Head For The Cure RR

What: Head For The Cure 5K
When: August 28^th, 2011
Where: Overland Park, KS
Finish Time: 21:03
AG: 7/93
OA: 49/1632

Background:
I have not had a good summer of running. I dealt with ITB issues from May throughout July. I’ve only started to feel like I’ve been getting my speed/endurance back since mid-August.

Race Week:
My runs this week have not instilled confidence that I would be able to hit my goal pace of sub-7:00/mile. My allergies had been bugging me and my breathing has seemed out of whack all week during my runs. Just like I did the previous 2 years, I ran the Mud & Muck Run 5K on Saturday morning. Since I knew I was going to attempt a PR during HFTC on Sunday, I ran the Mud & Muck Run easy and just had fun with it.  Even while taking it easy, my breathing made it seem like I was putting in a higher effort than I really was. I never could get a groove and even decided to stop and walk during 2 short stretches. Needless to say, it did not boost my confidence for my PR attempt at HFTC.

The Night Before:
Although it wasn’t conducive to a PR attempt, I was offered a ticket to the Heart/Def Leppard concert for only $25 and couldn’t pass it up.  The concert was amazing and a lot of fun! I only managed to get about 4 hours of sleep.

Race Morning:
I was exhausted when I awakened after getting only 4 hours of sleep. I started the coffee, took a shower, and tried to wake up the best I could.  I ate my usual race morning breakfast, a bowl of honeynut cheerios, got ready, and headed to the race. It wasn’t until I arrived at the race that I realized I left my camera back at my apartment. I placed it in a fuel belt I received at the Mud & Muck Run, but forgot to take it with me.  Since I had about 40 minutes until race time, I decided to do a slow and easy mile warm-up, during which I couldn’t stop yawning.  I remembered that I had a sample packet of jet black GU back at my Jeep so I downed it about 20 minutes before the race and hoped for the best.

The Race:
My plan was to go out at about a 6:59 pace and try to hang on. This race was going to be my test to see how far away from a sub-21:00 5K I am. I figured I would likely crash & burn, but I would leave everything I had out on the course.  With about 10 minutes to go I head to line up. I feel that I’m lined up too close to the front, but after talking to people around, it’s clear that I need to move up more. I really wish the race had pace signs to help people line up correctly.

I moved up about another 10 feet, still was around people looking to average a 9:00 mile, but the next row had some fast runners so I didn’t think I should move up any further. A young lady did a great job singing the National Anthem and the race started.

I started the Garmin before crossing the mats so I knew my official time would be faster than my Garmin time.  The first mile starts with a nice gradual downhill so after weaving my way through the slower runners, I let gravity help me out and tried to hit a pace of 6:59.  After the first downhill my average pace was at 7:14 so I knew I had to pick it up during the gradual incline.  I was pushing myself and started to see the pace dropping.  I passed the first mile marker in 6:56 according to the clock, but my Garmin shows I finished Mile 1 in 7:02.

Mile 2 was a rough mile. I started breathing heavy and knew the last half of the mile contained a noticeable incline. It was all I could do to prevent myself from slowing down too much. I decided I needed to find a “rabbit” to pull me along so I chose a guy who looked like he could have been in my AG. He seemed to be running strong so I vowed to keep him in sight. It seemed to work, but I still had to fight the urge to walk. Without stopping to walk I passed the Mile 2 marker at a time of 14:10.  According to my Garmin, Mile 2 took me 7:07.

Mile 3 started and I was in a mental battle. I remembered some words of encouragement that a good friend said to me while chatting before I headed out for the race.  She simply said “KICK ASS!” At that moment I decided it was time to do what I could to pick up the pace. My “rabbit” was about 50 feet ahead of me, but I was slowly gaining. About ½ way through Mile 3 I finally passed him. He picked up the pace to stay with me. Since I was feeling rough, I figured he would outkick me if he stayed close. Since I could hear that he seemed to be working as hard as I was, I decided to push the pace during the next incline. He did not try to stay with me. I then saw another guy that could be in my AG and made him the new rabbit. He was a ways ahead of me so I kept my pace during the incline, but as soon as we turned and started on the gentle downhill, I started picking up my pace. With about 1/3 mile to go I started my kick. I am passing runners and gaining on my rabbit. I hear a lady tell him the finish is around the next corner. I think of those two words “KICK ASS” and somehow find another gear. It feels like I am flying. My rabbit hears me coming behind him and kicks. I would not be denied and flew by him with about 100 feet to go until the finish. This was the fastest I ever remember running and it felt GREAT.  Oh I was a hurting unit, but it felt GREAT!  I passed under the clock when it said 21:10 (I think). When I stopped my Garmin, it read 21:10 as well.  It was a new PR by just over 1 minute! I could not believe it!

Since I was out of it, I had to walk around a while before I stopped to have them remove my timing chip. Chip removed, I managed to find the final rabbit after the race and thanked him for pushing me. We congratulated each other on good races.

I stayed for the awards and then went out for another 7 mile run (2 hours later). That was a very slow run. :)

After uploading the Garmin data to my computer, it shows that the last .1 was run at an average pace of 4:04. There is nothing like finishing on a gentle downhill to make it look like you have some speed. No wonder it felt like I was flying. 

I’m betting that if I had proper sleep last night and was well rested, I would have easily finished in under 21:00. I am very surprised that I still had that kind of effort in me based on how the week has gone.

Thanks to everyone who managed to read all of my ramblings.

The Official Race Pics

Floating picture 1.


Floating pic 2


I must have been bored.


I must have been focused on the kick.

Eric

Intro to Summer Trail Run RR

What: Intro to Summer Trail Run
Distance: 2.8 miles
When: June 18, 2011
Where: Wyandotte County Lake Park
Finish Time: 23:44

This morning I ran a great event put on by the KC Trail Nerds. Last year, this event was my first ever trail race. I finished it about 5 minutes faster this year than last year.

Overall I am really pleased with my performance. As usual, I started way too far back and had to work to pass people. Since the majority is on singletrack trails, passing space is limited. At one point I decided to run through the woods to the left of the trail for about 100 yards so I could pass a line of people.  The issue wasn't that the runners wouldn't let me pass, just that passing space was limited without forcing someone into a tree or the high weeds.

I ran a negative split and don't think I was passed by anyone during the last half of the race. I believe I was 19th OA out of 64+. Either that or I was the 19th OA male out of 64+. Either way I'm still pleased with my performance.

I think my camera has taken too much of a beating over the last few years due to being dropped so my pictures aren't that great, but I hope you still enjoy them. I didn't take too many pics and most were during the first mile.

Pre-race Photos:


Registration area.


Picture of the trees hiding the trail.


Lining up ready to race.

Mile 1:


Heading into the trail.


I'm moving so fast it's blurry.


A look at the narrow conditions that were along most of the trail.


I'm starting to look for a place to pass.


I made the pas and was finally moving at a good pace.


Wider portion of trail where we have two-way traffic.

Mile 2:

The wide section of trail where I made my move and surged ahead. It wasn't long before we headed back on the singletrack. Since I was running at a 7:45/mile pace, I decided not to take any photos when we hit the singletrack again. After all, I didn't want to face-plant by tripping over a rock, root, or slipping on the mud.

All finishers received a "2.8" sticker. I figured WTH, why not put it on my Jeep and make everyone wonder what the 2.8 means.



After the race I went back out on the trails with a buddy of mine and managed another 7.5 miles. Here are some pics from that excursion.




















Running across the dam to hit the trails again.

All in all it made for a great 10+ miles on the trails and a great way to spend a Saturday.

I hope you enjoyed the pics.

Eric

Hospital Hill Run Half Marathon - RR

What: Hospital Hill Run Half Marathon
When: Saturday, June 4, 2011
Where: Crown Center, Kansas City, MO
Temp: 80F at the start / 86F at the finish
Finish Time: 2:03:43 (New CR by almost 20 minutes)

I wasn't quite sure how this race would go. I ran the Amy Thompson Run 8K on Memorial Day and my left knee acted up at around the 3.5 mile point. I've run a total of a little of 25 miles leading up to this race and the whole time my knee felt a little "off", but it wasn't sore. I rested the last 2 days and hoped for the best. On Friday evening my knee felt sore walking upstairs, so I focused on foam rolling last night.

I decided to set 3 goals for the race. First goal - have fun and finish upright; Stretch goal - finish under 2:05:00; dream goal - finish under 2 hours.

The morning went well, my legs felt good, and I was ready to run. I decided to say the heck with it and line up near the 2:00 pace group and go for my dream goal.



Facing the starting line


Facing backward from the line

This course was slightly changed from last year, but the change was adding a steeper hill in the first couple of miles. They also had all the distances start at the same time this year. To be honest, I didn't like the mass start.

The first 2 miles were done at an average pace of roughly 9:38/mile. I started off slow to manage the hills and then started to pick up the pace on the downhills. At roughly the 3.5 mile point, I felt a twinge in the same knee that acted up on Monday. I started to think that this might be a very long race. I decide to take it easy on the uphills and push on the downhills, and see what my knee was going to do. By Mile 4, I had reached the 9:09/mile average.

I really don't remember much about the individual miles other than the oppressive heat and humidity. I do remember that up until Mile 11, I maintained an average pace between 9:07 and 9:16. That all changed during Mile 11. The heat finally started to take it's toll on me and I felt on the verge of heat stress. My HR barely dropped during my walk breaks so I probably walked from the 10.5 - 11.5 mile point. It was all uphill during that point and I didn't want to push myself to the point of exhaustion, or at least I didn't want to take any chances.

During that walk break I decided that I would still try for finishing under 2:05. I figured that if I could average a 9:50 mile for the last 1.6 miles, I had a decent shot. I picked up running again and went for it. I could see the 2:05 pacer way up in the distance and it gave me the motivation I needed to push a bit harder. I was running up a gentle incline, but knew I had a decent downhill awaiting me, but there was also one more steep hill remaining during Mile 13. I paid close attention to how I was feeling an resolved that if I felt there was potential for heat stress, I would walk the rest of the way; thankfully, that never happened. Outside of my downhill kick at the end, Mile 13 was my fastest mile.

After finishing, I drank some water, partook in the free ART, ate some good BBQ, and had my 2 free beers. While drinking the beer I chatted with a great gal and just relaxed. Of course, the clouds rolled in and it felt cooler after the race than it did before the race. Granted, it was still around 88F. All in all, it was a great race and I'm glad I decided to run it.

If interested, you can view my scattered split times after the rest of the photos.

Now for the rest of the pictures.

Mile 1:

Near the start of the mile.


Following the 2:00 pacer.


A little over 1/2 way through Mile 1.


You can see the Sprint Center up near the stoplight on the right.


Closer view of the sprint center.


Nearing the end of Mile 1.

Mile 2:


Near the start of Mile 2.


About 3/4 through Mile 2.

Mile 3:


About 1/4 through Mile 3.


About 3/4 through Mile 3.


Near the end of Mile 3.

Mile 4:


Near the start of Mile 4.


About 1/2 through Mile 4.


A little further


A little further.


The end of Mile 4.

Mile 6:


Near the end of Mile 6.

Mile 8:


About 3/4 through. I had to post a blurry picture. :)


A little further.

Mile 9:


About 3/4 through Mile 9.

I didn't take any photos after Mile 9, but I did get a picture of the shirt/medal after I made it home.



My knee is a tad sore, but not bad at all. Now as promised, my splits:

Mile 1: 9:30
Mile 2: 9:45
Mile 3: 8:54
Mile 4: 8:28
Mile 5: 8:55
Mile 6: 9:50
Mile 7: 9:07
Mile 8: 9:23
Mile 9: 8:27
Mile 10: 9:15
Mile 11: 11:58
Mile 12: 11:17
Mile 13: 7:47
.1 at a 6:13.

I hope you enjoyed the RR.

Eric

Amy Thompson Run 8K RR

*WARNING* After the RR I will have pictures of a red-tailed hawk, some of which showing it eating a squirrel.
*WARNING*

What: Amy Thompson Run 8K
When: May 30, 2011
Where: Loose Park, Kansas City, MO
Finish Time: 41:35 (unofficial)

Pre-race:Since I had decided not to "race" the 8K, I figured I would do a long warm-up and ended up running a 4 mile warm-up run finishing about 25-30 minutes before the race. I realize that's a bit too early to finish a real warm-up, but since I didn't plan on racing, I was fine with it.

After about 5-10 minutes of stretching I walked around and snapped some pictures (mostly of the red-tail hawk).


Picture of the finish area.


Picture of the finishing hill.  It's not bad, but still noticeable.


Picture of the starting area.

I decided to line up about 10 minutes prior to race time.


Facing the start (Yes I am a master of the obvious).


Facing behind me.

A prayer was said, the National Anthem was sung, and we were off. Miles 1-3 were uneventful and I was averaging right around a 8:00 and feeling comfortable. To keep this a bit shorter, I will let the pics tell the story.

Mile 1:

Early in the mile.


Roughly 2/3 through Mile 1.

Mile 2:


Start of Mile 2.


A few moments later.


A little more than 3/4 through Mile 2.

Mile 3:


Start of Mile 3.


Near the end of Mile 3.

Mile 4:

Mile 4 started off well, but about 1/2 way through the mile, my left knee started getting a dull ache so I walked for a bit. I would pick it up after about 30 seconds and run until the dull ache returned. The ache wasn't my ITB, but right around the front of the knee. Even with the walk breaks, I finished the mile in about 8:33.


Approaching the 5K clock.

Mile 5:

I didn't take any more photos while running, as for some reason, I tend not to take photos during forced walk breaks. Mile 5 was more of the same as Mile 4. I walked probably 1/3 of Mile 5. I decided to play it safe and make sure my knee was fine. I walked some of the inclines and ran most of the downhills. My last walk break was at about the 4.5 mile point. I decided I wanted to finish strong and started to pick up my pace. I started my kick when I reached the bottom the hill, turned the corner, and started going up the last hill to the finish. About 0.2 miles from the finish a young whippersnapper, OK he was probably early 20s, started to sprint past me. This kicked in my competitive juices and I sprinted with him. It was neck and neck and the crowd was cheering us on. According to my Garmin, my kick going uphill was at 13 MPH. I really don't know who won, as it would have been a photo finish. I think I cleared all the mats first since he pulled up and didn't run through. We congratulated each other on a great finish and he said he was just trying to keep up with me.

I walked around, partook in some of the post-race food, and then went back to cheer in the other runners. I ended up snapping a picture of the group of soldiers (Army) from Ft. Riley, KS that ran in formation.



I then snapped some pictures of the post-run festivities.


The food area.


KC Wolf (Chiefs Mascot since 1989)

After the pictures, I stopped at the booth for free ART and had about a 15 minute session.

That's it for the RR, thanks to everyone who read all the way through. Now for the pictures of the red-tailed hawk. Feel free to avert your eyes if your squeamish.




















I hope everyone enjoyed the pictures. I just wish I had my good camera so the pictures of the RTH would have been better.

Eric.