Last spring I got to thinking that I really wanted to do a destination race. The kind where you travel somewhere far away, run a cool race, and then take a few days to relax before you come back home. I talked to some of my friends who have done similar things in places like Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, and of course Boston. Everyone had good suggestions, so to make the decision easier I decided the best thing to do would be to concentrate more on the when, versus the where.

Looking at my calendar I knew that I already had race plans for most of the summer and fall. There was the Bayshore Marathon in May, the Mohican in June, the Great Lakes Relay in July, the Crim in August, Dances with Dirt in September, and the Brooksie Way in October. That meant the earliest I could schedule anything would be sometime in November. And for me it seems like I always have some kind of non-running commitment every weekend in November and December. So that meant the next available time period would be sometime in January.

Now that I had the when decided, it was time to pick the where. Well, one of the easiest things about picking a race in January is that the numbers of options are limited when the goal is to run something long distance. A quick Google search for "January marathons" returned results for places like Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas.

I would like to say that I took some time and evaluated each race, but as soon as I saw Walt Disney World Marathon, my decision was made. Yes, the idea of running a marathon through the Walt Disney World Parks was really appealing. But the part that sealed the deal for me was the event they call the Goofy Challenge.

The Walt Disney World Marathon is a weekend long event consisting of a 5K (3.1 miles) on Friday, a 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday, and a Full Marathon (26.2 miles) on Sunday. The Goofy Challenge is basically like registering for both the 1/2 and full marathons.

With the race picked out, the next major obstacle was to convince some friends that they should go to. This is not an easy task. Especially when the race requires time off work, travel by plane, and etc. It took a couple of months, but in the end I persuaded my girlfriend Belinda and two other couples to join us.

Overall I very impressed with Walt Disney World Marathon. It was the most well organized race I have ever participated in. There were practically no lines for the toilets. All of the aide stations were stocked with supplies and volunteers. And it seemed like the entire race course was lined with families, staff, or some kind of entertainment.

My only warning about running the Walt Disney World Marathon is that it will spoil you. Most of the races that I have run typically have problems like not enough toilets, aide stations that are not equipped, long stretches without any crowds, course not marked, etc. I understand that organizing a race is not easy task. There will be problems and I am ok with that. It was just nice to see that someone could actually do it near perfect.

Links:
Walt Disney World Marathon http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/

There must be something about running in a big city that I enjoy, because I signed up once again for the Detroit Turkey Trot 10K (6.2 miles). This was my second consecutive year, and like the year before I set a new PR (personal record) by finishing in 46:23 (mm:ss). If I can keep breaking my PR, I may have to make this an annual tradition.

Links:
Detroit Turkey Trot http://www.theparade.org/turkeytrot/

After running the Bayshore Marathon earlier this year, I decided that I would not spend my summer training aggressively for any race. Instead I would pick races that were new to me and fun. Like the The North Face Mohican Trail Run and the Great Lakes Relay events I ran earlier this year.

However, I still like to measure my performance from year to year. And one of my favorite ways to do that is to repeat an event that I have ran in the past. I want an event where the course has some challenges (i.e. not completely flat), and a distance that is more than 10 miles. For me, the Brooksie Way 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) is an excellent choice. I have run this race in both 2008 and 2009, and the course is definitely a challenge.

So about a week and half before the race, it occurred to me that I should at least set some kind of goal for completing. I looked at my finish time from the previous year 1:52:09 (hh:mm:ss) - average pace 8:33 (mm:ss). I also looked at my recent finish time for the CRIM 10 mile 1:18:20 (hh:mm:ss) - average pace 7:50 (mm:ss). Based on this, my first idea was to run a 7:50 (mm:ss) pace for the 13.1 miles. But when I calculated (13.1 x 7:50) a goal time of 1:42:37 (hh:mm:ss), I didn't like the idea of finishing just a couple of minutes over one hundred. Therefore, I set my goal time to complete in under 100 minutes.

With a goal in mind, the next thing I wanted was a running partner. In order to run 13.1 miles in under 100 minutes, I would need to maintain an average pace of 7:37 (mm:ss) or better. This was going to be a challenge for me. Over the years I have found that the best way to run a race with an aggressive goal is to have someone beside me. Someone to help distract my mind and push me when I start to feel like giving up.

So I asked around in my running group if anyone wanted to run the same pace. Unfortunately for me, the majority of my friends were either training for the Detroit Marathon or the Columbus Marathon. With their races only two weeks away, most of them did not want to run that kind of pace. I understood completely. They have been training for their marathons all summer long, it was not worth risking an injury.

So I made up my mind that I would just do it by myself. But, on race day my friend Fritz showed up and said that he would run the same pace with me. Fritz and I stayed together for almost the entire race. That is until we were about a quarter of a mile from the finish line. That is when Fritz took off and finished two seconds ahead of me. But I didn't care, because I set a new personal record with a time of 1:39:02 (hh:mm:ss). Fritz, thanks for keeping me on goal.

Links:
Brooksie Way Half Marathon http://www.thebrooksieway.com

I have been wanting to run some kind of ultra marathon for a while. (An ultra marathon is any event greater than 26.2 miles.) So when a couple of friends asked me to run the Dances with Dirt Hell 50 km (31.1 miles) race, it did not take a whole lot of arm twisting before I gave in.

Dances with Dirt Hell, also known as DWD Hell, is a one day race event at the Pinckney State Park in Hell Michigan. There is a 100 km (62.2 miles) Relay race, a 50 mile race, and a 50 km race. The event is called Dances with Dirt because the races are not your typical paved roads. The majority of the course is trails. Any by trails I don't mean the nice gravel packed trails you find in the suburban areas. I mean the kind of trails that are about 12 to 24 inches wide and littered with obstacles such as tree roots, fallen trees, and large rocks. The course includes multiple shallow (up to waist high) river crossings and an one tenth of a mile run upriver.

Normally before I run any kind of long race (more than 20 miles) I create and follow some kind of training schedule. Unfortunately, I did not decide to run DWD Hell until about 1 month before the event, so there really wasn't anytime to properly train. Factor in that I also spent most of the summer with my longest run of the week typically not more than 10 to 12 miles, I would have to say that I was definitely trained for running 31 miles. Therefore my goal for DWD Hell was just to finish the race, have a good time, and not get injured. And that is what I did. I completed my first ultra marathon in 7:57:14 (hh:mm:ss).

Links:
Dances with Dirt Hell http://www.dwdhell.com/

Today I ran the 10 Mile Race at the Crim Festival of Races. This was the third consecutive year that I have run this race. And just like the year before, I set a new PR (personal record) by finishing in 1:18:20 (hh:mm:ss).

Getting a new PR is great, but I really do think I had a better time in me. Unfortunately it was just one of those days when everything before the race did not go the way I planned. By the time I started to run, my heart wasn't in it anymore. Oh well, I guess this means there should be no reason why I don't PR next year.

Links:
Crim Fitness Foundation http://www.crim.org/

Another running goal of mine this year was to participate in the Great Lakes Relay. This is a 3 day event that spans approximately 270 miles of trails and dirt roads across the state of Michigan.

To compete in this race you must establish a team with no more than ten runners. There is a Men's Division, Women's Division, and an Open Division (mix of men and women). In order to level the playing field, each team receives a handicap that is based on the gender and age of each member. I was part of an Open Division team with nine other friends.

Hot Hands & Short Shorts Team Roster

• Jean "Mamamoto" (Team Captain)
• Tom "Hot Tamale" (Team Captain)
• Belinda "B"
• Cheryl "Nemo"
• Frank "Hot Hands"
• Jan "Queen B"
• Joe "Chicago Joe"
• Karen "Special K"
• Lisa "Brownie"
• Shawn "Son"

In the spirit of keeping things fun, we decorated our vehicles with our team name "Hot Hands & Short Shorts", and the nicknames of all our team members.

We also had custom t-shirts made with our team name on the front side and our nicknames on the back side.

To complete this race, each team must run about 90 miles each day. The miles are divided into legs that are as little as 3 miles and up to 10 miles long. There are a lot of rules about when each time must start and finish each day, how many miles each team member must run, how many vehicles can be on the course, and etc. Some of this can be a real pain logistically. Fortunately for me, my first experience was really smooth because six members of the team where GLR veterans.

I don't recall exactly where we finished in the rankings. I know that we were not last, but definitely far from first. Nonetheless, I didn't run GLR hoping to win. I ran GLR for the experience and to have fun with my friends. I'm hoping I can make it again in 2011.

Links:
Great Lakes Relay http://www.greatlakesrelay.com/

The majority of time I run a race, the work and pleasure of it all is for me. But this weekend I signed up to be a pacer for two of my friends, Karen and Rick, at the The North Face Mohican Trail Run in Loudonville, OH.

My first pacer assignment of the day was to run with Karen in the The North Face Mohican Trail 50 Mile Run. For this race Karen had to complete her first 37 miles solo before anyone could join her for the last 13 miles. I remember waiting at the Fire Tower Aid Station with the other pacers. It seemed to me that every runner who emerged from the woods wore a smile. My first thought was wow, I can't believe that everyone looks so happy after running so many miles. But I guess after you have been running trails for 9 hours, seeing a friendly and familiar face does wonders for your morale.

My second pacer assignment was to run a 16 mile leg with Rick. Because Rick was running The North Face Mohican Trail 100 Mile Run, he was allowed to have pacers after 67 miles. By time Rick reached me at mile 71, the sun was already setting and he had been running for about 16 hours. At this point my job as a pacer was not only to keep him motivated and moving, but it was also to make sure that he stayed on the course and did not get lost. I have to say that despite the responsibility, I really enjoyed running in the near perfect black woods with nothing but a headlamp and mini mag lite. It's amazing how much the forest comes alive at night.

I am proud to say that Karen completed her race in 12:05:03 (hh:mm:ss), number 40 out of 108 male and female runners. And Rick completed his race in 25:34:08 (hh:mm:ss), number 16 out of 133. It was a lot of fun helping them complete their 50 Mile and 100 Mile runs. I'm contemplating trying something similar in 2011.

Links:
The North Face Mohican 100 Trail Run http://www.mohican100.org/
Mohican Adventures http://www.mohicancanoe.com/

Running the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI has been a goal of mine for a couple of years. One of the reasons I've wanted to run this race is the course. It's an out and back course along the east side of Grand Traverse Bay. It's mostly flat, with some shade, and usually a good breeze off the water.

But my primary motivation for running this event is the group of people I run with. Every year about 10 to 25 of us from my running group participate in this event. There are some in the group who run Bayshore almost every year, and then there are the first timers like myself. After the race, everyone meets at one of the local resorts for a post race beach party. We eat, we drink, and we share race stories.

Overall I am happy with my performance. I ran my best Marathon (26.2 miles) with an official time of 3:35:59 (hh:mm:ss). This was 1:27 (hh:mm) faster than my first marathon.

Links:
Bayshore Marathon http://www.bayshoremarathon.org/

Today I registered for the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Florida. It is a weekend long event that includes a 5 km (3.1 miles) race on Friday, 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) race on Saturday, and a Full Marathon (26.2 miles) race on Sunday.

Since this was my first Walt Disney World Marathon I decided that I should take it to the limit and register for the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge. This means that I will run the Half Marathon on Saturday and then the Full Marathon on Sunday. If I finish both races, I get awarded the special Goofy medal in addition to the medals for the 1/2 and Full Marathons. So yeah, I'm doing it for the bling.

Links:
Walt Disney World Marathon http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/

This week I begin a 18 week training program for the Bayshore Marathon. The Bayshore Marathon is a one day event that consists of a 10K (6.2 miles), Half Marathon (13.1 miles), and Full Marathon (26.2 miles). The marathon is an out and back course along the shores of the Grand Traverse Bay.

For this race I will be using Hal Higdon's Intermediate Training Program. This program consists of five training runs per week, with a range of 24 to 43 total miles each week. For my first marathon I trained using the Novice Training Program. Even though I was happy with the results, I chose the Intermediate Training Program because I wanted something more challenging.

Links:
Bayshore Marathon http://www.bayshoremarathon.org/
Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Guide http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00index.htm

Today I registered for my second marathon (26.2 miles), the Bayshore Marathon. This race will take place in Traverse City, Michigan on Saturday May 29, 2010.

For this marathon my goal is to complete in 3:30 (hh:mm). That's an average of 8:00 (mm:ss) per mile. Which is still a ways from getting me a spot in the Boston Marathon, but would be a 30% improvement over my first marathon.

Links:
Bayshore Marathon http://www.bayshoremarathon.org/
Boston Marathon http://www.bostonmarathon.org/

Today I ran my first Detroit Turkey Trot. I chose the 10K (6.2 miles) event, and completed it in 47:47 (mm:ss). For the second time this year I beat my personal record for a 10K race. This time my improvement over my previous record was 6:56 (mm:ss), a little better than one minute per mile. A nice improvement for a 6 month period.

As for the event, it was really exciting to run with close to 15,000 other runners through the streets of Detroit. I liked the way that both the 5K and 10K runners started together, split up about 2 miles in, and then re-joined to share the same finish line under Cobo Hall. It was also really cool to see so many cheering people lined up along the streets of the course. Although, I'm sure that most of the crowd was there for the Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

From what I have heard, the organizer's of the event did a couple things different this year. A change that I liked the most was the ability to pickup my race bib and shirt before the event at one of several local Flagstar Banks and New Balance stores. This was very convenient and saved me from having to either make a trip down to Detroit before or deal with a large crowd on race day.

Another change that I liked, but that did not turn out so well, was the ability to pre-purchase a parking pass when I registered for the event. Three days prior to the race I receieved an email stating that the parking passes were mailed out. If for some reason I did not receive the pass, no worry my name would be on a list. As luck would have it, the pass never came in the mail and when I arrived at the designated lot, the attendant had no list. From what the parking attendant told me, I was not the only one who had this problem. In retrospect, it would have made more sense to me to pass out the parking passes when I picked up the race bib and shirt verus mailing them out. Maybe next year the organizers will have this problem solved.

Links:
Detroit Turkey Trot http://www.theparade.org/turkeytrot/

Today I ran the Brooksie Way 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) for the 2nd consecutive year. My official time was 1:52:09 (hh:mm:ss), which was 23:26 (mm:ss) faster than my first. This is also a personal best for me with a near 18% improvement over last year's time.

The Brooksie Way is a challenging race that can catch runners off guard if they don't know the course. The first six and half miles are relatively flat and downhill, so it is easy to start off too fast. Then the course makes an abrupt change and turns into about four miles of continuous hills that can seem like they will never end. But if you can save for the energy for the end, there is a nice two mile mostly downhill stretch to the finish. This is my favorite part of the course because I can make up some of the time I lost on the hills and finish strong.

Links:
Brooksie Way Half Marathon http://www.thebrooksieway.com

Today I ran the 10 Mile Race at the 2009 Crim Festival of Races. My official time was 1:23:33 (hh:mm:ss), which was 34:35 (mm:ss) faster than my previous record. This is a personal best for me with almost a 30% improvement over last year. I am definitely pleased with my results.

The Crim is one of those events that I look forward to each year. It attracts thousands of runners, yet still maintains a small town feel to the event. I also appreciate how the Crim has become a tradition for the city of Flint and has been held every year since 1977.

Links:
Crim Fitness Foundation http://www.crim.org/

Today I ran my best 10K race (6.2 miles) at the West Bloomfield Rock and Road. My official time was 54:43 (mm:ss), which was 8:15 (mm:ss) faster than my previous record. Almost a 15% improvement in the span of one year.

This was my second year running this race, and I will probably run it again next year. I like this course because it is a mixture of roads, hilly trails, flat trails, and grassy hills. Plus it always seems to rain a day or two beforehand.  So the opportunity to get some mud on your shoes and legs are pretty good.

Today I completed my first marathon (26.2 miles) with a time of 5:03:36 (hh:mm:ss). Not quite the original estimate of 4:45 (hh:mm) I made back in December. But when I consider that less than 1% of the population ever completes a marathon, it is something I can be proud of.

To train for my first marathon I chose Hal Higdon's Novice Training Program. The program is 18 weeks long, consisting of four training runs a week, ranging from 15 to 35 total miles per week. This was the first time I used any kind of program to train for an event. My half marathon training program was more of a just run as much as you can and as often as you can system. Overall, I liked having a schedule. It helped prevent me from over training in the first weeks, and under training in the final weeks.

The hardest part of my marathon training was the time of year I chose. Michigan had some record setting snow fall this winter, many sub-zero degree days, and I am an outdoor runner. Fortunately, I spent twelve years living in Fairbanks, Alaska and have experienced much worse weather conditions. But it still takes a lot of dedication to get up on a Saturday at 5:00AM, with three inches of fresh snow on the ground, -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 if you include the wind chill factor), and go out for a 15 mile run.

Despite the early reports of bad weather (rain and a couple inches of snow), race day was beautiful. It started out around 30 degrees and reached a high of 50 degrees with lots of sunshine. The course was a mostly flat, out and back run along Hines Drive, with a start and finish at Dearborn's Ford Field Park. There were aid stations every few miles with water, Gatorade, and GU Energy Gel. If you like a marathon that is somewhat secluded and feels more like a run through the park, I would recommend it.

In the end, what helped me the most with my first marathon was having a running partner, and an awesome group of running friends. If I had tried doing this on my own it would have been far too easy to skip a training day just because it was cold outside or just because my legs were sore. But when you have someone to train with, well it's not as cold out, and the pain is only half as bad. So you get up and do it, because your friend probably feels the same and needs your support.

Now that my first marathon is done, the big question is would I do another? YES. My plan is to do some smaller races over the summer (10Ks and half marathons), and find a marathon for the fall. Right now I am signed up for the half at The Trail Marathon on April 26, 2009. It’s a tough course with a lot of hills, so I don’t expect a PR (personal record). But it will be a lot a fun. :)

Links:
Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Guide http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00index.htm
Martian Marathon http://www.martianmarathon.com/
Trail Marathon http://www.trailmarathon.com/

This week I begin my 18 week training program for the Martian Marathon April 5th, 2009. The Martian Marathon is a two day event that begins with a 5K (3.1 miles) and 10K (6.2 miles) on Saturday. The Full Marathon (26.2 miles) and Half Marathon (13.1 miles) take place on Sunday.

For this race I will be using Hal Higdon's Novice Training Program. This program consists of four training runs per week, averaging 15 to 25 miles each week. I don't have any strong reasons why I chose this program over others. I can only say that it worked with my schedule and that it filled the need to have specific goals every week.

Based on my recent Half Marathon results, my goal is to complete this race in 4:45 (hh:mm). That's an average of 10:50 (mm:ss) per mile. Although, since this is my first Full Marathon, just crossing the finish line will be in itself a personal victory.

Links:
Martian Marathon http://www.martianmarathon.com/
Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Guide http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00index.htm

Today I completed my first half marathon (13.1 miles) with a time of 2:15:35 (hh:mm:ss). My first goal was simple - cross the finish line. After that, I was shooting for a time of 2:15 (hh:mm). So I must say that I am pretty happy with my results.

As for the race itself, this was the inaugural year for the Brooksie Way Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk. From my perspective I think everything went really well. I like the course, a mixture of paved roads and dirt trails, flat ground and hills. There were plenty of aid stations, lots of volunteers working the course, and a beautiful finish line at the Meadow Brook Hall on Oakland University campus.

I would like to say thanks to my family and friends who cheered me on along the course and at the finish line. Every time I saw your faces and heard your voices it made me forget the fatigue and gave me the boost I needed to push harder.

Now that I have done my first half marathon, I'm thinking the Martian Marathon (26.2 miles) on April 5th, 2009.

Links:
Brooksie Way Half Marathon http://www.thebrooksieway.com
Martian Marathon http://www.martianmarathon.com/

On Saturday August 23rd, 2008 I completed my first 10-mile event in the Crim Festival of Races with a time of 1:58:08 (hh:mm:ss). My goal was to finish something closer to 1:45. It was not an un-reasonable expectation. I had ran that same distance for the previous three Saturdays with an average pace of 10:32 (mm:ss) per mile. I guess the temperature that morning (somewhere in the high 80's, low 90's) had a bigger effect on me than I expected. That will teach me not to do all of my training runs in the 60's to 70's.

Despite my results, I really enjoyed the Crim Festival of Races. There's something about participating in a race with thousands of other people that is exciting and motivating. If you are ever near Flint Michigan on the fourth Saturday in August, I highly recommend it.

Links:
Crim Fitness Foundation http://www.crim.org