Eastern States 20 Mile race

March 24th
I participated in The Eastern States 20 mile race. It spanned three states beginning in Kittery, ME and finishing just across the state line in Salisbury, Massachusetts (20.25 to be exact). My training called for a nineteen mile run. It was a perfect opportunity to use this race as a training run (so much for that). It is a struggle separating being competitive from an easy training run. Despite this, I was very happy with the result but have plenty of room to improve.

Going into a race, I attempt to plan a strategy mentally, ensuring the run goes smoothly.  For this race, I wanted to run 5 mile blocks at a particular pace. For instance, miles 1-5 would be ran at 7:30 and finishing the final 5 at 7:00. Regarding fuel and hydration, I carried three GU Energy Gels and stopped for water three times along the course. With the strategy in place, it was time for the race.

Race morning, I drove to Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire for the shuttle bus. The 7:45 AM bus would take myself and the rest of the runners to Robert Traip Academy High School in Kittery, Maine. Arriving after 8 AM, it was tough finding the ways to pass the time until the race starts. 11 AM is the latest I have started a race, not sure how I felt about that. I took the opportunity to stretch, eat a light meal, hydrate, and a warm up jog. As the race approached start time, runners walked a short distance to the start downtown. It began on a narrow up hill driveway next to a public parking lot. Runners on your mark…

Race began heading towards the New Hampshire state line into downtown Portsmouth. Checking my watch at mile 1 (Memorial Bridge), my pace was 7:06. I quietly swore at myself for going out a little too quick. At this point, my original (mental) plan was scrapped. For the remainder of the race, my goal was to clock consistent splits without going under 7 minutes per mile.

Running through downtown Portsmouth was wonderful. I was excited to get onto Route 1-A along the coast. The remainder of the course would be ran on this road (Mile 3-20). As the race progressed, I was very pleased with my progress staying focused with my new plan. The only down side running on the coast is possibly running through head winds. It happened a couple times but I did not push too hard without getting very tired. Aside from that, the splits were excellent through the first fourteen miles. Approaching mile 15 (Hampton), my body started to slightly tire. Seeing that passing competitors would be few and far between, I put my head down to finish strong. Traffic was getting heavy approaching the slower half marathon runners. Some spots on the course had difficult, if not,no opportunities to pass. Locke Point Ocean Boulevard bridge only had room for two abreast. Also, Hampton Beach and Route 1-A approaching the Massachusetts state line (finish) was tough with vehicles approaching you. It gave me a chance to draft behind the twenty mile competitors conserving energy. Crossing the bridge, I was desperately looking for the finish line (where is it?). It was a relief hearing a volunteer at mile 20 shout, "Turn left and the finish line is 50 feet ahead."

Time: 2:25:44.3/ 7:12 pace (68th overall)

Miles 1-20: 7:06; 7:09; 7:11; 7:04; 7:00; 7:04; 7:07; 7:08; 7:04; 7:05; 7:05; 7:05; 7:11; 7:12; 7:22; 7:25; 7:27; 7:32; 7:37;  and 7:35 with the remaining distance at 7:21 pace.

Crossing the finish line, I was relieved and very pleased with the result. As stated earlier, I have tons of room for improvement. Thank you to all the event organizers that made the event possible. It was a very fun race. Law Enforcement did a great job keeping competitors safe. Can't forget the volunteers who made a tremendous difference, making the event enjoyable.

Rye, New Hampshire around mile 5.

What do I need to work on for my next long distance race?

1. Improve sleep habits night before race.
2. Write down race plans instead of relying on one mentally.
3. Meal plan night before race
4. Talk with coaches and/or pacers about how to prepare for long distance races

Route. Photo by Marathon Sports.

My first trip to Maine, through New Hampshire along the coast, and finishing in Massachusetts was a memorable experience. I would highly recommend this race to all runners looking for a long run tune up to a spring marathon. Currently accepting recommended races in Maine and New Hampshire. Congratulations to all the runners who finished the event. Hope you accomplished your goals Very grateful to meet some awesome athletes. Good luck with your future endeavors. Until we meet again.

Lace up and lets go to work
-MJ

Training, Vegan Eats, and Code Blue

Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day for a run. I took full advantage of it by doing the long run that morning instead of Saturday. I wanted to be fresh, alert, and focused for this run so that is the reasons for the switch. If I did it Saturday, I ran the risk of being tired or not finishing the run. The weather was perfect, not quite shorts weather, but it was satisfying. 18.36 miles in under two and a half hours with a pace of just of over eight minutes was a pretty good result. As I'm writing this, I went on another run this morning, taking advantage of the great weather. If you haven't been following my posts, I am currently training to run my third marathon in less than two months, Vermont City (Burlington). Unfortunately, this will be the only marathon I will be running this year. I was planning on doing two but I have to focus on my current job priorities. I will still participate in running races but only locally. That is my running update, onto other exciting things.

Here are some vegan food pictures:

 Pick up the Gluten Free Bar in a store near you. It is absolutely delicious.

 Eggplant with tomatoes, mushrooms, and beans

 Ben & Jerry's never disappoints. Can't wait for more non-dairy flavors in the future.

Still have to try the Oreo flavor version. Don't spoil it for me.

Ok, enough of the food pictures. My next race will be this Saturday in Saratoga Springs, Blue Needs You 8K (5 mile). Any chance I get to participate in a running race for an excellent cause. This race supports Code Blue Saratoga, an emergency homeless shelter providing homes during the winter season. It will be exciting to run in short distance races because I do not do it enough. To learn more about this organization, click here. I will have another update this weekend regarding this race. Get outside, the weather is beautiful. Hope your day is going amazing.

-Matt

About Time

Influential music in my life

If you are anticipating a marathon training update, here it is and it is going to be short. I ran three days the past two weeks. The first week was 7.56 miles, 6.2 (10K), and 3.1 (5K) with the pace under seven minutes in that set. The next week was 10 miles, another 5K, and 11.94 miles with the pace under seven minutes again. Running three days a week has really helped with my speed work and my confidence has grown as the marathon is about one month away. I will continue this trend for the next two weeks until November starts so I'm fresh for Philadelphia. That is my running update.

Last night, I witnessed an amazing show in Clifton Park. Pennywise played their About Time album in its entirety along with some of their classic songs and a couple of cover songs. They covered Ben E. King's Stand By Me, doing a great version of it and Bad Religion's Do What You Want. How did I hear about Pennywise? My aunt had a copy of Spin Magazine in 1998-99 with an advertisement promoting their latest CD. A couple years later, Pennywise released, Land Of The Free? that included my favorite song Fuck Authority. Now this is 2016 and they are still a tremendous influence on my life. Every single piece of music they have made has been nothing short of amazing. If you are a big punk/hardcore lover, this band should be at the top of your list.




All the bands that played with Pennywise were very impressive. I have become fans of Unwritten Law, The Runaway Kids, and Strung Out after that show. It felt like a Vans Warped Tour show with only a few bands but the way it is suppose to be. All the fans in attendance were into the show whether it was sing-alongs, crowd surfing, and pitting. You know a show is going to be great when the guitarist of the opening band runs off stage and joins the circle pit while in sync. Wish the show could've been sold out but the attendance was good overall.


Check out The Runaway Kids on Facebook




Strung Out Facebook


Along with the amazing show, I prepared some sweet dishes that were simple and delicious.

Brown Rice with Chickpeas, Edamame, and Avocado

Sweet Potato Chili

Running With Confidence and Great Fuel

Look at that excitement. That's confidence right there!

That has been the theme for my marathon training for several months. In the past, it was difficult to follow that keynote but for yesterdays run, it was very important. It started a couple days prior to the longest run training run, 21+ miles. Crazy as this sounds, I was really excited about this particular run wanting to end the peak training on an excellent note. After running 21.26 miles in 2:35:15, I was very happy and surprised with the result. I was expecting to run a little over 3 hours but it was almost 30 minutes quicker than expected. My run was very smooth and did not tire very easily at a 7:18 pace.

As far as what to eat and drink prior to running, I simply stick with toast and a banana to prevent running on an empty stomach. For hydration, simply enough water (in my case it was a full bottle) and some Coconut water to get electrolytes in my system. I don't like to load up on a lot of food prior to a run because chances are, you are looking to replenish right after a run anyway. After my long run, my post race fuel consisted of oatmeal with a banana, coconut water, water, a Kind Snack Bar, and Primal Strips Vegan Jerky.

I use to eat Clif Bars whenever I did a long run but they were so heavy, rich in filling, and hard to absorb while running. Lately, I've fallen in love with Kind Snack Bars because of the lighter portions and fewer calories. The flavors consumed and purchased are Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Nut, Roasted Jalapeno, Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond, and Dark Chocolate Chili Almond. An even better bonus is that it's made with non-GMO ingredients, excellent source of protein and dairy free options. Thank you Kind Snacks for fueling my workouts.

It has been several years since I had a piece of jerky, way before my vegetarian period. One day, I went to Healthy Living Market and Cafe in Saratoga Springs for a couple treats. All of sudden,  I had a craving for vegan jerky. After walking around looking for it, I found it next to the checkout lines. Primal Spirit Foods makes meatless vegan jerky and let me tell you, they were delicious. Excellent source of protein, non-GMO ingredients, vegan, no preservatives, and no artificial colors. It is a perfect portion for one serving size and you can not taste the difference with regular jerky. The only three I have tried are Thai Peanut, Mesquite Lime, and Hot & Spicy. All three were very good so it is difficult to choose a favorite. If you forced me to choose, it would be Mesquite Lime. After finishing all three, I will make another trip to the market to restock.

My advice to all runners is approach every training day with confidence whether it is short or very long.  The Philadelphia Marathon in November is fast approaching, exactly seven weeks away. Obviously, I will share my experience with everyone once the event has concluded.