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.

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.

Blue Ridge regrets?

I didn't run today, but from Anne Marie's house I watched "Team Stache and Dash" head off to compete in the Blue Ridge Relay. This was the team I was asked to join, but I declined. I know it was the right decision as I want to focus on getting to the line for a marathon with minimal distractions. But seeing them pack the vans and head off, excited to take a stab at this famous adventure, kind of tugged at my heart strings a bit. If I can get my primary running goal out of the way this year, I definitely want to put a team together for this event in 2012.

Operation Homefront Freedom 5k

W/u: 1.67 mi in 13:15.65 - 7:57 ppm.
Race: 3.1 mi in 18:58.59 - 6:07 ppm.
C/d: 1.9 mi in 17:05.62 - 8:59 ppm.
Running Buddy

It's been a long time since I was this poorly prepared for a race. I felt rundown towards the end of the week and I hadn't slept well or eaten well as a result. I also didn't get out of bed on time, which led to me failing to run the desired distance as a warmup. Let's break it down.

My alarm went off at 6:00 this morning, which would have allowed my standard two hours plus until start time to eat some oatmeal, do some calf raises and push-ups like normal, and actually wake up. The problem is I reset it for 7 and went back to sleep. Even at 7, I didn't completely get out of bed. I just sort of laid there for a few minutes as if I was trying to figure out what it was, exactly, that I was supposed to do today...

Don't get the wrong idea, here - none of this stuff should matter. It's a 5k, not a marathon. I can tough out that short distance without good preparation. I received a text from Jamaar that he and Christi, who were both racing today, were about to start their warmups. At that time I was walking around my apartment trying to find my car keys. I made it to the park around 7:30, picked up my chip, said hi to Chad (racing) and Danielle (cheering), then began to do my warmup. I saw Bert Rodriguez warming up as well and figured that dude really picks odd times to show up on race day. This would be a pretty thin field today. I was hoping to leave with some hardware.

After less than two miles (sheesh) of warmup I shed my outerwear and headed over to the start line. There was a long line forming behind the chute on the greenway that goes around the Freedom Park lake. If you can picture the park, we were facing out towards the large picnic shelters with the stage and the lake on our right. I went all the way up to the front and hopped in behind Chad, Bert, Christi, and some trash-talking high school kids.

The command was given and we were off. As usual, everyone started off too quickly, and with the greenway being rather thin for a race start, there was a bit of elbowing going on. I hurdled a sign and went by Christi, with a small pack ahead of me. I was right in front of Jamaar, who said something I didn't understand (I later found out he was making a comment about my back dimples - I'm glad I didn't hear him), and right behind an older dude. Up front, Bert shot ahead and began to pull away.

We ran all the way around the lake and across the small bridge that goes over the creek, then meandered along some of the little side paths and down the service road. This was to be a flat course but there were a lot of sharp turns and small obstacles that slowed us down. We made a hairpin turn and got on the greenway headed towards East Blvd., then made that quick turn onto the sidewalk (precarious!), through the little atrium area behind the tennis courts, and down some stairs. Yes, down some stairs. There was a ramp right next to the stairs but no one I talked to thought to go down it, including Bert.

After that, though, the weird part was over and I tried to do some racing. I had passed the older guy right before the mile, which was reached in 5:56, and pulled away from the chase pack, which included Jamaar and Christi. There was one high school kid not too far in front of me and I began to reel him in as we went up the slight incline in the woodsy section of the greenway that is just out of view of the lake. I passed him in a way that made it clear he wouldn't be passing me back, then tried to keep surging. There were a couple more high school kids not too far ahead, and had I started my kick earlier, I could have had them. No dice, though.

This race was actually very well set-up. The distance was true and there was a clock set up at the 3-mile mark. I saw that I had a slight chance to break 19 if only I could book it, and that's what I did: I ran the last 0.1 mile in 30 seconds, which is 5-minute pace! It's nice to be able to have a kick like that, but clearly I had saved too much. I'm not too upset about it, though; my training has been marathon-specific since the end of July. And, let's be honest, it wasn't really specific to much of anything before that, other than simply getting back into shape.

I wasn't sure of my place but was confident I would get an award, as Bert and Chad were the only men of legal voting age who had finished ahead of me. There was another race - a 5k walk, I believe - so the Crockfords, Jamaar, Christi, and I set off to do a long cooldown on the Booty Loop. I decided about a mile in that I didn't want a long cooldown, and as I came back into the park I saw that the awards ceremony had begun. Great. I actually heard my name called while I was running towards the large group that had gathered around. I waited til they finished and then claimed what I had earned: a $25 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse. Sweet! I was 9th overall and won the 20-29 male age group. I honestly didn't think this was a great effort, but it was in fact my second-fastest time of 2011 (in six races) and it's clear I'm getting into better shape. I still don't have any idea how to race a 5k, but I'm not really worried about that right now.

Results

Recovery Miles

7.37 mi in 01:01:01 - 8:16 ppm

I don't normally run on Mondays, but since I missed a random day last week I'd like to start doing so. It will give me a way to bank the miles early in the week and take another day off, either by plan or by accident. I also felt like I needed one after racing last night, to shake some junk out of my legs. I met Anne Marie, Jamaar, and Christi at McAlpine to do a recovery run. We ran pretty slow and I think that really helped me work out some of the kinks. I threw in a half-mile surge at one point (6:20 pace or better) after stopping for water and getting left behind.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

2011 Upgrade Lifestyle 5k

Location: Birkdale Village
Warmup: 3.00 mi in 00:24:01 - 7:59 ppm.

Race: Unofficially 3.03 mi in 18:39; officially 18:40, 7th place overall.
Cooldown: 1.68 mi in 00:13:43 - 8:09 ppm.
Running Buddy
Full Results

The 6th-place runner appeared to be just out of reach when I opened up my stride on the last big downhill, with just over half a mile to go. I was kicking but it appeared I had let him get away too early. Suddenly, not even a quarter-mile later, he was coming back to me. Could I catch him? I dug down for one last effort, but it was too little, too late. I had given a much better go at it today than I had last week, and that was all I really wanted.

A few quick highlights and explanations before delving into the details...

• Running Buddy measured right at 1.54-5 miles at the turnaround, meaning this should have been a true 5k to the T. It would appear I cut the tangents so sharply on the way back that I actually ran shorter than the meet directors had intended. Well, isn't that the idea, if possible? It makes sense because they were counting on traffic on both sides of the road for a good portion of the course, and I didn't really follow that idea; I was running through people at one point. It was a fantastic strategy. Everyone else I talked to, including Ben Hovis, measured this one almost exact.
• I started off way too fast again. My first mile was right at 6-flat but I was in the sub-5:30 range at the half-mile mark. Not good.
• Despite the uphills on the way out, this was a fast course. That combined with nearly ideal weather conditions (over 70 but cloudy at gun time) led to many people running much faster than they have lately.

I was up and ready to go at 5:40 a.m. today. I made my pre-race oatmeal, showered, stretched, and did some push-ups before packing my gear and hitting the road. I overestimated the Saturday morning traffic on I-77 and as a result made it to the show even earlier than I'd planned. Megan Hovis, the Fillnow twins, and John Compton were all directing and/or volunteering for the event. I saw Ben and Allen, then Mike Beigay and a couple other guys, and tried to get a feel for what the competition would be like. I was then introduced to Nathan Stanford and Todd Mayes, two guys who I knew to be very fast.

Ben later told me that that was about it as far as the CRC crowd was concerned. I did my warm-up on the course, again uncertain exactly where the turnaround was, and headed back to the Residence Club. Jamaar (cheering), Christi (racing), and Theoden (cheering and taking photos) were all present and accounted for at this point. Allen had mentioned earlier that he didn't feel well, and I soon noticed him walking around in a t-shirt with a towel wrapped around his head, looking like he was about to pass out. He then told me he was going to have to pull out due to sickness, and had given his bib to Jamaar. Well, there goes my plan of racing with Allen. He told me he'd find me a sub-19 guy to chase, and then pointed out a young teenager named Patrick who had been finishing just ahead of him at the GPX events. Patrick was wearing an orange shirt, which made things pretty easy.

The pre-race announcements were mercifully quick as I did some striders with Christi and lined up right behind Hovis. I foolishly wondered if I could beat Beigay, since he would be pushing a stroller (um...no). After an airhorn start, we were off. It was impressive to see Hovis blast out of the gates. It wasn't long before he was completely out of sight; Beigay, Mayes, and Stanford formed a chase pack of three. I got out of the gates way too fast and started slowing down, letting Patrick and 40-something runner Bobby Aswell get ahead of me. We were less than half a mile into the race and my fate, place-wise, was sealed: I would no better than 5th and no worse than 7th.

Herein lied my problem: I wanted to still hit my goal of no faster than 6:00 for the first mile, so I had to slow way down, but then I would have to maintain and be ready to surge, all whilst running up and down some imposing hills. I came through the mile in 6:04 and had to really work to keep the pace from going over 6:10. The uphills really did me in but I saved myself on the downs (note to self: do a freakin' hill workout soon). We passed an aid station and began to approach the turn: surely enough, it was a good bit further down the road than what I had run yesterday. Hovis flew by in the opposite direction and I then caught a glimpse of Compton, standing in the middle of the road right next to a sign that said, "Turn Around." 

I noticed Mayes and Stanford, then Bobby and Patrick in front of me make the turn without going around Compton, so I did the same. I tried to go wide without running off the road, came to a nearly complete stop, turned my arms, went off into the grass, and nearly took out a mailbox. I heard John chuckle and say, "Nice turn." Yeah yeah, whatever... I noticed the Garmin had read 1.53 miles before I got to him so I happily guessed we'd be running a true 5k. 

It was now time to get to work, and I was hurting. Bobby and Patrick were still within my grasp but they weren't slowing down and I couldn't seem to get any faster. I just kept looking at the watch, trying not to slow down too much as opposed to actually speeding up. I hoped I had some turnover left to shoot down the big hill and into the finish, but it would be a fight. It would have been nice to have more than two guys to race with, but hey... On the next uphill, Bobby began to pull away from Patrick, and he began to pull away from me. We reached the big downhill and I opened it up but it appeared to be nowhere nearly enough. 

Seemingly out of nowhere, Patrick appeared to be slowing down. I knew I had sub-19 in the bag but I wanted to catch him. I tried to dig down but there just wasn't much left and he sped up just enough to slay me. I came through the chute in a time of 18:39.

As discussed, there was much talk post-race about how this was indeed a surprisingly fast course. Anytime you have a mostly downhill finish, when everyone is kicking anyway, that will lead to some fast times. Christi especially blew it out of the water, running sub-20 by a good bit. I met her, Jamaar, and Sarah Keen (with a cameo appearance by Leonard Hilliard) at Toast in Davidson for some tasty post-race breakfast. 

Some photos, with many thanks to Theoden Janes a.ka. "Run with Theoden."...

Pre-race. Always, always, always messing with my laces.

Hovis (in black, far right) fast out of the gates.

Too close to the leaders for so early. (From left: Patrick, Beigay and his child, and Hovis).

Still ahead of Mayes (back) and Stanford (in hat) a quarter-mile in.

Trying to reel in the youngster. Patrick is young but he's fast and ran a surprisingly smart race (Megan's coaching??) for someone his age.

Sarah, myself, Christi, Jamaar, and Layla (the pup). Glad to be done!

'Til next time, people. Thanks for stopping in.