Rock N' Roll USA aka DC Marathon Race Report

Rock N’ Roll USA Marathon- Mile by mile break down…

My Coach Sarah

I’ve been waiting, and training very hard for this race.  We arrived early and experience nearly non-existent traffic, especially for a race that had over 24,000 runners!

Pastor Todd Marple

I had my choice of corrals, and was strategizing on whether I should run in the back of corral 1 or go in the front of #2.  I choose the later and found a good friend in the front of corral2 Cathy Ross who'd run an AWESOME 3:21 on the day.  Congrats Cathy!!!

The first 13.1 miles you run around all the momunents…excellent, exciting, almost surreal…I really didn’t embrace the beauty of this like I should have.  I didn’t even notice the capital until my return trip.  Crazy…I was focused, maybe a bit too focused!

There they go!!! The start of a long day...

1  -   7:19  - I got caught up in the excitement…mistake #1! My watch wasn’t set on the right option so it wasn’t showing me my average mile time, I fiddled with it a little but wasn’t worried because I felt great! Mistake #2.

2  -   7:01 – Felt great caught corral 1…keep pushing forward Mistake #3.

3  -   6:48  - Slight downhill – Ran way to fast should have reserved the energy. Mistake #4

4  -   7:05 – Miles 3.75 – 7.35 was all uphill.  200ft elevation gain and I continued to run faster then my goal pace MISTAKE #5!

5  -   7:36  - At mile five I knew I was running too fast, I kept looking at my watch and I was somewhere in the neighborhood of  7:05 pace…I KNEW already.  I also believe this is when some of the negative self-defeating thoughts starting sneaking in (Mistake #6…”You can’t keep up this pace for 26.2 miles”! So I told myself real in the pace a bit…slow it down, you have a long way to go…

Thinking about Dad!

6  -   7:14  - again this is a completely uphill, VERY STEEP mile, I RAN IT WAY TO FAST…in reality this mile should have been run closer to 8 minutes…I had just told myself slow it down, but this incredibly steep hill I ran in 30 seconds faster then what I should have! Mistake #7!!!

7  -    7:36 – The next three miles are all downhill, I coasted, but was already pretty invested after pushing too fast up those hills.  I did sit back and enjoy these miles, I felt amazing, but I am still running too fast! Mistake #8! 

8  -    7:21 – Just coasting

9  -    7:13  - Too fast, but very surreal mile for me here…as I turn the corner around 9.35 the capital is right there.  Beautiful.  I can’t help but think about how much my Dad would love seeing this…Very enjoyable mile!

10-   7:11 – UPHILL mile???  What? Why am I pushing so hard up the hills? Mistake #9 but at this point I am thinking this is going to be the race of all races!  I am starting to get excited because I know I am going to see my wife soon at or around mile 12.

Feeling Great!

11-   7:28 – Ran into a friend almost literally here Jon Chevalley…it was great seeing Jon, I can’t really remember the last time I saw him!  I couldn’t help but chuckle as I remembered funny times together on our trip to Cali!

12-   7:38 – all up hill, actually one of my better miles of the race!  Maybe the smartest mile of the entire race!?!?!  Plus a huge pick me up because at 12.5 I got to see my coach, biggest supporter, and wife Sarah!  That ALWAYS is a major boost!!!  I want to publically say here, I couldn’t accomplish any of these miles without her love and support.

Cathy Ran a SUPERB race!

13-   7:31 - I was wondering how awesome this race could have been if I had just run the half…would it have been  my first sub 1:30? Lots of questions on this mile…

Half Split 1:36 SHOULD HAVE BEEN 1:40  Biggest mistake of the day!  Don’t underestimate those 4 minutes!

14-   7:27 - The déjà vu mile…exact same mile as mile #1! 8 seconds slower this time…but it felt great!

15-   7:00 – Heading down to the water front, I remembered last year at this point, and said this is the best I have EVER felt at this point…looks to me like instead of doing what I know to do, “if you feel good, don’t pick it up” I did the opposite?  2^nd fastest mile of the race…Mistake #?  I also started thinking of how much pain I was in the last year, & so the demons in the head start.  They say you can’t race another marathon until you’ve forgotten your last…I think I now know what they mean!

16-   7:42 – I enjoyed this mile…some of my favorite songs came on the ipod. Our God is Alive by Andy Cherry & Changed Forever by Toby Mac, last week I bought this song for my girls and it made me think so much about them and how much our lives have changed for the better over the past five years!  I think this was my favorite mile of the entire race…including mile 26!

17-   7:45  - Beautiful mile, my body is starting to question my head…at this point I began to know I was going to be in for a fight.

18-   7:53 – I see the bridge…I remember the bridge

19-   8:00  - 18-19  Running the bridge is tricky, the metal grates are not easy to navigate but I remember thinking, wow lots better then last year, I am still thinking I can push through at this point!

20-   8:17 – long boring mile, gotta make a decision you only have 10k left after this…climb it…climb it!

21-   8:43  - Man I am stupid!

22-   9:24  - ALL UPHILL FROM 22 – 26 and don’t be fooled these hills are beasts!

23-   9:48 – You can still PR…voices in the head, it’s ok to walk…ALL my energy is gone, the only other time I felt this way was during my first half-ironman!

24- 10:35  - I am done!  I walk run the next two miles and am incredibly disappointed in myself, my performance, and the outcome.

25- 10:48 -  Who cares if you run a Sub 3:30 at this point…

26-   9:43 – decent mile, I ran it, or maybe it SHOULD be called JOGGED it!

Between 26 – 26.2 I started to cramp for the first time…Felt like everything was going to seize up, but it made me run that much harder, the crowd went nuts which was the first time this ever happened to me at the finish.

Finish 3:31:48, 281st overall…

One of the coolest things happened as we were leaving Switchfoot is playing…my wife is by my side.  I am disappointed and discouraged, but I am reflecting on the journey, not just the performance. I remember my past, I remember the physical struggles it was to just run a mile 5 years ago…I think of my kids…I think of my life and they sing the words, “This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be”  I thanked God at that moment because my answer to both was YES!!!  In the face of discouragement, and disappointment, it was one of the most satisfying moments of my life…

A day of mistakes was redeemed by the God that transformed my life!

I pray your life isn't dependent on your success as a runner, or any thing else you can do.  We find fulfillment only through Jesus Christ!  God loves us all very much...Don't get me wrong, I am already re-focused, re-evaluated, re-goaled & ready to rock my next marathon, but that isn't my source of happiness and joy, only God is!

T-Minus Five Days – Rock N’ Roll DC Marathon

It is FINALLY here, Marathon week!  It is hard to believe there is only five days until I will be running my fifth marathon.  After all, I remember when a 5k seemed unreachable, now the thought of running 26.2 miles actually makes me smile…ok, grimace is probably a better describing word.  I will be the first to admit it’s kind of a little crazy, and perhaps even on the insane side.  I have learned to embrace, learned to love, learned to endure the sport that for years was my punishment!  This realization feels really, really good to admit.

Training is in & of itself a great reward, but finishing the marathon is a feeling I could never get sick of & continuously fail to describe well with words…

Typically finishing a marathon is not a one-day accomplishment. It literally takes months and in some cases even years of sweat, pain, aches, and dedication that go into getting your body & mind in the condition to race 26.2 miles!  It takes a lot of COMMITMENT to run a marathon well for any individual, regardless of age, gender, experience, or speed.  We are all different, but the marathon continues to be something that requires a massive amount of sacrifice & faithfulness!

This was an intense training cycle.  If you’ve never run a marathon it may be hard to understand, but your mind plays major tricks on you!  The physical training is just one part of the whole marathon training process.  Mental sabotage is often the biggest stumbling block for the runner!  Your mind begins planning “Worst Case Scenarios” on you continuously.

Here are some of the random thoughts running through my head:

Why does the extended weather forecast continue to change each day?

Are my goals realistic?

Do I have the right outfit or layers picked out for the race?

Is my body, completely healed from all the freak injuries? (None of which I sustained through or because of running)

Did I do enough in preparation?

One way or another I will get these answers on Saturday, but either way I am simply amazed that I am actually looking forward to racing 26.2 miles one step at a time!

Until Saturday I am believing and focusing, renewing my mind with this verse from God’s Word:

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Leadership - Humans Are Still Better Then Google

Humans Really Are Still Better Then Google...

Don't underestimate the power of a few seconds... 

I was reminded this morning never to underestimate the power of a friend & a few seconds.  We all have gifts, abilities, and knowledge that makes us experts at certain things.  Jobs, or tasks, skills that set us apart.

We are also all VERY busy people…when approached we are often tempted to say no, without really even making an attempt to help, for example:

I consider myself pretty proficient at computers, people actually ask me for help often, but today I found myself in a position.

I was rushed & in a hurry, I didn’t have time to familiarize myself with a new program so I called a friend, Daniel, on his day off…he listened to my problem, and then told me exactly what to do.  Sure if I wasn’t in such a rush, I could have taught myself, or Googled it, but then I would have missed this ah-ha moment.  This whole situation made me think of something quite funny, humans still are better then Google!!! 

I am sure we’ve all been tempted to click ignore when we saw our cell phones ringing, and in some cases we have to, but whenever we have the opportunity I hope we remember that a few seconds of our time can save others hours, and possibly even days of frustration.

I understand, and agree that we at times MUST say NO, but I am also suggesting we should NEVER miss a coachable or teachable moment, a moment when perhaps a few seconds of our time can help save hours of frustration for another!

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. -Galatians 6:9-10

Finally I'm a Runner!

Truth be told I've always wanted to be a runner!

 I'd watch those "crazy" people run by and wonder why, after all it looked really REALLY hard???  The only voice louder in my head then why, was HOW?

Yes, I'll admit it, perhaps for the first time publicly...I have always dreamed of being a "runner"!

It is very funny though that even after I started running people would say, "your a runner!", to which I would immediately correct them..."I am not a runner!" After all, I saw who & what runners were, and I would think, "I am not one of those people!"

Truth be told even after I had started running I was afraid to embrace the title "runner" because I thought ultimately I may fail.  Running is difficult, running is what I did while growing up playing sports as a punishment...Many questions, fears, & doubts ran through my head about becoming a "runner".  I learned to use these feelings as fuel for my training.

I finally got to a point where my desire to succeed in becoming a runner was greater then my doubts that I could actually accomplish this seemingly impossible task.  Day after day I labored on until suddenly something strange happened.  I actually began looking forward to the time I would journey out for my daily run.

In the last five years I have grown a lot.  Physically I may have shrunk, but mentally & spiritually running has helped me grow tremendously.  Now I wonder, what if I would have allowed my fears to keep me from taking my first run? What if my thoughts of failure would have discouraged me from taking my first step?

Today I proudly proclaim that I AM A RUNNER, and KNOW that anyone else who wants to make the attempt, will remain faithful, and be dedicated to persevering through seemingly difficult situations can be one to!!!

Remember this...
Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Never Give Up!
Is fear of failure holding you back from accomplishing something you've always dreamed of?
Is self doubt keeping you from doing something you've always dreamed of?