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I’ll admit it. The snow is wearing on me. I’ve enjoyed the best local snowshoeing I’ve experienced, but the storms just seem to keep coming with no respite. Susan has been driving my car to work since it’s all wheel drive, but today was the day to dig her car out just in case I needed to get somewhere during the day. I snapped a few shots of the situation.

We’re luckier than most because we live on a state route, the plows actually remove the snow rather than just plowing it onto our sidewalk. Even so, the pile on our sidewalk is nearing Jeep height.

All the doors on the back of the house are buried in 3 to 5 foot drifts or iced shut so to get into the back yard I had to use snowshoes, hop a fence, and walk through the church yard.

A lot of our friends are having ice dam problems leading to leaks in their roofs. While we don’t have any leaks thanks to replacing our roof last year, we do have an ice wall that stretches from eaves to ground. When I took this shot my head was above roofline.

By noon on Tuesday, it became clear that we were going to get hit with a good amount of snow on Wednesday. Susan managed to rearrange her schedule so she could do her conference calls from home and we’d have a nice snow day around Newburyport. We were hoping that we’d get enough powdery white stuff to have a good snowshoe adventure at Maudslay as well.

We went to bed shortly after midnight and it had not started snowing yet. I woke up around 3am to the sound of snowplows warming up outside our bedroom window. Since we live on a US highway access road we are both blessed and cursed by snowplows. Looking at the window I saw a lot of wind and an inch or two of snow down.

By 7am when I got out of bed we were up to 8″ and by the time I got outside to shovel at 8:30 we were up to 12″ on the front walk and back yard.

About 11:30 Susan was done with her morning calls and the snow was still coming down hard. We decided it would be too difficult to dig the car out to get to the state park so we decided to strap on the snowshoes and walk around town instead. We took a walk down to Bartlett Mall, walked around the pond, back up High St. to the bike path, and back home. When we got home I shoveled one more time while Susan made me cocoa. 12:30pm as I write this and we’re over 16″ with 30″ drifts in the back yard. My best guess is one more shoveling in a few hours and I’ll be done until morning.

We decided to do a fun race to start the new year, the Winner’s Circle Running Club’s Hangover Classic 10K at Salisbury Beach. As we walked toward the beach, we noted the crowd was a mix of elite runners competing for the prize money, running club members, families running or walking together (we imagined some were fulfilling a new year’s resolution), and the usual crowd of local racers. We saw lots of familiar race shirts, including Half at the Hamptons, Reach the Beach, Pow Wow triathlon and even the McNaughton race. A volunteer working the registration table said they had 1200 pre-registered and another 500 on race day, including the two of us. The sunny skies and 60 degree temps helped motivate lots of people to participate.

We opted to not worry about a race plan – on the way there we briefly discussed running our own races and maybe holding out a bit up front, then kicking it up at the end, but this event was about having fun and pushing ourselves at a shorter distance. A 10K is forgiving because even if we went out way too hard, we knew we could hold on for the last couple miles without negative consequences. I was personally interested in just racing for the fun of it – picking people off, surging with impunity, and running the course without more than a glance or two at my watch.

The start was a little hectic, so we went out fast to wind our way through the crowd, hitting at 7:24 first mile. I actually missed the one-mile mark and hit my watch at the 5 mile point (1.2 miles from the start), so just in case I picked it up a bit for mile 2, coming through at 7:16. (One of those times I missed Beej’s ability to do split calculations in his head.) By mile 3 I settled down to a 7:45, and was planning to sit there for miles 4 and 5, until the course turned through a neighborhood and onto the beach – as in loose sand underfoot for over half a mile. I still managed an 8:32 for that mile thanks to recent runs on trails and snow, but was a bit winded, and my already tired glutes were screaming. I took another half mile to recover and reassess. I worked on self-motivation a bit, recognizing that I have room for improvement in pushing myself toward the end of the race. I put in a 7:46 for mile 5 and then squeezed in just under 8s for the last 1.2 miles to come in at 48:48 (my unofficial watch time was 48:13). Brian was right behind me at 49:44 (unofficial watch time was 49:23).

Every race is a learning opportunity. Lesson 1: calibrating how much impact the previous day’s activities can have on performance. We had done a Martina workout on New Year’s Eve and woke up with very sore glutes and pecs on New Year’s Day. Some yoga helped loosen things up a bit, but we were both pretty sore and stiff compared with having “fresh legs” for other events. That being said, we were uncomfortable but didn’t get injured, a good data point when we return to serious training.

Lesson 2: hydration is always important. We didn’t do any special fueling for this event (again, it’s a pretty forgiving distance). I had some electrolyte drink before and after, I picked up a few sips at the water stop on the course, and we noted how well the cool dry air removed sweat during the race leaving our faces and necks salty. Even so, I was surprised how much I had to drink before I felt “normal” again after the race.

Lesson 3: Know the course. I head read that the course went along the beach, but I assumed it was the boardwalk or the beach road, not the *actual* beach. I also didn’t have a good idea how far it was to the finish after we got off the beach. I tend to hold back when I don’t know how far I have left, so it pays off for me to scope out the course, especially the last mile, before the race.

Lesson 4: I like having a goal. I didn’t have much motivation to run negative splits or push hard at the end of the race – I wasn’t trying to beat a PR or a particular person, and it was too long of a race to just go all out. I like the structure of last year’s training so I definitely need to put together a training plan at least weekly.

As promised, it’s time to look toward 2011. I decided to draw some inspiration by catching up on what professional Hoosier born runner Amy Begley is up to, reading a few ultra runner blogs, and watching the 2010 Ironman broadcast. (Though I have to say it’s a shame they don’t cover it as a world championship sporting event, instead turning it into a dramatized advertisement. The shameless product placement, lead-in ads and human interest stories that plug sponsors was disappointing, but consistent with Ironman branding. /end rant)

Before mapping out 2011, I did a little more reflection on 2010, which was a banner year! I put in 1262 training miles, an average of just under 3.5 miles a day (not counting hikes and snow showing). Thanks to consistent training and finally doing intervals, I lowered my pace by 30 seconds per mile. I enjoyed many new experiences as well as revisiting some old favorites. I am very lucky to have an excellent training partner in Beej, who encourages me to run when it would be easy to skip out, and reminds me to make easy runs easy and hard runs hard. I also enjoyed a few new running buddies to share miles throughout the season.

Last year I picked two big events and trained for those; all my interim races led up to those “A” races. For 2011, I decided to pursue the “rolling wave” planning approach that I use at work, where I nail down what I’m doing the next three months and put rough sketch plans for the 3-6 month range, with placeholders for what I’m likely to do after that.

January 1: Hangover Classic in Salisbury (10K)
February 20: Half at the Hamptons (13.1M)
March 6: Black Cat in Salem (20M)
April/May long race: Nashville Marathon or McNaughton in Vermont or Seven Sisters Trail Race
Summer: Have fun, do more hikes/trail runs, and probably do Yankee Homecoming in August, Cape Ann in Sept
Fall: Marathon?

I definitely want to prioritize events with friends, especially if it involves racing in a new state. I really enjoy the loooooong runs, but they are time consuming and are tougher without a buddy. I plan to see how I feel about the New Year’s 10K, my first race at that distance since 2000. I may focus on 10K to half marathon distances that would better align with Brian’s sweet spot, or fall back to the long distance plan of half-marathons to ultras but keep up some speed work.

Wow, has it really been a year since I wrote a book related blog? Book club went on hiatus for the summer and didn’t recover, so it has been six months since we met and did anything organized, but we did meet in December to choose a book for January 2011. Rest assured that I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron will get us back on track.

Prior to the hiatus we read The Help by Katherine Stockett, which I think was my favorite of the year, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and The Late George Apley by John Phillips Marquand, a Newburyport author. I also read Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, yet more reinforcement for being a locavore or at least being conscious of how our food is raised/manufactured.

In the past month I finally read The Shack, which I’d enjoy discussing with anyone else who has read it. I also read a good short inspiring book, a resource from the CCLP program, Self-Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard, an excellent reminder that my colleagues aren’t mind readers and I need to ask for what I need to be successful. And I just finished Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, a recommendation from a friend who is a business coach. It was an excellent lead-in to making resolutions for deliberately practicing skills I want to improve, particularly translating my running discipline into the workplace.

One goal for 2011: get at least one book on tape/CD/mp3 that I can enjoy in the car during my daily commute. Any suggestions?

Saturday dawned, the day to finally bottle the wine. Well-fed from the previous night’s dinner and feeling refreshed from a good night’s sleep, the brave adventurers Mary and Susan were hopeful even as they ventured to the dark dusty basement in search of the winemaking supplies.

They encountered previously cleaned bottles without labels, a welcome discovery that would save hours of scraping and scrubbing. Two cases were chosen and brought out for sanitization in a bleach solution.

The bottles were left to dry while the adventurers hiked miles in the woods, up and down hills and around a swamp. (Editors note: Poetic license granted because we really did hike, and it lends drama to the story, even though hiking wasn’t actually a requirement of winemaking.) Finally they returned home after a long day, debating whether they were up to the task at hand. Fortunately the wizard Beej suddenly appeared to offer his sage advice and help. He began mixing a potion to help discern the best path forward. (Ok, it was mixing the two kinds of wine to figure out whether a blend tasted better, but bear with us here.) Carefully he measured the ingredients.

The threesome agreed that the blend of 2/3 apple with Champagne yeast and 1/3 spiced apple was better than the plain apple, and besides it would leave several bottles of pure spiced wine, a signature of the Fellowship, as a tasty novelty apertif. Beej then disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, and the adventurers set to work bottling the wine.

Then it was time for the final step – Susan made makeshift labels while Mary corked the bottles to seal in the delicious cargo.

The two friends smiled and admired the fruits of their labor. As Mary departed the next day for the next stop on her journey, the adventurers promised to meet again soon.

I realize that our adventures in winemaking pre-date this blog, so I’ll provide some background.

Back in 1998, a master plan was hatched. The details are a bit fuzzy after more than a decade, but legend has it that Owen discovered mead, but found it hard to purchase in the area. Mary suggested he could make some. As a Chemical Engineer who was easily convinced to join in such adventures, I was asked to consult on the project. On the porch of a Magazine St. apartment in Cambridge, the adventure in winemaking began. The first labels were white tape with artfully written text in black marker. Primitive bottling activities broke a cardinal rule of Chemistry – never pipette by mouth.

After the initial mead, we tried apple wine in 2000. With some success, more carboys, and a move to Dickson Street in Somerville, we branched out to three varieties: apple, cranberry apple, and peach. The labels evolved to be laser-printed in full color on Avery stock. There was an ill-fated Strawberry attempt around that time as well, resulting in the disastrous “funk” we still recall with a shudder. But, overall, the winemakers (and the wine!) were growing stronger and more successful.

By 2002 we had gathered more professional supplies from the Modern Brewer in Cambridge and named our brand: Road Trip Orchards. Labels were color-coded in more professionally looking monochrome artwork, including our motto: “Fine Wines and Fun Trips since 1996″ (the three of us drove to Atlanta and back for the Olympics). We branched out to try Chardonnay and Cote Des Blanc yeast, and also tried our first Spiced Apple wine.

But, the fellowship of winemaking started to crack. Owen moved to Kenya, then to the Bay Area, well out of range for even sporadic racking and bottling. Mary began an era of nomadic travels, often settling far away from the Boston area. Sarah Sheldon was recruited to assist, bringing new ideas and respect for the old ways, but she too moved away before the last batch could be finished. Promising gallons of apple wine and hard tea languished in the basement for many years, to be nearly forgotten.

Then, Sarah moved back to the Boston area and asked about the wine. In November, Mary brought her brother Frank to visit and we decided to test the wine. The 2003 vintage, dormant in the basement for seven years, wasn’t half bad!

And so, this weekend, the 2003 apple wine was bottled, and a new era of winemaking will hopefully begin.

The Dunn family invited us to join them for Thanksgiving this year. We brought our now standard Pumpkin Roll, which you can see in the photo below of Nolan with the whipped cream. This one is Brian’s request, a tradition from his Aunt Sally, that was made with the farm share pumpkin this year. We also brought Spinach/Hazelnut Salad, another tradition, to ensure there is always something healthy and green on the table!

But before dinner, the boys had a few chores to do: put away the porch furniture and bring in the dock.

Once the boys declared “mission accomplished” it was time to dig into the tasty appetizers – Uncle John’s pate’ with crackers, and some red peppers to dip in hummus. We watched football until the rest of the crew arrived.

One important test of the day was to see if Nolan would like the pate’.

He clearly was intrigued

But it definitely was not as good as when Grandma let him lick the whipped cream off the beaters.

As you can see, we had tons of yummy food and a good time was had by all! We even brought home a baggie of turkey and stuffing to enjoy as leftovers later in the weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We’ve enjoyed the “time off” after the marathon. We basked in the post-marathon satisfaction for several days, with new photos and a video of the finish (go to the 4:46:53 – 4:00:46 video, and we’re at 3:48:08 and 4:00:23 clock time). Neither of us ran for several days to give our legs a much needed rest. When I went for a short 3 mile run on November 5, it was a struggle to manage 9:30s. I gave myself another few days off before running again, and this time was back in form at 8:35s for 6 miles. Since then I’ve been running for fun, not worrying much about pace, just feeling good to be outside and enjoying the company of Brian or another buddy. I’m also enjoying that 8:30s are a comfortable pace, whereas last year at this time I was running 9s and 9:30s on my easy runs.

I promised myself I would not think about the next season until after Thanksgiving, but that’s been hard to do. I have reached many goals this year – running my first Ultra, running a Boston-qualifying marathon, learning to fuel myself on long runs, and keeping up consistent training through the “off-season” last winter through this fall. (I say off-season in quotes because I didn’t really stop training since last year’s marathon, and in fact I’ve been training consistently since July 2009.) So, what’s next?

One option would be to work on speed and do shorter races (5K to half marathon). Another would be to focus on trail running and ultra races. It’s been really fun to do “destination” races, so I’ve thought about planning my 2011 race calendar around visiting friends and family, and encouraging our friends to run with us. Brian and I have really enjoyed training together, but I know that my running training has caused him to do more running and less biking than his otherwise planned this year. For me to do triathlon training is particularly tough with my work schedule and commute; it’s unlikely that even if we both opted for Tri training that we’d work out together much.

Look for a new year’s post of 2011 races once we work out a plan. In the mean time, we’ll keep up our base fitness and enjoy the holidays. If you have a favorite local race you’d suggest to do with us or recommend to us, please comment on this blog!

Susan’s post on the race covers her experience. Here are my thoughts. I ended up finishing the Marine Corps Marathon in a time of 3:55:51 which was good for 505th out of 2146 in my age group. Going in to the race I had several goals listed from what would make me most happy on down.

Help Susan qualify for the Boston Marathon by running a 3:45:59 or better

Run a < 3:40:00

Run a < 3:45:00

Run a < 4:00:00

Beat my time of 4:09:16 from the Portland Marathon (my first and only other marathon) 10 years prior.

While I didn’t beat 3:45:00 or 3:40:00 myself, Susan ran a 3:43:31 to qualify for Boston and finished 67/1342 in her division (top 5%). All of the hard work and miles this summer were worth it when Susan found me at the finish and told me what she had run. I also achieved my goals of running a sub 4 hour marathon and proving that a 36 year old me with more knowledge and a better work ethic is 13+ minutes faster than a 26 year old me. It would have been nice to have been able to hang with my wife for the whole race, but I really can’t imagine being any happier with how things turned out.

The race itself went largely as planned. We broke the race down into 3 separate segments of 10, 10, and 6 miles and came up with 3 different pacing strategies depending on how we felt that day. One was the “We’re rocking it, let’s run 3:40:00 plan”, two was the “We’re at mile 20 and feeling bad let’s ease up and run 3:45:00″, and three was the “We feel TERRIBLE at mile 10, time to slow down and grind out a 3:45:00″ We stuck to the plan fairly well and by mile 10 (end of segment 1) were dead on our planned pace; we didn’t have to use plan 3 so plans 1 and 2 were still possible. Due to the huge size of the race field the first 6 miles were very crowded and we spent a lot of mental and physical effort weaving our way through people to find open spots to run. I think this surging came back to haunt me in the end.

Between miles 11 and 12 we were in a crowd of people as the course narrowed while we passed near the Lincoln Memorial. Susan ended up surging by some people and I suspected our pace was too fast. As we passed mile 12 and saw that we had run a sub 8 mile it became clear that Susan’s excitement to get through the crowd had pushed us beyond our plan for the first time. It’s hard to say how much time this cost us in the end, but I feel like this faster mile ended up costing us more time than we saved pushing through. Thankfully it didn’t end up costing Su a qualifying time.

Around mile 15 it became clear to me I would be unable to hold the necessary pace to run a 3:40:00 but Su was still feeling good. We had planned for this and I paced her for two more miles before sending her on her way. After 17 miles running together it was time for us to run separate races. The last 9 miles of the race were in her hands (and feet) to execute.

I managed to keep running until mile 20 on the bridge over the Potomac. The winds had picked up to 10-20 mph and they were directly in my face over a very open bridge. I took a bad step and the muscles that had been threatening to cramp finally did and I ended up taking a 50 yard walking break or so. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think of quitting at this point but I tried to focus on how good it would feel to achieve the goals I still had left and thought of the happy faces of my friends and family if I finished strong. Somehow I managed to get running again and pushed through to mile 23.5 before taking a significant walking break again.

Once I hit the Pentagon, it was clear I would finish even if I had to walk the last 2 miles but I managed to keep my legs turning over and running 10 minute miles. At this point the crowds were definitely helping carry me along and there were many marines cheering for people on the course which inspired me to keep going.

The race finishes up the hill in Arlington National Cemetery leading to the Iwo Jima memorial. Like Susan, I had similar thoughts that if men could fight and die for months to take 1 hill, I could certainly handle my cramps well enough to run 0.2 miles. I really wasn’t prepared for how emotionally overwhelmed I would felt as I entered the cemetery and also realized with certainty that I was going to break 4 hours. I crossed the finish line nearly in tears while simultaneously cramping and gasping for breath.

The marathon was my 2nd ‘A’ priority race of the year — my first being the Patriot Half Ironman Triathlon in June — so since June 27 my training has been focused exclusively on this race. Yes, I have not been swimming or on my tri bike since June 19. I thought I’d primarily train for the marathon and swim/bike for fun, but most days I was so focused on the running that I didn’t make time to go do the other workouts I enjoy. Other than some trail running and hiking this was a summer of running.

In total I ran 650 miles preparing for the race. A typical schedule had me running 13 of every 14 days with long runs between 16 and 24 miles every other weekend. Tuesdays were typically 5 to 7 miles of speedwork or hill work and Thursdays were a medium run of 8 to 10 miles. Most of the miles were done at an easy pace of ~9:20/mi with speedwork done at ~ 7:20/mi. If it wasn’t a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday I was probably running 3 to 6 miles. My peek week had me at 67 miles and in September I ended up running nearly 200.

I’m not sure what is next for me. I think next year I am going to concentrate on Olympic distance triathlons. I really enjoyed the marathon training but I miss swimming and biking. Also, the marathon race itself is very hard on my body. No matter what, the next step is going to be a winter triathlon maintenance program while I make up my mind about what to do next. I’ve also run 955 miles so far this year so I think I’ll try to run the final 45 to hit 1000 for the year as well.