Downers Grove 10 Miler - results only

Another successful Downers Grove 5 & 10 Miler has passed. Expect a full write-up soon, but here's my results:

10 miles - 1:27:10 - for an average pace of 8:40

Mile 1 : 8:10
Mile 2 : 8:40
Mile 3 : 9:01
Mile 4 : 8:41
Mile 5 : 8:58
Mile 6 : 8:43
Mile 7 : 9:01
Mile 8 : 9:04
Mile 9 : 8:42
Mile 10: 8:10

Again, this puts me in the mid-pack range for my age group and the overall race placement.

This is my second fastest finish for the 10 mile version of this race. My best was 2003 with a finish of 1:21:09 for an average 8:06 pace.

The Training Wall

Hitting a wall is usually something most people avoid. It doesn't matter if you're driving a car, riding a bike, running, walking or shadowboxing. Hitting a wall is bad.

Ok, so there's a scientific explanation on wikipedia that attempts to explain why runners 'hit the wall': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonk_%28condition%29

But I've hit a difference wall, really it's more of a rut. My training milage has stagnated. Trying to run longer miles has become more difficult. Not that I can't do it physically, but there's only so many hours in a day with some small fraction of them available for running.

My first Chicago marathon was back in 1999. I was undertrained, and it was cold. Just cold enough that your legs would freeze up if you slowed down for the aid stations. Getting back to a running pace was a gradual process. At mile 20 there was a large brick wall with a opening in the middle. A sign hung overhead "Run Through The Wall!". It was actually just off the street in an adjacent parking lot, so you had make an extra effort to physically run through the wall...but it was worth it.

But the best part about this experience is actually making it through the wall; mentally and physically. The success of running a marathon isn't determined on race day. It's determined every morning between now and October.

A Gatorade commercial sums it up best:

"You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the
sweat off of your face."

3 months and 15 days to Chicago Marathon 2007.

I'm a bit behind on my training, and a bit behind on my fundraising. But the fun is just beginning...

You think you're special? (aka Numerical Madness part 2)

In 1976, 25,000 people finished a marathon. Thirty years later there has been a 16-fold increase in the number of marathon finishers to 410,000 finishers in 2006.

Over the past 20 years the average marathon finish time has slowed by 45 minutes.

Lest you think the elitism of finishing a marathon is waning, just remember, less than 0.01% of the world’s population will finish a marathon this year with estimates of less than 0.1% of the world’s population have ever finished a marathon.

Of 2006 finishers:
52% of finishers were men
46% of finishers were women
2% were junior

Median age:
40 for men
35 for women

Median finish time:
4:15 for men
4:46 for women

Most finishers:
#1 ING New York City Marathon with 37,866
#2 Chicago Marathon with 37k+
#3 Flora London with 33k+
#4 Paris with 30k+
#5 Berlin with 30k+

Nike Women’s Marathon has the highest percent of women finishers at 94% (and the other 6%?)
Steamtown Marathon has the highest percent of male finishers at 69%.

For even more statistics, the complete article is here:

A look at marathons, by the numbers
By Diane Sherrer