2:50:13 AKA Unfinished Business

 A few weekends ago, i completed the Amway Riverbank Run 25K in Grand Rapids, MI.  

I am not a highly sentimental person.  I believe in traveling light, literally AND figuratively.  As such, even if GR was the first place Gianina and i ever lived (also where our son was born) in the US and the and “should” probably serve as some sort of emotional anchor…  it essentially was “just another place.”  I know that makes me sound like a callous a-hole, but it is what it is.  

What i AM though, is task-oriented.  If there is something that needs doing, i try to finish the job to the best of my ability.  The result may not necessarily be what was expected or desired; heck, it might not even be a “good job,” but at least i did my best and finished it.  And then i move on.  

After running the Grand Rapids Marathon back in 2010, my next goal was to run what is arguably GR’s “more famous” race: the Fifth Third Riverbank Run 25K.  25K is an unusual distance and i’ve never really been curious enough to look up how they decided on it.  Still, it was “only” 15.6 miles, considerably less than 26.2, and should have been relatively easy for me to do, six months after the marathon.  Unfortunately, due to an infatuation with trying to change my stride - “barefoot running” was beginning to rise in popularity at the time - i got saddled with one injury after another.  Finally, in 2012, we moved to Pittsburgh, PA.  And so i never got to do it.  

Over the next decade, i would intermittently check the date of the race to see if there was any way i could squeeze it into my schedule.  For thirteen years, it just didn’t work out.  Then, late last year, while going through my 2026 schedule, i noticed that i had a little window to take off from work in early May.  I checked the race schedule: it was exactly on that Saturday!  Perfect, enough time to get in and out!  

So, arrangements were made, and Gianina and i made our way to GR on a Thursday night.  Friday was spent driving around town to see if we could recognize anything.  By and large the “bones” of the city are the same, but it’s clear that it’s growing and thriving.  Good for them.  

Had to have AI remove some legs in the background.

Saturday morning rolled around.  I started the race.  I relentlessly followed the run-walk-run (RIP Jeff Galloway) method with a 3:1 ratio, starting out with the 11:30 pace group and ending up in front of the 11:00 pace group.  Close to three hours later, i was done.  

I’d like to attribute it to better conditioning, but i was barely sore after the race and was able to ambulate at a get-together with some friends without stumbling around like Forrest Gump before the leg braces.  

Some of our good friends in West MI.

RACE NOTES: 

1. The expo experience was pleasant enough.  Nothing fancy, no wall of names or any live entertainment.  Just the packet pickup, exhibitors, running store booths, and free samples.  Amway was giving away these massive sample bags of health and beauty products.  Fine by me.  

2. IMHO the Amway Grand Hotel is probably one of the best places to stay for this particular race.  The starting line is a block away, and the finish line is quite literally at the hotel’s doorstep.  With the 25K slated to begin at 8:30 AM, Gianina and I walked out of the hotel and ambled over to the starting line.  We were there in 15 minutes.  There was no security to speak of, and she was able to stay with me right until i started running.  The gun went off exactly at 8:30.  I’ve said this before, and i’ll say it again: small races FTW!  

In our hotel room. That is literally the final stretch of the race out the window.

3. Race day conditions were mostly ideal.  We started out in the low 50s.  There was a little drizzle ten minutes in that cleared up quickly.  We ended in the mid 60s.  

Decked out in my pre-race throwaway sweater and scrub pants.

4. The course was mostly flat.  I don’t recall any particularly punishing hills.  Over half of it was run through parks, which were pleasantly shaded.  There was about a two-mile stretch at the end (getting back into the city) that had zero shade, it probably would have been brutal if it were warmer.

Wishing that i had brought a pair of sunglasses.

5. There were aid stations supplied with water and Gatorade every two miles.  I believe they were handing out gels at around mile 6, but it was that honey thing that i’ve never used, so i didn’t partake.  I wondered why they were handing it out so early though, and i don’t recall any more gels at subsequent stations.  There were tents with entertainers every few miles.  Nothing crazy, but i surely appreciated it.  

6. The post-race festivities were held at the Devos Place, which is just one block over from the Amway Grand.  The bib came with a coupon for a free beverage, but we didn’t go.  

To paraphrase the late great Kobe Bryant: job’s finished.  Time to move on.  

Walking away from the finish, time to leave it all behind.

Sushi lunch after the race.

5:07:16

A few weekends ago, i finished the California International Marathon with a time of 5:07:16. 

This is my third running of the CIM.  My time was definitely nothing to write home about (although it IS something to blog about).  At least it was faster than my previous showing of 5:07:42.

I do NOT have a litany of excuses for this; in fact i only have two: 

1. In early August, i sprained my ankle so badly that i couldn't run for 3 weeks.

 

2. In mid-November, i came down with a nasty case of urinary tract infection (sepsis with bacteremia, if that means anything to the reader) and had to take it easy for a week.  

Since the greatest predictor of marathon performance appears to be training history, my performance was pretty adversely affected.  Here's my abbreviated training log for the 16 weeks preceding the race: 

Week 1: 12.2
Week 2: 19.2

Week 3: 23.9

Week 4: 28.9

Week 5: 29.8

Week 6: 34.1

Week 7: 30

Week 8: 34.4

Week 9: 36.7

Week 10: 12.1

Week 11: 49.3 

Week 12: 35.7

Week 13: 34.1 

Week 14: 26.1 

Week 15: 49.2

Week 16: 12 + race 

That is a grand total of only 440.7 miles.  

Only?  Well, in contrast, when i ran Chicago in 2019 - a race in which i already felt woefully undertrained, i totaled 460 miles over 16 weeks.  In two races i ran prior that  (New York and Big Sur), i accumulated 560 miles each.  These are very significant differences.  According to Gemini/Google, i barely logged enough mileage for a "novice," i.e. to finish 26.2.  

It should be pointed out that the decrease in volume was mostly intentional.  After my sprain, i decided to do some "load management," i.e. take days off when i felt like i was pushing it too hard.  To wit, some weeks i would only run 4 days, and over the entire training cycle i did almost zero speedwork.  Looking at it that way, i probably should be glad that i even did half-a-minute better than the last one. 

At any rate, despite this depressing postmortem analysis, i continue to plod forward.  In January, i will be doing the Dopey Challenge at  the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.  It's something i've been wanting to do for years, and i am pretty stoked.  In that broader context, this CIM was essentially "just another long run."  Particularly given my troubles, i didn't really want to push myself too hard and injure myself again before this big event.  

I unfortunately cannot catch a break.  Every time i train for a marathon, i have to deal with some setback.  Every.  Single.  Time.  But then again, that's how it goes.  If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.  

Race Notes:

(Not many thoughts on this one that i haven't expressed before, but here are a few random ones): 

1.  The expo is now at the Cal Expo.  Lots of vendors, but there was no wall of names (or maybe i just didn't see it?).  

2.  There seems to be a new (to me, since i hadn't noticed this before) bus option that leaves as late as 6:30 from Granite Bay.  This is great because i didn't have to wake up as early as previous years.  Gianina drove me over to the Safeway and walked with me until i got on the bus.  Additionally, since the bus gets to the event so close to the start time, there is no need to stay in the bus (no opportunity anyway, since they dropped us off close to the porta-potties and then drove away) or seek shelter from something like a VIP tent.  

At the hotel... 20 minutes away from the 6:30 bus in Granite Bay.

3.  For some reason, i went through my entire 2-liter Camelbak by mile 24.  I should probably stop washing my hands with it after i eat a gel.  

Next, Dopey!

I am here! At the finish line (IYKYK)

Ready for lunch!

UPDATE: Edited 1/5/2026 to reflect that my previous CIM time was 5:07:42.

    

5:03:14 (AKA "It's Alaska, People!")

Last weekend, i completed the Anchorage Mayor's Marathon in 5:03:14.

There was nothing particularly special about this race that called out to me.  It just happened to fall on a day that worked perfectly. I’m always on the lookout for a good Saturday marathon, since almost all of them run on Sundays. It's probably just me, but i feel that Saturday is more conducive to travel overall.  I do wish they had timed it for the evening, to celebrate/experience the "midnight sun" on the summer solstice, but i'm not one of the organizers.  

Photo credit: Gianina Chong

My time was (as seems to be the theme over the past 2 years) nothing special.  Perhaps i could have finished sub-5 (which i consider to be the minimum requirement to not hang my head in shame), but throughout the race i reminded myself that I AM NOT IN TIPTOP SHAPE and never tried to push too hard.  This was good AND bad: despite finishing with a time that results in me hanging my head in shame, i still feel like i finished pretty strong.  Let me explain.  

Even though i didn't have a "gameplan" like the pros, i had come up with a "loose strategy" based on the elevation chart: take it relatively easy until mile 17 (basically to "get over the hill"), and then open up for the last 9 miles. In this, i think i did a decent job, not running any particular target pace, going "by feel" (easy at the first 17 and hard-ish at the last 9), and deciding what to do depending on what the course presented.  

Elevation chart

I mostly stuck to my tried-and-true run-walk-run ratio of 3-minutes-to-1.  HOWEVER, if it was a tough uphill, i would slow down to a walk, and if it was a decent downhill, i would do a fast jog, regardless of what my ratio called for. 

Enjoying one of the downhills.
Photo credit: Gianina Chong

In the end, i conserved enough stamina to do my running intervals at 9:00 to 9:30 when i finally let loose.  This resulted in a negative split.  If i may toot my own horn, i am somewhat proud of that, since it indicated that i sped up while every else was slowing down.  You can see that in how my "place" got better as time went by.  I was in 638th out of 742 around six miles in, but finished 473rd.  So, i outran 154 runners who were ahead of me by the halfway mark.  

"Placing."

I honestly felt strong for most of the race.  More significantly, AFTER the run: i haven't experienced as much soreness as i have in the past.  Since my overarching goal is to keep healthy while running marathons indefinitely, it's probably ok that i didn't push myself too hard.    

Some other things that may have contributed to how good i feel after this race (documented for future reference, in no particular order): 

1. Gu up every 30 minutes.  I went through 10 gel packets. 

2. Drink water when i felt even remotely thirsty AND at every mile.  I ended up finishing my entire 2 L bladder, running empty only when i was half a mile from the finish.  I urinated once, around mile 9. 

3.  I immediately ate a huge piece of loaded focaccia (the equivalent of a small pizza) almost immediately after crossing the finish line.  

4.  I wore compression socks after the race.  

Finishing strong and feeling good after the race may be an accomplishment in and of itself, even if i do have to hang my head in shame.   Now, if only i can get a faster finishing time... 

All-in-all, i'm happy with my fitness journey over the past 12 months. I've made steady gains since i started training with a heart rate monitor. The latest piece i've added to the puzzle is calculating my training zones based on my heart rate reserve, using my ACTUAL maximum heart rate (around 184) instead of my calculated max of 173. When running, i FEEL like my cardiovascular fitness has improved. More importantly, the metric i use (average HR vis-a-vis average pace during an easy run) has also shown objective improvement.  If i continue to train this way and apply the racing lessons i continue to learn, maybe i'll be able to hold my head up high again one day. 

Feeling good.
Photo credit: Gianina Chong

RACE NOTES 

1.  The expo was straightforward, really no vendors except for a local running store. HOWEVER, they had a Qdoba stall handing out free chips and salsa, and another stall where they had a wall of names.  This latter stall gave out "free" shades and gaiters. 

There i am.
Photo credit: Gianina Chong

2.  Weather on race day was less than ideal. It started out in the mid 50s and ended up in the low 70s. Considering the location, i expected it to be cooler, but it IS summer, and it WAS basically the longest day of the year (around 16 hours of sunlight). Thankfully, there was plenty of shade on the course to keep one cool.  

Mid-50s and sunny.
Photo credit: Gianina Chong

3.  Small races are really a pleasant experience. There were just over 700 marathon runners. Since the field was so sparse, Gianina and i were able to leave our Airbnb around 45 minutes prior to the race start, get to the site, park, and mosey on over to the start line with plenty of time to spare. In fact, she stayed with me all the way until the race actually started.  Unfortunately, because of the narrowness of some of the running paths, there was quite the crowd to navigate through for the first 2 miles or so. It eventually thinned out enough that i could run-walk-run most of it without fear of being run over. 

Photo credit for the above: Gianina Chong

4.  The course - while pleasant enough - wasn't as picturesque as i expected/wanted it to be.  Even though we ran the first part on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail which nominally has a view of coastline, you couldn't really get that view unless you wanted to walk off the trail a bit.  There were some gorgeous views of the mountains, especially when running through the city and there weren't as many trees in the way.  A few years ago, they had to stop the race for several minutes because a bear was blocking the path.  I was looking forward to a similar experience, but unfortunately the closest thing i had to a wildlife encounter was spotting a moose standing 200 yards off to the side.  Overall the course wasn't super difficult, but it seemed decently hilly, especially leading up to mile 17 and then at the finish line.  There was a gravelly area from miles 15 to 17, but nothing that my road shoes (Nike Vomero 17s) couldn't handle.  

Squint and you'll see the moose.

A view of the city and the coastline.

Mountains in the distance.

5.  The aid stations seemed well-stocked but i didn't really partake, except for a few cups of water here-and-there.  Someone was handing out beers at mile 21.  I believe there were an ample amount of porta-potties, but we were actually ENCOURAGED to use the woods ("It's Alaska, people!") for bodily functions.

6.  There was no organized entertainment and almost no spectators.  Not an issue for me. 

7.  The post-race experience also had zero fanfare.  Cross the finish line and collect your medal.  They were giving out "free" food (there were grilled cheese sandwiches and chips with salsa) and you could also wait in line to get your "free" beer.  I did not partake.  Because the event was so small (?!), Gianina was able to meet me at the finish line, give me the aforementioned loaded foccacia bread, and help me walk to the car that was parked about a block away.  Small races FTW!  

Photo credit: Gianina Chong

Photo credit: Gianina Chong

I kind of enjoyed this one, mainly due to the timing and small size.  I also thought Anchorage was a pleasant place to visit, as long as one doesn't overstay their welcome.  However, with the course overall  being meh and the amount of hassle it took to get there, i would not run it again. 

Beer flight + fried halibut and chips at 49th State Brewing.

With a year of heart-rate-zone-training under my belt, and more experience with proper hydration, nutrition, and recovery... let's see how i do at this year's CIM. 

5:07:15

Last weekend, i finished the LA Marathon in 5:07:15.  

Off by a second?! I'll acknowledge the slower time.

After my troubles with Long Covid, i was really hoping for a "triumphant return to marathoning" by at least finishing less than 5:00.  Such was not to be.  Maybe i've undergone some actual permanent physiologic changes.  Maybe i'm just getting old.  Whatever it is, i don't like it, and i hope i can train my way out of it; to wit, i will focus on strength and proper running form for the next cycle.  

On a positive note, i was able to achieve a negative split.  At mile 13, my watch reported that my half marathon split was in the vicinity of 2:35-ish.  I had an inkling (delusion!) that i could run the next half in around 2:20, so i dialed up the pace for my run intervals.  I felt like i was doing generally okay until mile 20 or so, when my quads started complaining.  Around mile 25, while speeding up for my finishing kick, both my legs just completely cramped up.  At least in contrast to CIM 2022, when i had to stop moving altogether, i merely slowed down to a walk for around 2 minutes and then gingerly started jogging.  I was never able to get a good finishing kick, but at least finished the race "running."   My second half was completed in roughly 2:32-ish.  Not much of a negative split, but i'll still take it.    

I wonder if i just went out too slow.  My cramping at the end would seem to imply otherwise, but i think there may have been another, more sinister reason for that.   

In all honesty, i feel like i haven't learned to properly hydrate for marathons.  After plenty of hemming and hawing on race week, i somehow convinced myself that my 1.5 L Camelbak would provide enough hydration.  Unfortunately, it felt warmer than the weather report indicated  (more on this later), and i chugged on that thing more than i usually do.  I also didn't take advantage of the aid stations, only taking water from them about halfway in.  Well, i RAN OUT of water around mile 22.  Considering that i never needed to pee on the course, i was probably running pretty dehydrated.  Even though i didn't necessarily run out of water at that race, my most recent CIM finish was also marred by cramping at the end, which i believe was also driven by dehydration.  I need to get better at this.  Maybe if i had hydrated better and gone out faster, maybe... maybe...  Bah. 

(On another note, i wonder how much time i wasted just stopping to take pictures along the way.  Still, i didn't go all the way to Los Angeles to just run through the city and ignore my surroundings.  And it wasn't really that many selfies.)  

Chinatown.

City Hall.

An entrance to Echo Park.

A fountain at Echo Park.

The Dolby Theater.

The Chinese Theater.

Rodeo Drive.

What's done is done.  Nothing to do but learn the lessons, adjust, and move on.  

RACE NOTES: 

1. Upon arrival at Dodger Stadium two days before the race, while there were a few volunteers motioning us in the right direction, there were no actual signs indicating "Expo This Way." It seemed like anyone's guess as to where they should park or in which way they should actually head. I ended up parking BEHIND the expo, basically going in through the exit, and having to walk all the way through the event to the entrance at the other end just to get my bib. The exhibitors themselves were the usual assortment of vendors. There was a small wall of names. In sum, i would say that it was a bad experience just because of the lack of proper directions.

There i am!

2.  Despite the organizers' admonition to arrive at the start at 5:30 AM, we ended up LEAVING our  Airbnb (around 5 miles away) at that time.  We took I-5 into Dodger Stadium (traffic was horrendous at the exit), and i was dropped off with the other runners at around 6:30 AM.  One cannot overstate how bad LA traffic can be.  A friend of mine availed of the shuttle from Century City to the starting line (roughly 16 miles), and the trip took at least an hour.  At least there was an ample amount of porta-potties at the start, so it took me only 20 minutes to use one.  I was still able to get to the corral by 7 AM.  (On a side note, i was assigned to Corral "Open" but seemed to accidentally wander into Corral E).  

At the runners' drop-off point.

At the runners' drop-off point. 

Enough porta-potties at the start. I got in and out in around 20 minutes.

About to cross the starting line.

It begins.

3.  The weather wasn't too bad.  It started out in the low 50s and ended up in the mid 60s.  HOWEVER, it was not cloudy on the course at all, so i felt like i was being slowly baked by the sun for at least half of the race.  Perfect racing weather is really somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees.  In fact, note to future self: if the temperature is projected to go above 60 degrees during the race: BRING THE BIGGER CAMELBAK.  

4.  This is probably the smallest "big" race i've run, with just over 20,000 runners in total.  That being said, I still always felt like i was running in a crowd and had to do quite a bit of lateral movement to avoid people during my run-walk-run cycles.  My Garmin reports that i ran a total of 26.7 miles.  Small races FTW.   

Behold the sea of humanity.

Behold the sea of humanity.

5.  I was frankly quite underwhelmed by the course.  It's billed as running through historic neighborhoods, but i personally felt that it was more "history-adjacent."  For example, we did not run through Olvera Street and then really just ran through the the edges of Chinatown and Little Tokyo.  On the flipside, we did run by City Hall and through Hollywood Boulevard.  It would have been nice to go to Santa Monica, but they changed the course a few years ago.  Many of the roads also seemed to be in a state of disrepair.  Obviously it can be a dangerous to run on uneven and potholed pavement, and one really needed to pay attention to where their next step was going to land.  The course was decently hilly IMHO, and basically ends with a little incline close to the finish line.  

The official elevation chart.

Source: https://www.mccourtfoundation.org/event/los-angeles-marathon/distances-courses/

6.  There was an ample amount of aid stations, spaced out roughly every mile or so.  I believe there were porta-potties at all of them, but the lines seemed too long for my taste, at least until around mile 16 or so when (presumably) people were starting to get dehydrated.   I also quite enjoyed the on-course entertainment, and i really appreciate those folks coming out to keep the runners entertained and motivated.  Even the religious proselytizers (maybe they thought they were doing us a favor because none of us were in church on a Sunday morning) were entertaining. 

7.  The post-race experience was quite disorganized.  After getting through the chute, it looked like there were a few paths leading to the festivities, but they were completely clogged with spectators.  There was also no easy way to reunite with your loved ones (no alphabetically-arranged "family reunion" areas like New York or Chicago), unless you had a predetermined meeting spot already planned out.  Since cell signals tend to be spotty at these mega-events, that is a potential disaster.  

I'm sorry to say that i wasn't impressed.  The pre- and post-race experiences were badly organized and the course was just meh.  Maybe i'm just salty because i missed my target time, but i would not run it again. 

Next, Anchorage. 

Enjoying a post-race Shakey's pizza!