Carriage Hill 5k

This race took place at Carriage Hill Metropark in Huber Heights on Wednesday.  I'm a little behind because I was out of town for a few days.  This was my fifth race sponsored by the Ohio River Road Runners Club.  Surprisingly, despite doing around 76 races over the years, this was my first ever trail race.  Seventy-five percent of my training is on some tough trails so it's surprising that this was my first trail race.

We were supposed to start at 7:00, but there were so many people still needing to register that the start was delayed until 7:15.  The race director then told us at the start line that the course was actually 3.4 miles instead of 3.1.  I actually think it was around 3.5.  That actually took some pressure off so I wouldn't worry about breaking 22 minutes.  There was no way I could do so on a longer course in hot, humid weather.

I'll tell you how my first trail race went.  Within a half mile it was like falling in love with running all over again.  Seriously.  The trail wasn't too technical, but there were enough up-downs, tree roots to avoid, branches to duck under, and ruts to dodge to make it fun.  There's something different about trail running.  It's not glamorous and you can get pretty dirty, but it's a blast. 

I don't have splits for this race since there were no mile markers.  All I can go on is that I felt great!  I ran a conservative pace for the first mile or so.  Then I started picking them off one at a time.  In a half mile stretch somewhere in the middle portion I passed twelve people.  This is what I've been missing with my recent 5ks and I hope it continues.  I played back and forth with another runner for quite some time before I was finally able to pass him for good.  Battles like that keep you focused on the race and not on the pain.  The final mile was fast as I tried to catch up to some runners 75 meters ahead of me.  I wasn't able to catch them but it made for a strong finish.  My time was 26:07.  I was surprised to receive a nice little trophy for finishing 4th in my age group.  Not bad at all for my first trail race.  I will definitely be running more of these.

The next adventure will be my first 10k since 2002.  I'll be honest, this distance scares me.  I'm really not sure how to pace myself in a 10k.  It will be a challenge.

Next race: Ralph Wade 10k- Springboro, OH

Run for Recovery 5k/Fall Schedule Finalized

I headed up to Troy to finish out this three 5ks in two weeks gauntlet.  I always run a race on the 4th, but wanted to relax on the 4th this year.  It rained a few hours before the race so it was hot and humid.  This race was held at Duke Park and if you ever get the chance, check it out.  It is a gorgeous park.  Here is my brief race report.

Mile 1- We started by running the inner loop of the bike path for the first mile.  It was pretty flat and fast despite the constant turns.  I felt great at the beginning and my stride felt pretty good.  My goal was to hit the first mile in seven minutes (rather than the ridiculous 6:23 I hit at last week's 5k).  I came close as the first mile went by in 6:53.

Mile 2- Slowed down a bit as always, but still felt pretty good.  We finished the interior loop and started on the outer loop.  There were fewer turns here, which really helped.  I started pacing another runner and it soon became a game of cat and mouse.  I passed him, he passed me.  The second mile clicked off in 7:16 (14:09).

Mile 3-  I passed my opponent for the final time and tried to kick it in for the last mile, but the humidity was having none of it.  I couldn't really start my kick until the last half mile or so.  The third mile went by in just over seven minutes and I hit the finish line in 22:06.  Even though I just missed my goal of breaking 22 minutes, I was pretty happy with this time.  It seems that getting the kind of times I was getting last year in 5ks just isn't in the cards this year.

This was a pretty good race and very well organized.  I really like races that stick with bike paths and off the roads.  They had plenty of food afterwards, including brats and burgers.  Not too bad at all.

I've finalized my Fall racing schedule and here's what I've signed up for: Little Miami Half Marathon in August, Air Force Half Marathon in September, Columbus Marathon in October, and the Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon in November.  I may fit in a few 5ks in the Fall, but not as many as last year.

Next race: Carriage Hill 5k- Huber Heights, OH

Duck 'n' Run 5k

Remember how I started too fast on Sunday?  This was worse.  Let me reiterate.  THIS WAS WORSE.  It was a nice, cool evening on my favorite course.  Tawawa Park in Sidney is an awesome place to run.  And it was a very fast group of people.  I must have just got caught up in it all and went out way too fast.  I'm also thinking that I should stay away from evening races because I almost always get a massive stomach cramp.  I didn't eat anything horrible through the day, so I'm not really sure what the problem was yesterday.  The recap will be short and (not so) sweet.

The first mile is a long straightaway through the upper part of the park.  It's lined with trees, ponds and the stream that runs through the park.  Gorgeous.  I didn't take in the sights and took off like a bat out of a very warm place.  The worst thing is that I realized how fast I started.  After 70 some road races, I know what I am capable of and what to stay away from.  The first mile went by in 6:23.  6:23.  Adorable.  I really do need to go out around 7:00 in the first mile.  The second mile started out well, but about halfway through I started feeling like crap.  A stomach cramp set in and it was all downhill from there.  I'm not sure what my second mile was, but it had to be around 8:00.  I was able to tough it out and run a respectable final mile and even come in strong at the finish.  My final time was 22:24 which still isn't bad (7:12 pace). Only 7 seconds slower than last Sunday's race.

This was a very frustrating race for me because I veered off from the game plan so early and just couldn't recover.  I did a nice four miler today and a ten miler planned for Sunday with a good five miler and some speedwork planned for next week.  The next race should be a lot better and I'm looking forward to breaking 22 minutes. 

Next race: Run for Recovery- Troy, OH

Dorothy Lane Market Dash 5k

I decided to do a local 5k only 8 days after the Carmel Half Marathon since I really need to catch up with some speedwork.  This race was sponsored by one of the local running stores and the Dorothy Lane Market located right across the street from my workplace.  It was hard to turn it down since it was so close to home.  Plus, I got a chance to chat with some coworkers who were also running the race. 

Today turned out nice as it was humid at the start, but thankfully the sun was partially hidden for most of the race.  The course itself had a few more hills than I thought it would.  Overall, this was a great local race.  On to the breakdown:

Mile 1- I wanted to come out strong for this race to find out where exactly I am at the beginning of this 5k gauntlet.  Well, I did indeed come out strong...way too strong.  The first mile clicked by at 6:50.  There was a lengthy downhill late in the first mile so that probably didn't help.  But I was feeling pretty good regardless.   We turned into the first of two smaller neighborhoods we'd be visiting.

Mile 2- The second mile has always killed my time in 5ks.  I believe it's actually worse now since I spend far less time training for negative splits in 5ks in favor of training for even splits in half marathons.  This one wasn't too bad.  We did a loop around the neighborhood and hit the two mile mark on the way back out.  I clocked in at 14:11 here for a 7:21 for the second mile.  Still not bad at all.

Mile 3-finish- Mile 3 started with a wicked little uphill and we turned into the second neighborhood for a short loop.  I felt pretty good but was having problems with pacing here.  There was nobody in front of me but I could hear someone gaining on me.  I knew there was a downhill finish so I picked it up with a little over a quarter mile left to hold him off.  Mile 3 clocked in at 21 and change.  Final time- 22:17.

This was an excellent event only a few miles away from my apartment.  It's hard to argue with that.  I'm also very happy with my place in the race- 20/230.  It's exciting to run a solid race considering I will be on my favorite 5k course this Thursday.

Next race: Duck 'n' Run 5k- Sidney, OH

Carmel Half Marathon

This was a fantastic race for an inaugural event!  I almost didn't sign up for this one simply because it was the first year for the Carmel Marathon.  But once I saw how much hype they were throwing into this race, I decided it would be worth a shot since there aren't many half marathons in the Midwest in June and because of the short drive to Carmel.  Besides a few minor issues (most of which I've seen at more established races) the city did a great job with this event.  The weather cooperating was also a nice surprise.  It was mid-70s and overcast at the start and the sun didn't come out too often during my race.

I arrived on Friday afternoon and went straight to packet pick up at the Monon Community Center.  This was a breeze to get to and there were no problems here.  The expo left a bit to be desired considering the amount of hype this event had going for it.  I was happy to see two local running stores represented with a good amount of merchandise.  After purchasing some new running shorts and some Sport Beans (for the next morning) I headed to my hotel.

Race morning was a breeze.  I showed up around 5:30 and had plenty of time to walk to the start (parking was about a half mile from the start), go to bag check and stretch out.  And I even saw some friends from back home who were running the marathon!  Small world. Lining up for the start was a bit of a cluster as the marathon and half marathon started at the same time.  Thankfully, they had clearly marked pace signs and most people were good about lining up where they should.  I lined up near the 9 minute pace section and felt good as we started out.  I've started wearing a watch to the races, plus they had timing mats at every 5k, so these split times are pretty accurate.

Miles 1-3:  I knew I went out a little faster than I had planned.  The first mile went very quickly and I was at about 8:50 for the first mile.  A little fast, but the first few miles were basically straightaways.  Not having to constantly turn can really improve your time.  I was at 17:40 for the second mile and holding on to around an 8:50 pace.  At this point I decided to try my best for even splits for the rest of the race.  The first 5k clocked in at 27:05 and I was holding steady.

Miles 4-6: We split off from the marathoners soon after the third mile, but I never felt alone on this course.  There were always four or five other runners around me, which is nice compared to those lonely training runs.  We started going through some nice, scenic areas of Carmel.  The hill during mile 4 caught a lot of us off guard.  The rest of the course was very, very flat.  I kept up my pace and hit mile 6 in 51:48.  

Miles 7-9: I've mentioned in a previous post that these are the important miles for me.  I either listen to my iPod and watch the miles click off, or I feel each and every step.  This was the first time since my injury issue in April that I've really felt like myself.  Plus this was a really cool part of the course!  We went on to the Monon trail right when the sun was peaking through the clouds.  The shade was very much needed here and the course was very scenic I can't remember the exact splits for these miles, but I know they were still close to 8:50-9:00 each.

Miles 10-12: .  My split for the first 10 miles was 1:29.06.  Not bad considering I usually try to hit that in 1:30.  I also realized that a PR was out of the question due to the humidity and the potential sunlight during the last 5k.   But that wouldn't stop me from posting a very good time.  We started to head back to the finish area through the Carmel Arts District.  This was another cool area of the course and the spectators were very nice through the final miles.  At mile 12 I was at 1:47 and change.

The greatest sign a half marathoner will see.

Final mile:  We hit a wicked little hill during this last mile, but the downhill to the finish was worth it.  For a small city, there sure were some awesome spectators during this final push.  I especially liked the sign one was holding that said, "You are all making me feel lazy!"  Awesome. 

Final time- 1:56.06

I am thrilled with this time, especially considering having to scratch out of the Glass City Half Marathon less than two months ago.  This was the finishing touch on my Spring 2011 race schedule, so it's on to some summer 5ks.  My next half marathon won't be until the Little Miami on August 21st.  I can use the break considering I've completed five half marathons this year.   The Carmel Half was a terrific event and I will seriously considering coming back next year.  The organization was top notch!

Next race: Dorothy Lane Market Dash- Centerville, OH

Lou Cox 5k

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

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