on the run ... with brett larner

welcome to another interview in the on the run series ...

______________________________________

when it comes to political news the media often has foreign correspondents on the ground providing in-depth insights into what's really happening in that zone or territory.  for the running world, one of the most important foreign correspondent voices is brett larner, the founder of Japan Running News.  as someone born in western culture but now integrated into the japanese world, brett provides a unique window into one of the planet's most fascinating and successful running nations.

. . . . .

1.  At first glance it seems like you're a citizen of the world - a Canuck by birth, college studies in the US, now focusing on music in Japan. Where does your heart consider home?

(a) Winnipeg - I'm Canadian by birth and will always be a Canuck!

(b) The USA - having studied and run for Wesleyan College, that's where my formative days were spent

(c) Japan - studying and performing the koto brought me here, and I've been here a whole lot longer than I thought I would be

(d) Wherever my wife is!

(e) Other

BL:   "E" - I don't really feel any particular connection to a specific place.  When I was five we moved from Winnipeg to Atlanta, and I think I've moved twelve times since then, usually internationally.  As a result I'm fairly rootless and tend to view things as transitory.   I do love Tokyo, though.   It's a good place for people who don't really fit in anywhere and I've lived here longer than anywhere else, so in those regards I guess it is home even if you can't really be at home in Japan as a non-Japanese. 

While it's true that studying music initially brought me here and that I worked professionally for quite a while, I stopped performing and recording professionally about five years ago.  I still play privately and for fun but it would not be accurate to say that I focus on music.  My focus now is on running-related things.

2.   Your web platform Japan Running News has been active in helping bring some of the outstanding Japanese talent to major races in other parts of the world (e.g. Yuki Kawauchi to 2013 and 2014 NYC Marathon, Yoshihisa Hosaka to 2013 Toronto Waterfront Marathon). What would be the key contribution(s) of JRN in making these appearances happen?

(a) Connections - it's all about who you know, baby

(b) Dollars

(c) Providing chaperones and translation services

(d) All of the above

(e) Other

BL:   "D" and "E" - All of those things play into getting Japanese athletes overseas, but I'd like to think that JRN's main contribution has been to help get people outside Japan interested in the running culture here, its high level of achievement that is otherwise mostly invisible, and in some of its most unique and compelling people.  That was my main motivation in starting JRN since it impressed me so strongly when I came here, and to the extent that I have any connections they have all come from faithfully sticking to that mission for the last seven and a half years.   I never imagined that it would lead to actually working directly with athletes, but I'd only been doing JRN for a little over a year when races started contacting me about getting Japanese athletes, and less than two years before I did it for the first time at the 2009 Copenhagen Marathon.  Their elite coordinator Gavin Doyle was kind enough to bring over two good Japanese amateurs, Toyokazu Yoshimura and Chihiro Tanaka, and they were both kind enough to win. That got things rolling.   Thank you, Gavin.

3.   It sounds as if there was a bit of a pot stirred up on LetsRun.com around comments that quoted you as saying that when compared to achievements in American marathoning history, Yuki Kawauchi's marathon performances in 2013 expose a potentially serious systemic problem with the US training program. What was the key issue in this debate for you?

(a) The difference in focus between Japan's long distance running and the U.S.'s all around approach

(b) The contention that Japan's marathon success might be attributed to physical stature (average Japanese male height of 5'7")

(c) There are too many other competiting opportunities for sporting success and development in the American system

(d) The real issue was lost in translation

(e) None of the above / Other

BL:  "D" or "E" - (d) or (e) I didn't know there was a pot stirred up, or a debate.  When it comes to long distance Kenya and Ethiopia are the best without a doubt, with a few other African countries close behind. Japan and the U.S. are the only other countries really able to compete with them and I'm curious about what each is doing to try to bridge the gap.  How do you keep the fire burning when you know you're not the best?  I find it really interesting to look at the two of them in comparison and see the differences in approach, where each of their strengths and weaknesses are.   Since Japan is quite insular there is not much awareness elsewhere of how good it really is and people tend to assume the U.S. is superior without any question.  Whenever I have put together the numbers that show where Japan outperforms the U.S., like the KGRR surpassing the NCAA in producing quality collegiate distance runners, most people have seemed to find it as interesting as I do but it has often touched a nerve with others. 

In the case you're asking about, I haven't really thought about it since then but as far as I recall I was saying that given how good the U.S. is at other distances, the fact that one person could equal the best year in its history at a distance at which it has a long record of accomplishment suggests problems in its development system, which for whatever reason produced a response saying "Japanese suck at middle distances because Asians are genetically inferior," of which the less said the better, instead of talking about the actual question. It could have been an interesting discussion.  Maybe next time.  I still think that looking at where each country's system has success and each trying to learn from the other would help both take a big step forward.

4.   Many people have tried to dissect the 'East African mystique', especially with the last five marathon WR holders originating from that locale. However, there's no question that formidable contenders in many marathons (both female and male) originate from Japan. In your view what's the biggest contributor to Japanese running success?

(a) The pack/ekiden mentality

(b) National pride in the land of the rising sun

(c) The oriental culture of discipline

(d) High mileage training

(e) Other

BL: "E" - I'm personally highly averse to exoticism and mystiquing.  The existence of a well-established support and development system that extends all the way from junior high school to the pro level, skillful marketing to a commercial base that can support distance running as a spectator sport with regular TV broadcasts, and a history and legacy of excellence.   That system got Japan to that level of excellence before anyone else, and while it plateaued for a long time and has always held back the best Japanese athletes from reaching the medal contender level of Rupp or Ritzenhein it still works in mass-producing quality.  Japan may not be producing Lamborghinis or Ferraris but it is unmatched in turning out reliable Hondas and Toyotas.

*** you can follow brett's reporting on Japan Running News' twitter accounts here and here.  the rendezvoo point also encourages you to support JRN by donating online here so that all of us can continue to learn and grow from the experiences of japanese runners, and those runners have opportunities to learn and grow from encounters beyond the borders of japan.

on the run ... with brett larner

on the run ... with yuki kawauchi

he is the toast of japanese popular running culture.  somewhat of an enigmatic competitor, yuki kawauchi is a non-corporate athlete who works a full-time job as a high-school administrator while entering more races than just about any elite-level runner of any nationality or descent.

known as the "citizen runner", yuki has brought his gut-it-out/hold-nothing-back approach to distances from 1500m to 50km in events across the globe.  most recently he placed ninth in the 2014 hamburg marathon to become the first japanese man to clear 2:10 in seven different marathons as well as tying the record for most sub-2:20 marathons (with 34) by a japanese runner.  his PB of 2:08:14 may not threaten the PBs of other world-class elite marathoners, but having achieved the status of folk hero well beyond japan means that he is a hot commodity in the eyes of many race organizers.

as my own personal running hero, it's an honour to have yuki take some time out from his busy 2014 schedule of 25 planned race events to share some stories and reflections with the rendezvoo point.

. . . . .

1.  A lot has been said and written about your schedule as a civil servant, working from 12:45pm-9:45pm.  What advantages do you find by not being a corporate runner? 

(a) Being able to enter as many races as you want to, as frequently as you want to 
(b) I love my job! 
(c) Inspiring people by showing them that you don't need to be a professional runner to succeed in racing 
(d) I can avoid overtraining by only running once per day 
(e) Other 

YK:  "A" - My dream is not only to compete in the Olympics or World Marathon Championships, but also to keep racing for the rest of my life, and to run in races in Japan and all over the world.  This is my biggest motivation to keep training.  I'd also like to choose the races I participate in without being influenced or restricted by sponsors or coaches.  Therefore, I have decided not to belong to any corporate teams.

2.  Many people were excited to have you running in the 2013 New York City Marathon.  Now that you have run two of the World Marathon Major events (Tokyo and New York), what international race would you most like to tackle next? 

(a) The Boston Marathon, because it's a point-to-point net downhill course 
(b) The London Marathon, because the last few years they have had the fastest and most competitive elite fields 
(c) The Berlin Marathon, because that's where the marathon world record is most often broken 
(d) The Paris Marathon, because the field there is competitive and I could finish as top Japanese runner there 
(e) Other 

YK:  "D" - Among the many international races, the race I'd like to be in the most is the Paris Marathon.  Unfortunately, I haven't made it yet because April, the month the Paris Marathon takes place, is the beginning of the Japanese government's fiscal year, and I have always been very busy at this time.  However, I'd like to try to run in the race while my ability is at its best.

The London Marathon is one of the best races in the world as well.  I'm very interested in running in the London Marathon since I couldn't represent Japan at the London Olympics.  I'd love to take part in the London Marathon race as well as the one in Paris.

3.  Racing as often as you do your must have some interesting stories from races - which is your most memorable moment from a race? 

(a) Participating in the World Marathon Championships in Daegu and Moscow 
(b) Having to buy a new plane ticket to get to the 2013 Egyptian Marathon because you'd accidentally forgotten to pack your passport 
(c) Becoming the record holder for shortest time between two sub-2:10 marathons after the races in Fukuoka and Hofu in 2013 
(d) Collapsing from heat exhaustion at the 2011 Okinoshima 50k ultramarathon 
(e) Other 

YK:  "A" - I was very proud of my achievement at the team event in the World Marathon Championships in Daegu, Korea.  It was the proudest moment of my life.  I won't be able to race as a member of a team at this event again, since the team event has been discontinued.  However, I'd like to keep training to be selected for either the Olympics or the World Championships again, but as an individual runner.  The race in Oki in Japan (D) was very memorable as well.  I lost consciousness 300m from the finish line.   It was the only race that I have not finished in my marathon career of over 350 races.  Also, the NYCM was the most exciting and inspiring race in my life.  It was a great competition.

4.  Everyone likes to run a race differently - for me I find that I race best/enjoy it the most when I run: 

(a) With a pacer to keep me on target 
(b) With a large group of Japanese runners because I am familiar with them 
(c) With a large group of Kenyan or Ethiopan runners because they are some of the fastest pack runners 
(d) Out in front on my own 
(e) Other

YK:  "A" and "C" - In order to get the best result, running with a pacer is the best race tactic for me.  However, running with large groups of the fastest pack runners is the most enjoyable type of race for me.

*** for more on yuki kawauchi's accomplishments we recommend following "the kawauchi counter" on brett larner's japan running news blog.

*** many thanks go to brett larner as well as to ichiro ando (of the Saitama Prefectural Government sports division) for establishing a liaison with yuki kawauchi, as well as to yukiko nogawa for translation work.

on the run ... with yuki kawauchi

race report - 2014 MEC Barrie Race Series One

if you've read through The Rendezvoo Point to a certain degree you'll have picked up on the name yuki kawauchi appearing time and time again.  yuki is the 'everyman runner' from japan - a civil servant with a full-time day job and a race schedule that would put almost every other elite distance runner on the planet to shame.  he is a hero to many, and in so many ways i aspire to emulate what he is accomplishing in the sport.

which is why i've added a number of races to my 2014 schedule.

in previous years i'd only target two, perhaps three races and gear my training plan towards peaking for those events.  last year i had five races (four and half since the beaches jazz fest run is really a tune-up) - and this year i have nine races on the calendar, with room for some other smaller ones in-between.  while it's far from going at it every weekend, it represents a significant step up in competitive focus for me.

this weekend's MEC Barrie Race Series One event marks my second race for the year, and my first as a Skechers Performance Canada brand ambassador.

pre-race
as i'd noted in the one other MEC Race Series event that i'd entered, these races are put together as a grassroots, no-muss no-fuss low-cost opportunity to get the local community out and running.  in a way it has a bit of a parkrun feel (although that breed of event is even more grassroots and no-cost) and is very easy for anyone to access.  i registered in-store for $15.00 and after signing the appropriate waiver sheet was provided with a decent race kit including my bib, a free iRun magazine, a CLIF bar and the option for various promotional materials about other races.  

boom.  in and out in 10 min. flat.  in fact, the process would have been even faster except that i ran into my friend rick whom i'd planned to pace to his 5k PB of 21 min. - and so we chatted it up a bit.

given that i would be running a 5k race on a day that i would normally have put in about 33k, and would be doing so at a pace that is slower than my personal 5k PB (19:57), i wasn't stressing myself out at all over being ready for race morning.  except that all through the night before i could hear the wind howling like mad outside the bedroom window, and that got my mind going about ways that i would have to try to accommodate for the adverse conditions if i was going to help him cross the line in time.

race day
i parked right near the start line to get in a pre-race warm-up of about 5k.  after a quick chat with my pal jim willett (who was the official timer for the race) i headed out - into a brutal headwind that dropped the temperature from about -3°C down to -11°C.  my fears were confirmed that this would be less-than-ideal conditions for rick to hit up his PB ... but given that the run was around kempenfelt bay, we would have portions where the wind was going to hit us from about every side.  still no bargain - but at least the footing was solid enough.

rick arrived a bit afterwards and we got in a couple of kms in warmup plus some strides.  we then posed for the requisite pre-race photo:

we were freezing our buns off ...!

the 10k racers started off first, and then 10 minutes later the 5k racers.  rick and i positioned ourselves near the front of the pack, hoping to take advantage of some group drafting as the first 800m or so was dead into the wind. 

1st km - 3:56

we shot out of the gate.  it was clear that rick was primed and eager to run a fast 5k - however i was concerned that we might fall victim to the 'start fast and blow-up later' syndrome.  as his pacer i definitely let him know that we should dial back from the 3:32 pace that we were hitting, and we did - a bit.  gotta admit that it's hard when you're feeling fresh and fueled.

2nd km - 4:10

this was a much more manageable pace, and close to the target time to get in under 21:00.  at this point we'd turned a corner and were running a stretch where the wind was coming at us from the side, so it felt much less daunting.

3rd km - 4:15

a slight incline on this patch of bayside trail and the hairpin turnaround point.  just after the 2.5km mark we were back into the wind, and following a runner pushing a buggy with his kid in it.  it must have been like running with a parachute on ... and while we admired his effort, he was taking up a good lane-and-a-half of a two lane bike path, so we had to work on timing our pass appropriately as other runners were coming at us the other way.

4th km - 4:25

with the headwind again rick started to feel the effects of the fast start.  he had to take two short (5-7 sec.) walk intervals, and i slowed to a jogging pace to keep moving ahead but not allow the 'elastic' to break.

5th km - 4:12

rick put in a final push - and if it weren't for his dummkopf pacer taking him down the wrong stretch of path in the last 150m (!) we might have saved ourselves a second or two.

official race gun time:  21:04 / garmin GPS 5k time:  20:59

i know that there are always variances in both the accuracy of any GPS-enabled device and the measured distance of a race course, so i'm not going to claim that either result was definitive.  but all things considered, this was a great race for rick, and i had a fantastic time taking it on with him.

post-race
if rick's bent-over pose was any indication, he'd given just about everything that he had for that day - which is exactly how you'd want to finish up with a PB.  there was a tent with hot apple cider, bananas and CLIF bars available which was a nice touch for a budget-conscious event.

i stayed for a bit to watch some more runners cross the line - including my friend lewis who hit his targeted time of 25:00 for 5k:

now that's a finish line expression!

i also saw one other 5k runner sporting the Skechers GORun 2 - and he was maybe 7 years old!  i high-fived him as he crossed the finish line, but he was spent and his dad went off with him having to help brace him up ... otherwise i would have snapped a photo with him!

as i intended to log another 15k or so afterwards, i decided to carry on along the course route again to wrap-up my morning.  about 1500m from the finish line i came across another friend named marc who was running the 10k race, and so i turned around and helped pace him (allowing him to draft a bit behind me) through to the end and a PB for him of 56:06.  not bad - my first go at pacer and i help two guys hit their PBs for different distances!

i've got to say that at the end of it all i felt really good - about my first pacing experience, my first MEC Barrie race, and even getting in a solid 5k tempo run.  hopefully this will set me up nicely for an attempt next week at my own PB at the Spring Thaw 10k.  i hope to #GOLIKENEVERBEFORE!

race report - 2014 MEC Barrie Race Series One

ten people i would like to run with ... a blog bounce

yesterday i found brian burk's post entitled "Ten People I Would Like To Run With ....." and was intrigued.  i usually hate list-type posts (especially on twitter where people try to lure you into reading something by teasing out "top five things that" or "the number one thing that"), but for whatever reason this caught my attention.   

so here's my list (also posted as a comment on brian's page):

1. my wife - she's an occasional treadmill runner, but it would be great to get her out onto the roads and be able to share some of the time that i spend out there with her.
2. emil zátopek - in his army boots, no less!
3. haile gebrselassie - the great one.  'nuff said.
4. chrissie wellington - is there a more positive person on the planet?
   
5. dick and rick hoyt - i'm sure that i would be different forever after running with them.
   
6. steve prefontaine - after one run i'd know what putting it all out there is truly like.
7. yuki kawauchi - at the conclusion of which i'm sure that i would pass out and feel like i was dying while being attended to by the medics.
8. my grandfather - the dude had one leg and served as an admiral (on loan to the British) who helped save over fifty men from an invading japanese force.
   
9. forrest gump (!) - the patron saint of runners.  and table tennis players.  and shrimp boaters.
10. eric liddell - so we could both feel God's pleasure when we ran.

who makes your list?

ten people i would like to run with ... a blog bounce

race report - snowflake series race 3 (10k)

on a rather last minute suggestion from my friend rhonda-marie i made my way north into orillia for the third race in the CANIrunning snowflake series - a 5/10k competition.  it seemed like a good way to start off 2014, and who knows ... maybe i'll become more like my running idol yuki kawauchi and race my brains out this year.

pre-race
it was a slick drive on snow-packed/icy highway 11 from barrie to orillia, so i was worried that i hadn't given myself enough time to get to the start line to register.  maybe the motto for my commute there would be my mantra for the day:  slow and steady.

arriving at the waterfront in orillia, there were two small card tables set up in a snowy parking lot - that was registration HQ.  the snowflake series is marketed as a no-frills race:  $15 per race (or $50 for the four-race series), no shirt, no medal, with all proceeds going toward The Sharing Place, a local food bank.  the process was no muss-no fuss:  fill in your vitals (race bib number, age, name, home city) with a golf pencil, pay the entry fee, try to manipulate your now frostbitten fingers to pin the bib to your outer shell.

i prepped with a 2k warmup jog with strides, including a quick trip to the one port-a-potty seemingly stranded out in the snow-covered park.

the underfoot conditions that we would be running on were similar to what i encountered on the highway - packed down snow and icy, tire-track worn patches in -21°C windchill.  i can honestly say that i was worried when my 'warm-up' only managed to notify me that the entire front half of each foot was frozen numb ... being a forefoot striker i really rely on my ability to push off from my toes and this was not a good start.

by the time that the group that had gathered (i eyeballed about 150-200 of us) were herded to the start line, i'd managed to recover feeling in my feet.  the race organizer/announcer did a solid job of announcing the route, the hazards (e.g. traffic - these were not closed courses), and the fact that there was no awards ceremony afterwards ... only hot chocolate and timbits (enough incentive for me!).

the race
with simple verbal countdown we were off.  i started about 15 feet from the front runners (who were off in a flash - what did they have on their shoes, tire chains?) and worked my way through the pack easily enough into what looked to be about 12th spot.  i tried to find a group to run with, but i didn't want to blow up so the pace that i found manageable kept me lagging about 5 seconds behind a pack of three.

the course itself was easy enough to follow - turns were marked with small orange pylons and signs, and one major turn/intersection had a course marshal to help encourage/manage traffic.  for a no frills race, this was one of the best controlled courses i'd seen.

i was pleased (given the greasiness/lack of traction) with the pace for the first 5k.  at points i wondered whether or not i'd made the right choice to wear my skechers gorun 2s when i'd also packed my brand new merrell mix master 2s, but the tread seemed to perform just as well as anybody else's footwear.  today's road surface was a great equalizer.

the 5k turnaround (it was a loop course) was treacherous at best - a hairpin turn on a single lane of road marked by those little pylons.  there was simply no running through that, and a shuffle pace meant risking a turned or busted ankle.  what was impressive, however, was that in the midst of the turn my watch beeped 5k - they must have measured this course using a garmin. :)

setting out on the second loop i quickly recognized that several of the front runners had wrapped up their morning, and that i was now in about 6th or 7th place.  this was a similar experience to the MEC burlington race five back in november, only i didn't have the benefit of my pal trevor to push the pace on me here.  but before the 6th km was up i managed to catch up to one of the guys (now the lone guy, having lost two of his pack compatriots after 5k) whom i was chasing during the first half.  his name was jason, a half-marathon specialist ten years my younger - and we managed to link up and finish the race together.  even though he'd not run in about three months before today, it was evident how quick he was as i gave another full-out sprint effort over the last 150m and could only manage to stay on his heels crossing the finish line.  

post-race
checking my watch, i managed to complete the race in 44:09 (about 4:24/km) - which according to the unofficial results is decent enough for a 2nd place age-group finish.  far from even my personal training time best for the same distance, i was pleased with the result as i was really treating this as a tempo run for the week, and it served as just that.

following a 2k cool-down jog (part of which involved helping to push a mini-van spinning its tires over the crest of a hill), i took full advantage of the aforementioned timbits and hot chocolate.  at this popular spot i chatted it up with several people that i'd recognized from the running room/barrie roadrunners group - all of whom commented that the running community in orillia is very much underestimated and very strong.  for sure there were a number of jackrabbits out there today, and i think that i'll be looking out for more CANIrunning races in orillia to help sharpen me in 2014.

kudos to all of the snowflake series organizers and participants - i will definitely make a point of seeing you again!

race report - snowflake series race 3 (10k)

mississauga marathon 2013 - race report

i simply can't start out this race report without a series of thank-yous.

• to my family, who have been full of understanding (for this madness called training) and my biggest cheering squad
• to my intentional motivators and training partners:  trevor morgan, mike st. john and stan ong
• to the hansons marathon training plan
• to my friend sarah flemming who got me onto this running thing in the first place (back in 2010)
• to all my facebook friends who have encouraged and rooted for me throughout this particular leg of the journey.

now to the bottom line - two little letters summarize this race experience:  

PB.

perhaps not the two letters that i would like to have headline this report (and for those who would otherwise not know, those preferred letters would be BQ), but i will gladly take them.

now for a quick rundown of the weekend's happenings ...

the expo
kind of a non-report here, as the expo for the mississauga marathon is, well, functional.  it serves its purpose as the point for the race kit pick-up, various sponsor and vendor booths, and opportunities for promo teams from other races to try to pique some interest.

that said, the three times that i've attended it it has been staffed very well (kudos to who knows how many volunteers) and run quite efficiently.  i managed to get in, pick up my kit and trevor's (without any hassle whatsoever), purchase some gels on 'race-special' deal, and clear out in a matter of 12 minutes.  the only negative comment to share was the distinctly vomit-like smell hovering around the end of the directional pathway through the expo. 

race morning
trevor and i were commuting down to the race together (about a 60 min. drive), and it takes about 25 min. to get to his place so i woke up at 4am after a fitful night's sleep (which was to be expected).  after a quick shower, breakfast ensued - peanut butter and chia seed bagel, banana, and water.  i loaded up an extra banana for the ride, as well as the complimentary nutrition bar from the expo goody bag and my powerade-beet juice concoction.  bib was pinned on the singlet - headband, gloves, and throwaway sweatshirt were packed - timing chip affixed to my skechers gobionics.  green light go.

trevor and i made it to the start area close to 6:30am - exactly according to plan, giving us a good hour to make full use of the facilities (at least twice) and settle into the chute before the 7:30am start.  i find that the hour before is perfect for me to get into the right zone - enough but not too much nervous energy, wander around and try to pick out the triathletes, the first-timers, the (obvious this year) boston runners, and the odd person that i would know but not have anticipated seeing at the race.

in the chute, i managed to locate and introduce myself to the 3:15 pacer (peter - or as he happily announced, "peter rabbit") with my usual "i'll try to stick with you as long as i can".  during this time trevor was warming up with strides alongside the chute but on the other side of the barricade, and as all the racers started to cram in shoulder-to-shoulder i feared that we'd become lost to one another and would somehow have to try to relocate during the first kilometre, but he found me just prior to the national anthem.

a quick point here - i'd noted to trevor that one of my favourite moments of the race start was the singing of the national anthem by a local celebrity, actor michael burgess.  he'd starred as jean valjean in the long-running toronto production of les miserables.  having seen him in that performance four times in the 1990s, his voice still sends shivers up and down my spine.  well, this year for reasons unknown to me they had a youth choir sing the national anthem - and while they did an excellent job, it just wasn't michael burgess.  modest letdown.

first half
trevor had mapped out a pacing strategy that accounted for the overall time goal, congestion at the start, and major elevation changes along the course.  trusting his detail-oriented mind, i watched 'peter rabbit' chug on into the distance over the first km wondering if we'd ever make up that ground.  but consistently through the first stretch i heard trevor say "we're right on target", which gave me confidence.

i took nearly the same approach to aid stations as in previous marathons - choosing to walk for a 5-8 second break at each of them. the difference this time was that i decided to grab my drink on the run and then slow down once past the tables to avoid causing any bang ups.  this was my first opportunity to practice this technique for nabbing drink cups on the run, which seemed to work well.

it only took about 6km for trevor and i catch back up to the 3:15 pack, and without any real noticeable increase in effort.  the pace was well within the comfortable range, trevor was consistently telling me "we're 45/60/90 sec. ahead" and regularly reminding when to take a gel.  the plan was working out marvelously.

second half
all the way up to the 31km point trevor and i were consistently ahead of the target 3:15 mark.  i was pleased as punch to have had trevor stick with me through to this distance, as he'd not trained intentionally for a marathon and only surmised being able to pace me through the first half.  but at 31k he knew that it was time to separate, and so he left me with these parting words:  "keep at this pace and you'll have your BQ".

it must have been a curse of sorts.

let me just reiterate what a great job of prep trevor did for me.  from scoping out all the details to gel intake intervals to printing off a paceband, he'd set me up to win.

did you read that?

printing off a paceband.

the one that i left in my sweatshirt pocket.

the sweatshirt that i took off and left in the starting chute.

so from 31k onward, i tried to 'go by feel' at keeping the pace that i'd so comfortably held up to that point.  except that i didn't have the benefit of trevor's consistent reassurance that we were on track.  and what's worse is that when i checked my watch at 35k and saw 2:42, i figured that i could still run 5 min. kilometres and finish well within my 3:15 goal.

math was never my strong suit.  but here, it was made worse by a form of mental bonking.

panic set in when i checked my watch again at 41k and read 3:12.  clearly my calculations originated in the nether realms and now i had to somehow try to bust out 1200m in 3 min. - which was plainly not going to happen.  still, i tried to channel my inner yuki kawauchi and just turned on whatever afterburners i had, grit my teeth and went for it.

i knew that i'd stepped up my output because all the blood was rushing away from my brain and toward the larger muscle groups.  my face was all tingly and a lightheadedness seeped in, but my stride was stretching out and my leg turnover increasing.  it was a good way to finish.

final result:  3:18:30 (gun), 3:18:05 (chip)

post race
i felt quite good crossing the finish line - physically i was spent but upright with no muscles seizing.  while still missing my BQ by about 3 min., i'd posted a personal best by 10 seconds and improved over the same race last year by 6 min.

trevor crossed the line at 3:34:35 - a great job considering he really hadn't trained for the marathon, and had blisters at 5k and muscle spasms for the final 10k.  we spent a good half hour at the medical tent making sure that he got patched up to walk to the shuttle buses back to the car.

when i got home, there was a congratulatory banner waiting for me (although the wind had taken it off of its original location on the garage door):

final thoughts

• i think that i had it in me to hit the 3:15, and i almost ran to my potential at this race.   i was modestly impressed with the results of the hansons marathon training plan, but am considering going back to a modified 'ryan hall' plan for the erie marathon in september.
• jury's out as to whether or not the beet juice had any real impact - but it certainly didn't hurt me none!
• very pleased with the skechers gobionic as a race day shoe!  they did exactly what they should have done - i never had to think about my feet once, and i did not notice them the entire race long.  i will say though that i feel like i enjoyed wearing the merrell road gloves (v1) more during the hamilton road2hope marathon, and probably still hold them up as my favourite shoe in which to train.

so it's recovery time - no running this week until saturday, and then easing back into things before firing it up in two weeks' time to start getting ready for the next race.  as much as i need the time off, this not running thing is driving me crazy.

mississauga marathon 2013 - race report

monkey see, monkey do - runners that i follow

there are all sorts of learning styles, and i find that when it comes to athletics i am very much a visual learner.  specifically i've taught myself tennis, volleyball and golf by watching the technique and form of particular competitors that i enjoy watching and who excel in their respective fields.

the situation is no different when it comes to running.  i've never had a coach (except for motivation) and did not start any kind of running until the spring of 2010 - nothing in high school, and only the occasional once around the track in university if i saw a pretty girl worth following for several hundred metres before i passed out.

here are just a few of the runners that i've paid close attention to, for various reasons:

• haile gebrselassie - IMHO the greatest distance runner of all time.  a dimnuitive figure with gobs of talent and just as big of a heart.  depending on how old he might actually be, he may have set the world record time for a male marathoner when he was 40.
• geoffrey mutai - the person with the fastest finish of any marathon ever and arguably the best living marathoner. makes every race look like a easy jog in the park.
• ryan hall - one of the US' best distance runners, and outstanding man of faith.  gives back to people generously, and i have tried in the past to mimic his form.  his marathon training plan also helped me to achieve my current PB in the marathon (3:18:15).
• meb keflezighi - currently the #1 marathoner for the US.  at 37 he's still kicking butt, having won the 2012 US Olympic Marathon trials and placing 4th at the London Olympic marathon.  another inspiring man of faith too.
• desiree davila - i have a friend who trained with desiree as part of the hansons brooks distance project in michigan.  desiree is one tough competitor, and now in the top three female US marathoners.  i've adopted her arm carriage style in my own running.
• mary keitany - the favourite in just about any race in which she's entered.  a powerhouse.
• tsegaye kebede - this guy is about the height of my honda civic, but probably has the stride length of a cadillac.  unbelievable runner from ethiopia, having captured this year's chicago marathon in 2:04:38.  i've adopted his leg position and stride pattern in my own running style.
• yuki kawauchi - my new favourite runner ... known as 'citizen runner' because he's the only person on this list who's not a full-time athlete (he holds down a day job just like me).  runs like a maniac - having put together back to back marathons last fall within two weeks of one another, forking out $6000 for a plane ticket to a race in egypt because he missed the plane that the organizers paid for, and five out of the first six marathons he ran he ended up in the medical tent after crossing the finish line.  he's told interviewers "Every time I run, it’s with the mindset that if I die at this race it’s OK." now that's a racer i can look up to. 

so who do you admire/follow in running?  i've only listed the high profile types, but maybe for you it's someone local, or in your family line.  feel free to share the names of those who inspire you as you run!

monkey see, monkey do - runners that i follow