Tiro-Auburn Firefighter's Festival 5k

GF and I headed to the tiny hamlet of Tiro for an evening 5k.  I ran this one last year and it was one of my fastest.  Last year's weather conditions were much worse than this year's experience.  It was in the high-80s and sunny last year.  This year it was in the low-70s and overcast with some light rain during the last half of the race.  This year's race was also much smaller than last year's race and I'm really hoping they continue to hold it in the future.  The folks who were there all looked like serious runners.  I was a bit nervous at the start.

We made our way to the meager start line in the center of town and took off.  The first half mile was a gradual downhill and I started out very fast.  I tucked in with the lead pack and tried to hold it from there.  There were five of us in this pack until the eventual winner took off like a gazelle.  The course was nothing special as we wound down country roads.  I hit the first mile in an amazing 6:09.  That's certainly PR territory for me but I knew I could not sustain that pace.  I passed one runner during the second mile as we continued on.  I was just under ten minutes at the turnaround point but was feeling the effort.  We started back to Tiro and I hit the second mile in 12:48.  Finally, the typical side cramp I get in these evening races reared its ugly head and I simply tried to keep moving.  I was holding steady in fourth place.  Two runners were gaining on me as I made my way back to the first straightaway.  I gave it whatever I had left and hit the finish in 20:09.  This is my second fastest 5k ever!  I barely held on for fourth overall and first in my age group.  The age group award was awesome this year as I received a $15 Dick's Sporting Goods gift card!  GF and I promptly made our way to the festival's food tent and made short work out of a lot of food.

Considering the lack of training for shorter races, I'm very happy with my time.  I'm seriously considering going after a PR at my next 5k.  The next one on the docket is a GF PR attempt at the Ontario Fourth of July 5k this coming weekend.  Unfortunately, GF has been battling a case of plantar fasciitis and we're waiting to see if she can compete.

Next race: Ontario Fourth of July 5k- Ontario, OH

Kingwood 5K

GF and I ran the Kingwood 5k at the nearby Kingwood Center in Mansfield.  This is one of GF's favorite places as the site includes a myriad of flowers and other plants.  We used this as a PR attempt for GF, despite her recent training being up and down.  The temperatures held at a reasonable level for mid-June but the humidity was high.

We started out with a long straightaway and a turnaround near the high school.  GF was able to start off at a terrific pace as there was more room to operate than at her last 5k.  She actually started off much faster than I had anticipated by sprinkling in some fast bursts.  This worked well for her at the Flying Pig and it worked even better at this race.  We were trying to hang with the second larger group of runners and GF did a great job of doing so.  Her first mile came in at 14:20.  That's a full minute faster than I wanted her to go out! 

The bike path was the next section on the course and we were on there for a while.  GF was still sprinkling in some fast bursts, but she was certainly feeling the effects of the first mile.  She passed some people and kept them behind her during this second mile, keeping her just behind the second larger group.  We made our way to North Lake Park for a nice loop before heading back toward the path.  Her second mile came in at 14:24 so she hadn't slowed by much. 

We continued down the bike path toward the Kingwood Center and GF was feeling her efforts.  She slowed some here, but I told her to just keep moving and save some for the finish.  This part of the course was mentally tough as we knew we had almost a mile to go before turning.  We also had a nice hill to contend with as we made our way back to Kingwood.  The third mile came in at 15:30 as GF sprinted downhill into the Kingwood Center and crossed the line at 45:23.  This makes a new PR for GF by 4 seconds!  This was a bit shocking as, again, her training leading up to this one was so-so.  Her next attempt is coming on the Fourth of July, but first I have a 5k in nearby Tiro.

Next race: Tiro-Auburn Firefighter's Festival 5k

Medina Half Marathon

My final half marathon for the first half of 2015 was a fun one in nearby Medina, OH.  This race is only in its third year, but the terrific organization makes you think this one has been around for a long time.  My only complaint is there was no race day packet pickup.  For a smaller race, this was a bit irritating.  I had to drive there on Friday afternoon and turn around and get up at 4:30 the next morning for the race.  Other than that, I was pleased with this one.

GF and I made the trek a bit after 5:00 for the early 6:45 start.  I was thankful for the early start as the sun came out and it warmed up quickly not too long after I finished the race.  The half marathon started and ended in Medina's downtown square.  The added bonus was the fantastic farmer's market that was up and running by the time I finished.  GF and I had a blast at this event.

I had no real goals for this race other than finishing under 1:45.  My body is very beat up after the ridiculous amount of racing I've done this year.  I really should back off but it's just too much fun!  I met up with a few other Half Fanatics prior to the race which was also fun.  Finally, I lined up near the 1:50 pace team and we were off.

Miles 1-5: This race was billed as tough and hilly.  The hills were mostly rollers and the first half of the course didn't present any problems.  The first two miles were actually downhill and I took off at a good pace.  I had a slight issue with my watch as I had forgotten to delete some previous data, so my splits start around .1 to .15 into the race as I had to clear data.  I felt very good during the first five as we made our way around the north end of town and made our way in a semi-circle to the east side.  We ran through plenty of nice residential areas and the roads were blocked off.  I started off well and immediately began thinking of a sub-1:40 race.  Here are the first five:  1 (7:27), 2 (7:02), 3 (7:15), 4 (7:13), 5 (7:30).  The splits are fairly consistent but I knew the second half of the course would be tougher.

Miles 6-10: We continued along the east part of town and I remembered what I had seen on the course map.  This course had more turns than any other half marathon I've completed.  It was constant turning and it was very difficult to hit all the tangents.  I felt like I did an excellent job, but I do hope they tweak this course next year.  The longest portion was on a small bike path for roughly 3/4 mile or so.  I was still enjoying the course, though.  I was right where I needed to be as I wasn't being passed nor was I passing many runners.  The residential areas were pretty and the few people who were out were very supportive.  However, I was starting to feel the rolling hills and the humidity late in the course, as you can see from my splits.  Here are the second five: 6 (7:23), 7 (7:32), 8 (7:22), 9 (7:20), 10 (8:28).  Mile 10 was a rough one, but I was still able to get to 10 in about 1:15.

Miles 11-Finish: I was really slowing down and sprinkling in some walking breaks at times.  A few runners were near me so I focused on beating them.  I knew I had a good time in the bag, but I really wanted to hit my sixth sub-1:40 for the year.  Here are the last few miles: 11 (8:10), 12 (7:52), 13 (6:58).  I was able to pass two runners and actually had a great thirteenth mile.  I cruised to the finish in a terrific 1:38:46 which was good enough for 31/886 overall.  I saw GF as I approached the finish and sprinted over to give her a high five.  The pictures from the race are great as you can see the exact moment I spotted her and grinned.

Surprisingly, I placed in my age group at 3/48.  This is only the third time I've placed in my age group for a half and the second time this year.

Thankfully, I am taking a two month break from half marathons and will focus on some summer 5ks.  GF is training for her next 5k, but she's been feeling under the weather recently.  She still churned out a good three miler this morning and I think she'll surprise herself next Saturday.  We're going to focus on a July 4th 5k for her next PR attempt.

Next race: Kingwood 5k- Mansfield, OH

Future Running Goals

I've been thinking a lot about my future running goals.  For a change of pace, it would be fun for me to get these goals down and (hopefully) check them off one by one.  Here are my future running goals.

1. Run a half marathon in half the states. 

I know the Fifty Staters Club is extremely popular.  But, let's face it, there are some states that I just don't care to spend money traveling to just to get in another race.  Half the states is doable and doesn't break the bank travel-wise.  So far, I've ran either a marathon or half marathon in 12 states.  The states in which I've completed races are Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Vermont, and Maine.  Rhode Island is the next one on my list.  West Virginia would be an easy one that I should do soon.

2. Run in 50 and, much later, 100 half marathons.

I've been moving at an amazing clip over the past four years.  My current race schedule sets up the Akron Half Marathon to be my 50th and I have 2-3 more after that to finish off the year.

3. Run another sub-20:00 5k

I've accomplished this once in my life.  After the last four miler, I know I can hit a sub-20:00, though it would have to be in perfect conditions.

4. Run the Pikes Peak Ascent

This one is pretty crazy since it would be hard for me to train here in NE Ohio.  Still, I wouldn't care a bit about my time.  I would just want to finish.

5. Try another full marathon

I have nothing to prove, but I would like to give the full marathon one more go.  I'm much faster than I was when I ran the 2013 Akron Marathon or my PR effort at the 2011 Columbus Marathon.  If I can train properly for one, I think I could get a 3:40-3:50 full marathon, if not faster.

6. Attempt a 50k

I have absolutely no aspirations of trying a 50 or 100 miler.  But the 50k ultra-distance is doable. 

7. Run a sub-1:35 half marathon

I am so close on this one.  This year has produced three half marathon PRs as I brought my time down to a 1:36:24.  This goal may be off the list by the end of the year.

Private Heath Warner Memorial Four Miler

GF and I made the trek to Massillon for this four miler.  I had to skip last week's 5k due to illness and found this race online.  I'm glad I did because this was very well organized and I had more fun than expected.  The temperature was in the low 40s at the start which certainly helped.

We started out from the Massillon YMCA and I went out at a strong pace.  I actually went out at a 5k PR type pace.  There weren't many hills on the course, surprising for Massillon, and I took full advantage of the low temps.  The leaders took off at a ridiculous pace.  I was with the second wave and hit the first mile in 6:17.  That's a fast mile for me!  I battled with another runner over the next two miles which kept me focused.  The course wound around a nice park during the last two and a half miles or so.  A two miler was going on at the same time and they veered off around this point.  I kept going back and forth with the other runner and there wasn't many people near us.  The second and third miles came in at 6:31 and 6:45.  I would have ran my second fastest 5k had this race not been a four miler.  Pretty crazy considering I have not spent any time training for these shorter distances this year.

The final mile included a couple minor hills as we doubled back to the 2 mile/4 mile split.  The 4 milers stayed straight this time and wound toward the finish.  My battle with the other runner ended halfway through mile 4, but another runner overtook both of us at the same time.  I still knew I had a solid race in the bag and focused on finishing strong.  I finished in an amazing 25:51, so that last mile came in at just over 6 minutes.  My effort was good enough for 10/235 overall and first in my age group, making it a two medal day.  I was very impressed with the organization of this race and plan on doing it again next year.  GF and I even got in a two miler to help her with her training!

GF Training Update

GF is getting back into the swing of things after her amazing Flying Pig effort.  She had solid 1 1/2, 2, and 3 mile runs this week.  Most of her runs have been around 2 miles and we're trying to get back to the same strength she was at for the Flying Pig.  She's set to run the Kingwood 5k here in Mansfield in mid-June.  I'm really hoping she can set her second PR of the year!

Next race: Medina Half Marathon- Medina, OH

Flying Pig Half Marathon

The final stage in the Skyline 3-Way was the Flying Pig Half Marathon.  I was simply having fun with the series and had no designs on making a PR attempt or anything like that.  I was shooting for around 1:45, but I knew getting a decent time on this course would be difficult.  Everything you've heard about the hills at the Flying Pig are true.  The first half was flatter than I thought it would be but the second half was tough!

GF and I made our way to Paul Brown Stadium for the early 6:30 start.  It was a bit tough to get into the corrals (I was in B) since the race was huge. I didn't run into any problems, though, and still left with the second wave.  Here's my report.

Miles 1-5: I felt good at the beginning, considering the previous day's 10k and 5k attempts.  We made our way from Paul Brown Stadium east and crossed into Kentucky.  This part of the course was the same as the 10k.  The Newport section was very pretty and we saw the sun rise within the first couple miles. We made our way back to the Ohio side and headed toward downtown Cincinnati.  I enjoyed the downtown portion as much as any others on the course.  The crowd support was outstanding.  The congestion of the first few miles was gone and I could maneuver.  I was running some very solid splits, too.  Here are the first five: 1 (8:50), 2 (8:05), 3 (7:55), 4 (7:45), 5 (7:40).  I was executing my plan perfectly and slowly chipping away at the time from the first mile.

Miles 6-10: We continued through the downtown area and getting closer to the famous hills the Flying Pig has to offer.  I was still feeling surprisingly great and lowering my time with every step.  Until mile 6.  The hills started and, good grief, were they long and steep.  The first one took a "take no prisoners" approach and was simply cruel.  There seemed to be no end to it and it lasted about 3/4 mile.  The course flattened out for a very brief time and started right in again with another steep hill.  I've done plenty of half marathons with these long hills sprinkled throughout and others that have rolling hills the whole course.  I'll take the rollers any day of the week.  Having such hills smack in the middle of the course is punishment on the quads.  Even looking forward to the eventual downhill didn't really help as I knew my legs would be destroyed before that.  We exited Eden Park during mile 8 and the course leveled off for about two miles.  Here are the splits: 6 (7:03), 7 (7:52), 8 (7:53), 9 (7:25), 10 (7:25).  You can definitely tell the hilly sections from the flat ones.  My splits were still below 8:00 and I knew a sub-1:45 was a definite, despite the fact the course was measuring 1/5 mile long.

Miles 11-13.1: Now we hit the steep downhill portion of the race.  This was actually a tough part as the quads were destroyed and there was no holding back on such steep declines.  I passed a ton of people during this section and just had fun with it.  We briefly went around Eden Park and headed back downtown.  The final mile was close to the same as the 10k finish.  I was feeling great about my time and decided to pump up the crowd during my final sprint to the finish.  GF even got to watch the end of my race, which is a rarity at a race this size.  I hit the finish line in an amazing 1:40:42.  I can't believe I ran such a tough race in a respectable time, especially after running almost 10 miles the previous day. Here are the final splits: 11 (7:08), 12 (6:42), 13 (6:50), 13.1 (2:08).  I finished 442/11,527 overall and 75/623 in my age group.  Not bad at all for such a huge race!  I also finished 98/701 overall in the Skyline 3-Way Challenge.

GF took a few post-race shots and I also took one of the ridiculous amount of medals for the weekend, including an extra for completing the 3-Way Challenge.

I have actually been running every day since The Pig.  That's a surprise and it really shows how much improvement I've made over the past year.  I do have one half marathon at the end of the month, but I'm starting to switch gears for summer 5ks.  GF plans on doing several with me and I'm sure she's going to break her PR several more times.

Next race: Greek Festival 5k- Mansfield, OH

Flying Pig 10k and 5k

The first day of my Skyline 3-Way Challenge went very well.  I was a bit concerned about going out too fast, warm weather, getting a blister on day one, etc.  Everything was just fine and I'm now prepping for the half marathon on Sunday.  Overall, I'm feeling good as I'm not really racing so much as just completing the 3-Way Challenge this weekend.  Saturday was all about GF's 5k PR attempt!

We did get a chance to take some pictures at the expo.  GF even got one with a flying pig!

10k

I headed to Great American Ballpark for the start of the 10k.  GF stayed in the hotel to get some extra sleep prior to the 5k.  The weather was perfect at the 8:00 start with overcast skies and temps in the high 40s.  I lined up in Corral B and we started right on time.

Miles 1-3- The first half of the course was beautiful.  We made our way around the stadium and headed over the first bridge to cross over to Kentucky.  I started out with a 8:38 first mile and I'm guessing I was pretty steady from there.  My GPS had conked out so I was going by feel.  The course meandered through Newport prior to the next bridge taking us back into Cincinnati.  The course was very pretty during this stretch.  We had a few hills but nothing major.  I felt great and knew I would get a great time.  I was around 24:30 at the halfway point.

Miles 4-6.2- We passed back by the stadium and made our way around a nearby downtown area.  This part of the course wasn't nearly as scenic and was just kind of bland.  I was still having fun, though.  We did hit one major hill during mile 4, at which point I quickly called GF to make sure she got her wake up call.  I'm pretty sure she found that both funny and horrifying!

I was able to use the downhills during the final section to pick up the pace some, even though I wasn't technically racing, and finish with a great time of 49:10.  Overall, a great race!  I quickly collected my first medal of the day and headed back to the hotel to pick up GF.

5k

GF has done an amazing job training for the Flying Pig 5k.  She was set on beating her previous best of 47 and change.  She's been killing it on her training runs and we recently found that short bursts really work well for her.  She was nervous before the race, but I knew GF would get a new PR at this one.

GF before the race!

What almost worked against us was the number of participants.  We started off at a good pace, but we really had to pick our spots for GF to fit in her quick bursts.  There were so many people in the 5k that we spent most of the race weaving in and out of people.  But GF started out at a great pace and held it steady the whole time, despite the fact that it was also getting quite warm.  We hit one big hill about a half mile in and GF used the downhill to her advantage.  She hit the first mile in 14:43.  That's about 40 seconds faster than I had set as a goal for her.

The second mile was very dull.  It was a flat straightaway, but it at least provided some opportunities for GF to fit in some short bursts.  I could tell roughly half way into the race that she had a PR in the bag.  She was just over 22 minutes at the halfway mark and was doing a great job.  We hit another uphill in the downtown area around the two mile mark.  She again hit the mile in around 14:44.  Very steady splits!

The final mile presented a few downhills which really helped.  I reminded GF that there were Skyline Coneys available at the finish (because I was also getting hungry) and she sped up.  :)  She did an excellent job over the last quarter mile and really kicked it in for a strong finish of 45:27.   The course came in long at around 3.17, so I'm certain she did 3.1 in under 45:00.  That's a huge PR for GF!  We were both thrilled by her effort.

Oh, and we did have a few coneys!

Next up is the final race in the 3-Way Challenge, tomorrow morning's half marathon.