Post Berlin through the end of 2012

Post Berlin

More race recaps.  I’ll try to do a few at a time but I know I’m about 30 races behind as I type. 

Dayton Corridor Run (10/10/10)- I ran this one a few years before and was looking at it as a training run before I ran the full at Columbus the following weekend.  They changed the course from the prior time and I wouldn’t say it was for the better.  I went w/my friend Deb and the temps were definitely a factor for both of us.  My race plan was to run the first 5 miles hard, the next 5 easy and then even easier to the finish.  At the 5 mile mark, I was ahead of plan but shortly after, my hamstring began to bark at me and I slowed way down because it didn’t feel like a cramp.  I got to the 10 mile mark about 90 or so seconds behind where I wanted to be but because the race was exposed and in direct sunlight, the 80-85 degree day was taking its toll on me.  By the time I hit 12, I decided to walk it in because I wasn’t feeling all that great.  I crossed the finish line about 10 minutes slower than plan but I really didn’t care.  Deb passed out after the finish and I nearly did at lunch right after the race.  Definitely not fun and a lesson learned.  Truthfully, though, the race isn’t that great and not that scenic so it’s not a recommended one. 

Columbus Half Marathon (10/17/10)-I had actually signed up for both the half and the full for this one and decided a few days before to do the half due to the hammie tweak I had in Dayton the weekend before.  Plus all the race mileage was adding up and I was pretty spent from the travel!  My good friend Hansen decided to run the race w/me as a bandit (he didn’t take any fluids, medal or anything of the sort).  I gave him my race plan and we started off in the streets of Columbus a little faster than plan.  My HR wouldn’t elevate to the normal levels so I continued to push at the same pace.  What a great day for a run, though!  By the time we hit the 10 mile mark, I had about 5 minutes in the bank so I decided to just cruise on into the finish.  Hansen was trying to get me to go faster and finish up but I really was enjoying the morning.  At the 13 mile mark, I was glad we were done because it was getting a little warmer out there and I was glad to only doing 13.1.  After a quick trip through the finishing chute, we hustled to the car then back to my house to see the 3:10 group go by at 22.5.  My Mom came down as well to cheer on all the marathoners and we had a little late breakfast that morning.  I always enjoy running C-Bus!

Circleville Pumpkin 5 miler (10/23/10)-This race is fun.  No two ways about it.  Decent course and not a huge race at all.  I got after a it a little early and had to hang on at the end but still a respectable finish for me (about 2 minutes off my 5 mile PR). 

Silver Comet Half Marathon (10/30/10)-A very fun Halloween weekend spent in ATL!  This race was run almost entirely on the Silver Comet Trail in Northwest Atlanta area.  I flew in the night before and did an easy 5k shakedown run the night before the race.  Race morning the temps were nearly perfect and it was a very enjoyable run on the trail.  The only downside to the race was the start/finish were about a mile apart and you couldn’t park at the finish so we jogged back to the car after the race!  After a quick shower and some fast food chicken joint, I checked into a different hotel downtown and picked up Geri from the airport so we could continue the festivities of the weekend.  Band of Horses played at the Fox Theater that evening.  The next morning was another 4 miles on the trail while Geri did her 10 mile training run.  We followed it up with a quick lunch, relaxing, some beers at the ale house next to the Fox Theater and ended the night with the 311 show on Halloween.  We had great seats (about the 5^th or 6^th row on the aisle) and had a blast seeing 311 do their thing Halloween style!  Unbelievably fun show and an all around great weekend!  I’m 100% sure Geri had fun, too…..haha!  Oh, and I know the concerts had nothing to do with running but it’s always great when you can do stuff like that and pair running w/other things and make a great weekend out of it!

Marshall (WV) half marathon (11/7/10)- I had every intention to take this one somewhat easy but wanted to run it a little harder than the weekend before.  A perfect running day and very cool temps made this nearly six minutes faster than Silver Comet!  I even ran back to the hotel after the race.  I’ve run it faster before but I don’t know if I’ve had anymore fun here any of the other 4 or so times I’ve run it!

Buckeye Classic 10k (11/14/10)- This race is my nemesis!  I have no idea why but I wasn’t into it and it showed!  It’s a quasi-trail race with about 1-2 miles of road and it’s crowded so the trails from 2-5 can be somewhat slow going.  I knew early it’d be a struggle but since it was a shorter race, it was over somewhat quickly!  Post race Panera w/some of the running crew made it much better!

Cleveland Fall Classic half marathon (11/21/10)-I tried to equal the effort from Marshall two weeks earlier on a day where the weather wasn’t as good.  I paid for it at the end!  This course is a double loop and pretty plain as far as races go but enjoyable nonetheless.  Deb and I rode up together so the trip was great and since it’s a later start, you can do the entire travel thing in one weekend day.  I was only 2 minutes slower than Marshall but I lost all the time in the last 5k or I would have beaten it.  I did have to stop for 30 or so seconds because my garmin actually stopped!  A recommended race for someone who wants something a little more low-key.

Rehoboth Beach (Delaware) Half marathon (12/11/10)-A great overnight trip flying in/out of Philly and the drive from the airport to Rehoboth Beach was cool as I saw a caravan of buses w/a military and police escort going into Philly for the Amry/Navy game.  All traffic on the other side of the road was stopped.  Very cool!  Once I got to the race destination  I ran an easy 5k the evening before the race on the boardwalk and around the area just to loosen up. It was great running on the beach in December!  Cooler temps race morning (in the 30’s) and surprisingly we only saw the ocean for about a half mile or less!  While the race was fun, there were a few parts that were a little lacking in view on the 5-6 miles of out and back we did.  I went out too hard in this one, too and faded badly after about 15k.  Nonetheless, it was a fun race on a nice day.  I even got back to Philly for an earlier flight! 

Huff (IN) 10.8 mile fun run-  I’ve run this a few times and decided this would be a great way to end 2010!  My friend Kathie had never run a trail race before and decided to tag along to see what it was about and why I enjoy it so much.  She said she’d run w/me despite my tortoise like pace.  Temps at the start were in the low teens.  It was cooooooooooooooooooooooold!!  We started out a bit faster than I wanted and after a mile or so we slowed down to a fast hike w/some light running in there.  I just wanted to enjoy it!  The rest of the run was pretty uneventful but I always have liked the last mile or so of the course.  Post race was some soup, extra shower time to thaw out and then a nice, leisurely drive back to C-bus.  I did feel sorry for Kathie since she wanted to run faster but all she’d do was run ahead and then back. She probably ran 12-13 miles instead of the 10.8 advertised!

That’s 2010!  2011 coming soon!

Mid 2010 through Real Berlin 2010

Mid 2010 through Berlin catch up To the 2 people who aren’t related to me that have been waiting….and waiting….and waiting for me to write more about what I’ve been doing, I’ve finally felt like I can make the time to write about all of the races I’ve done in the past 18 months. It’s been an interesting ride w/some highs and some not so highs. I’ve been faster, slower, injured, felt fresh, been halfway around the world and more. Overall, it’s been a great ride!!

(exhales)….here we go!

Indy Mini (5/8/10)- This was supposed to be a nice, easy workout as I got ready for my first 50k. I was to run to a prescribed time and just cruise. That didn’t happen. We ran the first 5 miles into a massive headwind then after a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, we ran to a tailwind through the finish. The temps were practically ideal! I got off to a little bit of a slower start than I wanted but I was determined to be patient. At the 4 mile mark, I hadn’t completely caught up w/my pace expectations but was closing slowly. We hit the track and the cross winds were probably as brutal as the headwinds. Then again, the headwinds of the first few miles weren’t that bad since I was drafting as much as I could. When we left the track at mile 8, I was actually ahead of plan and wasn’t really slowing down. I knew there was no hope/chance of a PR and it wasn’t the race plan anyway. I also knew if I could hold the pace, I’d finish about 5-6 minutes ahead of schedule. By mile 12 I knew it would be my 2nd fastest race if I could just hold it together. I eased it in from there and while I did slow just a bit, I still finished within 2 minutes of my PR. Definitely content knowing I didn’t use it all out there but used enough to have a great workout!

Vermont City Marathon (5/30/10)- This was to be the last long run before BigHorn. The plan was to run 30-45 minutes slower than I could because being on my feet was more important than running fast (ok, fast for me anyway). The temps were a little warmer than I had hoped and by 10k, I had slowed considerably. The course was definitely more rolling than I had noticed when reviewing the elevation profile but it wasn’t awful. What was interesting is I remember the 5 hour pacer passed me at the halfway point (I crossed halfway around 2:20-2:22). I passed him shortly after as they stopped to walk. So much for consistent mile splits for them!! Around 15 or 16 I realized I needed to slow down a little to continue w/the training plan. It was warm enough that it wasn’t a problem to run more slowly! I would imagine the last 5 miles were very pretty running along the water but I just wanted to be done and wasn’t paying much attention! I crossed the line just a few minutes after I’d planned. I’m not sure I’d ever do this race again as it wasn’t all that great of a view but I was glad to get it done!

Big Horn 50k (6/19/10)- I’ll write about this separately. Unreal experience and absolutely the toughest running event I’ve ever done to date! Even after 20 months, I can still remember much of it vividly!

Joker’s Wild Half (7/18/10)- I swore I’d never do this again after the 2009 version. It was oppressively hot then and just a blah 2-lap course. This version didn’t look to be much different! I got started and admittedly, hadn’t done much training after BigHorn. About 2 miles in I realized it was going to be “one of those days.” I wasn’t comfortable out there and knew I’d just have to grind through it. I hit the first lap well behind where I wanted to be and when I hit mile 9, it had gotten really dark. The wind picked up and as we headed on the downhill, the sky opened up and we were running through a thunderstorm. On two separate occasions a truck asked me if I wanted to stop due to the weather. I laughed both times. I finished about 20 minutes slower than anticipated and much soggier but thankful for my finish! My friend, Kelly finished shortly after I did and we celebrated afterwards with breakfast at First Watch. They no longer offer this race and I’m glad! I’d hate to have to do it again…. :D.

Hood-to-Coast Relay- Oregon (8/28/10)- Words can’t describe this one! 36 legs, 12 people and 198 miles from Mt. Hood to the coast of Oregon. Epic event! I was fortunate enough to lead off! The first leg was done early afternoon and was a 6 mile run down Mt. Hood. I’d never run that far downhill all at once and spent the first few miles making sure I didn’t kill myself. By mile 4 I realized I probably should try to slow down if I could. I couldn’t. I didn’t realize how trashed I was after the first run until I started the 2nd. It was around 11pm when it was my turn to go again. I ran through the streets of Portland along the river. What a cool experience. I ran the first of five miles w/someone and then realized I was garbage from overdoing it some 9 hours earlier. It was interesting both passing and being passed by others . I passed a few bars between 3-4 and then I was in the middle of some industrial place. The last portion of the run was nondescript and when I got to the exchange zone I had missed my expected arrival by a minute or so. I felt bad but realized I was completely spent. The next 5-6 hours were trying to get some sleep but really wasn’t able to do so. Everyone was running so strong! When we got to the leg 24/25 exchange, I was told I had about 3 minutes to get ready. I had to change at the back of the van and gave one of my teammates a shot of me in my underwear. I was laughing because there was nothing I could do! I got to the exchange zone and was then told we needed to slow down. They told me to run about 30 seconds/mile slower than I wanted to so I thought I’d go out harder than I should and then just enjoy the remote setting of this leg. I got through the first mile a full minute faster than I was supposed to. I had 3 miles left and then eased off the gas and just tried to enjoy it. I ended up giving back some of the cushion but didn’t feel too bad considering I’d run 16 miles in 24 hours w/almost no sleep! The rest of the team finished up over the next 7 or so hours and we got back to the condo in Seaside in time for a nap then a huge party! What a fantastic experience we had overall! I did feel sorry for Helen who decided it was a good idea to try to match me beer (me) to wine (her). She was REALLY rough the next morning!! I stopped around 9pm and when I got up the next morning I felt great! I’d highly recommend this race to anyone who can get a team of 12 together. It was THAT fun!!

Charleston Distance Run (9/3/10)- I decided a few days before the race to run it. I’d run it before but they changed the course just a bit from the first few times I’d been there. The temps were just a bit on the warm side and I was admittedly undertrained! I started slowly and wanted to try to run up “Capital Punishment Hill” as best as I could. That hill seems to get steeper and longer each time I do it. I got to the top but didn’t have much energy left for the downhill. Truthfully, most of the rest of the race is a blur. I missed my target finish by a few minutes but was glad it was done! I did hear they might not o the race for much longer and that would be a shame! It’s a fun one!


Real Berlin Marathon (9/26/10) – This was done at the end of a 10 day trip through Paris and Berlin. The weather for the entire trip was nearly perfect and all of the sightseeing leading up to the race was phenomenal! Unfortunately the weather decided to not cooperate much on race day and it was drizzling (ok, raining) race morning w/temps in the upper 40’s. I was lucky enough to be at the end of the 3:45 corral and it was nice being able to get into a rhythm early. The thing I really liked about this race was it was a 26.2 mile foot tour through all of the history of Berlin. I hit the 5 mile split and realized I had used up more energy than I should have trying to hit the split I wanted. I decided to push for a bit more then just enjoy the rest of the trek through the city! It was really neat seeing all of the different international fans along the course.

Ok…I know that only gets us to October 2010 but at least it’s a start!

2010-the year in review and some race reports

2010- The year in review

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted anything so I thought the year in review would be a great way to play a little catch up. Great things have been going on and I’m happy to say to all my friends who have supported me and www.clydesdalerunningcompany.com that 2010 was a fantastic year! I’m not quite sure how long this will be but you might want to grab a drink and a sandwich….haha!

Some fun (or nerdy statistics):

Races run: 21 (fewest since 2005!)
Ultramarathons: 1 (Big Horn 50k)
Marathons: 5 (PF Changs, Little Rock, Boston, Vermont City and Berlin)
Half Marathons: 9
Races of 10 miles or less: 3 (2 holiday 5 milers and a 10k)
Distance Traveled to run: 31,346 miles
Total mileage covered in races: 336.21 miles


Race of the year: It’s a tough one because the first two races of 2010 were PR’s for me and I’m inclined to say those but the truth of it is the Big Horn Trail 50k wins. Real Berlin Marathon is a close second!

Best Running Experience: Hood to Coast Relay (without a doubt!). The camaraderie with the Honey Bucket Harriers was fantastic despite me only knowing 2 of the other 11 members on the team. If you’ve never done a relay, you should! A fantastic fantastic (yes, 2 of them) experience and one of my top 5 all time running experiences. It was epic!

Least favorite race of the year: A tie between the Joker’s Wild and Corridor Run (both 13.1). In both cases it was brutally hot and I had some issues because of it. I’ll give the slight nod to the Corridor Run because in addition to almost passing out at the finish, I also tweaked a hamstring.

Best finisher’s medal: Without a doubt the Little Rock Marathon medal is the best! It weighed in at 1.5lbs and is larger than a box of thin mint girl scout cookies! A fun race, too! Great Boston prep!!

Most surprising finish: Indy Mini. It wasn’t a PR but I ran about 3 minutes faster than I thought I could despite running the first half of the race in a pretty severe headwind.


Race Recaps (Jan 10 through April 10):

PF Chang’s Rock N Roll Marathon (Phoenix, AZ) 1/17/10- The sole intent on running this race was to try to PR. We were lucky with unusually overcast skies and cooler temps. The start was uneventful and by 3 miles I was in a rhythm. Unfortunately I had a watch issue at mile 5 and slowed for a few minutes to get it fixed. By mile 9 I was starting to feel like I had gone out too hard and the sun popped out of the clouds so it started to warm up a little. We hit a great downhill at mile 11 or so and I knew if I could keep it together and run smart, I’d PR for sure! I slowed my pace around mile 15 or 16 and hoped I wouldn’t see the 4:30 pacer before mile 20. Fortunately my controlled slow down I was able to run fairly consistent splits from 16-22 and I didn’t see the pacer until almost 22. I started to wobble a little at mile 24 but I really didn’t think about the PR for sure until I saw the 26 sign. It was then my left calf cramped! I had to slow a bit more at the 26 mile mark and walk a few feet. I hit the tape in 4:39:00 and grabbed a 3 ½ minute PR. It was pretty interesting as reflecting back, I ran way too conservatively and probably should have run below 4:35. I guess that’s what happens when you’re always trying to go faster….. Post race was funny because I stayed right beside a waffle house. Who knew you could spend $20 there by yourself…..hahah!

Tallahassee Half Marathon (2/7/10). This race starts and finishes on the Florida State campus and is an out and back. The temps were in the upper 30’s and it was an out and back affair. Early on I went out way too hard and was sure I’d pay for it later. My planned 2:09 would have been a 2 minute PR and by half way I was on pace for just over 2:07. I kept telling myself to slow down but I just couldn’t do it. Miles 7-10 were a blur for me and by mile 11 I knew so long as I didn’t cramp or lose it mentally, I’d set a new PR by a ton. I slowed just a little for miles 10-12 but not significantly so. At 20k I lost focus for about 15 seconds and actually started to walk. I quickly got mad at myself and realized I needed to get after it because we were going sub 2:08. I entered the stadium for the final 300 meters and decided I had an outside shot at sub 2:07! At that point I forgot completely about how I was feeling and began to push the pace. According to my garmin, I ran the final .11 in a 7:46 pace and from looking at the website, the woman I passed at the 13 mile mark finished 12 or so seconds behind me (gun time). As my coach later said, “big man’s got some giddy up.” The PR was sub 2:07 and almost 4 minutes faster than I’d run previously!!

Little Rock Marathon (3/7/10): This was done as a long run with no taper and 8 miles of speed work 5 days before. I could definitely tell early that it needed to be a little slower than my normal pace. A rolling course and surpisingly a fun city! By mile 10 I was a few minutes slower than I wanted to be and by 15 I wanted to be done. I pushed through and completely ran out of gas on a hill at mile 23. I limped it home some 13 minutes slower than PF Chang’s but I was pretty happy because it was on a much harder course ( a great course to get ready for Boston!!) with not fresh legs! The finisher’s medal is awesome and this should be a race everyone does. I had a great weekend in Little Rock!!

Boston Marahton (4/19/10): My second Boston and another opportunity to raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I almost was a non-finisher in my 2008 version of this race and I.T. band issues caused me to miss the big mileage weeks before the taper. It was really unfortunate because before the injury, I knew I was ready to run it and even have a PR type of day. I had to reset my goals and wanted to run 4:45-4:50 but wasn’t going to push it and risk further injury. The day was just about perfect! Temps were great and no headwind! The goal was to start out on the downhills and run the entire first 10k to heart rate rather than speed. I had forgotten how rolling the course was and the uphill sections of the first 10k nearly did me in. I never wavered from the goal and hit my first 15k with relatively even 5k splits. I started to struggle around mile 11 but the Wellesley girls at 20k brought me back to life as we ran through the scream tunnel! I kept telling myself to save something for the Newton hills from 17-21 and if I had anything left, try to run up heartbreak hill. By the third hill, I was pretty much done and I had really nothing left to run up heartbreak hill at 21. When I looked at my watch at 21, I knew 4:45 or even 4:50 wasn’t going to happen but I needed to push to salvage a decent finish (for me). By 24 I was hurting big time and my right hip was killing me. I didn’t worry about any injury because I had to keep pushing! By the left turn on Boylston, I knew I’d be sub 5 and actually stopped to talk to my friend Sarah who was spectating at the race. One of the coolest running experiences is the last third of a mile on Boylston. It’s a slight downhill to the finish with barricades on both sides of the 4 lane road. People were several deep on both sides and it felt as if they were all cheering for me. I slowed quite a bit to drink in all of the scene and as people encouraged me to pick it up, I smiled because I knew being in that moment would be one I would cherish forever! I didn’t want it to end! I hit the finish line about 70 minutes faster than I had done it in 2008 and felt far better! It was a fantastic day and not only did we have fun, we also raised $4.5 million for innovative cancer research!

The rest of 2010 coming soon!

August through November events! The good and the not so good!

The last post took us from May through July races so now we’ll give the overview of August-November races:

Lifeline of Ohio Dash for Donation Half Marathon (Columbus- 8/15/09): I’ve done this race twice before and it’s a double loop course and not all that exciting. Typically the race is run in a ton of heat and humidity. This year was no exception. My training in the summer was VERY relaxed and the goal was to just be consistent for as long as possible. I think that got me halfway! The 2nd loop was definitely slower than the first and from 7-8 it was interesting trying to dodge all the 5k walkers who wouldn’t get out of the way. For some reason the 5k was an out and back on the same half course so as they were doing mile 2-3, we were running through them in their 5-6 abreast. It was interesting (and unfortunate) because they thought we were in their way despite there being no other road for the half crowd to run! Despite that, I finished a sluggish race but felt better afterwards!

Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon (Columbus, 8/29/09): A new beginning of the course was a nice change! Cooler temperatures helped a ton for this day but unfortunately Doug (of Run Wild Racing) still has a bit of work to do to make this event what it should be! For two successive water/aid stations, there were neither. They happened at miles 4 and 6 (or thereabouts) and while I wasn’t dehydrated or anything of the sort, it made me wonder if there was any aid remaining for anyone running a 9:45 pace or more. Because of this, I decided at around 10k to slow down just in case. Unfortunately, when I saw there were more stations, I had mentally checked out and couldn’t recover. I ran the same time as the race above but should have been 4-5 minutes faster! Otherwise, it was a decent day! Let’s hope they get the rest of the kinks out for year 3 of this one! It could be a FANTASTIC race!

Charleston Distance Run (Charleston, WV: 9/5/09): This race capped the first week of marathon training for me on a race I’ve done a few times. It’s largely flat with one huge hill from about 3-5 and downhill at 6-7. I realized early I wasn’t 100% as my training intensity had ramped up a bit that week. Capital Punishment Hill was steeper than I remembered and unfortunately I took it far too easy up it (I chickened out from running it hard for some reason). The downhill was fun and I was able to make up some time. Miles 7-12 were reasonably consistent but the wobble started around 13 (or the HM point) and miles 14 and 15 were more about finishing. I’d run out of fitness largely because I hadn’t run that far in 4+ months. I was hopeful of a 15 mile PR but unfortunately missed by about a minute (it’s funny now because as I type, I’m about 15-20 minutes faster than what I showed this day at that distance!!). Maybe I’ll go back for 2010. It truly is a fantastic event with a great vibe! Plus it’s an odd distance !!

Ikea Montour Trail Half Marathon (Pittsburgh, PA 9/12/09): I did this race in 2008 and this year’s version really helped me mentally get into marathon training. The race starts at the IKEA in Pittsburgh and runs about a mile straight downhill. 6 miles out on the Montour Trail then back to finish at the base of the hill. Outside of the downhill at mile 1, it’s almost pancake flat! I did this race the day after a short but intense speed session and my legs were rubbery at the start. The first mile was sub 9 and was that fast only because of the steep descent. The next 4 miles were pretty consistent but I was mentally trying to cope with being tired! We made the turn at mile 7 and what I didn’t realize is we ran the previous 1-1.5 miles at a small, gradual incline. It was nice turning around because the effort didn’t feel so tough! By mile 11 I knew my day would be far better and the training was getting me back to the pre-London routine and fitness (but I wasn’t there yet!!). I hit the tape some 8 minutes faster than Spirit above but still about 7 minutes off my PR. Fortunately I was headed in the right direction!! If you’re from the Pittsburgh area, this is a great race to do! Plus there’s an IHOP on the course!!! Yes, we did stop for IHOP after the race AND I made it home in time to tailgate before the OSU-USC game!

ING Hartford Marathon (Hartford, CT 10/10/09): I had a ton of stuff going on around the time I did this race and was supposed to run it hard. Unfortunately I got sick on the flight to Hartford and while I didn’t have the flu or anything, I felt like dirt the night before! I walked to the start from the hotel and was sweating like crazy! Not a good sign when it’s in the mid/high 50’s!!! It was a nice day for sure out there but by mile 1, I had started doing a run/walk thing because I felt so lousy! We passed my hotel around mile 2 and it was all I could do to not turn into that parking lot and call it a day! I trudged on and tried to be consistent with the run/walk thing and try to have a below average but acceptable under the circumstances sort of day. Believe it or not, I started feeling a little better towards the end and picked up the pace just a bit. I crossed the finish line within 5 seconds of my 2008 finish (which I thought was a great time last year, by the way!) and glad to be done! I was happy to see my friend Cat at the airport and we were able to visit for a bit before I left! Unfortunately, whatever bug I picked up came to in full force on the flight home and it was all I could do to make it home! 12 hours of sleep and a VERY relaxing Sunday and I felt much better! Hopefully I can make it back to Hartford in 2010!

Grand Rapids Half Marathon (Grand Rapids, MI 10/18/09): This was the first time since 2002 I hadn’t run one of the Columbus Marathon events (the race was the same day) but thought I would support Julie in her quest for a new marathon PR while trying to run a hard half myself. We drove up on Friday and spent a nice, relaxing weekend there. Race day temperatures were a bit crisp (high 20’s/low 30’s) but it was a beautiful morning to run! My goal was to go out a bit harder than normal and see if I could hang on at the end. At mile 4 I was well ahead of the plan and by halfway I was primed for a 2 minute PR. Unfortunately I paid for the early effort and with a slight loss of focus around 8, I found myself hanging on far earlier than I’d hoped! By mile 10 I knew I wasn’t going to have a new half PR but wanted to make it as close as I could! I couldn’t regain focus and limped in with my 3rd fastest half! The better news is after a shower and a short rest, I got to see Julie crush her marathon PR by about 5 minutes! Great job!!! All in all, a great race and one people should put on their calendars! I liked the remoteness of the course and the race size was perfect! Thanks to the Kellers for their hospitality as well! Always great to feel at home when you’re not!

Marshall Half Marathon (Huntington, WV 11/1/09): This was supposed to be a timed race for me doing the full and dropping out at a predetermined time. Unfortunately I had an injury (hip) and had been taking it easy the week of this race. We decided to go down and run the half to see how much it bothered me! The goal was to run as even of mile splits as possible and have a nice, easy race. The weather the morning of the race was absolutely perfect for running! At the start it was interesting to see the people pass me while thinking I’d be seeing them later! I hit the first mile about 30 seconds faster than anticipated! I had NO pain!!! I found my rhythm and knocked of the next several miles with mile splits within 5-10 seconds of one another. It was interesting by mile 8 because my splits were fast enough that if I could maintain, I’d set a personal best! What else was interesting is I saw a group of people who blew by me at the start that I was now passing despite not changing my pace! By mile 11, I knew if I could stay focused, the PR was mine! Miles 12 and 13 were a bit slower but not by much! I crossed the finish line some 17 seconds faster than ever before! A new PR! I actually felt great and could have kept it up for longer! I grabbed a bottle of water and jogged back to the hotel! Perfect day for a run and definitely an accidental personal best!!!

Richmond Sun Trust Marrathon (Richmond, VA 11/14/09): I only bring this up because I was there and supposed to run the marathon! An unfortunate bout with the flu left me in a cold sweat the morning of the race! I decided to toe the start line to see what I was able to do. Unfortunately by the half mile mark I was sweating like crazy and right before mile 1 the road started to spin. At 1 mile, I decided it wasn’t smart to run this one so I dropped out. I knew I’d end up in the hospital (or worse) if I would have kept going. A first ever DNF in a marathon and a huge disappointment at the time! I guess if you do this long enough, stuff’s bound to happen! I hope everyone who ran this race had a great time! I hope to be back someday!

Cleveland Fall Classic Half Marathon (Strongsville, OH 11/22/09): I needed to do this race because of the above disaster in Richmond. I drove up the morning of and registered at the race. I got to the start (hurriedly) right at the starter gave the 3 minutes to start command. This race was a double out and back loop type thing (basically run 3+ miles, turn around, run 3+ more miles and do it again). It was a little warmer than I had hoped at the start but after a mile, I settled into a decent rhythm. I tried to stay consistent and while it wasn’t as good of a day as Marshall, it wasn’t all that bad either! It was also great to see my friends Lisa and Beau during the race, too! A decent race and another one to put on the list!

Turkey Trot 5 miler (Upper Arlington, OH 11/26/09): This race is all about getting a pie! Unfortunately I’m not fast enough to ever get one! I started out bottled up with all the crowd (probably 4,000 runners and walkers) but went out faster than I should have! By mile 2 I hadn’t slowed down much and I hit halfway faster than I wanted! By mile 4 I was hurting a bit but felt like I could hang one for the rest of it despite the ¾ of a mile uphill! I saw the finish and tried to pick up the pace! I passed a few folks as I hit the line and realized I’d set a 90 second personal best! My 12th PR of the year!!

That gets us to date! Next up, The Tucson Marathon!

Post London through July

Post London Events

I know I haven’t been posting much these past months but I’ve been busy training and working on the website (www.ClydesdaleRunningCompany.com). I’ve done quite a few events in the past 8 months so here’s the races from Early May through July:

Poca River 15k (west of Charleston, WV): This race is supposedly the oldest road race in West Virginia and was my first after London. This is a very small race with around 150 or so involved and is run on county roads. It was very rolling throughout and a little warmer than I expected. I knew early it would be a struggle! I was expecting a 15k PR but at the halfway point I knew it wasn’t meant to be. I limped in the last two miles and knew that hill work was important if you want to race on them! One day I’ll learn! All in all a good race and one to do if you have nothing else going on that weekend!

Cleveland Half Marathon: I’ve done this race 3 times and each time with a different course. This time, I think they got it right! Very cool temps and after a somewhat rolling (not a ton) first 3 miles, it was pretty much pancake flat from 4-11 and my mile splits showed it! While I didn’t think I was really in shape enough to PR, by mile 11 I thought if I could hang on, I would do just that! Unfortunately going over the bridge around 12 took it out of me and I missed my mark by 26 seconds. Wonderful, crisp day and I may just go for 4 straight next year!

UA 5 Miler: This is the annual Memorial Day run just down the street from my house and it’s typically ridiculously HOT! This year it was in the high 50’s/low 60’s! This race is somewhat tough because the first 2 miles are downhill and the next 2 are largely up! On the first of 3 uphills, I passed this guy and while it wasn’t’ much of an event with me, apparently he thought it was. I remained consistent but he passed me on the flat and we did this again on each of the final hills. I was convinced he was trying to beat me (rather than just do his best) but I knew I was closing fast over the last half mile. We made the final turn and I blew by him (well, as much as I can blow by someone anyway!!) and I crossed the line in a new PR for me at that distance! I’m sure as long as I’m able and in town, this will remain an annual event for me!

Columbus 10k (6/7/09): This is the oldest road race in Columbus but had a new course for 2009. The annual 9am start always stinks because it’s typically HOT and this year was no different. I went out way too hard and thought I’d pay for it but fortunately the water stops hit just right and I was able to hang on throughout for another PR! Great course changes with the start and finish by COSI! Post race breakfast at Rise and Dine was a plus, too!!!

Race for Ellie 5k (6/14/09): I had no intention on running this hard as I had done a hard workout the day before. I started with Julie and ran the first half mile with her far harder than I wanted (she said she was taking easy but she wasn’t!!). From the 1 mile mark forward, I was just hanging on and I’m sure my heart rate was close to a million! I finished in another PR but not surprising because I don’t do many of these! This race is for a great cause and a two lap course. Fun run!

Garry Bjorkland Half Marathon (Duluth, MN 6/20/09): This race was supposed to be a run in cooler temperatures but unfortunately it wasn’t the case! They almost had to cancel due to record heat (in the low 90’s by the afternoon!). I would imagine this race to be a great one in normal conditions! Fantastic fan support and a pretty run along the lake! The heat got to me around mile 11 but I still finished with a respectable time. It was fun hanging out with George, Robin and Jim Miller (who all ran Grandma’s Marathon).

Firecracker 10 miler (Hilliard, OH 7/4/09): Yet another boring race on the rails to trails but I needed to get a training run in that morning so it seemed to fit. It wasn’t a PR but it was a good effort! I didn’t stick around for the post race pizza but it was great to see so many of my friends there!

Joker’s Wild Half Marathon (St. Louis, 7/12/09): I drove over 2 days before the race and was happy to see my friend Kelly that weekend! After hanging on Friday night and Saturday night with her, I did the race on Sunday AM. The course is a double loop with 1 killer hill at mile 3 and 9 (as I recall). The heat was worse than the Duluth race above and there was no wind. It was BRUTAL! By mile 8, I was pretty much done but eased it in for the finish! Post race IHOP was awesome!! A fun time but I’m not so sure I’d do that race again.

Nationwide Better Health 10 Miler (Columbus 7/18/09): A freakishly cool July day led to fast times at this double out and back at Antrum Park. I beat my goal time by about 2 minutes on this flat and scenic course!

Riley’s Rumble Half Marathon (Boyd’s, Maryland 7/26/09): A very hilly race run out in the country. I was definitely unprepared for the hills! We started running in a downpour and by mile 3 I felt a little twinge in my hamstring. I decided the last 10 miles would be at a VERY easy clip so as not to further aggravate it! The water stop at mile 8served Flavor-ice only and while it was a nice thought, water would have been better! Had I had a better day, I’m’ sure I would have enjoyed this race. It was rural and scenic running through about 10 miles of trees on country roads. With the rain and subsequent heat and stifling humidity, I’m just glad I finished! Not a race you’d do to PR but at $10 for the entry fee, if you live out that way, you should give it a try!

That gets us through July! September through November coming soon!

Happy Running and Run Big!!

The Flora London Marathon and London Trip

The Flora London Marathon

I know I’ve been bad about updating my running endeavors but I’ve been pretty busy trying to get my new venture off the ground. Check out http://www.clydesdalerunningcompany.com/ when you have a chance. We’ve launched the site and are ready to be the supplier for all of the big/tall endurance athletes out there. Sure that has nothing to do with the London Marathon but it’s the reason I’m woefully behind in my updates. Enough of the advertising, let’s talk about the race!!

We arrived in London on Thursday morning after an all night flight from Dulles. I went with my friend Julie (see photo of us above post race) and when we arrived we decided it was best to stay up on Thursday and try to adapt to the time change. After a visit to Buckingham Palace we went for a celebratory dinner (her birthday) then for some shut eye! Friday was a visit to the race expo. It was a tube ride and short walk away from the hotel and it wasn’t really as large as I expected (or as crowded). It was pretty neat to see all of the different races represented. I picked up information for marathons like Loch Ness, Dublin, Norway (Midnight Marathon), Tokyo, Berlin and many more. We picked up our goodie bags and it was fun to see a can of Fuller’s London Ale in the bag! Saturday was supposed to be a relaxing day but after our 2 mile easy run, Julie thought (and I agreed) taking a city bus tour on a double decker bus was the right thing to do! It was a really great way to see the city with too many landmarks to name. The pre race dinner was at an Italian place close to the hotel! It was great! We were back to the room about 7:30 or so and I decided to go to the finish (about 4 or so blocks from the hotel) to see how it looked. After meeting a few new friends (Andrew and Jo) I turned in around 9:30 to get ready for the race! I realized on the way back we’d been on our feet WAAAAAYYY too much that day and I hoped I could recover a little before the race!

Finally it was race morning! We expected the temperatures to be in the 50’s and overcast but unfortunately it was in the lower 60’s and not a cloud in the sky! The trip from the 5 hotel to the start was uneventful but I did talk to the race organizers of California International Marathon for a bit of the trip. Great folks! We arrived at the starting area and were sent to one of the three starting areas. The starting area was in the middle of a large field and I believe the blue start (our start) was the largest of them. We were there about 2 hours before tip off (or the start, however you prefer) so we relaxed in front of the monster projection tv and took all of it in. After a few trips to the Andy Loos it was time to line up. All of the race numbers came with a corral assignment and Julie was in corral 4 (I think) and I was stuck in corral 9. I assumed there would be 15 or so corrals but after I wished her luck I walked back to my starting position only to find it was corral 9 OF 9! I believe of the 20 or so thousand in my starting group, there were literally about 100 people who were going to start behind me. All of a sudden I was dreading the start knowing I was faster than probably 5,000 people ahead of me (if not more) but I was determined to make the best of it and try to stick to my plan!

When the gun went off I knew it would be 15 or 20 minutes before we would hit the start line. I had been talking to a gentleman who was wearing a U of Michigan Alumni shirt. After a few jokes about traveling across the Atlantic only to find one of THOSE types of people, we hit the start. Right out of the gate it was VERY slow going! I somehow managed to hit the first mile marker in about 10 minutes but it felt like I’d run twice that far! It was pretty funny seeing all of the superheroes, cartoon characters and others dressed as their favorite celebrity (real or otherwise) but after passing the Sta-Puff marshmallow man (Seriously!!) I decided I needed to try to focus a little and try to get on pace if I could! By mile 2, two of the three starting areas had melded together so the 20+ thousand people were now about 30,000 people and it was way crowded! There was no way to get into a rhythm! After the 2nd water stop (around mile 4) I realized I needed to find a bathroom but the lines were way too long! I saw a few folks veering off the course for the call of nature and I joined them! During the 1 minute I was off course I could feel the increased temperature and it dawned on me I should slow down and try to leave some in the tank for later. I hit my first split at 5 miles about 1:20 slower than I wanted but with the stop, I was right about where I wanted to be! I realized I’d used more energy dodging people than I had hoped and the sun beating down on us wasn’t helping at all! The next few miles I remember seeing tons of people (as was the case throughout the course!) cheering us all on. By mile 8 I knew I was in for a little different experience than Virginia Beach because the temperature and sun was starting to take its toll. The 10 mile split had me 5 minutes off my projected pace and I had to walk around 15k for the first time. I was struggling big time!! Right around 20k we ran over Tower Bridge and I was feeling a little worse for the wear! The Lucozade (sports drink they gave us) was far thicker than Gatorade and it really wasn’t agreeing with me. I hit the half marathon point around 2:21 and it was about that point where I felt like surviving the race was more important than anything else! At the 15 mile mark, I took a swig of the Lucozade and knew if I drank any more of that stuff, I’d probably get sick! I also realized the point of being in London was to have fun, finish the marathon and enjoy the post race part of the trip! At that point, I decided to take my foot completely off the gas and just get to the finish line. I was fairly sure I could still get to the finish in a reasonable time but not at the expense of needing medical attention! At that point my 11 minute miles (which were really slow anyway!) turned into 13 minute miles, then to 14 minute miles. At 23 miles I was well off the pace and just hoping I really didn’t have 5k left! I stopped drinking anything but water and while my stomach felt better, the rest of me really didn’t! I knew I had 35-40 minutes left and if I pushed I could have my 2nd fastest finish. Problem was, though I really couldn’t push! At 25 I was passed by two guys in tutus. I really didn’t want them to beat me so I tried to stay up with them. A leg cramp later and they were gone! FINALLY I saw Buckingham Palace and the “200 Metres to Go” sign. While I wanted to sprint to the finish, my body said otherwise and I limped in. I missed my 2nd fastest time by about 4 minutes and was pretty disappointed with the time but not the effort. I knew that was about all I could do based on the weather and how I felt throughout. My garmin said I’d run just over 27 miles. This meant I spent nearly a mile (or about 10-11 minutes over the course of the race) dodging people!

Post race was great! I got back to the hotel to find Julie had a similar, but much faster, experience as I did! She missed her goal by about 10 minutes and was equally disappointed with the race! After some relaxation, I’m proud to say we met up with some of her friends who live in London and ended up closing up three pubs and bars that night! Man, what a fun time walking back from Picadilly Circus at 1:30am after closing up the places!

The rest of the trip was very fun! Monday was recovering and just walking around London! Tuesday was Windsor Castle, The Roman Baths and then Stonhenge. We met some new friends after we got back from Stonhenge and managed to go back to Ye Grapes for a few more pints after dinner!
All in all, a fantastic experience only slightly clouded with the disappointing race results! In hindsight, I don’t know much that could have been done differently. There’s no way you can plan for how you’re going to feel on race day or if the weather is going to cooperate. All you can do is hope for the best!!

Coming soon: post London races in Cleveland, Columbus, Duluth!

Keep running friends!!

Pre London tune up races

I know I haven’t been that great about updating any of you who follow this on my running events this year and I’ll try to be better!! I decided to do a few races between Virginia Beach and London to see if I was getting more fit. Here are the recaps:

Athens (OH) Half Marathon:

I hadn’t done this race before but had heard good things from everyone who had so I thought I’d give it a try. The intent was to set a 3 ½ minute personal best (3:34 actually) and I really felt as if I could. A large group of us (Mostly Human Powered Racing members and me) drove down in the morning. It was a very clear day with temps in the 50’s. I’m guessing there were close to 800 people doing the half or full.

We just made the starting line right before the starting gun went off. It was chip timed but I should say the chip timing started with the gun so any offset to get to the start line counted in your official time. The course started with a big downhill, short uphill, another downhill then flat for 12 miles. It winds along the rails to trails between Athens and Nelsonville. I hit the first mile about 30 seconds faster than anticipated and decided it was largely due to the hills at the start. I settled in pretty quickly and while I was running a little over my head, I was determined to meet the goal. I hit the 5 mile mark right on goal and actually sped up a little for the next few miles. By mile 10 I was struggling a bit but kept pushing. I was about 30 seconds ahead of where I wanted to be but because it was far faster than I’d run the distance before, the wheels were wobbling a bit. At the 11 mile post I lost focus and slowed considerably. I was about 15 seconds behind goal pace by mile 12 but I had to stop and tie my shoe (a first in a race for me). While it wasn’t a lengthy stop (5 or so seconds) I just couldn’t get a good running rhythm going. A nice headwind didn’t help, either! I hit the track with 600 meters to go and knew I wasn’t going to hit the goal but knew if I pushed, it would still be a 2 ½ minute personal best! At 400 meters the HPR gang was waiting and giving me some support. I increased the pace and probably did the last 400 in a sub 8 minute pace (really fast for me!). I hit the tape with my garmin saying 2:11 flat (add 11 seconds to that for the “official chip time”). It’s interesting because I had just set a 153 second personal best in the half but I was disappointed because had I run just a bit smarter and been a little stronger mentally, I know I would have been sub 2:10. Oh well! Guess it means I can’t quit running yet!!! :haha!!

Dam Fool 4-miler

I did this race with no intention of running hard but more because it was a change of scenery and it fit with my running schedule that day. A windy day for sure with temps in the 30’s at the start made it chilly (well, that and I didn’t dress correctly). The plan was to make it a 39 minute run +/-. The first mile of this race is uphill and the rest is flat (across the dam) for about 2 miles then a steep downhill at the finish. I felt really good at the start and ran the uphill far faster than I should have! I eased off the gas and tried to get consistent. Miles 2 and 3 were very consistent despite stopping at the one water stop on the course (no idea why I even stopped!). I thought I’d ease it to the finish on the downhill but with about a half mile to go, I was passed by a woman and I decided there was no way she was going to beat me. Keep in mind I get beaten in races by tons of women so the fact it was a female means nothing. For some reason I got it in my head she wasn’t going to beat me. I dropped the hammer and ran the last half mile in about an 8:20 pace (well, that’s dropping the hammer for me, anyway…haha!!) and finished in yet another personal best. It was my 4th straight race with a PR. The even better news is the next day I was able to get both of my workouts in and felt great!

Next blog: The Flora London Marathon and London trip recap! Yes, I know it was two weeks ago! I’ll get to it…haha! Here’s to a great weekend of training and racing! Oh, and I thought I’d send a congrats to Jim and his 2nd place finish in the Pittsburgh Marathon! Great job!!