Running out the Kinks

9.92 mi.
1:14:56 - 7:34 ppm.

I didn't do any kind of recovery run after the Turkey Trot (aside from a cooldown on race day, of course) and I came to regret on today's long run. I met Mike Mitchell at Old Bell and prepared to get through a painful 8-12 miles.

We watched as several of our friends came rolling through upon finishing a workout - Hovis, Paul, Jason Martin, and a few more - then met Alex Wernikoff and Matt Rich, who each decided to join us.

Matt picked our brains about our recent marathon experiences. It's always nice to be able to listen to and get feedback from an old marathon warrior like Matt (who, I'd like to add, is faster than all of us despite being 50 years old).

Once again, though, I was hurting on this one - just tight and sore from running the Turkey Trot and failing to do a recovery run.

Tough Long Run

13.44 in 01:42:37 - 7:38 ppm

This one was tough. The humidity/dew point/temperature/whatever you want to go by...it's all been hell on us runners lately, and that combined with a still-empty stomach made things interesting for me today.

I persuaded Mitchell into getting up a little earlier and meeting our group at Old Bell at 6:30 a.m., and really, we would have been better suited to start earlier. We did have a huge group, though: myself, Mike, Spada, Paul, Alex, Ben Hovis, Nate Stanford, Kevin Ballantine, Ryan Koziol, Billy...I must be forgetting someone. We were going to take a break from the trails and run a road loop that Paul had mapped out and assured us all would be a downhill finish.

That of course meant an uphill start as we wound our way up Sardis, through Lansdowne, and then out Providence Road. Mitchell was able to glean some information from Spada about the New York City marathon that he's running in the fall. I took a break to urinate behind a tree and then had to run a 6:49 mile in order to catch up because the boys were already setting a quick pace. I blame Alex, who insists on running 7:10 pace or better every step of the way! We went all the way to Rea Road and then past the Olde Providence neighborhood, the site of my Firecracker 5k. Here we stopped to get water as Paul was nice enough to set out about 8 bottles under a tree for us.

We turned down Colony and I suddenly began to feel very weak. I informed Paul and then Kevin that I was going to slow down my pace and look for a shortcut back because I didn't have the energy to stay with them. Alex took a pee break without telling anyone and got way behind - he passed me before I turned off but never caught the group.

I turned down Carmel and made my way to Sharon View and Old Providence Road. I was going to take this route and then go across Providence and down Sardis Lane, which I figured would cut me short by about two miles from the 15 that everyone else was doing. I completely missed the downhill finish, however; my shorter route featured some pretty steep hills. Given how well I know these roads, I was aware of this, and just wanted to be done. I slipped into the high 7s and eventually even ran slower than 8 minutes per mile in this section.

I made it back to Old  Bell after getting in just over 13 for the day. The group showed up not much longer than I did and they were all spent as well. Spada said he was really hurting and we each took our sweet time passing out water and Gatorade and relaxing in the road.

I went home, made some food - which luckily I was able to keep down - and then slept like a baby for about five hours. I'm pleased to report as I write this that the stomach issues appear to have subsided, but man this was a tough day!

First Dowd Run

7.97 mi in 00:59:18 - 7:26 ppm

There is a CRC group that meets at the Dowd every Wednesday and Thursday at 6am to run. From what I gather it's a lot of the same people I usually see on the group long runs. I decided to make it out today for the first time.

I met Paul, Alex, Kahn, the Crockfords, Thomas, Michelle, and a few more. They were doing the 9-mile "Colville Loop" and I tagged along before having to find a bathroom because of stomach issues once again. Luckily there are always porta-jons nearby in the Eastover neighborhood as someone is always tearing down a million-dollar home and building another one in its place.

I ended up getting in a solid 8 miles for the day.

First Miners' Run

5.97 mi in 00:45:17 - 7:35 ppm

Well, I finally showed up for a "Miners' Run," named for the fact that everyone is supposed to wear a headlamp so they can see in the dark. I um..don't have a headlamp, but figured others would, and it usually gets light before 6 this time of year, anyway.

I was the first to arrive at Old Bell. I stood next to my car and watched curiously as a car sped past the turn on Sardis, hit the brakes, threw it in reverse, and barreled towards me backwards before stopping right in front of the gate...then pulling up and rapidly parallel-parking right behind me. Mike Kahn got out and exclaimed, "See man, I can do this valet stuff, too! Just hire me now!" We were shortly joined by Stan Austin, Alex, Megan Hovis (sans Ben), and a guy named Matt from Boston.

Between the early hours and some stomach issues (yes, again) I didn't feel all that great this morning. We met Jamaar at the park and I turned back, followed by Kahn, who was worried about being late for work. I truly felt all right but I ate a big July 4th dinner a little later than I normally would eat and that doesn't work when you have to run at 5:30 a.m. It was a fun group and I must say it's nice to have the run done with before 6:30 in the morning.

A Shorter Long Run

Distance: 10.39 mi
Time: 01:16:16 - 7:20 ppm
Running Buddy

I met up with Brinkley for the Sunday long run a little later than I wanted. It was Dave's idea and I was fine with it because I had to work late the night before and didn't get a nap after the race. We would suffer for it, however. Alex Wernikoff was at the park waiting for us, having already done 6 miles on his own, and the three of us set off down the trails for a bit. We were due to come back and get Mitchell and his wife, Meg, twenty minutes later.

Alex, unlike us, was awake and warmed up and it wasn't long before we were running 7:10 pace. I pleaded with him to let us get warmed up first, or go on without us, and eventually I just dropped back and ran alone as we made our back to the lot to get Mitchell.

I peppered Mike with questions about his North Meck days and what his former teammates were now doing, and we rolled along at a surprisingly consistent pace. Talk eventually shifted to marathon training, how Mitchell and I need to just get to the starting line this year and then we'll tear it up. Alex is running Savannah, Mike's in line for NYC and Dave and I have not decided yet.

Towards the end of the run I started picking up the pace and Mike and Dave came with me. We ran 6:51 for mile 10 and got down to 6:30 pace for the last half-mile. And yes, that's faster than I ran in my second mile of yesterday's race.

Speaking of yesterday's race, I'm still pretty bitter about the whole thing. I've always wanted to run a race that finishes around the lake at Freedom Park, and when I had the chance, I blew it. I'll get a chance to run a better race soon but suffice it to say that I'll be at Summer Breeze in 2012!

2011 Run for Clean Air 5K

Location: McAlpine Park
Warmup: 2.0 mi in 16:08
Race: 3.1 mi in 19:17/6:15 pace; 5th place overall/3rd in age group (25-29 male).
Cooldown: 2.0 mi in 16:30
Race Results

I decided to leave the Garmin at home for this one. I wouldn't need it at McAlpine; I can run this course blindfolded (although if I did I'd probably fall down the hill). Also, the watch measured this course short the other day so it probably would have been more of a hindrance than a help.

My strategy for today was as follows (with help from Eggers): try to stay close to 6-flat for the first mile, attack the hill and drop whomever I'm running with at the time, and then just gas it for the last mile. I was very curious to see if the speed workouts I've done recently would help me out today.

I parked my car at the main lot, took notice of the decent-sized crowd, and then took off down the greenway for a warmup. It was cloudy and only about 70 degrees but VERY humid. I was drenched after less than a mile. I ran into Alex Wernikoff, a fellow CRC member who's much faster than I am currently. I ran back to my car and ditched my outerwear before drinking more water and heading down to the stage. I found my dad, who agreed to come out, and handed him my car keys. There was a dude dressed as a superhero in the role of "Captain Clean Air" or whatever, and some lady leading a large group of people in a stretching routine. The whole scene was a bit odd. I quickly left these weird people and made my way to the starting line. Alex, myself, and a group of high school kids milled about at the starting line. I chatted them up and did a few striders down the greenway.

I'm in red, about four back here. [photo courtesy of Barry Blackwood]

Right at 9 a.m. Captain Clean Air herded everyone to the line. Everyone made a line down the greenway - as opposed to spanning out into the grass next to it - which I thought odd. Amateurs. Captain Clean Air counted down for us and we were off. Naturally, the high school kids started out way too fast. How long they would all last was anyone's guess; a couple of them did look like they were speedy, but who knows? I took off quickly in order to get some space, making my elbows clear and present to anyone who got too close, and then settled into a groove. I just tried to keep Alex in front of me, and he stayed about five strides ahead as we raced down the straightaway.

I could tell we were running sub-6 pace but it felt easy. I got a little bit comfortable and started looking down and ju-

Dude you just got passed by a girl!!! Wake the @#!k up!!

A blonde in pink shorts scooted past me at the half-mile mark and settled in with a pack of about five high school boys. I made a point to wake up and start racing. I surged right up behind them and stayed there for a bit, as the pace continued to feel pretty easy. I was going to hang with them and then surge at the hill, as planned, but I got bored and pushed past the blonde - I met her afterward so I guess we can call her by her name, Carolyn - and into the lead of our little pack. Alex and a couple other runners were well out of reach by now, so it was just us at this point.

I noticed none of these kids was wearing a watch so I made a point to call out our split - 5:53 - when we crossed the first mile marker. I motioned for my arm for the one kid to keep surging with me as we rounded the u-turns and headed toward the hill.

He didn't stay with me. I surged up the hill and effectively dropped my pack. I made a point to scale the downhill on the right side, and luckily I didn't fall. I passed my dad for the first time at the entrance to the lake and realized I had effectively sealed my fate with that little surge: I was in 5th and it would stay that way for the final mile-plus. My first mile split and surge at the hill was perfectly in line with my strategy; however, it also meant I was suddenly all alone.

..Middle of mile 2, about to round the lake for the first time.
[photo courtesy of Barry Blackwood]

I came through the 2-mile split in 12:17 and realized that breaking 19 would require an effort I wasn't certain that I had in me. I slowed down a bit... No! Keep your head in the game! ...then I sped up, and so on. Fighting...fighting some more... I came around the soccer fields (less than 800 meters to go) and re-entered the lake, looking over my right shoulder to keep an eye on Carolyn. She was too far back to catch me, but I threw in a surge anyway. I missed my 3-mile split but I'd guess it was around 6:10. I took one last look at the watch and dug down. I wasn't going to break 19 but I managed to bring it in pretty hard - officially 19:17 for 5th place overall and 3rd in the 25-29 male age group (always the most competitive age group, and one I'm glad I'll be graduating from this December).

Receiving my age group award from Captain Clean Air with (from left)Jonathan Clayton and Alex
Wernikoff [photo courtesy of Barry Blackwood].

I talked to Carolyn and Alex for a little bit after the race before collecting a $10 gift card to Omega Sports. Sweet, I need some new socks. I wasn't necessarily thrilled with my time but all in all I was delighted with the proceedings of the day. I felt I could have gone faster with more runners, but there will be other races for that. I can tell that my training is paying off as the speedy opening mile didn't do me any harm. I just need to keep at it.

Very glad to be out there racing again! Can't wait for the next one, and it's next week so I won't have to wait long.