Tour de Ashland Half Marathon Relay/2014 Thoughts

My final 2014 race was a blast!  A good friend and I ran the Tour de Ashland Half Marathon Relay together and we did much better than we expected.  We ran two half marathons together this year but neither had ever ran a relay.  It sounded like a lot of fun and we didn't have to break the bank training-wise.

We (my amazing girlfriend came to lend support) met up with my teammate in nearby Ashland on race morning.  It was windy but not too cold for early December.  It rained cats and dogs the night before and we were just hoping to not get too wet.  Unfortunately, my teammate did not luck out in that regard.  I ran the first leg of the race (6.9 miles) and he ran the second leg (6.2).  The distances were odd, but the second leg involved more hills than the first.

I started out at a great pace and hung with the 1:35 pacer for most of the race.  There were some half-marathoners and 5k runners in the mix, so it was really difficult to tell how we were doing in the relay the entire time I was running.  I just focused on hitting my splits.  We started with a loop around the neighborhood surrounding Ashland High School and back to where we started.  The 5k runners finished here and things really spread out.  I stuck with the pace team and was hitting 7:30 mile splits.  I felt like I was in a zone and could potentially hit 50 minutes for my portion of the race.  We did hit a few minor, rolling hills during the second part of the first leg but it wasn't bad.  I was hitting 7:00 miles and some sub-7:00 at this point.  The course was so-so, mostly through some nice residential areas.  We made our way towards downtown and I kicked it in for the final mile or so.  I did come in at 49:53 which is an amazing time for me!

I handed it off to my teammate.  He had to tackle a major hill right out of the gate and, of course, it rained like crazy during his last couple of miles.  And the wind kicked up, too.  He still had a fun time and ran a great time in such conditions.  Our team time was 1:42:06, good enough for second overall in the relay and first overall in the all-male division!  We each received a cool finisher's medal and a fleece blanket for winning our division.  What a fun way to end 2014!

I like to review my races at the end of this year and give my thoughts on them.  2014 was another amazing year and I hit quite a few highlights:

• Added my eleventh state (Vermont) at the Mad Half Marathon.
• I finally ran a sub-1:40 half marathon (1:39:32) at the Capital City Half Marathon.
• I added several new race distances/types this year with my first indoor race (Fremont Indoor 10k), four miler (Flying Feather), and relay (Tour de Ashland).
• Won two races (Race to Eliminate 5k, Drug Free 5k) and came in second twice (Greek Festival 5k, Banking on a Cure 5k).
• 18 total races: nine half marathons, six 5ks, one 10k, one 4 miler, one relay.
• Hit 40 total half marathons.
• Total race mileage for 2014: 153.6

Favorite races of the year:

Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- This was my third time running this race and I'm already scheduled for the April 2015 race.  It's just so well organized and for $25 it's a steal.

Capital City Half Marathon- What is it with me and Columbus?  I run so well down there and I felt like I had an out of body experience at it this year.  Knocking down 7:30 miles during a half is crazy for me.  Very well organized and always a fun time!

Mad Half Marathon- Definitely the toughest race I've ever done, but one of the most gorgeous and friendliest races too!  This was a fun summertime race and an excuse to travel to New England.  Everyone was very friendly and the organization was fantastic.

Buckeye Half Marathon- This was my second time running this one.  It's always cold, being down in the valley, but it's so well organized and a beautiful course.  I love getting a hoodie rather than a T-shirt.  This one also counted as my 40th half marathon.

What will 2015 bring?  My goal is to run ten half marathons as I would love to get to 50.  I'm going to try to load up on winter/spring half marathons to help me in this quest.  My next race is in a few short weeks, as I'll be travelling to the Southwest for a major race.  I'll be doing the Remix Challenge by running my first double: A 5k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday.

Next race: P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon & 5k

Flying Feather 4-Miler

This was a new race distance and experience for me.  I've ran in several races near Thanksgiving but had never taken the plunge on Thanksgiving Day.  This was a fun race, but there are definitely some areas in which this race could improve.  The swag, however, was top-notch!  A nice tech shirt, gloves, running hat, heavy medal, and a bottle of wine at the finish!

The race is held in Glacier Ridge Metro Park in Dublin, OH, and regularly sells out with 4,000 participants!  It's one of the largest Thanksgiving races in Ohio.  The park is very nice and the race started at a nice club that allowed us to come in prior to the race.  That was great as temps were in the high 20s.  There are shuttle buses going out from the various parking areas near the park.  This was a nice touch and my girlfriend and I were able to get on one right after we parked.

I liked the race overall, but the start was so congested that I couldn't even line up in the right spot.  The start area was very narrow and taped off in some areas, so I had to start near the back even though I needed to be near the front.  That made for a frustrating start for me as I spent the first few miles dodging people.  My goal coming in was to attempt to break 30 minutes, even though my training has been sporadic at best.  I did my best dodging and came in around 7:40 for the first mile and the same for the second.  There were a few hills sprinkled throughout but I liked the change of pace.

I spend the second half of the race doing less dodging and spending more time chasing down pace groups.  I never got to the one I should have started with, but the race was chip timed so it really didn't matter where I started.  The second half was definitely faster as we made our way back to the start.  The best part was the downhill finish!  I was able to hit my goal for the day (barely!) and came in with a respectable 29:47, good enough for 165/3,891 overall and 26/369 in my age group.

The only other gripe I had was getting a bus after the finish to go back to the parking area.  It was a mess and we waited for around 20-30 minutes.  There was no order to how the buses were parking to pick us up, so every time we ran to the one we needed it was already full.  Not a huge deal, but I did see a lot of people walking back to their cars which were a mile or more away.

The next race will be my final one for this amazing running year.  I'll be doing a two-person relay with a good friend, which should be a really fun time!

Next race: Tour de Ashland Half Marathon 2-Person Relay- Ashland, OH

Buckeye Half Marathon

My Columbus Half experience was fun, but I ultimately fell short of my goal at that race.  I wanted one more opportunity to try for a solid race in 2014.  I also ran this race because it was my 40th half marathon!  Every time I hit a milestone like this, I think back to my first half in 2009 and how I said "Never again!" at the finish line.  You just never know!

This race is absolutely fantastic!  I ran a 1:50:21 at it last year and really enjoyed it.  The race is so well organized and you even get a 1/4 zip jacket or a hoodie for entering.  I registered the day before the race and was still able to get a hoodie!  Something I'll actually use!  The course itself is of the double loop variety which I normally don't enjoy but the scenery is fantastic.  Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a great place to visit if you get the opportunity.

We started out right on time and I began at a reasonable 8:30 pace.  I had higher aspirations, but I wanted to use the same method as at Wooster and Findlay earlier this year by saving everything for the second half of the race.  I hung around the 1:50 pace team for the first half of the race and just enjoyed myself.  It was freezing, though!  I noticed the temp gauge in my car went down around 10 degrees in the drive from my hotel in Medina to Cuyahoga Valley.  It is certainly low in the valley and it gets cold.  It took a few miles for me to warm up, but I knew I was on pace for a very solid race when I started kicking more around the five mile mark.  I really felt good at this one and my running was as effortless as I've felt since Cap City.

The second half is a complete blur.  I passed a ton of people at the beginning of the second loop, though it's hard to tell because of the relay exchange (there's a two-person relay at this race).  I felt phenomenal and noted the 7:15-7:30 miles I started to rip out.  It did start to get sunny and the temps felt perfect during the second loop.  I also forgot to mention that, although this is held in Summit County, it's a relatively flat course.  There are a few hills toward the end of the loop, but nothing daunting.  It's a really nice course!  I was able to cruise in with my second fastest half time, 1:40:17!!!  This was good enough for 54/450 overall and 6/19 in my age group.  The frustrating thing is I was less than a minute and a half away from placing.  I've had so many near misses this year.

This was a fantastic final half marathon for the year.  The Summit Athletic Running Club puts on a great event and it has become one of my go-to races.  They even serve hot soup at the end!

Next race: Flying Feather 4-Miler- Dublin, OH

Columbus Half Marathon

Yes, I am missing three race reports.  The Columbus Half was well over a month ago and I still have two other race reports to do.  Plus, my next race is tomorrow.  Yikes!  I'll keep it short.

This is a tremendous race with excellent organization, minus one snafu at the end that was quickly corrected.  My girlfriend and I stayed downtown for the race to avoid the traffic the next day.  We were even able to meet up with some friends of mine, one of whom was running the full, for dinner the night before the race!  That was a fun way to start the weekend!

Race morning was chilly but not too terrible.  The start was at 7:30 so we walked from the hotel to the starting area around 6:30.  My amazing girlfriend actually made the trek that early to cheer me on.  I love that type of motivation!

The race start is amazing!  The fireworks display was awesome, though I enjoyed the one prior to the 2011 race slightly better.  I was in Corral A (how did I ever get this fast?!), so it did not take long to cross the start line.  I started out at around an 8 minute pace and felt pretty good for the first five miles or so.  The first half consists mostly of two long straightaways down Broad Street.  We go out past Capital University, then run some side streets, then make our way back towards downtown.  I had forgotten how long this stretch seems as it didn't really bother me when I ran the full in 2011.  This seemed much longer as I was out for a good time at this race.  I hit the 10k mark in 49:54 so I was definitely on pace for a sub-1:50 half marathon.  My goal was to give my 1:39:31 from the Capital City Half Marathon a run for its money.

But then the wheels fell off and I had some minor GI issues throughout the second half of the race.  We were running back toward German Village when I started feeling a bit crummy and had to stop (twice).  I was still running a good time, though, and was still thinking a sub-1:45 was a possibility.  What a difference a few years make!  I couldn't dream of a sub-1:45 back then and yet here I was, struggling with a GI issue and still thinking of a sub-1:45.

We hit German Village and meandered around there a bit.  I did notice the course through here was very similar to Capital City and is my favorite part of the tour.  I kicked it up a bit during these miles as I was slowly feeling better.  After exiting German Village, we headed back up High Street.  There's a killer hill here leading back downtown.  I've mentioned it during my Cap City reports as that race ends near the same area.  It's a rough way to finish the race!  I was able to cruise in for a 1:44:37.  Good enough for 816/10,410 overall and 109/593 in my age group.

The only snafu was they didn't have the medals ready for the first group of half marathoners.  There was a problem in getting them on time, though it sounded like the race organizers did a FANTASTIC job trying to fix it.  They arrived around a half hour after I finished and I was able to pick one up.  Not a big deal at all.

My time was excellent and my mini sub-1:50 streak continued, but I was hoping to come close to 1:40 at this race.  I decided to do a revenge race the next week at another race I'm familiar with.

Next race: Buckeye Half Marathon- Cuyahoga Fall, OH

Findlay Red White and Blue Half Marathon

I'm way behind (again!) on writing the blog.  Tomorrow's the Columbus Half Marathon and I haven't even given my report on this race.  I'll keep this one pretty short.

I made the trek to Tiffin to stay with friends and then to Findlay to run with a friend the next day.  We knew this would be a smaller race and I was really just looking for a good hard run prior to the Columbus Half Marathon.  The weather, however, turned pretty nasty the day before the race.  We got some rain but the wind was terrible!  Race morning was very cold and I of course forgot to bring gloves and a hat.  It was a miserable start.

We started out from Riverbend Park and ran west just north of the Findlay Reservoir.  This was the worst part of the course as the wind was blowing right in our faces.  It felt like a death march.  I started out at a very conservative pace for the first five miles or so.  Just under 9:00/mile was what I was looking for.  We made a loop around the reservoir and I decided to speed up some after the five mile mark.

Not much to report after that.  Lots of cornfields.  The race itself was very well organized, but the scenery was nothing to write home about.  We had a strange little turnaround roughly seven miles in where we ran about a half mile down a new road and then right back.  I would have liked to have run more in Riverbend Park and cut out this portion.  We then had a LONG straightaway to just past the ten mile mark.  The wind wasn't terrible and I was actually able to run a great pace along this part of the course, sometimes getting in under 8:00/mile.

We made our way back to the park and I came in in a surprising 1:46:18.  This was good enough for 15/99 overall and only 30 seconds away from placing in my age group.

Next race: Columbus Half Marathon- Columbus, OH

Pomerene Foundation Fall Trail Run Half Marathon

I'm in a bizarre gap between fall races.  Last week was this half marathon in Millersburg and my next race won't be for a while.  Odd for the fall. 

This race was well organized but I just wasn't feeling it.  We had some hot and humid weather in the week leading up to this one.  It cooled down a bit on race morning, but not enough to make much of a difference.  The course was not quite what I was expecting.  I knew it would be on the bike path, but I was really expecting some hills considering all of Holmes County is hilly.  It wasn't.  It was pancake flat as the path runs next to a river.  I don't do the best on flat courses, though I was ok with my performance in this one.

We started out on a bizarre half mile run before turning right around and heading the opposite way.  Odd.  I'm not sure why they didn't just add a half mile to the turnaround point.  Anyway, I started out a bit quicker than I needed to with the first three miles coming in around 8 minutes each.  There weren't many people around for the majority of the race so I just acted like it was a training run.  There were some nice sections of the path, but the majority of it really reminded me of the Little Miami Half Marathon I ran back in 2011.  It was just kind of dull. 

I slowed down considerably after the turnaround point.  I was around 7 miles at the one hour mark, so I knew I was safely going to come in under two hours.  I mostly just tried to zone out, listen to music and stay hydrated.  Meh.  Not much more I can say. 

The finish was not my usual strong effort, but I was able to come in under the 1:50 mark at 1:49:51.  That was good enough for second in my age group, though again this was a very small race.

Next race: Findlay Red White & Blue Half Marathon- Findlay, OH

Banking for a Cure 5k

I decided to do a last minute 5k one week after the half in Wooster.  It was held only a few miles from my apartment so it was an easy decision.  If you've been following the blog, I've been focusing on less distance and more intensity this year.  It's been working wonders as my half marathon times have been coming down.  This little 5k was timed perfectly by being two weeks prior to my next half.  My performance...meh.

We started out at Malabar School in Mansfield.  I took off with the lead pack which included a few young kids taking off at young kid pace.  Their parents really should tell them to not start off at a sprint in a 5k.  Another runner and I quickly took the lead and it became a two person race.  The scenery was just suburban homes and plenty of hills.  It was a pretty solid workout.  I abandoned my plan and started off with a 6:38 mile.  I intended to start off with a 7:00 and run negative splits but that dang competitiveness clicked in.  The leader was about ten feet in front for most of the race until the heat started in.  It warmed up fast and we felt it halfway into the race.  The second mile clicked in at around 7:06.  We were both slowing down.  I really slowed down during the last mile and I really regret it because the leader did too.  I had a great opportunity to pass him with about a half mile left but I had nothing left in me.  I crossed the finish in a respectable 21:38, good enough for 2/66 overall, but only 17 seconds off from the winning time.  I was kicking myself for this one, but I have to remember that I would have killed for a second place finish a year ago.  Plus, the heat was a killer.

Next race: Pomerene Foundation Fall Trail Run Half Marathon- Millersburg, OH

Buehler's Heart & Sole Half Marathon

 

Well, I'm a week behind on this blog.  I ran a 5k this morning but have yet to give my report for last week's race.  My fifth half marathon for the year was in nearby Wooster, the Heart & Sole Community Run.  I had the added bonus of running it with a good friend so that was pretty cool!

This race had a very early start of 7:30.  Love it.  Why can't every race start early?  Plus, it was unseasonably cool for mid-August with temps around the low 50s at the start of the race.  The GPS on my watch was malfunctioning, so I will not be reporting specific times on this one.  Let's keep it short and sweet despite my surprising effort.

We started out in the downtown area and ran north through some upscale neighborhoods.  My friend and I started out at a conservative pace because we weren't quite sure how bad the hills would be.  Wooster is very hilly so we planned accordingly.  There were paces for this small race and we tucked in with the 1:55 pace team.  I wanted to hang out there for the first 3-4 miles and see how I felt.  We encountered a few longer hills but they really weren't that bad.  More of a nice change of pace, really.  The pacer let us know we were around the 26 minutes at the 3 mile mark.  That's right where I wanted to start and I felt great. I started picking up my pace in the hope of catching up to the 1:50 pace group. 

We kept running through residential areas and hit a few more hills.  I knew by looking at the elevation chart prior to the race that the worst hills were over in the first half.  I'm just guessing that I was running a lot of 7:30-7:40 miles midway through the race.  We did hit one dull portion by making our way around a huge park.  It was right out in the open, flat, and the sun was starting to warm things up.  This was around the 7-8 mile mark.  We then made our way back towards the downtown area.  I kept my pace around 7:30 (guessing) and focused on running a sub-1:50, if not a sub-1:45.  

The last three miles or so were net downhill and a really great opportunity to make up some time.  Seriously, I felt great throughout the entire race.  I noticed I was passing quite a few people over the last mile or two.  The downtown area came into view and I kept pushing, crossing the line in a great time of 1:43:52.  This is only the third time I've broken 1:45!  Not too bad for a non-goal race.

My strategy this year of doing less mileage and more intensity is working wonders.  My half time is consistently strong now and I'm hoping for a couple opportunities to break my PR.  I followed this race up with a local 5k.

Next race: Banking on a Cure 5k- Mansfield, OH

Mad Half Marathon

I conquered my eleventh state last weekend by venturing to Waitsfield, VT for the Mad Half Marathon.  This race counted as my 35th half marathon and took over as the toughest, and prettiest, I've completed yet.  The organization was top-notch and I honestly don't have any ideas for improvement.

I flew in the day before and made it to packet pickup so I would know where to go the next day.  The town was very pretty, a quintessential small New England town.  There was a farmer's market going on and it seemed everyone in town was out and about.  Pickup was a breeze and I made my way back to Burlington to rest.  The race started early on Sunday, 7:00, so I had to leave around 5:30 to get there around 6:00.  I was concerned about the parking in such a small space but the race organizers did a great job.  Even the start area was pretty!

Miles 1-5: We took off at 7:00 on the dot.  I'm not going to worry about splits for this race.  The hills made it impossible to go out at a consistent pace.  Some miles clocked in at 9:20 and others clocked in at 7:30.  It was up and down the whole way.  You can find the nasty elevation chart for the full marathon here.  The first few miles weren't bad as we made our way out of town.  Our first climb came up about 2 1/2 miles in and was it ever a climb.  It was roughly a 500 foot climb over a mile or so.  Straight up.  We then encountered the downhill which was almost worse.  I tried to hold back some on the downhills, knowing more climbs awaited us later on, but it was destroying my quads.  We leveled out for another mile or so and made our way back for the very same climb!  Our two biggest climbs came up in the first half of the race.

Miles 6-10: We hit the halfway mark at the end of the climb and I was around one hour here.  My goal was to simply break 2:00 or even a 1:55.  At this point, I thought breaking 2:00 was going to be a stretch.  We kept on hitting smaller uphills that felt worse than they were and that kept slowing me down.  Things leveled out a bit over miles 9 and 10.  I finished mile 10 around 1:28 and was finally feeling comfortable about breaking 2:00.  We had been running around a hill over the town, so I knew we had a long downhill coming soon that would take us back to the finish.

Miles 10-13.1: We finally started hitting the downhill and winded our way back to Waitsfield.  This was a long downhill and I gained a lot of time during this stretch.  It was finally comfortable enough to hold some conversation with other runners.  Everyone was extremely friendly.  I also finally got a chance to enjoy the views.  The race was gorgeous throughout, but the final 5k was the prettiest section of the course with some views of the town and the mountains.  We made our way back towards the start for a nice, level finish in Waitsfield.  I didn't really pick up the pace as I knew I had a much better time than expected.  The finish line finally came into view and I came in with a very good time of 1:51:48.  This was good enough for 56/366 overall and sixth in my age group.  I was actually less than two minutes away from placing in my age group.  I was beat!

As much fun as this one was, it will be a one-time thing for me.  It was tough and my legs were feeling it for a few days.  I've actually taken most of the week off and will start hitting it again soon.

Next race: Cooper Tire Centennial 5 Miler- Findlay, OH

Tiro-Auburn Firefighter's Festival 5k

I made my way to this 5k last Friday after work hoping for a reprieve from our latest bout of heat and humidity.  Alas, no luck.  It was sunny, hot, humid, and just plain miserable.  The course was certainly more varied than I would have expected, too, with rolling hills throughout the out-and-back.  The race was definitely larger than I was expecting.  There were probably around 80 people total and there were quite a few high school runners.

We lined up at 7:00 (an 8:00 might have helped some with the heat, but not much) for the start of the race.  I lined up near the front of the pack and took off at a conservative pace.  We hit a slight downhill at the very start as we made our way out of town onto country roads.  I tucked in to fifth place at the start and focused on maintaining it through the race.  The first mile went by in 6:32, much faster than I meant to go out.  I slowed down some as we wound our way down more country roads.  There's not much to report on this race as it was pretty much farmland and a surprising number of turns.  We hit some rolling hills that would have been nice any other time of year.  Not when the temperature is in the upper 80s.  I did slow down to 7:02 for the second mile and tried to maintain that pace on the way back to the finish.  I was pretty much running by myself with the fourth place person about 100 yards in front of me and the sixth 100 yards behind me.  The last mile was pretty tough with a few uphills, particularly the one right by the finish.  I was able to finish out with a 21:07, good enough for fifth overall and first in my age group.

Like I said, there's not much to report on this one as it was a tune up for my next race.  The course was measured out to 3.1 on the dot, which I really appreciated.  The organization was top notch for a local 5k and it was nice to grab some food at the festival before heading home.  Next on the docket is a half marathon in my eleventh state.

Next race: Mad Half Marathon- Waitsfield, VT

CACY Drug Free 5k

My amazing 2014 running season continued last weekend with the CACY Drug Free 5k in nearby Lexington, OH.  This was a fantastic 5k run on the B&O Bike Trail that runs in a semi-circle around the southern half of Richland County.  The field size was small, but I could tell there were some serious runners out there during the pre-race warm-ups.  My training has been pretty consistent over the past month and I was shooting for a sub-21:00.

We started out heading south on the bike path and I took off like a beast.  Translation: Way too fast.  We had a downhill early on that I flew down to take the race lead right out of the gate.  Not much to report after that as this part of the bike path isn't very scenic.  Much of the course was shaded, which was nice.  I flew through the first mile in 6:13.  Again, I was going way too fast as my goal was to get a 6:30 here.  I had a nice lead as we made our way to the turnaround point, which had about a half mile worth of shade.  The temperature difference was huge and I was able to hang in there.  At the turnaround, I noticed the runner in second place was about 200 meters behind me.  This is a good lead, but I had my doubts I could keep it with how fast I went out.  The second mile came in at 12:53 (6:40) so I was definitely slowing down.  The last mile was rough.  It was seriously warming up and much of this last mile had no shade whatsoever.  It was tough going and I did what I know I shouldn't do which is look behind me.  The next runner looked to be closer to a quarter mile off at this point, so I let off the gas just a bit.  We made our way towards the finish and the uphill that I had flown down at the beginning.  It wasn't bad and I was able to come in for a very good 20:36 finish and first overall!

To think I had never won a race until December is hard to imagine, as I've had two first place finishes and one second place since moving to Richland County.  Add my 10k (albeit in an indoor race) and half marathon PRs and it seems 2014 is my year.  I have the next couple weeks off before another small 5k and a half marathon in July.

Next race: Tiro-Auburn Firefighters Festival- Tiro, OH

Greek Festival 5k

I ran a local 5k last week here in Mansfield.  It was a bit of an experience as we had some interesting weather during the run. 

We headed out on a long straightaway in town and it immediately started raining.  It was light but that didn't last long.  Some high school runners took off in the lead, but I was able to catch this group pretty quickly and led the race about a half mile in.  We turned onto Park Avenue and another runner came up and passed me.  He was running so effortlessly that it made it look like I was standing still.  Time to run for second place!  The rain picked up and I hit the first mile in about 6:32, right where I wanted to be.  We had a really nice downhill during the second mile and I gained a good size lead over the number three runner.  This is when the hail started.  It was very small pieces but it was still quite unpleasant.  We turned off of Park towards a side road for a quick circular route around a neighborhood and back to Park.  The second mile came in about 6:50, so I was still holding steady.  Remember that nice downhill during the first half?  What goes down must come up.  This was a tough stretch.  I took a quick glance behind me and noticed the third runner was probably a minute behind me, so I didn't feel the need to push it too much.  We turned towards the finish and I came in at 21:03, good enough for second overall.

This wasn't a bad showing but I was a bit disappointing.  I was hoping to get around 20 minutes even but this course simply wasn't the right one.  I'm taking a couple weeks off and doing some speedwork in preparation for the next one.

Next race: Drug Free 5k- Lexington, OH

Capital City Half Marathon

This is the third straight year I've run in the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus.  This particular race has been very good to me.  I ran a PR, at the time, of 1:45:35 in 2012 and a 1:45:00 last year.  I came in with the goal of coming in under 1:45 this year, with thoughts of attempting to break my PR of 1:41:50 from the 2012 Cleveland Fall Classic. 

The weather was absolutely perfect this year.  It was in the high 40s and overcast at the start of the race.  It was very hot and humid in 2012 and high 50s and sunny last year.  I also felt surprisingly good coming off of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half  Marathon just six days earlier.  The course had a few changes this year.  The section around Columbus State was taken out in favor of adding a loop around COSI, crossing the Main Street bridge, and coming back to High Street for the finish. 

Miles 1-5: We started off on Front Street and I came out fast.  Way faster than I ever had as the first mile clocked in at 7:22.  Keep in mind my usual pace of 9:00 for the first three miles or so.  We continued to Olentangy River Road towards High Street, which is the same as the two previous years.  It's definitely a positive knowing the race course in advance.  I kept clocking miles in the 7:25-7:45 range which is much faster than I ever have.  There was a snafu somewhere in these early miles, though.  I noticed we were at around the 4.3 mile mark when we passed the 4 mile marker.  The course wound up being long by 2/5 of a mile.  At the pace I was going, that was going to affect my time by a good 3:00 or so.  I tried to forget about that and keep clicking off the miles.  We crossed the Lane Avenue Bridge just before the five mile mark.

Miles 6-10: These miles can be the toughest in the race.  We have a three mile straightaway down High Street back to downtown, a turn on Broad Street, then another straightaway down 3rd Street through German Village.  It's great for your time, but it's a LONG straightaway.  I made it through the six mile mark in about 46 minutes and the eight mile mark in one hour even.  This is blazing fast for me!  My watch shows some miles in the 7:15 range during this part of the course.  I finally started thinking of a PR and possibly breaking 1:40.  Of course, keep in mind that the course was measured long, so I didn't pass the official eight mile mark for another couple minutes.  Still, this is blazing fast.  The course support in this area is great, too, as we made our way through downtown.  We made the turn on Broad and I started to kick it up a notch coming through German Village and around Schiller Park.  Mile 9 came in at 7:12 and Mile 10 came in at 7:22. 

Miles 11-Finish: We made our way back up High Street for one of the tougher uphills on the entire course.  Mile 11 showed me around 1:22, so I was definitely in range for a PR, and maybe in range for a sub-1:40.  The course then veered off toward COSI for another tough portion of the course.  We hit mile 12 just in time for a gradual uphill, prior to a more pronounced uphill on the way back towards High Street.  Mile 12 came in at 1:30.  The final mile was by far the toughest of the whole course.  It included several turns and a net uphill.  We turned onto High Street and I kicked it in for a 1:39:31 finish, finally breaking 1:40!

This was another fantastic offering by the Capital City Half Marathon.  I'm absolutely thrilled to break 1:40, but it is disappointing to know that I actually ran around 1:37 for 13.1 miles.  I suppose this allows me the possibility of breaking this new PR later in the year.

Next race: Greek Festival 5k- Mansfield, OH

Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon

Well, this one was a pleasant surprise!  I headed over to Canton for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon.  This was the first year for this event and other than some driving issues, it was a great race.  I'm running next week's Capital City Half Marathon, so I didn't have any real goal for this race other than keeping the sub-2:00 streak alive.

I was able to drive to Canton the morning of the race, a little over an hour from Mansfield, due to the brilliant idea of opting for my race packet to be mailed to me.  This was a steal at ten dollars.  I didn't have to get a hotel or anything and I was willing to deal with the early start (I left Mansfield at about 4:30).  This option was well worth it!  Getting to the race was no problem at all.  Parking was at the Stark County Fairgrounds where buses were waiting to take us to Fawcett Stadium for the start.

What I wasn't expecting this morning was the chill.  It was 37 degrees at the start.  In late April.  Many of us were huddled under the various tents set up around the stadium.  It was just crazy cold for this time of year.  I didn't think I'd have to opt for a long sleeve tech tee and gloves but, dang it all, I did.  

Miles 1-5: I started out right at a 9:00 pace for the first couple miles.  There were hills along the course, which I was expecting in Canton.  None of them were too bad but there were a few longer ones sprinkled in there.  We headed south for bit before heading towards the downtown area.  I was surprised at how nice the course was, not really knowing Canton at all.  The downtown was pretty cool and there was good crowd support.  I started picking up my pace to 8:40-8:45 for a few miles.

Miles 6-10: We finish a long straightaway only to go into another one.  This was a good time to pick up the pace.  I hit the 10k in 53:15 which is very good.  The seven mile mark came in about 59:29.  Again, this is awesome.  I usually hit six and a half miles in an hour so I was sure I'd keep my sub-2:00 streak alive.  We hit some more hills during yet another straightaway, but I was really powering up the hills and not feeling the effects.  I hit the ten mile mark in 1:25 and change.  At some point here, I noticed I had a sub-8:00 mile, unheard of for me this early in a race.

Miles 11-Finish: I kept pushing my pace as we made our way back toward Fawcett Stadium.  I passed quite a few people during this part of the course and felt good the whole way.  Thankfully, I was able to push myself while still keeping something in the tank for Cap City.  It was kind of hard to tell how far we had once we could see the Hall again, so I kept powering on and made it to Fawcett for an awesome finish at the 50 yard line.  Final time: 1:45:14.  This was good enough for 246/2046 overall.  We received a very cool football shaped medal and a fleece blanket at the finish!

I'm very happy with how I ran this race.  Posting a sub-1:50 is phenomenal this early in the year, especially considering the nasty winter we had.  I also extended my sub-2:00 streak to 25 races.  My goal is to break 1:45 at Saturday's Cap City Half.

Next race: Capital City Half Marathon- Columbus, OH

ORRRC Half Marathon

I love being able to schedule races around work conferences.  It's one of my favorite things.  I was in the Dayton area last week and stayed a couple extra days to catch up with some friends and run the Ohio River Road Runner's Club Half Marathon in Xenia.  This is my third time running this race (2011, 2012) and it never disappoints.  It's very well organized and for $25 you get great swag, a nice course, no traffic, and hot food at the finish.  But it is growing! It's up from 500 or so people in 2011 to around 1000 in 2014.

Getting to the race is a piece of cake.  I couldn't park at the YMCA this year, due to the bigger numbers, but we were diverted to nearby Shawnee Park.  It's only a few blocks away so no big deal.  The weather was perfect for early April.  Mid-40s and clear at the start.  I started right in the middle of the pack and away we went.

Miles 1-5: We start out from the Y and head north for a bit before circling back around toward the bike path.  I started out at a conservative pace and hit the first mile in 9:21.  The course was the same as previous years which was nice.  We hit the bike path for a short time before taking some country roads around the south part of town.  This is the only part of the course with any hills, thought the hills are certainly not anything major.  We turn back onto the bike path shortly after mile 5 and stay on the path for the rest of the race.

Miles 6-10: The next few miles are on the straightaway portion of the bike path.  I hit the 6 mile mark in 52:43.  That put me in a great position to keep my sub 2:00 streak alive.  I'm always amazed that I don't get bored during this portion of the course.  I think the fact that I don't have to worry about hitting tangents helps.  I can tune out the race and just go at my own pace.  We remain on the straightaway before turning toward Central State University soon after mile 7. This little side trip takes us to a turnaround at mile 8 and we go back to the main bike path, hitting it at mile 9.  Then we hit the same straightaway again.  I was picking up my pace a bit here and feeling pretty good, especially for the first half of the year.

Miles 11-13.1: The last few miles were a blur.  I passed quite a few people and picked up my pace.  At the 12.5 mark we come off the bike path and hit a side street for a straightaway finish at the Y.  I hit the timing mat in 1:52:11, good enough for 259/1059 overall.

This was a nice confidence boost, considering my inconsistent training this winter due to a job change and nasty weather.  I have a couple weeks to go until I hit a half in Canton and another in Columbus on consecutive weeks!

Next race: Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon- Canton, OH

Race to Eliminate 5k

I tackled my second race since moving to Mansfield in the Race to Eliminate 5k.  This event was held at Malabar Farm State Park in nearby Lucas and it gave me my first taste of the hills of Richland County.  Wicked hills.  Oh, and we had snow the day before, which had melted, creating a slippery mess.  I almost decided not to run this one as I knew it was being run on dirt roads and would be messy.  Thankfully, I went through with it.

There was a 10k attached to this one.  If you've ever raced one of these 5k/10k runs, they are very difficult.  You can't really tell who's running which race.  And it can cause you to start out too fast, which is exactly what I did.  We started out from Malabar Farm towards a county road, then made a quick turn onto a hilly dirt road.  One older gentleman started out at an insane pace.  I assumed he had to be in the 5k and not the 10k, so I decided to try to keep up with him.  He was used to the hills and I was certainly not.  I kept within 20 meters for the first half of the race and hit the first mile in 6:31.  Whoops.  I was kind of shooting for a 7:00-7:15 there.  The race went downhill (figuratively) for me from there. 

We hit the turnaround point, giving me a chance to see who this awesome runner was, and noticed he was wearing a bib number with red numbers (for the 10k).  So then I start thinking that I have a legit chance at winning the 5k (while being in awe of this eventual 10k winner).  I tried to pick up the pace, but I was really lagging after that first mile.  The hills were pretty bad and the mud was making it worse.  The second mile came in at 14:00.  I was definitely slowing down but still running a good race.  Another runner came close to me about midway through the third mile but I was just able to fend him off.  See where I'm going with this?

The last 100 meters or so consisted of a straight uphill.  I was gone but took a look behind me.  And saw nobody even close!  I crossed the finish line in 22:31 and, more importantly, won my second race!  I received a very nice trophy for this accomplishment, which is prominently displayed in my living room.  Despite the win, I realize I could have easily broken 22 minutes had I run a smarter race.  Next 5k, perhaps.  But now it's time to start back in with my favorite distance, the half marathon.

Next race: Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- Xenia, OH

Fremont Indoor 10k/Road Apple Run 5k

I am well over a month behind on this blog as I've already completed two races.  Yet another job change and move is my excuse this time.  I recently relocated to Mansfield, OH, which should open up yet more race opportunities.  It's exciting to be within an hour or so of Columbus, Canton, Akron, and the Cleveland area.  Plenty of races to be had!

The first one this year was the Fremont Indoor 10k.  This was a fun race held at the Fremont YMCA.  We saw about four inches of snow the morning of the race, so making the trek from Tiffin (this was a few weeks prior to the move) was a chore.  But racing indoors, in shorts and a T-shirt, in early February made the trip worth it.  There's not much to report as we simply ran 56 laps around the indoor track.  There were multiple heats to accommodate the 60-70 runners and I found myself in the first heat.  I started off conservatively and trailed a fellow runner for the first three miles.  Splits were even the entire way.  I made a move at mile four and made for the leader.  He was extremely quick and I was never able to make up much ground on him, but still came in with a solid 44:44, which would actually be my 10k PR!  I won't count it as such since it was an indoor race.

The second race was near Ashland at the Road Apple Run 5k.  This was held at Crestview schools.  It was organized pretty well and featured an out and back course.  We started at the parking lot and made our way north away from the school.  My training had been mediocre at best with the frigid winter we've had in Ohio, so I started out with a conservative pace for this 5k.  But I did pass quite a few people during the first half of the race and was near 11:30 at the halfway mark.  We had gone down a few hills on the way out, so I knew it would be a struggle on the way back.  I tucked in behind a few other runners for a half mile or so before passing them and then did it again with another group.  The final 100 meters was a sprint between me and another runner, but he got the best of me on this day.  I ran a respectable 22:28, good enough for 19/237 overall.  Not bad.

I'm signed up for the ORRRC Half Marathon next month, my third time running that race.  I may run a 5k or 10k in nearby Lucas next week, but the jury's out.  Hopefully, I can keep up with this blog!