Race Preview: Avoiding the Swine Flu along the way to the Flying Pig

My flight departs on Saturday at 0600hrs for Cincinnati and the Flying Pig Marathon. 

This will be the fifth marathon since I kicked off the 10-12-100 Campaign on January 25 with the ING Miami Marathon. Moreover, it will be the much anticipated midway point of my ten marathon effort. As I sit at my desk, taking a break between client call-backs, I started scanning the weather and the local news. The forecast on Sunday calls for 60 and rain, while the news is dominated by reports of Swine Flu breaking out across the nation.

It's ironic that I'm heading to the Flying Pig Marathon on a weekend when the rest of the country is wearing sterile surgical masks out of fear of exposure to a potentially airborne epidemic that's been dubbed the Swine Flu. According to a front page article in today's Washington Post, the Swine Flue started in Mexico earlier this month and has since spread across the country in random patterns, as well as several countries in Western Europe. 

The flu's spread has become increasingly rapid, prompting some to warn of potential epidemic status, and has even caused Alabama state high school officials to join Texas officials in canceling all high school athletic contests. (check out the article  on ESPN at: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4116671). Stranger still, is the fact that all of the scheduled soccer matches to be played in Mexico this weekend will be played, but will be done in empty stadiums without any fans, due to concerns about spreading the illness.

Speaking of swine...the Flying Pig Marathon seems to be a GO at this point. I'm looking forward to making the trip, as this will not only be my first time participating in the marathon, but it's also my first trip to the city itself and a rare chance to spend some time with my cousin, Chris. After speaking to race officials last week, the course will certainly be a challenging one, as miles 5-9 provide a solid four-mile uphill climb. As usual, I plan to drive the course with Chris on Saturday afternoon, so I can get a better idea of what it looks like. 

The other night I was laying out my race shoes, singlet, Fuel Belt, etc. and I was getting organized, I started wondering why this marathon is called The Flying Pig, so I did a little research about both the city and the race and here is what I learned:

-Cincinnati was the first major pork town in the United States. What Chicago was to cattle and slaughterhouses, Cincinnati was to swine.

-1818: the first slaughterhouse was opened in Cincinnati

-1829: because of its ease of accessibility by river, the city quickly becomes the (then) meat packing capital of the country, earning it the nickname "Porkopolis" (I'm not kidding)

-1861: the Civil War creates an increased demand for the production and circulation of meat, so Chicago seizes upon this opportunity and in so doing, gradually displaces Cincinnati as the meatpacking capital of the U.S.

-1909: the first pig flies. Literally. Apparently, Lord Barbozon--who was the first pilot to have a license to operate a bi-plane in the UK--took a pig up for a 3.5mile ride in his bi-plane over the city of Cincinnati. It is rumored that the pig was wearing a sign that said "I am the first pig to fly" (Seriously, I'm not making this up.)

...fast forward about 100 years

-1998: the Cincinnati "Flying Pig" Marathon is started

-2008: in its 10th Anniversary, the marathon has entrants from all 50 states

From the looks of it, 2009 will be a banner year for "The Pig" as it's commonly referred to in "the 'Nati" and I'm certainly glad to be a part of it. I'll be sure to post another entry before the race on Sunday morning and as always, I'll provide a post-race report as well. Additionally, due to broad demand, I will provide the following:

-updated information on the website (www.dlesports.com) about the easiest way to donate

-more race pictures 

-training diaries

-more frequent blog entries

-dedicated media section to more readily follow the coverage this campaign is generating

-the opportunity to order 10-12-100 t-shirts (with all proceeds going to the WWP)

As always, you can contact me directly with comments, questions and suggestions:

douglas@dlesports.com

I really appreciate the outpouring of support thus far, and I'm going to need it even more over the remaining eight months of '09 as we drive hard toward our goal of raising $100,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project. With your help, the 10-12-100 will be an overwhelming success!

Onward to The Pig!

Doug Eldridge

President

DLE Sports

PRESS/Race Recap: Charlottesville Marathon

The Charlottesville Marathon last Saturday was everything I expected it to be after driving the course on Friday afternoon. The online description said it was "rolling" but I'd say "hilly" is a more apt descriptive...and uphill at that. 

As I got to the starting area, the temperature was hovering around 35 degrees and by the time the gun went off, it was around 40. The sun was steadily rising so it had all the makings of a warm day, nonetheless, in shorts and a thin singlet, I still needed gloves and arm warmers. 

The first mile wove up and through the scenic UVA campus, which soon blended into a neighborhood and by the third mile, we were in the Virginia countryside. 

For those of you outside the DC/VA area, Charlottesville is not only home to the University of Virginia, but it is also some of the most beautiful horse country on the east coast. With lush, green pastures and miles of rolling fences it really makes for an iconic course. (See the photo above. That was taken while driving the course the day before. I sat on the fence post around the 15 Mile mark of the course.)

The course went up and down for quite a while before we made a turn and took a four mile detour through a soft gravel path that wrapped around several of the horse pastures described above. This area was an endless array of undulating climbs but it came at a nice time as the path was mostly shaded and the soft ground felt good to legs that were pumping batter acid at that point.

Knowing full well, that I'd have the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon some 15 days after this race, I knew that I couldn't go out there and run hard on a super tough course and expect to be recovered only two weeks later to do it all again. In my mind, I tried to negotiate a gentle disciplined pace, but the farther along I went, the better I felt. In truth, I just couldn't convince myself that "running this one easy" would do either myself or the campaign any good. In fact, I thought it would do just the opposite. If the underlying premise of this year-long effort is to draw attention to those who have sacrificed so much, then how could I justify going out there and strolling over a 26-mile course so that I could "preserve myself" for another race two weeks later. That's non-sensical and you know what, the simple truth is that I knew I couldn't look any of these young, wounded soldiers in the eye and explain that very notion so I said the hell with it...let's run. Deal with Cincinnati later.

So I ran nearly dead even splits between the first 13 and the back 13 of the marathon (1:45 and change on each) which was impressive, given the fact that the back half was arguably tougher climbs and the temperature had jumped from 40 to 75 degrees by the closing miles. To the casual observer, 8:01 pace may not seem impressive and when set against the 2:06 finishing times you see from the Kenyan contingent in Boston or New York, I concede that it's not. But I'm not a professional athlete; I represent them, but I am not among them. I am just like you, an ordinary guy trying to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of those who have given the most to our country: the American soldier.

I pushed on thru the finish and crossed the line in 3:30:21. It was a solid time on a difficult day and an utterly beautiful, yet brutal course. More importantly, I am now one race away from the much-awaited halfway point in my journey. As I said from the start, however, this is one man running the marathons, but it is a journey that will require the help of family, friends, colleagues and complete strangers in order for it to be a success. To that end, I will make a posting in the next day or so about a simplified means for contributing to the Wounded Warrior Project, vis-a-vis my 10-12-100 Campaign. 

Also, as promised, I've included the link to the interview that aired the night before the race at 6 and 11pm. I didn't get to see it live, but I'd like to thank Matt Holmes, of Charlottesville CBS 19 News, for doing the interview and providing a link so everyone can see it.

www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/home/headlines/43250967.html

So Charlottesville is on the books, and Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon is looming large on the horizon.

Four down. Six to go.

Doug Eldridge

President

DLE Sports

Charlottesville: 90 minutes away

Charlottesville, VA

0454hrs

As I type this, I am now an hour and a half away from the start of the Charlottesville Marathon--a race which starts on the historic campus of the University of Virginia and runs out into the surrounding roads, paths and countryside of Albemarle County. 

I got down here yesterday afternoon and did an interview for the Charlottesville CBS News at 1430hrs. (I will post a link later today.) After picking up my race packet, I drove the race course and it is unquestionably going to be the most challenging marathon I have ever run. From the start line, the race heads uphill and continues to climb through the UVA campus, then heads off campus and into the countryside, making the first 16 miles "net uphill." This means that despite a few flat patches (never seemingly longer than a football field) and an occasional downhill, the majority of the course--minus those flat or descending sections--is all uphill from the start all the way through mile 16. Then, as we head back into downtown Charlottesville,  there is a mile of descent  on the way back before hitting a HUGE hill at mile 23, 24 and 25 on the way to the finish of the 26.2 mile race.

I'll be sure to post an update later this evening when I get back to DC. Thanks for all your letters and emails. I appreciate the support and I am proud of the direction this campaign is heading and of the results we will garner in the months and years ahead. As always, you can reach me with questions, comments or ideas at:

douglas@dlesports.com

No Retreat.

Doug Eldridge

President

DLE Sports

Race Recap: National Marathon

Saturday, March 21, 2009

"Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves."

-Anonymous

A marathon is 26 miles 385 yards. Whether you're running six minute pace or sixteen minute pace, the time and distance between mile markers can sometimes feel like an eternity. It is in those moments of progressive anguish, that any preconceived notion of target finishing times, or average splits or finish chute antics go out the window and you start living in the moment--focusing solely on each progressive step and knowing damn well that your mind is going to have to will your body to complete the task at hand. 

Such was the case for me two weeks ago at the Sun Trust National Marathon, here in Washington, DC.

On race morning, it was a chilly 31 degrees and there was a brisk wind blowing across most of the course. The first few miles were relatively flat as we headed out from the start line at the Stadium Armory and down along Constitution Avenue before making a turn onto 18th St for what would be a slow, seven mile climb from the Mile 4 through Mile 11. As we crested the top of Connecticut Ave, we made a right onto Columbia Rd and passed my long-time friend Omar Popal's restaurant, Napoleon. (Sidebar: for those of you in the DC area that have not yet tried Napoleon, you're missing out. With the warm weather approaching, it's an absolute must. Ask for Omar and tell him I sent you.)

We made our way thru Adams Morgan, and soon thereafter, my two favorite parts of the entire race: 

1) Best Sign: "Your feet only hurt, 'cause you're kicking so much ass." I laughed for a full mile.

2) Best Lift: Howard Students that were blasting Chuck Brown as we rolled past their dorm.

The rest of the race went downhill (metaphorically, not literally) from there. To put it in context: through Mile 20 of the race, my overall average split was 7:47/mile, which on a hilly course like that, is certainly a respectable pace. The remaining six miles--four of which were uphill--were so ugly that my overall mile average climbed up 16 seconds and I finished with an average pace of 8:03/mile and an overall time of 3:30:38. 

That means for the first three marathons of the 10-12-100 Campaign, I have run:

ING Miami Marathon  3:30:18   (8:02 pace)  72 sunny/flat course

Pensacola Marathon  3:26:36   (7:53 pace)  57 rain/rolling course

National Marathon  3:30:38   (8:03 pace)  31 cold/hilly course

It was in those last six miles where the mental gamesmanship truly began. Both hamstrings were cramping and my left calf locked up as well. It was ugly and I do mean ugly. My long hours at the office, coupled with poor race-week hydration and an utter lack of sleep meant those last six miles felt longer, harder, and more challenging than the previous twenty. Add to that, the fact that the two of the last six were into a driving headwind and other four were up a rolling progression of never-ending hills as we climbed from the Anacostia River back up to the rear of the Stadium Armory for the long-awaited finish line. 

Some races are just gorgeous (Miami) or seemingly effortless (Pensacola) but this race was neither. It was a challenging course, on a cold and windy day. Many readers will likely point out that I ran the same race, the same course as everyone else so why should I complain about the difficulties of the day. Well, they're right. We all ran the same course, on the same day, in the same conditions. But it is the race within the race that makes all the difference. 

Marathons are not a team sport. When you're having an "off" day, you can't rely on your teammates to pick up the slack and pull you thru. When you're off, you're really off. There's nobody to make it faster, shorter or otherwise easier. If you're going to do it, you've gotta do it alone. If you're having a tough day, then the real battle and the real victory is in conquering yourself, more so than conquering the race. That is the real glory. 

Like I've always said, you just can't fake your way through a marathon. Regardless, I am happy that the National Marathon is now behind me and that I've officially got three races on the books. 

Three down. Seven to go. 

Doug Eldridge

President

DLE Sports

PRESS/National Marathon...starts in less than 2 hours

Washington, DC. 

0512hrs

I'm sitting at the laptop, typing a few notes and feeling a lot of jitters. The weather is really chilly here in DC this morning. The good people at weather.com say it will be about 32 degrees for the starting gun here in about 90 minutes. 

This has been a busy week on a lot of levels and I have the bags under my eyes this morning to prove it. Working near all-nighters during marathon week isn't ideal, but that's life. 

NBC did a great piece on the 10-12-100 Campaign this past Thursday. 

www.nbcwashington.com/sports/more/Marathon_Man_Runs_to_Raise_Money_for_Wounded_

Vets_Washington_DC.html

We shot the piece out at Hains Point, which has been a DC landmark for many years. DC natives will always remember it as being the home of the famous statue "The Awakening" which was featured in many movies and a famous Reebok ad featuring DC native and Georgetown star miler, Chris Lukezic. I missed seeing it out there, but the shot went great and I think NBC reporter, Michael Flynn, is not only a great guy, but also a young journalist on the rise--look for big things from him.

Also, the Spring Issue of Capitol File hit news stands earlier this week. I sat down with Editor Sherry Moeller a while back and I am so appreciative of the kind, well-worded article she wrote. Sherry really captured the spirit of our conversation and the over-arching goals and sentiment of this year-long endeavor. Check it out online at www.capitol-filemagazine.com and pick up a copy at your local bookstore today.

Okay. I'd better get off the laptop and get my things together. There's a tentative plan to do another pre-race interview with NBC at the start line, so that's got to be all for now. 

Those of you outside the DC area can check out the race course and follow a lot of the action at www.nationalmarathon.com

Number three on the horizon. 

God Bless. 

Doug Eldridge

President

DLE Sports

Recap: Pensacola Marathon

It's been just over a month since I completed the Pensacola Marathon on Feb. 15, down in Northwest Florida. While I regret the month that has passed since the race, I've been inundated with long hours and a lot of business travel over the last 30 days. Given the current economic climate, having a busy work life is truly a blessing...more on that in a latter posting. 

So on a rainy, humid day in the old Spanish town of Pensacola, I completed the second marathon in the 10-12-100 Campaign with both a faster time and a far better feel for my fitness than I'd felt when typing my last entry, a few short hours before the starting gun went off. 

Admittedly, this tact is equal parts, humility, deprecation, nerves and a very self-effacing analysis of where I am (fitness wise) on the morning of a marathon. As I've said over and over, you just can't fake your way through a marathon. On that particular morning--and with four days until my next marathon, the National Marathon here in DC--you just have to be realistic with where you are in your training and racing, as that provides an accurat

e meter stick as to how you will do on race day. With office all-nighters, airport layovers, and murderous road trips to see clients, sometimes it is what it is when it comes to fitness.

All of that is to say that I didn't expect much from Pensacola, in the way of race results. After running 3:32 in Miami, I had modest expectations for my follow up effort, some 3 weeks later in the panhandle. Nonetheless, I was fortunate to have my Mom come down for this one. To her credit, my Mom has always been my most avid, unwavering supporter and was always the lone parent sitting in the stands, camcorder in hand. Whether rain, snow, wind or oppressive heat, she was always there. As such, it was nice to have her along for the trip and the broader journey over the course of this year. 

So after the last blog posting, we headed over to the start of the race, which was along the water front and just off the central Spanish town square. At times, it was drizzling and at times, it was raining sideways. Everyone was sitting in idling cars and those who actually did brave the pre-race elements did so with garbage bags with armhole cut-outs. For anyone that's done marathons, Ironmans, etc. you know that the last thing you want is wet shoes for the start of a 3+ hour race. Not only will it feel like running with cinderblocks on your feet, but your socks will create blisters and the limp often seen at mile 21 will become a sheer crawl. So we waited until the last possible minute, then I walked up to the line, snapped a couple quick pics and took off on the first of two 13 mile loops. 

Because the half marathon did one loop and then stepped off, it made for a nice quick tempo for my first lap. After running with the 8-minute group in Miami, I was running blind in Pensacola and went with what felt comfortable, which on that morning was at or just under a 7:50 tempo. Despite the weather, Pensacola is a pretty town and the tree canopies, military monuments, and Spanish heritage provided a lot to look at while racking up the miles. The community and volunteers were also spirited and were always vocal in their support...believe me, that helps during the latter miles of a marathon. (As an aside, I'd like to draw special attention to Pensacola native, Corrie Lynn Schweigert's parents who literally drove to each intersection and screamed and cheered for their daughter as she made her way around the half-marathon course. That type of enthusiasm is infectious and is what makes small-venue marathons so enjoyable to do.)

I came thru the half way mark well under my predicted 1:45 time and gave a wink and a smile to my mom who was positioned at the start, midpoint and finish line. She would later say that she was surprised to see me so early, but after years of watching me compete, she knows when I'm on good form. I think she also enjoyed talking to locals who had read the feature story that the Pensacola News Journal ran on me, the day before. (I'll provide a link.) Regardless, I felt great and was off for lap #2, following a substantial thinning of the herd, after the half-marathoners stepped off the course, their job complete.

I kept on pace through about mile 23 at which point I went over 8 min pace for the first time. Admittedly, those last few miles (especially the last four) were brutal. I drew special strength from the young enlisted soldiers that stood guard at literally every single turn-in along the course, be it form a parking lot, office building, etc. They were there to guard against errant motorist turning onto the course and injuring runners. The rain was driving down hard, but they stood at attention, offering a buffered word of encouragement as I raced along, passing several runners in the closing miles. Their stoicism, discipline and quiet sense of honor helped refocus me when most people mentally unravel in the closing miles of a marathon.

I crossed the line in 3:26:28, which meant an overall pace of 7:53. Given my well-placed apprehension only a few hours prior, I was certainly pleased with the result. What was even more poignant given the overarching purpose of this 10-12-100 Campaign is that the finish line was at the center of a series of military monuments commemorating Pensacola's Vietnam vets (with a wall very similar to the famous Wall here in DC, but which list just the names of those fallen soldiers from Northwest Florida), WWI, and WWII. As I staggered around and gathered my wits, I looked down to see a series of plaques honoring the young men and women who were killed in action (KIA) during Operation Enduring Freedom. I crouched down, and began reading some of the names, while my Mom began snapping pics. I could only smile. It was meant for me to see that plaque when I did. I felt energized and refocused. Mom pointed out that I no longer had color and that I should put back on my warm-ups. Now, looking back at the post-race pics, she was right--my face was rung out, my skin tone had a sickly pallor and my arms and legs were covered with goose bumps.

After a hot shower and a great visit with my Aunt (Beck-Beck), Uncle (Uncle Sandy) and my 93-year old grandmother, whom I've always called Honeybunch, we headed back to the hotel and I crashed hard. The next morning, however, we realized that I'd inadvertently booked my Mom and I on separate returning flights, which meant I would be routed through Memphis and she'd go through Atlanta. Though it seemed like a bad error at the time (my Mom isn't the biggest fan of flying, much less by herself) it turned out to yield a memorable story.

When my mom made it to her gate in Atlanta, a couple young soldiers sat down around her, all of whom were on a brief trip back to the states to see their families before heading back to Afghanistan. The guys were giddy and my Mom is an engaging southern lady, so conversation was inevitable. When the conversation turned to her, she explained that she'd been down in Pensacola for the marathon. Eventually, she got around to explaining the background and purpose of the 10-12-100 Campaign. She said that to a man, they became silent, almost eerily so. When she was finished, one of them spoke up with a lump in his throat and said, 

"Tell your son thank you. We will take this story back with us. We wish there were more people like your son willing to speak out on our behalf. Tell him, he's not alone during his runs. He's got thousands of us right there with him."

When my Mom--who has never been prone to exaggeration--told me this story, I was quite literally speechless. Neither of us said anything. The story spoke volumes and in the end, it was far more captivating than anything I could say in response, about the race or about the 10-12-100 campaign itself. Their reaction and words were both vindication and validation all at once. 

The training miles hurt. The marathons are even more painful. But that chance encounter my Mom had as a result of my booking error, produced a story that I'll draw from in the coming months and countless miles that stand before me over the course of this year. 

Indeed, they are not alone; nor am I. 

10-12-100 is a Campaign of inclusion. Whether uniformed or civilian, we all stand under the same flag. 

Two down. Eight to go.

Doug Eldridge

President

DLE Sports

Race Report #1: ING Miami Marathon

Miami, Florida

Sunday, January 25, 2009

As promised, I will post a race report following each of the ten marathons. Up to this point, I had yet to make the official report for the first of these marathons, the ING Miami Marathon, which I ran on Sunday, January 25, 2009. 

The air was warm, the ocean was cool, the course was scenic, the runners were diverse, and the Ferraris were out in full force along Ocean Drive. I felt pretty good about my training leading up to this race, so I was anxious to escape the cold, icy weather of DC and get down south and get this campaign started under sunny Miami skies. 

The race itself started at 0630hrs to avoid the heat of the South Beach sun. We gathered in downtown Miami outside of the AmericanAirlines Center (where the Miami Heat play) for what was a raucous crowd of participants, all of which were jittery, nervous and starting to subconsciously bounce up and down to the sounds of none other than Will Smith's 90's song "Welcome to Miami." To answer your question, yes, it was in my head for the first six miles. 

Because the marathon and half marathon runners started through the same narrow streets and bridges of downtown Miami, the opening miles of the race were a bit convoluted with runners darting left and right trying to find an open piece of asphalt...much in the way an angry driver will hit the gas in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic if he can move six feet ahead and into the space created in the lane next to him, only to make the same move back into the original lane once he sees he's not going any faster. Such was the scene down in Miami for probably the first seven miles or so. Instead of a smooth start where you find a your lane and gradually start to set into your rhythm and find your target pace, it is a lot of fits and starts with runners constantly having to slam the breaks to avoid rear-ending the runner ahead of them as they change lanes without warning. I don't want to beat the metaphor to death, but you get the picture. 

After the initial confusion, things started to spread out and by the half-way point (the 13.1 mile mark where the half marathoners pulled off) there was plenty of open road. The pace group I was running with was pretty erratic so at one point, I just had to make the decision to go on my own to try and hit the end time I'd targeted. Speaking of which, I'm often asked how fast I'm running these marathons. To be honest, it's a bit of a loaded question. Casual observers assume I might run a high six-minute pace, which I'm capable of doing, were this a one-off endeavor. However, because I will be running 10 marathons this year and not merely one--and some with as little as 15 days recovery in between races--that kind of workload and punishment on the body requires that I run at a respectable, but more reasonable pace. Consequently, I have targeted an eight-minute pace (or roughly a 3:30 finish time) for each of the ten marathons. I believe this is a respectable pace for any marathon, much less 10 successive races, and it will maintain my athletic credibility and degree of sacrifice throughout the ten-race campaign. 

To put it differently, I was recently asked why I didn't just jog/walk some of these races to make it easier on my body. My answer was immediate and to the point: for me to do so, would be disrespectful of the men and women my efforts are trying to serve. To give anything less than my best would feel like I was dishonoring their service and their sacrifice; it would fly in the face of everything that the 10-12-100 Campaign is all about.

That said, I finished the ING Miami Marathon in 3:30:17, which meant an average pace of 8:02.

All in all, it was a good race and a great start to the 10-12-100 Campaign. I felt good in my training, great during the race, and pretty resilient in the days following the marathon, all of which are good markers for the months to come. For those of you who have requested it, I will be posting splits for Miami and the other nine marathons as they come along. I will include the Miami splits in the next day or two. 

There was no Crockett, no Tubs and no D. Wade, but there was 26 miles of beautiful South Beach race course to get this 12 month campaign started right. 

One down. Nine to go.

Doug Eldridge

President

DLE Sports