Thoughts on 2016 Running Year

I posted another solid running year.  W and I were very busy planning a wedding and honeymoon, plus we recently purchased a house.  We have more things on the horizon, so I think there will probably be fewer races in 2017.

Although it was a busy year, I still had many highlights.  I PR'd once again at the Ohio River Road Runners Half Marathon in April, ran a solid 20:00 5k in November, hit my 60th half marathon, and had fun traveling to races with W.

2016 Race Totals

5k- 7
10k- 1
Half Marathon- 9
25k (plus a bit extra to make it 16.2 miles)- 1
Grand total of 162 miles in races

Favorite Races

• ONU Polar Bear Indoor Half Marathon- Who would think 105 laps on an indoor track would be so much fun?  The organization and enthusiasm from the school's athletes made this one a must-do.
• Alamo Half Marathon- This was well worth the trip as San Antonio is a gorgeous city in which to run.  I had a solid outing and enjoyed all the historic sites and parks.  
• Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- Yes, this is on my list every year.  $25 and a great race experience make it my favorite race.  I'll be running it for the sixth time in 2017.
• Flying Pig- I have a blast doing the 5k with W on Saturday and turn around to do the half marathon on Sunday.  I somehow ran a sub-1:40 in the half this year.  The food and atmosphere after the race makes this one of my favorites.
• Medina Half Marathon- The heat and humidity was an issue this year, but I still had a fun time at this race.  W and I both love the farmer's market in the square after the race.
• Mid Ohio 13er- Spectacular organization plus the fact that it's in our backyard make this one well worth it.  I ran a great race and was so encouraged by the great people volunteering.  I will definitely run it again in 2017.
• Wooster Brick Run 25k- I got turned around a few times, but I really loved this cheap ($10) low-key race.  The organizers, Vertical Runner, did a great job in this one.

Let's look at my 2016 goals and which ones I hit.

2016 Goals

• Set a new half marathon PR.  My current PR is 1:36:24.  With that in mind...

          I did hit a new PR of 1:35:26 at the ORRRC Half.

• Break 1:35 in the half marathon.

          Not quite there yet.

• Set a new 5k PR.  My current best is 19:42.  This one may be a bit too unrealistic, but I think I can do it on the right course in the right conditions.

          I did run one 5k at 20:00.  I'm thinking 2017 is going to have more focus on the 5k, so this goal is certainly possible.

• Run 7-8 half marathons.  We have a wedding to plan but I think this is still realistic.

          Somehow I got in 9 half marathons this year.  

• Run a trail half marathon if my schedule allows.

          I would still love to do this some day, but there are very few trails in my neck of the woods.

• I would love for FW to set a new 5k PR.  She made some excellent strides this year.  She'll be good if the plantar doesn't keep coming back.

          FW (now W) had a tough 2016 and couldn't keep the same pace as in 2015.  She's determined to come back and train consistently in 2017.

• Find a 5 miler (or above) for FW.  She came very close by running the Shawshank Hustle 7k and that was in miserable conditions.

          This one will probably have to wait another year or so.

2016 Goals

• Set another new half marathon PR.  I am signed up for the ORRRC Half again.  I've PR'd three times at that race and I know the course like the back of my hand.
• Break 1:35 in the half marathon.
• Set a new 5k PR.  Let's try this one again.
• Run 6-7 half marathons and start to focus more on local 5ks.
• Find a trail 5k in the area.
• A new 5k PR for W.

I start my 2017 schedule at the end of January with a fun race at which I finished in second this year.

Next race: ONU Indoor Half Marathon- Ada, OH

Amish Country Half Marathon- Half Marathon #60

My final 2016 race, the Amish Country Half Marathon, was just a few days after Thanksgiving.  I wanted to get one more half marathon so I could hit another milestone.  This counted as my 60th half marathon.  I'm still hitting milestones like this every year.

The race took place in Berlin, OH, a quaint Amish community in nearby Holmes County.  Much of the area is commercialized as tourism is the top industry.  But the Amish in the nearby rural areas were extremely friendly to the runners.  It was a different experience than any other half I've ran.  W sat this one out as I had to leave for the race around 6:00.  I made it in plenty of time to get to the nearby high school for packet pickup.  The shirt is very nice, but I was perplexed by the fake beard and straw hat runners received.  I know the race is Amish themed but that's a bit much.

It was pretty cold out so I kept my running jacket and pants on for this one.  It looked like it was going to rain, but thankfully we never got wet in this one.  On to my brief report:

Miles 1-5:  We started with a quick lap around the school track and headed south on a small country road.  I felt pretty good but knew this race included a lot of hills during the middle portion.  I settled in to a comfortable pace and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Many Amish were out to say hello to the runners which was a nice touch.  We did hit a few hills during this first portion.  They weren't anything major, but they were just enough to slowly wear out the legs.    Here are my splits: 1 (7:10), 2 (7:55), 3 (7:56), 4 (7:13), 5 (8:22).  My race would remain inconsistent due to the hills.  The goal I kept in mind was to gather as many sub-8:00 miles as possible.

Miles 6-10:  We continued east on another small country road to continue the loop course.  The hills were getting more intense and we hit the biggest of them around mile 7.  You can tell that I slowed down quite a bit here, but gained ground on the downhill.  I was shocked that these five miles were all under 8:00 miles.  My legs were feeling the race.  Plus, I forgot to mention that the smell of horse manure (remember, there were buggies and farms all around us) was strong.  I'm not used to that smell during a race.  Still, I was enjoying the scenery, especially on the hilly portions.  I slowed down again around miles 9 and 10 even though this was the flattest part of the course.  Here are my splits: 6 (7:18), 7 (7:50), 8 (7:11), 9 (7:43), 10 (7:40).

Miles 11-13.1: We finished the loop on a gradual hill leading back to the school.  While it was gradual, it seemed to go on forever!  My legs were completely shot and I really wanted to finish the race.  We headed back to the school for a quick loop on the track to the finish.  Here are the final splits: 11 (8:00), 12 (9:17), 13 (7:35).  My final time was 1:43:01, good enough for 31/227 overall and the dreaded 4th place in my age group.  This time I was only off by a minute or so, which just drive me nuts.  Still, getting my 60th half marathon is quite an accomplishment.

I'll be back with my final thoughts on my 2016 running year.

Next race: ONU Indoor Half Marathon- Ada, OH

Hot Chocolate 5k

I'm only about a month behind on the blog.  W and I have been extremely busy the past few months and it's becoming difficult to keep up to date with this thing.  We did have the opportunity to go to Columbus for this 5k the week before Thanksgiving.

The expo at the Columbus Convention Center was fun.  We both like getting in and out of these things and this one was pretty quick.  It's much smaller than the Columbus Marathon expo, but there were plenty of free samples (chocolate!) and some running stores represented.  Plus you can take pictures next to the giant inflatable mug of hot chocolate!

Good times.  We were able to relax the rest of the evening prior to the race.  Dinner was amazing at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in nearby Dublin.  Just look at the options and tell me you don't want to go there.

Ohio was really mild this Fall but that changed at this race.  It was cold and windy the entire time.  And we had to get to the race start very early as this had well over 10,000 people in it.  So W and I stood around trying to get warm for about 45 minutes prior to starting.  We were reduced to shells of our former selves.

W has had a rough time training this year, so we went into this one with no real goals other than to have fun.  The race started at McFerson Common Park (across the river from COSI) and ran in a circular route in the downtown area. She started out with a little bit of light jogging which certainly surprised me.  I could tell she was having fun and was somehow staying warmer than I was.  I don't have splits for this one but she stayed pretty consistent.

The portion running straight north on High St. was probably the easiest going part as the wind was mostly blocked by the buildings.  W was still sprinkling in some jogging at various points.  She was very surprised by her effort.  If we can get her training consistent, she can certainly get back to where she was in 2015.

The last part of the race was where the wind hit us as there were few buildings.  We did jog the last bit and finished together in 55:04.  I think W's goal was to break an hour and she easily did so in less than ideal conditions.  The plastic finisher's mug included hot chocolate (duh) and other goodies.  It was ok, but W and I were underwhelmed.  More importantly, I was very proud of W for gutting it out and completing another 5k this year.

My last race of the year was a special one as it marked my 60th half marathon.

Next race: Amish Country Half Marathon- Berlin, OH

Jingle All the Way 5k

Thus starts three straight weekends of races.  W and I are going to the Hot Chocolate 5k in Columbus this weekend, but first I had this fun little race in nearby Ashland.  

The race kicked off Ashland County's Salvation Army Kettle Season, a great cause.  It was a small race at around 40 people or so.  I just stumbled upon this one from RunningintheUSA.com and decided to do it while W had other morning plans.  

We started out from the Kroc Center in Ashland and headed out to one of the main roads.  We stuck with sidewalks throughout most of the race.  That's definitely different than most 5ks but it worked.  A younger runner who looked like he was in junior high or high school took off really fast.  He ran a steady pace the entire way, so I just ran hard to maintain second place.  We made a loop around the Kroc facility on some side streets.  I didn't wear my GPS watch and just ran on feel.  No splits for this one.

I certainly felt the colder air in this one as it was in the high 30s.  We have had a very warm fall and my lungs were protesting the cooler temperature.  Regardless, I felt good and ran hard.  There were just a few hills sprinkled throughout the course with the main one coming roughly halfway through the race.  I dared to look behind me and saw the next group of runners were about 100 meters behind.  I still felt pretty comfortable and let off the gas a bit before flying downhill and back to the main road.  I did indeed finish in second place with a terrific time of 20:00.  

I'm not really taking that time too seriously, as I'm very sure the course was short and came in closer to three miles even.  That still would make for a sub-21:00 for me which is great.  This race served as a nice low-key warm-up for my 60th half marathon, coming up in two weeks.

Next race: Hot Chocolate 5k- Columbus, OH

Wooster Brick Run 25k

This was a fun, low-key race in nearby Wooster.  It has a long history, but is just coming back after a multi-year absence.  I was a bit nervous as I have not run much past 13.1 miles in over three years.  This was a great way to get over the hump due to the friendly folks and low-key style.

The race started at Vertical Runner, a terrific running store.  Oh, and this race was dirt cheap.  $10 got you in (they were also selling race shirts) and you got a $10 gift card to Vertical Runner and $5 to a local restaurant.  Amazing!  We also received a great finisher's medal.  Great organization!  The organizers were looking for runners to finish around the same time so we had a staggered start.  The big "attraction" would be Flickinger Hill, located roughly halfway through the course.  I took off with about half a dozen other runners and began the trek through Wooster.  It's been almost a month since the race, so I'll keep it short.

Miles 1-5: We headed north through town and wound through several city parks.  The weather was absolutely beautiful with temps in the low 50s.  I felt great and headed toward the front of the pack, though this wasn't really a race per se.  There were some hills during this first section but nothing major.  There was a nice long straightaway as we headed outside of town onto some country highways.  The scenery from miles 3-5 was spectacular!  Around the 4 mile mark we passed a small pond in the middle of a wooded area.  I turned my headphones off for a bit and just enjoyed the sights.  There was also a small water stop here, which even included free GU gels for the runners.  Again, this race only cost $10 and they took very good care of us!  I was feeling great and chipping off 8:30 miles pretty easily.  Here are the splits for the first five: (1) 8:30, (2) 7:30, (3) 7:54, (4) 7:29, (5) 8:08.

Miles 6-10: We continued on country roads, but Flickinger Hill was coming quick.  I've definitely grown as a runner, as I no longer try to power up these huge hills.  I now mix running with light jogging when tacking one of these because it's just as fast as trying to run up the dang thing.  And this particular hill went on forever.  We made our way down for a much faster eighth mile and then headed to a nice city park for a couple miles.  Here are the splits: (6) 7:20, (7) 10:46, (8) 7:32, (9) 9:08, (10) 7:59.

Miles 11-16.2:  We wound back into town and hit an interesting wooded area for a bit of trail running.  The course was very well marked until this point at which I'm thinking a sign got knocked over or something.  I kept running straight but got nervous when I didn't see any signs.  I double backed and found some other runners having the same issue.  We went back and forth a bit until someone realized we were supposed to go up this small hill back to another path.  There were a few very small red flags, but they were very unlike what we had been seeing.  This led to me running a bit more than 25 kilometers, which was fine as I enjoyed getting the extra mileage.  We headed out of this area and went south toward the College of Wooster.  Again, I got nervous when I didn't see any signs for close to a mile and finally saw one leading to the campus.  This was a very pretty section that I really enjoyed.  We ran through the middle of campus and continued heading south the the finish.  I was still feeling incredibly good and came across the finish in 2:13:11.  This was good enough for 24/106 overall, though I did get a bit of extra mileage out there.  Here are the final splits: (11) 8:02, (12) 9:38, (13) 8:04, (14) 7:36, (15) 7:43, (16) 8:27.

Averaging 8:34 per mile while running 16.2 miles is pretty darn good for me.  Factor in the slow section in the woods and Flickinger Hill and I ran a very solid race.  Another ten miles would be a lot, but I feel like I could run a solid marathon if training goes well.  I'm considering this for next year.

W really enjoyed herself at this race.  Wooster is a small town but it has some really cool stores and restaurants.  She enjoyed the Sure House Coffee Roasting Company located next to the running store.  I got a latte there after the race and it was fantastic!  She also took in some local shops and a small farmer's market.  This isn't the best race to watch the runners but it's excellent for shopping.

Next race: Jingle All The Way 5k- Ashland, OH

Maui 10K

W and I went to Hawaii on our honeymoon.  It was just as spectacular as advertised!  We climbed to the top of Diamond Head, took submarine and helicopter tours, went to the beach, and ate some great food.  Being the sick runner that I am, I found this race only two miles from our hotel.  I considered running the half marathon but I simply cannot handle heat and humidity.  I opted for the 10k, a rare distance for me, instead.

I figured this would be a low-key race but, who cares, it's Hawaii!  There were a few little oddities but nothing major.  The views were good but my performance was lackluster.  I haven't had that one CRAP race yet this year.  This one qualifies.  Certainly the travel, heat and humidity affected me in this one.  But the worst part is that I abandoned my race plan and stunk up the joint.

Miles 1-3: We started out on a side road near some beach resorts.  This was the typical road race type of thing to settle in prior to the nice views.  We ran down several straightaways only to double back and head the other way.  You could tell this was just to build up mileage but it was fine.  I started out WAY TOO FAST.  My goal was to place in my age group but I started out in third place for the first mile.  I could tell the humidity was going to be killer but ignored it at first.  We hit the only hill on the course and made our way out to the main highway.  We were then treated to ocean views about three miles in to the race.  Here are the first three splits: 6:52, 7:10, 7:51.  Yeah, it got bad in a hurry.

Miles 4-6.2:  Things really fell apart and I just focused on having fun and enjoying the views.  I was running really slow for a 10k and, honestly, pretty slow for a half marathon.  I tried to keep in position for an age group award but had a feeling it wouldn't happen.  The course was very cool with views of the water.  But it changed with about 1 to 1.5 miles left in the race.  We moved off the waterfront trail into hotel parking areas.  That's not exactly what I envisioned when signing up for this one!  It was odd and actually kind of difficult to figure out where you were to go.  I wound up on the wrong side of the straightaway at the finish, though that only cost me a few seconds.  I did finish pretty hard.  Here are the last three splits: 8:04, 8:28, 7:30.  My final time was 47:07 which was good enough for 12/173 overall and 4/22 in my age group.  I missed placing by a mere nine seconds which just drives me nuts.

My next race is a new distance for me and one that sounds fun!

Next race: Wooster Brick Run 25K- Wooster, OH

Mid Ohio 13er

I am way behind on this blog and hope to update the last two races.  FW (now W) and I were married a couple weeks ago and we just returned from our honeymoon in Hawaii!  Of course that involved a race, but let's get to this local one that delivered in every category.

The 13er is a half marathon in Mansfield.  That gave us a ten minute drive on race morning which was great.  The weather cooperated as we had a cool front move through the day before the race.  We were both impressed with the start/finish area.  It felt like a much bigger race as the organizers really went above and beyond to give everyone a good experience.  I'll keep my report short since it's been over three weeks since the event.

Miles 1-5: We started in downtown Mansfield and moved west on Park Avenue.  This portion was mostly uphill on a slight grade.  We then moved through the three parks in town: South, Middle, and North Lake.  I felt great early on as this part of the race offered a lot of shade.  Mix that with the cooler temps and it felt like a mid-Fall race.  I kept with the first group of runners and simply tried to maintain that until we made our way to the B&O Bike Path in Mansfield.  It certainly helped that I had run at least the first 7-8 miles of this race either in training or in other races.  The first five went like this: (1) 7:31, (2) 7:06, (3) 7:10, (4) 7:25, (5) 7:18.  Very consistent first five.

Miles 6-10:  More of the bike path.  This section offered some great shade and potential for consistent times.  But the dreaded hill would make it's appearance shortly after we turned off the path at mile 8.  I took it easy on the hill as it felt like it was straight up.  And, of course, it's one of those that levels off for a bit only to continue about 20 meters up the road.  It was rough.  Plus, the sun was now out and we wouldn't have much shade the rest of the way.  After the hill, we started making our way back through town.  Here are the splits for this five: (6) 7:19, (7) 7:15, (8) 7:35, (9) 8:25, (10) 7:35.

Miles 11-13.1:  The final section was through town with some nice downhills mixed in.  I didn't do as well as I was hoping at the end.  I probably could have taken another minute from my time had I not been beat.  We made our way downhill, back to Park Avenue, for the finish.  W was cheering me at the finish but I somehow missed her again!  Here are the final splits: (11) 7:45, (12) 7:35, (13) 7:05.  Not bad, but I would have done much better had the last 2-3 miles been more consistent.

My final time was 1:38:29.  I was pleasantly surprised, as this was almost four minutes faster than my goal.  I finished 7/103 overall and 4/9 in my age group.  

I can't say enough about this race!  The course shows the best of Mansfield and is a nice mix of flat and hilly terrains.  The people who were out cheering were great and the water stops were some of the best I've seen for a while.  The organizers made it feel like a big city race.  I plan on running it again next year.

Next race: Maui 10k- Lahaina, Maui, HI

Blueberry Festival 5k

FW wanted to get a 5k in prior the wedding (now one week away!).  Her training has been spotty as work and wedding planning has obviously taken up a lot of our time and energy.  She had the goal of running this local 5k in 55:00.  With how little she's been able to train, I'm extremely proud of her effort in this one.

This summer has been hot as you can tell by my last post.  The morning of this race wasn't bad, but it got warm during the second half.  FW's plan was to sprinkle in some jogging and go from there.

We started out near the Lexington bike path and made our way through town.  FW started right out by jogging for a bit.  She's really improved her pacing this year, which is allowing her to jog for a longer period.  We meandered through some residential areas and hit the only major hills on the course early on.  FW was jogging much more than I thought she would, so I was keeping her hydrated with the bottle I carry for her races.  She hit the first mile in around 16:00 and was looking good.

The second mile started out with a LOOONG straightaway that seemed never-ending.  It was a beast.  Plus, the sun was coming out and there was no shade.  FW was feeling it here.  She was still able to jog the nice downhill that was awaiting us at the end.  Again, she really jogged more than I was expecting in this one.  She was also keeping up with the pace and a 50:00 race for her seemed in the cards.

The final mile was much tougher on her and she slowed down some.  She still jogged a few portions but the heat was really getting to both of us.  I was still keeping her hydrated and trying my best to keep her positive.  But we were both done.  We made our way back through the festival grounds for a small portion on the bike path to the finish.  FW finished ahead of me with a time of 50:04.  This is faster than both her Flying Pig and Kingwood Center 5k efforts.  Not bad on little training.

I've finally caught up with my posts, so it's time to race again tomorrow!

Next race: Mid Ohio 13er Half Marathon- Mansfield, OH

Run to the Wall Half Marathon

I'm way behind on the blog and I have a half marathon tomorrow.  Let's get to it!

I was itching to race.  It had been a month and a half since I ran the BW5K and had a solid effort.  I was also wanting to get in another half to make sure I hit 60 this year.  Well, I got my wish at the Run to the Wall Half Marathon in Clinton, Ohio, which is close to Akron.  But I plan on hitting on the snags presented at this race.

First, I do want to say this race has a terrific cause.  From the website, "All proceeds from the Run to the Wall are used to continue to build and maintain the Ohio Veterans' Memorial Park, which is run and maintained by an ALL volunteer staff."  The OVMP is a very cool park with memorials and statues dedicated to Ohioans who fought in wars from Vietnam on.  It's a small park but very well maintained.  FW and I particularly enjoyed the Cobra AH-F1 display and POW/MIA reflection pond.  It's a nice find in small town Ohio.  I highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area.

The race organization on the other hand left a bit to be desired.  This summer has been HOT.  We've been lucky the past few years but this one has been a scorcher.  So imagine everyone's surprise when we hear there will only be three water stops!  Seriously!  What FW and I heard was there would be stops at miles 3, 6, and 11.  Umm...seriously?  No water for five miles on a hilly course in August?  Now they did say they would give us 8oz bottles at the stops, so I'm thinking I can at least carry that for a mile or so.  More on that soon.

Here we go.  My goal for the race was to stay in the 1:45 range.

Miles 1-5:  We started from the park and hit the village of Clinton.  The hills started in right away and stayed throughout the race.  I headed out with the top six runners but knew I couldn't keep that up.  I did not have my GPS watch on me so there are no splits.  That's probably a good thing.  It took a very short time to hit the first snag.  At around 1.5 miles I saw a small water stop right as I passed it (on the opposite side of the road of course).  Nobody was yelling anything and they didn't even look like they were set up yet.  I asked FW about this later and she also heard the announcer say there was a water stop at the 5k mark.  Well, apparently he meant the 5k turnaround mark.  So now I'm down to two water stops for a half marathon instead of three.  And it was getting pretty hot despite the 7:00 start.

Miles 6-10:  I was already starting to give up.  The hills were relentless and water was nonexistent.  I took the little bit at mile 6 but that didn't last long.  Remember the 8oz water bottles?  Well, they didn't leave the caps on so the water just sloshed around.  Rather than losing it all, I decided to just drink it up and hope for the best.  The course was tough but scenic in parts.  We were still going around on country roads and seeing very few people.  I thought I was slowing down quite a bit, but the downhill portions were still helping my time.  I was mostly just thinking of getting to the finish.

Miles 11-13.1: Water!  We hit the final water stop at mile 11 and it was just as wonderful as I imagined.  It at least perked me up a bit and I felt like the last few miles went well.  I was drained, but I was able to pick up the pace as we made our way back into Clinton and the park.  FW was waiting on me during the lap around the park and gave me a high-five!  I probably looked like death as I came in to the finish.  My time was a ho-hum 1:46:44, my worst of the past few years, though I did finish 13/82 overall and won my age group.

Then came the awards.  I've never seen anything like it.  The website said they would not mail awards, so we decided to stay longer since I won my division.  The 5k awards were first...and took over an hour!  Seriously.  There was a raffle mixed in there which didn't help.  Then the 10k awards started.  After another 20 minutes or so, I told FW let's just get going as I needed to eat and rest.

Again, this race was for a wonderful cause that I fully support.  But I do not plan on going back unless they get some better organization.

Next race: Blueberry Festival 5k- Lexington, OH

BW5K

Well, this is certainly the latest I've ever done a race report.  I'm in a strange lull between races and have not had one in over a month.  I still have a few weeks until the next one and realized I haven't reviewed this terrific local race yet.

This one was at nearby Pleasant Hill Lake in the Mohican area.  I ran the Mohican 17k last year from the same site, but this 5k was FAR better organized.  Ohio Race Day does a wonderful job organizing races in the Mansfield area and I've enjoyed every single one.  This race was on a hot day but offered plenty of shade.  I felt pretty good and had a strategy of starting off slower than other recent 5ks and seeing if I could run more even splits.

The race included a high school challenge, so there were a bunch of fast kids lined up in the front.  I tucked in behind them and started off at a good pace.  My goal was to stick with the second pack of high school runners (this race made me feel old) and try to hang on.  We moved away from the lake on a paved trail and weaved around the south portion of the lake.  It wasn't particularly scenic but the shade was wonderful.  I passed several younger runners early on and had a nice first mile in the 6:50 range.  That's right where I planned to be and hoped to stay in that range.

We continued weaving around in several small loops and I passed a few more younger runners late in the second mile.  I did miss a turn for one loop and had to make it up which cost me a few seconds.  Thankfully, I was feeling stronger than in my last few 5ks.  The second mile came in around 6:45 so I was holding steady.  The only real hill on the course showed up around 2.5 miles in and it was a rough one.  There was no shade and we were still on asphalt.  It was tough but I was able to pass one more runner and glide in for a great 20:11.  This is actually one of my top five 5k attempts and it was good enough for 24/92 overall (there were 23 sub 20:00 times!) and first in my age group.

Hopefully I can keep up with this blog in the near future!

Next race: Run to the Wall Half Marathon- Clinton, OH

Kingwood Center 5k

FW and went to the Kingwood Center 5k last week.  Last year, FW ran a personal best at this race.  Her goal for this year's was to beat her time at the Flying Pig 5k last month.  She's been able to get outside more, but she's still getting into the swing of things.

First, we had to fight cicadas.  They're back with a vengeance after a 17 year absence.  And they're really not bright.  Seriously, they fly right into you no matter what you're doing.  They were all over the Kingwood Center, which isn't surprising with all the trees and flowers for them to munch on.

We started out near the local high school for a straightaway and turnaround in the parking lot.  FW surprised me by mixing in some light jogging during the first mile.  It was very warm out, but she's improved by running a lighter pace and lasting longer.  We then went down a grassy trail to hit the nearby bike path where we would stay for the majority of the race.  I could tell FW was feeling pretty good despite the up and down training.  Her first mile clocked in at 17:29.

The bike path portion went on for a while and, thankfully, the cicadas were not bothering us here.  We saw several people we knew heading back toward the Kingwood Center which was nice.  FW sprinkled in some more jogging and was still feeling good.  We then made our way around a long loop at North Lake Park.  The park is very pretty this time of year.  The jogging stopped momentarily, so I grabbed a water for FW at the water stop.  We then made our way back to the bike path and hit the second mile marker in 17:25.

FW was finally feeling the race during the third mile and had to slow down.  We walked most of the mile until we came back to the grassy trail leading us back to Kingwood.  There was one hill here but FW jogged up in a good effort.  We then stayed made our way into Kingwood for the downhill finish.  Our last mile was in 18:10 and FW finished her 5k in 55:48.  This was a bit faster than her effort at the Flying Pig, plus it was much hotter at this one.

FW is planning on running the Ontario Liberty 5k on July 4 which is coming up fast.  We're ramping up her training over the next week.

Next race: BW5k- Pleasant Hill Lake, Ohio

Heartland Series Ohio Half Marathon

This is the fourth time I've done half marathons on back-to-back weeks. I wasn't planning on doing so, but FW convinced me to do the Medina Half on Memorial Day weekend.  This race is part of the Mainly Marathons race series which is becoming increasingly popular.  If you aren't familiar with it, you have the opportunity to follow a great group of people through a different state each day for a week or so.  It's extremely popular for 50 Staters, Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics.  The Ohio race was in Bryan, Ohio, about two and a half hours from Mansfield.  I didn't do the next day's race in Michigan because it was another 100 miles or so from Bryan.  What's nice is the Mainly Marathons group has offered up one free race to anyone who hasn't previously done one of their races.  What great marketing!  The hotel options aren't numerous but they are inexpensive.  It turned into a nice, low-key race weekend.

FW and I showed up the night before and stopped in at Stoney Ridge Winery about three miles north of our hotel.  This was one of the nicest wineries we've visited!  We really wanted to tour the grounds, but it was raining cats and dogs.  We had some samples and bought a couple bottles to bring home.  Highly recommended!  We then had a nice dinner and turned in for the night as the race started at 6:00am.

The race start is at nearby Moore Park which had plenty of parking.  I don't think I've seen so many Maniacs and Fanatics at such a small race before.  The course was an out and back that we ran multiple times.  There was a marathon, half marathon, and 5k going on which made it a bit difficult at times.  Now, this is different from other races because very, very few people were actually racing.  Most folks were doing multiple days and were going at slower paces.  I was setting up for a solid half marathon to finish out the first part of the year.

As this is a loop course, I don't plan on doing my usual breakdown (Miles 1-5, 6-10, 11-13.1).  Instead I'll simply give my thoughts on the race and the splits I have.  My GPS watch conked out at about the 11.5 mile mark and didn't save the data.

We started out from the meager start line and I felt good right away.  It was warm out, but  it felt much better than Medina the previous week.  The eventual marathon winner took off like it was a 5k, so I settled in well behind him and tried to hold my ground.  The course wasn't bad for 8 laps as we ran through Moore Park.  It offered plenty of shade but it stayed a pretty overcast day for the most part.

My race took an odd turn at the end of the first lap.  We had torrential rains the night before, so the first 200 meters or so were a bit rough through the gravel parking lot.  The rest was on asphalt.  I was making the turn from the asphalt trail to the parking lot at the end of the first lap when I spotted FW.  I gave her a quick wave, took two more steps, and slipped on the one muddy spot.  Well, not slipped, more like went flying and landed on both hands and my right leg.  FW was of course scared that I really hurt myself, but I quickly yelled "I'm fine" and ran toward the water station where I assessed my wounds.  Thankfully, I only had some scratches on my hands and right leg.  It could have seriously broken my arm with the way I landed.  I poured some water on my hands and kept going.

FW saw me a bunch more times and asked if I was ok.  I told her I was indeed fine and just had some minor scratches and a bruised ego.  That's the first time I've fallen in a race and I hope it's the last.  The second and third laps were a bit slower as I kept looking at my bleeding hands, but I eventually settled into a solid pace.

As for the people, they're awesome.  I don't know how many times I yelled "Good job Maniac/Fanatic" only to hear "Good job Fanatic", as I was wearing my Half Fanatics singlet.  Everyone was having a good time and, with it being a loop course, you got to know everyone along the way.

I was able to finish the half in 1:40:18 which was good enough for 1/30 overall.  I'll take it but, again, this isn't a typical race.

Tomorrow morning is the next race which is one of FW's favorites.

Next race: Kingwood 5k- Mansfield, OH

Medina Half Marathon

This is only the fourth time I'm running half marathons on back-to-back weekends.  The first was a repeat in nearby Medina, Ohio.  I ran a surprisingly good time at this tough race last year.  It has the highest number of turns in any race I've done and it has plenty of elevation differences.  We had the added bonus of high temperatures and humidity at this year's event.  The early 6:45 start helped some but not enough.

The race is extremely easy to get to as FW and I parked at a nearby school within three blocks of the start.  The organizers were nice enough to offer race day packet pick up for those who couldn't make it the night before.  FW and I could tell it was going to get hot as I went through my warm-ups, though she was looking forward to going to the nearby coffee shop after the start.  I'll leave the description to her in her spectator report at the end of this post!

This race is in its fourth year but it's very well organized.  They even had pacers, which is nice for an event with fewer than 1000 runners.  I lined up near the front with the 1:40 pace group and hoped to stay in that range.  The gun went off and we started our trek out of Medina.

Miles 1-5: This was the easy part of the course as it was a net downhill for the first six or so miles.  I decided to go against typical race strategy and start off fast and try to maintain in the second half.  You'll see by my splits that this strategy wasn't perfect as there was nothing consistent about race.  We weaved north (remember the turns) away from downtown and started heading east.  This part of the course was nothing difficult and I started out way too fast.  I started feeling it right around mile 5 as we started around Lake Medina.  Here are the splits for the first five: (1) 6:57, (2) 6:53, (3) 7:07, (4) 7:00, (5) 7:20.  Well, I guess this was consistent, but it was way too fast!  I actually would have had a 10k PR in this race.

Miles 6-10:  The section around Lake Medina was actually the roughest because there was no shade and the sun was already beating down.  I didn't start walking quite yet but wanted to.  We then headed south and entered a residential area.  I started walking soon into mile 7.  There were a decent number of people out and about cheering on the runners.  That was appreciated, but I just could not pull it together and sprinkled in more quick walk breaks on hills.  My splits started suffering, which I did expect.  Here are the splits for this section: (6) 7:33, (7) 8:17, (8) 7:45, (9) 8:19, (10) 7:53.  You could tell I was up and down during this section and barely holding on to a good time.

Miles 11-13.1: And the wheels completely fall off!  I pretty well gave up here and just tried to hold on for a good time.  The heat and humidity was relentless and I was done.  I got passed by several people here but I was still running a decent race.  We completed our semi-circle around Medina and headed back north to the finish line.  I did have a very good last mile as I was able to finish without walking.  The final push of this race is very tough as it's about half a mile at a pretty good grade.  Here are the final splits:  (11) 8:52, (12) 8:48, (13) 7:20. 

Despite my very up and down race (figuratively and literally), I was able to finish in a respectable 1:40:31.  This was good enough for 7/49 and 52/790 overall.  Not a bad effort considering the horrible heat and humidity.

There's not much time before my last half marathon for the first half of the year as I'm doing a freebie in NW Ohio in a few days!

Next race: Hearland Series Ohio Half Marathon- Bryan, OH

Flying Pig Half Marathon

I am way behind with this blog!  My next race is in...umm...tomorrow.  In our last entry, we covered the Flying Pig 5k.  FW and I had a lot of fun with it and she gave a great effort.  We spent that night in Cincinnati in anticipation of the half marathon on Sunday.  The forecast was still looking like rain (it rained cats and dogs on Saturday).  But we got lucky and it actually turned into one of the nicest days we have had this Spring.

The half marathon started at 6:30 am outside of Paul Brown Stadium.  As a Browns fan, I found that part disgusting, but it's actually a very well organized start area.  FW was able to come down to the start area with me and find a place to watch the start of the race.  I was signed up to start in Corral A but worked my way back into B.  This race has some massive hills halfway through and I didn't want to start out too fast.  I ran a 1:40:42 last year and I was shooting for a sub 1:40 this go round.

Miles 1-5: The race starts by heading east along the river.  We then head over the bridge to Newport, Kentucky around the one mile mark.  There's not a lot of mileage in Kentucky, but it is very cool to run in two states in the same race.  I felt good early on and focused on running even splits with a target pace of 7:50.  The humidity was going up early on which was a surprise.  After heading west through Newport we cross back into Ohio at the four mile mark.  We head north towards downtown at around the five mile mark.  Here are my splits for the first five: 1 (8:02), 2 (7:43), 3 (7:40), 4 (7:24), 5 (7:28).  I was well below my goal pace and hoped that banking some time early on may just get me to my goal.

Miles 6-10: This is the interesting part of the race.  We finish the downtown section and the small hills start at the end of mile 6.  I was still feeling pretty good, but I realized we were getting close to the Eden Park section.  Eden Park is beautiful (FW and I went to Krohn Conservatory located within the park later that day), but the hills are BRUTAL.  The longest one goes straight up for about 3/4 mile, then turns only to become another hill.  It's a lot.  The scenery is amazing.  There was a low lying mist over the lake within Eden Park.  It was one of the most beautiful sights I've seen during any race.  I was also still feeling pretty good, though my splits took a hit during this section.  But what goes up must come down.  Miles 9 and 10 are mostly downhill and I passed a lot of people during this portion.  It's hard to hit the brakes at all on these downhills, so it does wear out the quads.  Here are my splits: 6 (7:22), 7 (7:59), 8 (7:45), 9 (7:19), 10 (7:25).  

Miles 11-13.1: The final few miles of this race are pretty uneventful.  We hit more downhills as you'll see from the amazing splits for the final three miles.  But there's not much to look at.  I focused in on passing people and coming in under 1:40, which was still in the cards.  I had to walk for about 30 seconds during mile 12 as those downhills had completely destroyed my quads.  I started back up and focused on finishing strong, complete with playing up to the crowd at the finish.  Here are the final splits: 11 (6:55), 12 (6:38), 13 (6:55).  I finished by running a 1:39:20 and finished 210/11,646 overall, which is a pretty good showing.

Let's get to FW's Spectator Report!

This is the first installment of my spectator report :) I definitely recommend this race if you have family with you.  I was able to easily see Chris both at the start and finish.  You are also able to easily walk from the start to the finish area and there are labeled reunion areas to meet your runner after the race. During the race I recommend visiting one of the park areas along the river.  On the walk from the start to finish you will pass a park area with swings right along the river.  There are plenty of goodies in the finish area including pancakes and sliders. After the race I recommend checking out Newport on the Levee, right across the river from Cincinnati.  It has restaurants, shopping, and a great aquarium.

Next race: Medina Half Marathon- Medina, OH

Flying Pig 5k

FW and I traveled to Cincinnati for the Flying Pig last weekend.  Last year, FW did the 5k and I did the 3 Way Challenge (5k, 10k, half).  I skipped the 10k this year so I could sleep in for the Saturday 5k.  FW was pretty nervous about this one as she has not been able to train much this year.  Her goal was to simply have fun and come in under an hour.

The weekend started comically as we got to the expo on Friday as it was closing.  We had trouble getting out of Mansfield and sped down to Cincy.  So we literally had to race to get our packets and shirts.  That was different.  When they say the expo closes at 7:00, it closes at 7:00!

The weather was not comical as there were reports of thunderstorms for both days.  The race organizers did a great job of communicating weather reports and how the race would be run if there was bad weather.

Race morning was windy and cool as we made our way from our hotel to Great American Ballpark for the start.  We stretched out and tried our best to keep warm.  Last year was very warm which shows you can't even take May for granted in Ohio.  FW just wanted to start the race so we made our way to our corral.  Here's our report:

The course was the same as last year as we started with a long straightaway with one slight hill at the end.  FW started out walking at a brisk pace that was much faster than what she's been doing at home.  She was looking good and having fun.  As we crested the one hill, she even jogged some down the other side.  This was a pleasant surprise!  We rounded the bend and started down the next long straightaway.  Her first mile came in at 17:58.

The second straightaway ends with us heading north near downtown.  There's a long uphill here and FW slowed down just a bit.  But she again powered down the other side with some light jogging.  The rain started just shy of the two mile mark but it stayed light.  We started heading back to the start by finishing the loop.  Her second mile was 18:14.

There's a long section during the second mile that's under a highway overpass.  It's longer than it looks but it is a quick section of the course.  FW sprinkled a bit of jogging here and kept up her steady pace.  We both knew she would come in under an hour, so we focused more on enjoying ourselves.  The rain did start to pick up some as we made the last turn to the finish.  The finish area at the Flying Pig is maddening as the straightaway is much longer than it appears.  FW jogged a bit into the finish with a final time of 57:02.

I'm proud of how FW did at this race.  She has been unable to train for so long, so to come out and do the 5k, with some jogging throughout, is a great accomplishment.  The rest of the weekend was very full and she wound up logging over 17 miles walking around.  She should be ready to sprinkle in more jogging as we boost her cardio.

My half marathon report is coming soon.  But I want to give FW a chance to share her own thoughts on the race!

FW Report

The race was very fun and very challenging this year.  I had some health issues this winter, but I am doing better now and plan to get back in fighting shape.  FH (future husband) is a great coach and helped me through!  Even though the weather this year wasn't the greatest the post race festival is awesome.  You can even get free pancakes, muffins, and yogurt from First Watch.  I highly recommend the 5K for anyone new to running or looking to get back into shape.  

Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon

My favorite race!  This is my fifth time running this race which speaks to how well organized and enjoyable it is.  My previous tries were in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.  The course hasn't changed one bit so I know it like the back of my hand.  I also set new PRs here in 2012 and 2015.

FW and I stayed in nearby Yellow Springs for the weekend just like last year.  The weather was pretty miserable, as temperatures stayed in the low 30s and it was breezy.  I've tried to avoid such temps this year, even though I ran great in cold weather last year.  It's just not enjoyable getting up at 6:00am for a race when it's in the 20s!  I originally had aspirations of going for another PR, especially after my effort at the Alamo 13.1, but the weather made me set my goal at running a sub-1:40.

Getting to the race was easy, as always, and we were able to wait inside the Xenia YMCA for the start.  Poor FW had to wait inside the YMCA during most of the race due to the temperatures.  Again, I cannot stress enough how patient and kind she is!

Miles 1-5: We started off from the YMCA and headed north through a local neighborhood for a quick mile loop.  This helps to spread the field prior to hitting the bike path at mile 4.  I felt surprisingly good despite the temps and the dead feeling in my legs coming into the race (same feeling as at the Alamo).  We headed back by the Y for a very short jaunt on the bike path prior to turning south of town for some back road running.  I felt good powering up and down the only hills on the course and passed quite a few people early on.  My splits were right on target, but I was expecting to crap out somewhere on the bike path.  We turned north down a long hill and then right onto the bike path for a LONG straightaway.  Here are my splits for the first five: 1 (7:35), 2 (7:13), 3 (7:27), 4 (7:08!), 5 (7:15).  These are solid splits as I usually hit one or two 8:00 miles during the first five or so.  I was on pace for a solid run!

Miles 6-10: This section is always tough because it's such a long straightaway on a flat bike path.  If you can shut down your mind and just run, it works well.  I was able to shut down for the most part and ran consistently while still passing some folks.  I stopped to take a gel at mile 7, right before we turned for the side path leading to Central State University.  We ran a quick mile there, turned around, and headed back the way we came around mile 9.  I was still feeling surprisingly good but was looking forward to a quick walk break.  I wanted to wait until the last 3.1 to take a break.  Here are the splits: 6 (7:20), 7 (7:10), 8 (7:20), 9 (7:20), 10 (7:10).  I've never seen such consistent splits in the middle of a half before.  And with that in mind, I finally realized I was running a PR-type race.

Miles 11-13.2: I turned it on some during mile 11, hoping to get in for a new PR.  I forgot all about wanting a walk break and focused in on passing some people.  The last full mile was insane as I hit it in under 7:00 prior to turning off the bike path and into Xenia.  The last quarter mile of this race is tough as the city streets aren't even and is mostly uphill.  The course measured a bit long at 13.2.
Here are the final splits: 11 (7:12), 12 (7:08), 13 (6:50!), 13.2 (1:18).  The course was a bit long, but it didn't matter as I high-fived FW right before the finish line and finished with a new PR of 1:35:26!!!  Poor FW was worried as I lost all control of my legs shortly after crossing the finish line and had to sit down for a few minutes.  The final few miles took a lot out of me as I haven't felt like that since my last full marathon.  I'm disappointed I didn't hit the tangents perfectly as that might have gotten me in under 1:35.  However, I'm thrilled to take another minute off my PR.

FW is getting back into shape for the Flying Pig 5k in a few weeks.  It won't be a PR effort, but I'm very confident she'll do well.  I'll be running the half marathon the next day.

Next race: Flying Pig 5k and Half Marathon- Cincinnati, OH

Alamo 13.1 Half Marathon

I'm a bit behind as FW came back from San Antonio, worked almost a full week, and then topped it off with some wedding planning.  We're beat!  Our trip to San Antonio was a lot of fun and this race was a great way to top it off.  There are some organizational issues the race organizers will need to work on, but I really had fun at this race.

The first snafu didn't effect me at all.  Many people had trouble making it to the packet pickup, held at a local hotel, the day before the race.  Another sporting event made traffic slow to a crawl and getting into the hotel difficult.  I only had a three block walk and was unaffected.  Race morning certainly had a few issues.  We stayed right by the Alamo, which made race morning a breeze.  I was able to get out there fifteen minutes before the gun went off.  It was actually quite cold at 46 degrees on race morning.  But the first issue was the lack of corrals.  Here's why:  There was a 5k, 10k, and half marathon.  So they had the 5k runners line up first, with the 10k runners behind them, and the half marathoners behind them.  It wasn't marked and you had runners in different races mingling and starting at different times.  I had no clue where to line up and spent the first two miles dodging people to make up time.  This can be easily fixed at next year's race.

We headed from the Alamo for a brief loop through the downtown area.  My GPS watch conked out early so I ran this one on feel.  It was quite liberating!  The first few miles were probably in the 8:30-9:00 range as I dodged people for a bit.  It opened up some as we came back past the Alamo and headed north.  We went through a few nice neighborhoods and on a crushed limestone path for a little bit.  I felt great due to the cooler weather!  I had prepared for high temps (it was in the mid-80s earlier in the week).  My pace felt good and I'm sure I made it down to the 7:30s by mile 5 or so.  I was also passing a lot of people.

One of the course highlights was Breckenridge Park north of downtown.  This is a HUGE and gorgeous park.  I actually took my headphones off in this area and enjoyed the scenery.  We were around and in Breckenridge from mile 6 through about 9 1/2.  We also crossed the river several times and made our way around a beautiful pond.  The only problem with this part of the course was the amount of turns.  Some of them were very sharp and added a few seconds.  Otherwise, this was the highlight of the course.  I'm guessing I was down to 7:00-7:15 per mile for this section and still felt great.

My only other major complaint about this race was the lack of organization at the water stops, particularly late in the race.  I appreciate the few volunteers who manned each stop, but there were so few of them that I didn't want to wait for water.  They were constantly having to go back to get more cups and a few times I saw a few volunteers standing around.  I'm glad it wasn't warmer because this could have been a major problem.

We then made our way back south to the Alamo for the finish.  We did go along the north end of the San Antonio Riverwalk (highly recommended).  The scenery was great, but there were steps along this portion, plus some very sharp turns.  If you know anything about long distance running, you know steps do not feel good toward the end of the race.  We then made a loop through downtown again and turned to the Alamo for the finish.  FW was waiting for me and somehow I missed our usual high-five.  I'm not sure how I missed her!

I had no idea what my time was due to my watch issue.  We went to the results tent after I got some food and beer.  Shockingly, I turned in my second fastest half marathon time with a 1:36:37!  This was good enough for 67/1824 overall and 10/57 in my age group.  Not a bad effort at all!

This race was definitely worth the trip and I think the race organizers will listen to the participants and change some things for next year.  The course really is beautiful and a great way to show off San Antonio.  Next up for me is my favorite race of the year.

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

Lexington Mardi Gras 5k

I'm actually keeping to my promise of racing less in 2016.  I had completed two 5ks and two half marathons by this time last year and this is only my second race this year.  Granted, I've had the itch to see how my training is going.  This past weekend was also very warm for Ohio.  We hit the low 60s on Sunday but with strong winds.  It looked like a perfect weekend to race considering my next half marathon is in another three weeks.

FW and I arrived in nearby Lexington in plenty of time for me to warm up.  I tried talking FW into doing this race but her training has been inconsistent this winter.  So, unfortunately, I got all nervous as I always do in 5ks.  The course was set up well.  We started at Western Elementary and made a counter-clockwise loop around Bicentennial Park.  This made tangents practically nonexistent and allowed me to simply run.  My goal coming in was to stick around 7:00/mile and get in under 22 minutes.  That was a guess more than anything.

We started out and I felt great for the first half.  There's a quick turn toward the park and then one long straightaway that bends westward.  The hills were minimal, but I did get some nice downhills that made the first mile way too fast.  The wind wasn't bad here either, blowing at an angle.  I tried sticking with the first group, but this is one of the few local races that attracts FAST runners.  I tucked in to the second group with the hopes of taking first or second in my age group.  I did pass a few people right before the second mile started.  The first mile clocked in at 6:10.  I knew this was way too fast and attempted to dial it back.  But I had no choice but to dial it back because the wind was in my face halfway through the second mile.  I'm talking full-force wind.  It slowed me down to what seemed like a crawl, though I was still running a good time.  We turned back toward town near Clearfork Reservoir.  My fast first mile came back to bite me as I was feeling like crap.  A few people passed me here as I slowed to a 6:50 mile.  Still not bad but disappointing.

We finally turned back onto State Route 97 for the finish and, more importantly, no more wind in our faces.  I passed a few of the people who had passed me and wound up right back where I was at the end of the first mile.  I really tried to give it what I had for the finish but that's not saying much.  The last mile was close to 7 minutes and I finished in 21:12.  This was good enough for 11/226 overall and first in my age group.  The awards were very cool and fit the Mardi Gras theme.  The post-race spread was also very good for a local 5k.

I am disappointed that I didn't finish with a sub-21:00.  This is still a very good first 5k for 2016.  My next race is a half marathon as FW and I vacation in Texas.

Next race: Alamo 13.1- San Antonio, TX

ONU Polar Bear Indoor Half Marathon

My first 2016 race was a nice surprise in nearby Ada, OH.  The ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon is in its seventh year and I've wanted to get into it for some time.  The registration is capped at 40 for the half and full due to it being run on an indoor track.  Congestion occurred a lot even with those small numbers.  But FW and I had some real fun at this one.

I assumed the weather would be horrible when I signed up for this race.  "Oh, it will be 15 degrees outside and 60 degrees inside!" I thought.  Of course we had the nicest weekend of the winter with highs in the mid-50s.  But who would think that would happen?  Despite it being nice outside, this was a great race.  We stayed at the only hotel in Ada, The Inn at Ohio Northern, which was a remarkable place to stay.  The price was reasonable and it was seriously one of the nicest places we have stayed prior to a race.  The Inn's restaurant and bar was top notch.  FW loaded up on the homemade kettle chips!  We both give the inn two thumbs up.

Race morning was very easy as we had a five minute walk from the Inn to the ONU Sports Center.  I quickly met up with my lap counter for the day, a cross country/track runner for the school.  The entire team was there to count laps and give encouragement to the runners.  Seriously, they were the best part of the race!  They had a meet the previous night, returned at 1:30 in the morning, and were at the Sports Center at 6:30 to begin preparations.  Yet they were energetic the entire time.  They even made individual signs for each runner.  That's pretty awesome!

FW gives this race two thumbs up because she was able to sit in the stands and watch the entire race.  She usually gets to see me a few times during the course of a race but never this much.  I was able to look up at her throughout the race to let her know what mile I was on or to even jump up and give her a quick high-five.  It was a lot of fun for both of us!  She took a few pictures throughout the event, plus the organizers offered some free ones.

The ONU Track Team also created a sign for each runner!

Let's get to my brief report:

I'll keep this report shorter because the course was always the same.  The half marathon was 105 laps and the full was 210.  I thought the race would drag on despite the enthusiasm from the student-athletes.  But this seriously flew by!  My lap counter did a tremendous job of cheering me on and giving me updates.  She'd let me know when I had one lap to go until the next mile and then that I had hit that mile.  It took the guesswork out of it and I was able to just run.  I also liked that there were a few tables on the course for water, sports drinks and any other necessities like gels.  The race does have cups of water, but I recommend bringing your own.  I would grab my bottle from one table, jog with it for a bit, and then drop it off at another table.  No waiting around at aid stations.

The eventual winner took off FAST!  I spent most of my time trying to finish in second place.  While it was hard to know where you were in relation to others, I knew I was passing everyone other than the eventual winner.  My splits were very consistent.

Mile 1- 8:05             Mile 2- 7:55            Mile 3- 8:00             Mile 4- 7:44              Mile 5- 7:48
Mile 6- 7:59             Mile 7- 7:52            Mile 8- 7:38             Mile 9- 7:36              Mile 10- 7:55
Mile 11- 7:33           Mile 12- 7:47          Mile 13- 6:54         

My final time was 1:42:06, good enough for 2/15 overall.  FW was there to congratulate me on a great race!

FW and I cannot say enough positive things about this race.  It's so well organized, easy to get to, offers great accommodations, the students are fun, and spectators can actually watch their runner run an entire half or full marathon.  That's pretty rare.  I definitely plan on doing this one again next year.  The swag was pretty good, too.  We received an awesome long sleeve tech shirt, cool clear medal, a small sports towel, and a water bottle. 

I have another gap between races as I'm trying to run fewer than last year.  FW is back in the gym with me and can hopefully do the next one.

Next race: Mardi Gras 5k- Lexington, OH