Tempting

I received an email last night promoting the Phoenix Rock n Roll Marathon in January.  Six weeks rest is plenty, right?

Goodbye running shoes

This was my pair of Nike Zoom Victory + racing shoes.  According to Nike, they no longer exist, and the name is now applied to track spikes.  But this pair of shoes carried me through five marathons, up and down Vermont, a handful of mid-distance races, and countless track workouts and tempo runs.  A great pair of shoes for a lightweight trainer and distance racer.  I don't know if the Zoom Streak 3 is the intended replacement, and I haven't found, nor do I need a new racing shoe for a little while.  I probably should have bought a few after I wore them the first time, knowing how fast product turnover can be.

But their time had come after this last marathon, as I knew they were starting to break down.  The good news is, they found a new home.

After the finish line in Las Vegas, I found a tent for Give Your Sole.  Knowing that I wouldn't be running in these shoes again, and eying the fancy green flip flops they had to offer, I traded my running shoes in.  Give Your Sole collects running shoes at these events and distributes them to people in need in the local community.  Had I known they would be there, I would have emptied my closet.

2010 Las Vegas Marathon

Las Vegas Marathon
Las Vegas, Nevada
December 5, 2010
3:47:11
8:40 Pace

What's not to like about Las Vegas?  Somewhere around mile 20 of this race I realized just how much I really like running and runners.  We were all out there doing the same thing, some smiling more than others, working our legs off and knowing we still had a long way to run.  At mile 16, I had said to myself, "only 10 more miles to go".  Who says that?  In what other context would that comment be appropriate?

So, I ran around Las Vegas for 26 miles.  And for the most part, I enjoyed it.  The race began at the Mandalay Bay on Las Vegas Boulevard, and followed out and back for 6 miles, passing the hotels, casinos and monuments along the way.  This was a great way to see the city, particularly without worrying about crossing streets or getting sucked into a casino.  After mile 12, the route was a little less scenic, heading over the highway into a residential/industrial area, completing loops that seemed designed only to find 13 miles of roadway.  More than once, I found myself running in the direction of the finish, only to be routed out on another 4 mile loop.

The support and organization in the race were terrific.  Water was everywhere I needed it, a variety of bands played every few miles, and local cheering squads and fans lined most of the route.  I normally don't run with music, and try to keep a rhythm in my head to match my pace, and I have to say all these distractions drew me out of my concentration and my pace showed the results.  But that's my fault for not maintaining concentration and the mental toughness I needed for this distance.

Looking back over the past few weeks since my last marathon, my training mileage hasn't been where it should have to support this distance.  I caught a really nasty cold that put me out for almost a week, and my longest runs were only 15 miles.  Knowing how I faded after 20 miles in Vermont, when I had been training better, running several 20 plus milers beforehand, I knew the Vegas race wouldn't be my best.  Timewise, I was right, but this was my last marathon of 2010, my fourth of the year, and I was going to enjoy it.

The course is mostly flat, and I aimed for 7:50 pace.  The first 15 miles was all over the place, though, from 7:35 to 8:15.  As I mentioned, I never got my head in the race.  Towards 20 miles, I was out of it, and my goal dropped from 3:30 to 3:40, then beyond.  Miles 21 to 25 saw me shuffling, slow running and walking through water stops.  I was completely out of energy and my legs were beat.  In other words, The Wall.  Once I finally did make the turn toward the finish, I mustered up what I could and ran a slightly respectable last mile.

I'll chalk this up as another learning experience.  I paid attention to my form and how my legs were feeling throughout the distance, and was able to ward off cramps, injury and find muscles that were still willing to work.  However, I think I could have run smarter with a little more attention to my breathing and pace.  This probably would have paid off later in the race by keeping my early miles a little slower, and warding off the damage that can cause.  I'm constantly learning to adjust my eating, weight, race pace, distance and running calorie intake to balance off energy depletion, lactic acid buildup, and to find that sweet spot where I can race through the finish.

Nevertheless, Nevada is in the books.  One more state down, 38 more to go.

Music to fly to

I'm spending a lot of time in an airplane today, vacant seat next to me, nothing but clouds below. Listening to tunes from my phone that I can't really object to; I put them all on there. Now you're stuck with them too.

Nightswimming, R.E.M. - I remember thinking this song was about swimming back in the day, but now I'm going with a swim in life now. Not like when we were young. No worries, not sneaking, just a carefree swim. Damn, it's too cold to swim when I get home.

Roadhouse Blues, The Doors - I have a print of Jim Morrison at home, rolled in its new wrapper. It matches one of Mark Sandman. Really have to get them framed. Sometimes I wonder what they would be writing and singing now. Well I woke up this morning and got myself a beer. The future's uncertain, the end is always near.

Home, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - I found this before going to Nashville and thought it might pass for either Country or Western. It's probably more Folk. Saw a video of this tune. These two are either crazy, crazy in love, or some damn good actors. And the lyrics get you thinking too. Bummed I as away the weekend they played in Newport. But now they're immortalized in an NFL commercial.

L.A. Woman, The Doors - These guys really made the most of a keyboard. There's one part I can only describe as Saloon Music. Where do I find tunes from the guy that used to play piano in old westerns? Who was that guy? Funny how trends in music change and evolve. Can't say the harp is really as big as it once was.

What is that down there? Where am I? Was that announcement really important?

Cheerleader, Grizzly Bear - I really don't know what they're singing about here. Kind of haunting background vocals. Maybe they borrowed the kids from You Can't Always Get What You Want. I remember my brother telling me a story about that choir when I was a kid. Hope it wasn't true, but needless to say, I wasn't joining one after that.

I'm Amazed, My Morning Jacket - A lot going on in this song. Suppose you can either be amazed by an awful lot, or reach the point where nothing surprises you anymore. I wonder what the name of this band represents.

Pets, Porno for Pyros - isn't it interesting the associations we can make with a song. I remember exactly when this was released and what I was doing in life at the time. I've heard youth is wasted on the young. I don't know if I would agree with that, because from the perspective of the young, they might be doing exactly what they want at the time. I wouldn't change 1993.

I Knew, Lightning Dust - I've listened to this tune over and over when I was working on my house. The beat drives you, but at a safe enough rate to still use power tools. And it's over too soon.

Wagon Wheel, old Crow Medicine Show - this was the song that actually was played everywhere I went in Nashville. Not sure if it's Country or Western. But it is catchy and you can learn the lyrics on your first try.

Who is eating Buffalo chicken?

Delia's Gone, Johnny Cash - it was a lucky guy who was his cellmate. Except for the part about being in jail.

Just a Friend, Biz Markie - another tune I remember from way back in the day, and I would think everyone that heard it then would recall it now. Biz sounds like he really got a bum deal here. First use of the term Oh Snap. I made that up.

Shadow People, Dr. Dog - where do all the shadow people go, and how do I get all of this music? Some of it, I really don't know. You could be twisted, or you could be insane; pushing the envelope against the grain. That's the song in a nutshell.

Is There a Ghost, Band of Horses - I remember seeing a few movies when I was a kid that contributed to a few sleepless years. Donald Sutherland will still scare the crap out of me if he crawled out of a pod in my basement. And Poltergeist made me want to cut down all the trees on the block.

I Want You, Bob Dylan - he and I have something in common, but I'd like his music in any case. He has a chambermaid? Was that time in history any more or less interesting and exciting than now? What will be written in 40 years on today?

Just Breathe, Pearl Jam - this group has been playing since they appeared at my college and played to a crowd of a few hundred. Funny name for a band. Wonder if they still find it amusing. Hold you til I die, meet you on the other side.

There are giant, snow-capped mountains below.

Percussion Gun, White Rabbits - love the drum riff in this. I should really play drums again. In my spare time.

Looks like RI would fit in that little chunk of NV south of Las Vegas.

The Weight, The Band - don't know of any other tunes by them. Used to love hearing this performed by the Swinging Johnsons back in Davis Square. Are they passing around the weight of their worlds? Did Luke get a good deal? And why did Crazy Chester want to get rid of his dog?

Ocean, Against Me! - heaven hidden in the ocean, breathed in by sharks and dolphins, working its way into lakes and rivers. At night, we would sleep with the windows of our house left open, letting the cold ocean air soothe the sunburned shoulders of our children.

Riders on the Storm, The Doors - when I spent a few winters working with snowplow and sanding crews, not a night went by without hearing this played over the the two way. I remember Val Kilmer offering his approval to the rain effects in the studio.

Blues Music, G. Love and Special Sauce - if I could sit on my front step in the heat of the summer, sipping a Coke, one from Mexico made with real sugar from a pop top bottle, just relaxing and watching the day fade and life pass along the street, this is the song I would play.

Wouldn't it be nice, Beach Boys - Were they really underage? And do they still feel the same way this many years later?

Friend of the Devil, Grateful Dead - spent the night in Utah in a cave up in the hills.

And down goes my little battery meter. Almost there.

On my way

I'm in the airport, on my way to Las Vegas to run my last marathon of the year. It's only the beginning of the month, but I feel like it's the end of my year. After this race, it's time off for rest and recovery, and easy runs to finish the year.

I keep track of many measures along my way, and I'm pretty sure how this year will end. I've hit a few goals with time to spare, and really missed others. I'm happy with my racing and running in 2010, and I know what I can and need to do in 2011. I guess I'll be working up a new spreadsheet and set of lists soon, making adjustments from what I learned this year, and planning my training and race schedule.

There's always more work to be done and room for improvement, but this has been a pretty good year for me so far.