Going to try to post more just about the everyday things. This afternoon I did a 10-miler. I missed the long runs the last two weekends so I really needed to get out there and do at least ten. Once again, my plans to run a BQ marathon are in danger of being derailed by my inability to get the long runs done. Was supposed to be 10 two weeks ago, then 11 last weekend and 12 this time. But at least I did ten.
Temp was 38 degrees when I headed out around 12:15. The weather folks have predicted a high of 42 or so today, with sunshine and a little bit of wind. I wore a pair of black tights, not too heavy, and the technical shirt from this year's S2S race. Delaware Marathon cap on my head. Light blue running gloves, not too heavy. Fanny pack with 20 oz water bottle and package of Chomps. Was going to add a jacket but it was not that cold.
It was okay as long as the wind wasn't blowing and I was in the sun.
I ran the route that I call "Three Loops." This is kind of a lop-sided cloverleaf, with each loop a little shorter than the previous run. You are never more than 2.5 miles from home, if you decide to bail out or cut it short. It has plenty of hills but none of them are exceptionally steep. You get to stop at Graeters to refill your water bottle after 6 miles or so. The bad part about this route is that you mostly have to run on the sidewalk. The other bad part, as some would see it, is that you are retracing your steps a bunch. I am running on opposite sides of the street, though, so to me that is variety enough.
Lots of folks out walking this afternoon. Maybe they are visiting family for the holidays and just needed to get out of the house. Not too much traffic. A few other runners, though not as much as some weekends.
Big thing I learned today was that Chomps get kind of hard in 40 degree-weather. Guess I have never used them on a cool day. After the first time, I tried putting the packet inside my glove for a mile or so before I ate them to see if I could soften them up with my body heat. It helped a little but not that much. I guess I am going to have to stick with GU for the colder weather runs.
It was great, though, to be able to get outside and not have to be stuck on the treadmill like last winter.
Gotta figure out how I am going to get the long run done next week. Might have to do it Thursday.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tramps Like Us, 2011
A few recollections about the Born to Run 5-Mile race that I do with members of my family every year on the day after Thanksgiving:
This year my sister actually even signed up in advance so she could be sure to get the special Born to Run shirt, which for every other time we have done this race was a sweatshirt.
So we were all pretty bummed when we got there and it turned out that this time it was a technical, short sleeved tee. I guess that is the in-thing now but I am actually getting pretty tired of them and would have much preferred the sweatshirt, or even a cotton long-sleeved t-shirt.
Another change this year was that instead of gathering at the Freehold fire station for packet pickup and the little mini-expo with all the great deals, they had the pickup outside in front of the Court Jester restaurant. And there was no mini-expo. Just a table set up selling Freehold Area Running Club items. Cathy was extra bummed about this because she was hoping to find some gloves for Ted.
We did have very nice weather this year, though. Not too cold, not too hot.
Before we started our trip to NJ, I spent a few minutes reviewing my old running logs for insights into what went right and what went wrong for me in previous attempts at this race. The big thing is that I had frequently made the mistake of overdressing for it. The race starts at 11 am, so even in a relatively cold year, it usually isn’t too bad.
Except, that first year. That was a cold one, as I recall. Somewhere I have a picture of us all bundled up in our warmest winter running attire, standing in front of the old hotel where they used to have the packet pickup. We were there with Jim Ahrens, a friend from my online running club, who lived in the area. Jim passed away the following year, victim of a sudden, massive heart attack. Running does not protect you from that, much. When your number is up, it’s up.
Anyway, I have learned to dress in lighter clothes if I plan to run “fast.” And not eat too much that morning, which has been another one of my mistakes.
Unlike in the past few races, I had a big, stretch goal for this year. I wanted to run under 40 minutes and place in the top three in my age group. I’ve broken 40 there before (in the 38s actually) but that was ten years ago. I’ve never placed in my age group. I figured that it would likely take a sub-40 to do it. Realistically, I thought I was in more like 42 minute shape. That’s why the sub-40 was a stretch goal. 42 was the realistic goal.
So we got down there about an hour before the race start, and after a bit of confusion figured out where the packet pickup had moved from the firehouse, and we even found a parking space on the street. We pinned our numbers on and attached the D-chips to our shoes. Tommy and our nephew, Michael, were planning to run. Cathy and our niece, Tori, were going to walk part of the course but not do the whole thing.
I hit the portapotty and went for a warm-up jog, and soon it was time to gather near the start line.
This year I tried to line up a little closer to the start than in the recent past. It is a USATF-certified race, and awards are given by gun time, not chip time. Should have gotten a bit closer, because it took me 16 seconds to cross the line.
It is a pleasant, mostly residential course. You run a mile and a half or so down to a park, then you run a loop on the wood chip trails in the park, and then you basically retrace your steps back to the start (which means the last bit is mostly uphill). Past experience told me that my second mile should be the fastest.
Okay, mile one was a 7:53. I only needed to average sub 8s to achieve my goal, but I was hoping to be a little quicker from the start. Oh well. Mile two was a 7:50. Consistent, but again I really hoped to be a bit faster, especially since this was likely to be my quickest mile.
Now we were into the park. I became aware of a woman in a teal-colored jacket, who looked to be around my age. I pulled ahead of her, then she pulled ahead of me, and I decided to just hang right behind her and draft off her. If that’s how you want to play it, if you won’t stay passed, then I am going to draft off you for awhile.
Did not hit my watch for the mile 3 time, but miles 3 and 4 were 17:09. Well, there goes the sub-40.
There are two significant uphills in the second half of the race. I let teal woman pull farther ahead. I always slow down a bit on the uphills. I was not having a bad race. Yeah, I wanted to be a little faster but this was okay. I saw Cathy and Tori when I turned the corner in the last mile and it was fun to have people cheer for me.
Coming up the slight incline toward the finish, I realized I was not too far behind teal woman, and decided to kick past her. My last mile was a 7:53, for a chip time of 40:45.
After she crossed the finish line, teal woman surprised me by asking me what age group I was in. She was bummed to hear that we were the same age. I was pleased to find out that somebody else cared about how she raced besides me. It is always nice to learn that you are not the only one who cares. And I was happy that I kicked past someone who was in my age group instead of just letting her go.
In the end it didn’t matter much, because I was 5 of 50 in the age group (52 of 326 women, and 193 of 691 overall). Yes, would have needed that sub-40. I did find out, however, that all the other women in the top ten or so in my age group had gone off from right behind the start line. This meant that I actually passed a few of them along the way even though they had a 16-second head start. It also means that next year I have to start closer to the front if I really want to have a chance at placing. And I do have to get a little faster, because the top three women were still more than 16 seconds faster than I was.
This year my sister actually even signed up in advance so she could be sure to get the special Born to Run shirt, which for every other time we have done this race was a sweatshirt.
So we were all pretty bummed when we got there and it turned out that this time it was a technical, short sleeved tee. I guess that is the in-thing now but I am actually getting pretty tired of them and would have much preferred the sweatshirt, or even a cotton long-sleeved t-shirt.
Another change this year was that instead of gathering at the Freehold fire station for packet pickup and the little mini-expo with all the great deals, they had the pickup outside in front of the Court Jester restaurant. And there was no mini-expo. Just a table set up selling Freehold Area Running Club items. Cathy was extra bummed about this because she was hoping to find some gloves for Ted.
We did have very nice weather this year, though. Not too cold, not too hot.
Before we started our trip to NJ, I spent a few minutes reviewing my old running logs for insights into what went right and what went wrong for me in previous attempts at this race. The big thing is that I had frequently made the mistake of overdressing for it. The race starts at 11 am, so even in a relatively cold year, it usually isn’t too bad.
Except, that first year. That was a cold one, as I recall. Somewhere I have a picture of us all bundled up in our warmest winter running attire, standing in front of the old hotel where they used to have the packet pickup. We were there with Jim Ahrens, a friend from my online running club, who lived in the area. Jim passed away the following year, victim of a sudden, massive heart attack. Running does not protect you from that, much. When your number is up, it’s up.
Anyway, I have learned to dress in lighter clothes if I plan to run “fast.” And not eat too much that morning, which has been another one of my mistakes.
Unlike in the past few races, I had a big, stretch goal for this year. I wanted to run under 40 minutes and place in the top three in my age group. I’ve broken 40 there before (in the 38s actually) but that was ten years ago. I’ve never placed in my age group. I figured that it would likely take a sub-40 to do it. Realistically, I thought I was in more like 42 minute shape. That’s why the sub-40 was a stretch goal. 42 was the realistic goal.
So we got down there about an hour before the race start, and after a bit of confusion figured out where the packet pickup had moved from the firehouse, and we even found a parking space on the street. We pinned our numbers on and attached the D-chips to our shoes. Tommy and our nephew, Michael, were planning to run. Cathy and our niece, Tori, were going to walk part of the course but not do the whole thing.
I hit the portapotty and went for a warm-up jog, and soon it was time to gather near the start line.
This year I tried to line up a little closer to the start than in the recent past. It is a USATF-certified race, and awards are given by gun time, not chip time. Should have gotten a bit closer, because it took me 16 seconds to cross the line.
It is a pleasant, mostly residential course. You run a mile and a half or so down to a park, then you run a loop on the wood chip trails in the park, and then you basically retrace your steps back to the start (which means the last bit is mostly uphill). Past experience told me that my second mile should be the fastest.
Okay, mile one was a 7:53. I only needed to average sub 8s to achieve my goal, but I was hoping to be a little quicker from the start. Oh well. Mile two was a 7:50. Consistent, but again I really hoped to be a bit faster, especially since this was likely to be my quickest mile.
Now we were into the park. I became aware of a woman in a teal-colored jacket, who looked to be around my age. I pulled ahead of her, then she pulled ahead of me, and I decided to just hang right behind her and draft off her. If that’s how you want to play it, if you won’t stay passed, then I am going to draft off you for awhile.
Did not hit my watch for the mile 3 time, but miles 3 and 4 were 17:09. Well, there goes the sub-40.
There are two significant uphills in the second half of the race. I let teal woman pull farther ahead. I always slow down a bit on the uphills. I was not having a bad race. Yeah, I wanted to be a little faster but this was okay. I saw Cathy and Tori when I turned the corner in the last mile and it was fun to have people cheer for me.
Coming up the slight incline toward the finish, I realized I was not too far behind teal woman, and decided to kick past her. My last mile was a 7:53, for a chip time of 40:45.
After she crossed the finish line, teal woman surprised me by asking me what age group I was in. She was bummed to hear that we were the same age. I was pleased to find out that somebody else cared about how she raced besides me. It is always nice to learn that you are not the only one who cares. And I was happy that I kicked past someone who was in my age group instead of just letting her go.
In the end it didn’t matter much, because I was 5 of 50 in the age group (52 of 326 women, and 193 of 691 overall). Yes, would have needed that sub-40. I did find out, however, that all the other women in the top ten or so in my age group had gone off from right behind the start line. This meant that I actually passed a few of them along the way even though they had a 16-second head start. It also means that next year I have to start closer to the front if I really want to have a chance at placing. And I do have to get a little faster, because the top three women were still more than 16 seconds faster than I was.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Mt. Airy Forest 27k
This is my very late report (getting to be a pattern) about the trail race I ran back in October. I really suck at trail running but I do enjoy it. I am trying to get better, and I am a little better than I was a year ago, but I still suck compared to just about everybody else who shows up for these races.
The 27k race was in its second year, sharing the course with the Stone Steps 50k event. This was the final event in the Dirt Days Trail Series.
The race is in Mt. Airy Forest. You start with a “long” loop that is about 5.6 miles, come through the “oval” (shelter area) and make another “short” loop that is somewhat over 3 miles. Then you go back through the oval and repeat. Overall it’s not that hilly (except for those stone steps and that Gummi Bear Hill, haha) and it’s not that technical (except for the technical parts…).
Mt. Airy is a nice park in which to hold a trail race. There is plenty of parking around the oval and on the access road into the park. The shelter in the oval has electricity, so they can plug in crockpots with hot soup and chili, and serve coffee and hot chocolate. The oval is also a good place for spectators to hang out, because they can see the runners as they come through at the end of each loop.
I seem to be good for about 5-6 miles of trail racing and then the wheels come off. Last year I really fell apart in the second half and finished in second to last place. I was having a lot of trouble with my feet, and I even changed one of my shoes for the second half (so I was running in two different shoes).
This year I was in a little better shape, so I was hoping to improve somewhat. Just like last year, I did run a marathon the weekend before. But, all things considered, I was still starting out stronger than in 2010.
The weather was pleasant. It was cooler than last year but sunny and dry. It had rained a little the day before but not enough to affect the trails. Co-race director Andy Jones had been out the day before blowing the leaves off to the side, and that helped tremendously on the more technical sections.
I was wearing a new pair of shoes (Nike Pegasus trail shoes, bought on sale). Okay, I had worn them for one test run around Ault Park but that was it. I had to get new shoes because somebody (AKA Zen) had eaten one of the insoles from my favorite pair (Saucony Xodus), and I have not been able to find a suitable replacement that is comfortable to run in. Anyway, those shoes were a little snug, and it seemed like they weren’t so great for this distance anyway. The new shoes are roomier, and I hoped that would work (I’ve been feeling great lately in the Pegasus road shoes), but it was a bit of a risk.
Just in case, I brought along a spare pair of shoes (cheap, worn out Salomon something or others).
Looking at the results from last year I decided that I ran the first loop a little too fast. I was trying to stay ahead of a woman who is in my age group and who was also contending for a spot in “The Dirtiest Dozen.” But she wasn’t there this year, and neither was my current “nemesis,” Cindy K. This made it easier for me to relax and not worry so much about being in almost last place from the very start.
The goal this year was to improve my time by having a better second half. I hoped that would result in a better placement, but that part was not up to me. I was only going to worry about myself.
Carried a water bottle and some GUs in a fanny pack. I was going to have a GU every 45 minutes or so.
Came through the first loop in 1:07:40. This was about three minutes slower than last year, but I felt a lot stronger. The steps were not as bad as I remembered, but I forgot about Gummi Bear Hill. But, in contrast to last year, I wasn’t having any issues with my body parts or my gear. I was in almost last place but I didn’t care. Had a little water at the aid station, and then headed back out for the shorter loop.
Another area of improvement was that I managed to avoid getting lost this year, which previously was a problem for me on the second loop. I think I even passed a couple of people during this section, although it was hard to know for sure because we were running into the 50k participants who had started earlier in the morning.
My time for the second loop was 40:34. This was seven minutes faster than last year, and I felt much better than I remembered. Did not have to change shoes! Had some water and a GU and was back out for my repeat of the long loop. Slowed down some but not nearly as much as last year. My time was 1:13:42, which was almost 22 minutes faster than last year. I was pretty happy with that!
Had one more small loop to go. This time, fairly early on, a woman caught up to me and I decided to let her pass me. She had been at the aid station when I got there and I guess she was lingering. As soon as she passed me, I thought better of it, so I asked her if she was doing the trail series and found out that she was not. Then I realized that I still should not have let her pass me, because my point total in the series is based on my placement, after all. Anyway, we were about the same speed, so we continued on, having a nice conversation along the way, and occasionally changing positions.
She was from the Columbus area, and we discussed trail racing in Ohio, with both of us envying somewhat the seemingly more established circuit of trail runs in the Dayton area. It was nice to have somebody to chat with.
On the last uphill section, she was a little stronger and I decided to let her go. I was just happy that my time was going to be so much better than last year. I ran the final loop in 44:08, which was more than 20 minutes faster than last year. My final time was 3:46:01, which was 41:23 faster than last year. The woman I ran that last loop with was 20 seconds ahead of me.
So much faster, and yet, not much better placewise. So it goes. I was 14 of 16 women. Last year was 14 of 15. I could have killed myself trying to stay ahead of that one woman at the end and still only been 13 of 16. But, 49 of 57 finishers, vs. last year 45 of 46. And yes, a couple of these people were actually slower than I was last year. So that is gratifying (as in, I am a little better after all! I am not the worst!)
One of the good things about finishing so much earlier was that there was still some hot soup left! So I had some orange slices, which for some reason just tasted like the most amazing thing in the world to me at that point, and then I had some soup from one of the crockpots.
The Dirtiest Dozen results are in and I ended up in 7th place. One spot behind Cyndi K. Looking forward to next spring and another series of fun trail races.
The 27k race was in its second year, sharing the course with the Stone Steps 50k event. This was the final event in the Dirt Days Trail Series.
The race is in Mt. Airy Forest. You start with a “long” loop that is about 5.6 miles, come through the “oval” (shelter area) and make another “short” loop that is somewhat over 3 miles. Then you go back through the oval and repeat. Overall it’s not that hilly (except for those stone steps and that Gummi Bear Hill, haha) and it’s not that technical (except for the technical parts…).
Mt. Airy is a nice park in which to hold a trail race. There is plenty of parking around the oval and on the access road into the park. The shelter in the oval has electricity, so they can plug in crockpots with hot soup and chili, and serve coffee and hot chocolate. The oval is also a good place for spectators to hang out, because they can see the runners as they come through at the end of each loop.
I seem to be good for about 5-6 miles of trail racing and then the wheels come off. Last year I really fell apart in the second half and finished in second to last place. I was having a lot of trouble with my feet, and I even changed one of my shoes for the second half (so I was running in two different shoes).
This year I was in a little better shape, so I was hoping to improve somewhat. Just like last year, I did run a marathon the weekend before. But, all things considered, I was still starting out stronger than in 2010.
The weather was pleasant. It was cooler than last year but sunny and dry. It had rained a little the day before but not enough to affect the trails. Co-race director Andy Jones had been out the day before blowing the leaves off to the side, and that helped tremendously on the more technical sections.
I was wearing a new pair of shoes (Nike Pegasus trail shoes, bought on sale). Okay, I had worn them for one test run around Ault Park but that was it. I had to get new shoes because somebody (AKA Zen) had eaten one of the insoles from my favorite pair (Saucony Xodus), and I have not been able to find a suitable replacement that is comfortable to run in. Anyway, those shoes were a little snug, and it seemed like they weren’t so great for this distance anyway. The new shoes are roomier, and I hoped that would work (I’ve been feeling great lately in the Pegasus road shoes), but it was a bit of a risk.
Just in case, I brought along a spare pair of shoes (cheap, worn out Salomon something or others).
Looking at the results from last year I decided that I ran the first loop a little too fast. I was trying to stay ahead of a woman who is in my age group and who was also contending for a spot in “The Dirtiest Dozen.” But she wasn’t there this year, and neither was my current “nemesis,” Cindy K. This made it easier for me to relax and not worry so much about being in almost last place from the very start.
The goal this year was to improve my time by having a better second half. I hoped that would result in a better placement, but that part was not up to me. I was only going to worry about myself.
Carried a water bottle and some GUs in a fanny pack. I was going to have a GU every 45 minutes or so.
Came through the first loop in 1:07:40. This was about three minutes slower than last year, but I felt a lot stronger. The steps were not as bad as I remembered, but I forgot about Gummi Bear Hill. But, in contrast to last year, I wasn’t having any issues with my body parts or my gear. I was in almost last place but I didn’t care. Had a little water at the aid station, and then headed back out for the shorter loop.
Another area of improvement was that I managed to avoid getting lost this year, which previously was a problem for me on the second loop. I think I even passed a couple of people during this section, although it was hard to know for sure because we were running into the 50k participants who had started earlier in the morning.
My time for the second loop was 40:34. This was seven minutes faster than last year, and I felt much better than I remembered. Did not have to change shoes! Had some water and a GU and was back out for my repeat of the long loop. Slowed down some but not nearly as much as last year. My time was 1:13:42, which was almost 22 minutes faster than last year. I was pretty happy with that!
Had one more small loop to go. This time, fairly early on, a woman caught up to me and I decided to let her pass me. She had been at the aid station when I got there and I guess she was lingering. As soon as she passed me, I thought better of it, so I asked her if she was doing the trail series and found out that she was not. Then I realized that I still should not have let her pass me, because my point total in the series is based on my placement, after all. Anyway, we were about the same speed, so we continued on, having a nice conversation along the way, and occasionally changing positions.
She was from the Columbus area, and we discussed trail racing in Ohio, with both of us envying somewhat the seemingly more established circuit of trail runs in the Dayton area. It was nice to have somebody to chat with.
On the last uphill section, she was a little stronger and I decided to let her go. I was just happy that my time was going to be so much better than last year. I ran the final loop in 44:08, which was more than 20 minutes faster than last year. My final time was 3:46:01, which was 41:23 faster than last year. The woman I ran that last loop with was 20 seconds ahead of me.
So much faster, and yet, not much better placewise. So it goes. I was 14 of 16 women. Last year was 14 of 15. I could have killed myself trying to stay ahead of that one woman at the end and still only been 13 of 16. But, 49 of 57 finishers, vs. last year 45 of 46. And yes, a couple of these people were actually slower than I was last year. So that is gratifying (as in, I am a little better after all! I am not the worst!)
One of the good things about finishing so much earlier was that there was still some hot soup left! So I had some orange slices, which for some reason just tasted like the most amazing thing in the world to me at that point, and then I had some soup from one of the crockpots.
The Dirtiest Dozen results are in and I ended up in 7th place. One spot behind Cyndi K. Looking forward to next spring and another series of fun trail races.
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