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!