Three Creeks Half Marathon

 

Let's have a quick chat, winter.  My last half marathon, the Last Chance for Boston, was in 17 degree weather.   I get it.  It was February in Ohio.  Fair enough.  But you got me sick.  Even worse, you got poor GF sick.  So I signed up for the Three Creeks Half Marathon at Three Rivers Metropark in Groveport in late March.  It could still be cold, sure, but I'm thinking 30s or 40s in the morning.  What did we wake up to?  10 degrees with a couple inches of snow here in Mansfield.  Back off, winter.  

GF and I had a quick chat at 5:00 in the morning as I was seriously considering scratching.  I really wasn't sure if I had it in me to run in such temperatures and also worried about getting sick again.  GF encouraged me to go, but it was way too cold for her to cheer me on and there was no place to wait inside at the park.  She saw me off with her usual post-race dance and I made the trek to Columbus.  The snow didn't hit as far south as Groveport so there were no worries on the course.  You'll see in a little bit that all of this was well worth the effort.

The venue itself is really nice.  A bike path runs throughout the park and that's what we ran on.  There were just over 100 people in the half, but there was also a 10k and 5k going on at the same time.  After waiting around in my car (heat, glorious heat!) for 45 minutes, I made my way to the start line.

Miles 1-5: I started out near the front pack and felt good right from the start.  My plan was to use this as a training run for the Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon in two weeks.  The goal time was 1:45.  I set a solid pace right out of the gate as we meandered through the park.  It was VERY difficult to hit all the tangents as there were constant turns during the early miles.  I did a solid job but I know I missed some.  Even though I was aiming for 8:00 miles, I was hitting solid splits from the beginning.  Here are the splits for the first five: 1 (7:52), 2 (7:35),  3 (7:23), 4 (7:26), 5 (7:24).  I really like how this looks as I was very consistent after the easy first mile.  37:40 after the first five is a very solid time and over two minutes faster than where I wanted to be.

Miles 6-10: The course was a bit more varied throughout this section as we had pretty good views of one of the streams and some bridge crossings.  One crossing at about the 6 mile mark was pretty steep, especially on the way back.  I popped a gel at the halfway point and was still feeling pretty good.  No designs on a PR, but I started thinking a sub-1:40 was possible.  I also passed a few people during this section of the course and noticed I was in the top 20 as the leaders were coming back from the turnaround point.  My splits were still solid and pretty consistent.  Here are the numbers: 6 (7:43), 7 (7:17), 8 (7:20), 9 (7:05!), 10 (7:24).  Not sure where that 7:05 came from.  Mile 6 was slower because I kept dropping my gel at the water station.  A 1:14:29 at the ten mile mark is unheard of for me and right in PR territory.  I was thinking it was a slight possibility.

Miles 11-13.1: I was struggling over the last few miles.  My legs were feeling heavy as I was not planning on this race being a PR opportunity.  The meandering course and slight hills were wearing on me, too.  I saw a runner about 100 yards in front of me and kept him in my sights for the remainder.  My splits were surprisingly solid: 11 (7:03), 12 (7:18), 13 (7:14), 13.1 (1:01).  I passed the other runner right at the 13 mile marker and sprinted up the last hill to the finish...

...AND A NEW PR!!!  Talk about unexpected.  I finished this race that I almost didn't run with a new PR of 1:37:09.  This breaks the 1:37:28 from the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona and gives me my third sub-1:40 of the year.  I really don't know how I went from aiming for sub-1:50s last year to consistently running sub-1:40s this year.  I finished this one 16/103 overall and 2/13 in my age group.  This is only the second time I've placed in my age group at a half marathon (the first was the 2013 Park 2 Park) and this race was almost double the size.  Next on the docket for me is my favorite race, the Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon.  My goal may still be to try to PR but we'll see.

GF Training Update

GF is doing an outstanding job of prepping for her 5k at the Flying Pig Marathon in May.  We've been on our local bike path a few times since my last update.  She ran a 46:58 at her second one which would be a PR for her!  It was a pretty nice day out and she was in a zone.  This morning we went out again and she did even better!  It was pretty cold, around 31 degrees, with a fierce wind blowing in our faces during the first half.  She still managed to run a 46:25!  She's doing an amazing job and I'm sure she'll PR in May.

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

Liwiro la Malawi 5k

I originally had this on my schedule and decided against it after the Last Chance for Boston Half.  Always supportive GF started talking me into doing it last weekend, so I decided on Thursday to go ahead and give it a shot.  The race is set up to provide assistance to orphans at the Kanyenyeva Orphan Care Ministry in Malawi, Africa, which is an excellent cause I'll support.

GF and I arrived in downtown Mansfield about 45 minutes before the start for registration and warm-ups.  The temps were good but the wind was killer.  We waited around inside for as long as we could before making our way to the start.  I didn't really have a goal in mind because my training has been up and down and geared more toward the half marathon distance.  I was actually pretty nervous for this one because I knew the course would be tough. 

We started out from downtown and ran down Park Avenue for the first mile and a half.  I started out behind a couple people and moved into the top three right away.  Then I moved into second place within the first quarter mile.  Nobody was pushing the pace at all, so I tucked in behind the leader for a bit before passing him within the first half mile.  I was by myself for the rest of this one.  The hill on Park Avenue about a half mile in lasted forever!  It blocked the wind but it was tough to keep up a good pace.  I hit the first mile in 7:22 which is right where I wanted to be.  We finally got a slight downhill before a gradual incline again.  I caught up with the lead bike after we turned off of Park for the lollipop portion of the course.  I was feeling good and knew the worst part was over.  We then turned onto Maple for the last slight uphill and then turned again on Marion moving back toward Park.  I was pushing my pace a bit more and hit the two mile mark in 14:20.  I admit I did look back to see where the second place runner was and felt very comfortable with the lead I built up.  I flew down the long downhill leading us back to Park and the finish stretch.  The final stretch was flat, with the wind to my back this time, and I was able to finish with a solid 22:01 and my fourth first place finish!  Talk about an unexpected result!  GF was again doing a celebratory dance for me at the finish, too!

This was a solid race with the upcoming half marathon next week.  My confidence is pretty high and I'm hoping for a 1:45 or so next week.  GF is training for a 5k at the Flying Pig Marathon in May and we went out for a time trial this morning.  It was very cold and poor GF is just getting over a cold.  She still rocked it!  I'm confident she will be able to get a new PR in May.

Next race: Three Creeks Half Marathon- Groveport, OH

Last Chance for Boston Half Marathon

This was a pleasant surprise of a race.  GF and I headed to Dublin for this race that I actually vowed to never again run (see my 2011 report here).  However, I wanted to set up a bunch of races in winter and spring in an attempt to get 10 half marathons in this year.  My report will be slightly different than usual because the course is a one mile loop.  Nothing to report there.  Here are some thoughts on this race:

Pros

This is one of the few half marathon options in Ohio during the winter.

You certainly learn the course after a couple laps.

The "course" is pancake flat.

Spectators (GF!) can watch a LOT of the race.

Accurate splits for every mile of the race.

Cons

It was 17 degrees outside.

It's hard to pace yourself because there are so many races at once.  There's a full, half, 10k, 5k, marathon relay, and half relay.  

It was 17 degrees outside.

While a flat race, the course gets dull pretty quickly.

It was 17 degrees outside.

Did I happen to mention it was 17 degrees?  I did?  Good.  Because it was.  GF reported this to me after the race.  I would have been tempted to put a big ol' DNF after my name had I known that prior to the race.  But I surprisingly warmed up only a couple miles into this one.  GF also wanted to wipe the ice out of my beard every time I passed her.  :)

There's not much to report other than I ran a GREAT race.  Seriously, I'm not sure where this is coming from, other than my amazing GF supporting me at all these races.  I ran splits that looked eerily similar to the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon.  It was hard to hit the tangents with all the other races going on, so I had the course at 13.24 miles.  Since I have splits for every single mile, let's look at those.  The race starts .1 mile behind the finish line, so we do that first and then start in on the miles.  That's why lap one is so fast.

Lap 1- 0:57          Lap 2- 7:49           Lap 3- 7:45          Lap 4- 7:36           Lap 5- 7:40

Lap 6- 7:32          Lap 7- 7:44           Lap 8- 7:45          Lap 9- 7:36           Lap 10- 7:30

Lap 11- 7:38        Lap 12- 7:42         Lap 13- 7:27        Lap 14- 7:11

Not bad at all.  I ran consistent times and never had a mile above 7:49.  I was able to run some negative splits toward the end.  My overall time was 1:39:38 which is good enough for my third fastest half and 17/144 overall.  

But it came with a price.  GF was feeling under the weather prior to the race and, after watching roughly half of my race, got worse.  I also got ill (did I mention it was 17 degrees?) but we're both on the mend.  

I originally thought of doing a 5k in March, but instead I'll take a break until my next half at the end of the month.

Next race: Three Creeks Half Marathon- Groveport, OH

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