18/50 - Mercedes-Benz Marathon

Inspired by a friend's accomplishment of running 2,013 miles in 2013, I decided I would start 2014 off with a similar goal. Given that I usually fall within the 1,600 mile range, this seems attainable. Of course, this hasn't been the best winter in Chicagoland to start with - brutal cold, record snowfall and black ice for as far as the eye can (not) see. Also, this was my first winter without the luxury of a gym membership - my favored retreat for winter speed work.

I usually don't run much in November and December and 2013 was no exception. An ill-prepared attempt to run the Memphis Marathon on December 7, 2013 was thwarted by bad weather. We recently moved from the south suburbs to the north suburbs of Chicago. I found motivation to train by starting another running club (https://www.facebook.com/groups/LibertyvilleRunningClub/) that coincided with a seven-week training plan for the Mercedes-Benz Marathon in Birmingham, AL. If I learned anything from founding a club in the past, it's that beginnings are humble, the groundwork is considerable and few run in the winter. Luckily, I found a great group of runners undeterred by the elements of a polar vortex.

Running in these conditions was more about survival than adhering to any specific training program. The pace per mile was slow, the long runs felt like really long runs and the beardcicles were prodigious. I averaged 41 miles per week for those seven weeks running three to four days per week. I gave up beer, wine and refined sugar for one month leading up to this race just because I like a challenge. A bet with my wife fueled this test for which she will suffer its outcome for the remainder of 2014 - a ginger beard of imposing magnitude.

We left Mars with his grandparents and arrived in Birmingham Friday morning, thinking this would be a nice getaway before child #2 arrives. Birmingham, Alabama's largest city, has a storied history engulfed by the civil rights movement and as such, offers a glimpse into the most significant domestic drama of the 20th century. What it does not offer, is much else! Though we struggled to find food within a 2-mile radius of our hotel in downtown Birmingham, we eventually stumbled upon Full Moon BBQ (www.fullmoonbbq.com) and Hop City (www.hopcitybeer.com), a bar and bottle shop that rivals anything I've seen. Its selection of great local, national and international beers is a testament to how far Alabama has come in the craft beer scene. Outside of those establishments, the Todd English P.U.B. (www.toddenglishpub.com) in the Westin we stayed at was a frequented spot.

The race had a field of 1,000 marathon finishers and 3,300 half marathon finishers. The two-loop course makes for a lonely second loop for marathon runners. In all, it is a very well organized race on a fast course with enough rolling hills to keep it interesting. The post race party was catered by Jim 'N Nick's BBQ (www.jimnnicks.com), another fantastic BBQ joint. As I usually do in this type of race, I got caught up with the half marathon runners and started faster than I should have. At the half marathon split, I averaged 6:38 per mile. I tempered my pace and teamed with the only runner around for the second loop. At mile 18, I left my partner to finish the race in solitude. My average pace for the second half of the race was 6:52 per mile. I finished in 2:56:56 (my 6th best marathon time) in 22nd place overall, 17th male. Below, I present to you my reward. It was heavenly.