Over these past few months, I seem to be experiencing a new phenomenon, where I start out feeling great in a race and then, at some point between 25%-50% completion, the wheels fall off and my pace goes right into the toilette. This time, it was a bit after 4 miles into the National half. Things were going well, I didn't go out too fast, and was on the whole, feeling pretty damn good.
5:53, 5:43, 11:25 over miles 3 and 4 for an average of about 5:43. I felt strong, I could actually see the lead vehicle, and I had the entire road nearly to myself. It was awesome to be that far up in a race this big (27 corrals). Then we made a turn around and a left up a light and manageable hill. Then I never saw 5:4X again. I fell to pieces and pretty much just cruised in, my body wanting nothing to do with going hard. I finished in an extremely pedestrian 1:22:17, my slowest half in over 2 years. Heck, I've run near that time on regular runs.
This reminded me much of the NCR trail marathon where I felt invincible for 10-12 miles and then in a split second, everything went straight to hell. What's even more frustrating is that on the whole, I've been running well as of late, but just fell flat on a day when it mattered.
So naturally, I want to try and figure out just what's going on. On the whole, racing has been ok since I ran that 1:14:44 half in Philly in September. Everything has been quite hit or miss, with 2 good races, some meh races, and a few bombs. I think in general, it is just getting a lot harder to both stay where I am/get better. I'm sure I'm a lot closer to my limits than I have been the last 13 years I've been running. Although it doesn't mean I can't get better, I think it means I need to take better care of myself to keep getting better.
Things like sleep and eating well (or at least better...definitely not less!) may just be more important than they used to be. I've let both of those get away from me and it shows because I feel really tired way too often these days. It's a pretty vicious cycle really:
1. Go to bed too late. 2. Sleep in as late as possible before work to maximize sleep (7 hours is an accomplishment). 3. Rush off to work, rarely having breakfast at the time sine it takes a little bit for my appetite to kick in. 4. Get really hungry at work or on the way and eat whatever is available just to be full enough (rarely anything healthy). 5. Finally, by lunchtime, eat something I cooked that was designed to fill me up and be relatively healthy (I'm actually good at that). 6. crash by the afternoon and take a nap before running. 7. Run 8. Have a 50/50 shot of eating something healthy for dinner. 9. go to sleep too late 10. start over the next day!
Clearly, this is not working. It all starts (for me anyway) going to sleep on time such that 8 hours from the time I hit the pillow, I need to wake up. It doesn't mean I'm asleep for 8 hours, but that formula works, because the handful of times I get a week or two like that, I feel much, much better.
I also need time to actually eat a reasonable breakfast, and go back to avoiding buying all that food that I know is bad for me, mainly because it's all I'll eat, to the point of avoiding fruits and vegetables (even though I actually do like them).
And what's the cause of all this? Honestly...it's just laziness. I get distracted too easily and stay up too late. Once that happens, everything crashes down around me as I get too tired when I'm free to actually do much. Clearly, it didn't matter much in 2010 and early 2011 since I've more or less operated this way for a while. But now, for whatever reason, it seems to matter more.
Thankfully, I care about my running that much to finally start changing my habits. If I have to be healthier all around to run faster, than so be it.
It starts Sunday night! The first step is to just get more sleep, and get up early enough to start the day the way I know I need to. My next round of groceries are going to be slightly more thought out in terms of buying the right kind of fuel...
Showing posts with label Race Reports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Race Reports. Show all posts
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Shamrock 5K, THE 5k of 5k's: Race Report
In Baltimore, when March rolls around and Daylight Saving Time starts, every runner knows it's time to blaze through the streets on the fastest 5K course around. My goal for this race was pretty simple, just PR. Since most of my workouts are focused on the marathon, and I kept this week a big one (90+ miles), I knew my legs wouldn't exactly be firing fast.
So with that in mind, I set out from my apartment at 12:35pm to get a 15 minute warm up in, some stretching, and strides before the 1:15pm race. Falls Road had a strong contingent out there both racing and spectating; they helped keep my warmup and cool down honest! Crowds lined both sides of the starting street, a sharp downhill on Charles, a road normally quite busy at all hours of the day. I lined up a couple of rows back, ready to go.
This point to point course runs through downtown Baltimore, starts off with a half mile downhill, and is largely flat the rest of the way. There is always an ongoing debate about how to handle the fast first mile. My plan was to run between 5:00-5:10. I had no interest in running sub-5, as I knew many others would.
After the gun went off, we all settled in, while I made sure to hold back just a bit early. As soon as the course flattened out and made a quick left, I started to pick up the effort. With the early downhill over, the rest was going to be a grind to the finish. I passed some people early, but eventually settled into a loose group with 3 or 4 other runners. I run with two of them, Brennan and Andy somewhat regularly. This was the second race in a row running with people I know and train with, which makes everything so much easier!
I hit mile 1 right at 5:01, and just kept pouring it on.
I didn't feel completely dead at that point, so I must have done something right. Brennan ran ahead of me, while Andy started fading back (but was still ahead). As we made the turn around, Andy faded off just a bit, leaving Brennan, me, and some other random guy. I dropped the random guy and managed to catch up to Brennan. We hit mile 2, getting hit by some wind..
5:21
I was looking for sub 5:15 for the second mile, but based on the conditions (windy) and how my legs felt (unhappy I ran 82 miles in 6 days), I figured this was what I would get. I focused any speed and strength I had left to keep the last mile at 5:20 as well.
Brennan and I towed each other along, as we kept getting hit by wind gusts running back towards home. I got a few cheers from the main pack on the other side of the road, decked out in full on green (everyone else was much more festive than the lead runners). As we turned off Key Highway and onto Light Street, I started to really feel the pace, the miles, the road, the air, my legs, and anything else that wanted to complain.
But I kept grinding. As we made the second to last turn onto Pratt street, it took nearly everything I had to hold it together. We got some cheers, a runner caught and passed Brennan and me (neither of us had an answer), and as I crossed mile 3, I threw down the last little bit that was left in the tank. We hit the final turn onto Market place, and I crossed the finish line...
16:14 by my watch, though my official net time was 16:12 (16:15 gun time). I'll take the 16:12, well because, the race hurt! That beats my time from last year of 16:25 by 13 seconds, and my overall PR (16: 24 on the track) by 12 seconds. Not too bad for a big mileage week and a bunch of marathon training!
I ended up going for a rather long cooldown to round out what is probably slightly more 90 miles for the week. I also completely skipped the post race awards, mainly because the post race party turns into a giant cluster f*** of runners and beer. But as it turns out, much to my elated surprise, I actually won my age group...
11th overall, and 4th 20-29 year old male to cross. The top 3 were all 20-29 as well, making me the age group winner. Damn! I may have placed 11th last year and came in 6th for my age group, but either way, it's been a dream of mine to place in my age group at the 5K of 5Ks. I'm going to make sure I get that stupid glass beer mug (or whatever it is).
Overall, a highly successful race. I think a sub-16 is in the not so distant future. Maybe some summer speed work will be just what this runner needs! But now, back to what matters, marathon training.
So with that in mind, I set out from my apartment at 12:35pm to get a 15 minute warm up in, some stretching, and strides before the 1:15pm race. Falls Road had a strong contingent out there both racing and spectating; they helped keep my warmup and cool down honest! Crowds lined both sides of the starting street, a sharp downhill on Charles, a road normally quite busy at all hours of the day. I lined up a couple of rows back, ready to go.
This point to point course runs through downtown Baltimore, starts off with a half mile downhill, and is largely flat the rest of the way. There is always an ongoing debate about how to handle the fast first mile. My plan was to run between 5:00-5:10. I had no interest in running sub-5, as I knew many others would.
After the gun went off, we all settled in, while I made sure to hold back just a bit early. As soon as the course flattened out and made a quick left, I started to pick up the effort. With the early downhill over, the rest was going to be a grind to the finish. I passed some people early, but eventually settled into a loose group with 3 or 4 other runners. I run with two of them, Brennan and Andy somewhat regularly. This was the second race in a row running with people I know and train with, which makes everything so much easier!
I hit mile 1 right at 5:01, and just kept pouring it on.
I didn't feel completely dead at that point, so I must have done something right. Brennan ran ahead of me, while Andy started fading back (but was still ahead). As we made the turn around, Andy faded off just a bit, leaving Brennan, me, and some other random guy. I dropped the random guy and managed to catch up to Brennan. We hit mile 2, getting hit by some wind..
5:21
I was looking for sub 5:15 for the second mile, but based on the conditions (windy) and how my legs felt (unhappy I ran 82 miles in 6 days), I figured this was what I would get. I focused any speed and strength I had left to keep the last mile at 5:20 as well.
Brennan and I towed each other along, as we kept getting hit by wind gusts running back towards home. I got a few cheers from the main pack on the other side of the road, decked out in full on green (everyone else was much more festive than the lead runners). As we turned off Key Highway and onto Light Street, I started to really feel the pace, the miles, the road, the air, my legs, and anything else that wanted to complain.
But I kept grinding. As we made the second to last turn onto Pratt street, it took nearly everything I had to hold it together. We got some cheers, a runner caught and passed Brennan and me (neither of us had an answer), and as I crossed mile 3, I threw down the last little bit that was left in the tank. We hit the final turn onto Market place, and I crossed the finish line...
16:14 by my watch, though my official net time was 16:12 (16:15 gun time). I'll take the 16:12, well because, the race hurt! That beats my time from last year of 16:25 by 13 seconds, and my overall PR (16: 24 on the track) by 12 seconds. Not too bad for a big mileage week and a bunch of marathon training!
I ended up going for a rather long cooldown to round out what is probably slightly more 90 miles for the week. I also completely skipped the post race awards, mainly because the post race party turns into a giant cluster f*** of runners and beer. But as it turns out, much to my elated surprise, I actually won my age group...
11th overall, and 4th 20-29 year old male to cross. The top 3 were all 20-29 as well, making me the age group winner. Damn! I may have placed 11th last year and came in 6th for my age group, but either way, it's been a dream of mine to place in my age group at the 5K of 5Ks. I'm going to make sure I get that stupid glass beer mug (or whatever it is).
Overall, a highly successful race. I think a sub-16 is in the not so distant future. Maybe some summer speed work will be just what this runner needs! But now, back to what matters, marathon training.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
10 Mile Club Challenge Race Report
I've gotta get this up quickly, since there are celebrations to be had. This particular race, a tough 10 miler held in Howard County is scored team style with all the various local clubs running against each other. The past two times I did this race, I ran for the Baltimore Road Runners Club. Although it was nice to be able to do the race, they had very little chance of ever winning. My second time running it, last year, when I posted a 56:54, put me a full 2 minutes ahead of the 2nd fastest BRRC runner. It was at that moment I knew it was time to join one of the faster groups.
So this year, after having run with them since August, I ran the race for Falls Road Racing, a group who is always in contention for top honors. This year they really brought their A team with a very strong showing on all fronts. I was hoping to just score for the men, and put up a respectable time.
This race is notorious for inaccurate mile markers. In fact, I've decided that I won't take mile splits next year because the information is next to worthless anyway. So, I'm only going to save my 5-ish mile split and my final split, just to get an idea of the two halves of the race.
On an ideal day with the right combo of tempo work and hills, I could have probably run somewhere in the 55-56 range. I had that in mind, but knew full well that I'd take whatever I could get. Unlike last year, my mileage is lower, and I have done fewer workouts/races leading up to this day. All of that is in an effort to peak later to coincide with my actual goal race. Generally, I end up peaking about a month early and then fizzle out towards the end of the season.
So with that said, I ended up with a 57:26, good for 17th overall and by my count, the 11th scorer for the Men's team (first 12 score).
After a very crowded start in which I cut more than a few people off, the pack quickly thinned out and by about mile 3, I was in no man's land. People were ahead of me, people were behind me, and I was stuck right in the middle. As the race wore on, I could tell that I was not nearly prepared enough for the hills. It was taking me way too long to recover back to "normal effort" after cresting each hill, and it was only getting worse. I decided to just try and hold on as best as I could. My 5 mile split ended up being 28:17.
Over the second half of the race, I would get passed by a few people, but all of them (thankfully) were fellow Falls Road runners. The first guy to pass me, Seth, did so somewhere after mile 5. I stuck with him for a little bit but couldn't keep up. As we continued on past mile 7, the course started to flatten out but the wind would prove troublesome. Two more guys caught me, Brennan and Chris. After Chris passed me, the three of us were separated by a few strides a piece, with Seth and a Howard County runner (the team most likely to beat us) off in the distance.
I finally started to feel a little better with most of the hills behind us, so I decided that I should be running with these guys rather than behind them. So I picked it up (it helped that I could hear people who may not have been Falls Road behind me) as best I could. I caught up to Chris, who matched my pace, and we both caught up to Brennan.
From that point on we stuck together for the last 1.5ish miles. That Howard County runner in the distance proved to be a good carrot, as I made it my mission to give whatever I had left to close the gap. As we neared the finish, our pace quickened but it was clear we didn't have enough ground left to catch the other runner.
In the end, Chris passed me, and I finished right behind him with the 57:26.
I tried to be disappointed after crossing the line. But, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling of being "content." So I just accepted it. I may have been about 30 seconds slower than last year, and close to 2 minutes slower than what I was probably capable of. However, I still gave it a strong effort and was able to close strong on the flatter ending of the race.
At this time last year, I was putting in a tempo or speed workout plus hill repeats nearly every week. I also ran 5 races leading up to Club Challenge, and put in much higher mileage. I also got hurt...
This year, I've done 2 races in the time leading up, and really only started a second formal workout last week. I'm sure after a few more weeks of hills, I'll be able to handle them better. I've got a chance to find out in mid March at the National Half Marathon, and of course, at the ultimate prize (which is the entire focus of my running existence right now)...Boston.
So with that said, I'll chalk today up to a slightly off day, but a good solid start to my "spring" racing season.
It was also great to see my various running friends out there, as the race always brings everyone out, even Mark all the way from North Carolina. Check out his blog if you don't already! http://runningmanz.wordpress.com/
And finally, it helps that I was part of the most successful showing of Falls Road ever with a clean sweep of all awards:
-Male Overall
-Female Overall
-Coed Team Winners
-Male Team Winners
-Female Team Winners
So this year, after having run with them since August, I ran the race for Falls Road Racing, a group who is always in contention for top honors. This year they really brought their A team with a very strong showing on all fronts. I was hoping to just score for the men, and put up a respectable time.
This race is notorious for inaccurate mile markers. In fact, I've decided that I won't take mile splits next year because the information is next to worthless anyway. So, I'm only going to save my 5-ish mile split and my final split, just to get an idea of the two halves of the race.
On an ideal day with the right combo of tempo work and hills, I could have probably run somewhere in the 55-56 range. I had that in mind, but knew full well that I'd take whatever I could get. Unlike last year, my mileage is lower, and I have done fewer workouts/races leading up to this day. All of that is in an effort to peak later to coincide with my actual goal race. Generally, I end up peaking about a month early and then fizzle out towards the end of the season.
So with that said, I ended up with a 57:26, good for 17th overall and by my count, the 11th scorer for the Men's team (first 12 score).
After a very crowded start in which I cut more than a few people off, the pack quickly thinned out and by about mile 3, I was in no man's land. People were ahead of me, people were behind me, and I was stuck right in the middle. As the race wore on, I could tell that I was not nearly prepared enough for the hills. It was taking me way too long to recover back to "normal effort" after cresting each hill, and it was only getting worse. I decided to just try and hold on as best as I could. My 5 mile split ended up being 28:17.
Over the second half of the race, I would get passed by a few people, but all of them (thankfully) were fellow Falls Road runners. The first guy to pass me, Seth, did so somewhere after mile 5. I stuck with him for a little bit but couldn't keep up. As we continued on past mile 7, the course started to flatten out but the wind would prove troublesome. Two more guys caught me, Brennan and Chris. After Chris passed me, the three of us were separated by a few strides a piece, with Seth and a Howard County runner (the team most likely to beat us) off in the distance.
I finally started to feel a little better with most of the hills behind us, so I decided that I should be running with these guys rather than behind them. So I picked it up (it helped that I could hear people who may not have been Falls Road behind me) as best I could. I caught up to Chris, who matched my pace, and we both caught up to Brennan.
From that point on we stuck together for the last 1.5ish miles. That Howard County runner in the distance proved to be a good carrot, as I made it my mission to give whatever I had left to close the gap. As we neared the finish, our pace quickened but it was clear we didn't have enough ground left to catch the other runner.
In the end, Chris passed me, and I finished right behind him with the 57:26.
I tried to be disappointed after crossing the line. But, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling of being "content." So I just accepted it. I may have been about 30 seconds slower than last year, and close to 2 minutes slower than what I was probably capable of. However, I still gave it a strong effort and was able to close strong on the flatter ending of the race.
At this time last year, I was putting in a tempo or speed workout plus hill repeats nearly every week. I also ran 5 races leading up to Club Challenge, and put in much higher mileage. I also got hurt...
This year, I've done 2 races in the time leading up, and really only started a second formal workout last week. I'm sure after a few more weeks of hills, I'll be able to handle them better. I've got a chance to find out in mid March at the National Half Marathon, and of course, at the ultimate prize (which is the entire focus of my running existence right now)...Boston.
So with that said, I'll chalk today up to a slightly off day, but a good solid start to my "spring" racing season.
It was also great to see my various running friends out there, as the race always brings everyone out, even Mark all the way from North Carolina. Check out his blog if you don't already! http://runningmanz.wordpress.com/
And finally, it helps that I was part of the most successful showing of Falls Road ever with a clean sweep of all awards:
-Male Overall
-Female Overall
-Coed Team Winners
-Male Team Winners
-Female Team Winners
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Get Off My Lawn! Resolution Run 5K
In what has become a bit of a tradition, I ran once again at the Resolution Run 5K, held at 2pm at Patterson Park in Baltimore. For anyone who has run in this park, you can understand that any 5K held there would be reasonably tough thanks to the decently long hill right in the middle.
The weather was pretty good, low 50s with a light to moderate wind. Since the course direction changes so frequently, the wind would not be too much of an issue. The start and finish were shifted for this year's race, but the overall course basically stayed exactly as it has been the past 3 times I've done this race. It started off with a short loop back through the start, knocking off the first mile and going uphill ever so slightly. It then turned off for a longer loop complete with about 2/3 mile worth of up hill before coming back down to Earth at mile 2. The longer loop then continues onto the back part of the short loop, before finishing on the same slight uphill encountered during mile 1. Basically, it was a slow and painful course.
Going into this race, I was just looking to get the legs moving a bit and "see what happens." My first track workout in well over a month was just this past Tuesday, a 5x1000 meter. Besides that run, my last 5K and 5 Mile races in December were my only hard runs. As I took the start line, there were two guys who looked like they would make this a race. One looked slightly familiar, the other looked young, wearing a Pacer running store singlet.
The gun went off and we started at what felt a bit fast; shocking for a 5K. Pacer singlet seemed surprisingly relaxed. I decided he was faking it and there was no way this pace was comfortable. I got tripped, cut someone off and got elbowed, so for some reason, we were all very antsy running around each other.
As we moved through the short loop, I began to realize that we were going way too fast. At about the 0.5 mile point, I decided to back off, right before the hills and let Pacer and Mr. Familiar go. After a slight uphill I hit the first mile in 5:13. Those other guys never skipped a beat and had a huge lead on me in a hurry. They easily hit that first mile at 5:08 or better, meaning that we had to be flying before the first uphill.
Regardless, I was pretty happy with my decision to back off, lest I die of asphyxiation trying to get up the big climb in the middle of the race. As we turned up to the hill, Mr. Familiar began to put distance on Pacer, and I realized Pacer was already starting to drop back to me. My gamble may have paid off, as I was fresher for the hill.
As we finally crested the top and began flying down the backside, I continued to slowly creep up on Pacer. Mile 2, which I didn't get because I missed the split button on my watch was about a 5:34. Kind of slow, but I suck at going uphill in 5Ks.
We pushed on and in about another 1/3 of a mile, I finally established contact with Pacer. He seemed extremely impatient and uncomfortable with me running near him. Every time I came up on his shoulder, he put himself a stride ahead of me. This must have happened 2 or 3 times over the next quarter mile. Finally, I decided I just needed to pass him. We were closing on the finish, and I know I have no 5K kick, so I had to get distance on this runner.
I managed to pass him, but could tell I wasn't gaping him. I knew now this was going to be a painful finish. He went and passed me again and tried putting the gap on me. He almost succeeded, as I had to dig real deep to get back up and stay on his shoulder. We then unfortunately hit a wall of walkers doing the 1 mile walk who were all over the course. At that point, I was content with just staying right behind him as we weaved in and out of people.
Once we cleared the walkers, we hit the same uphill where earlier in the race I had backed off to save energy. Of course now, I was pretty spent, but managed to get ahead one last time as soon as we cleared the walkers. But AGAIN he passed me and as we hit mile 3 in about 5:22; I just didn't have any gears left after that. Pacer crossed the line in 16:41, I crossed in 16:44. The winner (who actually finished 3rd and 12 seconds behind me last year) finished in 16:32. Overall, it was a decently close race all the way around.
I wasn't sure what this 16:44 meant at first. Then I finally had some perspective. I matched my 5K time from December, which was on a much easier course and this time was 3 seconds faster than this race last year. Though the start and finish lines moved, the course was basically the same. I also managed to run a real fast 3rd mile, which really surprised me because that NEVER happens. With a flatter course (or some more hills/speed work), I think I can get back down to PR range in a hurry. Either way this a great way to start off 2012 as my mileage and workouts start to ramp up. It's time to get some this year!
The only really, really, really unfortunate part of this whole story is the guy who beat me. As it turns out, this kid is 16 years old. Really? 16 and running a 16:41 on a tough course? So in my first race of 2012, I got burned by a FREAKING 16 year old. GWAH...get off my damn lawn!!!
Seriously though, it was a great race, I wish they were all like that (though I wouldn't mind winning the duel next time!). I also need to stop getting burned in 5Ks, it seems to happen way too often!
The weather was pretty good, low 50s with a light to moderate wind. Since the course direction changes so frequently, the wind would not be too much of an issue. The start and finish were shifted for this year's race, but the overall course basically stayed exactly as it has been the past 3 times I've done this race. It started off with a short loop back through the start, knocking off the first mile and going uphill ever so slightly. It then turned off for a longer loop complete with about 2/3 mile worth of up hill before coming back down to Earth at mile 2. The longer loop then continues onto the back part of the short loop, before finishing on the same slight uphill encountered during mile 1. Basically, it was a slow and painful course.
Going into this race, I was just looking to get the legs moving a bit and "see what happens." My first track workout in well over a month was just this past Tuesday, a 5x1000 meter. Besides that run, my last 5K and 5 Mile races in December were my only hard runs. As I took the start line, there were two guys who looked like they would make this a race. One looked slightly familiar, the other looked young, wearing a Pacer running store singlet.
The gun went off and we started at what felt a bit fast; shocking for a 5K. Pacer singlet seemed surprisingly relaxed. I decided he was faking it and there was no way this pace was comfortable. I got tripped, cut someone off and got elbowed, so for some reason, we were all very antsy running around each other.
As we moved through the short loop, I began to realize that we were going way too fast. At about the 0.5 mile point, I decided to back off, right before the hills and let Pacer and Mr. Familiar go. After a slight uphill I hit the first mile in 5:13. Those other guys never skipped a beat and had a huge lead on me in a hurry. They easily hit that first mile at 5:08 or better, meaning that we had to be flying before the first uphill.
Regardless, I was pretty happy with my decision to back off, lest I die of asphyxiation trying to get up the big climb in the middle of the race. As we turned up to the hill, Mr. Familiar began to put distance on Pacer, and I realized Pacer was already starting to drop back to me. My gamble may have paid off, as I was fresher for the hill.
As we finally crested the top and began flying down the backside, I continued to slowly creep up on Pacer. Mile 2, which I didn't get because I missed the split button on my watch was about a 5:34. Kind of slow, but I suck at going uphill in 5Ks.
We pushed on and in about another 1/3 of a mile, I finally established contact with Pacer. He seemed extremely impatient and uncomfortable with me running near him. Every time I came up on his shoulder, he put himself a stride ahead of me. This must have happened 2 or 3 times over the next quarter mile. Finally, I decided I just needed to pass him. We were closing on the finish, and I know I have no 5K kick, so I had to get distance on this runner.
I managed to pass him, but could tell I wasn't gaping him. I knew now this was going to be a painful finish. He went and passed me again and tried putting the gap on me. He almost succeeded, as I had to dig real deep to get back up and stay on his shoulder. We then unfortunately hit a wall of walkers doing the 1 mile walk who were all over the course. At that point, I was content with just staying right behind him as we weaved in and out of people.
Once we cleared the walkers, we hit the same uphill where earlier in the race I had backed off to save energy. Of course now, I was pretty spent, but managed to get ahead one last time as soon as we cleared the walkers. But AGAIN he passed me and as we hit mile 3 in about 5:22; I just didn't have any gears left after that. Pacer crossed the line in 16:41, I crossed in 16:44. The winner (who actually finished 3rd and 12 seconds behind me last year) finished in 16:32. Overall, it was a decently close race all the way around.
I wasn't sure what this 16:44 meant at first. Then I finally had some perspective. I matched my 5K time from December, which was on a much easier course and this time was 3 seconds faster than this race last year. Though the start and finish lines moved, the course was basically the same. I also managed to run a real fast 3rd mile, which really surprised me because that NEVER happens. With a flatter course (or some more hills/speed work), I think I can get back down to PR range in a hurry. Either way this a great way to start off 2012 as my mileage and workouts start to ramp up. It's time to get some this year!
The only really, really, really unfortunate part of this whole story is the guy who beat me. As it turns out, this kid is 16 years old. Really? 16 and running a 16:41 on a tough course? So in my first race of 2012, I got burned by a FREAKING 16 year old. GWAH...get off my damn lawn!!!
Seriously though, it was a great race, I wish they were all like that (though I wouldn't mind winning the duel next time!). I also need to stop getting burned in 5Ks, it seems to happen way too often!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Celtic Solstice 5 Miler...Lived up to Expectations
This race may very well have erased any and all disappointment I've had lately with my failed marathon attempts. It was certainly a way to end off the year on a high note. Now, I've got to tell this story while it's still fresh, because it is epic.
The 5 mile race started right around 8:30AM. There was no wind, temperatures were right around 40 degrees, and it was nearly an overcast. Overall, great weather for a late December race. I went into this race with no thoughts whatsoever as to what pace I was going to run, or what time I was shooting for. My plan was basically just to show up and run hard. However, now that I run with a lot of the fast guys that show up to these races, it was really easy to key off of everyone around me to settle into a pace that made sense. I just made sure to go out a tad bit slower than usual though, since this course was mostly uphill for the first half, and mostly downhill for the second.
As it turns out, I apparently hit the pacing nearly perfectly. As the race started, a rather large group of maybe 15-20 people went out hard. I just stayed right where I needed to be as we went up, and up, and up. The dust started to settle rather quickly and the field thinned out to look more like I expected. I was roughly 10th or 11th at this point, and close enough to have a front seat for the battle for 1/2/3 (a race I am not fast enough to be a part of). We passed the 1 mile mark in what was allegedly 5:09, but it was definitely short. Our actual 1 mile split was closer to 5:35, based on the omnipresent "Garmin beep" a little bit after that mile marker.
I felt like I was surrounded by Howard County Striders, with about 3 of them in my vicinity. There were other runners too that I run with relatively regularly now, perhaps allies amongst the sea of pain. After we passed mile 1 and went up around and down the Mansion House Loop, the individual races for particular places were starting to materialize.
A few guys that were ahead pulled away for good, a few guys further back dropped back. That left essentially me and 3 other runners to battle it out the rest of the way for 7th-11th. We continued uphill again, made a turnaround, and started back down towards the finish, nearly 3 miles into the race. I never bothered to take any split times, just glances at my watch and the overall time elapsed.
I had realized that the time didn't really matter at that point. This one was all about racing the guys next to me. It was clear that no one wanted to give in and we were going to have to run each other to death to sort this mess out. The course continued forward, made a sharp right, and dumped us off onto the loop around the lake in Druid Hill Park. The loop is about 1.5 miles, but it felt like it was 50 miles.
I had been neck and neck with a Strider pretty much since the turnaround. Every time I went even with him, he pulled just a step ahead of me. Again, and again. I was content to hang tight, but he kept trying to shake me. Eventually, by mile 4, another Strider whom I passed earlier came barreling forward like a train. He sounded like he was ready to collapse, but his stride suggested otherwise.
That was the push I needed as we left the other Strider in the dust. This new guy also continuously tried to put distance on me. I never let him get more than two strides ahead, though it was starting to hurt a lot to do so. I knew the last half mile was downhill, and I was pretty satisfied to hang tight and just wait for the right moment. It can be hard to explain when I "know" it's time to go, but I knew it wasn't quite yet.
We left the lake and made the final turn off for the ~0.3-0.4 mile downhill to the finish. I heard someone behind me urge me on, a runner whom I've done a couple of Monday afternoon "not-so-7-minute-paced" runs with. The Strider with me was also starting to put a gap on me, and I could feel my tank running nearly on empty.
It was time. If I waited just a second or two longer, the gap would have become too much. I turned it on and used the downhill to just open up whatever I had left. The Strider never stood a chance as we screamed down the hill. My ally caught up with me, and continued to urge me forward, making sure I didn't slack off on the flat right before the finish.
We crossed side-by-side in 27:01. I then proceeded to dry heave 3 or 4 times and nearly puke my brains out. I managed to hold it in, and certainly couldn't have asked for a better performance out of myself!
I ended up 7th/8th overall and 3rd in my age group. I got a little Christmas Tree ornament for my efforts, which I think is probably the hardest earned award I've received in a while. My time was 1 minute and 16 seconds faster than last year and good for a 5:24 pace.
I felt really really fresh for the first time in about 2 months, and am really feeling ready to implement my new plan and get going on a strong 2012. I also heard my choice of attire, bright neon yellow singlet, and socks, black shorts and gloves with neon yellow accents, and completely off color orange and blue shoes was completely obnoxious. It definitely is, but it is also awesome!
The 5 mile race started right around 8:30AM. There was no wind, temperatures were right around 40 degrees, and it was nearly an overcast. Overall, great weather for a late December race. I went into this race with no thoughts whatsoever as to what pace I was going to run, or what time I was shooting for. My plan was basically just to show up and run hard. However, now that I run with a lot of the fast guys that show up to these races, it was really easy to key off of everyone around me to settle into a pace that made sense. I just made sure to go out a tad bit slower than usual though, since this course was mostly uphill for the first half, and mostly downhill for the second.
As it turns out, I apparently hit the pacing nearly perfectly. As the race started, a rather large group of maybe 15-20 people went out hard. I just stayed right where I needed to be as we went up, and up, and up. The dust started to settle rather quickly and the field thinned out to look more like I expected. I was roughly 10th or 11th at this point, and close enough to have a front seat for the battle for 1/2/3 (a race I am not fast enough to be a part of). We passed the 1 mile mark in what was allegedly 5:09, but it was definitely short. Our actual 1 mile split was closer to 5:35, based on the omnipresent "Garmin beep" a little bit after that mile marker.
I felt like I was surrounded by Howard County Striders, with about 3 of them in my vicinity. There were other runners too that I run with relatively regularly now, perhaps allies amongst the sea of pain. After we passed mile 1 and went up around and down the Mansion House Loop, the individual races for particular places were starting to materialize.
A few guys that were ahead pulled away for good, a few guys further back dropped back. That left essentially me and 3 other runners to battle it out the rest of the way for 7th-11th. We continued uphill again, made a turnaround, and started back down towards the finish, nearly 3 miles into the race. I never bothered to take any split times, just glances at my watch and the overall time elapsed.
I had realized that the time didn't really matter at that point. This one was all about racing the guys next to me. It was clear that no one wanted to give in and we were going to have to run each other to death to sort this mess out. The course continued forward, made a sharp right, and dumped us off onto the loop around the lake in Druid Hill Park. The loop is about 1.5 miles, but it felt like it was 50 miles.
I had been neck and neck with a Strider pretty much since the turnaround. Every time I went even with him, he pulled just a step ahead of me. Again, and again. I was content to hang tight, but he kept trying to shake me. Eventually, by mile 4, another Strider whom I passed earlier came barreling forward like a train. He sounded like he was ready to collapse, but his stride suggested otherwise.
That was the push I needed as we left the other Strider in the dust. This new guy also continuously tried to put distance on me. I never let him get more than two strides ahead, though it was starting to hurt a lot to do so. I knew the last half mile was downhill, and I was pretty satisfied to hang tight and just wait for the right moment. It can be hard to explain when I "know" it's time to go, but I knew it wasn't quite yet.
We left the lake and made the final turn off for the ~0.3-0.4 mile downhill to the finish. I heard someone behind me urge me on, a runner whom I've done a couple of Monday afternoon "not-so-7-minute-paced" runs with. The Strider with me was also starting to put a gap on me, and I could feel my tank running nearly on empty.
It was time. If I waited just a second or two longer, the gap would have become too much. I turned it on and used the downhill to just open up whatever I had left. The Strider never stood a chance as we screamed down the hill. My ally caught up with me, and continued to urge me forward, making sure I didn't slack off on the flat right before the finish.
We crossed side-by-side in 27:01. I then proceeded to dry heave 3 or 4 times and nearly puke my brains out. I managed to hold it in, and certainly couldn't have asked for a better performance out of myself!
I ended up 7th/8th overall and 3rd in my age group. I got a little Christmas Tree ornament for my efforts, which I think is probably the hardest earned award I've received in a while. My time was 1 minute and 16 seconds faster than last year and good for a 5:24 pace.
I felt really really fresh for the first time in about 2 months, and am really feeling ready to implement my new plan and get going on a strong 2012. I also heard my choice of attire, bright neon yellow singlet, and socks, black shorts and gloves with neon yellow accents, and completely off color orange and blue shoes was completely obnoxious. It definitely is, but it is also awesome!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
I am Content to Move Forward: NCR Trail Marathon Race Report
When you go all in for a race, sometimes it works out and you run an awesome race (1 minute and 20 second half marathon PR) and other times, you are taught rather harshly that there are risks. After signing up for the NCR Trail Marathon less than 24 hours before the start, I already knew I was going all in.
I kept my goal the same, which essentially, was to try for a 2:38 on even splits. In hindsight, I probably should have changed that to "just PR." Of course, then I would be sitting here regretting holding back!
I couldn't have asked for a better day, high 30s/low 40s at the start, very light winds, partly cloudy skies. Not only did I run this race last year, but I train on the NCR Trail all the time. The race is put on by the Baltimore Road Runners Club, and I was actually originally a volunteer (someone took my spot), and there were a few local runners doing the race who run around the pace I do.
As soon as the gun went off at the forgiving hour of 9AM (meaning I got to sleep in, and wake up in my own bed), I knew this day was going to be better. The first 1.5 miles are on roads, rolling hills, mostly down. I purposely didn't warm up in an effort to go out more controlled. It worked...
Mile 1: 6:03
I also felt 1000x better than I did last week. There was a pack of about 5 or 6 of us but eventually, it thinned out to 3; myself, a guy named Keith, and another guy with a Charm City Run singlet. Mr. CCR took an early lead as Keith and I stuck together and went through mile 2 a bit slow...
6:16
Of course, I got impatient. What I should have done was stay put right where I was and just ease into a quicker pace. But, I was feeling great and didn't want to fall off pace early. So I pushed forward ahead of Keith in an effort to catch Mr. CCR, but mainly, to stay on 6's.
Mile 3: 6:09
Mile 4: 5:36 (really?) I doubt it...
Mile 5: 6:08
Somewhere around mile 4 or 5 I caught and passed the CCR runner. We ran side by side for a bit, but he didn't stick around, and I was more interested in keeping it at low 6s. So now I was leading the freaking race, which was kind of shocking. I even had a lead cyclist (in fact I know him) to yell at people to get out of my way.
The next few miles could only be described as awesome. I felt invincible and a local runner was leading the local marathon.
Mile 7: 5:59
Mile 8: 6:03
Mile 9: 6:00
Mile 10: 6:09
By about Mile 10, the thought crept into my mind that maybe I had gone out too hard and made a bad judgement on what I was capable of doing. I tried to keep the thoughts out of mind and just kept pushing forward. I was drinking water at each stop, and diligently eating my stingers, so hydration-wise, everything was golden.
Mile 11: 6:12
Mile 12: 6:15
Mile 13: 6:29
Notice a pattern? I started falling off the pace rather dramatically. It was as if all of a sudden, my energy was sapped. By the half way point, Keith and CCR caught back up to me. Our half split was sub-1:20. We made the turnaround at 13.5 and that's when things began to deteriorate even more quickly.
I lost contact with those two runners, got passed at least one more time, and slowly started to feel more and more tired:
Mile 14: 6:14
Mile 15: 6:38
Mile 16: 6:44
If this were a 20 mile race, I could have gutted out the last 4 miles, but with 10.2 more miles to go, my thoughts went negative in a hurry. I started doubting myself, doubting the pace I tried to maintain, and actually wondered numerous times how I managed a 6:07 pace in 100% September humidity in a 20 mile race on this same trail.
Those are very, very bad thoughts to have in a marathon. The downward spiral of despair continued...
Mile 17: 7:04
Mile 18: 7:32
I was completely toast at this point. For some reason, it took FOREVER for anyone to catch me, but eventually the flood gates opened and I started bleeding positions and time like crazy. I finally, shamefully, had to walk at Mile 19...
9:49
To say I was unhappy would be an understatement. I already told myself I was finishing the damn race, no way I was going to DNF again. This was it, I was going to take whatever the final result was and just live with it. I actually ran mile 20...
7:44
But then walked again for part of 21...
12:11
Oh yea...12 minute mile....
At this point I was pretty fed up with myself. Even breaking 3 was looking to be unlikely if I couldn't get myself running. My legs were ok, though starting and stopping was actually making it worse because they kept tightening more each time I started up again. I was just completely exhausted.
Mile 22: 8:09
I remember saying to myself "wow even 8 minute miles suck, what the hell is wrong with me." I guess I finally got tired of feeling sorry for myself and decided to down any stingers I had left with me and just run the rest in without stopping (at least that's what I told myself). I started walking again and started eating. Just as I was nearly finished eating, I heard familiar footsteps behind me...
I've been dropping first names because it's easier to tell the story, and you can just look up the results and figure out who I'm talking about anyway. My rule is, I name drop if I actually know the person..
Anyway, another local runner by the name of Jackie caught up to me. She had just run the Philly Marathon last week in a 3:07-ish and was running the second half of the two person marathon relay. We've done some running together in the past. Without asking what was wrong, she yelled at me to follow her in. My first thoughts were "hell no." She looked back as she passed and asked again...
I didn't have much time to think, I was either going to have to turn it back on now, or keep wallowing in my own self-pity. So at what was probably my last chance, I started running again and tracked her down just in time. We were running sub-7 pace, and it was not very comfortable...
Mile 23: 7:51 (with some walking before I was beckoned to run again).
I'm not really sure who was pulling who along, but one thing was certain, I wasn't going to drop back now. We hit mile 24 in 6:50 and then turned off the trail back to the roads. 3 hills, and a dusty road stood in our way.
Mile 25: 6:43
25 included a nice little hill, but we powered over that and kept going. Mile 26 would prove quite tough, but I didn't stop and knew I would at least be able to finish with some dignity.
Mile 26: 7:38? I think it was a bit long, we didn't slow very much
Final time: 3:01:57. Jackie crossed one second behind me.
Up front, Keith ended up second with a 2:41. The win went to a runner from New York who came from behind to break 2:40 and run a 2:39. From what Keith told me, he was dropping some fast miles after passing me, but this other dude just passed him like he was standing still. Apparently Mr. New York opted for the negative split strategy while I opted for all out from the beginning.
Was this the result I wanted? Of course not...
Am I disappointed? Not as much as I thought. Once I finished, I was still content. I had given it my all, ended up going out too hard, and paid for it.
Had this race been earlier in the fall, or if I had had a slightly better October/November perhaps I could have held that pace. I'm thinking 6:10s-6:15s would have been perfect for this race. That would have meant a PR, but not sub-2:40. The marathon seems to require rather precise pacing. About 10 seconds per mile too fast will burn you out in a hurry.
Ultimately, it's time to close this chapter of training and move on. I've got solid ideas for the next few months and will get that all down on paper soon. In the meantime I'm taking a few days off because I think I need a mental break at this point.
I kept my goal the same, which essentially, was to try for a 2:38 on even splits. In hindsight, I probably should have changed that to "just PR." Of course, then I would be sitting here regretting holding back!
I couldn't have asked for a better day, high 30s/low 40s at the start, very light winds, partly cloudy skies. Not only did I run this race last year, but I train on the NCR Trail all the time. The race is put on by the Baltimore Road Runners Club, and I was actually originally a volunteer (someone took my spot), and there were a few local runners doing the race who run around the pace I do.
As soon as the gun went off at the forgiving hour of 9AM (meaning I got to sleep in, and wake up in my own bed), I knew this day was going to be better. The first 1.5 miles are on roads, rolling hills, mostly down. I purposely didn't warm up in an effort to go out more controlled. It worked...
Mile 1: 6:03
I also felt 1000x better than I did last week. There was a pack of about 5 or 6 of us but eventually, it thinned out to 3; myself, a guy named Keith, and another guy with a Charm City Run singlet. Mr. CCR took an early lead as Keith and I stuck together and went through mile 2 a bit slow...
6:16
Of course, I got impatient. What I should have done was stay put right where I was and just ease into a quicker pace. But, I was feeling great and didn't want to fall off pace early. So I pushed forward ahead of Keith in an effort to catch Mr. CCR, but mainly, to stay on 6's.
Mile 3: 6:09
Mile 4: 5:36 (really?) I doubt it...
Mile 5: 6:08
Somewhere around mile 4 or 5 I caught and passed the CCR runner. We ran side by side for a bit, but he didn't stick around, and I was more interested in keeping it at low 6s. So now I was leading the freaking race, which was kind of shocking. I even had a lead cyclist (in fact I know him) to yell at people to get out of my way.
The next few miles could only be described as awesome. I felt invincible and a local runner was leading the local marathon.
Mile 7: 5:59
Mile 8: 6:03
Mile 9: 6:00
Mile 10: 6:09
By about Mile 10, the thought crept into my mind that maybe I had gone out too hard and made a bad judgement on what I was capable of doing. I tried to keep the thoughts out of mind and just kept pushing forward. I was drinking water at each stop, and diligently eating my stingers, so hydration-wise, everything was golden.
Mile 11: 6:12
Mile 12: 6:15
Mile 13: 6:29
Notice a pattern? I started falling off the pace rather dramatically. It was as if all of a sudden, my energy was sapped. By the half way point, Keith and CCR caught back up to me. Our half split was sub-1:20. We made the turnaround at 13.5 and that's when things began to deteriorate even more quickly.
I lost contact with those two runners, got passed at least one more time, and slowly started to feel more and more tired:
Mile 14: 6:14
Mile 15: 6:38
Mile 16: 6:44
If this were a 20 mile race, I could have gutted out the last 4 miles, but with 10.2 more miles to go, my thoughts went negative in a hurry. I started doubting myself, doubting the pace I tried to maintain, and actually wondered numerous times how I managed a 6:07 pace in 100% September humidity in a 20 mile race on this same trail.
Those are very, very bad thoughts to have in a marathon. The downward spiral of despair continued...
Mile 17: 7:04
Mile 18: 7:32
I was completely toast at this point. For some reason, it took FOREVER for anyone to catch me, but eventually the flood gates opened and I started bleeding positions and time like crazy. I finally, shamefully, had to walk at Mile 19...
9:49
To say I was unhappy would be an understatement. I already told myself I was finishing the damn race, no way I was going to DNF again. This was it, I was going to take whatever the final result was and just live with it. I actually ran mile 20...
7:44
But then walked again for part of 21...
12:11
Oh yea...12 minute mile....
At this point I was pretty fed up with myself. Even breaking 3 was looking to be unlikely if I couldn't get myself running. My legs were ok, though starting and stopping was actually making it worse because they kept tightening more each time I started up again. I was just completely exhausted.
Mile 22: 8:09
I remember saying to myself "wow even 8 minute miles suck, what the hell is wrong with me." I guess I finally got tired of feeling sorry for myself and decided to down any stingers I had left with me and just run the rest in without stopping (at least that's what I told myself). I started walking again and started eating. Just as I was nearly finished eating, I heard familiar footsteps behind me...
I've been dropping first names because it's easier to tell the story, and you can just look up the results and figure out who I'm talking about anyway. My rule is, I name drop if I actually know the person..
Anyway, another local runner by the name of Jackie caught up to me. She had just run the Philly Marathon last week in a 3:07-ish and was running the second half of the two person marathon relay. We've done some running together in the past. Without asking what was wrong, she yelled at me to follow her in. My first thoughts were "hell no." She looked back as she passed and asked again...
I didn't have much time to think, I was either going to have to turn it back on now, or keep wallowing in my own self-pity. So at what was probably my last chance, I started running again and tracked her down just in time. We were running sub-7 pace, and it was not very comfortable...
Mile 23: 7:51 (with some walking before I was beckoned to run again).
I'm not really sure who was pulling who along, but one thing was certain, I wasn't going to drop back now. We hit mile 24 in 6:50 and then turned off the trail back to the roads. 3 hills, and a dusty road stood in our way.
Mile 25: 6:43
25 included a nice little hill, but we powered over that and kept going. Mile 26 would prove quite tough, but I didn't stop and knew I would at least be able to finish with some dignity.
Mile 26: 7:38? I think it was a bit long, we didn't slow very much
Final time: 3:01:57. Jackie crossed one second behind me.
Up front, Keith ended up second with a 2:41. The win went to a runner from New York who came from behind to break 2:40 and run a 2:39. From what Keith told me, he was dropping some fast miles after passing me, but this other dude just passed him like he was standing still. Apparently Mr. New York opted for the negative split strategy while I opted for all out from the beginning.
Was this the result I wanted? Of course not...
Am I disappointed? Not as much as I thought. Once I finished, I was still content. I had given it my all, ended up going out too hard, and paid for it.
Had this race been earlier in the fall, or if I had had a slightly better October/November perhaps I could have held that pace. I'm thinking 6:10s-6:15s would have been perfect for this race. That would have meant a PR, but not sub-2:40. The marathon seems to require rather precise pacing. About 10 seconds per mile too fast will burn you out in a hurry.
Ultimately, it's time to close this chapter of training and move on. I've got solid ideas for the next few months and will get that all down on paper soon. In the meantime I'm taking a few days off because I think I need a mental break at this point.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
What happened?
If I (or you) could answer that question, it would make me feel a lot better...
The bottom line, I ended up dropping out of the race just short of mile 13. I'm not really sure what happened to me between Thursday night and Sunday morning, but things went downhill in a hurry. I crushed my Thursday afternoon run and thought I was all ready to go.
Friday rolled around and I may not have felt quite as good, but only now in hindsight do I realize it was a sign of things to come. By Friday night I felt what could only be described as "off." I didn't feel sick, but something in the back of my mind kept saying something was wrong.
Saturday morning rolled around and I got in an easy 7. It felt harder than it should have, and I didn't have nearly the appetite I expected the whole day. I figured it was just nerves, but once again, something still felt "off." On my way up to Philly (around 2pm), I felt really, really tired most of the way up. I didn't think much of it, because driving makes me tired, but even after a nap, I still felt kind of crappy.
In the expo, I continued to feel worse, and finally by the time I sat down for dinner with a few friends, started to worry about how bad I felt. I had what I considered a rather light breakfast and lunch, but yet still wasn't all that hungry come dinnertime. I ate what I could, then eventually settled down to sleep. I was extremely tired for having only run 7 miles a little bit after waking up.
Race morning rolls around, and for the most part, I thought I would be ok. I didn't feel nearly as crappy as I did Saturday night, and figured I'd be good to go. After a very short warmup and some stretching, I found my way to the front of corral 2 10 minutes before the start.
After a minor delay, they sent off the wheel chair division, then had corral 1 and eventually corral 2 move up to the start. I was real close to the front, just where I wanted to be. The gun went off and we started...
I immediately felt off, but wasn't too alarmed. In general, I've been known to take a few miles to settle in, and feelings of strength/weakness come and go, especially in long races. So I just sat back and waited, expecting to eventually feel better.
Mile 1: 5:48
A bit fast, but aerobically, it felt alright. I pretty much felt like shit at this point and was sweating an awful lot considering it wasn't even 50 degrees. There was a breeze that would come and go, and it made me feel even more uncomfortable. But no matter, I kept going...
Mile 2: 6:02
Mile 3: 6:02
My pacing started to fall in line. I sort of had people to run with, but everyone seemed really antsy and would either pick it up or drop back instead of maintaining a pack. My name was printed on my bib (which I don't remember asking for), so I got a lot of cheers. It actually started to get annoying in a hurry...
I was doing my best to get water down, but I didn't even think of reaching for my stingers for fear I would get sick. I was already boarderline feeling sick as it was.
Mile 4; 6:08
Mile 5: 6:01
Mile 6: 6:07
Mile 7: 5:59
These miles were mostly flat, and I knew a slightly hilly section was coming up. I continued to feel worse. I never really got excessively sick, but I felt somewhat light headed, knew I must have looked pale and still felt really, really off. I've had some rough marathon paced runs before, but this was getting ridiculous.
Mile 8: 6:13
Mile 9: 6:15
Mile 10: 6:18
These next 3 miles were somewhat hilly, a bit more than I expected. I gave back some time, but it wasn't just the hills working against me. It was getting really hard to focus on anything but how shitty I felt. By now, 10 miles into a run, I had to start feeling better, but yet nothing was improving. My 10 mile split was 1:00:51; I should have been at a 1:00:20 for a 1:19 half, so I was still in the ball park.
As we hit a steep downhill, my abdomen right along my large intestine started cramping, pretty badly. It started to dissipate by mile 11, but I already had it at that point. I couldn't possibly fathom running anymore and I wasn't having anything resembling the least bit of fun. The course at this point was looping back to the start so I knew if I was going to drop, it would have to be now. If I decided to go on and really got myself into trouble, I'd be out in the middle of Philly with no way to get back to the start.
As I approached the start area, part of me wanted to go on. But my split times were telling me that anything resembling a race was over. I was also getting passed like crazy...
Mile 11: 6:23
Mile 12: 6:57
I decided not to go across the half marathon finish line, but opted to continue on the marathon course to try and find my parents, who had all my stuff. I knew within a few minutes of stopping I would need warmer clothes than the shorts and singlet I was wearing.
Somewhere before Mile 13, I had it and ducked off the course at a gap in the barriers where there weren't many people around. Thankfully, my parents were actually nearby and walked over.
Even with my sweats on (which was enough to keep me warm prerace), I was freezing. We drove back to our hotel, and I slept the whole way in the car. I slept more in the hotel, and was still really cold.
After I should have finished, I woke up and ate something, feeling just a little better. I finally ended up driving back to Baltimore, only to get tired again on the way down and sleep more. I probably slept for a good 1.5 to 2 hours total after what was essentially a 13 mile run.
As I write this now, I'm kind of hungry, and finally not tired.
The questions that remain after today:
-->Why did this happen?
-->What do I do now?
I don't know that I will be able to come up with an answer for the first one. As for the second one, I'll post about that tomorrow. But at this point, I'm leaning towards cutting my loses, focusing on what I accomplished this year (major mile, 5K, 10k, 10 mile, and half marathon PRs), and just getting ready for the next one.
The bottom line, I ended up dropping out of the race just short of mile 13. I'm not really sure what happened to me between Thursday night and Sunday morning, but things went downhill in a hurry. I crushed my Thursday afternoon run and thought I was all ready to go.
Friday rolled around and I may not have felt quite as good, but only now in hindsight do I realize it was a sign of things to come. By Friday night I felt what could only be described as "off." I didn't feel sick, but something in the back of my mind kept saying something was wrong.
Saturday morning rolled around and I got in an easy 7. It felt harder than it should have, and I didn't have nearly the appetite I expected the whole day. I figured it was just nerves, but once again, something still felt "off." On my way up to Philly (around 2pm), I felt really, really tired most of the way up. I didn't think much of it, because driving makes me tired, but even after a nap, I still felt kind of crappy.
In the expo, I continued to feel worse, and finally by the time I sat down for dinner with a few friends, started to worry about how bad I felt. I had what I considered a rather light breakfast and lunch, but yet still wasn't all that hungry come dinnertime. I ate what I could, then eventually settled down to sleep. I was extremely tired for having only run 7 miles a little bit after waking up.
Race morning rolls around, and for the most part, I thought I would be ok. I didn't feel nearly as crappy as I did Saturday night, and figured I'd be good to go. After a very short warmup and some stretching, I found my way to the front of corral 2 10 minutes before the start.
After a minor delay, they sent off the wheel chair division, then had corral 1 and eventually corral 2 move up to the start. I was real close to the front, just where I wanted to be. The gun went off and we started...
I immediately felt off, but wasn't too alarmed. In general, I've been known to take a few miles to settle in, and feelings of strength/weakness come and go, especially in long races. So I just sat back and waited, expecting to eventually feel better.
Mile 1: 5:48
A bit fast, but aerobically, it felt alright. I pretty much felt like shit at this point and was sweating an awful lot considering it wasn't even 50 degrees. There was a breeze that would come and go, and it made me feel even more uncomfortable. But no matter, I kept going...
Mile 2: 6:02
Mile 3: 6:02
My pacing started to fall in line. I sort of had people to run with, but everyone seemed really antsy and would either pick it up or drop back instead of maintaining a pack. My name was printed on my bib (which I don't remember asking for), so I got a lot of cheers. It actually started to get annoying in a hurry...
I was doing my best to get water down, but I didn't even think of reaching for my stingers for fear I would get sick. I was already boarderline feeling sick as it was.
Mile 4; 6:08
Mile 5: 6:01
Mile 6: 6:07
Mile 7: 5:59
These miles were mostly flat, and I knew a slightly hilly section was coming up. I continued to feel worse. I never really got excessively sick, but I felt somewhat light headed, knew I must have looked pale and still felt really, really off. I've had some rough marathon paced runs before, but this was getting ridiculous.
Mile 8: 6:13
Mile 9: 6:15
Mile 10: 6:18
These next 3 miles were somewhat hilly, a bit more than I expected. I gave back some time, but it wasn't just the hills working against me. It was getting really hard to focus on anything but how shitty I felt. By now, 10 miles into a run, I had to start feeling better, but yet nothing was improving. My 10 mile split was 1:00:51; I should have been at a 1:00:20 for a 1:19 half, so I was still in the ball park.
As we hit a steep downhill, my abdomen right along my large intestine started cramping, pretty badly. It started to dissipate by mile 11, but I already had it at that point. I couldn't possibly fathom running anymore and I wasn't having anything resembling the least bit of fun. The course at this point was looping back to the start so I knew if I was going to drop, it would have to be now. If I decided to go on and really got myself into trouble, I'd be out in the middle of Philly with no way to get back to the start.
As I approached the start area, part of me wanted to go on. But my split times were telling me that anything resembling a race was over. I was also getting passed like crazy...
Mile 11: 6:23
Mile 12: 6:57
I decided not to go across the half marathon finish line, but opted to continue on the marathon course to try and find my parents, who had all my stuff. I knew within a few minutes of stopping I would need warmer clothes than the shorts and singlet I was wearing.
Somewhere before Mile 13, I had it and ducked off the course at a gap in the barriers where there weren't many people around. Thankfully, my parents were actually nearby and walked over.
Even with my sweats on (which was enough to keep me warm prerace), I was freezing. We drove back to our hotel, and I slept the whole way in the car. I slept more in the hotel, and was still really cold.
After I should have finished, I woke up and ate something, feeling just a little better. I finally ended up driving back to Baltimore, only to get tired again on the way down and sleep more. I probably slept for a good 1.5 to 2 hours total after what was essentially a 13 mile run.
As I write this now, I'm kind of hungry, and finally not tired.
The questions that remain after today:
-->Why did this happen?
-->What do I do now?
I don't know that I will be able to come up with an answer for the first one. As for the second one, I'll post about that tomorrow. But at this point, I'm leaning towards cutting my loses, focusing on what I accomplished this year (major mile, 5K, 10k, 10 mile, and half marathon PRs), and just getting ready for the next one.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
2011 Rockville 10K: Ponytails, Englishmen, and Hills
Today's 10K race ended up being a rather exciting one. I went in with hopes of winning and breaking 34 minutes, but would of course settle for a PR and a top 5 finish. Little did I know what I was getting into...
This race starts at the King Farm Village Center in Rockville, MD basically right in the middle of a preplanned cookie cutter development where everything looks the same. I never want to live somewhere like that... Temperatures at the start of the race were in the low 40s and there was little wind, making for a perfect morning.
This was my first race trying out some new racing gear I bought, namely a Brooks singlet and the shortest pair of shorts they sell. I opted for gloves as well, but was lightly dressed. The clothing worked out awesome as I knew it would because everything I have ever purchased from the Brooks brand has been perfect. The shorts with the split up the side never got in the way of my stride, and the shirt just sat on my upper body without impeding me at all. I can see why people race in stuff like this, even if it may make you look ridiculous in a "normal" setting.
The race started at 8:30AM with a rather narrow timing mat and an immediate right turn about 5 seconds into the race. I got a good jump off the start and darted out first to hit the turn without getting stuck in traffic. I had only seen one other runner that I knew, a rival of sorts, but no one else looked to be a threat.
As I settled in behind the lead bicycle and motorcycle, I could hear footsteps and realized immediately I would not be leading wire-to-wire. I really didn't expect to, and races like that are boring anyway. A runner pulled alongside me whom I have never seen before, but he looked legit so I fell in stride with him. We went over the first hill, made a U-turn, and started coming back down going through Mile 1 in:
5:33
I noticed my foe didn't look at his watch or the digital clock next to the mile marker. I though that was odd; not everyone always takes splits, but most people at least glance at the clock, especially early. No matter, we continued on and this guy really started pushing the pace. I kept matching stride with him, so there was a lot of back and forth and some incidental elbows (I swear incidental!) as we tried to stick to the tangents on the many curves of the course.
We hit mile 2 a little faster, but I was still happy with the overall pace
5:22
The second mile was mostly rolling, but I knew the bigger hill in this course was coming up soon. I also sensed weakness in my foe and remembering this was the spot last year that I took off and blew away the field, I kicked it up just a little bit. It was harder to drop this guy than I thought, but eventually I pulled away.
The lead cyclist was enjoying the race, he would always hang back to tell us of upcoming turns (as he did last year) and said at least a couple of times "who's going to break away?" As I approached mile 3, I once again heard footsteps behind me, but they were different. I was shocked to see it was the local runner I had recognized at the start line. We both run similar times, but I've had his number lately. I had assumed this would be a two horse race and that he was out of the picture. Man was I wrong...
I crossed mile 3 in 5:18. At that point, I was a bit worried that I had just run a bit too hard, especially considering we were now going up hill, and I have seriously neglected hill training as of late. The other local runner passed me and that's when I realized I had played right into his hands. My 3 mile race with the mystery runner who didn't look at his watch ran both of us into the ground. This other guy who held back the whole time just watched it play out and cruised past us when the moment was right. He keeps his hair in a ponytail, hence the title of my race report.
I couldn't match him on the ~0.5 mile uphill and lost enough ground that I had to start considering defending second. I was running scared now, realizing I may have spent too much energy early and that the two or three remaining hills were not going to be pretty. As we made the U-turn at the top of this hill, the mystery runner was a lot closer than I had hoped, but I figured I could hold him off.
As we continued racing down on the other side of the street, mile 4 came through slow:
5:45
I picked it up a bit, trying to get back into gear and realizing I was probably losing ground to 3rd place. It didn't help. Eventually, I heard footsteps, then breathing, then I got passed cleanly with no answer.
We continued on a fudge factor out and back portion of the course, then continued uphill as we headed back towards the finish and the merge with the 5k race going on at the same time.
Mile 5: 5:39
I eventually stopped losing ground and started to pull myself together, but I was running out of time to try and bridge the gap I now had. To make matters worse, I didn't have the benefit of the police motorcycle to part the sea of slow 5K runners that were now in my way. The hidden benefits of being the leader..
On this part of the course, there were 5K runners coming towards us, and 5K runners going in the same direction as us after having turned around, all running significantly slower than us. Cones separated the two lanes. Unfortunately, about 20 runners turned around just as I was getting to that area. I was too tired to say anything to get people out of my way (I'd also probably sound like a jerk), so instead I just tunnel visioned on the mystery runner and tried to follow him.
He ended up taking the "oncoming" lane which was really smart. Running directly at the other runners forced them to see us, and to get out of our way. We both made it clear we weren't moving or slowing down. We also kind of stood out with our red bibs, bright colored shoes, and general lack of clothing.
After another uphill, and a right turn, the road widened enough that we could separate ourselves from the 5K-ers. I started closing the gap, hoping I could get to 2nd place in time, but we crossed mile 6 and there was still too much space.
5:43
We made the last hard turn to the finish and crossed, 2nd place less than 10 seconds ahead of me, and a 34:27 overall for myself.
I ran a PR at this race last year, 34:52 and blew away the field. This year, I PR'ed again (no 10Ks in a year, shameful!), but ended up losing to first by a minute and 30 seconds, to a runner I had been doing well against this year. It just goes to show how tough racing and running well can be!
It also turns out the mystery runner is from London, and was over here in DC for business. He found this race and decided to throw his name in. Wonderful...I got beat by some out of country ringer!!
Though I didn't break 34, faded a bit, didn't do well on the hills, and lost a race to two other runners, I still PR'ed and can't be too disappointed. I think this race has shown me that the little things are starting to become more important and that I really need to plan my training a bit better if I want to consistently race well. More on that in the future. Starting next year, I'll be making some changes to my life in general to make my training as big a priority as I can make it. In summary, it is going to be a "train more, race less, but make those races count" strategy. Additionally, I'm going to better balance my volunteering/charity to the local running community. Though I love giving back, my current running level and my hopes and dreams for the future are making it obvious that I need more time for my own training. It also doesn't help that I went from just a slightly above average runner to a good local runner.
I had to skip my long run this weekend (which really, really sucks) because my left leg was very unhappy with the 4 hours I spent outside in the freezing cold Saturday morning directing a race (my first time). I still got 10 in, so it could have been worse. Overall, I'm not changing my goals for Philly. And honestly, getting to the start healthy is more important than getting all my miles in.
I just have to avoid standing in the cold for long periods of time, because that seems to do a bigger number on my left leg than running on it!
This race starts at the King Farm Village Center in Rockville, MD basically right in the middle of a preplanned cookie cutter development where everything looks the same. I never want to live somewhere like that... Temperatures at the start of the race were in the low 40s and there was little wind, making for a perfect morning.
This was my first race trying out some new racing gear I bought, namely a Brooks singlet and the shortest pair of shorts they sell. I opted for gloves as well, but was lightly dressed. The clothing worked out awesome as I knew it would because everything I have ever purchased from the Brooks brand has been perfect. The shorts with the split up the side never got in the way of my stride, and the shirt just sat on my upper body without impeding me at all. I can see why people race in stuff like this, even if it may make you look ridiculous in a "normal" setting.
The race started at 8:30AM with a rather narrow timing mat and an immediate right turn about 5 seconds into the race. I got a good jump off the start and darted out first to hit the turn without getting stuck in traffic. I had only seen one other runner that I knew, a rival of sorts, but no one else looked to be a threat.
As I settled in behind the lead bicycle and motorcycle, I could hear footsteps and realized immediately I would not be leading wire-to-wire. I really didn't expect to, and races like that are boring anyway. A runner pulled alongside me whom I have never seen before, but he looked legit so I fell in stride with him. We went over the first hill, made a U-turn, and started coming back down going through Mile 1 in:
5:33
I noticed my foe didn't look at his watch or the digital clock next to the mile marker. I though that was odd; not everyone always takes splits, but most people at least glance at the clock, especially early. No matter, we continued on and this guy really started pushing the pace. I kept matching stride with him, so there was a lot of back and forth and some incidental elbows (I swear incidental!) as we tried to stick to the tangents on the many curves of the course.
We hit mile 2 a little faster, but I was still happy with the overall pace
5:22
The second mile was mostly rolling, but I knew the bigger hill in this course was coming up soon. I also sensed weakness in my foe and remembering this was the spot last year that I took off and blew away the field, I kicked it up just a little bit. It was harder to drop this guy than I thought, but eventually I pulled away.
The lead cyclist was enjoying the race, he would always hang back to tell us of upcoming turns (as he did last year) and said at least a couple of times "who's going to break away?" As I approached mile 3, I once again heard footsteps behind me, but they were different. I was shocked to see it was the local runner I had recognized at the start line. We both run similar times, but I've had his number lately. I had assumed this would be a two horse race and that he was out of the picture. Man was I wrong...
I crossed mile 3 in 5:18. At that point, I was a bit worried that I had just run a bit too hard, especially considering we were now going up hill, and I have seriously neglected hill training as of late. The other local runner passed me and that's when I realized I had played right into his hands. My 3 mile race with the mystery runner who didn't look at his watch ran both of us into the ground. This other guy who held back the whole time just watched it play out and cruised past us when the moment was right. He keeps his hair in a ponytail, hence the title of my race report.
I couldn't match him on the ~0.5 mile uphill and lost enough ground that I had to start considering defending second. I was running scared now, realizing I may have spent too much energy early and that the two or three remaining hills were not going to be pretty. As we made the U-turn at the top of this hill, the mystery runner was a lot closer than I had hoped, but I figured I could hold him off.
As we continued racing down on the other side of the street, mile 4 came through slow:
5:45
I picked it up a bit, trying to get back into gear and realizing I was probably losing ground to 3rd place. It didn't help. Eventually, I heard footsteps, then breathing, then I got passed cleanly with no answer.
We continued on a fudge factor out and back portion of the course, then continued uphill as we headed back towards the finish and the merge with the 5k race going on at the same time.
Mile 5: 5:39
I eventually stopped losing ground and started to pull myself together, but I was running out of time to try and bridge the gap I now had. To make matters worse, I didn't have the benefit of the police motorcycle to part the sea of slow 5K runners that were now in my way. The hidden benefits of being the leader..
On this part of the course, there were 5K runners coming towards us, and 5K runners going in the same direction as us after having turned around, all running significantly slower than us. Cones separated the two lanes. Unfortunately, about 20 runners turned around just as I was getting to that area. I was too tired to say anything to get people out of my way (I'd also probably sound like a jerk), so instead I just tunnel visioned on the mystery runner and tried to follow him.
He ended up taking the "oncoming" lane which was really smart. Running directly at the other runners forced them to see us, and to get out of our way. We both made it clear we weren't moving or slowing down. We also kind of stood out with our red bibs, bright colored shoes, and general lack of clothing.
After another uphill, and a right turn, the road widened enough that we could separate ourselves from the 5K-ers. I started closing the gap, hoping I could get to 2nd place in time, but we crossed mile 6 and there was still too much space.
5:43
We made the last hard turn to the finish and crossed, 2nd place less than 10 seconds ahead of me, and a 34:27 overall for myself.
I ran a PR at this race last year, 34:52 and blew away the field. This year, I PR'ed again (no 10Ks in a year, shameful!), but ended up losing to first by a minute and 30 seconds, to a runner I had been doing well against this year. It just goes to show how tough racing and running well can be!
It also turns out the mystery runner is from London, and was over here in DC for business. He found this race and decided to throw his name in. Wonderful...I got beat by some out of country ringer!!
Though I didn't break 34, faded a bit, didn't do well on the hills, and lost a race to two other runners, I still PR'ed and can't be too disappointed. I think this race has shown me that the little things are starting to become more important and that I really need to plan my training a bit better if I want to consistently race well. More on that in the future. Starting next year, I'll be making some changes to my life in general to make my training as big a priority as I can make it. In summary, it is going to be a "train more, race less, but make those races count" strategy. Additionally, I'm going to better balance my volunteering/charity to the local running community. Though I love giving back, my current running level and my hopes and dreams for the future are making it obvious that I need more time for my own training. It also doesn't help that I went from just a slightly above average runner to a good local runner.
I had to skip my long run this weekend (which really, really sucks) because my left leg was very unhappy with the 4 hours I spent outside in the freezing cold Saturday morning directing a race (my first time). I still got 10 in, so it could have been worse. Overall, I'm not changing my goals for Philly. And honestly, getting to the start healthy is more important than getting all my miles in.
I just have to avoid standing in the cold for long periods of time, because that seems to do a bigger number on my left leg than running on it!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Cape Henlopen Duathlon: A Success of Modern Medicine
Despite the fact that I could barely walk all day Saturday, a clutch disposable heating pad and some ibuprofen forced my left leg and back to be compliant for my Sunday morning race.
Going into the race, I ran a whopping total of 10 miles and biked 31 for the week, pitiful to say the least. Though, I guess some recovery never hurt anyone.
This particular duathlon, a sprint distance was to be quick with a 1.5 mile run, a 13 mile flat course bike ride and a 3.1 mile run. Temperatures were absolutely perfect at the start. I racked my bike in a rather large transition area, warmed up, and went to the start hoping for the best from my uncooperative body.
Both run legs took place in Cape Henlopen State Park, on the paved trails which made for some good running. The bike leg went out on the roads in the surrounding area.
This was the first duathlon in a while where I actually got a fight out of some of the others on the first run. I went back and forth with two other guys and came flying into transition in 8:49, 5:52 pace which was honestly a little slow. I can blame it on the fact that I was a bit rusty coming into the race.
The other two runners were hot on my tail, but I got out of transition in 57 seconds, still in the lead. My glasses had fogged up while sitting near my bike, so I was completely blind as I ran out of transition. After mounting my bike, I did manage to clear them. Certainly made things exciting...
Before this race I had bought a water bottle with a straw that sits between my aero bars to make drinking easy. I only took a few sips the whole way on the bike, and didn't eat anything. With the flat course, you just need to keep going without any interruptions.
I got passed by two people early, but it turns out they both went off course and lost the lead. I think I could have still caught them both on the run. Regardless, as we continued on, I got passed by someone else who then proceeded to crash right next to me. I saw it coming, as he didn't take a corner hard enough, drifted out into a hedge and then fell into the road. I moved over just enough so he wouldn't take me out too.
I thought of stopping for a moment, but realized if that had been me and someone stopped, I would have told them to keep going. These are top spots we're talking about, even if none of us are elite athletes...
As I continued, I slowly got more comfortable on the bike and was able to increase my speed. Instead of hovering in the 21-22 mph range, I was able to keep it over 23mph for most of the second half. I'm not sure why it always takes me nearly half the race to get into a bike groove, but hopefully with more training it will get smoother.
I got passed by two more bikes along the way (frustrating isn't it!!). When I finally got back to transition, after blowing through a rather technical part of the course, I dismounted cleanly and ran into transition, dragging my bike for a moment as it fell while I was running. I knew I had runners to catch, so I was dragging that bike if I had to! It was on grass, so no scratches. The bike leg took 35:12, at 12.75 miles as measured by my computer, it works out to 21.7mph. I really wish it was faster. It was good for 14th overall. With the exception of the fastest time of less than 31 minutes, most of the times were not that far off from mine, just a minute separated the next 10 riders.
I was out of transition in 49 seconds, just behind someone who finished on the bike right next to me. I made quick work of him and came through mile 1 in what seemed like a real slow split. My legs were exhausted as I clearly pushed it on the bike. My left leg was cooperating, so I at least had that going for me. I managed to track down and pass another runner at about mile 1.5. I got a glimpse of the leader on an out and back section, and I knew there was not enough ground left for me to catch him.
Regardless, I knew I was in second and thought things were locked up. Then as I was approaching mile 2, I could hear foot steps getting closer, and closer, and closer....
I've done many duathlons to date and have never been passed by anyone on either run leg. I was shocked to hear someone catching me. It turns out it was one of the guys from our early pack, so I knew he could run. Clearly, he had run a better second leg than me to this point, and apparently, we were even on the bike. The only problem for him was that as a runner, I have way too much pride.
He passed me and got about 5 strides on me. I was still stunned that I had even been passed at this point. I hesitated for the briefest of moments, only to summon all available energy I had left. I then told myself I was going to break this guy, I would run him right into the ground, and he would regret ever trying that move.
I surged, closed the gap and passed him cleanly. He let me go by opting to run behind me instead of alongside. He fell right into my hands. I held the surge the rest of the way, and picked it up even more with 1/4 mile to go. He was barely holding on as it was, and with the second surge, I could hear him back off as I ran hard down the final straight in an open grass field (cross country finish!).
This guy ended up just a few seconds behind me. My 18:55 second run was good for third on that leg. This guy I just raced had 2nd, and the 1st place runner was one of the cyclists who went off course, got back on, rode real slow back in, then with fresh legs, was able to run the second leg hard. I don't know if I can count that time! But, I'll take 3rd on the second run.
Overall, I finished 2nd with a time of 1:04:44, just over 2 minutes behind the winner, with no crashes or going off course. Not bad.
My leg seems to be moving in the right direction, so I am going to attempt to resume normal training this week. Either the NSAIDs and heating pad did the trick, or time has healed it. I'm really anxious to get back on the band wagon. One down week is fine, but two is pushing it.
Going into the race, I ran a whopping total of 10 miles and biked 31 for the week, pitiful to say the least. Though, I guess some recovery never hurt anyone.
This particular duathlon, a sprint distance was to be quick with a 1.5 mile run, a 13 mile flat course bike ride and a 3.1 mile run. Temperatures were absolutely perfect at the start. I racked my bike in a rather large transition area, warmed up, and went to the start hoping for the best from my uncooperative body.
Both run legs took place in Cape Henlopen State Park, on the paved trails which made for some good running. The bike leg went out on the roads in the surrounding area.
This was the first duathlon in a while where I actually got a fight out of some of the others on the first run. I went back and forth with two other guys and came flying into transition in 8:49, 5:52 pace which was honestly a little slow. I can blame it on the fact that I was a bit rusty coming into the race.
The other two runners were hot on my tail, but I got out of transition in 57 seconds, still in the lead. My glasses had fogged up while sitting near my bike, so I was completely blind as I ran out of transition. After mounting my bike, I did manage to clear them. Certainly made things exciting...
Before this race I had bought a water bottle with a straw that sits between my aero bars to make drinking easy. I only took a few sips the whole way on the bike, and didn't eat anything. With the flat course, you just need to keep going without any interruptions.
I got passed by two people early, but it turns out they both went off course and lost the lead. I think I could have still caught them both on the run. Regardless, as we continued on, I got passed by someone else who then proceeded to crash right next to me. I saw it coming, as he didn't take a corner hard enough, drifted out into a hedge and then fell into the road. I moved over just enough so he wouldn't take me out too.
I thought of stopping for a moment, but realized if that had been me and someone stopped, I would have told them to keep going. These are top spots we're talking about, even if none of us are elite athletes...
As I continued, I slowly got more comfortable on the bike and was able to increase my speed. Instead of hovering in the 21-22 mph range, I was able to keep it over 23mph for most of the second half. I'm not sure why it always takes me nearly half the race to get into a bike groove, but hopefully with more training it will get smoother.
I got passed by two more bikes along the way (frustrating isn't it!!). When I finally got back to transition, after blowing through a rather technical part of the course, I dismounted cleanly and ran into transition, dragging my bike for a moment as it fell while I was running. I knew I had runners to catch, so I was dragging that bike if I had to! It was on grass, so no scratches. The bike leg took 35:12, at 12.75 miles as measured by my computer, it works out to 21.7mph. I really wish it was faster. It was good for 14th overall. With the exception of the fastest time of less than 31 minutes, most of the times were not that far off from mine, just a minute separated the next 10 riders.
I was out of transition in 49 seconds, just behind someone who finished on the bike right next to me. I made quick work of him and came through mile 1 in what seemed like a real slow split. My legs were exhausted as I clearly pushed it on the bike. My left leg was cooperating, so I at least had that going for me. I managed to track down and pass another runner at about mile 1.5. I got a glimpse of the leader on an out and back section, and I knew there was not enough ground left for me to catch him.
Regardless, I knew I was in second and thought things were locked up. Then as I was approaching mile 2, I could hear foot steps getting closer, and closer, and closer....
I've done many duathlons to date and have never been passed by anyone on either run leg. I was shocked to hear someone catching me. It turns out it was one of the guys from our early pack, so I knew he could run. Clearly, he had run a better second leg than me to this point, and apparently, we were even on the bike. The only problem for him was that as a runner, I have way too much pride.
He passed me and got about 5 strides on me. I was still stunned that I had even been passed at this point. I hesitated for the briefest of moments, only to summon all available energy I had left. I then told myself I was going to break this guy, I would run him right into the ground, and he would regret ever trying that move.
I surged, closed the gap and passed him cleanly. He let me go by opting to run behind me instead of alongside. He fell right into my hands. I held the surge the rest of the way, and picked it up even more with 1/4 mile to go. He was barely holding on as it was, and with the second surge, I could hear him back off as I ran hard down the final straight in an open grass field (cross country finish!).
This guy ended up just a few seconds behind me. My 18:55 second run was good for third on that leg. This guy I just raced had 2nd, and the 1st place runner was one of the cyclists who went off course, got back on, rode real slow back in, then with fresh legs, was able to run the second leg hard. I don't know if I can count that time! But, I'll take 3rd on the second run.
Overall, I finished 2nd with a time of 1:04:44, just over 2 minutes behind the winner, with no crashes or going off course. Not bad.
My leg seems to be moving in the right direction, so I am going to attempt to resume normal training this week. Either the NSAIDs and heating pad did the trick, or time has healed it. I'm really anxious to get back on the band wagon. One down week is fine, but two is pushing it.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Naylor's Beach Duathlon...These Races Hurt as Much as Marathons!
I already knew the day was going to be interesting when I left my hotel at 7:20 in thick fog. Thankfully, most of it had burned off by the race start at 9am but it was still overcast, muggy, and wet out. I believe this race ties for the largest multisport event I've done, though in this case, it was because there were so many different races going on at once:
-An Olympic Duathlon...2 mile run, 26 mile bike, 6.2 mile run
-An Olympic Triathlon
-A Sprint Triathlon
-An aqua-velo (swim, bike)
The only thing that mattered for the duathletes was to make sure to ride the olympic bike course (26 miles) and not the sprint course (12 miles). At about mile 5.5 or 6 there was a turn off for the sprint course. As it turns out, knowing that would be very important.
The field for this race was rather small, proving to me that I need to get into triathlons! There were about 40 people total, though the top 5 or 6 people in any of these races always make it a good race. We started at the same time as the Olympic Tri, meaning the fastest duathletes would get to transition before the fastest triathletes, but it was open season on the roads as there were certainly a lot of fast bikes racked in transition.
At 9AM we were off for a 2 loop 2 mile run. I took the lead easily and managed a 10:50 as I ran into transition. I'm not sure what my lead was in time, but I managed to get out of transition just as the next runners were finishing up their last lap. I've got transition almost down to a science though I'm not very graceful mounting the bike. I kept it simple this time, I'm just not coordinated enough and am usually too tired to do something fancy like jump on the bike. I figured I had a minute or more on them. Not bad for only a 2 mile run..
It was definitely still wet out on the roads, and my tires were rather soaked since the transition area was on grass. It only took 3 miles for someone to pass me on the bike. As it turns out, he basically rode a record time for the bike course, doing 26 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes. He averaged almost 26 mph on a course with 3 good hills, truly amazing. No wonder I thought it was a car passing me at first.
A couple of "interesting" things happened on the bike. First, at that sprint/olympic break off, the volunteers at that intersection apparently didn't know duathletes were supposed to do the 26 mile course and were trying to direct people onto the sprint course. I ignored them and continued on the olympic course as most people did, though a few did go the wrong way. Moral of that story, always know the course.
A minute or so later I went to take my first drink. As I've done way too many times in training, I botched putting the water bottle back in my cage and dropped it. In USAT events, leaving any equipment on the course results in a 2 minute penalty for the first offense...........
if you get caught
I immediately decided to just leave the water bottle. By the time I stopped, turned around, stopped again, dismounted, picked up the bottle, remounted and rode off, I would have lost way more than 2 minutes and all my momentum. I also happened to notice that I didn't get caught, so I just kept going. Even if I did get docked, it would not have changed the outcome of the race. I did have a second bottle to drink from, so my hydration still went as planned.
The excitement was far from over. As I continued to ride, I could hear a dog barking and next thing I knew, a medium sized dog that was not leashed came sprinting out of someone's yard on my right side. It was kareening towards me rather quickly and lunged out just as I came even. That freaking dog must have been inches from hitting me. Thankfully once I got past it, the dog couldn't keep up as it chased after me for at least another quarter mile.
I'll go off on a slight rant. I HATE DOGS. I know, I should be blaming the owners (they suck too), but this is the second duathlon in a row that a dog nearly caused me serious injury. If I got knocked over by that dog at 22mph, that would be the end of my carbon frame and probably a broken bone or two for me. To all dog owners...keep your DAMN DOGS UNDER CONTROL...
Anyway, after the dog incident, I got into a pretty good groove. I'm glad I rode the course ahead of time and knew what to expect. I could ride the downhills all out knowing what was coming up and take the corners real fast since I knew what was on the other side. Taking fast turns doesn't help a whole lot in races like this, but its fun and my bike is designed for it, so I do it anyway!
At about mile 15, I got passed again by another duathlete. My road bike with clip on aero bars and 53 mm wheels was serving me well, but this was the second triathlon bike to pass me. The first guy had a rear disk, this guy just had deep rims on the front and rear. However, this particular rider never put significant distance on me, so I rode as hard as I could to keep it close enough.
After cresting the biggest hill after mile 18, I knew the rest of the course was flat and fast and decided to drop the hammer to put myself in the best position possible. The only time the guy who passed me gained distance was on slight downhills. Any time we made a turn, I gained a ton of ground because he slowed a lot while I flew around those suckers without even tapping the brakes, and only coasting just long enough to keep my inside pedal from scraping the ground. I love the sound my bike makes when I take fast turns...
As we flew towards the end of the bike leg, I got passed by another disk wheeled rocket triathlon bike. However, he had a black bib on (instead of the red duathlon bib), so I knew he was an olympic triathlete.
I flew over all the speed bumps in the last half mile of the course, coasting only going over the bumps, then sprinting between them. As I went to dismount, I didn't realize I was holding the drops instead of the hoods of my handle bars, so when I jumped off, the rear wheel came up. Talk about an adrenaline rush...
The duathlete that I had kept in sight was having trouble finding his stuff. I ran right over to my rack, switched into my running shoes and was out rather quickly. I was shocked at how smoothly it went. I didn't even need the run to pass that guy. My bike time was around 1:12:30, somewhere in the 20's for average speed. Certainly not Earth shattering, but apparently good enough...
The 10K run was positively awful. Though I've done my share of run-bike-run workouts, they are just not the same as racing. Part of the problem is that you cannot mimic the quick transition of races since you have to stow your bike during a workout which takes time. I certainly was not running as hard as I could, as my breathing rate was not very high, but my legs were just completely dead from the bike, so there wasn't much I could do.
I managed to pass the triathlete who passed me; he was very impressed with my running when we spoke after the race (so I guess I was running fast enough). The first duathlete that screamed past me early had way too big of a lead on me, though I had cut it down to 6 minutes by the finish.
Regardless, I managed to cross the line in 2:03:31, 2nd overall. Third place was almost 5 minutes behind me. My legs were done, I was completely drenched in sweat, but aerobically, I had more left. In fact, I was really hitting my groove on the second half of that 10K. I don't have mile splits for it, but clearly, I need to get into events with longer running legs (like triathlons....).
Overall, I'm pleased and certainly look forward to reduced mileage this week. My left quad has been a bit tight the last few days, so I'll give it at least the morning off tomorrow. If it still feels tight in the afternoon, Monday will just be a complete day off. I'm trying to make Thursday my day off since I may need to take a day trip to Cleveland (from Baltimore) for work, but we'll see how that goes...
-An Olympic Duathlon...2 mile run, 26 mile bike, 6.2 mile run
-An Olympic Triathlon
-A Sprint Triathlon
-An aqua-velo (swim, bike)
The only thing that mattered for the duathletes was to make sure to ride the olympic bike course (26 miles) and not the sprint course (12 miles). At about mile 5.5 or 6 there was a turn off for the sprint course. As it turns out, knowing that would be very important.
The field for this race was rather small, proving to me that I need to get into triathlons! There were about 40 people total, though the top 5 or 6 people in any of these races always make it a good race. We started at the same time as the Olympic Tri, meaning the fastest duathletes would get to transition before the fastest triathletes, but it was open season on the roads as there were certainly a lot of fast bikes racked in transition.
At 9AM we were off for a 2 loop 2 mile run. I took the lead easily and managed a 10:50 as I ran into transition. I'm not sure what my lead was in time, but I managed to get out of transition just as the next runners were finishing up their last lap. I've got transition almost down to a science though I'm not very graceful mounting the bike. I kept it simple this time, I'm just not coordinated enough and am usually too tired to do something fancy like jump on the bike. I figured I had a minute or more on them. Not bad for only a 2 mile run..
It was definitely still wet out on the roads, and my tires were rather soaked since the transition area was on grass. It only took 3 miles for someone to pass me on the bike. As it turns out, he basically rode a record time for the bike course, doing 26 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes. He averaged almost 26 mph on a course with 3 good hills, truly amazing. No wonder I thought it was a car passing me at first.
A couple of "interesting" things happened on the bike. First, at that sprint/olympic break off, the volunteers at that intersection apparently didn't know duathletes were supposed to do the 26 mile course and were trying to direct people onto the sprint course. I ignored them and continued on the olympic course as most people did, though a few did go the wrong way. Moral of that story, always know the course.
A minute or so later I went to take my first drink. As I've done way too many times in training, I botched putting the water bottle back in my cage and dropped it. In USAT events, leaving any equipment on the course results in a 2 minute penalty for the first offense...........
if you get caught
I immediately decided to just leave the water bottle. By the time I stopped, turned around, stopped again, dismounted, picked up the bottle, remounted and rode off, I would have lost way more than 2 minutes and all my momentum. I also happened to notice that I didn't get caught, so I just kept going. Even if I did get docked, it would not have changed the outcome of the race. I did have a second bottle to drink from, so my hydration still went as planned.
The excitement was far from over. As I continued to ride, I could hear a dog barking and next thing I knew, a medium sized dog that was not leashed came sprinting out of someone's yard on my right side. It was kareening towards me rather quickly and lunged out just as I came even. That freaking dog must have been inches from hitting me. Thankfully once I got past it, the dog couldn't keep up as it chased after me for at least another quarter mile.
I'll go off on a slight rant. I HATE DOGS. I know, I should be blaming the owners (they suck too), but this is the second duathlon in a row that a dog nearly caused me serious injury. If I got knocked over by that dog at 22mph, that would be the end of my carbon frame and probably a broken bone or two for me. To all dog owners...keep your DAMN DOGS UNDER CONTROL...
Anyway, after the dog incident, I got into a pretty good groove. I'm glad I rode the course ahead of time and knew what to expect. I could ride the downhills all out knowing what was coming up and take the corners real fast since I knew what was on the other side. Taking fast turns doesn't help a whole lot in races like this, but its fun and my bike is designed for it, so I do it anyway!
At about mile 15, I got passed again by another duathlete. My road bike with clip on aero bars and 53 mm wheels was serving me well, but this was the second triathlon bike to pass me. The first guy had a rear disk, this guy just had deep rims on the front and rear. However, this particular rider never put significant distance on me, so I rode as hard as I could to keep it close enough.
After cresting the biggest hill after mile 18, I knew the rest of the course was flat and fast and decided to drop the hammer to put myself in the best position possible. The only time the guy who passed me gained distance was on slight downhills. Any time we made a turn, I gained a ton of ground because he slowed a lot while I flew around those suckers without even tapping the brakes, and only coasting just long enough to keep my inside pedal from scraping the ground. I love the sound my bike makes when I take fast turns...
As we flew towards the end of the bike leg, I got passed by another disk wheeled rocket triathlon bike. However, he had a black bib on (instead of the red duathlon bib), so I knew he was an olympic triathlete.
I flew over all the speed bumps in the last half mile of the course, coasting only going over the bumps, then sprinting between them. As I went to dismount, I didn't realize I was holding the drops instead of the hoods of my handle bars, so when I jumped off, the rear wheel came up. Talk about an adrenaline rush...
The duathlete that I had kept in sight was having trouble finding his stuff. I ran right over to my rack, switched into my running shoes and was out rather quickly. I was shocked at how smoothly it went. I didn't even need the run to pass that guy. My bike time was around 1:12:30, somewhere in the 20's for average speed. Certainly not Earth shattering, but apparently good enough...
The 10K run was positively awful. Though I've done my share of run-bike-run workouts, they are just not the same as racing. Part of the problem is that you cannot mimic the quick transition of races since you have to stow your bike during a workout which takes time. I certainly was not running as hard as I could, as my breathing rate was not very high, but my legs were just completely dead from the bike, so there wasn't much I could do.
I managed to pass the triathlete who passed me; he was very impressed with my running when we spoke after the race (so I guess I was running fast enough). The first duathlete that screamed past me early had way too big of a lead on me, though I had cut it down to 6 minutes by the finish.
Regardless, I managed to cross the line in 2:03:31, 2nd overall. Third place was almost 5 minutes behind me. My legs were done, I was completely drenched in sweat, but aerobically, I had more left. In fact, I was really hitting my groove on the second half of that 10K. I don't have mile splits for it, but clearly, I need to get into events with longer running legs (like triathlons....).
Overall, I'm pleased and certainly look forward to reduced mileage this week. My left quad has been a bit tight the last few days, so I'll give it at least the morning off tomorrow. If it still feels tight in the afternoon, Monday will just be a complete day off. I'm trying to make Thursday my day off since I may need to take a day trip to Cleveland (from Baltimore) for work, but we'll see how that goes...
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Philly Rock and Roll Half Marathon Race Report: The Next Level
Words cannot begin to describe how awesome this race was. When I was slower, I hated big races because the logistics were annoying and the race itself offered nothing better than small races. I could still race people at small races and not worry about all the headache.
Then I got a lot faster and stopped getting consistent competition at the local level. I realized earlier this year that I needed to start doing big races again. My spring injury caused me to miss every single big race I signed up for, leaving me to wonder just what I was missing.
But finally, the stars aligned! The R&R Half promised to be a big and competitive race with thousands of runners, a deep elite field, and a deep amateur wanna-be field (this is where I fall). I barely got my packet in time Saturday night, stayed at a friend's apartment in Delaware, requiring a 50 minute drive, and had a hell of a time parking and later getting out. However, absolutely none of that mattered because "between the lines" (Start/Finish) I had an awesome running experience.
On a beautiful day with temperatures in the Mid-50s and very little wind, I lined up towards the front of corral 1 for the start of this huge race. I had put 1:15 down as my time, and would try and shoot for that. At 8am Frank Shorter started us off and the elites and corral 1 were off. I crossed the start line in about 9 seconds and was already quite happy to be surrounded with runners of similar ability for a change.
I actually felt rather terrible for the first 2 miles of the race. It was probably a combination of the 20 miler from yesterday, and the fact that it has been a while since I've run with so many people at one time.
Mile 1 and 2: 5:56, 5:47
By Mile 2, the pack had thinned out enough that I could pretty much run where ever I wanted on the street. I also started to feel a little better. The first couple miles of the course ran approximately eastbound, away from the start until it turned around and came back towards the start. With so few turns and a flat course, this sucker was fast.
Mile 3: 5:44
Around here, I hit an equilibrium of sorts with the people around me. It was clear that I didn't start far enough up front early (probably good to keep myself from going out too fast), but now I had caught up to people I could pace with. There were two runners in particular that I gravitated towards, a guy in a Hanson-Brooks jersey (though not an elite of course!), and another guy with really long hair. I stayed in their vicinity as we sort of traded off pushing the pace.
Mile 4: 5:40
I was really starting to feel good here. With the cool temperatures, I was barely sweating at all, and really felt like I was hitting a groove. With all the crowd support, and our growing pack of fast runners, I was even having fun (which usually doesn't last long in races!). As we continued to advance forward, our growing pack was running faster than most of the people around us, but others latched on as we passed by. I tried to trade off running in the front and backing off a bit.
As we passed by the start again, it was clear we would be running into the wind (very light but still noticeable) for a while until we crossed the Schuylkill River.
Mile 5: 5:38
Mile 6: 5:50
Mile 7: 5:45
To this point, I had actually taken water from all stops, only getting a couple of sips, but it was keeping me sharp so I kept taking it. Being a big race, the water stops were huge but since the pack is thin up front, you could literally grab water without even breaking stride. Of course the poor volunteers looked like they were getting soaked as grabbing water at this pace is really hard!
I took the lead for most of this section as we ran along the river. Through mile 7 I was still feeling strong. At this point, we were catching up to some elite women right on the cusp of 1:15...the standard to qualify for trials for the US Olympic Marathon Team. It was kind of awesome to be running in the vicinity of some of the faster women in the country, even if us men were just a bunch of nobody local runners!
Mile 8: 5:49
Mile 9: 5:43
Right around Mile 8.5, things were starting to get tough. Mentally, I was still fine as I continued to ignore the fact that there were over 4 miles remaining. Physically, my breathing was still under control and I was "with it." However, my legs were starting to get heavy as the pace was clearly taking its toll. We did also just run up the only hill on the course as we ran over a bridge to cross the river to run back on the other side. I knew these last 4 miles were going to hurt even with the wind at my back.
Our pack had largely broken apart at this point, the guy with the hair and the Hanson Brooks guy were both around, one ahead and one behind, though eventually they would both put decent distance on me. Regardless, I continued pushing on, passing who I could and keeping them in sight.
Mile 10: 5:42
That one hurt, bad. I was clearly running out of steam. However, I had a couple of things going for me. First, I knew I was on pace for a great time and second, I knew there were no hills remaining. I had two choices at this point, try and hold on at my current pace, or step on the gas, put the pedal to the floor and make an all out 5K run for the finish. My instinct told me that every extra second I lingered on the course brought me one second closer to imploding.
I didn't just run 10 miles in under 58 minutes to fade in the last 3. I kicked it up a gear and ran as hard as my heavy legs could carry me. Mile 10.5 would be my last water as I skipped the final stop. It took me 7 tries to get water, knocking over all the other cups. I'm sure it looked ridiculous! The guy in the Hanson-Brooks jersey started fading back to me while the guy with a lot of hair was moving out of sight.
Mile 11: 5:33
I didn't really acknowledge that I had sped up, but just that I had 2.1 miles to go. I caught and passed the Hanson-Brooks guy, though he did hold on for a little while. Every stride was harder than the last as my steam continued to run low. I kept pushing.
Mile 12: 5:33
My watch recorded these splits within 0.33 seconds of each other. Despite being on top of each other, Mile 12 was exponentially harder. Moments like these are what it is all about, refusing to give up even when all hope has faded, ignoring the pain and trusting in your training. Talk about feeling alive...
Mile 13: 5:32
I was surprisingly coherent at this point. Maybe it was the water. Regardless, I had never been so relieved to see a mile marker before. I ran the last 0.1 with everything I could manage and crossed the line in 1:14:44 for a 5:43 average pace.
I had what can only be described as a runners high to the third power. I just PR'ed by over 1 minute and 20 seconds, but there was something more going on. I was surrounded by like-minded people, competitors yes, but ultimately, a collection of people who together, can make everyone faster. I realized at that moment that I need to be doing races like this to get better. If this is where the fast runners are, than this is where I will go! I went to shake the hands of people that I helped or helped me throughout the race, but got hugs instead. I don't think there is any better way to spend a Sunday morning than racing through the streets of a city in a giant pack, pushing yourself to the limit.
Regardless of the logistics or cost, I am certainly planning on doing a few big races a year now!
I am a firm believer in the half marathon X 2 + 10 minutes formula as a predictor for a marathon time assuming proper training. That gives me a sub-2:40 prediction, so I am right where I need to be. I have now regained my LT/Tempo pace that my time off had robbed from me. The final piece of the puzzle is the endurance. Come November, everything should be where it needs to be!
Then I got a lot faster and stopped getting consistent competition at the local level. I realized earlier this year that I needed to start doing big races again. My spring injury caused me to miss every single big race I signed up for, leaving me to wonder just what I was missing.
But finally, the stars aligned! The R&R Half promised to be a big and competitive race with thousands of runners, a deep elite field, and a deep amateur wanna-be field (this is where I fall). I barely got my packet in time Saturday night, stayed at a friend's apartment in Delaware, requiring a 50 minute drive, and had a hell of a time parking and later getting out. However, absolutely none of that mattered because "between the lines" (Start/Finish) I had an awesome running experience.
On a beautiful day with temperatures in the Mid-50s and very little wind, I lined up towards the front of corral 1 for the start of this huge race. I had put 1:15 down as my time, and would try and shoot for that. At 8am Frank Shorter started us off and the elites and corral 1 were off. I crossed the start line in about 9 seconds and was already quite happy to be surrounded with runners of similar ability for a change.
I actually felt rather terrible for the first 2 miles of the race. It was probably a combination of the 20 miler from yesterday, and the fact that it has been a while since I've run with so many people at one time.
Mile 1 and 2: 5:56, 5:47
By Mile 2, the pack had thinned out enough that I could pretty much run where ever I wanted on the street. I also started to feel a little better. The first couple miles of the course ran approximately eastbound, away from the start until it turned around and came back towards the start. With so few turns and a flat course, this sucker was fast.
Mile 3: 5:44
Around here, I hit an equilibrium of sorts with the people around me. It was clear that I didn't start far enough up front early (probably good to keep myself from going out too fast), but now I had caught up to people I could pace with. There were two runners in particular that I gravitated towards, a guy in a Hanson-Brooks jersey (though not an elite of course!), and another guy with really long hair. I stayed in their vicinity as we sort of traded off pushing the pace.
Mile 4: 5:40
I was really starting to feel good here. With the cool temperatures, I was barely sweating at all, and really felt like I was hitting a groove. With all the crowd support, and our growing pack of fast runners, I was even having fun (which usually doesn't last long in races!). As we continued to advance forward, our growing pack was running faster than most of the people around us, but others latched on as we passed by. I tried to trade off running in the front and backing off a bit.
As we passed by the start again, it was clear we would be running into the wind (very light but still noticeable) for a while until we crossed the Schuylkill River.
Mile 5: 5:38
Mile 6: 5:50
Mile 7: 5:45
To this point, I had actually taken water from all stops, only getting a couple of sips, but it was keeping me sharp so I kept taking it. Being a big race, the water stops were huge but since the pack is thin up front, you could literally grab water without even breaking stride. Of course the poor volunteers looked like they were getting soaked as grabbing water at this pace is really hard!
I took the lead for most of this section as we ran along the river. Through mile 7 I was still feeling strong. At this point, we were catching up to some elite women right on the cusp of 1:15...the standard to qualify for trials for the US Olympic Marathon Team. It was kind of awesome to be running in the vicinity of some of the faster women in the country, even if us men were just a bunch of nobody local runners!
Mile 8: 5:49
Mile 9: 5:43
Right around Mile 8.5, things were starting to get tough. Mentally, I was still fine as I continued to ignore the fact that there were over 4 miles remaining. Physically, my breathing was still under control and I was "with it." However, my legs were starting to get heavy as the pace was clearly taking its toll. We did also just run up the only hill on the course as we ran over a bridge to cross the river to run back on the other side. I knew these last 4 miles were going to hurt even with the wind at my back.
Our pack had largely broken apart at this point, the guy with the hair and the Hanson Brooks guy were both around, one ahead and one behind, though eventually they would both put decent distance on me. Regardless, I continued pushing on, passing who I could and keeping them in sight.
Mile 10: 5:42
That one hurt, bad. I was clearly running out of steam. However, I had a couple of things going for me. First, I knew I was on pace for a great time and second, I knew there were no hills remaining. I had two choices at this point, try and hold on at my current pace, or step on the gas, put the pedal to the floor and make an all out 5K run for the finish. My instinct told me that every extra second I lingered on the course brought me one second closer to imploding.
I didn't just run 10 miles in under 58 minutes to fade in the last 3. I kicked it up a gear and ran as hard as my heavy legs could carry me. Mile 10.5 would be my last water as I skipped the final stop. It took me 7 tries to get water, knocking over all the other cups. I'm sure it looked ridiculous! The guy in the Hanson-Brooks jersey started fading back to me while the guy with a lot of hair was moving out of sight.
Mile 11: 5:33
I didn't really acknowledge that I had sped up, but just that I had 2.1 miles to go. I caught and passed the Hanson-Brooks guy, though he did hold on for a little while. Every stride was harder than the last as my steam continued to run low. I kept pushing.
Mile 12: 5:33
My watch recorded these splits within 0.33 seconds of each other. Despite being on top of each other, Mile 12 was exponentially harder. Moments like these are what it is all about, refusing to give up even when all hope has faded, ignoring the pain and trusting in your training. Talk about feeling alive...
Mile 13: 5:32
I was surprisingly coherent at this point. Maybe it was the water. Regardless, I had never been so relieved to see a mile marker before. I ran the last 0.1 with everything I could manage and crossed the line in 1:14:44 for a 5:43 average pace.
I had what can only be described as a runners high to the third power. I just PR'ed by over 1 minute and 20 seconds, but there was something more going on. I was surrounded by like-minded people, competitors yes, but ultimately, a collection of people who together, can make everyone faster. I realized at that moment that I need to be doing races like this to get better. If this is where the fast runners are, than this is where I will go! I went to shake the hands of people that I helped or helped me throughout the race, but got hugs instead. I don't think there is any better way to spend a Sunday morning than racing through the streets of a city in a giant pack, pushing yourself to the limit.
Regardless of the logistics or cost, I am certainly planning on doing a few big races a year now!
I am a firm believer in the half marathon X 2 + 10 minutes formula as a predictor for a marathon time assuming proper training. That gives me a sub-2:40 prediction, so I am right where I need to be. I have now regained my LT/Tempo pace that my time off had robbed from me. The final piece of the puzzle is the endurance. Come November, everything should be where it needs to be!
Friday, September 16, 2011
R U Able Duathlon Splits and Pics
The splits are in! I am extremely pleased with my run times, that's for sure! All pictures are courtesy of my dad, who got some really awesome pictures of me in action on the bike, which I have been lacking for some time!
Yes, I drive a yellow car. Anyway, I'm sporting the brand new Adventures for the Cure Hincapie gear, a tri top and tri shorts. I was already rather familiar with tri shorts, but the top was new to me. It is much, much lighter than a cycling jersey, making it wonderfully more comfortable to run in, and it sure came in handy. The padding on these particular shorts also proved much more comfortable than my other pair (less chaffing!).
Here is the start of the first run leg, the 5K, as well as the finish. If only actually running it were that easy... First, 5K split: 16:54. Not too bad considering I had to go ride the bike for a while and then do another 5K. 1st individual duathlete to finish, 2nd overall including the actual 5K race and the relay.
Transition 1 went quite smooth. Of the 6 straps on my cycling shoes, I had 4 of them completely strapped and 2 just loose enough to slip my feet in. That saved a ton of time. Of course, I had all kinds of trouble trying to get on my bike and probably looked like a damn fool doing it! The trouble getting on my bike slowed my bike leg time though, not my transition time. T1: 49 seconds, 34th overall. I still don't know how people are getting out 10-15 seconds faster, but whatever.
A few bike pictures. Note the clip on aero bars and the new wheels compared to pics from other duathlons. They certainly help! The bike course was actually a lot of fun since I could go so fast on the flats. Only part of the course was freshly paved. If it all was, man, that would have been sweet. Bike Leg: 40:03, 6th overall. Now, the results say my average speed was 23.1 mph. My bike computer got me at 21.5mph and measured the course slightly short of 14.5 miles. The calculated average in the results is based on a 14.5 mile course. Bike computers (unlike Garmins) are rather accurate at measuring distance. The computer also counts running with the bike as part of the overall speed, which will make it lower. I won't give myself credit for 23mph, but I'll say my average speed was around 22.
Transition 2 went well. I got off my bike by unclipping the right foot, swinging my leg to the left and jumping off just how the "cool" triathletes do it. If you have the balance to pull it off, it's actually a lot easier to get off a road bike that way when you are tired. The more traditional way of coming to a complete stop and standing over the frame requires a real high leg kick and some coordination of which I lack. Transition 2 time: 37 seconds, 31st overall. Some of the relay teams may have faster transition times since they have less to do than an individual, but still, I am slow!
Approaching and crossing the line. I never do much celebrating after crossing, even if it's for a top spot. I don't show boat a whole lot; just leave the bragging for Facebook and this blog! Second 5K: 17:38, second only to the same relay runner who beat me on the first 5K leg. I had a 50 second lead going onto the bike, was behind second place by 50 seconds coming off the bike, then won by over a minute.
I am definitely still a runner with a bike!
Transition 2 went well. I got off my bike by unclipping the right foot, swinging my leg to the left and jumping off just how the "cool" triathletes do it. If you have the balance to pull it off, it's actually a lot easier to get off a road bike that way when you are tired. The more traditional way of coming to a complete stop and standing over the frame requires a real high leg kick and some coordination of which I lack. Transition 2 time: 37 seconds, 31st overall. Some of the relay teams may have faster transition times since they have less to do than an individual, but still, I am slow!
I am definitely still a runner with a bike!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
R U Able Duathlon Race Report
For this weekend, I traveled to Wyomissing, PA to participate in yet another duathlon. After the weather screwed me out of trying my bike upgrades in my last Du, I had to make up for it with another one. My training for the week was completely derailed by the weather, but mostly consisted of easy runs and a few bike rides. I made sure to give myself the week to recover from that 20 miler because it was certainly taxing.
By mid-week my running legs were back under me, but it took until Saturday before I felt good on the bike again. The race was on Sunday, so it gave me a chance to run and bike in Wyomissing on Saturday. I'm glad I did because the scenery is awesome up there. I ran a hilly as crap 13.8 miles at an average 6:44 pace and later that afternoon, went for an easy 35 on the bike at around 18mph. A lot of roads in the area were closed due to flooding from all the rain and I nearly got lost on the bike as a result. However, after riding through one of the closed roads (which was barely flooded) I found my way back!
But anyway, on to the race....
This one was set to be a 3.1 mile run, 14.5 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run. The race was put on by the I am Able foundation, which empowers people with disabilities to lead an active lifestyle. They had divisions for athletes who ride push rim and hand crank chairs, and it is always awesome to see chair athletes out there, their arms are usually 2-3 times the size of my legs! The best part of this race was the ratio of cycling to running miles. At a 2.3:1 ratio, this race by far had the most running of any one I have done to date. That would give me, the runner with a bicycle, a huge advantage for a change.
I got there early and made sure to rack my bike right at the bike out/in area of transition so I wouldn't have to run far with my cycling shoes on. All the other fast bikes (mostly faster than mine) were on that rack too.
After the push rim athletes were sent off, they started the main pack which consisted of individual duathletes, relay teams, and a 5K race. A whole bunch of kids blew out the first downhill along with 3 other people. I just went out at my pace and kept it steady waiting for the inevitable "return." Everyone dropped out of the picture save 2 runners: a guy in orange, and another in blue who actually passed me during the first mile.
As we approached the turnaround, I was feeling decent and had managed to pass the guy in orange, leaving just me and the guy in blue. It turns out guy in blue was doing the relay, handling all the running for the day. He was definitely a legit runner. I let him go towards the end as he powered into transition. My first transition was pretty smooth, a couple of minor changes made everything go quick. I can also run pretty fast in cycling shoes now. I did have significant trouble mounting my bike though. I was still breathing hard from the run and couldn't really focus, causing me to lose all kinds of time trying to get on my seat and clipping in. After what felt like forever, I finally got out onto the course with a 50 second lead, rather massive for a 5k.
The bike course proved to be very unique. It all took place on one two lane road that had a grass median in the middle. Each lane was wide enough for about 3 or 4 bikes. At the end of each road, you had to hit a sharp U-turn to go back up the other side. The course was 6 laps total with 2 hair pin turns per lap. I got real low to the ground on some of those turns.
There were a couple of small hills that mixed up the pace a little bit, and some dicey sections with rough roads and manhole covers. They also had a timing mat (aka speed bump) to help keep track of laps and I definitely almost crashed once running over it while in my aero bars.
Regardless, I tried to keep my speed over 21mph on all flats and as high as I could on the hills. The lowest speed I saw was 17.6 mph and as the laps wore on, I fought harder on the hills to eek out a little more speed. I took a Gu shoot on the bike and 2 big swigs of water. I had also taken water twice in the 5K, so for once, I felt rather hydrated. I knew from experience all of that intake would keep me strong for the last run. My body accepts more intake on the bike, so I've started taking advantage.
Once all the riders were on the course, things proved interesting with all the crowding. It was crazy around the turns, but I just kept pedaling as much as I could to keep my momentum going. With about 3 miles to go, guy in orange (who placed 2nd last year) caught and passed me. I was expecting someone to pass me, even with my massive lead. I was figuring to be only the 5th or 6th fastest cyclist out there, and I was probably right. It's still frustrating to be so much weaker on the bike!!
I rode the last lap and a half as hard as I could to stay somewhat near guy in orange. After my last lap, I flew off the course towards the dismount area and was practically sprinting to the line. I unclipped my right foot, swung over the side and jumped off probably still going near 15mph and just kept running as I sprinted into transition. Just as I was entering, I saw guy in orange running out. That meant he probably had about a 1 minute lead on me.
T2 went very smoothly, I calmly racked my bike, switched out my shoes and took my helmet off. I did bash my right knee on the ground during the process and drew some blood, but I didn't even realize until after the race since I was so hell-bent on getting back into first. Without hesitation, I blew out of transition to try and run down guy in orange.
It took 3/4 of a mile, but I caught him running hard but controlled. It only took a minute or two before I could feel my running legs under me again. In the past, it had taken upwards of 5 minutes or in one case, my legs never came to. A combination of all my training and that Gu shot probably made the difference. After I passed guy in orange, he made an effort to keep pace, but I knew the race was mine at that point.
I kicked it up a notch and finished hard, nearly a minute ahead, meaning I got my minute back, for a 1:16:02 overall. I don't have splits or pictures yet, but that's coming soon!
I do know my first 5K was sub-17, and my average speed on the bike was 21.5mph. I've still got a lot of work to do on the bike, but my time in the saddle is slowly starting to pay off.
By mid-week my running legs were back under me, but it took until Saturday before I felt good on the bike again. The race was on Sunday, so it gave me a chance to run and bike in Wyomissing on Saturday. I'm glad I did because the scenery is awesome up there. I ran a hilly as crap 13.8 miles at an average 6:44 pace and later that afternoon, went for an easy 35 on the bike at around 18mph. A lot of roads in the area were closed due to flooding from all the rain and I nearly got lost on the bike as a result. However, after riding through one of the closed roads (which was barely flooded) I found my way back!
But anyway, on to the race....
This one was set to be a 3.1 mile run, 14.5 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run. The race was put on by the I am Able foundation, which empowers people with disabilities to lead an active lifestyle. They had divisions for athletes who ride push rim and hand crank chairs, and it is always awesome to see chair athletes out there, their arms are usually 2-3 times the size of my legs! The best part of this race was the ratio of cycling to running miles. At a 2.3:1 ratio, this race by far had the most running of any one I have done to date. That would give me, the runner with a bicycle, a huge advantage for a change.
I got there early and made sure to rack my bike right at the bike out/in area of transition so I wouldn't have to run far with my cycling shoes on. All the other fast bikes (mostly faster than mine) were on that rack too.
After the push rim athletes were sent off, they started the main pack which consisted of individual duathletes, relay teams, and a 5K race. A whole bunch of kids blew out the first downhill along with 3 other people. I just went out at my pace and kept it steady waiting for the inevitable "return." Everyone dropped out of the picture save 2 runners: a guy in orange, and another in blue who actually passed me during the first mile.
As we approached the turnaround, I was feeling decent and had managed to pass the guy in orange, leaving just me and the guy in blue. It turns out guy in blue was doing the relay, handling all the running for the day. He was definitely a legit runner. I let him go towards the end as he powered into transition. My first transition was pretty smooth, a couple of minor changes made everything go quick. I can also run pretty fast in cycling shoes now. I did have significant trouble mounting my bike though. I was still breathing hard from the run and couldn't really focus, causing me to lose all kinds of time trying to get on my seat and clipping in. After what felt like forever, I finally got out onto the course with a 50 second lead, rather massive for a 5k.
The bike course proved to be very unique. It all took place on one two lane road that had a grass median in the middle. Each lane was wide enough for about 3 or 4 bikes. At the end of each road, you had to hit a sharp U-turn to go back up the other side. The course was 6 laps total with 2 hair pin turns per lap. I got real low to the ground on some of those turns.
There were a couple of small hills that mixed up the pace a little bit, and some dicey sections with rough roads and manhole covers. They also had a timing mat (aka speed bump) to help keep track of laps and I definitely almost crashed once running over it while in my aero bars.
Regardless, I tried to keep my speed over 21mph on all flats and as high as I could on the hills. The lowest speed I saw was 17.6 mph and as the laps wore on, I fought harder on the hills to eek out a little more speed. I took a Gu shoot on the bike and 2 big swigs of water. I had also taken water twice in the 5K, so for once, I felt rather hydrated. I knew from experience all of that intake would keep me strong for the last run. My body accepts more intake on the bike, so I've started taking advantage.
Once all the riders were on the course, things proved interesting with all the crowding. It was crazy around the turns, but I just kept pedaling as much as I could to keep my momentum going. With about 3 miles to go, guy in orange (who placed 2nd last year) caught and passed me. I was expecting someone to pass me, even with my massive lead. I was figuring to be only the 5th or 6th fastest cyclist out there, and I was probably right. It's still frustrating to be so much weaker on the bike!!
I rode the last lap and a half as hard as I could to stay somewhat near guy in orange. After my last lap, I flew off the course towards the dismount area and was practically sprinting to the line. I unclipped my right foot, swung over the side and jumped off probably still going near 15mph and just kept running as I sprinted into transition. Just as I was entering, I saw guy in orange running out. That meant he probably had about a 1 minute lead on me.
T2 went very smoothly, I calmly racked my bike, switched out my shoes and took my helmet off. I did bash my right knee on the ground during the process and drew some blood, but I didn't even realize until after the race since I was so hell-bent on getting back into first. Without hesitation, I blew out of transition to try and run down guy in orange.
It took 3/4 of a mile, but I caught him running hard but controlled. It only took a minute or two before I could feel my running legs under me again. In the past, it had taken upwards of 5 minutes or in one case, my legs never came to. A combination of all my training and that Gu shot probably made the difference. After I passed guy in orange, he made an effort to keep pace, but I knew the race was mine at that point.
I kicked it up a notch and finished hard, nearly a minute ahead, meaning I got my minute back, for a 1:16:02 overall. I don't have splits or pictures yet, but that's coming soon!
I do know my first 5K was sub-17, and my average speed on the bike was 21.5mph. I've still got a lot of work to do on the bike, but my time in the saddle is slowly starting to pay off.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
2011 Charm City Run 20 Miler...A Chess Match in Sweltering Humidity
I rarely run races whose distance lies somewhere between 13.1 and 26.2 miles. There are very few races out there in this range, and they are difficult to pace. One exception is the Charm City Run (CCR) 20 Miler. It is a yearly race put on by CCR, a running specialty store, event management, and timing team who help put on a lot of races in the Baltimore area. This particular race is one done solely by them.
It takes place almost entirely on the NCR Trail, once for trains, and now converted into a running path. It is made of crushed stone/gravel, has very shallow turns, and nets a 2% downgrade in the Southbound direction. It runs from Papermill Road in Cockeysville, MD and goes nearly 20 miles North to the PA boarder.
This race is designed as a point-to-point race. Everyone meets up at a shopping center on Papermill Road and we all get bused nearly 20 miles north to the start line. From there, the only way back is to run! This was to be my third time doing this race, and the first time I planned to truly race the whole thing from start to finish. Here are my last two results:
2008, 93rd Overall, 2:59:12, 8:58/mile
2010, 19th Overall, 2:14:31, 6:44/mile
I wasn't always so fast! Neither were some of the guys I ran with in this race as we discussed a bit early on. A lot of local front runners were just average mid-packers who one day decided they wanted more and went for it. That is certainly what happened to me.
The race was to start at 8AM, with overcast skies, 70 degree temperatures, and nearly 100% humidity. I knew right away that the conditions were going to be tough. Regardless, my plan remained the same: go out with the lead pack and make a decision by Mile 7-9 whether I had a shot at winning, then take it from there. Based on who showed up, I knew I had at least a fighting chance. There were no ringers at this one, just three of the stronger runners the area has to offer.
Due to the nature of the trail with its sparse road crossings, only 7 water stops were offered. I carried some sports beans with me as well, but fluid replacement was going to be an issue. I barely take anything as it is, and that humidity was just going to make it worse.
Regardless, the horn sounded and we were off, immediately in a pack of 4. We had all agreed to try and keep it to around 6 minute pace. Unfortunately, the humidity was making the pace more difficult to hold. I was drenched in sweat by mile 3.
Miles 1-3: 6:06, 6:13, 6:04.
One of the runners in our group wasn't happy with the slow start and he picked up the pace. I already had a decision to make, stay with him or hold back. I opted to stay with him as per my strategy. Miles 4-6 were a bit of a strain on me. I could tell I was going a hair too fast but with first place on the line, I didn't mind sticking around and testing myself:
Mile 4: 5:58
Mile 5 and 6 were off, but averaged to 2 miles, the average split was ~5:56
We started to distance ourselves from the 3rd and 4th place runners. I was neck and neck with my current running partner but two things were becoming quite clear: he was stronger than me, and I was really starting to feel it. I knew that sooner or later, something was going to have to change. Regardless, I pushed on as we really dropped the pace down for the next two miles:
Mile 7: 5:50
Mile 8: 5:48
And look at this, a picture! I'm on the left, slightly blurry since the person taking it was running the other way. You can almost see the moisture in the air. The surface depicted here is pretty typical of the entire race. It can be real taxing on the feet and legs if you are not used to it. However, being that I do the majority of my long runs on this trail, the surface is just as good as asphalt to me. This was somewhere before mile 8. The whole trail looks roughly the same so it can be hard to tell!
The nice thing about a 20 miler as oppose to a marathon is you can take chances with slightly faster paces without too much worry of a death march at the end. However, this pace was definitely way too quick for me. Physically, I could probably have held on for about 2 or 3 more miles before fading with very little left in the tank. The only problem was that there would still have been 9 miles to go at that point! With the other runner showing no signs of fading, and the pace approaching my 10K pace, I made the decision to back off and let him go. There was once a time where I would not have done this, but I've been at this long enough to know when I'm beat (usually anyway). If I stayed up on him, I certainly would have fallen out of the top-3 all together before the finish. Now, if I caught myself soon enough, hopefully I could hold on to 2nd.
Of course, whether I caught myself with enough energy to finish was a big mystery. There were other issues I was dealing with besides sweat that would not evaporate. Besides the fact that I looked like I just went for a swim, my stomach was not 100% pleased with me, and not all of the water stations were manned. Ultimately, only 3 of the 7 stops had volunteers handing out water. With absolutely no intention of stopping since I would never hit my pace again, I just passed by the unmanned stops, and forced myself after the first one to never expect water at the next one. Mind games, always mind games. Despite "backing off" I still had a bit of the surge from mile 7 and 8 going for a little while longer:
Mile 9: 5:55
Mile 10: 5:58
The runner ahead of me had begun to fade out of sight. You can see pretty far ahead on the trail, so I knew that the battle for first was most likely over. I had no idea where 3rd place was and had no intention of finding out. I couldn't hear anyone's footsteps, but every time I passed other people just out on the trail, I could hear clapping for runners behind me slowly getting closer and closer. I started fading at this point but just kept telling myself to keep the pace under my current marathon PR pace (6:18). I tried to just take it a mile at a time.
Mile 11: 6:06
Mile 12: 6:07
Mile 13: 6:04
Over these 3 miles I settled into a groove and just tried to stay at 6:05-6:10 pace. I would learn after the race that the 3rd place runner had been closing the gap over this time and came within less than a minute of me around mile 13. Thankfully, right before 12 I got a big, loud cheer from someone I knew (mainly out there for his girlfriend, but I'll take all the support I can get!). It kind of awoke me from a daze I had been in. Afterwards, I actually took a handful of sports beans, and the sugar/caffeine made me feel a little better. I probably should have taken them sooner, but was very worried about getting sick.
Though I mentally felt refreshed, my legs were getting heavier and it was becoming a real struggle to maintain pace. I kept thinking to myself how regretful and disappointed I would be if I let myself give up 2nd place after fighting for so long. I decided that regret and disappointment was not going to catch me. From this point, I told myself "just get to Phoenix alive." This refers to the 17 mile mark in the race, which is the location where I start and end many of my long runs. I know every step of the trail in this area since I'm on it so often. I figure, just get to 17, then worry about the rest later.
Mile 14: 6:09
Mile 15: 6:10
Mile 16: 6:08
Mile 17: 6:08
You can see an ever so slight fade of just a couple seconds per mile compared to my last report for 11-13. I knew it was happening, and I just kept trying to hold on. Phoenix would be the last manned water stop, the two after that had no volunteers so that ended up being my last bit of water. In total, I took water from 3 stops, got down at best 1-2 sips per stop, and ate about 1/3 of a packet of sports beans. Not exactly ideal, but it beats getting sick and puking. I was now on the last 3, hoping beyond hope that I could hold on.
Mile 18: 6:12
After running southbound on largely flat or slightly downhill trail we had to do something truly grueling...turnaround. Turnarounds are painful in any race, but after being so locked in like a freight train traveling largely in one direction, a turnaround really kills any kind of groove you may have been in. The turnaround did give me some intel on my current position. The leader was comfortably ahead, though not quite as far as I expected. 3rd place was surprisingly far back at that point. I would find out afterwards, he was close to me at 15 but just faded after that. I knew I had 2nd locked up if I could just finish the race without collapsing.
After the turnaround, we left the crushed stone of the trail to run the last mile back on a winding, hilly, narrow road. After nearly 19 miles of the NCR trail, the last mile proved to be absolutely grueling. I knew it was coming though, since the course hasn't changed in the years I've done it. I pretty much just completely ignored that it was there the whole race, opting just to deal with it when I arrived. I could barely pick up my legs and wanted to walk so badly (the leader and 3rd place runner shared the same desire), but kept pushing forward. Mile 19 was a bit off, so the average pace for my last 2 miles:
Mile 19-20: 6:37
I slowed on 19 no doubt, and 20 was just hell on earth. Regardless, I finished 2nd overall in 2:02:03, less than two minutes behind the leader, and a couple minutes ahead of 3rd place. My legs were done and I clearly used up every ounce of energy I had. Overall, I was very happy with my pacing, decisions, and tactics. I am rather certain that I ran the best race I could have given the conditions and competition.
Pictures of me on the final stretch, not looking too happy:
For my efforts, I pocketed $75 in cash, which more than pays for the $56 race entry and a free pair of running shoes. That's certainly a pretty good deal! This is actually the 2nd race where I have earned a straight up cash prize (instead of gift certificates..though running store certificates are as good as cash), but the first where I actually made a profit instead of just breaking even.
There isn't actually cash in the envelope, I have to send a self addressed stamped one in so that can mail it to me. Not quite like getting a paycheck at work, but close enough!
As far as what this means for the future, well that is quite interesting. My pace, 6:08 overall is almost dead on for the pace required to break 2:40 in a marathon. Of course, the only issue is that there was no way I was running another 6.2 at that pace. However, I probably could have squeezed an extra couple of miles before fading if my race was more even (as it would be in a marathon), or if the weather was better. Therefore, I think I'm quite close to where I need to be, and about at the level that I would expect. A handful of 75+ mile weeks and some progressive long runs in the 20-22 mile range ending at marathon pace or faster should give me the last little bit I need to hold this pace the rest of the way come Philadelphia in November.
Overall, a glorious day!
It takes place almost entirely on the NCR Trail, once for trains, and now converted into a running path. It is made of crushed stone/gravel, has very shallow turns, and nets a 2% downgrade in the Southbound direction. It runs from Papermill Road in Cockeysville, MD and goes nearly 20 miles North to the PA boarder.
This race is designed as a point-to-point race. Everyone meets up at a shopping center on Papermill Road and we all get bused nearly 20 miles north to the start line. From there, the only way back is to run! This was to be my third time doing this race, and the first time I planned to truly race the whole thing from start to finish. Here are my last two results:
2008, 93rd Overall, 2:59:12, 8:58/mile
2010, 19th Overall, 2:14:31, 6:44/mile
I wasn't always so fast! Neither were some of the guys I ran with in this race as we discussed a bit early on. A lot of local front runners were just average mid-packers who one day decided they wanted more and went for it. That is certainly what happened to me.
The race was to start at 8AM, with overcast skies, 70 degree temperatures, and nearly 100% humidity. I knew right away that the conditions were going to be tough. Regardless, my plan remained the same: go out with the lead pack and make a decision by Mile 7-9 whether I had a shot at winning, then take it from there. Based on who showed up, I knew I had at least a fighting chance. There were no ringers at this one, just three of the stronger runners the area has to offer.
Due to the nature of the trail with its sparse road crossings, only 7 water stops were offered. I carried some sports beans with me as well, but fluid replacement was going to be an issue. I barely take anything as it is, and that humidity was just going to make it worse.
Regardless, the horn sounded and we were off, immediately in a pack of 4. We had all agreed to try and keep it to around 6 minute pace. Unfortunately, the humidity was making the pace more difficult to hold. I was drenched in sweat by mile 3.
Miles 1-3: 6:06, 6:13, 6:04.
One of the runners in our group wasn't happy with the slow start and he picked up the pace. I already had a decision to make, stay with him or hold back. I opted to stay with him as per my strategy. Miles 4-6 were a bit of a strain on me. I could tell I was going a hair too fast but with first place on the line, I didn't mind sticking around and testing myself:
Mile 4: 5:58
Mile 5 and 6 were off, but averaged to 2 miles, the average split was ~5:56
We started to distance ourselves from the 3rd and 4th place runners. I was neck and neck with my current running partner but two things were becoming quite clear: he was stronger than me, and I was really starting to feel it. I knew that sooner or later, something was going to have to change. Regardless, I pushed on as we really dropped the pace down for the next two miles:
Mile 7: 5:50
Mile 8: 5:48
And look at this, a picture! I'm on the left, slightly blurry since the person taking it was running the other way. You can almost see the moisture in the air. The surface depicted here is pretty typical of the entire race. It can be real taxing on the feet and legs if you are not used to it. However, being that I do the majority of my long runs on this trail, the surface is just as good as asphalt to me. This was somewhere before mile 8. The whole trail looks roughly the same so it can be hard to tell!
The nice thing about a 20 miler as oppose to a marathon is you can take chances with slightly faster paces without too much worry of a death march at the end. However, this pace was definitely way too quick for me. Physically, I could probably have held on for about 2 or 3 more miles before fading with very little left in the tank. The only problem was that there would still have been 9 miles to go at that point! With the other runner showing no signs of fading, and the pace approaching my 10K pace, I made the decision to back off and let him go. There was once a time where I would not have done this, but I've been at this long enough to know when I'm beat (usually anyway). If I stayed up on him, I certainly would have fallen out of the top-3 all together before the finish. Now, if I caught myself soon enough, hopefully I could hold on to 2nd.
Of course, whether I caught myself with enough energy to finish was a big mystery. There were other issues I was dealing with besides sweat that would not evaporate. Besides the fact that I looked like I just went for a swim, my stomach was not 100% pleased with me, and not all of the water stations were manned. Ultimately, only 3 of the 7 stops had volunteers handing out water. With absolutely no intention of stopping since I would never hit my pace again, I just passed by the unmanned stops, and forced myself after the first one to never expect water at the next one. Mind games, always mind games. Despite "backing off" I still had a bit of the surge from mile 7 and 8 going for a little while longer:
Mile 9: 5:55
Mile 10: 5:58
The runner ahead of me had begun to fade out of sight. You can see pretty far ahead on the trail, so I knew that the battle for first was most likely over. I had no idea where 3rd place was and had no intention of finding out. I couldn't hear anyone's footsteps, but every time I passed other people just out on the trail, I could hear clapping for runners behind me slowly getting closer and closer. I started fading at this point but just kept telling myself to keep the pace under my current marathon PR pace (6:18). I tried to just take it a mile at a time.
Mile 11: 6:06
Mile 12: 6:07
Mile 13: 6:04
Over these 3 miles I settled into a groove and just tried to stay at 6:05-6:10 pace. I would learn after the race that the 3rd place runner had been closing the gap over this time and came within less than a minute of me around mile 13. Thankfully, right before 12 I got a big, loud cheer from someone I knew (mainly out there for his girlfriend, but I'll take all the support I can get!). It kind of awoke me from a daze I had been in. Afterwards, I actually took a handful of sports beans, and the sugar/caffeine made me feel a little better. I probably should have taken them sooner, but was very worried about getting sick.
Though I mentally felt refreshed, my legs were getting heavier and it was becoming a real struggle to maintain pace. I kept thinking to myself how regretful and disappointed I would be if I let myself give up 2nd place after fighting for so long. I decided that regret and disappointment was not going to catch me. From this point, I told myself "just get to Phoenix alive." This refers to the 17 mile mark in the race, which is the location where I start and end many of my long runs. I know every step of the trail in this area since I'm on it so often. I figure, just get to 17, then worry about the rest later.
Mile 14: 6:09
Mile 15: 6:10
Mile 16: 6:08
Mile 17: 6:08
You can see an ever so slight fade of just a couple seconds per mile compared to my last report for 11-13. I knew it was happening, and I just kept trying to hold on. Phoenix would be the last manned water stop, the two after that had no volunteers so that ended up being my last bit of water. In total, I took water from 3 stops, got down at best 1-2 sips per stop, and ate about 1/3 of a packet of sports beans. Not exactly ideal, but it beats getting sick and puking. I was now on the last 3, hoping beyond hope that I could hold on.
Mile 18: 6:12
After running southbound on largely flat or slightly downhill trail we had to do something truly grueling...turnaround. Turnarounds are painful in any race, but after being so locked in like a freight train traveling largely in one direction, a turnaround really kills any kind of groove you may have been in. The turnaround did give me some intel on my current position. The leader was comfortably ahead, though not quite as far as I expected. 3rd place was surprisingly far back at that point. I would find out afterwards, he was close to me at 15 but just faded after that. I knew I had 2nd locked up if I could just finish the race without collapsing.
After the turnaround, we left the crushed stone of the trail to run the last mile back on a winding, hilly, narrow road. After nearly 19 miles of the NCR trail, the last mile proved to be absolutely grueling. I knew it was coming though, since the course hasn't changed in the years I've done it. I pretty much just completely ignored that it was there the whole race, opting just to deal with it when I arrived. I could barely pick up my legs and wanted to walk so badly (the leader and 3rd place runner shared the same desire), but kept pushing forward. Mile 19 was a bit off, so the average pace for my last 2 miles:
Mile 19-20: 6:37
I slowed on 19 no doubt, and 20 was just hell on earth. Regardless, I finished 2nd overall in 2:02:03, less than two minutes behind the leader, and a couple minutes ahead of 3rd place. My legs were done and I clearly used up every ounce of energy I had. Overall, I was very happy with my pacing, decisions, and tactics. I am rather certain that I ran the best race I could have given the conditions and competition.
Pictures of me on the final stretch, not looking too happy:
For my efforts, I pocketed $75 in cash, which more than pays for the $56 race entry and a free pair of running shoes. That's certainly a pretty good deal! This is actually the 2nd race where I have earned a straight up cash prize (instead of gift certificates..though running store certificates are as good as cash), but the first where I actually made a profit instead of just breaking even.
As far as what this means for the future, well that is quite interesting. My pace, 6:08 overall is almost dead on for the pace required to break 2:40 in a marathon. Of course, the only issue is that there was no way I was running another 6.2 at that pace. However, I probably could have squeezed an extra couple of miles before fading if my race was more even (as it would be in a marathon), or if the weather was better. Therefore, I think I'm quite close to where I need to be, and about at the level that I would expect. A handful of 75+ mile weeks and some progressive long runs in the 20-22 mile range ending at marathon pace or faster should give me the last little bit I need to hold this pace the rest of the way come Philadelphia in November.
Overall, a glorious day!
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