Marine Corps Marathon lottery

Registration for the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon was, by all accounts, a nightmare.  Active.com's servers were awful. The race itself sold out in about 2.5 hours, but many people who TRIED to register couldn't get through.  The MCM organizers were, to put it lightly, less than pleased.

From the earliest stages, I'd hoped they would shift to a lottery system.  This "race to the flag," ordering as fast as you can, might work for teens wanting to go to a concert (and line the pockets of Ticketmaster), but not for runners.  And, as the MCM organizers announced today, they have indeed shifted to a lottery system.

Some people are happy, some are not.  As near as I can tell, the primary criticism seems to be that if the MCM uses a lottery, "It's not the people's marathon anymore."

Let's just say, "I disagree."

First:  

Does this race have minimal qualification times?  Nope.  The slowest of runners can get in, and, as long as they "Beat the Bridge," they'll have a good shot at being awarded a finisher's medal by a Marine Lieutenant at the end of the race.

Next:

What the race using a lottery DOES do, however, is ensure that people with varying access to computers, bandwidth, and resources have an EQUAL shot at registering for the race.  The effect is that the registration process levels the playing field for prospective runners, and doesn't differentiate based on a runner's ability.

And:  

When everyone races to their computers at the same time, and only a limited number get through, does that REMIND you of something?  Like, perhaps, a LOTTERY?  Because that's what it is.  A server that only takes a few people (the lucky ones) is just as random as a lottery.  In this case, coming out with the lottery actually reduces the frenzy, panic, and potential for double billings, which DID happen as well.

So:

Well done MCM folks.  Let's hope this is better than Active.com.  It would be tough to perform worse.


P.S.  The MCM organizers have already confirmed that --in April-- they're still going to run the small "Access Granted" early registration race, so people in the DC area can still avoid the lottery worry.

So you're coming to visit DC for the Marine Corps Marathon

I thought I'd try to give an insider's view of visiting DC, particularly those of you coming here for the Marine Corps Marathon (which I'll be running with you!).  Some of the entries I'm going to list here will be SHORT, and some very detailed.  I'm assuming people will be here in the Fall, but just in case you visit DC other times, virtually all of the "insider" places making my list are worth the visit regardless of season.

Ok, let's start -- in NO particular order:

1.  Ted's Bulletin.  This place started on Capitol Hill, DC, but there's a new location downtown, around 14th St. NW.  Three words:  HOMEMADE POP TARTS.  Really, why are you even still reading?  Worth the visit.  Obviously, the Capitol Hill location is more "local" customers, while 14th St. will be more touristy.  They serve breakfast all day (yay!) and make some really excellent milkshakes (even adult ones).

2.  The US Marine Corps Silent Drill Team gives FREE demonstrations of their skill and precision -- during the summer.  The demonstration, along with music by the Marine Corps Band, takes place on Friday nights during the summer, at the historic Marine Corps Barracks located on 8th and I St. SE, the Marine Corps' oldest post.  After the demonstration, along with performance by the skilled members of the US Marine Corps Band, you can go across 8th St. to one of the many bars, restaurants, or even FroYo places for rejuvenation.  Again, this is during the SUMMER, but not a lot of visitors to DC know about this, so I included it.  Here's the full story on the event.

3.  Gravelly Point.  Pay attention, parents of kids:  This spot is located on the Mount Vernon Bike/Running trail, and also has a decent-sized parking lot.  Basically, this spot is VERY close to DC National Airport, and the large/medium jets will land or take off right over your head.  In particular, kids seem to love it.  But even my teen daughter was impressed, and that's saying something.

The trick with Gravelly Point is this:  It's usually a LOT more impressive when the planes LAND over your head, not take off.  So here's what you do.  If you're walking around in DC, put the major Mall monuments in this order:

US Capitol ---  Washington Monument --- Lincoln.

So basically, your left shoulder is closest to the Capitol, and your right shoulder is closest to Lincoln.  Look in the sky for planes.  If the tail of the plane is closest to the CAPITOL (so, roughly speaking, the planes are passing left to right based on my little chart up there), the planes are taking off over peoples' heads at Gravelly Point (cool, but not as loud).  If the tail of the plane is closest to Lincoln (so the planes are passing right to left on my little chart there), then the planes are LANDING over peoples' heads at Gravelly Point (Awesome!).  It seems that the planes land over Gravelly Point starting in mid-afternoon, but that could be anecdotal, based on my times I've run through the area while training.

So -- look up in the sky on the Mall!  Check your shoulders (i.e., don't be looking AT Lincoln, or looking AT the Capitol).  Look at the planes.  If they're landing in the "right to left" direction (roughly), then it's an easy Metro trip to National Airport, and a modest walk on the Mt. Vernon Trail.

Parking:  If you drive, you'll park just SOUTH of Gravelly Point at the Daingerfield Island Marina.  Again, free parking, and less than 2.5 miles from Gravelly Point, so an easy run there to watch the planes, and get a short shakeout run.


4. The National Zoo. Ok, while this isn't really an "insider" location, the tip I'm going to give you damn well is: Park "downhill." That means, bypass parking lots, A, B, and even C, and keep driving DOWN the hill to lots D and E. The result is that you'll walk uphill through the zoo to start your visit, but your legs (and your kids' legs) will be fresher then. When you're ready to leave, you'll have a much easier time getting to your car as you stroll downhill, not trudge back up. You're welcome. 

5.  Margialardo's Italian Deli:  Want a REAL local's lunch, but you don't want to pay for the costs of The Palm, or Old Ebbitt Grill?  Come by to my part of the hood (Eastern Capitol Hill).  This place is as mom-and-pop as it gets.  Generation after generation has run this sub shop.  Forget lunching at the Mayflower hotel in the hopes of spotting Senator Snotnose who isn't interested in you anyway.  Come here and support a shop, and get an uber-Italian meaty lunch sub.  LOTS of people talk about Ben's Chili Bowl, but that's almost cliche at this point.  THIS shop is for a true insider.  Plus, at lunchtime, it's got a steady stream of cops, firemen, and other government workers coming in/out.  You'll be quite safe.  :)  The downside is that they are not open weekends, and close around 3pm weekdays.

6.  The front of the Newseum.  Right at the corner of 6th and Pennsylvania Ave., NW.  Sure, everyone is listing this on their "Must Visit" lists, but suppose you don't have the time for a visit?  Come by here ANYWAY, and see part of it for free.  The front of the Newseum, every morning, has a display of the front pages from newspapers in all 50 states, plus some "National" papers.  It was amazing to stroll along these papers the day after we killed Osama Bin Laden, and it's also interesting to see how the different papers treat both national/local events.  It's a short stop by here (it's just off the Mall, near the National Gallery of Art (and my work!), and definitely worth the visit.  Oh!  And it's right next to the (huge!) Canadian Embassy, so my friends to the north can stop in and touch their home soil.

7.  That reminds me.  My first job EVER in DC was with the Federal Election Commission, right at 999 E St. NW (so the corner of 10th and E, just down the street from Ford's Theater, and next to the DC Hard Rock Cafe).  The first floor is open to the public, and the FEC treats public service VERY seriously.  Walk in.  Get FREE reports about who gives your congressional Representative or Senator money (both people and PACs).  Do a ZIP CODE search (really) and see who in your neighborhood gave money to whom.  All free.  Have them send the results to your home address so you don't have to carry stuff in your luggage.

8.  Yards Park.  This is not far from Washington Nationals Stadium.  It's basically a free splash park for the kiddies, and there's a good-sized lot with $5 parking nearby.  More of a summer destination, but they have free concerts and movies in warm weather too.  It's not known to a lot of visitors, but a nice destination.

9.  The Old Post Office Pavilion:  Before Donald Trump takes this over, check it out.  Since the Washington Monument is still closed for repairs after the August 2011 earthquake, that makes the tower the highest observation point in DC.  It's a free ride up top.  The Old Post Office is at 12th and Pennsylvania Ave, NW, not far from some of the other suggestions I've listed here.

Ok, so thanks to Donald Trump, #9 is closed.  *blows raspberry*

10.  The Einstein Memorial.  This is known to some folks, but many miss it, even though it's not far from the National Mall.  It's really well done, and has many little "did-you-know" points about it that make it worth the visit.  It's not a huge walk from the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial

11.  Don't kid me.  If you're reading this blog, you're likely a runner or triathlete.  But even if you're not, you love cupcakes.  Admit it!  Anyway, here on Capitol Hill in DC, we are home to a place you might be familiar with from "Cupcake Wars."  It's called "The Sweet Lobby," and it will knock your (compression) socks off.  They're in the "Barracks Row" area of 8th Street Southeast, and have a tiny little shop near the fire station.  Pay them a visit and you can thank me later for this tip.  You might have to run a few extra miles to pay for the visit, though!

12.  One last tip.  If you have the Washington Monument BEHIND you, and you face the U.S. Capitol, the Senate is on the left side.  The House is on the right.  If you have time, stop in either your Senator or Representative's office and see what they can do for you.  If you're REALLY diligent, contact them ahead of time, and see if they can get you expedited access to some really popular tours, like the FBI HQ (10th and Penn), or maybe a Capitol Tour.  If you foresee yourself coming to DC, do yourself a favor and contact their office(s).  If they're up for re-election, they'll be particularly responsive to constituents.

By the way, lunch eateries frequented by Hill Staffers vary, but they're all pretty much on the other side of the Capitol, roughly at the top of the Hill.  For many on the Senate side, you have the food court at Union Station.  On the House side, you're really not that far from "Top Chef" contestant Spike's places:  Good Stuff (burgers, fries, shakes), We, the Pizza (guess), and Bearnaise (higher-end, steak frites).

Ok, that's my list of "Insider spots" for visitors to Washington, DC.  I hope you find time to at least see a couple of them while you visit!

And, finally, when it comes to escalators -- WALK ON THE LEFT, STAND ON THE RIGHT!

22 too many.

United States military veterans commit suicide at the astounding rate of 22 per day, perhaps even more.  The majority is due to the effects of PTSD.  If you're a runner, here's an easy way to raise awareness, and doesn't involve fundraising(!).

1.  Join the "22 too many" Facebook group.  Basically, here's how it works (but read the group instructions)

2.  For your next marathon, or perhaps even a triathlon, you wear the picture (large on the back, and an optional smaller on your shoulder if you wish) of a military veteran who we've lost to PTSD.

3.  You mail the medal from the race to the family of the veteran (that's why I'm suggesting marathons or triathlons, but I suspect even a military-themed race with a challenge coin will work).  Write a short note of gratitude/sympathy and that's that.

3a.  Apparently, there has been a lot of success with people telling volunteers at the end what they're doing (the pictures help), and you can often get a second medal from a volunteer if you really want to keep the one from the race.  I don't intend to ask for a spare medal, but I completely get why folks would do so.  It's perfectly understandable.

(update:  I ended up getting 2 medals at the MCM finish, because my Marine has a wife and living parents, so I didn't want to have to decide what to do with a single one)

4.  It's a simple act, but the families are greatly appreciative. Some put the medals in shadow boxes, others keep them in a safe place.

5.  Doing so continues to raise awareness of the plague our returning veterans face, and you don't have to pester friends or co-workers to donate money.

I'll be doing this both for the Marine Corps Marathon, and the Richmond Marathon.  Connect with this group and run to honor those who we've lost not to enemy fire, but despair.

2013 Navy / Air Force Half Marathon Race Report . . .

. . . or, how I "cast my ego adrift," and just "glided" for a race.

YES THOSE WERE PUNS, I'M DEALING WITH SOME SRS DRAMA IN MY LIFE, OK????

 Anyway.

The Navy / Air Force Half Marathon is done! 

I signed up for this race just after doing the 2013 Cherry Blossom, and thought it would be (1) a nice "check how I'm doing" type race pre-Marine Corps Marathon, and (2) it is very close to the CB10 course, which I both love, and is conveniently located near my home, which makes getting to the start an easy task (no need for bag check, get a little more sleep).

Packet pickup at Bolling AFP was smooth, although they were very strict about you having to bring a copy of your registration receipt (you can log into the website and reprint it), along with ID.  But, once there, the expo was minimally populated, and I had my race bib within minutes of arrival.

The race expo was small.  There was one table of a guy selling gear/Gu/etc, but it was enough for me, as his prices were fine.  So, the only task left was planning out how to race this.

I had a couple of problems:

1.  A tight(ish) hamstring from doing a lot of track work, and
2.  My ego.

I'm not used to doing races where I pay for the opportunity to run a race, and then DON'T give my all.  I wouldn't run VO2 max the whole time, of course, but I normally go hard, and go hard from mat to mat.  But, it made no sense for this race.

The trick HAD to be to see if all my summer long runs had helped any, and in particular if the downward performance I'd been noticing was related to hot weather or overtraining.  So, before the race had even started, I'd planned to fail.

"Fail," is an ugly word.  But I guess what I mean is that I was going to step on a starting race mat KNOWING I could demolish my old PR for a Half Marathon, and would CHOOSE not to do so.

But the thing is, I want a sub-4 hour marathon finish so badly, that it was time for my Ego to deal.

The (ship's) bells sounded, and off we went:

It really wasn't so bad. The first 6 miles or so were basically me just holding myself slightly faster than a sub-4 marathon pace, probably around 9:05 per mile. I felt like I could do that pretty much all day.  I will say that I DID find it amusing to hear so many people around me wheezing and struggling for air at their pace.  Sheesh, is that how --I-- sound when I'm running an 8:20 something??  Eek.  But, I just chugged along, and had only mild concern that my heart rate increased -- just a tick -- at mile 7.

I'm not sure, however, that miles 7-10 weren't just adrenaline.  Because, I'd decided that it was fair for me to run the final 5K (3.1 miles) harder than the trot I was doing.  I know that finishing some long runs fast is a training technique, so I didn't think it was THAT awful of a decision.  Serendipity at mile 10 helped.

What I mean is that there was a timing mat at mile 10, so that meant I could run the last 3.1 miles and get a decent idea of what I had left.  The advantage was that I'd get two very distinct splits for post-race evaluation.

But, I hit the mile 10 mark under the magic sub-4 hour marathon pace, and then took off, figuring I'd satisfied my scientific curiosity about my training, but with my ego ready to at least make a show of things. I passed a LOT of familiar faces who had passed me during the course of the race earlier. No one I tried to pass held me off, but then again, I was probably so far back that anyone who COULD have held me off was probably already done with the race!  It was weird.  I'd start to overtake people in clumps of 2, 3, even 4 at a time.  Sometimes, a single runner would start to accelerate, and I'd hear his/her breathing get (even) louder.  But, I just kept cruising, made sure I was taking short strides to protect my knees, and each one would fall away in less than a minute.

I finished just under 1:57 (I think), so about 8:55 pace overall, so under the magic required 9:09 pace to reach a sub-4. This definitely helps me understand that the long slow weekend runs are doing SOMETHING for me. There were a lot of heavy breathers around me for the first 10 miles, and I didn't really feel taxed at that pace, so it was interesting to listen to them. 

This race required me to check my ego at the start line, knowing I could easily PR, yet choosing not to, because I have to think long term (as in 26.2 long term!).  This seriously might have been one of the most mature race-related decisions I'd ever made.  I can only hope it pays off.

Overall:  Just under 1:57, an 8:55 pace.
1st 10 miles:  Just over 1:31, a 9:06 pace (good practice for a 9:09 pace in 6 weeks?)
Last 3.1 miles:  Under 26 minutes, under an 8:20 pace (male ego!)

The good of this race:  Downtown location, nice time of year, and scenic views.  Packet pickup was a snap, despite being on an AFB.

The bad of this race:  I'm nearly 100% certain the mile 2 marker was misplaced.  I didn't even hit "lap" on my watch the first time I saw it, and when we looped back around to it, I was only at mile 1.8 -- that's WAY off.  Judging by others' reactions, I wasn't the only one concerned with its placement.  Also, one mile marker just plain wasn't there.  I think it was the mile 7 or 8 marker.  Yuck.

I don't believe in Karma. But --

This is going to be a weird post, but just go with it. 

My father died. 

I know this because today I received, in the mail, a small check from his wife with "distribution" written on the memo line.  There was nothing else in the envelope.  It took a quick minute of Googling, and there it was - his obituary from May.  I won't link to it.  I am not sure he deserves it, and there's no sense in advertising my actual name too broadly.

He took off on us when I was younger, and I lost the house I lived in, after he insisted that it be sold.  He held his wealth over our heads (those of my mother and I).  She was a housewife getting divorced in South Carolina to someone who had done all the outside-the-house work.  How do you think THAT divorce settlement treated her?  But he always offered me the chance to leave HER and move in with HIM.  Thanks, father, but I think my mom had enough men abandon her in her life.  I stuck around.

Fast forward through many years of lean living, including a time sleeping in my car, some student loans, summer jobs, and here I am, a moderately successful DOJ lawyer with only non-visible scars, but a penchant for dick jokes. 

He and I had virtually no contact for 25 years.  And today, out of the blue, when I need money to pay for a lawyer to keep MY kid from being scarred from a horrible custody fight, a check lands in my mailbox.

I don't believe in Karma.   But I do find the coincidence quite fascinating.  

P.S.  I'm also strangely unsettled by my reaction to this news tonight.  If this isn't one heckuva capper to an already crazy week, I shudder to think what is coming.

Sexual harassment at a (half) Marathon?

Or a case of (fully) super-sensitive spectators?

I've often spoken on Twitter and elsewhere about the "Outrage Prism," which many (apparently) joyless people hold over their eyes 24/7, allowing them to find offense at any/all things they encounter in daily life.

But recently, the Nike Women's Half Marathon was run in DC.  And, DC being DC, it managed to attract controversy.

Some company/product, "BareMinerals by Bare Escentuals" engaged in a viral marketing campaign where "Frat Boys" cheered on the runners with signs saying things like "You Look Beautiful All Sweaty," and "Cute Running Shoes."  As discussed below, according to women runners on the course, the "DC Frat Boys" were not obnoxious or negative in any way, and instead cheered the runners along their 13.1 mile course.

But one group doesn't see it that way (cue Outrage Prism): 

Linky:  Trigger warning:  WTF-ness

The group "Collective Action for Safe Spaces DC" is focused on ending Street Harassment in DC, and certainly elsewhere.  They are focused on a noble cause.  But on THIS front, they're just way off base, and provide a great example of the Outrage Prism taking hold. 

Notice that the people complaining on that FB page didn't actually RUN the race.  The people complaining simply WANT the women runners to be offended. But one women commenter actually ran the race, and pointed out their folly:  

Katy Cavanaugh By mile 8, I want to see someone holding a sign telling me my shoes are cute and I'm still looking good. I ran the race. I remember seeing them. They were not acting obnoxious or violent in any way. They were cheering on the runners. Does this mean the women holding the "you don't sweat, you sparkle" we're equally as offensive? Pick someone else to be angry at this week. People out there cheering for runners one week after Boston should be applauded, no matter why they were standing there.

Katy makes a great point - you will see signs saying how "Sparkly" you look from the sweat all the time at Marathons, Half-Marys, and even some Triathlons.  Moreover, spectators shout "You look great!" to men AND women. They say things like, "You look awesome!" along with a host of other cheers, not just related to looks.

Are they saying it to harass?  To OMG INFLICT THE PATRIARCHY?  No.

They're cheering on the runners.  Context, people.  Context.  CONTEXT.

Finally, let's discuss the finish line at the race.  There were tuxedo'd men holding platters of Tiffany's Medals, and lots of women gleefully grabbed at the men to have photos with them.  Also, I don't see a lot of people protesting the "hot" guys giving out TIffany's Medals.  

And let's also point out the Diva Half Marathon in Myrtle Beach was that same weekend, which my friend Bang ran, and featured beefcake giving out medals.  No complaints.  Street harassment is one thing.  Getting pissed off because you don't like how runners are supported is another.  Because CONTEXT.

In fact, I actually thought:  "Why don't they produce RUNNERS who saw these men and were offended?  Hmm, I wonder what women who DID run the Half thought of the cheering section of (pretend?) Frat Boys?"

So first, I texted a woman I know who ran it.  She saw the cheering section, said that she smiled/waved, and didn't give it another thought.  She felt like this was all a bit silly, and that was that.  But obviously, apart from her and Katy, I needed more women to survey and ask.

GOOGLE TIME!

I'm going to cite to some bloggers who DID run the race, and who also posted race recaps with photos.  I'll link to their recaps, along with their Twitter pages.  But I'll say this:  NONE of the bloggers I found mentioned, much less complained, about this oh-so-offensive cheering section (assuming they even saw it).

First, I did a little Googling, and found this race recap from Anne, who ran the race along with a friend.  I posted a couple of comments on her page, asking her take on it. 

Then, I did a little MORE Googling, and found this race recap from Molly.  I didn't post any comments on her blog asking for her take, but I plan to ping her on Twitter and point her here.

Then then, I did even MORE MORE Googling, and found this race recap from Allie.  Same as Molly.  After I left the comments for Anne, it just seemed easier to get my thoughts out, and point them here to ask their views.

I did . . . well, you get the idea.  Here's a FOURTH race recap, this time from Amy.

I plan to update this blog with their takes, assuming they answer me about the cheering section, and to see if they felt objectified/harassed or appreciated the attempt.

One thing you'll notice in all their race recaps:  NO mention of the "Frat Boys" and their Evil Patriarchal Attempts to Objectify (cue thunder/lightning).  Again, the ONLY complaint I've found about this marketing campaign has come from people who DID NOT run the race.

I actually Googled to see if I could find anyone complaining about the "Frat Boys" cheering section.  The only links?  Complaints by . . . guess.

Oh, sure, there are complaints on Twitter . . . from people who (1) didn't run the race, (2) didn't see the cheering section, or, (3) weren't even IN DC for the race.  Which is why I thought, you know, let's ask women runners what they felt when/if they saw the cheering section. 

Of course anyone can offer their opinion on a matter, but it seemed to me that it would be helpful if the folks who actually ran the race, and who may have seen the cheering section could offer their input.  Because, you know, their opinion might matter.  In fact, it DOES.  If there is no groundswell from women who actually RAN the race, and actually EXPERIENCED the cheering (or "street harassment"), then maybe -- just MAYBE -- this group is off-base.

But there's a happy ending in all of this . . . KIDDING!  There's not:

Bare Minerals informed Safe Spaces that, due to their joyless bullying protest, they would stop the marketing campaign.  But, that's not good enough.  Safe Spaces wants Bare Minerals to grovel.  They are demanding an apology.

Here's the problem:  To whom do they apologize?  Runners?  The only runners I've seen have said they didn't mind, didn't see, or outright LIKED the cheering.  So Safe Spaces wants an apology to . . . people who didn't participate in the race?  Who?  All women?

Outrage.  Prism.

 

P.S.  I wish Safe Spaces well.  I support their goals.  But nonsense like this protest, featuring utterly context-blind views on such an innocent matter, just undermines their credibility.

Update #1

Bang, of Run Bang Run has pointed something out to me in a Twitter DM.  What if these signs were held up by women?  Would this group protest it?  Sure!  If they were INSANE.  Realistically, of course they would not.  So, Bang points out, there is the question whether the words really offended them, or if it was because men were holding the signs.

Thanks, Bang!


Update #2

Allie got back to me -- she didn't notice the cheering section.  Thanks for letting me know Allie!


Update #3

I've now heard back from Anne.  She also did not notice them, but thinks this is all silly, and I'll link to her own words on the matter.


Update #4

The responses are rolling in!  Now I've heard from Molly, who DOES remember them, and states (over two tweets):

---"if I remember correctly, they were after a long stretch of silence. I was begging for a cheering squad!  Didn't mind at all that they were cute boys telling me I was beautiful!  Haha."

I really appreciate all the responses!  I put up this blog post last night (it's about 10-11 hours later as I write update #4), so I had NO idea what takes these linked bloggers would have on the matter.

Update #5

I had a real "V8" moment when I remembered my friend Cedric's wife, Tisha, ran the Nike Half as well.  I asked, she answered:

---"yep saw them! I chuckled & appreciated the word play! Not offended at all. This is stupid."


There are real problems in the world out there.  Street harassment is real.  But for a group like Safe Spaces to freak out over THIS thing just (1) discourages companies/sponsors from coming out to support runners, and (2) belies that this group is a "single issue" entity that views everything through (you guessed it) their own Outrage Prism.

Cherry Blossom 10-miler Race Report

 . . . or, "The Blossoms didn't really come out, but I did."

I've been over the "whys" and "hows" of losing time to injury, but fast foward to:

2 years, 5 months, and 1 week after my last race, I had trained for the Cherry Blossom, from doing the Thanksgiving to New Year's Run Streak, all the way to regular runs through March. I lost a week in March due to Achilles soreness, but still hit 100+ miles for the month.  I felt ready.

In fact, I felt completely hyper. I wasn't sleeping super well, I was evaluating, and re-evaluating my time goals, and all over my Garmin Connect account, studying my training runs.  I finally settled on two reasonable goals:

1.  Don't die.
2.  Shoot to break 85 minutes, so long as you don't run afoul of goal #1.  My PR was over 86 and a half minutes, so this wasn't an easy goal, especially for not having run a race. But it was a soft goal, because, you know . . . Goal #1.

On race day, I was up (this is true) at 1:15am, freaking out that OMG I OVERSLEPT RACE OVER I'M FUXORED WTF.  It took me until 3:00am to settle down and sleep again.  I was up again at 5:15am, and out the door at 6:00am.  Bear in mind, I'm on Capitol Hill, maybe 5 or so Metro stops from the race start, and had NO bags to check.

So there I stood at 6:20am.  Shivering, wearing a purple MCM shirt from 2005.  I planned to sacrifce it to the Red Cross at the race start.

I figured that the corrals would be well-marked, and they were.  They were also quite empty.  I had a few reasons for showing up so early, but also ran into what proved to be a significant issue:

1.  I wanted to break 85 minutes, and had seeded myself at 1:25:00, which earned me a position in the blue corral
2.  Hitting 1:25:00 takes a pace of 8:30 -- BUT --
3.  The 8:30 pace group was in the red corral.
4.  I was one corral back.  The blue one would start 3-5 minutes after the red.

Uh-oh.

So I figured I'd put myself as far to the front of the blue as I could.  But already I realized I would not be able to follow a pace group.  I tried to remind myself that this was just as well, because SEE GOAL #1.

Soon enough, 7:30 hit, and off we went.

Miles 1-5:

On the Cherry Blossom Blue Wave Start video page, you can see how close to the front I was, because in the first 10 seconds, you'll see my purple MCM shirt go flying across the screen from right to left.  I didn't hit anyone, and I think it actually landed ON the metal railing, almost like it was hung there.

Mile 1 was fast (for me).  8:22.  It was also gloriously uncrowded, and I just worked my position as best I could, aiming for good lines.  My heart rate wasn't really taxed (except at the beginning, which had to be from excitement/nerves),and I had only 1 scare, early in mile 3 where my Garmin lost satellite reception under the Kennedy Center (it reaquired and recalculated quickly).

My 5 mile split came in around 42 minutes and X seconds, and I was feeling good.  It looked like I'd finish a little above 85 minutes (by mere seconds), but I hoped I could burst at the end to challenge that.  Still, I was already looking forward to just past mile 6, and the water/gatorade table, which meant a BIG slowdown.

Miles 6-8:

I pretty much lost my sub-85 minute goal here.  I passed mile 6 and slowed to a walk in order to take Gu and drink at the water station.  I just CANNOT run and drink.  I'm awful at it.  Once that was done, however, we were heading into Hains Point, and right into a headwind.

I think, with climate change being what it is, we are collectively just going to have to accept bigger extremes, bigger "swings" in temperatures.  So the nasty winds were expected, but still not anything I was pleased with.  Mile 6-7 was slow, reflecting my walking/drinking break, and I didn't increase speed at mile 7.6 or so, when the course turned, and we picked up a tailwind. I sped up SOME, but not enough.  For some reason, I had in my head to wait for mile 8 and THEN calculate what I needed to do.  I could have used the remaining portion of mile 7 to really pick up my pace and go.

Miles 8-10:

I'm pleased by these last two miles.  They were my fastest of the race. In fact, mile 10 dropped below 8 minutes.  But, I was 17 seconds slower in my 2nd half of the race, and had a LOT of traffic towards the end (I almost ran over/through a MarathonFoto photographer as I tried to dodge a 4-abreast group petering out on the final uphill).  This whole section was also tough to run because Hains Point is quite narrow there, and it was the most crowded portion of the whole race for me.

One high point:  A couple dressed as ketchup and mustard bottles, imporing us to run "with relish."  I would have hugged them both if I wasn't trying to pick up speed. And really, who eats relish anymore?!

Anyway, I finished in under 85 and a half minutes, beating my 3-year-old PR by over a minute.

The Good:

--PR!
--Apparently, I can run again!
--My Garmin clocked in at 10.10 miles, so I only was "off" the course by a small amount (I have friends at work who came in at 10.4 or higher from their weaving).
--No serious pain that day or the next morning!
--I finished in the (roughly) top 25% of all runners, and (roughly) the top 41% of males in my age group.


The Bad:
I would have liked a couple of dozen more seconds, or even a few seconds more per mile, to get sub-85, but this is a TOUGH course to PR on.  Sure, it's flat, but it's quite crowded.  You really have to stake out a spot at the front of a corral if you want to minimize dodging.  I would have loved to have been paced by the 8:30 person, but the corrals gods apparently wanted me alive more.  ;)  :P

The truth is, I really don't have much to complain about.  It's been so long since I pinned a number on and ran that I was just happy to be out there.  And posting my best-ever 10 mile time.  Maybe, if I get in next year, I'll print pace bands to have an idea of how I'm doing, even with half mile splits.

But, the bottom line is this -- as I said in my last blog entry about the Cherry Blossom -- nothing tastes as a good as a PR feels.  Turns out that's true.  :D

Eat my words

Greetings!  If you're reading this, it's not because I publicized this post on social media.  Instead, you're almost certainly reading this because I, or someone like-minded, has sent you this link.

Why?  Because you likely just espoused some "Anti-GMO" position that I thought was wrong enough to warrant a response, but just don't have the time for a Twitter War, or a social media conversation.

I let a LOT of stuff go by on social media.  Devout Theism (I don't begrudge it at all, unless you want schoolchildren taught that the Earth is only 6,000 years old, and that Jesus rode a dinosaur on Noah's Ark, or whatever).  Gun Control (I'm for it, but I recognize at least some of the arguments against it, and also want a focus on mental health).  Even the Designated Hitter (blech).

I also don't fight over High Fructose Corn Syrup ("HFC"). It's not the same as GMO.

But -- some of the stuff I've seen, where people espouse Anti-GMO crap, along with Anti-Vaccination nonsense, is too much to let go.  So this entry is here to tell you, an Anti-GMO "advocate" why you're wrong.  I supect this blog entry will add links as more pro-science authors shoot down the crap floated by people.

I COULD just point out that the American Academy for the Advancement of Science has shot down this nonsense recently, but I'm also going to put out my objections to your Anti-GMO stuff in 3 easy points:

I.  Norman Borlaug

First and foremost, any discussion of GMO must begin with the man who have saved over a BILLION lives, Norman Borlaug.  This man invented a way to make minature wheat, so entire countries could feed themselves.  He's saved lives.  Mexican lives in this hemisphere, and Indian/African lives on our other hemisphere.

Months ago, some anti-GMO person said to me, paraphrased, "I'm talking about AMERICAN lives" in the course of telling me why GMO was bad. 

What.  The.  Fuck.

So because anti-GMO is grounded in the biggest of #FirstWorldProblems, we just let people die?  Of starvation?  "Sorry, Mobalage Singh Rodriguez, you could live a life free of hunger, but US schoolkids wearing Gap clothing are getting a little rotund in the middle"

That's about as offensive an argument against GMO as I could have ever fathomed.  And someone made it to me.  Either GMO is safe (it is, and I'll get to why), in which case the WORLD deserves it, or it's not, in which case we don't give it to 3rd world countries, like they're lab rats or something.

Norman Borlaug crystalizes the #FirstWorldProblems attitude of many Anti-GMO people:

"Some of the environmental lobbyists of the western nations are the salt of the earth, but many of them are elitists. They have never experienced the physical sensation of hunger. They do their lobbying from comfortable office suites in Washington or Brussels. If they lived just one month amid the misery of the developing world, as I have for fifty years, they would be crying out for tractors, and fertilizer, and irrigation canals, and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things."

Norman Borlaug has actually used GMO to save more lives than Superman in any of his comics.  Without a cape.  Instead, he used the Scientific Method.

II.  Mark Lynas

Mark Lynas was a profound Anti-GMO advocate.  He has since changed his position, and outright apologized for his behavior, as well as the damage he's caused.  He did so with class, which you can see/read for yourself here.

The Scientific Method is about getting to a result, and NOT trying to put English on the result you want.  If GMO is ever shown to be harmful, or Homeopathy to be anything other than WATER, or Ghosts to be real, I'll be right there, carving "fancy that" on the side of my . . . self.

But most Anti-GMO activists won't care what Lynas has to say.  They can simply say, "He was paid off," without considering his points, because, after all, it's easier than admitting you were, you know, agenda-driven and not concerned about the actual truth.

By definition, "Alternative Medicine" has not been proven to work, or has been proven not to work.

You know what they call "Alternative Medicine" that works?  Medicine.

III. Hey Liberals -- you're not helping

By most accounts, we see the most egregious attacks on Scientific thought coming from conservatives.  After all, even "Conservapedia" has plenty of Dinosaurs-on-Noah's-Ark-level of crazy, but we almost EXPECT that of them.  There are plenty of them, and we're used to it.  But, as Michael Shermer has pointed out, the Left is guilty of it too.

Chris Mooney, in my view, correctly points out that it's not equal.  But, to be sure, Liberals do it too.  And every time a Liberal turns his/her back on sound science (usually because of latent crunchiness), you just feed into the (incorrect) notion that Science Denial is equal, which makes people shrug their shoulders and think it balances out.

That doesn't help!  But I'm not coming at this as a Liberal.  I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy.

Personally, I identify as Centrist, because I'm progressive socially, moderate economically, and likely more conservative on foreign policy.  But I see plenty of my Liberal friends pat themselves on the back for being so much more "enlightened" on political topics than those goofy conservatives, but then move on to talk about "Frankenfood" or why they won't vaccinate their children.

If you find that you're lining up with the likes of Jenny McCarthy, Alex Jones, and Charlie Sheen, and the people on the other side of the line are actual, you know, THINKERS, you might want to re-think your positions.  If you're brave enough.

Eat THAT.


========================================
Edit:

First update!

Today a saw someone refer to a story on "Natural News," a website that peddles nothing "natural," or "newsworthy."

A funny writeup about it (complete with ACTUAL citations to concrete evidence!) is right here.  It's amazing how off the rails it is.

But it's also sad.  It has been ranked as the #1 most anti-science website on the internet.  THAT takes some doing.

If your answer to all of this is, "Well, they're in on it!  They're part of the conspiracy!"  Then you're likely too far gone (and, I suspect REALLY not used to having someone disagree with you).  I'm not afraid to be proven wrong.  I welcome it.  But if your answer to everything is more of the same bullshit, you're just not a critical thinking.  You're actually prey.

Just Google the picture of Joesph Mercola's mansion.  Yeah, but the doctors who are still in debt from Med school are all in this for the money.

Blossoming Tension

I love the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler.  It's easily one of my favorite races.  Over the years, it's served as a gauge for my health.  I last ran it in 2009, as I was in nearly year-long training for running the Goofy Challenge (or the Dopey Challenge) at Disney. In 2009, I ran it in about 86 minutes + change, or about an 8:40 pace.  I went on to narrowly miss breaking a 4-hour marathon in Richmond, which I took comfort in, thinking, "Hey, I ran in the after-winds of a hurricane, and I just did Dopey.  I'll be back!"

Nope.

In 2010, I flirted with Tri training.  I forgot, however, a few points:

1.  I only owned a 15-year-old mountain bike
2.  I wasn't much for biking fast, because I was sure I'd fall off a cliff (even if in the Sahara --- I had an Italian mother growing up)
3.  I really wasn't the best swimmer.

Off to do tris!

So, while BARELY training in two new sports, I was losing tons of running mileage, and also experiencing nagging knee pain.  I'd try to make up for lost running time by CRANKING when I ran, which aggravated the knee more.

Fast-forward to Halloween 2010, and I ran the MCM on one working knee, because I'd already signed up for the race, and the MCM Mock turtlenecks were black that year. 

Yes, I'm an idiot.

Anyway, January 2011 comes along, and by this point, I can't walk without a limp.

Goodbye, 2011.  Hello, nothing but physical therapy.  Oh, and hello EATING EVERYTHING BECAUSE FEELINGS.  And, as a public service, when you hit 40, your metabolism really does slow down.  A lot.  So recoving from (this is true) visits to "Steak and Shake's Happy Hour" (they really do have one) set me WAY back.  You can't just run 40 miles one week and be back in shape again.

I've spent much of 2012 easing into running again, and doing some biking on a used tri-bike I bought.  I promised myself I'd hold off on racing until the Cherry Blossom, when I would have almost a full year of gently-amped-up running under my belt. Things were going well.  I'd lost almost all the weight I'd gained from 2011, and was almost liking myself again.

Returning from Maui, I found myself running faster.  I was actually thinking I could finish Cherry Blossom faster than my 2009 PR, which was particularly important.  Why?

The McMillan Pace Calculator suggested I should have run 2009 Richmond in about 4:01 or so.  If I could put myself in a position to finish the 2012 Cherry Blossom just a TEENSY bit faster than my old PR, the calculator was predicting a sub-4 finish.

Now, I realize it's not an oracle.  Not by any means.  But, it tells me that, after losing the person I was for almost two years, I might be back.

Which brings me to now.

I have something -- I don't know what -- going on in my left ankle.  Pain.  Kinda behind the ankle, so almost classic Achilles tendonitis.  Having learned from past mistakes, I've rested it this week.  But I feel the weight creeping back.  Still making better health choices, but also it's not healing fast at all.  Which is making me plenty tense.  I can FEEL my cardio-fitness level falling.

I'm so close.  And now here's the classic runner's, "two steps forward, one step back" thing.

Pardon me while I wallow.  And ice.  But I will NOT eat my feelings.  Because THAT kind of blossoming would NOT be good for me.  Not anymore.

Nothing tastes as good as a PR feels . . .

. . . I just hope I get to find that out in three weeks.

Why I race, and do not just run

Recently on Twitter, Cedric lamented someone asking him, "Why do you have to do races, why not just run?"  If I recall correctly, he wasn't quite sure of how to answer that.  When I saw it, I knew I immediately had to write something.  Fortunately, a long journey home from Maui has allowed me to do just that (check my Twitter feed for lovely sunset/rainbow pictures).

Why do runners do races, and not just run?  For me, the answers are almost equally valid, and all equal parts.

1.  Races test you better than some, if not all, training runs.

A lot of training runs are not at your race distance.  Marathons, for example.  You'll infrequently run 26.2 miles unless you HAVE to do so. Sure, you COULD, but you won't run as fast, because, as is well-documented, without sufficient support and nutrition, human bodies typically exhaust all stored glycogen after 20 miles (the usual max distance for marathon training runs).

Also, even if you're training for a 10-mile race, why not just run 10 miles?  Actually, many people DO run 10 miles in training for a race.  So it's not an either/or proposition.  So answer #1 is, "I do run the same distance as some races.  I don't consider that I have to choose between them.  I do both."

2.  Race support will always top a fuel belt of water, and some Gu packets.

At races, you have tables of volunteers passing you cups of water, Gatorade, Powerade, and even beer (sometimes).  You have bands playing music, celebrating your very public attempt to complete a distance that some people wouldn't even consider.

Running on your own requires you to pack all that stuff onto your waist/back.  You still have to CARRY the bottles, even after you've had their contents.  You need to find trash cans after you've taken nutrition.

In a race, you actually GET to throw them to the ground (although, surprise, I'm type-A enough that I wait until the end of the volunteer lane and throw my stuff in the trash cans). You also get much more support than you would from a training run:  food waiting at the finish, medical attention right there if you need it, and sometimes even a UPS truck with your extra clothing waiting for you, which they've checked/stored for you while you raced.

So answer #2 is, you typically get phenomenally better run support at races than you ever would at a training session.  Pampering, almost.

3.  You will typically race faster than you will ever train.

Sure, we all do "Tempo" paces.  We run hard at intervals.  We also might even pick a bike/runner ahead of us, and think, "I'm going to keep at it until I catch/pass that one ahead of me."  But, in the back of your mind, you know that you don't really HAVE to do that.  Because it's NOT a race. That person ahead of you could have just gotten on the trail, or might be finishing up a huge session.  There's no real meaning to cranking up your pace.

But, in a race, it is Showtime.  Dress rehearsal and Table Reads are over (thinking of you, the Galadriel-eque Pia Glenn).  Every second literally counts.  You have a chip on your shoe/bib that's tied to a clock, which will result in a public statement that, "It took [this person] X time to complete Y distance."  Like it or not, for most people, this will be the fastest you will ever go compared to training runs.  You'll push.  You'll grind.  You'll (try to) ignore pains.  Because regret will last longer than pain will.  And you WON'T have strollers, kids, cars, or whatever stepping in front of you.  The paths will be clear.

Answer #3 boils down to, "Racing prompts me to go my fastest possible, and ensures a clear, safe path, without interference."

4.  Racing presents an opportunity to gauge yourself against others.

You might chat with people at a water cooler.  If you're into "LogMyRun," or "RunKeeper," or any of the social running stuff that I see people post, that's fine, and you can see how others are doing.  But, it's not as accurate.  Because you're reading about people of different sexes.  Different ages.  Different distances.  

A race will not only give you an overall finish time/pace, but it will also tell you how you fared in comparison to people of your sex and age group.  To what end?  Probably, nothing.  But if you're genuinely curious, it will answer that question.  The good news is that except for a small handful of people, the front-of-the-pack runners get the same swag as those who just make it under the time deadline.

So it's almost minor, but answer #4 is, "It allows me to gauge my performance compared to others." 

5.  Races provide motivation for training.

You circle a date on your calendar.  The race looms.  You have told people you're going to try to race it.  They're going to ask you if you did it.  Why do people take on workout partners?  Motivation.  Why do we do races?  There you go.

Answer #5 is, "It's an ominous/exciting motivator.  Plus, you know, I coughed up money for the thing, so I'm damn well doing it.  You can't wear the race t-shirt until you finish the race."

Note:  If someone goes to a nice restaurant, we don't ask them, "Why did you go to that steakhouse?  You could just grill a steak, couldn't you?"  Seems silly that we are asked these questions about racing.

6.  Races are akin to a public demonstration of healthiness.

We have protests for everything nowadays.  Protests to DO something.  Protests to STOP doing something.  Protests of things that hardly seem worth getting worked up over.  But a race is, to a curious degree, another demonstration.  

It's an opportunity for people who are into fitness and health to say, "We are tacking this distance.  It's a long way for a lot of us.  Some of us aren't sure if we can even DO it, but we're going to try.  Because we want to be healthy, and we don't care who knows it."

And it really is, isn't it?  Some people collect shot glasses.  Others collect beer growlers.  Others collect SUPER VINTAGE ACTION FIGURES, OMG THEY ARE --NOT-- DOLLS, MOM!  

Sorry.

Anyway.

My office has it's own "ego wall."  A couple of college degrees.  A law school diploma.  A bar license.  Even a personally handwritten letter from Janet Reno I'd received shortly after taking my Dept. job, discussing a law review article I'd written.  But it also has race swag.

[u]Prominent[/u] race swag.  For instance, it has side-by-side medals of the first two Marine Corps Marathons I'd ever run.  The ones where I'd barely trained beyond 8-12 miles at a clip, and then ran them faster than many people who DO train for them.  They were my first, and are some of my fondest.  I also have a substantial shadow box with memorabilia from running The Dopey Challenge (sometimes called "The Goofy Challenge" at Disney World).

What are those things?  Public affirmations that I put my money where my mouth is.  They aren't just banners of sports teams I like, or signed jerseys.  They are things that say, "I am into this running thing, and sometimes even Triathlons.  I'm trying.  I'm not the best, because none of these are "1st place" medals, but they damn well show I finished.  And they show I put in the time/effort to TRAIN for doing these things in the first place.  In a pool.  On a bike.  On a running trail.  Or all 3.

So no, answer #6 is, "No, I don't win any of these races, but I do finish them.  And I'm proud to show that I can DO these events.  How many mementos of finishing races do you have?  Are you able to do those things?  (Possible answers: "Sorry you're unable," or "So you just choose not to because watching tv is more fun?").

This isn't to rub someone's nose in it.  It's to say, "No, I don't win these races.  But I'll always place ahead of someone on a couch."

That is, until they give medals for eating Doritos.

Thanks for the blog idea, Cedric.  Just send them here if they ask you again!