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Question:

2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report ***Background I ran my first Marathon in Philadelphia in 1983 after my senior season of high school cross country. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, and was further handicapped by the fact that I missed the first Gatorade stop, spilled my cup at the second, and then was shocked to find out that–despite claims that there would be stops every 3 miles–the next chance for fluids was mile 18! I ran those first 18 miles in 2:10, limped through the next six miles while chugging as much Gatorade as possible, then ran well for the last 2 miles to finish in 3:44:59. I swore I’d never do another one. For years, I worked as an ocean lifeguard in the summer and got in at least decent shape in the summer, but when my wife and I decided to start having kids I realized those days were done, so I started doing triathlons. Over several years, I worked up to doing my first Ironman race last year (Wisconsin), which I finished, although it was 90 degrees and humid and I did a *lot* of walking on the run. This year, we had our second child, so an Ironman was not in the cards. I decided to train for a Ultra-Marathon (50 k, or 31 mile) race instead. I registered for the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon as a last long training run before the ultra. ***Training As often happens when you have two small children, I didn’t get as much training in as I would have liked. I would have preferred to run 3-4 times per week and to bike 2-3 times per week, but I ended up running 2-4 times per week and biking very little (but I did swim once per week or so). I would almost always do a long run on Sunday. For my long runs, I started with about 6 miles in early March and added a mile a week until I got to 10 miles. Then I added 2 miles every two weeks, cutting the distance in half on the in-between weeks. Thus, it looked something like 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 6, 12, 7, 14, 8, 16. By then, I was into triathlon season, so I kept it at 16-8 for a little while. For the other runs, I would try to do a treadmill run at a fast pace (after a warmup), eventually working up to 6:40 miles for 20 minutes. If I was fortunate enough to get another run or two in, they’d usually just be easy recovery runs. I also tried to listen to my body. At least one time I was scheduled for a 16-miler and my legs didn’t feel right about halfway through, so I bagged it and tried again the next week with better results. I did a half-Ironman in mid-July, cutting 50 minutes off my best time and running a 2:06 half-Marathon in the process. I then started doing 18-mile long runs in early August, and did 18-(skipped)-10-18-15-9-20-17-9 and then my race. Oh, and I should note that I run by time, so my distances are approximate. I figured I was running about 10-minute miles in training, but that turned out to be a bit generous. However, the first 18-mile run and the 20-mile run were on measured courses, so I know those distances were accurate. I was quite sore the day after the first 18-miler, but I felt fine after the 20-miler and felt like I could have kept going. ***Gear I ended up taking a big gamble. After my last long run, I decided my shoes felt dead even though they should have had a few more months on them, so I went and bought new shoes the week before the race. I thought I could get away with it because I was going to just get another pair of the Jazz 8 in 12 wide. However, it’s now the Jazz *9*. I tried them out a few times on short runs and decided it was worth the gamble. It was supposed to be a bit cold at the start, near 45, and warming up to around 65 or 70 by the finish. As usual, I obsessed over the details and came up with the following clothing plan: I wore my usual Cool-Max underwear, nylon running shorts, and sleeveless Dri-Fit tank top, but I put a cheap Target-brand wicking T-shirt over it. I cut the bottoms off of some tube socks and put them on my arms as low-budget, disposable arm-warmers. I then threw on a $5 Hanes cotton sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Finally, I bought a pair of cheap gloves at the race expo for $1. I used a race number belt for my race bib so I could strip off layers without having to mess with my number very much. I tossed the pants just before the start and then stripped off layers throughout the race. I was very comfortable the whole way. I also took a water-bottle carrier with a 24-ounce bottle and a pocket for gels, and I wore a heart-rate monitor. Oh, and I started running with a Cool-Max baseball-style cap about 4 years ago and almost never run without it now. ***Nutrition I ate plenty of carbs and drank lots of water on the day before the race. I had leftover Chinese food with rice for breakfast, then I had "Noodles and Co." for lunch (after which I drove to pick up my packet, where they gave me a coupon for "Noodles and Co."). For dinner, we had a party at my in-laws’ house for my daughter’s first birthday, including two large plates of pasta, some garlic bread, some green beans, and some birthday cake. Before I went to bed, I drank a 24-ounce bottle of Gatorade and ate most of a bagel. When I got up, I immediately went to work topping off my glycogen stores. I ate a Clif bar 3 hours before the race start and drank a bottle of Gatorade. I also took two Endurolyte electrolyte capsules. On the way to the race, I ate half of a bagel and drank more Gatorade. Then, at the start, I ate a banana about an hour before the start, then did a caffeinated Clif Shot gel 30 minutes before the start and a plain gel just before the start. I had 7 gels to take along and a full bottle of Gatorade. I was pretty sure between that, what I’d already eaten, and what was on the course, I would have plenty of fuel. ***The race The race began in Grafton, which is, oh, about 26.2 miles north of Veteran’s park in Milwaukee. We congregated in the high school, where we were peppered with warnings about staying hydrated, but not too hydrated. After negotiating the long lines for the indoor bathrooms–no one wanted to use the outdoor potties in the chill–we made our way out of the building, tossed our "dry clothes bags" onto the USPS truck, and lined up at the start. I remembered just before the start that I hadn’t set my timer to remind me to take my gels, nor had I set the target zone on my heart rate monitor to 135-145 (I estimate my max to be 200, but I think it might even be a bit higher; I haven’t gotten around to doing a formal test yet). They fired the gun, and I started my stopwatch just as I crossed the start line. It felt good to get running, and I got swept up by the crowd a little bit despite really trying to reign in my pace. I was shooting for 10-minute miles, but the big goals were to run every step and to finish feeling strong enough so that I felt good about doing the 50k race three weeks later. In any case, I didn’t want to go faster than 10-minute miles because I wanted this to be a training run. My first mile was 9:25 despite trying to stay at the low end of my heart rate zone. The second was 9:32, which wasn’t much better. By mile 3, I was at 9:50, which was much closer to where I’d wanted it to be. I probably should have lined up a bit further back so I was running with slower people to start with, but I don’t think I did any serious damage. I was *truly* annoyed to find that the first rest stop was out of Gatorade when I came though, not so much because I needed a refill but because it made me worry about whether the rest of the stations would be stocked. I filled my bottle with water while cursing the race organizers. It was around this time that I made a pleasant discovery: a lot of the roads had an unpaved shoulder which was suitable for running. Since I run on trails whenever I can to save my knees, I took advantage of this whenever possible. I’d estimate that you could run at least half the race on unpaved shoulders and grass. I also made an unpleasant discovery at this time, which was that I had to go to the bathroom. I’d figured out at my last half-Ironman that I could tough it out if I needed to, so I decided I’d wait until after the race unless I really needed to stop. It was a little funny to see long lines at the portapotties at the rest stops and literally hundreds of people relieving themselves in the woods, because they were very clear in the race packet that peeing in public was a DQ. If that’s the case, then they should make sure they have enough portapotties so there aren’t lines. Oh, and they said that headphones were not permitted, but probably 15% of the people were wearing headphones. Considering that only the first few miles of the course were completely closed to traffic, wearing headphones was maybe not a good idea. I wonder if this is just one of those things where they say you can’t wear them for liability reasons but then don’t enforce it because they won’t have as many entrants if they DQ people for it. We caught site of Lake Michigan a few times before the course jogged inland. The early miles were fairly scenic, with some farmland and a lot of trees. There were some big houses on the lakefront which were, shall we say, out of my price range. There were a few fans on the course, and one house had some very loud Polka music playing. A couple in front of me stopped to dance for a bit. I did a good job keeping hydrated, refilling my bottle with Gatorade at subsequent aid stations (although I eventually started to cut it with some water because it was getting too think for me). I ended up only using 4 of my 7 gels (one with caffeine) because I really didn’t want them, which I usually take to mean that I don’t need them. I did the last one at about mile 19, so I wasn’t worried about running out of gas. I also took two more Endurolytes at around mile 16. Before the halfway point, I felt a slight bit of … read more »

Response:

Good job to keep it a training run.  LoL bro you sure eat a hellva lot more than me before a race.  2 plates of pasta and all that food in the morning before the race – no wonder you had to go to the bathroom.  For a long training run I’ll eat more carbs the day before and have a good breakfast, but for a race I will try to completely rest and eat slightly more carbs 2 days out, then the day before a bit more than that, but not overeating.  I try to eat a light meal in the morning of a race, a bit of protein some fat, and maybe 80-100gm carbs.  For me getting up extra early and making sure you evacuate well before the race is important.  You don’t want to feel bloated when racing.  Was it windy too or just 45 deg?  Sounds like you did a bit of overkill on the layering – unless it was really windy. Your training is a bit like mine in that I’ve run at most 3-4 times a week, usually 3.  I also biked 3 times a week at mostly endurance pace for 60-90mins usually.  My long runs also were usually 3 weeks apart, and I did my farthest long training run 3 weeks before my 50k race – a 27m+ sojourn on far tougher trails than my race turned out to have.  Like you, I was very careful to keep my HR low on the training run, and I felt like I could have run all day at that pace.  I felt totally ready for my race, but in retrospect I would have done the longest training run 6 weeks before and a somewhat shorter one 3 weeks before; I had to rest a bit more than planned. Hey, it was summertime and the mountains were beckoning me so I had to do it that way. Good luck in your 50k.  I also found that I didn’t use all the gels I took in my 50k race.  After about 15 miles I just filled my 20oz bottle with the stuff they were serving (conquest) at every aid station (about every 40mins).   A note on walking breaks:  instead of planned walking breaks, you might consider letting the terrain tell you when it’s best to walk.  I walked all steeper hills, but ran gradual uphills and set my pace by asking my body what pace it could hold for the rest of the race.  I did some short walking breaks to settle the legs in the 2nd 1/2 of the race, as needed. Worked pretty well, though that last hour was pretty tough.  How hilly is your 50k? – Tony

Response:

2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report ***Background

Nice report… Thanks! — Les <Slow Foot Stewart Beaumont, TX

Response:

Good job to keep it a training run.  LoL bro you sure eat a hellva lot more than me before a race.  2 plates of pasta and all that food in the morning before the race – no wonder you had to go to the bathroom.

I had my usual 2 morning dumps before a race and was fine on that front. I was just very well hydrated, but I figured I could hold it and I was right. But I went for what seemed like 5 minutes when I finally went. For a long training run I’ll eat more carbs the day before and have a good breakfast, but for a race I will try to completely rest and eat slightly more carbs 2 days out, then the day before a bit more than that, but not overeating.  I try to eat a light meal in the morning of a race, a bit of protein some fat, and maybe 80-100gm carbs.  For me getting up extra early and making sure you evacuate well before the race is important.  You don’t want to feel bloated when racing.  Was it windy too or just 45 deg?  Sounds like you did a bit of overkill on the layering – unless it was really windy.

It was windy, but not too windy. I thought the layering was pretty good, since I just threw stuff away every  time I started to feel warm. I might have been able to get away with one fewer layer at the start, but I really didn’t want to get cold waiting for the race to start so I’m glad I had what I did. Good luck in your 50k.  I also found that I didn’t use all the gels I took in my 50k race.  After about 15 miles I just filled my 20oz bottle with the stuff they were serving (conquest) at every aid station (about every 40mins).  

I’ll usually take a gel every 30 minutes on a long training run, but I don’t load up so much beforehand, so I’m not surprised I didn’t want them all. A note on walking breaks:  instead of planned walking breaks, you might consider letting the terrain tell you when it’s best to walk.  I walked all steeper hills, but ran gradual uphills and set my pace by asking my body what pace it could hold for the rest of the race.  I did some short walking breaks to settle the legs in the 2nd 1/2 of the race, as needed. Worked pretty well, though that last hour was pretty tough.  How hilly is your 50k?

I’m told it’s hilly, but I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s all relative. I have some decent-sized hills on the trails where I do my long runs, and they never bother me. I’m doing the race with some friends, and we’re definitely going to walk the uphills and throw some other walking in there if the hills aren’t giving us enough walking. I’d explained to my friends that we could probably pass a lot of people if we sprinted all the hills in the first ten miles, but they didn’t like that plan at all. –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

Response:

snipsnap< when racing.  Was it windy too or just 45 deg?  Sounds like you did a bit of overkill on the layering – unless it was really windy. It was windy, but not too windy. I thought the layering was pretty good, since I just threw stuff away every  time I started to feel warm. I might have been able to get away with one fewer layer at the start, but I really didn’t want to get cold waiting for the race to start so I’m glad I had what I did.

Different strokes…  for both my last long run and my race it was about 50 at the start and I started with a coolmax tee and shorts and had the shirt off within 40 mins or so both times, for the rest of the way.  If I’m making the shirt wet with sweat then to me it’s a signal to get rid of it. – T

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2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report

Harold: Nice, detailed report.  Seems like you did a good job of making a plan and sticking with it. When is your ultra? Mike C

Response:

Harold: Great report.  I was running Twin Cities as you were running Milwaukee, so I liked the detail of your report.  It was welcome relief from the details of my own race, in which I have been engrossed for several days.  It sounds like you ran just the race you wanted to. One comment.  I wish I could eat gels like you do.  Man, after about 2 or 3, I feel like I will wretch.  I really think fuel supply is an issue for me, but I just can’t eat that many. Thanks, Harold. Brian Jones – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report ***Background I ran my first Marathon in Philadelphia in 1983 after my senior season of high school cross country. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, and was further handicapped by the fact that I missed the first Gatorade stop, spilled my cup at the second, and then was shocked to find out that–despite claims that there would be stops every 3 miles–the next chance for fluids was mile 18! I ran those first 18 miles in 2:10, limped through the next six miles while chugging as much Gatorade as possible, then ran well for the last 2 miles to finish in 3:44:59. I swore I’d never do another one. For years, I worked as an ocean lifeguard in the summer and got in at least decent shape in the summer, but when my wife and I decided to start having kids I realized those days were done, so I started doing triathlons. Over several years, I worked up to doing my first Ironman race last year (Wisconsin), which I finished, although it was 90 degrees and humid and I did a *lot* of walking on the run. This year, we had our second child, so an Ironman was not in the cards. I decided to train for a Ultra-Marathon (50 k, or 31 mile) race instead. I registered for the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon as a last long training run before the ultra. ***Training As often happens when you have two small children, I didn’t get as much training in as I would have liked. I would have preferred to run 3-4 times per week and to bike 2-3 times per week, but I ended up running 2-4 times per week and biking very little (but I did swim once per week or so). I would almost always do a long run on Sunday. For my long runs, I started with about 6 miles in early March and added a mile a week until I got to 10 miles. Then I added 2 miles every two weeks, cutting the distance in half on the in-between weeks. Thus, it looked something like 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 6, 12, 7, 14, 8, 16. By then, I was into triathlon season, so I kept it at 16-8 for a little while. For the other runs, I would try to do a treadmill run at a fast pace (after a warmup), eventually working up to 6:40 miles for 20 minutes. If I was fortunate enough to get another run or two in, they’d usually just be easy recovery runs. I also tried to listen to my body. At least one time I was scheduled for a 16-miler and my legs didn’t feel right about halfway through, so I bagged it and tried again the next week with better results. I did a half-Ironman in mid-July, cutting 50 minutes off my best time and running a 2:06 half-Marathon in the process. I then started doing 18-mile long runs in early August, and did 18-(skipped)-10-18-15-9-20-17-9 and then my race. Oh, and I should note that I run by time, so my distances are approximate. I figured I was running about 10-minute miles in training, but that turned out to be a bit generous. However, the first 18-mile run and the 20-mile run were on measured courses, so I know those distances were accurate. I was quite sore the day after the first 18-miler, but I felt fine after the 20-miler and felt like I could have kept going. ***Gear I ended up taking a big gamble. After my last long run, I decided my shoes felt dead even though they should have had a few more months on them, so I went and bought new shoes the week before the race. I thought I could get away with it because I was going to just get another pair of the Jazz 8 in 12 wide. However, it’s now the Jazz *9*. I tried them out a few times on short runs and decided it was worth the gamble. It was supposed to be a bit cold at the start, near 45, and warming up to around 65 or 70 by the finish. As usual, I obsessed over the details and came up with the following clothing plan: I wore my usual Cool-Max underwear, nylon running shorts, and sleeveless Dri-Fit tank top, but I put a cheap Target-brand wicking T-shirt over it. I cut the bottoms off of some tube socks and put them on my arms as low-budget, disposable arm-warmers. I then threw on a $5 Hanes cotton sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Finally, I bought a pair of cheap gloves at the race expo for $1. I used a race number belt for my race bib so I could strip off layers without having to mess with my number very much. I tossed the pants just before the start and then stripped off layers throughout the race. I was very comfortable the whole way. I also took a water-bottle carrier with a 24-ounce bottle and a pocket for gels, and I wore a heart-rate monitor. Oh, and I started running with a Cool-Max baseball-style cap about 4 years ago and almost never run without it now. ***Nutrition I ate plenty of carbs and drank lots of water on the day before the race. I had leftover Chinese food with rice for breakfast, then I had "Noodles and Co." for lunch (after which I drove to pick up my packet, where they gave me a coupon for "Noodles and Co."). For dinner, we had a party at my in-laws’ house for my daughter’s first birthday, including two large plates of pasta, some garlic bread, some green beans, and some birthday cake. Before I went to bed, I drank a 24-ounce bottle of Gatorade and ate most of a bagel. When I got up, I immediately went to work topping off my glycogen stores. I ate a Clif bar 3 hours before the race start and drank a bottle of Gatorade. I also took two Endurolyte electrolyte capsules. On the way to the race, I ate half of a bagel and drank more Gatorade. Then, at the start, I ate a banana about an hour before the start, then did a caffeinated Clif Shot gel 30 minutes before the start and a plain gel just before the start. I had 7 gels to take along and a full bottle of Gatorade. I was pretty sure between that, what I’d already eaten, and what was on the course, I would have plenty of fuel. ***The race The race began in Grafton, which is, oh, about 26.2 miles north of Veteran’s park in Milwaukee. We congregated in the high school, where we were peppered with warnings about staying hydrated, but not too hydrated. After negotiating the long lines for the indoor bathrooms–no one wanted to use the outdoor potties in the chill–we made our way out of the building, tossed our "dry clothes bags" onto the USPS truck, and lined up at the start. I remembered just before the start that I hadn’t set my timer to remind me to take my gels, nor had I set the target zone on my heart rate monitor to 135-145 (I estimate my max to be 200, but I think it might even be a bit higher; I haven’t gotten around to doing a formal test yet). They fired the gun, and I started my stopwatch just as I crossed the start line. It felt good to get running, and I got swept up by the crowd a little bit despite really trying to reign in my pace. I was shooting for 10-minute miles, but the big goals were to run every step and to finish feeling strong enough so that I felt good about doing the 50k race three weeks later. In any case, I didn’t want to go faster than 10-minute miles because I wanted this to be a training run. My first mile was 9:25 despite trying to stay at the low end of my heart rate zone. The second was 9:32, which wasn’t much better. By mile 3, I was at 9:50, which was much closer to where I’d wanted it to be. I probably should have lined up a bit further back so I was running with slower people to start with, but I don’t think I did any serious damage. I was *truly* annoyed to find that the first rest stop was out of Gatorade when I came though, not so much because I needed a refill but because it made me worry about whether the rest of the stations would be stocked. I filled my bottle with water while cursing the race organizers. It was around this time that I made a pleasant discovery: a lot of the roads had an unpaved shoulder which was suitable for running. Since I run on trails whenever I can to save my knees, I took advantage of this whenever possible. I’d estimate that you could run at least half the race on unpaved shoulders and grass. I also made an unpleasant discovery at this time, which was that I had to go to the bathroom. I’d figured out at my last half-Ironman that I could tough it out if I needed to, so I decided I’d wait until after the race unless I really needed to stop. It was a little funny to see long lines at the portapotties at the rest stops and literally hundreds of people relieving themselves in the woods, because they were very clear in the race packet that peeing in public was a DQ. If that’s the case, then they should make sure they have enough portapotties so there aren’t lines. Oh, and they said that headphones were not permitted, but probably 15% of the people were wearing headphones. Considering that only the first few miles of the course were completely closed to traffic, wearing headphones was maybe not a good idea. I wonder if this is just one of those things where they say you can’t wear them for liability reasons but then don’t enforce it because they won’t have as many

… read more »

Response:

2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report Harold: Nice, detailed report.  Seems like you did a good job of making a plan and sticking with it. When is your ultra?

It’s 10/24/04 in Cincinnati. It’s a pretty small race, I think, so I’m glad I’ll be running it with friends. –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

Response:

Well, good luck to you…looks like you will do just fine—just remember you will have some residual tiredness from the marathon…as long as you are mentally prepared for the effects of that, you will have not much difficulty. Mike C – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It’s 10/24/04 in Cincinnati. It’s a pretty small race, I think, so I’m glad I’ll be running it with friends. –Harold Buck

Response:

2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report

Thanks for the report.  Would you recommend the race for a beginner? Jenn

Response:

2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report Thanks for the report.  Would you recommend the race for a beginner?

Well, I would for a beginning *Marathoner*, but not for a beginning runner There were some hills, but nothing brutal. Overall, it was a net downhill, it was *mostly* well supported, it was fun, and it was cheap. It wasn’t too small nor too big. If it works for you geographically and in terms of time of year, I’d say go for it. –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report Thanks for the report.  Would you recommend the race for a beginner? Well, I would for a beginning *Marathoner*, but not for a beginning runner There were some hills, but nothing brutal. Overall, it was a net downhill, it was *mostly* well supported, it was fun, and it was cheap. It wasn’t too small nor too big. If it works for you geographically and in terms of time of year, I’d say go for it.

Thanks for the info! Technically I’m not a beginning runner anymore.  I started in the summer of 2003 after losing (a lot of) weight and went strong until my last race in March 2004.  I started having health problems that are now behind me so I’m getting back on the horse so to speak.  My goal is to build up enough through the fall and winter to run the same race in March 2005 (5 mi) that I did this year, some 10K’s this spring and summer, and a half marathon in the fall.  The full marathon has been a 2006 goal since I started running last year since it’s the year I turn 40 and it will be a cool achievement for me. I’m hoping to do the Grandma’s marathon in Duluth, but it’s very popular and apparently hard to get a spot so I need a backup Jenn

Response:

2004 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Race Report

Nice race and report, Harold. Sounds like you had a system worked out and executed well. Congratulations. Dot — "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." – Cave Dog

Response:

Technically I’m not a beginning runner anymore.  I started in the summer of 2003 after losing (a lot of) weight and went strong until my last race in March 2004.  I started having health problems that are now behind me so I’m getting back on the horse so to speak.  My goal is to build up enough through the fall and winter to run the same race in March 2005 (5 mi) that I did this year, some 10K’s this spring and summer, and a half marathon in the fall.  The full marathon has been a 2006 goal since I started running last year since it’s the year I turn 40 and it will be a cool achievement for me. I’m hoping to do the Grandma’s marathon in Duluth, but it’s very popular and apparently hard to get a spot so I need a backup

Grandma’s is tough to get into. There’s also an inline skate race on the same course at a different time. An easy buildup of mileage is the way to go. If you add a little to your long run every week and make sure you always get your long runs in, you should be able to get there! –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Technically I’m not a beginning runner anymore.  I started in the summer of 2003 after losing (a lot of) weight and went strong until my last race in March 2004.  I started having health problems that are now behind me so I’m getting back on the horse so to speak.  My goal is to build up enough through the fall and winter to run the same race in March 2005 (5 mi) that I did this year, some 10K’s this spring and summer, and a half marathon in the fall.  The full marathon has been a 2006 goal since I started running last year since it’s the year I turn 40 and it will be a cool achievement for me. I’m hoping to do the Grandma’s marathon in Duluth, but it’s very popular and apparently hard to get a spot so I need a backup Grandma’s is tough to get into. There’s also an inline skate race on the same course at a different time. An easy buildup of mileage is the way to go. If you add a little to your long run every week and make sure you always get your long runs in, you should be able to get there!

Thanks for the encouragement!  I’ve learned a lot just being a long-time lurker in this group and have a decent winter running wardrobe thanks to Donovan and Dot. My plan for Grandma’s is to register for 2006 as soon as the registrations open – something like the fall of 2005.  It’s full by January for the June race. Jenn

Response:

Thanks for the encouragement!  I’ve learned a lot just being a long-time lurker in this group and have a decent winter running wardrobe thanks to Donovan and Dot. My plan for Grandma’s is to register for 2006 as soon as the registrations open – something like the fall of 2005.  It’s full by January for the June race.

Yeah, you have to plan ahead. For Ironman races these days, they almost all fill up in around 24 hours. Of course, you can do a generic Ironman-distance race with almost no lead time at all, for about half the price. In any case, it’s nice to be committed a long way out; it has a large motivational effect. –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -A note on walking breaks:  instead of planned walking breaks, you might consider letting the terrain tell you when it’s best to walk. I walked all steeper hills, but ran gradual uphills and set my pace by asking my body what pace it could hold for the rest of the race.  I did some short walking breaks to settle the legs in the 2nd 1/2 of the race, as needed. Worked pretty well, though that last hour was pretty tough.  How hilly is your 50k? I’m told it’s hilly, but I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s all relative.

Are you talking about the Chicago Lakefront 50/50? From the web page: http://www.chicagoultra.org/ "Consists of 3 out-and-back segments. The races follow the Lakefront running path. Mostly asphalt with some concrete sections. One of the flattest 50k and 50Mile courses in North America. The current 50 mi. world record was set on Chicago’s lakefront in 1984. " Sounds flat as grandma’s butt. Unless it also has  some dirt on the sides of the sections, this is road 50k. In general for the long stuff. Your bread a butter is the long run and learn to think about running for time(in hours) not miles but in hours. Time on your feet is what counts. -DougF

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<snip Great race, and great report. I enjoyed reading it. Good luck for your ultra. I look forward to reading your report on that. — Mel Rimmer

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Worked pretty well, though that last hour was pretty tough.  How hilly is your 50k? I’m told it’s hilly, but I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s all relative. Are you talking about the Chicago Lakefront 50/50? From the web page: http://www.chicagoultra.org/

Nope, I think that’s a week later. I’m doing the Stone Steps 50k in Cincinnate. In general for the long stuff. Your bread a butter is the long run and learn to think about running for time(in hours) not miles but in hours. Time on your feet is what counts.

Yeah, that’s kind of how I had been looking at it. However, how do you know how long you’ll need to be on your feet without occasionally gauging your pace in miles per hour? –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

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Yeah, that’s kind of how I had been looking at it. However, how do you know how long you’ll need to be on your feet without occasionally gauging your pace in miles per hour?

You are going to do your first 50k and you have no history so pace is a blurr. To look at your road marathon time and attempt to prorate is not acccurate either. I would try to get a few 3.5 to 4 hour training runs to match the terrain of the race. That will get you to the finish line. Add some mid-week tempo or farlek to help with general pace. These runs are a series of run walk with pacetakinf you into the 9-14 minute/mile. I know not much help other than time on your feet. It gets to the point that pace is something that is calculated after the race and not before. -DF

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Reply-To: "Doug Freese" I would try to get a few 3.5 to 4 hour training runs to match the terrain of the race.

Very key point of advice:  matching as close as possible the terrain you will actually be racing on.  If possible, run some of the race course to get familiar with it. If the race is full of ups and downs, train that way.  If there are long, gradual hills, both up and down, be sure you incorporate long, gradual hills into your regimen—particularly if there are long downhills…those can be tremendously tough on the legs. You might be at a point, as your race is coming up in the very near future, where there is not a whole lot you can do to improve fitness—you’re recovering from a marathon effort, after all—so be careful with how much training you do between now and Ultra day. But based on what you have written thus far in terms of prep and planning, that should be not much of an issue…just pay attention to pacing, especially early on.  Another poster mentioned using the course terrain to dictate when you might walk as opposed to sticking to certain time segments (running 25/walking 5, for example)….if your course is very hilly, let the uphills guide your bouts of walking.   Again, very good luck to you Harold. Mike C

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Reply-To: "Doug Freese" I would try to get a few 3.5 to 4 hour training runs to match the terrain of the race. Very key point of advice:  matching as close as possible the terrain you will actually be racing on.  If possible, run some of the race course to get familiar with it.

Well, I can’t do that, but I’ve done most of my long runs on trails with the biggest hills available where I live, so I guess I’ve done what I can there. If the race is full of ups and downs, train that way.  If there are long, gradual hills, both up and down, be sure you incorporate long, gradual hills into your regimen—particularly if there are long downhills…those can be tremendously tough on the legs. You might be at a point, as your race is coming up in the very near future, where there is not a whole lot you can do to improve fitness—you’re recovering from a marathon effort, after all—so be careful with how much training you do between now and Ultra day.

Yeah, I’ve been taking it easy this week. I was thinking about doing an easy hour tomorrow and an easy 2 hours Wednesday, then nothing over 45 minutes until race day. Does that sound like a reasonable plan (it gives me about 11 days between the 2-hour run and the ultra). But based on what you have written thus far in terms of prep and planning, that should be not much of an issue…just pay attention to pacing, especially early on.  Another poster mentioned using the course terrain to dictate when you might walk as opposed to sticking to certain time segments (running 25/walking 5, for example)….if your course is very hilly, let the uphills guide your bouts of walking.   Again, very good luck to you Harold.

Thanks! And same to you for your upcoming short race –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

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Yeah, I’ve been taking it easy this week. I was thinking about doing an easy hour tomorrow and an easy 2 hours Wednesday, then nothing over 45 minutes until race day. Does that sound like a reasonable plan (it gives me about 11 days

Depends on how the legs feel during that 2 hours…okay, not a real good answer—I would take the 2 hours very slowly and listen very closely to your body.  No doubt you will feel some residual fatigue from the marathon, and you will still have some residual carryover in terms of physiological benefits from the 26.2 mile training run (!) so I would not push very hard at all on that 2 hour run….and cut it short if you start to feel like you’re digging into your reserves. Again, very good luck to you Harold. Thanks! And same to you for your upcoming short race

Thanks.  Just a long training day…! Mike C

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Thanks! And same to you for your upcoming short race Thanks.  Just a long training day…!

. . . .with catering! –Harold Buck "I used to rock and roll all night,  and party every day.  Then it was every other day. . . ."       -Homer J. Simpson

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snip< Yeah, I’ve been taking it easy this week. I was thinking about doing an easy hour tomorrow and an easy 2 hours Wednesday, then nothing over 45 minutes until race day. Does that sound like a reasonable plan (it gives me about 11 days between the 2-hour run and the ultra).

Before my 50k, in addition to shorter runs, I did two medium length runs (about 80 mins) one 11 days before and one 7 days before.  All your long training is done, so don’t feel like you have to go 2 hours.  Your goal now is to make sure you’re rested and to sharpen a bit if possible.  I tried to work on my 50k race pace in those 2 runs, based on HR. I didn’t hold that pace for the entire runs, but both were pretty hard fartleks.  11 days should be fine to recover from a 2 hour if you want to go that way, provided you don’t have lingering fatigue from the marathon. – Tony

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