Remember how I started too fast on Sunday? This was worse. Let me reiterate. THIS WAS WORSE. It was a nice, cool evening on my favorite course. Tawawa Park in Sidney is an awesome place to run. And it was a very fast group of people. I must have just got caught up in it all and went out way too fast. I'm also thinking that I should stay away from evening races because I almost always get a massive stomach cramp. I didn't eat anything horrible through the day, so I'm not really sure what the problem was yesterday. The recap will be short and (not so) sweet.
The first mile is a long straightaway through the upper part of the park. It's lined with trees, ponds and the stream that runs through the park. Gorgeous. I didn't take in the sights and took off like a bat out of a very warm place. The worst thing is that I realized how fast I started. After 70 some road races, I know what I am capable of and what to stay away from. The first mile went by in 6:23. 6:23. Adorable. I really do need to go out around 7:00 in the first mile. The second mile started out well, but about halfway through I started feeling like crap. A stomach cramp set in and it was all downhill from there. I'm not sure what my second mile was, but it had to be around 8:00. I was able to tough it out and run a respectable final mile and even come in strong at the finish. My final time was 22:24 which still isn't bad (7:12 pace). Only 7 seconds slower than last Sunday's race.
This was a very frustrating race for me because I veered off from the game plan so early and just couldn't recover. I did a nice four miler today and a ten miler planned for Sunday with a good five miler and some speedwork planned for next week. The next race should be a lot better and I'm looking forward to breaking 22 minutes.
Next race: Run for Recovery- Troy, OH
Friday, June 24, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Dorothy Lane Market Dash 5k
I decided to do a local 5k only 8 days after the Carmel Half Marathon since I really need to catch up with some speedwork. This race was sponsored by one of the local running stores and the Dorothy Lane Market located right across the street from my workplace. It was hard to turn it down since it was so close to home. Plus, I got a chance to chat with some coworkers who were also running the race.
Today turned out nice as it was humid at the start, but thankfully the sun was partially hidden for most of the race. The course itself had a few more hills than I thought it would. Overall, this was a great local race. On to the breakdown:
Mile 1- I wanted to come out strong for this race to find out where exactly I am at the beginning of this 5k gauntlet. Well, I did indeed come out strong...way too strong. The first mile clicked by at 6:50. There was a lengthy downhill late in the first mile so that probably didn't help. But I was feeling pretty good regardless. We turned into the first of two smaller neighborhoods we'd be visiting.
Mile 2- The second mile has always killed my time in 5ks. I believe it's actually worse now since I spend far less time training for negative splits in 5ks in favor of training for even splits in half marathons. This one wasn't too bad. We did a loop around the neighborhood and hit the two mile mark on the way back out. I clocked in at 14:11 here for a 7:21 for the second mile. Still not bad at all.
Mile 3-finish- Mile 3 started with a wicked little uphill and we turned into the second neighborhood for a short loop. I felt pretty good but was having problems with pacing here. There was nobody in front of me but I could hear someone gaining on me. I knew there was a downhill finish so I picked it up with a little over a quarter mile left to hold him off. Mile 3 clocked in at 21 and change. Final time- 22:17.
This was an excellent event only a few miles away from my apartment. It's hard to argue with that. I'm also very happy with my place in the race- 20/230. It's exciting to run a solid race considering I will be on my favorite 5k course this Thursday.
Next race: Duck 'n' Run 5k- Sidney, OH
Today turned out nice as it was humid at the start, but thankfully the sun was partially hidden for most of the race. The course itself had a few more hills than I thought it would. Overall, this was a great local race. On to the breakdown:
Mile 1- I wanted to come out strong for this race to find out where exactly I am at the beginning of this 5k gauntlet. Well, I did indeed come out strong...way too strong. The first mile clicked by at 6:50. There was a lengthy downhill late in the first mile so that probably didn't help. But I was feeling pretty good regardless. We turned into the first of two smaller neighborhoods we'd be visiting.
Mile 2- The second mile has always killed my time in 5ks. I believe it's actually worse now since I spend far less time training for negative splits in 5ks in favor of training for even splits in half marathons. This one wasn't too bad. We did a loop around the neighborhood and hit the two mile mark on the way back out. I clocked in at 14:11 here for a 7:21 for the second mile. Still not bad at all.
Mile 3-finish- Mile 3 started with a wicked little uphill and we turned into the second neighborhood for a short loop. I felt pretty good but was having problems with pacing here. There was nobody in front of me but I could hear someone gaining on me. I knew there was a downhill finish so I picked it up with a little over a quarter mile left to hold him off. Mile 3 clocked in at 21 and change. Final time- 22:17.
This was an excellent event only a few miles away from my apartment. It's hard to argue with that. I'm also very happy with my place in the race- 20/230. It's exciting to run a solid race considering I will be on my favorite 5k course this Thursday.
Next race: Duck 'n' Run 5k- Sidney, OH
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Carmel Half Marathon
This was a fantastic race for an inaugural event! I almost didn't sign up for this one simply because it was the first year for the Carmel Marathon. But once I saw how much hype they were throwing into this race, I decided it would be worth a shot since there aren't many half marathons in the Midwest in June and because of the short drive to Carmel. Besides a few minor issues (most of which I've seen at more established races) the city did a great job with this event. The weather cooperating was also a nice surprise. It was mid-70s and overcast at the start and the sun didn't come out too often during my race.
I arrived on Friday afternoon and went straight to packet pick up at the Monon Community Center. This was a breeze to get to and there were no problems here. The expo left a bit to be desired considering the amount of hype this event had going for it. I was happy to see two local running stores represented with a good amount of merchandise. After purchasing some new running shorts and some Sport Beans (for the next morning) I headed to my hotel.
Race morning was a breeze. I showed up around 5:30 and had plenty of time to walk to the start (parking was about a half mile from the start), go to bag check and stretch out. And I even saw some friends from back home who were running the marathon! Small world. Lining up for the start was a bit of a cluster as the marathon and half marathon started at the same time. Thankfully, they had clearly marked pace signs and most people were good about lining up where they should. I lined up near the 9 minute pace section and felt good as we started out. I've started wearing a watch to the races, plus they had timing mats at every 5k, so these split times are pretty accurate.
Miles 1-3: I knew I went out a little faster than I had planned. The first mile went very quickly and I was at about 8:50 for the first mile. A little fast, but the first few miles were basically straightaways. Not having to constantly turn can really improve your time. I was at 17:40 for the second mile and holding on to around an 8:50 pace. At this point I decided to try my best for even splits for the rest of the race. The first 5k clocked in at 27:05 and I was holding steady.
Miles 4-6: We split off from the marathoners soon after the third mile, but I never felt alone on this course. There were always four or five other runners around me, which is nice compared to those lonely training runs. We started going through some nice, scenic areas of Carmel. The hill during mile 4 caught a lot of us off guard. The rest of the course was very, very flat. I kept up my pace and hit mile 6 in 51:48.
Miles 7-9: I've mentioned in a previous post that these are the important miles for me. I either listen to my iPod and watch the miles click off, or I feel each and every step. This was the first time since my injury issue in April that I've really felt like myself. Plus this was a really cool part of the course! We went on to the Monon trail right when the sun was peaking through the clouds. The shade was very much needed here and the course was very scenic I can't remember the exact splits for these miles, but I know they were still close to 8:50-9:00 each.
Miles 10-12: . My split for the first 10 miles was 1:29.06. Not bad considering I usually try to hit that in 1:30. I also realized that a PR was out of the question due to the humidity and the potential sunlight during the last 5k. But that wouldn't stop me from posting a very good time. We started to head back to the finish area through the Carmel Arts District. This was another cool area of the course and the spectators were very nice through the final miles. At mile 12 I was at 1:47 and change.
Final mile: We hit a wicked little hill during this last mile, but the downhill to the finish was worth it. For a small city, there sure were some awesome spectators during this final push. I especially liked the sign one was holding that said, "You are all making me feel lazy!" Awesome.
Final time- 1:56.06
I am thrilled with this time, especially considering having to scratch out of the Glass City Half Marathon less than two months ago. This was the finishing touch on my Spring 2011 race schedule, so it's on to some summer 5ks. My next half marathon won't be until the Little Miami on August 21st. I can use the break considering I've completed five half marathons this year. The Carmel Half was a terrific event and I will seriously considering coming back next year. The organization was top notch!
Next race: Dorothy Lane Market Dash- Centerville, OH
I arrived on Friday afternoon and went straight to packet pick up at the Monon Community Center. This was a breeze to get to and there were no problems here. The expo left a bit to be desired considering the amount of hype this event had going for it. I was happy to see two local running stores represented with a good amount of merchandise. After purchasing some new running shorts and some Sport Beans (for the next morning) I headed to my hotel.
Race morning was a breeze. I showed up around 5:30 and had plenty of time to walk to the start (parking was about a half mile from the start), go to bag check and stretch out. And I even saw some friends from back home who were running the marathon! Small world. Lining up for the start was a bit of a cluster as the marathon and half marathon started at the same time. Thankfully, they had clearly marked pace signs and most people were good about lining up where they should. I lined up near the 9 minute pace section and felt good as we started out. I've started wearing a watch to the races, plus they had timing mats at every 5k, so these split times are pretty accurate.
Miles 1-3: I knew I went out a little faster than I had planned. The first mile went very quickly and I was at about 8:50 for the first mile. A little fast, but the first few miles were basically straightaways. Not having to constantly turn can really improve your time. I was at 17:40 for the second mile and holding on to around an 8:50 pace. At this point I decided to try my best for even splits for the rest of the race. The first 5k clocked in at 27:05 and I was holding steady.
Miles 4-6: We split off from the marathoners soon after the third mile, but I never felt alone on this course. There were always four or five other runners around me, which is nice compared to those lonely training runs. We started going through some nice, scenic areas of Carmel. The hill during mile 4 caught a lot of us off guard. The rest of the course was very, very flat. I kept up my pace and hit mile 6 in 51:48.
Miles 7-9: I've mentioned in a previous post that these are the important miles for me. I either listen to my iPod and watch the miles click off, or I feel each and every step. This was the first time since my injury issue in April that I've really felt like myself. Plus this was a really cool part of the course! We went on to the Monon trail right when the sun was peaking through the clouds. The shade was very much needed here and the course was very scenic I can't remember the exact splits for these miles, but I know they were still close to 8:50-9:00 each.
Miles 10-12: . My split for the first 10 miles was 1:29.06. Not bad considering I usually try to hit that in 1:30. I also realized that a PR was out of the question due to the humidity and the potential sunlight during the last 5k. But that wouldn't stop me from posting a very good time. We started to head back to the finish area through the Carmel Arts District. This was another cool area of the course and the spectators were very nice through the final miles. At mile 12 I was at 1:47 and change.
 |
| The greatest sign a half marathoner will see. |
Final time- 1:56.06
Next race: Dorothy Lane Market Dash- Centerville, OH
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