Ran a 10k in June (8 Viewers)

[Ned]

A solid week of training following last week's race. Maybe overdid a little after how I felt today, but overall I'm super happy with this week. Shocked I can run like this so soon after a HM. It used to take me a week to feel normal again after racing a half........

Tue - 5mi recovery @ 9:58/134. Legs were so friggin' heavy.

Wed - 14mi MLR @ 8:55/141. Holy crap. I'm floored I had this in me. I did get pretty weak around mile 10 or so. Took some hammer gel and I was right back to normal by mile 12 and finished with a 8:48/143 last mile. I've never had that big of a boost from gels before.

Thu - 6mi recovery @ 9:31/132. Felt incredible.

Fri - 10mi MLR @ 8:47/140. Another incredible run.

Sat - 7mi GA @ 8:19/147. I was flyin' and felt so in control.

Sun - 20mi LR @ 8:58/144. Legs were stiff today. I probably have some DOMS going on, but otherwise my energy was through the roof. Just had to deal with the discomfort from the tightness.

62mi for the week. 1 more week to go before it's taper time.

 

[Prince Myshkin]

A solid week of training following last week's race. Maybe overdid a little after how I felt today, but overall I'm super happy with this week. Shocked I can run like this so soon after a HM. It used to take me a week to feel normal again after racing a half........

Tue - 5mi recovery @ 9:58/134. Legs were so friggin' heavy.

Wed - 14mi MLR @ 8:55/141. Holy crap. I'm floored I had this in me. I did get pretty weak around mile 10 or so. Took some hammer gel and I was right back to normal by mile 12 and finished with a 8:48/143 last mile. I've never had that big of a boost from gels before.

Thu - 6mi recovery @ 9:31/132. Felt incredible.

Fri - 10mi MLR @ 8:47/140. Another incredible run.

Sat - 7mi GA @ 8:19/147. I was flyin' and felt so in control.

Sun - 20mi LR @ 8:58/144. Legs were stiff today. I probably have some DOMS going on, but otherwise my energy was through the roof. Just had to deal with the discomfort from the tightness.

62mi for the week. 1 more week to go before it's taper time.

amazing week ned...you are going to rock this thing!

 

[2Young2BBald]

2Y2BB - Your son is one talented dude. Belly breathing before a race helps loosen up the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. It can also get rid of a stitch in the middle of a race. Just have him forcibly push his stomach out on a deep inhale a few times. Helps me a ton.

Thanks, I think this is right on and we've been talking breathing since he started last year. He was complaining about having a swimmers lung like pain/sensation in his throat and chest. This tells me he was taking too short of breaths that likely are leading to these side stitches. I like the idea of of pre-breathing to stretch things out and have already shared this with my son.

 

[Juxtatarot]

65:52. Full write up tomorrow.

 

[tri-man 47]

Frank Lloyd Wright 5K

21:00 (6:43/mile) 172 avg. HR

1st of 27 in AG; 41st of 978 overall

I didn't really know how this would go since I have not been able to train for this distance, and since I was coming off a marathon last weekend. Had a good night's sleep and standard normal routines. This is a home-town race, which I've run many times. I jogged the mile and a half to the local HS for the start. Got my packet, stretched, and met all the other folks from my university for a group pic (we're the major sponsor of the race). Did some accelerations and went to line up. I tried to get near the front, but it was already crowded with a lot of young kids. When we took off, most of them (and some adults) moved slowly and led to too much dodging for the start of a 5K.

Mile 1: 6:36 ..165 HR

Mile 2: 6:52 ..174

Mile 3: 6:46 ..177

last .1: 6:08 ..178

I could tell I wasn't striding very smoothly ..felt rather 'clompy.' I didn't try to check my time at all, since I didn't have any idea of where my pacing would be. I was pleased enough to see the 6:36 ..I was worried it might be a lot slower. A half mile stretch near the end of mile 2 has a series of short city blocks/turns. I kept as steady and focused as I could repeating a mantra (Fight) and clicking off the six turns. Mile 3 was a long straightaway before turning for a 1/4 mile to the finish. I switched mantras (Finish) and concentrated on good form ...had a little down slope before the final turn. I used that to pick up the pace and the lay down a really strong stride (best of the day) into the finish.

sho nuff - sounds encouraging for your dad ..best wishes!

 

[beer 302]

How was the color run? Are you breathing chalk during it? Looks like mesothelioma waiting to happen.

I really think those look dumb. Having said that I would be there in a second if my daughter was going to run with me. Glad you had fun and those are great pictures/memories.

I'm with you, not a fan at all of these themed runs but I will say its a great introductory run for someone thinking about it. It's more like a festive walk that you can run if you want, the color spots are about what you think, 12-15 volunteers with big spray bottles of colored cornstarch. I'm still blowing out colors when I blow my nose but like you said,since the kid wanted to do it I'd run it again tomorrow if she said go.

Color runs do suck if you take them seriously.

This mostly. There two people that were racing waaaay out in front of the pack and while I guess you can do whatever you like if you pay the cash, I thought why? It's not even a timed event so why bother? To each their own I guess.Sho nuff - glad to hear about your dad! Happy the Browns will be providing some entertainment for you all today as well

tri-man - nice finish to the formal season! You've had a helluva year so far!!!!

Sounds like SteveC had a pretty stout HM and the Bourbon Chase boys owe us a report as well

 

[2Young2BBald]

Frank Lloyd Wright 5K

21:00 (6:43/mile) 172 avg. HR

1st of 27 in AG; 41st of 978 overall

I didn't really know how this would go since I have not been able to train for this distance, and since I was coming off a marathon last weekend. Had a good night's sleep and standard normal routines. This is a home-town race, which I've run many times. I jogged the mile and a half to the local HS for the start. Got my packet, stretched, and met all the other folks from my university for a group pic (we're the major sponsor of the race). Did some accelerations and went to line up. I tried to get near the front, but it was already crowded with a lot of young kids. When we took off, most of them (and some adults) moved slowly and led to too much dodging for the start of a 5K.

Mile 1: 6:36 ..165 HR

Mile 2: 6:52 ..174

Mile 3: 6:46 ..177

last .1: 6:08 ..178

I could tell I wasn't striding very smoothly ..felt rather 'clompy.' I didn't try to check my time at all, since I didn't have any idea of where my pacing would be. I was pleased enough to see the 6:36 ..I was worried it might be a lot slower. A half mile stretch near the end of mile 2 has a series of short city blocks/turns. I kept as steady and focused as I could repeating a mantra (Fight) and clicking off the six turns. Mile 3 was a long straightaway before turning for a 1/4 mile to the finish. I switched mantras (Finish) and concentrated on good form ...had a little down slope before the final turn. I used that to pick up the pace and the lay down a really strong stride (best of the day) into the finish.

sho nuff - sounds encouraging for your dad ..best wishes!

Very nice way to cap the season. Although, there has to be some fall trail events you could find :enabler:

 

[Sand]

65:52. Full write up tomorrow.

I hope this is a 10 miler. If it is a HM, I'm just gonna take my ball and go home.

Frank Lloyd Wright 5K

21:00 (6:43/mile) 172 avg. HR

1st of 27 in AG; 41st of 978 overall

I didn't really know how this would go since I have not been able to train for this distance, and since I was coming off a marathon last weekend. Had a good night's sleep and standard normal routines. This is a home-town race, which I've run many times. I jogged the mile and a half to the local HS for the start. Got my packet, stretched, and met all the other folks from my university for a group pic (we're the major sponsor of the race). Did some accelerations and went to line up. I tried to get near the front, but it was already crowded with a lot of young kids. When we took off, most of them (and some adults) moved slowly and led to too much dodging for the start of a 5K.

Mile 1: 6:36 ..165 HR

Mile 2: 6:52 ..174

Mile 3: 6:46 ..177

last .1: 6:08 ..178

I could tell I wasn't striding very smoothly ..felt rather 'clompy.' I didn't try to check my time at all, since I didn't have any idea of where my pacing would be. I was pleased enough to see the 6:36 ..I was worried it might be a lot slower. A half mile stretch near the end of mile 2 has a series of short city blocks/turns. I kept as steady and focused as I could repeating a mantra (Fight) and clicking off the six turns. Mile 3 was a long straightaway before turning for a 1/4 mile to the finish. I switched mantras (Finish) and concentrated on good form ...had a little down slope before the final turn. I used that to pick up the pace and the lay down a really strong stride (best of the day) into the finish.

sho nuff - sounds encouraging for your dad ..best wishes!

Very nice way to cap the season. Although, there has to be some fall trail events you could find :enabler:

Huh, and I just bought some trail shoes. :enablerx2:

----

Headed out for a trail run after a 3 day injury timeout. 6.5 miles with 450ft. or so of climbing. Beautiful day to head out. I figured I was ok for the length after a few intestinal issues in the morning (figured it was done). Yeah - not so much. Ducked behind a tree halfway in. So now officially part of that club - yay. Other than that and one small dirt nap it was a nice break from other stuff - pace was pretty good except for the one 15% hill in there.

Also, congrats to the Bourbon Chase guys for finishing their race up in style! I'm looking forward to hearing how it went.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Huh, and I just bought some trail shoes. :enablerx2:

----

Headed out for a trail run after a 3 day injury timeout. 6.5 miles with 450ft. or so of climbing. Beautiful day to head out. I figured I was ok for the length after a few intestinal issues in the morning (figured it was done). Yeah - not so much. Ducked behind a tree halfway in. So now officially part of that club - yay. Other than that and one small dirt nap it was a nice break from other stuff - pace was pretty good except for the one 15% hill in there.

Also, congrats to the Bourbon Chase guys for finishing their race up in style! I'm looking forward to hearing how it went.

Welcome to the cult. What shoes did you go with?

 

[FUBAR]

Fubar - I hope you get good weather for b2b in two weeks.

Checked the forecast. 0% chance of rain but 44 degree overnight low. the water is gonna be chilly.

thinking of purchasing swim socks or booties. Any advice?

I've read a bunch of race reports in the past and people really like the booties. Also put on multiple swim caps. You'll have to be the judge based on your history on the bike. People have talked about being cold on the bike, but I would hate to have too much clothing and overheat. I think you said you will be doing the half so you effort level should warm you up. Definately earn on the side of too little clothing if the sun will be out.

The good thing is that the water will feel warm at first. Running from the water to T1 will be painful.

Thanks. And yeah, t1 and the first few miles will hurt. As long as frost bite isn't an issue, the cold doesn't bother me too much.

Now I'm hearing thirties overnight.

Got my first massage in seven years today. Thinking of getting a membership, $59/month with one massage each month.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Fubar - I hope you get good weather for b2b in two weeks.

Checked the forecast. 0% chance of rain but 44 degree overnight low. the water is gonna be chilly.

thinking of purchasing swim socks or booties. Any advice?

I've read a bunch of race reports in the past and people really like the booties. Also put on multiple swim caps. You'll have to be the judge based on your history on the bike. People have talked about being cold on the bike, but I would hate to have too much clothing and overheat. I think you said you will be doing the half so you effort level should warm you up. Definately earn on the side of too little clothing if the sun will be out.

The good thing is that the water will feel warm at first. Running from the water to T1 will be painful.

Thanks. And yeah, t1 and the first few miles will hurt. As long as frost bite isn't an issue, the cold doesn't bother me too much.

Now I'm hearing thirties overnight.

Got my first massage in seven years today. Thinking of getting a membership, $59/month with one massage each month.

On my maybe to do list is Boise 70.3. My sister and family live there and I LOVE that part of the country. I've read horror stories about the weather, including sleet on the bike leg after an insanely cold swim. Those that survived that race the best, from what I've read, just kept their wetsuits on for the bike leg; and Glided the #### out of things before the race in case they had to do so. I thought I read about a B2B racers doing the same a few years ago. For giggles, you might want to give a short ride on the trainer in the wetsuit a tri just in case. I did a HIM where it was about 48 when we came out of the water and arm warmers seemed to be OK, cold, but OK.

 

[SteveC702]

Koby- Nice run man! How did it feel though? Kinda cool that you can just run through an injury just like that. Also, I thought of you in my HM today and dedicated the first 5 sub-6 miles I ran to you.

Beer302- Nice week of training man, and way to keep at it through the PT. I was in your shoes just 2-3 months ago and know how it feels. Great finish to the week though and glad you got to have that to cap off your birthday. (coincidentally my comeback from physical therapy this summer also started with a 5K color run that I time trialed, though not on my birthday)

Sho Nuff- Awesome news about your dad. Glad he is doing much better.

Prince Myshkin- Getting out there again is half the battle, the fitness will come back before you realize it.

Ned- Damn man, that's quite a week, especially coming off of a huge HM breakthrough race.

JUxt- Nice to see you nailed your goal too. Looking forward to the report.

Tri-man- Nice way to cap off the season. Congrats on the AG win.

Sand- Solid run dude. I have been part of that club pretty much weekly when I was living up in Alaska and running on isolated trails. Now I make sure to plan my morning run routes near stores/fast food places that I can run into if nature calls.

Fubar- I think those massages are worth it if you get even halfway decent ones. My wife and I just joined one ourselves, they charge $10/year for memberships and we get $10 off per massage. Definitely thinking of making it at least a monthly thing.

 

[Sand]

Huh, and I just bought some trail shoes. :enablerx2:

----

Headed out for a trail run after a 3 day injury timeout. 6.5 miles with 450ft. or so of climbing. Beautiful day to head out. I figured I was ok for the length after a few intestinal issues in the morning (figured it was done). Yeah - not so much. Ducked behind a tree halfway in. So now officially part of that club - yay. Other than that and one small dirt nap it was a nice break from other stuff - pace was pretty good except for the one 15% hill in there.

Also, congrats to the Bourbon Chase guys for finishing their race up in style! I'm looking forward to hearing how it went.

Welcome to the cult. What shoes did you go with?

I wear Adrenalines, so I just ordered the trail version of those. Tried the trail version in the Pure series, but hated it.

Sand- Solid run dude. I have been part of that club pretty much weekly when I was living up in Alaska and running on isolated trails. Now I make sure to plan my morning run routes near stores/fast food places that I can run into if nature calls.

Yeah, well when you get to a crossroads and have to ask the MTBers who happened to be there how far each way went just to figure out how to get back to the start without running 15...

Koby- Nice run man! How did it feel though? Kinda cool that you can just run through an injury just like that. Also, I thought of you in my HM today and dedicated the first 5 sub-6 miles I ran to you.

Beer302- Nice week of training man, and way to keep at it through the PT. I was in your shoes just 2-3 months ago and know how it feels. Great finish to the week though and glad you got to have that to cap off your birthday. (coincidentally my comeback from physical therapy this summer also started with a 5K color run that I time trialed, though not on my birthday)

Sho Nuff- Awesome news about your dad. Glad he is doing much better.

Prince Myshkin- Getting out there again is half the battle, the fitness will come back before you realize it.

Ned- Damn man, that's quite a week, especially coming off of a huge HM breakthrough race.

JUxt- Nice to see you nailed your goal too. Looking forward to the report.

Tri-man- Nice way to cap off the season. Congrats on the AG win.

Fubar- I think those massages are worth it if you get even halfway decent ones. My wife and I just joined one ourselves, they charge $10/year for memberships and we get $10 off per massage. Definitely thinking of making it at least a monthly thing.

Want to reiterate these, except for the massage stuff. God I hate those things.

 

[tri-man 47]

Headed out for a trail run after a 3 day injury timeout. 6.5 miles with 450ft. or so of climbing. Beautiful day to head out. I figured I was ok for the length after a few intestinal issues in the morning (figured it was done). Yeah - not so much. Ducked behind a tree halfway in. So now officially part of that club - yay.

Now you know why most trail shoes come in brown.

 

[FUBAR]

Fubar - I hope you get good weather for b2b in two weeks.

Checked the forecast. 0% chance of rain but 44 degree overnight low. the water is gonna be chilly.

thinking of purchasing swim socks or booties. Any advice?

I've read a bunch of race reports in the past and people really like the booties. Also put on multiple swim caps. You'll have to be the judge based on your history on the bike. People have talked about being cold on the bike, but I would hate to have too much clothing and overheat. I think you said you will be doing the half so you effort level should warm you up. Definately earn on the side of too little clothing if the sun will be out.

The good thing is that the water will feel warm at first. Running from the water to T1 will be painful.

Thanks. And yeah, t1 and the first few miles will hurt. As long as frost bite isn't an issue, the cold doesn't bother me too much.

Now I'm hearing thirties overnight. Got my first massage in seven years today. Thinking of getting a membership, $59/month with one massage each month.

On my maybe to do list is Boise 70.3. My sister and family live there and I LOVE that part of the country. I've read horror stories about the weather, including sleet on the bike leg after an insanely cold swim. Those that survived that race the best, from what I've read, just kept their wetsuits on for the bike leg; and Glided the #### out of things before the race in case they had to do so. I thought I read about a B2B racers doing the same a few years ago. For giggles, you might want to give a short ride on the trainer in the wetsuit a tri just in case. I did a HIM where it was about 48 when we came out of the water and arm warmers seemed to be OK, cold, but OK.

Sounds... like an experience.

Don't have arm warmers, but I biked this morning at 54 degrees with just an 8 skin ls shirt under the bike jersey, that worked well.

 

[SteveC702]

Duke City Half-Marathon Race Report:

Pre-race; I ran my first "formal" workout since moving to Colorado Springs this past Wednesday. The plan was to do 2x2mlies at tempo effort to determine if my goal of running 6-minute miles in the half-marathon this weekend is still realistic. I drove to the air force base where my wife works to use the track since every school near my house seemed to lock up their tracks. I got there, but then realized it's one of those wacky tracks where each lap is just short of 400 meters, so they have a starting line in the middle of the track, and then finish lines measured out 20, 30, 60 meters or so ahead for 1, 1.5, and 3 mile runs. I decide that instead of guessing where the 2-mile finish line should be I'll just switch my workout to a 3-mile tempo, 2 lap jog, 1.5 mile tempo.

I head out to run 6-minute miles but start clipping off 87-88s/lap and come through the mile in 5:51. I step off the gas a little bit but my body is apparently just getting warmed up and I keep on clipping off 87-88s and finish the 3-mile segment in 17:28. I cruise through the 2-lap jog and thought I would be slower for the 1.5, but end up running 8:36 (5:44 pace). I definitely felt like the workout was a bit faster than tempo pace, but left feeling good about my chances of holding 6-minute miles this weekend.

Pre-race Goal Setting:

I had 2 different tier of goals going in. I wanted to run at least 6-minute miles (78:40), but I thought if I felt good at halfway I would try to pick it up and maybe run 5:50s on the way back and envisioned a best case scenario of running 77-77:30 as my "A" goal.

The race:

This was a decent sized race with no corral assignments so I noticed a bunch of old women with fanny packs right in the front (wtf) .The one thing I liked about the race was that they just put a clock right in front of the start line and started each race exactly on time (Marathon went off at 7:30, 5k at 7:45, HM at 8, 10K at 8:15, etc). As the clock is reading 7:59:50, the starter counts us down and we take off on the hour. I spent about the first half mile running steadily and moving my way through the crowd, but was able to settle into a pack shortly before we hit the first mile There were 6-7 of us but I noticed that two other runners were hardly breathing at all, and surely enough by 2.5-3 miles it was just the 3 of us. I asked one guy what he wanted to run, and he basically had the same plan as me. (Run 6-flats til 6.5 and then pick it up). By mile 5 we are weaving in and out of marathoners that started half an hour earlier, but the tempo is steady and felt just about right. I felt I had another gear left but it was definitely harder than marathon effort.

First 6 miles - 5:57, 5:57, 5:56, 5:56, 5:56, 5.57

Right before the turnaround my buddy for the last few miles starts picking it up and the pace is just a bit too hot for me so I tell him "go get 'em" and let him go. He immediately opens up a decent sized gap but I can still somehow see him. We are running into other runners on the out-and-back course but are having surprisingly little trouble with people getting in our way (I think part of it may be that my buddy is clearing the way for me). I feel like I am running just a bit too fast but I keep on telling myself "keep him in sight for another mile, then I can back off"

Miles 7-10 - 5:52, 5:46, 5:47, 5:42

With 5k to go I noticed the gap between us has gotten smaller, I am redlining hard at this point but thought if I can latch back on we can push each other the last couple of miles, shortly before 11 miles I pull alongside him and just muttered "alright man, 2 more miles, let's go". At this point we are also running through crowds of 10K runners, but this section is through neighborhood streets so there's plenty of room.

We take turns surging, and with a mile to go I somehow picked out a runner in green admist the sea of 10K runners that was also in the half-marathon and he was 2-minutes ahead of us at the turnaround. I point him out but my buddy just said "you get him man, I am fried". I am hurting a this point and am almost content with cruising, but my competitiveness take over and I step on the gas with whatever I got left. I pull even with half a mile to go and mumbled some words of encouragement, he in turn said something along the lines of "right on bro, let's finish it strong", and takes off; apparently he's been jogging for the last few miles because he ended up putting about 20 seconds on me in the last half mile. At this point I am just putting one foot in front of another and I don't think I remember a single thing from the last 2 minutes of the race. I do remember shortly after I crossed the finish I was overcome with this immense urge to barf, but somehow managed not to.

Last 3 miles - 5:39 - 5:44 - 5:41 - 50 (garmin split for 0.13)

Final Stats - 76:39 - 6th place. Beat my "A" goal by 21 seconds. Averaged about 2 seconds/mi faster than my 5K last week.

Most online calculators I use converted this performance to about 73:30-74:00 at sea level, so I am finally feeling like I am within striking distance of my old form, but mostly it just felt good to get out there and execute a pre-race plan perfectly and manage to redline it for 6-7 miles and hold onto a pace that I had trouble holding for more than 2-3 miles just a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Prince Myshkin]

jeez Steve :mindblown:

 

[sho nuff]

jeez Steve :mindblown:

Yeah...just can't come to grips with that speed.

Thank you to everyone for the kind words.

Dad is doing very good for what he has...I know there are people who have had more dire situations...but anytime you get brain surgery its obviously a big things.

He looked good today and was moving well..up and down several steps 4 yesterday...up to 8 today.

Still getting used to trusting his left side which is what was affected by the tumor.

Has been handling the pain well using mostly just tylenol...and only taking the Oxy at night which helps him sleep.

Very encouraged before I head back to TN. But wishing I could be around to help more when he gets released in the next day or two.

Was nice watching the game with him and seeing him into it (after his therapy sessions in the first quarter).

 

[beer 302]

SteveC, wow. Pretty awesome to have you as a resource in here. Amazing race, thanks for the write up.

sho nuff, glad to hear about dad and happy my Browns could help in some small way ;-)

 

[Ned]

Sand - Nice trail run!!

Juxt - What a tease! Get on that RR, will ya?!

Tri - You are a cyborg, I swear. How you manage to do this is beyond me......

Steve - good god man. Your HM splits are my dead sprints. Awesome race and RR. Love to read about guys redlining it.

 

[The_Man]

Ned - great post-HM week

Steve - that is an incredible effort. Congrats!

Tri - running strong. Nice job!

2Y2BB - great job by your boy. He's really had a breakthrough season. Big things in store for him over the next couple of years!

 

[tri-man 47]

SteveC, wow. Pretty awesome to have you as a resource in here. Amazing race, thanks for the write up.

sho nuff, glad to hear about dad and happy my Browns could help in some small way ;-)

Great speed and great racing, Steve!

sho nuff, I have to wonder if your dad started to come around yesterday, looked up and saw the Packers in those old-time uniforms, and thought to himself "whoa, what just happened here."

 

[sho nuff]

SteveC, wow. Pretty awesome to have you as a resource in here. Amazing race, thanks for the write up.

sho nuff, glad to hear about dad and happy my Browns could help in some small way ;-)

Great speed and great racing, Steve!

sho nuff, I have to wonder if your dad started to come around yesterday, looked up and saw the Packers in those old-time uniforms, and thought to himself "whoa, what just happened here."

Yeah...had he just come out of surgery...he may not have trusted they cut the right stuff in his brain seeing that.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Huh, and I just bought some trail shoes. :enablerx2:

----

Headed out for a trail run after a 3 day injury timeout. 6.5 miles with 450ft. or so of climbing. Beautiful day to head out. I figured I was ok for the length after a few intestinal issues in the morning (figured it was done). Yeah - not so much. Ducked behind a tree halfway in. So now officially part of that club - yay. Other than that and one small dirt nap it was a nice break from other stuff - pace was pretty good except for the one 15% hill in there.

Also, congrats to the Bourbon Chase guys for finishing their race up in style! I'm looking forward to hearing how it went.

You had to name that after me? That's just not right But welcome to the club. I have a couple of trail routes that take me near porta potties for those days that my GI system isn't feeling quite right

Got my first massage in seven years today. Thinking of getting a membership, $59/month with one massage each month.

Sounds like Massage Envy? I've been a member for about 4 years now, and if you find a good masseuse it's a great deal. I got a 90 minute massage 3 days before and another hour one 4 days after my last race - as I never seem to be able to make it in once/month so always have 4-5 massages saved up (you can use 1 1/2 for a 90 minute massage).

Duke City Half-Marathon Race Report:

I do remember shortly after I crossed the finish I was overcome with this immense urge to barf, but somehow managed not to.

This is literally the only part of your race report that I can relate to. Congrats on a great one!

Very encouraged before I head back to TN. But wishing I could be around to help more when he gets released in the next day or two.Was nice watching the game with him and seeing him into it (after his therapy sessions in the first quarter).

Good news, and glad you had that time with him this weekend!

 

[Hang 10]

Awesome stuff, guys.

Tri-man - I love it. If you aint first yer last! you ol' podium whore you!

Juxtatarot - can't wait to read your report. Nice job nailing your goal!

Steve - just when I start to feel like I'm fast I read your race reports. My goodness man, you are a beast! I would love to see splits like that in a 5K!

Ned - that is a awesome week of training. I definitely see where that half came from... You are working your ### off. You are gonna crush this marathon!

 

[koby925]

Some nice work this weekend.

Ned, you certainly look ready to roll.

Tri - I don't think I'd even be jogging yet a week after a Marathon, let alone racing a 5k...you are a machine

Jux - let's hear the report. Nice time!

Steve - holy cow man. From hardly running what 10-12 weeks ago to a 76:39 Half? That's proof of what a good, solid consistent training of basework can do for you. FYI, I was only talking about trying to run 5 miles with the Half guys running 6 min pace, not a whole Half!

 

[koby925]

Koby- Nice run man! How did it feel though? Kinda cool that you can just run through an injury just like that. Also, I thought of you in my HM today and dedicated the first 5 sub-6 miles I ran to you.

It felt good. I went out thinking I should try to keep it to high 7s the whole time since I haven't done more than 8 miles in awhile. Then even at the turn I was thinking oh no, I went too fast, I'm gonna have to slow down badly or walk 7-8 into it. Felt like I got stronger as I went on, though and I was clicking 7:20s easily at the end and felt like I had more in me. But I wasn't going to push it - 10 at 7:30 was more than enough and a nice confidence boost. Best of all, my hip felt fine during the run. Some tightness and a little soreness after but I ran an easy 5 yesterday and feel fine today. So after back to back days of a MAClike tempo and a 10 miler, I'm happy that I seem to have come away unscathed. I've been trying to stretch the area out quite a bit which seems to help, and I start PT this week. Ended up with 37.5 miles for the week which is nothing compared to most of you guys, but it marked 4 weeks in a row of 30+ for me and my longest week since July.

 

[The_Man]

I'm interested in people's thoughts about the possibility/benefit of a runner changing his stride. I'm reading a book called "Running with the Kenyans" - it's ok, about a journalist who's a pretty good runner (38 minutes in the 10k) who moves to Kenya for six months and trains with the people there to learn what makes them such great runners.

Along the way he talks about how he intentionally changed his stride to become a mid- to forefront striker. He doesn't believe in barefoot running, but he does believe forefoot striking is the way humans evolved to run (before heavily padded running shoes) and that it provides the most economical and injury-free stride. To get to that stride, he said he pretty much had to start over as a runner, because the leg muscles he used as a forefront striker were much different and far less developed than his heel striking leg muscles.

I'm a pretty heavy-duty heel striker. But my mileage is so low right now, that I'm pretty much looking at a total reboot, fitness-wise, whether I continue with my heel striking ways or try to adopt a forefoot style. I ran 4 miles Saturday landing on my forefoot (I basically took every step imagining I was barefoot and thought about how I would run if I really weren't wearing shoes). It went well, but afterward my legs were toast - the kind of tired I'd usually associate with a 12 or 15 mile run, not 4. However the next day, there was no soreness; typically my Achilles and calves are always a little sore when I step out of bed the morning after a day when I've run.

Any thoughts? I'm tempted to go for it. The only caveat is that I've been so de-motivated to run in recent months, I'm worried that the effort of trying to change my stride will just give me another reason not to run, and that if I'm going to get back into it, I should err on making things as easy as possible for myself, at least for a while.

 

[tri-man 47]

The_Man - I'm totally supportive of that transition and would urge you to make the change. You'll be a faster runner. It's definitely a different set of muscles (nothing some squats and lunges won't address ). The reason many runners use a heel strike, I believe, is because it's easier to just pivot the knee and 'throw' the lower leg out there. It's more effort/energy to use those big, upper leg muscles to lift and plant the feet. The heavily padded running shoes only magnify the problem by 'encouraging' a heel strike. I find myself being less and less comfortable running with a shoe that has a standard 12 mm heel to toe drop ...the heel actually gets in the way. I prefer my 8 mm, lighter shoe (and I'm thinking about checking out something even flatter). Interested to hear what others have to say!

 

[Ned]

The_Man - I'm totally supportive of that transition and would urge you to make the change. You'll be a faster runner. It's definitely a different set of muscles (nothing some squats and lunges won't address ). The reason many runners use a heel strike, I believe, is because it's easier to just pivot the knee and 'throw' the lower leg out there. It's more effort/energy to use those big, upper leg muscles to lift and plant the feet. The heavily padded running shoes only magnify the problem by 'encouraging' a heel strike. I find myself being less and less comfortable running with a shoe that has a standard 12 mm heel to toe drop ...the heel actually gets in the way. I prefer my 8 mm, lighter shoe (and I'm thinking about checking out something even flatter). Interested to hear what others have to say!

I absolutely agree and think it's worth the effort to change. It sounds like a great time to try it too, so why not? I'd just take it very slowly. Make the build up like you're starting from scratch.

Check out the newton shoes - they're ugly as sin, but I really like them. They'd certainly help you get the feel for it. I'm a heavy midfoot/forefoot striker. These shoes feel fantastic. I actually just race my HM in them and just tested them out on my 20 miler yesterday. I've felt no worse for wear, so I'll most likely be racing my marathon in them too.

You can find older models on clearance at runningwarehouse.

 

[MAC_32]

A little disappointed in my 5 mile tempo run time, but I ran it properly. 35 minutes, heart rate stayed stable, and the moment I got done absolutely no huffing and puffing. Stomach issues impacted my last 3 miles unfortunately, ate like #### all weekend and drank too many fluids pre run today. Since I don't watch my time anymore I don't have splits, but I'd bet I went out in 6:30-6:45 pace and finished in something closer to 7:15-7:30.

Still think this is a positive takeaway though.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Army Ten-Miler race report

I ran this race with my brother who lives in the Northern Virginia area. This is a large race (about 26,000 finishers) that starts and finishes by the Pentagon and goes along the National Mall. Here’s the course map if you’re curious. Sponsored in part by the Army so the race definitely had a military feel although the bulk of the runners were regular people like me.

I’ve never ran a ten mile race before so I obviously would set a PR for that distance no matter what. However, my goal was to run a faster pace than the 6:42 pace of my PR half marathon set last year. Calculating that out, it means finishing around 66:30.

Near perfect running conditions for this race. Maybe 50 degrees at most during the race. A little wind but nothing too bad.

Apparently it’s difficult to park near the start so we took the Metro to the Pentagon. Absolutely packed and almost had to wait for another train at a transfer point. We got there about 45 minutes early which I thought was good since I wanted to warm up, stretch, etc. After gear check we headed toward the start corrals but there was a wall of runners before the entrance. Security was tight and they were using those hand-held metal detectors on each runner before letting them in. Slowly we move up as they let runners in but it was very slowly. Time before the start was running down. Pre-race warm up was out. They played the national anthem and started the wheelchair race ( started 15 minutes before the regular race) and we’re still waiting. I resigned myself to the idea that I wouldn’t make the start and starting thinking about having to navigate myself around all these runners. Fortunately however, five minutes before the start, they decided to waive the strict security and let everyone in. I ditched my brother (who was in a slower corral and also had to find a Porta-Potty) and spent a minute running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to find someone that could tell me where my start corral was. I was pointed in the right direction and sprinted to the area with only a minute to go. That would be my warm up.

Mile 1: 6:36

This mile was very congested and I was playing the weave in and out game. Lots and lots of slower runners. I was in the 2nd start corral but I’d say the average runner was running in the low 7:00s. Corrals were assigned on the honor system based on your reported expected finish but unfortunately there were several runners running much slower that had no business in this corral. Anyway, my skinny body allows me to squeeze between runners in spaces most cannot go and I managed to be below goal pace for this mile. Or, at least, I think I was. Garmin auto-lap at one mile beeped before the first official mile marker as it would earlier and earlier for each mile of this race due to the heavy congestion (the weaving and inability to run proper tangents). I felt strong this first mile but would glance at my Garmin and see heart rate numbers in the 200s. Garbage data probably due to the combination of wearing a tech shirt and not sweating enough yet.

Mile 2: 6:26

Mile 3: 6:28, average HR 165

Mile 4: 6:31, 166

Heart rate data settled in somewhere during mile 2 and I was pleased to be in the 160s. I thought I could handle that level for 10 miles but if it got into the 170s I’d be in trouble. I felt OK at this point. Crossed the Potomac during mile 2 and ran by the Lincoln Memorial. I’m still passing a lot of runners and it’s still congested but there are not many much slower runners so it’s manageable. I notice, however, that the distance between my Garmin miles and the mile markers is growing and growing. Although I’m banking Garmin time relative to my goal I’m not sure how I’m actually faring.

Mile 5: 6:28, 165

Mile 6: 6:31, 166

Mile 7: 6:35, 165

These miles were by the National Mall. Passed the Washington Monument. I know I’m supposed to be able to see the White House and the Capitol in the distance as well as other sites but I’m too focused on the race and missed them. (And besides, I’ve seen them before.) Congestion is easing but I’m still passing people and still unable to run the tangents. I check my time at the mile 5 marker and it’s within a few seconds of 33:00. I know that I’m truly below pace and I’m still feeling OK. In fact, I remember considering an “everything left in the tank” attempt at a 6:00 mile for mile 10.

Mile 8: 6:24, 167

Mile 9: 6:34, 168

Mile 10: 6:25, 169

Extra .15 Garmin distance, 0:54 (6:05 pace), 171

We cross back over the Potomac during mile 8 and the rise up to the bridge takes a lot out of me. I feel that wave of fatigue that I cannot really describe but I’m sure you all have experienced. I quickly abandon the idea of a super fast mile 10 and hope to just be able to hold on. I manage to do so and even finished strong.

Final time 65:52. Finished 584 out of 25,925. 54 out of a gigantic 2,312 in my age group. Average pace was officially 6:35 so I made my goal. My average pace on my Garmin miles of 10.15 was 6:30. I’m very pleased with that. I’m also pleased that my brother finished in 1:27 which destroyed his goal of 1:30.

 

[prosopis]

jeez Steve :mindblown:

no ####

 

[prosopis]

Army Ten-Miler race report

I ran this race with my brother who lives in the Northern Virginia area. This is a large race (about 26,000 finishers) that starts and finishes by the Pentagon and goes along the National Mall. Here’s the course map if you’re curious. Sponsored in part by the Army so the race definitely had a military feel although the bulk of the runners were regular people like me.

I’ve never ran a ten mile race before so I obviously would set a PR for that distance no matter what. However, my goal was to run a faster pace than the 6:42 pace of my PR half marathon set last year. Calculating that out, it means finishing around 66:30.

Near perfect running conditions for this race. Maybe 50 degrees at most during the race. A little wind but nothing too bad.

Apparently it’s difficult to park near the start so we took the Metro to the Pentagon. Absolutely packed and almost had to wait for another train at a transfer point. We got there about 45 minutes early which I thought was good since I wanted to warm up, stretch, etc. After gear check we headed toward the start corrals but there was a wall of runners before the entrance. Security was tight and they were using those hand-held metal detectors on each runner before letting them in. Slowly we move up as they let runners in but it was very slowly. Time before the start was running down. Pre-race warm up was out. They played the national anthem and started the wheelchair race ( started 15 minutes before the regular race) and we’re still waiting. I resigned myself to the idea that I wouldn’t make the start and starting thinking about having to navigate myself around all these runners. Fortunately however, five minutes before the start, they decided to waive the strict security and let everyone in. I ditched my brother (who was in a slower corral and also had to find a Porta-Potty) and spent a minute running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to find someone that could tell me where my start corral was. I was pointed in the right direction and sprinted to the area with only a minute to go. That would be my warm up.

Mile 1: 6:36

This mile was very congested and I was playing the weave in and out game. Lots and lots of slower runners. I was in the 2nd start corral but I’d say the average runner was running in the low 7:00s. Corrals were assigned on the honor system based on your reported expected finish but unfortunately there were several runners running much slower that had no business in this corral. Anyway, my skinny body allows me to squeeze between runners in spaces most cannot go and I managed to be below goal pace for this mile. Or, at least, I think I was. Garmin auto-lap at one mile beeped before the first official mile marker as it would earlier and earlier for each mile of this race due to the heavy congestion (the weaving and inability to run proper tangents). I felt strong this first mile but would glance at my Garmin and see heart rate numbers in the 200s. Garbage data probably due to the combination of wearing a tech shirt and not sweating enough yet.

Mile 2: 6:26

Mile 3: 6:28, average HR 165

Mile 4: 6:31, 166

Heart rate data settled in somewhere during mile 2 and I was pleased to be in the 160s. I thought I could handle that level for 10 miles but if it got into the 170s I’d be in trouble. I felt OK at this point. Crossed the Potomac during mile 2 and ran by the Lincoln Memorial. I’m still passing a lot of runners and it’s still congested but there are not many much slower runners so it’s manageable. I notice, however, that the distance between my Garmin miles and the mile markers is growing and growing. Although I’m banking Garmin time relative to my goal I’m not sure how I’m actually faring.

Mile 5: 6:28, 165

Mile 6: 6:31, 166

Mile 7: 6:35, 165

These miles were by the National Mall. Passed the Washington Monument. I know I’m supposed to be able to see the White House and the Capitol in the distance as well as other sites but I’m too focused on the race and missed them. (And besides, I’ve seen them before.) Congestion is easing but I’m still passing people and still unable to run the tangents. I check my time at the mile 5 marker and it’s within a few seconds of 33:00. I know that I’m truly below pace and I’m still feeling OK. In fact, I remember considering an “everything left in the tank” attempt at a 6:00 mile for mile 10.

Mile 8: 6:24, 167

Mile 9: 6:34, 168

Mile 10: 6:25, 169

Extra .15 Garmin distance, 0:54 (6:05 pace), 171

We cross back over the Potomac during mile 8 and the rise up to the bridge takes a lot out of me. I feel that wave of fatigue that I cannot really describe but I’m sure you all have experienced. I quickly abandon the idea of a super fast mile 10 and hope to just be able to hold on. I manage to do so and even finished strong.

Final time 65:52. Finished 584 out of 25,925. 54 out of a gigantic 2,312 in my age group. Average pace was officially 6:35 so I made my goal. My average pace on my Garmin miles of 10.15 was 6:30. I’m very pleased with that. I’m also pleased that my brother finished in 1:27 which destroyed his goal of 1:30.

Awesome You guys are all so fast.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Steve- Congrats on reaching your goal. Amazing time, but we all mention that every time!

Tri-man- Congrats on the AG victory but I know that's common territory for you! Some day I wish to have one!

 

[Hang 10]

Army Ten-Miler race report

I ran this race with my brother who lives in the Northern Virginia area. This is a large race (about 26,000 finishers) that starts and finishes by the Pentagon and goes along the National Mall. Heres the course map if youre curious. Sponsored in part by the Army so the race definitely had a military feel although the bulk of the runners were regular people like me.

Ive never ran a ten mile race before so I obviously would set a PR for that distance no matter what. However, my goal was to run a faster pace than the 6:42 pace of my PR half marathon set last year. Calculating that out, it means finishing around 66:30.

Near perfect running conditions for this race. Maybe 50 degrees at most during the race. A little wind but nothing too bad.

Apparently its difficult to park near the start so we took the Metro to the Pentagon. Absolutely packed and almost had to wait for another train at a transfer point. We got there about 45 minutes early which I thought was good since I wanted to warm up, stretch, etc. After gear check we headed toward the start corrals but there was a wall of runners before the entrance. Security was tight and they were using those hand-held metal detectors on each runner before letting them in. Slowly we move up as they let runners in but it was very slowly. Time before the start was running down. Pre-race warm up was out. They played the national anthem and started the wheelchair race ( started 15 minutes before the regular race) and were still waiting. I resigned myself to the idea that I wouldnt make the start and starting thinking about having to navigate myself around all these runners. Fortunately however, five minutes before the start, they decided to waive the strict security and let everyone in. I ditched my brother (who was in a slower corral and also had to find a Porta-Potty) and spent a minute running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to find someone that could tell me where my start corral was. I was pointed in the right direction and sprinted to the area with only a minute to go. That would be my warm up.

Mile 1: 6:36

This mile was very congested and I was playing the weave in and out game. Lots and lots of slower runners. I was in the 2nd start corral but Id say the average runner was running in the low 7:00s. Corrals were assigned on the honor system based on your reported expected finish but unfortunately there were several runners running much slower that had no business in this corral. Anyway, my skinny body allows me to squeeze between runners in spaces most cannot go and I managed to be below goal pace for this mile. Or, at least, I think I was. Garmin auto-lap at one mile beeped before the first official mile marker as it would earlier and earlier for each mile of this race due to the heavy congestion (the weaving and inability to run proper tangents). I felt strong this first mile but would glance at my Garmin and see heart rate numbers in the 200s. Garbage data probably due to the combination of wearing a tech shirt and not sweating enough yet.

Mile 2: 6:26

Mile 3: 6:28, average HR 165

Mile 4: 6:31, 166

Heart rate data settled in somewhere during mile 2 and I was pleased to be in the 160s. I thought I could handle that level for 10 miles but if it got into the 170s Id be in trouble. I felt OK at this point. Crossed the Potomac during mile 2 and ran by the Lincoln Memorial. Im still passing a lot of runners and its still congested but there are not many much slower runners so its manageable. I notice, however, that the distance between my Garmin miles and the mile markers is growing and growing. Although Im banking Garmin time relative to my goal Im not sure how Im actually faring.

Mile 5: 6:28, 165

Mile 6: 6:31, 166

Mile 7: 6:35, 165

These miles were by the National Mall. Passed the Washington Monument. I know Im supposed to be able to see the White House and the Capitol in the distance as well as other sites but Im too focused on the race and missed them. (And besides, Ive seen them before.) Congestion is easing but Im still passing people and still unable to run the tangents. I check my time at the mile 5 marker and its within a few seconds of 33:00. I know that Im truly below pace and Im still feeling OK. In fact, I remember considering an everything left in the tank attempt at a 6:00 mile for mile 10.

Mile 8: 6:24, 167

Mile 9: 6:34, 168

Mile 10: 6:25, 169

Extra .15 Garmin distance, 0:54 (6:05 pace), 171

We cross back over the Potomac during mile 8 and the rise up to the bridge takes a lot out of me. I feel that wave of fatigue that I cannot really describe but Im sure you all have experienced. I quickly abandon the idea of a super fast mile 10 and hope to just be able to hold on. I manage to do so and even finished strong.

Final time 65:52. Finished 584 out of 25,925. 54 out of a gigantic 2,312 in my age group. Average pace was officially 6:35 so I made my goal. My average pace on my Garmin miles of 10.15 was 6:30. Im very pleased with that. Im also pleased that my brother finished in 1:27 which destroyed his goal of 1:30.

Awesome work, Jux.

I was thinking of trying this race in the future, you recommend it?

 

[SFBayDuck]

Lots and lots of slower runners. I was in the 2nd start corral but I’d say the average runner was running in the low 7:00s.

:finger:

Seriously, congrats on beating your goal!

 

[FUBAR]

Jus, awesome! I WILL do that race one of these years.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Lots and lots of slower runners. I was in the 2nd start corral but I’d say the average runner was running in the low 7:00s.

:finger:

Seriously, congrats on beating your goal!

Oops! Sorry, should have written "slower runners than me".

 

[Juxtatarot]

I was thinking of trying this race in the future, you recommend it?

It was organized much worse than other large races I've run (Chicago and Boston Marathons, in particular) but that might have been due at least in part to the government shutdown and being the first year post Boston bombings. Yes, though, I would recommend it. Since you run about the same paces as I do, I would recommend either trying to get in the first start corral (first 700 runners, IIRC) or getting there early enough to be near the front of the second corral (IIRC the second corral has the next 3,300 runners). Congestion is an issue with this race as I mentioned in the race report.

Also, this race fills up very quickly. I stayed up until midnight Eastern the night registration opened and had to keep refreshing my computer for a few hours before I could proceed with the registration. By the next morning, registration was closed. Beware!

 

[koby925]

Great job, Jux. Way to beat goal pace. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't know you were running the Army 10 miler. I've always heard great feedback on that race. How did you like the distance? There are a couple 10 milers throughout the year by me and I want to do the distance one of these days. I think it's doable for someone who isn't specifically training for long races but if you're doing Half training anyway, I think it would be a great distance to do either before or after a Half.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Great job, Jux. Way to beat goal pace. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't know you were running the Army 10 miler. I've always heard great feedback on that race. How did you like the distance? There are a couple 10 milers throughout the year by me and I want to do the distance one of these days. I think it's doable for someone who isn't specifically training for long races but if you're doing Half training anyway, I think it would be a great distance to do either before or after a Half.

I only mentioned it, like, 5 times! It has also been on the FBG guys race calendar that most of you never check!

Seriously, though, I loved the distance. I got sick of marathon training after all those Boston training miles and enjoyed training faster but with less miles since then. I've been running rarely more than 30 miles a week. I've always had trouble finishing strong during marathons and have had difficulty staying healthy during marathon training. I've also never been fast for shorter distances like you are. I think my body is probably best suited for races around the 10 mile distance. I wish they weren't so hard to find!

 

[koby925]

Great job, Jux. Way to beat goal pace. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't know you were running the Army 10 miler. I've always heard great feedback on that race. How did you like the distance? There are a couple 10 milers throughout the year by me and I want to do the distance one of these days. I think it's doable for someone who isn't specifically training for long races but if you're doing Half training anyway, I think it would be a great distance to do either before or after a Half.

I only mentioned it, like, 5 times! It has also been on the FBG guys race calendar that most of you never check!

Seriously, though, I loved the distance. I got sick of marathon training after all those Boston training miles and enjoyed training faster but with less miles since then. I've been running rarely more than 30 miles a week. I've always had trouble finishing strong during marathons and have had difficulty staying healthy during marathon training. I've also never been fast for shorter distances like you are. I think my body is probably best suited for races around the 10 mile distance. I wish they weren't so hard to find!

I'm sure you did, I'm just clueless. Yeah I agree. I think a 10 miler under most normal training regimens sounds tough but doable. I wouldn't want to do a Half without specific training, though. That extra 5k makes a big difference. Which makes Steve race seem that much more ridiculous to me.

 

[tri-man 47]

Excellent racing, Juxt, and great report! What a cool race course ...no wonder it sells out quickly. I know it has only been in the last couple of years that you moved away from the long distance stuff ...good to hear you're finding some sweet spots for racing. You'll continue to get better as you refine your training for the short and middle distances. And you've started to nibble at some AG awards already. I'm sure more will come as you finetune your racing strategy for the 5K-HM range of races. You had very impressive placement in the AG and overall for this race!!! Congrats to your brother, too! A pickle for you both:

 

[SteveC702]

Thanks for the encouragement guys, it was definitely one of those days where I was in the zone and got pretty much the most out of myself on that specific day, and while I'm having some success in my primary events, I feel equally inspired to see some of you tackling distances I don't even want to go near for another few years (i.e. Duck, BnB, Gruecd) or disciplines I have toyed with in the past but never made the jump (i.e. Sand, Tri, BnB, etc... with your triathlon adventures), or just pretty much everyone on here that manage to squeeze the most out of yourselves and knock chunks off of your (lifetime or adult) PRs every few weeks.

Sho Nuff- Glad to hear more good news on your dad. Hope he continues to recover well.

Koby- Yeah I know you just wanted to go 5, but I have a feeling you could've probably kept up that pace for another couple after that if you had to. Glad to hear that your injury seemed to have calmed down a bit and you can still get in some consistent training as you recover.

Mac- I think too many people get married to the idea that they should be running a tempo run at a certain pace and end up pushing it too hard on a day when they might not be fully rested. It seemed like you were able to listen to your body and go by effort instead of pace, and got the full benefits of the workout.

Juxt- Nice to see you crush your goals despite having to navigate some early race traffic early on. I have also heard that course is usually 0.1-0.2mi long even from some of the runners closer to the front who are able to run tangents right front the start so you were probably capable of sub-65 on an accurately measured course where you can run even pacing right from the start.

I am going to chime in on the 10-mile race discussions in general. I think on the east coast, specifically in the mid-Atlantic region that race might actually be the 3rd or 4th 10-miler I would run. The co-#1s are in the spring - The Broad Street Run in Philadelphia in May and Cherry Blossom 10-miler in DC a couple of weeks before that. I haven't run either, but from what I hear they both have better organization and Broad Street Run is net downhill so most people who have run it set their PR by quite a bit there.

 

[FUBAR]

I was thinking of trying this race in the future, you recommend it?

It was organized much worse than other large races I've run (Chicago and Boston Marathons, in particular) but that might have been due at least in part to the government shutdown and being the first year post Boston bombings. Yes, though, I would recommend it. Since you run about the same paces as I do, I would recommend either trying to get in the first start corral (first 700 runners, IIRC) or getting there early enough to be near the front of the second corral (IIRC the second corral has the next 3,300 runners). Congestion is an issue with this race as I mentioned in the race report.

Also, this race fills up very quickly. I stayed up until midnight Eastern the night registration opened and had to keep refreshing my computer for a few hours before I could proceed with the registration. By the next morning, registration was closed. Beware!

There was talk that they wouldn't even do it this year.

 

[MAC_32]

Mac- I think too many people get married to the idea that they should be running a tempo run at a certain pace and end up pushing it too hard on a day when they might not be fully rested. It seemed like you were able to listen to your body and go by effort instead of pace, and got the full benefits of the workout.

Thanks Steve, I'm a stubborn SOB but the training advice in here is paying off.

Keep blazing the trails!

 

[Ned]

Juxt - Congrats on the PR! 10mi is the perfect distance where you can push the speed a bit while still having to pace.

MAC - Are you wearing a HRM? I'm willing to bet there were signs there... This is wear training by HR shines.

Steve - I've had a few friends run the broad street 10 miler - its another congestion filled run. Granted they're more back of the packers, but that's the #1 thing that's always talked about.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Fantastic race, Juxt. Congrats on that result!

 

[Annyong]

You guys suck penis. One day I will get that fast i hope.