Pocono...PocoYES!

I have a confession to make, I feel like I have lied, but maybe it is just that my thoughts have changed. It is time to clear the air and get this off my chest. Many times people ask me which marathon is my favorite and often times I am misleading in my answer, an example of this is included on my GU Athlete Profile. The truth of the matter is if a person was to simply look at my past racing history they would quickly find that I have attended the Pocono Marathon for the last 7 years, which is more than any other marathon I have ran. Would I continue to return to this event if it were not one of my favorite races? Of course not, that would be silly. If I do not like a marathon I do not return. It is pretty simple logic, I am a customer to these marathons and if not satisified I will take my business elsewhere. The Pocono Marathon has been doing all the right things to keep me wanting to return and run well at their event.

The Pocono Marathon began in 2006, which is when Melissa and started traveling around to run races. The past 7 years the race has grown and evolved into a better event while not losing its focus on its two main goals: keeping the runners happy and raising funds for the American Red Cross, this years event raised around 75,000 dollars. It has been an honor to grow my running career along side this marathon. Please buckle up because we are headed down memory lane...

I entered the 2006 Pocono Marathon as one of the race favorites, but somewhere along the way the Pocono Record newspaper over estimated my talent level. When I did an interview with them over the phone prior to the race I stated, "I plan to set a new Personal Record." Once the article was printed the reporter indicated that I was trying to break the World Record, a minor error to say the least. I finished 3rd and Melissa was 2nd. We were really excited to win our first oversized fake checks. We had to return in 2007.

The 2007 event has to be one of the races I talk about the most. It included me getting a speeding ticket, score 2 points on my license for that one! I was able to win the marathon and did a classic post race interview with Mark McKeehan the local television sports reporter. He asked how I felt about winning $2,000 dollars and I simply responded by deducting all my expenses, including the speeding ticket. Although it was fun to win the highlight of the weekend has to be one of the more impressive marathon stories ever. One of the workers at the host hotel was completely clueless to running, but seeing all the runners milling around the expo perked his interest. He asked the race director about the event and at that moment decided he was going to run the marathon. The only problem was he needed shoes, oh and has never ran in his life. He asked for a break from working, caught a cab, bought some shoes, and sure enough he was back in time to serve the pasta and finish up his working duties. The next day he ran the entire marathon with a respectable finish time. Truly an amazing story.

In 2008 we continued our streak of both placing in the top 3, but that ended in 2009 when Melissa was pregnant. The 2010 year was our worst preformance at the Pocono Marathon. We flew into Newark Airport, which ended up losing our bags. That left us stuck there for hours upon hours. Couple that with a busy week chopping wheat and my body would not go any faster that day. In 2011 I wanted to drop out at mile 4. My legs were achy and I was running awful. Eventually I started to feel better and finished 4th. After racing the Pocono Marathon less than 100% the last two years I was excited for the 2012 race as I was feeling healthy and ready to run.

While looking over the elite entry list, which consisted of Solomon Too and Matt Aguero, I formulated a strategy with the intentions of setting a new personal best and winning the marathon. Right from the gun Solomon was pushing the pace. I tried my best to stay with him but he was already seperating from me by mile 4, which was how I envisioned the race playing out. I lagged behind in pursuit, but never wavered on my goals. I thought if I could keep Solomon within sight I could make a hard move late in the race to close the gap and take the lead. I ran the first 5 miles in 5:30 pace, followed by the next 5 miles in 5:12 pace, and hit the halfway point in 1:11:50. His lead was already 50 seconds by then.

Not long after the halfway point the press vehicle carrying Blue Ridge 13 television crew members drove by while getting footage for their live broadcast. I wonder if they were stating on air that the lead was too much for me to overcome? I kept pressing on, but so did Solomon. By mile 15 his lead was up to 90 seconds. It was time for me to start working harder. I channelled inner strength from my love for my son Miles. He looks up to and relies on his Daddy to provide for him. If I am going to do that by running marathons I needed to push forward and win this race. The gap started shrinking and by mile 18 it was less than 30 seconds.

Originally my goal was to take the lead prior to mile 23, but I could tell the time was now. Mile 19 I pushed really hard, closed the gap and was tracking just a few feet behind the leader. I made my move going into an aid station just prior to mile 20. From there to mile 23 I kept extending the lead and pushing for that personal best time. Unfortunately after cresting a hill at mile 23 my right calf decided to go on strike. It started cramping. I can only assume it was due to the heat coupled with aid stations only being every 2 miles. Nonetheless even if I could not set a personal best I still needed to finish off with a win. During the last couple of miles I kept thinking about my win in 2007 and how the sports reporter, Kim Bell, stated on air, "Justin doesn't look too good coming in." I did not want a repeat of that. When I hit the track for the last 385 yards I sprinted really hard knowing that she was doing the broadcast. Hopefully this year she was able to say I looked fast finishing. I broke the tape in 2:27:21.

This marathon represented my 44th career win, but more importantly it was a great feeling to win a quality marathon put on by quality people. I would recommend the Pocono Marathon to all my running friends. When someone asks me if the Pocono Marathon is my favorite race I will honestly reply....PocoYes!

Third Try for a First Impression

Rarely in life are we given a second chance for a first impression, but an exception to this would be the Borgess Run for the Health of It races, which have now had three seperate times to win over my affection. In 2002 I ran the 5 kilometer race, if you want to check the results they state Justin Bylette ran a 16:55 that day and placed 3rd overall, yes my last name got butchered, which is fine since the time was slow. I have very vague memories of the 2002 event. I do recall being cold and achy due to running the Boston Marathon just under 2 weeks prior. When I left that years race I was interested in running the half marathon the next time I returned to their races. The chatter among runners about the half marathon was that the course went over a bunch of wooden bridges, it seemed interesting even though I am scared of running on bridges.

I was unable to return until 2011, when some athletes I coach decided to run the half marathon and I agreed to pace them. Since I was pacing my runners instead of being competitive I had a hard time mentally preparing to do well. I skipped over some of my pre-race routine, which in turn created problems later on. While chugging through the race my heart sank when I was forced to make the left turn with the half marathon runners while the marathon runners continued on the course in a different direction. At that moment the decision was made, I was going to run the 2012 Kalamazoo Marathon. The course split at mile three. I still had 10 miles to run with my athletes, or so I thought. Unfortunately since I did not prepare properly for this event I was not aware of how the course went and lead my athletes off course, we ran roughly a mile extra. One would think that after having two negative experiences with a race that I would not want to return, but reality is it only fanned the flames of my burning desire to do well at this marathon.

I entered the 2012 Kalamazoo Marathon with the goal of breaking the course record of 2:34:54. I also wanted to run strong enough time to shut up the cowardly critics that use internet message boards to mock me for running slow marathons this spring, even though I was racing through injuries and trying to improve my fitness level while still competing. Actually, I agree with these "Monday Morning Marathoners,"  the seven marathons this year prior to this race have only been run in an average of 2:33:11, barely good enough to qualify for an "I Tried" ribbon. Regardless of the frustration I was experiencing in my races I knew I had to keep pushing my training harder to gain strength that would be needed in future events, this included my approach to the Kalamazoo Marathon. I did not taper for this event, actually ran 10 miles the morning prior to the race.

For several days prior to the marathon I throughly studied the course maps on the race website to ensure that I was prepared for where the hills were located and how the course twisted and turned its way through Kalamazoo. When looking over the map it became apparent that the Kalamazoo Marathon organizers want to show off their city, unlike some races that put you on the first road out of town because it is easier for traffic control. The course maps clearly indicated that the second half of the marathon had some rolling hills, while the first half consisted of a few steeper inclines. Oddly enough when running the marathon and now reflecting on the event I do not feel that it is hilly. There are a few minor climbs but nothing to be scared of.

I talked with my coach prior to the marathon to lay out a battle plan, since I coach myself it was easy to arrange a meeting. The little voice in my head stated that all body systems were feeling strong and it was time to run a good marathon. Right from the beginning I was in control of the race in the lead. Winning the marathon was not in question, going home with a bib number I could be proud of was my motivation. You see I write my race mile splits on the back of my bib numbers and like to refer back to successful races at later times to see what race strategy I used and how it turned out. Being that I was running solo for this marathon my main objective became that course record. In front of me leading the race was a policeman on a motorcycle, behind him was a fancy pickup truck full of media members, and I rounded out the caravan that lasted 26 miles 385 yards.

I clicked off inconsistant mile times throughout the first half of the marathon due to the turns of the course and the hills, but I was comfortably under the course record pace. I arrived at mile 15 feeling really strong, but knew that in less than 3 miles I would be joining up with the half marathon course where we would run together for the next 8 miles. In my head I entertained the idea of chasing down two of my former training partners who were doing the half marathon, Jim Geiger and Theresa Pipher, which I eventually did. I pushed a little harder during my final three miles prior to meeting up with the half marathoners, these miles ranged from 5:24 to 5:33. My goal was to bank some extra time just in case it got congested once the courses merged.

From mile 18 to the finish it was a mixture of encouragement and discouragement. Most of the half marathon runners would cheer me on, while a few Debbie Downers complained about having to move to the side of the course to allow me and the motorcade to pass. Besides missing a couple of the final water stations due to the crowd of people I really think this race did a great job of managing the merging of courses. I was not forced to slow down due to any interference from other runners, in fact my last 5 miles were run in an average time of 5:35 per mile, including my fastest mile of the race at mile 25.

When I hit mile marker 26 I knew if I sprinted hard enough I could possibly make it under 2 hours and 28 minutes, but covering the final 385 yards in 1:04 was just a little too slow. After completing several media interviews I was able to inspire the next generation by giving my medal away to a young boy whose mom just completed the half marathon. I remember watching one of my running heros from high school, Alan Heincker, do acts like this after winning races. It left an impression on me that I am glad emulate. My finish time ended up being 2:28:02, which broke the course record and gave me a bib number to be proud of. As for whether it was fast enough to shut up the critics, well, that has yet to be determined.....

Chasing faster times but not catching them... yet!

While I run multiple marathons a year, I like to select a couple to specifically target my training towards with the goal of running a PR.  This winter I selected the Carmel Marathon as my next target marathon.  I also decided to have a little fun along the way by joining my super speedy friends in the Shamrock Shuffle 8k Team Competition.

Since I didn't want to sabotage my team, I jumped into their gut-twisting, butt-kicking track workouts to prepare myself for such a "short" race.  I have to admit that I actually enjoyed putting myself through these torturous workouts, mainly because I had great company but also because I began to hit times I had never run before.  What better way to start the day than running 5x 1 mile repeats with your friends at a pace 10-15 seconds faster than you ever thought possible?

Large races scare me.  I'm afraid that I'll get lost in the masses of people or worse, not be able to use the bathroom (multiple times) before the start. The Shamrock Shuffle was by far the largest race I've ran with over 34,000 participants.  However, since the team competitors were given their own area before the race, complete with bag check and porta potties, it didn't feel like I was about to take part in huge race.  While I enjoyed this special treatment, I felt out of place among all the very fit, talented runners.  I don't think I've ever been surrounded by so many well defined muscles.  As a side note, after countless ab workouts, I have come to the conclusion that great looking abs is genetic and that I'm destined for the "soft" look.


The race went by really fast and I finished in a time of 29:49, just under 6 min/mile pace.  I was both excited and disappointed by my result.  I typically run this pace for the majority of the 5ks I run and I've done a 4 mile race just under 6 min pace and this was the first time I was able to hold this pace for 5 miles. So, it was an accomplishment.  I just thought I should have been able to run faster.  I think that's a common sentiment among runners.  We are always chasing a faster time that we think we should be able to attain.

After the Shamrock Shuffle, I was looking forward to the Carmel Marathon.  I felt like I was in great shape; however my confidence took a little knock when I had a couple rough weeks of training leading into the race due to bad cold.  Despite that, I decided to start the Carmel Marathon with a strong pace since I wanted to aim for a PR. My pace for the first 9 miles was in the low 6:40s.  Unfortunately, I felt like I was expending more energy at that pace than I would be able to maintain for the rest of the race so I decided to slow a little.  A sub-3 would still be attainable and if I felt better later, maybe I could still pull off a PR. 

Around mile 16 or 17 my body just felt depleted of energy, and I realized I was going to have to enter survival pace if I was going to finish without crawling.  At mile 23, a friend from college and his posse caught me.  It was great timing. With a little over 3 miles left, I needed some encouragement and distraction.  I latched onto the group until my body revolted.  With 1.5 miles left, my vision started blurring a bit and I had to try with all my might to keep my legs moving.  The race provided bike escorts for the top 3 men and women.  Since I had been in 2nd the entire race, I had a cyclist with me. We hadn't spoken to each other thoughout the race, but he must have sensed that I was struggling because he started to offer words of encouragement.  Either the rapid slowing of pace or the "come on, Melissa" I started repeating to myself out loud probably tipped him off.  I crossed the finish line in 3:02, 7 minutes over the PR I was hoping to run.

With Leah Thorvilson after the Carmel Marathon

I'm not sure what caused my slow demise. Maybe it was a combination of starting too fast and having an off day.  Although Justin and I may have had less than spectacular performances, I think we were more the exception than the rule.  I came away from the race inspired for my next marathon by a number of runners.  To name a few... Leah won her 5th marathon of 2012 in a super speedy 2:42 (and she had ran a marathon the week before).  Laurissa placed 3rd and was only 2 minutes off her PR just 5 months after having a baby.  Tammy and Wins crushed their previous marathon PRs by over 10 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively.  Remarkable!! If that doesn't leave you wanting to run more, I don't know what will!

One time...two responses.

I wonder if someone would have told me back in 2002 what life would be like for me in 2012 if I would have believed them. In 2002 I was 19 years old with goals and dreams for the future. These included graduating from Goshen College, becoming a farmer, and marrying Melissa. Two of these goals were easy to achieve. My family has been farming since 1843 and becoming a college graduate is not difficult. Dating Melissa on the other hand seemed virtually impossible.

Believe it or not I did not have many long term running goals at the time, but one of the goals I did have was to run the Boston Marathon for as many years as possible. I first ran the Boston Marathon in 2001 as a high school senior, it was a great experience that my entire family enjoyed. In 2002 a return trip was obvious. Granny, Dad, and I loaded up and headed to Boston for an enjoyable weekend. My training was going well and I was due a breakthrough marathon, which thankfully occurred. On that day I ran a 2:34:11 marathon and was extremely happy with my new marathon personal best. The trip was memorable. Granny enjoyed taking in all the sights and sounds of the race. That Boston Marathon medal is hers.

A lot of changes have occurred in my life since then. After asking Melissa out for 3 years she finally agreed to one date just to get me to leave her alone. As it turns out me telling her that I thought we would get married someday is what was causing her to turn down dating me, but regardless of her hesitation we got married in 2007. I achieved my goal of graduating college and becoming a farmer. I was a full-time farmer from 2005 through the summer of 2010, when life changes dictated that I needed to provide childcare for our son Miles while Melissa worked on her PhD. Training specifically for the Boston Marathon every spring has been replaced by other running goals, and running a 2:34:11 marathon is no longer viewed as a successful race for me. I mention all this because this weekend, virtually 10 years since that solid marathon personal best at the Boston Marathon, I ran the  exact time of 2:34:11 at the Carmel Marathon. It is amazing how life can change your prespective on things, what I once viewed as a high success was now just an average day.

The Carmel Marathon is a young event, only in its second year, but the organization made it appear like it was established years ago. The race organizers and volunteers were top notch people. Which compounds my disappointment in running a slower time. It is always nice to run your best for race directors who do a great job of putting together an event. This race had everything a runner could ask for including great aid stations and an exciting course that showed off a variety of Carmel neighborhoods. It also had 2 things that I struggle with, cold and wind.

I was able to start off well. By mile 8 I was sitting in fourth place with a larger gap on 5th place. I could still see 2nd and 3rd place so I thought it possible that one of them might fade and I could pass them late in the race. Turns out I was the one who faded. The elements were causing me to tighten up and slow down. I tried to fight through it by making surges but nothing seemed to work. My pace went from 5:40s to 6:00-6:15 depending on how strong the wind was we were running into. I was never passed by 5th place, but also was never able to close the gap on any runners in front of me. I was relieved to finish the marathon as that met I could put on some warmer clothes. For the first time in our running career I did not stay around the finish area to wait for Melissa to finish. I was too cold. I headed straight to the car to get dressed. I do find it interesting that a time I was proud to run 10 years ago now is a dissapointing race. It makes me hopeful that 10 years from now an average race will be a time I am proud to run now. I am not racing this upcoming weekend, but after that weekend I will be doing 7 marathons in the next 8 weeks. Race...Recover...Repeat.

Athens Marathon

It is very rare that I look back on my running career, but when I do it is easy for me to pinpoint a few key races that have lead to me being the runner I am today. This past weekend I was able to compete in the 45th Athens Marathon in Athens, Ohio, which was my fourth time running this event. Doing this event again allowed me to travel back down memory lane and look at the impact the Athens Marathon has had on my running career. I have previously ran this marathon in 2006, 2010, 2011, and now again in 2012. Lets take a short journey back through time and see how these races changed my running career. Starting with 2006...

Many people reading this could easily describe how I look when running a marathon, ugly, tired, slow, and wearing blue shorts, white race top, and of course a white MarathonGuide.com hat.

What you may not be aware of is that I never wore a hat to race in until I first tested it out at the Athens Marathon in 2006. A hat is a big upgrade from this poster from my college days! Oddly enough when doing hill sprints with some of my training partners a week or two prior to the marathon I was informed by one of them that running with a hat on would slow me down several minutes, there are doubters everywhere you turn. Reality is if running a marathon in a hat felt uncomfortable on that day I probably never would have tried it again, even though wearing a hat helps protect my eyes, which are sensitive to the bright sunlight.

Even though the hat passed its test my body failed me on that day. I was 23 years old and still working towards being able to run back to back races at a quality level. The day prior to the Athens Marathon I competed in a half marathon in Columbus, Ohio. This depleted my body.

At the time I did not have a sound and tested system for taking in my GU Gels and energy drinks during a marathon, this might have lead to me barely surviving the race. I was grateful and excited to win, but full of pain from the event. This was even evident in my post race comments to the local newspaper, when I stated to kill me and throw me in a ditch. For the next three years I maintained my stance that the Athens Marathon was not for me, but then life changed on August 31, 2009.

I woke up that Monday morning, left the Buchanan, Michigan home I was renting and headed out to do farm work, thinking this day would be a fun day in the fields. That innocent bliss lasted for a few hours until a phone call arrived stating that my Father-In-Law had fallen off of a silo from roughly 24 feet up and was in a bad condition. To make a long story short we immediately moved from Michigan to Berne, Indiana to help on his dairy farm as he recovered from massive injuries. For the next 10 months I enjoyed learning more about the dairy farming industry, even if the milking schedule hindered my training and traveling. This is when the thought that "Life is not about you" really sunk it. It motivated me to help my Father-In-Law as much as I needed to even if it caused my running to suffer.

Due to this move we now lived closer to the Athens Marathon, which is why we returned to run the marathon in 2010. I found during that race that the race was actually not as bad as I previously thought. I guess compared to other obstacles that life might throw our way running an out-and-back marathon on a bicycle path is not that bad. The 2010 event ended similar to the 2006 event, a win but with a slow time. I looked forward to running the race again in 2011 to prove that I was faster than the efforts I had put forth at their marathon.

The 2011 Athens Marathon was one of my better spring marathons that year, not just because of my 2:29:39 winning time, but because I was able to stay competitive throughout the race. From mile 8 to mile 19 I had a tough competitor matching my efforts stride for stride. We traded surges several times, which I liken to boxers trading jabs. You might not win the match with some jabs but they wear your opponent down for when you want to land the killer uppercut. My knock out shot was a 5:29 mile for mile 20. Sure this is not a blistering fast mile but it is not the size of the hit as much as it impact that makes a difference.

This year my goals for the race were a little hazy. I thought it would be neat to try to win my 4th career Athens Marathon, which would tie me for most wins in the races history. This race represented my 3rd marathon in 3 weekends, but I did not feel any soreness. Maybe due to wearing Recovery Sock compression sleeves all week, or taking multiple ice baths. My training this past week finally started to get better as I did 2 speed workouts and was feeling stronger.

Even though I was gaining fitness I still started the marathon about as fast as my old truck drives, nice and easy. Just past the mile marker I was able to catch up with one of my athletes, Jordan Smeltzer, who was running the half marathon. I decided to stick with him for the first 6 miles.

From that point on it was a solo mission to run as fast as I could. Unfortunately the mile markers were not accurate so it was hard to gauge how fast I was going. I decided it would be best to stay uncomfortable, push hard, and be aggressive, much like a honey badger. With the mile markers off it was hard to tell how close I was to breaking 2:30, which unfortunately I failed to achieve. I was able to win in 2:30:34, which gives me a good boast of confidence that I will soon be back to running like I should be. Sure I was a little disappointed not to break 2:30 again, but all that went away when I received one of my weirdest compliments ever. A spectator came up to me and stated, "Nice shins you have." I asked them to explain and they stated, "I bet you never get shin splints with shin bones like that." Odd indeed, but it did give me an internal laugh. I look forward to returning to the Athens Marathon in 2013, it has become an event that I really enjoy, a complete change from my initial impression.    

 

Picking a Marathon

I am often asked, "How do you pick which marathons you run?" While that is a simple question, it could be given a complicated answer as many factors come into play when deciding whether to run a marathon or not. Sadly I cannot revert back to childhood ways of deciding things, which involved plucking petals off a flower to determine if my school aged crush also loved me.

Now I unfortunately have to take a more adult approach to making decisions. Prior to signing up for a race I must make sure it fits into our life schedule. First and foremost is the job of securing childcare for my 2 year old son, Miles. If I am competing in a marathon without my wife, Melissa, then more often then not she can watch Miles, but this past weekend she was racing the Shamrock Shuffle 8km race in Chicago.

The second obstacle is the logistics to travel to and from the race. Whatever race I compete in I have to be ensured of returning home prior to Melissa leaving at 5:30 AM for her PhD schooling at The University of Notre Dame. Finally there has to be a REASON for me to want to run the marathon. I either need to have a goal attached to this particular marathon, or the race has to be part of a larger goal. The ORRRC Marathon only recently, within the past two weeks, presented itself as a possible event to compete in.

When looking at the possibilities of qualifying for the NAIA National Marathon an athlete I help coach, Jacob GunderKline, decided he would like to compete in the ORRRC Half Marathon as it was located only a short 10 minute drive from his house. Jacob is a 2-time NAIA All-American race walker and a strong runner with a 1:15:23 half marathon personal best, so it seemed very likely that he could break the 1:15:00 barrier to qualify for the NAIA Marathon. Another athlete, Mitchell Brickson, also an All-American race walker, planned to walk the half marathon as part of his training. Luckily my mother-in-law lives on the way from Goshen, Indiana to Xenia, Ohio and she was willing to watch Miles for the day while I drove the athletes to the race. Since I was to be at the event anyway I figured I might as well run the marathon as it fit into my goal of completing 25 marathons this year.

The ORRRC Marathon featured the half and full marathon running together for the first 7 miles. While strolling along at 5:45-5:50 per mile pace I found myself next to the 3rd place half marathon runner. I politely introduced myself by stating, "Hi. I am Justin Gillette." He then began to laugh. I was unaware that my name was funny. He eventually explained that I was the topic of discussion within his training group this past Tuesday. Turns out he trains with one of my wife's better friends, proving it is indeed a small world, and that their training group has boring conversations while working out.

Once the half marathon split I accelerated to my more typical marathon pace of 5:36-5:42 per mile.

The next ten miles clicked off pretty well, but all too soon that would subside. My stomach was having a hard time handling the Fruit Punch flavored sports drink that was provided on the race course. From mile 18 to the finish I struggle to run much faster then 5:50 per mile, as most of the miles were closer to 6:00 minutes per mile, which is typically an easy pace for me to run, but not today. It was relieving to find out that with 5 miles to go I had over a 3 minute lead.

The last 5 miles seemed to pass quickly.

I was passing half marathoners who were also headed into the finish. The excitement of hearing how Jacob and Mitchell did propelled me to the finish line. Not long after winning the marathon in a modest time of 2:34:03, I remembered Melissa was probably done running and had texted me her finish time from the 8km race. Unfortunately not only did I have a time I was not proud of, but so did Jacob. He was battling a fever but tried his best to run well. This only solidifies the point that in order to enjoy the good days of running you also must appreciate the bad days.

One of my personal highlights about this marathon was the coolers full of Pepsi that runners had assess to after the race. This completely made up for the Fruit Punch flavored drink that bothered me during the race. A little over 8 hours after finishing the marathon I found myself at home with no soreness, no tiredness, and the desire to run some more. Apparently this happens when you just ran your 38th fastest marathon, which did not wear my body out much. So another 6 mile run later and my day was complete. Time to prepare for my next marathon this coming weekend.

"Momma Knows Best"

My Mom, Chrissy Nichols, has been getting a lot smarter lately, even without taking specific college courses or reading books. As one of the brighter members of my family, I have an IQ of 52, it is easy for me to notice that her intelligence is now higher than I previously labeled it at 14 years ago when I was a rowdy teenager. Like many teenagers I was raised by "dumb" and "uncool" parents. Now that I am a father I have had a chance to reflect back on those conversations growing up, only to realize how smart my Mom has gotten lately. At one point she stated something to the effect of, "Someday you will wake up, be older, and wonder how did I end up at this point in my life." Sure enough that happen this weekend.

Sometime in the wee hours of Sunday morning my sleep was interrupted. I could not feel Melissa sleeping next to me. I reached out for Miles, but mattress was all I was feeling. The pillow under my head felt different, and the bed seemed large enough to do an interval workout around. I was confused. Where was I and how did I get here? My Mom had projected this moment years ago, wisdom that I failed to recognize. It took me a few moments to use my context clues and figure out where I was, not only literally but also in life.

There were beauty pageant crowns on the nightstand, pageant photos scattered on the walls, the bed was enormous, the house I was staying in was beyond fancy, and yet this was one stop on my journey through life. Eventually I was able to determine that I was out of town to run a marathon and staying at the house of a lady I coach online, whom also happens to model and is a frequent beauty pageant contestant. This all seemed a little overwhelming. Remember I started running in 1996 as a chubby 7th grader wanting to be the fastest student in the timed mile, now I found myself in an elaborate house, far from home, and trying to rest prior to running a marathon to make an income so I can feed my family. Never would I have projected this.

I entered the Publix Georgia Marathon with the goal of improving my marathon time from my previous marathon in Georgia, and I also wanted to be competitive in the top 3. I knew the course would be a little slower due to the rolling hills. Throughout the week leading up to the marathon all entered athletes received no less than 4 emails warning about how hot the weather was going to be. Typically I enjoy racing in the heat as I have done so successfully multiple times, but I have yet to start training this year, let alone training in any heat. My race plan was to manage the heat and hills in a controlled effort, then make a very hard move late in the race.

The starting line consisted of 16,000 athletes whom were running either the half or full marathon. It was not until mile 7 when the half marathon runners split off. At that point I found myself comfortably in 2nd place. The leader would vary from being right beside me, to having up to a 32 second lead at one point. As his lead would sway back and forth so did my feelings as to whether I could win the marathon. He had stated previously to me that his personal best for a marathon was 2:31, so he was to be taken seriously. I cruised through the half marathon point in somewhere near 1:14:44, still feeling confident in my race strategy.

With my high IQ I was easily able to determine that the leader would charge up the hills a lot faster than me, that race plan works well for some people, but I preferred to use the constant effort approach during this event. He was also able to further his lead when passing through aid stations, hence the gap varied very frequently. In front of the lead runner was 2 cops on motorcycles, a pace car with a digital clock, and a lead bicyclist. I also had a biker riding next to me. At one point when the gap was expanding I was able to overhear a member of the escorting crew stating that the race looked to be over soon. I must have looked awful. Originally I was thinking I would run strong the last 10 miles, try to take the lead and win. Once I seen how good this athlete was at climbing hills I adjusted my "Go" spot to mile 22, which would limit the number of hills we had left in the race. My theory was if I closed the gap and took the lead there I would only have to hold it for 2 miles until the half marathon and full marathon courses merged again at mile 24.

I started gaining ground in the 21st mile, took the lead just prior to mile 22. I pushed as hard as I could until mile 24. Joining up with the half marathon runners gave me thousands of more spectators cheering me to the finish. The sun was blazing bright as the temperatures hoovered near 83 degrees. A few long hills and longer miles later I was on the home stretch. The last 2 miles were nothing pretty. I ended up winning with a time of 2:32:43. My goal of lowering my best marathon in Georgia was successful, as was my goal of being competitive in the top 3. I had one final objective for the day, a 5 mile cooldown. I asked the race organizers if I could run back on the course and run in with the athlete I coach. They politely shot down that idea as they wanted me to do multiple media interviews, an awards ceremony, and interact with fans near the finish area.

The awards were done prior to my athlete finishing. I kept the trophy and finishline tape, but gave away the sunglasses to another gentleman who ran one of his best times ever. I also re-gifted the bouquet of flowers winners were awarded, those were given to my host, athlete, and tour guide for the weekend. She was pleased with her time and the flowers. In conclusion, it was an honor to win the Publix Georgia Marathon, and my Mom was right, sometimes you wake up and wonder how you got to that point in your life, only to realize that God is good.