Manifesto

I’m not a former cross country runner. I’m not even that fast now. I’m not “The Biggest Loser”. I’m not even in my best shape now. I’m not certified by any organization. What I have done is lose 50 pounds, and run a marathon. If you want to do either of these, I can tell you how. But you’ll have to change everything.

Party’s Over, Back to Work

The end is never the end. A new challenge awaits. A test no man could be prepared for. A new hell he must conquer and destroy. A new level of growth he must confront himself. – Common, in Kid Cudi’s song “Up, Up, & Away”

With my half marathon goal in the books, things have dropped off a bit. It’s a big deal to nobody but me, but I’m disappointed when I don’t get three runs a week in, and also I’m disappointed when I don’t post regularly.

I learned a lot from this past training plan. I learned it’s more important for me to run my distance and judge my effort on feel rather than time. I learned that I get depressed when I don’t run at least 3 times a week. I learned 4 times a week will leave me feeling burned out. I learned that running in single digit weather won’t kill me. I learned that if I set a goal, keep it in the forefront of my mind, and continue working on it, I can surpass my wildest expectations. I even learned a new way to tie my shoes.

However, there is still much more to learn. New variables to test, experiment with.  Strengths to maintain, weaknesses to shore up.  Personal records to break.

It’s time to get back. Let’s do work.

The Ballad of Jim Smith – Indoor Half Marathon Race Report

-0:10:00 (before race)

As the pre-race announcements went on over the loudspeaker, I clapped my hands together, ready to get it on.  I’d trained hard, had no regrets in my training, never let myself off the hook with laziness.  I’d carbed up, I’d gotten good sleep, my stomach felt good, I was hydrated.  I had all my bases covered.  Except one.

1:40:00

I was in the port-a-pottie.  ”No.  Oh no.  No.  Nooooo!”, I thought.  I was worried – everything I’d trained for was slipping away.  I wasn’t sure what to do.  But in a blink, I was back out the door and ripping around the track, ready to track somebody down.

0:46:33

To that point in the race, I hadn’t checked my time.  Ditched my watch after the 2nd lap, I hadn’t started it.  I looked at the clock and kept the number in my head.  Each lap had to be under 2 minutes 30 seconds for me to reach my goal of under 2 hours.  When I came back around, the clock read 48:45.  2 minute, 12 second lap.

1:42:00

“What do I do?!”, I said in a panic, to one of the race officials.  ”JUST KEEP GOING!”, he yelled back, but I was already gone.  ”FORTY-THREE!”, he added.

1:05:00

Over an hour in, and I still feel great.  I’m cruising.  Spread out my arms, think about all of my training runs.  All smiles.  It was around this time when I realized, “I’ve got this.  I’ve %&#*in’ got this!”.  It’s a great feeling.

1:51:13

I look for something, some clue, some sign from the sidelines, but nobody makes eye contact with me.  I keep running.

1:35:00

Take my Clif Vanilla gel with some water, goes down perfect.  The next lap I tossed my bottle back to a volunteer and whip the gel packet into the trash, a perfect shot.  Everything’s going my way.

1:38:00

As each runner hits their 40th lap, an official announces it.  He says name after name, but not mine.  Only one runner has lapped me.  I’ve come to suspect the worst.  I dart into the port-a-pottie.

0:30:00

There was a kid in the stands writing the lap count on a whiteboard.  It worked for me initially, but eventually I couldn’t remember if I’d lapped the other runner once, twice, or more.  I scan the computer projection for my name as I pass by, but don’t see it.  Something is amiss.  I shake it off.

-0:09:00 (before race)

One of the pre-race announcements:  ”If you have Chip #1382, you have an invalid chip, please find a race official to have your chip switched.”

1:39:45

I rip the Velcro strap off my leg and hold it up in the dim Port-a-Pottie:  1382.  I have the offending chip.  My bib was 1282, I never even looked, like an idiot.  It all snapped into place.  The women checking me in must have grabbed the wrong one.

1:49:00

I give a race official a look, as if to say, “How far?”.  ”47!”.  The only time all race I hear my name, “Jordan, you are on YOUR FINAL LAP, see YOU at the finish line!”

1:53:00

Try to turn it up even more, but feel a twinge in my left calf.  I’m tired, I’m confused.

When I make it back around, the official smiles at me. “Hey Jordan!  You were done a lap ago!  Go get your medal!”.  I ran the extra lap part out of confusion on my lap count, but also partly because I couldn’t believe I’d run that fast.  The race was over.  I’d done it.

+0:01:00 (Post-race)

Talking with one of the race officials -

“So you realize what happened?”

“I got the wrong chip. I heard the annoucement… I just… I didn’t even think to look.  So what now then?  Everything’s ok, right?”

“Yeah, it’s ok, I’ll go back in and change it later… but right now you’re in under ‘Jim Smith’.”

“Haha, well how did Jim Smith finish?”

“1:51:13″

By The Numbers: Indoor Half Marathon

55: The temperature inside the Pettit Center, site of the half.

30: Average high in Chicago in December and January (although I run at night, so my typical training weather is close to the low 20s)

157.2/15% – Weight and body fat during week of first half marathon

151.4/15% – Weight and body fat as of Monday

2 – seconds per mile faster one becomes per pound lost.

47.7 – the number of laps to run a half marathon at the Pettit Center.

< 2:00:00:  The goal
- 1:53:12: The McMillian calculator predicted time for a half marathon, inputting the results from my last 10K.
- 1:57:14: The predicted race time listed on my Runners World training plan.
- 2:01:53: The half marathon split from my marathon. (Oct. 2007)
- 2:04:33: The chip time from my only half marathon. (Apr. 2008)

We’re in race week, and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.  I’m excited, I’m anxious… but I’m ready.

This Is Running Music

You build your way to the marathon one day at a time, right?  Let’s build my soundtrack that way.  One song a day from here until then.  And only one.  If the day goes by that I forget to pick one, well, as Frank Reynolds would say:  tough titties.

1/8 “Heart of the City” – Jay-Z

1/9  ”Say Hey” – Michael Franti

1/10 “It’s A Fight” – 3 6 Mafia

1/11 “Black & Blue” – Miike Snow

1/14 “Hey Soul Sister” – Train

1/15 “Cult Logic Forever” – Hood Internet

1/16 “Until the End of Time” – Tupac

Hopefully It’ll Be A Pleasant Surprise

From the indoor marathon FAQ:

Since your rules don’t allow portable music devices, will there be music played during the race?

Yes, we will play music during most of the race. We ask runners for their song requests and try to play as many as these songs as possible. The race director also likes to pick some of his favorite songs to entertain the runners.

When I registered, I was afforded the opportunity to make three requests. Three songs that’ll play during the race.

Problem: I forget what I picked. I had to have written it down somewhere – right? Nope. I know I really had to think about it, when you’re an undercover hipster, you treat questions like this as existential problems.

Well, I’ll leave you with the one song I do remember picking, then ask my question of the day: If you were me, which three songs would you choose?

Because we’re running laps, it’s got a sweet beat, and reminds me of Spring Break 2002 (Panama City holler at me).

* UPDATE: I sent the race director a facebook message, asking if I could repick. No dice, it’s in the DJs hands now…

* FURTHER UPDATE: They sent out songs, but not every song was picked.  I figure, everybody has to have at least one, and Daft Punk is probably my best choice.  On the PLUS side, the race director hinted that these two awesome songs would be played for sure:

First Blood

I had a very quiet weekend.  My Saturday and Sunday nights were spent movies, “Kindergarten Cop” & “Rocky Balboa”.  Here’s my favorite scene from each.  One pumps me up, I’ll let you guess which:

On Monday I had an improv set at Second City, and got out from that twenty minutes before the running store next door closed. I find it hard to leave the running store without picking up something, I got fuel belt bottle refills and some gel. The bottles because I thought I had the belt at home (I don’t), and the gel because GU Chomps don’t do it for me. Ran with those on Sunday and didn’t like them – I don’t want to chew.

I attempted to cook, but when that failed, I decided to test out the new swag, and make an apple & a gel my dinner. Hey, better than fast food, right?

*Story about blood ahead*

Well, the run didn’t work out so hot either. Initially I felt fast, really fast. I made it to the lakeshore path and thought about taking my water break at my turnaround point. Before I got there, I attempted to blow out a snot rocket. It happens on these winter runs. But when I blew my left nostril, I felt a tickle. I immediately did a check and saw a smear of blood on the white of my running glove. Bending over the snow, I could feel and see the blood coming out of my nose and dropping into the snow.

It was a big kick in the dick moment. I was about a mile and a half from home, my nose was bleeding, and I didn’t have money on me for a cab. Luckily there was nobody else on the path to make it awkward for me. I was walking home and kind of felt like a bad ass criminal, using snow to get the blood off of my face, checking myself in a car’s side view mirror to make sure my face was clean. Don’t mess with me son.

After thinking about it, it was probably dehydration from the weekend (beer & no water) and a dry environment, with a little bit of overtraining mixed in. I still feel good and ready for my run, I’d like to get one last double digit mile long run in to bolster my confidence.

Even Though He’s A Professional Fighter and I’m An Amateur Runner, I Understand

The deeper into training I go, the more profound my thoughts will be. My mind & body are synced. The madness on the inside wants to come out. – Miguel Torres, MMA fighter

It’s getting closer to race day. I’m just about ready.

Fun Fact Friday

Chicago Marathon 2010 Registration Opens Feb. 1

Hot Damn!

Wow, WordPress on my phone is pretty nice! I’ve been away from the blogging game as my apartment’s internet has been down, and work blocks wordpress/blogger sites (commies!).

2010 has been busy so far but I’m ready for this half marathon. Two more weeks!