Snowman Scamper 5k/2013 Year in Review

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

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

2013 Review

Here are some of my highlights from 2013:

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

Favorite races of the year:

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

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

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

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

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

Run Like the Dickens 5k

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

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

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

Horseshoe Hill Climb 20K

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next race: Run Like the Dickens- Tiffin, OH

Buckeye Half Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dayton River Corridor Classic Half Marathon- Half Marathon #30

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

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

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

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

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

Next race: Buckeye Half Marathon- Peninsula, OH

Akron Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Soaring Eagle Runs Boy Scout Half Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

Next race: Akron Marathon- Akron, OH