I did an easy 5K on the treadmill yesterday in 30:43, about 1:52 faster than my first post marathon recovery run. I am trying to get into 26-27 minute shape for the 5K before going on vacation in December.
I was also attempting to do runningdatcom’s modified Bruce protocol stress test on the treadmill only to find out that the highest grade in the gym’s treadmill is 15.0%. I am still trying to figure out how to do the modified Bruce protocol stress test with these limitations.
I was up at 7:00 am on Sunday morning for my first post-marathon recovery run. It was a cool but sunny 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Beautiful fall colors were all around the trail but so were fallen leaves littered around. I walked for the first 0.4 miles then ran a relaxed 3.1 miles in 32:35 with a final cool down walk of 0.5 miles. More pictures of the autumn leaves to come.
Since the 2009 Marathon season is over for me, I am now looking forward to next year. In 2009, I ran three marathons: San Francisco (painful struggle), Chicago (decent first time in a major), and Columbus (PR by 2:26). In 2010, I would like to run four marathons. Tentatively, I have three that I will likely do:
1. Cleveland Marathon – May 16, 2010
2. Columbus Marathon – October 17, 2010
3. Marine Corps Marathon (already pre-registered thanks to the SF Marathon) – October 31, 2010
I would like to run a fourth marathon but have not yet decided. Of course, if I get in the New York Marathon lottery, then that will definitely be my fourth marathon even if it is the week after Marine Corps.
Perhaps there are other Spring or Summer marathons. The difficulty with a second Spring marathon is that the cold Ohio winter does not really end until late March so training will be difficult for two. Seattle Marathon in June 26 would be a good candidate but I have two weddings to attend to a few weeks before and I will likely have lots of work around that time. Reykjavik Marathon in August would be an adventure. The Philadelphia Marathon in late November or the Honolulu Marathon in December are also alternatives. Any suggestions for a fourth marathon are greatly appreciated.
Lance Armstrong apparently committed to the 2011 Ironman Triathlon championship at Kona.
I registered for the Nike Human Race 10K to get the nice red shirt. I got the shirt yesterday. But it was raining hard today and I decided not to run the 2 laps around Ohio State University at 8 pm on Friday. First DNR race.
3 runners died tragically in yesterday’s Detroit Marathon.
I crossed the finish line today with a guy who ran the Columbus marathon for the 30th time. Like 10 other runners, he has run it every year since the marathon started. Story about the 10 runners who have run it 30 times:
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By LYNN GROLL
Mack is back.
The Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sunday and a Defiance native will be celebrating a momentous occasion of his own.
This weekend, 68-year-old Bill Mack will be one of 10 runners who have run in all the previous 29 Columbus Marathons.
Mack joins 66-year-old Jim Kinard (Upper Arlington), 57-year-old David Bryan (Anchorage, Alaska), 74-year-old Charles Kielkopf (Columbus), 74-year-old Jim Tinstman (Hilliard), 59-year-old Richard Hickle (Worthington), 59-year-old Steve Johnson (Ashland), 64-year-old Micke Groseclose (Westerville), 64-year-old Bob Koch (Pickerington) and 67-year-old Jim Haban (Bexley) as finishers in the previous 29 Columbus Marathons.
“It’s been a big challenge to complete 29 and I hope to finish 30,” said Mack. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but it has. Columbus was the first marathon that I ran and I have run 146 of them since then. Not a whole lot of people have done that many.”
Running in the Buckeye State is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Mack’s marathon prowess.
He’s run a marathon in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. He completed his 50-state tour in 2002 and has also taken his running shoes global.
“Completing marathons in the 50 states was an exciting experience,” said Mack.
Mack’s run eight times at Canada’s Baffin Island, which is 480 miles north of the Arctic Circle. He also did a marathon in South Africa and in Antarctica.
For many years, Mack did 10 or 12 per year, but has only run in the Columbus Marathon the last handful of years.
“Columbus has always been a good marathon,” lauded Mack, who was the principal at the Defiance Junior High before retiring 16 years ago. “They’ve always done a good job organizing and managing it. In addition to the 10 of us, there are several marathoners who have done all but one or two of the Columbus Marathons. We get together every Saturday morning before the race and have a breakfast, so we have a lot of camaraderie.”
Mack admits he’s been fortunate to have made all 29 Columbus Marathons.
“Different things happen. Sometimes it’s just good luck if you don’t get injured, don’t have a family problem, or something else that would keep you from participating. By the 25th Columbus, only 15 people had done them all,” said Mack.
“I’ve been lucky to make it to 30,” commented Mack. “In 1988, I ran with 18 stitches in my knee. I had dropped a chain saw on my knee the week before. I didn’t hit any ligaments or muscle, but I laid it open.
“In 2002, I had back surgery, on July 18th,” added Mack. “Fortunately, I was able to get back into training and ran the marathon on October 21st.
Mack would like to continue his running career and hopes to make it to the 35th, but he acknowledges it’s getting harder as he ages.
I ran my 2nd marathon in 2 weeks this morning in Columbus. I beat my PR officially by 2 minutes and 23 seconds and the course length was even 26.5 miles. This is my last marathon or half marathon for the year. I probably won’t join a race until Spring 2010. In the meantime, I need to lose 20 pounds within the next 6 months to improve my times in spring 2010.
I am a bit late in my news. I opened up my copy of this week’s Sports Illustrated and found out that Chrissie Welington won her third straight Ironman Triathlon in a course record of 8:54:02.
Wrapped up in blankets at the end of the Chicago marathon. I was sitting on the steps of the Art Institute of Chicago.
