Newtown 5K Race Report

The Newtown 5K seems to be just a blur of heat and sunlight in my memory. I'm pretty sure I was there. I have a race number. I've seen the results. That's my name right there in black and white. By all accounts I was there, but I can't really account for much of it. Let's give it a shot.

I buzzed down to Newtown right after work and made a mad dash to get signed up then it was straight to the road. I was going to take full advantage of having closed streets on which to run. I had 9 miles to get in this morning. The plan was 3 miles before the race to warm up. The race. 3 more miles after the race. Seemed like a good plan at the time. What I didn't account for was the fact that it was August...in Ohio. I think they said it was 115% humidity. Is that possible? Did anybody drown during the race?

Let's keep this short and sweet. The first 3 miles were pretty good. There were lots of runners out warming up, which always ups my game. I was feeling good, feeling super fast right up until the moment when a pack of teenagers (probably feral) cruised by me looking like they weren't even trying. I admit it. I had a brief daydream of tripping the front runner and watching them pile up like a car crash. Is that wrong?

The race was a flat, fast course right through the middle of Newtown. I don't really have much of a breakdown of the race, because it really does seem like a blur. I set myself on autopilot and just went with it. I had no particular goals for the race or expectations. By the time the race started at 9 am it felt like it was approaching 80 degrees and climbing. That does bring back one distinct memory of the race. It was an out and back course. Right before the turn around there were a series of trees shading the course intermittently. I remember feeling a distinct drop in temperature every time we hit the shade. It felt at least 5 degrees cooler. The sun was blazing that morning. I tried to keep it around 7 minute miles and finished up with about a 7:13 pace. According to my watch I was a little faster. They weren't using timing chips, and I know it took me at least 15 seconds to get to the start line. That would put me at about a 7:06 pace. Despite the heat and post work tiredness it felt good and that's what matters.

Right after I finished I grabbed some water after the finish line, eyed the food spread longingly and headed back out on the course. The final 3 miles was a challenge. My legs were still feeling good, but the heat was really taking it's toll. I pushed through it knowing that some of the people still out on the course were suffering much worse than myself. I felt bad for some of the runners as some of them looked miserable. Races in August are not cool.

Two things made up for the crummy conditions after the race. First was meeting up with Facebook friend and fellow Bataviain Leah. Hi Leah! Props to you for running the race with a child in a stroller. I did notice after the race that the child was absent from the stroller. I would have ditched the kid too. He was totally dragging you down. A time comes when kids need to learn to be self reliant, and if that time comes in the middle of a 5K run so be it. A very close second was that food spread after the race. They went all out. I would have taken a photo, but I was too busy stuffing my face with oranges, grapes, watermelon, bananas. It was the best fruit I've ever had. Ever.

Next year I think I'll sign up for the race, but just show up for the breakfast buffet. As all you sweaty runners come into the finish look for me. I'll be the one with a plate grazing on all the finish line fruits and pastry. It's gonna be glorious.     

West Hills 5K Race Report

Who in their right mind get's up at 5:30 in the morning while on a family trip and drives for 40 minutes into the next town to run a race? Oh wait, that would be me while in Gatlinburg over the weekend for a little family weekend. Saturday morning I was scheduled to run 8 miles for my marathon training. In the interest of staying on schedule and adding another state for this goal I rolled out of bed at 5:30 am hopped in the car and went in search of the West Hills YMCA in Knoxville.

With the help of my iPhone and the race flyer forty minutes later I rolled in to the race site feeling pretty good. I picked up a banana and a Red Bull on the way. I decided to do a little experiment. I'm not a big caffeine consumer. I don't drink coffee regularly and keep my consumption of soda to a minimum. This morning I was going to do a little performance enhancing by following the guidelines for caffeine intake that I had heard recently on Phedippidations podcast.  This could go either way. Either it will help or my stomach may decide to reject the stuff. Game on. 

Before getting caffeinated and race ready I needed to get in some miles. I decided 3 miles would be a good start. That would be a nice warm up followed by the 3.1 for the race and two to cool down. Good plan. I had a vague idea of the course based on some markings that I saw on the road, so I headed off in that direction. As I was running my mind wandered back to the race flyer and this line "Challenging 5-hill course...". Is it wrong and weird that I liked the sound of that? Don't judge me I hate flat courses.

I finished up the run feeling really good. It was do or die time. I had about 30 minutes until the race, so I headed back to the car and cracked open the Red Bull. According to the podcast and Run The Planet I should consume "from 1.5 to 4 mg/lb body weight (3 to 9 mg/kg) taken one hour pre-exercise". In my case that comes to about to about 225 to 600 mg. I underestimated how much I'd need as one Red Bull only has approximately 80 milligrams of caffeine per can according to the Mayo Clinic website. Maybe it's for the best. I'd rather underestimate rather than over do it and end up with a sick stomach.

Race time and so far so good. I was feeling pretty good. I had my caffeine, some more stretching and water. All systems are go. As I went to the starting line I realized this was truly a small community race. There were a little over 100 runners and walkers present. The weird thing was there were many more of the Vibram Five Finger shoes than I'd ever seen at a race before. Weird. I'd found a hot bed for barefoot running enthusiasts in the middle of Tennessee. Who would have guessed?

The race was on. Since it was such a small race there would be no mile markers and no mile splits being called out. I decided to just run with my stop watch. There would be no gps and no tunes to distract me. This race would be a good test to see how things are going in training. The first mile went by in a blur. I didn't push the pace really hard. I set a steady rhythm and just concentrated on maintaining good form, breathing and an even pace.

How many hills was in this race? As I entered mile 2 I was into a good race pace. There was very little flat ground on this course. It was a series of up hill and down hill stretches, and I was loving it. With each hill I would put on a little surge and increase my turnover trying to close the gap between myself and the next runner ahead of me. With each down hill I would try to not pound the pavement and let gravity do the work instead of fighting against the hill. 

I went into the final stretch of the race feeling somewhat tired, but with something left for a kick. There was one particular runner that I had been close to the entire race. I passed him early on. He came back and passed me during one of the down hill sections late in the race. In the final mile or so I kept him in my sight. We were done with the hills and heading into a park that I recognized as being close to the finish from the earlier run. I wasn't exactly sure how far it was, but judging by the time on my watch there had to be less than half a mile left. I picked up the pace and started to close the gap. 

Off in the distance I saw something orange. It had to be a cone leading in the finishing chute. I put on a full sprint.  Legs pumping, lungs burning I passed my target and through the finish line at 21:44. It was an average pace of 7:01 and good enough for a second place finish in my age group and 14th overall. Small races are awesome for that.

I stuck around after the race for a while and had a good chat with one of the barefoot runners about his crazy looking shoes. He said the same as many other runners that use these things. "I had [insert calf, shin, ankle problem here] and since I've started running in these my problems are gone." I think these people sleep with the shoes under their pillows and the shoes talk to them at night.

I'd say the race was a success on all accounts.

It tastes like victory.

AM I A WARRIOR?

I'll find out this Saturday as I head out with a group of friends and warrior wannabe's to Joliet, Illinois. What trials await us to determine if we are warriors? According to the battleground map we'll be facing such obstacles as the warrior wall, hell's hills, slithering swamp, satan's slope and so on.

Unfortunately this year I will be more of an unofficial warrior. I am running in place of somebody that is unable to attend and it was to late to get the registration changed into my name. I'm sure he has good reason to drop out, and quite frankly we aren't all cut out to be warriors. The community needs farmers too. Maybe he could compete in some sort of Facebook Farmville Challenge. Too harsh?

Unofficial warrior or not I am taking my task very seriously. I've removed my bed from the bedroom and have been sleeping in a pit of mud. I wake up every morning scale a cargo net into the kitchen and eat fire for breakfast. It's a good start.

Forest Hills 5K

Any given race could be your best or worst race..

This was almost literally a last minute decision to run in the Forest Hills 5K. As I was walking out the door at 7:30 am into a sunny, warm morning I knew I would regret skipping this race. I quickly changed clothes in my car and took off for Nagel Middle School. This was more than just another 5K. This was a fund raising event for my cousin Heather's school district. In addition to the race there was a festival that included a fun mascot race. Before that though, a quick race summary.

I came into the 5K with low expectations. I had just finished a 12 hour overnight shift that was spent mostly on my feet. I've been experiencing achilles tendon pain and calf pain. I'm pretty sure one or the other is going to snap and roll up like a fruit roll up one of these days. Because of this I didn't have a good race at all for the Pig. All things considered I figured if I could make it through the race without the fruit roll up effect I was good.

I was able to work my way up to the front of the pack at the start which was very good. This was an out and back course, so the roads got very congested very quickly. You can play a little Where's Waldo with the photo above. Look for the white hat, red shirt. I won't go into the gory details, because at this point I don't remember the details. I remember Thunderstruck kicking off the race in my ears and thinking this is gonna be damn good race. I remember heading out on a lot of downhill and thinking oh crap, I need to run back up those hills. I remember having something left in the tank and targeting the runner in front of me then mowing him down.

The result was a very solid 21:37 time and a second place finish in my division. Good run, well done.

After the race I stuck around to meet up with the family and catch Heather run in the mascot race. I've got some pretty sweet video that I was planning on editing together and posting here. Maybe someday I will. In the meantime enjoy these photos.

Halloween '09: Run Like Hell

It's time kids. Dress up as your favorite super hero/character/rock star/slutty whatever. In my case it's my favorite rock star, but more on that later. This year Halloween kicked off with one of my favorite races: The Run Like Hell! This is my 4th running of the race and it has become very near and dear to my heart. I've run it in costume, just run it, and even volunteered on the Cystic Fibrosis committee that puts on the event. If you've never been out for the race check it out for sure.

This year I just went out to run the race. It was a last minute call since I worked the night before (until 7 am that morning) and the weather outlook wasn't so awesome. As the afternoon went on it stayed very warm and there was no sign of rain. I was feeling pretty good after getting some sleep, so I ran on over to the race site and signed up. This turned out to be more of an ordeal than I had anticipated.

After signing up for the race I decided to stop by the Running Spot and pick up one of the 100th Anniversary posters for the upcoming Thanksgiving Day Race. In my haste to get in and out I accidentally locked my keys in my car! I was flipping out. I walked up to my car, and the keys were hanging out of the ignition...mocking me. Luckily, after a chance meeting with my girl Gina she came to the rescue with the assistance of AAA. Thank goodness. If not for that it was pay a locksmith or break the window and pay for that. I considered breaking the window.

I made it to the race site with 5 minutes to spare. It gave me just enough time to squeeze up near the front. The street was packed behind the starting line and I didn't want to get caught in a mass of costumed bodies. Even though I haven't been doing any real training for 5k racing and didn't have any particular goal in mind there is a part of me that can't help but think about the top 50. I had come close a few years back. If I had a good race I might be able to crack it.

The beginning of the race is downhill. As usual with most races there is a mass sprint at the beginning and the key is to not get swept up in the sprint. If I can hold back I will definitely be seeing many of these people once we hit the cemetery and the massive hill to the top. If I didn't see them there I would probably see them on the hills after the cemetery. There is only one race that I have done that is more hilly, The Reggae Run, and that's because it is all hill. The Run Like Hell is a series of hills with one mammoth one in the middle. The only good part is the downhill finish.

I felt pretty comfortable during the first part of the race. I kept a steady pace at the beginning and didn't worry too much about if I was passing anybody or if they were passing me. I just wanted to let the pace flow. I had plenty of time to punish myself on the hills...and were they punishing. Once we hit the cemetery we were  plunged into darkness. So we're battling up hill and then back down on a foot path in the dark surrounded by other unpredictable runners. It's not really the best setting to set a blazing pace. But no worries, it's a fun run right?

By the time we left the cemetery I was feeling pretty wasted. The climb up just about did me in. Working 12 hour overnight shifts seems to have taken its toll in terms of endurance. I'm not sleeping a regular sleep schedule and I can tell it's effecting my running. Even on training runs I often feel exhausted by mid-run. I just tell myself it's good training for tough races and push on, but still it's not helping. So, after leaving the cemetery I hunkered down and just kept up the best pace I could for the remainder of the race. I put the top 50 and my time out of my mind I would just enjoy the run. How often do you get to race at night surrounded by 3,000 other costumed runners?

So I let it go until the last 1/4 mile or so. I wasn't going to roll over and give up. As we topped the last hill I knew we had one turn left and a downhill straightaway to the finish. I stepped on the gas and finished strong as any self respecting competitor would. My official time was 22:19. It's a good time, but not my best. I ran a 21:21 in '06. I found out later I just missed the top 50 again! I'm not sure exactly by how much since some runners paid for chip timing and others didn't, but I know I was close. Next year it's on...for real. 

Bohlke 5K Race Report

There are 'A' races and there are 'B' races. The 'A' races are the ones you plan for specifically, sometimes for months in advance. Currently the 'A' race in my sites is the State to State Half Marathon at the end of September. That race has my full attention and a 3 month training plan that is in full swing. Along the way I'll pick up some test races, tune up races and the like to get ready: 'B' races. The Bohlke 5K falls under the second category. My only real expectations for the race were to maintain under 7 minute/miles, and hopefully place well in my division and overall.

It was a tough course. The course started with a short downhill stretch which can only encourage sprinting out too fast from the start. If I were to let that happen it would be all over but the cryin' on the way back as the last half of the race was a series of hills with varying degrees of difficulty.

I started at the front of the pack, but let the likes of Chris Reis and the fools that were going to sprint out with him go. I've been drawn into that little game far to many times. I wasn't feeling super awesome at the start anyway. After a week of working nights, a day of play in the sun, and a night of play and drink I wasn't prepared for a sprint start and a climb back to the finish. I would start easy. The fast runners could fight it out. I'd see the pretenders before the finish.

I can't say that I ever felt great. The morning was heating up quickly. As I passed the first water stop I missed getting any water because an overly eager kid volunteer fumbled the hand off spilling the water all over the ground. I cursed his father for having such a clumsy son. Not really, but I thought about it.

Before the halfway point we started climbing back toward the finish. Despite being tired, and thirsty (stupid kid), I was encouraged as I began catching up to the early sprinters. Ha! Suckers. I could have been you sucking wind right now while I caught up with me (you). Instead, I'm me catching up with you as you fade. Enjoy the hills! In my mind I was passing up Summit Country Day soccer players that regularly pummeled us in high school soccer tournaments. That explains the confused looks I got when I would yell "This one's for the Bulldogs!" as I ran by them.

The final mile was a matter of survival as we continued the climb back to SCD school. I had enough energy to muster up a respectable sprint to the finish line on the football field to the sounds of the Rocky Theme over the PA. Not a bad way to finish the race.

After the race I hung around for the awards ceremony. Anna Bohlke, the race marshall and wife of Marc Bohlke, for whom the race was named gave a touching speech and thanked everyone who came out. From the flyer...

Help support The Bohlke Scholarship Fund in memory of Mr. Marc Bohlke and his dedication to the entire MVC family. A portion of this money will also go to the Miami Valley Conference and its mission to provide a quality athletic experience for all its student athletes.


The results:

 14 ADAM IKER           35 M CINCINNATI      OH   20:43  6:41    11/129  M

Redlegs Run For Home

Some races are worth running just for the experience or the loacation and the giveaway that comes along with the race. The Redlegs Run For Home is one of those races. The race begins behind the reds stadium and ends inside the stadium next to the field. So, I'm so exhausted by the end of the race that I don't really get to appreciate the finish inside the stadium. Details. Still, it's a fun race and you get a free Reds ticket for running.

For my third running of this Redlegs 5k I decided on a novel idea. For this race I'm not going to go all out in the first mile and blow up in the third mile struggling to make it to the finish line. For real this time. Things are gonna change...I can feel it.

I lined up at the front of the starting line as I usually do these days to avoid congestion. I noticed a young girl near me lined up at the front. I'm bad at guessing ages, but she looked young to me, maybe a freshman in high school. There are always people that line up at the front that should really be toward the back. I'm not saying this out of snobbery. I never presumed to line up toward the front until recently as I've improved and found it frustrating and a waste of energy to work my way through the pack on these courses that are often tight at turns. Point is, she looked like one of those kids that line up at the start, sprint 100 yards and then slow down or stop.

As the gun went off that familiar surge of adrenaline went through me all though to a lesser degree than sometimes since I just raced a week ago. Having the memory of a painful race still fresh is the best antidote for an overeager start. I settled in at around a 6:30ish pace. The goal was to clock in a couple of 6:30's and see what was left in the tank for the final mile. A nice flat course on a relatively cool day was perfect to try and bring it in under 20.

As we taking the first couple of turns during that first mile I noticed the girl again. She was at about my pace so I stuck with her for a while. In a race with about 3000 participants it's easy to find somebody to pace. I settled in and cruised through the first mile at 6:26. A little fast, but I was feeling really good.

At some point I lost track of my pacing friend. Oh well. I flew by the water station and closed out the second mile at 6:33. Still on track to break 20 and I felt like I had some juice left. I ran up next to a young kid who asked me in an exhausted, out of breath voice how far it was to the finish. Less than a half mile left I told him. Less than a half mile left?? Sweet. I picked up the pace and left him behind.

The last couple of turns lead into the stadium. Crossing mile 3 I had about 45 seconds left to bring it under 20. I gave it all I have left and crossed the finish line with an official time of 19:48. Excellent race. I was feeling good about it. A few minutes after finishing I bumped into that girl that I saw at the starting line. I asked her how she did. 18:10 she responded. Whoa.

Official Results:
75 of 2792 total.
M35-39. 9 of 188 in division.
66 of 1388 males,
Time: 9:48 Pace: 6:24

You Gotta Be Hungry!

For each one of these delicious chocolate chip cookies there is an equally delicious championship ring.

Reds Run For Home 5K post race. More to come...

Hunger Walk & 5K Run

As a last minute decision on Monday morning I headed downtown to run in the Hunger Walk & 5k. The night before I had decided not to go, but per usual I woke up around 7 am and knew I had to go or I would regret it. I know, I'm a weirdo, but knowing that I had sort of committed to going made me think I should show up.

The course was out and back. It started at a small park in downtown and wound up to Eden Park and back down. It was all uphill on the way out and all downhill on the way back. No problem. The plan was simple: haul ass up the hill and fly back down. right? right.

I went straight to the front of the starting line. I was determined not to get stuck in the middle of the pack and waste my energy having to navigate my way to the front. At the starting gun I took off and quickly broke away with a group of 6 or so other guys. Mile 1 kicked off with a quick downhill from the start and on to a little stretch of flat road that slowly began to increase in grade as we headed toward Eden Park. I checked my Garmin and realized I was practically sprinting at sub 6 minute/miles. I forced myself to let off the gas a bit and let the front runners pull away. I knew if I didn't ease up I'd pay for it dearly on the hill.

I felt good and loose as we entered mile 2 and was in full on hill running up Gilbert Ave. As we got up closer to Eden Park I thought I would see the leaders heading back down. I thought we would be turning around at the entrance to Eden Park. Man was I wrong. We took a right on Eden Park Drive and continued to climb toward the top of the hill. The hill was starting to take it's toll as my breathing became more ragged. Just a little further. Just a little further. The turn around was at the top of the hill.

Down we went on Gilbert heading into mile 3. As usual by this point I was tired and questioning my sanity. Why do I do this? It's amazing how long a mile can suddenly seem during a race when you're trying gather your wits and composure after a hill. Each step becomes an effort. Each breath feels forced. I took a couple of suggestions from this month's Runner's World to regain control. Both of them worked!

The first was for side stitches. I was feeling a bit of one coming on as I was heading back down the hill. The suggestion is to notice which foot is striking the ground when you inhale and exhale. Then switch the pattern. I did a little skip step while running to change the rhythm of the run. Worked like a charm.

The second bit of advice has to to do with dealing with pain and fatigue in general. If fatigue begins to set in, or I'm getting sucked in to my head by negative thoughts I repeat a mantra. For me simply counting works. Sometimes I'll count my steps. This time I counted every time my right foot struck the ground. It took my mind off the pain and refocused my breathing.

With the finish closing in it was time for a strong finish. I had been watching a white shirt ahead of me for most of the race. He would pull away a bit then I would reel him back in. As we approached the finish I had him in my sights and decided to try to pass him. With one turn and a small hill left I dug in and started the finishing sprint. I pulled up on him on the final hill and edged past him. As we crested the hill I glanced back to see if he was there. He was falling back. I pulled away for a strong finish.

Heart Mini '09 - 2 Beats

You always hope for ideal conditions when planning a race. It would be great if it were always in the mid-50's, maybe a little overcast so you don't have to worry about sun burn or annoying glare. How about a nice breeze , but not too windy please? It all sounds great. It's what you always hope for, but rarely get. Today was none of that and worse.

Race morning it was pretty ugly with high winds and rain. Ugh. Gina and I lined up for the 5k. My job for this race was to pace Gina and bring her in to victory. Things didn't go quite as planned. I failed. I was later informed I was a "bad pacer". Still, we had a good race despite the cold, rain and wind. Thanks mostly to the fun race mix Gina had put together. I'll have to work on my pacing skills for future races. I will lead her to a pr. fo sho.

When it came time for the 15K things hadn't really improved. The wind was still blowing and it was still raining intermittently. My goal for the race was to beat my time from last year of 1:05:05. It was my goal, but honestly I had my doubts about running a pr this year. I had a list of excuses: Last year I was training for the Flying Pig Marathon, so I was putting in a lot more miles at this point. I am just recovered from my IT band injury from the fall, so I started training later than usual. I am under some stress, so my head might not be fully in the race...blah, blah. I'm such a self defeaters sometimes. Still, I would give it all I have and if it falls apart so be it.

The race begins...

The race is out and back. We head out of the city on Rt. 50 to a turn around point and come back. It's more downhill on the way out and up hill on the way back. With that in mind I decided to forgo trying to run negative splits and decided to go out a little faster than 7 min/miles to build a cushion and try to hold on up the hills on the way back. I don't know if that's a great idea, but it was the plan. Maybe I'll try for negative splits next year.

The first 5K was a breeze. I kept my pace between 6:45 and 7 minute miles just trying to keep my stride smooth and get into the groove of the race. It was spitting rain off and on which actually felt pretty good. As for the wind..not so much. Once you leave the city and the buildings to block the wind you're out in the open where the wind can be brutal, and it was. At this point though, I wasn't feeling it. The first 5K was a very good 21:17.

The second 5K is an interesting one. I'm out to the turn around at just about the 4.5 mile mark and it's back toward the city. Nothing particularly spectacular about that. It becomes a little more of an uphill battle, the legs start to feel the miles accumulate, but overall things were well under control. The kicker comes at mile 5.8 where I make a right turn off Rt. 50 for a short, but grueling hill climb. It's actually slightly less grueling than in years past. They've pushed the start back a little and the turn around up a little, so it's .20 miles of torture instead of..well..more.

Fortunately I was well prepared for .2 miles or more of torture up Torrence. As part of my training regimen I always include at least a month of hill work. For the Heart Mini that involved a couple weeks on another hill and 3 weeks of doing 1/4 mile repeats on Torrence. Run to the bottom of Torrence, turn around up Torrence. Repeat until you want to kill yourself. So, as I turned to go up Torrence it felt like just another day out running. I shortened my stride, put my head down and gutted it out. It was the least amount of fun you can imagine having. That would be no fun.

Mile 7 was spent trying to recover from the hill. It was my slowest mile at 7:20 and the point at which I started to calculate how fast I would need to run the last 2.3 miles to pr. If I could just keep it under 8 min/miles I should be there! This could actually happen.

Mile 8 was spent mentally preparing myself for the final climb. It is a two part ball buster. You head up a hill that isn't terribly steep, then it flattens out a bit for a few yards. Then, bam!, up a steeper grade to the top. ball. buster.

I hit that hill between miles 8 and 9 and I was hit back smack in the face by a mean head wind. I gritted my teeth and leaned into it. The runners near me probably thought I was crazy because late in the race I become sort of delirious. I'm pretty sure I was grunting, growling like an animal when I wasn't cussing at the wind.

When I cleared the hill I knew I had done it. The final .3 miles felt like a victory lap. A painful, cold, quad aching, calf cramping victory lap. I smiled all the way in while keeping my eye on the clock near the finish line as it neared 1:05. I knew I had about a 20 second delay from the time the clock started until I crossed the finish line, but I pushed it just in case.

I smiled and waved at Gina as I crossed the finish line in 1:04:53. A small margin for improvement, but it felt like a great victory over the injury that plagued me in the fall and early in the year as well as the weather that seemed to do what it could to make the race uncomfortable as hell for all of us. Suck it weather.

We celebrated with a great brunch with some friends of Gina's and enjoyed the rest of the day by doing absolutely nothing. She has her own perspective on the day along with a moment that we can all aspire to achieve in racing. Check it out.

Off to the Races

It was quite the exciting weekend of races! First up we hit the Soapbox Races in Mt. Adams where teams were not only racing but judged on their themed vehicles and showmanship. The streets were packed as we watched some crazy racers speed down the hill...

The Cincinnati 3-Way

...and got to see some pretty awesome wipe outs...

Kool Mobile hits the wall

The theme of the day seemed to be hillsides as we then headed over to Ault Park for the Reggae Run.

I lined up with over 4,000 other runners and walkers on a perfect evening for racing. I had my goal of a top 50 finish and 20 minutes in mind, but didn't really know what to expect having never raced this before. I have a history of going out fast and hurting at the end. If I did that today it would be a super fast downhill mile and a half or so, then I would be punished for it coming back up (and I mean UP a big ass hill) into the park. I forgot my Garmin, which has become an indispensable toy tool while training and racing to keep that tendency in check. I borrowed a watch, but in the end I was flying blind as there were no mile markers either. I made a deal with myself. I would cruise down the hills. I wouldn't chase anybody down. I would let them go. I would see them again on the way back up.

So I stuck to my plan. During that first half of the race I set a steady pace and concentrated on conserving my energy as much as I could during a 5k. The course wound its way out of the park with a few minor inclines but a much larger downhill push to Delta Ave. I waited patiently and watched others around me push the pace before the real race had even begun.

We turned up Delta. This is where it begins. I shortened my stride and concentrated on controlled breathing. I wanted a quick, efficient turnover and to keep from gasping for air. I picked up the pace and started passing runners. During that last half of the race I felt completely in control of the situation. I had enough in the tank to push it up the hill and give it a good kick at the end.

The results speak for themselves.

31 ADAM IKER        Official Time: 19:46   Pace: 6:23 

So begins another taper before the Columbus Marathon in a few weeks. In the past, and by past I mean in the last year, I've gone into these times tired, beat up, and sometimes recovering from injury. I'm feeling pretty good. I've played it a lot looser with my training this time around, ditching the constant journal entries and obsessing over getting in every run. I've concentrated on getting in the important runs: 5 weeks of hill training early on and just finished up a 6 week rotation of Yasso 800's. I got in all my long runs finishing up with a solid 20 miler last Sunday. All the other runs have been filled in as I could get them in. Some weeks I'd get in 4 runs other weeks only 3. It makes me a little nervous that I'm under trained and don't have the endurance I need to reach my goal had I put in a more regular schedule with more mileage.

On the positive side I feel healthy and haven't sustained any injuries that I've had in the past due to those high mile weeks. I guess the proof will come in a few weeks when I line up at the start line in Columbus to try to run a 3:20 marathon. I'll be testing the theory that it is better to be under trained and healthy rather than risk injury.

In the meantime I'll be running the Reggae Run 5k this Saturday. It's a tough run that begins and ends in Ault Park, and for those that don't know the park is on the side of a hill. You run down the hill out of the park, and back up to the finish. Should be fun! My goal is to finish top 50 at around 20 minutes.

Rat Race 5K Race Report

I've come to the conclusion that, for me, the 5K is one of the toughest mental races to PR in. There is very little room for error and very little room for doubts. You have 3.1 miles to run your fastest. I've been slowly eating away at my 5K times over the years. I started out at about 25 minutes a few years ago and have been knocking off minutes ever since then. I reached a point last year where I wanted to make a run at a sub 20 minute 5K. It became more than a goal. It became my Mount Everest. It seemed insurmountable. It would mean running 3 miles at under 6:30 per mile with enough left for a kick at the end.

The Closest I've come to reaching this goal was last summer when I ran the Big K 5K. I came so close but fell short by 8 seconds. It was a tough defeat made a little easier to swallow with the delicious award I got for finishing 3rd in my division. So, here I was a little less than a year later on a late April afternoon in perfect weather conditions with it cool and overcast, the perfect flat fast course with no bridges to slow me down. I had been feeling good about my speed work. There was only one minor thing that could go wrong: my legs. With 9 months of marathon training under my belt the wear and tear was in full effect on my shins and feet. I stretched and warmed up thoroughly taking a run through the course to get a feel for it and made a deal with myself. If nothing else I would run as fast as I could. I would leave nothing. I would do my best and let everything else take care of itself.

Before the race I had a couple of nice encounters that kept my spirits up and my mind off the pain that was sure to come. This was a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society event so Team in Training was out in full force as many of the Flying Pig runners were there to run the 5K or 10K. One the members from my Striders Running Group was lining up, and my biggest surprise was meeting one the Sparkpeople Running Team members at the starting line. I saw that she was going to be there but had no idea if I would be able to pick her out just based on the photos from the website. I recognized her right away and we met for the first time and had a nice little pre-race chat. Even if everything fell apart on the course it was shaping up to be a fun evening.

The Race

600 or so runners and walkers stood around the starting line in a sort of purgatory as there was a delay for the runners who were waiting in line for the bathroom. I just listened in on idle chatter around me as I tried to keep from psyching myself out. I didn't want to think about the race anymore I just wanted to go. Finally the national anthem was completed and we were ready. Set. The gun went off and we were away.

Mile 1

I positioned myself near the front of the pack and near the outside. I looked at the results from last year and felt comfortable being near the front. In a race this short there is not time to wait for the crowd to thin out. I needed to be on pace immediately. There was no pacing myself. I just bolted and set a pace what felt like just below an all out sprint. I was shooting for a pace that I hadn't been really training for during marathon training. I needed to push it way past comfortable the whole time. We headed out for a loop through a neighborhood that would come back near the starting line to turn on to the bike path. That first mile was a blur. I had a nice long 4 mile warm up so I didn't feel stiff. I didn't feel great though either. I wasn't breathing very smoothly and my stride felt off, but I kept pushing it. Mile 1: 6:00 flat.

Mile 2

I was heading into mile 2 feeling pretty good. The super fast runners were steadily pulling away, but I wasn't being passed either so I wasn't panicked. We were turning on to the trail and my stride was feeling a little more in sync, but my breathing sucked. I was getting a solid case of cotton mouth building up and it wasn't helping matters. At some point around 1.5 miles I nearly choked on my own spit as I inhaled it. That didn't help. It also didn't help that I was already feeling fatigued and like I was all alone as I was in the no man's land between the super fast runners and the pack behind me. The long flat trail seemed to stretch out forever and time seemed to slow to a crawl. The turn around was a little past the two mile marker. Where was it? Time seemed to be creeping away. I grabbed some water from the water stop to try and clear out the cotton mouth and passed the mile 2 marker. mile 2: 12:46.

Mile 3

I was starting to have my doubts. My pace had dropped off sharply. Where was the turn around? Time seemed to be slipping by at a snail's pace, but not as slowly as I felt I was running. My hamstrings were quivering and felt on the verge of cramping. "At least if I got cramps I would have reason for my failure". Oh no. The voice of doubt had been awoken. I hit the turn around and headed back. I could see the pack coming the toward me now and saw that I had a guy coming up behind me very quickly. I didn't speed up. I figured he would just buzz by me furthering fueling the voice of doubt. He didn't. He fell into pace behind me. I moved closer to the edge of the path to be sure he would he have room to pass if he wanted but he didn't. His breathing was as labored as mine and it sounded like he was sitting right on my shoulder. This actually made me feel a bit better knowing I wasn't the only one suffering. "Just slow down a bit and let him pass. You're 20 minute goal is out of reach anyway". No, I wasn't going to slow down. No, I wasn't going to just let him pass. How could I make the voice shut up? Count. Count! I began to count my breaths as time continued to stretch out. 1, 2, 3, 4, "Seriously just slow..."5, 6, "are you listening...."7, 8, "fine, whatever...".

Another thought occurred to me as I was struggling. What would Dave think if I just quit? Really? How much grief would I have to take if I just decided to give up? Maybe none. Maybe a lot. I didn't want to find out. I was going to see this out even if it meant puking on the finish line and collapsing which both seemed very good possibilities. Finally, the mile 3 marker came and went. mile 3: 19:11.

The Final Push

This was it. I found that I had a little gas left in the tank, so I punched it. I picked up my pace for the last tenth of a mile. Time didn't matter anymore. It was now a race between me and the heavy breather that had been on my shoulder for the last mile. He began his own sprint to the finish and creeped up next to me. We could both see the finish line and were totally zoned in on it. My head was pounding my breathing was ragged, but amazingly I had one more gear left and kicked it up again. All I had to do was make it into the finishing chute ahead of heavy breather. Nothing else mattered, and it was over. I walked to the other side of the finishing chute to get my tagged ripped. I hadn't even looked at my watch and just barely caught a glance of the finish line timer. I knew I was close. mile 3.1: 19:56.

My official time was 19:58 as I finished 2nd in my division and 11th overall. I was all smiles and happiness after I stopped aspirating my own spit and was able to breathe again. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying food, drinks, and the good company of the Team In Training group. I caught up with my Spark friend again after the race for a moment and she was happy with her race as well. After years of chasing the goal it was done. I was satisfied and buoyed by the knowledge that through the groups that I have been training with and the people that I've gotten to know I had a wonderful group of friends to share these races and experiences. No matter whether I met any of my goals the rest of my running life I was no longer running alone.

But speaking of goals how awesome would it be to qualify for Boston?

The 20 Mile Run

The morning started out cold with snow storm warnings for the city. This was the 20 mile weekend. That means I have only a few choices. Try to beat the storm or run through the opening snow, or wait until Sunday after the first round of snow and run on slick ground and colder temperatures. Then there was the last choice of running 20 miles on a treadmill. I think I'll take the weather.

At 7:45 and the beginning for the run the snow hadn't started and the temperature wasn't so bad. It was hovering around freezing. I stretched out at the side of the 5 mile loop where I left a water bottle with Gatorade, one with water, and a banana. As I finished up my stretching A group of runners were running down the path away from me. Maybe I wouldn't be running alone after all. They were about 25 yards ahead as I took off. I felt good so I followed along hoping to catch up. I didn't want to push it too hard, so while I could keep them in sight I wasn't maeking up any ground. At mile 1 I checked my watch to see that I had clocked a 7:28. That was way too fast. If I was going to make it 20 I couldn't keep up that kind of pace, so I let them go. I backed off my pace and felt for something closer to an 8 minute mile.

The first 5 miles, or one lap, felt great. It wasn't too cold. The legs felt good. I stopped for a minute to eat a Gu pack, and suck down Gatorade. As I started the second lap the snow started. It was a steady, wet snow that immediately picked up to a steady downfall. The second lap went without incident. I felt good as I steadily turned out 8 minute miles. Everything seemed to be clicking along. By the time I got back to my stash The ground was covered with snow and the path was quickly turning white. I stopped to devour half a banana and drink some more Gatorade. I would be cutting it close, but I might be able to get in 5 more miles and still get over to the start of the Noel 5K that was also running that day at Lunken, unless it was canceled of course. The snow continued to pour down occasionally mixed with bits of ice. As I headed out on the next loop I switched directions hoping to avoid some of the wind in the face that I was getting on the second 5.

These next 5 proved to be more challenging as I grew tired and the footing became slippery. With every foot fall my foot would slip just a bit. It wasn't enough to feel like falling, but enough to be annoying and make me work harder for every step. I finished up the first 15 miles at 9:45 am. The Noel 5K started at 10 am. I had just enough time to hop in my car and drive around to the other side of the park where the start line was and the registration. I ran in, filled out the registration as quickly as I could, pinned my number to my shirt, grabbed a cup of water and walked out toward the starting line.

As I walked out to the starting line the snow was still coming down at a steady clip with the ground fully covered, the drive and the path fully covered with snow. I was surprised to see that around 100 crazy runners made it out for the race on this treacherous morning. It made me feel good to be out there and glad that I came over for the race. I saw a few familiar faces that I said hi to including the race director Don. Everyone was in good spirits and excited to get going. It's not usually something I'm very aware of because I'm deep in my own thoughts and plans for the race. Today I was just glad to see other faces.

I didn't set any blistering records for this race or even attempted to do so. I just wanted to run a steady pace and stay squarely in the middle of the pack. It was an out and back course, so I got to see everyone running their race. As I was headed out I saw the race leaders coming back at their lightning fast pace. I was hanging with the middle of the packers the entire way. As I was heading back I saw the slower runners working just as hard if not harder than the race leaders. My hats off to those who spend a long time out on the course. It's impressive to see someone run fast, but it's just as impressive to see those working so hard to reach their own goals at the back of the pack. The longer you're out there the harder it gets, especially on a morning like this when it's snowing and freezing.

During mile 3 I was plugging away when I saw a guy up ahead of me suddenly take a hard fall. He tried to get up, but fell again and again. I stopped to help him to his feet and asked him if he was alright. I walked along with him for a few moments to make sure he was steady. He said he would be alright, so I moved on. As I crossed mile 3 I slowed down and told the volunteer to keep an eye out for the guy. He might have hurt himself.


Usually at the finish it's time to kick back relax, stretch out and grab some refreshments. It wasn't over for me yet though. I walked through the finishing chute, gave the officials my tag and jogged on out the back, turned and headed back out. It was 2 miles to the finish. Two more agonizing, knee aching, soaking, cold, snow covered miles.


1 - 7:28 2 - 8:04 3 - 8:03 4 - 7:56 5 - 7:43 6 - 7:36 7 - 7:56 8 - 7:41 9 - 7:34 10 - 8:00
11 - 7:17 12 - 8:25 13 - 8:36 14 - 8:34 15 - 8:20 16 - 8:05 17 - 8:20 18 - 8:57 18.1 - :53
19 - 9:20 20 - 8:52

Jingle Bell Run 5K

It's been entirely too long since the last time I've posted on this blog. I've been very busy adjusting to my new job, and Scrabulous on Facebook has me thoroughly addicted. So what's been up for the last few weeks?

The leg has been healing slowly. Some days it has been feeling better than others. I've cut back to running 3 days a week to give it a little more time to heal in between runs. This has made my weekly mileage suffer, and it will be interesting to see how that effects my marathon running. At this point I just want to arrive in Orlando and on the starting line healthy. I'll let the rest take care of itself.

I've run two races. The Thanksgiving Day Race 10K was my first race back after the injury. I wasn't running for any sort of time. It was running with my cousin Michelle and a friend of hers. I let them set the pace at the beginning of the race and just hung with them the whole time. There was no reason to push it. I could have risked further injury, and running with Michelle was just fun. It was a great morning.

Following the race I started to have problems with my left foot. I thought it was a bruise at first, but I think it was more of a muscle pull in my foot. The muscle across my left instep was hurting at every step. It was another set back in my marathon training that I just didn't need. I started switching back and forth between my new shoes, and my older, more broken in shoes to try and ease the pain in my foot. It seemed to work out as the foot eventually worked itself out. The leg continues to nag and ache some as it heals. I've just come accept it as it is and will do the best I can with the pain.

That brings me to the Jingle Bell Run. I didn't have any particular expectations for this race other than to just run the race, and have a good time with Michelle. The course was an out and back course, so I decided to set a steady pace for the first half. After that I'd make a decision whether to maintain or push it up and really race this thing. The weather was cool, and it had been sprinkling and raining off and on all morning, but at race time things were looking pretty good.

We started off the race at a pretty good pace. I was shooting for about an 8 minute mile. We started in downtown Covington. near the Ohio River. We went up the road and took a right on to a bridge for our first river crossing into Cincinnati. As we came off the bridge we finished mile 1. Things felt pretty smooth, and even as I was not pushing the pace I came in at 7:18. Things were looking good. I was feeling good. I still didn't push things too hard. I just let Michelle set the pace and cruised along. She set an excellent pace as we came in at a 6:55. Going into mile 3 we headed back across the river. As we headed up the incline of the bridge I decided to pick up the pace. As we crested the bridge you can just see the finish line off to the left. This is a great motivator to keep it up. Off the bridge and around the block to finish mile 3 at 6:50.

A final sprint brought me in for a great finish. About 45 seconds later Michelle came in for her own impressively strong finish. The foot was feeling good. I hadn't thought about my calf at all after the first mile of the race. We both finished under 22:30. It was a great race.

Halloween Weekend Recap Part 1

It was just me and the alpacas up Sunday morning. I've run by this alpaca farm countless times, but have never seen all the alpacas hanging out so near the fence. Pretty cool. I needed some pretty cool and amusing things to keep me happy on this Sunday morning long run. It's been a crazy, busy weekend that started Friday after work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Run Like Hell and culminated Saturday night with a Halloween bash at my best friends' house that we'll be talking about until the next Halloween bash. Since it was such a packed weekend I'm going to blog this out in installments. First stop is the Friday's Run Like Hell.

I've been working on the marketing committee for the Run Like Hell for quite a few months now. We worked on a very tight budget in order to be sure that 90% of the proceeds would go toward funding research for a cure for CF and support for families of patients with CF. That meant a lot of calls to get items and services donated. Our goal was to raise $100,000 Friday night was the fruit of all our labors.

Previous years have come to be known under the aliases of Rain Like Hell, Snow Like Hell, The day the Hell Froze Over, Hotter Than Hell....and on and on. What would the weather bring this year? Fortunately, as the evening grew closer the weather was looking very good. It was hovering in the low 60's with a few clouds scattered around. If the weather took a turn worst, which is always a possibility during any given October day in Ohio we were prepared with tents for the band and the crowd.

Before the race I worked race day packet pick up and late registration. It started off a bit slow, which was good because I got to roam a bit and take some pre-race photos. However by 7pm, 30 minutes to the race, we were slammed! We were checking registrations, taking money, and giving out race numbers as quickly as we could to get everyone registered before the gun went off at 7:30 pm. Things started to slow down around 7:25, so I jumped ship and headed for the start line.

The starting area was packed with people. I know they make announcements and what not before the race because of previous years' experiences, but this year you couldn't hear a thing. People were chatting and checking their watches knowing that it must be getting close but not getting any sort of information. I chatted with a few people, snapped a couple of photos and enjoyed the crowd. This would be the first race where I wasn't going to worry about my time at all. I was just going to run, take photos and enjoy all the crazy costumes!

The gun went off and the mad dash began! I set out at a steady pace. I wanted to stay up with the front runners just for a minute or two, so that I could fade back and take photos along the way. It was a little bit like running intervals. I'd pick up the pace for a few minutes to a point where there was a street light or what looked like a good spot to shoot from, stop take a photo, then run on up for a few minutes to the next spot.

The photos really speak for themselves....Go Here. I took about half the photos. The other half were taken by my father in law Tom Chaney.

After the race I went to the after party where I worked the souvenir booth and walked the crowd taking photos. It was lots of fun, and a very rewarding experience.

As a postscript to this blog I received an email from Annemarie, the Events Coordinator for CF. The preliminary total for the event was $102,000! WooHoo!

Back in the Swing

We've been back from a trip to Michigan for a few days, and I'm starting to get caught up and back into the swing of everyday life. Part of getting back into that swing will be getting back to making regular posts on this blog. I'll have more reason to post here on a regular basis as I kick off my fund raising and training for the Team In Training trip to the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. I've got my fund raising website set up and will start soliciting for donations about....now. Click on the new Team in Training banner there at the right to check out my site.

The trip to Michigan was made in part as a vacation and in part to help some family out. It also gave me an opportunity to make another step toward completing a goal of mine. I found a 5k race to participate in while we were there knocking off Michigan in my Cross Country Challenge. I'm not going to do a full blog entry report on the race, but here is a quick recap...

5th Annual Lakeshore Miles For Meals 5K Run & Walk

I didn't have any particular expectations going into the race. I'm still looking for that sub 20 minute 5k race, but I wasn't expecting this to be the one. I had two things working against me: lack of sleep, and stiffness from the previous day's long drive. With that in mind I decided to just give it my best and let everything else take care of itself. That was enough. I ran a very good, evenly paced race. I was averaging right around 6:30 minute/miles give or take 6 seconds. If I made any mistakes it was in the last mile. I thought I saw the finish line, so I kicked it hard. It turned out that I still had about a 1/4 of a mile. That made for a very hard, long kick to the finish.

I finished 16th overall with a finishing time of 20:20. The best part was that I finished 1st in my age group! I knew I had at least a top 3 finish wrapped up going into mile 3, but I had no idea that I running 1st. That was a great feeling. You've got to love the smaller races. There is no way I would have finished 1st in my age group in most of the larger races. That doesn't matter though. I will simply bask in the glow of the victory!

Hopefully I'll be back very soon with some Team In Training updates, Run Like Hell updates, and some race results as summer winds down and the fall race season heats up!

Big K 5K

I had one goal for the 5k I ran this morning. The goal was to run it in under 20 minutes. I had no specific goals for how I wanted to place. I wasn't racing anyone except myself...and the clock. I think it is fair to say that I don't train for 5k runs specifically. I run 5k's during the sprint duathlons, but I never run the first one all out, and the second one isn't really just a 5k anymore is it?

The course started in Covington, Kentucky at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center near the Ohio River. This is significant because the course runs about a 1/4 mile up the road and takes a right turn to the bridge into Cincinnati. A nice little run around the block and it's back to the bridge into Covington and to the finish. With the exception of the bridge it was a fairly flat course. But that bridge just sucks.

Before the race began I decided that I wasn't going to hold back anything. I'd go out fast at the start, and go as fast as I could go the entire race. I wanted to leave it all out on the course. I made sure to get a good warm up beforehand, so I wasn't struggling the the first mile to find my stride. That first mile felt good. We hit the first bridge crossing very quickly, and mile one was over right as we crossed into Cincinnati.

Mile 1: 6:04

Wow, how quickly a race can turn on you. This second mile was brutal. The creeping, nagging voices of doubt came out to play today. "Come on Adam slow down. Honestly does breaking 20 minutes really mean anything?" Followed by, "Now that I think about it what is the point of all this training? Up early in the morning to run and bike. On your days off you go to races. What an idiot! You could be sleeping in!" On and on it goes round and round in my head. As the swirling voices of doubt yammered I just remembered those things I can control: breathing, arms, posture, and turn over. By the end of mile 2 I was really just ready to stop running.

Mile 2: 12:40

Going into mile 3 we were back on the bridge heading back toward Kentucky. I fell into pace with a woman who seemed to be working as hard as I was. It made me feel a little bit better, and helped pull me out of my own head. That seems to be the trick some days. You just need something to help pull you away from the voices that doubt your every step. I've heard one suggestion of using a rubber band around the wrist. Just give it a little snap when you need to be put back into the moment. It's not a bad idea. The other thing that brought me back was seeing the finish line from the bridge. It was at this point that I actually said out loud "bear down". I had to finish strong.

Mile 3: 19:30

After passing mile 3 I realized that 20 was slipping away. But, by this point it didn't matter. I had dialed in on the finish line and was giving it everything. My pacer, or maybe I was her pacer, was right with me heading into that final stretch. With a final push I hit the finish line at 20:08. I turned and gave her a weary "good race". I felt like puking, and that's a good thing. When I ran track in high school that was how I knew I ran a good race. If I feel like I'm going to blow chunks at the end of the race I knew I gave everything. Today I gave everything, and I can't ask for more than that.

Based on that one goal this race was complete failure. As far as failures go, I could not be happier. I finished 3rd in my age group out of 29 other runners, and 29th overall out of 320 runners. How could I possible complain when I won a bottle of chocolate syrup, and a bottle of strawberry syrup for my 3rd place age group finish? I guess that's what you get when one of your major sponsors is Kroger grocery store. A shiny medal is nice, but it's no chocolate syrup. You better believe I'll be having myself a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup award tonight!

6/18/2006 5 For Father's 5K Race

I felt a bit of disappointment over this race for the first time this year. In retrospect, I shouldn't have been too disappointed under the circumstances of the race, and quite frankly I ran a good race. I was able to run a solid race with a kick at the end. Unfortunately I was tired and sore from the previous day, so I didn't run at 100%, and I made a tactical error during my run.

The day prior to the race we spent the day at the river boating, tubing, and riding jet skis. That night we camped out, so the morning of the race I woke up sore and with very little rest. Sounds like a lot of boo hooing and whining, but just wanted to set it down, so when I look at this after the next race I will be confirmed, or look at this and know it had nothing to do with the race. As for the race itself, I screwed up. I didn't have my watch to keep track of my splits during the race which was a bit annoying. I ran a very solid 6:36 first mile. As we went through the 2 mile marker I fell into pace with a runner that seemed to be keeping a similar pace. During that 2nd mile he fell off, and in turn I did to a 7:22 mile. Realizing the slow down during the 3rd mile I picked up that pace and dropped him. Unfortunately I didn't pick it up enough. I finished up the last of the race with a 7:48 finish. This is a race where I wish I had one of those computers that keep pace and distance, so I knew early on when I started to fall off.

Official Results:
Age group: 3/7 Overall: 23/70 Time: 21:46

The most irritating part about the thing was that I finished up just 33 seconds behind the second place finisher in my age group, and I really think if I would have caught the drop in pace earlier I could have corrected it and caught the runner. The thing is, I had no idea who I was running against so didn't know he was even there. In the grand scheme of things, it was a good run.

6/04/2006 Reds Run For Home 5K

I look at Sunday's race with mixed emotions. I am at once happy with my performance, frustrated with the course, and disappointed in my final mile dropoff. Had this been a full 5K the race the time would have been a personal best for me. I ran the race at 20:07 according to my stopwatch. Come to find out after the race though that the course was short. At least that was the word that was floating around the runners after the race. The question is, how short was the course? Judging by my splits I can take a guess:

mile 1: 6:30
mile 2: 5:54
mile 3: 7:05
mile .1: :38
Total : 20:07

I think the 2nd mile was short by probably 30 seconds. I will probably never know for sure. Regardless of this little snafu, it was a good race and even with the added 30 seconds or even a minute I exceeded my goal of 22 minutes. I just need to keep working and pounding away at the minutes. I am still seeing a significant drop in the third mile of my run. If I can (I should say when, not if) get to the point of running 3 solid sub 7 minute miles by the end of the year that would be awesome.

Official Results:
-Overall Place: 103 -Division: M3034 -Division Place: 11 -Sex Place: 91 -Time: 20:10 -Pace: 6:31

I guess my timing was off by 3 seconds, oh well. The race was also a big eye opener as far as the competition. While I may be able to compete in the smaller races, when it comes to these high profile races there is some serious competition out there. I will continue to work toward my own goals. To end on a positive note, I must say that I was happy with my pace setting. I was able to run my own race and not get sucked into pushing to hard at the beginning of the race. I set my own pace and stuck to it. Pat on the back to me.