Brainerd Marathon Pace Report

It rained. Here's the scene that greeted me on race morning:


The night before we enjoyed a pasta feed and a few beers at the race expo. We met some of the runners who were interested in pace groups and chatted with them a little bit. Then, Pacer Sam spoke to the crowd (actually about 25-30 runners) in the speakers area of the expo. Unbeknownst to us he had us join him on stage and give a few words of advice to the runners. Pacer Adam stole my advice of starting out slow so I said some nonsense about taking it one mile at a time after mile 20.

Then, we headed to our lodging. The Minnesota Pacers got to stay in a sweet "cabin," part of the Grand View Lodge Resort near Brainerd, Minnesota. We each got our own room and bathroom as well as free coffee (I know, right!?). All part of being part of, "the largest pace team in the world."

It was my first time pacing with the Minnesota Pacers and I must say it was an overall positive experience. Sam Ryder, the guy in charge, is a ball of energy--enthusiastic to say the least.

After sleeping in my comfortable quarters, I awoke to the pleasant sound of rain pounding the cabin roof. It was wet, windy weather waiting for us to run 26.2 miles through the back roads of Brainerd.

Since my wife didn't pack for me I had a couple snafus with my gear. Adam and Leah were nice enough to let me ride up with them and Adam provided me with a Cliff bar for breakfast since I didn't have the foresight to pack food. I also found that a brand new tube of chapstick can double as body glide (won't be using that on my lips anymore). I also didn't pack my sweet arm warmers or gloves, so my hands and arms had to be a little chilly.

The shuttle to the start line was a little bit of a disaster. I guess some of the race's shuttles had backed out so there were a couple of minivans and one of the ambulances shuttling runners to the start. It ended up delaying things by about 20 minutes, but it all worked out in the end.

Once I got moving my hands and arms started to warm up. I had a nice group of runners running with the pace group. One in particular, Dan, was very friendly and he stuck with me for 21 miles. He was a local and he knew the course so it was great having him in the group. He took off at about mile 21 and right after he left a lady named Sheila went by us and said, "I've been following you for 21 miles!"

"Great!" I said. "I hope I don't see you again until the finish."

Unfortunately I did catch back up to her and after she told me she was hoping she wouldn't see me again I told her to stay with me and I'd bring her to the finish under 3:50. Shortly after we passed Dan. I told him he was almost there and offered some encouragement and he said, "I'm doin' the death march here."

I was also running with a couple other runners, one from Eagan, so it was cool chatting with him about the local running areas. He and another runner stayed with me almost the whole race and finished around a minute behind me. I thought I lost Sheila at the mile 25 water stop but every time I looked back she was pretty close. Then, right at the finish she passed me. Both our times were 3:49:53 but the results have her ahead of me. She was going for a BQ and did awesome.

Although it was raining and windy at times, I still really enjoyed pacing the Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon. The volunteers were great and with only 102 marathon finishers there were probably almost as many volunteers as runners.

My final time of 3:49:53 was pretty good for my pacing duties. My first half split was 1:55:07--my first negative split ever in a marathon. I think a did a pretty decent job with no miles faster than 8:30 and none slower than 8:59--right around the 8:47 pace I was supposed to be running.

The other pacers also did and awesome job. Dan, who paced the 3:20 group, ran a 3:19:59. Awesome. I think all the pacers were within a minute of their time--even Leah, who had her Garmin crap out on her in the first few miles. She ended up using a Jaycees' phone to pace after that halfway point. Color me impressed.

Here's Leah and I at the finish:

After enjoying a nice post race massage we headed to Zorbaz for some food. Awesomely, they happened to have beer tasting going on in a tent by the restaurant. Here are Adam, Dan, and I having an awesome time:




It was a fun race and I'd definitely do it again. Next week I'll be pacing the New Prague 1/2 Marathon and the week after that a 30k in White Bear Lake.

Happy running!

A Decade of Racing: 2010 and 2011

Back in October of 2009, I ran the Twin Cities Marathon. I'd only done one small race since racing in college (2003), and that race was a guess-your-own-time race which I barely trained for. Besides a couple of fits and starts after the guess-your-own-time race, I never got into a regular running routine until training for Twin Cities Marathon.

Now, I've been post-collegiate racing for just over a decade, so I thought it'd be fun to reminisce about my racing over the past ten years in the next five posts.

2010
In 2010 I ran ten races. Here are some highlights:

I ran my first half marathon, the Securian Half Marathon, in January. What I remember best is the unseasonably warm weather and tossing my gloves to Laura mid-race.

Then, in February, I ran one mile and three mile races on a frozen lake at Yukon Days, my first races on top of ice.

In May, I ran my first Boston qualifying time at the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon near St. Cloud, Minn.

My first pacer duty was at the Minneapolis Half Marathon in June, which set off my pacing "career."

2011
I ran twenty races in 2011 in races ranging from one mile to 50K.

I kicked off my 2011 racing season with the Yukon Days Races. I managed to win the six mile snowshoe race and then dropped the three mile shoe race due to some IT band pain.

April of 2011 was a big highlight of my racing career: The Boston Marathon. Not only was it an amazing and memorable experience, it was also a trip where we packed in tons of sightseeing and activities.

Just eleven days after the Boston Marathon, I paced at the Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon. I went up to Brainerd with a few running friends, and we had a blast in a chilly, rainy race.

Two months later, I ran my third marathon in two months when I paced the 3:15 group on a warm day at the Minneapolis Marathon.

My first 50K in July of 2011 took place at the Afton Alps due to a state government shutdown closing Afton State Park. The course was tough, and it was hot and sunny, and although it was my first 50K, I managed to finish ninth overall.

I had the "pleasure" of running the Ragnar Great River Relay on a ultra team, meaning we each ran around thirty miles in less than twenty-four hours. I also slipped and fell, cutting my arm on a guardrail.

That does it for the first two years of the decade. Stay tuned for 2012 and 2013.

Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Pace Report

This year's Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes looked as if it was going to be similar to last year — rainy. It also looked like it might be colder. The forecast was calling for cool temperatures — perfect, and showers with possible snow — not so perfect.


(check out a comparison to last year's race morning photo)

Laura and I somehow got out of the twin cities — through the rush hour traffic and construction, and made it to the expo with five minutes to spare. All the vendors had torn down and the place was pretty much empty besides packet pickup and the Minnesota Pacers table. We picked up our packet, headed to the cabin (at beautiful Grand View Lodge), chatted with the pace team, and rested up for the next day's running.

I was absolutely elated on Saturday morning when I looked out the window and saw a total lack of rain. It looked much better than last year's view. The report on The Weather Channel was also encouraging, showing temperatures in the low 40s. It was cloudy and I was somewhat worried that it would rain, so I waited to see what the radar would say. Another pacer showed me his smartphone and my joy was complete — the rain would stay to the south of us.

As for the race itself, everything was pretty uneventful. Once again, the timing company did not put a mat on the start line, so the race was gun timed, though we had chips to record our finishing times. This worked fine for me as I was about 5 seconds from the start, but I felt bad for those farther back.

I started out with a small group and it stayed pretty small through mile 10 or so. From that point on, I had one guy stay with me for the rest of the race until he pulled away with a mile left. He was very friendly and ran a smart race the whole way. It always feels good as a pacer to actually pace someone to their goal. My splits were very even — all between 7:38 - 7:56 (goal pace of 7:49) so I was pretty happy with my effort.

I missed my goal of 3:24:59 and came in at 3:24:48 — I must've got a little antsy that last 0.2 and picked it up too much (Garmin says I was at 7:25 pace for the last .2) My legs weren't really very sore the next day. The 7:49 pace was fast enough to keep my stride normal but slow enough that I could recover quickly.

Laura had a good run too. She put in an easy 2, raced a 1/2 marathon, then did another easy 3 in time to see me at the finish. We then celebrated our running with beer and pizza at the "Ye Olde Pickle" bar. If my schedule works next year I'd love to do this race again.

Year in Review

It was a great ending to 2011. Laura and I got up early-ish, went to the YMCA where Laura ran on the track while I swam, and then had a snack on our way to the Minnesota History Center. The History Center had some cool exhibits on Minnesota History and the CRAZY year of 1968. I only got through February so we're going to have to go back so I can find out what happened after MLK got assassinated.

We cut our visit short so we could go to Laura's preschool. She stayed to do some work while I went for a glorious run home. Even with the wind coming out of the SSW (the direction I was running), the air temperature of 42 made it super-pleasant. I even stopped at historic Pilot Knob to grab a brochure on some improvements going on there.

Now, eight miles from Laura's preschool, after reading about Michelle's 2011, I'm all pumped to write the year in review.

January
Started off the year running a sleep-deprived, eyelash freezing 5k with Jared. I was fortunate enough that all the fast, sane runners skipped the Resolution Solution, allowing me a victory for the second year in a row.

February
Ran my first snowshoe race, coming in first in a field of nine. The course took place on White Bear Lake, a frozen field of snow and ice, blanketed by a thick fog.

March
I paced Get Lucky Triple 7k while enjoying the company of Leah, another member of MN Running Wild. I was tres impressed at how she chatted with me for 11ish miles before bolting off for a PR. Then, I got to give my medal to one of my nieces!

April
The Craziest Running Month Yet. I raced Boston for the first and possibly only time, setting a PR of 2:59:42. Then, twelve days later, paced Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon in Nisswa.

May
Ran the TC 1 Mile in 5:01, missing my goal of breaking five minutes.

June
Ramped up my training for my first ultra pacing the 3:15 group at the Minneapolis Marathon. It was so hot and the course was so tough Don, another MN Run Wild friend, had to see his friends at the med tent after he successfully paced the 3:10 group.

July
After the state government shut down, the Afton Trail Race was moved to the Afton Alps. I ran a 50k that, while tough and somewhat painful, was actually a pretty good time. Started a streak of consecutive days running 10 miles or more.




August
Laura crushed two hours in the half marathon with the help of Juli two days after saying she didn't think she ever could run that fast. My ten mile per day streak ended at 11. I ran my first Ragnar Relay ultra-style.

September
I started a new job teaching at a charter school. Running took a backseat as I figured out what the heck I was doing, but did manage one blog post about pacing the Graniteman 1/2 Marathon.

October
Laura kills her PR in the marathon while I run my first 10 mile race.

November
I started the tradition of running a corresponding kilometric distance with my years lived by running 29k for my twenty-ninth birthday. I had my second kidney stone in five years and this one doesn't come out on its own (warning: gross stuff).

December
We enjoy a mild winter so far and Laura and I decide to do a spring triathlon. We splurge on a road bike with Christmas money and I start trying to learn how to swim.



Well, that does it. Tomorrow, if I get inspired enough, I'm going to review my goals from last year and come up with some new ones for this year. If you're lucky enough to read this before midnight on New Year's, be sure to start this Mariah Carey video at 11:56 and fifteen seconds. Mariah's still got it. Happy New Year.