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