I have one word to describe this race. Hot. No, let me edit that. Freakin' hot! It was already muggy when I got up at 6:30 this morning. This was one of those times where an 8:00 start wouldn't have even helped us out much. But it was still a fun time and I'm guessing there were a good 1,000 runners or so.
The course itself would be absolutely perfect for a PR if race conditions are good. It starts outside of UD arena, runs across the Stewart St. bridge, along the river, and back to UD (with a nice downhill) finishing with a lap around the track.
I decided to not even attempt to race this thing, especially with a half marathon in 12 days. I even wore my iPod, which I never do at 5ks. After going through warm-ups and already building up a nice sweat, I made my way to the start line.
The congestion at the start of this race was more than I was expecting. It's usually not a big deal for me at half marathons because I start out very slow at those. I had to weave around a lot of people through the first half mile or so. It got better after that and I settled into a nice little groove. The first mile was around 8 minutes even, which I was fine with today. The fact that this is one of the few days we haven't had rain made me appreciate just being outside. The second mile was about the same as the first. We turned around by the river and made our way back to UD. I'm thinking I was just under 16 minutes at this point. The third mile was fine as we made our way back across the bridge and down a nice little hill to the stadium. I passed probably around a dozen people going down the hill and around the track. Final time- app. 23:48. About a minute slower than Vandalia, but about all race conditions would allow.
Nothing major is planned prior to the next race. I may try to get some speedwork in and probably a 7-8 miler next weekend. My key race for the first half of the year is coming up fast.
Next race: Carmel Half Marathon- Carmel, IN
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Vandalia 5k
This was a last minute addition to my race schedule. It's organized by the Ohio River Road Runners Club, which is a top notch organization. A $9 registration fee and a chance for some speedwork on a Tuesday evening made it a no-brainer. This was my first 5k since the Glass City debacle, so I was eager to see where I was in my recovery.
I made my way to the Vandalia Rec Center after work and got there in plenty of time to warm-up. It was rainy which is par for the course this spring. It wasn't too cool though and made for comfortable race conditions. Plus we could warm-up in the Rec Center prior to the race.
The race report itself is pretty short as there were no clocks along the course. The only thing that irked me was the first half mile or so. The race starts in the parking lot of the Rec Center and goes on to a bike path through the complex. A very narrow bike path. With close to 200 runners on it. You see where I'm going with this. It was jam-packed and made very difficult by the fact that nobody wanted to pass in the grass due to the rain. The grass looked pretty slick so I had to just hang tight. The first mile went fast, almost too fast. We went through town and I started feeling it around the mile 2 marker. I really didn't have a goal or plan coming into this due to a lack of heavy training. It seems my legs are getting really tired early in races right now. I upped my pace slightly during the last mile, which was back on the bike path, which was a lot less congested than in the beginning of the race. I was able to kick it in during the last 100 meters for a respectable 22:38.
Next Race: Lou Cox 5k- Dayton, OH
I made my way to the Vandalia Rec Center after work and got there in plenty of time to warm-up. It was rainy which is par for the course this spring. It wasn't too cool though and made for comfortable race conditions. Plus we could warm-up in the Rec Center prior to the race.
The race report itself is pretty short as there were no clocks along the course. The only thing that irked me was the first half mile or so. The race starts in the parking lot of the Rec Center and goes on to a bike path through the complex. A very narrow bike path. With close to 200 runners on it. You see where I'm going with this. It was jam-packed and made very difficult by the fact that nobody wanted to pass in the grass due to the rain. The grass looked pretty slick so I had to just hang tight. The first mile went fast, almost too fast. We went through town and I started feeling it around the mile 2 marker. I really didn't have a goal or plan coming into this due to a lack of heavy training. It seems my legs are getting really tired early in races right now. I upped my pace slightly during the last mile, which was back on the bike path, which was a lot less congested than in the beginning of the race. I was able to kick it in during the last 100 meters for a respectable 22:38.
Next Race: Lou Cox 5k- Dayton, OH
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Seymour Mini Marathon
This was a big event for me because I'm still trying to get over this IT band problem. I only ran around 8 miles in the five days leading up to this event, so training had obviously slowed down. This gave me a chance to see how the healing was going.
The price of this half was by far the cheapest I've seen. $20 plus ten canned goods (the race was for the local food pantry) got you in the race! The race is in its second year and is only about 160 people strong, though up from 80 last year, so it's growing. I also forgot how much I love race day packet pick-up! Parking was a breeze at the local church. It's times like this that I love the small races. The large races are fun with the expo and crowds, but these smaller races have a charm all their own.
Let's get to the race. I had to stretch a lot longer than is the norm for me since this injury hasn't healed completely. I did wear an IT band strap and used some Icy Hot, too. We lined up for the start and before I knew it, we're off!
Miles 1-3- I knew that these could be the most important miles in this race. Would the injury be an issue or not? There was some mild pain but nothing bad. The first mile had plenty of curves as we made our way through town. We made our way into the country, and more straightaways, over the next two miles. My realistic goal for this race was 2:30 since I figured I'd have to take an occasional walk break if the injury became too nagging. It was hard to figure what I was running because there were no clocks on the course and I never wear a watch. I asked someone at mile 3 and she said we were at 29:37. Usually I would try to be around 27:15, but I was very happy with 10 minute miles for this first race back.
Miles 4-6- A nice long straightaway for most of this stretch. I started taking water at each aid station, which was located every two miles. The course was nothing special. Pretty much what I expected from a smaller town. What I loved was the lack of hills on this course. We turned down a little country road about five and a half miles in and hit the mile 6 aid station right before heading back toward town.
Miles 7-9- We finally hit the few hills on the course, but they were actually a nice change of pace. Nothing major, just the rolling variety. The steep climb down the last hill right at mile 7 was a little unpleasant because it was hard to not fly down the hill. We started making our way back to town by running the same country road from earlier. It actually seemed shorter on the way back. At this point I knew I was going to finish this thing and in a much better time than expected. I wasn't even feeling any pain from the IT band, but my legs were feeling heavy due to the lack of training. I started sprinkling in a few one minute walk breaks around mile 9.
Miles 10-12- More country roads until mile 11 when we hit town again. I took a few short walk breaks but still felt pretty good. We hit some different roads in town and winded around quite a bit since a true out and back would have been short of 13.1 miles. There weren't many people outside even though it was gorgeous out. Not much in the way of spectators, but the ones I did see were very enthusiastic and thanked the runners for supporting the town. Around the 12 mile mark I really started feeling like crap. I was getting pretty dehydrated even though I stopped for water at each stop. My one complaint was that there was no Gatorade along the course. But with only one mile left, I toughed it out.
Mile 13-end- I ran very easy over the last mile since I was feeling pretty dehydrated. There really wasn't anyone around me at this point and I just ran easily. No reason to try to improve my time by a few seconds because I knew my time would be slow anyway. Finally hit Stadium Dr. by the high school and finished at the church in 2:09. Got my medal and headed straight for the Gatorade, which I promptly destroyed.
Thoughts- The was a very well managed race for such a small race. I was pleasantly surprised with the goodies we received from a $20 race fee; a classy medal, tech tee, water bottle, and lunch cooler. I've received less at races that cost two to three times more than this one. Each mile was marked and aid stations were plentiful. It's about a two hour drive from Dayton, but it was very well worth it. I see this event growing exponentially in the coming years and wouldn't be surprised if it rivals events like the State to State Half Marathon in size. The most pleasant surprise is that I was able to run most of the course and my IT band is not giving me any problems the morning after the race. I've got a three week break until my next race and am looking to get back into race shape soon.
Next race: Lou Cox 5k- Dayton, OH
The price of this half was by far the cheapest I've seen. $20 plus ten canned goods (the race was for the local food pantry) got you in the race! The race is in its second year and is only about 160 people strong, though up from 80 last year, so it's growing. I also forgot how much I love race day packet pick-up! Parking was a breeze at the local church. It's times like this that I love the small races. The large races are fun with the expo and crowds, but these smaller races have a charm all their own.
Let's get to the race. I had to stretch a lot longer than is the norm for me since this injury hasn't healed completely. I did wear an IT band strap and used some Icy Hot, too. We lined up for the start and before I knew it, we're off!
Miles 1-3- I knew that these could be the most important miles in this race. Would the injury be an issue or not? There was some mild pain but nothing bad. The first mile had plenty of curves as we made our way through town. We made our way into the country, and more straightaways, over the next two miles. My realistic goal for this race was 2:30 since I figured I'd have to take an occasional walk break if the injury became too nagging. It was hard to figure what I was running because there were no clocks on the course and I never wear a watch. I asked someone at mile 3 and she said we were at 29:37. Usually I would try to be around 27:15, but I was very happy with 10 minute miles for this first race back.
Miles 4-6- A nice long straightaway for most of this stretch. I started taking water at each aid station, which was located every two miles. The course was nothing special. Pretty much what I expected from a smaller town. What I loved was the lack of hills on this course. We turned down a little country road about five and a half miles in and hit the mile 6 aid station right before heading back toward town.
Miles 7-9- We finally hit the few hills on the course, but they were actually a nice change of pace. Nothing major, just the rolling variety. The steep climb down the last hill right at mile 7 was a little unpleasant because it was hard to not fly down the hill. We started making our way back to town by running the same country road from earlier. It actually seemed shorter on the way back. At this point I knew I was going to finish this thing and in a much better time than expected. I wasn't even feeling any pain from the IT band, but my legs were feeling heavy due to the lack of training. I started sprinkling in a few one minute walk breaks around mile 9.
Miles 10-12- More country roads until mile 11 when we hit town again. I took a few short walk breaks but still felt pretty good. We hit some different roads in town and winded around quite a bit since a true out and back would have been short of 13.1 miles. There weren't many people outside even though it was gorgeous out. Not much in the way of spectators, but the ones I did see were very enthusiastic and thanked the runners for supporting the town. Around the 12 mile mark I really started feeling like crap. I was getting pretty dehydrated even though I stopped for water at each stop. My one complaint was that there was no Gatorade along the course. But with only one mile left, I toughed it out.
Mile 13-end- I ran very easy over the last mile since I was feeling pretty dehydrated. There really wasn't anyone around me at this point and I just ran easily. No reason to try to improve my time by a few seconds because I knew my time would be slow anyway. Finally hit Stadium Dr. by the high school and finished at the church in 2:09. Got my medal and headed straight for the Gatorade, which I promptly destroyed.
Thoughts- The was a very well managed race for such a small race. I was pleasantly surprised with the goodies we received from a $20 race fee; a classy medal, tech tee, water bottle, and lunch cooler. I've received less at races that cost two to three times more than this one. Each mile was marked and aid stations were plentiful. It's about a two hour drive from Dayton, but it was very well worth it. I see this event growing exponentially in the coming years and wouldn't be surprised if it rivals events like the State to State Half Marathon in size. The most pleasant surprise is that I was able to run most of the course and my IT band is not giving me any problems the morning after the race. I've got a three week break until my next race and am looking to get back into race shape soon.
Next race: Lou Cox 5k- Dayton, OH
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Glass City 5k/Injury Status
I am way behind so I'll try to keep this one short and sweet. You'll notice that I ran the Glass City 5k instead of the half marathon. I developed an IT band problem soon after the ORRRC Half Marathon on April 3rd. At first it felt like a strained quad, but now I'm sure it's an IT band issue. Anyway, I was in no shape to try a half up in Toledo and opted for the 5k instead. My time was 24 minutes and change, which is about 3 minutes slower than my normal time. I do have some thoughts on the race.
The expo that Saturday was much better than expected. Everything was running very smoothly and there were quite a few vendors. I wasn't really in the mood to look at too much, but it looked like there were some great deals on gear. The race itself was very well organized. It was pretty windy on Sunday morning, but thankfully Savage Hall Arena was open for runners to stretch prior to the races. The half/full started at 7:00 and, I'll admit, I was ticked off seeing them go out without me. I never thought I'd get to the point where I was so disappointed to not be in the half marathon. The 5k started at 7:15 and went well considering I wasn't in any shape to race. The first mile was very, very slow as I was simply reading how hard my body could go. I actually was at about 9:30 for the first mile. The second and third miles weren't bad at all as I clocked in at roughly 7:30 for each. The finish is very cool in the Glass Bowl Stadium. I finished about 62 out of over 800 runners. Not bad on an injured IT band.
I had to cancel running a 5k on Easter and didn't do much running for a couple weeks after Toledo My workouts have consisted of icing the leg and working out with a foam roller. I'm finally able to run again and have had some good workouts. This weekend is very important as I've got a half marathon scheduled. I plan to use the run/walk method and simply see where I am. My goal race is the Carmel Half Marathon on June 11th, so I am hoping for a full recovery and possibly a 5k on Memorial Day. I'm not looking for a PR until Fall, but I'm hoping to be back to normal soon.
Next race: Seymour Mini Marathon- Seymour, IN
The expo that Saturday was much better than expected. Everything was running very smoothly and there were quite a few vendors. I wasn't really in the mood to look at too much, but it looked like there were some great deals on gear. The race itself was very well organized. It was pretty windy on Sunday morning, but thankfully Savage Hall Arena was open for runners to stretch prior to the races. The half/full started at 7:00 and, I'll admit, I was ticked off seeing them go out without me. I never thought I'd get to the point where I was so disappointed to not be in the half marathon. The 5k started at 7:15 and went well considering I wasn't in any shape to race. The first mile was very, very slow as I was simply reading how hard my body could go. I actually was at about 9:30 for the first mile. The second and third miles weren't bad at all as I clocked in at roughly 7:30 for each. The finish is very cool in the Glass Bowl Stadium. I finished about 62 out of over 800 runners. Not bad on an injured IT band.
I had to cancel running a 5k on Easter and didn't do much running for a couple weeks after Toledo My workouts have consisted of icing the leg and working out with a foam roller. I'm finally able to run again and have had some good workouts. This weekend is very important as I've got a half marathon scheduled. I plan to use the run/walk method and simply see where I am. My goal race is the Carmel Half Marathon on June 11th, so I am hoping for a full recovery and possibly a 5k on Memorial Day. I'm not looking for a PR until Fall, but I'm hoping to be back to normal soon.
Next race: Seymour Mini Marathon- Seymour, IN
Sunday, April 3, 2011
ORRRC Half Marathon
The Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon was held this morning in Xenia, OH. I decided to run this one as a tune-up for the Glass City Half Marathon in two weeks. The goal was to run around 2:00 and shoot for a solid time at the next one. Plans often change. It was around 35 degrees at race start and it felt perfect! I decided at the last minute to see how the first five miles went and then go from there.
Before going through my breakdown, I do want to encourage any readers to check out this race. I really wasn't sure what to expect (Xenia isn't exactly a destination marathon) and was looking at a potentially boring course. A major plus is the cost which is $25 for early registration. That's the cheapest half I've found! And the race organizers don't skimp at all. The registration fee includes the run on a beautiful course, an awesome tech tee, classy finisher's medal, and hot food at the finish. This wouldn't be my choice for a first marathon (only 165 in the full) but it's a nice race overall. On to the breakdown:
Miles 1-3- The first few miles are in town as we headed north from the YMCA, turned around, and headed back south towards the rails to trails that runs through Xenia. The road is a little uneven on this portion so you really have to watch the potholes. My first mile clocked in at 9:18. I was shooting for 9:30. Second mile was 18:28 (9:10). Whoops. Didn't mean to start out this fast. Unfortunately, clocks weren't available at most of the miles after these first few.
Miles 4-6- A short little jaunt on the trail, then south out of town. There were some nice rolling hills along this part of the course to break up the monotony. I can't stand completely flat courses, so this was nice. At around mile 5 we came back to the trail. A large part of this race is one long straightaway. I was running at a nice pace and passing some people along the way. The clock at mile 6 said 54:47. I was running even splits and feeling pretty good. This was when I made the decision to push the pace and see if I could run hard for the remainder.
Miles 7-9- More of the trail. Stopped at one water spot for some Gatorade. They only had lemon-lime. Yuck. Mile 8 was on a little side road that runs to Central State University. We turned back around at the university and headed right back to the trail. Still feeling pretty good and really pushing my pace.
Miles 10-12- Hit the 10th mile marker at 1:28. I usually aim to hit it at 1:30. Kept running even splits and even chatted with another runner for a half mile or so. He was running his first half and said, "I love it!" That's what we like to hear. At the 12th mile marker we were just getting back to Xenia.
Final push- The last bit of the race was on the road we took south out of town, so it was easy to tell exactly how much was left. I really finished strong during this last mile and still felt good. Final time- 1:54.25. Overall, this was a major confidence boost. Now is a brief recovery before the next one.
Next race: Glass City Half Marathon- Toledo, OH
Before going through my breakdown, I do want to encourage any readers to check out this race. I really wasn't sure what to expect (Xenia isn't exactly a destination marathon) and was looking at a potentially boring course. A major plus is the cost which is $25 for early registration. That's the cheapest half I've found! And the race organizers don't skimp at all. The registration fee includes the run on a beautiful course, an awesome tech tee, classy finisher's medal, and hot food at the finish. This wouldn't be my choice for a first marathon (only 165 in the full) but it's a nice race overall. On to the breakdown:
Miles 1-3- The first few miles are in town as we headed north from the YMCA, turned around, and headed back south towards the rails to trails that runs through Xenia. The road is a little uneven on this portion so you really have to watch the potholes. My first mile clocked in at 9:18. I was shooting for 9:30. Second mile was 18:28 (9:10). Whoops. Didn't mean to start out this fast. Unfortunately, clocks weren't available at most of the miles after these first few.
Miles 4-6- A short little jaunt on the trail, then south out of town. There were some nice rolling hills along this part of the course to break up the monotony. I can't stand completely flat courses, so this was nice. At around mile 5 we came back to the trail. A large part of this race is one long straightaway. I was running at a nice pace and passing some people along the way. The clock at mile 6 said 54:47. I was running even splits and feeling pretty good. This was when I made the decision to push the pace and see if I could run hard for the remainder.
Miles 7-9- More of the trail. Stopped at one water spot for some Gatorade. They only had lemon-lime. Yuck. Mile 8 was on a little side road that runs to Central State University. We turned back around at the university and headed right back to the trail. Still feeling pretty good and really pushing my pace.
Miles 10-12- Hit the 10th mile marker at 1:28. I usually aim to hit it at 1:30. Kept running even splits and even chatted with another runner for a half mile or so. He was running his first half and said, "I love it!" That's what we like to hear. At the 12th mile marker we were just getting back to Xenia.
Final push- The last bit of the race was on the road we took south out of town, so it was easy to tell exactly how much was left. I really finished strong during this last mile and still felt good. Final time- 1:54.25. Overall, this was a major confidence boost. Now is a brief recovery before the next one.
Next race: Glass City Half Marathon- Toledo, OH
Saturday, March 26, 2011
No Buts About It 5k
This will be a shorter post today since this was only a 5k. I headed up to the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek for this 5k at 7:30 this morning. Got there a little before 8:00 for easy packet pick up and to loosen up some before the 9:00 start. The past week was beautiful for Ohio in March. We had some nice days in the 50's and 60's which is ideal for me. But, since it's Ohio, I knew it was too good to last. And it did not last. It was a brisk 26 degrees this morning with a decent wind added to the mix. I don't say this often, but I really didn't want to get out of bed for this one. Runners are a dedicated breed so I naturally ran anyway.
I went for a brief jog around the mall about a half hour before the start and could tell that this was going to be a rough one. Let's just get it over with. The start went better than I thought it would. I started at a nice pace (not sure of my splits as there were no mile markers/clocks) and quickly realized that everyone was starting at a conservative pace. I figured I was in about 20th place or so after the first mile. The second mile was through a little neighborhood behind the mall. This was where my lungs started to feel the cold air. Plus there wasn't much to block the wind. Not fun, but I think I kept a good time for the second mile. The third mile looped back around where we came from. I was little irritated by the huge mass of walkers who did cheer us on but also did not move out of the way. I had to steer wide to miss them. Oh well.
The finish was much stronger than I thought it would be and I passed three people before crossing the timing mat. My time was much, much better than I thought it would be considering the weather conditions. A solid 21:36 which is faster than my past four 5ks. To add to the surprises, I placed 3rd in my age group and received a nice plaque! Overall, I'm seeing that the recent speedwork has helped. I have four tough weeks ahead with the ORRRC Half Marathon, Glass City Half Marathon and another 5k on the horizon.
Next race: Ohio River Road Runners Half Marathon- Xenia, OH
I went for a brief jog around the mall about a half hour before the start and could tell that this was going to be a rough one. Let's just get it over with. The start went better than I thought it would. I started at a nice pace (not sure of my splits as there were no mile markers/clocks) and quickly realized that everyone was starting at a conservative pace. I figured I was in about 20th place or so after the first mile. The second mile was through a little neighborhood behind the mall. This was where my lungs started to feel the cold air. Plus there wasn't much to block the wind. Not fun, but I think I kept a good time for the second mile. The third mile looped back around where we came from. I was little irritated by the huge mass of walkers who did cheer us on but also did not move out of the way. I had to steer wide to miss them. Oh well.
Next race: Ohio River Road Runners Half Marathon- Xenia, OH
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Last Chance for Boston Half Marathon
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| A look at the course |
I arrived in Dublin on Saturday and went right in and out of the host hotel for packet pick up. Easy as can be. I was actually quite happy with the gray long sleeve tech shirt. Not bad at all. Then I walked back to the hotel I was staying in. It's nice that there are four hotels right by the race, making race morning a piece of cake. Some extra sleep and no drive to the starting line. Sign me up! A simple pasta dinner the night before and plenty of rest and I felt ready to go.
Race morning was much nicer temperature-wise that I was expecting. As soon as I clicked the "Submit" button on the registration form I thought, "Uh-oh. What have I done?" It could easily be ten degrees on race morning, but it was actually near 40. Nice. I went outside the hotel for a nice warm-up jog with some other runners who wanted to check out the weather, too. Relaxed in my room for another half hour and went out for the start.The odd thing with this race is that the 5k and half start at 8:00 and the 10k and full start at 8:03, so there are four races running at the same time. This was difficult for me as I never really settled into the pace I wanted. The first split (the first .1 plus one mile) was 11:36. Ugh. Not good. The next two splits were 10:00 and 9:54. I wanted to run around 9:30 per mile for the first 8-9 miles. Not a good start. I averaged around 9:50 for the next four miles, so I quickly decided to just enjoy my sixth half marathon. No chance at a great time. And the fact that I desperately needed to use the porta john at mile 8 did not help. I hit the 9:30s and low 9:00s for the remainder until hitting an 8:08 on the final mile. Overall- 2:07.31. I'm actually pretty happy with that time since I started so slow and made a rare pit stop mid-race. I've never been much of a cold weather runner, so the fact that I can complete one this time of year is a huge improvement over previous years.
Postrace was nothing special. The medal is like something you would get at a local 5k. Think of the cheap medal with a sticker on it. Plus it doesn't distinguish between the marathon and half marathon, which is a major no-no in my book. The food was so-so. Gatorade, water, bagels, and some fruit. Eh. The payoff is the race itself as the volunteers are great! Hitting the aid station 13 times during the race is awesome and they were very supportive throughout. The same goes for the spectators who, again, you see 13 times during the race. All in all, I'm glad I did this one.
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| Race swag |
Next race: No Buts About It 5k at Beavercreek, OH
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