Snowman Scamper 5k/2013 Year in Review

My final 2013 race was an evening run in Findlay.  The Snowman Scamper ran through a small neighborhood on the south side of town and was organized pretty well, except for a course snafu midway through.  Overall, I really enjoyed this race.

We started out at the Findlay Evangelical Free Church, which was nice because we could wait inside the church for the start.  It was probably in the mid-high 20s at race start.  The leaders started out at a fast pace...much faster than the previous week's 5k.  I started out pretty fast, too, but had trouble keeping it in such cold conditions.  The first mile clicked off at 6:52.  Way too fast.  I tucked in behind another couple runners and simply tried to hold their pace until the end.  But then we ran into a slight problem.  We came to a crossing and I saw a few runners coming towards us.  But I knew they weren't the leaders and I hadn't seen anyone else go by.  Then we saw a few runners turn right and a few turn left.  There was no one stationed at this intersection to tell runners where to go.  We stopped for a brief moment until someone ran by and told us where the course was going.   I lost a few seconds here but nothing catastrophic.  A bunch of runners did an extra little loop through the neighborhood and the race director fixed the timing issues as best as possible for those runners.  I kept checking my GPS to make sure we were getting the right distance which we did.  I passed a couple runners at the finish and was thrilled to pull a solid 21:04.  This was good enough for first in my age group and 6/134 overall.  Not a bad way to finish 2013.

2013 Review

Here are some of my highlights from 2013:

• Finally broke 20:00 in the 5k.  New PR of 19:42 set at the Run for the Camps in Findlay.
• Set a new PR of 45:35 in the 10k at the Run the Res in Fostoria.
• I ran my longest trail race to date at the Horseshoe Hill 20k in Zanesfield.
• Added a new race distance by running two 10 milers in Westerville and Columbus.
• Placed in my age group in a half marathon for the first time.  This was at the Park2Park Half in Sheffield.
• Added my tenth state (Pennsylvania) at the Presque Isle Half Marathon.
• Ran my third full marathon at the Akron Marathon.
• 17 races total: eight half marathons, four 5ks, two 10 milers, one 10k, one 20k, and a full marathon
• Total race mileage for 2013: 182

Favorite races of the year:

Capital City Half Marathon- I loved it last year and the improvements made for an even better race this year.  Running Columbus is a blast!  I even improved upon last year's time with a 1:45.

Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon- This race is just as gorgeous as advertised.  It's truly a tough race but well worth the challenge.  The post race atmosphere is tremendous.

Akron Marathon- My performance wasn't quite what I wanted, but there's no denying the greatness of this race.  It has the feel of a bigger marathon, but is so well organized that it doesn't include any of the headaches of a big city race.

Buckeye Half Marathon- Well organized race.  Great Columbia jacket for entering.  The Akron area knows how to put on well organized races!

Run Like the Dickens- This will always have a soft spot in my hear since it was my first ever first place finish.

Run Like the Dickens 5k

I've only entered two 5ks all year, so I decided it would be nice to do two as my final races for 2013.  The Run Like the Dickens 5k was held in Tiffin last Saturday.  The course was the same as last year, with a loop around the Sandusky River.  We had some snow and ice the day before and temps were COLD!  I actually did not feel like running at all when I woke up that morning.  Thankfully, I did.

We headed out with a quick loop through town before making our way up Water St.  The leaders took off at a conservative pace due to some ice still on the road.  I headed out with the top five and planned to try to keep up throughout the race.  But something happened during this one and I wound up in the top four within the first mile, during which I clocked in a 6:57.  That's a very good time for me in such cold conditions.  We continued winding our way through town to the turnaround at a bridge heading back to River Rd. on the other side of the Sandusky.  I passed the female winner and tucked in behind the two top runners.  It finally hit me that I had a legitimate shot at winning this thing!  The second mile came in at 7:04 and I was still right behind the two top runners.  The road was in terrific condition here and I decided to make a move with a half mile left.  On the last hill, I managed to surge ahead and then flew down the opposite side, creating some distance.  The final quarter mile is a complete blur as I just kept going as fast as possible.  Finally, after twelve years of running road races, I was the first one to cross the finish line!  I can't even begin to describe the feeling.  I've been close on numerous occasions (2011 Run for the Rams 5k, 2010 and 2011 DeGraff 5k) and it felt great to finally do it.  My final time for the race was 21:49, which is a pretty solid time for me in the cold conditions.

My final 2013 race was actually last night.  I'll post my thoughts on it as well as my final thoughts on 2013 soon.

Horseshoe Hill Climb 20K

I've been wanting to add more trail racing over the past few years and have slowly done so.  With a 5k, 10k, and five miler under my belt, I wanted to try something a bit more challenging.  Enter the Horseshoe Hill Climb 20k. 

The race was held at Marmon Valley Farm in Zanesfield, OH, which is only about 20 miles away from my parent's house.  Nice bonus being able to visit them!  I knew going in that the race would be more challenging than any other trail run I've done, and twice as long.  If you're familiar with Zanesfield, you know about Bristol Ridge.  It's a cursed hill that has its own name!  Part of the trail was parallel to Bristol Ridge and, good grief, I will have nightmares about it for many days.  Plus, we had some torrential rains in the days leading up to this one.  Trail running is difficult enough without mud up to your knees.  One positive is that the race offered three distances (10k, 20k, 30k) on one single loop.  So at least I could feel out the course on the first go round.

We started out with, you guessed it, the hill.  Right from the start.  It felt like we were going straight up for a mile, in mud.  This first mile was basically a brisk walk since the trail was single track and footing was iffy at best.  It took 14 minutes to get one mile into this race.  No joke.  And I had mud in my shoes and up to my knees.  What a way to start! 

The easiest section was next.  We made our way across a field, to a turnaround, and back towards the woods.  It was almost two miles of basic running and provided a nice breather.  But then back to the woods and more mud.  You could speed up at times but it was difficult to maintain any kind of pace.  I was able to strike up some good conversations with other runners along the way.  There is definitely more of a sense of comradarie in a race like this than in your normal road race.  The ridiculousness of the course makes you laugh out loud with fellow runners.  The best part...people were having fun. 

There's not much more to report on the course itself.  Uphill and downhill until we made our way back to the farm.  Lots of twists and turns.  My first lap was in the 1:04 range, which I was fine with since my goal was to come in under 2:15.  The second lap felt faster, but I had to stop for water once, another time to clean off my hands at a stream crossing (after a nice little fall), and once more to retrieve my shoe after some mud sucked it right off my foot.  The sock is still down there somewhere.  But, again, I had a blast.  My finishing time was 2:10:02, good enough for 13/26 overall and second in my age group.

I've been debating how to finish off 2013.  I've looked at some half marathons, but I really don't have the time to train properly.  Instead, I'll look at doing a couple 5ks since I've only ran two this year.

Next race: Run Like the Dickens- Tiffin, OH

Buckeye Half Marathon

My "race every other weekend" tour continued on Sunday with the Buckeye Half Marathon at Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Akron, Ohio.  This was a late addition to my race calendar.  Why you ask?  The chance to run a beautiful course helped.  The race swag was an even better reason.  This inexpensive, low-key race included a Columbia quarter-zip fleece in lieu of yet another race shirt.  It doesn't get much better than that!  The group who puts this one on, the Summit Athletic Running Club, knows how to put on a quality event.

My goal was to come in under 1:55 at this one and improve upon my time from the Dayton Corridor Classic two weeks ago.  Despite being in Summit County, this race was very flat and fast.  Getting to the race start was a piece of cake as was packet pick-up.  It was very chilly outside at around 37 degrees.  Not fun for waiting around, but that temperature is perfect once you start running.  I opted for a long-sleeve tech shirt, shorts, gloves, and a hat for this one.  My fingers will still numb through the first six miles!

The course was a double loop, so the first half of the race was perfect for feeling out the course.  We started outside of the Howe Meadow area for the first loop.  I didn't wear my GPS watch for this one and just wanted to go by feel.  The first few miles clicked by as we headed down country roads and I was feeling pretty good.  My pace seemed to be slightly faster than Dayton for the first half of the race.  The fall foliage made for a very pretty run.  There wasn't much crowd support, but those who were out there were enthusiastic and fun.  The water stops were perfect, too, as they were spread out in two mile intervals. 

We made our way back to Howe Meadow for the second loop and, since I was feeling great, I decided to run the second half at a much faster pace.  It felt great which just proves how much I love running in colder weather.  The miles were clicking by at a rapid pace and I was passing a lot of people during the second half.  Again, since I don't have splits for this one, we'll cut to the end.  I really pushed it over the last two miles and came in at a very solid 1:50:21 good for 90/358 overall.

The next race is another late addition to my schedule.  I'm pretty nervous about it as it will be my longest trail race ever, doubling the Twin Creek 10k from last year.

Next race: Horseshoe Hill Climb 20k- Zanesfield, OH

Dayton River Corridor Classic Half Marathon- Half Marathon #30

I am way behind on this blog!  The Corridor Classic was last week and I have a race coming up this Sunday.  Rather than give you a double dose at once, I wanted to give my thoughts on this race.  The big news is this was half marathon number 30 for me!  It's hard to imagine that my first one was in September 2009.  Before that, the half was simply a goal that I was too scared to try.  Funny how things change so quickly.

This was my third time running this race, though the course is different every year due to the construction in Dayton.  University of Dayton Arena was the location the two years I previously ran (2010, 2012), but we had a brand new start at the Moraine Recreation Complex.  This seemed, to me, like a better location.  Easy to get to, plenty of parking, more indoor space, and a better post-race area were the highlights of the new location.

Having ran the Akron Marathon only two weeks prior, my only goal for this race was to keep my sub-2:00 streak alive.  The course looked pretty flat and I wanted to use the run as training for my last two races of the year.  As it was a training run, there's not much to report.

We started out at 9:00 and I kicked in with my usual nine minute pace.  Nothing fancy.  The course wound through a bit of Moraine, over I-75 and back around to the Great Miami River bike path.  We had roughly nine miles of bike path in this one.  It was dull at times but definitely resembled my normal training runs.  The path is at least wide enough to accommodate the runners without much congestion.  I held steady for the first four miles or so, but then some minor GI issues started in and didn't stop until well after the race.  I simply slowed down and tried to keep on pace for a sub-2:00.

We continued south on the bike path to the turnaround just past the seven mile marker. I was holding steady but getting a little worried that I wouldn't come in under 2:00. The GI issues were not getting any better.  My time at the 10 minute mark was just over 1:30, well behind my normal pace.  We finally made our way off the bike path shy of mile 11 and made our way back to the rec center.  I was able to speed up some and hit the 12 mile marker in 1:49 and change, meaning that I could finally relax.  The final mile was on road back to the original start.  I came in at a respectable 1:58:16 and 212/580 overall.  Certainly not my best effort, but not bad considering the recent full marathon and stomach issues throughout the race.  My sub-2:00 streak continues at twenty-two straight.

Next race: Buckeye Half Marathon- Peninsula, OH

Akron Marathon

My big race for the year took place in Akron this past Saturday.  It was my first full marathon since the 2011 Columbus Marathon.  I chose it due to the proximity to home and because it is often rated alongside Columbus as being one of the best organized races in the state.  My training has been very hit-or-miss throughout the summer, but I hit on most of my long runs.  The real challenge was training for the hills of Akron while living in pancake flat Northwest Ohio. 

I arrived in Akron a couple days before the race and hit the expo on Friday morning.  This was a piece of cake as the convention center was easy to get to and the expo itself was very well organized.  One of the extra perks to this race is the swag.  Marathoners get a very cool Brooks running jacket, a year subscription to Running Times magazine, cool free samples (love the Emergen-C mix), a finisher towel, and amazing finisher medal.  I especially like getting the jacket as my closet is full of race shirts.  After the expo, I simply relaxed for the rest of the day, contemplating the pain that awaited me on Saturday.

Getting to the parking areas for a race this size can be a pain, but if you simply plan ahead it can be a piece of cake.  I arrived about an hour and a half early and found a parking garage one block from the start and one block from the finish.  It pays to plan!  That also gave me some time to read my book in the car, stretch out, and make my way to the start.  Here are a few pics of the finish area before the race:

I forgot about the energy before a full marathon.  It's amazing.  Loud music, an energetic crowd, fireworks, and me just wanting to start the dang thing.  The experience is unlike any other, but it's really hard to enjoy it when you are embarking on a 26.2 mile journey.  We started at 7:00 on the dot.  Here are my thoughts throughout the race:

Miles 1-5: I wanted to start out nice and easy during the first ten miles or so.  Everything started well as I was in the 10:00 range during the early miles.  We made our way through downtown, then back the way we came heading south.  There were a few gradual hills but nothing major.  I didn't do much maneuvering as I had lined up at the exact right place at the start.  Not much to report here.

Miles 6-10: We head east for a mile and then back north around mile 7.  This led into the University of Akron campus, which was a nice little section of this race.  Some students were actually out and about to cheer us on.  I sped up a bit and was hitting anywhere from 9:00-9:30 per mile during this stretch.  We headed back to the downtown area at mile 9 and then north again at mile 10.

Miles 11-15: Here's where I had no choice but to abandon my plan and, thus, screwed up my race.  We started heading back south right after mile 11 and hit a couple of wicked downhills.  The second of which went on for about 3/4 mile straight down.  I had two choices: fly down this thing or hold back.  Either way, my quads would be destroyed.  I tried to hold back but I had two miles clocking in at 8:53 and 8:40.  It was WAY too early for that to happen and I knew it would screw me up later in the race.  My hope was that I could hold out as long as possible.  At least I was greeted with an amazing running environment soon after.  We ran through some gorgeous parks on the Towpath trail starting at mile 13 and would remain on their for over 5 miles.  It was a nice, scenic part of the race and the shade was very welcomed.  Honestly, you could still see people's breath at certain points on the course.  My half time was 2:00:34.  Well on pace for a PR.  I held steady during this section and was averaging 9:17 per mile.

Miles 16-20: We kept on the Towpath during most of this stretch.  Everyone knew the hills would start around mile 17.  After looking at the elevation chart, I see now that miles 15-20 are actually one long, slow climb that you don't really notice at first.  Mix that with the MEGA hill at mile 18 and you have a recipe for crapping out.  That is, unfortunately, what happened to me.  I began to feel like crap around mile 20 and hit the 20.7 mile marker in 3:15:50.  I knew, with how I was feeling at this point, a PR was no longer in the cards.  Seriously, it was like flipping a switch.

Miles 21-26.2: We ran through some residential areas and I really enjoyed how many people came out to cheer us on.  It wasn't the same as Columbus but still pretty special.  I was simply trying to hold on by taking water and Gatorade at every stop and taking plenty of walk breaks.  I was also beating myself up until mile 23 or so.  A PR was never a given but I absolutely hate the fact that I crapped out like this at Akron.  Finally, I decided that I'm finishing my third marathon and should simply be proud of that fact and enjoy the last three miles.  Thankfully, I did.  We made our way back downtown for the final few miles and the amazing finish inside the Akron Aeros minor league ballpark.  My final time was 4:23:57.  I was actually surprised, considering how I felt the final 10k, that I was only ten minutes off from my Columbus time.  That's really not too bad since this was a much tougher course.

Despite my feeling through part of this race, I really enjoyed the overall experience.  This was a well organized marathon and, dare I say, slightly better than Columbus.  The ease of getting around and the fact that the course wasn't completely congested were pluses.  I'm really hoping this is the last time I do a full marathon but, let's face it, I'm already thinking of what I could do on a flat course.

Next race: Dayton River Corridor Classic Half Marathon- Dayton, OH

Soaring Eagle Runs Boy Scout Half Marathon

I made my way to Bowling Green this past weekend for my final test race prior to the Akron Marathon later this month.  The Soaring Eagle Runs Boy Scout Half Marathon had three things going for it:  1. It was timed perfectly for me with it taking place one month prior to Akron.  2. It's a close race at about an hour drive from my place.  3. It's cheap!  I think it was around $30 for this low-key race. 

The race started and ended at the Wood County Fairgrounds, so there was ample parking.  Packet pickup was a breeze, too.  I've mentioned before that I really like these low-key races.  There's no worrying around about parking issues and whatnot. 

My goal for this race was simply to run a nice, easy pace and break 2:00 as a warm-up for Akron.  We started out by heading west out of Bowling Green and made our way around on country roads.  There wasn't much to report scenery-wise, other than flat ground and farmland.  Lots of farmland.  My pace was right where I wanted it to be as I hit 9:17, 18:26, and 27:39 for my first three miles.  I kept around 9:07 per mile for the next five miles as we continued down some long stretches on our way back towards town.

Once we hit town, I sped up just a bit to where I was breaking 9:00.  The humidity rose well past what I was expecting (we had a storm the night before) and I was feeling the miles, despite the easy-going pace.  We wound around town into some nice residential areas.  There were a few people out and about to cheer on the runners which was appreciated.  My ten mile split was around 1:30.  Again, this is right where I wanted to be.  I sped up a little more for the final 5k of the race.  Nothing crazy, mind you, more like the pace I would run about five miles in at any other half.  We made our way back to the fairgrounds for a lap around the horse track to the finish line.  Final time- 1:56:47

I felt great after this race.  I FINALLY executed my plan to take the race easy, avoiding trying to go for a PR so close to the marathon as I've made that mistake before (Dayton River Corridor Classic Half Marathon prior to the Sphinx Run Fest Marathon in 2010 and the Air Force Half Marathon prior to the Columbus Marathon in 2011).  The best part of all this...I have only one more long run prior to Akron!  That alone is worth celebrating.

Next race: Akron Marathon- Akron, OH

Scioto Miles 10 Miler

This weekend was a fun little race in Columbus, the Scioto Miles 10 Miler.  I put this one on my list because I wanted one last chance to actually race prior to the Akron Marathon.  My half at the end of August will simply be for maintenance.  The goal for this one was to simply beat my time at the Hoover Hustle 10 Miler back in April and, possibly, break 1:20.

This one had an early start of 7:00, which I love.  But they had to bus us to the start because of the course being a point-to-point, so I had to be at Genoa Park/COSI in downtown Columbus by around 5:45.  Not as much love for that.  This was only my second point-to-point course involving busing the runners.  The other time was the 2010 Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon, which was ran on just about the identical course.  True story.

Anyway, we were bused to Griggs Reservoir on Riverside Drive and I burned time by walking around and stretching out.  It was actually pretty cool out for an early August race.  We started out by heading north for about a mile and a half through the park.  Not much to report, other than the pavement was VERY uneven to the point where it got annoying.  I clocked a slow 9:15 for the first mile and quickly picked it up and got to the second mile, as we started to head south on Riverside, in 17:53.  I don't have too many splits after that, but I definitely ran negative splits throughout the race.  The first half had a slight incline.  Not much to talk about scenery-wise.  Just road, trees, businesses, and houses.  Nothing much.

One of my few splits I did notice was at the seven mile mark as I was at about 57 minutes and change, so I was definitely ahead of my pace for half marathons.  A sub-1:20 didn't look to be in the books as the course was slightly long.  My watch measured it at 10.18 miles.  Not too bad, but enough to keep me from a sub-1:20.  Still, I was making good time as we were heading towards a mostly downhill finish. 

After going over I-670, we headed onto a bike path for the finish.  I went strong during the last two miles and passed about ten people during this stretch.  We were right next to the Scioto River during the final stretch to Genoa Park/COSI and I crossed the finish line in a strong 1:20:52.  Not a sub-1:20, but I'm very happy with this time.  I never felt bad during this run, despite going hard the entire time.  And check out the medal!

I have about four weeks off from racing before my next half.  Like I mentioned before, that one will be a simple maintenance run during my final preparations for Akron.  I'm hoping to get in an 18 miler this weekend, then a 20 miler.  It's getting too real.

Next race: Soaring Eagles Boy Scout Half Marathon- Bowling Green, OH

Presque Isle Half Marathon

State number ten is in the books.  Last weekend was the Presque Isle Half Marathon in Erie, Pennsylvania.  I really wanted a mid-July half marathon but there was nothing to choose from in Ohio.  With Erie being just under three hours, it was a pretty easy decision.

I can't say enough about this nice, low-key race.  It's held at beautiful Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie.  The organization was top-notch for such an easy-going and inexpensive half marathon.  The best part?  Cooling off with a quick swim after the race.  Seriously, I was not nearly as sore the next day as I usually am after a half.

The day started early as I arrived at 5:45 for the 6:45 start.  Ridiculously early.  But I loved the early start, especially since it got very warm and humid later in the day.  The parking was a breeze thanks to the race organizers, who did a wonderful job considering there were around 400 more runners than last year.  That's a big increase for a race this size.  The limitations to parking out on Presque Isle certainly made it more challenging.  Kudos to the Erie Running Club.

We started off right on time with our first of two long straightaways.  Presque Isle is a long peninsula, so we ran up one side, made a half loop around the tip, and came back the other way.  It's basically an out and back as the scenery does not change much.  There are very few views of the water as trees line both sides of the road during most of the race (yay shade!).  The first few miles clicked off pretty quickly.  I started off at my conservative pace, hitting 8:57, 8:45, 8:47 for the first three miles.  The race really stayed at that pace for me throughout, which was exactly what I was looking for.  Just a nice, easy race with a quick finish, if possible.

There's obviously not much to report on the scenery.  Road, trees, occasional water.  That's pretty much it.  The course was never congested, but I was also never alone for any long stretches.  It was pretty much a simple race by runners for runners.  We came near the turnaround point and I hit the seven mile mark in 1:03 and change.  Again, right where I needed to be.  The sun started to come out, but the tree-lined road kept things comfortable.  The second half went by very quickly and I was able to kick it in during the last three miles to come in at 1:49:55.  I wasn't expecting a sub-1:50 so I'm very pleased with this time.

Training for the Akron Marathon is going well and I'm actually ahead of my goal.  We've got almost two months exactly until the big day.  Only two more (training) races left to go until Sep. 28.

Next race: Scioto Miles 10 Miler- Columbus, OH

Flirt with Dirt 5k

If you can't tell by the race name, this past weekend's event was set to be a trail run.  Unfortunately, monsoon season hit NW Ohio last week and most of the race course at Riverbend Park in Findlay was flooded.  I'm not talking a small amount of water.  It looked to be knee to waist deep in some spots.  But the race organizers did a wonderful job in marking out a new course on paved trails throughout the park.  They did this on Thursday and Friday for a Saturday race AND sent runners an email explaining the situation.  Kudos!

I was prepared for a trail run, as I haven't done one since living in Dayton, and was a bit disappointed.  But, to be honest, I hadn't really planned on racing so much as just getting a good hard run in the books.  With a half marathon next weekend, it certainly wasn't the time to race.

We started out on a paved trail and I took off at a conservative pace.  I was pretty surprised that the lead pack also took off slowly.  Last year's times from this race were extremely fast, especially for a trail run.  The temperature was good, but the humidity became a problem later.  The first mile went by fast as the last half of the first mile was on an equestrian trail.  I clocked in at 7:02.  Pretty well right where I wanted to be.  But the second mile felt horrible.  We made our way back to a paved trail for a short loop around the starting area.  I really started feeling the humidity and slowed down some.  Oddly enough, there wasn't really anyone around me.  I knew I was behind the lead pack and the second pack was somewhere behind me.  I guess I was stuck in no man's land.  The second mile clocked in at 14:22, so I knew I had definitely slowed down.  Mile 3 was not much better, though a battle with another runner helped me along.  We came back by running the same portion from the first mile and the equestrian trail felt excellent after paved trails.  True trail running, for whatever reason, gives me a little extra boost.  I battled back and forth with another runner and finally left him with a quarter mile to go, surged ahead, and clocked in at 21:52 (though my watch showed 21:45).  Not a bad time considering the humidity was getting to me.  It was good enough for 15/265 overall and third in my age group. 

This is the last (of only two!) 5ks for this year that I have scheduled.  Maybe I'll get another later in the fall, but this shows how much I prefer the longer distances nowadays.  There's not much time to rest from this one, however, as I knock off state number ten next week!

Next race: Presque Isle Half Marathon- Erie, PA

Park 2 Park Half Marathon

We have had some amazingly mild weather for an Ohio summer.  I went out for a 15 miler right after work last Friday and did not overheat.  Pretty amazing for June and it's making it much easier to train for the Akron Marathon.  My thinking is that I'll run a half marathon each month during the build up (with a ten miler added in during August), so I added this small race in Sheffield, OH, just west of Cleveland.  It's a small race, with just over 100 runners, held at French Creek Reservation.  The course runs to another park, which I can't remember the name of, and back.  I was pretty psyched to get in a June half marathon.

But this is what awaited us on race morning.

Cats and dogs.  Downpour.  Delightful.  Thankfully, it stopped by the time we made it to the start line, but I would have rather had a light rain because the humidity rose like crazy late in the race.

We started off at 7:00 by making a small loop around the parking area (?) and then headed out via a crushed limestone trail.  The temps were perfect early on and I started out way too fast with a 7:25, 8:20, and 8:15 for the first three miles.  Now, I think the first mile was short, but this was still too fast for me.  The trails were surprisingly difficult in places with some hills.  The course was also pretty scenic with some nice bridges over streams and such.  I got into a battle with a few other runners that lasted a good 3-4 miles.  I finally passed them right after the turnaround point and started building a nice lead on them (they looked like they were in my age group).  It was an enjoyable first half and I clocked in at 57 minutes for the first seven miles.  Not bad at all!

Then the wheels came off.  The humidity was rising exponentially and I was feeling the effects of those fast early miles.  I took a gel and water at mile 8 and stretched out some.  I stole some glances behind me during the long straightaways and did not see anyone coming.  And there was nobody in front of me.  I decided I was probably safe to take the rest of the race easy and had a pretty good idea that I was currently third in my age group.  I sprinkled in some hard running with a few walk breaks for the rest of the race.  Splits were kind of hit-or-miss, but I was at 1:19 at the ten mile mark.  Still a very good time.

I just enjoyed the gorgeous sites during the last 3.1 miles and finally made my way back to the parking area for a finishing lap there.  It's pretty obvious that the last mile was short because I clocked in at just over six minutes for that mile.  No.  Way.  Crossed the finish line in 1:44:54 which is a very good time for me, though I'm guessing 1:47-1:48 is a more accurate time.

The biggest thing is that I was indeed third in my age group!  This is the first time I've placed in a half marathon.  You can tell that I was excited about my two medal day.

Goofball.

The postrace spread was pretty good for such a small race.  Plenty of fruit and water.  It was certainly refreshing.  I also got the chance to meet fellow blogger Jess, from the Run Jess Run blog!  Check out her journey to run 13 half marathons in 2013.  What a great goal.  We chatted about this race and our future races for the year.  Best of luck, Jess!

Then it was off to a terrific restaurant, the Harry Buffalo, for an amazing lunch.

Yes, that sandwich is buffalo chicken topped with mac and cheese.  It should be illegal but, thankfully, it is not.

My focus has shifted to the full marathon in September and I'm off to a great start.  A 15 miler followed by a good half marathon effort the next week gives me a lot of confidence.  It looks like I'll take another break from racing until mid-July.

Next race: Flirt with Dirt 5k- Findlay, OH

Run for the Camps 5k

I had to wait a couple days before posting this race report.  The excitement was too much and I was afraid the post would be incoherent if I wrote it right after the race.  Although, as regular readers know, this blog is less about solid writing and more about just getting my thoughts down for each race.

The race was held Sunday at beautiful Riverbend Park over in Findlay.  This really is a cool park and is much bigger than I thought.  My training leading to this race was surprisingly good considering I had just finished the Cap City Half two weeks prior.  I've been doing a lot of tough trail running at a local park and nailed a solid seven miler Friday evening before taking Saturday off.  In all honesty, I probably went that far because I just bought the New Balance GPS watch and wanted to take it for a spin.  I've also been sprinkling in some cross training at the local Y by using the elliptical and stationary bike.  I felt good going in and knew something in the 21 minute range would be realistic.  Keep in mind that 20:25 is my PR.

We started off with a long straightaway.  I came out of the gate faster than I meant to and found myself with the lead pack.  We made a turn about a half mile in and ran another long straightaway next to one of Findlay's reservoirs.  The first mile marker went by and I looked at my fancy new watch.  6:09?  What the heck?  I was shooting for a 6:30-6:40.  However, the first mile did measure a bit short, so I figure I was at 6:25 or so.  Still fast.  We turned soon after the mile marker and headed into a more woodsy area.  This was definitely more scenic, but I was so focused on the fact that I was running at a PR pace that I didn't pay much attention.  I slowed down some but still hit mile 2 in 12:39.  Ok.  This is definitely a PR attempt.  But I was feeling the effort and slowed just a bit in order to prepare for the last half mile.  I got into a battle with two other runners and edged one of them out with a half mile to go.  The finish line soon came into sight.  I looked at my watch, couldn't believe what I saw, and kicked into another gear for a solid finish and a new PR.  19:40!  The official results have me at a 19:42, placing 7/95 overall and third in my age group.  I never thought I would get a chance to finally break 20 minutes and I was thrilled to do so this early in the year.  Add it with the 10k PR I had in Fostoria last month and I've had a very good 2013.

I honestly still can't believe that I broke my 5k PR by so much, but I really need to focus on the rest of my summer training.  I'm trying to fit in a few summer half marathons to help me prepare for the Akron Marathon at the end of September.  My next race should certainly help.

Next race: Park 2 Park Half Marathon- Sheffield, OH

Capital City Half Marathon

This is my second time running the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus.  I set a new PR at this race last year and had aspirations of running another solid race.  I always run well in Columbus (2010 Spirit of Columbus Half, 2011 Columbus Marathon, last year's Cap City Half), so I usually feel pretty confident going in to the race.  The weather certainly worked in my favor this year.  I remember sweating up a storm simply walking from my hotel to the start line last year.  It was miserable.  Thankfully it was in the mid-50s at the start this year, with a slight breeze at times.

The course was very similar to last year's, with a few minor (and positive) changes.  The race began after a moment of silence for the Boston Marathon victims and some "Sweet Caroline" thrown in for good measure.  I made my way to Corral A, as I had again earned the small thrill to start in the first corral like last year.  Hey, I'm not fast.  I'll take what victories I can get.  It took me roughly 30 seconds to make my way past the start line after the gun and we were off.  I came out at a faster pace than recent races.  My first mile was in 8:21, followed by 8:15 and 8:13 for the first three miles.  I felt good enough that a sub-2:00 was guaranteed and a sub-1:50 was a great possibility.  The course itself was similar to last year during these early miles.  We made our way up Front Street, then west on Vine, then north on Olentangy River Road.  There's not much to look at during these early miles, but this race is more about the middle miles as we began to make our way back to the city.

We went across the Lane Ave. bridge at the four mile mark (I was holding steady in the 8:10 range) and made our way through that part of campus.  The crowd support here is awesome!  It's not as great as the big Columbus Marathon, but still one of the better race experiences I've had.  Just shy of the 5 mile mark, we turned south on High Street.  This part of the course is both good and bad.  It's very cool to run through downtown Columbus in the middle of High St.  The crowd support is also amazing during this section.  But...we're on this stretch for three miles!  That's a long stretch during a half marathon!  We don't turn off until we hit Broad Street, just south of downtown.  That's just cruel.  My split times were still holding steady and I hit the halfway mark in about 53 minutes.

A tour of Columbus State Community College was next.  This was the first change I noticed from last year's course and it was great compared to last year's mileage going further out on Broad.  We then headed south for the German Village portion of the course.  I really liked this last year, but running on a brick street at mile 11 was just terrible last year.  But that was taken out this year, in favor for a portion around Schiller Park.  Very nice.  I also got a few laughs from spectators during this portion.  We ran by Cup o Joe and I yelled out "I'm coming back for you, Cup o Joe!"  That got some laughs.

Finally, we made our way back over to High Street for the uphill battle portion of this race.  I love race directors who finish their races with an uphill stretch.  Race directors have a wonderful sense of humor.  I pushed through and finished strong at 1:45:00.  I'll never be able to duplicate a 1:45 even.  It was a great race and my second fastest half marathon ever.  The post race was definitely better than last year, but they are still trying to fit too many people into one place.  The festivities were held at Columbus Commons again, which is fine, but the long line from the finish to the celebration is ridiculous.  It's about two city blocks and you do not have time, or space, to stretch out.  I understand that they need to keep the line moving, but I saw several volunteers trying to move people along who needed a breather.  Meh.  Not my favorite part of the race, but it is a rather minor complaint compared to everything else this race has going for it.

I'm very pleased with my time at this race.  My next half isn't until mid-June, so I signed up for a 5k in a couple weeks.  Oh, and I decided to take the plunge and sign up for my third marathon.  I'll be running the Akron Marathon on September 28!  Gulp...

Next race: 5k Run for the Camps- Findlay, OH

Hoover Hustle 10 Miler

I signed up for this race soon after the events at the Boston Marathon.  Many races around the country were experiencing record numbers of runners the week after the horrifying attacks.  In our own meager way, we were showing support for the people of Boston and showing that we will not change the way we live our lives.

This race was held at the Hoover Reservoir in Westerville, OH.  5k and 10k options were also available. It was the first ten miler I've ever entered and I decided to just take it easy and treat it like a training run.  After running a 10k PR the week prior and with the Cap City Half Marathon coming up, it really was my only option.

I arrived at the race an hour early (as always) and could not believe how cold it was for late April!  There was frost on the ground!  Most runners were staying in their cars until they absolutely had to get out.  So, seeing as I was treating this as nothing more than a training run, I decided I might as well be comfortable and threw on a long sleeve tech tee and my lightweight jacket from the Columbus Marathon.  I never wear that much in races, but it didn't look like I would be overheating.  The race started at the Bel Lago restaurant and ran along the reservoir for the first few miles.  There was little to no congestion because the other races started 15 minutes after ours.  I started off at a modest pace, hitting 9:21, 9:15, and 9:05 for the first three miles.  My legs were still feeling my 10k attempt from the previous week.  We crossed the dam during the third mile, which gave us a gorgeous view of the reservoir.  Most of the rest of the course meandered through some neighborhoods east of the lake.  The scenery wasn't bad and there were some nice hills to break up the race a bit.  Surprising, considering the Columbus area is, for the most part, flat.  I picked it up some during this stretch and began hitting sub-9:00 miles for the rest of the race.  My modest goal of finishing below 1:30 was well within reach.

There were some nice downhills on the way back to the dam, which we crossed again, on the way back to Bel Lago.  I was just over one hour at the seven mile mark and made the final push.  We made our way back the same exact way we came, so I knew what to expect.  I was able to catch a few people during this stretch, too.

Final time- 1:25:09       64/205 Overall

Not a bad effort for a last minute training race.  I normally could have come close to breaking 1:20.  The Capital City Half Marathon is in just under a week.  I am not expecting another PR effort like my last Cap City attempt, but the weather is certainly looking better than last year.  Early reports are looking at mid-50s when the race starts.  Compare that with the blistering heat and humidity of last year's race.

Next race: Capital City Half Marathon- Columbus, OH

Run the Res 10k

This past weekend was the Run the Res 10k in Fostoria, Ohio.  If you've been following the blog, you know about my aversion to 10ks.  I can't really explain it.  If I make a mistake in a 5k, I can get through it because it's just 3.1 miles.  But a mistake in a 10k can be disastrous.  The weird thing is that I had placed in my only 10k attempts (BOSS Summer Run in 2002, Ralph Wade in 2011, and Twin Creek Trail in 2012).  The reason I ran this one is because it was placed perfectly in between the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon and Capital City Half Marathon.  Pretty perfect for training purposes.  My goal was simply to break 50 minutes.

The race started at 2pm at Community Park (I think that's right) in Fostoria.  The 5k option started at the same time as the 10k, which made it difficult pacing-wise.  I started out way too fast as we made our way around two of Fostoria's reservoirs.  It was a very pretty run and very flat for the first half or so.  The 5k runners definitely threw me off and I started out with a 7:19 for the first mile.  That's not far off from how I start 5ks, so I knew this would be tough.  We continued around the way we came and I was still picking people off as we hit the second mile marker.  I was still at 15 minutes and change, despite trying desperately to slow down. 

Finally, the 10k and 5k split up around 2.5 miles in the race.  We made our way up two bridges that consisted of major inclines.  I was finally able to assess the situation as I made my way down for a long straightaway heading outside of town.  There were some runners in front of me, but not many.  My best bet were two groups of two people each.  But they were up there a ways.  I hit the third mile marker in 23 minutes and change.  Still too fast, but at this point I was prepared for some pain.

The next few miles were very uneventful.  Two long straightaways on some country roads.  It did start raining lightly, which helped to cool things down some.  I passed the first group of two runners at the four mile mark.  Despite starting too fast, I still felt pretty good and looked to pick off the next two people.  The turnaround was just past the four mile mark and we made our way back to town.  I gained on the next two runners and caught up to them at the five mile mark, which I crossed in 38 minutes and change.  The second of the two challenged me for the next half mile, but I picked up the pace as we made our way up the bridge.  I'm a proponent of going hard on the uphills.  If you're passing someone, they'll see that you still have some strength left.  After that, it was the final push down the bridge and the last half mile to the finish line.  I crossed the finish in 45:35, good enough for a new 10k PR!

I didn't place in this race, but still finished a strong 14/64 overall.  Despite starting out too strong, this race taught me that I can a little harder in the early miles of future half marathons.

There were no plans for running a race this weekend, but I decided to sign up for one after the events in Boston on Monday.  I'm sure there will be plenty of runners there in support and I plan to use this one as an expensive training run for Capital City.  I urge you all to make donations to One Fund Boston and to keep those who were effected in your thoughts.

Next race: Hoover Hustle 10 Miler- Westerville, OH

Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon

This race, based on Lexington, Kentucky, is billed as one of America's prettiest half marathons.  This is absolutely an accurate description of the race.  It stars at Keeneland Thoroughbred Racing Assc. right outside of Lexington and winds through the (very) hilly back roads amid the local horse farms.  It is one of the toughest half marathons I've completed but also one of the prettiest.

I made the long trek to Lexington on Friday for packet pick up, which was also located at Keeneland.  It was a very cool race expo and, thankfully, I was able to get right in and right out.  I stayed pretty close to the race start and had no problem getting in on race day.  However, they capped the race at 5000 this year and I think that's as far as they should go.  Parking became an issue closer to race time and the race was actually delayed 15 minutes.  That was really the only negative for this year's race.  The weather was perfect, in the low-40s, so the delayed start wasn't a major deal.

We headed out from Keeneland and I immediately set into a nice nine minute pace.  I had heard several people say that the second half of the course was tougher than the first and, judging by the first few tough hills, I wanted to save plenty of gas for the second half.  The scenery was fantastic.  Nice rolling hills.  Horse farms on each side of the road.  Some of the gorgeous thoroughbreds came to the fence line to watch us.  That was quite the experience.  Race-wise I felt pretty good.  My 3 mile split was around 26:52, which is right where I wanted to be.  I did speed up some by the time I hit the halfway mark, which was in 58:20.

The second half started right in with tough, tough hills!  Up, down, up, down for miles 6-9.  There were a lot of rollers, but the downhills really started to kill my quads.  But I was still doing well and hit the 10 mile mark in 1:26:40.  My sub-2:00 streak was going to survive and I decided to just coast and enjoy the scenery.  This course certainly doesn't have much crowd support but it isn't needed at all.  The race actually leveled out a bit over the last few miles, so I wound up speeding up just a bit and hit the finish line in 1:52:18.  As I saw this race as a major challenge, I'm very happy with this time.

Next race: Run the Reservoir- Fostoria, OH

Churchill's Half Marathon

Ah, the joys of living in Northwest Ohio.  We've had a rough winter, temperature-wise, so my training has been so-so at best.  But today we hit 60 degrees.  That's almost unheard of this early in the year.  I've been getting in a lot more 4-6 milers the past month or so, but I don't think I went past 8 or 9 in a single run.  I was pretty nervous when I signed up for this one, but looked at it as a warm-up for the sure to be challenge awaiting me in Lexington at the end of the month.

This is a no-frills race in Monclova, a southern suburb of Toledo.  It starts at the elementary school, does a short out and back for the first three miles, about three more on the Wabash Cannonball Trail, and then another longer out-and-back for the remainder.  It's very flat (translation: windy) and fast.  It reminded me a lot of the Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon I've done the past few years in Xenia.  The race is the same ridiculously low price ($25) while still offering a nice long sleeve tech shirt and finisher medal.  I'm becoming a huge fan of these smaller races.

Let's get to my race experience.  I had the realistic goal of simply keeping my sub-2:00 streak alive.  That's it.  I wasn't expecting anything else.  We started out with the first out-and-back.  I kept it conservative and still finished the first mile in 8:40, even though I was really looking for 9:00.  The second mile was similar and I finished this first three mile section at 25:30.  Crap.  That's a minute and a half faster than I wanted.  I wasn't panicking, but I knew that pace was not sustainable.  We entered the Cannonball Trail and the wind was in our face.  It wasn't terribly strong, or cold, but it was enough to be an annoyance.  I don't have splits for this section, but I know I was around 51:30 for the first six miles.  Again, whoops.  I was hoping for maybe a 54:00 here.  But I still felt good.  When I hit the 7 mile mark in just under one hour, I really felt like I could get a good strong performance here.

The second out-and-back was the boring part of the course.  Not much to report here.  Just two long straightaways in farm country.  The wind was hitting us on the way out and I overheard some runners complaining about it.  Again, I still felt pretty strong here and hit the 10 mile mark in 1:21 and change.  I was shooting for 1:30 here, so I was very much ahead of the pace and looking at a possible sub-1:50.  We turned around and had a tailwind on the way back.  I passed a few people here and felt very strong.  The 12 mile mark clocked in at 1:38:15.  I kicked it in, knowing a sub-1:50 was a definite, but I was not prepared to run a sub-8:00 last mile.  We got back to the school and I crossed the mat at 1:45:27.  That's my third fastest time out of 24 half marathon attempts.  For the first race of the year, I'll take it!

I don't know what else to say about this, other than I am thrilled with the result.  I almost can't believe it.  This is the fifteenth straight half marathon in which I've broken the 2:00 mark and it's getting to the point where I'm looking to at least break 1:55 instead.  The next race may just challenge my streak, but it should make for a very scenic course.

Next race: Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon- Lexington, KY