Race Report: 2012 ING Half Marathon

2012 is off to much the same start as 2011, so I decided it would be fitting to have my first post of the year (a year with hopefully more regular posting) be the ING Half marathon race report

A year ago the ING half was my first half marathon and the first time I'd ever raced over a 10k.  A year later it's my 4th half (though really only my second fast competitive one) and I have a full under my belt.  A year ago a strained achillies kept me from running for several weeks before the race, this year a foot stress fracture kept me out in december and a knee issue slowed me up for several weeks before the race.

I was signed up for the full marathon this year, but after being slowed up in December and January there was no way I could have run it, so I decided several weeks before the race that I would be running the half.  At the expo however they told me if I switched to the half there was a good chance I wouldn't be getting a medal or an official time - so I ran under my buddy's bibe number after he decided he wasn't even going to run the half.  Unfortunately this meant I was starting from the E coral rather than the C coral.  It didn't seem like a big deal to me at the time, but ultimately it lead me to treat this race as a long MP run rather than full out race.

Starting from closer to the back put a lot more slow people in front of me - and I'm sure many people who shouldn't have even been up there...  My first mile was  painfully slow 7:10 as I walk-ran as fast as I could constantly dodging around people and weaving from one side of the street to the other.  After 2 more miles of 6:40 pace dodging walkers I bagged any idea of racing and tried to settle into 6:40-6:50 pace.

Overall the race was relatively uneventful so I won't put down the details.  The 6:48 pace I averaged for the race felt hard, but on the plus side, even with limited training, didn't feel all our or as hard as it did last year.  (Granted I ran 5 min faster last year but I was healthier and the weather was quite a bit warmer this year.)  Also, my garmin read a full quarter mile further than race distance - lots of weaving from one side of the road to the other!

The goal now is to get fully healthy and get some good 5 & 10k races in this spring before settling in for another marathon training season.

Chicago Marathon

Welcome to race week!


Less than a week away from the Chicago Marathon.  My training is more or less complete (not much I can do now) and I'm tapering to the race.  I've taken more time off than planed the last couple of weeks because of what I hope is a minor case of Piriformis Syndrome.  I've put in some solid runs while dealing with the discomfort so unless it gets significantly worse during the race I'm hoping it won't affect my performance much.  In the mean time I'm stretching, massaging and doing whatever I can to relive the pain.  I'm ready for my first ever marathon!

My race day info:


Name: Victor DelRosso
Bib Number: 835
Start Corral Assignment: CORRAL A
Goal time: Sub 3:00 (6:54 pace)


Here's some info that was sent to the race participants:

Marathon Record Lowered By 21 Seconds

It's happened again - a new world record in the Marathon - this time on a certified course so it will go into the record books.  (Unlike Geoffrey's time at Boston that was not recognized as a world record because the course isn't certified.)

Article from NPR:

by Mark Memmott

Odd Andersen /AFP/Getty ImagesPatrick Makau of Kenya celebrates in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate after setting a new world record for the marathon.

Kenya's Patrick Makau ran the Berlin Marathon on Sunday in a new world record time — 2 hours, 3 minutes and 38 seconds. He shaved 21 seconds off the previous record, set by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie on the same course in 2008.

Gebrselassie was among Makau's competitors in Sunday's race. The Ethiopian great did not finish the marathon, though. An asthma sufferer, his lungs tightened up. Afterward, on Twitter, Gebrselassie congratulated the new record holder, saying:

"It is great to see a new generation and I would love to race them for some time."

Makau's per-mile average time, by the way, was about 4 minutes, 43 seconds. Makau, appropriately enough, is 26-years-old.

Earlier this year, the BBC asked experts whether a marathon will ever be run (on an approved course) in less than 2 hours. Gebrselassie was among those who said yes, but that it might take another "20 to 25 years" before that happens. Others, though, say the limit may be around 2 hours, 2 minutes.

One hundred years ago, the record was just under 2 hours 40 minutes.


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/26/140801252/marathon-record-lowered-by-21-seconds?sc=fb&cc=fp

Adidas AdiZero Hagio – First LooK

It looks like Adidas has decided to replace the AdiZero Rocket come January of next year.  If they get the shoe right, it could be a huge success, if they don't this could end up being a hugely unpopular move...

The following article is from the Runningwarehouse blog.

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adidas adiZero Hagio Men's Shoe (Hagio sample with incorrect "Feather" name shown)

Come January 2012, the hugely popular adidas adiZero Rocket will be gone and in its place will be the adiZero Hagio (MSRP $90).

The Hagio carries over the midsole from the Rocket. But with a lighter upper and new outsole, the Hagio is expected be an ounce lighter than the adiZero Rocket. The featherweight upper utilizes vast areas of open mesh for superior breathability and weight reduction. Strategically placed laminated overlays help secure the foot and deliver a sleek appearance.

By stripping away oustole material, the Hagio is more flexible than the Rocket and additional weight savings are found in the outsole design.

All of the standard adidas technologies are still here. Full forefoot ADIPRENE adds durable comfort and provides good rebound for a responsive toe-off. The TORSION SYSTEM maintains structural integrity of the midsole’s midfoot. ADIWEAR provides durable wear at the heel and blown rubber in the forefoot provides added cushioning is light in weight.

Built on a 6mm heel-toe offset, the low-profile Hagio is ideal for faster running and racing. Specified at 6.0 ounces (sample men’s size 9.0), this shoe weighs the same as the Brooks T7 Racer, but should deliver greater durability. Expect this shoe to compete directly with the Asics Hyperspeed 4 and Saucony Type A4 ( the Hyperspeed 5 and Type A5 will be available February 2012).

Of note, the Hagio name  pays homage to the shoe designer of the same name who has had a great influence over the development many adiZero racing shoes.

adidas adiZero Hagio - outsole view (sample shown)

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The shoe really sounds promising - nice weight, and about the same drop as the hyperspeeds.  If they can deliver on the greater durability it could be a great shoe (especially seeing as how my hyperspeeds have lasted  only about 150 miles...)

Training While Traveling Article by Scott Jurek

This article seemed pretty timely after my trip to Mexico last week, the canceled trip to Colombia this week and NY vacation next week...  Enjoy.

The Long Run: Train Or Bust

Updated: Aug 10th 2011 1:43 PM UTC by Competitor.com

Ultrarunning star Scott Jurek shares his tips for logging miles while traveling.
Written by: Scott Jurek

Photo: Scott Draper

It was a classic case of air travel gone wrong. In 2001, my team and I were stuck in the Vancouver International Airport for an extra 12 hours while on our way to the Hong Kong Trailwalker 100K. In an instant, we lost half a day and missed out on a training run on the course. It would have been easy to grab some dinner, curl up on the airport floor and call it a day, but my teammate, Ian Torrence, had a better idea. Before I knew it, we were running along the sidewalks of the departures entrance. Although the 90-minute run took place alongside roaring planes spewing jet exhaust, we made the best of things and didn’t miss our training run. I maintain a busy travel schedule amid training for the world’s longest and toughest ultramarathons; combining pre-travel planning with adaptability is my strategy for running while on the road. Before leaving home, I front-load training. My advice:

• Plan the week preceding travel as a higher volume week and the travel week as a recovery week.
• Do quality sessions such as tempo runs, hill workouts and long runs the week before travel.

If I’m traveling some place new, I try to research the area so I know what to expect when I arrive:

• Use the Internet to research running routes; I like www.mapmyrun.com and www.usatf.org/routes.
• Search for restaurants and grocery stores to save time and fuel right.
• Check the weather forecast to pack appropriately. This may appear to be a no-brainer, but you’re more likely to skip a run if it’s pouring and you forgot a running hat and waterproof shell.
• Research nearby running specialty stores and running clubs to join group workouts and explore hidden routes. Before a trip to Asheville, N.C., I contacted resident trail running legend Will Harlan, who gave me a great tour—complete with lessons on botany and history—and workout on a local trail.

Upon arriving at my destination, I gather additional information from the hotel staff to confirm my research and get advice from locals that may not be available online or in English. When I traveled to Tokyo in February, I stayed one mile from the 5K path that circles the Imperial Palace. I went for a run to shake off the jet lag as soon as I got settled, sightseeing during the less hectic late-night hours.
A busy schedule that changes on the fly can obliterate training plans. Here’s what I do:

• Look over the next day’s schedule and plan when a run will fit; it’s often best to train first thing in the morning before obligations pile up.
• For tempo and specific pace workouts, a GPS or speed-distance watch is an important tool for knowing splits on routes without mile markers.
• Evenings are a good time to squeeze in a flexibility or short strength session. If a hotel gym is not available, consider a portable gym unit (such as TRX or resistance tubing) that packs easily.

Remember, even the best plans need to be flexible:

• Make do with the time and environment: Thirty minutes of running in traffic can be better than a zero for the day.
• Make the most of unexpected schedule changes. Have running gear on hand for unexpected opportunities to train.
• Factor the day’s stress into whether getting out for a late-day session is worthwhile. Sometimes rest and sleep may be the best choice.

While it may not take the form of running alongside an airport tarmac, training during travel can be something to dread or a fun challenge to embrace. Running in a new environment and being adaptable may be just what you need to stay motivated.

About the Author:
Based in Boulder, Colo., Scott Jurek is a seven-time winner of the Western States 100-mile trail run. Read more from Scott every month on the back page of Competitor Magazine.


http://running.competitor.com/2011/08/inside-the-magazine/the-long-run-train-or-bust_34677

The Second Running Boom is Now!

Part of an interesting article found on runningusa.org


Road race participation - with more female and male finishers, more races - has more record growth

Posted Thursday, 21 July, 2011
From Ryan Lamppa, Running USA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - (July 21, 2011) - The Second Running Boom, despite the slow U.S. economy, continued in 2010 with an estimated 13 million finishers nationwide, an all-time high, and the largest percent increase (10%) in road race finishers that Running USA has ever reported to-date. Fueling this growth is the increase in half-marathon, 5K and marathon finishers, female finishers, the increase in charity running and a growing interest in the sport from the general population.

Put simply, more and more Americans are finding that running is an inexpensive, convenient, social sport to help them stay healthy and to tackle a new challenge or goal. As Running USA's National Runner Survey reported, today's runners are motivated to stay in shape, stay healthy, have fun and relieve stress. As new and returning runners enter the sport and road races, we will continue to see a tremendous amount of growth in overall finisher totals, as experienced in the last two years.

2010 U.S. Road Running Snapshot:

• 2010 had the highest percent increase in overall finisher totals (10%) in nearly three decades. Growth such as this hasn't been seen since the pre-Second Running Boom in 1992 (9.2%) and recently, 2009 (9.0%), and based on preliminary totals, 2011 should also show above average growth as well in this country.
• Females now account for nearly 6.9 million finishers nationwide (a record number) and represent 53% of event fields, compared to only 25% in 1990 which had 4.15 million overall finishers, while males in 2010 also set a new high with more than 6.1 million finishers in U.S. road races.
• Total U.S. running events exceeded 22,800, an all-time record high.
• 2010 produced a record annual increase (tie with 2009) in total finishers for the Half-Marathon (24%) and nearly a 9% increase in Marathon finishers, which is the second largest percent increase for the classic distance in the past 25 years.
• For the first time ever, the Half-Marathon now claims more finishers than the 10K, ranking #2 next to the 5K in finishers. Females continue to dominate the Half-Marathon race field with 59% representation.
• The 5K is still handily the road race "King of the Hill" with nearly 4.7 million finishers (yes, another record) and had 36% of all finishers in 2010; the universal 3.1 mile distance has been #1 in the U.S. since 1994 when it surpassed the 10K.

See full article here: http://www.runningusa.org/node/76115#76910

Lucky Runners - Running with the Bulls

Yesterday marked the first of 8 days running with the bulls in Pamplona - the most popular running of the bulls in Spain.  The week start off relatively safely with only 4 being taken to hospitals, and no gorings. 14 people have died in this event since record keeping started in 1924 (2 years before Hemingway wrote "The Sun Also Rises", which brought international fame to the event) including 2009's fatal goring of a Spanish man.

The event only takes about 2 and a half minutes and is about 825 meters start to finish.  Not bad 800 times for the running conditions - I'm sure adrenaline plays a part...