My first marathon

Prior to the race
After years of various running misfortune, the thought of actually running a marathon was starting to slip away.  For Boston 2005 I received complimentary entry,unfortunately my result was a DNS due to injury).  Fast forward to Hartford 2014, I was registered and hoping to run but landed another DNS due to injury.  Get the picture here?  Marathons just aren't my thing.  I'd always tell people that I thought I had the endurance, but I did not have the ability to train long distance.

As the beginning of 2016 approached, I set out a goal to help Shara train for Boston.  I knew training for a marathon can be lonely, especially on those winter long runs.  As each week approached, I wondered if one of those injuries was going to pop up.  The training formula Shara and I put together was simple..a weekly workout (nothing too heavy or fast), the long run, a core (off) day, and lots of medium regular paced runs mixed into it.  Once Shara started to taper for Boston, the thought of running the Providence Marathon became a reality.  All I had to do is train for a couple of more weeks and stay healthy.  Cautious for the fear of getting burnt by another injury, I didn't register for Providence until a week before.  My goals were simple: A. Finish and not get injured, B. Run a BQ, and C. Run Sub 3.

Race day 
At about 5 in the morning, Shara and I headed up to Providence for my big race.  Driving up I just tried to relax and wondered what would happen after the 20 mile mark.  My game plan was simple-run safe.  Don't bite off more than you can chew and running a marathon can be a very humbling experience.  After waiting in the car to stay warm, we met up with my parents and hung out at the starting line.  Prior to the race I hung out with Jeff Vuono (running marathon #41), Shara, and my parents.  Race organizers played the national anthem, we lined up and Thunderstruck by ACDC came on.  I was loving it.

First half
I couldn't believe but the first mile of the race felt like a track meet.  Lots of people shot off the starting line and jockeyed for position.  I just tried to settle in and let the race come to me.  My goal was just to run along and get in a groove..anywhere from 6:35 to 6:45 pace.  I found a small pack to run near at about mile 3.  Two Northeastern runners and a red headed dude.  Running right through 10 miles with these guys, I was amazed to never see the Northeastern kids take on nutrition.  The red headed dude, who let me know he was trying to run sub 2:55, was taking gu every few miles and seemed to play it smart.  As for me, I drank when I felt like it and took a gummy every 4 miles.   As I ran through the first half of the course, here are some events that took place:

-Between mile 5 & 6, I was surprised to see BLS on her bike and cheering me on.  Climbing one of the early hills on the course, it was a big boost for me to see her friendly face.

-As we were running towards Bullocks Point in East Providence an army of fire trucks were racing to a scene of some emergency.  It seemed like engines kept coming out of nowhere for 10 minutes

-The Bullocks Point loop was enjoyable.  However, there was one turn around that was not well marked.  I approached one runner who had been ahead of me the whole time and listened to him drop major F bombs about the course.  In less than a minute, this runner was in the rear view mirror.  He still sounded ripped.

-I kept reminding myself that I wasn't racing anybody except myself.  You can't run a marathon on guts, you have to use your brain.  Enjoy the moment.

-I saw Shara and my parents at Mile 12..another huge lift.

-The red headed dude and I hit the halfway point in 1:25.  We both were pumped about it but knew there was work ahead.

Splits through 13.1
6:28,  6:30, 6:35, 6:22, 6:34, 6:33, 6:29, 6:21, 6:28, 6:28, 6:22, 6:29, 6:30-1:25 through 13.1

Hi Beth!

The Second Half
While I was very happy with the condition I was in at 13.1, I knew the real race was ahead of me.  I was really hoping to work with the red headed dude as long as I could.   We could help each other out and pull one another along.  I started to communicate with him more to articulate my intentions of working with him.  I still didn't mention a time goal-just that we were cruising at a good pace and should work together.  I saw Shara and my parents again and was feeling great at mile 15.  Unfortunately my partnership with the red headed dude didn't last as long as I'd hoped.  After 15, he started to drop back.  I slowed for a short bit and encouraged him to "hop on my back."  He wasn't able to do it and I made the decision to go.

With about 10 miles to go, I was feeling great but thinking about hitting the wall.  Anything beyond 20 miles was unknown territory for me and I didn't exactly do workouts to mimic late race fatigue.  I worked on and kept focus.  At mile 18, I was very pleasantly surprised to see my friends Jeff & Jana Walker.  Upon seeing them, I thought about how thoughtful it was for them to take time out of their weekend to see me run.  This was another huge lift and I continued to feel great.

Mile 18. Thrilled to see the Gazelle's. 

Shortly after seeing Jeff & Jana (around mile 20 to be exact), I was starting to feel it. I saw BLS again and she offered me encouraged as I raced on.  There were some tough hills in the mix at this point and I could feel my body weaken.  "Don't let up," I kept telling myself.  I did not want to give in to the wall.  Once again, I saw Jeff & Jana and despite not feeling well at all, I was still really happy to see them.  Jeff coached me up a bit. I just tried to settle into a sustainable pace.  Crossing back into the city, all I could think about was the finish.  My body was trashed.  I was now crossed up with half marathoners and not enjoying zig zagging around runners as I tried to work towards the finish line.  As I approached those last few miles, I knew I had finishing the race in the bag.  I was still unsure what my body was going to do but knew that finishing under 3 was quite realistic.  I tried to take in the last mile as much as possible and crossed the finish in 2:52:22 (6:34/mile) and good for 10th place overall.

Coach Walker..trying to bail out his buddy

Enter the pain cave.  Smile gone

2nd half splits
6:31, 6:27, 6:19, 6:20, 6:22, 6:29, 6:23, 6:41, 6:42, 6:53, 7:12, 7:08, 7:03, .2 (7:00 pace)

I was immediately pretty satisfied with my time when I finished.  Feeling tired and tight, I gave some quick thought to my race strategy and all of the supporters who helped me along the way.  From training runs, to well wishes, to showing up on race day to cheer me on, I really appreciate the support.  For me, the race was a team effort and I have many to thank for it.  Some people I have to thank-my parents, the Walker's, BLS, Jeff Vuono, Mikey B, and Jeff Duda.

*Please note: Race day was also Shara's Birthday.  I am especially thankful for all of her support and for giving me the motivation to get to the starting line.

My 1st, his 40th. Humbling.

Happy Birthday Shara!

Thanks Mom & Dad. I did it!

Post race aspirations
I want to run more marathons...When?  I'm not sure.  I'm still skeptical of getting hurt and am trying to play it smart.  A month out from the race, I'm still not locked into jumping back into a semi-hard training cycle for any type of race.  Time will tell.

2015 Wrap-Up & 2016 Goals

2015 Wrap-Up

The Stats
Strava Run Miles: 1132 {probably ran another 100  or so miles off the grid}
Strava Bike Miles: 1375 {counts for most of miles, just not racing}
Swim length: unsure
Road races: 13
Trail races: 1
Beach race: 1
Triathlons: 5 with one DNF
Adventure Race: 1
Total races: 21
Years in the game: 21

What was unique about 2015?

• Ran in Cancun, Mexico
• Ran over the Jamestown Bridge
• Competed in Newport and Providence for the first time
• I rode 100 consecutive miles for the first time
• Competed in most triathlons ever in one season. * I don't expect/plan on doing the same in 2016
• Proudest accomplishments of 2016: high overall TRI placing at BI & OCY
• Competed for fun in first Adventure Race-BoldRDash

Bottom 3 Performances of 2015

1. Battle of Stonington 5k

2. Boca 10k

3. Run for the Pumpkins Trail Race {although I didn't really try to hammer}

Top 3 Performances of 2015

1. OCY Tri

2. BI Tri

3. Monster Dash 5k

Best Move of the Year

Marrying Shara

Goal Assessment

Looking back at the start of 2015, I didn't even really set goals for the year.  I think the main reason was on-going injuries and minimal running.  In February I did set the Tommy 5k Challenge (Sub 17 5k and bench press 225 lbs within a week of one another).  Goal status: FAIL.  I never really stuck to any kind of lifting regime and the best 5k of the year was 17:09.  Honestly, I kind of forgot about the goal.

Running Overview

Most of the year did not go well for me.  Lingering knee soreness (runner's knee) prevented me from getting any consistent training pattern together.  Prior to my wedding, I almost completely shut it down because I did not want to be limping around.  As TRI season concluded, I was able to incorporate more running and strengthening to my routine.  I did not achieve any good running times in 2015 but I ended the year on a high note by running some 40 mile weeks.  

My PRs {for perspective on why I get so down on my running}

5k: 15:45 track-Springfield College Invite, 2001, 16:05 road, Charlestown FOP 5k, 2005.  I think I ran a 16:02 once but can't find the official result

5 miles: 26:10, Ollie Road Race, 2005

6 Miles: 31:45, Talking Turkey 2006

10k: 33:42, Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10k, 2002

10 miles: 56:05, Blessing of the Fleet, 2003. * Haven't ran this race since '04.

1/2 Marathon: 1:14:48, Oleksak Lumber Half, 2005

Which leads to Goals 2016...

General-run healthy, compete to the best of my ability, have fun, train with Shara/Dogs/WTAC buds, and keep it fresh.

Specific:

-5k: A goal-get back to a 16:45 5k, B goal-Sub 17

-5 mile: Sub 29 minutes

-10k: Sub 36 minutes

-Compete and maintain Top 5 finishes at BI & OCY Tris

-Help Shara train for Boston

-Swim at least once a week/track swim distance

-Run one speed workout a week even if short

-Continue to do core exercises to prevent injuries

-Get on the bike come spring

-Run the Blessing (must be sub 60 for me to be happy)

-Run in another country

Almost go time at the Rhode Warrior Olympic

Pre-wedding splash and dash.  Thanks guys for coming out.

Monster Dash 5k

WTAC Pumpkins Trail 5k. Yes, this is proof that I did run at least one trail in 2015

OCY TRI

Christmas 10k

Newport Christmas 10k
December 13, 2015
36:00, 6th
Results

In a continued theme of running races I've always wanted to do this fall, add the Newport Christmas 10k to the list.  Here's why I've always wanted to run this one:
1. The distance and team competition. 10ks are rare these days and it's a great racing distance to test your fitness.
2. Venue.  The course runs a long some beautiful areas of Newport that I often visited as a kid while on vacation (Fort Adams, Ocean Drive, Brenton Point).
3. The season.  I'm a sucker for holiday races..
4. The Brick Alley Pub.  One of my favorite restaurants in Newport.  Regardless of the race outcome, it would be fun to hang with my WTAC teammates afterwards.

Pre-race
Warmed up with Shara prior to the race and hung out with WTAC mates, Mikey B and Gazelle. Temperatures were unseasonably warm so I opted to run in a singlet. My goal/hope on the day was to run sub 36:00 minutes.  While getting ready to line up at the start, this guy was looking at me funny so I wished him good luck.  He then asked me if I ran for Westfield State and if my name was Tommy.  Sure enough, it was Marc LeBlanc, a very solid runner and old frenemy, I ran against who attended the University of Southern Maine.  We quickly exchanged some pleasantries and he told he remembers many of the epic battles we had back in the day.

First 5k
The gun went of without anyone really being ready for it.  I established a steady pace and quickly settled in behind Turtle, Dave Principe.  The pace was comfortably hard and I didn't want to blast out and pay for it on the back of the course.  I tried to make a few moves on Principe but he countered every one of them.  Other trying to establish a solid pace and enjoying the scenery, the first 5k was smooth and uneventful.  I believe my splits were 5:36, 5:40, and 5:42.

Second 5k
As soon as I hit the 5k course, I felt like the race needed to end.  After all, my nickname is Tommy 5k.  I found the second half of the race to be a struggle.  There were some small hills to battle and wind off the ocean (Note: it could have been much worse) to battle.  It felt like Principe was pulling further and further away and my splits were slowing down.  Instead of being the hunter, I felt like I was being hunted.  Instead of fixating on who was behind me, I focused on trying to keep pace to still be able to break 36.  It would definitely be a close one.. I think my second 5k splits were 5:57, 6:07, and 5:55.  After finally ducking out of the wind, I was closing in on the last mile of the course. Unfortunately, I didn't have any gas left in the tank.  Strugglefest.  Pushing up the final hill by Rogers High School, I tried to keep running hard to push through the finish.  I crossed the line in 36:00...close but didn't meet my time goal.

Post-race
-I ran into LeBlanc again and found out he won the race in 34:30.  Nice job!
-The Gazelle finished strong and won the Senior Division in 36:50.  The guys is amazing.
-Shara ran a huge PR of 38:14 to win the women's race and place 9th overall.  She ran a 4 minute PR.  Amazing.
-Nice to see Mikey B. back in the game and racing after a fall filled with injurt.
-A bunch of us WTACers ran BLS up the hill to the finish.  She must have been so irritated with us.
-A large WTAC turnout for lunch at the Brick Alley Pub to conclude a great day in Newport.
-I was really happy for Shara and did not want to sulk and complain about my time to her.  The race was a nice test of fitness and a fun day.  Hopefully I'll keep getting better-consistency is the key.

Mr. & Mrs. Shara
(Photo courtesy of someone in the parking lot)

Shara and three fools
(Photo courtesy of Shara)

Team WTAC..minus a few. Fun day.
(Photo courtesy of Jana)

Pie Run Recap

Newport Pie Run 5 miler
November 26, 2015
Results
29:32

To add to my fall list of races and endurance events that I've always wanted to do, add the Newport Pie Run 5 miler to the list.  Here's why:

1. I love the idea of any Thanksgiving race.  It's a great opportunity to  celebrate being "thankful" for running, fire up some competitive juices, and burning some calories before indulging in a great meal with family.

2. The opportunity to run a race in Newport.  After vacationing and/or living in Rhode Island my entire life, I've never race in one of the coolest areas of the state.

3. I haven't run a Thanksgiving Day Race since 1996. Wilbraham Turkey Trot with my brother.

Back to my report--
Leading up the race, things weren't going well.  I had a really bad cold the week before the race and was still feeling major fatigue and remnants of congestion.  Prior to the race, I told myself just to relax, keep an open mind, and see what happens.  Shara and I warmed up for about a mile running into the wind.  Many notable local runners were on the line as we waited for the gun.

1st half of the race
As the gun went off, I was able to get a solid start before settling in.  Like any big race, there were a ton of runners who flew out.  I didn't really know the course well but could already tell wind would be a serious factor.  Within a half mile of the race, I settled in behind former RI runner, Zac Kudlak, who I had met racing in 2006 when I used to visit my family on weekends.   I sat behind Zac for a short period of time as he negotiated through the wind and decided it was time for me to do some of the work.  I told Zac to tuck in behind me and I'd carry us for a while {I remember him being a nice guy}.  Zac appreciated the gesture and let me know that we would get a break once we turned later on down the road.  Once the turn arrived, the wind did in fact let up for a bit and Zac and Kaela O'Neil pulled away from me.  I reminded myself to keep an open mind but I really wasn't feeling strong. Now running on Sachusett Point Road, I carried on.  As I ran towards the turnaround, the leaders started to run by in the opposite direction and split my attention between the two runners not too far ahead of me and the elites, who looked like they battling the wind after the turnaround.  "Oh boy, something to look forward to," I thought to myself.

2nd half of the race
At the turnaround at 2.7 miles, I could now see the runners who were behind me.  My immediate thought was this would give me the opportunity to see who was hunting me and how strong they looked.  At about 30 seconds back, there looked to be a small pack of dudes running together. Luckily, none of the them looked really strong.  Facing the wind, I continued to carry on as I approached the "monster" hill of the day {Jonny warned me about this hill when we talked last week}.  Looking at the hill, it looked manageable.  Add the fact that the hill was fairly steep,  it carried on for awhile, and the wind was blasting, it turned out to be down right brutal.  Once I crested the top of the hill, I was welcomed by the 4 mile marker.  While I was pretty tired, I did feel a big of a recharge as the course was now on a slight downhill and the wind wasn't as bad.  I crossed the line with no one around in 29:32*.

*Results list a runner finishing 2 seconds ahead of me..not sure how this came about, can only guess he finished behind me but started further back (chip time).

Post race thoughts
-Shara ran another great race and finished as the 4th female, 30th overall in 31:24.
-Disappointing performance-I wanted to run sub 29 but can't say I'm completely shocked considering how I was feeling leading up to the race.
-Splits: 5:39, 5:52 (wind), 5:46,  6:18 (wind & hill-very poor), 5:32
-Would I do this race again? Absolutely.  I didn't run well and don't love the course but liked the atmosphere, early start time, and competition.  Shara enjoyed it as well.
-Still fixated on my 2015 running funk.  I'm concerned about a drop off in performance but consistency is the key.  Prior to September, I had a poor year of injuries and running.  I just need to stay healthy, consistent, and have fun.
-I'm thankful my wife enjoys this kind of stuff, allows me to do it, and runs herself.

Thanks Shara!

Avondale 5k

Avondale 5k

November 8, 2015

17:23, 1st

Results

This happened to be the 4th installment of the Westerly Land Trust's Setting the Pace for Conservation 5k.  Due to injury I was unable to compete in 2014 and was looking forward to this race because it was close to home and I like the course.  Despite the fact that I don't run too many trails, I do admire the efforts of this group around town with land conservation and an affinity for preserving nature.  After a recent decent performance at the Monster Dash 5k, I had higher expectations for myself than I had originally planned out.  Ideally, I wanted to crack 17 and if I could not crack 17, I wanted to run better than 17:09 (my time at that race).  The morning was a bit chilly and windy but we had overall good conditions to run.  I warmed up for about two miles with Shara and Gazelle before getting into racing gear and heading to the starting line.   Shara had also been really strong and came pretty close to cracking 19 at the Monster Dash so I expected a big day for her.

The Race

The gun went quickly went off and I was able to start strong off the line.  My main competition for the day would be Gazelle and Jeff Duda.  {Matthew, glad you were still in season for this race.  We wouldn't have provided you any competition anyway}.  As we started out, Gazelle and I encouraged Duda to dig in with us.  Jeff tucked in right behind me and I could tell he was running strong and aggressively.  I joked with him and Duda that I could see how it is and that I'd do all the work for them!  Gazelle and I headed out of the preserve and I felt like we were really pushing.  Not being sure of our first mile split, I was running based off effort and competition but man did it feel like we were running fast.  Turning off Watch Hill Road and onto Avondale Road we were struck with a strong headwind that felt like it really slowed things down.  By the time we turned onto Champlin Drive, I was gassed but happy for a reprieve from the wind.  Feeling tired and slow, the Gazelle was riding me like a dog on a meat truck.  I was officially running scared.  He passed me right before the cul-de-sack turn and I thought it was over.  Somehow I was able to pull back up to Jeff and just wanted to stay as close to him as I could.  Eventually I was able to pass the Iron Gazelle again but I was cautious about trying to run much harder as I wasn't sure if he'd strike back.  By the time we made it back into the preserve, I hoped to have a little lead on him.  I didn't want to be running neck and neck with not much to go.  I ended up crossing the line in 17:23 and the Gazelle crossed in 17:32 (an impressive run and new PR). Duda crossed in 18:07 in 3rd and not long after Shara came through in a big PR at 18:44, which was good 1st female and 4th overall.

I was happy to take the overall win and hold off Jeff.  I didn't end up meeting my time goals and left disappointed in my time because it was about 40 seconds slower than two years ago.  Big congrats to Shara and Gazelle on their PRs!

Monster Dash 5k

October 25, 2015
Providence Monster Dash
Results 17:09, 3rd

Halloween happens to be one of my favorite holidays.  Ever since being a little kid, I've loved the fun this holiday brings and enjoy throwing on a goofy costume and having some good laughs.  With the Charlestown Halloween Hustle 5k ending, the opportunity to participate in another halloween type pace really appealed to me.  Add into the mix that I've always wanted to run a road race in Providence and here we have the Providence Monster Dash 5k.  I even convinced Shara, who is not a fan of costumes, masks, or dressing up, to join me for the race and run in a matching Batman/Batwoman get up with me.

Upon arrival to the race, we checked in to grab our race numbers at the Wild Colonial Tavern and then headed out on a warmup.  I wanted to warmup a little longer than normal (approximately 2 miles) so my knee would feel good for the start.  We watched the kids race and then headed to the starting line.  While lining up I came across strong RI runner, Steve Brightman.  Steve and I greeted each other and he asked me if I was going to run sub 17.  I said that would be great, but not to count on me as my fitness wasn't that great.  I mentioned the goal of finishing under 17:30 was most reasonable for me.

The gun went off and we shot off.  Brightman was dressed as Steve Prefontaine and he did a great job impersonating him by taking a strong lead right off the gun.  As Steve ran in 1st, I had a couple of other dudes to battle with.  I kept my eye on Steve but also reminded myself to run my own race. Shortly after a mile, we entered the RIPTA tunnel, which was pitch black and filled with spooky characters who jumped out at runners as we ran by.  While I thoroughly enjoyed the theme and antics of these characters, the scariest thing I came across in the tunnel was the incline.  We kept climbing and climbing.  By the time I came out of the tunnel, I felt gassed.  I guess this is the payment I get for running beach roads.  We ran back down the tunnel and I was in recovery mode.  Leaving the tunnel, I got passed by a young dude without a costume who was wearing real deal racing garb.  He looked pretty strong and I wasn't sure if he was going after Brightman next, who was not too far off.  I still felt like I was running a decent race and wanted to finish strong.  I came across the line in 17:09 in 3rd place overall. While I would have loved to crack 17, I was still pleasantly surprised by my time. Not outstanding but a step in the right direction.

Shara crossed the line as the 1st female in 19:04.  A new PR and a very strong race.  We both enjoyed racing in Providence and the atmosphere.  One of the most enjoyable parts of my race was hearing spectators, "Go, Batman."

BoldrDash & Pumpkins

After a long season of trying to prepare and race triathlons, I was really excited to do a couple of low stakes races just for run.  Shara and I have always talked about doing an adventure race and the stars aligned this year for us to give BoldRDash a shot.  We agreed to do the race together and appreciated how close the race is to home (Note: Most Tough Mudders are in other states).  The second race we'd be doing would take place Columbus Day Weekend and it was a WTAC race.  The Run for the Pumpkins 5k was changing venues to Bradford Preserve and would be a trail run.  I'm truly a horrible trail runner but actually like running trails and felt like I needed to support the club and Jeff on this one.  My only expectations for both races was simply to have fun and not get hurt.

BoldrDash- 4 mile obstacle race.
October 3, 2015
57:33, 14th and 15th/804
Results
Some of the obstacles

We started off in the "elite" heat of the BoldRDash.  Having never done one of these races before, I certainly did not consider myself an elite.  The weather for the race was windy and cold, but knowing we would be running up and down the hills and working through obstacles, I actually welcomes the conditions.  I found some of the obstacles to be really challenging (i.e. some of the rope climbs were difficult with balance).  Other obstacles were just fun..jumping around in a potato sack, carrying rocks up and down hills. monkey bars, etc.  There were a ton of mud pits, single track trails, and even a couple of streams to run through.  I simply hung with Shara (1st Overall Female on the day) and enjoyed the atmosphere.  Loved the finish: crawling through a watery mud pit under ropes.  Neither of us felt really tired aerobically but other body areas were sore from all of the lifting.  Post race: changed up quickly and grabbed my complimentary beverage.

The big question I received after this race was, "Would you do it again?"  My answer is absolutely.  I found the event to definitely be a physical challenge and it was fun.  It's clearly different than any regular race I've ever done.  Would I ever take one of these races really serious?  Probably not.  I do think there is high potential for injury in these events if you are careless.

Post BoldrDash..dissapointed that we didn't have more mud on us

Run for the Pumpkins Trail 5k
October 10, 2015
21:58, 6th/111 (My slowest 5k..ever!)
Results

The Run for the Pumpkins race has existed in Westerly for quite some time.  It used to be solely organized by the Town of Westerly's Recreation Department and over the past few years the race has really been organized by the WTAC.  Prior to this year, I had never run the race and it was a road 5k. For one reason or another, the Pumpkins never fit into my schedule until this year.  Funny thing is, the race now involved trail running.   With all of Jeff's personal efforts to re-organize this year and make it happen, I felt like I had to support it--no matter how bad of a trail runner I am.

While I did not expect a good performance at this race and was simply "running" it, I really enjoyed the fall atmosphere.  My Mom and Dad came to spectate and mentioned to me that the venue  reminded them of my high school and college cross country days.  I totally shared their sentiment.  As for the race, it was my goal to try to stay out of the way.  I knew Matthew, Justin, Jonny, and Jeff would be up there and battling it out in the race.  After about a mile of the race, I was completely out of contention and out for a fall run.  Overall, I really enjoyed the course because it wasn't crazy technical and it was fun.  Shara pulled off another strong win in the women's race and the WTAC boys front loaded the top spots.  Congrats to Matthew on the win, Justin (3), Jonny (4), Jeff (5), and the club on a great new event.

The Gazelle and me

Shara for the win!  This pumpkin sits on my steps