Thoughts on 2016 Running Year

I posted another solid running year.  W and I were very busy planning a wedding and honeymoon, plus we recently purchased a house.  We have more things on the horizon, so I think there will probably be fewer races in 2017.

Although it was a busy year, I still had many highlights.  I PR'd once again at the Ohio River Road Runners Half Marathon in April, ran a solid 20:00 5k in November, hit my 60th half marathon, and had fun traveling to races with W.

2016 Race Totals

5k- 7
10k- 1
Half Marathon- 9
25k (plus a bit extra to make it 16.2 miles)- 1
Grand total of 162 miles in races

Favorite Races

• ONU Polar Bear Indoor Half Marathon- Who would think 105 laps on an indoor track would be so much fun?  The organization and enthusiasm from the school's athletes made this one a must-do.
• Alamo Half Marathon- This was well worth the trip as San Antonio is a gorgeous city in which to run.  I had a solid outing and enjoyed all the historic sites and parks.  
• Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- Yes, this is on my list every year.  $25 and a great race experience make it my favorite race.  I'll be running it for the sixth time in 2017.
• Flying Pig- I have a blast doing the 5k with W on Saturday and turn around to do the half marathon on Sunday.  I somehow ran a sub-1:40 in the half this year.  The food and atmosphere after the race makes this one of my favorites.
• Medina Half Marathon- The heat and humidity was an issue this year, but I still had a fun time at this race.  W and I both love the farmer's market in the square after the race.
• Mid Ohio 13er- Spectacular organization plus the fact that it's in our backyard make this one well worth it.  I ran a great race and was so encouraged by the great people volunteering.  I will definitely run it again in 2017.
• Wooster Brick Run 25k- I got turned around a few times, but I really loved this cheap ($10) low-key race.  The organizers, Vertical Runner, did a great job in this one.

Let's look at my 2016 goals and which ones I hit.

2016 Goals

• Set a new half marathon PR.  My current PR is 1:36:24.  With that in mind...

          I did hit a new PR of 1:35:26 at the ORRRC Half.

• Break 1:35 in the half marathon.

          Not quite there yet.

• Set a new 5k PR.  My current best is 19:42.  This one may be a bit too unrealistic, but I think I can do it on the right course in the right conditions.

          I did run one 5k at 20:00.  I'm thinking 2017 is going to have more focus on the 5k, so this goal is certainly possible.

• Run 7-8 half marathons.  We have a wedding to plan but I think this is still realistic.

          Somehow I got in 9 half marathons this year.  

• Run a trail half marathon if my schedule allows.

          I would still love to do this some day, but there are very few trails in my neck of the woods.

• I would love for FW to set a new 5k PR.  She made some excellent strides this year.  She'll be good if the plantar doesn't keep coming back.

          FW (now W) had a tough 2016 and couldn't keep the same pace as in 2015.  She's determined to come back and train consistently in 2017.

• Find a 5 miler (or above) for FW.  She came very close by running the Shawshank Hustle 7k and that was in miserable conditions.

          This one will probably have to wait another year or so.

2016 Goals

• Set another new half marathon PR.  I am signed up for the ORRRC Half again.  I've PR'd three times at that race and I know the course like the back of my hand.
• Break 1:35 in the half marathon.
• Set a new 5k PR.  Let's try this one again.
• Run 6-7 half marathons and start to focus more on local 5ks.
• Find a trail 5k in the area.
• A new 5k PR for W.

I start my 2017 schedule at the end of January with a fun race at which I finished in second this year.

Next race: ONU Indoor Half Marathon- Ada, OH

Amish Country Half Marathon- Half Marathon #60

My final 2016 race, the Amish Country Half Marathon, was just a few days after Thanksgiving.  I wanted to get one more half marathon so I could hit another milestone.  This counted as my 60th half marathon.  I'm still hitting milestones like this every year.

The race took place in Berlin, OH, a quaint Amish community in nearby Holmes County.  Much of the area is commercialized as tourism is the top industry.  But the Amish in the nearby rural areas were extremely friendly to the runners.  It was a different experience than any other half I've ran.  W sat this one out as I had to leave for the race around 6:00.  I made it in plenty of time to get to the nearby high school for packet pickup.  The shirt is very nice, but I was perplexed by the fake beard and straw hat runners received.  I know the race is Amish themed but that's a bit much.

It was pretty cold out so I kept my running jacket and pants on for this one.  It looked like it was going to rain, but thankfully we never got wet in this one.  On to my brief report:

Miles 1-5:  We started with a quick lap around the school track and headed south on a small country road.  I felt pretty good but knew this race included a lot of hills during the middle portion.  I settled in to a comfortable pace and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Many Amish were out to say hello to the runners which was a nice touch.  We did hit a few hills during this first portion.  They weren't anything major, but they were just enough to slowly wear out the legs.    Here are my splits: 1 (7:10), 2 (7:55), 3 (7:56), 4 (7:13), 5 (8:22).  My race would remain inconsistent due to the hills.  The goal I kept in mind was to gather as many sub-8:00 miles as possible.

Miles 6-10:  We continued east on another small country road to continue the loop course.  The hills were getting more intense and we hit the biggest of them around mile 7.  You can tell that I slowed down quite a bit here, but gained ground on the downhill.  I was shocked that these five miles were all under 8:00 miles.  My legs were feeling the race.  Plus, I forgot to mention that the smell of horse manure (remember, there were buggies and farms all around us) was strong.  I'm not used to that smell during a race.  Still, I was enjoying the scenery, especially on the hilly portions.  I slowed down again around miles 9 and 10 even though this was the flattest part of the course.  Here are my splits: 6 (7:18), 7 (7:50), 8 (7:11), 9 (7:43), 10 (7:40).

Miles 11-13.1: We finished the loop on a gradual hill leading back to the school.  While it was gradual, it seemed to go on forever!  My legs were completely shot and I really wanted to finish the race.  We headed back to the school for a quick loop on the track to the finish.  Here are the final splits: 11 (8:00), 12 (9:17), 13 (7:35).  My final time was 1:43:01, good enough for 31/227 overall and the dreaded 4th place in my age group.  This time I was only off by a minute or so, which just drive me nuts.  Still, getting my 60th half marathon is quite an accomplishment.

I'll be back with my final thoughts on my 2016 running year.

Next race: ONU Indoor Half Marathon- Ada, OH

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