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
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
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
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
Thursday, October 3, 2013
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
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
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