The Disney Proposal

While we hash out the details surrounding the next marathon, I'd like to throw a few considerations out there regarding Disney. Some are pro and some are con.

#1 - I have not been to a Disney resort since I was one year old and got stung by a colony of red ants.

#2 - The last time I had the opportunity to go to Disney was in California when Oliver, Gordon, and Mongeon went. I opted instead to take a nap and pocket what was left of my meal money. I ended up investing that money in Netflix stock, which eventually paid for the down payment on my house. Was it a good decision? The jury is still out. They did seem to have a lot of fun.

#3 - By my cursory count, Disney is 22 weeks from Gordon's wedding. This actually seems to be a pretty good time frame since I don't want to think about marathon training before then, but I want to make sure that it works for the soon-to-be Honeymooners. Natalie and I ran most days on our Honeymoon if I remember right, but I can't really remember the runs. It'll probably be harder if Molly insists on you feeding her grapes all day.

#4 - The race starts at 5:40 am on a Sunday. Do we go down on Thursday, get a park park-hopper pass on Friday, and then chill out Saturday/hit the less physically demanding stuff? Will it be crazy busy if we do it this way? One backdoor option to consider would be to go down on a Saturday, relax, race Sunday, and then hit the rides early in the week. The obvious problem with this plan is our physical condition. I'm pretty sure I will cramp up if I have to make any sort of muscle contraction post-race. History tends to repeat itself.

#5 -Cost for a base pass (one park) is $80, and a park-hopper pass is $133. The race costs $135. When you add lodging, airfare, and food, we're probably looking at $750 pp easy. I'm thinking Disney will be about twice what any other East Coast marathon might cost, but this is just a guess.

#6 - Would a Disney trip lure anyone else into coming over other winter marathons?

#7 - Disney's course looks really challenging. http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/ewwos/pdf/rundisney/2012WDWMarathonMap.pdf

#8 - #7 was a joke. Here's the real elevation profile: http://www.marathonguide.com/coursemaps/elevationchart.cfm?MIDD=481100110

The Long Awaited Pittsburgh Video

Thanks also to Natalie, Carrie, and Team Gehrke for filming and comedic commentary. I had you in the credits the first go-round but left you out accidentally in the second edition.

Enjoy.

Marathon Vacuum

I still want to write a full follow-up similar to Ross's, but this post is just going to deal with the direction of the blog now that we're in the post-race emptiness.

Before I say anything else I'm going to make a plug: January 8, 2012 Disney World Marathon

I was really excited to run a marathon for the same reasons that Ross listed: get to see my friends, gives me a reason to go out and train (not just jogging), gave us two reasons to get together (the half and the full marathon), satisfaction with the fact that I'm not dead and I can still carry myself a reasonable distance on my feet, and, of course, the blog.

With the exception of the blog, these were the reasons that I asked Sam and Ross to run another marathon. That and the fact that I really enjoyed running the NYC marathon. I would not say it was about racing, beating other people, or even getting a good time (which ended up not applying to me anyway). For me, it was about running with friends, which was my favorite part of being on a college team in the first place.

I do still enjoy competition, but I'm not compelled to compete the way that I did when I was in college. I'm also apt to throw in the towel when the going gets rough because I feel like I've already proved my point competition-wise. Post collegiate racing feels like an attempt to recapture something rather than discovering something new.

With all of that said, I would like to put out the idea of doing some joint 5ks, 5-milers, 10-milers, and the like. I'm all for completing another marathon a year or so from now, but I think this would be lower pressure with less pain and less hiccups to training (or less need to train up for them). I've been running these with Mongeon in NYC, but I'll soon be all moved out and I'll have a car and a functioning license in Pennsylvania.

This would also allow for many more meetups. We could even cycle. One in Pittsburgh, one in State College, and one in Syracuse. Smaller races would also mean no reason to take days off (unless we wanted to). Also, with smaller races there's always the off chance that one of us could actually win.

Anyway, I've been trying to pick a good 5 miler in Pittsburgh in either August or September, but I would be open to others if you know of any.

What do you think?

Where We Go From Here

I've basically taken a week off from running and from blogging; it's been a nice week. I think I've logged less than two miles since the race and I feel great.

A few months back, I had initially kicked around the idea of running a local road mile last Friday. I thought that despite running a marathon, if I didn't run a step all week, I might be recovered in time to turn in something in the ballpark of 4:30. The early post-marathon signs--extreme stiffness followed by extreme soreness lasting well into the week--were not promising, although by Thursday afternoon, I was feeling good enough to try jogging up a hill on campus to get to a seminar. The result of this little experiment was a deep pain in my calves that couldn't really be described as a cramp. If I were to throw out a medical term, I'd probably say that "claudication" describes it best. This phenomenon is experienced when blood supply to a particular area of tissue is no longer present.

Natalie and I went to the race on Friday, nonetheless, because, by this time, I had convinced Natalie that she could win the race (and the $100 prize money) pretty easily. I warmed up with her for about a mile, and this put the nail in the coffin of any cockamamie ideas ff running the race I might have been cooking up on the drive over to Oneida. Natalie did indeed pull out the victory, although she wasn't too pleased with her time. On the bright side, she's got no where to go but up this summer, and she seems pretty motivated. As a bonus, we met a guy who offered us free registration to Biolermaker (which I didn't realize is already closed :( ).

So other than missing the mile, I have to say I've really, really enjoyed not running this week. My initial rah-rah attitude about getting back on the training saddle has taken on a more tempered perspective. I still want to do it, but I'm at least cognizant of how much I like being lazy.

With this in mind, I thought Ro$$'s post on the race and his relationship with running was well done. I completely get it. For me, the idea of giving up competitive running is certainly not something new. I've in fact done it several times with reasons falling everywhere over the spectrum of purely circumstantial to fully intentional. That said, each time I say goodbye to the prospect of ever setting a PR again, it sparks a tinge of regret somewhere inside of me. I suppose the marathon experience was fun because it gave me something to look forward to, a goal I could achieve as long as I was willing to run over the winter.

I'm pretty sure it was this latter reason--the process toward a greater goal--that made me think so readily about another marathon. It's also nice that people have become so fond of our little blog. So, where to from here?

A few weeks ago, I had tossed around the idea of running the inaugural Empire State Marathon in Syracuse this fall. Maybe I still will, but while it's nice to run fast, I've mostly seen the marathon as a means to an end (getting in shape), and the prospect of two marathons in a year doesn't excite me much.

The next idea was Boston. With my time, I was basically assured a spot given the new qualification standards. The qualifier for our age group is 3:10, but if you're X minutes faster than that time, you're allowed to apply Y days early. There are two problems with Boston, though. First, Gordon might not be able to qualify unless his New York time gets him in, and I'm not sure that it does this late in the game. Maybe his half time? I'm not sure. Second, the race is in April. While a spring marathon got me through the Syracuse winter, it really precludes much in the way of track races in the spring. Will pointed out that I should just do something in January or February. This is a great option for several reasons, but there are strong rumors of a Hall indoor comeback coming out of the State College rumor mill. On the plus side, this time of year works pretty well for student schedules.

In conclusion, I'm not sure what should happen from this point for le trois, but I've got an idea for what my preference is. I would say for me, fall is out. I'd like to run some miles and 5k's in what's left of the summer, and the idea of starting another long build in a week or two doesn't sound too great. I'm sure Ross will agree with that idea. Again, May was nice in some ways, but I'm realizing now that it's also pretty late. At the expense of indoor, January and February seem like the best plan. Bonus reason: Why not sit on my butt for two weeks when there's two feet of snow on the ground?

So without further ado, I bring you my top-five candidates for a winter destination marathon. I'd also like to take this opportunity to gauge participatory interest from our followers, Cornell alumni and others. We will probably keep the name of the blog (which, despite the fact that I stole it from Kate Irvin's Melange à Trois blog, is pretty good), but might as well add a few contributors to keep things spicy. Ross and Gordon have not weighed in on this yet, though, so let's hear it.

5: Carlsbad, January 22, 2012

4: New Orleans, March 4, 2012

3: Houston, January 15, 2012

2: Birmingham, February 12 (?), 2012

1: Miami, January 29, 2012

More here.

RO$$'s Post-Race Thoughts

After a long-awaited week of doing nothing more active than plopping down in front of the TV upon returning home from work, it's high time I give my thoughts on last weekend's race and, more broadly, this whole MaT adventure. First, I'll cover the race itself.

At about 6:45, Sam, Gordon, and I took our final pre-race dumps and set off for the start line, elbowing our way through enough people that we were only about ten yards off the line at the start. The gun went off, and Gordon and I watched Sam quickly disappear before settling into a relaxed pace. Before the race I had reminded Gordon to leave the pacing to me, not only because of his exuberance at the start of our half-marathon in March and the fact that I'm a control freak, but also because at Pittsburgh the half-marathoners and relay runners start alongside the actual marathoners, so it's easy to get sucked into running faster than you should. Our first mile was 6:58, which was a little slower than I'd set out for, but seeing as how it's better to be too conservative than too aggressive in the early miles, I wasn't concerned.

We picked things up a little bit in the second mile, which we covered in 6:40. From there we started taking regular inventory of how we both felt -- how comfortable we were with the pace, how our legs felt, etc. We both felt pretty similar. Neither of us felt great, but we were slowly warming up. Over the next few miles, my mind slowly shifted from dreading how far we had to go, to resigned indifference. For me, the key to running 26.2 miles without losing your mind is to simply accept the fact that you're going to be running for a really, really long time and not worry about when you'll be done.

My primary concern heading into this marathon, as opposed to the ones I'd run in the past, was that I knew I was in good enough shape to run faster than I do on my everyday runs, but due to my lack of preparatory workouts, I didn't have a firm idea of how much faster. I figured we should shoot for 6:45 pace, and see how it felt. Then, right as we'd settled into running in the low 6:40s, Gordon's stomach began its violent rebellion. It was right after the 6 mile mark, at the end of a brief, but slightly steep downhill, that Gordon first mentioned his stomach hurting. Since we'd already taken water a few times at that point, I figured it was nothing more than a stitch. But as we left the North Side, crossed the West End Bridge, and looped through the West End before heading down Carson Street, it became apparent that Gordon's cramp might be serious.

I'd hoped that running down Carson Street, a mostly flat, 2-mile-or-so stretch, would give Gordon's cramp a chance to work itself out, but things only seemed to get worse as we approached the Birmingham Bridge, which leads to the one true hill on the course. Right at the midpoint of the bridge, Gordon said he had no choice but to stop and see if he could calm his stomach down. For the next fifteen miles, I would be on my own.

I made my way through Oakland and Shadyside, waived to Carrie and Natalie, and prepared myself for the miles that immediately follow the halfway mark. In my experience, miles 15-20 are the most important ones of the race. No matter what, the last few miles are going to be a slog -- it's just a matter of how bad they'll be -- so it's in those aforementioned miles that you need to decide how hard to push yourself. Any temptation to pick up the pace must be tempered; you have to remind yourself that, even though you've already made it through sixteen miles, there are still ten to go. I continued to chug along in the low 6:40s, feeling good, but not so good that I felt dropping the pace down near 6:30 was advisable.

At the 19-mile mark, a band was playing "Smells Like Teen Spirit." I'd reached the point in the race where I started to lose my mind a little bit, and the relief of hearing a song I once loved/don't currently hate (there was a lot of "YMCA"-type crap out there Sunday) gave me a boost. Charging through the last seven miles, which are significantly net-downhill, seemed legitimately possible. But the boost was temporary. Somewhere between miles 19 and 21, I went from feeling really good about my race to desperately wanting it to end. Carrie and Natalie were waiting at the 21-mile mark. Carrie said I looked really good, and asked me if I felt good as well. I gave her a one-word answer: No.

The 23rd mile, which is entirely downhill, provided no relief. I covered it in 6:30, but had I been feeling decent at all I easily would have gone under 6:00. It was in this mile that a group of kids informed me that I was the first bearded runner, giving my race a much needed sense of purpose. I dragged myself through the last three miles, slowing down, but not drastically (two of the three miles were over 7:00, with the slowest one being 7:20 or so). My final chip time was 2:57:55.

A few months ago, as it became clear that I had no desire to do any type of workout other than an occasional long run (and even those were far from successful), I began to suspect that my training was merely guaranteeing that I'd break three hours, and nothing more. Well, that's exactly what happened. Around mile 20, I realized that dipping below 2:55 as I'd hoped to do wasn't going to happen, but I also knew there was no way I'd blow up so bad that I wouldn't break three. (When you run a time like 2:57, everyone automatically assumes breaking three was, in fact, your goal, so I've received nothing but enthusiatic congratulations all week.) But, as I've learned in the past, and as Gordon learned last weekend, the marathon can be so merciless that running slightly slower than you wanted is far easier to accept than it is in a 1500, so in no way am I disappointed with my time.

If there's one big lesson I've learned -- or, more accurately, relearned -- from this entire experience, it's that I no longer want running to play a prominent role in my life, at least when it comes to seriously training and competing. By the time I graduated from Cornell, running track and cross country had morphed into an elaborate way for me to bang my head against a wall. I was extremely sad to see my track career end, but I knew it was a healthy thing. In the five years since, I've continued to run regularly, because as long as I can use my legs I will run for fun and for fitness. But this was the first time since graduation that I'd actively set out to get in some sort of competitive shape, and for the most part I disliked it, as the gripes in my weekly training updates indicated. Unlike many people, I don't require the promise of future competition to make running tolerable; I simply enjoy it for what it is.

I still think that Gordon's original idea for the three of us to run a marathon together was a very good one. I'm glad it gave us an excuse to get together twice, and it spawned our incredible blog. Next spring, once I'm in grad school, and if I have a more flexible schedule, I may want to do it all over again. In the meantime, I'm glad that when I go for a run, it will be because I want to, not because I feel obligated to.

Soreness

Eventually I will write a breakdown of the race from my perspective, as I think we all should, but for now I'm just going to complain about how sore I am.

Man, even my abs are sore. I don't know about you guys but there are muscles in my arms that are sore.

I really hate stairs.

Splits

Splits tell a story that words need much more space to tell.

Sam:
1: 5:40
2: 5:52
3: 6:06
4-5: 12:08
6: 5:57
7: 6:03
8: 5:59
9-10: 12:07
ten miles: 59:54
11: 6:09
12-13: 13:22 (uphill)
half marathon: ~1:19:25
14: 5:35 (mis-marked?)
15: 6:23
16: 6:19
17: 6:18
18: 6:34
19: 6:51
20: 6:41
21: 6:49
22: 7:29
23: 6:44
24: 7:14
25: 7:12
26: 8:23
marathon: 2:49:34

The Finish - Part 3

The Finish - Part 2

The Finish - Part 1

Thanks to the Gehrkes for all the photos!

The Day After

[Pre-race dinner at L'Osteria, right before I pounded my two desserts.]

I've had 24 hours to reflect on yesterday's race. Generally, I feel content with my own results, but not super thrilled. I think Ross was happy with his time, and deservedly so, being that it was right where he wanted to be. Gordon obviously had issues that were beyond his control and led to a pretty painful run. He never felt good after mile 6, when he got his first cramp. In my book, he gets a lot of credit just for finishing.

Before I go on, I want to extend special thanks to the Gehrkes to whom all photo credit for the next post is given. They made the early morning drive down to cheer us on at mile 6 and again at the finish line. Pretty awesome.

I also want to thank Natalie for getting up at 5 to make us oatmeal and coffee and Carrie for putting up with us dudes in her house all weekend. Both wives also took video footage during the race.

Today I'm home, more sore than yesterday but way less stiff. I'm going to post my splits and my thoughts on the marathon in a bit and then get to work editing the Parkinsonian video.

2:49 the Hard Way, First Beard, and Gordon's Necrotic Bowel

Here are preliminary results from the race:

Sam 2:49:35
Ross 2:57:59
Gordon 3:32:06

The general consensus is that it was horribly painful. We'll be posting videos and recaps throughout the day.

10:39 pm

Gordon and I are nervous. We're nervous shaving then we're going to bed. Up tomorrow at 5am for oatmeal and busing to the start line.

Also, it may be too late for this, but you might still be able to register for runner tracking to follow Gordon, Ross, and Sam tomorrow.

http://www.pittsburghmarathon.com/Left_Nav/Race_Day_Information/Runner_Tracking.htm

Gordon #202
Sam #224
Ross ? (he's in bed)

8:47 p.m.

Our heroes have returned from their obligatory pasta dinner at Osteria 2350 in the Strip District, right by the early miles of the course. For those seeking inside gambling tips, heavy pre-race favorite Sam displayed potentially dangerous levels of confidence when he ordered two desserts, while RO$$ and Gordon coolly sipped from their respective glasses of water.

On the way home it started raining like crazy, which our heroes are hoping will help lift the heavy blanket of humidity which has covered the city all day. Tomorrow's forecast is calling for some rain -- hopefully not too much.

The rest of the night will feature a heavy dose of the infamous second season of Friday Night Lights. Look out, readers! Here comes Landry!

5:43 pm

About 70 ounces down in addition to yesterday's ~90 ounces of fluid. If I fall apart tomorrow, it certainly won't be because of poor hydration. The second season of Friday Night Lights is off the chain.

"I've been having this dream and you're in it. In the dream, you're telling me to get up and walk. And I do. And one day after having this dream, I can do this again. I can make a fist with my right hand. I just wanted to talk to you because you really mean something to me. I think it means I'm going to walk again...soon." - Jason Street to Tammy Taylor

4:42 PM

As you may have inferred from the video, our trip to the Expo for the marathon was a huge success. So much so that an independent film crew produced, shot, edited, and released a rap video of our entrance.

We selected our uniforms for their visibility. I decorated mine, and I think, inspired Ross. Ross' is pictured just above mine in the photo above.

The days' television commenced with a comedy special of Norm Macdonald. We followed that up with 'The Life and Times of Tim,' and we've just now moved onto the #1 television show in Cambodia - "Friday Night Lights."

Clear eyes... Full Hearts...

1:17 pm

11:00 am

We arrive at the Expo to pick up race numbers and get our other free swag. En route, we pass several strip club possibilities for Gordon's bachelor party. Video to come (of the expo, not the strip clubs).

9:55 am

The run was OK. No major kinks suffered by anyone. Ro$$ pointed out a street made of wood on the way back and the big downhill at mile 22 that we'll all be looking forward to.

We stopped at the Rite-Aid near Ross's house afterward so Gordon could pick up a toothbrush. He's planning on using it to scrub everyone's thighs down after the race. Hey-oh!

Entering Ro$$'s hou$e, we were greeted with the scent of delicious waffles and fried bananas. The wives are coming through so far.

The Day Before: 8:30 a.m.

It's 8:30 a.m. All of our heroes have awoken after a decent night's rest. RO$$ has already taken his first pre-marathon dump. Shed those pounds, baby.

The big question of the morning has been, "What should we eat for breakfast?" After host wife Carrie suggested "I don't really feel like making anything right now," Natalie stepped up to the plate and suggested we eat waffles. (RO$$ and Carrie got Sam and Natalie a waffle maker as a wedding gift last year and they love it.) So Natalie and Carrie are headed to the store to get waffle shit.

The three heroes have decided to get their run out of the way nice and early. Surely, the sight of these three effortlessly trotting through town will cause any other competitors who see them to mess themselves in terror.

(R.I.P. Derek Boogaard)

Picture from Will

Elevation Changes

http://runkeeper.com/user/PGHMarathon/route/251262

This is a fun little tool. It looks like the only major uphill is mile 11 to 12.5. Is this true, Ross, or did you feel the smaller ones, too? I'm also curious to hear about how the downhill at mile 22 to 23.5 feels.

That's all from me today. I'm having a hard time coping with the upcoming agony of this race, but I've got to get to work.

PS - No Ricky Lader for Pittsburgh. Too bad.

Pitt Stops

From the marathon website:

"Each fluid station will provide water and Gatorade original lemon-lime flavor along the course. Gu energy gels will be available at miles 8.9, 11.8, 17.1 and 20.1; PowerBars will be available at miles 14.6 and 21.5; and pretzels will be available at miles 23.8 and mile 25."

Fluids plus Gu at miles 9 and 17 should be good enough, right?

Shitty Video Course Preview

Heps

Watch more video of 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal (Heps) Outdoor Track and Field Championships on flotrack.org

Although I was saddened to not see any Cornell men in the 1500 final, the 800 was a pretty fun race to watch--second only to the 400IH, which is obviously outside of my own athletic comfort zone. Princeton leads by 7 at the time of this post, with the relays still remaining. And what's this? A men's 4x800? When did this happen?

Part Two of MàT's Interview with Robert Johnson

In the second and final installment:

Rojo skates around making predictions for Pittsburgh,
Rojo talks about his progression from a 16:42 5k guy to a 2:23 marathoner,
Sam discusses how marathoning is like being on The Biggest Loser,
Rojo calls Bill Aris a genius,
and much, much more.

For Part 2, go here.

If you missed Part 1, check it out here.

Week 25 Recap

Sam: S(14, Mountain Goat), M(5), T(off), W(8), R(off), F(5am, 8pm w/ 4 miles @ pace), S(7). Total=47. The two off days were nice. The pace work wasn't so nice. I'm hoping I was just tired from Sunday's race, but it definitely wasn't a confidence boost. Time to coast at this point. I'm looking at one more workout, probably Tuesday. It'll be super-chill, something like a mile at pace and then 4x400 on the track.

RO$$: S(8), M(11), T(0), W(11), R(0), F(9), S(9). 48 miles total. It was a pretty uneventful week. I would call it a half-taper. I ran less days than I initially intended to, but kept the daily average pretty high. I can't wait to taper. I'm tired.

The Interview You've All Been Waiting For

Marathon à Trois sat down for a quick phone interview with Cornell coach Robert Johnson of Letsrun.com fame.

[Pictured above: Robert & his big head/great hair,
Will, Oliver, and Ross at the Royal Wedding.]

In this segment of the interview...

MàT and Letsrun compare page-views,
Rojo weighs the appeal of selling himself,
Journalistic ethics are thrown out the window,
Sam realizes that Heipsh are this weekend,
14:26 and 3:49 kids are left off the bus,
Natalie coughs,
JK retraces Robert's marathon history,
Rojo reveals his secrets to marathon success...
and much, much more.

Give a listen here:
Interview with Robert Johnson Part 1

Must - haves for wedding songs

Molly and I have a couple of Post-its up for when we think of great dancing songs, but I thought I'd crowdsource the idea.

What do y'inz (getting ready for Pittsburgh) think would make for must-have wedding playlist material? - or failing that, what were the great songs from our college years (we have, of course, already got "Move Bitch, Get Out The Way" on the list)

Shout Out

I'm going to go ahead and give the shout out to MaT follower Alyssa Simon for an impressive showing in the half marathon. I would link to the website, but I cannot find the name of the race. I noticed the time since it was nearly the same as my own time from a few months back.

1:27:51 - Well done!

Congrats!

Bang

If finding out that Sam survived his race wasn't good enough news, I just got the following email:

"This email is to confirm that you have received a seeded position for the Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon or UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon."

Sam, Gordon, are you guys in as well?

Mountain Goat

The results are in, and in retrospect, it seems as though I was being a bit dramatic about how badly things went last week. Chalk it up to jitters perhaps.


In today's Goat, I took 10th with a time of 56:46. I'll post splits later, but my watch is out in the car and I don't feel like getting up. Overall, I'm very pleased with the result. The hamstring warmed up nicely and never felt too strained, even during the worst of the hills. My goal was to run around half marathon pace, which I set arbitrarily at 5:45. I was a little faster than that (average just over 5:40), but at the same time, I ran it harder than I planned. The good news is, while I couldn't have run much faster, I paradoxically felt absolutely fine at the end. I'm calling this a sign of being ready for the marathon.

In life news, Natalie (who took 9th among women) and I replaced my iPhone after the race for a mere $50. Thanks to my sister Katie for letting me take her contract expiration spot on the family plan. I had lost it on Friday while marking trail, and I expected the price to be much worse. Overall, a good day.