Then enjoy some turkey knowing that you helped St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and that you got some exercise to boot.  Gobble! Gobble!

Finisher medal and official time

A week before the Baltimore Marathon I decided I wanted to run it.  It made sense, I am training for the NYC Marathon and had a 22 mile training run scheduled for the same day.  Why not add 4.2 miles and get a medal?

The event was sold out, so I put the word out that I wanted to run it and if anybody knew a way for me to get a bib contact me.  I even tried calling charities involved to see if I could run legit.

Social media came through when traditional channels failed.  I found a guy that injured his foot and could not run.  I was able to buy his bib and gain entry.  He wanted to keep the shirt so we worked out a discount for it.

The eve of the race came quickly and I found myself more relaxed than I have ever been before a big run.  After all this was just a training run not a race.

I got up early Saturday morning and the family headed down to Fells Point to meet up with some friends.  After getting everyone together, we finally started heading to the start with about a half hour to spare.  We got dropped off about a mile from the start line.  I had told another friend I would meet him at the start for his first marathon, I felt bad that we were getting there late so I ran to the start to meet up with him.  The warm up was good.

We lined up with the 3:50 pace group in the corral.  I concentrated on running easy and relaxed from the get go.  During the run I started to see familiar faces which kept the miles sailing by.  Soon we were in front of the 3:50 pace group and feeling quite relaxed.  Baltimore is a hilly course, I knew I had to keep some reserves for later but, in the mean time, the pace seemed quick and comfortable.  Overall, that is how the race went.  I got in a comfortable groove and just held it.   I was even able to resist the urge to sprint to the finish line.  As I came into the finish I looked up and saw the clock and was honestly surprised to see 3:45.  I had just run my best marathon on a tough course in relative ease.  I was pretty pleased.  I just got a new PR and finished my 9th Marathon.

The bummer is that my time is officially under another name not mine.  The good news is that it filled me with confidence and excitement for the NYC marathon coming up in November.

I definitely believe that the TransRockies Run has put me into the best shape of my life.  I got to write my review of the GTTR, I am just having trouble getting my head around it.

Believe in the Run.

Believe in the Run.

From left to right Thomas N. (me) Adam Rosenberg Director of BCAC, Juda McGannon

This past week was the fundraiser for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC.)  We raised $800 that night, combined with $300 in checks and $1,935 of online donations we are now standing at $3,035.  That leaves us at $8,265 still to go to hit our goal of $11,300 ($100 per mile of the TransRockies Run.)  Thank you to those who came to the fundraiser and have donated online too.  Donate now if you would like to help us reach the goal.

Training
This was the peek mileage week and it looked daunting as hell when I saw it coming.  The great thing is, I hit two new PRs (Personal Records.)  One for Most mileage in a a week, 75 running miles.  The second PR was for running miles in one month.  In July I ran 244 miles, my closest month before that was 164!  This week was a tough one and very rewarding.  A special thanks to the Dailymile community for all their support.  Here is the breakdown for the week:

Monday July 26: 4 miles, with some cooler temps
Tuesday July 27: 9 miles, I was supposed to run 8, but I accidentally did 9 miles. That’s what happens when you improv your running route.
Wednesday July 28: 8 miles on the bicycle, 2 miles on the treadmill at a 15% incline, 100 sit ups and 50 push ups
Friday July 30: 18.27 miles in great temps, a gorgeous morning
Saturday July 31: 20 miles, started off a little tough but evened out as kept going.  I thought about my friend  Andy O. running his 100 miler and hoping it was going well for him. It made twenty miles seem tiny.
Sunday August 1: 22 miles, I thought this 22 mile run was going to be a big struggle. I was achy and tired. I downloaded Dean Karnaze’s 50/50 book on the iPhone last night and started listening as I began to run.

The running actually seemed to be going well and almost seemed effortless for the first 5 miles. I was feeling good. I thought about taking some walk breaks but I didn’t need them so I kept going. I really enjoyed Dean’s audio book. I have been running without music or anything for a couple months now and it has been great. This being my third solo long run I needed some company.

That wraps up week 7 of training.  Believe in the run,

Thomas

Brian L. Stephanie M. Brodie W. and Me

So about two months ago I was messaging back and forth with Stephanie M. on dailymile.  We were thinking it would be fun to run a race together, Stephanie mentioned The North Face Challenge in DC.  I wrote her back and let her know that I was registered.  She said I was nuts and she registered too.  We were kinda nuts we only had about six weeks to get ready for a trail marathon.  If you know anything about road running vs trail running, you know trail running is harder.  I emailed Brodie and roped him into the madness too.  We are running enablers, its a good thing.

June 5th came fast and the next thing I know I am waking up at 5 a.m. getting my gear together and rushing out the door to go pick up Brodie.  I left something in the house so I ran back to the house, as I was running I stepped on the hose and slightly turned my left ankle (FORESHADOW ALERT).  I hopped back in the car and picked up Brodie stopped at Starbucks and got my pre-run ritual meal: tall coffee, slice of banana walnut bread, and a black cherry yogurt.  Brodie knew some back roads and we were to the shuttle bus before we knew it.  We met Linda on the bus and she hung out with us until the start of the race.

Stephanie pickin' up packets

Stephanie picked up my packet for me the night before so I was eagerly awaiting her arrival.  From a distance I saw her orange dailymile t-shirt.  We had a Hallmark moment as we opened arm hugged.  It was the first time we met, but just like when I met Steve S. and Andy O. it was like we already knew each other and were old friends.  It was hot out there and I was already sweating.  Another dailymiler Brian L. showed up too. Now we were all together, Brodie, Stephanie, Linda, Brian, and me all just waiting for the start of the race.  It came fast enough.

All five of us started the run together and the terrain was deceptively easy for the first couple of miles.  I came to run with Stephanie so I made sure I didn’t lose her in the crowd.  The trail got harder and hotter.  I was dripping with sweat, I couldn’t be any wetter.  Stephanie was wearing a little green sparkle skirt that made a lot of people smile and comment.  For most of the first 13.1 miles I kept hearing “I love your skirt” when I wasn’t hearing that I was hearing Stephanie cheering on other runners.  I found out that she was a cheerleader in high school and college.

Spotting Mark at the 1/2 way

Stephanie had planned on only running 13.1 miles of the event.  When we made it close to the half way point we spotted Jason P. from dailymile and then Stephanie’s husband Mark.  We said a quick hello and made it to the aid station where we filled up on water and nutrition.  Did I mention it was super hot and humid.  I went through 64 oz. of water in 13.1 miles.  We saw Greg S. from dailymile at the aid station, he was pacing a friend doing the 50 miles.  I said my goodbyes to Stephanie and got back on the trails.

I felt good at this point and started to pick up the pace.  It was fun I was passing a lot of people.  I knew I still had a long way to go so I tried to keep myself from getting carried away.  By the time I started to really feel the distance I was pretty over heated.  Having the Camelbak with 64 oz. of water turned out to be a life saver as I gulped enduralytes, Stinger gels, Clif Bloks and loads of water.  It was seven miles between the aid stations and in 90º weather and 90% humidity that would have been a long wait for water.

I started getting really fatigued around mile 17, maybe that is why on a steep downhill I wasn’t careful.  Next thing I knew my head hit the ground and I did a summersault.  I had turned that same left ankle as I had running back into the house.  I hit hard my upper arm is deeply bruised, my knees have small cuts and my wedding band cut into my hand and was bleeding.  I got up and knew I was screwed, it was tough to walk let alone run.  I was not going to DNF (did not finish) this race.  I started walking and started going to a dark place in my head.  I really started to beat myself up.  I thought I had lost it and was thinking I was weak.  At this point I was about 7-8 miles out, at the pace I was walking (about 18 minute miles) this could be awhile.  People I passed were starting to pass me, this SUCKED!  I needed to start running.  My first couple of tries were on the shorter side.  As I kept going the runs got longer.  I was bargaining with myself, thinking just run to that next uphill or run to the next spot of shade.  Every time I had to stop running I would start to beat myself up again.  I spotted a few other dailymile people on the trails, Brian F. and Matt the “No Meat Athlete” it lifted my spirit.  The last aid station had Coca-Cola it was cold and delicious and I drank a lot of it.  Coca-Cola fueled the last two miles I was done with this race and just bit down and ran as hard as I could.  I knew Brodie, Brian, and Stephanie would be waiting at the finish.  So would beer and ace bandages.  I was right about the beer, no luck on the ace bandage. Stephanie captured my finish on video.

TNF Finish from Thomas Neuberger on Vimeo.

Overall, even with the extreme heat, humidity, busted up ankle I had a great day.  I hung out with my dailymile friends, completed my 9th marathon, pretty good stuff.  Oh yeah did I mention I met Dean Karnazes?

Dean Karnazes & Me

I can’t express how much the site dailymile has improved my running experiences and my life.  If you are not on it you should be what are you waiting for?  Thanks again to Brodie and Stephanie without you it would not have been the same.  See you at the next adventure.  I forgot to mention this was Brodie’s last run before a hernia operation and he actually ran 30 miles.

Results: 27.8 miles 6:22:52 – 67th place overall, in my age group 18th place, out of men 45th Considering I did it with a bum ankle, not to shabby.  I will take it.   -Believe in the Run

Check out these shots of the ankle a day after the race:

Stephanie and Brodie

Running Shoe Review: Saucony Kinvara vs. Newton Gravitas

Saucony has jumped on the minimalist running bandwagon with its recent release of the Saucony Progrid Kinvara, a lightweight (7.70z) training/racing shoe that boasts a smaller-than-usual heel-toe offset of only 4mm (this essentially means that the heel is only 4mm thicker than the forefoot). The upshot of this is that the Kinvara, with it’s relatively flat sole, is better suited than many shoes on the market to promoting a midfoot/forefoot footstrike. We decided to put the Kinvara to the test by having two naturally midfoot striking runners review and compare the Kinvara to another shoe that is designed to promote a midfoot/forefoot strike: the Newton Gravitas. READ MORE

Don’t forget to sign up for dailymile

2009 Baltimore 10 Miler in Newtons

Being part of the marketing community, I hear both sides of the story/argument about social media and branding.  My personal feeling is that if the company uses it correctly, they can boost their brand ambassadors and stay connected to their hardcore fans.  Done incorrectly, it is another way to fail and fail FAST.

This is an example of how a company is doing it right and has won an ambassador.

I have run in Newtons for about two years.  The shoe is designed for the way I naturally run with a mid-foot strike.  For more information on the science behind the shoe watch this video.  I first purchased the Newton Gravitas online.  They did not carry them at my favorite independent running retailer – Charm City Running (at the time.)  The shoes cost more than your average running shoe so my first encounter with @SirIsaac on Twitter was to see if maybe I could get free shipping, after all I was making an $185 investment in a shoe I had never even tried on.  I got a quick response, “No.”  Hmm, I didn’t really like that there was no budge, but I thought if they won’t budge for me they probably don’t budge for others.  I got out my card and ordered the fire red Newton Gravitas.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with them.  Weighing in at 10.3 oz, they feel light and fast right out of the box.  I wore them Spring and Summer 2009 during training and races, the longer I wore them the more I loved them.  When it was time to retire them and buy a new shoe, I admit I couldn’t get over the price.  I could buy two pairs of Brooks or Nikes for the price of one pair of Newtons.  I tried several different shoes trying to find the cheaper alternative to the Newtons.  Some shoes worked out fine, but when I bought a pair of the Brooks Defyance 3s, after being fine in the Defyance 2s, well I hated the 3s so much one morning I did something I had never done before.  I reached into the back of my closet and pulled out the Newtons.  I figured I going for a short run anyhow.  Wow! Even a pair of beaten up Gravitas were better then the clunky Defyance 3s.

At this point Charm City Running was now carrying the Newtons.  I stopped in and tried on the Sir Isaacs.  They felt great and I went on a ten mile run and was back in love with Newton.  The Sir Isaacs have a great ride and feel very efficient.  I like to switch out shoes so every other run I was wearing the Nike Lunar Elites.  This was a pretty good combo of shoes for me.  It seems to keep my legs fresh and stretch out the wear and tear on the shoes.

The Newtons have lugs on the tread that help focus your foot strike.  Because of the lugs protrude they start to wear.  This is a good thing, they become less noticeable and also act as an indicator of where and how your foot is striking.  The Sir Isaacs however, started showing unusual wear along the lateral edge.  I only had about 70 miles on the shoes (I track my running shoe miles on dailymile.)

I tweeted to both @CharmCityRunning and @SirIsaac that there was some unusual wear on the shoe.  Right away @SirIssac got back to me and asked me to shoot a picture of the wear on the shoe and email it to Newton’s customer service rep Tory Oakland.  I took pictures of the wear and emailed Tory giving her the relevant details.  Tory asked if she could see some pics of the wear on my old Gravitas.  I gave her pictures of the tread and included some of the Nike Lunar Elites too.  The way my foot strikes and the way the Newton Gravitas wore appeared to be a better fit for me than the Sir Isaacs.  After a short round of courteous emails Tory told me that she would figure out a solution and get back to me.  She ended up giving me two options: 1. Keep the Newton Sir Isaacs and get a really good discount on a pair of Gravitas, or 2. Exchange the Sir Isaacs for a new pair of Gravitas.  Since the damage to the Sir Isaacs was starting to get into the structural part of the shoe, I opted for the second offer and exchanged the shoes.

Wear on the Sir Isaacs

Wear on the Gravitas

Tory and I started talking about the Newton trail shoe scheduled to be launched around August 2010.  I was interested in seeing if they might come out earlier so I could use them for the TransRockies in August.  Tory ended up putting me in contact with the Newton wear tester program.  Fingers crossed, I filled out my application.  Who knows I may be putting 113 miles across the Rockies this Summer in Newtons!

2010 Newton Gravitas

Yesterday, the new pair of Newton Gravitas arrived with a return UPS label for the Sir Isaacs!  I strapped on the Newtons this morning and went for a four mile run before hopping on my bike to commute to work.  I always log my runs on dailymile, today I dedicated my run to Tory.

Newton makes a great shoe, and they put thought into the way they handled a small issue.  I am very vocal about my likes and dislikes when it comes to gear.  Newton took a potential brand disconnect concerning product quality and solved the issue.  This will not be my last pair of Newtons, and I will be spreading the word about a great minimal shoe that promotes a healthier way to run.  Everyone I came in contact with at Newton helped solve the problem.

-Believe in the Run

HAT 50k ReDux from Thomas Neuberger on Vimeo.

For a really detailed great review of the race read Jeanne's post
Here is Steve Speirs' recap
Andy O'brien's HAT 50k post

Here are my thoughts a day after the run:

Crazy hard! My favorite part of the race other than finishing it was meeting and hanging out with Andy and Steve. This was a tough hilly course (9,800 feet of elevation) and it took everything I could give it. at one point I even ran .2 miles in the wrong direction whoops! The ultra marathon has such a different vibe from every other run I have ever done. There is a lot of camaraderie at the HAT. There were so many steep inclines and declines in the race, it really sapped your legs. While it did get hot, I don't think it effected my performance. I drank a ton of water. We were able to stop at the pavillion a little more than half way through. I took advantage of this and changed my socks, shirt, applied more body glide, and got something to eat before heading back out for the second long loop.

On the second loop I filled my water bottle with ice water, I think it saved my life and gave me the strength to finish. I ended up making friends with a woman that I ran the last 5 miles with. We really helped each other finish the race. We ended up finishing side by side with the same time. We high fived and gave each other a hug. It was a great way to finish. Andy, Steve, Jeanne, Jeanne's BFF Coleen, Matt, Adam, and some BRRC members hung out after the finish line. We had beers, hot dogs, and french fries to celebrate. It was so much fun to hang out with the DMers after the race.

I will probably run another 50k someday, but I don't think it will be the HAT, it was tough! It made me rethink my TransRockies run this August, but only for a little bit. If they had an emoticon for Brutal or kicked my ass, I would use that. -believe in the run

Thomas and Jeanne before the HAT 50k from Andy O'Brien on Vimeo.