Greek Festival 5k

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

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

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

Next race: Drug Free 5k- Lexington, OH

Capital City Half Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next race: Greek Festival 5k- Mansfield, OH

Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next race: Capital City Half Marathon- Columbus, OH

ORRRC Half Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Race to Eliminate 5k

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

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

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

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

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

Fremont Indoor 10k/Road Apple Run 5k

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

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

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

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

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.