This past weekend I ran in the Magnificent Mile race in Raleigh for the first time. I had grand plans of training for this race over the summer (with lots of workouts on the track) but my Achilles Tendons had different ideas and I have struggled to log consistent mileage since early June and haven't been to the track in 10 weeks. My 5K times this summer haven't been too bad considering I really don't enjoy the heat and humidity, so I felt that even though I hadn't had a chance to improve my speed, it didn't seem like I had lost much even during three months of very low mileage. I felt confident I could run a mile in under 6:00 and set my sights on being under 5:50.
Race day started out with huge storms and lots of rain but as 2pm came around it was a perfect mid-60's with some clouds. I ran a mile to warm up and did some strides which reminded me that the ground was wet and the road surface was a little slippery. I made my way to the third row of the starting corral and found Charles who was also running and was surrounded by young kids. I didn't make much of an effort to move thinking that they would probably all take off at a sprint at the start and I'd have time to get around them when they slowed down - more on that later. The elite runners were introduced, including Bobby Mack who has run 4:10 twice in the past on this course.
The horn sounded and the front row of fast runners took off followed by the rest of the field. Unfortunately, the kids in front of me decided to walk/trot across the starting line. I couldn't get around them and before I knew it, I was 10 yards behind Charles still trying to get going. Charles told me after the race that he heard someone shout "what the hell..." - it was me as I tried to get around the walkers that decided to start in the second row of a mile race!
The first quarter mile was straight and involved a lot of weaving around slower runners and being passed by faster runners that started way back in the corral. I found an effort that felt good and we passed the first split in 82 seconds. The next half mile loops around the Capital building, starting with a sweeping right turn followed by three sharp lefts and a sweeping right. I knew I would lose some time with the corners but I wasn't prepared for the other runners that seemed to ran random lines without and regard for runners around them. I had my heel clipped on the first left and had to come to nearly a complete stop when two kids decided they needed to walk. Splits of 86 at 1/2 mile and 90 at 3/4 mile left me with a time of 4:18 with just over 400m to go.
I remember thinking as I made the final sweeping right that I felt pretty good and that I would wait until the 3/4 mile split before pushing the pace - in hindsight, that was probably too long to wait. Once I did the calculation in my head that I had 102 seconds to break 6:00 minutes and needed to run at least a 91 to be under 5:50, I began to push harder and started passing people. A slight incline was enough to hide the finish line from view, but I knew where it was and continued to increase the pace passing more and more runners who didn't have anything left in the tank.
I crossed the finish line with a time of 5:45 in 80th place overall. Bobby Mack had run a 4:11 and was pushed all the way by Sandy Roberts with 4:12... they had finished before I got to the 3/4 mile split!
So, with the walking start, being tripped, easing off too much in the middle and not upping the pace early enough I had managed to run a 5:45 mile. I wonder what I'll be able to run next year if I can train over the summer, stay out of trouble during the race and push a little harder earlier... 5:35? 5:30?
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Summer Racing Update
Freedom Run 5K+
On June 30th I ran the Freedom Run 5K in Wake Forest. It was a cloudy morning but still hot and humid and I was covered head to toe in sweat by the time I had walked to the starting area from the car. I had that sub-20 5K goal in the back of my mind but the weather and the hilly course meant it was very unlikely. I found a playground for Jack and Liz to play during the race and then warmed up (not sure that is the right term on such a hot day) and headed to the starting line. I found it a little strange that the "lead car" was parked behind the runners instead of in front, but that was quickly corrected and we headed downhill to the first turn on the course. I hadn't run this course before but I had studied the course map and ran part of it during my warm up, so I knew we were meant to turn right. There were lots of youngsters in the race who sped of at the start and followed the lead car as it rounded the roundabout and went left! I happened to be running alongside a friend of mine who also knew the course and we both shouted to the runners ahead that they were going to wrong way before taking the rest of the field on the correct route. I don't know how long it took for the lead car to tell those that had gone wrong way to turn around, but I certainly felt bad for them. There was another part of the course which seemed strange at the time where we passed the only water stop on the other side of a divided highway, but more on that in a moment.
The course was hilly and the weather caught up with me in the middle mile of the race. The eventual winner passed me at that point (yes, I had been leading for 1.5 miles!) and I dropped back to 8th overall where I stayed until the finish. I thought I was on for a 20:40-20:45 finish until my watch beeped for mile 3 with a full quarter mile to go until the finish line just as we were being directed around the outside of a roundabout for the final turn to the finish. I ended up finishing in 21:45 and running 3:25 miles. I checked with some other runners who also measured the course as being 3.25-3.30 miles and we came to the conclusion that the course hadn't been measured for a lead car (which has to stay on the right side of the road and go around roundabouts) and as a result, we'd all run too far for a 5K.
Overall I was disappointed. The roads were open to traffic and on three occasions I'd come face to face with cars on the roads who were unaware that there was a race going on. The lead car had lead 40-50 runners in the wrong direction and then lead everyone on a long course.
Result: 21:45, 8th overall, 1st age group
Denny's 5K
On July 14th I ran the Denny's 5K at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. I got a $10 entry to this race, which is the main reason that I decided to go and run on the Cross Country course which is hilly and a mixture of packed mud, sand and grass. It was another hot and humid morning which is no surprised for North Carolina in mid July.
I had no time goal in mind as I had no idea how fast I'd be able to run on all of the different surfaces. I ran a 24:15 on this course in 2009, so I knew I wanted to be fast than that, but other than that I just wanted to finish as fast as I could. The race started in the middle of a field that was soaking wet from the rain the night before and my shoes were soaked in the short walk from the gravel road to the start line. The start was downhill for about 0.3 miles (on the wet grass) to the woods where we switched to a packed mud/sand track that looped around and returned to the grass were we climbed back up the hill and looped around the outside of the soccer park on packed mud/sand. By the time we got to the 4000m marker (the course was marked in meters and miles) I knew that the final hill was coming up and that I had nothing left. I had tried to pace myself with the final climb on the grassy hill in mind, but I didn't do a good enough job and had to power walk up the steepest part.
I was disappointed that I had done a poor job of pacing myself even though I finished with a good placing overall and in my age group. I'll get another chance to run a better race and time on this course in late August in the Run for Life 5K
Result: 21:47, 16th overall, 2nd age group
Expressway Trot II 5K
On July 21st I ran the Expressway Trot II in Cary. This race took place on a newly finished but yet to be opened section of I540. When I signed up for this race I had my sub-20 5K goal in mind but the hot and humid weather made me change that to running an even paced race.
I was grateful that it was overcast and there was a slight breeze across the 6 lane highway as there wasn't any shade on the straight out and back course. I ran my best race for a while with splits of 6:20, 6:42 and 6:39 and gradually picked off runners that were ahead of me during the last half of the race. The course itself was very boring as there was nothing to look at, but it was certainly a very unique thing to do.
Result: 20:29, 6th overall, 3rd age group
On June 30th I ran the Freedom Run 5K in Wake Forest. It was a cloudy morning but still hot and humid and I was covered head to toe in sweat by the time I had walked to the starting area from the car. I had that sub-20 5K goal in the back of my mind but the weather and the hilly course meant it was very unlikely. I found a playground for Jack and Liz to play during the race and then warmed up (not sure that is the right term on such a hot day) and headed to the starting line. I found it a little strange that the "lead car" was parked behind the runners instead of in front, but that was quickly corrected and we headed downhill to the first turn on the course. I hadn't run this course before but I had studied the course map and ran part of it during my warm up, so I knew we were meant to turn right. There were lots of youngsters in the race who sped of at the start and followed the lead car as it rounded the roundabout and went left! I happened to be running alongside a friend of mine who also knew the course and we both shouted to the runners ahead that they were going to wrong way before taking the rest of the field on the correct route. I don't know how long it took for the lead car to tell those that had gone wrong way to turn around, but I certainly felt bad for them. There was another part of the course which seemed strange at the time where we passed the only water stop on the other side of a divided highway, but more on that in a moment.
 |
| Just before the lead car mistake |
Overall I was disappointed. The roads were open to traffic and on three occasions I'd come face to face with cars on the roads who were unaware that there was a race going on. The lead car had lead 40-50 runners in the wrong direction and then lead everyone on a long course.
Result: 21:45, 8th overall, 1st age group
Denny's 5K
On July 14th I ran the Denny's 5K at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. I got a $10 entry to this race, which is the main reason that I decided to go and run on the Cross Country course which is hilly and a mixture of packed mud, sand and grass. It was another hot and humid morning which is no surprised for North Carolina in mid July.
I had no time goal in mind as I had no idea how fast I'd be able to run on all of the different surfaces. I ran a 24:15 on this course in 2009, so I knew I wanted to be fast than that, but other than that I just wanted to finish as fast as I could. The race started in the middle of a field that was soaking wet from the rain the night before and my shoes were soaked in the short walk from the gravel road to the start line. The start was downhill for about 0.3 miles (on the wet grass) to the woods where we switched to a packed mud/sand track that looped around and returned to the grass were we climbed back up the hill and looped around the outside of the soccer park on packed mud/sand. By the time we got to the 4000m marker (the course was marked in meters and miles) I knew that the final hill was coming up and that I had nothing left. I had tried to pace myself with the final climb on the grassy hill in mind, but I didn't do a good enough job and had to power walk up the steepest part.
 |
| Approaching the finish |
Result: 21:47, 16th overall, 2nd age group
Expressway Trot II 5K
On July 21st I ran the Expressway Trot II in Cary. This race took place on a newly finished but yet to be opened section of I540. When I signed up for this race I had my sub-20 5K goal in mind but the hot and humid weather made me change that to running an even paced race.
I was grateful that it was overcast and there was a slight breeze across the 6 lane highway as there wasn't any shade on the straight out and back course. I ran my best race for a while with splits of 6:20, 6:42 and 6:39 and gradually picked off runners that were ahead of me during the last half of the race. The course itself was very boring as there was nothing to look at, but it was certainly a very unique thing to do.
Result: 20:29, 6th overall, 3rd age group
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Midtown Half Marathon Race Report
I had high hopes of breaking 1:35 when I saw the weather forecast for race morning - 62F with 90% humidity, which was much better than I could have ever hoped for for the first week of June in North Carolina. I had run the course twice in the weeks leading up to the race and knew the steep downhill start followed by mostly flat greenway, a hill at the turn around and then mostly flat greenway back to a steep up hill last 3/4 of a mile.
I got up at 5am and had an early breakfast before getting Jack ready to leave the house at 6:40am. Elizabeth dropped me off at the start/finish line and took Jack over to one of the few easily accessible spots on the course for supporters.
I did a short warm up and some stretches before bumping in to my friend Ken who was also running the race. He had hopes of finishing under 1:40 and said that he was feeling good about his chances. We entered the chute at around 7:20am and made our way through the crowds to the third or fourth row of runners were we waited for the announcements and national anthem. The race had posted on Facebook on Friday that they had passed the 400 mark for runners in the Half Marathon, but looking around there didn't seem to be 400 runners at the start line (the official results have 366 finishers). Most of the people around us were saying that they'd never started a race this close to the front before, so it certainly was an unusual field of runners. The starter gave a nice countdown and we were off.
Mile 1: 6:14 - I navigated through the runners that wanted to start at the front and then run a 9:30 first mile as we made the turn out of the parking lot and on to Lassiter Mill road following the lead bike and Police car. I wanted to push the pace a little here on the downhill and just moved my body weight forward a little more than normal and let the hill do the work for me.
Miles 2-5 (6:44, 7:00, 7:04, 7:12) - I felt great during this portion of the race and passed Elizabeth and Jack at around 2.7 miles and Elizabeth managed to get this great photo of me. I was in 5th place overall at this point!
This portion of the greenway was mostly flat and probably in the sun for 50% of the time. I noticed the sun was quite strong when I was exposed to it but the shady parts seemed to come at just the right time. I had made a decision to just run with water (and GU's and S-Caps) for this race instead of the watered down Gatorade that I normally run with and I assume that was why I started to feel my calf cramp after only 3 miles. I took an S-Cap and some water and the tightness went away, but it was very strange to be feeling that so early in a race. I was trying hard to get my pace closer to the 7:10's that I had targeted and finally managed it for mile 5.
Miles 6 & 7 (7:11, 8:06) - All of a sudden the shade disappeared and I was exposed to the sun and mentally trying to prepare for the up coming hill. Looking back, I don't think I've ever run many flat races - there are typically always some small rolling hills that result in changes in stride length, but in this race, I'd been on the nearly flat greenway for 5 miles when I came up on the hill just before the turn around point. All of a sudden my legs felt heavy and it took much more effort than I had expected to get up the hill. It was only a fairly short hill and once at the top, a quick downhill on the other side, but my legs didn't like the change in pace and effort at all. I made it to the turn around 90 seconds ahead of goal pace, but about where I thought I needed to be given the big hill at mile 12. Knowing the struggle I had getting up the hill a few minutes before, I decided to walk the tougher part of the hill this time as I wasn't really able to run it much faster than I could walk it. Once past the steep part I started running again and then opened my stride on the downhill. My 90 second lead was down to 30 seconds now.
Mile 8 (7:12) - I'd been in the sun for nearly 20 minutes now without a significant break and I began to feel it towards the end of the this mile. I took another S-Cap, but I was already starting to feel warmer and my legs were heavy.
Miles 9-12 (7:34, 7:43, 7:54, 7:40) - I was passed by 5 or 6 runners in this section of the race and my goal of breaking 1:35 slipped away from me. I was working hard, but my pace dropped, my legs got heavier and my muscles got tighter. I passed Elizabeth and Jack again at around 10.4 miles and managed a smile for the camera. I needed some encouragement at this point and I certainly got it from my family!
It was hard knowing that my goal had slipped away and that the huge hill was still coming up at the end of the race, but I drew on my experience from RunRaleigh where I was disappointed that I didn't keep going as hard as I could even when I knew I wouldn't PR and I kept pushing myself along.
Mile 13 - (9:43) - I pushed and pushed as hard as I could along the greenway and finally made the turn on to Lassiter Mill. I really had nothing left at all at this point and could only run/walk up the hill. I knew the hill was going to be tough, but it was much worse than I had expected! I finally made it to the flatter section near the top of the hill and kicked to the finish line to finish in 1:38:04. Elizabeth and Jack were waiting at the top of the hill and got this photo of me approaching the finish line arch!
1:38:04 (7:29/mile) is my second fastest Half Marathon ever and I am very pleased with it. The course was tougher than I had expected (even though I had run on it twice before the race) and I still struggle to deal with the sun and what it does to my body temperature. Not to mention the giant hill at the end of the race! I was 15th overall, the 13th male and 4th in my age group, so it wasn't as if I was the only one that found it hard going.
The was the inaugural Midtown/Captrust Half Marathon, but it was very well organized with a well marked course and enthusiastic volunteers at the plentiful water stations. Knowing how much goes in to organizing a race of this size, I think the Race Director and his team did a great job.
I got up at 5am and had an early breakfast before getting Jack ready to leave the house at 6:40am. Elizabeth dropped me off at the start/finish line and took Jack over to one of the few easily accessible spots on the course for supporters.
I did a short warm up and some stretches before bumping in to my friend Ken who was also running the race. He had hopes of finishing under 1:40 and said that he was feeling good about his chances. We entered the chute at around 7:20am and made our way through the crowds to the third or fourth row of runners were we waited for the announcements and national anthem. The race had posted on Facebook on Friday that they had passed the 400 mark for runners in the Half Marathon, but looking around there didn't seem to be 400 runners at the start line (the official results have 366 finishers). Most of the people around us were saying that they'd never started a race this close to the front before, so it certainly was an unusual field of runners. The starter gave a nice countdown and we were off.
Mile 1: 6:14 - I navigated through the runners that wanted to start at the front and then run a 9:30 first mile as we made the turn out of the parking lot and on to Lassiter Mill road following the lead bike and Police car. I wanted to push the pace a little here on the downhill and just moved my body weight forward a little more than normal and let the hill do the work for me.
Miles 2-5 (6:44, 7:00, 7:04, 7:12) - I felt great during this portion of the race and passed Elizabeth and Jack at around 2.7 miles and Elizabeth managed to get this great photo of me. I was in 5th place overall at this point!
This portion of the greenway was mostly flat and probably in the sun for 50% of the time. I noticed the sun was quite strong when I was exposed to it but the shady parts seemed to come at just the right time. I had made a decision to just run with water (and GU's and S-Caps) for this race instead of the watered down Gatorade that I normally run with and I assume that was why I started to feel my calf cramp after only 3 miles. I took an S-Cap and some water and the tightness went away, but it was very strange to be feeling that so early in a race. I was trying hard to get my pace closer to the 7:10's that I had targeted and finally managed it for mile 5.
Miles 6 & 7 (7:11, 8:06) - All of a sudden the shade disappeared and I was exposed to the sun and mentally trying to prepare for the up coming hill. Looking back, I don't think I've ever run many flat races - there are typically always some small rolling hills that result in changes in stride length, but in this race, I'd been on the nearly flat greenway for 5 miles when I came up on the hill just before the turn around point. All of a sudden my legs felt heavy and it took much more effort than I had expected to get up the hill. It was only a fairly short hill and once at the top, a quick downhill on the other side, but my legs didn't like the change in pace and effort at all. I made it to the turn around 90 seconds ahead of goal pace, but about where I thought I needed to be given the big hill at mile 12. Knowing the struggle I had getting up the hill a few minutes before, I decided to walk the tougher part of the hill this time as I wasn't really able to run it much faster than I could walk it. Once past the steep part I started running again and then opened my stride on the downhill. My 90 second lead was down to 30 seconds now.
Mile 8 (7:12) - I'd been in the sun for nearly 20 minutes now without a significant break and I began to feel it towards the end of the this mile. I took another S-Cap, but I was already starting to feel warmer and my legs were heavy.
Miles 9-12 (7:34, 7:43, 7:54, 7:40) - I was passed by 5 or 6 runners in this section of the race and my goal of breaking 1:35 slipped away from me. I was working hard, but my pace dropped, my legs got heavier and my muscles got tighter. I passed Elizabeth and Jack again at around 10.4 miles and managed a smile for the camera. I needed some encouragement at this point and I certainly got it from my family!
It was hard knowing that my goal had slipped away and that the huge hill was still coming up at the end of the race, but I drew on my experience from RunRaleigh where I was disappointed that I didn't keep going as hard as I could even when I knew I wouldn't PR and I kept pushing myself along.
Mile 13 - (9:43) - I pushed and pushed as hard as I could along the greenway and finally made the turn on to Lassiter Mill. I really had nothing left at all at this point and could only run/walk up the hill. I knew the hill was going to be tough, but it was much worse than I had expected! I finally made it to the flatter section near the top of the hill and kicked to the finish line to finish in 1:38:04. Elizabeth and Jack were waiting at the top of the hill and got this photo of me approaching the finish line arch!
1:38:04 (7:29/mile) is my second fastest Half Marathon ever and I am very pleased with it. The course was tougher than I had expected (even though I had run on it twice before the race) and I still struggle to deal with the sun and what it does to my body temperature. Not to mention the giant hill at the end of the race! I was 15th overall, the 13th male and 4th in my age group, so it wasn't as if I was the only one that found it hard going.
The was the inaugural Midtown/Captrust Half Marathon, but it was very well organized with a well marked course and enthusiastic volunteers at the plentiful water stations. Knowing how much goes in to organizing a race of this size, I think the Race Director and his team did a great job.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Midtown Half Marathon Preview
This weekend I'll be racing in another "first annual" Half Marathon in Raleigh. The Midtown Captrust Half Marathon will take place on June 3rd as the Raleigh spring racing season comes to a close.
Weather: The weather forecast is much better than I had hoped for when I signed up for this race with temperatures probably in the low 60's at 7:30am. It'll be humid for sure, but there is no way around that in NC in early June.
Course: 11.6 of the 13.1 miles of this course are on the Raleigh Greenway system which is flat apart from a "bump" (short steep hill) near the turn around. The first 0.75 of a mile is downhill and the final 0.75 of a mile is up hill. The hill near the start/finish is long and steep in places with about 180ft of elevation change. It is going to be a challenge getting up that hill at the end of the race for sure!
Training: I've been in maintenance mode since the RunRaleigh Half Marathon. I've been sticking to my 4 workouts a week and running at least twice a week at 7:10/mile or quicker for my tempo runs. The temperatures and humidity have been increasing, but I think I have acclimatized as much as I could have hoped for early June. I ran a 5K PR 20:14 just over a week ago, so I know the speed is still there.
Goals: My goals are about the same as they were for RunRaleigh.
1. A finishing time of 1:34:30 or better for an average speed of 7:10/mile
2. A finishing time of 1:36:39 or better for a new PR
Thoughts: The up hill last 0.75 of a mile is going to be a challenge. I have been out and practiced on this course twice and I know for sure that the hill is really going to slow me down. I think I'll need to be at least a minute ahead of my goal pace when I get to the last mile to have a chance of hitting my goal and it is probably going to take everything I have to run a 8:10 last mile with 180 feet of elevation gain, but I am ready to give it a try!
Weather: The weather forecast is much better than I had hoped for when I signed up for this race with temperatures probably in the low 60's at 7:30am. It'll be humid for sure, but there is no way around that in NC in early June.
Course: 11.6 of the 13.1 miles of this course are on the Raleigh Greenway system which is flat apart from a "bump" (short steep hill) near the turn around. The first 0.75 of a mile is downhill and the final 0.75 of a mile is up hill. The hill near the start/finish is long and steep in places with about 180ft of elevation change. It is going to be a challenge getting up that hill at the end of the race for sure!
Training: I've been in maintenance mode since the RunRaleigh Half Marathon. I've been sticking to my 4 workouts a week and running at least twice a week at 7:10/mile or quicker for my tempo runs. The temperatures and humidity have been increasing, but I think I have acclimatized as much as I could have hoped for early June. I ran a 5K PR 20:14 just over a week ago, so I know the speed is still there.
Goals: My goals are about the same as they were for RunRaleigh.
1. A finishing time of 1:34:30 or better for an average speed of 7:10/mile
2. A finishing time of 1:36:39 or better for a new PR
Thoughts: The up hill last 0.75 of a mile is going to be a challenge. I have been out and practiced on this course twice and I know for sure that the hill is really going to slow me down. I think I'll need to be at least a minute ahead of my goal pace when I get to the last mile to have a chance of hitting my goal and it is probably going to take everything I have to run a 8:10 last mile with 180 feet of elevation gain, but I am ready to give it a try!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Richmond Deferral and Fall Plans
I had planned on running the Richmond Half Marathon in November, but with our family's latest addition expected to arrive right around that date, I have deferred my entry until 2013. Family is always most important and I need to be at home and there is no way I am going to Richmond either with Liz 9 months pregnant or with a baby that is only a few days old.
After the Midtown Half Marathon in a couple of weeks (June 3rd), the summer temperatures will have taken hold in Raleigh and races will become few and far between (not that I have much desire to race when it is 90 degrees in the shade).
I have been thinking about what I want to train towards in the Fall this year and have decided to try and train over the summer to run as fast as I can at the Magnificent Mile in Raleigh in mid September. I haven't ever competed in a mile race, so it will be something different. I am also considering the RunRaleigh 8K is two weeks before the mile race.
After the Magnificent Mile, I plan on sticking to 5K's until the new year.
After the Midtown Half Marathon in a couple of weeks (June 3rd), the summer temperatures will have taken hold in Raleigh and races will become few and far between (not that I have much desire to race when it is 90 degrees in the shade).
I have been thinking about what I want to train towards in the Fall this year and have decided to try and train over the summer to run as fast as I can at the Magnificent Mile in Raleigh in mid September. I haven't ever competed in a mile race, so it will be something different. I am also considering the RunRaleigh 8K is two weeks before the mile race.
After the Magnificent Mile, I plan on sticking to 5K's until the new year.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Run for Peace 5K
I decided late on Friday night to run at the Run for Peace 5K on Saturday morning. I knew that the weekend was going to be a very busy one with my volunteer responsibilities at the NCRC Invitational 10K and Half Marathon and that I would be jealous of the runners on Sunday, so I thought an early morning 5K would be a good idea! The $25 race day entry fee didn't hurt either.
With only two weeks to go until the Midtown Half Marathon and the temperatures gradually increasing in NC, I thought a 5K would be a good test for me and probably my last chance until the end of the summer to break 20 minutes. I had a goal pace of 6:30/mile in mind that would give me a PR and a good work out and should be achievable even though I haven't been to the track in months!
I arrived at the church at around 7:10 and was able to park within a few yards of the registration table. I paid my $25 and collected my bib. The sun was still behind the clouds and I was actually a little cold in my singlet and shorts so I went back to the car for a few minutes before starting a search for a bathroom. It was a nice change to be able to use a real bathroom (the church was open) for a change at a race and with about 25 minutes to go until the scheduled race start I went out for my warmup run. I didn't know the course very well, but I followed the course monitors as they were making their way out on to the course and found the mostly downhill section that we would run on between 1.6 miles and 2.2 miles and then the uphill section that went back to the finish line area.
I covered about 1.8 miles and did a few sets of strides before heading back to the start line. I found Bill, Erika and Dave from NCRC, we listened to some announcements and wished each other luck before I lined up a couple of rows back in the relatively small field of 185 and didn't see any other familiar faces.
The race started a few minutes after 8:00am and we headed out of the church parking lot and made a right turn on to Cape Charles Drive for a mostly down hill first mile. The crowd quickly thinned out and I found myself in the first 15 or so runners. I have had good success in short races this year when I have pushed a little harder than I typically would in the first mile and the fact that the first mile in this race was mostly downhill resulted in a 5:57 first mile. I knew I'd been pushing the pace fairly hard on the downhill sections, but a sub-6 minute mile was still a little surprising given that I felt that my breathing was under control.
At about the time that I finished my thought about feeling good we made a left turn and started to head up hill. The first "hill" was more like a bump in the road with a short fairly steep incline and then a short flat section followed by a 1/4 mile hill that ascended 50 feet. We had quickly regained the elevation that we'd lost over the first mile in a quarter of a mile and all of a sudden the pace felt really hard and I noticed that the sun was out from behind the clouds and my temperature was rising.
I regained my composure over the next 1/4 mile and passed Bill who snapped this photo:
I passed a couple of runners during this flat section who had obviously felt the hills even more than I had. The lead runners were out of sight by this point and I guessed I was probably in the top 10 by now. We passed by the entrance to the finish line and headed down the hill that I had run during my warm up. I felt relaxed again by this point and still had a 25 second lead over my virtual partner (set at 6:30/mile). I passed the 2 mile marker with a 6:37 split.
The course made a right turn and then another quick right and we made our way back up the hill that we'd come down during the first mile. I quickly went from feeling good and strong to having to dig deep to keep my pace up. I passed another runner and took a glance at my watch... still half a mile to go and my lead over my virtual partner was down to 10 seconds. The nearest runner was off in the distance and I knew he'd be making the left turn to the church parking lot soon, but it seemed to take forever. I was really dragging at this point and watching him intently so I would know where the turn was - finally he made the turn about 30 seconds ahead of me and I prepared myself mentally for one last push once I had made the turn.
My watch beeped for the mile 3 split before I made the turn and I didn't even look down (it turned out to be 6:47). I pushed as hard as I could towards the finish line arch. I crossed with the finish line clock reading 20:15 for an improvement of 12 seconds over my PR.
I got some Gatorade, water and snacks while I got my breath back and waited for Erika and Dave to cross the finish line. I didn't hang around for the awards as I needed to get back home and get my busy Saturday started. When the results were published later in the day I ended up finishing 8th overall and first in my Age Group (even though it was 30-39 instead of the usual 35-39) with a time of 20:14
Overall, I was really pleased with my race. It turned out to be fairly warm and sunny and the hills made for a nice challenge. I don't think I could have done anything differently and those 15 seconds that I need to find to finally break 20 minutes will either have to come on a flat course or as the result of some time at the track working on my speed. As for the race, it was well organized and in a very pretty area of Raleigh and I will certainly be looking for it this time next year!
With only two weeks to go until the Midtown Half Marathon and the temperatures gradually increasing in NC, I thought a 5K would be a good test for me and probably my last chance until the end of the summer to break 20 minutes. I had a goal pace of 6:30/mile in mind that would give me a PR and a good work out and should be achievable even though I haven't been to the track in months!
I arrived at the church at around 7:10 and was able to park within a few yards of the registration table. I paid my $25 and collected my bib. The sun was still behind the clouds and I was actually a little cold in my singlet and shorts so I went back to the car for a few minutes before starting a search for a bathroom. It was a nice change to be able to use a real bathroom (the church was open) for a change at a race and with about 25 minutes to go until the scheduled race start I went out for my warmup run. I didn't know the course very well, but I followed the course monitors as they were making their way out on to the course and found the mostly downhill section that we would run on between 1.6 miles and 2.2 miles and then the uphill section that went back to the finish line area.
I covered about 1.8 miles and did a few sets of strides before heading back to the start line. I found Bill, Erika and Dave from NCRC, we listened to some announcements and wished each other luck before I lined up a couple of rows back in the relatively small field of 185 and didn't see any other familiar faces.
The race started a few minutes after 8:00am and we headed out of the church parking lot and made a right turn on to Cape Charles Drive for a mostly down hill first mile. The crowd quickly thinned out and I found myself in the first 15 or so runners. I have had good success in short races this year when I have pushed a little harder than I typically would in the first mile and the fact that the first mile in this race was mostly downhill resulted in a 5:57 first mile. I knew I'd been pushing the pace fairly hard on the downhill sections, but a sub-6 minute mile was still a little surprising given that I felt that my breathing was under control.
At about the time that I finished my thought about feeling good we made a left turn and started to head up hill. The first "hill" was more like a bump in the road with a short fairly steep incline and then a short flat section followed by a 1/4 mile hill that ascended 50 feet. We had quickly regained the elevation that we'd lost over the first mile in a quarter of a mile and all of a sudden the pace felt really hard and I noticed that the sun was out from behind the clouds and my temperature was rising.
I regained my composure over the next 1/4 mile and passed Bill who snapped this photo:
 |
| Looks like I need to work on the tan on my legs |
The course made a right turn and then another quick right and we made our way back up the hill that we'd come down during the first mile. I quickly went from feeling good and strong to having to dig deep to keep my pace up. I passed another runner and took a glance at my watch... still half a mile to go and my lead over my virtual partner was down to 10 seconds. The nearest runner was off in the distance and I knew he'd be making the left turn to the church parking lot soon, but it seemed to take forever. I was really dragging at this point and watching him intently so I would know where the turn was - finally he made the turn about 30 seconds ahead of me and I prepared myself mentally for one last push once I had made the turn.
My watch beeped for the mile 3 split before I made the turn and I didn't even look down (it turned out to be 6:47). I pushed as hard as I could towards the finish line arch. I crossed with the finish line clock reading 20:15 for an improvement of 12 seconds over my PR.
I got some Gatorade, water and snacks while I got my breath back and waited for Erika and Dave to cross the finish line. I didn't hang around for the awards as I needed to get back home and get my busy Saturday started. When the results were published later in the day I ended up finishing 8th overall and first in my Age Group (even though it was 30-39 instead of the usual 35-39) with a time of 20:14
Overall, I was really pleased with my race. It turned out to be fairly warm and sunny and the hills made for a nice challenge. I don't think I could have done anything differently and those 15 seconds that I need to find to finally break 20 minutes will either have to come on a flat course or as the result of some time at the track working on my speed. As for the race, it was well organized and in a very pretty area of Raleigh and I will certainly be looking for it this time next year!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Half Marathon do-over
I haven't been able to get rid of the feelings of disappointment and annoyance about my performance at the RunRaleigh Half Marathon all week, so I have decided the best thing to do is sign up for another Half Marathon and have another go at meeting my goal time.
While the course for the Midtown Half Marathon (June 3rd) might be flatter for the most part, the weather will be warmer and mostly likely more humid so overall it won't be much different to what I faced at the RunRaleigh Half Marathon.
I have a few weeks to get used to the warmer temperatures (assuming the heat returns to Raleigh sometime soon) and already have a great base in place so I plan on just running my weekend trail, tempo, track and long runs to maintain the speed that I have already built up.
This time I'll break 1:35!
While the course for the Midtown Half Marathon (June 3rd) might be flatter for the most part, the weather will be warmer and mostly likely more humid so overall it won't be much different to what I faced at the RunRaleigh Half Marathon.
I have a few weeks to get used to the warmer temperatures (assuming the heat returns to Raleigh sometime soon) and already have a great base in place so I plan on just running my weekend trail, tempo, track and long runs to maintain the speed that I have already built up.
This time I'll break 1:35!
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