How to Race the Colfax Marathon Perfectly

Good marathon performances are all alike.  Every bad marathon performance is bad in its own way.   

You can file this away with your extended warranty paperwork; something you probably won’t need, but it’s there if you do.

Last week I ran the Colfax Marathon in 2:56:43.  It was a personal best and a nearly perfect race for me, so I think I have some street cred for what you are about to read.  If you follow my advice, you will be very happy with your results.

The first and most important thing you must do is determine the time (and pace) you are capable of running.  As Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.”  This time is not a time you dream you could do, but a time you are actually capable of running.  Here is where running tune-up races like the RMRR Spring MTS 20 Mile Race Series are very helpful. 

I plugged my times from the races I had run this year into the McMillan Running Race Calculator and came up with projected marathon times of 2:52, 2:56, 2:58 and 3:03.  I had done several Yasso 800 interval workouts at 2:56 (6:52 / mile) and set 2:56 as my goal. 

After studying the course profile I broke the marathon into four sections.  Here is a spreadsheet of those segments and my plan vs. actual pace per mile.

Segment	Plan Pace / Mile	Actual Pace / Mile
Five miles - the Start to Confluence Park	6:30	6:30
Ten miles - Confluence Park to 20th and Glen Dale Dr.	6:45	6:46
Six miles - Glen Dale Dr. to Confluence Park	6:30	6:25
Five miles - Confluence Park to the Finish	7:00	7:13

The first five miles – the easy downhill

It is never a good idea to go out fast in a marathon.  It is difficult to restrain yourself in the first five miles of this race, but you must or you will pay the price later.  My first mile split was 6:49.  You should plan to run these mostly downhill miles about five percent faster than your goal pace.

Miles six to fifteen – the long uphill slog

You should plan to run these ten miles at your marathon pace.  This section is a long climb with a few steep rises.  Embedded in this section is a diversion around Sloan’s Lake.  Use this respite from climbing as a chance to lock in on your pace.  I ran the four miles that include circling the lake in 6:40, 6:44, 6:46 and 6:45; right at my marathon pace.

Miles sixteen to twenty-one – the straight shot down Colfax

While you are feeling relatively strong, take advantage of the downhill slope and prevailing westerly breeze.  You should run this section about five percent faster than your marathon pace. 

As I made the turn onto Colfax I saw the orange flag of the bike escort for the first female runner (Nicole Cyr who broke her own course record) which was about ¼ mile in the distance.  It took me almost three miles to close the gap and it took some effort.  The Urban 10 Mile runners join the course at mile 17 creating a situation where I was dodging runners like Gale Sayers looking for 18 inches of daylight. 

When I got within ten yards of Nicole I had a clear straight path and I had to make a decision.  Should I slow down and enjoy the company of the escort or pass her?  I chose the latter.  The mile that I overtook Nicole was my slowest of that section.  Every few minutes I looked back to see how close she was.  Nicole is so petit I couldn’t see her, but I could see that orange flag which always seemed to be about twenty yards behind me. 

The last five miles – just hang on

You should plan to run this section about five to ten percent slower than your marathon pace.  The whole feeling of the race changes when you reach Confluence Park.  You have gone from running on black-top to a narrow cement path.  There were bicyclists in the way.  The temperature rose about ten degrees when we climbed the ramp to Denver proper.  There were fumes from the traffic.  It seemed hard to focus and looming ahead at 23.5 miles was the steep two block hill on 17^th Street. 

My approach to the hill was to lower my head and focus on a fast, short turnover.  I didn’t look up until I felt the road level out.  At that point there were two miles to go.  It seemed that about half of the Urban 10 Milers I passed cheered me on.  It was a wonderful feeling.  Once you re-enter the park there is about another mile of running.  The last ¼ mile is slightly uphill, but you hardly notice it because you are focused on the Finish. 

And that is how I suggest you run the Colfax Marathon.  Let me know if it helps you next year. 

Here's What, Here's How, Here's Why

One day a red-tailed fox was strolling through an orchard and saw a bunch of grapes ripening on a high vine.  “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” he thought.  Backing up a few paces, he took a run and jumped at the grapes, just missing.  Turning around again, he ran faster and jumped again.  Still a miss.  Again and again he jumped, until at last he gave up out of exhaustion.  Walking away he thought: “I am sure they were sour.” 

A while later a graying fox strolled through the same orchard and saw the same bunch of grapes.  “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” he thought.  He looked around for the best way to approach the grapes, for he knew he would not have many chances to grab them.  He found a path and with one long, powerful drive he charged at the grapes, leapt and snatched them from the vine.  And they were sweet indeed. 

Here’s What:

On Sunday I ran the Colfax Marathon in 2:56:43 (6:44 / mile pace).  It was a personal best and placed me 9^th overall, 1^st Masters finisher. 

Imagine playing a game.  Each time you come to a decision making point you either chose correctly or incorrectly.  Correct decisions are reinforced and incorrect decisions give you an opportunity to make a correction.  With enough corrections, you come to the right decision.  This was my 15^th marathon and here are some insights.

Here’s How:

I registered for the Colfax Marathon the first week of January.  I visualized the outcome of the race and asked myself, “If I were to run the marathon perfectly, what would that look like?”  “What would I have to do to prepare myself for the race?” 

For the past few months I have limited the amount of meat, gluten and dairy I consume.  This has given me more energy, especially in the later stages of races.  I also drink about three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar each day.  That helps reduce the acidity of my body, reduces inflammation and helps my body process food more efficiently.

Every workout I do has some race pace conditioning.  Even easy days are punctuated with 100 yard striders to remind my legs of race day turnover. 

Several months ago I read an article by Kimberly Keenan-Kirkpatrick, Women's Long Distance Running Chair for USA Track & Field.  She advocated a phase of speed work, then adding distance training when training for the marathon.  So, this winter I spent one workout per week doing Yasso 800 intervals on the treadmill at a 2:56 (5:52 / mile pace). 

Thank you, Bradley Cooper – no, not That Bradley Cooper. 

One Saturday in late November Tim Gentry and I ran a few miles with Brad Cooper.  Brad had recently finished 66^th in the Arizona Ironman Triathlon.  His marathon split was 3:16:56.  Somehow we got on the topic of weight.  I don’t recall Brad’s weight, but I remember thinking about how much more weight I was carrying than he was.  If I could lose weight, I could run faster. 

On January 1^st I weighed 182.4 lbs.  This past Tuesday I weighed 161.4 lbs.  The graphic of my weight loss since January is compelling. 

The results have been remarkable:  personal bests in the ½ marathon and marathon, top 10 finishes and Masters victories in both.

Here’s Why:

Thank you, Heather Utrata.

After the 2012 Platte River ½ Marathon she dissed me on Facebook with this exchange about a photo taken along the course.

Kim Dobson This picture just makes me laugh. Look at our expressions!?!? Pretty sure we have a pic together in this exact same spot from last year.

Heather Utrata yep. and pretty sure we have quite a few where we're passing a bunch of dudes... i like it!

I am one of the dudes she is passing and it is not a flattering photo.  Heather is a great athlete and her comments were made in jest, but they stung nonetheless.

Thank you, Robert Herz.

At last year’s Colfax Marathon Robert passed me within sight of the finish line, beating me by seven seconds.  That was demoralizing and I resolved never to let that happen again.

There are other reasons, but I thought these were worth mentioning. 

Think you can’t achieve the same results?  Think again.  I told myself I could do better.  So can you.

One Week To Go

This week I cashed in one of the awards for winning the Masters division of the Platte River ½ Marathon.  It was a gift certificate for a new pair of shoes from the Runners Roost.  Tom Norris urged me to try brands I’d never worn before and Dan at the Roost helped me pick out a pair of Altra Zero Drop Instincts.  They are the most comfortable running shoes I’ve ever worn. 

The Zero Drop refers to the height difference between the heel and toe of the shoe.  Hard-core minimalists run bare foot.  One thing that is obvious is that when we are not wearing shoes, our heel and toes are on the same level.  There is “zero drop” (hence the name) between heel and toe.  These shoes feel like running barefoot. 

The Instincts have a wide toe box which is great for my wide feet.  It gives my toes lots of room, so I won’t get blisters.  The shoes come with a very informative brochure on the technology behind the shoe, the proper fit, the difference in technique from elevated heel running and instructions on how to make the transition from elevated heel shoes.  I have been running with minimalist shoes for three years, so the transition will be easy for me.

Now I have a dilemma.  For the Colfax Marathon, do I wear my tried and true New Balance MT110s, or do I wear the Zero Drops?

 

The Highline Canal Path was quite busy this Saturday.  The surface of the path was loose after the rains of the past few days.  There were more runners than usual and the 32nd Annual High Line Canal Run was staged out of deKoevend Park.  Tom Norris finished 2^nd in the 5K event with a time of 17:53 (5:46 / mile pace). 

 

I ran an easy ten miles and enjoyed the company of Mark Bixler as we discussed college basketball, work, running shoes and various other random topics.  Along our return to Goodson Rec. Center we passed local legend Creigh Kelley who was running with his dog.  Creigh is the race director for the Colfax Marathon, so I’ll see him next Sunday.

As Mark and I crossed Orchard Rd. on the path we encountered the tail end of the runners in the 10K event of the High Line Canal Run.  We waited for a gap to open and joined the procession.  We both commented on how great it is to see so many people exercising, cheeks flushed with exertion.  These competitors are participating in the event for the fun of it, for the exercise and many other personal reasons.  None of them were competing for an age group award. 

It made me think of why we run.  The short answer is for the joy it brings.  Happiness is derived from effort – from putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.  It is no surprise that happiness is enhanced when this effort is shared and appreciated by others.  The many hours spent running is hard work that brings us to the height of the joy of being alive.

It’s Not Easy Being Big

The shortest book ever written; runners who are foot models.

My toes look like something Picasso would have painted.  Donning Injinji Toesocks is a real adventure for me.  My feet are relatively large and I have very little arch.  I wear a size 13 EE shoe.  I have tried wearing regular width running shoes, but the result is blisters and lost toenails. 

Some of my foot problems stem from my childhood.  I walked in my older brother’s shoes, literally.  My parents were frugal.  They had to be, raising five children.  Consequently, I wore hand-me-down shoes and many times those shoes didn’t fit properly.  That, I think, is the root of my crabby disposition. 

The issues with my feet come up whenever I try to buy running shoes at any retail running store.  You don’t build a church for Easter Sunday and you can’t run a shoe store by stocking shoes for oddly shaped feet.  That I understand.  It is extremely difficult for me to find shoes in my size.  The running store I entered this Saturday had no running shoes in size 13 EE.  As a matter of fact, Addidas does not make a EE running shoe in any size. 

As a result, I have bought shoes sight unseen only to discover they don’t fit my feet well.  Those shoes then become my “dress sneakers”.  So, when I find a pair of shoes I like, I keep buying them for years.  For about ten years I wore Nike Air Pegasus. 

This month’s RMRR Trophy Series race was held today at Stapleton.  The last time I was in this neighborhood was exactly 17 years ago.  I participated in the American Heart Association - Heart Ride, Roll, & Stroll fundraiser in 1996.  Denver International Airport had finally opened, but the re-development of the Stapleton neighborhood had not yet started.  So, the old runways stood vacant, begging for some event.  I rented a pair of inline skates and traveled several laps around a course the organizers had staked out.  It is hard to forget how desolate that space was. 

Now Stapleton is a community of homes, shops, offices, parks, and schools, with historical, residential, retail, office, sustainability and educational offerings.  I spent the 30:17 that it took me to cover the five mile course staring at Eric Greene’s back as he gradually ran away from me.  I wore a pair of Injinji Toesocks and they were great.

The Colfax Marathon is two weeks away.  This is a time to rest.  I have prepared myself physically for the event and now my thoughts turn to how best to race the course. 

This is also a time of somber reflection for me.  Tomorrow marks the fifth year since my brother last walked the Earth.  I’d give anything to wear his smelly old shoes again.