2012 Rock N Roll New Orleans Race Report–Half Marathon

So my ITB was acting up in early January. This caused me to shut down my marathon volume build prematurely. With that, the sub-3 marathon goal went out the window. I was having pain and discomfort in sessions as short as 4 miles. With the reduced volume, my speed took off. I was running fantastically fast but short. As my injury improved, I was able to push the distance to the 10-mile mark. I was still able to run fast.

I was also dropping some stubborn weight during this time. I was not as hungry as normal and I had voided the house of bad foods. I was leaning out and getting fast!

But, 6 weeks is much too long for a taper. About 2 weeks ago, some of the weight started to creep back on. Some of the speed started to slip. I still thought I could put together a good half marathon but I was losing my mojo. The half was not my goal.

We went down to NOLA the day before the race. The expo was a lot of fun and I did win a new pair of Brooks’s shoes from their huge carnival type booth. I ordered the Brooks Glycerin 9 neutral high mileage trainer. I have never had a pair of Brooks so I am excited to try them!

We also went and walked around the quarter. I have never had a daiquiri in NOLA. We stopped and I ordered a LARGE white Russian (with an extra shot). This was a strong frozen coffee daiquiri. We stumbled around the quarter for a while. Charles and Terry stopped and grabbed cigars. I skipped the smoke.

We made it to the hotel. I was bunking with Terry. He had rented what we would call the Emperor’s Suite! The suite had a couch, dining room table, recliner, king size bed and bathroom. I stayed upstairs and had my choice of two queen-sized beds and my own bathroom. We also got late checkout so that we could shower prior to lunch.

We made our way down St. Charles for dinner. The restraint that we selected was very crowded and much to our surprise did not have ANY beer on tap. They did, however, have several vodkas on draft! (wft). There was also a frozen wall with bottles of vodka being chilled. I did not partake of any alcoholic beverages during dinner. But I did have my second meal of the day that came with a bowl of brown gravy for dipping! I could not have planned that.

After dinner, we made the short walk back to the hotel but first stopped at the convenience store for early morning provisions. I got a bottle of sports drink and a couple of Cadbury eggs. Great pre-race foods. The eggs did not make it back to the hotel.

It was still early and Charles, Audrey and I decided to venture out for a nightcap. The Avenue Pub was just around the corner. This is Charles favorite place and he is not along. Draft magazine voted it as one of the top 100 best beer bars in the country (http://theavenuepub.com/ )! It was pretty crowded; after all, it was Saturday night. We stayed for one round and called it a night.

I had my alarm set for 5AM but I knew that I would not need it. You see, I have bunked with Terry before. By 5AM, he would have been awake for hours hydrating and taking nutrition. We left the hotel just after 6AM and made the just under a mile walk to the race start. Audrey slotted into her corral and Terry and I made it to the front the of the race – corral number 1! I was still not very excited about the race and I was not sure of my race plan. Two weeks ago, I was confident of shattering my half PR. Now, not so much. I knew I did not have a whole lot of extra speed and I was just not sure if I was prepared to suffer.

Still, I threw caution to the wind and set my paces at an aggressive 6:30 minute per mile. The first mile clicked off easily and fast – 6:22. I settled down and concentrated on running the tangents. I had studied the course the night before and knew that there was a huge sweeping turn all the way out to Audubon Park and back. If you were not careful, you could easily run a couple of hundred extra yards!

The pace got hard quick. Mile 3 ended up being one of my slowest. I really thought about slowing dramatically and waiting for Terry (who was running a hair slower but also the full marathon). After the turn around, I got a few shouts of encouragement from friends running the opposite way. I could not slow down now although it was tempting to jumping to the Avenue Pub again for a quick beer. It could have made for a great story. If Charles had been standing in front of the pub I would have stopped. Instead, I saw Charles about a mile later. The pace had slipped to 6:40 but I was holding steady. I knew that if I could make it to mile 10 then it would be a straight shot to the finish. I can do anything for 5k!

I was never in any deep pain. Sure, I was uncomfortable but never really hurting. I just wanted to stop. I did pick the pace up the last couple of miles and brought the pain. I finished strong and much to my surprise, I was able to chip a few seconds off my PR. How many seconds I was not sure but maybe a couple. I finished in 1:27:13, which is a PR by 7 seconds (a half second per mile faster).

I was one of the first to arrive at the reunion area. I had procured my clothing, cleaned up and sat down for a snack. I also got my 2 8 ounces ultra-light beers. As people trickled in, I got a couple more ultra-light beers. Then Charles showed up with a New Orleans Track Club shirt. Now, I am a member of the NOTC but did not think to venture to their tent. They had free food and kegs of beer. We grabbed a few more shirts (they were begging us to take them) and invited a few people to join us. We finally left the race site at about 11 AM. I had been there since 8:30 AM. We jumped on a bus back to the super dome. We had to high tail it back to the hotel room. Charles and Terry had to stop for a bathroom break so Audrey and I made our way back alone. We got to the hotel at 11:55 AM.

When I got to my room the key would not work! I asked the maid next door to let me and thankfully, she obliged. I threw a towel in the sink and ran hot water over it. I took a quick bath and washed all of the important stuff. Terry had arrived and while he cleaned up I went had checked out of the hotel.

Next stop was an Irish Pub and once again, for the trifecta, I had another meal that included another bowl of brown gravy! I don’t know how this happened.

It was a great time in the Big Easy!

I filled up with post-race snacks since at the RnR events once you leave the finishers area you are on your own. I also grabbed a solar blanket to use in the field.

2012 pre-race day

It is the day before the Rock’N Roll marathon (half marathon) and this has definitely been a lack luster season of running. There have been a couple of highs and many more lows. Even back in December I knew that the dream of a sub-3 would be a near insurmountable challenge. My volume was building. I was ‘tricking’ myself into transforming my easy run pace of 8 minute miles to 7:30 minute miles.

In the beginning of my running season I had a good performance in an afternoon very warm 5k. There was zero prep and I signed up at the last minute (I had to take the clock to the race). I end up within 10 seconds of my 5k PR (which was set in 2009 – the last time I raced a 5k – 19:09 PR). That was a good showing to kick off the season. Next I ran the Hobble then Gobble 5 mile and also had a good showing. The weather was cooler and I won my age group finishing 4^th overall. Oh yeah, I also had a stellar run in the Mighty Magnolia Triathlon back in October – I believe I had the 4^th fastest run overall and placed in my age group – my run split was 19:01 for 3 miles – Not back for me, especially after a challenging bike).

I dropped all of the bike training to concentrate on the marathon. I took the scheduled recovery days. I raced the Ole Man River Half in early December and once again I got a PR (I think 1:27:20ish – I have PR’d this race the past 4 years. But this time it was only by 7 seconds. A PR but not the big gains that needed to achieve my sub-3.

Next I raced the Oh What A beautiful Day 5 Miler. The weather was much warmer than the Hobble then Gobble. I performed well and finished 2^nd overall. It was a tough race – I had gone out too fast for the conditions and was starting to fade at the end.

And that is where the big mistake was made. The weekend before the 5 mile race I had run 20 miles at an average of 7:2X with the last couple of miles at a sub 7 minute pace (I’m thinking back – the last several miles were in the low 6:40 range). This had been the second 20 mile run in my build and I was feeling the power.

The day after the 5 mile race called for a 22 mile run. I have to run these out and back so that I do not have the opportunity to cut them short. My left knee (ITB) started to hurt at around mile 10. I pushed it to Sumrall and turned for home. I had 12 miles to go with increasing pain. With about 6 miles to go the run became a shuffle and then a run / walk shuffle and then a walk / shuffle.

I was done at that point. I took a couple of days off and hit the trace again. I was running easy with some friends and the pain came on quick and hard. I had to walk back to the gym.

From that point on the volume stopped. My long run was 4 miles for about a week. I gradually got it back to 10ish but the hopes of the sub-3 marathon were dashed.

However, this forced taper brought the speed. I was running short 6 milers at a 6:40 pace often. I also put together a reverse ladder of 10 miles starting just above 7 minute pace and finishing with a pair of 6:15 miles. This is not my speed. I was flying – average pace for those 10 miles was 6:33.

The next weekend I wanted to run a steady state 10 mile run at a 6:30 pace. The weather had turned much warmer and more humid. I was not successful. While I was able to hold 6:30 for many miles the upper middle miles fell apart. I finished the run 2 minutes off pace with an average of 6:40.

With the forced reduction of volume, due to injury, I executed a near perfect taper. But, it was a couple of weeks too soon. Today, just before race day, I feel lethargic. I have packed on about 6 pounds from my leanest two weeks ago. The weather has turned warm and rainy.

These are not the conditions for a sub-3 marathon and not even for a half marathon PR.

I will still have a lot of fun with friends at the race but there have not been very many results to show for the hard work. I am okay with that.  I had big dreams this year.

I am ready to push through this race and start building again.

Changing Priorities

As you know, I have been nursing a mild injury the past few weeks. This has forced me to rethink my sub-3 hour marathon goals. I just do not believe that it is possible to put forth that effort considering that I have not been able to run farther than 11.5 miles in the past month.

However, what has happened is that I have reduced my run volume in half and an unexpected thing has happened. I mean, it makes complete since but my body has absorbed all of those long, hard efforts and bounced back with speed. I have been running faster than ever this past month.

The Yasso’s are faster and the tempos are faster. There just have not been any long runs. I ran a 10 miler this past weekend at 8 seconds per mile faster than my half marathon PR time. This run was faster than my 12K PR (7.45 miles). And the last 2 miles were in the 6-teens (6:15, 6:16).

I won’t be getting a marathon PR but I am going to PR at the half marathon in NOLA.

Decision made.

Decisions, I hate decisions.

Completely unrelated, the moon last night

I have not run more than 6 miles continuous in the past couple of weeks. It has been frustrating not being able to venture far from home for fear of having to walk back.

I ran 5 miles on Saturday (of the 14 miles scheduled) and skipped the long run entirely on Sunday. On Monday I ran the indoor track for 6 miles and did a progress ladder – 7:15, 7:15, 7:05, 6:55, 6:05 and a cool down of 7:30. Only a few light irritations towards the end.

Tuesday I did 8 Yasso’s at 2:55ish (sub 6 minute pace for the half mile repeats). There was no pain at all and I while I can’t say they were easy I was able to complete them without difficulty. So, while I may not have the endurance for the marathon I still have the speed.

I have also been on the bike trainer a lot these past couple of weeks. Also, I do not have the bike endurance but my power numbers for short durations are as high as they have ever been.

So, what is my decision regarding the prioritization of the marathon or the half ironman? Well, I don’t think I can run a sub-3 marathon in 3 weeks. It would have been difficult regardless of injury. But I do believe I can still put up either a ‘good’ marathon or possibly a PR half marathon while focusing on the bike. There you have it, I will be continuing to run but I am going to add the bike back into the mix. The sub-3 marathon goal will have to wait for another race.

2011 Mardi gras Marathon Lessons Learned

This marathon season has been tough. I constructed and followed the most structured plan. I had a huge build period and a very intense sharpening phase. I also got hurt on my longest most intense run three weeks before the race. However, even before that discomfort there were signs that not everything was well. Let’s go through the season real quick.

In late October I ran the Jazz Half Marathon and achieved a PR by 8 seconds. Not only that but I achieved this PR on about 20 miles a week. The next day I went to Australia for a month. I ran a lot. I ran a lot for fun. Many times I ran multiple times. I also walked and saw the sights and sounds. Liking up with the Sydney Striders I ran a lot of distance and a lot of intensity. These are the reasons that I run. It was for the joy of it. I had a couple of 100k (62 mile) weeks.

When I got back home I ran the Baton Rouge Half Marathon. Another PR and this one was a big one – 1:27:39 – a PR by 1:41. A couple of weeks later I raced the Ole Man River Half. This is one of the flattest and fastest races around. On top of that it is always cold. The weather was perfect. I had been running high mileage since Baton Rouge. The week of the Ole Man River I had 50 miles in my legs. I ‘tapered’ for two days. My legs felt like they were on fire for the first few miles of the race. I was dying and slowing down. I caught my second wind when a pacer and he second or third place female caught me. I grabbed a shoulder and toughed it out. I PR’d at this race by 9 seconds – 1:27:30. I think that I raced Baton Rouge better but I’ll take the PR.

After a couple of 70 mile weeks and the two PR’s I shut down the volume. I switched over to the intensity phase of my training plan. My mileage dropped. All and I mean all of my miles except for races had been at my comfortable pass – right around 8 minutes per mile. Now all of my paces were faster – all paces were in the 6’s.

My next race was the Steam Whistle 12k. I ended up racing it at virtually the same pace as last year. Sure it was a PR but I wanted to beat my previous year’s time by more than a minute. This would be my last PR. The stretch would be broken.

Steam Whistle 12k

I then raced the First Light Half Marathon. I was 2 and a half minutes slower. I’m still not completely sure what happened (I need to go back and read my race reports). The race mailed me my award for placing in my age group. I have not opened the package. It is just sitting in my office.

Well, I continued on with the training plan and ‘most’ of the runs were successful. But they were border line. They paces were aggressive and I was achieving them but they were not solid. They were harder than they should have been. That last 20 mile run was the kicker. I was not able to hold the prescribed pace and I suffered and hurt myself. The pace for that run was 30 seconds slower than my projected marathon pace. I was smart and recovered the best that I could.

However, I should have reevaluated the goal at that time. I thought that I could will myself to achieve my goal. That was probably foolish.

I think that I when concerning distance I respond better to volume. I think that I respond better to volume with a lot racing. That is what I did last year. I raced a lot of hard races and I ran a lot of miles. That will be my plan for next time.

2011 Mardi gras marathon–the MOVIE (90 seconds)

I wish this was the photograph!

You will have to settle on the movie -

2011 Mardi gras Marathon

2011 Mardi gras Marathon Race Report

I ate my usual pre-race dinner which is oatmeal with peanut butter.  I checked the weather – start temperature should be in the high 30’s and finish time should be in the mid 50’s.  It could be a little cooler but it was close to perfect.

I had laid out my clothes and set my alarm for 5AM.  The race started at 7AM.  This would give me plenty of time to get ready and make the mile walk to race start.  Everything went as planned.

A packed corral #1

 

I arrived at the start at around 6:20AM.  I took in the sights.  I shed the extra clothes.  I got in line for the john.  The national anthem started playing while I was peeing.  I finished up and jumped in coral number 1.  It was packed with the full and half marathoners.  I made some small talk.  This was a diverse group.  It had people that were running everything from sub-3 marathons to 1:45 half marathons.

Lots of disposable purple

Frank Shorter kicked us off by saying there should be no excuses today – no wind and perfect temperatures.   He was right.  There were so fast times posted at this marathon.

There was a silly little pop gun that went off and we started running.  I crossed the start line a few seconds after the gun.  I was stuck in a lot of congestion for about a mile.  It was crowded and I was trying to pick my way threw the crowd.  I had my virtual nemesis set for a pace of 6:49 minutes per mile.  For the first time he started out fast.  I was losing ground quickly.  Soon I was a hundred feet behind.  This would not have any bearing on my results.

The crowd started to thin out and I was able to pick people out that were running my pace.  I did see a guy doing a run / walk.  For the first few miles I would pass him while he was walking and then he would almost sprint past me.  I was tempted to throw my routine out the door and see how this worked out.  That would be silly, but …

Soon I came up on a guy that was running my 6:50ish pace and he was running easily.  I tend to make conversations on these longer races.  They are at an easier intensity, at least at the beginning, and I like to talk.  Anyway, I introduced myself to Scott.  He had flown in from Boston with his fiancé.  He was younger and faster than me.  I asked him if he was running a sub-3.  He said ‘No’, he was only going to run 17 miles.  He only had one kidney and anything over 2 hours put the hurt on him.  He said that he was going to run this pace for the first 10 or so miles and then try to catch as many as he could.  He also told me that he coached elite level Kenyan runners.  Afterwards I found his website.  I also looked up his results – I guess he ran the whole thing and finished in 3:06.

He ‘coached’ me through about half of the race.  He tried to pull me up to a group that was running my pace.  I kept up with him and was feeling strong – well I was feeling okay.  I was holding my paces. 

Around mile 10 my left foot started to hurt.  It was on the ball of the foot and Scott suggested that I try to curl my toes under to relieve the cramp.  It still hurt but it was not debilitating.  But my pace started to fade.  I don’t know why.  Scott asked me if I wanted him to pull me up to the group.  They were still in sight.  I said lead the way.  He slowly sped up and I followed.  My hamstrings were hurting and I was just not able to keep the pace.  Everything was going wrong.

Right around the half way point

I crossed the half point and the clock read 1:31:XX.  I made a decision right there that I would not be able to negatively split this course.  I had lost a few seconds here and there in the first 10 miles and then a larger chunk of seconds in the last 5k.  I was frustrated.  I had run a 10 mile run a M (marathon) pace the previous week and while the run was not ‘easy’ it was not as hard as this race.

Anyway, I made a decision.  I was done.  I just needed to finish this race without getting hurt.  I was frustrated but not dejected.  I told Scott that I did not need to hold him back.  He told me that a PR was still possible if I held 7:05’s – I did the quick math (not my strong suit) and saw that a 3:04 - 3:06 was possible.  I thanked him and we parted ways.  He fled the scene. 

My effort immediately eased up.  My heart rate dropped.  My objective was to finish the race without hurting myself.  I said many times leading up to this race that a 3:01 did not mean anything to me.  I wanted a sub-3 or nothing.  My pace slowed to 7:30 pace.  My legs were hurting but not nearly as much as my pride.  I was being passed left and right by runners that started out slower than me.  I moved to the inside track of the lane.  I was trying to run the tangents as much as I could.  Mile 14 clicked off and I thought just 12 more miles.  I thought 12 more miles.  At this point I almost got run over by what I am guess was the 3:10 group.  It was demoralizing.  The next thing that happened I will take as a positive – a positive for me.  It changed my attitude.  I was coming up on someone else that was walking.  This guy was walking slow with his head hung low – lower than mine.  I pulled up next to him and started walking with him.  My time was out the window.  It was time to make the best of the situation.  I have said this before, I am a talker.  Sometimes people are receptive, sometimes they are not.  Neither reaction deters me.  I still like to talk.

So I pulled up and said, I guess you blew up too.  What pace were you going for?  We introduced ourselves and Kyle (maybe Kel) said that this was his second marathon (hey, mine too) and that he was shooting for a 2:48.  Damn.  I did not say this to him but he must have blown up like Hiroshima.  He said that he had gone out at a 5:30 something pace and was in 10th place.  And then it all went bad.  It went bad like Billy Mays in a KABOOM infomercial. 

KABOOM!

Kyle had run his first marathon last year in a 3 EVEN – damn again.  He was also in the army and would be shipping out to Afghanistan in a few weeks. 

I told him it was time to start running again and we got back into the race.  We decided to walk the the water stops.  One minute walks – that was it.  This was working and I became the driver of the broom wagon.  I attempted to pick up every “blow’d up” runner out there.  Some would stick for a few feet others for a few miles.  Kyle and I got this routine down.  We would introduce ourselves, say where we were from and how we blew up.  It was kind of like a dark game.

I finished the first half in just over one and a half hours.  It took almost two hours for the second half.  I can’t say I was enjoying the journey but I made the best of it.  I had a martini at my 19 and just tried to keep the moral up.  At this point in the run it hurt just as much to walk as it did to run.  At mile 24 I made the decision to run the rest – no more walking.  Kyle needed another quick walk break at the 25 mile mark.

This is where Ginny from Happy Feet 26.2 picked me up.  She was running some extra miles after her near half marathon PR (on tired legs).  She asked me if I was okay.  I said I was okay.  I had been thinking about the race and putting it in perspective for an hour plus.  I ran the rest of the way with her.  We have run together a couple of times and it has always been enjoyable.  She made this last mile the best of the race.

Running down the finisher chute

I did not achieve my goals.  However, I had some wonderful conversations with old and new friends.  The race was a valuable experience.  I will elaborate on what I have learned next time.  I’ll let you know how I can do better and the steps necessary to get my sub-3.  Did I do my best?  The answer is no.  I am okay with that?  For the most part yes.  I am still coming to terms with the race.

I finished this race in 3:24:xx .  

Post race (no purple)

Consciously or not I shut it down at the half way point.  Knowing that I could not achieve my goal made it harder to run.  The legs got heavier.  They hurt more.  The heart rate dropped to nothing.

This is the mental aspect of the race.  Running is a mental game but you have to have the physical to even get in the ball park. 

 

Look at that dejected pace drop off. 

Mentally I was not willing to hold the pace.

 

You can see the walk breaks.

I give you the lessons learned next time.

2011 Mardi gras Marathon Expo

Frank Shorter started the race.  He said that there would be no excuses today.  There was no wind and the weather was perfect.  He was right – no excuses.

Well, this was a make or break race for me.  Usually I know the pace that I am going to run, I dial it in and I execute.  That was the plan for the 2011 Mardi gras marathon.  I was just not able to execute.  I had been saying for weeks that I would either meet my goal or blow up trying.  Did I set myself up for failure.  Did I give myself an out? 

Obviously, my training has been off for the past 3 weeks.  I have been flirting with injury.  I did not get to the finishing.  In essence I dropped the volume and added the intensity and then dropped both 3 weeks prior to race day.  It is hard to execute a fantasy race with no volume and no intensity.

But let us rewind to the day before.  We went down to the Big Easy on Saturday.  Checked into the hotel and walked to the expo – about a mile away.  The expo was better this year.  The Brooks exhibit was like an old carnival show – sideshows and games and all of the such.  I got to meet Scott Jurek.  What a down to earth super nice guy.  Man is he tall and lean -

Me and Scott

There was a game where you had to toss balls into Brooks shoes.  We won a big stuffed shoe – how cool is that.

Victory

Here are a few more pictures of the exhibit -

I also got to meet Dan and Judy from the Biggest Loser (a couple of seasons back) – they both look great.  They were running the half marathon.  I told Dan that I used to be a big guy also.

Dan, me, Jodie (she wanted me to note that she was not that surprised) and Judy.

I have never bought anything at the expo but I did this year.  I bought 2 pairs of running shorts (Frank Shorter brand) and a pair of running shoe insoles.  I did not wear any of there new items on race day.  I was sticking to the plan.

I will get to all of the gruesome details in tomorrows post.

The secrets to marathon peaking.

I have been reviewing several articles and books regarding the taper. On the surface it seems so simple. Just cut your mileage back by 20 – 40 percent each of the last three weeks before your marathon. But don’t let your intensity drop. Oh yeah, your also going to need to replenish your glycogen stores with carbohydrates while simultaneously cutting back calories so you don’t pack on unwanted weight. Along with the reduced volume your mental state takes a hit and some self-doubt creeps in – you think about being over ambitious and holding fantasy paces. Now add in the phantom arches and pains along with the bloated tired feelings. Then your legs start to feel restless (that’s the jimmy legs).

And there you have it, Bob’s your uncle.

This taper stuff is simple.

While all of the above is certainly true it’s not always that bad. For me, for this marathon, getting a slight injury might be the saving grace. I felt that discomfort on my last 20 mile long run three weeks ago. The next day I was hurt. I stopped all of the running. I took it easy. I only added back some easy miles after I was sure that I was okay. It was a forced taper.

It was not until the next week that I added back any intensity. Since then all of my runs have been at M pace (marathon pace – 6:50). There is no reason for me to run faster than M pace right now and with the reduced mileage there is no reason to run any slower (except for warm up and cool down). I am not completely happy with the peaking and taper process that I have gone through. I am hoping for the slight bump in performance. I also tend to race well. If everything comes together I will achieve my goals.

What do you wear on race day?

Last year, before one of my triathlon races I did a pictorial on what I pack for a triathlon.  I have used this as a reference many times – click here.  I like to make lists.  Lists allow for me to ‘feel’ prepared.  They take the guess work out of the situation. 

Last but not least, a cape.

Now, a marathon is different from a triathlon.  A lot less stuff.  However, the stuff that you need is very important.  Lets start at our feet and work out way up.

Lower body -

Shoes -

Don’t buy any new shoes at the expo.  Use the shoes that you have been training in – they have been working for you while you have been building mileage.  Don’t change now.  However, that being said, don’t race in those worn out ragged shoes that you have been putting 200+ miles a month on for the past 4 months.  I always buy a couple of pairs of shoes.  I rotate them regularly – in fact I usually buy three pairs – here’s why.  Use the pair with the least amount of miles.

Socks -

I also keep a new pair of socks in my nightstand.  I always have.  I guess it is like a security blanket.  I always have a new pair of socks on hand.  It is funny, I mentioned this to my Dad and sister over the holidays.  They do it also.  I did not consciously know that either one of them did that.  Is this nature or nurture?  I don’t know – maybe a hoarder gene.  Anyway, I will wear a new pair of socks on race day.  Depending on the weather I may wear a pair of compression socks.  I am not convinced that they help with performance on race day but they would help to keep the legs warm.

Compression shorts -

I like to wear compression shorts underneath my running shorts.  Nothing is worse on a cold day to then to start chaffing.  Okay, they only thing worse then chaffing on a cold day is starting to chaff on a very hot and humid day.  I wear compression shorts on almost every run of substance.

Running shorts -

Since I already have the compression shorts on, the shorts really don’t matter that much.  I will wear shorts with the liner and no underwear – see chaffing issues about.

Race belt -

Being a triathlete, I already have a race belt.  I don’t like to pin numbers on my shirts, especially if I am wear multiple shirts (see below).  I also carry my nutrition with me.  I will load the race belt up with gels.

I will wear all of the above no matter the race conditions.  I have worn all of those items (except the compression socks) regardless if the temperature is 23 degrees (2010 First Light) or 95 degrees and 90+ humidity (2010 Pump and Run).

The weather conditions will dictate what I wear on my upper body. 

Upper body -

Heart rate monitor -

To some extent I train by heart rate.  However, the past couple of years I have raced by pace.  Still I like to have the data.  I always wear the heart rate monitor strap.

Running shirt -

Unless it is below freezing I will be wear a sleeveless singlet.  Sleeves, long or short just trap heat in my body.  When I am trying to run fast I need to dissipate as much heat as possible.  Ideally, I want to start the race in the mid-30’s.  This means I will be cold waiting for the gun to go off.

Arm warmers -

If you cycle then you probably have some arm warmers.  These are just the thing when you start off on a cold morning.  They will keep you warm while you are waiting and you can take them off easily after the first mile or two.  However, most arm warmers cost 15 – 20 bucks.  I can not going to throw those away and I am not going to carry them for 25 miles.  Did around in your sock drawer and find an old pair of tube socks.  Cut the toes out of them.  Now you have disposable arm warmers.  Ditch these at one of the aid stations.  I will wear these make shift arm warmers in temperatures below 40 degrees.

Gloves -

I hate my hands being cold.  The same as the tube sock arm warmers, get yourself some cheap gloves.  You can get the brown gardening type gloves or the knit type of gloves.  Both types cost about a dollar.  The knit type come in all types of colors.  You can even get ones sized women or children because they stretch so much.  You will only be wearing them for a few miles anyway.  Ditch the gloves at one of the aid stations.  I will wear the gloves with arm warmers in temperatures below 40 degrees and wear the gloves by themselves in temperatures below 45 degrees.

Long sleeved cotton shirt -

If it is really cold, like below freezing I will dig a long sleeved race shirt out of the garage.  In fact, most of my race shirts end up being ‘bike cleaning’ rags.  I will wear this cotton shirt over the arm warmers and the gloves.  I will ditch the cotton long sleeved shirt just prior to the start of the race.  I do not want to have to struggle taking a shirt off while running.

Trash bag -

If it cold and raining or sleeting (this is rare in the South) I will wear the cotton long sleeved shirt, the make shift arm warmers and the gloves all underneath a black garbage bag.  I will cut a small hole in the bottom of the bag so that I can poke my head through.  I probably will not cut holes for arms.  I will ditch the garbage bag just before the start of the race along with the cotton long sleeved shirt.

Sunglasses -

I wear glasses but I race in with contacts.  I like to wear sport type sun glasses so that the wind is not in my eyes.  Depending on the starting time of the race and the weather conditions I will either wear a yellow of very light grey lens.  The sunglasses are not for blocking the sun, just the wind.

Running Visor -

I almost always wear a running visor.  The headband keeps the sweat out of my eyes and the open top lets me dissipate heat.  I also have running hats that I will wear if it is going to be really cold or raining.  If the temperatures are deep into freezing and staying down there then I may wear a pair of ear warmers in addition to the running hat.

There you have it – my race attire in all conditions.  This Sunday the weather is calling for a low of 46 and and high 62.  If you ask me, this is too warm.  I will be wearing from bottom to top:

1. Cushioned running shoes
2. New socks
3. Compression shorts
4. Short running shorts
5. Race belt
6. Heart rate monitor
7. Running sleeveless singlet
8. Knit gloves
9. Sunglasses
10. Running Visor

I am sure glad I will not be packing a bike.  Triathlons have so much more gear.

Relax, don’t do it – less is more during the taper

Last year the Super Bowl was three weeks before the Mardi gras Marathon.  I went to Jim’s house and partook heavy in the festivities.  Between good food, drink and M&M’s I gained 10 pounds that fateful Sunday.  I think there is a picture of me consume a beef brisket over the sink …

This year I was much better.  I did my 10 mile run at M (marathon) pace (6:50).  As I said, I hit all of my marks but the run did not give me the confidence boost that I was looking for – I guess I wanted the run to be easy.  It was not exactly hard but I let some negative thoughts enter my mind – 16 more miles of this I asked myself. 

Anyway, I was more tired than I thought I would be after the run and relaxed the rest of the day.  I watched the game and took it easy.  And guess what?  I did not gain any weight at all – not an ounce.  That is great news considering that the marathon is this coming weekend.  I don’t have 21 days to shed weigh.  Like I shed much last year – I gained 10 pounds and then lost 8 of them – net gain of 2 pounds or 4 seconds per mile.  Note: a good rule of thumb is that each pound gained or lost is 2 seconds per mile regardless of distance.

So I watched the game and then turned in.  I woke up for Masters Swim.  I turned off the alarm and walked to the kitchen.  I got back in the warm bed  and drank my coffee.  At this point I still had all (or most) intentions to make it to swim.  However, I then proceeded to lay back down and skip the swim.  I was still tired.  My legs were still tired.  When I walked to the kitchen to get the coffee my left leg was hurting.

I also thought about what I would do for lunch.  I couldn’t (shouldn’t) run.  So I decided that I would swim and lunch and skip the Masters Swim.  This was easy rationalization in the early morning hours.
But I was true to myself and jumped in the water at lunch.  I am sure that my session was not as challenging as the Masters Swim session.  I simply swam 4 x 500 yards at an easy pace.  It felt good.  When I was done I noticed the white board with the mornings session on it.  It was a reverse ladder of longer distances and interspersed with harder shorter intensities.  Yep, I workout was easier.
The money is in the bank.  The hay is in the barn.  The training is done.  The hard part is over.  It is time to kick back and relax.

no worries.

From that same Runner’s World article from yesterday.  This final week before marathon:

• Don't do anything tiring. Let the grass grow. Let the kids take out the garbage. Let the dog walk himself.
• Don't try anything new. No new foods, drinks, or sports.
• Don't cross-train, hike, or bike.
• Don't get a sports massage unless it's part of your routine. You may feel bruised a couple days afterward if you're not accustomed to it.
• Stay off your feet and catch up on movies, books, and sleep. If you go to the pre-race expo, don't stay long.
• Remember: During this final week, you can't under-do. You can only overdo.

Last week before the big race

From Runner’s World:

A review of 50 studies on tapering published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that levels of muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants, and hormones--all depleted by high mileage--return to optimal ranges during a taper. The muscle damage that occurs during sustained training is also repaired. And if that isn't enough, immune function and muscle strength improve, as well, which reduces the odds you'll catch a cold or get injured just before the race. And get this: The average performance improvement by the subjects who tapered in these studies was 3 percent. That works out to 5 to 10 minutes in a marathon.

The review's main conclusion: "The primary aim of the taper should be to minimize accumulated fatigue, rather than to attain additional physiological adaptations or fitness gains." In other words, it's time to chill.

My last long run of 20 miles was 2 weeks ago today.  That is right on schedule for almost all marathon taper plans.  However, my mileage dropped down substantially do to some discomfort in my ITB.  The week following that debilitating 20 mile run my mileage was cut back substantially.  I did not run the Monday, Tuesday (I attempted to run intervals – I ran about a quarter of a mile), Wednesday or Thursday.  I did some swimming, elliptical and cycling but no running for 4 days.  And when I did get back on my feet it was slow – real slow – jogging like slow.

I did get back to the grind and churned out some miles.  Some of the runs were a little bit faster but nothing near M (marathon) pace.  I did not push the pace until a full 10 days later.  At lunch, on Wednesday of last week I ran 6 miles at M pace and actually ended up 5 seconds per mile faster.  I was back on schedule.  So although not my normal taper procedure I did knock my mileage down.  On Friday I ran another 4 miles at M pace.  I missed out on almost all of my sharpening phase.  I never had the satisfaction of getting all of my Yasso’s.  I also missed some of my crucial hard tempo runs.

Sunday was obviously my last run of any substance.  I ran 10 miles at M pace.  Everything clicked off fine although it was tougher than I had hoped.  I finished the run in the projected time and at about the projected heart rate.  I just don’t like the thought of running another 16 miles at this pace.

The last week of training it is so important to stay on schedule.  Don’t do anything stupid.  The training is done.  There is nothing physically to be gained.

In this last week the only thing that you can do is hurt yourself.  It is time to be smart.

Running marathon pace without pain

I would like to say thank you for all of the support I have received from local runners and the blog-o-sphere at large.  It is very appreciated!

As you know I had a lot of discomfort while running this past week and a half.  This is something that I am just not used to.  I joke about it a lot but I like to think that I actually train smart most of time.  A lot of the guys that I workout with do a lot less and are hurt a lot more.  In fact, some of them are hurt so much that the own the boot.  They pull it out of the closet every few months.  I can almost predict when they will have to saddle it up again.

Count me lucky but I am so very rarely hurt.  But you do make your own luck.  I am very quick to shut it down at the first signs of discomfort.  That is why this caught me by surprise.  In retrospect, the intensity these past few weeks has been pretty high and I might have felt this ITB issue coming on earlier than I recognized.  But the real discomfort did not manifest itself until the last few miles of that 20 mile run two weeks ago.  The discomfort came on slowly and decided to stay awhile. 

I always like to say, “3 days will save you 3 weeks, 3 weeks will save you 3 months”.  I took my often given advice (sometimes this is difficult to do).  I took several days off.  I took a total of 4 complete days off and then I only ran at a super easy pace.  I tested the leg twice more with a couple of near complete rest days in between.

Today was the real test.  This was important.  Important not only to maintain my M (marathon) pace but to be able to do it without pain.  I set out for a 6 mile run at M pace today at lunch.  The wind was swirling and it was bitter cold.  Bitter cold here in the south is in the 30’s.  Everyone thought I was nuts to brave the elements.  I dressed appropriately with shorts, a short sleeved shirt, a long sleeved shirt and a pair of gloves.  I programmed the virtual nemesis for 6 miles @ M pace (6:50).

The first two miles were difficult.  My leg was not hurting but the run was.  I was laboring harder than I should of for the pace.  There was fear in my mind.  Where had my race fitness gone?  I thought about turning around but as long as the leg was fine I was not going to back down.  I was holding steady with the nemesis.  After the first couple of miles I eased into my rhythm.  I was running strong and there was no pain.  This was a huge relief off of my mind.

The first half of the run is harder than the back.  I was a few feet behind the nemesis but I new that I would make up some ground.  I was not looking at heart rate.  I was just trying to put some time into the nemesis without working too hard.  I started to gain more and more time.  I was a couple of hundred feet in front of the nemesis and still the leg held.
I finished up the 6 miles in 40:27 with the following splits:

01.  6:50
02:  6:53
03:  6:48
04.  6:39
05.  6:39
06.  6:37

Although this run was at M pace (not too fast) I was very gratified that I was able to hold pace and even more important hold pace without pain.  I am hoping that the couple of days off not only did not hurt my marathon efforts but might have even helped them.  You know, the old adage of it is better to be 10 percent undertrained than 1 percent over trainer.

The marathon goals are in place and the effort will be made.  There are no guarantees of success but I will be toeing the line on race day prepared to give it my best.  I’m getting excited about this again.

Marathon Decisions

Okay, there are decisions that need to be made. I ran 5 miles on Sunday at a comfortable pace (7:30ish). I had slight discomfort for the first 2 miles. Today I ran 6.5 miles at an even easier pace (8:30ish). There was absolutely zero pain. I also pushed the pace for half a mile towards the end of the run. All was well.

 

However, I am still taking it very easy. I need to test the legs with a marathon pace run (6:50). I need to see if my race goals are achievable.

 

When it comes to race day I believe you either execute or you don’t. I really don’t care what the reasons are for not achieving. When it is all said and done it doesn’t matter. It can be the conditions, it can be your condition but it doesn’t really matter.

 

Matty-O sent me the following:

 

The big question in your head is this: Do I pull the trigger on race day to hit my goal, or do I back off at the first sign of pain so that I don't throw my season in the trash can?

 

So here is the decision that needs to be made. This marathon is important to me. But I need to be smart about this. This race is not so important that I will risk the rest of the season (or more). So I need to take a look at my options –

 

1. I race the marathon at my projected pace (6:50)
2. I run the marathon with one of my buddies – kiss sub-3 good bye for now
3. I run the half marathon – much slower than current half PR
4. I skip the whole dang race

 

The next week will let me know where I will fall.  Since I am in taper mode I do not think I will lose any of my fitness but I still need to test the legs at race pace.  I think this run will occur on Thursday.  That will be the deciding day – a day of reckoning if you will.

 

Don’t forget the 2011 Wannabe Burpee Challenge.

Last hard long run–Mardi Gras marathon prep

Most of the time I look forward to a hard session (success junkie?) but I have been dreading this run all week.  It has been more like studying for a hard exam.

Last week the 15 mile run did not go as planned for a number of reasons.  This weekend is the 20 miler at speed (20 miles @ 7:05 minutes per mile).  I am better prepared.  I have rested the legs for two days.  I am packing the race belt – 5 gels.  I am right mentally.  It is time to execute.

I am headed out the door.

Back in the saddle–tempo runs

I was feeling a little bit better – the tooth thing really took its toll on motivation. I did not miss a single scheduled workout but I did not go above and beyond either. Normally I would have had a strength training session or two but not this week.

I took all of Tuesday off. I rode the trainer for nearly an hour on Wednesday morning. Lunch would be the real workout. It was cold and windy but I needed a 10 mile tempo run. This tempo run would be ay my projected marathon pace – 6:50 minutes per mile. This is what I need for my 2:59:xx marathon. I have run these 10 mile tempos many times in the past – this is one of my bread and butter distances. I started out fine but the run got hard. I never entered the red zone but the run was more than challenging. I finished the run with an average of 6:51 – I was not beat down or destroyed but I could not help from thinking about having to run an additional 16.2 miles.

 

This marathon goal is going to be tough.  Saturday calls for 15 @ 7:00. 

The triathlete’s dilemma

For many triathletes the off season means getting back into the weight room and base building. This is a time to work on weaknesses and limiters. It has been a tough couple of months of fitting in 3 swims, 3 bikes and 3 runs. For me the off season means running – and lots of it. Ask the experts and they will tell you that an off season marathon does nothing for ironman – not to mention for sprint or Olympic distance triathlon. However, it is the premier running distance.
Last year I decided to put together a solid effort at the marathon. I had never run a marathon but I was determined to Boston Qualify. I went from a half marathon time of 1:37 and dropped it too 1:29:30 – A solid 7 minute gain. I got my BQ in my first and only marathon at Mardi gras with a time of 3:08:44 – evenly split mind you (1:34:00 / 1:34:44).

However, during that run period my cycling suffered. Looking at my triathlon races this past year my cycling did improve but it was incremental. Compared to my compatriots I lost time on the bike.
My dilemma is how much cycling can you do when you want to put up the best possible time in a marathon? I have been riding the trainer two mornings each week and then hitting the group ride on the weekend. The trainer sessions have been purposeful. I have been attempting to ride 2 x 20 minutes at FTP (functional threshold power). FTP is the maximal power that can be maintained for 1 hour. The 2 x 20 minutes sessions are based on a percentage of this FTP.
Being in Australia for the month of November I was not able to keep up with my bike fitness. In addition I also increased my run volume. I have been unsuccessful in my trainer sessions and seen little to no progress.

So back to the question at hand – How many times can you ride each week and still put together a PR marathon. Unfortunately the answer is zero.

Marathon Goals

I have been planning out my goals. If you have been reading the blog for any length of time you will already be familiar with my goal setting process here and here.

So my long term goals are to run a sub-3 hour marathon at the 2011 Mardi Gras Marathon. I ran this race earlier this year (my first stand alone marathon) in 3:08:44. Cutting 8 minutes and 44 seconds of my marathon PR will be difficult. That means dropping 20 seconds per mile off of my pace. If you have been running for a while then you realize that this will not be a walk in the park. For these paces to work out that means I need to run a 1:25:20 half marathon (about 4 minutes faster than my PR and an 18:28 minute 5k (40 seconds faster than my PR).

So, how do I plan on achieving this goal?

There is a lot of work to be done – that is why I am starting now. First, over the course of the next couple of months I am going to build my running mileage up to 45 – 50 miles a week. Most of these miles will be at 20 – 25 percent slower than marathon race pace. I will run a half marathon at the end of October to gauge my conditioning. Then I am going to slack off for a couple of weeks. I have already bought my ticket and I will be spending November in Sydney, Australia visiting my sister and her family. I will still be running a lot but I will also be relaxing and vacationing.

Once I return that is when the real volume and work begins. I would like to build up to 70 miles per week over the next couple of months and test myself regularly with increasingly longer races. I will probably run the Baton Rouge Beach Half Marathon (first of December), the Ole Man River Half Marathon (December 19), the Steam Whistle 12K (Jan 1), the First Light Half Marathon (January 9), the Annual Larry Fuselier State Championship Race 25K (mid January) and the "The Wall" Louisiana Long Distance Championship Race 30K (end of January). I ran all of these races last year and they helped me with racing – both with strategy and pacing. It seems like a lot of racing, and it is, but I have found that races are the best way for me to put together a solid HARD distance run. Every one of these races was a solid effort and led to a PR. I hope to duplicate those results.

Oh yeah, and then there is Boston six weeks after the Mardi Gras Marathon (I am already qualified).

Mardi Gras Rock 'N' Roll Marathon Race Review

About the race. The EXPO was well run. It was crowed but that was to be expected. However, the Competitor Group has refined this process. It took all of 2 or 3 minutes to get processed. This was the largest race that I have ever participated in and this was the most efficient check in! When I did my ironman it literally took hours. Yes, there was a lot of hand holding for the ironman and regulations and rules and stuff but there were only 3,000 people participating – the marathon had 16,000. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Series has this down to a science.

The EXPO itself was pretty good also. There were several booths doing what appeared to be brisk business. You were also able to show your ID so that you could have beer at the finish line. If you checked in during the EXPO you would not have to show ID at the finish line. You could also sample the MGD 64 in Dixie cups at the EXPO. But, there was a rumor that you were only allowed 2 beers at the finish. That must be a dirty joke – this is after all New Orleans. The New Orleans Track Club almost starts serving beer prior to the start of their races. Now, don’t get me started on Baton Rouge – many races have food and drink the night before the race (included in the fee) as well as food and beer immediately following the race. This two beer limit must be a joke.

The race started near the convention center. The corrals were well marked and each corral had several port-a-loos. This was done very well. When I first got to the start line there were no lines for the potties and I hopped in and did my business. A little bit later I needed to go again and this time there was a line but it was acceptable. Even with a line it took only a couple of minutes. I don’t know how many corrals there were – twenty something I would guess – and there were a couple or three port-a-loos in each corral. I appreciated the amount of facilities that were available. There was a VIP area near the start that had heaters so you could stay warm. This area also had food, drinks and VIP bathrooms. However, you had to have purchased $150 worth of stuff at the EPXO. That was not for me.

The start was in the warehouse district, an industrial part of town. I have started at races here before and it is as good as anywhere to start. The course went east and looped around Audubon Park. This was a nice run even though the pavement was less than ideal. After the race I heard several stories of people falling. I hate to hear that but this is New Orleans and the roads are just that bad – there is no way around that.

Prior to the race I was looking over the course map and I was immediately concerned about the Half and Full marathoners branching off from each other and then merging back. I was concerned because the two groups would merge back together at mile 4.5 for the half marathoners and mile 8 for the full marathoners. I was afraid that there would be two groups of runners at very different paces. Worrying was all for not. The groups never actually merged – instead they ran side by side separated by a median or a line of cones.

As the name of the race suggests, there were a lot of bands. They were place at every mile of the race. This was not as motivating as you might think. You ran by the bands and heard them for about a minute. I do not remember any of the bands specifically. Maybe the bands are for the spectators?

The volunteers were plentiful and enthusiastic. There were cheerleaders from area schools everywhere cheering the runners on – they were competing for monies for their schools. Water and sports drink was every mile. I prefer to take gels and wash them down with straight water. It might be prissy but I do not want to spill the sports drink all over me and have to lose the mental concentration fussing with the stickiness. Anyway, I always take my own gels so this is not an issue for me (my gels are looped into my race belt), but I believe that there were only two water stops that had the gels. The map of the race indicated that gels would be available but it did not say where they would be available. If I had not had my own gels I might have been out of luck. As it turns out I did take 3 gels from the course. I combined this with the 5 that I had with me. Yes, that is right, I had 8 gels during the race (1 before and 7 during). Not having gels at all or most water stops seemed, I don’t know, I guess a little bit cheap. Once again, this did not pose a problem for me.

The finish line was lined deep with spectators and you could see the clock from a hundred yards out. This was well done and it definitely encouraged me to ‘sprint it out’. Once you crossed the finish line you were given your medal and a sports drink. The area immediately after finishing was well stocked with bagels, bananas, sports bars, water and sports drink. You were also given a solar blanket. There were speakers at the exit of this area that told you that once you left you would not be allowed back into the area. The notification system was well done. There was no doubt that you would not be let back in – they also had security standing there to ensure that no one came back into the area. I was spent when I finished and did not feel like eating much of anything – after all I had just finished a marathon. I did eat a bite of a banana and grabbed an additional sports drink as well as two sports bars.

I left the finishers area and found my group. I changed clothes in a port-a-loo. The park was huge and you had to walk a good distance to the reunion area. They had letters posted in a field that allowed for you to easily meet up with group. I thought this was done well. We ventured over to the letter P (for Pine belt Pacers – our running club) and met several of our group. The ground was damp so we used our solar blankets to keep us dry.

I went over to the beer area and my race bib procured me two beer tickets. They marked the bib to show that I had received my tickets. Each additional beer would be $2. Now, this race cost well over $100. I wonder how much money was saved (or made) from limiting cans of cheap beer? This did not affect me too much but there was a lot of grumbling amongst the finishers. In addition, who carries money with them on a race? I guess you could have packed it in your finish line bag – but …

After a few more people finished we started to get a little bit hungry. There was no food available outside of the finisher’s area. I take that back, they did have food for purchase. Now here is the rub, they have a captive audience of 16,000 people that have just run several hours and they charge them for food. That is just wrong. I have been to a lot of races and there is always food for the racers. That is just how races are done. There was a national chain restaurant serving food for free if you jumped through some hoops the day before. I was not aware of this and I did not jump through the necessary hoops. Anyway, they ran out of food.

This was also a point to point race and you had to take shuttles back to ‘near’ the start. There was no parking at the finish. You had to walk about a mile to get to the shuttles. I am not sure why they could not have been closer. I mean, we did have to walk along a road to get to the buses. But the number of buses was plentiful. There was no wait once you made the trek. The buses took you to the Superdome which is where most of participates had parked for the race and the second stop was close to the French Quarter. But if you were staying in a hotel near the race start you had another mile to walk. I knew where the shuttles were dropping off and was okay with the walk but I did hear of many people being upset – especially if you did not know the area.

I am aware that you cannot make everyone happy. And I did have a great race (I am signed up for next year already – I signed up prior to running the race for about a 50% discount). But there are a few things that need to be done better. Having done a number of triathlons I often hear of people being upset with WTC (World Triathlon Corporation - the ironman company) and talk about how expensive their races are. Both of these companies put on an efficient race and sell an experience. And I am perfectly fine paying for these experiences. At the end of my ironman, there was a ton of food (cheap food like pizza, bagels, cookies – but who cares at the end of an ironman) and even complimentary massages. My ironman and my marathon were both wonderful. But the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon series seems to be rather greedy. After all, it is just a marathon. If you charge a premium you had better deliver. With just a few changes to the amenities these events would be spectacular. I believe that the cost of the race should cover post race food. For crying out loud, no one would have complained if they charged an extra $5 and gave you a hamburger (although the race is already at a premium). There are a lot of marathons around. I am not sure if the Rock ‘n’ Roll experience is the premium.

The Good:
Fast easy check-in
Nice EXPO
Start Line facilities
Nice course
Volunteers
Ample water stations
Festive Finish line

The Bad:
Expensive Race
No FOOD
Limited Beer
Limited Gels at the water stations

All in all I had a great race and many of the CONS just did not have an effect on my experience. Most of what I am reporting on was from other racers. However, I do see their points. As I have previously mentioned I will be doing the race again next year. It will be interesting to see how the race grows.

Mardi gras Marathon - By the number revisted

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1735863/Mardi_Gras_Marathon