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!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
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!!
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!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
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!
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!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
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!!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Yuengling Shamrock Marathon
This was my second trip to Virginia Beach to run the Shamrock Marathon. I did it in 2008 as what I thought was an attempt to see how fit I was before Boston. This year it was more to see how much my training had paid off. I was primed for a BIG personal best!
I flew into Norfolk on Friday night and got to the hotel around 11pm. I decided to try to stay by the finish line so I didn’t have to worry about parking or getting to and from the race. My room faced the ocean and while it wasn’t the best room ever, it certainly was pretty cool to see the boardwalk and the waves from the room!
The race day temps were supposed to be in the low 30’s at the start and warming to the mid-50’s by noon. As I was walking to the start line I realized it was a little warmer (upper 30’s). Fortunately I had layered so I switched layers knowing the long sleeved shirt I had on would be discarded when I warmed up enough.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a run with 2,600 people out doing the full. I had a plan in place for hitting each 5 mile split in a prescribed time. At the start I felt average but realized I was probably going a little harder than I should. Miles 2 and 3 were more controlling but I was starting to get really warm! By the 4 mile mark I lost the long sleeved shirt and eased into the 5 mile mark 8 seconds ahead of my goal. I really found my rhythm by mile 6 and was able to knock off the next 8 miles with mile times within 10 seconds of one another. I was 52 seconds ahead of goal at mile 10 and by mile 15, I’d picked up almost another minute and was 1:45 ahead of goal. I was beginning to get tired and had the start of quad cramps. I realized I should probably take 10-15 second walking breaks to allow my legs a small chance to recover. I realized I’d probably save time in the long run by doing this. Fortunately I was right and by mile 20 I was nearly 4 minutes ahead of goal time. The wheels began to wobble at around 21 and while I wasn’t completely spent, I was pretty close! I was determined to maintain my goal pace and actually did a few seconds better from 21-24.
At mile 24 I lost focus. I think it was the realization I was going to set a personal best so long as I remained standing. Regardless of the reason, I was absolutely gassed and miles 25 and 26 were the slowest of the day. Despite that I had picked up 8 seconds from 20-25 from my goal. Unfortunately I gave back a minute of that at 26! I hit the boardwalk at 25 ½ and could see the finish line. By the 26 mile marker I was sure I could run to the finish but two huge cramps in my legs and arms (believe it or not) had me stop for a second to work it out. I hit the line nearly 31 minutes faster than I’d ever run a marathon before. As I grabbed my banana, water and space blanket I nearly cried from the emotion of what I’d done and how much my training had gotten me to the finish line sooner than everyone, including me, had anticipated!
All in all, it was a great day and one which will live with me for quite awhile. For the record, I set new personal bests at every race distance from 15k to marathon. Yeah, it was good!!
Thanks Jay for your coaching help! I know I did the work but you put the plan together. I just did the best I could!
Up next, Athens, Ohio half marathon THEN the Flora London Marathon!
I flew into Norfolk on Friday night and got to the hotel around 11pm. I decided to try to stay by the finish line so I didn’t have to worry about parking or getting to and from the race. My room faced the ocean and while it wasn’t the best room ever, it certainly was pretty cool to see the boardwalk and the waves from the room!
The race day temps were supposed to be in the low 30’s at the start and warming to the mid-50’s by noon. As I was walking to the start line I realized it was a little warmer (upper 30’s). Fortunately I had layered so I switched layers knowing the long sleeved shirt I had on would be discarded when I warmed up enough.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a run with 2,600 people out doing the full. I had a plan in place for hitting each 5 mile split in a prescribed time. At the start I felt average but realized I was probably going a little harder than I should. Miles 2 and 3 were more controlling but I was starting to get really warm! By the 4 mile mark I lost the long sleeved shirt and eased into the 5 mile mark 8 seconds ahead of my goal. I really found my rhythm by mile 6 and was able to knock off the next 8 miles with mile times within 10 seconds of one another. I was 52 seconds ahead of goal at mile 10 and by mile 15, I’d picked up almost another minute and was 1:45 ahead of goal. I was beginning to get tired and had the start of quad cramps. I realized I should probably take 10-15 second walking breaks to allow my legs a small chance to recover. I realized I’d probably save time in the long run by doing this. Fortunately I was right and by mile 20 I was nearly 4 minutes ahead of goal time. The wheels began to wobble at around 21 and while I wasn’t completely spent, I was pretty close! I was determined to maintain my goal pace and actually did a few seconds better from 21-24.
At mile 24 I lost focus. I think it was the realization I was going to set a personal best so long as I remained standing. Regardless of the reason, I was absolutely gassed and miles 25 and 26 were the slowest of the day. Despite that I had picked up 8 seconds from 20-25 from my goal. Unfortunately I gave back a minute of that at 26! I hit the boardwalk at 25 ½ and could see the finish line. By the 26 mile marker I was sure I could run to the finish but two huge cramps in my legs and arms (believe it or not) had me stop for a second to work it out. I hit the line nearly 31 minutes faster than I’d ever run a marathon before. As I grabbed my banana, water and space blanket I nearly cried from the emotion of what I’d done and how much my training had gotten me to the finish line sooner than everyone, including me, had anticipated!
All in all, it was a great day and one which will live with me for quite awhile. For the record, I set new personal bests at every race distance from 15k to marathon. Yeah, it was good!!
Thanks Jay for your coaching help! I know I did the work but you put the plan together. I just did the best I could!
Up next, Athens, Ohio half marathon THEN the Flora London Marathon!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Three Races
Apologies to those of you who haven’t heard much from me in the past weeks. I have been trying to get faster and improve my fitness and really haven’t been racing nearly as much in 2009 as I did in 2008. Then again, 48 races is a bit tough to match or improve upon!! Here’s where I’ve been since the end of January:
Mardi-Gras Half Marathon (2/1/09): This was an interesting race in the Big Easy and I was hoping to better my personal best for the half marathon I’d set in Warner-Robins a few weeks prior. I had talked to my friend and coach (Jay) for a running plan. I’d never really had a time plan before but the goal was a 3 ½ minute PR. Unfortunately when I woke up on race morning the temperatures were in the low 50’s and were supposed to get in the 60’s by the finish. While that’s not terribly warm, it’s a far cry from the teens and 20’s I’d been training. I walked from my hotel to the start line and waited for the 7am gun. My plan was to hang between the 4 and 4:15 marathon pacers for as long as I could then once passed by the 4:15 group, stay as close as I could until the 13 mile mark.
The race starts at the SuperDome, passes through the French Quarter, through Bourbon Street, then southwest where it goes through a park/golf course and back turning before the French Quarter. At the start of the race, I made my first mistake. I felt really good and running through the French Quarter had me amped a little. I looked up and saw the pacer sign they were carrying. Unfortunately it was the 3:40 sign! Because of the confines of the street, it was nearly impossible to slow down for the first 4k and I was pushed, poked and prodded for most of it by runners who HAD to stay by the 3:40 pacer. Once we left the French Quarter the road opened up a bit and I slowed down to a more normal gait for me. By mile 4 I was just behind the 4 hour group. I felt a little spent from going out far too hard! Just past the 4 mile water stop, I was passed by the 4:15 group and realized they were actually on about 4:05 pace (they were just behind the 4 hour group). I was a little disheartened for some reason and by mile 6 I felt like I was just hanging on. My 10 minute mile pace was slowing to the 10:20’s and I was gassed! I finally gave in to being fatigued by mile 9 and the 10:20’s turned to 10:50’s with some walking. We made the final turn around mile 12 and at that point I wanted to be done. I limped to the finish some 6 ½ minutes slower than goal. I was disappointed at first but then realized it was still the 2nd fastest half I’d done and my bad day was much better than my best day only months ago.
All in all it was a fun time but a race I’d probably not do again. I’m less of a fan of New Orleans than some and the city is a good place to go once in awhile.
Last chance for Boston 10k (2/15/09): Not much to say about this one. You run 1 mile loops in a circle. I’ve done this race a few times and used this as a training run to get some tempo in. I can’t imagine doing much more than a 10k on this course but I know many people who love it. I ran 8 laps in total and my official 10k finishing time is a few minutes slower than my actual time (I had originally signed up for the half and that started 2 minutes ahead of the 10k and full). I think I averaged 9:42 for the distance.
Catch a Leprechaun 30k (3/8/09): I’ve run this course in Avon Lake about 5 or so times. It’s a 15k loop and REALLY flat. It makes the Columbus Marathon seem hilly! I had a goal to break 3:20 (about 10:42 pace) which would have been a 25 minute PR. I went with Geri and we woke up to a nice 40 degree day filled with a steady rain. The race was supposed to start at 7am but due to daylight savings it was moved to 7:30. We had a few issues with daylight savings and ended up getting up around 4:15 (damn blackberry!!). Fortunately it gave us ample time to get breakfast, coffee and what have you. The hope was the rain would let up and it would be just damp.
This race is more for the 5k and 15k entrants and the rain must have scared off many people because there were probably 100-150 total entrants with about 35 or so doing the 30k. At the start, the rain was a little heavier and I was absolutely soaked before we started. My plan was to go out relatively easy then pick it up a little for as long as I could then try to hang on to beat my goal. Early on, I realized it was going to be a struggle with the wind and driving rain so my plan was quickly one of survival. I missed the 2 mile marker and before mile 3 the rain killed my iPod. That coupled with there being so few entrants and I knew it would be pretty lonely out there! My mile splits were pretty consistent for the first 8 miles. They were slower than I’d hoped but were still respectable for me. I passed Geri right before 9 when she was hitting close to her 10th mile and we talked for a few seconds. I knew when I hit the half way point it would be VERY lonely out there! I hit the 10 mile mark about a minute slower than I’d hoped but still in the window where I knew if I could stay consistent I’d set a pretty big PR in the distance. By mile 11 the police had made us move to a different side of the road (increasing the distance a little) and told us the road we were running on would be closed to vehicles due to flooding. They also seemed a little miffed we were running the course again. I hit miles 11-13 in consistent fashion with the previous few and actually caught two runners who had stopped for a minute to rid themselves of excess fluids. By 15 I had caught back up to my goal time but realized I was pretty spent. I thought I could push on and finish in around 3:12 which would have been a 33 minute PR and 8 minutes faster than goal. What I didn’t realize is I’d run completely out of gas at 17! The 18th mile was a full minute slower than anything else I’d done and my hope of 3:12 turned to 3:15 pretty quickly. I limped to the finish line in 3:15:09 and had a new PR by 30 minutes. I was soaked to the bone but relieved all my training was paying off.
2 PR’s this year! Let’s hope the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach affords me yet another!!
Mardi-Gras Half Marathon (2/1/09): This was an interesting race in the Big Easy and I was hoping to better my personal best for the half marathon I’d set in Warner-Robins a few weeks prior. I had talked to my friend and coach (Jay) for a running plan. I’d never really had a time plan before but the goal was a 3 ½ minute PR. Unfortunately when I woke up on race morning the temperatures were in the low 50’s and were supposed to get in the 60’s by the finish. While that’s not terribly warm, it’s a far cry from the teens and 20’s I’d been training. I walked from my hotel to the start line and waited for the 7am gun. My plan was to hang between the 4 and 4:15 marathon pacers for as long as I could then once passed by the 4:15 group, stay as close as I could until the 13 mile mark.
The race starts at the SuperDome, passes through the French Quarter, through Bourbon Street, then southwest where it goes through a park/golf course and back turning before the French Quarter. At the start of the race, I made my first mistake. I felt really good and running through the French Quarter had me amped a little. I looked up and saw the pacer sign they were carrying. Unfortunately it was the 3:40 sign! Because of the confines of the street, it was nearly impossible to slow down for the first 4k and I was pushed, poked and prodded for most of it by runners who HAD to stay by the 3:40 pacer. Once we left the French Quarter the road opened up a bit and I slowed down to a more normal gait for me. By mile 4 I was just behind the 4 hour group. I felt a little spent from going out far too hard! Just past the 4 mile water stop, I was passed by the 4:15 group and realized they were actually on about 4:05 pace (they were just behind the 4 hour group). I was a little disheartened for some reason and by mile 6 I felt like I was just hanging on. My 10 minute mile pace was slowing to the 10:20’s and I was gassed! I finally gave in to being fatigued by mile 9 and the 10:20’s turned to 10:50’s with some walking. We made the final turn around mile 12 and at that point I wanted to be done. I limped to the finish some 6 ½ minutes slower than goal. I was disappointed at first but then realized it was still the 2nd fastest half I’d done and my bad day was much better than my best day only months ago.
All in all it was a fun time but a race I’d probably not do again. I’m less of a fan of New Orleans than some and the city is a good place to go once in awhile.
Last chance for Boston 10k (2/15/09): Not much to say about this one. You run 1 mile loops in a circle. I’ve done this race a few times and used this as a training run to get some tempo in. I can’t imagine doing much more than a 10k on this course but I know many people who love it. I ran 8 laps in total and my official 10k finishing time is a few minutes slower than my actual time (I had originally signed up for the half and that started 2 minutes ahead of the 10k and full). I think I averaged 9:42 for the distance.
Catch a Leprechaun 30k (3/8/09): I’ve run this course in Avon Lake about 5 or so times. It’s a 15k loop and REALLY flat. It makes the Columbus Marathon seem hilly! I had a goal to break 3:20 (about 10:42 pace) which would have been a 25 minute PR. I went with Geri and we woke up to a nice 40 degree day filled with a steady rain. The race was supposed to start at 7am but due to daylight savings it was moved to 7:30. We had a few issues with daylight savings and ended up getting up around 4:15 (damn blackberry!!). Fortunately it gave us ample time to get breakfast, coffee and what have you. The hope was the rain would let up and it would be just damp.
This race is more for the 5k and 15k entrants and the rain must have scared off many people because there were probably 100-150 total entrants with about 35 or so doing the 30k. At the start, the rain was a little heavier and I was absolutely soaked before we started. My plan was to go out relatively easy then pick it up a little for as long as I could then try to hang on to beat my goal. Early on, I realized it was going to be a struggle with the wind and driving rain so my plan was quickly one of survival. I missed the 2 mile marker and before mile 3 the rain killed my iPod. That coupled with there being so few entrants and I knew it would be pretty lonely out there! My mile splits were pretty consistent for the first 8 miles. They were slower than I’d hoped but were still respectable for me. I passed Geri right before 9 when she was hitting close to her 10th mile and we talked for a few seconds. I knew when I hit the half way point it would be VERY lonely out there! I hit the 10 mile mark about a minute slower than I’d hoped but still in the window where I knew if I could stay consistent I’d set a pretty big PR in the distance. By mile 11 the police had made us move to a different side of the road (increasing the distance a little) and told us the road we were running on would be closed to vehicles due to flooding. They also seemed a little miffed we were running the course again. I hit miles 11-13 in consistent fashion with the previous few and actually caught two runners who had stopped for a minute to rid themselves of excess fluids. By 15 I had caught back up to my goal time but realized I was pretty spent. I thought I could push on and finish in around 3:12 which would have been a 33 minute PR and 8 minutes faster than goal. What I didn’t realize is I’d run completely out of gas at 17! The 18th mile was a full minute slower than anything else I’d done and my hope of 3:12 turned to 3:15 pretty quickly. I limped to the finish line in 3:15:09 and had a new PR by 30 minutes. I was soaked to the bone but relieved all my training was paying off.
2 PR’s this year! Let’s hope the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach affords me yet another!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
South of Atlanta, cold temps and a PR!
Rather than doing a race each weekend in 2009, I thought I’d take a different approach, get some help putting together a training plan and see what happens. On Jan. 17, I did the Museum of Aviation Half Marathon in Warner Robins, Georgia. I thought it’d be a good test of fitness as well as to see if my new training plan was working.
I was able to get a direct flight to Atlanta but had to wait when I got into Atlanta for about 45 minutes to wait through the rental car line. I was hoping to listen to the Blue Jackets game on XM during the 110 mile trip from the airport but despite the car having XM (I paid $5 extra for it), it hadn’t been activated and I was out of luck! I guess I should have specified I wanted XM and I wanted it to work….haha! Fortunately the trip from the airport wasn’t much of an event and I got to the hotel in plenty of time to rest!
Another part of the reason I wanted to run in Georgia was to get away from the negative temperatures in Columbus! I guessed I’d get to run in 40-50 degree weather but was surprised to learn it was going to be about 20 degrees at the start and about 30 by the expected finish. It was pretty funny to hear people complaining at the registration tables abou how cold it was and they were sure their lungs would freeze from the cold. I picked up my race number and when I saw it was 311. I thought it might be a good day (311 is one of my favorite bands!).
The course was a 13 mile loop around the Air Force base and while I thought it would be somewhat boring, I was really surprised. Despite it being in the 20’s it was a bright, crisp winter morning and it looked like it would be very pleasant! I hit the first 3 mile markers about where I thought I’d be and realized I felt great. It was funny because I wanted to speed up but realized I’d pay later if I did. By mile 5 the pace was still comfy and as we turned a corner I saw where we were going to go on a long, gradual descent. I picked up the pace and hit the 6 mile mark about 90 seconds ahead of plan. For the next 5 or 6 miles I remained consistent and waited for the pain to start. At an incline around the11.5 mile mark I walked for the first time (outside of a water stop). For whatever reason I realized how spent I was from the effort and lost my focus mentally. From there I did a walk/run combo but made sure the last 1.5 miles was not a huge drop off from the first 11.5. I hit the tape with a 3 minute PR for the half and surprisingly felt great! I wouldn’t have wanted to run another 5 miles or even 5k (hell, 5 more minutes would have been tough!) but realizing the training plan was working, even though it had only been a few weeks, was enough to make me amped about the possibilities as I get ready for Virginia Beach and London.
Obviously I really enjoyed the day and race. I think running on the AFB was a great experience and a race anyone should do if they have a chance!
Next up, Mardi Gras Half Marathon in the Big Easy.
24 states down. 26 to go!!
Happy Running!!
I was able to get a direct flight to Atlanta but had to wait when I got into Atlanta for about 45 minutes to wait through the rental car line. I was hoping to listen to the Blue Jackets game on XM during the 110 mile trip from the airport but despite the car having XM (I paid $5 extra for it), it hadn’t been activated and I was out of luck! I guess I should have specified I wanted XM and I wanted it to work….haha! Fortunately the trip from the airport wasn’t much of an event and I got to the hotel in plenty of time to rest!
Another part of the reason I wanted to run in Georgia was to get away from the negative temperatures in Columbus! I guessed I’d get to run in 40-50 degree weather but was surprised to learn it was going to be about 20 degrees at the start and about 30 by the expected finish. It was pretty funny to hear people complaining at the registration tables abou how cold it was and they were sure their lungs would freeze from the cold. I picked up my race number and when I saw it was 311. I thought it might be a good day (311 is one of my favorite bands!).
The course was a 13 mile loop around the Air Force base and while I thought it would be somewhat boring, I was really surprised. Despite it being in the 20’s it was a bright, crisp winter morning and it looked like it would be very pleasant! I hit the first 3 mile markers about where I thought I’d be and realized I felt great. It was funny because I wanted to speed up but realized I’d pay later if I did. By mile 5 the pace was still comfy and as we turned a corner I saw where we were going to go on a long, gradual descent. I picked up the pace and hit the 6 mile mark about 90 seconds ahead of plan. For the next 5 or 6 miles I remained consistent and waited for the pain to start. At an incline around the11.5 mile mark I walked for the first time (outside of a water stop). For whatever reason I realized how spent I was from the effort and lost my focus mentally. From there I did a walk/run combo but made sure the last 1.5 miles was not a huge drop off from the first 11.5. I hit the tape with a 3 minute PR for the half and surprisingly felt great! I wouldn’t have wanted to run another 5 miles or even 5k (hell, 5 more minutes would have been tough!) but realizing the training plan was working, even though it had only been a few weeks, was enough to make me amped about the possibilities as I get ready for Virginia Beach and London.
Obviously I really enjoyed the day and race. I think running on the AFB was a great experience and a race anyone should do if they have a chance!
Next up, Mardi Gras Half Marathon in the Big Easy.
24 states down. 26 to go!!
Happy Running!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The year so far....
...it's not that I've been sluffing off so much as it is I haven't done any races in 2009 thus far. I know. Tough to believe! I was supposed to do the "Run the Rink" this past Saturday and "Dave's Shoe Run" 10 miler on Sunday but a buddy of mine is helping me put a good training schedule together (meaning, he tells me what to do and I try to do it!!) and it didn't work out for the rink run. The shoe run on Sunday had to be scrapped due to uncertainty in the weather so I did a 10+ mile training run in the Grandview, Arlington, Marble Cliff area. For whatever it's worth, we'll call it the Tri-Village 17k. Surprisingly enough, I won. I also finished last! I was both happy and sad.....haha!!
This weekend is the Museum of Aviation half marathon in Warner-Robbins, Georgia. With a good day, I could set a new best for me. I'm just hopeful it's not as cold there as it is here! I don't like full facemasks much!!
Hope you're all staying healthy and warm!!
This weekend is the Museum of Aviation half marathon in Warner-Robbins, Georgia. With a good day, I could set a new best for me. I'm just hopeful it's not as cold there as it is here! I don't like full facemasks much!!
Hope you're all staying healthy and warm!!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
2008 Running Reflections
2008 marked my busiest year of races. I had a few good ones, some not so good ones and many where I just enjoyed the day.
Some Statistics:
Races entered: 48
Races completed: 48
Total Race mileage: 558
Miles traveled to race: 31,164
States raced in: 17
Countries: 2
Marathons: 2
Half Marathons: 22
5k’s : 2 (my first 2 in 6 years)
Number of PR’s set: 1 (maybe 2. I’m still not exactly sure what my PR in the half is)
Number of finishes with the flu: 1 (Jackson, MS)
Favorite races:
Boston Marathon. Yeah, it lives up to the hype. My worst running performance but my most favorite running experience ever. I’ll never forget my 2008 Boston experience!
Columbus Half Marathon: An absolutely perfect running day where I ran to my fitness level. Can’t wait for 2009.
ING Hartford Half Marathon: Despite many travel related issues, this race was great! I may repeat in 2009. It was that much fun!
Las Cruces, NM Half Marathon: For some reason, I love running in the desert. It’s not entirely a desert race but it sure feels like it!
Huff 11 mile fun run. An occasional trail race is always fun!!
Mason Mini: a 15k PR that day and one I wish I could bottle. Consistent as I’ve been in a race.
No limits 10k. My first negative split in a race. Nearly a 10k pr.
The other side of favorite:
Around the Bay 30k. Sure it’s older than Boston but I wasn’t terribly impressed with the race.
Dallas White Rock: too crowded for my liking and a horrible day for me!
Ft. Wayne Nutri Run 20k: I did this 6 days after a marathon. Stupid! Course wasn’t good at all!
Columbus Winter Run. This is on my list every year but I do it because there’s not much else to do in late January! Let’s hope the 2009 version is actually 15 miles and not 25k.
Sunburst Half Marathon (South Bend, IN): This race had a ton of potential but fell short when they ran us through a parking lot just to run around a cone.
All in all, the good far outweighed the bad. I’m blessed with the ability to travel and finish all 48 races I entered. 2009 will have much less volume in races but probably more mileage. Here’s to another great year of running to everyone!
Some Statistics:
Races entered: 48
Races completed: 48
Total Race mileage: 558
Miles traveled to race: 31,164
States raced in: 17
Countries: 2
Marathons: 2
Half Marathons: 22
5k’s : 2 (my first 2 in 6 years)
Number of PR’s set: 1 (maybe 2. I’m still not exactly sure what my PR in the half is)
Number of finishes with the flu: 1 (Jackson, MS)
Favorite races:
Boston Marathon. Yeah, it lives up to the hype. My worst running performance but my most favorite running experience ever. I’ll never forget my 2008 Boston experience!
Columbus Half Marathon: An absolutely perfect running day where I ran to my fitness level. Can’t wait for 2009.
ING Hartford Half Marathon: Despite many travel related issues, this race was great! I may repeat in 2009. It was that much fun!
Las Cruces, NM Half Marathon: For some reason, I love running in the desert. It’s not entirely a desert race but it sure feels like it!
Huff 11 mile fun run. An occasional trail race is always fun!!
Mason Mini: a 15k PR that day and one I wish I could bottle. Consistent as I’ve been in a race.
No limits 10k. My first negative split in a race. Nearly a 10k pr.
The other side of favorite:
Around the Bay 30k. Sure it’s older than Boston but I wasn’t terribly impressed with the race.
Dallas White Rock: too crowded for my liking and a horrible day for me!
Ft. Wayne Nutri Run 20k: I did this 6 days after a marathon. Stupid! Course wasn’t good at all!
Columbus Winter Run. This is on my list every year but I do it because there’s not much else to do in late January! Let’s hope the 2009 version is actually 15 miles and not 25k.
Sunburst Half Marathon (South Bend, IN): This race had a ton of potential but fell short when they ran us through a parking lot just to run around a cone.
All in all, the good far outweighed the bad. I’m blessed with the ability to travel and finish all 48 races I entered. 2009 will have much less volume in races but probably more mileage. Here’s to another great year of running to everyone!
Happy 2009!!
The Last Two of 2008
In the last weeks of 2008 I added two races to the list. One I’d done before and one I’d wanted to do. Each race was far different than the other.
Dallas White Rock Half Marathon
I’d heard great things about this race and found a good deal on airfare and hotel so I went for it. I got there the day before and was greeted to warmer temps and howling winds! I saw my Clif Bar Pace team friends at the expo and we were able to grab dinner together at the pasta party hosted by the host hotel. Good food and good company!
The weather called for 70’s temps with high winds the morning of the race and unfortunately they were right! I walked to the start area and found my buddy Jim Miller in Reunion arena where we waited for the race to start. This race had 13,000 or so entrants doing either the half or full and actually getting in the start corral was very tough. I ended up starting with the 3:40 marathon pacer only because I couldn’t get any closer to the middle.
At the start of the race it was extremely crowded. Not quite like the Turkey Trot but somewhat close. There was never any way to get into a rhythm for the first 15 or so minutes and I started quite a bit slower than normal. By the 2 mile mark I began to experience a little discomfort in the lower abdomen region and I knew this coupled with the weather (70’s and 30mph winds) would probably lead to a much slower time. By mile 5 I was hanging on but had slowed quite a bit. I was amazed at how the course took all these people on a two lane road. Needless to say but it was crowded!! I started to feel a tick better by the 10k mark and while I knew I wasn’t going to have a fast time, I thought I could salvage something. By 10 miles the pain I had since mile 2 was getting worse and it was really uncomfortable to run. At that point I basically stopped running and decided to walk most of the final 5k. That part of the race is pretty much a blur as I wasn’t looking around. I wasn’t talking to anyone and I wasn’t smiling (normal for me at almost all the events I’ve done). I got to the 13 mile mark and did a light jog to the finish. It was the slowest half I’d done in a year and while I wasn’t happy about it, at least I finished it!!
The walk back to the hotel was torture and I actually thought I was going to pass out (I told you I had a bad day…haha!!). Fortunately I finally did make it and spent the next 45 minutes in the shower trying to put myself back together. Getting to the airport and walking around the airport was tough as I was completely spent. I don’t think I’ve ever been that killed after a half but I guess that’s how bad I felt. Fortunately George, Robin, Darris and Star showed up about 90 minutes before we flew home and we all shared how tough that day was. Robin even mentioned how she loves running but this day felt more like work!
I don’t know if I’ll go back to do that race again but I may just have to in order to redeem myself for that bad day!!
The Huff 50k & 11 mile fun run
This is my treat for a good season of running. It’s ridiculously difficult due to the trail conditions but fortunately it’s not a ton of climbing so it evens itself out. I drove up the night before and picked up my race packet as well as had some pasta at their pasta dinner. Judging from the rain and fog from the drive over to Huntington, I knew it was going to be muddy out there! Fortunately for me I was breaking out my trail shoes and purchased some leg gaiters to hopefully minimize the mud!
There’s not a whole lot to say about this race except to say we ran in 4-6 inches of mud for about 8 ½ or 9 of the 11 miles. I wore the garmin but only to approximate where the heck I was on the course. By the 1 mile mark I knew the day was going to be tough. Running in mud is HARD!! That coupled with some ice made it pretty rough going. Fortunately this wasn’t any sort of PR type of day and I just wanted to enjoy the trail and have fun! There’s something different about a trail run probably due to being wet and muddy throughout. More of a sense of being with nature, I think, and a far different experience than going to a 30,000 entrant race. Time seems to be irrelevant and there seems to be quite a bit more conversation among the entrants because this stuff is tough!
Around the 9 mile mark I felt like I could do all 50k (or two more laps of the 11 mile course) but by my 10, I was glad I was almost done. All the trudging through the creeks, standing water and mud took quite a toll on me. When I crossed the finish line, I was amazed at how much mud had accumulated on my legs. I was covered in it, but I was happy!
2009 should be my 3rd trip to Huff. I think every distance runner should do that race once! It’s a great day to just have fun and not worry about how fast or slow you’re going!
Thanks for a great 2008!!
Dallas White Rock Half Marathon
I’d heard great things about this race and found a good deal on airfare and hotel so I went for it. I got there the day before and was greeted to warmer temps and howling winds! I saw my Clif Bar Pace team friends at the expo and we were able to grab dinner together at the pasta party hosted by the host hotel. Good food and good company!
The weather called for 70’s temps with high winds the morning of the race and unfortunately they were right! I walked to the start area and found my buddy Jim Miller in Reunion arena where we waited for the race to start. This race had 13,000 or so entrants doing either the half or full and actually getting in the start corral was very tough. I ended up starting with the 3:40 marathon pacer only because I couldn’t get any closer to the middle.
At the start of the race it was extremely crowded. Not quite like the Turkey Trot but somewhat close. There was never any way to get into a rhythm for the first 15 or so minutes and I started quite a bit slower than normal. By the 2 mile mark I began to experience a little discomfort in the lower abdomen region and I knew this coupled with the weather (70’s and 30mph winds) would probably lead to a much slower time. By mile 5 I was hanging on but had slowed quite a bit. I was amazed at how the course took all these people on a two lane road. Needless to say but it was crowded!! I started to feel a tick better by the 10k mark and while I knew I wasn’t going to have a fast time, I thought I could salvage something. By 10 miles the pain I had since mile 2 was getting worse and it was really uncomfortable to run. At that point I basically stopped running and decided to walk most of the final 5k. That part of the race is pretty much a blur as I wasn’t looking around. I wasn’t talking to anyone and I wasn’t smiling (normal for me at almost all the events I’ve done). I got to the 13 mile mark and did a light jog to the finish. It was the slowest half I’d done in a year and while I wasn’t happy about it, at least I finished it!!
The walk back to the hotel was torture and I actually thought I was going to pass out (I told you I had a bad day…haha!!). Fortunately I finally did make it and spent the next 45 minutes in the shower trying to put myself back together. Getting to the airport and walking around the airport was tough as I was completely spent. I don’t think I’ve ever been that killed after a half but I guess that’s how bad I felt. Fortunately George, Robin, Darris and Star showed up about 90 minutes before we flew home and we all shared how tough that day was. Robin even mentioned how she loves running but this day felt more like work!
I don’t know if I’ll go back to do that race again but I may just have to in order to redeem myself for that bad day!!
The Huff 50k & 11 mile fun run
This is my treat for a good season of running. It’s ridiculously difficult due to the trail conditions but fortunately it’s not a ton of climbing so it evens itself out. I drove up the night before and picked up my race packet as well as had some pasta at their pasta dinner. Judging from the rain and fog from the drive over to Huntington, I knew it was going to be muddy out there! Fortunately for me I was breaking out my trail shoes and purchased some leg gaiters to hopefully minimize the mud!
There’s not a whole lot to say about this race except to say we ran in 4-6 inches of mud for about 8 ½ or 9 of the 11 miles. I wore the garmin but only to approximate where the heck I was on the course. By the 1 mile mark I knew the day was going to be tough. Running in mud is HARD!! That coupled with some ice made it pretty rough going. Fortunately this wasn’t any sort of PR type of day and I just wanted to enjoy the trail and have fun! There’s something different about a trail run probably due to being wet and muddy throughout. More of a sense of being with nature, I think, and a far different experience than going to a 30,000 entrant race. Time seems to be irrelevant and there seems to be quite a bit more conversation among the entrants because this stuff is tough!
Around the 9 mile mark I felt like I could do all 50k (or two more laps of the 11 mile course) but by my 10, I was glad I was almost done. All the trudging through the creeks, standing water and mud took quite a toll on me. When I crossed the finish line, I was amazed at how much mud had accumulated on my legs. I was covered in it, but I was happy!
2009 should be my 3rd trip to Huff. I think every distance runner should do that race once! It’s a great day to just have fun and not worry about how fast or slow you’re going!
Thanks for a great 2008!!
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