Ryan, Jessica, Kristy, and Mason.  I also did my first 2 snow runs this month.  Apart from one fall, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  Another first this month was my an indoor triathlon.  I won't go too much in that now as I should have the race report up this weekend.  The only thing I wasn't satisfied with was weight loss.  I only lost 3 pounds this month, which is a major disappointment after last month.  I'm going to sit down the next few days and re-work my diet so I can get it back on track in March.

The month ahead will be another busy one for me.  I will continue to build my running and cycling mileage.  I'm also going to attend some private swimming lessons to work on my form.  March will also entail some additional races including St. Malachi 5 miler, Shamrock 15K, and CSU indoor Triathlon.

Total miles:  328

Running:  159 miles with an average pace of 9:18

Cycling:  169 miles with an average speed of 17.7 mph

Swimming:  1,960 yards

Calories burned:  32,408

Hours spent training:  34 hrs 40 minutes

Weight loss:  3 pounds, which makes 9 pounds for the year.

BEAL

January 2012 training recap.

Wow!  What a difference a year makes.  This winter has been a complete 180 from last year.  The weather here in Ohio has been in the high 30's and 40's most of the month.  It even got into the 50's twice.  I took advantage of the weather and 90% of my training has been outdoors.  The only downside to January was an illness I had for 6 days.  It cost me a week of training, but I rallied the last 2 weeks to salvage the month.   My long runs were 10 miles each week and I did a 13 miler the last weekend.  One change I have made in 2012 is my Sunday runs.  I do my long runs on Saturday and in the past would do a short recovery run on Sunday.  This year, I have been doing a second long run of 8 miles at a hard pace.  It is a group run with Ryan McCartney, Mason Goodman, Jessica and Kristy.  This is a recovery run for them, but it is speed work for me as they are much faster.  I've always been told, the best way to get faster it to run with faster people and that is what I am gonna do this year.  

My focus in February is to continue to increase my speed and miles along with continuing to lose weight.  I will also be adding swimming to my workouts *gasp*  I have registered for an indoor triathlon on 2/26 and will use that as a spring board to some real triathlons later in the year.  I will be doing long longs of 15 miles this month and a 18 miler towards the end of the month.


Running miles:  121 with an average pace of 9:16

Cycling miles:  40 with an average speed of 17.9 mph.

Total:  161 miles

Time spent training:  21 hours

Calories burned:  24,054

Weight lost:  6.4 pounds

BEAL

11 Random things about me....

Thank you Jessica from Mojama2  for tagging me on this blog chain.  You are given 11 random questions that you post on your blog.  Then create 11 questions of your own that you tag other bloggers.  So, here are 11 random things about me...that you may not have known. 




What are you wearing?
I'm wearing a Cleveland Indians t-shirt, blue jeans, and CEP compression socks.  


What is your dream race to run?
I don't have a dream race.  I have a dream ride and that would be conquering the 21 switch backs of Alpe D'Huez 

Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Anywhere warm with an ocean and a beach.

What was your last dream about?
I haven't remembered any of them lately.

Would you rather be too hot or too cold?
I definitely would rather be hot. 

If you had to listen to one song on repeat forever what would it be?
Blackened by Metallica

What was your favorite school subject? (Do not say recess)
My favorite subject was Economics. 

If you could go back to school would you study the same things or pick a different major?
If I went back to school I would probably become a teacher.  I would enjoy only working 9 months a year.  Before I offend all you teachers.  My dad was a teacher and a coach.  I have the utmost respect for the people who educate our youth. 

Are you an Apple fan or Android fan?
Apple all the way.  Currently I have 2 ipods, 1 touch, 1 MacBook Pro, and an Iphone 4.  So, I have a Droid free household and will never own a PC or windows system again. 

Any tattoos or piercing? Are they visible?
I have no tattoos or piercings.  I'm not in to that kind of thing, but I will get a tattoo when I do an Ironman someday. 

Favorite alcoholic beverage?
Duh, Christmas Ale. 

Ready, Set, Snow?

January 16th is an important day.  It marks the beginning of the 18 week training period for the Cleveland Marathon.  To date our winter has been a runner's dream.  Temps have hovered in the 40's and it has been surprisingly dry.  As this big day approaches, Mother Nature has sought revenge by dumping snow on us all weekend and dropping the temps to single digits.

I faced a tough decision this morning.  Do I brave the cold or spend my time on the treadmill?  The temp here was 6 degrees and I do not even want to know what the windchill was.  I made the decision that just a few miles outside would still be better than a treadmill run.  I lucked out as it wasn't too bad and still got my planned 6 miles in and at a faster pace than was planned to boot!

During my run.  I started thinking about some things I learned through last year's training that I thought I would share:

I am a huge supporter of outside runs over treadmill runs.  I know there are a lot of treadmill supporters out there, but its not for me.  I think I get more benefit out of road running.  My goal this year is to do my long run each week outdoors.  Last year, I did my long runs on a treadmill for the first couple months and had built a base of up to 18 miles.  On my first long run outdoors, I struggled to reach 13 miles.  I had felt really good about my training until that point, but that run made me realize.  I was behind.  I never ran indoors again during last year's training and spent the following month trying to catch up.  This year I don't want to make the same mistake again.

So, in 2012 I will be doing the following differently.

1. Long runs will be done outside. 
2. I will try to run my weekly runs outside whenever possible.
3. When I am left with no other choice.  I will run the treadmill with a varying incline between .5% and 2% to closely mimic wind and road conditions. 

I think these guidelines will help me in this year's race and the base we build during the winter months of January and February will pay dividends on race day.  I also want to do a much better job this year with my diet.  One of my goals this year is to run the race about 35 pounds lighter than I ran it last year.  

One of the biggest joys of running this race is the journey to race day.  I hope what I have learned will help you with your training.  Also, don't worry about the cold.  With the right clothing, you will stay warm.  Even with its 6 degrees out. 

 I invite everyone to share any tips they may have in the comment section.  Other runners are a great source of information and I know I still have lots to learn.  

Good luck everyone with your training!!

BEAL

Hello, I"m the one the call Beal. (A re-introduction)

Hey everyone!  I have been lucky enough to have been selected as an Official 

Cleveland Marathon Blogger for the 2nd straight year.  Since some of you may 

be reading my blog for the first time and many have joined in the past year.  

I thought it would be good to re-introduce myself as I have quite the story to tell.

I started this blog back in December 2010 to help share my experiences in weight loss, running, and cycling.  I should first apologize for two things. 1) I suck at writing and most of these may be boring or not very "bloggish"  2) I'm not an English major, so expect grammar mistakes. 

 I'm the one they call Beal.  The main contributing factor to who I am today is a result of one day, August 5th 2007.  I was a baseball pitcher all my life and was fortunate to have an opportunity to play in college.  I suffered a career ending shoulder injury at the end of my junior year and spent the next few years feeling the effects both mentally and physically.  Graduating college and working in business led to a lifestyle change.  Transforming from a college athlete to a spending everyday seated at a desk.  As the years went by, my weight continued to balloon.  I was never really happy with myself and dealt with it by continuing to eat more and more.  I found comfort in avoiding mirrors, pictures, and a social life.  In letting myself go, my weight ballooned to 330 pounds.  That brings us to 8/5/2007.  

This is me at my heaviest in 2007

August 5th just happens to be my birthday and that year I was attending my now brother in law's bachelor party.  We were celebrating on a large lake and had access to jet skis.  I had never been on a jet ski before and was excited to give it a try.  The adrenaline rush was intoxicating as we raced around the lake.  It started with jumping small waves then bigger ones.  Then without warning I flipped mine.  I wasn't injured so I started to swim after the jet ski.  As I swam and swam, the waves continued to push the jet ski further and further away.  Within minutes I tired myself out and began to drown.  By the grace of God, I was pulled out of the water just as I was going under for good.  I will never forget that moment.  Being so out of shape that I couldn't even save myself was the wake up call that I needed. 

     Shortly after that day.  I joined a Biggest Loser Contest at work.  I still remember my first trip to the gym.  5 minutes on the stairclimber.  Over the next 4 months I lost a total of 55 pounds and finished 2nd in the contest.  I realized that an active and healthy lifestyle is what I wanted, not comfort gained from pizza and beer.  I've continued to evolve over the past 4 years losing a total of 130 pounds and coming within 10 pounds of my college weight.  Durning my journey I have become addicted to cycling and most recently infatuated with long distance running.  In 2009, which was my first year of cycling.  I road a total of 4,883 miles and completed my first century ride.  In 2010 I competed in my first duathlon, road 150 miles in one day, and completed my first half marathon.  I had so much fun I did another half marathon 4 weeks later PR'ing my time by 14 minutes to break the 2 hour barrier at 1:55. 

The New me.

In 2011, I was fortunate enough to be selected as a official blogger.  I competed in 23 races that included 8 half marathons, several 100k bike tours, and my first ever marathon!!!!  I ran 1,346 miles and road 4,086 miles to cover 5,432 miles during 2011.  I couldn't be happier with my active lifestyle and my successes achieved this year.  

     There is a lot more too this story than what was written here, but I have to save something to write about in the future...right?  Thank you for reading and please come back.  I have big plans for the future Cleveland Marathon posts.  So, subscribe to my blog, follow @Beal88 on Twitter, and become a member of the TEAM BEAL nation of fans.  Thanks again for reading and have a great day.

BEAL

My bike is the solution for.....

My bike is the solution for....our growing obesity epidemic.

My bike is the solution for....heart disease

My bike is the solution for....diabetes

My bike is the solution for....high gas prices

My bike is the solution for....traffic congestion

My bike is the solution for....stress

My bike is the solution for....finding happiness

My bike is the solution for....our struggling economy

My bike is the solution for....experiencing this great planet.

My bike is the solution for....making friends

My bike is the solution for....global warming


What is your bike the solution for?


BEAL

2011 Team Beal Year in Review

WOW!!!! 2011 was such a great year.  I decided to capture it in a 5 minute video to some favorite work out tunes of mine.  I hope you enjoy it!

2011 Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Race Report

Back in the Spring, even before I ran my marathon.  A group of us bloggers were chatting about Las Vegas.  This marathon was recently taken over by the Rock-n-Roll group and has been growing ever since.  New for this year was the whole Las Vegas strip was on the route and it was at night!  It is really rare that the Strip is closed, so I jumped at the opportunity and signed up months ago.

Fellow Cleveland runners John and Jessica

My first surprise was the cost.  At 140 dollars, it was by far the most expensive half marathon I had ever registered for.  Plus, it was only 10 dollars cheaper than the price of the full marathon.  I gladly paid the fee, thinking the price was worth the opportunity to run the Strip at night.

I arrived in Las Vegas early on Thursday, which was 3 days before the race.  If I had to do it over again.  I would have arrived closer to the race.  In planning for the race.  I did not take in account the amount of walking you do in Vegas.  I did a 6 mile run on Thursday along with a bit of walking.  On Friday I did another 6 mile run.  I also spent the afternoon and evening walking again.  I did not run on Saturday, but spent the afternoon and evening again on my feet.  I had the great pleasure to finally meet some inspirational friends of mine, Jason and Karen Bahamundi aka @theladybaha and @cooktraineatrace.  Hopefully we'll enjoy some WPS again soon.

Normally this would not be a big deal, but I did all my walking in dress shoes.  So, I woke up the morning of the race with feet riddled with bruises and blisters.  I could barely walk.  I seriously felt like I had ran a marathon the day before.  I spent the day trying to stay off my feet and chewing up Advil trying to numb the pain.

Friday evening with The Logo

The race itself started at 5:30 local time, which was 8:30 Eastern.  It was really odd running this late in the day and I probably did a horrible job eating.  I had a large carb bonanza of a breakfast in the morning and didn't have anything else to eat the rest of the day besides 2 gatorades and half a bag of beef jerky.  About an hour before the race.   I am made my way over to the start with my buddy @johnsemila.  The race started at Manadaly Bay.  We were surprised to find no help when we arrived as there was not one sign pointing us in the direction to go.  Everyone else was lost too as runners where headed in every direction.

I found my way finally to the corrals with half an hour to go and shot this quick video.

The race began with the national anthem being played by Cheap Trick, which was a nice touch.  It was dark at this time and I was absolutely freezing.  I was wearing two layers, but opted for short sleeves and gloves.  I froze at the start, but felt perfect the rest of the way.

As the race started, things were fast and furious.  I found myself all the way to the left and decided to give some high fives to people who were reaching out of the crowd.  I did not break pace and was quickly cursed at by a fellow runner.  Little that I knew, this was only the beginning.  I was running my first race without music and wondered if this was common.

I made my way down the strip past New York New York and heard the second band playing East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed.  Smokey and the Bandit is my favorite movie and hearing this song was the perfect jolt as I was flying down the strip.  The crowd at this point was insane as it lined both sides of the street and all the arch ways were full as well.  Several miles into the race I began to notice cones off the the right.  You couldn't tell what they were until I final caught a small sign pointing marathoners to the left and half runners to the right.  I tried to stay over to the right, but the crowd of runners were too thick.  44,000 were running this race and even though they used corrals.  It seemed like we all left at once and it was mass hysteria.

After we passed through the end of the strip.  We headed downtown.  For those of you who have never been to Las Vegas.  The area between downtown and the strip isn't the safest of neighborhoods.  It was a weird feeling as I was waiting to hear gunshots at any moment.  It was really dark and the only sound you could here was the stampede of running shoes.  Once we arrived downtown, people were present again to cheer us on.  After a series of turns, we made the trip back up the strip.

As I made my way back up the strip.  The running traffic began to thicken.  Marathoners were beginning  to come up the right side and they were not happy.  I saw numerous runners yelling at each other?  Weren't we all there for the same cause?  Getting from point A to point B as fast as we could?  The traffic continued to get worse.  I kept trying to migrate to the right, but kept getting pushed back to the left.  I still was feeling pretty good and kept pushing on.

As I passed the Bellagio, I had enough light to see my Garmin and saw that I had a chance at going sub 2, which I never thought would be possible with the condition my feet were in.  I tried to push ahead, but there was too much traffic.  At this time, I decided to back off pace and enjoy the scenery and the crowd.  I am glad I did as I heard Party Anthem by LMFAO playing.  Fist pumping as the crowd chanted BEAL is something I will always remember and I politely declined all the offers for shots people had.  I thought better of it and didn't want to end up like a real life Hangover movie.

As I approached the finish.  Mass hysteria began.  Traffic was really thick and I made a mad dash to the far right.  There was a small bubble of room between the race and the crowd and I decided to take a chance and run right along the crowd.  We broke off to the right from the marathoners and began this weird chicane in the pitch black.  This made zero sense as the crowd couldn't see the runners and the runners were just following the person in front.  I finally saw the finish and it was backed up!!  I could reach the timing bar!  At this point my patience was gone so I pushed people aside trying to get past the timing loop.  My finish time was 2:03.  Not too bad for taking it easy and being blocked from the finish.

Unfortunately, the finish was just the beginning.  The crowd was a massive cluster eff of runners.  There was no direction and I thankfully found my to the medal line.  Once I passed through there, I was fortunate enough to get a Cytomax.  Which is an excellent product.  After this, we had no clue where to go.  There was zero direction on where to go.  It continued to get worse as 44,000 runners were finishing and all the people who were watching were also try to find their loved ones.  This turned into a see of gridlock.  I was lucky and followed the guard rail around to Mandalay Bay.  At this point we were stuck with no where to go.  The crowd was stuck and 3 shows just released and all these people were added to the mix.  I asked a security guard for help and I was told to go around.  I asked around where?  I was told again to go around?  I then asked again where?  He then approached me in a threatening manner and begged me to hop the fence so he could arrest me.  Really?  I just ran half a marathon and now getting pushed against a fence by a crowd with no where to go and this is how I am treated?  Thankfully I found a way out and made my way to the hotel tram.  Of course the tram was broke and I had to walk back to my hotel.

Ok, so what are my thoughts on this race.  The course was cool.  Running the strip at night is a experience I will never forget.  With that said, this is not a race to attempt a PR at.  The race was oversold by atleast ten to fifteen thousand runners.  This also was the more poorly ran event I have ever experienced in my life.  Rock n Roll should be embarrassed.   Also, I learned after the fact was a situation with the water.  The race water was poured from unclean fire hydrants.  It was then held in trash cans and then served in dixie cups.  Well, when the runners saw trash cans they through trash in the cans, yet drinking water was still served.  Thankfully, I was ahead of the trash water and drank Cytomax.  I was really lucky to not fall ill from the race water.  Also, this race had a total lack of race etiquette.  Every division can take some of the blame for this as I saw a lack of it from every distance.  I am not sure why it was so lacking, but it was really unfortunate.

I always viewed Rock n Roll as a professional marathon planner.  After this race that statement couldn't be further from the truth.  I payed 140 dollars to run the half, only 10 dollars cheaper than the full.  This race was a complete rip off and I will never do a Rock n Roll event again.

Other than the race, my trip was fantastic.

BEAL

Hermes Pigskin Classic 5K - Race recap

I don't run many 5Ks as I really am not a fan of them.  A race at this distance really doesn't do much for me.  I am not fast, so I have no chance of being competitive and at 3.1 miles.  I feel like I have wasted a training day that I could have ran/road more on.  With that said, there is one 5K that I will do every year.  That is the Pigskin Classic.

This race takes place on West 6th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.  For those of you who are not familiar with the area.  The street is 2 blocks of bars.  The race takes place prior to the Ohio State vs Michigan game.  Sorry Yankee/Boston fans, but this rivalry is the best in sports.  This involves a huge tailgate party, a 5K, and then every heads to the bar to watch the game.

I arrived about an hour early on Saturday and ran into one of the oddest parking situations.  The lots were not letting all the runners park as the were saving the spaces for the town's winterfest that afternoon.  Seriously? My money is just as good as theirs.  So, I finally found a spot and met up with my fellow #dirtyrunner pals @theheldawg and @Johnsemilia.  It was exciting as their wives where doing the race as well.

The start time quickly approached and I made my way to the start.  I really had no expectations for this race.  My main goal was not to get hurt before the Las Vegas Half Marathon next weekend.  I started the race strong with the first mile at 7:12 and did the second at 7:30.  I was feeling really good and hit the final hill and lost a bit of time as I came upon a block of traffic.  I finally got through the traffic and hit a pot hole on the final turn.  This freaked me out a bit and I decided to take it easy to the finish.  My time was 24:23.  I am really happy with this as I haven't trained at all for this distance.  This time is an improvement of 1:28 over my time from last year.

Towpath Marathon (Half Marathon - Fall)

The Towpath Marathon races have been around for a long time.  This year they added 2 additional races in the Spring.  A half marathon in April and a 10 miler in June.  The race directors billed it as the Towpath Trilogy as it highlighted different sections of the Towpath in Peninsula, Cleveland, and Independence.  I did not plan on running this race and even resisted considering it.  After having a great race at Akron and the constant encouragement from friends.  I made the decision to sign up.

Going into this race.  I did not plan on attempting a PR as I honestly did not think I could ever duplicate the effort at Akron nor really wanted too.  I felt like I had ran the perfect race in my hometown and anything else would be a let down.  Now, a lot of you who read this know me to varying degrees and for those who do not know me all that well.  It is very rare that I share something personal and I am not going to do that, but I will say that there is an issue that has been bothering me lately.  It has creeped into my runs and I had been rage running the past week or so.  Now, it sucks being in that mood.  But is does lead to some great training runs.  So, as a result of these rage runs coupled with my legs getting used to running again.   I had my best training runs leading up this race and have never felt better.  Couple that with a flat course and this was a recipe for a PR.  I had been playing down these thoughts in the days before as I honestly didn't know what runner would show up on Sunday.  The one who struggled all day at River Run or the one who powered through Akron like it was downhill?

I woke up early Sunday morning and began my pre-race routine.  It was an early one as they were closing the race parking a 7am.  A full hour before the race.  I didn't want to be closed out of the parking. So, I arrived just before 7 and race traffic was a mess.  I decided to break the nerves by blasting my new power song and fist pumping.  It was dark still, so nobody could really see how much of a dork I was being.

Once parked, I made a b-line to the bathroom.  After a quick wait, I made my way back to the car and got ready to go.  At this point it was close to 30 minutes before the race began and I made my way to the start to visit with the fellow runners and listen to the final instructions.

Not sure what everyone, including myself is looking at. 

The full marathon started at the finish line while the half marathon and 10K races started about 5K down the road.  Our start was a quick downhill run then a left onto a road then another quick left before a 2 mile stretch of road before we entered the towpath.

The race got off to a quick start and I was flying at 8 minutes per mile.  On the 2nd left onto Riverview.  Things began to straighten out and I was still running 8's.  I began to fatigue already.  Crap!  I did not feel as good as Akron.  Negative thoughts already began to flood into my head.  Telling myself it was too early, I pushed on.  We then came upon the marathon start and the street was lined with people cheering us on.  A quick left and I hit the 5K mark at 24 minutes!  Crap!  I just tied my 5K PR.  I pushed on making a left into the Towpath.  I walked the first water stop as I need to regulate my heart rate and settle into what was going to be a long day.

This is wrong, but I love how that guy is struggling to keep up with me. 

From 5K till mile 10, through mile 8.  Things were going pretty well.  It was a false flat down and I didn't have to expend as much energy to maintain a pace in the mid-8's.  There was not a lot of room so everybody did a great job organizing a single file line and I got in a group running the same pace.  This was nice as I could relax and stay with the group.  At this point I saw and got a low five from @Matty_083.  He was up with the leaders and killing the race.

I made it to the turn around and began the roughly 6 mile trip up.  It was time for the false flat up and I began to fatigue.  I wanted to pull off pace.  I didn't feel crisp and even though I was on a PR pace.  It was becoming less of a reality with every step.

I survived to mile 10 and kept telling myself only 5K, only 5K.  Pushing on, I made it till 11 and then 12.   I was hanging on for dear life at this point.  Mile 12 through mile 12.6 felt like two miles.  I couldn't believe how long it was taking.  Finally making it to the edge of the Towpath I came upon a mob of people cheering us on.  I wish I had a photo of it as it was crazy.  Both sides were lined with people 4 deep.  It seemed like the were hanging from the trees.  At this point I saw Matt again and I thought he was yelling at me to sprint.  I took off and may/may not have pushed a group of runners out of my way.  I made a quick right and BOOM!  Finish.  I made it in 1:50:11.  Not only was it a PR, but a PR by 3:52!

Here's a quick look at my improvement over the past 6 weeks:

Half Marathon #1 (8/28) = 2:02
Half Marathon #2 (9/11) = 1:59
Half Marathon #3 (9/24) = 1:54
Half Marathon #4 (10/9) = 1:50

Where's the beer tent!?!?!

This ended up being a great race and I had a blast running it.  It did have an odd vibe to it, but in a good way.  I also want to thank Progressive for stepping up and being the title sponsor for this race.  It is great to see a local employer supporting people being active.  

Enjoying the post race activities with fellow speedsters Jill, Lauren, Pam, and Steve.

BEAL

Training Recap: Summer

I haven't posted any training blogs since the end of July.  So, I thought I would post a recap from the past ten weeks.  Most of it was spent cycling and struggling to run.  It was quite humid all summer long and with my schedule.  I was primarily running during the heat of the day.  The good news is I road strong all summer, but suffered to run.  If I were grading myself I would give myself a B+ on riding and a F for running.  At the end of July I road in several cycling tours and in August.  I road a strong MS 150 Pedal to the Point.  The past 6 weeks I have ran the Buckeye Half Marathon, River Run Half Marathon, and the Akron Half Marathon.  As the daylight decreases and the temps drop.  I will be focusing more on running and distance races while trying to get in some riding when weather permits.

Running:  230 miles with an average pace of 9:39

Cycling:  2,541 miles with an average speed of 18.3

Total miles:  2,771

Calories burned:  112,868

BEAL

2011 Akron Marathon (half marathon)

My plan all along was to run my first marathon this past weekend.  Due to several things outside my control.  I made the decision to run Cleveland as my first and then do the double by running Akron.   Unfortunately,  I failed at training for this race.  I attempted 3 times to run 20 miles and failed every time.  A hard decision was made to abandon the full and run the half.  It was a hard decision to make and I held onto the dream that I would still attempt the marathon throughout the rest of my training.  After discussing it with several friends, I realized I was making the right decision.

My running during the summer months had not gone well.  I was running a minute to minute and a half slower than what I had been running during the Spring.  I never felt comfortable and was laboring a lot more than I should have been.  I started running races again a month ago at the Buckeye Half Marathon and surprised myself with a 2:02.  During my training the following week.  I realized I developed some had habits.  I was no longer driving with my shoulders/arms and my stride felt short and choppy.  I began to work on this by driving more and lengthened my stride a little.  My training times immediately improved to the levels at which they were at during the Spring.  The original plan was to try this out at RiverRun Half Marathon 2 weeks ago, but after my fall.  I never recovered and I never felt right the whole race.

In the days leading up to the race.  I was upset that I would not be running the marathon.  I had tried not to get down, but I was.  In order to help myself feel better at failing.  I established a few goals that I would strive to meet:

1) Improve on last years time of 2:10:08
2) When the half route re joins the marathon route.  Be there fast enough that I can't see the leader.
3) Try to run sub two hours.
4) Do not ralk
5) If have a chance, go for a PR.

I got up extra early on Saturday as I wanted have me pre-race coffee and get downtown in time to meet up with a few other runners.   I was successful and got to visit with fellow runners Stephanie, Justin, and Kimi.  Before I knew it, the time had arrived and it was go time.

I lined up with the 1:55 pace group as I didn't want to get stuck in traffic.  This year Akron divided the start in half and the division point was at the 9:10 pace.  As the race begins, it is a slight false flat down through downtown then over a long bridge.  As you cross the bridge it is a quick climb then around a block and back across the bridge.  As the race began, I got off the a great start.  I was feeling really well and had been fairly lucky with managing traffic.  I was running around 8:00-8:30 per mile and feeling really good.  As I approach the turn around past the bridge, people began to clog up.  So I jumped over to the sidewalk and ran around the block traffic free.  Back across the bridge I ran, heading back into town.  A quick look at the watch and I was still at that pace and feeling good.  Since we are only a block south at this point.  All the people cheering at the start head to the next street and line the first hill.  Both sides of the street are lined with people cheering everyone on.  Feeling well I attacked the first climb and accelerated up the side.  I quickly arrived at the first relay point and thought it was 5K into the race.  I quickly looked at my watch and was at 29:49.  Mildly disappointed at that for a 5K time.  I began to think I wasn't running as well as I thought.  In reviewing my post race time splits.  I was actually at 3.5 miles this point with an average pace of 8:31 per mile.

I pushed on and was still running free and easy in the low 8's.  Next up was a long false flat up to Firestone park.  This is a tricky portion as it will wear you out.  I pushed on and migrated to the edge of the road as there was no traffic.  At this point I was trying to decide if I should dial it back a bit as I wanted to save energy for mile 11.  I kept thinking I had gone out too fast and was about to blow up before the finish, but I felt too good.  As I rounded the corner into Firestone Park.  It was time for the next hill.  I attacked again.  Never before had I ran so hard on the hills.  I just kept telling myself to go and turned up the iPod.  The road flattened out again and my heart rate immediately dropped.  Again I was running free and easy in the low 8's.

Next up was another loan climb up Brown Street into Akron U's campus.  I could see the Buildings in the distance as the road began to kick up again.  I accelerated again just telling myself to GO GO GO.  I moved over to the right of the road as I had planned to see my sister who had been waiting for me to run by.  Last year she waited 2 hours for me, but I looked on the wrong side of the road and I ran right by without seeing her.  Thankfully, our plan worked as I gave her a high five as I flew by.  At the top of the hill, it felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest.  I looked down at my Garmin and I was running a 7:00 pace up the hill.  I quickly backed it down and thought I may have just cooked myself.  I was through the first 9.2 miles in 1:21 with an average pace of 8:50.

At this point running 2 hours was becoming a reality.  I had built enough of a cushion that I thought I could survive mile 11.  As I crossed through campus.  My heart rate miraculously dropped again.  I took off and took advantage of the downhill portion back through downtown.  As I approached the final steep downhill.  I saw a spectator  jumping up and down on the side of the road.  It was Jess!!  I flung my arms around in an attempt to say hey.  I quickly reached the down hill and tried to get every possible second before I hit mile 11.

Now, mile 11 is roughy when the half splits off from the full and is better known as heart rate hill.  It is roughly a half mile and is a 5% grade up.  As I made the left to hit the hill.  There was a sign that read. "Pain is temporary, but the glory is forever"  I hit the hill and it hurt.  I struggle mightily at first and there was carnage everywhere.  I was dodging runners left and right that were stopping to walk.  I kept telling myself that it this will be over soon.  I ran as hard as I continuing to tell myself it will be over soon and that 2 hours was mine for the taking.  In the distance I could see the bridge that is at the top of the hill.  Running harder, I kept telling myself get to the bridge.  get to the bridge.  I hit the bridge and made the left.  A quick peak at the Garmin and I only lost 2 seconds off my average pace!!  Not only was I under 2 miles from a sub two.  I was on pace for a PR!

I ran on and the route wound around back to the marathon.  I looked up the round and the marathon leaders were not in sight.  Next was a steep hill up Market Street before the home stretch.  It hurt and hurt bad.  I made it up the hill and my heart was pounding.  The road flattened out as finally struggled to regain pace.  I had thought I had finally ran out of gas.  I kept telling myself that I can't come this close.  Then in the distance I could see the Evans building, which is across the street from the finish.  As I reached the 1/2 mile mark the streets were lined again with people and I tried to run as hard as I could.  Then my heart rate miraculously dropped again.  I took off, feeling like a player in the madden game with somebody hitting the turbo button.  I was flying and passing packs of people.  Telling myself repeatedly to go.  I hit a quick right and burst into Aero stadium.  I could see the clock and a PR in the distance and sprinted to the finish.  Finishing in 1:54:03.  A full 2 minutes better than I ever ran and a improvement of 16 minutes over my time at this race last year!!

Post race beers with Jeff.

I never in my life thought I could run this well on a course this hard.   I've been walking around with a smile and floating on cloud 9 ever since.  It was the perfect day and I will always look back on this day and smile.

BEAL

The dirtyrunner crew Ryan, Jeff, Allison, and Justin.