2011 Cleveland Marathon 

in the books!

Good times, bad times, wet times, cold times,

 overall a great experience .

The night before the race I did my normal pre-race meal of carbo loading pasta, laid out all my gear and hit the bed around 9:30. I had a pretty good night sleep and woke up on time at 4:00. I made my pre-race shake, frozen strawberries, one banana, chia seed gu, cup of almond milk and some protein powder. (Aka my rocket fuel) I took a quick shower and got ready. 5:00 came pretty quick and I kept on checking to make sure I had everything. My ride showed up right on time! My friend Mikes sister in law Kirsten from Days go by, also running the full marathon picked me up and we headed to Mikes to pick him up then head on down to the race. Mike was running the full and his wife Kelly was running the half. She was going to ride down with some friends. Mike and his wife scored some VIP parking passes that let us park within 500 feet from the start so we had to be down there before 6:00 to get in.

Quiznos subs are sure asty!

Here's a picture from our parking spot, right next to the stadium!

We met up with Jason and his wife from our Runkeeper street team and headed up to the start area. After a few potty breaks we headed down the hill to the start of the race to line up in our pace groups. I wanted to join the tail end of the 4:00 group an hoping to finish with the 4:15.

Kirsten lining up for her first marathon!

Here's Mike!

The weather was still not to bad, a little chilly but the rain was holding off. I was sure once we started I could shed of my thou away long sleeve shirt I had.

You can see the starting line way way way up there, I think that this is the best part of a marathon. So many runners all here to do the same thing... Run!

This year I planned on drinking water at every water stop and fueling with my chia fresca just like I used on my birthday 40 mile run. I also brought some power bar chews just in case my sugar started to feel low and I needed a boost.  As soon as the race started I took off my second layer and threw it to the side. The first mile was a little slow,  so many people trying to fall into there pace, very very crowded. First mile in 10:13. The next few miles didn't even feel like miles, when the first water station came up I was surprised. Grab a cup of water, walk a few steps and caught back up to Mike. His plan was to hit every other station, but I wasn't going to risk it. Next thing you know we were at mile 6! The first hour flew by, I was feeling really good.

The next 6 mile flew by also,I felt like that this was going to be the pr of the year if the rest of the race went this well.

mi Pace (min/mi)

1 10:13

2 9:21

3 9:10

4 9:46

5 9:16

6 9:38

7 9:34

8 9:45

9 9:45

10 9:28

11 10:14

12 9:56

13 9:21

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon: brian morris - Half in 2:07:46. 
Pace: 9:45. Est: 4:15:38. Powered by Xact RealTime Race Alerts.              

Thanks Redhead Running for the great support!

This was the best Half Marathon time yet! Mike and I were rocking this race! The next three miles I could tell something was coming on but nothing bad I thought.

14 10:21

15 10:48

16 10:42

At mile 15 Mike looked at me and said "I think at mile 16 we should kick it up" I was all for it, but I started to have a small hip give out on the right side. Nothing ever happened like this before. It happened a few times over the next mile, I just pushed threw it and it seemed to go away. I also a couple of times a shooting pain in my right arm on the down stroke. Felt like someone hit me with a taser in the hand and it shot up my arm. I knew something was happening. I grabbed my chews and shoved some down my throat, hoping that's was it. When mile 16 hit Mike looked over at me and said you ready? I told him I couldn't and for him to give it hell. He looked confused, he didn't want to leave me behind but wanted to hit it. I told him to go! I had to do the same in other races and I know what it feels like to leave a runner behind but it's your own race and you got to run it. When mike took off, and I mean took off! I knew that I was holding him back a little on the last few miles. I continued to run and slowly started to feel the pain in my legs get stronger. My calves just locked up and the pain behind my knees brought me to a walk. I walked for a few hundred feet and started to walk again. I did this a few times and was noticed by one of the race support guys on the bikes that are on the look out of runner that need medical support. He came up on me and asked if I was alright. I gave him the guy look of ya I'll be ok, just need to walk it out. Although it was the worst pain I have ever felt. Even more than when I finished my first real long run, more than I felt after my first marathon. I was so pissed! It's only mile 16 damnit and I am walking. I wanted to get my mind out of the game so I grabbed my phone and checked out my Facebook for race times... I posted that I was at mile 16 and had to take a walk. I noticed that I got a text from my sister that they were there in spirit. Got pissed again  that I was walking. I decided just to walk this mile out and see how it goes.

17 16:56

Towards the end of mile 17 I ran/walked in to Beal from twitter, he was also blogging about his training and the Cleveland marathon. After chatting a few he went on his way pushing to the end. I decided I couldn't walk any more it was just to painful to walk and I might as well be running in pain then walking in it. Next to miles...

18 11:13

19 12:13

I started to loosin up a bit but I could not push it, trust me I tried!  The 20 mile marker was emotional I knew in was almost there but pissed that I was walking again.

20 17:18

Mile twenty was real tuff, the pain was crazy. The worst part is I didn't feel tired or out of breathe not even.... Just hurting in way that I couldn't think of. Pissed that the 4:15 group passed me by and I think the 4:30 group as well I started to try to run again.

21 11:32

22 12:16

The next miles brought on memories from last years marathon and I felt and this point. I just didn't want to have to walk across no damn finish line. I was broken. Plainly broken. Nothing left. Mad. Pissed. Confused. I just wanted it to be over.

23 15:10

24 16:06

I was walking to the side with my head down when I noticed and familiar runner pass me by. It was Mikes sister-in-law Kirsten. I jumped into a run and caught up with her giving her a tap on the shoulder. The look on her face was priceless. She was like what the hell are you doing here? I told her that I thought I would run it twice and I was on the second time around. The lady next to us gave me a shitty grin, priceless! I told her that I tanked around mile 16 and was just trying to push to the end. I didn't want to tell her how much pain I was in the last 7 miles, being her first marathon and so close to finishing it. She had that look, the same look that many runners have towards the end of  their longest run or the end of a race. The look of a broken person that is just pushing towards the end of a new goal. The look of overwhelming emotions. I know that look to well, I have been there a lot in the last few years, it's like a drug and your searching out your next fix.  I started to talk about McDonald s French fries I think, how bad I wanted them right now. I am every anti McDonald s or any fast food places and she reminded me of that.

25 11:27

As the next mile was in the books I was running again, I was glad that I met up with someone I knew. Someone that would give me the energy to push on, push on running. As the end grew closer I think we both were feeding each others positive energy to push harder to the end, to finish strong !

26 10:45

About a half mile from the end she told me that she wanted her own finishing picture so either back off or kick it... LMAO! So she adjusted herself and we both started to run a little faster. When the last turn came up it was all down hill! Damn she took off like a rocket, pure joy poured out! I remember her yelling out " Come on Brian!" but there was noway I was catching up to that... Must of been running a 6:30 pace.

After crossing the finish line and receiving my medal, I realized that I finished my second marathon. I have might have not broken any personal records, but I did finish strong. Thanks to a new friend.

Chip time 4:55:54

"Red shoes!"

14 hours 3 minutes 30 seconds!

I think I am ready!

Tomorrow morning 7:00 am I will line up for my second marathon. A little less nervous then last year and I feel more prepared. I have a time goal in mind, altho the real goal is to have fun and finish strong and proud. 

10 More Days!!!

Yes thats right ten more days until I get to line up with thousands of others that put in the hard work so we can run our 26.2 mile celebration.
At the start of training I feel that the marathon is so far away and I have 16 weeks to get ready. Half way thou the training I start to feel the pressures of the training creep up. Three quarters thou the training is when my mind tells me that I am not doing enough and I am never going to finish this marathon. Then when you look at your training schedule and you see that you ran your last long run, you see it. The Taper! You made it! Now its just an easy two weeks of hopefully easy runs. The last two weeks is the most exciting time of training for me. I feel proud that I made it threw marathon training once again, a little faster and a bit more stronger. I think their is no better way to finish it by running the last 26.2 miles with all my friends! WOOT! WOOT!

Whats with all these new personal records?
Once again I crushed my last pr by more that a minute in the 5K. My last 5K was in March and I ran it in 25:33 beating my last time by 30 seconds or so. Last sunday I lined up for the West end YMCA 5k. The course was pretty flat and ran threw a nice quite streets next to the YMCA. The only downer was that it was raining the whole time. I decided that I was going to wear my Vibram Bikila fivefinger anti-shoes for this race. The first mile went pretty quick and I didn't want to push it hard like in the other races, I alway feel like I have nothing left when I push to soon. Ran the first mile in 7:42 The second mile I felt like I started to speed up, I think it was just the first mile telling me that... Usually I start getting passed by the smart runners that know how to pace themselves, not today thou, I was one of the smart runners. I ran the second mile in 7:45. On the last mile my plan was to hang until the last .5 then try to give it my all. Before that last turn onto the finish I could feel the other runners starting to kick it up. When I turn the corner I saw the clock off in the distance and knew it was time to put the hammer down. I ran the last mile in 7:39. For the last minute of the race I was averaging a 6:20 pace! I ran it in 23:50, making it into the 23 minute zone! Lovein it! The only down side is that in the shoots some guy was pushing his way threw not knowing to stay in order... so on the race web site I got his time and he got mine... oh well.