Oklahoma City Half-Marathon
The theme of this blog is baseball and running, and last weekend was a perfect example for me. I decided to fly at the last minute to Oklahoma City last Saturday afternoon and spend time visiting with a top Triple-A slugging prospect and his family, and when I got to the rental car counter at the airport there, I learned from another person that the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon was the next morning. So I immediately went over to the Cox Center expo and registered for the Half. The owner of a local Athlete's Foot gave me the $40 shirt I am wearing in the photo above and asked if I would wear it during the race, so technically I GOT MY FIRST SPONSOR! That night was an Oklahoma Redhawks game, followed by a very late dinner, and then a stockyard trailer filled with slaughter-bound sheep outside my hotel door kept me up all night. But I got my car parked in the dark at 5:30, dropped off my bag at the FedEx claim truck, and was there with about 15,000 others for the 6:30 start of the race. It was very emotional right beside the memorial building, and there was a 168-second moment of silence to honor the victims of the 1995 bombing there. Indeed, this race was created in 2000 as part of the fifth anniversary commemoration of that tragedy, and it is still very much in people's consciousness there. At the start line, I looked right in front of me, and a girl had a sign on her back that read: RUNNING IN HONOR OF: DAD. That was the first time I ever cried at a start line for a race. Then we were off, and it was a magnificent course, mostly flat, with a great straight-on view of the state capitol building, through residential neighborhoods where I got to have fun with little kids who were watching strangers fly past. The fluid stations were incredible, with a contest online for the best volunteers at each stop. At Mile 10, I grabbed a couple of GU from them, and then someone gave me the lei that I am wearing in the photo above. I have a bloodstain that you can see on my shirt because of chafing with my right nipple. I learned that it doesn't matter if it's not 10 degrees outside, that will still happen when you sweat and move that long and constantly. That was pretty painful having your tit basically ripped open and it's still weird as a guy to write about your nipple for some reason. Fortunately there was also a medical station around Mile 10 or 11, with swab sticks of vaseline, and I was able to lube in a few important places where I was having some serious trouble with chafing. I was hitting walls left and right after the 10th mile. I could not have been much less prepared for this in terms of resting, and I had enjoyed a big dinner and two beers at about 11:30 the night before. But I was holding my own, and the 13.1 miles brought my weekly mileage up to an even 30.
My time: 2:19. That matched my time at the Brooklyn Half-Marathon in a post below. I know that my Brooklyn time would have been closer to 2 if not for that eternal portapotty quest and the calf cramp, and I know that this OKC time would have been closer to 2 if I had known I was running a Half that day. So I am REALLY looking forward to my next Half with the determination to be around two hours. But I am just happy I got to run another race and be part of such a wonderful event. And the strange part is that I got back to our MLB office in NYC and found out that a colleague from Chicago had been right there competing in the full OKC Marathon and finished in 3:59. Nice!
Last night I went on nashbar.com, my favorite go-to site for supplies, and ordered a 28-serving container of blue berry Accelerade, a 28-serving container of fruit punch Accelerade, and a variety 24-pack of GU. I am rested now. I just celebrated my five-month anniversary of replacing Kools with Asics as a cold-turkey non-smoking marathoner. Starting Thursday morning, I am ready to jump up to Level 3 on the Newman Plan and get more serious about overall body fitness and core training. I am two months away from starting my 16-week marathon training program while working at the All-Star Game week in San Francisco. The big goal remains the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 4.
Comments
good job! You annoy me, you know, because you are doing so well and so injury free. But seriously congrats, especially on the not smoking part of this.
Have you considered the rock and roll half in Virginia in September? P and I will be there. we can have a voxencounter.
One question I am going to have is about my 16-week training program. I assume people can just substitute races for long training runs during that period? In other words, the Va. Beach R&R Half could be my long run in that time? I am looking on runnersworld.com to get my 16-week program.
I have had nagging things here and there. I counted four "injuries" after the Half, just minor things like a humongous blister on left foot. Have had a little plantar fasciitis in my second month, and then I had the left shinsplints a month ago. So far those are held in check, am good about stretching and RICEing when necessary. Just stop breaking your darn hand!!!!
duh, on the hand....i was sidelined before by a stress fracture in my left tibia.
so, In Jan when I started to run well, I was sure it was "my year" until my hand got broken, but as P points out, if I hadn't busted my hand, i wouldn't have met him...the jury is out on if this was "worth it" or not!!
I have a coupon code to get 10 bucks off the r and r half so if you decide to register, let me know.
yes the half will be a training run. i am planning on the Outer banks mary this year on Nov 11. so the half will be training for me too.
I'm scared though, have not figured out the password back into the 4 mile club, they changed it on me. (pouts.)
I want to, i really want to.
Oh yes, for your nipples, wear band aids...it really stops the bleeding, not sure about chafing, but sure about the bleeding.
Better than vaseline or band-aids - wear a skin-tight technical shirt like the kind Nike or UA makes. I almost always wear one under a loose-fitting shirt for long runs, or just on their own in hot weather. They're also great protection for wearing under a hydration pack. My two cents.
Nipples - I suffer too. I use micropore tape in an X shape on both. It works well for me, but if you're hairy they'll probably come off.
Good job again....I like your race reports.
I was very picky about having no seams on the top of the shoulder so that I don't have to worry about my hydration pack straps causing problems up there. Last time I checked, UA put the seams right on top of the shoulder; otherwise they make good stuff, too.