North Shore Classic Half Marathon

In February I ran the Tel Aviv Half Marathon in 1:28:25. I've done a lot of good work since then, so I went into this racing thinking a PR was a sure thing. In fact, I thought I had a realistic chance of breaking 1:25.

For the first time I qualified for an "elite start". It was really nice. There was parking close to the start, my bib was waiting for me (no packet pickup), private bathrooms, and a tent filled with snacks. It was kind of a thrill. Plus a few of my friends were also in the elite tent, so it was great spending time with them before and after the race.

I knew it was gonna be a warm day (almost 70 degrees at the start), but I had no idea how badly the heat would get me. The first few miles went by ok. The splits weren't as fast as I had hoped. But the pace felt comfortable. It was a pace that I believed I could hang onto, and then speed up in the last 5k.

The first 5 miles were between 6:30-6:40 pace. Again, this was "just ok", but I still felt like I could close strong and end up in that 1:25-1:26 range. I hit the 10k mark in 41:15 (a new 10k PR).

My mom biked the course and met me at a few different spots. It was great to have her out there, and her support really helped. Towards the end of the race the #1 or #2 female passed out from the heat. My mom (a former nurse) was the first one to arrive and give her assistance.

The course is really nice- shaded, tree line streets, a few rolling hills and some beautiful homes. The small hills in the early part of the course didn't affect me much. But at mile 7 there's a sharp drop, and an insanely steep climb. Here's the elevation chart:

Between miles 7 and 10 I started to fade. It was at this point when I realized that the big PR wasn't going to happen. The heat was getting to me and my energy felt zapped. I was hanging with the 6th place female, but she was very strong pulled away from me. I was completely alone from mile 8 until the finish. I didn't get passed at all, and I picked off a few stragglers.

By mile 10 the wheels fell off. I was struggling badly, and had to force myself to keep moving. It was a total crash, and I had nothing left. I kept thinking about how good I felt at the end of Tel Aviv. I was shocked and frustrated by how much worse I felt today. There were moments when I asked myself "why am I doing all this training?" 

I felt like I had worked so hard since Tel Aviv, I should be much faster. It made me question my future in running and what I'm ultimately capable of. Now (12 hours later) I've accepted the fact that the heat affected me significantly, and that today's result is not indicative of my true fitness level. Although my confidence is still shaken.

Miles 11 and 12 were just miserable. 7:02 and 6:58. Not only was I physically exhausted, but I was also upset. At mile 12 my watch showed 1:21:xx. I may have been light headed, but I was coherent enough to understand that if I ran another 7min mile, I wouldn't even PR. I still had something to salvage!

I really gave it my all in the last mile. It wasn't much, but it was still a considerable push. I had to dig deep for it. The discomfort was searing, and I couldn't wait to be done. Usually when I finish races with a strong kick there's a certain thrill and exhilaration. But this felt different. There was a sense of urgency and desperation.

As I approached mile 13 I realized that I'd get the PR and I felt some relief. I still kicked as hard as I could to the finish and crossed the line with a 20 second PR. After crossing the line I collapsed to the ground and simply sat on my ass. I've never done this in a race and it may have been a bit overdramatic. But I truly had nothing left. I was only down for a few seconds and I got up with the assistance of a medic. I was handed an ice soaked towel. Putting the towel on my head/neck was so shockingly refreshing that it made me gasp for air. I was burning up, so I grabbed 3 more towels. I stumbled out of the finish area and reconnected with my family.

Mile 1- 6:32
Mile 2- 6:45
Mile 3- 6:40
Mile 4- 6:33
Mile 5- 6:42
Mile 6- 6:49
Mile 7- 6:30
Mile 8- 6:47
Mile 9- 6:43
Mile 10- 6:38
Mile 11- 7:02
Mile 12- 6:58
Mile 13- 6:32
.10- 0:48

FINISH- 1:28:05 (6:44 pace)

I spoke with a few friends who finished in the 1:15-1:20 range. They told me that everyone faded around mile 10. It made me feel better to know that it wasn't just me. I've quoted Josh Cox before, his rule is "If you set a PR you can't say anything bad about the race". This definitely applies here. It's just a tough pill to swallow when my expectations were so much higher.

During the race I was confused and frustrated. I questioned my training, my fitness level and my future in the sport. But I've been able to shake it off. I run very poorly in the heat and I haven't had a chance to get acclimated this season. At the end of the day I'm able to walk away and see this as a positive result. My family came out to support me, I caught up with some friends, and still managed to PR despite the conditions.

I will recover properly, and get after it.

Ravenswood 5k

My 5k PR was 19:02. I ran this in 2008 shortly before all my overtraining issues began. 19:02 is a number that has haunted me for a long time. It represented a fitness level that I thought I'd never reach again.

I was excited about this race and felt very confident that I'd PR. I was certain of it. The only question was by how much. I thought I had a chance of breaking 18.

I had followed the weather closely for the last few days and noticed that it would be windy. I hoped the forecast would change, but it didn't.

I've recently started training with the Track and Trough group here in Chicago. I met many of them for the first time at the race today. Great guys. We did a short warm up and lined up towards the front.

The course ran through a part of town called Ravenswood. It's a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood and it was a nice change of pace from the typical city race.

The first mile came out at 5:46. I was fatigued already and my breathing was labored. But overall the pace felt appropriate. It felt like a pace I could hold onto for the remainder of the race. And it would have put me just under 18:00.

I didn't notice much wind because the wind was coming from the East and the first 2 miles were South and West. The fatigue was in full swing, but I hung on as best I could in the 2nd mile. The 2nd mile is usually where I really struggle in a 5k. My splits for past 5ks usually go "fast, slow, fast". But despite the pain, I didn't feel the need to slow down. I attribute this to the mileage I've put in over the last few months.

Mile 2 came out to 5:51. Even though I slowed down a few seconds, I was pleased with this. I thought I had enough gas in the tank to pull a big negative split and get that sub 18. I'm always able to dig deep at the end. A strong last mile is my thing.

Shortly after mile 2 I turned East and I was blasted in the face by wind. Just nailed by it! I could tell that I had slowed dramatically. It was a steady stream of strong wind. I did my best to fight it, but I could tell the wind was taking its toll. It didn't help that I was breaking away from a pack of 5 guys and there was nobody ahead of me.

I spend most of mile 3 in no-man's land, fighting the wind by myself.

With a half mile remaining I pressed the pace as best as I could, but I couldn't really speed up that much. With such strong winds,  just being able to maintain my pace was an accomplishment. I did break away from that pack and I passed a few stragglers here and there. I didn't get passed in the last mile.

With a quarter mile to go I kicked as hard as I could, but it was hardly a kick at all. I was just trying to maintain and keep pressing forward. I knew I wasn't gonna break 18:00, but I still wanted to leave it all out there. I crossed the finish line completely exhausted and knew that I left it all out there.

Mile 1- 5:46
Mile 2- 5:51
Mile 3- 5:51
0.1- 0:40

FINISH- 18:10 (5:52 pace)



I PRed by almost a minute. A PR that has stood for 6 years. The wind got me pretty badly in the last mile, but Josh Cox says "No complaining when you PR". I like that rule.

For a local race this was a very competitive race. I finished in 37th place, and the top 15 guys were under 17 minutes.

Overall I'm very happy with today's result. I know I can do better, and I still think there's a lot of room for improvement. I haven't started speed training yet. The purpose of today's race was to get a measure of my 5k fitness off base training alone. I'm curious to see what I can run in the fall after a few months on the track.

Shamrock Shuffle 8k

My PR in the 8k was 33:55. I had hoped to run this race around 30min, but I did not expect to break it. My training has been going well over the last 4-5 months. I've gotten my mileage up to 50 miles/week, and my fitness has improved dramatically.

I showed up to the race with Sarah and Jason around 7:15am. We got there early to check our gear and do a warmup. I love this race because it has a big turnout and I get to catch up with people that I haven't seen in a long time.

Jason and I did a 1.5 mile warmup, some drills, some strides and got in corral A. I got as close to the front as possible, which ended up being very close for such a big race (30,000 finishers).

The horn sounded and I took off. The early pace was fast, but I felt comfortable. However, this comfort wouldn't last long. After only 4:00 minutes I started to feel the fatigue set in. I began to worry that the pace was too fast. This first mile came out to 6:07 and I thought "That mile hurt pretty badly, how am I gonna hang on for 4 more miles at this pace??"

The pace felt blistering, and I knew I should have slowed down. But I only eased off slightly. I tried to relax. It was so early in the race, but I could feel the tension building inside me. My stress level was high. In my head I repeated to myself "relax in the pack".  This actually seemed to help, and it eased the tension a bit. Mile 2 came out to 6:02 and this surprised me. I thought I had slowed down.

Mile 3 was more of the same... a constant inner-battle to convince myself that I was gonna be ok. Short races are so intense that the body red-lines and goes into "damage control mode". Alarm signals are firing to the brain telling your brain that it's in an emergency situation and serious damage will occur if you don't slow down.

This is where the mental aspect comes into play. Despite the fact that my body is SCREAMING at me to slow down, can I convince myself that I will be ok if I don't slow down?

With 3 miles down and 2 remaining, I knew that I could finish strong and that I was in the midst of a great race. The pain level was high, but I felt strong and confident. I slowly started to push the pace. There were many "sub-elites" and competitive teams at this race. For the first time in my life I was up there with them, even passing a few of them. It felt good.

Mile 4 came out to 6:00, I told myself "It's on!". I began the real push. And it was a good one. I don't know where it came from because I was hurting pretty badly for most of the race. But despite the searing pain, I kept digging harder. I know I've talked about it before, but that feeling of crushing the last mile is something very special.

Remembering my earlier splits of 6:07 and 6:10, I had given up on the idea of sub-30. I needed to go under 5:40 for the last mile, and I didn't think I could do that.

But as I turned the corner the finish line came into view with a quarter mile to go.  I was shocked to see that I still had a chance to break 30:00. I kicked with everything I had, and I was able to get in under 30.

After crossing the finish line I bent over the side railing to cough, pant, spit and catch my breath. I may have looked like hell, but I was thrilled.


Mile 1- 6:07
Mile 2- 6:02
Mile 3- 6:10
Mile 4- 6:00
0.97- 5:35

FINISH- 29:56 (6:02 pace)

Last year I ran this race in 35:00. I'm happy and excited with where my fitness is at right now. The overtraining issues are a distant memory.

The Shamrock Shuffle signifies the start of racing season in Chicago. And I suspect that 2014 will be a big year.

Tel Aviv Half Marathon

My excitement leading into this trip was off the charts. It turned out to be everything I could have hoped for. I had quality bonding time with friends and family. I got to explore my beloved homeland. And I ran the best race of my life. The trip could not have been more perfect. 

After spending my first 3 days enjoying Tel Aviv and Ra'anana, it was time to race. I stayed overnight at my friend Shanna's place. We woke up early and rode bikes to the race. When we arrived at the race I couldn't stop smiling. It was just like every other large race I've attended. Except this time I was surrounded by thousands of my people. 

Listening to the announcer speak in Hebrew was a constant reminder that this was special. I've run many races, but this was my first race overseas. It was fascinating to see the sport of running transcend cultures. 

I had two goals for this race. One goal was reasonable. It was a "safe bet". That goal was to set a new PR (1:33). 

The other goal was a big stretch. I felt like my chances were very slim. But I wanted to break 1:30. 

The horn sounded and off we went. I settled into a pace where I was 10 feet ahead of the 1:30 pace team. I felt comfortable ahead of them but it was still too fast. So after 1 mile I slowed down and I tucked into the back of the 1:30 pace group. There were 15 people running with the 1:30 pack, and the pack leader was carrying a bright red balloon.

We were holding 6:50 pace, but it felt fast and at mile 3 I was already a bit tired. I slowed down slightly and the pace group gradually distanced themselves from me. It was frustrating to see my goal time of 1:30 slip away.  The gap widened between the balloon and me. But I tried hard to keep it in my sights. 

At mile 4 I got a nice 2nd wind. There was a downhill just as we approached the Mediterranean ocean. The view was one I had seen 100 times. But the familiar setting seemed special this time. I was transfixed on the beach and the ocean. The calm waves eased my discomfort of running. I could feel the salty sea air on my skin. 

I tried to hang on to a 6:50-6:55 pace, but the red balloon kept getting further away. It was so small at one point, maybe a half mile ahead of me. I could barely see the balloon and reaching it seemed completely unattainable. 

Meanwhile I just tried to hang on and enjoy the course. It was a thrill to be running through the streets of Tel Aviv. Despite the significant discomfort I was feeling I tried to appreciate the surroundings. Hearing people cheer in Hebrew never got old.

By mile 8 the discomfort was intense. But I knew I had enough gas in the tank for a strong finish. I started to very gradually pick up the pace. I moved from 6:55 to 6:50 pace. Still keeping my eye on the balloon in the distance. 

The balloon represented sub 1:30, but it was still so far away that I didn't think I could catch it. I told myself in consolation, "at least I'll hit my back up goal and get that PR".

At mile 10 I was ready to make a real move. I stepped on the gas and I was surprised that I had an extra gear so late in the race. Mile 11 came out to 6:40. The fatigue was intense. And I was hurting badly. But with only 2 miles remaining, I was ready to face anything thrown at me. 

More importantly, catching the red balloon suddenly became realistic. 

At mile 12 I surged hard. I just kept closing the gap with the balloon. The pain was bad, but the thrill of a strong finish silenced that pain. Mile 12 came out to 6:24 and the balloon was now within striking distance. Maybe 50 meters away. 

With 1 mile to go I was ready to give it everything I had left. My legs and lungs were screaming, but that red balloon was the only thing that mattered. I was intently focused on it, and I noticed little else. 

With a quarter mile to go I finally reached the man holding the balloon. Between gasps I said in Hebrew "I caught you!" Not very clever, but my brain was experiencing serious oxygen debt. 

I knew 1:30 was in the bag and I kicked with everything I had for the last quarter mile. I crossed the finish line and was thrilled when my watched showed 1:28:24. 

I bent over and clutched my knees, the "runner's prayer" pose. But before I could catch my breath, I heard someone calling my name. It was my Uncle Barry and cousin Yael from behind the fence. I walked to the fence and spoke with them while trying to hide my exhaustion.

Afterward we walked around the post-race area for a while. It was great to reconnect with friends and family who came out to support me. 

Mile 1- 6:53

Mile 2- 6:49

Mile 3- 6:47

Mile 4- 6:44

Mile 5- 6:58

Mile 6- 6:54

Mile 7- 6:32 

Mile 8- 6:44

Mile 9- 6:48

Mile 10- 6:51

Mile 11- 6:40

Mile 12- 6:23

Mile 13- 6:08

0.1- 1:09

FINISH- 1:28:24 (6:44 pace)

This wasn't like some of my past races where I held back early so I could finish fast. This time I came out with guns blazing. There were moments during the early and middle miles that I was unsure if I could hang on. 

I've been battling an absolutely brutal winter- running outside every day despite extreme cold, snow and wind. I've had doubt and uncertainty about my training and about how much I was improving. This race felt like the payoff for countless hours spent combating the elements before the sun came up. 

I am so grateful for the support and encouragement of all those around me. I couldn't do this otherwise. I'm happy with the result of this race, but I will continue to work hard. Hopefully this is just the beginning.

New Years Day 5k

I was really hoping to PR and break 19:00. I know I'm in shape to do it. But it snowed 5-6 inches overnight, so I had no chance.

I ran hard for the first mile, but I was only able to come up with 7:03. It was exhausting and impossible with the snow. So I just jogged it in for the next 2 miles.

Mile 1- 7:03
Mile 2- 7:50
Mile 3- 7:43
0.1- 1:00
FINISH- 23:37 (7:33)

It was frustrating and I'm let down that I didn't get to start the year with a PR. But I made the best of it, and still managed to have a great time with Sarah. She's a good race buddy.