ORRRC Half Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Race to Eliminate 5k

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

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

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

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

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

Fremont Indoor 10k/Road Apple Run 5k

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

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

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

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

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