Running Again

I'm pleased to announce that after a long and mostly unexplained hiatus, I have finally gotten back to doing some consistent training again. I'm once again at the point where I can run six miles or more in the blistering heat while maintaining a comfortable, negative-splitting pace. That, to me, signifies that the motor is running and, if consistency is upheld, I should be well on my way. 

Before we start recapping the runs again, let us do a brief synopsis of why the running stopped: after cramming too many big races into a short period of time, I came down with tendinitis in my adductor last spring. I kept in decent enough shape and rehabbed myself well enough to submit and *ok* performance at Blue Ridge, but I was feeling somewhat satisfied at the time and clearly needed a break. Around October, my business started surging ahead, and as of this writing that surge continues (thankfully). 

In January, I proposed to Adrienne and she said yes. I am a lucky man. We'll be married in November. 

Add all this together and you essentially get an explanation that says, "I've had a lot going on."

Now, however, I'm back, hungry and motivated as ever to prove to myself all over again that I can race and race well. It's going to be a long road out of the darkness but I am well-prepared. 

Stay tuned. 

2012 Blue Ridge Relay, Part II: Setting the Pace

Despite some issues with traffic and some insane driving from Rob, Stache and Dash crossed the Virginia border and arrived at Grayson Highlands State Park around 10:45 a.m. This gave us plenty of time to check in and for Allen and Josh to warm up. I slipped on my Stache and Dash singlet as someone handed me a race number that I secured in my "dirt bag."

It's worth explaining at this point a few things about race logistics: There are 36 legs of this relay race, so three legs each per person on a 12-member team, which we and most teams were. The start times were staggered based on predicted time, so the supposedly faster teams would start later. As a faster team, we were assigned an 11:30a.m. start time, whereas some teams started as early as 8:00a.m. Once the running started, the "on" van would grab the runner who had just finished and allow some brief respite before piling back into the van and heading to the next exchange so the on-deck runner could hydrate and warm up. These scenarios would often get hectic depending on the length of the "on" leg and the speed of the "on" runner. The "off" van would simply drive to the next transition zone. The exchange zone was where one runner would hand off to the next; the transition zone was where one van would hand off to the other.

We had just enough time to pose for some pictures, decorate our vans, and mill around for a bit before we took off.

From Left to Right: Jay Barringer, Lauren Tilton, Adrienne Anetrini, Jason Blackwood, Josh Brewer, Allen Strickland, Siobhan Havlik, Sarah Keen, Emily Barrett, Julie Przybyla, Rob Ducsay, John Fillette.

Sarah Keen looks for a space to add some artwork to Van 1. Van decoration is a tradition at the Blue Ridge Relay.

Getting some wise words from Coach Hovis before the race. Ben's team started right after we did and crossed the line before any other team whilst finishing third overall.

The 11:30 starting line. Kicking Ultra Asphalt is third from the left. Chick Maggots is fourth from the left, Allen right in the middle, and Carolyn Maye from Charlotte's all-women Fast and Pretty is third from the right.

We watched Allen cruise through Grayson Highlands State Park. This was it. The Blue Ridge Relay had begun. A shot of adrenaline coursed through my veins as I begun to get really excited. I drove my van on past EZ 1, where Josh was anxiously waiting. I gave him some words of encouragement and then Van 2 got out of the way. It was time for us to make our way to Transition Zone 1.

I arrived at a church on the side of a mountain road and handed the car keys to John Fillette. My driving duties were over for awhile and it was time to hydrate and slap on the running costume. My first leg would start off downhill, then take a big uphill, then a VERY big uphill before a fast finish. It would be about 5.4 miles of tough, rolling terrain. Van 1 was keeping us updated on the proceedings - it sounded like things were going very well so far - and so I knew when to expect Emily to come rolling in.

She arrived and I slapped on the bracelet. I had no idea what I was in for on this first leg. It started downhill, surely enough, but there were two uphills on this leg that were unlike anything I had seen before. After being all alone for awhile, I pressed on up at the sight of another runner, using him as motivation to keep going when my body was feeling shot. It was hot and humid but I managed to nab my first roadkill of the trip with one attempt, and then handed off to Jay.

Preparing to slap the bracelet on Jay's left arm.

I averaged 7:06 pace for my first leg, which pleased me greatly. If I wasn't ready for BRR beforehand, I was now; I think knowing what I was up against and slaying some demons opened things up for me. I chatted with the team and started scarfing down food as Fillette reminded us that we had to get moving to the next EZ. The next leg was relatively short and we had a fast runner on the roads. Surely enough, Jay made it to Exchange Zone 8 awfully quickly (his time was the equivalent to about a 26:30 8K) but we had gotten Julie ready in time. Van 2 was off and running and enjoying themselves. We drove past Julie as she began to pick off roadkills. The roads were starting to get a little more popular as we were beginning to catch some of the slower teams that had started ahead of us. After Julie's first leg, it was time for Lauren Tilton to take over. 

I had quickly come to appreciate Lauren's persona, as she is very sweet and always smiling. It was amusing to drive up a steep grade as we passed and cheered for her and then see her flash a smile. We were all very impressed with both her attitude and her running ability this weekend. After Lauren, Adrienne took over and the van had to take a detour as support vans were not allowed on the parkway during the night hours. This would be the case for Fillette's leg, as well. We waited for Adrienne at EZ 11 as she destroyed her 10K PR, blasting up the hill with a look of steely competitiveness on her face. Then, Fillette was off. The sun was setting on Day 1 of the BRR as we headed through Boone and on towards the Tangier Outlets.

The scene at Tangiers could best be described as a humongous runners party. We saw the Charlotte Runners, with Jade Laughlin, Josh James, Gisele Tlutsky, and others; we saw DURT, Bobby Aswell's and Stan Austin's team; we saw Fast and Pretty with Michelle, Dalena, Anna, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed this stop as it turned out to be my one chance to really bond with Brewer. We talked about how much fun we were having and how great it was to experience something together again. Brewer remarked that the setting sun and the parking lot full of vans reminded him of the high school state track meets. We then started talking about food and realized we could help each other: I was in need of something sweet or salty after packing too much of the same stuff; he was in need of some vegetables after packing too much fruit and peanut butter. And so, I successfully exchanged some baby carrots for some dates, raisins, and a peanut butter-topped bagel. 

Not long after that, John Fillette came cruising into the second Transition Zone. It was about 8:30 p.m. and Van 2 had finished its first session, Allen Strickland had the bracelet, and it was time to move on.

Stay tuned for Part III.

Rejuvenating Miles

Distance: 14.34 mi.
Time: 1:48:55.83 mi.
Pace: 7:36.

I did not feel the slightest bit motivated to go long today, but changing the mindset was exactly the goal as I slapped on the Karhus. I wanted something to get my mind back in the mood to run. My achilles has been feeling remarkably better of late, but I've also experienced a good bit of tightness in the left hamstring-glute-groin areas. Some icing, stretching, massaging, and hydrating has helped but this was a bit of a tough run to get through.

I met Adrienne nearly four miles in at Freedom Park, and running with her for six miles made this one go by significantly faster. We toured through the neighborhoods, making a point to stay on the side streets and take in the scenery. I bid her adieu back at the park and set off down the greenway for the rest of my run. Despite some serious tightness earlier on, I rebounded and felt better near the end. I would love to heal the ailments, but I clearly haven't lost much in the way of fitness.

I didn't know it at the time, but this would be the last time I set out my door to run from Eastover. It was a good way to end four years of running from this neighborhood, the final 18 months of which have been significantly more purposeful.

Raceday Pace Work

Distance: 6.6 mi.

Warmup: 2.1 mi.
Race: 3.13 mi.
Cooldown: 1.4 mi.

My parents' church, Central Church of God, put on a race today, the proceeds of which went towards prevention of human trafficking. A fantastic cause and an opportunity to win were easy draws here. However, I had been signed up for over a month, and my plans have changed due to how poorly I've felt on recent runs. I thought about making it a game-time decision; however, things have taken a turn for the better and instead of pushing my luck I decided I wanted to keep it that way. Adrienne signed up this week, and I told her that if I started talking about racing hard, her job was to talk me out of it.

I found myself grabbing my hamstring again on our warmup, so there would be no temptation to run hard. I knew Adrienne was due for a PR at this distance, so I told her I would just run a certain pace and we would all see what happens. Christi Carter and Brian Baum would be racing with us, as well.

After surveying the competition at the starting line, I went ahead and congratulated Brian on winning the race and gave my regrets for not being willing to push him. Adrienne, Christi, and I got out of the gates a little quick in anticipation of the hilly third mile, and made our way around some eager youngsters and a lead patrol officer that could politely be described as an effing moron. This guy wasn't even moving when we came out of the church parking lot, having to be coaxed by a volunteer and forcing us to go around him on the sidewalk. He eventually had to speed around the cones in the outside lane to get ahead of the pack, but according to Brian he kept stopping to talk to the other officers and never really got far enough ahead.

I stayed between Christi and Adrienne down Providence as we turned into some neighborhoods. The latter's breathing began to get heavy but we were doing great and didn't mind letting the former pull away. We all caught some encouragement from Jamaar as we turned on Randolph and braced ourselves for the big hill. I looked at my watch at the top and realized that not only was this course legit, but Adrienne easily had her PR. Christi took first and AA second on the women's side and both were happy to get the 5k season started off with extremely positive efforts.

As for me, I was a bit remorseful that I hadn't gone for the W but felt it was the right decision. My foot didn't give me any trouble during the race and felt a lot less stiff afterward than it has in awhile. There will be plenty of other opportunities for fun later in the year. Also, despite the pace car troubles this race was very well-done for a new event. I plan to be back next year.

Adrienne's Fartlek

Distance: 8.5 mi.
Time: 1:06:22.
Pace: 7:49.

My only plan for this one was to help Adrienne with her tempo workout for the day. She tends to downplay these things in an effort to avoid pressure and perform better, so I didn't know much about what we were doing other than that it was a form of fartlek. I just followed her and did accordingly when she sped up or slowed down. We did most of this on the greenway and course at McAlpine.

Using our shadows, I just tried to stay right in front of her and observe form. My achilles bothered me a good bit again but did feel better when I loosened my right shoe. At this point, I'm just trying to take it easy for a bit without losing too much speed. Also, my Garmin was dead so I'm completely guessing on the time above, but the distance is easy to figure out at McAlpine.

Run with Laura

Distance: 6.28 miles.
Time: 51:06.
Pace: 8:09.

Every Tuesday, Theoden organizes a run that meets from the Observer and goes on various routes. Adrienne and her friend Laura are usually present but this was my first time. Since Theoden couldn't make it, this was actually the "Run with Laura" instead of the "Run with Theoden." I met Matt Bush and a couple other people as we set off past the Dowd and ran down the path next to the light rail.

It was certainly neat to run down the light rail path; I'd never done that before and I'm always up for new routes. However, it will be an oven soon, as there's no shade, and I found it to be a bit unsafe. You have to cross the tracks several times and the warnings of oncoming trains seem insufficient to me. There just seems to be an issue, in general, with light rail safety.

Anyway, it was a fun group but my achilles bothered me more than it did yesterday. I've started icing it some, but while this is a recurring issue, I don't remember it being this bad before. I'm not that worried, but stay tuned, as always.

2012 Corporate Cup Half Marathon

Distance: 16.8 mi.

Warmup: 1.9 mi.
Race (according to Garmin): 13.18 mi. in 1:24:00.59 - 6:23 ppm.
Cooldown: 1.7 mi.

Once I announced my decision to bump down from a full to a half, the Alston Bird Corporate Cup effectively became my "big race" of the winter/spring. Since it's only a half, I have entertained ideas of jumping in the distance again at Racefest April 14, but this was essentially it. This race would be the benefactor of the 17-20-mile runs I did for several weeks straight, and of some pretty tough tempo workouts.

After a gigantic pasta dinner last night around 6:30, I awoke from a good night's sleep just before 6 a.m. and had some oatmeal and a banana. Adrienne would be racing, too, but wisely not going out hard after some downtime in the training lately. She ended up treating it as a fast long run - but did beat her time from Savannah last fall. With her in the passenger seat, I rolled up to the Dowd just after 7 and began to get ready. The chip pickup experience was easy despite the massive crowds inside One Wells Fargo. I immediately bolted back to the Dowd to change shoes, ditch my winter clothing, and use the men's room one last time. I was comfortable with having enough time but would have preferred more than 2 miles warmup.

There wasn't much of a setup at the starting line, but I was excited to see some friendly faces. Brian Baum, John Fillette, Tom Ricks, Clayton Venhuizen, Jay Barringer aka "The Dark Fox," and Chad Crockford were all present and accounted for. I also ran into Thomas, Michelle, and Danielle, all planning to go medium-easy with Tobacco Road eight days away.

The start command was kinda confusing. I basically said good luck to Jay, who darted off to the front right as the announcements began. They were brief and then all of a sudden we were off. I actually prefer minimal pageantry at the start of these things. I tucked in behind Fillette and did my best to start conservatively. Tom had planned to hit 1:25 - 1:27 as a fast tempo in preparation for Boston, so I hung around with him as we kept the first mile very conversational.

First five mile splits: 6:18.1, 6:23.6, 6:28.6, 6:24.5, 6:25.2.

In hindsight, if I had anything to do over I would have gone out faster. I wanted to start conservatively and save my legs for the rough hills that would await. After the first mile I pulled away from Tom a bit and latched on to a guy who said he was "shooting for 6:15s." The 5k was run at the same time as the half, strangely, and when they turned off to finish there was more room to run. My new friend and I sidled up to another runner and basically ran three abreast down 3rd Street for a little more than a mile, exchanging friendly banter all the way. Up a slight hill towards the end of the fifth mile, I decided to abandon ship and pull ahead a bit. I came through five miles right at 32-flat, just slightly slower than my 5-mile tempo with the Charlotte Runners four nights prior. I began to develop some nasty tightness in my left hamstring and worried about being all alone all of a sudden. I decided the best way to dispose of these thoughts was to throw in a surge.

Splits for 6-9: 6:14.5, 6:20.6, 6:14.8, 6:20.6.

I saved my race by consistently pushing in this section, by myself nearly the whole way, and not going so hard that I trashed my legs. I think the pace was really even here considering that the 6:20s involved some steep hills (Providence Rd and then, later, Colony). I had deemed the Colony Rd hill as a make-or-break section, and my surge meant I would have some targets as I went up it. That's exactly what I had wanted. One guy actually peeled off and hopped in a porta-jon before I got to him. I caught another runner going uphill by Myers Park and encouraged him to come with me. He didn't and so I went after Miguel Perez, a great runner who had been my target since Providence Rd. I caught him but smartly realized I better not get away just yet. This guy is going to eat me for breakfast if I try to pull away from him now, I thought. I eased up a bit and we took turns blocking the wind for each other going up another Colony hill, then down Roswell past Myers Park Country Club.

Splits for 10-12: 6:24.3, 6:25.7, 6:36.6.

After that hilly Colony Rd section, my legs really began to feel heavy as I tried to pull away from my competition. I was thankful for the presence of Miguel, which helped me avoid zoning out as I was actually scared to death that he would catch me. I was happy to see Eric and Jess Bilbrey as I began my death march; Eric shouted some helpful words of strategic encouragement as I gave him the "so-so" sign. Running down the Booty Loop and fighting my body every step of the way, I tried to think of all those Tuesday tempo runs with the Charlotte Runners that traversed this exact same path. Right around that time I found Bevin, who had just showed up with her sign. Coincidence? I think not. Feelings of pure hell were actually interspersed with fleeting moments of peace and loose legs, and despite slowing down up some hills I managed to keep things from slipping away too badly.

Splits for the final 1.18: 6:18.2, 1:04.8 (5:56 ppm).

I survived the Morehead hill and began to charge towards the finish. My fastest mile was #6, but my last mile was my fourth-fastest split. I'm pretty pleased with that considering how rough the last few miles of this race were. I was amused to see John Cendroski and his girlfriend here, as John cursed at me belligerently. I later found out Adrienne had told him to do that, as she knows I respond better to negative reinforcement. That's not exactly what I had in mind but it was a nice change of mindset as I was hanging on for dear life. With a quarter-mile to go, one final turn of the head assured me I would not be caught from behind, and I continued to push on in an effort to break 1:24. I missed it by two seconds according to the official results. This could have been avoided by simply being closer to the front, but hindsight's always 20/20, right?

Race Results

I finished 16th overall, ironically one spot behind Fillette, even though he was more than 90 seconds ahead. I also won my age group, making me for two-for-two since I turned 30.

Splits Chart
Map

None of that really matters, I guess. What I wanted from this race was to know where I stand with longer distances, and I walked away encouraged. I'm far from satisfied and can look ahead to where I really want to be, but I am definitely happy with today. Another positive note is the way I raced - perhaps too slow at the start, but I was able to surge ahead before it was too late and pick off several people near the end, without being passed. I can look back on this journal entry and see that today was a nice building block and a great way to close the first quarter of 2012.

'Til next time, kids. Thanks for comin' out.

Cheering + Hurting

Distance: 6.45 mi.
Time: 54:04.87.
Pace: 8:24.

Ah yes, it's Wednesday, which means my favorite running buddy needs to do some speed work. Ow...I hurt...so sore....so whiny. But yes! I must snap out of it.

I ran with Adrienne from "home" to the Speed Loop, where she whipped out a batch of half-milers while I limped around in an effort to shake off last night's tempo run. She was worried about what she would have but managed to maintain form and really keep the legs moving. I, on the other hand, felt like death but I got in enough miles to work out the kinks. I will feel better tomorrow. Recovery runs are always awful but I would be a pathetic soul without them.

Confidence? Check.

Distance: 10.6 mi.

Warmup: 3.6 mi.
Workout: 5.06 mi. at tempo pace.
Cooldown: 2 mi.

Today I skipped a morning run but I had tentative plans for a semi-hard effort with the Charlotte Runners' Booty Loop run. I met Adrienne on the warmup and told her that I felt rundown and unmotivated and wanted a confidence booster. My plan was to try to push but hold back if the body wasn't up for it.

I found Evan Canfield, usually my partner in crime for these things, and asked if he was planning to go hard. He said he "needed to," and would let me set the pace while trying to push. I didn't want this to turn into a race but I was looking forward to having someone to push me. After about half a mile, we got stuck at a stoplight, and I noticed Thomas Long was drafting off us as well.

31:39.54 for 5.06 miles. Splits - 6:28.7, 6:16.3, 6:00.8, 6:16.2, 6:14.1, 0:23.5 (6:15 avg.).

This is significantly faster than I have ever run this route. The first two miles felt very relaxed as I tried to keep Evan and Thomas honest by pushing up the Queens Road hill. When we got to the flat Selwyn Avenue section, I threw in a fitness check with a faster mile, which is reflected above. I always slow down some on the Queens Rd. West section, as it's dark, the sidewalk is uneven, and I'm always afraid I'm going to fall. I keep things pretty even, however, and I'm pleased with the consistency I put out.

More importantly, I have my confidence back. I don't know why I lost it - perhaps it was the three days of no running...maybe it was my being sick...maybe it was the way the mind always plays tricks on the body right before a big race.

This was a much harder effort than I need the week of the race, but AA assured me later on that I would be able to "handle it," and she's right. I can't seem to stretch enough lately, though. The legs are very tight.

Karhus and a Sports Massage

Distance: 4.11 mi.
Time: 32:36.
Pace: 7:56.

It would appear that AA doesn't think I'm a complete idiot, as she has followed my lead by joining the Karhu family. Truth be told, she's thought about it before, too, but one quick spin in the female version of the Fast 2 had her sold. We started our day by trying those on at Inside-Out Sports and then redeeming her silly decision to buy a pair of Newtons at Charlotte Running Company.

For today's run we both threw on our new shoes and ran a four-mile loop around the Freedom Park area. After the run, Adrienne, a licensed massage therapist, threw me on the table and went to work on my sore legs. Think of this treatment more as physical therapy than a massage. The idea is to help the muscles recover and prevent injury. It works. Adrienne's office is at Carolina Sports Massage on 7th Street, and I will be back. For now I am feeling refreshed and ready for one more hard workout before the race.

Reedy River Spectating

Distance: 5.17 mi.
Time: 44:10.5.
Pace: 8:33.

As previously discussed, I headed down to Greenville, South Carolina to watch AA #1 pace AA #2 in the Reedy River 10k. The added bonus to this adventure is that this race is heavily competitive, featuring an elite field of mostly post-collegiate runners who have aspirations of successful pro careers. The ZAP Elite team was well-represented. If you are bored, I suggest you do a Google search on the ZAP program and read some of the articles that pop up. It's an interesting concept, and if more of these programs sprout in the United States then this country might one day stand a chance against the Africans in international competition. Yet I digress...

The real reason I was here was to make an attempt to stop being such a selfish runner and actually be a supportive boyfriend. After we "landed" in downtown Greenville, Adrienne and I literally ran into Angela minutes before she was due to the line. We were able to make some intros and get in a few miles warmup before I bid the girls adieu and good luck.

Sisterly love before the race start.

For those who have never been to Greenville, please be assured that it is quite pretty. It sits at the foothills of the mountains and features a modern, well-planned downtown area that would make any Geography major quite pleased. Window shopping and good restaurants abound. There are parking spaces on the street-side and large sidewalks. Best of all, there is a beautiful park complete with waterfalls, bridges, flowers, and sidewalks right through the center of town.

After the start, I jogged around for a bit before finding a nice spot in the park. I had no idea what mile this was in the race, but based on the amount of time elapsed I would say it was near the halfway point. Really, I have no idea, though.

I took several pictures here but it was very overcast, and since I forgot my camera, I had to use my phone. It takes pretty good pictures but I'm a terrible photographer and the weather wasn't helping.

The 5k (right) and 10k (left) finished at the same time.

Sprinting towards the finish.

Being a pack rat and an errand boy allowed me to get in more miles on the day than I expected to, which made me happy. After "Greenville's Best Breakfast" at MaryBeth's, we took Angela back to Bob Jones U and headed back to Charlotte.

Adrienne's Tempo

Distance: 6.55 mi.
Time: 51:51.29.
Pace: 7:55.

Adrienne wanted to try a harder effort for the first time since being back from India, and asked me to join her at McAlpine. How could I turn that down?

I just let the watch go as normal, following her around the greenway as she put in a consistent fartlek effort. She was looking pretty sharp for someone who basically missed two weeks of training. I was just glad to be running again after being a loser all week.

Evening Reunion

Distance: 5.31 mi.
Time: 44:03.
Pace: 8:18.

This is the first time I have run on a Monday in over a month. With Adrienne back from cobra-charming in India, we put together a decent group to run easy from the Dowd. It was great to have Thomas back out there, and even better to have my running buddy back. I was glad to keep the pace easy and relieved to get my weekly mileage off to a head start.

Long Medium Run

Distance: 14.5 mi.
Time: 1:55:41.68 - 7:58 ppm.

Clearly, I did not intend to run over 14.5 miles today, but that's what happened. I do want to start getting in a better medium-long run, but it will need to be more like 10-13 miles, not pushing 15. However, Adrienne wanted to do 10 today and she's leaving for India tomorrow, so I wanted to run with her. I started from and finished at the Dowd so that's where the extra miles come in to play. 

2012 Winter Flight 8k

Warmup: 1.98 mi. in 17:11.4 - 8:41 ppm.
Race: 5.02 mi. in 29:46.67 - 5:56 ppm. Splits: (1) 6:02.38; (2) 6:11.34; (3) 6:08.42; (4) 5:51.35; (5) 5:28.15.
Cooldown: 2.09 mi. in 18:25.94 - 8:50 ppm.
Chart
Map
Graphs

Race Results

Eggers' race recap

My true goal for today was to somehow prove to myself that I'm in as fit as I believe to be - in other words, to simply gain some confidence as I progress towards my second marathon. I felt like I could go under 30 minutes, so that was my time goal. I achieved both of these things, even surprising myself a bit in some respects, and I'm quite pleased with the day. I will write the recap now and add a couple pictures later...

This race was not scheduled until 10am - a good thing considering the hour-plus drive we had ahead of us. Baum and Mitchell were going to carpool from the east side of town, and Adrienne and I hit the road at 8am after a breakfast of waffles and strawberries. I don't normally eat that much on race day, but I figured I could get away with it due to the later start. I also had a few glasses of white wine and some sushi the night before.

Adrienne and I arrived on the campus of Catawba College right at 9am, then phoned Eggers when we couldn't see any kind of direction as to where to go. His response was something like, "yeah, it's tough to find - I spent the morning before the race last year kind of running around campus like a mad man. You'll just have to figure it out. Good luck." Perhaps I should have called Mitchell instead. Adrienne's intuition found us in the right place a few moments later. She went inside to get our bibs while I parked, and when I met her we bumped into Mike and Brian, as well. There was a decent crowd of runners inside the gym, conversing and trying to stay warm.

The four of us darted around for a bit, trying to figure out where the starting line was so we could dump our stuff (racing shoes, extra clothes, etc). I spotted John Compton and he helped out with the start location, then we took off for a warmup. We ran into Eggers, fashionably late as always, and got in just under two miles, most of it on the first part of the course. It was about 45 degrees and lightly drizzling - perfect weather for a race, in my opinion. Mitchell found a dry spot for our bags and we ran into Kevin Ballantine. He and I both had the same goal and talked at the Runner's Lunch the day before about trying to work together to hit said goal. I told him I wanted to start out conservatively without getting too far behind - 6:10 or so - and he mentioned that the first mile was the only fast mile of the course, so it might behoove us to bump it down to 6-flat. Ok, fair enough. Speaking of the course, I'm usually pretty stressed about making sure I know what awaits me in a race, but I would not have such an advantage today. I just tried not to worry about it and just do what I can. It was kinda neat to be racing in an unfamiliar atmosphere.

I slapped on my racers and headed back to the start. Adrienne and I wished each other luck as she settled back a bit and I found a spot on the front row. For reasons unbeknownst to any of us, former Olympian and record-holder Joan Nesbit was the guest of honor, and she gave a few words at the start. Pretty neat, right? But again, it wasn't really clear why she was actually there, unless I just wasn't paying attention (the likely scenario). There was a prayer and I looked around at my competition. I was on the far left, with Kevin in the center. We exchanged knowing "oh-there-you-are" nods. I didn't see Eggers anywhere, though. A bit after that, there was a mark-set-horn, and we were off.

I made a point to get around any crowds up front, found myself right behind Dan Matena and some orange-clad Asheville studs, and then slowed way down. I let a good number of people pass me, ducking my head back a couple times until I saw Kevin. We eased into a comfortable sub-6 mile pace and went down a treacherous hill that was followed by a sharp right turn. Kevin had predicted that "at least four people" would bite the dust here. I eased up a good bit and took the turn with caution. We conversed quite a good amount here, with Kevin providing some very helpful pointers about the course. It sounded like things were going to get pretty tough sooner rather than later. Mrs. Nesbit sidled up next to us for awhile, chatting and asking what he had planned to hit as goals. When we told her sub-30, she said, "Oh boy, I've gone out too fast, then!"

We hit the mile in about 6:02, feeling pretty happy with keeping the plan, but I was questioning things. My legs felt tight and my lungs were struggling to grab air. I think this is where experience saved me a bit; in the past I might have gotten scared and eased up, but instead I just told myself that my body was getting used to the pace and working out the kinks. Kevin and I began to reel in several runners after the mile mark as we turned off the road and into some side roads, making a few turns in the process. I had a couple steps on him at this point, and during one sharp left I turned my head just quickly enough to see that Eggers was about 10 meters back, waiting to pounce. That inspired me, and it was here that I left Kevin and began to mow down a good bit of runners in front of me.

The details begin to get a little hazy at this point. I will take that as a good thing - a sign that I was very much zoned-in, focused on racing and not worrying about much else. Again, I didn't have any real idea what I was going to see as far as the course was concerned. The blank memory may hurt the entertainment value of this recap, however!

So I broke away from the early pack and came across the first female and a masters runner, working together up a long, steep hill. This would be Miss Molly Nunn and Mr. John Anderson. I felt comfortable and went right on by them. I quickly learned that they weren't about to let me get away without a very serious fight.

John and Molly hung right on my shoulder, and I began to feel rather used. It was about this time that Eggers came strolling past the three of us, and for a moment I felt a bit deflated. Here I was thinking I had a great chance to finally beat my longtime friend - at a time when his training is down and mine is up - and he's flying past me up a steep hill.

I put the demons to bed and just tried to keep Molly in my sights. John had left to hang with Eggers, now about 10 seconds ahead, and Molly was wasting me on the uphills, with me gaining some ground back on a short down or a flat section. We did this for what seemed like an eternity, but I think it was really a little more than a mile and a half. My second mile was 6:11; my third was 6:08.

Working the hills and enjoying the country-like setting of the highway lanes, the four of us raced on. There was a lone runner up in the distance - an African-American Masters runner named Joseph Willis - and, it seemed, no one close behind. Compton, Matena, Mitchell, and the Asheville men were obviously long out of sight up front.

I split a 5:51 for the fourth mile. Again, the details are hazy, but sometime a little before or right after that marker, I finally found an opening with Molly. She appeared to ease up slightly right at the same instance that I found some more air in my lungs. I went for it. I slid to the outside and sprinted past her, trying to keep pressing before she could pass me back again. We came to another huge hill, and I feared for a second, but rebounded to keep pressing in an effort to reel in John. He slowed down some and I caught him at the top, nearly running into him as we made a turn back into campus and prepared for a fast finish. I knew I had him.   With no more uphills, I knew I had him, and it was time to set my sights on someone else.

I thought about screaming, "Eggers, don't slow down!" but he seemed to get that idea. There were a couple instances when I thought he appeared to be coming back to me, but alas, that was not the case. He caught Joe Willis going around the track as I tried to bring them both back. I am confident I gave it everything I had. I had not been passed by anyone the whole race, except for Eggers. Maybe next time? Willis stayed in front of me, too; I would have had him with another ten meters but I didn't have another ten meters. I ran into him in the finish chute, then apologized; he was cool and slapped my hand. I accepted a piece of paper that had an "8" written on it - hey, this is just like high school! Eggers whooped my ass and I have to hand in a number. I had run my last mile in 5:28 and my last three miles in 17:27. I didn't even think I had that in me. What more could I have done?


I waited for Adrienne - despite claiming to not worry about time, she broke 36 minutes, and finished first in her age group! Kevin and Brian weren't quite as pleased with their performances, but each has had some minor setbacks recently. We will all be there in due time. There was some racking-up of awards and a jubilant post-race lunch, but I will have to save that for another post.

I hope you all enjoyed reading. 'Til next time.

Racing This Weekend

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have decided to toe the line this weekend. I managed to get in a good, 18-mile long run last weekend, and I want to see where I am physically. I feel like I am getting in increasingly better shape, and I want a chance to prove it on the road course. The Salisbury Winter Flight 8k stakes claim as the oldest race in the state. I don't know anything else about it, but I have a lot of friends in the community that have run it. By all accounts, it's not a fast course at all, featuring several steep and gradual climbs. It does finish around a track, which sounds pretty awesome, and if it's a big race there will be some competition to push me. So there's that. We also have a fun group headed up to compete: myself, Brian Baum, Eggers, and Mitchell - and I even convinced Adrienne to sign up, as well! Brinkley was game but had to back out due to a friend coming in town at the last minute. We're all looking forward to this one.

Easy Run + Speed Loop Stalking

Distance: 7.2 mi.
Time: 54:27.38 - 7:36 ppm.

Whenever I am near the Dilworth speed loop, I make a point to swing through there to spy on check on any of my running mates to see who is putting in the work. Today, I happened to have inside information that Adrienne and Christi would be meeting for some 400-meter repeats, so I began my run from the Dowd and looped through a couple times until I found the ladies.

After bidding good luck  to CC and AA I set off to find "Grumpy Jamaar," who I was told was running and pouting somewhere nearby. I came back to the loop to see the girls come past a couple times, and was told that he had gone to Run For Your Life.

I awkwardly walked into RFYL and asked if they had seen Jamaar.

"Who?"
"Jamaar Valentine. Charlotte Running Club. Runs ultras. You know...Jamaar."
(blank stare)
"He's black and wears really short shorts."
"Oh, Jamaar! Why would he be here? He's at the speed loop."

By the time I got back to the loop, the girls were sweaty, tired, and done, and Jamaar didn't look all that grumpy. Adrienne had crushed about ten repeats.

Despite what I thought was a pretty good sales pitch, we failed to convince our friends to join us at the weekly Runner's Lunch. As for my run, I felt far from fresh as this now made about 28 miles in 36 hours.

A Step Back

When I got home last night I took off my shoes and found a blood blister the size of a golf ball on my right foot. No wonder I was hurting. I proceeded to sterilize some scissors and needles and get to work, then bandage myself up. There will be no more speed work in the Lunar Swift. I just need to get a new pair of Pegasus. Also, my oft-troubling right heel has flared up again. I had Adrienne (she's a massage therapist) work on it and she told me I just needed to do a better job of stretching my calves. So it shouldn't be too big of a concern, but I've decided to let this be a down week in an attempt to recuperate.

CRC-Charlotte Runners Face-Off

Distance: 9.81 mi.
Time: 1:12:04.63 - 7:21 ppm.

This evening, I met up with Michelle, Thomas, and Matt Jaskot at the Dowd. At my behest they agreed to do a short warmup through the speed loop and then join the Charlotte Runners at the Metropolitan. When we got there, Adrienne joked that our arrival reminded her of the "face-off" scene from Anchorman. I chatted with Brian Davis and a few others before we headed down to the "starting line."

We were at the back of the pack, and T&M had planned to go easy, so they all just chatted behind me as I slowly started to weave through the other runners. My schedule called for a regular run with sprints at the end. I didn't really feel like doing that, though, and after an easy opening mile with the group I started to pick up the pace in an effort to reel everyone in.

Everyone always treats these runs as races, but I guess I can't really talk if I always take the bait. Starting at the back and trying to gain on everyone is a good way to make sure I push. Unbeknownst to me, Thomas and Michelle had decided to try to catch me at some point, but they would have to try another day. This wasn't a very organized workout on my part but I was able to push the legs and lungs a bit, and so I was happy with it.

Figure-8

Distance: 10.28 mi.
Time: 1:20:17.2 - 7:49 ppm.

The title of this post refers to what today's route looks like on the map. I once again decided to meet Adrienne today for part of her 14-mile long run. I told her to find a spot about five miles in and I would meet her there. That spot turned out to be the corner of Chilton and Sharon, which is part of the Thunder Road course. At this juncture I'm going to stop pointing out when I run sections of the marathon course, because the damn thing goes all over the place. So that's all I have to say about that.

I felt like crap today. All I really remember about this run was watching how much more fit Adrienne seems to be getting while pretending not to struggle a couple strides behind her. She finished strong and went home while I ran another mile or two by myself, although I had intended to do more.