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Stephanie is ready to run and my 10am meeting finishes early, so we set off just before 11am in a light drizzle that soon fades to nothing. The paved jogging trail is open again, with a backhoe/'dozer crawling along clearing fallen limbs and damaged brush nearby. Marked miles go by at 10:40, 10:14, and 9:05 as a small herd of four deer ambles past.
^z - 2010-03-20
The passing car blasts through a monster puddle and splashes muddy water over Gayatri Datta and me as we stand waiting to cross Veirs Mill Rd. We're on the Matthew Henson Trail, starting a dawn run on the first morning of Daylight Savings Time. We met and fired up our GPS's at Winding Creek Local Park. Light rain falls and intermittent winds cut through our layers of clothing.
We'll see deer, I promise Gayatri before we start, and do we ever: first one, then half a mile later a pair, then four, and finally near the turnaround at trail's end a herd of half a dozen or more. Just after that last encounter whom should we meet running the other way but graceful Jean Arthur, president of the MCRRC! She's four miles into her 15 mile outing and looks strong.
During the return trip I find on the trail a White Owl "blunt white grape" cigar still in its wrapper. Gayatri tells me about a friend of hers in India who bought a metal Buddha head from a New Delhi street vendor for 3,000 rupees, a fabulous deal. We talk about Indian political history, Masala Coke, family, training, etc. Our pace is comfortable with lots of walk breaks and pauses to retie my shoes, drink from Gayatri's bottles, knot our jackets around our waists when we get too hot, etc. My GPS agrees well with Gayatri's, says I've burned ~950 calories, and provides these splits (pace in min/mi):
| mile | pace | time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14:14 | 0:14:14 |
| 2 | 14:46 | 0:29:00 |
| 3 | 14:41 | 0:43:41 |
| 4 | 13:35 | 0:57:16 |
| 5 | 13:13 | 1:10:29 |
| 6 | 12:20 | 1:22:49 |
| 7 | 14:44 | 1:37:34 |
| 8 | 12:03 | 1:49:37 |
| 9 | 11:12 | 2:00:49 |
| 9.10 | 10:27 | 2:01:54 |
^z - 2010-03-18
"Cool glove!" the high-school kid compliments me as I enter the tunnel under Wisconsin Av. My left hand looks like Hellboy's, covered by a huge eye-piercing fluorescent orange glove that I found lying on the shoulder of the road half a dozen miles ago.
It's a Friday afternoon and I've taken off from work an hour early to jog home. I've only tried this journey once before, as described in 2007-05-25 - Home Run Meltdown. That time was an ordeal, hot and slow. Today the temperature is 50 instead of 80, I weigh 20 lbs. less, and I eat chocolate chip pancakes for lunch. So the run obviously goes far better and I cover the distance almost 3 min/mi faster.
Rain varies from moderate to minimal. Earthworms squiggle graffiti on the path. The mile trek from the office to the intersection of Rt 123 and the GW Pkwy yields the aforementioned garish glove. On the hilly Potomac Heritage Trail leaves are slippery but I avoid a fall. Pimmit Run is nearly knee-deep, a muddy flood just as it was at the 2009-11-01 - Potomac Heritage 50k 2009. I wade across with great caution and manage not to be swept away.
After crossing Chain Bridge it's a clamber up the steep path to the Capital Crescent Trail. As I reach the top my GPS reads 3.00 miles. From this point onward the going is far easier and the pace accelerates. A porta-john in downtown Bethesda, placed by MCRRC and the Park Service, is a welcome sight. After a couple of sub-10 miles through Chevy Chase I'm walking up the hill on Brookeville Rd when the phone rings. It's Kate, checking that I'm ok! We chat, and I discover that the phone works fine even inside a waterproof zip-lock baggie.
At home I take a GPS data dump. It estimates 1203 calories burned and reads a total distance amazingly close to my 2007 estimate of "~11 miles".
| mile | pace | time | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 10:44 | 0:10:44 | starting time about 2:58pm |
| 02 | 14:50 | 0:25:33 | entering the Potomac Heritage Trail at mile ~1.1 |
| 03 | 16:36 | 0:42:09 | includes crossing of Pimmit Run |
| 04 | 10:40 | 0:52:49 | on the CCT above Chain Bridge |
| 05 | 10:31 | 1:03:20 | |
| 06 | 11:42 | 1:15:02 | |
| 07 | 12:01 | 1:27:03 | includes potty break in Bethesda |
| 08 | 09:16 | 1:36:19 | |
| 09 | 09:39 | 1:45:57 | |
| 10 | 10:22 | 1:56:19 | |
| 10.87 | 11:19 | 2:06:13 | phone call from Kate |
^z - 2010-03-16
Meetings most of the day leave only a little time to trek on a pleasant March afternoon. Friend Amy and I walk the parking lot periphery (~1.5 miles) to test her rebuilt left hip joint—results not yet in. "Femoral acetabular impingement" is the phrase of the day. I change clothes and set off for a brisk couple of circuits around the hilly woodsy jogging course. Right knee feels iffy, but measured miles come in an accelerating blitz of 8:21 and 7:41, scaring squirrels and robins, zigging to avoid a pair of ladies walking the opposite direction on the paved pathway. Patches of snow melt in shaded nooks.
^z - 2010-03-14
 | Climbing the big hill at mile 30 of the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50k my left metatarsals ache, my right knee twinges, and I'm happy. John Lennon's song Imagine, on the radio at 5am this morning, plays in my head. "... Above us, only sky ...." Two miles to go! (photo by Ken Trombatore, who was hiding behind a tree catching runners near the crest) |
"Where's your pack of girlfriends?" the volunteer course marshall teases me. She's at the last corner now, guiding runners into a final sprint down unpaved Tschiffley Lock Rd. Several hours ago she saw us upstream, a group running along behind pacesetter friend Kate Abbott.
"They'll be along soon," I reply. Several miles back my feet start to feel frisky and I run ahead of the gang. At the Clopper Lake aid station, coming out of the side loop near mile 19, I take a couple of Succeed! electrolyte capsules. Apparently they're just what the old carcass craves. Half an hour later my strength returns and I feel like running again.
This year's SCGT 50k trail race actually begins at 4:45am as I hop on my left foot across the dining room. I'm trying to reach the nail clippers in the kitchen without touching my grease-coated right foot to the floor or falling down and waking Paulette. After trimming an ugly toenail I don socks and shoes, then head out.
A last-quarter moon shines bright in Scorpio, next to red Antares. At Riley's Lock I'm among the first to arrive, but as usual cheery Caren Jew is there ahead of me. In her minivan she gathers Holly Franz, Kate Abbott, Caroline Williams, Rob Dolan, and me for the ride to Damascus. Caren lends a pair of gloves to Caroline and encourages us all. We huddle in her warm car until Race Director Ed Schultze announces the early start is about to take place. Then it's ten minutes in the cold wind, a shout out of bib numbers to the officials, and at 7:10am we begin.
Halfway down the bikepath a helpful runner points out that my shoes are untied. I sit down to reknot the laces and claim Dead Last Place. At the bottom of the hill, where the course leaves the asphalt to head through the snowy woods, I catch up with Kate and Holly. Here it's Kate's turn to pause and install her YakTrax, metallic coils for extra traction. I'm wearing my screw shoes, a choice with mixed consequences: I never slip, but the lack of padding promotes metatarsalgia.
Across the crusty snow we trek, following leader Kate on Magruder Branch Trail. I check my new GPS frequently, trying not to fall while doing so. Our pace is slow but steady. A few miles downstream at the first major water crossing the stream is deep. Several people stop to take off their shoes and socks. Kate and I wade quickly across, avoiding the submerged stepping stones which look slippery.
The aid station volunteers are jolly and helpful. Ed Schultze has directed them not to give out paper cups, not to let runners drop trash anywhere, and not to offer fancy food. "If we treat them too good they will keep coming back just like the geese," his instructions say. Holly and I do our part, picking up litter as we progress.
After Rt 355, a dozen or so miles into the race, Judith Weber catches up and joins us. She's from Ellicott City and has run the Catoctin 50k, an ultra that Caren and I have done together and are planning to try again some day. We discuss our aches and discover that both of us tend to have the same foot pains.
At Clopper Lake, miles 16, we're passed by a passel of 8am starters including Mark McKennett. He's growing his hair out so he can shave "MMT 100" into it for the mid-May Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 miler. Shortly after Mark goes by, to my vast amazement fleet-footed friend Ken Swab materializes. He's been blasting along after taking the 8am start and has gained an astounding 50 minutes on me. Our mutual banter entertains the other runners in the train that tireless Kate is pulling along.
At Rt 28, mile ~25, I take two more S! e-caps. Jim Farkas refills my water backpack and Don Libes lets me drink Pepsi from the communal mug. "You promised you would volunteer at my aid station for a few seconds, and here you are!" he teases me. As I leave I look back and see no one, but after the race Kate tells me that she crested the hill and spied me outbound.
The final half-dozen solo miles go by briskly, if not totally comfortably. I pass several faltering runners, but my dream of finishing in under 7.5 hours soon fades. The right knee complains, but less than the left foot. I come in at 7:35:32 by my watch. The GPS measures 31.38 miles and says I've burned 3109 calories. Some of its other data are less credible, including an estimate of over 10,000 feet elevation change. Perhaps it's due to jitter in the altitude function.
| 2010 SCGT course as recorded by a new Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS, plotted via GPS Visualizer on Google Maps, with markers every mile. |  |
Today's lessons relearned:
GPS split data, with Pace in units of min/mi:
| Mile | Pace | Time | Mile | Pace | Time | Mile | Pace | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 13:18 | 0:13:18 | 12 | 15:41 | 2:56:40 | 23 | 14:25 | 5:43:40 | ||
| 02 | 14:55 | 0:28:13 | 13 | 15:37 | 3:12:17 | 24 | 11:38 | 5:55:18 | ||
| 03 | 14:40 | 0:42:53 | 14 | 15:32 | 3:27:49 | 25 | 16:09 | 6:11:27 | ||
| 04 | 13:54 | 0:56:47 | 15 | 17:25 | 3:45:14 | 26 | 12:09 | 6:23:36 | ||
| 05 | 17:19 | 1:14:06 | 16 | 14:07 | 3:59:21 | 27 | 14:17 | 6:37:53 | ||
| 06 | 14:20 | 1:28:26 | 17 | 15:26 | 4:14:47 | 28 | 13:45 | 6:51:38 | ||
| 07 | 14:18 | 1:42:44 | 18 | 15:36 | 4:30:23 | 29 | 12:36 | 7:04:14 | ||
| 08 | 14:59 | 1:57:43 | 19 | 16:02 | 4:46:25 | 30 | 16:00 | 7:20:14 | ||
| 09 | 14:22 | 2:12:05 | 20 | 14:10 | 5:00:35 | 31 | 11:51 | 7:32:05 | ||
| 10 | 15:36 | 2:27:41 | 21 | 14:40 | 5:15:15 | |||||
| 11 | 13:18 | 2:40:59 | 22 | 14:00 | 5:29:15 | 31.38 | 09:16 | 7:35:32 |
(cf. Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon 2005 (2005-03-05), SenecaCreekGreenwayTrailMarathon2006 (2006-03-05), Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon 2007 (2007-03-04), Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50k 2008 (2008-03-02), 2009-03-07 - Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50k (2009-03-14), ...) - ^z - 2010-03-12
After much dithering in recent weeks I finally decide to follow the example of friends and buy a wrist GPS unit. The Garmin Forerunner 205, an old model, seems to have the right mix of features and low cost. It arrives on Wednesday and when I get home with an hour to spare before sundown on Thursday it's time to try it out! The "classic" course that I had long estimated as about 5 miles turns out to be extremely close to that, according to satellite navigation (from home via Seminary and Linden to Ireland to Rock Creek Trail, downstream to East-West Hwy, then back via Jones Mill and Coquelin to the Capital Crescent Trail, thence home). Auto-splits are fun; GPS pace estimation seems to fluctuate a lot, especially near corners.
^z - 2010-03-10
Yellow John Deere backhoes chip away at dirty snow mounds metamorphosed into ice. I pull sleeves down over my hands and wish I had worn a second layer whenever my course takes me into the wind. Occasionally tiny raindrops pelt my face. Laps on the 1.5 mile parking lot perimeter go by at 9.7, 9.1, and 7.8 min/mi. A pair of gentlemen walking the opposite direction nod at me when we meet. The right knee still feels tight and twingy, especially for the first mile. The left hip also seems rough at times, where the ball joint of the femur fits into the pelvis. Perhaps the old carcass is falling apart? I tune my gait, relax hips and shorten stride. The pain fades, perhaps coincidentally.
In the final quarter mile I hear footfalls and look back; a fast young male runner is catching up with me. He passes and I tell him I'll try to keep up until the next corner where my third lap finishes. "If you were a young lady I'd chase you harder!" I confess.
"Back there when I caught sight of your long hair," he says, "I asked myself, 'How can that woman stay ahead of me?'"
"Sorry to disappoint you!" I reply.
^z - 2010-03-08
Snowmelt puddles wet my shoes at driveway crossings. Meetings end a bit after 2:30pm, so there's only time for two laps around the 1.5 mile parking lot periphery. Temps are near 50°F but gusty winds make it feel cooler. I head counter-clockwise, opposite to my usual direction, and do the loop at ~9.1 min/mi for the first circuit and ~8.1 min/mi for the second.
^z - 2010-03-06
 | Scattered snowflakes hit me in the eye. My crimson shorts and shirt match my ruddy face and legs. It's the annual Road Runners Club of America race in Columbia MD, to which Cara Marie Manlandro kindly brings Ken Swab and me. In the community college gymnasium I chat with Pete Darmody, Doug Sullivan, Betty Smith, Christina Caravoulias, Wayne Carson, and others. We stay warm until time to hike to the starting line of the newly-remeasured course, now a full 10 miles, not short as in prior years. Hills, however, are unchanged. (photo courtesy Howard County Striders) |
Friends are mostly taking it easy after training treks yesterday, but I'm well-rested and want to see how fast the old legs can crank. Prior best at this distance is ~9 min/mi, but that was before I learned that it's OK to run when tired. Log-linear interpolation between recent results for marathon (~9 min/mi) and 5k (~7 min/mi) suggest that my pace slows by ~0.65 min/mi whenever the distance doubles. That predicts a 10 miler pace of ~8.1 min/mi, a goal time of ~1:21. I admit when asked to hoping for 1:25 but secretly think sub-1:20 may be feasible.
CM and I set off together, but a few seconds into the race I look around and can't find her. The course begins downhill. The warmup is a blast and at mile marker 2 I see 15:00 on my watch. "OK", says I to myself, "not sustainable, but compared to 8:00 pace that's a minute in the bank. Hang on!" I keep pushing, walk a few steps at the mile 3 while I sip some water, then get back to work and skip the subsequent aid stations. Rolling hills begin to take a toll. I reach the halfway point at ~38:10 = ~7:40 net pace. The second half is rougher, but by chasing down cute lady runners ahead of me (and getting passed by some coming up behind me) I hang on to that minute and finish in an official 1:19:06, 272nd place overall. "You sandbagger!" says friend Kate Abbott when she hears the news.
The troubled right knee feels tight for a few miles, then becomes totally fine. Is this a tendon issue, or do the neurons just give up complaining? I focus on breath and gait, trying to relax, shorten stride, open and pivot hips. Maybe that helps relieve ITB tightness, if that's what the mystery problem is? The next day brings the current "normal"—minor pain after sitting with bent knee and when going down stairs. But running doesn't seem to cause things to get worse, and not-running doesn't seem to make things better. Guess I can keep on trucking? CM and I discuss summer training plans during the drive back home.
^z - 2010-03-04
A Nor'easter hurls leaves and twigs across the sidewalk; small branches lie where they've fallen. The sun is a faint glow behind snow-heavy clouds. Temps in the 30's, wind gusts likewise, and I'm the only one foolish enough to venture outside this morning, running the same three parking-lot perimeter 1.5 mile loops as two days ago. The knee aches a bit, so I'm trying a modified stride, more hip action and a return to my classic toe-out duck-like foot plant. Will it help the ITB, or whatever is twinging? I'm hopeful. Meanwhile the laps go accelerando, pace ~9.4, ~9.1, 8.1 min/mi respectively. After the first mile my head is sweating so I doff the cap and stuff it into my shorts where insulation is more needed.
^z - 2010-03-02