Blizzard Buster 5k

I decided to get in a bit of speedwork prior to the Last Chance for Boston Half Marathon.  The GF and I traveled up to Ashland for what I thought would be a nice, easy 5k this past weekend.  Little did I know this would not be easy at all.

We started out from Ashland First United Methodist Church and headed west for a bit.  The going was pretty good, but there were a lot of hills throughout this race.  I knew negative splits weren't a possibility.  Thankfully, I decided to bank some time early and started out the with the lead group.  There were some very fast runners, but I assumed this would be a tough race as only serious runners would brave the elements.  I struggled but ran a 6:58 for the first mile.  We took a nice downhill soon after but then the fun began.  The roads were very clear throughout the race, but we started in to a cemetery at about 1.25 miles in that was nothing but ice!  Plus hills.  This was not fun at all.  I started taking short, choppy steps during this part of the course, which lasted around 1.5 miles, and it really put my time in the crapper.  I almost wiped out several times and I know several people did, judging by the conversations GF and I overheard after the race.  I just tried to maintain my place during the cemetery portion, but my time was around a 7:40 for the second mile.  Plus, the cold air was getting to my lungs and the choppy steps to my core.  We meandered through the cemetery and finished with a downhill out of there.  Finally we made it back to the road at about the 2.75 mile mark.  I tried to kick it in some during the finish but my lungs weren't having it.  The highlight occurred as I saw GF doing a celebratory dance for me at the finish!

Final time- 22:43.  This was good enough for 10th overall, out of probably around 100, and second in my age group.  The age group awards were very cool as I received a coffee mug for my efforts.  I really love my medals, but I have so many that I actually like receiving useful things now.  GF and I made a day of it and ate a wonderful breakfast at a local diner and then hit up the nearby outlet mall for the rest of the afternoon.  Overall, a good day!

My 2014 is starting off very, very well.  I already have two 5ks and a half marathon PR under my belt.  I'm scheduled for a half marathon next week but it depends on the weather.   If it's frigid, I may drop down to the 5k or 10k.

Next race: Last Chance for Boston Half Marathon- Dublin, OH

PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona 5k and Half Marathon

My amazing girlfriend (GF) and I traveled to Phoenix this past weekend for six days of fun in the sun!  We did a variety of awesome things (Arizona Botanical Garden, Grand Canyon, shopping/dining in Scottsdale) and I ran my first ever double.  The Rock 'n' Roll series is offering a Remix Challenge at many of their 2015 races.  Run a 5k on Saturday morning and either the full marathon, half or 10k on Sunday.  Plus, you get an extra medal for doing both races.  I believe that brings my medal count to 1,257 (not really).

My plan was to run the 5k at an easy pace, around 23:00-24:00, and then run a solid half marathon from 1:45-1:50.  For whatever reason, I felt great and broke those times in both races, leading to an amazing half marathon performance.

Saturday- 5k

The GF and I drove to the race start at Tempe Beach Park due to the race beginning almost two miles from the hotel.  We were glad we did this as it was actually pretty chilly for Phoenix.  It was probably in the low-40s but the wind was strong.  I had more fun at this one than I normally have at 5ks for several reasons: my supportive GF was there, it was a nice sized 5k with almost 1500 finishers, and we had amazing pacers in running icons like Alan Webb, Ryan Hall and others!  That was a very cool touch!  I loved having the rare opportunity to run next to such legends.

I started out in the 8:00 pace group and felt a little tight for the first mile or so.  I ran next to Alan Webb for the first mile which was amazing.  We made our way north across the Salt River for some awesome views of the city. I passed this pace group at the end of mile one and started feeling pretty good.  The course was flat and very scenic, with a nice view of Camelback Mountain north of Phoenix.  I really picked up the pace and ran just over 7 minutes for mile 2.  I wanted to catch up to the 7:15 group and made my way there near the end of the race.  We crossed the Salt River again on the return and I kicked it for a very strong 22:38.  This was good enough for 69/1488 overall and 9/82 in my age group.  Not bad at all for an easy 5k.  I probably could have hit around 21:00 at this race which would have put me in the top 30 or so.  But I had to leave something in the tank for Sunday.

Sunday- Half Marathon

First, some pre-race pics!

With GF before race!

I love this pic she took!

We had an easy walk to the start and got there about a half hour before the start.  I started out in Corral 2 so there wasn't much of a wait.  This race had a real wave start and it helped tremendously.  There were always people nearby, but I never once felt like the race was too big and crowded.  We started by going west from Arizona State University and I felt pretty tight from the previous day's 5k.  The first mile came in around 8:11 but was the last time I'd be above 8:00.  Something happened during this one and I was in a zone for the rest of the run.  I started clicking off 7:30 miles for the remainder of the race.  There were no designs on running a PR at this point.  I simply wanted to bank some time for when I crapped out late in the race due to it being my first of the year.  The 5k came in at 24:05 which isn't a bad time for my first 3.1 in a half.  My goal of hitting a 1:45 was looking realistic, but I was really shooting for a sub-1:50 at this one.

We headed north toward Scottsdale for the next few miles.  This wasn't the prettiest part of the course but the long straightaway was nice.  I was still hitting 7:30 miles and one or two below that.  My 10k time came in at 47:08.  Still really good for me, but I knew I would fall shy of hitting the first 8 miles in 1:00, which would mean a PR pace for me.  Still, I was running well and enjoying the sites.  We had an amazing view of Camelback Mountain and some of the rock formations north of the city.  I was staying hydrated well, as I knew I would have to hit the water stops more frequently than normal for this race.  I could certainly feel the heat and I did get some sun during this one.

There was a wicked uphill around 9 miles in, but we were treated by an amazing view of Phoenix once we crested the hill.  It was gorgeous!  We then turned around and were treated to an amazing downhill in which I ran about 7:05 for that mile.  I hit the 10 mile mark in 1:15:18.  I'll repeat that...1:15:18.  How did that happen?  I finally got it in my head that a PR was actually a possibility at my first race of the year.  I definitely picked up the pace for the rest of the race.

The last few miles were similar to the 5k the day before.  We made our way around a few rock formations.  I was definitely pushing my pace and feeling it, but I have to try for a PR when the opportunity presents itself.  I stopped watching my watch until I hit the 12 mile mark, clocking in just over 1:29.  I actually knew I would break my PR of 1:39:32 at this point an wanted to break it by a few minutes.  We made our way across the Salt River again and I kicked it in like the previous day.  The pictures as I'm finishing are hilarious as I have a big grin on my face.  I hit the finish line with a new PR of 1:37:26, good enough for 433/11181 overall and 52/591 in my age group.  Talk about a shock of a race!

We even have some celebratory pictures!

I'm still getting over the fact I hit a new PR at my first 2015 race, especially after running a solid 5k the day before.  GF was absolutely amazing and supportive!

 I knew towards the end of last year that I was starting out too conservatively at races and it's something I look to improve upon this year.

Next race: Last Chance for Boston Half Marathon- Dublin, OH

Tour de Ashland Half Marathon Relay/2014 Thoughts

My final 2014 race was a blast!  A good friend and I ran the Tour de Ashland Half Marathon Relay together and we did much better than we expected.  We ran two half marathons together this year but neither had ever ran a relay.  It sounded like a lot of fun and we didn't have to break the bank training-wise.

We (my amazing girlfriend came to lend support) met up with my teammate in nearby Ashland on race morning.  It was windy but not too cold for early December.  It rained cats and dogs the night before and we were just hoping to not get too wet.  Unfortunately, my teammate did not luck out in that regard.  I ran the first leg of the race (6.9 miles) and he ran the second leg (6.2).  The distances were odd, but the second leg involved more hills than the first.

I started out at a great pace and hung with the 1:35 pacer for most of the race.  There were some half-marathoners and 5k runners in the mix, so it was really difficult to tell how we were doing in the relay the entire time I was running.  I just focused on hitting my splits.  We started with a loop around the neighborhood surrounding Ashland High School and back to where we started.  The 5k runners finished here and things really spread out.  I stuck with the pace team and was hitting 7:30 mile splits.  I felt like I was in a zone and could potentially hit 50 minutes for my portion of the race.  We did hit a few minor, rolling hills during the second part of the first leg but it wasn't bad.  I was hitting 7:00 miles and some sub-7:00 at this point.  The course was so-so, mostly through some nice residential areas.  We made our way towards downtown and I kicked it in for the final mile or so.  I did come in at 49:53 which is an amazing time for me!

I handed it off to my teammate.  He had to tackle a major hill right out of the gate and, of course, it rained like crazy during his last couple of miles.  And the wind kicked up, too.  He still had a fun time and ran a great time in such conditions.  Our team time was 1:42:06, good enough for second overall in the relay and first overall in the all-male division!  We each received a cool finisher's medal and a fleece blanket for winning our division.  What a fun way to end 2014!

I like to review my races at the end of this year and give my thoughts on them.  2014 was another amazing year and I hit quite a few highlights:

• Added my eleventh state (Vermont) at the Mad Half Marathon.
• I finally ran a sub-1:40 half marathon (1:39:32) at the Capital City Half Marathon.
• I added several new race distances/types this year with my first indoor race (Fremont Indoor 10k), four miler (Flying Feather), and relay (Tour de Ashland).
• Won two races (Race to Eliminate 5k, Drug Free 5k) and came in second twice (Greek Festival 5k, Banking on a Cure 5k).
• 18 total races: nine half marathons, six 5ks, one 10k, one 4 miler, one relay.
• Hit 40 total half marathons.
• Total race mileage for 2014: 153.6

Favorite races of the year:

Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- This was my third time running this race and I'm already scheduled for the April 2015 race.  It's just so well organized and for $25 it's a steal.

Capital City Half Marathon- What is it with me and Columbus?  I run so well down there and I felt like I had an out of body experience at it this year.  Knocking down 7:30 miles during a half is crazy for me.  Very well organized and always a fun time!

Mad Half Marathon- Definitely the toughest race I've ever done, but one of the most gorgeous and friendliest races too!  This was a fun summertime race and an excuse to travel to New England.  Everyone was very friendly and the organization was fantastic.

Buckeye Half Marathon- This was my second time running this one.  It's always cold, being down in the valley, but it's so well organized and a beautiful course.  I love getting a hoodie rather than a T-shirt.  This one also counted as my 40th half marathon.

What will 2015 bring?  My goal is to run ten half marathons as I would love to get to 50.  I'm going to try to load up on winter/spring half marathons to help me in this quest.  My next race is in a few short weeks, as I'll be travelling to the Southwest for a major race.  I'll be doing the Remix Challenge by running my first double: A 5k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday.

Next race: P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon & 5k

Flying Feather 4-Miler

This was a new race distance and experience for me.  I've ran in several races near Thanksgiving but had never taken the plunge on Thanksgiving Day.  This was a fun race, but there are definitely some areas in which this race could improve.  The swag, however, was top-notch!  A nice tech shirt, gloves, running hat, heavy medal, and a bottle of wine at the finish!

The race is held in Glacier Ridge Metro Park in Dublin, OH, and regularly sells out with 4,000 participants!  It's one of the largest Thanksgiving races in Ohio.  The park is very nice and the race started at a nice club that allowed us to come in prior to the race.  That was great as temps were in the high 20s.  There are shuttle buses going out from the various parking areas near the park.  This was a nice touch and my girlfriend and I were able to get on one right after we parked.

I liked the race overall, but the start was so congested that I couldn't even line up in the right spot.  The start area was very narrow and taped off in some areas, so I had to start near the back even though I needed to be near the front.  That made for a frustrating start for me as I spent the first few miles dodging people.  My goal coming in was to attempt to break 30 minutes, even though my training has been sporadic at best.  I did my best dodging and came in around 7:40 for the first mile and the same for the second.  There were a few hills sprinkled throughout but I liked the change of pace.

I spend the second half of the race doing less dodging and spending more time chasing down pace groups.  I never got to the one I should have started with, but the race was chip timed so it really didn't matter where I started.  The second half was definitely faster as we made our way back to the start.  The best part was the downhill finish!  I was able to hit my goal for the day (barely!) and came in with a respectable 29:47, good enough for 165/3,891 overall and 26/369 in my age group.

The only other gripe I had was getting a bus after the finish to go back to the parking area.  It was a mess and we waited for around 20-30 minutes.  There was no order to how the buses were parking to pick us up, so every time we ran to the one we needed it was already full.  Not a huge deal, but I did see a lot of people walking back to their cars which were a mile or more away.

The next race will be my final one for this amazing running year.  I'll be doing a two-person relay with a good friend, which should be a really fun time!

Next race: Tour de Ashland Half Marathon 2-Person Relay- Ashland, OH

Buckeye Half Marathon

My Columbus Half experience was fun, but I ultimately fell short of my goal at that race.  I wanted one more opportunity to try for a solid race in 2014.  I also ran this race because it was my 40th half marathon!  Every time I hit a milestone like this, I think back to my first half in 2009 and how I said "Never again!" at the finish line.  You just never know!

This race is absolutely fantastic!  I ran a 1:50:21 at it last year and really enjoyed it.  The race is so well organized and you even get a 1/4 zip jacket or a hoodie for entering.  I registered the day before the race and was still able to get a hoodie!  Something I'll actually use!  The course itself is of the double loop variety which I normally don't enjoy but the scenery is fantastic.  Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a great place to visit if you get the opportunity.

We started out right on time and I began at a reasonable 8:30 pace.  I had higher aspirations, but I wanted to use the same method as at Wooster and Findlay earlier this year by saving everything for the second half of the race.  I hung around the 1:50 pace team for the first half of the race and just enjoyed myself.  It was freezing, though!  I noticed the temp gauge in my car went down around 10 degrees in the drive from my hotel in Medina to Cuyahoga Valley.  It is certainly low in the valley and it gets cold.  It took a few miles for me to warm up, but I knew I was on pace for a very solid race when I started kicking more around the five mile mark.  I really felt good at this one and my running was as effortless as I've felt since Cap City.

The second half is a complete blur.  I passed a ton of people at the beginning of the second loop, though it's hard to tell because of the relay exchange (there's a two-person relay at this race).  I felt phenomenal and noted the 7:15-7:30 miles I started to rip out.  It did start to get sunny and the temps felt perfect during the second loop.  I also forgot to mention that, although this is held in Summit County, it's a relatively flat course.  There are a few hills toward the end of the loop, but nothing daunting.  It's a really nice course!  I was able to cruise in with my second fastest half time, 1:40:17!!!  This was good enough for 54/450 overall and 6/19 in my age group.  The frustrating thing is I was less than a minute and a half away from placing.  I've had so many near misses this year.

This was a fantastic final half marathon for the year.  The Summit Athletic Running Club puts on a great event and it has become one of my go-to races.  They even serve hot soup at the end!

Next race: Flying Feather 4-Miler- Dublin, OH

Columbus Half Marathon

Yes, I am missing three race reports.  The Columbus Half was well over a month ago and I still have two other race reports to do.  Plus, my next race is tomorrow.  Yikes!  I'll keep it short.

This is a tremendous race with excellent organization, minus one snafu at the end that was quickly corrected.  My girlfriend and I stayed downtown for the race to avoid the traffic the next day.  We were even able to meet up with some friends of mine, one of whom was running the full, for dinner the night before the race!  That was a fun way to start the weekend!

Race morning was chilly but not too terrible.  The start was at 7:30 so we walked from the hotel to the starting area around 6:30.  My amazing girlfriend actually made the trek that early to cheer me on.  I love that type of motivation!

The race start is amazing!  The fireworks display was awesome, though I enjoyed the one prior to the 2011 race slightly better.  I was in Corral A (how did I ever get this fast?!), so it did not take long to cross the start line.  I started out at around an 8 minute pace and felt pretty good for the first five miles or so.  The first half consists mostly of two long straightaways down Broad Street.  We go out past Capital University, then run some side streets, then make our way back towards downtown.  I had forgotten how long this stretch seems as it didn't really bother me when I ran the full in 2011.  This seemed much longer as I was out for a good time at this race.  I hit the 10k mark in 49:54 so I was definitely on pace for a sub-1:50 half marathon.  My goal was to give my 1:39:31 from the Capital City Half Marathon a run for its money.

But then the wheels fell off and I had some minor GI issues throughout the second half of the race.  We were running back toward German Village when I started feeling a bit crummy and had to stop (twice).  I was still running a good time, though, and was still thinking a sub-1:45 was a possibility.  What a difference a few years make!  I couldn't dream of a sub-1:45 back then and yet here I was, struggling with a GI issue and still thinking of a sub-1:45.

We hit German Village and meandered around there a bit.  I did notice the course through here was very similar to Capital City and is my favorite part of the tour.  I kicked it up a bit during these miles as I was slowly feeling better.  After exiting German Village, we headed back up High Street.  There's a killer hill here leading back downtown.  I've mentioned it during my Cap City reports as that race ends near the same area.  It's a rough way to finish the race!  I was able to cruise in for a 1:44:37.  Good enough for 816/10,410 overall and 109/593 in my age group.

The only snafu was they didn't have the medals ready for the first group of half marathoners.  There was a problem in getting them on time, though it sounded like the race organizers did a FANTASTIC job trying to fix it.  They arrived around a half hour after I finished and I was able to pick one up.  Not a big deal at all.

My time was excellent and my mini sub-1:50 streak continued, but I was hoping to come close to 1:40 at this race.  I decided to do a revenge race the next week at another race I'm familiar with.

Next race: Buckeye Half Marathon- Cuyahoga Fall, OH

Findlay Red White and Blue Half Marathon

I'm way behind (again!) on writing the blog.  Tomorrow's the Columbus Half Marathon and I haven't even given my report on this race.  I'll keep this one pretty short.

I made the trek to Tiffin to stay with friends and then to Findlay to run with a friend the next day.  We knew this would be a smaller race and I was really just looking for a good hard run prior to the Columbus Half Marathon.  The weather, however, turned pretty nasty the day before the race.  We got some rain but the wind was terrible!  Race morning was very cold and I of course forgot to bring gloves and a hat.  It was a miserable start.

We started out from Riverbend Park and ran west just north of the Findlay Reservoir.  This was the worst part of the course as the wind was blowing right in our faces.  It felt like a death march.  I started out at a very conservative pace for the first five miles or so.  Just under 9:00/mile was what I was looking for.  We made a loop around the reservoir and I decided to speed up some after the five mile mark.

Not much to report after that.  Lots of cornfields.  The race itself was very well organized, but the scenery was nothing to write home about.  We had a strange little turnaround roughly seven miles in where we ran about a half mile down a new road and then right back.  I would have liked to have run more in Riverbend Park and cut out this portion.  We then had a LONG straightaway to just past the ten mile mark.  The wind wasn't terrible and I was actually able to run a great pace along this part of the course, sometimes getting in under 8:00/mile.

We made our way back to the park and I came in in a surprising 1:46:18.  This was good enough for 15/99 overall and only 30 seconds away from placing in my age group.

Next race: Columbus Half Marathon- Columbus, OH